After three terms at the college, I continue to have such pride in the young men of our community. As we approach our final term, I reflect on my hopes for each student at De La Salle.

In regards to what inspires me in my vocation of teaching - the answer is simple - it is our students. I know that all our staff would have the same response. They are young men of integrity, full of kindness and never-ending energy.

I recently surveyed some students regarding what being Lasallian meant to them. Their thoughts were affirming of what we model for them:

Being Lasallian means...

• Believing in what St John Baptist De la Salle has taught us to do.

• Being the best person I can be and to always strive to do better.

• Being respectful and kind.• Living a life of Christ.• Belonging and giving back to the community.• Being a steward of creation and to help people

that need it, without a reward.• Entering ready to learn, and leaving ready to

serve.• Being part of a mission. I must have faith and

follow in the footsteps of those who have gone before me.

27 September 2019 - Term 3, Week 10

From the Leader of Religious Education

"... Being Lasallian means being the best person I can be and to always strive to do better ..."

"Being Lasallian means belonging and giving back to the community."

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE LASALLIAN? WHAT INSPIRES ME?

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• Being a gentleman, humble and loyal to my neighbours.

• Showing care, compassion and praying to God.• Helping others and fulfilling the mission of De

La Salle.

At our Founder’s Day Mass, Fr Moises inspired our young men to be like our Founder. What does this entail? What is my hope for them?

John the Baptist knew the true meaning of sacrifice. He gave up all his wealth to begin schools for youth, especially those living in poverty. He empathised with the plight of the poor. I am humbled by the generosity of our young men in fundraising initiatives and in the small sacrifices which they make in their daily lives. I encourage them all to be the best that they can be. They have so much to offer this world. Being a true De La gentleman means reaching out to those who are in the margins of our society, and not expecting anything in return.

Our founder left a legacy. To our young men, what legacy would you like to leave in your time at De La Salle? Your day to day interactions with each other, and you proudly representing our college, is reflective of the gentlemen that you are. We often tell you that it is ‘the little things that count,’ and that is true in every sense of the word.

I have always believed that God sends people into our lives for a purpose - God does come disguised as our lives. Interestingly enough, when John Baptist met Adrian Nyel (a layman educator who would help him set up the Lasallian schools), it was a chance encounter. What seemed like a small event changed his life course forever. What can we learn from this? No event in our lives is ever unimportant. To our students, each and every moment of your time at school is integral to who you become as a future citizen. Value every moment - when you reflect on this time later in your lives, I am certain that you will be proud knowing that you had no missed opportunities.

De la Salle experienced challenges along the way but he never did surrender. I encourage our young men to be resilient, and this takes time to develop. When learning a new skill, it is okay to fail, but it is not okay to give up without trying in the first place. Do not lose sight of your potential - try your best in all you do. It seems simple in practice, but often we are hard on ourselves. Never lose sight of who you are. We are all different. We do not need to follow the crowd - God made us all as individuals with gifts and talents to share with each other.

“Be satisfied with what you can do, since God is satisfied with it, but do not spare yourself in what you can do with grace; and believe that,

provided you want it, you can do more with the grace of God than you think.”

(John Baptist de la Salle).

Above: De La Day Mass celebrating our founder

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TERMS 3 & 4 IMPORTANT DATES

WEEK 10 FRI, 27 SEPTerm 3 concludes

WEEK 1MON, 14 OCT Term 4 commencesStudents are to return in full summer uniform

16-18 OCTDuke of Edinburgh - Silver Award excursion

WED, 16 OCTSCS RE Test: Years 8 & 10

WEEK 2TUE, 22 OCT2020 Immersion Information Evening 6.30PM

THU, 24 OCTMinimum Standards Testing (Year 10) selected students

THU, 24 OCTVaccination - Visit 3 (Year 7)

FRI, 25 OCTSport and extra curricular activity photos,(requested sibling photos also available)

WEEK 3TUE, 29 OCTYear 7 2020 Allwell Testing

Be courageous. I am certain that our Founder would have felt some weariness during his vocation. However, if he had not taken the risk, our Lasallian tradition would not exist today. Sometimes we all need to step out of our comfort zones and try something new. In the final term of the school year, I encourage our students to try something which perhaps they have avoided or not considered.

