St Bede's Catholic College Newsletter 9 - 16th June 2023

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE – JOHN MURPHY

PRAYER  

Loving God,

We pray for those who have been devastated by the bus accident.
We remember those who have lost their lives so suddenly.
We hold in our hearts the families forever changed by grief and loss.
Bring them strength, consolation and comfort.
Watch over those who have been injured.
Give them courage to face what lies ahead,
and heal their memories of trauma and devastation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen

St Bede… Pray for us

DIOSOUNDS 

Congratulations to our students for their amazing performances at last Thursday’s matinee and evening Diosounds concerts at the Newcastle Civic Centre. Diosounds is an annual event where our Diocesan Secondary Schools combine to showcase their talent through school-based music performances. Our St Bede’s students were again outstanding in their three acts. Congratulations to all students and staff involved. A special thank you to our Year 12 students on their last Diosounds, with some having performed at every show since their commencement back in 2018. They have made an invaluable contribution establishing a culture of excellence in performing arts within our Diocese.  

STAFF NEWS 

Ms. Sarah James (Mathematics Teacher) is now on parental leave until the end of the year. We congratulate Ms. James on the recent birth of her beautiful daughter Lilliana, and we wish her all the best during her leave.  

Replacing Ms. James is Mr Stephen Lumley, an experienced and highly regarded Mathematics teacher. He has a Bachelor and Graduate Diploma of Mathematics. Mr Lumley started last week and has quickly settled into college life here at St Bede’s.  

Name: Stephen Lumley

Family background:   

Married to Karen and we have three children Samuel, Jessica, and Isaac.

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

• Be part of a great team and community. 
• Have a meaningful impact in the lives of those around me.

Teaching Qualifications:   

• Bachelor of Mathematics 
• Graduate Diploma of Teaching-Mathematics 

Teaching experience:   

• Hunter Christian School
• Lakes Anglican Grammar, Belmont Christian College
• Medowie Christian  

Personal Interests/Passions:   

• Praying
• Healing Ministry
• Spearfishing
• Chess

Advice to Students:   

• Seek the Lord. 
• Pursue what you are passionate about. 

Welcome to Mr. Shaun Suridge, who commenced his role as a floating teacher on Monday. This position will assist in the covering of wide range of classes of staff on approved leave. Mr. Suridge is an experienced teacher and leader. More recently, he was employed as a Head of House at St Michaels Grammar School in St Kilda. Mr. Suridge has a Bachelor of Education Health and Physical Education/ Humanities and is currently working through a Master of Education degree.  

Name: Shaun Suridge

Family background:   

My fiancé Ash, Daughter Maisie (7 months) and 3-year-old Golden Retriever Dog (Poppy).  

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

To become a valued member of the St Bede’s community. I am look forward to meeting staff and students of St Bede’s and working with them to achieve common goals.

Teaching Qualifications:   

• Bachelor of Education 
• Master of Education (currently studying)

Teaching experience:   

I have held various positions across a PDHPE and HSIE subjects. I have 9 years teaching experience and taught both in Australia and England.  

Personal Interests/Passions:   

• Sports – Golf, AFL, Rugby, and Cricket
• Fishing 
• Kayaking

Advice to Students:   

Choose things that you find interesting and get involved. Passion and commitment to any activity is one of the most valuable aspects of a School. Engage and enjoy! 

We also welcome Ms. Melissa Jones who will commence on Monday 26^th June as a Temporary School Officer for the remainder of the year. She has had extensive office experience in the NSW Police Force. With her strong skills set, Ms. Jones will quickly become a valued member of our highly valued Office team.  

Name: Melissa Jones

Family background:   

I have grown up in a Catholic family and I am the eldest of three children. I have been married to my husband Shaun for 25 years and we have one child, a 15-year-old son who attends All Saints College in Maitland. 

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

I am excited about immersing myself in the St Bede’s community and I look forward to meeting you all when you attend the school office. 

Qualifications:    

I have spent my entire career in administration roles mostly with NSW and Tasmanian Government Departments. 

Work experience:   

I have worked as a Communications Officer at Police Radio for the last ten years at Newcastle Police Station. I spent a total of fifteen years working for NSW Police in various roles. I have also managed the administration of my husband’s small business for the past 25 years. 

