St Andrews College Marayong eNewsletter Term 1 Week 4

Exciting Update: College Transition to Canvas Learning Management System

We are thrilled to inform you that The College's transition to Canvas, our new Learning Management System, is making steady progress. Our dedicated teachers are training to become proficient users of the Canvas platform, ensuring a seamless integration of technology to enhance your child's learning experience.

All students have been introduced to Canvas through their Religious Education Course, setting the foundation for a smooth transition across all subjects. This shift to Canvas is a significant step towards delivering a more interactive and efficient learning environment for our students.

We are excited about the possibilities that Canvas offers in supporting your child's education journey and look forward to leveraging this platform to provide valuable resources and engaging experiences. You can read more about what Canvas offers here.

Empowering Our Learners: Every Task, Every Lesson, Every Day Counts

In our quest for student learning growth, it is important to remember that every classwork assignment, piece of home learning, and assessment task plays a critical role in shaping the student's learning experience. These are not just checkboxes on the path to completion but valuable opportunities to engage, discover, and build the skills necessary for future success.

Why Every Aspect of Learning Matters

• Classwork is the cornerstone of daily learning, offering immediate feedback and opportunities to interact with peers and educators.

• Home Learning extends learning beyond the classroom walls, encouraging independence and responsibility for one’s learning journey.

• Assessment Tasks measure understanding and the ability to apply knowledge, preparing students for future learning challenges and opportunities.

Achievement is not a solo endeavour but a collective journey of students, educators, and parents. We encourage every student to strive for their best in every task undertaken. It’s about pushing boundaries, overcoming challenges, and realising one’s personal best.

Attendance & Engagement: Keys to Success

Regular attendance and active engagement are pivotal. Each day missed is an opportunity lost for learning and growth. Being present, both physically and mentally, ensures that every student can reap the full benefits of their education.

Should you have any questions or require further information please feel free to reach out to us.

Ms Josilin Kalifa

Assistant Principal

Teaching, Learning and Wellbeing

Attendance

All schools in the Diocese have been set an attendance target of 94%. This will mean that during a school year all students are expected to attend the College as much as possible to take advantage of all learning possibilities. It is expected that there will be times that some students will be sick and cannot attend school. An acceptable absence rate for a term will be around 3 days. 

Parents will be contacted by their child’s learning advisor if the absent days go above this target rate. 

There is a lot of potential damage to a student’s learning and progress the more time they take off from school. It is important that each student is at school as much as possible to take advantage of every learning opportunity.

A reminder to families, if your child is late or absent, they must produce a note written by the parent/ Guardian and signed by the Parent/ guardian or enter the details on the Compass App. You have 7 days to produce the note or Compass entry or the absence or lateness will be recorded as an unexplained. Please enter all absence on the Compass app.

If you have a planned absence a written application must be lodged with the Principal before you are absent from school. With a change of legislation, there is more paperwork that must be completed for absence. Families are discouraged from having family holidays during term time; however we are aware that there may be a few exceptions. 

If there is a problem with attendance, the College will make contact with each family to develop an attendance plan to ensure classes are not being missed. 

Lateness

As with absence, lateness to school has the potential to cause significant harm to the students learning. Parents are asked to ensure their child is at school on time every day. There will be times that are unavoidable but if a pattern of lateness is evident the families will be asked to attend a lateness meeting to address the problem.

Uniform

Just a reminder about the College uniform. St Andrews has high expectations about the way each student wears the uniform. It is expected that each student is dressed according to the Colleges’ Uniform policy (which is in the student’s planner).

The College uniform expectations were developed by the College community and represent what the parents, students and College expect to see a St Andrews student looking like. I ask all families to work with their Learning Advisors and Leaders of Learning Wellbeing as they keep the standards set for the College Uniform.

Each male student is expected to be clean shaven each day. If facial hair is noticeable, they will be asked to shave it at school. 

