St Bede's Catholic College Newsletter 9 - 21 June 2024

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE – EMMA SOUTH

PRAYER  

Loving God, 
In the midst of Winter, when the days are cold  
and wind can pierce, remind us of the warmth of your love. 
In the midst of Winter, when days are short,  
dawn comes late, and dusk arrives early,  
remind us that in the darkness your light still shines. 
And when in our lives we feel as if we are experiencing  
a season of winter,  
reach out to us with the power of your resurrection  
so that we may feel the warmth of your love  
and see your light that alone  
can take away the darkness of our soul. 
Amen. 

St Bede … Pray for us. 

Catholic Schools NSW Visit  

Earlier this week, we were honoured to host Dallas McInerney and Danielle Cronin, the CEO and Deputy CEO of Catholic Schools NSW, respectively. As the representative voice of NSW Catholic education at both state and national levels, their mission is to safeguard and advocate for the interests of Catholic schools in policy-making forums and resource allocation decisions. They were accompanied by team members from the Maitland Newcastle Diocese, including Sean Scanlon (CEO), Steve Lemos (Head of Schools), Ray Bowen (Head of Property Services), and Kurt Daley (Construction Manager). 

This visit provided us with a fantastic opportunity to highlight our state-of-the-art facilities. More importantly, it allowed us to demonstrate to our esteemed guests that our investment in people - our highly skilled and enthusiastic staff, and our students who are eager about learning and growth - is yielding significant returns. 

Celebrating Creative Arts 

On Friday, sixty-five of our students from Years 7-12, vocalists, instrumentalists, and dancers included, graced the stage at the Civic Theatre for the 2024 Dio Sounds performance, “Beyond Limits”. Our talented young musicians kicked off the diocesan-wide showcase with a dynamic arrangement that blended Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die,” Evanescence’s “Bring me to Life,” and Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off.” Our ballerinas and contemporary dancers added an extra layer of excellence and energy to the performance. The pride I felt seeing our students shine on stage was mirrored by the families I spoke with after the show. A special thank you to Ms. Michelle Burgess, Mr. Russell Thornton, Mr. Riley Warren, and Ms. Alanna Bohatko for their dedication to our students and for helping them bring their talents to the stage. 

Sporting Success  

On Monday, our Bill Turner Girls Soccer team triumphed over a formidable St Joseph’s Lochinvar team 2-1 in the regional finals. The girls displayed commitment, resilience, empathy, and humility, making their coaches, Mr. Dominic Sevil and Ms. Grace Cugaly, proud. A small group of supporters from the college, who were exceptional representatives of our community, backed this team. 

On Tuesday, our Junior Diocesan Football team emerged as 1-0 victors against St Leo’s Wahroonga in the round of sixteen in the NSWCCC knockout competition. This victory places the team among the Top 8 best Catholic Schools in NSW. Thank you to Mr. Beau Dalton for the energy you bring to coaching this team, they are lucky to have you on their side! 

Privilege and Blessing 

Leading this college community is both a privilege and a blessing. I extend my gratitude to our staff, parents, carers, and students for the way each of you engages with life at St Bede’s. This community is truly special, and every individual contributes to its uniqueness. 

UPCOMING EVENTS 2024

Assistant Principal Report – Amber Carter and Kelly Pearson

As we approach the end of term 2, we have enjoyed some exciting celebrations of community for the College, as our students have represented St Bede’s so admirably beyond the school at DioSounds and in various sporting events. Beyond Limits 2024 was an inspirational performance as we witnessed the talents and leadership of our senior students and witnessed the growth of our junior students developing their musical voices and skills as musicians.  

We congratulate the Bill Turner Cup Team on their exciting win against All Saints College, and wish them luck for the fourth round, and our Open Girls Basketball Team who played with passion and pride at the BSNSW Competition.  

We look forward to the College Athletics Carnival on Monday 1st July, again a fantastic opportunity for the celebration of connection in our community, students are encouraged to represent their houses in bright colours and give the events their best. A reminder that attendance on this day is compulsory for all students, please follow the regular recording of absence procedures if your child is unwell or unable to attend for an approved reason.  

In academic matters, reports for Years 7-10 will be released on the 28th of June, with Parent Teacher Student Interviews on Thursday 4th July in the evening, and Friday 5th July through the day. These interviews are a great opportunity to meet with your child’s teachers and work collaboratively with us to support the individual learning journey of each student. We look forward to seeing our families over these two days.  

Social media continues to be an area of challenge for our young people, as they frequently engage with each other online more often than they do face to face. While many of these interactions can be positive and affirming, there is unfortunately a downside to these platforms. This also often occurs without the oversight of a responsible and supportive adult. We encourage parents to be informed about the risks of the online world, and to be aware of how to report any instances of behaviour that may be unsafe using the appropriate channels. Our SchoolTV website contains invaluable information to support wellbeing, with a detailed guide to the online environment, including the eSafety Commissioner. With the aim to help guide children and young people toward safe, enjoyable experiences online, the Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner hopes to encourage behavioural change—where Australian children and young people act responsibly online—just as they would offline. Parents can access this resource with the below link.

We encourage all of our students to participate in the upcoming final weeks of the term with enthusiasm, wear their uniforms with pride, and be good to, and responsible for one another.  

Attendance – Arriving Late/Leaving Early Procedures  

To assist parents and carers with an on-time departure please provide an email to admin@chisholmsb.catholic.edu.au or call the office on 40 888 222 in advance. We will arrange for your child to be waiting for you in student services at the required time. 

The school has a duty of care to ensure that any students leaving the school grounds are with an authorised person, have permission to leave, and that parents/carers are aware of who their child is with at all times. 

The school procedures are outlined below: 
Students are reminded that if they arrive late to school, they must sign in at Student Services before going to class.  Parents may contact the College to advise they will be late or send their child in with a note so that they are marked as an explained absence.   

Students leaving early from school must be signed out at on the Compass Kiosk in reception by a legal guardian before leaving school grounds.  Under no circumstances is a student permitted to leave without prior written or emailed permission from a parent/carer.  This can be in the form of a written note, or an email to admin@chisholmsb.catholic.edu.au 

Catholic Formation and Mission – Andrew Slater

Year 8 Reflection Day 

On Wednesday 19 June, Year 8 participated in their annual Reflection Day. With the theme ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’, the day sought to explore the concept of peace in our world, and our call to act as peacemakers. Students participated in a range of large and small group activities and enjoyed a BBQ lunch. 

Diocesan Resource Centre  

The Diocesan Resource Centre and Library were officially opened and blessed by Bishop Michael Kennedy at the end of May. The library is open three days a week (Mondays and Fridays – 10am to 6pm, Saturday – 10am to 2pm) and offers several events each month. To see the upcoming events, and for information on membership please click on the link below.

LEARNING DOMAIN

Year 9 Leader of Wellbeing & Engagement – Rebecca Haines  

Year 9 has had another fun filled term that has been an excellent balance of hard work and extracurricular activities that have highlighted our vibrant and dynamic group within our college. Our students have thrived through their academic progress, personal growth and positive contributions to their school journeys. Year 9 have continued to represent our college through rugby league, touch football, DioSounds, cross country and swimming. It is amazing to see such talent within our year group.

In Textiles, students demonstrated design and construction techniques whilst creating an applique soft toy. Students learnt the art of patience and applying coloration techniques to fit in with their design choice. In Science, students have started Global Systems and celebrated World Environmental Day on the 5 June. It is a pleasure to walk into these classrooms to see our students thriving in their classrooms and creating meaningful connections within our school community.

During Week 5, Year 9 had their annual Reflection Day to provide our staff and students with opportunities to break from their regular routine and reflect on their personal growth with the support of their Home Room teachers. This day encourages individuals to think deeply about their achievements, challenges and future goals. 

Year 9 contributed to the running of our St Bede’s Feast Day fundraiser which raises important funds for the Holy Child Program. Students prepared, worked in and supported stalls to make this a wonderful school wide initiative. This day was a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with each other and celebrate our fantastic school. 

During Year 9 Wellbeing sessions, there have been opportunities to address some issues that have become prominent within our year group. Throughout surveys and student direction, wellbeing sessions were constructed to support students around the safe use of social media and our role in the community. Students were given the chance to create a gratitude card and identify an aspect of their life they can express appreciation for. This term presented a challenge to students with many exams that occurred close to them. Moving forward, students had time afterwards in wellbeing sessions to take the time to get prepared for the remainder of the term. 

Year 9 have taken on all opportunities on offer this term with confidence and curiosity. It has been a pleasure watching them take chances and enjoy the challenges. Well done Year 9.

Learning Technology Update – Year 10 BYOSD Program – Sandra Kinloch

In 2020 St Bede’s Catholic College undertook an investigation into a senior device program. This investigation involved students, staff, and parents. The proposal saw universal agreement that a “Bring your own specified device” (BYOSD) was the preferred mode for both junior and senior students. The College has partnered with Next Technologies over the last five years and this program will continue for 2025. Next Technologies will organise a purchasing portal, finance options, etc.   

Typically, the Year 10 device has been available for ordering in September, with final payment due in late November. This allowed us to ensure devices were available for pickup before the end of the current school year. However, this timeline is currently under review to move the purchasing period away from the end of the year. The proposed timeline will shift the ordering of devices until the students are in Year 10 and will be delivered in Term 2 2025.  

The process to select the 2025 devices is currently underway and students will be invited to assist the ICT team in investigating device options from Next Technologies. 

Information regarding the device program will continue to be released through the year. In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding the devices, the program, or the timeline, please contact Sandra Kinloch at sandra.kinloch@mn.catholic.edu.au

Humanities – Tamara Powell

Year 7 Tutankhamun Roadshow Experience 

Last week, Year 7 experienced a full-day immersion into the world of ancient Egypt when the Tutankhamun Roadshow came to St Bede’s. This complemented the students’ learning in Humanities and helped prepare them for their first cross-curricular project in English, HSIE and Music. Soon, they will elect to explore either the ancient world of Egypt or China in the Horrible Histories Project.

During the day, the students visited the mobile museum to learn all about archaeology, the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb and the life of ancient pharaohs. They experienced writing, drawing and communicating in early civilisations, explored the tomb of Tutankhamen, created clay seals and used early mathematical principles. 

This week, the students begin their study of ancient China while also developing their understanding of film to build their skills and knowledge for their upcoming project. 

Refugee Week – Abby O’Connor  

This week, St Bede’s celebrated Refugee Week. Students dedicated time to raising awareness about refugees, the challenges they encounter, and the valuable contributions they make to our Australian community. The 2023 – 2025 theme, ‘Finding Freedom’, invites us to explore the stories of refugees who, despite the challenges they encounter, discover a source of freedom within the embrace of their families.  

To live without the fear of war, to have your basic human rights upheld, to live in equality and without the fear of persecution are just some of the examples of what freedom can entail. Every day, millions of people across the world embark on dangerous journeys for the sole purpose of finding safety and freedom. From Australia to nations across the globe, settling into a new environment after experiencing the perils of a refugee’s journey can also provide the opportunity to live, to love and to dream.

During our Wellbeing Session, students took a deep dive into the situations which cause refugees to flee their homes and experience a lack of freedom. Homerooms discussed the theme ‘Finding Freedom’, experiences of refugees, and why it is important to show compassion towards refugees. Above all, students were reminded that refugees are only, as we all are – people with dignity, agency, hopes, skills, creativity, and potential.  

To ensure we remain a welcoming and inclusive College community, students finalised this session by creating a display for their prayer tables. They listed ways we can be accepting and welcoming to refugees. 

Each morning, Homerooms prayed for refugees and our communities. Here is the prayer we said on Friday, which you may also like to pray: 

Dear Lord,

Heal the wounds, both seen and unseen, of those who have suffered unimaginable losses. Comfort them in their grief and give them hope for a brighter future. Let them find solace and joy in new beginnings, and may their resilience be a reminder of your grace and love.

Amen.

SERVICE & GOVERNANCE DOMAIN

School Fees – Kylie Murray   

Please be advised that School Fee Statements have been emailed at the start of the month. 

For families that have nominated to pay school fees in a lump sum, this payment is required prior to the end of June. For those families that are making regular payments towards fees, this commitment is appreciated.  

If you have a Centrelink issued HCC, and have not supplied a copy for 2024, please complete this link and attach a copy of your card front and back. 

For any families experiencing genuine financial hardship, we encourage you to contact your School Finance Officer to discuss and develop a payment plan. 

Other News

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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: https://shop-williamson.com.au/