Assessment Reminders.

Assessment tasks are an integral part of the learning experiences at St Andrews College. Parents and students have access to the assessment schedules for Years 7 to 12 in real time by clicking on the Assessment links in the Student Information Hub.

As the final assessment periods for most students begin over the course of Term 3 it is important that students familiarise themselves with the College’s assessment policy for their Year group. Parents should be aware of the missed assessment expectations and when in doubt please make contact with your child’s teacher to clarify these expectations for you.

The first HSC exams of 2023 have begun. HSC language oral exams started on Saturday 5 August, with HSC practical and performance exams commencing today. 

Our Year 12 students are almost at the completion of their trial HSC examinations and Year 11 students will begin their end of Preliminary Course examinations at the start of week 8.

These examinations provide an opportunity for students to assess their understanding of the subject matter and gauge their level of preparedness for the actual HSC exams. By experiencing these practice exams, students can identify their strengths and weaknesses in different topics, allowing them to focus their efforts on areas that need improvement.

HSC trial exams closely mimic the format, structure, and timing of the actual HSC exams. This helps students become familiar with the exam rules, question types, and overall exam environment. The experience gained through these formal examinations can reduce anxiety and increase confidence when facing the real HSC assessments.

The pressure of exams can be overwhelming for students. Trial and End of Year exams offer a chance to experience this stress in a controlled setting, which can help students develop coping mechanisms and build resilience to deal with the pressure during the actual exams.

After completing exams, students receive feedback from their teachers. This feedback can be invaluable in identifying specific areas for improvement, offering guidance on how to approach questions more effectively, and refining study strategies.

We wish all our students the best with their upcoming exams and assessments.

Josilin Kalifa 

Assistant Principal 

Teaching, Learning and Wellbeing

Exams:

Year 11 will begin their Preliminary HSC Course exams in Week 8 (4th September).  In preparation for these exams, the students have been encouraged by their class teachers to prepare for these by systematically going through their course work from the whole year. Revision of notes and practising past papers and exam style questions are the recommended method of revision. Students are also supported with the availability of the Learning Centre being open and available to students for study and completion of course work on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons until 5pm.I would encourage students to make full use of the resources available to them in order to best prepare for success.

Kindness Week:

Senior Campus has been a busy place lately, with Year 12 currently working through their Trial HSC Exams. Obviously this is a very stressful time for Year 12 and a number of Year 11 students volunteered to support their peers by writing chalk messages to the Yr 12 students on the walkways on the way into the examination rooms. As well as this, Year 11 set up a small breakfast snack stall for the YEAR 12s to choose from to ensure that they had eaten something before sitting their exams.

Andrew Houseman 

Year 11 Leader of Wellbeing 

Welcome to the middle of the term already. The subject selection evenings were a wonderful time to meet many parents and help guide our young people towards the goals and career options they desire. So, as we head into the middle of Term 3 classwork and assessment, as always, is an important focus.  With the success of subject selection interviews, our students know what they must do to develop their skills for senior study. During our recent pastoral lesson we explored the power of persistence and the key foundations of Persistent behaviour;

•       Trying and completing work found to be "boring."
•       Listening when tired.
•       Staying on task.
•       Completing the assignment in time allocated.
•       Keeping track of progress on assignments 
•       Coming in and asking for extra help.
•       Completing homework on time.
•       Asking necessary questions.
•       Not being distracted by classmates.
•       Redoing something until it is correct.
•       Locating key concepts on the written page.
•       Finishing work instead of playing.
•       Asking for help rather than giving up.
•       Editing/checking completed work for mistakes.

Students ended the lesson with a goal to be more persistent in at least one class which the see every day the come to learning groups to motivate them and remind them that persistence is ongoing.

Mr Andrew Nisbet

Leader of Wellbeing Year 10

Dear Parents/Carers and Students of Year 9, 

Welcome back to Term 3! 

Our first Wellbeing lesson of the term focused on the theme of Leadership. Students participated in discussions about what a leader is and what are the qualities of a positive leader. They also reflected on their own leadership qualities and how they could exercise these leadership qualities at St Andrews College. Each day in Term 3, I want everyone to keep in mind how they might aspire to be a student leader. So many of our Year 9 students have the qualities and skills to be School Captain, House Captains, SRC Leaders and Peer Support leaders. My challenge to Year 9 is to begin to lead by example and be a person for others. You also need to showcase yourself in the SPIRE framework: Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Relational and Emotional. Everyone in Year 9 can strive to be a student leader even if you do not hold the badge, each of you should aim to be a role model for others at St Andrews. I am eager to see what this term brings from Year 9. 

