St Bede's Catholic College Newsletter 15 - 27 September 2024

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE – JOHN MURPHY

PRAYER  

Loving Lord, 
pour out your spirit of wisdom 
on all Year 12 students. 
Help them to remain calm and confident  
in their HSC exams,  
to attend carefully to the questions asked,  
to think clearly,  
and to express themselves well. 
Grant that they may reflect  
on the learning they have done,  
and the teaching they have received. 
May your love be upon them,  
as they place all their trust in you. 
We ask this through Christ our Lord.  
Amen. 

St Bede … Pray for us. 

YEAR 12 GRADUATION 

Congratulations to our Year 12 students who graduated this Wednesday. The morning Graduation Liturgy held in our magnificent new hall was attended by all staff and students. It was a fitting way to acknowledge them as an exceptional year group. The clap out by all the other students and staff via a massive guard of honour, as they exited the school from the hall through the school buildings, will be a memory not to be forgotten.   

The evening Graduation Ceremony, attended by the graduates, their parents/carers, guests, and staff, further acknowledged the outstanding achievements of the Class of 2024, who commenced their journey back in Year 7 in 2019.   

The Class of 2024 have provided model leadership and lasting memories to our school community. They can be proud of their contributions to St Bede’s and excited about their future. They will forever remain a significant part of our College history. We wish all our graduating students the best as they prepare for the upcoming HSC exams.   

Thank you to the parents and carers for working in partnership with the College. Thank you to our staff, past and present, for their diligence, expertise and for their car of these students over the past six years. Thank you to their two current Leaders of Wellbeing & Engagement (LOWE), Ms. Amber Pyne and Ms. Lauren Hillier for their leadership of this year, and to Mr. Michael Eccleston and Mrs. Rebecca Dawber, as previous LOWEs of this year group. Thank you also to the other members of the Executive Team, Ms. Emma, Ms. Carter, and Mr. Slater.  

Thank you to our Student Leadership Team - Thomas Bendeich, Veronica Parra Mariaca, Aqua Smith, Clancy Oldfield, William Scanes, Ebony Antcliff, Wil Panton, and Cobi Young. They have been outstanding leaders of the College.

Congratulations to all students in receiving their Graduation Certificates. A particular congratulations to the special award winners, who through their own special qualities, gifts, words, and actions were deserving recipients.  

Please see below the transcript of my Principal Graduation Speeches and the outgoing School Captain, Thomas Bendeich’s speeches.  

BUILDING UPDATE 

In exciting news, we anticipate that upon our return at the start of next term, the basketball courts will be completed and handed over for our use. Unfortunately, we will temporarily lose the current grassed area at the back of the school, as the building works will include the redevelopment of this area. We anticipate that the remainder of the building works will be completed early next year.   

Please note during the upcoming school holidays, there will be work undertaken in the loop carpark between St Aloysius and St Bede’s. This should not impact on our school community but be aware there may be altered traffic management conditions and signage in and around this carpark during the holidays.  

CONGRATULATIONS 

Congratulations to Mr. Dominic Sevil who last week was presented with his Proficient Teacher Accreditation Certificate on behalf of the NSW Education Standards Authority. Following a comprehensive process over a couple of years, Mr. Sevil has progressed from a graduate to proficient accreditation. We congratulate Mr. Sevil and all those other teachers who have had their accreditation levels upgraded this year and wish them all the best in their teaching career.  

HAPPY HOLIDAYS 

Thank you to our staff, students, and parents/carers for an excellent Term 3. Best wishes to our students for the next two weeks of their school holidays. We look forward to students returning well-groomed in their correct summer uniform, rejuvenated, and ready for a great Term 4 that commences on Monday 14 October.  

UPCOMING EVENTS 2024

Assistant Principal Report – Emma South & Amber Carter

Congratulations to the St Bede’s Graduating Class of 2024

We extend our congratulations to our Year 12 students as they celebrate the conclusion of their time at the College and the end of their secondary schooling. They are an outstanding cohort of young people, and they are a credit to their families. These celebrations come with mixed emotions as we will miss their presence in the College, however, we are excited for the journey ahead of them and we are confident they will embrace the opportunities ahead with vigour, determination and faith. Our 20224 Year 12 students are the authors of one chapter in our school’s history, they are the custodians of what is means to be a St Bede’s student. They have ensured their chapter has left a strong legacy that has built on the chapter set before them so the incoming Year 12 students can continue to create an even greater legacy. Well done to all the students of the St Bede’s graduating class of 2024 – we are exceptionally proud of you.

