OLSH News_VOL 27 Issue 9 (28 August 2023)

Paul Melloy, Principal Dear Parents and Caregivers,

It is wonderful to report back how much is happening inside our community. Bishop Charles Gauci continues to support us in Alice Springs. On his last visit, Bishop Charles spent over 2 ½ weeks with us. From 1st Holy Communions; Confirmations, the Blessing of Kathleen Turner’s stained-glass window in our Sadadeen Chapel, and the Rite of Admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders for Br. Shehan, it was an incredible visit. We are so fortunate to have such a supporting and inspirational

Funeral of Dr. M.K. Turner (18th October 1938 – 5th July 2023)

Margaret Kwemwentyaye Turner, also known as Dr. M. K. Turner, sadly passed on 5th July 2023. Her family remembered her as the “Jewel of Alice Springs”, this was the first reflection from her Granddaughter. The State Funeral at the Telegraph Station on 17th August, was an amazing testimony as to how much one woman could achieve in one lifetime.

As a forceful representative of the First Nations people, her respect in the community was reflected in the presence of Alice Springs locals and Territorians, with approximately 2,500 people in attendance. OLSH had 33 students and 6 members of staff, representing the College and showing our respect for what Mrs. Turner had achieved for Catholic education.

The Blessing of the Sadadeen Chapel

On Tuesday, 15th August, Bishop Charles blessed the stained-glass window recently added to the renovated Sadadeen Chapel. The stained glass is a replica of Kathleen Turner’s famous stained-glass window, which is embedded above the altar at the OLSH Parish Church. In 2021, I asked Fr. Prakash for permission to approach Kathleen Turner to copy this stained-glass window, in a smaller version, in our Chapel at Sadadeen. Kathleen immediately said yes. With Fr. Prakash’s support, a copy was made of her original painting. Appropriately, on the Feast of the Assumption last Tuesday, Bishop Charles blessed the window with Kathleen Turner and her family present. When asked to speak, Kathleen said, “It looks good there. It makes me very happy!”

The Chapel, so often mistaken as another classroom, has been renovated and looks fantastic with Kathleen’s sacred painting. For the Blessing Ceremony, thank Denise Simon for her attention to detail and ensuring the Chapel looked at its best.

We encourage all campuses to use this Chapel for special occasions, class Masses and Liturgies. Our school bus will bring any class, at any time, to use this special place.

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

FROM THE PRINCIPAL College Concert

It truly is one of the most enjoyable events on our calendar. All campuses coming together to perform for family and friends. These were two fantastic nights on so many levels. We had 684 in the audience on Wednesday night and 694 on Thursday. The standard was excellent this year, a natural step up and a testament to Steph Bowhay’s Dance classes at Traeger and Xavia Nou and Brittany Dunk’s influence at Sadadeen. This is great to witness. Bath St. were superb, but they always are. Their costumes, stage props, routines, and cute factor always shine. A huge congratulations to all the staff who prepared their students for this show.

We have so many thank yous that follow:

• The College Concert Committee of Xavia Nou, Steph Bowhay and Brittany Dunk was outstanding. They started their preparations early and were so organised that the two evenings flowed seamlessly. Thank you for stepping up; they were incredible nights.

• To Ross Muir for his expertise in sound; it’s been fantastic for the last two years.

• To Jason Leask, Farai, and Danny, our Year 10 Media crew, thank you so much for your media support, live stream and photography of the event. Three cameras were remarkable, and the event will improve each year.

• To Jacinta Boniwell and her special car-parking crew, they worked so hard in the background on both nights with very little recognition. A fundamental Marist characteristic, thank you.

• To the senior students from Sadadeen who organised the dropping off of students, taking Bath Street students to their holding rooms, ushering, backstage support, backstage runners, Year 12 MCs, Year 9’s and 10’s on the Lighting and their sheer presence in numbers, thank you. We have remarkable students at OLSH. I know we set high standards and environment, but we are so lucky; they are amazing!

• A huge thank you to Ian Clark, Mitchell and the maintenance crew for efficiently setting up and packing away. Mitchell said early in the week, “I know it’ll be busy, but we got this.” Great support.

• To Stacey Clark, who sold tickets through an online agency and did so much to support the organisation for the evening. Thank you.

