St Stephen’s News Issue 17 - Term 4 Wednesday, 5 November 2014 Principal: Mrs Ida Pinese Deputy Principal Curriculum: Ms Andrea Chiesa Assistant to the Principal Administration: Mr Lance Helms Assistant to the Principal Religious Education: Mr Michael Lindsay Lot 3, McIver Road PO Box 624, Mareeba QLD 4880 Celebrating Excellence STUDENTS were recognised for their outstanding achievements at St Stephen’s annual Awards Night last Wednesday at the Mareeba International Club. Telephone: 4086 2500 Fax: 4092 4333 Email: [email protected] Office Hours: 7:45am - 3:45pm ABN 42 498 340 094 Inside this Issue • Leadership Team Pg 3 • Uniform Policy 2015 Pg 6 • Year 8 News Pg 7 • Year 10 News Pg 8 • Business News Pg 9 Olivia Pezzelato received the Sister Mary Stephen Memorial Award from Sr Rovena Duffy. Jack Petersen was awarded Dux of the College, Rotary All Rounder Award, Public Speaking Award and the Byrnes Street Medical Centre Bursary. Caitlyn Long received the Mareeba and Dimbulah Community Bank Award for Citizenship. NEXT P&F MEETING Tuesday, November 11 at St Stephen’s Academic Medal recipients: Marco Soncin (Year 9), Kate Wilcox (Year 10), Joshua Smith (Runner up to the Dux), Ellana Spena (Year 8), William Snell (Year 11) and Dannielle McCormack (Year 10). Able Seaman Ryan Davis presented Kate Wilcox and Olivia Pezzelato with the Australian Defence Force Leadership Award. See full list of award recipients on page 4. www.sscc.qld.edu.au Kate Wilcox and George Smith were named Senior Sportspersons of the Year. NOTICES New Telephone System The college telecommunications system has been upgraded. Term Four 2014 Start: Finish: Tuesday, 7 October Friday, 21 November (Year 12) Friday, 28 November (Year 8-11) When contacting the college the automated system allows you to choose from several options. Follow the prompts to make your selection and you will be assisted by staff in the appropriate department; mailbox function available Starting Dates 2015 Tuesday, 27 January: Years 7, 8, and 12 Wednesday, 28 January: All Students return Towards the State Election 2015 Key Issue 1 Catholic schools in Queensland, on average, receive only about 81% of the government funding per student received by state schools. St Stephen’s Catholic College S BLOCK CLASSROOM FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER 3.00 - 9.00 pm See the SRC Execcutive for more information 2 According to the latest figures available, Catholic schools, on average, receive $9,238 per student in government funding while state schools receive $11,440 per student (MySchool website 2012). FROM THE Principal Dear Parents, Carers and Friends of St Stephen’s, “The world tells us to seek success, power and money; God tells us to seek humility, service and love.” (Pope Francis) In keeping with the Mission Statement and the ethos of Catholic schooling, St Stephen’s strives to provide a holistic education which fosters students’ academic, social, spiritual and emotional development. While academic success is recognised and celebrated, educating the heart is just as important as educating the mind. Therefore, a major focus this year has been the formation of a social justice group whose mandate has been to serve those in need with humility and love. An example of prayer in action by students involved with social justice, was the care packages which they prepared for the children of outback families affected by drought. To formalise the actions of this group, in 2015, the Social Justice Committee will form part of the student leadership team along with the Captains, Student Representative Council and the Pastoral House Leaders. In addition, homerooms will be organised according to the pastoral houses of Augustine, Deacon, McAuley and Muluridji, so that students can gain a greater appreciation of the foundation on which our college is built. At the college’s annual Awards Night on 29 October, students were acknowledged for not only achieving excellent academic results, but also for their efforts in serving others with humility and love. The congratulations of the entire college community are extended to all students who received accolades for their achievements and also to those whose musical talents entertained the audience. I am extremely proud of the manner in which all students complied with the protocol of the evening and let “their light shine.” Any additional government funding for Catholic schools helps relieve pressure on school fees and assists more families to choose a Catholic school. This also relieves pressure on state schools and also saves government money. The next milestone for the Year 12 students is graduation on 21 November 2014. A letter was sent to all parents of Year 12 informing them of the events which are occurring in the final week. More communication will be forthcoming in the next couple of weeks, as changes have been made this year to accommodate the much larger cohort. On Friday, 21 November, the whole school will farewell the senior students in lessons three and four, after which Year 12 students will leave to prepare for the Graduation Mass at St Thomas’ that evening. Parents are welcome to attend the farewell assembly at the college. Catholic education is seeking to work with the next Queensland Government to achieve consistent budget outcomes that will: - assist Catholic schools to keep pace with rising operating costs - ensure that the gap in resourcing between Catholic schools and state schools does not widen. For the remainder of the college, the academic year concludes on Friday, 28 November. On this day, students will be completing tests before participating in an end-of-year mass and final assembly. It is important that all students continue to focus on their learning and attend school until the very last day. As we already finish a week before our primary counterparts, it becomes challenging for students to achieve good results if they miss lessons due to other reasons besides illness. Parental support is a very important ingredient in the partnership with the school and I ask that students attend school until the academic year officially concludes. Click here to read more information about the annual recurrent funding of Catholic schools or visit www.qcec.catholic.edu.au or www.pandf.org.au and follow the state election links to find out more detail. Schools are dynamic and vibrant places of work where changes to staff occur both during and at the end of the year and as we prepare for 2015. In my final newsletter for the year on 3 December, I will provide a list of staff members who are coming to St Stephen’s for 2015 and also farewell those who are leaving to take on new challenges in other locations. In the interim I would like to provide the following update for 2015: (These appointments complement the ones which were released earlier in the semester.) • Facilities and Maintenance Manager: Mr Sam Bozzo • Groundsman: Mr Paul Meaney • Additional new teachers: Ms Leah Aplin and Mrs Jodie Jackson 3 In addition we will be advertising for an Assistant Principal, Mission. Mr Michael Lindsay who is the current Assistant Principal, Religious Education, has been appointed as Principal of St Joseph’s Parish School in Atherton for the commencement of the 2015 academic year. We congratulate Mr Lindsay on his well-deserved promotion and wish him the very best in his new position. Best wishes to the Year 12 students who undertake their final exams, (in the secondary setting), next week. Trust in the Lord, Mrs Ida Pinese | Principal [email protected] Awards Night 2014 Vocational Student of the Year: Veronica Davis Junior Sportspersons of the Year: Neil Alterio and Nadia Falvo Senior Sportspersons of the Year: George Smith and Kate Wilcox Byrnes Street Medical Centre Bursary: Jack Petersen Claude Cater & Co Mensland Business/Law studies Bursary: Caitlyn Long Mareeba Chamber of Commerce Business Encouragement Award: Emma Kleyn Evan & Fay McGrath Educational Studies Bursary: Kylie Walmsley Public Speaking award: Jack Petersen James Cook University Academic Encouragement Awards: Hannah Hassem, Fenella Hartley (Year 10), Jesse Haimes and Lucy Ferguson (Year 12) Australian Defence Force Leadership Award: Kate Wilcox (Year 10) and Olivia Pezzelato (Year 12) Mareeba and Dimbulah Community Bank Award for Citizenship: Caitlyn Long Academic Medals: Yr 8 – Ellana Spena Yr 9 – Marco Soncin Yr 10 – Dannielle McCormack and Kate Wilcox Yr 11 – William Snell Runner up to the DUX – Joshua Smith College & Vice Captains Awards: Jack Petersen, Kylie Walmsley, Lucy Ferguson and Joshua Smith Rotary All Rounder: Jack Petersen Dux of the College: Jack Petersen Sr Mary Stephen Memorial Award: Olivia Pezzelato 4 FROM THE Deputy Principal Curriculum The assignment calendar for term four has been uploaded to the college website. Some amendments have been made to the original calendar published in the previous newsletter. Details concerning assessment for Health and Physical Education have been added. Students are strongly urged to highlight the due dates for assignments and to continue to adhere to the college’s assignment policy. A reminder that for our Year 12 students there will not be any reports prepared by St Stephen’s. The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) is responsible for issuing the Year 12 results and these can be accessed online through the students’ learning accounts on 20 December. Hard copies of tertiary entrance statements, senior statements and Queensland Certificates of Education will be posted a day earlier by the QCAA. All Year 12 students have been informed of the process which needs to be followed for the electronic access of their results. The completion of tests will be staggered with Year 12 block exams occurring from 12 to 14 November. As the last day for attendance by this cohort is Friday 21 November, results must be collated for submission to QCAA as soon as tests are concluded. For the remainder of the school, the final week of term four has been scheduled for testing, with Year 11 block exams taking place from the 24 to 28 November. The Year 11 block exam period has been adjusted from the dates published previously, and testing will occur for the whole final week. It is very important for parents to note that ALL students have a test on Friday 28 November and attendance on this last day is compulsory. Failure to complete tests will have a detrimental effect on a student’s level of achievement for semester two. Students are reminded that if they are absent for an exam a medical certificate is required. We rely on your support to ensure that students are able to achieve the best possible results. If you have any enquires about end-of-term tests, please contact me at the college. Andrea Chiesa | Deputy Principal (Curriculum) [email protected] FROM THE Mission Department Getting Ready for 2015… As the end of the year approaches, it is timely for us to revisit dress and grooming expectations. All students will be expected to arrive for their first day in 2015 with the correct uniform; shoes, correct jewellery and appropriate grooming and hair styles. It is expected by the college that somewhere in the eight weeks of holidays, students will ensure they have the correct uniform items ready to go. Teachers will be looking for this in the first week back and consequences will be incurred for any breaches of the expectations. In a following newsletter, I will focus on hair and earrings. In this fortnight’s newsletter, I focus on shoes and uniform. On the following page, the uniform requirements for 2015 are clearly presented; I would like to outline a few points about appropriate footwear below. Throughout all of this year, posters have been on display around the college outlining what is appropriate footwear for both the academic and sports uniforms. Copies of these can be found in this edition of the college newsletter. In short: Shoes (academic uniform): • • • • Black leather, regularly polished Lace-up (no Velcro or other styles) Heel height of about 2-3 cm (ie: avoid extremes of either height or lack of heel) Styles such as flat-bottomed, ballet-like, or boot-like (shoe extending further up the ankle) are not permitted Shoes (sports uniform): • • • “Runner” or “cross-trainer” style sports shoe preferred Style of sports shoe should provide good heel-arch support Styles such as flat-bottomed, futsal-specific, or simply some casual shoes not designed for sport are not permitted Appreciating your support, Michael Lindsay | APRE [email protected] Social Emotional Learning Recently, a few members of staff attended a presentation by powerful speaker Melinda Tankard Reist titled The Sexual World of the 21st Century Adolescent: How Pornography is Harming Young People at VPG’s Respect Me website launch at the Atherton International Club. Melinda is a Canberra author, speaker, media commentator, blogger and advocate for women and girls. She is well known for her work to reduce the objectification of women and sexualisation of girls in the media and efforts to address violence against women. Her presentation explored the harsh realities of the sexualised and technology driven world in which we live and the effect this has on our young people. I would encourage parents to check out her website http://melindatankardreist.com/ and consider her publications for your own personal reading, as well as the website for her organisation Collective Shout http://www.collectiveshout.org/ which campaigns against the objectification and sexualisation of girls in the media, topics which affect the perceptions of our young people, particularly regarding body image and relationships. Laura Gilbert | SEL Coordinator [email protected] 5 Uniform Policy 2015 Year 7 & 8 in 2015 and beyond GIRLS: • New navy hat • Blouse • Skirt • Beige socks & black shoes • College jumper BOYS: • New navy hat • Shirt (out) • Shorts • Short navy socks & black shoes • College jumper Year 9 As above but may wear new navy hat OR formal + bucket hat (2015 only) Year 10 GIRLS: • Blouse • Skirt • Beige socks & black shoes • Tie • College jumper • New navy hat OR formal + bucket hat (2015 only) BOYS: • Shirt • Shorts / trousers • Long socks & black shoes • School jumper • New navy hat OR formal + bucket hat (2015 only) Year 11 & 12 GIRLS: As per Year 10 BOYS: As per Year 10 • Tie in Terms 2 & 3 Note: Formal hats and college blazers will be provided by the college for official occasions. Please refer to uniform policy on college website for further details. 6 Mathematics News Hooray! Competition results are back for our top Mathematicians! I am happy to announce the award winners for the two recent Mathematics competitions run at our college this term. International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) is a competition that is held each year for all students in secondary schools in Australia. ICAS is the largest independent assessment program for schools in the world with more than two million entries annually. Students from over 20 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, Pacific and the USA actively participate in ICAS each year. Results for the ICAS test, run by UNSW on Tuesday 12 August are as follows: Distinctions: Credits: Brianne So Choy Luke McCredie Aaron Bryce Eugenio Bambino Jake Powell Ellana Spena William Snell Paulina Bernhardi Emily Ernst Dean Price Matthew Crane Peter Dai Claire Schermer Riley Bell A Raines Vivek Kolala Bryan Herrington Joshua Priestly Steven Harnischfeger Sudanshu Pathania Results for the Australian Mathematics Competition, run by the ANU on Thursday 7 August are as follows: Distinctions: Credits: Ellana Spena Luke McCredie Aaron Bryce Eugenio Bambino Sharika Fenton Brianne So Choy Lachlan Greenwood Paulina Bernhardi Maddison Leonforte Aaron Bryce Jake Powell Emily Ernst Claire Schermer Congratulations must go to all special award winners and to those students who entered but were unsuccessful in achieving a distinction or credit award. I look forward to a record number of entrants to both competitions in 2015. Andrew Jamieson | Mathematics Coordinator (acting) [email protected] Year 8 News We are now into November and the students start to feel that the end is near. However, there is still plenty of work to do, assignments to complete and tests to take before we get there. To be effective with their time the year eight students need to stay organized right to the end. To help with this, the assignment calendar can be found online in the first newsletter of the term. The student record book (SRB) still needs to be utilised and signed by parents and it will then be checked by homeroom teachers on Tuesday. Hopefully the school shoes can survive until the end of year. If school shoes need to be purchased before the start of the new school year please check the uniform policy so the correct shoes are purchased. The policy states: “Black polished lace up leather low cut school shoes. No colouring or buckles. Heel height including sole should be between 2–3 centimetres.” Students are being encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to school for Christmas hampers that are being prepared for needy families in the community. So far the response has not been as good as it could be. Your support in this area would be appreciated. Congratulations to all of the students who received awards on Wednesday last week: Busta James Atkinson, Paulina Bernhardi, David Bin, Gabriella Cuda, Lauren Davies, Sharlene Huiskes, Vibhishaan Juggernath, Elena Pilat, Ellana Spena, Brianne So Choy, Annalisse Troncone and Nadia Tudini. I would also like to thank all of the year eight students who participated in the performances on the night, and those who came to support siblings and classmates. It was a wonderful night. Rohan Priestly | Year 8 Coordinator [email protected] 7 English News No matter what kids say, they love dressing up no matter how old they are. The Year 11 English students took the opportunity to create costumes for their Macbeth monologues. Mrs Crockford and Mrs Gilbert were both extremely pleased with the efforts put in by the students. If parents would like to see a performance of their child’s monologue, I’m sure all they have to do is ask and the budding actors will oblige. LOTE News The year eight students in the last rotation have worked on their introductions, numbers and preferences. They are great at asking others whether they like Justin B or One D. They are great at giving their opinion as well. The year eights are particularly skilled at guiding a human robot across the classroom with simple commands, dodging the inanimate and animate objects on the course. The year nine students are able to talk about their families including pets, the activities they are involved in on the weekends and scheduling events. These topics will be covered in the tests at the end of the term. We are hoping to get to taste some great sushi to celebrate all of our hard work. Rohan Priestly Year 10 News Hello and welcome to term four. Not to be outdone, some of the Year 9 students donned accoutrements they pilfered from various sources to bring their dramatic readings of poetry to life. Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all award winners from Awards Night last week. You have done yourselves proud with the hard work and effort you have shown over the school year. Well done! With only a few weeks of classes remaining, it is crucial that students remain focussed on completing their school work and assessment and not “switch off” just yet. There are still exams and assignments that will need to be completed by the end of term, so attendance, homework, study and revision is still a focal point. Uniform issues have been a problem at the moment with shirts and shoes looking a bit past their “used by date.” Please ensure that your child looks presentable with all buttons in place and shirt ironed along with shoes being polished. Remember to work hard to achieve your best and do yourself proud. On a side note, the department would like to welcome Mrs Fay McGrath, an accomplished teacher who brings a wealth of experience to the college. She is teaching Years 8 and 9 English and Year 11 English Communication. Mr Lance Helms | English Coordinator [email protected] 8 Mr McLennan | Year 10 Coordinator [email protected] Business News As we enter the second half of this term, the junior business classes are starting to prepare for their term four assessments. Year 9 are working on their marketing plan assessment that is based on a NEW product or service. They have been lucky enough to have been treated to tasty learning materials including choc chip cookies and M&M’s to help them understand the concept of target markets. Year 10 are currently studying work environments in preparation for their exam at the end of the term. This topic covers many aspects including the rights and responsibilities of employers and employees, awards and agreements and the changing workforce. The students were particularly interested in the fact that there was once a working day that lasted longer than 8 hours before 1856. Whilst the senior students are also entering into preparation mode for their term four block exams, one business student has been particularly busy with additional co-curricular activities. On Saturday, 18th October, Rhiannon De Marzi, a senior BOM and Accounting student travelled to Cairns to be interviewed for the Keith Goodwin Memorial Scholarships in Accounting and Business. She had been shortlisted along with 11 other students from the Cairns region to attend the interview process which consisted of both group and individual interviews. Although Rhiannon did not receive a scholarship, the judges commented that they were impressed with her Accounting results, maturity, confidence and professionalism. I would like to personally congratulate Rhiannon on this achievement. Laura Marino | Business Teacher [email protected] Certificate II Business News We have many excited Year 12 students in the Certificate II in Business class who are handing in their final assessments for the course in the next few weeks. These students have been working on their coursework for the last two years and will have completed a total of twelve modules by the end of the course. We have eleven students on track to receive the full certificate and this will enable them to either seek work in office administration or to continue their studies at TAFE or another RTO and gain a higher certificate level or a diploma in Business. A small number of students who started the certificate part-way through the course will receive a certificate of attainment listing all the modules they have completed. This will allow them to complete the remaining modules at an RTO if they wish to gain the full certificate after graduation. Well done to our Year 12 Certificate students for many hours of work and dedication to their business studies. Ms Murat | Business Teacher Annual Zone Gymkhana Giulia Rogato, Hayley Skinner, Madison Sugden-Smith and Micaela Farrawell recently rode at the annual Zone Gymkhana. Giulia won her age group at the formal gymkhana on Saturday. Madison was 2nd and Hayley 5th in the Sporting Championship on Sunday. To cap off the year during which she also rode and won ribbons at the State Championship in Taroom as part of a Zone 18 team, Hayley (pictured) was crowned Miss Personality 2014. 9 School-Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships for 2015 The School-based Apprenticeship and Traineeship program allows students to get paid work whilst studying and working towards a formally recognised qualification with QCE credit points towards your end of school certificate. You will receive up-to-date training, increased skills and knowledge to further your career in your chosen industry, and gain great life and work skills. Students must complete 50 days paid employment per year with training or work impacting on your school timetable. Generally you will attend work one day per week. Year 10 & 11 students Benefits to YOU! Gain a nationally recognised qualification Contribute to your QCE points Earn while you learn Meet new people Make new friends Gain experience Learn transferable skills Increase your confidence and self esteem Gain a competitive edge Kick start your career! Expressions of interest will be handed out in home rooms this week. If interested, please complete page 3 and return to Mrs Goleby in the Library by Friday, 14 November 2014. Call into the library and visit Mrs Goleby if you have any questions. Kick start your career now! 10 11 12