St Bede's Catholic College Newsletter 14 - 8 September 2023

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE – JOHN MURPHY

PRAYER  

God of Community, 
May Your Holy Spirit who inspired  
our patron Catherine McAuley  
guide us in a life of contemplation and action,  
prayer and service.  
Through our actions help us build a community  
that has a deep faith in You,  
a heart for mission and a call to serve others.  
Make us be the hands and feet of Jesus in all that we do,  
performing works of Mercy. 
We ask this Jesus Christ, the heart of all community  
and the source of all mercy. 
Amen

Our Lady of Mercy… Pray for us

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY 

With last Sunday being Father’s Day, we acknowledge and thank all our fathers and other paternal father figures in families who play an important role in the lives of our students. Thank you also for the support they provide to the College.  

NEW STUDENT LEADERS 

Congratulations to our new student leaders who were inducted into their leadership roles at the Leadership Liturgy held on the 25^th of August. Each one of these student leaders went through a rigorous selection process in being selected. The liturgy was attended by many parents/carers of the new student leaders and included an individual presentation of their leadership pins.

Congratulations to our new College Captain, Thomas Bendeich, and Vice-Captain, Veronica Parra Mariaca. They will be excellent ambassadors and leaders of our college. 

Year 7 

Year 8 

Year 9 

Year 10

Year 11 

In welcoming the new leaders as our new student leadership team, we congratulate and thank our outgoing team on the outstanding job they have done over the last year. We particularly thank and congratulate our College Captain Eaden Dawson and Vice-Captain Caitlin Price as our inaugural senior student leaders in laying the platform of success for our future student leaders. During the remainder of the term, there will be a transition from the outgoing to the incoming student leadership teams in preparation for the newly announced leaders to commence their duties from the start of next term. 

STAFF NEWS 

It is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of Ms. Gillian Anderson as our Vocational Education & Training (VET) Coordinator, commencing from the start of next year. Ms. Anderson is currently at Maitland High School where she has held the position of VET Coordinator since 2019. In addition to her strong background in VET, Ms. Anderson is a highly regarded Human Society in its Environment (HSIE) teacher and HSC Business Studies Marker. With the completion of the Marian Building next year and the appointment of Ms. Anderson, we expect that VET will continue to grow in the coming years. 

Mr. Robert Copas has been appointed to the Religious Studies Leader of Learning position at St Paul’s Catholic College Booragul, commencing at the start of next year. Mr. Copas has been with us for the last three years and has been a key member of the Religious Studies Faculty and a valued member of our community. We congratulate Mr. Copas on his appointment to this leadership position. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Assistant Principal Report – Brett Donohoe and Emma South

Week 8: National Child Protection Week  

Child Protection Week addresses the significant harms experienced by children in Australia. This year, the theme for Child Protection Week is: ‘Where we start matters.’ This theme highlights the importance of recognising where all children start out in life and the resources that are available to them. Additionally, it can also be interpreted as where communities start in terms of addressing issues that impact children and sparking change to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Above all, Child Protection Week is a reminder about our daily duty to safeguard the vulnerable members of our community. We must all act with compassion and justice to change the trajectory of these individuals and their families and uphold their dignity.  

Last year, St Bede’s Catholic College created a visual representation for the Decorate Your Gate competition which explored the theme ‘Every child, in every community, needs a fair go.’ As pictured, there was a range of eyes drawn onto wooden blocks which highlights St Bede’s commitment to ensuring every child and adult feels seen and heard. Additionally, our representation also reinforces the responsibilities of our community members – that is, to safeguard those around us, protecting their safety and happiness. At St. Bede’s, we strive to ensure every child is seen, and in moving towards the 2023 the theme of ‘where we start matters’, we also need to remember that ‘of course where we start isn’t where we finish.’  

In homerooms this week, students and staff engaged with a range of topics that relate to child protection: 
Monday: Feeling safe and happy at school and home
Tuesday: Being responsible online for our safety and the safety of others
Wednesday: Support networks and asking for help
Thursday: e-Safety website, reporting and support resources
Friday: St Bede’s commitment to safeguarding

Students explored the e-safety commissioner website as a resource to educate themselves about online safeguarding and reporting.

“eSafety is Australia's independent regulator for online safety. We educate Australians about online safety risks and help to remove harmful content such as cyberbullying of children, adult cyber abuse and intimate images or videos shared without consent.” 

Parents and carers are also urged to explore the website and the range of resources attached to this website.

