Bulletin

REMINDERS AND UPCOMING EVENTS:

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 Friday 14 June - SOLD OUT!  Last performance - Year 11 Play "Staffroom:  The Musical".  
(a photo is shown above)

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Tuesday 18 June 6.30pm in Bethania - P&F Meeting and AGM   (see the P&F article in this issue)

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Thursday 20 June - St Vincent's Day

Thursday 20 June 2.00pm - Liturgy and Blessing of the Front Gates.

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Friday to Sunday:  21-23 June - Boarders' IN Weekend

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Monday 24 June 3.30pm-7.30pm - Year 11 Parent Teacher Interviews

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Friday 28 June - Last day of classes Term 2

Friday 28 June - Boarders' Travel Day (For Boarders' who travel on buses, trains, planes only. 
                   Boarders' based in Sydney are required to be at school that day).

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Saturday 29 June to Friday 05 July - College Ski Trip to Perisher

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Monday 22 July 4.00pm - Boarding House Opens

Monday 22 July 3.30pm-7.30pm - Year 8 Parent Teacher Evening (with Year 9/2020 Subject Selections)
                                               and Years 7-10 Boarders' Interviews.

Tuesday 23 July - Classes for Term 3 begin.

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INFORMATION:

Rockwall Crescent Pedestrian Gate:  Now open after renovations.

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SVC UNIFORM SHOP  (see flyer with Term 3 and winter school holidays notice in this issue)

Orders Now Online  

Monday  8.00am-2.00pm  /  Wednesday 12.00pm-5.00pm  /  Friday 8.00am-2.00pm           

Phone:  02 9161 7979  Email:  SVC@noone.com.au  

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Dear Parents and Carers

Congratulations to all involved in the Year 11 Play "The Staffroom".  Normally I would be encouraging you to consider buying tickets, but I understand that all three shows are a sell-out! This is a great achievement given all roles on, front and back of stage, are filled by students.  I know Ms Johnson has been "mentor and critical friend" during the rehearsals, but essentially this is student work.  It is a gentle satire of a school staffroom and many of our teachers have seen or heard echos of themselves in the very clever script.

I would like to introduce to the College community the new Chair of the College Board.  Mrs Mary Dwyer has replaced Ms Kate Clancy, who retired from the position last week.  Chairing the College Board of an independent school comes with significant responsibilities, and I thank Ms Clancy for her service to the College and warmly welcome Mrs Dwyer.  Mrs Dwyer has had a life-long commitment to ongoing learning as a medical specialist, lives in the neighbourhood, has familiarity with the mission and values of Mary Aikenhead Ministries and is looking forward to becoming involved in the St Vincent's College community.  I am sure I will learn a great deal under her wise counsel.  She and I will this weekend attend a Mission, Vision, Values and Guiding Principles seminar, for those involved in governance and leadership across health and education under the stewardship of Mary Aikenhead Ministries.

The girls are starting to look toward their break and the respite from routine.  There is still however, much valuable learning time left this term and I encourage everyone to keep to the basics - good sleep, good nutrition, punctuality and attendance maintained, compliance with uniform and behavioural expectations.  Keeping the routine the same will help enforce the good learning culture we need right through until the end of term.

Next Thursday we will celebrate St Vincent's Day with experiences designed to tell the College and House stories.  The activities have been designed to be accessible for all; valuable life skills and most importantly, engaging and fun.  It is a compulsory school day and I ask for the support of all families in ensuring this is one of the most memorable days of 2019!

Yours sincerely

Mrs Anne Fry
Principal

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

Amity Carr (Year 9) - Grandmother.

On Sunday, the Plenary Council launched the six themes that will form the basis of continued dialogue as the Australian Church moves towards the Plenary Council in 2020.  These themes have been distilled from 111 sub-themes, and are inviting us to consider how God is calling us to be a Christ-centred Church in Australia that is:

1. Missionary and Evangelising
2. Inclusive, participatory and synodal
3. Prayerful and eucharastic
4. Humble, healing and merciful
5. A joyful, hope-filled and servant community
6. Open to conversion, renewal and reform.

