Our thoughts and prayers go to all families and communities who have been impacted by the debilitating floods. One news item I heard during the week indicated Sydney and its Environs had received 8 months’ worth of rain in one week! And the footage of homes and communities negatively affected was just devastating. I hope all in the Magdalene CC community are as good as they can be. Thank you also to all who have been extra patient with bus delays and increased traffic in and around the College.

I particularly commend our staff and students who were on the Year 8 Camp and who, in spite of non-stop torrential rain for two days, continued to fully participate in the Camp activities. There are some wonderful photographs of students in the pouring rain on slides and the Giant Swing – having a really fantastic time. Indeed, I believe this is part of the beauty of Camps as they challenge students, place them out of their comfort zone and help build one’s capacity to overcome trying and difficult circumstances. Well done to all of our Year 8 students, our Year 8 Coordinator Mr Manns and all staff who attended.

NEW STRATEGIC DIRECTION

Earlier this week you would have been invited (by Compass) to complete a survey regarding the strategic directions of Catholic Education Wollongong.

The last strategic Plan entitled “Lighting the Way 2019-2022” serves us very well but with a new Bishop (Bishop Brian Mascord) and new Director (Mr Peter Hill) appointed in recent years, this is a wonderful opportunity to have your say in the creation of a new document which will guide us for 2022 and beyond.

The Strategic Plan guides priority areas across faith, learning, human resources, facilities and all aspects of Catholic Education. So, if you can spare 5-10 minutes I encourage you to fill in the survey today. Surveys have gone out to parents/carers, students and staff.

EASTER

On Tuesday the College will partake in our Easter Liturgy and our students will be involved in a service involving the Stations of the Cross.

After the year we have had, Easter continues to provide a wellspring of hope and it is a time that we naturally reflect on the College patron Mary Magdalene, who continues to inspire us with her resolve and contribution in the early Church.

Brian Strassburger reminds us that the Easter Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday) is: “the most solemn feast in the Catholic calendar. The rituals in this celebration make present the great mystery of Christ’s Resurrection, which is beyond what words can capture. The washing of the feet, the dramatized retelling of the passion, the pillar of fire, the processions, the silence, the incense, the music, all of it building to a staggering trumpet blast: He is risen!”

We encourage all families to attend one or more Easter service face-to-face or look to one of the many online options available these days. Services available in the Wollongong Diocese can be located here: https://www.dow.org.au/parish-mass-times/mass-times-other-services-finder/

Finally, while we still have four days of school remaining (including an Athletics Carnival), given this is the last newsletter of the term, we wish all of our families a safe, happy and holy Easter and vacation period.

PRAYER

Easter is a time to commemorate and memorialise the suffering, death and burial of Christ. Yet it is also a time to rejoice in His resurrection and the hope which this gives us all.

Here are two prayers which recognise the Passion of our Lord yet also celebrate the significance of Easter Sunday.

Lenten Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus,
by Your Passion and Resurrection
You brought life to the world.
But the glory of the Resurrection
came only after the sufferings of the Passion.

You laid down Your life willingly
and gave up everything for us.
Your body was broken and fastened to a Cross,
Your clothing became the prize of soldiers,
Your blood ebbed slowly but surely away,
and Your Mother was entrusted to the beloved disciple.

Stretched out on the Cross,
deprived of all earthly possessions and human aid,
You cried out to Your Father that the end had come.
You had accomplished the work given You,
and You committed into His hands,
as a perfect gift,
the little life that remained to You.

Lord, teach me to accept all afflictions
after the example You have given.
Let me place my death in Yours
and my weakness in Your abandonment,
Take hold of me with Your love,
that same foolish love that knew no limits,
and let me offer myself to the Father
with You so that I may rise with You to eternal life

Easter Prayer of St. Hippolytus of Rome
Christ is Risen: The world below lies desolate
Christ is Risen: The spirits of evil are fallen
Christ is Risen: The angels of God are rejoicing
Christ is Risen: The tombs of the dead are empty
Christ is Risen indeed from the dead, the first of the sleepers,
Glory and power are His forever and ever.

College Winter Uniform
With the cooler weather upon us, if students have a College blazer they can be worn now with their summer uniform, however the blazer is only to be worn with their academic uniform (not sport).
Students in Years 7, 10 & 11 to wear the new College blazer, students in Years 8, 9 and 12 the old blazer if wearing the old uniform.
 
New uniform items are to be purchased from the Noone uniform shop, blazers are available for purchase now, see attached document for extended trading hours:
 
Old uniform items both pre-loved and limited new items (cardigans, tracksuit pants) can be purchased from the College’s Second-Hand Uniform shop which is open on Fridays during the school Term, 7.50am to 8.15am. (EFTPOS is available).
 
There is a transition period for the full winter uniform, students can choose to wear the full winter uniform from the start of Term 2 Monday 19 April, however all students are to be in their full Winter Uniform including blazers from Monday 10 May.

NAPLAN 2021 will be completed through Week 4 of Term 2. Students in Years 7 and 9 will also complete a NAPLAN Practice Test in Term 1. The purpose of this test is to ensure students are familiar with the online structure of NAPLAN 2021. Please see the timetable below for the dates and times of both NAPLAN Practice Tests and NAPLAN Tests.

What equipment is needed for NAPLAN tests?

On each NAPLAN test day (including the practice test), students will be required to have a fully-charged, functioning laptop as well as earphones/earbuds for use during the test. Student laptops require the NAP Locked Down Browser to be installed. No calculators are required for the Numeracy test as calculators are accessible when needed through the online browser.

What do I do if my child is absent from school on a test day?

If your child is absent from school on a test day,  please contact the College office and leave a message for Miss Stephanie Phillips. Students who are absent will complete a catch-up test with a test administrator upon their return to school. All NAPLAN catch-up tests must be finalised by Friday, 21 May. 

If you have further questions about NAPLAN, please contact Miss Stephanie Phillips.

Over the last two weeks, Magdalene students have been involved in a range of sporting activities at the College.

MISA Competition

The MISA competition continued with matches against St Patrick’s College and East Zone grand finals and playoffs. Congratulations to all teams for their efforts throughout term 1 in the MISA competition.

Round 5 - St Patrick’s College

Zone Grand Finals and Playoffs

Three games were played on Tuesday 23rd March, with other matches cancelled due to the wet weather. Well done to all students for their hard work in the first MISA season of 2021.

Upcoming Matches - Interzone Finals

• Congratulations to the Years 7-9 Boys Softball Team and the Years 7-9 Girls Hockey Team who are East Zone Champions and will compete in the Interzone Finals on Tuesday 30th March with opposition to be confirmed. 

MISA Term 2

Trials for Term 2 MISA teams will be held in Week 1 of Term 2. Any student wanting to trial for a MISA team must complete the google form found on the Sport 2021 google classroom page. 

Bill Turner Cup and Trophy School Football Competition

The Bill Turner Cup (boys) and Trophy (girls) is an U15s school football competition which is played as a knockout format. Magdalene Catholic College has been accepted into the Sydney South West Area, with first round matches commencing in Term 1.

The Bill Turner Trophy team of Jayla Li On Wing, Ilana Kola, Rhianna Koch, Maddison Wright, Chloe Wright, Emma Burrows, Bridget Malone, Matilda Post, Laura Rixon, Zoe Hollingworth, Taylee Passlow, Mia Dixon, Ebony Payne, Zara Cacchia and Estella Sen played East Hills Girls High School on Thursday 11th March, coming away with an impressive 4-1 win. Congratulations to all students for their efforts on the day and great teamwork. Goal scorers were  Jayla (2), Ilana and Chloe. Thank you to Mr Power for coaching and to all spectators who came to support the team. Round 2 will be scheduled for early term 2.

Good luck to the Bill Turner Cup Boys team with their first round match against Oran Park High School at Nott Oval on Monday 29th March at 10am.

Diocesan Events

Diocesan Soccer - New Date Term 1 Week 10 Wednesday 31st March

Due to the wet weather and ground closures, the Diocesan Soccer (Football) Carnival will be held as outlined below on the rescheduled date of Wednesday 31st March.

• Ison Park Nowra - Girls 13s years and Girls 7-9 Pathway team
• Kooringa Reserve Raby - Boys 13 years and Boys 7-10 Pathway Team

If any student is now unable to attend, please contact Mrs Andruschko. Further information can be found at https://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/sport/events-secondary/

Diocesan Rugby League Trials

Congratulations to Will Scettro on gaining selection into the U15s Wollongong Diocesan Team. He will now travel to Wagga in late April to trial to become a member of the Southern Country representative team to play at the NSW CCC Event. 

Diocesan Swimming

Congratulations to all students who represented Magdalene Catholic College at the Diocesan Swimming Carnival on Friday 12th March at Corrimal Pool. Our school placed third in the overall points championships, which is such a fantastic effort. It was great to return to a carnival atmosphere with spectators and thank you to all parents who attended and Mr Manns for driving the school bus.

The team consisted of Grace Cossins, Christina Jeffries, Jasmine Groucutt, Charlie Napier, Erin Blackmore, Blake Demeary, Caitlin Demeary, Aaron Leopardi, Adelaide Bell, Thomas Bertie, Breanna Dewson, Sarah MacDonald, Aleksandar Moore, Bryce Parish, Joel Parish, Olivia Farrell, Audrey McDermott, Jacob Simpson and Georgia Stone.

All students represented the College with great sportsmanship and achieved many personal bests. Congratulations to the following students for setting new records at the carnival:

• Bryce Parish - 50m breaststroke
• Jacob Simpson - 200 IM

Well done to the following students who were either Age champions or Runner-up Age Champions on the day.

• Bryce Parish - 13 years age champion
• Aleksandar Moore - 14 years age champion
• Jacob Simpson -  Runner up Opens age champion
• Audrey McDermott -  Runner up U12 years age champion
• Caitlin Demeary - Runner up U15 years age champion

NSWCCC

NSWCCC Swimming Championships - Monday 29th March

Good luck to the following students who are representing the Wollongong Diocese at the NSWCCC Swimming Championships on Monday 29th March.

• Jacob Simpson
• Caitlin Demeary
• Aleksandar Moore
• Joel Parish
• Bryce Parish
• Charlie Napier
• Audrey McDermott

Registrations for individuals wanting to attend CCC trials must be completed online via the CSNSW Sport website - https://csnsw.sport/.

These trials are for individuals competing at a representative level or higher in their sport. An information sheet has been attached to assist in the registration process and please contact Mrs Andruschko if you have any questions.

* AFL - Boys & Girls U15's nominations close Thursday 1st April 2021
* Basketball - Opens (Year 10, 11 & 12 student) nominations close Tuesday 20th April 2021
* Netball (15s & Opens) nominations close Thursday 22nd April 2021

COLLEGE CARNIVALS

College Cross Country Carnival Results- Thursday 18th March

Congratulations to all students who participated in the Cross Country Carnival held on Thursday 18th March at the Camden Bicentennial Equestrian Park. The weather held off until the end of the last race and well done to all participants for their efforts on the day.

Results have been posted for students to check on the sports noticeboard, with the top 6 runners from each age group progressing to the Diocesan Carnival in Term 2, Week 2 26th April. Notes will be handed out in Week 10 of this term.

Athletics Carnival

The Athletics carnival will be held on the last day of Term One, Thursday 1st April at Campbelltown Athletics Centre. Information and permission notes have been sent via Compass to all students as this is a whole College event. Parents/Carers are required to provide consent to attend the carnival and transport arrangements via Compass by Monday 29th March.

Please contact Mrs Andruschko if there are any questions or information about Sport at the College. The sport email is mcc-sport-list@dow.catholic.edu.au

Grazy Days Food Platters Task

Over the past term, year 10 Food Technology has been investigating the food trends in modern society. After analysing multiple trends, we received a task which involved further exploring the current phenomenon of grazing boards/ platters.The assessment included constructing a grazing board that was both aesthetically pleasing, but also practical and safe for the intended audience and consumers. 

Drawing inspiration from other creators and social media platforms, we had to include a range of both perishable and non-perishable foods that were bright and inviting in order to appeal to the people it was being served to. We also considered how appealing the grazing board was going to come across in photographs. The contrast of fruit, vegetables, cheese, crackers, cupcakes, dips and meats all complimented each other and were able to cater for people of different ages and diets.  

After designing our board for weeks, we brought our ideas to life. Once we had completed the creation of our boards in class, we spent some time photographing our platters. We had to consider the background, lighting and placement of our boards so that our platter looked visually pleasing, full of various heights and depths. 

It was then finally time to try our creations! Everyone in the class enjoyed the food and was able to choose specifically what they wanted to eat. This unit has been a lot of fun for the class, however,  we have also learnt so much about Food Trends. 

Stella Ryan & Alyssa McNeil 

Georgia’s love and passion for horses started at the age of five years old after having a casual ride on a friend’s horse. After that day all we heard was “Mum I want to learn how to ride a Horse”. 

After asking for recommendations for a riding coach we decided to go with Erin Roddy and she has been Georgia’s riding coach for the last eight years.

Erin herself is an accomplished show jumper, having competed both in the US and now in Australia. 

Erin has taught Georgia not only how to ride but also all of the fundamentals of horse ownership and care.

It didn’t take long for Georgia to decide that she wanted to compete in Eventing. Eventing is made up of three different riding disciples. Dressage, Show jumping and Cross Country. 

When Georgia is not competing in Eventing she competes in Show Jumping.

Georgia trains at least three to four times a week. Georgia started her jumping level at 60cm and is currently competing at 90cm. Georgia has worked extremely hard to get to the level she is currently competing at. 

