Mater Maria New Life Magazine - Spring 2014 by Mater Maria

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NEW LIFE

SPRING 2014

MATER MARIA CATHOLIC COLLEGE

WALK IN NEW LIFE

A BIANNUAL MAGAZINE FOR PAST STUDENTS AND FRIENDS OF THE COLLEGE 5 FOREST ROAD WARRIEWOOD NSW 2102 AUSTRALIA TELEPHONE 02 9997 7044 FACSIMILE 02 9997 6042 WEBSITE www.matermaria.nsw.edu.au

Introducing our new student iPad program Mater Maria Catholic College is pleased to announce that it will introduce a one to one iPad program for students in Year 7 and Year 9 in 2015. This will be progressively introduced across each stage of learning at the College over future years. Following consultation with the broader community, the iPad has been accepted as the preferred mobile device option for Mater Maria. Since this consultation, the College has prepared for a significant program of professional development for teaching staff to ensure that workflow and teaching strategies are enhanced. As a starting point, textbooks have been bundled into e-textbook packages so to enhance the effective use of the device for learning and offset the cost for the parent community. The College’s iPad program is being implemented at an exciting time in the College’s school improvement agenda and will ensure new opportunities for students to enhance their learning, organisation and creativity beyond the constraints of traditional resources. In addition, students’ analytical, creative, collaborative and research skills will continue to be enhanced allowing them to connect with their learning in more independent and challenging ways. Whilst the teacher and student relationship will remain central to the education offered at the College, the iPad as a companion learning device for students will transform learning experiences at the College. Principal, Marc Reicher commented the ‘iPad brings an amazing set of tools to the classroom and integrates rich media to support more traditional classroom learning. Most importantly, technology encourages students to stay eager and engaged with hands-on activities’.

New Life is going digital This is the final print edition of the bi-annual magazine that will be mailed to past students and friends. To re-subscribe visit www.matermaria.nsw.edu.au/new-life-subscription

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Marc Reicher (Principal) and Brenda Timp (Assistant Principal)

Welcome Welcome to the Spring 2014 edition of New Life, our final print edition that will be mailed to readers. I am excited to announce that the College has decided to go all digital with New Life from 2015 which means that you’ll need to re-subscribe to the magazine from our website. Please refer to the back page of this magazine for more information. The focus of this edition of New Life is technology and this edition communicates and celebrates some of the College’s progress in this space. In 2015, the College will introduce a one to one iPad program for students in Years 7 and 9. The College is utilising a ‘bring your own designated device’ (BYODD) program with the support of the Catholic Schools Office, Diocese of Broken Bay. This iPad program will bring an amazing set of tools to the classroom and enable teachers to integrate seamlessly rich media to support more traditional classroom learning. I am very excited

by the educational opportunities available and its possibilities to enhance classroom learning. As a community, we are also thrilled to invite you to view our new website, which is mobile and tablet friendly and has been enhanced based on the analytics of our users’ on-site actions. The College has continued its journey to become an eSmart school, which was highlighted at a recent College assembly. I encourage you to check out the YouTube link in the article which was viewed by the gathered students. In this edition of New Life we report on some of the highlights over the past six months including the College’s 52nd Anniversary mass and our fiftieth anniversary at our Warriewood site. We also detail the construction works that have commenced for additional car parking and a senior student

recreation space below the Administration Building. On behalf of our Mater Maria community, I invite you to stay connected with us and join us for any of the events detailed in this publication. Please continue to stay connected with us as we transition to the digital publication from 2015 - we warmly encourage you to visit our website and subscribe now! With best wishes,

Marc Reicher Principal

Student Ministry Centre opens Earlier this year, Mater Maria opened a beautiful ministry centre at the College following the refurbishment of the lower level of the Administration Centre (former Convent). This new and designated space is for students and staff involved in the Youth Ministry and Social Justice programs at the College and functions as a gathering space to deepen our call to serve and learn more about the Catholic tradition. The space is modern and full of posters and resources. A beautiful prayer space has also been arranged so that students can know Jesus in a deeper

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Tadaoka Sister School Visit Mater Maria Catholic College once again enjoyed the great privilege of welcoming students from our Sister School, Tadaoka Junior High, Osaka in Japan in August. This was the fifth time the College had welcomed students and was a marvellous opportunity for all the students to deepen their own cultural awareness and understandings. The ten students and teachers visited and spent three days at the College. They also experienced home stay with Mater Maria families and attended school lessons at the College. Highlights included the opportunity to attend a Food Technology class where they prepared Kangaroo burgers and a

special Welcome Assembly that was held in the Marana Complex. In appreciation, the Tadaoka students performed a traditional Japanese dance for the Mater Maria students. The Tadaoka visit was an outstanding opportunity which created many memories and friendships. Mater Maria has enjoyed relations with Japanese schools for over thirty years. The value for people to people exchange despite advances in technology was highlighted during these three days and was confirmed in the significant learning opportunities that the students experienced.

and more meaningful way. When students visit the Ministry Centre at the College they enter a special space where the story of our faith is being shared, where they can learn more about others, where they can serve others through social justice and make a difference. The space is regularly used by the Youth Ministry groups at the College, prayer groups, sacramental groups and outreach students and is proving to be a wonderful area where peace and prayer can be enjoyed.