It is important to remind our students they too play a critical role in supporting and protecting others. Students explored the dangers that young people experience, with a specific focus on online interactions, as well as the support networks and resources available where they can report situations or seek help.  

A prayer for Child Protection Week:
Gracious God,
You love and care for all your children, especially the smallest and most vulnerable. We entrust to you the lives of the young people in our communities and ask that you walk with them, through every fire they may face.
We ask that you remind us of our duty as stewards of your creation, to safeguard the wellbeing of children and young people. We ask that you give us the strength and compassion required to understand that everyone is walking their own journey. Help us to be courageous and respectful in our interactions with each other so that we can make a positive difference in the lives of others.
St Bede…. Pray for us.
Amen.

Profitable Parenting 

Parents and carers across the diocese are invited to take part in free, online presentations that will empower you with engaging and practical ways to raise your child or young person to be resilient and ready to take on the world! 

The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle’s Federation of P & F Associations has invited teacher and high-profile author, Daisy Turnbull, to share practical advice with parents and carers on ways you can develop your child’s independence and confidence. 

There are two different sessions available, each catered to a different age group. 

Building Resilience and Independence in Your Child   
Tuesday 12 September 7.30-8.30pm 
Most suitable for parents and carers of children ages 5-10 years 

Fostering Communication and Confidence in Young People  
Wednesday 13 September 7.30-8.30pm 
Most suitable for parents and carers of young people ages 11-18 years 

Registration for these sessions is vital and can be done by accessing the links in the attached flyer.

Application for Leave 

Parents are asked to follow the following protocol: 

Leave forms are to be completed and submitted at least one week prior to the proposed leave date. Parents/carers who do not apply for the extended period of leave, inform the school after the leave or have undertaken the leave once it has been denied, will have the absence of their child recorded as unexplained. 

If extended leave is granted, the record of school attendance will reflect this, and a Certificate of Leave will be provided. 

Please click on the link below to access all 2023 Parent and Student Year Handbooks.

Catholic Formation and Mission – Andrew Slater

Perpetual Day of Remembrance 

In 2017, Bishop Bill established 15 September as a Perpetual Day of Remembrance throughout the diocese. Such a day holds before us our history of child sexual abuse and the reality of its continual unfolding in the lives of those directly and indirectly affected. In 2020, Bishop Bill decreed that the Sunday of, or prior to, 15 September (Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time) would be inscribed in the diocesan liturgical calendar as Perpetual Day of Remembrance Sunday.  

The Church of Maitland-Newcastle marks this day with prayer, ritual and worship. As a people of faith, we know the importance and power of remembering. Our remembering not only functions to ensure that such abuse never happens again, but our liturgical remembering is permeated with the light of Christ’s Paschal Mystery becoming the source of our ongoing conversion and hope. It is only with the power of this light that our eyes and hearts will be open to discerning the cultural change necessary for the Church to be ever more truly a sign and instrument of God’s reign right here and right now. The Perpetual Day of Remembrance is a day to focus on Jesus and pray that we will keep changing and growing and behaving in ways that allow all people in our community to be safe, respected and free to learn and grow.

All Masses in the Chisholm Region this weekend will be a commemoration of Perpetual Day of Remembrance Sunday. 

Feast of Our Lady of Mercy 

The College will celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy on Thursday 21^st September. Students are invited to dress in green and make a gold coin donation to Catholic Mission. Catholic Mission is the Pope’s international mission agency. Catholic Mission shares in God’s mission to reach out and give life by proclaiming the Gospel, serving people in need, and acting for peace, justice, and creation, so that all may have life in Christ.

There will also be a BBQ and cans of drink for sale during Break 1 on Monday 11^th September. The sausage sizzle will cost $2.50 and cans of drink $2.00. All money raised will also go to Catholic Mission.  

For more information about Catholic Mission please click on the link below.

Mass for Year 12 Students and their Families  

A Mass will be celebrated for the intentions of all Year 12 students in schools within the Chisholm Region (St Bede’s Catholic College, All Saints’ College and St Joseph’s College). All members of our College community are invited to attend and pray for our Year 12 students.  

