From the Principal Important Dates

From the Principal
No. 17 / June 13, 2012
Welcome back to Mrs Brewer who has returned to school after her period of leave. Thank you to
Mrs Donnelly and Ms Herd for taking on additional responsibilities while Mrs Brewer was on
leave.
Important Dates
Thursday June 14
 Year 10 Camp
 Year 11 Retreat
 Year 12 Geography Excursion
Friday June 15
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Year 10 Camp
Year 11 Retreat
Year 12 Geography Excursion
Year 12 Ancient History
Excursion
 CCC Cross Country
 Year 8 French Incursion
 CSDA Debating Elimination
Public Speaking and Debating
In recent weeks there has been much activity in public speaking, in particular in relation to the
Parramatta Eisteddfod. There were many outstanding efforts which included:
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Stephanie Eid and Elizabeth Smith 1st in the 11/12 years Telephone Conversation
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Christie Nassif 2nd in 12/U Individual Speaking
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Amishi Handoo 1st in 12/U Individual Speaking
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Yasmine Biady and Alisha Panambalana 1st in 13/14 years Telephone Conversation
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Laiza Caramoan 2nd in 16/U Individual Speaking
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Erin McGiffin and Melissa Michael 2nd in 15/16 years Telephone Conversation
Monday June 18
 College Open Morning Tour
 Year 9 Dance (after school)
Tuesday June 19
 Assembly
 SRC Multicultural Day
Wednesday June 20
 Studio Concert Series
 SRC Multicultural Day
Thursday June 21
 Studio Concert Series
 Year 10 Careers Excursion
Friday June 22
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Term 2 ends 12pm
CSDA Debating Quarter Final
Year 12 Leaders Excursion
Year 12 Society & Culture
Excursion
 Year 12 Music Excursion
Table of Contents
From the Principal
1
Staff Profile
3
Curriculum
3
Cocurricular
5
Sport
7
Parents
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Several other students achieved 3rd places, 4th places, Highly Commended and
Encouragement Awards. A total of 50 students participated across 75 events which is a fantastic
effort.
I attended last week the Parramatta Rotary Public Speaking Competition in which Melanie Galla
from Year 9 participated. Melanie spoke extremely well and was a credit to OLMC.
Thank you to Mr Ostrowski for his very generous commitment in the area of public speaking - it
is because of his interest and passion for public speaking that so many of the girls have the
opportunity to compete in the number of competitions on offer. The value of public speaking and
debating is significant when we acknowledge the importance of communication in whatever
future the girls move into. To be able to communicate well and to articulate ideas clearly are
such important life long skills,
Our debaters are equally to be congratulated with many teams going through to the elimination
rounds this week – in fact some teams may have to debate twice this week as there will be two
Elimination Rounds taking place.
Senior Citizens Concert
All Year 11 students are to be congratulated on the excellent Senior Citizens Concert that took
place last week (see photos on page 2). All Year 11 students were involved as performers,
hostesses or caterers. We welcomed to the College many of our local senior citizens who had
the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful food cooked by the Hospitality students and were
entertained by a large number of our talented students. Thank you to Mrs McNulty, the Year 11
team, Mrs Scott and Mrs Little for their support and organisation.
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Camps and Retreats
This week Year 10 students will attend their Camp at Stanwell Tops and Year 11 will be attending their first Retreat, either at Tallong or
Somersby. I wish the girls well for both of these experiences: each is very important in its own way as it gives the girls ti me out from the
business of life to undertake new experiences and to reflect on their life now and into the future.
Staff Day
Last Friday at the Staff Day, OLMC teachers were involved in looking at best assessment practice with Dr Kay Carroll from the Australian
Catholic University. Her very engaging presentation provoked lively debate. In the afternoon we welcomed Gerry Gray, Special Education
Adviser from the Catholic Education Commission who discussed with the teachers our responsibilities under disability legislation.
Next week we are conducting our next College Open Morning Tour. If you know of any families looking to potentially enrol their daughter
at the College, please encourage them to visit our website and book into next Monday’s tour (starts 9.15am).
Kitty Guerin
Principal
Gold
Congratulations to the following students who have been awarded Gold Merit Certificates:
Year 8 Ashleigh King (2nd) & Stephanie Caine
Silver
Congratulations to the following students who have been awarded Silver Merit Certificates:
Year 8 Erin Bliss (2nd), Althea Alano, Sierra Fraser, Eliza-Jane Gittany, Marina-Zaizaf Giurgius, Isabel Lozancic, Juliana Lye,
Bronte Owens, Manike Senanayake & Zi Qin Zhang.
Year 7
Madison Felizardo, Bridget Kirwan, Cynthia Mather, Claire McKinley & Elizabeth Santoso.
Bronze
Congratulations to the following students who have been awarded Bronze Merit
Certificates:
Year 10 Yuyang Liu (2nd)
Year 8 Alana Mastroianni (3rd), Nour Manafikhi (2nd) & Alisha Panambalana (2nd).
Year 7 Alice Degabriele, Jamie-Lee Halwe, Amishi Handoo, Taliya Jayasinghe, Bianca Macri, Gabrielle Mansour, Rizelle Pan,
Sarah Rossi, Rebecca Sullivan, Lourda Tooma & Ishita Verghese.
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From the Director of Pastoral Care
Blue Mountains Train Service
Please refer to the attached letter from NSW Rail Corp regarding the trial of ‘quiet carriages’ on the Blue Mountains intercity services
between Central and Lithgow. The letter informs students of the features of a ‘quiet carriage’ and I would ask you to read and discuss the
contents of the letter with your daughter if she catches a Blue Mountains train to or from school.
Winter Uniform
The cold rainy weather has meant the girls are wearing their blazers for extra warmth. It is also obvious that some of the girls have
experienced ‘growth spurts’ and need to have either their skirt or tunic lengthened during the school holidays. Uniform checks will be
conducted in Week 1 of Term 3.
Please ensure your daughter’s uniform complies with the College Dress Code. In particular, please ensure your daughter’s Winter Uniform
is worn at the correct length (at least 2 cm below the bottom of the knee). Worn correctly, the uniform should cover the student’s knee caps
– it should touch the ground when kneeling!
Mrs Donnelly
Director of Pastoral Care
Staff profile
Hannora Normoyle
I started at OLMC in 2009 and since then have been working as a Visual Arts Assistant. For those of you who
might not know, Art Assistants essentially do a lot of behind the scenes leg work to ensure girls have seamless
Art classes and get the very best out of our resources and facilities. On any given day you might find me
preparing rooms for art classes, preparing chemicals for photography development, ordering supplies, as an
extra hand on excursions, setting up exhibitions and mounting work or rolling slabs of clay.
I get excited by all things related to art. I studied for a Bachelor of Arts and then went back again to university
and did a Bachelor of Graphic Design. I also dabbled in professional makeup artistry by doing a technician
course straight after school. I find being creative lots of fun and I do occasional freelance design work. I enjoy
going to exhibitions and seeing all types of art. There is often something you can learn and interpret from art, it
really makes you open your mind, experience new things and appreciate the complexity of the world.
OLMC’s Annual Art Exhibition is my yearly highlight. It’s hard work but it is really top notch with a great vibe –
girls get to experience just what it’s like exhibiting as an artist at a quality exhibition. It’s the real deal with a great space, professionally
mounted work, awards and drinks and nibbles. Most of all, its great to see girls celebrating their hard work with parents and teachers.
Students here really are empowered to do almost anything they dream of, artistically. There is a culture of being able to achieve anything
you set your mind to and teachers are very supportive of making those big ideas happen. In that kind of environment, creativity flourishes
and we see that in the fabulous artworks the girls produce.
In my free time, you can find me lying in my hammock with a good book or playing with my two crazy boxer dogs and my cat (that thinks
she is one of the dogs) or playing golf (chasing that long overdue hole in one). I also love to travel – my honeymoon was spent in East
Africa where my husband and I got to meet the Ugandan girl that we sponsor through World Vision (and her family). This was quite
overwhelming and amazing. Despite the poverty, it’s a beautiful, magical continent with lots of happy people, fascinating animals, produce
and scenery – I saw so much potential and cannot wait to return one day.
Hannora Normoyle
Visual Arts Assistant
Curriculum
Music Report
Not a week goes by without something exciting happening in the
Christina Creede Music Centre. The new Centre is bustling with
rehearsals on most days, often from as early as 7:45am. The
recent Variety Night saw the Centre transform into a costume
room, dance studio, orchestra pit and interior design studio all at
once. With more than 120 girls involved, Variety Night was a
phenomenal effort from the staff and students who put countless
hours into rehearsing and preparing the showcase. The girls
embraced this year’s Cabaret theme with enthusiasm, producing a
smorgasbord of big jazz numbers, tap dancing, hilarious skits and
fishnets. A big thank you to everyone who came and watched the
girls – a big audience is the best reward for all that hard work.
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Less than a week later, the Music Centre was back in order and on display for
Year 7, 2013 Getting Connected. The Chamber Ensemble and Year 7 Choir
performed in the hall for our future Year 7’s. At the end of the day, the Chamber
Ensemble provided music for the afternoon tea in the Francis Kearney
playground for all the future Mercy girls and their families.
On Monday June 4, our Year 11 Music class attended the Discover Wagner
Concert at Angel Place Recital Hall as part of the Sydney Symphony Concert
Series. The next day the Year 11 Music 1 and 2 classes delighted our senior
citizen visitors in an afternoon of Australian classics and sing-a-longs in the
College Hall.
Earlier this term, the Mercy Chorale and the ever versatile Chamber Ensemble
led the music for the Mother Daughter Mass.
But Semester One is not over yet! Coming up on Wednesday June 20 and
Thursday June 21 are the Studio Concert Series, showcasing all the College’s exceptional instrumentalists. Also performing will be the
various College small ensembles who rehearse tirelessly before and during school each week. The whole OLMC community is invit ed to
come along and support our hardworking musicians in what will certainly be a display of the musical talents at OLMC. Who needs to watch
‘The Voice’ or ‘Australia’s Got Talent’ when we have plenty of live talent here at OLMC?
Studio Concert Wednesday 20 June 2012
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6pm String Studio concert
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7.30pm Clarinet and Saxophone Studio Concert
Studio Concert Thursday 21 June 2012
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6pm Piano and Vocal Studio Concert
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7.30pm Flute Studio Concert.
Paul Witney
Music Coordinator
Learning Enrichment Report
It’s hard to believe we are almost half way through another year. A week ago I was in sunny Queensland attending a Special Education
Conference run by Spectronics. As we feel the chill in the air you may think it’s the onset of winter. True it is, but for me and the students it
means that NAPLAN is over and now far behind us and the Tournament of Minds season is sneaking slowly upon us. That of course for us is
the best part of winter.
The Learning Enrichment team began the term preparing for NAPLAN. Mrs Shirley Habib looked after the many procedures includin g rechecking student names, test papers ensuring that all student paperwork was correct. The testing this year ran even more smoothly than
previous years. A huge thank you to the Year 7 parents who ensured their daughters were at school by 8.30 or before. All students were
engaged, listened to the instructions and, I know, did their best.
It was joyous to watch the Year 9 students who have been on our Focus Literacy Program read the NAPLAN literacy magazine with
confidence. Many said they were grateful that the Focus Program had strengthened their reading skills. It is also worth noting the number of
students who have approached me asking to join the Focus Literacy program: it is wonderful to see such mature ownership of their learning.
A week ago, Mrs Jacinta Ebbott and I went to a Special Education Conference which addressed IT for students with special needs. It was
four intense days of examining how we can use technology in the classroom to assist all learning. We came away with so many great ideas:
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Ginger software is a fantastic package which you can install on your Mac or PC that helps with spelling and written expression (there
is a free version to try).
Evernote is great for note taking and features audio and camera functions and works on all devices.
Ipad Apps—I spent a whole day learning about the many apps available to assist learning from babies to adults including the
AudioNote app for senior high school and university students.
Research has found that reading text on a PC is 20% slower than reading on paper, and on a Kindle its 11% slower. Reading on an iPad,
however, takes the same time as reading on paper. Learning Enrichment will be exploring the possibilities of using pads and e books (which
are colourful, have audio and are interactive) to enhance reading. Using text to speech software is a fantastic way for non readers to enjoy
books and research supports using text to speech software as a way of assisting the transition to independent reading practices.
Suggested ebooks:
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Graham Base’s “Animalia” and “The Waterhole”
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Lynley Dodd’s “Slinky Malinki’s Christmas Crackers”
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Alice Lite (an interactive version of Alice in Wonderland)
Learning Support Reminders:
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Homework Club meets every Wednesday 3.05-4.15pm
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Tournament of Minds Competition begins next term.
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Suggested websites for assistance:
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www.ldc.org.au
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www.speldnsw.org.au
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http://gerric.arts.unsw.edu.au
Have a lovely holiday and best wishes
Margaret Vrdoljak
Learning Enrichment Coordinator
Cocurricular
Debating
On Tuesday the 12A and 10A teams travelled to Bede Polding at Windsor to take on Xavier College and Bede Polding College respectively,
while the 11B’s stayed at the College to debate Bethlehem College. On Wednesday the 9B team travelled to St Patrick’s at Strathfield to do
battle with them. Winning teams will join 12B, 11A, 10B, 9A and 7B to debate on Friday evening at an unknown location!
Good luck to all teams who are debating this week and I look forward to reporting the outcomes in next week's newsletter.
Public Speaking
Parramatta Eisteddfod
Parramatta Eisteddfod has certainly made for a hectic five weeks (or rather, weekends) for the College’s public speakers. OLMC girls
participated mainly in two events: the Individual Prepared Speaking and Telephone Conversations. Students in the individual event had a
choice of three topics (depending on the age group) and between two to three minutes to deliver. In the telephone conversations, pairs of
students were given an impromptu topic and required to sit back to back, recreating a possible conversation. The topics were varied, covering
a range of possibilities such as ringing a friend to arrange a stay overnight or phoning a retail business to complain about the service.
As usual, OLMC was well represented in each age group in these events. However, as we entered 52 students into this competiti on before
the draw is finalised, some students were unable to attend due to other commitments or illness.
Once again, OLMC girls displayed their talents in this area with excellent results achieved. Amishi Handoo (Year 7) won her section of the
12/U Individual competition. Amishi’s sensitive speech about the difference young people can make to senior citizens was repeated
eloquently at Chapel last week. Stephanie Eid and Lizzie Smith (also in Year 7) won their Telephone Conversation section, as did Year 8
students Yasmine Biady and Alisha Panambalana.
The full list of results is as follows: (Note: I/S refers to Individual Speaking; T/C refers to Telephone Conversations)
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Winners: Amishi Handoo (I/S); Stephanie Eid and Lizzie Smith (T/C); Yasmine Biady and Alisha Panambalana (T/C)
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2nd: Christie Nassif (I/S); Laiza Caramoan (I/S); Erin McGiffin and Melissa Michael (T/C)
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3rd: Sophie D’Silva and Amishi Handoo (T/C); Olivia Corazza (I/S); Olivia Corazza and Paulina Pazdior (T/C); Jossie Warnant (I/S);
Natasha Mustac and Jossie Warnant (T/C); Elise Deprez (I/S)
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4th: Natalie Akle and Rebecca Castor (T/C); Sophia Khoury (I/S); Lizzie Smith (I/S); Carla Caccaviello (I/S)
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5th: Jazmin Kokoszka (I/S)
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Very Highly Commended: Linda Massoud (I/S)
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Highly Commended: Jessica Dalton (I/S); Jessica Dalton and Kristianne Fernandez (T/C); Kristianne Fernandez (I/S); Madeline
Ocampo and Sarangi Rupasinghe (T/C); Thivya Nadeswaran (I/S); Patricia Caliwag and Anita Donovan (T/C); Melissa Michael (I/S)
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Encouragement Award: Rachel Caine (I/S); Rachel Caine and Grace Said (T/C); Jasmina Dang (I/S); Diana Doumit and Manike
Senanayake (T/C); Erin McGiffin (I/S); Beatrice Tan (I/S)
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Other students who competed include Isabella Bettucci, Jacinta Lim, Chloe Singleton, Natasha Martin, Vanessa Agius, Imogen King.
Many of the girls returned from the competition saying how much fun they had and asking if there were other competitions they could enter.
This enthusiasm and evident talent surely makes for an even brighter future for public speaking at the College. The nature of the competition
meant some long waits and late nights in some events so thank you to parents and well done to all involved.
Parramatta Rotary Public Speaking Competition
Each year, a Year 9 student is invited to take part in the Clift Public Speaking Competition run by the Parramatta Rotary Club. This year, our
representative was Melanie Galla. Melanie presented a speech on “Tweeting and Twittering will be the End of the English Langu age”.
Melanie argued that texting language will add to the language, not destroy it. Melanie also had to address the impromptu topi c of “What
would you do?” Although she did not win the competition, Melanie spoke very well and once again represented the College proudly. Thank
you to those who attended to support Melanie, including our Principal Mrs Guerin.
Legacy Public Speaking
The next competition is the challenging Legacy event at the end of July. Our two representatives, Andrea Kozera and Alana Mas troianni,
have already begun preparing for this competition and no doubt will spend their upcoming holidays fine-tuning their speeches to ensure they
impress. Good luck to both girls.
May College Open Morning Tour
Our latest College Open Morning Tour featured a welcoming speech by two of our
outstanding Year 7 speakers. Sophia Khoury and Ishita Verghese were excellent in their
delivery of an informative speech that no doubt confirmed the intention of several parents to
send their daughters to OLMC next year. Sophia and Ishita wrote their own script that
incorporated the central concept of “Once a Mercy girl, always a Mercy girl”. Well done to
both students: the feedback was nothing but positive.
Christopher Ostrowski
Public Speaking Coordinator
Sport
NSWCCC Touch Football
Congratulations to Madielyn Nolan, Madison Noud, Kaitlin McCaffery, Ashley Gray, Kaylah Franklin & Sarah-Jane Eltakchi who competed
last week with the PDSSSC Touch Football teams at the NSWCCC Touch Football Championship in Tamworth. Well done to the Open team
for winning the Grand Final 8-0 (especially after winning a very tough semi-final). A big congratulations also to Kaitlin McCaffery & SarahJane Eltakchi who were selected in the NSWCCC Teams. Well done girls.
CGSSSA Gymnastics
On Wednesday June 6 Katrina Matias & Carla Caccaviello both competed at the CGSSSA Gymnastics Championships at Five Dock. Both
girls competed extremely well. Carla finished 1st in the Level 6 Beam and Katrina finished 1st in the level 2 Beam, Floor & Vault and finished
2nd Overall. Well done to those girls on such fantastic achievements.
Stuart Guthrie
Sports Coordinator
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Parents
Parents & Friends Association contact details: pandf@olmc.nsw.edu.au
Uniform shop
Shop Location:
Telephone:
Trading times:
Price List:
Email:
4-6 Ross Street (corner of Trott Street)
8838 1275 (If unattended please leave a message)
Before school on Monday and Wednesday - 8:00am - 9:30am
Price list please visit the College web site www.olmc.nsw.edu.au/school/enrolments/uniformshop
uniformshop@olmc.nsw.edu.au
Trading times – The Uniform Shop trading times are before school on Monday and Wednesday from 8:00am to 9:30am. If these trading
times are not convenient for you or your daughter to purchase uniforms or accessories, items can be ordered and paid for over the telephone
or email. Items can then be collected from the Student Centre.
Buttons - Buttons for the blazer are available from the Uniform Shop free of charge.
Accessories –
50 Denier tights 2 for $11.00 or $6.00 each
70 Denier tights 3 for $22.00 or $8.00 each
Black scarf $5.00
Black gloves $5.00
Mercy scarf $18.00
Gold Merit Award – Students who have received the Gold Merit Award can leave their blazer at the Uniform Shop or the Student Centre
during the last week of term to have them embroidered. Please have your letter of notification in the pocket.
Paul and Christine Bourke
OLMC Uniform Shop
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