St Mary Star of the Sea College

Higher Things

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Newsletter 16 2020 - 23 October
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  • Contents

  • Other
  • Editorial
  • Prayer of Faith
  • Step out of the Box
  • Sullivan House Report
  • Hayes House Report
  • Theatresports goes online
  • Z Club
  • Zonta Young Women in Public Affairs Competition 2020
  • Cross Country/ Fun Run
  • Frisbee anyone?
  • Have you checked your Pulse?
  • Hub Highlights
  • From the Principal

Other


Editorial

We’re on the road again. After a rocky few starts and detours, it seems that St Mary’s is back in action. To celebrate our College and its dynamic life, take on a new adventure and join a club today! That’s right, clubs are back in Term 4 with new and exciting experiences. Make new friends and get involved in a cause that you’re passionate about. For example, Interact Club is holding a collection drive for a range of toiletry items for stranded international UOW students. So, don’t forget to donate in your Tutor Groups for this vital cause. Make sure to check notices to see what’s on and get involved!

    There are times when it is clear that St Mary’s girls are becoming more independent young adults and it’s a little nostalgic to see everyone growing up. Year 12 girls are sitting the HSC until 6 November - so please keep them in your thoughts and prayers through this stressful time. For our Year 10 girls, the new senior uniform is a reminder of the new chapter in their education. Moreover, the new Term has given an opportunity for the incoming Year 12 girls to step up into leadership roles. These new beginnings remind the community of the exciting things ahead. Let’s make Term 4 a great end to 2020. We’ve got this!

    Layla Tarhan and Alana Todorovski (Social Justice), Chi Nguyen and Tess Ryan (SRC)

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    Prayer of Faith

    Heavenly Father,

    We humbly come before you with praise and thanks for the abundant love and mercy you show us.

    We pray for our Year 12 students during this difficult and stressful HSC time, that you grant them the confidence and focus to comprehend the questions and effectively plan and articulate their responses.

    May their faith give them the strength to face the challenges of this examination period and the satisfaction of achieving their personal best.

    We pray this prayer through Christ our Lord

    Amen

    Tasmyn Renshaw
    Year 9 Gibbons House Captain 2021

      Step out of the Box

      Look past the walls

      Open the drapes

      Dare to peer out

      And plan your escapes

      From the box that you’re standing

      So still and so meek

      Dare to reach out

      And have a sneak peek

      Of what just might be

      Of what you still dream

      That excites and delights you

      That gives you your steam

      Your beliefs, fears and doubts

      All act as a wall

      But this little box

      Has gotten too small

      So, bend, break or lower

      Those limiting walls

      Seek, grow and prosper

      And learn from your falls

      So, chase your big goals

      Beyond this safe zone

      Step out of the box

      The one you’ve outgrown

      Lily Readshaw
      Year 9 Foley Captain 2021

        Sullivan House Report

        Where to start with Sully! (Sullivan)

        As a House, we have been busy crushing goals and shifting the College life of Sullivan House back on track. Despite the dampened start to the year, the ‘Sully Sisterhood’  has not failed in continuing to make each other feel at home as our new Year 12 students take on the role of being the big sisters of St Mary’s!

        Farewelling our 2020 Leaders was tough but as a House, we are beyond proud of the amazing graduating class and cannot wait to see what they achieve after completing their HSC exams.

          Our new Leaders for 2021 are not the only ones making their way into the new Term. We have recently introduced the Sullivan Cup, which will be won weekly by any Tutor Group as they go head-to-head in various games and activities driven by Year 9 Leader, Annelise Semaan. So far, our House has taken part in a ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ battle, followed by ‘Heads or Tails’, ‘Guess the Song’ and for this week, our Sully’s will be taking part in a ‘Guess the Movie by the Emoji’ challenge!

          As we begin Term 4, I am very proud of all our hard work which is already paying off with success in the House Debates and second place in last Term’s Cross Country/Fun Run. Go team! In particular, congratulations to Loagan Garratt and Kacey Kouzan for their efforts.

          We are beyond excited to see what is in store for Sullivan House in the future and hope to continue crushing goals and redeem our spot at the top of House leaderboard.

          By Dominique Musumeci
          Sullivan House Captain 2021

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          Hayes House Report

          Well we made it to Term 4 of this crazy year! Hayes girls are excited to return to Term 4, in bright spirits ready to finish the year on a high.

          We have started off with two weeks of checking our PULSE. Each student has the opportunity to answer five to six short questions every Tuesday about how they are feeling, giving them the opportunity to send gratitude to those that have shown kindness, humor, fairness, determination or just to say thanks! PULSE has been a great way to acknowledge October as Mental Health Month and making sure everyone around us are doing okay.

            At the end of Term 3 we farewelled our Hayes Year 12 girls including our 2020 House Captain Ella Dickson. Ella did an amazing job right up until her very last day and I feel privileged to take over the reins for Hayes House as their Captain. We said our goodbyes on their last day with the annual signing of graduation bears and the presentation of Hayes Spirit Awards. Hayes wishes them all the best during their HSC exams, and we hope to see them at the Graduation where we can help them celebrate the end of a chapter.

            We also share the news of our new Year 9 House Leader, Helena Hailos-Lewis. Helena has already stepped into this role very smoothly and is an amazing sidekick! Helena came first in the 14 years Cross Country/Fun Run and Hayes also had a second-place winner Charliee Corrie in the 15 years. (left - Charliee, right - Helena) Hayes did so well placing 2nd Overall! Tracking well in the overall points for the year.

            Hayes looks forward to celebrating the end of one crazy and unpredictable year, with end of year celebrations and of course, bringing back our Christmas Door Decoration competition to keep spirits high. We hope to perform at House Carols and redeem ourselves after having to miss out on House Choirs this year. That’s all from Hayes, I look forward to updating you again soon.

            Jemma Turner
            Hayes House Captain 2021

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            Theatresports goes online

            Yes, the most vigorous and rigorous of live performance competitions – Inter-School Theatresports! Where our Year 8 team will walk a creative trapeze, without the safety net of a script, over a crocodile-filled pool of spontaneous improvisation ideas, with an audience howling not for blood but with hilarity or empathy for the wonders being served up in front of them. Yes, a live audience but performers all-round the State entertaining each other online!

            Well may they say: “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” (q.v. for further referencing). Monday, 2 November at 5pm is the big day, with the finals nine days later. Ten days that will shake the world! Student coaches, Samara Poidevin and Charlotte Kelly are keeping a cool head and assistants including Bia Caires Forlano are channeling good vibes and competition pointers.

            Stay tuned!

            Mr Stephen Goldrick
            Drama Club

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            Z Club

            This week the Z Club elected their 2020/21 Leadership Team.

            Congratulations to the following students:

            President: Daniella Pontigo

            Vice President: Chi Nguyen

            Treasurer: Mya Lanyon

            Secretary: Taylah Vourliotis

            Publicity: Caitlin Ramirez, Isabella Hasna and Charlotte Agnew

            The Z Club is a school based club linked to The Zonta Club. Zonta’s mission is to empower women on a local and global basis through service and advocacy. Our club meets every Day 7 at lunch time in F205. We encourage all students to attend our meetings and assist with fund raising and advocacy.

            Mrs Pauline Judd
            Post School Advisor

              Zonta Young Women in Public Affairs Competition 2020

              This was one competition that remained ‘alive’ this year, whilst others were postponed. Following an interview process, two Year 12 students were selected to represent the College: Eve Sultan (Gibbons 6) and Veronica Negro (Hayes 8).

              The girls entered this competition because they felt strongly about promoting the status of women and addressing issues associated with the advancement of women. The competition entailed answering four challenging essay questions.

              Image: Eve being presented by the Hon. Sharon Bird, MP

                During the function, contestants were required to present a short speech about their community service involvement, aspirations, the challenges facing women and possible solutions. As well as their understanding of the Zonta organisation. Both Eve and Veronica spoke convincingly and confidently.

                Eve was declared the co-winner with a student from Smith’s Hill High School. We congratulate Eve on her success and a clear demonstration of her commitment to empowering women and advancing their status in the community. Although many of our girls have entered this competition previously, it has been sometime since we have experienced this favourable outcome.

                The event was further enriched by the special guest speaker at the event, the Hon. Sharon Bird, MP who expressed similar sentiments to the girls and drew on her vast experience to illustrate situations faced by women.

                It was a proud occasion to accompany such fine representatives of the College and our community congratulates both girls.

                Mrs Liz Davis
                College Archivist

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                Cross Country/ Fun Run

                At the end of Term 3, Years 9 and 10 students participated in the Cross Country/Fun Run. The girls participated with great spirit and enjoyed lots of laughs.

                Congratulations to the following girls who gained a place in their age groups.

                Year 9

                14 Years: 1st - Helena Halios-Lewis (Hayes), 2nd - Kacey Kouzan (Sullivan)

                15 Years: 1st - Emma Otsyula (Bashir), 2nd - Charlee Corrie (Hayes)

                Year 10

                15 Years: 1st - Imogen Thompson (Bashir), 2nd - Cleo Fien (Lyons)

                16 Years: 1st - Sarah Locke (Bashir), 2nd - Paris Bamford (Bashir) and Loagan Garratt (Sullivan)

                Thank you to the girls who participated, earning House Points for their respective Houses.

                After adding the points, the winning Houses were:

                1st  Bashir

                2nd  Sullivan and Hayes

                3rd  Lyons

                Sienna Timev
                Sports Administration Assistant

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                Frisbee anyone?

                If you are looking for a new and exciting sporting activity, why not try Ultimate Frisbee on Friday afternoons at Wollongong University.

                Check out the link below for more information. Gather a group of friends to form your own team for the competition. Good luck!

                The Facebook link to the event: 

                https://m.facebook.com/events/955001834981861?acontext=%7B%22source%22%3A%223%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D&aref=3&ref=m_notif¬if_t=feedback_reaction_generic

                To register:

                https://gongultimate.org.au/e/wollongong-ultimate-youth-league?fbclid=IwAR3l6qld3r1EetEsIz-DO5WBJnLX1P-x2AXX70Oy6z_qv98ImsZHlN1sQps

                Mrs Belinda Sparks
                Sport Coordinator

                  Have you checked your Pulse?

                  As part of Mental Health Month, Term 4 has begun with the launch of two significant wellbeing initiatives for our students. The EI Pulse wellbeing checker is an app-based program for measuring the week-to-week wellbeing and engagement of our students. It tracks the wellbeing of individual students, as well as whole school sentiment across a series of domains. EI Pulse asks students to answer questions which are drawn from the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth's (ARACY) Common ApproachTM framework. Data is collected from students and organised within six areas of wellbeing: Valued and Safe, Healthy, Material Basics, Learning, Participating, and Positive Sense of Identity and Culture.

                    Last week saw the successful launch with 94% of the students participating. Students are now invited to ‘check their pulse’ on a weekly basis enabling the College to provide necessary support and allow students to monitor their own wellbeing as well. As results are gathered, I hope to regularly share these with the community and consider ways we can use the data. I encourage you to speak to your daughter about her experience with Pulse. Additionally, there are FAQ’s in the downloads.

                    Our second initiative has been the launch of the Student Wellbeing Hub. This dedicated student Google Site links students with a wide range of wellbeing and mental health resources. Like the Parent Wellbeing Hub launched last Term. The Student Hub provides an avenue for students to seek relevant and research based information about a range of topics. Areas covered include: Wellbeing, Mental Health, Relationships, Study Skills, Tackling Year 12, Gratitude, Podcasts and Socials.

                    Emma Magill
                    Assistant Principal - Dean of Pastoral Care

                    Read more

                    Hub Highlights

                    Parent Wellbeing Hub

                    The hub now features a ‘New & Recent Additions’ page highlighting just that! It aims to highlight to parents updates and new resources. This week the #youthgotthis Forum has been added. Presented by the University of Sydney’s Matilda Centre and facilitated by Jessica Rowe AM, this forum brought together young people, parents, educators, health workers and researchers to facilitate discussion around Youth Mental Health. It shares a wealth of information in a relatable presentation that is easy to listen to with plenty of easy 'takeaways' and insights. I highly recommend having a listen, I guarantee it will make folding the laundry, making dinner or going for a walk a whole lot more worthwhile. 

                      Student Wellbeing Hub

                      As a young person supporting a friend is one of your greatest gifts you give. There are many times our friends turn to a trusted person when they are going through a rough time. The hub has a series of resources to help you help your friends. These include:

                      Helping a friend through a tough time

                      When your friend is in crisis

                      My Friend Struggles with Mental Health

                      Emma Magill
                      Assistant Principal - Dean of Pastoral Care

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                      From the Principal

                      Dear Parents

                      We find ourselves in tumultuous times as the topic of leadership occupies significant space in the public discourse. There is, I think, a sadness about much of this.

                      As we approach the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, perhaps with a sense of trepidation about its outcome and the implications for the future, I am struck by the reflections of former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic Presidential nominee Hilary Clinton in her book What Happened. At one point in her reflection, in acknowledging the mistakes she has made in her political life, the things that in hindsight, she would have done differently, she says this:

                        “The truth is everyone is flawed. That’s the nature of human beings. But our mistakes alone shouldn’t define us. We should be judged by the totality of our work and life. Many problems don’t have answers and a good decision today may not look as good ten or twenty years later through the lens of new conditions. We all want a storyline which tends to cast people as saints or sinners. And there is no juicier political story than the saint who gets unmasked as a sinner. A two-dimensional cartoon is easier to digest than a fully formed person”. p.46

                        I was especially struck by the opening sentences. Increasingly in our world today, there is a disturbing zealousness to apportion blame elsewhere when things go wrong, to litigate, to deflect fault, to take the “high moral ground”. Simply, to not allow people to be human, to be imperfect, to make mistakes. Perhaps, as a society who sit in judgement of fellow humans, we are often too quick to judge, too ready to apply standards of moral and ethical behavior to others that we may be reluctant to apply to ourselves. The words in John’s Gospel resonate loudly; when the Pharisees, in an attempt to discredit Jesus, brought a woman charged with adultery before him. And Jesus response: “he that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her”. The response of the Pharisees was to turn and walk away.

                        The imagery is powerful and the message of forgiveness, of being non-judgmental, of recognising the frailty of the human condition is life giving.

                        Term 4 at the College is especially busy and with only eight weeks within which to attend to the many important things to round out 2020. Most immediately, our thoughts and prayers are with our Year 12 girls and their families as they navigate their way through the Higher School Certificate examinations. It is a demanding and draining period in the life of most families and we hope that the exam period progresses without incident and undue stress.

                        Although in many ways a wonderful time of year with warmer weather and the imminent approach of Christmas, the demands and busyness of this time of year can equally exact as a toll. As much as it is a time of reflection and giving, we should also apportion in equal measure patience and tolerance of each other. In that way, we might be better placed to enjoy the beauty of the season.

                        Best wishes

                        Mr Tony Fitzgerald
                        Principal

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                        SMC Noticeboard

                        26 October - HSC Exams continue all week

                        2 - 6 November - VET Work Placement, Business and Hospitality

                        5 November - P&F Meeting via Zoom, 7.00pm

                        12 November - Graduation Ceremony

                        13 November - Year 12 Formal


                        Downloads

                        • Uniform Shop - Online Ordering
                        • NEW Student Wellbeing Staff FAQs


                        To review and update your daughter’s details including important medical data, please click on this LINK