St Bede's Catholic College Newsletter 10 - 5 July 2024

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE – EMMA SOUTH

PRAYER  

Loving Father,  
as we come to the end of another term,  
we turn to you in confidence,  
entrusting the past to your mercy,  
the present to your love,  
and the future to your providence.  
Help us appreciate more  
the need to keep a good balance in our lives.  
May the holidays be for us a time of rest and renewal,  
to help restore us and re-create us in your image and likeness,  
as we enjoy more of the love and presence of our families,  
on whom we ask your blessing. 
Amen. 
St Bede … Pray for us. 

As we conclude another vibrant term at St Bede’s Catholic College, I wanted to reflect on the remarkable achievements and experiences that have shaped our community. 

Academic Successes 

Our students have once again demonstrated their dedication to academic excellence. Term 2 can be a very busy time for our students, with formal assessment tasks developed to showcase their learning from the first half of the year. Feedback from these tasks is available to students, parents, and carers through Compass Learning Tasks, and I encourage you to take the time to read this. Reflection on timely and effective feedback has a powerful impact and provides students with the opportunity to grow in their learning. I would like to acknowledge the Year 12 students who will be spending the holiday break preparing for the HSC Trials, which will begin early next term. Thank you, Year 12, for the work you have done leading up to this. I wish you the best over this upcoming period. 

Student Formation Activities 

This term, we have seen students engage in faith formation activities aimed at moulding our young people in their faith life. The way students have participated has been exceptional. These activities have not only enriched their personal spiritual growth but also strengthened their sense of responsibility and compassion. 

Representative Pride 

Over the last three weeks, we have had a range of students representing us in the broader community. Whether on the stage, the field, or in the work experience arena, we have received delightful feedback about how these students reflect the values of our college. I am very proud of the young people of St Bede’s, and it is always heartwarming to hear how others see the strengths of our students’ shine. 

NAIDOC week 

At St Bede’s, we proudly recognise and celebrate our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff. On Thursday, as part of our NAIDOC celebrations, they shared their culture through a special assembly featuring dance and didgeridoo performances. We understand the importance of keeping cultural heritage alive, and it was a beautiful recognition of culture. It was special to have so many parents, grandparents, and carers join us. All students are encouraged to participate in the many NAIDOC Week activities happening across the Maitland-Newcastle area.  

Gratitude to Our Community 

I extend my heartfelt thanks to the parents who have actively engaged with us through the parent forum, parent-teacher-student conferences, and information nights. Your involvement and support are invaluable to our community’s success. 

Lastly, I express my deepest gratitude to our students. Your hard work, collaboration with staff, and support for one another continue to build the special community that is St Bede’s Catholic College. Together, we are creating a nurturing and inspiring environment for all. 

Thank you all for a great term of learning, faith, courage, and community. I wish you each a safe and restful holiday break. 

UPCOMING EVENTS 2024

Assistant Principal Report – Amber Carter and Kelly Pearson

Thanks extended

As the term concludes, on behalf of Emma South and myself, we extend thanks to Mrs. Kelly Pearson for her leadership as Assistant Principal and to Mrs. Rebecca Haines for her leadership as Leader of Wellbeing and Engagement. Both Mrs. Pearson and Mrs. Haines have enabled a smooth transition as Mrs. South stepped into the principal role for Term 2. We are looking forward to welcoming Mr. Murphy back in Term 3 and we are sure he will have many stories to share of his adventures!

HSC Trial Examinations 

Year 12 students have been issued with the Trial Examination Timetable. This examination block is an opportunity for students to refine their examination technique in preparation for the HSC examinations. During the holiday break tutorials will be held for some courses to support students in their preparations. Students are encouraged to develop a regular routine of study, incorporating the completion of examination style questions under examination conditions, in preparation for the Trial examinations. It is equally important that students also look after themselves physically and mentally by exercising regularly, eating well, drinking plenty of water and spending time with family and friends. The Staying Healthy HSC site has some great resources for Year 12 students and families.

