PDHPE

Welcome back to our final Term of learning in PDHPE for the 2024 school calendar year. This term our Junior PDHPE students are studying the following practical and theory units for the Term. Also listed are the Compass Learning Tasks for each Year group. Each task is located on Compass in detail. All tasks need to be submitted via Compass by the due date. Each teacher will provide detailed feedback on your child’s progress via our Compass Platform. For additional information please contact your child’s PDHPE teacher.

Year 7

Theory: Risky Business - Risk Taking

Practical: Striking Games

Compass Task: Road Safety Advertisement

Extra Curricular: Lifesaving at the pool in Week 9 (more details to follow)

Year 8

Theory: Mind, Body, Spirit - Mental Health

Practical: Net and Court Games

Compass Task: Social Media Mental Health Infographic

Extra Curricular: Lifesaving at the pool in Week 9 (more details to follow)

Year 9

Theory: Staying Alive - First Aid

Practical: Contemporary Games

Compass Task: DRSABCD Practical Assessment

Extra Curricular Opportunities: Lifesaving Instructors at the pool in Week 9 (more details to follow)

Year 10

Theory: The Next Chapter - Managing Change and Challenges

Practical: Backyard Games and Alternate Sports

Assessment: Games and Sport Practical Assessment

Extra Curricular Opportunities: Lifesaving Instructors at the pool in Week 9 (more details to follow)

Year 9 Child Studies

Theory: Happy and Healthy - Child Safety

Compass Task: CPR First Aid Video Production

Year 9 PASS

Theory: Lifestyle, Leisure and Recreation

Compass Task: Lifestyle, Leisure and Recreation Task

Year 10 Child Studies

Theory: Childcare Services and Careers

Assessment: Case Study - Childcare Service

Year 10 PASS

Theory: Technology in Sport

Assessment: Creation of a new sporting Technology

Our Department wishes both you and your child a fruitful finish to the year in PDHPE. Later this term our PDHPE reports will be published, encompassing all aspects of PDHPE - both Practical and Theory from Semester Two.

Road Safety

Please click the links below for more information.

https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/community/schools/safety-around-schools

https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/parents/school-safety

Miss Camilla Clydsdale,

Leader of Learning, PDHPE

HSIE

Changing Places - Megacities in Term 3

Throughout Term 3, Year 10 created Google Earth Projects for their assessment tasks. This required them to access many different features of Google Earth whilst also researching the impact of urbanisation. Students were able to choose 10 of the top 20 megacities and investigate the specific factors which drive people from other areas of the country towards the megacity. Their project then further considered a strategy one of their megacities had implemented in order to address specific issues created from their rapid growth, making an assessment of its effectiveness. Students used vast research and ICT skills to complete their projects, as seen in one student’s example here.

Environmental Change and Management - Year 10

Year 10 HSIE have recently been learning about how climate change is heating the Earth. Students were asked to create a hand drawn poster that answered the following questions:

1. What are the differences between climate change and global warming?

2. What is the greenhouse effect and what are the three atmospheric gases responsible for this effect?

3. What would happen to the Earth if there was no greenhouse effect?

4. What changes have occurred to the Earth's climate over geological time?

5. Why would sea levels be much lower in an ice-age?

6. Draw a diagram of how the Greenhouse effect works

Students used their creativity and research skills to construct informative posters that could be placed around the school. Some of the fabulous work can be seen below:

Mrs Cherie Stoessel

Leader of Learning, HSIE

TAS

GOLDEN TECHMAN ROTATION 4

This week we celebrated the excellent work of Year 7 & 8 Students by awarding Golden Techman Awards to those students two have gone “above & beyond” in the fourth rotation of the Mandatory Technology courses.

We also had a chat about the acronym CCC. (Calm Classroom Culture).

Firstly we discussed “what does culture mean”.

In simple terms, CULTURE is -a way of life, the way we do things, passed on from one generation. For example, it is the responsibility of older teachers, who are essentially holders of the culture, to pass on the way we do things.

I challenged the students to consider how they can contribute to creating a calm classroom culture, (that’s really five C’s).

This concept ties in well with our Living Well, Learning Well pastoral care theme. That is,

“I am safe”,

“I am valued & respected”,

& “I am a learner”.

