Newsletter

I was interested to read recently about the commissioning of our 39th Governor of New South Wales, Margaret Beazley AO QC. For her formal swearing-in ceremony, she requested from Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP, the use of the 140 year-old bible of the second Archbishop of Sydney, the Most Reverend Roger William Bede Vaughan. This precious Catholic bible made the ceremony very special for Governor Beazley who, as a faith-filled woman, is very appreciative of her Catholic education. As a woman in public and community leadership she is also an exemplary role model for us as she takes up this significant role. In her address she spoke about the importance of education, especially providing opportunities for young people to develop and grow. She said she believed life should be lived with the aim to “make a real and lasting difference” in the world. I am optimistic that many of our Marist students would aspire to similar public roles. Their excellent formation at MSCW equips them well for this.

More than ever today women need to take the lead in our church and world. At the recent Easter celebrations, Pope Francis highlighted the role of women as the first witnesses of the Resurrection. Pope Francis said, “Women were the first to meet the risen one and announce his message of hope”. It would be my hope that our Marist girls build their confidence and empathy to lead as strong, compassionate women of the future. Leadership skills provide the opportunity to set them on this path.

This week we welcome to the staff Mr John Sears in the role of Grounds/Maintenance Supervisor. We thank Mrs Donna Watts who finishes her time at the College in this role next Friday. I thank Mrs Watts for her care of our facilities and site and her diligence and keen eye to ensure facilities are always looking their best.

We also farewell Mrs Kayleen Admiraal, Business Manager. We are currently recruiting for this position. I thank Mrs Admiraal for her oversight and stewardship of College finances to ensure our funds support the teaching and learning of our students.

Dr Anne Ireland, Principal

This article on College life meets The Archbishop's Charter for Catholic Schools -Charter #2, #8 & #10

An increasing concern I have for our students is the practice they have in the use of headphones or ear buds while traveling to and from school. I am aware of the degree to which young people enjoy listening to music. I, too, have a great love for music and use headphones as well.

My concern is that while students are listening to music as they walk on the street or wait at bus stops, it is easier for them to distracted by what they are listening to and less attentive to what is going on around them. Unfortunately, I have witnessed near misses of pedestrians being hit by moving cars because they have not looked before stepping out on to the road. Further to this, it is important for all of us, and particularly our girls and young women that they are vigilant in knowing what is going on around them and also who might be around them. 

I encourage parents/carers to have a conversation with their daughters about this practice and request of them that they always be aware of their surroundings and aware of their own safety.

Ms Marietta Taliana, Assistant Principal

This article on College life meets The Archbishop's Charter for Catholic Schools - Charter #8

Marcellin Champagnat had a practical mind. This trait was evident throughout his life. He paid for his early seminary formation using money earned from a successful business raising and selling sheep. Later, after he had established his Little Brothers of Mary (now known as the Marist Brothers), Marcellin insisted that a garden be part of each house in which they would live. Marcellin was convinced that tending a vegetable garden would build a sense of family spirit and keep the brothers in touch with the lives of those whom they were called to serve. By providing their own vegetables, they would also minimise the cost to the parish and town for their support. Marcellin was an educator before his time and this was made most evident this week with calls growing in Australia for a compulsory agriculture class to be rolled out nationwide following a survey that found 75 per cent of students thought cotton came from an animal. With housing prices so high, it would be great for our students to learn how to save a dollar or two by planting their own veg. 

Marcellin’s strong will, made him a determined and persistent leader. These qualities were great gifts. No doubt, at times, they could also be maddening. Like all of us, the future saint had those areas in his life where he fell short of the ideal. He is a saint, not by his own merit, but rather because he allowed God’s grace into his own heart, where it took root and flourished. He suggested as much when he wrote his Spiritual Testament: “There are difficulties in living the life of a good religious, but grace makes all things easy.” Marcellin Champagnat took seriously the Good News of Jesus Christ. He was a holy man because he lived his ordinary life exceptionally well and did ordinary things with extraordinary love. Having discovered the joy of the gospel and letting it transform him, Marcellin wanted to share with others, particularly the young, all that he had seen and heard. “To love God,” Marcellin often said, “and to labour to make God known and loved – this is what a brother’s life should be.” With these few words, the future saint painted his own portrait and recounted his own story. His was a heart that knew no bounds.

We pray this week above all that through Marcellin’s example we can place ourselves in God’s hands and by His grace be people who show do ordinary things with extraordinary love!

