From the Principal Mr Adrian Drane

Transcription

1 PO Box 588, Burnie, Tas, 7320 Ph: Fax: March 2017 No. 4 From the Principal Mr Adrian Drane As we begin this Lenten season, the time leading up to Easter, I offer you this reflection on fasting and feasting. This year, rather than give something up for Easter I encourage you to take something up for this period leading into Easter. Some ideas of what to take up are below: Fasting and Feasting Lent can be more than a time of fasting. It can also be a joyous season of feasting. Lent is a time to fast from certain things and to feast on others. It is a season to: Fast from judging others; feast on Christ living in them. Fast from emphasis on differences; feast on the unity of all life. Fast from apparent darkness; feast on the reality of light. Fast from thoughts of illness; feast on the healing power of God. Fast from words that pollute; feast on phrases that purify. Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude. Fast from anger; feast on patience. Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism. Fast from worry; feast on appreciation. Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation. Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives Fast from unrelenting pressures; feast on unceasing prayer. Fast from hostility; feast on non-resistance. Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness. Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others. Fast from personal anxiety; feast on eternal hope through Jesus. Fast from discouragement; feast on hope. Fast from lethargy; feast on enthusiasm. Fast from suspicions; feast on truth. Fast from idle gossip; feast on purposeful silence. Fast from thoughts of weakness; feast on promises that inspire. Fast from problems that overwhelm; feast on prayer that undergirds. Fast from everything that separates us from the Lord; feast on everything that draws us to the Lord. Inside this issue From the Principal..1-3 Deputy Principal: Pastoral Wellbeing..4-5 Welcome Hiroki Business Manager Catholic Identity & Mission...6 Director of Mission.. 7 TASC Liaison Officer CCTTC Sport News.10 Congratulations 10 Community News COLLEGE CALENDAR Monday, 13 March Public Holiday (Labour Day) Tuesday, 14 March Senior College Student-Free Day (Moderation) Thursday, 16 March 2018 Enrolment Information Evening at 6pm Tuesday, 21 MARCH Catholic Education Week Mass at 11 am Friday, 24 march Super 8 s Day Wednesday, 29 March NSATIS Basketball & Tennis at MRC Thursday, 30 march SATIS Swimming Hobart

2 From the Principal (Cont d) Mr Adrian Drane Ash Wednesday Liturgies On Wednesday, we celebrated the start of Lent with Ash Wednesday Liturgies for each Year Level. Father Peter held a Ministers Commissioning Ceremony in the morning and these leaders then went into the College and led moving liturgies for each of the year levels throughout the day. Ash Wednesday is one of the most popular and important Holy Days in the liturgical calendar. Ash Wednesday opens Lent, a season of fasting and prayer. Ash Wednesday takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday, and is chiefly observed by Catholics, although many other Christians observe it too. Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head. The ashes symbolize the dust from which God made us. As the priest applies the ashes to a person's forehead, he speaks the words: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." Or Repent and believe in the Gospel Shrove Monday Due to the Junior Swimming Carnival on Tuesday the SRC ran a Shrove Monday Pancake Day. The origins of this come from the need to rid the stores of the food that was not going to be used during Lent, due to the fasting of the 40 days in the Lenten season. This removed the temptation for the fast. The SRC made and sold pancakes in different locations around the school. It was great to see the number of students participating. The SRC plan to use the funds raised to assist fellow students who are in some pastoral need, through the provision of funds, uniform items or the like. A great initiative by the SRC. 2

3 From the Principal (Cont d) Mr Adrian Drane Year 7 Camps Last week we held two Year 7 Camps. These were a great success and the weather held out to ensure that all of the activities could be run. I would like to thank and congratulate all of the students for the way in which they approached and conducted themselves on the camp. They made the whole experience wonderful. I also thank the staff, led by Tracey Rogers, for the brilliant organisation and execution of the program. Without their generosity of time and energy, camps like this would not be possible. Junior Swimming Carnival On Tuesday of this week, we held the Year 7 and 8 Swimming Carnival. This was the first official school carnival for our Year 7 and 8 students, as last year, the then Year 7s, did not participate in the carnival, due to the closure for renovations of the Burnie Aquatic Centre. Therefore, there was a great deal of excitement when they finally managed to turn out in House colours and compete for points. I again congratulate Stephen Eddington and the HPE Team for their organisation and oversight of the carnival. Well done to all. 3

4 Acting Deputy Principal: Pastoral Wellbeing Mrs Kerrie Flynn Moving around the College in these first few weeks back it has not been uncommon to see some of our young people yawning and looking fatigued. Some of this, of course, is due to a return to school and the settling back into routines after a long break with more flexibility around sleep times. Getting adequate sleep for our health and wellbeing is far from a new concept. It is, though, a very difficult concept to reinforce with teenagers. Most adolescents need about nine hours sleep each night to maintain optimal daytime alertness. But few teens actually get that much sleep on a regular basis. Sleep deprivation can have serious consequences. Tired teenagers can find it difficult to concentrate and learn, or even stay awake in class. Too little sleep also might contribute to mood swings, health and behavioural problems. The following information and tips come from the Newcastle Sleep Disorders Service. Effects of sleep deprivation: Concentration difficulties - drifting off in class Memory difficulties Poor decision making Lack of enthusiasm Moodiness and aggression Risk-taking behaviour Reduced academic performance Increased number of sick days from school because of tiredness Truancy POOR SLEEP = POOR LEARNING SO WHAT CAN YOU DO? Tips for parents Try not to argue with your teenager about bedtime. Together, brainstorm ways to increase their nightly quota of sleep. Allow your child to sleep in a little later on the weekends. Decide together on appropriate time limits for any stimulating activity such as homework, television or computer games. Assess your child s weekly schedule together and see if they are overcommitted. Help them to prioritise and/or trim activities. Tips for teens The typical teenage brain wants to go to bed late and sleep late the following morning. This is not ideal for functioning during the day, particularly at school. To get your body clock into a better routine you could try to: Avoid loud music, homework and/or computer games for about an hour before bedtime. Don t drink caffeine or coke after dinner. Leave your phone and laptop out of the bedroom at night time. Keep your room dark at night. Avoid watching television right before bed. In the morning, expose your eyes to lots of light to help wake up your brain. Do the same bedtime routine every night for at least four weeks to make your brain associate this routine with going to sleep. Avoid staying up late on the weekends. Late nights will undo your hard work. 4

5 Acting Deputy Principal: Pastoral Wellbeing (Cont d) Mrs Kerrie Flynn CYBER-SAFETY TIP Don t keep devices in the bedroom overnight Having devices in the bedroom at night means that your teen may be woken every time an alert, notification or message comes through. Added to that, you don t know who your child is communicating with, or what content he or she is accessing. APP OF THE WEEK Smiling Mind Smiling Mind is a free meditation App. It is a simple, easy to use tool. Smiling mind meditations promote many benefits, among them: reducing worries, anxiety and stress; creates a sense of calm and promotes better health and sleep. WELCOME HIROKI Hello, I m Hiroki. I have come from Japan as an exchange student. I m sixteen years old and my birthday is in February. I am in Year 10. My hobbies are watching baseball on TV and listening to music. I also like to play basketball. There are only three members in my family so I don t have any brothers or sisters. My favourite foods are ramen (noodles) and tomatoes. My mother teaches calligraphy so when I was a child, I was taught it by her. I m good at calligraphy. I like dogs and when I was young I wanted to care for a dog at home but my parents didn t agree. But now I live with my host family who have two dogs, two cats, three rabbits and two birds. My host family is a big family so I m happy with that. Thank you. Marist Regional College is very happy to welcome Hiroki Mori, an exchange student from Kobe, Japan. He will be studying here for the remainder of the year through Southern Cross Cultural Exchange and is already enjoying his Tasmanian lifestyle. Hiroki has joined in various classes so far and even competed in our Senior Swimming Carnival last week. As a school community we wish Hiroki every success at school and the very best in his cultural adventure here in North West Tasmania. Again, welcome Hiroki! 5

6 Business Manager Mr Rod Tremayne Marist Fee Accounts First fee instalment charges dated March 1 were sent to parents this week. Where parents/guardians have provided the College with an address, statements will be ed in If you prefer a printed statement please contact the office on Automatic payment to debit or credit cards is available. If you have not returned a payment authority please call the office to provide details. Catholic Identity and Mission 6

7 Acting Director of Mission Mr Patrick Fabian Ash Wednesday This week the college celebrated and remembered Ash Wednesday with students participating in liturgies in their year level groups. Ash Wednesday is the day which begins the season of Lent in preparation for Easter. Ash Wednesday is one of those days in the Church calendar which can seem confusing and a little strange! After all, wiping ash onto our foreheads isn t something we do every day. So what is the point of it and what is it remembering? To understand this a little better, we need to jump back 2000 years ago just days before Jesus is crucified. Palm Sunday is a day to remember Jesus entry into Jerusalem, using palm leaves. These same leaves are then burned and the ashes used on Ash Wednesday. The ash is then placed on your forehead and you are given a blessing and told to repent. Repent can seem like a really dirty word, bringing to mind naming and shaming. But repentance is a good thing. None of us are perfect, we all have faults and have done things we probably aren t proud of and wish we could go back and change. That is what repentance is, realising what we need to change in ourselves, turning around on that path and walking the other way, and feeling so much better for it! It s the same as that old expression, to turn over a new leaf. Jesus said: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30) It s great news to know that it s never too late to change, that God calls us to forgive each other just as he forgave us. Our SRC led liturgies across our Year Levels and reminded us that we all have our frailties but all can fulfil our potential in the eyes of the Lord. Even a small act of kindness can amount to and aspire something great. We may not always be able to change the past, but we can certainly take control of our future! 7

8 TASC Liaison Officer Mrs Jill Kerr Special Disability Provisions TASC TASC provides for special assessment arrangements to be made for students who, because of particular circumstances, are unable to be assessed in the same way as other students. REASONS FOR APPLICATIONS: Significant Health Impairment Significant Physical Disability Learning Disability Hearing Impairment (Disability) Vision Impairment (Disability) TASC does not provide special disability provisions for students on the basis of lack of familiarity with the English language. Nor do TASC provide special disability provisions or consideration to students for normal exam stress, unless a request was supported by medical evidence about a chronic condition that is undergoing ongoing treatment. APPLYING FOR SPECIAL EXAMINATION DISABILITY PROVISIONS Special Examination Disability Provision Application forms are available from Mrs Kerr. A TASC Liaison Officer, School Counsellor or other nominated teacher may assist your son/daughter in completing the application form. SUBMISSION DEADLINES: The completed application MUST be returned to Mrs Kerr by the middle of Term 2 (June 19). This will allow TASC to process the applications and then MRC can implement the provisions for mid year exams. Only emergency cases, such as a physical injury that occurs after the end of Term 2 and before the end of Term 3, that will impair a student undertaking their examinations will be considered for that year's examinations. These emergency applications MUST be with the Office by no later than the end of TERM 3. All relevant documentation/medical assessments/testing MUST NOT be more than 3 calendar years old - including the year to be externally assessed (ie not undertaken before Year 10 for the student). Further information is available at If your son/daughter applied for Special Provisions in 2016 then he/she must complete another form for If you have any concerns or questions, please contact Mrs Kerr jkerr@mrc.tas.edu.au or

9 Vocational Education and Training (VET) Ms Jennifer Reeves AFTER SCHOOL TUTORING Started Monday 27 February Maths Club for Years Do you need support in Maths? Do you need to gain confidence in Maths? Do you need to practice Maths? Then Maths Club is for you. This will be held every Monday and Tuesday from 3-4pm in the Learning Enhancement Centre (Dadirri Centre). Come along, get some one-on-one support or work in small groups with Scott Knight. Homework Club for Years Do you need support with your homework? Then come to Homework Club every Monday and Tuesday from 3-4pm in the Learning Enhancement Centre (Dadirri Centre). Come along and get some one-on-one support or work in small groups with Jules Peach. 9

10 Sport News MRC BNA Saturday Schools Winter Roster Tryouts Date: Friday 3 March, 2017 Time: 3.15pm pm Who: Year 7-10 Girls Venue: Harcombe Centre To be selected in these teams attendance is required. Students who wish to attend must sign-up before Friday on the sheet in Harcombe Centre. BNA Winter Roster: Roster is due to start on 18 March and conclude 1 July. All information regarding the roster on Saturday s please direct correspondence to BNA Secretary: Jeannie Jones E: jonesgirl7@hotmail.com. BNA Mixed Roster on Monday Nights This year Grade 10 netballers are invited to put in a team. The requirements are - at least one boy to be on the team; and each team has at least one competent umpire. Nominations for this roster close March 6 and the roster commences March 20. Nominations can be ed to Dianne Singline at joyfuldidi@yahoo.com.au or Jeannie Jones jonesgirl7@hotmail.com. NW Cricket NW Lightning Representatives Under 13 Jake Dixon - Captain Connor Dolting George Davies Under 14 Jessee Bryant Luke Chamley Under 16 Josh Lamprey Thomas Poke This is the first step in Cricket Tasmania s talent identification program. Young cricketers are nominated by their club, school or association to try out for their regions Emerging Tigers/Roar squads. Each region; South, North and North West, form teams in the Under 13, Under 14, Under 15 and Under 16 categories for boys and Rookie, U14 and U17 categories for girls. Participants are trailed in their respective region prior to being taken under the wing by specialist coaches for an extensive skill development program. Final selections are made in late November for the teams to represent their region in the Intrastate Cup Competition. Congratulations Amalia Langham will represent Tasmania next week in the National Track Cycling Championships in Brisbane. We wish Amalia well at the Championships. Year 9 students Frances O Rourke and Anna Jaffray, members of the Ulverstone Rowing Club, participated in the 2017 Tas State Club Championships and received the following results: Events Frances and Anna both participated in: 1.5 km Women s U/17 Double Scull 6 th place 1 km Women s Novice Double Scull 5 th place 1 km Women s Masters Coxed Quad Scull 1 st place Frances also participated in: 1 km Women s Novice Single Scull 5 th place 1.5 km Women s U/17 Coxed Quad Scull 2 nd place 10

11 Community News Educating and Managing Boys Dr Ian Lillico This seminar is for Teachers, Parents, Teacher Assistants, Administrators in Primary and Secondary Schools and all Professionals who work with Boys This seminar deals with teaching, motivating, parenting and managing boys in schools, at home and in the workplace. Tuesday 21 March, 2017 Launceston Golf Club, Opossum Bay, Launceston 4pm - 8pm (Registration from 3.30pm) Special price for Parents - $135 11