MARIST CATHOLIC COLLEGE PENSHURST

Friday 5 June 2020 - Number 5

one school • one family • one communityTelephone: 9579 6188 Fax: 9579 6668 www.maristpenshurst.catholic.edu.au

CHAMPAGNAT DAY CELEBRATIONSA glimpse of the real Marcellin Champagnat

Here are a few of his key values:

• To educate children properly, we must love them and love them all equally.

• The aim of Marist education is to produce good Christians and good citizens.

• Mary is a kind mother; she listens to us and asks her Son to hear our prayers. That is why we call her Our Good Mother.

• Tell the children that God loves them; those that are good because they will become more so; and those that are not yet good because they will become so.

• I can never see children without wishing to tell them how much Jesus loves them.

Here are some of his favourite sayings:

• He tells a quarryman working on the Hermitage building: I’m not surprised you can’t cut that rock, for your strokes would not pierce the sole of my shoe.

• To another workman: You have no more pluck than a drowned chicken.• Never give your soul mouldy bread.• He had no time for Brothers who had “sore elbows”.• It is not the noise but the ball that the cannon topples the ramparts.

On his first day in his new parish (August 1816) of La Valla, Father Champagnat realised what a mess things were in. Where do you start when everything seems so overwhelming? He started with the tangible, the manageable – he cleaned the church! The parishioners were impressed with that at morning Mass for the feast of the Assumption of Mary a few days later 15 August (1816). The new curate actually gave them a sermon, and moreover it was prepared. He endeared himself to the locals not simply with his pastoral care of them but also because he could talk to them in their own patois. Whatever the weather, Champagnat was always available to call on those in need. Stories abound concerning his charity and willingness such as his visit to the Montagne boy, the mother of Jean Berne (who later became a Brother – after whom our Sydney Berne school is named), and to Bourg Argental to visit the sick Brother Jean-Baptiste Furet, a visit which nearly cost him his life (and Brother Stanislaus’).

After such excursions, bathed in sweat and exhausted as he was, Champagnat nonetheless turned straight to the next job. He was a physically fit man; but if his mother had been around she would have told him to change into something dry and have a warm drink to replace the lost “bathtub” of sweat – he may have lived a little longer! He took nothing – not even water – between meals even when engaged in hard work or travelling. Today we would understand the danger of that.

On one occasion he was stranded by floods in a house for a week and ate only potatoes and white cheese. On another occasion he arrived unexpectedly and the only food available was some tainted meat. Not only did Champagnat make a meal of it but asked that the rest of it be served to him for supper.

On one occasion he was summoned to a sick man lying on a little straw with a few rags to cover him, his body disfigured with sores and ulcers. He gave the man some comfort, but more to the point when he got back to The Hermitage he told one of the Brothers to take a mattress to the poor man. The Brother told him there was no spare mattress in the house because the last one had been given away. “Take the mattress from my bed and give it to him.” He made sure one of the Brothers was available to spend time with the man, to bring him food, to tend his sores, to wash him and to comb his hair.

This is the legacy which Father Champagnat left to his Brothers and to those who follow the Marist way. It is the way of the Gospels, for how often do we hear the cry of the poor brought to our attention by the Old Testament prophets, by Jesus himself in word and deed, and in Mary’s Magnificat: “He has filled the starving with good things and sent the rich away empty.”

Br Tony Butler - Champagnat Day June 2020

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CHAMPAGNAT DAY LITURGYToday as a College community we celebrated the Feast of St Marcellin Champagnat by participating in a liturgy led by Fr Adam Crouch. Although we could not physically be together in one space, we were able to stream the liturgy via zoom to all homerooms. The students were provided with an opportunity to hear from Br Tony Butler who reflected on his experiences as a Marist brother and the important lessons that we can learn from Marcellin and his teachings. Thank you to Miss Khouri for working with a range of staff and students to create a beautiful reflective video on what it means to the Marist at MCCP that was presented at the liturgy. Thank you also to Mrs Bresnahan for all of her work behind the scenes in preparing the Presentation for the day.

Our Marist spirituality is best expressed and lived when we are gathered as family and community. We develop meaningful relationships and assure our consistent presence within our communities and families. Thus, the experience of loving and being loved becomes part of our life in the ordinary moments of our day. (Water from the Rock, #105). At the heart of Marist spirituality is the focus of absolute trust in God. For Marcellin, Jesus was always close at hand. He was always mindful of the presence of God, especially in moments of difficulty, and he attributed every success to God’s unfolding will in his life and work.

Mrs Melissa Vassallo - Religious Education Coordinator

CHAMPAGNAT DAY QUIZYesterday we started our Champagnat Week celebrations with the annual Champagnat Quiz. Students worked together with their pastoral class to answer 30 questions - with a Marist focus - showing how well they know their school community.

Would you know how many times the College crest appears if a student is wearing their full winter uniform? I didn’t - it’s amazing the little places the crest appears. Students had a lot of fun and it was great to see them enjoying themselves at school.

Mrs Kristina Flanagan - Campus Coordinator

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2020 CHAMPAGNAT DAY AWARDS

YEAR 11 YEAR 12

YEAR 8 YEAR 9 YEAR 10

Eadie Hurley Cooper Shipp Sienna D’acciaro Brendan De Silva Stephanie Athanasiadis

Christian Signorelli

Amelia Giovenali Dylan Antao Lyric Parcarey Max Black Mr Jon Cullerton

STAFF

2020 MARIST CONTRIBUTION AWARDS

10 YEARS SERVICE 20 YEARS SERVICE 25 YEARS SERVICE

Ms Lisa Farrelly Mr Michael Way Ms Rachel Thompson Mrs Joy O’Sullivan

Agnoscere et DiligereTo Know and To Love

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Congratulations to the following students who were voted as Year 7 Leaders for 2020.

2020 YEAR 7 SRC

7-1Jayla Mar

7-2Isabelle Morgan

7-3George Apostolou

7-4Mason Salim

7-5Luca Foy

7-6Keira Blackmore

7-7Nicholas Kolmac

7-8Daniella Puljic

To celebrate National Reconciliation Week, all Year 8 students traced their hand onto coloured paper and cut the silhouette out. Taking these hands, Eadie Hurley, Lucy Finn, Ella-Grace Hamlin, Nicola De Marchi and Isabella Parra created a collage design representing communities ‘In This Together’.

The Year 8 artwork is inspired by the Biripi/Bunjalung woman Nikita Ridgeway’s artwork that has been used for the Logo for National Reconciliation Week 2020.

Mrs Bronwyn Ward - Art Teacher

NATIONAL RECONCILIATION WEEK

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FOODIE FEEDHospitality This year has seen the introduction of a Hospitality VET Course at the College with 23 very excited Year 11 apprentice chefs. Throughout the course, the students have been learning a variety of culinary skills, the art of working in a team and the role chefs play in a commercial kitchen. Students have had the opportunity to make a variety of dishes in their two-hour cooking lessons such as fresh pasta and chocolate molten cakes. They have already been asked to cater for a number of events at the College and within the first 5 weeks of the year, the students made pancakes for Shrove Tuesday to serve to the College community. The class has also been busy preparing to open the first Marist Diner in Week 9 where they will be serving lunch and dessert to all staff at both campuses. This task has encouraged the students to further develop their culinary skills, package, deliver and serve meals to customers and understand what it takes to run a busy restaurant during a lunch service. This is only the beginning of their culinary journey and I am looking forward to showcasing their incredible skills and talents with you over the next 12 months.

Year 10 Food Technology Year 10 Food Technology have spent the term also learning about the food service industry by creating their own restaurants. Their task has encouraged them to delve into the restaurant world by investigating the legislative requirements within the industry, the staff they need to operate a business, and design and test a range of menu items to serve to their customers. Students have also had the opportunity to explore the implications COVID-19 has had on the restaurant industry and implement this into their business model by designing a menu for delivery instead of dine in. Students have had to opportunity to take control of their learning by completing the task in teams and navigating their way through the challenges COVID-19 has imposed on the restaurant industry.

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FOODIE FEEDYear 9 Food Technology Year 9 Food Technology have started their 2-year food journey with great enthusiasm and excitement in the kitchen. Students spent Term 1 exploring the importance of a healthy diet and the impact foods have on their nutrients as adolescents. They are currently investigating the influence multicultural foods have had on eating patterns in Australia. Year 9 are cooking and tasting a range of cultural dishes and are experimenting with culture specific ingredients in everyday recipes, such as matcha tea in crepes. Students are currently writing a magazine article about a culture of their choice and preparing a dish commonly eaten by their chosen country.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on all our lives over the last couple of months, it has encouraged the Hospitality and Food Technology students to consider the implications of preparing food under these new restrictions. Students have been provided with gloves and masks to wear during food preparation lessons to ensure they are maintaining strict hygienic practices within the kitchen at all times. I look forward to sharing with you the successes and discoveries these students make as they all continue to explore the wonderful world of food in the coming weeks.

Ms Olivia Matti - Hospitality / Food Tech Teacher Teacher

YEAR 12 TIE COMMISSIONINGToday, Year 12 formally commissioned their ties. As well as being striking accessories, the symbolism on the ties carries special significance. The golden intertwined A and M image on our tie combines the first letters of the phrase “Ave Maria” – that is, Hail Mary was selected by Marcellin Champagnat to be on the altar of his parish in La Valla in 1816. The Ave Maria symbol is painted Gold. Optimistic and positive, the colour gold adds richness and warmth to everything it is associated with. As we commission our ties today, we recognise that Ave Maria is our Gold. Mary is our resource- we can never ask too much of her, her power is unlimited, and her love is inexhaustible. The background of our tie is painted black. It is a symbol of authority and strength. As we commission our ties today, we recognise the colour black symbolises our need in Year 12 to be self-controlled, disciplined and strong. The authority and strength are from our beliefs in servant leadership.

Robert Reilly - Year 12 Leader of Wellbeing