IMCC Newsletter 1 Friday, 5th February 2021

Welcome to the 2021 Academic Year Welcome to the 2021 school year. A very special welcome to our all new Year 7 students and the Years 8-­12 students and their families, who will be joining our school community.

We are very fortunate to welcome a talented group of new staff members: Mr Scott Andrijasevich – Social Sciences and Music Teacher Mr Darren Ballantyne – Assistant Deputy Principal Year 7 Mr Jon Barry – Mathematics Teacher Mrs Sharon Beer – Religious Education and Social Sciences Teacher Miss Tracy Bucowski – Canteen Assistant Mrs Raquel de Souza -­ Social Sciences Teacher Mr Sean Doe – Music Teacher Miss Jane Lee – Teaching Assistant Miss Jess McGaw – Dance Teacher Ms Kirsty Stevens – Canteen Assistant

Returning from leave are: Mr Neil Bright – Head of Physical Education and Outdoor Education Ms Tammy Brankstone -­ Drama Teacher Mrs Felicity Kennedy – Home Economics Teacher

Mrs Mery Jones has been appointed as Acting Head of Social Sciences for Term 1.

We congratulate all our new staff on their appointments. We wish them personal and professional success, and offer them the support of the College community.

College Opens on Monday 8th February We have commenced 2021 in the same style as 2020, with the spirit of generosity, a capacity to adapt quickly to changing situations and with patient objectivity to wait for information about what is to follow. I admire the capacity of our staff, students and families to do whatever is necessary to provide an excellent learning community for our students. It is a genuine reflection of our faith and the way that Sr Irene McCormack approached life and her work. We appreciate that many members of our school community have faced challenges with the Covid-­19 Lockdown and bushfires, and at the time of writing there could be heavy rain over the weekend. We also should recognise the efforts of all in Catholic Education Western Australia to support schools throughout our state, with a diverse range of conditions and circumstances.

Parish Information Clarkson Parish St Andrew’s Catholic Church Parish Priest. Fr. Dariusz Basiaga Tel: 9407 7512 E: standrewsclarkson@gmail.com http://www.standrewsclarkson.com/

Yanchep & Lancelin Pastoral Area Parish Priest. Fr. Augustine Puthota. Tel: 9561 2172

Ocean Reef Parish St Simon Peter Catholic Church Parish Priest. Fr. Franciszek Kot Tel: 9300 4885 E: stsimon@westnet.com.au

All students are required to return to school from Monday, 8th February. The College attendance procedures need to be followed if a student is absent. This includes contacting the school by phone and following up with a written note, and if necessary a medical certificate to the student’s Care Group teacher. Arrangements for School Opening The school will open on Monday 8th February for all students with the following considerations. All students, staff and visitors to school must wear a mask next week. The reusable fabric masks are most suitable. Students are to arrive at school before 8.25 am in readiness at the following assembly points:

Year 7 -­ The Undercroft terraced seating Year 8 -­ The Paul Rafter Centre Foyer Year 9 -­ D Block Courtyard Year 10 -­ F Block Courtyard Year 11 -­ Drama Room Year 12 -­ Library

If it is raining, Years 9 and 10 students will be directed to other areas. Year 7 students will use Periods 1 to 4 for organisation, and have their timetabled Periods 5 and 6 classes. Years 8 to 12 students will use Periods 1 and 2 for organisation in Care Groups and will have timetabled classes from Period 3. Requirement for Wearing Masks and Other Requirements All students and staff members will be required to wear masks at all times while at school. Please provide your child with a mask so that he/she is fully prepared for Monday. The patterns of the mask must be reflective of our College’s ethos, values and expectations.

• The mask requirement applies to classrooms, all learning areas and libraries, staffrooms and in school grounds/outside. It also includes travelling on public transport to and from school, as well as in private vehicles. Masks should also be worn in private vehicles if there is more than one passenger over the age of 12 years. Thus, anyone entering onto College grounds, even if in a car for school drop-­off, must be wearing a mask.

• Whilst all staff members must wear their masks while they are at school, when teachers are teaching, interacting with or caring for children, they are permitted to remove their masks, as the masks can interfere with their ability to clearly communicate with students.

• Unless a student has a valid medical exemption from wearing a mask, the clear expectation is that all students from Years 7 to 12 will be wearing masks. Any medical referral permitting non-­wearing of a mask by a student, must be via written medical certification to the student’s Assistant Deputy Principal.

• Students and parents are encouraged to take responsibility for ensuring all students have masks;; however, the College will maintain additional supplies to provide for those students who do not have them.

• Students should not attend school if unwell, and should stay home and be tested. • Visitors to the College are restricted this week. Parents, caregivers and visitors must

make an appointment by phone or email in advance, wear a mask, sign in with contact details and adhere to COVID-­safe guidelines while they are on a school site.

• The College will continue to maintain and encourage good behaviours to prevent the spread of disease. This includes frequent handwashing, respiratory hygiene and physical distancing where possible.

• Students will be required to wear masks during class and break times, including playing on the oval, or handball in the undercroft for example.

• Students may take off their mask when eating, providing they are seated, and when participating in Physical Education class due to the vigorous exercise requirement.

The College will continue Covid-­19 cleaning regimes. Further Information If you require any other information or have any queries, you are welcome to email me -­ Robert.Marshall@cewa.edu.au. Information about the Government’s announcement is available on the wa.gov.au site. The latest health information is available through WA Health Department Coronavirus (COVID-­19) (www.healthywa.wa.gov.au) Parking and Traffic Flow Due to all students commencing school on the same day and the consideration for Covid-­19 precautions, parents and other car drivers are asked to be very considerate of others to follow and remain in cars, drop students off and leave the car park as quickly as possible. Due to traffic from St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School, patience will be required on surrounding roads before and after school. Uniform Shop Arrangements The Uniform Shop will be open for normal trade:

• Tuesday, 9th February from 8.00am to 10.00am and then 12.00noon to 4.00pm. • Thursday, 11th February from 8.00am to 11.15am.

Normally the Uniform Shop does not open on Mondays, however one staff member will be available to open the shop on Monday, 8th February from 9.00am to 10.30am and then 12.30pm to 4.00pm for emergency purchases. Please expect a reasonable wait in line and ensure that you wear a mask this week.

Year 8 and 11 Parent Evening – Information on the College Website Due to the restrictions next week, we will be unable to hold our scheduled Parent Information Evenings for Year 8 on Monday, 8th February and Year 11 on Tuesday, 9th February.

Consequently, our Assistant Deputy Principals, Mrs Michelle Smith Year 8, and Mr Matt Byrne Year 11, and Mr Andrew Billingsley, Deputy Principal, will produce a presentation covering the information that would have been shared on these evenings.

These presentations will be available on the College website from Wednesday, 9th February. I encourage you to view these presentations. If you have any questions regarding anything viewed in the presentation, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Smith or Mr Byrne.

At this stage our Parent Information Evenings for Years 7, 9,10 and 12, will take place in the Library starting at 6pm on the College calendar scheduled dates. I strongly encourage your attendance at your child’s Information Evening.

Congratulations to the Class of 2020 The College community celebrates the excellent achievement of all 2020 Year 12 students.

Certificate of Distinction for outstanding achievement in Years 11 and 12 ATAR, General and VET courses – Lewis Wood.

Certificates of Merit for meritorious achievement in Years 11 and 12 ATAR, General and VET courses -­ Abuk Ajo, Ronan Delgado, Jay Halifax, Jayde Hilson, Jamie King, Jacob Lewis, Jana Lombard, Shelbee Matthews, Kira Pinto Quinn. ATAR Scores above 90 – Ronan Delgado, Jay Halifax, Jamie King, Jacob Lewis, Lewis Wood.

We will have further information on the success of the Class of 2020 in the newsletters to come.

Excellent Learning Attributes 2020 In the coming weeks, certificates will be presented to students who achieved Excellence for Care Group and Course Learning Attributes on the 2020 report, to recognise their excellent work and contribution to the College. To receive this award, students are required to achieve excellent for the Care Group criteria of Punctuality, Uniform and Personal Grooming, Cooperation in Care Group and Participation in College Life. Students also needed to achieve a ‘Consistently’ rating in all courses for the Learning Attributes of Focused Towards Achievement, Effectively Organised, Behaves Responsibly, Completes Set Tasks and Works to the Best of Ability. Congratulations to the following students who reached the highest standard for Learning Attributes in 2020. It is pleasing that the number of students achieving this award continues to grow. This is an indication of the ongoing improvement by our students in regard to their academic work and commitment to extra-­curricular programs. Year 8 2021

Zoe Anderson Golding A William Atyeo Evans B Adrian Gonzalez Evans B Sara Meakins Golding A Michael O’Reilly Evans A Natalie Sering Golding B Sydney Snesar Golding B Alyssa Torrance Evans A Emma Welsh Golding B

Year 9 2021 Dante Armstrong Golding B Beatrice Arjon Golding B Roxsan Hamilton McGarry A Devon Johnson Golding A Paige Kirby McGarry A Sienna McGuinness McGarry B Hayley O’Toole Golding B Olivia Peskett Golding B Kaelyn Salt McGarry B

Year 10 2021

Tiffany Cruz Golding A Elloise Erikson McGarry B Katherine Wagenaar Golding B

Year 11 2021

Joshua Barnett Golding B Krystal Gapuzan Golding A Tanya Mavunga Evans A Kyan Newton McGarry B Joshua Sturgess Dunlea A Jessica Willis Evans A

Year 12 2021 Kirsty Carmichael Golding A Niamh Clarke McGarry A Lilli Harding-­Zapantis McGarry A Lillian Hutchinson McGarry A Jemma Innes Golding A Vivien Lettner Evans A Emelie Mathew Golding B Georgia McDiarmid Dunlea A Caoimhe McGuigan Dunlea B Charlotte Mullins Dunlea B Bianca Odongo Evans A Tahlia Pinch Dunlea B Kayden Scott McGarry B Hannah Watson McGarry A

A Message from Year 12 It is fair to say this term hasn’t started as smoothly as the College could have hoped for due to the COVID-­19 lockdown. On behalf of the Year 12 cohort, we would like to send our prayers to all families in these unusual times and would like to take a moment to reflect on those families that have been struck with the devastation from the fires. From everyone at Irene McCormack, our thoughts are with these families.

Being part of the Year 12 cohort, I can happily say we are all looking forward to an exuberant and exciting final year at the College. We will first be attending our Ball, which many have been looking forward to since the start of last year. The Ball will also be the beginning of our Year 12 chapter and as a Graduating class, we will be making memories together that will stay with us for a long time.

The Prefects and I look forward to 2021 being an amazing year for everyone, from the new Year 7 students to the graduating Year 12 students. Everyone will be involved in activities and events that we hope to hold throughout the year, and hope to incorporate new ideas into the College routine.

I hope everyone had a terrific break and is looking forward to a stupendous 2021.

Joshua Thew 2021 College Prefect Irene Wellbeing

The Irene McCormack Community continues to focus on the wellbeing of all our members -­ that is, our spiritual, mental, physical and social wellbeing. Alongside the anticipation and excitement to return to our beautiful College grounds to commence the new school year, we must also focus on our wellbeing whilst at home this week, staying Covid-­safe. For some of us, this is merely an extension of the Summer break, for others, this week may bring various challenges.

I invite you to reflect on what is in your own Wellbeing Toolkit:

• Who are the people you can contact who make you feel loved and supported? • What activities bring you wellness and vitality? • What are you/can you be grateful for?

It is helpful for people of all ages to regularly review their Wellbeing Toolkit (there is always room for more tools). If you feel you require further support in managing your wellbeing, please contact one of the following services:

• Head to Health (national government directory of digital mental health resources and supports) https://headtohealth.gov.au/

• Be You (a national initiative promoting mental health for young people) Click the link for access to wellbeing tools for adults and specific wellbeing tools for students https://beyou.edu.au/resources/tools-­and-­guides

• Kids Helpline (24 hrs) 1800 55 1800 https://kidshelpline.com.au/ • Headspace (free online support and counselling for students and their families)

https://headspace.org.au/eheadspace/

Parents and Caregivers, please contact the relevant Assistant Deputy Principal (ADP) for your child’s year with any concerns you have regarding your child’s wellbeing. You may wish to discuss a referral to the College Psychologist. Alternatively, feel free to contact me directly at angela.byrne@cewa.edu.au Mrs Angela Byrne College Psychologist

20 Year Celebrations

The McCormack Messenger All weekly McCormack Messenger newsletters are distributed by email. Back copies of The McCormack Messenger are available on the College website http.//www.imcc.wa.edu.au/news-­events.

Irene McCormack Catholic College Advisory Council AGM The Annual General Meeting of the Irene McCormack Catholic College Advisory Council will be held at the College on Monday, 22nd February. Parents wishing to attend the AGM and/or nominate for the Advisory Council are invited to email Mrs Kim Boscarino, Board Secretary, at admin@imcc.wa.edu.au by Monday, 15th February.

EDGE Passport 2 Employment Program During Term 4 2020, Year 12 student, Cooper Freegard, graduated from a seven-­week practical program with EDGE Employment Services. Passport 2 Employment is designed to empower students with the necessary skills for employment in a structured and safe learning environment, whilst motivating participants to achieve their education and employment goals. EDGE facilitators were impressed with Cooper’s dedication and enthusiasm throughout the program. Congratulations Cooper. Mrs Nicole Pearce Learning Support Coordinator

Dance Students of all year levels are invited to audition for the Dance and Cheerleading extra-­curricular Troupes. Audition Details Junior and Senior Dance Troupes on Wednesday, 17th February Cheerleading Troupe (for all ages) on Thursday ,18th February Auditions will run from 3.05pm to 4.10pm for both events. Students will be taught a short routine of a fusion of dance styles. Students should wear appropriate dance attire. Contemporary foot thongs or Jazz shoes are recommended. Students should be prepared to stay for the entire audition process and must be available to attend ALL rehearsals of the Troupes throughout the year. The College is celebrating its 20th year and along with a new year comes our 2021 Dance/Cheer Motto Bring it On. I’m excited to see what students can bring to Dance and Cheer, and look forward to making this year a memorable one. Miss Jess McGaw Dance Teacher

Career Development Parents can you offer assistance? This term we are holding the College Career Carousel and Expo on Tuesday, 23rd February and I am asking for your assistance. We would love our Year 10 students to have the opportunity to hear from a range of parents and representatives from across industries by selecting three, short 10-­minute presentations during the morning at the Career Carousel of Speakers. Your experiences are real life and valuable to students.

• Could you outline what is involved working a day in your trade area e.g.’A Day in the Life of a …….’?

• Or perhaps share your career journey across different industry areas and jobs since leaving school e.g. ‘My Journey so far……’?

• Could you provide advice to a young person interested in ‘Starting your own business….’? • Or on ‘What skills and qualities employers want….’ from a worker in your industry or

business?

I would appreciate your assistance either by attending in person, or by providing a recorded video presentation, for a 10-­minute session with two repeats, on Tuesday, 23rd February between 10.00am-­10.50am. If you can help or provide a friend or industry contact who may be able to help, please contact me by email chris.tonkin@cewa.edu.au. If you are not available on this date but are willing to share your experiences in another forum, such as a breakfast conversation with Year 11 & 12 students during the year, please email me. All support is welcome. Ms Chris Tonkin Career Counsellor

Community News

Mr Robert Marshall Principal