Term 1, Week 11 - 6th April - 2020

Dear Parents and Carers

This is the last newsletter for Term 1 and we would normally tell you about all the activities that have been happening in the College, recap the term and wish you a Happy Easter. However, life as we knew it a few weeks ago has changed dramatically and continues to do so, to reduce the health impact of COVID 19. Communication with parents and carers has been coming in many forms and from numerous staff in the College. As I said in my letter on 2nd April “ We have found ourselves in a situation that has forced everyone to change many things in our lives and a major change is children learning from home in what has been called a Blended Learning Environment. We have always said that parents are the first educators of their children and now, like never before, this is being played out. We thank you for the amazing efforts you are making as parents to support your children and for the continued support and understanding you have given the College in this changing education environment.” 

The impact of COVID 19 will continue into Term 2 and therefore the “Blended Learning” (online and Zoom face to face) that we have been trialing and practising in the last 2 weeks will continue in Term 2. To ensure we are ready for term 2, and that we have taken into consideration the feedback we have received from students, parents and staff; the final 4 days of the term - Monday 6th - Thursday 9th April are now designated Staff Development Days. 

You may have noticed that the newsletter style and appearance has changed. This is a work in progress as we learn how to use this new newsletter platform. We have also had to rethink what we include in this newsletter, so we have taken a “COVID 19” approach and included resources you could use while education is occurring at home. Therefore, you will find here ideas for break activities, wellbeing resources and links to information we have sent out about the Blended Learning Environment (guidelines and help sheets). We have also included other news items and good news stories. 

Next term a Newsletter will go out on the first day which will contain a summary of the work each year group will be working on for each subject for the first 2 weeks. This will be updated each fortnight to give parents a guide as to what topic their child/children are working on.

As we enter the Holiest week of the Church year I wish you all a peaceful and Holy Easter. As you celebrate Easter in various and interesting ways this year, I encourage you to take time to consider the real meaning of Easter, as the death and resurrection of Christ is the heart of Christianity. In the words of Pope Francis “We ask the risen Jesus, who turns death into life, to change hatred into love, vengeance into forgiveness, war into peace” .  In the Easter section of the Newsletter we have included some Easter prayer resources in this newsletter and links to various online Masses. Also in this section I have included a YouTube message from Pope Francis that is comforting at this difficult and unsure time.

Thinking of you all at this time. Look after yourselves and each other

Yours sincerely

Kate

Kate Thomson
Principal 

“We should be shining lamps, giving light to all around us.” Catherine McAuley

Quotes from Pope Francis

We are one human family. Let us bring all hostilities to a halt. May our joint fight against the #COVID-19 pandemic bring everyone to recognize the great need to reinforce brotherly and sisterly bonds. #globalceasefire @antonioguterres @UN   Twitter · Mar 30, 2020

#PrayTogether for the many people who are not succeeding in coping and remain in fear because of this pandemic. May the Lord help them to have the strength to cope for the good the entire community.  Twitter · Mar 30, 2020

In this section you will find a link to Pope Francis' Youtube message to all, in the lead up to Holy Week and Easter resources provided by our Parish to support our community at this time when people are not allowed to attend Mass. Please pass these onto others in your family or circle of friends. 

Fr Joe has recommended the following websites 

The Catholic Weekly: https://www.catholicweekly.com.au/ Here you will find some interesting articles and a link to the Catholic Weekly on-line 

Lismore Diocese: https://www.lismorediocese.org/news/

As you know Masses have been cancelled during the COVID-19 crisis. Here you will find a link to The Bishop’s Mass which is at 8am on Sunday through YouTube Live. YouTube Live also has access to the Bishop’s Lenten talks.

We have attached to this newsletter Bishop Greg’s Pastoral Letter - dated the 27th March 2020

The Clarence Valley Parish Bulletin is now being emailed from the Parish Office to Parishioners. We have also attached the latest Bulletins here (29th March & 5th April). If you would like to be on the Parish email list or know someone who would please contact Marie at admin@clarencevalleyparish.com.au

Good News Story - PRIME 7 News Clip - James Beard - Year 7

Year 7 student James Beard has been very creative and industrious while at home during the COVID 19 crisis. Have a look at this great story to fine out what James has been doing! Well done James!

https://www.prime7.com.au/news/24223-wiz-kid-designs-face-masks

New old signage in the Rose Garden

We recently received into our care an old McAuley Catholic College sign that was found on one of our previous sites in Victoria street. Our year 11 and 12 construction students, with guidance from Mr Bancroft, erected the sign in the College rose garden, where is looks perfect. We will add a plaque to the bottom of the sign to acknowledge and explain the history. 

We have very quickly moved into a new learning environment called "Blended Learning". To assist parents understand what this means we have sent home a number of documents including Guidelines for Parents, Guidelines for students, Guidelines for Video Conferencing and help sheets on Google Classroom and Zoom. These can all be accessed on our College Website in the COVID 19 update section on the landing page. 

In Term 2 a summary of the topics each year group is working on in each subject will be incorporated into each fortnightly newsletter. This will give parents a brief guide as to what their child should be studying. 

