Newsletter

This week commenced with Year 12, parents, staff and all students gathering at the St Joseph’s College Hall for our Year 12 Graduation Awards Assembly, followed in the evening by the Graduation Mass and Supper at the College. We were very privileged to have the following special guests attend the Awards Assembly: Sr Cath Lacey and Sr Gail Reneker representing the Marist Sisters; Ms Eva Spata, Leader of Learning Secondary Sydney Catholic Schools; Mr Anthony Roberts MP, Member for Lane Cove; Ms Alexis Cahalan, representing the Cahalan family Memorial Award; Ms Jenny Rickard, Recruitment Consultant Future Students Macquarie University and Mrs Melinda Enright, Parent Engagement representative.

Special thanks to Fr Greg Morgan, St Charles Borromeo, Ryde and OLQP, Gladesville and Fr Michael McLean, St Mark’s Drummoyne who celebrated the Graduation Mass for us. We were also joined at the mass by Marist Sisters, Sr Cath Lacy, Sr Marie Berise, Sr Noelene Simmons; Marist Laity members Mrs Pam Lubrano and Mrs Jennifer Aduckiewicz; and representatives from Sydney Catholic Schools, Mrs Genevieve Moss, Director of Teaching and Learning and Ms Niamh Clancy, Leader of Learning Secondary.

On Tuesday, the Year 12 students entertained the College community with a concert before being farewelled in their Houses and Tutor groups. These farewells included the traditional Carnation Ceremony. This opportunity allows the Tutor and House to thank their Year 12 students, for their support and care, particularly as their ‘big sisters’. It is these ‘sisterly relationships’ that are a special feature of the family atmosphere here at MSCW.

Each of these events have allowed us to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of our 2019 Year 12 students and give thanks for their time at Marist Sisters’ College.

I would like to thank those who have encouraged and cared for the girls over the past six years: their parents and families, the Marist Sisters, Fr Kevin Bates, Fr Aliki, the College Leadership Team, House Coordinators, Subject Coordinators, Tutor teachers, subject teachers and support staff.

I would also like to thank the Food Technology students, overseen by Ms Della Vedova and Ms Leonie Clark, and the Year 11 Parent Engagement group, coordinated by parent Mrs Lucy Mazmanian, who hosted the Year 12 Graduation supper. Many thanks to the large team of staff who contributed to the organization of the many events to recognize and farewell Year 12.

I wish Year 12 calm minds and peaceful hearts over the coming weeks as they continue to prepare for their HSC. I remind them to sleep and eat well and exercise as part of their study program.

Congratulations to the Year 12 students who received special awards this year! A full list of award recipients is attached.

Please enjoy the photo galleries below.

As we begin this holiday period I wish the entire College community a well-earned break. May we all return to Term 4 refreshed and energized to complete the 2019 year successfully. 

Dr Anne Ireland, Principal

This article on College life meets The Archbishop's Charter for Catholic Schools -Charter #1, #2, #8 & #11

All parents/carers and students are reminded that students return to school in Term 4, in summer uniform.

As there will be a number of girls who have had a growth spurt over the last two terms it is recommended that the length of uniform is checked before returning to school. For the details re the expectations of students’ wearing of the uniform and personal grooming, please see the College Uniform guidelines in SEQTA Learn for Students and SEQTA Engage for Parents.

This week our Year 11 Students returned to classes after having been on the Preliminary Exams Timetable. As papers are returned to students I encourage them to reflect on and respond to the feedback they receive from their teachers both from what is written on their papers and what is explained by the teacher during class.

Students responding to the feedback given is one of the critical parts of the learning process. Correcting misconceptions in learning is essential for building on the knowledge, understanding and skill development of all courses.

This examination period for Year 11 has been a demanding one for the students. I trust that the students will consider them to be a good gauge of the direction they need to take in their learning, with the help of their teachers, as they move into their HSC Courses.