As a final thought, ‘touching hearts’ is what being Lasallian is all about. The students in our community have definitely touched my heart and inspire me to be the best that I can be.

Ms Angela PorroLEADER OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Above: De La Day raised money for our sister school in Pakistan

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DE LA DAY

Term Thee was certainly topped off on Wednesday with an amazing Mass and festivities to celebrate De La Day in style. Congratulations to Ms Porro, Ms Rudol, Ms Giampietro and their teams who organised a very successful day. A new and most prestigious award was launched on the day. The Lasallian Award was presented to one student in each of Years 7, 8, 9 and 10, as well as to one staff member at our Mass. Below is a part of the citation read out for each of the student recipients.

De La Salle Catholic College Caringbah strives to develop honourable young men who embody an authentic Lasallian spirituality and display Gospel values in their everyday lives. Young

men who recognise the dignity of all, are loyal friends, and values diversity and learning in our college. By upholding the three pillars of the De La Salle Brothers - Faith, Service

and Community - the recipient has positively contributed to the college. The recipient has shown evidence of excellence in learning at or

beyond his personal best.

Congratulations to the following award recipients.

Year 7 Noah EyresYear 8 Koby HedgesYear 9 Zack PonteyYear 10 Bailey NicolaiStaff Angela Porro

From the Principal

MY LEAVE

Many of you would know that I have taken the first five weeks of next term off on long service leave and am traveling with my family around Europe and the UK. I leave Sydney this Saturday and fly to Lisbon in Portugal.

During my time away, I will be travelling to Spain, France, Germany and London. While I am looking forward to everything I have planned, I am particularly excited about visiting Fatima. It is here that I will say a prayer for our college and wider community. I look forward to sharing stories and some of my experiences when I return on 18 November.

During my leave, Mr Ritchie will be acting Principal and Ms Slater will be acting Assistant Principal.

THANK YOU

A huge thank you to our community of students, staff, parents, priests, brothers and friends for the year so far. Support, communication, respect and partnership are the keys to the success of the students in our care. My great hope is that what you as parents want in life and in learning for your sons is exactly what we want for them as well. I particularly wish to express my gratitude to parents for your support and the trust which you place in the staff and myself at De La Salle Caringbah.

I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday break.

Mr Peter BuxtonPrincipal

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From the Assistant Principal

ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOL IS IMPORTANT

To get the most out of education students need to go to school every day. Those who attend school regularly are more likely to achieve better results and are more likely to complete their schooling. Regular and punctual attendance at school is key to both academic success and social development, which in turn improves opportunity in life. Each day a student misses for school puts them behind and can affect their educational outcomes. Parents can encourage their child to attend school by having a positive attitude to learning and education.

Mr Dominic RitchieASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

PUNCTUALITY MATTERS TOO!

START OF TERM 4

Students return to school on Monday, 14 October.

SUMMER UNIFORM

A reminder to parents that summer uniform is to be worn by all students in Term 4 (next term). Please check your son’s summer uniform before the end of Term 3 to make sure everything is still in good order.

UNIFORM / GROOMING

• Haircuts must be in accordance with the College policy, as indicated in the diary. Boys ‘hair needs to be maintained in a clean, neat and tidy fashion, with length being above the top of the collar and not long enough to be able to be tucked behind the ear. The fringe must not cover the eyes.

• Chewing gum is not allowed at the College.• Students must have their shirts tucked in

before and after school and when entering a classroom.

• There will be thorough grooming and uniform checks on the first day of Term four. It is important that we ‘get the little things right’.

