Welcome to our Week 4 newsletter! This week has been a very busy time for our Year 10 students as they consider their subject options for Year 11. It was wonderful to see so many families at the subject market on Tuesday night and again yesterday for the parent/student/teacher subject selection interviews. Next Monday, we will be holding subject selection/enrolment interviews at Sacred Heart and we are looking forward to these students joining the Year 11 2025 cohort.  The move to Year 11 is a very exciting one but can also be daunting with the large number of choices on offer. Our advice to students is always to choose what you are good at and also interested in rather than being influenced by other factors. A big thank you to Mrs McInerney and Mr Mergard for their hard work in managing this process. Also a special recognition to the office staff for their hard work in producing our ‘new style’ subject selection booklet.

Last Thursday evening I had the immense privilege of attending the Catholic Education Recognition Mass in Canberra. I was extremely proud that two Hennessy staff were recognised by receiving these prestigious awards. Mrs Mary Wright received the Mission and Ministry Award and Miss Jessica Buchanan received the Religious Education Teacher Award. These awards are very well deserved and Hennessy is very fortunate to have Mrs Wright and Miss Buchanan working so hard to make our school a truly Catholic school. 

Last week our Director, Mr Ross Fox visited Hennessy. Mr Fox met with Year 11 students and members of the College Executive. This was a good opportunity to showcase what is happening at Hennessy and to show the Director some Hennessy hospitality.

Yesterday we had the pleasure of a visit from Ms Sarah Wiggins from Classroom Mastery. Sarah spent the day moving from class to class giving feedback to teachers on their classroom routines and also led our middle leaders in developing their coaching skills to coach teachers in the future. Teaching is a complex craft; teachers often work alone without anyone seeing the wonderful work happening in the classrooms. Staff found the day to be both affirming and informative. There was unanimous agreement from staff that the classroom routines (entry, exit, cue to start, seating plans) are assisting in making our classrooms safe and orderly places of learning.

The Tell Them From Me Survey is available for parents to complete via the link on Compass. This is an opportunity to give feedback to the College to assist in informing future directions. Thank you to those parents who have already completed this survey, it closes on Friday next week, August 23.

For our families and friends, for those who gathered here and those far away, for those united in love for many years and those just beginning, for those we love and for those we struggle to love. May Christ deepen our bond to each other in God's strong embrace. We pray to the Lord.

Early last week we celebrated the Year 10 and 11 women of the school who connected and shared their stories through the Tomorrow Woman program. Days like these are crucial for our students, as sharing stories and finding common links fosters acceptance and compassion among peers. Extensive research shows that these factors significantly contribute to positive mental health, leading to excellent educational outcomes. We look forward to working with the Tomorrow Woman team again next year.

The nomination speeches for College Captain were truly inspirational. Each candidate is highly commended for their efforts and the pride they demonstrated for the College. Congratulations to Josh and Madi on their election. I look forward to seeing the candidates for House Captain in their interviews later this week and speeches next week.

Last week, I was blessed to attend the Key Leaders Day in Canberra, where leaders from the Archdiocese gathered to discuss the importance of our work in Catholic schools and how we can fully live out our charism. This day is an important time for reflection and sharing strategies within the school and the wider Catholic community about what it means to be distinctly Catholic in our schools. Hennessy Catholic College is particularly proud of Ms. Jessica Buchanan and her incredible work in the Religious Education department. She was awarded the Religious Education Teacher award at the Mass we attended.

The Term 3 Parish Mass and St. Mary's Youth Group will be held on August 31st. It would be wonderful to see as many people there as possible. There are many roles that students can participate in, and the parishioners enjoy having the Youth host this special Mass. Please register your interest here https://forms.gle/8oZbFBTFZJbZ6Ess6

A reminder that we are celebrating our Father's Day Mass on August 29th. We extend this invitation to all the special men in our community and look forward to seeing you there. Please register your attendance here https://forms.gle/8oZbFBTFZJbZ6Ess6

On the 21st of August, Fr Jiss will be blessing the cars of students and staff who wish to have their cars blessed on the Caple St side of the College. Car blessings have a long tradition in the Catholic Church and are an important ritual to remind us of using our material items to honour God. In particular Car blessings invoke protection and also ground us in our behaviour and use of the car. Please see Compass for further details.

Our uniform policy has been updated to provide more clarity around the expectations for hair. Families are reminded that wearing the correct uniform shows pride in our great community and serves as a great equaliser for all students, allowing us to focus on academic ability, sports, and the cultural and spiritual aspects of College life.

Hennessy Hearts was launched a fortnight ago. Congratulations to our two winners so far, Millie Davidson and Joseph Brunton.

Year 12 Trial Examinations 

Currently, our Year 12 are finalising their Year 12 Trial Exams. The students have conducted themselves well, it is clear that they have been working hard behind the scenes preparing themselves. I would also like to thank the Year 12 teachers for the hard work and dedication that they have put in to support the Year 12 students to prepare them for their exams.

Over the coming weeks, Year 12 will receive feedback from their teachers, which is informed advice to support them moving forward. This feedback is valuable to add to support their Higher School Certificate. 

Year 11 Preliminary Timetable 

Year 11 students are now starting to prepare for their end-of-course examinations. Students should now be working on their study routines, some practice papers, and seeking advice from their teachers. 

Below is the final timetable for the examinations. 

Afternoon Study 

At Hennessy, we offer Wednesday afternoon study support in the library until 4:30pm. Students are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity and work with their staff. 

Subject Selections 

We have been working with our Year 10 students to support them to make their informed choices for their future studies. We are currently conducting personal interviews with the students to set them up with a pattern of study. The deadline for subject selections is next Friday 23rd August. 

Year 11 Career Expo

Thank you to Mrs. Parkman for organising our Year 11 visit to the Canberra careers expo. The students were given a very valuable opportunity to explore their future, 

Up and Coming Activities 

• Try a Trade Day - Wagga - 22nd August
• HSC Arts & Music Performances - 28th August 
• Year 7, 2025 Orientation Days - 11th & 12th September
• Year 11 Preliminary Exams - 13th - 20th September 
• Year 12 Graduation & End of Term 3 - 26th September