Newsletter - T4W6 - 12/11/21
From the Principal
As we pass the halfway point of the term and head towards the Semester 2 exams (next week) for our students in Years 7-10 and then on to our new academic year (starting November 29), it is easy to think about how quickly time goes, and also wonder where all that time has gone. All of our students are about to start a new academic year, and with this comes new teachers, new classes and of course, new challenges. Our Senior students are in the middle of one of their greatest challenges - the HSC. Despite all the new COVID-19 rules and regulations, the hot and steamy weather, and the lateness of these exams, the students have been working very hard and trying their best and should be commended on their efforts. Please keep them in your prayers as they rise to this challenge over the next few weeks.
The College has appointed two new YMO’s for 2022 as both Theo and Dan will be moving on next year. Ms Hannah Winkler will be no stranger to the College community. Hannah was a Senior of 2020 and will now join us in a different capacity next year. Mr Jacob Franey has also been appointed and comes to us from Woodlawn, where he has held the position of YMO for 2021. We welcome both Hannah and Jacob to the College and know that they will work hard with our students in 2022.
There are a few dates to keep in mind for the rest of the term:
- Year 7-10 Exams will be held from Monday 15 November to Monday 22 November.
- There will be a Pupil Free Day on Friday November 26 to allow for the finalisation of Semester 2 reports.
- The new academic year will begin on November 29.
- Last day for students will be on Wednesday, 15 December.
Finally, with Remembrance Day this week, I would like to finish with a poem from an anonymous author which help us remember the sacrifice made by so many so long ago, to give us the freedom to live as we do.
"The inquisitive mind of a child"
Why are they selling poppies, Mummy?
Selling poppies in town today.
The poppies, child, are flowers of love.
For the men who marched away.
But why have they chosen a poppy, Mummy?
Why not a beautiful rose?
Because my child, men fought and died
In the fields where the poppies grow.
But why are the poppies so red, Mummy?
Why are the poppies so red?
Red is the colour of blood, my child.
The blood that our soldiers shed.
The heart of the poppy is black, Mummy.
Why does it have to be black?
Black, my child, is the symbol of grief.
For the men who never came back.
But why, Mummy are you crying so?
Your tears are giving you pain.
My tears are my fears for you my child.
For the world is forgetting again.
Lest we forget.
Tracy Robinson
Principal
Upcoming Dates
Week 7
HSC exams continue
Year 7-10 Exams
Year 7 & 8 PAT Testing
Week 8
HSC exams continue
Tuesday, 23 November - SHINE Unplugged Reflection Day
Parish Mass Times
WEEKEND MASS
6 pm (Sat) & 8 am (Sun)
Next Week Vigil 6.00pm
WEEKDAYS
Monday 9.00am
Tuesday 8.00am
Wednesday 8.00am
Thursday 9.00am
Friday 9.00am
Saturday 9.00am
RECONCILIATION
Saturday 8.30 am - 9.00 am
HOUSES OF WORSHIP NOW OPEN
Churches in our parish are now open in accordance with health orders.
This means that both vaccinated and unvaccinated are permitted in the church buildings.
FUNERALS
In regard to funerals, the present health regulations are:
(a) up to 100 if all are fully vaccinated;
(b) only 10 if there are one or more not fully vaccinated.
Arrangements are made through the Funeral Director.
For further information, please contact
https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rules
THANK YOU FOR OBSERVING THE NSW HEALTH ORDERS
2 Square Mtr Rule
Please sit in allocated seats 2 per pew
Masks are obligatory
Please sign or use the QR Code
From the Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching
Week 7 - Exams
Next week, all Year 7-10 students will undergo end of year exams for various subjects.
As a way of trying to increase the responsibility we place on our Year 10 students, they will be able to sign out at the end of their exams on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. A note went home to parents on Wednesday explaining the details of this sign out. This note included a permission slip that is to be returned to the front office. Please see the attachment at the end of this Newsletter.
Nadine Connolly
Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching
From the Assistant Principal - Mission
House Structure
The College is moving to a new structure next year and we are moving to a Leader of House pastoral care structure. As such, this will make communication between home and school much more streamlined in relation to Student Wellbeing.
From the start of our new academic year, the coordinator for your young person will remain the same for the duration of their time at the College. In addition to this, each family will have a single coordinator that will work closely with the family.
Our Leaders of House for 2022 are:
Champagnat House - Mrs Kate Rowlands
dePaul House - Mr Paul McCaffery
MacKillop House - Ms Kerry-Anne McKey
McAuley House - Mr Aaron Kennedy
Our Student Wellbeing team will continue to be supported by Mrs Michele McCaffery and myself.
If you have any questions regarding the new coordinator roles, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the College and we will be happy to speak with you.
Catch the Wave
Last week, we were able to gather our Year 8 students for a period of reflection led by Ms Mahaila Day and some of our Year 9 and 10 students. At the conclusion of this event, students were asked if they would like to nominate for the Ministry class in 2022. We have also asked our staff to nominate students they feel would benefit by being the in the Ministry class for Year 9. As such, we are now in the process of forming classes for Year 9 with these nominations in mind.
Shine (Unplugged)
We are looking forward to running our reflection day for our two ministry classes in Week 8. Students in these classes will be given more information in the coming days.
Christmas Hampers
Just a reminder we will continue to collect donations for St Vincent dePaul Society.
Clare Axman
Assistant Principal - Mission
From the Leader of Pedagogy
SRC: Students future looks bright as they celebrate World Teachers’ Day
The Student Representative Council crafted a fabulous banner for World Teachers’ Day in Week 5 for all students to write a message and acknowledge their teachers. The response from students was overwhelming, resulting in a really powerful gesture that was greatly appreciated by teaching staff. A special shout out goes to members of our 2022 Student Leadership team; Jordyn Aleckson, Bradon Gumbleton, Lizzie Robinson and Year 11 student, Eliza O’Brien who transferred the 2021 ‘Bright Future’ World Teachers’ Day logo onto the fabulous banner.
Dana Barnsley
Leader of Pedagogy
From the Leaders of VET, Careers and Resources
CAREERS
Australian Jobs 2021
The Australian Jobs 2021 report from the National Skills Commission and the National Careers Institute gives a summary of employment trends in Australia. It has important messages about career and study planning for young Australians.
The report describes the challenges faced by young people in getting a job. Young people (aged 15-24) were particularly hard hit by the effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic with youth employment decreasing by 17% over the pandemic period.
Qualifications and Experience Matter:
Study and training after Year 10 link to better employment prospects – the higher the level of study, the higher the chance of participation in employment across adult life:
Bachelor's degree - 86.1%
Diploma - 81.1%
Certificate III or IV - 83.3%
Year 12 or equivalent - 70.6%
Year 11 - 61.5%
Year 10 - 50.9%
This means that there are real gains to be made from taking up study or training options after Year 10 – and highlights the value of VET qualifications alongside academic choices. The report also showed that workers with higher qualifications are likely to earn higher incomes.
Employers are increasingly looking for experienced workers – 75% of employers were requiring some level of experience when advertising for positions. This may mean that young people’s part time work and volunteering choices could be an important aspect of their future career planning.
Where are the jobs?
The report listed the following as the largest employing industries: health care and social assistance; retail trade; construction; and professional, scientific and technical services. Emerging occupations (jobs of the future) were identified in the areas of Digital Deepening, Data Analytics, Emerging Business Practices, Regulatory, Health and Sustainable Engineering and Trades.
Australian Jobs 2021 link to full report.
School Leaver Information Kit
The School Leaver Information Kit (SLIK) is a great resource that can help you get ready for life after school.
This transition can sometimes be challenging and the COVID-19 pandemic has presented some uncertainty. With changes to the education and workforce landscape, you might be wondering if your planned decisions are still a good option or what new alternatives are available and how to pursue them.
There are lots of options for education, training and work in 2022 to help you further your career.
This information kit has been designed to help you understand what those options might be and assist you to choose the right one for you.
You can download a copy of the kit from:
https://yourcareer.gov.au/media/xlcbghjw/school_leaver_information_kit.pdf
Note: This link currently takes you to the 2021 version. The 2022 version will be made available via the link in the near future.
Gap Year Opportunities
Following the Harvest Trail
Looking for some options for earning money after you finish school – or even as a gap year opportunity next year?
Could you see yourself earning money by harvesting grapes in the Hunter Valley or mango picking in Darwin?
You could be among the thousands of people who find work each year helping to bring in Australia’s fruit and vegetable harvests.
There are lots of seasonal opportunities in many locations across Australia.
You can search for these on the Harvest Trail Job Board at:
https://jobsearch.gov.au/harvest
Current Work and Training Opportunities
Free Summer Skills Training - Hospitality and Film Filter for Ballina to see opportunities
Transport for NSW Summer Skills Expression of Interest. Transport for NSW have apprenticeships, usually in Civil Construction from time to time.
SBAT City Beach Lismore City Beach are advertising for School Based Trainees for students interested in Retail. There appears to be a position in Lismore.
LIBRARY
We are excited to announce that our Diocese has added over 300 magazines to Sora which are now available for loan. Topics include; Tech and Gaming, Culture and Literature, News and Politics, Health and Fitness, Art and Architecture, Movies and TV, Sport, Craft, Cars and Motorcycles to name a few.
These digital magazines may be easily located by clicking on the Sora App and going to ‘Collections’. Here, you will find; Magazines for Kids, Magazines for Teens and Magazines for Adults. Scroll through to find a magazine to borrow for two weeks.
Sora may be found by clicking on the link on the Library website or downloading the app onto your device from the App Store.
Happy reading.
Bev Champion
Leader of VET, Careers and Resources
Literacy Coach
This week we see the HSC examinations begin and it is also the week before the Year 7 to 10 examination block. This is a good time to remind your students of a few examination tips, such as:
- Make sure to read the examination question carefully and twice. The first time they read the question allows them to read the language of the question, to know the vocabulary being used. In the second reading, they should focus on identifying what the question is asking them to do.
- Once your student has written a response and before they move to the next question, they can quickly check:
- Have I started with a capital letter?
- Should I use a full sentence/s to respond to this question?
- Does each sentence make sense (read quietly to yourself)?
- Check their spelling
- Have I used the correct punctuation, including finishing with a full stop?
- It is important that students communication is clear and accurate. This gives them the best opportunity to show their understanding and skills related to the question.
I would also like to remind everyone of the great writing opportunity we have at the College right now - The Reflective Writing Challenge. There are gift vouchers and House points available to the three place getters in each stage. Full details have been posted on each of the College’s House Google Classrooms and I have included them here also.
Kelly Winters
Literacy Coach
SMCC Ministry Corner
We finally have some good news again with a bunch of ministry events and initiatives happening in Term 4. Have a read about what we’ve got going on at the College.
Catch the Wave - Year 8
Catch the Wave was a huge success last Thursday. The Year 8 students were very good and got on board with everything throughout the day. Thanks to our Year 9 and 10 ministry students for helping out.
SHINE Unplugged - Year 9 & 10 Ministry
The postponed SHINE conference scheduled for this term has unfortunately been cancelled due to ongoing COVID restrictions and a change in the HSC Exam block. However, with help from the CSO, there has been organised an experience called SHINE Unplugged. This year will be the second instalment of the SHINE Unplugged series after we were faced with similar difficulties last year. We are excited to be able to run this long awaited event for our students. Last year the theme was: Called to Greatness, this year we continue to the theme of being called, but we are instead Called to Connection. SHINE Unplugged will be held on Tuesday, 23 November for our Year 9 and 10 Ministry Students and will be run by the YMO’s, Ms Day, Mr Humphreys and Mr Ludwig.
Vinnies Christmas Hampers
We will be collecting donations to make up Christmas Hampers to give to the St Vincent De Paul Society. Students are encouraged to bring in donations of food and/or money based on the option their Homeroom has chosen. This is a brilliant initiative and would encourage all students to give generously in this time for those who are a little bit less fortunate.
Ministry Captains
It is with great pleasure that we can announce 2 new student leadership positions for 2022, Ministry Captains. The Ministry Captains will be 2 year 11 students who will work closely with the YMO’s, the AP Mission and Leader of School Evangelisation to help promote and strengthen the Ministry side of our College. The Ministry captains will be a part of the College SRC and work closely with the College Captains and Vice Captains. The Ministry captains can nominate with the rest of the SRC at the end of the year and they will be elected by the students in the Year 9 and 10 Ministry Classes.
Youth Group - Lismore
Due to restrictions, we have put a hold on Youth Group at Lismore for the time being. But keep an eye on the Instagram page, @proclaimyouthlismore, for updates because we have something very exciting in the planning process to take place before the end of the year. More information will be out about this soon.
Proclaim Lismore Wildfire
The Lismore Diocese band, Wildfire, have some exciting news to announce. At the beginning of the term they were stoked to announce a brand new EP. This EP is called Storm + Ocean and includes some of their best work yet. One of our personal favourites is Have You Heard which features American/Australian Catholic Hip-Hop artist, Josh Angrisano. Check out the Proclaim Lismore Students Youtube or @proclaimlismorewildfire on Instagram for updates.
This came after they released a brand new single at the end of last term which is a collaboration with Brisbane based Catholic Worship band, Emmanuel Worship, called Into Your Arms.
Want more? Check out @proclaimlismorestudents and @proclaimlismorewildfire on Instagram and/or Spotify for some awesome content, music and playlists.
God Bless.
Dan and Theo
Youth Ministry Officers
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
The Uniform Shop is open again for parents and students.
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.
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.