Term 4, Week 3, Newsletter - Thurs 02 November 2017

Written on the 2 November 2017 by Rostrevor College

From the Principal

Mr Damian Messer
Principal

On Monday night our student body assembled at Influencers Community Church for the annual Presentation Night.  It was a pleasure to see how smoothly the evening went and how inclusive the evening was for all members of our community.  I would like to congratulate all those who won an award and all the students who performed during the evening.  As our Year 12s are on SWOTVAC study this week, I would like to take this opportunity to wish them well with their upcoming exams.  A big thank you to all. 

This Friday evening, 3rd November, our Twilight Fair will take place in the Valley.  The event commences at 4pm until 8pm. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome one and all to attend what will be a wonderful evening.  Much preparation, time and effort has gone into the setup of the event and I would like to thank everyone who has played some part in it, especially our Parents' & Friends' Association, who continue their magnificent support of the College with all the events they organise for our community. 

Turning to other news, over the last few weeks the builder has put the final touches on the resurfacing of our new tennis courts and they will be available for use very soon.  It is certainly a wonderful facility that all our boys will be able to make the most of.

As we come towards the end of our year, I list a reminder of upcoming events in our calendar.  Where available to you, I encourage you all to attend and I look forward to seeing you at these events:

Volunteers' Thank You followed by P&F AGM [evening of Tuesday 14 November 2017]

• Year 12 Graduation Dinner [evening of Wednesday 22 November 2017}
• Year 12 Boarders' Dinner [evening of Thursday 23 November]
• Year 12 Valedictory Ceremony [Thursday 23 November 2017]
• Year 6 Rite of Passage Ceremony [evening of Wednesday 06 December 2017]

Yours in Edmund

Damian Messer
Principal

From Leadership

Mr Frank Ranaldo
Deputy Principal 

Presentation Night
Our 2017 R-12 Presentation Night on Monday was a wonderful community event where we recognised the achievements of those who have excelled in not only academic endeavours but in the vast range of opportunities afforded to our students such as service and leadership, community, House contributions and personal achievement, to name a few. We also showcased the boundless talents of our Music Department. The quality of the performances was outstanding and this is in no small measure due to the passion and dedication of our very talented Music staff.

We also took the opportunity to recognise and farewell Br John Ahern after 30 years of dedicated service and Mr Damian Messer who has contributed so much in such a short time.  Thank you for your attendance and I hope you all enjoyed the evening. We are always keen to receive feedback and if you wish to, please email Sandra Mestros (smestros@rostrevor.sa.edu.au).

Twilight Fair

The Rostrevor College Parents' & Friends' Association and College staff have been busy with final arrangements for the Twilight Fair this Friday. The event will be held from 4.00pm to 8.00pm in the Valley and on the Bungalow Oval.
The new format will provide greater opportunity for community engagement. To encourage greater participation from Rostrevor students, families and friends, the school day will conclude at 1.05 pm. Families can then return with their son(s) between 4.00pm and 8.00pm to enjoy the activities, rides and share a meal from the many food stalls available.

Each House, along with our Junior Years students, will contribute by running activities and/or assisting members of the Parents' & Friends' Association at food and drinks stalls. Attractions include:

• various College Music groups performing on stage;
• a range of House activities including putt-putt golf, Year 5/6 entrepreneurs; wine labels to name a few;
• Christmas gift stall, lucky dip, second-hand books, farm produce and more;
• food stalls: yiros, barbecue, hot chips, pasta, slushies, soft drinks, ice-cream, fairy floss, cake and coffee;
• bar;
• rides including chair-o-plane, pirate ship bouncy castle, inflatable slide and shooting gallery;
• Dunk tank, where a number of staff and students have volunteered to be dunked.

As previously advised, the day will run as normal from Pastoral Care to lunch time, with students attending normal classes from Lessons 1 to 5. Students will then be dismissed at 1.05pm. It will also be a House Colours Day on Friday.

Particular thanks must go to the Parents' & Friends' Association, those responsible for financial preparations, electrical services and grounds. This is a major undertaking which requires a substantial amount of support from the community, who all play a significant role in contributing to the overall success of the day.

At such events, the College has an opportunity to showcase the talents of our students. The quality of the musical performances will be first class as was the case at Presentation Night.

We look forward to a great community event and encourage you all to come along and join in the festivities with family and friends.

Promotions and Courses for 2018

At the beginning of this term, the Promotion Panel chaired by our Director Teaching & Learning, Mrs Kerry Hodkinson, met to consider all Year 11 and 12 courses selected by students for 2018. At this meeting the Panel, consisting of the Heads of Faculties and Heads of Houses, considered students' subject choices and approved these or made recommendations based on whether students had met minimum subject requirements. 

It was pleasing to receive feedback from Kerry that many courses were approved. Students had chosen subjects relevant to their career pathways and specific university requirements and had considered their strengths and weaknesses in selecting these.

In some cases, recommendations were made by the Promotion Panel primarily due to students not meeting subject minimum requirements. In such cases, a Course Counsellor was assigned to the student to discuss alternative options.

Students entering Years 9 and 10 in 2018 will receive confirmation of their electives during the week commencing 6 November via their PC class.  Once students receive this, any queries can be sent to Mrs Julie Pratten for Year 10 or Mrs Meegan Roberts for Year 9.

Farewell Year 12s

Last Friday we witnessed the end of formal schooling for our Year 12 students and for some, the beginning of their final revision program for the forthcoming SACE examinations. As in previous years, it was a week of farewell activities and the winding down of the normal classes including the Breakfast on Friday morning and farewell at our Social Justice Assembly a very touching finale where the whole College community applauds as the Year 12 cohort move out of Purton Hall. The traditional Valedictory Ceremony and Graduation Dinner will follow after formal examinations conclude.

As the year draws to an end, there are many important organisational matters that need to be attended to, including the return of text books, return or purchase of student iPads, etc. Parents of Year 12 students would have received a letter containing this information.

On behalf of the College Executive and all Heads of Faculties and Heads of Houses, I would like to wish our Class of 2017 every success, happiness and fulfilment in the future. Our thoughts and prayers go with them as they begin a new and very exciting phase in their lives.

New Students

On Wednesday and Thursday we were delighted to meet our new 2018 intake of Year 8 students who joined us for their Middle Years Transition Program.  The program was held over two days and involved students from a wide range of primary schools throughout Adelaide.

It was a huge success with the boys meeting a variety of staff, including some of their teachers for next year.  They visited the Chapel and listened to a service offered by one of our House groups and completed online assessments of PAT Maths Plus and PAT Reading/Comprehension which will be used to determine class placement as well as provide teachers with information regarding literacy and numeracy skills when courses and assessments are being prepared for 2018. During the course of the day, they also listened to presentations from a number of key teachers and support staff.

At the end of their day, the boys were all smiles and appeared excited and eager to start their journey at Rostrevor. We would like to thank all students and their families for being so supportive of our Transition Program and look forward to the commencement of 2018 when we see these boys again proudly wearing the Rostrevor College uniform.

Term 3 Middle and Senior Years Academic Awards & House Shield

61 students achieved Palma Merenti Awards for Academic Excellence. Our 18 x Year 12 Palma Merenti Award winners were presented with their certificates at our Social Justice Assembly last week, whilst the remaining Palma Merenti Award winners together with 61 Principal's and 30 Christian Brother Award winners will be presented at House Assemblies. 

Palma Merenti Award recipients are:
 

The Academic Shield acknowledges how well students in each House perform in their studies.

We determine the recipient of the shield by calculating the Grade Point Average for each student and then calculate an average for each House. This then gives us a percentage out of 100 for each term.   
At the end of the year, we award the Godfrey Hall Academic Shield to the House with the highest score averaged over 3 terms. Last year the shield was awarded to Murphy House.

Results for this year's House Shield are as follows:

• 1 Webb 75.80%
• 2 Gurr 74.32%
• 3 Egan 73.59%

followed closely by O'Brien, Murphy and Barron.

Webb House Captain, William Sullivan, was presented with the Shield at our Social Justice Assembly.

We acknowledge that not all of our students will attain the highest standards and that excellence is measured in different ways for each student. Rather, it is the process, the aspiration, the diligence and improvement which we also award that underpins our academic pursuits. We have an innovative and progressive school structure and superb facilities that reflect much planning and research into the education of young men.

God bless.
Frank Ranaldo
Deputy Principal 

Junior Years

Mr Geoff Aufderheide
Director - Junior Campus

Dear Members of the Rostrevor Community,

Grandparents' Day Tuesday 7 November 2017

As I write, staff and students are busy preparing for our annual Grandparents' Day celebration. Each year, we invite members of families to come and experience a morning of school with us where boys eagerly show off their learning and provide tours and presentations for the incredibly interested onlookers! Our day will commence with Liturgy in the Chapel and we will then move into classrooms for activities. We will finish off with a morning tea in Callan Hall. As always, we look forward to this morning with great expectation for what is one of the biggest events in our school year.

Thank you to Tranmere Parish

Last Sunday a group of parents, students and staff attended Sunday Mass at St Joseph's Parish Church, Tranmere. Whilst we all enjoyed being part of Mass, our aim was also to be present to say a big thank you to the parish community for their support of our annual Sacramental Program. We are thankful that each year we receive their support of our boys as they take an active part in the continuation of their own personal development journey by publicly declaring their faith in front of the parish community.

On behalf of our families I would like once again thank Ms Stephanie Roach and the parish office, Deacon Remo Patroni, Father Anthony Adamai and the members of the parish for their care of our young men during this time in their lives. We truly appreciate and value this kind support.

Twilight Fair 2017

I'm sure there is much anticipation amongst the College community as we near the 'Twilight Fair'. I'm proud to say that boys in the Junior Years have eagerly accepted the challenge of all being personally involved this year and I encourage all families to attend and support some very excited young men as they help support the Parents' and Friends' Association and the wider College community.

I would like to highlight our Year 6 students in particular (and their HASS teachers Mr Terminello and Mr Whitefield), as they extend their learning in the classroom to provide stalls for the event as part of their curriculum and learning about Economics and Business. Many have put their heart and soul into the planning and preparation for their stalls and the variety is fantastic. We will be selling Emoji Cookies, running Slam Dunking competitions and playing many and varied side show games on the roadway in front of the Bungalow and Rice Wing. Whilst they realise they may not make millions, it is wonderful to see their enthusiasm for a whole school event. We wish them all luck!

The 'word on the street' is that a select few Junior Campus staff may make an appearance on the hot seat of the Dunking Machine this Friday afternoon too! Keep your ears and eyes open for more information!

See you at the Fair!

Kind regards,
Geoff Aufderheide
Director, Junior Campus

Senior Years Co-Curricular News

Mr Jeff Fischer
Head of Co-Curricular

The second round of Term 4 sporting contests saw a number of individuals record brilliance and some excellent team victories across a variety of activities.

Friday Messenger Bowl T20

Rostrevor 5/148 from 20 overs: Christian Leddicoat 37 (26), Harrison Rahaley 28 (24), Murphy Short 24 (17)
defeated Pembroke 9/116 from 20 overs: Riley Slack 2/19, Joel Size 2/26

This was a reasonably comprehensive win after winning the toss and electing to bat on a good wicket. Our run rate right from the start was more than a run a ball and this was largely thanks to Kyle Brazell and Dylan Fitzsimons who hit the loose balls to the boundary and also were able to knock the ball into the gaps to regularly pick up singles. Throughout the innings, we did lose wickets at semi-regular intervals, but still managed to reach 5/148. Christian Leddicoat picked up from where he left off last weekend v St Peter's and was outstanding in every facet at the crease. His partnership with Harrison Rahaley was crucial in us reaching 148. Leddicoat's scoring rate and Rahaley hitting a huge six down the ground were highlights from our innings. Another useful contribution came from captain Murphy Short who was flying until a very good catch ended his innings.

In reply, Pembroke started brightly, but it wasn't long before Joel Size made the critical breakthrough. From that point onwards, wickets fell at regular intervals and despite us not being at our best with the ball and in the field, we did enough to restrict Pembroke to 9/116. Size and Riley Slack both took 2 wickets and Kyle Brazell was very economical with the ball with his 4 overs only conceding 13 whilst also picking up an important wicket. We look forward to hosting PAC next week in front of a large Twilight Fair crowd.

Saturday Messenger Shield

St Peter's 137 all out in 38 overs: Riley Slack 3/20, Sam Rahaley 2/10, Cale Elefsen 2/29
defeated by Rostrevor 5/141 in 26 overs: Christian Leddicoat 52no from 35 balls, Murphy Short 27, Kyle Brazell 20, Dylan McGregor-Baptista 15no

This was a fantastic result and each and every player who wore the red and black on Saturday can feel very proud of their efforts. After losing Harry Petty to injury in the warm-up, Saints won the toss and elected to bat. In excellent conditions, Joel Size made an early breakthrough giving Sam Rahaley the first of his 3 excellent catches for the day. From that point, the St Peter's other opening batsman was brutal against anything over pitched and threatened to take the game away from us. At 2/85 just over the half way mark, we looked as if we might be chasing a score of 175+. However, after the drinks break, we managed to take wickets at regular intervals. Cale Elefsen bowled beautifully and his first wicket was one of the best balls seen this year. From 2/85, Saints fell to 7/102 and then all out for 137. We have seen their tail wag in previous games, so it was pleasing to finish the job with the ball this time. Sam Rahaley bowled magnificently and finished with figures of 2/10 in 7.3 overs. Very pleasing from a young player who hasn't bowled a lot of off-spin to this point. All of our bowlers did a fantastic job right from the start and Joel Size's direct hit run out to dismiss their highest scoring batsman was also a highlight.

In reply, we lost a few early wickets to be precariously placed at 3/33. Kyle Brazell showed glimpses of why he is such a promising player in his score of 20 with some fantastic cover drives and pull shots. His innings ended to a pretty decent ball. From that point, Harrison Rahaley and Murphy Short took the score to 4/64. When Short was out at 5/77, there were still 61 runs to win. Christian Leddicoat and Dylan McGregor-Baptista put on an unbeaten 64 for the 6th wicket. Both of these boys were brilliant in the way that they didn't let the pressure of the situation get to them. Leddicoat was savage on all bowlers and McGregor-Baptista was resolute in defence, whilst keeping the scoreboard ticking over.  Their unbroken partnership of 64 was from just 61 balls. The highlight of the day would have to be Leddicoat making the winning runs by hitting the St Peter's opening bowler back over his head for six, which also brought up his 50.

A great result which we take a lot of enjoyment and confidence from.

Bill Trewartha (1st XI Coach)

In other Co-curricular News:

• Year 10 Ben Homan enjoyed a great morning with the bat against Scotch College in their 10A cricket contest scoring 121 runs
• Year 8 cricketer Ciaran Byrne enjoyed his morning cricket against St John's Grammar finishing the day with the impressive figures of 4/12 which included a hat-trick.
• The 8A cricket team enjoyed one of their strongest wins for the season in a dominant display against Mercedes College. Harry Wright bowled beautifully to finish with the impressive figures of 5/18 and Tyson Walls claimed 4/9.
• In what can only be described as inspiring, the 9B cricket team chased down one of the highest totals set in morning cricket for quite some time.  Mercedes scored 151 in 25 overs and the Rostrevor batsmen were undaunted in their run chase with Hamish May scoring an unbeaten 64 and Tom Warren 51 not out.

If your son, be he a current or past scholar, has made any significant achievement in an activity outside of the College, please pass this on to me via email to jfischer@rostrevor.sa.edu.au or by phone, so that I can include his achievements in the weekly newsletter.

Jeff Fischer
Head of Co-curricular Activities

Senior Years Results

Junior Years Resluts