23 July 2021 - Newsletter (Vol 38 No 11)
- Principal's Message
- Assistant Principal - Mission - Staff and Student Wellbeing
- Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching
- Curriculum Matters
- Year 11 Science
- Year12 Sport Lifestyle and Recreation
- Literacy Matters
- Sports Corner
- Bill Turner Trophy Cup Girls
- 2021 SJPC Ski Trip Wrap Up
- Kawalazi Development Project
- Office News
- Parent Assembly
- Vaping. What do parents need to know?
- Headspace Mental Health Education Sessions
- Girls Basketball
Welcome back to Term 3!
It’s the small thing’s that matter
Last week we had a fabulous College athletics carnival and it was such a pleasure to walk around the grounds and see all the students having fun. We must never underestimate the value of the community getting together to celebrate the wonder and talents of all our students.
Sadly, COVID 19 restrictions have meant that again parents and visitors have limited access to the College grounds and events and I want to say thank you to those who continue to do their best at following the rules that are now in place. Please make sure you keep checking our Facebook page and the emails we send out regarding changes to operations and the FAQ sheets.
The following message landed in my inbox last week, and now more than ever, the words resonate with so many people, particularly those who are in lockdown areas struggling with mental health, - things we take for granted that we are fortunate not to have had to go through again in Coffs Harbour.
Reach out to someone who needs to hear your voice, text a message to someone in lockdown, check in on family and friends – who knows, yours may the only voice they hear that day!!
We are truly blessed and I thank God for each of you every day.
God bless
Michael Carniato
Principal
COVID-19 has many of us glued to the news, concerned for loved ones, and adapting our lives to deal with the changes the pandemic is having on our homes, schools, and workplaces. It’s pretty tough. Up until recently, we have been extremely fortunate to live where we do. As time goes on we have become more affected. We may not be able to see loved ones in lockdown, may be worried about elderly parents or our businesses may be suffering.
These times have heightened people's emotions, intensified opinions and festered misinformation. Times are tough, but now more than ever we need to be kind, kind to each other and kind to ourselves. While in the supermarket last week, I witnessed a woman explaining to another as to why she was buying so much toilet paper. She went on to say some was for her elderly mother and the other was for her daughter who was home with her new born baby. That woman shouldn’t feel the need to explain, but she did. It is saddening to think we have come to this.
‘Kindness has been shown to increase self-esteem, empathy and compassion, and improve mood. It can decrease blood pressure and cortisol, a stress hormone, which directly impacts stress levels. People who give of themselves in a balanced way also tend to be healthier and live longer. Kindness can increase your sense of connectivity with others, which can directly impact loneliness, improve low mood and enhance relationships in general. It also can be contagious. Looking for ways to show kindness can give you a focus activity, especially if you tend to be anxious or stressed in some social situations.’ (Steve Siegle is a licensed professional counsellor in Behavioural Health at the Mayo Clinic, Wisconsin.)
On many occasions Jesus showed kindness. He used parables and stories to teach us about the Kingdom of God. But his greatest method was teaching by example. His deeds taught us about many Christian values, such as kindness and compassion. He raised children from the dead out of pity for their parents and accepted disciples from all walks of life.
It’s in our nature to learn by watching others, which is why it is so important to be kind to yourself and show kindness to those around you. People, and kids especially, can learn kindness just by seeing what you do. One of our Year Coordinators has initiated the idea of completing a random act of kindness as part of his student management, and the students have adapted well to the new arrangements.
So until next time what you can do for someone else (or yourself) and see if it really does make a difference.
“Kindness begins with the understanding that we all struggle.” C Glassman
Assistant Principal - Mission
Staff and Student Wellbeing
Parent Student Teacher Conferences Term 3
Due to CSO advice and current COVID-19 social distancing requirements, Year 11 PST Conferences are being conducted via a Google Classroom booking process. The conferences are currently underway over a two week period (T3 W 2-3) through Q&A emails, ZOOM or phone calls.
The College will review this process and determine the best approach for PST Conferences for Year 7-10, scheduled for dates later in Term 3. More information will be sent to parents as each event draws closer as the College is following CSO and NSW Health directives.
Year 7-10 Semester Reports
Year 7-10 Semester 1 Reports are available on Sentral and all parents have been emailed a link to access these reports. Any student or parent who still does not have access to their reports are asked to make contact with our Information Technology staff or myself for assistance.
Once students have read their reports, I encourage all students to consider setting goals on areas to improve upon for Semester 2 and be the basis of the next round of PST Conferences.
Staff Development Day
Last week our teaching staff had the opportunity to continue our work with the Lyn Sharratt Learning Collaborative. The focus of the day was for staff to continue to work towards ensuring we are developing ASSESSMENT CAPABLE LEARNERS who understand what they are supposed to learn, monitor their own progress, set goals and reflect on their learning.
Teachers were introduced to the ‘Assessment Waterfall Chart’. This concept asks class teachers to consider the learning intention of each topic and how they would know if it has been successful.
We are asking class teachers to reflect upon the following:
- What are you teaching?
- How are you teaching it?
- What will you do if students haven’t learnt it?
- How can you improve?
The Learning Collaborative also asked teachers to reflect on their classroom pedagogy and consider the Gradual Release and Acceptance of Responsibility (GRR) model. This implies the need to build each student's capacity to own their own learning and to consider not just what to learn but how to learn.
These exciting and innovative developments at the college indicate continued growth and improvement in teaching pedagogy and student outcomes.
Study Skills
Learn more this year about how to improve your results and be more efficient and effective with your schoolwork by working through the units on www.studyskillshandbook.com.au. Our College access details are:
Our school’s access details are:
School’s Username – stjohnpaul
School’s password – 89success
In addition, our subscription to Elevate Education may assist in this area.
This online platform contains resources and useful study tips that all SJPC students will find effective. We encourage them to access this Student Portal and try some of the strategies. Students have the password to this site. The password can also be found on the Curriculum Noticeboard.
AMDG
James Furey
Assistant Principal
Learning and Teaching
Empowering Parents to Reinforce Study Skills
Elevate Education are continuing to provide parents of St. John Paul College exclusive access to their Parent Webinar Series for Term 3, 2021.
The webinars run live online from 7pm – 8pm where the presenter will share Elevate’s key research and skills, and will conduct a live Q&A so you can ask them questions directly.
Upcoming dates
- 4 August - Technology devices and how to stay focused and balanced.
- 18 August - Note taking skills to help your child deepen their revision.
- 1 September- Exam Homestretch and how to support your child in the final weeks.
The webinars began on Wednesday 21 July 2021.
To reserve your spot, you can register for free using the link below:
Year 12
As you now know the Trial Examination period has been rescheduled – beginning in Week 5 this term. The new timetable can be found on the HSC Curriculum Matters Google Classroom.
Keep up to date with NESA Advice via the link below:
NESA advice for Year 11 and 12
Thank you to the staff who ran the workshops and gave their students their time. Well done to those students who took advantage of this opportunity to hone their knowledge, understanding and skill level.
You will reap the benefits of your efforts and the support provided!
The health and wellbeing of students remains a priority in the lead up to examinations. To support students, the Minister for Education has launched the Stay Healthy HSC Hub, which is a one-stop-shop for students and their parents, and includes study tips, mental health and wellbeing support and 24/7 specialist services.
New Managing Exam Stress resources to support students and parents are also now available on NESA’s Student Wellbeing page. The links to these resources are in addition to the support structures we have in place for families at the College.
Year 11
Students, parents and carers have been involved in discussions with teaching staff regarding their children’s progress in their HSC courses and the areas needing improvement. This reflective process is vital for all concerned as it helps develop a shared focus and an increased understanding of how to support students to achieve their goals and make the most of their time at the College. New goals will be set, study skills and strategies revisited and adapted, and support sought.
We remind all Year 11 students and their families that the increased workload and work ethic required to attain an HSC need a focused, organised and supported approach, with a commitment to improvement.
Evidence shows that students who learn the value of effort are the ones that are more satisfied and successful in work and life. They are the resilient ones!
- Students studying 1 unit Studies of Religion will now sit their Trial examination on Monday the 16 August starting at 9am in the College Hall.
Year 10
All Year 10 should now have completed the online process of selecting subjects for Stage 6. Those students returning to the College will have also generated and submitted the signed report outlining their Pattern of Study.
As student choice determines the subjects SJPC offer in Stage 6 it is vital that any student not intending to return to the College has informed us either by indicating this via the SSO platform OR informing the Curriculum Office. If you change your mind and return to the College, then you can select from the courses that we have finalised based on student choice.
Year 8
Year 8 students have started the process of selecting their 2022/23 Electives this term. They have been provided with an Elective Information Pack, as well as access to a Course Information Website, and time meeting with and listening to Elective teachers.
We have been so impressed by their cooperative and respectful behaviour during the presentations, and their active engagement and participation in the activities. Unfortunately, due to COVID restrictions, the planned Curriculum Information evening on Wednesday 28 July has had to be cancelled.
We encourage students to read their handbooks, access the website and ask lots of questions of their teachers.
In Week 3 students will receive an email containing a link to the online selection platform, along with instructions to help them complete the process. If students or parents have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Curriculum Office.
Years 7 – 9
As students are maturing and their brain is changing, it is timely that they reflect on their learning, and set their Semester 2 goals, with a focus on improvement. I encourage parents and carers to discuss this with their children.
Claudia Brown
Leader of Curriculum
Year 11 Biology Depth Study Assessment Task
Students in Year 11 Biology have been busy working on their depth studies for the past 6 weeks which culminated in them building their Infographics and presenting their 3-D models on Wednesday last week. The task required students to create an Infographic to compare and contrast between the digestive systems of 3 different mammals of their choice. Students were also required to construct a 3-D model from their chosen materials illustrating the different transport systems in plants and how they change throughout the plant. A number of students expressed their fondness of the project based learning task and wished they would receive more tasks of the same.
"The depth study that I have completed as a part of my Year 11 biology project is something that I should be proud of. Throughout the process of completing the task many efforts were taken in order to compile a logical and well-presented depth study in the form of an infographic and a 3D model. I created a model that was quite different to the rest of the group as I wanted to stand out. The overall process was good and the requirements of the task were suitable for a Year 11 project, however I found some parts of the process confusing but managed to get there in the end and therefore a successful depth study was completed." Kaitlyn Bissett, Yr 11 Student
All students are to be congratulated for their efforts and their teachers Mr Guy, Mrs Adams and yours truly were very impressed with what they presented. Well Done Year 11 Biology!
Cornhole
As part of their Individual Games & Sports Application unit, the Year 12 Sport Lifestyle and Recreation class have been working on planning, creating and playing their own ‘Cornhole’ game. Cornhole (also known as bean bag toss) is a lawn game developed in North America, in which players take turns throwing small bags of corn kernels at a raised platform (board) with a hole in the far end.
Without Cornhole boards at school, Lex, Byron and Saxon built and painted their own from second hand materials in the woodwork room. The boys would like to thank Mr Hibberd and Mr Lemire (Timber) and Mrs Foggiato (Art) for their help and patience with this process.
The boys have enjoyed playing the game and it is now available for other students and classes to play a game that they have never seen before.
Mark Coster
Year 12 SLR Teacher
Homophones
Over the next few weeks classrooms will have a focus on homophones. Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings.
Being familiar with these can help students build confidence and accuracy with their writing and spelling. For some of us it can be incredibly frustrating when the incorrect homophone is used in correspondence, messages and documents.
Sporting Success
Late last term and early this term have seen some amazing individual and team performances in the sporting arena.
College Athletics carnival
Thursday 15 July turned out to be a spectacular day for the College Athletics Carnival. An awesome turn out from students and high participation levels throughout the day resulted in a chaotic but fulfilling end of the carnival with the Relays being able to take place before the end of the day.
All houses hotly contested the events, but there could only be one winner in the end!
| Place | House | Points |
| 1 | Kelly | 1031 |
| 2 | Hargraves | 920 |
| 3 | Casey | 828 |
| 4 | McAuley | 789 |
Congratulations Kelly House!!!
A number of records were broken on the day. Congratulations to all the following students, particularly the outstanding achievements of Alexandra Harrison, who broke 3 College records on the day!
- 12/13 years Boys 4 x 100 Relay - the Hagraves team broke the past record of 57.22 with a run of 54.68
- 13 years Boys Shot Put - Sonny Colyer beat the past record of 11.53m with a throw of 11.75m
- 17+ years Girls High Jump - Alexandra Harrison broke the past record of 1.45m with a massive 1.75 jump
- 17+ years Girls Long Jump - Alexandra Harrison broke the past record of 4.77m with a jump of 4.88m
- 17+ years Girls Shot Put - Alexandra Harrison broke the past record of 9.97m with a throw of 10.52m
Age Champions
| Age Champions |
| Age | Boys Champion | House | Girls Champion | House |
| 12 | Ziggy Munokoa | M | Lilianna Marle | K |
| 13 | Cooper Moore | H | Dayna Loy | K |
| 14 | Riley Woods | M | Hayley Pitkin | K |
| 15 | Beau Guthrie | H | Darcy O'Rorke | K |
| 16 | Matthew Cornelius | C | Mia Blackett | C |
| 17+ | Harrison Colyer | M | Alexandra Harrison | H |
Special thanks must go to all staff who stepped up to take on roles they have not done for two years. The maintenance men, administration team, Tanya Slaviero and Bryce Sully were instrumental in making the day happen.
The top 4 finishers in each event are posted on the Palace window. Any student who finished first or second in the 100m, 200m, 800m or 1500m or first in the 400m or any field event has qualified for the College Athletics team and needs to collect a note from Mrs Furey (team manager) or from the Palace. The Diocesan Athletics carnival which was scheduled for Thursday 12 August has been postponed. Families will be informed when a new date is set.
Australian Lawn Bowls Champion
Late last term, our school community had the exciting opportunity to watch one of our own, Joseph Clark (Year 11) compete in the Australian Lawn Bowls Championships on the Gold Coast. Via a live stream to the College Hall, many of Joseph's friends, peers and teachers were able to watch every bowl and end, until we were proudly able to celebrate with him when he took out the match 21 - 15. Congratulations to Joe on achieving this amazing title; it was extra special that his success was able to be a wonderful moment shared by the school community.
Cochrane Cup
Our 14 year old League boys were successful in the regional round of the Cochrane cup when they travelled to Port Macquarie on 24 June. Our boys scored on the buzzer to beat St Jospeh’s Port Macquarie, with Cooper Moore kicking the goal to win after the final siren. Despite a major injury sustained on the day, the boys had a wonderful experience and now progress on to the next phase of the competition. Details are yet to be announced due to the recent postponement due to Covid.
Representative Sport
With the recent lock down extension of Greater Sydney and the flow on impacts that has for our Sport, the following sports have currently been postponements -
- Dio Touch Football (postponed, date TBA)
- Netball Cup NSW (postponed, date TBA)
- Cochrane Cup 14’s (postponed, date TBA)
- Country Rugby League 13’s (postponed to 25/08 @ Cex Stadium)
- Katrina Fanning Girls Tackle League Gala day (postponed, date TBA)
- CCC Netball (cancelled)
- CCC Boys Hockey (cancelled)
- Diocesan Athletics (postponed, date TBA)
Additional CCC sport has been postponed or cancelled. Please check the CSNSW website directly for more information. Any sport that has been rescheduled is listed below in the ‘Coming up’ section.
No other sport has been postponed at this stage. As changes arise, information will be posted on the Palace noticeboard, in the Daily notices and upcoming Newsletters.
| Coming Up |
| Term 3 | |
| 28 July | Netball Cup NSW Regional Finals, Port Macquarie (POSTPONED TBA) |
| 2 August | Bill Turner Cup Round 5 Game, SJPC |
| 3 - 4 August | Diocesan Junior Basketball, Coffs Harbour (POSTPONED TBA) |
| 11 - 12 August | Bill Turner Cup and Trophy Semi's, Cex Stadium |
| 12 August | Diocesan Athletics Carnival, Cex Stadium Coffs (POSTPONED TBA) |
| 2 September | Diocesan Netball, Port Macquarie |
| Term 4 | |
| 8 October | Diocesan Volleyball, Coffs Harbour |
| 19 October | NSW Netball Cup North Coast Finals, Port Macquarie (TBC) |
| 20 October | Berg Shield Cricket, TBC |
| 24-25 October | CCC Junior Basketball, Penrith |
| 3 November | Diocesan Gymnastics, Grafton |
| 4 November | Diocesan Senior Waterpolo, Alstonville |
| 9 November | Diocesan Golf, Coffs Harbour |
| 11 November | Diocesan Junior Waterpolo, Alstonville |
| 14 - 16 November | 7 - 9 Sport enrichment camp, Narrabeen |
Danielle McAra
Sport Co-ordinator
The Bill Turner Trophy is a school soccer competition for girls aged 15 and under.
Each year, nearly 400 schools from NSW, Queensland, ACT and Victoria compete in this knockout contest. This competition has been running for 31 years. SJPC has entered teams in this knockout competition for many years, and this year has been our most successful yet.
During Term 2, the team played schools in the Coffs Harbour area in this knockout competition. We started round 1 with a bye. The round 2 game was scheduled to be played against Orara High School at Orara, but thanks to the wet weather we experienced at the time, Orara’s field was not in a playable condition. The game was rescheduled to SJPC to play on our perfectly manicured fields giving us the home ground advantage.
The girls showed no mercy in this game and the combined talent on the field led us to a very convincing 13-1 win. We then moved on to round 3 against Bellingen to be played at Bellingen. In previous years, Bellingen has been the stand out team in our area and has always been the team to beat. SJPC has never been successful against this team until now. It was a tough game, but we kept playing strongly and were forced into overtime with the scores sitting even at 1-1 at full time. The girls continued to play some of their best football yet and came away with a 2-1 win during overtime. Progressing through to round 4, we were again playing at the college against BDC. Another tough game was played, but this awesome team came away with another outstanding win with a score of 4-0.
This win put us in the lead on the ladder and gave SJPC the title of Champions for our Mid North Coast cluster and we were ready to progress to the round 5 final against Oxley High School Tamworth. It was a very tough game and the team played extremely well and gave it their all on the day, but unfortunately in the final 6 minutes Oxley secured a goal to come away with the 2-1 win.
Although we lost in the final, we are all very happy with how far we have come and how well we came together as a team and we can't wait for next year's competition.
We would like to thank our amazing coaches Ms Istrate and Mrs Slaviero for being our biggest supporters and helping us to be the Champion team that we are.
Year 8 Students
With the unridden Blanchy’s in the background the ski group bid farewell to the awesome Perisher Smiggins Resort. This year’s group of Sean Abel, Kaitlyn Bissett, Taj Buck, Siena Carrett, Jeremy Clack, Jasper Cougle, Alexis French, David Gilliland, Connor Hennessy, Molly Keys, Jacob Lacy, Lachlan Marle, Courtney Martyn, William McCormack, Laila McDonald, Jordyn Pethick, Sophia Rava, Teia Scotford, Ethan Sultana, Jake Wise, Nathan Wood and Thomas Ylinen together with teachers Claudia Brown, Michelle Merrikin and Paul Corsalini thoroughly enjoyed this winter wonderland, with plenty of snow, consecutive blue bird days and pockets of powder to be had, there wasn’t a face without a grin by the week's end. The hospitality showed to us by Bart and Jenny of Peer Gynt Lodge, and the great professional services delivered by Simes Bros Coaches made for an outstanding trip.
You can watch our ski trip video here: 2021 Ski Trip
Planning for the 2022 annual Ski Trip has already begun. Current Year 10 and 11 students should mark it in their calendar: 2 - 9 July 2022. Expressions of interest notes will be available in Term 4.
Paul Corsalini
Careers Adviser
SRC Kawalazi Project
An important part of our Catholic Outreach program at SJPC is the Kawalazi Project. This annual project is headed by a committee made up from the SRC. The Kawalazi Project highlights the Catholic Social Teaching Principles of:
(i) Each person being SACRED made in the image of God.
(ii) All people have RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES to work for the common good.
(iii) We care for people who are POOR and vulnerable.
The Kawalazi committee have been working together to come up with ways to raise much needed funds in order to sponsor our sister schools Kawalazi Primary and Kawalazi District Secondary in a small town, Kawalazi in Malawi, Africa. The children in this town are deprived of education and found in the cycle of poverty, where their families are unable to afford the basic gift of education. Women are often married off young and many children are not able to work as they are illiterate without education.
August will be Kawalazi Month.
The committee has been putting various activities together where donations and sponsorships can be made, in order to supply these children with the basic gift of education. These activities will include:
- A Mufti Day - come dressed in the colours of the Malawi flag (Red, Green & Black), with a gold coin donation.
- A sponsorship wall - where students/families are encouraged to choose a child to sponsor off the wall located in the canteen area.
- Homeroom Challenge - The aim is for each homeroom/individual is to raise $50 to educate one student for the year. Each time the homeroom/individual raises $10 they will receive a raffle ticket to go into a draw for a sausage sizzle. The more money raised, the more raffle tickets, the more chance to win the sausage sizzle!
- Each family that sponsors a child individually, will be invited to the sausage sizzle.
The Kawalazi Mufti Day will be organised during August.
Donations and support for this cause would be greatly appreciated and it is hoped that the College community will get behind the various activities.
Collectively SJPC is able to provide our sister school in Kawalazi with school supplies, money to assist the building of new infrastructure for classrooms and bathrooms as well as sponsoring children in order to participate in school and provide them with an education for the best start in life.
Please stay tuned for further announcements regarding Kawalazi Month.
Kawalazi Committee
Coffs Harbour Cup
Coffs Cup 1/2 day is scheduled for Thursday 5 August. Further information will be sent closer to the time.
Finance
Students travelling to Heron Island
2022 Top End Safari Instalment Reminder
Cancelled Sydney Excursions
Uniform Shop
Tracksuits are now in stock and available in the following sizes ONLY
Sizes: 10, 12, 14, 16 plus Sml & Med
Covid Restrictions
Please be aware to enter the College & Uniform Shop you MUST be wearing a mask and will be required to sign in using the QR code provided.
Connect and Reflect Gatherings: Building Strong Families
Hey girls, come and try basketball!
This 4 week FREE program is for ALL girls aged 7 to 16 who are new to basketball or haven’t had much experience playing before and would like to come along and have a try.
It's at Sportz Central Saturday 24 July for 4weeks at 10am - 11am, the theme is PINK and you'll need a water bottle, snack and a ball if you have one.
Further information please call Steph Rickards - Administration Officer Coffs Harbour Basketball Association 02 6651 1452 coffsharbourbasketball.com.au