St Agnes

Catholic High School

Week 9 newsletter term 2

Sacred Heart

The Sacred Heart of Jesus Feast Day is important for Catholics because it reminds us of Jesus‘s love, kindness, and compassion for us. On Friday, 16th June, St Agnes celebrated this Feast Day with a Liturgy during Period 2.

I would like to thank and acknowledge the following people:

Mr Madigan and Mr Sadsad for organising the Mass and especially Harry for his outstanding Homily on the Sacred Heart. He did an amazing job without notice.

The IT Team ensured that everything was working including the live streaming to Years 7,11 and 12. Also thank you to Miss D’Aprille and Mr Cecire who prepared the choir and band for the Liturgy.

Prayer for the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

God, who in the Heart of your Son, wounded by our sins, bestow on us in mercy the boundless treasures of your love, grant, we pray, that, in paying him the homage of our devotion, we may also offer worthy reparation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever

Year 11 2024 Subject Selection

It was wonderful to see the parents who attended the Subject Market on Friday 9th June. I would like to express my gratitude to the parents of our Year 10 students who participated in the Subject Selection process for Stage 6. We appreciate your acceptance of the school's invitation to engage in this discussion and for attending the information morning. I would like to especially thank Geoffrey Kemmis and our Leaders of Learning; Mr Madigan, Mrs Cruickshank, Mrs Tomich, Mr De Martin, Mr Loughlin, Miss Clark, Mr Cheung, Mrs Vincent, Mrs Penna, for their efforts in organising this event. Also, thank you to Ms Gale, Ms Collins, and the teachers who were involved in the Subject Market. The students gained a great deal from this process. Finally, I would like to encourage students to think carefully about their interests and aspirations when selecting their subjects for next year.

Debating - Well done and thank you

Each Friday throughout Term 2, St Agnes was represented by debating teams from each year group in the Friday afternoon Debating Competition. In this competition, the participants are encouraged to focus more on developing their debating skills, especially in engaging in developing an argument refuting that of their opponent. Each school prepares a negative and affirmative case on the nominated topic.

Congratulations to all teams and their mentors, for their commitment to preparation, and their courage and skill in speaking before an audience.

St Agnes hosted Elimination Round 1 on Friday 9th June. Our Year 8 Team went through to this round and our Year 9 team went through to the quarter-finals on the 21st July being undefeated. Our Year 8 team did really well, but after a close contest was defeated by Oakhill College Castle Hill. I would like to congratulate them on being outstanding ambassadors for St Agnes. I am always so proud of our students for the way they conduct themselves and how they wear their uniforms. As well as their warmth and hospitality are commendable.

We received a lovely email from Martin Vilimovsky, C.S.D.A. representative following St Agnes hosting this round.

Dear Ms Dunne,

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for hosting the elimination round.

Your students were so welcoming to us from the very beginning. It was a wonderful reception from the carpark all the way to your magnificent hall. Your staff and principal were very warm and friendly to all speakers, parents, and carers.

Thank you for your professionalism. Best wishes in the rest of the rounds especially for 2024.

Kind regards,

Parent Forum

The Parent Forums are partnerships between parents and the school. At St Agnes, we strive to find more opportunities to include parents in ensuring that as a school we work together to improve the learning outcomes of our students.

Our third forum, scheduled for Wednesday, August 23, will centre around Cyber Smartness, specifically addressing social media and ensuring your child's online safety. We strongly urge parents to attend this event. Please register your intention to attend through this link.

TTFM Survey

The best way to inform school innovation and improvement is through authentic engagement with all stakeholders in the school community: students, staff, and parents/carers. The Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Survey is one way that we listen to what students, teachers, and parents have to say and it provides valuable insight for our school planning. I would like to thank the parents and teachers who have completed the survey and I look forward to sharing the insights with you next term.

NSWCCC Soccer

Dimo Dimo competed at NSW All Schools Soccer Championships on Wednesday, 20 June 2023, at Valentines Park, Glenwood. Dimo was part of the NSWCCC team. The team was outstanding with Dimo scoring the winning goal in the final game to seal the tournament's title. We are eagerly awaiting the announcement to see if he makes the NSW All Schools Team.

End of Term Details -

Student Led Conferences/Staff Development Days

This term will conclude with Student Led Conferences taking place on Wednesday (28 June) in the afternoon and Thursday morning, 29 June, followed by a Staff Development Day on Friday 30 June.

Student Led Conferences Bookings are available, via Compass using the following link: https://stagnesrootyhill-nsw.compass.education until 3pm on 27 June.

Wednesday 28 June is a regular school day for all students. Year 7-9 Student Led Conferences will begin at 2.45pm. Year 7-9 Student Led Conferences will be held onsite from 8.15am to 2.25pm on Thursday. Years 10-12 will work remotely at home. Students are encouraged to utilise this time to study, especially Year 12 as they prepare for the Trial HSC, 31 July - 14 August.

Term 3 will commence with another Staff Development Day, and students will resume classes on Tuesday 18 July 2023.

Additional Staff Development Days

The NSW Curriculum is undergoing significant change right now. These changes are the result of the first major review of the curriculum since 1989 and so require our teachers to make changes to the way in which they are delivering learning to your children so that they can be well prepared for their future lives.

To ensure that all of our teachers can respond effectively to these changes, there will be three additional professional development days allocated for staff in Catholic schools this year. These days will be used for planning, collaboration with colleagues and sharing of ideas and content on the new syllabuses.

The scheduled planning days for our school this year are:

- Friday 22 September 2023 (Day 10 Term 3)

- Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 October 2023 (Days 1 and 2, term 4)

These will be pupil-free days but, as always, supervision will be provided at schools for families who are not able to make alternative care arrangements for their children.

God Bless,

Mrs J Holland

Principal

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Half Yearly Reports: Years 7 - 10

It is that time of year when reports are issued to students in Years 7 - 10. Our Year 12 students received their Semester 1 report earlier in the term and Year 11 will be given their report early Term 4 prior to commencing the HSC.

When teachers issue a grade, they use the common grade scale (see below) in order to ensure that this is a true reflection of a student’s ability. As you know, we have a detailed assessment schedule for every year group and the students are expected to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, understanding, and application thereof. The class teacher then uses the formal assessment task, class learning activities and together with their own professional knowledge, award a grade.

These explanations are taken directly from the NESA website and all parents/carers are encouraged to have a closer look. Should there be any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher/s, the relevant Leader of Learning or myself.

Trial HSC

Our Yr 12 students have recently been issued their Trial Timetable and the teachers have prepared a Study Week during the break from 10th - 14th July (both timetables are below). The students must make the most of every option available to them as they prepare for the Trial HSC. In many respects, the exams confirm for the students what they know, but more importantly, highlight the key areas that must be addressed prior to the actual HSC in October.

Study Skills

This week Dr Prue Salter from Enhanced Learning Educational Services (www.enhanced-learning.net) ran a study skills session with Year 12, building on the work done with the students last year. Year 12 looked at advanced research about the brain and how that could be used to make their study more effective. Steps to make study notes more effective were highlighted, and students also examined the study techniques they traditionally used, exploring new techniques they could try. Students also explored how much time they should allocate to schoolwork during term time and the holidays and the type of independent learning they should consistently be doing. Dr Salter also gave Year 12 guidance on planning study time prior to exam blocks, including the upcoming holidays, and students will receive a link to a video in Term 3 after the Trials to show them how to map out their study time from the last day of school through to their final exam.

All the students at our school also have access to a great study skills website to help students develop their skills.

Learn more at www.studyskillshandbook.com.au.

Our school’s subscription details are -

Username: stagnes

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Mr G Kemmis

Assistant Principal - Learning Transformation

Uniform

With the cold months taking hold all students are reminded to wear their full winter uniform each day. Year 12 students are also reminded that each Friday they can wear their St Agnes blazers, along with any other event or specified occasion. If a student requires any uniform item, our uniform shop is open each Monday from 8am-12pm and Wednesday from 12pm- 4pm. If families need assistance with uniforms please contact your child’s Learning Mentor or Leader or Learning Pathways to discuss alternatives for purchase.

Vaping Information

Vaping continues to be something that many schools and parents have to face. Recently, I was able to attend a vaping information session via Zoom. There are so many myths and misconceptions out there regarding vaping so it was good to get some information from experts within the field. Vaping is illegal for people under 18 and there are many dangerous short and long-term effects associated with vaping.

Please see the information sheet attached here if you would like more information

Mr G Hilder

Assistant Principal - School Culture

From the Head of Mission

Pace e Bene,

Peace and blessings to the St Agnes community.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a devotional Feast Day with long and historic providence within Christianity, and in more modern times has been established as a Solemnity for the universal Church.

In the 13th century, the Franciscan St. Bonaventure’s work “With You is the Source of Life” (which is the reading for the Divine Office on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart) began to point to the heart as the fountain from which God’s love poured into our lives.

We also celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus which reminds us that we are called to the fullness of life through the love of Jesus. It has been revealed just how much God is willing to love us by sending His Son. God’s love is made real and personified in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. St. John Paul II, a great devotee of the Sacred Heart, said, “This feast reminds us of the mystery of the love of God for the people of all times.”

In our world filled with violence and hate, God gives us new hope in ourselves. We can learn from His Sacred Heart that together with Him we are capable of love and forgiveness. God does and will always love each of us, and when we begin to believe that, everything changes.

Year 10 Reflection Day

Active Service- Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. (1 Jn 3:18)

Students in Year 10 participated in their Reflection Day to visit Winbourne Retreat Centre at Mulgoa which was around the theme of “Active Service’. This was designed to give students an opportunity to reflect individually and collectively on their lives, working out what is important to them and how these items we put in our ‘backpacks’ define who we are and want to be. As part of the Reflection Day sessions, students considered the following: their personal values and priorities, their relationships with family, friends, and God, and their future hopes and goals as they are about to embark on Stage 6.

I would like to thank the students for their invested interest in the day, and their participation. Also, thank you to Mr Sadsad, Ms Gale, Miss Collins, Mr Bianchi, Mr Goco, Mrs Harb, Mrs Rana, Miss Kaur, Miss Fielding, Miss Dunne, Miss Sadek for their assistance on the day, and for leading the groups through their activities.

Bon Voyage to our World Youth Day Pilgrims-

Faith, Paula and Mr Zucco

I would like to take this opportunity to wish our World Youth Pilgrims a very enriching and safe pilgrimage towards Lisbon, Portugal. May you all find the pilgrimage spiritually nourishing and at the same time live out your faith with the many millions of pilgrims from around the world.

We as a school will look forward to hearing about your Pilgrimage and the key takeaways for you, and what we can incorporate into our school. I pray that you find your immersion in Assisi powerful as you walk in the footsteps of St Francis and St Clare through the streets of Damiano and wider Assisi.

Peace and Blessings

Mr P. Madigan

Head of Mission

Reading Angels

On Monday, 5th June, we launched the Reading Angels Program for 2023. Forty One students, across grades 7-12, signed up for this program and attended the training session. The Reading Angels is part of a young leadership training program which was initially founded by the Sisters of Saint Joseph. Young adults and high school students are trained in reading to preschoolers and primary school students.

The purpose of running this program is to empower young people of diverse cultural backgrounds to make a difference in the life of a sibling or relative by improving their literacy skills. The reading resources are available in our school library and student mentors record their success using a reading log.

The launch session was a huge success with Miss Fielding explicitly teaching students the process of pre-reading and then allowing students the opportunity to practise teaching their peers how to read.

Angelica Prasad of 10.6 believes that Reading Angels is an integral program, allowing teenagers an opportunity to become leaders within their local communities.

Read her detailed testimony below:

Reading Angels is an insightful program that aims at encouraging primary school children to read. It not only benefited my younger sister but had many key takeaways for me as well. I got to revisit the imaginary worlds of my childhood and share this special place with my sister. Furthermore, I was able to bond with her and teach her skills in reading that would be of extreme use to her in her schooling years. Lastly, I got to share my passion for reading and seeing the enjoyment on her face as I brought a new book each week was priceless. Personally, the best time to read was before she went to bed or during spare time on the weekend. If given the opportunity I would most definitely join the program again this year.

8.4 Science

During Week 8, students of 8.4 were given an opportunity to share their views regarding different types of mining for minerals in Australia as part of study of science course. Students prepared arguments as part of a group on various scenarios like open cut mining, mining for Uranium, coal, and gold. They examined the viewpoints as Aboriginal Elder, Café owner, Environmentalist, mining company representative and truck driver.

Attached are some samples of presentations by students and their reflections on the presentations

Student Reflections

This task allowed our group to analyse and put into perspective the different viewpoints that go into the mining process. We had 5 perspectives as a café owner, a truck driver, a mining company representative, an indigenous person, and an environmentalist. We were able to understand the perspectives of different people and take their feelings into account on how the open-cut mine would impact different factors such as the environment, humans, infrastructure, and economic impact.

Jaya, Isabella, Thea, Hasini, Angeliah & Angelin

To Mine or Not To Mine was a great presentation to explain how mining can damage many individuals and their careers which include the environment, sociality, and the economy.

Hannah May Eizel Cassandra

During the presentation we considered the different perspectives of all the townspeople. We discussed the different impacts a gold mine would have on a town. We all considered how a large project like a gold mine could have and will learn to apply this in real life with projects such as the Western Sydney Airport. We have learned the different perspectives and effects a large-scale operation can have and consider both sides of the story.

Om, Audie, Marven, Miguel

What’s been happening in the TAS workshops

Year 8 Technology Mandatory (Engineering)

Year 8 have been learning about a combination of Timber Technology and Engineering concepts to create a CO2 dragster. These cars are made from a block of radiata pine. Students design the car, cut it out using tenon saws and coping saws, drill the holes for the canister and axle holes, file, sand and paint the cars and then attach the wheels before racing them.

Planning and Designing

Cutting

Racing

Year 9 and 10 Timber

Years 9 and 10 started the year by creating trinket boxes and were given the opportunity to laser engrave a design on the lid. They have now commenced making a toy truck. Those students in Year 10 who are completing the course as a 200hr option created a toolbox for their first task. All of these projects require a variety of hand and machine skills and the students document the design process undertaken to create their projects in a portfolio.

Year 11 Industrial Technology (Timber and Furnishings)

Year 11 have completed their first projects for Industrial Technology. They made a kitchen tidy which they personalised with laser engraving. This term they commenced creating a bedside cabinet. Each student is learning to modify their design slightly from the workshop drawings provided in order to prepare them for their major work in Year 12 where they need to choose their own projects.

Year 11 Design and Technology

The students were introduced to the concept of sustainable design and how products can be repurposed. The students, in groups, created new products. They made a fish tank out of an old television and a solar panel heater our of an old window pane and aluminium cans.

Year 12 Industrial Technology (Timber and Furnishings)

Major Work Sneak Peak

The Year 12 class have been busy creating beautiful timber pieces for their major works. These are due in August for external markers.

Year 11 VET Construction

We are very fortunate this year to have our Year 11 construction students working on-site at St Agnes every second Thursday with Mr Scarpin. The class has learned about floor plans, and construction joints, completed their white card, and are currently creating a planter box, amongst other practical jobs. The students will have the opportunity to go on work placement early next term. They will work on a job site learning many skills related to Construction.

For more information about our Stage 6 TAS Subjects see our website http://stagnestas.weebly.com/

Macbeth Excursion

Our class, 9 English 4, had the opportunity to experience a production of Macbeth at the Seymour Centre at the University of Sydney. We began with an hour-long bus ride across Sydney and towards the city where we stayed at a local park while waiting to enter.

The theatre featured interesting and unique architecture towards the entrance of the theatre. The theatre was quite spacious and held students from several schools. It also contained a range of props and lighting devices that all worked to best deliver the story.

I have never seen a play in person, so the theatrical performance was a first for me. It was interesting to see how the cast had to move props to and from the stage and the lighting effects that enhanced the experience and set the mood. The way they utilised acting techniques such as the actors freezing during hallucinatory scenes, gave insight to how stories are portrayed within a theatre setting. The actors were amazing at portraying their characters and allowed us to see the depth, flaws, and development of the characters. The way they modernised the Elizabethan story was also interesting as they incorporated ideas from modern history.

Overall, it was an entertaining and exciting experience that was highly immersive and enhanced my understanding of how a theatre functions.

By Amanda Buenaventura & M.J Nucup

ACU Ready Now Program

Selected Year 10 students took part in the Australian Catholic University Ready Now Program at Cathwest Loyola Campus on Thursdays during Term 2.

Our ACU ambassadors led us through nine modules of this program, teaching us how to get ready for the following years, particularly 11, 12, and University, if that's where we plan to go. These programs taught us how to study effectively, the value of having a positive mindset, how to find your pathway, and many other skills that will help us in the coming years.

We finished our five weeks of fun-filled learning, exploring our possibilities, and having a wonderful time with a graduation ceremony, during which we were awarded certificates of completion and treated to a delicious morning tea in the courtyard. We had the opportunity to talk with the ACU ambassadors about their Step-Up program and express our gratitude for the time and effort they put into helping us over these great weeks.

On behalf of the students, I would like to especially thank Ms Collins and Mrs Kaur for supporting us every week and Mrs Karafotias for allowing us to have this opportunity.

Ruby O’Keefe

Experience UTS Day

On Wednesday, 5th July, UTS will be holding their 'Experience UTS Day' for Year 12 students to get a taste of uni life. They can trial a day of hands-on workshops across different disciplines and everything UTS has to offer.

The day commences at 9am and concludes at 3.15pm.

Interested students are encouraged to visit this link to register.

25-29th September 2023- Western Sydney University Free HSC Study Sessions - Registrations Open

Registrations Now Open!

Delivered by highly qualified senior teachers with 25 free sessions across 16 key HSC subject areas, the sessions will include content analysis, tips and strategies, and a detailed exploration of key syllabus and curriculum areas. Students will also have the opportunity to sit a practice exam and deconstruction, with feedback and advice from experts. Subjects covered include: English (Advanced and Standard) Community and Family Studies, Economics, Mathematics (Advanced and Standard 2), Geography, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Legal Studies, PDHPE, Modern History, Visual Arts, Physics, PDHPE

Complaints Handling Policy

In the event that a parent feels dissatisfied with the outcome of a concern handled by the school, a Complaints Handling Policy is in place which is duly followed. To address any such concerns you have please contact the school either by phone at 88820700 or by email at stagnes@parra.catholic.edu.au.

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.

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