Where: St Joseph’s Catholic Church, East Maitland 
When: 6pm, Sunday 17^th September 

Vinnies Winter Sleepout

On Friday 25^th August 2023, Year 12 participated in the Vinnies Winter sleepout at school. 25 students, along with Mrs. Pascoe, Mr. Marsh, Ms. Chapman, and Ms. Crick slept in the learning hub on the ground with only pillows and sleeping bags. Students heard stories from people speaking about their own experiences and how they came to be homeless. Students reflected on these stories to understand the importance of the evening and how they were to spend the night modestly. For dinner, they ate a cup of soup and a bread roll and for breakfast, they had honey or vegemite on toast. Students braved the cold, hard ground but enjoyed each other’s company and reflected on what life would be like on the streets. They occupied themselves with board games and conversation. Together, Year 12 raised $1475 which will all go towards helping gift people sleeping on the streets a night in safe, warm accommodation. Well done to Year 12 for looking out for our vulnerable community members.  

LEARNING DOMAIN

Year 9 Leader of Wellbeing and Engagement – Lauren Power     

Term 3 has been a busy one in Year 9! Not only have I had the privilege of stepping into the Leader of Wellbeing and Engagement (LoWE) role, continuing to work with the amazing students of Year 9; but we have also had Mrs Rebecca Haines step into the Assistant LoWE role, and Mr Nicolas Lowe join us as the Homeroom teacher of 9.3.  

This Term has been especially big for our students who have stepped up and shone with Christ’s glory, in many areas of College life: 

Sporting 

While it feels like a while ago, Year 9 were lucky enough to lay claim to both the King and Queen of the Track titles at the College Athletics Carnival. We are incredibly proud of the efforts of Anita Olie and Harry Lidbury who put in stellar performances on the day and have been outstanding representatives for the College in the sporting arena.  

Leader of Wellbeing and Engagement Awards 

Several students have received LoWE awards throughout the Term – it has been pleasing to see so many Year 9 students giving of themselves and making a positive difference in the daily life of the College. 

Leadership 

Our Year 9 Leadership Team for 2023 - 2024 was commissioned on Friday, 25^th August 2023. Mrs Haines and I were so incredibly impressed with the calibre of applications we received from our students and were particularly proud of the successful applicants who excelled in the interview component of the process.

Our Year 9 Leaders are: 

If there are any issues or concerns related to uniform or organisation, please contact your child’s Homeroom teacher or Mrs Rebecca Haines at rebecca.haines@mn.catholic.edu.au.  

As always, if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s wellbeing, please do not hesitate to contact me on 4088 8222 or at lauren.power@mn.catholic.edu.au.  

Humanities – Lauren McCafferty

Year 10 Stockton Beach Excursion

On Thursday 31^st August, Year 10 students travelled to Stockton Beach for their Geography Excursion. The day was facilitated by staff from the Awabakal Environmental Education Centre. These informative staff were able to explain to students the various issues impacting Stockton Beach and how this landscape has changed over time. Students learned about the various stakeholders involved as well as current management practices in the area to address ongoing environmental challenges such as erosion.  

Throughout the day, students engaged with geographical equipment to collect data such as temperature and humidity readings. Students also honed their geographical skills by creating field sketches of the environment. There were several interactive workshops including one where students needed to use materials found on the beach to create a model of the landscape. A further workshop involved students examining sand samples for microplastics.  

We were fortunate to have wonderful weather during our excursion and equally fortunate to be supported by passionate educators from the Awabakal Environmental Education Centre and dedicated staff from St. Bede’s. A special thanks to Mrs Shaw, Mrs Woodbridge, Mrs Simmons, Ms Shepherd, Mr Sevil and Mr Dalton for their assistance on the day.  

The excursion was an excellent learning experience to conclude students’ exploration of Environmental Change and Management in Geography.  

Year 8 Humanities 

During this term, Year 8 have been learning about water in our world, its value, qualities, and management. They recently completed a Research Action Plan investigating water quality in our local area. They are also learning about global water issues, particularly water scarcity and are studying a documentary called “Carbon for Water” about a sustainable water project in Kenya. To enhance their learning, we were excited to invite Ms. Simmons and her husband, Mr. Irungu, to speak to the students about Kenya. They generously shared their personal stories and insights and many special photos, videos, and personal artefacts with the students. This experience significantly developed the students’ understanding of Kenya, its people and culture, along with their empathy for the stories in the documentary they are studying. 

DioSpeaks – Student Article 

On Tuesday 29^th August, St. Bede’s students attended DioSpeaks, the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese Public Speaking Competition, along with many other schools. For the competition, each student prepared a speech and was tasked with writing an impromptu speech on the spot. Although it was daunting to speak in front of judges and peers, it was a great experience to test our abilities, meet people with similar interests from other schools, as well as listen to unique perspectives on the topics. 

At DioSpeaks, everyone was nervous yet excited and before the competition, we completed final preparations and were ready. We started the day with the prepared speeches. It was wonderful to see students so passionate about public speaking and it was clear that all schools had put effort into their speeches. Next was the impromptu speeches. It was interesting to see what we were able to come up with, thinking on the spot with so little time to prepare; nonetheless, they were spectacular to watch. We liked how each speaker was open-minded about the topic and how they approached it in their own creative style with the support of the adjudicators. At the end of the day there was a presentation and Aleah Kripp in Year 9 placed second in her group. We were all happy for her success!   

It was wonderful seeing all the regional schools compete and we can’t wait for next year.  

Bede’s Public Speakers for 2023:  
Aloysia Edwards 
Aleah Kripp 
Amelia Locking 
Emmison Mate 
Kimberly Peters 
William Taing 
Caitlin Woodyatt 

Overall, DioSpeaks was a great experience and public speaking is something we recommend to others.  

Throughout Weeks 6 and 7, we gathered in breaks to practise and prepare for our speeches. We worked hard to draft our speeches and we practised presenting to each other and gave feedback. Applying feedback helped us to know what we needed to improve and add. To practise the impromptu speeches, we were assigned a random topic and brainstormed for 1-2 minutes before speaking in front of each other. Ms. O’Connor helped us to prepare by giving up her time to give us feedback and ideas for our speech and running sessions during break.   

The experience of writing our speeches was incredible; we enjoyed thinking of bright ideas about the topic and including descriptive language in the speech was fun, and it got our brains pumping. The topics students were given were:  

Year 7 – What I want to be when I grow up
Year 8 – The power of positive thinking
Year 9 – Reach for the stars
Year 10 – Why failing helps you learn 

Visual Arts – Leisha Young

BEDiES Portrait Prize 

This term saw the development of an exciting new art exhibition on Level 2 of the Peregrine Trail titled ‘The BEDiES’. The idea for this exhibition has been modelled off the ever-popular Australian portrait prize, The Archibald.  

Visual Arts students from Years 9 and 11 worked consistently during Term 2 on the development of portrait paintings that reflected aspects of either their personal identity, or of a person of significance and influence in their life. 

It is with great pleasure that we announce the winner of our inaugural BEDiES ‘People’s Choice Award’ for 2023, Eliza Bowles in Year 9. 

Eliza’s portrait was a popular choice for our QR code voters who admired her realistic representation of an enjoyable summer’s day fishing with her father.  

Eliza can be highly commended for her technical refinement, sophisticated portrait painting skills and the achievement of the high honour of being our FIRST-ever BEDiES People’s Choice Award winner.  

Well done to all our talented artists who worked with dedication on their portraits this semester, and many thanks to Mr Cox (St Bede’s Groundsman) for installing our permanent tracking system so we can continue to bring you this exciting annual portrait showcase each year. We look forward to the culture of excellence this will generate in the fine arts and can’t wait to see who our 2024 winner will be! 

Sport – Belinda Watts

Diocesan Basketball 

On Thursday 24 August, Mr. Kelly and Mr. Anderson took 35 basketballers from St Bede’s to compete in the Maitland-Newcastle Diocesan Basketball Gala Day. All the teams from Years 7 to 10 played 3 games each over the day. While the teams missed out on progressing to the semifinals, every student played with passion, respect, and dignity.

The Year 9/10 Girls’ team improved with each successive game which culminated in an impressive 23-20 win over St Paul’s Booragul. Georgie Punch and Macey Streeter led in scoring, while Janali Haynes’ relentless defence and Lillian James’ excellent passing were highlights of the team. The Year 9/10 Boys’ team demonstrated great effort, communication, and encouragement of one another which was best displayed in their 25-13 win over St Clare’s Taree. Anchored by Oliver Bolton, the team enjoyed the crafty assists from Gabriel Borja and Tatenda Goora, and were inspired by the efforts of the Year 9 players; namely some timely shots by Kurt Quinlan, as well as the tenacious rebounds and hustle from Spencer Davis. In a day of great teamwork and fair play, the future of St Bede’s basketball looks bright.

The Year 7/8 Girls’ team showed grit and resilience against the other schools they played. Sophie Rees and Addison Priestley showed great leadership in all the games they played, directing the team on the court. Sienna Dilley, Madison Dunn and Poppy Jennings took on all their opponents, playing incredible defence.

The Year 7/8 Boys’ team displayed teamwork and determination as they played their games. Bailey Lattimer and Daniel Callingham gave direction and encouragement on the courts. Campbell Ryan, Matthew Colling, Philp Kipfer and Campbell Horne showed their speed and ball skills as they ran around their opponents. Connor Schafer provided the team with a strong centre, rebounding and shooting. 

NSW Rugby Girls Secondary School 7s 

On 28 August our Under 14’s and Under 16’s Rugby Union Girls Teams competed at the NSW Rugby Championships at Waratah Oval. This is the first time SBCC have competed at this carnival and the girls were more than impressive. Their determination and willingness to take on feedback and improve every game was commendable. The Under 16’s played 4 games on the day against All Saints, Singleton HS, Lochinvar and Catherine McAuley. The girls were able to walk away with a win and a few very close games on the day.

Congratulations to Chelsea Bartolo, Chelsea Galpern-Fetterplace, Macey Streeter, Mackenna Sutton and Kelly Sutton on the debut tries! Thank you to our parent helper, Lloyd Galpern, who assisted coaching the U14’s Girls on the day. His efforts and knowledge of the game were valued by both the students and teachers on the day! 

The Under 14s also played 4 games against St Joseph’s Lochinvar, Hunter Sports High School, Scone Grammar and Catherine McAuley. Our girls demonstrated great enthusiasm and sportsmanship throughout the whole day. They were able to walk away from the carnival with 2 wins from our 4 games, showing plenty of great skill to look forward to next year.   

NSW Rugby Boys Secondary School 7s 

SBCC U14’s and U16’s Boys competed on Tuesday 29August in the NSW Secondary School 7s at Waratah Oval. Both teams showed great determination and represented the school exceptionally well throughout the whole day. The U14s boys played 3 games but unfortunately could not walk away with a win. They versed All Saints, Singleton High School and St Mary’s. The boys never gave up and played their hardest right until the final whistle. Well done boys! 

The U16s showed great skill and came away undefeated in their pool after playing Irrawang HS and Kotara HS. Skills and comradery were on display during both of these games, with the boys supporting each other both on and off the field. They made the Quarter Finals and came up against a tough Singleton High School outfit. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on our side and Singleton scored a winning try right on the final hooter to win.  

Congratulations to all 4 of our teams, boys and girls, on two days of great rugby.  

Diocesan Athletics: Latest Results 

In our previous newsletter we included an overview of the Diocesan Athletics Carnival and our outstanding student successes. Following this, we were informed of further achievements on the day. Four St Bede’s students were named aged champions on the day, which is a phenomenal achievement.

Congratulations to the following students: 

• 12yrs: Shelby Griffis and Phoenix Borja 
• 14yrs: Lilly Sutton and Zane Edwards 

For a full list of results please click on the link below:

For anyone wanting to follow the success of our athletics champions, NSWCCC is on 11 September - see csnsw.sport for all results. We wish all our students competing on the day all the best. 

SERVICE & GOVERNANCE DOMAIN

School Fees – Kylie Murray  

Your 2023 school fee accounts were emailed to all families on Friday 1 September 2023.  

All accounts are due to be finalised by the 30 November as a condition of enrolment. If you need assistance in recalculating your payment plan to extinguish your account by this date, please contact finance immediately. 

We encourage families experiencing any financial hardship to please contact Finance as soon as possible to arrange a confidential meeting. 

For any queries regarding your account please call 02 4088 8222 or email finance@chisholmsb.catholic.edu.au 

Please note if you have a nil balance, you will not receive a statement. 

Other News

Getting the Most out of Gaming

This is a 45-minute webinar provides families with strategies for supporting children and young people to have safe, positive experiences when playing games online.  It is designed for parents and carers of children aged 7 to 14.

Tuesday 12^th September 2023: 7.30pm-8.15pm

It will cover:  

• when gaming can be beneficial and strategies to promote better in-game experiences
• how to keep children safe online – using safety and privacy settings in games and platforms
• strategies to promote more balanced gaming and how to create smoother transitions from game-play to other activities
• the key online risks and where to find help for things like bullying and harassment in games.

Please click on the link below to register.

Canteen Helpers Needed

Volunteer Registration Link

Immunisations – NSW Health

School Student Travel May 2023

Williamson International – Uniform Queries

All uniform queries are to be directed to Williamson International.
Williamson International Contact Details:
Phone: 1800 815 571
Email: greg@williamson.com.au

Online Uniform Orders: