Welcome to the start of Term 2. 

It has been a good start to Term 2. I thank the students for their efforts to get involved with learning from the first day of term.

I would like to remind students and families that all students are to be in full winter uniform including their hair styles as expected and their use of jewellery. It is important to start the day on a positive note. If you are organised for the day and are in the right uniform it means you have started the day well and it is easy to continue the positive streak. If you are unorganised, out of uniform or late it means you have started the day behind and it is more difficult to catch up and move in a positive direction. 

What happens if I am sick or cannot attend school?

If you are sick, you are not permitted to attend school. As the Flu season starts, we need to be mindful of expectations with Covid.

1. If your child has any cold or flu symptoms they must stay at home and do a RAT or get a Covid test. The results of the test must be sent to the school ASAP.
2. Any student attending school with cold or flu symptoms will be isolated and sent home for a Covid test or RAT. They need to stay at home if they have flu like symptoms.
3. Students can work online if they are at home and should continue to work while they are at home.

Mental Illness

The stigma around mental illness has disappeared and people are more willing to say they have a concern and reach out for help. One complaint that I hear on a regular bases is that mum and dad don’t understand what I’m going through. Sometimes parents don’t have a lot of knowledge about mental illness and this prevents them from fully understanding the needs of the child. There are many websites, e.g. beyond blue, headspace, black dog, that have information on mental illness to assist families in understanding what is going on. 

The College has 2 counsellors, Mrs. Castle and Sister Cristina, who are available to the students and their families if there are any concerns about mental illness. Starting a conversation about what is going on is the first step in helping the young person through their difficult time.  

All students have access to information on Google classroom Wellbeing page. Leaders of Learning are also available to assist students to get any assistance they require. I have put a picture in this section, which identifies how a parent can assist with mental illness. I hope this is helpful. Please don’t hesitate to contact the College if you have any questions.

Why are some of our kid’s suffering from Mental Illness 

Kids these days are over-stimulated and over-given material objects, but they are deprived of the foundations of a healthy childhood, such as:

• Emotionally available parents
• clearly defined boundaries
• Responsibilities
• Balanced nutrition and adequate sleep
• Movement in general but especially outdoors
• Creative gaming, social interaction, informal gaming opportunities and spaces for boredom

What are some of the issues with our kids:

• Digital Distracted Parents
• Pampering and permissive parents who let children "rule the world" 
• Kids are given everything without earning it or being responsible for getting it
• Inappropriate sleep and unbalanced nutrition
• A sedentary lifestyle
• Endless stimulation, constant technology, instant gratification and absence of boring moments

What you can do ?

• Set boundaries, Don't be afraid to say "no" to your children 
• Offer children a balanced lifestyle 
• Provide nutritious food and limit junk food.
• Spend at least one hour a day outdoors doing activities 
• Enjoy a daily family dinner without the distraction of smartphones or technology.
• Play games with the family.
• Involve your children in a task or housework.
• Implement a consistent sleep routine to ensure your child sleeps long enough. 
• Teach responsibility and independence. 
• Don't do everything for your children, instead of giving them the fish, show them how to fish.
• Teach them to wait and delay gratification.
• Provide opportunities for "boredom", because boredom is the moment when creativity awakens. Don't feel responsible for always keeping your kids entertained.
• Do not use technology as a cure for boredom.
• Avoid using technology during meals, in cars, restaurants, etc these are socialising moments. 
• Be emotionally available to connect with children and teach them self-regulation and social skills:
• Turn off the phones at night when kids have to go to bed to avoid digital distraction. Leave them in another room to allow propper sleep.
• Teach them to recognize and handle their own frustrations and anger.
• teach them manners and social skills
• Connect emotionally - smile, kiss, kiss, tickle, read, dance, jump, play with them.

What’s in the Planner?

There are many wellbeing activities in the planner that you can look at and use while you are learning online. Building relationships with teachers has been proven to be an indicator of success at school. 

Students need to use the expertise of the teacher and staff at the College. Getting feedback from the experts is not criticism but a helpful way to move forward in your learning.

Negative mind chatter can cause self-doubt and anxiety. Always be solution focused and have a growth mindset. Focus on what we can control and how we can move forward when we are faced with road blocks.

One of the focuses we should have is Active Constructive Responding (ACR). This is about listening enthusiastically, making eye contact, using positive gestures to make them feel valued. We must be mindful about being dismissive, showing no enthusiasm or being non responsive to others. Positive engaged listening to others helps us build relationships. 

