Newsletter - T3W2 - 29/7/22

From the Principal

Welcome back to Term 3. The beginning of Term 3 is always a bit of a wake-up call as it is the last term where the school is together in its entirety before our Year 12’s leave and move onto the next chapter of their lives. They only have 8 weeks to go and I’m sure the countdown is on.

Congratulations to Year 12 student Sophie-Rose Hastie for winning the School-Based Apprentice/Trainee of the Year at the North Coast and Mid-North Coast 2022 NSW Training Awards. Sophie-Rose was presented with a framed certificate and trophy at the Coffs Harbour regional ceremony. 

The NSW Training Awards are held annually to recognise outstanding vocational education and training achievements.

Sophie-Rose is a committed and optimistic student who began her traineeship journey at the end of 2020 by starting a Certificate II in Business through NSW TAFE. She gained valuable work skills and experience at Richmond Valley Council’s Casino Library. She was commended for her positive attitude and outstanding delivery of the Tech Savy program for the local Casino community. Sophie-Rose recognised the support of the Council and Library staff. 

We wish Sophie-Rose all the best as she moves into the next round of the competition, the NSW state final.

The College has employed new staff for the rest of the year, all who have started this term. I would like to welcome our two new Indigenous Education Workers (IEW’s) - Shenane Reuben Kawane and Declan Walker-Fernando. This has been a very hard role to fill and we are very fortunate to be able to employ two outstanding young people to start this term. Over the next few weeks Shenane and Declan will be getting to know all our Goori students and starting the process of working with them according to their needs. I would also like to welcome Mr Brayden Love to the TAS assistant position. Brayden comes to us with a wealth of experience in various trades and workplaces and will be a very valuable asset to our College.

COVID-19 has again been quite prevalent with both staff and students being infected at different times with the virus. The Catholic Schools Office has sent through the following information for the beginning of Term 3:

• Staying home if unwell or showing any symptoms, and not returning to school or work until fully recovered.

• Rapid antigen testing for any students or staff showing symptoms and for close contacts who are able to return to school.

• Maximising natural ventilation.

• Good hygiene practices for students and staff including regular hand washing with soap and water.

• Encouraging all students, staff and families to keep up to date with vaccinations, including COVID-19 booster shots when eligible and the flu vaccine.

• Identifying when schools need to implement additional COVID-smart measures if experiencing rapidly increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases.

In addition to these baseline settings, some additional layers this term as extra protection for staff, students and school communities, include:

• Strongly encouraging all staff, students and school visitors to wear a mask while indoors, particularly during the first four weeks from the beginning of term. 

• Distributing RAT kits to all staff and students in schools (1 pack per person). This will be delivered directly to schools and will be distributed when they arrive.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy and successful Term 3

Tracy Robinson
Principal

Upcoming Dates

Week 3
Tuesday, 2 August to Friday, 5 August - Minimum Standards
Tuesday, 2 August - Year 12 University Information Evening - 6.30pm
Friday, 5 August - College Photo Day

Week 4
Tuesday, 9 August - Netball NSW Schools Cup Final - 9/10 Girls and 9/10 Boys - Lismore
Wednesday, 10 August - SETP interviews

Parish Mass Times

Weekend Mass
5.00pm (Sat) & 8.00am (Sun)

Mass ONLINE

Weekdays
Monday 9.00am
Tuesday 8.00am
Wednesday 8.00am
Thursday 9.00am
Friday 9.00am
Saturday 9.00am

Reconciliation
Saturday 8.30am - 9.00am

Country Mass
14 August - Mallanganee

Masks are recommended in the Church

From the Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching

Year 12 University Entrance - UAC and QTAC Information Night
On Tuesday, 2 August, the College will be holding an information night for Year 12 students and their parents. This night will have information on the following topics:

• UAC
• QTAC
• University Entrance and offers
• Early Entry
• Schools Recommendation Scheme
• Gap Year suggestions and plans

Speakers for the night will be AP Learning and Teaching Mrs Nadine Connolly and Careers Advisor Mrs Michelle Went.

The night will begin at 6.30pm in the Parish Hall. There will be time to answer any questions students or parents have about University, ATAR or gap year.

