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Coming as Guest
Of all the programs I have seen in schools, the most successful and transformative in my experience have been volunteer programs working in the community. Last week I had the privilege of meeting with Br Damien Price, Christian brother, who has spent decades working with young people in service contexts. He has also completed a PhD on the topic. Damien is possibly the leading practitioner in Australia in this area and he had a lot to pass on. The starting point is the notion of coming as a guest.
At the heart of any Christian enterprise in my opinion is respect for the dignity of the other person. Damien talks about the importance of going slowly and gently. The focus is on the other person and their story. Deep listening is a key element. Technology has taken over many human functions, but listening isn’t one of them. Our own inner life needs expression in language which a good listener can support.
I think writers Buber and Levinas are right when they say that when you encounter another person in a spirit of service, you encounter the sacred. Each one of us has been created in the image and likeness of God. In listening to another person with the mindset of a guest, we can encounter a trace of God. We can also put aside our own problems for a period of time as we are present.
Eamonn Pollard
Principal
College Arts and Technology Exhibition
This year we are excited to be holding the College's annual Arts & Technology Exhibition at the Kingborough Community Hub, 7 Goshawk Way Kingston.
Year 11/12 Launch
Thank you to all families for their support of the St Aloysius Catholic College Launch of Years 11 and 12 - 'The Future Begins Here'. which was held at the Senior Campus on Tuesday 9th November.
- Thank you to our student leaders, Inara, Hamish and Isaac, for the Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country.
- Thank you to Clynton Scharvi, Eamonn Pollard, Donna Duggan, Marcelle Ottaway and Brad Canning for their key addresses.
- Thank you to Natasha Harris and VET students for the wonderful catering and hospitality.
- Thank you to Sam Wilton for all the organisation, communication and coordination of the evening.
- Thank you to our Lead Teachers- Natasha Harris, Andrea Reece, Steve Geale, Angie Mitchell, Maddie Downie, Bree Crocker, Jacqui Freeman, Rhys Endall, Ben Hibbert, Anne-Marie McWatters, Sophie Bird, Josh Leach, Peter Kay, James Hickey, Allison Jones, Belinda McDermott, Erin Graham and Amber Demir.
- Thank you to Marisa Newman from CET and Rod and his team from Expo Tas for the support and technical setup. Special thanks to our Utility Staff Dave Griffiths and Louie Sergio for the power of work in the physical set-up for the evening.
Staffing Updates
Congratulations to Marcelle Ottaway & Natasha Harris who have both been appointed to the role of Careers and Pathway Teacher. This role will become one of growing significance as we transition to being senior secondary education providers.
Tara Lewis - Coordinator: Learning Support 5-10
Tara stepped into the role of Learning Support Coordinator halfway through the year in an acting capacity and has done a wonderful job. Tara has displayed exceptional initiative, problem-solving, communication skills and leadership in this role over the past few months. The College is pleased to announce that Tara will be taking on this role again in 2022 to continue her great work in this area.
Simon Ellis - Maths/Science Teacher
Simon is an experienced and qualified Teacher, teaching various grades of Science over 20 years (5 in the UK and 16 in Tasmania), and is currently employed as Head of Science at St Virgil’s College. Simon also brings experience teaching Mathematics and IT, as well as designing, creating and facilitating the Grade 9/10 elective Aquatic Biology at St Virgils. Simon has also spent a number of years in a key student welfare role and in the position of Head of House. Simon is also currently studying for his Graduate Certificate in Careers. Simon brings excellent interpersonal and relational skills to this position.
Kylie McKinnon - Maths/Science Teacher
Kylie brings with her over 20 years of experience teaching in a range of Secondary and Senior Secondary roles including Nutrition, Health, Science, Outdoor Education, Biology, Geography, Legal Studies, Geology, Maths, Humanities, Business Studies and IT. Kylie also brings with her leadership experience in developing an Interdisciplinary Curriculum for senior students and system curriculum support roles. Kylie is a versatile, positive and energetic teacher with exceptional leadership, interpersonal and communication skills.
