The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Feast Day
15 August

This significant feast day recalls the spiritual and physical departure of the mother of Jesus Christ from the earth, when both her soul and her body were taken into the presence of God.

Dear Parents, Students and Friends

Thank you to Fr Loi who celebrated Mass for the staff before school yesterday to mark the Feast of the Assumption, a Holy Day of Obligation. The feast day of this holy and momentous event stems from the middle of the 5th Century when the Commemoration of the Mother of God was celebrated each year on 15 August in a shrine located near Jerusalem. More than 100 years later, the feast also commemorated the end of Mary’s sojourn on earth and was known as the “Dormition of Our Lady.”

ST MARY OF THE CROSS MACKILLOP

Last week we remembered St Mary of the Cross MacKillop for her dedication in caring for the human and spiritual needs of children, and her care for the poor and destitute. Underpinning all of her activities was her faith in divine providence. In all the challenges she faced, and the crosses she endured, she never doubted the unceasing protection of 'our good God'. 

The college celebrated MacKillop Day during Week 1 of term, raising $1176.07 for MacKillop Family Services. Each year on 8 August we celebrate the Solemnity of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Australia's beloved first saint and patron saint of our Archdiocese. Thank you to Mr Greg McAteer, MacKillop House Captains, Ashlianne Sharp and Finn Love, and MacKillop students for their efforts in creating a memorable day for all students to enjoy. A tremendous fundraising effort!

 

Congratulations to Year 11 student, Erin Drewsen who is one of sixteen students selected for the Bell Shakespeare’s Work Experience program for 2024. This experience takes students behind-the-scenes at Bell Shakespeare HQ at Pier 2/3 Walsh Bay, from 28 October – 1 November 2024. This opportunity is only open to students in Years 10 and 11. Applications were received from students in regional and metropolitan areas across Australia. What an extraordinary opportunity that has seen Erin’s successful selection through an extremely competitive process. An actor in the making!

TELL THEM FROM ME SURVEY

The Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning survey closes on Friday 23 August. As we value the role of parents and carers within our school community, we would greatly appreciate your feedback. The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at Carroll College. 

The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. You can access the parent survey on your computer or mobile device by clicking on the link recently emailed to families.  Thank you for taking the time to provide us with constructive feedback.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP TEAM (SLT) 2025

It was my absolute pleasure to listen to Year 11 student speeches this week for those wishing to be considered for College Captain and Vice-Captain positions for 2024/25. Last week, Year 11 students nominating for these positions were interviewed by Mrs Ibbett and Ms Boller. This gave them a deeper understanding about each student’s motivation for these roles and their understanding of leadership and the essential qualities required of them should they be successful. I am very proud to say that any one of these students would be outstanding in a formal leadership role. Year 11 students and staff are now tasked with the responsibility of putting their preferences forward to determine our new student leadership team. I wish students well throughout this process.

UNPACKING THE CRISIS IN YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH
Wednesday 11 September from 7pm – 8pm

Join Dr Justin Coulson, Australia's leading parenting expert, as he unpacks the mental health crisis enveloping our kids. He'll cover:

• The root causes behind the deteriorating state of mental health, and who (or what) is responsible.
• The tools you need to reverse this trend for your children. 
• Science-backed, relationship-focused strategies to remedy school refusal. 
• Realistic approaches for managing screen time in a way that protects your child's wellbeing without completely alienating them from their peers. 
• Creating margin in your home and family life to protect and promote mental wellness.  

CLICK TO REGISTER: https://ccsp.schoolzineplus.com/form/61

This isn't just a workshop; it's a call to action. Join the conversation and be part of a dynamic, interactive experience where we collaborate to reshape the future of your children's mental health. Hear real stories, explore innovative solutions, and discover practical strategies to empower your kids.

Year 12 students have been moving through their Trial HSC exam period over the past fortnight. Exams finish next Monday. Year 12 have been very courageous during this time, facing each of their exams with determination to do well. Their preparation has been thorough, and I am confident their efforts will be reflected in their results. Well done, Year 12!

Over the past two days, the college has hosted the Southern Region Principals’ meeting. Senior Catholic Education leaders have also been involved and presented content aligning to our improvement strategy. These meetings are always beneficial as we hear from various personnel from Catholic Education on a range of topics.

Enjoy a lovely weekend ahead.

With respect and encouragement to you.

 

Mrs Jacqueline Heffernan
Principal

‘Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’              (John 8:12)

On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, along with 10 000 others, I had the privilege to attend the 2024 EduTech in Melbourne. This global two-day conference is the largest education event in the Asia-Pacific and Southern hemisphere. A wide array of speakers from around the world covered the latest trends and technologies that are shaping education. Stand out presenters were Sal Khan the CEO and Founder of Khan Academy who spoke with passion about working to provide knowledge for millions of students and inspire a love of learning. James Curran the CEO and Director of Grok Academy engaged everyone with his presentation of how this not-for-profit organisation offers classroom ready online and unplugged resources in teaching digital technologies to empower students to be the creators of tomorrow. The exhibition centre was buzzing with new technologies and ideas, from robotics, laser cutters and Virtual Reality headsets to name a few.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) was a hot topic. Whenever something new comes along there will always be a mix of anticipation, excitement, and fear of the unknown. After listening to several sessions, I have come to appreciate that AI is another resource in the education tool bag. The human dimension, the important relationship between students and teachers, will always be vital for successful learning. The close working relationship between teachers and technology experts offers an opportunity to develop AI so that it helps us to understand the process of learning, helps to make humans smarter, enhances inclusive learning and allows for a better work life balance.

My focus at the conference was to look for ways to enhance the wellbeing of our students and staff. How can we integrate the science of wellbeing and positive psychology into education to enable all learners, teachers, schools and communities to flourish? As parents and college staff we all want our young people to flourish so they take what they have learned beyond the school gate to have a positive impact on the world around them. An inspiring seminar from the Education Faculty at the University of Melbourne looked at how to intentionally map and embed wellbeing theories into the implicit and explicit teaching in our classrooms. Positive Education Schools Association (PESA) have produced some wonderful resources that will assist us in better understanding how we can enhance Academic Care at the college.

Carroll College supports Bullying No Way: National week of action  - 12 to 16 August 2024.

Bullying No Way Week is a commitment being made by thousands of schools and supporters across the country. It provides an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to bullying prevention. It gives us an opportunity to connect with students, staff and school communities to implement workable solutions to reduce and prevent bullying. Thank you to the SRC representatives, Mrs Ciuffetelli and Ms Boller organising the activities across the week.

The theme for this year's campaign is Everyone belongs. This theme highlights the importance of creating a sense of belonging and inclusion for students. We recognise bullying often thrives in environments where individuals feel marginalised or excluded, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that every student feels valued and respected. The new hero colour for the campaign is purple – symbolising peace, strength and empowerment to take a stand against bullying behaviour.

“Positive school climates that value diversity and inclusion can foster a sense of belonging and provide a protective factor against negative peer relationships and reduce bullying.” (Australian Education Research Organisation 2023).

Parents and carers play an important role in helping your child understand bullying, and know how to respond to it.

If your child tells you about things at school, or you observe something in public that involves conflict or bullying, take the opportunity to talk about what bullying is.

Questions you could ask:

• What do you think bullying is?
• Have you seen it? How did you feel?
• Have you ever felt scared at school because of bullying?
• As well as me, who are the other adults you would talk to when it comes to things like bullying?
• Have you or your friends left other kids out on purpose? Do you think that was bullying? Why or why not?
• Have you ever tried to help someone who is being bullied? What happened? What would you do if it happens again?

Remind your child that bullying is never okay and discuss how they can respond safely if they experience or witness it.

Encourage them to seek help from a trusted adult and keep seeking support if needed.

By promoting open communication, we empower children to stand up against bullying and create a safer environment where everyone can feel that they belong.

For more information, visit bullyingnoway.gov.au.

You can access the school’s bullying prevention policy to learn more about our process for preventing and responding to bullying.

Below are some other resources you may find useful.

Mrs Louise Ibbett
Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care

Dear Carroll Community,

We are pleased to announce that the NAPLAN results for students in Years 7 and 9 are now available. This week, students have received their results in a hardcopy format, allowing them to review their performance across the key areas of literacy and numeracy. I strongly encourage all students to share their results with their families, as this is an excellent opportunity to discuss their progress and set goals for future learning.

Understanding and reflecting on these results together can provide valuable insights into your child's strengths and areas for development. It’s important to remember that NAPLAN is just one measure of your child’s educational progress, and it should be considered alongside other assessments and teacher feedback.

Upcoming Focus: Understanding the 2024 NAPLAN Tests

In this fortnight's newsletter article, I will be providing an in-depth look at the features and characteristics of the 2024 NAPLAN tests. This newsletter article is designed to help parents and carers gain a better understanding of what to expect from the recent assessments. Below we will explore the changes in the test formats, key areas of focus, and how the results are used to inform teaching and learning.

 Why do students do NAPLAN?

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year. It is the only national assessment all Australian students have the opportunity to undertake. As students progress through their school years, it is important to check how well they are learning the essential skills of reading, writing and numeracy. NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through the school curriculum and allows parents/carers to see how their child is progressing against national proficiency standards. NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process. It does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance, but it can provide teachers with additional information about students’ educational progress. NAPLAN also provides schools, education authorities and governments with information about how education programs are working and whether young Australians are achieving important educational outcomes in literacy and numeracy.

Online NAPLAN tests are designed to provide precise results and are engaging for students. The tests are tailored (or adaptive) which means that each test presents questions that may be more or less difficult depending on a student’s responses. This helps students remain engaged with the assessment.

Tailored testing allows a wider range of student abilities to be assessed and measures student achievement more precisely. A student’s overall NAPLAN result is based on both the number and complexity of questions they answer correctly. Your child should not be concerned if they find questions challenging; they may be taking a more complex test pathway.

What does NAPLAN assess?

NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through their regular school curriculum. Students sit assessments in writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. The questions assess content linked to the Australian Curriculum: English and Mathematics. All government and non-government education authorities contribute to the development of NAPLAN test materials. To find out more about NAPLAN, visit nap.edu.au.

How is my child’s performance reported?

From 2023, NAPLAN results are reported against proficiency standards. There is a standard for each assessment area at each year level. Proficiency standards provide clear information on student achievement. They are set at a challenging but reasonable level expected for the child at the time of NAPLAN testing, based mainly on what has been taught in previous years of schooling. Student achievement is shown against 4 levels of proficiency: Exceeding, Strong, Developing and Needs additional support. A NAPLAN individual student report will be provided by your child’s school. If you do not receive a report, you should contact your child’s school.

How are NAPLAN results used?

• Students and parents/carers use individual results to discuss progress with teachers.
• Teachers use results to help identify students who need greater challenges or extra support.
• Schools use results to identify strengths and areas of need to improve teaching programs, and to set goals in literacy and numeracy.
• School systems use results to review the effectiveness of programs and support offered to schools.
• The community can see information about the performance of schools over time at edu.au.

If you have any further questions relating to NAPLAN, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards

Mr Andrew Kenneally
Assistant Principal – Curriculum, Learning and Innovation

Feast of the Assumption - 15 August

This week the Catholic Church celebrated the Feast of the Assumption. The Catholic Weekly explains the Feast of the Assumption as a feast that celebrates when, according to our faith, the Holy Mother, “having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory”.

Although defined as an article of faith by Pope Pius XII just over half a century ago, the Assumption of Our Lady into heaven has been accepted from back to the earliest of Christian times.

The Assumption signals the end of Mary’s earthly life and marks her return to heaven to be reunited with Jesus. While the bodies of both Jesus and Mary are now in heaven, there is a difference between the Assumption and the Resurrection and Ascension. Whereas Jesus arose from the tomb and ascended into heaven by his own power, Mary’s body was taken up to heaven by the power of her Son.

On this day we honour Mary and give thanks for her role in Jesus’ life. We honour her as Mother to us all and ask her to be part of our lives as a guide and a role model, as she was for Jesus.

As the Feast of the Assumption is a Holy Day of Obligation (meaning Catholics are required to attend Mass) Mass was offered before school by Fr Loi of St Bernard’s Parish. I thank Fr Loi for celebrating Mass for us on this special day.

Formation Day - 13 August

On Tuesday, our Year 10 students participated in a Formation Day, designed to nurture their leadership potential and encourage them to embrace new challenges. The day was centred around the theme of "launching out into the deep," a powerful metaphor for stepping beyond one's comfort zone, embracing risks, and taking the initiative to lead by example.

The day began with a series of engaging sessions and activities aimed at exploring the qualities of effective leadership. Students were encouraged to reflect on their own strengths and areas for growth, as well as to consider the importance of leading with empathy, integrity, and a sense of service to others. The Formation Day culminated in an exhilarating "Amazing Race" challenge, designed to reinforce the day's lessons through a fun and dynamic team-building experience.

By the end of the day, our Year 10 students had not only gained a deeper understanding of leadership but also had a memorable experience that will serve as a foundation for their continued growth. As we look forward to seeing these students take on more leadership roles within our school community, we are confident that the lessons learned during this Formation Day will continue to resonate with them.

ACT and Southern NSW High School 7s Finals

In Week 3 our boys and girls rugby union teams travelled to Canberra to participate in the ACT and Southern NSW High School 7s Finals. Teams qualify for the finals by participating in regional championships with first and second place from the regional rounds qualifying for the finals.

Our U14 and U16 Boys participated in the finals on Tuesday. These teams had excellent performances in the South Coast Gala day and they continued this form into the finals. They played a high standard of 7’s, particularly in attack, and thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Our U14 and U16s girls teams were promoted directly to the finals due to a lack of schools to play in the South Coast Gala Day. For many of the girls, this was their first official game of rugby 7s. Both teams had an enjoyable day, guided by the experienced players and are keen to return next year to build on their performances.

NSW Touch Football All School Finals

On Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 August our 7/8 Boys and 9/10 Boys touch football teams travelled to Penrith to participate in the NSW Touch Football All School Finals.

Teams earn the right to participate in this tournament by winning their local regional gala day. As South Coast Champions, our boys earned this right. The tournament brings together the best school teams from metropolitan and rural NSW and as such is an extremely high standard of competition.

Our teams travelled up on Monday afternoon to for an overnight stay. They enjoyed some culinary highlights on offer in Penrith, dining at the famous Panthers Leagues Club and then paying a visit to Australia's first Krispy Crème for a desert donut! On tournament day both teams played five pool games at the Penrith Junior Touch Fields in Werrington.

Our 7/8 boys started the day with a 5-1 loss against St Joseph’s Regional College and Orange High School. As the day went on they became more competitive and got their first win in their third game against Armidale 3-1. In their fourth game, the boys played All Saints Maitland and had a narrow loss going down 5-3. In the final game of the day, the boys had a 2-2 draw with Mater Maria Catholic College. For some of the boys this was their first time at Penrith playing in this competition whilst some were returning for their second time. The boys displayed great teamwork and proved they can match it with some of the best teams in the state. 

Our 9/10 Boys started their day with a narrow 2-3 loss to Inverell High School. For many of the boys, this was their second year at the tournament and the improvement in their touch football skills and knowledge was obvious. They played with clear structure and determined defence. Some late withdrawals due to injury/illness meant the team only travelled with three subs. As the day progressed, their fatigue was evident, however, this did not diminish their effort or enthusiasm. Each game saw an improvement in aspects of the game with the undoubted highlight, a blitzing try coming from the newly enacted “apples” move. Definitely one for the highlights reel! In the next four games they played touch football powerhouses Mater Maria, Hunter Sports High, St John’s Dubbo and Tweed River High. Whilst the boys did not record a win, they were competitive in every game and demonstrated that they were clearly up to state standard. Well done to all players for a great day of touch football.

All of our students are commended for their excellent behaviour and conduct throughout the trip.