Dear Parents, Students and Friends 

As we move towards the third Sunday of Lent this weekend, let us be reminded of the importance of being more for others. When we enter the season of Lent and prepare for Easter, Hope is essentially the gift afforded to us as Christians. We reflect on what it really means to be human, how this awareness transfers to our day-to-day lives, and the positive impact it can have on our relationships with others.   

COLLEGE WEBSITE

Recently, we engaged professional photographer and former Carroll College student, Josh Burkinshaw to capture various aspects of college life. Since then, an upgrade of our college website has been underway. It is not quite complete but getting close! We now have many stunning photos to use to celebrate our beautiful school. Thank you, Josh!

THE HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE  

I have the opportunity this year to participate in the Holy Land Pilgrimage organised through Catholic Education. Thirty-five senior Principals and Catholic Education leaders will be travelling to the Holy Land this April for a once in a lifetime experience. Fr Richard Thompson will be our spiritual leader. Fr Richard is well known in our Archdiocese and is one of the four priests that lead Siloam each term with Principals. Siloam is the name of the ‘mini’ retreat offered to Principals each term. Principals travel to Galong for one night in Terms 2, 3 & 4 and the meeting involves spiritual input, prayer, and professional learning. It is through Siloam that this pilgrimage was first discussed with colleagues. Fr Richard has been to the Holy Land on numerous occasions to lead pilgrimages so I know we will be in safe hands. 

I will email through my full itinerary for your information. I will be departing during the first week of the Easter school holidays and returning on Monday 1 May. This will mean that I will be away from the college for the first two weeks of Term 2. I will return to work on Monday 8 May. Mrs Louise Ibbett will be Acting Principal during my absence.

PARENT / TEACHER INTERVIEWS

I strongly encourage all families to secure an appointment time with their child’s teacher through the Sentral Parent Portal for Week 7 or Week 8. You have the option of a Teams online meeting which is a very time efficient way to connect with teachers. If you prefer meeting face-to-face, then Week 8 is the ideal time to make your appointment. We pride ourselves on the relationships we have with our students and their families. This connection is nurtured through ongoing communication and providing opportunities for rich discussions about learning habits and progress.

MEET OUR PASTORAL LEADERS

YEAR 10 Parents please remember the ‘Urban Challenge’ Parent Information session on Monday evening at 5.30 – 6.30pm in the Hub. This is an outstanding new opportunity for all Year 10 students. We are excited to be offering this new program!

Thank you and farewell to Mr Todd Dubois. Mr Dubois is heading off overseas indefinitely. A dream of his to travel for a couple of years! Mr Dubois has been one of our permanent Science teachers and after finishing at the end of last year, agreed to come back for the first half of Term 1. I extend our best wishes to him on behalf of our community. It is sad to see him go but I’m sure his experiences will be life changing. Best wishes, Mr Dubois!

More about the Principals’ Retreat that I’ve attended this week, next newsletter!

Yours sincerely

Jacqueline Heffernan
Principal

“The fruit of love is service, which is compassion in action.” 

St Mother Teresa

We are soon to finish the second week of Lent, a time of great reflection and joy in our knowledge of the impending resurrection of Christ. Every year at Carroll College we support Project Compassion through donations that go to support a range of impressive projects throughout Australia and the world. Each week of Lent focuses on a different project.

Week One

Laxmi in Nepal 

After losing her father at a young age, Laxmi was at risk of falling further into extreme poverty. But with the support of our partner Caritas Nepal, Laxmi joined a child's club, became a leader in her school and is now a mentor to other girls in her village. 

Laxmi is now excelling in her studies and working towards her dream of becoming a civil engineer. She continues to be involved in the child's club, serving as an advisor and mentoring the next generation of young leaders at her old school.  

Since 2018, Caritas Nepal has supported more than 5,000 children through the child's clubs.

Week Two

Tereesa's story in Australia

“I was homeless. I didn’t have a place to call home…my kids never had a connection to the community,” Tereesa said.

