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De La Salle College Newsprint
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Members of the De La Salle Community,
Issue 8 – 8 AUGUST 2014
Peter Houlihan Principal
TABLE OF CONTENTS: FROM THE PRINCIPAL ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 2 TEACHING AND LEARNING ............................................................................................................................................................................. 4 BRING ON THE SPRING – A DAY AT THE RACES.................................................................................................................................... 5 FATHER’S DAY BREAKFAST ................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 CENTENARY OF WAR EXHIBITION OPENING......................................................................................................................................... 7 PRIMARY NEWS....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 MATHS NEWS ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 CHAPLAIN’S NOTES .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 9 IMPORTANT DATES ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 10 NOTICES ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
FROM THE PRINCIPAL Dear Members of the De La Salle Community, Welcome to our second Newsprint for Term 3, which is already moving very quickly as things at De La Salle continue to grow and change in a very positive and promising fashion. Of most pressing concern for students and parents at the moment is the 2015 subject selection process. Students from Years 8 – 11 are engaged in a program to advise and support them in selecting electives/courses for next year. It is critical for Years 10 and 11 in particular that they demonstrate their capacity and potential in all subjects so as to ensure they qualify and gain access to their subjects of choice in VCE. Our current Year 9 students will benefit from a significant and exciting innovation for Year 10 2015. A new program has been launched, giving Year 10s unprecedented choice and the responsibility to direct a good deal more of their own learning journey as they enter the Senior School. Combining some core semester-based subjects with up to 45 electives across all AusVELS Domains and a range of VCE options, this represents a shift of great consequence in the learning program at our College. We had virtually a full house at last week’s Parent Information Night for Year 10 2015. To see parents pursuing such an active role in our partnership is very gratifying and ensures we are all on the same page. Based on the principles of choice, challenge, rigour and relevance, the Year 10 courses give students access to developing 21st Century skills such as critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration. This provides a solid foundation for the competencies and aptitude required to succeed at VCE level. I must thank the Year 10 Review Committee, led by Mr Steve Young, for their many months of hard work and consultation to bring this idea to fruition. The Assessment & Reporting Committee is also critical here, as they feed in ideas around authentic and contemporary assessment tools for the courses being written and updated. This work represents a shift - a genuine change in the way we approach learning and teaching at De La Salle - and now the process of review and renewal at Year 9 and down to Year 4 begins. On Saturday 26 July I was fortunate to be invited to a Lasallian Mission meeting in Sydney, along with a range of principals, deputies, board members and others from various Lasallian schools in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia. The Lasallians’ District Plan 2013-2016 includes the Formation Line of Action: “Provide specific formation opportunities for Councils, Boards, Principals and other leaders”. As such, the day was devoted to how we in leadership positions in Lasallian schools may understand, interpret and, most importantly, implement the ‘mission’ in practical ways. Br Gerard Rummery presented on the concept of our schools’ goals to be a Christian presence which deeply respected the culture and faiths of their students and their families. Fr Noel Connolly SSC expounded the view that mission in the Christian world - and by association in our respective Lasallian schools - should be a collaborative venture in which all people of good will have a part to play. Fr Noel encouraged the audience to consider the appeal and leadership of Pope Francis as well as the practical implications for our own local efforts to develop a sense of ‘mission.’ He also reflected on John Baptist de La Salle’s deep conviction that his own work, and the early Brothers’ ministry of teaching, were ‘God’s work’, with the clear implication that the work all us of do in our schools is God’s work. There is a link or message for us here with Sunday’s Gospel, in which Jesus showed compassion for the crowds, healing their sick and feeding the 5,000 when others suggested he send them away. The image of St John Baptist de La Salle is certainly one of a compassionate leader and role model; an image and example still very relevant for us today. The College had some terrific results in the ACC debating and public speaking events held last week. The Intermediate Debating Team of Xavier de La Masse-Homsy (10M), Keelan Tambimuttu (10M), Sri Kumar (10M), Shiroy Fernando (10D) and Liam Ramirez (10M) won all three of their debates. For one debate they were able to prepare a given topic and the other two were impromptu; a challenging event but handled with comparative ease, it would seem! Liam Ramirez was also awarded Best Speaker for the day; congratulations to all involved and to Ms Christine Thompson, who has been working with the team in the DAV competition, and Ms Haylene Peipert, who supervised and coached the team on Thursday. Our Public Speaking Team of Thomas Ponissi (Year 10), William Wright (Year 10) and Adam Crestani (Year 9) also performed very well in their event. He’s Learning to Live and Lead
Newsprint Issue No. 8 page 2
I am very keen to promote foreign languages at De La Salle and the many benefits speaking a second language brings. As such, I was delighted to hear two of our Year 11 LOTE - Italian students performed very well in last week’s Dante Alighieri Poetry competition. Raphael Canty (Year 11), who we think is De La’s first finalist for many years in this competition, was awarded second place – a tremendous achievement. Stefan Tsagaris (Year 11) was also given an Honourable Mention. UPCOMING EVENTS There are a number of tremendous community events coming up which I am very happy to see parents supporting. The Time & Space events – Year 7 Mother & Son on Tuesday 12 August and Year 8 Father & Son on Wednesday 20 August – are proving very popular and tickets are selling quickly. Time and Space Mother Son Register online at http://bit.ly/DLS-2014 Or email dls.mums@time-space.com.au Mother & Son Night,Tuesday 12 August 6.45pm for 7.00pm Start, College Gym
Time and Space Father Son Register online http://bit.ly/DLS-2014 Or email dls.dads@time-space.com.au Stepping Up Night, Wednesday 20 August, 6.45pm for 7.00pm Start, College Gym
Volunteers are still needed for both events. If you are free on one or both of those nights and would like to be involved please email parentnetwork@delasalle.vic.edu.au for more information. We also have the Bring on the Spring event, a day at Caulfield races with the Parent Network on Saturday 16 August. Details and bookings can be found on the College homepage. The Father’s Day Breakfast is also coming up on Wednesday 27 August. It is fantastic to see so many parents becoming involved in the various College activities and I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible at these upcoming occasions. COLLEGE REVIEW The College is in the final stages of our four-yearly review, which has been a valuable experience in reviewing achievements and outcomes since 2010, but more importantly informing our goals and targets for the next four years. This feeds directly into our School Improvement Plan and Annual Action Plans. I must congratulate Mr Mark Gustincic, Deputy Principal - Teaching & Learning, for his tireless efforts in coordinating the Executive Team and all the various data to produce our 2014 Self Reflection Report. The VRQA review found the College compliant in all but a couple of minor areas which we have since been able to address quickly and efficiently. The reviewers found the College to be in a very promising position for growth and improvement over the coming years and were glowing in their praise for the students, staff and parents who they were able to interview. VALE On a sadder note, the College has had a number of bereavements in recent times: Philip Happ, father of Visual Arts Key Learning Area Coordinator David Happ, passed away last Friday 1 August. We also keep in our prayers Luisa Moscato, College Archivist, whose father Carlo Moscato lost his battle with cancer on March 12. Josephine Gaylor, fondly remembered by many for her work as the College Librarian, passed away on Sunday 6 July. I ask all in our De La Salle community to keep the families of the above in our prayers. Thank you to all staff and students who have made the start to Term 3 so successful and for the ongoing support of all in our community. We had 140 booked in for our first College Tour of the term last week, which is a terrific level of interest and bodes well for our future. I look forward to catching up with as many of you as possible at the upcoming Parent-Teacher Interviews, details of which can be found on the website. Peter Houlihan Principal
He’s Learning to Live and Lead
Newsprint Issue No. 8 page 3
TEACHING AND LEARNING TRIAL EXAMS FOR YEAR 12 AND YEAR 11 UNIT 4 STUDENTS After gathering feedback from both parents and students from last year’s trial exam period, we have found the need to extend the trial exam period from four days to five days this year. This year we will start the exam program on Monday 29 September. This means students will be less likely to contend with three exams in the one day, allowing them to concentrate more fully on the exam they are undertaking. Trial exams are an opportunity for students to gain valuable exam practice as well as give them a real test as to where they are up to with their studies at this crucial point in the year. All exams will be marked and feedback given to the students on their return for Term 4. The trial exams will also be supervised by staff not teaching at the school, ensuring all VCAA exam rules are adhered to. Students are only expected at school for their specific exam subjects and will need to report to the Gymnasium in full school uniform with required equipment. Full timetables and other details will be provided closer to the end of Term 3. SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT SURVEYS A number of parents will have received notification via mail recently to participate in an online survey as part of the College’s ongoing commitment to the School Improvement Process. The survey is conducted under the auspices of the Catholic Education Office, with the main aim to identify the strengths and areas for further development of the College. The results are enormously important in shaping strategic directions and plans for our College and also include staff and student feedback. Although we strongly encourage you to complete the survey, your participation is voluntary. Individual responses will remain confidential, with feedback received at the end of the process as an aggregation of all responses by parents who participated in the survey. We ask that the online survey be completed within the next fortnight, prior to the closing date of Friday 22 August 2014. Mark Gustincic Deputy Principal – Teaching and Learning
KEY DATES – YEAR 7 2015 Please see the Important Dates section of this Newsprint for a list of key dates concerning Year 7 2015.
He’s Learning to Live and Lead
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BRING ON THE SPRING – A DAY AT THE RACES HAVE YOU BOOKED FOR A DAY AT THE RACES? Saturday 16 AUGUST, 2014 Make it a day out just for you and your friends! Organise a group from your class, Make it a day for the girls or the boys. Every parent deserves a day out! Get dressed up and make it a date. Help us raise funds for the PAC and do it for your sons! BOOK NOW www.trybooking.com/FDAG
PAT HYLAND – BRING ON THE SPRING GUEST SPEAKER Pat Hyland enjoyed a highly successful and fulfilling career as a professional jockey, winning over 30 Group 1 races including the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate, Golden Slipper and over 50 country cups. After retiring from riding, Pat and wife Maree searched for a location with a natural environment for horses to reside whilst being trained from the state of the art facilities of the Cranbourne Training Complex. Pat Hyland Racing was established and now, 22 years later, Pat has created amazing success as a professional horse trainer. Throughout what is considered a short training career to date, Pat has had some memorable success and highlights including six Group 1 winners, twelve Group 2 winners and over 10 Group 3 winners as well as listed races, Grand National Hurdle and steeple and country cup wins. Pat’s hands on approach, working daily in the stable and riding trackwork each morning, enables him to assess each horse in the stable and it's campaigns progress personally, drawing on over 40 years of experience and skills. Over Pat’s time in racing he has seen the industry evolve in more ways than one. We look forward to an insight into some of the superstars and characters of the turf that Pat has known and his view on the SPORT OF KINGS today a sport that is such a major part of our rich Australian History! Visit www.pathylandracing.com.au for more information on Pat and his horses.
He’s Learning to Live and Lead
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DON’T MISS OUT! EXCLUSIVE BRING ON THE SPRING FASHION PARADE 2014 Brought to you by Sharon Herdeman, Personal shopper and host for the day from Myer Chadstone… and a De La Salle College mum! The fashion parade promises to create amazing theatre for the day, and if racing isn't your thing and fashion is then this part of the day will delight. This is a unique opportunity to get a peek at the spring/summer collections before they hit the stores. We are incredibly excited to be able to bring our Myer exclusive brands such as Charlie Brown, Wayne by Wayne Cooper, Piper and Jayson Brunsdon to this event. Complimenting these diverse brands we are happy to also showcase our very favourite Australian Designers who have just launched their new summer ranges in our Myer Chadstone Store. We are very happy to have Cavalier Men's Wear on board to help our men out in the styling department, and looking at the incredible suiting they have lined up for the day there will be no excuses for all those husbands who struggle to put the suit and tie on for those special days. For those of you who are just a little bit curious, no, parents will not be strutting their stuff on the catwalk on this particular day! We have gone a little bigger with models from E and E Event Management. MARY ROSE MILLINERY Major auction item on the day is a fabulous Mary Rose Millinery spring hat! Mary Rose Millinery: 0414 707 398 or mrosemillinery@optusnet.com.au Proudly sponsored by: Melbourne Racing Club . Sharon Herdman personal shopper . Cavalier Menswear . ENE Events Management . House of Golf . Myer Chadstone . Amora Hotel Riverwalk Melbourne. . Thompsons Real Estate, Murrumbeena We look forward to seeing you there!
