I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Headmaster’s

News

1

Mission 2

From the

Deputy

2

Year 7 News 2

Student

Profiles

3

Teaching and

Learning

3

Sports News 4

Other News 4

St Gregory’s College

Campbelltown 1 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 V O L U M E 4 9 , I S S U E 1 8

U P C O M I N G

E V E N T S

4-6 December

Year 10 Camp

7 December

Academic Awards

Night:

6.00pm Years 7-8

7.30pm Years 9-10

8 December

9.00am Christmas

Mass

Term 4 concludes

30 January 2018

Term 1 commences

2 February

9am Dux Assembly

5 February

Year 7 Parent Forums

9.00am and 7.30pm in

the Hermitage Room

7 February

Year 11 2018

Information Night

9 February

9am Opening Mass

Headmaster’s News Dear Members of the St Gregory’s Family, The season of Advent is upon us as of next Sunday. This is the time of hope and expectation when we are preparing for the coming of Christ. As in any preparation when someone is coming, we tend to ensure that everything is ready and our house has been put in order for the guest’s arrival. It is the same with the coming of Christ. It is an opportunity to reflect on our relationship with our God and decide where we are at with it. It allows us time to improve where we are at so that we are in good shape to accept and be ready for the joyous occasion of Christ’s birth. St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal The St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal is in full swing at present and I would encourage all our families to continue to support this wonderful drive. There will be many families who will be helped by the contribution of the College community. Cricket Billets Thank you to the many families who were prepared to open their homes to the Marist Cricket teams from across Australia. This is very important as the competition could not run without the support of the families, as it would make it out of reach for many families due to the financial contribution that would have to be forthcoming. We are hosting five schools this year and then next year, our team will be travelling to Perth to play at Newman College. Junior School Last week, the College hosted an Information Evening for the Junior School parents and it was well attended and received by the many families that we have enrolled. On the Thursday, the Junior School held an Orientation Afternoon. The children met their teachers for the first time, along with a number of the College Student Leaders. I was very thankful that the new staff made it a priority to be present and support the afternoon as they had previously done on the Tuesday evening. We are very fortunate to have a staff joining us that are so dedicated. Year 10 Activities Many thanks to the staff who gave of their time over the last two weeks so that the Year 10 students could have the benefit of the opportunities that were on offer in the way of camps and trips as well as work experience. I am sure that all students will benefit by the experiences. Academic Awards Evening The Academic Awards evening for Years 7 -10 will be held on Thursday 7 December commencing at 6.00 pm for Years 7 and 8 followed by Years 9 and 10 at 7.30pm. The Awards Ceremony will take place in the College Hall. Students who are receiving awards will receive an invitation by early next week. Christmas Mass A reminder that the final College Mass for the year will be held on Friday 8 December at 9.00am in the College Hall. This is always a special Mass as it is our last one for the year but also it is the time when we hand over the Christmas Appeal Collection to St Vincent de Paul. This Mass is always followed by a College Assembly in the afternoon in order to farewell staff who are leaving the College. Quae Seminaveris Metes.

Damien Millar Headmaster

Mission

As we approach the end of the school year and anticipate the holidays, we also look back at the year in reflection. Our theme of Awaken was an effective one for me personally as I prepared each of our liturgical celebrations. We began the year with a blank canvas, ready to create a year of memories and achievements. We used the sky as our metaphor, beginning in the darkness, then welcoming the dawn. As the sun rises, the colours begin to form.

This same metaphor helps in our understanding of Christmas and the significance of the birth of Christ in our world. In ancient times, so it has been recorded, the pagan festival of the Sun was celebrated at the time of the Winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere, around the end of December. This ancient practice of sun worship was evident all around the world. When we think about what the light does to the dawn, it is easy to understand why people of ancient times showed so much respect for the sun.

The traditional Christian belief is that Christ was born at midnight and so began the new tradition of worshipping the Son. In Bethlehem all those years ago, Mary and Joseph celebrated the birth of their baby; from the material darkness came the light of the world. Just as the shepherds and the Wise Men went eagerly to the crib to adore the Lord and to receive His gift of light, so too do we. During this year, the glory of the Lord has indeed been shining on us. We have many blessings. We are challenged now to take up the light which is Christ and let it shine through us. Wishing you a happy and holy Christmas! Send forth Your Word Lord and let there be light.

Cathie Clarke, Director of Mission/RE Coordinator

Year 7 News Hi, my name is Liam Croker and I am a student in Year 7. I have come into St Gregory's College knowing no-one. I was the only student from my primary school to attend St Gregory's College. At first, I felt nervous that I did not know anybody. If it were not for the opportunity to participate in co-curricular activities, I would not have the friends I have today.

The co-curricular activities I have participated in during Year 7 are MCS Soccer, MCS Cross Country and MCS Athletics. For my MCS Soccer, we made it to the grand final but sadly lost. We were all there for each other and said, “Well we can try again next year boys.”

I have made most of my friends through these activities. For us to make it to the grand final in Year 7, it shows that throughout the season we have created a strong bond together. Our coaches and teachers have been there for us along the way and supported us. Our coaches have trained us hard and we have created that bond with them too.

Throughout this year, I have learnt you can make new friends throughout your sports even if you come into this school knowing no-one. I would advise anyone to give co-curricular activities a go. It helped me.

Liam Croker (Year 7)

Arise

Jerusalem,

and shine

like the sun.

The glory of

the Lord is

shining on

you.

School Bus Travel and OPAL Cards

We have been advised by one of our bus providers that students are not tapping on with their OPAL cards when boarding buses. Transport NSW uses statistics from student OPAL cards usage when allocating buses to each school. We do not wish to have a situation where we may possibly have reduced numbers of buses allocated to us and therefore ask that all parents of bus travellers to please reinforce with their sons the importance of tapping on. It is also stated in Transport NSW Code of Conduct that “failure to use an OPAL card when boarding buses is categorised as unacceptable behaviour and two or more instances of this can result in withdrawal of bus travel passes. This Code of Conduct can be found at https://apps.transport.nsw.gov.au/ssts/#/studentCodesOfConduct.

No Knives at School

Parents and students are reminded that it is against the law for students to have a knife in a public place or at school. The NSW Department of Education and Communities fact sheet regarding this issue can be found at No Knives at School.

Barry Graham, Acting Deputy Headmaster

From the Deputy

Student Profiles Congratulations to the following Award winners of the recent MAD (Music, Art and Drama) Showcase:

Teaching and Learning

Learners for the 21st century – Part 3 In my last newsletter entry, I shared the learning preferences of a large group of Year 11 students. They identified that the learning they preferred centred on sitting passively in class and receiving information from teachers. I would suggest that this is certainly one way to learn information that can be used to pass a test. But does it pass muster as anything other than a short-term strategy for a short-term gain?

If you have read any of my previous articles, you will hopefully recognise that the answer is “no!” Throughout this year I have presented a series of articles on the characteristics of good learners. Drawing from many strong research frameworks, I have shared with you a range of some of these characteristics:

Good Learners: Ask questions

Maintain positive relationships with their teachers Set goals and identify strategies to achieve them Are active learners Know the value of struggling to learn something new

Have a growth mindset Are collaborative learners

As it turns out, these characteristics fit beautifully with where education is now taking us; to learn how to be learners, so that remembering information is no longer the sole indicator of how good we will be in anything after school. Students have asked clearly for so long, “What good will Shakespeare be to me when I leave school?” “I’m going to be a florist; why do I need to know about polynomials?” And to be honest, it’s sometimes been a real grapple to find a satisfactory answer (“You just do, so get on with it”?)

I think the real answer can finally be found in the new thinking of our universities and workplaces. On Macquarie Bank’s recruitment page, for instance, they describe what qualities they are looking for in prospective employees:

…most roles involve broader responsibilities and you will learn most of what you do on the job. Employers know this, which is why they tend to focus on the applicant’s aptitude, soft skills and personal characteristics.

Employers also realise the importance of having a diverse workforce…Diversity is certainly an area of focus at Macquarie, with the business acknowledging that the broad range of backgrounds and perspectives our people bring allow us to think differently to solve problems.

Macquarie Group Careers - https://www.macquarie.com/au/about/careers/articles/three-essential-tips-for-prospective-interns

Learning Shakespeare or polynomials, when you don’t want to, becomes important because your tenacity, your resilience, your commitment and your ability to take responsibility for your learning are the soft skills and personal characteristics necessary for workplace, and indeed life, success.

So to be learners for the 21st century, our young people, with us to guide them, really need to start working a little more outside their ‘comfort zones’ to develop those skills and attributes that will allow them to pass tests and be effective learners more broadly.

Louise Millar, Director of Teaching and Learning

Finley Thorpe Year 7

Tadhg Chretien Year 8

Jeremiah Fisher Year 9

Ernesto Guntan Year 9

Jodi Weisz Year 9

Zac Mills Year 10

Alexander Sokolsky Year 12

Kurt Mills Year 12

Harrison Tallack Year 11

Taylor Bollmann Year 11

Daniel Formosa Year 10

Sports News MCS Results

Other News Victor Chang Medal

On 16 November Lachlan Saunders from Year 11 received the Victor Chang Medal – awarded by Western Sydney University and Campbelltown City Council.

This award recognises a Year 11 student who has achieved at the highest level in Science, and is encouraged to pursue a career in Science.

Lachlan finished first in Science in Year 10 in 2016 and a high distinction in the Science competition, and was first in both Chemistry and Physics this year.

Well done Lachlan on this achievement.

John Dinnen, Acting Science Coordinator

ISA SUMMER SEASON UPDATE

Results for Round 5 Basketball 1st Grade 62 St Stanislaus 93 2nd Grade 43 St Stanislaus 34 Under 15 38 St Stanislaus 29 Under 14 25 St Stanislaus 41 Under 13 24 St Stanislaus 21 Cricket 1st Grade 10/109 All Saints College, Bathurst 5/110

Sam Cantwell (32 n.o.) Jack Caldwell 3/19

Results for Round 6 Basketball 1st Grade 71 Redfield 63 2nd Grade 45 Redfield 29 Under 15 44 Redfield 42 Under 14 11 Redfield 37 Under 13 26 Redfield 18 Cricket 1st Grade 10/160 St Patrick’s 10/136

Jake Elphick (47) Jack Caldwell 3/17

Max Spencer,

Director of Boarding/ ISA Sport Coordinator

Basketball Round 6: a win against St Andrews Marayong, and 2 wins and 1 loss against All Saints College, Liverpool. Round 7: 4 wins and 1 loss against St Patrick’s, Dundas. Cricket Round 6: 6 wins against Trinity and St Paul’s Colleges as well as a win to our 3rd Grade against St Greg’s 4th Grade. Round 7: 1st Grade had a bye and all other teams won against teams from Trinity College, Marist Eastwood, Patrician Brothers, Blacktown and All Saints Liverpool.

Downie Shield Cricket In Round 3 of this competition, St Greg’s 1st Grade team defeated Christian Bros, Lewisham and will proceed to Round 4 to be played early next year.

Mitchell O’Brien, Acting Sports Coordinator

The full reports for Weeks 6 and 7, including photos can be found in the Sports section of the website

45th Annual Marist Cricket Carnival

St Gregory’s College is hosting the 45th Annual Australasian Marist Cricket Carnival from 5 December – 12 December.

Six colleges from all around Australia will be participating in the Carnival with games commencing on Wednesday 6 December at the St Gregory’s College Cricket Ground, The Raby Sports Complex and on Friday 8 December at Memorial Avenue Cricket Field in Ingleburn as well as the Bradbury Oval Cricket Ground on the Parkway.

Participating teams are: Marist College Ashgrove Catholic College Sale

Marist-Sion College Warragul Newman College Churchlands Marist College Bulleen

St Gregory’s College

Your support is welcomed at the cricket matches. The draw for the Carnival will be available on the College website on 5 December.

We look forward to an exciting week of cricket!

Kate Stott, Acting Development Officer

Academic Awards Evening

Thursday 7 December 2017

In the Brother Luke Hall

Years 7 and 8

Commencing promptly at 6.00pm

Years 9 and 10

Commencing promptly at 7.30pm

Parents of Award recipients will be emailed.

Students are to attend wearing summer uniform