Welcome to our last newsletter for 2023. I would hope that 2023 will be described as a year of learning, fun, friendships, and fulfilment for everyone in the Hennessy community.

My motto is always that ‘Country kids can do anything’ and this is nowhere more true than at Hennessy. We are proud to be a regional college catering to students from Young, Cootamundra, Harden-Murrumburrah, Boorowa, Grenfell, and many places in between. Students come to Hennessy to achieve their dreams and to develop their varied talents. They receive a quality education that prepares them for university, TAFE or the workforce.
In the Catholic Schools’ Prayer we say:
Our schools are places of wonder, learning and peace where the lessons of today prepare us for the challenges of tomorrow.
I hope this has been this experience for every student at Hennessy this year.

I am very grateful for our students It is an absolute privilege to work with young people and to watch them learn and grow. We are so fortunate to have such talented, friendly and generous students in our care. Our HSC results once again reflect hardworking and talented students and supportive teachers.

A huge thank you to our many parents and carers for their support. We aim to have the best home/school partnership possible to ensure the best outcomes for the students in our care.

Hennessy provides a quality education due to the dedicated and caring staff. Visitors often comment on how welcome they feel from the moment they step in the front door at Ripon Street. Hennessy staff, no matter what their role, go above and beyond to make each student feel known and cared for.

Father Jiss is an important part of our Hennessy community. His guidance and involvement in masses and liturgies has been much appreciated this year.

This year we bid a fond farewell to several teachers who have each made an enormous contribution to the Hennessy community over their time here. Mr Phil Mitchell will be officially retiring from teaching after joining Hennessy in 2003. Mr Mitchell will be remembered for his teaching skills and pastoral care of students, his leadership of the cadets and his organisation of many memorable liturgies and masses. Miss Jen Hayes will be moving to the UK to teach and I know will be much missed for her outstanding teaching of English and HSIE, Miss Hayes is a truly caring professional and I envy the UK school in which she teaches. Mr Peter Smith is not moving so far away, he will be taking up a teaching position at Sacred Heart Cootamundra. Mr Smith has been part of the Hennessy community for 24 years and is always described by students as ‘explaining maths so well’. His pastoral care of students also deserves recognition.

Miss Megan Jasprizza steps back into a full teaching role after being the Leader of HSIE since 2010. Miss Jasprizza has put HSIE on the map at Hennessy and we have seen many very successful HSC HSIE results due to her passion and skilled leadership of her department.

Miss Grace Moore has only joined us this year. She has been a very talented and supportive member of the learning support team and we wish her all the best as she moves to a teaching position at Sacred Heart.

Miss Bek Sheely is one of our Catholic Care counsellors, she will be moving to a new role in Dubbo next year. I would rate her as one of the best counsellors I have worked with. Her consistent, caring and effective support of our students and families is something which we are very grateful for.

Finally, I would like to farewell Mr Justin Garlick as he completes his two-year IT traineeship at Hennessy. Justin left Hennessy at the end of Year 12 to join the IT team and has grown into a confident, skilled tech support person.

I am really looking forward to great things in 2024. We have some very exciting new initiatives planned to further enhance student learning and wellbeing.

I would like to extend my most sincere wishes to everyone in the Hennessy community for a happy and special Christmas and a relaxing break.

God bless

 YEAR 12 2023

Congratulations to all students for completing their HSC exams - it is a culmination of many years of hard work. It was great to see some of them yesterday at the morning tea to celebrate their  HSC results being released. I would like to specifically congratulate our top 3 students, Jimmy Cronin, Lillian Williams and Jorja O'Brien on their amazing results. It is an exciting time for everyone ahead.

2023…completed

It’s been a wonderful year and I would like to thank all the KLA leaders and staff for their enthusiasm and dedication to their work.

A huge thank you to our departing teaching staff – Mr Smith, Miss Hayes, Mr Mitchell and Mrs McCarthy as well as support staff, Miss Moore, Miss Sheely and Mr Garlick. Your contribution to the College has been deeply appreciated by both your fellow staff members and students. I wish you all the best for your future endeavours

A reminder school starts for Years 7,11 and 12 on Friday 2nd February (Day 10) and for Years 8-10 Monday 5th February (Day 1). Timetables will be loaded to Compass before school resumes.

I wish all students and their families a safe and happy Christmas break and look forward to seeing you in 2024. 

As we draw the last week of the year to a close, it brings me immense joy to reflect on the incredible accomplishments and the positive spirit demonstrated by our students over the past few weeks.