FATHER’S DAY BREAKFAST We invite our students to celebrate the father figure in their life at our Father’s Day Breakfast on Wednesday 27 August. After the great success of our Mother’s Day Breakfast we extend the opportunity to the fathers in our community to enjoy a continental breakfast with their son/s at the College and hear Principal Peter Houlihan speak about his experience as a father and a son, as well as his vision for the College. Breakfast from 7–8.30am in the College Gym, 1318 High St, Malvern. Tickets $15 adults, $10 students. RSVP by Wednesday 20 August. Book online at http://www.trybooking.com/96365. For further information email parentnetwork@delasalle.vic.edu.au.
He’s Learning to Live and Lead
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CENTENARY OF WAR EXHIBITION OPENING De La Salle College invites you to join us for the Centenary of War Exhibition Opening on Thursday 28 August. The exhibition looks back on 100 years of conflict for Australia and features a range of pictures and memorabilia which capture the reality of war. The evening will be a great opportunity to share stories about our families’ involvement in conflict over the past 100 years. The exhibition will open at 7pm in the Tiverton Campus Library, 1318 High St Malvern. Light refreshments will be served. Please RSVP by Monday 18 August. Book at http://www.trybooking.com/FODB.
PRIMARY NEWS PRIMARY AFL CLINIC On Tuesday 22 July Years 4–6 attended a football clinic on Malvern Oval run by Collingwood Football Club. Luke Ball, Lachlan Keeffe, Josh Thomas and Tom Langdon put the boys through a number of skill activities and followed up with a question time. During this session questions such as “Do you get paid ?”, “Who was your toughest opponent?”and “What was your background?” were asked. Luke Ball told the group that their training sessions are now GPS mapped and players have to complete a set distance before they finish (last session it was ten kilometres)! After the clinic the boys asked for autographs and chatted to the players about their football and general sporting activities. It was a great experience and we thank Collingwood and the AFL for their great support. Mr Ray Leetham Year 5 Teacher
He’s Learning to Live and Lead
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MATHS NEWS MATHS IS FUN! On Tuesday 24 June, 8 Benilde, Hegarty and Jerome participated in a Maths competition which involved problem solving activities. We first got into pairs with our friends from our homerooms and then mingled with other students from the different homerooms in the PAC to create multiple teams of six. We all felt slightly anxious awaiting the tasks but we soon felt a sense of enjoyment and completed the tasks. The various tasks included completing a simple Sudoku puzzle, creating 3D cubes with construction toys and creating a Tangram puzzle and a general knowledge quiz. All of these tasks made us utilise our arithmetic, algebraic, geometric and estimation skills. During the competition we had a friendly visit from our principal, Mr Houlihan, to see the work we were doing. My team 'The People' was fortunate enough to win the competition by just a few points against the eager rival teams. I can certainly say we enjoyed ourselves because we had the opportunity to work with fellow students from different homerooms and learn in a very interactive way. On behalf of the homerooms Benilde, Hegarty and Jerome, I would like to thank Ms Hawley, Ms Ryan and Ms Bermingham for planning and hosting the event. Daniel Papalia 8J
YEAR 10 MATHS GAMES DAY
On Thursday 31 July eight Year 10 students set out to compete in the Maths Games Day hosted at Mount Scopus Memorial College. It was both an enjoyable and competitive day for all who participated and the competition against sixty three other schools from all sectors of education was first rate. All students who went on the day worked very hard and although they didn't succeed in coming first, the effort and determination they showed, along with their fair play and good sportsmanship, was a credit to themselves as well as the College. Not only did it provide a challenging experience, but it was also excellent for their problem solving skills. Congratulations to Xavier de La Masse-Homsy, Jake Dziubinski, Lucas Perri, Winston Pham, Liam Ramirez, Tanis Van Laake, Kyle Williams and William Wright. Janet Holden Year 10 Homeroom Teacher
He’s Learning to Live and Lead
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CHAPLAIN’S NOTES CONFIRMATION Confirmation will be celebrated this Sunday 10 August, 2014, at 11.00 a.m. Mass at St Anthony’s Parish Glen Huntly. A warm invitation goes out to any of our community who would like to attend. Our final step before the big day is a visit this Friday with Bishop Elliott. The Bishop meets with candidates to both ascertain their preparedness and also to give them the opportunity to engage with him. We wish our 24 candidates great joy as they complete this last stage of initiation into the fullness of the Catholic Church. FIRST COMMUNION Preparation for this Sacrament will begin in the next few weeks. If you wish your child to be involved, and have not previously contacted me, you must register your intention. First Communion will take place on Sunday 26 October, 11.00 a.m. at St Anthony’s Parish, Glen Huntly. Contact information: (03) 9508 2161 or email: jferguson@dlsmalvern.catholic.edu.au. Today, Friday 8 August, is the annual celebration of the Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, the founder of the congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart and Australia’s first saint. A number of years back, before her elevation as a Saint of the Church, the College chose Mary MacKillop as patroness of the College Enhancement Centre. St Mary provides us with a great example of justice and equality of opportunity to all. One of the most used, motivating and known sayings of Mary MacKillop is “never see a need without doing something about it.” Live Jesus in our hearts, forever.
Joan Ferguson College Chaplain
He’s Learning to Live and Lead
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IMPORTANT DATES AU G U S T Sunday 10 August
Sacrament of Confirmations – St Anthony’s, Glen Huntly at 11am
Wednesday 13 August
Feast of St Benilde
Thursday 14 August
Parent Teacher Interviews, 4pm – 8pm
Friday 15 August
Parent Teacher Interviews, 9am – 4pm
Saturday 16 August
Bring on the Spring – a day at the races with Parent Network
Monday 18 August
Mid Term Break
Tuesday 19 August
Book Week (until August 22) Annual Music Concert – PAC, 7.30pm
Friday 22 August
Year 10 Course Advice Day – PAC 9am-3.30pm
Monday 25 August
College Tour, 9.15am Year 8 Benilde and Dunstan camp (until 28 August)
Wednesday 27 August
Father’s Day Breakfast
Thursday 28 August
Centenary of War Exhibition opening
KEY DATES - YEAR 7 2015 Saturday 23 August
Assessment Morning, 8.30am-12.30pm
Friday 7 November
Orientation Day
Tuesday 11 November
Parent Info Night, 7.30pm at the Tiverton Gym
NOTICES CLASS OF 1984 30 YEAR REUNION - SATURDAY 30 AUGUST
KILDARA CENTRE : rear 39 Stanhope St Malvern. 7pm For those that 'twisted by the pool', frolicked on Malvern Oval or fraternised with the De La Boys from 1972-1984, it's time to share those memories. BYO drink and a small plate to share. Please send photos to gabriellewindley@hotmail.com (Gabrielle Petrie). I will put together a visual slide show. RSVP by Wednesday August 27 to the email above. Pass the word around ladies. Looking forward to catching up with as many of you as possible. A small donation to the Kildara Centre would be gratefully appreciated on the night. Gabrielle Windley Learning Support Officer
He’s Learning to Live and Lead
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