CCW Newsletter December 11 2020

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CATHEDRAL COLLEGE WANGARATTA Fortnightly Newsletter

In this edition.....

Heads of School Reports Year Three Camp Jungai Year Five Graduation P & F event - 'The Big Picnic' Indonesian MasterChef

From the Principal MR NICK JONES

It has been hugely encouraging to have some of our traditional end of year events and activities occurring during the past fortnight. The Year Three students enjoyed a great camp experience at Camp Jungai last week. The students participated in a range of activities including; canoeing, possum pull and Indigenous Cultural awareness and I thank the staff who accompanied our students to the three-day experience. We were delighted to welcome Year Five parents and families onto the campus for their graduation from Junior School last week. It was another reminder that it is the coming together of our school community which makes this such a special place to be. It was also very special to share a meal with our Year Twelve students last Tuesday evening. Many of our students are looking forward to activity days during the last week of the school year and I thank our staff for organising these enjoyable events.

Presentation Ceremonies – December 17 Like many activities and events this year, we have had to adjust our plans for these important school ceremonies. We have been advised that we are able to run these events with all of our students in attendance. This is fantastic news and will be the first time since Term One that we are able to bring all our students together. Unfortunately, due to density limits, this will mean that parents and other community members will be unable to attend. Both ceremonies will be recorded, and we will provide a link to these ceremonies for parents and families to view.

Staff Farewells It is customary at this time of year to farewell staff who are moving on from our College. This year we farewell; Mr Brian Williams: Retirement Mrs Fran Hoyle: Retirement Mrs Therese Graham: Retirement Mrs Jen Waugh: Relocating Mrs Lou Campbell: Relocating Ms Meika Staley: Career change On behalf of the College, we sincerely thank these staff for their significant contribution to the life of our school. We wish them all the best for the adventures that lie ahead.

We also farewell our Gap students who have provided outstanding assistance to our staff and students this year; Shaylee Boruch, Anna Martin, Opal Thomas and Lachlan Wood.

I would like to acknowledge the retirement of our long-standing Chair of School Council, Mr Mike Noble. Mike has served as Chair of Council for over twelve years and he has provided incredible leadership to the College. Mike has overseen the amazing growth and development of Cathedral College during his time as Chair of Council and we are extremely grateful for time, energy and expertise he has contributed to our College. We thank Mike and Sarah and look forward to their continued involvement with Cathedral College over many years to come.

Merry Christmas At the end of an extraordinary year, one we will never forget, I thank you again for your resilience, flexibility and support. We have all learnt how strong and adaptable we can be and how quickly we can respond to changing environments. If 2020 has not broken us, nothing will!

I would like to wish our school community a very blessed, peaceful and holy Christmas and a relaxing and enjoyable holiday break. We are looking forward with joy and anticipation to a fantastic 2021!

I leave you with a Christmas blessing.

May the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the perseverance of the wise men, the obedience of Joseph and Mary, and the peace of the Christ child be yours this Christmas.

And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you always.

All the best.

Christmas Video Please enjoy this Christmas Video from the staff and student of Cathedral College Wangaratta.

CCW Christmas Video 2020

From the Head of Junior School MR GREG NEWBOLD Looking in the rear-view mirror at the end of each school year, the usual remark is “Wow! Hasn’t the year gone quick!”

Not this year, I’m afraid! January 30, 2020, the first day of this school year seems so long ago that it is hard for me to crystallise in my mind that initial day. Much has impacted our normal, day-to-day life; at school, at home, in the community and at work, with curveballs flying from all directions, at different speeds and various trajectories.

Yet, we’ve clung together, hung tough and overcome unprecedented experiences and adversity. As a school, a family, a community, but mostly as a broad collective, we should feel proud of our adaptability, proud of our capacity to overcome and proud of our ability to act as a team.

From a school perspective, we’ve missed some of those significant events that enrich the fabric of the school experience, like sporting carnivals, school camps, Celebration of Learning evenings, live assemblies and productions, and important commemorative services. Yet, Term Four has offered a return to a more normal calendar.

All year levels have experienced an outdoor adventure activity and the Junior School Graduation was held with families in attendance. Our annual Carol Service, theatrical performances, Transition day and the Presentation Ceremony, all reflected life returning to normal and a growing sense of optimism.

As we conclude the year, I wish to offer a hearty round of applause to our students and their families for the support and effort they provided throughout the two remote learning periods in Terms Two and Three. This was a challenging time and no doubt drew on large reserves of energy and resilience in everyone. It is also noteworthy how understanding and willing our families were to adapt to the regulations we were required to impose during these times. I am eternally grateful for this selflessness.

To our staff who worked so tirelessly throughout the year, but especially through Remote Learning 1.0 and 2.0, you are all deserving of a brace of gold medals. It is incredibly hard to prepare for an event never experienced previously and then respond to the wide range of emotions and behaviours that emanated from the significant disruptions. We are indeed fortunate to have such a proud, professional and caring group guiding our young people.

And particularly to our students, who in so many areas led the way through their innocence by carrying the torch of hope, providing optimism and healthy doses of what I referred to in RL 2.0 as ‘stick-at-it-ability’. They are the reason we do what we do!

I wish everyone a very merry and holy Christmas and a safe, refreshing, happy New Year.

Best wishes! Thank you!

Year Three Camp Jungai The Year Three Students recently embarked on their long-awaited and anticipated Camp Jungai.

Here are two reports from students in Ms Knobel's class about their time at camp.

The first activity I did was low ropes. It was so much fun. There were lots of different low ropes activities. One was two ropes next to each other that I walked across. I didn’t need help. I used my balance and had to concentrate very hard. The next day my group painted boomerangs. On the boomerangs we painted stories. Aunty showed us how to throw the boomerangs and told us Dreamtime stories. Aunty is a lady who helped lots of the groups on camp. My favourite part of camp was falling out of my canoe and the funniest thing was Shaylee and Alexander falling out of the canoe multiple times. It was exciting finding out who was in my cabin. I also did banner painting and my group was called the Chicken Nuggets. We made up a group cheer. We had so much fun. I got paint all over my clothes.

By Ruby Ham Possum pull was very fun. Our group pulled a group which lifted us up into the air. When we gave a signal, they lowered us down. I went all the way to the top and it felt much higher than it looked. The food at camp was very good but I hated the lasagna. My favourite meal at camp was breakfast. I was lucky as I was in a cabin with most of the people that I wanted to be with. We had fun and didn’t sleep much. In our cabins, we had lots of fun playing games and mucking around. The whole camp was awesome and better than I thought it would be.

By Kiana Lane

Photo Gallery

Year Five Graduation

From the Head of Middle School MRS BRIGID PERKINS I am so proud of how our Middle School has finished the year. I would like to publicly congratulate our students as they are making the most of all opportunities and continuing to challenge themselves. The community as a whole are continuing to try their best and show their pride in the school. Our Whole School Transition Day that occurred this week, was a clear example of this. On this day, we welcomed our new Year Six students who have moved up from Year Five. We also welcomed approximately 60 new Year Seven 2021 students who will join our current two classes of Year Six students and our current Year Seven students enjoyed their first day as the leaders of the Middle School as they moved into Year Eight! All students had the opportunity to start creating new friendships, as well as meet some of the teachers that they will be working with. There was a lot of excitement in the air and lots of smiles on faces. It really was an exciting step closer to our 2021 academic year and our community seems very ready to say goodbye to 2020 and start making plans and goals for next year.

Our staff also held some important meetings this week to start handing over our knowledge and experience of current cohorts who are moving up a year level or even moving into the Senior School. Junior School staff met with Middle School staff, as well as current and new Homeroom teachers and Year Level Co-ordinators spent time talking about each individual student, focusing on their wellbeing, academic abilities, strengths, social connections and general interests. Having access to this information before the 2021 academic year is obviously very helpful for staff to start planning and building student relationships which will directly impact their learning. These meetings were an important part of the transition process and were quite a rewarding part of our role, knowing that many of our students are really prepared for their next academic adventure.

In our final week for 2020, our Middle School students will be involved in a range of activity days, as well as the Cathedral Carols Service and our final Presentation Assembly. It really has been such a unique and challenging year, and everyone deserves an enjoyable and restful Summer break.

Thank you to all Middle School families for their support and involvement this year. Truly, a year like no other!

A whirly wind on the hockey pitch captured by Mrs Synnot

Photo Gallery

Year Six Potato Olympics

Photo Gallery

Year Six History - Immigrant Suitcase The Year Six students have been studying immigration in History. Each student designed and created a suitcase as if they were a child emigrating to Australia in the 1950s. They then presented their suitcases to some Year Two to Four classes. The suitcases included things like games, journals, teddies, photos and treats. They all did an amazing job.

Miss Q Year Six History

From the Head of Senior School MS LAUREN LEE Today marks the end of another incredibly busy year for our Year Ten and Eleven students, with only a few more days for Year Nine students before they too break for the holidays. I would normally sit back and reflect on all of the wonderful things that our young people have achieved in the academic year, and while I will still make time for this, I think it is going to take me a bit longer than normal given the year we have experienced.

Students in the Senior School have had a strong team working alongside them and I would like to acknowledge the work that the staff has done this year in supporting students and families to be successful both on campus and during remote learning. The focus at each of our year levels has been slightly different but overall, the goal has been to allow students to become independent learners who take control of their own educational journey. Of course, there have continued to be conversations about the importance of kindness, gratitude, and respect, but more importantly this year, the conversations have been around being agile, resilient, and facing each challenge one step at a time.

Another group of people who worked on ensuring the academic, social, and emotional wellbeing of the students in the Senior School were our Year Level Coordinators. I would like to take the opportunity, on behalf of the staff and students to acknowledge the exceptional amount of time, effort, and care that Adam Graham, Tim Gerrish, Kirsty Woods, and Paul Carson put into their roles.

Throughout the year, each of them have been strong advocates for their year levels and they have ensured that we challenge each other to be the best we can be.

To our parents, guardians, and loved ones who have supported children throughout the year, particularly through remote learning, we say thank you. For many, you were trying to manage work, businesses, and life in general, and adding in two periods of remote learning was something I never even considered to be a possibility. We thank you for communicating with us to ensure your children achieved as much as they could, for listening in to Teams meetings so you could assist your children with their work and we look forward to a more settled year in 2021.

Finally, congratulations must go to our students, without them our Senior School would not be what it is today. Throughout the year we have watched them discover their strengths, develop new skills, and identify where their passions lie by opening their minds to learning. This year they have been challenged more than ever to become independent learners, to navigate technology, and to manage to learn from home. While at times this has been challenging, it is clear that the students have developed many new skills that will be useful in the future.

Next week we look forward to finishing the year well with activities day for Year Nine students, Carols, and Presentation Assembly. I wish you all the very best for the holiday season and look forward to seeing everyone at the end of January.

From the Director of Studies MRS JULIE FINDLAY As the year draws to a close, staff are busily preparing reports to try and summarise a very different year’s progress in learning. The report contains a small reference to remote learning and assessments completed once students have returned to school. This has been a very challenging year for all, and students have acquired many new skills to become problem solvers and independent learners. After a well-earned break, students and staff will have the opportunity to reflect and build upon their learning and new skills in 2021.

Reports will be emailed home after school finishes. Please email the school if you do not receive your report before Christmas. For some students, their efforts and achievements have been recognised in the nomination of a Distinction or Merit. These certificates will be posted home. On reading their reports we hope students will consider areas to focus on next year and respond to the feedback offered.

Students will be excited about trying new electives and subjects next year. We hope if they are not sure about an elective they have been allocated, that they will at least try the subjects in the first two weeks before approaching their Year Level Coordinator about changing a subject.

Thank you for your understanding and support this year. I know it has been hard for everyone. I would also like to thank the staff for their continued dedication to providing rich learning experiences for our students.

Merry Christmas.

LOTE This week in Miss Penny Townshend's Year Eight Advanced Indonesian class, there was a fiery MasterChef competition. Students grouped together to research typical Indonesian street-food recipes, cook their recipe using the Outdoor Education Trangia stoves, complete artwork on their noodle boxes and serve their dish up to the guest judges Mrs Brigid Perkins (Head of Middle School) and Ms Michelle Lloyd (Year Eight Coordinator). The students then had to present their food with an Indonesian oral report which included the ingredients they used. Upon tasting each dish the teachers were given an opportunity to ask a question or comment on the flavour also using Indonesian, which they managed to do so without any preparation! The students all did extremely well in their use of the language and in experimenting with different flavours in their dishes, some favouring the chilli flakes while others included maple syrup?!

Overall it was a very exciting lesson. Well done Year Eight Advanced Indonesian class.

