Wow what a wonderful day! Grandparents came from near and far to be part of this special event dedicated to them. As well as from some wonderful performances by the students and lovely afternoon tea, grandparents were also treated to the Visual Arts Exhibition which opened the week previously and remained open for last Friday’s special day.

THE MARIAN ST. MARY’S COLLEGE

SEYMOUR www.smseymour.catholic.edu.au facebook.com/stmarysseymour

No. 34 (2/11/17)

T.4 Week 4 of 11

A welcoming Catholic community that respects our heritage and looks to a sustainable future.

We inspire learning excellence, resilience and service to others.

St. Mary’s College Vision Statement

Grandparents Day Wrap

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November begins with a double feast in remembrance of those who have died. The feast of All Saints is celebrated on November 1st. On that day we celebrate all the known and unknown saints and martyrs of the Christian faith. Many members of our own families have died and are now with God. We pray for them on November 2nd, All Souls Day. On both of these days, we are reminded of all who have lived as faithful Christians. They encourage us to grow in our own faith. Our Christian faith tells us that one day, we will all be reunited with God in heaven, because we share in the resurrection of Jesus.

All through the month, we offer prayers to remember those who have died and to thank God for their lives.

Last Tuesday evening we conducted meetings for prospective Prep and Year 7 2018 families to provide them with all the information they need to help their child prepare for their challenging year ahead. A very special thank you is extended to Mrs Anne Spencer (P-4 Co-ordinator) and Ms Zine Dovara (Yrs 5-7 Co-ordinator) who co-presented with their teams on a range of topics relevant to 2018.

This week we wish our Year 9 group the very best as they travel to Melbourne for their annual camp. This experience always provides some amazing highlights and caps off a great year for them as part of the ‘Beyond 4 Walls’ program. We wish them good weather and a safe trip.

After a few days away I have returned this week following surgery on my right shoulder. My surgeon described it as ‘as good as new’, which makes all the pain worth going through! Thank you to all the well-wishers. Just another week or so with my arm in a sling and I’ll be back to normal. Thank you to everyone for your efforts in my absence and very special thank you to Mrs Catherine Evans who was acting principal doing a wonderful job as she always does.

The Mid-term break (Melbourne cup weekend) provides some opportunity for students and staff to ‘catch their breath’ before the last hectic weeks of Term 4.

School finishes at 3.15pm this Friday (3rd) and resumes on Wednesday 8th November.

The Twilight Market is fast approaching and the Parents and Friends are looking for all the help they can get. With more than 30 stalls setting up between 3.30pm and 4.30pm we are looking for any assistance during this time.

Twilight Market

Transition 2018

Year 9 Urban Camp

Thank You

Mid- Term Break

All Saints Day and All Souls Day

P& F ‘Twilight Market’ Wed. 15th November (4.30pm-8.30pm) Quadrangle Area

Craft & Produce Supplies Live Music / Entertainment / Food & Drink

Early Christmas Shopping opportunity ~ Great Social Night ~

Any queries: Karen 0409 790 932

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Transition

Upcoming Transition Hints... for Parents Whilst often a large amount of time is spent cajoling or preparing your child about their transition to school, who cajoles and prepares you? Who asks you if you are managing the transition? How your nerves are going? How are you going to spend your first day, week or month, even though you may be at work? What activities will you do, or not do because they might need rest, with your child on the February Wednesday’s they are not at school? How will you ask your child about their day? All these questions are valid, not just for first time parents, but often for all parents.

Here are some hints to help you prepare for transition over the coming months. Talk to them about school rules - Some children might get confused or feel overwhelmed about school rules. Make them aware of what kinds of rules they should expect - for example what it means when the school bell rings or why they should line up when the teachers ask them to. - Parenting website mumsnet.com says: "Reassure them and tell them to keep an eye on what the kids around them are doing." Managing separation anxiety - Show them that you trust the teacher - form an initial relationship with the teacher in front of your child and let them see that you trust this new person. - Say goodbye properly - resist the urge to sneak out of the classroom in the hope that your child might not notice. - Once you say goodbye leave promptly - avoid hanging around but reassure them that you will be picking them up later on. Hometime - When it's time to pick them up make sure you arrive early to avoid them being the last child waiting to be collected. - Children are normally pretty hungry once the bell rings, so take them a snack and a drink that they can have on their way home, or have one ready maybe when you get home. - When you've arrived home, let your child have a little rest and a snuggle with you. If ever quality time was needed, it's now. You can ask them what happened at school but be prepared to hear "nothing". Try not to interrogate them. The first few weeks of school - It's not uncommon for a child to resist going to school in the second week. They might say, 'I've been to school now and I don't need to go back'. The excitement of the first week has worn off, but they still feel nervous. - Look at your child's behaviour in the morning when they get ready for school. Are they bright and lively, or dawdling? How do they react when you ask them how their day was? - If you think something is up, for example they're not making friends, it is advised that you ask them simple and direct questions such as 'Who did you eat lunch with?' or 'What games did you play? - If you think something is wrong then your child's teacher should be your first point of contact.

