28 July 2023

Principal’s Report

Welcome back to Semester Two. I hope that all College families enjoyed the school holidays and students are well rested and ready for the new Semester. I congratulate students for the manner in which they have started the term. I would also like to thank parents and carers for your support of the College in ensuring that students have returned to school properly attired, well-groomed and ready to learn.

In my address to the students at the end of semester “Celebration of Excellence” ceremony, I spoke about achievement, curiosity and the capacity of humans to learn – quoting the English physicist, Professor Brian Cox, who said that humans explore because we are curious. I spoke about curiosity being a wonderful gift from God and driver for a love of learning.

As we begin our new semester, I hope that students remember this message and I pray that this will be a semester of joy and growth for all students where their curiosity is fuelled and they continue to develop a love for learning.

Term 3 will be an exciting and busy term with a variety of activities and events. We are very excited for our Year 9 camp in Week 5 at Milson Island Sport and Recreation Centre. This is the first time that the College has held a Year 9 camp in many years and I am sure that it will be a wonderful experience for our Year 9 students.

Term 3 is also a significant time for our Year 12 students, who commence their final term of schooling. Year 12 will sit their Trial HSC Examinations commencing next week and celebrate their Graduation in the final week of the term. 

Our thoughts and prayers are with our Year 12 students as they commence their Trial HSC Examinations next Monday. It can be a time of high anxiety; however, it is also a time where students grow and learn where they can improve leading into the HSC Examinations in October. It was fantastic to see so many students at the recent HSC school holiday seminars and I thank the generous Year 12 teachers for giving their time in the holidays to support our Year 12 students.

“Every Day Counts”- The Importance of School Attendance

Attendance rates across Australia were significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and are still well below what they were before the Pandemic began - and it is important to address this.

Attendance is an important contributor to a student’s academic achievement. Research over many years has shown the correlation between student absence and achievement at school. Whilst there is always explained absences such as illness, family matters and others, regular attendance at school is vital for success at school.

In schools, we often talk about attendance rates. 90% sounds on the surface like a decent level of attendance, however, with 200 school days each year 90% means 20 school days absent – meaning a student misses a total of four full school weeks – that means a lot of learning the student misses.

If a student is absent 8 days per term over their high school years, they miss almost a whole year of school!

Please ensure your sons are here at MCK, on time, every day. Of course, there are times of sickness and other circumstances, but family holidays during school terms should be avoided.

Students must know that school is vital to their futures and missing days can accumulate to put them behind their peers.

At MCK, we have an award system to reward students with outstanding attendance and recognise their commitment to school. With Covid-19, this system was interrupted but it is now being reintroduced to encourage students to show up, on time, every day. Students with full attendance over a term receive an award and a canteen voucher. Those with outstanding attendance over the entire year receive an award and we are initiating an attendance reward activity day. More to come on this soon.

The message is simple – “Every Day Counts”

World Youth Day

The College has one student and several teachers attending the World Youth Day pilgrimage in Portugal. We offer our prayers for our pilgrims – may it be a time where they develop in their faith and share a love of God with many other Catholics from around the globe.

Timor-Leste Experience

Over the recent school holiday period, Mr Lauria and Mr Gallagher attended an immersion experience with Marist Solidarity visiting a number of Marist and Marist affiliated communities in Timor-Leste including the building of a new school at Lautem, which the College has helped raise funds for. As part of this experience, Mr Lauria and Mr Gallagher, working with Marist Solidarity, were looking at options for a MCK student immersion to Timor-Leste, which is part of our future planning at the College.

A report on the immersion can be found later in this Newsletter.

Holiday Upgrades

Over the school holidays, there were upgrades to some of our College facilities including extending our Year 7 yard area, a new surface for our outdoor futsal court, upgrades to technology in some classrooms and more. We are currently in the planning phase for a refurbishment of our College toilets along with a new science lab and technology workshop with plans for these projects to  commence in 2024. I will keep our community updated with progress on these projects.

May God bless all staff, students and families.

Mr Simon Ghantous                                                                                   
College Principal

Assistant Principal’s Report

It was lovely to see the students return to the College after the holiday break. As always, I would encourage all students to continue engagement in class work, and do their very best in their classes.  I wish all Year 12 students well in their coming Trial HSC exams.

College Tutor Program

The College Tutor Program continues for Term 3.   A reminder to all families the tutors are available Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons from 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm in the College Library. I would ask parents/carers to ensure suitable arrangements are made for your son to get home after the library closes at 5.00 pm. 

Not Present/Late to School

Just a reminder to parents, that if your son is going to be late to school or is absent from school, you are required to add an Attendance Note in Compass to explain this absence/lateness. Last term, the College emailed those parents whose sons have had unexplained absences for the previous term. Those parents are required to add an Attendance Note in Compass providing reasons for these unexplained absences. 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.

Mobile Phone Policy

A reminder to all families regarding mobile phones. Students are permitted to bring mobile phones to the College, however, they are to remain off and out of sight from the time a student enters the College grounds until departure. The College does not accept responsibility for lost or damaged student mobile phones. The College reserves the right to prohibit students from bringing mobile phones into certain spaces or during certain activities, e.g. science labs, exam rooms, technology rooms, physical education classes etc.

Any student who uses a mobile phone will automatically receive an Assistant Principal detention.

In the event of an emergency or should parents/caregivers need to contact their son during the school day, they are asked to contact the College Office who will ensure a message is passed on to your son. If a student needs to contact their parent/caregiver during the day, he is asked to go to the College Office to make the call.

Uniform

A reminder that students should wear their full winter uniform, including the College blazer to and from school. 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.

Mrs Catherine Roebuck
Assistant Principal

Religious Education Coordinator

WYD 2023 - Update 

Last Week Adrian Prusac of Year 10 began his World Youth Pilgrimage to Portugal. We wish Adrian well and hope that he has an enriching experience. 

We at MCK are fortunate enough to have four staff members attending World Youth Day as staff pilgrims. See below their updates:

Day 1-2: Yesterday began our pilgrimage journey. We visited the sacred site of the colosseum where we remembered the sacrifices our Christian martyrs made for the church.

Today with students we visited the Vatican. We were blessed to have had mass in St Peter's Basilica where Bishop Richard Umbers presided over the mass.

Day 3: Today we visited Cascais, the home of St Rita and the Eucharistic miracle of Cascia.

We keep in our prayers all our pilgrims as they experience World Youth Day. 

Service Award - Community of St George 

On Friday, 14 July, Kyan Perez of Year 12, Ministry Prefect was awarded with a Service Award for his ongoing volunteer work for the St George Community. NSW Premier, Chris Minns, acknowledged Kyan for his willingness and dedication to his community. 

See below the citation acknowledging Kyan:

Kyan Perez is an enthusiastic young man who volunteers his time with groups of younger students, supporting them with social justice initiatives. He also assists with organising and running fundraising events at the College, for various charities, including Project Compassion, St Vincent de Paul and the College’s Annual Champagnat Day Fundraisers.

Kyan attends St Patrick’s Catholic Church where he volunteers to clean the church grounds and attends Wednesday Novena. Kyan is one of the Ministry Prefects and demonstrates his commitment to the Catholic ethos through his leadership of liturgy.

Kyan has a strong commitment to social justice and proactively volunteers his time to the community, displaying compassion and leadership in everything he does.

Congratulations to Kyan on this wonderful achievement. 

Ms Lauren Abihanna
Religious Education Coordinator

Leader of Teaching and Learning

Years 7 and Year 9 NAPLAN Results

This week parents would have received their son’s NAPLAN 2023 results. Parents will therefore be aware that this year proficiency standards have replaced the previous reporting of students' results that used numerical bands and national minimum standards. Proficiency standards describe what students are expected to know and can do in literacy and numeracy at the time of the NAPLAN examinations. Parents should be aware that these results do provide a snapshot of students' proficiency standards, however, this is only one exam on a given day and therefore should be reviewed with other assessment measures such as school reports and collaborative discussions with your son's teachers. This will help provide a more holistic assessment of your son’s learning. Please review information for parents and carers  from NSW Education Standards Authority regarding the new 4 levels of proficiency being used to report NAPLAN results from 2023. The proficiency standards provide clearer information allowing parents to interpret their son’s results more easily. These results will be reviewed by teachers at the College in coming weeks to identify areas of strength as well as any literacy or numeracy areas that may require more support.  NAPLAN results will also be able to be accessed via Compass. 

Year 12 HSC Trial Examinations

As Year 12 students approach their HSC Trial Examinations, we wish students all the best. These exams are a vital step in preparation for the HSC Examination. Students and teachers have been working tirelessly in preparation for these exams. Many students attended holiday seminars and SCS masterclasses which offered students an opportunity to engage in activities to refresh their understanding of content and develop their skills in applying their knowledge through various activities. As part of their preparation for these exams students have been engaging with their teachers in classrooms reviewing HSC style questions, sample exemplar scripts and were involved in collaborative discussions to develop their critical thinking skills.

Students are reminded during these exams our teaching staff will be available to guide and support students when needed. Students are encouraged to sustain a study routine, get enough rest, and eat well while studying and ensure they find strategies to relax.  Please do not hesitate to contact the College if you have any concerns, as this can be a stressful time for students.

The College community wishes students all the best for their HSC Trial Examinations and have every faith “The end will crown the work.”

Bell Shakespeare brings Shakespeare to life at MCK

Bell Shakespeare, an Australian theatre company specialising in performing the works of Shakespeare, recently visited the College immersing our Year 9 and 10 students in the world of Shakespeare. Year 9 have been studying the play Romeo and Juliet whilst Year 10 have been exploring the corruptive nature of the desire for power in the play Macbeth. Students last week watched a 50-minute performance of key scenes and soliloquies for each play and engaged in Q&A sessions with performers discussing key themes and language of each play. Students were highly engaged, gaining a greater appreciation of Shakespeare’s relevance today through his exploration of universal themes. The opportunity to see parts of the plays performed will allow students to deepen their understanding of these texts in preparation for their upcoming assessments later in the term.

Mrs Gina Stavropoulos
Acting Leader of Teaching and Learning

Engagement in the Middle Years

At Marist College Kogarah, we have recognised the importance of engagement for our students in the middle years during their time at high school, which is why we’re so happy with the success of our new electives. Marine Masters is continuing in its practical engagement with students building their own fishing rods.

This breakout area is a hybrid between the sit-down theory work of a regular classroom and the fast-paced physical activity of a practical workshop. As we endeavour to meet the students where they are at in terms of interests and motivations, we see your sons enjoying their education and striving to achieve their personal best. While we can’t promise they’ll bring home fish for dinner, we can promise they’ll have something interesting to talk about when you ask them the perennial question “what did you do today?”

The Pointy End of the Kayak

It’s getting to that time of the year where Major Works for Year 12 are nearing completion. There is a sense of urgency and excitement in the workshops as ideas become reality and plans come to fruition. In the TAS department we know it takes a village to raise a child and so it's all hands-on deck when it comes to the glue ups and assembly of some mammoth jobs. We do everything in our power to help our seniors achieve their personal best, whether that is extra classes before and after school, teachers spending their off periods lending their expertise as additional teachers in a senior class, or intervention sessions to give as much helpful advice and feedback as possible for folios. The stress is real, but each student knows that they’re in this together. They are always happy to down tools to help a peer wherever needed. The camaraderie and Marist spirit is on full display these days in the workshops, and it's what we as teachers love to be a part of. 

Mr Ben Stewart
TAS Teacher

Leader of Student Wellbeing

Positive Parenting: Powerful ways to raise healthy kids

As a father of 2 of my own children, both of which are incredibly different in personalities, I am often questioning my capacity as a parent. At times I feel like I am “Father of the Year” and at other times I feel that my “licence” to be a parent should be removed! What I do understand is that we can be our harshest critics and what works one day won’t the next, what works with one child will not with another.

In my pursuit of being the best parent that I can be, I found an article on the notion of “Positive Parenting” written by Marilyn Price-Mitchell that I have found extremely valuable in the way that I parent and how I teach.  I have shared this article and the School TV edition on the topic can also be found here.

Positive Parenting 

The term positive parenting is becoming more widespread as the practice of parenting becomes influenced by research in the new scientific field of positive psychology.

Everyone wants to be a positive parent. But what does that mean? Simply put, positive parenting behaviours are those that nurture the development of children’s core abilities.

Rather than focusing on kids’ weaknesses and deficits, positive parenting involves emphasis and loving attention on building a child’s strengths and resilience.

Positive Parenting in Action

Two of the many ways you can apply the research on positive parenting with your children are by being a positive role model and by helping them believe in themselves.

Let’s take a deeper dive into both.

 5 Ways to Be a Positive Role Model

Parents influence their children in profound ways by how they live their lives and do the “right” things, even when no one else is looking. Kids learn how to solve problems and critically think about the world around them, in part, by observing their parents. Some of the key ways parents can model positive parenting behaviours are:

1. Manage your anger. Anger is one of the greatest blocks to forming meaningful human relationships. When adults act impulsively, yell at one another, or seek revenge, children follow suit. This kind of behaviour can lead to bullying, acting out in school, and not developing the skill of self-regulation – the ability to stop or delay an action rather than behaving impulsively.
   
2. Stop the blame game and help kids do the same! When you are about to blame someone else for a problem, stop! Think about your own role in the problem, show empathy for others, and focus on the solution rather than culpability.
   
3. Take politics out of parenting. Many of our political conversations have become divisive and unproductive. When adults make derogatory comments about others based on race, religion, ethnicity, sexual preference, gender, or political views, children think it is okay to do the same.
   
4. Admit your mistakes. Children are growing up in a world with unrealistic demands for perfection. When adults admit and learn from mistakes, open themselves to feedback, and take responsibility for their actions and decisions, children learn to do the same.
   
5. Work hard to accomplish your goals. When adults set goals and persevere to achieve them despite obstacles, they model invaluable skills to their children. As appropriate for your child’s age, don’t be afraid to show kids how you are working to overcome challenges in your own life. Be positive and hopeful.

5 Ways to Help Kids Believe in Themselves

All children have an internal compass that, when nurtured through positive parenting, enable children to believe in themselves and become successful in school and in life. Even small, everyday interactions between parents and their children have the potential to make this happen. Parents help kids believe in themselves when they:

1. Help kids focus on solutions rather than rescuing them from problems. Solving problems for children makes them dependent, not self-confident. Listen, encourage, and support them as they consider their own solutions.
2. Praise children for their efforts instead of their intelligence. Notice the small things they do, like showing courage, honesty, or caring for others, and then let them know how you appreciate those qualities about them.
3. Help kids learn from mistakes. Research shows that learning is enhanced when children make errors. Acknowledge that you don’t expect your children to be perfect and let them know your love is unconditional, regardless of their mistakes. Help them see their mistakes as learning opportunities rather than defeats.
4. When children blame others, whine, or complain, turn it into an opportunity to find out what they care about! Uncover hidden convictions that can foster your child’s initiative and action in the world.
5. Encourage children to get back on their feet after setbacks – because you believe in them. Be a helpful guide as your children identify their challenges, reflect on their choices, arrive at decisions, adjust their strategies, and plan next steps. When you do this, you’ll be fostering your child’s resiliency.

Positive parenting is a powerful tool for growing healthy kids! When you turn these approaches to positive parenting into action, you will be confidently shaping your children’s lives today and for many years to come. Many parent educators now focus on helping parents develop the tools and techniques of positive parenting and positive discipline.

Positive Parenting- Written by Marilyn Price-Mitchell, PhD

Mr Shane Duff
Leader of Student Wellbeing

A Visit to Timor-Leste

At the end of Term 3, Mr Frank Lauria and I had the privilege to spend a week travelling through Timor-Leste with Marist teachers from across Australia. It was a surreal experience gaining an insight into the culture of Timorese people whilst learning about the tumultuous past of the country.

For those unaware, Timor-Leste has been the centre of much of the College's fundraising efforts in recent years as the country attempts to rebuild from atrocities during Indonesian occupation. We also engaged with local communities, attended Sunday Mass and visited the sites of various schools which have been or are being rebuilt with our fundraising efforts. This includes the very first Marist College Timor-Leste which looks like it will be very impressive upon completion!

Overall, it was an extremely rewarding experience and hopefully is the beginning of a deeper connection with MCK and Timor-Leste. 

Mr Jake Gallagher

Sport Report

Term 3 Sydney Catholic Schools Representative Competitions are only a couple of weeks away from commencing. Students have been currently trialling for Rugby 7’s, AFL and Tennis. Most recently our Opens Rugby League side took part in the SCS Championships Semi-Final against Holy Cross Ryde and a selection of students from Years 7-9 competed in the AFL Sydney Junior Boys Cup. 

Rugby League Opens Team

After a successful season and finishing first in Conference 3, the MCK Opens Rugby League Team had won their Quarter Final against Marist Catholic College North Shore at the end of Term 2. As Term 3 began and fresh off a mid-term break, MCK moved on to their semi-final of the Sydney Catholic Schools Championship against old rival Holy Cross, Ryde. A team we have not had much success with in the past our Team had to step up and fight strong with some key personnel missing. With the game underway, MCK took the lead 4 nil with some brilliant defence holding off Ryde 3 times. Unfortunately, Ryde snuck in a try with 2 minutes to go in the first half, followed by a penalty goal at halftime. Half-time MCK 4 - Ryde 6.

As the second half began, our boys were battling injuries. It was evident how tough rugby league as a sport is. Ryde took the lead to 18-4 with 5 minutes to go. A quick play from Bronsen Reuben and Jake Mrencevski of Year 12 put Jacob Fong over with a 60-metre dash right under the posts. With a score tied down to 18-10, MCK took two line breaks but unfortunately couldn't hold on to the ball. With fatigue setting in, Ryde ran away with the game, 28-10. Overall a proud effort by our students. Some of them have played their last game in Opens Rugby League over 3 seasons. We thank those boys for their efforts in representing the College and to the boys who will come back stronger in 2024. 

Mr Marc Vassallo, Mr Angelo Scali and Mr Stephen McGufficke
Coaches

AFL Sydney Junior Boys Cup

Twenty-two Years 7-9 students travelled out to ELS Hall Park, North Ryde on Wednesday the 26th of July to compete in the AFL Sydney Junior Boys Cup. Having drawn the first time slot of the day, the boys had an extremely quick warm-up and struggled to find rhythm against Waverley College who outclassed the young MCK side. The second match-up of the day saw MCK face new rivals De La Salle Caringbah in what ended up being a close encounter for the majority of the match. Justin Liu and George Saidi were dominant on the wing and forward line with MCK looking most threatening in attack when these students had their hands on the footy. Unfortunately, the day wasn’t as successful as we would have liked it to be but encouraging signs for both our Intermediate and Junior teams before the Conference 3 AFL season begins in Week 4 this term.

Mr Jason Booth and Mr James Stirton
Coaches

Personal Achievement

Samuel Skrabak (Year 8) was swimming in Slovakia for a period of 3 weeks in June late last term in the Open’s Men's Slovakian Nationals. It was an amazing experience and opportunity for Samuel to be mentored and coached by 5 Olympians throughout this journey. Samuel achieved the following results:

• 3rd in the 4x100m Freestyle Relay
• 1st in the 400m Freestyle, 200m Backstroke, 4x100m Individual Medley Mixed Relay and 4x100m Freestyle mixed relay
• 2nd in the 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle and 100m Backstroke
• 3rd in the 100m Butterfly and the 4x100m Freestyle Relay

As a community we look forward to hearing a more in-depth description of how amazing Samuel’s experience was once he’s returned.

Mr Jason Booth
Sports Coordinator

Career Corner

Blue Team School Holiday Challenge - Hackathon

During the last school holidays, a group of Year 11 students from MCK studying Information and Digital Technology (IDT) and Information Processes and Technologies (IPT) and Schools I.T Officers from various regions, came together to Sydney Catholic School head office at World Square to participate in a ‘Blue Team’ challenge.

The two days consisted of Malware analysis, where students were analysing the unique features, objectives, sources, and potential effects of harmful software and code, such as spyware, viruses, malvertising, and ransomware. They analysed Malware code to understand how it varies from other code.

The group also competed in ‘Capture the Flag’ (CTF) competitions.

The CTF competitions, in the cybersecurity sense, consist of a set of

• Computer security puzzles, or challenges, involving
• Reverse-engineering, memory corruption, cryptography, web technologies, and more.

A huge thank you to Brandon Scott (SCS Cyber Security Supervisor at Sydney Catholic Schools).

Students pictured that attended the event were Nicholas Alexis, George Lahoud, Thomas Rudder and Nicholas Stanghieri.

Careers Website

Marist College Kogarah has its own Careers Website.

This site lists all information to help students receive an informed guide towards their future career pathways.

The secure student portal helps students to find clear Career and Job Information, Job Videos, Career Targets, Job Vacancies, Scholarships, Study Skills, Create a Resume and much more.

There is even a section for parents.

Careers Newsletter

Mr Peter Fitzpatrick
Careers/VET Leader of Learning

Community Announcements

Lowes 20% Off Sale

1983 Marist College School Reunion