The focus over the next few weeks is:

WHAT’S STRONG, NOT WHAT’S WRONG

God Bless

Mr. Nicholas Thrum
Assistant principal - Students

Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Online Survey:
30 May to 1 July 2022

We greatly value feedback from our community to help us provide the best possible environment for our students to learn and grow. To help us do this, we will be participating in the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) online survey for students, teachers, parents and carers.   

The survey will provide us with valuable insights into what our school community thinks about school life including how engaged students are with school and the different ways that teachers interact with them. Schools in Australia and around the world use the Tell Them From Me survey to help them improve. 

Between 30 May and 1 July 2022, all students will be given the opportunity and time to participate in this survey during regular school hours. Students who agree to complete the survey will be given a random username and password to access and complete the survey online. Students’ names cannot be linked to their responses which allows it to be completely anonymous. Results will show all student scores combined together – it is not possible to single out individual students in the results.

Parents and carers will be able to participate using a link we will send to you separately in the coming weeks. The survey takes approximately 25 to 30 minutes to complete. The survey measures include wellbeing, physical health, and behaviours and attitudes linked to student success.

Participation in the survey is entirely voluntary. If during the survey participants feel uncomfortable answering any question, it can be left blank or they can stop the survey completely at any time.

If you do not want your child/children to take part in the survey, or if you would like more information, please email pfinnerty@parra.catholic.edu.au by Monday 23 May.

Thank you for your ongoing feedback as we continue to work together to support student learning and wellbeing. 

Staff Spirituality Day: Friday 29 May

As I mentioned last term, our teachers are continually undertaking many forms of professional learning in order to provide meaningful experiences for our students. Central to all that we do in our Catholic Community is to keep working on developing our own spirituality.

Last Friday, our staff had the opportunity to take time to receive God’s spirit. It’s important that, at times, we pull away from the group, that we set off to the desert, to the Chapel, to the lonely place, the quiet, to be alone with God. We see Jesus do exactly that. Mark’s Gospel tells us that when his ministry was most intense, when it was “too busy even to eat”, Jesus pulled away, to be alone for a while. There are times that call for withdrawal and silence.

A Reminder …

I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to contact me by email pfinnerty@parra.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions regarding the information above which relates to my specific role as Assistant Principal – Systems, Data, and Professional Learning.

Thank you for your continued support

Patrick Finnerty
Assistant Principal – Systems, Data and Professional Learning

Welcome back to term 2.

I am sure that both students and parents will be starting to plan out their assessment tasks that are due this term. I encourage you all to engage with our Student Information Hub over the next few weeks. You will find important information about assessment, subject selection and Illness/Misadventure processes on this site.

There will be several changes to our assessment policies that will be uploaded to the site over the coming weeks. These changes will provide opportunities for students to follow correct procedure when they miss assessment tasks. We will also see the reintroduction of Academic Compensation on Wednesday afternoons, where students who consistently choose to not hand in their work, will be given the time, under teacher supervision, to complete their outstanding tasks. Parents will be notified through Compass if their child has been asked to attend Academic Compensation.

I cannot stress enough how important the learning in every lesson is for our students. Students should not be waiting until a ‘formal’ assessment task to demonstrate their best learning and work towards ensuring that everything they do in class is counted towards their final grade.

Please also be aware that NAPLAN testing is taking place on Tuesday 10th and Wednesday 11th of May. All students in Years 7 and 9 will need to ensure that they have a working device and headphones in order to complete these tests to the best of their ability. 

I’m looking forward to working with our many students in promoting a focus on the learning in Term 2, where our students are provided with every opportunity to do more and go beyond.

Ms Josilin Kalifa
Assistant Principal Teaching, Learning and Wellbeing

Hello everyone and welcome to Term 2, 

Everyone has seemed to have settled and gotten back into routine so far which is very good to see. I am pleased to hear that a lot of you are showing respect to each other and everyone around you. As I said at the end of last term, there are some things that we all can improve on. I have listed below what some of these things are:

• Seeking feedback from your teachers to improve writing skills
• Attendance
• Lateness
• Receiving merits
• Attitude towards learning - not giving up, trying your best
• Doing something for the community and others - helping with school work, picking up rubbish, etc
• No uniform infringements
• No lunch or afternoon detentions

We want to make sure we are continually improving everything about ourselves during our time at St Andrews. Let’s make sure that we set ourselves some goals to make sure we can be the version of ourselves. 

NAPLAN

Naplan is fast approaching for our Year 7 and 9 students. This will take place next Tuesday (10/5/22) and Wednesday (11/5/22) and will be completed through an online platform. 

Students will be required to have a charged device and headphones on the day. Can I please ask that you check in with your child the night before to make sure that they remember to charge their devices ready for the NAPLAN exams.

Student Accomplishments

Debating

Congratulations to those students who are part of the debate team this term. It is good to see that we have students putting themselves forward and having the confidence to do something like this. 

Congratulations to the following students:

• Elyscia Barret
• Alexandra Marasigan
• Isabelle Metcalfe
• Aditya Rawal
• Raphaella Thimiopolos-Wilson
• Alexandra Iskander

Good luck this term. I know you will do very well.

PDSSSC Sport Season 2

Congratulations to those who have been successful in making the Soccer and Netball teams for this term. Good luck, play hard and represent the school with pride.

Intermediate Boys Basketball

Deepest apologies to the year 9 boys who are part of the intermediate basketball team. It is a shame that you could not play your semi final. I am sure you would have made it through if the game went ahead. However, we still send our congratulations for what you achieved last term.

Term 2 Uniform

You must wear your Blazer TO and FROM school. You must wear your blazer into Learning Group and from then, you may take it off if you wish. 

Reminder that term 2 is winter uniform - 

Girls: black or navy stockings, short sleeve school blouse, blazers (compulsory), school jumper and long pants (optional) 

Boys: Black or taupe socks, taupe trousers with a black belt, short sleeve shirt tucked in, boys school tie.

Kharl Carlos

Leader of Wellbeing Year 9

Welcome back to Term 2. 

So far, Year 7 have come back with a very mature attitude and look eager and ready to learn with what will be a very busy term ahead. 

PTS Conferences

Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences will take place this term. These conferences provide a fantastic opportunity for discussion around the learning that is taking place at the college and open up further discussion around the progress and growth that all students are showing. 

Further information will be sent out through Compass in the weeks ahead to allow you to book a timeslot with each of your child’s teachers. 

Uniform 

Students are reminded that we are now in the colder months, so the winter uniform is required. I understand that some families are still in the process of purchasing a blazer and I ask that you please let me know ASAP if there are any issues regarding this. Information regarding the uniform requirements can be found in the Student Learning Planner. 

If a student is out of uniform, a red card will be issued on Compass and you will be notified. If three red cards are issued in one term, the student will be required to complete an afternoon detention. Uniform infringements include hair and makeup violations and shortened skirts on girls. 

So far, Year 7 are representing the school well in terms of their uniform. Hopefully this will continue throughout the term. 

NAPLAN

Naplan is fast approaching for our Year 7 and 9 students. This will take place next Tuesday (10/5/22) and Wednesday (11/5/22) and will be completed through an online platform. 

Students will be required to have a charged device and headphones on the day. Can I please ask that you check in with your child the night before to make sure that they remember to charge their devices ready for the NAPLAN exams. 

It has been fantastic watching Year 7 transition to life at St Andrews and I am looking forward to seeing their continued growth and progress in this term ahead. 

Jarryd Leaves
Leader of Learning Year 7

NAPLAN 2022

Naplan testing will be conducted for all Year 7 and Year 9 students on:

Tuesday 10 May      -  Reading Test in periods 1 and 2

                                - Conventions of Language Test in periods 3 and 4

Wednesday 11 May  - Numeracy Test in periods 1 and 2

                                 - Writing Test in periods 3 and 4

There will be catch-up tests available for any student who is unable to complete their Naplan tests on these days.

All students must bring their FULLY CHARGED device as well as HEADPHONES for each test. Plug-in and cordless headphones (eg. airpods) are allowed. 

Parents are encouraged to assist their child/children in being prepared for the Naplan tests by checking that they have their device fully charged and have headphones with them.

NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process. It doesn’t replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance, but it can provide teachers with additional information about students’ progress, which allows teachers to better deliver effective instruction for each individual student.

Thursday sport

In Week 10 of Term 1, our junior and intermediate basketball teams were very disappointed after a last minute cancellation of their games due to flooding at the basketball venue. This saw the junior boys grand final against St John Paul II postponed to week 1 this term and the intermediate boys finishing 4th in their competition. 

Junior basketball team coached by Mr Fellows played their grand final against St John Paul II.

Winning at the tail end of the game, 27-24. It’s pivotal to also add that this team was undefeated throughout the season. A very big congratulations to:

• Taufui Afu
• Akol Athieu
• Vladmihr Cortes
• David Job
• Thon Malual
• Ramy Sanga
• Sebastian Tomas
• Carlos Tuazon
• Myles Vadamootoo
• Savior Edward

And Patricia Tuazon and Aleina Hartono who were scorekeepers and supported the team throughout the season. Thank you also to Mr Alata for his encouragement and assistance of the team. Below is a recount of the game written by Mr Fellows.

On Thursday the 28th May 2022 our JNr Boys Basketball team played their Grand Final game against John Paul 2. Upon the start of the game, the boys took the lead by 10 points, however, after some unluckily missed baskets John Paul 2 managed to catch up, and lead St Andrews by 2 points. In the last 10 seconds of the game, a stellar steal from Akol Athieu steal the ball and run the length of the court placing a layup which secured the boys as the winners with 1 second to spare. The win was another achievement to add to an exemplar season for the JNR Boys Basketball, as not only were they the Grand Finalists, but they were also undefeated all season.

On a different note, Mr Lewandowski and Miss Rujucica have also introduced a new program during sport time; Theatre Sports! This is an opportunity for students to improvise in groups and is fantastic for students who wish to gain confidence in front of an audience through short games and scenes. Thank you to Mr Lewandowski and Miss Rujucica for this new and exciting opportunity that you are offering our students.

Season 2 Representative sport

After (another) washed out Thursday in week 1, trials took place during Thursday sport for Netball & Soccer.

Congratulations to all students who trialled and to those who were selected for the team.

Further information will be coming to parents via Compass regarding training. Training will take place one afternoon each week and students must attend as part of their commitment to the team. Failure to attend training may unfortunately jeopardise your son/daughter’s place in the team. Parents are required to give consent via the Compass event for their son/daughter to attend weekly training sessions throughout the season. 

Teams will train in Week 3 during Thursday sport time in preparation for round 1 of the competition. Draws and further information can be found here https://www.secondarysportparra.catholic.edu.au/Thursday-Sport/Season-2

A reminder that teams may return to the College after the bell at 2.45pm so alternative transport arrangements home are required.

Upcoming sport events

The College Athletics Carnival is coming up on Friday 10th June (Week 7). This event is held on the junior campus and further information will be provided to students in the coming weeks.

The PDSSSC Junior boys and girls Football (Soccer) gala day is on Wednesday 1st June. These teams are comprised of selected students from our Thursday representative teams. 

Student sporting successes

Hailey Targarona (of year 12) was recently selected for the PDSSSC Netball team. Hailey went to Menai on Wednesday of week 2 to compete at the NSWCCC trials in the hope of being selected for the NSWCCC team who will attend the NSW All Schools Netball Championships. We await the final team announcement but congratulations Hailey for making it to this stage of selections.

Brooke Robinson (of year 10) has been selected to represent our state

at the upcoming Australian Gymnastics Championships which will be held on the Gold Coast,

Queensland.

Brooke has been selected into the NSW Women’s Gymnastics state team. Being selected onto the NSW State Team is a tremendous achievement that has required many months of vigorous training and preparation.

Congratulations and we wish you all the best, Brooke. We look forward to hearing about your upcoming successes!

Elijah Andrew succeeding again……

Please enjoy this recount below about Elijah’s recent achievements.

Elijah travelled to Wakefield Park last Thursday to compete in the third round of the Oceania Junior Cup, Australia's premier junior road racing championship.

The third round of the ASBK Yamaha bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup took place from the 22nd to the 24th of April.  With the first round down in Victoria and the second round up in Queensland, this third round split the difference and was held at the Wakefield Park Raceway, Goulburn NSW. Would this home state advantage prove to be beneficial to the riders from NSW? Elijah Andrew from Marayong certainly seemed to think so.

The enthusiastic 12yr old qualified 13th after shaving five seconds off his time between the practice sessions and the qualifying round. Anybody who knows anything about racing will agree that a five second time improvement is substantial.  As a result of starting each race closer to pole position than the last round, he managed to finish 14th, then 15th (by just .007 of a second), then 14th again to finish the overall third round in 14th position.  Considering that he is racing against 14, 15 and 16yr olds, this jump up the ladder was impressive and drew the attention of both other riders and marshals alike.  

Despite heavy clouds and biting winds the track remained dry for the weekend.  A light sprinkle just before the start of the second race may have unsettled a couple of the riders but Elijah wasn't unnerved by the rain and kept increasing his top speed in every session.

There is now quite a gap until Round 4 in August and we can't wait to see what improvements this local racer will make between now and then.

Congratulations once again, Elijah! Another tremendous effort and level of commitment to the sport that you love!

Kayla Brogan
Leader of Learning Sport

SACART WEEK 2 

Operation Art

Thank you to all of the creative students who submitted artworks to the SAC Art Competition in Term 1. Well done! Congratulations to our four finalists whose entries will be entered into Operation Art. 

Students will be recognised in an upcoming assembly.

Name: Athieu Majok 10LGF8 Title: Masked Greenhouse Medium: Digital Drawing	Name: Kathryn Baginski 8LGC3 Title: Roar Medium: Digital Drawing
Name: Micaela Sibuco 8LGG16 Title: Coloured in Curiosity Medium: Digital Drawing	Name: Rabab Ganiwalla 8LGB7 Title: Vivid Peacock Extravaganza Medium: Painting

Jolena Valencia (7VAD)	Denise Nicolas (7VAD)	Gabrielle Cardino (7VAD)
Taylor Tuamtong (7VAE)	Bhavrit Sidhu (7VAF)	Sabina La (7VAF)

Mrs Harris’ 7VAC completing their large scale food sculptures

Year 8 Cubist Creations

Year 8 students are almost at the finish line for their Cubist artworks. Students were given the opportunity to use a range of mixed media; including Oil Pastels, Acrylic Paint, Watercolour Paint on a Canvas or Artist quality paper; allowing them to truly express their artistic talents. Students selected either a childhood cartoon character such as Mickey Mouse, Tom & Jerry and SpongeBob; or a beloved musical instrument as the concept of their artwork, showcasing it in a Cubist style. Fantastic work Year 8!

Year 9 Visual Arts - The Archibald Prize

Year 9s are busily working towards finishing their Archibald Prize portrait paintings. It is fantastic seeing the different painting styles from each student and how they have decided to portray their sitter.

We will showcase these artworks in a SAC Junior CAPA Showcase in Week 5. Details to come!

Year 11 Visual Arts - Artists and the World

Year 11 students submitted their first assessment task last week, showcasing their skills in working with a number of different mediums. Students created a Collection of Work focusing on a chosen object. By deconstructing the object, students came up with a variety of conceptual meanings before turning this into a series of artworks.

Congratulations on completing this task and we look forward to exhibiting Year 11 artworks in the near future.

Learner Drivers earn 20 BONUS HOURS in their logbook at the completion of the course.

MODULE 1 & 2 ARE CONDUCTED ON THE SAME DAY. Refreshments, Morning Tea and Lunch provided.

Next  Available Course dates:

Blaxland

Wednesday 13th April 2022 (School Holidays)

Windsor

Thursday 14th April 2022 (School Holidays)

Quakers Hill

Thursday 21st April 2022 (School Holidays)

Penrith

Sunday 27th April 2022

Wednesday 20th April 2022 (School Holidays)

Please visit www.ndeaustralia.com.au to book a course or call 02 9853 3243.

N.B. Free course for disadvantaged learner drivers

The NSW Government is offering 1000 free places on the Safer Drivers Course each year to help young learner drivers from disadvantaged backgrounds and Aboriginal communities. The fee exemption allows those who are financially disadvantaged to benefit from the road safety outcomes of the Safer Drivers Course.

Australian Defence Force

The Australian Defence Force - Army will be holding an Open Day on the 7th of May at their Blacktown Army Reserve Depot.

This is an opportunity to find out more about life in the Australian Defence Force, have your questions answered and learn about the application process.

Time: 9:00am - 4:00pm

Date: Saturday May 7, 2022

Location: Army Reserve Depot, 143 Blacktown Road, Seven Hills

To register click here

Australian Defence Force GAP Year

An ADF Gap Year is a unique opportunity for students to experience life in the Navy, Army or Air Force, without needing to make a long-term commitment. The skills obtained through the ADF Gap Year program provides students with valuable work and life experiences that are completely transferable. It will enable participants to develop the confidence for their next endeavour.

Students who take part in the ADF Gap Year program:

• Gain valuable skills and work experience,
• Enjoy a great salary package plus free healthcare,
• Live a varied, active and healthy lifestyle,
• Make friends with like-minded people, and
• Have the opportunity to see more of Australia

The ADF Gap Year offers a variety of roles that will provide young Australians with valuable life skills. These include experiences as an officer, in management, engineering, logistics and warehousing, combat and security, and administration.

For more information click here  To Learn about the Recruitment Process click here