Week 2 Term 2 2022

From the Principal

Dear Parents, Staff and Students,

I am very happy with how Term 2 has begun. Despite the significant setbacks we endured throughout Term 1, students are simply ‘getting on with the job’ of learning which is most commendable. The social and welfare domains within schools cannot be underestimated in terms of how they enhance students’ overall wellbeing.  

The dormitory renovations are now almost complete and our Years 11 & 12 Trinity friends will commence full-time at Woodlawn next week. Given there are now nearly 1100 students on campus at any one time, I ask for your patience around drop-off and pick-up times especially. We also thank to our Bus Companies for working on a revised system in the afternoon to facilitate a more efficient transfer to the Trinity Interchange. 

After a number of postponements, next Monday afternoon (9 May) we will host a special Liturgy for our Student Leaders to present them with their badges of office, in the presence of their families. I am really proud of what our Student Leaders have been able to achieve at Woodlawn over these past two difficult years and I have drawn on their collective wisdom many times. They are great ambassadors for their families and the College and I know you will give them your full support throughout the remainder of 2022 and beyond.

Our 2023 Enrolment period which was postponed due to the recent floods commences with Open Night on Wednesday, 18 May. There will be two sessions (5pm and 7pm) following a similar format to last year. Spaces for Year 7, 2023 will be very tight so if you have a daughter/son currently in Year 6 and are considering Woodlawn as a school of choice for their secondary education, please download an application package from the College Website and submit this to the College at your earliest convenience.

Term 2 School Fee Accounts will be emailed to all families next Monday. The Lismore Catholic Schools Office has now provided detailed information about fee relief for flood affected families and I will include a separate letter which includes all of this information as part of the fee accounts.

Our P&F Annual General Meeting will be held in the College Library on Monday, 30 May at 5.30pm.

The COVID-19 situation continues to evolve in the education space. Included below is the most recent update received yesterday:

• As previously communicated; students and staff who are close contacts and have no symptoms can continue to attend school if they follow the guidelines below:
• They must notify the school and their outside of school hours care (OOSHC) provider if they are intending to return under this provision.
• They should conduct a daily rapid antigen test (RAT) and return a negative result each morning before attending school for 5 school days.
• Secondary school students must wear a mask indoors (except when eating or exercising).
• No student or staff member identified as a close contact will be permitted to participate in overnight excursions, including school camps.
• No apprentices, trainees or students on placement or staff member identified as a close contact will be permitted to attend settings identified as high risk by NSW Health (healthcare, aged care, disability care or correctional facilities).
• Any visitor to a school site who is a close contact is required to advise the school that they are a close contact before they come on site. These visitors should conduct a daily RAT and return a negative result before attending. They must also wear a mask indoors at all times. Schools should consider if the visit can be conducted virtually.
• Remember: Staff and students cannot attend school if they are showing any symptoms of COVID-19. If symptoms occur at any time, students should not attend school and should undertake a rapid antigen test (RAT). We will be issuing another 7 RATs to each student early next week.
• If there is a positive case in school, staff and students can continue to attend school in line with NSW Health advice. If a student or staff member receives a positive RAT test, they need to:
• record the positive RAT result through the Service NSW website or Service NSW app – please add details of your child’s school or early childhood education centre when prompted.
• notify the school of the positive RAT or PCR test result as soon as possible.
• follow NSW Health advice to isolate for 7 days.
• Schools are to continue to inform their community when there is a positive case in the school and guide families on NSW Health advice, including monitoring for symptoms. Currently at Woodlawn, we are aware of at least 43 cases of COVID-19 across students in Years 7 to 11.
• Mask wearing is mandatory for staff and high school students returning to school as close contacts for 5 school days. Masks continue to be mandatory on public transport. This applies to students aged 12 years and older when travelling to and from school and during school excursions by public transport or by chartered transport services.
• Students are encouraged to wash their hands regularly with soap and water. Enhanced cleaning measures remain in place at the College.

As this fortnight’s reflection, with May being the month devoted to Mary, I include three characteristics of a Church with a Marian face:

1. The Marian face of Service: who gives attention to the most needy. Our Church needs prophets of human dignity, present among the most vulnerable and forgotten children and young people (Br Ernesto Sánchez);
2. The Marian face of Mother: who creates family in which we all have equal dignity and a place. The Church needs a Marian face of leading that always welcomes, invites and accompanies;
3. The Marian face of Sister in Faith: with openness to the Holy Spirit. The Church needs those who govern or guide others, to let themselves be guided by the spirit of the Handmaid of the Lord. Like her, they listen, ponder and act.

(Tony Clarke, National Director of Marist and Life Formation)

We offer all of our Woodlawn Mums a very Happy Mother’s Day for Sunday. I hope your sons and daughters make a big effort to spoil you all and thank you for everything that you do for them.

With best wishes for the fortnight ahead.

Sincerely

Aaron Beach

Principal

From the Assistant Principal - Mission

Galatians: ‘Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up’ (6:9-10).

Our Easter Celebrations were an opportunity for our community to come together in prayer and reflection. We were thankful to Fr Bing for sharing the Euchrist with our students and staff.

In the last days of Term 1 our Year 12 SRC members shared the love through generously distributing Easter cheer. The SRC are currently organising a number of community building activities. We are truly blessed to have such a dedicated group of Student Leaders who have great ideas and initiatives. We will celebrate their gifts on Monday with parents and other members of our community.

It was with great pride that I marched alongside our students at the 2022 ANZAC Day March. Throughout the Northern Rivers, our students came together in the spirit of commemoration. To accompany our students was an honour for all of our staff. Thanks to parents and caregivers for organising your children who represented us in all corners of the Northern Rivers. 

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Our staff were recently blessed to come together in prayer on our annual Spirituality Day. This day was an opportunity for staff to pray, reflect and share. The key themes of the day were relationships,  solitude and generosity. These opportunities are seminal to building community. We hope to share some of our learnings in future Newsletters.

The Year 10 Social Justice Committee had its first meeting this week. This Committee is open to any Year 10 student who would like to be part of our fundraising, awareness raising and action based group. Living out our Catholic Social Teachings - the dignity of the person and solidarity are at the core of everything we do. Our first campaign is linked to Mother's Day. As a community we have been asking students and staff to bring in care packages or items for care packages for the mothers in our community who have been affected by the recent floods. This project is undertaken in conjunction with the Koori Mail service. We understand that there was a short turn around but this has been the first opportunity we have had to share the love for all our mothers do. Every little bit helps. In the words of St Terese of Avila “Christ has no body now, but yours. No hands, no feet on earth, but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ looks compassion into the world. Yours are the feet with which Christ walks to do good. Yours are the hands with which Christ blesses the world.”

We thank our community and those from other regions who generously donated their time, funds and care to all of our flood affected families. We currently have funds available for uniforms and school lunches. Please see me for any assistance you or your family may require. One example of this generosity has been via the De La Salle Catholic College, Caringbah (Sydney) community which organised 40 pairs of school shoes to be given to flood affected students.

Woodlawn Connects
Our community has rallied with support for our CONNECT fundraising. To date we have been able to provide lunches for students; Breakfast Club operated in Term 1; students have been provided with essential uniform items; students have been supported to attend Year 8  and HSC study camps along with other essential items. Families also received gift cards to assist with the purchase of basic household necessities. This initiative will continue in Term 2.

Annette Reen

Assistant Principal - Mission

Student Wellbeing

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome to Term 2. Let’s hope that it is more peaceful than Term 1 and that we can get into a routine that can be sustained across the term. We are looking forward to being able to engage in activities that students enjoy and enhance their connectedness to our school community.

Welcome to our new students
I would like to extend a warm welcome to all the new members of our student community. We are encouraging our long standing members to be accommodating, helpful and supportive of our new arrivals. Please ask your child/ young person how they may have assisted a new student to successfully transition into our community this term.

Uniform
It is pleasing to see the majority of our students in the correct uniform. We appreciate your support in ensuring your child wears the correct uniform, and wears it well.  Below is a list of uniform and grooming requirements, as outlined in our Information for Parents and Students Handbook.

Winter Uniform – Terms 2 and 3 (Formal College Uniform)

We also seek your support in helping us maintain our expectations around grooming. ​​Students are to be clean, neat and tidy at all times.

Hair

•       Extremes in hairstyle, cut or colour are not permitted (ie “mullets”)
•       Hair longer than shoulder length must be tied back
•       Hair accessories should be in keeping with College colours
•       Students must be clean shaven at all times
•       Make-up should be kept to a natural appearance
•       Nails should be kept to neutral shades or French tips

Tattoos
These are not to be visible.

Jewellery and piercings
Students are permitted to wear:

•       No more than 2 plain rings on each hand
•       No more than 2 earrings per ear. These are to be studs or sleepers. NB: No other piercings           are acceptable
•       1 necklace
•       1 watch
•       2 plain bracelets or bangles

Counselling
The Lismore Catholic Schools Office has made available to us this term the services of a psychologist, Cristina Massia, who  will be joining our College Counselling Team three days per week (Tuesday - Thursday) and working with our students who have been affected by the floods. If you think your child would benefit from working with Cristina, please contact me to arrange an appointment.

Cristina has provided this information about the service:

Dear Parents,

In the aftermath of a natural disaster, people may have greater psychosocial needs and develop health problems and mental health symptoms in the short, medium, or long term.
Being proactive, recognising and responding appropriately to distress is a great way of preventing the onset of additional mental health problems.
Young people might display physical symptoms such as stomach aches and headaches. They might feel disconnected from their peers, and be reactive, sad, or angry. 
It may show up as an overreaction to something seemingly unrelated. They might be finding it hard to concentrate at school or complete their schoolwork.
You, as a parent, might not know what to do to help. You might be emotionally drained as well.
During Term 2, I’ll be on-site every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I am available for therapeutic support, to initiate referrals to other community services (if the need is identified) and to give you resources, information and psychoeducation.
Please contact me to make time for a chat if you would like me to meet your son/daughter.  

Teenager wellbeing
Wellbeing requires a holistic approach and three simple areas to focus on are: Healthy Bodies, Sleep and Family Relationships.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me on fiona.fennamore@lism.catholic.edu.au or 66262627.

Regards,
Fiona Fennamore
Leader of Student Welfare

Sports News

Congratulations to all who participated in the Lismore Diocesan Swimming Carnival in Coffs Harbour last Tuesday as part of the Woodlawn Swimming Team. A special congratulations to our top performers listed below, and good luck to Alanna, Niquola, Will, Niamh, Talia and Jaya who will Represent Lismore in the CCC Swimming Carnival next month in Sydney.

Alanna Bromhead 
15s Girls Age Champion
1st 15s Girls 50m Freestyle
1st 15s Girls 50m Butterfly 
3rd 15-16s Girls 200m Freestyle
1st 15-16s Girls 4x50m Freestyle Relay
2nd 15-16s Girls 100m Backstroke 
1st 15s Girls 50m Breaststroke
1st 15s Girls 100m Freestyle
1st 15s Girls 50m Backstroke 
1st 15-16s Girls 200 Individual Medley
2nd 15-16s Girls 100m Breaststroke

Niquola White 
17 & Over Girls Runner-Up Age Champion
3rd 17 & Over Girls 50m Freestyle 
3rd 17 & Over Girls 50m Butterfly 
2nd 17 & Over Girls 200m Freestyle
2nd 17 & Over Girls 100m Backstroke 
1st 17 & Over Girls 400m Freestyle
3rd 17 & Over Girls 100m Freestyle 
2nd 17 & Over Girls 50m Backstroke 
2nd 17 & Over Girls 200m Individual Medley 
2nd 17 & Over Girls 100 Butterfly
2nd 17 & Over Girls 100m Breaststroke

William Bullpitt
2nd 13s Boys 50m Freestyle 
3rd 12-14s Boys 100m Backstroke 
2nd 12-14s Boys 400m Freestyle
1st 13s Boys 50m Breaststroke 
3rd 12-14s Boys 100m Breaststroke

Niamh Thompson 
1st 15-16s Girls 4x50m Freestyle Relay 
3rd 16s Girls 100m Freestyle
3rd 16s Girls 50m Backstroke

Talia Rowe
1st 15-16s Girls 4x50m Freestyle Relay 
2nd 16s Girls 50m Breaststroke

Isabella Rowe
3rd 14s Girls 50m Breaststroke
3rd 12-14s Girls 100m Breaststroke 

Micheal Bullpitt
3rd 15-16s Boys 400m Freestyle

Jaya Wisemantle
1st 15-16s Girls 4x50m Freestyle Relay 

Oliver Mason
3rd 16s Boys 50m Breaststroke

Lismore Diocesan Tennis Tournament 
After two previous cancellations, the Lismore Diocesan Tennis Team rolled out early amidst fog and drizzle. Travelling to Tweed to face other Colleges from the Diocese, our two Senior Girls and two Senior Boys Teams were in good spirits. Our Senior Girls Team consisted of: Amy Martin, Sarah Martin, Emily Hosking and Jaya Wisemantel and the Senior Boys Team consisted of: Daniel Butler, Digby Langdon, Benji De Milford and Patrick Maginnity.

