20 Years of being ‘Enlivened by the Spirit’

AQUINAS CATHOLIC COLLEGE MENAI

23rd July, 2012 Vol.19.No.16

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

After a period of community consultation the College Leadership Team is pleased to be able to ratify the naming of a number of College locations in honour of our House Patrons. From Term 4 the following areas will be known as;

Formerly Upper Paved Nagle Pavilion New pavilion adjacent to John Paul II Hall La Salle Pavilion New Pavilion beside the Oval Rice Pavilion

As previously mentioned it would be our intention to name the chapel slated in the College Master plan, MacKillop Chapel with the adjacent outdoor covered area the ‘home’ for MacKillop House gatherings. In the interim the Para Pavilion would be used as a base for MacKillop. It would then be our hope, where possible, to dedicate these areas in the 2013 school year.

A reminder to all students and families, and in particular Year 11 with exams in Weeks 9 & 10 of this term, to make use of the Enhanced Learning Educational Services [ELES] Study Skills Handbook website. To access the handbook visit the website; www.studyskillshandbook.com.au and use the following Username and Password: Username Aquinas Password 10success The Catholic Education Office, Sydney manages a number of strategic management processes that aim to celebrate the Catholicity of Archdiocesan schools and to enhance the learning outcomes for students. To this end Aquinas will undergo a Cyclical Review later this term. This process is undertaken every five years and is the first for Aquinas in what is a new strategic management cycle. We look forward to the visit of the Review Panel to the College and its feedback which will then inform our next three year Strategic Improvement Plan from which flows our Annual Improvement Plans. I would also like to inform the community that the 2011 Annual School Report to the Community is now available on the school’s website and in hard copy in the College foyer. To access the Annual Report from the website, click on the ‘About Tab’ and then select the ‘Annual Report’ tab in the left hand column.

Anzac Road Menai NSW 2234 Phone 9543 0188 Facsimile 9541 0398 admin@aquinasmenai.catholic.edu.au www.aquinasmenai.catholic.edu.au

LaSalle Pavilion

Nagle Pavilion

Rice Pavilion

Proposed area for MacKillop Chapel

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Key Dates Week 2 (B) Term 3

Roberts Nastasi Assistant Principal

FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Monday 23rd July Assessment free week for Year 12

Cochrane Cup Rugby League at 1.30pm Aquinas Catholic College oval

Tuesday 24th July Assessment free week for Year 12

Year 7-9 Parent/Student/Teacher interviews, 3.30pm to 7.30pm in College Hall

Wednesday 25th July Assessment free week for Year 12

Year 7-9 Parent/Student/Teacher interviews, 1.00pm to 7.30pm in College Hall. NO CLASSES THIS DAY

Thursday 26th July Assessment free week for Year 12

Aust. National Chemistry quiz Year 11 & 12

Red Cross presentation for select Year 11

Red Cross presentation for select Year 11 Friday 27th July Assessment free week for Year 12

Red Cross presentation for select Year 11

Sport

I came across the following prayer that is not only most appropriate for the Australian church’s ‘Year of Grace’ but also for our Year 12 students as they prepare for next week’s HSC Trial examinations; They hastened on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place to wait for you. Today, we hasten in cars and planes and computers and trains, but we do not find the place. Where to look? In crowds, and deserted places? When we are being carried; when we carry others? Lord, you know that we need to find you in all things, In whatever we do, wherever we are, Whomever we are with…. We need you! Please also keep in your prayers the Coelho family on the occasion of the passing of Jordan’s [Year 9] grandfather. James Corcoran Principal

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Religious Education at Aquinas

Reflection on the Gospel

In Sunday’s Gospel (Mark 6:30-34) Jesus said to the apostles ‘You must come away to some lonely place by yourselves and rest for a while’. Today, many of us have excessive demands on our time and energy. This was an issue for Jesus and the Apostles as well. Rest from work, rest from the busyness of life, is a key factor to success. In this Gospel we learn that balance between work and rest is an obligation of our faith. Rest, recreation and leisure are not indulgences which we should feel guilty about – they are rights defended by Christ and protect our human dignity.

Adapted from a reflection by Fr Richard Leonard SJ

This term, students will focus on various topics in their Religious Education lessons. The following is a list of topics each year group will study:

Year 7 – Old Testament: Overview; Ways People Pray; God and People in Creation

Year 8 – Ways of Being Catholic; Living the Christian Life

Year 9 – Literary Forms in the Scriptures; Old Testament: Selected Texts

Year 10 – Working for Justice in Australia; Major Christian Denominations; Personal and Moral Responsibility

Year 11 Catholic Studies – Being Catholic

1 unit Year 11 Studies of Religion – Religious Tradition Study: Christianity

2 unit Year 11 Studies of Religion – Religions of Ancient Origin; Religion in Australia Pre 1945

Year 12 Catholic Studies – Catholic Moral Teaching and Conscience; Mission, Leadership and Ministry

1 unit Year 12 Studies of Religion – revision of all units and preparation for examination

2 unit Year 12 Studies of Religion – revision of all units and preparation for examination As Year 12 Studies of Religion students revise and prepare for their Trial HSC during the examination periods students are reminded that they can access resources from the recent SOR HSC Day they attended at http://www.ceosyd.catholic.edu.au/Parents/Religion/Pages/HSCStudiesofReligionFocusDay.aspx. May we keep all Year 12 students in our prayers over the coming weeks. Mrs Catherine Nolan Acting Religious Education Coordinator

Did you know?

This Thursday, 26th July, the Church remembers and

celebrates the lives of St Joachim and

St Ann, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  

Practical Idea: Take one minute before you begin your day to reflect on

the deep graces that fill your life.

20 Years of being ‘Enlivened by the Spirit’ 4

Year 10 RE Incursion – Village Space On Thursday, Year 10 attended an incursion for Religious Education, a performance by actors from Catholic Mission. The actors presented on the theme of ‘Indigenous Struggles’, linking to the unit Year 10 is currently studying called ‘Working for Justice in Australia’. The interactive performance focussed on the injustices that indigenous peoples have faced in both Aus-tralia and the PNG. It explored the hardships faced from a historical perspective and the actions of peo-ple who stood up against the injustices of their time, in a humorous and engaging way. Below are some reflections from students, as well as photo’s from the day. Many thanks to the group of students who took on a special role during the performance. Mrs Catherine Nolan Acting Religious Education Coordinator

‘The actors did a great job of using props and music to further explain the injustice these people were experiencing, while still making it an enjoyable learning experience for us.’ Mia P

‘I learnt about the racism and the struggles that indigenous people went through. The performance was

fun to watch and I enjoyed it because they involved the audience and made it funny.’ Liam B

‘I think the performance has helped cause awareness and has allowed people to empathise with the in-justices placed upon people’. Jessica P

Retreat day for Carers - All men and women who provide support and care to a person who is elderly or with a disability, mental illness, chronic condition or terminal illness, are invited to a guided retreat day on Saturday 11 August 2012. The day will be led by Bishop Terry Brady and Sister Antonine of the Missionaries of Charity and will include two talks with times for prayer, meals and Mass. The day will be held at the Mt Schoenstatt Shrine and Retreat Centre, Mulgoa. The cost of the day, including meals is $10. Enquiries and registration can be directed to LMFevents@sydneycatholic.org or 9390 5283.

Mass for Pregnant Women - On Sunday 9 September at 10:30am, His Eminence Cardinal Pell will celebrate the Annual Mass for Pregnant Women at St Mary’s Cathedral. All women who are expecting a baby and all those who would like to show support for pregnant women are welcome. A morning tea will follow in the Cathedral Chapter Hall. Enquiries and registration can be directed to LMFevents@sydneycatholic.org or 9390 5283.

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GIFTED EDUCATION NEWS

INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY DAY

Year 9 and 10 students are invited to attend An Introduction to Philosophy – Year 9/10 Cluster Day at Holy Spirit Lakemba on Tuesday 16th October. The guest speaker will be philosophy lecturer, Doctor Kerry Sanders from Sydney University’s Centre for Continuing Education. Her areas of specialisation include aesthetics, phenomenology, postmodernism and political philosophy. Dr Sanders is a regular presenter on the Philosopher’s Zone on ABC radio and has even presented a talk on Hamlet to our Year 11 students. This should be a very informative and interesting day. Interested students are invited to apply via email to cathy.capovilla@aquinasmenai.catholic.edu.au by Monday 30th July. Mrs Capovilla Gifted Education Coordinator

Has your child received a psychometric report indicating they are intellectually gifted?  

Would you like clarification on what the report means?  

Would you like to develop a better understanding about  how you might be able to support  your child’s intellectual development?  

 

Would you like to develop a better understanding of how to cater for your child’s affective development?  

Thursday  23rd August 2012   7.00 p.m. – 9.00pm  

CEO Southern Region, 300 The River Rd, REVESBY  

Fiona Smith and Dr Minh Nguyen--‐Hoan Specialising in the assessment and counseling of gifted & creative children and 

adolescents.   

RSVP :  Rebecca Besly rebecca.besly@ceosyd.catholic.edu.au   With the following details: ‐Your name , ‐Child’s name , ‐Child’s school  , ‐Child’s current grade 

Southern Region Invites you to a  

Parent Information Evening 

My child is intellectually gifted… What does this mean?

 

With Fiona Smith and Dr. Minh Nguyen‐Hoan

20 Years of being ‘Enlivened by the Spirit’ 7

Literacy and Numeracy Term 3 Attention all Year 12 students Would you like some assistance with essay writing/extended responses in the lead up to HSC? I am able to help with:

Essay structure

Formal language development

Clarity of ideas

Expression

Examination technique

Planning for your essay Book an appointment with me by writing your name on the timetable on my office door. Mrs Wilson Literacy and Numeracy Teacher

The grand finals of the Regional Catholic Schools Debating Competition took place last Tuesday evening at Marist College Penshurst. We had our Year 8 and Year 9 teams both competing against St. Patrick’s College, Sutherland which proved to be both a challenging and exciting debate for both teams. Our Year 8 Team debaters were James Black, Laura Muller, Jack Pethybridge and Jenna Rodriguez. Our Year 9 Team was Joshua Bradstock, James Carroll, Johnny Ibrahim and Ben Szymura.

While both teams are to be commended upon their outstanding performance throughout the season, Year 9 is to be congratulated on their victory and becoming the first team to win the grand finals in quite some time at Aquinas College. This is quite an achievement and the boys should be extremely proud. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Cathy Fensom and Mrs Jean Buttling who generously volunteered their expertise as adjudicators throughout the season. We would also like to extend a thank you to all the parents and families for your support over the term, especially Mrs Ibrahim who stepped in as an adjudicator when we were in dire straits! We look forward to seeing you next year for what will hopefully be an equally successful year. Miss Curis & Ms Roche Debating Coordinators

DEBATING AND PUBLIC SPEAKING NEWS

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Aquinas Archibald Awards In Semester one, students in Year 10 Visual Arts studied portraiture and the representation of a person’s character through painting. They studied The Archibald Portrait Prize competition held by the Art Gallery of NSW. The assessment for the unit was to create a portrait of a famous, contemporary Australian, following the criteria of the official Archibald Prize. Creating these paintings has been a longstanding tradition at Aquinas College, including an exhibition of the works and the awarding of prizes. While every student is to be congratulated on their outstanding efforts to capture the character of their sitter, it is my great pleasure to award prizes to the following students:

The Principal’s Award goes to LAURA SIDHOM for her portrait of ‘Jennifer Hawkins’

The Art Critic’s Award goes to LESLEY KANELLOPOULOS for her portrait ‘Stuffed with Life: Adriano Zumbo’

The People’s Choice Award goes to ELLA MORAN for her portrait ‘Mr Sandilands’

I congratulate students on their hard work and achievements. Miss van Eijk Visual Arts Teacher

The Office Ladies’ Award goes to ANDRE LISBOA-PINTO for his portrait of ‘Jenna McDougall’

20 Years of being ‘Enlivened by the Spirit’ 9

Are facts and figures jumbled in the “Lost Sock Drawer” of your brain? 

 

Do you forget things, and then remember them at an inconvenient time? 

 

Would you like to help your children to easily remember their lessons and exam study? 

 

How do you file and retrieve the information you need to do well in an exam? 

 

Tuesday  24th July 2012   7.00 pm. – 8.30pm.   

CEO Southern Region, 300 The River Rd, REVESBY  

Do you think you have a bad memory and therefore your child does too?  Think again ‐ Maybe no one showed you how to REMEMBER WELL – it’s easy when you know how and you will wonder why this is not common knowledge!  Learn how your child can store and access exam work more easily  By the end of the session, you will be amazed at what you can remember – and you will have had a few laughs in the process of learning! 

 Dr Rich Allen is visiting from the U.S. He has a PhD in Educational Psychology. His cognitive learning theory research gave him understanding on how the brain receives, processes, stores and recalls information – from which he developed a practical technique for teaching brain‐based learning strategies to adults and teens.   RSVP :  Rebecca Besly – rebecca.besly@ceosyd.catholic.edu.au    Cost :  Gold Coin donation  

Southern Region

Invites you to a  

Parent &  Student  Information Evening

“Improve your Memory”

With Dr Richard Allen, US

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LOST PROPERTY

We have a number of items in Lost Property. These include:

Reading glasses

House keys

Jewellery

Pencil cases

Uniforms

If you are missing any items please come to the office to check Lost Property

CHEWING GUM FORBIDDEN

Chewing gum is strictly forbidden at all times on the College property. An automatic afternoon detention will be issued to those students found chewing gum.