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Mater Maria’s New Website Mater Maria Catholic College has launched its new website with a dynamic new look. The website has been updated and improved dramatically building on the design aesthetics of the previous site and optimising the browsing experience beyond the typical desktop to mobile and tablet devices. Recently the College has monitored visitor traffic which has provided a complete picture of those accessing the site and their needs. Based on users’ on-site actions, the website has evolved and the College has improved what’s available. These

analytics have highlighted that 30 per cent of users are now accessing from a mobile or tablet device. An improved Parents Note Portal has also been launched. This component is intended to provide information for current students and their parents relating to all College correspondence, the College calendar, assessments and College forms. In addition, across the public and parent sites, most College publications have been presented in an impressive digital reader format.

Principal, Marc Reicher is very pleased noting, ‘the clean, uncluttered design reflects who we are at Mater Maria Catholic College. The images are real and powerful and highlight the unique opportunities available at our College’. The new website also coincides with the announcement of the introduction of the College one to one student iPad program for Years 7 and 9 in 2015.

JOIN US FOR OPEN DAY Sunday March 15, 2015 11.00am - 2.00pm At Mater Maria, the Catholic tradition in which our students are educated provides them with gifts that enable them to make contributions to others in unique ways. Our co-educational community is focused on learning, collaboration and rich and positive relationships. Our young men and women are called to nurture curiosity and be globally focused, ready to make an impact on the world in ways that matter. We invite your child to embrace our spirit of freshness, innovation, community and wonder. Enrolment Applications for Year 7, 2017 close on April 1, 2015

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52nd Anniversary Mass Our Lady Help of Christians The Mater Maria community gathered in the Marana Complex for our celebration of the community’s 52nd Anniversary Mass and our fiftieth year on the Warriewood site. It was once again an occasion that was joy-filled and acknowledged the abundant blessings that continue to be bestowed on the community. Fifty-two years ago, in 1962, the Good Samaritan Sisters established Mater Maria Catholic College, initially as a girls’ school. In 1964, the College moved to its current location in Forest Road, Warriewood. From 1962 until 1990, twenty-five Good Samaritan Sisters served at the College. In 1979 the College became co-educational and in 1980 the Sisters donated the land of the College in perpetuity. Responsibility for the College was later handed to the Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay and in 1990 the first lay principal was appointed.

The Mass was also a special opportunity for the Mater community to acknowledge and give thanks for our Parish Priest, Fr George Kolodziej sds and his twenty years of service as an ordained priest within the Catholic Church. Fr George reflected on his call to priesthood and encouraged the students to be open to the word of God and God’s call to serve. The post mass celebration concluded with a massive cake that was shared and enjoyed by the 1000 students, parents and friends who were present.

Our guest of honour for the Mass was Mrs Veronica Goodwin who commenced at the College as a science teacher in 1966 and retired, leaving Mater Maria in 1993. When Mrs Goodwin arrived at the College, the student enrolment was just 113 girls with six staff members - three Good Samaritan Sisters and three lay teachers. She worked under the guidance and leadership of Sister Cecily Pullen sgs, Sister Honorius Fitzmaurice sgs, Sister Therese Marie Fleming sgs, Sister Therese Duffy sgs and was a teacher and coordinator of Science.

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Car Park and Recreation Courtyard construction works commence The College is thrilled to announce that we have commenced work on additional car parking and a senior student recreation space below the Administration Building. Construction fencing was erected in August and earthworks have commenced. In total, an additional seven parking spaces will be constructed and the existing courtyard area adjacent to the Byrne Theatre will open through to the Ducker building. This space will become a natural entry and recreation area for senior students that will lead into the lower areas of the College from the main staircase entry. When the works are completed, we will be encouraging students and staff to use this as the preferred pedestrian access point into these existing areas rather than through this new car park/additional parking area so to provide increased safety for pedestrians. The recreation area already has magnificent bush and ocean views and will be an impressive gathering space for students in Year 11 and 12 to enjoy their recess and lunch periods. The College has been able to fund this project in part by contributions made to the Mater Maria

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Catholic College building fund in the years between 2003 to 2013. Thank you to families and friends who supported appeals during this time and we look forward to the wonderful new space in the College. The works are expected to take three months and will be fully in use for the 2015 school year.

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Cyber Safety Assembly As part of the Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s continued focus on student wellbeing and its journey to become an eSmart school, a special College assembly was held in June that focused on cyber safety. Representatives from the Student Representative Council and the eSmart committee led an engaging College assembly that promoted key messages about how to use the internet safely, smartly and responsibly. SRC reps identified that key concerns for them include strangers hacking in to their computers, online shopping scams and having their photos tagged. The assembly addressed these issues as well as the concept of a digital footprint and skills for cyber safety. A short film was prepared for the students and is available from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co05vXsTr0c.

At the end of 2013 Mater Maria Catholic College completed the Planning Phase in its journey to becoming eSmart, an initiative of the Alannah and Madeline Foundation and the National Centre Against Bullying. In 2014 the College is in the Implementation Phase. The eSmart framework provides a guide and supports Australian schools to implement relevant cyber safety policies, practices and curriculum and equips school communities, particularly young people, to use technologies in ways that are positive and that protect them from potential risks.