A reminder our Transition Dates are Wednesday 22nd November (9am-10.30am), Wednesday 29th November (9.00am-11.20am) and

Orientation Day Tuesday 12th December (9.00am-3.15pm). Bravehearts ‘Ditto Keep Safe Show’ We were very fortunate to have Bravehearts visit P-2. The Mission of Bravehearts is simple – to prevent child sexual assault in our society. Its Vision is to make Australia the safest place in the world to raise a child and for every child to receive effective personal safety education through songs, roleplay and with the assistance of Ditto the Lion! All the children were involved and sang along with Ditto the Lion. I hope your child learnt something from this fabulous show.

P -4 News

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SMC Visual Arts Exhibition 2017 What a fabulous Art Show 2017!! Congratulations to all the award winners but also to the many contributors. It makes a wonderful display when so much talent is on show. Inquiry in JP In Junior Primary they are currently learning about ‘push and pull forces’. Here are Annie and Tobey experimenting with their push and pull creations.

Until next fortnight, continue to ACT JUSTLY, SHOW RESPECT and DO YOUR BEST. If you have any concerns or questions, please don’t hesitate to see your classroom teacher or myself – you know I love visitors!

Mrs Anne Spencer: P-4 Co-ordinator

JP-F are with their piece called ‘Fish Nets’.

Here is JP-R with their piece called ‘Market Growers.

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Wow, what a busy term we’ve had already and we’re not even half way through! Let’s remember our positive behavior goal for term 4…

Our Positive Behaviour Goal for this term is:

… ‘attitude is everything - our positive outlook and thoughts contribute to our success. In order to succeed we must have positive self talk and be the best we can be. It has been wonderful to see most students show a positive outlook and have a go when faced with challenging times. Our Senior Primary classes returned from an educational tour of our national capital. The students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australian’s history, culture, heritage and democracy. Visiting Canberra helps students develop a deeper understanding of how we are governed and Australia as a nation. Canberra is home to the Australian story. Canberra is an integral part of student immersion into our inquiry unit ‘Australia as a Nation’, covering our key questions:- - What is democracy in Australia and why is voting in a democracy important? - What are the roles and responsibilities of the different levels of government in Australia? - How are laws developed and enforced in Australia? - How and why do people participate in groups to achieve shared goals? - What is Federation? The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding of $30 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is directly paid to the school upon completion of the camp. Once again we thank our staff and parents who have dedicated their time to support the students with this wonderful experience. We would also like to invite you to our Level Assembly on Friday 3rd November, where our Senior Primary classes will share with us their Canberra camp experience as a slideshow presentation. We would love to see as many parents as possible. We have the following reflections to share with you…

Yr. 5-7 New

Australian Institute of Sport One of my favourite things that we did on camp was going to the Australian Institute of Sport. They had a discovery zone and there were canoe simulators, skiing simulators and much more. They also had a paralympic bike racing simulator. It was one of the most enjoyable things if you love sport. There was a huge gymnasium and we got to watch a volleyball match. In the discovery zone they also had the winner's dais ,which was fun to stand on. It was a great experience and worth going again. I definitely recommend going. By Jocelyn Holslag

Geoscience Museum This is a science place that looks at the Earth. I tried to make the tectonic plates but it took a little time to finish the puzzle. Then we learned about earthquakes. We made our own earthquake by running and jumping and it showed up on the seismograph. It started out very small then got big. I learnt so much about the earth's tectonics plates I wish I were there today. By Paxton Thornberry

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Overall, our Canberra camp was

busy, rewarding, intellectually stimulating and most of all enjoyable from early mornings to late evenings.

On behalf of all the students we thank the staff and parents who supported us during this week.

War Memorial We walked excitedly to the war memorial. They showed the group then we went outside and paid respect for all the people who died in wars. We met up with Carter's dad who is a warrant officer for the Army. He taught us interesting facts from the Army then we got a picture with him then we walked around and came back a little bit later. A speaker said, “Let’s have a minute of silence please.” I stood proudly with my head down and eyes closed while someone played the Last Post on a trumpet. Then they walked into the tomb of the unknown soldier. It was a good time listening to facts and what happened that day. By Alexander Potts

War Memorial At the War Memorial I got to see my Dad and it was the best. My Dad is the Warrant Officer. He does all the parades for the Army. We got to go see all our family that fought in the war. It was the most fun part of the camp. The best fact that I learned was that in World War One they only brought one soldier’s body back and it is called the unknown soldier. It was great. By Carter Grant

