GAZETTE From the Principal VOLUME NO. 23 – AUGUST 10 2015

Dear parents, students, staff and friends of Rosebank,

Success continues to flood the College with so many rich and varied learning experiences including the Festival of the Creative Spirit, recent student and staff arrivals from Germany and Monserrat, numerous co-curricular successes and the 2015 ski trip. Our students are certainly enriched by these programs while at the same time concentrating on building essential skills.

The initial release of the 2015 NAPLAN results have stirred up again the debate regarding basic skills testing. For Rosebank we value this important but limited measure of learning. It provides a certain level of accountability, important benchmarking and learning gain for students and staff, data for deeper analysis to maximise the use of valuable resources, diagnostic data to assist individual students as well as patterns of data that greatly assist the College to review its programs and priorities.

However, like all data it is important that conclusions are related to the actual information collected, the process from which it emerges and the assumptions embedded in the interpretation. All of us know instinctively that learning is a highly complex process and what is being learnt (a skill, a concept, a process, an idea etc.) requires a range of techniques and experiences as well as a range of assessment tools.

While the learning agenda is certainly a contested arena in most nations with different views on purpose, focus, and outcomes, the Australian community surely can agree on what constitutes a fundamentally successful education. The work on the national curriculum while not without its controversy is the best attempt to date at reaching some consensus. We do, however, need to be careful of the impact of politics and media hype that can cloud perception.

The focus this past week has been on growth or rather the lack of it. Comments include ‘at a national level we are seeing little change in student achievement in these important areas of learning’ and ‘the stagnating literacy and numeracy skills of Australian primary school students should serve as a wake-up call for the nation’. I tend to side with Peter Goss, a Grattan Institute director who directs our attention to the ability of students to learn: “It is easy to analyse NAPLAN results, much harder to improve them. You don’t fatten a pig by weighing it. If NAPLAN results are to improve, we need to improve student learning”.

This in no way detracts from the enormous work and effort expended to date through a range of strategies including differentiated learning, changing pedagogy (how teachers teach), changes in curriculum, additional funding, sharper focus on the essential role of parents, Festival of the Creative Spirit

Character Day

Father Sergi with Montserrat Students

Father Sergi with Year 8 Religion classes

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From the Principaladditional literacy and numeracy staff and programs to name just a few.

All these interventions can and have made a difference, however, they are costly and take a long time to reap any substantive rewards. I am reminded of the wonderful educationalist and TED speaker Ken Robinson who has spoken on many topics including ‘do schools kill creativity?’, ‘Changing education paradigms’ and ‘How to escape education’s death valley’. In his presentation ‘Bring on the learning revolution’, Ken makes the case for a radical shift from standardised schools to personalised learning. Ken refers to the USA attempt to meet the Presidential expectations that ‘no child will be left behind’. Following billions of dollars of investment the statistics have shown little learning improvement.

Robinson concluded that all human systems reach a certain level of efficiency and that once this threshold is reached more of the same is not that effective. A good metaphor for this dilemma is the speed of a vessel on water. Each vessel has a theoretical hull speed. To go beyond this requires an inordinate amount of energy which is costly. So while some manufacturers are hell bent on designing and installing larger power plants, others are returning to the drawing boards and revisiting the fundamental assumptions of a vessel and developing new, unique and effective designs. What is required is different. If we collectively want more we then need a new learning paradigm. It is heartening that some pioneering work using the learning sciences is showing notable success.

Can we improve the ability of students to learn what is being taught? At Rosebank this is an important part of our work. Effort and focus on student readiness to learn includes pastoral programs, vertical home rooms, mentoring, safe and supportive community, a breadth of curriculum, counselling services, VET/careers programs, home school liaison etc.

However, there is so much more we can do. Until the work of pioneering neuroscientist Dr Michael Merzenich and other scientists revealed the natural ability of our brains to change (“rewire”), now known as brain plasticity, educators believed that students’ capacity to learn was fixed from the moment they started school. We are now being challenged to pay attention to future ways of thinking including brain training exercises. Dr Merzenich recently stated that these would soon become as common as physical fitness programs. We will continue to report on progress being made in this development.

In the meantime we will welcome the new graduating class of 2021 (and their families) on Monday evening and we are mindful of our Yr 12 students who complete their trials on Monday and return to full classes on Tuesday. This will be followed by the Co-curricular evening on Wednesday and the HSC Drama Showcase on Thursday. This is certainly a packed and exciting agenda.Tom GaleaPrincipal

Festival of the Creative Spirit

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Wednesday August 12 Co-Curricular Night

Thursday August 13 HSC Drama Showcase

Tuesday August 18 Year 9 LPMs Thursday August 20 Year 7 Vaccinations Dose 3

Monday August 24-28 Literacy and Numeracy week

Tuesday August 25 HSC Music showcase

Wednesday August 26 Year 8 LPM’s

Saturday August 29 P&F Trivia night

Tuesday August 1 Year 11 Drama Production

Thursday September 3 Men who Matter Breakfast

Dates for the Diary

From the Assistant Principal

Unclaimed clothingOver the course of the year a considerable amount of different parts of uniforms have been collected from around the school along with other items, such as non-College garments, pencil cases, water bottles and shoes. Unclaimed property is stored in the Printery. To date, most of the goods remain unclaimed. The Printery has no room left to store these items. At the end of school on Friday 14 August all unclaimed clothing will be sent to the Uniform Shop for re-sale as second-hand clothing or disposed at the discretion of the College. If your daughter or son is missing items of uniform please ask them to go to the Printery and check the clothing currently stored in the Lost Property cabinet.

