T IGNATIUS COLLEGE SAIN
Newsletter Edition 11, July 17th 2014
From the Principal Welcome back for the commencement of Semester 2, 2014.
Coming Events July 2014 Fri 18th Reports distributed Wed 23rd Xavier College Prep from USA visiting Wed 23rd Year 10 Choicez Seminar Thurs 24th Parent / Teacher Interviews Thurs 24th Year 12 Deakin University Excursion Thurs 24th Year 12 VCAL Excursion Mon 28th Year 10 LOTE Indonesian Excursion Mon 28th Year 10 Debating Tues 29th Year 11/12 & 9/10 GISSA Boys Soccer Wed 30th Year 7/8 GISSA Cross Country A more detailed calendar is on the last page.
We’ve arrived at the beginning of another Term and I hope your daughters and sons have returned refreshed from the break and ready to face the challenges of the Second Semester. The new Semester provides the opportunity for a fresh start with most subjects being packaged into semester timeslots. Tomorrow afternoon your daughter/son will bring home her/his Semester One Parent Report. I encourage you to spend some time over the weekend reviewing the report with her/him with a view to setting some directions for making the most of the new Semester’s academic program. All students will take part in a Report Review Session this Friday when they receive their report. This will be a time for them to review their progress in a structured way. The results will be the setting of some goals. Can I please encourage you to ask your daughter/son to show you their Report review which for years 7-9 students will be in their Digital Portfolio and for Senior Students a Report Review document.
Years 7-9 parents are requested to please sign the Student Planner to indicate you have viewed the Digital Portfolio. This would also be an opportune time to consider all of the other commitments in your daughters/son’s life to check for balance in time and that she/he is attending to their physical, emotional and spiritual health. Examples of things to consider include participation in sport (particularly team sport), physical fitness, what and how much they are reading, how much time online and of course how are they contributing to the general running of the household? To follow-up the reports, Unit 4 VCE & Yr 12 VCAL Parent, Teacher & Student (PTS) Conferences will be held on Wednesday 23rd July 2014 (4pm - 8pm.) There are no scheduled Years 7 - 11 PTS Conferences for Semester One however, parents may request one by contacting teachers directly.
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In Brief
From the Principal (cont.)
This Page:
Staff news
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I welcome back the following staff from leave and extend our gratitude to the teachers who covered their classes.
Continuation of ‘From the Principal’ Continuation of ‘From the Principal’
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Fr Kevin Dillon Comment
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Ignatian ‘Examen’ Prayer and Reflection
Replacement Returning Gemma Tolan Jane Alexander David McCunnie David Alexander Marina Brown David Alexander Phoebe Morgan Mary-Anne Hawkins Rowena de Kretser Anna Oliver
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I also extend our sympathy to the following staff members who recently lost their dearly loved fathers. Mr Malcolm Campbell whose father Colin passed away at the end of term two. Ms Karen Perkins whose father David passed away in the middle of the holidays. May Colin and David rest in peace. Please keep Mr Campbell and Ms Perkins and their families in your thoughts and prayers.
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Year 10 Work Experience
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Year 12 Winter Formal Photo Gallery
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Canteen Roster and Year 12 Winter Formal VCE Physical Education ‘In the footsteps of Ignatius’ - a pilgrimage, EMA 2nd Installment 2014 Notification
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The Way of the Warrior, Nationally Consistent Collection of Data and Parents and Friends’ Association
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Year 10 welcome past students and guests
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Nationally Consistent Collection of Data information
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Geelong regional Information Expo
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“Raising space cadets” by Michael Grose
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Community Notice Board
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School Calender
Most Year 10 students undertook Work Experience for the last week of last term. (Some were unable to do so for a variety of reasons and they will undertake theirs at another time.) Mr Bruce Connor reports that the week seems to have gone very well with many glowing reports coming in about our students - well done to them all. This was a valuable opportunity for them and as well as learning about a particular career and the workplace environment, I am sure there will have been valuable personal development gained from the challenge such a program provides. Once again thank you to our Work and Further Education Coordinator, Mr Bruce Connor for coordinating this program and Mr Bill Miles (YLC) and the Year 10 team of Humanities Teachers for their work to support this. We are very grateful to the employers who generously provided a place for our students and also to the workers in those workplaces for supporting our students.
Teacher Inservice on Monday 14th July 2014 Our teachers joined with staff from the other Geelong Catholic Secondary Schools for an Inservice at St Joseph’s College on last Monday. This was a valuable Faith Development and Religious Education professional and personal learning event. The overarching theme was “Jesus and His historical context” and involved a study of some Scripture passages. We were very fortunate to have renown Scripture Scholar Dr. Amy-Jill Levine speak to us about this topic. In particular, Dr. Levine covered the following aspects - the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus and the women in the Gospels and an overall look at Jesus and His historical context.
Subject selection for 2015 During term three students in Years 8 - 11 are asked to indicate their preferences for elective subjects for the following year. Whilst considering options at this time it is important to discuss with your daughter / son her / his strengths, interests and post school options and review this every so often. The Semester One reports and follow-up “Report Review (Goal Setting) Sheet” would be helpful springboards into this type of discussion. Our Work and Further Education Coordinator, Mr. Bruce Connor, is also available by appointment to help in this area and students are welcome to access our Career Centre resources (located in the VCE Centre) by seeing Mr. Connor first.
Year 7 enrolments 2015 I am pleased to report that very strong interest in the college continued again this year with many more applications than places available for next year. The support provided by the students, staff and parents for the Open Day and enrolment promotion program was a valuable / vital contribution to this success - thank you. The very positive reputation of the college is a commendable result of the commitment of our students, staff and parents to our college community and its continual improvement. I have again made enrolment offers to 225 students (113 girls and 112 boys) for year 7 next year. ....continued on Page 3
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Feast Day As you are aware, Thursday 31st July 2014 is a special day for our college community - the day we celebrate the Feast Day of St Ignatius of Loyola, the college’s patron saint. All staff (teachers and school officers) will be involved in the celebrations where possible (e.g. limited staffing of office on the day) and of course all students are expected to attend school on this day. As you are aware from the newsletter late last term, it has been decided that we will do things a little differently this year. This year we will celebrate the day with a Full School assembly in the morning from 11:00am to 12.30pm. A special feature of the assembly and Liturgy will again be the acknowledgement of staff service to the college community (10, 15, 20, 25, 30 or 35(!) continuous years.) Parents and Friends of the College are invited to attend this assembly in the gym. Please report to the office before 11:00am.
Jesuit Asia – Pacific Conference During the holidays, I represented the college at the Jesuit Asia Pacific Conference on 8th - 12th July at St Ignatius’ College, Riverview in Sydney. I was warmly welcomed and very grateful for the hospitality extended to me. I renewed many acquaintances, met many people from the many different Jesuit ministries from across the Asia Pacific region and participated in a variety of sessions that took a reflective approach to the theme of sustainability. The title of the Conference was “The Planet is our home - A colloquium for Jesuit Schools on reconciliation with creation.” In attendance were visitors from across the region - covering China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, East Timor, Philippines, Indonesia and Australia. The Keynote Speakers were nationally and internationally acclaimed across many fields of Reconciliation with Creation. They presented interesting and challenging talks that covered three broad areas as follows.
1. Reconciliation With Creation and Spirituality Fr Jose Mesa SJ Our Education Today and Tomorrow Fr Denis Edwards The Call to Ecological Conversion Dr Patricia Fox RSM A Spirituality of Ecological Conversion 2. Reconciliation with Creation Globally Fr Benny Juliawan SJ Challenges of Globalisation: Teaching Justice to Today’s Generation Mr David Lukas Energy-Conscious: What You Need to Know about Global Energy, Today and Tomorrow. Ms Jacqui Remond Strategically Integrating the Ecological Call to Action 3. Reconciliation With Creation and Best Practice Fr Pedro Walpole SJ Simplicity and Sustainability Ms Ann Austin Best Practice in Buildings, How Good Could We Be? Ms Maria Tiimon Climate Justice I found this to be a valuable opportunity to deepen my knowledge and understanding of sustainability from a Christian and Ignatian perspective and to reflect on how I can act in my role and personally to incorporate sustainable practices and better educate for a sustainability mindset.
The group comprises 18 Choral students (Years 10 - 12) and 3 teachers. I am very grateful to the families who have volunteered to billet these students. A brief schedule for the visit is: Wednesday Welcome & some year level performances and performance for staff after school Thursday Bus tour of region Friday Some more some year level performances and a special Music evening at Terindah Estate Saturday Travel to Adelaide Mrs Linda Pape (Performing Arts Learning Area Leader) has been very busy coordinating this visit. I am looking forward to welcoming our visitors and their time here being a very enriching one for our school community. Best wishes,
Michael Exton Principal
I am very grateful to Ms. Jennie Hickey, one of our Board members and Jesuit Delegate for Social Ministry and Assistant for Education and Special Projects for her tireless and enthusiastic work to coordinate this conference. You might like to access some of the resources or find out more about this conference by visiting the website: http://www.jcapcolloquium.org
Xavier College Palm Springs, California, USA Visit Next week we welcome some international visitors to the College for a few days! They will be here from Wednesday 23rd July to Saturday 26th July 2014.