Director Appointments
Director: Staff - Toni Pritchard
Toni is presently the Coordinator of Organisation at MacKillop. She has previously been Acting Director of Teaching and Learning, Acting Director of Staff and Head of Department - Performing and Visual Arts. Toni Has a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) and a Bachelor of Teaching.
Faculty Leader Appointments
Faculty Leader: HPE - Leanne Caine
Leanne is presently Faculty Leader: HPE at St Brigid’s College, Lesmurdie, WA, where she has taught since 2015. Leanne has also held positions within the HPE Department, including Sports Coordinator, bringing with her senior secondary experience, and experience with ATAR and VET. Leanne has excellent subject matter
understanding and brings with her high level interpersonal and relational skills.
Faculty Leader: Religious Education - Olivia Jinadasa
Olivia is presently Head of English at St Virgils and prior to that was Head of English at Sacred Heart where she was for 5 years. Olivia has a Grad Cert in RE and brings with her a passion for social justice and service learning. Olivia is a dynamic educator with high level curriculum design and pedagogical practice.
Faculty Leader: Mathematics - Samantha Pinkerton
Sam has spent the last 12 years teaching Maths and Science at Guilford Young College. Prior to this Sam had taught at Friends (2009) and for 8 years in WA. Sam brings a wealth of diverse experience in the senior secondary space, as well as experiences as Chief Marking Examiner at Tasmanian Assessment, Standard
and Certification since 2016.
Faculty Leader: Science - Benjamin Hibbert
Congratulations to Ben on his appointment to Faculty Leader: Science. Ben brings with him leadership experiences from the Department of Defence, as well as his experiences previously at St Aloysius. Ben is a positive, practical and proactive leader who has a passion for student engagement and inquiry based learning.
Assistant Deputy Principal: Junior Campus
We are very pleased to announce that Kieran Gill has been successful in his application for this position. Kieran holds a Bachelor of Science, Master of Teaching and Grad Cert in RE. His leadership roles at Corpus Christi have included ICT/Digital Technologies Key Teacher, Learning and Teaching Leader and Early Years Team Leader.
Head of House Appointments
Head of House - James Hickey
2021 College Year Book
The 2021 College Yearbook is now available to pre-order via the Qkr! app under the Payments & Subscriptions tab.
Orders strictly close Sunday, 21st November. Unfortunately, there will be no opportunity to purchase a book after the cutoff date.
The yearbook will be available for collection the last week of term. A notification will be issued on Compass when the books arrive.
The cost of the book is $25.00
Sport and Team photos are available to purchase from MSP.
Grandparents and Special Friends Day
Grandparents and special friends are invited to visit the College on Thursday, 18th November
9:00am - 10:30am - Junior Campus
11:00am - 12:30pm - Middle Campus
Morning tea will be available in the Sisters of Charity Centre, Junior Campus during the morning. Families are asked to send along a small plate to share.
Those attending are required to check in using the Tas Check-in QR code on one of the posters located at both campuses or at one of the sign-in stations.
College and Parish Fair Raffle
The College will be selling the College and Parish fundraising raffle tickets between 9:00am - 5:00pm on the following dates
Thursday 18th November at Channel Court outside Prouds, and
Thursday 25th November at Kingston Plaza outside Coles.
If you are able to spare an hour or two to assist that would be greatly appreciated.
Please contact Caterina Thompson caterinathompson1971@gmail.com or 0417 596 773
A reminder to return any sold or unsold raffle tickets to the College offices.
Student Achievement
Jacey Banks (Year 2) and Indigo Igbinosun (Prep) both competed in the Hobart Dancesport Festival in October.
They both came away with amazing achievements representing their dance school Mazza’s the Place of Dance (Ballroom Dancing)
Congratulations Jacey and Indigo!
Focus on Kinder
The three Kinder classes have had a busy few weeks at school and have also enjoyed having the opportunity to get out and about in our community. We were fortunate to visit the Kingborough Gymnastics Centre. Students had the opportunity to balance on the beams, jump on the mini-trampoline, swing on the bars as well as participate in many-body movement challenges whilst strengthening their gross motor skills throughout these activities. All three Kinder classes also visited Simmons Park in Lindisfarne and enjoyed a BBQ lunch. Students again challenged themselves when using the play equipment and especially when climbing the large web which provided the only access to the super speedy slide.
At school, we have enjoyed bringing in our special teddies from home and participting in a teddy bears picnic making some special food to celebrate. Our teddy bears picnic provided a rich learning experience as students engaged in a range of activities that related to the teddies including teddy races, teddy printing, sketching and outdoor exploration. We have had a busy but very productive few weeks in Kinder full of ‘hands on' learning, fun and adventures.
Laudato Si' Vegetable Garden
This term students have been busy working in the vegetable garden. They have been planting lettuces, spinach, cucumbers, zucchinis, rhubarb, pumpkin and, next week, they will be planting strawberries and tomatoes. There has been a wonderful buzz amongst the students with plenty of enthusiasm for getting their hands dirty!
Year 10 Dinner
At the beginning of the term, the Year 10 students came together to celebrate the end of their schooling at the College with their formal dinner. Students and their families met at Parliament Lawns for photos, then travelled by boat to the Peppermint Bay restaurant for dinner and presentations.
This year has been another challenging year for students, staff and their families and the evening was a wonderful opportunity for the students to celebrate all they have achieved.
We send our blessings to our Year 10 students and wish them all the best for their last weeks at the College and their upcoming exams.
Year 9/10 Life Science
In Term 4, the Year 9/10 Life Science class went to the Marine Discovery Centre. They learnt about different marine animals and their unique characteristics, as well as taking part in a number of biology-based experiments, including handling and feeding some of the marine life. We were also lucky enough to spend some time on the MDC boat - some even driving it!
Year 9/10 Art & Photography Mona Excursion
On Monday, 25th October the 9/10 Art & Photography classes combined to make a trip to the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Berriedale. They have been working on Independent Projects in class and this trip was designed to help inspire their ideas for their projects and link them to famous Artists. For many, this was their first time visiting the Museum. A fabulous day was shared by all.
Year 8 History
Year 8 Green were introduced to the strict hierarchy of feudal Japan in a practical experience on Friday, 5th November. Students were randomly allocated the roles of either Emperor, Shogun, Daimyo (lord), Samurai (warriors) or peasants. Peasants, being one of the lowest classes, had to sit on the floor and hold onto a piece of string attached to their “estate”, signifying them being “tied to the land”. Samurais could not swap estates as they were bound by honour to their Daimyo. Daimyos (lords) would protect their people by building the trust of the best samurais. The Shogun stood next to (over) the Emperor, who was sitting on their throne with their hands behind their back. This was to signify that the Shogun had all the power, even if the Emperor was actually the Head of State. Students commented that seeing the physical differences between where people were placed in the room helped them understand the hierarchical relationship between people and authorities in Feudal Japan. Students also had a chance to dress up in some traditional Japanese clothing, adding to the reality of the experience.
Primary Schools Catholic Athletics Carnival
Year 3 Boys
Lincoln McKenzie - 1st 100m
Lachlan Vince - 3rd 100m, 2nd 400m
Angus Brereton - 1st Vortex
Angus Brereton, Lachlan Vince, Jordan Lucas, Noah Lynch, Lincoln McKenzie, Jye Meredith - 3rd 6x100m Shuttle Relay
Year 3 Girls
Neve Winsor - 3rd 100m
Phoebe Willis - 1st 100m
Olivia Simmons - 3rd 100m
Gizelle Filipowski - 3rd 100m
Adele Bahr - 3rd 100m
Neve Winsor, Phoebe Willis, Olivia Simmons, Gizelle Filipowski, Adele Bahr, Freya Lovell - 1st 6x100m shuttle relay
Year 4 Boys
Connor Reid - 1st 100m
Eddie Balfour - 1st 100m
Tom Rider - 1st 100m, 2nd 400m
Max Kull - 2nd 100m
Geordie Oakford - 1st 100m
Lewis Thorpe - 1st 100m, 1st Long Jump, 1st Vortex
Lewis Thorpe, Geordie Oakford, Max Kull, Tom Rider, Eddie Balfour, Conner Reid - 1st 6x100m Shuttle relays
Year 4 Girls
Madison Cordwell - 1st 100m
Erinn Smith - 1st 100m, Long Jump
Charlotte Dale, Erinn Smith, Callista Hogan, Sandra Stirling, Madison Cordwell, Milla King - 3rd 6x100m Shuttle Relay
Year 5 Boys
Angus Twining - 2nd 100m
Kian Reeve - 1st 100m
Year 6 Boys
Charlie Morgan - 2nd 800m
Ethan Dale - 1st 100m
Connor Moy - 2nd 100m, 1st 400m, 1st Long Jump
Year 6 Girls
Bessy Brereton - 1st 800m
Evie King - 2nd 100m, 1st Vortex
Izabella Klasen - 2nd High Jump
Duke Silver Camp
As part of their Science studies, Year 4 students have been learning about the custodial responsibility Aboriginal people have for Country and how this influences views about sustainability. Palawa knowledge holder Jason Smith came to our Junior campus recently to speak to the students about the work he does as a cultural burning educator and fire practitioner. Jason led staff and students on a short bushwalk to nearby Boronia Beach. Children learnt about some traditional uses of plants, including bush tucker such as salt bush. Students were amazed to see wallabies and a baby penguin hiding in a burrow. Jason explained to students and staff some of the ways we can all care for Country. It was a wonderful day and we all learned so much.
Christ the King BBQ
On 21st November our Parish celebrates the Feast of Christ the King and will be hosting a family BBQ after 10:00 am Mass. All welcome!
All Saints Mass
The Kingston Channel Catholic Parish celebrated All Hallows Eve at 10:00am Mass on Sunday, 31st October. Parishioners were invited to dress up as their favourite/Confirmation Saint. As many children have been preparing for the Sacraments, this was a great opportunity to invite them to reflect on their choice of Saint for Confirmation. At least 30 children/parishioners chose to dress up and were encouraged to process out together at the end of Mass.
#TeamMaddy
In August 2018, at 8 years old, Maddy, now in Grade 5, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. She underwent 2 years and 3 months of treatment which ended in October 2020. Recently, we were advised that Maddy had relapsed and that Maddy and her mum, Sarah, were required to fly out to the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne to commence treatment immediately. Maddy has a long road ahead of her but the Year 5 team have been giving their all in support of their friend Maddy, sending letters and goodies to her in hospital and baking up a storm to host a fundraising bake sale at the Middle Campus on Wednesday. Hugely popular sausage sizzles were also held at both campuses this week to support Maddy and her family as they face such a long stay away from home. Over $2500 was raised.
A message from Maddy's mum:
Hi, I just received some funds from SACC, it's so amazing and I don't know who to thank for them. It's so overwhelming the love and support we have received and I need to make sure that everyone knows how much it really does mean to us. Thank you all so so much x x x x
Friends of the family have also set up a Go Fund Me page, #TeamMaddy RCH Melb 2021.
There are also plans for a head shave in the pipeline. Any interested staff members…? Please see Year 5!
Sock it to Poverty
There was a sea of stupendous socks on 28th October as the whole College came together to Sock it to Poverty for Catholic Mission. A highlight at the Middle Campus was the Grade 10s v Staff Soccer game where, after a tense game, the staff came out on top as 2021 Socktober Champions! $899.55 was raised to help people in 43 of the poorest countries in the world.
Just Leadership
Just Leadership Days were recently held for primary and secondary students. Year 5 headed to Mount Carmel and Year 8 met other Secondary students at Sacred Heart, New Town. These days gave students the opportunity to research the qualities of great leaders; find out about the work of Vinnies, Caritas and Catholic Mission; meet and collaborate with students from other schools; share the good works that Social Justice and Vinnies groups are doing at each school, and take part in social justice games and quizzes.
