Newsletter 17 2012 - 30 November
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
The end of a school year leads us to reflect on our accomplishments and challenges over the previous twelve months. By any measure we can only conclude that the 2012 school year has been successful on a number of fronts. We have again enjoyed strong academic results, we have celebrated beautiful liturgies and we have been part of prayerful retreat opportunities that supported students in building closer relationships with their God. I extend my congratulations to all our girls on a wonderful 2012. The up-coming end of year celebrations provide opportunities to continue to build a strong sense of community in the college as we conduct academic assemblies in which our “love of learning” is recognised and we take the time to reflect on the year. Our closing Mass will be held on Thursday 6 December, providing students and staff with the experience of being part of a vibrant faith community that recognises the place of God in our lives and who celebrates faith in creative and beautiful ways.
Year 7 & 8 assembly 11.10am
5 Dec
Year 9 & 10 assembly 10.30am
6 Dec
End of Year Mass 9.30am
7 Dec
Students finish
11 Dec Parent/teacher interviews 9am-6pm
Dear parents, We begin the season of Advent this Sunday, a time when we prepare for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. It seems almost inconceivable that we are coming to the end of the school year and we are preparing for Christmas. The word Advent has its origins in the word Adventus meaning “coming” or “arrival”. The Church focuses our attention in coming weeks on preparing for the coming of Jesus again in our minds and hearts. During this season of Advent let us try and show the love and compassion of Christ to our neighbours in need.
4 Dec
The 2013 school year is also shaping up to be very significant. Next year the college will celebrate its 140th birthday, providing our college community with the perfect opportunity to reflect on its history and to strengthen our focus on our Good Samaritan/Benedictine heritage. Planning is well underway for this special year, with events and activities spanning the four school terms, including liturgical, community and social events designed to recognise and celebrate this milestone.
2013 CALENDAR TERM 1 Teaching staff return ...........Fri 25 January Years 7, 11 & 12 return ...Wed 30 January Years 8, 9 & 10 return ...... Thu 31 January
As we come to the end of another school year I thank you for your support and your commitment to our college. When we work together we can achieve amazing outcomes for your daughters.
Easter break college closed ...Thu 28 March
I wish you a peace filled, happy and holy Christmas and a wonderful 2013 for you and your families.
TERM 2
Yours sincerely
Last day Term 2 ....................... Fri 21 June
Frank Pitt, Principal
Students and staff return ..........Tue 2 April Last day Term 1 ....................... Fri 12 April
Staff and students return .... Mon 29 April Public holiday ....................... Mon 10 June
TERM 3 AN INVITATION
Staff and students return ...... Mon 15 July
All interested parents are warmly invited to attend the final assemblies for Years 7, 8, 9 and 10.
Last day Term 3 .............Fri 20 September
Years 7 and 8 Tuesday 4 December commencing at 11.10am Years 9 and 10 Wednesday 5 December commencing at 10.30am
TERM 4 Public holiday ................... Mon 7 October Staff and students return ...Tue 8 October Last day Term 4 ................ Fri 6 December Teaching staff finish ..... Wed 11 December
For student enquiries, please ring Student Office on 4226 3969. For student absences, please ring 4253 5201 before 10am to leave a message.
Love of God · Love of Learning · Hospitality · Stewardship · Peace
FROM THE DEAN OF PASTORAL CARE
DIOCESAN SPORTS AWARDS
The year is fast coming to an end and the Pastoral Team has already been working to prepare for the 2013 year.
The Wollongong Diocesan Sports Awards presentation evening was hosted at our SGN Hall on 16 November.
Throughout the year the girls have been involved in a variety of pastoral care opportunities. Our pastoral care program in tutor groups has progressed with great success, with teachers reporting that the “Building A Better…” theme has enabled the girls to develop both individual capacities and relationships with each other. The vertical program promotes a structure of care that mirrors what happens in families, where older siblings mentor and keep an eye on the younger ones. This has clearly been of benefit within the tutor groups.
I am pleased to report that St Mary’s won the Vince Villa Award as champion girls’ point score. This is a culmination of our results across all sports in 2012, winning the Diocesan Cross Country, Senior Girls Basketball and Volleyball, and 2nd in Athletics and Swimming.
Within year groups the girls have also been involved in an age-appropriate pastoral program. Year groups have enjoyed presentations from Brainstorm Productions, Rising Generations and YLead. This part of the pastoral care of the students engages the girls in topics such as leadership, cyber safety and the challenges of high school. The horizontal programs have aimed to address domains that are relevant to the girls at particular stages.
Georgia Ohrdorf received a Blue award as a member of the NSW All Schools Basketball Team.
As I have mentioned before, St Mary’s is very keen to ensure that the pastoral care provided to your daughters is relevant, engaging and up to date. In the next week we will be asking students for their feedback via some small focus groups so we can hear directly from the girls in order for us to continue to develop quality pastoral care. I would like to thank the parents who have offered to be part of focus groups in relation to pastoral care. In light of the busy nature of the end of term, these groups will be conducted early in 2013. I take this opportunity to thank you all for your support this year and wish you a merry Christmas and a safe holiday season. Emma Magill
Congratulations to all our sporting representatives in 2012 who have contributed to this wonderful success. Congratulations to the following girls who received individual awards:
Georgia Ohrdorf and Sophie McGovern
Alexandra Parker received a Blue for representing NSW All Schools in Athletics. The following girls received a Sports Medallion for representing at the CCC level: Kira Steward - Swimming; Rachel Harris Basketball; Hannah Preeo - Cross Country and Athletics; Andrea Berrell - Athletics; Sally Dwyer - Touch; Madeline Martinoski Swimming; Eda Yakan - Football. Georgia Ohrdorf will be recognised at the NSW CCC Sports Awards presentations in February next year for her outstanding performance at the National Schools Basketball Championships this year. She was the top scorer for the team.
Hannah Preeo and Mrs Amanda Wilson
Georgia headed off to USA this week to participate in trial games of basketball against college and high school teams. She has ambitions to follow on in the footsteps of three past SMC students who took up scholarships to play and study in the USA. We wish Georgia all the very best in her future sporting challenges.
Belinda Sparks Andrea Berrell and Mr Frank Pitt
LIBRARY NEWS
THE KENYA PROJECT
Textbook return: There are still many students who have not returned their textbooks. Letters will soon be sent to parents with details of overdue books. To avoid having the cost of books added to the school fees, books need to be returned to the PLC before the students finish for the term.
The Kenya project is raising money to support children living in a community in Kenya, who have extremely limited access to education. In fact 75% of these children don’t ever receive a secondary education due to poverty, access to schools, and illness.
Holiday borrowing is now available. Students who have returned all their textbooks may now borrow for the holidays. We have lots of new books, so come in and stock up for the holidays.
A few weeks ago, two ex-students from the college (Karly and Katie) came and informed the Interact Club that they are going to Kenya this December to volunteer with this project. The Interact Club made a decision to support these girls.
Our student PLC Book Club has met a few times this term. We have had great discussions about manga books, and more recently wattpad. It has been a great time of sharing and I look forward to the Book Club continuing to grow next year.
On 9 November Interact had a massive fundraising day to support the Project. Members from the Interact Club baked all kinds of cakes and treats to sell to the rest of the school at recess. At lunchtime Interact held a BBQ, and raised even more money! Throughout the day, a number of Interact girls sold ribbons to create even more awareness.
A reminder to Year 11 to access Ebsco online databases on the PLC Moodle page.
Friday was an extremely successful day, as we ended up raising $1000 for this worthy cause!
This has been my first year at St Mary’s and I would like to thank all of the students who have contributed to the vitality of the PLC. Christine Rutherford
Thank you to all the Interact members for their hard work. Sevgi Murphy, Interact President
ORDER OF AUSTRALIA (NSW BRANCH) COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD Last Wednesday I had the privilege to attend the presentations for the NSW Order of Australia Association at Government House. Twenty young people from throughout NSW were recognised for their outstanding voluntary service to the community. Year 12 student, Tayla Howard, was our successful nominee. Tayla was recognised for the considerable time she has given to Horse Riding for the Disabled, Canteen, NSW & Illawarra Boccia (assists individuals afflicted with cerebral palsy), St Mary’s Barnardos and St Vincent de Paul. Tayla was presented with a beautiful medallion and certificate by the Governor of NSW, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir.