Even though the house point system has completed for the year, the enthusiasm and engagement of our students has not diminished. Their continued involvement in various activities is a testament to their dedication and the effort to live out our mission to “learn dynamically, live spiritually, act justly” defines our College.

Congratulations to all the students who have not only excelled academically but have also contributed significantly to the College. Your achievements, recognised on Presentation Night, have added to the pride we take in our student body. A special thank you goes to Leanne Hardy, Camille Carberry, Jessica McInerney, Kathryn Willis, and Shelby Inwood for their invaluable assistance in preparing and running the night. Your dedication and hard work made the event a success.

I also want to express my gratitude to Phil Mitchell for his outstanding contributions to liturgy throughout the year. Your efforts in fostering a sense of community and spiritual growth are truly appreciated.

A big congratulations to all the students who assisted Mrs. Meg Navori in catering the Year 6 St Mary's Graduation Dinner. The positive feedback on the food and service is a testament to your hard work and commitment to excellence.

College photo day for 2024 will be held in week one on the 7th of February, families are now able to purchase photo packs, please see the details attached in this newsletter or Compass.

The spirit of giving during Christmas is a powerful force that embodies the true essence of the season. The act of giving not only provides support to those less fortunate but also fosters a sense of community. It reminds us that, in the midst of our own celebrations, there are others who may be facing challenges and hardships. The Vinnies Christmas Appeal allows us to engage in this spirit of giving. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported the Vinnies Christmas Appeal; your contributions have brightened the holiday season for those who need it most.

As we enter the Christmas and holiday season, let us remember that Jesus is the centre of our celebrations. I wish everyone a safe and joyous Christmas and holidays, filled with love and laughter. I look forward to welcoming you all back in 2024 for what promises to be an even bigger and better year.

Thank you for walking together on this incredible journey. May your holidays be filled with warmth, joy, and the company of loved ones.

Welcome to the final Leaders Lounge of 2023! As the new Rice captains, we're proud of your efforts and excited for 2024. Thank you to everyone who represented Rice this year.

Last week we participated in the Young Cherry Festival. Much work went into transforming the St Mary’s bus into “The Big Red Bus”. Students dressed as the Wiggles to parade down the street with St Mary’s who were fruit salad. The dedication and creativity paid off as we were crowned as the best float (for the second year running). Thanks to everyone who went out of their way to participate or stay after school to decorate the bus.

In our end-of-year assembly, it was great to see so many Silver awards handed out. Not-so-great news for the majority of the school was Nagle winning the house cup for 2023. Congratulations Nagle. The rest of us have our work cut out to beat you next year!

On Wednesday, we had our presentation night. Although it was stinking hot, the night was a success.We would like to congratulate all of those who received awards and thank the special guests who came along to present the awards. We would also like to commemorate other talented students within our school who have demonstrated a vast range of talents, many of which have been commemorated through awards and scholarships. A shout out to Sarah McDonald, Sophia Hacket, Ethan Light, Sarah Miller, Lachie Li, and Azalea Sullivan all of whom received a music scholarship from the Young Conservatorium of music and/or presented a fantastic performance.

Also on the weekend, the Hilltops Community put on a wonderful performance (Alice in Wonderland) which left lots of laughs and great feedback to the crowd. Well done to Azalea Sullivan, Lily Boda, Sam Boda, Camden Cummins, George Boda, James Payne, and Zac Long - it was a fun and engaging performance, which was loved by everyone who watched! Finally, a huge shout out to Cooper Dabin who is now declared the best Hammer throwing under 15’s in Australia, and the many talented individuals on their way to success or have received greatness in sport, you must be commemorated.

To celebrate the end of the year and Christmas nearing, Year 12 wore Christmas-themed clothing on Thursday and conducted a Christmas liturgy for the school and held the presentation of our vinnies Christmas appeal.

This past Tuesday, Hennessy hosted the heartwarming Rice Dine and Donate event. Students gathered to decorate Christmas Cookies, spreading joy by sharing them with nursing home residents. A total of 280 cookies were baked, resulting in 56 hampers with 5 cookies each. Rice had 18 students, 7 teachers and 2 parents, representing the house. This resulted in the 2nd highest students representing the college in the dine and donate event. Shout out to Rice 2 for having the highest attendance—. Cheers to all for creating these special cookies and spreading holiday cheer!

We are looking forward to coming back next term. It will be a jam packed first week. Years 7, 11 and 12 will start on Friday the 2nd. The swimming carnival and school photos are all in week one.

There will be many new students joining us in year 7 and 11, and other years.
We ask that you all PLEASE be welcoming and kind to all new students. It is not easy starting at a new school and even small acts of kindness and inclusivity make a big difference.

Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Leaders Lounge!”
We hope everyone has a happy holidays, stay safe!!!!!

Merry Christmas,
Amelia Rowan & Caitlin Drum
Rice House Captains

Year 8 - Water Rockets

Year 9 - Weir visit biotic & abiotic

Year 9 students visited the weir collected and recorded different sets of data including: water flow, water samples, turbidity, acidity, temperature, aquatic and terrestrial plants, fungi and animal organisms.

This is the work study they were given;

Aim: To study a local ecosystem.

Today you will be collecting and recording different sets of data including: water flow, water samples, turbidity, acidity, temperature, aquatic and terrestrial plants, fungi and animal organisms.

Collecting data

Acidity

Acidity is an important factor in water. Some organisms cannot sustain living in a high acidity conditions. Some can tolerate it to a certain degree. A high acidity tends to be a bad thing particularly if you are laying your eggs in water. We measure acidity by measuring its pH. Ideally the acidity of water should have a pH of 7 which is neutral. This does not always occur. Pollution is a large contributing factor to water pH levels. This might include litter (e.g. plastic bottles), soil running into the water during/ after the rain, high concentrations of carbon dioxide (especially in highly populated areas) and other factors. This factors can result in lowered pH levels, which means that the water becomes highly acidic.

To measure the acidity in water:

• Take a water sample from the weir.

• Take the pH meter device and place it in the water sample.

• Record results in table below.

• Return water to the weir and repeat step 1-4 two more times.

This term, 7.2 studied the life and actions of the first Emperor of ancient China, Qin Shi Huangdi. This included his intense focus on immortality and preparing his tomb which contained supplies for the afterlife and thousands of life-sized warriors. The class had the opportunity to create a model of their chosen warrior.   

In the last week of term, a group of Yr 9 students gave up their time to speak with local businesses about the works of St Vincent de Paul and specifically asking if they would donate towards the Vinnies Christmas Hamper Appeal.

It was most successful, and pictured are Zabir Alam and Chloe Laybutt handing donations and pledges to Sharon McCoy from St Vincent de Paul.

Congratulations to Year 12 2023 student Lillian Williams - first place in the mixed media section at Cowra Regional Gallery exhibition 'UpStart" plus equal first in Peoples choice out of all the artworks.

Congratulations also to Suzanne Tuckfield - first place in the Cherry Festival - Secondary Section

This term we saw 6 teams take on the lunchtime basketball competition on Thursdays. 

All teams consisted of students aged from year 7-12 which brought a fantastic range of skill to the games. As we came into our week of finals, both year 8 teams and a year 10 team were eliminated, leaving three teams for the finals. The Monkeys won their semi final taking them straight to the Grand Final, leaving the Water Wizz to fight for their lives in the final against the year 12 boys. With three key players away on the day, this saw Water Wizz defeated, and the year 12 boys into the Grand Final. It was an extremely tight Grand Final, great to watch from the sidelines. In the end the year 12 boys finally got their win in the lunchtime basketball comp and won themselves the hot chip lunch! 

Last week our Hospitality students had the honour of catering for St Mary's Year 6 Graduation. They prepared a variety of finger food such as sausage rolls, cheeseburger sliders, arancini, quiche and chicken tenders which were all crowd favourites. 

Holiday computer maintenance jobs

Give your laptop a clean

Check for any problems and get any issues fixed by a qualified computer repair shop.

Check all cords for damage & purchase new chargers, etc if needed.

Backup any files you need to USB, external hard drive or cloud storage like Google Drive.

Remove any large or unnecessary files.

Check for updates 

Windows - Search - ‘Check for Updates’

Mac - Apple menu (icon) - About this Mac - Software Update

Remove any unwanted Chrome extensions

In Chrome - 3Dot menu - Extensions - Manage Extensions

Check out battery saving tips & update settings to improve battery life

Windows

Battery saving tips for Windows

Tips to save battery power in Windows

Mac

macOS User Guide - Get the most from your battery

How to turn on Low Power Mode in macOS

 Watch out for scams & never enter your personal information online unless 100% sure.

Yr 9 Food Tech completed their year of mastering new culinary skills with a breakfast of perfectly poached or scrambled eggs! No microwaves or poaching pans, our kitchen assistant, Rowena, taught students the authentic method to cook these all time favourites.