Nadine Connolly
Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching

From the Assistant Principal - Mission

This Sunday is the feast of St Ignatius of Loyola. St Ignatius was born in 1491 in Loyola, France. He spent his early years in the military as a 'servant of the court', and longed for greatness. Following an injury (cannonball to the leg), he was forced to abandon his aspirations for grandeur in the French court. He then spent considerable time in isolation during his recovery where his vanity would not allow others to see grotesque injury to his leg. However, Ignatius moved though his pain and found solace with Christ and as a 'servant of God'.

Ignatius is known for 'finding God in all things'. In finding God in all things, we discover sacred moments in everyday life — grace-filled opportunities to encounter God in nature, our relationships, our academic pursuits, our own stories and in the stories of those around us. At SMCC, we encourage our students to notice the small interactions with which the presence of the Spirit is at work. 

College Photos
Photos are taking place on Friday, 5 August. Most families have already made payments for this as it was due to occur in March before we were inundated. I would like to remind families to ensure uniforms are sorted before this date.

Girls:
Skirt (with white socks) or school trousers (navy socks)
White shirt with tie
Hair tied up, no makeup and no additional jewellery

Boys:
Shorts or trousers (with grey socks)
Shirt (and tie for seniors)
Hair neat and tidy, tied up if it is long, no makeup and no additional jewellery

Safe on Social
This week every student at the College was given an opportunity to attend an information session held by Safe of Social. This is a valuable opportunity for our students to be given vital information about how to conduct themselves on social platforms to ensure their safety in the digital space. It was great to see so many students engage with the guest speaker and gain such valuable information. 

NAIDOC Week Door Displays

Clare Axman
Assistant Principal - Mission

From the Leader of Curriculum

Stage 6 Trial Exams - Week 6
Year 11 and 12 students have been issued with their Trial Exams timetable. These exams are held, like every year, in Week 6 of Term 3. They have been on the School calendar as well as the Assessment calendar since the start of the year.

Absences from the exams will require a medical certificate or a mark of zero may be awarded. Please refer to the Stage 6 Assessment Booklet which can be accessed from any of the Google Assessment Calendar Stage 6 entries.

Subject Selections - Year 10 into Year 11 2023
The Year 10 into 11 Subject Selection process is coming to an end as can be seen in the schedule listed below:

Session 3 – Monday, 25 July, Period 1 - 2 (Term 3, Week 2)

Students discuss choices & have them signed off by relevant LOLs

1. Subject selection Google Form made available & to be completed by 5.00pm Friday, 29 July (Term 3, Week 2)

Session 4 – Wednesday, 10 August, 8.00am - 5.30pm (Term 3, Week 4)

1. SETP Interviews

The website St. Mary’s Stage 6 Subjects (or bit.ly/stage6subjects) lists all available subjects as well as information about each one.

Electives Selections - Year 8 into Year 9 2023
The process for these selections has commenced following the timeline set out below:

• A general talk to all Year 8 about what electives may be available and any conditions that need to be met to enrol in some of them, was presented on Tuesday, 26 July, Period 2
• This was followed by a session for parents that evening from 6.30pm - 7.30pm
• A Google form has been made available for students to enter their three choices. This form must be completed by 5.00pm, Friday, 5 August (Week 3)
• All students & their parents/guardians will have access to the Year 9 Electives Google Site that has information about all the electives on offer.
• Whilst students enrol in only two electives, they will need to pick three to help ensure they get most if not necessarily all of their choices.
• Please be mindful that if the numbers are too low, some subjects can not run. The cut-off will depend on a number of considerations.
  

Important Files & Links for Year 10 - 12
Students in Year 10 - 12 need to know the following to ensure that they can access their e-Record, ROSA (Record of Student Achievement) or HSC timetable.

• NESA Student Number - This number is required in order to access StudentsOnline which allows students to access the above mentioned resources

Please note that ROSAs are not issued by schools but by NESA themselves and are available via the above linked to StudentsOnline site at certain points during a year. If a ROSA is not available, the e-Record is equivalent for the interim periods.

Michael Woerner
Leader of Curriculum

From the Leader of Pedagogy

Co-teaching at SMCC - Staff Professional Learning
On the first day back this term, staff spent the day engaging in NSW Education Standards Authority accredited professional learning around the practical educational style of co-teaching. Co-teaching is still a relatively new concept for some schools and possibly many parents.

Co-teaching is when two teachers are present in the classroom and they work together through the teaching process: planning, teaching, assessing and reviewing. Students frequently have different learning styles and preferences. Co-teaching often allows those different needs to be more easily met whilst also ensuring that students get the benefit of having two experts in the room.

Having two teachers in the same classroom looks different depending on the learning activity being undertaken in class and the needs of the students. For example, classes can be split into two groups with each teacher teaching one of the groups; this allows for a smaller teacher-to-student ratio for more complex topics. Occasionally, one teacher will pull a small group aside for additional support instruction while the other teacher assists students with an extension assignment. This way, students receive additional help when needed or they receive meaningful extension activities led by a teacher. Many teachers have already been undertaking the co-teaching pedagogical style this year, and have found the process rewarding. As the completion of the Mercy Centre approaches, we will be lucky to have an amazing learning environment for our students that supports this pedagogical approach, with break-out spaces, new technology readily available and classrooms that can more easily open. 

For more information on the six models of co-teaching, please visit this website on co-teaching approaches.

Dana Barnsley
Leader of Pedagogy

From the Leader of Pastoral Care

On Thursday this week, the students attended the Safe on Social presentation by Simon Richardson. Unfortunately we had to cancel the parent presentation in the evening due to lack of numbers, however Kirra Pendergast the CEO of Safe on Social has kindly offered a recorded presentation which should be available next week sometime.

This will enable parents to view the presentation in their own time and in the comfort of their home. As soon as this is available we will send out the link to parents.

Snapchat- A Guide For Parents
The Safe on Social Team have shared a link for parents to download- A Guide to Snapchat:

https://www.safeonsocial.com/download-snapchat-guide

Michele McCaffery
Leader of Pastoral Care

From the Leader of Careers

On Tuesday, 26 July students in Year 10 attended the Connect Northern Rivers Careers Expo, held at the Lismore Showgrounds.

The weather turned on a spectacular show for us and the students enjoyed the opportunity to spend a few hours in the company of a range of industry professionals. Stalls and demonstrations represented a wide range of career & educational opportunities - from numerous universities to the Try-a-Trade pavilion, from emergency services to wild animals, the students were able to explore many future careers and opportunities.

I was very impressed with the positive attitude and behaviour of the Year 10 students who attended this excursion. The event was very well attended, yet the students were able to push themselves out of their comfort zones and connect with a range of industry professionals.

Below is a speech from one of the attendees, Libby Walker, who shared the day’s events with the College community in assembly:

On Tuesday the 26th of July 2022, Year 10 loaded two buses to head to Lismore Showgrounds and attend the Connect Northern Rivers Careers Expo. The minute we arrived we were a little overwhelmed by the sheer amount of students, schools and teachers all in one place. It's been a while since we have attended something of this scale. As we got inside and fought our way through to the front of the stalls of interest, we were met by so many friendly and knowledgeable industry professionals who sparked excitement and inspiration for our future careers. Some stall highlights were the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital who brought along a blue tongued lizard and snake that we could pat. The NSW TAFE Animal Studies stall that brought along two puppies and of course the Vocational Education and Training stall that had by far the best lollies and chocolates of the day.

Other memorable moments were the drone and flare displays, thoroughly enjoyed by Ms McDougall and a Virtual Reality stall where we enjoyed watching Sophie Norris make a virtual pizza in record time and fashion.

On behalf of all Year 10 we would like to thank Ms Went for organising such a valuable day for us and also Mr Lynch, Mr Robinson, Ms Cox and Ms McDougall for helping to supervise the excursion, as well as encourage us to reach out to the stallholders, even though we were a little nervous at first.

Libby Walker
Year 10, Careers

Michelle Went
Leader of Careers

From the Leader of Learning - Inclusion and Diversity

Notification of Goori Careers Action Plan - GCAP
The Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools Office, is committed to improving the educational outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. It is important that staff, parents/carers and students work together to identify and support the individual and cultural needs of students. 

A letter containing details around these plans will be sent home to families over the coming weeks. Our two new IEWs, Declan and Shenane, will be working initially with students on these plans, extending to include families later this year.  If you have any questions or would like more information please contact the College. 

Kelly Scurr
Leader of Learning - Inclusion and Diversity

From the Leader of Library and Resources

Reading seems to be on the increase. It is lovely to see students coming to the Library and borrowing books of increasing size and complexity, then seek the sequel.

We have started a small reading club where students come along and share their thoughts on books we have read. This often leads to interesting discussions. 

If students are interested in delving into new worlds through the books they read, please ask them to touch base with me in the Library.

Sora continues to be a popular source of books for loan at any time. The current Sora Book of the Week is:

Premiers Reading Challenge for 2022 draws to a close next month. We have had a few students who are to be commended for reading their twenty books and will be presented with a certificate. I hope that next year, more students will take up this challenge and enjoy the range of books on offer.

The Library is a popular place at lunchtimes. Over the past few years, we have run Device Free Friday in the Library over lunch. During these days, students enjoy connecting with each other in a range of activities including; puzzles, board games, craft and quiet reading. 

Bev Champion
Leader of Resources

S6EST 'Cinema' Excursion

On Friday the 22nd of July, the Stage 6 English Studies class accompanied by Ms McDougall and Ms Scully travelled down to the Ballina Cinema to watch the 2022 Baz Lurhmann biopic, Elvis. As part of our current unit ‘The Big Screen - English in Filmmaking’. In true Lurhmann style, the film features fast-cutting super-montages, high energy musical numbers and the most incredible costuming. While many of us were not familiar with the life and story of Elvis we were transported back to Memphis in the 60’s and faced with some harsh truths about the times racial prejudice and strict religious influence. With big Hollywood names such as Austin Butler and Tom Hanks as well as famous Australian faces Olivia DeJonge and David Wenham we were treated to a star studded cast that portrayed their characters with absolute realness. Being able to participate in this activity as a class brought us closer together and gave us an experience we have sorely missed due to covid and floods. Thanks to Ms McDougall for all her time and organisation putting this excursion together for us all to enjoy. We hope to have many more fun and interactive learning experiences such as this in the last part of our high school education.

Giorgi Crethar
Student, S6EST

Canteen

Volunteers
We are looking for volunteers to assist in the Canteen. Please contact the Canteen via the College office if you are available at any time to help.

Flexischools
Flexischools is a well-established organisation allowing you to easily place all your canteen orders online at any time.

Download the Flexischools app from the App store or Google Play. Click here for details on how to set up your account. 

Once registered, you can start placing orders immediately.

Please note that sushi orders will need to be placed before Tuesday afternoon at 1pm as Sushi will only be available for Wednesday orders.

There is a charge of $0.29 per order for using this service.

If you have any questions, please contact the Flexischools Customer Service Team via their website contact page.

The normal process of ordering from the canteen (cash, eftpos, morning lunch orders) is still available.

Uniform Shop

Uniform Shop Opening Hours
Tuesdays         3.15pm to 5.00pm
Thursdays        2.00pm to 5.00pm

Payments of cash, cheque or EFTPOS are welcome.

Orders can also be placed via the Flexischools service. No fees are charged to families for using this service.

Please note the following information for orders made via this service:

Tuesday Orders
- Cut off time is 12noon on Monday
- Pick up available from the College office on Tuesday afternoon from 3.30pm - 5.00pm

Thursday Orders
- Cut off time is 12noon on Wednesday 
- Pick up available from the College office on Thursday afternoon from 3.30pm - 5.00pm.

Orders not collected will be given to the student the following day to take home.

Whilst all care will be taken to ensure that stock availability is correct at the time of ordering, there may be some items that are not in stock at the time of packing the online orders. In this case, you will be contacted to advise of an estimated time of arrival for new stock of that item or given the option of a refund processed through Flexischools.

All uniform shop order enquiries can be emailed to: cash-uniform@lism.catholic.edu.au

Second Hand Uniforms

Sustainable School Shop is an online shop dedicated to buying and selling of second hand uniforms. For more information ring 1300683337 or visit www.sustainableschoolshop.com.au.

 Please note that this facility is available for use with the new College uniforms only.

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