Georgia can compete all around NSW both near and far. Georgia attends Sydney Jump Club training days and Sydney Jump Club competition days each month.

We have been lucky to have a local show jumping competition start up in our local area which is held at The Oaks Sports Horses each month and our local Camden Jump Club has restarted this year at the Camden Equestrian Centre.

We are very lucky to have such wonderful facilities in our local area along with the Sydney International Equestrian Centre which isn’t too far away at Horsley Park. 

Georgia’s genuine passion and dedication has certainly helped her reach her goals along with great coaching from Erin. Erin is not only her coach but mentor as well.

Georgia has been fortunate enough to now have monthly coaching sessions with two-time Senior Australian Show Jumping Champion David Cameron. 

Georgia is very lucky to be surrounded by such a great team of equestrian professionals.

Georgia’s riding partner “Maxfields Martini” (Martin) is a 16.5 hand 14 year old Thoroughbred. Martin has spent all of his career competing in Tasmania with his previous owner. We were very lucky to purchase Martin for Georgia last year, they have now proven to be a wonderful partnership and we are very excited to see how far they can go together.

With the Eventing season now getting into full swing, Georgia has some exciting events coming up

FINDING THEIR WAY IN THE CHANGING WORLD OF WORK

On Thursday 25th March all year 10 students participated in four workshops to get them ready for the world of work and study beyond their time at Magdalene Catholic College.

Mock interviews allowed them to practice and get feedback on important aspects of how to conduct themselves during an interview.

An important starting point for future Career choices is to know yourself better. Students often find it difficult to describe themselves and talk about their strengths. The Young & Confident team worked with students to identify important aspects about themselves and list their top 5 strengths. These were kept as a wonderful package. Parents/carers also received packages which provided some extra insight into aspects of young peoples’ personalities.

We all know Technology plays an important part in communications. e-Folios are one of the new ways that students get the competitive edge when handing out their resume. Students made a start on creating their own e-Folio (webpage) to send out to prospective employers. As well as this, students were given the time and opportunity to explore Job Search sites and organise their Careers information on their computers.

Finally, students were given a brief overview of the most common Transition Pathways that can be taken after their secondary education. This list is not exhaustive with new and exciting pathways opening up all the time creating something resembling a spider’s web.  The takeaway messages being PERSEVERE WITH CHASING WHAT YOU WANT and even if you are not confident to set goals, WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING DO IT TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY!  

The implementation of the Transition and Pathways Program (TAPP) is an initiative aimed at teaching Career Education across Year’s 7 - 10. 2021 will see an increase in the number of Transition and Pathways Specialists across our secondary schools. Studies have shown that having narrow aspirations can influence the academic effort our students exert in certain lessons, the subjects they choose to study and the careers they end up pursuing. In addition, the young people we are teaching today are expected to have 17 jobs across 5 different careers 1 .

This program will commence in Year 7 and builds consistently year on year throughout students’ secondary schooling. Each student will experience at least one explicit career focussed lesson per term for years 7 - 10. The program although in its infancy, is hoped to assist students make sense of and explore who they are, identify their strengths and interests, make informed decisions about their future study and work options, and be able to manage their career pathways.

It is essential that our young people who are often feeling uncertain or confused about what to expect in the future of work, are hope filled. As part of this program our students will learn a range of skills and knowledge including: self exploration of personal interests, values, skills and talents, development of enterprise skills to support transition into the world of work, labour market trends and job clusters for identified future skills and careers , aspects of self promotion or ‘self branding’, interview skills, résumé writing and how to craft and navigate multiple careers. In addition, students will have the opportunity to engage with external experts and participate in virtual work experiences designed and supported by industry. In support of this program our students will also have access to a commercial resource called ‘The Careers Department’.

This subscription allows 24/7 access for each student and is a touchpoint to further experience different industries, see and explore these industries ‘in action’ and learn from professionals working in that field. This subscription is interactive and offers our students over 800 pieces of industry content including virtual tours, videos, podcasts, career timelines and more. The nature of the program is to support students to think more deeply about who they are, see their strengths, talents and interests with greater clarity and have exposure to a diverse range of future career prospects.

For more detailed information about the Transition and Pathways Programme  contact the school Transition and Pathways Specialist, Mr Carol Dobbie

dobbiec01@dow.catholic.edu.au

CANTEEN VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

Our College canteen cannot funtion without the valuable help of parent/carer volunteers daily. It would be greatly appreciated if you could assist in any way - once a month, once a term or any other time that you specify. Each day, volunteers are required between the hours of 9:30am - 10:30am and/or 12:30 - 1:30pm. If you are able to assist, please contact the College office on (02) 4631 3300 or email us at info@mccdow.catholic.edu.au