YEAR 8 COMMUNITY DAY
TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS WIN AWARDS
On 15 November Year 8 students from Edmund Rice College visited St Mary’s to join our Year 8 girls for a time of communitybuilding activities. This included trivia, vortex softball, problem solving, tower building with marshmallows and spaghetti and lots more! The students then enjoyed a sausage sizzle on the grass where they had a great opportunity to just chat with each other and further build on their friendships. Their only complaint was that this did not take place for the whole school day!
The University of Wollongong hosted a presentation evening for the NSW Senior High Schools’ Technology Competition. Four Year 12 students were successful in winning award. Amy Hulme won the Creative WOW Factor Award for her innovative jewellery collection for sensitive skin. The earrings featured spiral posts with interchangeable dangles and a hypoallergenic necklace. Emily Vellar won the Women in Design and Technology Runner Up Award for her unique fish tank table design for dementia patients. The design serves many functions and helps to put the patients more at ease through its use. Siobhan Ryan won the My Pantry Award for her allergy-free cookbook for pre-schools. The book makes cooking meals for food allergic children easier, is spill proof and contains information and recipes on each allergy. Alison Cotter won the Commonwealth Bank Women in Industrial Technology Runner Up Award for her interactive storybook Danny’s Adventures which provides a way for children to improve their literacy skills.
My thanks to students from both colleges who were cooperative and made this event a positive experience for all, and to the Year 12 leaders who organised the activities. Katie Fitzgerald
Congratulations to Tayla for her success - this is a fitting tribute to such a generous young woman. It was lovely to see our exPrincipal, Fay Gurr, and ex-teachers, Marina Ugonotti and Rachel McLean, at the event. They were also very happy for Tayla and to see another St Mary’s girl shine amongst the outstanding recipients. Liz Davis
Congratulations to these girls for the continuous work in their Design and Technology or Industrial Technology course resulting in such detailed projects. Tanya Robertson, Sonja O’Brien and David Malins St Mary’s and Edmund Rice Year 8 students WHITE RIBBON DAY White Ribbon is an organisation that raises awareness and works to stop male violence against women. White Ribbon’s goal is to change the behaviour and attitudes that lead to violence against women.
Tayla Howard at Government House VET WORKPLACEMENT Year 11 VET students recently completed their first 35 hour work placement. The students were well received by their host employers. Some of our students were offered part-time or full-time employment. Others were offered apprenticeships. Two students received an outstanding reference from their host employer outlining how impressed they were with their skills and attitude to work.
On 25 November it was White Ribbon Day, where men and women from across Australia were invited to wear a white ribbon to symbolise the oath to never remain silent about violence against women. On Tuesday, the St Mary’s Zonta Club sold white ribbons to students and teachers to support this worthy campaign. It was fantastic to see so many of the St Mary’s community passionate about this significant issue. Sevgi Murphy, Year 10
Alison Cotter
Congratulations to all students who attended workplacement. Sarah Heathcote, VET Coordinator
CONGRATULATIONS ... to Kayla Murray of Year 10, who has been placed first in the Open High School Year 10 Spanish 200 Hours for 2012. Well done Kayla.
