St Andrews College Marayong eNewsletter Term 3 Week 10

From the Assistant Principal - Students
Thanks for a great term.

Term 3 has been a very busy and rewarding term at the College. I would like to thank all the Staff, Students and parents for all their assistance and participation in Learning and all other activities that took place . Your effort and hard work is appreciated.

I would like to thank Year 12 for their presence and hard work this term and I wish them the best in their upcoming HSC examinations. The Year Group was led will by its Captains and Vice Captains and SRC. Thanks to all the leaders who performed their roles with enthusiasm and commitment.

Start of Term 4

The first day for students is Monday 10th October. Students will return in College Summer Uniform. Please be mindful on return that the College expectations regarding grooming are being met.

Mindsets

In life and learning we can have different mindset that will either build our capacity for learning or keep us form achieving success. There are many areas of our mindset that we should be aware of. The following table lists some of the mindsets that we deal with. Our mindsets can be either fixed (not willing to change) or Growth (open to change).

We are all capable of “Doing more- Going Beyond”. Then one thing that is stopping us is our mindset. We must focus on Growth if we wish to develop and we must avoid limiting ourself with a fixed mindset. 

The challenge for all students is to look at the different mindsets and focus on how you can develop your mindset in the High Growth area of each.

What’s in the planner?

Walter Elliot was a Priest and Writer. He said:

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another”

Perseverance is completing something even though it's difficult or there is a delay in seeing the results of what you are doing. Many aspects of our life can be a series of short races. Life, school, work etc can test our perseverance. Setting goals, both long and short term, can help you persevere when things get difficult and you find it hard to see the end of the task. 

Key strengths to focus on are Honesty and gratitude. 

Enjoy the holidays.

God Bless

Mr Nick Thrum
Assistant Principal - Students

Year 9 2023 (Electives Only) & Year 11 2023 Pattern of Study Confirmation Letters

Students in Years 8 & 10 have now received confirmation letters which indicate their pattern of study for 2023. Congratulations to Year 8 & 10 students who were simply amazing and greatly assisted the success of this process. Thank you also to our Year 8 & 10 Parent/Carers who were also equally amazing!

Timetable 2023

The 2023 Timetable Committee has now commenced construction.

In each year group there will be one enrichment class created in Years 7-10 based on their performance in 2022. The Year 7 2023 enrichment class will be created based on ALLWELL Testing.

Students will be able to view their 2023 Timetable on Compass by 24 January 2023. 

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.

Patrick Finnerty
Assistant Principal – Systems, Data and Professional Learning

PAT-R, PAT-M and PAT-S Testing

What is a PAT Assessment?

Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) - measure what students know, understand and are capable of across domains in Reading, Mathematics and Science and help monitor student progress over time. There is no study required for these tests and they are conducted online through ACER. 

Why are these tests important?

These tests are important because they enable the College to track the learning growth of your child each year. They also provide us with important data which assists in the creation of our class lists, especially our enrichment classes. This data also supports the identification of students in Years 7 and 8 who may be eligible for acceleration in Years 9 and 10.        

HSC 2023, Begins!

Term 4 will see the start of the 2023 HSC Year for our Year 11 students.

The College will be holding our Year 12, 2023 Information Night on Tuesday 11 October (Week 1, Term 4). The evening will take place in the John Paul II Centre on the Senior Campus at 6pm.

This evening will provide vital information on NESA guidelines and College expectations for the Year 12, 2023 cohort.  It is a compulsory evening and students will not receive their Year 12 privileges if they do not attend this important night. Students will also receive their assessment handbook on this night. If you have any concerns please contact Mr David Frankham at the College.

Students and their parents are encouraged to read all aspects of the Assessment Handbook when it is released. In particular procedures, such as the illness/misadventures process and the non-submission of tasks must be adhered to. Excuses will not be accepted by students who have not made every effort to understand NESA and school procedures, processes and expectations. 

Year 11 RoSA

Year 11 students will receive a RoSA for Year 11. Students will receive a message from NESA when the RoSA is available. This means each student will have both a Year 10 and Year 11 RoSA to add to their portfolios. It is essential that students download their RoSA’s from their student online account. 

Year 10 RoSA and Year 11 2023 Preparation
EVERYTHING COUNTS!

How is the RoSA Grade determined for Stage 5 (Year 9 and 10)?

In order to set themselves up for success in Year 11 and 12, Year 10 students need to demonstrate determination and hardwork in the lead up to the end of 2022.

The RoSA grade is not only determined by ‘formal’ assessment tasks that are stated in the assessment plans for each course, but the continued formative assessment throughout the year that students undertake in every lesson.

The value of formative assessment is that it is a true reflection of what a student can consistently achieve. Where this is used alongside formal assessment tasks, an accurate level of your child’s performance is demonstrated and aligned to the Common Grade Scale (A-E)

This means that every learning opportunity provided to Year 10 students in Term 4 will count towards determining their final RoSA grade for Stage 5.

Grades for the end of Stage 5 will be finalised by the start of Year 10 transition week.

HSC EXAMINATIONS BEGIN 12 OCTOBER 2022

HSC written exams will start on Wednesday 12 October 2022 with English Paper 1 and finish on Friday 4 November 2022.

Students are able to study at the College for any of their exams. They will need to wear their sport uniform and sign into the College at the front office.

Any accelerated student who is also sitting a HSC examination will be able to use flexible learning time to prepare for their upcoming exams. A Compass email will be sent out to all Accelerated students who have a HSC exam this year.

Josilin Kalifa
Assistant Principal Teaching, Learning and Wellbeing

Principal’s Awards

It has been a fantastic Term 3 with many student achievements recognised at Assemblies. Congratulations to the following students who have received Principal’s Awards:

Mrs Sue Cooper
Leader of Wellbeing and Learning

scooper@parra.catholic.edu.au

Well done on finishing another term at St Andrews for 2022. I know a lot of you are feeling very tired after a very busy term. Take this time to rest up and rejuvenate for Term 4. 

Our wellbeing theme for next term is Choice & Accountability. This theme is very important for year 9 heading into year 10. As you start to age into a young adult, you need to understand that choices have consequences that you need to be held accountable for. This will also incorporate leadership that was the focus in Term 3. 

I hope you are excited for Term 4. You will finally have a CAMP!!!! This is planned for Week 4. However, as I mentioned about ‘Choice & Accountability’, you will need to make sure that next term you are consistently applying yourself to your learning and not getting involved in issues that can cause you to lose your place at our camp. 

STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Haka Warriors

On September 15, a few of our Year 9 students were involved in the Haka Warriors performance. This is an amazing event to be a part of as they showcased their proud Islander culture. You can check out the Haka Warriors video on the CEDP facebook page. 

I am very proud to name the following students from year 9 who were part of this event; Maseanne Tuinauvai, Priscilla Kubik. There were more students involved across the College; Esther Mauu, Alizay Siale, Amelia Kubik, Rowena Kubik and from the senior campus there was Roslyn Langi and Ana Vaisioa who was one of the group’s leaders.

Athletics

Congratulations to those students who participated in the Athletics Carnival last week. I know you participated and gave it your best. 

As I have previously and continually said, I am very proud and happy to see year 9 students achieving these great things at our college. I hope everyone can continue to work hard and achieve the goals they set for themselves. Continue to achieve your personal best. 

Enjoy your holiday break!

Mr Kharl Carlos 
Leader of Wellbeing Year 9

College DUX Caltex Best Allrounder Hayley O’Connor
St Andrews Award Wasim Farah
Creative & Performing Arts Award Maddoux Panaligan
Sportswoman of the Year Hailey Targarona
Sportsman of the Year Jake Parkes
Outstanding Commitment to Study Denzell Williams
Outstanding School Service Joanna Owusu
Most Outstanding Academic Improvement Issa Massimino
ADF Long Tan Leadership and Teamwork Award Chegutdit Deng
The Bishop of Parramatta Award Katelyn Calima
ADF Future Innovators Award Kiara Lomibao

Academic Excellence Awards

Angela Abouchaaya
Jonathan Buttigieg
Katelyn Calima
Wasim Farah
Tara Flores
Christopher Furtado
Marcus Nicolas
Hayley O’Connor
Aditi Pal
Crystal Phung
Vaughn Verayo
Viktoria Vidovic
Denzell Williams

NSWCCC Athletics

Congratulations to the following students who were successful in progressing through the PDSSSC Diocesan pathway to compete at the NSW Combined Catholic Colleges Athletics carnival as part of the Parramatta Diocesan team:

- Esther Peter- 10th place in the 200m with a time of 27.95, 3rd place in the 400m with a time of 59.88

- Nick Boustani- 6th place in the 200m with a time of 24.26

- Dominic Tatupu- 1st place in Shot put with a distance of 14.37m, 2nd place in Discus with a distance of 42.02m

- Julio Tatupu- 7th place in Shot put with a distance of 11.39m, 4th place in Discus with a distance of 38.05m

- John Lukudu; equal 1st in high jump with a height of 1.81m and 4th in long jump with a distance of 5.83m

- Taufui Afu- 5th place in the Shot put with a distance of 11.14m

Well done to these students on a wonderful achievement.

Olympic Changemaker Forum

Bianca Infante (of year 11) recently attended the Olympic Changemaker Forum at Sydney Olympic Park. This event is hosted by the Australian Olympic Committee and provides  a wonderful opportunity to celebrate all young leaders nominated for the 2022 Change-Maker award.

The Forum featured guest Olympians who led an insightful discussion about leadership, being a positive force and overcoming challenges in creating change. This was also an exclusive opportunity for students to hear from Olympians about their experiences as an athlete competing at the Olympic Games. Congratulations Bianca on this wonderful experience!

Thursday Sport

Season 3 of Representative sport continues into Term 4. We look forward to the successes of our girls Basketball, Boys Cricket and girls and boys Oztag teams as they compete in the final Diocesan Representative season for 2022.

PDSSSC Girls Basketball Gala Day

The PDSSSC Girls Basketball Gala Day was held on Friday 16th September at Penrith Regional Valley Sports Centre.

Both teams played 4th vs 4th from each pool for a play-off. The Junior girls beat Gilroy, finishing 3rd overall and the intermediate girls unfortunately lost to Clare Catholic College, finishing 4th overall.

Thank you to Mr Carlos and and Mr Cetinic for your hard work coaching these teams after school and preparing them for the event.

Upcoming sport events

• Tuesday 18th October- Girls Futsal Gala Day

• Wednesday 19th October- Boys Futsal Gala Day

Information for students who are a part of these teams has been sent via Compass. Compulsory training will take place on Wednesday 12th October.

Kayla Brogan
Leader of Learning Sport

SACART WEEK 10
Year 9 - ‘Poetic Landscapes’

Our busy Year 9 artists have been working on a variety of artworks since starting our new unit - ‘Poetic Landscapes’ a few weeks ago. The purpose of this unit is to introduce a wider range of art mediums, both wet and dry as well as unconventional materials. As an introduction to mixed media artworks, our students were introduced to the artist John Wolseley. After our ‘landscape study’ around the SAC environment, we came back into the classroom and students transformed the feelings on the day along with the observations into a mixed media artwork.

Following this, students were introduced to the concept of art being ephemeral. We studied the artworks of artist Andy Goldsworthy, as well as other artists who create site specific installations using landscape as inspiration. Students were then challenged with the task of creating their own ephemeral sculptures. At first this was met with curiosity and confusion as students questioned why we would make artworks that didn’t last. We discussed the concept of re-interpreting our landscape and forcing our audiences to see the existing landscape in a different way. We spent yet another lesson outdoors (so blessed by the beautiful spring weather!) and collected natural materials along our walks. Realising the quad didn’t have too many natural materials, Kerolos suggested we take a walk to the oval. The rest of the class quickly realised this was a great idea as they discovered leaves of all different colours and sizes. Ben collected multiple fallen branches; Janaya and Jayda located beautiful flowers; Callum and Sydnere found a rock which we decided wouldn’t work so well for this task. Rachel was in her element, collecting many different colours from nature and working well with her group to construct their sculpture. Others went off on their own and used this time to observe how they could ‘rearrange’ the environment. 

The students achieved interesting artworks and worked outside of the comfort zone. This artwork has led to further discussions around the role of photography and video as well as using non-art materials to convey a concept. This has given the students lots to consider for their upcoming assessment task where they will reflect a location of their choice through their art.

