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Dear Parents, Students and Friends
I hope you have had an enjoyable week.
This week marked the start of Lent with Ash Wednesday commencing with a liturgy for staff and parents. This liturgical season is a chance to take stock of our lives and particularly our relationship with God. We are called to deepen our connection with Him through Prayer, to connect with others who may be less fortunate through Almsgiving and reconnect with ourselves and our blessings through Fasting. Receiving ash on our foreheads is a powerful gesture of embracing a simple way of life. Each student received a cross on their forehead on Wednesday reminding them to be the face of Jesus. Lent is a special time for reflection of self and others.
Year 7 and Year 11 Information Evening
Last Monday evening, we welcomed Year 7 and Year 11 Parents and Students to the College for an information session relevant to their stage of learning. Year 7 have embraced college life with enthusiasm and readily express their enjoyment of being at High School. It is heart-warming to see their level of engagement as they navigate their new learning environment.
The commencement of senior years for Year 11 students is a significant step as they prepare for their Higher School Certificate (HSC). Learning Pathways and opportunities were discussed to encourage students to be committed learners as they work towards their final year of schooling. Whether students are pursuing an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) for university entry or a Non-ATAR package, all students are supported to achieve their personal best. This can be an uncertain time for students and their families as they determine the most suitable career options. The most refreshing change in education today is that there are so many options and pathways to achieving success.
It is time to question ‘mind over matter’ (Lucas & Claxton, 2010) is a compelling educational paper challenging current thinking on models of learning, supporting Vocational Education. “Our bodies are not just a way of transporting our minds around: what we do with them is intimately connected with the quality of our thinking” (p.1).
The article goes onto say, “At Oxford and Cherwell Valley College, a major research effort is testing our attempt to develop a universal language for learning, and exploring its implications for teaching. Society assumes that vocational learning is cognitively simpler than scholarly learning, and has not scrutinised the skills, strategies and attitudes that enable some people to learn fast and excel at hairdressing, cooking or mechanics. We expect to find vocational learning to be at least as sophisticated as academic learning. And if we are right, this knowledge should help to rebalance the esteem in which different educational pathways are held” (p.1).
Did you know that Carroll College offers five VET Courses for Years 11 and 12. We have 98 student placements currently in 2020, meaning that many students are enrolled in one or more of our VET courses. These offerings include:
- Business Services
- Information and Digital Technology
- Hospitality
- Sport Coaching
- Construction
We also have three students currently involved in EVET (VET courses offered externally through TAFE) and three students undertaking a SBAT (School Based Apprenticeship or Traineeship).
Future Me Program – Year 8
It is never too early for students to begin thinking about career pathways. During Year 8, students will work closely with Careers and UOW (University of Wollongong), taking part in a Future Me program. This program is designed to have students think about their personal capabilities and how these link to various careers and vocations.
Year 10 students will begin to focus on Work Experience and course selection for their HSC pathways. More information regarding courses and university pathways can be found in the UAC guide "Steps to Uni for Year 10 Students" located at https://www.uac.edu.au/assets/documents/year-10/year-10-booklet-2022.pdf
For further information, please contact Mrs Karen Lyttle, Careers/VET Coordinator.
E: Karen.lyttle@cg.catholic.edu.au
Student Leadership Team (SLT) 2020
I congratulate the following students on their selection to the Senior Leadership Team for 2020. Mr Tim Hodges works closely with the SLT, mentoring and coaching them in their leadership roles.
College Captains | Vice Captains |
Jade Briggs | Jordan Carter |
Teagan Moses | Hugh Tuckwell |
Chisholm House | Mackillop House |
Maggie Blythe | Riley Maher |
Cameron Stocks | Sebastian Roser |
Xavier House | |
Ethan Mass | |
Shane Mass | |
Faith Formation Captains | Indigenous Leadership Team |
Simone Bingley-Hughes | Cooper Brady |
Liarna Miller | Caleb Piper |
Marie Slockee-Albert |
Lions Youth of the Year – Congratulations Damia O’Loughlin
Congratulation to Damia O'Loughlin (Year 11) who won the Lions Youth of the Year competition for the Eurobodalla on Tuesday evening. Damia completed the first round of this competition last Saturday morning - a closed panel interview. She now moves on to Southern Region. She was a fine ambassador for the College. Damia presented an innovative prepared speech on the power of music in our lives. The two impromptu responses were met with swift thought and clear logic. The topics for the impromptu speeches dealt with (1) the Coronavirus and (2) the effect of social media on developing human relationships. Congratulations Damia!
Special thanks to Mrs McManus, Mrs Ashby and Mr Ashby for attending the event and supporting Damia in this competition.
Activities Week
We have a special week planned for next week. All year levels are involved in different activities. These are as follows:
- Year 7 and Year 11 Peer Support Camp
- Year 8 Maths Fun Day
- Year 9 Outdoor activities
- Year 10 Jamberoo
- Year 12 English Assessment Day
I am very conscious of the financial outlay for families this term with excursions and extra-curricular activities following the fires. The College has heavily subsidised these activities this year in light of the current circumstances. As always, if you are experiencing difficulties with payments throughout the year, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Enjoy a relaxing weekend ahead. It is hard to believe we are almost half way through Term One.
Warm regards
Jacqueline Heffernan
Principal
Assistant Principal Pastoral Care report
The last couple of weeks have been very busy finding and refining the support structures that are in place over the terrible events that faced us over the summer period.
The Pastoral team were fortunate to have a meeting last week with Headspace who are setting up an office in Batemans Bay over the next couple of months. They are hoping to have counsellors and other services in place over the next couple of weeks to help support young people aged 12-25. They are going to offer out their services to all of the community as a matter of priority.
Yesterday 12 students represented Carroll College at the Eurobodalla Bushfire Forum, held in Moruya, accompanied by Mr Foster. This was an opportunity for young people to speak about the support that they see they and their peers need. This opportunity was important to ensure that the support services put in place are what students have identified they require to ensure good mental health.
Below are some tips from Beyond Blue regarding Mental Health after bushfires:
Bushfires and mental health
Communities and individuals affected by bushfire can experience a range of thoughts, feelings and behaviours that can be intense, confusing and frightening.
These are common reactions to an extraordinary situation. Fear, for example, is an important and normal reaction that helps activate our body and mind to make decisions to protect our own lives and the lives of loved ones, friends and neighbours. It is also normal for the memory of intense fear to stay with us.
After a bushfire, many people deal with memories and ongoing feelings by drawing on their own strengths, as well as the support of others, and will gradually rebuild their lives and achieve a sense of wellbeing again.
However, it is common that some people struggle to deal with feelings and thoughts that result from a bushfire or from the tragic losses that may occur. It's important to know the difference between a common reaction to a stressful or traumatic event and signs that indicate you should seek additional support.
Common reactions
These reactions can be severe and are at their worst in the first week after the event, however, in most cases, they fade over a month. If your day-to-day functioning is seriously affected for more than one month after the event, it's important to discuss it with a GP or mental health professional. These reactions include:
- feeling overwhelmed
- feeling numb and detached
- inability to focus
- inability to plan ahead
- constant tearfulness
- intrusive memories or bad dreams related to the bushfires
- sleep disturbances
- constant questioning – "What if I had done x, y or z, instead?"
- 'replaying' the event and inventing different outcomes in order to be prepared should it happen again.
It is also important to understand that a friend, loved one or work colleague may see these reactions in you, often when you do not. They may see you are detached, unfocused, anxious, or tearful without provocation. Listen to the opinions of those you trust. It is a sign of respect to friends and family to act on their advice and discuss these issues with a GP or mental health professional.
If you experience any of these symptoms at any time, seek help from a GP or mental health professional:
- a sense that your emotional and/or physical reactions are not normal
- thoughts of self-harm or of ending your life
- loss of hope or interest in the future
- avoiding things that bring back memories of what happened to the point where you're unable to carry out day-to-day tasks
- frequently being easily startled e.g. jumping when a door slams, and then taking a long time to calm down
- feeling overwhelming fear for no obvious reason
- panic attack symptoms: increased heart rate, breathlessness, shakiness, dizziness and a sudden urge to go to the toilet
- excessive guilt about things that were or weren't said and done.
Dealing with the emotional impact of a bushfire
- spend time with people who care
- give yourself time
- find out about the impact of trauma and what to expect
- try to keep a routine going
- talk about how you feel about what happened when you are ready
- do things that help you relax
- set realistic goals that keep you motivated, but don't take on too much (most people in this situation talk of recovery as a journey, not a sprint)
- review and reward progress – notice even the small steps
- be prepared for times when you feel you are making no progress, everyone experiences this
- talk about the ups and downs of recovery with friends, family and the health professionals involved in your care
- have a plan to maintain positive changes and plans to deal with times of stress or reminders of the trauma.
Source:https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/bushfires-and-mental-health/
If any families need further assistance with access to services please get in contact with the Pastoral Team at the College who can help put students and their families in touch with the appropriate support.
Nathan Mansfield
Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care
nathan.mansfield@cg.catholic.edu.au
Students are now well into the study of their courses. There have been many changes made by students as they settle into courses they feel are more suitable. The time for these changes is now over and students are required to remain in their current courses for the rest of the year.
Students in Years 7 and 9 will be undertaking Practice NAPLAN online tests in the coming weeks. These practice tests are designed to give the students a taste of how the online tests work so that they are familiar with the process before the actual tests. Please talk with your child about how they participate in these practice tests and the actual tests. Staff use the data from NAPLAN to plan how best to teach your child, so it is important that the data is a true reflection of their ability. Parents can withdraw their child from the NAPLAN tests if they have a diagnosed learning difficulty by completing the attached document and returning it to the school. If your child requires adjustments, please complete the Disability provisions form attached.
Parent-teacher interviews will be held in Weeks 7 and 8 on Thursday 12th and Tuesday 17th March. Please make every effort to attend at least one of these nights, and encourage your child to attend with you. When the teacher, parents and student work in partnership, student learning is maximised.
New students to the College this year, other than those from St Bernard’s and St Mary’s, will be completing some diagnostic testing, called Progressive Achievement Tests, in both Reading and Maths. (Abbreviated to PAT-R and PAT-M tests). The data from these tests give staff a snapshot of your child’s ability in these areas and helps the teachers plan appropriate classwork. It also allows the College to track your child's progress over the Year 7 – 10 school years. It is important that your child participates to the best of their ability in these tests so that we gain an accurate picture of their ability. Please speak with your child about these tests and remind them to give it their best.
Next week's activities will give students a small break from the normal day to day classwork. Hopefully, they will return refreshed and eager to get back into it.
John O’Neill
Assistant Principal
Curriculum and Achievement
IMPORTANT DATES FOR TERM 1
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
Thursday 9 April – Easter Service
Thursday 9 April – Term 1 Ends
Please keep the following families in your prayers. Logan Bryant (Yr 7) on the passing of his Grandmother and Holly Jackson (Yr 7) on the passing of her Grandmother.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of our 40-day journey to the Resurrection of Jesus at Easter – God’s promise of salvation for all. This season is a chance for us to stop and reflect, particularly on our relationship with God. We are called to deepen our connection with God through PRAYER, to reconnect with ourselves and our blessings through FASTING and to connect with others who may be less fortunate through ALMSGIVING. This season is one of preparation – working on ourselves to be ready for when Christ returns and to be ready for the joys of Easter.
To observe this holy day, students and staff engaged in house liturgies to mark Ash Wednesday. Our Student Leaders led house liturgies with the assistance of their Pastoral Coordinators – Mr. Greg McAteer, Mrs. Mel. Price and Mr. Michael Nicoletti. Throughout the liturgy student leaders and year 12 students distributed ashes, reminding us to “turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel”.
Carroll College will unite with the worldwide Christian Community and abstain from meat each Friday during the Lenten period. There will be no meat sold at the canteen on these days and in an expression of solidarity, I encourage the community to join us and refrain from meat each Friday in the Lenten period. Lent concludes Easter Sunday.
Ash Wednesday also saw the launch of Project Compassion 2020. Caritas Australia works together with the vulnerable, helping them to develop their strengths in turn creating change in their own communities. Every cent we raise for Project Compassion at the College goes directly to Caritas Australia.
A reading taken from the house liturgies suggests some ways we can observe this Lenten period.
During Lent we try to become closer to God by lessening the negative, sinful and destructive
things in our life. We attend the sacrament of Reconciliation, we reflect and pray, and we give up some of the indulgent things in our life and instead turn our energies and resources to serving others. We’ll take a few moments now to consider what our intentions for Lent will be. Perhaps we will take more time to pray; maybe we can attend Mass more regularly; perhaps we can be more considerate of others; maybe we should take a special interest in the poor and marginalised, and make extra an effort to give to Project Compassion.
Reflect for a few moments on the intentions in your heart.
Fr. Francis Carroll … Pray for Us
Live Jesus in our Hearts … Forever
Mrs. Charlotte Nicoletti
Coordinator of Religious Education and Faith Formation
Parenting (and teaching) in the 21st Century
There are no user manuals for parents. It is on the job training in most respects. Often we learn or reject parenting styles based on our own upbringing. However, raising children since humankind first formed clans and then villages has been based on the following:
- Active teaching of the laws of the existing society and manners that serve as a necessary part of those mores
- Role modelling of just, decent and selfless values in the home
- The home as a repository and love for all children.
- Valuing education as a means of self-fulfilment and improvement
- Providing protection and a nurturing environment for the child
- The passing down of rituals, stories, traditions to children
As late as the mid 1900’s grandparents lived in an extended family and afforded the child additional guidance and support. Alas, this is no longer the case. Many adolescents do not have access to their Pop or Nan due to a variety of reasons including family separation and “the tyranny of distance”. In About A Boy by Nick Hornby, Marcus advises a boy who has used him as a mentor that the shape of the family structure is in some respects, irrelevant. Marcus argues for a pyramidal structure incorporating those members of the extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins) and decent role models from the local communities to become part of the child’s development. We teachers are for 7 hours per day “in your place “ and we seek to support the parent’s role.
Effective parenting takes a great deal of courage; sometimes it is drawing lines in the sand. But that’s a good thing. Every child understands boundaries and, even though they push these lines of non-negotiation, they will generally respect them later in life. Here are a few home rules to consider:
- Do I know my children’s friends? With which friends would I allow a sleep over?
- Where is the internet located in your home? Why cannot it be placed in heavy traffic areas for ease of supervision rather than secreted away in bedrooms?
- Is homework (independent study) valued in the home as a toll of revising the day’s work or consolidating skills?
- Do your children have both rights and responsibilities? What are the obligations, such as jobs and chores that must be undertaken? Boys, in particular, often escape these tasks because we as parents would rather do it ourselves than cause a fuss or have it half done. This only encourages “learned helplessness” that does not serve anyone’s needs.
- How much quality time do I have with my children? Toys and possessions are poor substitutes for intimate time- shared reading, talking while doing a task together
- Do I know who my children’s teachers are? What they are reading in English? The HSIE topic? The next Science experiment? If the adolescent knows you are interested, there is a better chance of engagement with the subject.
William Wordsworth wrote a poem about children two hundred years ago. It elegantly chronicles their frailties and strengths, but as he rightly points out, they are children and we must love them for what they are :
Behold a race of young ones like to those
With whom I herded-
A race of real children; not too wise,
Too learned, or too good; but wanton, fresh,
And bandied up and down by love and hate;
Not resentful where self-justified;
Fierce, moody, patient, venturous, modest, shy;
Mad at their sports like withered leaves in winds;
Though doing wrong and suffering, and full often
Bending beneath our life’s mysterious weight
Of pain, and doubt and fear, yet yielding not
In happiness to the happiest upon the earth.
Simplicity in habit, truth in speech,
Be these the daily strengtheners of their minds…”
Whilst valuing them and loving them for who they are, we nonetheless, have an obligation to model good parenting and that does, at times, mean (what has become a cliché) the notion of “tough love”. So it is for teachers, also.
I will be contributing articles on adolescent health, literacy development and the role of parents in the education of adolescents. I hope you find them useful.
Mr. Paul Cullen
paul.cullen@cg.catholic.edu.au
Carroll College Swimming Report 2020
On Friday 14 February, Carroll College held its 26th annual swimming carnival. Congratulations to all the students who competed on the day and the parents who attended to cheer on their children. Also big thanks to the staff that helped out on the day.
Awards for age champions/house winner will be presented at the next College assembly.
House results –
House |
Points |
Place |
Chisholm |
3001 |
1 |
Xavier |
2234 |
2 |
MacKillop |
1953 |
3 |
Age Champions –
12 Years –
Male – Dylan Walsh
Female – Isabella Jay
13 Years –
Male – Bill Eppelstun
Female – Skye Wildman
14 Years –
Male – Harry Barrington
Female – Sophie Eppelstun
15 Years –
Male – Bailey Brady
Female – Felicity Lotze
16 Years –
Male – Ryle Schuchmann
Female – Phoebe Rankin
17 Years + winner –
Male – Shane Mass
Female – Jordan Carter
Mr Fogarty
Classroom Teacher (Broulee)
Archdiocesan Swimming Report
On Tuesday 25 February, 16 Carroll College students attended the Canberra/Goulburn Archdiocese Swimming Championships at Goulburn Aquatic Centre. With a beautiful day providing perfect swimming conditions, our students set about doing their best to try and qualify for the Canberra/Goulburn team to compete at the NSWCCC championships later this term. Congratulations to the following students who will all progress to the NSWCCC championships – Phoebe Rankin (50m and 100m freestyle and 50m butterfly), Ryle Schuchmann (50m freestyle and 50m breaststroke), Jordan Carter (50m, 100m, 200m freestyle, 50m butterfly, 50m and 100m breaststroke, 50m backstroke), Bill Eppelstun (50m butterfly and 50m breaststroke) and Felicity Lotze (50m butterfly).
Jordan Carter also broke the Archdiocesan records for 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly, a tremendous effort!
A big thank you to all students (Riley Beby, Logan Bryant, Oliver Dyason, Bill Eppelstun, Katelyn Russell, Harry Barrington, Erynn Carter, Sophie Eppelstun, Oliver Warren, Skye Wildman, Felicity Lotze, Ben Fish, Phoebe Rankin, Ryle Schuchmann and Jordan Carter) who attended and represented the school and the parents who supported their children at the event.
On the 20 February six students from the Rosellas group travelled to Maloneys Beach to complete a rubbish collection and test for microplastics. We started off the morning by collecting rubbish from the two beaches east of Maloneys Beach in Murramarang National Park. We then recorded what we collected with Tangaroa Blue Database. Tangaroa Blue then use this data along with all the other data they collect to work on solutions to stop the flow of litter at the source. In collecting data from our coastal environment Tangaroa Blue can then collaborate with industry and government to create change on a large scale.
Afterwards we used microplastic testing kits from Ausmap to examine for any microplastics on the high tide mark of Maloneys Beach. The day was enjoyed by all and we hope to return to the beach later in the year to compare our results.
We would like to encourage all students of Carroll College to consider joining the Rosellas group to make a difference in the world and be a part of positive change. Our meetings are on Mondays of Week A in the second half of AM break in B1. The next Rosella activity will be in Term Two when we plan to work with the students of St Bernard’s.
Written by Emma Tuckwell
Karen Ashby
Classroom Teacher (Broulee)
Family Fee Statements have been emailed last Friday 21st February. Although there is a due date on fee statements, families have the flexibility to pay fees at the end of the term. Thank you to families who have made payments.
If you have been affected by the Bushfires please contact Jacqui Heffernan, Principal. For any other information about fee assistance, please contact Rhonda Forner, Business Manager. Please note that all information is treated confidentially.
The 2020 Fee Schedule is available from the College Website along with a Fee Calculator to assist with understanding fee payment schedules. For any other finance queries, please contact the College by phone 4471 5600 or via email finance.ccb@cg.catholic.edu.au