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A contrite Brian Lake has accepted a month-long suspension that will rule him out for Hawthorn until round 21 after the AFL tribunal conclusively laid the blame for Friday night’s ugly scuffle with Drew Petrie at his feet alone. While Petrie was given only a token reprimand with no carry-over points, on the basis his grabbing of Lake’s face was in self defence, the Hawthorn defender was given a ban that will rule him out of the club’s matches against Adelaide, Sydney, Western Bulldogs and Melbourne. He will be available for selection from the Hawks’ trip to face Fremantle on August 17. Lake’s argument that he was attempting to grab at the lapel of Petrie’s jumper, rather than place his hands on his throat, did not sway the tribunal jury of Wayne Schimmelbusch, David Neitz and Richard Loveridge from accepting the prosecution’s contention that Lake’s action had constituted forceful impact and had the potential to cause serious injury to Petrie. Lake, the reigning Norm Smith Medallist, was contrite after the hearing. ‘‘It’s been a tough couple of days for myself and my family. It’s great to come here and get my point across on what happened,’’ he said. ‘‘I respect the jury’s decision on the four weeks.” “The Age”, Wed. July 9
From Fr Kevin Dillon Wednesday night’s “Sports Today” program on 3AW featured a wide-ranging discussion regarding the four-match suspension incurred by Hawthorn player (and 2013 Norm Smith Medallist) Brian Lake. The suspension was the penalty for an ugly incident last Friday night involving Lake and North Melbourne’s Drew Petrie. Lake was called to account for having his hands around Petrie’s throat, forcing Petrie to fight him off desperately. Callers to the program, inevitably, had varied perspectives on the Tribunal’s decision to suspend Lake for four matches. Some felt it was too severe, others about right, and quite a few wanted something that would hurt more, and seriously deter others including junior footballers, from even thinking about doing something like that themselves. Then one caller asked a profound, yet simple question: “What would you think”, he asked Gerard Healey and Dwayne Russell, “and how would you view the 4-week penalty, if the player on the ground, with an opposition player’s hands around his throat, was not Drew Petrie, but your son, your brother, your friend - someone you loved? And while you looked on helplessly, you were genuinely fearing serious physical damage, or even a real threat to his life!” The show’s hosts acknowledged the question shone a whole new light on how the penalty, and the incident itself, could be perceived. It was now no longer about Brian Lake, or Hawthorn, or even footy.
Financial Hardship At a recent College Board meeting concern for those affected by the recent job losses across the region was expressed. One outcome of our discussion was that I would mention in the newsletter the College’s willingness to meet with parents/ guardians who find themselves in such circumstances to discuss what support we can provide to alleviate family concerns about being able to continue at the College. This also applies to other cases where a family encounters financial hardship. As you would expect, such matters are managed confidently and respectfully. Please contact our Business Manager, Mr David Fitzgerald to make an appointment to discuss such matters.
It was about how differently we see things if and when we are personally involved. And it was about how, as we move from one day to the next, making judgements and assessing all kinds of different situations, putting ourselves or someone we care about or love in the picture makes an enormous difference. We hear the road toll. “Fourteen more than this time last year”. While it may not be a case of “Ho hum!”, the statistics are far different if someone we know or love is among them. Workers lose their jobs. “Yeah, yeah, that’s a pity!” But we fear unemployment far more when the job lost is ours, or that of someone we care about. Putting ourselves in the picture is not only about gathering information. It’s about “treating others the way we would like to be treated ourselves”. That’s a fundamental, practical and magnificent guide to life. When we put ourselves in the picture, more often than not the picture can be quite different
Fr Kevin Dillon, Geelong Deanery Coordinator and Association of Canonical Administrator President, OAM
Important Note: Head Lice While children are at school many families will have contact with head lice. Head lice have been around for thousands of years. As with any insect, they learn to adapt to their environment in order to survive. We are never going to be completely rid of them, but we can make managing them easier. Could all families please be vigilant and check your child’s hair. We have extra information sheets titled “Frequently asked questions” and “Scratching for answers” that can be posted out. If you would like further information please contact the College Office on 5251 1136
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The Five Steps of the Ignatian ‘Examen’ Prayer Thanks I give thanks for the graces, benefits and good things of my day. Help I ask the Holy Spirit for help to discern my day with openess. Review I review my day, hour by hour, to see how God is working in my life. Response I respond to what I felt or learnt in the review of my day. Resolve I resolve with hope and grace to amend my life tomorrow. ‘Examen’ adaption by Fr. Michael Hansen SJ)
Ignatian Spirituality Reflection At the end of last term, our college received a beautiful gift of a book for our library from Newman College, the Jesuit run college at Melbourne University. The book “A Local Habitation: Poems and Homilies” is a compilation of writings of the acclaimed Australian poet and academic, Peter Steele S.J. who died two years ago. Peter Steele’s literary and spiritual legacy to Australia has received the highest praise. He was honoured by the Queen, appointed a Member of the General Division of the Order of Australia for ‘service to literature and higher education as a poet, author, scholar and teacher, and to the Catholic Church’. Because of our partnership with the Jesuits, which has brought this college, so much blessing, we pause now and reflect on a segment of a homily delivered by Fr. Steele in the chapel of Newman College. You will have noticed that, for the bulk of the Christian liturgical year, the word ‘Alleluia’ crops up steadily. This word is a kind of cheer; it means literally, ‘praised be God’ and that praising or thanking is for God’s having taken our part and acted on our behalf. It is what might be called the happiness cry or call, first of Jews and then of Christians. And I stress the fact that, in the Church’s ceremonies, it is not confined, say, to Christmas time or to Easter time: it is a noise prescribed to be made through much of the common run of the year. In other words, we are summoned back, again and again, from what can easily become a stale or dispirited attitude to renewed faith in Jesus the pioneer of our enduring happiness.
It would be mere impertinence for me to try to prescribe how any one of us in particular might come to so blessed a frame of mind. The road there can be oblique and winding, and we can certainly feel bogged down and in the dark more often than we would have chosen for ourselves. In the same Gospel passage we heard a few minutes ago, Jesus the life-bringer and liberator says that the greatest love we can show is to give ourselves, life and all if necessary, for our friends; and sometimes our resurrected joy has to emerge from a love which is sacrificial – as it did for Jesus himself. But it remains true that, even in this world of challenges and burdens and frequent frustrations, we are in training for, we are being schooled for, unflawed happiness: we are all the apprentices of joy. This is true of each of us, and it is true of all of us - not just this little band in the chapel, and not just the body of the Church throughout the world, but every man, woman and child on this planet. And since that is so, anything we can do to foster innocent happiness in the lives of others is not only a kindly act, it is a godly act, in which we are the agents of the Holy Spirit of Joy. Let us pray now that we may have the wit to see how to do this, and the heart to persist in our attempts. Sixth Sunday of Easter, 2003 Reference: A Local Habitation: Poems and Homilies, Peter Steele S.J., edited by Sean Burke. Published by Newman College, 2010.
Some of the older ones here today may remember that when were young we attended Masses, said in Latin, in which at the beginning the altar server named ‘the God who brings joy to my youth’: it was a beautiful prayer and I cherish it still. But perhaps millions of people, off and on over the centuries, have wondered about God as the bringer of joy to old age. If we can indeed say ‘Alleluia’ with all our heart when we are (say) forty-five or (say) seventy-five, this will be some blessing.
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Year 12 Winter Formal (Article on Page 7)
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Canteen Roster Starting 21st July Monday 21st A. Brown, J. Chainski, Needed Tuesday 22nd R. Morrison, T. Waring, D. Gardner, L. Vella Wednesday 23rd T. Wagener, S. Wilkens, P. Vaughan, M. Sideris Thursday 24th S. Clark, N. Lowther, P. Bakker, T. Tormey Friday 25th E. Stokie, S. Smith, K. Fitzpatrick, L. Hart Starting 28th July Monday 28th A. Smith, C. Dumarezq, R. Scott, M. Hannan Tuesday 29th L. Vella, S. Crawley, Needed Wednesday 30th T. Mifsud, L. Eastwood, C. Ford
Year 12 Winter Formal On the 11th of June 2014 the CLOGS (Catholic Leaders of Geelong Schools) Winter Formal was held at Sacred Heart College. All of the year 12’s from Sacred Heart College, Clonard College, St. Josephs College and Saint Ignatius College were invited to attend the event in order to raise money and awareness for Headspace, a national youth mental health foundation, who help young people going through a tough time. From the beginning of the year we have been meeting with all of the other college captains from the other three Catholic schools on a fortnightly basis, and then a weekly basis in the months leading up to the event. Planning and organising the event was an engaging and rewarding experience and attention was paid to saving as much money as possible in order to donate as much money as possible for Headspace. The night began at 7pm and finished at 11pm and included a winter wonderland theme, where the Sacred Heart College O’Dwyer Centre was glowing with lights, lanterns and snowflakes. The entertainment for the night was two DJ’s including Paddy Slack, a former Saint Joseph’s College student and Zane Micallef, a year 12 student at Saint Ignatius College. A big thanks to Paddy and Zane for their time and skills donated on the night - the music was fantastic and they made the night what it was.
A presentation form Tony McManus, a mental health advocate for Melbourne and Headspace, who explained where the money was going and how to seek help if you or a friend were suffering from a mental health issue, was also included. Yeah 12 student leaders from the four Catholic schools provided the food and a big thanks goes to these students for catering the event. The evening was supervised by teachers from each of the schools. A huge thank you goes to Sarah Callahan, Fran Kealey, Anthony Gravener, Sarah Pitaro, Roddy Nash, Julia Hall, Andrew Smith, John Clatworthy and Julie Wilson who helped to supervise the event. Year 12 co-ordinator, Joe McLean also helped to guide us in organising the event, and he along with Michael Exton and Paul Lewis, supervised on the night. The night was documented by Byron Mitchell, who gave up his time to take photos of the year 12 students (See photo gallery on the previous page). Thank you to all of these staff member who made the event possible. In summary, the Winter Formal was a fantastic night, where approximately 400 students came together to raise money and awareness for Headspace, along with just having a good time socialising with students from other schools. Thank you to all those involved. Molly Cathcart and Josh Smith.
Thursday 31st M. White, M. Gill, M. Sagor Friday 1st August D. Kennedy, L. Qvinlivan, Needed If unable to attend, please make sure you get a replacement.
Fran Lakey Tel: 0409 366 545
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VCE Physical Education On Wednesday 25th of June students studying VCE Unit 3 and 4 Physical Education had the opportunity to visit and experience the unique sporting and testing facilities at Exercise Research Australia Melbourne. Exercise Research Australia (ERA) engaged our students for a four-hour period by using an interactive approach based around the curriculum covered in Unit 3 and 4. The students participated in three sessions; Theory, Energy Systems Testing and Training Methods Laboratory. The purpose of the excursion was to allow students to gain first hand experience of how to apply key concepts to athletic performance, to further enhance their understanding of school assessed coursework using laboratory activities and to work with leading Australian sports scientists in a nationally recognised testing facility. Many thanks to James Peers (VO2 Max Test), Ben Potter (Body Composition) and Mitch O’Dowd (Anaerobic Analysis) for participating and allowing the class to assess their fitness. All achieved excellent results for all the students to study and to the students for representing the College in a pleasing manner. Many thanks to Donna Quigley for attending and supporting the students in gaining further knowledge in this area. Mitch O’Dowd (Anaerobic Analysis)
James Peers (VO2 Max Test)
Joe McLean Year 12 Physical Education Teacher Health and Physical Education Learning Area Leader.
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‘In the footsteps of Ignatius’ - a pilgrimage In the forthcoming September school holidays Michael Exton and I will be part of a Pilgrimage - “In the Footsteps of Ignatius”.
And Guggenheim Museum - Bilbao. Birthplace of Ignatius’ mother Azpeitia.
We are extremely fortunate to have this opportunity which is offered by the Australian Jesuit Province every two years. There will be 13 members of staff from the Jesuit and Partner Schools around Australia making up the Pilgrimage group. We will be directed by Fr David Ryan SJ who will be our Pilgrimage Chaplain and Mr Chris Lynch (DP- Ignatian Mission and Identity, Loyola College Watsonia) who will coordinate and lead the Pilgrimage.
l Montserrat The monastery at Montserrat houses the “Black Madonna” statue where Ignatius made his long confession and lay down his sword.
A pilgrim: l physically travels and moves, to seek greater understanding and insight l journeys with “open senses” and is especially aware of the presence of God l travels to holy sites to encounter the sacred and deepen their faith.
l Manresa Where Ignatius lived in a cave for several months, had a number of spiritual experiences and developed the “Spiritual Exercises”. l Barcelona Ignatius went back to school, aged 33, to study Latin. This was a necessary preliminary for university studies and the priesthood.
St Ignatius is quoted as saying “the labourers of the Lord’s vineyard should have one foot on the ground and the other raised to proceed on their journey”.
l La Storta and Rome In Rome Ignatius gained approval from Pope Paul III in 1540 to set up the religious order of The Society of Jesus (known as the Jesuits). Ignatius lived the rest of his life there as the “leader” of the Jesuits. In this time Ignatius wrote the “Constitutions” for this new and rapidly growing religious order Ignatius also wrote more than 700 letters that provided guidance and advice to the Jesuits who had travelled to all parts of the world to undertake their work as missionaries.
The Pilgrimage will take us to the most significant places in Ignatius’ life:
Why are we undertaking such a trip as this?
l Paris Where Ignatius attended university and met Francis Xavier and Peter Faber
Fr Ross Jones SJ (Rector, St Ignatius’ College, Riverview) recently reflected on the benefits of the pilgrimage for participants from his school - to “keep the College on track” and to maintain and grow the Ignatian identity of our school and to hold on to “our way of proceeding’ as Ignatius called it.
Upon recouperation from his injuries St Ignatius’ faith “flared into life” and he embarked on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to “walk in the footsteps of Jesus”.
l Loyola Arantzazu/San Sebastian/ Bilbao/ Azpeitia Basilica of St Ignatius San Sebastian.
On this pilgrimage we will deepen our sense of the Jesuit charism and bring this back to our school to enhance the school’s story, our school’s sense of belonging to the Jesuit family and our school’s commitment to love and to serve. Mr Exton and I are extremely grateful to Mr Chris Lynch (DP- Ignatian Mission and Identity, Loyola College Watsonia) as it is a tremendous responsibility and a huge workload to coordinate and lead such a trip, especially on top of his usual very hectic work as Deputy Principal at Loyola College Watsonia. Paul Lewis Deputy Principal – Mission, Formation and Pastoral Care
The monastery at Montserrat, Spain.
The cave at Manresa as it is today.
Education Maintenance Allowance 2nd Installment 2014 E.M.A. is payable to parents / guardians of students under the age of 16 and who hold a current Centrelink Health Care Card / Pension Card or Veterans Affairs (TPI) Pensioner Card, or be a foster parent as at the first day of Term 3 (14th July 2014).
Application forms need to be completed only if: l l l
Son / daughter is a new student at SICG (regardless of whether a claim was lodged for the first instalment at another school). Parents who are now eligible for EMA but did not submit an application for the first instalment. Parents who claimed the first instalment but were not eligible (ie. Did not hold a valid card on 28 January 2014).
Application forms are available at the College Office and must be returned no later than 1st August 2014 with a copy of your current concession card. Late application cannot be accepted. Nella Costa, Finance Officer
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Parents and Friends’ Association: Meetings for 2014 The Parents & Friends’ Association cordially invite all those interested to their meetings for 2014 held from 7.30pm onward in the Food Tech Centre on the following dates:
The Way of the Warrior The Year 8 students followed ‘the way of the warrior’ (Bushidō) at a Martial Arts incursion that concluded their Humanities studies of Japan under the shoguns. The students learnt basic techniques including karate strikes, blocks and kick from expert Mervyn Nelis from Zenshin Martial Arts. The workshop required great discipline from the students, executing
controlled techniques that should only ever be used in self-defense. The students applied themselves to the workshop with great respect and made noble honorary Samurai warriors. Mrs. Chambers Year 8 Humanities Teacher
Meeting schedule: August Tuesday 19th September Tuesday 16th October Tuesday 21st November Tuesday 18th AGM December TBA The Minutes for all meetings can be found on the College website in the Parents and Friends’ Portal when available. The Agenda for the up-coming meeting is also available from the website just prior to the meeting date.
