From the Assistant Principal-Students

Welcome back to a new term. I hope families spent some special time together and the students are ready for a great finish to 2020.

Uniforms

Please be aware of your child’s uniform. I noticed last week some students were growing out of their uniform. Some of our students had a growth spurt during the holidays and their uniform is a little small. Please check the length of the boys pants which should go down to the shoes and the length of the girls kilt which should go down to the knees.

Some students had pierced their ears and some their nose. Just to remind students and families the only piercing accepted at the College is for the girls only. One silver or gold sleeper or stud or a small jewel in each ear. No nose, lip or any other facial piercing is acceptable. No plastic piercings should be worn and no band-aids covering a piercing. Students will be asked to remove any piercings while at school- this is not negotiable.

Students are expected to have the College bag every day while at school. If there is a problem with the bag a note must be presented to the Learning advisor.

Boys should be clean shaven every day and Girls should have their hair tied back.

On Thursday, if a student does not have full sports uniform they must wear their summer uniform to school, they can change for sport and get changed back into their uniform before they leave. 

Cyber safety

Social media is part of all of our lives. There are some real positive aspects of social media but there are also some real problems with social media. 

There are age limits on social media for safety reasons but also because immature young people can misuse social media. It is very easy for people to write mean and inappropriate things online because they feel safe behind a computer screen. Many comments are made to people that would never be said face to face. Online bullying can occur because the person thinks that they are anonymous. 

The person who pays the bills for the phone and the internet is the person responsible for what happens on the registered device. A parent or guardian should be aware of all online activity of anyone using their device or internet. Regular checks of content and social media use are essential to prevent harm online. 

The College has information available to help families deal with online behaviour and if they contact their Leader of Learning- Pastoral for the child’s year group, they can assist in helping with issues. 

Blocking sites

The Government support site esafety.gov.au has some helpful tips for blocking sites and safety online

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/skills-advice/taming-technology

Examinations

Year 7-10 will be having examinations over the next 2 weeks. This can be a stressful time for students. I would like to remind students and parents that we have support structures in the school to help students that feel anxious and overwhelmed. Please contact your child’s Leader of Learning if you feel they require support.

It is an expectation that all examination rules are followed during this time. Smart watches and phones are not permitted in the examination rooms and would best be left at home on those days. All students are expected to have pens, pencils, calculators etc for their examinations.

What is in the Planner?

When we are with others, we need to use CARE

C= Communication: be open and honest

A= Achieve: aim for win-win conversations

R= Respect: believe and show that others matter

E= Expect: give more of yourself to grow

Being connected and accepted by teachers, peers and other people will allow you to thrive and flourish. Academic growth, wellbeing and resilience will increase when you have a sense of belonging. Seeking to understand others and not judging them will increase your social connectedness. Communities thrive when they accept each other's differences, this could include culture, disabilities, skills, shapes, sizes and abilities.  

It is important to take every opportunity that is presented to you. Positive engagement in life is a key to building your identity. It is a risk sometimes to take on a new challenge and sometimes your challenges may not be successful but the most important thing is to give it a go. 

It is the time of year we are looking for our Leaders in the College. One key characteristic of a leader is GRIT. Grit is the long-term persistence to achieve something and make a positive difference. Leaders also believe that others matter and so do their opinions, that actions are better than intentions, and they follow through with what they say.

LEADERSHIP WEEK is coming up. Every student is a leader of the College. You don’t need a badge to be a leader; you show leadership in your actions. Being cooperative with other students and teachers, trying your best in you work, treating others with respect and behaving well at school and while in the community is the best way to show leadership.

God bless

Mr. Nick Thrum

Assistant Principal- Students

 Year 12 HSC Examinations

Year 12 have commenced their HSC Examinations this week. Students have been very positive and the examinations have been smooth. 

Whilst the examination period occurs over 4 weeks, students are encouraged to sustain their study pattern, particularly when some of their friends may complete all their examinations before them. 

We are praying for you Year 12 during this time. Stay positive!

Year 12 2021 Commences Week 3

Year 12 2021 will commence their HSC year of study, Monday Week 3 Term 4. Students will receive their NESA HSC guidelines and procedures book, access to their assessment site and any other relevant information on Monday. Following the meeting with our new Year 12, parents and carers will be given access to the Year 12 2021 Information Site. 

Students and parents should read the site very carefully, so that expectations, requirements and procedures are fully understood and adhered to during Year 12. 

Should any student or parent have any questions, please refer them to appropriate staff member via email which are located on the front page of the Year 12 2021 Information site. 

Year 12 Assessments Term 4 2020

Year 10 and 11 RoSA Grades 2021

Year 10 and 11 students will receive a RoSA at the conclusion of the Year, highlighting grades for every subject against the common grade scale. The RoSA is a valuable document to download and place with the students CV/portfolio. 

The common grade scale does NOT just reflect student assessment. It is in fact a representation of all aspects of a students achievement, application and dedication to each subject. 

Therefore students should note that they can influence their RoSA grades at any time, because everything in a course contributes to the RoSA grade. 

Make a Difference to Your Achievement in Term 4

Term 4, for most students, is a great time as they complete the current study year and get ready to progress into the next Year level. Therefore Term 4 is actually a highly significant Term for students in their learning as Term 4 provides a great opportunity for students to apply feedback from final assessments and focus on setting themself up for the best year of learning they have had in the following year. 

Term 4 should therefore be considered as preparation for their next Year level. Preparation could include revising work completed over the year and ensuring you seek advice from teachers about areas you would like to improve in. 

The Christmas holidays is a long break, therefore spend the time in Term 4 to set yourself up for success in 2021!

Cashless School

St Andrews College will become Cashless as of Term 4, 2020.

We encourage any payments by parents or students to be completed by EFT or Credit cards. The college will no longer have any cash or change floats on either campus at the front offices.
Whilst we encourage all payments to be cashless and we have endeavoured to cover all costs in school fees, we will still accept cash payments for the remainder of term 4. Commencing Term 1, 2021 the college will be totally cashless and will only accept payments by credit card, EFT or Bpay/DDB/Bpoint (school fees). 
As advised by CEDP finance, if any family member wishes to pay by cash they can do so at Australia Posts via Postbill pay.

If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact the front office.

Blessings

Melissa Welch

Business Manager

Dear Year 8 Parents,

This Year 8 Newsletter Article is a summary of their Wellbeing Lesson on Monday, 19th October. The Lesson was designed to help with preparation for the Exam Block in Weeks 3 - 5 of this Term.

The Learning Intentions were;

1. Students to know their Exam Schedule for Weeks 3, 4 and 5
2. Students identify their top five Character Strengths and think how they could be used when studying for the exams and completing them under test conditions.
3. Students to be able to set Learning Goals for Term 4
4. Students are able to revise at home for their exams.
5. Students to understand that there are different study skills when revising for their exams

The resource we used was the Student Learning Planner; as it has a wealth of information on study habits and study skills. The first learning activity was for students to record their Exam Schedule in their Learning Planner. On the Year 8 Google Classroom on Monday, 12th October, I posted the Exam Schedule. However here it is again:

Please note:
The Geography Exam has been moved from Week 4 to Week 5 due to PAT Testing in Week 4.

R.E:
Task 4: Ways People Pray - Reflection - Term 4- Week 3
Mathematics:
Task 3 - Exam - Term 4 - Week 3
English:
Task 4 - Exam - Term 4 - Week 3
Geography:
Task 2 - Exam - Term 4 - Week 5
PDHPE:
Task 3 - Term 4 - Week 1 - Risk Taking is it always Bad?
Music:
Term 4 - Week 2 - Group Arrangement - Performance Project
Visual Arts:
Term 4 - Week 3 - Body of Artwork
Japanese:
Listening and Writing - Term 4 - Week 4
Technology:
Pinball Project - Term 4 - Week 3.

The second learning activity was for students to identify their Character Strengths using pages 10 and 11 of their Learning Planner and to think how they would use them over the next few weeks to face their challenging exams. I encourage parents to talk to their children on what they have learnt about themselves and how they can be their best possible self during the Exam Block. Turning to pages 96 and 97 of their Learning Planner students completed their reflections and self assessment of Learning Goals for their subjects. I encourage parents to have a conversation with your children and discuss their goals for the future.

Activity Four was to help students revise at home. The College Learning Planner has a wealth of information to help with home revision. On page 94, it states daily revision creates and strengthens new brain pathways. The brain thrives on looking for new patterns and daily revising in the same place and at the same time creates these patterns, making learning better. It is strongly recommended that phones and televisions are turned off. Other effective methods of studying are the use of comfortable seating and quietness in the study room. The different Learning Styles are on pages 16 and 17 of the Learning Planner. I think the most important information on these two pages are the ways of learning new information. For example, students learn from using the following methods;

10% from reading over notes
25% from hearing eg lectures
35% from seeing eg watching videos
50% from both hearing and seeing
75% from discussing and that is why questions and class discussions are so vitally
important!
85% from experiencing yourself and that’s why it is vitally important that teachers
have learning activities that have a gradual release of responsibility
95% from teaching someone else.(It does not have to be a person - many of my past students would share what they
have learnt with the family cat or dog sitting on their lap, while studying!)

