Dear Parents, Students and Friends 

Yesterday marked R U OK? Day. This day reminds us of the importance of connection and the need to listen with an open heart. Take the opportunity this weekend to check in on someone who may need your support. The time we give to another person can be life changing. No one ever fully realises the impact they make on another human being. Be that person that lifts another.

With Hope we pray for persons and families living with mental illness. We pray that God will help us dispel ignorance and misinformation about mental health conditions.

2022 National Catholic Education Conference 

THE FUTURE IS LISTENING
MELBOURNE 4-7 SEPTEMBER

This week I have been in Melbourne with Catholic leaders from across the country and abroad to engage with keynote speakers on a range of contemporary issues. Geraldine Doogue AO was Master of Ceremonies. Topics were diverse and future-focused, from the psychology of helping adults change what they do, to family engagement, identity and gender, student voice, and Catholic identity in increasingly secularised times.

It was refreshing to be able to gather again with colleagues face-to-face in a conference setting. Pictured above are colleagues from the Archdiocese of Canberra Goulburn in attendance this week.

University Offers 2023

Congratulations to our Year 12 students who are planning to attend university. Early offers have been received from the following universities. Often students receive more than one offer and must decide on which course is more suitable for them. This can be a difficult decision.

Naturally, not all students have a desire to pursue a university degree. I will continue to feature the career aspirations of our Year 12 students in upcoming newsletters. Our young people are very well positioned to choose different pathways to achieve their goals. This is an exciting time for Year 12 students.

Charles Sturt University (CSU)

University of Canberra (UC)

Macquarie University

Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE)

Australian National University (ANU)

Notre Dame

Australian Catholic University (ACU)

Australian Defence Force (ADF) Gap Year

Western Sydney University

Congratulations to our very own Aunty Loretta     

UTS announcing the win and the James Governor Scholarship

“The Last Outlaws, a trilogy podcast made at UTS about Australia’s last proclaimed outlaws, Jimmy and Joe Governor, has taken out the Digital History Prize at the 2022 NSW Premier’s History Awards.”

https://www.uts.edu.au/news/business-law/it-felt-some-kind-justice-was-done

The River of Art Prize 2022
The River of Art Prize is open to all artists and makers within and beyond the Eurobodalla region.

This year’s judges are the highly respected Andrew Gray, Executive Director of South East Arts and Helen Maxwell OAM (founder of aGOG, Helen Maxwell Gallery, art valuer and curator).

Artists hailed from Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and the South Coast, submitting a range of two-dimensional and three-dimensional works as they examined the themes of Black Summer Fires, Covid lockdown, the environment and exploring who we are as people, as individuals and as communities.

The winners will be announced at the festival launch at Bay Pavilions Art and Leisure Centre in Batemans Bay on Friday, September 16 which coincides with the launch of the 2022 River of Art Festival.

Congratulations to Mrs Miriam Shilling and Ms Lizette Richards who have been selected as finalists in this year’s Prize. Fabulous news for our two highly creative Visual Arts teachers who are both practising artists.

eSafety Parent Guide to Cyberbullying       

Council of Catholic School Parents has provided a link to an eSafety parent guide to cyberbullying webinar. Parents can register for the webinar below which is being held on 20 September. I encourage all families to join.

The webinar is conducted in partnership with the eSafety Commissioner. The eSafety Commissioner website also has some excellent resources that are worth perusing (eg. the process for reporting cyberbullying). 

Cyberbullying is sending or sharing seriously threatening, seriously intimidating, seriously harassing or humiliating online content to or about someone under 18.

The behaviour might include abusive texts and emails, hurtful messages or creating fake accounts to trick someone or humiliate them.

One in five young Australians aged 8 to 17 years say they have been socially excluded, threatened or abused online.

In partnership with the eSafety Commissioner, the Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT will run a free webinar for parents and carers of students aged 10 -18 years.

Tuesday 20 September 7.30-8.30pm

Register here

As always, it has been a busy fortnight with a lot to report. It is hard to believe that we are heading into the final two weeks of term. Week 10 is full of activity as we celebrate with Year 12 and formally farewell them from the college. Year 11 students are currently in the middle of Preliminary exams but will soon take carriage of their senior leadership positions when Year 12 depart.

More information will follow shortly for parents of Year 10 students, with planning underway for the Year 10 Soiree!

A number of staffing appointments have been made for 2023. I will communicate this news to families next week via email.

Thank you for your ongoing support as we work together to create the best learning environment at Carroll. Year 7 enrolment interviews for 2023 are well underway. If you know of family and friends wishing to enrol their child for next year, please encourage them to contact the college at their earliest convenience.

                   
Enjoy a pleasant weekend ahead.

Jacqueline Heffernan
Principal

                                        "Reflect on how the air itself changes when someone uplifting
                                                        comes into a room. Be that person."
                                                                                                                    Stephanie Dowrick

NAPLAN

NAPLAN results have been distributed this week. “The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual national assessment for all students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9, and is the only nationwide assessment that all Australian children undertake.

It is a measure to see whether or not young Australians are developing the literacy and numeracy skills that provide the critical foundation for other learning, and for their productive and rewarding participation in the community.” (NAP National Assessment Program)

NAPLAN is only one form of testing and results and the data it generates should always be considered within context. NAPLAN is one type of data used by the College to inform student growth. Its primary function for us is to stimulate questions about learning and engagement and possible areas of focus. The bigger picture is ensuring our teaching staff are trained in a range of strategies and pedagogies such as high impact teaching practices (HITP) to increase student engagement which in turn impacts learning gains.

Year 12 Reports

Year 12 reports are currently being prepared and will be presented to students at their Awards Ceremony following the Graduation Mass. I am sure parents will have mixed feelings reading their child’s final school report. I thank the Year 12 teachers for their efforts in completing these records of achievement.

Year 11 End of Preliminary HSC Examinations

Year 11 students commenced Preliminary HSC Examinations on Tuesday 6 September. These examinations are the final assessment tasks in Year 11 and offer students a chance to reflect on their knowledge acquisition and study patterns over the past three terms. I very much hope that students consider how they have approached their Preliminary year of study and identify things that worked for them and things they wish to improve. Term 4 introduces students to their final year of secondary school. Students are encouraged to ensure they have excellent lines of communication with their teachers and that they make use of all the supports offered by the College in terms of study skills, career advice, counselling, staff mentoring and academic care lessons to name a few. Year 12 students will attest to the fact that this final year, when it begins, goes very quickly!

Erica Drewsen
Assistant Principal, Learning and Innovation

Religious Education in a Catholic school has two main areas of focus; to educate students in formal RE lessons about religion and religious practices and to educate students about being religious. One of the ways we recognise and celebrate being a religious community is by praying.

Staff prayer takes place each week on a Thursday morning. We come together, at the moment via Teams, to place ourselves in the presence of God, read scripture or reflect on a liturgical feast day or season, and share our prayers as a faithful community. Yesterday morning, Mrs Michelle Katuke shared a beautiful prayer as part of R U Ok? Day, some of which I have included below.

Our college prayer life is important, and it provides staff and students with a moment of grounding in a busy day. We stop, come together, and are united in mind and spirit. Our prayers are about life, hope, courage, support, care of creation, compassion, empathy, strength and love. Our prayer life helps us to focus on what God has called us to do as Catholic educators, which is to share the message of Jesus with each other and be a role models of Christ’s love to those in our care. 

Loving Creator, we come to you on this R U OK? Day because we know that you are a God of love and compassion. We come as people seeking your presence, comfort and guidance. We come as teachers, family members, friends and co-workers. We come this day because we believe that You, love each one of us just as we are and you walk with us on our individual journeys through life. You see the ignorance and injustice that divides and separates persons struggling with mental health conditions and you weep with us.

