IONA 10

July 23, 2024

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IONA 10

Principal's Message

Prayer

Notices from the Deputy Principal

2024 Writing Competition

Year 7 2026 Enrolment Reminder

Health Department Alert – Whooping Cough (Pertussis)

Design, Code & Create - Year 7

Year 12 Retreat

Justice Corner - Reflections Edmund Rice Tutoring

Sports Highlight - Hocky Update

'Julia'

Cyber Safety and Consequences

Learning Diversity

St Columba's Reunion - Year's ending in '4's

Important Dates

Principal's Message

 

Participating in the Full Life of the College

Welcome Back for Term Three. It will certainly be one full of activity and opportunity for students, and I would like to encourage all students to consider a co-curricula activity they could participate in, if they are not already involved. The co-curricular program at the College is thriving. It supports students to extend their learning beyond the classroom, building skills such as team-work, collaboration and cooperation, in different ways to class-based learning. Participation in the co-curricular program also supports relationship-building between students of different year levels, across similar interests, and it helps to build a sense of belonging and connection to the College community, which is a factor that influences successful student outcomes. You can access information about what’s on offer in the co-curricular in the notices available via SEQTA Engage.

 

College Musical

Congratulations to all involved in the College Musical.  It has involved a cast and crew of many and each person’s unique contribution has resulted in a spectacular show. It is no exaggeration to say that the whole show, and the performances of our students, and of the St Bernard’s students, are stellar.

Congratulations to Linda Henderson for her direction, all performers, the creative team, our supremely talented musicians (staff and students), and the back stage crew for an exceptional musical theatre experience.

 

Feast Day of Venerable Mary Aikenhead

July 22 marks the Feast Day of Venerable Mary Aikenhead. It was a pleasure to join with the Trustees of Mary Aikenhead Ministries, for Eucharist and a meal on this past Monday evening, to acknowledge the 15-year anniversary of the inception of Mary Aikenhead Ministries. Together with leaders from across the education, health and pastoral ministries, we honoured a woman whose courage, vision, compassion, and complete belief and faith in God, have given rise to these ministries we benefit from today. It was also an opportunity to recognise and acknowledge all of the Sisters of Charity whose lives of dedication and service kept Mary Aikenhead’s vision alive. In turn now, we do the same. Bishop Anthony Ireland’s homily reminded us of our responsibility to enliven Mary’s vision of bringing the light of Christ to others, in our daily work and interactions with others. Mary was committed to the Gospel imperative, Jesus’ message of creating a particular kind of community where love, justice, compassion and hope are at the heart of all we do. At St Columba’s College we commit ourselves each day to this work.

 

 

Prayer

As we acknowledge the anniversary of Mary Aikenhead’s entrance into eternal life, I’d like to share one of my favourite prayers about Mary, written by fellow Companion of the Religious Sisters of Charity, Shaun Dowling-Horgon in the Pastoral Care team at St Vincent’s Public Hospital, Melbourne.

It’s a beautiful prayer that reflects on the many remarkable gifts of this amazing woman.

 

 

Mary was a woman of vision who founded the Sisters of Charity in Ireland. May we discover the value and gift of community.

 

~ Pause for reflection ~

 

Mary was a woman of trust who relied on Divine providence. May we experience the inner calm of such reliance.

 

~ Pause ~

 

Mary was a woman of compassion who visited the prisons to offer a gentle presence. May we be aware of, and responsive to those imprisoned by fear and loneliness about us.

 

~ Pause ~

 

Mary was a woman of the people who walked the streets in the spirit of the Gospel. May we connect with others wherever we may be led.

 

~ Pause ~

 

Mary was a woman of innovation who sought new ways to live out her life’s vocation. May we have the courage to explore and embrace the adventures of life.

 

~ Pause ~

 

Mary was a woman of vulnerability who continued to shine when confined to a wheelchair for the last twenty-seven years of her life. May we draw on our resilience when challenged by our fragile humanity.

 

~ Pause ~

 

Mary was a woman of generosity who sent the first five sisters to walk on Australian soil to minister to those in poverty, including convict women and their children. May we be guided by the spirit of selflessness and kindness in our actions.

