Celebrating 25 Years of being ‘Enlivened by the Spirit’

Anzac Road Menai NSW 2234 Phone 9543 0188 Facsimile 9541 0398

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

AQUINAS CATHOLIC COLLEGE MENAI

20th November, 2017 Vol.25.No.33

A significant number of our Year 9s have just completed the final stages of Peer Support training and were most inspiring in their application and maturity in preparing to guide the Year 7s of 2018 in their orientation to the College. The positive impact of Peer Support cannot be understated in its significance in supporting over 200 recent primary school students from various size schools and contexts in settling into high school. Ensuring that the Year 7 Class of 2018 is settled and understands why “This is Aquinas” and the “way [and why] we do things @ Aquinas” is crucial in nurturing our community. Even more impressively for the Year 9s is the simple mathematical imperative that will see only around half of them are able to actually take on the leadership of a Year 7 Peer Support Group. The ability to comprehend and recognise that every endeavour embarked on won’t always end in the unqualified success that we hope for is a key ingredient in developing a critical sense of self and developing resilience that will hold our students in good stead long after Peer Support, final exams and their time @ Aquinas. I would also like to thank Ms Wilson, Mrs Wells, and Mrs Dickinson for their roles in the Peer Support program.

We also received more exciting news from the Convenor of the NSWCCC sporting organisation who has informed us that James Roumanos [Year 12, Rugby League] and Ethan Stacey [Year 10, Baseball] have received the prestigious Blue Award for outstanding sporting excellence in 2017. These awards are limited in number and to receive a nomination is merit worthy benchmark and to actually receive the award is testament to commitment in training, preparation, risking failure and all round involvement in school life. Congratulations James and Ethan.

Please also keep the Coleman family in your thoughts and prayers as Jake [Year 10, 2016] recently died. The death of a young person is especially hard to come to terms with, and we have prayed as a Catholic community in solidarity for Jake, his family and friends.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

James Corcoran Principal

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Damien Kerr Assistant Principal

Assistant Principal

This Week

Event Date

Year 11 Incursion - Modern History Monday 20 November

Pink Stumps Day Tuesday 21 November

Parent and Student Information Evening - Year 7 2018

Aquinas Year 10 Mass - 8:20am Wednesday 22 November

Year 12 Formal

Aquinas - Whole School Assembly

Orientation Day - Year 7 2018 Thursday 23 November

Year 10 Reflection Day/ Real Talk Seminar

Fr Valieri (East Timor) speaking to Year 9 Friday 24 November

Aquinas Boys' Arvo In

From the Religious Education Department

Sutherland Shire Youth Forum on Refugees and Asylum Seekers Part Two

A few weeks ago a number of students from Year 11 represented the College at a Youth Forum where they got the chance to interact with experts who work in helping refugees settle in this country and learn from Thomas and George: two real life refugees. This week we continue their reflections in the aim of battling the misinformation that is out there in wider society. What information did you discover that you wish all Australian's knew? “I wish all Australians knew how the legislation of the U.N are being violated and ignored by the Australian Federal Government.” Alex Fenghitis “I wish that all Australians knew that Australia only accepts 18,000 refugees annually, this does not compare to other (smaller) countries such as Turkey. I also learnt that the media and politicians tend to fabricate the truth around refugees, meaning that the general public is often left confused on the issue.” Elisabeth Krstanovski “That the Australian Government doesn't follow through with the agreements they have agreed on in terms of how many refugees are being let into Australia.” Steven Skarentzos “Not necessarily information, But rather the stories shared with us by George and Thomas, as I feel that if every Australian knew what those men had been through, their perspectives might change.” Michael Monk What was your reaction to the talks by Thomas and George? “Hearing all the personal experiences really opened my eyes to see the challenges faced by refugees and their true thoughts and feelings that are often overlooked by the media.” Ruby Cole “At first I was shocked and surprised that their lives were no different to ours. My surprise turned to anger upon hearing how difficult it was for these two men to gain refugee status in Australia.” Steven Skarentzos “I was very moved by their talks as they took such a mediocre approach to such hardship, based solely on the fact that this had become ordinary for them. It was very touching and inspiring of action.” Michael Monk

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Learning and Curriculum Matters Examination feedback and Reflection This week, students in Years 7 – 10 will receive their examinations and, either written or verbal feedback when they review these exams, with teachers, in class. Many students will receive just reward for effort, others will know that they need to try harder in order to improve their results and others will be disappointed because they felt like their preparation might have been deserving of a better outcome.

Feedback and reflection are vital if you want to maintain or improve your results. Students who want a checklist of good ideas that link examination preparation to performance and future improvement should take a look at the ideas in the following article. https://www.jcu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/202730/Exam-reflection.pdf They come in a handy dot point format that would be perfect for the fridge!