No male students are to have earrings of any type including clear plastic ones. Females are allowed to have 1 set of earrings in their lobes that are simple gold or silver sleepers or studs with a small jewel in them. All other earrings will be asked to be removed. No nose rings, tongue rings or any other piercings are acceptable. 

Hair should be one natural colour and neat and tidy. Girls are to have their hair tied back at school. Boys are to have short hair according to the College policy (this is available in the planner). If a student’s hair is not acceptable, families will be contacted to have it rectified. No fad or extreme haircuts are acceptable (no mullets or Mohawks etc.)

Communication

The first way to communicate with the College is through Compass and the new Online Planner. Teachers will use the Planner to communicate small concerns or praises. If you have any concerns, you can contact the students Learning Advisor who oversees a small group of students during the year or the class teacher of different subjects. If the matter is a major concern, you can ring the College to speak to your child’s Leader of Learning- Wellbeing or Leader of Learning-KLA. Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher if you have any concerns with your child’s progress in class. 

The College will be using the Compass App for all its notes and notifications. 

What Is Bullying?

Bullying is made up of behaviours intended to deliberately hurt, threaten, frighten or exclude someone by physical and non-physical means over extended periods of time. An individual or group may direct these behaviours towards another individual or group.  

Someone is bullying another person when:

• They repeatedly verbally abuse a person or group by calling them unpleasant names, by writing them nasty notes and/or messages or by using unpleasant gestures.
• They repeatedly physically harm a person or group or physically intimidate them by threatening physical harm or by destroying/taking their belongings without permission.
• They repeatedly encourage their friends or people they know to verbally, physically threaten a person or group; or ask them to harass, embarrass, ignore or exclude that person or group from activities.

Bullying may take one, two or all of these forms. Repeatedly means that they do these things to that person or group the majority of the time they talk about them see them or spend time around them.

Research has shown that bullying has negative, long-term consequences for all involved. 

Such consequences include:

• For victims - constant feelings of rejection, low self-regard, fear, an inability to solve problems with others in acceptable ways, relationship difficulties, and problems with achieving full potential academically and socially.

• For bullies - an increased risk of criminal behaviour. 

As such, bullying behaviours have no place at this College.

What do we do if it happens to you or someone you know?

If you are being bullied at school or online, or you know of some one that is being bullied, you must make positive move to stop the bullying. St Andrews has a no tolerance rule for bullying but if you don’t tell us, we cannot help.

Step 1 – talk to someone about what is happening. If you know the person and you are comfortable approach them and ask them to stop.

Step 2- approach your parents or the school to help you sort out the issue. You have your learning advisor or your Leaders of Learning that are there to support you. They might give you strategies to help deal with the situation or they might intervene, this is up to you.

Step 3- If you are able to sort things out, move forward in a positive way, if not speak to another person of approach someone you trust to help you. At the end of the day, we want all students to be safe and learning so we will assist any student to help that happen. Don’t be afraid to come and see a teacher it is our job to assist you.

St Andrews has a zero tolerance policy on bullying. If you have any concerns please see your Learning Advisor, your teachers, your Leader of Wellbeing –or myself. The quicker you see us, the quicker it will be resolved.

Attendance

Just a reminder about attendance. We expect all students to attend school unless there is illness or other valid family reasons. We try to avoid taking days off unless it is absolutely necessary. Please contact your child’s Leader of Learning – Wellbeing if you have any concerns about attendance.

What’s in the Student Planner this week?

Over the last 2 weeks students have been focusing on understanding their strength profile and what it means. Student have completed the Via Character Strength test to identify their strengths and then learn how to use them.

Make an effort to use your strengths to set some goals. Write them down and make a plan to achieve them. Thinking about goals is not always enough, put your plan into action.

Ways to change from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.