Pastoral News

Hi all. We find ourselves in strange times, as mentioned in previous sections, so I don’t wish to repeat too much of what’s already been said in this newsletter in regards to the COVID-19 virus.  I want to talk about Wellbeing

My role as Leader of Pastoral Care at our College is to ensure the Wellbeing of our students is the best it can be at this time.  This is hard to do remotely, but not impossible. Next week, a survey will be sent to all students asking them questions about their current mood, their environment, their connections with the school, their peers, and if they need some extra support to lift their spirits.  I’m asking you to encourage your child to answer the survey as openly and honestly as possible. The information gathered will help us help you and your child.

You, as parents, can help encourage a positive mindset at this time as well, by asking two simple questions at the end of the day:

1. What’s one good thing that has happened to you today?
2. What’s one thing in your life right now that you are greatful for?

Our staff will be asking similar questions when they check-in with the kids over the next few weeks.  Repeating these questions helps shift to a more positive mindset and appreciate the good things that happen day to day, no matter how trying things may seem.

Finally, I need to take some time to say thankyou to the many students and parents who have reached out to myself and my family in the last month following the car accident my children were involved in.  The power of prayer and positive thoughts is real and I can’t thank you all enough for keeping my family in your thoughts.

I’ll leave you with a quote I am repeating to myself on a daily basis at the moment:

“It is our attitude towards events, not the events themselves, which we can control.”

Feel free to email me at robert.imeson@lism.catholic.edu.au if you or your child needs extra support over the coming weeks.

Take care,

Rob Imeson
Pastoral Care Coordinator

Stay Mentally Strong with Research-Based Activities

LOOK FOR THE GOOD

When times are tough, character strengths continue to shine. Choose to see the love, kindness, teamwork and bravery around you. Focusing on your greatest qualities, and those of others, can help you feel more in control and centered during major life changes.

How can you do this? Actively look for strengths in your daily life.

There’s no doubt that you are using your strengths in brand new ways. Think about how you have used creativity, prudence, judgment and hope in the past few days. Now, continue to explore this! Research shows that using your strengths in new ways can increase happiness and boost depression. 

ACTIVITIES TO EXPLORE YOUR STRENGTHS

Here are 2 simple ways you can continue to activate your strengths. We strongly recommend you read each one and DO them! We’d love to hear your reactions to each activity as well as other ways we can support you. Please contact us with suggestions and ideas. 

1. LOVING-KINDNESS MEDITATION - Loving-Kindness practice is a meditation that involves directing love toward yourself, other people and all living beings. It boosts self-compassion and positive emotions.

2. THREE GOOD THINGS - Gratitude is one of the character strengths that is most connected with happiness. When you are going through a difficult time, the Three Good Things activity helps you focus on what is good in your life to shift your perspective and decrease negative emotions.

FROM SAFE ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

I have been inundated with requests for information about an app called "Houseparty" over the last few days. During this period of homeschooling and isolation teens and tweens are connecting through social media more than ever!! It is imperative that we stay vigilant about cyber safety and duty of care.

Mid 2019 Houseparty was acquired by Epic Games (yes, the developers of Fortnite).

It is a group video chat app that has some good and some nasty sides to consider. 

Over the last few years, its popularity waned, but recently on Twitter, there have been tweets like this: "Everyone is back on Houseparty" "Make Houseparty great again!" "Who's down to get Houseparty again and get this social distancing lit?"

This morning I had a virtual coffee with some friends on Houseparty. It did seem to ease the isolation I have been feeling during this time of COVID19. That connection made me feel much better when it was shared, even if just on a screen. 

So here are some of the things that immediately caught my attention that need to be carefully considered by parents before they allow their child to use Houseparty. 
 

1.    The age recommendation is 13yrs. This is, so the app complies with the US Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA). It is in place to prohibit the collection and use of information of children under the age of 13yrs for the purposes of sales and marketing. There is no age verification at all.

2.    It is free to use so your child's image, recordings, any other information used to interact with the app can be data harvested for the purposes of sales and marketing. Remember, if something is free to use, you are the product. 

3.    During the signup process, the app asks you to enable location….. don't. Like on most apps it will track your movements 24/7 down to within 5m in most cases. We don't want people knowing our exact address now, do we? 

4.    The app offers up "friend suggestions" based on showing you friends of friends that you may want to connect to. Huge red flag! It also allows people to send friend requests and, for this reason, has been referred to as a "pedophile party." You must drum into your child not to connect with people that they don't know and check who they are connected too regularly if they are younger. 

5.    Teens who are not invited to a group chat (maximum eight people) may feel left out, and exclusion bullying is rife. 

So is gossip. 

So is sending notes. 

So is sending explicit (sexting) images. 

So is the assumption that the video chats are private. 

So is the potential for overuse. 

So is the risk of connecting with complete strangers.Need I go on? 

For more information on cyber safety, and apps (including over 50 videos) please let your parent community know that they can subscribe to:

www.safeonsocialtoolkit.com 

If they use the access code "GETSAFE" they will receive a 20% discount making the subscription just $77 per year. 