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New Life is going digital After twelve years as a printed publication, Mater Maria Catholic College’s past student and friends’ magazine, New Life is going digital. The decision to go all digital is in part a response to our readers’ favour for tablet and mobile devices and the College’s intention to have a more developed online presence and reach a broader audience. The College is utilising a format that tailors to the original display of the publication through a digital reader. This format can be viewed across mobile and desktop devices and is already available from the College’s website. New issues will continue to be produced in March and September each year and alumni and friends are encouraged to re-subscribe for the announcement email that will be sent when each digital edition is released. In addition new issues as well as archives dating back to 2010 are also available from the College website. 21/02/14 1:15 PM Page 8

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This is the final print edition of the bi-annual magazine that will be mailed to past students and friends. Currently over three thousand alumni and friends receive each edition. To re-subscribe, please visit www.matermaria.nsw.edu.au/new-lifesubscription-form and complete the form and stay connected with the community of Mater Maria.

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The Concert Band also had the opportunity to demonstrate t

OUTBACK INDIGENOUS PILGRIMAGE In April, twenty students from Mater Maria Catholic College and St Paul’s Catholic College, Manly travelled on a unique indigenous reconciliation pilgrimage to Broken Hill in the far west of New South Wales. It included incredible visits to Cobar, White Cliffs and Broken Hill. The aim of the pilgrimage was for students to gain a boarder worldview of the lives of others in Australian indigenous communities and a deeper appreciation of indigenous issues and culture. Against this red dust backdrop many other skills were also uncovered as well as the students’ desire to know more: many students marvelled at the remarkable difference in terrain and the fact that they were still in the state of New South Wales!

Sister Pauline Coll sgs with students at the College in 2011

AUSTRALIA DAY HONOURS LIST

The students had the opportunity to visit significant indigenous sites and experience first-hand our State’s vast landscape. An amazing visit to Grenfell saw the students in awe of traditional aboriginal rock paintings, uncovering the natural wonder of bush tucker and the sighting of emus and feral goats! Another visit to the community of Menindee (population 450) highlighted for the students the challenges of remote living, employment and daily life across the region. One of the most significant and spiritual parts of each day was the yarning circle around the campfire and was an opportunity for prayer, reflection and thanksgiving.

MATER MARIA CATHOLIC COLLEGE A BIANNUAL MAGAZINE FOR PAST STUDENTS AND FRIENDS OF THE COLLEGE 5 FOREST ROAD WARRIEWOOD NSW 2102 AUSTRALIA TELEPHONE 02 9997 7044 FACSIMILE 02 9997 6042 WEBSITE www.matermaria.nsw.edu.au

Sister Pauline was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to the Catholic Church in Australia, and as an advocate for the protection of women and children, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. Pauline said she was C to receive a letter late last “amazed” and “shocked” year from the Governor-General’s office informing her she’d been nominated for the award. “When I read it more carefully, I realised that I would have to decide whether to accept the honour or decline. When I read the citation, I realised that it was mostly for my work in helping to found ACRATH [Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans]. So this decided [it for] me,” she told. “If I accepted, then it would once again, at the highest level, bring attention to the work of attempting to eliminate trafficking in humans – and the work of so many women religious in those early years.”

in many ways supported me during those seven years of struggle, joy, pain, success and failure.”

Pauline said the honour, although in her name, includes all those who worked with her, “especially those who from the early days did the hard yards and struggled” with her. “It also includes all those including the Sisters of the Good Samaritan - who

Endorsed by Catholic Religious Australia, the peak body for more than 180 religious orders in Australia, ACRATH actively campaigns against human trafficking on a number of fronts: raising awareness, sharing information and building networks nationally and

From 2004 until early 2011, Pauline was a driving force behind the establishment of the national organisation, Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans (ACRATH), of which she was a founding member and the inaugural chair. Pauline believes collaboration with a range of organisations and individuals was fundamental to ACRATH’s foundation and its ongoing development. “It’s collaboration that gets you somewhere… that gets the momentum going,” she said. “I had a dream that such an organisation with such collaborative underpinning was needed so that those of us who helped establish it could then walk away when it was time and know that it wouldn’t ‘fall over’, [that it would] continue in all sorts of new and creative ways.”

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globally; facilitating action to combat and prevent human rights violations related to human trafficking; providing educative resources about human trafficking; and offering direct services such as counselling, rehabilitation and reintegration programs for people who have been trafficked. These days Pauline lives at the BallyCara Village of Friends in Scarborough where she continues “to be a Good Samaritan woman in any way that might offer itself” to her. “Although I suppose I am ‘retired’, as Good Sams there are always opportunities that arise to live out of the Parable [of the Good Samaritan], whether it be as the one in the ditch, the ones who walk by, the donkey, the inn-keeper, part of the crowd looking on, or the one who does something about what is being presented,” she explained. “As I grow older I want to do the inner and spiritual work that I need to do in these later years - to become a more compassionate and contemplative woman.”

The pilgrimage was arranged by the Youth Ministry Coordinators from both Colleges along with the Aboriginal Education Officer, Mr David Ella, from the Catholic Schools Office, Broken Bay. The six days were an unforgettable experience which deepened for students a greater respect and recognition of this ancient land.

It was an unforgettable experience for the thirty-one parishioners, students and past students from the Catholic Parish of Pittwater and Mater Maria Catholic College who travelled to Cambodia. The combined Parish and School house-building trip to Cambodia was a privileged opportunity to serve the very poor in this developing country and was the direct result of the generosity of the $48,000 raised in our parish and College communities prior to travelling.

For some of us, we were returning for the second time as house builders. What a difference three years can make - there was a wonderful energy in the city of Phnom Penh and a reflection that the place had improved for the better. The house building took place in a rural region of Cambodia, which still remains home to some of the poorest of the poor those who face multiple challenges in every sphere

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In the remote village of Kirirom we spent two days building the thirty houses. The houses constructed were simple. The raised footings (to accommodate the wet season) and frame including the roof had been completed prior to our arrival by local tradespersons, utilising local resources and techniques. Our job was to hammer the floorboards into place and sheet the exterior in corrugated sheets. It was hot sweaty work though tremendously rewarding, even more so because family members were eagerly looking on awaiting the completion.

overcome despair and contribute to their own future. Each family must contribute US$25.00 to the project which usually takes a couple of years to save. As well as building we explored the stunning natural beauty of Cambodia. The group visited the majestic Angkor Wat, the twelfth century Hindu temple in Siem Reap and came to better understand the tormented history of a country that survived the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. We visited the hideous torture cells of the Tuol Sleng prison (a former school house) that today is a genocide museum. We also took a guided tour of the killing fields - another sobering reality of the regime’s insidious control during those years.

The families we built for had participated in a unique family savings program arranged by the Tabitha Foundation, a program that invites the poor to

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of their lives. They have no access to electricity or water.

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CAMBODIA HOUSE BUILDING TRIP

This article was first published in The Good Oil, the e-magazine of the Good Samaritan Sisters www.goodsams.org.au

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5 FOREST ROAD WARRIEWOOD NSW 2102 AUSTRALIA TELEPHONE 02 9997 7044 FACSIMILE 02 9997 6042 WEBSITE www.matermaria.nsw.edu.au

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A BIANNUAL MAGAZINE FOR PAST STUDENTS AND FRIENDS OF THE COLLEGE

A BIANNUAL MAGAZINE FOR PAST STUDENTS AND FRIENDS OF THE COLLEGE 5 FOREST ROAD WARRIEWOOD NSW 2102 AUSTRALIA TELEPHONE 02 9997 7044 FACSIMILE 02 9997 6042 WEBSITE www.matermaria.nsw.edu.au

Among the 683 Australians recognised in this year’s Australia Day Honours list is Good Samaritan Sister, Pauline Coll, of Brisbane. Sister Pauline was the last Good Samaritan Sister to serve at the College and left at the end of 1991.

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A BIANNUAL MAGAZINE FOR PAST STUDENTS AND FRIENDS OF THE COLLEGE 5 FOREST ROAD WARRIEWOOD NSW 2102 AUSTRALIA TELEPHONE 02 9997 7044 FACSIMILE 02 9997 6042 WEBSITE www.matermaria.nsw.edu.au

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A BIANNUAL MAGAZINE FOR PAST STUDENTS AND FRIENDS OF THE COLLEGE

5 FOREST ROAD WARRIEWOOD NSW 2102 AUSTRALIA TELEPHONE 02 9997 7044 FACSIMILE 02 9997 6042 WEBSITE www.matermaria.nsw.edu.au

CAMBODIA HOUSE BUILDING TRIP

DRAMA MAJOR PRODUCTION

SISTER THERESE MARIE’S GOLDEN JUBILEE

INFORMATION CENTRE REFURBISHMENT We are delighted to announce the completion of our Information Centre refurbishment in the Ducker Building. Over the past months, the former library space has been extended into the old Amiel (Block E) classrooms and is now over 500m2. This improved learning centre is educationally flexible, offering students and teachers alike new and innovate ways of learning and accessing information resources.

GOLDEN MEMORIES AT MATER MARIA C It is a year of great celebration at Mater Maria Catholic College as the community acknowledges fifty years of life and being as a Catholic secondary school on the Northern Beaches of Sydney.

Thursday May 24, 2012 was a tremendous occasion of rich liturgy as past principals, special guests, staff, parents, parishioners and students participated in the Golden Jubilee Mass and gave thanks for the abundant blessings which have been bestowed on the College. It was also a special opportunity to acknowledge the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, the founding religious order of the College, and the remarkable gift they have left the community.

Marie Fleming sgs (Principal 1978-1984), Sr Marie Julie Duffy sgs (Principal 1985-1989), Mr Bernard Edwards (Principal 1990-1994), Mr Ross Cleary (Principal 1995-1998), Dr Tony Bracken (Principal 1999-2005) and Mr Ray Werren (Principal 20052010). As well, many former staff and students attended. Each principal offered a few words to the gathered about the defining moments of their years at Mater. Many drew reference from the five College values - Community, Justice, Hospitality, Spirituality and Stewardship - which were launched at the Mass and presented to the community as its challenge to carry the Good Samaritan charism forward to the College’s centenary.

The refurbishment program was instituted through discussion around best practice pedagogy to cater for interdependent, student-centred learning. This has led to the design of flexible learning spaces which encourage teachers to enhance each student’s learning experience and promote inquiry in our information-rich and technologically-driven society.