Playing in a timed format added an additional challenge for our students in some matches. Our Senior Girls A and B teams, playing a longer format than the boys due to a number of teams' late withdrawals, each started the day with a convincing win. Both teams went down in their second match, then rallied for a strong performance in their final match. This saw the B team come away with the win and our A girls narrowly missed out, going down 5:7 in a tie breaker. These results combined to give our Senior Girls teams second place overall.

Our Senior Boys teams both faced some strong opponents, resulting in a number of epic battles for points and fantastic rallies throughout the tournament. Our A team lost their first match 4:6 to St Mary's, Casino, then regrouped to win their next four matches. They lost their sixth to Xavier 2:6, making for an exciting final match to determine the overall winners. Our Senior Boys B Team worked exceptionally well together, giving a lesson in doubles tennis as they won each of their matches convincingly. With team scores combined to achieve the final result, we watched the final two matches with high anticipation, knowing that there were mere points between ourselves and St Mary's for the victory. When St Mary's won their final match we were nervous. Fortunately, both A and B Teams recorded victories of 6:2 and 6:1 respectively, to result in a final score of 78 to 71. Congratulations to our Senior Boys Tennis Team on their Diocesan Tennis win and congratulations to both teams for their efforts on the day. We were very pleased with their spirit and sportsmanship.

Brian Battese
Sports Coordinator
brian.battese@lism.catholic.edu.au

Careers Update

This week we have included a copy of the JobJump NSW Early Entry Guide. There are a number of positions vacant, including an apprenticeship, traineeship and casual work. In addition, we would like to draw your attention to the included NESA and UAC updates.

Included here in the full version of the Careers Update are additional updates from Universities, TAFE and Other Information and Events.

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

2022 HSC Timetable Released
The 2022 HSC written exams start on Wednesday, 12 October and finish on Friday, 4 November.
2022 HSC students can now access their timetable via Students Online.
Follow this link for the full HSC written timetable.

Positions Vacant

Domino's - Alstonville and Ballina
Domino's Alstonville and Ballina are looking for motivated people to join their two teams which are owned by an ex-Woodlawn student and his family. We are seeking motivated staff to join the fantastic crew and we have systems in place to ensure our teams flourish at work and at school. We are able to offer flexible hours, school-based traineeships, a fun and safe working environment and opportunities for growth.

We encourage people of all ages to apply. To apply, please search ‘Domino’s Jobs’ or drop a resume in store at any time. Domino’s Jobs

Apprentice Glazier - Goonellabah
This would be a great role for someone who is interested in gaining an apprenticeship with a local firm. Glazing has changed significantly over the years, with many safety improvements. There are limited numbers of people working in this trade, so demand is strong for local companies. This employer has a good group of young employees, including at least one Woodlawn ex-student. The ideal applicant will have their White Card and be working towards achieving their Ps. There is a good amount of carpentry involved in this position and full training will be provided for the right applicant. If you are interested, please contact Mr Maginnity to arrange a work experience trial.

Child Care Traineeship - Goonellabah
We have a full-time traineeship available for any students you may have in mind or ex-students.

They would need to be 18 and willing to work five days per week toward their Cert III in Child Studies. If you are interested in this position, please email your resume and cover letter to:  office@childcarebumblebee.com

Attention:   Kerrilyn - Bumblebee Early Education Centre

University

Early Entry Updates
Job Jump have put together an early entry cheat sheet for NSW Universities. Please follow this link for the latest University early entry updates.

UAC (University Admissions Centre - NSW)
Applications are opening
Applications for Uni in 2023 opened on 12 April. Students will be able to apply for undergraduate study as well as the Schools Recommendation Scheme, Educational Access Scheme and Equity Scholarships.

Not all 2023 courses will be available for selection, but encourage your students to choose any 2023 course to complete their application and come back later to review and change their preferences as courses come online. All Semester 1, 2023 courses will be available from August.

UAC PINs
Students received their UAC PIN on 12 April and are able to apply straight away. PIN emails were sent to the email address NESA has on file.

Remind your students to log in to Students Online to check that their email address is correct. We recommend changing it to a personal email address so that they still receive emails from us after they leave school in December. They should also change the pre-populated school email address in their UAC application to a personal address so that they don’t miss any notifications from UAC about their application, including offers.

The UAC Guide
The UAC Guide will be arriving at schools from the beginning of Term 2.

The Guide contains everything Year 12 students – including international students – need to know about applying for Uni in 2023. Comprehensive course descriptions will be added to UAC’s website as they are finalised by institutions. Encourage your students to check UAC’s website regularly.

Application processing charge
UAC accepts payment by credit/debit card (Visa and MasterCard cards that have been enabled for online payment) or PayPal. Current Year 12 applicants can also 'commit to pay' using BPAY.

Our financial institution is no longer allowing payments via the Australia Post Billpay service.

Why apply through UAC?
A UAC application allows students to apply for courses across 27 institutions. This year we welcome the AIE Institute. We also supply information on an additional seven ‘apply direct’ institutions.

Based on feedback, we know that students are unsure about whether they should apply direct to the institution or through UAC, and to increase their chances many are doing both. Not all institutions accept direct applications from Year 12 students but it’s important for students considering a direct application to remember the following:

● A UAC application gives students five course preferences; they don’t have to apply five times to five different institutions.

● Having a UAC application enables students to apply for UAC's access schemes – the Educational Access Scheme and the Schools Recommendation Scheme – and for Equity Scholarships.

● Both a UAC application as well as a direct application will give students more chance of securing an offer, as long as they don't enter the same preferences in both applications.

How to apply through UAC

Open days
For an up-close experience of University life, encourage your students to attend a Uni Open Day. Dates for 2022 are available now but check back regularly for updates.

Uni Open Days for 2022

Key dates for 2022–23

• Tues 12 Apr 2022 – Undergraduate applications open
• Tues 26 Apr 2022 – International applications open
• Mon 19 Sept 2022 – Schools Recommendation Scheme applications close
• Fri 30 Sept 2022 – Early bird applications close
• 11 Nov 2022 – First Schools Recommendation Scheme offers released
• 22 Nov 2022 – Deadline to submit Educational Access Scheme applications for December Round 2
• Thurs 15 Dec 2022, 6am – NSW HSC results released
• Thurs 15 Dec 2022, 9am – NSW and ACT ATARs released

Junior Dance Club

FRIDAY LUNCHTIME 
We would love to see ALL students who are interested in doing some Dance in their lunchtime on Fridays to please join us from Friday, Week 2 in the Dance Studio. Follow the balcony along the side of the Performing Arts Centre and you will find us there!

EVERYBODY IS WELCOME! 

Any questions please email or see Ms Erin Parrey.

Bishops' Statement

NSW School Vaccination Program

Each year NSW Health works in partnership with schools to offer the vaccines recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for adolescents as part of the School Vaccination Program.

Year 7: Friday, 20 May
Year 10: Friday, 24 June

In 2022, the following vaccines will be offered:

Parent Information Kits that include an information sheet, consent form and privacy statement have been sent home for Year 7. To consent to the vaccination of their child, parents/guardians are advised to:

• read all the information provided;
• complete the consent form, including signing their name next to the vaccine/s they would like their child to receive;
• return the completed consent form to their child’s school;
• ensure their child eats breakfast on the day of the school vaccination clinic.

Please note that, to improve vaccination completion, students will be opportunistically offered any missed doses during Year 7 and catch-up into Year 8 (for HPV and dTpa vaccination) and during Year 10 and catch-up into Year 11 (for Meningococcal ACWY vaccination) or consent signed in 2021.

Parents/guardians who wish to withdraw their consent for any reason may do so by writing to the Principal or phoning the school. The Procedure for Withdrawal of Consent is available on the NSW Health website at www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/ Pages/withdraw_consent.aspx.

A Record of Vaccination will be provided to each student vaccinated at each clinic either as  a physical card or a text message sent to the mobile number recorded on the consent form. Details about vaccinations given at school will also be uploaded to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) to support complete vaccination histories.

Uniform Shop

The St John's College Woodlawn Uniform Shop is proudly managed by P&C Uniforms.

To ensure you have an easy and pleasant experience while ordering uniforms, we encourage you to order online ahead of time for easy click-and-collect in store.

Opening Hours: Monday 8.00am - 9.30am & Wednesday 11.00am - 2.00pm
Where: Colin Centre
Order Online: www.sjcwuniformshop.com.au 
Book a fitting: www.sjcwuniformshop.com.au/bts-appointments

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: