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THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Catholics and many other Christians celebrate the feast of the Assumption on 15 August, which is recognised as a Holy Day of Obligation.
Prayer
Empowering God,
Inspire us by the example of Mary’s openness to your Love.
May we live in this attitude and bring to birth a new world!
We make our prayer through Jesus Christ in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Parents, Students and Friends,
I sincerely thank all members of the Carroll College community for your ongoing co-operation, flexibility and support in ensuring Carroll College is a safe place for students and staff.
Following recent outbreaks of COVID-19 cases in schools, and based on current government advice, which includes no unnecessary mixing between schools, we have reviewed our COVID-safe protocols. Communication to families will continue to be timely and informative to ensure every person in our College community is confident with the advice and decisions being made. Please be assured we are taking extra precautions to ensure the health and safety of all in our school community. Our thoughts are with the Batemans Bay community with the temporary closure of Batemans Bay High and Primary Schools earlier this week.
I loved writing and wanted to travel, so journalism seemed a perfect choice. When I left school I did a one-year office traineeship, then I headed off to university in Sydney to start the journey towards an amazing career as a journalist. The only problem was that - just one year into my degree - I discovered that I did not enjoy journalism… at all!
I deferred uni and felt completely lost as I now had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I drove to Western Australia with a friend and was unemployed for nearly 6 months. I didn’t have any connections in WA and I had few skills, so I had to compete with hundreds of other people for low-paying jobs.
Over the next 5 years in WA, I had a fantastic social life, but worked a series of monotonous jobs: in the darkrooms at a photography studio, as a counter hand in several cafés, behind a bar and I even ended up working at a roadhouse on the Nullabor Plain (which was amazing).
Still with no idea what I wanted to do, I backpacked around Europe with a friend for a while and when I returned I worked in more café and bar positions. In the meantime, I had met my husband and we had two children and I also had two step-children. My step-son was in Year 8 and needed help with his Maths and I enjoyed doing the maths with him.
When I was 26 years old, and our children were still really young, I went back to do a Bachelor’s degree, with a major in History. I thought I might work in a museum or in a research field. While at uni, I did an essay on ‘The History of Women in Mathematics’. I had to understand some maths so I could write the essay, and while I was researching this, I fell madly in love with maths and changed all of my subjects to maths subjects. This was a hard slog as I had not done any maths since high school and I had to work every night, often into the early hours of the morning, to keep up with my degree.
I later completed a Diploma in Teaching Secondary Maths and my first job as a teacher was in a tiny school in Lockhart, before entering the Catholic education system.
Teaching is a perfect job for me as I love maths and I really enjoy interacting with students – I am thankful that I did not stubbornly stick to journalism as I would have missed out on finding what I was really meant to do.
My advice to students who feel a bit lost is not to worry. As you grow, your interests and passions grow and develop, and eventually you will find the path that is right for you.
Brendan Lucas graduated from Carroll College in 2003 and moved to Sydney the following year to chase his dream of becoming an NRL referee, while he studied for a Bachelor of Accounting at Macquarie University and worked as a trainee at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Brendan was a late inclusion in the PwC program after his Year 12 Coordinator encouraged him to attend a Business Week program in Sydney. “If I didn’t participate in the program, I would never have heard of the PwC program,” he says.
Brendan adapted quickly to the fast pace of Sydney and by joining the different committees of the sports groups he was involved with he gained hands-on experience in running team competitions and sports organisations. “I was very busy. I met lots of people, and got my bearings around Sydney, which I enjoyed.” Brendan recalls, “I saw so many rugby league fields as I travelled all over Sydney for games.” But it was the building of those contact networks in sports groups that has continued to open doors to this day. Brendan explains, “Whether that be phoning a mate to help an existing client or knowing an old footy contact who sold the technology I wanted to buy for my business.”
After nine years working at PwC, Brendan decided it was time take his knowledge and help out those he cared about most. “I wanted to work with small businesses and not-for-profit (NFP) organisations. My dad has been a small business owner all my life and that is where I get my work ethic from. I wanted to help people like Dad. And working with NFPs was a no-brainer. NFPs provide critical support to the people who require it most, in their time of need, so I wanted to help them succeed using my accounting skills.”
Brendan volunteered as Treasurer of the Sutherland Shire Business Chamber for almost four years, which involved helping other business owners connect with each other. For him, doing his bit as a Treasurer chiefly involved “Having a chat – something I’ve never had a problem with!” He adds, “Accounting is already my skillset, but I also try to make a difference in the business community. By attending the business chamber events I also took away ideas other people gave me that I could use in my business and hopefully others found the same after talking to me.”
