Star of Peace

Dear Families

This week I return after 6 weeks leave, to a very different environment than when I left. It was wonderful to spend time with my grandchildren in the first couple of weeks. The remainder of leave in lockdown was certainly not what I had anticipated and I am glad to be back with you, albeit in a different way. When the lockdown was announced, I had no concerns about how both staff and students would transition to remote learning. Since last year we have built our skills and knowledge to an even higher level. The feedback that I am receiving is that the learning is going well.

I would like to thank the following staff for their outstanding work in my absence. Mr Matthew Paton, Acting Principal, Mrs Kate Kelly, Acting Assistant Principal Mission and Wellbeing, Mrs Emily Beach, Instructional Leader, Learning Coach, Mrs Fiona Malone, Acting Assistant Leader of Learning English and Ms. Stephanie Thompson who assumed Miss Hagarty’s duties during her leave last term. 

It is a very uncertain time especially for our Year 12 students while we have been so blessed to have had a fantastic retreat experience and our Year 12 formal. There is so much angst around the trials and the HSC. This is a testament to the dedication and commitment of our students who have diligently been working towards these, especially over recent months. I have sent a video message to Year 12 students and families to assure them that we will look after them. There are so many unanswered questions that will be answered, we hope, over the coming days. Rest assured that every decision we make has our students and their safety, academic, social and emotional wellbeing at the centre, along with of course, the NSW Health restrictions and guidelines.

We are using our social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram to stay connected and share wellbeing tips and other great community challenges. You may even see myself and some of my leadership team in a dance video. I encourage you to follow the College on social media.

There have been some questions about changes to school fees due to remote learning. The feedback we have received from families regarding the quality of remote learning has been very positive. Our staff continue to work hard to connect with all students and bring as much continuity to the learning as possible. Our advice from the CEDP is that the adjustments to school fees will be made in relation to excursions or extracurricular events that won’t proceed. If you have an issue regarding learning please contact a member of the College Leadership team or the relevant Leader of Learning. The contact details can be found in the college diary.

As always, if your family requires some additional support due to financial hardship, please contact your Mrs Wadih here at the College, to discuss your options for fee support or deferment. 

As we move forward over the coming weeks, please remember that we walk together as one community. If you have any concerns about anything, please do not hesitate to make contact with us.

You can phone the College 88417900 or any members of the College leadership team.

General or Wellbeing Matters

Angela Hay ahay@parra.catholic.edu.au

Matthew Paton mpaton@parra.catholic.edu.au

Classwork or Curriculum Matters

Janina Starkey jstarkey1@parra.catholic.edu.au

Sarah Hagarty shagarty@parra.catholic.edu.au

Last week was the anniversary of the pledge of Fourvière. On July 23, 1816, the day after their ordination, a group of young priests, full of enthusiasm, travelled to the shrine of Fourvière in Lyon. At the feet of Our Lady, in the small chapel, they promised to establish the Society of Mary, which led to the establishment of Marist education, a short time later. Last Monday, I reminded our staff of how this continues to be important and how relevant that pledge is today.

Until we meet again in person, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.

God Bless, stay safe and take care

Mrs Hay
Principal Leader

“I am with you always, to the end of the age” Matthew 28:20

In previous communications I have referenced Pope Francis’ most recent book, ‘Let Us dream’. Throughout the lockdown period, I have read this time and time again and have been consumed by his response to our current situation. In referencing Matthew, Pope Francis reminds us that we are not alone. In times of trial, you need to be firm in faith and stay faithful to what matters. The way forward Pope Francis suggests comes through recalling our roots, not only in faith but the value of life, nature, the dignity of each other, of work and relationships - all values key to life which can not be traded away or sacrificed.

“Let Us Dream’ is set out in three distinct sections: ‘A Time to See’, ‘A Time to Choose’ and ‘A Time to act’. It presents many profound challenges for us as we endure this pandemic. It also offers great joy and hope for what comes after. Acting on the model of See, Judge, Act, it provides a model for our community of faith to respond as we come out the other side of the pandemic. The ‘See-Judge-Act' method of religious discernment was created by Belgian Cardinal Joseph Cardijn in response to overcoming the social injustices and the resulting poverty and exploitation which so many young workers were experiencing in his native Belgium. It now forms the basis of Catholic Social Teaching through our Church. Cardijn's method is often described simply as a discovery of the truth of faith, the truth of life and the truth of transformation.

Our College’s engagement with this method of social action has come through our engagement with Catholic social teachings and have been a significant focus for the College over the past two years. CST offers a way of thinking, being and seeing the world. It provides a vision for a just society in which the dignity of all are recognised, and those who are vulnerable are cared for. It is the relation of Catholic social thought and principles which can be used to reflect on and guide how we relate to one another in our local and global communities. In short, they provide a guide for people to respond to key social issues. Grounded in scripture, it also takes life from understanding, reflection and the lived experience of people throughout the life of the church.

An authentic faith – which is never comfortable or completely personal – always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better than we found it.” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium)

We will endure this pandemic and come out on the other side. The challenge Pope Francis presents for us is to discern what this other side will look like. Reminded of the promise Jesus made to his disciples after he was gone the Spirit “will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13). Pope Francis encourages us to follow the Spirit in translating the Good News into these new contexts so that the words of Jesus continues to live in the hearts of every person and every age.

Wellbeing

A reminder students have access to the site below. Developed in 2020 in our first lockdown, the resource is aimed at providing continued Wellbeing support in the virtual world. Our Pastoral leaders are continually updating this site with relevant wellbeing information. This site also has links to relevant faith resources that can be used through this period.

https://sites.google.com/parra.catholic.edu.au/spmcwellbeing/home

I would like to thank Mrs Hay for the opportunity in acting in her role as Principal over the past 6 weeks. I would also like to thanks Mrs Kate Kelly for acting in my role for the past 6 weeks in what has been a challenging time for all involved. My thanks to you both.

Regards

Matthew Paton
Assistant Principal Formation Mission and Wellbeing

Year 8 History are currently studying Medieval Europe. One of their tasks this week was to briefly investigate other civilisations which existed at the same time in other parts of the world. Students were given a timeline of various concurrent cultures, eg Ming and Yuan Dynasty in China, Ottoman, Mongol, Aztec, Inca, Celtic, and could choose ONE to complete the research exercise.

Student, Isaac Nott argued his case for a civilisation which was not on the list but was within the timeline – the Teotihuacan – who preceded the Aztecs. Isaac’s comments:

‘Last year, I started watching a TV show called Expedition Unknown. This show is hosted by a man by the name of Josh Gates. He is an archaeologist who goes around the world to solve ancient mysteries. In one episode, I saw this civilisation and the mysteries surrounding it. I have always been fascinated by the Native American civilisations such as the Inca, Maya and Aztecs. When I found out about this fourth major civilisation, I fell in love with it and have been interested in finding out more…’

Hello, from a TAS and VET perspective.

In Stage 4 TAS, year 8 are doing a unit called Food and Agriculture. As you can imagine we are missing the practical aspects of digging and growing in the garden and cooking in the kitchen. We are looking at the Farm to Plate concept and as it happens Yr 11 are doing some cooking skills as well, which showcases the plate angle. 

One of our Year 8 students, Chloe Boorer, via zoom the other day, shared her chickens (Bertha below) and how they go about their business in a backyard setting. She has 6 chickens, all with names of course, and showed us a comparison of a laid egg and one her family purchased from the shops. We had discussions about the sizes of the eggs in the industry and we will continue to explore the egg industry in Australia, including the huge export of eggs and other products to the rest of the world. In studying this topic, the ABC show LANDLINE offers very real and current information on how food gets from the farm to our plates.

Year 11 VET, Hospitality students are missing our communal cooking in class and are practicing their food cafe - style skills. We thought poached eggs would be a good one to start with in line with Chloe’s story.
Students were given the following link to follow, practice and here are some of the results;

Poached eggs

https://www.mapleandmango.com/poached-eggs-how-to-recipe/print/720/

On behalf of  TAS and VET will continue to find ways to link the school classroom, the syllabus and real life , even in lock down.

Ms Deslie Kramer
TAS and VET Teacher

The Skills and Thrills Digital Students Showcase is a free online careers resource that is now available to all NSW high school students

The Skills and Thrills Digital Students Showcase is an online video designed for high school students (years 7-12), educators and parents to provide information about post school pathways. 

The content covered includes:

• Vocational Education and Training (VET) pathways
• Industry trends
• Impact of Covid-19 on industry
• Apprenticeships, Traineeships and SBATs
• Provides an understanding of skill shortages and the future of work
• Helps students connect their passion to a career

The video created by SkillsOne in partnership with the NSW Government can be viewed at - https://www.skillsone.com.au/category/digital-students-showcase/

Attached is a media release with more information relating to this opportunity for students and parents.