A number of exciting events have just been completed or are upcoming!

MAX Potential 2019

I congratulate Cameron Kenny, Jacob Simpson and Christina David for their impressive work this year in the Max Potential Initiative.

Over two terms each student has worked extremely hard, each with a community coach, to develop their ideas and in their leadership. This year Magdalene projects surrounded a vast array of topics from engaging Primary students in Science education, to domestic violence awareness and mental health support for youth.

Each student presented their particular initiative or product on Tuesday Evening (3/9/19) at the Max Potential showcase at the Campbelltown Catholic Club Cube and they were fantastic! I thank Ms Tolhurst and various staff who have supported the initiative throughout and who were there on the evening.

Upcoming Year 12 Events

A letter went out today (6/9/19) to Year 12 to go to parents/carers with a raft of information covering upcoming Year 12 events. From farewell breakfasts, lunches, Graduation Ceremonies, the Graduation Mass and the Year 12 Formal, there is plenty happening – not to mention, of course, the upcoming HSC Examinations.

We strongly recommend that parents/carers read this information carefully and contact the College if there are any questions. No doubt there is great excitement (but also perhaps some disbelief) as our Year 12s are just over two months away from the conclusion of their formal education.

F1 in Schools Competition

Be sure to read the article in this newsletter. We had fantastic staff and students involved with some excellent results – many of whom will be going through to State Finals. Thank you Mr Gorrie and TAS staff for your passion in this area.

Tournament of the Minds

Another newsletter article to be read. I thank Miss Manzin and Mr Gorrie for their fantastic work with our first team for a number of years. To receive an Honourable Mention in such a strong field is testimony to our staff and students.

MISA Youth of the Year and Year 7 Debating

More details will follow in future newsletters, but in debating and public speaking/ public discussion, we have some very talented students. In particular, well done to Liam McClafferty and Kyna Kelly of Year 9 and our undefeated Female debaters in Year 7 Andraya Liebrand, Charlize Jaensch, Fiorella Vecchio, Jasmine Lucas, Olivia Upfill and Giselle Yacoub. Thank you Mr Miszczyszyn, Miss Nguyen and Miss Angelopoulos for your excellent work in this space.

Year 10 2019 into Year 11 2020 – INTERVIEW EVENING

Early next week a letter to all Year 10 parents/carers will be sent out detailing information about the upcoming Subject Confirmation Interviews – to be held Wednesday of Week 9 (September 18).

Parents will book interviews via an online booking system – details to follow.

With her Feast Day on September 15, the month of September is set aside to honour “Our Lady of Sorrows”. All the horrible trials and tribulations which Mary had to suffer – seeing her son treated with such disrespect, inhumanity and brutality are combined together to merge the various sufferings of the Passion.

Saint Bonaventure had a special devotion to Mary and created the following prayer. Let us pray together:

TO OUR LADY OF SORROWS O most holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ: by the overwhelming grief you experienced when you witnessed the martyrdom, the crucifixion, and the death of your divine Son, look upon me with eyes of compassion, and awaken in my heart a tender commiseration for those sufferings, as well as a sincere detestation of my sins, in order that, being disengaged from all undue affection for the passing joys of this earth, I may sigh after the eternal Jerusalem, and that henceforward all my thoughts and all my actions may be directed towards this one most desirable object. Honour, glory, and love to our divine Lord Jesus, and to the holy and immaculate Mother of God. ­– Amen

From the 2021 HSC and beyond, all students are required to attain the National Minimum Standard in Numeracy, Reading and Writing. 

Current Year 10 students will be required to complete a short online test in each of the above domains and must attain a level 3 or 4 result in order to obtain the National Minimum Standard and be eligible for the HSC qualification. A sample task from the National Minimum Standard - Writing test has been included below.

Students who attain the NMS in each domain have the skills to perform tasks such as:

• Follow safety instructions in equipment manuals
• Understand a mobile phone plan
• Complete a job application
• Create a personal weekly budget.

Through the completion of Stage 5 Mathematics and English courses, students develop the skills necessary for the successful completion of NMS tests. All Year 10 students will complete National Minimum Standards tests in Numeracy, Reading and Writing at the beginning of Term 4. Students who do not achieve a Level 3 or 4 result can attempt the tests again during Term 3 and may work with teachers on learning interventions if necessary. Learning Support adjustments are available for eligible students. Further test attempts can also be made through Year 11 and 12.

More detailed information about these tests and College arrangements for their completion will be communicated closer to the test period. For sample tests and information, please visit the NESA website:

https://www.educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/hsc-minimum-standard/online-tests

Miss Stephanie Phillips

Leader of Teaching and Learning

Year 11 students begin their Examinations on Thursday of Week 8 (12th September). Please see the included copy of the Year 11 Examination timetable. It is suggested that the exam timetable is placed on the fridge or another accessible area of the home to ensure parents/carers are aware of the dates and times of exams. This is a significant period of time and can be both challenging and rewarding for students as they move towards the culmination of their Year 11 studies.

It is critical that students focus on both study and self-care during this period. Parents and carers can support students completing exams by encouraging the following positive behaviours:

• Healthy eating and sleep habits through the exam period (including breakfast prior to exams).
• Seeking help from peers and College staff.
• Having a focused approach to their study and using a study timetable.
• Engaging in open communication about their revision and exams.

Students are reminded that they are to adhere to College processes for situations of illness or misadventure during the examination period. Illness/Misadventure paperwork completed by students in relation to missed examinations are to be given to Miss S. Phillips. 

Parents are reminded that students are not required to be at school if they are not completing an exam. 

The College has every confidence in this cohort and we wish them well through their examination period. 

YEAR 11 YEARLY EXAMINATIONS TIMETABLE 2019

The duration of papers is working time only. See individual papers for reading time. 

Examination Conditions apply at all times. Students must read and understand the rules and conditions for examinations.

All students are expected to be at the Examination location 30 minutes prior to the beginning of the Examination.

Mobile phones or “smart watches” are not permitted in the examination room. If they are within range of the examination room (ie in bags outside the room etc), they must be switched off.

All students are expected to return to normal classes on Wednesday 25th September.

Bracing the 5.30am chill, 17 eager Year 11 students and their three amazing teachers left Magdalene for a twelve-hour trip to Brewarrina, in the state’s north-west. Despite the draining trip in Magdalene’s school bus affectionately named “Priscilla” for the trip, the enthusiasm of the students did not stop after we arrived in Brewarrina. During our first day in ‘Bre’, everyone headed out to the primary school and got to see the small township for the first time. The Magdalene students got to spend time in the classrooms and work with the students of St. Patrick’s Primary School, Brewarrina. After countless reading activities, maths worksheets and football games, bonds between the school groups soon began to form and strengthen. During our time at the primary school, we had the opportunity to run fun drama, music, art and sports activities which the primary school students thoroughly enjoyed.

During our time in Bre, we also had the opportunity to meet some of the town's influential residents. We hosted Uncle Morris and Senior Sergeant Chris Woods, the Sector Supervisor for Brewarrina, who answered all of our questions about Bre, its indigenous population, crime rates and major issues facing the town. This opened our eyes up to what it must be like living in Bre and what could we do to assist the town’s residents in dealing with the major issues, such as poverty and the drought. We also got the opportunity to visit the heritage-listed Brewarrina Fish Traps, which is a 40,000+-year-old man-made structure used by the area’s Indigenous population to trap and store fish. Our tour guide, Brad, shared his knowledge of the history of the fish traps and took us through the Brewarrina Aboriginal Cultural Museum.

On the fourth day of our trip, we headed out to Bourke to enjoy some sightseeing and visit the Maranguka Hub for the Justice Reinvest NSW initiative. The Maranguka Project aims to prevent imprisonment for citizens who have just been released from incarceration, are at risk of committing a crime or are recognised as vulnerable individuals or families. Their focus is community centred, and they seek feedback from the locals in Bourke on what their highest needs are and what can help to meet those needs. We were thrilled to hear that since the Maranguka Project was established the rates of major offences in Bourke have dropped by 18%. Our visit to the Maranguka Hub changed our perceptions of Bourke and allowed us to witness a successful community initiative. In our time in Bourke, we tried award-winning pies, witnessed the upsetting current state of the Darling River and had time to reflect and appreciate the silence in the outback during our visit to the Mulgowan Aboriginal cave art in the Gundabooka National Park.

This trip has been a life-changing experience for everyone and will certainly not be forgotten. New friendships were formed, many memories were created and mindsets were changed. As a group, we were able to experience first hand what it is like to live in a rural town, the constant challenges that are faced and this made us appreciate what we have as Sydney-siders. All of Magdalene’s Brewarrina students would like to thank Mr Collins, Miss Gray and Mrs Phillips for sacrificing so much of their time to be with us and accompanying us on this journey. We look forward to welcoming some of the St. Patrick’s students to Magdalene next year!

Larissa Hooper

Yr 11

2019 Sydney South West Regionals Finals were held at Western Sydney University, Bankstown Campus on Saturday 31^st August.

Midway through Term 2, Magdalene Catholic College decided to take part in the 2019 season for Tournament of Minds.

Late last week the team was putting together their finishing touches to their performance and practical solution to the problem. Pictured below, you can see their DNA Carousel which surpassed the 3 revolutions required under its own stored energy system, through the cleaver and well-constructed and engineered timber bearing and centrifugal tension device.

With dedication and hard work put forward by all the members of the team, they have been awarded Honours in this year’s STEM Category of T.o.M placing them 2^nd in the Secondary School competition. This is a fantastic achievement for all involved. Miss Manzin and Mr Gorrie, along with their parents were blown away with their presentation, as too were the judges on the day. We look forward to next year’s challenge and encourage more students to be involved. 

Many thanks to the team and the school for their support of this rewarding competition.

Miss Sara Manzin and Mr Ian Gorrie.

On Tuesday 27 August, 22 students represented Magdalene Catholic College in the 2019 Regional Finals of the F1 in Schools STEM Challenge™, the world’s foremost student competition for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics open to students from Year 5 through to Year 12. Each year more than 17 000 schools in 44 nations take on the challenge of developing the world’s fastest miniature F1 car. Here in Australia, approximately 22 000 students are involved each year.

Mimicking the world of a Formula One team, students have to follow a pathway of engineering and manufacturing disciplines: design, analyse, test, make and race. They are provided with access to real-world technology such as 3D CAD/CAM/CAE design software and soon become proficient in areas such as Coding, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Finite Element Analysis.

This program also aims to develop skills in problem-solving, project management, communication, presentation, teamwork, innovation, self-promotion, collaboration, marketing and entrepreneurialism. The car was then machined using a Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machine and professionally painted by the teams. Trade Display Booths are also developed by the teams to showcase the design and marketing elements of the competition and to also promote the various hub and team corporate sponsorship. It is the support of such, which is essential in supporting the students formulate and present their project elements required within the collaboration and links to industry judging areas.

Our teams, Edge Performance (Year 11 - Pro Senior) and our remaining 4 teams comprised of Aeronautics, Limitless Racing and Velociraptor from Year 9 and Hermes Racing from Year 8 in the Develop Category.

Aeronautics (Year 9)

Limitless Performance (Year 9). 

Edge Performance (Year 11)

Trade Booth Display (Pro Senior)

Aeronautics Car on the track.       

Velociraptors Car at Trade Booth.

Hermes Racing (Year 8)

Many students have worked tirelessly during Tuesday Sport since May as well as using their lunchtimes and even coming into school during their Winter break, to design their Formula 1 car, capable of 80-100 km/h in just over 1 second and developing an accompanying portfolio.  

The students were exemplary in their representation of our College. Conversing with industry personnel and working seamlessly under the pressure of the competition. We have also been successful with 3 of our teams (Edge Performance, Aeronautics and Hermes Racing) now progressing through to the State Finals which will be held at Western Sydney University in November. Keep an eye out for their progress and future design concepts as they prepare for the next level of competition.

