AQUINAS CATHOLIC COLLEGE MENAI

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Scot Allison
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28 FROM THE PRINCIPAL Today marks the beginning of the fourth week of the HSC examinations and the final

exam. I would like to commend the Year 12s on the way in which they have prepared for and then conducted

It has been most pleasing to see the 12s studying in the College library or meeting with their teachers to

I also would like to acknowledge the efforts of the staff that have also put in significant time outside of

The advent of email and the need to continually practice essay drafts has meant that the In and Sent boxes of

Thanks also to all those members of the community who were part of the HSC Prayer Families program organised

The HSC students greatly appreciated the gesture and receiving numerous messages of encouragement and support

As foreshadowed late last year, after community consultation and the support of the CEO Sydney, the official

The insertion of Catholic explicitly celebrates the proud tradition of the College and its inextricable link

College stationery, uniforms and other badged items will progressively change as stock is depleted to

1 AQUINAS CATHOLIC COLLEGE MENAI 5 th November, 2012 Vol.19.No.28 FROM THE PRINCIPAL Today marks the beginning of the fourth week of the HSC examinations and the final large exam for the Class of 2012, with either 1 or 2 Unit Studies of Religion also being many students final exam. I would like to commend the Year 12s on the way in which they have prepared for and then conducted themselves in what is a very challenging time. It has been most pleasing to see the 12s studying in the College library or meeting with their teachers to finalise their examination technique. I also would like to acknowledge the efforts of the staff that have also put in significant time outside of the usual school day to assist their charges. The advent of and the need to continually practice essay drafts has meant that the In and Sent boxes of staff and students have been continually stretched! Thanks also to all those members of the community who were part of the HSC Prayer Families program organised by the College Religious Education Coordinator, Mrs Nolan. The HSC students greatly appreciated the gesture and receiving numerous messages of encouragement and support from their Prayer Familiy. As foreshadowed late last year, after community consultation and the support of the CEO Sydney, the official name of the College has been amended to reflect the unique nature of Aquinas. The insertion of Catholic explicitly celebrates the proud tradition of the College and its inextricable link to our faith. College stationery, uniforms and other badged items will progressively change as stock is depleted to incorporate the amended College crest. In more mundane matters I need to remind parents and carers that the College car parks are not Drop Off zones before and after school. Students are to alight vehicles on Anzac Road, preferably on the College side to avoid having to cross the road without the safety of a pedestrian crossing. When having to use the car park for injured or sick students, the speed limit is strictly 10km/h. Adhering to these rules ensures the safety of all members of the College community. Thanks in anticipation for observing these very basic and important strategies for the wellbeing of all. James Corcoran Principal Anzac Road Menai NSW 2234 Phone Facsimile admin@aquinasmenai.catholic.edu.au 20 Years of being Enlivened by the Spirit

2 FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL Key Dates Week 5(A) Term 4 Monday 5 th November HSC EXAMINATIONS Tuesday 6 th November HSC EXAMINATIONS Melbourne Cup day Parish Mass Year 10 at 8.20am Wednesday 7 th November HSC EXAMINATIONS Thursday 8th November HSC EXAMINATIONS Friday 9th November HSC EXAMINATIONS Sport Robert Nastasi Assistant Principal WYD Fundraising Raffle Over the past few weeks, students who will be attending WYD13 have been selling raffle tickets to help support their pilgrimage to Rio and the mission work projects that they will be participating in on their pilgrimage through Latin America. Tickets are just $2 each and include a major prize of a Kia Rio 3 door hatchback, a second prize of 2 economy return flights to anywhere in Europe and a third prize of a $1000 visa gift card. Tickets can be purchased through the school or from any of our WYD13 pilgrims. All students in Years 9 and 10 will also be supporting this cause and are encouraged to sell the raffle tickets they will receive in their pastoral classes this week. Mr Strudwick Acting Youth Ministry Coordinator 20 Years of being Enlivened by the Spirit 2

3 20 Years of being Enlivened by the Spirit 3

Religious Education at Aquinas Years 7-10 20 point Assessment Tasks Evaluation Year 7-10 students have participated in 20 point assessment tasks in Religious Education this year.

The Religious Education department is currently evaluating this style of assessment.

Parent 20 point assessment task evaluation: http://tinyurl.com/ parent20pointsurvey Student 20 point assessment task evaluation: http://tinyurl.

The days gave students the opportunity to take a step back from their ordinary life and focus on what is really important.

4 Religious Education at Aquinas Years point Assessment Tasks Evaluation Year 7-10 students have participated in 20 point assessment tasks in Religious Education this year. This has given students the opportunity to complete a variety of 4, 8 and 12 point tasks, adding up to a total of 20 points per assessment task. The Religious Education department is currently evaluating this style of assessment. Parents and students are encouraged to participate in this evaluation process by completing the surveys at the websites below. We appreciate your feedback. Parent 20 point assessment task evaluation: parent20pointsurvey Student 20 point assessment task evaluation: student20pointsurvey Years 8 and 11 Reflection Days Last week Year 8 and 11 students participated in their Reflection Days run by Michael Fitzpatrick at the Tops Conference Centre. The days gave students the opportunity to take a step back from their ordinary life and focus on what is really important. Thank you to the students who actively participated in the various activities and the staff who supported the students through this experience. I would particularly like to thank Mr Peter Strudwick, our Youth Ministry Coordinator, for his leadership of the days. HSC Prayer Families 2012 As the HSC examinations come to the end this week I would like to thank all of our HSC Prayer families. We appreciate your support of our graduating students. It s not too late to send a written message to the student(s) that you have been allocated. The written message can be initially sent to the College office, labelled clearly with their name and that it is from their HSC Prayer Family. Messages will then be forwarded to the student(s). Mrs Catherine Nolan Acting Religious Education Coordinator Did you know? This Friday the Church celebrates the dedication of the Lateran Basilica, the cathedral of the diocese of Rome. This feast honours the local Church of Rome as a link with the earliest Christian tradition and as a sign of our communion in Christ. Reflection on the Gospel In Sunday s Gospel (Mark 12:28-34) a scribe asks Jesus what the greatest of all the commandments is. Jesus replied this is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord you God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. This great commandment has three parts loving God, loving your neighbour, and loving yourself. Often, this third part is glossed over or forgotten. Some people argue that Western society has already gone too far in the direction of self love, however, the love that Jesus is calling us to is having a sense of self worth, our own dignity, and the personal love of God for each of us. It is impossible to give the same to others and to claim from others the dignity that we each deserve, if we do not love ourselves in this way. Jesus shows us by the way that he loved his Father, us and himself, that true love always involves sacrifice. If we love our self in the right way, we have the self control to forgo those things that are most destructive in our life and we have the generosity to do for others the things that will enrich our lives. Jesus knew that we can never truly love others if we don t love ourselves. Adapted from a reflection by Richard Leonard SJ 20 Years of being Enlivened by the Spirit 4

5 Holy Family & Aquinas College Spring Fair 2013 Please consider helping on a committee in order for the 2013 Spring Fair to go ahead The 2011 committee will not be standing again, however we are available to get you started. If you would like further information please contact: Pat Lynne or the school office FREE WOMEN S COURSES Maths Recall is included in the newsletter each week and is designed for Stage 4 and 5 or junior students. The questions may focus on Working Mathematically problems and all are intended to be done without a calculator. 1. Evaluate 6.2 x Evaluate Evaluate 4 x x 9 4. Write 4 / 5 as a decimal 5. $72 is divided between Susan and Ryan in the ratio 7:2. How much does each get? Mrs Catherine Fensom Maths Teacher MATHS DEPARTMENT RECALL CORNER Returning to work? Looking for a new career? Need new skills and confidence? Loftus and Gymea TAFE campuses are offering a range of FREE courses for women in Choose from: Basic Computing for Employment, Computing & Basic Financial Skills, Computing & Bookkeeping using MYOB Ring for information sheet or go to and click on Women s and Community Programs (left side of home page) Information & Application Session: 11am Thursday 6 th December 2012 OR Wednesday 23 rd January 2013 E Block, Gymea Campus Cnr Hotham Rd and Kingsway, Gymea Inquiries: Course Information Tel: or Patricia or Jean Tel: Years of being Enlivened by the Spirit 5

6 There will be a SECOND HAND UNIFORM sale THURSDAY 22 NOVEMBER (Yr 7, 2013 Orientation Day) 8:00am-8:40am Outside College Office ann.conchie@aquinasmenai.catholic.edu.au If you have any donations, please hand them in to the office Thank you If your child has outgrown their summer uniform, please donate to the office UNIFORM SHOP THURSDAY 8 NOVEMBER 8:00am 9:00am Please note the Uniform Shop only sells Sports Uniforms and School bags The Uniform Shop does not accept Eftpos or Credit cards College caps and sports socks can be purchased from the College Office MATHS CHALLENGE Answers: LOST PROPERTY We have a number of items in Lost Property. If you are missing any items please come to the office to check Lost Property $56 : $16 Maths Department CANTEEN ROSTER TIME: MONDAY-THURSDAY 10:00-1:30, FRIDAY 10:00-12:30 TERM 4 MONDAY 5/11 ANNETTE PORTELLI, TANIA WILDER TUESDAY 6/11 CHRISTINE KLEIN WEDNESDAY 7/11 TRISH BENSON, HELEN HEAL THURSDAY 8/11 JACQUI OSBORNE, SUE SIMPSON, CARMEL COSTA, SUE O SHEA FRIDAY 9/11 SARINA PANTAZIS, DEANNE BROWN, JULIE CUPITT MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY 12/11 JENNY CARR, LISA TUDEHOPE 13/11 JO O HARA 14/11 SANDRA NARBESHUBER, PHILIPPA MCGUINESS, PENNII CASTLE 15/11 KAREN MAJOR 16/11 JULIE BELLE, JENNY KNOKE, VERONIQUE THIBAULT, LOUISE BRYANT 20 Years of being Enlivened by the Spirit 6

AQUINAS CATHOLIC COLLEGE MENAI

AQUINAS CATHOLIC COLLEGE MENAI 28 th May, 2012 Vol.19.No.12 FROM THE PRINCIPAL We have gifts that differ according to the grace given us... [Romans 12:6] The Bishops of Australia have invited the whole