Delany College - Granville

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

It is with great delight that we have welcomed back our Year 12 students to the College this week. It is a critical time for them as they prepare for their final exams and we are so pleased they have the opportunity to enjoy each other's company in their final weeks at school. We look forward to welcoming back our students from Years 7 to 11 next Monday, 25 October 2021. 

As you would be aware I sent a detailed communication home last week to all families outlining the COVID Safe procedures and expectations in relation to students returning to school. We have worked diligently over the last few weeks to make sure that we have complied with the public health orders and safety guidelines to ensure we can have a safe and healthy work environment for staff and students. A copy of the procedures is available in this newsletter.

It is important that students return to school and engage actively with their learning as soon as it is safe to do so. Many students have experienced challenges learning online and need the support of their teachers face to face to achieve to the best of their ability. Positive routines for learning and study habits need to be reestablished. With this in mind we have designed the daily schedule for the remainder of Term 4 to allow time after lunch each day for workshops that will allow teachers to provide support to students based on their learning needs. The daily schedule is published again in this newsletter. Given the experience we have just endured, every student needs to attend every lesson - this is really important! We will be doing diagnostic work with students this term to enable us to work with them to help set clear goals for their learning. 

We have received very positive results for our students in Years 7 and 9 that completed NAPLAN this year. In nearly all of the areas tested our average growth rate was well above the rest of the state. This is very pleasing and reflects the hard work of both students and their teachers. We will celebrate this by presenting students with certificates for High Achievement and High Growth at our next assembly on Wednesday 27 October. This will be online and you are invited to attend using the following link, please tune in at 11.00am.

 https://tinyurl.com/TERM4WEEK4

Passcode: 139954

We will also be presenting our Senior Leaders for 2022 so please tune in.

Finally, I would like to thank you all for your continued support throughout this period of restrictions. We are very aware of the challenges a large number of families have faced during the lockdown. We appreciate the difficulty of balancing work and learning at home. I am very grateful for all the work and support provided by our staff to support the children and their families. We are very blessed to have such a committed and dedicated team that works together to care for the members of our community.

God bless

Paul Easton

Principal

STUDENTS

The following requirements apply to students:

Sign In and QR Codes: Students are required to sign in and out each day using the college attendance system. Staff will maintain attendance rolls. Students are not required to sign in using QR Codes provided.  If contact tracing is required due to a positive case of COVID-19 the Compass system will be used as a means of identifying contacts.

Safety, Health and Hygiene

• Masks - students are required* to wear masks indoors.

• Social distancing - physical distancing must be maintained at all times.

• Sanitising hands and workspace - students will be required to sanitise their hands when entering a workspace and wipe down their workspace when finished. Yellow bins are provided for disposal of the sanitised wipes that will be provided.

• No sharing of devices - students are not to use mobile phones during school hours and cannot share computer devices, calculators or other equipment.

• Food and drink - students are not permitted to share food or drink. Students should bring their own water bottles. Bubblers will not be operational until further notice.

*Students are required to wear a mask indoors but exemptions apply. Exemptions include a medical condition.  A medical certificate from a doctor must be carried by the person with the exemption. Students are required to include a copy of the certificate with them. If they do not have a copy and do not wear a mask they will be required to leave the college site.

Feeling Unwell and absence from school

Students are expected to attend school from their designated return to school date unless they are unwell or have even mild symptoms of COVID-19. Any person with any COVID-19 symptoms must be sent home in line with the public health orders and not return to school unless:

• they have isolated for 10 days, when no medical certificate is available

• they have a negative COVID-19 test result and are symptom free.

Parents/Carers need to contact the office in accordance with the normal absence procedure if your child is unable to attend face to face learning.

Positive COVID- 19 Cases

In the case of testing positive to COVID-19 or becoming a close contact please contact the college office or your child’s House Coordinator immediately.

This will trigger our COVID Response Procedure.

Any person that has tested positive for COVID 19 is required to have a COVID Clearance form from NSW Health before returning to school. If this applies, please submit this form to the college office prior to your child returning to the college for face to face learning.

VISITORS

Visitors, including parents of students, are not allowed on campus unless an exemption applies. Where a visitor is considered ‘essential’ to the delivery of educational programs or the operation of the college, please advise the Principal or Assistant Principal who may give permission for them to be on site. 

All visitors are required to report to the office reception and sign in using the QR Code prior to moving to another location on the campus.

As we begin our journey towards the end of the academic school year, we look forward to welcoming students back at school face to face. The past term has certainly been a difficult one with many families in our community struggling with the pressures of the Covid-19 Lockdown. We hope that being back at school provides some stability to all our families here at the College. Pope Francis has been a vocal presence throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Most recently he has said “Thanks to God and to the work of many, we now have vaccines to protect us from Covid-19. Vaccines bring hope to end the pandemic, but only if they are available to all and if we collaborate with one another.” Pope Francis said being vaccinated was “an act of love”. He stated in a video to all people around the world that “Vaccination is a simple but profound way of promoting the common good and caring for each other, especially the most vulnerable.”

As we venture into our new freedom, we keep in mind those vulnerable people in our community who are most at risk, physically, socially, emotionally and economically. With the Season of Advent close upon us, we will look at providing some support to those very people through our Christmas Hamper Appeal.

We are especially excited to have our Year 12 students back this term to conclude their time at the college. At the conclusion of the HSC on 3rd December, we will formally acknowledge this graduating class with a liturgy and awards ceremony on the college grounds. We look forward to celebrating this milestone with this cohort who have been in our prayers throughout the lockdown period. 

The Senior Retreat for Year 11 students is usually held in Term 4 of the school year. Given current circumstances and restrictions we have made the decision to postpone the Senior Retreat to Week 4 of Term 1 2022. Please be assured that our Year 11 students will not miss out on this vital formation experience. 

As we begin to see our students face to face over the coming weeks, we pray that we come to a renewed realisation of how important our community is. Jesus Himself affirmed His own community and spoke lovingly of the importance of sharing experiences with one another. In being able to once again share experiences face to face, we consider the reality of ‘being church’ for one another in times of crisis, celebration and hope. 

God Bless

Mrs Karina Stow

Religious Education Coordinator 

Lockdown has been tricky for all of us, but my experience has been made bearable by a few lockdown ‘legends.’

Obviously my family and friends have been amazing, but a special mention to:

• My two German Shorthaired Pointers - Archie and Frankie! They keep me company and there is never a dull moment in my household! They don’t like me being on the computer or Zooms for too long, and give me a gentle nudge as a reminder that it's time for a screen break and to head outside to play! My fur legends!

• My colleagues - There have been some days that have been tougher than others and  my Delany family have  been great at checking in on each other and offering support. So grateful for these legends!

• My students - Some of my senior legends have taken up an opportunity for extra support in order to get their competencies up to date. This probably wouldn’t have happened if we were in face-to-face teaching circumstances, so I am pleased with this positive outcome from lockdown.

Thank you to all of these legends for their positive contributions to my lockdown experience. 

Miss Michelle Mutabdzija

House Coordinator - Mackillop

As you may know, Lockdown has been hard, not only for NSW AU but also for the whole world. During these times, it is often easy to identify the negatives of a pandemic, however, it is healthier to point out the good things that have occurred in these circumstances to get a different perception of what is occurring. Being at home has helped me to appreciate outdoor weather, family & friends, certain hobbies, my faith, and life before the virus. The individuals who have been legends during this time are my parents, and most importantly God. Mum and Dad have had to deal with all four of their children at home, annoying them constantly with online learning and boredom. On top of having to deal with us bickering kids, they’ve also continued to work as essential workers, providing us with a place to call home. God has also played a huge role during these difficult times. He is with us no matter what may be happening within our lives. Many people may say, “If God loves us then why put us through a pandemic?”, except, maybe instead everyone should be saying “Maybe God has put us through this to get our attention and draw closer to Him”. Overall, the lockdown has surely had a negative impact on each individual in this state, however, next time, focus on the positive things in life to get a different perspective. A saying that my parish priest said that has stuck with me is “I’m too blessed to be stressed”. Next time, count blessings before stressing :)

Theresa Hana - Year 9

My lockdown is not too bad because of Ace who is my 2 year old puppy who keeps me happy all the time. He goes everywhere with me and everyone likes him because he's a kind puppy and is gentle with old people like my grandma who is 91.

My Grandma loves Ace and Ace loves her, she used to come every day to play with Ace but not anymore because of lockdown.

Dani Makdsi - Year 9

We ask all parents/carers to be mindful and considerate of our neighbours when dropping off and/or picking up students. Please DO NOT park across anyone's driveway. Fines can apply.

Thank you 

Delany College

Dear Parents/Guardians

School Fees have now been issued and are due by 18 November 2021.

We are aware of the financial strain that COVID-19 is having on some families and its impact on their capacity to pay school fees. Families experiencing hardship are encouraged to seek support by contacting the school.

If you have any queries regarding your account or your payment arrangements, please contact Christine on 02 8633 8107 or deln-grvlfees@parra.catholic.edu.au.

If you are already on a payment arrangement or are awaiting the outcome of a concession application, then this statement is for information purposes only.

International Chemistry Quiz Results

During the lockdown, Year 11 Chemistry students participated in the International Chemistry Quiz. The Quiz consisted of 30 multiple choice questions to be answered online in 60 minutes. Students were able to apply their knowledge and understanding of Chemistry to stimulus material provided in the questions. 

The ICQ was not a test of syllabus content rather a task about chemical thinking. Though only a few marks off achieving credit scores for the quiz, each of these students challenged themselves and extended their knowledge of Chemistry.

Congratulations to the students who completed the quiz:

Mia, Catherine, Cindy, Sei, Abdullah and Reeju. 

Ms Grace Hey

Science Leader

Dear Parents & Caregivers

As you may be aware, one of our initiatives this year was to give stage 5 students the opportunity to participate in The Helmsman Project which was focussed on a world where young people realise their potential.

The Helmsman Project is a coaching and experiential learning program for Year 9 students located in communities experiencing disadvantage. Through professional coaching, hands-on experiences and community projects, young people learn to see the opportunities available to them and increase their sense of hope, self-regulation, resilience and community mindedness. Equipped with these essential life skills, they can make better decisions and reach their full potential.

Here is the link to a reflection article by The Helmsman Team

featuring Ofa of Year 9:

https://thehelmsmanproject.org.au/story-detail.php?Ofa-s-newfound-sense-of-self---a-Helmsman-impact-story-21

I hope you enjoy reading it. Thank you for your continued support of the transition Initiatives this year and beyond.

Mrs Roubica Akkouche

Transition & Academic Tracking Coordinator

All Vaccinations for this year have now been postponed till 2022

Please make sure all consent forms have been signed and return to the front office.

If you require a consent form please ask our front office administration ladies.

Thank you

Delany College

If something happens to your child, we need to be able to contact you.

Please make sure all your details are updated. If you're not sure if we hold your most current details please do not hesitate to contact our Administration Office on 8633 8100.

The College Summer uniform is to be worn during Term 1 and 4 of the school year. 

The College blazer, soft shell jacket and jumper are optional in summer.

The College blazer or soft shell jacket may be worn during summer; boys may wear it with the College tie and girls may wear it over their blouse. 

Girls Summer Uniform:

Skirt - College skirt with green check

Trousers -  College issued grey trousers only

Junior blouse  - College white blouse

Senior blouse  - College blue blouse

College blazer -    Y10-12 - compulsory

                                Y7-9 - optional

Soft shell jacket  - Y7-9 students only

Jumper or cardigan - College blue wool blend V neck jumper or cardigan, 

both are optional. 

Junior Socks -  White short cotton socks. No anklet socks  

Senior Socks - Blue short cotton socks. No anklet socks

Shoes - Standard black leather lace-up school shoes. No 

platform heel or coloured thread is permitted. 

Bag College bag for Years 7-12

Cap College cap - optional

Boys Summer Uniform:

Trousers - College issued grey trousers

Belt - Black belt with an appropriate buckle

Junior shirt  - College short sleeve white shirt

Senior shirt -  College short sleeve blue shirt

Junior tie  - College green tie with crest

Senior tie  - College blue tie with crest

College blazer - Y10-12 - optional

                            Y7-9 - optional

Soft shell jacket  - Y7-9 students only - optional

Jumper College  - blue wool blend V neck jumper, optional. If

worn, it must be under the blazer or soft shell jacket.

Socks - Dark grey or black socks. No anklet socks

Shoes - Standard black leather lace-up school shoes.

No boots or coloured thread is permitted. 

Bag College bag for Years 7-12

Cap College cap - optional

The Uniform Shop is currently closed for trade but you are still able to purchase items online at the link below.

www.noone.com.au/school/delany-college/shop

Thank you 

Uniform Shop