Bullying

In a perfect world there would be no bullying. Unfortunately, we live in a complex world and bullying does occur. 

Bullying in schools is a worldwide problem that can have negative consequences for the general school climate and for the right of students to learn in a safe environment without fear. Bullying can also have negative lifelong consequences--both for students who bully and for their victims. 

Bullying happens on buses, in the cafeteria, gym, hallways, playground, and in classrooms even after school. The most frequent form bullying takes is through psychological humiliation words such as teasing, taunting, ridiculing, name-calling, and gossip, secrets. This type of bullying happens in the “physical” world and that world has time and space limits. 

Cyber-bullying is making school days even more painful for many children, preventing them from doing their job. Bullying in cyberspace is not bound by school hours, school days, or facing the intended bully victim. Unfortunately, the nature of the Internet often insulates the bully from the consequences of their behaviour.

What does cyberbullying look like?

Cyberbullying behaviour might include:

• abusive texts and emails
• hurtful messages, images or videos
• imitating others online
• excluding others online
• humiliating others online
• spreading nasty online gossip and chat
• creating fake accounts to trick someone or humiliate them

What can you do as a parent?

The Government has set up a site to support students, Teachers and Parents in dealing with issues around Cyber Safety. 

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents

This site is a great way to get information and support when there are concerns online with your children or friends. You are able to apply for assistance if you have an issue and they will advise and help with the concern.

What is in the Planner?

We have recently had Kindness week. Thanks for the work the students did for that week.

The planner has an emphasis on Gratitude and Positive Emotions. We can get Positive emotions from fun and laughter. This can lead to an increase in the chemical serotonin which increases positive emotions.

“When you judge someone, you have no time to love them” Love is a way that we increase Positive Emotions. Spend time being positive and the right emotions will come through.

Always remember to be kind to YOU. Use your strengths and practice positive self talk.

Did you know that your brain can process 110 bits of data per second. When you are distracted by your phone or technology you use about 60 bits. The remaining bits are not enough to get started on homework or other tasks. When we are distracted we tend to procrastinate. You need to ensure that your focus is on the right task at the right time.

Thank you and God Bless

Mr Nicholas Thrum

Assistant Principal

Wellbeing for Learning - Pivot Pilot for Years 7, 8, and 9

The Pivot Pilot monitors student wellbeing in a way that supports their overall learning. Simple and real-time data is collected from short online surveys completed during Learning Group which assist staff in “knowing their learners.”

The pilot will commence later this term. Please see the details below.

Year 9 2024 Electives and Year 11 2024 Subject Selection

Year 8 students have received confirmations of their Year 9 Electives. If there are any questions please email jleaves@parra.catholic.edu.au

We are in the process of finalising the patterns of study for Year 10 students and confirmations are sent early Term 4 (at the latest).

Timetable 2024

The 2024 Timetable Committee will commence construction later this Term. 

In each year group there will be one enrichment class created in Years 7-10 based on their performance in 2023. The Year 7 2024 enrichment class will be created based on ALLWELL Testing.

Thank you for your continued support

If you have any questions please email pfinnerty@parra.catholic.edu.au

Patrick Finnerty

As we approach a crucial phase in our College Learning Cycle, I wanted to share some essential information to ensure your child's success during this intensive assessment period. The upcoming weeks will see our students engage in their final formal assessment tasks for the Term. We believe that with the right guidance and support, they can excel and demonstrate their true potential.

These assessments are designed to gauge your child's grasp of the material they've learned throughout the year. They represent a culmination of their efforts and knowledge up to this point. The timing of these tasks allows teachers to gather valuable data that will not only measure students' progress but also shape their learning journey for the upcoming term. The results will provide insights into areas where additional focus for your child’s learning growth may be needed.

Now is the time for your child to establish a study routine that includes reviewing their notes, practising problems, and seeking clarification when needed. Students should be gaining regular feedback when they submit their one price of writing per week to their teachers. Students should set achievable goals for their assessments. Breaking down larger tasks into smaller milestones can make the process for study less overwhelming and more manageable. These steps will ensure that students put their best efforts forward when it comes to completing exams and in-class assessments. 

If your child encounters difficulties, please remind them that seeking help is a sign of strength. Teachers and Leaders of Learning Wellbeing are available to address any questions or concerns they might have. It is natural for students to feel pressure during this time. Parents and carers can support their child by providing them with tools to manage stress, such as deep breathing exercises, short breaks, and engaging in activities they enjoy outside of studying.

Josilin Kalifa 

Assistant Principal 

Teaching, Learning and Wellbeing

Principal’s Awards

Congratulations to the following students who have received Principal’s Awards:

House Cup Points Update - only 4 weeks to go!

The updated totals are:

Bennelong: 42, 115

Chang: 43, 759

Frances: 42, 839

Gould: 44, 624

Mrs Sue Cooper

Leader of Wellbeing and Learning

scooper@parra.catholic.edu.au

After the completion of the Trial Hsc Exams, Year 12 students are back at work. On their first day back to regular classes we started the day with a Year Meeting, in which I, along with Mrs Edwards, reiterated the need to listen to the feedback from our experienced teachers and consider this time as another starting point in preparation for the HSC Exams.

As Dr Kennaugh stated in a recent address to students, it is possible for students to improve up to twenty marks from their Trial HSC result. This achievement can only happen if students embrace the challenge with consistent diligence in their studies as well as effective study techniques. In the HSC 2023 Study Hall Google Classroom, Mrs Bradford regularly shares her study tips to study smarter in addition to studying harder.

I wish to thank all of the people involved in preparing Year 12 for the 2023 HSC. It is very much appreciated.

2023 Major Projects

What an amazing evening it was on Thursday last week. In which, we were able to witness incredible music performances, Industrial Technology projects and drama performances.

Industrial Technology, Drama and Visual Arts major projects will be finalised by Friday 24/8/23.

I am a very proud Leader of Wellbeing.

Yours in HSC success,

David Frankham

Leader of wellbeing Year 12

Dear Parents/Carers and Students of Year 9, 

Our second Wellbeing lesson of the term focused on Teamwork. Students had discussions about why it is important to work as part of a team. Students then participated in teamwork activities that showcased various teamwork skills. Every student has a unique contribution to make in a team and that collaboration leads to better outcomes. Students were also introduced to the problem-solving process using the acronym SOLVE.  

• S: State the problem
• O: Organise information
• L: List possible solutions
• V: Verify solutions
• E: Execute the best solution

Student Reflections 

On Friday we were put into groups to work together to create the tallest tower using paper, sticky notes and clips. Constructing the paper towers was quite challenging but we used a lot of collaboration with each member contributing their unique ideas and skills. Through communication, we put together each person's perspectives and ideas into a design. Although it took us more than 5 minutes to build, every fold, sticky note, and paper clip were placed strategically to build our paper towers. 

In our well-being lesson, our focus was to highlight the importance of teamwork and put that

into action. At the start we all came up with a definition of teamwork and wrote these ideas

on the board to come together as a home room and form an insightful answer. Furthermore,

we participated in a team building exercise, which required us to build a free standing tower

with the resources provided. While working as a group, we demonstrated critical thinking,

communication skills and open listening to come up with the best design. This unique style

of learning was not only fun to complete but helped us practise teamwork skills we will need

further in life.

During our exciting Teamwork lesson, Year 9 came together and delved deeper into the power of collaboration. From making towers out of paper to untangling human knots, we uncovered the secrets to teamwork. Everyone combined their unique and diverse strengths which led to successful outcomes. Throughout the lesson, friendships were strengthened, communication skills improved, and a true sense of unity was solidified. This memorable lesson demonstrated that teamwork enhances the learning for the foundation of lifelong skills. There is definitely more strength in numbers! 

Student Accomplishments 

Congratulations to the following students who received a Principal's award: 

Mary Arshillo 

Jerome Chin 

Harrison Green 

Catherina Purwadi 

Congratulations to Kathryn Baginski who received a certificate of participation from Operation Art which is an initiative from the Department of Education with Westmead Children's Hospital. Kathryn’s artwork is one of 4 artworks that will be displayed at the Operation Art exhibition held at the Armory Gallery in Homebush. 

Blue Mind - Kathryn Baginski 

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. Girls must have their hair tied back. 

It’s good to see a lot of year 9’s wearing their blazers to school and into learning groups. Just a reminder that blazers need to be worn to school and into learning group and when you leave the College in the afternoon. 

I have had some positive feedback from your teachers about how you conduct yourselves and are applying yourselves in class. Keep up the good work Year 9! Keep striving for success and personal growth. Remember, you can do anything you set your mind to, when you rise to the challenge. You have lots of support from your teachers, Learning Advisors and myself. 

Ms Alicia Harwood 

Leader of Wellbeing Year 9

Our World Youth Day pilgrims have returned from Lisbon, In what was from all accounts an amazing journey.

While they were away Euleila, Jericho and Rachel visited London, Paris and some very important historical sites for Catholics. SItes of the miraculous and miracles. Where humanity has encountered God in profound ways.

Places where  the faith is still very much alive in the world. They visited the shrine of St Vincent De Paul,who died more than 400 years ago, his body incorrupt, untouched by death. 

They visited Lourdes where Mary the mother of Jesus appeared to St Bernadette and told her to dig in the mud, from the mud a spring arose, and through these waters many are healed miraculously. They visited Fatima where again in 1917 Our Lady appeared to three small children giving them messages for the world to return to God. Following the apparitions there was a great miracle of the sun where the sun danced in the sky and was witnessed by hundreds of people.

The trip culminated in the World Youth Day Mass with Pope Francis in Lisbon, where thousands of young people from around the world came together to celebrate being Catholic and the wonder of being in a relationship with Jesus.

After speaking to our pilgrims however it was this encounter that was the highlight, the making of new friends, of coming together in a shared spirit, of encounter, of celebrating the extraordinary in ordinary lives.

 St Andrews pilgrim Euliela Barret, had this to say about the experience.

WYD was incredible in so many ways, I know you could say this for any travel abroad but it gave me the chance to see God in all I encountered. I saw God everywhere but most prominently in the people I met throughout the trip. I saw God in people from so many different countries coming together for a common purpose. I saw him in Pope Francis (Papa Francisco we called him) who led us so beautifully in the Mass, and I especially saw God in the other student pilgrims I got really close to throughout the three weeks of the journey. There were so many exciting new experiences I had travelling around Europe for the first time. From visiting the many Basilicas, learning about different Saints, visiting sacred places where miracles have occurred, and meeting the Pope for the first time. The experience of sleeping out under the stars before the final Mass with another 1.5 million Catholics was one that was so memorable. This trip however, would not have been as special, so close to my heart without the  love of the people I spent it with. The friends I made as I experienced this pilgrimage resonated with me and what I felt during Papa Franciso’s introduction speech, and the phrase we were reminded of the entire trip. The Pope repeated one word throughout his speech todos - meaning everyone. Everyone is welcomed into God’s kingdom, everyone is united in this family and everyone is loved by God. It is the people you are with where you see God. It is you and I that  reflect God’s love in our values and intentions, and it is the journey you have with these people where you feel God’s presence. As per the saying we were continuously reminded of during our pilgrimage “it’s about the journey not the destination”, soak in everything you do, you feel, you see, and all the efforts you put into the journey before you get to your destination, I learnt this on my trip and that’s where I truly felt the presence of God. 

Euleila Barret.

The Mass for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

On Tuesday 15th August St Andrews celebrated Mary's Assumption into heaven. The Assumption of Mary is a significant Feast Day and a Holy Day of Obligation in the Catholic Church. 

The Assumption commemorates the belief that when Mary, the mother of Jesus, died, her body was "assumed" into heaven to be reunited with her soul, instead of going through the natural process of physical decay upon death. The Gospel of the day Luke highlights Mary's faith. Mary's faith enabled her to recognise the work of God in the world and in her own life. Her openness to God allowed God to work through her so that salvation might come to all. Mary is a model and symbol of the Church. May we be like Mary, and respond to the call of God within our lives.

Thank you to Father Kevin Redmond for presiding over the Mass, and always making himself available to the College. Thank you to Mr Alata, Ms Lee and  the vocal ensemble for leading us so beautifully in song and prayer. Thank you also to Mr Finnerty and Mr Culbert who assisted with the running of the day.

Andrew Hoare

Director of Faith Mission and Learning.

HSC Visual Arts

It is the time of the year where HSC students are busily working towards the final stretch of their Body of Works for Visual Arts. The Body of Work counts for 50% of their HSC examination and the students started working on these back in Term 4, at the start of their HSC Visual Arts journey.

Students will be submitting these artworks for NESA marking in the coming week. Before they are sent to the marking centre, we will be hosting our annual HSC Visual Arts Exhibition to showcase their hard work and dedication. We encourage in particular students from Year 10 and 11 Visual Arts to attend in order to gain an understanding of the requirements for HSC Visual Arts.

Please see below for details of the exhibition.

Year 8 Visual Arts

Year 8 Visual Arts students are preparing for their first practical assessment task by utilising different materials to create a Cubist inspired still life. In class, students took photographs of items from their school bags, ranging from drink bottles to fruit in order to compose a reference image. Through this task, students practised their technical skills that they will apply towards their artmaking task due in Week 7. 

Below is an example of a Braque inspired still life artwork by Angelina Chamoun of 8VISAI.

Mrs Claudia Harris

Leader of Learning Visual Arts

Year 8 Technology students who are completing their Food Technology unit learned yet another new recipe last week - Lemon Myrtle Shortbread. 

Lemon myrtle can be used in baking to add a unique lemon flavour to cakes, biscuits, and other baked items. Lemon myrtles have been used by Indigenous Australians for 40,000 years, by wrapping the leaves in paperbark to flavour fish dishes, and to treat headaches by crushing and inhaling the leaves.

We applaud our Year 8 students 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

Japanese exchange students report

St Andrews College welcomed two exchange students from Japan this term. One of them has completed her two weeks of homestay program. Her name is Nagi Nakashima. She actually came to our school last year and wanted to come back here this year. So she visited her here by herself. Throughout her second visit to St Andrews College, she enjoyed every single opportunity she had here. I also would like to thank her host family. They kindly hosted her again. Hope Nagi will be able to come to Australia again soon. 

Ms Mariko Suzuki 

Leader of Learning - Languages

Here is Nagi’s report: 

Dear St Andrews College students and staff 

First of all, thank you for accepting me and giving me the opportunity to attend the school. I have had so many good experiences at St Andrew's College. It was a short period of two weeks, but I was able to learn many valuable things because all the students are friendly, kind, and funny. Also, all the teachers are kind. I was able to have a very fulfilling school life. Many people actively talked to me and treated me kindly, so I was so happy. That's why I like the students at this school. And I want to be that kind of student. 

Also, this experience made me want to study English harder, and thanks to the students, I like Australia even more. I think I was able to grow through this experience. I will do my best in Japan without forgetting my experience.

I hope to have the chance to visit St Andrews again. Thank you so much to everyone at St Andrews College!

I wish you all the best of luck!

From, Nagi Nakashima

Year 10 PDHPE Excursion

On Tuesday 3rd August, all of year 10 attended the Be street smart excursion. Please enjoy reading through this recap of the day that was kindly written by Leila Crisafulli-Kefu and Alexandra Marasigan. Thank you to the PDHPE staff and Mr Nisbet who attended with year 10.

The ‘Be Street Smart’ excursion held at Qudos Bank Arena was a very pleasant experience. There were some tears here and there, but overall it was most enjoyable. It helped many of us understand the dangers of driving and how we can stay safe on the roads. This was most beneficial for Year 10 as many of us are getting our learner licence this year!

It was an incredibly eye-opening experience that impacted our perspective on safety when driving. The excursion, designed to educate students about staying safe in various scenarios, exposed us to a multitude of potential risks we often overlook in our day-to-day lives. From learning about situational awareness to understanding how to navigate unfamiliar areas, the excursion offered us insight as to how we can stay safe whilst driving. This excursion not only provided us with valuable knowledge to enhance our personal safety but also left us with a lasting impression of how to stay safe and be prepared for any situation on the road.

This excursion was an unforgettable experience which we would highly recommend for the future year groups to look forward to. A huge takeaway from this experience was listening to the detrimental impact that poor decision making on the road had on people's lives from those willing to tell their stories about how being dangerous on the road led to a significant change in their lives. Their  physical and mental battle was evident and has provided a harsh reality check and reminder about the consequences of being dangerous on the road. This experience has encouraged us to think before making a bad decision on the road as we prepare to become learner drivers.

Mrs Kayla Brogan

Leader of Learning - PDHPE

This week, Year 9 Multimedia students had the pleasure of being joined by Juline from the Academy of Interactive Technology (AIT) to run a hands-on workshop around 2D Animation.

Students have been learning about a range of animation mediums throughout this term and have an upcoming project where they are able to work with a medium of their choice. This workshop gave students an additional medium to work with for their assessment task.

Juline went through the basics of 2D animation and then worked with students to come up with a simple character and a basic storyline on a storyboard. Students were then walked through how to use the “Pencil2D” software which allowed students to work with  concepts they have learned about in class such as onion skinning and key frames. 

We would like to sincerely thank Juline for taking time away from her busy schedule to share her skills with us at St Andrews as well as Ms May for always finding opportunities for our students to thrive. 

Shanai Mifsud

TAS Teacher

Year 9 Food Technology 

Students in Year 9 Food Technology are learning a variety of food preparation techniques, food styling and presentation. Students have cooked various recipes this term to develop their skills and techniques while studying the Food Service and Catering unit. Year 9 students cooked Rice Paper Rolls and focused on their knife skills by cutting vegetables into batons. 

Well done on your skill development and presentation work! 

Ms Alicia Harwood and Mrs Sally Akkoumi

Students in Year 10 Food Technology have been learning about current food trends in their Food Product Development unit. Students have focused on their skills development, food presentation and sensory evaluation of food products. Year 10 students baked Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting. Students were encouraged to focus on technique, execution and presentation of their food product. 

Well done on the skill development and piping work Year 10! How good do these cupcakes look! 

Ms Alicia Harwood and Mrs Cassandra Carlos 

My Gateway Apprenticeships and Traineeships

My Gateway is looking to interview school leavers for their upcoming 70+ vacancies to start in 2024. 

Kick-start your career in the following industries:

• Administration 
• Air-conditioning
• Boilermaking
• Bricklaying 
• Carpentry 
• Childcare
• Civil Construction
• Electrical 
• Fitter Machining
• Heavy Vehicle Mechanic 
• Horticulture
• Information Technology
• Landscaping 
• Plant Mechanic 
• Warehousing
  

On Thursday the 7th of September My Gateway will be holding an information session at CathWest Innovation College, McCarthy Campus, Emu Plains.

Interviews will be held at CathWest Innovation College on Monday the 25th of September. Registrations are essential - no interviews will be conducted without registration.

Interested students are encouraged to visit the flyers below.

Automotive Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships Are Us is a Group Training Organisation that has been supplying quality Automotive Apprentices to the industry for over 15 years. Apprenticeships Are Us specialise in Mechanical Apprenticeships for Light and Heavy Vehicles, and Accident Repair trades such as Panel Beating and Spray Painting. 

Apprenticeships Are Us are seeking Expression of Interest from Year 12 students who wish to pursue a career in the automotive industry.

Below is an Expression of Interest form for those students who are interested.

College Leadership Team

Leaders of Learning - Wellbeing

College Leaders of Learning - KLA

College Leaders of Learning