Delany College - Granville

Newsletter Term 1 Week 3

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

It has been a great start to the 2021 School Year here at Delany. Thank you for all your support and assistance with ensuring your daughter’s and sons have returned to school well equipped, groomed and ready for learning.

This week we have hosted our Stage 4, 5 and 6 parent information sessions via a Zoom webinar. Firstly, thank you to those parents and carers that were able to participate and thank you for the great questions that were asked at the end of the sessions.  It is essential that your queries are answered and that we have clarity around expectations as we work together to help your child achieve their learning and development goals. If you were unable to attend the sessions, we have recorded the sessions and the links are provided later in this newsletter and also on the college website.

As you would be aware from the conversations you have had with children there are a number of practical and positive changes we have made to timetables, the learning environment and wellbeing programs to support your children this year. In each stage of learning there are a number of major initiatives that will assist your child with their learning, meeting their needs to help them achieve their goals. To highlight a few of these:

Stage 4:  Core classes have been introduced in Stage 4 where students in Years 7 and 8 have the same teachers for English, RE and HSIE.  

Stage 5:  Students have dedicated Literacy and Numeracy classes to support them at their point of learning need.

Stage 6:  A broader range of courses has been offered, including Certificate III in Fitness, to allow students to engage in the appropriate pathway to bring them success in their learning. Working in conjunction with our diocese, we are able to offer students courses through the School of Now to support students in preparing for life beyond school.

Another major change this year has been the introduction of the vertical house system for Wellbeing and Pastoral Care of students. Your child has been allocated to a house with their House Coordinator overseeing their journey through the college for the entirety of their journey from Year 7 to 12. House coordinators work with families providing greater consistency and a central contact point for parents and carers. The changes this year have already made a significant impact and I look forward to the continued benefits that will flow from this change. I ask all parents and carers support and keep the communication open with House Coordinators as we work together to assist your child in doing their very best.

Next week we will be making a major announcement in relation to a learning initiative for students in Stage 5. We want to ensure students have every opportunity to flourish and be prepared for work and study challenges that are ahead of them both academically and personally. 

Again, thank you for ongoing support. We look forward to working with you to make sure this year is a great year for every learner.

God Bless,  

Paul Easton

Principal

Assistant Principal


This newsletter update will be short and sweet this issue - which is a reflection that we are back at full speed and already super busy! 

The academic community 

On Wednesday 3 February we had two great pleasures: the first to hold a real-life College assembly for the first time in almost 12 months. The second was to welcome back two of last year’s HSC cohort and acknowledge the academic achievements of several students in the Class of 2020.

Here is what was presented at this assembly:

  • Toaila is currently preparing to begin a gap year. The expression “gap year” usually refers to a gap between completing school studies and then beginning study at university or TAFE.  Ila’s gap year plan is no ordinary plan - within the next two weeks she will commence a one year program with the Royal Australian Navy. I hope the Navy is ready for you Ila! Ila has also been offered a variety of university courses that she can commence this year, or delay until next year. These courses include the following offers from Macquarie University:

    • Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in software

    • Bachelor of Engineering in Mechatronics

    • Bachelor of Commerce

    • Bachelor of Information Tech

We wish you every success Ila and look forward to hearing from you in the future about your gap year adventure.

  • Charbel El-Khoueiry is also present today - welcome back Charbel. Charbel has been offered two options so far: Bachelor of  Architecture at both University of Technology Sydney as well as Western Sydney University. The Bachelor of  Architecture course is, if I’m not mistaken, a 3 year undergraduate course followed by a 2 year Masters program.  It’s just like starting in year 8 Charbel - only 5 years until you finish. Congratulations and good luck.

  • Marc Sleiman sends his apologies today as he has an appointment to attend. Marc’s courses included Biology, English Standard, Industrial Technology, Mathematics Advanced, PDHPE and Studies of Religion. Marc was ranked first in the College results for Industrial Technology, scoring 89 on his HSC. Only one more mark and he would have received a band 6 - that is the top grade - for this course.  Marc has been offered a Bachelor of Engineering degree at University of Technology Sydney, and Bachelor of Architecture at Western Sydney University. He has not yet made his choice.

  • It is also disappointing that Charbel Younan is unavailable to be here today. I spoke to him yesterday and he sends his apologies and also thanks to the College. Charbel is the 2020 Dux (or first place) of the College for the 2020 HSC. Here‘s a list of his courses:

    • English Adv - first place, scoring 94

    • PDHPE - first place, scoring 80

    • Society and Culture - first place, scoring 93

    • SoR2 - first place, scoring 85

    • Visual Arts - first place, scoring 88

Anyone who knows Charbel knows a humble man. He is quiet, generous, joyful and spiritual. He was one of the student formation leaders of 2020. Charbel is following that formation pathway by applying to join the Marionite Brothers. He is currently making arrangements for June to travel to Northern Lebanon where he will begin an eight year program of study in theology and philosophy. 

I have invited Charbel to attend an assembly before he departs. Today, in his absence, let’s join together to congratulate Charbel on his award and send our blessings to him.

Congratulations to these students, and to every graduate in the 2020 Class.


St Patrick, pray for us.


Mr Anthony Blomfield

Assistant Principal

High Achievers Assembly

Religious Education

Hello Delany College,

This week we held our first “ Fill Your Cup” social justice forum for the year. The topic discussed was “ refugees in detention centres”. A wide range of students from Year 7 through to Year 10 attended the morning discussion; they provided sophisticated insights into the plight of refugees in our country. Inspired by the discussion, the group has decided to take justice into their hands and send care and education packages to organisations who help refugees in Australia. This week’s topic was presented by Achan Akot who reflected powerfully on a phone call she received in the holidays asking her to donate to a charitable organisation for refugees. Being under age she was unable to donate to this worthy cause and she took it upon herself to present this topic at “ Fill Your Cup”. Well done Achan for your wonderful initiative in aspiring to help those on the margins of our society.

Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of our Lenten Season. Our school community will be marking the occasion with a liturgy on the school grounds where students will receive the symbolic ashes. The ashes symbolize both death and repentance. During lent we focus our attention on the three pillars of lent: Alms Giving, Prayer and Fasting. 

Kathy Lamb, writer for “ Catholic 365” aptly reflects on the significance of prayer during lent. She states “If we desire to get closer to Our Lord it may be necessary to increase our prayer life. There are many ways to add prayer to our daily prayer routine. It’s up to us to evaluate how much we pray and decide what we can add.” Considering different forms of prayer may be a way to develop your prayer life during this Lenten Season. The Rosary, The Divine Mercy Chaplet or Daily Reflections are all great starting points!

Fasting, (not eating for an extended period of time)  is a practice that dates pre- Christianity. Ancient Jews fasted on certain days throughout the year. Jesus Himself fasted on many any occasion as a means of drawing closer to His Father. The tradition of fasting is a tradition which calls us to constantly remember the season in which we are in. By fasting we are physically reminded of lent. A contemporary version of fasting is the call to ‘give up’ a particular luxury in our lives as a reminder of the sacrifice Christ made for us. Perhaps we can challenge ourselves this Lenten Season to ‘ give up and take up’ a particular trait which draws us closer to Christ, likening ourselves to Him in small yet important ways.

Finally Lent calls us to ‘ Give Alms’. As a school we take heed to this call in the form of our Project Compassion Appeal. Each mentor group will have a Project Compassion box which will be taken around during mentor time. We encourage students to give what they can to this cause. We often remind students that giving is also about sacrifice. Donating the money we would have used to buy a treat at the canteen is an excellent way to ‘give alms’ during this Lenten Season. Furthermore, the various Houses will be arranging fundraising activities during Lent to contribute to the Project Compassion Appeal.

As we move into this significant season in our Church I encourage our community to consider ways in which we can integrate the three pillars of lent into our everyday lives. 

God Bless,

Mrs Karina Stow

Religious Education Coordinator 

Can we please ask that all parents be mindful when picking up students not to park over anyone's driveways.


Thank you 

Delany College

Any outstanding 2020 fees will carry forward to the Term 1 2021 Fees which will issue in February this year.

Fee relief is available to support families who are experiencing significant financial hardship or as a result of COVID-19. There are three ways that parents/carers can apply for fee relief with the process made as simple as possible. Information is available via this link https://www.parra.catholic.edu.au/Our-Schools/School-Fees/Fee-Relief

The page includes a list of ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.  

We're here to help so please contact us if you require assistance in relation to fees.


If you have any difficulties or would like to discuss payment options, please contact us on 8633 8107.

 

School Support Officer

English

Year 11 English Standard have begun their journey of literary exploration. This term, students will engage in the Reading to Write unit, a mandatory English module which challenges their perceptions of reading and writing. Students were introduced to the topic with a collaborative and creative true and false experience, students had the opportunity to reflect on their beliefs and practices by moving from different sides of the room to indicate their selections. 

Science

Last year a group of students from 7-10 participated in the  qualifying round of the Australian Aerospace Design Competition. Whilst we did not win, our students were invited to be special participants in the Australian final that was held virtually in January.

The students  from Year 9 Vanesha, Zelda and Keziah were placed into the Orion team and helped their team create a research facility on Mars. Though Orion did not win the event, they did a creative and interesting presentation. The Australian Space design Competition is an industry simulation where students need to respond to a request for tender  and design a fully functional futuristic space settlement. It is open for students in years 8-12.

If you have a passion for space, or are considering a future in STEM, then you may be interested in participating in this event this year. If you are interested, please talk with your Science teacher. 

For more information on this event click on the link below 
https://ausspacedesign.org.au/

Engineering challenge stage 5 Science. To start the year in Science we gave the students a challenge - build the tallest tower out of 30 pieces of A4 paper and tape.

The tower needed to be strong enough to hold a 400g can for 1 min. Many of our teams had similar ideas in their designs and were quite successful in getting the can to remain in the air. Well done stage 5 engineers. 

Science club is happening again this year-

Thursday afternoons from 3:15- 4:20pm.

If you would like to attend please talk to your Science Teachers. 

Come along if you would like to participate in Science competitions, perform some different experiments or get some help with Science. 

***** FREE ****

We have some desks available for free.

Pick up only on Saturday between 10am - 12pm

If you are interested & would like one

please contact the administration office on 02 8100 8633.

Activities

We are happy to announce our exciting program coming up for our young leaders aged 16-24!

It includes a fun leadership camp and a range of training programs to inspire and empower young people to build their leadership skills and create positive change to our community!

There is also an opportunity to gain social media/digital marketing training to create healthy social media content!

I kindly ask if you could share this flyer/information to your students who are looking for an opportunity to make new friends, gain confidence and leadership skills.

They must apply as soon as possible as spots are limited.

We have also attached our updated weekly activities at Auburn Youth Centre.


Auburn Youth Centre

JBHiFi BYOD Portal Update


In the I.T department, we have been working closely with JBHiFi In delivering the most competitive prices and with some of the best products suitable for learning at Delany.

The new-look BYOD portal is packed with a range of devices and accessories that will cater for all needs and budgets. 

Other new features include extra warranties and accidental repair options when purchasing a device or accessories on the site home delivery with a small fee or a pickup option at the latest store. 

We highly recommend using this portal as it not only provides you with a discounted price as part of sending your child to Delany but also makes shopping for the right device less of a headache. 

Please find the link below to take you straight to the new site.

www.jbeducation.com.au/byod

 

In order to receive the discount, you’ll need to input the code 

DCBYOD  

Please have a read of the flyer attached that provides more information on ordering from the site. 


Mr C Simic

School Technical Support Officer

Vaccinations 2021

Updated Health Care Plans & Medical Information

If your child has any type of allergy or Asthma please make sure you have an updated Health Care Plan or Asthma Action Plan from your doctor.

Without this Health Care Plan the school can not provide the appropriate medical treatment should your child become ill. The school updates their Excursion Risk Assessments from the Health Care Plan you provide to the school.  

If your child takes medication on a regular basis the school will also need a letter from your local doctor or specialist indicating the medications taken, recommended dosage and time of the day this medication is consumed.

This is to ensure that should your child need to be treated by an ambulance or doctor in an emergency situation, the school can provide the relevant details.Please hand in all Health Care Plans to the Administration office and request that the plan be passed onto Mrs Collimore.

Mrs K Collimore
Diversity Leader

If Something happens to your child,

We need to be able to contact you.


Please make sure all details are update,

if your not sure please do not hesitate to contact our

wonderful ladies in our Administration 02 8633 8100

Uniform Shop

The Uniform Store every Tuesday.

Uniform orders can also be placed  on Line via the Delany College Web Store

 

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


Orders will be available for collection on the next trading day (Tuesday’s 8am – 2pm ) or for a small fee be delivered to your home address

 


Thank you 

Uniform Shop

Important Information

2021 school travel applications are now open

To assist with any enquiries schools may receive about student travel applications, we have provided some information below. We have also attached an information sheet on School Travel for 2021 if you wish to share this in your school newsletter.

 

Applications for student travel in 2021 opened on Monday 12 October 2020.

 

Students who require a School Opal card or travel pass for 2021 can now apply online. A new application should be submitted if a student is applying for a school travel pass for the first time or requesting an additional pass as a result of a new shared parental responsibility situation (e.g. joint custody).

 

Students who have changed school/campus, changed address, repeated a year or received an expiry notification from Transport for NSW for their school travel entitlement should re-apply or update their details.

 

Where there is a change of distance eligibility based on a student’s grade, the system will automatically update a student’s entitlement if they meet the new criteria. If they do not meet the new eligibility criteria, they will receive an expiry notification via email.

 

Students who have an entitlement approved under a medical condition which is due to expire will receive a notification advising them to re-apply.

 

Term Bus Pass holders will receive a notification to re-apply.

 

Applications need to be submitted before 31 December 2020 to ensure that current student entitlements are updated and their current entitlement/card remains valid. If their application is submitted after 31 December 2020, the system will automatically cancel an entitlement/card and a new one will need to be issued.

 

Students in the Opal network applying for a SSTS or Term Bus Pass entitlement for the first time will receive their card at their nominated postal address. Cards will be mailed out from January 2021.

 

Students residing in Rural and Regional (R&R) areas should receive their travel pass at the commencement of the new school year from their nominated operator, this may be distributed via the school or sent direct to their address. Note: some R&R operators do not issue travel passes. Students/Parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.

School travel application endorsements

It is not uncommon for applicants completing the online form to make mistakes, particularly entering their name or date of birth instead of the students. This may be due to an auto-fill function on a device or just human error. We ask that school administrators be cautious of this and do not endorse applications with incorrect information.

If you are aware of or see an obvious error, you can amend the first name, date of birth or grade of a student’s travel application by clicking in the relevant row on the portal. Please ensure you have confirmed the information before making any changes. Refer to page 16 of the School Portal User Guide for further instructions. The latest version of the user guide is accessible within the School Portal by clicking the arrow next to your username.

If a student’s details cannot be confirmed or they are not yet enrolled, please do not endorse the application. By selecting ‘no’ the application will be rejected and the applicant will be informed. They will then need to submit a new application.

In the event that school administrators endorse an application in error, it would be appreciated if you could advise our SSTS team as soon as possible so the application can be intercepted before an Opal card or travel pass is issued.

To contact us about an endorsement error, please go to: https://transportnsw.info/contact-us/feedback/passes-concessions-feedback and select feedback about: ‘school student transport scheme’ and then select ‘application updates’.

If school administrators require access to the School Portal, please request an account at https://appln.transport.nsw.gov.au/portal/requests/account/school

If you have staff that have left the school recently and had access to the school portal, please let us know at https://transportnsw.info/contact-us/feedback/passes-concessions-feedback and select ‘school/operator portal’ and then ‘remove existing user access’ so their access can be removed.

 

New Concession Entitlement Cards

You can now order the new Transport Concession Entitlement Cards (TCEC) through the Transport for NSW School Portal.

The Transport Concession Entitlement Card will replace the following cards:

·       Senior Secondary Student Concession Card (16 years and over) – also used by Mature Secondary Students (18 years and over), Distance Education Students and Home School Students

·       Proof of Age card (when a student under 16 years of age looks older)

·       Boarder Rail Pass.

Refer to the information pack provided by email on 21 September 2020 for guidance and frequently asked questions. If you have any issues please contact us.

 

 

 

Mail sent from the Stakeholder Liaison Team, Information and Ticketing Services - Transport for NSW.

Please do not reply to this email. Enquiries can be submitted at:

https://transportnsw.info/contact-us/feedback/passes-concessions-feedback

 

Important Dates

Ash Wednesday

Wednesday 17 February
 College Swimming CarnivalFriday 19 February
Basketball Gala Day Wednesday 24 February
Pupil Free Day Friday 26 February

Don't forget, you can use the SkoolBag App to add events directly to your phone's calendar! 

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Delany College Granville