Pastoral Academic Care (PAC)
Pastoral Academic Care (PAC) Focus - Revising at Home - revising for growth
Wellbeing Element - Accomplishment and optimism
Character Strength - Honesty
Parent Wellbeing: Being able to control your impulses is an important resilience skill to develop in yourself, to avoid reacting to the frequent things that trigger your emotions. When you are calm, write what these triggers are and what self-calming activities that work for you and will use immediately that you notice the triggers appearing. Respond rather than react. What self-calming activities work for you? Acknowledgement: Rievich & Shatte
Year 8
Ms Natalie Mellowship
As Term 3 draws to a close, we know that students, parents and staff are all looking forward to some much needed rest to recharge their batteries, ready to return refreshed for the remaining Term of 2022. Term 4 is always an exciting one with many varying opportunities for learning. On behalf of the Year 8 PAC team, I would like to wish students and families a relaxing school holiday.
“We thank you Lord, for this term. For the challenges, the successes, and the mistakes from which we have learnt. Be with us as we spend our time with family and friends. Give us strength and courage to do what is right; to be witnesses of our faith. Help us to appreciate what others do for us, to give time and effort to help others, to be peacemakers in our family. Keep us safe in our activities; give us good rest and good fun. Bring us back refreshed and ready for a new term. Amen.
St Angela Merici...Pray For Us
St John Baptist de La Salle...Pray For Us
St Mary of the Cross MacKillop...Pray For Us
Live Jesus In Our Hearts...Forever”
‘I Succeed”
When we take pride in celebrating our accomplishments, even the smallest ones, we can help to boost confidence and self-esteem. A strong culture of praise increases engagement, productivity and resilience to challenges that may arise in future endeavours. Over the course of Term 3, there have been many opportunities for students to learn and develop, not only through academics, but also through personal aspects of oneself. This week, we were able to celebrate some of the amazing work that our Year 8s have done over the course of the Term. A huge congratulations to the following students who achieved Pastoral Academic Care Leader Awards: Ebony Barnes, Indiana Gent, Harrison Newcombe, Grace Pett and Sophie Ridley.
Mass
Over the past couple of weeks Year 8s have been lucky enough to celebrate Mass in the College Chapel. Participating in Mass is an extremely important part of our Catholic faith. During this time, many of our students participated in a variety of ways - through performing hymns and through completing readings.
PDHPE & Sport
Twice a fortnight, the whole of the Year 8 cohort have practical PDHPE. During this time, Year 8s had the opportunity to be participants in sport sessions led by the College Year 11 Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation Students for a practical leadership assessment. As a PDHPE Teacher, I see so many benefits that participation in high quality sport and physical activity has on individuals including improving brain health, physical health and the assistance in alleviating stress. Students were led in a range of sports and physical activity and had so much fun in doing so!
Ms Natalie Mellowship on behalf on the Year 8 PAC Team
Year 10
Mr James Russell
Learning, growth and development can take place through a variety of means and in a diverse range of contexts. To add to this, we as individuals learn most effectively in different ways. In a school context learning most often takes place within the four walls of a classroom, but there are also many other opportunities for students to engage in learning. As a PE Teacher, I am keenly aware of the many benefits for learning, growth and development through sport and physical activity. Of the many things that can be learnt through sport, perhaps the most obvious and impactful is to be an effective team member. Other important lessons include goal setting, persistence, resilience and the value of good old fashioned hard work and dedication.
Over the past couple of weeks a number of Year 10 Students have engaged in sporting activities with great success. When I say success, for some this has meant excellent results, but for others it has been the lessons learnt and outcomes achieved while being physically active. While I can’t mention all students by name, there are a few noteworthy achievements that deserve to be recognised.
At the recent Diocesan Athletics Carnival in Tamworth two of our Year 10 students, Brooke Newberry and John Harris competed in numerous events and achieved outstanding results to both win Age Champion for their respective age groups. Both Brooke and John then went on to compete in Sydney at the Combined Catholic Colleges Athletics Carnival. At this highly competitive event both John and
Brooke again achieved excellent results with John placing second in the U16 800m Run and Brooke placing second in the U15 1500m Walk.
Further to these achievements, last week a large group of very keen and excited Year 10 students travelled to Tamworth to compete in the NSW State Cup Netball Regional Finals. We had both a Year 10 Girls and Year 10 Boys Team participate in the day. The Girls came up against some very tough oppositions, but were highly competitive and maintained an excellent attitude and level of teamwork across the day. The boys enjoyed some success across the day and ended up making it through to the Grand Final. For the final the boys came up against a team that had defeated them earlier in the day by a few goals. They showed many fine qualities to be highly competitive in this game, unlucky to lose by a goal in extra time.
Sport is one of those things that binds us together and is such an important and influential aspect of life. This is also true of life at school and it is wonderful that our students have so many opportunities to learn and achieve through activities such as this.
James Russell on behalf of the Yr 10 PAC team
Year 12
Mrs Vicki Channon
Farewell Year 12
A big chapter is closing for our Year 12 students this week as we celebrate the end of formal schooling. We have several important events taking place as is tradition here at O’Connor, but due to the Public Holiday being announced last week, there was a quick reshuffling to try and accommodate these and it does look slightly different to other years.
Change is sometimes challenging but I took heart when a parent made the following comment to me in regards to this. ‘Let's put it into perspective. We should all be very grateful that we can all come together this year; family, friends, loved ones to celebrate our young people, as for the last two years we have not been able to share in these milestones, having had to live stream in our living rooms, unable to be together as one. I agree wholeheartedly with this sentiment.
The students final lesson is Tuesday period 5. They are then invited to attend a breakfast provided by the College at 9.30am on Wednesday morning down at the BBQ area. They are encouraged to get creative with their old school uniforms and have a bit of fun with that. We will have some fun games down on the oval and then the highly anticipated staff versus student volleyball game will take place at recess. Students will head home and get ready for the Final Mass to be held in the De la Salle Chapel at 7pm that night. This is a beautiful occasion and we hope all can join us for this. A supper will be served after the Mass in U11.
O'Connor staff members helping prepare the gingerbread for Year 12.
Students will receive a decorated gingerbread, a tradition that was started many years ago. There is one in the archives room from many moons ago!!! Teachers gather on a Friday afternoon to mold the cookie dough, roll it, and shape it into gingerbread people using the cutter. We then gather on another Friday afternoon to ice them. We have a lovely time doing this, as it gives us an occasion to come together socially and reminisce about the group we are doing it for. The gingerbread is made with love, so I do hope the students can feel that love when they receive it. The story is attached here.
⋯∾ GINGERBREAD TRADITION ∾⋯
During the Middle Ages, spices were scarce, expensive and ascribed magical powers.
Ginger was thought to bring good fortune. Thus, gingerbread became a popular gift and a “good luck” token for births, weddings and tournaments.
It was even presented by
patrons to their workmen, and there were “gingerbreads of honour”
presented by Royalty for good deeds.
In those days gingerbread was coloured tawny brown, polished, and decorated with clusters of fleur-de-lis. Cloves painted with gilt were driven into the gingerbread like nails.
It is in this same tradition that we present you with your “gingerbread of honour” in memory of your days at O’Connor Catholic College. With it go our best wishes for your future.
⋯∾⋯
The Graduation Assembly will take place on Friday at 12 noon at the St Mary and St Joseph’s Cathedral. Again, this will be a wonderful celebration of our Year 12 students, and a time of reflection and gathering as one to celebrate each other. A light luncheon will be served after the event outside the Cathedral if it is not raining. We may need to return to U11 if the weather is inclement. Fingers crossed it can remain dry.
There will be some HSC Study Sessions taking place in the second week of the holidays here at school. Teachers will inform students of the day, time and room in which they will be held. It would be beneficial if students can take advantage of this extra time given by their teachers.
The HSC examinations will start on Wednesday 12 October and conclude on Friday 4 November. Attached is the timetable.
The HSC Supervisor for O’Connor, Mrs Kerry Steller presented some important information to the students last week regarding the rules and procedures. I have attached the slides in case students were absent OR they would like to double check some points that were made. HSC presentation 2022 It is really important that the students check the timetable and make sure they know exactly what date, day and time their exams are on and make some contingency p[lans if something was to go wrong, fingers crossed it will not.
The Year 12 Formal will take place on Friday 4th November at The Servies. A committee has been formed and more information will be relayed to all as we make final preparations for ticket costs, the meal etc. etc. So, please save the date now:)
It has been my pleasure to work with this wonderful group of young people over the last two years. I wish them all the very best in the HSC examinations and I know that they will be aiming high. I look forward to all of the amazing adventures that they will encounter over the coming years and I do hope they keep in touch with all of us here at O’Connor Catholic College.
Mrs Vicki Channon