Filter Content
Today is the Feast of what is called the “Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven”. We can think of this feast day as Jesus saying to Mary: “Welcome home, Mother!”
We have many families in our community who are facing challenges at this time. Please keep all these families in your prayers so that they may feel Mary’s presence and be comforted by her.
We pray to Mary:
Mary, our Mother, your total giving of yourself reminds us that we hold in trust from God our Father all our accomplishments and talents and gifts – trusted as we are to offer them in his service, and bring happiness and well-being to our brothers and sisters. Your “Yes” to God’s invitation to be the mother of his Son reminds us that prayer is not just words but is from the heart. We ask you to pray to Jesus for us that the Holy Spirit may live fully in us, too, so that we may pray in the way that each of us finds best. So may we be prepared to join you in saying “Yes” to God our Father, that Jesus may be born anew in our hearts. Amen.
The past two weeks have been action packed with events at Hennessy. Thanks to all the staff and students who have either organised or participated in the many opportunities that have been on offer.
Congratulations to Gallagher who raised funds for the Young Crisis Centre and ran a terrific inter-house competition last week which helped to raise the awareness of this important local cause. The Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Therefore, every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency. The Gospels call us to place the needs of the poor and vulnerable first, so that their needs as well as the common good may be realised.
On Tuesday, staff at Hennessy engaged enthusiastically in a three hour professional learning opportunity after school, which focussed on ways that the College can continue to improve learning outcomes for all our students. There were many interesting and diverse professional conversations which took place and some great suggestions and ideas that will be pursued in the coming weeks.
I have been delighted to have interviewed many of our new Year 7 2020 enrolments. These students have been articulate and enthusiastic in how much they are looking forward to attending Hennessy next year. Feedback from parents at these interviews has been highly positive with regards to the teaching and learning that takes place at the College and how inclusive the students are, helping to provide a safe and happy learning environment.
I congratulate our Year 12 students for the mature way in which they have undertaken Trial exams this week. Please continue to pray for these students as their exams continue.
I will be finishing as relieving Principal next Friday. I thank all the students and staff for making me feel so welcome and for their support during my time at the College. I wish all in our community the very best for their future endeavours.
AFTERNOON STUDY CHANGES – TERM 3
From Term 3 onwards afternoon study will be held from 3.30-4.30 only on Wednesday of each week. We have found that very few students are requiring study assistance and possibly utilising:
- Google docs – and getting feedback on tasks as they go
- Greater class time – therefore their teachers can assist them more readily
- Using the ongoing assessment model means no huge assessment tasks all due at once
SUBJECT SELECTIONS 2020
THE LINES FOR Stage 5 have almost been finalised and were held up by the Year 11 lines, which are under progress. They should be released next week along with class lists via Compass. Students wishing to change will need to see me – if a change is possible I will do it then; otherwise they will be placed on the waitlist. Parents/caregivers will need to sign off on change requests. I appreciate the patience of all our students.
Year 11 lines should be available in Week 6.
HSC TRIAL EXAMINATIONS
Year 12 have started their exams well and have been calm and collected each day. A reminder to students to contact me directly for any issues during the exams so that I can provide the correct advice about what to do. A copy of the Illness/Misadventure form has been loaded onto the Year 12 Classroom page for ease. Every student must attempt all exams to meet the requirements of the internal assessment program.
ATOMI
Students in Year 11 and 12 have be trialling the use of ATOMI in Term 3. ATOMI provides short videos and quizzes aligned to the context of numerous Stage 6 course. I’ll be sending a feedback survey to both Year groups in week 8 this term.
SHARON HIBBERT | Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning
Congratulations to
Year 11 students at the Canberra Careers Expo
Well done to all students in Year 11 who attended the Canberra Careers Expo last Thursday. Their behaviour was exceptional and their feedback about the experience was positive. Students came away with valuable materials and knowledge around post school options. Everyone recommended the excursion for the new year 11’s in 2020.
Mia Hennock
Congratulations to Year 10 student Mia Hennock who is attending the
Engineers Australia Experience It! student conference at Macquarie University on 27th September aimed at NSW high school girls in Years 7-10.
The conference will allow students to work in a team to design solutions to problems and see what engineering is all about. It will be a day of fun, interactive and hands-on workshops and team-based activities, exploring the peculiar and bizarre applications of engineering! Mia will also hear from current students and industry representatives and learn what careers and opportunities are available.
Ailish Moore
You may recall in the May newsletter I reported that year 10 student Ailish Moore participated in the Uni of NSW School of Civil & Environmental Engineering work experience program. Ailish was one of five students from the Blue Group who has won a $50 voucher and certificate for conscientious application to daily report writing.
Uni Open Days this weekend
Saturday (August 17, 2019)
Macquarie University Open Day
Find out about life at Macqurie University. See what courses are on offer, tour the facilities and talk to staff and students.
Location: Macquarie University
Details and Registration: https://openday.mq.edu.au/
Australian College of Natural Therapies Open Day - Sydney
Visit the campus Learn about Health courses Attend workshops & talks Speak to Lecturers and Faculty staff Hear from current students about what it’s like to study Time: 9.00am - 1.00pm
Location: Sydney Campus (ACNT), 235 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont
Details and Registration: https://www.acnt.edu.au/about/events-and-workshops/open-day
Torrens University Design and Creative Technology Open Day - Sydney
Get inspired to start your creative journey by attending this upcoming Open Day!
Time: 9.00am - 1.00pm
Location: 46-52 Mountain Street, Ultimo
Details and Registration: https://www.torrens.edu.au/about/open-day/design
Torrens University Business Open Day - Sydney
Join the Open Day to explore undergraduate or postgraduate business courses. Learn more about where a course in Business, Commerce, Information Systems, Sports Management, Global Project Management, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship can take you!
Time: 9.00am - 1.00pm
Location: 1-5 Hickson Road, The Rocks
Details and Registration: https://www.torrens.edu.au/about/open-day/business
Torrens University Health Open Day - Sydney
Join the Open Day to learn about courses in nutrition, natural therapies, counseling & community services, beauty & aesthetics, public health, and health & wellbeing. Take a tour of our purpose-built campuses, labs and clinics, and experience life as a student for the day.
Time: 9.00am - 1.00pm
Location: 235 Pyrmont St, Pyrmont
Details and Registration: https://www.torrens.edu.au/about/open-day/health
Torrens University Hospitality Open Day - Sydney
Join the Open Day to find out what it's like to study at William Blue.
Time: 9.00am - 2.00pm
Location: 1-5 Hickson Rd, The Rocks
Details and Registration: https://www.torrens.edu.au/about/open-day/hospitality
JMC Academy Open Day - Sydney
This is your opportunity to get to know JMC Academy. On the day you can take a tour of the facilities, have a chat with current students and heads of department about studying abroad, industry internships and scholarships.
Location: 561 Harris Street, Ultimo
Details and Registration: https://www.jmcacademy.edu.au/events/open-days
Billy Blue College of Design Open Day - Sydney
Visit the campus Learn about courses Take a tour of the studios Speak to the Lecturers and Faculty staff, and Hear from current students about what it’s like to study at Billy Blue.
This is your opportunity to speak one on one with the Faculty staff that teach and write the courses. At Open Day you’ll also have the chance to learn about scholarships, study abroad, student life and meet the team from the in-house agency Billy Blue Creative!
Time: 12.00pm - 3.00pm
Location: Ultimo Campus, 46-52 Mountain Street, Ultimo
Details and Registration: https://www.billyblue.edu.au/news-events/upcoming-events/sydney/sydney-od-august-2019
Southern Cross University - Lismore Open day
Where could you go with a Southern Cross University degree?
Find out by going along to Open Day 2019 where you can tour the campuses, explore your degree options, meet current students, talk with teachers and researchers who are experts in their field.
More Information: https://www.scu.edu.au/study-at-scu/info-days/
Sunday (August 18, 2019)
Charles Sturt University - Albury- Wodonga Open Day
New in 2019! Discover everything CSU have to offer. Step inside their state-of-the-art facilities, meet the teaching staff and get a real taste of university life. Whether you're choosing your first degree or moving into postgraduate study, visit them at Open Day and see where CSU can take you.
More Information: https://futurestudents.csu.edu.au/unilife/social/events
La Trobe University - Open Day Albury-Wodonga Campus
Details and Registration: https://www.latrobe.edu.au/openday
Southern Cross University - Gold Coast Open Day
Where could you go with a Southern Cross University degree?
Find out by going along to Open Day 2019 where you can tour the campuses, explore your degree options, meet current students, talk with teachers and researchers who are experts in their field.
More Information: https://www.scu.edu.au/study-at-scu/info-days/
Western Sydney University Open Day
Find out all about studying at Western Sydney University.
Registration: https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/openday.html
Sydney Uni Open day - Saturday 31st August
Tailored Open Day experience for rural students
Our staff and students are welcoming those who live regionally to join us for a tailored Open Day experience. Sign up and receive:
• Program recommendations in the lead-up to the day
• Access to dedicated staff and current students throughout the day
• A catered lunch for you and your guests.
To sign up go to https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/open-day-experience-for-regional-interstate-and-nz-students-tickets-65762919663
Win a prize pack to get to Open Day
Sydney Uni are running a short video competition where as a rural student you could win flights and accommodation for up to 8 people to come to Open Day. This is run separately to the tailored Open Day Experience below. Find out more at https://openday.sydney.edu.au/competition/
Interesting reading
This week I thought I would share with you some interesting articles about jobs, careers and uni. You may have seen this first news item in the media this week - it makes me reflect about how we promote university and vocational options to our students, both as parents and teachers.
Matching young Australians to their best post-school education options
Some university students with low school results would be better off doing vocational education instead, according to a new Grattan Institute report on Australia’s post-school education system.
Risks and rewards: when is vocational education a good alternative to higher education? finds that vocational diplomas in construction, engineering and commerce typically lead to higher lifetime incomes than many low-ATAR university graduates are likely to earn, especially those with degrees in popular fields such as science and humanities.
“Especially for low-ATAR men, some vocational alternatives to university are worth considering,” says the lead author, Grattan’s Higher Education Program Director Andrew Norton. “Schools need to give them better career advice alerting them to these possibilities – and governments should end funding biases against vocational education.”
But the report shows that vocational education alternatives for women are less attractive. Few women enrol in vocational education engineering, and those who do often have poor career and earnings outcomes.
“Engineering occupations are male-dominated, often deny women employment, and are inflexible in providing part-time work,” Mr Norton says.
Teaching and nursing are popular university courses for low-ATAR women, and often lead to stable careers. These students are unlikely to do better in a vocational education course.
“For lower-ATAR men, a few vocational education courses would probably increase their employability and income. But for lower-ATAR women, higher education is almost always their best option.”
The report shows that higher education has expanded rapidly in Australia over the past 20 years, but vocational education has flat-lined.
This has led to concerns that students, especially lower-ATAR students, are being encouraged to enrol in higher education and to overlook potentially better-paid vocational education alternatives in fields with good job prospects.
The report concludes that these fears are only partly justified. Low-ATAR university students are vulnerable, but only sometimes have clearly better vocational education alternatives.“Like higher education, vocational education has risks as well as potential rewards,” Mr Norton says. “A good tertiary education system steers prospective students towards courses that increase their opportunities and minimise their risks. Australia’s post-school system does not always achieve this goal.”
For further information go to
https://grattan.edu.au/matching-young-australians-to-their-best-post-school-education-options/
The second article also relates to recent media attention around young people being paid correctly for part time or casual work. I encourage you to have a conversation with your child about their pay and if it is the correct wage under any relevant Award.
What to do if your wages have been stolen
by Danielle Croci
It seems like we’ve heard about case after case of wage theft in Australia recently, especially in the hospitality industry. As busy young people, sometimes checking that you’re receiving the correct pay and entitlements can feel like a minefield that falls off the priority list.
However, right now is a perfect opportunity to talk openly about how this can happen to any young worker, and make sure your rights are being upheld.
Pre-emptive steps to take
- Consider joining your union
Workers have more bargaining power when they stand together as a collective. Joining your unionand ensuring that your workmates sign up too is really important. Your organiser can provide further assistance and guidance if you have any workplace issues. - Use the Fair Work Ombudsman pay calculator
This is abasic calculator that requires you to enter a couple of factors like your job title, age and whether you’re a part-time or casual worker, to find your award minimum wage and entitlements like penalty rates. Be aware that this is a general pay calculator for industry award rates, and does not factor in working for an organisation with a collective agreement, which may have different rates. If your workplace has a collective agreement, make sure you have access to it! You may find it online, in the break room or on the work computer database. - Be sure to keep records
It’s important to ensure that you’re holding onto payslips in case you have any issues. If you work for an employer who is not providing payslips (which is illegal in itself), keep any communications about pay (whether it’s emails, texts or Facebook messages) you have from your employer about your shifts and document the times you’re working in a diary.
If you think your wages are being stolen!
- Talk to your co-workers
Social norms have conditioned us to believe that it is inappropriate to discuss your pay with your co-workers. I always recommend to young people I’m presenting to that they discuss workplace issues they’re experiencing, including pay and harassment, with their co-workers. Often they discover that they’re not the only person experiencing wage theft, and a collective approach can be much more useful. - Tell someone you’re close to and can trust
These issues can feel particularly overwhelming and lengthy when you’re dealing with them alone. Make sure you reach out to someone you trust, like a family member or close friend, so that you’re not carrying the burden alone and can take care of yourself. - Get help
If you’re a member of your union, you can contact your organiser or the member contact centre for advice. - Speak to the boss together
As mentioned earlier, a collective approach is most useful and the least daunting. If you are going it alone, remember you can bring a support person with you to have the conversation. Let them know about the information you’ve found about your pay, entitlements and your expectations. Be sure to follow up with your boss in writing, including the questions you asked and request that the issue be resolved informally. This means that if nothing is done to rectify the situation, you have written proof of your meeting and correspondence with them.
If the above steps haven’t worked, this is where it gets tricky. If you haven’t already spoken to your union now is a good time. Your next option might be to take your evidence to the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Taken from:
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY:
- Tuesday 20th August - Year 9, Cheap Thrills
- Wednesday 21st August - Girls Rugby 7s
- Thursday 22nd August - Arch Dio Athletics
- Thursday 22nd August - Leadership Team Announced
- Wednesday 28th August - Boys Rugby 7s
- Monday 2nd to Wednesday 4th September - Leadership Retreat
- Monday 8th September - McAuley Dine and Donate
- Monday 8th September - Year 9 Your Choicez