Mr Daniel Ronchetti, Acting Religious Education Coordinator

This article on College life meets The Archbishop's Charter for Catholic Schools - Charter #1, #2, & #5

Presentations will be made available to students and parents/carers following each presentation for future reference.

Mrs Melinda Alvarez, Leader of Learning and Curriculum 

This article on College life meets The Archbishop's Charter for Catholic Schools - Charter #2 & #8

This particular day is not possible without the dedication and commitment from the Wellbeing team. Many thanks to Mrs Gray (Wellbeing Co-ordinator) for her enthusiasm in overseeing the specific details of the entire program, together with the House Coordinators - Mrs Bloomfield (Chanel House), Mrs Kalmus (Chavoin House), Mr Lewis (Colin House), Ms Burrage (Jaricot House), Mr Powell (Marcellin House) and Ms Cremin (Peroton House). 

Throughout Term 2, students have continued to engage in conversation with their Tutor in working towards setting a single goal or for some students goals, as an opportunity to improve or excel in a specific area related to the pillars of wellbeing - Learning, Social/Emotional, Spiritual, Physical. It is important that the goal is achievable and relevant. 

Given the success of MMCGs in Term 1 along with the positive feedback from all stakeholders within our College community, working towards setting goals has continued to be a focus point in Term 2. I would encourage you to ask your daughter(s) what are the goals planned for the term and converse around why this is important and how she aims to achieve this.

To support the relevance of MMCGs and the importance of goal setting, from a learning and wellbeing perspective, an indication of progress and level of achievement  will  be included in Semester 1 reports for students in Years 7 to 10 (and later in the year for Year 11).

The research certainly suggests that “when a goal is valued, students are more likely to engage in, expend more effort on, and perform better on the task” Reis & McCoach (2000). 

Mrs Sia Mastro, Leader of Wellbeing

This article on College life meets The Archbishop's Charter for Catholic Schools - Charter #6 & #8

Paying attention to our own “negative self-talk” is a common human experience. And it does have a survival value; it often protects people from danger. And it's often true that a worrying thought can act as a motivating force – to study, for example or to get out of bed otherwise I’ll miss the bus.

However, the insecurities that young people feel as they undergo the multiple transitions necessary in growing up, make them especially vulnerable to believing the worst. This tendency can lead to chronic anxiety, depression and anger, and can interfere with relationships and success in school.

Helping young people grasp the importance of thinking more realistically may help protect them later on in life as well as at school. The power of our thoughts to impact feelings and behavior is a fundamental principle of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which is one form of therapy that I use often when counselling young people and thought I would share these ideas with you.

CBT teaches people how to recognise unhelpful negative self-talk, to pay attention to how it makes them feel and behave, and to challenge it. Parents can practice this skill themselves, and act as models as they guide their young people to question a thought by looking at the evidence for and against it.

If your child often seems withdrawn, sad or angry, you may be able to identify a problematic or “unhelpful” thinking pattern by listening closely. The main four types of negative self-talk to listen for in our young people are:

Catastrophizing. This relates to the tendency to jump to the worst-case scenario ("What if I fail the test? I'm never going to get the ATAR I want!") focussing on the worst possible scenarios is a significant contributor to anxiety. And catastrophizing often leads young people to avoid others, or become reluctant to try new things.

Overthinking the Negative. Ruminating on a disappointment without taking into account the many positive and neutral aspects of one's experience is often associated with sadness and depression. A missed spot in the school musical might overshadow everything else good that happens that day or week – the lunch with friends, the improved grade on a test, the fun TV or Youtube show watched – and your child may feel down for an ongoing period.

It's not fair! Interpreting every letdown as a grave injustice – the "it's not fair!" voice – often underlies a young person’s anger and can harm friendships and family relationships.

I can't! Reacting habitually to difficult situations or to new opportunities with "I can't," rather than "It might be hard but I can try," leads to helplessness. Changing the thought to "I can try!" encourages problem-solving and a willingness to be proactive, to take positive action — both keys to being successful and resilient.

For parents, the idea is not to prevent the negative thought. Research has found that attempted "thought stopping" can actually make the idea more difficult to shake. Rather, you want your young person to face the thought, thoroughly examine it and replace it with a more realistic and helpful perspective. This creates some distance in the thought and the subsequent feelings attached to it.