Brendan’s tip to current students at Carroll College is find a way to love learning.
“When I finished school, I thought I was done learning, I just wanted to start working and earn money. While you learn a lot in High School, there is so much more to learn after it – whether that be for your career, personal life or about the world. You have to keep learning and bettering yourself to give yourself the best chance of success. However, what you want that success to look like is up to you.”
2020 School Improvement Survey
Thank you to parents who have completed the annual satisfaction survey. These were launched last Friday 7 August 2020 via email. The surveys are designed to gather feedback from parents, staff and students about our school and will be used to inform school improvement. I would really appreciate your input as we continue to strive for excellence in all that we undertake. Surveys close on 19 August 2020.
Practicum Students
Mrs Erin Smith has been working at the College for the past six weeks under the leadership of Mrs Cassie Johnston. Today is Mrs Smith’s last day with us after successfully completing her practicum. I take this opportunity to congratulate Mrs Smith on an outstanding prac report. Her ability to connect with students in a warm and relational manner was most impressive. We look forward to Mrs Smith working at the College in the future.
This week we have welcomed Mr Shane Allison to the Mathematics department. Mr Allison is completing a four week practicum at the College and I wish him well as he works to develop his skills and expertise.
Is your child interested in Music Tuition?
Creative Kids Vouchers and Music Lessons
A reminder that we have private music tutors who teach a variety of instruments during the school day. The start of a new term may be a great time to begin learning an instrument. Please also remember that you can apply for a Creative Kids Voucher for $100, which can be used towards music lessons this year. All school age students are eligible to receive this payment from the link below. Most of our music tutors are registered to accept Creative Kids Vouchers.
https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-creative-kids-voucher
Community Council
The next meeting of the College’s Community Council is next Wednesday, 19 August. In keeping with our safe practices, Council members will come together via Zoom. Below are our Council representatives for your information.
Council Executive
Council Chair Paul Penberthy
Deputy Chair Jeni McCarthy
Secretary Louise Roser
Bursar Rhonda Forner
School Executive
Nathan Mansfield
Parent Representatives
Karen Motyka Belinda Quick
Jo Flood Jim Herford
Staff Representatives
Timothy Hodges Elise Paull
Ex officio
Principal Jacqueline Heffernan
Parish Priest Fr George Azhakath
Parish Administrator Father Martins Aloga
I wish all our families the very best. Please be assured of our vigilance in the current climate. The care of your children is our priority at all times. Enjoy the weekend ahead and please be in touch if you have any questions.
Warm regards
Jacqueline Heffernan
Principal
Assistant Principal Pastoral Care Report
Cyber Safety
This week I was fortunate enough to attend an online Professional Development opportunity in Cyber Safety run by Kirra Pendergast from Safeonsocial. The sessions were highly engaging covering real topics of online safety in schools and at home to keep our children safe.
Some of the statistics and examples discussed were quite alarming. It highlighted the need for parents, as the first educators, and schools to be aware of the activities children are engaged in online and equip them with life skills to become responsible and successful digital citizens.
Kirra’s blog is found here: https://www.safeonsocial.com/blog and has some useful information about online risk and activities of children and what we can do to keep them safe.
Top tips for keeping safe at home
Some easy to manage top tips to facilitate discussions at home to keep children safe are:
- Be careful of requests – only accept ‘friend’ requests from people you know in real life. This reduces the chance of getting into an unsafe situation.
- Block anyone that is negative or unsafe – this stops them from having contact and seeing your profile.
- Think before uploading and sharing photos – post photos that show you and your friends in a positive way. Once it’s uploaded, it’s no longer private and could be viewed by friends, family, teachers and strangers.
- Be mindful of what you write to others – you never know who will read these comments and how they might interpret them.
- Think carefully about sharing links to other sites – the content could be embarrassing, upsetting or hurtful to others.
- Keep your online friends online – never agree to meet someone you’ve only known online on your own. Take one of your parents with you and meet in a public place. If they are who they say they are, they’ll be happy to do this.
- Think about your privacy – avoid sharing personal information online that could be misused by someone in real life. Check your privacy settings and make sure your account is secure.
- Protect your identity – pick a username that isn’t your real name and a profile picture that doesn’t show any personal information.
- Sexting – keep sexting laws in mind when taking photos and sending or receiving images.
Source - https://kidshelpline.com.au/teens/issues/staying-safe-online
Useful websites for parents
For reporting incidents, inappropriate websites and bullying - https://www.esafety.gov.au/
For support with device addiction, incidents of online bullying and behaviour - https://kidshelpline.com.au/kids/get-help/webchat-counselling/
Over the next couple of newsletters, I will continue to focus on resources and tips to help support the safe use of the internet at home.
If you require any support at home please do not hesitate to contact the Pastoral Team at the College.
Nathan Mansfield
Assistant Principal - Pastoral Care
Congratulations to the many Year 12 students who have been advised that they have gained early entry to ANU for next year. This will take an enormous amount of pressure from them. Other universities will also be soon releasing early entry offers and interviews in the coming weeks and months.
Year 12 students should be putting in extra effort to complete their study before the HSC Trials commencing next week. During the last Admin lesson, Mr Hodges ran through a study technique called the Pomodoro Technique. It is essentially a method of breaking up large tasks into smaller, manageable chunks. It is a proven method to help stop procrastination and to achieve efficient study. Please visit the link https://francescocirillo.com/pages/pomodoro-technique and encourage your child to use the technique to maximise their study.
Year 11 students should have commenced their final study for their end of year exams by now. Students should complete unit summaries of all their topics and be practising past exam questions under exam conditions. Year 11 final exams begin in Week 8.
All our Year 10 students have submitted their subject selections for next year. We are now processing the data to devise timetable lines where most students can receive their highest preferences. Unfortunately, it is not possible to achieve a 100% success rate so we endeavour to ensure our success rate is as high as possible. Sometimes, a student will find that two of their preferences end up on the same line and they do not have a preference on another line. In these cases, the student will need to choose which one they want to do and select one of the courses from those available on the line where they did not have one. This process will occur over the coming weeks.
Our Year 8 & 9 students have until Friday to complete their elective choices for next year. I have looked at the selections submitted to date and we have over 95% of them in. Students will be emailed in the coming weeks with their timetabled choices. At this stage, if they are happy with their allocation, they do not need to do anything. If they wish to make changes, this may still be possible depending on class sizes.
Recently we have had to talk to several individuals and classes about their behaviour, especially defiance and disturbing the learning of others. Please be aware that we have a zero-tolerance of students defying reasonable requests from staff. If a student refuses to cooperate they will be exited from their class and sent to a senior class for the remainder of the lesson. After that, they will be spoken to by the subject coordinator and placed on a Friday Afternoon Detention and you will be contacted by the classroom teacher. Please speak with your student(s) about ensuring they are following all reasonable requests and allowing everyone to work to the best of their ability.
Unfortunately, after the recent COVID news in our local area, we are again required to cancel any external events and visitors to the College. We will advise all parents via email about what will happen about our upcoming Parent-Teacher evenings when we have further advice from Catholic Education in Canberra.
John O’Neill
Assistant Principal
Curriculum and Achievement
Students have access to quick eLinks from their Sentral dashboard. They can access the following:
- College Calendar
- Assessment calendar
- Students email login page
- Google Classroom login page
- Clickview and
- Overdrive – Ebooks.
These links can also be accessed through the Resources Tab, as shown below.
Students are encouraged to check their Sentral account every day to ensure they do not miss any daily notices, for a copy of their timetable and easy access to their email and Google Classroom pages.
Please keep the following families in your prayers, Austin (Year 12) and Noah Reid (Year 9) on the passing of their Grandfather and Tanesha Dennis (Year 9) on the passing of her Aunty.
August 8 is the solemnity of St Mary of the Cross (Mary MacKillop). Mary MacKillop is Australia’s first, and only, saint. Mary MacKillop was canonised on October 17, 2010 at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome. Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed Mary’s sainthood during a Canonisation Mass.
St Mary of the Cross lived a life of service and was a passionate teacher with a particular love of the less fortunate. St Mary of the Cross is important to Carroll College because she is the patron of MacKillop House.
The College has made a conscious decision to select patrons who are inspirational role models of faith and learning. St Mary of the Cross dedicated her life to ensuring all students, regardless of wealth, had access to a Catholic education. She experienced many trials and struggles in her life but always put the needs of others before her own and always relied on her love of Jesus, the Cross, to give her strength. Her qualities of hard work, love of learning and dedication to others and to Christ are to be admired and emulated by students and staff not just in Mackillop House but by the whole Carroll College community.
MacKillop House is led by Mr Greg McAteer and the House Captains are Sebastian Roser and Riley Maher.
Mary MacKillop’s Prayer
Ever generous God,
You inspired Saint Mary MacKillop
To live her life faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
and constant in bringing hope and encouragement
to those who were disheartened, lonely or needy.
With confidence in your generous providence
and through the intercession of Saint Mary MacKillop
We ask that you grant our request……………….
We ask that our faith and hope be fired afresh by the Holy Spirit
so that we too, like Mary MacKillop, may live with courage, trust and openness.
Ever generous God hear our prayer.
We ask this through Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Dear Carroll College community,
Last Friday was my last day as a teacher at this school. What a special day you created for me. In fact, the whole last week was a chance to speak personally to the many, many students who have been on a journey with me these past years.
Playing cards in the courtyard, telling jokes and humorous stories, cutting cakes in D4 and the numerous conversations I had all helped to make me appreciate the many blessings I have received over a long teaching career.
I will leave reflections about all the other places I have taught and concentrate on this special place.
I came to Broulee when we had our first HSC class. The school was small and the facilities were basic but they were memorable times. Mrs Barling, Mrs. Smart, Ms. Gray, Ms. Bonner and Ms. Douglas were all part of those early years. One of the great blessings and privileges of being an educator is to see students follow you into the profession. CCB is fortunate to have them all- such fine, dedicated young teachers with real commitment to Catholic education and your children.
I remember the sporting carnival at which parents were so involved. It was difficult to get the microphone out of Kevin Allen’s hand. Moreover, speaking of parents…how lucky am I to have had the support and encouragement of so many. Too many to name here lest I leave someone out.
I have had many laughs with my colleagues. Some practical jokes that will go down in the pantheon as absolute classics. I also acknowledge the many friends who left teaching during my time here. Like me, they never wanted more than “the daily wage of a labourer in the field” but what contributions they made. I wish them all continued good health and happiness.
During the last lesson at 2:45pm on August 7th, Mrs. Enfield brought all the seniors into the D block. Hugh Tuckwell held a sound box and the Carlton FC theme song boomed out. Everyone sang along. Speeches, gifts, and some tears (mine included). I will never forget it.
COVID-19 or not, no one could have asked for a better, more sincere or thoughtful farewell (that goes for my staff farewell too). I am blessed beyond measure. Unbeknown to me, my dear wife has created a Facebook page called “Virtual farewell for Paul Cullen”. It is extraordinary! I have not heard from some parents and ex-students for many years. Have a look and join the group if you like.
My retirement will include trips to see my grandchildren in NZ and in other states, cricket tours, gardening, reading…and writing. Writing about the many things that have happened over a rich and satisfying career.
I will continue to write articles for the newsletter until the end of the year. While it has been a difficult 2020 for all sorts of reasons, stay positive. Our College community is there alongside you.
God bless you all.
Paul Cullen
paul.cullen@cg.catholic.edu.au
Can you believe it is Week 4 already? This year in TAS, students have been working on many different projects across the varied course. It has given them creative avenues to escape to in the midst of all this uncertainty and wow, there has been some amazing projects produced!
Timber Technology
Mr Szkwarek and Mr Nicolletti’s 9-10 timber classes have been working on timber serving boards and have recently had the opportunity to use the new laser cutter to embellish their projects with a small and unique etched design of their choice. See the beautiful results for yourself!
Agriculture
We have welcomed two new members to the school community this term. Meet Harley and Rose, our miniature pigs who love spending time with the students while they are participating in practical lessons at the farm. The students have been working hard rewiring the chicken hutch, planting, transplanting, harvesting and completing maintenance operations around the farm. The students are looking forward to incubating a batch of eggs in the coming weeks that will eventually become our farm chickens.
Industrial Technology
Year 11 Industrial Technology students are currently working on a modern bedside table using a variety of joints, tools, machinery and techniques to prepare them for their HSC year where they will be required to design and construct their own piece of furniture. With the deadline looming, the Year 12 students are working feverishly on their Major Projects which we will share with you once complete.
Design and Technology
‘Light it Up’ is the unit that the Year 9-10 DT students have been working on and their designs are outstanding. Students have been working with either LED or incandescent lighting options with no limit to the allied materials they choose to use to create the stand. I would like to congratulate this class on their perseverance and consistent application to their work. Some other exciting news is the Year 12 students are nearing the end of their course and Major Projects which we will share with you soon.
