Welcome to Week 4. We are now classified as a Level 3 school so this means that masks are still compulsory for staff and students, but only indoors, and the mixing of year groups still needs to be minimal. Visitors are permitted for essential purposes only and all adults must sign in using the Covid app.

Mrs Donna Tyrrell has announced her resignation from her teaching position at Hennessy from the end of this year. Mrs Tyrrell joined Hennessy twenty years ago and is to be acknowledged for her kindness, hard work, and commitment to teaching the students in her care over this time.

Last Tuesday the new Student Leadership Team for 2021/2022 officially began their new roles. This was marked by a beautiful Mass and morning tea. Miss Doherty particularly deserves thanks for her skills in organising such a memorable liturgy. At the mass, I encouraged all Year 12 students to consider themselves to be leaders who will influence the younger students at the school. I also outlined the notion of a Servant Leader; one of the greatest examples being Jesus. I believe it is a good indication of the quality of a school when we look at their student leaders.

Our Class of 2021 had their final official day on Friday and celebrated accordingly with a variety of lighthearted activities, their behaviour and attitude was a true credit to them.

I have had the pleasure of visiting many classes this week and am very pleased to report well-behaved and engaged students. When Covid rules are modified I would love to take parents around the school again to see the quality education on offer at Hennessy.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions or concerns.

FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

YEAR 12 2021

A reminder that many Trial exams can be collected from the library but will be disposed of if they are not collected by the end of next week as we will assume they do not want them. After Friday they will all be placed in one box and students will need to ask the librarians for access. 

Students will need to return all books and textbooks by their last exam. They should check with the library for a list of books owed and if at school next week they can collect any from classrooms and return unneeded books.  

Dates to remember:

• The HSC exams start November 9. 
• The ATAR’s will be released January 20 and the HSC results January 24. 

YEAR 12 2022

Our new Year 12 cohort have started to change classes this week and are settling into new routines. Most have not picked up more study lessons and must use these appropriately. The examination results for many students indicate that they did not prepare adequately and yet they all have many hours already allocated during the year. Those who misuse study will be placed in junior classrooms to study individually.

Study should be used for:

• completing homework
• making study notes
• watching ATOMI clips
• starting assessment tasks
• accessing teacher assistance (by agreement if the teacher is available).

These suggestions and others are supported in the link: HOW TO STUDY EFFECTIVELY: 12 SECRETS FOR SUCCESS

Students are to always follow the instructions of the library staff if they wish to keep studying in this room. There should be no more than 4 students per group. 

YEARS 7-10

There are still a number of students from Year 10 who need to see me about their subjects but have not yet turned up. As such I will be allocating them classes for English, Maths and if they have a clash. If they come and see me I can change this but I cannot keep chasing them with messages on Compass. 

Year 10 and students in Year 9 who are accelerating will also need to undertake All My Own Work this term so they can be entered into their Year 11 subjects next year. This will be on Compass and take place later this term. 

It is still possible to change electives so students should come and see me during breaks.

FROM THE DIRECTOR OF STUDIES

Over the past two weeks, students in Years 7-10 have participated in Progressive Achievement Testing across the domains of Mathematics, Reading and Spelling. These short tests, developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research, are used by the College to ascertain the development of our students and the effectiveness of our teaching. Our students have approached these tasks in a manner that shows they care about their learning and want to achieve their best. Well done!

Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning                                  Director of Studies

             SHARON HIBBERT                                                                 IAN MERGARD 

Student safety at the College. As a College we are aware that unfortunately, bullying occurs in our community. We endeavor to address bullying whenever we are made aware of it. Student surveys report that students are more likely to tell a friend, than a parent and maybe then a parent. With that in mind, Hennessy has worked with outside bodies such as the Cybersafety program to empower students to address bullying.

With this in mind, the College has begun to look at ways to:

• Build student resilience
• Ensure that peers know what to do when they are told about bullying
• Move students from being bystanders to upstander
• Ensure that students know how to report bullying and break the cycle

When speaking with students they often refer to not wanting to be a “Snitch”. Snitching appears to be an American jailhouse term that has entered the Australian language. It is important that students, their friends or parents empower each other to report bullying as this is one of the first steps in adressing bullying.

Next week the College will introduce an HCCY Student Safeguard. This will replace the Safeguard reporting system that is available via Compass.

https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/contact-us/report-bullying

Vaping - Parent Help, social media, and what's in it.

 As a parent what can you do?

Talk openly 

Ask questions. Do they fully understand what it is, and the health implications? Do they understand the ties to big tobacco? If they don’t research it together. Find out if they are being pressured into trying or buying vaping products. Teach them the power of “no”. 

You are not a bad parent if your child is or has tried vaping. There are ways through this and some great resources to help can be found here. https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/E-cigarettes_and_teens/

What is it?

A person "Vaping" inhales a vapor created by an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) or another vaping device. 

E-cigarettes are battery-powered smoking devices that often look like cigarettes, cigars, pipes, pens, USB hard drives, or phone power bank chargers. 

They have cartridges filled with a liquid that usually contains nicotine, flavorings, and chemicals. There are also non-nicotine liquids. 

The liquid is heated into a vapor, which the person inhales. That's why using e-cigarettes is called "vaping."

Tween/Teen Vaping, usage and Social Media

As of 29th September 2021 in Australia, 14% of 12-17-year-olds have tried an e-cigarette, and 32% had tried in the past month. 

The students who vaped reported getting the vape from a friend (63%), siblings (8%), and (7%), with around 12% reporting buying an e-cigarette themselves online. 

Social Media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok state that they will remove content or advertising relating to the sale or purchases of e-cigarette/vaping products on their sites. However,  a vast amount of vaping content is still shown on TikTok and Snapchat. Users are sharing their vaping products openly with other followers and users. Research from Standford University in 2020 has identified a strong link between promoting vaping via social media and the susceptibility of teens wanting to try vaping and being more willing to vape. 

What's in a vape and the effects

How is it purchased?

There is no age verification required on non-nicotine for vaping products and devices purchased online. Anyone can buy e-cigarettes and products online and have them sent to them regardless of age. 

In-store purchases of vape products and devices require a person to be 18+ and must provide identification.  

Australian Law.

 As of 1st October 2021, it was made illegal for all Nicotine vaping products and devices to be imported from overseas websites without a valid prescription from an Australian doctor. 

It is also illegal for Australian retailers such as tobacconists, 'vape' shops, or convenience stores to sell nicotine vaping products to consumers, even if they have a valid doctor's prescription. 

 Therefore, any product containing Nicotine cannot be purchased online or in a store without a prescription. 

 Non-nicotine vaping products and devices that do not contain Nicotine can still be purchased online and in stores. This is the most common type of product purchased by teens. 

Potential health implications.

Vaping is a relatively new product, and therefore the long-term side effects have not yet been fully identified; however, health experts are already reporting severe lung damage to people who vape, including some deaths. 

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Vaping also can contain Nicotine; even when the fluid is sold as nicotine-free, there are small amounts of Nicotine. Nicotine is the substance in tobacco (cigarettes) that makes it hard to stop or quit. 

Nicotine is a highly addictive substance that produces a pleasing effect in the brain, which is very short and temporary, starting the process of addiction. The more you smoke or vape, the more your body craves the effect. This brief, pleasant feeling is why you feel pushed to reach for another puff of vape or cigarette. 

The non-nicotine vaping and e-cigarette products introduced to circumvent the laws introduced in Australia making nicotine vaping products illegal without a valid prescription contain glycerin/propylene glycol and flavourings to make it pleasant tasting palatable. The glycerin/propylene glycol and 8,000+ flavouring chemicals in e-cigarettes have only been approved for ingestion (eating). 

The manufacturers do not recommend that these chemicals be inhaled, as they have not been widely tested for their potential sensitizing, toxic, or irritating characteristics. 

Although vaping is often sold as a healthier option than conventional smoking, the non-nicotine version also causes health complications and problems. 

As always if you have any concerns please contact your child’s PC teacher, House Leader, or any member of the College’s Wellbeing Team

Mark Chifley

Assistant Principal

Year 9/10 Pass played some intense netball today.  The skill and sportsmanship displayed by our students was impressive.

Ms Green's year 10 Art class are creating some beautiful mosaic artworks.  Take a look at their progress.  We are excited to see the final products.