Term 2, Week 7, Newsletter - Thurs 15 June 2017

Written on the 15 June 2017 by Rostrevor College

 

From the Principal

Mr Damian Messer
Principal

P&F Casino Royale Ball

Well what a wonderful event, it was a great privilege to be able to attend the Adelaide Town Hall and join with about 300 others at the Casino Royale Ball. A big thank you must go out to all who attended and special thanks to all who had a part to play in the organisation, we are lucky to have such a dedicated team.

Events like these show how our Community can come together for the betterment of our boys and I am sure that the significant funds raised will be appreciated by our young men.

EREA National Principals' Conference (31 May to 02 June)

The week before, I spent three days in Canberra at the EREA National Principals' Conference. It was a wonderful chance to spend time reflecting, speaking and sharing with colleagues the stories of our schools. Other than the minus four degrees every morning, it was an enriching few days.

The theme of the conference, Looking Back, Looking Forward: Setting Out For Home, challenged us to reflect upon the encyclical of Pope Francis, Laudato Si' and to consider what we do in our school in a practical sense to address ecological sustainability and how we teach our boys so they understand how important the issue is.

Featured in the conference was a text prepared by Catholic Earthcare titled "Care for Our Common Home", a text inspired by Laudato Si', which calls us as educators to embrace the moral and spiritual imperative of environmental action and social justice. 

These are important issues for our boys and the wider community and we look forward to what our community can do in response.

Come & Try Days

On Wednesday 07 June, we had the privilege of hosting 43 primary aged students, ranging from Year 5 to Year 7, come and attend our Come and Try Rostrevor Day. These young men came from a total of 13 different schools in the area. Our student guests were treated to a day in the life of a Rostrevor College student. Our guests experienced a variety of lessons including Agriculture, Science, Art, Music and of course PE. 

Our next Come and Try Rostrevor Day is scheduled for Thursday 14 September from 9:15am to 2:30pm. Further information or to register for this event, please visit our College website: https://www.rostrevor.sa.edu.au/come-and-try-day.html 

College Tours / Enrolments

Today I welcomed 14 families on campus who took part in a Principal's Tour. There was interest sought in JY, MY & SY enrolments, looking to enrol anywhere between 2018 to 2020. Our remaining tour dates for 2017 are listed below. Your continued support in communicating this information amongst the community is greatly appreciated.

2017 Remaining Tour Dates

  • Tuesday 01 August, 9:00am

  • Tuesday 22 August, 9:00am (Junior Years Open Morning)

  • Thursday 21 September, 9:00am

  • Wednesday 25 October, 9:00am

To arrange a personal tour or to find out more about our Principal's Tours or JY Open Mornings, please contact the enrolments Office on 8364 8244 or email enrolments@rostrevor.sa.edu.au. Alternatively, you can register your interest in any of these events on our website: https://www.rostrevor.sa.edu.au/principal-tours.html

Old Collegians' Annual Business Luncheon

Following on from the success of last year's Luncheon, the Rostrevor Old Collegians' Association are hosting their second Business Luncheon. This event is scheduled to take place tomorrow, Friday 16 June at Borsa Pasta Cucina.

To find out more about ROCA initiatives, please contact the College Development Office on 8364 8371 or email roca@rostrevor.sa.edu.au

2017 Prefects

This week the Prefects have been preparing for a charity BBQ that will take place this Saturday 17 June between 11:00am 2:00pm on Big Memorial Oval near the Pavilion. The Prefects have arranged for our 10A, First XVIII, Second XVIII & Third XVIII Football Teams to 'Lace up for Lynne,' an initiative in which the players of these teams will purchase a pair of pink laces to wear during their respective matches in support of the Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA). Funds raised through the purchase of pink laces and the Prefects' BBQ, will be donated directly to BCNA, in support of the, 'Lace up for Lynne' initiative. Additionally, community members who would like to support the Prefects and BCNA in this fundraising, can contribute via the following link: https://laceupforlynne2017.gofundraise.com.au/page/FlynnPisani

Further information about this cause can be found here: http://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/wh1.thewebconsole.com/wh/4578/images/Get-Involved---Lace-up-for-Lynne.pdf 

Lastly, as we lead up to the conclusion of another term, it gives me much pleasure to handover the Newsletter in Week 9 to allow the Year 12 Prefects to, 'Take over the Newsletter.'

