25 June 2021 - Newsletter (Vol 38 No 10)

Last week saw the conclusion of interviews for Year 7 2022. We had over 260 applications for 208 spots and the calibre of applicants was outstanding. One of the questions I asked each student was whether they read because they have to or because they liked to. As you would expect there were a range of responses; ‘I read all the time’, ‘I read when people make me’, ‘I read only if it’s a good book’ and so on…

Walking and reading are basic skills in life. We are good at walking because we never stop practising.

Reading is different. Some people learn faster; some people do not practise. Some people just choose not to read. Reading really does matter. Your children will benefit through life from being able to read at the best of their ability. It doesn’t matter what you read, what matters most is that you just read:

• Read books at your level – if there are more than 5 words on the first page that are too hard, choose an easier text to read.
• Read about things that interest you – reading shouldn’t be a chore, it should be enjoyable.
• Parents should read as well – let children see that reading is valued in your house.

Proficient readers develop essential skills that are transferable not only in a school setting but that are valuable lifelong skills, they;

• Make connections
• Are able to predict outcomes
• Create sensory images
• Read between the lines to infer
• Ask questions
• Look for the big idea
• Create summaries
• Connect between the known and the new

As parents and teachers we need to encourage all our children to read (regardless of the level). We must set examples – let them see you read, furnish our homes and classrooms with reading materials, give them an opportunity to choose their material as well, build on their interests, acknowledge them when we see them doing it!!

More and more time is spent on screens and many of our children don’t read for simple pleasure – I invite you and encourage you to have the discussion as a family around the value you place on reading and to see what simple changes you can make to show that READING MATTERS.

With the winter break upon us maybe these holidays can be an opportunity to pick up a good book and read. As always, please feel free to contact the wonderful library staff who can assist in this area.

Thank you for a great Term 2, have a restful break and enjoy some quality time with family and friends.

God bless

As Semester One comes to an end, it seems timely to take a moment to think about the year so far, take stock and look forward to the remainder of 2021.

The Cambridge dictionary defines this as, ‘to take stock (of something) is to think carefully about a situation or event and form an opinion about it, so that you can decide what to do.'

Taking stock can be about finding personal happiness and discovering your life purpose. Make some time where you can really think about where you are and what's happening around you at the moment. You need to sometimes give yourself time to step back and evaluate things, otherwise the day to day stuff will be overwhelming.

Do you ever take the time to have a go at taking stock of things in your life? Sometimes, however organised we are, things can overwhelm us, and taking stock is what's needed to get back to a sense of normality as quickly as possible.

Usually we stray off course due to something out of our control taking up our time more than usual – a family emergency, illness, holidays even. Or we can simply lose track for a few weeks as life gets busier and we can’t stick to our usual routines for a while.

Whatever the reason – it can be really difficult to get back on track.

The mountain of backlog can feel burdensome, and too much to bear – and we end up feeling down/stressed/procrastinating etc….

Who wants that?

We all get in this mode at times, and the only way to come out of it with some sense of sanity is to draw a line in the sand and take stock.

If you can take stock of your life – there are so many benefits:-

• You gain a better perspective on what's niggling you constantly
• You can start to add these items as “TO DOs” into your diary – one a day would be a great place to start
• You can see what you can delegate to others to get through things more quickly
• You have a better understanding of where you are, and where you want/need to be
• You gain more head space as you aren’t constantly thinking about things that need to be done

So take some more time right now and prioritise these things over all others. Use a day in the upcoming break to really go through everything – or tackle things over a weekend – whatever fits your life the easiest.

Step back. Pray. Ask God for vision and perspective. Consider His Word. Remember His power, provision and plan. Move beyond self-led reactions to Spirit-led responses. The late pastor and theologian A.W. Tozer wrote, “Sometimes when we get overwhelmed we forget how big God is.”

Until next term, stay safe and attached is a prayer that I have found to be useful.

Year 8

Year 8 students will be starting the process of selecting their 2022/23 Electives in Week 1 Term 3. They will be provided with an Elective Information Pack, as well as access to an Elective Information Website. A Curriculum Information evening will be held at the College on Wednesday July 28^th from 6:30 pm. Stay tuned !!

Years 7 – 9

All students should now be re-evaluating their Semester 1 goals and determining what they want for their learning in Semester 2.

Our Junior team will have a lot to live up to as they enter the first round of competition to represent the school on 30 July. The students are starting to prepare their speeches which already cover diverse topics such as “Should We Live Forever?”, “Standardised Education is Deeply Flawed” and “Video Games: A Sporting Sensation” are some of the topics that are going to be explored making for an entertaining day for our school judges. Good luck to Samara Satyanand, Alexandra Nealand, John Hughes, Chelsea Bird and Tully Gennat.

Japanese Students meet the Deputy Ambassador of Japan

On Friday 18 June, ten students from the Years 10 and 11 Japanese classes were invited to meet with the Deputy Ambassador, Mr Shutaro Omura, at the Botanic Gardens in Coffs Harbour. Mr Omura had travelled from the Japanese Embassy in Canberra to officially open the Manga Exhibition at the Cartoon Gallery. 

Mr Omura spoke to the students about his role as Deputy Ambassador, the experiences he has had in his various positions around the world and how important learning another language is to enable you to appreciate all people and cultures, even your own. 

Afterwards the students were able to enjoy a traditional Japanese lunch in the gardens. The students invited were: Year 10 - Amelie Smith, Jessica Harrison, Jorja Kyle, Adrian Aranibar, Syarn Lee and Neve Bienefelt and Year 11 - Jackson Lantry, Jordyn Pethick, Kaitlyn Bissett and Lucy McPherson.

Some of the students have shared their thoughts about the day.

What did you learn from the Ambassador?

Kaitlyn - We learnt about the importance of the connection between Australia and Japan and the vast experiences that travels and exchanges to Japan offer and their positive influence on us. We understood how this can impact how we learn the Japanese language in the future, and how this will contribute to our studies.

Syarn - We learnt that it is very important to start learning languages from an early age as Mr Omura has studied multiple languages throughout his life. This has encouraged us to keep motivated with our studies and to further develop our skills in Japanese.

What did you find most interesting about what Mr Omura said?

Jackson – Mr Omura’s devotion to other cultures through his travelling and living in different places and learning their languages. First travelling and living in America when he was about 25. Then later on travelling to and living in Thailand. Mr Omura said that it was much harder for him to learn Thai, as he was much older whilst learning Thai, opposed to the other languages he has learnt.

Lucy - It was interesting to hear how it was hard to learn a language when you're older and how it’s good to learn a language at school while you’re young. Also it is good to find a hobby that includes Japanese and as it can motivate us.

What did you find surprising about what Mr Omura said?

Kaitlyn - Something that was surprising about what he said was that he was not a big fan of Manga, although he still enjoys the art. He talked about the concept of manga art and how this will influence our studies of Japanese, through the ways in which stories are told. However, this was surprising as Manga is something that is commonly liked in the Japanese culture.

Jordyn - I was surprised at how impactful Mr Omura’s role is, and how if it wasn't for his work, there wouldn't be as many people travelling and going on exchange in other countries. By creating foreign connections, it has allowed and enabled the spread of culture and experiences, uniting many countries together.  

Syarn - Before this experience I didn’t know what the role of an ambassador was or how they contributed to the relationship of countries. Mr Omura has a significant impact on Australia in relation to Japan and travelling and highlighting the diversity of the two cultures. 

Has it changed your thoughts on language learning or your future plans? 

Jackson - After talking with Mr Omura, my enjoyment for the Japanese language has been strengthened. It has motivated me to want to be able to speak the language to a high level even more.

Lucy - After meeting with the Ambassador I want to keep learning the Japanese language/culture after school.

Jordyn - Last year I was meant to do an exchange in Japan, however due to Covid, that was cancelled. I hadn’t considered travelling to Japan since then, but after listening to the Ambassador, I have regained my initial interest, and wish to return in the future.

Year 10 Work Experience 

Our Year 10 students have been involved in work experience placements recently and  many local business’ have opened their doors to them. 

There are a number of published studies that highlight the benefits of students undertaking such experiences. Australian longitudinal studies have demonstrated  that students combining part time work and school have an increased chance of being in full time work upon school completion, and more times than not, part time work for our students has emerged as a result of them undertaking work experience. An essential outcome of work experience is its ability to add to the employability of our students. I once again thank  the following employers involved in this vital dimension of the career development of our students.

Newcastle University Campus Visit 

A group of Year 12 students recently completed a campus tour of the University of Newcastle. The tour was an opportunity for them to see student accommodation options first hand, as well as a chance to participate in a variety of hands on faculty  workshops. Taking time to visit university campuses is a valuable learning experience for our students as it assists them with deciding on their future study courses and destinations.

This program is a series of 6 webinars that focuses on the career paths associated with science and technology. It’s well worth a look for those of you who love your science, but also, for those of you who might be starting to think about your future career. The series includes the following episodes:

Where will an interest in Biology lead me?                                        

What is Chemistry useful for?                                                                 

If I study Physics, where will I end up?                                                  

What type of jobs use IT skills?                                                       

How many different types of engineer are there?                        

I like Maths. Is there anything I can be other than an actuary?

Use this link to access the webinar series: Webinar series

Upcoming Event

July 21: Post School Options Expo for Year 12