WELCOME BACK TO 2021!

It was wonderful to see our new Year 7s, and our Year 11 and 12 students join us today (and many Year 10 Peer Support Leaders) for their first day of the academic school year.

The rest of our student body will return on Monday and it will be great to have everyone back together.

As I have communicated in the last week, we are extremely hopeful that, in spite of COVID-19, there will be greater normality in 2021 and that students can have the full Magdalene and schooling experience. At present, we are moving ahead with plans for Carnivals, Camps, Retreats, Sports and extra-curricular activities. All going well, our students can be full participants in the life of the College.

Our new uniform is looking wonderful and I have to commend our Uniform supplier Noone, as they have been able to supply literally thousands of uniform items. As was feared, COVID-19 has meant that some supplies (notably our knitwear) is sitting on a wharf awaiting clearance, but close to 100% of other items have been able to be supplied. Do look at uniform shop opening times later in the Newsletter and follow Compass Notifications for the latest in Uniform-related communication and updates.

Similarly, COVID-19 has unfortunately delayed our diaries, but a temporary substitute has been / will be put in place.

Thank you to our staff who have been working hard in recent days and weeks making preparations for the year to follow.

Staffing this year sees a number of new staff join us. We therefore welcome the following staff to Magadalene:

• Miss Natalie Azzopardi English
• Miss Amanda Jenkins Music
• Mrs Catherine Jobst SSO - Learning Support
• Mrs Madeleine Marks VET/TAS/RE
• Mr Liam McInally Mathematics
• Mr Grant Merinuk Science
• Mr Alan Norris Science
• Mr Riccardo Risso Mathematics
• Mrs Jenn Sharp Learning Support
• Miss Larrah Slender Music
• Mr Damian Sligar Science
• Mrs Leah Whalan SSO – Admin
• Mrs Taylor Morley PDHPE

We also welcome back Mr David Hogan to the TAS Faculty.

2021 PASTORAL CARE TEAM:

It is great to have stability in the Pastoral Care Team. Do take note of who your son or daughter’s Year Coordinator is this year:

• Pastoral Care Coordinator: Mrs Ivana Forner
• Year 7 Coordinator: Mr Matthew Dowdell
• Year 8 Coordinator: Mr Tim Manns
• Year 9 Coordinator: Mrs Rosanne Taccone
• Year 10 Coordinator: Mrs Denise Phillips
• Year 11 Coordinator: Mr Matthew Bubb
• Year 12 Coordinator: Ms Meaghan Tolhurst
• Stage 4 Assistant: Miss Kathleen Angelopoulos
• Stage 5 Assistant: Mr Tom Morrison
• Stage 6 Assistant: Mrs Madeleine Marks 
  
  

CURRICULUM TEAM UPDATE:

We also have stability among our 2021 curriculum team:

• Leader of Teaching & Learning: Miss Stephanie Phillips
• Curriculum Coordinator: Mr Shaun Houghton
• Religious Education Coordinator: Mr Stephen O’Neill
• Learning Support Coordinator: Mrs Alison Shortridge
• Leader of Learning Educational Tech & Library  Services: Mr Danny Avalos
• Maths Leader of Learning: Mr Vincent Iacono
• English Leader of Learning: Mr Chris Power
• HSIE Leader of Learning: Mrs Carolyn Said
• TAS Leader of Learning: Mr Ian Gorrie
• Science Leader of Learning: Mr Chris Ferry
• PDHPE Leader of Learning: Mr Kieran Wakeling
• VET Leader of Learning: Mr Andrew Cornett
• VA & Photography Leader of Learning: Ms Catherine Delaney

The following staff move to varying roles in 2021:

• Mrs Lisa Stevens will be Acting Music & Drama Leader of Learning

• Mr Jason Miszczyszyn will be Assistant Religious Education Coordinator
• Mrs Amy Miller will be Assistant English Leader of Learning
• Mr Michael Koch will be Assistant Maths Leader of Learning
• Mr Marco Cimino will be Assistant HSIE Leader of Learning
• Mr Kip Veness will be Assistant Science Leader of Learning

Mr Tom March will also be joining us two days per week to work on student growth and improvement and Mr Damian Sligar will be our 2021 Compass Manager.

COLLEGE BUILDING WORKS

As mentioned in my last letter to the community, it is very exciting that the building of our new Yr 12 student carpark and our College Hall is underway. All going well, the Hall will be completed this year! Thank you for your understanding, as there will be increased congestion around the College in the coming weeks and months. Our student bus services, however, will be uninterrupted.

FINAL WORD

Thank you once again for entrusting us with your son and/or daughter as we join together to build them up to be the best young adults and people that they can be. 2021 should be a great year, but, as always, if you have any queries or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us through the College Office.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord,

May our College be genuinely welcoming. May we be a place of encouragement and concern for one another. May we promote friendship and fraternity.

Let our College be filled with the sound of learning and a place in which we value persistence and resilience.

Lord, give our staff and our students strength and the hope needed to excel in challenging times. Be our guide and comfort in everything we undertake enabling the growth of our courageous hearts and creative minds.

Lord, allow us to undertake 2021 with joy and positivity, to enable each student to fully enjoy and participate in the range of activities available at our College.

Lord, be with us in our times of sadness and in times of difficulty. Be with us in our times of joy and achievement. Be with us as we work out problems and enjoy the very nature of solving problems. 

Lord, be with us during classtime, during our breaks, in our travel to and from College and throughout the many events and activities planned across the year.

May we all, like Mary Magdalene, find strength, and guide and support those in need. May we live out the core values of our College in a genuinely meaningful way so that we recognise the importance of discipleship and service, quality relationships, the love of learning and the importance of Personal Best.

May you always be here for us Lord at this College.

• Amen

As the school year commences, many sporting opportunities are available to students at the College. Information about Tuesday Afternoon Sport, Diocesan carnivals, NSWCCC selection trials and College Sport Carnivals has been outlined below.

Tuesday Afternoon Sport

Tuesday Afternoon Sport at the College commences Tuesday 2nd February. The information sheet that was sent out at the end of week 1 has been attached to provide an update for Tuesday Afternoon Sport.

Diocesan Events

Diocesan sporting events for the first weeks of Term 1 have been listed below.

https://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/sport/events-secondary/

• Information about trials will be emailed to students via compass and released on the Sport 2021 classroom page next week. All students will be provided with the classroom code on the first day at the College.

NSWCCC

Please contact Mrs Andruschko to find out further details on the NSWCCC Trials for the sports listed below. Registrations open on Monday 1st February, with all registrations for individuals sports being completed online.

Further information, including closing dates can be found at the CSNSW Sport website - 

https://csnsw.sport/

College Carnivals

The College Swimming Carnival will be held Monday 22nd February - Week 5 at The Gordon Fetterplace Aquatic Centre, Bradbury. Further information will be provided in the coming weeks.

Please contact Mrs Andruschko if there are any questions or information about Sport at the College.

Please see attached the Sport Note for Term 1 2021

The Transport for NSW Opal student Bag Tag Trial begins today. Students who have applied, and been approved for, an Opal Card in 2021 will be eligible.

All eligible students will receive the yellow tag over the next week.

For further information, please visit apps.transport.nsw.gov.au/ssts

The Bag Tag allows an easier was of entering on NSW Buses.