College Newsletter - 12 April 2024
Principal’s Report
Dear MCK Community,
I hope all College families enjoyed a wonderful celebration of our risen Lord over Easter.
As we come to the end of the first term of 2024, I congratulate the students of the College for their many wonderful achievements and their demonstration of excellence in a variety of areas including academic, sports, the arts, social justice and more. Over the course of this term alone there has been over 4200 College merits and awards given to students which speaks to their attitude and application to learning. Our students impress me every day and more than anything else, they are fine young men who do both their families and our College proud. Congratulations to students on a fantastic term and I wish them all a restful holiday period.
InnovateNOW Bootcamp – An Opportunity in Entrepreneurship
Sydney Catholic Schools are offering an exciting opportunity in the July school holidays for students in Years 8 to 12. A five-day Entrepreneurship Bootcamp created and taught by Professor Daniel McQuade from Columbia University Business Faculty. The program, called InnovateNOW aims to equip students with essential skills for launching successful businesses, guided by industry experts. For anyone interested please visit this website and there will be a Parent Information Zoom and Q&A on the 1st of May from 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm. The link to the Information Zoom will be sent via Compass early next term. A brochure is available below.
Attendance
At MCK, we promote the importance of regular attendance at school, including attending all College community days such as sports carnivals, the College Walkathon and others. The attendance rate has certainly improved since the end of the Covid 19 pandemic, and I continue the message that poor attendance has a variety of negative impacts on students, both academically and socially. As a community, we must ensure that students understand how important their learning is and how important it is to be at school every day. We can do this, as a partnership with parents and carers reinforcing the message at home and encouraging attendance every day.
To support school attendance, parents and carers should:
- Minimise any family holidays or planned absences during the school term. Any planned absence longer than 5 days requires an Extended Leave form (accessible on Compass).
- Ensure your son(s) attend all College community days and events (such as Swimming and Athletics Carnival, Champagnat Day, Walkathon, etc). These are very important days for the community and they are compulsory to attend. Any student absent on a community day requires a medical certificate.
- Ensure your son(s) attend on the last day of each term - learning occurs right until the end of each term.
Mobile Phone Use
I wish to thank families of the College for your support of our mobile phone policy. A reminder that at Marist College Kogarah, student mobile phone use is prohibited. Student mobile phones must be switched off (or on silent) and out of sight from the time students enter the College gates until the end of the school day – mobile phones are not to be seen or heard.
Please support our policy on mobile phones. Should parents or carers need to contact students during the school day, please do so by contacting College Administration on 9587 3211.
Year 12
The end of term 1 signifies the halfway point for our Year 12 HSC students. These school holidays are a very important time for Year 12 to engage in regular revision and practice past HSC examinations. During the holiday period, Year 12 students should take careful note of the feedback from their recent assessments for improvement and be disciplined with the use of their time, maintaining a consistent approach to their studies.
College Upgrades
During the holiday period there will be some significant upgrades to the College including new technology installed in many classrooms to enhance learning experiences and the exciting completion of the College new Agricultural Garden.
Mother’s Day Mass
Mother’s Day is such a special time where we give thanks for our mothers and show our appreciation. Our annual Mother's Day Mass and morning tea will be held at the College on Friday, 10 May at 9:30 am. I invite all mothers, grandmothers and significant women in the lives of the young men of the College to the Mass and morning tea. Please RSVP using this link.
Wishing all students and families a safe and restful holiday.
May God bless all staff, students and families.
Mr Simon Ghantous
College Principal
Assistant Principal’s Report
Return to School - Term 2
Students will return to the College for Term 2 on Monday, 29 April (Day 1) wearing their full winter uniform, including the College blazer. Please ensure that all blazers are labelled with the student’s name and ready for the start of the term. Students should also be reminded of the College’s regulations around hair and grooming. Guidelines for hair and grooming can be found in the College Student Diary. Students who do not adhere to these guidelines may be sent home.
Not Present/Late to School
As Term 1 concludes, a reminder to parents to add an Attendance Note in Compass for unexplained absences. This will resolve outstanding attendance issues for Term 1 and avoid unexplained absences being recorded on your son’s Semester Reports.
Tutor Program
The College Tutor program was a great success this term. The Tutor program begins again Term 2, Week 2 Monday, 6 May for all students to access on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons in the College Library from 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm.
Students in Years 7 - 10 are not required to book a tutor and should arrive at the library at 3.00 pm if they wish to seek help from a tutor. Students in Years 11 and 12 may book a tutor. The tutor roster will be shared with them Week 1 of next term. Please encourage your sons to access this support.
A reminder to all parents to make suitable arrangements for your sons to get home after the library closes at 5.00 pm. There is no supervision at the College from 5.00 pm and students are not to remain on the premises after this time.
Thank you to all families for your support of the College this term. Rest and enjoy the school holidays with family and friends.
Mrs Catherine Roebuck
Assistant Principal
Religious Education Coordinator
Easter Liturgy
On Thursday, 28 March, we gathered as a Catholic community to walk with Jesus on His journey to the Cross. Our College Student Leaders re-enacted and narrated Jesus’ journey - His journey to the cross simply dramatised what his whole life had been: an offering of praise to God and of loving service to humanity.
We engaged in prayerful responses to each of the stations and singing in reply to our cantors, Ruben Robert (Year 7) and Harry Durkan (Year 8). Many thanks to Sebastian Vanega and Domenic Dyson (Year 11) for their great musicianship. Many thanks to Mr Mitchell Ward, Mr Bill Kostovski and Mr James Flinn for their hard work and contribution to our liturgy. A very special thank you to Mrs Mihaljevic and Mrs Bulmer for participating in the liturgy as well.
I hope everyone had a very joyous Easter.
Good Friday Stations of the Cross - St Joseph’s Parish, Rockdale
On Good Friday, the College Student Leaders re-enacted the Stations of the Cross at St Joseph’s Parish Rockdale. There were several practices leading up to Good Friday ensuring the students were prepared to deliver this story - the main events in Jesus’ journey to the cross. Many thanks to Father Yacub for allowing us to play a meaningful part in the Parish events of this solemn week in the Church's Liturgical Calendar.
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
On the 20th of March, Patrick Meagher, Laurence Screnci and Adrian Prusac attended the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion training day at the Parish of St Joachim’s. At this training day they learnt the essential information to become EMHCs. With this skill they would be able to give communion at masses and further be at service in their chosen parishes.
The day consisted of an hour and a half of insight on the key skills a EMHC would need to be of service in their parish or to their school, followed by a short recess break and more information on the topic with a practical activity to get people out of their chairs. After lunch, the boys were put in separate groups with different schools and given the opportunity to practice giving the body and blood of Christ to everyone in their group, the bread was unconsecrated and the blood was replaced by ice tea.
Overall, the day was a success with the boys learning greatly about the ‘extraordinary’ sacrament.
Patrick Meagher
Year 11
Youth Ministry Opportunities
WALK WITH CHRIST - June 2 @ 1:00 pm-4:30 pm | Martin Place
On the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, we invite all Catholics to unite and honour the real presence by attending the Walk with Christ Eucharistic Procession through the Sydney CBD.
This joyful public proclamation seeks to manifest the spiritual joy at the presence of the Saviour in the Eucharist (and His role as benevolent spiritual ruler). Like, for instance, the crowds who welcomed Christ into Jerusalem singing “Hosanna to the Son of David” and the wise virgins who accompanied the bridegroom at his arrival to the feast, so does the faithful of Sydney in their devotion accompany the Eucharistic Lord through its streets.
When: June 2 with a festival beginning at 1:00 pm in Martin Place.
The procession begins at 2:30 pm sharp from the corner of Martin Place and Pitt Street.
10:10 Project | Youth Night
Many thanks again to the Marist College community for arranging such a successful Lenten Appeal. Your support is deeply appreciated and will go towards providing much needed relief to many individuals and families. I wish you all a restful break and look forward to returning for Term 2.
Ms Lauren Abihanna
Religious Education Coordinator
Leader of Teaching and Learning
Celebrating Exploration: Introducing Stage 5 Aviation and Palaeontology Electives!
At the College we are always striving to offer diverse and engaging opportunities for our students to explore their passions and interests. This year, we have introduced two unique electives for our Stage 5 students, Aviation and Palaeontology.