• Thank you so much to the staff and students who sold the drinks and snacks.

These College events are always a unified team effort. The feedback from parents and others in the community was so complimentary; congratulations to everyone involved. A great event, thank you all!

Rite of Admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders

At the Feast of the Assumption Mass with our Traeger campus, Br. Shehan was consecrated by a special seal of the Holy Spirit to the ministry of God and of the Church on the 15th August.

In lay man’s terms, Br. Shehan was entrusted as a candidate as he moves towards being ordained as a Priest. In November, Br. Shehan will be ordained as a Deacon in Alice Springs, and next year he will be ordained as a Diocesan Priest in Darwin.

As Br. Shehan progresses in his ministry, we thank him for his contribution as a Chaplain, building excellent relationships with our students from Traeger and Sadadeen.

Kindest regards,

Paul Melloy

Denise Simon, Assistant Principal Dear Members of the OLSH Community,

“Let us learn from the Virgin Mary how to be bolder in obeying the word of God” Pope Francis.

Feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven

Each Campus gathered at the OLSH Church to celebrate the Assumption of Mary – when Mary was taken to Heaven body and soul. As we celebrated the Eucharist we prayed that Mary would look after us and help us with her prayers, and that one day we will be worthy to join her in Heaven.

It was a most beautiful celebration wherein we acknowledged the partnership of the OLSH Sisters, Marist brothers and their contribution to education here in Central Australia, in particular at the OLSH College.

We would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to Bishop Charles, Fr Prakash and Fr Peter Bang for celebrating Mass with us.

The Rite of Admission to Candidacy for

Holy Orders

Br Shehan was blessed and welcomed into the Church by Bishop Cahrles at the Assumption Day Mass. He is on a holy journey to be ordained as a Deacon in November this year and follow on from that a Priest in 2024. We wish him all the best in his priestly journey and will surely keep him and his family in our thoughts and prayers. We as an OLSH family would like to thank him for his contribution at both Traeger and Sadadeen and the beautiful relationships he has developed with both the staff and students.

Baptism at the First Friday Mass

On Friday the 4th of August Emmalisha Raggett received the Sacrament of Baptism. As an OLSH and Marist family we extend our heartiest congratulations to Emmalisha and her family on her initiation into the Church.

Year 6, 9 & 10 Reflection Days

The Year 6 Reflection Day was a beautiful day for the students to reflect on how they see the Holy Spirit work in their lives. The NET Team of Tara, David, Erin, Anna & Sammie were excited to journey alongside the students as they tuned into the voice of Jesus in their lives.

The Year 9 Reflection Day was based on self-image. It was a fun day, wherein the conversation cantered round how Jesus loves us and how this led to an atmosphere of encouragement. The Year 10 Reflection Day was extremely enjoyable, wherein the students were able to reflect on looking at Jesus in a new light. They were involved from the onset and it sure was a fruitful time for both the NET team as well as the students.

A big thank you to Fr Paraksh, Fr Peter Bang and Br Shehan for celebrating Mass with us and to all the Year 9 staff for assisting on the day. A big shout out to the NET Team who organised and facilitated the activities for the day. Your enthusiasm and sharing of real life stories was commendable and inspiring for all present.

Blessing of the Chapel

On Tuesday the 15th of August Bishop Charles blessed the renovated chapel at the Sadadeen Campus. The stained glass window installed in there is a replica of the famous artwork by Kathleen Wallace. A special mention to Kathleen Wallace, her family who accompanied her and to all staff who were present for this blessed occasion. As Paul has mentioned, please feel free to make use of the Chapel for special occasions, class Masses and Liturgies. Our school bus will bring any class, at any time, to use this special place.

Commitment Mass & Year 3 Retreat

20 of our Year 3 students from Bath Street and 11 children from the OLSH Parish were present at the Commitment Mass on Sunday the 20th of August. They made a promise along with their sponsors to attend regular Sunday Mass and follow in the footsteps of Jesus. The sponsors in turn also committed to be part of Mass and support and guide their child in the growth of faith which was requested at Baptism. Congratulations to all the children and their sponsors. God bless each of them and may the love of Jesus shine through them.

Tell Them From Me Survey

A big thank you to students, staff and families for taking the time to complete the Tell Them From Me Survey. The data gathered is valuable and will enable us to reflect, plan and review the work we do here at the college.

Marist Association Gathering

We will meet at the Traeger Campus on the 16th of October for our Marist get together. The theme for the evening will be Mary’s Yes. After our prayerful reflection, we will continue with a game of Bingo, followed by light supper. All attendees are requested to bring a plate to share.

Upcoming Events:

We will meet at the Traeger Campus on the 16th of October for our Marist get together. The theme for the evening will be Mary’s Yes. After our prayerful reflection, we will continue with a game of Bingo, followed by light supper. All attendees are requested to bring a plate to share.

BATH STREET

Marita Hunt, Head of Campus College Concert

Since the beginning of term, our classrooms and main hall have been filled with lively music, feet dancing, hands clapping and cheerful singing; all in readiness for our annual College Concert, held this week on Wednesday and Thursday at the Marian Centre. Again, our Bath Street students won our hearts. They did an amazing job on both nights, and it was wonderful to see the huge smiles on our parents’ faces as they watched with pride their little ones performing on the big stage. Not only is the College Concert a night to celebrate dance and music, but it’s a great way to

The Sacrament of Holy Communion

Last Sunday, 20 of our Year 3 students, along with 11 children from our parish, attended a special Commitment Mass at the church. It was lovely to see all the families come together as our children prepare to make their First Holy Communion.

On Monday 21st August, the children attended the Marian Centre for a Retreat Day. The day was filled with various activities, including Stole decorating, Matzah making, art and craft, and Yoga. At lunchtime, the children sat down to a Seder meal together. They learnt about the different foods on the plate and how they are connected with the scripture.

Our Year 3 students will make their First Holy Communion on Sunday 27th August, 9:30am. After Mass, we will celebrate with a cake and morning tea. Please join us. Special thanks to Mr Letourneau, Miss Pat, Miss Gemma and Miss Yuki for helping to prepare our children for this wonderful occasion.

Father’s Day Stall

On Thursday 31st August, Week 7, the SRC will be holding a Father’s Day Stall. Children can purchase a special gift for their Dad; the limit per child is $5.

BATH STREET

Parent MITIOG Meeting

Beginning Week 8, all classes at Bath Street will spend three weeks focusing on the MITIOG (Made in the Image of God) curriculum. This curriculum unit is mandated by the Bishop and the Australian Curriculum. MITIOG is also covered at Traeger and Sadadeen. It is important that you, as parents, are aware of the content to be covered so that you are able to prepare and follow up with your child.

MITIOG will be taught by the Religious Education teachers as a stand-alone unit at the same time across each year level at the campus. Notes were sent home in Week 6, outlining what will be taught in each year level. To give further information about the unit, we are holding a short Parent Workshop in Week 7 on Monday 28th August, 5:30pm, Bath Street Campus Hall. Parents are more than welcome to come along, ask any questions and view the MITIOG materials more closely. Once the teaching of MITIOG begins in Week 8, we also encourage parents to support their child’s learning at home, by asking about the topics and addressing any questions that may arise.

Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or Mrs Rebecca Scollen if you have any questions or concerns at all in relation to the Made in the Image of God programme.

Swimming Lessons

Transition will have their swimming lessons in Week 8. Year 2 will have their lessons in Weeks 8 and 9. Year 1 students will have their swimming lessons in Weeks 9 and 10.

TRAEGER CAMPUS

Wayne Eglinton, Head of Campus

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

On Tuesday August 15 Traeger travelled to the OLSH Parish for the Assumption Day Mass. We were extremely lucky to have our Assumption Day Mass celebrated by Bishop Charles supported by Fr Prakash. Thank you to students for participating in a respectful manner. Sue Marshall prepared the Mass, thank you.

Campus Tour

We held our Campus tour two weeks ago with several families in attendance. Please let any families and friends know that enrolment interviews will begin in a few weeks. Please contact Traeger’s front office or call 89508511 to make a booking.

MITIOG

During Weeks 7-10 of Term 3, Religious Education classes at the Traeger Campus will focus on the Made in the Image of God (MITIOG) Human Sexuality Curriculum. This curriculum is mandated by the Bishop and is also taught at Bath Street and Sadadeen. A parent meeting was held last week.

Sydney Dance performance.

Sydney Dance Company visit to OLSH Traeger by Alicia & Kira-lee. On the 22nd of July, Alicia and I went to the Sydney Dance Company Performance at the Araluen Arts Centre. We wanted to go and see it because when they had come to our school for the workshops. They had shown us a video of their performance, and it looked cool because of all the movements and would be something new to experience. During the performance, there were a lot of dance techniques that were used during the performance that we learnt in the workshops. What Alicia and I liked about it was that they were consistent with their moves and flowed nicely. Every dance piece made for the performance connected with the music, making it more enjoyable for both of us.

TRAEGER CAMPUS

College Concert

The College concert is a huge event in the calendar of the College. Years 6s and 8s performed on Wednesday night, while the Year 5s and 7s performed on Thursday night.

Year 5 - Tribute to Tina

Year 6 - You Can’t Stop The Beat

Year 7 - What If

Year 8 - Dimensions

We thank Steph Bowhay and Ronnie Chapman for preparing these items with the students. Much time and effort has gone into these to provide an opportunity for our students to perform on stage.

In addition to these Year Level acts, there were some individual performances. Year 6 trio - Shake It Off, Year 6 trio - Bhangra Crew, Tunsu - Part of Your World. Let us not forget to mention the staff act.

Upcoming camp reminders

Year 8 outdoor education camp to Adare Victor Harbor, leaves Monday Sept 4 and returns Friday Sept 8. Monday Sept 11 is a rest day for the Year 8 students who are not required to attend school. Essential workers may send their children and we will provide supervision. If students are not attending camp, they are expected to attend school as normal.

Year 7 outdoor education Camp to Kings Canyon and Uluru leaves Tuesday Sept 19 and returns Friday Sept 22. If students are not attending camp, they are expected to attend school as normal.

As part of our outdoor education program, the Year 6s had an overnight camp at Gem Tree. This was a good experience which we have added to our calendar.

Assembly

Week 5 assembly was prepared by 5.2 with Mrs Ahokava . Thank you. Congratulations to the award winners presented at the assembly: Jarvis Whittle, Atche Dennehy, Delina Sharpe, Ted Taleo, Lockyer Kelleher, Jevindu Gamage, Ahmed Mohammed, Thenuja Morawinna, Owen Alcantara-Broomhall, Thomas van der Geest-Hester, Nyamal Pouk, Jedd lines, Mason Ryder, Declan Hapke, Gurasees Kaur, Alvin Sijoy, Zoe Bosman, Malachi Girling, James Lloyd, Cassia Ganner, Matilda Twining, Donnie Barnett-Stanyer, Ruffina Palmer, Cole Scheidegger, Quy Tran, Angelica Leone, Jake Allen, Delaney Crawford, Deng Deng

All correspondence will be via email or telephone. Contact the Campus using these details.

Direct phone: 89508511 email : traeger.olshalice@nt.catholic.edu.au

Please email any student absences. Please advise promptly if you have any change to your contact details.

SADADEEN CAMPUS

Jasmeet Dhingra, Head of Campus

OPEN NIGHT

Thursday 31st August, 5pm – 7.30 pm

Sadadeen Campus will be holding its annual Open Night for all students who will be in Year 9, 10, 11 or 12 in 2024. The evening will be held in the Marian Centre at the Sadadeen Campus and the gates will open at 5pm. This is a wonderful opportunity to come and meet with all the teachers and have discussions about all the different opportunities and exciting pathways for progressing into 2024. We highly recommend all students and their parents to attend the Information sessions with the details of subject choices available for next year. All Faculties including Specialist Subjects (Metal/Wood/Media/Visual Art/ Food Tech/Dance/Drama/Music ) will have a stall. VET/ Careers information for 2024 will be available. All Senior teachers will be available for the duration of the evening to answer any questions you may have!

5.15pm-5.45pm Year 9 and 10 , 2024 Info session

5.45pm – 6.15pm Year 11 and 12, 2024 Info session

COMPUTATIONAL AND ALGORITHMIC THINKING (CAT)

On May 4 this year, 14 brave OLSH students, along with 16 000 students across Australia, participated in the Computational and Algorithmic Thinking (CAT) Competition run by the Australian Mathematics Trust. Students had the opportunity to experience and explore the science underlying computing, communication and the internet. The 14 students have been affectionately dubbed OLSH CAT Warriors for their valiant performance in battle. Exceptional performances were put in at the Credit level by Rhiannon Cronin (Year 10 Intermediate) and Paddy van der Geest-Hester (Year 11 Senior), and at the Distinction level by Evan Renjith (Year 9 Intermediate) and Jaden Santos-Gouveia (Year 12 Senior). Evan was in the top 3% and Jaden in the top 12% of all students participating in their

SCIENCE WEEK – August 15 – 19 2023 - Powering the Future

Science week started a little earlier this year for some of our students. Alice Springs Public Library had been given 2 Smartphone microscope attachments and were running a competition for photographing the Territory – up close. We were lucky enough to have the loan of these attachments for a week preceding Science Week. It was quite amusing to see some of our students taking photos while getting as close as possible to the world in miniature. At the end of the week we had a wide range of outstanding photos to choose from and the best photos went to a vote to pick a winner. Ann Sijoy will now be represented at a local level with an eventual winner being flown to Darwin.

Many experiments were done in the lab using the ANU Stem box. The STEM box from Australian National University contained equipment, activities and experiments relating to different STEM fields and helped promote the development of critical thinking, problem solving and other STEM related skills. Around 12 experiments were undertaken by year 9’s including soil testing, making turbines, testing magnets, making electric train, and making towers using spaghetti and marshmallows. Each group then made a short video describing what they had done, changes that they made and how successful they were. The videos were then put together and sent off to ANU to show how the box had been used.

Science week was celebrated enthusiastically with most students participating in some way. We had a Science Quiz, held at the start of Science classes with the result that Trilby Waghorn, Paddy van der Geest-Hester, Ben Cortissos, Holly Parsons and Sam Cheetham were overall winners.

SADADEEN CAMPUS

During the week we held a few fun events which saw good numbers of students getting involved. There was a solar car challenge in which students were given a kit, made modifications as they saw fit and then raced the cars. The annual paper plane throw took place with enthusiastic participants all determined that their plane was going to fly the furthest and the week was topped off with a ball in the basket competition using the projectile launcher from the physics department and a bottle toss competition where there were many discussions around how much water should be in the bottle and whether there was a method that worked best. One final activity is underway at the moment – it is the Stile’s Science Week Art of Science competition. It was great to see so many students participate and encourage each other to get involved and we hope that next year will be bigger and better again.

2023 International Science School

Trilby Waghorn and Holly Parson had the honour of being chosen as representatives from the Northern Territory to attend the recent Prof Harry Messel International Science School (ISS), which brought together approximately 150 Year 11 to 12 students from various parts of Australia and around the globe. This exciting event took place from July 2nd to July 15th, 2023, hosted at the University of Sydney.

Throughout Trilby’s and Holly’s time at the ISS, each day was brimming with fascinating and inspiring scientific experiences. They had the opportunity to engage with leading researchers who shared insights into their groundbreaking work. Distinguished scientists such as Prof. Howard Wilson, a renowned fusion energy expert from the UK, astrophysicist Prof. Alan Duffy, who hunts for dark matter, Antarctic ecologist Dr. Elanor Bell, carbon capture innovator Dr. Casey Handmer, and Sydney’s quantum computing specialist, the incomparable Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki, also known as Sleek Geek and an avid science enthusiast, were among those who interacted with the attendees.

In addition to these enlightening discussions, Trilby and Holly had the chance to delve into laboratories and research facilities, gaining behind-the-scenes insights into scientific endeavours. They engaged in conversations with undergraduate students and early-career scientists and had hands-on experiences with real experiments and a wide array of STEM activities. Beyond the realm of science, they had the opportunity to explore both the university campus and the enchanting city of Sydney, fostering friendships with peers from diverse corners of the world. It is worth noting that the International Science School is a fully funded program provided by the Physics Foundation at the University of Sydney, covering all expenses for the attendees.

“It is by the Heart that we are something”

Fr Jules Chevalier MSC

PUBLISHED BY EVA MARSHALL OLSH MEDIA