Could we ask parents to assist us in enforcing this rule to protect the College environment and student uniforms. Mr Anthony Hulme Pastoral Care Coordinator

SPINE SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA Scoliosis (spinal curvature) is an important health problem for adolescent girls and 25 per thousand are at risk of developing a significant curve. We have been advised by the Spine Society of Australia that July/August are the months when it is recommended that girls in Years 7 and 9 participate in the NSDP by downloading the Self-Detection Brochure. The brochure can be accessed directly via a link on the Scoliosis Australia home page at

www.scoliosis-australia.org

Maths Recall is included in the newsletter each week and is designed for Stage 4 and 5 or junior students. The questions may focus on Working Mathematically problems and all are intended to be done without a calculator.

QUESTIONS 1. Find 50 % of 8.5 tonnes in kilograms 2. Write the year 2012 in Roman Numerals. 3. When will the next three Olympic Games be held after

2012?. 4. Will 2050 be an Olympic year?(Is there a quick way of

testing the number?)

5. Write ⅝ as a decimal Mrs Catherine Fensom

MATHS DEPARTMENT RECALL CORNER

21st August Year 9 Boys Father & Son Evening 6pm 4th September Year 9, 10 & 11 Girls Mother & Daughter Evening 7pm Invitations will be sent home this week.

20 Years of being ‘Enlivened by the Spirit’ 11

From the Library A huge thank-you to all who supported our Taco day to raise money for the Tabitha Foundation. In the holidays I travelled to Cambodia to take part in a ‘build’ so I am publishing here a ‘before’ and ‘after’ photograph to show the change in housing enabled by fundraisers such as ours. On this day our small group of 14 and another group of around 60, mostly school students, completed 20 homes by installing the floors and attaching the walls to frames that had been built by local Khmer builders. The people from the village were absolutely thrilled to have a new house that would withstand the weather – even one that to us seems very basic! Most heartening was the fact that in the same village we saw houses built some years ago by Tabitha that have since been improved and extended and stand within developed gardens. It is amazing the difference a solid home can make to the way you approach life. Congratulations to you all.

Jackie Lennon

The new home constructed by Tabitha volunteers sits next to the woven palm house in which one family was living. 

Excited village children!

Some of the volunteers with one elderly couple whose home was built and the Khmer builder.

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CANTEEN ROSTER TERM 3

TIME: MONDAY-THURSDAY 10:00-1:30, FRIDAY 10:00-12:30

MONDAY 23/7 LINDA SPROD, MARY-ELLEN ROONEY

TUESDAY 24/7 BEATA AGOSTINI, CLAUDIA ISAACS

WEDNESDAY 25/7 PUPIL FREE DAY

THURSDAY 26/7 CAROLINE RAMSAY, SUE GATENBY

FRIDAY 27/7 JULIE BELLE, JENNY KNOKE, VERONIQUE THIBAULT, LOUISE BRYANT

MONDAY 30/7 ANITA MORTON, KIM GLENIE

TUESDAY 31/7 MICHELLE MCNABB

WEDNESDAY 1/8 DIANNE PRESTON, CARLA BRAILEY, DIANNE ROBINSON, CATHIE FLANAGAN

THURSDAY 2/8 KATE HORN, JANE LEGHISSA

FRIDAY 3/8 AMANDA KAYES, ANN MARIE WALKER, JANENE POPULIN

UNIFORM SHOP

THURSDAY 26 July

8:00am—9:00am

Please note the Uniform Shop only sells Sports Uniforms and School bags

The Uniform Shop does not accept Eftpos or Credit cards

College caps and sports socks can be purchased from the

College Office

VOUCHER COLLECTION 13 JUNE—14 AUGUST

Spend and Collect. Every $10 spent at Coles

Supermarkets, Coles Online, Bi-Lo and Pick ‘n Pay from Wednesday 13 June will earn a Coles

Sports for Schools voucher.

MATHS CHALLENGE

Maths Department

Answers:

1. 1850 kg

2. MMX11

3. 2016, 2020, 2024

4. No 2050 is not a multiple of 4.

5. 0·625