Dear Members of the St Andrews College Community,

As we return back to face-to-face learning next Monday I would like to thank staff, students, and parents for the way you have engaged in online learning and the uncertainty of the COVID-19 situation. The messages of thanks from both parents and students have been shared with staff. It makes a real difference when we all feel appreciated for the work that we do. Thank you.

I would also like to urge the student body to move swiftly back into the face-to-face learning mode whilst keeping in mind all of the safety provisions we have in place regarding social distancing, sanitising and cleaning. 

In reflecting on the journey so far in the COVID-19 world I couldn’t help appreciating the opportunities it has given for schools to have greater autonomy and for students to have greater autonomy and choice in their learning. Let’s use this opportunity to make our return to school an even greater learning experience.

‘It’s All About Learning’

Gospel Reflection:

Anguish Turns to Joy

May 22, 2020

Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter

“When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.”  John 16:21–22

Anguish in life is common.  In small ways, we will experience anguish each and every day.  And, from time to time, we will experience the very heavy pains of a particular anguish in our lives.  

Does an experience of anguish mean you are not in God’s grace?  Does it mean that God has left you?  Or does it mean that you are doing something wrong?  Certainly not.  In fact, all we have to do is look at the life of Jesus to see this is not the case.  He was in constant anguish throughout His earthly life as He continually entered more deeply into the mission of His Father.  Just prior to His public ministry He was in anguish for forty days in the desert.  Throughout His public ministry, He experienced the anguish and exhaustion of His earthly life.  He experienced the criticism of others, misunderstanding, ridicule, rejection, harsh treatment, and so much more.  In the end, we know His fate on the Cross.

Our Blessed Mother had the “sword of sorrow” pierce her heart.  She was misunderstood and ridiculed from the beginning as a result of her mysterious pregnancy out of wedlock.  She carried a perfect love of her Son and anguished over His future as He grew.  She watched many love Him and others harass Him.  She watched His mockery of a trial and His Crucifixion.  

But think of their lives now.  They now reign from Heaven as the glorious Queen of All Saints and the King of the Universe.  They live in glory now for eternity.  Their anguish has turned to perfect joy.

Reflect, today, upon your own trials in life.  The Scripture passage above reveals the promise that God makes to those who endure them with faith.  If you feel as though you have been dealt an unfair hand or have been treated unfairly, you are in good company.  The key is to walk through this life with grace and dignity.  Do not let the trials of this life or its pains get you down.  Know that as you remain faithful walking down the path God has set for you, the end result is that you will rejoice!  This is simply a fact.  Hold on to that hope and keep your eyes on the finish line.  It’s worth it in the end.

Lord, I surrender my anguish and burdens to You.  I unite them to Your Cross and trust that You will be there in all things walking with me through my life.  May I keep my eyes on the goal and rejoice in Your steadfast love.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Communication with Parents and Students:
We are moving to the Compass Portal for all communications with parents and students. You would have received a letter from me today outlining the process involved and associated links to help facilitate this move. The one stop portal will assist in communication within our community. If you have any questions please contact the College for assistance.

Year 11 and Year 9 2021 Subjection Selection Sites:
We have developed as a College two informative and interactive sites to assist in the subjection selection process for Year 11 and Year 9 2021. We have added alternative pathways and extension opportunities to the many options available. Enjoy the process.

Nomination for Junior Athlete of the Year:
Congratulations to Annabelle Johnson who has been nominated for this prestigious award. More information can be found in the Sport section of the Newsletter. We are very proud of you.

Enrolments 2021:
We have almost reached our quota for 2021. If you know of family or friends who intend on applying to the College could you please inform them of this to avoid disappointment. We had 75 students miss out on enrolment into Year 7 2020.

Fidem in Christo

Stephen Kennaugh
Principal

Week 5 will see the College return to normal classes. The risks of Covid-19 are still there and students are going to be asked to follow some strict rules to keep them safe and the adults in our community.

• Wash your hands all the time. Use soap and water and wash for 20 seconds every chance they get. In between washing use sanitiser which is provided in every classroom.
• Keep your social distance 1.5 m or 2 arm lengths. In class do you best to keep a distance between each other.
• NO HUGGING, HIGH FIVES, or any other physical contact with other students
• NO contact sport or ball games until further notice
• Students are not permitted to hang around shops or public areas before or after school. If they need to go to Quakers Court, they go, get what they need and leave.

The safety of every student and members of our community is the priority. Parents will be contacted if students breach safety guidelines at school.

Uniform
As of the start of Term 2, all students are expected to be in full college winter uniform. It is an expectation of the College that all students wear this uniform from the moment they leave home in the morning until they arrive at home in the afternoon.

As it gets colder students may want to add scarfs and gloves etc. Any scarf or gloves must be navy blue or black only. We have a College jumper and blazer and these are the only uniform that should be showing. If this is not enough, I suggest thermal undergarments that could be worn under the uniform. Any non-St Andrews College uniform worn will need to be removed.

On sport days, students are to attend in full sports uniform, if they arrive in non-St Andrews College uniform they will not be permitted to go to sport.

Every student is expected to have a St Andrews College bag every day. Non-St Andrews College bags will be left with their Leader of Learning for the day.

The student’s planners have a list of the requirements for uniforms. All students are expected to adhere to these rules.

Mufti Day
Wednesday the 27^th is the allocated mufti day for the students. We are asking that students come in clothes that represent a team. It can be either a sports team, a friendship team or any other team that they are part of or follow.

Just a reminder that the expectation is that all students dress appropriately for the mufti and have all safety or subject gear for that day.

What’s in the student planner?
One of the themes in the planner is ethical living. The students are asked to ponder, “How do I live my life ethically?” Living ethically means that you think and act positively towards yourself and others, using your moral compass to help you make decisions, we try not to do things for personal gain and are my actions making me a better Christian person.

Ethical behaviours include, empathy, doing selfless acts of kindness, being honest, respecting others rights, listening to others, valuing our environments, doing what you say you are going to do and following through with your word.

Developing a growth mindset is one of the keys to developing resilience. Being optimistic and using positive self-talk is a key to developing a growth mindset.

Key character strengths to concentrate on are engagement and mindfulness. It has been hard during isolation to fully engage. Once we are back make an effort to fully engage in learning and relationships with others. Think about your favorite relative and write down some strengths that you recognise that they have. Be mindful of how this has influenced you.

Do you want to earn some bonus House points? Come and tell me how have used your ethics to help make the right decision in an aspect of your life. 

God Bless
Nicholas Thrum
Assistant Principal Students

Parents Supporting
Student Learning

Over the last weeks, students, parents and teachers have worked hard to ensure student engagement and continuity of learning. 

John Hattie and Lyn Sharratt educational experts, acknowledge that both teachers and parents can support student learning by concentrating on effort not outcome. Parents can further support learning that is occurring at school by allowing your child(ren) to see your effort as part of a bigger picture within the home. It is good for children to see you problem solve and make mistakes, because we are all learning.

Learning for all of us is a life long endeavour, so our modelling ensures our students know it is ok to learn from mistakes. Therefore if our students learn to understand that mistakes are our friend and support learning, students will avoid worrying about marks and instead concentrate on how to improve. Research highlights that a focus on effort rather than results, enables the most significant learning growth to occur.

Satisfying Stage 5 and 6 - NESA Expectations

This is a timely reminder to students in Stage 5 and Year 11 working towards the RoSA, and Year 12 students, that in order to achieve those certifications, students must:

• follow the course developed or endorsed by the NSW Education Standards Authority 
• apply yourself with diligence and sustained effort to the set tasks provided in the course by the school
• achieve some or all of the outcomes of the course

Obviously the last weeks have presented many challenges for students and parents. It is important that students are focused and working hard. If students need support they should consult their teacher, KLA and/or Wellbeing Leaders of Learning, Ms May, the Councillors and the Assistant Principals. Every support level wants every student to achieve their best and succeed, therefore it is important to ask for help should you need it. 

Assessment and Reporting
In the previous newsletter the reporting structure for Semester 1 Year 7-10 reports was outlined. Each subject will issues a grade based on the Common Grade Scale. Therefore all student classwork, homework and any completed assessments will be evaluated by staff and aligned to the Common Grade Scale. 

Year 9 2021 Elective Subject Selection 

Year 9 students and their parents will have the Year 9 2021 Subject Selection Site shared with them in Week 9 this term. Students should carefully consider the subjects on offer in order to make good decisions about their elective study for Years 9 and 10. It is important that students realise that changing subjects is sometimes difficult, or not achievable, so making the right decision is extremely important. 