Personal Interests/Passions:   

I enjoy spending time with family and friends, walking my dog Frankie and going to the gym. I love children and animals. 

Advice to Students:   

Challenge yourself in High School but do not overwhelm yourself. It is important to nurture your relationships with family and friends and spend time doing things that you enjoy. 

I am pleased to announce that Ms. Suzanne Hatfield-Smith has been appointed as Ms. Georgina Cairns’s replacement for the remainder of the year as our Gifted Education Mentor. Ms. Suzanne Hatfield-Smith has a Bachelor of Teaching/ Bachelor of Arts from the University of Newcastle and has worked in Catholic Schools in the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese, and in schools on the Central Coast and in Sydney. As a proponent of innovative teaching methods, Ms Hatfield-Smith has long-standing experience as both a teacher and middle leader, including being a Leader of Learning - English, Leader of Wellbeing and Engagement, and a Gifted Education Mentor. With a passion for high potential and gifted education, she has a genuine desire to assist staff and students to achieve excellence in all that they pursue. Ms. Suzanne Hatfield-Smith will commence at St Bede’s on Monday and continue each Monday thereafter. 

Name: Sue Hatfield-Smith

Family background:   

Married to Angus and we have two children Ava and Ed. My mum and dad have a farm at Gloucester that we spend a lot of time at and with my brothers and their children. 

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

To be able to work collaboratively in an authentic way to be better for our students. Build strong connections with students and the wider community that allow us to work together in our common goal. Celebrate the great things that are happening in classrooms and give teachers space to share with others their expertise.  

Teaching Qualifications:   

• Bachelor of Teaching/Bachelor of Arts (Secondary English/History)  

Teaching experience:   

• Gorokan High School 8 years 
• Pittwater High School 4 years 
• St Edwards College 7 years 
• St Paul’s Booragul 5 years 

Personal Interests/Passions:   

• Fishing 
• All things boating – skiing, swimming, snorkelling, relaxing etc. 
• Literature – reading, research, critique. 
• Pedagogy – for improvement. 

Advice to Students:   

• Know that a bad day will pass.
• Question everything. 
• Never lose sight of who you are, nor the impact your presence has on this world. 
• Work hard. 

Recently we had the opportunity to acknowledge the wonderful work of our support staff as part of World Staff Support Day by gathering for a catered morning tea. We are blessed as a college to have such dedicated and positive staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes in supporting our teaching staff in their work. Included in the areas where our support staff work is the office, maintenance, learning support, canteen, and assistants in our practical based subjects. Thank you support staff for your invaluable service to our college. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Assistant Principal Report – Brett Donohoe and Emma South

A Good Night’s Sleep 

As the school term progresses and the workload for students can increase, it is important we establish good sleep patterns. By addressing good quality sleep, we are setting up the foundations to promote emotional, social and physical wellbeing and academic performance, now and in the future. 

Here are some techniques you can try to help fall asleep faster and achieve better quality sleep. 

• Regular exercise - Being active throughout the day can help tire your body to prepare it for sleep. But make sure to leave 1-2 hours between vigorous activity and bedtime to allow your body to wind down. 
• Limit naps - Taking naps outside your normal sleep hours can disrupt your sleep routine and make it harder to go to sleep when you need to. 
• Allow yourself to wind down - Give your body and mind a chance to relax. In the 1-2 hours before bed, unwind through a calming activity like reading, watching TV, or having a bath – whatever works for you. 
• Be consistent with your bedtime - Going to bed at a similar time each night reinforces to your body that it's time to wind down. 
• Set a digital curfew - Avoid screens by turning your phone off or on 'do not disturb' at least 30 minutes before going to sleep. Consider leaving your device in another room. Screen lights and apps are designed to trigger hormones in your brain that keep you alert. 
• Make your bedroom your sanctuary - Keeping your bedroom quiet, dark and cool will create a healthy sleeping environment. 
• Leave your worries out of the bedroom - If you find you're overthinking things, it may help to write down the thoughts you're experiencing to get them out of your head. Make time to revisit them the next day so you know they will be dealt with, but not when you’re trying to sleep. 