PFA Fundraiser As per last year the Parents and Friends’ Association are ‘Fundraising with Entertainment’. The Entertainment Book has over 400 offers valued at $20,000 which are valid until 1st June 2015 for businesses in Geelong, Surf Coast and Ballarat. Things like 50% off and 2-for-1 offers for the best local restaurants, cafés, attractions, hotel accommodation, travel and much more. 20% of all memberships purchased will be returned to the College. Please see the advert on this page or for more details contact Helen Benjamin on 5251 1136 or benjamin241@iinet.net.au A copy of the 2014/2015 Entertainment Book is on display in the College office. To go directly to the online purchasing page go to: www.entertainmentbook.com.au/ orderbooks/11317f0
Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability Our school has been selected to participate in the 2014 Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (Data Collection). This national Data Collection is taking place in schools across Australia and will provide information about the number of students with disability in schools, where they are located and the adjustments they receive in order to support their learning. We have been informed that the information provided by this new data collection will enable all Australian governments to better target support and resources. This will assist students with disability in government and nongovernment schools across Australia to complete school and go on to further education or find employment.
A part of this Newsletter is the Fact Sheet with detailed information for parents/ guardians. We ask that you read this information and make a decision on whether or not you wish your child to be part of the process. Inclusion in the Data Collection process is voluntary. If you wish your child to be excluded from this, you can choose to opt-out of the data collection by informing us in writing. This can be done email or by making contact with Mrs. Guinane on 5251 1136 or guinanej@ignatius.vic.ed.au by Friday 25th July. For further information about the Data Collection, please contact the Principal or visit Standing Council on School Education and Early Childhood (SCSEEC) website http://www.schooldisabilitydatapl.edu.au/. Please see the information provided on pages 12 - 14.
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Year 10 welcome past students and guests The recent careers half day provided students with some insights into careers from former Saint Ignatius College students now pursuing their dream career path. Pictured below, are three ex-students speaking about their experiences and providing some sound advice to students. In addition, students heard from Mrs Cindy Calicott (Employment Consultant GForce) and Dr. Russell Walker (Executive Director – Enterprise Geelong), Michelle Berigan (Marketing Officer - Deakin University) and Kirsty Cassidy (Marketing Officer – The Gordon TAFE). Constable Sarah Goette outlined her career pathway to date. Sarah completed a Bachelor of Criminology at Deakin University and is now based at Geelong city after spending several years in Melbourne. She admits the job of a policewoman is never boring and you don’t know what you will be involved with from one day to the next and you need to get used to doing lots of paperwork.
Chef/Manager Carolyn Smith now works in Melbourne running a restaurant for Perry. After completing her apprenticeship with several restaurants in the Geelong region, Carolyn wanted to gain more experience and found herself in Melbourne. Carolyn is planning to buy her own premises with the intention to take up the challenge of running her own restaurant.
Sales Executive Nick Tsavaris works in Geelong with a local Real Estate agent. Nick maintains a very busy lifestyle including working upwards of 70 hours per week – making new contacts and assisting people to make a decision regarding possibly the biggest purchase they will ever make. Nick also intends to set up his own business sometime in the future as he completes the required study.
She maintains the life of a Chef is tough - working up to 75 hours per week, but very rewarding and satisfying.
The final week of term 2 saw 180 students undertake a compulsory week of work experience. Many students were able to find their own placement (with parental support!) and from reports back from Teachers who made phone calls and the returned evaluation forms, the results have been very positive. Well done to you all. Bruce Connor Work and Further Education Coordinator
Jacob Cuthill and Georgia Hammond discussing with Michelle Berigan (Deakin University) and Kirsty Cassidy (The Gordon TAFE) courses offered at their institutions.
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Information for Parents/Carers Schools across Australia are taking part in a new national data collection on school students with disability. The data collection is being introduced in stages over three years, and started in 2013. From 2015, this information will be collected in every school across Australia, every year. All Australian governments have agreed to this.
WHAT IS THE BENEFIT FOR MY CHILD? All Australian governments agree that every child in an Australian school should have a high quality education. It shouldn’t matter what the individual child’s circumstances are – every child should have the same opportunity to succeed at school. The aim of this new data collection is to have better information about school students with disability in Australia. Better information about school students with disability will help teachers, principals and education authorities to support students with disability to take part in school on the same basis as students without disability.
WHY IS THIS DATA BEING COLLECTED? There is nothing new about schools collecting information about students with disability – in fact, schools have had to do this by law for some time. But the type of information currently collected varies between each state and territory. With the new data collection, every school in Australia will use the same method to collect this information – that is, a government school in suburban Sydney will collect and report data in the same way as a Catholic school in country Victoria and an independent school in the Northern Territory.
disability. It will help to put the right supports in place for students with disability so that they have the same opportunities for a high quality education as students without a disability.
WHAT ARE SCHOOLS REQUIRED TO DO? Every school in Australia is likely to have a student with disability at some point. Schools need to be able to support students with disability by removing any obstacles for them to participate in their education. By law, schools are required to make reasonable adjustments where needed to assist students with disability. These responsibilities are outlined in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005. This means that schools need to talk to the student and/or their parent/carer about reasonable adjustments. These are things the schools do now and this won’t change. The new data collection will record students who have been identified by a school team as meeting the definition of disability under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and provided with an adjustment.