Some highlights of the experience were
- “I learned that being a leader takes hard work and sacrifice” – Lucas
- “I learned lots of new things I can do to help out.” – Emily
- “I learned that Caritas doesn’t have child sponsor programs, instead, they help communities, not individuals.” – Laura
- “I didn’t realise that Caritas is one of the largest charities in Australia and they don’t spend money on advertising.” - Jenna
- “It was great to meet others from Catholic schools around Tasmania and hear all about what they’re doing.” - Bede
- “It was interesting seeing how we are different and similar to other Catholic schools in what we do for others.” - Elijah
Sacraments
Congratulations to our young Parishioners, including 27 College students, who received the Sacrament of Eucharist for the first time at Masses last weekend. It was a beautiful and uplifting occasion and celebrated afterwards with a shared supper/morning tea in the church foyer. Thank you to Fr Mike the Sacramental Team who have put in a huge amount of effort with our new Sacramental Program this year to support our young people and their families on their faith journey.
Working for others
Our Technologies Department has been using their skills and talents for the benefit of others with the Food Studies classes baking delicious goodies for the Kingborough Helping Hands Christmas fundraiser this weekend, and Year 7 White and Year 8 Textiles who have created beautiful Christmas stockings in preparation for the upcoming Vinnies Christmas appeal. A number of textiles students (and their friends) even gave up their lunchtimes to complete the sewing! What a fabulous job and thanks also to the wonderful staff who have supported them in their efforts! We just can’t wait to fill those stockings now!
Eddie Rice
Well done to Year 9 and 10 students Scott Blackett, Abigail Spilling, Natalie Osborne, Ethan Jones, Zachary Vanderkroef, Kaiser Dalton, Nyssa Hartog, Tom Davies, Lillian Gason, Isabella Harris, Lily Coughlan and Inara Osborne who gave up a Friday night to be ‘Big Buddies’ at an Eddie Rice Head to Heart Program at Huonville PCYC. There were games, snacks, and plenty of laughs as they developed their leadership skills while providing a much needed break for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Pizza Day - Thursday 18th November
The P&F Association is holding a fundraising pizza lunch at the Junior Campus on Thursday, 18th November.
Orders are due by Monday, 15th November via the Qkr! app under the Special Food Day tab.
Orders will be delivered to the student's classrooms at the beginning of lunch.
Choices are -
Pepperoni
Ham & Cheese
Cheese
Cheese (GF)
Assorted Fruit Boxes (flavour issued at random)
$2.00 per slice and per fruitbox
If you can assist on the day, please email sacc.pandf@catholic.tas.edu.au
Entertainment Book
Click on the link below for a special deal on the Entertainment Book. Buy a membership and get a bonus $40 or $20 eGift Card. 20% of all membership purchases goes towards the College.
SPECIAL REPORT: Managing Overwhelm
Due to the pandemic, the world we now live in is a very different place. The hyperconnected nature of our current environment means that we are constantly being reminded of the challenges we face via numerous media and social media channels. Our connectivity to the digital world exposes us to a barrage of messages that can leave us feeling overwhelmed. As a result, many children and their parents are reporting higher levels of stress and anxiety.
Unfortunately, our brains have not evolved fast enough to adapt to this digital landscape. The combination of constant access to information and having little control over the situations presented can be stressful and overwhelming. It is therefore important for adult carers to check in with their children and be aware of what information they may have been exposed to. It may not necessarily be the information itself that is harmful, but more their inability to process and make sense of it. Providing children with the skills and strategies to cope will enable them to flourish and thrive, socially, emotionally and academically.
The blueprint for parenting, based on our own experiences, is no longer fit for purpose in raising kids as citizens of tomorrow. This can be inherently stressful and overwhelming, not only for parents and carers but children alike. If left untreated or unmanaged, constant stress and anxiety can lead to a number of behavioural issues or health consequences.
This Special Report suggests a number of strategies to help manage any feelings of overwhelm that you or your child may be experiencing. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please seek medical or professional help.
Here is the link to your special report