Bennies Buzz - November 2013

PROBLEM SOLVED ■
GREASE IS THE WORD ■
College Team wins
World Championship
NOVEMBER 2013
Our 2013 College Musical
Bennies Student CHOSEN ■
AS AUSTRALIAN DELEGATE
Lily Vidler travels to Lillehammer for
Pierre de Coubertin Awards
Principal’s Message
It is indeed a great joy and privilege to be part of such a
vibrant and exciting community as Mount St Benedict College.
There are so many activities which take place and the girls
are always enthusiastic in their participation. This year
I enjoyed accompanying a group of staff and students on
the French Language and Cultural Tour. I saw first-hand
how the girls adapted to a new culture, enjoyed trying out
their French language skills and seeing them improve, and
how independent they became during their time away from
home. You can read more about our tour later in this issue.
Our focus on holistic education of young women encourages
the girls to develop in every aspect of their lives and I am
sure that the range of opportunities available for the girls
allows them to do just that.
The completion of the refurbishment and extension of
the College Hall has finally given us an outlook onto the
beautiful Blue Gum Forest which is a highlight of our site.
The girls are enjoying having the deck available to them
once more and our ability to host events has been greatly
enhanced. We are grateful to the Board for their foresight
and vision in bringing this project to fruition. In addition, the
Board has approved the refurbishment of the Hall Courtyard
which will further enhance this precinct and improve the
amenity for students.
Students of the College have had some remarkable
successes this year, including becoming World Champions
in Future Problem Solving at the University of Indiana
in June. This team of girls and their teacher coach have
worked for over twelve months to develop their project,
which revolved around educating the community about
the local indigenous people, the Darug people. With the
support of their families also, the girls showed incredible
commitment, generosity and intelligence, which paid
2 | Bennies Buzz November 2013
dividends when they travelled to the USA for the World
Championships. A final highlight was being interviewed
by Adam Spencer on Sydney ABC Radio 702, and sharing
their experiences with over half a million listeners. We
are very proud of these girls and their fantastic success.
MSBESA continues to explore ways of better engaging with
ex-students. The launch of Bennies Connect as part of the
new College website is helping our former students connect
with the College and giving them opportunities to engage
with current students. We look forward to seeing much more
interaction between our current students and former students.
I hope you enjoy reading about some of the many
activities happening at Bennies and in our broader
College community. We greatly value the connections
with ex-students and love to hear the stories of your lives.
Please keep in touch, particularly as we plan and prepare
for our 50th Anniversary celebrations in 2016.
Maria Pearson
Principal
Appearing on our cover are our World Championship winning Year 10 Team.
Pictured with 702’s Adam Spencer are:
Back row, left to right: Rebecca Albertini, Rebecca Koelmeyer, Stephanie Frost,
Monique Cockram. Front row, left to right: Rebecca Calabrese, Laura Baker,
Julia Ramos, Emily-Kate Pfeiffer.
From the
MSBESA President
We were privileged again with another very successful Beyond
Bennies breakfast held on 19 June. Around one hundred and
twenty students, parents, ex-students and staff enjoyed listening
to three fantastic ex-students: Megan Tumminello, Gabby Craig
and Ali Craig. Each guest speaker was able to share a variety of
tales about their life experiences thus far and to discuss their
evolving careers. It was wonderful to hear all three stress the
importance of doing work about which you are passionate, and
to work with life’s challenges. It was a great opportunity for our
current students to hear their stories and be able to chat with
them afterwards. Beyond Bennies is a wonderful opportunity
for ex-students to contribute to the educational experiences
of current students. If you would be interested in being a guest
speaker, we are always looking for new speakers each year.
Feel free to get in touch with the College.
Melissa Wo
olnough
Above: Ex-Student
guest speakers Megan
Tumminello, Ali Craig
and Gabby Craig.
out a new alumni website on 31 July. Bennies Connect is a fantastic
website. It is going to enable many more ex-students to keep in
touch with each other and the College. It has a section which allows
our mentoring program to get started, whereby we can give back
to the College and current students by sharing our experiences.
It is a wonderful resource for all of us and I look forward to seeing
it develop over the years to come.
I will be standing down at the AGM, due to my work and family
commitments for 2014. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as
the President of MSBESA, working closely with Maria Pearson,
Mary-Jane Trujillo, Lyn Armstrong and Michelle Blackman has
been an absolute pleasure. To all the committee members of
MSBESA, I extend my heartfelt thanks. I have been very lucky
to get to know you, discuss various issues with you and I really
appreciate the friendships we have formed.
After the breakfast, around thirty mums and daughters took
part in the annual Ex-Student and Daughter photo. This is
always a lovely opportunity for both the daughters and mothers.
My thanks must go to Michelle Blackman, Lyn Armstrong, Maria
Pearson and the College staff for their commitment to rolling
Melissa Woolnough
President
November 2013 Bennies Buzz | 3
Bennies Connect is here
At the end of July MSBESA officially
launched Bennies Connect to our
alumni through an email to all
ex-students who have an email
address on the College database.
Bennies Connect is a place to call your own, to catch up
on relevant College news, see what your peers are doing,
promote your businesses and more. Since launching
we’ve had a great response with over two hundred alumni
registering on Bennies Connect and updating their details.
With the help of our alumni we hope to find and connect
with all 6500 members.
The Class of 83 organised their 30 Year Reunion by
utilising the Events / Calendar module, which took
enormous pressure off them by processing RSVPs and
payments for their event. To complete the circle, they were
able to load their reunion photos to the photo boards and
stories from the evening so their peers could read / see
the memories from their reunion. It’s simple to use, so if
you are looking at holding a reunion / event we encourage
you use Bennies Connect to advertise and / or take RSVPS.
Our MSBESA committee hopes that all of our alumni
register on Bennies Connect and share their own photos,
news, reunions, announcements, business details and
jobs and more. One particularly good feature is “where in
the world” as it shows exactly where all of our ex-Bennies
students (who have registered on the site) are now living
– when you register, you can add an update and a photo
which will appear so others can keep up to date with
your journey.
ion
1983 Reun
Another exciting development for the College is the
Mentoring Module which can give our Year 10 - 12
students access to people in the industries they are
interested in pursuing. So we again encourage our alumni
to become part of this, so our students of the future
have advice from the best people – our ex-students!
This feature will be coordinated through our Careers
Department, so please take a couple of minutes to join.
Find us at www.msb.nsw.edu.au and click on the
Bennies Connect link.
From 1983 Reunion Group
On 14 September the Class of 81 / 83 had their 30 Year Reunion at The Kirribilli
Club. With the support of the new College website, Bennies Connect, the
Organising Committee were able to make contact with many ex-students.
A private Facebook page was established and more than 70 ex-students joined.
Photos from school days were uploaded and an engaging and entertaining
commentary followed! After months of friendly banter, with the sound of 80s
music in their ears and a slideshow of photos, more than forty Alumni embraced
the opportunity to reacquaint themselves with past friends. Champagne flowed,
stories were shared and friendships strengthened. Given the fact that most
women stayed until closing time and were then asked to leave, it was a wonderful
success. Talk of the next reunion is already taking place!
4 | Bennies Buzz November 2013
r
display thei
ly
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Darug Tea
te Universit
ta
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Darug T
Mount St Benedict Students
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ork
Win World Championship
A team of Year 10 students win an international competition in problem solving.
This team of Year 10 students has been involved in Future Problem
Solving since Year 8. In 2011 they were awarded the Bronze medal
in the Australian competition and in 2012 they were awarded the
silver medal in the Australian competition for which they were
invited to compete in the USA.
At the International Conference, held at the State University
of Indianna, there were fifteen countries represented. In the
Community Problem Solving Middle Division the girls were
placed first in the Civic & Cultural Concerns category.
The Mount St Benedict College Community Problem Solving
team’s project is known as DARUG- Discover, Acknowledge,
Reconcile, Understand, Galvanise. The girls - Rebecca Koelmeyer,
Rebecca Calabrese, Rebecca Albertini, Stephanie Frost, Laura
Baker, Julia Ramos, Emily-Kate Pfeiffer and Monique Cockram
explained their project:
“The Darug people are the traditional Indigenous Aboriginal
custodians of the land on which our school resides. Our project
focuses on reconciling with the Darug people, embracing our shared
heritage, increasing consultations and connections with Darug elders,
and ultimately moving forward towards becoming
a cohesive and inclusive community.
To do this we have accomplished a number of things. Firstly, our
team participated in an excursion to the Blue Mountains, a place
where many sacred sites of the Darug people are. We were able
to see these and afterwards visit with Uncle Greg, a Darug elder
who shared stories of his life as well as explaining some traditions
and beliefs of the Darug people. We also created a Facebook page,
Facebook link: www.facebook.com/communityproblemsolvingdarug?
ref=hl where we upload pictures, questions and information
that allows our subscribers to interact with us and learn about
the Darug people. We have adapted and illustrated a traditional
dreamtime story of the Darug people, where the creation of the
Three Sisters at the Blue Mountains is explained in a children’s
The students are now preparing for the 2014
competitions. Mount St Benedict College is the only
school in Australia which has been invited to compete
in every section of the competition. As well as Future
Problem Solving, there are sections for Community
Problem Solving, Scenario Writing and Global Issues.
picture book. This story, and the story of the Rainbow Serpent
were then further adapted into a Claymation which were uploaded
to YouTube. Our team then visited with HARR, the Hornsby Area
Residents for Reconciliation group who talked to us about their aims
and shared with us their ideas of reconciliation. We also invited Uncle
Greg to visit our school, where he talked to a portion of the student
body and taught them about Darug culture and superstitions.
We believe that these accomplishments have combined to enable
our team to educate our wider school community not only on the
importance of reconciliation but also on some of the fundamental
steps that can be completed when attempting to move towards it.
Although it will take a long time for us to truly reconcile with the
Darug people we believe we have a made a valuable contribution
towards encouraging this process.”
Mrs Nina Selvaggi (coach) said “We were extremely excited to
compete internationally and winning was absolutely incredible. The
team has met every lunch time for the past three years. Their level
of commitment, maturity, endurance and positivity are breathtaking.”
Principal Mrs Maria Pearson said “We are so proud of the
girls and we all feel privileged they were able to share the
importance of our land’s traditional Indigenous heritage with
an international audience.”
The girls are looking forward to sharing their adventures with
students and staff, and continuing to work for reconciliation.
November 2013 Bennies Buzz | 5
l
l
e
w
e
r
Fas of 2013
Clas
As this edition of Bennies
Buzz goes to print, our Class
of 2013 students are in the
midst of their HSC exams.
We’ll share their success
with you in our next edition.
“Connec
t” nigh
t
In the last week of Term Three, the College
bid an emotional farewell to the girls. Over the
years, new experiences and traditions have
been added or altered to make this an even
more special week for the girls.
We hope you enjoy sharing the journey and
reminiscing about your own graduation memories.
Long-time staff member Bruce Stephens, who
joined the College in 1988, said “One thing that
has remained constant is the quality of the
girls. They are always young women who are
appreciative and have the best interests of the
community at heart.”
Bruce went on to say “It’s not really goodbye –
we know we will see them again as so many of
them come and visit us, and keep us involved
in their lives. They keep involved through the
ex-students association, and they come back
and help with mentoring and coaching younger
students. Bennies girls are unique and they will
always be part of our community.”
“Connect” night
Monday 16 September
Year 12 students gathered with staff for a
Connect evening organised by College Chaplain
Christina Liu. The girls got involved in lots of
games, enjoyed a pizza, chatting with staff and
a short liturgy.
Tuesday 17 September
Last formal day of classes.
College Guard of Honour as Year 12 students leave.
6 | Bennies Buzz November 2013
Wednesday 18
September
Farewell in
Stanbrook
House.
Year 12 farewell the College with a final
assembly, farewell from their House
and then prepare for the Graduation
Mass to be held the following day.
Thursday 19 September
Academic Assembly
Over two hundred parents and grandparents joined
Year 12 at their Academic Assembly. As well as a
range of academic prizes for individual subjects, the
major award winners were:
• S
amantha Saunders – Winner of the Academic
Excellence Award (College Dux)
• Best All Rounder – Rhiannon Toohey
• Young Christian Leader – Tess Corbett
• Pierre de Coubertin Sports Award – Lily Vidler
• Principal’s Award Winners – Elissa Barton, Madeline
Bergfield, Katherine Clark, Rebecca Clark, Elizabeth
Costa, Genevieve Cowie, Georgia Fitzalan, Lauren
Fitzpatrick, Rachael Gould, Sarah King, Elizabeth
Liepa, Cathlyn-Rose MacKellar, Loren Morley, Heidi
Pfeiffer, Kaitlin Quinlan, Karina Takchi, Lily Vidler,
Christine Wareham, Katherine Wearne.
After the Assembly, the Class of 2013 enjoyed
morning tea with their families on the newly
refurbished and extended deck. The rest of school
organised themselves into a Guard of Honour, and
after morning tea the Class of 2013 ran through the
cheering students, and left the College grounds.
Below: Mrs Pearson with College Dux, Samantha Saunders.
Graduation Mass at St Agatha’s
A special Graduation Mass took place at St Agatha’s.
Father Joy Kunnassery and Father Joseph Choi
generously allowed use of St Agatha’s, and were
concelebrants of the Mass which was presided over
by Father David Orr. The music
was provided by current staff and
students as well as graduating
students Elissa Barton, Kaitlyn
Quinlan, Christine Wareham,
Heidi Pfeiffer, Cathlyn-Rose
Mackellar, Katherine Clark,
Ashleigh Craig, Lauren
Fitzpatrick, Sarah King,
Justine Lee, Loren Morley,
Katherine Wearne and Adele
Soans. The Mass concluded
with a rousing version of the
Graduat
College Song In the Spirit of
ion M
St Agat ass at
St Benedict.
ha
’s
Graduation Dinner
at the Epping Club
Families then arrived at the
Epping Club for the graduation
dinner. During a three course meal,
Year 12 students from each House
were acknowledged and presented
with their graduation gifts including
a coffee mug from MSBESA. Principal
Mrs Maria Pearson gave her address
inner
ation D
u
d
a
r
G
to the graduating class, wishing
them all the best for their future, and
acknowledging that now they had the
opportunity to change the world. She
concluded by saying “You have sung the College Song,
In the Spirit of St Benedict twice today with great gusto,
and I cannot do better than to give my final advice by quoting
those lyrics “and share your gifts with all, to the glory of our
God. And the love of Christ himself will fill your life.”
November 2013 Bennies Buzz | 7
Ministry Outreach...
... At Santa Teresa
Santa Teresa is a small community of about five hundred
people, located 80km south-east of Alice Springs. The country
surrounding it is rich in rock art, artefacts and ceremonial sites.
In Eastern Arrente, Santa Teresa is called Ltyentye Apurte, which
means ‘stand of beefwood trees’. Santa Teresa is a community
noted not only for its cohesion but also for the nature and variety
of its support services and recreation facilities.
During the holidays four of our Year 11 students Erin
Montgomery, Lauren Said, Nicole McGee and Hannah
McKnight took part in a Good Samaritan Outreach Mission to
the Mission at Santa Teresa. Established as a Catholic Mission
in 1952, religious brothers and sisters continue to work closely
with the Eastern Arrernte people.
weena,
iu with Emma, Ro
Miss Christina L
i
Jessica and Sonal
... In Sydney
During the second week of the July holidays, four of our
Year 11 students, Jessica Smith, Sonali Mehta, Roweena
Walia and Emma Hayman took part in the annual Ministry
Outreach program with around thirty other students from
Good Samaritan schools in NSW, Victoria and Queensland.
The program involved four full days of engagement with
community organisations as well as a day of reflection,
times of prayer and evening activities. Students stayed in
the Boarding School at St Scholastica’s College at Glebe.
The program is organised by the Good Samaritan Education
Mission Team and on this occasion our College Chaplain Ms
Christina Liu took on the role of co-facilitator for the program.
The program was a wonderfully successful immersion
experience and we would particularly like to congratulate all
those who were involved for the outstanding way in which they
represented MSB and for their generosity in undertaking such
a significant commitment during their school holidays.
Immersion Trips in 2013:
Mater Dei
Santa Teresa NT
8 | Bennies Buzz November 2013
Immersion Trips planned
for 2014:
Philippines
The girls commented on how surprised they were by how different
the culture was -”You see groups of people just sitting by the side
of the road – it would never happen in Sydney,” said Hannah.
They were also surprised by how close they became with
students from other Good Sam Schools.
Erin said “We started off as complete strangers and got to
be close friends. Even though the others came from all over
Australia, we all had very similar values because of our Good
Sam educations.”
One of the highlights was getting to experience indigenous
culture first hand. Lauren recalled that “We walked up and
saw the sunrise from the cross above the community. Their
tradition is that the men stand on the left and women on right,
it was wonderful to be part of that.”
The girls believe that their experience has changed their
perspective and given them a much greater appreciation for
the comfort and opportunities we have in Sydney. The girls
are staying in touch with their friends at other Good Sam
schools via Facebook and actual get-togethers, and want to
encourage other students to take the opportunity to visit this
extraordinary community on future immersion trips.
Below: Lauren, Erin, Hannah and Nicole at Alice Springs
It’s rewarding to
see how the girls
develop...
Left: Big Sister volunteers Claire
Donnelly and Regina Sutomo.
Big Sister Program
There are times when everyone would like to have a “big sister” to go to for advice
or just to listen. College Chaplain Ms Christina Liu explains Bennies program.
“The Big Sister Mentoring Program is for students in
Years 7 – 9. It is facilitated by MSB ex-students based on
the ‘See, Judge, Act’ philosophy and it allows our students
to discuss issues and topics that are relevant to them,”
said Christina.
“These sessions usually involve highly interactive activities,
group discussions, time for self-reflection and plenty of fun
and exciting games. Currently, students participating in this
program spend one period per fortnight with our ex-student
mentors”. We currently have nine ex-students participating
in the program. Generally there will be two leaders and a
group of five or six students.”
Christina, who is also an ex-student of Bennies, joined the
College as a PDHPE teacher in 2012 and was appointed as
Chaplain for 2013, taking over from Mr Mark Smith.
The Big Sister Program is just one of the in-house formation
programs offered by the College. These programs complement
the externally directed programs offered by the College including
service learning, Vinnies Van and various immersion trips.
Claire Donnelly Class of 2012 said “We were given a lot whilst
we were here and want to give back. Years 7, 8 and 9 are such
formative years for girls. It’s important to support them.”
Regina Sutomo Class of 2011 said “I’ve worked with groups that
started in Year 7 and are still going strong in Year 9. It’s been
rewarding to see how they’ve developed. In Year 7 they were
interested in things like friendship issues, but now they are more
interested in issues affecting the community. They’ve developed
a real passion for helping others.”
JCA Family Fun Day
It has been another busy and exciting year for many students
and staff involved in the range of service learning and formation
programs we have on offer at the College. We were very
fortunate to have had numerous opportunities to strengthen
and build relationships with various agencies and organisations
that have been integral in providing valuable experiences for
our students. One of these agencies was Josephite Community
Aid (JCA), an organisation that supports and works closely with
families of refugee background. A highlight of this year was
having our Year 7 – 12 Social Justice Group, ‘Paper Chains’,
coordinate and run a family fun day for JCA in the July holidays.
It was great to see many students, staff and families involved on
the day and in particular, the efforts of the SRC and Hospitality
Portfolios were also appreciated.
November 2013 Bennies Buzz | 9
Current
Student News
Kirsty accepted into National
Arts School Program
Congratulations to Year 11 student, Kirsty Smith, for her
acceptance into the National Arts School Intensive Program
at Darlinghurst. Kirsty was among one of fifty accepted into
the intensive art course. Kirsty had a week long experience
in the Painting Studio Program and worked with a tutor
and peers to further extend her painting skills in the July
and September holidays.
Ben Britton
and Crunchie
Big Cat Comes to Class
It’s not every day a big cat comes into your classroom!
Earlier this year thirty girls from across the school
gathered to meet NatGeo Wild ambassador, Ben Britton,
and Crunchie, an African Serval. Crunchie was hand
raised in South Africa and then brought to Australia
to be part of the NatGeo Wild Encounters Program.
It was amazing to see Ben, who founded the program,
and Crunchie have a close relationship. Every so often,
Crunchie would rub against Ben’s chest and purr.
Thanks to the Science faculty, in particular Mrs Thrum,
for organising this amazing opportunity.
Ayurshi, Lauren
and Nivedita
Titration team competes at Nationals
On Saturday 15 June twenty-one girls from Years 11 and
12 took part in teams of three in the RACI Chemistry
Titration Competition at Macquarie University. The
students had 90 minutes to perform a chemical reaction
several times with exact quantities in order to accurately
determine the concentration of an acetic acid solution.
The girls were then assigned marks based on the error
in their results such that the lower the mark they receive
the less error they have. Titration requires a steady
hand, an observant eye and precision in measuring
and calculating data. The girls all had a great time and
performed the technique well. Congratulations to the
following teams on their awards:
Certificate of Merit (126 points) Christine Wareham,
Eloise Harch and Christine Vinaviles (Year 12)
Certificate of Excellence and 2nd place overall (90 points)
Ayurshi Khatri, Lauren Said and Nivedita Kumar (Year 11)
This team was selected to compete at a national level at
the University of NSW, and was placed 12th (in the top
half of competitors) - well done girls!
Diana is runner-up in
Rostrum Regional Finals
We are very proud to announce that Diana Kazakov in Year
8 was the runner-up (second place!) at the Rostrum Voice
of Youth Regional Finals.
Having progressed through the heats earlier in the year,
Diana presented a six-minute speech on the topic The
Games People Play, in which she spoke about bullying
at school and online, as well as a short-notice speech,
where she was given a topic then allowed fifteen minutes
to prepare before getting up and making a three-minute
speech on it.
Nerve-wracking stuff, but Diana was up to the task and
coming second is a remarkable achievement.
kov
Diana Kaza
10 | Bennies Buzz November 2013
Diana worked very hard on getting ready for this
competition, at home, before school and at lunchtime,
and her efforts have paid off – congratulations Diana!
Throughout the day, we learnt
the personal values needed to
make it in the Defence Force
such as leadership, friendship,
cooperation and to be able to
work in a team.
Bella wins ADFA Competition
Earlier this year, Year 11 student Bella Pytka won a
competition through Fox Sports and ADFA (the Australian
Defence Force Academy) to attend ADFA and to live a day in
the life of an ADFA student. ADFA combines military training
with a degree from the University of NSW. To win, Bella had
to write 100 words about how she exhibited ADFA values
in her sport, Rowing. Bella was selected as one of four
winners from all over Australia!
Bella said “Throughout the day, we learnt the personal
values needed to make it in the Defence Force such as
leadership, friendship, cooperation and to be able to work
in a team. I have made great friends from the Academy,
whom I am still in contact with and it was the most amazing
experience, and it has made me think hard about what I’d
like to do when I am older, as ADFA is a great opportunity”.
Below: Bella, pictured on the left,
with the other three Australian winners.
Lily Vidle
r pictured
with Fiona
and Acting
de Jong, D
irector of S
Secretary G
port
en
eral of the
Chapman,
A
O
C and Jam
Silver Med
es
allist in Ro
wing, Lond
on 2012.
Lily chosen as Australian Delegate
Year 12 student Lily Vidler has just returned from
Lillehammer Norway. She was selected earlier in the year as
an Australian Ambassador and sole NSW representative at
the 9th International Youth Forum of Coubertin Schools.
Lily, was chosen as the winner of the College’s Pierre de
Coubertin Award in 2012. She was then selected out of 500
other nominees to be the NSW delegate. This prestigious
award celebrates the Olympic spirit and the ideals of sport
and sportsmanship. The award is named after Baron Pierre
de Coubertin, founder of the Modern Olympics, who believed
international sports competitions between athletes from
different countries would promote a more peaceful world.
Lily says “I was privileged enough to be one of eight
Australians chosen. l will cherish the friendships I made with
my fellow ambassadors for a very long time. We participated
in many sporting activities each day, with 7am workouts, and
even took part in competitions of swimming, cross country,
track and field, and orienteering1. In Lillehammer, it was
amazing to see the close bonds we all formed and the sense
of unity and peace between us all – no matter from which
country we had come. With many tears after the closing
ceremony, leaving the Forum was very hard, and saying
goodbye to our new close friends. The number of close
friends I have made are countless and the things I have learnt
about Pierre de Coubertin and the Olympic movement has
made me motivated to encourage youth of today to strive to do
their best through the Olympic values of respect, friendship
and excellence. Thank you to Mrs Grant, Mrs Pearson and the
school for their support that allowed me to partake in such
a great opportunity, an opportunity of a lifetime.
1. Lily even managed to win a few of the competitive athletics
events including the swim, 100m run, cross country and she
finished 3rd in the long jump.
November 2013 Bennies Buzz | 11
College Leaders for 2014 Emma Hayman, Jessica Smith
and Amelia Ruddock
Leadership at
Mount St Benedict College
Recently we asked a group of thirty Year 9 students what they felt were the qualities
a good leader should possess. Through a brainstorm, the following list was composed.
A leader should be:
Organised
Trustworthy
rough
• Influential th
ople
connecting with pe
le
• Approachab
respected
• Respectful /
•
•
Flexible
Open-minded
e
• Collaborativ
ng
• Understandi
te
• Compassiona
s
mmunication skill
• Have good co
tener
• Be a good lis
ate
• Be consider
• Be confident
•
•
12 | Bennies Buzz November 2013
In this particular case, our focus was on the leadership
of our College i.e. the Principal. By the time the students
complete Year 12 they would add to the list: have a vision;
have good time-management; be able to strategise in order
to reach an end goal; and be a voice for all people within the
community. Leadership at the College is informed by the
notion of servant leader - participative leadership focused
on the needs of others. This style of leadership enhances
the community for all its members, ensuring all are heard
and engaged. It is the leadership style of Jesus that we
encounter in the Gospels.
While we recognise that not all our students become
leaders, it is evident that the qualities listed above are ones
that we would like all our young women to possess. Training
for leadership is an integral part of developing these skills
at the College. As such we provide many opportunities for
the students to develop an understanding of the strengths
they possess and opportunities to develop the skills they
will utilise in their future.
Leadership skills begin to be developed in Year 7. Resilience
and Team Work are the main focuses of the Year 7 and
8 camps. Reflecting with teachers on how we can face
challenges while listening to each other enables the girls
2014 College Captains
There are many
other opportunities
for the students to
utilise their talents
in leadership. Each
House has developed
mini-portfolios in the
area of Mission, Spirit
and Public Relations.
The Bennies community has
chosen three exceptional young
women to be the leaders of the
College community in 2014.
just want to reach out to every
individual and make sure they feel
included and involved in all of the
activities the College offers.”
The new College Captain is
Jessica (Jess) Smith. She will be
supported by Emma Hayman as
Vice-Captain Portfolios and Amelia
Ruddock as Vice-Captain Spirit.
The girls are particularly in awe
of the achievements of the 2013
Captains, Rhiannon Toohey, Katie
Wearne and Elissa Barton. “We’ve
got big shoes to fill – the way they
were able to connect with the
whole school, how organised they
were and how generous they were
with their time.”
“I’m really excited to be College
Captain – especially to have the
chance to work closely with Emma
and Amelia – it’s going to be very
special” said Jess. ”It’s a very
positive vibe – the whole school
is enthusiastic and we feel
really supported.”
The new College leaders are keen
to focus on maintaining the great
spirit within the College community.
Vice-Captain Emma says “We
Principal Mrs Maria Pearson
said “I am constantly inspired
by all of our young women. I am
confident that Jess, Emma and
Amelia along with our other senior
students will use their gifts in the
service of others and work
to transform the future.”
to embrace diversity and value the strengths and contributions
of others. The theme of the Year 9 camp centres on identifying
the strength in each person and giving students who are
interested the opportunity to lead the College in a particular
initiative they consider important. At the end of Year 9 fiftysix students are nominated to be Peer Support Leaders and
they provide support to the newest members of our College,
providing supportive links and advice whilst developing their
own understanding of service-based leadership.
participate in a leadership formation program that results
in the voting of College Captain, Vice-Captain Spirit and
Vice-Captain Portfolio. House Captains and Portfolio
Captains are also voted at this time and it is this group
that provide the formal leadership structure for the grade.
Through the development of their own vision and motto they
inform all aspects in the College. It is the great energy and
enthusiasm of the College Leaders that have resulted in
many successful community initiatives at the College.
There are many other opportunities for the students
to utilise their talents in leadership. Each House has
developed mini-portfolios in the areas of Mission, Spirit and
Public Relations. Students may self-nominate to participate
in these and work with the House Coordinator by leading
the House. Five students in each House, one from each
Year Group from 7 -11, are also voted by their peers into the
Student Representative Council. This is led by the Year 12
SRC Portfolio and allows the girls to be the voice of their
year group to the College. The SRC are also responsible
for leading a number of initiatives throughout the year and
planning the community day at the end of the year.
In the past few years the position of House Ambassador
has also been developed to promote the connection
with our House Partners. It is the House Captains, Vice
Captains and House Ambassadors who work closely with
the House Coordinators in the leadership of each House.
Students in Year 11/12 who are not captains, elect to serve
within a portfolio and support the Captains to continue
the development of their skills and make a valuable
contribution to the College.
Opportunities become more formalised at the end of
Year 10 when House Vice Captains are elected. Year 11
As is evident, both informal and formal opportunities
for leadership are readily available within the College.
The College is committed to developing these skills
in our young women and each year we are encouraged
and appreciative of their contribution to the College.
November 2013 Bennies Buzz | 13
Mind Your Language
Despite the gradual adoption of English as the universal language of business,
learning another language remains as rewarding and valuable experience as ever.
“Our students will be working in a global economy” explains
Mrs Belinda Jack, Head of Languages “Learning an
additional language gives you the skills to be culturally
sensitive and adaptable. It helps you to become a good
communicator and develops thinkers who are creative and
great problem solvers – all vital skills for the 21st century”.
The College offers French, German and Japanese to
students. All students complete an introductory course in
each in Year 7, and then choose a language for Year 8. They
can continue to study German, French or Japanese in Years
9 –10 as an elective. These languages are available in Years
11 and 12 as courses for both students continuing in the
language from earlier years, or commencing that language
in senior school.
Two important aspects of learning a language at Bennies are
the College’s commitment to developing partnerships with
schools in countries where a particular language is the official
language, and immersion experiences in those countries.
This year the College has hosted students from its Good
Samaritan sister school Seiwa in Sasebo as well as students
from our partner school Elly-Heuss-Knapp in Stuttgart.
Twenty-five of our French students also travelled to France in
June. Some of our German students will travel to Germany
this December and the next trip to Japan is planned for 2015.
French Immersion
Twenty-five students travelled to France for nearly three weeks
in June. Half of the time was devoted to a language school in
Nice and the remainder immersing themselves in the culture
in Paris. As well as daily classes at the language school CMEF,
students had day trips to Cannes, Monaco and even crossed the
Italian border to visit San Remo.
Parisian highlights included the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre
Dame and the Sorbonne, as well as a day trip to Versailles.
Student Reflections
My favourite place was the CMEF – where we stayed in Nice.
It’s a beautiful place where students can go to learn French
no matter how much French they know. You can meet many
amazing people with the same interests as you and do fun
activities such as banana boating, discos and visiting San Remo.
Chelsea Spokes Year 10
The last day in Paris was my favourite day of the tour. I really
enjoyed the mass in Notre Dame and thought it was beautiful.
Lara Fernie Year 9
Visit from German Partner School
German students from our partner school visited us
from 7 July to 2 August. The German girls were billeted
with Bennies families, and the boys with families from
Shore Grammar. The first week was spent with families
exploring Sydney and its surrounds, with visits to
beaches and zoos featuring Australian native animals
a particular highlight.
Madelyn S
teinfield wit
h her frien
Heuss-Kna
d from Ell
pp School in
yStuttgart,
Semira Hu
ebler
During the remaining weeks, students spent a few
days each week in classes with their Australian hosts
in order to experience Australian school life. The rest of
the time the group did day trips to iconic locations such
as the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Manly and the
Botanic Gardens.
In December, our students will travel to Stuttgart for
the second part of the exchange. They will stay with their
German partners who they hosted earlier in the year.
The girls are looking forward to seeing their German
friends again as well as experiencing the famous
Christmas markets, mediaeval castles and towns
and perhaps a white Christmas!
r and Rachel
Madeline O’Conno
Bennies students
dith
ts Larissa and Ju
en
ud
st
an
rm
Ge
Easy, with
th another local
making friends wi
If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that
goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language,
that goes to his heart.
– Nelson Mandela
Language Perfect World Championships
Around 300 Bennies students took on 225,000 other students
in the recent Language Perfect World Championships. MSB
finished 66th out of 1050 schools around the world.
One in four of our students received an award, with four
students being awarded the top prize. This group performed
in the elite top 0.3% in the world. Our students needed to
complete an incredible 30,000 questions over ten days to
achieve at this level.
Pictured with Principal Mrs Maria Pearson are award
winners Christine Wareham, Erin Montgomery, Sonali
Mehta, and Francesca Fimmano.
November 2013 Bennies Buzz | 15
Why French
• Language of diplomacy
• Official language of 29 countries
• Spoken by approximately 100 million worldwide
• Most popular language for HSC students
Why German
• Language of business – over 200 German
companies have Australian offices
• 4th largest trading partner
• Spoken by approximately 100 million worldwide
• Most widely spoken language in EEU
Why Japanese
• Asian languages are increasingly important
given our geography
• Provides a basis for learning other Asian
languages and it uses many Chinese characters
• Second largest trading partner
tives was
Australian na
e
m
so
ng
ti
ee
)
M
Ohishi (Japan
a
ok
iy
K
r
fo
t
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and Georgia D
• Spoken by 125 million world wide
• Second most popular language chosen
by HSC students
Student Reflections
I was really excited to finally meet my partner Anni. We did
a lot of sightseeing together including visiting Jenolan Caves
and Palm Beach.
Visit from Japanese Partner School
– Seiwa Joshi Gakuin School
At home, Anni taught my family some German and she also
showed us how to make traditional German noodles, called
spaetzle. We really enjoyed hosting her and I didn’t want to
say goodbye, but now I’m looking forward to going there in
December, and hopefully having a White Christmas!
Colette Chung Year 9
In March this year, girls in Years 7 and 8 hosted sixteen
Japanese students for four days. The Japanese girls
experienced a day in school, and enjoyed playing cricket as
well as doing some Australian art and craft. On the weekend
the girls were taken to see many different sights in Sydney.
The Principal of Seiwa School, Mrs Mashimo, and Miss
Kawamoto, a teacher from the school, accompanied the group.
Hosting a German exchange student was a truly rewarding
experience and one that I will never forget. I had many
enjoyable experiences with Judith including a trip to Cairns
and the Blue Mountains. Living with a German was very
helpful for my German homework as well. I can’t wait to visit
Germany in December and spend more time with Judith.
Madeline O’Connor Year 9
I think it’s very difficult to say what the best moment was
during this exchange, because everything my host family did
with me was just amazing. I have made so many experiences in
the last three weeks, here in Australia. I saw a lot of animals in
the wild that I’ve never seen before! We stayed at the beach and
went to the Blue Mountains. But the most amazing thing was
staying with the loveliest host family I could imagine. I had so
much fun and a beautiful time with them.
Hannah Bratenstein - German student
16 | Bennies Buzz November 2013
Student Reflections
I was really excited to meet Haruna but was nervous at the
same time. When we were first introduced to each other it
was slightly awkward, but not for long as she was really nice.
Despite the two year age difference between Haruna and I, we
got on really well. Communicating was sometimes tricky and
there were a few misunderstandings, but with a bit of help
from Google Translate I was able to get my message across.
We took Haruna to the city for some sightseeing and the Blue
Mountains. Hosting was a great experience, I was able to
improve my Japanese and Haruna learnt some English. We
had heaps of fun and it is something that I will never forget.
Belinda Borgefjord Year 8
Back to Bennies
It was an early start for some, though very
worthwhile with over one hundred and twenty
students, parents and ex-students coming
together for breakfast. They were to hear the
inspiring stories of three of our ex-students
Ali Craig (Class of 2001), Megan Tumminello
(Class of 2007) and Gabby Craig (Class of 2001).
A common message that came out during the morning was
try different subjects in Years 9 and 10 to see what you like
and your final subjects should be something in which you are
interested and enjoy. Megan was very fortunate her passion
for fitness and running linked in with PDHPE. Ali wasn’t quite
sure what she wanted to do, although it was obvious to many
of her school friends as she played “court rooms” in the
playground since Year 3!
What stood out on the day was the fact the Bennies’ values
have been so deeply instilled in these three women. It was
obvious the College’s values have played a key role in the role
each of them plays within their careers and communities. Ali
currently works at a community legal centre that specialises
in assisting people with intellectual disability, who are involved
in the criminal justice system. Often her work involves going
into maximum security prisons (mostly men’s prisons), and
working with clients who are incarcerated. This was something
that was not at the forefront of her mind when choosing her
career. Megan is a Fitness and Health Advisor, who is about to
launch her website www.megantumminello.com.au which will
feature articles regarding the latest nutritional, health & fitness
research findings as well as recipes and a chance for people to
email in questions they may have about their own lifestyle. She
is also completing a university course in nutritional medicine.
Ali Craig
, Megan T
umminell
o and Gab
by Craig
Gabby is a Principal Solicitor, specialising in women and
children victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Ali and Gabby have already returned to Bennies to coach the
debating teams, they found it to be a rewarding experience.
Helping girls to become more articulate is particularly important
to Gabby, who has seen many women in her career who have
lacked the skills to speak up for themselves effectively. She says
“It is truly a wonderful opportunity to assist the girls in gaining
skills which will enable them to speak up and have the confidence
to stand up for themselves”.
They all admitted they found achieving a work/life balance
challenging. Each tries to set aside time for themselves, even if
it means just relaxing at home on weekends, or in Megan’s case,
eating a tub of ice cream as a reward for a hard week’s work!
All three shared that there have been times both at school and in
life where there have been setbacks. Megan is proof that even a
major injury can become an opportunity. Megan had a crippling
foot injury and was told she probably wouldn’t run again and yet
she is now starting to compete again after two years of treatment. The message from Megan was,“Setbacks happen to everyone, but
it is how we handle them that shapes us. Always stay positive, as
a ‘failure’ isn’t final, it is just an obstacle that makes you stronger.
Set small goals and celebrate each achievement”.
November 2013 Bennies Buzz | 17
Grease is the Word
Great musicals are a tradition at Mount St Benedict College. 2013 was no exception as a
cast of over 120 girls took to the stage in Grease for three sold-out performances in June.
Annab
el Beg
eng “S
andy”
cz “Patty”
ikayla Spurta
M
18 | Bennies Buzz November 2013
Andre
a Hajj
e “Rizz
o”
Grease is one of the world’s best known and beloved
musicals. The story takes place in a 1950s American high
school and tells the story of star-crossed teenagers Sandy
and Danny and their friends. The musical features wellknown songs such as “Greased Lightning” and “You’re the
One That I Want.” This production of Grease was especially
adapted for schools so it could be enjoyed by all ages.
Head of Creative and Performing Arts at the College Mr
Peter Watters said “Grease is an uplifting musical which
follows the love story of Sandy and Danny. It’s one of the
world’s favourite musicals with fantastic songs. It was very
exciting to watch the months of hard work coming together.
It’s been a team effort from the Music, Drama, Dance,
Entertainment and Visual Arts staff that ensured
we produced a show to wow our audiences!”
“Greas
ed Lig
htning
”
Annabel Begeng and Kirstin Rowberry starred as Sandy
and Danny. Fourteen year old Annabel was thrilled to play
Sandy. “It was so incredible to see everyone’s hard work
pay off. Playing the role of ‘Sandy’ was so much fun, I got
to be shy and demure but also fun and sassy and everything
in between! I love the whole fun vibe of the show.”
Kirstin, who plays Danny, is also a Year 10 student. She
said “The process of the show has been one of the best
experiences at Bennies. I have grown up knowing Grease
my whole life because it is my Mum’s favourite movie.
The character Danny has really allowed me to show my
true colours. It was a great opportunity to be a part of
such a huge musical.”
ry “Danny”
er
Kirstin Rowb
Pink Ladies
November 2013 Bennies Buzz | 19
Sporting News
Young talent time
Year 7/8 Representative Netball Team
Our younger students are already distinguishing
themselves across a range of sports:
Year 7 Representative Netball Team
U13 Representative Soccer Team
• The U13 Representative Soccer team were runners up at the
Broken Bay Championships after an amazing fifteen shot
penalty shoot-out in the semi-final against Mater Maria.
• Our Junior Athletics team won their division at the Broken
Bay Championships and the Junior KO team finished 5th at
the NSW All Schools Knock Out Championships.
•E
lly Gallagher (14) and Capri Vidler (13) ran at the NSW
All Schools Cross Country championships.
• Years 7/8 Touch Team were the champions at the NSW
All Schools Parramatta Regional Championships and
are now through to NSW Championships to be held in
Bathurst in November.
Below: Years 7/8 Touch Team
20 | Bennies Buzz November 2013
• The Year 7 and Years 7/8 Netball teams both finished
as undefeated champions at the Broken Bay Netball
Championships & the Years 7/8 team were runners up
in CCC (by one goal in the final!)
Other impressive performances:
Athletics
Bennies’ Senior team also finished as Champions of the
Broken Bay Diocese. Congratulations also to the following
girls who were Age Champions:
• U18 Genevieve Cowie
• U17 Rebecca Clark
• U16 Carla Takchi
Over twenty girls qualified for CCC.
Year 9/1
0 Rep Ne
tball
Broken B
ay Cham
pions
Year 11/12 Rep Netball Broken Bay
Runners Up
Netball
Our Intermediate Team also finished the day as
undefeated Champions at the Broken Bay championships
this year and our Seniors came home with silver medals
after extra time in the final!
It was also such a thrill to have many of our ex-students
involved in the day including Olivia Doyle as our Year 7
coach, Alex Walsh as an assistant in control and umpires
Amber Johnston, Kirsten Gossip, Elizabeth Arane and
Mikala Smith
Kaitlyn Noble (Year 9) has gained selection into the NSW
CCC U15 Netball Team this year - a significant achievement
for such a popular sport - she competed at the NSW All
Schools Challenge during Term 3.
Golf
Year 12 student
Amie Maguire
came second
at the BB Golf
Championships.
Amie has a
handicap of
just twenty!
Cross Country
Our students brought home the Broken Bay Championship
trophy for the seventh time in the previous eight
years. Fourteen students went on to compete at CCC
Championships and Clare Krajancic from Year 12 finished
with a top 20 spot at the NSW All Schools Championships.
Maddy, Genevieve and Becky
Our athletes excelled yet again at the NSW CCC Athletics
Championships particularly our Y12 athletes (Maddy
Bergfield, Genevieve Cowie, Karina Takchi, Nichola Tompkins
and Becky Clark) who brought home 15 medals and a Senior
4 x 100m Relay title!
• Genevieve (U19) and Becky (U17) were also named as their
respective age champions.
• Overall our MSB students finished with 23 NSW CCC medals
- a terrific haul!
November 2013 Bennies Buzz | 21
Ex-Student News
Therese Creed (Class of 1994)
After appearing as a guest speaker for Beyond Bennies
in 2011 and sharing her horse ride on the Bicentennial
National Trail, from Healesville, Victoria, to Cooktown,
Queensland, Therese took on another challenge. Therese
wrote a book Redstone Station which was launched in
May this year. Redstone Station is a rural romance set on
a 110 thousand acre cattle property in Central Western
Queensland. The characters are engaging and span the
generations, and the story is both humorous and moving
in places, giving an insight into life on the land in a
contemporary world.
Whilst writing this book Therese continued helping with
running of the family cattle station. She divides her time
between helping out on the station and bringing up her four
young children. For an enjoyable read and an insight into
life on a remote cattle station, Redstone Station is a must
and can be found in most book outlets.
Lucy Santilli (Class of 2007)
Lucy is an account supervisor in a top advertising agency in
Manhattan. After graduating in 2007, Lucy went to UTS to study
advertising and communications. While there she completed
internships at a number of PR and advertising agencies.
Naturally gravitating towards advertising, Lucy applied to DDB
Sydney and was selected from hundreds of applicants to be
part of the DDB graduate program. After nearly three years
working her way up the agency ladder, she decided she wanted
a new challenge. It had always been her ambition to live and
work abroad, so she decided New York would be a good place
to start. After seven interviews in one day Lucy landed a job at
McGarry Bowen and is now working on various global projects,
most recently travelling to Poland for a TV shoot in August.
Amanda Conly (nee Kish)
(Class of 2002)
Amanda gave birth to a beautiful daughter
Madison Rose Conly on 5 July 2013 at
1.50pm, weighing 7lb 3oz (3.284kg) at
Mater Hospital North Sydney.
Therese Creed
Olivia Maurice (Class of 2009)
Maree Mouhayet (Class of 2001)
Olivia married her long-time sweetheart,
Dale Palmer on 18 May 2013 at Wendy
Whiteley’s Secret Garden in Lavender Bay,
followed by a reception at the Castlereagh
Boutique Hotel, Castlereagh Street,
Sydney. After an exhausting period of
running around organising the wedding,
the couple enjoyed a cruise aboard the
Carnival Spirit Cruise liner.
Maree and Louie got married at St Agatha’s
Church in Pennant Hills on 20 April 2013
and had their reception at the Waterview in
Bicentennial Park, Homebush.
They headed to the USA for their
honeymoon, LA & Disneyland, Las Vegas,
New York and then a stopover in Hawaii for
seven nights for some rest and recreation!
The couple are now living in Dural. Louie
is a carpenter and Maree is a primary
school teacher as well as a dance teacher.
22 | Bennies Buzz November 2013
Staff News
Weddings
Carly Beacroft married to Scott Friday 19 April.
Vale Kathryn Everett (Class of 1982)
Kathryn’s family moved from the UK to Australia when she was
a young child. She started at Bennies in 1977 and represented
the school in swimming, tennis and netball. She was chosen to
participate in the Lions Youth of the Year competition in Year 11 and
was Dux of the school in Year 12. She was one of the select few
who chose 4 unit Science and 4 unit Math as HSC subjects. After
finishing school Kathryn studied Arts/Law at Sydney University
and graduated with honours.
Her career started at Herbert Smith Freehills 1988 as a lawyer in
the Corporate Section, but then she quickly found her true love in
Intellectual Property. Kathryn moved back to the UK in 1992 where
she completed her Master of Laws returning once again to Sydney
in 1995 and was promoted to partnership at Freehills in 1998.
Kathryn married Anthony McGrath in 1990 and they have a
beautiful daughter named Megan who was born in 2001. Kathryn
was deeply loved by her friends, many of whom were gathered
from her days at MSB and lasted through the whole of her
adult life. After living with cancer for a number of years Kathryn
died on 27 June 2013. In memory of her achievements and in
acknowledgment of the role MSB had on her life, an ongoing
Principal’s Award will be made in her honour. For additional
details on Kathryn life, please refer to the Announcement Section
on Bennies Connect at www.msb.nsw.edu.au
Holly Pitt (Class of 2012)
Congratulations to Holly Pitt, former Terracina House Captain,
who has recently been selected in the University of Western
Sydney Aspire Future Leaders Program. Holly went though a
rigorous selection process and was one of only five students
selected for this program as an aspiring future leader.
Congratulations Holly!
Engagements
Congratulations to Kate
Beazley and fiancè Daniel
Hatadi. Daniel proposed
to Kate in Paris on the
Ponte Alexandre III on
2 July.
Congratulations to
Rebecca Enright who
recently became engaged
to Brian Gibson. They
are planning on getting
married next year at
Rebecca’s parish church,
St Bernard’s Berowra.
Kate and Danie
l
Natalie Neilson (Class of 2009)
Since graduating, Natalie has been completing a Bachelor of
Teaching / Bachelor of Arts at ACU. She says “My wonderful
high school experience at Bennies inspired me to become a
teacher, and I am now a qualified History, Geography and Religion
teacher.” Whilst at uni she has become a targeted graduate in the
Parramatta CEO, been invited into the Golden Key International
Honours Society, been included in the 2011 Dean’s List for
Academic Excellence by the Faculty of Education, ACU, awarded
the 2012 Geographical Society of NSW Outstanding Academic
Achievement in 2nd year Geography Award, and the 2012
Scholarship from Dooley’s Lidcombe Catholic Club for Academic
Achievement. Natalie can honestly say that her quality education
at Bennies and the opportunities she was given have allowed her
to excel in all aspects of her life. Congratulations Natalie!
Congratulations to Christina Liu and her fiancé Joe on
their engagement. They are planning on getting married in
September 2014. Christina said “I have a soft spot for Lego.
I lie, I love it! Joe bought me a particular Lego set that I
wanted from overseas and even had to get it ordered online as
it was discontinued. As it was the 7th of 7th (July) and it had
been over seven years since we’d been dating, Joe gave me
the Lego set and when I opened it, a Tiffany box rolled out!”
November 2013 Bennies Buzz | 23
Dates for your calendar
2013 Term Dates
Term 4 2013
• Carols on the Mount Tuesday 3 December
• Presentation Day Thursday 5 December
• Term 4 ends
Friday 6 December
2014 Term Dates
Term 1 2014
• Years 7, 11 and 12 return
Wednesday 29 January
• Years 8, 9 and 10 return
Thursday 30 January
• College Photo Day Thursday 30 January
• MSBESA Ex-Students Meeting Monday 10 February 5.45 pm
• Open Day Sunday 9 March
• Parent Information Evening
for Year 7 2016
Monday 10 March
• Term 1 ends
Friday 11 April
Term 2 2014
Tuesday 29 April
• Term 2 commences
• MSBESA Ex-Students Meeting Monday 19 May 5.45 pm
• MSB Day & end of Term 2
Friday 20 June
Term 3 2014
• Term 3 commences
Tuesday 15 July
• MSBESA Monday 4 August 5.45pm
• Term 3 ends
Friday 19 September
• Term 4 commences
Tuesday 7 October
• MSBESA AGM Monday 27 October 5.45 pm
• Term 4 ends
Friday 5 December
449C Pennant Hills Rd
Pennant Hills NSW 2120
Phone: 9980 0444
Email: admin@msben.nsw.edu.au
www.msb.nsw.edu.au
Designed by www.frescocreative.com.au
Term 4 2014