College Newsletter - 5 November - Term 4, Week 5 2021

Welcome Back!

It has been exciting to have our students and staff back at the College following the COVID lockdown period. It was great to witness the smiles and the joy on the faces of our community when full College face-to-face learning re-commenced across all year levels on Monday 25 October. Thanks to each student and their family for their support in our return to College protocols.

Dear Parents, Carers, Students and Friends of the St Gregory's College Community,

LOVE IS LEARNED - Earlier this week we celebrated two important Feast Days in the Church – All Saints' Day on Monday 1 November and All Souls' Day on Tuesday 2 November. Last Sunday marked the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time and the Gospel taken from Mark, talked about the virtue of listening, for it is this virtue that allows us to feel Christ in our heart, to see Christ in others, and to feel and show love. I think this is so important for our students to reflect on as they grow in their faith.

Jose Pagola wrote in his Gospel Reflection for last Sunday, "When Jesus speaks of love for God and for neighbour as what's most important and decisive in life, he is thinking of something else. For Jesus, love is the power that moves life and makes it grow, since it can free us from loneliness and separation to make us enter into communion with God and others.
Love thy neighbour requires true learning, always possible for one who sees Jesus as teacher.
The first task is to learn to listen to the other. Try to understand what the person is going through. Without that sincere listening of their suffering, needs and dreams, true love is not possible.
The second is to learn to give. There is no love where there is no generous self-giving. Love is completely the opposite of taking possession of the other, using them, taking advantage of them.
Lastly, love demands learning to forgive. Accept the other with their weaknesses and mediocrity. Don't take your love or friendship away so quickly. Return good for evil."

As we all come back into the community at St Gregory's after the remote learning period, we need to stop, listen, reflect and show 'love.' Let others see God in you!

FINAL FIVE WEEKS - As we now conclude the fifth week of Term 4, I ask all parents to continue to support their son /daughter and us at the College as we endeavour to move beyond the 'remote learning' phase we experienced and get back on track with all the things that make our College great. It is essential that our students re-establish their learning at the College and eliminate some of the bad habits built up whilst away from their peers and their teacher. I spoke to the students in the Senior School this week about three important areas where major improvements need to be made before the term slips away:

Our students need to show respect for the learning taking place, and respect for self, their peers, and their teacher. Learning cannot take place in classrooms where students disrespect the learning process. Students need to engage and immerse themselves in the lesson being provided.
Our students need to display an 'attitude of gratitude', rather than an 'attitude of entitlement.' The simple gestures of please and thank you go so much further than a mantra of 'it is all about me.'
Our students need to complete all set work to the highest level possible. Too many students 'push back' and want to find excuses and shortcuts for the work given, instead of accepting the challenge and stretching themselves to achieve work they thought they were not capable of.
It certainly can be deflating and demoralising when some of our students lose sight of the wonderful St Gregory's College ethos. Selfish behaviours and a lack of respect for self and others can become the norm for some students. Over these past few weeks, a small number of our students have let down their families, their mates, and the College by their actions and inactions. We are all aware that these students need to re-think what it means to be a St Gregory's College student, and how positive actions speak much louder than words.

As we move into this middle part of Term 4, my hope for every student is that it is a time of being settled and committed to their learning. We need students who are conscious of their behaviours and how they can impact others in both a positive or a negative manner. We also need our students to take responsibility for everything they do – own it and ensure that these responsibilities are not farmed out to others.

I am inspired each day to see the majority of our students working hard in the classroom and beyond, serving the College community, and representing their families and the College with great pride. Being a St Gregory's student is an honour and we want to ensure every student understands and values what it means to be part of this special community.

To all the students (the majority) who day in and day out do the 'right thing', I say thank you! Continue to be students building a positive future for yourselves.

WORLD TEACHERS' DAY – 2021 - Last week on Friday 29 October, we celebrated World Teachers' Day at the College. In the week leading up to World Teachers' Day, I emphasised the following – Friday is a celebration of the amazing work done by our teachers every day. It is an acknowledgement of the differences you make in each student's life.

Through their work, our Catholic teachers sow the seeds of knowledge and faith. Teachers plant hope for the future. The Gospel Reading from Mark sums up a great deal about our profession as educators:- "Jesus said: God's kingdom is like what happens when a farmer scatters seed in a field. The farmer sleeps at night and is up and around during the day. Yet the seeds keep sprouting and growing, and he doesn't understand how. It is the ground that makes the seeds sprout and grow into plants that produce grain. Then when harvest season comes and the grain is ripe, the farmer gathers it in."

Thank you to our teaching staff for their wonderful dedication to the College and for all they have done and continue to do to make a positive difference in the lives of the students they interact with. We give thanks for our teachers at St Gregory's and ask God's blessing upon them, their work and their families. May they appreciate the sacredness of their work and know the special place they hold in our community.

FIVE STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS – At this stage of the academic year, leading up to assessments and academic reporting, I want to offer five suggestions to all students (and their parents) that I consider to be vital components for ongoing success. These suggestions are certainly not 'rocket science' – they are tried and true strategies that if our students at St Gregory's want to improve and aspire to be the best they can be, will pick up on and try to master, slowly and surely!

Discover Your Strengths and Weaknesses - One of the most important elements of success is truly understanding your strengths and weaknesses. Each one of us should take some time to review our strengths -- things like our creativity, our communications skills, our work ethic -- as well as our weaknesses -- things like our time management, procrastination levels, perfectionism. It is probably really easy to develop a list of your strengths, but much harder to examine your weaknesses. The key with this tip is to find a way to maximise your strengths while overcoming or minimising your weaknesses.
Establish Your Academic Goals - Each student should start the term with certain academic goals you want to achieve -- perhaps a certain grade or the achievement of an award or place in class. But your goals do not need to solely be about grades; you might set an academic goal of improvement in a particular skill, topic, or unit. The important thing is to have some goals -- goals that are a bit of a stretch for you so that you can strive toward achieving them and then celebrate accomplishing them once the term is over. Without any type of goals, you'll find it easy to not be engaged in class, miss or not commit to your assignments, and eventually find yourself in a place you don't want to be.
Develop a Time Management System - Of all the things high achieving 'successful' students say, the one thing repeated over and over again is the importance of managing your time. Whatever method you use, you need to not only have a system of keeping track of important dates and deadlines, but also a system for prioritising your time. Having a strong sense of your time needs also gives you the ability to better see if you can handle additional responsibilities -- and the power to decline offers that are going to seriously hurt your academic performance.
Stay on Top of Your Assignments - Start early – when you receive the assignment. Don't procrastinate and put it off until near the deadline. Seek assistance early from your teachers to give you direction. See each assignment as a learning opportunity rather than a task. Be proud to hand up your work on the due date knowing that you have done your very best.
Establish a Study Routine - One of the best ways to improve your academic performance is to establish a study routine -- a time every day that you set aside to read and review your notes and work on your homework and assignments. Not only will you get more accomplished, but you'll also be better prepared for your classes, and have more free time to do other things. Most experts say that for every hour in class, you should devote at least 30 minutes outside of class for studying. Besides just setting aside time each day, you should also find the best environment for you to study – make it a place where you can concentrate without distractions.

YEAR 12 – HIGHER SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS – Our Year 12 students celebrated their final day of classes on Friday 29 October and are now preparing themselves for their Higher School Certificate exams commencing on Tuesday 9 November and concluding at St Gregory's on Thursday 2 December.

At their Farewell Liturgy, I had the opportunity to provide the Principal's Address. I include the following extract: -

"Year 12 gentlemen, as you graduate today, I want you to always remember these four letters: F O G S
F stands for faith. My wish and my prayer is are that St Gregory's College has lit a fire within you that challenges you to think about your faith and urges you to consider that spiritual dimension that may be lying dormant within you. My hope is that your faith has been exposed through your time at the College and over the ensuing years you will tend to this key element, nourishing it and letting it grow within. Continually look to Jesus, Mary, our Good Mother and St Marcellin Champagnat as exemplars to look up to and to seek counsel from.
The second letter O stands for optimism. Always look on the bright side. Hope for the best and do not expect the worst. Thinking over your years at St Greg's, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." This is a great quote from Dr Suess who wrote many wonderful children's books with powerful messages.
In the words of Ghandi ：
"Keep your thoughts positive, because your thoughts become your words.
Keep your words positive, because your words become your behaviour.
Keep your behaviour positive, because your behaviour becomes your habits.
Keep your habits positive, because your habits become your values.
Keep your values positive, because your values become your destiny."
The G stands for goodness. I hope that you will go through life demonstrating goodness in all you do and are always mindful that there are many others in this world far less fortunate than themselves. In the words of the American author and philosopher Henry David Thoreu: "Goodness is the only investment that never fails." I am sure our staff at the College would agree with this statement.
Finally, we have S for sincerity and as one philosopher once said, "Sincerity is the way of heaven." Go through life meaning what you do and doing what you mean. Be honest to yourself and you will be honest in all things.
So let your mantra through life be FOGS – Faith, Optimism Goodness and Sincerity."

REMEMBRANCE DAY – THURSDAY 11 NOVEMBER - On Thursday, next week, the College community will pause for a minute of silence around 11am. For me, Remembrance Day has always had a very special place in my life. Remembrance of the struggle, the courage, the solidarity in adversity, the death and destruction of those involved in conflicts. Thanksgiving for those who came through it alive. Remembrance Day for me has always been a day of celebration of peace, joy and hope. A day to mark the end of one era and the possibility of a new beginning. Lest We Forget.

Finally, thank you again for your ongoing support, encouragement, friendship and wise counsel. The support you provide assists me greatly. My door is always open to you!

I wish you God's blessings always. May Mary, our Good Mother, Saint Marcellin Champagnat and Saint Gregory continue to guide us and inspire us on our journey.

Mr Lee MacMaster
College Principal (K-12)

Response to COVID cases and Farewell to Staff

Mr Matthew Brennan - College Principal (K-12)

Response to COVID-19 Cases

In the last Newsletter, we provided information about the risk assessments that had been undertaken to minimise, as far as practicable, the risk to students and staff when we returned to full onsite operations. Now into the second week of our return to face-to-face learning, there has been broad and strong compliance with all the requirements set down in our plans. At the same time, we are not wanting to become complacent, and so we continue to provide reminders to staff and students about the expectations for promoting safety and wellbeing.

We have also recently updated our Response to COVID-19 cases procedures. This document sets out the processes we will follow, if required, to identify the close, casual and monitor for symptoms contacts of a confirmed case within the College community. We have also reviewed the procedures that we would need to follow in the event we were required to make the College non-operational for any period of time.

A summary of the key points for parents and carers to be aware of are set out below:

Schools are bound by obligations under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW) to not disclose the identity of a person with COVID-19 except to authorised people.

Any staff member, student or student family member who receives a positive test result must immediately notify the College Principal.

Where there is a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 connected with the College, formal response procedures will be instigated, including an assessment of the risk, undertaking any necessary investigations to determine close and casual contacts, and activating a response program as appropriate. The College is only required to act if the person was deemed to be infectious at a time when they were on the College site.

The College provides a completed contact tracing list to CSNSW which is validated by NSW Health. People assessed as being a close, casual or monitor contacts will be issued with a joint letter from the College and NSW Health which provides appropriate information about their status, including any testing requirements and self-isolation protocols.

If the decision is made to make the College non-operational:

Day students will be expected to travel to their home addresses from the College.
Boarding students will be expected to travel to their designated offsite address. Any boarding student unable to travel to their designated address will be kept at the College.
Once all students have left the site, non-residential staff members will be required to travel home.
Residential staff will be advised if they are required to leave the site.

All parents and carers will receive an SMS from the College, notifying them that an email from the College Principal has been sent to them concerning a confirmed COVID-19 case at the College. Parents are asked to access their email, and read the email from the College Principal, which will outline the situation, and notify them of the implementation of an immediate cease of onsite operations. This email will contain further information about arrangements for students travelling home.

Whilst we are hopeful that we don’t need to enact these response protocols, we do have a solid plan in place to manage the situation.

Staffing

As we approach the midway point of the final term of the school year, it is timely to inform parents and carers of some members of staff who are moving on from St Gregory’s College at the end of this year. We acknowledge and thank these staff for their tremendous contributions, and we wish them all the very best for their time beyond St Greg’s.

Mr Michael Bullock

Mr Michael Bullock finishes up at St Gregory’s College to take on a new position at Oran Park Anglican College in 2022. Michael commenced his employment in 2019 as a permanent full-time PDHPE and Catholic Studies teacher and the College’s First XIII Rugby League Ccoach. In 2020, he was appointed to the position of Stage 5 Boarding Coordinator, a position he has held for the past two years. Throughout the last three years, Michael has taught courses in PDHPE, Catholic Studies and VET. In particular, he has been integral to the very successful introduction of the VET Fitness course.

Beyond the classroom, Michael has been extensively involved in sports coaching, not just in his capacity as the College’s First XIII Coach, but also in further developing the rugby league program. He has worked hard to continually raise the profile of rugby league. He has also been consistently involved in coaching teams in areas such as cricket, athletics, touch football and swimming. In short, his contribution to the co-curricular program has been outstanding.

In the Boarding community, Michael has also made a very significant impact in a short space of time. He has set high expectations of the students, maintained regular contact with families and provided tremendous support to the young men entrusted to his care. He has been an excellent mentor and role model for the young men and a highly valued member of the boarding community team.

Michael has recounted that the last three years have been an amazing experience. He mentions that he will always look back with fond memories and with a smile on his face taking many great memories of forming wonderful friendships with fellow staff members and amazing bonds with many great young men. Michael states that he and his family will always have St Gregory’s in their hearts.

We take this opportunity to thank Michael for his tremendous contributions to the College community over the past three years and we wish him all the very best, every success and happiness and God’s blessings.

Mr Luke Wilson

Mr Luke Wilson concludes his employment with St Gregory’s College at the end of this year to take up a position at Chevalier College, Bowral at the beginning of 2022.

Luke commenced his employment with St Gregory’s College in 2007 when he was employed as a Live-in Supervisor in Senan House. In 2008 he commenced a PDHPE teaching position and took on the position of Alfred House Coordinator from 2008-2009. Throughout all his time at St Greg’s, Luke has been an extremely valued and respected member of the staff. The College has been blessed to have Luke as a teacher and a leader over the past 14 years. He has been an outstanding practitioner and a wonderful person. Luke has served with great distinction, and he has left a massive imprint on the St Gregory’s College community.

Luke is commended for his embodiment of the Marist Charism through presence, simplicity, and his emphasis on family spirit together with his strong endorsement and support of the principles of Strong Minds and Gentle Hearts. He has consistently displayed collaborative and relational leadership through his calm, approachable, receptive, and optimistic approach and manner. It is obvious to all of us that Luke has a very positive and strong rapport and connection with the students along with great care and concern for their wellbeing and holistic development. He displays excellent commitment and professionalism, respectful interactions, great integrity as a person and he has been an excellent role model to the boys and staff.

Luke has held the roles of Assistant Year Leader and Acting Year 9 Leader. From 2017-2020 Luke held the position of Year 7 Leader and this year he has been the Year 8 Leader. In this role, Luke has been highly effective at introducing the students into the Senior School and providing them with wonderful support. In particular, he has set and defended the standard and ensured that the students always responded positively. With formal training in counselling, Luke has been well placed and especially able to support students experiencing challenges and difficulties in their lives. His compassionate and reassuring support for these students, indeed all of the boys directly under his care, has been outstanding.

Outside of the classroom, Luke has been extensively involved in the co-curricular life of the College. He has coached and refereed rugby union, along with coaching Premiership teams in MCS Rugby League, MCS Football and Athletics. Luke has also developed great familiarity with the northern beaches, having been involved in the Year 7 camp at Narrabeen on eight occasions! He has also attended Senior Retreats, both in the role of group facilitator and presenter, including a session on Masculinity in 2016.

We warmly congratulate Luke on his recent appointment, and we sincerely thank him for his outstanding contributions to St Gregory’s College. We wish him all the very best and God’s blessings for his time beyond St Greg’s.

Mr Paul Brooks

Deputy Principal

Welcome back to all!

Mr Joel Weekes - Assistant Principal

Dear Members of the St Gregory’s College Community,

It has been so lovely to see the whole K-6 community back again on our Junior School site. Walking from one class to the next to witness the buzz of learning, the laughter of students, hearing the curious questions and witnessing the positive interactions of teachers and students is what so many of us have longed for over the past months. Welcome back, everyone!!!

‘If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow’

Renowned American philosopher John Dewey once said that “if we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow”. This quote is one that rings so true to me as an educator. As teachers, we struggle with the tension of ensuring that we are giving our students the strong literacy and numeracy practices required as cornerstones of their education and constantly being aware of preparing our students for an ever-changing future.

As our Junior School has evolved, we have been positively driven to ensure that we have a teaching and learning framework that matches our philosophy of how children best learn. As you are aware, we have been deliberate in our approach towards literacy over the past 4 years and more recently Mathematics. The next natural progression for us was to implement a meaningful framework and for us, the perfect fit was the PYP (Primary Years Programme) framework. We have had news from the International Baccalaureate over the past week that we have a virtual PYP visit planned for 18 and 19 November to assess our Junior School on our suitability to become an IB World School.

How does the IB assess us? There are a few measures that will be conducted virtually. Our staff will open the doors to their teaching practice to be observed, students, teachers and parents will be interviewed, lesson planning assessed and our leadership team will be met in regards to if we align with the philosophy of the International Baccalaureate. If you are a parent who would like to be a part of this meeting with our virtual visitors, I would love to chat with you.

If there is one thing that this pandemic has taught us, it is that we have very little control over how some events will play themselves out in our lives – but we certainly have control over how we respond to them. This is an invaluable lesson that can help our children learn. For our Junior School students, there will be times of challenge in their schooling lives where they will have to use the skills taught through the PYP to handle relationship challenges, learning struggles, time restraints etc. The PYP teaches our students the skills of communication, thinking, research, self-management and social skills – the PYP call these the ‘approaches to learning’ and these skills are vital for students to learn ‘the basics’ and also for them to be prepared for an ever-changing future.

We are looking forward to our virtual visit and will continue to keep sharing how our College progresses after the authorization visit in November.

2021 World Teachers' Day

On behalf of the teachers, I would like to thank the community for their well wishes to the College staff for World Teachers' Day last Friday. The staff were spoilt with a delicious morning tea and the students showed their gratitude by writing lovely messages to their classroom teachers during the day. I am sure these lovely notes will be treasured by the Junior School staff.

Teacher Shopping

It is that time of year again where we are starting to look at classes for 2022. It is also the time of the year where parents start to wonder what classes their son or daughter will be in for next year. Teachers are not yet confirmed for 2022, except for Kindergarten with Mrs Scott and Mrs Bowen. Teachers on all other classes in Years 1-6 will be confirmed in the coming week or so.

One thing that I need our whole community to know, is that we will not allow ‘teacher shopping’ at St Gregory’s College. We have wonderful teachers at St Gregory’s who do their absolute best to ensure that the student experience is one that is the best it possibly can be. No requests for your son or daughter next year are to be taken to the classroom teachers. If you have a specific request that is essential for your child's learning, please let me know in writing. But please note, there will be no guarantee that this will take place due to variables. The ‘Move Up Day’ that we have planned for later this term will be the date we have selected to see the classes in action before we make concrete decisions for 2022.

When we are making classes for next year we keep the following in mind:

Friendships that are positive for the learning of the child
Friendships that may possibly disadvantage the learning of the child in the class or any clashes of personalities that we can avoid
A good academic mix between the classes
Specific needs of the child that would suit one class over the other

As our St Gregory’s College motto states, ‘you will reap what you sow’.

Mr. Joel Weekes
Head of Junior School

Senior School Student Matters

It is wonderful to report that the College has finally come to life again! Like the spring weather, with its characteristic growth and change, this is no different to how our young men have returned to the College.

Week 4 saw a lot of adjusting and settling into a ‘COVID friendly’ school system. The changes of wearing a mask and having specifically allocated Year Group areas at recess and lunch, were met with enthusiasm and maturity.

Students across Years 7-12 seemed happy and grateful to be back, our staff also enjoyed the face-to-face learning that we have all been craving.

Year 12 Farewell

Our Year 12 students finally got the opportunity to graduate! It has been a difficult period for our young men and their families and I am amazed to see how resilient and flexible they have been during the COVID-19 period. The College did its absolute best to farewell the Class of 2021. Students were very grateful for the efforts and many unforgettable moments were shared with the cohort and staff throughout the day.

As a sign of respect, as the boys exited the College Chapel, they were met with an overwhelming number of students applauding and congratulating them as they made their way to the College fields.

COVID-19 Protocols

Students' face Masks

The College has asked students to bring a mask to school every day. Unfortunately, the College has seen many students arrive each day without a mask. The College will not be supplying face masks. I urge all students to bring a few spare face masks and keep them in their school bags.

Students drop off

All students are required to be dropped off at the Western Entrance. Any student being dropped off/picked up in a spot other than the Western Entrance covered area, will automatically be placed on detention.

Year 10 and Year 11 Students who have their L plates are not permitted to swap with the driver of the vehicle during the pick-up and drop off periods at the Western Entrance. Driver swaps can only occur when the vehicle is parked further down the road outside of the pick-up and drop off zone.

Parent Information & Wellbeing News

Sextortion & Teens: What You Need to Know

"If you don’t send me a nude in 60 seconds I will send this image to some of your friends and say it is you"

This is the exact message a 16-year-old student received in her Instagram DM’s recently. When she ignored the message, the perpetrator sent a cropped image of a naked young woman laying on a bed to some of her Instagram followers.

There was nothing she could do to stop it.

This is just one of many examples of Sextortion we are hearing from students; younger and younger. Sextortion is on the rise and we need to be able to talk about it.

So…what exactly is sextortion?

Sextortion is the practice of extorting money or sexual favours from someone by threatening to reveal evidence of their sexual activity. This is commonly played out when teens are sexting with peers (as a means to build trust) but once nudes or photos are shared, they are then threatened for money, or their photos will be revealed to their friends, family, or Instagram/Snapchat followers.

It’s an extremely traumatic, fearful, embarrassing and stressful situation for the child at hand. Encouraging them to speak up is the most important thing we can do. They need to understand, that if they are being threatened in any way, the adults in their lives are here to hear them and help them.

Here are 3 top things you should be discussing with your teenage child today:

Never accept DM requests through Instagram, assure them it will never be a friend (if it is, they will contact through other means). There may be a sinister side, and accepting a DM request is not safe.
Let them know that they can always speak to you without judgement, that you will help them if they make a mistake online, and something goes wrong. They need to know that they should never be afraid to speak up.
Know what to do when things go wrong. Make sure they know not to pay or respond to the demands at all, nor should they engage with the sender. Teach them that they should take screenshots, this will assist with evidence. Help your teen to make an image-based abuse report or report to local Police or Crimestoppers at 1800 333 000.

Instagram

In March this year, Instagram announced that they were building an Instagram Kids App. Parents and teachers were relieved because it meant that children would have their own photo-sharing platform, separate from the current version. Instagram Kids promised to be a practical solution to the ongoing issue of kids lying about their age to access apps and enable them to connect with family and friends in an age-appropriate way.

BUT, just a couple of weeks ago, Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri, announced the App was to be paused so they could gain a better understanding of the value and need of the product as well as to develop parental supervision tools.

What does this mean for kids? It means that they will continue to do what they’re already doing; continuing to view, share and create (sometimes inappropriate) content on the current version of Instagram.

The fallout from this is that this inappropriate use can impact schools, as cyberbullying and the sharing of unsuitable content is discussed between students in class as well as in the playground.

Kind regards,

Mr Baldino Vetrano
Director of Students

Senior School Curriculum Activities

Upcoming Events

Over the next few weeks, we wish our students the best of luck in the following activities:

Week 6 NAPLAN School Readiness Tests
Weeks 7/8 HSC Exams Commence
ICAS Tests
HSC Minimum Standards Tests
PAT Testing Years 7 - 10
Week 9 Years 7 – 10 In-class tasks
Week 10 Years 11 classes conclude

Year 5 and Year 7 – NAPLAN School Readiness Tests

This morning, Friday 5 November, our Year 5 and Year 7 students completed NAPLAN School Readiness Tests.

Next year, all NAPLAN Testing will be done online for the entire state. These tests are designed to check that the school’s systems and technology will work seamlessly when the actual tests are completed next May. Although students did not receive results for these practice tests, they had a great opportunity to see what the online tests will look like in the future.

Year 12 – HSC Exams Commence

Our Year 12 students spent their final week of school on Campus. Students spent their final lessons with their teachers finishing their final preparation and reflecting on thirteen years of education. On the final day of school, students finished their time in the Chapel with a trademark Mrs Clarke Liturgy. The boys listened to Mr MacMaster, Mrs Sawyer and the 2021 School Captain, Lachlan McInerney, all speak for one last time before donning their “Old Boys” ties and moving out of the school.

The HSC Examination period begins on Tuesday, November 9 and concludes for students at St Gregory’s College on Thursday, 2 December. As we do each year, we ask the St Gregory’s community to keep the young men in their prayers as they complete their gruelling schedule of three-hour examinations.

As part of our COVID-19 Safety Plan, we ask that all parents and Kindergarten to Year 11 students stay clear of the Br. Luke Hall during the month of exams. This will help our students concentrate during their exams, but it will also enable the Br. Luke Hall to remain open for exams, even if other parts of the College need to be closed for any reason. While students attend their exams, there will also be strict protocols that they will follow. All students will wear masks, will socially distance and follow strict hygiene practices. All NESA Exam Supervisors will be double vaccinated and the Br. Luke Hall will be cleaned after each examination. Students must park in the Farm Parking Area or be dropped off in the bus bay and move directly to the Br. Luke Hall for instructions before each exam. They will need to leave immediately after each exam or, if they are remaining at school for an afternoon exam, they will study in the Hall Foyer.

ATAR results will be released on Thursday 20 January 2022 and HSC results will be released on Friday 24 January. There will be a High Achievers’ Assembly on Friday 4 February 2022.

Year 11 Students – Welcome to the HSC

On Monday, students will finalise their HSC courses and move out of their Year 11 courses. Over the last few weeks, students have been involved in the process of discernment about their courses. In Year 11, all students in NSW complete at least 12 Units. In Year 12, students only need to study a minimum of 10 units. Students have spent time deciding on which of their units they will not continue with into the HSC. Students also had the opportunity to move into Studies in Catholic Thought, English Extension II and Mathematics Extension II.

We wish our Year 11 students all the very best of luck as they embark on their HSC studies.

New courses for next year

Over the last few months, our Year 8 and Year 10 students have been deciding on courses for next year. On Wednesday, both our Year 8 and Year 10 students received their final elective/course offers.

In Year 9, students will study the following Electives:

Agricultural Technology
Commerce
Industrial Technology
- Electronics
- Engineering
- Graphics
- Metals
- Timber
Information and Software Technology
Music
Photographic and Digital Media
Physical Activity and Sports Studies

In Year 11, students will study these courses:

Studies of Religion (1 and 2 unit courses)
Studies in Catholic Thought (1 unit)
English (Extension I, Advanced, Standard and Studies)
Mathematics (Extension I, Advanced, Standard and Numeracy)
Agriculture
Ancient History
Biology
Business Studies
Chemistry
Engineering Studies
Geography
Industrial Technology (Metals & Engineering, Timber)
Investigating Science
Languages (via School of Languages)
Legal Studies
Modern History
Music
PDHPE
Physics
Society and Culture
Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation Studies
TVET courses
- VET – Construction
- VET – Fitness
- VET – Primary Industries
- VET – Retail Services
Visual Arts

For both Year 9 and Year 11, students will have the opportunity to try out their new courses at the beginning of next year and, if necessary, change courses.

Testing

Over the next few weeks, the College will catch up on several testing activities that were not possible to complete during the Online Learning period. Students who missed out on ICAS Testing will complete these tests. Students who have not yet achieved their HSC Minimum Standards will have the chance to catch up on these tests. Students in Years 7 – 10 will also complete PAT Testing to monitor Literacy and Numeracy skills.

Mr Riccardo Bombardiere
Director of Studies

Sport Report - Term 4, Week 6, 2021

The College Sports Program returned this next week, with students engaging in Year Group activities that comply with the guidelines set by NSW Health and CSNSW. It will be different, but at least we have the students outside trialling for teams that will they will compete in, as part of the 2022 Parramatta Diocesan competitions and recreational activities to keep the students engaged.

Parramatta Diocesan Sport - Season 1

Season 1 Competition teams:

Basketball – 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, Year 10, Year 9, Year 7/8
Cricket – 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, Year 10, Year 9, Year 8A, Year 8B
Trials will be held over the remaining weeks of Term 4 in preparation for the 2022 season commencing in Term 1 Week 2.

I ask that parents follow the COVID-19 guidelines and do not attempt to watch or collect their students from venues, as per College and COVID-19 guidelines. We plan to have all teams/students back on College grounds in time for the normal afternoon buses.

A reminder to all families that students will need to comply with the COVID-19 safety guidelines whilst at school, travelling to and from venues on chartered transport and when entering offsite venues. Offsite venues do have the authority to dismiss students over the age of 16 years if they do not provide proof of double vaccination.

Planning has almost been finalised for the 2022 Parramatta Diocesan Sports Competitions and Pathways. This information will be passed on to families once all NSWCCC dates have been finalised. Along with the 2022 Sport Pathway information, there will also be the 2022 College Permission Form.

This will be a Google Form similar to last year and will be used for all students at the College, both day and boarding students.

Co-Curricular Assemblies

Over the next few weeks, the College will plan to host our Co-Curricular Assemblies for each cohort. Recognising the achievements of our students has been a long tradition at the College and hopefully, we can complete these presentations this year.

Latest Sport Information – 2022 NSW CCC Calendar Dates

To ensure you remain up to date with the latest sports news, please use the following link below to access the Catholic Schools NSW Sport website. Some NSW All Schools events are scheduled to take place this year. Please check to ensure you don’t miss out on these sporting opportunities.

Trial dates for several sports are already confirmed for 20221 and I would recommend you investigate the dates and venues for your respective sports.

CSNSW Website - https://csnsw.sport/news/events-suspended

School Sport Australia Website - http://www.schoolsportaustralia.edu.au/blog/2020/03/23/ssa-announces-cancellation-of-2020-championships/

Yours in Sport

Mr Jamie Cook
Leader of Sport and Co-Curricular

Jamie.Cook@stgregs.nsw.edu.au

Marist Super Connect

After a fantastic day commemorating and celebrating the efforts of the Year 12 boys, who spent their last days as students at the College, I and five other students from Year 11, were invited to participate in the final Marist Super Connect for 2021.

As an attendee for all Marist Local and Super Connects throughout 2021, I found solitude in connecting with other students from the other schools participating. I’m sure I wasn’t the only student that found new ways of thought and fresh ideas on issues that I may have never perceived in the commonplace method. Marist Connect was a privilege and I cannot thank Ms Kent enough for allowing me to participate and grow as a student and individual.

In the final Marist Connect, a large emphasis was placed upon the ethical changes that are accumulating within the fashion industry, particularly the emergence of “Slow Fashion”, which can be defined as a form of fashion that advocates for manufacturing with respect to people, environment and animals. I learnt, especially with the emphasis on climate change, that providing an ethical production process is essential to building a climate that is natural and relatively free from harmful, unethical processes.

A final thanks must go to Ms Kent who was an instrumental figure in allowing Marist Connect to run smoothly and efficiently and on behalf of all the Marist Connect attendees, we cannot thank you enough.

By Liam Jobburn (Year 11)

The Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Competition

Each year the English Department receives many entries for The Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Competition. The theme for 2021 was ‘Rich and Rare’, although students are also encouraged to send in entries based on their own thematic choices. There were some excellent entries from each year group and Thomas Andersen in Year 10 received a commendation from the judges for his poem titled, ‘Battle Against the Dust’. His poem will be published in this year’s competition magazine. I think you will agree it is an excellent piece of writing. Please take the time to read Thomas’s poem and some other entries from Stages 4-6. Thank you to all the students who participated in this worthy competition.

Mrs Michelle Arentz, Assistant English Coordinator

Battle against the dust by Thomas Andersen

You Can’t

You’ve surely heard our anthem,

‘Advance Australia Fair’.

It speaks of our great nation,

“Of beauty rich and rare”

All Aussies love to sing it,

They sing it loud and proud,

The moment someone starts it,

There’s passion through the crowd.

You see that raging love there,

From all those ‘patriots’.

Celebrating their country,

While underneath, truth rots.

Your invading ancestors,

Who came on that old fleet,

Full of the heartless settlers,

The Natives, they’d soon meet.

Remember when they landed?

In seventeen, eighty-eight,

An almost genocide,

Will haunt our country forever.

Yet, you all keep on chanting,

And declaring your love with pride,

While you keep the history hidden,

Silenced, like their lives.

Doesn’t that tell you something?

It shows how much we care,

About those lives who died here,

Who breathed this once clean air.

But now, it has been tainted,

By killers, skin of white.

Who mercilessly slaughtered,

Extinguishing all light.

Yet today, we all do nothing,

We just sit on our ass,

And think only of the outback,

Not of our blood-drenched past.

You only see this facade,

Of a flawless, sunburnt land.

All I see is the white man,

With his great red right hand.

He takes from those who lived here,

His thievery of life,

He takes, until there's nothing,

And brings along his strife.

But sure, keep celebrating,

This lovely, sunny nation,

And forget all of the history,

Like the Stolen Generation.,

But all of that's okay now,

The Prime Minister said he's sorry.

And as we all know, that fixed it.

Now no-one needs to worry.

There's no more hate or prejudice,

For we’re all young and free,

It has all been forgiven,

So clearly, as we see.

So, cheer and yell and party,

You obviously don't care.

Just keep loving your country,

Of beauty, rich and rare.

"But how?" you may be asking,

"How can we fix this mess?"

You see, the answer's simple,

You can’t.

Name: Campbell Henry

Age: 17 Year: 12

Poor and Frequent

I saunter through the concrete jungles which pillow the environment,

These jungles are depressed,

saddened,

They have no soul and no being.

Somber greyish tones suffocate,

And fabricate,

What exists below.

Motionless,

unmoving,

still.

I move,

The path familiar,

Agonized and bleeding grey blood,

Yet bandaged by the force which is at the root of its demise.

Grey rivers cascading in an overwhelming display of lifelessness,

Glass trees dotting the grey wilderness,

towering and intimidating,

And so frequent in this world of the unearthly kind.

Sam Labbozzetta

14 Years Old - Year 9

Voyage of the Bold

The waves slam against the ferrous body,

Like ominous warnings of the treachery beyond.

The reminder of mortality remains unyielding in the minds of men,

As they surrender their fate to the will of the Lord.

They arrive at shore in a land anew,

The crackling and the smell of gunpowder shoot jolts down their spines,

They bolt off like scared rabbits, fighting their way out of the clasp of peril.

Shouts and the crackling of death flying through the air echo through the trenches,

As dauntless cries push fodder ever onward.

What causes a man to stare down the barrel of death calling and run to greet it?

How does a man tenaciously push ever onward, through his endless hell?

Does he die alone and mercilessly?

Or does he stare down the cruelty of our world and heroically shout,

‘Be my frivolousness as it may, owe it do I, to carry on the burden of this pursuit for freedom!’

As the thunder of steel pierces through his chest,

So does the aspirations and dreams of his feeble soul.

The light resigns from his eyes and heart halt its thumping,

He falls downwards among the poppies with the emblem on his chest.

When the dust clears and the trumpet sounds,

He is cloaked with the flag of the free.

The southern cross provides refuge for his soul,

As the anthem of rich and rare is sung.

Domenico Cocco

13 Years Old

Year 8

Year 1’s ‘Cool’ Prize

On their first day back from remote learning, 1 Blue received their trophy for being the first K-2 class to have every student in the class complete the Premier’s Reading Challenge.

All 26 students read more than 30 books each from March to August, even through lockdown, to win an epic Ice Cream Party on Monday 18 October. The ice cream, sprinkles, crushed Oreos, M&M’s and syrups flowed freely during the party and it was unanimously, “Yum!”.

The prize for the Years 3-6 class with the most students completing the Challenge goes to 6M, and those students in 6M who completed the Challenge will be enjoying a pizza and pool party later this Term.

But for the moment, Congratulations and well done to 1 Blue!

Rachael Cosentino
Teacher Librarian/Literacy Specialist

Junior School Cookbook - More books available!

 
If you missed out on the Junior School Cookbook pre-order, worry no more! There are 75 books left for purchasing and then they are all gone! Don't miss out on this opportunity to own a piece of St Greg's history.
 

Order your books here!

Junior School Sport

Unfortunately, the IPSSO Competition has come to a disappointing end due to the COVID-19 restrictions. All IPSSO team members, please return your playing uniforms to the Junior School Office at your earliest convenience.

Due to current COVID-19 restrictions regarding Sport, we can only hold trials among grades during school hours. This means from next Wednesday; Coaches and Staff will facilitate trials during grade sport time for the remainder of this Term and early Term 1, 2022. Teams will be finalised in Week 2, Term 1 2022.