Week 4 Term 2 2022
From the Principal
Dear Parents, Staff and Students,
As I write this column, we have just conducted another highly successful ‘Open Night’ to showcase what Woodlawn offers students for their secondary education. 2023 will be the College’s 93rd year of operation and as was so evident on Wednesday night, our College community is truly ‘alive’ with vibrant curricular and co-curricular offerings to nurture our Woodlawn graduates as socially just young people who are well placed to make a difference to our collective futures. I am very proud of our students and staff, particularly in light of the significant disruptions they have all had to navigate over the past two years. If you are considering Woodlawn as the secondary school of choice for your daughter/son in 2023, please note the application deadlines as detailed on the College Website and in our Prospectus materials.
Thanks to those families who have already submitted their applications for School Fee Relief, as is being generously provided by Lismore CSO after the recent floods. If you have not already done so, could you contact Ms Carolyn Hope via email
lisjc-fees@lism.catholic.edu.au at your earliest convenience if you require assistance here.
A reminder that our P&F Annual General Meeting will be held in the College Library on Monday, 30 May at 5.30pm. Please consider taking on a role in our P&F to support your daughters and sons here at Woodlawn.
The COVID-19 situation continues to evolve in the education space. Included below is a summary of the current NSW Health Guidelines for Schools:
- Students and staff who are close contacts and have no symptoms can continue to attend school if they follow the guidelines below:
- They must notify the school and their outside of school hours care (OOSHC) provider if they are intending to return under this provision.
- They should conduct a daily rapid antigen test (RAT) and return a negative result each morning before attending school for 5 school days.
- Secondary school students must wear a mask indoors (except when eating or exercising).
- No student or staff member identified as a close contact will be permitted to participate in overnight excursions, including school camps.
- No apprentices, trainees or students on placement or staff member identified as a close contact will be permitted to attend settings identified as high risk by NSW Health (healthcare, aged care, disability care or correctional facilities).
- Any visitor to a school site who is a close contact is required to advise the school that they are a close contact before they come on site. These visitors should conduct a daily RAT and return a negative result before attending. They must also wear a mask indoors at all times. Schools should consider if the visit can be conducted virtually.
- Packs of 7 RATs are available for all students via the Student Services Office (SSO).
- Last week at Woodlawn, we are aware of at least 32 cases of COVID-19 across students in all year levels, 7 - 12.
- Mask wearing is mandatory for staff and high school students returning to school as close contacts for 5 school days. Masks continue to be mandatory on public transport. This applies to students aged 12 years and older when travelling to and from school and during school excursions by public transport or by chartered transport services.
- Students are encouraged to wash their hands regularly with soap and water. Enhanced cleaning measures remain in place at the College.
As this fortnight’s reflection, and in light of the ongoing conflict in the Ukraine, I provide the following excerpt for your perusal:
Forgive one another no matter what…
Jesus challenges us to go beyond today’s concept of justice – forgive one another no matter what and show the power of love, which goes beyond human comprehension, beyond justice itself.
It is love that must be allowed to shape humanity. There are those in history who have lived out what Jesus is asking of us. The following quotes help move us to a better understanding of what it means to truly love and forgive:
‘You will achieve more in this world through acts of mercy than you will through acts of retribution’… (Nelson Mandela)
‘No one is born hating another person because of the colour of their skin, or their background, or their religion. They must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite’… (Nelson Mandela)
‘If we practice an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, soon the whole world will be blind and toothless’… (Mahatma Gandhi)
‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that’… (Martin Luther King Jr)
‘We have never preached violence, except the violence of love, which left Christ nailed to a cross, the violence that we must each do to ourselves to overcome our selfishness and such cruel inequalities among us. The violence we preach is not the violence of the sword, the violence of hatred. It is the violence of love, of brotherhood, the violence that wills to beat weapons into sickles for work’… (Archbishop Oscar Romero)
(adapted from a reflection by Alain Pitot, Brisbane Catholic Education)
Finally, we wish all of our Casino friends and families a happy ‘Beef Week’ next week!
Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support.
Sincerely
Aaron Beach
Principal
From the Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching
NAPLAN
I would like to acknowledge our Years 7 and 9 students who successfully completed NAPLAN for the first time with a fully digital platform. Many of these students have not completed NAPLAN for four years and are to be congratulated for the way in which they conducted themselves. Results will be release in late August and form the basis of our literacy and numeracy goal setting moving forward.
Year 11 and 12 Parent Teacher Night
The College recently hosted our Senior students and their parents for a teacher/parent/student conference. There was a very vibrant atmosphere in the Hall with important dialogue that allowed teachers to give valuable feedback on student performance. This feedback should form the basis of student goal setting.
Years 10 into 11 Subject Selection
Mr Bailey has previously sent correspondence to Year 10 parents and students outlining the timeline for this process. The first step in the process is the Leader of Learning presentations to students. These presentations are designed to give students a basic outline of the courses available for selection. It is important that students choose courses of which they are capable of and have an interest in.
Year 7 Student Academic Wellbeing meetings
Each Year 7 student will be involved in individual academic wellbeing meetings organised and run by our Leader of Pedagogy. The purpose of these meetings is to clarify the educational process to enable all students to achieve the fullness of life. These meetings provide an opportunity for student to voice any concerns or problems they are currently having. These meetings also allow the college to go through student expectations at Woodlawn with the aim of improving their academic performance.
Michael Campbell
Assistant Principal - Learning & Teaching
michael.campbell@lism.catholic.edu.au
From the Assistant Principal - Mission
We Are Called
At our Catholic College we are called to live a life that reflects the teachings of our sacred text, the Bible. We are called each day to act with justice, to live humbly, to serve one another and to share our faith openly. In Week 3 we celebrated our Student Leadership team. These young people and their families celebrated together at our Servant Leadership Liturgy. This was truly a significant moment in the life of the College as we reflected on what leadership means and how we as Christians can lead with hope and care. It was the first time, in a long time, when we could welcome families to our College for this important milestone in their children's lives. I have included Lucy Bell’s reflection on John’s Gospel which reminds us that we have been given life so that we can live it to the full.
“In the Gospel reading Jesus says have life and live it to the full. Living a fulfilled life isn't referring to a materialistic fulfilment of life, it's a personal inner growth he is referring to; about how much fulfilment and joy you get out of your life. Helping and guiding others gives me fulfilment in my life. Being a leader, like Jesus, like the shepherds in the Gospel is why we are all here today; we are here to celebrate the fulfilment and pride that we all take in being leaders of our community.
Jesus refers to himself as the gatekeeper and that anyone who passes through him shall be safe and be sure to find pasture. If we follow Jesus and his ways of leadership, and if we treat people with dignity and respect like Jesus taught us to do, we will be sure to find pasture, or fulfilment in our lives.
Fulfilment can be hard to grasp in this current time with us surrounded by consecutive disasters, but by showing leadership and banding together we can try to help others find aspects of fulfilment and happiness in their lives. Our community has been hit so hard over the recent months with the floods and even past years with COVID-19 impacting business and communities; this Gospel speaks of going through Jesus to find happiness, to find safety and to find fulfilment. We have been selected as the leaders of our school community and it is our job to help our community to find their fulfilment and make their time at school as enjoyable as possible.” (Lucy Bell, Year 11 SRC).
We also acknowledged all Year 12 students as important leaders in our community with a Senior Liturgy last week. Our students pledged to listen, be aware and care for everyone in our community. Each Year 12s leadership is particularly noted in their involvement within their Home Groups. We are truly blessed to have such a depth of compassionate young people.
Our St Vincent de Paul Chapter is currently preparing for the annual Winter Appeal. This is a chance for all members of our community to raise funds for this essential local organisation that is dedicated to serving our local community. By donating to our casual clothes appeal we are standing in solidarity with those who need us. Please watch their advertisement and remember to ‘Rug Up: Ugg Up’. Donations of $2 and over will be collected in Home Group on Friday, 10 June.
Thanks for your continued support of our Mission.
Annette Reen
Assistant Principal - Mission
annette.reen@lism.catholic.edu.au
Ministry Matters
The world of Woodlawn continues to be a thriving and energetic community, particularly on the Ministry front! With some certainty starting to creep back into our lives and schedules, our opportunities for student discipleship and ministry events are also starting to open up. I am particularly grateful to our wonderful students, who are always ready to face these opportunities with open arms, minds and hearts; and a spirit of enthusiasm and joy.
LEAD Conference
As this Newsletter ‘goes to print’, twenty student leaders and Senior Ministry Team members will be on the way home from the annual LEAD Conference at McAuley Catholic College, Grafton. I will take this opportunity to thank Mrs Tayla Tickle and our Youth Ministry Officers, Tash and Luke, for their assistance and service in providing an authentic and inspiring discipleship experience for our students.
We will provide a full report of the student experience at LEAD Conference in next fortnight's Newsletter.
Incitare - Year 10 Ministry Class
From one end of our Diocesan Student Discipleship Continuum, to the other. On Thursday, 12 May ten students from our Year 10 Ministry class attended the Year 6 Incitare Student Discipleship Retreat at Tullera Hall.
From my own observations and the feedback from staff and student of the attending schools, I’d like to take this opportunity to affirm our students for their leadership, compassion and vulnerability whilst accompanying these younger students on the day.
Those in attendance were thrilled to be finally engaging in our public ministry that we have worked hard for and looked forward to through the formation experiences in the ministry class. The following is a reflection on the day by one of our students in attendance, Emily Eyre (Year 10). I hope you enjoy Emily’s words and the photos of the day (below):
On Thursday, 12 May the Year 10 Ministry class got the privilege to attend and assist in running the Incitare Student Discipleship Retreat held at Tullera Hall. We were thankful that the day could finally go ahead after being postponed many times earlier in the year.
The day started off with a short introduction, followed by an icebreaker game led by the YMOs. This was to build connections between the Primary students and ourselves. We then moved into small groups which included one Woodlawn student and about five Primary students, to discuss the things we value in life and how courage supports us in our faith journey of being Christian. Following this the Primary students reflected on how they live out the Christan values and what personal experiences make them a Christian.
After the first break we got into our small groups again to make role plays demonstrating how Christ-like qualities and values are present in daily life and can change a negative situation into something positive. The first section portrayed a negative situation, while the second part of the roleplay was showing Christ-like values and how the situation changed. The aim of this activity was to convey to the students that we can change any situation into a more positive and Christ-like experience. Finally we finished the day up with a Liturgy run by the students and Ministry class.
Throughout the day Hamish Weekes, Ruby Barnes and Isabella Eggins each gave testimonies regarding their own faith journeys and how it has brought them closer to God. I want to congratulate them on their bravery to stand and talk so openly about their own faith journeys in front of so many people.
For me personally, this day was an amazing experience to assist the Primary students in their faith journeys, as this was a position many of us were in just a few years ago. By helping to run and participate in the event it really brought a lot of self reflection about how we include Christ-like courage throughout our lives. The Incitare Retreat was an amazing and enjoyable experience and I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to be involved.
Street Retreat
Arguably the most sought challenging and rewarding event on the Student Discipleship Continuum will take place this year from 23-26 June in Brisbane. Street Retreat provides students with a very real and engaging program in which they are challenged to bring the love of Christ to people on the margins of our society and put their faith into action.
I will be calling for nominations from students in Year 11 who wish to attend Street Retreat 2022 via email in the coming days. All students who are looking to challenge themselves in faith leadership are invited to apply.
Reflection
In contemplation of the world in which we currently reside, I was yet again moved, recently, by a prayer known by many as the ‘serenity prayer’. The most common version of the prayer reads as follows:
Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change,
courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
This prayer, and the many subsequent versions of it, was originally penned by the American theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr, in 1932. The first iteration of the prayer is, however, believed to have been slightly different; requesting courage as its primary objective:
Father, give us courage to change what must be altered, serenity to accept what cannot be helped, and the insight to know the one from the other.
What most struck me was the presence of both courage and peace at the forefront of this conversation with God. I was immediately drawn to our own community, in which doses of each are required and yearned for in equal amounts at this time.
Be it courage or serenity that you most actively desire at this time, I hope that you and your family find it and cherish it in the coming weeks.
Nick Jones
Leader of School Evangelisation
nick.jones@lism.catholic.edu.au
Student Wellbeing
Dear Parents and Carers,
As we approach the mid-point of the Term, it is pleasing to see that our students have settled back into their routine. There has been some adjusting to do with the increased number of students on our campus, but this has been something our students have taken in their stride and adapted to accordingly.
Examinations
As our Year 12 students move out of their examination period, our junior students are preparing for their examination week in Week 6. Many of our students are at a loss as to how to study. Here are some useful hints:
- Spend some time to make sure students have all the necessary content they require;
- Examine carefully the study guide provided by the teacher - exactly what do I have to know?;
- Learn the content. This can be done, for example, by rote learning the content, writing notes, orally recalling the information, completing mind maps;
- It is important before the examination to practise writing answers to questions. The examinations do not assess what you have remembered, rather how well you have written your answer to the question. The more practice responses that are completed, the more familiar the examination questions will be;
- Most importantly, if you have any questions in the lead up to the examinations, please ask your teacher for help.
Student grooming
The majority of our students now have the correct winter uniform. Next we need to work on presentation and grooming. This means that shoulder length hair needs to be tied back, shirts need to be tucked in, top buttons need to be done up and ties pushed up, shoes should be polished, only two pairs of earrings and rings are to be worn. Males should be clean shaven. We are finding that many students are not wearing the College Uniform to the standard we expect. Your support in this matter is greatly appreciated.
Communication with young people
Parents and young people tell us that the most important thing they want to know is how to keep their relationship strong through effective communication. Reachout has a short clip that outlines how to establish a line of effective communication . Psychologist, Clare Rowe, provides some tips on creating quality and effective conversations that can help your teenager to open up about their feelings.
Online gaming
Many of our young people enjoy online gaming. It is a way of connecting online with friends and the wider community. Sometimes this world is foreign to parents. If you would like to know more about online gaming, this presentation may be for you:
Safer online gaming (June)
For parents and carers of young people aged 11 to 13 years old.
Help your kids stay safe by learning about the benefits and risks of online gaming.
This webinar will cover:
- The games young people are using and how they are engaging with them;
- The benefits of gaming and how to mitigate the risks;
- Practical strategies to use at home and where to find help and support if things go wrong.
If you are interested, you can register here.
If you have any questions about any of the above topics or are concerned about your child's wellbeing, please do not hesitate to contact me: fiona.fennamore@lism.catholic.edu.au or 66262627.
Regards,
Fiona Fennamore
Leader of Student Welfare
fiona.fennamore@lism.catholic.edu.au
Careers Update
Welcome to National Careers Week. This week we shared resources including Year 13s online Careers Expo and details of the Brisbane Careers and Employment Expo in Brisbane this Saturday.
Year 10s first week of Work Experience has been moved back to Week 4 next term to allow more time for the students to prepare and complete work readiness. As Year 10 subject selection information will commence shortly, we encourage families to start conversations with students about both Work Experience and subject selections so that they can begin to generate ideas about businesses which suit their skills and interests.
Take a moment to review the positions vacant as there are positions ranging from casual, to apprenticeships and a cadetship. Also note the updated information on early entry programs and University open days in this week’s update.
Follow this link for the full version of the Careers Update.
Bernie Maginnity
Vocational Pathways Coordinator
bernie.maginnity@lism.catholic.edu.au
Positions Vacant
Truck Washer - Tyagarah
AJH are seeking a Truck Washer to join their team for Saturday work. Please see the attached flyer for further details and contact number to apply.
Bennett Construction - Commercial Construction Project Cadet
Bennett Construction, based in the Northern Rivers, are seeking a Commercial Construction Project Cadet. Please see the attached flyer for details of the position and how to apply.
Dominos - Alstonville and Ballina
Dominos Alstonville and Ballina are looking for motivated people to join their two teams which are owned by an ex-Woodlawn student and his family. We are seeking motivated staff to join the fantastic crew and we have systems in place to ensure our teams flourish at work and at school. We are able to offer flexible hours, school based traineeships, a fun and safe working environment and opportunities for growth.
We encourage people of all ages to apply. To apply, please search ‘Domino’s Jobs’ or drop a resume in store at any time. Domino’s Jobs
Apprentice Glazier - Goonellabah
This would be a great role for someone who is interested in gaining an apprenticeship with a local firm. Glazing has changed significantly over the years, with safety improvements. There are limited numbers of people working in this trade, so demand is strong for local companies. This employer has a good group of young employees, including at least one Woodlawn ex-student. The ideal applicant will have their White Card and be working towards achieving their Ps. There is a good amount of carpentry involved in this position and full training will be provided for the right applicant. If you are interested, please contact Mr Maginnity to arrange a work experience trial.
Child Care Traineeship - Goonellabah
We have a full-time traineeship available for any students you may have in mind or ex-students.
They would need to be 18 and willing to work five days per week towards their Cert III in Child Studies. If you are interested in this position, please email your Resume and cover letter to: office@childcarebumblebee.com
Attention: Kerrilyn - Bumblebee Early Education Centre
University
Early Entry Updates
Job Jump have put together an early entry cheat sheet for NSW Universities. Please follow this link for the latest University early entry updates.
Open Days
Career Tools have released their National Open Days directory for 2022. It contains the details of all known University (and quite a few private providers) Open Days as well as links to virtual tours of each institution.
Equestrian
At the end of April (29/4-2/5) I travelled to the Queensland State Equestrian Centre at Caboolture with my horses to represent Woodlawn in the SE Qld Regional Championships, with the hope of gaining qualifying results for the State Champs in June/ July.
We had a great start to the event achieving overall Reserve Champion Secondary in both the 70cm show jumping and working hunter show class as well as third and fifth overall on my other horse in these events out of a class of 46 competitors.
Sunday and Monday saw us achieve more qualifying scores in both dressage and combined training.
There were over 600 horses competing at the event and the level of competition was strong. I was proud of my horses' behaviour in such a prestigious venue, especially my young horse who has never been away to an event like this before.
Weather permitting, we return to Caboolture later this month to hopefully gain the final qualifiers we need for Dressage and Show Jumping and in three weeks at Mt Tamborine for eventing.
Jemima Southwood
Year 8
Fast 5 Netball
Fast 5 Netball is a way to play Netball with the dial cranked right up. Each team has only five players on the court at a time. There are different scoring zones (worth 1, 2 and 3 points according to the distance from the post), rolling subs, and the halves are shorter. Teams can even double their points after selecting a Power Play half each. It’s fast, tactical, and fun.
We were very excited to be part of the second Netball NSW Fast 5 Carnival. Woodlawn entered two mixed teams of Senior students and everyone involved had a great day! Due to predicted bad weather for the day, the carnival was moved to the two indoor courts at the Ballina Indoor Sports Centre. With a huge 21 teams registered, this change of venue meant that the teams played less games than originally planned, but that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm.
Our Woodlawn Gold team came away with one win out of their three games with some classy play from our experienced female Netballers and great support from our less-experienced but athletic and competitive, male non-Netballers.
Woodlawn Red achieved three wins out of three games. Team Red had a huge win of 24-0 in their first game with Bonalbo Seniors, which exponentially boosted their confidence and self-belief.
Due to some teams needing to leave early, the last game of the day for us was Gold against Red. The (friendly) banter began before the game started and continued throughout the entire game. Red started the game with their Power Play half and got out to what looked like an unbeatable lead. However, Gold were not giving up, and the second half provided them with an opportunity to catch up with double points. It came down to the last minute of play: Monica Bennie nervously lined up for a six point shot and perfectly nailed it to the rowdy delight of Team Gold. This shot brought the team within one point of the lead and thirty seconds of chaos ensued. Pride was on the line here. Team Red managed to hold on to their one point lead in what was an entertaining and thrilling game.
A huge thanks to our umpires: Emily Wiltshire, Bella Griffiths, Eloise Davis, Charlotte Hassall, Tahlia Kent, Nikki McKinlay and Liam Weekes who probably had just as much fun with the whistle as they did on the court.
Congratulations to:
Woodlawn Red - Eloise Davis, Nikki McKinlay, Tahlia Kent, Charlotte Hassall, Jackson Kempshall, Will Barnes, Jack Taylor, Wil Cronan, Jude Taylor and Harry Baker.
Woodlawn Gold - Emily Wiltshire, Bella Griffiths, Monica Bennie, Liam Weekes, Harry White, Tom Chatterton, Jayden Battese and Joshua Byttenshaw.
Sally Ryall and Chris Mason
Fast 5 Managers
Uniform Shop
The St John's College Woodlawn Uniform Shop is proudly managed by P&C Uniforms.
To ensure you have an easy and pleasant experience while ordering uniforms, we encourage you to order online ahead of time for easy click-and-collect in store.
Opening Hours: Monday 8.00am - 9.30am & Wednesday 11.00am - 2.00pm
Where: Colin Centre
Order Online: www.sjcwuniformshop.com.au
Book a fitting: www.sjcwuniformshop.com.au/bts-appointments
Canteen News
The cash free way to pay! - REGISTER NOW
Paying for lunches is now safer and hassle free. With cashless cards there's no need for students to bring cash to school.
The College has Flexischools to allow students to pay at the Canteen using their existing student ID card. Paying for lunches and items at recess or lunch is now safer and hassle free. With cashless cards there's no need for students to bring cash to school. Parents can set daily spending limits and view transactions online. Parents can also top-up funds at anytime.
The Canteen has introduced a Fast-Track line for students who have pre-ordered to collect their lunches, making it much easier and quicker for students.
We encourage all students to register. This will allow for those days when your student may have forgotten their homemade lunches.
Please follow the link below to register now: