Bulletin

This week, History teacher Ms Geracitano set Year 7 students a Viking bread making activity.  The recipe and step by step instructions are included later in this issue (in 'Student Activities') - why not also give it a try?!

Thursday 26 August:  Screen Reduced Day.

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On Thursday 26 August (Google Classroom learning days), all students need to join their usual timetabled Period 2 Google Meet at the start of the lesson (9:45am) to have their attendance recorded for the day.

Dear Parents and Carers

I was gently amused this week by the incongruity of a recipe for Viking Bread being shared over the very 21st Century technology underpinning our Foxford Program.  The Year 7 History classes studying the Vikings took it all in their stride and the photos of the finished product and recipe are included in the newsletter.  It is hard to imagine what the Vikings would make of the current lives we are living in the midst of COVID!  To be honest I am not so sure myself!

The HSC students have concluded their online assessments and to the great credit of themselves and their teachers, the feedback has been that the assessments were rigorous and authentic.  The Year 11 class will enter their final Preliminary assessment block this week and I hope the positive feedback from the Year 12 students will provide the confidence they need to embrace the challenges inherent in this new methodology.  We wish both these classes well as they navigate the demands of the HSC in such uncertain times.

Today’s press conference confirmed the inevitable news that the lockdown of Sydney will continue until the end of September.  It is the scenario we had been anticipating and planning for, but it still comes with the realisation that for all of Term 3 the College will be closed.  It is a great loss to our Year 12 students who will have to postpone the celebration of their graduation to November.  This worked very successfully last year and we will all very much be looking forward to celebrating with the Class of 2021.  The College Leadership Team will now look at the remaining weeks of the term to see how we best respond to the academic and pastoral needs of all our students.  We had already announced that Thursday 26 August was to be our screen reduced day for Week 7.

This week COVID became a reality for one of our Year 8 students and her family.  We extend our very best wishes to this family.  While it has occurred whilst we are all separated from each other, hearing the news first hand from one of our Mothers (positive herself) caring for her husband (hospitalised) and two of her three children (positive) made it seem very close and real.  I pray for their speedy recovery and for all those in our community directly or indirectly impacted by this ongoing pandemic.

Stay safe and well, 

Yours sincerely

Anne Fry
Principal 

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

Ashley Lai (Year 10) - beloved Grandmother. 

May she rest in peace.

At the end of last month, I commended the leadership of our senior students. This week I have been reading much that is articulating the needs of leadership in response to our current climate.  The focus on the heart is what is drawing my attention.  As an Alumni of UNSW, I am looking forward to a course next week entitled - Leading with heart.  It has a wonderful line-up of cognitive psychologists, social scientists and business managers who shine in optimal performance.  I think the learning will be of interest, but my inspiration is in the appreciation of the impact where I see such leadership in action.  I am enormously grateful for the leadership I witness within our school community.  From the role of Principal to the class teacher collaborating for the good of the students, colleagues and families - holding the people of our community at the core of what we do.

This week I have been privileged once more to listen to the thoughts of our Year 12 student leaders initiate ideas for their cohort to reconnect and renew as they ready themselves for the remaining weeks of school.  Holly and Lily have sent communication this afternoon detailing the activities for next week that enable a gentle transition investing in their wellbeing and opportunity for reflection and connection.  The students will also have opportunity to give voice to their rituals and celebrations.  This graduating Class of 2021 is demonstrating the adaptability, innovation and positivity needed for their lives now and for their future - they are true leaders from the heart.  Our Year 11 students are stepping up into this space joyfully.  It has been wonderful to hear those students who have engaged in interviews for leadership in 2022 reflect on the process itself and realise the growth they have made and the affirmation of their potential as confident and capable young women.  We are thankful for them.

Students in Years 7-11 have this afternoon received communication inviting them to consider their generosity of spirit and varying gifts that could contribute to the leadership of the school community in 2021-2022.  We have been greatly inspired by our 2021 student leaders (and those who have preceded them) and see that we have enormous capacity that continues to nurture and grow the St Vincent's College community as we look to 2022 as our Year of Hope.  Please engage in conversation with your daughter as she considers her particular strengths and hopes for the College to discern her interest in nominating for particular positions as a member of the Student Leadership Team.  Nominations must be submitted by Tuesday 31 August.  I truly believe that our Vinnies girls, with or without a badge, seek ways to be inclusive and generate initiatives to develop the heart and mind to be the cognitive psychologists, social scientists and business managers who will continue to lead for the good of people.

Mrs Elizabeth Brooks
Deputy Principal

Last article I wrote, I shared my favourite Dr Suess quotes with our graduating class - the Class of 2021, as a means to offer them some inspiration to look inward and find the courage, determination and resilience required to approach their final school-based online assessments.  I find myself now observing the successful completion of this online assessment block, through a new lens.  It is now the students who offer me much inspiration and to whom I offer my deepest acknowledgement of a job well done!  They have much to be proud of.  They sat their online assessments having been excellently prepared by their teachers and themselves.  They managed the odd disruption of their barking dog, the yelp from a younger sibling or the chirping bird outside their window - that was just that little bit too chirpy!  Their stamina, resilience and good humour prevailed and the resilience they have forged as they finalise their HSC learning through a pandemic, will hold them in good stead to toss back any curve-ball life throws at them.

To conclude my Dr Suess analogy to the Class of 2021:

Congratulations!

You're off to Great Places!

You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself

any direction you choose.

It's an opener there

in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen

and frequently do

to people as brainy

and footsy as you.

And then things start to happen,

don't worry. Don't stew.

Just go right along.

You'll start happening too.

OH!

THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!

You'll be seeing great sights!

You'll join the high fliers

who soar to high heights.

And will you succeed?

Yes! You will, indeed!

(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID(S), YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

Your mountain is waiting.

So...get on your way!

For our Year 11 cohort, their time to move mountains is fast approaching too, as they commence their final course assessment activities next week.  These activities will be conducted in the identical online assessment model we have successfully completed for Year 12 and the Year 11 Mathematics Accelerants.  I offer my sincere appreciation to the Heads of Department and the Diverse Learning Team for their creativity and collaboration in the design and invigilation of these online assessments.  To the Year 11 cohort, I offer them the very best of luck and remind them that they indeed know far more than they may think they may.  This is an exciting time for Year 11 as this final assessment period will demonstrate much growth in their course outcomes and illuminate any deficit areas needing attention before the official commencement of their HSC academic program from Term 4.

I hope that our refinement to the Foxford Program, particularly the weekly screen-reduced days, are proving to bring some more balance to the students’ remote learning.  I remind parents of the importance of ensuring that your daughters take time out each day for some physical activity, a sit in the garden and that all-important dose of vitamin D to brighten their wellbeing.  As always, do keep us informed of how your daughter is travelling as the extended lockdown unfolds.  We are all in this together and both the pastoral and academic teams are here to support our students to continue to flourish in their continuum of learning.  I do hope that this weekend the forecast blast of springtime temperatures brings families together in the sunshine for a walk or a meal in the backyard.  Personally, I will enjoy some pre-springtime gardening in between the stack of marking that awaits me after a good sleep in!  I wish all of us a weekend where we look for the signs of hope in the garden that spring is indeed on its way.  Through that lens of hope, let’s share the sentiment - that all will be well.  Have a ‘sunny’ weekend.

Mrs Jasmin Mano
Director of Teaching and Learning

#Daily4 - Science of Wellbeing

We have taken the good opportunity this ‘Science Week’ to launch some simple evidence-based interventions that our students can infuse into their every-day.  I am grateful to the Pastoral Team and especially to Ms Sophia De Prendegast and Mr David Woolbank, for their assistance in creating for our students a user-friendly virtual flyer (see below).  As we continue our time together virtually, we encourage our students to engage in practices that are designed to elevate and sustain their wellbeing and learning capacities.  We would be delighted if you were able to incorporate these as possible at home...the ‘three blessings’intervention is a great starter for family dinner conversation and encourages us to continue to look for the good…

Cura Personalis

The wellbeing program ‘Cura Personalis’, offers our students and teachers regular sessions designed to experience wellbeing.  With our continued virtual context and responding to the ‘pastoral’ needs of the community, this past week we again drew inspiration from Associate Professor Lea Waters’ series, which responds to life in ‘lockdown’.  In addition, this approach was complemented by Andy Puddicombe’s good work around accessible guided meditation through Headspace.  Our session this week was crafted to ‘intentionally cultivate a sense of mindfulness and continue to support students with tools for managing wellbeing.  See the session introductory clip from Assoc. Professor Waters’ series for the ‘Guardian’ here.