Dear Families, With just over two weeks until the P&F Trivia Night on 29 August, we are looking forward to an evening of entertainment. If you have not purchased your tickets as yet, I would encourage you to do so. Not only are you supporting the College, but who knows what fun you may have, new friendships you will form and what prizes you may win?

Thank you to the students and families who have promptly returned their raffle tickets. Again, I urge those of you who have not, to return the tickets as soon as possible.

We welcome back our students and staff from the annual Ski Trip. Another big week lays ahead with our Year 7 2016 Information Night this evening, Co-Curricular Presentation Night on Wednesday and the HSC Drama Showcase on Thursday.

Mr Paul Hardwick Assistant Principal Uniform Shop NoticeBookings are now open for Senior Uniform Fittings. It is compulsory for all Year 10 students to start wearing the senior uniform at the beginning of Term 4 this year. Girls require a white blouse and skirt. Boys require a white shirt. The fitting dates are: Monday 7 September Wednesday 9 September Friday 11 September Monday 14 September Wednesday 16 September from 3.30pm to 6.30pm. Please go to schoolinterviews.com.au to book. Enter the code 5LDGE and follow the prompts. Fittings will be made outside these times by appointment only.

Stephanie HarrisUniform Shop Manager

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From The Dean of MissionMontserrat comes to Montserrat!On Thursday morning last week Mr Hajjar and Dr O’Shea along with their Year 8 RE classes joined Fr Sergi d’Assis Gelpi OSB, Principal of Escolania de Montserrat, the famous boys’ choir school based at the Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat, near Barcelona in Catalonia. Fr Sergi and a group of nine former boys from Montserrat are spending time at Rosebank for a few weeks as part of the College’s International Benedictine Short Stay Student Exchange program. The program offers students from Rosebank and other Benedictine schools around the world the opportunity to literally “come and see” and experience another dimension of our common Benedictine heritage.

Fr Sergi’s community was founded in 1025 and is home today to sixty monks. The choir school dates from the early part of the 14th century, possibly as early as 1307, and is one of the oldest boys choirs in the world. Today there are 53 boy sopranos and altos in the choir. Choral students are also musicians. Our visitors were all members of the choir in their earlier years at Montserrat.

Year 8 have been studying the topic “Alive in Christ” which asks questions about how do I live my Christian calling in the world today? Fr Sergi shared with us some of his insights into that question.

Fr Sergi was a former member of the choir and completed his secondary education at Montserrat before spending about three years engaged in volunteer work while studying at university. His volunteer work was anything but dull! From time spent working in Honduras to the beginnings of an ongoing prison visiting ministry, Fr Sergi felt compelled to search for an answer to the question of what was he to do with his life? His time spent with the poor and especially with prisoners made him sensitive to the reality of suffering in our world. And life was passing so quickly – how do I live and live well?Through these experiences Fr Sergi came to discover that the answer lay before him in great simplicity. Life was to be lived; not in some superficial way that centred only on him, but lived with passion and integrity, lived for and with others. He quoted a passage from Henry David Thoreau that became well-known through Robin William’s character, Mr Keating, in Dead Poet’s Society (1989).

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived”. Wanting to live, Fr Sergi entered the Benedictine community and allowed himself to be immersed into

living. The monastic day follows a regular rhythm of prayer and work. Time spent in prayer helps to live more intensively; prayer allows the individual to “ruminate” over life, to think, to be open to the realities that the business of daily life can blur or ignore. And this gift is offered not only to the daughters and sons of Benedict, but to all people in whatever life path they are in and on. For Fr Sergi, the gift of prayer has made him realise that life has, in fact, slowed down. “I realise what I am living; I feel alive”.

This is why St Benedict wrote his Rule. He knew the importance of creating a place in time and space where the community could enter into the rhythm of prayer and so allow space for everything else. It is a paradox; six times a day the community joins together in prayer, and nothing is neglected and no one forgotten. There is space for all things.

Speaking to the Year 8s Fr Sergi pointed out that it is important to have at least one moment each day to be still and silent in order to allow ourselves time to think about what is important, to pray, to be alone. How we do that is really up to the individual – there is not ONE way to do this; there are many ways. How do we live like this? It is through love – allowing ourselves to be loved by God, by ourselves, and allowing ourselves to be loved by others. Again, there are many ways; I must find the way that God leads me towards.

Fr Sergi said that he finds his happiness through his monastic vocation, expressed in the Liturgy, lived with his brothers in community, in his ministry as principal, and in his engagement with prisoners – a work he continues today.

