Week 2 Term 1 2021

Welcome to the Parental Lion Roars for Week 2 Term 1 2021. ______

From the Principal Mr Anthony Gleeson

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Friends of the College,

Welcome! A warm welcome to all members of the St Leo’s Catholic College community for the 2021 academic year. I would like to particularly welcome: • our Intake 2021 students and parents/caregivers, • our new students in Years 8 to 12 (26 students) and their parents and caregivers, • and of course our new staff, whom I have detailed below.

Our Theme for 2021 Our theme for 2021 is ‘A Future full of Hope’. It is referenced from Jeremiah 29:11.This is very fitting, particularly after the year we have experienced across the globe in 2020. Deacon Gomez and I had the opportunity to unpack this theme on Monday with our students in our first full College Assembly in almost a year.

We have had a smooth start to the academic year with our Intake 2021 commencing their ‘Jump Start into High School’ program and Year 8-12 students their classes - albeit a little wet as we move around the campus. Thank you to all students and staff for their efforts to make it a smooth commencement to the year.

Blessing and Rededication - this Friday, 5 February This Friday at 10am, Bishop Anthony will be blessing and rededicating the College after our $25M upgrade. Unfortunately, due to the current regulations around Covid-19 - this is a ‘closed’ event. Our students will watch the Mass live-steamed from the College Chapel, then gather in House groups as the Bishop walks around the College blessing each group in their House meeting areas. A 20 minute Liturgy will be conducted at each of the House sites whilst the Bishop blesses these areas. Representatives of each area of our St Leo’s community - parents, religious orders (House Patron Saints), staff and students - will form the congregation for the Mass in the College Chapel. A video will be produced of the event and it will be shared with the entire community.

Invitation - Parent Year Group Meetings (via Zoom) - Week 4 Parent Information Meetings will be held for each Year Group via Zoom in Week 4, giving you the opportunity to hear key members of staff outline the direction of the College and for individual year groups for 2021. The presentations will be kept to 40 mins, followed by an opportunity to provide feedback and ask questions. I would urge all parents to participate in these Zoom meetings. The days and times for each Year group are: • Intake 2021 (Year 7) – Tuesday, 16 February at 6.45pm • Year 8 – Tuesday, 16 February at 7.30pm • Year 9 – Wednesday, 17 February at 6.45pm • Year 10 – Wednesday, 17 February at 7.30pm • Year 11 – Thursday, 18 February at 6.45pm • Year 12 – Thursday, 18 February at 7.30pm

Teacher/Librarian Position Feedback from Parents/Students and Staff Thank you to all those parents, students and staff who provided feedback for the job description for our new Teacher/Librarian. This position will be advertised shortly and this role will provide an additional resource to improvement the outcomes for our students.

Welcome to our New Members of Staff Mr Michael Neylan – Director of Evangelisation and Catholic Formation Michael has been appointed by Catholic Schools Broken Bay to be our Director of Evangelisation and Catholic Formation. He comes to us after being Acting Director of Faith and Mission at Marcellin College, Randwick. He has held Leadership roles at the Sydney Catholic Schools Office, where a highlight was being the World Youth Day Panama Coordinator. Previously, Michael was Acting REC, Youth Ministry Coordinator, Social Justice Coordinator, HSIE and RE Teacher at Marist College Eastwood. He holds a Bachelor of Teaching/Arts from ACU and completed his Master of Theology at Notre Dame. Ms Leeta Caiger – Science We welcome Leeta to our Science KLA after having spent most of 2020 working at Brigidine College in St Ives after a 10 year appointment at Northholm Grammar. Leeta has earned a Graduate Diploma in Education from Charles Sturt University and a Bachelor of Applied Science from UTS. Leeta has also been Academic Leader of Science in previous schools.

