Bulletin

Below:  Laying a wreath

15 and 25 November:  Foxford program for the full day.  Boarding students will be provided supervision and access to the Foxford program within the Boarding House.

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Following is a notice received from Transport NSW

Dear School Community

State Transit have advised school communities that from Sunday 5 December 2021, Transport for NSW will be making changes to the South East bus network following an extended eight-week consultation undertaken earlier this year.  The plan will see buses working alongside rail and light rail to get customers to where they need to go and provide much-needed capacity, supporting existing and emerging travel patterns with improved frequency and connectivity across the region.

For detailed information about the plan visit www.mysydney.nsw.gov.au/South_East_Bus_Changes. 

The TfNSW Trip Planner will be updated with the new changes by 21 November.  We encourage your school community to plan ahead on Trip Planner https://transportnsw.info/trip before travelling.

To ensure dedicated school services appear as a travel option for students, click “refine” and select the “school bus option”. 

Students are reminded to tap on and off on all trips.

Dear Parents and Carers

I am pleased to report the much delayed written examinations of the 2021 HSC have had a very smooth start.  I am very grateful for the generosity of the College community as we had to make adjustments to our timetable that allowed for the Covid-safe facilitation of the largest of the exams.  I acknowledge that our extended days on Tuesday and Wednesday were not popular because of the intrusion into the busy program of after-school activities.  While it was a genuine attempt to preserve teaching time, we have learnt a great deal from your feedback.  Please note that Monday 15th and Thursday 25th will be Foxford Days.

Yesterday Remembrance Day was commemorated at the College.  Researched and led by the Senior History students, the key note address by Lilas-Mae Njoo and Ruby Spies was a powerful reflection on the need for all the victims of war to be remembered.  History has often provided the narrative from only the perspective of the victor.  This has meant the suffering and dislocation of the vanquished is often lost.  It was a call to a universal generosity of spirit that we might include all who suffer as a result of war in our rituals, commemorations and history records.  Thank you to all involved - Ms Parish, Mr Weaver, all the young historians and technicians who ensured our Remembrance Day Assembly went ahead despite the cohorting restrictions that do not allow us to yet gather as a College community.

It is starting to feel "a lot like Christmas" here with Tutor Groups working on their Hampers.  I think the real gift is not what we buy to contribute to the hampers, but the thoughtfulness, effort, organisation and generosity of spirit involved in creating the beautiful hampers.

Yours sincerely

Anne Fry
Principal

Remembrance Day Address by Lilas Mae-Njoo and Ruby Spies

Milton “Snow” Fairclough was an Australian soldier captured in Java in 1942 and held at the infamous Changi camp in Singapore.  He was then transported to Hintok camp in Thailand to work on the 420km long railway line known as “Hellfire Pass”.  "[I survived with] just a bit of help and encouragement from my mates and a grim determination not to bloody well die in a place like that; to die like a slave in the jungle".  In the camp, tens of thousands died from exhaustion, abuse, malnutrition and disease; one estimate is 102,000 lives were lost, a life for every log used on the track.  However, despite what we are generally taught, these experiences are not unique to the allied forces and can be seen on all sides in all wars. 

Walter Warda was drafted into the German army and was captured by the Soviets in 1944.  He endured life in up to 23 different prisoner of war camps until his release in 1950:  "The first camp I came to was Zelenodolsk on the Volga River. We went in with 3,500 men and in a half year there were only 500 left. The Russians didn't do anything for us.  They let us die deliberately.  In one camp along the Volga, we were in bunk beds.  I slept in a lower bed with eight men.  We were like sardines in a can.  In the morning when the Russians came into the barracks, they counted how many people were there and how many were dead.  We would hold a dead man up in front of us and act as if he was alive, so we would get a portion of his food". 

