Marist College Kogarah eNewsletter

Principal’s Report

Welcome to the final edition of our College Newsletter for Term 3. It has been a wonderful term with many highlights and fantastic achievements of students. There have been incredible accomplishments in their learning, wonderful works of art, fantastic musical performances, great feats of sporting success and much more. It has been a term which has showcased the amazing students at MCK and their incredible talents.

Year 12 Graduation

On Monday of this week, we farewelled our Year 12 students - the 114^th graduating class of Marist College Kogarah. It was a wonderful day of celebration, commencing with a Year 12 breakfast and a final assembly where the students and staff of the College said their goodbyes. Families of Year 12 returned in the afternoon for a beautiful graduation mass, followed by a formal graduation dinner at Le Montage in Lilyfield. As always, the graduation events were filled with emotion - pride, joy, nostalgia and a little sadness in saying farewell. We are all very proud of our most recent graduates and offer our prayers as they prepare for their Higher School Certificate examinations.

Excerpts from the outgoing College Captain, Calen Hearne’s speech give part of his wonderful message to the students of the College:

“I stand before you today with an immense sense of pride, for it is through our 6-year journey at this College that has shaped us into true Marist Men.

To all students, my hope is that you all stay true to the Marist Pillars, continue to work hard in the classroom and on the sporting field and most importantly, continue the legacy of those before you to pave the way for those ahead of you.

Before you know it, you too will be finishing your time at MCK, reminiscing on where the time has gone…. so, cherish every moment.

As we walk out of these gates for the very last time today, let us be stewards of the values we've learned, for these are the very values that define a true Marist Man.

We will always share a bond that is held together by the great Red and White and by the memories that we will take with us forever. “

Finis Coronat Opus. The End Crowns the Work.

2024 Student Leaders

After an extensive process, our 2024 Student Leaders have been selected. This group of fine young men will certainly do our College proud following the great tradition of student leadership at Marist College Kogarah. Early next term, their roles will be announced, including the new College Captain and Vice-Captain and they will be inducted in a formal ceremony.

Congratulations to our 2024 College Student Leadership Team, who are:

Nicholas Bongailas
Raphael Dokos
Elias Kazzi
William Kritikos
George Lahoud
Eamon Laing
Peter Loizou
Daniel McEgan
Nicholas Michailou
Alexander Noun
Thomas Rudder
Nicholas Stanghieri
Marcus Triantafyllou
Dimitrios Yalizis

Clancy Prize

The annual Clancy Religious Art Prize and Exhibition is open to all Sydney Catholic Schools’ secondary students. It is a celebration of students’ creativity and spirituality, expressed through visual arts, inspired by Cardinal Edward Clancy. This year, our Year 10 Visual Arts students entered with a beautiful piece entitled “Divine Illumination”. Congratulations to our Year 10 artists who won a major award, the Monsignor Doherty prize. The students were Bailey Siveyer, Dylan Veljanovski, Daniel Mansour, Adam Paraginog and Ayman Abdallah.

Thank you and congratulations to Miss Kirk for her support and guidance of students with their work.

Wishing all students and families a safe and restful holiday.

God Bless.

Mr Simon Ghantous
College Principal

Assistant Principal’s Report

Year 8 Italian Class

I had the privilege of visiting Year 8.1 Italian class this week, who were performing their assessment task. This task involved a scene in an Italian restaurant. They created an Italian dialogue as well as designing an original background slide, to set the scene. I learnt an important Italian fact, it is an “offence” to put pineapple on a pizza.

A student reflection on this activity.

We had an absolute blast during the restaurant unit in our Italian class! It was an exciting journey exploring the Italian world of ordering food, and let us tell you, it was so much more than just a delicious experience. We found ourselves immersed in a learning adventure, discovering new Italian words and skills. From deciphering diverse menus to perfecting the art of confidently placing orders in Italian, this unit taught us valuable lessons including effective communication and being polite in the restaurant. This experience not only expanded our vocabulary but also equipped us with practical life skills we can use forever and potentially one day in the centre of Rome. We're excited to carry these newfound talents with us into the future!

