NEW LIFE
AUTUMN 2016
OLIC COLLEGE H T A C IA R A M R MATE
WALK IN NEW LIFE
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Opening Year Mass with Bishop Peter The new school year was heralded with a beautiful Opening Year Mass celebrated by Bishop Peter Comensoli on February 9, 2016. It was an outstanding opportunity to celebrate our Catholic mission; our hope and goals for the academic year of 2016 and for the Mater Maria community to join in Eucharist with Bishop Peter for the first time as the third Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay. The mass was a joyous celebration filled with scripture, prayer and music and was an opportunity for the students, parents and staff who were present to receive the Eucharist and open their heart and be witness to a merciful relationship with others. The theme of the mass centred on the College value of Justice and the Extraordinary Year of Mercy. Bishop Peter invited the congregation to join with Pope Francis in this Jubilee Year of Mercy and be merciful like the Father in our actions and thoughts. In 2016, each member of the Mater Maria community is invited to be neighbour to the College value of Justice. At the mass, it was explained that justice is our call to go and make a difference through respect and dignity for all in our world. Everyone is invited to take up this joyful call to mercy with an open heart that bears the struggles and weaknesses of our brothers and sisters. There were many opportunities throughout the mass for students and staff to be involved. This was evident in the final hymn - Trading My Sorrow which was a spectacular and Spirt-filled time when everyone joined together and proclaimed the joy of knowing the Lord. Our thanks are extended to Bishop Peter and Fr George who joined with us for this special celebration and to all who contributed in this wonderful celebration. In 2016, may each member of the Mater Maria community be the face of mercy as we seek peace through the pursuit of justice.
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Marc Reicher (Principal) with Isabella Caproni and Saxon Witton (2016 College Captains).
Welcome Welcome to the Autumn 2016 edition of New Life. I welcome you to this new academic year and the year of the College Value of Justice which will be our focus in 2016. This year, we invite each member of the Mater community to be neighbour to the value of Justice. Additionally, during this year, Pope Francis has invited the faithful to experience the merciful love of our God in this Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy which began when he opened the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica on 8 December 2015. I encourage you to take up the joyful call to mercy with an open heart and be witness to the struggles and weaknesses of those around us. The year has commenced with an awesome Eucharistic celebration with Bishop Peter Comensoli and it was wonderful to welcome him to the College once again. In December we farewelled Fr Joseph Lam OSA from the Lakes Catholic Parish and we have welcomed Fr Rex Curry as the new Parish Priest. We look forward to sharing in Fr Rex’s pastoral ministry over the coming months and years.
I am excited to announce that the College has extended the 1:1 iPad program to all students in Years 7 to 10 in 2016. Staff and students continue to integrate technology into their teaching and learning and there is a real commitment to enhancing the opportunities available to students as they develop their capabilities in critical and creative thinking, ICT competence and collaboration. Congratulations are extended to the Class of 2015 on their individual success in the 2015 HSC. Particular congratulations are extended to Jake de Kort who achieved an ATAR of 96.30 and to Dane Moltzen who was placed fifth in the State in Industrial Technology. On behalf of the College, I extend every best wish to the Class of 2015 and welcome them to the mailing list of New Life with this edition. Finally, the College was saddened by the death of Sister Pauline Coll sgs on October 9. Sister Pauline was the last Good Samaritan sister to leave the
College at the end of 1991 and in 2014 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 AsiaPacific region. I invite each past student and friend of Mater Maria to continue to stay connected to your College community and hope you may be able to join us for any of the events detailed in this publication. Please remember to keep us informed of your story and be assured that you are always welcome at Mater Maria Catholic College. With best wishes
Marc Reicher Principal
Engage with us through Facebook and Twitter We are delighted to announce that Mater Maria now has an official presence through Facebook and Twitter. In January the College launched into Twitter and Facebook as an additional channel to communicate with current and prospective students, parents, staff, alumni and friends of the College. The College is looking forward to building connectivity with the community and sharing successes. There are plenty of photos and announcements and posts that celebrate teaching and learning at Mater Maria. We encourage students, parents, staff and friends of the College to help us build our social network and to connect with us through Facebook and Twitter. We encourage you to follow, retweet, like pages, like posts and share the things that are happening at Mater Maria. Share with us and follow at facebook.com/MaterMariaWW Share with us and follow at twitter.com/MaterMariaWW
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Vale, Sister Pauline Coll sgs It was a time of sadness when the College was informed that Sister Pauline Coll sgs had died in her 56th year of Religious Life on October 9, 2015. Sister Pauline died after a battle with an aggressive cancer and was the last Good Sam sister to leave the College at the end of 1991 (and attended the Mater Day celebrations in 2011). In 2014, she 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. We invite you to read Sister Clare Condon’s SGS reflection. Last week I attended the Mass of Christian Burial for one of our Good Samaritan Sisters. She was aged 76. Today, in our Western society, 76 is not old. Yet women die from breast cancer at a variety of ages. Cancer makes no distinctions. Pauline had been actively engaged in many pursuits when, just nine months ago, she was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. She chose not to have invasive treatment, but to live each day to the full and to deal with dying and death