College Theme for 2019 “Growing Young in Christ”

Prayer Dear Lord, Thank you for this Advent journey. The anticipation has filled my life and made me long for a closer relationship with you. Amen

College Vision Thomas Carr College is a dynamic Catholic learning community, guided by the Gospel.

Excellence and opportunities to develop are pursued.

Through our hope and service to others we shine our light into the world.

Volume 23 Issue 19: December 6 2019

From the Principal Mr Holmes

“They Will Shine”

Advent The Advent wreath once again takes its place in our liturgical celebrations for the next four weeks. The four candles of the wreath represent the four weeks of Advent and each candle light speaks so much of the longing and waiting of our hearts. Through the birth of Christ, God came among us and is still among us. Yet, often our whole life is like an advent, the time in which God is waiting to be born. During this special time we are invited to look back, forward and around. We look back to every first Christmas when God became one of us. We look forward to Christ’s second coming “in a cloud with power and great glory” with our heads raised high. And we look around to try to be attentive to the people and events that reveal Christ’s presence to us as the Emmanuel – God is with us. This morning we celebrated our Advent Mass with Fr Jude Pirotta. I congratulate all of our students for their spirit of participation and respect for this important celebration at the College marking the end of our academic year. During the Mass we recognised our incoming College Captains who were presented with their special blazers. Representatives of the Vinnies conference were on hand to accept the boxes of donations collected by our students and staff for those in need at this time of the year. I wish to recognise the exceptional effort of Ms Lata Nundlall and her Homeroom 10 Green who collected a total of 44 boxes and Ms Anjie Singh and her Homeroom 9 Gold, who collected 27 boxes. We held our inaugural Commissioning ceremony for the Year 11 and 12 2020 students during the Head Start Program on Tuesday December 3. This commissioning is symbolic and meaningful as we impress upon these senior students that they have in fact commenced their journey into the important final years of their schooling. In practical terms, this requires them to commence their study for 2020 from this time of the Head Start Program. Our 2019 College Yearbook, ‘They Will Shine’, is a wonderful publication that has been distributed to all students. It is a true celebration of all that is good at Thomas Carr College – a vibrant place to be! Staffing for 2020 is coming together very well as we shape a professional and energetic team of new staff to join us next year, as well as existing staff taking on new leadership positions. I am pleased to announce the following staff appointments for 2020.

Coming Events

December 6: Last day of Advent Term for all students December 10: Year 7 2020 Orientation Day

New Staff:

Deputy Principal – Learning and Teaching – Mr Andrew Bryson (Former Assistant Principal – Marcellin College)

Director of Catholic Identity - Mrs Geralyn McCarthy

Head of School: Senior School – Mrs Jacinta Sheridan

Middle School - Mr Cameron Rowe

Director of Learning and Teaching Middle School – Mr Nick Ambrozy (Deputy

Principal – St Anthony’s College, Townsville)

Head of Learning: Mathematics – Mr George Toth.

Head of Learning: Religious Education – Ms Elizabeth Holligan – Galen

Catholic College

Head of House – Mr Patrick Nicholls

Social Justice Coordinator – Ms Shirley Dagmang

Teachers – Mr Scott McNulty, Ms Jaclyn Taylor, Mr Joseph Smith, Ms Ashleigh Saliba, Mr Alessandro Alesci, Mr Drew Nicol.

Returning Staff:

Ms Jennie Rothery

Ms Lauren Arandt

Ms Kristina Delaney (Term 2) We farewell the following staff:

Ms Shamiran Merkhaal, Mr Cameron Hall, Mrs Nakkita Egan, Mr Michael Ramsay, Ms Marissa Sarif, Dr Bryan Wood, Mr Michael Micallef, Ms Tara Sherlock, Ms Michelle Teagle, Mr Sam Yip, Mr Brian Campbell, Ms Louise Curtis, Ms Helen Thwaites, Ms Sarah Porto, Ms Yukie Matsumoto, Mr Jacob Loughnan and Ms Phillipa La Franchi.

Staff Professional Learning Commencing on Monday December 9, all staff at Thomas Carr College will be participating in an End of Year Professional Learning Program. This program will provide sessions for all staff in the areas of Catholic Identity, Technology, Learning and Teaching, Student Wellbeing as well as several planning sessions for 2020. Thank You, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Finally, this newsletter will be the last produced for 2019. As another year at Thomas Carr College draws to a close, I would like to conclude by thanking staff, students and parents of Thomas Carr College for your continued support and encouragement throughout the year. It is very much appreciated. In particular, I would like to thank the College’s three Canonical Administrators, Fr Jude, Fr Vincent and Fr Albert, for their support, advice and encouragement during the course of 2019. I thank in particular the members of the College Executive Group: Ms Lucy Angelico, Mr Chris Knaggs, Dr Bryan Wood, Mrs Nakkita Egan, Mrs Geralyn McCarthy, Mrs Margaret Knurek, Mrs Jacinta Sheridan, Mr Lance Jilbert and Mr Tom Bridges. They shoulder great responsibilities and I value their support. I am certainly looking forward to a very exciting 2020 at Thomas Carr College. To all families and staff of Thomas Carr College, thank you for the wonderful year and may your Christmas be filled with the love of family, the joy of friends and the blessing of God’s peace throughout the coming year.

From the Deputy Principal Ms Angelico Congratulations on Successfully Completing 2019 and Looking Forward to 2020 So much has been achieved this year at Thomas Carr College and I have thoroughly enjoyed my first year as a member of this community. The Year 7-11 students should have received all of their examination papers. This week, they participated in the Head Start Program to prepare them for the new academic year. At the Commissioning Assembly held on Tuesday for the Year 11 and 12 students of 2020, there was a strong sense of optimism for the fresh start. To

experience the full benefit of the Head Start Program students are advised to complete all the set holiday homework and set themselves up for a successful start to 2020. I recently spoke to some students about the importance of making a fresh start in Head Start which includes having all of the ‘tools of the trade’, that are necessary to ensure that they can fully participate in the learning. If all of the resources required have not been ordered as yet, the Campion due date is Tuesday December 10. Thank you to all members of the Thomas Carr College community for the commitment to continual improvement and working together to ensure that we provide a high quality education for all. Wishing everyone a very special Christmas time and may the New Year bring harmony and joy to the world. Happy, safe and rejuvenating holidays!

From the Head of Middle School Mr Rowe This week, our students were given the opportunity to participate in the Head Start Program and I was given the opportunity to commence my new role as the Head of Middle School. Over the last six years, I have worked primarily within the Senior School at the College. I aim to bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Middle School that will assist students to transition into their senior years. I believe that the Middle School years are essential in helping to prepare our young people for the future and setting them on the right path to success. I look forward to a big year ahead in 2020. The Head Start Program provided an opportunity for our students to get a feel for what 2020 will be like as they progress to the next Year Level. I wish to thank the staff and students for the maturity and resilience shown in less than ideal situations without SIMON working to its full capability. The LiD (Learning in Depth) Day for our Year 8 students was engaging and thought provoking. I am looking forward to seeing the incredible work that will be done in this program by our Year 8 students in 220. Year 9 students also got a small taste of what their program will be like next year with the iD9 Day and Parent Information Night. I believe that the Middle School years are the most influential in young people’s lives as they are spent setting strong foundations of knowledge, habits and skills that give the best base of support for their senior years of schooling. The work that is done in Years 7 – 9 can set students on the right path to success, or if used ineffectively they can create challenges that will require hard work to overcome. I wish all of those in our College community a restful and refreshing Christmas break. I look forward to the challenges and opportunities that come in 2020 and am enthusiastic about making the most of the opportunities we are presented with in the New Year.

