Newsletter

Today we celebrated and acknowledged our Year 12 students as the Graduating Class of 2020. They began in earnest in 2015 as young Year 7 girls and now they are graduating as young Marist women equipped with their Marist Compass to take them on the next stage of their life journey. We acknowledge this year has certainly been a challenging one for our girls, one that has developed in them much courage, resilience and patience. I have been so proud of the way they have taken the year in their stride, continued to work hard and aspired to achieve their best. It is great to hear that so many of them have already received early entry into their chosen area of study. Over the past couple of weeks it has been enjoyable to join them at Brekky Club in the mornings. In such beautiful surroundings it has been an opportunity to reflect on their time at MSCW. From funny stories to more serious times these fond memories of school will remain with them forever. 

During the week, the girls were excited when gifts arrived from the Ex-students Association as well as from our feeder primary schools.  These gifts were very special as the primary school students had taken time to write personalised cards to the Year 12 students while the Ex-students' gift continues their connection as a Marist family, a relationship that does not stop at the end of Year 12.  They now join other extraordinary Marist women as members of the Ex-students.  The thoughtfulness and prayers of the Ex-students and Primary schools for our Year 12 students are very much appreciated.

Today commenced with our formal Graduation Assembly acknowledging every student as they graduate from the College. The Assembly also included academic and special awards. Congratulations to the Year 12 students who received awards this year!  A full list of award recipients is attached.   House/Tutor farewells followed the Assembly, allowing 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. These farewells included our traditional Carnation Ceremony. The day concluded with the Year 12 Concert showcasing the creativity and fun nature of our Year 12’s. Each of these events have allowed us to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of our 2020 Year 12 students and give thanks for their time at Marist Sisters’.

As we draw to the end of another school term, I would like to acknowledge the efforts made by so many of our students and staff over the course of this term. Despite the restrictions placed upon us by COVID our community continues to flourish as a learning community. 

Today we acknowledged the successes of our Year 12 students in the academic, sporting, cultural and service areas. Congratulations to all Year 12 Students in graduating from Marist Sisters’ College, Woolwich. We wish you well in your exams and your future endeavours beyond school.

In the song, “How Do You Measure a Year in the Life?” from the musical Rent, the possible ways for calculating a year are offered and the last is to “measure in love”. St Paul in his letter to the Romans says that “love is the fulfillment of the law.” Year 9 Religious Education classes have been studying Biblical writing. When we read Paul’s letter to the Romans and I posed the question “how might St Paul provide answers for Christians today?”, a student in the class confidently said, “Love is the answer Miss.” As we approach the end of Term 3, let us remember that the love of Jesus Christ for us, the love of Christians for Jesus Christ and the love of Christians for humanity is the answer.

You are invited to pray the following prayer for our Year 12 students during their HSC examination period:

God our Father we ask that Year 12 students feel your closeness during the HSC examinations.

Give them calm hearts and quiet confidence in the knowledge that you hold them in the palm of your hand. 

Bless them with keen understanding and a retentive memory. 

Give them the ability to grasp things correctly, be exact in their explanations and an ability to express themselves clearly. Direct their progress and help them in the completion of each of their responses. 

Holy Spirit send to them your gifts of wisdom and knowledge.

We ask this through Christ Our Lord.            Amen.  

During the last week of Term 3, the Year 10 students in our school Marists in Action Group organised a Woolwich Wool Drive initiative to collect wool for Sister Lavinia and the Marist Sisters living in Fiji. As a group we worked with Ms Vu and Ms White to organise logistics and create posters advertising the Wool Drive. We also walked around the entire school at lunchtime to be a ‘walking promotion’ and bring awareness to this cause to assist the Marist Sisters! From the first day of the drive, we were overwhelmed at how many students and their families donated wool.  The MSCW girls gracefully participated in the initiative showing true community spirit and our Marist Charism. For our team, this initiative allowed us to be Marist Women of Action, and live out our Marist Vision. We have collected multiple boxes of wool, and we would like to thank our community - the students, families and staff of MSCW for their support and donations in this time of need. 

Your support is greatly appreciated! 

Thank you,

Year 10 MIA Students  

Ms Katie White, Acting Assistant Religious Education Coordinator

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

Earlier this week Dr Ireland updated Year 12 parents/carers and students of the HSC Examination Procedures as per the recently published NESA guidelines during the COVID pandemic. Please take the time to familiarise yourself and your daughter with this information. 

The students in the Year 12 graduating cohort should be proud of their many achievements and of their growth as learners. They are a very special group who have shown tremendous school spirit and pride in their school. We will miss them for their distinctive personalities, the strong relationships they have with their teachers, and the support and encouragement they have always given to their fellow-students.

A reminder that the College will be offering Year 12 the opportunity to engage in Course Workshops in Week 1 Term 4: Monday 12 October - Friday 16 October. Students will be required to register for the workshop/s they would like to attend. Course workshops and registration can be found in student cloudshare.

All of the Class of 2020 are invited to morning tea to be held at the College on Friday 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 2021. ATARs are collected discreetly and used only for the stated purpose.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish the Class of 2020 every success with their HSC Exams and life beyond the College.

Parents might be able to use this time of lower stress, to sit down with your children at the beginning of the holidays to work out what they would all like to achieve over the break, what is on their bucket list and what is on yours... (the bedroom spring clean for instance) and a change of season is a great motivator, to sort through and declutter your wardrobe! Allowing and encouraging your daughters to have time to socialise with their peers is also a great way for them to firm up friendships with students.

Our Year 12s will be planning their study routines leading up to HSC exams, so trust that your daughter will know what is needed at this point in their schooling life, some gentle encouragement may be needed at times to ensure that not only are they coping with their study plan, but ensuring they are being well fed and watered, and have scheduled in enough downtime, exercise and some social activities.

Please enjoy the holiday break, and your daughters will return refreshed, energised and prepared for Term 4.

It is an understatement that Mrs Kalmus was an instrumental part of Chavoin House for many years.  The impact she has left on the House will be forever felt, as we live out the values of Jeanne Marie Chavoin, in which Mrs Kalmus proudly taught. Over the last couple of months, myself and Mattia have been organising a way in which we could acknowledge Mrs Kalmus as a permanent member of Chavoin House forever. The plaque in which reads "A much loved teacher and House Coordinator who always embodied the qualities of our founderess, Jeanne Marie Chavoin. A women who inspired ‘Excellence Above Glory’" , has been placed in Belley, as a reminder of the permanent footprint Mrs Kalmus has left on the House. Her role as a teacher and coordinator, in which inspired not only Chavoin girls, but all students at MSCW will be forever felt by girls past, present and future. Today and every day, we remember the impact of Mrs Kalmus through her teaching and her loving and caring nature.

We want to thank Dr Ireland and Ms Kemp for their constant support and love over Chavion House, as it was our privilege to have been able to know and lead under Mrs Kalmus, in which we will always remember her moving forward.  

2019/20 Chavoin Leaders Eliza Achie, Mattia Agostino, Eva Vumbaca

Ms Jocelyn Kemp, Acting Chavoin House Coordinator

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