I asked the students to consider how they can contribute to creating:

-a Culture of safety,

-a Culture of respecting teachers & fellow students &,

-a Culture of learning.

As it is a short term, with end of year activities, we discussed the importance of working collaboratively (that’s another C) to ensure we can get projects completed before the end of the year.

Year 7 Golden Techman Awards Rotation 4

Year 8 Golden Techman Awards Rotation 4

Year 8 Textiles

Year 7 Food Technology

Year 7 Technology are learning about sustainable and multicultural food practices. Today they made a cheese omelette using class member Logan Scott’s free range eggs from his farm. The omelettes as you can see were pan perfect! Eggsellent!

Year 10 Food Technology

Mr John Hawthorne

Leader of Learning, TAS

Agriculture

Thank you to Miss Laura Phillips for sharing photos of this years mums and bubs. Thank you to Erica the Alpaca for being on guard duty.

English

This Year, the English faculty met the young Padawans exiting their final English exam! After 13 years of English, we hope that our students are able to march out proud of their achievements and into the light!

Year 7

Year 7 are deep diving into Traditional Storytelling; exploring Native American, Maori and Aboriginal Australian cultures and stories. Our Year 7's are discovering etiological stories and considering how and why they have been built!

Year 9

Year 9 are turning towards the dramatic, gothic flair of Edgar Allan Poe this term, with a focus on the poem, 'Annabel Lee'. Over the course of the term they will be uncovering the history of Poe as a composer, considering and analysing his works and then examining how his works have continued to shape conversations and texts today!

Year 10

Over the course of term 4, Year 10 will be focusing on the concept, “why do we create?”. Students will be exploring poetry and drawing connections on how texts reflect experiences and how they encourage us to think deeply about our own world.

One of the year 10 classes has begun to explore the poem, “introduction to poetry”, analysing techniques and impact of those as well as the theme of the text. Students create quick visual representations of key images that they notice arose from the text!

Year 12 2025

Our Year 12's are all currently delving into the human experience and how texts are able to represent real experiences. Standard English are focused on uncovering the glimmers of hope in Favel Parrett's novel 'Past the Shallows', Advanced English are examining prejudice in Shakespeare's tragi-comedy, 'The Merchant of Venice' whilst English Studies are focusing on the strength of being yourself in the film, 'Billy Elliot.'

All our English students are reminded that they do have an assessment task and to seek support regularly as they work through it!

Ms Lauren Donnelly,

Leader of Learning, English

Religious Education

Since Term 1, Year 10 Religious Education students have engaged in a number of ‘learning sprints’, activities designed to improve their writing skills as well as providing valuable experiences readying them for senior studies. These sprints are a response to a need to better prepare students for the nature of senior studies and assessment tasks, as well as enhancing their reading and writing skills, critical for success in their life outside school.

In Term 3, students were required to work towards writing an essay under exam conditions. The topic of the essay was centered on examining Catholic Social Teachings and how they shape our response to various social issues such as homelessness, domestic violence and refugees. Students rose to the challenge and the standard of responses was very high, reflecting the focus of students on the teaching and learning that’s taking place in our classrooms. This term, students are learning about the twin ideas of ecumenism and inter-faith dialogue, where the Catholic Church engages with other Christian denominations (ecumenism) as well as other world religious traditions (inter-faith dialogue). Next week students will be challenged to write extended responses about these initiatives and how they help to resolve many of the challenges that we face in our world today. A huge thank you to Mrs Roff for her guidance of this program and the great work that’s taking place in our 10 RE classes.

Mr Andrew May

Religious Education Coordinator

CAPA

O'Connor School Choir Performs at New England Sings

This past weekend, the O'Connor School Choir participated in New England Sings, a biannual event that brings together school choirs from across the region. It featured challenging repertoire which had been specially commissioned for this occasion.

Over the last six months, our students have been preparing during their regular school rehearsals as well as in joint rehearsals at the New England Conservatorium of Music (NECOM), under the direction of renowned conductor Luke Byrne.

All this hard work culminated this weekend when they had the chance to perform with hundreds of other choir students from across the region and a live orchestra, honing their skills in a professional setting. They performed in two concerts in front of a fantastic audience of over 1,100 people!

Throughout the rehearsal process, the students showed extraordinary dedication, discipline, resilience and professionalism. It was great to see them so immersed in the experience and the result speaks for itself. Bravo, O’Connor School Choir!

Missing - Maya Teege, Evie Howlett (choir) and Sam Russel (concertmaster in the Armidale Youth Symphony)

Thankyou Mrs Susanne Hughes for your commitment to Choir and ensuring our students had the opportunity to perform.

Miss Melanie Sampson

Leader of Learning, CAPA

Maths

As Term 4 begins, we’re wrapping up an exciting and busy period in the Mathematics Key Learning Area here at O’Connor Catholic College.

Firstly, congratulations to our Year 12 students, who have just completed their HSC Mathematics exams for 2024. It’s been a challenging year, and their dedication and hard work have been inspiring. We look forward to seeing the results of their efforts and wish them all the best in their future endeavours.

Meanwhile, our Year 11 students have commenced the HSC components of their respective Mathematics courses, diving into there first topic that they will build on throughout Year 12. They’re stepping up to the challenges of these new areas with enthusiasm and determination!

During the September school holidays, Mr. McCann, Mr. Fulloon, and I attended the Annual NSW Mathematics Conference in Tweed Heads. The theme this year was "Learning Through Problem Solving," which emphasised engaging students with mathematics in meaningful and innovative ways. We participated in a variety of workshops and sessions, bringing back fresh ideas and approaches, which we’re now excited to implement in our classrooms. These new strategies are already enriching our lessons and engaging students in problem-solving activities that deepen their understanding.

On another note Mr. Chapman and Mr. Harris, have also been hard at work, marking the 2024 Mathematics HSC exams. Mr. Harris has been focused on Extension 2 Mathematics, and Mr. Chapman has been working on Mathematics Advanced. Their dedication and expertise are invaluable during this crucial period, ensuring students across NSW receive thorough and fair evaluations of their work.

To conclude, here are a few photos from the Mathematics Conference. Thank you for your ongoing support, and here’s to a great term ahead!

Mr Mark Harris

Leader of Learning, Maths

Science

Welcome back to Term 4! With exciting topics across all years, let’s take a look at what our scientists are exploring this term.

Year 7: Exploring Space and Beyond

Our Year 7 students have embarked on a journey through space, discovering the wonders of our solar system! They've been learning about the motion of planets, the reasons behind day and night, and the fascinating phases of the moon. This unit encourages students to ponder big questions about the universe and deepens their understanding of the cosmic dance that defines our days, months, and years.

Year 8: Uncovering the Building Blocks of Life

Year 8 students have been zooming in on life at the microscopic level, studying animal and plant cells. They’re learning about cell structures, the functions of organelles, and the levels of organisation that make complex organisms possible. This foundation in cellular biology will set the stage for upcoming lessons on body systems, where students will see how cells work together to keep our bodies functioning.

Year 9: From the Cosmos to the Core

Year 9 has been exploring the vastness of the universe, diving into topics like the expansion of the cosmos, the life cycle of stars, and the mysteries of black holes. They've covered supernovas, red giants, and white dwarfs, gaining insights into the birth and death of stars. Soon, they’ll switch focus from the universe to the Earth itself, learning about tectonic plates, volcanoes, and the forces behind continental drift. This shift from space to Earth science promises to keep the excitement alive as they learn how powerful processes shape our planet.

Year 10: Climate Science and Global Challenges

Year 10 students are in the midst of their climate science unit, exploring the critical issues of weather, climate change, and the greenhouse effect. They've been discussing the science behind these phenomena and will now turn their attention to possible solutions for tackling climate change. This unit provides a strong foundation in climate literacy, empowering students to think critically about what actions they—and society as a whole—can take to protect the planet.

Year 11: Diving into the HSC Sciences

For our Year 11 students, the HSC coursework is well underway in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Investigating Science, and Extension Science. With their first assessment tasks approaching, it’s essential for students to seek guidance and prepare thoroughly. These tasks offer a valuable opportunity to build on their knowledge and set strong foundations for success in Year 12.

We are thrilled to see students across all grades tackling such important and inspiring scientific topics. Keep up the fantastic work, stay curious, and remember that your teachers are here to help guide you every step of the way.

Mr Daniel Fittler,

Leader of Learning, Science

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