Attendance – it’s not okay to be away 

Education in NSW is compulsory. All students from six years of age and under the minimum school leaving age of 17 are legally required to attend school. Students of school age (6 to minimum school leaving age) resident in New South Wales are required to be in fulltime attendance at a government or registered non-government school unless they are receiving approved home schooling, attending shared school settings or are granted an exemption from attendance. 

Regular attendance at schools is essential if students are to maximise their potential.  Schools, in partnership with parents, are responsible for promoting the regular attendance of students.  While parents are legally responsible for the regular attendance of their children, school staff monitor part or whole day absences as part of their duty of care for students’ welfare. 

Please see the Parent Information Brochure below for more information about compulsory school attendance and managing school refusal.  

Catholic Formation and Mission – Andrew Slater

Year 9 and 10 Reflection Days  

Both Year 9 and 10 have recently participated in the annual Reflection Days. These formation days seek to provide an opportunity for students to pause and reflect on their relationship with themselves, each other, God and the world around them. We had a high level of engagement from both year groups, with lots of positive feedback on the content of the days. These days are also an important opportunity for each year group to gather and spend time as a community.  

Vinnies Winter Appeal 

On Tuesday, 6^th June, we celebrated the feast day of St Marcellin Champagnat, who is the patron saint of Marian house. This was a fundraiser for our Term 2 charity, Vinnie’s Winter Appeal. The Winter Appeal is a long-running fundraiser, which aims to provide emergency accommodation, financial support, as well as material assistance to those in need during the winter months. Through supporting the Winter Appeal, Vinnies can uphold the dignity of many members of our community, through the essential support they provide. Without this help, many will go without essentials this winter, such as food, warmth, accommodation and safety.  

LEARNING DOMAIN

Year 10 Leader of Wellbeing & Engagement – Jasmine Simmons        

As this year flies by – I can’t believe we’re halfway through the year already - Year 10 has worked hard to ensure that all their assessment tasks have been completed and they are getting involved in all aspects of St Bede’s life. Students have also been fully engaged in the process of selecting their subject preferences for their senior studies and it has been wonderful to have some great conversation about their plans for their future and to see them focus on their pathways moving forward.

These discussions have linked nicely with our focus question for this year, which is ‘Who is future me?’. Students have been asked to consider how their choices impact upon the young person they are becoming. Choices about attendance, behaviour, study, wellbeing, and work/life balance become habits which apply to every aspect of their lives and form the foundation for their future selves. It has been encouraging to hear from many of our Year 10 parents and carers who have challenged their young people to think about how their choices feed into the adults they want to be.

Following some feedback provided by our Year 10 students, we have been having fun with the new format of our Year assemblies. With the focus firmly upon students and celebrating success, the ‘On the Couch’ segment has been a hit whereby students share what they are doing in their electives with the year group. In our last assembly, we were joined by Jackson O’Loughlin and Jack Swan who shared their love of all things Drama. Their passion for the subject was inspiring and their thoughts and insights were well-received by the Year 10 cohort. We were also joined by Sam Lemmon who rocked out with an impressive musical item on guitar. He also joined for an impromptu ‘On the Couch’ session where he shared his love for music with the cohort. A huge thank you to Mr. Thornton who supported Sam with his performance.

Last week, we were privileged to participate in the Year 10 Reflection Day organised by Mr. Slater. It was a fantastic community day where students could consider what their future might hold for them by considering their strengths. There was also an opportunity to share about past challenges that they have faced and overcome, and how these experiences have changed them and allowed opportunities for growth. I was so very impressed that students allowed themselves to be vulnerable in their sharing which created an environment for building connections with each other and their group leaders. A huge thank you to Mr. Slater for his organisation, our Homeroom teachers and special guests who facilitated groups and Ms. South for cooking lunch (I believe that she now holds the title of the best Bede’s BBQer).

We are very blessed to have such a brilliant team who put so much of themselves into caring for our Year 10 students.

Hospitality – Kristine Hanrahan  

Year 11 Hospitality completed a practical competency assessment this term where they were assessed on numerous performance criteria for units on hygiene, using food preparation equipment, and cleaning. The students had to produce minestrone soup, showcasing various precision cuts and food preparation techniques, and cheesy garlic bread scrolls, presenting the dish to an acceptable industry standard. This dish, including preparation, cooking, cleaning and presentation was completed within an industry realistic timeframe from start to finish of two and a half hours. The students involved did an outstanding job and the pictures show the standard of work produced.

Hospitality

Year 11 Physics – Liane Buckley  

As part of theory Module 2 Depth study of rocketry, Year 11 Physics students have been busy building model rockets which they have researched, designed, created and run online simulations to predict properties. Last week the class attended Somerset Park before school to launch their rockets.

Year 11 Physics

Sport – Belinda Watts

NSWCC Football 

Congratulations to Bowen Hine who represented the Maitland/Newcastle Diocese on the 22^nd May in Sydney at the NSWCCC carnival. This is an amazing effort to be selected at this level. Well done Bowen. 

Rugby League Under13’s 

What a fantastic day of rugby league we had at the U13s Gala Day! The boys showcased remarkable sportsmanship and represented our school with immense pride. It was a pleasure to witness their dedication, teamwork, and respect throughout the event. A big shout out to our assistant coach Jacob for helping run the team on the day.

Futsal  

On Tuesday 30^th May two U14s Boys Teams and an U16s Girls Team attended the Maitland Regional Futsal Tournament and Maitland Federation centre. All three teams played with spirit, skill, and courage despite a tough competition. The U16s Girls were undefeated all day, until a spirited St Philips were able to snatch victory in the Grand Final. Both U14s teams had some wins and losses across the day, including a late game between the two teams. Eventually, however, the U14s progressed to a tense Grand Final and came away as winners. Both the U14s Team 1 and the U16s Girls will now progress to the NNSW Futsal Regional titles in Maitland in late June. 

A big thank you to our helpers on the day, Mr. Greg Thomson, and all the parent supporters who came along to cheer on the students. 

Congratulations to the following players: 

Futsal

Touch Report 

On Wednesday 7^th June, St Bede’s sent our representative Junior (Years 7 & 8) male and female teams to contest the Hunter All Schools Championship. Our teams demonstrated some fantastic results with the both the Boys and Girls teams finishing 3^rd within their respective pools with some very strong opposition, narrowly missing out on Quarter finals. 

Congratulations to our Players player, Charlie Burey (Junior Boys) and Emmison Mate (Junior Girls) 

On Thursday it was our Intermediate Touch Teams chance to showcase our great depth in Touch Football. Again, the improvement from our first game to last was outstanding particularly the Intermediate women who came up against some tough competition. Congratulations to our Intermediate boys on being our most successful team progressing to finals, winning their quarter final and losing narrowly in a close semi-final to finish equal 3^rd out of 22 Catholic, public, independent and sports schools in the Hunter region. 

Congratulations to our Players Player who both led from the front all day, Kale White (Intermediate Boys) and Eve Power (Intermediate Girls). 

Bill Turner Cup – Girls 

Congratulations to the girls Bill Turner soccer team who have progressed to the area finals. The girls played against All Saints College in the area semi-final on Tuesday 6^th June, which resulted in a 3-2 win. All girls involved put in maximum effort and should be commended on their great sportsmanship. Our three goals were scored by Abbey Redgrove, Lily Sutton and Hallei Chegwidden-McGregor. Special shout out to Janali Haynes who had a fantastic game in goals and made multiple tough saves to keep us in the game. The girls will face St Joseph’s Lochinvar next round at Fieldsend Oval at 10:30am on the 20^th June. We wish them all the best and encourage supporters on the day. Well done to all the girls involved! 

SERVICE & GOVERNANCE DOMAIN

School Fees – Kylie Murray  

If you indicated that you are paying your school fees in full, this payment is required prior to the end of June 2023. If you are making regular payments towards your annual fees, these regular payments should have commenced by the 31^st March with all fees to be completed by the end of November.  

For those families that have not commenced a payment plan or reached out for an appointment, you are currently outside of a payment term, and you are reminded that this is a requirement of enrolment. Please contact the Finance team immediately to work together to get a payment plan in place or if you require a meeting with the principal. 

For any queries please don’t hesitate to contact the Finance team. 
finance@chisholmsb.catholic.edu.au 

Other News

Aspire 2023

Canteen Helpers Needed

Immunisations – NSW Health

School Student Travel May 2023

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: