24TH NOVEMBER, 2017

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Inside this Issue

From the Assistant Principal 4

From the Leader of Religious Ed. 5

From the Leader of Teaching & Learning

6

Year 7 LAUNCH Gallery 7

Creative and Performing Arts News 9-10

Duke of Edinburgh—Silver Award 11

Sports News 12

From the Leader of Wellbeing 8

Mercy Action Group News From the LOTE Department

13

Youth Ministry News 14

Thought for the Week…..

“It had long since come to my attention

that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and

let things happen to them. They went out and

happened to things.”

- Leonardo da Vinci (1452 - 1519)

* MISERICORDIA SUB TUUM PRAESIDIUM * Mercy Under Your Protection O Holy Mother of God

Upcoming events for your Calendar …...

NOVEMBER

Monday 27th

Central Australia Tour Information night

6pm @ OLMC Catherine McAuley Cen-

tre

Tuesday 28th De La Salle College

Year 11, 2018 Orientation Day

Thursday 30th

Year 10 Graduation Mass &

Awards Presentation 6.45pm

DECEMBER

Monday 4th Year 10 Formal

@ 6.00pm-10.30pm Doltone House

Sylvania

Monday 11th College Picnic @ Jamberoo

Monday 11th- Tuesday 12th

Duke of Edinburgh —Bronze

Wednesday 13th Years 7-9 Awards

Presentation Evening

Thursday 14th Parent/Teacher

Interviews

NEWMAN ACCREDITATION Last Tuesday, OLMC was recommended for Accredita-tion as a Newman Selective Gifted Education School, following a 3 year journey where we developed a whole school program that addressed the needs and learning experiences of our Newman (‘O’ class) stu-dents and our teaching practice. This recommenda-tion came from an external panel facilitated by Janet Freeman, an experienced instructional leader, Dr Cath-erine Wormald, University of Wollongong Lecturer in gifted education and Jan Robinson, Sydney Catholic Schools Inner West Educational Officer: Gifted (K-12). The panel interviewed parents, students, teachers, our Gifted Education Facilitator and the College Leader-ship Team, undertook learning walks to see classes in action and analysed our documentation. Accreditation requires a school to meet the Gifted Edu-cation Standards Framework in the following six are-as: 1. Identification 2. Effective provision in the classroom 3. Assessment 4. Leadership 5. Professional Learning 6. Engaging families, school community and be-

yond. To achieve Standard 1: Identification, all teachers are required to have a thorough understanding and use Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Tal-ent. There must be a comprehensive and systematic process for identification, a register of students and an ongoing tracking process. To achieve Standard 2: Effective provision in the class-room, programs in all Key Learning Areas must be dif-ferentiated to meet the learning styles and needs of our gifted and talented students. Their social and emotional needs must also be met. There must be data informed flexible groupings that reflect that gift-ed learners are best placed with like-ability peers and options for acceleration. To achieve Standard 3: Assessment, assessment must be differentiated, student growth tracked and reports communicate student achievement of extended learn-ing within syllabus outcomes. There must be regular opportunities to celebrate achievement such as the annual Newman Symposium, Awards ceremonies, Col-lege assemblies and Performing Arts evenings. To achieve Standards 4 and 5: Leadership and Profes-sional Learning respectively, requires the College Leadership Team focusing on the capacity building of

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the teachers. Teachers should have formal qualifica-tions in gifted education, and have opportunities to col-laborate ensuring effective identification, tracking, feed-back and classroom provisions are in place for gifted students. To achieve Standard 6: Engaging families, school com-munity and beyond, requires that parents feel engaged, supported and well-informed. There are links with the community and partnerships with agencies and experts beyond the school. Thank you to our parents who gave of their time to meet with the panel: Mrs Diane Herman, Ms Joanne Haran, Mrs Corinne Thomson, Mrs Helen Crawford, Mrs Rochelle Beesley, Mrs Katrina Hedges and Mrs Pauline Franks-Pearson. Thank you to Mrs Kerrie Ramsay, Gifted Education Facil-itator and Mr Juan Gonzaga for their leadership of the Newman Gifted Education Program (NGEP) at OLMC. A wonderful offshoot provided by our involvement in the NGEP has been that many of the practices introduced as a result of the program have been extended school-wide to meet the needs of all our students, not just those in the Newman class. Thus, our teaching programs and practices, assessment, and data tracking systems have improved across the entire school benefiting each and every student. YOUTH FRONTIERS PROGRAM Thank you to the Honourable Mark Speakman, SCMP, Member for Cronulla, Attorney General for his ongoing support of the Youth Frontiers Program and of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic College. Congratulations to Michaela Gregory, a State Finalist at the Youth Frontiers Awards.

STAFF FAITH FORMATION PROJECT Every year as part of the Mercy 5 faith formation program, two teachers from OLMC are provided with professional learning on our Mercy history and tradition. As part of their formation, the teachers collaborate with the Principal on a project of their choice. During the school holiday period the 2017 project, Steps to Mercy, will be installed. This year, following the completion of the Catherine McAuley Building, the 2016 project, Path of Mercy and the 2015 project, Catherine McAuley Garden and Mercy Cross were installed.

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2017 Steps to Mercy

2016 Path of Mercy

Her Story, Their Story, Our Story

Designed by Mr Ric Sucgang and Mrs Linda Noort

The amphitheatre steps will be emblazoned

with the College Mercy Values.

Designed by Mrs Adla Coure and Mr Anthony Moore

The Path of Mercy: Her Story, Their Story, Our Story walks the reader through the

Story of Catherine McAuley, the story of the Sisters of Mercy Parramatta Congregation and

the story of OLMC.

2015 Mercy Cross

2015 Catherine McAuley Garden

Designed by Mrs Joanne Furnari and Mrs Joanne McKeown

The Catherine McAuley Garden in the circular drive

features our College Houses surrounded by Catherine McAuley Roses.

Designed by Mrs Joanne Furnari and Mrs Joanne McKeown

The entry to the Catherine McAuley Building

includes the Mercy Cross etched in the glass at the front of the building.

Ms Gilda Pussich Principal

FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

End of Year Assessment Reflections

For students to grow and learn it is important that they take time to reflect upon their recent yearly as-sessment tasks. Students can reflect on what worked well and what did not work for them in the lead up and duration of the assessment block. It is important for learning that students contemplate changes they can make to improve their performance. Some ques-tions that parents or students can ask are:

1. In which tasks did I do well (or at least OK)? 2. Why did I do well in these tasks? 3. In which tasks do I think I did badly? 4. For these tasks, what reasons below most apply:

I didn't do enough study I had exam nerves on the day I had missed some of the work and didn't

catch up I didn't study effectively My exam technique was not very good I spent too long on some questions and not

enough on others I studied the wrong things I should have done more actual practise not

just reading it I ran out of time in my study time

5. What three things do I want to remember to do (or not do) in the next set of assessment tasks?

6. What percentage would you give yourself for the following: (eg: 60%, 25%, 80%) - The amount of effort I have put into class work

this year - The amount of effort I have put into homework

this year - The amount of effort I have put into assign-

ments this year - The amount of effort I have put into tests this

year - The amount of effort I have put into school in

general this year - The amount of effort I have put into studying

for these exams 7. How can I improve on these percentages? 8. What sort of percentage effort do I think I would

need to achieve the marks that I want?

End of Year Program

The College has a very busy end of year program, a reminder of some important events coming up:

1. Australian Catholic Youth Festival (ACYF) is Thursday 7 December and will be attended by Year 9 and some Year 10 students

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2. Presentation Evening is Wednesday 13 December at 7pm in the Mercy Centre. Students will be noti-fied if they are receiving awards prior to the night.

3. All students are expected to attend the College picnic at Jamberoo on Monday 11 December.

4. Year 7 and Year 8 will attend the Advent liturgy, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception Mass 9.30am at St Aloysius on Friday 8 December. Stu-dents will return to the College and be dismissed at 12:30pm. Buses have been organised for this time.

5. Parent teacher interviews are available on Thurs-day 14 December in the Catherine McAuley Cen-tre. Booking information will be Skoolbagged and sent via email to parents.

Uniform

A reminder that College school shoes are required to be hard, black, leather lace up. Ballet or soft leather shoes do not comply with WHS requirements. Some parents may be purchasing new school shoes for 2018. Please ensure that hard, black, leather lace up shoes are pur-chased.

Christine Harding

Assistant Principal

Student Absence

To comply with the Education Act, a written note must be returned to the College within 7 days of a student 's absence, after which time the absence will be recorded as unexplained. Days absent with-out explanation will be recorded on student re-ports.

Christ The King This Sunday 26 November marks the Feast of Christ the King. It is the final Sunday of the liturgical year and marks an important celebration in the life of the Church. The Cronulla parish has traditionally celebrated this Feast with Youth Mass with a strong presence of OLMC stu-dents. This will take place on Sunday 26 November at 6pm, followed by a BBQ dinner. All families and students are welcome.

Christmas Hampers During Term 4 our College focus has been on the Mercy value of service. Students have explored what service means and how they can be of service to others. This work will culminate in a special way this year with the prepa-ration of our Christmas hampers. Once again our students are providing gifts of food and toys to support our local St Vincent de Paul Conferences and the Care and Concern Group of St Aloysius Gonzaga parish. Suggested items that students may choose to bring in could include: Christmas fare (eg: chocolates,

chips, soft drink, Christmas cake etc) Non-perishable food (eg: pasta, rice,

tuna, pasta sauce etc) Toys and books Sport socks Hats/caps Sunscreen Luxury items (eg: shower gel, nail

polish, beach towel etc) Each homeroom is preparing a hamper for a family in need. Thank you once again for your generous support of this act of service for our com-munity. Remembrance Day at Stella Maris On Friday 10 November, four 8-O RE students hon-oured Remembrance Day with the residents of Stella Maris. Chloe Thomson, Genevieve De Gioia, Erin Ad-ams and Lily McAdam demonstrated their service to others by offering morning tea to the residents, joining in the memorial by reading some significant poems and placing poppies on the focal space in honour of the fallen soldiers.

Thank you to these girls for their sensitive approach to this occasion and thank you to Mrs Overton for organis-ing this authentic experience of service this term.

At school, the College marked Remembrance Day with a prayer service at 11am.

Mrs Letitia Layton Leader of Religious Education

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FROM THE LEADER OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

FROM THE LEADER OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

LAuNCh - Learning Authentically Nurturing Challenge

The LAuNCh program provides a well-defined, school-wide, strategic focus for students and teachers of Year 7. This program is designed to assist students in reach-ing their academic potential, armed with skills and the belief in their ability to meet any new academic chal-lenge in a positive way. The program, led by KLA and Literacy/Numeracy specialists, and College Leaders of Learning, allows for a complementary approach to the teaching of Year 7 students that allows optimum time in subject lessons for content acquisition and the imple-mentation of academic skills through explicit teaching in the LAuNCh program. The goal of the program is to increase the capacity and confidence of Year 7 students as they enter high school in the areas of academic skills, strategies and collabo-ration. LAuNCh offers a scaffolded course for Year 7 students, grounding them in secondary academic skills, strategies and thinking and provides a solid foundation for them on which to build academic success. The outcomes for students included the establishment and enhancement of:

eLearning skills - especially those relevant to KLA-based assessment to be undertaken in Year 7

Research skills Study skills - including summarising, note making,

timetabling of tasks and study, memorisation skills, and dynamic reading

Active listening skills Navigating demands of assessment - organisa-

tional skills; understanding task requirements for success

A strong focus on use of feedback and reflection on strengths and weaknesses and planning for improvement.

Academic and social skills - how to work well in group tasks and navigate likely difficulties; how to negotiate support from teachers as part of taking personal responsibility for their learning journey and plans

Preparation for NAPLaN and focus on areas of weakness post release of individual student re-sults (as well as focus on school identified weak-nesses of specific cohorts)

Showcasing a selected project using all of the eLearning, personal, research, organisational and group collaborative skills developed throughout the acquisition phase of the program

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On Tuesday, 21 November Year 7 completed the pro-ject phase of their LAuNCh program with their show-case. The afternoon was well-supported by parents and grandparents, OLMC teachers as well as visiting teachers and an academic as part of their visit to the College. The students’ brief was to identify a real-world prob-lem and provide a solution. The results were nothing short of impressive. The enthusiasm and engage-ment of the students throughout the process was ad-mirable and the students developed significant levels of knowledge and skills. The images following show some of these projects. Apart from the Year 7 students themselves, mention must be made of Mr Mackenzie and his guidance and leadership of each of the projects together with the LAuNCh team - Mrs Ramsay, Mr Moore, Mrs Coure and Mrs Harding. Mrs Hallinan and Mrs McNeill as-sisted the groups during the preparation and in the afternoon through to the end. And thanks must also go to contributing teachers in the other phases of the program such as Miss Malakovski in assisting during NAPLAN preparation.

Juan Gonzaga Leader of Teaching and Learning

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YOUTH FRONTIERS This week, two of our Year 9 Youth Frontiers participants received awards for their civic projects. Michaela Gregory (pictured at left) was a NSW State Finalist in the general project category for her presenta-tion to Year 7 about the Air Force Cadets. Three generations of her family have been a part of the cadets and offer their services to train-ing new young cadets each year. Michaela is learning to fly and took her mentor on a flight during preparation for this project. She was pre-sented with a certificate and prizes at Parliament House on Tuesday. Lucy Banks (pictured right) received a Southern Sydney Business Edu-cation Network Award for her project in the category of Empowering Young Women. Her project was compiling a booklet called Beyond Violence which is a guide to helping young women cope with domestic

violence. Her work on this topic will be used next week in our VHR lesson to inform the students about this im-portant issue. Both Michaela and Lucy attended a cocktail party with their parents Ms Pussich and myself on Wednesday night at the Novotel Brighton Beach where they received their awards. Two other students in Year 9 presented their projects this week. Sascha Palmer (pictured at left) presented her Environment and Conservation Project to the SRC and staff. Her focus was on the use of plastics today and the

damage they do to our environment. It is hoped that the SRC may take on an environmental focus in 2018 in conjunction with MAG. Pictured right, Rebecca Haydon’s project had a sports participation focus. She had an ex-Olympian, Maree Keogh, speak to Year 7 about the importance of sport and ex-ercise and the benefits of being a part of a team to build resili-ence and self confidence. These projects would not have been possible without the dedi-cation from our community mentors who have assisted the students over the past three terms. We would like to thank Jennifer Hoffman, Julie Van der Helder, Dorothy Longmuir and Susan Hollenbeck for all their hard work and support for our students. A special thank you also to Rebecca Pragnell from Youth Frontiers for offering OLMC this wonderful opportunity to participate in such a rewarding program. We are hoping to offer this to Year 9 students again in 2018.

Mrs Janine Janssen Leader of Wellbeing

FROM THE LEADER OF WELLBEING

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CREATIVE AND PERFORMING ARTS NEWS

MUSIC

Students in Year 9 Elective Music have had their composi-tion, The Maze, shortlisted in a national song writing competition organised by The Australian Children's Music Foundation.

The students wrote and recorded the song in a composition ex-tension workshop which OLMC hosted last term.

CONGRATULATIONS to Maddy Katsilis, Alessandra Genas, Abbey Clow and Emma Catania (all of Year 9) and also to Callum O'Bri-en (DLS Caringbah).

ART EXCURSION

Visual Arts students from Year 9 & 10 recently visited the Art Gallery of NSW to see the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize exhibitions as well as sections of the permanent collection. They also visited Hazelhurst Gallery to see the European Masters Exhi-bition. The students honed their skills in the analysis and critiqu-ing of artworks.

Here are some thoughts from our Visual Arts students:

Within the Archibald exhibition, I specifically enjoyed Jun Chen’s portrait titled ‘Ray Hughes’. His use of contrasting colours was something that drew the audience towards the subject matter as a focal point; the dark curtains in the foreground, centreing the man on the wheelchair. Though it wasn’t a prize winner, it was a very deserving finalist. An artwork titled ‘Antara’ by Betty Kunti-wa Pumani (1b), won the Wynne Prize; the artist used her signa-ture red to evoke this rocky desert country of Antara whilst also suggesting blood or an unmistakable energy.—Laurah Tapas, Year 9 I found the artworks from the 18th Century most interesting be-cause of the intricate detail contained in every aspect of the art-works. The paintings and sculptures are incredibly realistic in the representation fabric, clothing styles, faces, architecture, plants, etc. Other paintings that interested me were artworks by Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso - two of the most well known artists of all time.—Melissa Eleftheriades, Year 9 My favourite was the portrait by comedian and artist, Ahn Do, winner of The People's Choice Award. Ahn Do created a painting of Jack Charles, an indigenous activist, using contrasting colours with impasto techniques throughout to create a very life-like feel-ing. He used a mixture of cool and warm tones and broad brushstrokes to make it look like a human face when seen from a distance.—Bronte Ryan, Year 9

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Well done!

—Miss Pussich

CREATIVE AND PERFORMING ARTS NEWS (Continued)

BAND TOUR - GOLD COAST

Our band musicians have had a busy and exciting week of per-formances at various venues on the Gold Coast, with the high-light (no doubt) being a performance at Dreamworld -- followed by time to enjoy the rides, of course! Some students had the bonus of having their grandparents in the audience at one of the performances, which was a lovely experience for students and grandparents alike. Many thanks to Mrs Cathy Moran (DLS Caringbah) for her ongo-ing leadership of the band and her organisation of the tour. Thank you also to Mrs Anne-Maree Corby for accompany-ing the girls. Congratulations to all the band musicians for their performances and for being great ambassadors for both colleg-es! Mrs Joanne Furnari CAPA Coordinator

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Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award Qualifying Adventurous Journey, 2017

Twenty three Year 10 students and four enthusias-tic teachers headed off on a big adventure last Wednesday morning, to complete the Qualifying Expedition for the Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award. This group have done three previous hikes togeth-er over two years, but this one proved to be the toughest. The group set out from Caringbah Sta-tion, catching the train to Circular Quay, where we caught a ferry to Woolwich Wharf. From there, we began the “Great North Walk”, through Hunters Hill and other leafy suburbs and parks, over bridg-es with harbour views and eventually through Lane Cove National Park to the campgrounds - a jour-ney of 21kms. Here the girls set up their tents, cooked their dinners, and even entertained some overseas visitors. The second day saw us pack up camp, and hike a further 16kms through the bush, and over steep rocks until we reached Thornleigh. From here we caught the train back to Circular Quay, to meet up with the Cockatoo Island Ferry. Once on the pictur-esque island, the rain and wind started. The girls set up their tents, and tucked into their noodles. The novelty of sleeping out in the middle of Syd-ney Harbour was well worth the journey. On Friday morning, the weather was fine, so we started with a Tai Chi session on the lawn area, ably lead by Samantha Szafranek, then we ex-plored the historic island, taking in all the convict living quarters, and the boat building machinery. We sailed back to Circular Quay for some lunch and a train trip home to civilization. A big thank you to Miss Amanda Caruana, Mr An-drew Mackenzie and Miss Amelia Beckett, who walked all the way with us and camped overnight. I congratulate all the girls on their perseverance, good humour and resilience to complete such a challenging expedition carrying their heavy back-packs on their backs. Well done to the following students: I hope you all go on to do your Gold Award next year. Mrs Joanne King Duke of Edinburgh Award Coordinator

DUKE OF EDINBURGH — SILVER Teaghan Schmidt Jasmine Salvato Maddison Daley Saoirse Gray Mila Slavnic Emily Hughes Olivia Wright Madeleine Ryan Samantha Szafranek Jorjah Commyn Isabella Conroy Ellie Morris Lara McCaffery Tayla Kiss

Jordan Considine Jessica Sikes Alyssa Gettens Ashleigh MacDonald Sarina Blackley Eloise Cantlon

Leah Adams Philippa Kettlewell Emily Hughes

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ATHLETICS

Congratulations to Isabella Conroy (Year 10) for her outstanding results at the NSWCCC Athletics Championships, held recently.

2nd - 800m 3rd - 100m, Long Jump & Discus 4th - 200m & Shot Put

EQUESTRIAN

Congratulations to the following three girls on their fantastic achievements at the Camden High School Equestrian Carnival. Talia Karim (Year 10) and her horse ‘Teranaba Terantino’ (Buddy) - Senior Secondary Intermediate Division 1st - Year 10 Rider, Best Educated Horse & Versatility 2nd - Best Presented, Hack over 15hh Reserve Champion Secondary Rider Lauren McAdam (Year 10) and her horse ‘Get Ziggy With It’ (Ziggy) - Senior Secondary Novice Division 1st - Rider, Best Educated Horse Champion in Rider 2nd - Hack Over 15hh Tiana Hatswell (Year 9) and her horse ‘Luna Eclipse’ (Luna) - Senior Secondary Novice Division 1st - Galloway Hack, 45cm Show jumping, 2nd - Year 9 and 10 Hack 3rd - Hacking

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SPORT NEWS

Talia Karim Lauren McAdam Tiana Hatswell

CANTEEN ROSTER FOR THE FORTNIGHT BEGINNING 27TH NOVEMBER, 2017

Monday: (27th) V Gray Tuesday: N Sommerville, C Gliatis Wednesday: HELP PLEASE Thursday: H Cracknell, S Randazzo Friday: M Carbone Monday: (4th) M Grant, C Gallagher, L Lancaster Tuesday: K Hayman Wednesday: L Dorsman, S Jinks Thursday: C Cowley, J Payne Friday: K McRae, Maressa

Congratulations to Years 9 and 10 Elective French stu-dents for achieving excellent results in the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) Assessment of Language Competence. Students were tested in Listening and Reading Comprehension and were awarded numerous credit and distinction grades. Bravo! Ms Annmarie Rayer Language Teacher

FROM THE LOTE DEPARTMENT

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MERCY NEWS

Mercy Works is the outreach arm of the Sisters of Mer-cy. They work in challenged communities in Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Australia to promote justice and self-reliance. This Christmas why not support this great work and buy a Mercy gift card. Cards can be pur-chased online from $25 and you can choose the area in which you would like to support.

For Example : The art of learning

$25.00 Buying this card will help fund Mercy Works’ education projects in Papua New Guinea where half of all primary school-aged children are still out of school, with fewer girls going to school than boys.

Every drop counts

$25.00 Buying this card will help fund Mercy Works’ water pro-jects in Papua New Guinea where only two in five peo-ple have access to clean water.

Your smile makes me smile

$25.00 Buying this card will help fund Mercy Works’ projects in Papua New Guinea which promote village health to re-duce maternal and infant mortality. With almost half of all women giving birth without any medical assistance, mortality rates for mothers and babies are some of the highest in the world. You can purchase your cards here ... https://www.mercyworks.org.au/giftsofmercy/ Mrs Lisa Overton Mercy Action Group Coordinator

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62‐66 Dominic Street, Cronulla  2230   T  (02) 9544 1966  F  (02) 9544 1328 Email: info@olmcburraneer.catholic.edu.au Website: www.olmcburraneer.catholic.edu.au 

Mercy Works On Thursday 16 November a group of Year 7 and Year 9 students travelled to Mercy Works’ headquarters in Lewi-sham, to be of service for the day. Gath-ered in the main office, and working in a team, the girls prepared the mailout for the biannual report, The Bilum. The Bi-lum carries and communicates the sto-ries of the people involved in the many projects supported by Mercy Works. The girls also had the opportunity to talk with Sr Ailsa Mackinnon RSM, Executive Director of Mercy Works, and enjoyed a delicious pizza lunch. A special mention to Isabella McLachlan, OLMC 2017 MAG Leader, for her service to Mercy Works over the last four years. With thanks also to Mrs Overton, for her organisation of the day, and keeping us all pack-ing! Australian Catholic Youth Festival ...the countdown is on! ACYF is only 12 days away and preparations are now being finalised for what promises to be an amazing event. 103 students and 6 staff from OLMC are registered to participate in the event over the course of the 3 days, along with 19000 young people from across the country. In the words of Archbishop Anthony Fisher to all par-ticipants, “I encourage you to participate wholeheartedly in this experience by attending plenaries, liturgies, workshops and other experiences where you can take time to learn, ask questions, pray and deepen your relationship with Jesus Christ. I wish you every blessing during this time at the Youth Festival.” Ms Baxter Youth Ministry Coordinator

YOUTH MINISTRY NEWS