I would like to thank all students and teachers for the hard work that has been shown throughout this term and I extend my thanks to all parents and carers who continue to support and work with us. This is a wonderful community that relies on the interaction between all members.

I wish all students, parents and carers and staff a very restful break over the coming two weeks and I look forward to our return in Term 4.

Ms Marietta Taliana, Assistant Principal

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

On Monday afternoon, we had a beautiful celebration of the Eucharist for our Graduating Year 12, 2019. We acknowledged their significant contribution to our College and we prayed that they may continue to be Marist women of action; who are capable, committed and compassionate members of our society who will continue to live out the Marist Sisters’ motto, “Goodness Above All” into the future.

Firstly, I would like to thank Fr. Greg Morgan and Fr. Michael McLean for celebrating mass for us. Fr. Greg’s was a wonderful presence throughout the day - at our Graduation Ceremony, Mass and Supper. I would like to thank the many staff members involved in the Graduation Mass, especially Ms. Caroline Marsh for her wonderful leadership of the College Choir and Ms. Sia Maestro for playing the piano. I’d also like to thank Ms. Adriana Hunter, Assistant Religious Education Coordinator, for her tireless efforts to ensure the evening was a special event for our graduates and their families. Finally, a huge thank you to all the staff who attended, including a few staff on leave. Your presence demonstrated the great care we have our for this special group of students and without a doubt a very special moment of the evening was the Staff Blessing. 

On behalf of Father Greg Morgan at Ryde Gladesville Parish, all Year 12 students are invited to a HSC blessing mass on Sunday October 6th at 6:00pm followed by a BBQ afterwards! If you are interested in being involved, either as a reader or a musician please email Jamille West (Youth Minister at Ryde Gladesville Parish) on youth@rgcp.org.au 

Mr Daniel Ronchetti, Acting Religious Education Coordinator

This article on College life meets The Archbishop's Charter for Catholic Schools -Charter #1, #2, #5, #9 & #11

The College is very fortunate to have dedicated volunteers from Marist Laity - Mrs Pam Lubrano and Mrs Jenny Audwicz run a Christian Meditation program on a Tuesday morning throughout the school year. Thank you to these generous women who over many years continue to provide beneficial experiences for the students.

Each week they thoughtfully plan a different focus of the Meditation. I share below some photos and an extract of Year 10 student Bianca Camroux’s reflections about attending Christian Meditation recently with her class. 

Mrs Adriana Hunter, Assistant Religious Education Coordinator

We were fortunate enough to be blessed with experiencing Christian Mediation where the focus was on Mary Undoer of Knots. Mrs Lubrano, Mrs Audwicz and Sr Marie Berise sm taught us about our Mother Mary, the undoer of knots, which they beautifully described, inspiring our whole class. We were given the option to reflect on our personal knots with our own special ribbon which was kindly given to us by the ladies. These knots were symbolic of the problems we face in our lives. These knots were then presented to Mary who continually guides us throughout our lives. Throughout our peaceful meditation we reflected on these knots and felt connected to Mary who helps us to undo some of our knots. We concluded with a reflection and felt more at peace. We are very blessed in our school to be given the opportunity of Christian Meditation which helps us now and prepares us for later in life. 

Bianca Camroux, Year 10 Student

The College performed strongly in the 2019 NAPLAN tests compared to the NSW state performance in both the top two bands.

Students in Years 7 have achieved stronger results in the top two bands in every domain compared to students across NSW.

In Year 9 students achieved a stronger representation than students across the state in domains of Reading, Writing, Spelling and Grammar and Punctuation.

The percentage of students who are represented in the bottom two bands in the NAPLAN tests in the College is below the percentage across the State in every domain in both Year 7 and Year 9.

Highlights included results in Year 9 Writing where the College had 35% of students in the top two Bands, compared with a state representation of 13% and 34% of students in Year 9 achieving in the top two bands in the Reading and Spelling domains.

