Principal
Mr David Finch
Dear Parents and Carers
We are well into Term 4 and with only 6 weeks to go we are preparing for the end of year functions and school celebrations.
This is a time when we acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of our students academically and in other pursuits. It is
also a time we remind our students to compete until they cross the finish line and do their very best until the end of term.
This is particularly important for our Year 12 students who may reach an end to their formal assessment soon, but need to
maintain the passion for success until we farewell them at our Graduation Liturgy on the 17th November. I encourage all
students to do their very best for the last six weeks of school.
I acknowledge the success of two groups of students who represented the college during the holiday period. The MSB Didge
Kids travelled to Winton and performed in the Outback Music Festival and 10 senior students travelled to Japan to experience
an immersion in a very traditional and different culture. Further reports and photos of these events appear in this newsletter. I
thank the students and staff who participated in these events. Currently we have almost 30 girls and boys in Bamaga
competing in the annual AFL Cape York Experience. We wish them well. Opportunities and making the most of these
opportunities and participation is an important part of life and growing up. I am always very pleased that we have many
students actively involved in other interests which add to the overall holistic approach to our education and mission here at
MSB.
As a caring and Christian environment with our extensive commitment to pastoral care and student wellbeing, we work hard
with all students, understanding the many day to day issues and complexities that may occur. We all can make mistakes,
receive another chance at something and are determined to make the most of this second chance. We pride ourselves on a
genuine commitment to the development of each child in our care – academically, social and mentally. As our college
Mission Statement reads…
Drawing our inspiration from the Gospel of Jesus and the Mercy Tradition, we empower young people through our
commitment to education to become persons of faith, learning and hope, and so contribute to their communities. We are
committed to the values of:
• Community – living and giving gracious hospitality in the spirit of family,
• Mercy – acting justly with a compassionate heart,
• Respect – valuing self, others, environment and the purpose of school,
• Excellence – striving towards personal best, and
• Wisdom – gaining life enhancing knowledge and skills.
Within the context of these values, all students and staff at the college are expected to:
• Be Safe
• Be Respectful
• Be Responsible
13th October 2017
Principal: Mr David Finch Deputy Principal - Curriculum/Admin: Mr Ian Margetts
Assistant Principal - Mission: Mr Matt de Jong Assistant Principal - Student Wellbeing: Mr Scott Whitters
Business Manager: Mr David Osborne Office Manager: Mrs Sue Wegert
Head of Residential: Mrs Tina Schefe & Mr Dave Schefe
I conclude with a little story about having a second chance and having faith in someone:
When Thomas Edison died on this day in 1931, he had over 1,200 inventions patented to his name. He is perhaps best
remembered for his invention of the electric light bulb, which we take so much for granted today. Thomas Edison and his
assistants tried various substances as the filament of the bulb, and different gases enclosed within the glass. One of the first
bulbs that Edison produced, he handed to a young assistant to carry upstairs to another laboratory. Carefully the young man
carried the bulb, step by step up the stairs. Suddenly he dropped it, and all their painstaking work was destroyed. Edison and
his team returned to work and spent 24 hours producing another bulb. When it was finished, and again had to be carried
upstairs, he handed it to the same young man in a marvellous gesture of trust and confidence.
Let us pray, remembering how Edison showed trust in giving his light bulb for a second time to the young man and the faith
and trust we empower with our students:
Lord, may people be as ready to give me a chance,
a break, and let me make a new start,
as I am ready to be as equally generous to others.
Forgive me my faults in the same way as I forgive
and accept other people.
Amen
Enjoy the week ahead.
David Finch
College Principal
MSB Students with others
from schools around Cape
York competing in the AFL
Cape York Competition
Deputy Principal—Curriculum & Admin
Welcome to Term 4! A short but important and busy term. All students must make sure they work hard throughout the
term to achieve to their potential. For Year 12 it is especially important. I spoke with the Year 12 cohort this week and
emphasised that for some students, one ‘D’ rating for an assignment can mean the difference between achieving a
Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) or not. All students need to ensure that they put in the effort to finish the year
of strongly.
At assembly last Friday we acknowledge all the students who had achieved either ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’ for all the effort and application criteria on their Term 3 reports. It was great to acknowledge such a large group (see names below). Well done! If you have any questions about reports or student progress please do not hesitate to contact myself and the teachers at the College.
