Week 4 Term 3 2021

From the Principal

Dear Staff, Students and Parents,

Now that our Sewer Main replacement works have been completed, Lismore City Council have confirmed that roadworks will commence late August/early September on a 1.3km section of Woodlawn Road between the old railway viaduct east to the College entrance. This is wonderful news for our College community who have all shown great forbearance with the pothole situation on our main entrance road for some time. I ask you to be mindful of potential delays during the construction period and to factor this into your morning trips especially. 

I have attached two letters from the Director of Catholic Schools, Dr Sally Towns, which outline the new NSW Public Health Orders regarding travel into Queensland and the Queensland Stay at Home Order, and also Hunter and Upper Hunter Regions. 

In terms of the current COVID-19 situation enveloping NSW and other parts of the country, I would like to note the following:

1. 2021 Educational Continuity Plan
The College Leadership Team have updated procedures which will be followed if the College is ever required to move back into a period of Blended Learning. Families will be heartened to know that this includes far more staff contact than last year’s plan, with the daily timetable to be followed via Zoom and students engaging with each of their teachers for at least part of each timetabled lesson each day. This should alleviate the stress of students having to navigate multiple Google Classrooms and assist their engagement and productivity.

2. COVID-19 Outbreak Management Guidelines
Should we ever be advised during school hours that there is a positive case of COVID-19 within the College community, there is a clearly delineated plan of evacuating the College Campus safely. To this end, it would be timely for parents/guardians to consider how you would collect your child/ren, at short notice, if such an incidence was to occur. Of particular note here are the following:

1. Buses would not run;
2. Households would not be able to mix (ie a friend or neighbour could not collect your child).

3. COVID communications
The advice that the College provides to families comes from the Lismore Catholic Schools Office, via Catholic Schools NSW and NSW Health. While we may sometimes hear information provided by public officials via media reports almost instantly, decisions affecting schools/education systems take some time to formulate and we appreciate the way you are working with us here to ensure all Health Orders are being followed appropriately.

4. Year 12 HSC Trials and other important dates.
Parents of Year 12 students will be relieved to hear that we did not change the date/s of our HSC Trial Examinations and these will proceed, via the previously published timetable, commencing next Monday, 9 August.

NESA have announced several changes to performance and submission dates for practical subjects and students in each of these classes have previously been made aware of these. Additional information is available on the NESA website.

With the recent announcement that HSC Examinations would be delayed by a week and now commencing on 19 October, the College has also moved the date of its Year 12 Formal by one week to Saturday, 20 November. There are two ‘contingencies’ for this event that we are currently working on and full details of our Senior Graduation and Formal ceremonies will be made available as we move closer to the end of term.

There are two additional flyers attached to this fortnight’s Newsletter for your perusal:

1. Headspace – upcoming sessions regarding ways to support a young person when you are concerned about their mental health;

2. A report on the Respectful Relationships Survey recently conducted by Lismore CSO.

Our regular fortnightly advice regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic remains unchanged: The current COVID outbreaks across the state and beyond make it imperative that students who are displaying even the slightest signs of illness remain at home. Should a student become unwell during the course of a school day they will be required to be collected from the Student Services Office ASAP to minimise the risk of cross-infection.

As per NSW Health advice, people displaying symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, dry cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, headache) are advised to get tested. A student or staff member who has been unwell cannot return to school unless proof of a negative COVID-19 test has been provided. There are several local testing centres aside from your local GP, including Lismore Base Hospital and Ballina Respiratory Clinic. Visit the NSW Health website for further details.

Current Public Health Orders can also be found at: health.nsw.gov.au by clicking on COVID-19 (Case Alerts). These include the compulsory wearing of masks on public transport (ie. school buses) with $500 fines for non-compliance. Lists are updated daily and if you have recently travelled you must follow any relevant mandatory isolation guidelines stringently.

Additional cleaning measures remain in place at the College and students have been asked to refrain from close interactions with other students and staff.

Finally, at this tumultuous time in world history, I include the following reflection on ‘living in hope’ for your perusal:

‘Our time in history is a fractious experience. Feelings of disillusionment, of anger, of loss are understandable. There may even be thoughts of disengaging… altogether. We need to support one another, to encourage each other, to nourish the faith of one another. We need to continue to be inspired by the lived reality of faith in all our neighbourhoods... As we do, together, though, let us keep going outwards, beyond ourselves, at the service of those in which the Poor Christ await us. Only if we do this, will we find life and hope...’                                                           (Fr David Ranson)

Enjoy the fortnight ahead.

Sincerely

Aaron Beach
Principal

From the Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching

Year 12 Trial HSC Examinations
I wish Year 12 all the best as they commence their Trial HSC Examinations on Monday, 9 August. If students are unable to attend due to illness etc, please contact the College and ask for Mr Irvin or Mr Bailey.

Subject Selections Year 8 into Year 9
In the coming weeks, students in Year 8 will begin the process of selecting their subjects for Year 9, 2022.

On Wednesday, 18 August students will meet for an information session in Periods 2 and 3 regarding potential subjects we will be able to offer in 2022. On the afternoon of Wednesday, 18 August the Lib Guide will be available for parents to access via an email link sent from Mr Matthew Bailey. The Lib Guide will detail information regarding each course on offer and is an important resource for both parents and students. This will allow informed discussion with your child before submitting their expressions of interest. Due to COVID restrictions we will not be holding a Parent Information Evening.

On Friday, 20 August students will submit an expression of interest for the subjects they would like to apply for in 2022. This expression of interest will allow us to determine courses and lines on offer. An expression of interest is not a guarantee of what subjects students will ultimately be able to enrol in.

On Friday, 20 August Year 9 students will also complete their expressions of interest for their second 100 hour course to be studied in Year 10. Again, an expression of interest is not a guarantee of what courses will ultimately run.

Michael Campbell
Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching
michael.campbell@lism.catholic.edu.au

From the Assistant Principal - Mission

Head Heart Hands
Being a Witness is an essential part of being an authentic Catholic. As Pope Francis recently wrote, it is essential to ‘be a witness to Jesus Christ in the way you conduct your ordinary, everyday life, and it will become a masterpiece for God’. This week we acknowledged those students who are the visible witnesses in our faith community. We are proud to celebrate the caring, authentic and relational characteristics of the following students who were nominated by staff to receive a range of awards.

The Marsden Medal is awarded to students who exhibit the qualities of Father Marsden. Lionel Marsden was a student at the College in the 1930s. After becoming a Priest, he served in the Asia Pacific. During this time he was incarcerated by the Japanese and suffered with others. In his ministry, Fr Marsden prayed to God to give him strength and made a promise that he would work for reconciliation if he survived. He fulfilled this promise by setting-up cross cultural and faith groups despite the antagonistic post-war attitudes. Luke Rowling and Molly O’Toole were the worthy recipients of the 2021 award. Their generosity, kindness and humility was recognised by College Staff. Other nominees were equally deserving: Skylar McQuilty and Lachlan Watts. We have included a link to the Prayer Liturgy and Award Ceremony. 

The Jake Roff Award recognises students who are community builders, who seek out those in need and live in the Marian way. Jake’s family began this award following his struggle with brain cancer. They wanted Jake’s humanity to be remembered through this award. The winner of the Jake Roff Award for 2021 is Myles Wellman. He was commended for his compassion, enthusiasm for College life and the way he builds community through relationships - as Jake did. The other deserving nominees were: Eliana Brown, Eliza Lamas, Megan Elliott, Luca McInnes and Isabella Wiggins. We will celebrate this Award on Monday as it aligns with the message of St Mary MacKillop ‘never see a need without doing something about it’. The link to this Liturgy is included below.

The Australian Defence Force recognises students who exhibit leadership and innovation in STEM. Innes McLaren and Lilly Munce have been acknowledged for their leadership in the College. Innes has been an exceptional leader of the SRC. He is open to listening to the student voice, setting goals and working with the student body to attain them. Lilly is also fostering her skills as she advocates for her year group and younger students. Samuel Burden received the STEM Award for motivation and innovation. He is acknowledged for his commitment to solving mathematical problems and extending his knowledge and skill in this area that he has a passion for. Oliver Shearman was also recognised for his innovation in the area of coding, STEM and mathematical expertise. 

Service of the poor and marginalised is a key feature of our Catholic community. This week we have launched our Marist Solidarity ‘Walk a Mile In My Shoes Campaign’. We encourage all students to raise money for our Cambodian project. Through our participation in this project, students are standing in solidarity with the poor and the marginalised. Students gather sponsors and participate in a Justice Walk around the oval. Please encourage your child to participate. 

Our Year 12 Catholic Studies class are also supporting the fundraising through the selling of raffle tickets. The tickets are for two beautiful handmade quilts. Photos are included below. The quilts have been donated by the niece of a former Woodlawn student who heard about our community support for La Valla School in Cambodia and the good work our community does to support our friends there. Francis Maughan was a student at Woodlawn prior to serving in the Second World War. His 75 year old niece has kindly donated these two quilts. Please support the raffle to help us support our Cambodian family.

The following link outlines our relationship with the La Valla School and highlights the importance of us serving the poor.

Thanks to my Catholic Studies class who are donating clothing each fortnight to the Vinnies Clothing Bin at the College. Service is also evidenced through the donation of blood to the Red Cross. We have reestablished this link in the past fortnight and would encourage anyone in our community to give blood or plasma as our nation's reserves have plummeted. When donating at the Lismore Centre, please mention that you are part of our College community.

We are gifted with a life that needs to be lived on purpose. 

Annette Reen
Assistant Principal - Mission
annette.reen@lism.catholic.edu.au

Ministry Matters

We find ourselves lodged firmly in the grips of Term 3 after four weeks of learning! It has been another incredibly busy month and our students have been thoroughly engaged in various ministry activities, even under the current COVID restrictions.

Of particular note, we are very grateful to both the Year 9 Ministry class and members of our Year 8 cohort for providing inspiring and heartfelt prayers that really show the great sense of community we have at Woodlawn.

Prayer Opportunities
Staff and students will be invited to participate in different forms of prayer over the coming weeks. There will be a particular focus on the practice of Christian Meditation. For many students and families, this is not a new form of prayer, and we look forward to hopefully welcoming families on-site when COVID restrictions allow, to join our community in this life-giving encounter with Christ.

Fr. Laurence Freeman OSB, Director of the World Community for Christian Meditation, presents an informative video on why and how to engage in the practice of Christian Meditation here: https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=8NK1jQM-Gwk

Please be in contact with me if you would like any further information about the many methods of prayer we can utilise in our lives.

Nick Jones
Leader of School Evangelisation
nick.jones@lism.catholic.edu.au 

Wellbeing Matters

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Mental Health Fitness Challenge
The first theme of the Black Dog Challenge was gratitude. Below is an example of what Year 8 have been doing in their Pastoral Care lessons with their Year Coordinator, Sharon Thompson. Here is her explanation of what the students have been doing:

During their sessions the students focused on the positive feeling you get when you stop to notice and appreciate things in your life. Students learnt that gratitude is not just saying the words ‘thank you’; it’s actually all about the positive feeling that comes with being grateful. If they can get into the habit of noticing the things to be grateful for in their life, they will begin to see more of the brighter side.

During the Gratitude session, students registered for the program, completed the Week One task in their workbook, contributed their ideas in a collaborative poster,  created small ceramic decals with their individual reflections of gratitude and a prayer on Gratitude for the school.

The second theme in the Mental Health Fitness Challenge that Years 7-10 are completing is Mindfulness.

Mindfulness can help your mind slow down and focus. But that’s just the beginning. Mindfulness can also increase positive emotions, improve physical health, lower levels of depression and anxiety, and help you manage stress.

What is mindfulness and what are the benefits?

A recent study compared a group of people who did eight weeks of mindfulness training with a group of people who didn’t. The group that practiced mindfulness experienced greater activity in the part of the brain that helps you feel good, and reduced activation in the areas associated with stress and worry.

How can parents/ carers help?
Mindfulness can help young people to handle the stress of study, work and play as they get older.

Here are two great ways to build a life that includes mindfulness that you can do with your young person:

1. Just breathe - take a couple of minutes and focus on your breathing. Like meditation. If you get distracted or your mind wanders off, that’s ok, it happens to all of us. Just bring your attention back to your breath.
2. Savour the moment – stop. Look around. Take time to savour the moment and appreciate everything around you. It might be the great meal you’re having or the beautiful scenery.

Exams
We know the exams in Years 11 and 12 are important for students, but it’s also essential to help your teen understand that they are not the be all and end all. Talk to your young person about signing-up for the Reach out free weekly emails about healthy study habits and managing expectations.

Friendship and exam stress: Five tips to keep things positive
For your teen, exam time may equal freak-out time. Tensions may be running high, there’s lots of pressure and school can be competitive. Friends can be a great source of support during exam time, but they can also distract your teen from studying. They may even add to your teen’s stress levels if they’re not handling their own exam preparation well.

This can be challenging for young people. Talk to your teen about how to keep friendships positive during exam times. These are five suggestions from ReachOut:

1. Figure out what works for you
Everyone learns and studies differently. Do you learn best from discussing ideas? From teaching others? Reading notes? Listening to lectures?

2. Take a break from friends if you're all getting stressed
Take notice of how you and your friends are speaking to each other and what you’re talking about. For example, a young person we spoke to said, “All my friends were getting stressed. When one gets stressed, we all generally get stressed.” This is called stress contagion.

 While social media group chats can be awesome for learning, they can also be a huge distraction. Group chats can create stress contagion if everyone is talking about studying but not actually doing anything.

3. Support those friends who support you
The best thing friends can do is support each other. Many young people report that friends help calm them down when they’re feeling anxious or stressed.

 If someone is being a big support to you, such as by helping you with a particular subject, ask how you can assist them in return.

4. Try to stay in your own lane
Learning environments can be tough, especially in Years 11 and 12 when it’s easy to compare yourself with your friends. Try to think about what your own personal strengths are, and focus on your own performance.

5. Reach out to family and other supports
If you feel like your friends are stressing you out or you’re not sure what to do about a situation with a friend, reach out to others in your support system; they might have had similar experiences and may be able to help you talk it out.

RUOK Day? 
RUOK Day is a mental health awareness day held each year in Australia. This year it is being held on Thursday, September 9. The message this year is: Are they really ok? The aim of the program is to help our young people to learn how to support their peers and talk about how they feel. Life's ups and downs happen to all of us. 

Chances are someone we know might be struggling. Our genuine support can make a difference in whatever they are facing, big or small. We are encouraging our students not to wait until someone’s visibly distressed or in crisis. We are asking them to make a moment meaningful and a friend how they’re really going.  We have been addressing these concepts in Home Group and will continue to do so until September 9. 

Uniforms
The College Second Hand Uniform Shop will only be open once more prior to Term 4 starting. If you are looking for summer uniforms, please note that the Uniform Shop will be open on Wednesday, September 1.

Fiona Fennamore
Leader of Student Welfare
fiona.fennamore@lism.catholic.edu.au

Careers Update

The full version of the Careers Update can be found at this link. Newsletters are listed on the left side of the page. Select the week for the most up-to-date news. Don’t forget to check the calendar for Open Days, events, Career Expos, new dates and closing dates, etc.

In this fortnight’s news UAC have made some changes in response to NESAs changes to dates for the HSC examinations, a range of positions vacant are available and there are updates, scholarship information, early entry and much more from TAFE, Universities and other institutions in the full version of the Careers Update which can be found by following the links.

Bernie Maginnity
Vocational Pathways Coordinator
bernie.maginnity@lism.catholic.edu.au

Positions Vacant
Cert IV Finance & Mortgage Broking
Located in Ballina – job ref #PL000036
(CLOSES 9 August) For more information click this link.

Cert III Dental Assisting (ATSI Identified)
Located in Casino – job ref #PL000056
(CLOSES 16 August) For more information click this link.

Storeman Lismore based
 A locally based company is seeking a storeman. Fit and healthy, with the ability to do some lifting. Will need to obtain a LR licence and forklift licence. See Mr Maginnity for more information.

Arborist
A local arborist is seeking to expand their team. If you are fit and healthy and enjoy working outdoors and would like to learn the skills of the trade contact Mr Maginnity for more information.

Richmond Valley Council Job Fair and Careers Expo.
Richmond Valley Council is excited to once again offer job opportunities for our local youth as part of our award winning Youth Employment Strategy (YES).

We are encouraging businesses, TAFE, Verto Apprenticeship Centre and Job Agencies  in our LGA to join us so students and job seekers can explore what industry and career paths are in our local region.

We stand behind our ‘Grow your own’ motto and roll out the welcome mat to our local businesses to showcase their industry with employment opportunities.

There will be two sessions available on Thursday, 2 September, with the 3.30pm – 5.30pm timeslot specifically for school students. More information and flyer can be found here.

TAFE NSW Marine Jobs Marine Jobs is an online ‘career centre’ designed to make it easier for students to find the right job for them in the marine industry and employers to advertise vacancies. It provides a range of career resources, including information on apprenticeships and industry training, writing a Resume, and preparing for an interview. Access it here www.marinejobs.org.au

UAC
After last Friday's announcement from NESA that the NSW HSC exam timetable will be delayed by one week, UAC has made the following date changes.

●      NSW ATARs released - 9am Friday, 17 December

●      December Round 2, changing preferences - midnight Saturday, 18 December

●      December Round 2 offers released - 7.30am Wednesday, 22 December.

●      ACT ATAR release date will be provided by the ACTBSSS.

There are no changes to the change of preference deadline or offer dates for the Schools Recommendation Scheme (SRS) set for November.

Educational Access Scheme
At this stage, there are no additional schemes in place at UAC to consider a COVID-related disadvantage. However, students can claim JobKeeper/Seeker as a disadvantage through EAS as they were able to last year (with a minimum period of three months).

If the new COVID disaster payment continues and is paid for a minimum of three months, consideration will be given to also including that in EAS.

Educational Access Schemes (EAS) Summary Sheet - If you have experienced significant and ongoing issues during Year 11 &/or Year 12 that have adversely affected your schooling, then you may be eligible to apply for EAS. In order to apply for EAS you will need to supply a range of evidence to support your application. This may include reports from Doctors or medical professionals, family, friends and school statements. *N.B. the school is not able to supply statements for disruptions to your schooling that they have not been made aware of previously or where adjustments have been made.

Early Entry Information - this document contains information on the UAC School Recommendation Scheme as well as outlining the Early Entry programs for a range of NSW institutions.

NSW University Applications - information for most universities in NSW and the ACT is provided here, as well as information on institutions which offer direct access schemes.Schools Recommendation (SRS) and Early Entry Schemes Summary Sheet

Before you can apply for SRS, you need to apply for undergraduate admission through UAC. When you do, you’ll be issued with a UAC application number, which you’ll need to commence your SRS application.

There are no fees to apply for SRS, but there is processing fee when you apply for undergraduate admission through UAC.

1. Log in to the SRS application using your UAC application number and PIN. A series of questions and prompts will then guide you through the application process.
2. Enter your Year 11 studies, if prompted to do so in your application.
   Applicants in the NSW and ACT school systems: You usually don’t have to provide results of your Year 11 studies with your SRS application as UAC obtains them directly from the relevant educational authorities. If you are not prompted to enter your Year 11 studies or to provide documents there is no need to do so.
   All other applicants: Enter the details of your Year 11 studies and upload a PDF of your Year 11 school report. If you don’t have the PDF ready to upload when you first apply, upload it later by logging back in to SRS Check & Change (which you also access from the UAC website). You must upload your school report in order to have your studies assessed and considered by institutions as part of your SRS application. Uploaded documents cannot be edited or deleted but can be replaced up to three times.
3. Upload institution-specific documents, if required.
4. Review your application summary.
5. Accept the declaration.
6. Download your Confirmation of Application.

You can only submit one SRS application.

Please click this link for the full Careers Update.

Chess Championship

Woodlawn win the North Coast Country Schools’ Chess Championship

On Tuesday, our Woodlawn Chess team defeated St Columba Anglican School, from Port Macquarie, in the final of the North Coast Chess knockout tournament.

Our team of Mark Wright, Shivam Raval, Jacob Southwood and Jahedyn Finlayson won in a very tight competition that actually went down to the last move, of the last game, in the last second of play, when Jacob, on Board 3, won his match, meaning that Woodlawn had won the day and the championship.

The Country Schools Championship is run over the year, beginning in February with up to thirty schools in the region from Port Macquarie to Tweed Heads. Each team consists of four players, who are ranked from one to four. Woodlawn only lost one game over the year leading-up to the final on Tuesday. On the day the team lost on Boards 1 and 4, but won on Boards 2 and 3, meaning a win overall!

In matches leading up to the final, I need to acknowledge other students who played in the earlier matches: Ben Davis and William Cronin, both of whom won their games and were integral in the overall success of the team. 

In past years, the winners of each of the NSW country areas have met in Sydney in early Term 4 for the round robin competition to determine the champion NSW country school. We hope that our current health and movement restrictions will allow this to proceed.

Jono Weslake
Chess Coordinator
jonathan.weslake@lism.catholic.edu.au

School Fees

Term 3 Tuition fees were emailed to all parents and caregivers on Monday, 5 July, 2021. Please note all Term 3 school fees were due and payable in full by Friday, 16 July 2021.
An up-to-date statement of your balance was emailed on Monday, 2 August 2021.
Thank you to all those who have made prior arrangements to pay your balance off over the term.  
Should you wish to discuss a repayment arrangement, please call or email Carolyn Hope or Vicky Fitness.

Please refer to the Information for Parents and Students - School Fees and Charges 2021 on our website.

Carolyn Hope
Finance Officer
lisjc-fees@lism.catholic.edu.au

Reminder

COVID-19 Results
As per NSW Health advice, students displaying symptoms of COVID-19 are advised to get tested. A student who has been unwell cannot return to school unless proof of a negative COVID-19 test has been provided. 

Please screenshot your results and email to Student Services lisjc-studentservices@lism.catholic.edu.au with your student's name. 

Catholic Schools Parent Assembly

The Parent Assembly supports parents as they seek to improve their understanding of child development and parenting skills. Opportunities are provided for parents to enhance their knowledge and skills through seminars, topical workshops and expert guest speakers. Since its beginning in 1995, the Parent Assembly has provided parenting education opportunities for parents in the following areas:

• Prayer and family life
• Drug and alcohol education
• Christian personal development and human sexuality
• Cyber safety
• Bullying in schools
• Boys and girls education
• Parenting skills
• Nutrition
  

Canteen News

The cash free way to pay! - REGISTER NOW
Paying for lunches is now safer and hassle free. With cashless cards there's no need for students to bring cash to school.

The College has Flexischools to allow students to pay at the Canteen using their existing student ID card. Paying for lunches and items at recess or lunch is now safer and hassle free. With cashless cards there's no need for students to bring cash to school. Parents can set daily spending limits and view transactions online. Parents can also top-up funds at anytime.

The Canteen has introduced a Fast-Track line for students who have pre-ordered to collect their lunches, making it much easier and quicker for students.

We encourage all students to register. This will allow for those days when your student may have forgotten their homemade lunches.

Please follow the link below to register now:

Second Hand Uniform Shop

Our Second Hand Uniform Shop opens on the first Wednesday of every month. 
Date: Wednesday, 1 September
Time: 9am-2pm
Where: Colin Centre, Woodlawn
No EFTPOS facilities available. Cash only.

Students are able to access the Second Hand Uniform Shop at recess or lunch.
Items of school uniform given to the shop are done so as a donation to the P & F Association; however, $50 will be given for second hand blazers. No monies will be exchanged for other uniform items. 

All items held by the Uniform Shop will be sold for a sum, at the discretion of the P & F Association, with monies utilised for the ongoing needs and services of St John's College, Woodlawn.

Michelle Seccombe
mseccombe22@bigpond.com
0414 357 481

Leanne Copeland
leannecopeland3043@gmail.com
0407 739 237

School Locker - School Uniforms

Student Uniforms and supplies are available at the following stores. Please click on the links below for more information and opening hours.