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.

My career path story is for the students who have no idea what they want to do after

school! I was one of those annoying people who always knew what I was going to do when school was over - I was going to be a journalist!

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

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