St Agnes

Catholic High School

March 31 newsletter term 1

Holy Week Reflection on Rejection and Suffering

As we approach Holy week, we are called to reflect on the suffering and rejection that Jesus experienced during this time. For Catholics, this is a time to meditate on the passion of Christ and what it means for our faith.

Jesus’ suffering began with his entry into Jerusalem, where he was greeted as a king but also faced rejection from some of the people. He then celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples, during which he instituted the Eucharist and predicted his betrayal by Judas.

Jesus’ arrest and trial followed, during which he was accused of blasphemy and condemned to death by crucifixion. He was beaten, mocked and humiliated by the soldiers and the crowd but he remained steadfast in his faith and love for humanity.

Finally, Jesus was crucified on the cross, where he endured unimaginable physical and emotional pain. Despite this, he continued to forgive his enemies and pray for their salvation. In his death, Jesus demonstrated the depth of God’s love for us and the lengths to which God will go to redeem us.

As we reflect on Jesus’ suffering and rejection during Holy Week, we are called to remember the sacrifices He made for us to renew our commitment to follow him. We are also reminded that, like Jesus, we may face rejection and suffering in our own lives, but God is always with us and will never abandon us.

Ultimately, Holy Week is a time of both sorrow and hope; sorrow as we mourn Jesus’ suffering and death but also hope as we celebrate his resurrection and the new life it brings.

Parent Forums

This year we introduced Parent Forums to be held during Terms 1, 2, and 3. These give an opportunity for parents to be informed and participate in a range of topics concerning their children.

During the first forum, held on 20th March, parents had the opportunity to hear a presentation on the Teenage Brain facilitated by our school Councellors, Fay Jelley and Sonia Betteridge. Their presentation was outstanding and parents found it very informative. It gave the parents an understanding of what is happening to teenagers socially, emotionally, and mentally. Also, they shared tips and strategies on how to effectively communicate and connect with young people as well as sharing information that helps you help them to have a successful school experience. While there was only a small amount of our parent community in attendance, they were all very engaged, and not one person left for at least 20 minutes after the presentation, showing us how thankful they were. I would also like to thank the St Agnes Leadership Team for supporting our first parent forum.

Next terms Parent forum will be held on 22 May (save the date) focusing on using Compass and Google classroom to connect and gain insight into your son’s/daughter's wellbeing and learning at St Agnes. Third terms forum will focus on social media and your sons/daughter’s online safety. I encourage parents to attend these two forums. We will send notifications via compass notifying parents of the upcoming events and advertising it on our Facebook Page.

Year 7 Camp

Year 7 students attended camp from Tuesday 21st to Thursday 23rd March. The aim of the camp was to assist the student's transition to St Agnes and the feedback from the students was positive. I had a great time when I attended the camp on Wednesday. I was pleased to see the students participating in a range of team-building activities and enjoying themselves. It was great to spend some time with and getting to know them. Students threw themselves into the various activities and their time together. They were exhausted by the end of the camp. I hope the camp, at Yarramundi, will be a memorable school experience for the students. A big thank you to Mr Di Ienno and Ms Gale for organising camp and the following staff for attending for 3 days and 2 nights: Mr Barnett, Mrs Moylan, Mr Shanahan, Mr Dempsey, Mr Sarac, Miss Dunne, Mr Mangion and Ms David. I would like to also thank Mr Cecire and Mr Krishna for attending the camp during the day to supervise the students.

"Year 7 camp was a time of creating new bonds, rising up to challenges, and facing fears whether it be through participating in abseiling or the giant swing. The three days of camp were filled with activities that took us all on a rollercoaster of emotions. By the end of camp, we all shared unforgettable memories of pure laughter and joy" Angelica Prasad Year 10 Peer Support Leader

2023 Public Speaking

Congratulations Chloe Favor from Year 9. On 17th March Chloe participated in the grand final of the Catholic School Debating Association Public Speaking Competition at St Scholastica's, Glebe.

There were 12 speakers from a variety of Catholic Schools across Sydney. Chloe achieved third place (1st Redlands College, 2nd Marist Eastwood, 3rd St Agnes, 4th Marist Eastwood).

In total, St Agnes had 12 students participate in the competition (two from each grade). The CSDA Public Speaking Competition runs annually and has three rounds: Preliminary, Zone Final, and Grand Final. This year, the Preliminary round was at John Paul II College, the Zone Final at Emmaus Catholic College and the Grand Final at St Scholastica's. In each round, three students progress, with the top three being named winners. The CSDA

includes all Catholic and Catholic/Independent schools in the Sydney Metropolitan Region. Each student is able to choose ONE topic from a list of seven. Chloe's topic was 'sculptures' and her speech focused on the idea of body image and the way in which we often sculpt ourselves towards what we feel are 'social norms' as opposed to being who we really are.