If you look up “Prisoner of War Testimonies, WW2”, you would have to scroll through 15 results, that's two Google search pages, to find anything about soldiers from Germany, Italy or Japan.  Our version of history disregards the approximately 3 million German, 50,000 Japanese and over 60,000 Italian soldiers captured by the Allied forces in WW2.  So why more than 100 years after the wars are we still not acknowledging the international community in our Remembrance?  The phrase “history is written by victors”, attributed to Winston Churchill, aptly captures the construction of truth in the story of war. Whilst Remembrance Day is an important time to recognise the tragedy of the human, material and economic devastation of war, we also have a responsibility to avoid glorifying the role of Allied soldiers.  As the last generation existing with the World Wars in living memory, we have been given the role of shaping the future memorial landscape and revising how we commemorate history.  Fanatical celebrations of war fuel the nationalistic ideologies that pit countries against each other and which, it could be argued, were the very cause of the wars of the 20th Century.  On days like this, we need to remember the purpose of commemoration:  to acknowledge, respect and remove ignorance in order to avoid the recurrence of this loss of life.  We remember not to continue the hatred and prejudice that sparked the wars, but to learn how not to repeat the mistakes of our past.  Today, the whole globe engages in the continual search for collective security.  The Paris Peace Conference of 1919 attempted to put a price on life.  Instead of monetary compensation, the healing of a nation and our globe requires us to honour the loss of life by educating ourselves in order to rehabilitate.  The act of war is one known all throughout human history and portrayed as a battle between heroes and villains.  In the 20th century, more than 43 million soldiers and 62 million civilians died in wars, yet when we are called to remember these lives there is a heavy focus on the allied soldiers, thus deeming their lives more significant and worth more commemoration.  We are continually reminded today of the need to acknowledge our global community, particularly those who fought and died for the ideologies of others.  This honouring of soldiers and people who lost their lives during conflict is different for those who fought for the “enemy”.  In Germany, this remembrance is called "people's day of mourning" and is held to remember those of all nations, both soldiers and civilians, including victims of violent oppression.  It is used as an opportunity to reflect and reconcile with a past that we cannot deny but that forms a part of our identity as a nation.  As we commemorate this Day of Remembrance, let us try to reflect on who we are remembering and for what purpose we are remembering them.  Think of it not as a day that is centred on the past but as a day to learn and move into the future.

This week we have seen the lift off of the HSC for our Class of 2021.  It was not so much the actual commencement of the HSC examinations on Tuesday, but the faces of satisfaction that exited the examination rooms on this first day that gave so much pleasure.  This cohort have supported each other with a ‘can-do’ attitude, and behind them their families and teachers.  Their experience this week has reinforced just how well prepared they are and offered a taste of rewards for their hard work.  We continue to hold our HSC candidates in our prayers that they may sustain their momentum throughout the next three weeks.

In a teacher’s world it is that time of year we find ourselves immersed in two worlds - looking back whilst planning forward - with focus on the needs of our students.  The current Assessments for Years 7-10 and upcoming for our newest HSC Class of 2022 serve to indicate both mastery in learning and areas that require consolidation as students travel through their stages of learning.  This means marking, report writing and much professional dialogue.  The work of a teacher is ‘never done’ as we are never cone with learning growth.  I applaud the commitment of our teachers as they invest their careful attention to identifying the strengths and needs of our students and take the time to communicate this with students, parents and colleagues.  Similarly, as parents and carers at home, you would be engaging in dialogue regarding your daughter’s sense of achievement or concern as the year draws to a close.  It has been a very particular year - whilst we know that some students fatigued with online learning, there were still many gains in learning.  We welcome your dialogue if you believe we could have more information to ready ourselves for your daughter’s learning next year.  Tutor and class teachers would be open to your communication and if required the particular Head of Department or your daughter’s Head of House.

A reminder about absences from school.  Please contact collegesecretary@stvincents.nsw.edu.au or ring Student Services on 8324 6630 (not the College Registrar).

Mrs Elizabeth Brooks
Deputy Principal

Continuity of learning is something that we prioritise at St Vincent’s to ensure the academic care of each and every student from Years 7-12, as I have mentioned much this year.  Returning to ‘face-to-face learning' and ‘cohorting’ have been the buzzwords prevalent in our teaching and learning since last week, and this week our HSC Class of 2021 came back onto campus to commence their much anticipated HSC examinations.  I know that the entire College community has been wishing them well and we all can now breathe a collective sigh of relief, as this cohort has now embarked on the completion of these examinations that were so speculative for so long.  I also wish to share my appreciation to the entire College community, from Year 7 right up to the HSC class of 2022 for their flexibility and commitment to their altered Foxford timetable this last week, which has had a very European schooling air, with the later starts and longer afternoons.

I am impressed by the diligence of our newest HSC class - the Class of 2022, who has embarked on the first of their HSC school-based assessment activities with determination to give of their best.  Equally, our Years 7-10 students should be very proud of their efforts to approach assessment as an ‘episode of learning’, designed to demonstrate what they need to value in their learning and how they can apply it authentically, to different contexts.  How wonderful it is that the writers of both the Standard and Advanced English Paper 2 Modules HSC examination see learning through this lens too.  The English papers are often perceived by students to have a controversial slant to them and the response by the authors of the texts used are often satirical, as was the case this week.  Acclaimed Vietnamese American poet Ocean Vuong, has ‘hit back’ with humour after perplexed Australian Year 12 students bombarded him on social media complaining about his “confusing” text in their final English exam.

‘The non-linear coming-of-age novel draws on Vuong’s own family story.  It is told from the perspective of a character called Little Dog, the son of Vietnamese immigrants to the US, and is framed in the style of a letter to his illiterate mother.  One of the extracts given to the HSC students feature Little Dog plucking grey hairs from his grandmother’s head as she regales him with stories, while another involves the protagonist engaging in a romance with a book.  After the exam, the author, who has received a 2016 Whiting award and the 2017 TS Eliot prize for his poetry, received a deluge of messages to his Instagram from baffled students asking what his text means.  Sharing the messages on Instagram stories, Vuong wrote back to one student:  ‘What the hell is an HSC exam?’ (The Guardian).

For our SVC students however, the smiles and sense of relief that greeted me as I met with the girls coming out of both their English exams told a different story.  Whilst they noted the different questioning styles of both papers, they managed the papers beautifully.  We are very proud of our girls’ tenacity to dig into their fierce Vinnies courage to believe what we had been teaching them - that no matter what the question asked of them; they were indeed prepared, they just had to think!  And think they did!  I am so pleased that the NESA examiners are adopting a deep learning approach to the HSC, assessing what students value, rather than regurgitating what they know.  I am buoyed and inspired by the possibilities that will continue to unfold for our Vinnies learners through the curriculum reform commencing in 2024.  I look forward with hope that the HSC in years to come will be an opportunity for all students to walk away from the examinations pleased that they were assessed on what they ‘value’ and God Bless the students who walked out saying - ‘I really enjoyed the exam!’

Enjoy the weekend. 

Mrs Jasmin Mano
Director of Teaching and Learning

The St Vincent’s community is overwhelmingly generous.  I need you to know that the response to our request for funds to provide wetpacks for Matt Talbot has exceeded expectation.  I have enough to provide wet packs for two weeks.  I have ordered the items to go into the wet packs from a company in Camden and they are delivering early next week.  As soon as they arrive I will put out the call for Year groups to help put the bags of goodies together, and I’ll deliver them to Matt Talbot.  Each little bag will contain body wash, a shave set, deodorant, cotton buds, a dental kit, tissues, shampoo and conditioner, body lotion - which is vital for feet that are on the move all day long - a comb and hand sanitizer.  The ticketing system through Humanitix is working very well.  I can easily see how much I have to spend and it is all transparent.  A $10 ticket will provide enough items for two wet packs.  That means that two men will have the items they need to get clean, feel comfortable and regain some personal dignity.  If you’d like to help out further, click on the link below and buy a ticket.  https://events.humanitix.com/matt-talbot-wet-pack-support

Thank you Vinnies.

