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.

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