Alexander Aghabi & Thomas Zigas

Not Present/Late to School

Last week, Not Present/Late to School letters were sent home to families. Please ensure you have added an Attendance Note in Compass to explain this absence/lateness. Failure to do so will result in his attendance record reflecting unexplained absences. All unexplained absences will be recorded on your son’s Semester Reports.

Attendance at College Events

Students are required to attend all College events including but not limited to, excursions, swimming carnival, athletics carnival, reflection days, retreats, camps and community days. If your son is absent on any of these days, he will require a Doctor’s Certificate to explain his absence.

Students Not Returning in 2024

It would be appreciated if parents of students in Years 7 to 11 would inform the College if their son/s will not be returning in 2024. The College has an extensive waiting list of applicants whose parents are eager for their son to obtain a position.

Return to Term 4

A reminder that students will return to the College for Term 4 on Monday, 9 October in their full summer uniform. Sports Uniform is to be worn on Thursdays only. Students who wear their sports uniform any other day, will receive a uniform detention.

Students should also be reminded of the College’s regulations around hair and grooming. The College Policy on hairstyles is very clear. Any use of a blade number lower than “2” is unacceptable. All haircuts must be blended and uniform in appearance, therefore any excess style trend will not be tolerated including skin fades. Students who present with haircuts that do not comply with the College Policy will be sent home until it is rectified.

Thank you to all families, staff and students for your support this term. Wishing you and your families a safe and happy School Holiday break.

Mrs Catherine Roebuck
Assistant Principal

Religious Education Coordinator

World Youth Day 2023 - Adrian Prusac

At the beginning of this term, Adrian Prusac of Year 10 was fortunate enough to attend World Youth Day in Lisbon Portugal with an estimated 1.5 million young Catholics. Adrian has shared his experience below:

At the beginning of Term 3, I was fortunate enough to attend WYD in 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal. I visited many places, including the Holy Land where my journey began, and every new place became a highlight and something I am so fortunate to have experienced. My favourite part from my whole pilgrimage would most definitely have been visiting the Holy Sepulchre. The feeling I got when I first stepped inside the tiny tomb where Jesus was laid to rest and where his body resurrected was unimaginable. Being able to kiss the stone where the body of Christ once was, was truly amazing.

Another highlight from my trip would simply be walking the streets of Portugal and seeing all different people from different countries waving their flags and singing songs in all different languages. The atmosphere just by walking along the streets was so joyous and was such an amazing experience.

The moment where I most felt the Holy Spirit would be after watching the performance of the Stations of the Cross and after a prayer from the Pope. As the World Youth Day theme song played, I just stood there with my hands together while watching all the different flags waving in the air amongst the large crowd as the Pope left the stage. It was truly one of the best feelings I've ever experienced in my whole life.

World Youth Day will forever be a memory I will never forget, and not once have I regretted going and I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

Adrian Prusac, Year 10

Year 10 Reflection Day

On Friday, 8 September, Year 10 students and staff participated in the Year 10 Reflection Day at Stanwell Tops Conference Centre. The students participated in some team building activities in the great outdoors and then took some time to service the wider community through an indoor session facilitated by Vinnies NSW and Caritas Australia. Students learnt about the needs within our community specifically that of homelessness and came together to make sandwiches, snack packs and hygiene bags that went out for distribution that night.

Many thanks to Mr McGufficke, the Year 10 Coordinator and the Year 10 RE teachers that accompanied us on the day. A great day was had by all!

Year 12 Final Wednesday Morning Mass

On Wednesday, 13 September, the Graduating Class of 2023 celebrated mass together in the College Chapel with Fr Yacub, for the last time. It was a wonderful way to start the day. Many thanks to Fr Yacub for his attentiveness to the needs of the College community. Hopefully there will be other occasions when these young men will celebrate the Eucharist again in the College Chapel.

HSC Primary School Prayer Packs

On Thursday, 14 September, we welcomed the staff and students from Mater Dei Primary School Blakehurst, St Gabriel’s Primary School Bexley, St Mary Star of the Sea Primary School Hurstville, St Patrick’s Primary School Kogarah, St Joseph’s Primary School Rockdale, Regina Coeli Primary School, Beverley Hills and St Finbar’s Primary School Sans Souci to the College. Over the last few school terms, the staff and students in our Parish Primary Schools have been working on a Prayer initiative in support of their fellow students in Year 12 preparing for the Higher School Certificate. This initiative not only offers prayerful intentions for our Year 12 students, it also strengthens our relationship with our Feeder primary schools. We thank them for their ongoing support.

Year 12 Graduation Assembly

On Monday, 18 September the College Community farewelled the graduating class of 2023. The morning saw many wonderful speeches by Calen Hearne, College Captain and Darcy Duncan College Vice-Captain. A musical interlude from the Year 12 music class and many moments that allowed the cohort to reflect on their time at the College.

Year 12 you are in our prayers and thoughts, especially through your upcoming Higher School Certificate exams and wish you well in your future endeavours as you move beyond our College community at Kogarah.

We thank you, Year 12. Embrace the journey ahead and in the words of our founder Saint Marcellin Champagnat “I leave you in the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.”

On Monday, 18 September the parents and friends of the graduating Class of 2023 gathered in the Marist Centre in the Celebration of the Eucharist to farewell the Graduating Class of 2023. It marked the end of thirteen years of education and the promise of many wonderful opportunities ahead.

Leader of Teaching and Learning

“Commit yourself to lifelong learning. The most valuable asset you will ever have is your mind and what you put into it.” Albert Einstein

Congratulations to all Year 12 for reaching the milestone of their final year of schooling. It was a wonderful time this week to celebrate the achievements and growth of all students. Year 12 students have shown resilience, determination and dedication to their studies and academic pursuits. Their commitment to learning and desire to achieve their personal best is to be commended. Our hope is they continue to understand and embrace their potential for success, grounded in self-belief of their capacity. Preparing for the final HSC Examinations can be both exciting and challenging. It is important for students to sustain a positive mindset and stay motivated. As students’ study and complete past HSC examinations they are encouraged to embrace challenges as opportunities for growth and learning. Students are reminded staff at the College are available onsite next term and via email to support students in any way in preparing for their final exams.

The school community wishes all students success in their HSC Examinations and journey as lifelong learners in all post school endeavors.

Year 12 Holiday Seminars

To support all Year 12 students, teachers at the College have generously given their time during the September holidays to conduct final Year 12 Holiday Seminars. These seminars will assist students in preparing for the HSC Examinations. This can be a stressful time for students feeling the enormous pressure of the HSC exams. Students can seek support from staff during this time as they prepare over the holiday break. Please find attached the schedule .

Year 12 Sydney Catholic School Masterclasses

Sydney Catholic Schools is also providing revision workshops/online lessons for a range of subjects delivered by the HSC Specialists in the Term 3 holidays. These sessions will be delivered over Zoom, recorded and placed on the CANVAS Student Masterclass page.

This is an opportunity for students to engage in activities that will refresh their understanding of content and develop their skills in applying their knowledge through scaffolded activities.

Masterclasses will be offered for Chemistry, Economics, English, Mathematics, and Physics. Please find a schedule of offerings. Please ensure if you wish to attend any of these online workshops you need to register. Registration link and zoom links can be found with the schedule.

Please also find the relevant information here for the schedule of offerings for CAPA SCS Masterclasses.

Finis Coronat Opus – The End Crowns the Work

Mrs Gina Stavropoulos
Acting Leader of Teaching and Learning

Write a Book in a Day

To Write a Book in a Day is a massive task, but a valiant group of Year 7 and 8 boys were up for the challenge in support of young people suffering from Cancer. Ms Plummer and Ms Adamson guided the boys in running to a strict timeline, ensuring the word limit is reached, and parameters time frames are included.

From 8am to 6pm, the boys worked tirelessly to bring a book to life. Working in small groups, the following boys had to write a book of 3-5 thousand words, with illustrations, according to a list of parameters that included the setting, main characters and a non-human character and an issue as well as a list of random words that have to be included. The story had to have a cover page and appropriate images as well. If you would like to read their product, it is called 'Hidden in Plain Sight'.

The students involved included:

Alex Kemp
Dominic Galvan
Jayden Matvejev
Ayden Hooper
Warren Yong
Christian Bolanca
Michael Elhage
Stephen Pogorilic
James Martelletti
William Sozomenou

The boys also have a sponsorship page where they need to raise at least $240 for their book to be in the running for a state or national award. Any donations will not only help them but help kids with cancer. Write a Book in a Day has contributed more than 1 million dollars to childhood cancer research since 2009.

Well done boys - we are very proud of your efforts!

Ms Adamson and Ms Plummer

Marine Masters

The worst day fishing is better than the best day working.

The Marine Masters class capped off the term with a fantastic day out in, on and around the waters of the Pork Hacking river. They met early at school to collect all the rods and gear, then we hopped on the bus to travel down to Cronulla wharf. There we enjoyed the ferry ride over to Bundeena where we could finally get our lines wet! The tide was high, the swell gave us the occasional spray and the sun was hot. Thankfully there was a constant welcome breeze to keep us from sweltering. I filled the berley bucket and dropped it down in the hopes of attracting more fish to the wharf. The boys collected their bait and learnt how to effectively bait up prawns, worms and pilchards. It was a beautiful morning, marred only by the conspicuous absence of any bites.

We had a few hook ups, but our light tackle failed to pull up the sandstone blocks and timber pylons they’d snagged. This was a great opportunity for the students to put into practice their knot tying skills they had been working on this term.

Bundeena was a beautiful place to visit but was apparently bereft of any fish. So, we sat down in the shade and came up with a plan for the rest of the day.
We caught the ferry back to Cronulla early, with the hopes to fish off Gunnamatta Bay Baths.

Unfortunately, the weather got the better of us. The high temperatures had driven the shire folk out of work and school and down to the baths; there was hardly space to stand let alone cast!

We consoled ourselves with the sand flats next to the baths and practised our yabby pumping skills, wet our feet, and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon until it was time to come back to school.

For all the fact that we didn’t catch any fish, all the students (and teachers) had a fantastic day. With my time freed up from tying lines, I got to speak with three or four members of the public who were really positive about seeing the boys out as a school group learning about and learning to fish. I was given lots of local knowledge about the areas, and the behaviour of the students was commended.

Having the opportunity to teach this elective to students who chose this subject, it really makes a difference to not just their engagement, but their determination to learn and master their skills both off and on the water.

I also found that students were much more appreciative of the opportunity.

As much as we all wished we’d had better luck catching some fish, no one went home disappointed at the end of the day.

A special thank you to Mr Kounnas and Mrs Hart for all their work preparing bait boxes, packing first aid kits and sunscreen, and giving up their time to come along and supervise.

Mr Ben Stewart
Assistant Leader of Learning TAS

Year 9 Science Excursion to Mt Keira

During week 10, as part of their learning on Ecosystems, Year 9 visited Mount Keira for fieldwork study. Students completed practical fieldwork, learning new data collection techniques to collect data and information on abiotic and biotic factors within an Australian rainforest. Students will use the data they collected as part of their in-class learning as they complete the ecosystems topic next term.

While enjoying a beautiful day in spectacular surroundings, students also participated in live catch and release, having close encounters with creatures big and small, from squirt worms and scorpions to frogs and bush turkeys. A fantastic day and a valuable learning experience in a natural environment was had by all who attended.

Mrs Amiee Hesson
Assistant Leader of Learning Science

Leader of Student Wellbeing

R U OK? Day

R U OK? Day was promoted throughout the course of Week 10. The key messages delivered to the boys was connection and being “here to hear”. Connection to school is considered a strong protective factor in the prevention and management of mental health conditions. This is developed through simply being present every day at school and by being involved in the opportunities that school presents. The message of being “here to hear” asks people to be truly present when asking somebody if they are okay.

Throughout the week, the House Cup Volleyball event really generated some spirit and connection amongst the boys. The Year 7/8 competition and Year 9/10 Competition were both won by Lindwall House with the staff team victorious over the student team!

Headspace Hurstville visited and the trivia wheel proved popular with students that successfully answered questions receiving a raffle ticket for a $50 Rebel gift voucher and also some Headspace merchandise.

A special thanks to Amy Drury our College Counsellor for her drive and enthusiasm to bring to life the key messages of R U OK?

Year 10 My Strengths

Year 10 students have participated in a wellbeing program titled "My Strengths", over Thursday and Friday of Week 10. At 15-17 years old, adolescents are in a critical phase of identity formation. As teens wrestle with the big question ‘who am I?!’ they too often focus on their limitations, struggles, and weaknesses. The goals of the program are summarised below:

Students will:

Discover their top 5 strengths.
Understand how these inform identity, esteem, and future choices.
Grow in acceptance of peers.
Take home “keeper” strength cards and parent pack.

How it worked:

Students attended a 1-hour whole group presentation.
Students took a My Strengths Assessment.
Students attended a small group 1 hour workshop with My Strengths facilitators that included a 1:1 coaching session, with interactive small group discussion.

Overall, it was a fantastic experience for the boys and the My Strengths team were glowing in their praise of how our boys participated in the program.

Mr Shane Duff

Leader of Student Wellbeing

Sport Report

All of the Term 3 representative sports came to a conclusion in the previous two weeks. Luckily enough we had a number of our sides make the SCS Conference 3 grand finals in their respective sports. Along with this we had our All-Abilities European Handball side play their grand final and our Intermediate Hockey side competed in a Gala Day out at Moorebank Liverpool District Hockey Fields. Let’s see how successful the MCK boys were on their big days….

Senior AFL

The MCK Senior AFL side found themselves in the Conference 3 Grand Final in Week 8 of the term. Lucas Nimmo, Alex Zafiris and Oliver Giuffre lead and inspired a mixed team made up of Rugby League and Football players to learn the game of Aussie Rules and claim a victory against Marist Penshurst.

In a game that ended up being the Year 12s last for the school, Kyle Treweek and James Michaels led from the front by executing strong tackles at crucial moments within the game which inspired their fellow teammates. The continuous pressure in defence resulted in great field position and allowed the likes of Sam Duncombe and Noah Blundell to do the damage on the scoreboard. Jack Slabbert was also extremely dominant in the back line ensuring the footy found the hands of our talls when needed as he did all season. Well done to this side who finished 37-26 winners and were crowned Conference 3 Champs!!

Mr Frank Lauria
Coach

Senior Rugby 7’s

The Senior Rugby 7's side looked to continue their red-hot form and finish as Conference champions with a challenging final against St John Bosco College Engadine. Despite a slow start the boys managed to get back to their smooth flowing attack that they had shown throughout the season. Roman Raffo showed scintillating pace yet again to score untouched out wide and a double from William Pappas ensured that a late comeback from the opposition was not enough. A special mention to Marat Nahas, whose sheer determination in cover defence stopped a bonus point try in the final seconds of the game by forcing Bosco to score outside of the bonus point zone. This consolidated the 19-17 victory and saw the Senior team finish undefeated Rugby 7's champions for the term. A great achievement for a young side with many still to play in the senior team next year. Congratulations to all players in the squad who were a pleasure to work with on and off the field!

Mr Jake Gallagher
Coach

Junior, Intermediate and Senior Tennis

On Thursday 7th September the SCS Conference 3 Tennis grand finals were held at Rockdale Tennis Centre.

When the most consistent teams of the season make the grand final, you are always guaranteed an exciting match up and this year was no exception.

Kogarah’s Senior squad led by Yuri D’Annunzio dominated all of the matches of the day to win comfortably and be crowned the Conference 3 Senior Tennis champions for the second year running.

The Intermediate team led by Daniel Carino won in a close battle with St Patrick’s Sutherland. Despite losing the match in the first seeded position the team were better in every facet of the game and were deserved winners.

The Juniors are definitely on the right track to continue Kogarah’s tennis success into the future. Led by Declan Utomo, the level of tennis they play at such an early point in their lives is remarkable.

All involved need to be congratulated on their skill, dedication and respect for their opponent.

The team spirit and sportsmanship on display all season is to be admired.

The day was definitely the pinnacle of the SCS Conference, proving tennis deserves its place alongside the other long standing traditional sports.

Thank you to our college principal Mr Simon Ghantous for generously giving up his time to attend matches and support the players.

Congratulations and thank you from your coaches,

Mr Frank Azar and Mr Chris Raptis
Coaches

All Abilities European Handball

The MCK European Handball side unfortunately lost their grand final in Week 8 of the term going down 19-16 to Marist Penshurst. The boys found themselves down 4-0 early on but rallied back with Matthew Pencarinha scoring half a dozen goals himself along with Jerome Elhage and Gabriel Giaouris also chipping in!! Fantastic season from the boys who look to bounce back next term in the All-Abilities Tee Ball competition.

Mr James Drahalivas and Mrs Aspasia Trajcevski
Coaches

Hockey Gala Day

On Monday the 11th of September, a mix of Year 9 and 10 students ventured out to Moorebank Liverpool District Hockey Fields to compete in the Conference 3 Intermediate Gala Day. Played in great spirit and carried enthusiasm from achieving second place in last year's event, the boys from MCK represented the College with tenacity and walked away as Conference 3 Champions.

Only a couple of the boys play Hockey outside of school, but the remainder of the team brought skills from football, tennis and cricket to entertain the fans and showed off our team unity and ability to adapt to a new sport.

Elio Fornasier opened the scoring in the Final, followed by Ryan Morton and Marcus Lenehan following suit. The lead then became 4-0 when Eoin McNally found the back of the net and at that point an MCK victory was never in doubt. Well done to all students involved on the day!

Mr Frank Lauria and Mr Mark Hildebrandt
Coaches

Personal Achievement

Congratulations to Samuel Skrabak (Year 8) who recently competed at the NSW Junior State Age SC Championships at Sydney Olympic Park.

Samuel competed in 7 races and received a bronze medal in the 50m and 100m backstroke, 50m butterfly and 2 aged relays (freestyle and medley). He received 4^th place in the 50m and 100m freestyle.

What an amazing achievement!

Mr Jason Booth
Sports Coordinator

PDHPE Practicals

Dear Parents and Carers

Just a reminder that all students who partake in PDHPE practical courses ensure they wear the correct school sports uniform. This includes:

College House Shirt
College Sports Shorts
White Runners

With an expected summer approaching we encourage all students to wear the College Cap.

If any of the above items of clothing are unable to be worn, please ensure students bring a note explaining the occurrence and their Red and White School Sports Shirt and/or Navy Shorts. We highly encourage the College School Uniform, including leather shoes not to be worn for safety reasons.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Mr Marc Vassallo
Leader of Learning PDHPE

Career Corner

Youth Partnership VET Excellence Award

Congratulations to Tomas Scotti who was awarded the Youth Partnership VET Excellence Award at NSW Government House.

This award was given to those students that excelled in their Vocational Education and Training studies at Marist College Kogarah. Tomas is an exceptional VET student who studied VET Hospitality Food and Beverage at school.

We congratulate Tomas on his award and wish him well for the future.

Careers Newsletter

Click here to download the recent Careers Newsletter

Mr Peter Fitzpatrick
Careers/VET Leader of Learning

22 September 2023