Mrs Claudia Harris
Leader of Learning - Visual Arts

Year 7 - ‘Where the Land Meets the Sea’

Year 7s have been busy bees this term planning their oil pastel artwork of a Daintree Rainforest animal or a sea creature from the Great Barrier Reef. Students were faced with the challenge of drawing on a coloured sheet of paper which allowed students to utilise techniques such as layering and blending to enhance their oil pastel artworks. As the term draws to a close, numerous Year 7s are nearing the finish line of their drawings and are looking absolutely incredible! 

Year 8 - ‘Telling Tales’

Year 8s have been heavily focused and passionate about their current artmaking task; to create a Reg Mombassa inspired large scale acrylic artwork inspired by issues faced by Australian society. The planning stages have generated heated discussions around ongoing and current global and national topics. Popular issues students have selected were the impacts of COVID19, mental health, pollution, racism and climate change. It is evident in the planning of their artworks, many students have expressed passion and concern for their chosen issue where the challenge in Visual Arts is how they can represent it in their work. Along with their concept, students had to implement elements of Mombassa’s artworks, Surrealism and painting techniques learnt in class. Over the past week, students have begun painting on mixed media painting, officially beginning their final artwork. Stay tuned for the finished products! 

Miss Leezah Rivera
Visual Arts Teacher

Cooking Lesson Report - Making Obento

Year 12 Japanese Continuers Course 

After the Trial Exam, the Year 12 Japanese Continuers course students experienced making an obento (Japanese lunch box). For the first step, they learnt some rules in making the obento, then they researched typical dishes for the obento and prepared them at home before the lesson. Everyone was expected to bring at least one side dish for the obento lesson. Then, they designed their obento by themselves using the prepared dishes. Everyone made cute, delicious and unique obento for lunch on the day. Well done! 

Ms Mariko Suzuki
Leader of Learning - Langauges

August 30, 2022. The night of CAN 2022 had officially begun. 

This term, St Andrew’s College was able to host a live version of Creative Arts Night, after months of lockdown within New South Wales. The last time CAN be hosted as a live event occurred in 2019, which was way before lockdown began. 

Creative Arts Night is a well-known aspect of the school’s culture, and an annual experience in which SAC students and staff have the opportunity to share their musical talents. Music is a massive part of the school’s identity and is shown in various ways - like opening the Junior Campus music rooms during breaks and student bands at college events (eg: CAPA night and masses).

At the start of CAN, many festival-goers gushed through the front gates like a school of fish. Some even lined up way before CAN had even commenced! People were thrilled to attend the live-action version of CAN, which would explain why the CAN ticket/wristband supply had increased more and more. 

Groups of festival-goers made their way to the packed Junior Campus oval, where the music performances would later commence. They mingled around and some even caught up with ex-students and family of the college! Atendees crowded around ice-cream, burger and pizza trucks before and during the performances. 

Around 5:45 p.m, performances officially commenced. The VET entertainment team, media team and performers were all ready and set for the most important part of CAN: the performances.

The musical compositions mainly centred around pop-culture hits from the 2000s, 2010s and even the 2020s! Some of those performances included songs like: 

- “Die For You” by The Weeknd

- “Freaking Out The Neighbourhood” by Mac DeMarco

- “Sway” by Michael Buble

- “Confusing Girl” by Grant Perez

- “Party In The USA” by Miley Cyrus

- “Peaches” by Justin Bieber, Daniel Caesar and Giveon

Dance was also included in SAC’s very own hip-hop dance group (composed of various grades) and even the teacher act which was filled with various songs from classic movies!

The night was roaring like thunder. The audience went wild over the student and staff acts. They chanted, they bounced and they smiled. Some even held up large signs to show support for their fellow peers on stage and others crowded near the stage, just to see the performances in action! 

To conclude the musical celebration, fireworks shot up through the sky, just like rockets. Bursts of bright light coloured the dark sky, as the festival-goers were stunned by the repetition of ginormous illuminations. Usually, on a Tuesday night, fireworks wouldn’t be a thing. But at CAN, fireworks are a mandatory part of the event. 

Creative Arts Night was so memorable, people's Instagram pages were filled with snapshots and footage of the experience! Crowds, chords, clapping, chanting and cool illuminations were all captured in one single night. What a night!

