IONA 16

Prayer

Our prayer today is in honour of the work and commitment of those staff and students who are in the final phase of the Philippines Immersion and who return to our community on Monday 14th October.

As a St Columba’s community, we pray in gratitude for the way our students and staff have embraced this challenge in the spirit of authentic advocacy. We pray together in gratitude for the way they have continually supported each other and responded to the call of the Philippines, continuing the work of all at Bahay Tuluyan with such grace, joy, passion and enthusiasm.

We ask God’s blessing on the work of these prophetic young women who, along with the staff who have walked with you on this journey, have been blessed with an opportunity to work with the wonderful community of Bahay Tuluyan. May they continue to be authentic and true to the call and response of their work.

May we at St Columba’s College continue to serve and be voices for those who are voiceless, responding with energy and passion, as these students and staff have, to the call of injustice in our everyday lives, living out the charism of the Sisters of Charity.

In Jesus’ name we pray.

PAM Accounts – Parents of Year 12 Students

Later this year, we will be farewelling some families who have a Year 12 daughter(s) here currently. This may be their last daughter(s) journeying through secondary education or they may have a younger daughter who will become a member of the St Columba’s College community in the future. To those of you who will be moving on with their daughter(s), a warm thank you for allowing us to partner with you in the nurturing of your daughters.

Please note that on Friday January 31 2020, your PAM account for your Year 12 daughter(s) will be suspended. You may wish to download and save your daughter’s reports, for instance, prior to this date. Year 12 students have also been advised that their G-Suite accounts will be suspended at this time too. A reminder will be included in an IONA edition towards the end of term 4. Your daughter(s) will also receive a reminder email in January to ensure they are able to save any important documentation that they require.

2019 Year 7 – 11 Student Awards

The list of student awards and their criteria for 2019 can be located here. Students have already been sent this information. The recipients of these awards will be acknowledged at the Awards Assembly on Thursday 5 December. We look forward to celebrating the special achievements of our students then. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Deputy Principal, Brigitte McDonald.

Mass of Thanksgiving for Benefactors & Donors

The College invites the community to a Mass giving thanks to the Benefactors & Donors of The Sisters of Charity of Australia.

Please click here for the invitation.

Year 12 End of Year Celebrations

In November, the Year 12 students will look forward to celebrating an exciting milestone in their lives – the completion of their secondary school education. This however, should not mean risking their health or safety. Good Times, Great Breaks is a coordinated, community response that provides information and on-the-ground support for young people celebrating the end of school in Victoria’s coastal regions. Young people planning to celebrate in Victorian coastal regions are encouraged to visit the Good Times, Great Breaks website for registration, information and safety tips. Those planning to celebrate or volunteer overseas are encouraged to visit the Australian Government website Smart Traveller for registrations, safety tips and security, local laws and customs. 

The Colleges encourages parents to discuss end-of-school leaver celebrations to help reduce the risk of alcohol and drug-related harm to their daughters. We encourage parents and their daughters to visit the websites mentioned to help ensure celebrations are safe and enjoyable for all.

Parenting in the Digital World Workshop

YOU ARE INVITED TO A PARENT WORKSHOP 

PARENTING IN THE DIGITAL WORLD, STRATEGIES TO HELP!

Parents are invited to a workshop being presented by the Alannah and Madeline Foundation on Parenting in the Digital World, Strategies to Help!

This workshop will take place on Wednesday, 13 November from 6.30 to 7.30 pm in the Theatrette (Nicholson Building). Insight into the online worlds of young people including the latest trends, risks and research, and social media use will be the focus of this workshop. Advice for parents will be provided to help manage a child’s life online.

Outcomes:

• Parents/carers will develop an understanding of the appeal of social media and how to support young people to stay safe
• Parents/carers will know where and how to report inappropriate content and how best to support young people who are experiencing harm
• Parents/carers will be equipped with the latest research regarding online behaviours

Please note that this event is limited to 100 guests. To register for this event please complete this booking form.

We look forward to seeing you on this night.

STEM Showcase

The College warmly invites you to attend this year’s STEM Showcase. The Showcase will run in conjunction with the Art Exhibition from Thursday 24 October until Friday 25 October. Opening night hours will be from 6 – 8 pm.

Head Lice Reminder

Dear St Columba’s Community.  

As you aware, Head lice can be a big problem, especially when students who have been treated multiple times are in fact becoming reinfected. The reason for this is because others are not checking hair often enough. This can be both frustrating and costly to parents who are vigilant.

Many head lice do not cause an itch so you do have to look through the hair to find them. Please read the detailed fact sheet included below and check your daughter’s hair this weekend, treat and retreat if necessary. 

Thank You. 

Link to fact sheet

St Columba’s College Dance Program Sale

Items from the St Columba’s College Dance Program are for sale this weekend! Items include costumes, fabrics and more, priced to sell.

Friday 11 October – 10 AM – 2 PM

Saturday 12 October – 10 AM – 4PM

Unit 26, 2 Thompsons Road Keilor Park

For more information, contact Paula at paulakav@optusnet.com.au

Religious Education Reflections

Year 10 Religious Education – Reflection Day-  Interfaith Encounter

Melbourne is a microcosm of the world. It is in our city that people from all over the world and from a multitude of faith perspectives and religious traditions are free to express their religious identity and celebrate their beliefs. Within our Catholic tradition, we are called to enter profoundly and authentically into interfaith dialogue, into greater understanding, empathy and respect. As part of their learning in VCE Religion and Society, our Year 10s were offered a rich insight into the many rich faith traditions alive here in Melbourne on Monday 9th September. Here are some of their reflections:

Fiona Hili

Encounter at the Melbourne Buddhist Centre, Brunswick

For the Year 10 Reflection Day, some students visited the Melbourne Buddhist Centre in Brunswick- a space for those who are intrigued by this unique faith system and are searching for means to broaden and deepen their understanding of Buddhism. The centre is run by the Triratna Buddhist Community, a global network committed to practicing and teaching Buddhist ethics, meditation and wisdom for all. Our session was led by two of the centre’s most highly regarded leaders, Dantacitta and Maitrarshan, who have both adopted a traditional Buddhist name to strengthen their connection to the religion. Separated into two groups, we each experienced meditation led by our two leaders and information sessions. Dantacitta’s meditation consisted of two parts and primarily focused on the importance of recognising our best qualities, projecting kindness to others around us and concentrating on breathing in each present moment. In comparison, Maitrarshan’s meditation was centred around mindfulness breathing- noticing the sensations involved and working to ignore any external distractions. 

This day of reflection allowed many of us to appreciate the diversity of the world’s religions as well as experiences we can relate to and implement in our own lives. 

Alexandra Hatzievangelou

Encounter at Ilim College, Dallas

Our excursion last week to Ilim College for Year Ten Reflection Day was an informative experience that gave us insight into the Islamic religion. We were warmly welcomed by the girls and their teachers who gave us a presentation on their beliefs as Muslims, their practices and traditions. They were very open to answering all of our questions and we had the opportunity to break off into small groups with the students where we got to talk more in depth about our own faiths. It was very interesting to hear about the girl’s experiences as Islamic Australians and we had productive discussions surrounding gender equality, the negative depiction of their faith in the media related to terrorism, and freedom of practicing one’s faith. We also had the opportunity to go into their school’s mosque where the cohort congregates each day to pray. This was an extremely rewarding experience as my classmates and I had not had much exposure to the Islamic faith before this excursion. It made me realise that religion is often seen as a force that divides people when in reality, we are all connected through our desire to find a purpose in life and advance as human beings.

Adele Roeder

Encounter at the Jewish Museum of Australia, St Kilda

On Monday the 9th of September, our class had the privilege of going to the Jewish Museum in St Kilda. We toured the exhibitions and really got an insight into the religion and its past. Prior to the excursion, we had a brief discussion about their teachings and beliefs, learning so much already. We were first greeted by Debbie and Martha, then split into two groups and had the chance to walk around the museum, filling out worksheets as we passed along. The activities were very interactive and taught us a lot about the traditions, beliefs and the significance behind them. We then headed off into a synagogue and flooded Debbie and Martha with our questions. 

It really opened our eyes to the level of commitment Jewish people experience in their day to day lives. We ended our day with a brief reenactment of a typical Shabbat service on a Friday night at sunset and had the chance to drink some grape juice and traditional bread. The day was full of learning and fun and we gained a deeper understanding of Judaism and are extremely grateful for the experience. 

Lucy Maccagnan and Adela Przekwas

Reenactment of a Friday night family Shabbat service at the Jewish Museum in St Kilda

On Monday the 9th of September, some Year 10s received the incredible opportunity to visit the Jewish Museum and a Synagogue in St Kilda. This was an amazing experience, were we were exposed to another religion to aid us with the interfaith aspect of our VCE Religion and Society class. There are only 100,000 Jewish people in Australia and 40,000 of them in Victoria according to the 2016 census. We gained valuable knowledge about Judaism, and it’s unique traditions. As a monotheistic (belief in one God) religion it is similar to Christianlity in the fact that they only praise one divine God. Their beliefs are guided by the Ten Commandments, but they have 613 laws, all outlined in the Torah. We learnt many interesting details such as that they pray 3 times a day, have their Sabbath (rest day) on a Saturday, cannot mix meat and diary and bury their dead in a plain coffin to demonstrate no difference between rich and poor. They also have a different calendar (Hebrew calendar) to the typical calendar we use in our everyday lives (Gregorian calendar). We have also learnt about the rituals and ceremonies experienced throughout a Jewish person’s life, with traditions such as Bar/Bat Mitzvah which are coming of age rituals for Jewish boys and girls. This excursion was a wonderful learning experience for us to become more knowledgeable and informed about Jewish culture and faith.

Olivia Thompson

Encounter at the Islamic Museum of Australia, Thornbury

As part of our Reflection Day, a group of Year 10 students attended the Islamic Museum of Australia on the 9th of September. In doing so, students engaged with Sherene Hassan, the Education Director at the centre, in an interfaith dialogue about the Muslim community. This allows us to maintain a respectful coexistence with others of different faiths and customs. We were lucky to visit this museum, the first in Australia dedicated to Islamic Art and Muslim artists.

During our experience, we were fortunate enough to also partake in a guided tour in which we learned about the contributions of Muslims across the globe as well as the history of the Muslim religion. This directly relates to our current studies in VCE Religious Education in which we learn about the nature and purpose of religion, and how different religions share a variety of similarities and differences regarding the nine aspects of religion. During the tour, we also got the chance to listen to and be a part of a Muslim prayer, recited by Bachar Houli. In visiting the museum, we were able to gain a deeper understanding of the Muslim faith and our eyes were opened to the hardships that Muslim people face on a daily basis. The valuable lessons we learned at the museum will stay with us and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. 

Ciara Cashin and Alyssa Denness

Cater’s Cupcakes for a Cause

On Thursday 19th September, Cater House welcomed Sandra Rosano from Villa Maria Catholic Homes (VMCH) who presented to the House about St Paul’s College, our House partner. Following that, students in Cater were energised to set up for our annual fundraising and advocacy event  ‘Cater’s Cupcakes for a Cause’. This year, we are raising funds for a weight-bearing trampoline for some of the senior students at St Paul’s. Students decorated white boards, made posters and put posters up advertising our endeavour.

I would also like to extend a huge congratulations to the staff and students in Cater House for their generosity of spirit in baking, donating and giving up their lunchtime to sell their baked goods. An event like this cannot happen without the goodwill of people donating their time and talents so I am incredibly grateful for the hard work that went into this activity. I was blown away by the amount we raised ($873.80) but also so proud that the girls could confidently answer the question, “why are you selling cupcakes?” The message of raising awareness for the needs of students at St Paul’s College was very evident and I was humbled by the girls’ generosity and positive attitudes on the day. 

Creative Writing Competition Winner

Congratulations to Victoria Giannarakis, CHLJ2, who was the winner of the Creative Writing Competition run by English teacher Darren Harrison. The descriptive piece is below for your reading pleasure.

Link to creative writing piece.

Kiara Evans Wins Gold

Current Year 11 student Kiara Evans, WMSS1, was very successful in her campaign at the National Taekwondo Championships last month on the Gold Coast. She came away from the event with 2 gold medals and retained her status as National Champion for Australia.

The St Columba’s community is proud of Kiara’s fantastic achievements and the dedication it has taken to reach such a high level of competition.