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Welcome to Week 8.
Concerns about COVID-19 are certainly taking over the media and conversations at the moment. This is a time for us to take care of each other and to remain calm. I came across a lovely reflection on how we might choose to respond to this crisis and how we would want our behaviour to be remembered during this time:
‘What instinct did we embrace? The instinct of self-preservation? Or the instinct of compassion…
Did you lash out? Or did you comfort?
If you have extra - did you share?
If someone relies on you for their income - did you pay them?
If your neighbour lives alone - did you help them prepare?
If you wonder how someone is making it- did you call and ask?’
We are in daily contact with Catholic Education, who in turn are seeking advice from NSW Health. At this stage there are no plans to close the school, however, staff are working to plan how they can continue to deliver learning remotely if this should happen in the future.
Due to COVID-19 recommendations all school sporting and other events have been cancelled until at least the end of Term 2. This includes a postponement of our 20th Anniversary celebrations, the College Open Day and the Deb Ball. This also includes our College Cross Country which was to be held on April 2. Archdiocesan, MacKillop and CCC pathways have also been cancelled.
Parent Student Teacher Interviews were held last Thursday and were a tremendous success. There was a very big turn out of parents and their sons/daughters. Home school communication is very important to student success. It is very powerful when students see that their parents/carers and teachers are working together to improve their education. Thank you to all those who attended and please remember that if you are unable to attend that emailing teachers is an easy way to communicate with them.
Just a reminder to follow us on Facebook and/or Instagram. This is a great platform to tell the school’s story and to celebrate student successes and achievements.
NAPLAN PRACTICE TESTS AND YEAR 10 MINIMUM STANDARDS
This will occur during week 9 in the Hall to allow maximum space and also to expedite the process. Events have been created on Compass as well as instructions about ensuring the Lockdown browser is installed.
COVID-19 - ONLINE LEARNING
The staff have been busily preparing how to best use the BYOD network so that learning may continue IF, and only if, the school is required to close due to the COVID-19 outbreak. As such the following is being planned:
Years 7-10 – lessons will be posted via Google classroom as per the timetable and students will be required to complete the work set. They will be able to ask for assistance either via staff email or via the comment section in each classroom page. Work might be set from EdPerfect, Mathspace, Stile but it is a requirement that students still complete and submit work on time each day.
Years 11-12 – currently the staff are setting up ZOOM which is a face to face delivery method using an online meeting format. The universities use this for distance and online courses as an effective learning tool. Students will be informed via classroom of when a ZOOM meeting will be held which will follow their normal timetable. They should then login and will be able to receive instructions, ask questions and have their work set. All ZOOM meetings are recorded so if they have any difficulty they should watch the recording. ZOOM meetings will likely only go for part of the lesson while the teacher goes over work and then explains new tasks – after which students will be assigned work as normal via Google classroom to complete and submit as normal. Students may also be assigned work from ATOMI and some subjects will have access to EdPerfect for Stage 6 which is being opened to us until May 1 to assist all students.
Senior Assessment Tasks that are in class – please refer to your teacher who may need to either postpone the task to Term 2 or change the task to an online submission (if they can).
It's vitally important that parents support our efforts to ensure that students (especially seniors) do not miss out on learning. If there are issues with internet at home, students can work on Google docs offline but should also let their teacher know if they are experiencing difficulties.
Staff emails are available via the Hennessy website.
While we hope we will not have to close, we do want to be ready for such an occurrence and feel well prepared to be able to continue to provide 5 quality lessons a day as much as an online platform will allow. Again IF this occurs more information will be forthcoming.
NEW STAGE 6 REPORTS
This year we will be transitioning to reports via Compass. As such there is a new reporting template being developed.
What's new?
No recommendations and commendations
8 work habits rather than 4 - these will be:
- Seeks and acts on feedback
- Works collaboratively
- Completes set tasks
- Demonstrates organisational skills
- Behaves responsibly in class
- Is committed to ongoing learning and self reflection
- Uses digital and school resources responsibly
- Embraces challenge and shows resilience
Attendance % per class based from Compass
PC Teacher comment
Student photo on the front cover
What's the same?
Overall attendance
Course rank
Extra curricular activities
Exam rank (semester 2 only)
Grade (Yr 11 only)
Achievement of Outcomes per subject
We are looking forward to this new reporting system rolling out in Term 2.
Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning Director of StudiesSHARON HIBBERT ANDREW FOURACRE
Last week students took up different opportunities to be involved in the community at both a local, regional and national level.
Gallagher House hosted the first Dine and Donate of the year. Congratulations to Mr. Miller and the rest of the Gallagher team on a very successful evening. Mr. Miller has included a report.
Ms. Payne accompanied some of our year 11 leaders to the She Leads College Conference in Canberra. The girls were engaged and challenged through the conference to let their leadership abilities shine.
The College Vice Captains attended a National Pathways conference in Wagga Wagga. The conference was hosted by the Federal Department of Education in a bid to seek student input into the difficulties of moving from schooling to life after school. The Hennessy students spoke with pride and passion about their rural background and shared some the difficulties they needed to overcome. They were very amused when the asked by others from Melbourne, Sydney and Perth if “their home city, was smaller than this little country town of Wagga”.
As always the students were great ambassadors for the college and the local community.
Recently, three year 11 girls and myself were fortunate enough to be able to travel to Canberra with Miss Payne to attend the 2020 ‘She Leads’ conference.
Throughout the day, we listened to some incredibly unique stories from many inspiring women. We then took part in some entertaining team bonding exercises where we were given the opportunity to meet many like minded girls with a strong determination to make the world a better place.
After completing the overall workshop, the four of us took away one key message, to ‘be unstoppable.’ I believe that this is such an important message for all young women wanting to take on a leadership position in their schools, community or workplace as it allows them to express their views, opinions and ideas despite their age and gender. In today's day and age, and with the rise of feminism, this message is extremely important for young women to undertake and live by this moral.
I would highly recommend this workshop to any girl wishing to undertake either a leadership role or to gain further leadership skills and advice as the guest speakers are such incredible role models for women of all ages.
Mark Scott, Secretary- NSW Department of Education, released a Media notification that indicated a 'phased social distancing strategy' is to be implemented from today, Monday 16 March 2020. As part of this strategy 'Sports and Initiatives events will be temporarily ceased until further notice'.
The Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn advises that the following (NSW Schools) trials/ championships will not proceed:-
- Canberra Goulburn Primary Cricket Trials
- Canberra Goulburn Primary Rugby League Trials
- Canberra Goulburn Primary Netball Championships and Trials
- Canberra Goulburn Touch Football Trials
- NSWCPS (MacKillop) Swimming Championships
- MacKillop Football (Soccer) Trials
- MacKillop AFL Trials
- NSWCCC Hockey Trials
- NSWCCC Golf Trials
- Western Rugby League Trials (Secondary)
- NSWCCC Touch Football
- NSWCCC Swimming and Diving Championships
As listed above All Canberra Goulburn, MacKillop, NSWPSSA and NSWCCC will be 'temporarily ceased until further notice'.
Please forward this information to interested parties within your school.
This situation will be regularly reviewed and updates provided. We thank you for your understanding during this time.
We have no information at this stage as to whether everything is postponed or cancelled altogether- this is a very fluid situation and we will bring all information to your schools as soon as we are able.
We cannot at the moment answer questions in regards to refunds, or Canberra Goulburn merchandise availability, but we do ask that if you have yet to pay your swimming levy for Canberra Goulburn, MacKillop or NSWCCC events that you refrain from doing so at the moment.
For further information please refer to: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://education.nsw.gov.au/news/latest-news/schools-to-implement-distancing-measures__;!!Ax-PnKpllFIIgPxB!0Q6_LJHFv6yWW3TF9cadMkoS7XVsdqp-CqzAUJd60UQZ7S2U_t0KFVs0avVb04ioYrQhrsvQYuI$
On Tuesday 10 April members of Gallagher House gathered for the first Dine and Donate evening of 2020. This was an opportunity for Gallagher House to demonstrate how we can come together as a community to live out our 2020 College theme of Acting Justly. Dine and Donate is an event which aims to raise funds and also prepare and donate vital meals to the less fortunate in the Hilltop’s community. The initiative consists of students coming to school with family members and preparing meals. The students and their families then sit and enjoy a meal with the other students, families and staff. The remaining meals are then packed and sealed and donated to local charities to be given to those less fortunate.
We were fortunate to have a good turn out on the night with a total of 35 guests taking part in the preparation and sharing of the meal. It was great to see our students, family members and staff working side by side to produce a lovely chicken curry. Once dinner was complete we were able to package a total of 40 meals which will be distributed by St Mary’s Parish to people within our local community who are needing assistance. We also raised over $200 which will go towards Gallagher House’s preferred charity of 2020 - Margaret House Refuge in Young.
Our thanks goes towards everyone who supported this fantastic initiative. The evening would not be possible if it was not for the excellent organisation of the evening from Ms Meg Worner and her wonderful team of student helpers. May the other Dine and Donate evenings of 2020 continue to promote our call to Act Justly!
Bridie Minehan recently competed in the Zone Final of the Lions Youth of the Year and was named as both Overall and Public Speaking Competition winner. Congratulations Bridie, best wishes as you progress to the next level.
NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy – important skills that each child needs to succeed in school and life. The NAPLAN tests are designed to help us make sure students are on track with their literacy and numeracy development. Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in NAPLAN tests for reading, writing, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. ( The students will need to bring earphones to complete the tests)
Between , Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 March our school will participate in NAPLAN Practice Tests, which are designed to give students, teachers and systems an opportunity to practice administering and participating in the online testing environment. The practice tests consist of a Writing Test for Years 5, 7, & 9, and an Omnibus Test (a combination of reading, conventions of language and numeracy) for Years 3, 5, 7 & 9. As this is intended to practice participation, the questions are not equivalent to NAPLAN testing in May, and no results are available from the Practice Tests.
To see the types of interactive features of NAPLAN Online, visit the public demonstration site.
If you have any questions about NAPLAN Online, please contact your child’s teacher.
For more info:
I recently traveled to New Zealand as part of an under 16s team to represent NSW in polocrosse playing in a 3 match test series.
The host club was located at Taumarunui which is a small town in the King Country of the central North Island of New Zealand.
Although we did not win the series it was a great experience competing in another country
It was challenging playing in a new team for the first time and on horses that we only rode for the first time the day before the carnival. Despite this, we improved over the weekend and had a very competitive 3 matches.