 

~ Pause ~

 

Mary was a woman of faith who allowed the love of Christ to urge her on. May we feel the inner warmth of such a divine fire burning within.

Notices from the Deputy Principal

ST COLUMBA’S DAY – 20 JUNE

St Columba’s Day was a huge success due to the hard work of the Student Executive, the House Leaders and House Representatives and the many teachers and students who helped to plan for the day. Due to their efforts and the enthusiasm of the community, the College raised $5,177.50. This money will go to our House Partners and to the Sisters of Charity Foundation.

 

CHICAGO – ALUMNAE NIGHT

Alumnae were invited to attend the Saturday 20 July performance of Chicago. A pre-show drinks and nibbles soiree was held prior to the commencement of the production. It was such a pleasure for Rita and I to connect with alumnae and hear about their positive memories and experiences of their time at the College that this opportunity evoked. We look forward to hosting this event again in 2026.

 

CELEBRATION OF EXCELLENCE EVENING

In term 4, we will be celebrating the wonderful achievements of our students throughout 2024.

Not only do we want to celebrate all that they have achieved at St Columba’s College, we also want to acknowledge their achievements beyond our school setting.

If your child has been successful in an external endeavour (eg. passed a Music examination, represented the state in a particular sport etc) this year, please forward the following to the relevant House Leader or to Donna Kellett via this email  address kellettd@columba.vic.edu.au:

  • Name of student
  • Achievement
  • If possible, a relevant photo

 

 

PARENT ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE (PEC)                  

Every parent in our community is a member of the PEC and we welcome your involvement. If anyone is interested in joining the PEC or learning more about what we do you can join us in person or online – 7.30pm – meet.google.com/fij-hziu-ymk). Here are the PEC meeting dates and events planned for 2024:             

  • 20 August
  • Saturday 31 August                     Trivia Night
  • 17 September
  • 15 October
  • Friday 15 November                     2025 Yr 7 Parents’ Welcome
  • 19 November

 

This year, the PEC will use our events as opportunities to raise some funds for the upkeep of our beautiful wellbeing dog, Millie.

If you have any questions or feedback for the PEC, please contact us at parents@columba.vic.edu.au

 

Trivia Night

The PEC is well underway in planning our inaugural Trivia Night which will be held onsite in the College’s Hall. We encourage you to get a group of friends together (STCC parents or others!) and purchase a table of 8 or 10. If your friends are not trivia enthusiasts like you, don’t worry, we can add you to a table of other likeminded enthusiasts and you can make new friends!

Please keep an eye out for the invite which will be sent next week.

2024 Writing Competition

FOR YEAR 7 AND YEAR 8

This year you are asked to complete a NARRATIVE inspired by either of the following
2 prompts:

The Mysterious Old Book: You find an old book in your attic that has magical
properties. What happens when you start reading it?
(OR)
The Day Technology Disappeared: Imagine a day in the life of three teenagers when all
technology has stopped working. What do you and your friends do?

The piece should be between 400-500 words.
It must be completely original.
Your work has to be modelled on, or inspired by one of the prompts.

The due date is Friday, August 16.

Try and ensure that you use sensory, or descriptive language.
Your piece must be emailed to Mr Harrison when you are happy with it.

PRIZES:
A book from Readings bookstore for the winner and runner-up for each year level.

 

Year 7 2026 Enrolment Reminder

A reminder to current families who have a daughter in Year 5 this year that applications for Year 7 2026 close on Friday 16 August 2024.

Applications can be made via the College Website.

If you have any questions regarding the enrolment process please contact me via email at registrar@columba.vic.edu.au.

Health Department Alert – Whooping Cough (Pertussis)

Health Department Alert – Whooping Cough (Pertussis) The Victorian Health Department recently issued a public notice in relation to an increasing number of cases of whooping cough (pertussis) in Victoria, particularly among children aged 10-12.

Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory illness known for causing a cough, and can lead to life threatening infections in babies. Many babies who get pertussis catch it from older children and adults who might not even know they are infected.

Pertussis usually begins with cold-like symptoms, such as a dry cough (occurring in bouts), characteristic ‘whooping’ sound when breathing in, tiredness, runny nose, and low-grade fever.

Please speak to your doctor (GP) and seek a diagnosis if your child is exhibiting any of these symptoms. Early identification and separation are crucial in preventing the spread to other children. Pertussis is mostly spread to other people by droplets from coughing or sneezing, so good hygiene practices and immunisations help prevent the spread. Immunisations are particularly important for infants and pregnant women. If pertussis is diagnosed, your GP will advise on appropriate treatments. If you have any questions, please speak to your GP.

Read the full alert here: Increasing pertussis (whooping cough) cases in Victoria | health.vic.gov.au

 

For diagnosed cases: The treating doctor can provide specific advice in relation to exclusion periods from school, and can verify when exclusion periods can be ended.

Children diagnosed with pertussis to be exclude from primary schools and children’s services for a minimum period of 21 days after the onset of cough, or until they have completed 5 days of a course of antibiotic treatment.

The treating doctor will complete the required notifications to the Department of Health Schools should notify MACS via the report form on CEVN or at ohs@macs.vic.edu.au

For contacts of diagnosed cases: The exclusion requirement only applies to contacts who meet all three of these criteria: o aged less than 7 years; o in the same room as the child with the diagnosed case; and o have not received three effective doses of pertussis vaccine Children meeting these criteria should be excluded for 14 days after the last exposure to the infectious case, or until they have taken 5 days of a course of effective antibiotic treatment.

Design, Code & Create - Year 7

During last term we introduced a new topic in the ‘Design Code Create’ class
for all year 7s. This topic was ‘Writing a letter’. ‘Data’ across the internet is like a letter sent in
the mail. It needs a sender’s address and a receiver’s address to work. This poses a clear
analogy between sending mail and the data sent across the internet.
Abigail sent her letter to the David Attenborough Foundation in the UK. And, as she proudly
mentions, she received a surprise on the last day of term 2.

– Mr Rowland
Design Code Create teacher

 

——————————————————–

 

In ‘Design Code Create’ during term 2, myself and my fellow year 7 students were set a task
to write a letter to someone who inspired us. As someone who cares about the present
environment it was a no-brainer to pick someone who also had a passion for this subject, so
who is there then David Attenbrough.

David is a conservationist who thrives to tell all of our generation about the importance of the
earth. Attenborough has in many ways shared his discoveries. Some examples being in his
impressive career he has produced 100+ documentaries and has also written a book.
Throughout the term I set out to write the finest of letters to David, In this letter I added how I
was really inspired by his work and productions. After the letter was sent his way I was not
expecting anything back, but to my surprise on the last day of term 2l I received a hand-
wriiten letter back from the one and only David Attenbrough! Within the letter he wrote:

“ Dear Abigail W,
Thank you for your letter and the kind words you say. I am so glad you find such pleasure in
my programs,
best wishes.
David Attenborough”

This letter was such a great surprise and such a courtesy act to do. I am beyond grateful for
the letter David Attenbrough sent my way and this has just  made we want  o do more acts to
help the environment, including the animals that thrive on this earth. Looking back on
this event I am not sure anything can get better! This was a once in a lifetime event and
again I’m beyond grateful that he had the time to do this for me.

Year 12 Retreat

Year 12 Retreat has been an insightful, exciting, and faith-filled experience that I will never forget. I thoroughly enjoyed the three day retreat as I was able to gain some valuable time with my friends, as well as get closer to some teachers working alongside my retreat group.

The trip started off with myself and other Year 12 students boarding packed trains at 9am to get to the University College of Melbourne by 10am. Once we had arrived, we received a small debrief of what each day would look like, as well as were assigned teachers for each retreat group. After this, we were dismissed to go and check out our own individual rooms. Not every room was the same, although all of them consisted of a double bed and an ensuite, myself and some others were lucky enough to have some couches and extra living space for ourselves. Afterwards, we began some rotation activities which included making prayer beads or friendship bracelets, making life graphs, writing affirmations for other students as well as letters to significant others, and participating in meditation. While completing all of these activities across the course of the three days, we were also provided with a buffet for breakfast and dinner, as well as engaged in some After Dinner activities that allowed us to try new things and work our creative minds.

