St Bede's Catholic College Newsletter 17 - 3 November 2023

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE – JOHN MURPHY

PRAYER  

Creator God, 
You have given the saints in heaven eternal happiness,  
and they now live in the fullness of your glory. 
Because of their holy love for you, they also care about us,  
our family, our friends, and our neighbours. 
Thank you for the witness of their holy lives. 
We ask our patron saints to intercede for us. 
O Lord, give us their protection. 
Grant us their assistance in gaining  
the fullness of life with you. 
Amen. 
St Bede … Pray for us. 

STAFF NEWS 

It is with much pleasure that I announce the appointment of Mr. Wade Warren to the position of a three-day-a-week Temporary PD/H/PE Teaching Position for 2024. Mr. Warren has a Bachelor of Teaching Degree and extensive experience and demonstrated success as a sporting coach, a teacher, and a Coordinator of PD/H/PE.  

Family background:   

Married to my beautiful wife and together we are blessed to do life with our four beautiful children.

My hopes and dreams in coming to St Bede’s:   

I am excited about getting to know the staff and students of St Bedes. I am hoping to help all students grow in their knowledge and relationship with Jesus Christ, and I hope to help empower students to live an active, healthy, and purposeful life!

Teaching Qualifications:   

• Bachelor of Education (Secondary) Specialising in PDHPE

Teaching Experience:

• 15 Years of teaching experience (PDHPE, SLR, PASS)

Personal Interests/Passions:   

• Spending time with my family
• Health
• Fitness
• Sport
• Reading
• Lawns & Gardens

Advice to Students:   

Learning should be fun and challenging but with a bit of effort, you can succeed.

Congratulations to Ms Karen Chapman, our School Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Teacher, and Ms Monique Crick, our School Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Worker, on being re-elected to the Maitland Local NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG) at last week’s AGM. Both will continue in their current roles - Ms Chapman as the Regional Representative and Ms Crick as Secretary. We congratulate them on their reappointments and thank them for their service to our local Aboriginal community. 

Below is an outline of the vision of the AECG: 

The vision of the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Inc. is to provide advice on all matters relevant to education and training with the mandate that this advice represents the Aboriginal community’s viewpoint.  

The NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Inc. promotes respect, empowerment and self-determination and believes the process of collaborative consultation is integral to equal partnerships and is fundamental to the achievement of equality.  

The NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Inc. advocates cultural affirmation, integrity, and the pursuit of equality to ensure that the unique and diverse identity of Aboriginal students is recognised and valued.  

The most critically important part of the consultative process is the active involvement of Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group members and communities.  

To provide opportunities for Aboriginal people to be actively involved in all decision-making that is relevant to education and training through a collaborative consultative process.  

To empower members by providing appropriate and effective knowledge and skills to engage in the development of policies and programs that enhance the unique cultural identity of Aboriginal students and promote pride in Aboriginality.  

YEAR 12 UPDATE 

All our Year 12 students have now completed their HSC exams. All students are to be commended on their diligence and application before and during the exams. We now look forward to the Year 12 Formal next Friday evening at Ben Ean Pokolbin where these students will gather with our staff and their parents for a celebration of their remarkable journey as our foundation students.  

PARENT FORUM 

The Term 4 Parent Forum will be held next Wednesday 8 November. The meeting will commence in the College Library at 6.00pm and will finish shortly after 7.00pm. To access the library, walk up the main path to the Benedict Building and turn left into the first room at the top of the stairs. Staff will also be located outside the Office to assist you in locating the library if required. 

The agenda will include presentations from: 

• Ms Sandra Hampshire (Leader of Digital Innovation & Learning – DIAL) and Mr. Ray Burg (IT Field Service Officer) on our Bring Your Own Device Specified (BYOSD).
• Ms Emma South (Assistant Principal) on the review of the Uniform and Grooming Policy. 

We deeply value the input of parents and carers in this process and cordially invite you to attend. No registration is required to attend so simply turn up if you would like to join us. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Assistant Principal Report – Emma South

Year 9 and 10 Examinations 

As this week draws to an end our Year 10 students will finish their formal examination block, we congratulate them for the serious and measured way that they have approached these exams. 

As our Year 9s finalise their preparation for next week, we have some additional tips. 

Some tips for exam day  

It’s not unusual to feel anxious on exam day. The best way to deal with this is to be familiar with the exam format – length of time, number and form of questions and topics being assessed.  

Try and arrive early for your exam and make sure you have the equipment needed and allowed for that exam. This might include pens, pencils, an eraser, highlighter, ruler, calculator, watch, and water. 

Read the paper: Read through the entire exam paper, including the important front page, during reading time. Make sure there are no surprise hard questions that may require more attention/time. 

When you can start writing: Once you can start writing, jot down everything filling your brain that you think you might forget on a blank page of the exam paper – this will allow you to concentrate on one question at a time. 

Start with an easy one: You don’t have to start the exam with Question 1 and move through in that order. It can be helpful to start with an ‘easy’ question first to settle any nerves. Leave the hardest questions for the middle of the exam time. 

Look for keywords: Circle or highlight important words in questions worth 8 marks or more – these questions usually require multiple paragraphs. 

Think you've finished? Check, check and check again. Before you are told to put your pens down, spend your time checking you have answered each question and looking over all your responses. 

Read as a reader, not as a writer. Some questions to ask yourself include: 

• Have I followed the exam instructions regarding which questions to answer and have I used the answer booklets correctly? 
• Have I always answered the question asked? 
• Is my answer obvious and clear throughout my response? 
• Do extended responses flow logically, linking my ideas to my point of view or answering the question? 
• Have I used sophisticated language and specific technical terms from the subject and topic? 
• Have I used correct spelling, punctuation and grammar? Although not always explicitly marked, handwriting, spelling and punctuation may affect how successfully you express your understanding to markers. 

Never leave an exam early: The time set is how much time you are expected to use, that is, to plan, write and check your work. If you do finish early, read over your responses, and read every single word, you’ll be surprised at how often you have written so quickly you’ve missed entire words in a sentence. Check your answers, fix any obvious mistakes, and correct any poor spelling or punctuation. 

It's over – let it go: When the exam is over avoid speaking with others who want to discuss the exam in detail and tell you how they approached each question and their answers. There is nothing more you can do once an exam has been handed in. It is time to reward yourself with a break and then start preparing for the next. 

Discussing War and Conflict 

The news that flows across our television screens and on all social media platforms makes it difficult for us to protect the young people in our lives from some highly confronting and distressing content. This content can have an impact on us all and we felt it was an opportune time for us to direct you to a Special Report on our College SchoolTV page. This report is aimed at providing parents and caregivers with support around discussing war and conflict with those in our care.

SchoolTV includes solid guidance from experts and an excellent video resource that may be helpful for our parent and carer community, we encourage you to take 10 minutes out of your day to view it.

Assistant Principal Report – Brett Donohoe

Farewell to our 2023 Graduating Class

Congratulations to the remarkable first cohort of Year 12 students who have successfully completed their HSC journey! Your journey was characterized by maturity, diligence, and a positive approach, setting an inspiring example for all. Your leadership, not only in the academic sphere but also in fostering social and spiritual growth, has left an indelible mark on our school. The legacy you are leaving behind will serve as a source of inspiration for generations to come. We eagerly anticipate celebrating your outstanding achievements with both students and their proud parents and carers at Ben Ean Estate next Friday evening. Your presence will be greatly missed, but we have every confidence that you will achieve remarkable success in your future endeavors. Congratulations once again, and may your journey forward be filled with continued triumph and fulfillment. 

Grievances and Complaints

St Bede’s fosters a harmonious, positive, and productive school and community. The College relies on clear and open communication with the community and aims to resolve complaints and grievances fairly, efficiently, promptly and in the best interests of all. Confidentiality and privacy will always be respected in processes taken to resolve any matter. Parents/Carers have the right to raise a complaint and grievance and have it responded to promptly, fairly, without fear of repercussions and according to principles of procedural fairness. 

It is important our community understands that schools are complex environments and not all complaints and grievances can be resolved. Opinions vary widely. Please refer to the brochure below which outlines the complaints and resolution pathway and important points to consider in the handling of any complaint. Copies of this brochure are in the School Office and will routinely be referred to in this newsletter. The St Bede’s Complaints and Grievances Resolution Policy is available on the College website. We encourage you to read this document. 

Catholic Formation and Mission – Andrew Slater

Missionaries of God’s Love Visit  

On Monday 30^th October, Sisters Judy, Therese and Steph from the Missionaries of God’s Love visited St Bede’s to work with our Year 7 cohort. They ran games, prayed and spoke about their lives and the love that God has for each and every one of us. Sister Therese and Sister Judy also spoke to students about their time on the TV show The Amazing Race. 

Mass at OLOL Beresfield 

Students from St Bede’s will be undertaking the various ministries at Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church at Beresfield on Saturday 25^th November at 6:00pm. We would love to see our students and parents there, celebrating with the Parish community.  

All Saints/All Souls’ Day 

The month of November begins with the Feast of All Saints and The Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed (All Souls’ Day). As such, the month of November is a time to remember and pray for those who have died, and there are a number of events in the Chisholm Region in November to enable this: 

• Rosary at East Maitland Cemetery will be held on 5^th November at 10.30am.  
• Mass will be held at the Morpeth Cemetery on 13th November at 6pm.  
• Liturgy at Paterson Cemetery will be held on 15^th November at 6pm. 
• Lochinvar 15th November 6.30pm. Meet at cemetery grotto gates then proceed to the Church for a liturgy.  

LEARNING DOMAIN

Year 7 Leader of Wellbeing & Engagement – Michael Eccleston     

Year 7 have recently completed a wellbeing survey designed by our Year 7 students who applied for leadership at the college and the Year 7 homeroom teachers. The survey focuses on mood, friendships, exercise, recreational screen time and sleep. Whilst our students generally report being happy, recreational screen time is a concern for our students. 66% of our Year 7 cohort reported spending 2+ hours of recreational screen time per day, indicating a need for both the student and family to regulate student screen time. Furthermore, the survey highlighted a strong correlation between excessive recreational screen time and low mood. The link between low mood and excessive recreational screen time is also supported by many academic studies. Please click on the e-safety commissioner website for some further information.

Below are some tips to take control of screen time: 

• Turn off or limit notifications.
• Don’t allow the use of devices during mealtimes. 
• Set designated screen times. 
• Encourage children to pursue offline interests.  
• Speak with people in person where possible.

Creative Arts – Michelle Burgess

Year 9 Drama 

Year 9 Drama have been working on play building this semester. In term 3 students developed performances based around the concept of Conflict. It was amazing to see the creative directions that students took this theme in. This term students are learning about Comedy in theatre and are in the middle of creating a piece of theatre exploring comedic conventions. 

Year 7 Music

Year 7 are working on developing their performance skills and instrumental technique through the study of classical music. So far students have learned to play Symphony No.9 “Ode to Joy” by Beethoven and “Fingal’s Cave” from the Hebride’s Overture by Mendelssohn. 

Year 9 Music 

Year 9 Music have been hard at work this Semester to develop their performance and aural analysis skills. In class we have been looking at Irish Music, Rock Music as well as Music Technology, and it has been great to see students working collaboratively to develop their musical skills. At the moment in class, students are working to develop their skills in music production and music analysis. 

Year 10 Music  

Year 10 are learning about presenting a Viva Voce, an analytical and musicological-based discussion through the context of Australian Music. As their last unit of work in Stage 5, this task allows students to cater their learning to a personal musical interest. Once completed there will be a lot of practical-based experiences for students to engage in to wrap up 2023’s studies! 

Year 12 Music  

Our new year 12’s have officially commenced their HSC studies and are working on their first task – their Core Composition. In this task, students need to arrange (or create a cover version) of an existing song and can then choose how they want to present it for assessment. Students have the choice to either perform, notate or record their work in our Music Recording Studio. 

Year 8 Visual Arts 

Year 8 have been creating a Visual Verbal on an Aboriginal artist. Students have been learning about the Conceptual Framework and applying their knowledge of their Aboriginal artist to the framework. Students have approached this task with excellent focus and engagement.

Year 9 Visual Arts 

Year 9 Visual Arts students have recently submitted their practical assessment task, inspired by the practice of Australian artist Mirka Mora. Students sewed hybrid, fantasy soft sculptures, before embellishing their work with paint decorations, patterns, jewels and fabrics. Be sure to come and see these excellent works in our annual Drawn In Exhibition.   

Year 10 Visual Arts 

Last semester Year 10 enjoyed creating humorous scenes using small-scale figurines and the school environment in our digital photography unit titled the ‘Little People Project.’ 

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Year 12 Visual Arts  

Last term brought the first-ever HSC Body of Work submissions for St Bede’s Catholic College. All HSC Visual Arts students can be commended for the time and dedication they invested, the progress made, and the high quality of artworks submitted.  

Sport – Belinda Watts

Rugby League 9’s Competition – Under 15’s Boys 

On Friday 20^th October St Bede's competed in the Timana Tahu Trophy. The U15s team took the field in the 9-a-side competition. The day featured three intense games against tough opponents. While the results varied, the team's determination and teamwork shone through. Every game was a learning experience, and it's clear that these young players have a promising future ahead. A team with little rugby league experience can hold their heads high. Keep up the great work. At the end of the day, students voted for their players’ player, which went to Harry Lidbury. 

Berg Shield – Round One 

The Berg Shield is a Catholic school's competition for boys in years 7-9. St Bede's travelled to Raymond Terrace to take on Catherine McAuley in the first round of the T20 competition. Our captain Theo Law won the toss and elected to bat, and it proved to be an inspired choice. St Bede's continued to apply pressure to the opposition bowlers throughout the 20 overs and completed the innings at 2/187 with top performers, Theo Law 52, Lincoln Stork 35, Ben Nicholls 46 not out and Harry Lidbury 25 not out. In reply, Catherine McAuley made 5/63 with the best performers with the ball being Leonard Hungerford, Riley Miller, Tom Cornwall, Bailey Hunter and Koby Warland sharing a wicket each. St Bede's progresses to the second round to take on either St Pius, Adamstown or St Paul's, Booragul. All the best for the second round! 

Downie Shield 

St Bede's travelled to Raymond Terrace to play Catherine McAuley, Medowie in the first round of the Downie Shield. The Downie Shield is an open-age, knockout cricket competition for NSW Combined Catholic Colleges.  

St Bede's batted first and found themselves in early trouble with half of the team dismissed with the score on 48. Fortunately, Koby Warland (57) steadied the ship, and he was well supported by the lower order and St Bede's completed their innings all out for 186. In reply, Catherine McAuley was bundled out for 52 in a disciplined display of bowling led by the two opening bowlers Ben Nicholls (2/4) and Harry Lidbury (2/12). The tone was set by the two opening bowlers and Catherine McAuley were finished off by Tom Cornwall, Lincoln Stork, Theo Law and Riley Miller. Congratulations boys and go well in the second round.  

SERVICE & GOVERNANCE DOMAIN

School Fees – Kylie Murray  

Only 4 weeks are remaining for all accounts to be finalised by 30^th 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

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Road Safety

School Student Travel 2024

Volunteer Registration Link

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