War Memorial On the second last day of camp, we got to experience the War Memorial. I was given the opportunity to put down a wreath with Conor Jenkins and represent our school. It was an honour to put the wreath down and to remember the soldiers that fought for our country. As we placed the wreath down we waited 5 seconds respectfully before walking away. I’m sure I would go back again. By Sophie Conroy

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Round Robin Basketball Final We congratulate some of Year 7 boys who participated in the final round of Round Robin in Basketball. They may not have won but it was a rewarding time to build on friendship skills as well as basketball skills. 2018 Year 7 Information Evening We would like to thank all our Year 6 families, as well as our 20 new families, who came along to 2018 Year 7 Information Evening on Tuesday night. This was an opportunity to find out what secondary schooling is all about as a Year 7 at St. Mary’s College. Thank you to some of our existing Year 7’s who came along to share their experience this year.

As we approach the half way mark of our last term, we would like you to continue to encourage your child to ‘try their very best’ with all their studies, as we approach end of year reports and ensuring all work tasks are completed

on time and to a high standard.

Please feel free to contact your child’s homeroom teacher or myself if you have any concerns.

Ms Zine Dovara: 5-7 Level Co-ordinator

Our Level Focus is: … ‘‘The 4th Quarter: Finish with Pride!’ As we are all starting to get either excited or terrified about the fact that Christmas decorations are already being displayed in our shops, it is time to pause and take a deep breath before the final few weeks in our school year. On Friday 20th October our Year 10 students all visited their Karingal friends for the last time this year and presented them with their Life Stories, which all students had been working hard creating this term. Mr Gary Hawkey and I are so proud of these students and the way they interacted with their elderly friends. There were bunches of beautiful flowers, teddy bears, candles, chocolates and cheezels galore that were presented to their elderly friends on this final visit and the excitement and appreciation on the faces of these residents was tear jerking to say the least. A special thank you to Belinda and the staff who put on a beautiful morning tea for the students as well. Much appreciated! The Life Stories were presented as DVDs and beautiful Memory Scrap books which have to be viewed to appreciate the time and effort that had been dedicated to producing these wonderful gifts.

Yr. 8-10 News

Karingal Goodbyes Year Tens Year Nines B4W Camp Melbourne

Study Sessions/Exams Tips for Parents Homework Club

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Congratulations to all students on being fine young ambassadors for our College in our local community – you did us proud!!!

Good luck to all the Year 9 students who are considering applying for a Leadership position in 2018. Our prospective leaders information sessions have been well attended and it is such a positive sign to see so many students wanting to take on the responsibility and mantle of a Year 10 leader next year. Revision sessions start next week for our Year 10 students and I encourage all students to use this time wisely in order to prepare for your exams which are being held Wednesday - Friday November (21st – 23rd) followed by the Graduation Mass and Dinner on Friday 24th November.

Also ‘Study Sessions’ are going to be run in the College Library from 3.30pm until 4.30pm on each Wednesday from next week for any students who wish to take advantage of these. Volunteer staff members will be in attendance to help students with their study. This is in conjunction with the ‘Maths Tutoring’ sessions which already run each Wednesday and Thursday from 3.30pm until 4.30pm.

Our Year 10 students are now into their last weeks of schooling this year at St Mary’s. It has been a pleasure working with this cohort of students and witnessing their personal growth during the year. All students have thoroughly enjoyed their VET courses and VCE Maths classes and I would like to sincerely thank all those staff involved in bringing this opportunity to them - Mrs Loretta Duncan, Mrs Genevieve Gordon, Mr Gary Hawkey (Homeroom) Mr Brian O’Dwyer (Homeroom) and Mrs Tanya Oakley.

Some Tips for Parents of Year 10 students going into Year 11 VCE in 2018 Transition is easier for some students than for others. Some students take to VCE like ducks to water, for others, the first few months of VCE are a blind panic, as they struggle to keep their head above water as they figure out how to organise their notes, manage their time and structure their own revision. So, what’s the reason behind this? What makes some students so much more suited for VCE than others?

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More importantly, what can you do to ensure that, come the start of Year 11, your child is one of the students who thrives?

1. Encourage Their Independence One of the biggest shocks that students encounter when they start VCE is how independent they are required to be. No longer will teachers walk them through every concept, tell them how to revise for tests, or give exact instructions about what homework needs to be done each week. While your child will still get assigned homework, this constitutes only a small fraction of the total work they need to be doing if they want to achieve good marks; the rest is made up of individual and self-determined study and revision.

2. Foster A Love Of Reading If your child is going to perform well in VCE, they need to be able to read quickly, efficiently and productively for extended periods of time. The ability to read well affects basically every subject. All you need to do is ensure that your child regularly has access to books and distraction-free spare time; all they need to do is to read as much and as widely as possible!