TERM 3 ACADEMIC EFFORT AWARD RECIPIENTS
Ian Margetts - Deputy Principal - Curriculum & Admin
Year 7 MACAYLA GRIGG EMMY RIBER DORIAH TAMU ELLIE WARD TAYIESHA WARRIA Year 8 ZACHARY CHRISTIE JESSICA CLAUSS RENEE EDWARDS STACEY EDWARDS TEAFO LUI BIANCA PRICE ELIZABETH RICHARDSON-EVELEIGH FRANCES YUNUPINGU
VENESSA BLARREY Year 9 ISSAC BONNER MARSAT HOBSON
LEVINA DOUGLAS
Year 10 MYCHAEL-LEI SIBLEY
RACHEAL CLAUSS ALEXA-ROSE ELLIS CHANTELLE JEE TENIELLE MAKOA ELIZABETH WONG Year 11 LEE LIDDY
HELOISE VANPOULLE DAKOTA MONTGOMERY
RION SHAILER GEORGIA SMY Year 12 ELAINE LOWATTA TOBY WILLIAMS
DEBORAH GULURRWUY MEGAN LYALL GEORGINA WHAP VENTURE WYMER
Assistant Principal—Mission
Welcome back to term 4. This year has certainly moved along at a rapid pace.
During the last holidays I had the privilege of travelling with my family to Winton in central Queensland with the MSB
Didge Kids to watch them perform at the Winton Outback Festival. Our students, Elizabeth Richardson-Eveleigh,
Frances Yunupingu, Melissa Richardson-Eveleigh, Liam Kaspersson, Matthew Ederer, Tristain Leo and Nicholas
Wurramarrba all gave up a week of their holidays to perform. We were accompanied by Mr Mark Lane and his son Joshua who also
performed with the students. Mrs Jude Koehler along with Mr Alex Collins came along as support as well. It made for a travelling group
of 14 people.
We departed Herberton on the Saturday morning, the first day of the holidays and made our way to Townsville, where we stayed for
three nights. While there the students practiced under the direction of Mr Mark Lane, who over the past three years has developed the
Didge Kids performing group. We also did some fun things like going to the Townsville Aquarium , eating at McDonalds, Sizzler and Pizza
Hut. On the Tuesday afternoon we flew to Winton, arrived at our hotel and prepared for the first performance at the Shire Hall at
7:30pm. The Didge Kids performed with William Barton and Warren H Williams. Their performance was very well received by the
audience. A number of people approached me to comment on how they enjoyed the students’ performance.
On Wednesday our students joined with William Barton at 11:00am and 1:00pm to run Didge workshops and finally they performed on
the main stage in the main street of Winton on Thursday morning at 11:30am with a goodbye concert. All of our students along with
Mark and Joshua Lane performed brilliantly and they all did our college proud. We flew back to Townsville on the Thursday afternoon,
before driving to Cairns early on the Friday to get most of the students to their flights to start the holidays.
A big thank you goes to Mr Mark Lane and Joshua Lane for giving up their time and talents to support our students. Mr Lane is a talented
musician who has developed the latent talent of our students into a impressive group of performers. Thank you also to Mrs Koehler and
Mr Alex Collins for supervising and finally to our seven Didge Kids who were excellent throughout our trip. I had a good time and I
enjoyed accompanying the group to Winton.
Matthew de Jong - Assistant Principal - Mission
Mr Matt de Jong
Assistant Principal—Student Wellbeing
Scott Whitters—Assistant Principal – Student Wellbeing
Email: [email protected]
Mr Scott Whitters
Family conflict It is important to recognise that Conflict is a normal process through which people resolve differences. When people live together in the same residence, disagreements and arguments are bound to happen, especially as personalities clash and everyone wants to be heard. Teenagers have an innate desire to be heard. This is because they are trying to find their place in society and build a sense of identity.
Conflict in families increases during adolescence, as it’s normal for teenagers to seek independence and separation from their parents. Other causes of family fighting can be differences in opinions, poor communication, changes in the family (such as a new baby or divorce), sibling rivalry or discipline issues. As your child moves through their teenage years, remember that they’re still learning the life skills required to become an adult. Dealing with conflict effectively is likely to be something that they’re inexperienced in, and as a parent you can play an important role in helping them develop this essential skill. How family conflict can influence your child Conflict in families can impact children in many ways. Children can be affected psychologically if the’re exposed to long-term conflict. It can even become a normal part of a child’s life and result in poor habits and patterns of aggressive behaviour. Children can be influenced by family conflict in numerous ways. Some children and adolescents may act out by showing increased aggression, defiance and behavioural problems. Your child may experience depressive symptoms, such as feeling lonely or sad, or isolating themselves in their bedroom for long periods. Children exposed to parental conflict may experience feelings of anxiety or feel pressure to divide their loyalty between parents. When conflict becomes aggression All families need to recognise that anger and conflict are a normal part of family life, and often very prevalent in teenagers who are going through puberty and emotional changes. However, when conflict turns into aggression or violence, it may be time to get help. Young people that are exposed to violence or abuse in the family home, or other parts of their life, are more likely to become violent themselves. If you’re concerned about your own safety, or the safety of other family members, then contact 1800RESPECT, a national domestic family violence counselling service.
Counsellor’s Corner Hello Families and Friends of MSB, My name is Ms Tristan Henderson and I have been thoroughly enjoying my role as Guidance Counsellor here at MSB since May this year. I have been a teacher for 15 years and crisis support/suicide intervention Counsellor since 2009. There are many issues that our students face and need support with as they navigate the often highly stressful secondary school journey. Here at MSB we have a particularly dedicated & hard working team of pastoral care workers, specialists, teachers, boarding staff and aides who prioritise student wellbeing, while supporting and accommodating students individual learning needs. In fact, I have not seen such a wholistic support for students in any other context in which I’ve worked. There are so many challenges that face our youth today, with mental health being the number one concern. The most common challenges that appear across all schools are: depression, anxiety, self-harm, trauma and loss of loved ones through suicide or illness, peer relationships, body image, substance abuse, stress and learning difficulties and homesickness. In the limited space I have here in this newsletter I will address homesickness.
Homesickness: The good news is that there is a cure! Bring a little bit of home with you. Bring your pillow or favourite pajamas, bring pictures of the people you’ll be apart from to look at anytime you want. Keep busy, get involved, there are numerous extra-curricular activities available to students at MSB and the more time you spend keeping busy the less time you’ll have to feel homesick. Stay in touch, via phone or text messages and talk about the fun things you’re doing. Talk to people here at MSB; sometimes, just telling someone that you’re feeling homesick will help immensely. ( http:kidshealth.org) This is a great website containing many informative articles designed to support you in understanding many of the issues our teens face.
Jenny Rossiter— Whole School — [email protected] Trudy Bakker - Years 7 - 12— [email protected]
Scott Whitters - Head of Pastoral Care—[email protected]
Don’t forget we are only a phone call away. If you have any issues
or concerns you wish to discuss please don’t hesitate to call or
email a member of the Pastoral Care Team:
Positive Behaviour Support
Fortnightly Focus—Being Organised
Being Organised is not just a focus for the beginning of the year.
It is an important life-long skill.
When you are organised - mentally and physically - life runs smoother.
Spending a little bit of time thinking ahead and making sure you have what you need
means that when you get to the point of doing something - you are not wasting any time.
This applies whether you are going camping, getting ready for school/work or planning a
family celebration.
You can help your child by assisting them in:
asking about what have and what they need
making lists, preparing uniforms and packing bags
drawing up a timeline of assessment due dates
using study times away from distractions
reassuring them that they are doing well
Part of Being Organised is to be mentally ready.
Calm yourself, focus on the task at hand and give yourself the best chance of success.
Social and Emotional Learning: Self Management Last newsletter, we discussed the first Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) competency: self-awareness, This week we
take a closer look at the second competency: self-management, which is the ability to regulate our emotions, thoughts
and behaviours in different situations.
What is self management?
According to the Lions Question SEL program, self-management involves the learning and application of five skills:
1. Regulating our emotions
2. Managing stress
3. Controlling our impulses
4. Motivating ourselves
5. Working towards and achieving our goals
You can find more information on the Lions Quest program at https://www.lions-quest.org/
Why is it important?
Self-management starts with self-awareness—once we can recognise our feelings and thoughts (self-awareness), we can
start to regulate our emotions, thoughts and behaviours (self-management). We area then in a position to increase our
awareness of others, improve our relationship skills and make responsible decisions. More on that next newsletter!
If you have any questions about our Mount St Bernard College SEL program
feel free to contact Middle Leader SEL Doris Cuda.
During the first week of the September school holidays, ten students
journeyed to Japan for a nine day school excursion. Along with six
staff members, we explored the many cultural, religious and historic
sights around the country.
We began in Kyoto on the first day with a guided tour around the city
to cultural sights of The Golden Pavilion and the Imperial Palace. A
performance by an apprentice geisha (Maiko) ended a full and
exciting day. Although the typhoon approaching Kyoto at the time
may have ended it.
Our second day was in Osaka to visit the Museum of Housing and
Living. The students got to experience pre-modernised Japan with a
small replica village constructed on the 9th floor of a building. It was
an interesting look at how life in Japan was very different from
western culture at the time.
Atomic Bomb Dome
Keiko Ogura and MSB
Tuesday was our visit to Hiroshima, the site of the first atomic bomb
dropped in World War II. This day was quite confronting as we heard
testimony from Keiko Ogura, a survivor of the atomic bomb about her
experiences during and after that fateful day. To finish the day, we
climbed the many stairs to the top of Himeji Castle; a gruelling task to
say the least.
Himeji Castle
Universal Studios was an absolute blast for everyone. The
rides and attractions were a big hit; especially The Magical
World of Harry Potter. It was a nice break from the quick
pace set the days before.
On Friday morning, Tokyo Skytree was on the agenda. The view of Tokyo from 340m above the
ground didn’t disappoint with most surprised that Tokyo stretched from horizon to horizon.
That afternoon was the visit to Tokyo University of Agriculture First Middle and High School.
The students were very engaging and eager to have fun with our MSB students. There were
some reunions as 25 students had visited MSB in July. A group of students from the Tea
Ceremony Club presented us with some delicious green tea and the Kendo Club taught some of
their martial arts to the students.
(L to R) John Stanton, Deborah Gulurrwuy, Sherrika Gilbert, Brendan
Akers, Sonya Frost, Flo Cornish, Tori Wilson, Marcus Brown, Keane Ryan,
Toby Williams, William Brown, Dale Kepi, Caleb Mathews, Ben Smith,
Upcoming Events 2017
Sat 14 - Mon 16 Oct
Boarders Leave Weekend
Mon 16 Oct
Pupil Free Day - QCAA Verification Day
Tues 17 Oct
Immunisations Yr 7 HPV & Yr 10 Meningoccal
Wed 18 Oct - Fri 20 Oct
Class 8C Geography Excursion
Thurs 19 Oct
QATSIF Graduation Peace Lutheran College
Fri 27 Oct
Presentation Evening 7pm Main Hall @ MSB
National Bandanna Day
Sun 29 Oct
Indigenous Mass 10am St Thomas Mareeba
Wed 1 Nov - Fri 3 Nov
Year 11 Leadership Retreat
Barrabadeen Camp Grounds Tinaroo Lake
Thurs 2 Nov
P & F Meeting 5pm MSB Boardroom
Thurs 9 Nov
MSB Play “The Fantasists” 7pm Mercy Hall
Fri 17 Nov - Year 12 Final Day
Year 12 Graduation Liturgy
10am Mercy Chapel
Sat 18 Nov
Year 12 Formal - Reef Hotel Casino Cairns
Tues 21 - Wed 22 Nov
Year 11 Block Exams
Thurs 23 Nov
Students finish school year at 3pm
Fri 24 Nov
Boarders Travel home
Upcoming Events
2018
Mon 16 April 2018
Pupil Free Day
Diocese of Cairns
Commonwealth Games
SNAP Exciting news from the Visual Art Department! The annual art
exhibition SNAP is launching at 5.30 on Friday, November 10, at The
Old Post Office Gallery, Atherton. SNAP aims to showcase student
artwork from Tablelands secondary schools, including, Atherton SHS,
Mount St Bernard Collage, Herberton SS, St Stephens Catholic College,
& Ravenshoe SS P-12. This year MSB is represented by a range of
vibrant and thought-provoking artworks from students from year 10
through to 12. With a number of awards up for grabs in this highly
competitive exhibition, MSB students continue to strive for excellence
and are ever hopeful to pick up a few awards for excellence. A warm
invitation is extended to our school and wider community to come
along and support this event. Circle Friday, November 10 on your
calendar, you will not be disappointed! SNAP will be available for your
viewing pleasure over the Christmas holidays, artworks are for sale for
those of you looking for a completely unique festive gift.