As this is the final newsletter for the term, I thank you for your support throughout Term 3 and hope you have a restful and refreshing break.

De La Day 2019

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From the Leader of Religious Education

DE LA DAY 2019

On Wednesday of Week 10 we celebrated our Founder’s Day. The day began with a wonderful Eucharistic celebration celebrated by Fr Moises. The true Lasallian spirit was evident in our community. It was during this mass that we remembered the work of our Founder St John Baptist De La Salle, as well as our patron saints. Our mass this year featured a sand ceremony:

We use the blending of sand as a ritual of unity. We are made one through the various individuals who have shaped and inspired the college which we have become today. Whilst we are made of many parts - our patron saints, our students, our teachers, our support staff, our families - we are one community here. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again, our community cannot be what it is today without each and every one of you - you all have a part to play. Each grain of sand brings to the mixture a lasting beauty that forever enriches this community.

The day continued with various stalls and activities organised by students and teachers, and an inaugural talent quest in the afternoon.

It is days such as these where I am privileged to be working in such a community of faith. I was very proud of the young men in our community who participated reverently in the mass. To our Student Leaders and college band led by Mrs Moran and Mr Alvear, thank you for your contribution to our celebration. You truly lived out the Lasallian values of faith, service and community.

ST ALOYSIUS CONFIRMATION REFLECTION DAY(A REFLECTION BY MRS RUDOL)

Our Student Leadership team, along with the leaders of OLMC, were given the opportunity to work in small groups with students from many local Southern Shire schools in helping prepare Year 6 students for receiving the sacrament

of Confirmation. The day was organised by the Lasallian Youth Ministry Team and began with mass and was followed by small group activities on faith, relationships and being empowered in becoming all that we are.

The Reflection Day provided our leaders the opportunity to encourage the Year 6 students to understand that there is still more of them to be discovered. By receiving the Holy Spirit we are brought to wholeness and are given the opportunity to lead a life which teaches us not to fragment, splinter, or split, but to learn from everything. By leading the small reflection groups our leaders experienced what is quite simply love at work calling us toward ever deeper union with our own true selves, with others, and with God.

Allowing the Holy Spirit to influence our lives, prayer as well as service, enables us to live in tune with Christ’s Spirit. Our effort is not a self-conscious striving to fill ourselves with the important Christian virtues; it is more getting out of the way and allowing Christ’s Spirit to transform all our activities. Gradually we become more and more sensitive to the movements of Christ in our own hearts; simultaneously we grow in sensitivity to the movement of his Spirit in others. Our students were able to be witnesses of how subtly our vision of the world can change as we begin to see everything in relationship to Christ and the Father.

YEAR 8 AND 10 ARCHDIOCESAN RE TEST

On Wednesday, 24 October 2019 (Week 1, Term 4), all of Year 8 and 10 students in Sydney Catholic Secondary Schools will participate in the Religious Education Test. The questions are designed to assess knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith. Questions are based on the Stage 4 (Years 7 and 8) and Stage 5 (Years 9 and 10) Religious Education Curriculum. They provide us with valuable insights into the general knowledge

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Ms Angela PorroLEADER OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

of our students. We encourage our boys to do their absolute best. The test will consist of 50 multiple-choice questions and will be scored out of a possible 50 marks. Educational Assessment Australia (EAA) at the University of New South Wales will mark the test, analyse the results and produce the reports and certificates. Students will require a 2B pencil, sharpener and eraser for the examination. Students have been preparing for this exam in their RE classes to ensure they can achieve their best. We thank parents for their support in encouraging their son in this examination.

OCTOBER - THE MONTH OF THE ROSARY

A global Rosary movement which includes 56 countries on six continents is occurring on 13 October 2019. Australia will join in prayer with thousands across the globe for the specific intentions of world peace and penance.

This date falls in the school holidays, however all RE classes will have the opportunity to pray the rosary with our parish priests in Term 4. Our students will also receive rosary beads as a gift to take home. As a community, we will pause and reflect on the person and inspiration of Mary. The month of October each year is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary, with the liturgical feast of Our Lady of the Rosary celebrated annually on 7 October.

I take this opportunity to wish all students and their families a wonderful holiday break. I look forward to seeing you all refreshed for our final term of 2019.

God bless.

DE LA DAY 2019

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Mrs Lynne SlaterLeader of Learning & Innovation

From the Leader of Learning & Innovation

NAPLAN RESULTS ARE OUT

Every year NAPLAN reports provide our Years 7 and 9 students an opportunity to reflect and compare their progress across the competency areas of numeracy, grammar and punctuation, spelling, reading and writing. This data in most cases has been provided since Year 3 and is now available in the ‘analytics’ tab on COMPASS. This was the first year that our students sat the tests online, and as was widely reported across the nation, it was not without its teething problems. Regardless, there is always some value in this form of comparative data. Traditionally, NAPLAN data analysis has allowed teachers to identify any deficits in students learning and plan targeted intervention. To this end, we have much to celebrate in 2019.• Year 7 growth in numeracy, spelling and writing

was above state mean.• 82.9% of our Year 7 students achieved at or

above expected growth in numeracy• Year 9 writing results were 25.86 points above

the state mean for boys and included more Band 10’s compared to the state. School 3.5%, state 2.8%,

• Year 9 achieved at or above expected growth in grammar and punctuation, numeracy and writing.

Our targeted classroom strategies in both literacy and numeracy have provided continued results of individual growth, as have our targeted programs.

MINIMUM STANDARDS TESTING

The Australian government recognises that students need reading, writing and mathematics skills to be successful in everyday life after school. As such, the National Education Standards Authority (NESA) has made it compulsory for students to show a minimum standard of literacy and numeracy in order to receive their HSC from 2020. Most students in Year 10 passed these tests during the first round offer earlier this year. On Thursday, 24 October any student who has not yet reached these benchmarks will have the opportunity to do so.

De La Day 2019

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In NSW there are thousands of buses that travel every day transporting students to and from school. Due to their size and mass, buses take more time to stop. Crashes involving buses often result in more severe outcomes for other road users.

The Centre for Road Safety is committed to improving safety around buses and is implementing a tactical school bus safety campaign. This is a reminder for parents and carers that they always need to supervise their children and hold their hand when walking to and from the bus stop or interchange and when crossing the road. In addition, parents should not call their children across the road as it could lead to dire consequences.

The law states that a speed of 40km/h applies if passing a bus when the front and rear lights are flashing as the bus is picking up and setting down school children. Please slow down to 40km/h when bus lights are flashing. This is for the safety of all students.

If you want more information on this campaign please visit the Centre for Road Safety link: http://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/campaigns/be-bus-aware/index.html

Slow Down to 40 When the Bus Lights Flash

“You can do more with the grace of God than you think”.St John the Baptist De La Salle

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From the Business Manager

NEW CLASSROOMS

The former hall of the college has been developed into two new general learning areas and a drama Room (currently being used for Music). The boys are enjoying the new spaces which offer the opportunities for different learning structures.

NEW HALLThe building works are well underway and on track for the new hall which will include two music rooms, a PE classroom, gym and covered outdoor learning area, together with the general hall area which can be utilised for assemblies, sport and other activities. The structural steelworks are nearing completion and following this the roof will be added.

The students are watching with excitement as the new building grows and takes shape. I am sure they are looking forward to the opportunity to use the new facilities when they are completed next year. There will be updated landscaping around the hall which will open to the north onto the grassed oval area.

At this stage the building is on track to be completed by the start of Term 2, 2020.

Mr John Sweeting Business Manager

SUMMER UNIFORMS

Smart School Uniforms have a complete range of excellent quality

summer uniforms at reasonable prices in all sizes. Please contact Julie on

0466 340 264 to make an appointment.

TERM 4 SUMMER UNIFORM

Students are required to return to school for Term 4 on

Monday, 14 October in their full summer school uniform.

Enjoy the holidays.

Year 7 and Year 10 Vaccinations

Students are asked to bring in their vaccination forms to the college office if they have not already had their vaccinations this year. Forms must be returned prior to the vaccination date of Thursday, 24 October 2019 (Term 4, Week 2).

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Chess Competition

Congratulations to the following students who won their respective chess competition categories. The competition was well supported by the boys who spent their recess and lunchtimes battling it out for the grand prizes.

Thank you to Librarian Mrs Febionia Cicek for organising the competition, and to Mr Ritchie and Mr Sweeting for representing the staff in the De La Day battle against the boys.

Senior Division Winners1st UV Sharma (Champion)2nd Tianao Chen3rd Logan Reardon

Junior Division Winners1st Andrew Arena (Champion)2nd Garvyn Kendrigan3rd Luca Jennings Smith

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Compass - What parents need to know about leave.

Leave is not to be entered by parents into Compass. Leave must be applied for via the 'Form A1 - Application for Leave from School' available on the LETTERS & FORMS page of the college website at least two weeks prior to the event.

The only entries for leave parents should make into Compass are sick days.

OLF PARISH - MUSICIANS WANTED!

The Parish need your help! If you are a musician or would like to be one, the

parish are seeking players for the weekend masses. Age is not a barrier; child, parent, grandparent. Weekly or monthly, whatever

you can offer. If you feel you can contribute, please call the Parish office on 9524 7283.

OLF PARISH - SOCIAL MEDIA

Fr Julian and Fr Moises are keen to explore the Parish social media presence and

develop a contemporary website page. If you have this skill set to assist, it would be greatly appreciated. Please call the Parish

office on 9524 7283.

BOOK CLUB

Book Club is a fun and thought-provoking event. Our senior students had an awesome afternoon as they

gathered, shared and presented their ideas, feelings and thoughts about a

chosen novel. They had an amazing time collaborating, interacting and presenting

while enjoying a light afternoon tea.

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Congratulations to the following students for receiving their silver and bronze merit certificates.

SILVER - YEAR 7

Darcy Johnson, Oliver Luthje, Johnathan Prokopis, Ethan Thomas

BRONZE - YEAR 8: Lachlan Gregg

FLUID ART WORKSHOP

FRIDAY, 27 SEPTEMBER | 4.00 -6.00PM AT HEADSPACE MIRANDA

We will be playing with paint pouring techniques, and making a mess while we do! All materials

provided, open to ages 12-25. Limited spaces. Register: headspacemiranda.eventbrite.com.au

NUTRITION WORKSHOP

FRIDAY, 11 OCTOBER | 4.00 -6.00PM AT HEADSPACE MIRANDA

This will be a free and engaging workshop on Nutrition open to ages 12-25. Come find out why your

gut is really your second brain and learn how what you eat affects everything from your mood,

stress levels, anxiety , sleep and so much more. And I promise there will be free chocolate and

other yummy treats! Limited spaces. Must register: headspacemiranda.eventbrite.com.au

WOLFPACK WORKOUT

FRIDAY, 25 OCTOBER | MEET AT HEADSPACE MIRANDA AND WORKOUT AT SEYMOUR SHAW PARK

Open to all 12-25 year olds – come for a free outdoors workout with Wolfpack Fitness. End the

week with a social workout and feel great for the weekend! To register for this session, please

email headspace.miranda@headspaceaftercare.org.au or call us on 9575 1500.

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Students and parents are encouraged to explore careers and courses via the Career/Transition links that you will find under Learning on the College website: Career / Transition – De La Salle Catholic College Caringbah

Additionally, the NSW Government has recently launched LifeLauncher to help students find the right career path. It covers over 4,000 careers and 1,500 course options. Students and parents can explore courses and careers at their own pace.

There are career and personality quizzes which are designed to match student’s interests and strengths to a range of career options. Students should create an account and use Lifelauncher’s pin boards to shortlist the courses and careers that interest them. https://www.lifelauncher.nsw.gov.au/

Taking time to explore Lifelauncher and the College website careers' resources will help students to find the post-school pathway that is right for them.

YEAR 10 WORK EXPERIENCE PROGRAM

Work Experience has been introduced to enable students to spend a planned week in the workplace, gaining practical experience, assisting their career choices and building industry skills.

The following dates in Term 4 have been allocated, where ALL Year Ten students are required to undertake work experience: Monday 18 Nov, Tuesday 19 Nov, Wednesday 20 Nov and Friday, 22 Nov (on Thursday, 21 Nov students will attend an Orientation Day at De La Salle Cronulla).

Click here for details

University Open Days

Click here for full listing

2019 - NSW Universities - Early Entry, Alternative

Entry, Adjustment Factors

Click here for full listing

Careers / Transition

Mrs Tracie HalfpennyCareer/Transition Adviser

P R E S E N T S

YOUR CAREER

IN HEALTH

EXPOYoung People and Parents welcome!

3.00pm - 8.00pmBankstown Sports Club, The Ballroom 8 Greenfield Parade, Bankstown

Register at: https://health-career-expo.eventbrite.com.au

30th October 2019

Exhibitors Include:

Nursing & Allied Health

Hospitals

Community & Support Services

Aboriginal Services

Administration & more

FREEEVENT

Attendees under the age

of 18 are required to be

accompanied by an Adult

at all times

Presentations (30mins)

Nursing

Allied Health

Career Pathways including SBATs (while at school)

Where the jobs are?

At 5.00pm, 5.45pm, 6.30pm & 7.15pm

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Lives lost on NSW roads. Our goal is zero.

Keeping safe around school crossings For your child’s safety, it’s very important to ensure they use the school crossing.

At all crossings you must wait on the footpath, at least one step back from the edge of the road.

If there’s a School Crossing Supervisor, wait until they have stopped the traffic and called you to cross.

If you are driving, you must not proceed until the School Crossing Supervisor’s hand-held sign is no longer displayed, or until the crossing supervisor indicates that you may proceed through the crossing.

Children’s crossings

Children’s crossings are usually part-time crossings that operate before and after school hours. They can also operate at other times when children use the crossing for excursions or during break times. When ‘Children Crossing’ flags are displayed, you must stop at the white line if pedestrians are waiting to cross. Drivers must remain stationary until the crossing is clear of pedestrians.

For more information on keeping our kids safe around schools visit the parents section on safetytown.com.au

Road safety

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Lives lost on NSW roads. Our goal is zero.

Your guide to driving and parking safely near schools The beginning and end of the school day are busy times for pedestrians and vehicles outside the school. That’s why you need to take extra care in 40km/h school zones.

• Park safely and legally, even if it means walking further to the school gate. Parking signs are planned with children’s safety in mind.

• Slow down to 40km/h in the school zone and stay aware of crossings.

• Always park and turn legally around the school.

• Never double park as it puts children at risk.

• Manoeuvres such as U-turns and three-point turns are dangerous.

• Never park in a bus zone or in the school bus bay.

• Make sure your children use the Safety Door (rear footpath side door) to get in and out of the car.

• At a supervised crossing, observe the directions of the school crossing supervisor.

• Model safe and considerate behaviour for your child – they will learn from you.

Remember to always give way to pedestrians particularly when entering and leaving driveways. Don’t park across the school driveway or the entrance to the school car park. It’s always a good idea to use the drop off and pick up area suggested by your school. This will help keep all children as safe as possible during the busiest times of the school day.

For more information on keeping our kids safe around schools visit the parents section on safetytown.com.au

Road safety