I would like to thank Miss Dunne and Mr Loughlin for coordinating and coaching our students who entered the competition along with Miss Panesar, Mr Fisher and Mrs Walters who assisted and supported the students.

Beginning Teachers Mass

Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese holds a commissioning ceremony for beginning teachers every year. The theme of this years ceremony was ‘Our Teachers Make a Difference’. At St Agnes, we commissioned 2 beginning teachers, Miss Oraha and Miss Kurt at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta. It was a lovely ceremony and I would like to thank members of our leadership team for supporting our young teachers at the ceremony. The leaders who attended included: Mr Madigan, Mrs Hanratty, Mr Hilder, Mr Kemmis and Mrs Cruickshank

Update on Year 7/2024 Enrolments

We have commenced Enrolment Interviews for Year 7/2024 this month. Official offers of enrolment cannot be made until 3rd April but from the calibre of interviews we will be welcoming some fine young men and women into our school next year. I would like to thank the leadership team and middle leaders for assisting after school with the interviews. I am always appreciative of the generosity of our staff at St Agnes.

Should you have a younger son/daughter whom you would like to enrol at St Agnes Catholic High School for Year 7 in 2024, please ensure you complete an application form, available from our website, as soon as possible. To avoid the disappointment of missing out on a position in Year 7 next year submit your enrolment forms as soon as possible. Siblings of current students are not automatically accepted without submitting an application.

Jarara Indigenous Education Unit Name Change

The Jarara Indigenous Education Unit is now known as Jarara Cultural Centre. This change is a respectful, contemporary, and welcoming title that reflects the wishes of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and demonstrates CSPD’s growing cultural competency. The local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community believes that the term “Indigenous” should be used to describe animals and plants that are native to Australia, but it does not honor the preferred identity of the individual or group of people. The term “unit” denotes something separate rather than something that is embedded throughout the organisation and does not adequately describe the porous and expansive reach of Jarara’s work. We are all invited to be part of the Jarara team doing our part to advance Reconciliation and ensure optimal outcomes for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, families, and wider communities.

Mrs Jeanette Holland

Principal

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NAPLAN

Congratulations to the students in Years 7 and 9 who engaged very well with the recent NAPLAN Tests. Students in both year groups did very well in being prepared and organised for these important tests. It did illustrate the importance of having a fully charged and operational device and additional resources, such as headphones, to be able to fully engage in the online testing process. The testing in 2023 was organised by Mrs Hanratty, Mrs Walters and Miss Phillips who have done an excellent job of guiding students through the testing period. They were both ably supported by Mr Di Ienno and Mr Neilson, our Learning Mentors for Years 7 and 9 respectively. Our thanks, as a school community, to them all for their dedication and commitment to ensuring the students have the best possible opportunity to demonstrate what they know and can do in each of the testing sessions.

Additional thanks go to the teachers who supervised the year groups throughout each test, which created a sense of calm and care for all students. It is significant to note that this year NAPLAN occurred nationally in over two weeks in March rather than the typical dates held in May. This ushers in some revisions to NAPLAN, which include earlier testing to provide results to schools and families sooner. Additionally, the structure of the reporting to parents/carers and schools will also look a little different. ACARA, who are responsible for the design and delivery of NAPLAN nationally, will move away from the traditional 10 Band Scale used since its inception and introduce a set of four descriptors to indicate student performance in each test form: Writing, Reading, Language Conventions, and Spelling and Numeracy. More about these new reporting mechanisms when test results are returned mid-year.

Year 11 Study Skills Session

On Tuesday, 14th March, Dr Prue Salter from Enhanced Learning Educational Services (www.enhanced-learning.net) ran a study skills session with Year 11. The session focused on helping students identify changes and improvements they could make to their approach to their studies in order to maximise their results in their final years of school. The main areas covered with Year 11 were working effectively in the evenings and dealing with distractions, managing time efficiently, planning for assessments, making brain-friendly study notes on a regular basis, and using a wide variety of active study techniques to suit individual learning styles. Parents are encouraged to review the handout from the session with students and discuss the main areas identified where changes need to be made.

Parents can also find extra study skills tips on the following website: http://studyskillstoptipsparents.com/.