All testing and reporting at school should be viewed as a measure of the learning that is taking place for students. It is the learning that remains at the core of what education is about for all students. Assessment and the reporting that comes from it are windows into where a student is at for any given point in the learning journey. Learning is ongoing and continues on regardless of the result achieved at any point along the way. Learning in a differentiated curriculum allows for each student to be challenged appropriately for the point they are at and as a consequence also prepare students to best demonstrate their skills and knowledge. 

All of the Class of 2019 are invited to morning tea to be held at the College on Wednesday 18 December where they will receive their College references. This is also the opportunity to complete the slip informing the College of their ATAR. ATARs are issued by UAC directly to students and the College relies on students sharing this information for College records and so students can be recognised at the High Achievers Assembly in February 2020. ATARs are collected discreetly and used only for the stated purpose.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish the Class of 2019 every success with their HSC Exams and life beyond the College.

Mrs Melinda Alvarez, Leader of Learning and Curriculum

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

Having a strong support network helps build resiliency in a young person as there is always someone that cares to help guide during difficult, stressful or challenging situations. Also having a trusted adult outside of the home that a young person can talk to and build strong friendships with helps young people to navigate through tough times, particularly in the teenage years. Last week we dedicated the week to supporting Batyr and ways of ‘looking out for our mates’ whilst starting those positive conversations. As Marist women of action our aim was to continue the conversations by ‘smashing the stigma of mental health in our school community’. Batyr came and presented to Yr 12 and yr 10 about what that looks like and how we can all make a difference within our community. This was also extended to our parents on Wednesday 18 September. A special thank you to all those parents that attended. Your support and time was most appreciated. Collectively we all have a responsibility to ensure that we are working towards a common goal - learning to promote a positive and healthy wellbeing.

I look forward to seeing everyone next term. For now, time to recharge, disconnect and enjoy the holiday break.

Mrs Sia Mastro, Leader of Wellbeing 

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

In light of the recent focus on Are you OK Day, and the Parent Mental Health Forum held here at the College through the Batyr group, I thought it worth reviewing how to start, hold and continue conversation around mental health wellbeing with your teenage daughters.

Firstly, encouraging household discussions around mental health in general, genuine parent curiosity around what is being learnt in school around mental health initiatives, and how each in the family looks after their own mental health, can be really helpful. 

The more open your family discussions are around your own as well as other’s mental health, the easier it will be to discuss mental health issues as they might arise with your teenager. Your children listen and learn from how the family act/react, and respond in stressful situations, how they regulate emotionally and how the family judge others with mental health conditions.

One in five young Australians are dealing with a serious mental illness but more than 60 per cent feel uncomfortable seeking professional support, the most recent report from (Mission Australia and the Black Dog Institute) has found. Young females are twice as likely to be suffering mental health illness as their male counterparts. This research shows young people who are experiencing the greatest distress are also the least willing to seek information or support from counselling services.

So making sure as parents we keep an open dialogue with teens about these issues is critical.

Conversation Starters: Observe: In a non-judgmental way let your daughter know if you’ve noticed:

-That they don’t seem to be hanging out or talking to their friends as much as usual.

-That their school work seems to be suffering.  You may notice slipping grades, assignments going undone, or a general lack of interest in anything school related, physical illness with no known cause, such as headaches or stomach problems.

-Their mood seems to have declined for an ongoing period of time.  For instance, they may be unusually teary, angry, disconnected/withdrawn, not enjoying their usual hobbies, or develop poor eating/sleeping patterns which may be continuing for more than a few weeks.

As a parent or carer try to…

● Listen.  Really listening means stopping the voice in your own head and anything else you are doing and try to actively pay attention to your daughter.

● Ask if they’ve thought about what they might need. If they haven’t, offer support to listen and talk it out with them. If they have, support them in following through with their needs.

● Educate yourself. Learn as much as possible about your daughter’s symptoms and the realities of mental health disorders and mental health wellbeing. Headspace and reachout.com are great resources for information about mental health in young people.

