MSPC Newsletter - Term 3 Week 2, 22nd July 2021
Principal
Dear Parents/Caregivers
COVID-19
We have begun Term 3 with the cloud of covid coming closer to us. The incident at the service station at Chinderah last week showed how precarious our situation is. Our community has been blessed thus far to be only inconvenienced by COVID-19, but it could easily be more drastic. I am sure you have loved ones who are involved in lockdowns in one of the three states in that situation. You will have received two communications from the Catholic School’s Office, Lismore detailing our current approach. I do want to reassure you that the College will be continuing to follow guidelines that Catholic Schools NSW and NSW Health give us. Unfortunately we have to cancel some events due to the new guidelines and we are recommending that students wear masks. We will offer as much normality as we can while meeting these rules.
PLEASE UPDATE CONTACT DETAILS
There is always a lot of communication from the College to home and the last 18 months have seen this grow exponentially. I would ask that you keep up to date with developments and inform us if any of your contact details change. Most correspondence is via email with some via sms, therefore we require current email addresses and mobile phone numbers.
ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
Our Athletics Carnival was held on Tuesday 20th July at Walter Peate Reserve at Kingscliff. Having the Carnival at a purpose-built Athletics facility added to the occasion. The weather was fantastic and the students had a great time. I thank the parents who support the College by encouraging their child/ren to attend. I am well aware of the arguments of ”no one else is going” or “it's not important” that teenagers will say to parents. This is one time not to believe your child! We are a community that turns up and has a go and it is important to be there to be an authentic member of the Mount St Patrick College community. A great example of this is Year 12’s Sam Anderson, Darcy Hannah, Ty Banbury, and Neo Willis from Year 10 who completed the Kokoda Challenge of walking 96kms over 30 hours on the weekend and then participated strongly in the carnival. I thank all the staff for their efforts and especially Mr Tim Whitney for his diligent work in preparing this fantastic day for our students.
HSC TRIALS
Our HSC students have their Trials starting next week. We are going ahead in our usual timeframe of Weeks 3 and 4 as it gives our students more time to receive and react to feedback from these tasks prior to the HSC. I wish them all the best in what can be a stressful time.
YEAR 9 ACTIVITY WEEK CHANGE
The Year 9 Activity week has been changed from Week 6 to Week 7. Please keep this date free.
Be the Good and God Bless
Paul Reidy: Principal
Welfare
YEAR 7-10 WELLBEING LESSONS
During Semester 2, students in Year 7 - 10 will be developing skills on resilience, rights and respectful relationships in their Wellbeing lessons. Learning materials have been designed for teachers to develop students’ social, emotional and positive relationship skills. Efforts to promote social and emotional skills and positive gender norms in children and young people has been shown to improve health related outcomes and subjective wellbeing. It also reduces anti-social behaviours including engagement in gender-related violence.
As well as teaching academic skills, it is part of the core business of schools to promote student resilience, wellbeing and positive social attitudes. One way that schools can achieve this is through the teaching of evidence based programs that explicitly foster personal and social capabilities. Explicit efforts to provide Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) opportunities is recognised as a key part of this work.
SEL is the process through which children and young people build and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to:
- Understand and manage emotions
- Set and achieve positive goals
- Feel and express empathy
- Establish and maintain positive relationships
- Make responsible decisions
- Develop resilience to deal with change
- Create positive gender norms
- Contribute to social cohesion.
Social and emotional skills help students develop the resilience to deal with change, challenge and unpredictability.
Social and emotional learning is important in the context of data highlighting that Australian young people face a range of stressors and anxieties, and a high incidence of mental health problems. Social and emotional skills are also the foundation of positive relationships, including positive gender relationships, and contribute to social cohesion.
A key component of our whole school approach is the promotion of positive teacher-student
relationships. Positive relationships are significantly associated with increased ‘school connectedness’ and with cognitive, emotional and behavioural engagement.
A sense of connectedness or belonging to school and to family is the single most important protective factor for young people. It is associated with positive health and academic outcomes. Students who experience discrimination or stigma are more likely to also experience reduced connectedness to school. In contrast, students who feel cared for by people at their school and feel connected to learning:
- Are more likely to be motivated
- Show improved academic outcomes
- Have higher academic self-efficacy
- Show improved mental health
- Are less likely to abuse substances
- Are less likely engage in violence
- Are less likely to experience discrimination or stigma.
