friday, 7 february 2020, term 1 week 2 · friday, 7 february 2020, term 1 week 2 prayer for the new...

Friday, 7 February 2020, Term 1 Week 2

PRAYER FOR THE NEW

SCHOOL YEAR

Lord Jesus,

We ask for Your help as we

begin this new school year.

Allow us to experience Your

presence in the many blessings

You put before us.

Open our eyes to the new

challenges and exciting

opportunities that this new

school year brings.

Open our heart and mind to

new friends and new teachers.

Give us a generous spirit to be

enthusiastic with our studies

and courage to accept new

opportunities.

Help us to be attentive to one

another and let us experience

Your presence in our new

friends.

Jesus, inspire us to do our best

this year!

Amen

Dear Parents, Staff and Students

Welcome back to everyone, especially those students and families who are joining the MCK

community for the first time in 2020. At the first assembly, I challenged every student to make a

commitment to making this their best year ever. As is always the case, we have a full and exciting

year ahead and I thank parents in advance for your support of the work we are doing with your

sons. One of the real strengths of the College is the partnership between home and school.

Opening Mass

The Opening School Mass was a reflective and uplifting community experience for all who

attended. The students were in fine voice enthusiastically joining in both prayer and singing. This

wholehearted participation is something we have come to expect at the College whenever we

celebrate the liturgy together. Thank you to our Parish Priest Fr Yacub, Miss Abihanna, Mr

Kostovski, as well as the many others, who ensured this liturgy was a wonderful way to start the

school year.

HSC Results

Once again, our HSC results are outstanding. It is clear that if students commit to their studies

and they are taught by a dedicated staff, in a settled school environment, the results will follow.

The College community celebrated with our highest performing students at a special assembly

this morning. More information will be provided in the next Newsletter. Some of the highlights

worth noting are listed below -

93% of courses were above State average

MCK was ranked 87th in the State (Sydney Morning Herald)

Luca Lopes was Dux of the College with an ATAR of 99.25

Luca was also ranked 6th in the State in Extension 1 English

Christopher Katsikas ranked 2nd in the State in Modern Greek Beginners

6 students were All Rounders scoring above 90 in all their subjects -

Luca Lopes 99.25

Adam Josifov 98.75

Rory Russo 98.75

Aaron Mamo 98.60

Jayden Foon 97.85

Liam Volcevski 95.45

34 students attained an ATAR above 90

49 students were acknowledged on the Distinguished Achievers List, scoring 90 or above

in a subject

(continued over page)

FINIS CORONAT OPUS - The end crowns the work

6 students attained 1st place in Sydney Catholic Schools

Luca Lopes – English Extension 1 and Visual Arts

Rory Russo – Studies of Religion I

Jed Efremidis – Mathematics Standard 2

Christopher Katsikas – Modern Greek Beginners

Gabriel Perrino – Information Digital Technology Examination (Digital Animation)

Samuel Kollias – Hospitality Examination (Food and Beverage)

111 Band 6 results achieved

The following chart indicates the subjects where every student received a top three Band result -

Changes to College Detentions

As per the College Student Diary, detentions may be held each afternoon. In the event that a student receives a detention, an email will be sent to both parent/caregiver and student, outlining the details of the detention requesting the student to attend. Permission slips will no longer be required.

Any student that is present at school on the day of the detention but fails to attend the detention, will be internally suspended from class the next day. Parents/caregivers will be notified by the respective Year Coordinator or Key Learning Area Coordinator. The Assistant Principal will notify the student's teachers and ensure they have work to complete for the day.

The College is required to give parents/caregivers 24 hours notice of upcoming detention.

– Year 11, 2021 Subject Information Evening (6.00 pm - 7.00 pm)

Upcoming Events

Tuesday, 18 February

Wednesday, 26 February – Ash Wednesday

– Advisory Council (4.00 pm)

– Parents & Friends Meeting (7.00 pm)

Friday, 28 February – MCK Swimming Carnival

Top Three Bands (4,5,6)

Mr John Riordan

Principal


2020 OPENING COLLEGE MASS

On Tuesday, 4 February the College came together to celebrate the Opening College Mass with our Parish Priest Fr Yacub

Barakat. The celebration centred around the 2020 College Theme.

The College theme, this year is inspired by a line from ‘The Summer Day,’ a poem by Mary Oliver, the Pulitzer Prize winning

American poet. ‘The Summer Day’ is a meditation on nature, life and beauty.

Our theme is: One Wild and Precious Life - Creating One New Humanity

The 2020 theme, like Mary Oliver’s poem, invites us to meditate on our life and its direction. It encourages us to take our cue

from the vibrancy and beauty of nature. It asks us to consider what we value and who we want to become. What is the new

humanity that’s evolving? Our challenge this year is to ask ourselves - “what is it you plan to do with your one wild and

precious life?”


SYDNEY JEWISH MUSEUM

On Thursday, 6 February, the Studies of Religion 2 Unit class had the privilege to attend the Jewish Museum in Darlinghurst. At the Museum the students were able to expand their knowledge of Judaism which they have been studying in class as part of their HSC curriculum. The students had the greatest privilege and opportunity to speak with a Holocaust survivor Olga Horrack who was 18 years old when the war ended in 1945 and experienced the horrors of the infamous death camp Auchwitz and many others.

The students were also taken on a tour around the museum giving them the opportunity to see artifacts from the war and read primary accounts of the Holocaust in letters and diary entries displayed. Later Sandy Hollis one of the composers of the HSC Judaism syllabus in Studies of Religion gave the students a lecture on Judaism especially in areas of Holocaust Theology, Death and Mourning and Bioethics.

Dean Stoupis. College Vice-Captain

2019 CHRISTMAS APPEALS

I would like to thank the College community for

their generosity of giving to the 2019 Christmas

Appeal—St Vincent’s Christmas and Gift of

Goodness. The College raised $848.90 for the Gift

of Goodness Campaign delivering much needed

funds to thousands of Australians in need.

Thank you again for your continued support of all

College initiatives.

Ms Lauren Abihanna

Religious Education Co-ordinator

YOUTH MINISTRY 2020

ACYF 2019 Prayer

Holy Spirit, Breath of God, you come to us in the stillness and silence of this Great South Land.

Give us the courage to open our hearts and ears, to listen to your voice as we seek to foster the growth of your Church in Australia.

Grant us the desire to know Jesus and say our ‘Yes’ to his invitation to spread the joy of the Gospel.

We ask for the gift of hope as you guide us in our search for purpose and meaning in our lives.

We pray together as young people that we may love and care for all of creation.

We make this prayer through Jesus Christ our Lord, our brother and our companion, who lives with You and the

Father forever and ever.

Amen.

From 8 December to 10 December 2019, Thomas Arthur, Tealc Santos-Willard, Andrew Youssef and Mr Daniel Curran journeyed west to Perth on an amazing pilgrimage experience, the Australian Catholic Youth Festival. During the festival we were given opportunities to deepen our relationship with Jesus, be empowered to be disciples in the world today and encounter and celebrate the vitality of the Church in Australia. Thank you to the wonderful support of MCK Community.

If you would like any more information on any Ministry Events in our area please come and see the RE Team in the RE Office (Room 17). Mr Daniel Curran – Youth Ministry Co-ordinator


In December of last year we had the opportunity to attend the Australian Catholic Youth Festival in Perth. Being able to attend the festival was an eye opening opportunity. The talks we were able to attend by international keynote speakers and plenary sessions was a new experience for all of us. Another highlight was visiting St Mary’s Cathedral in the Perth CBD. We were able to meet new friends from different schools across Sydney, and we hope to continue to develop these friendships into the future. I’d like to thank Mr Curran for organising our trip to Perth and facilitating our new experiences.

Thomas Arthur - Year 11

I believe going to Perth for the Australian Catholic Youth Festival of 2019 has become a very extraordinary and unforgettable part of my life. During the 3 days of the event, I met so many new people that were my age from all across Australia. The best parts of the event had to be the morning plenary sessions, where all 5000+ of the youth at the event came together to listen to music from international and local musicians, with the additional prayers and talks from amazing speakers and performers. During these sessions, everybody was either singing, dancing, laughing and engaging fully in their Catholic faith. Andrew Youssef - Year 11


YEAR 11 VISUAL DESIGN During Year 10 transition week, this year's Visual Design class visited the Art Gallery of NSW and explored the ‘Making Art Public’, ‘Quilty’ and ‘Japan Supernatural’ exhibitions. Visual Design plays an important role in many applied creative fields, and the exhibits provided students with an opportunity to investigate the role of the artist as a designer and the value of visual design in society. Students learned of the significance of public art in urban design and the role of art as an agent for social justice through Quilty’s ability to draw attention to our responsibility as human beings. The highlight of the day though, was ‘Japan Supernatural’, which brought together historical and contemporary folklore and illustration including works by Takashi Murakami, who blends traditional art practice with commercial design. Activities completed throughout the day revealed some very creative concepts and illustrations from our students and the excursion provided unique inspiration for their upcoming illustration unit.

Ms Katrina Appleyard Visual Arts Department

ART RULES 2019

On Friday, 13 December 2019 the opening of Art Rules 2019 was held at Hazelhurst Gallery, Gymea. The exhibition celebrated 23 students work from St George and Sutherland Shire schools. Michael Baroud of Year 12, 2019 was honoured with having his artwork Gentrify This! exhibited. Michaels work explored the concept of gentrification and the changing nature of Sydney’s urban landscape. His work depicts four dilapidated community buildings from different parts of Sydney, captured through the use of coloured pencil drawings on corrugated cardboard. Michaels use of pencil mark and treatment of the scored and ripped cardboard creates a worn and weathered texture - emphasising that these buildings are ripe for development, no matter their historical significance.

Miss Rebecca Lloyd

Year 11 Co-ordinator


Congratulations to Dylan Nadal (Year 8) who was part of the team that won the 2019 NSW Futsal Premier League 1 title in the

U12 age group during the Christmas holidays.

Dylan captained Mascot Vipers to victory over Eastern Suburbs Hakoah in the Final, winning 4 – 3 in extra time, scoring 2 goals.

The following extract is from a recent article by Football NSW.

‘Nadal then sent the Mascot fans into delirium as he pilfered the ball deep in his own half and went coast-to-coast to drill it un-

der Baron and put Vipers back in front midway through the first overtime period.

There was action at both ends to finish the game, but Mascot held on for a thrilling one-goal win after ending the season third.’

“I don’t know how we did it. I knew there was three seconds left (in regular

time) so I just cracked it and it managed to go in,” he said.

“But everyone worked hard to get this win. We drew with Easts twice this

year, so it was about time we beat them.”

It was the first defeat Hakoah tasted all summer, and they can hold their

heads up after more than playing their part in an unbelievable futsal final.’

MCC SUMMER SEASON

The MCC Summer Season continues this week with our teams taking on Marcellin at Randwick. With the Semi Finals fast ap-

proaching, this weeks matches are extremely important for ladder position heading into the business end of the season. Next

week we have our final lot of Round matches against De La Salle Ashfield which is a make-up round from last year which was

cancelled due to the smoke haze. We wish all of our teams the best of luck in the coming weeks.

Upcoming Fixtures

Week 3 Vs De La Salle Ashfield

Cricket at Scarborough Park (A Grade Vs BYE)

Tennis at Illawarra Tennis Centre, Rockdale

Touch Football at Heffron Park

Basketball at Bankstown Basketball Stadium

HOUSE SPORT

With sport commencing this week, all students years 8-10 have had the opportunity to select their sport for Term 1. Year 7

will conduct a year group house sport competition, while Year 11 students not involved in MCC representative teams will be

involved in study sessions at school, while the Non ATAR students will have the opportunity to attend a local gym each week.

All students have been informed that they are required to bring with them their house shirt to wear at sport. This is

compulsory to do so each and every week, and failure to do so will result in the student being placed on a Sports Detention for

that afternoon. Students are also encouraged to bring sun protection, especially during the summer months and also their

own water bottle to rehydrate.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT

Mr Chris MacDougal

Sports Co-ordinator

Wednesday, 4 March 2020

3.00 pm - 6.00 pm


YEAR 7 ORIENTATION

Congratulations to Year 7 who have successfully completed their orientation program with outstanding behaviour and positive

attitude during their first week. The boys have engaged in a variety of activities to help their transition into high school.

Students were given a tour of the College by the 2020 College leaders, taught how to organise their student diaries and use of

laptops and listened to a talk by current Year 8 students on what it is like to be in Year 7. They were also introduced to their

Year 11 Marist Mates and were provided with the fantastic opportunity to go to Carss Park for Thursday sport where they

actively participated in a variety of sporting events.

Mr Nathan Collins

Year 7 Co-ordinator

ATTENTION PARENTS

Parents are required to notify the College in writing of any changes to their son’s medical action plan.


**SECOND HAND UNIFORM SALE AT THE COLLEGE**

The College currently has a large volume of good quality second hand uniforms for sale.

All prices now reduced. Please see Student Services.

** Students need to accompany parents when purchasing uniforms from the College office **

For our families from overseas, it is important that the school has details of your current residency status.

Please provide us with your new visa grant notice or Australian citizenship documents, if:

● there has been any change in your visa sub class or the expiry date, or

● if you previously had a visa but have now become an Australian citizen

Slow Down to 40 When the Bus Lights Flash

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 lights flash on buses to warn motorists that buses are picking up and dropping

off children. Drivers must not overtake or pass a bus with flashing lights at more than

40km/h.

You can help keep children safe by:

Slowing down to 40km/h when bus lights are flashing

Looking out for children crossing the road near bus stops, in schools zones or along bus routes

Giving way to buses when they merge back into traffic

From the College Counsellor

Marist College Kogarah

52 Wolseley Street Bexley, NSW 2207 Telephone 9587 3211 Facsimile 9556 1790 Website: www.mck.nsw.edu.au

Email: [email protected]

How to support your child's mental health during a disaster – Beyond Blue

Professor Brett McDermott is a former Director of Beyond Blue and a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with significant experience in mental health disaster recovery. Here he looks at how we can support our children and their mental health during and after disasters such as the Australian bushfires. Article Link

Disasters affect us all in different ways and children can be particularly vulnerable to their mental health impacts. While some children will show few or limited signs of distress or discomfort during the Australian bushfire crisis, others might benefit more from our support, in both the short and long term. Australian research on responses to disasters consistently shows children can experience intrusive, frightening memories, poor sleep or worries that the event may occur again. The good news is there are ways to help them cope. We can start by trying to look at these events through their eyes and taking action, even before disaster unfolds. Easing the perception of risk In many cases, a child’s perception of risk is not based on actual events, but rather whether they thought they were going to die. It has been consistently demonstrated that children who thought they or their parents were at risk of dying developed more symptoms of distress. So, it’s useful to know there are steps we can take to ease a child’s perceived risk. Children are comforted knowing the family has a safety plan and that an adult is monitoring the situation. In many ways, actions speak louder than words alone. For instance, they will feel less anxious knowing that the car is ready to go, seeing that an exit route has been planned and understanding that the destination is safe. Children’s perception of risk is influenced by the behaviours and communication of adults. Anxiety can be contagious. If we as parents appear frightened, sweaty and agitated, our children will notice and behave accordingly. Some of us may talk more when anxious and our speech may become ‘pressured’ or we might constantly discuss the bushfires. Our children will notice that our communication is different. Conversely, some of us may become more quiet, shortening our replies to questions or occasionally not speaking at all. Again, our children will pick up on the change in behaviour and interpret the situation as being so bad that their parent or caregiver cannot even talk about it. More broadly, maintaining our routines, however big or small, will help emphasise normal functioning. Being aware of these things means we can try to avoid exposing our children to our own anxiety. It is important to maintain regular behaviour, communication and routine as best possible, as it will help reassure children that there is no need to be distressed. Helping children process information Children don’t deal with information the same way as adults. The bushfires have received extensive media coverage given the disaster has directly impacted five Australian states for more than a month. Mobile phones have enabled graphic and distressing video footage, in some cases of near-death experiences. Pre-school and early primary school children have great difficulty processing this information. They struggle with the reality that the danger is often far away. They struggle with timelines, often unable to understand that while some footage appears in real-time, much of what they are watching is several hours or even days old. They struggle with perspective, as some footage may create a perception that the people involved will soon be engulfed, where the reality is that they are filming from a safe distance. Helping children deal with the information they absorb is crucial, so parents and caregivers should take an active role in their children’s media consumption. By watching footage together, we can provide context and assist with the processing of information. We can reassure them, for instance, that the fire they are seeing was ‘last week not today’; that it was ‘not in our state’; or that while we know the bushfire is in our area ‘firefighters are doing a great job of controlling it’. For families in high-risk areas, children are comforted by concise statements such as ‘we will get a text if we need to leave’. Many children will be distressed by this bushfire disaster, but there are clear strategies to promote resilience. How we deal with and communicate our own feelings is crucial, and how we help children process information is also very important. For more information on supporting children and young people after a bushfire, see: https://beyou.edu.au/bushfires-response Ms Amy Martin https://headspace.org.au/friends-and-family/how-to-support-your-child-after-a-natural-disaster/ College Counsellor

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/personal-best/pillar/in-focus/how-to-support-your-child's-mental-health-during-a-disaster?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organicsocial_bb_feb20&utm_demo=all&utm_targeting=null&utm_format=image&utm_creative=p

https://beyou.edu.au/bushfires-response

https://headspace.org.au/friends-and-family/how-to-support-your-child-after-a-natural-disaster/

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