● Offer to keep things confidential, unless it is life threatening.

● Normalize.  Assure your child that having a mental health issue is common, and does not mean that they can’t get better. Remember it is not a problem unless it is a problem!

● Acknowledge your fear, but don’t let it rule your behaviours. As a parent it is important that we confront stigma or discrimination directly.

● Be genuine. Teens can see right through an adult who is “faking it.” If you’re feeling uncomfortable in a discussion with a young person, admit it. Say something like, “This is hard for me to talk about, so I totally understand if it’s difficult for you too.”

● Allow for silence. Just like anyone, teens may struggle at times to express what they want to say. Interrupting a silent moment may prevent someone from having enough time to formulate their thoughts—be patient. You  may need to try many times before your child opens up but reassure them you are there when they are ready.

● Switch up the setting. Where you have a conversation about mental health could make you or your daughter more comfortable. Maybe taking her out to dinner will help open up conversation. Some adults and adolescents find it easier to talk to a young person while doing another activity, like driving in the car, washing dishes or walking the dog. 

● Offer external support, if required and assure your child that information will be confidential.

● Prepare to be an advocate.  Finding the right mental health treatment is like finding the right medical provider.  It takes time and effort to make sure you’re getting the best care you need.

As a Parent or carer try not to…

● Minimize how your daughter is feeling or tell them “you shouldn’t think that way.” It’s quite difficult to bring up this conversation, remember that they probably worried over it for some time before coming to you.

● Let your emotions rule your response – especially if you’re angry.  Negative words (“You’re never going to get it together, are you? ”) can set someone back for a long time and adds to stress and problems.  It’s also not uncommon for parents to feel guilt and blame themselves.  If your child has a mental health illness, it is not your fault, but you can be part of the solution.

● Tell your child what they should do; instead, ask what they want you to help them with.

● If your child shares about bizarre thoughts or asks about strange sounds or sights, pay attention and explore. These experiences may be early warning signs of more serious mental health problems.  Acting early can change the trajectory of their lives.  

● Argue or take it personally, if you encounter resistance from your child.  Go back to listening, asking open ended questions and just repeating what they’ve said to show you are listening. 

● Compare your child to their siblings.  “Your brother doesn’t have these problems.  Why can’t you be more like him?”

The more normal and regular we make conversations about mental health within our family, the easier  these conversations will become. And we know that one conversation can be pivotal when it comes to getting a young person facing a mental health challenge, the help they may need. Of course if you wish to discuss the above or have any concerns for your daughter, please feel free to contact me, the College Counsellor, Becky Salter via rebecca.salter@syd.catholic.edu.au or ph: 0435 659 694.

Ms Becky Salter, College Counsellor

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

As of Term 4 Students using FlexiSchool must have their student card. 

Due to security concerns, students that do not have their student card will no longer be able quote their FlexiSchools number.  

Please ensure your daughter has her student card, if lost please order a new one through Jarnosse (the library).

Mrs Clare Scott and Mrs Anita Rebecchi, Canteen Managers

Wednesday & Thursday 23/10/19 & 24/10/19

Penne Pasta with napolitana sauce with parmesan    $6.00

Please follow the link which will take parents/students directly into the Campion website for Marist Sisters’ College ordering.

The link is currently on both the student and parent portals.

During class in Week 1 of Term 4 Year 10 girls will be introduced to the NESA program HSC: all my own work.

HSC: all my own work is a compulsory program which NESA requires all Year 10 students in NSW to successfully complete before they can commence their Preliminary Year. It focuses on academic honesty and the principles of good scholarship.

Year 10 parents and carers are asked to refer to the letter sent via Skoolbag for more details.

Ms Celeste McNicholas, Leader of eLearning & Information Services

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

The City of Ryde proudly presents the 2019 Sustainable Waste 2 Art Prize (SWAP) exhibition. Bringing together works made from repurposed waste material, this exhibition explores the theme of sustainable living.

The 2019 SWAP exhibition features work by 78 shortlisted artists and community members who live, work, study or play in the City of Ryde. 

Congratulations to the shortlisted finalists Tiana Yee, Elle Colatosti and Sophie Jallian. 

See waste transformed into insects and animals, landscapes and portraits, fabulous fashion and much more.

The announcement of prizes and exhibition opening was held on Wednesday 18 September, 6pm to 8pm. The room was buzzing with eager artists to showcase their recycled artworks. Sophie Jallian was awarded Highly Commended YOUTH ENVIRONMENT PRIZE for her sculpture titled 'Sea-Sore' by the Mayor of Ryde Jerome Laxale.  

Mrs Helen Lanas, Creative Arts Coordinator

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

In November of 2019 there is a Convention of up-and-coming Legal Studies students, who debate the merits a constitutional issue. Should their mooting skills balance loquacity, enthusiasm for social justice issues and intellectual rigour, they will be in the running to progress from the State Convention to the National one. 

This year the Convention will feature a nominee from MSCW for the second time in a row. Isabelle Balestriere of Year 11 wrote an eloquent submission, which put forward a sophisticated and succinct argument about the imbalances in Australian society caused by our country’s Constitution. Ms Anthony, Ms Alvarez and I all thought that her entry was extremely impressive when we vetted it.

This year’s success builds on the success experienced by 2018’s nominee, Alyssa Morganti of Year 12, who generously mentored Isabelle about what she was signing up for. Please wish Isabelle all the best for her participation in this event on the 11th of November! 

Mr David Nally, Acting HSIE Coordinator

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

Term 3 sees the Junior and Open Football Teams compete in the MCCS Football Competition at Webbs Ave Playing Fields in Auburn. MSCW consistently does well in this competition, and this year was no different.

Our Junior team finished the round games undefeated and comfortably through to the Grand Final after a win against Trinity in the Semi Final. They were up against St John Paul II in the final, with both teams putting great skill and sportswomenship on show. The game was pushed into extra time, with St John Paul II making the most of their opportunities and converting a goal in the dying seconds. A disappointing but gracious loss by our Junior team, who will reflect on missed opportunities and will be back stronger in 2020. 

MSCW Open's team boasts a number of strong and very capable players. They finished second in their pool and came up against a strong St Patrick's side in the Semi Final. The game was goal for goal, with the final score 2-2, pushing the game into extra time. When extra time couldn't decide a winner, it was off to a Penalty Shootout. Unfortunately, St Patrick's prevailed in this situation and went on to win the Grand Final the following week.

Congratulations to both teams for representing the College and themselves exceptionally well.

Miss Kelsey Robinson – Sport Teacher/Coach

NSW CCC Touch Football provides an opportunities for students in the Secondary Catholic School system in NSW to play for their schools, and to represent their educational areas against other regions in the country.  The NSWCCC team play against students from the Private and Public school sectors across Australia in various states, and are an opportunity for selection into the Australian team.

 The Open NSW CCC team this year consisted of 15 students from a number of Catholic Schools across NSW and in the Open team we had Eden Fraser from MSCW. The competition went for four days from the 16 – 20 of September in Caloundra, Queensland and each day consisted of two games of 40 minute duration. 

Results

Day 1

Training Day

Day 2

NSW CCC 6 vs New Zealand 4

NSW CCC 8 vs South Australia Roosters 0

Day 3

NSW CCC 0 vs NSWCIS 4

NSW CCC 3 vs Queensland Sharks 9

Day 4

NSW CCC 2 vs Queensland Sharks 8

After qualifying for the quarter finals, on day four the NSWCCC team were matched to Queensland Sharks who had been tough competition on the previous day. The NSWCCC team fought hard but unfortunately lost this elimination final, finishing 7th overall with Queensland sharks continuing to win the competition. 

Amazing effort!

Mr Daniel Watts, Sports Coordinator

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