From the Acting Principal VOLUME NO

GAZETTE From the Acting Principal VOLUME NO. 17 – JUNE 12. 2018 Welcome back to one and all! I hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable extra-long weekend. Last Monday the College held its Athletics Carnival at Sydney Olympic Park. Thank you to all those who participated and a special thanks to the staff involved in setting up and running such a successful day. Congratulations to the winning House, Vaughan, with O’Connor and McLaughlin Houses following closely. Last week the College went through the final part of the student leadership discernment process. This is always a time of reflection and affirmation for those involved. It is a brave person who puts themselves forward to be considered for any leadership position. Here at Rosebank students do not have to be school captains or house captains to be considered leaders. We encourage our students to be leaders in the classroom and playground, through their support for other students, or their involvement in academic, sporting, cultural or community events and projects. After working with our newly appointed leaders, I was encouraged by their generosity and sense of others. To be a successful leader you must be other person focused which allows for authentic connection within our community. I congratulate Molly Hayes, Harry Sumption, Susanna Gillard and Colm O’Neill on being selected as College Captains and Vice-Captains. I know that they will lead by example along with the other Student Leaders. We will induct and recognize our new leaders at our Benedict Day celebrations next week. The Pastoral Team continue to work extremely hard to provide all students with knowledge and awareness around important Wellbeing and Personal Development issues young people may experience in their lives. Including a pastoral program, lunch time clubs, mentoring, guest speakers, etc. They all have elements that assist our students to deal with ‘life’ in our time poor environment. These experiences are designed to: • Investigate and develop key information regarding student wellbeing and apply to real life situations. • Explore, learn and apply personal development skills to improve own wellbeing. • Make positive choices, set goals and reflect on personal connections between their own mental, emotional, social and physical health. • Actively participate in the school community by positively being involved in creating and implementing health and wellbeing initiatives to improve the school environment. Luke Livian 1 • Connect, engage, and understand diversity and respect for differences within health and wellbeing. These are challenges for all! Congratulations to our senior European Handball Team who were narrowly defeated in the NSW Championships in the Grand Final. It was an amazing feat with many of the team being selected into the Australian Handball Team competing at the Oceania World Championships in New Caledonia this week. We wish George Alfieris, Alex Cornish, Donald Ohmer, Peter Derkatch, Lewis Verrell and Henry Moffitt all the very best and congratulations on their selection. Paul Hardwick Acting Principal 2 Dates for the From the Acting Assistant Principal Diary Learning Expectations The end of Semester one generally brings with it a sigh of relief from Friday 22 June our students – and their parents. Our students especially are beginning Benedict Day to know what it takes to be a successful school student, regardless of the Year Group that they are in. All courses are demanding and require Friday 29 June students to participate in class, complete homework and bring their Year 7 Semester 1 Arts Day “A” game to assessments. While we do our best to match the students Last Day of Term 2 with their courses so as to ensure success, there will be times when things are demanding and we have to be a Nike commercial and “Just Monday 23 July do it”. First Day of Term 3 Resilience and perseverance can make the difference between someone who wants to and someone who does. Together, these two qualities make grit, which is a great determiner for success. No-one is expected to be perfect at everything they try the first time they do it. I often talk to students who are feeling like they are not doing well and are ready to give up. I try to liken their situation to when they first started to walk. How they kept falling down over and over again yet they still tried. How hard it was to keep their balance yet they still kept going. How they had help from the adults around them and how, eventually, they were not only able to walk, but to run and jump. None of this occurred quickly and it certainly would not have happened if they had given up. As parents and carers, we can influence our children and encourage them to have the determination to succeed and the willingness to do the hard work. Students who are able to overcome difficulties will be infinitely more successful in their lives after school. Being a member of Rosebank College is more than just attending classes. We equip students for their lives after school and having the ability to keep going even when things get difficult is a strong theme throughout their schooling. When a student is enrolled at Rosebank, our students and their families enter an agreement whereby the rules of the school will be respected and supported throughout the student’s time at our College. What has become clear to me is that this pride in wearing the uniform is readily transferred in to the classroom, with most students putting in every effort to learn and improve on past performances. Students who are consistently in full college uniform and who are consistently punctual to school and to class, thus play their part as a member of our College community. Such attitudes and personal characteristics are destined to ensure an environment and opportunity for optimal achievement. At Rosebank College we encourage students to become lifelong learners. Interestingly, most people when asked what makes a good learner refer to expected classroom behaviours. To improve student engagement it is important to support the development of their learning disposition. Learning dispositions refer to the way a learner engages in or relates to learning. Having a positive learning disposition allows students to approach learning positively and as such achieve better in school. Learning dispositions may vary slightly, however, there is an agreement that these are equally as important to be taught as content. Examples of learner disposition are below. I would encourage parents to discuss these with their child and reinforce them during times of study/homework. 3 Learning Dispositions • Be determined in your work and work habits. • Connect new information to things you have learnt before. • Think, wonder and ask questions that are related to new information. • Reflect on what you are learning and how you are learning. • Be self-aware; know when you are being responsible for your learning and the learning of others. Students learn best when the goals and values of home and school are supported by a consistent message from parents and teachers; when we work in partnership. We thank our parent community as we work in partnership to achieve the best outcomes for each of our students. Continued dialogue is welcomed and your support in these matters is most appreciated. Mrs Louise Chiandotto Acting Assistant Principal This Friday we are having a special event - Do it for Dylan Day The aim of the day is to raise much needed funds to support research into epilepsy. WEAR Over 55% of Australians (13.2 million PURPLE people) know someone with epilepsy, and around 65 million people are affected Friday 15th June worldwide. This is a cause close to the hearts of a huge number of people espe- Rosebank College cially here at Rosebank. You can make a difference by participating in the fundraiser on Friday 15th. And it’s a fun thing to do on a Friday. "Do it for Dylan" Help raise funds for people with epilepsy You can make a difference! Buy a purple ribbon $2 Wear purple at school $5 4 From the Dean Of Mission Manquehue and the Liturgy Benedict’s advice in the adaptation of the Office to the needs of the members, remembering that many are parents Seventeen out of seventy three chapters of the Rule of St with children and outside commitments. Benedict’s words Benedict are devoted to the Opus Dei, the “work of God”. are significant here: The Abbot and Prioress … should use The celebration of the Liturgy for Benedict was the heart prudence and avoid extremes; otherwise, by rubbing too hard and soul of the monastery, the principle reason for the to remove the rust, they may break the vessel …” (RB 64) existence of his school of the Lord’s service. All other work of the community was to support, make possible As they are able each college community gathers for prayer and enhance the worship of God at the appointed three times daily – Lauds in the morning before the school hours throughout the day, every day. This was not new day begins, Midday Prayer before lunch, and Vespers in the to Benedict and Benedictine communities; it has been evening at the end of the school day. Oblates commit an ancient practice of the Christian people since the themselves to pray the Liturgy of the Hours together and beginning, but within Benedict’s vision of Christian life, the form the core praying community. Everyone is welcome sacrificium laudes – the “sacrifice of praise” – throughout to gather for prayer when they can. I was delighted to the day and night had profound influence and implication see many students from across the years, parents with for the Christian Liturgy of the Western Church.

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