Bulletin

Loving God, thank you for the love of my mother

and the women who nurture me.

Bless her.

Give her patience to listen to me when I find it hard to talk.

Give her gentleness in dealing with me when I am rowdy.

Give her wisdom so that she knows just what to say

even when I find it hard to listen.

Give her a generous heart even when I am selfish.

Give her strength when I need a firm hand.

Give her a sense of humour in difficult times.

Surround her with people who love her.

Help me to see your love at work in her.

Help me to love as she loves.

We ask this in Jesus name.

Amen.    

Dear Parents and Carers

Our focus this week has been preparing for the much anticipated return of our Year 12 students.  I think that your graduation year is always memorable but this year's graduating class will certainly have an extraordinary context to anchor their memories.  As previously announced, our Year 11 students will return on Monday 18 May to complete the return of our HSC students.  This will be a very significant milestone to reach.

The return of Years 7-10 students is scheduled for Monday 25 May.  I have delayed announcing this date until I had a little more certainty around community transmission rates, but to assist with your forward planning, I think time is right now.  There is a sense of readiness across New South Wales that we are ready for the next stage which is starting the "new normal".  By that, our politicians mean we are to adapt to living with very low levels of community transmission, and learning how to quickly manage and contain a new cluster.  We have used our time wisely to learn how we best care for our students and staff.  The staggered return of the students over the next three weeks will give us scope to learn more and refine our practices.  We have made some important modifications to our Term 2 calendar to restore some teaching days.  The following days will now be full teaching days:

Thursday 28 May (was to be Athletics Carnival)

Friday 5 June (was to be a Professional Learning day)

Thursday 18 June (was to be St Vincent's Day).

Returning to school is a parent decision, I encourage you as a family to discuss your own practices and protocols about the physical distancing discussion on how to use public transport.  Another helpful link is included here, produced by health workers but it has broad application for all of us as we transition back to school and work.

As the students and staff return we might all get a mild dose of "yellow line fever".  We have used yellow tape around the College to indicate areas and zones of separation between staff and students, "X's" to queue on, and other areas that have reduced social density.

I wish all our Mothers, Grandmothers, God-Mothers and all who provide that nurturing role in the lives of our students, the happiest of times on Sunday.  This year, extra creativity, thoughtfulness and ingenuity might be needed to connect and celebrate with the important women in your lives.  Normally tonight would have been our Mother/Daughter Night, which is always a highlight of the year.  Maybe tonight the husbands and sons of the family will cook up a storm, and you put on your favourite music and dance the night away.

I want to finish on a feel good note!  Here are our wonderful Year 12's letting us know "they are still standing" despite all the disruption of the lockdown.  They are ready and willing to be back on Monday!

"I'm Still Standing!"   (to the music of Elton John/Bernie Taupin)

Yours sincerely

Anne Fry
Principal 

The College community offers its condolences to the following who have lost a loved one recently:

Siara Ortolani (Year 9) - Grandfather.

Alexandra Manuel (Year 9) - Grandfather.

Genevieve Thompson (Year 12) - Close family friend.

This week we find ourselves preparing to transition our students back to the school yard and classrooms, amidst the updates to public health orders and the government three step plan.  I suggest we take time to steady and ready ourselves - to consider what it is we wish to retain from our learning and growing over the past two months before we plunge too quickly, having missed the opportunity to grow.  There could be a misconception for our students and ourselves to consider that we are returning to ‘normal’.  In fact, we now have the opportunity to create a ‘new normal’, not one imposed upon us but rather created by choice.  Our mindset remains so important over the next few weeks and months ahead as we shape our lives, identities and relationships amidst new routines and behaviours.  I certainly encourage these conversations at home, to get your children thinking about what might be the same and what might be different, and what it is they would like to make different, retaining what have been new blessings in their recent lives.  I include a beautiful video shared on our Student Wellbeing Classroom this week - maybe it can inspire your thinking and conversations. The Great Realisation - hindsight is 2020
You may also like the Infographic below.