Questions that you might pose to carefully weigh up the evidence include: "You had a group of friends at your old school and at camp – realistically, what are the chances you can't make friends now? What actions can you take to reach out or skills do you need to learn to make it easier? What would you say to somebody else who worries about this?"

A helpful replacement thought might be: "It probably will take a few weeks to get to know people, but I've made friends before and there are things I can try. I can sign up for the photography or chess club and meet people that way."

More realistic and balanced thinking leads to positive action, which, in turn, tends to bolster confidence, enhance self-esteem and result in greater happiness. Your young people learn from you, as their parent and mentor, so discuss with them how your own negative self-talk may have held you back in some areas and how you have overcome this for yourself.

If you would like to discuss the above further or have any wellbeing concerns for your daughter, or parenting issues you wish to discuss, please feel free to contact the College Counsellor, Becky Salter via rebecca.salter@syd.catholic.edu.au or ph: 0435 659 694. I welcome your feedback.

Ms Becky Salter, College Counsellor

This article on College life meets The Archbishop's Charter for Catholic Schools -Charter #8

On 20 May, the students of Mr Nally’s Year 10 big history class, accompanied by Mr Lewis, arrived at school swiftly in order to attend our excursion to Sydney University's Nicholson Museum. 

When we finally got to the Uni after a lengthy ferry voyage we were escorted into the museum and shown multiple objects. Some of these included ancient Egyptian wall hangings, ancient Greek kraters (extremely large pots), sculptures, mummies and much more. Our tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable and was able to answer any questions we had. When going through the museum, we were able to use some skills we had learnt in class, especially when looking at the krater, which had been originally been found in fragments on a floor and then reconstructed. There were designs painted on it and we had to try and figure out the story the paintings were telling.

After lunch, we went back into the museum to look at the Egyptian mummies and we were able to see how experts are able to decipher information about mummies using non-invasive techniques, such as radiography, x-rays and CT scans. They were so fragile that, if they were unwrapped, they would likely disintegrate rapidly. 

After the room with the mummy, we went into a separate room in the bowels of the museum where we were able to hold some real artefacts (ranging from ones from Pompeii to Persia) and use our investigation skills to try and answer questions about them and find out how real archaeologists find these answers and the process they have to go through.

It was a very informative excursion and raised a lot of new information the class was not aware of. Mr Nally picked a really good location to take us and I know the whole class really enjoyed it.  

Zara Indorato, Year 10 Big History Student

This article on College life meets The Archbishop's Charter for Catholic Schools - Charter #8

On Friday 23 May, the Year 12 chemistry class had the opportunity to visit the Advanced Water Recycling plant at St Marys, which is one of the biggest water treatment plants in Australia. When we arrived, workers from Sydney water gave us an overview of what occurs at the plant. We learned that the plant receives partially treated wastewater from three recycling plants in Sydney - Quakers Hill, St Marys and Penrith. This water then undergoes a variety of advanced treatment processes, including ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and de-carbonation, to reduce the volume of litter and harmful nutrients in the waterways.

60 million litres of recycled water is treated at the plant each day and is discharged into Boundary Creek at Penrith. Throughout the day we were taken on a tour of the site and also conducted our own experiments to compare the water quality from a range of sources, including the ocean, the river, our taps, and the treatment plant!

The excursion not only provided us with information useful for our studies, but made us more aware of the value of water as a resource. We were reminded to be conscious about the amount of water that we waste and the objects that we should always avoid putting down our sinks and drains as they have a devastating effect on our ecosystems.

A big thank you to Ms Musolino for organising the day.

Grace Hopkins, Year 12 Student

This article on College life meets The Archbishop's Charter for Catholic Schools - Charter #8

On 23 May, the Junior and Intermediate Basketball team travelled to Bankstown Basketball Stadium to represent MSCW at the annual CGSSSA Basketball Championship.  Both teams were eager to give the gala day their best shot despite the tough competition. The Junior team had improved throughout the day and ended up winning their final game. The intermediate team had won every pool game and progressed into the semi finals, losing by by a nail biting 4 points. Both teams left everything on the court and should be extremely proud of their result.

Mr Daniel Watts, Sport Coordinator

This article on College life meets The Archbishop's Charter for Catholic Schools -Charter #6

Week 7 

Wednesday Wednesday 12 June and Thursday 13 June

Special Fried Rice with rice, eggs, shallots, bacon, peas & soy sauce                                  $6.00

Week 8

Wednesday 19 June and Thursday 20 June

Pasta Bolognese                                                                                                                                          $6.00