From the Head of Senior School Mrs Sheridan It is an extremely busy time of the year at all schools and Thomas Carr College is no exception. We are all “finishing up” with 2019 and starting with 2020. As we moved into Head Start Week, I moved from being the Head of Middle School to being the Head of Senior School. I thank the many people – particularly our fabulous Year Level Co-ordinators – for the support and professional manner they have approached every encounter in 2019. Middle School is formative and significant to establish good routines and organisational structures to help us become the best learners we can become. Senior School is when we strive to fulfil the potential we have been gifted. Senior School brings challenges to all – the students, the teachers and the parents. Head Start gave

us the opportunity to begin, to start, to address the work of 2020 and thus ease the stresses prior to the start of the school year. I know we look to Christmas as a time of many blessings. It is the celebration of God coming among us in human form. As a parent, it reminds us of the joys and fears of having a newborn child. As a teenager it is a time for family gatherings, gifts and the freedom of summer holidays. My prayer for us all is for a safe and happy holiday with the joys of Christmas in abundance. I look forward to seeing us all refreshed and ready to start the year of 2020 with vigour and determination.

From the Good Samaritan Campus Mr Millie – Campus Manager Appreciation from St Brendan’s Primary School and the Annual GSC Community BBQ On Friday November 22, the Good Samaritan Campus celebrated the annual Community BBQ, hosting supporting partners and the community of Cororooke and Coragulac. GSC activities often involve voluntary time of our partners, a relationship that the Staff are very grateful for. The Campus is also a part of the Cororooke community, an important bond that is very much a part of life in the country. Chef Debbie Van Es presented a delicious barbecued meal and although numbers were down on the 30 odd who responded, all had a great time. We look forward to working with our partners in 2020. That very same afternoon, the Principal of St Brendan’s Primary School, Penny Knight, presented myself with a certificate of appreciation for the support students gave to their recent athletics carnival. In presenting the certificate, Penny expressed her staff and parents’ enormous gratitude for the enthusiastic and mature marshalling, refereeing and presenting of ribbons for the track and field events that the girls of 9 White gave on Friday November 15. GSC values the relationship with St Brendan’s and we look forward to the Year 9 Homeroom lessons at the school in 2020.

From the Head of Sport Ms White

Sports Association of Catholic Co-Educational Secondary Schools (SACCSS) Sporting Program Thomas Carr College supports current research which suggests regular participation in physical activity is associated with a range of physical and mental health benefits both in childhood and in adulthood. Active children become healthy adults and schools play a key role in contributing to that outcome. At the College, participation in a safe environment provides opportunities for students to enjoy the experience and excitement of physical activity, to develop skills, interact socially and achieve personal goals. In 2020, the College will become a member of the Sports Association of Catholic Co-Educational Secondary Schools (SACCS) which was established in 1983. Members of SACCS share a common philosophy where sport is an enjoyable exercise where “how the game is played” takes precedence over the result. The change in sporting associations is an exciting one for all involved at the College as we aim to make Thomas Carr College a formidable force in this competition. We strongly encourage all students to sign up and be part of the strong co-curricular offerings the school makes available to them as we strive for greater sporting excellence and success. By participating in this competition, the College:

Provides students with an opportunity to enhance their physical and emotional skills, enjoy social interactions and strengthen College connections

Provides students with co-curricular leadership opportunities through the formation, governance and participation in sport activities

Provides students with experiences in competitive sport that is professional, organised and regular

Provides students the opportunity to play other Catholic Schools in our area during school time, limiting the impact on travel and family time

SACCS member schools include:

Antonine College, Pascoe Vale South

Caroline Chisholm Catholic College, Braybrook

Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs, Caroline Springs

Catholic Regional College Melton, Melton

Catholic Regional College North Keilor, North Keilor

Catholic Regional College St Albans, St Albans

Catholic Regional College Sydenham, Sydenham

Emmanuel College, Point Cook

Kolbe Catholic College, Greenvale Lakes

MacKillop Catholic Regional College, Werribee

Marymede Catholic College, South Morang

Penola Catholic College, Broadmeadows

Salesian College, Sunbury

St Monica’s College, Epping,

Thomas Carr College, Tarneit

Premier League Year 7-10 students will have the opportunity to be part of the Western Division of the ‘Premier League’ competition (Emmanuel, Caroline Chisholm, CRC Caroline Springs, CRC Melton, CRC North Keilor, CRC St Albans and MacKillop), where students will have the opportunity to sign up/ tryout for the following sports in the associated Terms.