Last week Mr Kennaugh sent the Leaders of Learning Wellbeing Team an article by Linda Graham. She has written a book titled "Bouncing Back: Rewiring Your Brain for Maximum Resilience and Wellbeing."

The Article was written May 7th, 2020 and was titled "8 Ways to Care for Your Amazing Brain."

In the Year 8 Wellbeing Lesson I summarise the eight ways for students to help them care for their 80 billion brain cells!

According to the Article, it is so important to protect and care about our brains for long term health and well-being. It is so important that we make positive lifestyle choices that protect, exercise and strengthen our brains.

How do we take care of our brains?
According to Linda Graham, there are eight ways to care for our brains. These are the eight ways:

1. Move It!

Exercise makes us smarter! Exercise can help us think more clearly.

Consequently I am encouraging Year 8 students to enter the PDHPE Challenge, which was posted on Year 8 Google Classroom on 8th May. I hear rumours that the only exercise some Year 8 students have done when in lockdown is going to the fridge, returning to the couch and then back again!

2. Aim for Deep Sleep:
We all need 8 hours (9 hours for growing teenage brains). When we are asleep the brain consolidates learning and memories from the day. Sleep improves our immune system, absorbs the stress hormone cortisol and makes us strong to face the day in the morning.

Don't we all feel better when we have a good night's sleep?

3. Eat a Mind Diet:
A diet which includes lots of vegetables, dark leafy greens, nuts, berries, whole grains, fish, poultry and olive oil is just perfect for our brains.

4. Build Your Brain Cell Reserve:
To improve and strengthen our brains; we can learn:
* to play a musical instrument – that’s what’s happening in Year 8 Music!
* to speak a foreign language - that's why students study Japanese!
* to play a complex game like chess. (Students can join the College Chess Club – please email Mr Silva for more details.

5. Get Creative, Be Curious.
I also encourage Year 8 students to enter the St Andrews College Art Competition. Students need to email Miss Mamuk for more details.

In terms of learning it is so important to be curious. The classic Greek questions of how, why, where, when and what were the consequences that are the essentials when students are curious in their research and learning.

6. Laugh Out Loud.
Laughter is great way to make friends and bond with people.

7. Hang Out with Healthy Brains.
Be with positive friends and be positive yourself with others. An encouraging friend is worth more than gold!

8. Turn Off Technology.

As I write this, I hear Year 8 yelling;
"Oh Miss - you are always on about this!!!"

My reply is,
"Yeah I know, but it is so important! At St Andrews College we truly care about our students! “

The Well-Being Experts such as Linda Graham has reinforced this rule. Teenage brains are still developing and need rest!

Once the students read the summary of Linda Graham’s Article, I asked the students to create either a poster, a power point, a poem, a song or a quiz with the purpose of telling others the eight ways to care for the amazing brain.

Even before the end of the day students were sending me their work and I would like to share some with you dear Reader!  

Until next time,

Regards

Melissa Blackwell
Leader of Learning Wellbeing Year 8

‘THE WORLD FROM MY WINDOW’

Art Competition

Stage 4 and 5 artists of St Andrews College were provided with the opportunity to express the world from their window. This art competition demonstrated students' technical, conceptual and creative skills through the frames, conceptual framework and practice. These entries were completely self-directed in terms of media, imagery, symbolism and artistic expression. 

Congratulations to the following artists of St Andrews College for submitting their artworks and displaying an array of talent across media, technique and unique styles:

Aditya Rawal, Athieu Majok, Benjamin Reyes, Chelsey-Nicole Caraig, Elisha Calura, Euleila Barret, Gabrielle Gonzales, Garry Singh, Jade Kember, Jaycob McLoughlin, John Roxas, Jordan Gutierrez, Lavinia Mamituowa, Makoi Malual, Rachel Laycock, Sheila Nicer, Sophie Kirkby.

There will be many more art competitions and events coming up in the near future, so try something new, step outside your comfort zone and challenge yourself.

You never know your capabilities unless you first give it a go!