1. Focus on what is working- we need to understand and work with our strengths. When we identify our strengths we start to understand the areas we need help with.
2. Set realistic goals – setting goals helps us focus on moving forward in a positive way. Setting goals on our strengths is easy and if we use similar goals and strategies for our weaker areas you will see success.
3. Be patient- all success takes time. We might see improvement in our areas of strength but sometimes other areas take more time, be patient and it will happen
4. Have grit- be persistent in your work, don’t give up when it gets hard. The work is meant to be hard so you grow and your weaknesses become strengths. 
5. Always uses your resources- all students have resources to help them have success, your families, your teachers, staff at the College and other people who have an expertise in learning. Never be afraid to ask for help, this is a sign of strength.
6. Take action- as Nike says, “Just do it”. Don’t procrastinate, set your goals and take action.

Never use the term “I can’t do it”, use the term “I can’t do it yet” change the way we think, be positive and solution focused.

Mr Nick Thrum

Assistant Principal

Pivot - Wellbeing for Learning

The Pivot Wellbeing for Learning tool is an evidence-based application designed to help schools monitor and support the wellbeing of their students. It looks at student wellbeing across three domains: safety, belonging and resilience and includes a range of protective factors that affect student wellbeing and readiness to learn (family relationships, friendships, sleep, health, schoolwork and hobbies). Wellbeing & learning go hand in hand - so making sure students are safe, feel included and are resilient helps with all aspects of school, and contributes to their ability to thrive. Last year St Andrews College was involved in a Pilot Program of Pivot in Years 7, 8 and 9. This year we are using Pivot in Years 7-12. 

How does it work? Students will use the Pivot website on their device, to complete a baseline survey and then complete weekly check-in surveys that run for five weeks. Students are able to notify teachers if they need support as part of the check-in surveys. It is not a long process - the baseline survey is 15 questions and there are five questions in each check-in survey.  In Term 1, students will complete the baseline survey. Then in Terms 2, 3 and 4, students will complete the five week check-in surveys. We will use the data from our Pivot surveys to continue to build skills in our students - especially in the areas of safety, belonging and resilience. The Pivot surveys will be completed during Learning Group. We will start Pivot (baseline) in Week 6 this Term.

A reminder for students:

• Use their school username for the ‘Student ID number’ on the login page (it is the name/number before the @parrastu.edu.au in their student email)
• Make sure your device is enrolled at the College - otherwise you cannot access the website
• Answer the questions honestly

If there are any questions, please contact your Leader of Wellbeing or Learning Advisor

Principal’s Awards

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

Second Principal’s Award

Congratulations to Patricia Tuazon from the Frances House who has received her second Principal’s Award

Fourth Principal’s Award

Congratulations to Euleila Barret from the Gould House who has received her fourth Principal’s Award. Euleila is only the second student to receive their fourth Principal’s Award

House Cup Points Update

The updated points for the 2024 competition are:

Bennelong 20, 577

Chang 21, 447

Frances 14, 711

Gould 18, 975

Mrs Sue Cooper

Leader of Wellbeing and Learning

scooper@parra.catholic.edu.au

As we begin our journey together, we want to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Year 7 parents for their incredible support during the crucial transition period for your sons and daughters.

The recent meet and greet evening was a resounding success, with a fantastic turnout that showcased the strong sense of community within St Andrews College. It was wonderful to meet so many of you and engage in conversations about the exciting journey that lies ahead for our Year 7 students.

Exciting Ventures on the Horizon:

As we gear up for an exciting term, one of the highlights is the upcoming camp. In the final stages of planning, this promises to be a memorable experience for our Year 7 students, providing opportunities for bonding, learning, and creating lasting memories. I look forward to sharing lots of photos of this event with you in the next newsletter. 

Fostering Effective Study Habits:

Building effective study habits early in high school lays the foundation for academic success. Encourage your child to establish a dedicated study routine, prioritise tasks, and seek support when needed. The development of these habits will not only contribute to their current academic progress but also set them on a path for continued success throughout their high school journey.

Navigating the Digital Landscape:

In today's digital age, we also want to highlight the importance of monitoring your child's activities on social media. While it's a platform for socializing, it's crucial to ensure its responsible use. Encourage open communication with your child about their online activities, be aware of their friends and connections, and provide guidance for a safe and positive online environment.

Your Point of Contact:

Should you have any questions or concerns, our students' Learning Advisor is an excellent first point of contact. Alternatively, feel free to reach out to Jarryd Leaves, Leader of Wellbeing - Year 7, at any time.

As we forge ahead into the academic year, we want to express our gratitude for the strong partnership between home and school. Your involvement and support are fundamental to the success of our students, and we look forward to a year filled with growth, learning, and achievement.

Thank you for being an integral part of the St Andrews College community.

Best Regards,

Jarryd Leaves 

Leader of Wellbeing - Year 7

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Year 9 Students,

I trust this newsletter item finds you in good spirits enjoying the positive energy that comes with the beginning of a new school year. As the Year 9 Acting Leader of Wellbeing, I want to take a moment to commend our Year group for the fantastic start they have had during 2024 and encourage them to continue their positive momentum as we approach the halfway mark of the term.

I wish to express my gratitude to each and every one of you for your participation and enthusiasm during the inaugural round of our new Thursday sports house competition. Seeing our Year 9 students come together to not only compete but also foster a sense of unity and camaraderie speaks volumes about the growing strength of our Year 9 community. Let's continue to uphold these values as we progress through the term.

As we delve deeper into the academic year, I would like to emphasize the importance of adhering to the College uniform policy. Maintaining a smart and tidy appearance not only reflects positively on our individual selves but also contributes to the collective pride and reputation of our school community. Whether it be the School Uniform or the Sport Uniform, let us wear it with dignity and represent St Andrews College with distinction. Detailed guidelines regarding our uniform expectations can be found in the Student Learning Planner.

Furthermore, punctuality and preparedness play pivotal roles in our academic journey. Arriving on time and equipped with the necessary materials not only demonstrates responsibility but also ensures a conducive learning environment for all. Remember, it is essential to strive for the "Right Time, Right Place, Right Gear" mantra in all our endeavors.

I would be remiss not to acknowledge the significant contributions made by our Year 9 students during the Opening Mass and Ash Wednesday liturgy. Your reverence and participation were exemplary, reflecting our commitment to spiritual growth and community involvement.

Parents, please rest assured that I am actively engaged in working with your children to set meaningful goals for their personal and academic development throughout the year. Should you have any queries or wish to discuss your child's progress, please feel free to contact me via email at nweaver@parra.catholic.edu.au.

Let us continue to support and encourage one another as we navigate the remainder of the academic year together. Here's to a rewarding and successful 2024 for all!

Warm regards,

Mr. Nathan Weaver

Acting Leader of Wellbeing Year 9

St Andrews College

Dear Year 11 Students and Families,

The students have hit the ground running as they commence the first term of their senior studies. It has been a busy few weeks filled with hard work, dedication, and a commitment to excellence for Year 11. I am pleased to report that our students have shown great resilience and determination in their studies, and if they continue this they will start to see their efforts paying off.

In the classroom, our students continue to impress with their engagement and enthusiasm for learning. They have embraced the challenges of their subjects and are making excellent progress across the board. I have no doubt that they will continue to excel in the weeks and months ahead.

Last week, we had our Year 11 Information Night, which was a great success. It was wonderful to see so many parents and students in attendance, eager to learn more about the Year 11 curriculum, assessment expectations, and support services available. If you were unable to attend the Information Night and would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Additionally, I would like to remind you about the Year 11 Assessment Booklet, which has been distributed to all students via the Student Information Hub site. This booklet outlines the assessment tasks and due dates for each subject throughout the year. It is a valuable resource for students to help them stay organised and manage their workload effectively. If you have any questions or concerns about the assessment booklet, please don't hesitate to contact me. The link to the booklet and site can be found on the Year 11 Wellbeing Google Classroom.