Give us courage to face our challenges and open us today to the many ways you are already working in our midst. Help us to identify mental illness as the disease it is so that we might have courage and wisdom in the face of ignorance and stigma. Inspire us as we seek to overcome fear, acquire knowledge, and advocate for compassionate and enlightened treatment and services.

Lead us as we open our hearts and homes, our communities and job opportunities, our houses of worship and communities of faith. Enable us to find ways to be inclusive of persons living with mental health conditions in our everyday lives. Be with doctors, therapists, researchers, social workers, and all those in the helping professions as they seek to overcome ignorance and injustice with care and compassion.

Sometimes, Divine Spirit, we feel discouraged and hopeless in the face of so many challenges. Help us to see ourselves as you see us…persons of value and worth…persons of creativity and potential. May we come to understand the interconnectedness of mind, body and spirit in bringing about health and wholeness. And may we go forward into our communities with a renewed sense of vision, hope and possibility for the future.  Amen.

Erica Drewsen
Religious Education Coordinator

Please keep the following families in your prayers, Bianca Brooke (Year 7) on the passing of her Grandfather and George Gilbo (Year 8) on the passing of his Grandmother.

Legacy Day

Connecting with our wider community is highly valued by Carroll College. On Friday 2 September four of our Year 11 students, together with Mrs Heffernan, participated in the annual Legacy Day. For several hours our students were selling Legacy badges in the Batemans Bay shopping precinct to help this worthy cause.

PCYC Safe Driver Course FREE offer

The PCYC has approached the College to offer a fully funded Safe Driver Course. The funding has been made available as part of the Bushfire Recovery Grant for schools throughout the Eurobodalla Shire and Bega Valley. The course has two modules. Module 1 (3 hour session) is delivered during the school day at the college with Module 2 being run after school and on a weekend with students having time slots to choose from.

To offer the course, we need a minimum of 6 participants to a maximum of 12. To be eligible for this course (usually costs $140) students need to already have a current Learners licence and a minimum of 50 “actual’ driving hours completed. The course adds 20 hours to students' log book hours. On Friday 14 October the PCYC will be attending the College to run Module 1 and the practical component Module 2 will follow on Saturday 15 October.

If your child meets the criteria and you would like them to participate, then please contact me at the College. The limited places will be filled on a first-in basis until we meet our quota.

Batemans Bay Youth Foundation (BBYF)

Our Year 12 students have been made aware of the generous scholarships offered by the BBYF each year. If successful, students receive $3500 to assist them with their studies and further training. Applications need to be submitted by 30 November 2022. If you have a child in Year 12, please encourage them to submit an application. Last year, Carroll College had four students (pictured in the photo below) who received this scholarship.

Our Year 10 students have the opportunity to attend the 2022 Year 10 Spring Soiree on Wednesday 19 October 2022 here at the College. This event is a great opportunity to enjoy a social event with friends, a light meal and dancing. Please make a note of this date and event in your family calendar. More information will follow for Year 10 families.

Flannel Friday

Our students have a good awareness of the social justice issues impacting their local community in particular the shortage of affordable housing. Year 12 has this issue as the focus of their final event to be held on Friday 16 September. For the donation of a gold coin, students are encouraged to wear their favourite ‘Flanno’ shirt. They can also buy raffle tickets for the chance to win an ‘Oodie’. Tickets are $2 each or 3 for $5. All money raised will help support Family Place in Moruya, a non-profit organisation offering support to families in need and our region's homeless with a range of free services and programs.

R U OK? Day

On Thursday 8 September our college acknowledged this significant day that focuses on mental health issues and the role we can all play in checking in and supporting each other. From our shared morning prayer to discussions in Homerooms, and visual displays around the college, students were encouraged to look, listen and act to support each other both at school and in their communities.

The Eurobodalla Youth Council had their monthly meeting on Wednesday 7 September. The main agenda item was the recognition of R U OK? Day and the activities being planned for the Youth during the next holidays in October with its focus on mental health.

During the meeting, Dr Michael Holland, Member for Bega had an opportunity to speak with the students from Carroll College and Moruya High School along with a volunteer from the R U OK? organisation. The group are pictured in the photo below.

Bethany Russell of Year 12 has been an active member of the Youth Council since Year 9. This was her last meeting. We would like to thank Bethany for her service to the Youth Council. I know that the team from the Council will miss her great ideas and active participation in all events. We all hope that Bethany can stay connected over the next couple of years.

Youth Activities for the school holidays

The Eurobodalla Council has planned activities to engage the youth of the local area over the holidays. Please check out the flyers below and encourage your children to attend. The free Active Art Workshops for people aged 12 -24 provide a creative outlet with an opportunity to showcase what is created at the end. Please make sure you register to avoid disappointment.

Stage 5 2023 Electives

This week Years 8 and 9 students were emailed their successful elective choices for 2023. If any student would like to request a change, please see Mrs Harris at the front office. Students will need to compete a form, which requires a parent’s signature. Please be aware that some courses are full, and others are nearly full, so we cannot allocate more students to them once they reach capacity. I hope all students are happy with their elective classes for 2023.

Year 10 Minimum Standards Tests

Year 10 students have completed their HSC minimum standards tests in reading, writing and numeracy over the past two weeks. It has been very pleasing to have the majority of our students reach the minimum standard. Congratulations Year 10! I have emailed students their results and they can access them by logging into their NSEA Students Online account. Any student who has missed a test, will catch-up over the next two weeks. I advise students to check Sentral daily notices for catch-up sessions.

Immunisations

We are coming to the end of the school immunisation program with our last round of clinics booked for Tuesday 18 October.

NSW Health will offer vaccinations to the following groups of students:

• Year 7 – Gardasil 2^nd dose and catch up Boostrix, Gardasil 1^st
• Year 8 – Boostrix, Gardasil 2^nd dose (catch up)
• Year 10 – Meningococcal (catch up)
• Year 11 – Meningococcal (catch up)

Catch-up vaccinations can only be administered to students who have returned a signed parent consent form at the start of last year.

Any parents of students in Years 7 and 10, who missed the clinics at the start of the year and would like their child vaccinated, can collect a Vaccination Card from the front office and return it to the college before October 18.

Year 12 Practical Marking

Next week, the HSC Music Practical Examination and Design and Technology Major Works will be marked. For our students, their performance or submitted works are an opportunity to explore an issue of personal interest and express ideas and opinions. They have developed these performances and major works over an extended period of time, under the supervision of Mrs Ros Maher (Music) and Mr Jason Szkwarek (Design and Technology). I congratulate all our students in finalising their major HSC projects and thank the teachers for their dedication and support to deliver works of a high standard.

This week's reminders:

• Week 9: Year 11 exams continue.
• Marking of the HSC Design and Technology Major Projects will take place on Wednesday 14 September and Music performances on Thursday 15 September.
• The SLT is holding a fundraiser for the Homeless on Friday 16 September. Students are encouraged to wear a Flannel shirt and bring a gold coin donation.
• Year 12 BBQ breakfast will be held on Tuesday 20 September from 7.30am in the senior courtyard.
• Year 12 Graduation Mass and Assembly will take place on the evening of Tuesday 20 September at St Bernard's Church, Batemans Bay.
• A college assembly and 2023 Senior Leadership Commissioning will be held on Wednesday 21 September.
• Year 12 will have their Farewell Lunch at Moruya Golf Club on Wednesday 21 September from 12.00pm.
• Year 12 Graduation Dinner will be held at Bay Pavilions, Batemans Bay on Thursday 22 September starting at 5.45pm.
• Thursday 22 September – last day of Term 3.
• Friday 23 September – Pupil Free Day.

Sandra Harris
Assistant Principal, Learning and Improvement

Congratulations to Tyler Cooper (Year 9) who was chosen as part of a 17-man squad for the under 15s NSW Country team to play at the National Youth Championships in Coffs Harbour during the September school holidays. Well done Tyler!

Congratulations to Noah Reid (Year 11) on receiving the U17's Best and Fairest for the AFL Sapphire Coast League for 2022. Fantastic achievement!

Charlton Fogarty
Sport Coordinator

Six staff and thirty senior students made their way to Jindabyne late on 19 August ready for our first senior snow trip since 2019. We were blessed with a big snow dump Friday night which meant Saturday presented nice soft snow for all ability levels. The students even got the chance to experience snow showers while we were there, which for those who were experiencing the mountain for the first time was very exciting. The students went off to their morning lessons apprehensive but came back excited. The rest of the day included another lesson and some on snow time with friends. We got back on the bus at the end of the day full of stories and smiles. The night time entertainment as always was hilarious and the kids took part in the spirit we intended. Sunday presented us with a perfect blue bird day! Sunshine and low winds made for excellent conditions for all. While there were some tired bodies and a couple of bumps and bruises, by the end of the day it was obvious how much fun everyone had had. It was back onto the bus to return our equipment and start the long drive back home.

I would like to thank Mr Hodges, Mr Fogarty, Miss Large, Ms Hopkins and Mr Coates for offering their time and expertise to assist with the running of the weekend. Also a big thank you to all the students who attended as they were exceptionally behaved and made it such an enjoyable weekend. We look forward to the senior snow trip in 2023!

Sean Mulally

• Electric and hybrid technology
• 5G integration and autonomous vehicles
• Building buses and trucks
• Study options and career opportunities

Students can register via the link in the flyer or via this link:

 https://tafenswevents.eventsair.com/launch-your-career-in-auto-ev/autoandav/Site/Register

 All those who register will be sent a recording of the webinar. 

Naomi Gill
Careers Counsellor & Pathway Specialist  

VET Business Service/ Hospitality Teacher 

Monday - Tuesday (Trinity Catholic College, Goulburn) / Wednesday - Friday (Carroll College, Broulee) 

Finance Update

Term 3 fee statements were emailed on 1 August with a due date of Friday 12 August.  Thank you to families who have made payments. Any recent payments will be receipted shortly. All families are emailed a fee statement including those who make regular payments. This provides information on where your account and fees are to the dates indicated and provides the opportunity to check your account.

Any families currently who have submitted a Fee Concession Application, your application process is currently underway.

Families assessed as having the capacity to pay fees are expected to pay their fees. Where families demonstrate an unwillingness to pay fees, the College will recover fees and this may involve referral to a debt collection agency. Additional costs incurred in the collection of fees are the responsibility of the debtor/parent/guardian.

Managing your Fees

The College recommends a regular payment approach to managing your school fees and to reduce the financial burden that delaying fee payments may cause. For example, a regular weekly or fortnightly payment through Direct Debit, BPay or Qkr! can assist in managing your school fees. The 2021 Fee Schedule is available on the Carroll College website – Enrolment/Fees. In this section of the website, there is also a Fee Calculator to assist families in determining fee payment amounts in managing their school fee payments. If you are unable to pay off your school fees in full by the end of the year, you will need to setup a Fee Agreement with the College. A fee agreement assists both the College and families in managing school fees. Please contact our finance team via finance.ccb@cg.catholic.edu.au to obtain Fee Agreement Form.