Shandel Mamuk
Visual Arts Teacher

“The greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try one more time” – Thomas Edison (a great inventor)

JUNIOR FINALISTS

Year 7 & 8

1ST PLACE

Chelsey-Nicole Caraig

2ND PLACE

Euleila Barret

3RD PLACE

Athieu Majok

SENIOR FINALISTS

Year 9 & 10

1ST PLACE

Jaycob McLoughlin

2ND PLACE

Sheila Nicer

3RD PLACE

John Roxas

As students return to school, sport and physical activity programs will initially focus on ‘Non-Contact Sports’. The resumption of unrestricted sport and activities will be in line with AHPPC guidelines and NSW Health advice. 

Students will be able to participate in small group sport and physical activities, however social distancing measures will be maintained by the staff who supervise them during these programs, whenever possible. All programs that will run on Thursday Sport will adhere to strict safe health practice guidelines which will include the cleaning of equipment before and after the session. 

As of next Thursday students will be participating in activities and fitness challenges. Students are encouraged to participate in these activities as their participation will go towards their House points for the College House Cup. 

At this time competitive contact sport or physical activity cannot occur. A letter will be sent out next week detailing updates to College Sport, PDSSSC, Diocesan and NSWCCC events for the remainder of 2020. 

I urge students to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle during Term 2 while restrictions are still in place. 

Alexander Dunaeff
Leader of Learning Sports 

Annabelle Johnson of Year 9 was a strong nominee for the 2020 Junior Para Athlete of the Year Award.

Each year Athletics New South Wales holds an award ceremony to recognise achievements of its athletes, coaches and officials.  Sadly, due to COVID-19 the 2020 awards were cancelled and nominations and award winners were announced on the Athletics New South Wales website and social media.

Annabelle was nominated for this year’s Junior Award by Athletics New South Wales based on her Global Games success where she was a gold medalist and champion in the sprints and long jump.

“I was very surprised and excited to be nominated”, said Annabelle.  

She continued to say that she was glad that her disability class is starting to achieve recognition and hopes that more people with autism will take up athletics.

Annabelle is looking forward to the 2020/2021 athletics season and is targeting national qualification in the 400m hurdles as well as other sprinting events.

Congratulations Annabelle!

Macquarie Leaders and Achievers Early Entry Scheme

To be a successful applicant for the Macquarie Leaders and Achievers Early Entry Scheme students need to demonstrate their leadership and community involvement. This can be through school and/or community extra-curricular activities. The scheme considers Year 11 results and how your participation in activities have developed you as an individual during your Year 11 and 12 studies. 

Applications open on the 1st of June and will close on the 31st of August. 

Macquarie Leaders and Achievers Early Entry Scheme

On Monday the 1st of June Macquarie University will be holding a webinar commencing at 5pm and concluding at 6pm.

Interested students can register here  In the online registration form our school is identified as St Andrews College (formerly John Paul II).

UAC Date Changes

Due to NESA changes UAC has made the following changes:

• ATARs will be released at 9am on Friday 18 December
• The deadline for changing Preferences for the December Round 2 is midnight on Saturday 19 December
• The December Round 2 offers will be released at 7.30am on Wednesday 23 December
• The UAC Schools Recommendation Schemes (SRS) offers will still be released on Thursday 12 November.

UNSW Co-op Scholarships

A Co-op Scholarship connects students with sponsors from some of the world’s largest brands, technology giants, major financial players, cutting edge start-ups, sustainability leaders, and key government agencies. 

Students gain up to 18 months of relevant industry experience with multiple companies during their degree. These internships give students an invaluable insight into the real world of work in their chosen profession. Students gain leadership skills and professional development training through challenging, practical and interactive workshops and social camps. Students also engage in a mentoring and support program throughout the Scholarship.

Co-op Scholarship Programs:

Business 

Accounting & Business Management 

Actuarial Studies 

Business Information Systems 

Commerce Information Systems 

Finance & Banking

Marketing

Science

Advanced Mathematics 

Data Science & Decisions 

Materials Science & Engineering 

Engineering 

Chemical Engineering

Chemical Products Engineering

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Computer Science

Electrical Engineering 

Mechanical Engineering 

Mining Engineering 

Petroleum Engineering 

Photovoltaics & Renewable Energy 

Software Engineering

Not all programs are offered every year. 

Applications are now open and close on the 30th of September. The application process includes: an online application; school assessment; video snapshot; and an interview.

Interested students are encouraged to visit UNSW Co-op Program click on the “Future Students” button for the online application information and process.

Students wishing assistance with their application are asked to see Ms May.

Therese May
Careers Adviser