I am proud to say that St Vincent’s was part of the 220,000 people who contributed their thoughts, reflections and hopes for the first stage of the Plenary Council.  It is our responsibility now to continue to engage and to speak from the heart about what it means to minister to the margins of our society.  The Council also asks us to listen:  To those who think differently to us; to those who have been hurt and to those who have yet to speak.  The commitment our students, staff and parents to be people of action (as shown through our commitment to social justice) and people who listen (through our Reflection and discernment practices), augurs well for a continued involvement and commitment to an authentic synodal Church.

This week I attended the Jesuit Parish Ministries Conference in Melbourne, where I was able to share our experiences of being a College who is connected to a Jesuit parish and our hopes for being a community that is Catholic in worldview and Ignatian in spirit.

Throughout the conference I was delighted during a session on Communication, to unpack the concept of Cura personalis.  Within the context of a parish, this Latin term which we use at the College to describe what we do in pastoral care means:  The genuine care for the person; a customized approach; meeting people as you find them for our communities are not homogenized.  This captured so much of who we are as a College community and as a community of faith.  We are not all the same and yet we all yearn for and search for the meaning of life.

In our Year 9 Religious Studies classes we have begun the last topic of the term, an exploration of the early Church in Australia.  The students have delighted in exploring the tenacious women and men of the early Church who sustained their faith against all odds.  Some students have started to explore the trusting partnerships that were formed with our First Nations peoples, so beautifully displayed in the artwork commissioned by the Sisters for the opening of the Heritage Centre at 1 Rockwall Crescent (and which the students look at in awe as they wait for parents to collect them after training).  Others students are wrapping their heads around what it means to keep a faith alive without priests.  Chloe Ellis writes:

In 1788, those on the First Fleet were mainly Irish and British convicts who had been sent here by the English.  By 1803, there were a total of 2,086 Irish convicts who had been transported to Botany Bay and most of those convicts were catholic.  One-tenth of all convicts transported to Australia were Catholic and half of these were born in Ireland, whilst there were a mix of others who were English-born but of Irish extraction.  Many courageously kept their faith alive despite the fact that for most of the next thirty years or so, priests were not really available to provide them with the sacraments they asked for.

Perhaps now is the time for us to look at how we can be a more resilient Church, one that does not rely on the priests to minister and lead, rather one that is synodal, inclusive and hope-filled.  I look forward to walking and working with you as we enter the next phase of the Plenary Council. 

Ms Rachel McLean
Director of Faith and Mission

Below:  Aboriginal artwork by Lisa Buxton and Julianne Manson commissioned by the Sisters of Charity for the newly opened Heritage Centre

This year, St Vincent’s College is celebrating 135 years as a Boarding School.  Here was my salute to Boarders' on the day:

As a Maths teacher, I am a fan of statistics.  In my tenure as Director of Boarding for only 4 out of 135 years, this represents a mere 3% of Boarding at the College.  Last year, 25% of the total class of 2018 cohort were Boarders (and some are here today to celebrate).  This percentage might not be lots compared to when you were a Boarder, but it’s a big deal.  Boarders currently make up 10% of the school population which puts us on track to continue the great legacy of Boarding at St Vincent’s.  Here’s some Maths for you, in what makes a Boarder:

30% patience, 20% resilience, 15% courage (could be more depending on the meal plan when you were a Boarder!), 25% teamwork, 10% communication, 30% humour and 80% love for yourself, your family and your community.  Now, I did say I was a Maths teacher, and yes, this adds up to more than 100% but that’s because you need to give more than 100% to be a Boarder.

Here's to all of you - Boarders and families - who have given more than 100% to Boarding at St Vincent’s College. (see photos of the Long Lunch afternoon below)

On Saturday 1 June, eleven Boarders and I attended the GWS Giants vs Gold Coast Suns AFL game at Spotless Stadium.  For half of the group it was their first ever AFL game.  Thank you to Ms Linda McCabe who was able to organise these tickets for us.

We have heard such great family and friends stories from the long weekend, and it is always a nice break in the middle of the term to spend with your daughters.  Just a reminder that the weekend of 21-23 June is an IN Weekend, and then Boarders’ Travel Day is on 28 June for those on buses, trains and planes.  All Boarders' based in Sydney are required to be at school on this day.

Yours in Boarding

Ms Maryanne O'Donoghue
Director of Boarding

2019 ATAR Release

ATAR's will be released at 1.00pm on Tuesday 17 December 2019, the same day as the HSC results.

This is a sensible change as it will allow students more time to finalise their preferences for December Round 2, the deadline for which is midnight on Thursday 19 December 2019.

Study in the USA

PSAT Exam Registration

Years 10 and 11 students who are considering USA college (university) applications, have been invited to sit the 2019 PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test). This test, held once a year, is an opportunity for Years 10 and 11 students to practise the SAT under exam conditions.  The test results will provide valuable feedback on their strengths and weaknesses.  The date is set by the US College Board and this year it will take place on Saturday 19 October from 8.30am-12.30pm at Ascham School.

Registration is essential and closes at 5.00pm on Monday 12 August 2019 or when capacity is reached:  https://www.trybooking.com/BCKYC

Please direct your inquiries to:  Mr Ludo Onstein, PSAT Coordinator:  lonstein@ascham.nsw.edu.au

UNIVERSITY NEWS

UNSW

LAT Test ( Law Admission Test)

The LAT will be held on 3 October in 2019.  LAT applications have opened and more information about the test can be found via the ACER website.  Please note that Year 11 students may also sit for the LAT, as the LAT results are valid for two years.

The Law Admission Test (LAT) is a selection test developed to assess the types of aptitudes and skills that are critical to success in undergraduate level law program at UNSW Sydney (only).

Visit the LAT website for further information.

Western Sydney University

Western Sydney University is running campus tours on the first Friday of each month for prospective students, their family and the general public.  Each month provides a new opportunity to explore a different campus.  For more information please visit:  https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/future/student-life/events/campus-tours.html

ACU Parent Information Night

Parents are invited to join ACU staff and students to learn more about Early Entry and the UAC application process.  This event will be held at ACU’s Strathfield campus on Thursday 25 July from 6.00pm-7.30pm and at ACU’s North Sydney campus on Thursday 8 August, 6.00pm-7.30pm.

Winter Break Events and Opportunities

AFTRS (Australian Film, Television and Radio School) Workshops

AFTRS Teens Workshops for high school students are the perfect way to develop skills and meet other aspiring creatives. AFTRS' holiday workshops are taught by industry professionals using industry standard equipment and, where appropriate, are held in AFTRS’ state-of-the-art film, TV and radio. Find out more https://www.aftrs.edu.au/courses/

Experience It! University of Wollongong

For girls in Years 7-10 on 5 July.  Monique Alfris, co-founder, Pollinate Energy, will open this conference for female students who love Maths and Science.  She provides safe light to millions of homes.  You can make a difference too - learn skills and have fun.  NO registration fee! Bursaries assisting travel and accommodation / parent sessions as well.  Contact: nswregistration@engineersaustralia.org.au  or call 9410 5652.

Ms Helen Marshall
Careers Adviser

Co-ordinator of Sport: Ms Jacinta Jacobs: 0418 416 663 / jacobsj@stvincents.nsw.edu.au

Ms Vanessa Brown:    0412 979 599 - Football
Ms Jacinta Jacobs:      0418 416 663 - Athletics/Cross Country
Ms Kat McGrath:        0411 697 195 - Netball
Ms Laura Wiggins:     0418 329 929 - Hockey
Ms Molly MacQueen:   0448 882 121 - Basketball.

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

For all draw and venue information visit this website. 

IGSSA Athletics - Homebush Athletics Stadium - 28/29 August

The College team will compete in two lead up twilight meets at Homebush on Friday 9 and 16 August. The College Athletics team will be finalised after these two meets, with one girl permitted to compete in each event at the IGSSA Carnival at Homebush on 28/29 August, next term.

Fitness sessions on Mondays will now be at Rushcutters Bay and Wednesdays are at E S Marks, and all girls selected in the squad are to attend as many of these sessions as they can.  The College bus will leave Rockwall Crescent at 3.15pm and will return at 5.30pm, or girls can be collected from the track.  If the athlete is training outside of school with a private coach she must let Ms Jacobs know.  All athletes are encouraged to continue their training over the holidays, so please speak to Tash to get a program or join her squad.

TERM 2 NETBALL

Congratulations to all players this week as you all displayed great spirit as you helped teams with low numbers, motivated others and remained happy.  Due to wet weather, the season has been extended until Wednesday 26 June.  Please ensure you will be available for finals and play-offs on this date. 

Ms Kat McGrath
Head Netball Coach

Above:  St Cath's juniors              Below:  St Cath's netball

SPORT STARS

Congratulations to Lani Bresnahan (Year 10) and Demi Bresnahan (Year 8) who represented the Southern City team in the City v Country Oztag tournament at the Central Coast on the long weekend.  Lani’s team, the under 16 girls, won the tournament 3-2 in the Grand Final.  Demi’s team, under 14 girls, played really well and were unlucky to miss the finals.  Congratulations also to Olivia Rowland (Year 9) who was in this team as well.  Well done girls!

Below:   Demi and Lani - Oztag

Congratulations to Nina Hillier (Year 9) and Aisha Marten-Coney (Year 9) who both play representative basketball for the Sydney Comets U16's.  Over the long weekend they competed in the Nunawading Spectres tournament in Melbourne, and won their division.

Below:  Nina and Aisha

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

Ms Jacinta Jacobs
Co-Ordinator of Sport

Are you willing and able to help us to help our Year 12 HSC students?

In the Diverse Learning Department we have a number of Year 12 students requiring Disability Provisions for their HSC examinations in October/November 2019.  HSC examination provisions are granted by NESA after a complex application process.

We are seeking a number of volunteers to assist as readers and/or scribes for the HSC examinations.  Volunteers would need to have a Working With Children Check, and cannot be the parent of a Year 12/2019 HSC student.

Our students really appreciate having an adult rather than a fellow student as their reader/scribe.  If you, or anyone you know, would be willing to help us in this endeavour, please contact Ms Alanna Rose rosea@stvincents.nsw.edu.au

Ms Alanna Rose
Learning Support Coordinator

SVC Dads,

A reminder about the Father Daughter Sleep-out coming up for this year.

What:  Father Daughter Sleep-out and Charity Fund Raising event

When:  Night of Saturday 03 August 2019  (approximate times:  6:30pm Saturday to 7:30am Sunday)

Where:  At the College

Who:  SVC fathers, mentors or male role models and their daughters or those they care for or support at SVC.

We had about 100 fathers and daughters participate last year in what was a great night and raised over $1,200 for Charity.  We are hoping to double that this year and we are planning to make it even better.  So capture the date in your diary (and your daughter's) and stand by for more information in upcoming Bulletins.

For those who might like to support the organisation of the event, please contact:

Jane Palin - palinj@stvincents.nsw.edu.au  or Mal Wise (Ella, Year 9) afewporkchops@icloud.com

CLICK AND COLLECT

SVC Uniform Shop - NOW ONLINE

A fast and convenient way to shop for your St Vincent’s College College uniform online.  

Shop online - collect next trading day.

Online store link:  https://www.noone.com.au/school/st-vincents-college/shop

HOW IT WORKS:

Discover click and collect, the convenient and quick way to shop from Noone Shop Online.  Place your order and your order will be ready to collect on the next trading day.  We’ll get everything ready for you, so all you need to do is come in store to collect your order, or, home delivery is also available for your convenience.

1. Shop Online

Type the school link into your browser:  https://www.noone.com.au/school/st-vincents-college .  

Sign up to create your own account and then log in to commence shopping.  Add the items to your cart that you would like to purchase via Click and Collect.

2.  Choose Click and Collect Options

Choose Click and Collect options or choose Australia Post option for home delivery.  Click and Collect next trading day from the on-campus shop, or via Australia Post - 5-10 working days for delivery.

Our retail staff are available to assist you with your uniform requirements at the location listed below:

On campus trading hours (during terms):

Monday     8.00am-2.00pm
Wednesday   12.00pm-5.00pm
Friday   8.00am-2.00pm

Phone:     02 8324 6622
Email:      SVC@noone.com.au  

(Our Book Reviewer, Ms Suzanne O'Connor, is now living in Timor Leste working in a volunteer capacity with the Loreto Sisters).

THE JOYS AND SORROWS OF KINDLE READING 

Before I left Australia in January, I ordered about thirty books from Amazon.com.au for the Kindle on my laptop.  All the orders came from a notebook in which I write the titles of potentially interesting books.  I agree:  I am a tragic book nerd.  One that especially excited me was The House of Hidden Mothers by Meera Syal.  I had loved her acting in such sitcoms as The Kumars at No. 45 in which she played the embarrassing granny, as well as her first novel, Anita and Me, a semi-autobiographical book about the Punjabi refugee experience.  The newer novel was about the flourishing surrogate industry in India.  Before laws were passed regulating it, anyone desperate for a child could travel to India and arrange for a poor woman to carry a child for nine months, then hand over the new born and the woman would be paid a pathetically small amount of money.  How could this possibly harm any of the parties?

Syal tells the story of an Indian woman living in London with her eighteen year old daughter.  The woman has a new, younger partner and they want to have a child but she is found to be biologically unable to achieve this dream.  In different chapters, we meet a young Indian woman from a village.  Another woman in the same village has returned with great wealth, enough to rebuild the family home and furnish it with unheard-of luxuries such as a refrigerator.  Eventually, it is revealed that the suddenly wealthy woman had been paid to be a surrogate mother.

If the plot had traced the lives of these two women, I think the story would have been gripping.  However, Syal is aware of the myriad of challenges facing India in the modern world, so that she includes other plot strands, such as the corruption of the Indian legal system which frequently destroys the plans of older Indians who want to retire to their home country after decades of grinding labour in wealthier places.  As well, she presents us with the stress of surviving sexual assault in the apparently more enlightened city of London.  Basically, although these are all important issues, there seems far too much going on for us to be able to consider any one of these issues in any depth.

I think I clicked Jeff Zentner’s first novel The Serpent King almost absent-mindedly, because I assumed it was a Game of Thrones kind of book - and I don’t do GoT - how wrong I was!  This excellent novel is set in the small town of Forrestville.  The name is not a spelling mistake, despite Spellcheck insisting it is.  Mr Forrest began the Ku Klux Klan and he is remembered by this town.

Three senior students are outsiders who have created a wonderfully supportive friendship against the hideous bullies, both verbal and physical. Amongst their peers Dillard’s father was a fundamentalist preacher before he was imprisoned for possession of child pornography.  Travis is a gentle giant whose older brother died in Afghanistan, and whose father regards Travis with deep suspicion and violence because he dislikes football.  Lydia is fortunate to have two almost too perfect parents, but she refuses to be a 'plastic' cheerleader and is regarded as peculiar because she wants to leave town to go to university.  There were parts of this novel that were so distressing that I had to stop reading and go to talk to the gecko-type creature called a tokee that lives in my bedroom and slays cockroaches and mosquitoes.

Zentner is a musician, but he is also a clearly talented writer and observer of his country’s norms and attitudes.  I think this would be an excellent novel for senior students who are learning to reflect on their own culture and wonder about our attitudes.  It is a book that will require a large packet of tissues before the conclusion is reached, but then reality often does require such equipment.

Hello, I hope everyone one is travelling well through Term 2.  Not long now and holidays will be here again!  

As we have advertised previously our P&F AGM (Annual General Meeting) is fast approaching, as is the Spring Fair.  There will be some changes to the P&F Executive this year and most positions have nominations pending.  We are still however looking for someone to take on the role of Secretary, so if that sounds like you please don't be shy!

We will be holding our Term 2 meeting prior to the AGM, as discussions will begin for Spring Fair Planning.  If you have any ideas for stalls and would like to help out or give feedback on last year's Fair, we would love to hear from you.

I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday 18 June at 6.30pm in Bethania.

For those who cannot attend in person we will send out a dial-in code on the day of the meeting.

if you have any questions, concerns or ideas and would like to contact me directly, please do so on 0400 583 677 or email kgray_kudoss@hotmail.com

Katherine Aitken
President P&F Association