We wish them all the best as they now begin to refine and improve their project elements for the State Finals.

Mr Ian Gorrie (F1 in School STEM Challenge - Macarthur Hub Coordinator)

Congratulations to Emilia Leopardi of 7 Hogan for her short film titled ‘A Life’s Journey’. This film has been selected in the final 12 of the kid's  section of Australia’s International Mobile Phone film festival (known as SF3). These films will be screened at Event Cinemas, George Street,  Sydney. On Saturday 14 September at 2pm where an overall winner will be announced. Tickets to the screening are available at Event  Cinemas website

 Magdalene Catholic College wish Emilia the best of luck in this competition!

Congratulations to Abbie Hamilton (7 Sedgewick) for being selected in the NSW U16s and u18s State Hockey Team.

On Wednesday the 28th of August, I had the pleasure of taking 32 students to the ‘Your Next Step’ Dance Challenge. We submitted three entries into the competition and wow did our students leave a mark on the dance world amongst the schools. 

First of all, I would like to thank Mr McMahon and Ms Foldes for their support in this event and allowing Magdalene to compete in their first dance competition. To the parents, your continued support of your child has reaped the benefits and the results of the day displayed this. Lastly, to Mrs Rusten and her overall support of dance throughout the year, as well as her attendance and help on the day.

To the students, wow! Every single one of you should be proud of what we did. In a matter of 6 weeks, with some disruptions, we managed to learn new choreography that ultimately led us to fantastic results. The students' enthusiasm, commitment and love of dance made this happen. I would personally like to thank student helpers for their contribution to the Jazz and Lyrical/Contemporary dances. I would also like to thank and congratulate Georgia McCann and Jade Peroumal of Year 11 for their work on the Hip Hop. 

The emotions were high and the students had one very emotional teacher when we found out that competitor number 8 had won the lyrical/contemporary section out of 17 performances… that competitor was Magdalene. ‘Stunning costume’, ‘great to see the consistent technique from the whole group’ and ‘great to see you perform with such power and commitment’ were all comments made from the adjudicator on our troupe report. When the announcement was made he stated ‘he always had someone new to watch and was great to see so many students showcasing their talents and not just involving one main dancer to follow’. With a healthy score of 88/100, Magdalene won the section.

In the open entertainment section, we saw the likes of cheerleading, ballet and hip hop. Magdalene entered a hip hop number. ‘Very clever presentation’, ‘Great interpretations of all your music’ and ‘you all created such a great vibe on stage’ were all comments made from the adjudicator on our troupe report. Great work from our choreographers Georgia and Jade. With a healthy score of 89/100, Magdalene won the section.

Along with the places awarded, there were five major awards on the day of the competition. Magdalene received two of these. Most Technical Troupe for the lyrical/contemporary and Highest Scoring Troupe for the Hip Hop.

Results on the day are as follows: Major Awards:

First in Lyrical/Contemporary Most Technical Troupe - Lyrical/Contemporary

First in Open Entertainment - Hip Hop Highest Scoring Troupe - Hip Hop 

Unfortunately, our Jazz dance that was entered did not place on the day. On a positive note, the students were commended on their fantastic energy level and their great flexibility. Well done to the students who committed themselves to the dance and performed to a good standard. 

Well done to the following students:

Overall the participation and the energy on the day was exceptional and I am lucky to have had the opportunity to work with these talented students. Congratulations to all the dancers who performed on the day and thank you to all the parents who attended the competition and supported their child and our Magdalene community, I really appreciate it. Please find images from the day below.

Miss Tahlia Cupillari

Dance Coach

Student's are now transitioning from their winter to summer College uniform - all students are to wear either their full winter uniform or their full summer uniform - All students to be in their full summer uniform from 16 September. Year 10 students will change to senior uniform next year when they enter Year 11. Uniforms in good condition can be donated to the College Uniform Shop via the Office. Please contact the College Office if you have any questions. Thank you