Student News
Expressions of Faith talk with Year 6 Students
On the 23rd of October Bailey Mckay, Kate Hurst and myself went to the Vianney College to speak to Year 6 students on their Confirmation reflection day. We went to convey the message that expressing your faith can be as simple as making a positive difference in the lives of others and to show them how we make this positive difference in our community. This was a daunting task for Bailey and Kate to talk in front of Year 6 students without a written speech, however they performed above and beyond my expectations and they spoke in a way that was well beyond their years. Both year 10 students spoke with confidence and clarity and had excellent examples of how they make positive difference in the lives of others, including their outstanding work for Club Red at Mater Dei where they organise students to go and donate blood to save lives. All the year 6 students were engaged in their presentation and we felt that they got a lot out of the presentation on how they can use what they have learnt through their confirmation to a create a positive change in their community. Bailey and Kate are to be commended on their excellent efforts in this presentation as they really stepped up to the plate and represented the school in a way that is above what is expected of students and they displayed excellent leadership skills as active members of the college community. Thank you very much to Bailey and Kate as well Ms Savage and Sam King for orgainising this opportunity.
Jacob McMullen - Year 11 Student
MDCC Archery Club
An enthusiastic group of year 8 and 9 students have signed up for the Mater Dei Archery Club. The keen cohort of archers will require their permission notes to be signed and returned before our first session. The following sessions include Thursday, November 27th and Wednesday, December 3rd from 3:15 – 4:30 pm on the Oval. The sessions will include an introduction to archery followed by practice hitting targets.
Our young archers may hope to follow in the footsteps of our College seniors one day. The following images include some of our senior archers from their 2014 year 12.
Mr Stephen McCormack
Mater Dei Archery Club
National Youth Science Forum
Earlier this year I attended an interview in Grenfell as a candidate to go to the National Youth Science Forum in January 2015. The National Youth Science Forum is a two week program where 380 students from across the country come together and participate in science lab visits, forums, debates and seminars as well as a host of other activities designed to encourage Year 12 students to pursue a career in science and technology. The program is run in Canberra at the Australian National University and is partnered with Rotary Australia. I was fortunate to be one of the 12 students to be selected (out of 20 applicants) in the Rotary district that encompasses Wagga as well as surrounding areas. The application process was extensive as I had to be interviewed to gain the support of the Murrumbidgee Rotary club then be interviewed again at Grenfell to be selected to attend the Forum. I have been put into the physics line of the Forum based on my interests and possible career paths and I am extremely excited to see what a career in physics holds for me when I attend the Forum. The program also allows me to see other areas of science through a diverse range of Lab visits which I am also excited about. I would like to thank Mater Dei for their support as well as the Murrumbidgee Rotary club for their enormous efforts with fundraising and supporting me through the long application process. I plan to come back to school in 2015 with an increased determination to achieve my goals in the field of science and to help the Year 11 students of 2015 apply for the Forum so they too can have this amazing opportunity.
Jacob McMullen - Year 11 Student
Youth Parliament
Applications are now open for the YMCA NSW Youth Parliament for students in years 10, 11, & 12 in 2015. Run by young people for young people the program aims to promote youth led advocacy, active community leadership and legal and parliamentary education. The program involves 2 camps. First a training camp held in April where students prepare their Bills. Then in July four days are spent debating in the NSW Parliament. More info http://www.ymcansw.org.au/centres/youth-government/ymca-nsw-youth-parliament