Fee Assistance – Concession Application

Currently enrolled families facing significant financial difficulty are able to apply for fee assistance. Fee assistance is income based and requires supporting documentation. You may be asked to meet to discuss aspects of your application and will be required to provide supporting documentation. Fee assistance can include:

• a payment plan (extends the payment period to 12 months and commits families to make ongoing payments to pay off school fees by the end of the school year)
• an extended payment plan (extends the payment period to greater than 12 months and commits families to make ongoing payments to pay off school fees over an approved, extended period of time)
• Fee Concession – partial reduction of fees and payment plan
• Fee Concession – full reduction of fees

Fee assistance is an annual application process based on your circumstances. In some situations, any reductions may be reviewed on a term by term basis, which would then require separate applications including supporting documentation at the start of each term. Where your circumstances improve during the school year, the College relies on families to get in touch, so that your fee assistance can be adjusted accordingly and the College is able to provide support to other families requiring assistance.

Government grants provide part of the funding required to operate the College. The balance of operating costs are funded through school fees. The ongoing operations of the College are dependent on parents paying the required level of fees. Every effort will be made by the College to recover fees from parents who are deemed to have the capacity to pay fees.

On the basis of the information provided in the Fee Assistance Form, the Fee Committee will determine an appropriate level of fee support based upon guidelines agreed to by Catholic Education Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn and Carroll College. The Fee Committee reviews fee assistance applications once per term, in the latter half of the term. Applicants will be then be advised of the outcome via email and letter. Please sign a copy of this letter and return via the envelope provided to the College. Following receipt of signed agreement letter, the concession will then be applied to your fees. Where you are granted a partial reduction in school fees with a payment plan, it is necessary that you commit to maintaining your payment plan. Where you are on a payment plan or extended payment plan, it is important to maintain those ongoing payments. If you need to change your payment plan arrangements, please get in touch with College as soon as practicable.

Change in Circumstances – Request for Split Billing

Where there has been a change to your family circumstances and you require split billing, this creates a variation to your school fee obligations from initial enrolment. Please request the Split Billing Request Form which needs to be signed and dated by both parents/guardians to take effect. Separate forms can be provided to each parent. This form requires parents to indicate the percentage split for fees and acknowledges your obligations relating to fees, levies and charges incurred while your child is enrolled at the College. Please contact our finance team via finance.ccb@cg.catholic.edu.au to obtain a Split Billing Request Form.

All information is treated and maintained confidentially.

If you require fee assistance, please contact Rhonda Forner, Business Manager by email at Rhonda.Forner@cg.catholic.edu.au

Rhonda Forner

Business Manager

Access to Natural Disaster Support

Given the challenges that 2020 to 2022 has presented, there are many avenues for support. These are listed below to provide some assistance.

https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/floods/financial-assistance

The National Recovery and Resilience Agency is able to provide assistance to individuals and families, businesses, not for profits, primary producers – everyone in our community following natural disasters including recent flooding. Their website address is:  https://recovery.gov.au/#/map

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/covid19/

Information on Jobseeker can be found at:

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/jobseeker-payment

Information on Newstart allowance:

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/newstart-allowance

Changes to Government Assistance:

https://ndh.org.au/covid19/covid-19-changes-government-assistance/

Emergency Financial Assistance

https://ndh.org.au/covid19/covid-19-changes-emergency-financial-assistance/

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/deferrals.

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

https://www.stgeorge.com.au/about/sustainability-and-community/disaster-relief/covid-19?pid=iac:br:COVID_2003::hpg_a

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

ING Bank

https://www.ing.com.au/help-and-support/coronavirus-covid-19.html?pid=vis:hph3:tstrdsgn2019:%20covidpaypause

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.

https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/

For additional support, other services available include:

Beyond Blue

https://coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au/

Life Line

https://www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/information-and-support/covid-19/

Headspace

https://headspace.org.au/

Handy Hints

When finalising payments on Qkr, please make sure to finalise anything that is in the cart on the top right-hand corner. If the cart is not empty and you do not have a receipt, this means the payment and consent has not been finalised. This includes any events or excursions that only require permission (eg. swimming consent notes). Once you have signed the permission note you will still need to ‘checkout’ at the end of the process to ensure the permission note is finalised. Thank you!

Qkr! is our preferred payment option. If you need help using this app, please contact the Office on 44 715600.