All students and parents at our school also have access to a great study skills website to help students develop their skills. Go to www.studyskillshandbook.com.au and enter the username: stagnes and the password 24success. There are lots of useful handouts on the THINGS TO PRINT page on this site and students can work through the units where they need additional help.

Learn more this year about how to improve your results and be more efficient in your reading by working through the units on www.studyskillshandbook.com.au.

Mr G Kemmis

Assistant Principal - Learning Transformation

From the Assistant Principal - School Culture

Road Safety and Afternoon Procedures

The safety of all members of our community is the highest priority at St Agnes. For our community to stay safe we need everyone to contribute to safe and supportive behaviours. One area where we can all set good examples is road safety.

School finishes each day at 2:25pm where all students are dismissed after prayer. All students who walk, or are being picked up, leave by the western gate of the school on Evans Road. Once these students have dispersed, students are ushered onto the buses by teachers on bus duty. Buses 1,2,3 and 5 line up in the bus bay area, while buses 4,6,7, and 8 line up in the quad area and wait for an announcement as these buses generally arrive later. This allows for safe spaces for students and staff during this time.

Students are supervised for this period of time until the last bus leaves (approximately 2:50). Any students who are not yet picked up by parents or carers are encouraged to move to the school verandah to wait.

Our teachers try to ensure safety while we are on duty in the morning and afternoons, but I ask for support from our whole community to ensure that we are all safe by using the crossing and only parking in areas that are safe and legal to do so. The carpark for Our Lady of Consolation is not attached to our school and should not be used under any circumstances.

We are aware that traffic is a concern and have taken steps to improve this, but this is a long-term solution and will take time. The school gate is closed each morning and afternoon during peak times to ensure that students can move across the driveway and make their way to the crossing.

Student Wellbeing Update

St Agnes values all students feeling safe and supported. Our staff will always respond to any allegations or instances of bullying in a timely manner. It is important that we all work together to ensure the safety and optimal well-being for all.

We regularly review and update our procedures to ensure we are always in alignment with our system. Please see the link below which explains the procedures in more detail.

Link to CSPD Bullying of Students - Prevention and Response Procedure (http://bit.ly/3lNpCnW)

Mr G Hilder

Assistant Principal - School Culture

From the Head of Mission

Pace e bene, Peace, and blessings to all members of the St Agnes Community.

As the term comes to a close, we find ourselves deep in the midst of our Lenten journey. For our community, we have participated in various initiatives throughout this time, raising money for Caritas and also raising funds to support our World Youth Day Pilgrims, who will soon begin their pilgrimage to Lisbon, Portugal. The outpouring of compassion, love, and support our community has shown has been truly enriching.

I would like to thank everyone in the community for your support throughout this term and look forward to working with you all at various times throughout the year.

From our WYD Pilgrims

On Tuesday the 7th March, the Faith in Action Team, otherwise known as FIAT, came together to create an extravagant assortment of cakes, brownies, cookies, doughnuts, and fairy bread to raise funds to help our World Youth Day Pilgrims, Faith Russell and Paula El Ghossien, get to Portugal.

Unsurprisingly the St Agnes community came out with wholehearted support with students outside of FIAT baking items to sell on the day and all the students purchasing something on the day, so much so that we sold everything before the end of lunch! We successfully raised over $800 dollars with all funds going to alleviate the travel costs for our pilgrims.

But aside from this, on behalf of myself, Faith and Paula we would like to say thank you to the whole St Agnes community both in school and beyond. Every World Youth Day fundraiser that has occurred has always been generously supported by everyone and the students wouldn't have been able to undertake such a pilgrimage if it wasn't for the support and dedication of the community. Thank you very much to every student, parent, and teacher who has ever donated or purchased at any fundraiser and also to the student volunteers, supporting teachers, and FIAT team who have always assisted at these events with such enthusiasm and joy, your support has not gone unnoticed.

Thank you St Agnes and may God bless you all.

Mr L. Zucco - FIAT Leader and Teacher Pilgrim

Journey to the Cross - a Passion Play

On Wednesday, 5th April, we will come together to reflect on the Passion of Jesus through our re-enactment of Passion week. Students will come together in both junior and senior groups to observe the performance. Thank you to all students who participated in the play whether reading, performing, singing, or band.

Thank you to Mrs Millwood and Miss D’Aprile, for your continued reimagining of the play to make it so enriching for our school community.

I hope that you all take care over the upcoming holiday period and find time to be together as a family to celebrate the Easter period.

Peace and blessings.

Mr P. Madigan

Head of Mission

ARTEXPRESS Excursion

In its 40th year at the Art Gallery of NSW, ARTEXPRESS once again showcases a range of artworks from Year 12 students from across NSW. This year it showed how young people grappled with the impact of lockdowns, isolation and the unknowns of a new variant.

Our students in Stage 6 (Years 11 and 12) had a chance to see the works that are considered the best in the state. Year 12 who are in the midst of developing their pieces were inspired to add to and develop their bodies of works just as these students did. For Year 11 it was a glimpse into what lies ahead for their artmaking journey in the HSC.

The highlight of the trip was the opportunity to visit the new North Wing of AGNSW. There, they visited The Tank, an old World War 2 munitions bunker that was transformed into an installation by artist Adrián Villar Rojas called 'The End of Imagination'. Students also had the chance to see the newest works in the Sydney Modern Exhibition.

It was great to see the excitement and passion our students have for the Arts and in particular the Visual Arts. Purva' who is currently in Year 11' reflected, “For me, it gave me lots of ideas in my head. I know I am still a year away but I can see what the standard is for ArtExpress and I want to be able to match that in my work”.

I would like to commend the students on their exceptional behaviour and how well they represented the school given the transport issues and excessive heat of the day! I would also like to thank Mr Zucco and Ms Andrews, from Captivate, for accompanying them and myself on this important experience.

ARTEXPRESS 2023 runs from 2 February – 7 May 2023

Mr D Cheung

Leader of Learning - Creative Arts

Sports Report

PDSSSC:

After a successful season across multiple sports, we managed to qualify for the semi finals in a variety of sports.

- Our Junior and Inter Boys Volleyball lost in two nail biting games.

- Our Junior and Inter Girls volleyball have progresses to the grand final to be played next term, which is an amazing achievement by everyone involved. Thank you Mrs Tomich for all your work with the girls

- The Junior Boys Basketball team won the Grand Final 38-31 against a tough St Lukes side. Well done to all the boys for their effort throughout the season, as well as Samuel Suarez of Year 12 for all your hard work coaching the boys over the past 2 years!

Swimming:

Congratulations to Andrea Plaatjes, Ethan McIntryre, and Rianne Villanueva who represented the school so well at this year's PDSSSC Swimming Carnival. Thank you for making the school proud and competing with great integrity.

Cross Country:

Cross country was a huge success and we thank everyone who came and competed. The spirit of the day was high, with many students supporting each other through the grueling race track down at Morreau Reserve. All results have been posted to Google Classroom and the Top 3 runners of each age group are selected to go to the PDSSSC carnival. Thank you to Mr Conte, Mr Dempsey, and his Year 9 PASS class who helped run the day.

PDSSSC Trials:

Well done to Afu Vunipola, Shante, and Matilda Nichols who were invited to trial for the PDSSSC U16s Netball Team. The girls went and tested their skills against the best Netballers in the PDSSSC area and competed well all day. We can't wait to track their progress in future events.

We also had Dimo Dimo, Andrea Plaatjes, and Ishaal Siddique trialing for the PDSSSC Open Boys/Girls Soccer team at Jamison Park on 28th March. They competed for a chance to represent Parramatta against other Catholic Schools Diocese all across NSW.

Congratulations to Dimo and Andrea for being selected in the PDSSSC soccer team for the upcoming tournament in Term 2. With Mr Sarac and Mr Dempsey chosen as coach and manager of the boy's teams we are sure to get plenty of updates from the day and wish all those students the best of luck.

Mr T Sarac

Sports Coordinator

Careers

AIT - Info Night (April 04, 2023)

Join AIT at their Sydney campus for an information night. These nights are a great opportunity to tour facilities and check out award-winning campuses, including brand-new post-production studios, green screen rooms, and student games rooms.

You'll also meet academic and admissions teams, catch live demos from current students plus book a campus tour and see first-hand what it's like to be a student at AIT.

Learn about courses in film, 2D and 3D animation, game design, and IT and what you can expect after you graduate.

Time: 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Location: Online

Details and Registration:

https://info.ait.edu.au/info-night-registration

University of Wollongong

Online Parents & Students Info Evening – Year 10 Subject Selection and Year 12 Info evenings

Wednesday (April 05, 2023)

UOW wants to make sure that they are providing parents and carers of high school students with information and knowledge to help their child make informed decisions after their future after school.

To do this, they have designed a series of information sessions to provide key information about studying at the University of Wollongong. These interactive events are designed to answer questions that students have about starting university studies. UOW staff and current students will be on-hand to make sure you have all of your questions answered at one time in one place.

Register below for the event that suits you.

Time: 6:00 PM

Location: Online

Details and Registration:

https://uow_srd.swoogo.com/infoevenings2023

University of Sydney

Life of a Marine Scientist

Wednesday (April 05, 2023)

Have you wondered what a day in the life of a marine scientist is like? Join this session to find out what an average day of work might be like in the field of marine and climate science, and learn about how you can work in this field. Explore this fascinating field and hear how our leading academics and researchers are working to solve big issues in the field, including reversing the damage to our coral reefs, how we address the impact of meteorological events and climate change, the importance of our mangroves and aquatic environments, and much more

*Our graduates are ranked 1st in Australia and 4th globally for employability by the 2022 QS Graduate Employability Rankings.

Time: 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Location: Online

Details and Registration:

https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aqYgbYZ8RZe2PpbKmWiYjw

Defence Careers Australia

Sydney: Army Reserve Information Session

Tuesday (April 11, 2023)

Experience flexible commitment in an Army Reserve role with new challenges, experiences, friendships and tax-free pay!

Whether you’re looking for additional training and experiences to complement your current trade or profession or are looking to give back to your Country in a meaningful way, the Army Reserve has plenty to offer.

Come to the upcoming information session to speak with current serving members about their own experiences and advice.

These info sessions are also handy for Managers and employers who would like to know how hiring a Reservist could benefit their business.

It is highly recommended you book as soon as possible to avoid missing out as places are strictly limited!

Time: 06:30 PM - 07:30 PM

Location: Sydney Defence Force Recruiting Centre

Details and Registration:

https://army.defencejobs.gov.au/events/events-detail/lir3p7c

Are You a Star SBAT or VET Student?

Nominate for the state and territory Training Awards!

Each year, the states and territories celebrate the best of vocational education and training (VET) by bringing together apprentices, trainees, students, teachers, training providers, employers, and industry representatives, to compete across a range of categories.

Benefits of Participating

• Become an ambassador for the VET sector.
  
• Create networks within your sector to develop future career opportunities.
• Receive national recognition as a leader in your field of study, training, or work.
• Australian Training Awards
• The winners from each state and territory go on to compete for a national award title at the Australian Training Awards, the peak awards showcasing best practice in VET. The awards contribute to raising awareness and respect for skills excellence in vocational careers.
• Find the application links and key dates for your state or territory here.

Techgirls Competition

The annual Techgirls Competition is about young people solving young people’s problems.

It’s a 12-week STEM entrepreneurship program in Term 2, for girls aged 7 - 17.

• You work in a team of 2-5, with a coach (teacher or parent) and a mentor.
• You will gain awareness of STEM careers, develop your business and technology skills, and grow your confidence.
• The cost to enter the competition is $50 per student.

Get a group together and get a parent or teacher to register your team. Registrations close April 21

Register HERE

2023 Theme: Living in Harmony

Entries close: 16th April 2023

Hi St Agnes Community,

We have launched our school's Mini Vinnies group for Stage 4. Mini Vinnies empower students to become advocates within their school and local community by putting their values into action. They meet regularly to learn about social justice issues, develop leadership skills, and engage with the wider St Vincent de Paul Society.

The first social justice initiative our Mini Vinnies group is supporting is Lids4Kids, an organisation supporting disadvantaged people and those with disabilities. Our students will be collecting plastic bottle lids which Lids4Kids will be turning into prosthetic limbs, rescuing every plastic bottle lid from going into landfill to protect our environment and benefit kids. All students and parents within the community are being invited to collect clean plastic bottle lids from both home and school.

More information to come from our Mini Vinnies group to come.

Mr M. Goco

Mini Vinnies Leader

Compass is our primary parent communication tool for day-to-day operational matters, upcoming events, notices, and notifications so it is essential that all parents download the app.

It is more important than ever that we are able to communicate effectively, especially when it involves the safety of our children. If you haven't already, we ask that parents download the Compass app onto their devices for either Apple or Android.

• Compass is a web-based system allowing you to access up-to-date and meaningful information about our school and your child’s progress. Compass includes many different features, including the ability to:
  
• Be informed of important updates, events, and reminders
  
• View your child’s timetable
  
• Review your child’s attendance
  
• Provide explanations for periods of absence
  
• Update your contact details
  
• Book Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences.
  

Compass is accessible on any modern web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari) or by using the Compass iOS or Android apps.

If you have not received notifications via email can you please email the school to check on our contact details for you.

stagnes@parra.catholic.edu.au

shttps://www.facebook.com/StAgnesCHSRootyHill