WHAT IS AN ADJUSTMENT? An adjustment is a measure or action taken to help a student with disability participate in education on the same basis as other students. Adjustments can be made across the whole school setting (like ramps into classrooms), in the classroom and at an individual student level (like extra tuition for a student with a learning difficulty).
The information provided through this new national data collection will enable all Australian governments to better target support and resources to benefit students with National Parents/Carers Fact Sheet Version No. 2 as at 27 February 2014
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WHAT INFORMATION WILL BE COLLECTED? Your child’s school will collect and report information every year about: • • •
the level of adjustment provided the number of students who receive each level of adjustment where known, the student’s broad type of disability.
Some students who are not provided with an adjustment at the time of the collection will meet the definition of disability under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and will be eligible to be included in the data collection. WHO WILL COLLECT MY CHILD’S INFORMATION? Teachers and other school staff from your child’s school will collect the above information based on: • • • •
consultation with parents/carers the school team’s observations and professional judgements any medical diagnosis other relevant information.
School principals are responsible for making sure that the information collected about each student is accurate. HOW WILL MY CHILD’S PRIVACY BE PROTECTED? Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all children and their families is very important. With the new data collection, this will be done in the following ways: • •
•
Personal or confidential information will not be given to anyone not authorised to see it. When the information is sent by your child’s school to the local or federal education authority for combination with information from other schools, it will be by school only – student names will not be recorded as part of the data collection. When the information is reported from 2016 onwards, it will be by school only – student names will not be recorded as part of the data collection.
WHEN AND WHERE WILL THE DATA BE AVAILABLE? When all Australian schools are taking part in the new data collection, the information will be reported on the My School website from 2016 onwards. It will be by school only – no student names are recorded as part of the data collection. CAN I DECIDE WHETHER MY CHILD’S INFORMATION IS INCLUDED IN THE NATIONAL DATA COLLECTION? It’s your decision about whether you want your child’s information to be included in the national reporting or not. Including every school child who is being provided with an adjustment because of disability in this new national data collection each year will help schools, education authorities and governments to better meet students’ needs. Your school will tell you what you need to do if you don’t want to have your child’s information included in the national data collection. Even if your child’s information is not included in the national data collection, your school is still required to provide support to your child with disability and any adjustments that may be needed to help him/her participate at school. FURTHER INFORMATION Contact your child’s school if you have further questions about the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability and how it may affect your child.
You can also visit www.education.gov.au/nationallyconsistent-collection-data-school-students-disability
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National Parents/Carers Fact Sheet Version No. 2 as at 27 February 2014
Nationally Consistent Collection of Data Parent / Guardian Non Participation Form I confirm that I have read and understand the attached information about the National Collection of Data on Disability and/or have been informed of the nature of this project by my child’s school.
I DO NOT want my child’s information included in this process. Student’s name (please print) School Parent/Guardian name (please print) Parent/Guardian signature Date
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Geelong Region Information Expo for 2015 School based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SbATs) Where? C A Love Hall, Geelong High School, 385 Ryrie Street, East Geelong When? Tuesday August 5th starting at 6.30pm Who should attend? Students who may be interested in undertaking a SbAT as part of their 2015 VCAL school study program. Students are advised to accompany their parents to this event. Students must be at least 15 years of age to be eligible for consideration.
What are SbAT’s? …And who is offering them ? Local employers and businesses will be offering over 200 SbAT’s (a blend of senior school studies, part- time paid work and career pathways opportunities) with students completing training for nationally accredited certificate qualifications. Training will be undertaken by students attending formal training sessions, usually on Wednesday afternoons whilst also undertaking the equivalent of one day of paid work during a school week. Students and parents have the opportunity to talk to these employers and businesses who will be offering a wide range of SbAT programs for the 2015 school year.
What sort of Industry specific Certificate SbAT opportunities will be available? The full list for 2015 will be available for students and parents to consider prior to the event. For example, this year the following programs are now being undertaken in the current school year by students throughout Greater Geelong: Automotive Servicing and Repair Childcare Companion Animal Services Community Activities Programs (Sport/Outdoor Recreation) Community Services Work Conservation and Land Management Education support Food Processing (Baking) Food Processing (Sales) Hospitality/Catering Services Health Services Assistance Media (Digital Art and Animation) For those students who are interested in the traditional trades such as bricklaying, carpentry, commercial cookery, hairdressing etc., there will be opportunity to talk to representatives from the Australian Apprenticeship Centres and local Group Training Companies to discuss potential opportunities in these fields.
What will be next? On the Expo night students interested in any particular SbAT on offer will be provided with an “Expression of Interest form” which they and their parents will need to take home. Once filled in, identifying their SbAT of interest, the student will then be required to immediately return this form to their school’s SbAT teacher. The teacher will discuss with the student their particular SbAT of interest, and then if the school representative is happy to support his/her interest in wanting to formally applying for a SbAT, then the school endorsed “Expression of Interest form” will be forwarded to the preferred Employer/business to commence the student’s formal application process.
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INSIGHTS Building parent-school partnerships
Raising
WORDS Michael Grose
space cadets
Learning to stop and think before reacting is one of the most valuable life skills a child can develop. Know someone with a hair trigger? The smallest thing sets them off. That ‘thing’ maybe a cutting comment from someone, a nasty look or a thoughtless remark. Whatever it is, not a moment is taken to think, consider or weigh up options. They simply explode. Anger exudes from every pore. I know some adults like this. They are awful to live with. Their family walks on eggshells, not wanting to upset them. The trouble is, they’ve been like that since childhood. I also know some kids like this. I wonder if their hair trigger will remain into adulthood. Such kids, who are usually highly strung, need to learn to put a space between an event (that leads to a reaction) and their response. They need to become space cadets, learning how to stop, think and act – all in a split second. When a space cadet hears someone say something sarcastic he’ll pause for a
split second while he thinks of different responses (ranging from doing nothing through to engaging in a bit of humorous banter) and only then choose the best of those responses. Some space cadets I know, who have been taught this skill, will call on their BEST SELF and choose the best response based on one that represents their values for that occasion. Space cadets generally have healthier relationships as they are predictable, more considerate and better able to match their responses to their own BEST self. Anyone who has ever regretted a remark they made to a friend, loved one or workmate under duress will know what I mean. You felt that the remark ‘let yourself down’. Space cadets experience less of this guilt as they are more likely to make the right remark in the first place.
Space cadets have high emotional awareness which not only leads to better responses, but it also leads to better regulation of emotions and behaviour. That’s why the development of self-awareness in kids is probably more important to long-term wellbeing, success and happiness than the development of self-esteem. If not, it’s on a par because
When something evokes an unpLeasant emotion (anger, frustration or anxiety), encourage kids to:
sTOP
Avoid reacting impulsively. take some deep breaths. Be calm.
Think
WhAt happened? how are you feeling? What are you thinking?
aCT
hoW can you best respond?
it’s such a valuable skill to possess.
e from Michael grose. Join stay one step ahead of your kids with great ideas & expert advic b.com.au. You’ll be so glad you did. Michael’s nEW Parentingideas Club today at parentingideasclu © 2014 Michael grose
parentingideas.com.au
Community Notice Board Local up-coming events and sporting club information
Surfside Netball
Providing netball at B.A.S.C. Ocean Grove Tuesday Net Set Go 5yo to 7yo 4pm Net Set Go 8yo to 10yo 4pm 11 & U Games 4.45pm Junior girls 6.15pm Mixed Competition from 7.05pm Wednesday Intermediate girls competition 7.30pm & 8.20pm Thursday Junior girls competition From 4.00 to 7.05pm Ladies competition From 7.05 to 9.20pm All enquiries for team or individual players contact
Kerry 0404011635
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School Calendar June 2014 Friday 18th
Reports distributed
Wednesday 23rd Xavier LA Visiting our college
July 2014 Thursday 31st
Year 10 Aquatics (Ogilvie)
Thursday 31st
Year 10 Aquatics (Evans)
August 2014
Wednesday 23rd Year 10 Choicez Seminars Wednesday 23rd Unit 4 Parent / Teacher Interviews 4.00pm - 8.00pm College Gym Thursday 24th Year 12 Deakin University Excursion 9.00am - 11.00am Deakin University Thursday 24th Year 12 VCAL Excurison The Big Issue Classroom Melbourne Monday 28th
Year 10 LOTE Indonesian Excursion Indonesian Consulate, Melbourne
Monday 28th
Year 10 Debating Geelong Grammar School
Tuesday 29th
Year 11 / 12 GISSA Boys Soccer Year 9 / 10 GISSA Boys Soccer Kardinia International College
Tuesday 29th
Year 10 Aquatics (Garnier)
Tuesday 29th
Year 10 Aquatics (Briant)
Monday 4th
Year 11 REACH Seminar
Tuesday 5th Unit 4 Outdoor Education Camp Mascot, New South Wales Tuesday to Friday Tuesday 5th Year 11 VCAL Excursion Hoddle Waddle Swanston St, Melbourne Tuesday 5th
Year 10 Aquatics (Loyola)
Wednesday 6th Year 10 Cheap Thrills Potato Shed Wednesday 6th Year 10 Aquatics (Briant) Wednesday 6th Year 10 Aquatics (Evans) Wednesday 6th Year 7 / 8 GISSA Cross Country Invitation Eastern Beach Wednesday 6th Year 7 / 8 GISSA Basketball Round 2 ‘Life be in it Sort for all’ Crown St, South Geelong
Wednesday 6th VCAL Parent Information Eveneing Wednesday 30th Year 7 / 8 GISSA Cross Country 7.00pm to 8.30pm Eastern Beach Wednesday 30th Year 7 / 8 GISSA Basketball Round 1 ‘Life be in it Sort for all’ Crown St, South Geelong Thursday 31st
St Ignatius Feast Day Saint Ignatius College Whole College assembly
Wednesday 6th ‘The Cage’ Sleepout Saint Ignatius College overnight Thursday 7th
Australian Mathematics Competition
Thursday 7th
Winter Sleepout Saint Ignatius College overnight
Look for the Calendar available through the Saint Ignatius College Website: www.ignatius.vic.edu.au T IGNATIUS COLLEGE SAIN
Saint Ignatius College Geelong
27 Peninsula Drive, Drysdale, Victoria. 3222 E: info@ignatius.vic.edu.au T: 03 5251 1136 www.ignatius.vic.edu.au A Jesuit Partner School
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