IStem
Students in IStem have been producing personal interest projects that they have chosen themselves. They are following the Engineering Design process, investigating, researching, testing, producing and once complete will evaluate their work.
Year 11 Hospitality students have been very busy catering for staff in our long table lunches.
The students cooked two feasts this week. On Tuesday, a selection of Indian curries and Thursday, a selection of Thai dishes. It was wonderful to see them all looking very professional and serving customers.
We would also like to give a big warm welcome back to Mrs Kenna.
Available Now
College Beanies and Scarves are now available to purchase via Qkr or from the College canteen for $10 each.
Term 3 fee statements were emailed on Friday 24th July with a due date of Friday 28th August.
If you have been impacted by COVID-19, please contact Rhonda Forner, Business Manager by email at Rhonda.Forner@cg.catholic.edu.au to request a COVID-19 Fee Assistance Request Form.
If you require financial assistance due to any other hardship not related to COVID-19 (including Bushfire, flood or any other hardship), please contact Rhonda Forner, Business Manager by email at Rhonda.Forner@cg.catholic.edu.au
All information is treated and maintained confidentially.
2020
Given the challenges that 2020 has presented, there are many avenues for support. These are listed below to provide some assistance.
Bushfire Support
The National Bushfire Recovery Agency is able to provide assistance to individuals and families, businesses, not for profits, primary producers – everyone in our community. Their website address is: https://www.bushfirerecovery.gov.au/
Information for individuals and families:
https://www.bushfirerecovery.gov.au/recovery-assistance/families-individuals/factsheet
For support – relating to Bushfires, drought, flood and/or Covid-19 for individuals and families:
https://www.bushfirerecovery.gov.au/recovery-assistance/combined-individuals-and-families
For small business and not for profits support relating to Bushfires, drought, flood and/or Covid-19:
https://www.bushfirerecovery.gov.au/recovery-assistance/combined-small-business
For well-being and mental health support:
https://www.bushfirerecovery.gov.au/recovery-assistance/families-individuals/mental-health
Bushfire Specific Assistance
Type |
Website |
Closes |
Recovery Support Officer |
https://www.bushfirerecovery.gov.au/find-recovery-support-officer or email |
Ongoing |
Property Cleanup |
https://www.bushfirerecovery.gov.au/recovery-assistance/families-individuals#Property%20clean-up |
Ongoing |
Homebuilder Scheme |
Ongoing |
|
Primary Producer |
https://www.bushfirerecovery.gov.au/recovery-assistance/small-business/primary-producer-factsheet |
Ongoing |
COVID 19 Financial Survival Guide
Please be aware that you are not alone and there are resources available to assist you and your family at this time. Listed below are some of those resources for information.
https://ndh.org.au/debt-problems/covid19/
Recent changes to Jobkeeper can be found at:
https://www.ato.gov.au/general/jobkeeper-payment/
Information on Jobseeker can be found at:
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/jobseeker-payment
Financial Institution Support during Covid19
Financial Institutions are also offering a range of assistance to account holders, homeowners and businesses. Please enquire with your financial institution to access financial support such as:
- Suspending payments on credit cards and personal loans
- Reduce interest rates on home loans/suspending or deferring home loan repayments/loan variations/reducing loan interest rates
- Loans and support for small business
- Loan extensions etc
Westpac
https://www.westpac.com.au/help/disaster-relief/coronavirus/?pid=iwc:sr:support_2003:covid:
NAB
https://www.nab.com.au/personal/customer-support/covid19-help?own_cid=MH20012
St George
ME Bank
https://www.mebank.com.au/support/coronavirus-information/
ANZ
https://www.anz.com.au/promo/covid-19/
Commonwealth Bank
https://www.commbank.com.au/latest/support-for-home-loan-customers.html?ei=pers_HL
Teachers Mutual Bank
https://www.tmbank.com.au/about/member-news/2020/coronavirus?icn=corona2020&icd=hpnews2
Scams during Coronavirus
Please be aware that there are some financial scams relating to Coronavirus. These may be in the form of text messages, emails or phone calls. The best approach is to not provide any of your financial information. If you suspect you have been contacted as part of a scam, you can report it to scamwatch – scamwatch.com.au/report-a-scam and the police.
For additional support, other services available include:
Beyond Blue
Life Line