in a positive and proactive way as cancer ravaged her body. Her response was loud and clear. “I’d rather quality of life than length of days”. She was not interested in prematurely ending her days because of what might lie ahead. But rather, she was utterly committed to living each day to her fullest capacity, as best she could, with the ordinary daily resources that medical care could offer. It is this attitude of hers that stands in stark contrast in a society that often won’t even discuss death and dying. For many people, death is seen as the end of the line and there is no life beyond the grave. Death, the great unknown, is to be feared and even denied. Yet we all know it is the one reality we cannot avoid. Pauline’s attitude to death and dying is also mirrored in the institutional life of Catholic religious orders of women, particularly here in Australia. We are daily facing diminishment as our older members come to the end of their lives and new membership is scarce.
However, contrary to expectation, there is no gloom and doom amongst us. We have a powerful belief in life hereafter, and death does not dominate nor diminish the life or ministries of individuals or of the group. Pauline’s funeral service was a celebration of a life committed to seeking God, with all the questioning and challenges such a search involves. It was an acknowledgement of her ministry to education and social justice, and in recent years, to her work for vulnerable women who have been trafficked and abused. She was a committed member of ACRATH (Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans). For my own religious order, the Rule of Benedict, as our inspiration and guide, reminds us of Benedict’s words: “Keep your eye on death every day” (Rule of Benedict 4:47) - a sobering thought, indeed! What was Benedict actually asking of his monks 1,500 years ago? Does it have any relevance for us today and how we live our lives? I think it does. Commenting on this dictum of Benedict, Cistercian priest Michael Casey OCSO, in his book SeventyFour Tools For Good Living, says: “These unwelcome thoughts need not necessarily depress or paralyse us. They can be a source of energy bidding us to make the most of the opportunities we have while we still have them”. We are all on the road of life, which ultimately leads to death. Whether we are aware of how and when that will happen is neither clear nor known. Death is mystery, whichever way we look at it. So I believe it is good to acknowledge this reality of ultimate death and to be willing to discuss our hopes and realities. Nothing is gained by ignoring this reality. Pauline’s approach of open and faith-filled communication assisted her and others in facing her imminent death. Parting from family and friends was still challenging and difficult, but by sharing with
those who were loved and who loved in return, there was no denial but a deep and abiding support and presence. We are coming up to the month of November. The Christian Church has a long-standing tradition of dedicating November to honouring and praying for the dead. The Church believes in the communion of saints. Such a belief invites us to think beyond the confines of this earth, to the big-heartedness of God, to the mercy of God, to the possibility that this life is only the beginning, not the end. November commences with two feast days, All Saints Day and All Souls Day. I’m inclined to celebrate All Saints Day for all the dead I have known, because of this incredible mercy of God. The idea of praying for the dead has a long history in both Jewish and early Christian traditions. It was then developed over the centuries, particularly by Benedictine monasteries. It was Saint Odilo of Cluny who, in the eleventh century, chose November 2 for all the monasteries dependent on the Abbey of Cluny to pray for the deceased. The November 2 custom spread to other Benedictine monasteries and thence to the whole Church. November is a time “to keep an eye on death daily” and to give thanks for all those who have gone before us and have influenced the world by their simple goodness. It is a time for contemplating death, my own and others’, and the possibility of being united in the communion of saints beyond this life on earth. 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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Justice - Are we Neighbour to Peace? In 2016, each member of the Mater Maria community is invited to be neighbour to the College value of Justice. Justice is our call to go and make a difference through respect and dignity for all in our world. Let us take up this joyful call to mercy with an open heart that bears the struggles and weaknesses of those around us. In 2016, may we be the face of mercy as we seek peace through the pursuit of justice. We invite you to read Fr George Kolodziej’s reflection on Mercy. On March 13, 2015 Pope Francis surprised the Church by announcing a Jubilee of Mercy which began on December 8, 2015, with the opening of the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. In Catholicism, which draws from the Jewish tradition here, a Jubilee year is a special year which draws us closer to the forgiveness of sins, in this case with a particular focus on God’s mercy. For Pope Francis, mercy is the interpretive key to the Gospel. He wants this Jubilee to deepen us spiritually, that we may encounter God’s mercy in a personal way, and to be far-reaching, that we may share this Christian witness of mercy with the world. Earlier in the year, Pope Francis wrote a document called Misericordiae Vultus which heralds in the Year of Mercy. In it, he writes “In this Jubilee Year, may the Church echo the word of God that resounds strong and clear as a message and a sign of pardon, strength, aid, and love. May she never tire of extending mercy, and be ever patient in offering compassion and comfort” (no 25). In reading these words of Pope Francis we would do well to remember what Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his Encyclical letter Deus Caritas est, God is love. “Love - caritas - will always prove necessary, even in the most just society. There is no ordering of the State so just that it can eliminate the need for a service of love. Whoever wants to eliminate love is preparing to eliminate man as such. There will always be suffering which cries out for consolation and help. There will always be loneliness. There will always be situations of material need where help in the form of concrete love of neighbour is indispensable” (no 28).