As we look ahead to the remainder of the term, there is still much to look forward to including the Swimming Carnival, Year 11 Retreat and Easter celebrations. With assessment notifications beginning to be handed out in class, now is the time for our students to consolidate their learning and prepare for the challenges ahead. I encourage all students to make use of the support services available to them, including our dedicated teaching staff and study resources; such as the afternoon Learning Centre, to ensure they are well-prepared.

I am incredibly proud of the way our Year 11 cohort has started and the progress they have made so far. I have no doubt that they will continue to go from strength to strength and achieve great success this year.

Thank you for your continued support of our Year 11 students. Together, we can help them reach their full potential and make the most of their time at the College.

Mrs Emily Parker

Leader of Wellbeing - Year 11

Leader of Learning & Wellbeing - Senior Campus

In class students have been exploring prenatal issues and concerns that new mothers may face as they go through the process of pregnancy. Lately, exploring early childhood students have been learning about Intro-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), prenatal testing and most recently the formation of twins. 

Below we can see an example of an in-class activity delivered by Danielle and Elizabeth that explores the process of fraternal twins which is the result of two eggs being fertilised from conception. Each zygote (fertilised egg) will have their own placenta and amniotic sac as they develop within the mother’s womb. This can be shown below by the skittles representing the two embryos in their own amniotic sacs being the marshmallows on the plate that is figuratively representing a uterus. 

As there are two types of twins being Fraternal and Identical twins, Lana and Jacqueline had the pleasure of explaining the different stages in which the identical twin zygote splits into two embryos in their diagrams below. 

To understand the following photos, it’s important to note that the skittles represent the embryo, the sour worms represent the placenta, the marshmallows represent the amniotic sac and lastly, the plate is the mother’s womb. 

In the first photo, the single zygote has split into two embryos before implantation to the uterus wall occurring 1-3 days after fertilisation. This means the identical twins will have their own placentas and inner amniotic sac (amnion) within the womb.   

The second photo shows what would happen if the zygote splits after implanting to the uterus wall which can occur 3-8 days after fertilisation. Each twin will have their own inner sac (amnion) but will share a placenta within the womb. 

The final photo identifies when a zygote implants into the uterus lining and then splits within 8 to 15 days after fertilisation. This results in the twins sharing a placenta and amniotic sac throughout their growth and development within the womb for the period of 9 months. 

To wrap up this little lesson on twin development we would like to acknowledge that all lollies were consumed after the tutorial and that there will be more lessons to tune into as we further explore the early development of a child. 

Miss Breeze

Drama is off to a spectacular start this year at St Andrews College. We have already engaged with, and started the process of creating, many different projects to present to you. Here are just a few:

Onstage

This year has started with our annual OnStage excursion. OnStage is a showcase of all of the outstanding Major Works and Performances from the previous year’s HSC. It is a prime opportunity for the students to see the standard that is being held throughout all of NSW and to be challenged in their understanding of what a performance can be. This excursion was accompanied by a day ensemble workshop, wherein our Year 12’s had the opportunity to develop skills necessary for success within the HSC Group Performance. It was a wonderful day and evening. A big thank you to Ms. Rujicica who accompanied the Year 11’s during the evening.

Theatresports

Theatresports returns fortnightly during sport. Led by Ms. Rujicica, this program aims to build confidence and performance skills in our Junior cohort. With each new session bringing opportunities for improvisation, teambuilding and entertainment, Theatresports is open to all students who are interested and not currently engaged in one of our many wonderful mandatory sporting programmes. 

Project Performance

Project Performance is a new initiative focused on playbuilding and building performative excellence outside of the classroom. Our tryouts were held last Tuesday, providing students an opportunity to audition in order to secure their position within this program. In this program students will be mentored by our Drama Department and will be given the opportunity to choose how they wish to prepare for internal, and external, performance competitions and events. If any student is interested in this initiative but missed the auditions, please contact Mr Lewandowski via his email at nlewandowski@parra.catholic.edu.au regarding a chance to join. Keep an eye on this space to find out the results of this program!

Jazz Night

As per tradition, Jazz Night will make a return later this term, and so will the accompanying performance pieces that will act as the opening towards this night of wonder. We look forward to seeing your support towards both the Music and Drama Department at this extravagant event.

Stations of The Cross

The Drama Department continues to remain committed to the expression of the Catholic ethos at St Andrews College. As such, our wonderful seniors are in the process of developing a representation of the Stations of the Cross to be held on Holy Thursday this year. With the support of Ms. Anthony and Mr. Hoare, we look forward to revealing this reflection of faith later this term.

It is shaping up to be a prolific year for the Drama Department with a focus on bringing to life the extracurricular nature of the subject. More will be announced in the upcoming weeks, and we look forward to sharing the wonderful achievements of our dedicated students. Until then, keep your eye on this space.

Kind Regards,

Mr Nick Lewandowski

Director and Drama Teacher

An Evening of Jazz Music 

( Live year 11 Music assessment pieces ) 

When : April 3rd 5.30-7.30pm 

Where : Senior Campus Hall 

St Andrews College, Marayong would like to invite you to the annual year 11 Jazz concert 2024. 

On Wednesday, week 10, Term 1, we will be showcasing the learning that has taken place during the Jazz unit . Students have studied the topic, unpacked the fundamentals and aligned them to the concepts of music. They have exercised their listening skills and have also developed their newly acquired jazz skills. Most students are utilising elements of improvisation throughout their performances and exploring typical expressive techniques found across the jazz genre. Our year 11 students will be marked live that evening by all the teachers of the Music faculty. Entry to the Jazz concert is free and light refreshments will be available on the night. 

We hope to see you there.

International Women's Day Breakfast 8th March 2024

Dear Mothers/ Grandmothers and Carers,

St Andrew’s College, Marayong would like to formally invite you to the St Andrew's College International Women's Breakfast hosted by the Year 12 Student Representative Council on the 8th March 2024. Our special guest this year is St Andrews College, Marayong alumni Anna Kravtsova from the class of 2019. Anna will be sharing her story and performing live for our community. This Year’s theme is #Inspire Inclusion and our Year 12 leaders will lead a rigorous discussion in support of this topic. We hope to see you there.

Welcome to the 2024 Public Speaking season!! 

I’m thrilled to extend my warmest congratulations to all the students who recently showcased their impressive speaking skills in the public speaking tryouts. Your courage, dedication, and passion for communication truly shone through, making the selection process both challenging and inspiring. So much so that for the first time in several years, St Andrews College is entered into the Catholic Schools Debating Association (CSDA) Public Speaking Competition AND the Rostrum Voice of Youth (VOY) Public Speaking Competition! 

It was a very difficult decision to come to with over 40 students competing for a total of 18 spots across the two competitions, but I would like to congratulate the students named below who were successful in being selected for either competition.

CSDA Public Speaking Competition

The CSDA allows for 2 students per year group from Years 7-11 and 4 students from Years 11-12 to compete in the Senior Open category. The following students were successful in being selected, and will compete on Friday 1st March at 6pm at St Andrews College who will be hosting the first round of the competition. 

Rostrum Voice of Youth Public Speaking Competition

Voice of Youth allows for 3 students per category to compete. Years 7-9 are eligible for the Junior category, and Years 10-12 are eligible for the Senior category. The following students were successful in being selected, and details on which heat they will be competing in should be announced next week. 

Thank you to everyone!

Your achievement not only reflects your individual talents but also highlights the strength and diversity of our school's public speaking community. I commend your hard work and performance.

To all participants, whether you made it to the list or not, remember that every experience is a stepping stone towards growth and success. Your willingness to step out of your comfort zones and take on new challenges is an asset.

Let's continue to support and encourage one another as we prepare for upcoming competitions and events. 

Congratulations once again to our successful public speakers!

Warm regards,

Miss Mickaella Douglas

Public Speaking and Debating Leader

College Leadership Team

Leaders of Learning - Wellbeing

College Leaders of Learning - KLA

College Leaders of Learning