From, Kirra Pendergast - CEO - Safe on Social Media Pty Ltd -kirra@safeonsocial.com 

Here are some activities and ideas for your children (and you) to try while at home!

We are very aware that the current COVID 19 crisis has greatly impacted families in our community in a variety of ways, one of these being financial hardship. The Prinicpal and I have had numerous discussions to determine how the College will provide assistance and relief ofr affected families. On Friday (3rd April), the Director of Lismore Catholic Schools, Dr Sally Towns, sent a letter to all families regarding fees. The letter is attached here and it encourages families to make contact with the College. Each case will be dealt with individually and respectfully.

Stephen Hartmann
Business Manager

European Tour 2021

Due to the Covid 19 crisis, planning for the European tour is on hold for the foreseeable future. Expressions of Interest will not close on April the 6^th but will temporarily close and reopen when normal school life resumes. Students who have already submitted Expressions of Interest will not have to reapply when we reopen them.

If you have any concerns, please contact the College Office and speak with Mark Bellamy or Matthew Lobsey.

College Snow Trip

The annual College snow trip for senior students has had to be cancelled at this time due to the uncertainty of the situation we find ourselves in. Please contact the College regarding payments that may have been made. 

As you are probably aware we have had to cancel all sport for the remaining of Term 1 including the College Cross Country carnival. 

The Sports Board Australia and Catholic Schools NSW Sport  have cancelled most sporting events for Terms 1 and 2. The following link will take you to the full list.

https://csnsw.sport/news/events-suspended

 Lismore Diocese Sport have cancelled the following with this list to be updated for Term 2.

Secondary Sports which will not proceed  

1. Lismore Diocesan Rugby League (U15s and Opens) at Woodlawn on 17 March
2. Lismore Diocesan Open Football (Soccer) at Lismore on 17 March
3. CCC swimming at Homebush on 31 March
4. Diocesan Secondary (North & South) Open Football Opens at Lismore & Kempsey on 1 April
5. Northern Country League Rugby League Selections at Smithtown on 1 April
6. Lismore Diocesan Tennis Teams Championships at Tweed Heads on 17 March
7. Lismore Diocesan Open Basketball at Coffs Harbour on 2 April
8. NSWCCC Touch Football Selections at Nelson Bay (Newcastle) on 8 April

Damian Humphries
Leader of Sport

Food For Thought - Walking towards Easter 1

As we approach Easter I am drawn back to the Old Testament.

A wise person once said: The New is in the Old concealed; The Old is in the New revealed.                 

The Bible itself says: It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; But the glory of kings to search out a matter  Proverbs 25:2

So perhaps we need to look at what has been formerly concealed but is now revealed.

Jesus said: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” (John 8:56)

“And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself”. (Jesus) (Luke 24:27, 32)

And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”

I keep returning to Genesis 22 and the story of the Abraham offering his son, Isaac with the above in mind.

God had been silent. Yet Abraham loved and trusted Him because He had kept His promises.

God now speaks to Abraham and almost in judgment and cruelty

3 times God mentions “his son”: ‘Take your son”, “your only son”,  “the son you love”

Each word like a knife sinking deeper and deeper into Abraham.

Take him and travel 3 days to a place I will show you and OFFER up Isaac on the mountain as a sacrifice, as an offering made by fire to the Lord

ABRAHAM’S THOUGHTS:

That’s not like you Lord. Others offer human sacrifices. What about Your image?

What about Sarah? 

Know that Abraham obeyed! The next morning!

God said “Offer” but Abraham thought the worst. We often still do of God don’t we?

Paul says in Romans 12 that we are to “present our own bodies as living sacrifices to God, dead to the things of the world, and alive and dedicated wholly to the service of Christ.

John writes: He who does not love does not know God, for God is love ( 1 John 4:8)

“God is love”

THE PRINCIPLE OF FIRST MENTION

When a word or concept is mentioned for the first time (for example us in Genesis), the context in which it occurs sets the pattern for its primary use and development all through the rest of Scripture.

It should surely apply to the word “LOVE”!

The first mention in the Bible of “love” is not in relation to:   Husband/wife; mother /son; brotherly love; love of country or even love of God.  BUT the love of a father for his son!!

“Thy son whom thou lovest”

Furthermore it is used in connection with the sacrificial offering of that One and only beloved Son.

Isaac is a type (a prefigure or symbol of, if you like), of Christ

Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.  (Galatians 3:16)

All this makes me think: “What else have I missed in God’s Word”?.

How about you? More later.  David Ogg

Brayden Grant, Bridie Turner, Thomas Cowper, Alizandra McPherson, Ariana Smajstr, Hanna Tait, Harrison Archer, Jayden Baker, Erica Power, Oscar Stephenson, Ben Hylton-Cummins, Elliot Speed,  Lucas Leung, Ethan Liquete, Dominic Mauler, Maeve Giggins, Mika Collard, Abigail Lydon, Georgia Davies, Lani Mott, Rhys Berry, Alexandra Harrigan, Jackson Kelly, Holly Morrison, Christain Moran, Mason Dawson, Kye Cherry, Tara Cook, Sienna Farrer, Molly Wiles.

Professional Photos taken during Term 1