Welcome to Week 8. We continue to return to a more normal school environment while keeping in mind the importance of hygiene by frequent handwashing/sanitising and extra cleaning procedures. We are anticipating that Term 3 will see many more activities being allowed including work experience and work placement for senior students.

Staff are busy writing Year 7 - 11 reports. These will be sent home in the last week of term. We hope to have parent teacher student interviews as planned on July 30 but will give more details closer to this date. 

I had the pleasure of attending the Rice Dine and Donate last Tuesday evening. This is not only a great social evening, a chance to improve cooking skills, but also a very practical way for us to live out our 2020 theme to ‘Act justly’.

I am continuing to have the great pleasure of meeting our new 2021 Year 7 students and their families and taking them for an individual tour around the school. They are seeing musical performances, science, artmaking, cooking, woodwork, metalwork, sport activities and many different classes. Students and teachers are confidently and enthusiastically talking to families about what they are doing. 

We are living in very uncertain times where our sense of wellness is being affected. Please do not hesitate to contact us if your son/daughter is finding the return to school difficult or if your family is being affected financially by loss of business or work.

You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world's problems at once but don't ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.            - Michelle Obama

Take care

Kathy

STAGE 5 SUBJECT SELECTION 2021

Over the last 2 weeks, teachers have been visiting Year 8 classrooms discussing electives for Year 9. Our Year 9 students were able to view presentations last year and will get a brief presentation tomorrow of the two new subjects on offer. 

Tomorrow Year 8 and 9 will meet with me to go through how to select and then be asked to select their subjects. However, they will be able to change twice more if they like until 3.10pm next Tuesday. After Tuesday, they need to print their selection receipt and have parents sign this. It then needs to come to the Front Office.

Its important students choose in order of preference of the subjects they want to do and it is not ‘first in best dressed’ as we want students to consider their choices and not be disadvantaged if they change their minds.

The student handbook is on Compass and the House pages and a Parent presentation has been posted to Compass but can be viewed via this link too:

https://www.loom.com/share/07471a2531504eaa9b30f4a02efbb8a9

The lines should be available early next term.

YEAR 11 SELECTIONS

This will be held on Tuesday 28 July here at Hennessy. A decision regarding the Parent evening will be made at the start of next term depending on advice or it may be a video presentation as above.

Currently Year 10 students will be able to start visiting senior classes for ‘taster;’ lessons and they should contact their KLA Leader if they wish to take advantage of this option.

TRIAL TIMETABLE

This has been released to students and a note will be sent home about this next term. We will again be running some additional study sessions after school and it’s pleasing to see so many students taking advantage of the free webinars on offer.

LEARNING OBSERVATIONS

The Senior Leadership Team has been walking around visiting classrooms and it’s been good to see students happy to be back and engaging in a variety of tasks. The students are willing to share what they are doing and it has really showcased the variety of tasks that students engage with each day.

Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning                                       Director of Studies

SHARON HIBBERT                                                                             ANDREW FOURACRE 

Last week students participated in two surveys. All students from years 7 -12 took part in the survey on bullying within the College. The findings were supportive of the approach the College is taking, but also highlighted areas in which we need to improve. Some of the findings were 

• 90% indicated that they often or always feel safe at school.
• 82% responded that they had never been bullied at school.
• Students identified verbal bullying during the Breaks as their greatest concern.
• Family and friends were the first point of call for student who were being bullied. 

Students were also asked if they would be part of the solution and volunteer to be part of the College’s response. Those students will be invited to a morning tea and to be part of a student action group.

In the weeks to come parents will be asked for their input via a survey.

We will be using the findings of the survey and the student input to target bullying and refocus the College’s Wellbeing Framework.

Year 10 – 12 also took part in the Mission Australia survey. This survey has already allowed the College to assist students who were identified as having wellbeing issues. The findings of the Mission Australia  survey will be sent to the College later in the year.

One of the first steps to addressing bullying is to break the cycle and have students speak out about it. The following link from Reachout.com may help.

https://au.reachout.com/articles/5-steps-to-talking-about-bullying

As always if you have any concerns please contact your child’s Pastoral Care  teacher or any member of the Colleges Wellbeing Team.

Mark Chifley

Assistant Principal Wellbeing and Mission

WOW! Two weeks has flown, we have had so much happening. The seniors have had a lot of assessment tasks due, they have been very busy working on these across their key learning areas. I have been in many classes and observing so many students engaged in their learning. Some highlights from the last week of observation is the work being done in Year 9 History, students enjoying learning about previous wars and impacts on the Australian culture and Year 7 PDHPE where they have been composing dances. 

YEAR 12 GRADUATION 

Next term on Thursday 24th September we will be hosting the Year 12 Graduation Mass and Presentation. As such, the students have been asked to submit photos of themselves from their early education. We require a copy of your child's baby photo, kindergarten photograph and a Year 7 school photo. Can you please follow this up as a matter of urgency to Mrs McInerney - jessica.mcinerney@cg.catholic.edu.au or hard copies and then they can be scanned and returned to your son or daughter. Thank you in advance. 

HOUSE CHALLENGES 

Currently we have a range of house challenges occurring run by the House Captains. In Gallagher, they have a UNO challenge occurring, McAuley has a handball competition. Year 11 have hosted a Netball competition with Nagle taking the win easily - the combinations from Kody Thompson, Mitch Prest and Chloe Norris allowed control and speed. the competition could not be matched. This week we have more year group activities happening, Year 7 touch football, Year 10 volleyball, Year 12 netball, next week Year 8 belly flop baseball. We held a Year 9 basketball tournament however, lack of numbers allowed Rice to take the win. Last week, the Year 12 boys also challenged the entire student body in a game of bin cricket on the oval, the contenders demonstrated a lot of skill and precision however, the Year 12 boys were far too strong. 

The students' leaders have also been working on their plans for Hennessy Day next term which they are hoping to be bigger then before due to recent restrictions we have had to postpone until September. As well as, our talented Year 12 music class played to the College community a concert they have been working on during lunch last week. 

Next Wednesday we have our Colour-in Competition due in. For those who would like to be involved please see Justin Garlick (Vice Rice House Captain) or Mrs McInerney for more details. 

STUDENT LEADERSHIP 2020/2021

We have started the conversation with students about looking to apply for the Student Leadership Team for 2021. We will be hosting a leadership workshop for the students as well as, they will be provided with a leadership package that they need to complete if they are interested in running for Student Leadership which will be available in Week 10. Please have a chat with your son or daughter to discuss these opportunities coming up. 

TIK TOK - Safe on Social Parent Information 

https://www.safeonsocialtoolkit.com/pages/toolkit?utm_source=safeonsocial.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=homepage

HOUSE POINTS UPDATE

Nagle 321

Rice 297

McAuley 284

Gallagher 256

Have a great week, 

Mrs McInerney

On the 16th of June, Rice House held their Dine and Donate in which 7 staff and 13 students came together and prepared meals for the less fortunate within our Hospitality room. This time around, we made spaghetti bolognese for a range of charities within the Young region. It was a very entertaining evening for everyone involved with laughs a plenty due to the varying abilities of those cooking the pasta. But, we eventually bounced back and created approx 35 fantastic meals for those in the community while we also shared a meal together. Additionally, we were surprised with scrumptious apple and cinnamon fritters served with ice cream for dessert. 

None of this amazing initiative would have been possible without the efforts and time of Miss Worner and her amazing team of Year 11 helpers who carefully measured out every ingredient for us to use on the evening and volunteered their time to help us make these meals and clean up the big mess we made in the process. 

It was great to see so many people there supporting the cause and really exemplifies our motto for 2020 of “Acting Justly.”

Year 12 Rice Captains
Hannah Mooney & Sarah Penfold

Yr 9/10 Commerce are currently studying law in society and examining the roles of court personnel and the etiquette associated with court rooms.  Students are preparing as defendants and police prosecutors in mock trial cases where they are learning new skills and stepping outside their comfort zones.

Due to NSWCHS and NSWPSSA now cancelling all of their events in term 3 NSWCPS (MacKillop) and NSWCCC have followed suit, it is not viable for us to hold Canberra Goulburn events either.

Term 3 C & G sport cancellations are;

• 20^thJuly Canberra Goulburn Secondary Netball Championships
• 20^thAugust Canberra Goulburn Primary and Secondary Athletics
• We had discussed rescheduling Canberra Goulburn Primary Cricket and Touch Football – these will also be cancelled

We have received an update from the School Sport Unit on sport cancellations and we have subsequently updated our CCC / CPS representative sporting calendar for 2020. Please see the below update: 

The following MacKillop/CPS, CCC and NSW All Schools Sports events have been cancelled for Term 3, 2020

• 23 July                      NSWPSSA & All Schools Cross Country
• 27 July                      NSWCPS Golf Tournament
• 27- 29 July               NSWPSSA Netball state championship
• 1 – 2 August            NSW All Schools 15s touch football trials
• 10 August                NSWCPS 10 A Side Knockout
• 10 August                NSWCPS Girls Rugby 7s Selections
• 18 August                NSWCCC Netball Championships
• 18 – 20 August       NSWPSSA Boys Touch state championship
• 19 August                NSWCPS Hockey Gala Day
• 19 August                NSWCCC Rugby League Cup
• 25 – 27 August       NSWPSSA Rugby Union state championship
• 28 August                Polding Cricket Selections
• 31 August – 1 September                NSWPSSA Girls Rugby 7s
• 31 August – 2 September                NSWPSSA Golf state championship
• 1 September           NSWCPS Netball Carnival
• 1 – 2 September    NSWCCC Football Knockout Semi Finals/Finals
• 3 September           MacKillop Girls Cricket Selections
• 3 – 4 September    MacKillop Boys Cricket Selections
• 7 September           NSW Champions School Basketball Tournament
• 8 September           NSW Schools Football Challenge Cup
• 8 September           NSWCPS Netball Carnival
• 8 – 10 September NSWPSSA Boys Softball state championship
• 8 – 10 September NSWPSSA Girls Touch state championship
• 11 September        Polding Athletics Championships
• 17 September        NSW All Schools Netball Challenge
• 18 September        NSWCCC Athletics Championships
• 21 September        MacKillop Athletics Championships
• 22 – 24 September  NSWPSSA Girls Softball state championship

The following Sports events have been cancelled for Term 4, 2020

• 13- 16 October       NSWPSSA Boys Cricket championships
• 19 – 22 October     NSWPSSA Girls Cricket championships
• 24 – 25 October     CPS Basketball Challenge
• 26 – 27 October     NSWCCC Junior Boys Basketball Championships
• 28 – 29 October     NSWPSSA Athletics
• 5 – 6 November     NSWCCC Junior Girls Basketball Championships

We will provide further updates as they come to hand and we will update the CSNSW Sport portal to reflect the above information.

If you have any questions please contact me at the college

Regards 

Brendan Croese