EQUALITY AND EQUITY

Last week I was fortunate to attend the NSW Catholic School Principals’ Conference in Sydney. Apart from a beautiful mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral, many of the highlights involved the presentations by various speakers and the conversations with colleagues which followed.

One of the presentations by Finnish Academic Pasi Sahlberg stood out for me. He spoke about numerous topics, including the increasing importance of student “Play Time” (even in secondary schools), however, the aspect I would like to share in this newsletter is the incredible link between the family and how students perform in testing measures.

In Australia, one of the greatest determinants as to whether a student will perform in testing measures is just how supported at home that child is in their education. This includes the extent to which a child has been supported in their early years of education as well as the extent to which students are provided for and encouraged in their education.

Accordingly, when we talk about partnerships at Magdalene, it is that ‘love of learning’ (one of our core values) which, if instilled from all levels, can have a fantastic outcome. This includes the value placed on education.

Emphasising the importance of education throughout a child’s school journey is important.  Developing a safe, supportive and encouraging home environment pays dividends. This might include the valuing of reading, the completion of homework, the provision of a suitable study area and/or coordinating regular time for this work. Everything we do and/or say will leave an impression of whether we genuinely value our child’s education and learning in general.

Sahlberg also commented very strongly on mobile devices. While remarkable in the degree of technology, access to others and the sheer information they can provide – they have the potential to be an extremely negative distractor to what we are trying to achieve.

I look forward to speaking more about this at future parent meetings and communicating more about our College’s approach to this and learning in general.

MAGDALENE SHINES

It is less than two weeks now until this exciting evening (Thursday June 13).

I encourage all students, parents and carers to join us in a fabulous night of performances across a range of disciplines (from Drama to Dance to Music). In particular, we are very much looking forward to seeing our Year 12s perform in their Year 12 Act in what is their last “Magdalene Shines”.

COMMUNICATION WITH THE COLLEGE

Many of you would have heard me speaking at various Information Nights over recent years about the importance of communication (and quality communication).

I stand by this and encourage parents/carers to continue to use a broad range of measures to communicate with staff. This can range from using the College diary, to calling the College Office to speak directly with staff members or sending staff members an email.

Typically, staff will reply within two business days. Occasionally, however, there may be a staff absence or factor which can complicate matters.

If a staff member hasn’t replied within that timeframe do feel free to contact the Office to assist you in receiving further assistance or having the matter dealt with appropriately by another staff member or coordinator. It is critical that positive relationships are maintained at all times as, while our staff will endeavour to remain professional, they do not have to accept being spoken to poorly or with tone, anger or aggression. In such cases, parents/carers may be directed immediately to myself.

The Catholic Education Office Wollongong is in the process of creating a “Parent Charter” which clearly outlines the responsibilities and general courtesies which are expected and involved with having a child in a Catholic School in the Wollongong Diocese. While we are fortunate to have the parent/carer body that we do, it is important to note that in extreme cases in other schools, student enrolments have been rescinded due to a parent/carer’s lack of civility, rudeness or even defamation of a staff member.

Mr Matthew McMahon

Principal

PRAYER FOR A BALANCED LIFE

Dear God, I know that You have created me with a purpose and a plan. I know it is Your desire that I too have a life filled with joy and purpose. Please help me today to fulfil the destiny You have planned for my life. I know that in order to do this, I must live a life obedient to Your Word, and a life of balance, with my priorities in the proper place and my heart focused on You.

Dear Lord, help me to attain that balance in all areas of my life. Examine my heart and show me those places where I may be out of balance. Help me to focus on the things that are most important and keep me from being distracted by the things that would steal my time and attention. Protect me from those things that try to keep me from reaching my goals and achieving the dreams that You have put in my heart.

And most of all, dear God, remind me daily that You have called me to be fruitful, not just busy. Give me the wisdom and strength to produce in abundance that which is most important and constructive in my life and the lives of those around me. Thank You for Your constant presence, and for helping me to grow and increase in every area of my life. In Jesus' name.

Amen.

It was wonderful to watch as Year 10 students arrived at school in their business attire. On Wednesday 8^th May for a day of activities and workshops that would support them in their future Career choices. The workshops included creating an e-Folio, aptitude testing, using our Careers Website to look at post-school options, Personality testing by a company called Young and Confident and Mock Interviews with volunteers from our local Community. To these people, we are so grateful for the precious time they gave to our young people!