Having had a few days of relaxation and fun, it also allowed me to reflect upon my Year 12 experience and my time at St Columba’s College. While partaking in a Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral, listening to a guest speaker from Christmas on the Streets, as well as participating in an informative yet adventurous ‘Amazing (G)race’ challenge, it helped me consolidate my spiritual thoughts and connect them with my many experiences at the College. In feeling connected with my faith during these activities, I felt as though I could use this retreat as a way to put my full effort and attention into my religion, and gain a deeper understanding of what I believe in.

To conclude, the retreat ended with a lunch at Queen Victoria Market, as well as an opening of our Year 7 letters. This added a sentimental touch to the retreat in reading our past future ambitions, as well as reading our past expectations of ourselves in 2024. I am very appreciative of experiencing this retreat as I not only had an incredible time with my friends, teachers and other students, I also gained some valuable experiences that I will cherish for a lifetime.

Thank you to Mr Jilbert and other staff who made this retreat possible, it was definitely worthwhile and a great core memory that will remain an important part of my Year 12 experience.

Justice Corner - Reflections Edmund Rice Tutoring

To showcase our Everyday Heroes in our own community we will interview someone for each Iona issue to highlight how blessed we are to belong to a community inspired by the life of Mary Aikenhead. We aspire to carry on her legacy of service to the poor and vulnerable and alleviating poverty in all its forms in society today. 

Edmund Rice Tutoring

In Year Eleven, students are invited to participate in the Edmund Rice Tutoring Program each Wednesday, they depart the college by bus at 3:10 PM and return at 5:30 PM. The Edmund Rice Tutoring Program supports young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds on their journey to achieving their best learning outcomes.Students work with Primary and Secondary students from a range of schools to help them with their homework.  

A number of students this term have already volunteered to participate numerous times.

 

Attending Edmund Rice Tutoring each week after school on Wednesday brings me joy knowing that I am able to help kids with their learning but also with their social skills as a mentor who they can look up to. Seeing their faces light up when we walk through the door, not only brings a smile to their faces but to ours as well.

– Vy L 

 

Participating in the tutoring program has been a truly enriching experience. I have learnt many useful skills and gained a deeper understanding of how to effectively support young learners.

– Martine E

 

Having the opportunity to attend the Edmund Rice tutoring sessions has been such an exciting and educational experience for me as I’ve been able to get to know and help primary school kids with their school work and social skills. Being able to go each week has been the highlight of many kids’ weeks as well as mine, making it an extremely rewarding task. 

– Saya R 

Sports Highlight - Hocky Update

Bryher learned to skate on the frozen lakes and ponds of 100 Mile House, British Columbia, Canada. For the next 7 years she played in the Confederation Hockey League in Edmonton Alberta where she fell in love with her defensive role on the ice.
Upon moving to Australia in 2021, she was selected as part of the leadership team for the U13 Wolves, U15 Ducks, and as Captain for the Junior B Reservior Dogs and took part in the U18 IHA Olympic Training Camp, with hopes of playing in the 2024 Youth Olympics held in Gangwon China,  but due to a delayed Citizenship her Olympic opportunity didn’t come to fruition. She currently plays in the Womens Pro League (First League in Australia where women do not have to pay to play), Womens Ducks AWIHL and Junior A Ducks.
She’s had the honour to represent team Victoria in 2023 and she looks forward to doing it again in 2024!

'Julia'

LATE term 2, the Unit 2 Literature students went to the Sumner Theatre at the MTC in the city to see a new play by Joanna Murray-Smith called ‘Julia’.

Julia stars Justine Clarke as former Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. The play delves deeply into Gillard’s
life, dealing with her relationship with her father, her connections to Wales, and her time as a lawyer. The bulk of the play, however, centres around her time in politics, especially her tumultuous time in the top job. It is (virtually) a one-person show, so everything is shown through her thoughts, as she ruminates on the tricky aspects of her leadership and the way she felt that her role was dogged by perceptions of sexism, both in Parliament and in the media. There are many references to Tony Abbott, and Alan Jones, unsurprisingly.

The final act in the play has Clarke donning a bright red wig and a suit jacket, looking uncannily like Gillard, delivering the famous ‘misogyny speech’ word for word. This was the highlight of the play, and her perfect performance garnered a rapturous response.

We all really enjoyed our day out. Being in the second row made it a really intimate performance. Interestingly, we were by far the youngest people in the audience. The marked difference made us a bit of a spectacle, and one lady was overheard saying ‘I still remember when I was that young…’Speaking of young, when Julia Gillard was PM we were in kindergarten. However, we have all come to know bits of her story. And we all know a lot more now. What a strange time. Let’s all hope the next female has a much fairer experience.

 

Cyber Safety and Consequences

In today’s digital age, social media is an integral part of our children’s lives, offering numerous benefits from social connections to educational opportunities. However, as with any powerful tool, it comes with responsibilities and potential risks. It is crucial for us, as parents and educators, to guide our children towards responsible and safe social media use. Here are some tips and advice to help you navigate this complex landscape with your children.

Encourage Open Communication

Start by having open and honest discussions about social media. Ask your children about their favorite platforms, who they interact with, and what they enjoy sharing. Establishing a trusting environment where they feel comfortable discussing their online experiences is key.

Set Clear Boundaries and Expectations

Establish clear rules regarding social media use, including:

  • Time limits for daily use.
  • Types of content that are appropriate to post and share.
  • Guidelines for online interactions and maintaining privacy.

Reinforce the importance of thinking before they post and the permanence of online actions.

Educate About Privacy and Security

Teach your children the importance of privacy settings and protecting their personal information. Explain the risks of sharing too much online, including the potential for identity theft, cyberbullying, and unwanted contact from strangers.

Monitor and Supervise Use

While respecting their privacy, it’s important to monitor your child’s social media activity. Use parental controls and regularly review their friend lists and posts. This helps ensure they are engaging in safe and positive online behavior.

Discuss the Consequences of Inappropriate Use

It’s vital for children to understand that inappropriate use of social media can have serious legal consequences. The Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) and Crimes Act 1958 include provisions that young users (anyone over the age of 10) can be (and have been) charged with:

  • Use of a Telecommunication Device to Harass/Menace: This offense involves using a phone or internet service to harass or menace someone, which can lead to criminal charges.
  • Distributing Intimate Images: Sharing intimate images without consent, commonly known as ‘revenge porn’, is a serious crime that can have devastating consequences for the victim and legal repercussions for the perpetrator.

Highlighting real-world examples where inappropriate social media use has led to legal action to emphasise the importance of responsible behaviour can be a useful way to support young people to be conscious of their actions. 

Students from the college have received consequences for this type of behaviour as per our Student Management Guidelines. In some cases there has also been police involvement and charges brought forward for these individuals. These charges can mean that children (as young as 10) have juvenile records for these offences. 

Promote Positive Online Behavior

Encourage your children to use social media to support and uplift others. Promote kindness, empathy, and respect in all their online interactions. Positive digital citizenship can help create a safer and more supportive online community for everyone.

Be a Role Model

Set a good example by modeling appropriate social media use. Show your children how to balance online activities with offline hobbies and responsibilities. Demonstrate respectful and mindful online behavior.

By working together, we can help our children navigate the world of social media safely and responsibly. If you have any concerns or need further guidance, please do not hesitate to reach out to the school’s counseling department.

Thank you for your continued support in fostering a safe and nurturing environment for our students, both online and offline.

Parents at St Columba’s have access to our ysafe Cybersafety Hub that has resource to support parents.

Likewise the esafety commissioner website has helpful links. https://www.esafety.gov.au/ The esafety website also allows parents and student to report harmful behaviour and can support in having images or content removed from the internet. 

Parents are encouraged to partner with St Columba’s College staff to support the safety and wellbeing of young people within our community. 

 

Learning Diversity

How parents can help develop their child’s ‘Learning Strengths.’

by Andrew Fuller

Every child’s brain is as unique as their fingerprint. This gives them their own pattern of learning strengths. When parents and children know this pattern they can more powerfully engage in learning and discover pathways to success. 

Parents don’t need to be teachers or experts in brains. Learning strengths increase parents’ existing knowledge about their child to excite them about the possibilities for their life. 

‘Learning strengths’ is based on the latest research from neuroscience and gives parents a way of increasing their children’s motivation and passion for learning. 

 How does knowing learning strengths help me to help my child? 

There are a number of ways this knowledge benefits your child: 

1) Overcoming a fear of ‘failure’ Success in life is not about being good at everything. Success is about discovering what you are good at, developing those strengths and applying them to other areas where possible. 

 Some children believe that unless they are good at everything, they are not smart or successful. If this belief persists they lose motivation, fear making mistakes and avoid learning.  

 A child’s whose parent knows how to help them discover their learning strengths and how to use them to build success in other areas is much more likely to remain confident and motivated. 

 2) Awareness: Knowing your learning strengths and your child’s patterns assists you to consider similarities and differences  between you both. Not every child shares the same strengths as their parent. Valuing strengths your child has, that you do not share, is a voyage of discovery for most parents.

3) Planning activities  Parents are powerful teachers of their children. By focusing on activities that your child already has learning strengths in, you are likely to get greater engagement and enjoyment. 

 4) Extending activities to develop learning strengths starts with what is strong to improve what is not yet strong.   For example, if your child has a learning strength in perceptual-motor areas (sport, dance, craft, construction) and you wanted to improve their strengths in number smarts, you might find ways to discuss how numbers play a role in those areas.   

Concepts like arcs, trajectories, sports statistics, percentages, right angles and number sequences all become more meaningful when we relate them to something a child is already good at.  At home, a child who has concentration and memory learning strengths but is yet to develop planning and sequencing strengths may struggle to clean up their room. A parent could help them by using what they are already strong at (concentration and memory) by turning room cleaning into a memory game i.e. ‘guess what we need to do next?’ This will make learning a new sequence easier. 

5) Success creates success The fastest way to help children to become passionate about their learning is to have their early attempts and successes acknowledged.  

6) Involvement at school. When parents understand their child’s strengths they are empowered to take this knowledge to parent-teacher meetings and use it to proactively and collaboratively plan with teachers what strengths to build upon, and also how to use those strengths to develop in other areas. Learning happens fastest when parents, teachers and students collaborate together. 

7) Pursuing passions. There is a strong overlap between our learning strengths and what we are interested in. A child’s learning strengths may change as they mature but in the long-term, knowing about learning strengths helps young people choose the courses or careers that suit them and where they are most likely to experience success. 

8) Finding a career path that calls upon your learning strengths is a pathway to having a satisfying life. It is also goes some way towards increasing the likelihood that your child may be able to provide you with some support in your more senior years.

How can you find out about learning strengths? 

You can learn more by completing your own learning analysis on www.mylearningstrengths.com.  You will be emailed a free letter outlining your top learning strengths and suggestions about how to use these to increase learning in other areas.   

Once you have an understanding of your own learning strengths, ask your child to complete the analysis and discuss the letter with them. For children younger than Year 4 you may need to do it with them. For very young children you could complete it on their behalf and treat the results as a rough guide as they develop and mature. 

The report contains a detailed analysis of: 

  • Spatial reasoning  
  • Perceptual and motor skills 
  • Concentration and memory  
  • Planning and sequencing  
  • Thinking and logic  
  • People smarts 
  • Language and word smarts  
  • Number smarts

Andrew’s book, “Unlocking Your Child’s Genius” (Bad Apple Press) provides an extensive approach to developing learning strengths in 2-18 year old’s.
www.mylearningstrengths.com  | www.andrewfuller.com.au

St Columba's Reunion - Year's ending in '4's

St Columba’s College will be hosting our Annual reunion for any year which graduated in a 4 ( eg 1964, 1974, 1984 etc)

Get your past classmates together and join us for an afternoon of reminiscing at the College – 2 Leslie Road, Essendon 3040.

Date: Sunday 13 October 2024 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM

To RSVP please follow the link below

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1217823?

Important Dates

Grandparents Breakfast – Wednesday 24th July

Languages Week – Monday 29 July – Friday 2 August

Cunningham House Celebration Day – Tuesday 30 July

Student Free Day – Friday 2 August

Year 7 2025 Parent Information Evening – Monday 5 August