BISHOP DRUITT COLLEGEFAITHFULNESS IN SERVICE

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BISHOP DRUITT COLLEGECOFFS HARBOUR 18 May | 2012

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Chaplain’s Chat

I have been very pleased with the response to my request for homestays for Japanese students next year. I am still keen to hear from more parents who would be interested. This positive response suggests that short-study tours from Japan are viable at Bishop Druitt College. Please e-mail me if you are willing to be involved in this program aball@bdc.nsw.edu.au

I have read with interest the various articles that have peppered the media this week regarding the devolution of powers to Principals in government schools. From an independent school’s perspective, it is interesting to view the debate. Our situations are vastly different, and it has been our independence to govern ourselves that has in many ways set us apart from the government sector. There are cogent points of view in the government sector debate at present, and the changes that are proposed, whatever their motive, will foment both enthusiasm for and resistance to the new autonomy being proposed.

Our reality as an independent school is that we have always existed with a devolved, independent governance and management structure. We have much more autonomy than that which is being proposed for government schools.

In our context, it is that very independence that has made Bishop Druitt College the success that it is. Growing from an enrolment of 57 students, to the school it is today, is testament to the vision, planning and regulation of successive College Councils. We have not had to yield to the yoke of a central office – other than in matters of curriculum delivery and mandatory state and federal policies.

Our independence allows us to determine policies and procedures that best suit our school population. Decisions such as what and when we build new buildings such as the extension and enclosure of the COLA, or the implementation of the ESL program in Primary are current examples. We did not have to defer any further than our College Council for assent for these programs. This level of autonomy is beyond that which the state and federal governments have in mind for government schools, but interestingly, it has been a paradigm that has ensured our strength in the local educational community.

With regard to the ESL program, it is good to see it flourishing. It is wonderful to see our ‘new arrivals’ so happy and engaged in the safety and security of our school – something that was unimaginable in the lives they have left behind.

Congratulations to Harley Thompson (12) and Jaime Connellan (11) who have both won 2012 Defence Technical Scholarships. 2300 applications were received from around the country, so this is an excellent achievement for these two young men.

Winnie the Pooh said what?

“You can’t stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others. You have to go to them sometimes.” (W. Pooh)

Have you ever thought about friendship…and what it means to be a friend? Fr Jerome Cummings said, “A friend is one who knows us but loves us anyway.” Being a friend can sometimes be quite testing and stretches our patience. Maybe that’s what being a friend is all about…tolerance and acceptance.

Jesus shared lots of his thoughts and wisdom during his life, he was a faithful friend to all he encountered on his daily journey. Jesus said to his disciples, “You are my friends, no one has greater love than to lay down one’s life for others, this is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

This week in Sydney there was a demonstration of support by ‘Palestinian Australians’ as they remembered ‘Nakba’, the time when Palestine lost most of their land to the state of Israel. The newspapers were full of reader comments condemning the march of as being un-Australian, and suggesting the people go back to where they came from. Some readers were quite indignant that these people would have the audacity to disrupt their commuter plans. I wonder what Jesus would have done if he was here? Having travelled to Israel and Palestine and witnessed the hardship that Palestinians endure daily, I think it’s a small price to pay. As a friend, Jesus gave his life for all of us. If we are to love our ‘neighbours’ as Jesus asks us to, we can’t “stay in our corner of the forest”, as Winnie the Pooh tells us, we need to go and meet others where they are offering the hand of friendship.

As Jesus said, “Anything you did for one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40

Blessings,

From the prinCipal

pastoral Care

Rev David MorganAssistant Chaplain

Alan BallPrincipal

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Tim EganAssistant Principal (Head of Secondary)

Karin LisleDirector of Pastoral Care K-12

From the head oF seCondary

peer relations survey results

re-issue oF essa results to year 9

This week has again sparked the debate surrounding standardised testing and it’s associated issues. Previously I addressed this in relation to an article by the Headmaster of Knox Grammar, John Weeks. I would like to share with you this week, an excerpt from an article that has been crafted by the Director of Victorian Opera and a previous conducting mentor of mine, Richard Gill.

Evidence is now available that schools all over the country are cutting back on arts education to devote more time to subjects that will make children literate. It can be demonstrably proven that activities used in teaching for the national tests destroy individuality, stifle creativity, stultify thought and make all children respond in the same way - a sort of educational circus in which the children are the trained animals and the teachers the poorly paid ringmasters.