Year 11 Term 4

The graduation of Year 12 students also marks a significant time for our Year 11 students as they embark on a year of ‘lasts’. Our encouragement to Year 11 is to consider the legacy they will leave and the chapter they have the opportunity to create in the history of St Bede’s Catholic College. As they embark on the HSC journey next term, students may be looking to make changes to their pattern of study. For some students, changes in their pattern of study will be straightforward, for others, it may come with some uncertainty. Students are encouraged to seek counsel with their teachers, leaders of learning, Mrs. Nemeth our Leader of Learning Careers, and Mrs. Carter to discuss possible changes. Importantly, changes to a student’s pattern of study does not need to happen immediately and a process of discernment is encouraged.

HSC STUVAC Study Sessions

A reminder to our HSC students that some teachers will be holding tutorials over the holidays to assist them in their preparations for the HSC examinations. Teachers will be communicating the times they are available to students. Any student who is coming on site during the break will meet their teacher at the door to Student Services and will also exit the grounds using the same door and any visitors will also be required to sign in.

Term 3 Overview

As we reflect on the term that has been we acknowledge the achievements of all our students. Students will have received results for various assessments and these results are important points of reflection for students as they commence their final term of the year. Student life at St Bede’s isn’t just about learning in the classroom and assessment and all students experience success in different ways. We are so very proud of the students who overcome challenges to engage in their learning and the life of the College. We have celebrated students’ talents and success on the dramatic and musical stage and through their demonstrations of creative pursuits in the visual arts. Our students’ success and talents in the various sporting arenas has extended from local to national and international events. Our students are an incredible source of inspiration and each and every student is a valued and important part of our community. We wish all our students and families a safe and restful holiday and we look forward to students returning at the beginning of Term 4.

Wellbeing in the Holidays

While many young people find the holidays enjoyable and use this as an opportunity to relax and recharge, for some students this can be a challenging time. Changes to routines, sometimes limited opportunities to see friends and unstructured time can often present challenges for some young people. During this break, staying healthy and looking after yourself is still important. Headspace suggests that there are several ways to help you do this.

Eat Healthy: It’s important to have a good balanced diet with less of the bad things (like junk food and lots of sugar) and more of the good things (such as veggies, fruit, whole grains and water). This can help with sleep, energy levels and general health and wellbeing.

Sleep Well: As the routine of school stops, there is less pressure to be in bed by a certain time as there can be the feeling “Well…. I’ll sleep in”. Getting a good night’s sleep helps you feel energised, focused and motivated. Developing a sleeping routine can help you sleep much better. Ensure that the extra time is not spent around technology.

Be socially active: Social relationships are important to your general wellbeing. Spending time with friends is also important for keeping and building on existing friendships. Where possible, make plans with friends from school to maintain social connections and friendships.

Be physically active: Physical activity is important for staying mentally healthy. Devoting time to exercise, and even being physically active with friends, can recharge your battery, revitalise your social networks and reduce stress and anxiety.

In addition to the above, we highly recommend that young people continue reading during the break. Being able to immerse yourself in a good book (the hardcopy type!) is an excellent way to revitalise your imagination which is an essential part of learning.

The following link provides young people and families with ideas and resources that can be accessed to support positive welling in the holidays and beyond.

Catholic Formation and Mission – Andrew Slater

Year 12 Prayer Cards 

Recently, prayer cards were distributed to the parishes of Beresfield and Morpeth. The cards contained a prayer for students completing their HSC, so that people in our parishes can pray for them during this time. 

We would like to acknowledge the fantastic artwork of St Bede, which was created by Emily Gregory of Year 8. We have had a lot of positive feedback from the community, who were amazed by the skill demonstrated in this artwork. Congratulations Emily and thank you for your contribution to our College. 

Launch of Socktober – Catholic Mission Month 

The Diocesan launch of Socktober occurred on Tuesday 17 September at McDonald Jones Stadium. After a liturgy led by Fr Anthony Coloma, a group of Year 9 and 10 students from St Bede’s ran a series of soccer-based activities. About 350 students from schools across the Diocese cycled through these activities. These students were well prepared by Mrs. Millen and Helene O’Neil from the Diocese. Thank you also to Mr. Warren and Miss. O’Connor for your support of these students on the day. All of these students demonstrated excellent leadership skills, and fully engaged the students who were participating.  

HSC Mass 

A Mass for the intentions of HSC students in the Chisholm region was held on Saturday, 21^st September at East Maitland. The Mass was well attended by staff and students from St Bede’s, All Saints’, and St Joseph’s. Fr George presided and offered a blessing on those HSC students who were present. We continue to hold our Year 12 students in our prayers as head towards their HSC examinations.  