Both electives allow students to ignite their curiosity and passion involved in hands-on opportunities. In Aviation, students will delve into the fascinating world of flight. From the principles of aerodynamics to the mechanics of aircraft, students will gain valuable insights into the science and technology behind aviation. In Palaeontology the elective offers a unique opportunity to journey back in time and uncover the secrets of ancient life. Students will embark on an exciting exploration of Earth’s history, from the age of dinosaurs. These elective hopes to spark the imagination of students and deepen their understanding of life’s incredible journey through time.
Both Aviation and Palaeontology offer unique opportunities for hands-on learning, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary exploration into topics that inspire curiosity.
Student Voice on current learning in these electives
Palaeontology
This year has offered us a brand-new elective of Palaeontology, where we embark on a journey through time. From the very beginning of Earth as we know it, to the time dinosaurs ruled the world, this new hands-on subject has had us create large timelines from the humble beginnings of Earth in the Hadean Period, through the time of giant reptiles in the Cretaceous and Jurassic. We have begun to examine the emergence of the first mammals in the late Triassic, from giant mammoths to the early Grey Wolves. This elective will have us creating dioramas of dinosaur habitats, and piece together archaic bones of creatures long gone.
Ryan May
Year 10
This year MCK has offered a new subject called Palaeontology. The elective has given us a chance to learn about the origin of our past world, it teaches us about creatures that lived 65+ million years ago and so much more. Studying this elective will allow us to explore and consider our view of the world and the way we view the knowledge of our history and origin. It has been a great way to explore our interests and ask questions to continue to explore the secrets of ancient life.
Gabriel Trajanoski
Year 10
Aviation
This year, our Year 10 class are the first ever to experience an aviation elective in MCK history. During our invigorating classes, we have studied the types of aircraft and have had a chance to create our own hot air balloons out of household items. A number of groups were successful in getting their balloons off the ground, however some of them burned also before lifting higher. Amongst our practical experiments, we have also dived into the subject of failed aircraft such as the Concorde and Antonov An-225. Mr Drahalavis has made excellent use of group and individual work to help this elective take off.
Jack Awad
Year 10
In Aviation and flight this term, we learnt a variety of different concepts and ideas related to the history and dynamics of aircrafts. We started off learning about the general layout of a plane and the colossal Antonov An-225 before moving to our first main topic which was lighter-than-air aircraft. We specifically looked at blimps and hot air balloons. We used the information we learnt to create our own hot air balloons in small groups. Unfortunately, not too many groups were successful with their designs, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Similar to the pioneers of aviation who also didn’t get it right the first time, we can learn from our mistakes, and improve for the next time. After that, the topic shifted towards heavier-than-air aircraft and started off with failed aircraft and what we can learn from them. We also researched multiple commercial and military aircraft, and why their features make them useful for their respective fields. Overall, this term so far has been enjoyable, and well structured, despite the fact that this is a brand-new subject.
Benjamin Ryland
Year 10
This year in aviation I have enjoyed the hands-on projects with my teacher Mr Drahalivas. Crafting hot air balloons from unconventional materials like garbage bags was not only educational but also a lot of fun. Understanding how they work has been fascinating. Additionally, delving into the mechanics of planes is proving to be equally enjoyable.
Emmanuel Raptis
Year 10
Thank you to Ms Hesson and Mr Drahalivas for their passion and guidance of all students undertaking the course.
I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday break.
Mrs Gina Stavropoulos
Leader of Teaching and Learning
Sports Report
Conference 3 Finals Day for Term 1. Let’s see if any of our teams went on to win championships.
Our Senior Basketball team competed in the Marist Basketball Carnival up in the Gold Coast and three of our students progressed and competed in the NSWCCC Swimming/Diving Championships
Mr Jason Booth
Sports Coordinator
Touch Football
Senior Team
The Senior MCK Touch Football team went into the finals only losing one game throughout the season. This was a testament to their ability in what is a very strong Conference. The boys travelled to Barden Ridge to face Marist College Penshurst in the semi-final. This was a back-and-forth contest with both teams going tit for tat in the second half, scoring tries back-to-back. The evenly contested match saw the boys come away with a tight 8-6 win. Jacob Fong looked likely every time he got the ball out of dummy half and Marat led the team up field well to ensure a grand final berth for the team. This was to be played against De La Salle Revesby. This match was always going to be a challenge against the leading side throughout the season. The boys did extremely well to take an early lead and looked likely to extend it further at times in the early stages of the match. Revesby turned the game around and had us on the back foot as the match progressed. Slick hands from Michael Elazzi saw Roman Raffo score in the corner in the second half to keep us in the contest. However, a well drilled Revesby team unfortunately overcame us to win the grand final 9-7. To make it this far with little to no regular touch football players was a testament to the natural playing ability of our senior team!
Mr Jake Gallagher and Mrs Helen Tarabay
Coaches
Junior Team
The MCK Junior Touch Football team entered finals day full of confidence with the belief they could go all the way in this competition and the boys got off to a great start against St Pats Sutherland leading early 2-0. The leaders of the team including Adrian Lamproglou, Jayden Tuione and Alexander Borg were driving the team forward and constantly had St Pats on the backfoot. St Pats also did extremely well to hang on in the first half bringing the scoreline back to 2-2 and then heading into halftime the scores were locked at 3-3. In the second half Kogarah raced out to a 5-3 lead and looked to be in control heading into the final part of the game until St Pats stormed home to win 7-5. Overall, it was a successful season and it was great to see the Year 8 boys really encourage and guide the Year 7 students who entered the team. Throughout the course of the term there were also a number of injuries and every member of the squad put up their hand up and did the job when required. I could not be more proud of this team.
Mr Chris Raptis
Coach
Basketball
Senior Team
Following a huge week away and 7 games in 4 days at the Marist Basketball Carnival in Queensland the boys were understandingly exhausted.
This however would not deter our boys from giving everything in their semi-final against Aquinas Catholic College Menai.
The first half was very tight with only a few points separating the teams for the majority of the half. Unfortunately, some unforced errors in the form of turnovers cost our team in the first half bringing Aquinas back into the game and taking a 2-point lead into half time.
We came out of the blocks a little slow in the second half allowing Aquinas to pull away with the lead before Raphael and Joel brought the scoreline right back in check with some big plays in defence and some very fast breakaways.
Unfortunately, our boys left it a little too late and the Aquinas lead was just that bit too big for our boys to come back.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank and congratulate the team on a very competitive season in which we finished 2nd during the season and had the best defence in the competition. They represented the College with pride and gave it their all every minute of the season and I look forward to what we can achieve next season.
Mr George Kazanis and Mr Kristian Kounnas
Coaches
Junior Team
The final round before the finals saw us meet Aquinas Menai - the only team who was also unbeaten at this stage of the competition. The boys fought hard but it was a very difficult match up when Menai were able to bank their 3’s, and we found the paint difficult to reach with a tight zone defence who had a fair few centimetres and about 30 kgs of heft on our tallest players. We went down 20-36, fighting the whole way to get points on the board.
Semi-final match we were up against Penshurst Marist who fought us the whole way - and were worthy semi-final opponents. Ahead by one basket at the final minute and the cool head of Alex Shen and Latrell Aurelio meant we played possession basketball to close out the game, drawing several fouls in the process.
We knew we were up against the wind in the final - these Aquinas boys were a lethal combination of fast, accurate and big [read huge -these boys were man-sized behemoths!]. They brought the game to us with a relentless attack in the first half that left us down by 30 points at the half-way mark. To Kogarah’s credit and with nothing to lose - we actually drew the second half - with Latrell proving he can hit the 3 with a degree of accuracy and some excellent timing with the steals from Brandon and Archer Cameron who played his best game of the season. I was very proud of the boys for making it this far - there is no shame in going down to a team that simply doesn’t miss - their averages were unbelievable for a junior side. Our boys fought to the very end and represented themselves beautifully even when struggling.
Well done boys - Junior Runners Up for 2024!
Ms Tracey Adamson
Coach
Marist Basketball Carnival - Gold Coast
Our Senior MCK Basketball team set off to the Gold Coast on Sunday the 24th of March to compete in the Annual Marist Basketball Carnival. For some students it was the first time they’d been away without their parents, and this was evident with 3 boys nearly forgetting their bags at the airport and one student bringing along his younger brother's smaller jersey to compete in instead of his own. Despite the minor hiccups, the whole team was excited for their adventure ahead and had a great opening mass on night one followed by dinner with the other 23 Marist schools competing in the competition.
The tournament began with Marist College Kogarah facing Marist Bendigo, initially dominating but eventually losing with a score of 44-34. The second game against Mt Carmel Catholic College showcased improved teamwork and strategy, resulting in a 44-34 victory. However, fatigue affected their performance on Day 3, leading to losses against St Teresas College and Marist College Canberra. Despite the losses, the team demonstrated resilience and spirit, particularly evident in a comeback against Marist Canberra. In the Plate Division, they faced Cardijn College, succumbing to fatigue and losing 49-27. The final game against Marist Ashgrove saw a valiant effort against physically dominant opponents, ending in a 66-40 defeat. Despite varied results, the team's determination and effort were consistent throughout the tournament.
Highlights of our trip:
- Our maiden win against the winners of last year's competition.
- Mr Kazanis and Mr Kounnas coming first and second respectively in laser tag.
- Zachariah Bazzi charging through a defender to not only get the basket but also the foul.
- The boys socialised with a number of Marist Schools at the dinner.
- All you can eat Brazilian BBQ in which Tate ate more Churros than BBQ.
- James Kalli being the last man standing at the ‘all you can eat’ Brazilian BBQ.
- Lewis blocking Ashgroves number 4. The biggest Year 10 student I have ever seen.
- Mr Kounnas imparting his Acai knowledge on all the boys.
- Mr Ghantous almost being Tech fouled for taking too long during time outs.
- Coming to the sunshine state and seeing no sunshine (only rain) until the day we were leaving.
We look forward to having the privilege of competing in the Marist Basketball Carnival again next year.
Mr George Kazanis and Mr Kristian Kounnas
Coaches
NSWCCC Swimming/Diving Championships
MCK had three students represent SCS in the NSWCCC Swimming/Diving Championships on Thursday 4th April. Samuel Skrabak, Matis Soca (Swimmers) and Dominic Briscas (Diver) performed extremely well on the day achieving the following results:
Swimming
Samuel Skrabak (Yr 9)
U15 Boys 50M Freestyle - 1st (25:09)
U15 Boys 50M Butterfly - 2nd (27:44)
U15 Boys 100M Backstroke - 2nd (1:04:18)
U15 Boys 100M Freestyle - 1st (55:28)
U15 Boys 50M Backstroke - 3rd (30:26)
Matias Soca (Yr 11)
OPENS Boys 200IM - 2nd (2:21:00)
Diving
Dominic Briscas (Yr 10)
Opens Boys Platform - 3rd
U14/15 Boys Springboard - 2nd
The boys will now represent NSWCCC at the All Schools Swimming/Diving Championships in May. A phenomenal achievement boys, well done and a massive congratulations from the MCK community!!
Mr Robert Almeida
Coach
Career Corner
University of Sydney Year 12 Information Evening
Thursday, 23 May 2024 at 6.00 pm
Join Sydney University for an exclusive online information evening for Year 12 students and their parents/carers to answer all your questions about joining the vibrant Sydney University community next year.
- Discover the exciting range of degrees and programs we offer.
- Learn about our unique curriculum and scholarships.
- Connect with our Indigenous team and explore pathways, Gadigal program, and extended bachelor program.
- Understand our Regional and Remote entry schemes.
- Get expert advice on entry requirements and the application process.
This information evening is your chance to explore your options, get clear on the next steps, and ask questions to their current students and Sydney future students’ staff.
University Admission Centre Information
The Educational Access Scheme (EAS) aims to help students who have experienced significant educational disadvantage receive an offer to university.
Find answers to frequently asked questions about applying to university.
Applications close 16 Sept
The Schools Recommendation Scheme (SRS) is one way institutions make early offers of undergraduate admission to Year 12 students. They do this by using criteria other than (or in addition to) the ATAR.
Information about applying this year, including application and offer dates, is being updated progressively, so check back at this link regularly.
This year, the Schools Recommendation Scheme application is integrated into the undergraduate application; it is no longer a standalone application.
Once students have submitted their undergraduate application a link to the SRS application will appear. It will only take them a minute or so to complete.
Careers Newsletter
Mr Peter Fitzpatrick
Careers/VET Leader of Learning
Community Announcements
Southern Districts Rugby
Southern Districts Rugby Union Club is hosting a Rugby Holiday Camp this April school holidays.
Not only will your kids learn essential rugby skills, but they will also be exposed to rugby league, oz-tag, touch and other ball sports.
Click here for further information.
Bayside Council – Bicycle Care and Maintenance
