Term 3, Week 9, Newsletter - Thurs 21 September 2017

Written on the 21 September 2017

From the Principal

Mr Damian Messer
Principal

Last Day of Term 3

As we move towards the end of Term 3, I remind all parents and students that school will conclude at normal time on Friday 29 September 2017.  I wish everyone a safe and restful break and we look forward to what will be a busy Term 4.  Reports will be available on the Portal from 4pm on Friday 29 September 2017.  I encourage all students to read their report, analyse the results and set some achievable goals for the final phase of 2017.

Term 4 Events

School will begin at normal time on Monday 16 October 2017.  As we know, Term 4 marks the final phase of our Year 12s' journey. I wish them well with their preparation for their final assessments and exams.  It will be an extremely busy time and I encourage everyone to keep abreast of the responsibilities and events that need to be attended to. 

A couple of major events which are compulsory for all students will be the Presentation Night on Monday 30 October 2017, commencing at 6.45pm at Influencers Community Church (Paradise Community Church), 57 Darley Rd, Paradise SA 5075 and the Twilight Fair, here in The Valley on Friday 3 November from 4pm to 8pm.  These are significant events in our school year and I look forward to catching up with you at both. More information about these events have been sent to you.

Yours in Edmund

Damian Messer
Principal


From Leadership

Mr Frank Ranaldo
Deputy Principal 

Winter Co-Curricular Assembly

Last Friday we held our Winter Co-Curricular Assembly in Purton Hall. It was an excellent Assembly, highlighting the enormous array of talent that exists in our community.  Several students gave an account of their season, some particularly entertaining and again, we thank all parents, old scholars, staff and students for their contribution to this important pillar of our College. 


One significant aspect of participation in co-curricular activities is the ability to make people feel they are part of something, a team member and a member of the Rostrevor Community - a community which is made up of students, parents, old scholars and of course staff.  The Assembly provided us with an opportunity to thank parents, staff members and old scholars who have coached or managed teams. Without their dedication and commitment, we would not be able to offer such a broad range of activities, nor experience the success that we do.


While we congratulated those students who were awarded trophies, we also acknowledged those who willingly participate in our co-curricular program - without their contribution and commitment, the program would not exist.


Michael Sosa provided a report on the 'Delicious Diversity' initiative held at lunch time last Wednesday where students were offered the opportunity to try a variety of different foods from different countries to celebrate the diverse backgrounds of our students.

Flynn invited students to attend the 1st XI versus World XI Soccer match that afternoon as an extension of the 'Delicious Diversity' initiative and to inform students of our Blue Week Activities this week.


I would like to take this opportunity to thank and congratulate Mr Jeff Fischer who does such a wonderful job in coordinating the Co-Curricular Program in the Middle and Senior Years and in his absence last term, Mr Michael Vickery, who did a great job stepping into the role in an acting capacity. Our Junior Years Co-Curricular Coordinator, Mr Michael Hingston, also deserves our thanks.

Attendence

Families are reminded that students are required to attend school and all school-based activities including major College events on all designated school days. Rostrevor must account for every absence of every student and record the reason. All students who are absent from school must provide a letter/diary note from their parent or caregiver explaining the reason for the absence upon returning to school. In addition to this, students in the Senior Years who miss summative deadlines must also provide a medical certificate.

In the case of extended absence where our data shows that students have not attended school for 10% or more, as required by legislation, the College will inform the appropriate government authority.
Find below a list of what we believe are unacceptable and acceptable reasons for absence.
Examples of acceptable reasons for student absences include:

  •  Sickness, including danger of being affected by an infectious or contagious disease;

Unavoidable and sufficient cause, eg:

  • bereavement within the family or of a close friend;
  • family trauma;
  • cultural reasons; or
  • appointments that cannot be arranged out of school hours
  • Participating in school-related events / activities, eg VET, excursion, camp, work experience, etc.

Examples of unacceptable reasons for student absences include:

  • Truancy;
  • Helping at home or at parent / caregivers place of work;
  • Part-time or casual work (including travel to and from such work);
  • Appointments which could be made out of school hours (including driving lessons / tests, haircuts, etc);
  • Excessive time for appointments which are avoidable;
  • Catching up on assignments or studying during non-Swot Vac periods.

Perfectionism

Perfectionism can be debilitating if you are constantly under pressure to live up to an unrealistic standard, and therefore never feel 'good enough'. Signs of perfectionism may include one or more of the following:

  •  Having high expectations of self and others
  • Rarely satisfied with the quality of work
  • Having a sense that you can never be 'good enough'
  • Being critical of self and others when high standards are not met
  • Having difficulty letting go of mistakes
  • Being in control and having difficulty accepting advice or assistance from others
  • Being afraid of failure and rejection
  • Constantly working on self-improvement
  • Experiencing difficulty relaxing
  • Measuring self against others

Sometimes focusing exclusively on a perfect product can be an impediment to learning and growth, as well as staying healthy and enjoying life.  If you feel perfectionism is having a negative impact on your son, consider talking to someone about it. From a College perspective, students are encouraged to speak with their subject teachers and Pastoral Care teacher or make an appointment to see our Counsellor, Adrian Terminello, or Psychologist, Karolina Pasierbek.

God bless.

Frank Ranaldo
Deputy Principal 


 

Br John Ahern
APRIM

Spirituality 

I was reading an interesting article recently from Ronald Rolheiser who is a noted current theologian and thinker. He was talking about the trouble that riches can cause us. Here I will quote from his article. 'The lesson here isn't that riches are bad.  Riches, be that money, talent, intelligence, health, good looks, leadership skills, or flat-out strength, are gifts from God. They're good. It's not riches that block us from entering the kingdom. Rather it's the danger that, having them, we will more easily also have the illusion that we're self-sufficient. We aren't.' His point was that we can cease to turn to God and rely on our own strengths. It is a good reminder as we come towards the end of Term Three.

I look back on the term and wonder where it has gone so quickly. We have had two House Masses, a successful Marian Day, which in spite of the weather incorporated eventually a walkathon for the first time. We have had boys in Year 3 receive the sacrament of Reconciliation and the Year 4s, confirmation. Finally, next Sunday Alexander Cusack and Michael Sosa will receive their Archbishop's awards for leadership at the evening mass in the Cathedral. Congratulations to all who have been involved in the above events. I would also add my congratulations to the students who have been appointed as prefects for next year. I visited their camp last weekend and ran a spirituality session with them. They are very keen to be good spiritual leaders next year.

Br John Ahern
APRIM


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

Glen Stuart Rd Woodforde Sa 5072 Australia