Dear Marian Catholic College Community,

Week 7 and 8 of this term provided many opportunities for our students (and staff) to shine in true Marian tradition.

Congratulations to Year 12 student Shirine Nehme, who received a Highly Commended Award for her speech and performance at the Parliament of NSW Regional Roadshow Public Speaking Competition on June 12th. Shirine has been involved in Youth Parliament and other public speaking events for a number of years now (including performing at TEDx last year). Shirine’s leadership, advocacy and outstanding presentation and oratory skills are an inspiration to many and draw much attention to important issues for young people and regional Australia. Well done Shirine!

Year 11 and 12 also received Academic and Merit Awards at the end of Week 7. These ceremonies acknowledge the work of our senior students, including their achievements and dedication to study, citizenship and vocational training. Also happening in this last fortnight were Western Riverina Touch, Bill Turner Rd 3 (Girls), Rugby 7’s and Junior AFL competitions. As well as these, there were White Card and Carevan activities and the Creative and Performing Arts Excursion overnight to Melbourne to see Beetlejuice and complete Arts and Drama workshops.

Our sincere thanks and appreciation to all the students, staff and parents and carers who worked together to provide these opportunities for Marian students to shine! Please remember to like and subscribe to the MCC Facebook page for the latest photos and new items.

Technology at school

Recent months have seen rapid advances in global and easily accessed technology, including Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). Schools and staff have recently been provided with a CEDWW position statement and general guidelines to assist with managing the use of GenAI within an educational context.

Guidelines include risk assessment protocols to inform and assist staff and students in the use of appropriate GenAI tools and CEDWW approved and/or piloted programs. Thank you to Mr Ivan Mason who has been representing Marian Catholic College on the system-wide GenAI project team, providing informational guidelines for schools and staff.

All users of GenAI need to be aware that Privacy, Safety and Confidentiality concerns need to be considered in any use of GenAI. A cautious approach and appropriate assessment of risk is advised before any use that involves data sharing when occurring informally at home on personal devices, and is mandated practice for system, school or educational use. Tools used at school need to be endorsed and approved by both CEDWW and school principal. Parents, carers and students need to be informed and, where appropriate, to provide consent before school endorsed usage.

The Australian Framework for Artificial Intelligence in Schools provides 6 broad principles about the use of GenAI: Teaching and Learning; Human and Social Needs; Transparency; Fairness; Accountability; and Privacy, Security and Safety. This Framework Poster has been published below for your convenience.

In the meantime, the CEDWW Acceptable Use of Technology Policy (AUTP) provides guidelines for all technology use for staff, students and families (including GenAI). I have attached a copy of the (AUTP) here for parents and carers information and reference as well.

We will continue to keep you updated as to how approved GenAI tools might be implemented at Marian to enhance education without compromising privacy, safety, copyright, student learning or educational ethics and the law.

A Prayer for the Winter Solstice

Creator God we turn to you as we mark the shortest day of the year.

We pray that at this turning point, we may be alive to the transition moments in

our own lives.

For many ancient cultures the winter solstice was a time of rebirth and was celebrated

with ritual and ceremony.

We ask for courage and endurance when we are at our lowest ebb, when faith and hope are hard to find and the night seems to be without end.

May the celebration of the solstice as well as the seasons and cycles of nature remind us

that all things pass.

We give thanks for those moments when a crisis passes, and we recover from illness or some other setback in life and life seems good again.

Help us to develop our own rituals and ceremonies to celebrate these turning points so that we may continue to nurture our faith and hope.

Amen

O'Shea, P. (2023, June 22). [A Prayer for the Winter Solstice]. St Columban's Mission Society. [https://www.columban.org.nz/media-and-publications/articles/prayers/2023/a-prayer-for-the-winter-solstice]

Dr Penny Ludicke

Principal

Creative Arts News

Creative Arts Excursion