On page 88 of the Student Learning Planner, there is a great section on Procrastination and Engagement. Procrastination is often caused by trying to be perfect or lacking the skills and confidence to start. The brain can process 110 bits of data per second and when students are glued to their phone, they use 60 bits. The remaining 50 bits are quickly used up, leaving too few to get started. It is important for students to remember that they must be strong! Maybe students should write this message on a piece of paper and place it somewhere near their study desk;
“Be strong, YOU control YOU, not your phone!“

Students also designed their own home study timetable. I encourage all Year 8 students to put their Timetable where they can clearly see it in their study space. On pages 144 - 147 of the Learning Planner there is a variety of information on Study Skills; page 144 - deals with idea/ mind/ concept maps - which all students are familiar with as they use them constantly in class in all subjects. On page 145, there is an explanation of the importance of essay structure or persuasive writing; so vital for future academic years. Page 146 contains a list of the Glossary of Terms, which Examiners use to distinguish the verbs in various exam questions - even up to the HSC! Page 147 contains the various purposes of the six writing genres which include descriptions, expositions, narratives, persuasive arguments, poetry and
procedures. The Wellbeing Lesson was jammed packed with the above essential study information and I urge all students to revise what they did in Monday’s lesson.

Please do not hesitate to call the College or email me any questions that you may
have.

Melissa Blackwell 
Leader of Learning Wellbeing - Year 8  

I would like to warmly welcome all our Year 7 students back to our final Term for 2020. I hope that everyone made the most of the school holidays to rest, reconnect with family and friends and engage in some fun activities. 

Throughout the year our Year 7 students have explored numerous Positive Psychology practices as part of their wellbeing program and I believe it has enriched their lives and empowered them to grow and flourish. In Term 4, our wellbeing focus is Optimism. In the words of Martin Seligman, founder of Positive Psychology, learned optimism is a concept that can change our attitude and behaviours by recognising and challenging our negative self-talk. In light of the scientific evidence presented through his extensive research, our students will have the opportunity to learn ways of how to shift automatic negative thoughts to positive enhancing thoughts. Furthermore, they will explore ways they can build positive self- talk to improve one’s academic, physical and spiritual wellbeing. 

Whilst many students are excited about finishing the academic year, I remind students that the year is not yet over and now is the time to make one last great push to finish the year on a positive. I encourage all our students to bring their best self, strive for excellence and do their personal best. I would like to remind our Year 7 students that their teachers, Learning Advisors and I are here to support them to reach their full potential at St Andrews College.

Wishing you all a fruitful Term 4.

On Thursday 15th of October, St Andrews College Farewelled a very special group of young people, the class of 2020. We are so very proud of this group, for the strength that they have shown in such an unprecedented year. 

We pay a special recognition to the following students, who received major awards during our graduation.

Leadership Award

Holly Pham and Michelle Fu

Sportsman

Max Cyreszko 

Sportswoman

Diana Caicedo

Olympic Changemaker

Max Cyreszko 

Outstanding School Service

Owen Walker

Outstanding Commitment to Study

Parachi Goyal 

Most Outstanding Academic Improvement

Caitlin Burns 

The Australian Defence Force Future Innovators Award (STEM) - Yr 12 

Andrew Azzi 

ADF Long Tan Leadership & Teamwork Award

Hashwitaa Maynoor

Caltex Best All Rounder

Michelle Fu 

The Bishop of Parramatta - Award for Student Excellence

Jerica Cabanit

Academic Excellence Awards

Andrew Azzi

Pheobe Bibon

Jerica Cabanit

Michelle Fu

Mikayla Garland

Parachi Goyal

Joshua Hewitt

Maheka Karunaratne 

Rachel Khalil

Roma Lal

Haswitaa Maynoor

Moura Mikaheal

Holly Pham

Larysa Trotnar

Overall Third Place

Joshua Hewitt and Roma Lal 

Overall Second Place

Parachi Goyal 

Overall Dux 

Maheka Karunaratne  

St Andrews Award

Jerica Cabanit

Francis Galang

Enrolments are now open for Year 7 2022

St Andrews College is about creating dynamic learning environments that challenge and nurture students to be companions for each other and people of compassion, confidence, competence, creativity, conscience and with the conviction of faith to transform our world. In addition, our focus at St Andrews College is to develop each student holistically using the SPIRE Framework. Linking with our SPIRE Framework is a philosophy relating to the development of the whole person. St Andrews College is proud to be a member of the Positive Education Schools Association. Our membership allows us access to resources for our wellbeing and learning initiatives that are developed upon evidence-based research.

St Andrews College has a strong tradition of mentoring students so they grow into young people ready to embrace a world that is very different to the one we see today.

St Andrews College is a learning environment focused on insightful thinking to ensure that our students are academically and vocationally prepared to embrace their future world.

Parents of Year 5 students who wish to enrol their child for Year 7 at St Andrews College are invited to submit an application form before the end of Term 4 2020. Enrolment Application Forms can be downloaded from the College website or alternatively, contact the College direct on 9626 4000.

Careers

Apprenticeships

Landscaping

iScape Projects is a commercial landscaping company dealing with all aspects of landscaping and construction for both private gardens and large commercial landscape projects.

Landscaping projects are varied and include soft landscaping projects of planting, turfing and wetland construction as well as hard landscaping projects which include paving, brick and block walls, retaining walls, concreting, irrigation, lighting, decking, pergolas, water features, pool surrounds and garden construction.

The successful 1st Year Apprentice: 

• Will be motivated and passionate for a career in landscaping
• Will have a keen eye for detail
• Will be able to listen to instructions
• Will be safety conscious
• Will be physically fit and be able to carry out manual labour
• Will have a White Card

The successful apprentice will also complete a Certificate III in Landscape Construction and gain competence in using machinery such as excavators, bobcats and dump trucks.

iScape Projects is based in Wetherill Park with projects all over Sydney. Applicants with a driver’s licence and their own vehicle will be considered more attractive.

Light Vehicle Mechanic

Local opportunities exist in Parramatta; Seven Hills; Castle Hill and Penrith.

Responsibilities for this role include:

• Completion of a 4 year apprenticeship
• Diagnose, service and repair cars
• Study towards a Certificate III in Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology
• Assist tradesman in the workshop
• Maintain a clean and tidy workshop

Successful applicants will:

• Have a driver’s licence and vehicle
• Be committed to a 4 year apprenticeship including TAFE studies
• Be interested in cars and mechanics
• Be reliable and punctual
• Be well presented and have strong communication skills

Heavy Vehicle Mechanic

Local opportunities exist in Huntingwood and Girraween.

Responsibilities for this role include:

• Completion of a 4 year apprenticeship
• Diagnose, service and repair trucks
• Study towards a Certificate III in Heavy Commercial Vehicle Technology
• Assist tradesman in the workshop
• Maintain a clean and tidy workshop

Successful applicants will:

• Have a driver’s licence and vehicle
• Be committed to a 4 year apprenticeship including TAFE studies
• Be interested in trucks and mechanics
• Be reliable and punctual
• Be well presented and have strong communication skills

Bricklaying

A local bricker layer is seeking a 1st Year Apprentice. 

The successful 1st Year Apprentice: 

• Will be motivated and passionate for a career in brick and block laying
• Will have a keen eye for detail
• Will be able to listen to instructions
• Will be safety conscious
• Will be physically fit and be able to carry out manual labour
• Will have a White Card
• Will have a driver’s licence and their own vehicle 

Traineeships

Business Administration

There are two positions available at Huntingwood: Business Trainee - Human Resources; Business Trainee - Reception and Marketing 

Responsibilities for this role include:

• Full time 12 month traineeship
• General administration and reception duties
• Assist with accounts where relevant
• Perform marketing tasks with guidance from the Marketing Team
• Perform recruitment tasks with guidance from the Human Resources Team

Successful applicants will:

• Be committed to completing the 12 month traineeship in Business including TAFE studies
• Have excellent communication skills
• Have a polite and confident phone manner
• Have strong organisational skills
• Will be adaptable, reliable and punctual

Early Childhood

Kindalin Early Childhood Learning Centres was founded 1988 by Alison Wharton and her husband Mark. Now with eight locations across Sydney, Kindalin is proud to be a family owned company with 30+ years of history in the Hills district and a growing reputation in the Northern Beaches.

Kindalin has grown to see students become parents and two former Kindalin students becoming Centre Directors. Kindalin is an aboriginal word that means 'happy'. 

Kindalin is offering full-time traineeships at seven locations within the Hills and Northern Beaches. Trainees will complete a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care.

Interested students need to send their resume and cover letter to careers@kindalin.com.au

Pool Lifeguard

Cumberland Council has an exciting opportunity for school leavers looking to enter the sport and recreation industry as a Pool Lifeguard. This is a full time traineeship position where trainees will complete a Certificate III in Sport and Recreation.

Successful applicants will:

• Be committed to completing the 12 month traineeship in Sport and Recreation including TAFE studies
• Have a current driver’s licence and their own vehicle
• Be a proficient swimmer
• Have a First Aid Certificate or willing to obtain one

Warehouse and Logistics

An employer located in Summer Hill is seeking two full-time trainees in Warehouse and Logistics. Trainees will complete a Certificate III in Transport and Logistics.

Successful applicants will:

• Be committed to completing the 12 month traineeship in Transport and Logistics including TAFE studies

Responsibilities for this role include:

• Picking and packing

• Filling and moving boxes

• Unloading goods

• Cleaning work environment

• General Administration and other basic warehouse duties

Students interested in any of the opportunities listed above are encouraged to contact Ms May for more information.

20th October - 16th November
HSC Exams

4th November
Mufti Day - Vinnies Appeal

8th - 14th November
NAIDOC Week

12 November
Year 7 Step Up Day