Here’s what Mr Chiappetta (CAN Coordinator and Leader of Learning Music and Performance) thought about this year’s CAN:

And if I could sum up the whole night in just one word, it would be the word “momentous”. 

Benjamin Reyes (Year 9)
SAC Media Team Photographer and Writer

Congratulations and thanks to our Year 11 students Vy Tong, Ada Domingo, Mariam Ghannami and Laura O’Neill who volunteered as new Vinnies Van recruits. On the 19th September along with Mr Hoare and Mr Ison, our recruits went out to meet those less fortunate in our community, and the girls are to be commended for how they served and interacted with them.

It was a rewarding night for all, as the girls were shining examples of the hands of Christ among us.

Friday the 16th of September was an exciting day for twelve Year 8 students. These students participated in the Big Ideas Challenge, a first for St Andrews College.

The challenge was held at Gilroy College and facilitated by Nicole Dyson, the Founder and CEO of Future Anything. 

In the workshops leading up to the challenge the students learnt that being a job creator has great potential for a successful career. Job creation can strengthen our community, build financial stability and protect the sustainability of our environment.

During the day students recognised that developing entrepreneurial skills, which include leadership, business management, time management, creative thinking and problem-solving are core to sustaining a career. Ms Dyson informed the students that if your core skill is following instructions then you will become unemployable very fast.

What is important for success in the workplace is to be adaptable, have empathy, display strong collaboration and have an abundance of initiative to solve a multitude of problems.

For a team to be successful it must have three types of people. These people are known as: organisers; people centred; and doers.

• The organisers are the people who manage the project from beginning to end.
• The people centred members are the confident pitchers and presenters, have excellent communication skills and speak freely on behalf of the team.
• The doers are the people who get the job done - they are very task centred.

The students participated in many activities to establish where their strengths and weaknesses lie. They also identified what their passions were and learnt that collaboration works best when the team’s values and passions are aligned. They also learnt that making money is a good motivator and helps to sustain the business idea.

With this knowledge students then sought other like minded students to develop their entrepreneurial skills and develop a sustainable business idea. Students then participated in a Shark Tank style competition. 

Our students are to be commended on their excellent behaviour and participation in the event. I would like to sincerely thank Ms Serbin for her support, attendance and photography on the day.

Our Year 8 ambassadors at the Big Ideas Challenge were:

Mary Arshilo

Kathryn Baginski

Rhianna Bartlett

Olivier Bres

Timothy Cheng

Ana Donjerkovic

Antonia Gregoriou

Lexi Iskander

Ruby Ison

Vera-Jane Lawson

Phillip Park

Sebastian Tomas

I now share with you comments from our students:

“The Big Ideas Challenge was an amazing experience and opportunity to develop and test our entrepreneurial skills. This experience also had many takeaways which could be applied to multiple aspects of our lives”, Rhianna Bartlett.

“Today during the Big Ideas Challenge I learnt how to properly think out and plan an idea so that it has the most impactful outcome”, Ruby Ison.

I congratulate and thank all these wonderful young students and Ms Serbin who joined me for a fabulous day!

Therese May
Careers Counsellor

Apprenticeships

Air Conditioning and Refrigeration 

Crest Air Conditioning is seeking first year apprentices to begin in 2023.

Crest is a leading Air Conditioning and Mechanical Services provider specialising in the Design, Supply, Installation, Service & Maintenance of air conditioning systems in large commercial buildings, luxury high rise buildings, schools, shopping centres, hospitals, aged care facilities and homes.

About the Role: 

Fantastic opportunity to learn from the best in the air conditioning industry: 

• Four-year Apprenticeship working towards a Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
• On-the-job training with qualified and experienced technicians combined with formal study (3 years part-time) at an elected TAFE
• Participate in workplace and worksite rotations, experiencing a variety of work environments including all aspects of the trade 

What will the successful apprentice do:

As part of your Apprenticeship you will undertake varied duties, which may include, but not limited to: 

• Learning how to diagnose faults, carry out repairs, test and maintain a diverse range of air conditioning systems including domestic and commercial air conditioning systems, mechanical ventilation systems and water heating and cooling systems
• Reading and interpreting plans for installation of new systems and servicing of existing systems
• Learning about refrigerated systems that cool and heat water and air
• Commissioning of systems including testing and balancing of air and water distribution

What is Crest looking for in their applicants: 

• Currently completing Year 12 or equivalent 
• Drivers Licence and own transport 
• Must enjoy working outdoors 
• Physically fit and are able to complete manual tasks 
• Be willing to travel to worksites 
• Able to work in a team environment 
• Enthusiasm and a strong work ethic 
• Willingness to learn and commit to complete an apprenticeship 
• Excellent communication skills 

Applicants must include with their resume and cover letter any relevant certificates, school reports and references to be considered for the apprenticeship. 

Year 12 if you are:

• Up for the challenge 
• Passionate for all things mechanical
• Wishing to earn and learn whilst working towards a career
• Wishing to work for a Top 10 Australian Air Conditioning Company

Crest Air Conditioning would really like to receive your application at: 

https://crestair.com.au/careers/employment-opportunities/

What do Metal Fabricators make?

• Metal Fabricators are the people who create the components that go into small to large scale products, from toys,

BRH Steel Constructions

BRH Steel Constructions, located in Riverstone, is a family owned and operated metal fabrication workshop, which has been servicing the Sydney Metropolitan and Lower Blue Mountains areas since 1976.

BRH Steel Constructions specialises in all types of architectural metal work and structural steel.

BRH Steel Constructions is currently seeking to employ a first year apprentice in Metal 

Fabrication and Steel Drafting.

What skills do you need to be a Metal Fabricator?

• Ability to understand oral and written instructions of a technical nature
• Effective English reading and writing communication skills
• Ability to operate different tools, and to troubleshoot equipment problems
• Good interpersonal and teamwork skills
• Ability to lift more than 20kgs

What do Metal Fabricators make?

• Metal Fabricators are the people who create the components that go into small to large scale products, such as toys, vehicles, buildings and bridges.
• Metal fabrication is the creation of metal structures by cutting, bending, and assembling. It is a value-added process involving the creation of machines, parts, and structures from various raw materials.
• Metal Fabricators can work in a factory creating the components or they can work on site where they can assemble the components to complete a finished product.

To work as a Metal Fabricator, a person must:

• Complete Year 10 Certificate or equivalent
• Must hold an Australian Whitecard
• Must complete 4 years Apprenticeship consisting of on-job training (4 days a week) with a reputable metal fabrication business and TAFE training (1 day a week – 3 years) in Certificate III – Metal Fabrication (Heavy Metal)

What skills do you need to be a Steel Drafter?

• Ability to understand oral and written instructions of a technical nature
• Effective English reading and writing communication skills
• Able to use computer software to produce 2D and 3D drawings for use in building or fabrication
• Good interpersonal and teamwork skills
• Above average mathematical knowledge
• Strong detail orientation, time management and organisational ability

What are the different types of Steel Drafting?

Architectural Draw structural features and details for buildings and other construction projects.They may specialise in a type of buildings, such as residential or commercial. They may also specialise by the materials used, such as steel, wood or concrete

Mechanical Prepare layouts that show the details for a variety of machinery and mechanical tools and services. These layouts indicate dimensions, fastening methods, and other requirements for assembly

Electrical Prepare wiring diagrams that construction workers use to install and repair electrical equipment and wiring in power plants, electrical distribution systems and residential and commercial buildings

Electronics Produce wiring diagrams, assembly diagrams for circuit boards and layout drawings used in manufacturing and in installing and repairing electronic devices and components

Civil Prepare topographical maps used in construction and civil engineering projects, such as highways, bridges, and dams

What is the difference between Design and Drafting?

Design is the entire architectural process of giving life to the client’s ideas through a holistic lens. This work is usually completed by Architects and Engineers

Drafting is the process of producing technical drawings from the design provided that can be used to manufacture, fabricate, or build the final project

To work as a Structural Steel Drafter, a person must:

• Complete Year 10 Certificate or equivalent
• Must hold an Australian Whitecard
• Must complete Apprenticeship consisting of on-job training (4 days a week) with a reputable business and TAFE training (1 day a week) in Certificate IV in Drafting - Engineering

As part of the recruitment process applicants are encouraged to complete a one week’s work experience placement. Interested students are asked to contact Ms May to make the necessary arrangements for the work experience placement.