PO Box 588, Burnie, Tas, 7320 Ph: 6432 7600 Fax: 6432 7630 Email: principal@mrc.tas.edu.au 18 October 2018 No 30 From the Principal Mr Adrian Drane Inside this issue From the Principal.....1-4 Director of Faith and Ministry... 5 A Prayer for a New Term Father, We thank you for our holidays and for the good times that we had. We thank you for the break from school, for the sleep-ins and the family and friends. We ask your blessing on all that we do in this coming term. Help us to know that you are with us always, celebrating with us when things are great, and comforting us when things are not so great. With the guidance of your Holy Spirit, may we strive to do our best throughout this term, using the gifts that you have given us. Amen Japan Trip 2018....6 Homework Club..7 Community News......7-8 COLLEGE CALENDAR Monday 29 October Afl Girls Gala Day years 9 and 10 Wednesday 31 October Year 12 Vale mass Friday 2 November Senior college Graduation assembly Tuesday 6 November to Friday 9 November Senior College SWAT VAC Week Monday 12 November to Thursday 22 November Senior College exams Friday 23 November 2019 Year 7 Orientation Day Year 7 Student Free day Senior College Graduation liturgy and celebration
From the Principal (cont d) Mr Adrian Drane Welcome back to Term 4 at Marist Regional College. I hope that the students enjoyed a safe and relaxing break over the two week period and are ready for the opportunities and challenges that will present themselves in this last term of 2018. Students abroad If you were watching the College Facebook feed you will have seen that our students and staff in Japan and Fiji both had some amazing experiences, both culturally and personally. We are truly lucky that students have the opportunities to travel and experience different cultures and ways of being. I look forward to hearing about what each individual gained from their experience. Thank you to Patrick Fabian and Jacqueline de Jonge along with Sophie Bird and Sheryl Thornton for enabling these experiences for the students. 2
From the Principal (cont d) Mr Adrian Drane Year 12 Students In the coming week, all parents of Year 12 students at the College will be receiving a letter from me about what is planned for the final weeks of classes for Senior College, and also the events and rites of passage that we have planned for their graduation from formal education at a secondary school level. It is important to note that graduation from this stage of their learning will not mean graduation from learning. We know that each individual will go on learning in different ways and in different places right throughout their life. We will though mark this special rite of passage with great ceremony, to highlight this important milestone in their journey. If you do not receive a letter and you are a parent of a Year 12 student, please contact the office to receive a copy. Discrimination in Religious Schools No doubt, you have seen some of the recent media about discrimination based on sexual orientation in schools. To be honest, from my perspective as a Principal in a religious school the information came as a shock to me. I had no knowledge that such clauses even existed. The actual thought that a young person could be excluded by a community because of their sexual orientation is incomprehensible in any way, shape or form. The sexual orientation of an individual does not define them. A human being, is so much more than a sexual being; they are social, emotional, physical and spiritual beings as well. To define a person based on their sexual orientation is such a narrow way of trying to group or pigeon hole an individual. Each and every person is created in the image and likeness of God and as such a precious gift to our world. I absolutely applaud the removal of the clauses that enable exclusion of individuals based on their sexual orientation. They should never have been included. What I am most pleased about is that in my 22 years in Catholic Education I never knew they existed because each and every child is welcome in Catholic Schools. 3
From the Principal (cont d) Mr Adrian Drane Board Vacancy In 2019, one vacancy will exist on the College Board due to Anne Wood having completed a six-year term as Chairman. We will acknowledge Anne s service in March 2019 at the official conclusion of her service. However, the process of gathering expressions of interest starts now. The vacancy will be a Board Nominee, that is, the Board accepts nominations and endorses those who they believe will add value to the College Board, based on the current skills matrix. In the case of multiple nominees, the endorsed nominees will be forwarded to the Governing Authorities for approval and selection. If any parents are interested in applying, please refer to the flyer below for more information. At present, the Board is seeking individuals with knowledge, recent experience and expertise in large scale finance operations, industrial construction and/or senior management. 4
Director of Faith and Ministry Mr Patrick Fabian Our God is Faithful Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100) The Psalms are a collection of songs and poetry which reflect the strong emotions of the writer s joy, fear, despair and hope. Psalm 100 praises God for his goodness and looking over us as the sheep of his pasture. It is a Psalm of acknowledging who God is and the love that he shows to his people. As we enter this new school term, things begin to get busy, particularly for our Senior College students. As exams approach, assignments are due and the decisions for the future loom over them. This can be a time of great stress and uncertainty. Although this is a challenging and important time, it is a comfort to know that these pressures do not need to be faced alone. The scriptures show us that nothing in life needs to be faced alone. We are blessed with a God who cares for us and watches over us. Like a good shepherd, God offers us guidance and support when we need it. A key word in Psalm 100 is faithfulness. God s love and care doesn t change based on his mood, and it does not depend on us being perfect. We don t need to earn God s love. God is faithful to his people with a forever enduring love. What a great comfort this is to know! To know that we can face anything because God is on our side to support us. To know that God will be there for us when we fall and pick us back up. To know that when we forget God and maybe don t give him the attention we ought to, he remains faithful, waiting for us to return to his love. So when you pray, be filled with confidence that God hears you, he loves you, and he is faithful to you. When you pray for our students, our staff, people in the community, the Church or our world, be assured that God hears you, because he made you and cares for you! So as the Psalm writer says, let us worship the Lord with gladness and come before him with joyful songs. Amen! 5
Japan Trip 2018 Ms Sophie Bird Marist Regional College Japan Trip 29 September - 10 October 2018. The Japan Trip had a rocky start this year, as our flights were cancelled twice due to Typhoon Trami. The visit to our sister school and families in Kochi were postponed a couple of days as we waited around Haneda airport and found last minute, overnight accommodation in Tokyo. Finding the silver lining however, we explored Asakusa and Tokyo's oldest shrine Sensouji before making a literal mad dash to our domestic flight south to see our Japanese buddies. That evening we were welcomed by Kochi Minami High School staff and were taken to dinner. Marist students were shown true Japanese hospitality and were introduced to some great foods such as the Kochifamous seared bonito sashimi served with garlic. The next day students were invited into their buddies classes for the whole day where they were able to experience what school in Japan is like. They had an amazing time making friends and seeing the comparisons of our two school systems. Some students made such strong connections that many tears were shed that afternoon! We were also treated to a short calligraphy lesson and were introduced to the whole school in assembly. We finished our journey where it began in Tokyo and our final days of the trip were spent enjoying and exploring Shinjuku, Harajuku, Akihabara, Disneyland and Meiji Jingu. After a week and a half of Japanese in-country experience, it was strange to think we would be back home again in less than a day. Cancelled flights, delayed schedules and typhoons aside, this year's trip truly was a once in a lifetime experience for our students. They have all come away from the trip better friends, have gained a huge amount of confidence in areas of overseas travel, communicating with people in a foreign language, independence and self-management. While coming home to family was anticipated with great joy, departing the Land of the Rising Sun threw into light the students' new relationship with Japan and the possibility of a return journey to somewhere now truly special in their hearts. 6
Homework Club MONDAYS AND TUESDAYS Maths Club for Years 7-10. 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 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 7-10. Do you need support with your homework? Then come to Homework Club every 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. Community News 7
Community News (cont d) Burnie Surf Lifesaving Club Nippers Program With summer fast approaching and the Nippers Program soon to begin, we are looking to promote the benefits of Surf Lifesaving to children. Please do not hesitate to contact Karla on nippers@burnieslsc.org.au with any questions or concerns. 8