Year 12 Farewell Liturgy 

On Wednesday, the College celebrated Year 12 completing their formal schooling with a liturgy. Fr George reflected on Jesus’ greatest commandment: that we are called to love one another. Each student was presented with a candle, a reminder to continue shining with Christ’s glory in their post-school life. Mr. Murphy, Mrs. Pyne and Thomas Bendeich spoke about the wonderful contributions made by the year group over the past six years, and the memories and friendships that have been made. We wish Year 12 all the best as they prepare for their exams and transition to their post-school life. 

LEARNING DOMAIN

Year 9 Leader of Wellbeing & Engagement – Kelly Pearson  

Year 9 have worked commendably as Term 3 has progressed. Things have certainly been extremely busy for our cohort, and they work continue to work through their classwork and assessments. It has been wonderful to see our student's developing independence as learners and working collaboratively in learning spaces to help each other and foster their own learning.   

In well-being lessons this term, Year 9 have been focusing on the building leadership skills as valuable members of our College community and as a reflection of our core values. Year 9 have also explored the importance of, and ways to develop, boundaries for the well-being of themselves and others. Students have participated in opportunities to be active with each other to develop their collaboration skills and enjoy some recreation time while strengthening relationships with one another. Students engaged with a lesson on the importance of positive self-talk and treating others in positive and affirming ways.  

In recent weeks the Year 9 team, along with Mrs. Amber Carter, have been dedicating some well-being session time to understand the immense physiological and neurological changes that occur for this age group. Students have been given opportunities to reflect on what the real-life impacts of these changes are, and the ways in which they shape behaviors, learning capabilities, and interpersonal interactions and therefore relationships. Having knowledge of these growth phases is a highly significant and impactful way of developing self-awareness, to know that challenges will inevitably come to us all, but if we are equipped with knowledge of our strengths, we may see these challenges as opportunities to grow.  

These young people continue to amaze me each day with the remarkable young adults they are becoming. As individuals, and as a cohesive group, they bring a great deal of enrichment to the College community, and I thank our parents and carers for their support in helping us to open those doors of opportunity and encourage in partnership our students to be the best version of themselves that they can be.  

If there are any issues related to uniform or organisation, please contact your child’s Homeroom teacher. 

If you have any concerns or questions about your child’s wellbeing, please don’t hesitate to contact me on 4088 8222 or at kelly.pearson@mn.catholic.edu.au 

Aboriginal Education – Karen Chapman

This term the Aboriginal Education Team have collaborated with St Aloysius to introduce what we hope will be the first of several joint programs. The Naru (Wonnarua word for ‘together’) program fosters student leadership and encourages peer relationships between our two schools by having a group of St Bede’s Aboriginal students visiting St Aloysius to read Aboriginal texts to kindergarten classes.

Our St Bede’s students showed great initiative and leadership in their very first session, displaying wonderful skills in engaging Kindergarten students using their best reading aloud techniques. Kindergarten students were mesmerised with the stories presented and of course had lots of questions to ask! Well done to our students, you proudly represented our school and St Aloysius are looking forward to making this program an ongoing event. 

R U OKAY? – Abby O’Connor

During Week 9, the Wellbeing Committee Leaders promoted a range of events and activities with the intention to improve student and staff wellbeing. These included games, support sessions for students and a BBQ. 

On Monday and Tuesday, the Chess finals were held. Congratulations to our winner, Pushkar Neravetla, and runner up, Mr. Steinbeck. Additionally, students were given opportunities to ‘Be Active’ in our Stages 4 and 5 dodgeball and blaze pod competitions. Congratulations to our two winning teams, and to Lucy Richardson on winning the blaze pod competition! 

St Bede’s celebrated R U OK? Day on Thursday, as a part of our Wellbeing Week. Thank you to Liv Veerman in Year 11 who created a wonderful poster for R U OK? Day. Liv successfully captured the essence of this event, ‘inspiring and empowering’ her peers and staff to ‘meaningfully connect with the people around them and start a conversation with those in their world who may be struggling with life.’ Throughout the day, students visited and engaged with an affirmation station to write some positive messages for staff and students to read as they passed by. This was a wonderful way for students to connect with each other and gently encourage others who may need some extra positivity in their day! Students also participated in our blaze pod competition and stopped for a chat at our conversation corner.

For our Friday Wellbeing Session on R U OK? Day, students discussed: 

• Ways to identify if someone is not ‘ok’ 
• Ways to engage with peers who may not be ‘ok’ 
• Setting boundaries 
• Supports available to students at school, home and online 

The Wellbeing Committee thank everyone for their support and engagement with Wellbeing Week and encourage everyone to have a restful holiday which refills their cup.  

Learning Technology – Sandra Hampshire

BYOSD Update for Year 10 2025

During Term 2 and 3, a Device Consultation Team reviewed the devices for 2025. It has been recommended by this team that students should continue with the same BYOSD program, but a decision has been made to shift to the HP device for the Year 10 2025 cohort. We are currently under the process of reviewing if we can offer two different models of differing specifications depending on the needs of the student.

Typically, the Year 10 device has been available for ordering in September, with final payment due in late November. It was previously published Newsletter Edition #9 that we were reviewing the timeline for Year 10 device ordering.

After review and consultation, this timeline has been moved to finalise orders and delivery for 2025. This date is to be confirmed, but it will mean there will be a period in Term 1 where students will be utilising their junior device in Year 10. Please note that we have advised students that the devices will no longer be under warranty, and they must ensure that all warranty claims are logged before the 7th of December 2024.

Dates for the ordering timeline will be confirmed early next term. In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding the devices, the program, or the timeline, please contact Sandra Hampshire (Leader of Digital Innovation and Learning) at sandra.hampshire@mn.catholic.edu.au

Sport – Belinda Watts   

Horse Sports

On Friday 13 September Gracie Clements (Year 8) competed at the Merriwa Interschool Horse Sports Day. Gracie entered numerous events on the day in the 14year girls' division. Congratulations on placing in numerous events on the day including:

• Flag Race (2^nd)
• Bending Race (3^rd)
• Barrel Race (3^rd)
• Cloverleaf Race (3^rd)
• Girl Rider (1^st)
• Hack (1^st)
• Pleasure Hack (2^nd)

Gracie was named overall reserve champion. This is a fantastic result.

U14/U16s Boys Rugby 7s

On Tuesday 10 September, St Bede’s had their Under 14s and Under 16s boys' rugby 7s teams participating in the NSW Rugby Secondary Schools Sevens Gala Day.

The Under 14s team finished 2^nd in their pool after wins against Newcastle High School (19-12) (Tries: Samuel Burey x2, Nate Sainty; Conversions: Samuel Burey x 2) and Catherine McAuley College Medowie (17-10) (Tries Keith Mabodza x3; Conversions: Samuel Burey) and a loss to a very strong St Pius Adamstown (22-5) (Tries: Samuel Burey). The U14s Boys played exceptionally as a team, and all supported each other well. They displayed great sportsmanship by participating in an extra game against Singleton High School to allow them to get an extra game in on the day.

The Under 16s team also had a competitive day out, narrowly losing to Newcastle Grammar School in their first game (14-17) (Tries: Kane Halson, Harry Lidbury; Conversions: Bailey Hunter, Harry Lidbury). The second game they also had a close game against All Saints Maitland (14-19) (Tries: Charlie Burey, William Flanigan; Conversions Charlie Burey x 2) where they also lost in a close game. A stronger third game against Singleton High School (42-0) (Tries: Charlie Burey, Axle Maeer, William Flanigan x2, Ryder Weidmann x2; Conversions (Charlie Burey, Kaidyn Hunter, William Flanigan, Cayden Jones, Ryder Weidmann) saw the boys rally around each other and play a more expansive brand of football. Our last game against St Pius was a tough game with the boys going down again (26-0). Overall, there were some great moments throughout the day and all students should be proud of their efforts.

U14/U16s Girls Rugby 7s

On Wednesday 11 September our U14s and U16s participated in the NSW Rugby Secondary School 7s Carnival.

The Under 14s finished 2^nd in their pool after countback resulted in them narrowly missing out on the finals. For many students, they were playing their first game of rugby union on the day. In the first game, the came up against Hunter River High School (12-15) (Tries: Annie Lidbury, Charlotte Gruber; Conversions: Halle McDonald) narrowly missing out on the win with a try to the opposition in the dying stages of the game. In their second pool game they came up against Catherine McAuley College Medowie (12-10) (Tries: Ava Church, Halle McDonald; Conversions: Halle McDonald) and showed great determination when defending late in the game, getting their first win. They played a final game against Scone Grammar School (21-27) (Tries: Bella Punch, Shelby Griffis, Romie Jones; Conversions: Halle McDonald x3) and showed great skill with several long range tries, but unfortunately the scoreboard did not favour them. Congratulations to Halle McDonald who was voted players player.

The Under 16s girls finished 3^rd in their pool after some tough games against some quality opponents. Their day started off well with a win against Hunter Valley Grammar School (22-10) (Tries: Keely Sutton, Lexi Fernando, Eve Power x2; Conversions: Eve Power) and a loss after the final siren against St Joseph’s Lochinvar (19-24) (Tries: Ava White, Eve Power x2; Conversions: Eve Power, Keely Sutton). Battered and bruised, the girls came up against a very strong Rutherford Technology High School who ran away with the game (0-30) handing the girls a tough defeat to round out their day.

Both teams should be very proud of how they performed on the day, especially considering there was not a lot of rugby experience between the two teams. Well done girls.

NSWCCC Athletics

On Monday 16 September, 16 students from SBCC travelled to Homebush to compete at the NSWCCC Athletic Championships. We commend all their efforts on the day. Congratulations to the following students who excelled on the day:

Zane Edwards: 1^st in the 200m and 2^nd in the 100m
Zac Thomson: 2^nd in the 800m
Harry Lidbury: 2^nd in the 400m

Good Luck to Zane Edwards, who will be representing at the NSW All Schools Athletics Carnival on Saturday 28 September at Sydney Olympic Park.

U15’s Rugby League 9s (Boys)

On the Thursday 19 September, our under 15 boys played in the 9 a side Timana Tahu Cup at Salamander Oval. The boys played Callaghan College Wallsend and successfully utilised their speed in attack to win 29-13. Charlie Burey was named player of the match, scoring and converting his 3 tries and converting tries scored by Tom Cornwall and Keith Mabodza. The second game was against a very resilient Warners Bay HS and unfortunately the boys were unable to push through their defense despite some solid efforts. The final score was 22-4 (Try scorer: Charlie Burey). Overall, the boys represented SBCC well and played with determination and sportsmanship.

Regional Netball Finals

Our Junior Girls netball team competed at the Regional Netball Finals at Maitland on the 20th of September. The girls competed against some very strong teams including Hunter Sports High, Central Coast Sports High, Gosford, Cessnock and Hunter Valley Grammar. The girls were very competitive against some of these teams however were outplayed by some older and “taller” teams on the day. The girls have clearly demonstrated an outstanding level of skill and look promising for 2025. Congratulations to all the girls for making it to this level and maintaining a positive approach to each and every game. You represented SBCC well! A big shout out to Imogen Brownlee who has also proven to be an outstanding umpire, and we are blessed to have had her attend all our carnivals this year. THANKYOU!!!!

SERVICE & GOVERNANCE DOMAIN

School Fees – Heidi Robertson    

School fees comprise of Resource, Tuition and Diocesan Family School Building Levy, and are the responsibility of Parents/Guardians of Students enrolled at the school.

Tuition Fees

The Diocesan Tuition fee is set each year by the Diocesan Catholic Schools board. The school retains a portion of this fee to assist with operating costs. The balance is returned to the Catholic Schools Office to assist with the payment of salaries, workers compensation, public liability, student accident insurance and other operating costs.

Family Discount on full rate diocesan tuition fees are available to parents who have more than 1 child attending a Catholic School in the Diocese.

• 1 child family – 0% - full rate
• 2 child family – 15% - each child
• 3 child family – 25% each child
• 4+ child family – 50% each child

Concessions on Tuition fees are also given to account holders of Health Care/Pension cards. An application form must be completed along with a copy of the latest original card.

Diocesan Family Building Levy

The DFSBL is charged to the eldest child of each family. The levy is pooled to contribute to past, present and future costs for building projects across all existing schools and in the development of new Catholic Schools within the Diocese.

Resource Fees

The resource costs are set by individual schools. 

Camps and Retreats

Year 7 camp and Year 11 retreat are compulsory, and it is expected that all students attend as per conditions of enrolment in a Catholic School. Camps and retreats are non-refundable except in exceptional circumstances or where prior arrangements have been made with the Principal.

The Catholic Schools Office declares that genuine inability to meet tuition and other fees does not exclude access to a school within the system by a child of a family genuinely committed to Catholic faith and practice.

For families experiencing financial hardship or wishing to discuss other payment arrangements, please contact the School Principal or Finance Office. These discussions and arrangements regarding fees are strictly confidential.

The collection of school fees is to ensure the best possible learning environment for your child.

School Fee account statements are emailed out monthly. If you have not received one, please make contact to ascertain the reason.

Thank you to those families who have commenced regular fee payments towards the annual account. We remind you that fee payments should have commenced by Sunday 31 March 2024 and if paying by instalments, we ask that accounts are finalised by Saturday 30 November 2024. 

BPay is our preferred option for payment, however payments can also be made via Credit Card, Cash, Cheque and Centrepay.

Other News

Canteen

The canteen will be closed on Monday 14 October (first day of term 4) due to stock take. 

Volunteer Registration Link

School Student Travel