We recently hosted a visit from the new Principal, Mrs Mary Leask. It was lovely to have her join staff for morning tea on Friday and to then present her to the girls at the Tuesday assembly. She spent some time meeting the students and chatting with staff across the two days. I am sure she would have been very pleased with these early experiences at the College and I am grateful for the hospitality extended to her by all in our community. She will be a wonderful addition to the community from 2024.

The girls have achieved some exceptional wins over the last few weeks. The Mock Mediation team won the NSW competition last week. This was an outstanding outcome. Well done to the Mock Mediation girls. The Year 9 and 10 Commerce girls were recognised for their achievements in the UNSW Playconomics competition. Prizes were presented by the University representatives at our assembly on Tuesday. Ava C was selected to take part in the National Schools Constitutional Convention next year. The Year 10 CSDA winners of the Sydney debating will be up against the regional teams next Friday at the College. This will be a fantastic debate so I encourage girls to come and support our Year 10 girls.

This week we hosted the Year 6 girls in preparation for their start into high school next year. It is always a delight to see their enthusiasm and energy as they prepare for their jump into a new school experience. I asked the current Year 7 girls what advice they would give the new Year 7 girls. It was full of wisdom and care, borne out of experience of the journey. I will share it with you now as I will with Year 6 on Thursday.

Friends:

• Make friends particularly with people in your class
• Don't hang off your primary friends and be willing to make new ones
• Put yourself out there
• Hang out with people that make you feel comfortable

Culture:

• Have a go at everything
• Be open to criticism
• Keep locker clean
• Don't get involved in drama
• Be friendly
• Enjoy yourself
• Be yourself
• Remind yourself you're not alone

Organisation:

• Stay organised
• Plan your time
• Use your diary
• Take it 1 day at a time
• Have a routine

School work:

• Stay on top of homework
• Don’t be too scared of homework and assignments
• Always do homework and assignments straight away so you have relaxing time
• Don't procrastinate when doing homework
• Try your best in all subjects

Teachers:

• Teachers will show you around, you won’t get lost
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions
• Listen and be open to advice given

Sage advice for all girls across all years really.

I will leave you with a prayer used at the recent recognition of the new Superior and Leadership Council for the Sisters of the Good Samaritan. 

Blessings,

Sue Lennox

We thank you, O God,

for this great company of witnesses

surrounding us with their unseen presence.

To Christ their gaze is turned.

May our eyes also be fixed on him

with whom we will one day be united

with all the Benedictine saints

for ever and ever. Amen.

We participated in many activities such as fun icebreakers, small group discussions, watching a plethora of videos and painting that enabled us to foster a deep understanding of what God’s Masterpiece means and strengthen our connection to Him. Undoubtedly, the highlight of the day was singing hymns as a cohort and learning the song of the day, Graves into Gardens. Through this experience the grade exemplified camaraderie as we sang of God’s strength, grace and compassion. This incursion allowed us to reflect on our relationships with God, taught us how he is evident in all aspects of our lives and opened us to other understandings and perceptions of God through group discussions. The Year 9 Reflection Day was a highly immersive experience which all of the grade enthusiastically participated in and all enjoyed. The incursion left an important and lasting message on everyone, as well as a stronger connection with God and sense of self. 

Annalise Elasi and Stā O'Brien [Year 9]

This trip will mark the fifth time students have embarked on this study tour. The students have been busily planning and saving for this trip for over a year. We depart Australia on the Thursday, the last day of school and will be in Japan for 16 days.
This study tour is a perfect opportunity for students to practise and use the Japanese they have learnt in the classroom. The students will be travelling around Japan for the two weeks exploring the old and new Japan and its unique culture.
In our first week in Tokyo, the girls will be going to the Imperial Palace Gardens. They will explore Akihabara (electronic city) and Shinjuku to see and touch all the latest emerging technology that is coming out. They will go to Harajuku which has become the mecca for teenage fashion and pop culture. They will go to Tokyo Disney Sea and experience the world of Disney in Japanese. They will spend a day in a Japanese primary school and travel to our sister school, Shonan Shirayuri Gakuen and spend three days and nights in a homestay with a student family from Shonan Shirayuri.
They will then travel from Tokyo to Kyoto, the old Capital of Japan, on the bullet train travelling at speeds of 300 kilometres an hour. We will go to places including Nara, the heart of Buddhism and visit temples and shrines that are 1500 years old. Students will have the opportunity to dress up in traditional Japanese kimono and shop in the old traditional markets. We will travel to Hiroshima and visit the Peace Park and Atomic Bomb museum which is a very moving experience as they will see the history behind the dropping of the atomic bomb at the end of WW2.
It is a very busy trip and the students will have an experience of a lifetime. You will be able to follow our trip on Facebook and details of this will be emailed out to the College community in the next few days.
These students will not only be ambassadors of Australia, but will also represent the College and be leaders for each other while on our trip.

Julian Nash - Languages Coordinator

Following the keynote address, the Convention broke into workshops where groups investigated the intricacies of the process of Constitutional change. Each group then reported back to the wider forum in the NSW Legislative Assembly parliamentary chamber. Ava was invited to the lectern to address the Convention on the question of whether the process of changing the Constitution was required. After hearing a range of speeches on the matter, the Convention members then took part in a vote on the issue.

Ava’s significant contributions to the event were recognised by the organisers and her peers with her election as one of the NSW representatives who will attend the National Schools Constitutional Convention in Canberra from 19-24 March 2024.

We congratulate Ava on her selection and wish her the very best as she takes part in the National Schools Constitutional Convention next year.

Matthew White - HSIE Coordinator

The program, STEP UP: Playconomics High School Outreach, introduced the students to the world of economics through a digital game pitting them in a competition against students from across the state.
Professor Isabella Dobrescu, the Deputy Head of the UNSW Business School and Professor Alberto Motta from the UNSW Business School attended the College Assembly on Tuesday to address the students and present the awards to the prize winners from the College. In his energetic address Professor Motta encouraged the audience to consider taking Economics as a subject. He reiterated the importance of Economics as a core of our being as a society and, if the students wished to make a change in the world, taking Economics was the subject they would need to start the journey.
The following girls were presented their certificates, monetary prizes and prize packs for their performance in the competition.
Winners
1st Aleksia B - $150 Platinum Award
2nd Sarah C - $120 Gold Award
3rd Andrea S - $100 Silver Award
4th Jamie M -  $80 Bronze
5th Navya S - $50 Copper award
6th Steffanie S - $20 Step Up award
7th Nishka N - $20 Step Up award
8th Madeleine M - $20 Step Up award
9th Latiah B - $20 Step Up award
10th Michaela F - $20 Step Up award

Matthew White - HSIE Coordinator

After three rounds of mediation, a quarter-final and semi-final, Zali, Aurora, Ava, Eliza, Diadem and I had the privilege of competing against Our Lady of Mercy College Parramatta, alongside our amazing extended squad. Having ranked in the top 2 of 32 competing schools across New South Wales, we departed for the city full of nerves and excitement, ready to put all our preparation into practice.

As mediators, Diadem and I were required to have a clear understanding of the mediation process and have planned and scripted statements and segues. Considering our performance determines 70% of the team's overall mark, it was essential that we were well-versed in conflict resolution and management. We were required to facilitate the mediation, ensure we stayed on track and time everything perfectly, down to the very last seconds.

For our party members, preparation took the form of planned opening statements, a deep understanding of their character and the scenario, and thanks to Mr Muller, lots and lots of props. Text, email and phone conversations, images and videos, you name it, we brought it.

As part of the hour-and-a-half mediation, the first ten minutes are spent with the parties being given their confidential facts, new information pertaining to their unique character. These facts, ranging from anxiety disorders to financial hardship, made for a rollercoaster of a mediation. But I’m relieved to say that we were able to handle whatever was thrown at us, dramatic storm outs, fake tears and all.

I’d like to personally thank our amazing team of both Year 9 and 10 girls for all their contributions to the 2023 Mock season, whether it be in the fulfilment of party member or mediator positions, or just simple but much-needed moral support.

Our success was most definitely a joint effort, and above all else, I believe it was our incredible, seamless teamwork and cohesion that got us over the line. The adjudicators, of which there were two, were professionally trained in conflict resolution and mediation. They stressed just how close a decision it was and acknowledged both teams for their maturity and sensibility.

This competition is invaluable in teaching the crucial skills of critical and logical thinking, creativity, active and sustained listening and confidence in communication. The lessons we have learnt throughout this process are transferable to all aspects of life, but are especially relevant when it comes to personal conflicts and problems.

Thank you, Mr Muller, for all your support throughout the season. Your passion for this competition is truly admirable and I know I speak for all the girls when I say that we are so grateful for your guidance and dedication.

Holly B - Year 10

Christine J in Year 7 represented the College at the Campbelltown service in Mawson Park and presented a wreath on behalf of the students and staff of the College.

The History Club nurses were invited by the Camden RSL sub branch to take part in their service in Macarthur Park. This year Camden RSL paid a special tribute to Vivian Bullwinkel, one of the AUstralian nurses who was shot and taken prisoner by the Japanese in World War II. A statue of Bullwinkel was unveiled this year at the Australian War Memorial, consequently the first statue of a female to be unveiled there.

Rebecca M from Year 9 read out Psalm 23 and Alessandra R from Year 7 read out a biography of Vivian Bullwinkel and dressed in the same uniform Bullwinkel would have worn. Our History CLub nurses wore uniforms from World War I right through to the Vietnam War. Ava C wore the uniform of a World War I VAD nurse (brought with prize money from the Anzac Day Schools’ Award), and Bianca W, Abigael O (and her sister Bethany), Emma M and Zoe A all wore the uniforms of Australian nurses from World War I. Emily M and CLaire F wore World War II VADs uniforms  and Alessandra R wore an Australian Army nurse uniform from World War II. Laura Z wore a brand new outfit made by Mrs Zapirain of a Vietnam War era nurse. 

Mia W and Rebecca M wore their school uniforms to represent the College.

Kiarra M from Year 12 was part of the catafalque party of the Australian Army Cadets.

The History Club nurses were well received by the local community and represented the often overlooked contribution of nurses to Australian wartime history.

Fran Musico Rullo - History Club Coordinator

Caitlin represented herself, the College and her family magnificently throughout the interview process on Sunday October 29 and on speech night, Wednesday November 1.
Caitlin’s speech focused on some big questions for the sustainable future of our region, and she spoke with authority, passion and authenticity. I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Lion’s Club of Campbelltown for offering this opportunity to Caitlin and other local secondary school students. It was a very positive experience for all involved. It is always great for the adults to listen to what the youth have to say. Their voices really do matter.

Marguerite Pulham - Debating/Public Speaking

We encourage students to read or play one of the many board and card games we have available for use. Additionally, every Friday during lunch we will also be implementing music and short film sessions for students to enjoy. 

There may be an exception for some prescribed textbooks. Your daughter can find a list of all library items on her record, and their due dates, by following these steps:

1. Go to the Library catalogue.
2. Click 'login' at the top of the page, then click on the blue bar
3. Click on 'My Stuff'
4. Choose 'Checkouts' to view items currently on loan (due dates are presented in MM/DD/YY format).

Students also receive weekly emails reminding them to return overdue items.

Overdue Library items will incur a replacement cost if not returned within the next week. We encourage students to contact the Library if they have any concerns or questions.

Students can return items in the chute located outside the Library.

The College Library

Some of the latest ePlatform titles include:
The Next New Syrian Girl
A Darkness of Dragons
A Tragic Kind of Wonderful
Unnecessary Drama, and 
The Secret Science of Magic

The latest Boundless titles include:
Social Queue
Only a Monster
The Jasmine Project
The Agathas, and 
When Our Worlds Collided. 

Instructions on how to login and borrow eBooks and Audiobooks can be found here on the Library website. As always, the Library Team is here to help or recommend a student's next great read.

Wednesday 15 November saw the return of Makerspace for Term 4.

The theme was craft and all participants chose to work on Gem Art Journals. There was a lot of support for each other as the girls generously gave suggestions, advice and assisted each other. While some girls finished their project, others took theirs home to complete there.

The next few weeks will see Wednesday and Friday lunchtimes in the Library set aside for Christmas Makerspace.

We all know that sleep is important for general health, for growth and development and for emotional well-being. However, you may not know that important memory processes take place while you are sleeping, ensuring you retain what you are learning and studying.

Perhaps you have heard that teenagers need between nine to ten hours of sleep per night. But how valid is this claim? In 1980, Mary Carskadon of Stanford sequestered a group of adolescents in the university's sleep laboratory for several days, letting them sleep for as long as they wanted, up to 10 hours. She found that the teenagers slept just over nine hours, with very little variation. This single "naturalistic" study is the primary basis for the adolescent sleep recommendation. However, some researchers argue that just because teenagers slept nine hours when left alone does not mean that this is the best thing for them, just like letting people eat whatever they want is not necessarily the best thing for their health. So there is no definitive answer at this point in time.

The amount of sleep needed by teenagers is most likely very individual, just like it is for adults. It is probably safe to assume that adolescents need more sleep than adults and that the average for most people is at least 8 hours of sleep per night. Pay attention to the signs and have students listen to their body. If they lie down in bed and fall asleep instantly, this is a sign they are not getting enough sleep for their body. It should take at least 15 minutes to fall asleep. If they wake up in the morning and are feeling exhausted, then check all lifestyle factors: are they getting enough sleep, eating healthily and getting enough exercise?

If teenagers are sleeping in for many hours on a weekend, unfortunately this does not mean they are “catching up” on their sleep.  Excessive sleeping in is in fact a signal that during the week students need to go to bed earlier. The aim is to work out the optimum bedtime so that the need to catch up on large amounts of sleep on the weekend is eliminated.

There is nothing wrong with having a power-nap in the afternoon when students get home from school, as long as the nap is no longer than 40 minutes. A short nap can help students regain their energy levels and allow them to focus on the work they have to do that evening. However, a longer nap will also disrupt sleeping patterns for that night.