Learning Group Leaders 

This term we elected Learning Group Leaders for each Learning Group. 

Congratulations to all students selected for the role of Learning Group Leader. These students will assist their Learning Advisors for semester two.

B3 - Monique Richardson, Crystal Espino 

B7 - Gabriella Zouein, Matthew Buttigieg 

C1 - Timothy de Vos, Charlene Forcidilla 

C3 - Jalen Ramos, Alexa Formeloza 

F1 - Khloe Fickel, Eli Boland 

F2 - Abbygale Batula, Tristan Fegradoe 

G5 - Yac Yac, Gian Portelli 

G16 - Ana Donjerkovic, Sydney Malanac 

Uniform 

As always, a reminder of uniform expectations. If you need a reminder of what the uniform expectations are, look in your Learning Planner on pages 15A and 16A.

We wish to remind everyone again that the following needs to be done at all times or a red card will be issued:

• Blazers should be worn into Learning Group until their Learning Advisor sees them
• Blazers should be worn after period 6 and when leaving the College
• Non-St Andrews items such as beanies and hoodies SHOULD NOT be worn to school. 
• If a student cannot wear their sports uniform, they are required to wear their normal school uniform
• School jumpers cannot be worn over sports uniforms. A school sports jacket is required.
• Boys must have their facial hair shaved
• Hair must be above the collar
• No nail polish or eyelash extensions. 

Any uniform issues need to be provided with a note. The note needs to be shown to myself or your Learning Advisor during Learning Group. 

Planning for Success

Here are a few strategies to help you this semester. 

• Communication - Communicate with your teachers about classwork and assessment tasks. 
• Use feedback - use the feedback provided by your teachers to help you improve 
• Organisational skills - take some time to plan and organise your week/term including assessment tasks and homework. 
• Time management - this will help you to become more organised, efficient and productive
• Establish routines - developing a routine will help you to develop structure and consistency. 

Ms Alicia Harwood 

Leader of Wellbeing Year 9

Another great start to the term year 7. Your teachers are really happy with how a lot of you are travelling and it is good to see everyone trying their best in their classes.

Learning Group Leaders

Congratulations to our Learning Group Leaders for Semester 2. We are hoping to provide you with more responsibilities to showcase your leadership skills

B4 - Filinita Aho and Kevin Singh

B8 - Yin Win and Devina Ankadawala

F7 - Eva Layoun and Jasper Brignell

F8 - Raymond Karam and Martha Arshillo

G8 - Charlotte Smith and Benjamin Furiscal

G9 - Deeshal Kanbi and Hope Caruana

C6 - Claire de Vos and Prince Manalansan

C10 - Rose Dhunna and EJ Gerado

Uniform

Boys must have their facial hair shaved and clean. If you cannot shave for cultural reasons, please let me know and I can contact your parents

Good to see a lot of year 7’s wearing their blazers to school and into learning groups. 

Any uniform issues or incorrect uniform must be provided with a note and shown to me in B1 or to your Learning Advisor

Junior Boys Soccer team

Congratulations to the year 7 students who are part of the Junior Boys soccer team. Good luck this week for your grand final.

Junior Girls Soccer team

Unfortunately our junior girls soccer team lost their semi final after going through the season undefeated. Congratulations for the year 7 girls who were part of this team, an amazing achievement despite not getting the result we wanted. 

Final Message

Keep up the good work that you all are doing. Always focus in class and strive for your personal bests. Always be a person for others, be kind and be good. 

If you need to chat about anything you know where my office is. 

Mr Carlos

Leader of Wellbeing Year 7

Dear Parents/Guardians, 

I am very pleased and excited to share with you that our junior boys soccer team coached by Miss Jasmine Breeze have won the Season 2 Grand Final football game. The boys commitment, dedication and drive throughout the season was very impressive and came out with a 2-0 win against St John Paul II College. 

The MS 24 Hour Mega Swim is an annual swimming event organised to raise funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, a non-profit organisation that supports individuals and families affected by multiple sclerosis (MS). The team is committed to making a positive impact in the lives of those living with MS and to contribute to ongoing research efforts for finding a cure. The event, which will take place on 19-20 August at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, involves a continuous 24-hour swim relay where each team member swims in shifts to cover as much distance as possible. It serves as a symbol of the relentless struggle that individuals with MS face every day, as well as a testament to the power of unity and teamwork. 

Harrison Green of Year 9 will be taking part in the megaswim. If you wish to make a donation please visit the website: https://www.msmegachallenge.org.au/fundraisers/HarrisonGreen4774/mega-swim-sydney

We wish Harrison all the very best of luck. 

During the last school holidays, 18 students from St Andrews College travelled to Japan with Mr Finnerty, Mr Culbert and Miss Matsufuji on the 2023 Japan Study Tour. In Japan, they visited many different places and also our sister school, Isahaya Commercial High School, in Nagasaki. During their stay in Japan, all students had opportunities to learn about the language and its culture on hand that is so different experience compared to Australia.

For the first week, they went to many places including Tokyo, Nara, Kyoto, Osaka, Miyajima, Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Fukuoka. In these places, they visited a variety of famous places including the World Heritage sites such as Sensoji Temple, Harajuku, Nara Park, Kiyomizu Temple, the Golden Pavilion, Osaka Castle, Itsukushima Shrine, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Oura Cathedral Church and so on. 

In order to travel to all these places across Japan, they had to take bullet trains with the JR Pass. It was such a wonderful experience to take one of the fastest train in the world and was very handy. They saved a lot of money with the JR Pass as well. Of course, they all got to go shopping every day while we were having sightseeing tours and they ate delicious authentic Japanese foods while having fun.

In the second week of the Japan Study Tour, they move to Nagasaki to visit our sister school, Isahaya Commercial High School. As soon as they arrived there, our sister school teachers and students welcomed them with a happy and excited face. During their visit in Nagasaki, all the students had an opportunity to have a homestay with Japanese families for 6 nights. In order to survive the homestay experience, our students had 10 Japanese Cultural lessons at lunchtime during semester one. Hopefully, they were able to extend their knowledge of Japanese culture and learn more Japanese from their host families. We also hope they will keep in touch with their host families and visit them again soon. 

One of the highlight events in this tour was our sister school’s sports festival. Our students and accompanying teachers enjoyed watching the Japanese sports festival because most of their activities were very different from ours.  

Overall, it was a fantastic learning experience for our students and they really had a great time during the entire trip. We would like to say thank you to parents and guardians whose children participated in the 2023 Japan Study Tour. We won’t be able to make the tour successful without their intercultural understanding and strong support. 

Now we are looking forward to having another Japan Study Tour in the near future.

Ms Mariko Suzuki 

Leader of Learning - Languages

Miss Miho Matsufuji

Teacher of Japanese  

WELCOME ISAHAYA COMMERCIAL HIGH SCHOOL 

St Andrews College hosted a group of our sister school, Isahaya Commercial High School in Nagasaki, Japan. 22 sister school students and 2 teachers visited our school from 24 July to 4 August during Term 3. They got to experience Australian culture and school life with their host sisters and brothers in our school. 

Our staff run the special Australian cultural lessons for the sister school students. In the food technology class, Mrs Carlos and Ms Harwood offered them an opportunity to have cooking lessons with our students. They made Anzac biscuits together and learned about the history of ANZAC. 

In the Visual Art Lesson, Mrs Psaila offered an Aboriginal Art lesson. Our sister school students learnt Aboriginal Arts and enjoyed creating their Aboriginal Art work by themselves. They got into it so much.  

Ms Yuen’s Year 9 Japanese class also had an opportunity to have an intercultural exchange lesson with sister school students. Both students prepared activities to experience each culture and learn about each other from it. Our sister school students prepared a Calligraphy lesson as well as teaching our students how to twirl a baton.

Then, Miss Matsufuji’s Year 10 Japanese class prepared a special Australian lesson about Australian slang and tourist sights in Sydney, as well as teaching them the Australian National Anthem and a staple school playground sport, handball. Our sister school students and teachers learnt a lot about our unique culture through these activities. 

On their last day of visiting our school, Dr Kennaugh sent special St Andrews College gifts to the sister school students and teachers. They loved their gifts so much! 

Finally, we would like to say thank you to the families and students welcoming the Japanese students during their stay in our school for two weeks. Without your support, they could not have such a memorable and valuable experience in Australia!

Ms Mariko Suzuki 

Leader of Learning - Languages

Miss Miho Matsufuji

Teacher of Japanese  

Year 8 Technology students who are completing their Food Technology unit learned yet another new recipe last week - Pasta Alla Norma. The anticipation to cook this specific recipe was significantly higher than our previous dishes, as who doesn’t love a good pasta dish?

Students utilised the skills learnt from previous practical lessons, but were significantly more difficult to manage this time due to the nature of the recipe.

Students quickly learned the importance of working closely with their pair in order to delegate different parts of the recipe to each other, whilst also ensuring that there was enough time for cleaning the pile of dirty dishes that they had in their sinks!

We applaud our Year 8 students for taking on a recipe with an increased difficulty level as well as for their dedication to enhancing their skills in the kitchen. We are looking forward to completing another food practical in two weeks time!

Do you want to make this delicious dish at home? Try out the recipe below yourself!

Shanai Mifsud

TAS Teacher

Year 11 Photography 

Year 11 photography students have been exploring portraiture in class. Portrait photography is about more than taking a photo of someone’s face, it is about telling a story. A successful portrait can reveal a person’s character, emotions or even their experience. Students were asked to take ‘Portraits without a face’ or ‘double exposure portraits’. Year 11 photography students have shown a great aptitude in editing their photos using a variety of Adobe programs. 

Year 9 Visual Arts

Year 9 Visual Arts students are finishing their Pop Art unit this week with their Mini bodies of work. Students were given a choice of medium and have pitched their concepts to their teacher for feedback/feed forward. After resolving their concepts students began working on artworks that reflect popular culture of 2023. Students are working in the mediums of painting, ceramics, drawing and sculpture. 

Below is an artwork by Ana Donjerkovic who has crafted Barbie’s ideal handbag out of clay. Using clay can be quite difficult, however Ana has done a fantastic job and has mastered the art of ceramics. 

This year we have two after school clubs within the Visual Arts faculty- pottery club being one of these. Seize the clay Pottery club began this term with Mrs Psaila. Students have been learning all the essential skills of hand building using clay. This includes slab rolling, pinch pots and coil building as well as making secure attachments. The past few weeks, students made a variety of objects including a ghost, a mushroom, a frog and a tiny plate. 

Their work will be painted this week and glazed. Students from years 7-9 have been enjoying this after school club immensely. 

Stay tuned for upcoming photos of finished pieces in the coming weeks.

Mrs Tiana Psaila

Visual Arts Teacher

Art Club has been up and running with our new students. It has been a wonderful experience witnessing the artistic talent in our school from all year groups. Over the past couple of weeks, students who have been in Art Club since Term 2 have finished some fantastic artworks which will be displayed in the G9 art room. New materials have also been introduced - Chalk paint markers which are known to be used in window displays for businesses and poster art and pastel pencils which have rich coloured pastel material in the form of a pencil wrapped with the wooden casing just like normal pencils. In comparison to pastels itself, it is much easier to control.

Year 9 students Airabelle, Sharon and Micaela have created a collaborative body of work of then pop culture cartoon characters, Powerpuff Girls; a tribute to childhood cartoon characters whilst Year 7 student Riya, has been experimenting with watercolour paint and techniques. 

Miss Leezah Rivera

Visual Arts & HSIE Teacher

Year 9 Child Studies

Year 9 Child Studies have been engaging in the virtual baby task. The virtual baby is a baby simulator that is programmed to simulate caring for a newborn. The newborn weighs 3kgs and cries, requiring students to determine what the baby requires, much like if it was a real newborn baby.

Each weekend, 3 students take on the role of a first time parent, caring for a baby from Friday afternoon through to Sunday evening.

This experience provides an invaluable opportunity to tend to a baby's every need from nappy changes, to feeding, burping and rocking. The baby must have its head supported adequately and be dressed appropriately to the temperature and record any mishandling or times where it wasn’t fed, rocked, burped or had its nappy changed as required.  This is all recorded on the report that is generated from the baby at the conclusion of the experience.

We would like to congratulate the students who have completed this task already for the way in which you have embraced this new challenge. Please enjoy these photos of some of our students, excited and nervous on a Friday afternoon and a series of reflections from some students.

Mrs Borg and Mrs Brogan

Year 9 Child Studies teachers

This week, the Year 9 Industrial Technology Multimedia class embarked on an exciting adventure into the world of Claymation; a type of animation that the students have been learning about as a part of their ‘Animation’ topic; within the 3 term long ‘Video Production’ unit. Armed with the skills and feedback gathered from the previous terms, the students eagerly embraced this new medium to push their creative boundaries even further. 

Students were tasked with a challenging timeframe to bring their Claymation visions to life - 80 minutes only. They began by crafting imaginative storylines in pairs and creating their very own clay models, meticulously capturing each movement frame by frame. 

During the lesson, the students not only honed their technical skills in lighting, camera stabilisation and sound effects but also learned the art of patience and persistence. They quickly learned how time consuming animation can be and why time management is going to be a major consideration for their upcoming animation projects. 

We look forward to seeing Year 9 Multimedia students continue to develop their skills in a range of animation forms as well as apply them to their next project. 

Shanai Mifsud

TAS Teacher

As the wheels of time march on, so does the progress of technology and engineering in our society. Year 10 Engineering students at our school have been delving deep into the fascinating world of control systems used in the engineering industry.

These bright minds have not only gained a comprehensive understanding of these fundamental concepts, but have also put their knowledge to practical use by constructing pinball machines that exemplify the seamless integration of both mechanical and electrical control systems.

Throughout their journey of researching, designing, and constructing these pinball machines, these students have encountered and had to overcome various challenges

Throughout the process of making their machine. From understanding how they design and fabricate seamless components requiring precise engineering skills to designing and troubleshooting any issues that arose from producing electrical circuits in their machines.

As we celebrate the success of our Year 10 Engineering students, it is evident that the foundation they have built through this project will serve as a solid stepping stone for the potential of future engineering endeavours. These bright minds are the driving force behind the ever-advancing engineering industry in our society.

Congratulations to all the students for their exceptional work, and we look forward to showcasing more ground-breaking projects and innovations from them in the future. With the integration of mechanical and electrical control systems, they have shown that the possibilities in the realm of engineering are limitless.

ADFA Open Day

The Australian Defence Force Academy will be holding their annual Open Day on Saturday 19th of August. This year there will be two events, one on the  ADFA Campus Canberra commencing at 9am and concluding at 4pm and the other virtual. Click here to register for the ADFA Virtual Open Day.

This year’s Open Day will feature specific university degree sessions. These sessions will delivered at the following times on Saturday the 19th of August.:

Business - 10am - 11am - Click here to view

Engineering and Computing - 11.30am - 12.30pm - Click here to view

Science - 1.00pm - 2.00pm - Click here to view

Arts - 2.30pm - 3.30pm - Click here to view

In addition to the UNSW degree livestreams, there will be Q&A sessions to learn about what to expect while you study at ADFA. The Life at ADFA session features a panel of ADFA Trainee Officers across the Navy, Army and Air Force who will discuss their experiences at ADFA. There is also a Life after ADFA session with recent graduates who will share how ADFA has set them up for a career in the Australian Defence Force.

Transport NSW Jobs

The roles listed below give applicants an opportunity to be a part of Transport’s Infrastructure and Place Division, learning to develop and deliver transport infrastructure across NSW. In this position you will become a trusted partner to clients by providing smart, integrated and sustainable infrastructure and places that will be highly valued by Transport NSW customers and communities alike.

Electrical Design Engineer in Training

In this role you will be able to gain practical experience whilst studying towards your Associate Electrical Engineering degree. You will work on challenging multi-modual electrical construction and maintenance schemes as well as once-in-a-generation iconic projects; all whilst working and learning from highly skilled qualified professionals.

You will be able to assist in electrical specification preparation and estimating for highway systems, such as traffic management including traffic signalling and lighting, heavy and light rail, and transportation-related facilities, such as moveable bridges. 

Online applications can be made by visiting this link

Road Design Engineer in Training

In this role you will be able to gain practical experience whilst studying towards your Associate Civil Engineering degree. You will work on challenging road developments as well as once-in-a-generation iconic ventures; all whilst working and learning from highly skilled qualified professionals.

Everything feeds into design therefore you will be at the centre of complex projects and so have the ability to work under pressure, make technical risk assessments and drive results with your influence and persuasive skills. You will be part of future planning to connect people, communities and industry and manage how we use our road networks and services. The work you will do, will have a direct impact on the journey millions of people make every day.

Online applications can be made by visiting this link

Traffic Engineer Officer in Training

In this role you will be able to gain practical experience whilst studying towards your Associate Civil Engineering degree. You will work on challenging road and infrastructure developments as well as once-in-a-generation iconic projects; all whilst working and learning from highly skilled qualified professionals. You will be able to synthesis information; deconstruct it, reconstruct it, engage in critical thinking, and therefore understand that this opportunity sits at the core of the business.

You will be part of future planning to connect people, communities and industry and manage how we use our road, rail and maritime networks and services, even active modes like walking and cycling.

Online applications can be made by visiting this link.

Coles Casual Employment

Coles is now hiring in a different way. Coles now seek Expression of Interest as a way of recruiting new team members. Candidates submit their Expression of Interest to be matched to future jobs in each store.

Students wishing to seek casual employment with Coles are encouraged to click here to submit their Expression of Interest.

College Leadership Team

Leaders of Learning - Wellbeing

College Leaders of Learning - KLA

College Leaders of Learning