I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Headmaster’s

News

1

Mission 2

Year 7 News 2

Teaching and

Learning

3

Sports News 4

Other News 4

St Gregory’s College

Campbelltown 2 5 A U G U S T 2 0 1 7 V O L U M E 4 9 , I S S U E 1 2

U P C O M I N G

E V E N T S

28 August

Main School Photo

Day

1 September

- Feast of St Gregory

Mass

- Year 7 Boys and

Blokes Trivia night

4 September

Year 12 Co-

Curricular Evening

6 September

Marist Oratory

Competition

11-21 September

Year 11 Exams

Headmaster’s News Dear Members of the St Gregory’s Family, In the Psalm next Sunday, it speaks to us about giving thanks. Upon reflection, we have a lot to be thankful for. At times, I look out at the view from my office window and think to myself how fortunate I am as I can’t think of another Principal’s office that I have been in that has such a wonderful view. To be able to walk the grounds of the College and take in the natural beauty is really a privilege that not everyone has access to. How many of us take for granted being here on the hill? As a staff member, do we take the time to stop occasionally and reflect on what lies in front of us? As a student, do you ever stop and reflect on what school you could be attending instead of St Greg’s? How fortunate are you that your parents decided that you should be attending this College in these beautiful grounds? When looking at the news this week, we see the carnage of Barcelona and hear about the deaths of so many people who were just wandering around taking in the sights and not doing anyone any harm. How fortunate are we that we live in a country that appears to be far safer than many others? How often do we say thank you to those around us who look after us, help us, guide us and listen to us? It is very easy for us to take the world we live in for granted. I would encourage everyone to take the time to stop, reflect and then offer thanks for all that we have. I would ask you to keep in your thoughts and prayers Mrs Stewart and her family as her brother passed away unexpectedly last week. Write a Book

Two weeks ago a number of students from Years 7, 8 and 9 spent the day in the Marian Centre writing three books. The students worked in their year groups and found the task difficult but enjoyable, especially when they saw the production at the end of the day. They worked from 8am until 7pm, a long day for anyone and for boys to concentrate for this period and enjoy writing is a credit to them and the teacher with them, Mrs Millar. It was very pleasing to see the excitement on the boys’ faces when they realised that they had achieved their goal. Well done! GIO Cup

Congratulations to our Rugby League team who finished their year in the semi-finals of the GIO Cup recently. It was a wonderful effort by the team, ably coached by Mr Newell to take the team to this level, as the College has not presented in the semi-finals since 2005. The team has lost only one game this year in winning the MCS final and making the semi-finals of the GIO Cup. A great effort! 200 Years Celebration

Recently the Brothers and the Marist world celebrated two hundred years of the Marist Brothers. St Marcellin founded the order in France back in 1817. A celebration Mass was held at St Patricks Cathedral two weeks ago on the Saturday. Thank you to the boys who went to the Mass and participated in the Marist Choir. St Greg’s Mass

The St Gregory’s Mass will be held on Friday 1 September at 9am in the Brother Luke Hall. It is the day when the College changes over its student leadership team. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Quae Seminaveris Metes.

Damien Millar Headmaster

Mission

This morning we gathered as community for the Opening and Blessing of the Marian Centre. We were fortunate to have Bishop Peter Ingham, Bishop of Wollongong, here with us to celebrate the Blessing and Br Ken McDonald, Vice-Provincial of the Marist Brothers Australian Province, to officially open the facility. As part of the assembly, Marcus Bombardiere, Year 10, presented the mission statement for the Centre from the perspective of a student. I would like to share some of his address:

“We start with Mary (in whose name this facility is blessed). Mary is at the core of the Marist lens with which we view the world, so our Marian Centre is the learning hub of the St Gregory’s community. … It sets us up as students to grow not only during our time here at St Greg’s, but for future life, instilling a love of learning through a range of activities, enhanced within the Marian Centre. … The Centre allows for an environment in which boys don’t just find information, but the right information, then evaluate its worth and develop new multi-modal ways of sharing it. … Take this environment and use it to your advantage, grasp it with both hands to make it something new. Learn, thrive and reap what you sow.”

Thanks Marcus for this message. Our future is in safe hands if the young men of Greg’s take your words and strive to be men of faith and learning.

Cathie Clarke, Director of Mission/RE Coordinator

Year 7 News The beginning of Term 3 marks the transition to new semesterised subjects in Year 7. Boys have made the transition to and from subjects such as, History/Geography, Art/Music and Mandatory Technologies. Any change to the normal routine naturally provides some challenges for boys as they negotiate new pathways to classrooms, new texts, developing new skill sets and managing expectations of new teachers. Boys have accepted these challenges as a necessary part of school life and have made a genuine effort to transition successfully between subjects. There are a few things coming up in the next few weeks to highlight on your home calendars. Today Year 7 students participated in a Science

incursion where the boys got up-close and personal with some of our most adored native reptiles. The Reptile Show has been a regular fixture on the Year 7 calendar and is always well received .

On Friday 1 September, Year 7s will experience their first Feast of St Gregory Mass where the symbols of the College are passed from Year 12 to Year 11.

That evening fathers and sons come together for the Year 7 Trivia night held here at school in the Br Luke Hall. The night starts at 6:15pm with dinner in the boarders’ ref then onto trivia in the Br Luke Hall until 9:15pm. We look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible.

On Friday 8 September Year 7 is rostered to attend our Friday Morning Community Mass in the College Chapel at 8.00am.

That evening Years 7, 8 and 9 can enjoy a junior dance at the College.

Year 7 will finish the Term, attending their first Year 12 Graduation Mass which is always a memorable occasion.

Luke Wilson, Year 7 Coordinator

Teaching and Learning

Well done to the following students who are fine young men and quiet achievers:

Alex Sokolsky (Year 11)

Aidan Maiolo (Year 8)

Hayden Goodwin (Year 9)

Rhett Dolinscak (Year 10)

Harrison Lee (Year 11)

Nicholas Cozma (Year 7)

Student Profiles

Characteristics of Good Learners #8 Good Learners know the value of the struggle In 1999 James Nottingham came to prominence with his concept of the Learning Challenge (http://www.jamesnottingham.co.uk/), which is now more popularly known by the term The Learning Pit.

This builds an analogy that for learning to occur, students must first feel that they are stuck in a bit of a metaphorical hole; that is, they are faced with a seemingly insurmountable intellectual obstacle (a difficult problem to solve). At this stage of learning, students feel conflicted; they’d love to give up and have someone hand them the answer. Good teachers know there is little learning growth in such a strategy. We also know this from our experience as parents; a child learns to walk once they have mastered the struggle to do so, not because we talk them through the steps of walking!

So a student finds themselves at the bottom of this pit. It’s dark and cold. In order to climb out of the pit, it will indeed be a struggle. On what reserves can they draw in order to help them start to climb out?

This is where we parents and teachers come in. We must resist the urge to provide the solution or even a leg-up. We usually

just have to sit in the pit with them and ask them the right questions, like:

Do you remember getting a similar problem like this before? What did you do then?

Would it help if you drew a mind-map of the problem? Where can you find expert information about this issue? What if you drew the solution to this problem as a series

of steps?

The idea of all of this is that we encourage our young men to persevere in their learning, even when they experience setbacks.

http://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/beyondbooks/tag/the-learning-pit/

Louise Millar, Director of Teaching and Learning

Sports

Events

24 August

MCS AFL Semi Final and Bye round for Touch

MCS Golf 29 August

All Schools Senior Oz-tag day

31 August

MCS Athletics Carnival at Homebush

7 September

AFL Grand Finals and Touch Semi Final/Grand Final

Sports News Term 3 Weeks 4 and 5

GIO Cup The College made the semi-finals of this competition for the first time since 2005 but unfortunately lost against Hills Sport High School. Despite an outstanding effort from the team, the final score was 54-18.

MCS Football Results Round 8: 5 wins from 5 games against Fairfield. Round 9: 1 win, 2 draws and 1 loss against Parramatta. Round 10: all games resulted in losses to St Gregs. Round 11: 1 win and 3 losses.

MCS AFL Results Round 4: 2 wins in 2 games against Eastwood. Round 5: 1 bye and 1 win against Liverpool.

Representative Honours Congratulations to Cody Salter (Year 9) who recently ran in the National Invitational Cross Country after his recent success with the NSW CCC and All Schools competitions.

Mitchell O’Brien, Acting Sports Coordinator

ISA Sport - Winter Season concludes The 2017 Rugby Union season was one of our best in since entering the ISA Competition. You will see from the results below that all teams enjoyed their share of success. Particular congratulations must go to the 3rd XV and 15A teams for securing a premiership. Our 1st XV also had an outstanding season in what was a strong competition with close games and plenty of physicality.

ISA Rugby Results

ISA 1st Grade Soccer Last Saturday our 1st Grade ISA Soccer Team competed in the Grand Final at Oakhill College against St Patricks College Strathfield. They were victorious on the day taking out the title and becoming Champions with a 3-2 win.

Max Spencer, Director of Boarding/ISA Coordinator

Team Placing Team Placing

1st XV 3rd 15A Premiers

2nd XV 4th 14A 2nd

3rd XV Premiers 14B 4th

16A =2nd 13A 2nd

16B 3rd 13B 2nd

Other News

College Photo

Day

28 August 2017 -

Students are expected to be well groomed

including correct haircut, clean and

tidy winter uniform and

polished shoes.

College Rain Jacket

The new rain jacket is now part of the College uniform and can be purchased from the College shop. Students are permitted to wear this jacket when it is raining and should be worn over their usual uniform, including over the College blazer in Terms 2 and 3 and tracksuit on Thursday.

Barry Graham, Deputy Headmaster

45th Australasian Marist Cricket Carnival

Families were recently emailed a letter concerning this Cricket Carnival to be held at the College from Tuesday 5 to Tuesday 12 December 2017. We are seeking billets for 33 visiting students participating in this event. The College’s Billeting Policy requires that families able to help accept two billets and sign a Prohibited Employment Declaration in compliance with the Child Protection Act 1998. If you are willing to assist with billets or in the organisation and planning of this event, please email kate.stott@stgregs.nsw.edu.au by 15 September 2017.

Kate Stott, Acting Development Officer

Performing Arts News

Macafest On Tuesday 15 August the College Band performed in a music festival called Macafest. A number of bands from Sydney schools, both Primary and Secondary, were given the opportunity to perform 3 pieces in The Camden Civic centre in front of an audience. An esteemed adjudicator would then provide constructive feedback as to the relative success of each performance. There would be no overall winner, however each school would receive a Gold, Silver or Bronze award in recognition of their merit. Pleasing to say the adjudicator was glowing in his critique of the St Greg’s band and presented us with a Gold Award for the day.

Congratulations to Kathryn Wray for having the Band so polished and prepared. The boys performed extremely well. It was an enjoyable day and a great advertisement for the College.

Marist Bi-Centennial Mass On Saturday August 12 the Marist Brothers recognised 200 years of Marists in Australia by celebrating Mass at the Parramatta Cathedral. Five boys represented the College in the combined choir. They were prepared by Mr Laurence Malaesilia for weeks before the event where they had to learn all the hymns. Congratulations to Michael Sergi, Reilly Underwood, Sam Gould, Jacob Agoo and Leo Malaesilia who represented the school well. Thanks to Mr Graham and Ms Wray who supervised the boys on the day (Ms Wray probably added an alto part here and there as well).

Photos from both events can found in Galleries.

Bernard Malone, Performing Arts Coordinator