Ms Cilu Nebu – TAS and Co-Leader of Intake 2021 Cilu joins us after 5 years at De La Salle College in Ashfield. She has a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Engineering from Cochin University in India, and a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education from ACU. Cilu also has extensive experience in both pastoral care leadership roles and subject leadership. Ms Michelle Grubba – RE The RE KLA welcomes Michelle who comes to us after RE and Science teaching roles at Trinity College, Auburn, St Andrews College, Marayong and St Patrick’s Marist College in Dundas. She has a Bachelor of Science from Macquarie University, a Dip Ed from Sydney University and a Masters of Arts in Christian Spirituality from the Broken Bay Institute. Mr Adam Carr – HSIE Adam will be focussing on teaching Economics and other subjects across the HSIE Faculty. Adam has a Bachelor of Economics and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Queensland, and a Masters of Teaching from ACU. He also has vast industry experience working for the NSW Business Chamber, Australian Chamber of Commerce, Newscorp and ICAP Australia. Mrs Shams Hussain – Learning Support Shams joins us from Emmaus Catholic College, where she was appointed as thier Diversity Teacher. She also spent almost 15 years at Granville South Creative and Performing Arts High School until 2019. Shams has a BA from Lucknow University in India where she also completed a MA in English Literature, and has also gained a Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies from the University of Newcastle. Dr Emma Pariser – Science We welcome Emma to our Science KLA and the College. She was at The Shore School in North Sydney for over eight years where she taught science, and was a House Tutor. She was originally educated in the United Kingdom, gaining a BSc (Hons) in Biology, a MSc in Ecology, a PhD in Evolutionary Biology and finally a Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of Notre Dame in Sydney. Ms Hayley Spencer – English Hayley will be joining our English KLA. Over the last 17 years, she has taught at St Patrick’s College Dundas, Marcellin College, and her latest tenure was at St Joseph’s College, East Gosford. Hayley gained her Bachelor of Arts/Education from ACU and followed it with a Certificate in Religious Studies. Hayley has a wealth of experience in a number of pastoral leadership roles in a number of schools. Mr David Ritchie – Mathematics The Maths KLA welcomes David, who joins us after spending the last four years at St Edwards College, Gosford. David has a Bachelor of Science and Graduate Diploma of Education from Macquarie University, and we look forward to his contribution to St Leo’s. Thank you for your time - enjoy the rest of the week.

From the Assistant Principal Mr Daniel Petrie

College Blessing, Rededication and Reconsecration Ceremonies As mentioned above, this Friday will mark the College Blessing, Rededication and Reconsecration Ceremonies. Students are to wear their full summer uniforms. Year 12 Student Leaders are to be in full College Winter Uniform. The format of the day is as follows. Please note the altered times and schedule:

Activity Time Location

Period 1 8.35-9.35 Classrooms

Mentor 9.35-10:00 Mentor Room

Mass of Reconsecration 10:00-11:05 Chapel Students and Staff will view the Mass live-streamed (Due to Covid- 19). It will also be streamed to parents.

Morning Tea 11:05-11.35 Murru Mittigar and Oval

House Blessings and 11.40-12:30 Students to assemble outdoors in houses for the Bishop to bless Celebrations their building and Patron Saint Statue

P4 12.30-1.15

Lunch As normal

P5 As normal

Please access the live-streaming of the Chapel Reconsecration here from 10am on Friday, 5 February: https://vimeo.com/506884694/839e8e8b42

Important Dates for Term 1 2021

Term 1 Date Event

Friday, 5 February 10am Blessing and Rededication of the College Facilities Reconsecration of the Chapel

Wednesday, 10 February 7:00pm Duke of Edinburgh Information Evening 7:00pm Zoom: https://dbbcatholic.zoom.us/j/99736559885

Tuesday, 16 February 6:45pm Intake 2021 - Parent Information Evening: Zoom - https://dbbcatholic.zoom.us/j/99757353821 Tuesday, 16 February 7:30pm Year 8 - Parent Information Evening: Zoom - https://dbbcatholic.zoom.us/j/94951674035

Wednesday, 17 February 9:30am Ash Wednesday Mass (Lent Begins) Wednesday, 17 February 6:45pm Year 9 - Parent Information Evening: Zoom - https://dbbcatholic.zoom.us/j/97360110715 Wednesday, 17 February 7:30pm Year 10 - Parent Information Evening: Zoom - https://dbbcatholic.zoom.us/j/99296510414

Thursday, 18 February 6:45pm Year 11 - Parent Information Evening: Zoom - https://dbbcatholic.zoom.us/j/92310837466 Thursday, 18 February 7:30pm Year 12 - Parent Information Evening: Zoom - https://dbbcatholic.zoom.us/j/95385832584

Wednesday, 24 February 7:00pm College Principal Update Evening: Zoom - https://dbbcatholic.zoom.us/j/96291385401

Wednesday 3 – Friday, 5 March Intake 2021 Camp

Tuesday, 16 March 4pm College Open Day/Evening (Student early departure at 2.00pm)

Thursday, 1 April 10am Holy Thursday - Stations of the Cross

Mentor Comments and Reports

As we continue to prioritise the enhancement of College Semester Reports and Communication, Semester One will see the introduction of a ‘Mentor Comment’ for each student. The Mentor works closely with each mentee/student to assist them in setting academic and passion-based goals. They have also been tasked with assisting each mentee to develop an ePortfolio of their work in class, as well as providing evidence of how they have grown in each of the six Growth Domain areas. In order to provide parents with an insightful summary that aims to capture their ‘holistic’ development as a learner, Mentors will be creating a Mentor Comment for each mentee. In addition to this commentary, students will be developing a video recording of themselves leading a Student Led Conference (SLC). This will be available to parents in Term 3 and will provide a platform for students to take ownership of their learning and critically reflect on the successes and growth areas of the learning journey. The most important part of this exercise will be the ‘where to from here’ component, as students navigate how to move beyond their limitations.