“I had a picture of prisoners before I went to the prison. But when I met prisoners I learned that human beings are very different, sometimes doing bad things. This made me think. I discovered that real happiness is found in loving others, in Jesus. Conversation with others can open us to learn a lot about other people; we may not agree but we still learn. Did I have hope that I could

Father Sergi with Year 8 Religion classes

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change minds? No, this was not my mission. My mission was to help; to listen”.“Who is my role model? Jesus. He always tried to listen and understand. He was always interested in how people were living. He reached out to those who were discriminated against. Jesus did not say that everything was OK – he says we must love and try to bring love to the other person”.“How can we follow Jesus as young people? You can do many things. For example, listen to others. There are so many people who want to be listened to; they have no one who listens to them. There are people around us who need our help – within my own family. And pray – Jesus prayed everyday. His followers need to pray”.To hear and view the Montserrat choir, please click below:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U46KfdxMrssThank you Fr Sergi! Dr Paul O’Shea Dean of Mission

Maths NewsMaths @ LunchMaths help is available to students 3 days a week at lunchtime.Maths teachers can assist students with any mathematical problems they are experiencing. Maths @ Lunch is voluntary and is available to all students from Year 7 to Year 12. When: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday lunchtimesWhere: Room J202Bring your lunch and see you there!

The Uniform Shop Opening HoursTuesdays: 8.00am - 11.45amWednesdays: 12.30pm - 4.15pmThursdays: 8.00am - 12.00pm and 12.30pm - 4.45pm

Year 8 Industrial Technology Character Day

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Co-Curricular NewsSports Report

Competition Team Played against Result and score

Player of the match

CBSA Senior Futsal De La Salle College Won 16-4 Gavin Brackenbury-Soldenhoff

CBSA Junior AFL Holy Spirit College Lost 48-21 Ben WrigleyCBSA Intermediate AFL Holy Spirit College Won 33-29 Daniel SykesSCC Junior Basketball St Charbel’s College Won 15-4 Kara SimpsonSCC Intermediate

BasketballSt Charbel’s College Won 33-5 Gnima Sagna

SCC Senior Basketball St Charbel’s College Won 30-6 Luana MatroneSCC Senior Softball Casimir College Won 15-6 Alexandra RichardsonSCC Junior Soccer St Charbel’s College Won 1-0 Rosina FalvoSCC Intermediate Soccer St Charbel’s College Won 5-0 Hazel DuwenbeckFDLC Futsal U14’s Emus Avengers Draw 1-1 Charlize DaherFDLC Futsal U14’s Echidnas Santa 7 Win 6-0 Lucia MassioliFDLC Futsal U16’s Koalas Schols Yr 10 Boarders Draw 1-1 Niamh FarrellFDLC Futsal U16’s Wombats Schols Astronauts Win 6-1 Chiara BivonaFDLC Futsal U16’s Crocodiles Santa Sisters Win 1-0 Alessia GangemiFDLC Futsal U18’s Kookaburras Schols Yr 12 Boarders Win ForfeitIWSNA Netball U13’s Vultures Schols Phoenix Suns Win 22-3 Sarah MandileIWSNA Netball U14’s Raptors GNC Astras Win 22-9 Whole TeamIWSNA Netball U15’s Falcons Schols Wizards Loss 36-3 Kyannah PatherIWSNA Netball U15’s Hawkes TNC Prowlers Loss 24-3 Isabella FioriIWSNA Netball U16’s Eagles HNC Scorpians Win 52-16 Jessica NishijimaIWSNA Netball U18’s Blackbirds TNC Kit Kats Win 38-18 Jemma SmithMLC Waterpolo Kingfish SGH 3 Loss 10-2 Ruby PeresaMLC Waterpolo Sharks Kambala 1 Loss 8-4 Rebecca SmithMLC Waterpolo Dolphins Schols 2 Loss 13-1 Corrine Maggs

Thursday 13 August Games• Junior SCC Soccer vs Bethany College

Marco Reserve, Panania

• Intermediate SCC Soccer vs Bethany College Marco Reserve, Panania

• Junior SCC Basketball vs Bethany College Bankstown Basketball Stadium, Condell Park

• Intermediate SCC Basketball vs Bethany College Bankstown Basketball Stadium, Condell Park

• Senior SCC Basketball vs Bethany College Bankstown Basketball Stadium, Condell Park

• Senior SCC Softball vs All Saints Liverpool Kelso North Softball Diamonds, Panania

• Junior CBSA AFL vs Casimir College

• Goddard Oval, Concord

• Intermediate CBSA AFL vs Casimir College Goddard Oval, Concord

• Senior CBSA Futsal vs Casimir College Golden Goal, Strathfield

Term 3 Training DaysPlease see below training days for Term 3. Training is compulsory and runs from 3.20pm-5pm. Please get changed and meet your coach in the undercroft.

• Senior girls softballMonday afternoons

• Intermediate girls soccer – Monday afternoons

• Junior girls soccer – Monday afternoons

• Senior girls basketball – Tuesday afternoons

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• Intermediate girls basketball – Monday afternoons

• Junior girls basketball – Thursday afternoons

• Intermediate AFL – Tuesday afternoons

• Junior AFL – Wednesday afternoons

• Senior boys futsal – Friday afternoons

Reminders We are currently busy organising Baseball, Touch Football, Summer Futsal, and Santa Sabina Volleyball/Basketball. Please ensure permission notes are returned promptly so we have accurate numbers for creating teams. Also, for both Baseball and Touch football, team members are required to register online. All students have been provided with instructions for this. Please note, parents do not need to pay the registration fee as players should be registered as being part of a school team.