Chaplains' Chat Christmas Message “She (Mary) gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Luke 2:7 “The Christening” The story goes of a christening that was to be held many years ago by a very wealthy European family. Many guests were invited to the home for the occasion and it became a very fashionable and social occasion. Their coats and stoles were carried to a bedroom and laid upon the bed when they arrived. After the usual lot of conversation and commotion, they were ready for the christening ceremony and someone asked, “Where is the baby?” The nurse was sent upstairs to collect the baby but returned in a very distressed state. The baby was nowhere to be found! After a short search, someone remembered that that child had last been seen lying on one of the beds, and after a frantic search, the little child was found under the coats and stoles of the guests. The chief reason why they had come had been forgotten, neglected and nearly destroyed! This Christmas many will forget, neglect and even destroy the Christ child! He is lost under the tinsel, wrapping paper, ribbon, gifts and parties. Let us all remember not to crowd Christ out this Christmas this year, as he is the reason for the season.

Rev’d David Jones Chaplain

Wellbeing Over the Christmas break, I am sure we will all reflect on 2020, including the impact of living with uncertainly throughout the year. As we contemplate our hopes for 2021, consider your psychological wellbeing as a starting point. Positive psychology is not about putting on a happy face all the time. Life can be hard, and disappointments and challenges are inevitable.

However, scientific research has shown that there are some strategies and skills that allow people to navigate the challenges of life more effectively and enjoy life despite the upsets. Please read the wisdom and insight provided by the Black Dog Institute with practical strategies to increase your psychological wellbeing.

Psychological Wellbeing May the magic of the Christmas season fill your home with joy, love, and peace

Our Wellbeing team

Ms June Stamp, College Counsellor; Rev David Jones, Senior School Chaplain; Mrs Cathy Carden, Junior School Chaplain

From the library

Thank you from the Library We have just held a very successful blitz on Library books currently on loan or overdue from the Library and are happy to have had so many books returned. If you still have any Library books at home, please return to school before Thursday, December 17.

We would like to thank all parents and students who ensured books were brought back to us before the holidays.

Wishing you all a happy Christmas and safe holiday, with lots of relaxation and reading time.

Mrs Quinn, Mrs Higginson and Miss Q

From the Uniform Shop The Uniform Shop is now closed for 2020.

Our January 2021 school holiday times are: Monday 18th January 8.30am – 1.45pm Wednesday 20th January 8.30am – 4.00pm Thursday 21st January 8.30am – 4.00pm Friday 22nd January 8.30am – 1.45pm Saturday 23rd January 8.30am – 1.45pm Monday 25th January Wednesday 27th January

8.30am – 1.45pm 8.30am – 4.00pm

Please note: If your child needs to try on any part of the uniform, you will need to make an appointment.

Please follow the instructions at https://www.noone.com.au/school/cathedralcollege/stores Orders can also be made via the Noone Website for collection at your convenience.

We would like to wish you and your families a very Happy Holidays and look forward to seeing you all in 2021.

Stephanie, Heather and Sigrid.

From Administration Media Permissions Upon your son/daughter’s commencement at Cathedral College Wangaratta, your child’s enrolment form included permissions pertaining to photos and media. The phrasing of this has been amended on the Cathedral College Enrolment form and reads as follows: During the school year, there are typically many occasions and events where College staff may photograph or film students participating in school activities and events. These images are used for a variety of purposes including school newsletters, the Cathedral College Wangaratta website, marketing, advertising and inclusion in other College publications which are publicly available.

I/we hereby allow/disallow (please circle the applicable) my son’s/daughter’s name, photograph and inclusion in College produced videos to be used in print and online College promotional publications, and as may be possible from time to time, the Colleges official social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram) and the media, including local papers.

I understand I can withdraw the above consent at any time by advising the College in writing.

The College assumes that media permissions remain the same unless you advise the College in writing that consent is withdrawn.

Please contact kcairncross@catheralcollege.vic.edu.au by December 17 if you would like to advise of any change.

Christmas Opening Hours Please note that the reception office will be closed from December 24 to January 5. Have a safe and happy Christmas and New Year.

From Social Enterprise Dear Parents & Carers, Staff and CCW Community Last week, our Year Nine Social Enterprise Students successfully traded their products over 2 days in a pop-up market and online store. We would like to Thank you for your overwhelming support of our student-run businesses. In such a challenging year, we appreciate your very generous support.

As a result, we have donated nearly $4500 to the following charities: Anglicare Black Dog Institute Cancer Council Headspace Koala Clancy Foundation Men’s Shed Northeast Health Wangaratta Royal Children’s Hospital RSPCA Smith Family Stop the Coward’s Punch UNICEF Water Aid We would also like to thank our teachers (Ms Findlay, Ms Gallagher, Mr Gerrish, Mr Graham, Ms Potter and Ms Rose) and support staff who helped make this one of our most successful but challenging years.

Mr Matt Henderson On behalf of Year Nine Social Enterprise students

Careers

VCE Results and VTAC timeline VCE study scores, ATAR and VTAC Scaled Study Scores will be available to students via the Results and ATAR website and the Results and ATAR app on Wednesday 30 December 2020 at 7.00 am.

Students will receive a statement of VCE study scores from the VCAA, and those who applied for courses through VTAC this year and have paid their VTAC processing fees will be sent an ATAR statement in the mail. Students who wish to receive their results online will need to register at https://resultsandatar.vic.edu.au/results/applicants.htm before results are released.

Once students get their results, some might want to adjust their VTAC preferences. Some Cathedral College staff will be available, both at school and online, during this period, referred to as the “Change of Preference” window. This window remains open until noon on Monday, January 4. Many other institutions also dedicate staff time to support students with these decisions.

You can find a list of contacts, etc. for Change of Preference at https://vtac.edu.au/inst-copsupport The first set of Victorian university offers then come out on Thursday 14 January. There are subsequent rounds of offers after this date and students have further opportunities to change their preference list if desired. A full list of relevant dates can be found at https://www.vtac.edu.au/dates.html We wish our students all the best for the results and offers.

2021 Year Ten Work Experience We have dedicated the week of 21-25 June as our Year Ten Work Experience week for 2021. This is the final week of Term Two. Students are encouraged to start thinking about and planning for this week. If they are looking for something “out of left field” they might need to make an enquiry soon. Everything, of course, is dependent on having much smoother waters to navigate in the coming year.

Thursday February 25, 2021

P & F BBQ | Soft drink | Water Food Trucks Entertainment Market stalls

5.30-8.00pm

BYO CHAIRS AND PICNIC RUGS

The Big

PICNIC

& MARKET STALLS

THE BIG PICNIC it will be wonderful to come together again as a community and have some good old fashioned fun. We anticipate that COVID safe density limits may still be in place in February as will registering attendees at an event. In light of this, we ask that you register via Eventbrite. At this stage, the Big Picnic will be only for Cathedral families. Please register by Friday, February 18, 2021.

Event Registration

Other details - This is an alcohol and smoke-free event.

- Families are welcome to bring their own food and drinks.

- Supervision will be provided after school for students who require it until 5.30pm when parents assume responsibility for supervising the child/children.

Market Stalls and Food Vendors The Parents and Friends Association warmly welcome family-owned food trucks/stalls and market stalls to sell food and goods at the picnic. Pizza? Ice-creams? Pop-corn? It would be wonderful to have a range of food choices for parents and students to purchase.

Please express your interest by emailing Kellie Cairncross kcairncross@cahtedralcollege.vic.edu.au Please include: What you are selling How much space you need Expressions of interest are due by Friday, February 5, 2021.

Dates/Events and Reminders Term Four Junior School

Senior School

Week Eleven (Week Two)

Week Eleven (Week Two)

Monday, December 14 Junior School Assembly Video link will be emailed to families

Tuesday, December 15 Year Nine Activities Day in Wangaratta

Tuesday, December 15 Year Three to Five Movie Trip - The Croods 2: A New Age Prep to Year Two Trip to Oddies Creek Park, Albury Wednesday, December 16 Junior School Carol Service Thursday, December 17 Junior School Presentation Video link will be emailed to families End of Term Four at 3:15 pm

Middle School Week Eleven (Week Two)

Monday, December 14 Year Seven Outdoor Education Warby's and Windsurfing Year Eight Activity Day at CCW Year Seven Activity Day in Wodonga/Lavington Tuesday, December 15 Year Eight Activity Day at CCW Year Six Activities Day at Mount Buffalo Wednesday, December 16 Carol Service Thursday, December 17 Middle and Senior School Presentations Vidoe link will be emailed to families End of Term Four at 3:15 pm

Wednesday, December 16 Carol Service Thursday, December 17 Middle and Senior School Presentations Video link will be emailed to families End of Term Four at 3:15 pm

Community Connect