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What both popes remind us of is that we are all given the gift of God’s mercy, and that in recognising this gift we are also challenged to show mercy towards those in need. This means that we must understand what is meant by mercy. Mercy, in Catholic theology, means showing love toward others, especially those who are in need or who do not ‘deserve’ love by some normal measurement (think of those who are in prison, those who we are prejudiced towards, addicts, those who are downtrodden, and so on). Such mercy has its foundation in a compassionate orientation toward others who are in trouble or vulnerable in any way, and involves taking that experience of compassion and translating it to a concrete response. The Biblical scholar William Barclay makes a helpful point in relation to this: “(Mercy) does not mean only to sympathise with a person in the popular sense of the term; it does not mean simply to feel sorry for someone in trouble. Chesedh [sic], mercy, means the ability to get right inside the other person's skin until we can see things with his eyes, think things with his mind, and feel things with his feelings.” Catholic Christians often talk about two types of mercy: corporal and spiritual mercy. The corporal works of mercy are focused on helping others with corporal or bodily needs. They include: feeding hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, sheltering the homeless, visiting those in prison, and burying the dead. The spiritual works of mercy include: instructing the ignorant, counselling the doubtful, admonishing sinners, bearing wrong patiently, forgiving others, comforting the afflicted, and praying for the living and the dead. It is obvious that these forms of mercy are much more than an emotional wave of pity; clearly mercy demands a quite deliberate effort of the mind and of the will. Normally, when we feel sorry for someone, it remains at a superficial level because we do not make the effort to get inside another's mind and heart until we can see and feel things as they do. It is not easy to walk in another person's shoes.
And given this, mercy is not a quality we expect to see much these days. Our whole culture is saturated by an ideology that tells us that we as individuals are all we should care about, and when we care about others it is mostly for our own benefit. This being the case it is no surprise that where acts of mercy are so rare that, when they do occur, they make headline news. The world seems to prefer to insulate itself against the pains and calamities of others. It finds revenge delicious and forgiveness tame and unsatisfying. The mercy Jesus teaches in the gospel of Matthew "If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you." This occurs, not because we can merit mercy by being merciful or forgiving of others, but because we cannot receive the mercy and forgiveness of God unless we all repent. We cannot claim to have repented of our sins if we are unmerciful towards the others. The truly merciful are too aware of their own sins to deal with those in need in any other way but humbly and kindly. Nothing moves us to forgive others like the amazing realisation that God has forgiven our sins. Mercy in God's children begins by experiencing His forgiveness of them, and perhaps nothing proves more credibly that we have been forgiven than our readiness to forgive. Such mercy called for a renewal - of ourselves, of our families, of our parish community, of our Church, and of our world. But such renewal is done not for its own sake: it is done because we know that God’s mercy is good news, good news that must be shared, and so it is this that must remain at the heart of all of our efforts. As Pope Francis said the day after launching the Jubilee of Mercy: “If we were to forget, even just for a moment, that mercy is 'that which God likes most,' every one of our labours would be useless because we would become slaves of our institutions and our structures, however renewed they might be.” May we commit to placing mercy through justice at the heart of our lives for the year ahead.
