St Bede's Catholic College Newsletter 1 - 16 February 2024

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE – JOHN MURPHY

PRAYER  

Dear Lord 
Help us to shine with the glory of Christ. 
Teach us to listen with COMPASSION 
To take a stand for JUSTICE. 
To always communicate with TRUTH. 
To reach out in LOVE. 
Teach us to live in COMMUNITY. 
To speak up with COURAGE. 
To strive for KNOWLEDGE.  
and to step out in FAITH. 
We ask this through Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 
St Bede … Pray for us. 

START OF THE YEAR 

Congratulations to our school community on an excellent start to the year. The new staff and students have quickly transitioned to life at St Bede’s. With over 860 students and more than a hundred staff, we continue to grow as an established and successful Year 7 -12 Catholic Secondary College.  

Included in the start of the year was a welcome assembly for Year 7 on their first day on Thursday 1 February, which was attended by all staff and Years 11 & 12 students. Years 8 – 10 then successfully returned the following day on Friday 2 February. Year 11 had their three-day retreat last week at Bonny Hills in which students positively engaged in this important faith-formation experience. 

This Monday 12 February was our opening assembly which featured the presentation of Diocesan Awards to our highest-performing students and the launch of our Vision and Mission Statement. Congratulations to our award winners which included five of last year’s HSC students. Three of these achieved first in the Diocese in their respective subjects – Egan White in Visual Arts, Daniel Schwenke for Science Extension, and Talia Falconer in Chinese Beginners. Two others, Levi McBride and Erika West, received awards for gaining HSC ATARs in the 90s. Erika West, in gaining the highest HSC ATAR, was our first College Dux. Please refer to the Assistant Principal’s Report for details of the award winners. 

The launching of the new Vision and Mission Statement was a significant moment in the next chapter of the history of St Bede’s Catholic College. This new Statement will guide us forward in our Catholic identity and learning and wellbeing priorities. The new Vision Statement is ‘Live with Faith, Connect with Community, Thrive with Knowledge, Act with Courage.’ The Mission Statement is a series of short statements of our commitment to living out our Vision. These are:  

• Live with Faith: Act as stewards of God’s creation, seek and nourish encounter with God, share the love of Jesus and the joy of the Gospel. 
• Connect with Community: Respect the dignity of each person, respond to the call to serve others, foster harmonious connections through empathy and inclusiveness. 
• Thrive with knowledge: Ignite passion for knowledge and truth, empower lifelong learning and global citizenship, nurture a collaborative and creative environment. 
• Act with courage: Strive for justice and peace, build persistence and resilience, grow in strength and character. 

Please see our new Vision and Mission Statement below: 

MEDIA STORY 

For those who have not yet seen the St Bede’s media story that was published in the Maitland Mercury on Friday 2 February on our social media site, please click on the link below.  

The story was an interview with Ms. Lauren Power, our Year 7 Leader of Wellbeing & Engagement. Ms. Power provided excellent insights and tips for our new Year 7 students and their parents in commencing their secondary education.  

PARENT INFORMATION EVENING 

Thank you so much to our Year 7 & 12 Parents and Carers who attended the Year 7 & 12 Parent Information Evenings over the last couple of weeks. Both evenings were well attended with featured presentations from key staff, meetings with homeroom teachers, and tours of the school site. The positive engagement of parents and carers at these meetings is one demonstrated way our staff and families work in partnership to provide the best opportunities for students. 

UPCOMING PARENT FORUMS 

I warmly invite parents and carers to attend our termly Parent Forums. These forums are optional but are an important avenue of parent engagement. Attending these meetings is a great way for families to connect and be part of the St Bede’s community. A compass invitation will be sent prior to each meeting. 

Our two 2023 parent representatives were Michelle McDonald and Nadine Yager. We again acknowledge their work and contribution to St Bede’s. At the first meeting on Monday 26 February, we will be selecting the 2024 Parent Representatives. Please email the Office if you would like to consider nominating yourself for one of these positions or if you have questions you would like addressed at this first meeting. 

These termly meetings commence at 6.00pm in our College Library. The dates are: 

• Term 1: Monday 26 February 
• Term 2: Tuesday 28 May 
• Term 3: Wednesday 21 August  
• Term 4: Wednesday 13 November 

Please consider attending our first meeting on Monday 26 February as parent engagement is an important priority to ensure we are working together in the best interests of the students. 

COUNSELLING 

In good news, St Bede’s counselling allocation has increased to 1.2FTE (Full-time Employee) for this year. This means we will have a counsellor at school every day of the week and for one day a week, there will be two counsellors. This year’s counsellors will be Ms. Beck Meldrum-Hanna, who was with us last year, and Ms. Samantha Trajanovska.  

Having such a generous allocation of counselling support is an indication of the Diocese’s commitment to student wellbeing. The relevant Leader of Wellbeing and Engagement can assist students when they would like to access school counselling support. 

HOW DO WE SAFEGUARD OUR STUDENTS? 

At St Bede’s, we place the safety of our students at the core of how we plan, think and act. The Diocese has a positive obligation to reduce the risk of abuse to children derived from law and regulation.  

Our Diocese has to ensure we comply with two sets of standards, both derived from the Royal Commission into Institutional Historic Child Sexual Abuse. This includes the NSW Child Safe Standards and the National Catholic Safeguarding Standards (NCSS). 

In November 2023, our Diocese, including a number of schools, were subject to an audit in relation to our compliance with the NCSS. Results will be published early this year. 

The ways in which our school meets these standards include:  

• Our staff Code of Conduct and Commitment Statement is displayed on our website and posters in our school for transparency and to ensure that we all embrace a safeguarding culture, emphasising that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. 
• We have a Safeguarding Promoter in our school whose role it is to monitor compliance and risk and promote all things safeguarding as a priority. 

• We educate our students about safe relationships and protective behaviours and ensure they understand their human rights. 
• Our Student Leadership Team allows students to have a voice and be heard. 
• We encourage parents to have a voice through our Parent Engagement Group (PEG) meetings. 
• Parents and students have access to support information via School TV on our website. 
• Equity is promoted and diversity is respected in our school through education and special events. 

• Our staff undertake mandatory safeguarding training. 
• Our staff regularly undertake professional development as well as invite external speakers into the school to discuss safeguarding topics with students and staff including online safety, bullying, trauma-informed practice etc. 
• Our staff are supported in their roles, especially new staff. 
• Our school follows Diocesan student placement protocols and procedures. 

• We promote all Safeguarding policies by ensuring they are communicated with families on our websites and through our communication channels. 
• Our classrooms, counselling rooms and other areas in the school are safe spaces with visibility from the outside but do not compromise our students’ right to privacy and wellbeing. 
• We have an effective complaints management system in place, with students and families having a variety of avenues to provide feedback or complaints. 

UPCOMING EVENTS 2024

Assistant Principal Report – Emma South and Amber Carter

The beginning of each school year brings much anticipation for the year ahead and as your Assistant Principals we are excited to embark on this journey of growth, learning, and success together. With any journey there will be times when the path ahead is not straightforward, and challenges are placed in the way. Our encouragement to students is to embrace these challenges and see them as stepping stones to success. Remember, when we say something is ‘hard’ or ‘difficult’ this is the label we have placed on the challenge. Rather than labelling a challenge, consider it a problem that needs to be solved. Our dedicated staff are there to support students in solving these problem, working with them to achieve their goals and personal successes and realise their potential as transformative learners. 

St Bede’s Catholic College is a vibrant community dedicated to fostering academic excellence, personal development, and a positive environment for all our students. The College pillars of faith, knowledge, courage, and community provide a foundation for student and teacher learning and development while the Gospel values of love, truth, justice, and compassion guide our journey as a community. Our focus is to provide a safe and nurturing space that encourages curiosity, creativity, and collaboration so our students are future-ready. Whether you are a returning student or joining us for the first time, know that you are an integral part of the fabric of our school community and each one of you plays a vital part in the story of St Bede’s. 

Assistant Principal Portfolios 

Learning and wellbeing are inextricably linked and as Assistant Principals we have portfolios that recognise this important connection. For 2024 the Assistant Principal Portfolios are: 

Communication 

We encourage open and timely communication at St Bede’s as this is the best form of building positive relationships. At times families and students are not sure who they should speak to about any questions or concerns they may have. We invite all in our community to consider this Communication Flowchart to assist in who you may need to reach out to. 

NAPLAN 

Students in Years 7 and 9 will be completing their Online NAPLAN tests from the 13 March to the 25 March, inclusive of catchup tests. Students will engage in practice tests to familiarise themselves with the test platform and details of the testing schedule will be provided closer to the testing window.  

Please click on the link below for more information for families regarding NAPLAN:

Academic Success Awards 

As Mr. Murphy has mentioned in his report, we were thrilled to hold our Academic Success Awards presentation on Monday of this week. To have our current Year 11 students receiving awards recognising their ROSA success standing alongside our high-performing graduates receiving awards for First in Course at Diocesan level was a pivotal moment for our community. We know that these awards recognise the individual talents, resilience, and intellectual curiosity of the recipients, showing us that they have pushed boundaries, faced challenges head-on, and discovered their own unique voices, embodying the spirit of St. Bede and his commitment to lifelong learning.  

The individual award recipients recognised in this ceremony were:

• ROSA Academic Achievement Awards
  • Alexandra Burgess
  • Aimee Harper
  • Elissa Jenning
• Diocesan First in Course Awards
  • Daniel Schwenke – First in Course Science Extension
  • Egan White – Equal First in Course Visual Arts
  • Talia Falconer – First in Course Chinese Beginners
• NESA Schowcase Award
  • Egan White - Nomination and Selection for ARTEXPRESS
• Diocesan Awards for ATAR 90+
  • Levi McBride
  • Erika West
• St Bede’s College Dux
  • Erika West

We take this opportunity to again congratulate each of these students on their achievements.

As part of this awards presentation, we set a challenge for all learners in the St Bede’s community. We wanted to share this challenge with you, our parents and carers;  

“As you all embark on your 2024 learning journey, remember that knowledge comes with responsibility. Let your education, like a "spark in the tinder" as St. Bede described, ignite positive change in the world. Embrace challenges, champion compassion, and strive to make a difference. We may not always be aware of how our efforts provide inspiration to others. As St Bede’s students, never discredit the power of walking your path with integrity, resilience, and determination because by doing so, you are inspiring others to follow your example.” 

We look forward to a wonderful year ahead and to continuing to build a college based on knowledge, courage, community and faith.  

Catholic Formation and Mission – Andrew Slater

Launch of the New Vision and Mission Statement 

The College’s new Vision and Mission Statement was launched on Monday 12^th February. During 2023, staff, students and parents collaborated to produce this Vision and Mission Statement. After feedback from Bernadette Gibson (Assistant Head Religious Education and Spirituality) and Fr George Anthicad (Parish Priest), it was given final approval by Bishop Michael in November. This Vision and Mission Statement will enable all members of our community to live out our pillars of courage, knowledge, community and faith. By living these out, and sharing them with others, we will all be able to embody our College motto and shine with the glory of Christ.  

Year 11 Retreat 

In Week 2, Year 11 participated in a three-day retreat at The Francis Retreat, Bonny Hills. The Retreat is an integral part of the formation opportunities and Catholic life at St Bede’s Catholic College. The purpose of a retreat is to take us away from our everyday lives and provide us with time to pause and reflect on our relationships with ourselves, each other, God and the world around us. The Year 11 Retreat had the theme ‘Journey’, and it allowed students to explore the concept that life itself is a journey.  

Ash Wednesday and Project Compassion 

On Wednesday 14^th February, the College celebrated the beginning of Lent with an Ash Wednesday liturgy. Lent is the forty-day period that leads to Easter. It is a time for reflection and turning back to God, through prayer, fasting and charity.  

Our annual Project Compassion appeal was launched during the Ash Wednesday liturgy. Project Compassion is a fundraiser for Caritas Australia. Caritas upholds the dignity of the human person by supporting people in need both within Australia and around the world. They prioritise those communities which are most vulnerable and provide them with essentials and programs which enable them to become self-sufficient. Our main fundraising events for Project Compassion are: 

• Swimming Carnival (16 February): Sausage Sizzle 
• St Benedict’s Feast Day (21 March): Out of uniform day 

LEARNING DOMAIN

Year 7 Leader of Wellbeing & Engagement – Lauren Power  

What a tremendous start to their high school journey Year 7 have had!  

I have been filled with immense pride as I have watched students build new connections, navigate the College grounds, and relish the challenge of stepping outside their comfort zone.  

As a symbol of our Year 7 2024 (Class of 2029) journey together, students created the following keepsake with their thumbprints in our College House colours.  

Year 7 have been blessed with an amazing team of dedicated Homeroom teachers who check in with students daily, providing invaluable care and support. Please feel welcome to contact your child’s Homeroom teacher directly - any questions relating to day-to-day operations, including uniform, College learning platforms, timetables and general concerns should be directed to the Homeroom teacher via email. ​ 

7HRM1: Ms. Holley McInnes
holley.mcinnes@mn.catholic.edu.au  

7HRM2: Ms. Sally-Anne Waters
sally-anne.waters@mn.catholic.edu.au  

7HRM3: Mrs. Carrie Tucker
carrie.tucker@mn.catholic.edu.au

7HRM4: Mr. Nicolas Lowe
nicolas.lowe@mn.catholic.edu.au

7HRM5: Ms. Ebony Petersen
ebony.petersen@mn.catholic.edu.au

7HRM6: Mrs. Jennie Nemeth    
jennie.nemeth@mn.catholic.edu.au

7HRM7: Mr. Connor Tamblyn    
connor.tamblyn@mn.catholic.edu.au

7HRM8: Mr. Wade Warren
wade.warren@mn.catholic.edu.au   

Camp 

The wait is almost over! Year 7 head off to Point Wolstoncroft Sport & Rec Centre for Camp next Wednesday, 21 February, returning on Friday, 23 February. Buses to and from the camp will arrive and depart within normal school hours. The excitement levels seem to be high – and that’s just from the staff who are attending!  

A friendly reminder to all Year 7 families, please complete the Medical Form and return it to the College as soon as possible. Additionally, a copy of the student packing list is available below.

Wellbeing 

To further the connections built within our first few weeks and on Camp, students will engage in wellbeing sessions with a focus on connecting with our community – this links our College pillar of ‘community’ with the 5 Ways to Wellbeing’s ‘connect’. These sessions will be led by the Homeroom team and take place on Fridays in Weeks 5, 7 and 10 – we look forward to sharing what we get up to on the College’s social media.  

If you have any concerns or questions about your child’s wellbeing, please do not hesitate to contact me at the College on 4088 8222 or via lauren.power@mn.catholic.edu.au    

Religious Education – Sara Rowley   

Religious Education Curriculum  

Over the last several years, the Catholic Schools Office has been releasing new curriculum documents using the ‘Pedagogy of Encounter’ model of teaching and learning. So far Stage 5, Years 9 and 10, are working using this inquiry-based model. This year, the journey continues with Year 7 receiving new modules of work. See the attached PDF for more information.

Sport – Belinda Watts

Friday Sport commences in Week 4, following our swimming carnival in Week 3. It is essential that all parents/guardians have provided consent on the general permission and Friday sports events (Noth are on Compass).

Upcoming Events: Term 1 2024 

Diocesan and CCC Swimming 

Students will be informed, after our school swimming carnival, if they have qualified to represent SBCC at the Diocesan Carnival. Students who wish to swim at the Diocesan carnival in the 200m Free and 200m IM are to see me during homeroom on Monday outside the staffroom. No application form is required. The fastest 2 swimmers (based on times) in each age group will represent SBCC at the Diocesan Carnival.  

Reminder: If your child wishes to apply for the 100m Breastroke, 100m Backstroke, 100m Fly and 400m Free to compete at CCC Swimming they are to complete an application form immediately (this can be found on COMPASS or students can collect a paper copy from Mrs. Watts). These events are NOT held at the Diocesan Swimming Carnival and selection for the team will be based on written validated times from Long Course only.  

Long Distance Events  

The following long-distance events will NOT be swum at the NSWCCC Championships but will be swum at the NSW All Schools Championships. 

• 1500m Freestyle Open Mixed
• 800m Freestyle Open Mixed
• 200m Breaststroke Jun/ Inter/ Sen Boys & Girls
• 200m Backstroke Jun/ Inter/ Sen Boys & Girls
• 200m Butterfly Jun/ Inter/ Sen Boys & Girls
• 400m Individual Medley Jun/ Inter/ Sen Boys & Girls
• Multi-Class 100m Backstroke – 12-15 and 15-19 Multi Class Boys and Girls

For more information, please click on the link below.

Diocesan Touch 

Diocesan entries for U15's and Opens Boys and Girls touch close the 22 February. Students should have previously represented the Diocese for touch and/or represented at a club level e.g. Maitland Redbacks, Newcastle City, Nelson Bay Neptunes, Wallsend Wolves etc. Registration is online on the csnsw.sport website.

Diocesan AFL (Only 14 and 15 yr olds can apply) 
There is no actual Diocesan trial. If a student wishes to register, they are to see Mrs. Watts for further information. Only elite players will be considered. If successful, students will progress to the Northern trials. 
Closing date: 5th March.  
Girls apply directly to NSWCCC on the website. There is no Northern trial for the girls. 

Coming up for NSWCCC: (please check the website in case of changes) 

• 22 February closing date Baseball
• 22 February closing date girls and boys 15yrs & U girls cricket 
• 23 February closing date volleyball (15yrs)
• 23 February closing date CCC tennis
• 4 March CCC Tennis
• 5 March CCC Baseball
• 8 March NSW All Schools (15yrs) Volleyball
• 11 March NSWCCC Golf
• 12 March girls and boys 15yrs & U cricket 

Maitland-Newcastle Diocesan Sport Website 

BERG SHIELD – Quarter-Finals

St Bede’s Boys Cricket Team faced St Stanislaus College from Bathurst in the quarter-finals of the Berg Shield. The hot conditions at Beryl Humble Sport Complex provided a strong ground with great scoring opportunities. Theo Law elected to bowl first which saw Ashton Clack, produced a performance to be extremely proud of. Unfortunately, the boys went down to a very strong St Stanislaus College from Bathurst. Chasing a strong total of 176, they went out with a strong start with Theo Law and Ben Nicholls leading.  The boys fell short on 138, however they should be extremely proud at walking away being Top 8 in the State and showcasing the all-round sportsmanship of St Bede’s Catholic College. Congratulations boys, an amazing effort! 

SERVICE & GOVERNANCE DOMAIN

School Fees – Kylie Murray   

School Fees 2024 

We are currently finalising billing throughout the month of February and your first statement will be emailed out in early March. You will be able to see a figure on Compass, but adjustments may still be made to your account. You can start making payments now with your first payment due by the 31 March unless you have nominated one annual payment. If you require your BPay reference information, please contact Finance. 

Event on Compass: 2024 Fee Settlement Options 

Please check your compass events to see if this is outstanding to be completed, reminders are being sent weekly.  

Note: If you are using the compass app, please go down to the bottom right-hand corner click more, select open in web browser, then go up to events to have the multiple-choice option. 

Health Care /Pension Card 

Reminder if you have a Health Care/ Pension Card you must submit a new form for all accounts commencing 2024. Please complete the pdf and return to Finance along with a copy of your card (front and back).  

This discount will not be applied to your statement without this process being completed and will not reflect until your first statement.

Payment Arrangements 

If you require a payment arrangement this is required to be actioned annually. Please contact Finance to organise a meeting. 

Please email finance@chisholmsb.catholic.edu.au for any queries. 

Other News

Canteen Helpers Needed

Immunisations – NSW Health

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

Online Uniform Orders: