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Christ of Light,
Shine in our lives with hope and promise.
Give us right vision so we remain attentive to this holy season.
Remind us to look for you in small acts of kindness and love.
We await your coming with wonder.
Dear Parents, Students and Friends
As I write our final newsletter for the 2019 school year, I am filled with gratitude for the experience of supporting you on the journey of parenting and educating your children this year. I feel blessed to be Principal of the College and find great joy in the work the team and I undertake each day. We are very proud of what has been achieved this year, through the collaborative effort and uncompromising commitment to academic excellence, faith formation and improved school culture.
We pray for the safety of our community as fires continue to burn across large parts of the local area. Our hope is that these extreme fire conditions ease for fire fighters and that rain is on its way shortly.
National Drought Prayer Campaign
Eternal God,
In wisdom and love you created our earth
to sustain us and give us life.
We turn to you now in faith, hope and love,
asking you to look with favour
on our drought-stricken land,
on our starving animals,
on our failing crops.
Strengthen, sustain and give new heart to our farmers
and to all who are affected by drought;
be with those who support them.
In your loving providence, send abundant rain
and restore our parched earth.
Father of all compassion, hear our prayer
through Jesus Christ Your Son,
in whom the promise of new life has dawned, and
through the power of the Holy Spirit,
the Lord the giver of life:
Renew your faithful people:
Renew the face of the earth.
Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Mary, Help of Christians -
Pray for us.
St Mary of the Cross Mackillop -
Pray for us.
Hospitality Immersion Program
This week, Ms Jane Garland, VET Hospitality Teacher at the College is participating in the Department of Education Industry Immersion week, partnering with William Angliss Institute and selected industry partners. Jane was successful in gaining a place in the Hospitality Food & Beverage Immersion Program ‘Excellence in Hospitality’. Jane is enjoying a fabulous week, learning new skills and techniques. The photo below gives you an idea of the level of training on offer. Master Chef, here we come!
Dr Nicola Fraser has been successful in gaining a temporary part-time teaching position at the College for 2020 in the area of Drama/English. Dr Fraser comes to us with extensive qualifications. She has a PhD in Communication and Creative Art, Master of Arts in Communication, Graduate Certificate in Marketing Communication, Graduate Diploma in Education (English and Drama), and Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Public Relations). Dr Fraser is very excited about her role next year. A warm welcome to the College Nicola!
Mrs Laura Wales will replace Mrs Belle Barling in Term 1 next year after successfully gaining the teaching position in HSIE, Humanities and Religious Education. Congratulations Laura!
Mrs Rita Cremerius will be continuing in the role of Classroom Support Assistant in 2020 (Monday – Friday). Mrs Deanne Armaya will continue as our Science Assistant. This is great news for both Mrs Cremerius and Mrs Armaya as they are working in their area of interest. Congratulations to them both.
College Upgrades
Plans are underway for the next stage of College upgrades. Last week, I met with Mr Geoff Whitnall, Senior Officer Planning and Facilities from Catholic Education. He undertook a site visit of the College and has engaged an architect to work with us to develop a Master Plan to establish the next stage of development and make application for our next grant (due April 2020). A preliminary briefing meeting is planned for Thursday 12 December at the College. Areas of priority include the Science block, TAS classrooms, student toilets, Maths classrooms, carpark and Hall acoustics. We look forward to planning for these College improvements.
International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD)
On Tuesday we recognised International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) through prayer. This is a United Nations sanctioned day that promotes inclusivity and celebrates the achievements and contributions of people with disability. The College is committed to supporting inclusive practices to meet the needs of all who are part of our learning community.
Start Dates – 2020 School Year
As we look to the new year, I draw your attention to our College start dates for Years 7-12.
Pupil Free Days
Tuesday 28 January 2020 Berry Street Education Model Training
Wednesday 29 January 2020 Berry Street Education Model Training
Thursday 30 January 2020 Staff Planning Day
Friday 31 January 2020 Years 7, 11 & 12 Students commence
Monday 3 February 2020 Years 8 - 10 Students return
Lollapalooza
What a fantastic event! Thank you for supporting Lollapalooza! The College was proud to host such a successful event that brought our local community together. We thank stallholders, hobbyists, dancers, musicians, foodies, scientists, environmentalists, students, parents, friends and staff. All great events are backed by a superb group of people. A group with a vision that delivers! Thank you to our dedicated parents and staff for their unwavering support. I especially thank parents, Brigid McNeill and Karen Motyka who initiated this grand event with their vision and creativity! Well done to all.
We have a survey coming out to families next week to gather feedback on this event.
Thank you
As our academic year draws to a close, I acknowledge the work of the entire staff and thank them sincerely for what they bring to their roles each day. Our many successes this year are the result of the strong and cohesive team approach that underpins all that we do.
Thank you to Mr Paul Penberthy, Chair of our College Community Council, and to Council members for their vision and support.
May the blessings of Christmas fill your homes and hearts. On behalf of the entire team at Carroll College, I thank you for your support, trust and commitment in creating a wonderful learning environment. It is our pleasure to work with you each day in support of your children.
Merry Christmas!
Jacqueline Heffernan
Principal
Assistant Principal Pastoral Care report
Welcome to the end of 2019.
Leadership Camp
This week I had the great pleasure of accompanying our Year 11 and Year 10 leaders on our annual Young Leaders Development Camp. The 2019 camp was held at the Big 4 Narooma with Mr Hodges, Mrs Price and myself in attendance. It filled me with great confidence to see the Student Leadership Team establish their goals and objectives for the next twelve months and bond together as a team.
The group spend a good balance of time planning, socialising and enjoying meals together to strengthen their connections as a group who lead our student community. I have great confidence that they will lead students with strategy and skill as they put in place their plans over the next 12 months.
Activities over the school holidays
Over the holidays there is a huge amount of activities that are taking place in the Eurobodalla. I have included in this newsletter the Eurobodalla Shire Council ‘What’s Buzz’n’ for information. Positive engagement with activities is great for mental health and engagement of young people.
Girl Campaign and Rock and Water Program
Last week, students in Years 8 and 9 participated in the Girl Campaign and Rock and Water program at the College. These programs targeted at boys and girls explore areas around relationships, resilience, appropriate behaviour, self-care, self-esteem and friendships. Students participated positively and found that each had a lot to take away to reflect upon. Thank you to Kimberli Eke, Mel Price, Veronica Harrold-Carter and Greg McAteer for running these valuable sessions for students.
Year 10
Year 10 this week are participating in resilience and friendship programs as part of their Pastoral Day which builds upon the Love Bites program run earlier in the year. Part of this day also encompasses a road safety program run by the NSW Highway Patrol and a Cybersafety and Keep Safe Program run by Senior Constable Donna Clarke. I am confident students will get a lot from this day.
Enjoy the summer and Christmas break period and keep safe. This time of the year can be particularly stressful for families, students and parents. Remember there are a number of services out there to support young people and their families including:
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800
Lifeline 131114
Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
Nathan Mansfield
Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care
As the year draws to a close, it is timely to provide a summary of the year that was. In 2019, Carroll College continued its pursuit for academic excellence. In addition to our focus on providing exciting lessons each day, we introduced a school-wide program to improve our students writing skills, continued with our focus on Literacy and Numeracy activities and introduced Progressive Assessment Testing in reading and maths in Years 7 to 10.
These programs provide teachers with a wealth of information about their students learning and progress and allow the teacher to target specific areas to focus on to improve their students’ learning.
We also implemented the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) mandated Minimum Standards Testing in Literacy, Numeracy and Writing across Year 10. These tests, administered and marked by NESA, test our students against national standards. For a student to be eligible for the HSC in Year 12, they must pass these three tests. It is pleasing to be able to say that 98% of our Year 10 students have already passed these benchmarks. We will work with the remaining students next year to assist them to achieve these milestones.
Our students NAPLAN results showed considerable growth from when the students arrived in Year 7 to when they completed the Year 9 tests. Numeracy growth, one of our target areas over the past few years, showed considerable improvement. We still have work to do, especially in the area of Spelling, so we will continue with our improvement strategies.
Our HSC students are now eagerly awaiting their HSC results. We had 70 students finish Year 12. Many have elected to continue their education by attending TAFE or University. The vast majority of our students who undertook the University Preparation Program were successful in gaining an Early Entry offer to UOW. These offers alleviate the stress on students to achieve a particular ATAR. Others have already joined the workforce, or are planning their gap year. We wish them all well in whatever endeavours they pursue in the future.
I take this opportunity to thank our parents for their continued support of our College. When both parents and school are on the same page, student outcomes are significantly improved. I also take this opportunity to thank all our students who actively participate in their own learning. When students own their educational journey they can easily attain their goals. Finally, I would like to thank all our dedicated teachers and support staff who work tirelessly in their efforts to provide engaging lessons for their students.
John O’Neill
Assistant Principal
Curriculum and Achievement
TERM DATES FOR 2020
Term 1
Tuesday 28 January – Student Pupil Free Day
Wednesday 29 January - Student Pupil Free Day
Thursday 30 January - Student Pupil Free Day
Friday 31 January - First Day of Term 1 for Years 7, 11, 12 students
Monday 3 February - First Day of Term 1 for Years 8, 9, 10 students
Thursday 9 April – Final Day of Term 1
Term 2
Monday 27 April – student pupil free day
Tuesday 28 April – First Day for all students
Friday 3 July – Final Day of Term 2
Term 3
Monday 20 July – student pupil free day
Tuesday 21 July – First Day for all students
Friday 25 September – Final Day of Term 3
Term 4
Monday 12 October – student pupil free day
Tuesday 13 October – First Day for all students
Wednesday 16 December – Final Day of Term 4
IMPORTANT DATES FOR TERM 1
Friday 31 January - First day for Years 7, 11, 12 students
Monday 3 February - First day for Years 8, 9, 10 students
Wednesday 5 February – Year 12 UOW Discovery Day
Thursday 6 February – Ekipa Tasi Mos Information Evening
Tuesday 11 February – College Photo Day
Friday 14 February – College Swimming Carnival
Friday 21 February – Combined Schools Mass
Monday 24 February – Year 7 Welcome evening
Monday 24 February – Year 11 Information Evening
Tuesday 25 February – Archdiocesan Swimming Carnival
Wednesday 26 February – Ash Wednesday
Wednesday 4 to Friday 6 March – Year 7 and 11 Peer Support Camp
Friday 6 March – Activities Day
Thursday 12 March – Parent Teacher Interviews
Tuesday 17 March – Parent Teacher Interviews
Thursday 19 March – Year 7 Immunisations
Tuesday 24 March to Friday 26 March – NAPLAN Readiness Tests
Saturday 4 April – Carroll College 25th Anniversary Celebration
Thursday 9 April – Easter Service
Thursday 9 April – Term 1 ends
For more information on College events and other calendar dates please visit Sentral.
St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal
Donations for the Saint Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal will conclude at the end of the week. So far we have a wealth of gifts to pass on to the local Conferences but there is always room for more and last minute donations are most welcome.
Thank you to those families who have contributed to the Appeal whether it be with a gift, food or even prayers. Your actions will mean that people in our local community will feel valued and recognised at this special time of year.
“This Christmas, let’s think of those people without the money to afford a home; or those pushed to the edge by the daily cost of living, let alone the price of gifts under the tree. Let’s not leave them without a new year to look forward to.”
Vinnies NSW CEO Jack de Groot
The Carroll College donations will be presented to representatives of Saint Vincent de Paul’s Batemans Bay and Moruya Conferences at our Giving Mass on Thursday 12 December. Parents and community members are most welcome to join us in celebrating our final Mass for the 2019 school year.
On a personal note, it is my great privilege to be the Religious Education Coordinator at Carroll College. I have held this position, or similar, in a number of schools in the Canberra Goulburn Archdiocese over the past 15 years. With a very busy work and home-life, I have decided to take leave of the REC position for one year. I will remain at the College in a part-time teaching capacity. I wish Mrs Charlotte Nicoletti well as she takes on the REC role for 2020, as well as the Faith Formation Coordinator for Term One. I look forward to returning to my position in 2021.
I wish all our students, parents and staff a safe, happy and holy Christmas season.
Erica Drewsen
Religious Education Coordinator
Faith Formation
Sunday 1 December welcomed the start of the Advent Season. For the Church it is a new season, a New Year (Year A), a new beginning.
Advent encompasses the four Sundays and weekdays leading up to the celebration of Christmas. Advent is a season observed in many Christian churches as a time of expectation, waiting and preparation for the nativity of Jesus at Christmas.
The Advent season is a time of preparation for our hearts and minds for the anniversary of the Lord’s birth on Christmas. Christ is the reason for the season!
At Christmas, we celebrate not only the anniversary of the birth of Jesus, but we also anticipate his second coming, so we wait in hope. As a season of preparation and waiting, a longstanding Catholic tradition is the use of the wreath and candles during advent as part of our spiritual preparation for Christmas.
The wreath and candles are full of symbolism. The wreath, which is made of various evergreens, signifies continuous life. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, symbolises the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the everlasting life we find in Christ.
The wreath reminds us of both the immortality of our souls and God’s promise of everlasting life to us through Christ.
The candles also have their own significance. The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent, and one candle is lit each Sunday. Three of the candles are purple because the colour violet is a liturgical colour, which signifies a time of prayer, penance, and sacrifice.
The first candle, which is purple, symbolises hope. It is sometimes called the “Prophecy Candle” in remembrance of the prophets, especially Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ. It represents the expectation felt in anticipation of the coming Messiah. The second candle, also purple, represents faith. It is called the “Bethlehem Candle” as a reminder of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.
The third candle is pink and symbolises joy. It is called the “Shepard’s Candle,” and is pink because rose is a liturgical colour for joy. The third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday and reminds us of the joy the world experienced at the birth of Jesus, as well as the joy that the faithful have reached the midpoint of Advent.
On the fourth week of Advent, we light the final purple candle to mark the final week of prayer and penance as we wait for the birth of our Saviour. This final candle, the “Angel’s Candle,” symbolises peace. It reminds us of the message of the angels: “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men".
This week, Week 8, also sees the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Hamper Appeal draw to an end on Friday 6 December. Thank you for your generosity and contributions to this worthy cause. The Hampers will be presented to Batemans Bay and Moruya SVdP Conference during our College Giving Mass on 12 December. All are welcome to join us in the Hall for our final celebration of the Eucharist as a school community.
We also welcome Seminarian Eden to St Bernard’s Parish, Batehaven. He has completed 4 years at the Seminary and will be in the Bay for the next six months. Eden will join us for the Giving Mass and I know you will join me in welcoming him to our community.
Finally, in our previous newsletter, I wrote an article titled Living Laudato Si’ at Christmas. I encourage each of us to read the article if you have not already done so and consider some of the simple ways we can change our ‘throw away culture’ at Christmas and care for the environment, our common home.
Fr Francis Carroll … Pray for Us
Live Jesus in our Hearts … Forever
Mrs Charlotte Nicoletti
Faith Formation Coordinator
The teenage years: Helping parents manage anxiety over Christmas
Christmas can be a taxing time on the emotions. I speak of those students from blended families and those students with regular or irregular access to the non-custodial parent. Be mindful that the festive nature of the season can at times overwhelm us. Time with family is important, as is the reflection upon those who do not have the bedrock of family. There will be parties and all kinds of activities where teenagers wish to flex their independence. As they move from childhood to adulthood, here are a few ideas to explore as a family:
- Help your child learn to assess risk. You can talk about other people’s behaviour and its consequences (for instance, in movies or on the news). For example, ‘If he hadn’t been speeding, he wouldn’t have lost his licence. Now he’s going to lose his job as well’. Adolescents do not see cause and effect, rights and responsibilities in such a clear light.
- Work out some agreed boundaries with your child. Explain to her that your role is to keep her safe, whereas her idea is to be independent, so… you need to find a compromise between the two. Decide together on what the consequences should be if the rules are broken. You’ll need to be flexible and adapt the ground rules as your child grows and shows she is ready for more responsibility.
- Talk about values – the earlier the better. Knowing what is important to your family will help your child develop a sense of responsibility and personal values.
- Keep the lines of communication open. Try to stay connected to your child. Strong connections with parents reduce the chance of risky teenage behaviour.
- Be a good role model. Teenagers are guided by how their parents behave. If your child sees you applying double standards – from speeding to excessive drinking or aggressive behaviour – she might not respect your rules.
- Encourage a wide social network in the real sense. You probably can’t stop your child from being friends with a particular person or group but you can give him/her the chance to make other friends through sport, church, social or family activities. Make your child’s friends welcome in your home – you will know where he is at least some of the time.
- Give teenagers a way out. If your child feels pressured to take risks to fit in, you could help her think of ways to opt out without losing credibility. For example, she could tell her friends that smoking gives her asthma. Let her know she can send you a text message anytime she needs to be picked up, without worrying that you’ll be angry.
- Be conscious of having responsible adults supervising your child when they sleep over or go out to a social function.
There will be long, hot, languorous days in the holidays. Your children may believe that they are bored but boredom is also a wellspring of creativity. Reading in the front parlour was an abiding memory of Tim Winton as a youth. A good book may affect your children’s’ lives more than you imagine. There are so many good teen fiction out there on the market. Never be afraid to give them as Christmas presents.
Christmas is difficult for many because there is so much expected of us when we come together as family. I remember Christmas dinner in the high 40-degree heat. The hot roast dinner and relatives in one place may be taxing. Some of our children are vacationing with separate families so remember to acknowledge the effect on the young.
I wish you all a very safe and blessed Christmas. Thank you so much for your kind words about these articles over the year. They mean a great deal.
Paul Cullen
paul.cullen@cg.catholic.edu.au
Congratulation to Jack Gallen who won first prize in the senior contemporary section of St Cecilia Music Scholarship and Jorja Scott who was awarded second place.
Congratulations to Chanel Glasson who represented Canberra Goulburn in the 15's Rugby League on 25 November.
Finance Update
It would be most appreciated if families could make arrangements to finalise fees before the end of the term, if not on a direct debit arrangement. Thank you to those families who have already paid their fees.
If you are having any difficulties with fee payments, please contact the Business Manager Rhonda Forner or email: Rhonda.Forner@cg.catholic.edu.au
The Finance Team would like to wish you and your family a safe and festive season.
Family Statement Queries
Please provide your Family Key when making contact with the College (phone calls or emails) with any queries about your Family Fee Statement. This assists in identifying your account and quickly accessing your information.
Your Family Key is located on the Fee Statement, directly under the heading ‘Fee Statement’ – in most cases, it will contain an abbreviated version of you or your child’s surname – however, it can be different. An example (fictitious surname) may be Bloggs – the Family Key would be BLOGG01. This would be the Family Key that needs to be referred to when making contact with the College. The College thanks you for your assistance.
Canteen Volunteering
A Canteen Expressions of Interest Volunteering Form is available on Qkr! under School Payments/Canteen Volunteers. Please complete if you would like to volunteer some time and someone will be in contact to discuss. Thank you
Plastic Water Bottles are being phased out of the Canteen
CCB Rosella’s are an environmental social justice group established by our current Year 12 students. The Rosella’s, have worked hard within the school and the Eurobodalla Shire to join the global community in reducing the impact of waste on our planet.
As part of our reduction of waste initative the Rosellas along with Carroll College has introduced a Water Bottle that can be purchased via the following options.
- Qkr
- Canteen
The introduction of the water bottle is to reduce ongoing waste within the College.
The College has had two more water refill stations installed, with three now available within the grounds for students to refill their own bottle or a College one.
To reduce the plastic waste, the Canteen will phase out plastic water bottles over the next two weeks, water bottles are available for purchase from the Canteen or on Qkr!.
This is a solid metal bottle with a dedicated area under the crest for the students name, for easy identification.
Please ensure their full name is on the bottle so these can be returned if misplaced.
Cost is $13