Claire Moran Ms Kathy JohnsonAssistant Co-Curricular Coordinator Assistant Co-Curricular Coordinator

Rosebank Ski Trip 2015This past weekend 60 students and five teachers embarked on the annual Rosebank Ski Trip. On Thursday afternoon we all boarded the bus with great anticipation, excitement and plenty of snacks for the journey!

After the long coach trip we arrived at Berridale and got our first taste of the cold as were fitted for our gear in the middle of the night. The next three days were jam packed with skiing and snow boarding. The Rosebank group was truly blessed and had amazing conditions with the sun shining the whole time on a great covering of snow.

All the students who attended are to be commended for their enthusiasm, cooperation and commitment to learning to ski or snow board. For those who are experienced, the trip was an amazing opportunity to spend time with their friends doing something they love. All the teachers who attended were very proud of all the students’ achievements and it was great to see everyone from all different social and year groups come together and have so much fun.

We all returned to Rosebank late on Sunday evening, some feeling a little bruised or battered, and all feeling very exhausted! I am sure all who attended would agree that the trip was a great success and are already looking forward to next year. A very special thanks to Anthony Taylor for organising the event as a great deal of preparation is required, to the parents for their support and to the staff and students who helped make it a safe and enjoyable weekend.Ms Kathy Johnson

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Festival of the Creative Spirit - Year 7 Character Day

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Festival of the Creative Spirit - Year 7 Character Day

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Drop Bear membership It’s that time of year for membership in the University of Sydney’s Drop Bears. If you are not sure about joining the University of Sydney’s robotics club please feel free to attend a few meetings before you jump in. This will allow you to have a discussion with the mentors and other team members regarding any questions or concerns. Please come and See Ms Di Marco if you have any questions or require further information.

Night PatrolOn Saturday, August 2, four girls and two teachers loaded a truck with canned goods, milk, tea and coffee, chips, muesli bars, fruit and a couple of hundred sandwiches. The team ventured off to three locations in the City whereby they fed those who are living under rough conditions and were gratefully in need of the supplies. Below Hannah shares her experiences.

I’m Hannah Price from Year 12 and I was part of the team that night. My job, alongside Melanie Byrne, Sophie Samaha and Alexandra Zdravkovski, was to hand out hot and cold beverages along with chips, fruit, sandwiches, biscuits and other food items. I asked “what would you like?” to every guest who greeted me and was amazed at their polite and thankful replies. Due to the wonderful College donations we were able to give lots of food and drink and even three or four sandwiches to someone so thankful to be offered even one. Also, I saw first-hand the difference our donated blankets and sleeping bags made to the lives of those who were fortunate enough to get one. I found the experience very social and gratifying. I would recommend it to anyone interested in making a ‘small difference’ in the lives of those less fortunate with just polite conversation and a bit of food.

A huge thank you to Mr Moreira and Mr Hajjar for leading us on this wonderful social justice and outreach experience. Mr. Pedro Moreira

Cochlear Cricket TeamCongratulations to Lliam Ferrier who was selected as a member of a group of eight promising young cricketers to be filmed with Australian Cricketer legend Brett Lee. The video will be used internationally to explain how the Cochlear implant device helps profoundly deaf people to hear. The Australian biomedical invention has helped thousands of people across the world hear for the first time. Well done Lliam!

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On Tuesday 4 August, Year 7 and 9 students from Rosebank College and the Year 9 iThink class attended the Junior Gifted and Talented Conference held at Cranbrook School in Bellevue Hill. This conference focused on philosophical ideas and debates which were presented by an Oxford University Lecturer from the United Kingdom. This was a very stimulating day of thought provoking ideas that lead to many in-depth discussions throughout the sessions and even in the break times around the lunch tables. It was a wonderful day where I was inspired by the ideas from such thoughtful young people and their commitment to many issues surrounding our current society. Below some Students share their experiences.

“On Tuesday (4th of August), a group of students involved in the Rosebank Gifted & Talented program attended the Junior Gifted and Talented Philosophy Conference at Cranbrook School, in Bellevue Hill. This conference prompted us to further expand our methods of thinking, and raised controversial topics which challenged our very existence. A common theme in our discussions was the philosophical theories and notions, regarding our existence. This included the genetic manipulation and modification of children at conception, souls and spirits, and if these were existent. Inconceivable thoughts arose in response to very simplistic yet incredible questions, such as - what makes you, you? We explored the formation of our identity, and discussed if our memories were indeed essential to distinguishing an independence of identity. The opinions which we established on that matter were significantly challenged as the session continued, as we deliberated the answers to questions such as - Would a clone of yourself be you? The conference concluded with an interesting debate which explored the concept of freedom being an illusion - are we oblivious to a constant force which predetermines our decisions? To conclude, attending the philosophy conference provided us with further insight and exposure, to the questions which realistically cannot be answered. Thank you to Ms Foster and Ms Celler for all of the organisation and coordination which enabled us to attend.” James King