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2015 HSC Results Our Class of Year 12, 2015 achieved distinguished achievers’ places for marks of 90 and above in the following courses - Ancient History, Design and Technology, Drama, Earth and Environmental Science, English Extension 1, English Extension 2, Industrial Technology, Information Processes and Technology, Mathematics (General), Mathematics, Mathematics Extension 1, Mathematics Extension 2, Music 1, Studies of Religion 1, Textiles and Design and Visual Arts. 76.6 per cent of two unit results were placed in the top three performance bands. 37 per cent of results in the same courses were either Band 5 or Band 6. Our HSC students achieved 171 Band 5 results and 226 Band 4 results. We are delighted to announce that Jake de Kort achieved our highest ATAR of 96.30. Congratulations to Dane Moltzen who was placed fifth in the State in Industrial Technology. Congratulations are extended to Olivia Bryant whose Textiles and Design major project was selected for the TexStyle exhibition that showcases the top twenty major projects in the State. Christopher McDermott’s individual performance was nominated for OnStage and Joel Green, Jordan King, Aaron Martin and Dane Moltzen’s Industrial Technology major projects were nominated for display at InTECH. Donald Amir and Jake de Kort were the joint recipients of the 2015 College Mission Award for embracing the opportunities encompassed in the Mission Statement of the College. Students of Year 12, 2015 have actively contributed to all areas of College and community life. They have exercised outstanding service through social justice campaigns, attended the combined Catholic Parish of Pittwater and College Cambodia house building trip, were publicly recognised in the arts, were elite athletes and have actively mentored and guided our younger students. They have displayed excellence and service in leadership of our student body. They are young people of hope who have all, individually, achieved success in the 2015 HSC.
School Canteen Services Teaching and learning is hungry work - but luckily there is no shortage of delicious, health food, especially now Total Canteen Solutions has joined us at the College. In January the College welcomed Total Canteen Solutions as the new contractor for School Canteen Services. Total Canteen Solutions is an Australian family business owned by Rose Giorgio and Catherine Albertini. Students and staff have been pleased with the menu offering which sources quality products that are low in fat, low in GI and low in sodium. All meals are made daily at the College’s canteen premises.
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Tucked snuggly in the Guringai Building, the canteen area was also refurbished over the holiday period and the area has been tiled and painted to create a welcoming space. The new fit out includes tables and high stools for students to relax and share in the nutritious food offerings. Total Canteen Solutions have been contracted to provide breakfast, recess and lunch service and the canteen menu is available from www.matermaria.nsw.edu.au/canteen. In addition, EFTPOS/Paypass is now available as a payment method for students and staff.
We invite your child to embrace our spirit of freshness, innovation, community and wonder. Please visit www.matermaria.nsw.edu.au for a prospectus, Application for Enrolment or to register for a College tour. Enrolment Applications for Year 7, 2018 close on April 6, 2016 at 4.00pm. Enrolment Applications for Year 7, 2017 have closed - waiting list applications only
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Student Leadership It is our great pleasure to introduce the College Prefects of 2016. Each of our College Prefects is responsible for a specific ministry in which they can share their gifts and talents, contribute to the College in a significant way and make a difference. These students are supported by a teacher or group of teachers. We profile each of the ministries below: COLLEGE CAPTAIN It is our pleasure to have accepted the role of College Captains for 2016. We would both like to initiate a legacy that the College will remember us by in years to come through being effective role models and creating a sustainable and effective bond between each and every student of Mater Maria. Along with the College Vice Captains and fellow College Prefect body we hope to serve our purpose with humility and nurture the opportunities of which we are provided with over the year to come. Isabella Caproni and Saxon Witton College Captains VICE CAPTAINS When it came to writing this outline, it was hard to come up with ways in which we wanted to improve our year group because, and we’re trying to put this as modestly as possible - our year group is pretty fantastic. So what we thought was, rather than trying to improve on our cohort’s enthusiasm, we should attempt to direct it, if you will. Our main challenge will be to decide what we’re going to do with this brilliant group’s natural talents and how we’re going to do it. As well as this, we will do our best to lead the SRC and do our best to ensure it is an efficient and effective decision making body. Emily Geister and Zac Shilling College Vice Captains
ARTS As the 2016 College Prefects for the Arts it is our goal for the year to provide and create avenues for all students to express their creativity. We believe that everybody should be able to showcase their talents within the numerous opportunities provided at Mater Maria, whether this is art, drama or through other co-curricular activities. We will strive towards serving
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the College as best we can within our ministry and hope to be inspiring role models to all students.
activities and events, and increasing the sense of pride and camaraderie through active participation.