I also want you to know that I still have a number of Woolworths vouchers from our “Fund-A-Filling” initiative.  Thankfully the vouchers don’t have a use-by date, so I will save them for when Night Patrol is back and we will kick off our Sandwich Roster again.  We did such a great job with it, that we were able to supply sandwiches for our van run, AND sandwiches for the Night Patrol truck which looks after clients in and around Martin Place.  That’s a huge need and it is increasing.  So, thank you again, for your extraordinary generosity.  I’ll let you know when we are up and running again with that. 

I have good news from St Canice’s parish.  They kicked off Mass again a couple of weeks ago after being locked down for so long, and we were able to give them our flowers from the Year 12 Mass.  The parish was delighted to have six huge displays of flowers to welcome their people back to Mass.  We kept one big display in our chapel and delivered all the rest up the road.  It made a huge difference to the place.  Fresh flowers brought welcome and joy.  The perfume of the Stocks even made it through the mandatory masks.  Happy thought.

Ms Tanya Schneider, Art teacher to the Stars, decided our Friday Afternoon BIG Movie last week was the best one of the series.  It was so big we decided we couldn’t talk about it and needed to think it over for the week.  We will begin our conversation this afternoon at 4.30pm.  I’ve been singing ‘Gabriella’s Song’ in my head all week.  It can stay there.  It’s magnificent.  If you haven’t seen As It Is In Heaven, give it a go.  It’s on SBS on Demand:

https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/movie/as-it-is-in-heaven/322713667897

It’s raw and beautiful.

Hampers!  Hampers!  Hampers!  Thank you to all the families who have signed up to provide a hamper for the St Vincent de Paul Hamper Drive.  You are amazing.  Our roster is full, but if you would like to provide a ‘generic’ Christmas hamper that would be great.

That’s it.  More later.

Mrs Jo Kenderes
Director of Faith and Mission

2021 St Vincent’s College Oratory Competition Winners

This year’s Oratory Competition adopted a contemporary approach, with the competition divided between recorded submissions for the Junior Oratory and digital screencasts for the Senior Multimodal Oratory.

Thank you to our Junior finalists:  Year 7 - Polly Pulsford, Year 8 - Lulu Oaten, Year 9 - Ruby Siemsen and to our Senior finalists:  Year 10 - Lucy Fraser, Year 11 - Georgia Gallagher, Year 12 - Holly Hudson Barton.

A big congratulations to our winners:  Junior Oratory Champion, Lulu Oaten, Year 8 (pictured below left) and to the Senior Multimodal Oratory Champion, Lucy Fraser, Year 10 (pictured below right).

Winners of the St Vincent’s College Short-Story Writing Competition and The Christopher Brennan Award for Poetry

The Writing Competition garnered much interest this year, sparking a desire for creativity across Years 7 to 11 with the prompt, ‘Mosaics are Made from Broken Pieces’.  Congratulations to the winners of both the SVC Short-Story Writing Competition and The Christopher Brennan Award for Poetry, your pieces were beautifully crafted and showed a deep appreciation of the English language and its varied forms.

The winners of the St Vincent’s College Writing Awards are:

Above left:  Millicent Fisher (Year 11) Senior Short Story
Above right:  Taylor Hyde (Year 7) Junior Short Story

The winners of the Christopher Brennan Awards for Poetry are:

Above left:  Bonnie Joseph (Year 11) Senior Poetry
Above right:  Charlotte Ballinger (Year 8) Junior Poetry

You may view the wonderful works of these students via the links below:

Lulu Oaten - Oratory Recording

Lucy Fraser - Oratory Multimodal Screencast

Millie Fisher - Senior Short Story

Taylor Hyde - Junior Short Story

Bonnie Joseph - Senior Poetry

Charlotte Ballinger - Junior Poetry

Congratulations also to the 2021 Year 12 cohort who were able to finally sit the English HSC Paper 1 and Paper 2.

Ms Josie Rune
Assistant Head of Department English

Mrs Anita Playoust
Head of Department English

The Languages Department would like to wish our French Continuers and French Extension students:  Monique Plint, Matilda Emery, Sienna Mackey and Holly Hudson Barton, bonne chance as they complete their HSC examinations next week.  Best of luck also, to our students studying via the NSW School of Languages:  Serena Someya - Japanese in Context and Monique Plint - Spanish Beginners, as they also complete their HSC exams next week. 

Ms Maria Manitta
Head of Department Languages

UNSW

Careers in Business

On 13 and 14 December, UNSW’s Business faculty will be holding four information webinars.  Students interested in studying commerce, economics, information systems or actuarial studies, are invited to hear from current UNSW students and lecturers, industry representatives and to ask questions about studying and working in the world of business.  Registrations are essential using the link here.

ANU Canberra

The Changing Role of the Accountant:  More than just numbers

On Tuesday 16 November, ANU will be hosting a webinar about the changing role of the accountant and the impact they have on businesses and the public sector.  To register for this event use the link here .

Bond University

Do you have questions about Bond's Medical Program?

On 22 November at 5.00pm, Bond University will be hosting a webinar about their medical program.  The Bond University Medical Program prepares students to become practitioners, thinkers and leaders well-equipped to deliver evidence-based, patient-centred health care that meets the needs of a diverse community.  Topics of discussion include:  Entry requirements and tuition fees; how to apply and the admissions process; upcoming key dates and pathways into the program.  Registrations are essential using the link here .

Studying in the USA

EducationUSA is hosting a Study in California information webinar on 19 November.  Join EducationUSA during International Education Week to hear from five Californian universities and colleges.  Learn about applications, living expenses, academic requirements and more.  Please register your interest here

The Hotel School Sydney

Experience Sofitel Sydney, Darling Harbour, with The Hotel School on Saturday 22 January 2022 from 9:30am-1:30pm.  Participants will experience one of Sydney’s luxury 5-Star hotels and find out what it is like to work in this environment by going behind the scenes operations of a 5-star hotel.  Registrations are essential using the link here.

Ms Helen Marshall
Careers Adviser

It has been a joy to welcome the high volume of applications for Year 7/2024 entry.  Many of the enquiries and applications received are from families who have heard good things about St Vincent's College.  A huge thank you to all our lovely parents and students who speak so highly of the school.  A referral from a current family is the highest praise the College can receive and we are most grateful for the support from our Vinnies' community.

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

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

TERM 4 SPORT 2021

There is still a lot of uncertainty around government restrictions and school based sport for this term.  Now we are back at school we have training and trials for each sport to help us prepare for next term’s competition. These are held on the College grounds in Year cohorts before or after school. These sessions began two weeks ago, however, many students are still missing from their training sessions.  These are compulsory for all girls who signed up for Term 4/1 Sport.  We will be picking the teams in Weeks 7, 8 and 9 so please make sure you are there.  If it is raining, training is still on in the gym.

Please see Ms Jacobs, Mr Bradley or Mr Broadhurst at the times listed below:

Touch training will be held on the courts in the afternoons:

Year 7:   Mondays 3.15pm-4.15pm  (Not 15 November)

Year 8:  Tuesdays 3.15pm-4.15pm

Year 9 and Year 10:  Wednesdays 3.15pm-4.15pm

Year 11:  Thursdays 3.15pm-4.15pm  (Not 25 November).

Water polo training in the College pool in the mornings:

Year 7:  Fridays 7.20am-8.20am

Year 8:  Thursdays 7.20am-8.20am  (Not 25 November)

Year 9:  Mondays 7.20am-8.20am    (Not 15 November)

Year 10:  Tuesdays 7.20am-8.20am 

Year 11:  Wednesdays 7.20am-8.20am.

Volleyball training will be held on one court for each Year Group in the mornings:

Year 7 and 8:  Tuesdays 7.20am-8.20am

Years 9, 10 and 11( Rotating one on Fitness):  Thursdays 7.20am-8.20am  (Not 25 November) .

Tennis/Tildesley training will be held on one court for each Year Group in the mornings:

Year 7 and 8:  Mondays 7.20am-8.20am  (Not 15 November)

Year 9 and 10:  Wednesdays 7.20am-8.20am

Year 10 and 11:  Fridays 7.20am-8.20am.

If you cannot make your session for any reason please email Ms Jacobs.

Above:  Water polo training at school

TERM 1 SPORT 2022

The registrations for Term 1 2022 Sport have now closed. If you signed up for next term it is also expected that you will train this term so you can be graded and be ready for next term’s competition.  You cannot play a different sport in Term 4 and Term 1 - they must be the same from now on.  This will also be the same for Terms 2 and 3 in 2022.

TILDESLEY TENNIS TOURNAMENT 2022

If you would like to trial for the SVC team to compete at this prestigious tournament, please make sure you at your training session each week.  We will be running trials at the start of next term, but all players must be training and playing this term to prepare.

VINNIES PREMMIE BABIES CHALLENGE

The 2021 "Premmie Marathon Challenge" has now commenced.  We have entered a school team in the virtual marathon (both the 42km and 100km), which is running throughout November.  You don't have to run the distance - if you prefer, you can walk, swim or cycle!  And you can also choose if you do it all in one hit or split the distance over a few shorter efforts within a week or even in multiple efforts over the month.   So far we have three staff members and fifteen students competing in the challenge.  At this point we have raised $2,910 for the premature babies and our leaders are Alexandra (Lexi) Tait Year 10, Lily O’Reilly Year 7, and Gemma Vinciguerra Year 9, as our top three fundraisers.   Keep up the good work girls!  It’s not too late to join or to sponsor one of our team members! 

The charity is Running for Premature Babieswhich was founded by local mother Sophie Smith, who was the NSW State Recipient Local Hero in the Australian of the Year Awards in 2019.  All donations will help improve the chance of survival of premature babies by providing special equipment to hospitals.  Everyone who raises or donates $50 will receive a finisher's medal and anyone who raises or donates $200 will receive a free running singlet and hat.  So please email Ms Jacobs if you would like to join the Vinnies team, and use the links below to join a team or to make a donation to this very worthy cause.

100km Team

https://www.runningforprematurebabies.com/fundraisers/vinnies100

42km Team

https://www.runningforprematurebabies.com/fundraisers/vinnies

SPORTS STARS OF THE WEEK 

Congratulations to our Vinnies' students who competed in the Bondi Surfboard Riders competition last Sunday.  I was very excited to be walking past and see so many of our girls competing.  Congratulations to the finalists who were:  Ex student Bronte Gooch (class of 2020), Year 10 students Summer Robinson and Asha Morison, and Year 8 student, Marley McCallum, who took out the title.  Other girls who just missed out on making the final were Jemima Gooch and Anna Hempton.  Well done girls, it looks like all the surfing during lockdown is paying off!

Above:  Marley McCallum

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

Due to the current school COVID health restrictions, the on-campus College uniform shop is operational for online orders only. 

Students are able to collect prepaid online orders from the shop on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons, 3.00pm-5.00pm. 

Unfortunately, due to government health restrictions, students cannot try on any uniform items. 

If you require assistance with sizing please call the Uniform Shop (02) 8324 6622 during the above hours or refer to the size chart on the Noone website www.noone.com.au

P&F ART SHOW - Term 4 2022

At the recent P&F meeting, there was a discussion of holding an Art show at the College during Term 4 2022.

The P&F committee would like to put the call out to Parents and Carers who are interested in assisting the formulation of this inaugural event - whether you have current skills/contacts within the art, entertainment or marketing industries, or simply the desire to help and be a part of such an event.  If you are interested please click here to complete the expression of interest form. 

There will be an inception meeting this term, to review the feasibility, share an outline of what the event might entail and coordinate teams/leads for specific elements of the event.  We have some wonderful ideas, and with great passion and vitality in our 2022 Year of HOPE, we know with community support we can pull together a spectacular event!

If you have any questions and would like to have an insight or discussion prior to the meeting, please contact Holly Davies - 0438 149 764.

From the P&F Executive Committee