“On the 4th of August, a group of gifted and talented students went to the Junior Gifted and Talented day academy conference. During the day we were able to expand our methods of thinking and look into philosophical ideas we perhaps hadn’t thought about before. Some of these topics included; the science of genetic engineering where we looked into the different ways people can genetically manipulate babies in order to either fix problems or enhance the baby. Consequently, great ethical concerns arose which we looked into further. Another topic was ‘what makes you, you?’ This topic was about the brain and how we think. There are many theories surrounding this which allowed us to explore what it really means to be human. Are we made from our memories and experiences or is there more? Another topic was life after death where we explored how we could live after life. There were two opposing views on this topic, some thought that we left the body behind and others argued we wouldn’t be ‘ourselves’ if we didn’t have our body. Finally, we were given a topic to debate and this topic was “This house believes that free will is an illusion”. Within this topic we explored the idea of whether we actually have choices or is there some hidden force in which we don’t understand, which drives our decisions? The lecturer used the example of twins to explain her theory. A story once was that two twins met up later in life, after not knowing each other for their entire lives only to find that they had made the same choices in life and even chose to wear the same thing to their meeting. This concept of choices and decisions was also explored through examples of hypnotism.

The day was very insightful and allowed us to open our minds to other topics beyond the school curriculum.” Chloe Duffield Ms Katie Foster

Junior Gifted and Talented Philosophy Conference

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Re-Shelved: Scholastica Research and Study Centre NewsCharacter Day 2015 Wrap-upLast Tuesday, Year 7 and their teachers certainly embraced the spirit of Character Day. Rosebank was awash with book characters! From Alice, Dorothy and Mary Poppins, to Cruella de Ville, Medusa, Big, Bad Wolf, The Joker & Catwoman. There to save the day was Wonder Woman, Katniss Everdeen, Skulduggery Pleasant, Pocahontas and Pokemon. We didn’t need to ask where’s Wally? He was at Rosebank along with Curious George, Tigger, and a poor chimney sweep. Pippi Longstocking, and the Cat in the Hat were never far away from a little mischief and Dave Warner took leave from the Australian cricket team to participate! From a very creative group, these characters were judged the Most Creative:

HOUSE STUDENTSBrady Renaeh Mylonas and Hayden O’ConnellCassidy Ella Batchelor and Alex NewtonCaulfield Donna Nguyen and Daniel LeonDelaney Stiliana Alfred and Riley NelsonDwyer Christina Fitzhenry and Max PerkinsMcLaughlin Sofia Mifsud and Jack PertsoulisO’Connor Hayley Coates and Julian KaplanezVaughan Eleni Efthimiou and Christian Ryan witches

Some teachers represented characters that inspire us. That famous detective Hercule Poirot was helping Superman, Captain America and Robin Hood to safeguard Heidi, Pip & Pippa, the boy in the striped pyjamas and Melanie with those dratted birds. Arthur Dent was still trying to get used to his house being demolished, closely followed by his planet!

Ms Rosanna Algeri was judged Most Creative. Her costume consisted of almost the entire cast from ‘The Life of Pi’ – including the lifeboat!

The books that inspired our sartorial splendour will be on display in the SRSC next week.

World Book Encyclopedia Research FeaturesWorld Book Student has many features to help you find and organise information. There is even a feature to help you get started in your research! From WB Student home page, top right-hand side, click on Take me to… and select How to do Research from the drop-down menu. This step-by-step guide features:

• An explanation of research skills and why you need them

• Planning your research

• Conducting research

• Evaluating sources

• Compiling and organising data

• Presenting information

• Reviewing your work, and a glossary

World Book Advanced- PathfindersFrom the home page, top right-hand side, click on Take me to… On the drop-down menu, select Pathfinders. Pathfinders are collections of resources, including primary source documents, e-books, encyclopedia articles, and multimedia, on a variety of curriculum topics. You can create your own unique collections and share them, just within your account or with all World Book users. Topics include:

• World War I and World War II

• Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome

• Solar System

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Where to find World Book Encyclopedia:• Login to Exchange

• Select Courses

• Select Learning Resources

• Select SRSC Research Databases

• Scroll down to World Book

Reminder # 5:Premier’s Reading Challenge 2015: The last day to bring your completed and signed Reading Logs to the SRSC is Wednesday 19 August.

Study Tip: Mr Mark Stevens, Senior Study TutorLast week we looked at using mind maps to study for multiple-choice and short-answer questions. Most subjects use multiple-choice and short-answer questions to test your recognition of key terms. To do well in an exam you need to score 90%+ for these questions. They are little more than a test of your memory. Another effective way to help you remember the meaning of ideas and terms is to use a free, online flashcard system like quizlet.com. You simply enter the term and its meaning to create a list of flashcards. You can then test your memory as often as you wish by playing games like scatter and by completing tests online. If you play a game or do a test of your terms once or twice a week before your exams you will improve your memory. If you combine mind maps with quizlet you will have a perfect strategy for doing well on these questions.

Until next week – Happy researching!

Ms Tracey Djurichkovic SRSC Manager

Year 8 Industrial Technology

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Positive Parenting Seminar When: Wednesday 12 August, 6.30pm-8pm Location: Business Studies Centre, Knox Grammar, Wahroonga Cost: Free (bookings essential)Who: Parents of Prep and Senior boys and girls (parents from other local schools are welcome to attend)

If you are the parent of a teenager it’s no secret you have one of the hardest jobs in the world. This seminar is aimed at equipping parents with five positive and powerful skills to raise resilient and successful teenagers. This uplifting and motivational session will provide skills for each member of the family to contribute, support and encourage one other.

Glen Gerreyn, a father of four and the author three books: ‘Get Your Hopes Up’, ‘Oxygen: 102 Doses of Inspiration’ and ‘Men of Honour’, will be presenting.

HOMEWORK SUPPORTHomework Support is available every Monday and Wednesday afternoon from 3:20pm to 4:30pm in the back section of the SRSC. This is a drop-in service for ANY student who would like assistance with homework and/or assessment tasks. Students who attend receive a stamp in their diary so that parents and coordinators can acknowledge their committment to achieving their best.Jacquelene Mastroianni and Anastasia BatagianniLearning Support Teachers

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STEM In Week 4, students further developed their skills using Arduino and sensors under the guidance of Derrick and Ms Di Marco. They wrote a program to gather data for a purpose. The results are below:

Results from ‘running’:The students held an accelerometer in their hand whilst from stationary, running 15 metres to a wall and turning back to a complete stop (total of 30 metres).

The accelerometer measures the g-forces of their hand movement when they are running. I was recording this wirelessly on my laptop.

It wasn’t a race but basically Paris and Michael took a bit longer and the forces in their arms were relatively lower to reflect this. In comparison Angelo and Liam who were the faster runners showed more aggressive arm movements. This suggests that waving your arms more rapidly (along with legs) means faster running, which might be the new trend. Who knows? Can you spot where each student how to turn around judging by g-forces?

This week we applied our learning to capture data that would be relevant for PDHPE or elite athletes. 1.) Running a distance of 15 metres and back - using an accelerometer carried in their hand wirelessly.2.) Measuring height and the motion of jumping - using ultrasonic sensor mounted on the ceiling.

Results from ‘jumping’:Firstly, highly commendable effort from Paris in recording the ALL height motion data that you see here as I was outside measuring the running activity.

Here are two other comparison showing how differently Angelo's arm movement is to Lucas'.Similarly, Liam's measurements were much greater than Paris' perhaps due to differing arm lengths? We did not measure this though!

There is so much more to measure and analyse, there is a great potential of applying mathematics as well as using electronics in engineering arising from STEM learning.Ms Lauren Di Marco

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Year 8 Festival of the Creative SpiritOn Tuesday 4 August, as a part of the ‘Festival of the Creative Spirit’ activities, Year 8 visited Taronga Zoo. Our purpose for visiting the Zoo was to redesign an animal enclosure.The day started off by travelling by bus to the Zoo, from there, we walked down past the giraffes and the elephants to a small classroom where we were going to have our first workshop. During the workshop we learnt about the different elements and aspects needed to provide a safe and enjoyable enclosure for the animals at Taronga Zoo. The key was to make the enclosure feel like the natural habitat of the animal so that the animal gets the most out of its enclosure and the public get the most excitement viewing the animal.

Our Zoo educator then led us around some different parts of the Zoo, explaining how each piece of ‘furniture’ in the animal enclosures were crucial to help make the animal feel as though it was in its natural habitat. We saw numerous animals such as the Himalayan Tahrs, Meerkats, Zebras and Fennec Foxes. After that, everyone was free to explore the Zoo until 1:30pm. I split off from the group with Alexandra Beckefeld and Chrystal Challita; we wandered around the zoo and saw almost every single animal including the cute little seals. The whole day was a great success and taught us all how important it is to not only think of the well being of the viewing public, but also the animal’s well being. If it wasn’t for the organisation of Mrs Stooke and our Science teachers, this day wouldn’t have been possible, and so we’d like to thank all the teachers and students for their cooperation.Emma Dunphy (Year 8)

Festival of the Creative Spirit

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Festival of the Creative Spirit

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Mater Dei Excursion On 31 July, the Fundraising leaders (Cara Fletcher, Sasha Athitakis, Danielle Mustica, Bobby Punjabi, Carissa Dragatogiannis and Aleksandra Bridge) ventured to Mater Dei School to attend their Saint Benedict’s Feast Day. Underpinning the philosophy of “inclusion for all”, Mater Dei is an organisation that provides early intervention therapy services, education and residential programs for children and young people with an intellectual disability or development delay.

On our way to Mater Dei, we kind of got lost. A journey that was supposed to be a short trip turned into a long hour and half ride to Camden. We therefore only attended half of the Mass… nevertheless, it was a beautiful ceremony to be a part of and we watched their students perform. After the Mass, the Mater Dei students split off into groups to participate in organised activities for the day. The stations consisted of jumping castles, dress ups, a tattoo parlour, throwing balls into targets, Oz Tag, and tossing sponges at a teachers’ faces. With our luck, we were assigned Oz Tag. We dreaded it at first because the majority of us had skirts on… However, this activity was certainly fun as we got to join in teams and hang out with the students. In particular, it was interesting to watch Dr. O’Shea join in on the fun too. We met a lot of students who were particularly cheeky and were after a good laugh with us. The students were bustling with excitement and were overwhelmed with our presence.

Towards the end of the day, Olaf and Elsa from Frozen visited Mater Dei School too. They performed their iconic songs, allowing the students to sing-a-long, including all of the Mater Dei visitors and ourselves. This then turned into a disco to wrap up the Benedict celebration. However, as all fun things come to an end, we sadly had to leave. The excursion to Mater Dei was a worthwhile trip as all of the students and staff always wore a smile and encouraged us to participate. They were all so welcoming and warm-hearted. The students were truly grateful for us to have participated in their Saint Benedict celebration. It was quite the experience. At Mater Dei, it was evident that their work focused on providing opportunities and experiences that would help the students to develop the skills and confidence to be fully included members of their community. Their aim is to provide their students with an education that caters for a diverse range of needs and provide experiences that will enable them to take their rightful place in society. They have created an evidently welcoming and nurturing environment, and uphold a strong commitment to social justice for all the people with disabilities. Aleksandra Bridge, Year 11

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Careers

LEAP: University Open Day Checklist ‘Must Do’ & ‘Must Find Out’ Items This checklist aims to help parents and students by guiding them through university open day events so they get the most out of the day. There are also tips about key questions to ask staff and Uni students on the day. https://www.leap.vic.edu.au/parents/attend-university-open-day

Private College Events

Australian College of Psychology Open Day 12 Aug 6pm York Street Sydney http://www.acap.edu.au/

AIE Open DayGames, 3D animation and Film FX industries

16 Aug 10.00am http://www.aie.edu.au/openday

ICMS (International College of Management Sydney)

16 Aug 10.00am http://studyicms.com.au/open-day/

AIE Online Campus Experience Day 22 Aug 12.30pm http://www.aie.edu.au/oedThink Education Festival of Change 22 Aug Ultimo http://www.think.edu.au/festival-of-

changeAIE Information Evening 17 Sep 6pm

http://www.aie.edu.au/articles/information-evening-Alphacrucis College Open DayBusiness, chaplaincy, counselling, music and ministry

19 Sep 12.00pm Parramattahttp://openday.ac.edu.au/

OPEN DAYS 29 August

• Notre Dame University http://notredame.edu.au/openday/sydney/• ADFA http://www.openday.adfa.edu.au/• Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School http://www.bluemountains.edu.au/openday/• Bedford College Glebe Campus http://www.bedford.edu.au/about/opendays• University of Wollongong CBD campus

http://business.uow.edu.au/news-events/sydney-open-day/index.html• UTS http://newsroom.uts.edu.au/events/2015/08/uts-open-day-2015• ACU http://life-less-ordinary.acu.edu.au/open-day/• University of Sydney http://sydney.edu.au/open_day/index.shtml

Defence Force Applications for 2016 Gap Year due Friday 14 Aug See http://www.defencejobs.gov.au/education/gapyear/ for details

Macquarie University: New Bachelor of Clinical Science Beginning in 2016 The new Bachelor of Clinical Science is a two year fast-track course designed to help students gain the professional skills needed for a future career in the medical, allied health or medical research professions. Students will learn the fundamentals of biomedical science before applying the knowledge to a human body system approach, where pathology is taught alongside normal physiology and anatomy. http://courses.mq.edu.au/undergraduate/degree/bachelor-of-clinical-science

Vantage Automotive Apprenticeships Vantage Automotive Pty Ltd is a major provider of government funded vocational learning and outsourced services to major vehicle manufacturers with an extensive client list across Australia. http://

www.vantageautomotive.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=9

Western Sydney Apprenticeship & Traineeship Expo 1 Sep 4.00pm – 9.00pm Panthers Exhibition Marquee, Mulgoa Road, Penrith. Over 90 exhibitors representing industry, businesses, group training companies and registered training authorities will be present to speak to attendees. http://www.nationalskillsweek.com.au/events/western-sydney-apprenticeship-traineeship-expo/

Whitehouse Institute of Design Portfolio Development Workshop 12 – 13 Nov Surry Hills A two-day workshop designed for those that need assistance in completing the Portfolio Assessment Task in preparation for a Whitehouse Bachelor of Design interview. Contact: (02) 9267 8799 or enquiry@whitehouse-design.edu.auhttp://www.whitehouse-design.edu.au/courses/portfolio-development-2-day-workshop

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Endeavour College of Natural Health Scholarship Program Applications close 30 NovFull-year scholarships for tuition fees in their leading Bachelor of Health Science degree programs in Naturopathy, Nutritional Medicine, Acupuncture, Musculoskeletal Therapy, and their online Bachelor of Complementary Medicine are available at any one of their 6 campuses in Australia.http://www.endeavour.edu.au/scholarships

The Australian Innovation Challenge Entries close 7 Sep This category is open to people under 21, either at school or in the early years of post-secondary education or training. The scope of this category is open-ended, covering any inventions and novel initiatives with the potential to make a difference to our lifestyles, environment, work or play. Prize: $5000http://www.theaustralian.com.au/innovationchallenge

Aim for the Stars Foundation 2016 Scholarship Applications Now Open All girls and women may apply for funding to help fulfil sporting, academic, community, business, environmental or cultural goals. http://www.aimforthestars.com.au/news/2016-scholarship-applications-open-soon

Defence Jobs Australia: Information Sessions Sydney – Defence Careers: 3 Aug 6.30pm, Level 22, Darling Park 2, 201 Sussex StreetParramatta – Women in Defence: 4 Aug 6.30pm, Level 4, 9 George Street, ParramattaManly – Women in the Navy: 6 Aug 6.30pm, Manly Surf Pavillion, South Steyne, Corner of Ashburner StreetParramatta – Army Reserve: 11 Aug 6.30pm, Level 4, 9 George StreetSydney – Engineering Careers: 12 Aug 7.00pm, Level 22, Darling Park 2, 201 Sussex Street

Sydney – Army Combat Roles: 17 Aug 6.30pm, Level 4, 9 George Street,Parramatta – Trade Careers: 19 Aug 6.30pm, Level 4, 9 George StreetSydney – Australian Defence Force Academy: 19 Aug 7.00pm, Level 22, Darling Park 2, 201 Sussex StreetParramatta – Aviation Careers: 24 Aug 6.30pm, level 4, 9 George StreetSydney – Army Officer: 27 Aug 6.30pm, Level 22, Darling Park 2, 201 Sussex Streethttps://www.facebook.com/DefenceJobsAustralia/events

A Career as a Veterinarian This website gives an overview of the career of the veterinarian and the salary range that a new graduate might expect. The site also provides a list of Australian universities that facilitate the Bachelor of Veterinary Science. http://essendonvet.com.au/career-veterinarian

My Future: My Career Profile Tool My Career Profile Tool is a career exploration tool that features a variety of activities, such as Interests, Skills and Knowledge. The system takes the answers that users input and generates suggested occupations based on that data.http://myfuture.edu.au/mycareerprofile?tb=occ&pi=1

Camp America 2016 Season Kick Off 27 Aug 6.30 – 8pm Y Hotel Sydney & Online 31 Aug 6.30 – 8pm Find out everything you need to know about Camp America 2016, and get your questions answered by people who have been part of the Camp America program.http://campamerica.com.au/events/

My Skills Website The My Skills website is the national directory of vocational education and training (VET) organisations and courses. The website receives data from the national register of VET to ensure that it has the most up-to-date information on registered training organisations and course availability. The website helps

to connect students and employers with training organisations and courses that best suit their needs. http://www.myskills.gov.au/

For further information on any of the above, please contact Mrs Pavicic, phone 97133169, apavicic@rosebank.nsw.edu.au or Ms McAloon, phone 97133105, kmcaloon@rosebank.nsw.edu.au.

Careers

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Save the Date - Class of 1995 20 Year Reunion

The class of 1995 will be celebrating their 20 year reunion on Friday 16 October 2015 at Angelo’s on the Bay, Cabarita. More details to follow.

Stickers can be dropped in to the General Office

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September Becoming Adult in our Faith – Building an Adult Church We grow up. We age. We become more worldly wise. But do we grow in our faith or are we stuck in the faith we had when we left school? Is it true, as some pundits believe, that we leave our critical intelligence at the door when we enter a church? Through multimedia input, reflection and discussion this workshop explores how our faith develops and the implications for developing a more mature faith and contributing to an adult Church. This is jointly hosted by Mount St Benedict Centre and the Parish Support Unit of Broken Bay Diocese. Date: Saturday 19 September 10.00 am – 3.30 pm Facilitator: Patty Fawkner sgs Cost: Donation Morning tea provided. BYO lunch. Bookings by: Monday 14 September

October Art as Prayer: Exploring Mandalas The mandala is an ancient form of prayer, which many people continue to find helpful today. Participants in this workshop will be introduced to the meaning of mandalas and then invited to create their own. No previous experience is needed. All materials will be provided.

Mount Saint Benedict Centre

Bookings and Enquiries Telephone: (02) 9484 6208 or (02) 9484 7033 Email: mtstbenedict@bigpond.com Web: www.goodsams.org.au Office Hours: 8.30am – 4.30pm Mon to Fri

Entrance off Hull Road, close to intersection of Pennant Hills Rd.

Mount Saint Benedict Centre 449D Pennant Hills Road, Pennant Hills 2120 NSW

Workshops

Date: Saturday 17 October 10.00 am – 3.00 pm Facilitator: Veronica Griffith sgs Cost: $40 BYO lunch. Tea and coffee available. Bookings by: Monday 12 October

November Advent Festival of Readings and Songs In Advent the church celebrates the coming of Christ in all its aspects – past, present and future. The season recalls the coming on earth of the Incarnate Word, deepens our awareness of Christ’s presence in the church today and heightens our hope and longing for his return. This Festival of Readings and songs gives expression to the Advent themes of watching and waiting, expectancy and hope, helping us to ponder the coming of Christ in history, in mystery and in glory. Date: Sunday 29 November 3.30 pm Afternoon Tea 4.30 pm – 5.30 pm Advent Festival Facilitators: Donation towards Good Samaritan ministries in Kiribati Bookings by: Monday 23 November