8 March 2011 No. 3 F R O M T H E P R I N C I P A L :

WORKS DAY

Saturday, 19 March 2011 —- from 8:15am

In preparation for College Open Day we need as many parents and sons to volunteer a couple of hours or even one hour to help with general maintenance,

gardening and painting.

Telephone Mr Keith Rugg (Administration Coordinator) 9808-1033 ext 125 or email

keith.rugg@hccryde.catholic.edu.au

Thank you.

Dear Parents and Friends of Holy Cross The MySchool data was released last Friday. It tells a very positive tale of the learning growth at Holy Cross. Holy Cross College is a truly comprehensive school and takes on students from the full range of abilities. I have long argued that Holy Cross’s academic success must be measured against the learning growth that we

produce. In 2010, the College experienced a 45% increase in Band 6 results, as well as NAPLAN growth in Year 9 16.5% above the average learning growth in New South Wales schools. All of the six publicly examined School Certificate sub-jects returned results above state average, from a candidature that was measured as average on entry in Year 7. The graph below compares where our Year 7 students were in 2008 and where they had moved to in 2010, as meas-ured by their NAPLAN results. It then compares that growth to the basket of schools the MySchool website has catego-rised as ‘like’ schools. Ironically, our weakest growth was in numeracy, where the raw results are in fact the best of all our results, well above State Average. Overall, though, you can see how strongly the College’s commitment to creating an authentic learning culture is bearing fruit.

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Reading Writing Spelling Grammar andPunctuation

Numeracy

All MySchools 'like' schools % growth Holy Cross % growth Continued Pg 2...

C R O S S R O A D S

From the Assistant Principal On Thursday March 17th we will have a short school liturgy from 9 – 9.30am to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the Hall.

I would like to invite parents to Wednesday morning Mass which is a regular event each Wednesday from 8 – 8.30am in the Chapel. It would be great to see parents join with the Holy Cross Community when ever you are able to.

Open Day is Sunday March 20th. Attendance is compulsory for all Year 7 students and all college councillors from Years 8 – 12. I would encourage other students to volunteer their time on this day if available. We also have the works day on Satur-day March 19th from 8.15am where again volunteers are needed from both parents and students. School will finish at 1.35pm on Friday March 18th for all students who commit to attending either the works or Open Day. All other students will help set up on this day from 2.15 – 3.05pm. Buses unfortunately can not come early so there will be supervision provided until the end of the day for those who require it.

Thursday March 24th will be a pupil free day. As staff will be off site on a Staff Development Day, there will be no school for students. Enjoy your week, Mr. Buxton. Assistant Principal Pastoral

RE NEWS

During the last two weeks students at both ends of the age spectrum have done Holy Cross College and themselves proud. Students from Year 7 visited All Saints College Liverpool to join with other students from our Patrician network. The Sydney school communities that were founded by the early Patrician Brothers take great pride in our common heritage and like-wise are grateful for the continuing support the Brothers provide us. The students had the opportunity to not only meet and hear from many of the Brothers but also took the chance to work with students from the other schools around the Patrician values that we hold in common.

All Year 7 students have now had the opportunity to spend time in our College Chapel with Father Robert Doohan, from Mortlake Parish, and myself. During these sessions we discussed some of the practices, vestments and vessels of our Catho-lic faith. We also took the opportunity to explore the may features of our Chapel that are common to all, such as the sta-tions of the cross, through to items that are uniquely ours, such as the record of fallen service men who were ex-students of the College.

At the senior end of the College Year 11 students took on an externally delivered course in Catechesis. This course equipped the students with the skills necessary to take forward the challenges of faith formation in our local public schools. Students gained skills in working with children, presentation techniques, scripture knowledge and also explored the legal implications of being a teacher in a primary school setting. Not only do the students deserve praise for their completion of the course but also for their numbers. Over 20 students volunteered their time to receive the training and take on the responsibility of Catechesis for the remainder of Year 11.

As we enter this important liturgical period of Lent I would like to publicly acknowledge the efforts of Ms Theresa Georges who will be offering to all students in our community an opportunity for quiet reflection and prayer. These opportunities will occur weekly in our Chapel at lunch times during this season as we prepare for the cen-tral feast of our year, Easter. David Matheson Religious Education Coordinator

From the Principal continued.. I believe that the tremendous growth that we have experienced in recent years has been driven by our Strategic Priorities 2009–2011. This growth is evidenced by the quality refurbishment of buildings and surrounds and by marked develop-ments in student learning growth. In 2011, we will undertake further strategic planning in consultation with our commu-nity to continue to drive our progress. The date set is 3 May from 5.00 until 7.00pm in the Patrician Centenary Hall. All the staff will be present as well as a selection of students and, I sincerely hope, a large contingent of the parent body. You will read more about this in the coming months, but please mark the date in your diary. Your presence on the evening will be a significant contributor to our ongoing success.

In cruce salus.

Adam Taylor Principal

Star of the Week – Massimo Romeo Year 7 Massimo Romeo is a consistently hard working student who always applies himself. He exhib-its Patrician values and models outstanding behaviour. Massimo is a class Councilor for 7 Han-nigan and he leads his Homeroom with pride.

Massimo is an organized young man who always offer to help not only his teachers, but also his peers. Congratulations to Massimo for being our star of the week. Massimo comes to us from St Anthony’s Primary School in Marsfield. Ms Natalie Russell Year 7 Coordinator

NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

Welcome to the first term of 2011 and it’s well under way! In the light of our pleasing English results in the HSC, SC and NAPLAN tests of 2010, we have been committed to starting the year continuing the momentum that these results have cre-ated. So, English classes from Years 9 – 12 have been working hard from Day 1 and, in most cases, an assessment task has already been completed. The Middle School ACE programme in Years 7 and 8 has met the challenge of the hard work set by the older years and, un-der the guidance of Mr Croucher and Mrs Russell, are already immersed in their project assessment tasks for Term 1. Project work is a great way to assess students’ understanding of the concepts and skills taught in the integrated classroom because it enables students to both work individually and in groups on a series of tasks. So, good luck to all the Stage 4 students as they continue to the completion of their projects. Year 9 students have already had their first assessment task completed, marked and returned. The Bridge to Wiseman’s Cove reading task allowed students to really demonstrate their understanding of their first novel study of the year. The novel takes students on Carl’s journey as he searches for his own identity and reconciles issues in his past life in order to move towards much more positive relationships. It’s a great read and a very realistic story containing the positive social values our young men need today. 2011 sees an expansion of the House Points system to include academic achievement. Boys achieving in assessment tasks can now be allocated House Points for this achievement. Therefore, it is with pleasure that I now publish the names of the Year 9 students who have achieved, not only successful personal results in the assessment task, but also points towards their House and its overall result for the year. Those Year 9 students are: Dwyer: Aaron Leone, Alec Doualetas , Joseph Gough Hannigan: Bayley Sironen, Nathan Skrivanic, Victor Shahen, Tristan Ulloa-Jonsson Gallagher: Dean Pollicina, Michele Romagnolo, Tyler Morris Delany: Nishan Aratoon, Daniel Cecere, David Buffin, Harris Cosgrove, Damon Deans Year 10 students are also waiting to hear how successful they have been in their first assessment task of the year, composing a narrative. After five weeks of intense coaching by their teachers in the art of creating an engaging narrative, the students of Year 10 put pen to paper last week to impress upon the marker their ability to create an interesting character in an origi-nal story. The names of the successful writers will be published in the Newsletter before the end of the term. This week, Year 11 Standard and Advanced students have been demonstrating their ability to engage an audience of people responsible for selecting the imaginary “Young Australian of the Year” candidate. The task of demonstrating how texts repre-sent the idea that “a strong human spirit is important for any journey” has kept the keen speakers of Year 11 very busy. Par-ents may have noticed their sons anxiously watching the clock as they practised in front of the mirror or, better still, in front of their brothers or sisters. These speeches are in progress, but the results will be published as soon as they are available. On a more social note, Year 12 Standard English students have an opportunity to attend a performance of Rainbow’s End , the play which is their prescribed text for the Area of Study : Belonging. The students in Year 12 have been studying this play since the start of the term so it is a great opportunity for them to view the play in performance rather than just read it aloud in class. Our tickets are for the performance at the Riverside Theatre in Parramatta on Saturday May 7th at a cost of $20. Fur-ther details are on the permission letter, available from class teachers. There is still a limited number of tickets available. As you can see, the English Department is working hard towards successful outcomes for your sons. Working together with you the parents, as well as the boys, will provide a secure and positive learning environment in which our boys will flourish. Please keep in touch with your son’s teacher, or myself, to assist with your son’s progress in as positive and proactive way as possible. Ms Rhonda Huntly English Coordinator

C R O S S R O A D S

Principal Adam Taylor with parents Mrs Camilleri, Musumeci and Lia with 2010 HSC High Achievers

Back row: Clayton Musumeci, Robert Selvaggio, Nathan Camilleri (College Dux)

Front row: Daniel Lia, Matthew Cappadona, Matthew Boyle. High Achievers Assembly,

25 February 2011.

Incoming Science Coordinator, Mr Paul Ainsworth and departing Science Coordinator, Mrs Joelle Camps Vazquez as Mr Taylor offers, in turn, a welcome and a

farewell. 2010 HSC High Achievers Assembly, 25 February 2011.

Year 9 Report

It is pleasing to see that the boys have returned with enthusiasm for the New Year. They are well groomed and have settled into the daily routine of school very quickly and positively. It is ‘the little things that matter’ that make our boys stand with pride and respect. On Thursday the 10th February, we had our first Year assembly where Mr Taylor, Mr Buxton and myself formally ad-dressed the boys as a year group. The focus was mainly on Respect and Responsibility and the academic importance of Stage 5. Mr Taylor spoke about the importance of “Respect for Self, Others and Family”. I believe if students can ‘look after each other’ and ‘work together’ that a positive learning environment can be created. Also there were discussions based on the College’s expectations of uniform, rules and regulations as well as the com-mitment of each student to apply themselves to all aspects of College life, both academically and on the sporting field. Year 9 were taken through the School website where you and your sons are able to access their timetables, assess-ment tasks, College letters and Crossroads. It is my expectation that all students ‘do the hard work’ and ‘make the sacrifices’ to achieve their personal best. Stu-dents must apply themselves to the best of their ability in assessments, exams, as well as extra-curricular activities, to achieve the most out of their schooling experience. It is imperative the boys understand that the rights they express to have are also the rights of every student in the class. I encourage the boys to discipline themselves with respect and responsibility in the classroom and on the sport-ing field. I would like to echo the words of Mr Buxton which he mentions at every College Assembly: “Students do not have the right to argue the toss with a teacher”. It is in the student’s best interest to use their teachers as educators and professionals at what they do to achieve the best results. Pastorally, Year 9 will be given many talks about issues that young men deal with. The first of these talks will be about: Drugs, Alcohol, Risk Taking and Safe Partying. By week 6 of the term, it is expected that all Year 9 students have the correct equipment for their subject areas. It is their responsibility to ‘embrace their future’ by attending school prepared to learn, participate and interact in their classes and on the sporting field. It is also imperative that each Year 9 student has their diary signed and viewed by a parent/ guardian once a week. In the words of Mr Taylor, we are A-Grade, not because we come first but rather because we ‘work hard, play hard and pray hard’. Year 9 – You have the POWER to be and do anything. Take the opportunities; ask the questions and cease the mo-ments! Yr 9 Coordinator Patrizia Tripodi

C R O S S R O A D S

Homework Help gets off to a great start. Twenty seven students joined Mrs Reeves, Ms Georges and myself for our first Homework Help of the year. The boys made their way to the library immediately after school on our first day, Monday, 7 March, where they had a quick snack followed by an hour dedicated to the completion of homework. They all enjoyed and benefited from the opportunity to complete their homework in a supported and relaxed environment, with ready access to resources such as computers and books. A wonderful side effect of the session was our observations of students collaborating with each other and older boys helping out with problems some of our younger students encountered. The research tells us that it is by teach-ing somebody else something that you really learn so we can be assured also of he benefits for the older students as teachers. Whilst Homework Help is in its infancy, we are convinced that this great start is a sign of the commitment of our students to their schoolwork and their recognition of the importance of homework.. The program gives the teachers the opportu-nity to get to know the boys better and to help them when they need the help. We are also quite certain that it removes some of the pressures associated with completing homework at home. On that note, at Holy Cross College, we acknowl-edge the education of your sons as a partnership with you and encourage those of you whose children are attending Homework Help to share with you what they achieve with us. Should your son wish to join the program, all details are available in the Letterbox section of the web site. Miriam Meaney Leader of Pedagogy

A once per term parent forum initiative

Guidance — Support — Communication

Term One Parents In Touch: How Can I Help my Son at School?

Date: Tuesday 15 March 2011

Time: 6.30pm-8.30pm

Place: Patrician Centenary Hall If you would like be part of the P&F team and help the in planning the topics to be used in the

Parents In Touch seminars contact one of the P&F committee or email PandF@hccryde.catholic.edu.au

Mrs Meaney with Ruairi Hayes Yr 7

Madison Vagg Yr 10 Eric Kent Yr 10 and Conor Quigley Yr 9

C R O S S R O A D S

SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE TO THE ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER

If you would like to receive an email copy of the CrossRoads Newsletter, either to your home or work email address please send an email to crossroads-request@hccryde.catholic.edu.au with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line. Make sure you send this email from the address to which you want your copy of the newsletter sent. If you want the newsletter for-warded to more than one address please follow this process from each mail account involved. (There are lots of grandparents and other family members who may also wish to receive the newsletter.)

*** If you no longer wish to receive an email copy of the Newsletter, please send an email to cossroads-request@hccryde.catholic.edu.au with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the Subject line making sure you send this email FROM the address to which you no longer want your copy of the newsletter sent.

C R O S S R O A D S

LEARNING SUPPORT CENTRE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR READING PROGRAM

Volunteer Tutors are needed to help our Year 7 students who struggle with reading and literacy. Tutoring is one-on-one with a student starting at 8.30 for 30 minutes. Training in the material is provided. If you have half an hour to spare one morning a week, we would love to hear from you. Please call Virginia Reeves, Learning Support Coordina-tor on 98081033.

SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR SCHOOL CERTIFICATE/HIGHER SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMS

Special Provisions, granted by the NSW Board of Studies, can provide the help of a reader/writer, separate supervision, extra time and extra time to rest. They may be approved for students who have a medical condition, mental health issues such as anxiety or a reading/writing disability.

SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION—2011 ST CHARLES BORROMEO, RYDE

The Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated in St Charles Borromeo Parish, Ryde on 4 & 5 June, 2011. Nomination Forms for the Parish Confir-mation Program are available only at the Information Evenings to be held in St Charles Church at 7.00pm on Tuesday, 22 March and Wednesday, 23

March, 2011. Nominees must be members of the parish, be baptised and be in year 6 or above. At least one parent or guardian of prospective nominees must attend one of these evenings. For enquiries or further de-tails, please contact the Parish Confirmation Program Coordinator, Nadia Baker (0412 669 956), or the Parish Office either by phone: 9807 2966 (Mon.-Fri., 10am-3pm), fax: 9807 2012, or email: office@stcharlesryde.org.au.

SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION—2011 OUR LADY QUEEN OF PEACE, GLADESVILLE

The Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated in Our Lady Queen of Peace, Gladesville on 28 & 29 May, 2011. Nomination Forms for the Parish Confirmation Program are avail-able only at the Information Evenings to be held in Our Lady Queen of Peace Church at 7.00pm on Tuesday, 15 March and Wednesday, 16 March, 2011. Nominees must be members of the par-ish, be baptised and be in year 6 or above. At least one parent or guardian of prospective nominees must attend one of these evenings. For enquiries or further details, please contact the Parish Pastoral Associate, Nadia Baker 9816 5045 (Wed - Thur, 9am - 3.30pm).

MCS Sports Report MCS Cricket Our Year 10 opens team faced off against St Dominic’s Penrith in the Semi Final. After securing the Minor premiership our boys were faced with a determined opposition. St.Dominics batted extremely well putting 139 runs on the board. Jordan Trovato did his best to limit the opposition by dismissing 5 batsmen in the innings. Faced with a tough run chase our boys got off to a solid start but unfortunately kept losing wickets at vital stages. Jake Henwood kept our hopes alive but our batsmen just couldn’t find the boundary on a regular basis. They eventually went down by 25 runs but showed great fight until the end. It wasn’t the end to the season they were looking for but they produced some great results throughout the competition. The team should be very proud of themselves. A special thanks goes to Mr. Kemp for coaching the team. MCS Football The MCS Football competition is approaching quickly. Our boys had a solid trial against St Patrick’s Marist Dundas last week. With another trial against Eastwood this week our teams should be finely tuned for the season opener in week 7. Good luck to all students trialing for these teams. MCS Rugby League The MCS Rugby League season doesn’t begin until week 1 of Term 2. Students are training in their squads during Thurs-day sport with trials planned for the last weeks of term 1. The first stage of the new CCC cup competition is next week. Good luck to all boys trialing and competing for the school. MCS Swimming Congratulations to those students who participated in the Elite & Year 7 Swimming Carnival (see photos below). Win-ners will now progress on to the MCS Swimming Carnival on Wednesday 9th starting at 6:00pm. The venue has been moved to the Olympic facilities at Homebush. Good luck to all students who qualified for the carnival. We wish you well.

Duke Of Edinburgh The first Duke of Edinburgh expedition is planned for April 1st and 2nd this term. The expedition will be in Berowra Regional Park and is available for all students in Years 9 and 10. The trip is targeted as a Bronze practice expedition where students will hike for 2 days. It should be a great challenge for all students involved. All students in years 9 and 10 will receive detailed notification about the expedition. All permission slips and money need to be returned to school by Monday March 14th. A few reminders for 2011. Medical Appointments Students are not to make any medical appointments during Thursday afternoon sport. Thursday afternoon sport is an integral part of our student’s growth and learning and it is essential that they are at their designated sport each Thurs-day. Thanks for your continual support with this in 2011. House Shirts A reminder to all students that they must have their house shirt with them every Thursday for sport. If they fail to do so they will not be able to attend their sport and could remain at school until 3:00pm. It is a school requirement to bring and wear your house shirt during Thursday sport. Mr.Whitty Sport Coordinator Elite & Year 7 Swimming Carnival 3/3/11

Photos by Liam Brundle Yr11

C R O S S R O A D S

Letter Box Letter Date Contents 7/2/11 Duke of Edinburgh Yr9 & Yr10 2/3/11 Welcome Parents of Yr10 1/3/10 MCS Swimming Carnival 28/2/11 Open Day & Works Day 28/2/11 Homework Help 23/2/11 Public Speaking www.holycrosscollege.org/newsandevents/letterbox.php

C R O S S R O A D S

HCC SECOND HAND UNIFORM SHOP NEXT OPEN

Wednesday 15 March 2010 8.15am—9.15am

Located in the Bishop Carroll Building

HCC Coming Events - 2011 9 Mar Ash Wednesday MCS Swimming Carnival

10 Mar MCS Cricket Finals

11 Mar CSDA Public Speaking Comp Zone Final

14 Mar NSW All Schools Cricket U/19 Boys Championships till 18th. CCC Golf Strokeplay 27 Holy Championships Pentecost Consultation with Student Leaders Literacy The Next Step

15 Mar SSA Triathlon till 18th CCC Hockey boys Open Selection @ Newcastle Parents In Touch: How Can I help My son with His Homework 6.30pm

16 Mar Wednesday Morning Mass 8am

17 Mar St Patrick’s Day Rd1 RL/FB CCC Basketball Regional Closing Date Whole School Liturgy in hall 9am

18 Mar CSDA Public Speaking Comp Final CCC Volleyball Closing Date St Charles Cross Country

19 Mar College Works Day 8.15am—1pm

20 Mar College Open Day 10am—2pm

24 Mar Staff Development Day—Pupil Free Day

Holy Cross College UNIFORM SHOP Located next to the Chapel, in the Bishop Carroll Building

Normal Opening Times

Tuesdays: 8.00am—9.30am Fridays: 8.00am—9.30am Enquiries: 9449 9777 Email: andrew@cowanlewis.com.au Fax: 9440 8931

Week Beginning

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Group 1 28 Mar 9 May 6 Jun

Terrie McConnell Alyson Mitchell Dobres Kew

Connie Warren Mary Cox

Helen Burton Roseanna Nolan Alexis Sivri

Chatkaew Pitaksa Annmarree Lavery Rose Capraro Maria Bolos

Sharon Boyle Sylvia Georgakopoulos Helen Williams Jane Rungwerth

Group 2 7 Mar 4 Apr

16 May

Terry Hulme Lesley Saunders

Dee Flanagan Megan Dessent

Angela Blasonato Silvia

Janine Jasson Irene Bayer Christine Rudge

Jessie Raptis Lisa Vasilikas Antoinette Hezlett

Group 3 14 Mar 23 May 20 Jun

Simone Wilson Narelle Camroux Sandy Harwood

Rita Sciancalepore Rick Mustillo

Wafaa Abi-Saab Michelle Baker Ann-Maree Lawrence

Anne Golding Michelle Skrivanic Caroline Galanos

Rose Le Febvre Chris Heyes Lhan Gannon

Group 4 21 Mar 2 May

30 May

Norma Sciara Lisa Wilkinson Margie Simpson

Judy Kenny Tracey Henwood Laurie Bissaker

Maria Kokkaris Nicole Slater Karen Buckley

Nicole Mather Jo-anne Plug Jeannine Smith Rina Romeo Sinead Kent

Lyn Armitage Cathy Clapham Bronwyne Collinson

Canteen Roster 2011

Thank you to the parents who have volunteered. If you wish to volunteer or if you are unable to come on the day

you are rostered please call Lorraine on 9808-1033 ext 120 CANTEEN SPECIAL Crumbed Fish on a Roll with Lettuce and Mayo.

$3.00 - MUST BE ORDERED