Generosity of Spirit

Earlier in the term the College launched a strengths spotting exercise for our students:

‘We are calling all our girls to action...each of you is encouraged to nominate a parent/carer/sibling from home, whom you believe has inspired you with their expression of ‘Generosity of Spirit’...a deserving member of our community will be selected and will have the pleasure to choose from an online voucher, or donation to a charity of choice.’

Please see below the small snapshot of the beautiful nominations we received...of course we cannot include all of the nominations, but a selection here that exemplifies the efforts and guidance of all of our parents and carers.  The partnership and support within the ‘Vinnies’ community as we continue our virtual experience is a remarkable testament to our school values and traditions...we are so grateful to all of our parents and carers for everything you are juggling at this time.

PESA

As part of our ongoing ‘Wellbeing’ focus at St Vincent’s College, we are thrilled as a College to have been successfully approved as a member PESA (Positive Education Schools Association).  PESA is ‘Australia’s positive education peak association...members share an interest in an evidence-based approach to wellbeing, and a commitment to supporting our young people and the wider community to flourish’.  We are grateful to the good work of all of our teachers, students and the broader community and are very enthused about our membership.

By savouring the moments of good, committing to being mindful and present, highlighting acts of character and practising optimism and gratitude, all students strengthen their connectedness to the culture of wellbeing - that is ‘St Vincent’s’. 

Mr Mitchell Grace
Pastoral Dean of Students

We usually celebrate Father's Day at St Vincent’s with an early morning liturgy and a breakfast.  This year, we will still celebrate Father's Day with a liturgy.  It will be an online reflection and prayer, where we contemplate the relationships of fathers, grandfathers, uncles and significant people who take on that caring role that dads have.  A link to the liturgy will be sent before the day.  Students have been invited to upload a brief video of their dad, and a couple of photos to the link below:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11CmLgFtlERgx0jk9pbCCHuDdSU31s3dFLEbYs-lGph8/edit?usp=sharing

Dads, if you haven’t been asked to share your thoughts on video yet, give your daughter a prod.  It will be great to see you and hear your ideas.

We have learned that life in the COVID ward at Westmead Children’s Hospital is dreary.  St Vincent’s girls have signed up to create art works and write notes and letters to the kids in the COVID ward, to brighten up the walls.  Our social justice advocates are on the case.  Students and families are invited to get in touch with their inner Margaret Preston and create an artwork.  Click on the link below for details.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rBH7dxPGJ-ONBC8tlOxgGSaDZ6OOkz852EN7bLMl-U0/edit?usp=sharing

The big news is that by popular demand and some adjustment to the delivery, our Friday Afternoon Movie encounters are back.  Years 10, 11 and 12 are invited to join the Friday Afternoon Movie Classroom and join the Google Meet at 4.00pm, starting Friday 27 August.

We will watch a great movie together, apart, and exercise our minds in analysis and argument.  Ms Tanya Schneider and Sr Anne Taylor will join us to throw a few curly questions into the mix.  Parents and siblings are welcome to join too.  We will be careful about ratings so families are not traumatised.  The conversations last term were amazing. 

Click on the link for all the info:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R__0s5iQJ0bsGgPC2do29ukY44XFonjRQsCV2Po-8Fs/edit?usp=sharing

We have been in dialogue with Matt Talbot Hostel and we have a new plan to help out there, putting wet-packs together for their clients.  We will draw up a roster and get cracking as soon as we are back on site at SVC.  At this point the plan is to make up the wet packs after school and deliver them.  Matt Talbot need 150 each week.  We will get a plan going for items to pack - so watch this space.

Our St Vincent’s Day lettuces and snow peas are going from strength to strength.  With the warmer weather tickling at us, I am confident we will have a supply ready to donate to the Night Patrol van or use for our sandwich making roster next term.  The jasmine is in bloom, the may bush has burst into flower this morning, and the plum tree is laden with buds.  Spring is lifting the spirits at every turn.

Mrs Jo Kenderes
Director of Faith and Mission

The Viking bread recipe (as mentioned in 'Photo of the Week' comments), and step by step instructions are included below.

Women in STEM Roles

Recently BAE Systems created a podcast titled ‘You Can’t Be What You Can’t See’.  The podcast asks a number of inspirational leaders to talk about their experience and how they are challenging gender bias and raising the profile of women in STEM careers.

UNSW

Engineering - Flexible First Year

A key part of UNSW’s commitment to help students grow into their career, the Flexible First Year degree is for those who know they want to be an engineer but have yet to work out which direction to take.  It allows new students the opportunity to explore a number of areas before deciding upon their final specialisation.

Flexible First Year students enrol in five core subjects.  Upon completion of the Flexible First Year degree, students can transfer into the engineering degree of their choice.  For more information go here

Australian Film, Television, Radio School (AFTRS)

Introduction to Screenwriting Online

Students interested in film, particularly screen writing, may like to apply for AFTRS 100% online course being held from 6 September 2021 to 22 September 2021.  Participants will receive an introduction to the craft of screenwriting taught by award winning writer/director Jonathan Ogilvie.  Students will learn hands-on methods for building the foundations of character, story and structure used by professional screenwriters, illustrated with key moments from a wide range of films.  For more information go here

ACU

Careers in Health

On 26 August at 3.00pm, Associate Professor Elspeth Froud provides an insight into future career opportunities in health.  A growing and in-demand industry, learn how to prepare for these careers.  Registrations are essential here .

Ms Helen Marshall
Careers Adviser

Sport Staff Contacts for Term 3 2021:

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

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

For all draw and venue information go to:   www.stvincents.nsw.edu.au/sport/weekly-sports-draw/

TERM 3 SPORT

Unfortunately, due to Covid restrictions, all Term 3 Sport has now been cancelled or postponed.  The IGSA Saturday competition has been cancelled whilst the IGSA Inter-School Athletics Carnival meet is hopefully just being postponed until Term 4.  Please be aware that fees paid for Term 3 Sport will be credited to your account.  There is no need to directly contact Mrs Pauline Martin.  

There are some great home training sessions on the College website for those girls who are missing their Saturday Sport, and lots of good Tutor Challenges being organised by Ms Jacobs.

TERM 4 SPORT and TERM 1 (2022) SPORT

We are going to start preparing in the event of Term 4 Sport going ahead, the Term 4/Term 1 Sport Registrations have been extended until Friday 27 August.  Please go to the Registration section on the front of the Sport page on the College website.  The sports offered for Terms 4/1 are:  EASTS Touch, IGSA Water Polo, IGSA Tennis, Santa Sabina Volleyball.  Futsal and Basketball will only be offered in Term 4.  Please make sure you would be available and committed to all training sessions and Saturday matches before enrolling.  The registrations will close at 3.00pm on Friday 27 August, as we have to enter our numbers to the Associations on that day.  

Below:  We miss these days!

VINNIES OLYMPIC CHALLENGE

In keeping with our Olympics theme and to try and keep everyone fit and healthy during lockdown, we have been running a Mystery Stepper competition for the past few weeks and it continues.  You can compete for one or all weeks - it's up to you.  So get your family and get out into the sunshine - and start walking!  We can’t wait for the Paralympics to start on 24 August so we can all cheer on more Aussie athletes going for GOLD!

Mystery Stepper Competition Rules:   

Each week staff and students are invited to keep a record of their steps from Saturday to Thursday and upload their number onto the Google form on the Thursday night.  It’s not about how many steps you do, it’s about how close your steps are to the mystery stepper's steps.  Please keep proof of your steps by taking a photo of the screen and save it on your phone as you may be called upon to show this proof at any time. 

Each week the mystery stepper will be an active Vinnies 'old girl' who will give a few hints as to her identity.  Extra prizes will be awarded if you can guess who the mystery stepper is.  Who will be the best detective?  These guesses can be put on the St Vincent's College Instagram page.  It’s that simple!  But you have to be in it to win it!  Great prizes from Running Bare, Olivia Jean Bags, The Storeroom Vintage Shop and Let’s Go Surfing, will be awarded weekly for the next few weeks. 

The Google form was emailed to all students Friday morning three weeks ago and a copy is on the Student Welfare and House Classrooms.  Any questions please email Ms Jacobs.  Go Vinnies Steppers! 

SPORTS STARS OF THE WEEK 

Congratulations to all those Tutor Groups who contributed to the Olympic Challenge this week.  We had lots of entries and the competition was very close again!  If you didn't participate, that's ok, you can start the week 4 challenge this Saturday.  Lots of great prizes to be won!

A special big thank you to our two Mystery Steppers this week - Olivia Miley-Dyer (2010) and Elizabeth Grey (2012).

Olivia Miley-Dyer has been very busy since graduating from St Vincent's College in 2010 - when she was the Sports Captain.  I remember her strong will and determination that came as being a twin.  She was very competitive both on and off the field.  We had a staff versus student 'Beep Test' in her final year and she pushed herself to a PB of Level 14.3, and smashed all the staff!

Since finishing school, Olivia has been studying law and working as an officer in the Australian Army.  She has worked for the United Nations in Cambodia, working for the prosecution on the Pol Pot Trials and in New York for the Australian Mission to the UN, working on the Sixth Committee of the General Assembly.  After working with the Australian military advisers in New York, she joined the Army reserves upon her return to Australia and has done full time service since the bushfires in 2019-2020.  Olivia is currently working as an Army officer in Joint Task Force 629, which coordinates the ADF’s national domestic operations in support of State and Territory governments and will continue to work on Operation COVID-19 Assist throughout 2021.  Throughout University she continued to volunteer with Vinnies Night Patrol, the Aboriginal legal service, as well as mentor programs for incarcerated youth and refugee children.  Now, more than ten years after graduating, Olivia said it is so heartening to see her classmates continue to put the core values they learnt at Vinnies into practice throughout so many different fields.

Below:  Olivia (far left in photo); in the army; running at IGSSA cross country

Elizabeth Grey spent some time exploring the UK, Europe and Nepal after she finished school and climbed to Everest Base Camp, as well as taking a few adventures right here in Australia.  She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Sydney and is currently completing her Masters in Digital Communication and Culture.  Liz was College Football Captain in 2012 and was in the Senior Firsts since starting in Year 7.  She was selected in both the IGSA and CIS Football teams for many years.  She then went on and played professional football for the Western Sydney Wanderers before starting her first job at the University of Sydney as a Communications Assistant.  Since landing that gig, Liz now specialises in social media communications and manages the University’s social media team.

Liz said that she met some of the best people in her life through St Vincent's.  There is something incredibly special about knowing that her closest friends are all from SVC and that they share that bond, but she’s also grateful to have had the teachers she did and is still in contact with many of them, and considers them to be friends and mentors - many years after completing school.  Liz would love to come back and challenge Mr Bradley to a game of Dodge Ball as she is sure she could beat him now!

Below:  Liz at Everest base camp; playing soccer for the College; at her university graduation

Not too many of us got very close to our Mystery Steppers this week, as I think they both did quite a few long walks and runs to destress!  But the person who had the closest number of steps to Olivia's 152,110 steps, was Amelia Johnson in Year 12 (Cater) with 88,745 steps; and the person who had the closest number of steps to Liz's 98,863 steps was Rubyrose Emmanoulidis in Year 7 (De Lacy), with 84,452 steps.  

Well done to Mr Mark Bradley for getting the closest to Mystery Stepper Olivia this week, with 126,454 steps. The closest to mystery stepper Liz Grey was Mrs Edelle McCrudden with 96,482 steps.

Prizes will be given out when we are back at school.  Well done everyone!  Don't forget to start counting your steps from tomorrow.  Doesn't matter if you didn't participate in the first few weeks, we would love to have more in the competition next week!

Special congratulations to Ms Alana Santi for guessing the identity of one of the Mystery Steppers again! 

YOU’VE GOT TO BE IN IT TO WIN IT!

This section is to make the College community aware of some of the exceptional athletes we have in the College.  If your daughter has represented her state or country recently in her chosen Sport, please send us any results, photos or blurbs on her performance to jacobsj@stvincents.nsw.edu.au 

Ms Jacinta Jacobs
Co-ordinator of Sport