Supported by Caritas Australia, Baabayn helped Tereesa access housing for her family and psychological support. Through Baabayn, Tereesa was also able to hear stories from Indigenous Elders and reconnect with her culture.  Already an aspiring artist, Tereesa was able to flourish at Baabayn as she learnt Indigenous artwork and symbols.

With the support of Baabayn, Tereesa’s art was displayed and sold at local markets and she is now working to start her own art business. Tereesa’s artwork was recognised at the 2022 Vivid Festival in Sydney, with four of her artworks – Crow Totem, Connections of Both Land & Water Tribes, Yinaar Miyaay (Womens Business) and Goanna Totem – projected onto the Wulugul Walk outside Crown Sydney.

Project Compassion certainly hopes that schools will be generous in their efforts to donate to these projects, but their other goal is to educate the community about its work and about the need to look upon the world with compassion. We know that by introducing these people and projects to our students that they are learning more about the world around them and that they are ideally growing in compassion for people in need. This desire is reflected in our College theme of “The fruit of love is service, which is compassion in action.” St Mother Teresa.

I ask you please to support the work of Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion either through donations in Homeroom or electronically via Qkr!.

Erica Drewsen

RE Coordinator

Please keep the following family in your prayers, Jasmine Casagrande (Year 7) on the passing of her Great Grandmother. 

Term 1 is certainly racing by. Our students are very busy with assessment tasks and a range of sporting and community activities. In our Academic Care lessons this week the focus has been on organisation, in particular assessment task mapping so students plan ahead, manage their time and do their best to  keep their lives in balance so stress levels are kept low.

To assist our parents and carers with feeling confident to support their child our College Counsellor has shared the following information which we hope is useful.

Parent Line NSW is a free counselling service for parents and carers of children aged between 0-18 years. Parent Line provides confidential and non-judgemental advice and support for parents and carers seven days a week. The service can be useful if you are needing support, or if you just want to talk through a parenting issue.

Year 10 Urban Challenge meeting

We would like to offer our Year 10 students an opportunity to challenge themselves in a safe team environment. On Monday 13 March at 5.30pm in the HUB a guest speaker will be explaining what the Urban Challenge experience is all about. Year 10 students and their families are invited to attend. In the lead-up to this meeting if you would like to find out more please go to The Urban Challenge School Camp and look at Destination Sydney!

Year 7 and Year 11 Peer Support Camp

After many weeks of planning and preparation the Year 7 and Year 11 campers and staff headed off last Wednesday. The camp in 2023 was a little different to previous years and despite the environmental challenges experienced, our students and staff were amazing. Thank you to Ms Boller for her organisation and leadership. Thank you to our generous staff, Year 11 student leaders and Year 7 for their teamwork.

Contacting the College

Whilst at school we encourage the students to be focused on their learning and developing their skills of independence and resilience. With the convenience of mobile phones, it is tempting for families to contact their child directly. Parents and Carers are reminded of our request that if you need to get an important message to your child during the day, please ring the Front Office (ph  44715600) and it will be passed on. If the message can wait, then please do so. If you receive a message from your child, can you please ring the College. Our support structures are always available to assist each student and contact with you will be made if your assistance is required.

Batemans Bay Rotary Youth Program evening

Last night our College Captain Tanesha Dennis and MacKillop House Captain Aimee Walsh attended the Batemans Bay Rotary Youth Program meeting and dinner. It was enlightening to hear about the various opportunities that the club support for our local youth. We were also able to listen to the presentation given by our Vice Captain Zac Holmes, who participated in the National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) at ANU in January. Rotary sponsored Zac, and his speech reflected on the wonderful opportunity that links so well with his aspirations post-school.

Last night at the ceremony the college was presented with a Camellia tree and the invitation to join the Rotary Tree Campaign. Im sure our Rosella group will be keen to participate in this. We plan to plant this tree in the garden outside the Pastoral Care Centre.

Eurobodalla Council Youth Committee

Our representatives on the Youth Council, Raphaella Herford, Chloe Tyrrell and Ruby Hodgetts are hard at work supporting the events planned for the youth of the region.  In partnership with Eurobodalla Domestic Violence Committee and students from participating schools in the region, they are organising a Colour Run event for Youth against domestic violence. The date and entry details are on the flyer below.

Parent Teacher Evenings

Our Parent-Teacher evenings will be held on Wednesday 15 March, 3.30pm – 7.00pm via MS Teams, and Tuesday 21 March, 3.30pm – 7.00pm at the College.

To make a booking for your child(ren), parents will need to log in to the Sentral Parent Portal. Parents can book interviews on either or both evenings. We encourage students to attend the interview so that we can work in partnership to achieve the best outcomes for your child.

Years 7 and 9 NAPLAN tests

The NAPLAN tests will be held in weeks 7 and 8. Below is a copy of the test timetable.

Important NAPLAN Information

• All students will complete the tests on their own devices in the Hall. Please move to the Hall at the start of the scheduled test period.
• All students are required to bring their own plug-in headphones.
• Students will need a pen during the numeracy test. We will supply working out paper.
• Students with Chromebooks will complete the test in C3 on a school desktop.
• Students will need to be prepared for a lesson in periods 2 and 4, which will start at the conclusion of the test in their normal classroom.

Next week’s reminders …

• On Monday 13 February - College assembly.
• We will hold the Year 10 Urban Challenge Parent and Student Information Session in the Hub from 5.30pm – 6.30pm.
• Parent Teacher evening with Mr Hamer, Mrs Lomax and Mrs Smart will take place on Tuesday 14 March via Teams.
• Wednesday 15 March – NAPLAN tests begin.
• Session 1: Parent Teacher Evening - Wednesday 15 March, 3.30-7.00pm via Teams.
• Thursday 16 March to Friday 17 March – Senior Art Excursion in Sydney.
• Session 2: Parent Teacher Evening – Tuesday 21 March, 3.30-7.00pm held at the College.
• Week 8: Year 11 VET Work Placement.
• Wednesday 22 March to Friday 24 March – Year 11 PDHPE excursion.

Sandra Harris

Administration Coordinator

Year 7 and 11 students had a memorable time at the Year 7/11 Peer Support camp during Week 5 at Holiday Haven in Bendalong. Whilst the 2023 camp presented some unusual challenges, the contribution of our incredible students and staff made it very meaningful. All the activities provided had a variety of purposes – ranging from a team trivia challenge to the Battle for Bendalong. Students woke on the first morning to a rotation of five activities. During Day 2, each activity was unique and focused on team building. Challenges such as who could build the strongest structure out of paddle pop sticks to learning board rescues at the Bondi Rescue station. A special thank you to our Year 11 leaders, who showed maturity and wonderful leadership skills throughout the camp. Each group of the Year 7 students were led by two Year 11 leaders who motivated and encouraged them whilst also developing strong peer support relationships.

Mrs Amy Dalgleish – our chef. The most amazing chef that any camp group could have. THANK YOU. She provided a menu to suit our program and our students' needs. The students thoroughly enjoyed everything that was on offer. We look forward to more opportunities to engage in the peer support program as the year goes on. 

Elle Boller

Wellbeing Pastoral Coordinator

Carroll College has been working closely with the CE Inclusive Practices team over the past two weeks. We are grateful for their support.

A meeting was held to discuss student learning needs and staff professional learning. Lena Hoffman-Raap (NCCD Officer), Donna Trucillo (Inclusion Officer), Callie Balitho (Inclusion Officer - Complex Cases) and Beatrice Hannah (Occupational Therapist) came to the college from Canberra and joined our Pastoral team meeting on Thursday and worked directly with the Inclusive Learning team on Friday.

On Friday 3 March, Year 8 headed to the Mogo Zoo for the annual Maths Day. Students spent the day, answering lots of questions involving math’s calculations.

Students were asked to reflect on the Maths that they learnt on the day. There responses included percentages, decimals, algebra, problem solving, area, remembering how to convert between different units, breaking down worded problems, more about ratios, how to work out how many cents per mL, how to use different techniques to find the answer and graphing.

Students also reflected on what made the Mogo Zoo day a fun day for them.

I got to experience feeding a giraffe and I got to spend time with friends –Zoe

The tickets, the draw and walking around the zoo with my friends - Armani

Hanging with friends who aren't in my math class and seeing the animals – Bridie

Everything it was an experience I won’t forget – Rubi

It was pretty good – Lucas

Just being at the zoo and seeing the animals and being able to hang out with friends -Lara

Helping friends and just walking around the zoo – Indi

Meerkat experience – Storm and Maya

The Mogo Zoo day was super fun as I got to run around with my friends as well as be in a competition with the year – Ellen

Getting to choose our groups and having a chance at a meerkat experience – James

Looking at all the animals, feeding the animals, and walking around solving problems -Maxwell

Being able to do things with friends and having a challenge -Sahara

On Thursday 2 March an enthusiastic group of Year 11 students were involved in a Clean Up Australia Day activity collecting litter around South Broulee. Students focused on the area from the surf club, north around the rock platform including the dunes on the north side of Broulee headland and along the tombolo to Broulee Island. All students took on the task with gusto collecting four large bags of litter. Special mention to Emily H, Leah A and Emily H who worked hard and collected a full bag of rubbish from the dunes on the north side of the headland. The litter collected will be sorted into categories for data entry into the Australian Marine Waste Database. This data is used to identify problem waste including microplastics that enter marine ecosystems. 

Kerryn Nicholson

The University of Wollongong Year 12 Future Me Program - Applications close 12 March

The UOW Year 12 Future Me program involves Year 12 students participating in 12 weekly sessions (either online or at the UOW Batemans Bay campus) across Terms 2 and 3. The sessions are designed to improve your HSC study skills and help you explore post-school options. 

The program is open to ATAR and non-ATAR pathway students. Students who successfully complete the program receive an early admission offer to study at UOW in 2024. 

To find out more about this program and the application process, see the link below:

https://www.uow.edu.au/engage/outreach-pathways/year-12/year-12-upp/                   

ANU Open Day - Saturday 18 March 2023

If you're considering studying at ANU in 2024 or beyond,  ANU Open Day is your chance to tour the campus and accommodation, learn about academic colleges, degree programs and support services, and chat to current students about campus life and their ANU experiences. 

See the link below for more information and the registration process:

https://www.anu.edu.au/study/events/anu-open-day-2023

ANU Direct Applications open until 15 May

Direct applications for Year 12 students interested in studying at ANU in 2024 will open on 1 March 1 and close 15 May 2023. See the link below for more information. 

Unlike most other universities who require prospective domestic students to submit applications via the University Admissions Centre (UAC) in Term 3, students planning to study at ANU need to apply directly to ANU.

See the link below for more information:

https://www.anu.edu.au/study/apply/domestic-applications-anu-undergraduate

Charles Sturt University - Early Entry Applications open until 7 April

Applications for Year 12 students to apply for early entry to CSU are open now until 7 April. The simple application process involves providing your Year 11 results and answering 3 questions regarding your soft skills attributes.

See the link below for more information:

https://study.csu.edu.au/study-options/pathways/charles-sturt-advantage?cid=eDM_CRM|bnd|na|na|pros|M2006_CSA-2023_EM01-R1|Apply-1.1-CA&_cldee=9jXy4FTqpC2cHCSLq0d1BHbdcUGEUONYQ2Kf-ocFSq29eSWYFwbAOkjXYocqQLaU3qkqbYyKs1s3swX_Pfkxzg&recipientid=contact-3123c20850f6eb1194ee000d3acbb098-a5b869c8edc34ef7863d1934b5050699&utm_source=ClickDimensions&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MKT_Admissions_2023_M2006-CSA-Apps-Open&esid=ff8e6d31-e59d-ed11-aad1-000d3a6ad6e6

AFP Forensics Work Experience Program - Open to students in Years 10 -12

The AFP Forensics Work Experience Program provides high school students in years 10-12 with a greater understanding of a career in forensic science by learning from AFP Forensics specialists. The one week program is run twice a year at the AFP Forensics facility in Majura, Canberra for a small number of students. 

The AFP Forensics Work Experience Program typically includes:

• learning about the roles and personal experiences of forensic science specialists, including Biology, Chemical Criminalistics, Document Sciences, Crime Scene Investigation, Fingerprints, Firearms Identification and Armoury, Digital Forensics and Facial Identification
• practical scenarios simulating scene and lab-based forensic examinations
• a simulated courtroom trial, where you get to experience giving testimony as an expert witness.

If your application is successful and you gain placement in the program, you will be required to fund your own travel to Canberra and all related costs, including accommodation and travel to and from the program.

For more information, see the link below or call into the Careers office.

https://jobs.afp.gov.au/work-with-us/afp-forensics-work-experience

For more information about the opportunities listed above or for assistance completing applications etc, please pop into the Careers office at school, check the Year 12 Academic Care Google Classroom or contact Ms Nicholson kerryn.hopkins@cg.catholic.edu.au or Mrs Dalgleish amy.dalgleish@cg.catholic.edu.au

Coerver

On Tuesday 28 February the college was lucky enough to have Ben from Coerver Coaching ACT join 40 of our students from Years 7 to 11 to run a half-day coaching clinic at Captain Oldrey Park. Students were put through numerous drills and small team games. This is the second year the College has been able to offer this clinic and we look forward to continuing this partnership with Coerver Coaching ACT for future sessions. Thank you to Mr Kenneally and Mrs Rudol who accompanied the students and undertook some coaching PL as well. 

Congratulations James Collins and Indi Follett

James and Indi, trialled for the Southern Country U15’s boys AFL and were successful in their bid for selection and will now represent Southern Country at the NSWCCC Trials on the 1st & 2nd of May in Wagga Wagga.

Carroll College Tennis Championships

The CC Tennis Championships were held on Tuesday 28^th Feb at Batemans Bay. It was great to see students from Year 7 to Year 12 competing. Our Boy's Champion was Max Colbourne who defeated Joshua Nguyen in the final and our Girl's Champion was Pypar McCarthy who defeated Georgia Lovegrove in a tight 6-4 match.

2023 Archdiocesan Tennis Championships

On a windy, but sunny day in Goulburn, Carroll College competed against Trinity Catholic College, Goulburn and Hennessy Catholic College, Young to see who would be the Archdiocesan Champions for 2023.

Our boy's team made up of : 1. Max Colbourne (Captain) 2. Joshua Nguyen 3. Oscar Woolridge 4. Henry Allen, made light work of their matches. Carroll College defeated Trinity 5 sets to 1 and also defeated Hennessy 4 sets to 2, to claim the title of Archdiocesan Boys Champions. A great team effort and the boys now move on to CCC Tennis Championships to be held in Bathurst. Well done boys!

Our girls team made up of : 1. Pypar McCarthy (Captain) 2. Georgia Lovegrove 3. Paige Leplaw 4. Erin Rayment, had a tighter contest on the day. Carroll College defeated Trinity 5 sets to 1 and had a sudden death seventh set to claim victory over Hennessy 4 sets to 3. Pypar and Georgia claimed victory in the doubles match 6-3, to take out the Archdiocesan Girls Championship title. An excellent result and they too will join the boys at the CCC Tennis Championships in Bathurst. All on International Women's Day! Go, girls.

Paul Graziani

Classroom Teacher

Term Fees

A reminder Term 1 2023 fee statements are due 27 March 2023.

Thank you to families who have already made payments. 

Payments can be made through Direct debit, BPay, Qkr!, EFTPOS or Cash. 

Should you have any queries or are experiencing any financial difficulties please contact our Business Manager Dalys Whipp at finance.ccb@cg.catholic.edu.au or 44715600.

Dalys Whipp

Business Manager