Welcome Back

Welcome back to all students and staff. In the Secondary Department we particularly welcome the new students to Holy Trinity, they are: Austin Arandale, Lilly Hiscock, Charlotte Doman and Matilda Doman in Year 7, Emma Page in Year 8 and in Ellie Coss and Nick Page in Year 10.

We also warmly welcome a new staff member this year, Mrs Jane Taylor. We are very pleased that she has joined the Secondary Department for 2018.

Pastoral Care teachers for 2018 are:

Year 7: Mr Peter Ehsman, Mr Dominic Gibson, Mr David Koch and Ms Kelly Melvin.

Year 8: Mr Anthony Gaias, Mrs Christine McLachlan and Mr Blake Uebergang.

Year 9: Mr Will Gils and Mrs Carrie Watchirs.

Year 10: Miss Kim Bailey and Mr Steve Lewis.

Students and parents are encouraged to approach the relevant Pastoral Care teacher if they need assistance.

Year 7 students appeared to enjoy their first week in Secondary. Over the coming weeks they will encounter many new experiences, building on the positive transition activities that were held last year.

It has been very pleasing to note the efforts that most students have made regarding school uniform and it is important that this effort is maintained as the year progresses. Students are reminded to protect themselves from the sun with hats and sunscreen as the weather continues to be very warm. School hats are available at the Uniform Shop.

By now all students should have their timetables and information about any other requirements. Students should ask Pastoral Care teachers if more details are required. Book packs for Year 7 and Year 8 students have been selling well and there are still some available at the Canteen. Mrs Adams also has books, calculators and other equipment that can be purchased by students in Years 9 and 10. The school diary for Year 7 will be distributed this week.

The start of the new school year is always busy and for some students there may be circumstances causing anxiety. By working together in partnership with the school, most difficulties or worries can be resolved promptly. Please contact me at school if there are issues of concern.

Induction Mass

Tomorrow the Year 10 SRC, House Captains and the Junior Conference of St Vincent de Paul Executive will be inducted at our school mass at the Sacred Heart Church at 9.15am. We look forward to having parents and family members join with us to celebrate this significant occasion for the school community. Morning tea for the leaders and their families will be held at the Church at the conclusion of mass.

Student Leadership

Year 10 SRC

The members of the SRC for 2018 are: Ellie de Gunst, Hannah Huynh, Ella Taylor, Harrison Frazier, Riley Murray and Nash Tome.

House Captains

Last week House Captain elections were held. The Secondary House Captains for 2018 are as follows:

Johns: Sam Lavender and Claire Arandale

Leos: Beau White and Amelia Collins

Marks: Declan Ridley and Sienna Smith

Pauls: Marli Gobbert and Brittany Camp

Junior Conference of St Vincent de Paul

On Monday the Holy Trinity chapter of the Junior Conference of St Vincent de Paul voted for their 2018 Executive. Congratulations to the following students: Holly Hindley, Ella Johnson, Ira Simbajon and Georgia Wilkinson. Thank you for your willingness to accept these important positions of responsibility and leadership in our school community.

Year 7 – 9 Student Council Representatives

Last week students voted in class elections and the Student Representative Council is now finalised for Semester 1, 2018. Student representatives in Years 7, 8 will serve until the end of this semester. New elections will be held at the beginning of Semester 2, enabling another group of students the chance to develop their leadership skills. Year 9 representatives will retain their position on the SRC for the entire year.

Student representatives are:

Year 9: Connor Bryant, Fletcher Byrne, Emma McInnes and Campbell Watchirs

Year 8: Tori Bell and Geoffrey McCosker

Year 7: Alice McInnes and Jack Stewart

Congratulations to all students who have been elected to the SRC.

SAVE THE DATE: Welcome BBQ for New Students and Families

New students will soon receive invitations for the welcome barbeque that will be held prior to the first school social for 2018, on Thursday 22 February. The barbeque will take place in the Secondary Library Quadrangle, commencing at 6.30pm. The Secondary staff are looking forward to meeting as many of the new families as possible. Please return the reply slip so that catering arrangements can be finalised.

Secondary Social

A social for all secondary students will be held on Thursday 22 February. The Secondary staff will be supervising the social. It commences at 7.30 and finishes at 10.00pm. As usual, we expect that students will be dropped off and picked up by parents. The collection area is in front of the Science Labs.

General Permission Notes/Information Updates and Media Release Forms

Students are asked to return these notes if they have not already done so. We appreciate the prompt return of this essential document.

Part-Time Work – Does it Pay or Cost?

Part-time work is increasingly becoming an important part of many student’s lives. This article is aimed at increasing your awareness of both the advantages and dangers of part-time work for your child. A Tamworth school’s survey conducted recently found that about 70% of students in Years 10 to 12 had some form of part-time work. Of those students with jobs, around 30% worked 15 to 20 hours a week This is a highly alarming figure as school students already put in 35 hours at school – and this does not include the expected out of school time required for study, homework and assignments.

Part-time work provides students with valuable lessons in work ethics, professionalism, managing money and developing independence. Many jobs also inadvertently provide students with greater social connections and experiences. Part-time work can also be a good way to develop potential work skills, connections and references. For parents it can provide some relief to the ever-increasing financial demands that teenagers place on the family budget.

The dangers of part-time work start to be noticed as the hours of work increase. School hours and holiday periods have been set generally because they are considered optimum for the learning, rest and play requirements of developing children and adolescents. Puberty is the second biggest time of physiological growth in a human’s lifespan. Fluctuating energy levels, mood swings, changing sleep requirements, as well as cognitive, emotional, social and physical development are all major elements that should be considered by parents, teachers and possibly employers, when caring for our youth.

Please ask yourself the following questions:

Is my child tired for school on a regular basis because of work commitments?
Have my child’s exercise patterns (including participation in organised sport) been reduced because of part-time work commitments?
Have my child’s at home study patterns been significantly modified and/or limited because of work commitments?
Has my child’s ‘down time’ or ‘rest time’ been limited because of work commitments?
Has my child’s quality family time been affected by part-time work commitments?
Does my child increase his/her work hours to half or full-time load over the holiday breaks?
Have my child’s academic aspirations been reduced since starting part-time work?

If you have answered “yes” to any of these questions you will probably become aware of the gradual cumulative cost that part-time work may have on your child’s general wellbeing and on potential educational and career outcomes.

What are your hopes and expectations for your child in regards to their education – both school and general life learning? Is their present lifestyle allowing this to come to fruition or hindering it?

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Inverell Physical Culture Club

Toughen Up Challenge