3. Develop Their Organisation Skills As you can imagine, in VCE, the ability to stay organised makes a huge difference when it comes to revision. If your child is prone to losing their schoolwork, forgetting deadlines and keeping their notes in chaotic disarray, then now is the time to start establishing good habits. Encourage them to keep using a planner and develop a logical system for storing and organising their notes.

4. Encourage Goal Setting Goal setting also allows students to focus on long-term tasks more effectively. Encourage your child to think about what they want to get out of VCE. Is there a course they are particularly passionate about? Is there a dream career they are chasing? The earlier you can encourage your child to step back and think about the big picture, the more motivated they will be once they start Year 11.

Our Year 9 students start their exams on Thursday 30th November – Friday 1st December and they too are starting to prepare themselves for revision sessions before these final assessments.

This week our Year 9 students are experiencing their B4W Urban Camp in Melbourne. Their activities are ranged from rock climbing, a Yarra River cruise, ice skating, visiting the Big Issue Magazine and Chinese museums to going up the Eureka Tower and eating Italian and Greek cuisine.

All three days are sure to be action packed and the highlight for me will be visiting the Melbourne Cemetery at night and singing along with Mr Allen and the students at the Elvis Presley Memorial - whilst the bats are circling overhead!!!!

Thank you to Andrew Allen, David Carter, Karen Dalrymple and Kellie Giannarelli for your help and support on this Urban Camp. Miss Dalrymple is keeping tabs on how many steps we all do on her fitbit …..Wow….get fit as well!!!

Now that we are getting near the business end of the school year I would encourage all students to be organised, do your homework, submit all work requirements on time and

start revising for exams early – a great recipe for finishing off 2017 in a positive and successful way!!!

Mrs Mary Tampion: 8-10 Level Co-ordinator

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DATES TO REMEMBER

Term Four NOV

Wk.4: [B] Friday 3rd Level Assemblies (2.20pm)

Wk.5: Monday 6th Mid Term Break – Closure Day [A] Tuesday 7th Melbourne Cup Day – Public Holiday Friday 10th Yr.7 Retreat Day – SMC Yr. 9 students present to College re 2018 Leadership Saturday 11th Remembrance Day Wk.6: Wed. 15th Twilight Market (4.30pm-8.30pm) [B] Thursday 16th Yr.9 B4W Showcase Night (7.00pm-8.00pm) Wk.7: Tuesday 21st Yr.10 Exams (D1 of 3) [A] Thursday 23rd Yr.10 End of School Year Friday 24th Yr.10 Graduation Mass & Dinner

ST. MARY’S COLLEGE

These dates are subject to change. Any changes will be noted in red.

Watch this space!

End of Year Finish Dates: Yr.10 - Thurs. 23rd Nov Yr.7-9 - Fri. 8th Dec P-6 - Tues. 19th Dec

CANTEEN ROSTER

6th – 10th November (10.45am-2.30pm)

Friday 3rd Nov. Jodie Parchomenko, Karen Pearce

Monday 6th Nov. Mid Term Break

Tuesday 7th Nov. Melbourne Cup Day

Wed. 8th Nov. Catherine Plessey

Thursday 9th Nov. Kerry Hogan

Friday 10th Nov. Cherie Matthews, Barb Plum

ST. MARY’S PARISH SEYMOUR ~ ST. JOSEPH’S TALLAROOK

Parish Priest: Father Eugene Ashkar TELEPHONE: (03) 5792 1064

MASS TIMES: St. Mary’s: SAT 6.00pm, SUN 10.00am; St. Joseph’s: SUN 8.30am

ST. MARY’S COLLEGE 90 High Street, SEYMOUR, TELEPHONE: (03) 5792 2611

PO BOX 269, SEYMOUR 3661 Office Hours: 8.15am-4.30pm

Class Mass (9.00am)

T4: 8/11: Yr.8 15/11: JP 22/11: Yr.9 29/11: Yr.7

End Of Year Mass: Thurs 7th Dec.

P& F ‘Twilight Market’ Wed. 15th November (4.30pm-8.30pm) Quadrangle Area

Craft & Produce Supplies Live Music / Entertainment / Food & Drink

Early Christmas Shopping opportunity ~ Great Social Night ~

Any queries: Karen 0409 790 932

JP Swim. Program – Weekly T4:

Thurs: R: (11.30am); F: (12.15pm) Fri: P: (11.30M); C: (12.15pm)

Transition Program T4: P-6 (current students) Wed. 15th November Pd.1: (9.00am - 9.55am) P-6 (including 2018 Preps until 10.30am) Wed. 22nd November Pd.1/2: (9.00am – 10.55) P-6 (including 2018 Preps until straight after recess) Wed. 29th November Pd.1/: (9.00am – 10.55) Orientation Day (2018 Students P-7) Tues. 12th December - all day

Scholastic Book Club:

Issue 7 is now closed!