The very things that promote literacy and numeracy are the arts, beginning with serious arts education in the early years. If we want a creative nation, an imaginative nation, a thinking nation and a nation of individuals, then we must increase the time for arts education, especially music education. If we want a nation of non-imaginative robots who can do tests, then we are well on the way to achieving that condition.

Parents need to know that it is through participation in arts subjects that the mind, imagination, spirit and soul of a child are stimulated. Through this stimulation comes a bonus in all other areas of learning.

I am a proud advocate of the Arts and indeed sport, so that students experience these endeavours as an integral part of the learning process. You would be all aware of the time and dedication that our teachers here at BDC put into pursuits such as these to benefit our children. These are not compulsory activities, yet they are offered at our school to educate the whole child and allow them to develop in such a way that is complimentary to all facets of brain development.

I would like to sincerely thank all of our dedicated teachers who provide opportunities for students in the pursuit of a real education. All you have to do is read the Sport and Music sections of our newsletter to come to understand just how dedicated they are.

I was most impressed by the number of students who participated in the Secondary Peer Support survey. The results of the survey were indicative of the care that our school takes to ensure the physical and emotional safety of all students. The first question in the survey asked students to demonstrate how they feel about attending school, and the majority of students chose the second indicator out of eight, indicating that most students were very happy to attend school (no matter what they might say to you on Monday morning after a busy weekend!)

One question asked how often bullying happened at the school and most students (especially boys in Year 7 and 8) reported that it only occurred sometimes, and it mainly occurred at recess and lunchtimes. As a result of this information, the Middle School Coordinators are running activities at break times, to give students things to do. Mr Brown is organising a handball competition for Year 7 students. Year 8 and 9 students are encouraged to play on the oval in break time, and we are encouraging students to apply sunscreen which is provided at the bottom of the steps.

Most bullying that was reported was calling each other names (boys) or excluding people from groups (girls). The Pastoral Care program in tutor groups will address these issues. Most students who had been subjected to bullying reported the incident to a teacher or counsellor, and mostly the incidents stopped. Not one incident of being reported was made worse, so we encourage all students to report bullying if it occurs. A great majority of students felt that teachers at the school were interested in stopping bullying.

The results of this survey were reported to staff at the last meeting and a lot of discussion ensued. I do know that many families enrol their students at Bishop Druitt College because they believe we are proactive in the prevention of bullying in school. If you have any issues with this report or any other issues, please feel free to contact me. More results will be reported in coming weeks.

Yr 9 students received an amended ESSA report in Science classes this week. Please note the following:There is no change to your child’s allocated mark for correct responses (black & white document). • The coloured double-page document with the Summary of Student Achievement has changed for most students who will have • improved performance levels in comparison to the original document sent home with students in Term 1. As far as we know, no students have been revised downwards. This Summary compares them to their statewide cohort and • allocates their achievement level for different categories.

seCondary sChool

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Lisa BrownCounselling Department

Dale GrahamTAS Department

reduCe stress and inCrease Wellbeing

outrigger Canoeing suCCess

metal Work aWard

Feeling overwhelmed by the demands facing you this year? Ready to learn a new skill to help sharpen your attention and improve your memory while reducing stress and improving your health and relationships?

Mindfulness is a proven and effective way to help reduce stress, and improve concentration, self-esteem, daily functioning and overall mood. Mindfulness involves training attention to develop awareness of unfolding experience in the present moment non-judgmentally. It means that we learn to be aware of whatever thoughts, emotions, sensations flow in and out of our awareness so that we can step out of automatic patterns of reactivity that are not always helpful.

While some stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing, we know that chronic levels of elevated stress can lead to unhelpful psychological and physiological effects including changes in areas of the brain associated with memory and planning, and reductions in health and wellbeing. There is much neuroscientific research that suggests learning to cope with stress increases prefrontal brain regions that are important in regulating emotion and enhancing resilience.

BDC is offering mindfulness training as an inoculation against stress to interested Year 11 and 12 students Thursday afternoons after school, during Terms 2 and 3.

Topics covered include:1. Examining Stress and an Introduction to Mindfulness.2. Foundations of Mindfulness.3. Working with What Is: Developing Practice and Present Moment Awareness.4. Cultivating Self-Care and Awareness of Positive Experience.5. Working with Thoughts and Unpleasant Events.6. Coping Strategies, Letting Go, and Forgiveness.7. Mindful Resilience.8. Review and Intentions for the Future.

A parents and students information session has been arranged on 31 May at 3:30pm here at the College. For further information, or to register interest contact Lisa Brown – Psychologist BDC Counselling Department on ext. 249 or lbrown@bdc.nsw.edu.au

Congratulations to Kylani Purcell (Year 12), Sunita Williams (year 9) and Ms Hollier who were part of the Coffs Coast Outrigger Canoe Club “Young Guns” team who received a trophy for First place in the South Queensland Zone Short Course Series for the 2011/12 season. Congratulations also goes to Ms Hollier who received a Gold medal in the National Championships for Senior Master’s Women 10km OC6 Marathon.

Claire Spain of Yr 8 recently completed the Metal Work component of her Mandatory Technology course. Members of the class had to design and construct a metal ornament.

Claire worked very hard on her project and finished ahead of time and had the initiative to enter it in the Macksville Show. The moved obviously paid off with a first place in her division. Congratulations Claire on your much deserved award.

Sue SiwinskiHead of Science Faculty

Your child has been directed in class to mark the new document with “V2” so that you may easily identify the correct version of • the report and discard the original. We apologise for any inconvenience this unfortunate clerical error by the ESSA Authority may have caused. •

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Graeme NaftelAssistant Principal (Head of Primary)

Marlene Evans and Natalie FrancoPrimary Librarians

Christa PitmanYear 6 Teacher

Beth HiltonAssistant Sport Administrator K-12

From the head oF primary

library book Fair

year 6 Cultural study

WoolWorths earn and learn promotion

NAPLANStudents in Years 3 and 5 sat the NAPLAN papers this week. At this stage ACARA has not published dates for results to be distributed, but historically the College has received results around September, which we then forward onto parents and carers.

PICASSO COW NAMINGDuring the week, children were given the opportunity to choose a name for our cow. We are pleased to announce that our Picasso Cow will henceforth be referred to as ‘Madame Moo’. During the coming week, students will have the opportunity to help us plan how we will decorate Madame Moo.

ROAD SAFETYResearch shows that children aged eight to ten are the most likely to be involved in a traffic accident. Children in Years 3 and 4 have this week received a Road Safety reminder, sponsored by Basso Plumbing.

CanTeen - YOU CAN PROGRAMBDC has been registered in the ‘You Can’ schools program, which hopes to raise $15m for youth cancer centres and services across Australia. 1 in 100 Australians are diagnosed with cancer before the age of 30, and it is the biggest killer disease of Australian teenagers. By placing your old mobile phones in the collection box located in the Main Office, you can help raise money for this excellent cause. For more information, visit www.youcanschools.org.au.

The library looked very colourful and the students had fun browsing the books and posters at the Book Fair during their library lessons last week. On Thursday morning the library was packed to the rafters with students and parents keen to buy something from the Book Fair. The Junior Primary students loved seeing Clifford, the big red dog at their assembly. With 35% commission from all sales, we were able to buy $2,320 worth of new books for our library. Thank you very much for your support.

This term Year 6 are studying “Who Are Australians?” and what cultural groups make up Australian culture as we see it today. In doing this we are setting up our classrooms as Cultural Museums. Each group will study a particular culture that has been influential in creating Australian culture. These cultures are Italian, German, Middle Eastern, Indian, British, Indonesian, Greek, Japanese and Chinese. The students will be creating displays of different elements within their area of study and making artefacts, which represent elements from each cultural group.

We will be inviting members from the College community to visit our museums at the end of the term. If you have anything you would like to contribute to the students’ study, please contact one of the Year 6 teachers.

BDC will again be participating in this promotion from 9 May to 1 July.

This year, for every $10 spent in Woolworths, you will receive a sticker to place on a sticker card. When the card is full, bring the card in to school and place it in the ‘Earn and Learn’ collection box in the library.

For more information clink on the link: www.woolworths.com.au/earnandlearn

Last year the College claimed some fabulous resources for our students and we look forward to your support again this year.

primary sChool

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musiC soirees

On Friday 18 May 2012, the Music Department will be holding a Brass & Woodwind soiree, where students will showcase their eisteddfod performance pieces. The evening starts at 6pm and will finish at 7:30pm with light refreshments served.

On Sunday 20 May 2012, we will be holding a String Soiree, where students will showcase their eisteddfod performance pieces. The afternoon starts at 2pm and will finish at 4:30pm with light refreshments served.

We look forward to sharing this music with you.

musiCal notes

Fireworks

The fireworks are amazing. They look like spiky balls. They feel very shaky. They explode on top of each other and smell all smoky. I hear boom and crack. They make people feel happiness wherever they are. I like fireworks. Bella Flynn (1G)

Fireworks are beautiful. They make a big boom. They are multicoloured and they are also colours all mixed together. They go up and then they come down and they dip in the sky. There is music when the fireworks are quiet. Sometimes you can see the fireworks on the water and it is very pretty. They look like little spiky balls and they are different colours. Sometimes you can take a picture of the fireworks. Fireworks are the best.Kaleah Doherty (1G)

What am I?

I bite. I run fast. I have sharp claws. I jump. I am fury. I am big. I can paddle in the water. I have sharp teeth and I have sharp claws in my feet. I can see at night a little bit. I have a tail and I chase cats. I can be wild. I like to have fun.Jay Crismale (1G) I have sharp teeth and I have flippers too. I swim in the water and I swim after fish. I can do tricks. I can swim away when a person wants me.Elliott Parry (1G)

I am rainbow, green or brown. When I am born I don’t look like the animal I am. I can leap. I live near ponds. I go croak. I am found all over Australia. You hear me when it rains. I can live for 10 years.Riley-Jack Pallant (1G)

Jorja Cohen (1G) ANZAC Day Poppies

grade oF the Week - year 1

Fireworks

The fireworks are spectacular. They can be rainbow coloured. They are super fast and explode. They go KABOOM!Ben Ashmore (1B)

The Mystery Boot

I think this boot belongs to Rossi. This boot has a black tread. It has been in a wet, muddy puddle. Joshua Lim (1B)

This boot belongs to Mr Ball. This boot is made of leather. This boot has been in the mud. Matteo Bordignon (1B)

The Ugly Duckling

The ugly duckling is cute. He looks like a soft duckling. He quacks loudly. He smells like a beautiful flower. He feels like a soft pillow. Rose Jones (1B)

Ross Wallace (1B) Explosion

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Dale CondonHead of Music K-12

CoFFs harbour eisteddFod 2012

hsC musiC intensive to lismore

open day

kodaly voiCe Classes

The eisteddfods are fast approaching. Permission letters have been sent home. Please continue to bring in these permission notes to the Music office. Students who have not brought in their notes will be unable to travel by bus to the eisteddfod.

All students are expected to wear full school uniform. All sections begin at 9:30am and expected to conclude by 12:30pm on the set days.

Date: Thursday 24th May 2012Group: Senior Concert Band, Senior Jazz Band, Senior String Consort

Date: Friday 25th May 2012Group: Primary Guitar Ensemble, Superstrings, Primary Performance Band

Date: Monday 28th May 2012Group: Year 2 Choir, Year 6 Choir, Year 5 Folk Song Group

Date: Monday 28th May 2012Group: Senior Choir

The dates for the HSC Music Enrichment Camp at Southern Cross University, Lismore are: Sunday 3 June to Monday 4 June.

Music students in Year 11 and 12 will have the opportunity to participate in workshops in performance, musicology, aural and composition. University lecturers, HSC examiners and music teachers run these workshops. Students will be able to present their works, gain feedback from the examiners as well as hear other HSC students’ works.

Please bring your signed permission notes to the Music office as soon as possible.

Tuesday May 29th is Open Day at the College. Secondary Choir and Superstrings will be performing on the Music Lawn for morning tea. We would like to invite students of Woodwind and/or Brass to also perform. If your child would like to participate please call the Music Office.

Alice Jamison is running a Kodaly voice class from 8am on Wednesday morning in M2 for primary students. This is a musicianship-based class where kids can consolidate their learning of pitch, part-singing, harmony and rhythm. Classes are $5. Anybody is welcome. These classes are a no pressure, fun way of building your music skills. Please contact Alice if you would like your child to participate at opusalice@gmail.com

Please contact the Music office if you have any queries.

athletiCs

FootballThe BDC U15 Girls Football team played the second round of the Bill Turner Trophy on Monday against John Paul College. It was a thoroughly entertaining and thrilling match. Our girls played some fantastic football to fight back to 3-3 with only a few minutes left, but couldn’t hold out and went down 4-3 in the end.

Athletics trials will continue at lunchtime next week with javelin for Secondary and Turbojav for Primary.

Primary Secondary

Monday 21 May Junior Girls 12/13 Yrs Girls and BoysTuesday 22 May Junior Boys 14 Yrs Girls Wednesday 23 May 11 Yrs Girls / Boys 14 yrs BoysThursday 24 May Senior Girls 15 Girls and BoysFriday 25 May Senior Boys 16/17+ Girls and Boys

Please note: Primary Athletics Carnival will be held at BDC on 15 June, and Secondary will be held at BCU Stadium on 18 June.

College sport

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important dates and events

out oF sChool hours Care

parents and Friends

20 May BDC String Soiree - 2pm-5pm in the Music block

22 May Primary ICAS Computer Skills

23 May U14’s Rugby vs JPC

25 May Coffs Harbour District Eisteddfod

29 May BDC Open Day

2 June P&F Trivia Night - More info...

College Community

Jim WebberSports Administrator K-12

Mariellos UrrutiaOSHC Administration

trinity grammar sChool visitTrinity Combined Preps will arrive here at BDC on 19 June to play against our Senior Primary teams in Rugby and Football. The games will be played at BDC on 20 June, with Trinity leaving the following morning.

We require host families to billet the 35 students for two nights, from 19 – 21 June. Please contact me if you are able to provide any assistance. jwebber@bdc.nsw.edu.au

Next week is all about looking after the environment. OSHC children will be getting their hands dirty as we head to our garden and give it a clean. We will also be replanting our lettuces for the primary gardening club. During this week we will also be having a fashion walk off in the OSHC playground using newspapers. A scavenger hunt will take place down on the oval as we put our thinking caps on and look for items that can be recycled. On Wednesday children will be helping staff in the kitchen to make green pancakes and on Thursday children will be making their own animal mask.

A reminder to parents, please write in your child’s diary if they are to come to OSHC. This enables staff to quickly identify children that are not meant to be at OSHC but parent pick-up or bus lines. To make a booking for After School Care please notify Mariellos on 6651 7400 or send an email to oshc@bdc.nsw.edu.au. We look forward to seeing you at OSHC soon.

TRIvIA NIGHT - 2ND JUNECome for a fun, social and entertaining evening dressed as your favourite movie character! Tickets are selling fast, get in before its too late! Also if you would like to donate a prize or items to be auctioned on the night please email Erika at the P&F email below. Trivia Night information here...

PARENTS & FRIENDS CATERING vAN Throughout the College year, the van will be facilitated at various events and will need volunteers to assist and prepare food. It is a great way to assist the College in providing a wonderful service to the students and visitors. If you would like to be placed on our Parents & Friends Catering Van Volunteer list, please email the P & F or phone President Allan Williams.

CANTEEN vOLUNTEERS NEEDEDIf you have a spare hour or more, especially between 10.30am and 12pm (recess service) or 1pm and 2pm (lunch service) the Canteen Manager, Ben Pike would be greatly appreciative. If you can offer a hand please fill in the form located on the BDC website and return to the College or for further enquiries please email Ben on bpike@bdc.nsw.edu.au

POSITIONS AvAILAbLE - vICE PRESIDENT SOCIAL AND vICE PRESIDENT FUNDRAISINGDetails available from President Allan Williams.

CONTACT USFor more information, to view our Constitution or read our latest meeting minutes, click on “Our Community” then “Parents and Friends” on the College Website. We look forward to your support.President: Allan Williams 0408 332 082 akwillo@live.comP & F email: parentsandfriends@bdc.nsw.edu.au

Next Meeting: Monday 21st May, 6.30 to 7.30 pm, Senior Common Room, refreshments provided

The Bishop Druitt College Parents and Friends Association is an organisation that supports the aims and objectives of the College. It does so through the promotion of fundraising, fellowship, friendship and fun.