We are very much looking forward to having our Year 12 students back face to face next week, certainly for the interactive engagement in learning but also to see the faces and personalities that make us a community.  In saying this I wish to applaud the exceptional efforts of our staff who have continued to engage with and check-in with students and families - and applaud you the parents/carers for your open and supportive communication.  Please know that the emails sent home to notify students and parents when a student may have missed a Google Meet lesson or not submitted some class work are designed to be proactive in keeping you well informed; they are designed to open up a clarifying conversation with opportunity for follow up with support if required. Our Foxford Program above all has highlighted the interconnected role of school and home in educating and caring for your daughters.  I wish to commend the leadership of the Heads of House who have supported the wellbeing of students through creative on-line activities, evidenced in their virtual Assemblies on Wednesday - full of humour, recognition of achievement, birthday celebrations, strategies for healthy minds and bodies - and most of all a sense of belonging and connectivity.  We look forward to keeping up our new-found ingenuity in both our face to face and online connections with students.  As a Pastoral Team - inclusive of our counsellor Sophia De Prendegast, our College Companion Sr Anne Taylor and our Diverse Learning and Boarding staff - we have learnt to appreciate much of what we know we do well whilst also having enjoyed developing new ways of achieving our care of students.  We will continue to respond as needed throughout the term.

May all of us celebrate and cherish our mothers and mother-figures this weekend - in person, online and in memory.  Whilst I love the excuse for my children to invest time in their dear Mum - most of all it is my day to say thanks for the most wonderful woman in my life whose love continues to shape me - my mother.

Mrs Elizabeth Brooks
Deputy Principal, Pastoral Care

Aldous Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’ is one of my favourite dystopian texts and I have for some time shared with family, friends and students an acknowledgement that life has felt a little dystopic in the last few months.  As this week draws to a close, our PM, Scott Morrison is indicating a gradual three-step plan for the return to ‘normal’ for Australia.  With this projection in mind, I am looking to next week with joyful, yet measured anticipation of the ‘brave new normal’ for us as a College.  Next week we welcome the return of our Year 12 students.  I know that they are very keen to resume some normalcy in their HSC year and thus being on campus with their peers and teachers is something that I know they have been longing for.  Teachers too have missed our students and we look forward to the return to the College in Week 3 for Year 12, Week 4 for Year 11 and the rest of the College cohort on Monday 25 May.  I would like to commend all students on their resilience and diligence in partaking in the Foxford program.  As Mrs Fry stated in this issue; as each cohort transitions back to face-to-face learning, we will abandon the Google Meets but still use Google Classroom as our chosen pedagogical technological platform.  This will ensure that students who for health reasons, cannot attend school physically, maintain their continuity of learning.  As you will appreciate a dual-platform pedagogical operation is not possible for teachers once each cohort returns, nor is it advised by the government. 

Parents/carers, thank you for your robust feedback by way of the MMG survey, which we have and will continue to respond to.  Please do continue to provide feedback on your child’s learning to us, so that we may continue to respond to it.  Teachers, together with the Heads of Department, are constantly monitoring the volume of work students are receiving and ensuring that we are finding ways to engage students off screens.  Teachers are looking at not only this term but beyond, to ensure that teaching and learning strategies align with an understanding of the neuroscience of adolescent learning.  Engaging your child more in the craft of handwriting is one of our foci this term.  Handwriting is not only important for manual dexterity, but it is a vital component of the working memory and helps to assist brain function in external tests and internal assessments.

As we prepare to transition our senior students back to campus, we are cognisant of their desire for hands on learning opportunities in the classroom and close connection with their teachers.  As such, we are readying opportunities for students to complete Term 2 assessments under ‘in-class’ conditions where possible and practicable.  As communicated before the term ended when we assumed that we would be agile for the duration of Term 2, assessments were converted to submissions.  Now we have an opportunity to assess students in class where they will benefit from the authentic experience of test conditions which they need to reacquaint themselves with as HSC students.  Students will receive an official assessment re-notification in these instances with the three-week buffer intact.

As we gradually return students week by week, I take this opportunity to remind students who remain on the Foxford program about their responsibilities for participation in Google Meets whilst agile.  In good relationship with their teachers, students have responsibilities to participate fully in each and every lesson.  I reminded students this week that whilst on a Google Meet lesson, their camera is to be switched on and microphone muted unless requested by the teacher.  If for some reason your child’s computer is experiencing technical issues, please ask your child to contact the IT Department here:  helpdesk@stvincents.nsw.edu.au to assist her to resolve her technological issues.  In their learning this year, thus far, our students have much to be proud of and this pandemic will instill in them more resilience and determination then any other ‘life lesson’ could.  Through a continued reciprocal relationship of care and trust, both teachers and students can ensure that ‘every lesson every day’ we can learn innovatively in this unprecedented time.

To all our mothers, grandmothers, godmothers and mother figures, I wish you all a very Happy Mother’s Day on Sunday.  Take time to smell the roses!

Mrs Jasmin Mano
Director of Teaching and Learning

Mother's Day in my life has always been a celebration involving a roast dinner, a crowded table and lots of washing up.  My Mother always did the cooking, with various guests rolling up to be fed and watered.  I don’t remember anyone helping with the washing up or even peeling a potato.  It’s a tradition that continues in my home, but not this year...and I’ll miss it. 

Despite the easing of restrictions, many families will celebrate Mother's Day in a paired back way, with fewer guests at the table.  As a College community we will miss our Mother's Day Liturgy and Breakfast - but we have found a way to celebrate together, apart, online.

Click on the link to join in our online Mother's Day Liturgy.  Many thanks to all those daughters and mothers who shared images with us.

Mother's Day Liturgy

I hope you enjoy it. 

Mrs Jo Kenderes
Director of Faith and Mission

 A Parent's Prayer

Lord, build me a daughter

who’ll be strong enough to know when she is weak

and brave enough to face herself when she is afraid;

one who is proud and unbending in defeat,

yet humble and gentle in victory.

Build me a daughter whose wishbone

will not be where her backbone should be;

a daughter who will first know you, and then know herself,

for that is the true foundation of all knowledge.

Lead her, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort,

but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge.

There let her learn to stand in the storm,

yet have compassion for those who fall.

Build me a daughter whose heart is clear and whose goals are high;

who’ll master herself before she seeks to master others;

one who’ll learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep;

to reach into the future, yet never forget the past.

And after all these things are hers,

add, I pray, enough of a sense of humour that, though serious,

she may never take herself too seriously.

And above all, Lord, give her enough humility to know

that true greatness requires simplicity,

true wisdom requires an open mind

and true strength requires meekness.

Only when this has been accomplished will I dare to whisper,

“I have not lived in vain.”

      An adaptation of a poem by General Douglas MacArthur

Year 7S have been exploring life in Ancient Rome.  The food eaten by the ancient Romans has been an area of great interest as has the clothing worn by both men and women.

A special menu for a Roman wedding feast was created by the students and a few even baked some cakes that would have been eaten during ancient Roman times.  On Wednesday we had a Google Meet dress up which was lots of fun.

Ms Lynne Hamilton
Head of Department HSIE 

Below:  Sarah See, Year 7, with her Ancient Roman cake

Below:  Year 7 students improvising their Ancient Roman costumes from home:

Below:  Halle Bresnahan 

Below:  Alexandra Haddock

Photos below:  Emilia Reed recreates an Ancient Roman wedding banquet

Year 12 - Applying Direct to ANU for 2021

Direct applications are now open and will close 25 May 2020.  You can apply if:

·        You will complete your Australian Year 12 studies in 2020 or an International Baccalaureate Diploma in November 2020.

·        You will be applying for an undergraduate program that starts in 2021.

What you need to know:

·        There is no application fee.

·        You will be required to meet the co-curricular or service requirement - they have adjusted their requirements due to the disruptions of COVID-19, please review the updated co-curricular or service schedule.

·        You will apply for admission, guaranteed accommodation, and over 200 scholarships all in one application.

·        You will now get an offer in August based on your Year 11 results.  This offer will be honoured for study in 2021, as long as you complete Year 12.

Applying through UAC for 2021

If you are not a current school leaver and/or did not study an Australian Year 12 or International Baccalaureate program, you must apply for admission to the university through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC).  UAC applications for Semester 1 2021 will open later in the year, please refer to the UAC website for more information on the opening and closing dates for each application round.  

YEAR 12 STUDENTS APPLYING FOR MEDICINE OR DENTISTRY

Undergraduate Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)

Step 1:  Online Account Registration - You must create an online account with Pearson VUE before you can book your test.  You need to register for your test personally - this cannot be done by a school/college.  You should only create one account as multiple accounts are not permitted.  

Note:  You must register with your legal name exactly as it appears on the photo identification you will present at the test centre.  If there is not an exact match, you will not be able to take your test and you will not be reimbursed for any fees paid. 

When you create an account you will need to provide the information requested here.

Step 2:  Booking a Test - Bookings open 2 March 2020.  BOOKINGS CLOSE:  11 May 2020 at 11.59pm AEST.
LATE booking deadline: 18 May 2020 at 11:59pm AEST. 

Please refer to these Booking Instructions for the information requested in the booking process and to assist you with booking your test.

After registering your account you will receive an email confirming your account has been created.  The email will also contain the username you created. You can then login to your Pearson VUE account to book your test.  The test fee is payable at the time of booking by a major credit card (Visa, Mastercard or Visa debit card). 

No further bookings will be accepted after the late booking deadline 18 May (as above) under any circumstances, and no correspondence will be entered into regarding these matters.  Late bookings incur an additional late fee of $AUD75.

UCAT ANZ is delivered in Pearson VUE test centres in Australia and New Zealand.  Some overseas test centres are available and additional overseas test locations can be requested.  See Test Centre Locations for the test centre locations and deadlines to request an additional overseas test location.

If you need to change your appointment please see our information on rescheduling and cancelling. 

University Early Entry Programs - Summary

I've included a link to a summary of Early Entry Programs from NSW universities.  Hope this helps you to have a quick reference and guide for your chosen university.

Ms Karen McConnochie
Careers Adviser

mcconnochiek@stvincents.nsw.edu.au

Ms Karen McConnochie is replacing Ms Helen Marshall in the Careers office this term (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) while she is on long service leave.  Please see the Careers article in Bulletin issue 12 - 01 May 2020, for further details.

Co-ordinator of Sport:  Ms Jacinta Jacobs:  0418 416 663 / jacobsj@stvincents.nsw.edu.au
Athletics and Fitness:  Ms Natasha Stenberg:  0412 099 882. 

Website details:   www.stvincents.nsw.edu.au/learning/sport 

We are really looking forward to welcoming students back gradually over the next few weeks.  Year 12 will be back next week and will be able to finally engage in some physical activity with their friends, using social distancing and hygienic guidelines.  Please bring a tennis racquet if you would like to have a hit at lunchtime or your sport gear if you would like to do a fitness circuit with Ms Jacobs at lunchtime or a run after school on Monday or Wednesday. Whilst we cannot play any contact games just yet, it will be nice to have a run around and chat with your friends and to see your smiling faces.

For the younger Year groups still at home, make sure you are keeping up with some regular exercise and following your PE lessons.  Try and get your whole family involved and keep each other motivated.  Some students may be struggling mentally with the uncertainty of returning to competitive sport and there are many things we can all do to help each other cope during this difficult time.  IGSSA in conjunction with Headspace ran an online course this week to help Heads of Sport understand the needs of athletes/students and how we as teachers and parents can help them cope during this uncertain period.  Some of the valuable points are highlighted here:

• Be a positive role model:  No matter how young or old your children are, they will likely look up to you to determine how to respond under these circumstances.  This is an opportunity to show them how to productively express emotions while managing stress and uncertainty.  Show them resilience, rather than panic and despair.  Help your children keep the pandemic in perspective instead of fueling any negative emotions over sport-specific decisions and updates.  Be open and available to talk to, listen and support your children.  Be “all in” during these moments to help them feel valued and heard.  By exercising with your child and helping them stay active during this time it is also a great way for you to bond.
• Encourage self-care, creativity, and meaning-making:  Check with your children about where they need dedicated support from you (ie with schoolwork, goal setting, keeping active).  Outside of distance learning and perhaps some training guidance from their club coaches, they are likely have a lot of extra time on their hands; it’s important to help them find productive, positive, meaningful ways to spend that time, rather than logging hours and hours of screen time.  You could help brainstorm alternative ways to engage in hobbies or activities, provide suggestions for self-care or offer to help them stay active by playing games, throwing a ball in the yard or working on dribbling skills in the driveway for example.  Staying busy helps them to avoid focusing all of their attention on negative ramifications of the pandemic such as event cancellations, school closures and social isolation.  Not being able to compete could be a potential identity crisis for some athletes.  While it is important to let your children process such feelings if this is what they are experiencing, helping them find ways to be productive and take care of themselves physically and mentally can help ease the pain and confusion they might be feeling.  Encourage them to learn some form of meditation or deep breathing exercises.  Practice mindfulness meditation:  Headspace and Smiling Mind have great free APPS available to start a mindfulness meditation program.  As you increase your ability to be mindful, you increase your ability to let go of stress and anxiety.  Or Practice 456 mindful breathing:  It’s a super simple way to destress and shift your focus.  Do this for four rounds; breathe in for five counts and breathe out for six counts while slowly lowering your shoulders (as if a heavy jacket was falling off your shoulders).

• Take care of yourself too:  Establish your own self-care routine so that you are able to effectively manage stress and regulate your emotions while supporting your family.  Virtually stay in touch with other parents, particularly ones who have children with similar ages and/or parents from your kids’ teams, to support each other, normalize your feelings and problem solve.
• Reach out for help if needed:  If your child is struggling and would benefit from additional support, look to your local community for resource recommendations.  Ms Sophia De Prendegast, the College Counsellor, is always available for help.

In this time of uncertainty, focus on what you can control even when it feels as if there is little you can control.  Utilize your networks and these tips to take it one day at a time.  As we keep moving forward, remember that kindness is always free and we will get through this by supporting each other.  “Always be kind, for everyone is fighting a hard battle" - Plato

TERM 3 SPORT

Hopefully, the registrations for Term 3 Sport can be ready to open online next week.  We are just waiting to hear from IGSSA after the government announcements today.  In addition to IGSSA netball and IGSSA hockey which are played at all venues across Sydney, we are hoping to enter a few teams in a local Five-A-Side soccer competition being run at Moore Park Synthetic Field by Ascham.  This will be a fun competition which will be good for the soccer girls to participate in between the outdoor competition and futsal.  If you are interested, please see the College website for more details.  These registrations will need to close at 3.00pm on Friday 22 May.  

SPORTS STARS

Please keep the Sport staff informed of any good sporting results held outside of the College.  Information and photos can be emailed to   jacobsj@stvincents.nsw.edu.au

Congratulations to Georgie O’Donnell, Year 11, Alyrah Harriott, Year 7, and Olivia O’Brien, Year 8, who helped Ms Jacobs warm up the tennis courts this week to get them ready for the Year 12 students returning next week.

Ms Jacinta Jacobs
Co-ordinator of Sport

Mother’s Day Virtual Classic - Sunday 10 May 

The Mother’s Day Classic Virtual 2020 is all about having fun, getting active and helping raise funds for vital breast cancer research.  My kids and I have entered as a group in the schools section.  We would love you and your family to join us.  

Please register as "Vinnies2020" - we really need more participant numbers.  You can participate in a 4km or 8km run/walk anytime, anywhere, at home, in the backyard, in a park, along the beach...anywhere in Australia.

Registration is via the following link https://mdc.mothersdayclassic.com.au/register-app.php

Registration is $25.  You can participate in the event on or before Mother's Day.  The $25 registration provides access to the MDC portal, where you’ll find fitness videos, yoga and pilates classes, tips and tutorials.  There’s also an interactive kids zone, sponsor giveaways and competitions. 

Please join us and remember to add yourself and your family to the ' Vinnies2020’ team.  Just search for Vinnies2020 when you are asked if you want to join a team.  Send me your times once done and any pics, as I’d love to put you in the next Bulletin.  

Ms Jacinta Jacobs
Sports Co-Ordinator

Below:  Stella Holt from Year 12, with her Mother, Clare

AISNSW (Association of Independent Schools) Resource

https://www.aisnsw.edu.au/learning-from-home/wellbeing#parents.

Greater Good Science Centre: COVID-19 parent wellbeing resources and activities

The Office of eSafety:  COVID-19: an online safety kit for parents and carers

Keeping children educated and entertained during COVID-19 crisis…It’s easy as ABC

http://about.abc.net.au/press-releases/keeping-children-educated-and-entertained-during-covid-19-crisis-its-easy-as-abc/

Mindspot

https://mindspot.org.au/assets/pdf/10_Tips_for_Coping_with_Infectious_Diseases.pdf

Beyond Blue

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/looking-after-your-mental-health-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak

Headspace

https://headspace.org.au/young-people/how-to-cope-with-stress-related-to-covid-19/

ReachOut Parent discussion forum

https://forums.parents.au.reachout.com/

ReachOut Youth discussion forums

https://forums.au.reachout.com/

ReachOut.com One-on-One Support 

The Brave Program

https://www.brave-online.com/beating-stress-and-worries-about-coronavirus-covid-19/

FACE COVID ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)

If you or anyone you know needs help:

●      Lifeline on 13 11 14

●      beyondblue on 1300 224 636

●      MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978

●      Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467

●      Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800

●      Headspace on 1800 650 890

●      QLife on 1800 184 527.

Government Agencies:

NSW Department of Health

https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/alerts/Pages/coronavirus-faqs.aspx

NSW Department of Education

https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/school-safety/novel-coronavirus.html

National Coronavirus Health Information Line 1800 020 080 - operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

The next meeting and AGM for the St Vincent’s College Parents and Friends’ Association will be on Wednesday 27 May 2020 at 6.30pm.

The meeting will be held via Zoom.  If you would like to attend, please register your details here.  The Zoom meeting ID and Password will be sent to you on the morning of 27 May.

Jane Palin
Community and Alumnae Relations Manager

To further support our strong community and fellowship, St Vincent’s College is establishing a Community Business Register for our families and alumnae.

We understand that the constantly changing situation with COVID-19 has impacted businesses across our community, therefore, if you would like to profile your business to the SVC community you can now join our Business Register by completing our online SVC Community Business Register Form

We look forward to supporting your business and your family.

Jane Palin
Community and Alumnae Relations Manager

Hi to all the Vinnies' girls, and this week especially, your Mothers and the other significant women in your lives who are included by each of you in your family Mother’s Day festivities.

The Dads of The Fathering Project at SVC wanted to shout out to all of you this week, as we note the regrettable absence this year of the huge (over 500 attendees) Mother Daughter Dinner; an annual date in the College calendar that celebrates the profound nature of the nurturing of the next generation of Courageous Women of Action by the current holders of that baton - including your Mothers.

For the Mothers and Year 7 girls who haven’t yet attended one of these gala nights, with a mother or special person alongside you, we are sorry that experiencing one of these terrific events will have to wait until later in the year or perhaps next year.

Wishing you all the best in whatever way you will celebrate...

Don, Mal, Nav, Peter and Alan (along with all the other Dads who attend and support The Fathering Project)