Year Level, Term and Day Boys Sports Girls’ Sports

7 (Term 2) Wednesday’s AFL, Basketball, Soccer and Volleyball

Basketball, Netball, Soccer and Volleyball

8 (Term 3/4) Thursday’s Cricket, Basketball, Soccer and Volleyball

Basketball, Netball, Soccer and Volleyball

9 (Term 3) Tuesday’s AFL, Basketball, Soccer and Volleyball

Basketball, Netball, Soccer and Volleyball

10 (Term 1) Thursday’s

Cricket, Basketball, Netball, Soccer and Volleyball

Basketball, Netball, Soccer and Volleyball

*Students can only play one sport in their specified term above There are various Junior and Intermediate One Day Tournaments students can get involved in on top of Term sport including:

Futsal

Girls AFL

Hockey

Badminton

Tennis

Golf Senior Sport Senior Students in Year 11 and 12 also have the opportunity to sign up/tryout for Termly sport:

Term Boys’ Sports Girls’ Sports

Term 1 Cricket Netball

Term 2 AFL AFL

Term 3 Basketball and Soccer Basketball and Soccer

*Students can only play one sport per specified Term above There are several Senior One Day Tournaments students can get involved in on top of Term sport including:

Futsal

Hockey

Badminton

Mixed Netball

Tennis

Golf On top of Premier League and Senior Sport, there will be the annual Major Carnivals including for students to compete in from Year 7 through to Year 12:

SACCS Swimming (Term 1)

SACCS Cross Country (Term 2)

SACCS Athletics (Term 3) Playing Uniforms In order to limit the cost to families, students selected in a SACCS Team will be provided with the playing uniform items listed below which will be loaned out to competing students at the start of each game by the College. At the end of each game, the playing uniform will be required to be handed back to the coach who will then have the playing uniform laundered. Other items listed above must be purchased by the family. Please refer to the table below.

Sport Uniform Items The College Will Provide On Loan:

Other Uniform Items Required By Family:

Cricket Playing Top TCC PE Trackpants and TCC Sports Cap

Basketball Playing Top TCC PE Shorts

Hockey Playing Top

TCC PE Shorts/Pants and Plain Navy Blue Football socks

Volleyball Playing Top TCC PE Shorts/Pants

AFL Playing Top and AFL Shorts Plain Navy Blue Football socks

Football (Soccer and Futsal)

Playing Top TCC PE Shorts and Plain Navy Blue Football socks

Badminton N/A TCC PE Shorts and Plain Navy Blue Football socks

Tennis N/A TCC PE uniform

Netball (Girls) Playing Dress N/A

Netball (Seniors Mixed)

TCC PE uniform N/A

Tryouts/Training Students have been advised of the new structure and have been sent emails regarding the sign up/tryout process. Tryouts have been held for some Senior Sports and Year 10 Premier League as these take place in Term 1 2020. Other Year Levels will be advised on when tryouts will take place for them early in 2020. Students will then be notified of their selection if they are successful. In order to keep their spot on the team, students must attend all training dates and keep up to date with all subject work requirements. Structure of SACCSS Students involved in SACCSS will leave class after Period 3 (11.55am) unless otherwise specified on the weekly outline which will be given to all families at the start of the school year. Students will be required to meet their coach at the gym and then get changed into their required sports uniform items. They will then go to the bus zone and proceed to be bused to home or away venues. We strongly encourage students to stay in contact with the teachers of the classes they miss so they do not fall behind in work requirements. It is important that students keep up to date with all studies. Any student who falls behind in their work will not be permitted to represent the College until they have caught up or can demonstrate that they can keep up with work requirements.

We look forward to the success we can achieve if we all work together and support this wonderful program. Should you require more information, please contact the Head of Sport at the College on 8734 2455 or alternatively visit http://www.saccss.com.au/

A Day in Parliament Asheriya Charan – 7 White On Wednesday November 27, I was invited to the State Parliament of Victoria with my mum and brother to meet Ms Sarah Connolly, the MP for Tarneit. Ms Sarah Connolly was kind and patient and took us around Parliament House on a tour. It was a busy afternoon with many people racing around to get important tasks done. I enjoyed a variety of activities such as exploring the historical building and its rich history dating back to the era of Queen Victoria. I also received a visit from the Premier, Mr Daniel Andrews. He asked us about our studies and school work and shared some encouraging words of wisdom about leadership. We also met a few other Victorian MPs who stopped to talk to us and were very encouraging and approachable. After the tour was complete, we sat down with Ms Sarah Connolly to have afternoon tea and asked her questions about her life and career. She patiently answered all my difficult questions and allowed me time to write her answers.

Interview with Ms Sarah Connolly MP What school did you attend and where was it? Ms Connolly lived in a small town by the beach in New South Wales known as Kingscliff. She attended Kingscliff Primary School and High School. Her hobbies were things like surfing and cycling around the beautiful streets. She was the first in her family to complete her education and received a scholarship to the University of Queensland after years of hard work. What subjects did you study in VCE? Ms Connolly studied HSC and scored 98.6% in her final exams. She studied Modern and Ancient History, Unit 3 Japanese (lived in Japan with a Japanese family for a semester), Legal studies, English and Maths. She learnt a lot from her time in Japan and implemented the principles of serenity into her life when she came back to Australia. She enjoyed writing and was known to be a high achiever where she studied most of her HSC subjects at an extended level and

also enjoyed debating. Before becoming a Lawyer, Ms Connolly was devoted to becoming an English teacher in Germany but because of her high HSC scores, teachers and peers around her convinced her to pursue a different career path. What advice would you give a current VCE student to guide them through their education path? Ms Connolly believes that completing homework, reading books and taking subjects you enjoy, can help a student excel and grow in VCE. She recommends that students watch the news and know what is happening in the world and stated, “the more you read, the more the world will open up to you.” Do you have to have a law degree to be a Member for Parliament in the Government? To work in Parliament, you do not need a degree qualification or high scores. However, having an education will help with a career in politics. The person needs to be open minded and willing to help others and be able to speak in public. What was the best moment in your career as a Government Official? One day she was passing a school in Hoppers Crossing. Some of the families in the area had lived a hard life and had a ‘generation disadvantage.’ The school had amazing teachers and bright students and loved their company but the school faced one problem; the students had an amazing football team but no green grass or pitch to train on and had a rusty old playground. Normally Ms Connolly tries to remain strong but this really touched her heart and made her cry. The school needed a major renovation. She spoke to the Minister of Education about renovating the school, “we really need to help the goodhearted society of students who wouldn’t be able to excel in such an environment.” During another late night going home from work she received a call saying that the government would be investing 9.5 million dollars to help renovate the school. That moment really touched her heart as she made a difference to students of this school. What do you do on day to day basis? Ms Connolly explained she does what most parents do in the morning. She wakes up her kids and gives them a 10-minute warning to be up, checks her emails or calendar to see what is happening on the day and then tries to wake up the kids again! Prepares breakfast and listens to the radio in the car. She does her school drop off, goes to her office, goes to meetings and may do a few ribbon cuttings which allows her to meet with the local community. At the end of the day, she collects her children from school/afterschool care unless she has some late nights working at Parliament. The Parliament can occasionally have a long sitting depending on the resolution that is required. How do you balance out time to spend with your family without getting caught up in work? After coming home from a long day of work, Ms Connolly tries to spend time with her family. To try and spend more time with her kids, she gets them involved by showing them what she does to help the local community during the weekends as well.

What was the most important decision you have made whilst being a Government Official? For Ms Sarah Connolly, putting the most important decisions on the table and choosing what needs to be resolved first is how she thrives to keep on improving the area of Tarneit. She is currently working on resolving the transport infrastructure problems around Tarneit. Being able to juggle the electorates for what needs to be funded can be a challenge, but with the hard work and help from her colleagues she has made a large impact and difference in the community.

I was really happy to receive this amazing opportunity to meet Ms Sarah Connolly and Premier Daniel Andrews. Meeting them in person with only a week of notice made me really nervous, but once I got to know them our conversation started to fall into place. I understood the importance of leadership and why they are constantly running from one meeting to another on a busy schedule but also have the patience to answer questions from a student who is still in High School. It was an amazing experience and I have learnt a lot from it. I hope that one day, I can also help many people and follow in their great footsteps.