My name is Janet Cartwright and I am relieving as the Principal for Trazel as she goes on some much deserved leave, until the end of Week 5 this term. Welcome to Term 3! 

It was wonderful to be asked to take on this role and I am looking forward to my time at Hennessy. I have been made to feel exceptionally welcome on the playground and in classrooms by your children and I am grateful that they have been so friendly towards me (often without a clue as to who I was as they chatted away). This is a great testament to your children and the school. Previously I was the Principal at Sacred Heart, Cootamundra and this year I have been caring for parents and taking the opportunity to enjoy more time with my family. I still live in Cootamundra with my husband, who is a teacher at St Anne’s in Temora. I grew up on a farm west of Forbes and have many fond memories playing netball or swimming in Young as well as following the football (AFL) since I had two older brothers who played. I also spent some time after I finished Year 12 cherry picking on a farm just outside Young which was my first job!

We had an excellent number of Year 6 students from around the district join us on my first day, Tuesday 30 July. The students were very excited and participated with enthusiasm in the activities planned to assist them to become familiar with Hennessy. Students created a spinning top in woodwork, baked delicious M&M cookies in Food Technology, earned their “Bunsen Licence” in Science and enjoyed fun and games in PE, out on the oval. It was terrific to see how inclusive all the students were, making new friends, encouraging everyone to be involved and taking on new challenges in this important step in their education. It can be very daunting to transition to High School but with the help of our College Leaders, Year 11 helpers, House Leaders and teachers who ran activities throughout the day, our students were feeling much more relaxed about starting at Hennessy by the end of the day. Thanks to everyone involved, especially Maria Payne for organising and running such a great program for our students.

We are very thankful for the safe return of our students and staff who took on an immersion experience in Cambodia over the holidays. In speaking to several of the attendees, they had a fantastic time and were very grateful for the opportunity to help those less fortunate. Please have a read of the article from Jenny Hayes and the students who attended to hear more about their adventures.

Our Year 12 students are (hopefully) busily preparing for HSC Trials which commence on Monday 12 August. The old saying “failing to plan is planning to fail” rings true around Trials season. 

If you’ve got five subjects to study for and no plan on how you’re going to tackle it, you’ll end up cramming last minute and feeling completely overwhelmed. So, having a HSC Trials study plan is really important for doing your best, and also for staying sane.

Below is taken from an article from Catholic Weekly and outlines some great advice for parents and students undertaking the HSC.

5 Things HSC Students Need to Hear from their Parents

It’s the last term of school for HSC students, the pointy end of this gruelling year, and the end is nigh.

Or so it can seem for many parents! Having a child doing the HSC can be a confusing and stressful time for parents. It can be bewildering to know exactly how to support your child, how to encourage them to study without pushing them too far, and how to support their dreams but also stay realistic.

In this last term of your child’s Year Twelve, what exactly do they need to hear from you?

Post-HSC students and their teachers told us what they wished they’d known and heard from their biggest supporters, their parents.

1. You have lots of options.

As a HSC student, it can sometimes feel like your world shrinks down to those three letters and your entire future rests on one single number, your final ATAR.

Speaking to post-HSC students, many said they wished they’d know how many options they had. They’d heard again and again, “you are more than your marks” but they didn’t know practically just how many options there are out there.

There are many universities offering a huge variety of courses. There are TAFE courses and trade apprenticeships. Even if your child doesn’t get the marks they want, there are always backdoors and side …. Your kids need to hear that, while the HSC is important, as one parent pointed out, “there are so many pathways out there to success and success looks different for everyone.”

2. Hard work matters.

While there are lots of options out there, the HSC is a great opportunity to put in the hard work that bears fruit later. Many careers today require undergraduate or graduate degrees and it’s often a lot easier when you have the good marks to get there.

 Of course, no HSC student wants to hear about how they need to work harder but very often, it’s still what they need to hear. That’s why it’s a great idea to focus on their effort — which they can control — rather than their results.

 Years and years later, I still remember my own parents saying they were more impressed by my regular study schedule (however distracted I was!) than by my final marks. They praised me for working hard in that crucial period and that helped me to succeed in the long run.

3. Get some sleep and live a little!

It can be tempting for students to feel like they need to put everything on hold because of the HSC. For some, this means pulling all-nighters, spending fruitless hours at the library, or constantly using junk food as a reward for studying.

Encourage your kids to take care of themselves: get an eight-hour night’s sleep, eat fruit every day, and keep playing sport or go for a walk. Regular exercise, healthy eating and taking active breaks from studying are well-known to help reduce stress, regulate emotions, and make the time your kids spend studying more productive.

But also tell them it’s a good idea to enjoy a break with friends and blow off some steam as well. HSC students need to know that “self care is important, take a break to do something fun or relax.”

4. Trust God with the future

One of the most important things that your child needs to know is that they can trust God with the future. Many students put pressure on themselves to have their life planned out — or feel embarrassed because they have no idea what they want to do.

We can trust God with our future because God knows and loves us more than anyone does. The Bible says that God works all things together for the good of those who love God. (Romans 8:28) When we love and trust God, we give God the freedom to make amazing things happen in our lives. How many of us, at age 17 or 18, could have predicted the way our lives would turn out? 

“The best choice you can make”, one uni student said, “is to trust that God has a plan even if you can’t see the next step of it.” Another added, “I would honestly tell myself that the next 5 years are going to be so much greater than now.”

5. I love you

Finally, relax a little. If Year 12s put a lot pressure on themselves, parents do as well — if not more so!

But none of the university students or recent graduates I spoke to said that they wished their parents had done anything very differently. They understood — sometimes with a few years hindsight — that this is a stressful year for students and parents. 

In the end, the one thing your HSC student needs to hear is the same thing they’ve always needed to hear.

“I love you. I’m here for you. And together, we can get through anything.” 

www.catholicweekly.com.au

Prayer

Lord our God, open us up to your Spirit living within us,

that we may live fully each day of our lives.

Bless us, that we may become more aware of all that is around us,

growing in a sense of wonder and awe,

and in appreciation for all that we see and hear and touch and taste and smell.

May we live in such a way that we never take anything for granted,

but always be appreciative and express our thanks to those who are part of our lives.

Amen.

I hope that all have a productive and enjoyable Term 3. The start of the term has already been very busy with many events taking place. Thanks to all the staff involved in organising these events and providing such wonderful opportunities for our community. Please make yourself known to me if you see me around the school. I look forward to getting to know our students throughout the coming weeks.

With blessings,

Janet Cartwright