SECONDARY NEWS
From the Assistant Principal

Miss Kim Bailey
kbailey@arm.catholic.edu.au

Congratulations...

Small Schools Rugby League Final

Congratulations to the U16s rugby league team, who were narrowly defeated 34 - 22 in Bathurst last week. Thanks to Mr Koch for coaching the team.

U18’s CCC Netball Trials

Congratulations to Hannah Bourke, who played in the U18s Armidale Diocese netball team last week in Penrith at the NSWCCC Netball trials.

Chess Team

The chess team played last Friday in the semi-final of their online competition. They are still waiting for other events to be completed before finding out if they have progressed to the next round.

2025 Stage 5 Elective Information Session - For Students in Years 8 & 9

Families are invited to attend a 2025 Stage 5 Elective Information Session on Tuesday at 5.30 pm in the Hall. Miss Bailey has spoken with students in Years 8 & 9, who have been given a Stage 5 Elective Booklet. They will have the opportunity to talk with teachers who are currently teaching the elective courses. Students will make their choices at a later date to be advised.

A PDF of the booklet is attached below.

Stage 5 Elective Choices 2025.pdf

Service in the Community

Holy Trinity students have been involved in various community events in recent weeks. The Legacy fundraising this Friday allows our students to contribute to the local community. Their generosity, cooperation, and willingness to be involved in community activities are commendable and reflect positively on the students. It is hoped that as they mature into adults, they will continue to give their time to volunteer work.

Thank you to the Year 10 SRC and Vinnies Executive, who will sell Legacy merchandise in the CBD on Friday. Mrs Hollis will accompany the students and visit the different merchandise sites throughout the morning.

Summer Uniform

With the arrival of Spring, students can wear their summer uniform. We remind students to wear either summer or winter uniforms, not a mixture of both. It is also advisable to check the forecast as early Spring weather often has great temperature fluctuations.

Local Careers and Employment Expo for Students in Years 9 & 10

Exhibit Career and Employment Expo (1).pdf

Year 10 Term 3 Calendar and Assessment Outline

Year 10 were given a calendar and assessment outline for Term 3. It is a busy term, and this may help their time management and planning. They were given a hard copy, and an electronic copy was emailed. The schedule was also posted to Compass for both Year 10 students and families.

Year 10 T3 Calendar & Assessment Outline 2024.pdf

STUDY SKILLS TIP

Top 10 Tips for parents to manage and communicate expectations about schoolwork and results

If parental expectations are too low, students may not strive to achieve their personal best. If parental expectations are too high, this can contribute to high student stress levels.

So, how can parents find the right balance? Some areas to consider are:

Understand your own motivations: Why do you want your child to achieve particular marks in their studies? Is it because you are pressured by family/friends/society about what your child will achieve? Do you want them to follow in your career footsteps? Do you want them to have opportunities you never had as a child or young person? Understanding your own motivations will help you find balance in your expectations of your children.
Help your children set realistic goals: Keep talking to them about what they want to achieve, in individual subjects, at school overall and in other aspects of their life. Their career goals may mean they want to focus intensively on something like art or music, rather than maths or science. Helping them to identify their goals will enable them to determine what subjects they need to focus on and what marks they are likely to need, which means that effort can be concentrated on the areas that will help them achieve their goals.
Be involved in your children’s learning: Talk to them about what they are studying throughout the term. Ask them to show you their bookwork and homework. The more you understand about what they are doing and how they are going along the way, the better you will be able to set and manage your expectations.
Make sure you really communicate what you expect: Many students feel like they are not meeting their parents’ expectations. Often, this is a result of poor communication about expectations between both parties. Reflect on your motivations (see 1 above) and consider how you communicate your expectations to your children. Remember to praise them for the effort they make rather than the results they achieve; this way, they are motivated to keep on trying, even when learning is difficult.
Develop an understanding of the school’s assessment and reporting structures: Assessment and reporting systems change over time and are different in different schools, states and countries. Making sure you really understand what your children’s reports mean may help you to understand what they are actually achieving. Sometimes, students are excelling in certain skills or areas, but reporting structures may not highlight these.
Remember, nobody is perfect: Even the brightest, most highly motivated child will struggle at times. They may struggle to understand a particular topic or concept, or they may struggle with motivation, particularly for a subject they don’t particularly enjoy. Problems with teachers or peers can also contribute. It is unrealistic for anyone to work with 100% effort all the time.
Provide practical homework and exam support: Provide practical help to your children with things like proofreading and reviewing drafts, checking work and listening to speeches. Remember though, it is not your work, so don’t make changes, rather make suggestions and provide guidance.
Spend time together doing something fun: Make sure your relationship with your child is about more than homework and study. Allocate some time to do fun things together. This is the time in which your child is most likely to open up to you about the things that they are struggling with, and you can work out how best to help them. Ideas include going for a walk or run together, having a dinner date (even to Maccas) or having them show you the latest funny videos they like.
Support your child to do their best: You can do this by providing healthy, nutrient-rich food, opportunities for exercise, rest and relaxation and an environment that is supportive of and conducive to study.
Keep alert for the physical and mental signs of stress: Familiarise yourself with how your child responds to stress. Do they withdraw? Act out? Work harder or stop working? When you notice that your child is stressed, provide them opportunities to discuss what is worrying them and work with them to identify how you can help them. You may wish to involve the school counsellor, a teacher or a tutor at this point.

REMEMBER to accept the invitation to Google Classroom Guardian Summaries

Device Policy

Students are not permitted to use their devices unless instructed by a teacher. This includes both the classroom and the playground. The students are aware of this policy and receive constant reminders in Pastoral Care and their teaching classes. There are also many posters displayed all around the school.

If a student needs to use their device, they must first seek permission from a teacher and use it in an area designated by the teacher. This is usually under their direct supervision or outside the Secondary staffroom.

If students cannot follow this policy, their phones are confiscated and placed securely in Miss Bailey's office, where they are collected by the student at the end of the school day.

Teachers record each time a device is confiscated. After it is confiscated for a second time, it remains at school until it can be collected by a parent or carer.

Making Contact with Teachers in the Secondary

If you have any questions or concerns about your child's learning or wellbeing, please contact Miss Bailey, your child's Pastoral Care teacher or their subject teacher. We are only too happy to assist.