Each fortnight, I will attempt to give a brief summary of what the students are working on in their Wellbeing lesson. As you know, we are using a Wellbeing diary this year. I have aligned the Wellbeing lessons on respectful relationships with one of the six elements of wellbeing and character strengths. Hopefully, the information and skills developed through this process will help us in the holistic development of each student in our care.
The Wellbeing focus this week is Engagement and Mindfulness.
The Character Strength is Curiosity.
VAPING
Vaping is a concern facing all schools at present. Below is the chance to take part in a webinar which will discuss vaping and it’s dangers.
Louise Shields: Leader of Welfare
Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching
Welcome back to Term 3. I hope everyone is rested and ready to be active learners during this term. During the holidays the College was busy with Year 12 teachers providing revision opportunities for the students. The comments at this stage are often-:
“I can’t believe I can spend all day studying and actually like it”
“I wish I had started months ago”
“It's great to study with other people”
“I really appreciate the teachers giving up their holiday time to work with us”
Some of the students working in the holidays
Year 12 and Year 11 accelerated students are now busy working towards their final assessment which is the Trial HSC in Weeks 3 and 4. This is closely followed by practical subject major works. I wish all these students the very best as you prepare for these final tasks.
CONGRATULATIONS SAM ANDERSON
Our College Captain, Sam Anderson, has been rewarded for his hard work and contribution to the community by being selected into Charles Sturt University’s Bachelor of Medical Radiation Sciences Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging as an early entry. Sam now prepares for the HSC with the knowledge that he has already secured a position in his chosen course. I am sure that this will inspire him to work hard and enjoy the challenge of the HSC with a little less stress. Sam has already shown dedication to his studies by completing two accelerated courses in Mathematics and Chemistry. Congratulations Sam. The College is very proud of you.
Sam Responds
During the early month of July, I was given the opportunity to apply for the Charles Sturt Advantage Program which gives a university offer before any of your HSC results or tests have commenced. I applied for a Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science with specialisation in Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. The program instead of looking at your HSC results looks at your past Year 11 results as well as testing your ‘soft skills’ in the community, in particular, resilience, empathy, and how you will have a positive impact on a changing community. They also looked at my contributions and involvement in the school and wider community. This included all aspects such as the Solomon Island immersion program, SRC, Meals on Wheels, etc. They emphasise these contributions as they are looking for active members of the community to attend their universities. In late June I was lucky enough to be accepted and offered a position at the Port Macquarie Campus in 2022 meaning I have a guaranteed spot in uni before finishing school taking off much of the pressure associated with Year 12.
Sam Anderson - College Captain
CONGRATULATIONS EX-STUDENT DR JORDAN DEBONO
Dr Jordan Debono is an ex-Student of Mt St Patrick College and recently was engaged at the College to support students in Science giving them advice on future Science pathways and inspiring students to follow their academic dreams. Jordan has organised an excursion for Term 4 for accelerated Year 9 students to give these students an opportunity to be real Scientists on The Great Barrier Reef, collecting data and working scientifically with real Marine Biologists. Unfortunately for us, but very exciting for Dr Jordan, she has just secured a position using her PhD in venomology in Melbourne so will be leaving our community. The College would like to congratulate Dr Jordan and thank her for her commitment to our Science Department. We hope she can come back again to inspire our students.
YEAR 10 SUBJECT SELECTIONS
Year 10 students participated in subject selection meetings with teachers last week to discuss future career paths and their academic pathway over the next 2 years. The students came to the meetings prepared and it was evident they have taken the time to reflect and investigate future pathways. The students are now completing their final selection form and then the lines will be created and the students will select a subject on each line. Good luck to Year 10 I hope the lines work out for you.
YEAR 8 ELECTIVES
Year 8 were presented on Monday with a presentation about elective choices for Years 9 and 10. Students will now select a 200Hr subject for 2 years and 2 100Hr subjects. The dates for selections are as follows. If any student is absent they can fill in the form online. Please be aware that some subjects will have more students than the class can hold so the first 24 students to fill in the form will obtain a place and students who miss out will be required to pick another subject.
200 Hr initial selections by Monday - 26th July 3.30pm
200Hr allocations online Friday - 30th July 11.30am
100Hr initial selections by Monday 2nd August 3.30pm
100Hr Allocations to subjects online Monday 9th August 11.00am
Good Luck Year 8.
Narelle Sherrah: Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching
LEARNING SUPPORT
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
Every Wednesday lunchtime I run a Homework Club for students in Years 7-9 in room N36. This is a great opportunity for students to either catch up on their homework and also get some extra assistance. If you think this is a great opportunity for your child, can you please encourage them to come. If you would like further information you can contact me either via the College phone number 66722340 or email me at edward.hodges@lism.catholic.edu.au
Ed Hodges – Learning Support Co-ordinator
Curriculum
Term 3 is off to a busy start. It is an especially important term for Year 12 as they prepare for their upcoming Trial Exams in Weeks 3 and 4. NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority) offers helpful resources and advice to students in preparing for their HSC. The NESA Student Guide provides information on where to find study and exam resources, such as: past exam papers, syllabus documents, glossary of key terms, HSC Study Guide, multiple choice quizzes, wellbeing resources and exam checklists. A link to the SMH 2020 Study Guide is also posted on the NESA website and offers helpful advice to students for being confident and well prepared for their examinations.
The Year 11 examination block will begin at the end of Week 8 and run all of Week 9.
Assessment Term 3 - Weeks 3 and 4: The following table details assessments for:
Some snaps of Year 12 Art and Study
Jo McDonald: Leader of Curriculum
Faculty News
FROM THE SPORTS DESK
COLLEGE ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
History was made at Walter Peate Oval on Tuesday 20th July. For the first time in the history of the College, our annual athletics Carnival was held outside of Murwillumbah. A change in circumstances meant we had to find a new facility and we certainly found an excellent one in the Tweed Little A’s wonderful purpose built Oval. Our first Athletics Carnival since 2019 ended with the following results. Congratulations to all Age Champions and Runners Up as well as the might of the Red Army who took out another title.
2021 Athletic Carnival Results
A Diocesan Athletics team will now be generated. However, with the restrictions in place at the moment it is highly unlikely that the event in Coffs Harbour will go ahead. We will make plans for it to go ahead and when we are notified we will let all concerned know.
COVID RESTRICTIONS TERM 3
Unfortunately, the COVID restrictions we are under at the moment restrict us from travelling outside our local Council Area. This has already forced the postponement of the following events:
- Diocesan Touch Football (21st July)
- Q Schools Streetsmart Cup Aussie rules due to be held Friday 23rd.
- Diocesan Basketball (3rd & 4th August)
- NRCC Hockey (6th August)
A decision will be made shortly on the following upcoming events, NRCC Aussie Rules and even Diocesan Athletics. The restrictions will need to be lifted for these events to go ahead.
TERM 3 SPORT
We are lucky enough to still be allowed to participate in our Term 3 sport program with limited restrictions. All students must wear a mask when travelling on a “Charter” bus. A school sport bus is classified as a charter bus and therefore all passengers under the NSW restrictions are required to wear a mask whilst on board. All students who visit indoor facilities will also be required to keep their masks on, the teachers will sign in on their behalf. This will be enforced until restrictions ease.
OLIVIA FLANNERY REFEREEING HONOUR
Our school captain Olivia Flannery has been awarded a prestigious honour recently by Football Northern New South Wales. Olivia who has been officiating at local football matches for the past 4 accepted the female referee of the Year award for Northern New South Wales (Newcastle to Tweed Heads) as part of Female Football week.
Olivia has been blowing the whistle at Junior to Women’s Premier Division. She usually controls 2 games on a Friday night and up to 4 games on a Saturday. She then has her turn as a player and plays for her team on Sunday afternoon. She manages to balance this busy officiating schedule with a balanced approach to her Year 12 studies and her commitment to leadership within Mt St Patrick College as our female school captain for 2021.
Congratulations Olivia and very well done.
ONCE IN A LIFETIME WAVE.
Ryder Johnson from Yr 11, an avid surfer had the wave of his life during the recent super swell in the school holidays. Surfing with some family members he ventured out at Greenmount in an attempt to surf one of the best swells of the season. Mick Fanning, perhaps you’ve heard of him, was in the water also. The super swell has caused a strong sweep, he ended up at Kirra and sitting out the back in the lineup he looked around and found that he was all on his own when a new set came through. He let the first wave go fearing it would just close out down the line and committed to the second which pitched up and formed one of the winter seasons all time deep barrel rides this part of the world is renound for. Ryder was amazed at just how deep he was in the barrel and was in awe of the noise it made inside the greenroom. He felt the blowout hit him hard in the back but managed to keep his feet and said that after such a great wave he was on such a high because he had achieved what so many surfers chase their whole lives. His ride was caught on camera and can be seen on the link below.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ-5WRLjRZl/?utm_medium=share_sheet
Tim Whitney: Sports Co-ordinator
KOKODA CHALLENGE
At 7am of Saturday 17th July Year 12 boys Sam Anderson, Harrison Sharp, Darcy Hannah, Ty Banbury and Mr Nix as well as 1018 other participants, commenced the 2021 Kokoda challenge. It is a 96km walk with a 39 hour time limit. The course is based on the 96km original Kokoda Trail the Australian soldiers in WWII were faced with in Papua New Guinea and 39 hours was based on the 39th battalion who were the first to face this gruelling task. There is a fundraising element to the preparation, the MSPC team were able to raise just under $1800 with all funds going towards the Kokoda Youth Foundation.
We started off in high spirits eager for what was to come. We hit the first hill not long after and powered through it at a good pace, and continued on through 2 more hills to the first support crew checkpoint, 30kms in, arriving at around 2:30pm. With 5 huge hills to conquer, we were optimistic that we were over halfway done on the hills. How wrong we were. We started off again straight into the next big hill, and onto the halfway mark and the second support crew checkpoint, ahead of schedule, arriving at 7:30pm. It was here where we realised the first hill wasn’t part of the Big 5 and was just a “warm up”. A great morale booster, ha ha!!
Filled with minestrone soup and feet taped up, we set off at 8pm, with only 12kms to the next crewpoint. Easier said than done. This next section consisted of many breaks and 2.5 hours of constant steep uphill, and it was brutal. We arrived at the third support crew checkpoint at 1am, on top of the Army Land hill, 590m above sea level, the highest point on the whole trail. The wind was blowing strong and it was here where morale reached an all time low, however with some quality fried rice and some warm blankets, our heads got back into the game. Only 36kms left. With temperatures at around 9 degrees, and the wind making it even colder, it was pivotal we layered up. By 2am we were all ready to head off that mountain and get away from the wind. From here on out it was very quiet, with silence from all except Sam, with his attempts to boost morale, and Mr Nix with his attempts to help Sam’s morale boosting. This continued all the way until the sun rose, around 6am when the team received a second wind, on the downhill of the final hill of the Big 5, which was a definite morale booster, knowing that we were done with the toughest parts. We arrived at the last support crewpoint at around 7:30am, and were treated to a much needed rest. At this point we were only 18kms away from the finish, but the pace had slowed a fair bit, due to a knee injury suffered by Darcy at the 70km mark. Nothing a bit of backyard strapping from Sam couldn’t fix. Semi-revitalised and full from breakfast, we were ready to tackle the final stretch. With no major hills left, everyone was ready for action.
We began the final stretch at around 8:30 and this was where the pain really kicked in, with feet being unable to recover during breaks and legs aching. The breaks became more frequent, with the lack of sleep catching up to Ty, who fell asleep as soon as we stopped for a break, and Mr Nix, who fell asleep sitting up at one point. However, despite all of the pain we were in, we pushed on and finished at 2pm, completing the 96kms in 31 hours. The relief was tangible, and being greeted with family as well as crowds of supporters only made the experience all the more rewarding. This is an experience that will stick with us forever.
44 School teams started, only 34 were able to make the finish line and only 21 managed to finish with all 5 members. A great achievement to have all 5 finish.
Corey Nix
PDHPE
YEAR 9 CHILD STUDIES
In the double lesson (P3-4) on Monday 21st June, our Year 9 Child Studies class threw a Party. We all brought in some food we had made from our own menus of a Child’s Birthday Party which we completed as our Assessment for this term. We completed this task with a partner, which was a lot of fun. The party foods included Slices, Garlic Pita Bread, Cupcakes, Coral Popcorn, Toffees, Dip, Veggies, Fruit and Bread Sticks.
We also played games including Speech Breaker, Family Feud, Uno, Cards and more. We all had a great time as we sang some 2010-2020 songs, danced around the room, played musical chairs and other games, and just had a good time together as one. The highlight was Pass-the-Parcel and most of us unwrapped a lollie, with Zara winning the centre prize!
This all-girl class is very fun to be a part of. We get to do fun stuff like this every now and then. The party was well planned and turned out to be awesome! We can all say that it couldn’t have gone better. There was plenty of food and games to play. The food was amazing and the games were fun. We loved this party and we all had an amazing time. We would love to do this more.
Susan Waters - Child Studies Teacher
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
STREET RETREAT 2021
Faith without works is dead (James 2:18).
Four College senior students, Lucy Jones, Emma Loughman, Jordynne Ricciuti (Year 11) and Matteo McDermott (Year 12), accompanied by Mrs Finkel, put their faith into action, attending the annual CSO hosted Street Retreat in Brisbane from Thursday 17th to Sunday 20th June.
Based at the YHA on Upper Roma Street, students attended various ministries to help the marginalised in and around Brisbane. Students were encouraged to be the face of Jesus and to see the face of Jesus in those they served.
Highlights of students’ experiences included accompanying children from disadvantaged families as Vinnies Buddies to the Lego Exhibition at the Museum, cooking breakfast for the homeless in the park, serving coffee at the Emmanuel Mission Centre, sorting donations at the St Vincent de Paul warehouse and Saturday night’s Vinnies fashion show and pizza.
All students shared Mass with Fr Joe and participated in the Romero Centre Welcome Walk, supporting those seeking asylum in Australia.
The experience was amazing and gave us an insight into some of the challenges faced by many people in our community on a daily basis.
Angela Finkel: Leader of Catechesis
ENGLISH
SETTING THE SCENE WITH VIRTUAL REALITY
Battling dragons, gliding like an eagle and unearthing treasure were just some of the signs that this wasn’t a usual Thursday morning lesson...
Last term, Year 7 students created a fictitious island as the part of a creative writing unit - ‘Islands in the Sun’. With the help of virtual reality (VR) technology, 7C expanded their creative thinking by firstly designing their island in “cospaces” and then exploring their creation using VR goggles.
Offering virtual reality as part of the creative writing process allows students to immerse themselves in their imaginative concept in a unique way. The sensory detail, colours and movement offered in the program, means that students are focused on developing a specific atmosphere or feeling within a scene. The interactive nature of VR means that students are able to recognise the importance of conflict in a narrative, as they are able to experiment with purposeful action and reaction of their characters.
Ryan Stuart reflected on his first experience using VR, “I really liked VR because I got to experience English in a different way. Rather than just using your creativity to write a story, we got to use it on making something that pushed our creativity even further.”
All of 7C agree - virtual reality fuels imagination! Look out for more VR opportunities in the English classroom in the future.
Amanda Starr: Year 7 English Teacher
Puzzle Corner
Look at the Olympic rings drawn below.
Can you find the missing Number?
Make sure that you include “why” when you give your answer.
Can you solve the puzzle above?
If you think you have the solution, please see/email Mrs Bevan. The first 10 correct answers will receive a prize.
Awards
CO-ORDINATOR'S, PRINCIPAL'S AND COLLEGE AWARDS
LISIEUX CO-ORDINATOR'S AWARDS
Year 7: Keesia Close, Leonard Egan, Willa Hoffmann, Tara O’Donnell, Ned Serne, Billy Smith, Alexander Wellm
Year 8: Van Johnson, Ty Lockwood, Sierra McDonald, Elise Page
Year 9: Josie Farrell, Olive Jacobs, Oliver Newland
Year 10: Morgan O’Connor, Mia Page
Year 11: Mia Adams, Zatalia Gumm, Harrison Willis
Year 12: Matthew Colnan, Jemima Forsyth, Joshua Lees, Miranda Quantrill
LISIEUX PRINCIPAL'S AWARDS
Year 7: Alexander Wellm
Year 8: Ty Lockwood
Year 12: Matthew Colnan, Joshua Lees, Jemima Forsyth
LORETO CO-ORDINATOR'S AWARDS
Year 7: Marley Abbott, Lara Clark, Dayna Crichton, Minnow Glynn, Mahlia Goldsworthy, Clancy Greenbury, Keira Hair, Elissa Hawkins, Eden Petrie, Charli Riviere, Hugh Robinson, Maddison Shackell, Chloe Shoobridge, Sachin Smith
Year 8: Kiani Byrnes, Alexander Dowling (2), Cruz Kill, Arlo Kirk, Lachlan Maclean, Lonnie Maher
Year 9: Cailey Baker, Ochre Barnden-Panton, Caitlyn Bice, Nicholas Males
Year 10: Jack Devoy, Jarrah Fitzpatrick, Isobel Gresham, Grace Kelly
Year 11: Abbey Bevan, Christopher Biskup, Amy Hanson, Amelie Ogg
Year 12: Thomas Gresham, Kiara McCarthy
LORETO PRINCIPAL'S AWARDS
Year 7: Elissa Hawkins, Eden Petrie, Chloe Shoobridge, Sachin Smith
Year 8: Alexander Dowling, Cruz Kill, Arlo Kirk
Year 9: Cailey Baker, Caitlyn Bice, Nicholas Males
Year 10: Jarrah Fitzpatrick, Isobel Gresham
Year 12: Thomas Gresham, Kiara McCarthy
LORETO COLLEGE AWARDS
Year 9: Cailey Baker
Year 12: Thomas Gresham
LUCAN CO-ORDINATOR'S AWARDS
Year 7: Xavier Elliott, Kieran Forsyth, Charlie Gear, Elliott Gracie, Isaac Heath, Kate Pryke, Chloe Ryan, Oliver Stephens
Year 8: Ewan Bourne, Annalise Cardillo, Phoebe Piticco, Emelia Thompson
Year 9: Lara Brown, Sophie Haywood, Jude Livermore
Year 10: Elise Biles, Kirrily Leach, Elinor Litvin
Year 11: Alexandra Daley, Jordynne Ricciuti, Ruby Wilson
Year 12: Jordan Arthur
LUCAN PRINCIPAL'S AWARDS
Year 7: Elliott Gracie
Year 8: Annalise Cardillo, Emelia Thompson
Year 9: Lara Brown, Sophie Haywood, Jude Livermore
Year 10: Kirrily Leach
Year 11: Ruby Wilson
Year 12: Jordan Arthur
LUCAN COLLEGE AWARDS
Year 8: Emelia Thompson
Year 10: Kirrily Leach
Year 11: Ruby Wilson
Year 12: Jordan Arthur
NAGLE CO-ORDINATOR'S AWARDS
Year 7: Willo Fletcher, Erin Lanyon, Cooper Leeson, Charlotte Macdonald, Arturo Molinari, Jack Murray, Isabella Ouwerling, Simon Smith, Liam Thomas, Sequoia Wadley, Ryan York
Year 8: Sean Farrelly, Jamie Howitt, Christina Mathews, Indiana Wadley
Year 9: Harrison Bugg, Summer Gibbons, Maya Rogers
Year 10: Katie Macdonald, Isla Martin, Bailee Pedlow, Punwatsa Phattharapraphakorn
Year 11: Naomi Hooper, Charlotte Hudson
Year 12: Ysabella Purser
NAGLE PRINCIPAL'S AWARDS
Year 7: Willo Fletcher, Erin Lanyon, Charlotte Macdonald, Arturo Molinari, Isabella Ouwerling, Simon Smith, Ryan York
Year 9: Summer Gibbons
Year 10: Katie Macdonald, Bailee Pedlow
NAGLE COLLEGE AWARDS
Year 9: Summer Gibbons
Canteen Roster
Community News
