College Newsletter

Dear Parents, Staff and Students

This week our Year 12 students formally graduated from Cerdon College.

The students celebrated this important event with an Activities Afternoon, where they enjoyed activities such as a Jumping Castle and Giant Slide, the College Graduation Mass and Presentation Evening. Many thanks to the large number of parents and community representatives who were able to celebrate the achievements of the Year 12 class of 2017. Please keep these Year 12 students in your prayers as they make final preparations for their HSC examinations which commence on Monday October 16th.

Students in Year 7-10 return to school in their summer uniforms on Monday October 9th. VET students in Year 11 will be undertaking VET Workplacement from Monday October 9th to Friday October 13th. Year 11 non VET students will be undertaking Australian Business Week Activities during this week.

Parents are reminded that formal classes for Year 7 to 10 finish on 15th December. It is an expectation of the NSW Government that all students are in attendance at school until this day.

As a community committed to making a difference to our world we take our prayer from the Year 12 Graduation Presentation of the Light ceremony:

God our Father,

as we graduate on the completion of our years of schooling,

we ask You to grant us clear sight as to the path we should take in life,

and the confidence and courage to follow it.

Help us

* to remember with gratitude all that we have been given in our lives;

* to work to the best of our capabilities in whatever we do, and to fulfil our ambitions.

* to know, accept and value our individual gifts and to accept with humility our limitations;

* to maintain our friendships, and to show courage and concern for others;

* to live out Your words by promoting peace, unity, honesty and love.

* to be a Light of Christ to our world.

Amen

God Bless

Mrs Patricia Baker

Principal

Parents are reminded that it is never acceptable to take family holidays during the school term. This is what school holiday periods are for. Even a few days away from school can have an extremely negative impact on student's educational progress. At Cerdon College teaching continues until 3:20 pm on the last day of term. Parents should not be allowing students to remain at home on the last day of school for any reason.

The NSW Education Act (1990) requires every child from 6 years to 17 years of age to be at school every day the school is open. The only acceptable reason for an absence is an illness that is fully documented.

Any extended time away from school for any reason may mean that a school will require a student who has missed classes to repeat a school year, as the school may be unable to certify that a student has achieved the syllabus outcomes for that stage.

As from Semester 2, the College will also be reporting the percentage of school attendance (the Attendance Level) on the report cover page.

Parents of Year 9 and 10 students might be interested to know that Cerdon College has been selected as one of only 20 schools in NSW to nominate a student to join a group tour of the battlefields of France and Belgium next year. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience some real history!

Girls interested in going on the tour are invited to submit a piece of work on the ANZAC theme. A panel will judge these pieces of work and the winner will be awarded the scholarship. A reserve will also be nominated. The submissions must be accompanied by an application form, which includes details for parents and asks for your permission for your daughter to travel overseas with the group.

The last date for submissions is the first day of Term 4 (October 9th). The panel will meet during that week to choose Cerdon’s candidate.

Here is a link to the application booklet. http://www.glenwood-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/documents/16621043/16627489/pams_2018_application_form.pdf

Copies are also available from me and, if necessary, could be collected and filled out on the first day of Term 4 and handed in the next day.

Mr S. Bridges

HSIE-A Co-ordinator

A very big thank you to the entire Cerdon College Community ranging from students, parents, siblings and staff members, for your donation to the Marist 180 Community Wardrobe. All donations will be combined with the generous donations of various other Sydney Marist Schools.

The Community Wardrobe is not just a donation of clothing to homeless youth. It is an opportunity for homeless youth to encounter the Marist Youth Ministry team who will provide conversation, small snacks and guidance in applying for future employment. The wardrobe itself will help build confidence in the homeless youth to apply for jobs and attend interviews.

A very special thank you to Alena Fares, Aneesa Eldick, Mikaela Hanna and Olivia Dunn of Year 12, 2017, who passionately drove this project in the College.

For information on the events, programs and mission of Marist 180, please visit http://marist180.org.au/ or for more information on the Marist Youth Ministry Team, please visit https://www.maristyouthministry.com/

Once again, thank you and God bless!

Now in its 27th year, the annual Marist Oratory is a prestigious public speaking competition which is a valued item on the calendar of NSW Marist schools. This year’s competition was held on Wednesday 6th September at St Gregory’s College, Campbelltown, with fifteen schools from across the state competing. Cerdon College was represented by six students who spoke eloquently on a range of topics such as ‘Knowledge is power’ and ‘A voice of reason’.

Congratulations to Sarah Denniss who was awarded 2nd place in the Year 8 Division! All our students are to be commended on the time spent preparing their thoughtful speeches as well as the confidence and pride with which they presented themselves on the evening.

Year 7

Shannel Rajeswaran

Year 8

Sarah Denniss

Year 9

Charlie-Rose El Riachi

Year 10

Perpetual Nkatiaa Boadu

Senior (Prepared)

Kiranpreet Kohli

Senior (Impromptu)

Nicole El Jammal

This semester, Year 9 have been studying International Migration within the topic of ‘Changing Places’ in Geography. To complement this topic, we had an excursion to Chinatown on 8th September. Year 9 have been investigating urban settlement patterns of the Australian Chinese Community and its historical background.

The grade was split into groups, each visiting the Chinese Garden of Friendship and Dixon Street. The Chinese Garden of Friendship was a gift from China to Australia symbolising the recognition of their bond with our country. The garden was beautifully designed with waterfalls, a lake (The Lake of Brightness), traditional architecture and occasional dragon sculptures. We all enjoyed the tranquil scenery and the peacefulness of the garden. We carefully observed its significance, taking in the traditional values of what the Chinese community contributed to the cultural, economic and social life in Australia.

Our grade also analysed the importance of Dixon Street. Dixon Street is an example of the ethnicity of the Chinese community in Sydney. The street was full of stores including Chinese restaurants, souvenir stores, and entertainment venues which reflected Chinese culture in its vibrant colours, traditional symbols and architecture. After completing our streetscape and tallying, we were given free time to explore and buy from these traditional stores.

Overall, Year 9 enjoyed the day, while having the chance to explore and appreciate what the Chinese community has contributed to Australia.

Suzanne Mekdessi 9I31

History comes alive!

For the Year 9 World War One History topic, all Year 9 History students presented a museum exhibit about an Australian soldier who fought in the Great War. The students were challenged to present their soldier’s war experiences in a creative and visual way to demonstrate their understanding of their soldier and what it was like to serve during World War One. They also had to speak to visitors about their soldier’s experiences and why they chose certain items for their exhibit.

All Year 9 History students should be congratulated on their efforts as they received very positive feedback from teachers, parents and other students who visited on the day.

Here is a student view of the project:

On the 6th of September, Year 9 students were asked to display their knowledge about the solider that they had chosen to research for their World War I assignment. These presentations, showed teachers how creative students can be as well as how much we learned about World War I in completing the exhibit. It helped us to see the war from the perspective of the brave ANZAC soldiers and consider the various harsh experiences they had to endure throughout the duration of the war.

Jessica Bahous - 9J28

To see the setting up of the Exhibit click on this link.

Yr 9 History Exhibit setting up

ICAS 2017

For the second year, 159 students from Years 7, 8 and 9 took part in the University of New South Wales’ International Mathematics Competition on Tuesday 15th August.

This is a very challenging competition that requires a much deeper level of problem solving ability than students are normally exposed to. This year produced an increased number of awards with 42% of students achieving a Distinction, Credit or Merit.

Congratulations to the following award recipients:

The highest Australian Percentile score attained by a student from Cerdon College was Jessica Truong from Year 8 who also receives a Distinction and Principal’s Award as special recognition for her achievement.

DISTINCTION

Year 7

Isabella Di Donato

Michelle Hoang

Year 8

Thuy Ann Nguyen

Bethany Nicholls

Jessica Truong

Year 9

Bao Tram Doan

Zyra-Jane Falcon

Nicole Wang

CREDIT

Year 7

Monique Bechara

Allyssa Cruz

Tia Dbouk

Gretel Dennis

Kim-Khue Duong

Joyce Eweda

Sarah Fares

Arushi Kumar

Rachael Luu

Eliana Mansour

Ha Thy Pham

Lauren Seymour

Ivy Tran

Tasha Truong

Year 8

Huyen Bui

Kha Tu Doan

Chloe Eigner

Nitika Harpalani

Elizabeth Fan Ling

Nicola Lubczyk

Grace Othman

Lanie Phan

Claudia Portolesi

Bianca Simonetta

Samira Wang

Year 9

Nora-Lee Doueihi

Victoria Georges

Rose Hanratty

Bethany Heng

Antonia Jurisic

Paula Kahwajy

Sophie Le

Flavia Lu

Leah Raya

Jessica Rennie

Sophia Turano

MERIT

Year 7

Georgina Abou Hamed

Chloe Adams

Rebecca Georges

Isabella Henein

Kaja Katovcic

Joan Le

Marissa Mbarak

Kiara Mooney

Charmaine Udan

Year 8

Sarina Chiem

Alyssa Dang

Charlie-Rose El Riachi

Charlotte Lynn

Deepti Moopnar

Anna Nguyen

Jennifer Ockert

Maria Patino

Natalie Sorensen

Elizabeth Tran

Year 9

Michelle Diab

Suzanne Mekdessi

Kalliope Mentis

Shanice Seaib

Congratulations to all students who received an award in this challenging competition. Awards will be distributed at their End of Year Assembly.

Grace Muscat (Maths Co-ordinator) and

Anne-Maree McEwen (Numeracy Co-ordinator)

As the term draws to a close I would like to wish all the students who are embarking on enrichment opportunities over the holidays an enjoyable experience . The holidays are a good time to explore some new interests, participate in a new program or produce an entry for a competition that may not only be a great learning experience but may also be very lucrative. There are some holiday enrichment suggestions at the end of this edition as well some opportunities for the next term.

The UN Voice Public Speaking Competition

On Saturday 9th of September Quynh Doan and Perpetual Nkatiaa Boadu who participated in the UN Youth Voice Public speaking Competition at the University of Sydney. The UN Voice experience is quite unique from conventional public speaking/debating competitions in that students have to answer impromptu questions about their presentations. Although a little nervous, the girls spoke very well about the effectiveness of standardised testing and women’s right to an education.

We wish both Quynh and Perpetual best wishes as they await their results.

Holiday Programs..

Looking for something to do during the holidays? These exciting programs are suitable for Year 7 and 8 students.

CSI Microbiology

What’s for lunch today? Salmonella salad? In this workshop you’ll work with real microbiologists to investigate a foodborne disease outbreak. Which food did it? Plus we’ll introduce you to the amazing new study of microbial forensics. Your skin has over 1,000 types of microbes on it so whatever you touch, you leave behind a trail of microbial fingerprints. And you’ll be amazed how the microbes on the bottom of your shoes can reveal all about where you’ve been!

Microbe Hunters.

In this three day workshop we’ll learn the habits of our microbial quarry, devise and build a series of special traps for the microbes we seek, set out our traps then, bring our captures back to the lab and, armed with microscopes, classify them and put them through their paces.

All programs are run at the The King’s school North Parramatta. For further information and to register please visit

http://www.quantalbioscience.com/science-for-real/science-for-realschool-holiday-science-workshops/

National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) Holiday Courses

NIDA offers introductory through to advanced courses for children and young people during the school holidays in a variety of disciplines including creative play, drama, acting on screen, music theatre, singing & acting, public speaking and more.

Classes are offered right across Sydney and presented by professionals in the field. Registration is essential. For further information please visit https://www.open.nida.edu.au/

Closing soon….

OzKids : Literary and Arts program

OzKids is a non for profit organisation which aims to instill a love of literature and the arts in all students. The organisation offers students the opportunity to have their stories and poems or art work reviewed by a group of judges who are leaders in their field.

A selection of works is then published in the OzKids Magazine at regular times throughout the year. At the end of the year prizes are awarded for the best pieces of literature and art work submitted.

Entry is open to all school students. Closing date for your work to be considered for this year’s awards is 6th October, 2017.

Further information is available from http://www.ozkids.com.au/index.html

Applications are open for…

The National Computer Science School (NCSS)

The National Computer Science School (NCSS) is a ten day summer school for students currently in Years 10 and 11. NCSS brings together talented young people from around Australia for an intensive course of computer programming and website development in the School of IT at the University of Sydney. Students who have participated in the Girls programming network days will be familiar with this site. This program is for students who are interested in science, mathematics and computing and who are academically able.

NCSS 2018 will run from Friday 5th to Sunday 14th January 2018 (inclusive).

For further information please visit

http://www.ncss.edu.au/summer-school

UNSW Mining Engineering summer School 2018

Applications are now open for UNSW Mining Engineering summer School 2018.

The Mining Summer School provides a unique opportunity to get inside the mining industry as part of a 3 day residential camp for students currently in Years 10 and 11. Start at the UNSW campus in Sydney to experience uni life, lectures and labs. Try out the 3D virtual reality mine simulator and VR headsets. Then travel for 2 nights to visit underground and surface mines, learn how coal and minerals are extracted and processed, view mine rehabilitation sites. Learn about study, careers and opportunities in the Australian mining industry from professionals, current students and recent graduates. Applications close October 30, 2017.

For further information please visit

https://www.engineering.unsw.edu.au/mining-engineering/all-events/unsw-mining-engineering-summer-school-2018

The Science Experience at the University of Sydney 2018 program

The University of Sydney will be running the very popular Science experience during the January holidays. This program will allow students to employ real science in hands-on laboratory sessions and interactive lectures to solve a crime. Students will work with fellow detectives to interview suspects and collect evidence against them. If you're a natural problem solver and enjoy exploring a case from every angle, the Sydney Science Experience is the place you need to be in January. Applications are now open for this fantastic program.

Mrs S Agius

Enrichment Co-ordinator

PDSSSC Oz Tag
On Monday September 11, our Oz Tag squads travelled to The Kingsway playing fields at Werrington for the PDSSSC Oz Tag Gala Day. It was a warm day for the competition and there were many Parramatta Diocesan schools in attendance. We had two teams represent the College on the day, a Year 7-8 team and a Year 9-10 team. Both teams faced tough opposition and performed to best of their ability. The following students are to be commended on their efforts at the Gala Day:

Year 7-8 Squad:

Annabelle Danil, Emma Cham, Jennifer Ghaleb, Josephine Moujaes , Anthea Huynh , Gabriella Amoah, Karleena Lam-Egorin, Eliza Tannous, Jo Danielle Faddoul, Taya Higgins, Minna Nguyen, Natalie Awad

Year 9-10 Squad:

Alexzandria Smith, Chantelle Al Mardini, Taylor Daoud, Elise Noble, Christine Ellias, Taylah Ibrahim, Jessie Finch, Olivia Achmar, Talia Moussa, Theresa Ndaira, Daniella Elakcnouch, Abyssinia Abaddi

I would like to thank all players for their efforts on the day and hope to see you competing in the Oz Tag Gala Day next year. I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of Emma Awad and Aneesa Eldick of Year 12 who refereed on the day. Both students volunteered their time and did an outstanding job across the day, refereeing many games. I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of Mr Harvey and Miss Bailey who attended the day as coaches. Thank you to Miss Smith and Mr Harvey who selected the squads and trained the students for a number of weeks prior to the Gala Day.

PDSSSC Basketball

On Monday September 18, Cerdon College competed at the PDSSSC Basketball Championships at Penrith Regional Sports Stadium. Cerdon were represented by a Year 7-8 team and a Year 9-10 team. The teams performed consistently on the day and represented the College with distinction. Thank you to the following students for their efforts on the day:

Year 7-8:

Annabelle Danil, Florencia Gimenez, Ariona Haxhijaj, Josephine Moujaes, Charlize Tartak, Mele Huakau, Jennifer Ghaleb, Alyssa Khouli

Year 9-10:

Janissa Carrozza, Monica Chan, Jenna Chan, Daniella Elakcnouch, Claudia Bryson Miguel, Sina Crichton, Nora-Lee Doueihi, Jessie Finch, Abyssinia Abaddi, Theresa Ndaira

Many thanks to Miss Parker and Mr Farlow, who once again invested a lot of their time training the teams during lunch and after school. With their astute coaching, we look forward to many future successes in the sport of basketball.

NSWCCC Athletics

Congratulations to Natasha Milakovic of Year 12, who competed at the NSWCCC Athletics Carnival on Friday September 15 at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre Homebush. After finishing in 1st Place in Javelin at the recent PDSSSC Athletics Carnival, Natasha placed 3rd against the best Javelin throwers in NSW Catholic Schools. This is a great achievement and puts her in a competitive position moving towards the NSW All Schools Carnival that takes place later this year. We wish Natasha all the best as she prepares for the All Schools Carnival whilst balancing her HSC studies.

Mr R Zammit

PDHPE/Sport Co-ordinator

Wellbeing Factors That Elevate Performance

There are numerous wellbeing factors that elevate performance. In this summary I’ll focus on four of the most important wellness activities that will increase your mood and quality of life and with that your effectiveness and performance.

Two important points to consider are:

1. Studies show you can do things to enhance your happiness and wellbeing in the present moment.

2. When you do apply these wellbeing factors even for 2 min a day for 21 days in a row brain scans show that you begin to literally rewire your brain to experience more positive emotions and experiences.

Here are four wellbeing strategies that will elevate performance:

Positive Relationships

Studies consistently show that the quality of life we experience is determined by several key factors and positive relationships is at the top of this list.

The need to belong is a common human need.

Positive relationships are very important as research shows that we become the average of the five closest people around us. Be around people who support you and energise you.

Exercise

Exercise is obviously important for our physical health but also has these important benefits:

1. Exercise is effective in treating anxiety and panic.

2. Exercise improves the ability to learn.

3. Exercise increases cognitive flexibility. Cognitive flexibility is being able to shift your thinking and to be creative. Cognitive flexibility would be to apply new strategies to solve problems and use information in creative ways rather than rote memorization of facts.

4. Exercise helps relieve and repair the effects of stress on the body.

Develop a Gratitude Habit

Gratitude can make your life happier and more satisfying. When we feel gratitude, we benefit from the pleasant memory of a positive event in our life. Also, when we express our gratitude to others, we strengthen our relationship with them. In addition, the practice of gratitude helps you see the positive around you more than focusing on the negative.

What are 3 good things that happened to you today? Why did they happen / what did it feel like?

Conscious Acts of Kindness

In one study, students were asked to perform five acts of kindness each week for six weeks (Lyubomirsky, Sheldon & Schkade, 2005).

These acts included writing a thank-you note, giving blood or helping a friend with their work. Students were told either to perform one act each day or all five acts on one day. Those who performed their acts of kindness each day showed a small increase in well-being.

The highest well-being was seen in those students who carried out all their acts of kindness on one single day during each of the six weeks of the study. Their well-being increased by an impressive 40

You can learn more about this and much more at www.studysamurai.com

Parents are reminded that at present, part of the Sherwood Road staff carpark is being used as a building site. Work, Health and Safety Regulations mean that parents cannot legally access this area for any reason, whilst building is underway.

Access to the College Office is via the Sherwood Road footpath only. Parent co-operation in allowing Cerdon College to meet its Work, Health and Safety obligations is appreciated.

The College Uniform Shop will trade on Mondays 8:00 am to 2:00 pm and Thursdays 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm, in Term 4 2017 and Term 1 2018.

Term 4 2017

Monday 9 October - 7:30 am to 2:00 pm

Tuesday 10 October - 7:30 am to 2:00 pm

Wednesday 11 October (Year 7 2018 Orientation Day) - 7:30 am to 5:30 pm

Thursday 12 October - 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Friday 13 October - 7:30 am to 2:00 pm

Term 1 2018

Tuesday 23 January - 8:00 am to 2:00 pm

Wednesday 24 January - 8:00 am to 2:00 pm

Thursday 25 January 8:00 am to 2:00 pm

Friday 26 January - Public Holiday - CLOSED

Monday 29 January 7:30 am to 2:00 pm

Tuesday 30 January 7:30 am to 2:00 pm

Thursday 1 February 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Friday 2 February (Blazer Fitout) - 8:30 am to 3:30 pm

Cerdon College Uniform Shop Management

Telephone: 8724 7329 (During trading hours only)

Parents need to take note that the area surrounding Cerdon College is designated as a School Zone. Police and Council Rangers constantly patrol the area. They will have no hesitation in prosecuting drivers for driving offences.

In NSW more than one million school students travel to and from school each day. The vast majority of students do so safely. The NSW State Government is committed to further increasing safety for children during school travel times.

The school zones were selected according to a number of criteria concerning the risks young pedestrians are exposed to, including a combination of high traffic volumes, the level of pedestrian use and crash history.

All NSW school zones are sign-posted with regulatory signs that list the operating times of the school zones.

What times do the school zone speed cameras operate?

All school zone speed cameras operate 24 hours per day, seven days a week and detect vehicles exceeding the speed limit. They are also programmed to detect vehicles exceeding the 40km/h school zone speed limit during sign-posted school zone times.

For most locations these times are: 8am – 9.30am and 2.30pm – 4pm on gazetted school days.

How do I know I am entering a school zone?

NSW school zones are sign-posted indicating the operating times of the school zone. There are also large, bright yellow markings painted on the road showing the 40km/h speed limit. In addition to the regulatory signs Roads and Maritime has also installed flashing lights (school zone alert systems) at a number of school zone sites, including all fixed speed camera sites that are located in a school zone. School zone flashing lights are used as an additional warning system to alert motorists to slow down, and are not legally required in NSW.

Are school zones enforced on pupil free days?

Fixed digital speed cameras enforce the school zone 40km/h speed limit during the stated school zone hours on all gazetted school days. Pupil free days or staff development days fit into this category and in some cases there may still be students attending schools on these days.

There are also some instances where double demerits apply on a school day. This will usually happen when the day before a long weekend is also a gazetted school day.

School days are defined as those gazetted by the NSW Government and which can be found on the NSW Government website and in most annual diaries. Both Catholic and independent schools, irrespective of their term dates, have enforceable school zones in line with Department of Education school terms. The fixed speed cameras enforce the school zone speed limit in accordance with the Department of Education school term dates.

You can subscribe to each of the following Google calendars by using the address provided. You need only select the calendar(s) that are relevant to you and to your daughter(s). You can subscribe to these calendars using any default calendar you currently use (eg iCal, Google calendars, etc) You can also search for Cerdon College calendars using a Google search.

Cerdon College Calendar

Year 7 Calendar

Year 8 Calendar

Year 9 Calendar

Year 10 Calendar

Year 11 Calendar

Year 12 Calendar

Sports Calendar

Feast Days

Email: cerdon@parra.catholic.edu.au
Website: http://dev.cerdon.nsw.edu.au
Location: Sherwood Rd, Merrylands West, New South Wales, Australia
Phone: 8724 7300
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CerdonCollege
Twitter: @CerdonCollege