Week 8 Term 2 2024

Message from the Principal

Each day we are called to proclaim the good news of the Gospel. In essence we are reflecting on the New Testament teachings of salvation, reconciliation and hope. We stated in our Annual School Improvement Plan that we believe that living our lives authentically means that we are living the gospel values of humility, compassion, kindness, justice, forgiveness and courage. Everyday there is evidence of these values in action. This week I would like to showcase one of our students who is a true example of someone living this way.

Matilda Price, one of our Year 11 students, recently received the Premier's ANZAC Memorial Scholarship to be part of an NSW delegation of students travelling to Japan. This scholarship will give her a unique opportunity to travel on a study tour of Japan that will further develop her understanding of the history of Australia’s involvement in the Second World War and the commemoration of the events of the conflict. The study tour will take place from 30 September until 10 October 2024 and will include visits to significant historical sites such as war cemeteries, memorials, and cultural institutions. I spoke with Matilda this morning to gauge her reaction to this honour. Matilda was initially nominated for this scholarship earlier in the year.

 ‘I wrote a 1000-word essay about Australia's involvement in global conflicts and peacekeeping missions. I was able to draw on my passion for modern history and my interest in justice and the human condition. After seeing the devastation of post-war Cambodia last year and recognising the continuing problems, following the intense period of the Khmer Rouge and the genocide of half of their population, I now have a much more emotional connection to history, the search for historical truth and understanding of the aftermath of war and tragedies like that.’ 

Both Matilda’s family and I were interviewed for an hour about her suitability for the scholarship and her resilience for such an intense experience. Her success affirms her commitment and her response to this honour has been humbling. 

Matilda continued ‘At the moment I am preparing for a pre-tour meeting in Sydney to meet the other state representatives. We are going to receive an Australian who experienced the conflict,  to do research on and when we arrive at the place of burial we are to make a speech about them and their connection to the war in the Pacific, explicitly Japan. I am frantically learning Japanese - my favourite phrase is rice please.’

‘I am extremely excited to explore something I am so passionate about in a practical and intense way. The itinerary looks fully packed with 3 events per day… sites, museums, and tourist places. Different teachers and an historian who specialises in Japanese modern history will join us.

My nerves are more about excitement and even though I am unsure of the unknown I am ready for the experience.’

We look forward to hearing more about the experience in the coming term.

Our staffing process for 2025 has begun with teachers looking to the future. I would like to share the following communication regarding one of our PDHPE teachers.

We wish to inform you that Mr Scott Whitby has decided to resign from his teaching position at St John's College, Woodlawn. We extend our gratitude to Scott for his service and contributions to the College during his tenure, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours.

Mr Matt Bailey will be Acting Principal for the next 2 weeks as I am taking some leave. Please follow the normal communication channels and contact him if there is something on your mind. I thank him and our Leadership Team in advance for supporting my leave. 

Looking forward to Term 3, which begins with our Review week.

Take Care,
Annette Reen
Principal 2024

Message from the Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching

As we approach the conclusion of our first academic semester, it's essential to reflect on the successes we've achieved both in and out of the classroom this year. Equally important is processing failures, setting goals, and planning for improvement in Semester 2. Even the best students will have experienced some setbacks this semester, and it is our role, as adults in their lives, to help them navigate these challenges. 

Currently, Junior Examinations are being marked, and soon, all students in Years 7 to 10 will receive their summative grades in this year's first formal academic report. These marks should not come as a surprise, as they are preceded by the four RFL reports you have received this semester, along with the first round of formal assessment grades from Term 1.

Although Years 7-10 reports will not be available until early Term 3, we encourage Year 8 and 9 families to attend the Parent-Teacher Interviews in Week 9, and Year 10 families to attend early in Term 3 (details to follow). These interviews provide an opportunity to discuss grades, work practices, and future goals with your child’s teachers. We encourage you to bring your child to participate actively in these learning conversations. Please refer to earlier correspondence from Mrs Ryall for further details on the Parent-Teacher Interviews.

Year 10 Work Experience
Last week, our Year 10 students participated in work experience to gain a sense of what working life entails. We extend our gratitude to the businesses who supported our students and to Mr Bernie Maginnity and Miss Annabelle Green for organising this valuable experience. Our students explored a wide variety of workplaces, and staff members enjoyed visiting them to hear about their experiences firsthand. It was wonderful to welcome the Year 10 students back to classes this week and listen to their detailed accounts of their experiences. This will undoubtedly assist in making subject selection decisions early in Term 3. For parents of Year 10 students, this is a timely opportunity to discuss future plans with your child and explore the Stage 6 subjects that will help them move towards their chosen future. The subject selection process will commence next week with more information coming via email from Mrs Ryall.

Year 10 Minimum Standards
Year 10 students will be completing the NSW Minimum Standards Test next week. They have been asked to download a lockdown browser for this test, which was featured in the Daily Bulletin.

What is the NSW Minimum Standards Test?
The NSW Minimum Standards Test is designed to ensure that all students have the basic literacy and numeracy skills required for life after school. It is a requirement for the award of the Higher School Certificate (HSC). The test consists of three components:

1. Reading- 45 minutes 
2. Writing- 45 minutes 
3. Numeracy- 45 minutes 

When will the Test be Held?
Reading- During Catholic Studies period 5, Monday 24 June
Numeracy- During Maths period 4, Thursday 27 June
Writing- During English/PE/Science period 1 Friday 28 June

Preparation and Resources
To help the students prepare for the tests, there are Practice Tests: Available on the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) website. 

Thank you for your continued support and engagement as we work together to support our students' growth and success.

Matthew Bailey
Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching
matthew.bailey@lism.catholic.edu.au

Message from the Assistant Principal - Mission

Marist Netball Carnival

This week I had the privilege of accompanying our Marist Netball team to the Marist Netball Carnival in Sydney.  Our team performed exceptionally well to finish second in the competition. Whilst this achievement is notable, what was also significant was the spirit of the Marists evident during the event.  The love of God for us in Christ is at the very centre of the Christian message. Marists are asked to help build a Church which is perceived, not in terms of power, planning, control, administration, and competitiveness, but rather in terms of community, compassion, simplicity, mercy, and fellowship.

For this reason, Marists are to embrace and be welcoming to all, to the exclusion of no one, and to have an open heart to all. At the carnival, generosity, friendship, collegiality, and enjoyment were present in abundance. There was a shared understanding that some teams were stronger than others and the weaker teams should be supported to do their best; sportsmanship was exemplary; new friendships were forged and plans were made for next year. These are the very same qualities that we want our Woodlawn students to identify with; compassion, simplicity, mercy, and fellowship - in the name of Mary.

St John’s Day
St John’s Day is being held on Friday, 5 July. This is our annual day of celebration of our namesake, John the Evangelist. St. John was one of the Twelve Apostles of Christ.  He had a prominent role, being there and witnessing firsthand, many events in the life of Jesus, including his death.  He was the author of the three Epistles of John and the Book of Revelation. 

St John the Evangelist is frequently represented as an eagle. Symbolizing Christ, the eagle is considered the king of the birds who, unlike all others, is able to look directly at the sun, which symbolizes God.

One of the significant, and favourite, hymns at Woodlawn is Eagles Wings, of which one verse is:

And He will raise you up on eagle’s wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His Hand

The reference to eagle’s wings comes from Exodus 19:4, “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself” and Deuteronomy 32:11, “Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions.” Ornithologists have testified that this behavior accurately describes how certain eagles teach their young to fly. In these flight lessons, eagles occasionally shove the nestlings out of the nest, then swoop down to catch them on their back or wings.

We don’t need to stretch our imagination to see God doing something similar. When we are getting too comfortable and need to grow spiritually, God may push us out of our comfort zone. Then, when we are panicked and in a free fall, He swoops us up in His care so that, with His help, we escape destruction while learning trust.

On St John’s Day, we begin our day with Mass followed by celebrations within our community. Year 12 have taken responsibility for the day, organising Home Group competitions, food stalls, fun activities, a staff v student sporting match, pie throwing, and Shave for a Cure fundraiser. Please ensure your child purchases tickets for food and activities in the days before St John’s Day as no cash will be accepted on the day.  Tickets can be purchased from the Dining Room at lunchtimes.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me on 6626 2627 or fiona.fennamore@lism.catholic.edu.au.

Kind regards,

Fiona Fennamore
Assistant Principal - Mission 2024

Attendance

Going on a Family Holiday/Family Event?
Less than 10 days: Please notify the school that your student will be absent via the Compass Absence feature or email lisjc-studentservices@lism.catholic.edu.au 
More than 10 days: Complete Form 01 Extended Leave Notification.

Does your student compete or attend Elite Sports Programs?
Also includes talented identification programs run by the NSW Department of Sport and Recreation.
Complete Form 05 Exemption from Attendance General.

Does your student attend Elite Arts Programs?
Accredited Elite Arts programs are defined as an opportunity for a student to participate in an event or program that is beyond the gifted and talented opportunities that the Diocese offers.
Complete Form 05 Exemption from Attendance General.

Late Arrival
Students arriving after 8.55 am, need to enter via the Student Service Office. Please submit late arrivals via the Compass Submit Attendance Note feature. 

Early Departure
Please use the Compass Submit Attendance Note feature to notify of early departure. The Student Services Office cannot guarantee your student to be ready for an early departure without adequate notification.

Drop-Off and Pick-Up Zone
Reminder the drop-off and pick-up zone is located between the school and the ovals at the back of the school. Please do not collect your student from the front entrance due to safety reasons.

Instructions for entering details into Compass to submit absence/ late arrival/ early departure (alternatively see attached pdf for instructions)

• Log into your Compass account

• Click on the +Shortcuts symbol at the bottom of the page

• Select Submit Attendance Note

• Select Reason

• Add Details/Comments

• Select the date and time that your child will be collected or absent

• Select the End date as the date or time your child will be returning to school (or 3.15pm if they are not returning to school that day)
• Select Potentially Affected Sessions 

• Hit Add Attendance Note at the bottom of the page.

Lost Property
Lost Property is located outside the Student Services Office. Please clearly label all items that are brought or worn to school.

Student Services Office
Lisjc-studentservices@lism.catholic.edu.au
6626 2629

Canteen News

Flexischools orders has a cut-off time of 9.00am.

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 any time.

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:

Uniform Shop

The 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. 

Uniform Shop Opening Hours:
Time: 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

Second Hand Uniform Shop Opening Hours:
Time: 11.00am - 2.00pm
When: Every Wednesday
Where: Colin Centre 

Leanne Copeland
Uniform Shop Convenor
0407 739 237 

Community News