e-News #17 Week 3
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Dear Parents
The Heart of a Catholic School
Last Monday, all WA Catholic Principals gathered for the Semester One Leaders Forum at the Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) Doubleview campus, coordinated by Executive Director Dr Tim McDonald. The first address of the day was delivered by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe who spoke to the topic The Heart of a Catholic School, which certainly entwined the writings of Pope Francis with the flavour of the Year of Mercy.
This week, I ask our parents to reflect on some of the key messages below.
The Catholic school is built on the conviction that unless the child is educated in an institution which is based on and expressive of a belief in God, made known in Jesus, and encouraged within the context of the believing community (the Church), the childs education will only ever be incomplete.
Catholic schools prepare hearts. To prepare hearts that the Lord might manifest Himself within each person, is the true mission of the teacher and the goal of all education worthy of the name.
As leaders in Catholic schools, we were reminded of Pope Francis six foundational commitments of the new leader in the twenty first century, to:
This message is a clear one, not only for our teachers and leaders, but it sharpens the goals for our students who will become leaders in communities in future years, and which is also evident in our College Learner Profile. These six foundational commitments will be infused into our culture through the implementation of our Evangelisation Plan. As parents, how might you be informed by these guiding principles for your own lives, too?
Our Pope selected St Francis as his patron for good reason and in one of his prayers – Lord, you are the one who calls to me (us) to become a living image of your presence in the world. In this, the Year of Mercy, we know that Jesus Christ is the face of the Father s mercy. So, during Lent, what is the Year of Mercy inviting us to do, to be. How are we the face of the Father s mercy in our daily lives?
Another word for mercy is large-heartedness, which might be easier for us to understand. So, what will large-heartedness look like for me?
As Principal of AvÐÔ°® Christi College, I must also ask, what will large-heartedness look like in our school context?
As our Teaching and Learning Council, including Heads of Learning Area and Heads of Year meet next week, we will commence with this question, and the six foundational commitments of the new leader in the twenty first century will form the guiding principles for our discussion.
Large Heartedness at the Annual Community Meeting
I am ever grateful to the work of our parents who volunteer their time to join the College Board, Parents and Friends Executive and various committees (AvÐÔ°® Cares, Friends of Academia, Friends of the Arts, and Friends of Sport), and other sub-committees of the Board (Finance, Building, Marketing, Risk Management). I believe these parents give witness to the face of Christ in our community in the way they serve others. All our students benefit from their commitment to the College.
As you would be aware, the College Annual Community Meeting was held recently, with Manager of Finance and Operations Mr Alan Luks presiding. After prayer, the presentation of the 2016 Budget was made by Chair of Finance Mr Russell Hardwick, Annual Reports delivered by Mr Greg LeGuier, Board Chair and Mrs Shelley Hill outgoing Parents and Friends (P and F) President, and finally, the endorsement of four additional Board Members and the P&F Executive for 2016.
With a 2016 operating budget of $23.64m, which excludes capital expenditure, the College needs to manage resources prudently, whilst maintaining ongoing, high level learning programs and associated facilities. The College is dependent on Commonwealth grants (increased by 3%) and State Government grants (increased only by 1%), with staff salaries forming the main area of expenditure (65%) and administration expenses (including such items as photocopying, utilities and departmental expenses) forming nearly ¼ of our expenditure.
The newly elected Board members for 2016 are Messrs Darren Cutri, Domenic Santini, Marcus Passauer and Keith Moylan. They will be joining Messrs Greg LeGuier and Russell Hardwick, as well as Dr Tonia Girardi and Mrs Deborah Talbot. The community will be notified of office bearers following the elections at the next P and F meeting. The deep sense of commitment to the College, bringing extraordinary skills to the Board and the 2016 membership, will stand us in good stead into the future.
The Parents and Friends Executive for 2016 is Mrs Cazz Gould (President), Mrs Andrea Byrne (Vice President) and Mrs Cathryn Cavaney (Treasurer). The next P and F meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 1 March in the Staffroom. I take this opportunity to thank the many parents who have already volunteered to assist on one of the sub-committees of the P and F or at an event during the year.
Small in number, but high in passion and commitment, the meeting concluded with a cuppa and tour of the AvÐÔ°® Christi College Community Centre.
Best wishes and God bless.
Mrs Caroline Payne
Principal
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[tab_item icon="" title="Middle School" tabs="tabs"]
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[accordion_item title="Academic Excellence: Years 7-9 Testing and Survey" accordion="accordion"]
During weeks two to four, all Year 7 to 9 students will be undertaking a range of tests that include the Progressive Achievement Test in Mathematics (PAT-M), Progressive Achievement Test in Reading (PAT-R) and the Middle Years Ability Test (MYAT).
Data is being collected and will be processed in the coming weeks. This data together with additional information from Primary School reports, parent nominations and teacher nominations will lead to the identification of students that will take part in the Academic Excellence Programme of the College. Parents will be notified if their son or daughter has met the criteria. If you have any questions or would like to nominate your child please contact Mrs Carvalho on fcarvalho@corpus.wa.edu.au.
During week one, the Year 7 to 9 students completed a learning profile survey which provides information to teachers regarding student interests and hobbies and preferred learning styles and learning environments. This information will provide valuable information for staff in order to be able to personalise the learning for students.
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[accordion_item title="Da Vinci Decathalon" accordion="accordion"]
Preparation for the Da Vinci Decathalon 2016 will be starting very soon. This has been offered to Years 7, 8 and 9 students who will attend various sessions outside of school hours during Term One to prepare for the 10 categories of the Da Vinci Decathlon.
The categories include Science, Creative Producers, Art and Poetry, Engineering Challenge, General Knowledge, Cartography, Code Breaking, Mathematics, Philosophy and English. Towards the end of the term, one Year 7 and 8 and one Year 9 and 10 Da Vinci Decathlon Squads will be selected to represent the College on competition day. Each Squad comprises 8 students. The competition dates are as follows:
Year 9 and 10: 31st March
Year 7 and 8: 1st April
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[accordion_item title="Year 8 Student Helping Others" accordion="accordion"]
AvÐÔ°® Christi College encourages students to develop an awareness of the needs of others and to share not only their material wealth but also their time and talents.
Luke Waller in Year 8 has been involved with fundraising for Cerebral Palsy for a few years now and wants to help others as much as possible. He is currently doing the Ice bucket Challenge every day in February. On the website, Luke - FEBRUDAREY Luke states;
Doing my dare may not seem like much for you but with only one good hand, it is tricky. Plus the cold water makes my muscles freeze up from the cerebral palsy so it is a big challenge for me.
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[accordion_item title="School Immunisation Program for Year 8 students" accordion="accordion"]
All Year 8 students are offered free vaccines through the National Immunisation Program to protect against:
Vaccines are administered by nurses from the Department of Health at the College to students who wish to participate. On the first day of Term One, all Year 8 students were given an envelope containing:
Further information about the vaccinations can be found at the following websites:
Department of Health
Immunise Australia Program
Alternatively, parents/carers can ring the Immunisation Information Hotline on 1800 671 811.
Immunisation Dates
The vaccines will be administered in three doses. In 2016, these dates are:
Round 1
Thursday 3 March (Day 1), Thursday 10 March (Day 2)
Round 2
Tuesday 31 May (Day 1), Tuesday 7 June (Day 2)
Round 3
Thursday 13 October (Day 1), Tuesday 18 October (Day 2)
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[accordion_item title="The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 2016" accordion="accordion"]
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual national assessment of students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. All students in these years are expected to participate in the testing. They will be assessed in language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation), writing, reading and numeracy.
The tests are scheduled for Tuesday 10 May, Wednesday 11 May and Thursday 12 May 2016. All schools across Australia will complete the tests on the same days.
YEAR 7
Tuesday 10 May, Wednesday 11 May, Thursday 12 May
Language Conventions (45 minutes)
Writing (40 minutes)
Reading (65 minutes)
Numeracy:
Calculator allowed (40 minutes)
Non-calculator (40 minutes)
YEAR 9
Language Conventions (45 minutes)
Writing (40 minutes)
Reading (65 minutes)
Numeracy:
Calculator allowed (40 minutes)
Non-calculator (40 minutes)
Please be advised that a brochure providing information on the NAPLAN will be distributed to Year 7 and 9 students in Homeroom to be given to parents/guardians.
Further information is also available at the following websites:
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[accordion_item title="Year 9 Update" accordion="accordion"]
The Personal Project
At the Year 9 Assembly in Week 3, students were given details on creating an eFolio for the Personal Project. The students have been provided with an eFolio template as well as an instructional video on how to create an eFolio (this can be found on the Year 9 Portal). All students spent time at the session completing this task and were asked to ensure it is done by Friday of Week 3.
Students also spent time in Week 3 working on their Personal Project Plans and will continue to do so leading up to the due date (Term 1 Week 5). Parents are encouraged to discuss this with their child and refer to the Year 9 Portal for further information.
Parent Information Night
The Parent Information Night will be held on Monday 22 February at 7.00pm. Information on the Personal Project, The Rite Journey, the Pastoral Program and NAPLAN will be provided at this event, and parents are encouraged to attend.
The Rite Journey
The Rite Journey is a program developed to support the transition from childhood to adulthood, encouraging students to become responsible, respectful and resilient young adults. Important information outlining the program and our first ceremony, to be held on Thursday 10 March at 5.00pm has been placed on the Year 9 Portal.
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[accordion_item title="Right Track – Public transport safety advice for students" accordion="accordion"]
Passenger safety is our number one priority, and this includes students travelling to and from school. With your support we want to make sure that all students are equipped with the information they need to have a safe and enjoyable journey using public transport.
The Right Track education program has a number of resources safety tips and activities available for students who would benefit from further education around rail safety or anti-social behaviours on public transport. To find out more, please visit
Sophie Richardson
Communications Officer I Public Transport Authority
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[tab_item icon="" title="AvÐÔ°® General News" tabs="tabs"]
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[accordion_item title="Parents and Friends Calendar" accordion="accordion"]
The AvÐÔ°® Christi College Parents Association have put together a 2016 calendar for all AvÐÔ°® families. The calendar highlights all of the P and F events through the year and it features a section of student artwork from last year s Art Exhibition.
Calendars will be distributed to the oldest sibling in each family to take home this week, so don't forget to remind your children to pass it on!
AvÐÔ°® Communications
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[accordion_item title="Year 12 Dance Day 2016" accordion="accordion"]
On Friday the 12th of February, the Year 12 Curriculum Dance class participated in the annual Dance Day event. We were lucky to have professional dancer Yilin Kong come in to teach us throughout the day. We participated in a contemporary technique class that helped us on our way to refining the technical dance skills necessary to complete the final Year 12 exams. We also participated in improvisation and choreographic workshops which helped us explore our creativity and express ourselves through dance. It was amazing being taught by such an accomplished professional dancer and we learnt many useful things from her, as well as being inspired by her.
In the afternoon we bonded as a class over a shared afternoon tea, as we planned the theme for our class dance work which will be performed in Term Three at the Senior School Dance Performance Night. Then it was off to Northbridge for dinner and a show! After a tasty meal at Nandos and dessert at San Churros, we viewed a live performance as part of the Perth International Arts Festival. The performance was titled Within and was choreographed and performed by acclaimed Indian choreographer Aditi Mangaldas. It was a fusion of contemporary dance and traditional Indian Kathak dancing, which was breathtaking to see performed live. We will be analysing this dance for an assessment over the coming weeks.
Dance Day was not only a lot of fun, but was also hugely beneficial in introducing us to the rigours of the ATAR Dance Curriculum. We feel very lucky that we got to have this amazing experience.
Emily Joy
Dance Captain
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[accordion_item title="IGCSE Cambridge Exam Results 2015" accordion="accordion"]
We have now received the results of the Cambridge Combined Science Examination that some Year 10 students sat last November 2015.
The results obtained were very pleasing. Of the 20 students who sat for the IGCSE Combined Science Examinations, 2 students obtained an A+ grade which is a scaled score of above 90%, 5 students obtained an A grade which is a scaled score of above 80%, 8 students obtained an B grade which is a scaled score of above 70% and 4 students obtained an C grade which is a scaled score of above 60%.
Congratulations to ALEXANDER DI ROSSO and PHOEBE HOLMES for obtaining an A+ grade.
Congratulations to BRENDAN ALVARO, JACK MAGUIRE, OLIVIA MOCERINO, LEIA OLIVER, and LILA RODARI for obtaining an A grade.
Congratulations to DIMITRIE DAMOS, KIERAN FLYNN, SAMUEL FORSTER, OLIVIA FUDERER, MITCHELL GARLAND, LEMAR HADDAD, ELISH LAU and JOSEPH (Nathan) SOEDHARDJI for obtaining a B grade.
Due to the difficulty of this international exam, a grade of A to G is a passing grade and hence the grades obtained by all of the students that sat the examination are very pleasing. It is also worth considering that for many students throughout the world, a good result in these examinations is compulsory in order to progress to further studies and hence the standard is very high.
All of the students who sat the examinations should be very proud of their efforts and we hope that the students will benefit in their Year 11 and 12 studies from the extra work, commitment and the experience of sitting for an external exam.
Ms Sally Farrington
Head of Science
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[accordion_item title="Guys and Dolls - College Musical" accordion="accordion"]
Make sure you grab your tickets as they will sell out quickly!
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[accordion_item title="Drama Excursion - The Little Mermaid" accordion="accordion"]
The cast of Guys & Dolls attended the live performance of the Little Mermaid at the Koorliny Arts Centre on Saturday 13th February 2016.
What made this event even more entertaining was that our wonderfully talented music assistant Shanice Palfrey played the lead role as Ariel.
Shanice stole the show not only with her wonderful acting but by her amazing voice.
Students and staff that attended the event were treated to a fantastic performance.
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[accordion_item title="Student Achievements" accordion="accordion"]
Congratulations to Aleisha Wesley and Taylor Kroyer who recently raced in the Triathlon Australian National Junior Championships.
Taylor finished 5th in the Youth (13-15) & Aleisha 17th in the Junior (15-19).
This is Great racing from both of these young ladies and competing against the best in the nation is an amazing achievement!
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