‘Enlivened by the Spirit’

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

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

AQUINAS CATHOLIC COLLEGE MENAI

17th March, 2014 Vol.22.No.7

The Feast of St Patrick 17th March 2014

St Patrick (389 – 461)

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ at my right, Christ at my left,

Christ in my lying down, Christ in my sitting, Christ in my arising.

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.

St Patrick’s Breastplate, or the Deer Cry. At our recent College Assembly Bianca Maia of Year 12 was presented with her trophy for being announced as the 2013 NSW Bloodbank Youth Ambassador of the Year. Bianca’s leadership was instrumental in seeing Aquinas achieve the highest percentage of donations in relation to student population in the Sutherland Shire; and all done in the students own time. Whilst our senior students [and staff] may have winced as Bianca and her team approached them to donate I am absolutely sure the large number of people who received those valuable donations would be most grateful for what for many is a lifesaving gesture. I would like to congratulate all those Aquinians who donated blood [and continue to so] and thank the staff led by Mrs Monk who assist the students in the process.

Bianca & Billy the Blood Drop @ Aquinas James Corcoran Principal

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Assistant Principal Key Dates

Monday 17th March Year 7 Orientation Camp to Gosford St Patrick’s Day

Tuesday 18th March Year 7 Orientation Camp to Gosford Swans Girls AFL competition at Sutherland Year 11 & 12 Art excursion to “Art Express”

Wednesday 19th March Year 7 Orientation Camp to Gosford Year 11 Mass

Thursday 20th March SSCCC Football Knockout day at Bosco Year 10 Geography excursion Year 9 Reflection Day in the JP11 Hall Year group meetings Period 4

Friday 21st March National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence SSCCC Swimming Carnival at Caringbah pool Seniors Blood bank visit during sport Clancy Religious Art work prize night at ACU Sport

Robert Nastasi Assistant Principal

Monday 24th March Assessment free week Year 12 Year 11 Business Service work placement week Year 11 Construction work placement week

Tuesday 25th March Swans Boys AFL competition at Sutherland Year 7 Peer Support program Period 5 Farewell Mass for Cardinal Pell at St Mary’s Cathedral

Wednesday 26th March Sydney Alliance meeting at the Sydney Town Hall Year 10 Mass Year 7 English Excursion

Thursday 27th March Hands on Engineering and IT Day for selected Year 9, 10 & 11 NSW CCC Rugby League trials U/15's & Opens at Norford Park Sefton

Friday 28th March Sport

Week 8(B) Term 1

Week 9(A) Term 1

Medical and other appointments during school time Whilst the College recognises that from time to time such appointments must be made during school time, it is important for families to remember that being in class is crucial for students and establishes good habits leading into the HSC; university or work life. To that end can I ask parents to attempt to limit these interruptions as much as possible to student learning, including during sport time of a Friday afternoon where government requirements mandate students completing 100 hours a year of sport. Additionally if students are attending appointments during school time they need to be collected by the parent/carer via the front office and signed out, also noting that our duty of care does not endorse for students to travel home or to their appointment themselves either by foot or other means of transport.

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Religious Education at Aquinas This Thursday Year 9 will have the opportunity to take a step back from their everyday life and reflect on their relationship with themselves, others and their God. They will be attending a reflection day, facilitated by Chris Doyle of Karis Ministries, in our John Paul II hall. Students are asked to meet at school for normal morning pastoral, wear their College sports uniform, and bring all food and drink that they require for the day with them. Students are asked to see their Religious Education teacher or myself if they have any questions. The first Year 8, 9 and 10 Religious Education tasks for 2014 are due this week. Students are reminded that their task is due into their relevant Google Drive folder by 9pm on their due date. I encourage students to see their Religious Education teacher if they have any questions. On Good Friday, Aquinas students have been invited to be involved in the Holy Family Parish celebrations. I invite any students who would like to participate by reading at the Good Friday Celebration of the Passion of the Lord to see me during the week. Mrs Catherine Nolan Religious Education Coordinator

Reflection on the Gospel

Sunday’s Gospel (Matthew 17:1-9) is about the Transfiguration of Jesus. The first hearers of the Transfiguration story would have immediately made all the connections between Jesus’ story and Abraham, Moses and Elijah’s experience of God on a mountaintop, where each has a life-changing encounter with the presence of God and is illuminated in every way.

Matthew is especially interested in the story of Moses. One of the refrains of the entire Gospel is that Jesus is the New Moses, the fulfilment of the law and the light that illuminates the darkest night. As interesting as the similarities are between Moses on Sinai and Jesus on Tabor, the differences are even more revealing for us on our Lenten journey. Moses goes up the mountain alone, Jesus takes companions with him who share in the experience and witness to it. The face of God is hidden from Moses whereas on Tabor Jesus is given to us as the face of God for the world. On Sinai Moses receives a code of law and is told to make sure the people obey it. On Tabor Jesus receives a proclamation of God’s love and we’re told to listen to him. While Moses’ face shines, Jesus’ whole body is transfigured with light. Moses descends to enforce the law; Jesus comes down to die that we might live.

Just when some of us think Lent is a grim season of self-denial, the Church gives us the story of Jesus’ Transfiguration to put our sacrifices in context. The only reason we deny ourselves anything or commit ourselves to actions of service for these 40 days is to grow more deeply in love with the God who loves us into life. Penance is not meant to attack our self-esteem, it’s intended to help us sort out what really matters, to cast some light in the darkness of our lives and to focus on the relationship which gives meaning and purpose for this world and the next. The God of Mount Tabor is not interested in each us feeling isolated as we fulfil the letter of a legal code. He wants all of us to have hearts that listen to the Gospel of love so that we can gain the power to transform the world through the sacrifices of our daily lives.

Adapted from a reflection by Richard Leonard SJ

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CENTREPAY NOW AVAILABLE AT AQUINAS

Aquinas Catholic College has now registered as a supplier with Centrelink to provide the service known as Centrepay. This is a free direct billing service available to families who receive a Centrelink payment.

Centrepay deducts money directly from your Centrelink payment to pay the School Fees. The amount of money specified by you is transferred from any Centrelink payment each fortnight (eg: Family/Parenting Payment, Newstart Allowance, Youth Allowance) to the School’s bank account and then receipted to your school fees account.

You can start, change or cancel deductions at any time to suit your personal circumstances. By choosing to use Centrepay you benefit from knowing that your bill is under control and this may assist in budgeting as payments are spread evenly over the year.

To apply to use this service, complete a Centrepay Deduction Form which is available from the School Office and return when completed and signed.

A reminder to all families that Term 1 School Fees were due by 14/3/14.

Payments can be made by BPay, Direct Deposit, Credit Card, EFTPOS, Cash, Cheque or CentrePay.

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Last Friday the Aquinas College Year 12 team for 2014 underwent the Great Shave for the Leukaemia Foundation. We set a goal but due to some generous sponsors and the fantastic efforts of our team we have raised over so much more! At the time of printing the team was at $8,335.00 and 167% of our $5,000 goal! And the donations are still coming in! Here are some pictures of the morning and the team after the Great Shave. Three teachers also got involved; Mr De’Athe shaved his head, Mr Broady his beard and Mrs Monk has dyed her hair pink! Kate Athanasopoulos cut 30 cm off her hair. Our team was: Kamren Cryer, Kate Athanasopoulos, Dean Hairis, William Edgar, Nicholas Bazzano, Lachlan Clark, Connor O’Mahony, Jacob Sawan, Hayden Ebb, Jarrod McInnes, Jackson Hogan, Jack Dooley, Rhys Prestidge, Marcus Mansour, Mitchell Selwood, Jake Pollack and Matthew Hunt, Mr De’Athe, Mr Broady and Mrs Monk.

If you would still like to make a contribution please go the Worlds Greatest Shave website and search for the participant you would like to sponsor or sponsor the Year122014Aquinas team. A special mention must go to Kamren Cryer who has raised over $2,000. Also a huge thank you to ex-student and trainee hairdresser Tehlia Davis who came and fixed some of the more dodgy haircuts and Elegance Hairdressing at Menai who donated their services to colour Mrs Monk’s hair pink!

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Numeracy and NAPLAN

To be numerate is to confidently and effectively use mathematics to meet the everyday demands of life. Numeracy enables you to develop logical thinking and reasoning strategies in your daily life. We need numeracy to solve problems and make sense of time, numbers, patterns and shapes for activities like cooking, reading a map or bill, reading and following instructions and even playing sport. Next Tuesday I will be starting a lunchtime support group to assist students with numeracy issues relat-ed to NAPLAN, times tables or homework. Students from any year are welcome. NAPLAN preparation for numeracy will begin in week 10, two mornings a week, for four weeks. Students will be given a quiz containing ten questions during morning Pastoral. This will hopefully familiarise students with the format and style of questions they should expect in the NAPLAN test in May. Good luck with the questions this week! Answers for last week:

Year 7 Q1: Q2: 23.5km Q3: 6 x 6 Q4: E

Year 9 Q 1 : Q2: -9 Q3: Q4  Renee Kelly Numeracy Teacher

Year 7 Calculator Allowed

1.

2.

Year 7 Non-Calculator

3.

4.

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Year 9 Calculator Allowed 1.

Year 9 Non-Calculator 3.

2.

4.

Naplan Skills Sessions

On Thursday afternoons 3:15-4pm in the Library I will be holding Literacy Skills Sessions to help stu-

dents in Years 7 & 9 prepare for the upcoming Naplan tests in May.

All students welcome to attend when they can.

First session starts Thursday March 27th.

Mrs Wilson Literacy Facilitator

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Whole School Progress Checks

Please be aware, as recorded in last week's newsletter, that all students will have their class and homework checked across this week. In most cases, this will be a check-in during class time to ensure that all issued tasks have been attempted. Any student with noticeable omissions will have their diary signed in Years 7-10 and a warning letter issued in Years 11 and 12.

Failure to complete or make a serious attempt at class and homework tasks is an indication that course outcomes are not being met. Obviously, this will have a negative impact on both a student's ability to access the curriculum and their preparation for formal tasks and examinations. It also has a significant impact on a teacher's ability to continue working at the level and pace required to complete syllabus requirements, thus impacting all students in the course.

Where there is a pattern of failure to complete work, interviews will be arranged through the Curriculum and Pastoral Coordinators and will require parent attendance.

Please support us in our efforts to maintain a focus on academic rigour as well as the setting and achievement of personal goals by ensuring that students have both the time and space at home to complete their class and homework. Any concerns regarding individual subject work should be directed initially to the class teacher and then to the KLA and Curriculum coordinators. Issues of overall motivation should be addressed to Pastoral teachers and coordinators.

Register of Malpractice in HSC Assessment Tasks : Guidelines and Explanatory Notes

Please read the following information regarding changes to the reporting and recording of information in relation to malpractice for HSC students. Such information now needs to be logged with the Board of Studies.

Why have a malpractice register?

Identifying and understanding how malpractice occurs in Higher School Certificate assessment tasks is an important part of building prevention strategies, and retaining confidence in the HSC.

For many years, the Board has collected and published information on malpractice in HSC examinations. The development of this Register of Malpractice in HSC Assessment Tasks will build on that body of knowledge.

The aggregated data published by the Board, which will not identify students or schools, will help identify:

if malpractice is more prevalent in particular courses

if certain types of assessment tasks are more susceptible to malpractice

how many students engage in repeated incidents of malpractice

the range of penalties for different types of malpractice.

The implementation of this Register is supported by the Independent Commission Against Corruption

When did the Register take effect?

The Register became effective for the 2014 HSC cohort, from term 4 2013 at the commencement of the HSC assessment program. All instances of proven malpractice in HSC assessment tasks must be entered into the Register.

What types of proven malpractice need to be recorded?

Malpractice is any attempt to gain an unfair advantage over other students.

Types of malpractice in HSC assessment tasks may include, but are not limited to:

Being in possession of unauthorised notes or electronic devices during a test or examination

Using the words, ideas, designs or workmanship of others without acknowledgement

Copying from another student

Paying someone to write or prepare an assessment task.

Is the late submission of a task or a non-serious attempt considered malpractice?

Late submission of assessment tasks may be malpractice where it is proven to be a deliberate mechanism to gain advantage over other students. Students may submit overdue assessment work for a variety of other reasons not considered malpractice, such as illness, technical or transport issues or lack of motivation.

Submitted work may be classified as a non-serious attempt where it is frivolous or

offensive. Failure to reach a level of achievement does not necessarily constitute a non-serious attempt. Where the school applies a penalty for a frivolous or offensive response, the issue should be recorded on the malpractice register.

Lisa Mirabello Learning and Curriculum Coordinator

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Careers Year 12 Reminder Get your permission notes back ASAP for the Sutherland Universities Information Day to be held 1 May. Go to the Careers site if you need a permission note. Year 10 and 11 Discover Engineering Day If you are interested in finding out more about a career in Engineering, this is a full day forum at ANSTO - cost $20 per student. See me to register your interest. Year 11 and 12 UNSW Engineering Student Parent Information Evening 19 March 6pm-8pm at UNSW Kensington, John Niland Scientia Building Year 11 and 12 students and their parents are invited to talk to current students and staff. For more information or to register visit www.engineering.unsw.edu.au/student-parent Year 10 Southern Cross Vocational College focuses on practical, hands-on, industry-based learning. Students who attend SCVC complete the HSC and TAFE qualifications at the same time. If you are contemplating this as an alternative to Aquinas for your senior study, they have an Open Night Tues 6 May 4pm-7.30pm.17 Comer St Burwood. www.sccvc.nsw.edu.au Year 12 - Gap Year I receive information from a number of organisations offering Gap Year experiences. One that came across my desk this week is from LetzLive. For more information visit www.letzlive.org Another organisation is Cultural Care Au Pair, where you live with a family and look after their children in return for free room and board and a small income. www.cutluralcare.com.au The HSC and Careers Expo 29 May - 1 June 140 exhibitors, including universities, TAFE and training colleges. 115 Seminars for year 10,11 and 12 students. It will be held at the Royal Hall of Industries, Moore Park. For more information www.hscandcareers.com.au Careers Site You may have noticed a QR code in your classroom or outside the careers office. This code will take you to the Careers site. PLEASE BOOKMARK THIS SITE! I have included it here. The actual site address is https://sites.google.com/a/syd.catholic.edu.au/aquinas-catholic-college-careers/ Thank you Mrs Higgins Careers Adviser (Tues, Wed and alternate Thurs)

Road Safety Forum Last week Year 10 students and their parents were invited by Tynan’s Motors Kirrawee to attend a Road Safety forum that was sponsored by the Hyundai Motor Company. We were fortunate to have over 30 of our students attend with parents/driving teachers. The Year 10 students in the coming months will be eager to become Learner Drivers. The aim of the forum was about saving our most precious resource, Human Life. The evening gave the students the opportunity hear about road rules and clear safety messages. The interactive presentation presented by Ian Luff created a proactive learning environment that stimulated positive thinking, actions and behaviour. Mr Luff also gave the parents who are the teachers an opportunity to hear the concern of other parents. We hope that another opportunity with the clear life saving message will be given to the parents and students.

Mr Hulme

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LOST PROPERTY

We have a number of items in Lost Property.

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

CANTEEN ROSTER TERM 1

TIME: MONDAY-THURSDAY 10:00-1:35, FRIDAY 9:30-12:45

MONDAY 17/3 TUESDAY 18/3 JO O’HARA WEDNESDAY 19/3 JACKIE TORO, LIBBY YIP THURSDAY 20/3 JENNIFER DELUCA, CARLEY STUDDON FRIDAY 21/3 ANN-MARIE WALKER, SARAH KAINE, GAYLE NETTO MONDAY 24/3 TIFFANY KUNZE, STEPHANIE BRODIE TUESDAY 25/3 KERRIE HARRINGTON, ANTOINETTE KERLE, ALISON BOWMER WEDNESDAY 26/3 HELP NEEDED THURSDAY 27/3 ANGELA TEBBIT FRIDAY 28/3 LIZ GARCORZ, CAROLYN BARLOW, SARINA PANTAZIS, SONJA PARKER

UNIFORM SHOP

THURSDAY 20 March 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

CANTEEN NEWS

No meat or chicken products available on

Fridays during LENT Hash Browns $1.00 Mini Spring Rolls pkt 3 with sweet & sour sauce $2.00 Cheese & Tomato pizza slabs will be available $3.00 Cheese & Spinach Triangles $3.50 Small ricotta & Spinach Rolls $2.00 Greek Salad & Garden Salad $3.50 Salad Sandwiches / rolls Tuna / Salmon / Egg / Cheese also available

Cheese & Bacon rolls will be replaced

by Cheese rolls on Fridays during Lent