In this Sunday’s Gospel reading we hear parable of the Unforgiving Servant, which recounts the story of a master granting mercy and forgiveness to a servant who had accumulated a significant debt, only to have that same servant not demonstrate such compassion and mercy to a fellow servant to which they were owed a debt. The message in this parable focuses on what can be a challenge for all of us at times - to forgive others in the same way that God forgives us. This is of course, not the only time that we are reminded of the need to act in this way. When we pray the Our Father, we are asking God to forgive us in the same way that we forgive others. Therein lies the challenge for us to forgive others in the same way that we would like to be forgiven ourselves. 

Last Thursday evening, I had the great pleasure of attending the annual Bishop’s Student Excellence Award’s in Wollongong. This award is given to one student in Year 12 from each school in the Diocese and is based on a criteria that requires the recipient to consistently demonstrate and aspire to personal excellence in all areas of their schooling. In a Year 12 cohort of such outstanding candidates for this award, it was my pleasure to announce Harrison Gill as the recipient of the award for 2023. On behalf of the College and Mrs Phillips who was also present at the awards ceremony, I congratulate Harrison on receiving such a prestigious award. 

Over the past fortnight, students in Year 11 have been completing their Preliminary HSC Examinations. These assessments mark the end of their Year 11 coursework as they commence Year 12 from the beginning of next term. I congratulate the students on the way in which they have prepared for, and completed, these examinations and for the teachers who have prepared the students over the past three terms. 

Next week marks a significant milestone in the lives of our Year 12 cohort as they prepare for their graduation and associated activities throughout the week. While there is still much work to be done in the lead up to the HSC Examinations, next week gives the students, their families and their teachers, a rightful opportunity to celebrate such a significant achievement in reaching the end of their secondary education. 

In farewelling Year 12, I take the opportunity to thank and congratulate the outgoing Student Representative Council for the outstanding work they have done over the past 12 months in support of the broader Magdalene student cohort. On Wednesday this week, our Captains and Vice Captains met with Bishop Brian Mascord in Wollongong for Mass and a ‘Thank you’ lunch to mark the end of their tenure. I thank all our student leaders, especially our Captains, Lily Sincek, Tim Wilson, and our Vice Captains, Stella Ryan and Marcus Attard. 

A reminder to all families that next Friday, September 22, is a designated Pupil Free Day so no classes will be running on this day so that staff can continue their work on preparations for 2024. I thank the families who are required to make alternate supervision arrangements on this day so that all staff can participate in this worthwhile opportunity. 

Wishing you all the best for the week ahead, 

David Cloran

Principal

Today local legent and Paralympian Paul Nunnari visited Magdalene to chat to students about the upcoming 24 Fight against Cancer Walk. All proceeds from the walk support the local Cancer Clinics and the Palliative Care Unit Macarthur. 

More information can be found at 24Hr Fight Against Cancer Website

September 12  - The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

This feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross reminds us of one of the key aspects of our faith in salvation that was achieved through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. As St Paul says, those Christians who do not believe in the resurrection are to be the most pitied of all people  - because they have forsaken the hope that was won for us in Christ. 

At Magdalene Catholic College we celebrate the presence and devotion of Mary Magdalene at the foot of the cross, at the tomb of Jesus and at the resurrection. 

Can we, in our lives, be a living message of the hope, mercy and forgiveness that comes from faith in Christ and the belief in his death and resurrection?

Prayer:

Lord, may we, like Mary Magdalene, be living witnesses to the saving power of the death and resurrection of Jesus on the Cross.

Amen

On Monday the 4th of September, four Year 10 Students and Mr Collins attended the Annual Diocesan Social Justice, See Judge, Act day, held down in Wollongong. Representatives from all of the Catholic High Schools from around the diocese came together to collaborate and express their views. The theme being explored came from the Australian Catholic Bishops Statement for the 2023 / 2024 - Listen, Learn and Love. - A new engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Each year the Bishop’s statement reflects what's happening currently in society, This year focusing on the culture and awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the many social issues ATSI communities face. We were lucky enough to attend this event to develop our understanding on these issues and how we can be more inclusive and create awareness. So that we can walk together, with our ATSI brother’s and sisters in working towards a better future for all.

On the day we were involved in numerous cultural practices, to start the day off we were welcomed with white ochre painting on our faces by the elders to show our inclusion and respect in their practices. Other activities included a smoking ceremony, yarning circles, Indigenous dances, Dot paintings and other activities/ practices. First Nations students from John Terry were central to this event, providing dance and discussions which definitely gave us a deeper understanding of their culture as they could freely talk about what it means to them. We had guest speaker Maddy Forde tell us about social injustices faced and how we as allies can help with inclusion and awareness. The day mainly focused on Listening, learning about the culture and loving everyone regardless of background. We learnt about many stories of struggle with their culture and brainstormed ways to solve this by working in small groups, we then all came together to collaborate our ideas. We listened to their views on this matter and the many struggles they faced in their lives but also the positives of their culture and the practices they follow. We learnt to come together and to help solve this social justice issue we need to help and love one another.   

Overall this day was great to improve our leadership skills, collaborate with others and go out of our comfort zone. We were educated with different views and stories to then help find solutions to them. We got to experience the strong culture of our First Nations peoples and why it's so important to spread awareness of the injustice they are facing. 

Thank you to the College and Diocese for this amazing opportunity!

