From the Principal - e-News-11

28 July 2017

Dear parents

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To all families, welcome back to Semester Two!

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Holiday happenings

Director of Music David Harries supported by music staff Selena Meegan and Lydia Gardiner and 60 music students participated in the Music camp at New Norcia, which commenced on Thursday afternoon 13 July and concluded on the following Sunday afternoon with a small concert for parents at the College. After being granted the privilege of accompanying the Benedictine Mass at 9am on Sunday morning, the congregation was treated to a beautifully sung mass by our students. I was very proud of our students, many of whom sing at major school functions as well as perform at a number of festivals. In preparation for the Catholic Performing Arts Festival held during the month of August, we hope our ��ܲ��’s have bonded well together for another year of accomplishment during the festival performances. At the same time, representing the College at the Apple Distinguished School Conference in Brisbane were Daniel Budd and Jean-Paul Papineau, who will share some of their experiences with their colleagues in the coming weeks.

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Parents alerted to another Netflix Production

‘To the Bone’ is a new film distributed by Netflix which follows the story of 20-year-old Ellen and her battle with anorexia nervosa and subsequent treatment in a specialized group home. Various mental health experts, including Headspace, have issued a warning for parents on the film’s portrayal of anorexia nervosa, suggesting that it glorifies the disorder. Many images from the film have been posted on websites that promote anorexia as a positive thing and include tips on how to avoid eating. I encourage parents who are concerned to check the following websites:

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Discipleship at Av�԰� Christi

We commenced the term with a wonderful professional development day for staff with a focus on Catholic Identity, facilitated by Fr Elio Capra a priest of the Salesians of Don Bosco (sdb). Holding one day each year devoted to the Discipleship Domain of the Quality Catholic School Improvement framework is one part of Av�԰� Christi’s focus on the faith formation of staff. Prayer in the staff room nourishes us each morning, whilst staff Retreats are also offered each year, as are a number of workshops with a spiritual or religious theme.

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‘Faith formation of Catholic school community members is Christ- centred. It is an intentional, ongoing and reflective process that focuses on the growth of individuals and communities from their lived experiences, in spiritual awareness, theological understanding, vocational motivation and capabilities for mission and service in the Church and the world’.

NCEC: A Framework for Formation for Mission in Catholic Education

At Av�԰� Christi, we have many committed, well-formed Catholic leaders and teachers playing an essential role in our mission as a Catholic school. There has been increasing strategic activity in forming leaders and staff for the mission of Catholic education across Australia. The spiritual journeys of school and support staff are individual and diverse. Some staff members have acquired theological and religious education qualifications and the majority of our staff meet the CEWA accreditation requirements but there is an ever-present need for a greater strategic focus on faith formation, as there is with our students.

The Year 11 Retreat experiences this year include two different opportunities. One group will be attending the Mulan Immersion Experience in the Eastern Kimberley region, whilst another group will be participating in the inaugural ‘Camino’, walking a section of the track taken by Bishop Salvado when he left Subiaco for New Norcia. As the last arrangements for the Retreats are finalised, I wish our staff and students all the best.

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Staffing Matters

We welcome the return of Nicky Dux who has returned from leave in Semester One. I also acknowledge Wendy Quint, who has accepted the role of Head of VET and Transition Services for Term Three, Chanel Fenwick who will be Head of Year 8 when Jen Overend commences parental leave from late Term 3, and Joelle L’Aiguille who will be acting Xavier House Coordinator whilst Chanel is Head of Year.

We also welcome the following new staff:

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·&�Բ��;&�Բ��;&�Բ��;&�Բ��;&�Բ��;&�Բ��; Dr Annette Pedersen has been appointed the Head of Library, Research and Information Services, and is highly qualified, with a BA (Hons), Grad Dip Ed and PhD from UWA. Coming to us from John XXIII College where she was Head of Magis (Gifted Education) Learning Area and Coordinator of the Ignatius Centre (Library), Annette is passionate about literacy, about student learning, and school libraries being central to both processes. She has worked closely with the ICT at John XXIII College to ensure the library has become a stronger and more complex study centre, ‘a hub of multi-faceted learning where we all work to provide cutting edge pedagogy in alignment with the College Strategic Plan and the ethos of Catholic Education’. We look forward to Annette’s commencement at Av�԰� Christi College. I also wish to acknowledge Daniel Budd, who has undertaken this role in Semester One prior to Annette’s commencement. Daniel and Annette will work closely together to continue to form a central learning focused hub for all in the College community.

·&�Բ��;&�Բ��;&�Բ��;&�Բ��;&�Բ��;&�Բ��; Kristen Nairn has been appointed to take Wendy Quint’s HPE classes. Kristen has most recently worked at Kolbe Catholic College, after recently working at Iona Presentation College for several years where she was also a House Coordinator for a year. She has an extensive range of teaching experience in sports, ODE and extra-curricular activities, and already possesses her Accreditation to Teach in a Catholic School qualification. Kristen recently completed her Masters of Educational Leadership at UWA, where she won the Australian College of Educators Prize and the Australian Council of Educational Leaders Award.

·&�Բ��;&�Բ��;&�Բ��;&�Բ��;&�Բ��;&�Բ��; Michael Royall will join us as an English Teacher in Semester Two to cover Tamar Caro who is on leave for Semester Two. Michael is a graduate of Av�԰� Christi College (class of 2007), and comes to us after a term at Karratha Senior High School. Outside of school hours, he has also worked for a range of tutoring programs focused on students who have been disadvantaged due to social inequality. He currently participates in one-on-one tutoring for indigenous children.

·&�Բ��;&�Բ��;&�Բ��;&�Բ��;&�Բ��;&�Բ��; Monica Smokrovic will join us as an Italian Teacher to cover Anna Triscari’s Term Three Long Service Leave, and will also assist with teaching RE. Monica has worked in the Catholic system for many years, most recently at John XXIII College and also at Newman College, Lumen Christi College and St Joseph’s College in Albany. In addition to teaching Italian, English and RE, Monica has experience as a Liturgy Coordinator.

·&�Բ��;&�Բ��;&�Բ��;&�Բ��;&�Բ��;&�Բ��; Vanessa Christie will join us as an English/Literacy Support Teacher to cover internal staff movements in English and classes after Chris Gecas accepted a role in Deaf Education late last term. Vanessa has worked for Carey Baptist College for many years, teaching English and English Literature. She recently completed a Masters of Education (with High Distinction) at Notre Dame, which included an individual project on investigating best practice in adolescent literacy. She has marked for NAPLAN and WACE, and is also a sessional tutor at Notre Dame. In 2008 on completing her Grad Dip at Notre Dame, and won the Australian College of Educators Prize and the Vice-Chancellor’s Medal

Best wishes and God bless

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Caroline Payne

Principal

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