7 - 10 Parent Teacher Student Conferences 

Many thanks are extended to families who were available for the Parent, Teacher, Student Interviews this week. As the semester concludes it is an opportunity for students to set goals to leverage success for Semester 2. Goal setting is an effective way to foster a growth mindset and develop resilience. Students who set goals that are focused on growth are more likes to persevere, to be engaged in their learning and aspire to further their education. Some useful information relating to supporting students in growth focused goal setting can be found at the following link: 

As students prepare for successful learning in the semester ahead, their report, interviews and reflections on their learning are all useful sources of information in formulating goals for growth. 

Stage 5 Elective Evening – save the date 

Next term Year 8 students will commence the process of selecting electives as part of their Stage 5 pattern of study. This is an exciting time for Year 8 as they are presented with the opportunity to have a choice on what they can study, and these electives are designed to enable students to focus on areas of interest. It is also important to note these courses are not necessarily linked to further study in Stage 6 or career pathways. The Elective Information Evening is schedule for Tuesday 30 July starting at 6pm. Further details will be provided when Term 3 commences. 

Supporting the Safe Use of Social Media 

In response to the need for schools to support students in the safe use of social media, we also recognise the importance of partnering with families through the provision of information designed to assist families in navigating the often-complex online environment. The following resources are useful in providing families with information relating to online safety:  

For parents/carers: 

For young people: 

Together, we can continue to foster a safe, respectful and supportive environment where all students are able to thrive. 

Uniform and Grooming  

Our high standards of presentation are being reflected every day in the way our students wear their College uniform.  We want to extend thanks to our families for working with us as we ensure the College uniform is worn consistently to the high standard we have established at the College and, importantly, worn so that we cultivate a sense of belonging and pride. 

Catholic Formation and Mission – Andrew Slater

Vinnies Winter Sleepout

At the end of Week 5 in Term 3, our Year 12 students will be participating in the Vinnies Winter Sleepout. The Sleepout is an annual event, which allows students and school communities to get a glimpse of the realities of homelessness, on a personal level, by ‘sleeping rough’ for one night. The Sleepout encourages students to gain a deeper understanding of homelessness, raise awareness of the realities faced by people experiencing homelessness and raise funds to support Vinnies homeless services in the local community.

On any given night in Australia, 122,000 Australians are experiencing homelessness. This figure includes a staggering number of children and young people: 

• More than 17,600 Australian children under the age of 12 have no permanent home.
• 58% of the homeless population is under the age of 35.
• The rate of poverty among children nationally is higher than average at nearly 17% compared with the overall average rate of 13%.

The QR code below will take you to our College fundraising page. All money donated will directly support people experiencing or facing homelessness in our local community.

School Holiday Christmas in July Movie Night Hosted by ACTiv8 Youth 

Join us for a special screening of The Star on our new giant TV screen!

Date: Tuesday 9 July

Time: 6:15pm - 8.00pm

Location: Therry Centre, East Maitland

BYO: pillows/ sleeping bags or something comfortable to sit on Popcorn and drinks will be provided to make your movie night complete. Optional fancy dress in Christmas clothes or ugly sweaters.

We look forward to seeing you there for a festive and fun evening!

RSVP to Bec via rebecca.piefke@mn.catholic.org.au or 0422 500 429

Please note that parents / guardians will be required to complete a movie permission note on arrival for the viewing of a PG movie

LEARNING DOMAIN

Year 10 Leader of Wellbeing & Engagement – Eleanor Martin and Alanna Bohatko   

As we come to the end of Term 3, we reflect on the wonderful successes our students have celebrated over the last ten weeks. Our young men and women have represented the College on multiple occasions, showcasing their sporting prowess, leadership and competitive nature, coming home with many victories for us to share when meeting as a cohort - this has been one of the many things we have enjoyed in our shared role - wrapping the week by celebrating accomplishments! 

As Year 10 navigate their Stage 6 subject selections, post school pathways, career options and working opportunities, they navigate the complexities that come with entering ‘adulthood’. This can feel like an extremely stressful time in our young people’s lives, and having a safe and supportive network is as important as ever. After the University Student Representatives spoke to students and families at the Subject Selection Evening, it was evident that the traditional pathways of getting into university have changed. With more than 50% of entries into courses occurring outside of the ‘ATAR’ pathway, it is important that parents and carers understand the misconceptions around such post school prospects. Our Careers Advisor, Jenny Nemeth, continues to support our students through her extensive knowledge on these post-school opportunities, including the trade sector. 

Lastly, we leave you with some resources that we have found particularly useful. After working closely with young men and women, we have enjoyed engaging with Maggie Dent’s words of wisdom. Her website addresses many of the ‘common concerns’ that parents and families experience during the adolescent period. For the ‘boy mums’, I have enjoyed listening to Maggie’s free audio book on Spotify, ‘Mothering Our Boys’. 

As always, please contact us if you have any questions over the year.

We hope you have a happy and safe holiday.  

Humanities – Lauren McCafferty

Maitland City Council staff meet with Year 8 Humanities students 

On Monday 24 June, the College had visits from Maitland City Council staff Jenna Parkinson and Kelly Arnott. These staff met with several Year 8 students to discuss issues impacting upon liveability and the future of Maitland. The students involved on the day were Caleb Lines, Hamish Dibley, Eden Brownlee, Rose Whiteley and Ivy O’Callaghan. These students are to be commended on their thoughtful and considered approach towards these discussions. The students raised points relating to the provision of sporting amenities in the area, the need for extended footpaths, road maintenance, recreational facilities for youth as well as making other suggestions that would improve liveability in Maitland and surrounding suburbs.  These Year 8 students assisted the Maitland City Council staff in ensuring the voice of young people has contributed to their current project: ‘Maitland’s future: Your voice is our vision.’ The opportunity to connect with members of the community in this way followed on from previous learning in Year 7 for these students where they had presented to members of Council in 2023 with their ideas for improving sustainability and liveability.  

Sport – Belinda Watts  

CCC Cross Country Carnival 

Congratulations to St Bede’s largest ever contingent of students contesting the NSW State CCC Championship cross country (Maci Morgan, Braith Punton, Lachlan Jones, Zachary Thomson, Lilly Sutton, Eliza Irwin, Brooklyn Darcy, Jack Steffan, Theo Law, Coen Morgan, Kenzi McPherson, Tommy Mella). With a tough course in fresh conditions, our St Bede’s students performed exceptionally against the best students in Catholic schools across the entire state. A special mention to Coen Morgan who won Silver in the U/17 6km. Congratulations to Zach Thomson 4^th and Lachlan Jones 5^th in the U/15 Boys 4km. All three boys placed in the top 10 and will progress to the NSW All Schools Cross Country Carnival.  

NSW All School Swimming Championships 

Cobi Young (Yr12) represented CCC at the recent All Schools Swimming Championships in Sydney. He placed 8^th in the State in the 200m Breastroke.

This is an outstanding achievement Cobi. 

Bill Turner Cup (Boys) ROUND 3 

Congratulations to our Bill Turner Cup Boys team who were victorious against All Saints College Maitland in the 3^rd round of the competition with a 2-1 win. In a physical and very close encounter the boys rallied well to win the game, thanks to a penalty save from goalkeeper and goals to Lachie Winkelman and Tom Cornwall. This means that the team progresses to the round 4 area finals to be played before the end of term. 

Bill Turner Cup (Girls) ROUND 4 

Congratulations to our Bill Turner girls football team who were victorious against St Joseph’s Lochinvar in the 4^th round of the competition with a 2-1 win. This means that the team are now the area champions for the second year in a row. This means that we have made the final 32. The team will now verse the winners of the Lower North Coast area. Shout out to our goal scorers Hallei Chegwidden-McGregor and Lily Sutton, as well as Ruby Hall who made numerous impressive saves as goalkeeper to keep us ahead in the game. 

Basketball Opens Boys/Girls 

On Tuesday 11 June, the Opens Boys Basketball team participated in the Basketball NSW schools competition at Maitland Federation Centre. Our boys came up against some formidable schools and unfortunately did not progress past the pool stages of the day. All students participated well on the day and put their skills on show nailing some tough shots throughout each of the games that kept us close to each of the schools we versed. As the day progressed, they started to gel more as a team and narrowly lost their last game in the closing stages. Well done to the boys involved. 

On the 13 June, the Opens Girls Basketball team played at the BSNSW competition held at the Maitland Federation Centre. The girls were in a tough division and were defeated in each game by only a small amount of points. As the day progressed, the girls teamwork and knowledge of the game grew stronger and they shown much determination and sportsmanship. A shout out to our top scorers of the day being Keely Sutton, Eve Power and Janali Haynes with a few deep three pointers made by Janali Haynes to close the gaps between games. These students should be very proud of the way they represented the school. It was a day full of laughs and memories made. Well done, girls. 

Diocesan Football – Our day in the sun

On Tuesday 18 July, St Bede’s Junior Dio CCC Team faced St Leo’s Wahroonga in a high-stakes Round of 16 match in the NSWCCC Knockout Competition. With a win needed to advance, the team, led by Mr. Dalton and Mr. Warren, embarked on their journey early in the morning. The first half was a significant arm wrestle, ending 0-0, with St Bede’s having the better chances. After a strong team halftime talk, St Bede’s intensified their offense in the second half. In the 45th minute, Koby Warland played a perfect through ball to Lachie Winklemen, who kept his cool and scored the decisive goal. St Bede’s held their 1-0 lead with strong defense and strategic substitutions until the final whistle. The victory secured their place in the Quarterfinals of the NSWCCC Knockout Tournament, playing a team from either Armidale or Lismore. A special thanks to Graham Law for all the assistance and support of our football players, off to the next round we go! 

Steve Merrick Cup 

On Wednesday 19 June St Bede's Under 16s Rugby Union team participated in Round 2 of the Steve Merrick Cup. After round one was cancelled, the boys were keen to show their skills on the pitch. St Bede's controlled possession for the first game against St Joseph's Lochinvar and finished with a 19-0 win. (Tries 3: Oliver Brouwer x 2, Harry Lidbury. Conversions 2/3: Bailey Hunter 1/1, Kurt Quinlan 1/1). 

Our second game was a back-and-forth game against St Catherine's Catholic College Singleton. The lead changed hands several times throughout the game and unfortunately, due to some slick hands from the Singleton backs, St Bede's lost in the dying minutes of the game 17-13 (Tries 2: Harry Lidbury, Ryder Weidemann. Conversions 0/2. Penaly Goal: Bailey Hunter 1/1). 

NSWCCC Rugby Union 

Congratulations to Harry Lidbury for his recent selection in the NSWCCC 16 YEARS RUGBY TEAM. Harry will be participating in the NSW All Schools Selections from Saturday 29 - Sunday 30 June 2024 at St Gregory's College, Greggory Hills. We wish him all the best.    

U16’s Rugby Union 7’s (Girls) 

On Wednesday 26 June, our Under 16s Girls participated in round 2 of the secondary school rugby 7s carnival. After round 1 was cancelled due to wet weather, the girls were keen to take the field and demonstrate their skills on the pitch. The girls dug deep and put in some great effort to try and improve throughout the day. Coming up against tough St Pius and St Joseph’s Lochinvar teams in the pool stages meant that the girls were put to the challenge early on. We unfortunately could not get a win in the pool stages, however, the girls continued to improve as their games continued. In our second round of games, we played San Clemente and Scone Grammar School. The girls took their knowledge from the first two games and came out firing, narrowly missing out a win in both games. Try scorers went to Keely Sutton (3), Ava White (3), Maddison Willingham and Blair Vorenkamp throughout the day. A big shoutout to all of the girls who were able to play with very little notice. The team consisted of four 14-year-olds and three girls who had never been on a football field. Their effort and determination were commendable, and they kept playing until the final whistle, they should be very proud of their efforts. 

2024 St Bede’s Athletics Carnival 

Congratulations to every member of the St Bede’s Community that attended the Athletics Carnival at Maitland Athletics Centre on Monday 1^st of July. “School spirit” was on show with students and teachers decked out in their house colours, cheering on the races and singing their house cheers loudly and proudly. There were so many students demonstrating the “have a go” attitude. Thank you to all students who helped on the day either in the canteen or on field/track events. House Captains you should be very proud of your efforts. It was great to see many records being broken on the day in both track and field events.  

While our carnivals are a community event, it is important to recognise both the House Champions and the Individual Age Champions. Good luck to all students who are participating in the Diocesan Athletics Carnival on Wednesday 14 August at Glendale.  

CONGRATULATIONS to our KING and QUEEN of the track
(Our fastest runners in the school)

House Scores

WINNERS -   Benedict

Age Champions:

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 now considered overdue. 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

Canteen

Sign of Hope - People of Faith 

Volunteer Registration Link

School Student Travel

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/