College Uniform and Grooming Policies I would like to congratulate our students on the way in which they have worn their uniform upon their return to the College. Our expectations of uniform and grooming standards are of the highest level. Taking pride in all that we do is an important tenet here at the College. Please find below a few reminders to ensure the high standard of grooming and uniform are maintained: • All boys require a tie with both their summer and winter uniforms • All senior girls need to ensure their skirt reaches their knees • Earrings for girls should be one per ear • No sport jacket or alternative jacket is permitted with their summer uniform. College uniform wet weather/spray jackets are available from the uniform shop • ‘Mullet’ style haircuts are not permitted Please refer to the College Personal Planner for further clarification around the College Grooming and Uniform Policies.

School Commencement and Conclusion Dates

TERM 1

Thursday 1 April Last Day of Term - Holy Thursday

TERM 2

Monday 19 April Classes resume

Thursday 24 June Last Day of Term for Students

Friday 25 June Staff Professional Development Day

TERM 3

Monday 12 July Staff Professional Development Day

Tuesday 13 July First day of Term 3 for Students

Friday 17 September Last Day of Term

TERM 4

Tuesday 5 October First Day of Term 4

Wednesday 15 December Last Day of Term / Year in Review Celebrations

Thursday 16 December Staff Professional Development Day

Friday 17 December Staff Professional Development Day

We look forward to the journey ahead as we work in partnership to provide your daughter or son with the highest quality holistic Catholic education.

From the Director of Evangelisation & Catholic Formation Mr Michael Neylan

I am delighted to have joined St Leo’s Catholic College and am very grateful for the warm welcome I have received. In my short time at the College so far, it is evident that this is a vibrant and faith-filled community. I am excited about working together with students, staff and families to build on our charism and traditions and continue to bring to life the shared Catholic faith of our College community.

Our Theme for 2021 As Mr Gleeson has outlined, our theme for 2021 is ‘A Future Full of Hope’, which comes from the book of Jeremiah in the Old Testament. ‘For I know the plans I have for you’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ (Jeremiah 29:11) After the challenges and heaviness that we all experienced in different ways during 2020, this theme is a timely reminder that we as Christians are a people of hope.

Catholic Education Celebrating 200 Years This year the Australian Church marks 200 years of Catholic Education. This celebration recognises the great legacy of Catholic Education in our country and looks forward to how our Catholic school communities can continue to contribute to our ‘Faith in the Future’. A short promotional clip for the 200 Years commemoration can be viewed here.

Feast of Saint Josephine Bakhita (8 February) Next Monday is the Feast of St Josephine Bakhita, one of our House Patrons. Born in 1869 in Sudan, Josephine was seven years old when taken by slave traders. She was bought and sold many times over the following decade. Taken to Italy by a family who ‘owned’ her, she met the Canossian Daughters of Charity, became a Catholic and joined the Canossian congregation. She died in 1947 and was canonised in 2000. Josephine knew the sorrow of losing her freedom and family as a young girl when she was taken as a slave. The UN estimates that one in every three victims of trafficking is a child. Pope Francis has declared the feast of Saint Josephine Bakhita on February 8 to be a day of prayer, reflection and action against human trafficking. Whilst this is a confronting subject, there are small actions we can take to protect human rights and dignity. This is an example of thinking globally and acting locally. For further information you can visit the ACRATH Website.

Blessings for the week ahead.

From the Director of Teaching and Learning Mrs Josephine Cali

PAT Testing for Intake 2021 and New Year 8 and 9 Students PAT Testing is one of the diagnostic assessment tools used at St Leo’s to identify starting points for learning, target teaching and monitoring student growth. The aim of this is to help all students make ongoing learning progress. Students are not required to study for these tests however they are asked to do their best so that staff can accurately assess their learning. This is important as staff use the data to refine their teaching and learning programs to enhance each student’s learning. PAT Testing will take place on Wednesday 3 February (Periods 3 and 4) as well as Thursday 4 February (Period 2) for all students in Intake 2021(Year 7) and new students in Years 8 and 9. We ask that you ensure your young person’s iPad or MacBook is fully charged on these days. All other details will be provided to students on the day. If you have any questions regarding PAT Testing, please do not hesitate to contact me at the College.

From the Director of Students Mr Ashley Johansen

A Future Full of Hope It was wonderful to see our students again after the recent holiday period. They appeared rejuvenated and ready for another year of opportunity at St Leo’s. Over the last few days, I have spoken to a number of students both in and out of the classroom and it was pleasing that many want to make a real difference in 2021 academically, personally, and with their chosen co-curricular pursuits.

Uniform/Grooming A reminder that students are to be in full Summer uniform this Term. It is an expectation that any student not in correct uniform reports to their Year Leader before 8:30am, with a valid note/diary entry from their parents, so that a Uniform Pass can be issued. Also note that College spray jackets are now available from our supplier (Cowan & Lewis - Turramurra) for inclement weather.

Student Leave Requirements All student leave requests, in the first instance, should be communicated in writing to the Principal (Mr Gleeson) - an email to the College is acceptable. Students requesting leave should then see Mr Johansen (Director of Students) in Xavier Court to obtain the appropriate paperwork. There are two forms – Exemption from Attendance (under 10 days) and Application for Extended Leave (over 10 days). All completed leave forms should be returned to the Director of Students office as soon as possible for processing. It is important to note that leave beyond 10 days must be first considered by the Catholic Schools Office (CSO) via the College. The Compass Parent Portal should not be used for any student leave requests. * Please note that the College does not support families taking extended holidays during Term time and/or during College examination periods as it impacts on student learning.

SchoolTV - Online Wellbeing Resource Available to the St Leo’s Community New Beginnings - Intake 2021 Starting Year 7 poses many new challenges, but also offers exciting opportunities. It comes with a number of mixed feelings. Unfortunately for many Year 6 students, 2020 was marred with school closures and remote learning due to the pandemic and the overall impact of this is still unknown. For many students, regular orientation activities at the end of 2020 were less than ideal. Therefore, many students may be feeling a little bit more anxious than usual about their expectations of starting Year 7. Grasping new skills and establishing new study practices can quickly become daunting and overwhelming. During this time of transition, parents and carers need to be supportive, but also realistic in their expectations. This is an important milestone in your child’s life. There will be feelings of exhilaration, but also the fear of the unknown. Therefore it will be important for parents and carers to be vigilant in monitoring their child’s mood and mental health during this time. They could easily become overly anxious or even depressed. In this SchoolTV Special Report, there are a number of strategies to help make this transition period smoother and start things off on the right foot! We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the College for further information or seek medical/professional help. Your can access the Special Report HERE. Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support and please do not hesitate to contact the College if you have any queries or concerns.

From the CAPA Team

College Production 2021 Rehearsals have already started for this year's College Production of CAMP ROCK! The Musical. Students are to check the Google Classroom page regularly for updates on events, news and timetabling. We all here at CAPA are excited for the journey that awaits the students of CAMP ROCK!

NEW Ensembles/Programs starting 2021! It’s shaping up to be a very exciting year for CAPA at St Leo’s! We have rebranded all of our ensembles and programs, and are thrilled to welcome our newest students to the College (Intak 2021) with the inaugural CAPA Cubs Program! What is the CAPA Cubs program? CAPA Cubs is a specially designed program for Intake 2021 focused around participation in the Creative and Performing Arts ensembles and programs at St Leo’s - which are free of charge for all St Leo’s students! Five different Cubs ensembles/programs will provide guidance and skill development across the four CAPA subject areas; Music (Vocal/Instrumental), Dance, Drama and Visual Arts. The CAPA Cubs program accommodates all skill levels and will be the first step for Intake 2021 as they progress further into our Lions and Pride CAPA programs here at the College.

New Structure for CAPA Ensembles/Programs Dance and Vocal Ensembles will now be progressive throught the following stages:

Concert and Stage Bands: new students are welcome to join our Cubs Concert Band, although progression to our Stage and Convert Bands will be via invitation.

Other Ensembles: Interested Intake 2021 are invited to join the Cubs Art or Theatresports Clubs, and any students are welcome to join any of the following ensembles:

Expressions of Interest – Years 8-12 In order to finalise numbers for our 2021 ensembles, we ask that parents of students in Years 8 -12 please put forward your child’s interest in any of the above groups using this Google Form. If your child is already participating in one of these groups from last year, please alos complete the form to confirm your student’s continued involvement. Draft Ensemble Timetable The below timetable for CAPA Ensembles and Programs is in draft and not yet finalised, but gives an indication of when we intend holding each ensemble. Note that Digital Animation and Cubs Theatresports will be held later in the year. We are hoping that all timetabled Ensemble and Programs will start next week, in Week 3 of Term 1, but this will depend on current Covid-19 restrictions in schools as mandated by NSW Health. More information regarding the timetable will be shared in next week's Parental Lions Roar.

Dance Success The year has started off with a bang for our Year 12 Dance students Bianca Ioffrida and Jade Wright, with success at the 2021 Dancelife Unite Nationals Competition. The students competed against some of the best dancers in the nation and have received outstanding results!

Both students chose to perform their HSC Core Performance works, Falling Like the Stars and Young and Beautiful at the competition, as they prepare for their upcoming HSC Dance Practical examinations in August. The students received useful feedback from the judges to assist them for future performances and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to attend the competition at Sydney Olympic Park’s Netball Central. Congratulations once again! Ms Brittany Skea Dance Teacher

From the Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator Ms Kelly Li

Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award Interested New Participants The Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award is now being offered to any student who is 14 years of age or older. The Award provides an opportunity for students to further develop skills, initiative and self-esteem which will help them become more confident members of the community. A letter will be sent out shortly to all Year 9 Parents/Caregivers in regards to the program. A Zoom meeting will be held to go through the program and answer any questions on Wednesday, 10 February at 7pm. (Meeting link: Duke of Edinburgh Zoom Link) If a student would like to join and is not in Year 9, please see me. Current Participants Current participants should have finished their Adventurous Journey Reports and are encouraged to work on setting goals for their activities and speaking to their assessors. For help please see Mrs Li in BHG04 at lunchtimes on Week A; Monday and Week B; Tuesday. Participants walking for your physical recreation: HERE is a link to a beautiful 2-3 hour hike in Somersby. Take your family, lots of water and lunch on this medium difficulty hike.

From the Leader of Sport Mr Michael Kember

Sport For Life Program Welcome back to 2021 - and the sporting opportunities have already begun! This week sees our internal ‘Sport for Life Program’ begin, providing students with weekly timetabled sport. The schedule for this: • Year 7 - Monday (Period 3 & 4). Next week they begin with Cricket NSW, and Self-defence classes. • Year 8 - Thursday (Period 3 & 4) • Year 9 - Friday (Period 3 & 4) • Year 10 - Wednesday (Period 3 & 4) Students are permitted to wear their sports uniform for the whole day on their respective sports day. It is an expectation that students wear a hat and also bring their own water bottle.

Representative Sporting Opportunities Over the next few weeks, sporting trials will be held for a number of our representative teams. Students are not required to sign up prior to these trials and only need to turn up when trials are being held.

All information about the trials will be posted on the St Leo’s Sport 2021 Google Classroom page. Students are encouraged to add this page to their links using the following code: ziq743p The trial information will also be posted on Year Group Google Classroom pages. If a student is unable to attend trials for any reason, they need to see Mr Kember and alternative arrangements will be made for them.

Girls Rugby League Any girls interested in playing Rugby League for the College are invited to an open training session this coming Thursday afternoon from 3.10- 4.10pm on Donelly Oval. Please see Mr Tavernese for more information.

NSWCCC Representative Opportunities NSWCCC Sport Registrations 2021 for Pathway Sports are NOW OPEN. NSW Combined Catholic Colleges (NSWCCC) is a representative pathway that students can apply for in a number of sports. St Leo’s has a proud tradition with students representing at this level in a variety of sports. It is open to all students, however these trials are generally attending by those that are playing at a high representive level outside of the College. If you have any questions or queries about these, please contact Mr Kember, Leader of Sport. Registrations for a range of representative sports are now open via the CSNSW.sport portal. Parents are required to register students, rather than the College. For instructions on how to register, go to Guide For Parents – Sport Registrations > Term One Representative Sports – Individual Nominations/Registrations • Cricket – 19s Boys – 9 & 10 February – close 3 February • Cricket - 15 Years Girls – 15 February – close 10 February • Softball – Boys & Girls – 22 February – close 12 February • Tennis - Boys & Girls – 1 March – close 22 February • Cricket – U16 Boys – 1 March – close 18 February • Baseball – Boys – 3 March – close 26 February • Golf – Boys & Girls – 8 March – close 25 February • Volleyball – Boys & Girls – 10 March – close 5 March • Water Polo – Boys & Girls – 15 March – close 11 March • Hockey – Open Boys & Girls, 16s Girls – 22 March – close 15 March • Diving – Boys & Girls – 29 March – Close 19 March Swimming and Touch Football registrations are through the Diocesan/Association pathways. For further information, go to the CSNSW Sport website (link above).

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