Mrs Carol Dobbie

Careers Advisor

On Wednesday 15 May, we had our Careers Day where we went out to different places to find jobs that were suited to us.  

We went to three different locations. Our first stop was the NSW Rail Museum at Thirlmere. During our visit to the museum, we were told of the many exciting job opportunities there, such as the Curator, who puts displays and collections together, or front desk attendants, who need to be very friendly and helpful as they are the first people that visitors see. Volunteers are also very important. We really appreciated the tour and careers chat at the NSW Rail Museum. Braiden was particularly interested in the job of the person who catalogues the collections of trains and train-related objects.

Our second stop was the Animal Welfare League at Kemps Creek. Many of the animals we saw had been mistreated so the jobs that people in this industry do are very important. Some people have to feed the animals, give them water, exercise them and also clean out any waste. After they finish their jobs, they get to play with the animals. Some people who want to work with animals can start off as a volunteer. To get paid for walking, feeding and loving the animals you need a Certificate II in Animal Handling. Madison is particularly interested in completing this certificate.

After a very busy morning,  we stopped at McDonald’s for lunch where we purchased some very delicious burgers and chips. Finally, on our way back to school we went to the Campbelltown Arts Centre and we learnt about a range of jobs on offer there. They showed us how to use technology as a form of art. Therefore the job of technicians within the Art Gallery is very important and a job that stood out to us.

Madison Dagg and Braiden Dibella

Year 10

On Wednesday 15th May we went to the City Centre Education precinct where students visited a range of institutions: Notre Dame, Sydney University, Torrens University, UTS, Central Queensland University, Australian Institute of Technology, Sydney TAFE.

The purpose of the day was not to get specific information about courses but to open their minds to possibilities that they would not experience locally.

On our return to the College, there were a lot of shared experiences and some tired feet! It was a great chance to consider a broad range of future tertiary opportunities.

Year 11 SLR Cricket Coaching Course

Over the last few weeks, the Year 11 SLR classes were fortunate enough to participate in a cricket coaching course run by Cricket NSW and volunteers from Sydney Thunder. In total, we participated in four sessions that covered the key components of the game; fielding, bowling and batting. Students engaged in activities such as throwing, catching bowling, soccer cricket and diamond cricket which encompassed these components. Throughout these sessions, we were given insights into the game as well as tips and coaching strategies that we could apply to any sport. Students learnt about the important qualities of a coach such as clear communication, having an understanding of athletes, prioritization of player’s safety and encouragement and motivation of players.

After these four sessions, participants were able to walk away with a deeper understanding of what makes a successful coach, coaching principles and how best to implement them. We would like to thank Steve, Kristy and Nick from Cricket N.S.W. for their time and effort given to provide the Magdalene community with a great opportunity.

Alex Honan, 11 SLR B

COLLEGE FEES

In accordance with the Diocesan School Fee Management Policy, College fee accounts are now issued as an annual invoice which is due 30 days from the Invoice date. If you do not have a School Fee Agreement in place with Magdalene Catholic College your fees are now Overdue.

To access payment flexibility, that is, to pay your School Fees in instalments, families must complete a School Fee Agreement Form and return it to the College Office. School Fee Agreements need to be renewed yearly and they show the school a frequency of payment plan for your School Fees. You may pay by Bpay, Credit Card, Cash and Direct Debit.

School Fees with a School Fee Agreement in place must be finalised by Friday, 6 December 2019.

Please note the School Fee Agreement Form is not a Direct Debit Form.

The Diocesan School Fee Management Policy and all Finance Forms in relation to Fees are available on the College Website, under the Enrolment Tab. https://tinyurl.com/y2qwph65. The School Fee Calculator on the website can also assist with the calculation of the payment required to meet your commitment by the due date.

YEAR 12 SCHOOL FEES

Families of Year 12 students are required to have all the Year 12 Fees finalised by Friday, 27 September 2019.

If you are experiencing financial hardship and are having difficulty paying your school fees, we ask that you do not ignore your fee statement and please contact the Finance Office to discuss options that are available to you.

FINANCE OFFICE HOURS:             Monday to Friday            7.30am to 2.45pm

Please be aware that supervision of students commences at 7.50am in the Top Quad. After school - students should be collected no later than 3.30pm from the student pick up area (with the exception of extra-curricular activities the student may be attending). Students should not be on the College grounds outside of these times.