Kelly O’Shea and Sam Chapman College Prefects - Arts
Zac Anstee and Jackson Borg College Prefects - House
COMMUNITY As the College Prefects leading the Community ministry, we intend to work together closely in order to improve the cohesion and integration of our year group and the College as a whole. Over the next twelve months we will strive to increase the involvement and enthusiasm of all students within the College community, with the intention of forming and developing relationships between students of all year groups. We also aim to further involve the wider community in supporting College based events such as Open Day and the Mater Festival, further enriching Mater’s sense of community.
LITURGY As College Prefects - Liturgy we aim to celebrate the joy of our faith and build the relationships for all those who attend. We intend to unite all year groups through student body masses and allow all to contribute in different ministries of the mass, however still follow along the lines of a traditional mass setting.
Bayley Matthews and Jacob Smalley College Prefects - Community HOUSE As the College Prefects of the House ministry, it is our goal to encourage participation, improve performance and strengthen the Mater spirit in all areas of College life. House is an essential component of the Mater community as it assists all students in coming together by embracing the College values. We aim to do this by; having a continuous and regularly updated House points system, including all students in Inter-House
Georgia Bathie and Claudia Mete College Prefects - Liturgy SOCIAL JUSTICE As the College Prefects - Social Justice we aim to raise awareness of the role of social justice within our College community. We hope to bring more attention and acknowledgement towards issues facing both individuals and society in our present day. We will strive to help these individuals and society by displaying the importance of acting upon these issues so that we can work on resolving them. We look forward to working with students and the wider community to promote these issues throughout 2016. Mia Roseworne and Liam Power College Prefects - Social Justice
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SPORT As the College Prefects - Sport it is an honour and a responsibility to lead this ministry which motivates many students and team success. It is important for the both of us to be driven individually and as a team, to accomplish the best in all areas of the sporting field, to be approachable, open for suggestion and have the ability to inspire others. Through these qualities and the use of them effectively we will strive to improve the College’s participation, involvement and enthusiasm around sporting carnivals and competitions. Maddison Hartmann and Patrick Flynn College Prefects - Sport STEWARDSHIP We are leading the College Prefects - Stewardship ministry for 2016 and we are here to make a difference! Stewardship is the effective cultivation and preservation of the earth’s natural resources and the surrounding environment. This can be applied to all areas of College life and through our active initiatives this year we aim to embody this ideology. We look forward to working with all students and aim to make College life a lot more ethically responsible. Shannon Moore and Luke Sheppard College Prefects - Stewardship
Good Mental Health In 2016, Mater Maria Catholic College will embrace the MindMatters framework to enhance resilience and positive relationships within the College community. This forms part of the broader pastoral care and wellbeing programs provided at the College and augments and builds on the College’s eSmart school status which was achieved in January 2015 and supports students as smart, safe and responsible users of technology. Good mental health is a key foundation of school success. Students with good mental health, who are socially connected and resilient, have a better chance of reaching their full potential. Good mental health is about students being able to work and study to their full potential, cope with day-to-day life stresses, be involved in their community, and living their life in a free and satisfying way. A person who has good mental health has good emotional and social wellbeing and the capacity to cope with change and challenges. MindMatters is based on the principle that the best mental health strategy is one that prevents issues from arising in the first place. For this reason MindMatters helps schools promote positive mental health through the whole school community, and aims to prevent mental health difficulties in students by taking steps to improve relationships and resilience. Promotion, prevention and early intervention are central tenets of the MindMatters’ approach and will be the focus of the College’s implementation of the program.
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Australian Catholic Youth Festival The Australian Catholic Youth Festival was the second national gathering of Catholic young people established by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. Three thousand Catholics from all over Australia gathered at the Adelaide Convention Centre on the banks of the River Torrens in December 2015. Mater Maria students in Years 10 and 11 enjoyed many opportunities to deepen their relationship with Jesus, be empowered to be disciples in the world today and encounter and celebrate the vitality of the Church in Australia. Students enjoyed plenary sessions, workshops, dialogue spaces, prayer experiences, live music, justice activities, concerts, Reconciliation and much more. Highlights included prayer sessions and new friendships made with students from St Peter’s, Tuggerah and St Paul’s Manly at our accommodation, pilgrimage with Broken Bay Diocesan schools to St Francis Xavier Cathedral to celebrate Mass with Bishop Comensoli, a moving session of Adoration, sessions with Sister Hilda Scott and lively concerts featuring Fr Rob Galea and Steve Angrisano. The next festival will be held in Sydney in December 2017 so stay tuned and we hope to see you there. For more info, please visit http://youthfestival.catholic.org.au/