The Information Centre provides a context where students are able to work independently on using ICLT resources as well as traditional printed media. The Information Centre now includes three seminar rooms equipped with electronic whiteboards, notebook trolleys and data projectors. In addition, iMac and PC computer spaces have been created as well as comfortable and engaging reading spaces. Excitingly this will also facilitate a substantial expansion of the fiction collection. In total, the project has cost just over $200,000.00 and has been funded by the College with some assistance from the Australian Government’s National Secondary School Computer program.

It was one of those special opportunities when family, friends and colleagues could gather together in celebration to acknowledge a remarkable gift of faith and service at the Golden Jubilee of the Profession of Sister Therese Marie Fleming sgs.

Garrett, attended the celebration in acknowledgement of Sister Therese Marie Fleming’s wonderful contribution in consolidation and growth of this Mater Maria community.

In May, the Mater Maria Catholic College community were presented with the Drama Department’s 2010 Major Production - A Night with Shakespeare… of sorts!

who had found themselves meeting in an audition. A Mid Summer Night Dream’s mischievous little fairy, Puck, narrated the production and got up to a whole new bag of tricks with hilarious consequences.

The first act saw a performance of A Summer’s Tale – written by Jessica Ruhfus (Class of 2009). Jessica was an exceptionally talented English and Drama student who wrote this play as her English Extension 2 major project in the 2009 HSC. It was a creative and stunning script that was performed with profundity and humour. The play presented a collection of Shakespeare’s famous characters

In the second act, Year 11 Drama students remarkably cover all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). It was a high energy production, written by the College’s drama teacher, Michael Rulli and performed by a dynamic cast. It received rave reviews, rages of laughter and was not one for Shakespeare purists!

In late November members of Mater Maria Catholic College and the Catholic Parish of Pittwater travelled to Cambodia on a house building expedition. The building team comprised school students, young adults, staff and parents who felt called to be part of something that could make a real difference. The wonderfully generous donations from local families and parishioners, through sponsorship and fundraiser activities, provided $58,000.00 for the team to construct thirty-eight houses in the village of Kirirom, a couple of hours outside of Phnom Penh.

Pol Pot era and the challenges of moving forward from it. Working for the Tabitha Foundation, an organisation responsible for a family savings program, the group was able to lend its inexperience hands to build new homes for the locals. The houses constructed were simple in nature. The team arrived to a frame and footings already in place and took on the task of cladding the structure in tin and securing the timber floors with nails. Aching hands, occasional dizziness and minor cuts did not dampen the amazingly satisfying house building days.

Many teen and young adult eyes were opened not just to the suffering of others, but also to the level of comfort and good fortune which accompanies our lives here in Australia. The eight days were an unforgettable experience which provided the building team with so much insight into the plight of the Cambodian people. They developed a deep understanding of the country’s hardship in the

On the final morning the local families, their friends and the community arrived for a hand-over ceremony. It was a completely joyous experience for all present and it was clear that the house building team felt enormously privileged to be part of something so significant in the lives of these humble Cambodian people.

COMMUNITY WATER GRANT COMPLETION

Sister Therese Marie Fleming was the founding principal of the co-educational school of Mater Maria. As College Principal from 1978 to 1984, Sister Therese Marie developed special needs education at the College, enrolled the first boys, oversaw the construction of the Guringai, Ducker and Amiel Buildings, commenced the building of the Bush ‘log’ Chapel and developed educational exchange tours to Japan.

On January 6, 2011, fifty years since Sister Therese Marie had formally committed herself to the service of God as a Sister of the Good Samaritan of the Order of St Benedict, friends and family assembled at St Mary Immaculate Church to offer their support and gratitude. The mass was celebrated by Fr John Ford. Past, present and former staff along with our 2011 College Captains, Victoria Brooks and Matthew

The special guests for the celebrations were six of the nine former principals of the College, Sr Therese

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The College returned to the drawing board, installing over forty water saving cisterns in staff and student bathrooms. In addition, four water tanks have been installed behind the Fitzmaurice and Guringai Building and will harvest rainwater from the surrounding buildings. A pump station as well as subsurface connection to our existing irrigation line for the Slattery Field will allow the College to water our field throughout the year.

In June 2006, the College was successful with an Australian Government Community Water Grant application, as part of the Government’s $2 billion Australian Government Water Fund. The College, initially, had hoped to recycle and harvest wastewater at a suitable quality to irrigate our Slattery Field. The project was innovative and ambitious but proved to be financially unachievable in our local government area.

Once the project has reached full implementation, it will save close to 0.5 million litres of water each year. As well as the Australian Government’s financial contribution, our local College community has also added to the project. In total, the project has costed $59,890.60 and provides a practical, on the ground solution for Mater Maria Catholic College students and staff to save and reuse a precious natural resource.

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It was a memorable morning for Mater Maria Catholic College students and staff last month when a helicopter triumphantly lifted into place four water tanks as part of the finalisation of our Australian Government Community Water Grant project. It was a stunning display of pilot precision, as the tanks were carefully lifted in nets from the staff car park then safely positioned in an almost inaccessible area of the College site.

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A BIANNUAL MAGAZINE FOR PAST STUDENTS AND FRIENDS OF THE COLLEGE

5 FOREST ROAD WARRIEWOOD NSW 2102 AUSTRALIA TELEPHONE 02 9997 7044 FACSIMILE 02 9997 6042 WEBSITE www.matermaria.nsw.edu.au

CAMBODIA HOUSE BUILDING TRIP It was an unforgettable experience for twenty-one members of Mater Maria Catholic College and the Catholic Parish of Pittwater who travelled to Cambodia on a house building expedition in November 2007. The group comprised ten Mater Maria senior students, two members of the teaching staff, two parents, five university students from the Catholic Parish of Pittwater, and the group leader, Youth Minister Simon Hyland.

WORLD YOUTH DAY INCREDIBLE CABARET 09 Four fabulous performances of Incredible Cabaret 09 have been the recent musical highlight for Mater Maria Catholic College. After many months of rehearsal and preparation the College enjoyed the tremendous talent of our students in the breathtaking extravaganza of Incredible Cabaret 09. It was an iconic musical theatre medley featuring scenes from modern West End and Broadway productions including Fame, Beauty and the Beast,

Guys and Dolls and The Boy From Oz. The magnificent talent of over sixty students and the input of so many in the Mater Maria community were the driving force of the production. The first performance welcomed members from aged-care facilities in the local area who were also treated to lunch which was prepared by Year 11 Hospitality students. During the following performances, friends and family enjoyed stunning choreography and musical ability which highlighted the talent and enthusiasm of the students in the production. This was the third time Mater Maria Catholic College has produced a musical theatre production and was only possible due to the support and huge goodwill of the Principal, College staff and parents. Everyone who has been involved in the set design and building, lighting, sound, stage management, costume sewing, dressing, make-up and food preparation is congratulated. None of it could have been possible without the talents and input of all these special people in our community.

It was a tremendous week of celebration in July for our Mater Maria pilgrims and indeed Australian Catholics when Sydney hosted the Catholic Church’s World Youth Day festivities. In an epic series of celebrations and events the city was transformed, just for a week, by crowds of fervent young Catholics where public display of Christian devotion was cherished and the power of Christianity was contagious. Just over thirty Mater Maria students and staff joined the official Peninsula A group of pilgrims from our Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay and spent the week enjoying the wonderful series of masses, concerts and pilgrimages in an undeniably uplifting experience warmed by the Holy Spirit. It was a chance to be a part of something historic, more significant and beyond the everyday. From the power-filled Opening Mass at Barangaroo where Cardinal Pell spoke to an estimated 100,000 pilgrims from 170 countries and tens of thousands of Sydneysiders under blue skies and a glittering harbour backdrop to the arrival of the Holy Father two days later on the so-called ‘Super Thursday’ it was a

triumphant time that energised meaning, wisdom and faith with so many.

for these people who have so little, and who could not begin to comprehend the scale of the wealth and luxury of the lives of most Australians. 675

The actual building days were hot, sweaty, hard-working and tiring, but also great fun and enormously satisfying. The local people in the village were very shy on the first day, but by the end of the second day the tour group was able to play, sing, dance and have photos taken with them. It was also exciting on the second day to notice that there were blankets and personal effects hanging out of the ‘windows’ (holes cut into the walls) of the houses the group had already completed, indicating that the new owners had moved in straight away. The houses were a simple stilt structure with one wooden floor half way up, and sheets of corrugated metal for the walls and roof. There is no water or electricity in the village and the people are among the world’s poorest. The project concluded with a little ceremony, officially handing over the houses to the families. Their quiet but heartfelt gratitude was humbling in the extreme.

The trip was a great success - the group constructed eighteen houses; paid for with donations from a number of local individuals and businesses whose generosity was astounding.

The vast crowds of people and their flags; the chanting and the prayers, the singing, the drumming and the luminous strengthening of individuals’ faith were rich and varied throughout the week. The highlight, for many, was perhaps the glorious pilgrimage across the city to the Royal Randwick racecourse for the Final Mass of the sixteenth World Youth Day celebrations by the Holy Father, Benedict XVI. Early on Saturday morning a sea of people, in a universal celebration of community, moved across the city in preparation for a cool winter’s sleep out before the final mass the following day.

In order to develop some understanding of the hardships endured by the Cambodian people, and to put the purpose of the visit in an historical context, the group spent the first day visiting the school which Pol Pot had turned into a prison and torture centre and the Genocide centre known as the Killing Fields (just one of many throughout Cambodia).The experience was shattering; the atrocities committed being almost beyond comprehension.

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the affirmative for the motion, ‘The focus of Australian multiculturalism must be renewed’ against Mt St Joseph College, Parramatta. The College’s Year 7 debating team, comprising Bill Benton, Emily English and Liam Carrigan, progressed successfully in this competition, each week presenting a strong mix of fact, solutions and rebuttal. The competition commenced in May and involved the debating team travelling to host schools each Friday evening, where they present their argument in a formal debate following one hour of preparation.

A BIANNUAL MAGAZINE FOR PAST STUDENTS AND FRIENDS OF THE COLLEGE

5 FOREST ROAD WARRIEWOOD NSW 2102 AUSTRALIA TELEPHONE 02 9997 7044 FACSIMILE 02 9997 6042 WEBSITE www.matermaria.nsw.edu.au

SPRING 2004

A BIANNUAL MAGAZINE FOR PAST STUDENTS AND FRIENDS OF THE COLLEGE 5 FOREST ROAD WARRIEWOOD NSW 2102 AUSTRALIA TELEPHONE 02 9997 7044 FACSIMILE 02 9997 6042 WEBSITE www.matermaria.nsw.edu.au

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Presentation of Awards is a unique opportunity for students to be acknowledged for their talents across all areas of College life - in mission, academia, performance, sport, culture and service.

Rebecca Englund was awarded the prestigious College Board Mission Award for emulating the College Mission Statement and Sue Martin, Julie Bell and Sue Hanlon were awarded the Principal’s Award for Staff Service.

On December 15, the community of Mater Maria Catholic College joined together for a celebration Certificates and trophies were presented by Fr Paul centred on student excellence. The evening Walsh, our Parish Priest of St Joseph’s and St Rose; congratulated those students who achieved Mrs Anna Walker, our Parents’ Association PIP Academic Excellence and also Effort and Application Coordinator; past student and former College Captain V of 1995, Emma Norris; Br Tony Whelan cfc, our from Year 7 to Year 12. It also included the presentation of the College special awards which Director of Schools and Mrs Pauline Byrne, a former C acknowledged the most committed and motivated teacher and long time friend of our College. students and recognised their special contributions to particular areas of College life in 2005. In particular, A scene of the 2005 major Drama production, An

Odorous Affair, provided memorable entertainment, as did the sport segment of the evening, which recognised excellent efforts as well as our students’ representation at State or National level. A dance performance by Shaye Hopkins, the Technology Showcase, Fashion Parade and a presentation of nine major projects which were acknowledged for their excellence by the NSW Board of Studies added much to the evening. The finale of the evening, an extract from the 2005 Cabaret - Spectacular, Spectacular - A Night at the Cabaret - provided some breath-taking entertainment. Dancing, singing and wonderful costumes provided a spectacular ending to the special year of 2005.

5 FOREST ROAD WARRIEWOOD NSW 2102 AUSTRALIA TELEPHONE 02 9997 7044 FACSIMILE 02 9997 6042 E WEBSITE www.matermaria.nsw.edu.au

The development and ongoing implementation of this Strategic Plan is a collaborative effort requiring a

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The team toured for five weeks in

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PRESENTATION OF AWARDS

During 2006 and following the School Review and Development process, the College Board, College Executive and staff have engaged in dialogue around areas of excellence and those which require further development. The Strategic Plan, formulated with the assistance of Mrs Beth Gilligan, an external consultant, singles out our College’s program and identifies our focus as we move towards 2010 and beyond.

This fine group of students are the first Mater Maria Catholic College team to win this very prestigious competition and it is with much pleasure that we congratulate them on this outstanding achievement!

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Mater Maria has a twenty year tradition of welcoming students from overseas and since 2002 the College has offered the Stage 6 English as a Second Language (ESL) course, separately taught, and intended to complement the Standard and Advanced English Courses. Students take this 2 unit course as their mandatory English component as well as elective courses for Years 11 and 12. Throughout their ESL course, students study a range of English texts and are expected to develop skill in responding to and the composing of texts for a variety of different purposes – both orally and in writing. This is certainly a huge challenge! We have welcomed students from a range of different areas in China, including Macau, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and the nearby provinces and this has provided our own students with a broader understanding of another culture and hopefully, encourages empathy, understanding and greater awareness of others.

Well done Stephanie!

Whilst at Mater Maria, the ESL students are supported by an Australian guardian and an Australian home-stay family who facilitate their safety and maximise their study. It is clear that at times, the students have bouts of severe homesickness but over-all these students are highly motivated, with a determination to achieve the best result possible in the HSC. This has been of some interest to many of our students as they have not only learnt about another culture and education system, but have also seen the example of very focused students who have the added duty of grappling with another language in a relatively strange and new environment. It has been very encouraging to observe the generous friendship offered at Mater Maria to our students from overseas. The community makes each student feel accepted and part of our College. Gai Lloyd English as a Second Language Teacher

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Its title really did encapsulate the grandeur of the C event - Spectacular, Spectacular - A Night at the Cabaret was spectacular in every respect of the word - an impressive presentation combining musical theatre and fine foods which brought the Mater Maria Catholic College community together over three extraordinary evenings. After five months of rehearsal, the dream, the time and energy, the enthusiasm and cooperation of so many in the College community saw the show come to fruition. The performance schedule began with a spirited matinee for members of the RSL Veteran’s Retirement Village, Seaside Nursing Homes, Salvation Army Home for the Aged, and St Vincent’s Retirement Home who joined with Year 3 students and teachers from Maria Regina, Avalon; Sacred Heart, Mona Vale; St Joseph’s, Narrabeen and St Rose, Collaroy Plateau. The Friday evening dinner show was performed over a three course modern Australian cuisine prepared by our Hospitality students to the highest restaurant standards. Then, finally, on the Saturday evening our students performed for over

400 people in the Marana Complex to superb reviews and accolades. In the tradition of Moulin Rouge and Cabaret Dinner Theatre, the show covered a wide range of musical styles. The skills of those in lighting, sound and stage production perfected the moments allowing each student to shine. Whilst there was no storyline to Spectacular, Spectacular - A Night at the Cabaret, the audience was taken on a mesmerising journey through the world of musicals. From the historical setting of Oliver to Chess and the recently revamped Chicago, it really was a marvellous musical performance. The success of the show was a tribute to the commitment of the students, their parents and their teachers. Special thanks are extended to the Directors - Sacha Kilgour (Music) and Linda Homan (Movement) for their energy, enthusiasm and dedication to produce a show of such quality and finesse. It is also fitting to acknowledge the work of Klara Hollestelle-Watson (Producer) and Tom Rutherford, Sue Hastings and Pamela Malone in their

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C Year 7 debating team defeated St Our very talented Ignatius College, Riverview to become the official Catholic Schools Debating Association champions of Year 7, 2007. The students reached the finals in late July debating the negative 'It is time to keep the peace'. The competition involved over one hundred teams from Catholic schools and colleges across the wider Sydney area.

It is with great excitement that we prepare for the launch of College’s new Strategic Plan (2007-2010). This Plan encompasses the key aspects identified by our College Board, staff, parents and students and aims to provide direction and focus for the forward direction of our community.

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V CSDA DEBATING CHAMPIONS

After four consecutive wins in the group stage of the competition, the Mater Maria team beat Our Lady of Mercy College in round 16, debating the topic ‘Do models help in the fight against obesity’. The quarter final saw the team defeat St Mark’s College, successfully arguing the negative (for the first time in the competition) in ‘Is Australia still the lucky country?’ In the semi-finals, the team was successful in debating

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THE LAUNCH OF OUR NEW STRATEGIC PLAN (2007-2010)

The next day commenced with an orientation session with the founder and manager of the Tabitha Foundation, the organisation responsible for the Family Savings through Development program which includes the house building project, among others. This gave the group further insights into the plight of the Cambodian people during the Khmer Rouge years and also instructed the group on how to behave in the village where they would be building. Although daunting, the talk was also inspiring and made the group all the more determined to do what they could

The spectacular two hour finale to World Youth Day was a moving experience of grand ritual. During the homily the Holy Father asked the gathered ‘What difference will you make?’ and invited each pilgrim to be a prophet for the new age. It was a marvellous experience that ignited something powerful across the city and in the souls of many young Australian Catholics.

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A NEW GARDEN SANCTUARY AT THE COLLEGE Last year our Environment group The Environmentals led by Biology teacher, Mr Sean Marshall began work on a desperately ignored region of the College - the Gilroy Building side of the footbridge. A committed group of students and staff over the past six months have worked tirelessly to give this central area a much needed facelift. Wooden sleeper walls are completed and soil recently delivered by the Horton family has been moved into the new areas. A great deal of energy has gone into this process and the help of students, parents and friends of the College has been much appreciated. Another generous donation, this time by the Papalia family has resulted in several dozen plants of all shapes and sizes plus three truckloads of garden mulch. A grant of $1000.00 was also gratefully received from Pittwater Council in association with the ECO Schools Environmental Grants Program. This money has been directed towards the necessary tools required to complete the garden. This delightful new area, complete with native plants will to be planted and completed very soon. Thanks are extended to everyone who has volunteered their time, especially their muscles!

Other exciting additions occurring around the College include. •

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Mater now has its own ‘Gardens of Babylon’ since the garden outside the Amiel Building laboratories has been completed. This two-tiered raised garden bed contains herbs, vegetables and native plants. Soon, our well-trained earthworms will be merrily ‘worming’ their way through the compost created from students’ left overs in what is to become the College’s worm farm. The created compost will be added to the Amiel Building gardens. The gardens near the ‘Sails’ region of the College, now firmly established, are flowering brilliantly, and the birdlife is feasting on the delights they obtain from the flowers.

shared vision. Our College Board and staff will play an intrinsic role in its development, but perhaps more importantly, the real challenge is to connect with each stakeholder as we all work to enhance the identified priorities. Already some of the goals documented have been achieved and much more will be accomplished in 2007 and in the coming years. It is an exciting and challenging time in our College’s development. Each member of our community has a part to play in the implementation of this Plan and development of our strategic goals.

OUR FIRST MATER MARIA CHAPEL WEDDING Our beautiful Mater Maria Chapel hosted its first wedding under a glorious autumn sun during the April school holidays. It was delightful that the occasion brought together two Mater Maria Catholic College community members, both of whom have a strong connection to the College and its development. The marriage united our Administration Coordinator, Michelle Kalceff, and a former student who graduated in the Class of 1991, Stuart Hanrahan and was witnessed by over one hundred close friends, family and acquaintances. This inaugural celebration in the

Mater Maria Chapel was celebrated by Father Frank Dineen (MSC) from St Thomas Catholic Church at Willoughby. Michelle arrived in a white limousine and was presented by her father whilst a string trio harmoniously captured the afternoon mood of togetherness and celebration. Dressed in an A-line classic white dress and presented under the backdrop of beautiful Australian bushland and panoramic views of the ocean, Michelle and Stuart gave their commitment to one another and commenced their new life as Mr &

Mrs Hanrahan much to the excitement of onlookers. The simplicity of the ceremony encapsulated the beauty of the space and their love and passion for each other and their family. May the Chapel, as a striking piece of architecture and an everlasting symbol of our faith, remind Michelle and Stuart of their love for one another and the commencement of their new life together on the grounds of Mater Maria Catholic College.