MARIST CATHOLIC COLLEGE · the Marist Superconnect via zoom. This event provides senior students with the chance to collaborate and meet other students from Marist schools all over

MARIST CATHOLIC COLLEGE PENSHURST

Friday 28 August 2020 - Number 10

one school • one family • one communityTelephone: 9579 6188 Fax: 9579 6668 www.maristpenshurst.catholic.edu.au

FROM THE PRINCIPAL & ASSISTANT PRINCIPALPerfectionism & Mental HealthWe all want our children to reach their potential and to excel. Of course we want them to achieve academically and succeed, however, teenagers often feel so much pressure that they become obsessed with doing everything perfectly to an unhealthy degree. This can leave them feeling anxious, frustrated and worried most of the time.

Teenagers who are perfectionists often put those pressures on themselves.

“Will it be enough?” “What will others think?” “Why did I miss that one point?” ”I have to stay up late….otherwise I won’t get top marks” “But it isn’t GOOD enough. I need to work harder and do more!”

Perfectionists are never satisfied and are always pushing themselves. They are often frustrated with their performance even though they achieve strong results. Always wanting to be perfect can take a toll on an adolescent’s emotional health as well as disrupt their lives. If they keep up that push, push, push, never-good-enough pace, all that heightened stress can lead to anxiety, depression, eating disorders, migraines, headaches, and even suicide. Perfectionists are also more at risk of developing emotional, physical, as well as relational problems.

We are fortunate to have Dr Toula Tsovolos present on this topic on Wednesday 9 September at 5pm via Zoom. Dr Tsovolos is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and has a wealth of knowledge and experience helping teenagers suffering from mental health concerns. Her lecture will focus particularly on what adults can do to support adolescents exhibiting perfectionistic tendencies. This Zoom presentation is open to all parents and teachers. Further details, including the Zoom link, are available in this week’s News Feed on Compass. We sincerely hope you are able to join us.

In an altered reality this year, many have spoken of the gift of time – time with family, time for quietude, time for exercise, time to reprioritise or recalibrate. Perhaps for others there is never enough time, as life goes on and more time is spent doing the same things differently, with more pressure on our time. Within our community, we are seeing this time of pandemic impacting each of us in so many ways. For our young people in particular, it is an important time to dig deep in learning more about themselves – who they are, the strengths that they can draw on, the opportunities to grow and connect within the positive and supportive environment of home and school. My hope is that staff, students and families can find and take time to consider one or each of the suggestions below. In it, we are reminded of the precious gift of time and the many blessings contained in how we use that time.

Taking Time - (Based on Ecclesiates 3:1)

Take time to listen – it is the basis of learning.Take time to think – it is the source of achievement.Take time to read – it is the foundation of wisdom.Take time to rest – it is the foundation of health and vitality.Take time to play – it is the secret of staying young.Take time to be quiet – it is the opportunity to seek God.Take time to share – it is too short a life to be selfish.Take time to be aware – it is the opportunity to help others.Take time to laugh – it is the music of the heart.Take time to love and be loved – it nourishes the soul.Take time to be friendly – it brings happiness.Take time to pray – it is the greatest power on earth.Take time to dream – it is the well of inspiration.There is a time for everything.There is a season for everything, a time for everything under heaven.

May God’s gentle presence accompany you in the coming weeks.

Mr Ray Martin & Mrs Connie Frino

2one school • one family • one community

Agnoscere Et Diligere - To Know and To Love

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MARIST CONNECTFriday 21 August, students from Year 11 participated in the Marist Superconnect via zoom. This event provides senior students with the chance to collaborate and meet other students from Marist schools all over NSW and encourages them to get involved in the Marist way of life. Although we could not physically be together this term, the activities were still able to be streamed and the theme was Fans and Followers. All students were invited to wear the jersey of their favourite club or team they supported. Exploring the idea of Marcellin following the call of God and us as Marist students following in Marcellin’s footsteps really opened our eyes to the ways we can embrace the Marist charism in our everyday lives. We had a great time getting to meet other students and had a lot of fun with the activities. Thank you to Mrs Vassallo for taking the time to organise and share this experience with us.

Connor Soares & Charlotte Bulmer - Year 11

On Thursday, 13 August, Mathew Colussi of Year 12 was presented with the SSBEN Excellence Award for VET Construction and Business Services. In the past, students who have demonstrated excellence in VET, through their application towards their studies, competency tasks and work placement, are recognised at a breakfast hosted by our work placement provider, Southern Sydney Business Education Network (SSBEN). Unfortunately, due to COVID restrictions, the breakfast was cancelled this year. However, we would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mathew in his efforts for both Construction and Business Services. His dedication and hard-working nature were recognised not only by his teachers, but by all his work placement supervisors across both courses. We wish Mathew all the best in his future endeavours in his chosen trade next year.

Mrs Peggy Chandler - VET Coordinator

On 14 August, students from various schools travelled to Southern Cross Catholic Vocational College (SCCVC) in Burwood for the ‘Try a Trade’ program. On this day there were 3 courses available - Health, Entertainment, and Beauty. For the students, this was a day in the life of the selected courses available. SCCVC has the facilities to cater for these courses and is where most MCCP students’ study EVET courses. We had such a great time! In the Health course, we did a variety of activities including learning how to bandage an arm, how to do a dressing on a wound and we did fun games involving hospital beds and chairs. The day was a really good experience for all students attending. While we had a really enjoyable time, we also got a great insight into the course, whether we wanted to study it in Years 11 & 12, and how it would benefit us in the future.

Simona Mallia - Year 10

‘TRY A TRADE’

YEAR 12 VET NEWS



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YEAR 8 PASTORAL CAREOn Thursday 20 August, Year 8 welcomed Police Liaison Officers Kelly and Tanya, to the College. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this welcome took place via ZOOM and was a great example of how students in Year 8 have adapted to a new era of learning with no fuss.

Students in Year 8 were encouraged by Officers Tanya and Kelly to engage positively with Police Officers in public, reminding them that the Police are there to serve the community and are delighted when young people approach them to say hello and have a quick chat.

Officers Tanya and Kelly discussed issues surrounding social media and the legal consequences around its misuse. While most students are well versed in Social Media applications, most students indicated that they did not follow the most basic security measures when using Social Media. Hopefully, this trend has been reversed after the serious implications of poor security was brought to Year 8’s attention.

The current vaping trend was also discussed, with students in Year 8 being informed about the legal ages of vaping and the serious health effects vaping can cause.

Our Police visit was definitely an enjoyable experience for Year 8 and we look forward to welcoming Officers Kelly and Tanya to the College in the very near (hopefully COVID free) future.

Mr Skoflic - Year 8 Leader of Wellbeing

‘It was really good to hear from our Police Officers, as many of us have never spoken to a Police Officer in person. Both Officers Kelly and Tanya gave us useful tips about Social Media use’ - Sebastian Florean

‘We learnt about online safety, how to prevent cyberbullying and what to do if you are in any of these situations, it was a very informative morning. Thank you Officer Tanya and Officer Kelly’ - Alana Green

EXTENSION HISTORY NEWSIn Term 3 before their trials, our Year 12 students studying History Extension had the opportunity to experience an enriched historical encounter. The first event was the presentation from Ken Webb. Drawing upon many years of experience and knowledge, Ken offered our students a refresher on the basics of historiography as well as addressing contemporary historical issues and their implications for the study of history. Such issues include “cancel culture” and the debate around the ongoing role and debate regarding statues of historic figures.

The following week, we had the opportunity to interview (via Zoom) the journalist and historian Troy Bramston. Bramston has authored many books on Australian History, including a recent work “Robert Menzies: The Art of Politics”. Robert Menzies is the case study in History Extension. Both Ryan and Sabina were afforded the chance to ask Bramston questions such as how he went about constructing his history and how he decided which sources to use. Bramston was very happy to answer our questions and gave us a deep insight into the process behind the construction of history. Having the opportunity to interview a real historian brought a new level of authenticity to the course content.

Both opportunities are timely for the HSC Trial Exam. We wish our students all the very best in their studies.

Mr Robert Reilly - History Extension Teacher



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FROM THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT“Learning gives you creativity,

Creativity leads to thinking,Thinking provides knowledge,

Knowledge makes you great.” ~ Abdul Kalam

This term has been a busy but exciting one for the English Department. The Year 12 Students have been studying hard in preparation for their HSC Trials, while the Year 11 students are working towards their Final Exams. Classic Literature has been a focus in Stage 5 and Stage 4 students have deepened their critical and creative thinking skills in their respective units. Below is an outline of some of the highlights in English thus far.

English Extension 2Last Friday, the College and the English Department achieved a milestone with Damian Scalone submitting his major work for English Extension 2. Damian is the first student at the College to take up the challenge of English Extension 2 and has spent the last year researching, drafting and editing a short story under the guidance of Mr Andy Kissane.

Below is a brief insight into Damian’s narrative: “Extreme fear can neither fight nor fly” - William Shakespeare

Paranoia hijacks the judgement of DI Lindsey Taylor amidst a manhunt for Terrence Crawford—the mute recluse of Bristol county—following the mysterious death of his niece on his property. Situated within Crawford’s dilapidated Victorian mansion, Lindsey is forced to confront a crippling concoction of tension, uncertainty and murder in a journey of psychological deterioration. It is only through this horrific interaction with terror that Lindsey uncovers a profound truth about herself—and about humanity.

Integrating the traditional gothic genre with contemporary police procedure, The Hunt is a dramatized exploration of the fallibility of decision making under pressure and a staunch criticism of the human inability to distinguish truth from deceit. ~ Damian Scalone

A big thank you to Mr Kissane for his mentoring, guidance and brutal honesty as he read, and re-read Damian’s short story providing ongoing feedback. Mr Kissane’s expertise and passion was invaluable to Damian’s experience.

Year 10 English OverviewStudents in Year 10 have just completed a study of classic literature, including memorable novels such as Animal Farm, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Of Mice and Men. They have been exploring what makes a text a ‘classic’ and examining the way these great authors have crafted their texts to convey valuable ideas about life and human nature. Year 10 have been challenged this term to engross themselves in close reading, and to deeply analyse the ideas and styles in their novels. For instance, some of our students have been immersed in drawing parallels between Russian history and George Orwell’s allegorical fable, with the opportunity to creatively reflect their learning by creating Animal Farm action figures! We look forward to starting our next topic in Week 7 - Imaginative Journeys.

Year 9 English Overview“Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?” The Shakespearean tragedy that follows the “star-crossed lovers” from their initial meeting to their untimely death has been the focus of Year 9 English this term. During this drama study, students are challenged to consider why this story is one of the most famous love stories in Literary history. Unfortunately, due to COVID restrictions, students were unable to go to see a performance in the theatre, but this has been supplemented by numerous productions available online and provided students the true Romeo and Juliet experience.



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FROM THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENTYear 8 English OverviewYear 8 have been studying Tim Burton’s cinematography this term in their unit called ‘Through the Looking Glass’. Students have enjoyed watching Edward Scissorhands and exploring how Tim Burton creates a signature style in a variety of his films across his career, as well as developing their analytical and writing skills. Year 8 have also engaged in some wide reading to support their growing passion for literature and expose themselves to the creative work of the brilliant writers who have come before them.

Year 7 English OverviewThe integrated curriculum’s focus this term is ‘Communities’ and Year 7 English students are exploring how drama has been used in different communities as a form of entertainment, as well as how communities are represented in drama. The students have studied the contemporary play ‘The Honey Spot’ examining the reconciliation possibilities between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous communities. The exploration of communities has enabled the Assessment Task to be integrated with Religious Education and focus on the importance of affirming human dignity for all communities and groups in society. Students were able to apply their knowledge of drama and script writing to creatively develop their own short script that reflected the dignity of all people.

Year 10 Writing WorkshopFinally, an exciting new initiative is starting next week. Mr Kissane is facilitating a Creative Writing Workshop that will run on Wednesday afternoons until the end of the year. The workshop aims to develop students’ creative writing in a supportive environment, fostering the critical and creative thinking skills required for Stage 6. We look forward to seeing the students engaged in their creative writing and reading what they produce.

Mrs Lisa Farrelly - English Coordinator & Miss Analise Emmerick - Assistant English Coordinator

SCIENCE - STEM CHALLENGEThis term in Science, Year 7 were given the very interesting STEM challenge of devising a wildlife highway crossing for sugar gliders (Petaurus Breviceps). Humans are causing problems for the sugar glider species due to highways being built through their habitats and bulldozing trees throughout their habitats.

While working through this problem we followed the engineering process. It begins with defining the problem. We then brainstormed ideas for our structure, researched possible solutions on how to fix/ improve the structure and designed our structure and made a material list. Once our materials were gathered, we began building our prototypes, tested and evaluated our prototypes by putting weights on the structures to see how sturdy and strong they were and to figure out how much weight they could hold. If it worked and had the best possible outcome, we were ready to share our idea but if it needs some improvements then we need to go back and improve the design, starting at either brainstorm, research or design.

Zander, Annabelle and I thought outside the square and created a midway platform for the sugar glider to glide halfway and rest and then continue their journey using their adaptation of gliding. If we had built a structure like a slide or a ramp it wouldn’t be using their full capability to glide and instead, we would be helping them cross the way we as humans would, which is with no skin flaps/webs (patagium).

Ava Stirzaker - 7.4



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SCIENCE WEEKScience Week was once again celebrated in style at MCCP, with activities run across the two campuses, both in class and during lunch. The theme of Science Week was Deep Blue, and to honour this theme, many classes from Year 7 - 10 participated in an Escape Room challenge in which they had to complete a number of challenges. Working in groups, students used their problem solving and critical thinking skills to crack the codes and save the crew of a deep-sea mission.

At the Mortdale campus, Periodic Table Bingo made a comeback with many prizes awarded for a myriad of patterns achieved, however it was Gabriela Shashati (Year 11) taking top honours with completing the entire board. Next challenge was to build a device that would slow down the descent of a 50 g mass. Whilst most students built a parachute, there were varying levels of success demonstrated with design. Kristen DeStefano and Marcus Riger-Bregovic (Year 11) took out first and second place respectively, with the team of Connor and Siobahn De Lapa Soares coming in third. Making its inaugural appearance in MCCP Science Week was the Science Amazing Race, where students in teams of 2 or 3, raced their way through the labs, completing various activities in order to complete the course in the quickest time possible. The team that outshone in the Year 11 category consisted of Gabriela Shashati, Amelia Giovenali and Victoria Kolmac. The dynamic duo of Jake Xippas and Paddy Daly took out top honours in the Year 8 category with their speedy efforts.

At the South Hurstville campus, students participated in a range of activities including a Paper Plane Challenge, Escape Room and the Amazing QR Science Race, all with the aim to promote an appreciation of Science. All students participated in these various activities and their enthusiasm throughout the week was electrifying. The Paper Plane Challenge had students designing a paper plane that could fly the furthest and/or highest. Students worked in groups within their classes, with multiple students being awarded for their design efforts. During Friday lunchtime, students participated in the inaugural South Hurstville Amazing QR Science Race. Working in pairs, students zoomed around the school finding and scanning QR codes which required them to solve various Science related challenges. These included translating the periodic table, observing chemical reactions and finding the height of the library (which is 6.5m).

Ms Rachel ThompsonScience Coordinator



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HOSPITALITY - FOODIE FEEDYear 9 Food Technology Year 9 Food Technology have spent the term delving into the world of Food Equity. The students are learning to appreciate how fortunate they are to live in Australia while exploring the living conditions and food availability in less fortunate countries. They have been cooking simple recipes such as fried rice, pasta and pancakes by using minimal ingredients to replicate the limited food supplies in rural communities. This week, both classes have begun researching aid agencies in Australia, such as the Red Cross and Oz Harvest, that assist those in our communities that may require additional support. The students will be developing a recipe book for those groups that contain some cost effective and easy to follow recipes.

Year 10 Food Technology This term, the students are exploring the world of packaged products and how and why they end up on our supermarket shelves. The students have been challenged to design and produce their own line extensions of an existing Arnott’s biscuit. They have been surveying a range of consumers to gain their feedback about the existing biscuits and recently made a sample of their new flavour for the class to sample. In class, they tasted each other’s samples and will use their peer’s feedback to make the required changes for their final products.

Year 11 HospitalityIn Hospitality this term, students have been working hard to prepare for the Preliminary exams and continue to build on their culinary skills. The students were fortunate enough to have a Zoom cooking lesson with My Kitchen Rules judge Colin Fassnidge where he demonstrated some basic cooking skills and some tips and tricks of the trade. The class also completed another successful lunch for the staff of the College. Students have spent the term experimenting with a range of different sandwich fillings to make some simple and gourmet sandwiches for the staff lunch in Week 5. They spent the day preparing and assembling 6 different sandwiches that were packaged and served to 80 staff members in small sample packs. The kitchen brigades were successfully led by David, Matilda, Natasha, Eleanor, Alex M and Lainey. These head chefs provided clear instructions to their team and managed their time well to produce some outstanding meals for staff. The class was also assisted by the Year 11 Business Services class who made individual labels for each box and the signs for the staff lunchroom. Congratulations to both classes for another successful lunch service.

Miss Olivia Matti - Hospitality Teacher



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To our special Fathers, Grandfathers, Uncles and Carers,

Please join us for a special Father’s Day Prayer Service

Friday 4 September 2020 8.55am – 9.10am

Due to COVID restrictions, our Prayer this year will be via a Zoom Link.

Please click the following link to access the Zoom. https://scscatholic.zoom.us/j/98069596098

We hope you can join us. https://scscatholic.zoom.us/j/98069596098
https://scscatholic.zoom.us/j/98069596098

Documents

MARIST CATHOLIC COLLEGE · the Marist Superconnect via zoom. This event provides senior students with the chance to collaborate and meet other students from Marist schools all over