Cohort News

Year 7 Pastoral Care

Term 4 has officially begun and we are back into the full swing of things! 

School of Rock:

On Wednesday 5th of October, Year 7 were very fortunate to be invited to see the production of Sydney Catholic School’s “School of Rock”. The production featured almost 3000 Sydney Catholic School performers, including 6 of our girls from Brigidine College. It was truly a wonderful display of creative, performing arts and talents.

Congratulations and well done to our Year 7 students who performed in the production:

Taylor Conquest, Charlotte Guillermo, Zara Kieran and Freya Lenartic.

I would also like to thank Year 7 for their fantastic attitude, cooperation and their positive behaviour on the day, as well as the teachers who also came to support and help make this day possible. Thank you!

PEEC:

During our Pastoral Care Lessons, Year 7 have been exploring the topic of Positive Purpose, specifically the concept of “Core Values”. We have learnt that values are what a person finds to be important and wants to be doing with their life and that these values can change and form the basis of what we do.

Over the past week, students have been investigating the values of Courage, Justice, Honesty, Compassion, Gratitude, Humility, Integrity and Respect.

Pink Ribbon Breakfast:

On Friday the 28th of October, the College will be hosting a Breakfast for the National Pink Ribbon Foundation. All donations from this Breakfast will be given to the Pink Ribbon Foundation to support targeted breast cancer research. 

Please head to https://www.trybooking.com/CDJFC to book now. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Have a wonderful week.

Rebecca Monohan 

Year 7 Pastoral Care Coordinator

Year 8 Pastoral Care

To Parents/Carers of Year 8 Brigidine College,

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and welcome you all to Term 4 2022. My name is Nikki McWhirter and I am your daughter's new Pastoral Care Coordinator. I am originally from a small town in Central West NSW called Coonabarabran. From here, I went away to University and then moved to Dubbo to begin my teaching career. I have been a teacher for 7 years, 6 of those years were at St John's College as a PDHPE Teacher and Year Coordinator. I moved to Sydney in 2022 and worked at St Mary’s Cathedral. I am an enthusiastic, passionate and hardworking teacher, whose main philosophy is building strong relationships with students and their families to help create success.

My goal this term and for the future is to get to know each student and build a positive relationship with each and everyone of them. I also hope to guide each student in the direction of the college ethos and help them be the best person they can be.

I ask that if you have anything you wish me to know about your child’s learning or personal needs, please email me so that I can do my best to provide a supportive and educational environment for each student.

Continuing this term, students will be participating in the Positive Education Enhanced Curriculum (PEEC) Morning session with their homeroom teachers. These sessions are held each morning and cover a range of topics to help support the students wellbeing. This term, the students will be exploring topics such as Curiosity and Interest, Core Values and Sense of Meaning. Should you have any questions and concerns please don't hesitate to contact me. I am looking forward to getting to know your daughter and family over the coming years.

Nikki McWhirter 

Year 8 Pastoral Care Coordinator

nikki.mcwhirter@syd.catholic.edu.au

Year 9 Pastoral Care

Hi and welcome back for Term 4. Year 9 has started off the term really well. There is a lot to do before the end of the year, therefore I remind and encourage Year 9 to remain focussed on their studies until the end so as to see out the year on a good note. The holidays will be enjoyed much more, knowing they had a great year at school.  

Uniform reminder

A reminder that we are now in the summer uniform and it is important to keep an eye on: the length of skirts, no excessive jewellery, no make-up or nail polish. 

Assessment Procedure

I have included the link to the Stage 5 Assessment Handbook below. This has all the information you need regarding assessments. Things such as who you need to contact if you miss a task, what forms and documentation you need to submit…etc. Please make sure to be aware of what your responsibilities are regarding assessments so you are not penalised for not following the procedure correctly.  

Links:

• Stage 5 Assessment Handbook
• Illness/Misadventure form

Year 9 Camp

Year 9 Camp is scheduled for Week 5. We will leave the College Monday 7th of November and will return to the College Wednesday 9th of November. We are going to The Tops Conference Centre which is located in Stanwell Tops. This will be a great opportunity for all of Year 9 to get out of the classroom for a few days with their Pastoral Care teachers and to participate in some of the fun activities that The Tops Conference Centre has to offer. More information on the details of this camp and logistics will be made available to you via Compass shortly. 

Please have a great term. Remember you will get out of it what you put into it. 

Regards, 

Tony Mungia

Year 9 Pastoral Care Coordinator

Year 10 Pastoral Care

Welcome back to Term 4! I hope you all had a relaxing and restful break and are ready for the term ahead. This term is a short one, however, there is a lot packed into it!

Please be mindful that students are now in full summer uniform and if I could ask all Parents and Carers to be aware of their daughters summer skirt length. The School Uniform Policy for the summer uniform indicates that the length of skirt should be no shorter than the knees.

Sport has changed for Year 10 at the start of this Term. The new sport timetable is as follows:

Year 10 camp will be in week 8 of this term, from Wednesday 30th November, until Friday 2nd December. The camp is compulsory for all students and will be held at Somerset in Colo.

The students will do various activities over the 2 days and this will give them all an opportunity to experience mother nature and the outdoors in a different setting, with their peers. Further information will be provided closer, towards the date.

Jon Campbell

Year 10 Pastoral Care Coordinator

Year 12 Pastoral Care

Good afternoon Parents and Guardians,

The following are some inspirational ideas for our Yr 12 Community

Psalms 20: 4  “ Let God grant what it is in your heart and fulfil all your plans”.

“ Your life is our story and the adventure is ahead of you in Year 12. Have the 

Courage to follow your heart and intuition. Our greatness comes when we appreciate each others’ strengths”.

Our Year 12 students commenced Term 4 with dedication, courage and commitment. Their mindset and their gratitude for one another set the tone for our first Year 12 Assembly where we, as a community, understand the journey ahead. This term will be one of a consolidation of knowledge and the development of subsequent skills in order to succeed in each and every senior course. 

Our Pastoral team will be guiding and supporting each student to deepen and develop their organisation of study skills, time management and being able to prioritise their assignment and assessment tasks. We will be examining how to manage completing deadlines, the breaking down of tasks into manageable pieces and by assigning smaller due dates it will help our students to keep motivated to work on their individual tasks.Research has shown that setting our own deadlines for our individual tasks can curb procrastination and deliberation. Any student who needs assistance in developing a study timetable is to seek the assistance of their Pastoral care teacher or myself.

Wellbeing and good strong healthy practices, are paramount over these next few weeks. Each student has to factor into her day a sound routine of mindfulness, outdoor activity and relaxation of the mind. In Week 4, on the 26 October, a Sleep/ Mental Well being psychologist, Ms Lisa Maltman, will be hosting 'Sleep for Better Health, Resilience and Performance', Program

With our Year 12 students, she will be discussing the following themes:

Learning and Academic performance; Emotional and Mental Health techniques; Behaviour and Decision Making and Body Systems. “ Approximately 70% of teenagers experience sleep deprivation”

This course will offer practical strategies to improve the well being of our students and there has been some positive feedback from other schools, in our local area, about the success of this program. All students will receive resources and a booklet and I encourage you all to discuss these wellbeing strategies with your daughter.

Attendance is a very important part of your daughter’s academic progress. Consistency and continuity all shape the foundations of their learning. I urge you to not be complacent about this and please contact the school administration of any absence. Uniform is also paramount as it develops discipline and self respect. Each student needs to wear the full summer/sport uniform and if she is out of uniform, a note signed by a parent with the reason and a date for the adjustment. It is importance for all students to address: skirt length ( to the top of the knee), for hair to be tied back, for there to be no traces of nail polish, make up or extension eye lashes. One stud or sleeper in the lower ear lobe makes way for a polished, professional student at Brigidine College.

I wish and extend all my sincere, best wishes for a successful Term 4 and may Year 12 community become a more cohesive and collaborative cohort.

Yours sincerely,

Adriana Parsons

Year 12 Pastoral Care Coordinator