New Book Order System for 2018 Years 11-12 With the introduction of a new Preliminary syllabus in 2018 for Ancient and Modern History, Standard Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Investigating Science, as well as the changes to the English Prescribed texts, we have decided to review our current book hire system. As a result, we have asked Endeavour Education to provide texts that cater to these and other Stage 6 subjects. Endeavour Education will provide a choice of digital only or text & digital options, at discounted prices for students at Aquinas Catholic College in selected Stage 6 subjects in 2018. Advantages of students purchasing their own texts includes:

Students own and have full use of their texts, allowing them to annotate, highlight text etc.

Students can pass their purchased texts on to siblings or sell them on the second hand market

Students will always have the most up to date editions

Helping to minimise school costs

Allowing the change of texts, as necessary, by school personnel

The Booklist procedure is very simple:

Endeavour Education provides the form in printed/digital format for dissemination to students.

The students order direct from Endeavour via either online, fax or post.

Ordered items are then sent directly to students’ home addresses via Australia Post.

The book hire system will continue, in a modified fashion, for some subjects, while the following subjects require the purchase of the listed texts:

Biology

Business Services

Business Studies

Chemistry

Economics

Hospitality

Investigating Science

Legal Studies

Mathematics Standard 1

Mathematics Standard 2

Physics

Retail Services Ownership of these texts is a mandatory requirement from Day One of each course. If your son/daughter is studying one of the subjects listed above, please ensure that the Endeavour Education order form, distributed to students early in Week 7 in print and via email, is completed by Friday 15th December, 2017.

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This Week's Assessment Tasks 2017/18 HSC Disability Provisions

Any HSC student with a disability recognised in the Commonwealth Disability Standards for Education 2005 can apply for disability provisions. The definition of ‘disability’ in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 includes:

physical

intellectual

psychiatric

sensory

neurological, and

learning disabilities, as well as

physical disfigurement, and

the presence in the body of disease-causing organisms.

Disability provisions apply only where the disability needs a practical arrangement to reduce disadvantage in an exam situation. Parents and students can find information about applying for HSC Disability Provisions at: http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/disability-provisions/applying-for-provisions. Any application for HSC Disability Provisions at Aquinas should be made through Ms Lisa Mirabello. Enquiries can be made to lisa.mirabello@syd.catholic.edu.au. Any senior student who believes they are eligible for disability provisions for their HSC must submit an application (obtainable from Ms Mirabello) as soon as possible, this term. If you are a student who has had disability provisions in place for the Preliminary course, you must make a formal application to NESA to continue to receive these provisions for your HSC.

Year Subject Date

12 Physics 20.11.2017

12 Senior Science 20.11.2017

12 Biology 21.11.2017

12 Economics 21.11.2017

12 Food Technology 22.11.2017

12 Design and Technology 23.11.2017

12 Geography 24.11.2017

12 Legal Studies 24.11.2017

Lisa Mirabello Leader of Teaching and Learning

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Jessica Fraser Librarian (Information and Innovation Coordinator)

Young and eSafe

The Young and eSafe Portal from the Office of the eSafety Commissioner empowers young people to make a positive impact in their online world. Sections include: I question things; I get back up; I am responsible; I feel for others; I respect differences. https://esafety.gov.au/youngandesafe/

Technology addiction

Technology addiction and what you can do about it. Short and sharp facts about children and technology (12 min.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0adeZP6aDQw

What does the inventor of the internet think of it now?

Tim Berners-Lee states that 'The system is failing'. The inventor of the web remains optimistic but has concerns over advertising, net neutrality, fake news, propaganda and the web's increasing polarisation. The web as an open platform has changed and there are 'increasingly powerful digital gatekeepers' who can easily manipulate algorithms and use Artificial Intelligence to distract and target web users. Berners-Lee suggests that clickbait, fake news and ad revenue does not promote truth and democracy. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/nov/15/tim-berners-lee-world-wide-web-net-neutrality

Tweet limit increases

Twitter has just doubled the tweet limit to 280 characters. Tests showed that longer tweets meant more followers, more interactions and more time on the platform. It was also easier to tweet and fit thoughts in. The roll-out includes all languages except Japanese, Korean and Chinese because they can convey double the amount of information in one character compared with many other languages. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-07/brevity-begone-twitter-doubles-tweet-limit-to-280-characters

How Netflix sucks you in

Netflix tries to personalise its service, featuring different titles for different customers. It hires taggers around the world who watch every piece of content and tag it eg. storyline, tone etc - yes they get paid! For the hit show Stranger Things, the Netflix algorithm applied 12 tags to capture how people relate to it. It also tailors the images that accompany recommendations for you, to suit what you like to watch. https://www.cnet.com/news/stranger-things-addict-heres-how-netflix-sucked-you-in/?ftag=CAD1c318f6&bhid=23787909704659446143753669728655

Trust me, I’m an expert

A new monthly podcast for The Conversation. Fascinating stories where the experts "bust the myths, explain the science and put the news headlines into context...in a way we can understand and enjoy". 2nd November: Sibling competition and its role in evolution. https://theconversation.com/au/podcasts/trust-me-podcast

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Finishing well

“Do more than is required. What is the distance between

someone who achieves their goals consistently and those

who spend their lives merely following? The extra mile.”

With 4 weeks remaining in the College year it is a perfect

time to remind students of the importance of finishing the year well. The students have been told

that it is business as usual right up until the 13th December. We expect students to be punctual,

attending every day and wearing their College uniform with pride. It is important that all students

are engaging positively in learning to build skills into next year and attending College with all of

the necessary equipment. We have high expectations and we thank parents wholeheartedly in

ensuring that their children are working to the best of their ability right to the final bell.

Wishing all members of the community the very best for the week ahead.

Dominic Ritchie

Pastoral Care Coordinator

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We all know reading is very beneficial for a wide

variety of reasons: increasing knowledge, expanding

vocabularies, improving grammar and spelling,

widening our understanding of the world, and building

empathy for the experiences of others. We also know

that many students are reluctant to pick up a book or

find reading a ‘chore’ because they are not choosing the

right kind of book which might actually appeal to them.

Reading should not be a fixed mindset; every single

person can improve their reading habits by increasing the amount they read, or increasing the

sophistication or variety of the texts they choose.

Choice is a significant factor when it comes to creating and foster ing a love of reading, so with the

holidays approaching next month, now is a great time to make a commitment to extending your child’s

reading habits.

Consider making one of the presents under the Christmas tree a book voucher. These are easy to

purchase online and mean that your child must spend the money on a book, but they should have

the option to choose a book they might like to read from the store.

Book stores themselves can be a bit overwhelming if students don’t know where to begin, so check

out websites such as Good Reads where students can click into different interest categories and see

what others are recommending. https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/young-adult

A quick search for books such as ‘Top 10 Young Adult Books for 2017’ will pop up a list of

helpful suggestions

Or they might check out the best 100 books for young adults: http://time.com/100-best-young-

adult-books/

It is never too late to encourage improvement in a student’s reading habits, so why not make a

commitment this year to make 2018 a year of improved reading?

Sally Millar

English Coordinator

Each week Maths Recall is included in the newsletter to encourage junior students to regularly focus on non calculator skills. Please show your answers to your maths teacher during your next lesson, as it shows interest and excitement about mathematical skills. 1. True or false. An equilateral triangle is also isosceles.

2. Find the angle sum of an octagon

3. 64.71 ÷ 0.01

4. What is the name for a quadrilateral with only 2 parallel sides?

5.

Mrs Catherine Fensom, Assistant Mathematics Coordinator

MATHS DEPARTMENT RECALL CORNER

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CANTEEN ROSTER TERM 4

TIME: MONDAY-THURSDAY 10:00-1:35, FRIDAY 10:00-12:45

MONDAY 20/11 MARINA KOUZMENKO, GLENN LEAL TUESDAY 21/11 KATE KARPENKO WEDNESDAY 22/11 ANN-MARIE WALKER THURSDAY 23/11 MARGARET MOUSSA FRIDAY 24/11 LORETTA HERAGHTY, LAURA HAMILTON, ANGELA ODELLI MONDAY 27/11 ANNA STAMATATOS, ROSEMARY MORRISSEY TUESDAY 28/11 ROBYN GRAHAM, MICHELLE WHEATLEY WEDNESDAY 29/11 JULIANNE LANE, LEANNE SWALES, KAREN BRADSHAW THURSDAY 30/11 KERRIE HARRINGTON FRIDAY 1/12 KARINA MICHAEL, ARISTEA MARAKAS

Uniform shop will be open on

Thursday

23 November

8:00 - 9:30am

Please note the Uniform Shop only sells Sports Uniforms and School bags

The Uniform Shop now has Eftpos facilities

We do not accept AMEX

The Rosary

‘The Rosary & Prayer

Intentions’ will be held

every Tuesday @ lunch…

Room 25

Answers:

MATHS CHALLENGE

1. True. It has 3 equal sides (this is

more than the 2 needed)

2. 6 x 180º = 1080º

3. 6471

4. A trapezium

5.

Maths Department

DONATIONS OF NON-PERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS

Club Central Menai and Woolworths Menai have joined forces to make Christmas special for struggling families by collecting donations of non-perishable food items. These will be used to prepare Christmas hampers that will be distributed by St Vincent De Paul in the Menai District in December. About the campaign:

Donations of canned or non-perishable food items will be accepted from now until Friday 15 December

There are drop off points at Club Central Menai in the foyer, or at the Woolworths Menai store

Examples of appropriate donations include: Christmas cake/puddings, fruit mince pies, tinned ham, tinned fruit, tinned vegetables, long life custard, lollies, chocolates, biscuits, chips etc.