Mr Michael Bee buying a ribbon from Sevgi Murphy
Emily Vellar
REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR
VET AWARDS DINNER
The University of Wollongong recently held its annual Regional Science Fair. The event attracted enormous interest with over 570 students from 51 schools participating. Students interacted with over 160 judges including professional scientists and science educators from organisations such as Illawarra Coal, HATCH, ANSTO and the University of Wollongong. The students representing St Mary’s were very successful with Meg Cummins, Bronte Mandaric and Marissa Couldridge winning the Earth and Environmental prize and Alice O’Keefe, Emilia Dobbins and Alexia Clementi finished runners-up in the senior section. The following students were presented with highly commended medals: Vivienne Connor, Victoria Somerville, Natasha Karabolovski, Hannah Shipp, Kiara Zentrich, Kiarna Rosandic, Simone Carmody, Laura Prentice, Natasha Bussoletti and Alana Ridley. Adrian Bell
On 13 November a group of staff and students attended the annual VET Awards dinner at Villa D’Oro. The awards are given to students who have shown great initiative, motivation and skill in their VET subject area. Melissa Unwin and Angelia Ianni received certificates of merit for their efforts in Business Services. Efthia Zissimopoulos, Maddison Fischer, Samara Nemer, Lucy Formosa and Olivia Holmes also received certificates of merit for Hospitality. The overall VET student of the year for Hospitality went to Olivia Holmes. This is an amazing achievement and we congratulate all of the girls on their awards Sarah Heathcote, VET Coordinator
Our Science students and Mr Bell at the Regional Science Fair HSIE Post-exam period, Year 10 students have been studying multiple new and interesting topics in regards to both History and Geography. For those who won’t be doing History again next year, it has been a frantic attempt to educate and inform them on fascinating historical issues and time periods, such as the controversial Apollo 11 moon landing, and the first Chinese emperor, Qin ShiHuang. Students have been divided into pairs, and allocated a topic to research and present in innovative ways to their classmates. In Geography, Year 10 has been delving further into the widely-debated issue of refugees and asylum seekers. In order to fully understand the circumstances that many asylum seekers face, we have been researching the footsteps of refugees from a range of countries and the challenges and prejudice they face in their new homes. Despite the conclusion of the exams, the HSIE courses are still continuing to provide a rich learning experience for all the students, regardless of whether they will continue with HSIE or not. Rosa Tran, Year 10
YEAR 7 ENRICHMENT: HOLA! LET’S LEARN SPANISH Year 7 students are really enjoying the cultural experience of Spanish culture and learning some basic introductory phrases to the Spanish language in their Enrichment course. Spanish is one of the top three languages in the world and the course is designed to learn basic Spanish - essential words and phrases to assist any global traveller. As well as learning the language, students explore Spanish culture, its customs, religion, festivities, cultural symbols and geography. They also find out about Spain’s rich history and tradition within the European world and its contribution to discovery and navigation around the globe. This course concludes with an opportunity for students to sample Spanish cuisine by eating at a local Spanish restaurant, La Marina, and trying the famous Churros with Hot Chocolate. Mary Boyle
Olivia Holmes SCHOLARHIPS HONOUR ILLAWARRA WOMEN The International Women’s Day (IWD) Illawarra committee are seeking nominations for their annual IWD Scholarships for Women which are in honour of three inspiring Illawarra women, who are sadly no longer with us, but left their mark on the region in the various fields in which they excelled. The scholarships include the Cate Stevenson IWD Scholarship for Women - education, business & community service; Kerryn McCann IWD Scholarship for Women athletics; Aunty Mary IWD Scholarship for Indigenous Women - general; Creative Spirit IWD Scholarship for Women - art. The scholarships are valued at $2,000 each and previous recipients have used them to assist in pursuing their passion for community work, sport and to generally cover expenses that could otherwise hinder growth and learning. Applications and more information are available at www.iwdillawarra.com.au.
FENCING Recently Courtney Buchanan participated in the NSW U13 state fencing championships. The tournament saw 220 fencers from across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Japan compete. Courtney was selected as part of the NSW girls U13 foil fencing team to represent NSW at the Friendship Cup teams event on Saturday 24 November. The girls did exceptionally well, beating Victoria and Singapore and eventually coming second to Japan. The individual foil competiton on Sunday was very hot (plus 40 degrees in the hall) and Courtney did very well fininshing 5th overall. After the direct eliminations Courtney was the 5th placed NSW girls representative. There are a great many school competitions next year and our fencing club is very much looking forward to representing St Mary’s.
16 Harbour Street Wollongong - Locked Bag 42 Wollongong NSW 2500 Phone (02) 4228 6011 Fax (02) 4229 8555 www.stmarys.nsw.edu.au