 

Joel, Will, Sarah and Bella - Year 10  

As we progress through Term 3, our HSIE courses continue to cover a diverse range of topics, fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and debate among our students. It has been an exciting few weeks for our HSIE  students and teachers, here is a glimpse into some of the activities our students have been involved in:

• Exploring human wellbeing (Year 10 Geography)- our students have been delving into the complexities of human wellbeing in remote Australian towns.
• Examining living conditions and leisure activities in Pompeii and Herculaneum (HSC Ancient History)
• Studying food security and sustainable farming practices (Year 9 Geography)- our students are engaging in thought-provoking conversations about the future of food production and its impact on our planet. The final lessons of this terms will include the sampling of alternative sustainable food sources including char grilled chilli crickets and lemon myrtle mealworms. 

We have also had two exciting opportunities for our Stage 4 students recently:

Year 7 History- Medieval Incursion. 

On Friday 18th August Year 7 participated in a Medieval presentation with guest speaker and performer James Adams. The presentation covered many areas of the current unit Medieval Europe including the roles of key groups and crime and punishment. Some students had the opportunity to try on a variety of equipment on display including helmets, chain mail and shields. We also got to hold various weapons such as a Katana sword. This was a favourite as it was curved in shape and used by Knights in battle. We also tested forms of punishment such as the pillory which was used for public humiliation as punishment for crimes such as gossiping. We learned about cultural features including the role of the Jester in entertaining the courts and heraldry. Finally, the presenter demonstrated how a bow and arrow was used and shared the unique history behind some of the rare weapons he was able to present. Overall, it was a fantastic show. We had a great time and found it very interesting. 

Written by Alyssa Devile (Year 7)

Year 8 Geography- Field work at Australian Botanic Gardens.

On the 25th of August, the Year 8 cohort visited The Australian Botanic Garden in Mount Annan. On this trip, we learnt about the way water is used around and in the Australian Botanic Gardens. This trip enabled us to prepare for a later assessment task about the water usage throughout the Gardens. Throughout the day the Year 8 cohort engaged in various activities. These activities engaged us into doing various types of fieldwork such as dipnetting for bugs to conduct water quality analysis and land surveying using two different points to gather data. Some of the data that was collected was Soil PH, ground incline, windspeed, ground moisture, distance between the two points, and we measured the light intensity. Overall, the day featured a variety of enjoyable activities that everyone was able to participate in and gather data on to help us for the assessment task.

On behalf of all of the Year 8 cohort we thank the teachers, staff and botanical park rangers who assisted and joined us for the duration of the excursion. 

Written by Luca Saprun, Cooper Clare and Connor Turner (Year 8)

We are thrilled when our HSIE classes become hubs of exploration and debate, where students are not only learning but also actively participating in discussions that shape their understanding of the world around them. We look forward to further exploring essential topics related to the study of humans and our environment in Term 4. 

HSIE Faculty. 

Tournament of Minds is an extracurricular project which has been running at Magdalene for four years. The competition involves a team of seven students working to complete a task in one of four categories: Language Literature, Social Sciences, STEM, or The Arts. Each year, the final project is presented to a panel of judges. This involves a performance presented within a 3 x 3 m square. 

This year, Magdalene entered two teams. Team one completed the Language Literature challenge, and Team two completed the Arts challenge. 

Team 1 – Language Literature

This year’s Language Literature challenge allowed us to select a character from a modern piece of literature, and design a theoretical statute of them to be placed in a city of our choice. 

Our team picked Odin, with reference to Neil Gaiman’s ‘Norse Mythology’, and placed our statue in Trondheim, Norway. This led to the selection of the team name “Odin To Joy”: a reference to Odin being the god of poetry and music. We created a model statue of our character - a design that consisted of him, his raven Hugin and Munin, and the eight legged horse Sleipnir. The statue was made from a wire armature, aluminium foil, and plasticine. Our team also wrote a script, containing information about our character, the city and the reasons for our choice. 

Team 2 - The Arts

This year's Arts team “Seasons Greetings'' challenge was to create an immersive art experience based on famous artworks and artists that have become popular as of recent times. We created an installation that had to be assembled and performed in under 10 minutes. This year's team used Banksy’s famous artwork “Season’s Greetings” to address serious issues that are relevant to today’s world, specifically climate change and its effect on future generations. We utilised creative elements such as self composed music, expressive dance, ballet, lyrical and an emotional choir. 

Addressing climate change through Banksy's "Seasons Greetings" is important because it utilises art as a powerful medium to raise awareness and provoke conversations about this pressing global issue. By incorporating thought-provoking imagery and symbolism, Banksy's artwork compels viewers to reflect on the consequences of climate change and encourages them to take action towards a more sustainable future. Additionally, by engaging with a wide audience through his renowned street art, Banksy helps to amplify the urgency of addressing climate change through an engaging and immersive art display.

Please find attached information regarding the NEW bus provider Transit Systems which commences from 8 October, replacing Busabout and Interline.

One of the most important influences in the lives of men is the relationship they had with their father or significant father figure.

The encouragement and affirmation that this relationship could, and should, provide is a key ingredient for how young men view themselves and embrace their gifts as they take their place in the world.

Don’t miss this life-changing father and son weekend! Spots are limited to just 25 fathers with their sons aged between 12 and 16 years. This is a unique opportunity for dads and their sons to embark on a quest of discovery with Robert Falzon and the team from menALIVE at Cataract Scout Camp, Appin. Register on the below link.

https://www.dow.org.au/events/menalive-growing-good-men-weekend/

Our College canteen cannot function without the valuable help of parent/carer volunteers daily.
It would be greatly appreciated if you could assist in any way - once a week, once a month, once a term or any other time that you specify.
Each day, volunteers are required at the following times, you can do one session or two totally your
choice:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
9.30am to 10.30am
12.30pm to 1.30pm
Tuesday
10.30am to 11.30am
12 noon to 1.00pm
If you are able to assist, please contact the College office on (02) 4631 3300 or email us at
info@mccdow.catholic.edu.au and our Canteen Coordinators will be in touch.