Yours in Edmund
Damian Messer
Principal


 

 

From Leadership

Mr Frank Ranaldo
Deputy Principal

Battle of the Bands

Due to the great success in 2016 and requests from a number of schools, Rostrevor will again host 'Battle of the Bands' this Friday. What a great way to celebrate the talents of students in our Catholic schools.

Many thanks in advance to the participating schools as well as families and friends who will come to support their children. I encourage all families to come along and enjoy a wonderful evening of musical performances.

A big thank you must also go to our P&F group, staff and students who will be helping on the night with setting up, as stage hands, distributing food and drinks as well as packing up and cleaning up to ensure that our grounds are ready for co-curricular first thing Saturday morning.

Senior Years Exams

Exams provide students with the opportunity to assess whether they have learnt the concepts, principles and skills associated with particular subjects. In doing so, students are able to identify the topics or concepts that they are having difficulties in, for remedial purposes.

Exams also provide teachers with an opportunity to reflect on our teaching and more importantly evaluate assessment and instructional practices for improving the teaching and ultimately the learning. Using data from exams is also beneficial for teachers in order to clearly see which students excel and those who need assistance. This may not be at a content level, as in some cases the subject concludes at the end of the semester, but may be in relation to examination techniques and strategies or how better to prepare for exams. This is why we schedule an exam feedback day. For subjects without exams, teachers have the opportunity to conduct a course evaluation.

Last week Ms Julie Farmer and Ms Sonja Robinson met with our Year 10 and Year 11 students to discuss exam preparation including the benefits of organising a study schedule, exam techniques, how to study and, more importantly, how not to study, and how to cope with stress associated with exams. You will have received a letter summarising our expectations of your son during this period together with a copy of the examination timetable. The PowerPoints used at the presentation will also be available from the Student and Parent Portals in the Documents Library.

Years 10 & 11 Semester Exams

Year 11 students will have SWOT Vac on Friday 16 June, where they will not be required to attend school. Exams will be held from Monday 19 June to Friday 23 June. There will be two exam slots per day: morning exams commence at 9.00am and conclude at 11.10am; afternoon exams commence at 12.10pm and conclude at 2.20pm.This will be followed by four days of Service Learning and the all-important Exams Return & Feedback Day.  

Year 10 students will have SWOT Vac on Monday 19 June, where they will not be required to attend school, with the exception of the Year 10 LEAP Mathematics class who will undertake their exam from 9.00am-11.10am. All other exams will be held from Tuesday 20 June to Monday 26 June. There will be two exam slots per day: morning exams commence at 9.00am and conclude at 10.40am; mid-morning exams commence at 11.35am and conclude at 1.15pm. Following exams, students will undertake a three day program of either Post-Secondary Pathways  or Work Experience (VET students). The Post-Secondary Pathways Program will expose students to course offerings at a number of tertiary institutions. Students will also complete some course work for their Personal Learning Plan. Parents will receive a letter in the coming week with more information. Students are required to attend school on Friday 30 June for Exams Return & Feedback Day. The table below outlines the above program of events on a day by day basis.

Year 10 & 11 Semester Table - click here

Year 12 Mid-Year Exams

With Year 12 Mid-Year Exams scheduled for the first week of Term 3, students will attend a presentation in a few weeks' time in preparation. Parents will receive a letter summarising our expectations of your son during this period together with a copy of the examination timetable. The PowerPoint used at the presentations will be available from the Student and Parent Portals in the Documents Library.

Semester 1 Reports

The final Newsletter for the semester will be prepared by our Prefects so I take this opportunity to remind parents that Semester 1 Student Reports which will be available from the Parent Portal on Friday 7 July.

Subject Selection

Next term we commence the subject selection process for 2018. A series of assemblies will be organised for each year level with information regarding the selection of 'choice' subjects. As students move through to the Senior Years, there are subject pre-requisites or recommended minimum requirements for students wishing to pursue that subject the following year. The grade pre-requisites range from C to B+ for most subjects. Therefore, it would be wise for students to reflect on their Semester 1 performance, including exams, with a view to whether they will qualify for the subjects they wish to undertake in 2018. This should then be a gauge of the level of commitment and effort required in Term 3 to ensure that these requirements are well met.

For most students the SACE (South Australian Certificate of Education) commences in Year 10 when they undertake the Stage 1 Personal Learning Plan.  This is a compulsory subject, which means that students need to attain a C grade or better to meet SACE completion requirements.  There are other SACE completion requirements for subjects undertaken at Years 11 and 12.

SACE Information Evening

The SACE is a qualification for entry into Universities and further training.  Students need to meet SACE requirements to be eligible for some studies at TAFE level and for all University studies. 

Each year, we offer parents the opportunity to learn more about the SACE and tertiary entry.  This year, a SACE Information Evening will be held on Wednesday 9 August 2017 at 7.00pm in the Kelty Theatre for parents of current Years 10 and 11 students.  The presentation will cover: 

  • The SACE and completion requirements;

  • SACE assessment and moderation;

  • University & TAFE entrance requirements, including the calculation of the ATAR;

  • How to plan for tertiary entry and select appropriate subjects at Stage 1 and Stage 2 levels.

By attending this evening, I am sure that you will feel more confident in assisting your son with his 2018 subject selections.  There will also be an opportunity for you to ask questions.  Students are not required to attend.

Holidays

It has certainly been a very busy term for staff and students alike, in particular our senior students. The school break will certainly be welcomed by all. We trust that Year 12 students will use the time productively to prepare for their Mid-Year Exams.

Wishing all families a very happy and safe holiday.

God bless
Frank Ranaldo


 

 

Br John Ahern
APRIM

Year Nine Retreats

Last week our year 12 Youth Ministry classes facilitated the year 9 retreat days. Mrs Sonja Robinson's class ran the Pavilion retreat while Mr Anthony Calisto's class conducted one in Callan Hall. Once again, I was impressed with the leadership of our Year 12s. Here is a brief summary of each:

The Pavilion

All students were involved in the facilitation of the retreat. The theme was leadership and using our talents to be leaders in our everyday life (not just leaders with a badge).

The key connection activities of the day included small group discussions, playing Priest of the Parish, led by Jackson Sutcliffe, M & M activity led by Nick Benisz, skipping activity led by Alex Gentilcore and play dough game led by James Siebert.

The proclamation was achieved through the use of skits and dramas and the opportunity for response was given through the liturgy which included the Yr. 9s lighting a candle and making a prayer of thanks for their God given gifts. 

The  MCs did a great job of keeping to the program and scheduled times, these were Alex Cusack, Alex Carter and Alex Gentilcore.

Callan Hall

The Year 12s demonstrated a fine example of leadership and peer-to-peer ministry and mentoring on Monday as they worked intensively for the one day Steppin' Up Leadership Retreat with the Year 9 students. Lead by the collective MC voice of Domenic Scopelliti, William Sullivan and Waylan Wijayasakera, the class group formed a strong team where individual roles became part of a united effort in ensuring a successful day. Games leaders kept things energetic and light-hearted. Highlights included Nose On, the infamous Priest of the Parish and Fabian's extended story about Gravy in a game of the same name. Key lessons on leadership were presented through interactive and deeper moments were shared by the personal testimonies of Fabian Vassallo, Xavier Montin, Hugh Walker, Jake Marchetti, Fergus Shanahan and Daniel Plunkett. The drama groups stepped well out of their own shoes, to step into the character of another to present key messages about decision making and the sharing of our gifts through both the Gift Box and the Sitting on the Fence dramas. Well done to Michael Sosa in his role of the evil force vs. Jason Zhu's power of good. The acting was fantastic by all members of the drama team. The day ended on a quieter point of reflection and response lead by the students in the liturgy group, where the story of the Road to Emmaus became the focus for reflection. Each student had the opportunity to reflect on the messages of the day, and make their own personal commitment in a quiet moment of prayer.

Well done to all for providing such a rich day for our year nine cohort.

Br John Ahern


 

 

Ms Kerry Hodkinson
Director - Teaching & Learning

SACE Exam Timetable 2017

 

Junior Years

Mr Geoff Aufderheide
Director - Junior Campus

Student Leaders in Action

Last fortnight our Senior Leadership group participated in a day of leadership development with a health and physical well-being focus. The Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER) ran a student leadership day in the Callan Hall. A number of students from other Catholic schools joined us for the day and all seemed to enjoy the first-class facilities we have on site here at the College.

Our Leadership group worked on a series of activities designed to increase physical activity for all Primary students in the State. At the end of the day they all reported that they had developed some ideas around engaging our boys in relevant, fun and enjoyable activities in school to promote fitness and encourage participation. We look forward to their presentation to the SRC in coming weeks where they will use the class representatives to drive more physical activity and play based games for all in the Junior Years.

Da Vinci Decathlon

On Tuesday 30th May we sent a team to the annual Da Vinci decathlon hosted by St Peter's Girls School. The Decathlon originated in Knox Grammar School, NSW and is designed as an academic competition that challenges and stimulates the mind by asking students to think through challenges in a different way. Some of us might call this 'left field thinking'. Of course, Leonardo Da Vinci was considered one of the world's greatest thinkers and scholars by demonstrating an ability to understand the interconnected nature of all knowledge.

Our team competed across 10 disciplines: Engineering, Mathematics, code breaking, Art and Poetry, Science, English, Philosophy, Creative Producers, Cartography and General Knowledge. With a particular emphasis on higher order thinking skills, problem solving and creativity, the boys reported that it was a challenging day but one full of interest and enjoyment.

We congratulate the boys for firstly being selected to represent the College, but also for their endeavours on the day of competition:

Year 5:

Carlen Becker
Pellegrino Iasiello
Oso Oyugbo
Oseremen Oyugbo

Year 6:

Alexander Pertl
Charlie Crafter
Jack Dundon
Elliot Melino

We will be informed of results in coming days and I look forward to sharing these with you in coming editions of the Newsletter. Congratulations boys and thank you for representing the College with pride.

Junior Years Connections

In previous communication to the community, I have written extensively about our engagement with Kidsmatter a social/emotional framework for positive mental health, resilience and well-being within our school community. At the end of 2016 our audit of students, staff and parents revealed several Action areas for us to pursue to support such an important part of our whole community development.

Last week, the Junior Campus released our first edition of 'Junior Years Connections'. This twice annual publication will aim to share some of the pro-active work we do in classrooms and report on activities based on our Resilience framework, 'Bounce Back'. We will also hear reports from individual classes about their work so far this year and from our Counsellor, Mr Adrian Terminello, who has been hard at work supporting some of our boys in small groups to help them understand social situations.

God Bless,
Geoff Aufderheide
Director, Junior Campus


 

 

Senior Years Co-Curricular News

Mr Michael Vickery
Head of Gurr House, Acting Head of Co-Curricular

No Report - due to long weekend.


 

 

Year 10 Pathways & Work Experience

Mrs Belinda De Conno
VET & Careers Coordinator

Letter to All Year 10 Parents re Pathways Program

 

 

  

 

 


Author:Rostrevor College

A CATHOLIC BOYS' DAY AND BOARDING COLLEGE IN THE EDMUND RICE TRADITION RECEPTION TO YEAR 12

Glen Stuart Rd Woodforde Sa 5072 Australia