12/10/2015 - St Mary`s Cathedral College

Embracing Tradition, Achieving Excellence.
12th October, 2015
16/15
Scripture
…do not worry about… what your dreams will be…
Luke 12:11
Most of the time, our silent witness to the faith is best. As we daily go about our lives, practising our faith,
our witness is what people see in us. Our faith, our joy and our love hopefully inspire others to believe.
But there comes a moment in all our lives when we are called to give explicit testimony. Perhaps it will
be in a social gathering when the faith is challenged. Or it might be when we are faced with a difficult
decision, challenging our Christian values. Sadly, more than a few Christians in today’s world have even
witnessed to the faith with the sacrifice of their lives.
It can be a little frightening to anticipate such a moment. Will we be up to it? Will we be ready? This
scripture passage from the gospel of Luke tells us not to worry. The Holy Spirit will strengthen us and
inspire us. How will you witness to your faith today?
Living Faith – October
HSC Exams Commence
Today our graduating class start their external HSC Exams. We wish them well, and hope that all their
hard work and study pays off with results that enable them to choose the career path of their choice for
the future. Please keep our young men in your thoughts and prayers over the next four weeks.
Year 12 Graduation
The different graduation events for our senior class were a great success in the final week of last term.
The class of 2015 really distinguished themselves and left the College with great pride. The Graduation
Formal and Awards Night at Le Montage was a spectacular success. A night our senior class, girlfriends,
parents and staff will remember for a very long time.
Mrs Rita Cutelli – Rest in Peace
Our College community was once again hit with great sadness when one of our parents, Mrs Rita Cutelli,
after bravely fighting cancer for 22 months finally succumbed to this insidious disease. Her funeral service
was a memorable farewell by more than 1000 people and I am sure a great support to her parents, her
husband Jim and children Chanel and Anthony (Year 7).
A number of our parents and boys from Year 7 attended the funeral along with myself and several staff.
Our Year 7 boys who attended in their College uniform gave great witness for our College community
and it was very much appreciated by the family. We pray for the repose of the soul of Mrs Rita Cutelli
and will continue to keep her family in our prayers.
1
Academic
This term sees our Year 11 students start their HSC studies and their leadership of our College. To attain
their best results each young man must make use of his time wisely. Regular attendance at school, being
attentive and involved in classes, keeping up with homework and thorough completion of all assessment
tasks is the way to ensure they achieve their best.
This term also sees Years 3 to 10 complete their courses for this year with a detailed semester two report
due at the end of this term.
CCD Annual Mass
The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine are volunteers who teach the Catholic Faith in government
schools. It is now the fourth year a group of Year 11 students from St Mary’s Cathedral College have
given up their time to be part of this program. Their contribution was recognized at the Annual Mass held
at the end of last term on Sunday 20th September. A number of boys were able to attend along with myself
and Mr Ciaschetti. These young men are doing a great service in support of their faith.
Student Involvement & Success
At the beginning of the Term 3 holidays I was invited to attend the basketball grand final of a team called
the South East All Stars who play in the local competition at Alexandria Stadium. All the team members
attend school here at Cathedral and were playing as a team for the first time.
It was a close and exciting game with the boys claiming victory. A great team effort. Congratulations to
the parents who have looked after and supported the team and all the players for their team work in
winning. Well done! From Year 9: Lachlan Bourke-Moody, Antonio Gonzalez, Samuel Zammit, Jessie
Manolas, Jimmy Salloum, George Salloum and Kyle Brincat from Year 7.
Uniform and Grooming
A reminder to all boys and parents that we have high expectations of our students in these areas. The
student diary sets out what is expected. This also applies to Sports Uniform on Thursday. It is very clear
that should a student not be able to wear the full and correct sports uniform they are to wear their school
uniform and change for sport later in the day. Notes from home are not accepted for wearing only part of
the sports uniform.
Student Leave During the School Day
The process for granting this type of leave is clearly outlined in the student diary on Page 8. Over the last
couple of months we have had an increasing number of instances where these procedures have not been
followed.
Requests from families that do not follow these procedures will mean boys will not be allowed to leave
the College during the school day.
Skoolbag
A reminder to parents to download the Skoolbag App as the College is sending all newsletters and
messages via this system. Newsletters will no longer be emailed from early November.
P&F Association
The next meeting takes place on Tuesday 13th October at 7.30pm in the College Library. Access is down
the Chapter Hall steps and via the rear external entrance of the Library. All are welcome.
Br Christopher Peel cfc
Principal
2
Curriculum Office News
As you are aware, our Yr 12 Graduated towards the end of last term, I wish to acknowledge and
congratulate the following Year 12 students who were ranked in the top three in each of their respective
courses:
Academic Achievements for 2015
Ancient History
Biology
Business Studies
The Timothy Vasquez Award for
Catholic Studies
Chemistry
1st Place
Benjamin Pullen
2nd Place
James Allen
3rd Place
Michael Armson
1st Place
Thomas Surmon
2nd Place
John Taglini
3rd Place
James Worthington
1st Place
Michael Meliss
2nd Place
Fernando Tinoco
Equal 3rd Place
Michael Koumoukelis
Equal 3rd Place
Lachlan Hui
1st Place
Mark Mifsud
2nd Place
Carl Davis
3rd Place
Patrick Vasquez
1st Place
Samuel Jackson
2nd Place
Matthew Notarangelo
3
Construction
Drama
Economics
English Standard
English Advanced
English Extension 1
3rd Place
Rui Tong
1st Place
James Wood
2nd Place
Luka Mihaljevic
3rd Place
Nikola Martic
1st Place
Datu Bethke
2nd Place
Marcus Nomikos
3rd Place
Matthew Hayes
1st Place
Connor Wherrett
2nd Place
Lionel Liu
3rd Place
Roshan Joseph
Equal 1st Place
Jarryd Erskine
Equal 1st Place
Callum Gibson
Equal 3rd Place
Brandon Colagrossi
Equal 3rd Place
Daen Phillips
Equal 1st Place
Connor Wherrett
Equal 1st Place
Samuel Jackson
3rd Place
Michael Meliss
1st Place
Connor Wherrett
2nd Place
Stephen Abel
3rd Place
Timothy Walter
1st Place
Pierre Khoury
2nd Place
Stephen Green
3rd Place
Datu Bethke
1st Place
Luke Davar
2nd Place
Christopher Spanos
Industrial Technology Graphics
Industrial Technology Timber
4
3rd Place
Dominic Kannan
Information Processes
1st Place
Benjamin Goldsmith
and Technology
2nd Place
Luke Davar
3rd Place
Stephen Green
1st Place
Paolo Finocchiarro
2nd Place
Christian Shead
3rd Place
Joseph Nadile
1st Place
Connor Wherrett
2nd Place
Hamish Hayes
3rd Place
Charlie Pavlou
Equal 1st Place
Benjamin Goldsmith
Equal 1st Place
Michael Koumoukelis
3rd Place
Marcus Bianco
1st Place
Samuel Jackson
2nd Place
John Taglini
3rd Place
Christopher Wong
1st Place
Connor Wherrett
2nd Place
Matthew Notarangelo
3rd Place
Samuel Jackson
1st Place
Rui Tong
2nd Place
Connor Wherrett
3rd Place
Matthew Notarangelo
1st Place
Michael Meliss
2nd Place
Benjamin Pullen
3rd Place
Lionel Liu
1st Place
Brian Endravian
2nd Place
Patrick Vasquez
Italian Continuers
Legal Studies
Mathematics General
Mathematics
Mathematics Extension 1
Mathematics Extension 2
Modern History
Music 1
5
Music 2
PDHPE
Physics
Senior Science
Studies of Religion 1 Unit
Studies of Religion 2 Unit
Visual Arts
3rd Place
Matthew Michelini
1st Place
Samuel Jackson
2nd Place
Ethan Taylor
3rd Place
Jordan Thapa
1st Place
John Taglini
2nd Place
Matthew Jacobs
3rd Place
Benjamin Pullen
1st Place
Matthew Notarangelo
2nd Place
John Taglini
3rd Place
Samuel Jackson
1st Place
Nelson Lau
2nd Place
Joshua Heszberger
3rd Place
Taron Fazio
1st Place
Samuel Jackson
2nd Place
Connor Wherrett
3rd Place
Liam Marks
1st Place
Benjamin Pullen
2nd Place
Jonathan Charles
3rd Place
James Bajjada
1st Place
Stephen Green
2nd Place
Datu Bethke
3rd Place
Stephen Abel
Jason Marks
Leader Of Learning, Curriculum
6
From The Counsellor
From the Counsellor
October is Mental Health Month in NSW, I wanted to share with you this year’s theme “Value your mind”. See
the Mental Health Association fact sheet for further detailed information of ways everyone in our school
community can look after their wellbeing by focusing on sleep, positive self talk, taking time out and reaching out
for help when needed. In a school setting the concept of valuing the mind is significant. It is so important
students look after both physical and mental wellbeing to perform their best at school. In my role as school
counsellor it is clear that learning is negatively impacted when a student is highly stressed, and experiencing low
mood or significant worry. It is important to take pro-active steps to look after wellbeing in order to intervene
early with young people’s mental health. In particular I wish to stress having a regular sleep routine and getting
enough sleep per night can make a substantial difference in a student’s ability to sustain focus in class. When
students are deprived of sleep on a regular basis, for example, by staying up late online and playing games etc.
this can start to form a pattern and lead to irritability and often low mood or increased anxiety. I encourage you
to discuss concepts of wellbeing with your sons during mental health month and consider their current sleep
patterns.
Reminder
A reminder to all parents/guardians of Year 11 students, that their Year 12 book hire fees are due by
Tuesday 13th October 2015. No textbooks will be loaned to students who haven’t paid this fee.
7
From Primary Department
On Thursday 10th September, the annual RUOK? DAY was celebrated by Primary boys at St Mary's
Cathedral College.
The boys spent much of the day learning about effective ways to start a conversation, how to identify
students who may need one and listening without having to 'solve all their problems' - skills for life!
Thanks to College Counsellor, Candice Green, who spent time with the primary classes during the day.
Now the aim is for the boys to put these important life skills into practice!
On October 16 the primary classes will be participating in the Nude Food Day. All other students are
encouraged to participate. Nude Food Day is a nationwide initiative developed to encourage kids and
parents to eat well and live well, and eliminate all unnecessary packaging and wrapping that goes into
schools. Essentially, kids bring their food – nude! This will reduce the amount of rubbish that goes into
the bins, that goes into the ground, which pollutes our planet. This is an amazingly simple concept that
really empowers the kids to create change, you will be amazed with how enthused they can become!
Students are encouraged to bring their food in reusable containers or snap lock bags that then can be taken
home and reused. Our school generates a massive amount of rubbish daily as our bins tells us. We hope
that you would like to join us in this initiative on the 16th October and every other day.
8
UNSWSunsprint Challenge 2015
UNSW Sunsprint Challenge 2015
Four teams from St Mary’s Cathedral College participated in the annual Sunsprint Challenge at UNSW
on Friday 4th and Saturday 5th September.
For the two Year 7 teams it was the culmination of many months of planning and construction with
work done predominantly during the project-based learning periods each fortnight. Just to get a car to
the event is a major achievement. To have a competitive car at the first attempt is quite incredible. Both
Year 7 cars were serious challengers and the members of both teams are to be congratulated on a great
performance. Team Solaris consisted of Lachlan Kren, Vincent Pacialeo, Jack Ridley and Michael
Toner. Team Speedy Gone Solarez members were Ryan Li, Nicholas Petrykowyck, Mark Demian and
Josh Zhou. Both teams made it through to the round of sixteen.
Our Year 9 team came into the competition with a limited preparation but managed to get through to the
quarter finals. Despite struggling to get their car operational on Friday the boys persisted and by
Saturday had created a very competitive machine. Sam Rosenberg, John Kassiou and Alex Agius will
no doubt be serious challengers for the title in 2016.
9
The Year 10 team were amongst the favourites to take out the title. They had constructed an amazing car
which captured the attention of everyone at the event. The constant innovation in both design and
construction is wonderful to see and reinforces that this project is more about the journey than the race
itself. Unfortunately it was not enough to secure the title but the boys can be well pleased with their
second runner-up trophy in succession. A little more time testing and fine tuning their design will no
doubt pay dividends in the National titles in Adelaide next month.
A very special thanks to the many parents who came to support the teams at the event. Having so much
support over the two days meant a lot to both staff and students.
From The Visual Arts Department
On Wednesday 16th September, Term 3 Wk 10, 16 art enthused students set out across Hyde Park to
witness the largest, most contested and highest earning art prize in Australia…the Archibald Prize! At
SMCC, we are extremely fortunate by our location to be in the heart of the CBD, surrounded by major
galleries and museums. Students ranging from Yr 3 to Yr 10 attended the optional after school excursion
as an exciting opportunity to witness Australia’s oldest portraiture prize and immerse themselves further
in the course. Ms Marshall and I were very impressed by the mature attitude of the students who
attended, proudly representing the school. I would like to publically congratulate the following students
for attending this excursion during their own time:
Jeremy Stone, Samuel Dunnicliff (Yr 3), Trystan Farah, Luke Velevski (Yr 5), Gabriel Brady (Yr 7),
Jacob Rendina, Perrin Ford, Blaize Farah, Jack Robinson, Giacomo Agbugba, Joel Fitzgibbons,
Kristian Marijanovic, Hugh Preston (Yr 8), Zachary Spata, Ryley Davar (Yr 9), Angus McGregor,
Calvin Ripard, Alexander Farquharson (Yr 10).
I thank you for your continued support of Visual Arts at SMCC and I look forward to sharing with you
more after school Art excursions! All are welcome!
Mr Michael Clark
Visual Arts teacher
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AFTERSCHOOL
ARCHIBALD PRIZE
EXCURSION
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From the Sports Department
CBSA Volleyball and Touch commence this week. Our junior teams play Five Dock whilst the senior teams play
Revesby. We wish our teams the best of luck for their upcoming seasons.
The College is exploring the option of taking students on a basketball tour of Manila in 2016. The tour would
include students playing several games against schools in Manila, as well as getting to experience various cultural
activities and sightseeing.
Please email me to register your interest in attending an information evening with Steve Carfino, who will give
more details on the tour.
simon.shaw@syd.catholic.edu.au
12
MENTAL HEALTH MONTH 2015 - FACTSHEET
2015
Level 5, 80 William Street,
East Sydney NSW 2011
Phone: (02) 9339 6000
Fax: (02) 9339 6066
promoadmin@mentalhealth.asn.au
www.mentalhealth.asn.au
Value your Mind
Mental Health Month
What is it all about?
Mental Health Month is celebrated each year in the month of October in
NSW. This awareness month encourages all of us to think about our mental
health and wellbeing, regardless of whether we may have a lived experience of mental illness or not. This month also gives us the opportunity
to understand the importance of mental health in our everyday lives and
encourages help seeking behaviours when needed.
In today’s society, most of us face increasing commitments. Unfortunately,
with so many commitments in our lives, our mental health & wellbeing can
become less of a priority. This year, we are focusing on encouraging everyone to prioritise taking care of their mental health and wellbeing. Taking care
of our mental health and wellbeing is just as important as our family, friends,
physical health and work life commitments. Keeping this in mind, the theme
for Mental Health Month 2015 is:
Value your Mind!
The main message of this theme is to prioritise our mental health and wellbeing
just as much as we would to maintain our physical and social health. When we
make our mental health a priority, we are actively practicing self-care, which is an
important part of our daily life. Similar to being physically healthy, maintaining a
healthy mind helps to prevent mental illness and other issues that can make daily
living a struggle and it also allows for a positive lifestyle.
With each individual being unique, it is important to recognise that our mental
health needs are diverse, as is the way each individual looks after their mental
health and wellbeing.
While it may seem challenging at first, here are a few ways we
suggest will help you better value your mind!
www.mentalhealth.asn.au
MENTAL HEALTH MONTH 2015
2013 - FACTSHEET
2015
2013
Kindness:
Value
Sleep
One way of valuing our mind involves engaging
in physical self-care. While there has been a great
focus on the importance of having a balanced
diet and participating in regular exercise to look
after one’s mental health, unfortunately sleep is
often a key factor that is overlooked. Sleep is one
of the simplest ways of looking after our mental
health and it is important that we maintain a
balanced duration and quality of sleep. It has
been well established that individuals who sleep
poorly are likely to suffer from fatigue, frustration,
irritability, significant memory loss, develop
weakened immune systems and are more likely
to make mistakes involving daily tasks . A lack
of sufficient sleep may also have a profound
effect on one’s relationships and social activities,
which can also be a contributing factor in those
developing anxiety and/or depression .
Taking this into consideration, here are some
ways to try improving your sleep!
1. Make a routine for your sleep by having regular
bed and wake up times. This will help you gain a
healthy sleeping routine.
2. Reduce distractions that can interfere with
your sleep such as the use of mobile phones,
laptops and other technological devices in bed.
It is vital that you make your bed a place for
sleeping only. Use a traditional alarm clock as
opposed to your phone alarm and check any
emails on your laptop before you lay on your
bed.
3. Find a relaxation technique that works for you!
It’s important that you try not to take worried
feelings to bed, as this can impact the quality of
your sleep. Try some meditation techniques or
breathing exercises that can help you feel calm
and at ease when you go to sleep (Sleep Health
Foundation).
Positive self- talk
Even if we’re not aware of it, we’re
all engaging in self-talk every day‘Am I running late?’ ‘Am I capable?’
Unfortunately for most of us, stressful
situations can result in our self-talk
and thinking becoming negative,
impacting on how we view ourselves
and the actions we take. As humans,
we are prone to negative evaluations
of ourselves. However, this is not a true
evaluation of who we truly are and what
each of us is capable of achieving.
Recognising this pattern of self-talk can
be challenging but it will ultimately
allow for a healthier and calmer mind.
When we engage in positive self-talk, it
gives us the opportunity to explore our
strengths and qualities. This can help
build on our levels of self-confidence
and ability to strive towards new
challenges, with the aim of producing a
positive and productive outcome .
Our tip – Visualise something
positive
(See 10 tips 2015)
Our tip – Aim for more sleep! (See 10 tips 2015)
little
acts,
big
impacts!
your Mind!
Take time out
An important aspect of prioritising our mental health is
acknowledging when we have taken on too much, whether
it be work commitments, study or even our everyday
responsibilities. In our everyday lives, we need to take part in
activities that support our mental health and wellbeing.
As important as it may be for us to get through our work
schedules and still attend to personal matters, we must also
give ourselves permission to take some quiet time, either
to rest, reflect or disconnect from some of our persistent
distractions. Taking time out can also help us evaluate our
priorities and understand the things that matter to us and
make us happy.
We all take part in some activity that helps us alleviate the
stresses in our lives and find enjoyment. If we don’t take
part in enjoyable activities, our mood and motivation to
complete tasks and/or address situations can decrease. If we
do something that we enjoy every day, our overall mood can
improve and we can develop a positive outlook towards our
mental health and wellbeing.
Our tip – Make time for you! (See 10 tips 2015)
Share this value!
When we acknowledge that prioritising our mental health
and wellbeing is crucial to our overall health and maintaining
a good quality of life, it is equally important to share this
value with our family, friends, colleagues and peers. While
research has taught us about how common mental illness
is within our society, unfortunately stigma associated with
mental health and illness has become an ongoing barrier to
encouraging help seeking behaviours. It is essential that we
learn to change our attitudes towards seeking help and gain
a positive insight into achieving emotional balance .When
the stresses in our lives start to overwhelm us or you notice
this happening to someone close, start a conversation about
the areas that are causing stress, your emotional state and
the willingness to seek help . Explore and research ways of
looking after your mental health and wellbeing and that of
others.
Remember to remain open minded by understanding that
all of us are different and thus have different ways of looking
after our mental health and wellbeing. Overall however, our
aim for improving our wellbeing is the same.
Our tip – Reach out before things
get tough
(See 10 tips 2015)
www.mentalhealth.asn.au
MENTAL HEALTH MONTH 2014 - FACTSHEET
Sometimes our biggest priority will be getting some help for things that are causing us problems
or for changes in the way we are feeling and thinking.
Often, a good first step is having a chat to a local doctor who can refer you to someone who can
help. You may be able to obtain a Medicare rebate for some sessions with a psychologist when your
GP develops a management plan.
For more information on how to find help, call the Mental Health Information Service on 1300 794
991 (9am – 5pm, Monday - Friday) or the NSW Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511 (24hrs).
Another option is to connect to an online database of mental health services via www.wayahead.
org.au
If you would like more information regarding Mental Health, support or about maintaining
wellbeing, please visit our website www.mentalhealth.asn.au to download and view our numerous
factsheets and support programs.
If you need to talk to someone now call Lifeline on 13 11 14
If you are from a culturally or linguistically diverse background, contact the Transcultural Mental
Health Centre (TMHC) Information and Clinical Consultation Line on (02) 9912 3851.
Finally, remember that if you don’t find the right help the first time you try, it’s important to keep
trying. It’s okay to ask again or to talk to another mental health professional until you find the
support and help that is right for you.
For 24/7 counselling and support
• Lifeline - 13 11 14
• Kids Help Line - 1800 551 800
• Mensline Australia - 1300 789 978
• Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467
• Domestic Violence line – 1800 656 463
These numbers are either free or the cost of a local call.
Our programs include:
• Mental health promotion, including
coordinating Mental Health Month in NSW
The Mental Health Association NSW (MHA) is a
community-based organisation and registered
charity that has worked since 1932 to address
stigma and to promote mental health and
wellbeing through education, support and
advocacy in NSW. Our vision is a society that
understands, values, and actively supports the
best possible mental health and wellbeing.
• Workplace Health Promotion Network,
working to improve employee wellbeing
Visit our website to find out more www.
mentalhealth.asn.au or call 1300 794 991.
• Visit our Stress less website -
• Anxiety support and self-help groups – for
more information, please visit:
http://understandinganxiety.org.au/
• Small Steps, providing education to teachers
and parents about anxiety in children
www.stresslesstips.org.au
• A mental health information and referral
service and database www.wayahead.org.au