St Mary's Cathedral College Newsletter: Term 4, Week 6

From the College Principal

REMEMBRANCE DAY PRAYER

November 11 is a day for reflection and gratitude. A time to pause and be thankful for those who sacrificed for the freedom we enjoy today. In these times of global uncertainty and conflict, we also pray for peace. 

God our Father, your Son Jesus gave up His life to free us from the power of sin and death.
He showed us that the greatest love is in giving up one’s life for others. 

Today we remember those who fought and died for our freedom. We ask you to bless and console them together with their families. 

Help us to understand the sacrifices they made in leaving their loved ones to face the horrors of war. May we never forget their generosity. 

May your Holy Spirit give us the courage to resist evil in all its forms and show us how to be peacemakers through prayer and action, lest we forget those who fought, suffered and died that we might have the freedom and peace we enjoy today. 

We ask this through Christ, our Lord. 

Amen.
Tony Cosentino, RCCDSB

SENIOR RETREAT

This term I was fortunate to have attended the full week of the Senior Retreat at Kiah Ridge and I had the opportunity to lead two of the groups whilst I was there. I reflected upon the word retreat and its meaning during my time with our students. The dictionary tells us that to retreat is an act or process of withdrawal, and this is true of our experiences at a spiritual retreat. We step away from the busyiness and distractions of our everyday lives and take time to pause and be still. However, as our boys discovered, in so many ways a retreat is actually about the very opposite of this. It is about moving towards, drawing closer to God and entering into a new, deeper relationship with Him. This was certainly the experience we had together. I was blessed to be witness to the transformative power of the experience of retreat on our students. Just as God rested on the seventh day, it is good to remember that we too should take time, pause and  ‘retreat’ towards a greater intimacy and communion with Christ. 

HOLY CHILD FUNDRAISING EVENT
I want to thank our Youth Ministry Coordinator Mr Thomas Rodriguez, our Dean of Mission, Mr Thomas Hunter and our student leaders for coordinating the fundraiser that will take place on Monday in support of the Holy Child Program and the school in Bethlehem. On Monday we will reflect and pause upon the many gifts we have been blessed with here in our community at St Mary’s and will send prayers and messages of hope to those children in the Holy Land who face the challenges of war every day. We thank you for your generosity in supporting this initiative. 

HOLY CHILD PROGRAM MUFTI DAY
On Monday,  20 November the College will be holding a mufti day to help raise much needed funds for the Holy Family Program (details below).  Clothing items must not have inappropriate wording or images. Parents and carers are ask to please make a donation of $5.00 any time from now until 11.45pm Monday 20 November via this event notification. 

Thank you for supporting this initiative! 

END OF YEAR EVENTS
As we near the end of Term 4, we have a number of College Community events taking place to celebrate the incredible year that has been 2023. We look forward to acknowledging and celebrating the incredible work students have been doing. We will end our year with thanksgiving and a celebration of the Eucharist. 

CLASS OF 2023
I wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate the Class of 2023 on the completion of Year 12 HSC exams. Your dedication and hard work did not go unnoticed, and we thank you for your commitment to the College. You are an example all students here can draw and learn from.  We wish each and every one of you all the very best for your next chapter. May success keep following you in everything you do. 

We look forward to seeing all of our Year 12 cohort on 14 December so we can congratulate you and celebrate your achievements. 

Kerrie McDiarmid, College Principal

From the Dean of Senior School

Dear Parents, Carers, Staff and Students,

The Senior Retreat was an enjoyable experience for our senior students as they commence their HSC year. The camaraderie and respectful reflection enable the students to focus on the important aspects of life in a peaceful environment. I was privileged to be part of this experience that enabled me to gain newfound insights into the positive qualities that this cohort offers. I would like to thank the staff that accompanied the students and Mr Ciaschetti and Mr Smith for facilitating what proved to be a memorable experience for the Class of 2024.

Year 10 have now completed their examinations and will be reflecting on the feedback over the next week or so. It is important that  they utilize this assessment experience to formulate goals for the coming year. To assist with this process, the students will be engaged over the coming weeks with a bespoke Stage 6 Transition program. Here, they will gain a taste of their courses for their Year 11 pattern of study as well as reflect on the skills required to be successful in attaining a HSC. We hope that this sets them up for ongoing success. I thank Ms Vandergert and the Leaders of Learning for their preparation of this program.

We have a number of events coming up over the next few weeks and I would like to remind the community of our expectations regarding attendance. Students are expected to be at school for all lessons and all community events right up until the last day of the school year. Whilst it may seem easy to take a day off, we are obliged to follow up on all unexplained absences. 

We look forward to celebrating the success of our students at our upcoming Sports Assembly, our Academic Assembly and our concluding Mass to mark what has been both a rewarding and successful year at SMCC.

Kind regards,

Chris Maoudis, Dean of Senior School

From the Dean of Middle School

On 7 November 2023, we welcomed the enthusiastic and eager Year 7, 2024 cohort to Orientation Day. The boys wore bright smiles as they gained a glimpse into the daily routines of middle school life at St Mary's Cathedral College. We eagerly anticipate the arrival of the "Class of 2029" in January next year.

Be Faithful. Be Kind. Be Engaged.

David Timillero, Dean of Middle Years

From the Dean of Mission

SENIOR RETREAT
We asked our students to take time to reflect on the following: “If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary”. As our Seniors head into their final year of school, we wanted them to think about making brave choices. While they may be apprehensive about the future, and that achieving greatness is too much of a risk at times, our students were led through a series of activities to reflect on how the unconditional love of God and important people in their lives will strengthen them and allow them to navigate the “risks” of life. I am particularly grateful to Mr Ciaschetti (Leader of Liturgy), Mr Smith (RE teacher), Mr Lynch (Year 12 Leader of Wellbeing) for leading this retreat experience for our studnets.

Here are reflections by one of our students: 

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CHURCH ENGAGEMENT
An important link for any Catholic school is its relationship with the parishes of the students and staff. With twenty seven feeder parishes, it is a challenge to connect with all these as our students generally do not belong to any one parish in any great numbers. However, being placed next to the Mother Church of Australia does give us a sense of belonging to the wider Catholic Church.

Our Religious Education Programs not only cover the curriculum content set out by the Sydney Catholic Schools, but also provide comprehensive religious experiences through reflection days and retreats for all students. The Sacramental Programs are supported by the Dean of the Cathedral, Rev Don Richardson, and other priests of the Cathedral.

Our Church Engagement Plan for the next 3 years gives emphasis to our close links to parishes, and we will be getting all students to complete a religious data collection survey this Term to assist in this area. 

More details will be forthcoming in the new year in relation to dates and times for students and families wishing to engage in sacramental formation programs. This year we ran Reconciliation and First Holy Communion (Eucharist), and next year will run these again with Confirmation.

Thomas Hunter, Dean of Mission

From the Dean of Liberal Arts

FINDING WONDER - A FESTIVAL OF LEARNING
SMCC will be conducting a unique two-day program in Week 8 that promises to ignite curiosity, foster creativity, and showcase the diverse talents within our Year 6 & 7 students. Our theme for this event is "Finding Wonder," and it's all about exploring the rich tapestry of knowledge and expression that surrounds us in the city.

Students will embark on an adventurous exploration, visiting iconic sites around the city to gather data that will serve as the foundation for their creative endeavours. Each strand—Religion, Arts, Science, and Humanities—will focus on a specific site, unveiling a world of wonders waiting to be discovered.

The school will be transformed into a vibrant "gallery," where students present their unique perspective on the theme "People, Places, Practices." This presentation promises to be a celebration of creativity, knowledge, and the wonders that can be found when we open our eyes to the world around us.

More information to come.

Belinda VanderGert, Dean of Liberal Arts

From the Leader of Curriculum

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

As the year draws to a close, we would like to update you on some changes the College is implementing in the purchase of textbooks and other resources. We are aligning our processes with those of other Sydney Catholic Schools, as well as best practices, and moving towards a purchasing system whereby students will be required to purchase all textbooks directly from the supplier. This means that the current subscription service and our book hire system will cease.

We are pleased to announce we are using Box of Books to provide digital and physical educational resources for the 2024 academic year. Our school booklists are now open for you to complete your order. 

Please note that physical copies of some second-hand textbooks will be available for sale from the College at a discounted price via a Compass Event. More information will be provided soon. If your family is experiencing hardship and you are unable to purchase next year’s textbooks, please contact your son’s Leader of Wellbeing.

The following information explains the process of purchasing textbooks via Box of Books.

To ensure you receive your physical items in time for the start of the school year, please place your order by Friday, 8 December 2023.  For orders placed after the due date, the availability of items for Back to School delivery cannot be guaranteed.

Steps to order:

1. Visit  Box of Books Shop to log into your existing parent/guardian account or create a new account if it is your first purchase.  
2. Add each student, including school email if possible, and nominate the school and year group.
3. Select the items you wish to purchase from the booklist shown
4. Use the checkout to organise postage directly to your nominated address and complete the payment

Some families may already have the school-prescribed texts in hard copy, either through siblings who have completed the subject in an earlier year or through the purchase of the text separately to Box of Books. Where this is the case, you can select the cheaper “Digital on BoB” option for the digital version of the text on Box of Books. It is important to note that if your child does not have the digital version through Box of Books, then they will not have access to all the additional resources and enhancements made to the texts by the class teachers.

Digital texts purchased can be accessed through the student’s Box of Books portal. We strongly recommend students sign in to Box of Books before the start of the year to ensure their digital textbooks and publisher interactives (e.g. online quizzes) are set up before classes commence.

Please click here for more information on accessing your digital resources.

For further assistance, please see this short informative guide on How to Purchase Books or contact the Box of Books team through the in-app support function as shown below.

Year 7 List of Textbooks: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZOpxqpI8Y3TnOL2zzVtX0biB5f1VG7C-/view?usp=drive_link 

Year 8 List of Textbooks: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-ARxNvHySuGnKoGzAvDXAScMmwVVV9_K/view?usp=drive_link 

Year 9 List of Textbooks: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uHsoKniw6Iu9a4xENAGqFYf3NsPURBUc/view?usp=drive_link 

Year 10 List of Textbooks: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oUJx_shutfCCeabHZHc41H1ERuJNjQaU/view?usp=drive_link 

Year 11 List of Textbooks: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Shx1loDqcQV013XQW6BJLYJjkbBeDuO6/view?usp=drive_link 

Karen Fahey, Acting Leader of Learning-Curriculum

Creative & Performing Arts News

ARTISTS EVOLUTION
Some of our students have been selected to participate in the ‘Artist Evolution’ which is a performing arts program targeted at students with an interest in the arts industry. Students have trained with industry professionals through voice, acting and dance to develop their overall performance skills. The students involved are:

• Oscar Barnett (Year 9)
• Lewis Crispin (Year 9)
• Alexander Fitzgerald (Year 7)
• Nicholas Kokontis (Year 7)
• Rorey Power (Year 8)

Georgia Andreacchio, Drama Teacher

VISUAL ARTS - CREATIVE ARTS CORNER

Year 12
We congratulate Aden O’Hara whose HSC sculpture, Our Tethered Callus,  was nominated for the final round of Art Express selections after achieving an outstanding mark.  Let’s hope he is chosen for the ultimate  destination  of one of the Gallery venues. 

We are also very proud of James Mason-Takos and Daniel Bortolin who have been selected to participate in the prestigious Sydney Catholic Schools 2024 HSC Visual Arts Showcase at McGlade Gallery, ACU Strathfield Campus. James’ painting and video, ‘Shifting Instability of Self’ and Daniel’s Collection of Works ‘Country in the 80’s where my Mother Grew Up’  will be on exhibition during Term 1 and will be open to visitors from Saturday, 23 March to Monday,  25 March  and on Thursday, 28 March. This is testament to the hard work, talent and dedication of both the students and the Visual Arts Department.

Michele Marshall, Leader of Learning-Visual Arts and Drama

Music News

We warmly invite the wider College community to join us in celebrating the musical achievements in performance at SMCC through our final performances for 2023. The final Ensemble Concert series will showcase our wonderful Ensembles and are free events.

If you are planning on joining an Ensemble in 2024, these concerts provide you with the opportunity to hear each group perform a selection of songs as the year concludes for 2023. Each Concert will be unique and welcoming. Come along and join in our Concert celebrations.

Booking a seat assists us with our planning and we would love to see you there!

To book your tickets via TryBooking, please click on the links below for each Concert.

Student musicians performing at each Concert will rehearse from 3:15pm - 4:45pm and enjoy a pizza dinner courtesy of the College prior to the doors opening for our audience. SMCC Music staff will supervise the performers during this preparation and meal time. Please note that there will be no pizza dinner provided prior to the Contemporary Music Concert. Students performing are required to wear their College uniform.

Further communications will be sent via Compass to Ensemble members & Parents/Carers of the student musicians performing.

Alison Hunter, Leader of Learning-Music

STUDIO CONCERT # 2 -  31 October, 2023
On Tuesday, 31 October, the Music Department hosted the final SMCC Studio Concert of 2023 in Chapter Hall. One of the goals of the Studio Concerts is to provide a warm and supportive performance opportunity for instrumental students enrolled in the music program at SMCC. It also highlights the wonderful progress that our peripatetic instrumental tutors are making with the boys, providing a small snapshot into their weekly lessons. This was clearly displayed on Tuesday night, with over 30 performances on piano, violin, flute, cello and trumpet demonstrating the depth of musical talent of our boys.

A number of performers showed that significant musical talent runs in the family, with Alex and Luke Pantazes performing solo works on the piano. Likewise, Diego Carralero performed Allegretto by Haydn, before his brother, Oscar, performed a trumpet duet with Skyler Gacho. Aaron Charles and Ethan Castro Ceballos performed on the cello – a stunning achievement after only beginning instrumental studies earlier this year. There was also significant representation from the SMCC Primary school, which bodes well for the future of the Music Program. Finally, Adrian Roper-Tyler concluded the evening with the Prelude and Ostinato from ‘Suite Antique’ by Rutter.

The Music Department would like to congratulate all of our performers on their diligent work throughout the year which was on display throughout the evening. Special thanks must also go to Mr Galczynski who accompanied many of the boys on piano and our dedicated peripatetic instrumental tutors whose students performed, including Miss Scolaro, Miss Purdon, Mrs Fluke, Mr Bendt, and Ms Lindsay-Machamer.

Evan Hopkins, Music Teacher

THE 2023 SMCC AMADEUS SHOWCASE CONCERTS
Congratulations to our Year 7 cohort on their recent Amadeus Showcase performances. Thank you to the wider community for their attendance and ongoing support for these events. The students and staff appreciated your presence on these occasions.

Those students that wish to continue on their instrument in 2024 are invited to our Concert series in Week 8, as our SMCC Ensembles present their final performances of 2023 for parents, carers, staff and the wider College community. This is an opportunity for students and parents to hear the Ensembles that they will be members of in 2024.

We encourage all Year 7 students wishing to continue with their instrumental music studies to hire an instrument through the College and join our Junior Strings or Junior Band on Friday mornings. Many Year 7 student musicians are already members of various ensembles and we would love for you to join us.

The fees for music hire and ensemble participation for our 2023 Year 7 students will be processed to commence in
Term 1 2024. We will allocate and provide an instrument for you to use for the remainder of 2023 and the holiday period, should you complete the form before week 10.

College musical instrument hire is available. We have most instruments available for hire, alternatively you may choose to hire or rent to buy from a music store of your own choice.

2023 Musical Instrument Loan Agreement

Music lockers are available to securely store your instrument for a nominal one off fee. Please complete the following form to be allocated a locker for your instrument.

2023 Music Locker Hire Agreement.

To join an ensemble, please complete the following form.

2023 MUSIC ENSEMBLE APPLICATION

PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS & ACHIEVEMENTS OF NOTE
Abel Preobrajensky (Year 7), is to be congratulated on his recent musical achievement. He was  placed 2nd in a Music Teachers Association showcase with 'the entertainer' by Scott Joplin (piano).

Abel will perform his interpretation of this wonderful standard as part of our SMCC Keyboard Festival Concert on Tuesday, 21 November 2023 in Chapter Hall from 5:30pm - 6:30pm. Abel is a Cathedral Choir Scholar, clarinettist and pianist at the College and is to be commended on his dedication to his music studies beyond the curriculum in 2023.

Please join us in congratulating Abel on his recent musical achievement.

INDIVIDUAL MUSIC TUITION AT SMCC - Consider enrolling now to secure your lesson in 2024.
We have opportunities for students to undertake private instrumental lessons with some of Sydney’s finest active professional musicians here at the College. We facilitate face-to-face learning experiences to maximise your progress, understanding and musicianship.  If you are an Elective Music student or have only just started learning an instrument this year, we invite you to enrol in an Instrumental Tuition lesson to support and fast track your musical success. For further information and to enrol, please refer to the 2023 INSTRUMENT TUITION APPLICATION FORM.

A friendly reminder to all students engaging in the Instrumental Tuition program that Instrumental Teachers must be notified directly a minimum of 24 hours in advance of absences or lesson fees will be charged. It is the student's responsibility to inform his Instrumental Teacher, as soon as possible, if there is a scheduled Assessment or other pre-notified school activity that will prevent his attendance on his particular lesson day; this includes illness or misadventure. Please note that every effort is made by the Music department to support the rescheduling of lessons due to College disruptions, to ensure a continuity of learning and engagement.

Notifying and communicating via telephone and email with your instrumental teacher of your intention to cease tuition in 2024 is the responsibility of the student and Parent/Carer. It is a courtesy and an expectation of the College that this is done prior to receiving the completed Change of enrolment form. We do hope that all students continue with their studies in 2024; however, those wishing to discontinue will allow those waiting patiently on our wait lists to be notified and allocated lesson times with our music staff by completing the form required. Music Locker keys should also be returned to Miss Hancock in the Music Office on Level 4, if applicable.

Change of Enrolment & Instrument Hire return FORM for 2024

Alison Hunter, Leader of Learning-Music

Year 10 News

COMMERCE MARKET DAY
The Annual Market Day, held by Year 10 Commerce students as part of their "Running a Business" unit, was held on Wednesday, 8 November. The students, under the tutelage of Ms Towson (stepping in for Ms Gutierrez) and Mr Norman, planned their business and budgeted for their stalls, carried out an advertising campaign and then sold their products. The groups were highly successful on the day, as evidenced by the long lines of hungry students eager to pick up pre-orders and purchase tasty treats on the day. A number of the groups were quite overwhelmed by the demand, selling out quickly. Others underestimated how much they needed to prepare, however, this is all part of the learning curve. After the day, students carried out a personal evaluation. The planning, event and evaluation were all part of their final assessment task. All students had to contribute a startup amount and all groups made a profit. The profit for the year was just over $1000, which is being donated to charity. Congratulations, Year 10 Commerce, on your fine work!

Ashley Pereira, Leader of Learning-HSIE

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Year 9 News

YEAR 9/10 PEER SUPPORT LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
Congratulations to the forty five enthusiastic Year 9 students who have been chosen to participate in the 2024 College Peer Support Program. This program aims to provide support for Year 7 students as they transition into secondary school next year. On Friday, 3 November these students participated in the leadership training part of the program facilitated by Jackson, Levi and Mack from the Burn Bright organisation, who train the students in leadership and organisational skills. The Peer Support Leaders commenced their duties by assisting with the Year 7 Orientation Day last week, and will be responsible for delivering games, activities and discussions to a group of Year 7 students throughout Term 1, 2024. These students will be formally recognised with their presentation of badges and certificates next year.

Congratulations on your selection and taking on the responsibility of Peer Support Leaders for the 2024 school year.

Lisa Towson,  Year 9 Leader of Wellbeing

Sport

INDIVIDUAL SUCCESS
Immanuel Obiegbu recently competed in the International Sport Karate Association (ISKA) World Cup. ISKA has been around since 1986, and is a leading authority in competitive martial arts. The 2023 ISKA World Cup was held in Sydney, and had over 1400 competitors from over 80 teams from 14 countries. 

Immanuel competed in Ring Karate, Combat Taekwondo and Point Sparring. Congratulations to Immanuel, for impressively winning first place in both Ring Karate and Combat Taekwondo for his age division.

SCS CRICKET, OZTAG & VOLLEYBALL 

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Simon Shaw, Sport Coordinator

From the Community

PHOTO DAY, 6 FEBRUARY 2024
Photo day is very early next year, Tuesday, 6 February 2024. Photos should be ordered in advance of photo day to speed up delivery and mitigate the problems of cash-filled envelopes. The purchasing and payment options can be viewed in the notice below. 

Additionally there are photos from the recent Year 12 Graduation events that can be viewed and ordered by families. Use the school's code DQD 715 MJA to access the portal. 

Term 4 Upcoming Events

Important Information for 2024

STUDENT COMPASS CARDS
If a student is late for school, they are required to sign in using their student Compass card. Failing to do so, will result in a 20-minutes detention after school. If a student lost their Compass card, please reapply for one via the Compass parent portal. 

NOTE: School activities may occur between 3:00pm and 3:20pm. Please do not make after school appointments before these times.

STUDENT OPAL CARDS
All students are required to use Opal cards on public transport to and from school. If a student does not have an Opal card, please apply via Transport NSW. When entering the station concourse to catch trains, students must tap their Opal card on and tap off. Jumping through the turnstiles is not permitted.

STUDENT EARLY DEPARTURE
Should a student need to leave school early for an appointment, please ensure that the student seeks authorisaion on the parent/carer's note (whether submitted on Compass or in the student's diary), from the Year Group Leader of Wellbeing during Homeroom.