I distinctly remember my dad tell me, to ‘leave a mark’ at St Edward's, this was when I received the news that I was going to be a part of the Prefect Group for the 2019/20 school year. I wasn’t sure what mark I had to leave, but I knew that the Prefect group of 2019/20 had the skills and talent to pull off something big, no matter what came our way. To initiate the idea of a St Edward's College mufti day in honour of the environment, gave me a sense of pride and satisfaction, and left a legacy that can be passed on to future year groups at St Edward’s, to assist in creating a more sustained environment without any single use plastics. The success of the mufti day can be attributed to the support of Mr Gentle, Mrs Beynon, and staff and students of the environmental portfolio. Special thanks must be given to the Executive Committee at St Edward's and in particular,  Mr Bonnici for approving this event. The team who presented the idea were: Aaron Judd, Kai Wheelock and Jacob Curico and the Environmental Portfolio members, Lars Cleeren and Samuel Dewey. The day was amazing, everyone wore their favorite piece of clothing to school which created a positive vibe, a great atmosphere and a truly inclusive community. The day will be remembered by staff and students as one of the most cherished days at St Edward's with 581 students and 35 staff participating in bringing a trash free lunch. Also raised was $600 for the new chilled water refill station. Finally, thank you to staff and students who participated in the mufti day, this was your day and you made it count. Stay Safe and God Bless Johan Fernandes   [smallgallery fooid="25924"]    

Operation Christmas Child We all have an opportunity to make a difference - especially children in very poor communities who are affected by poverty, natural disasters and COVID-19. What is Operation Christmas Child? Operation Christmas Child (OCC) is a project of Samaritan’s Purse. It partners with local churches in developing nations to reach out to children by providing gift-filled shoe boxes and bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ. Waterford Hours Two Waterford hours per shoe box of gifts for children. For More Information Please see Mr Dell for more information and to collect your shoe boxes [embed]https://www.samaritanspurse.org.au/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/[/embed]   Homeless Sleepout The virtual simulation of a homeless sleepout is another opportunity for Waterford Hours. A $10 donation to Coast Shelter Gosford and participating in the sleepout will earn 10 Waterford hours. When:   Sunday 16 August 2020 Time:    8 pm Sunday 16 August until 6.00 am Monday 17 August Students are to sleep in a place other than a bedroom ie in a tent outside, hallway, garage etc.  Students are to sleep in a sleeping bag on a roll mat and aren't to consume food or use technology (including music) during the sleepout. Parents are to sign Waterford Summary Sheets.  For more information please contact Mr Pat Dell on 4321 6439 or via email pdell@stedwards.nsw.edu.au. Waterford Project Summary Sheet  

The College Community celebrated our students’ hard work and dedication to their studies at the Semester 1 Academic Awards Assemblies on Thursday 6 August. At the start of the year, all students were encouraged to be the best they can be in their academic, cultural, religious and social justice activities. These assemblies provided the opportunity to acknowledge the many fine young men at St Edward’s who have set themselves learning goals for 2020 and worked hard in achieving these goals. Awards were presented in three categories: Consistent Effort, Academic Achievement and Outstanding Academic Achievement. Students receiving the Consistent Effort award were identified by their teachers as displaying an ongoing commitment to their studies. Students who achieved an Academic Achievement Award are generally performing very well in each of their courses and students receiving an Outstanding Academic Achievement Award are the students who have been nominated by their teachers as achieving the highest grades in most, if not all, of the subjects. Congratulations to all Award recipients. Year 7 Year 7 Award Recipients   [smallgallery fooid="25984"]   [embed]https://youtu.be/VscR7jAAd7E[/embed]   Year 8 Year 8 Award Recipients   [smallgallery fooid="26018"]   [embed]https://youtu.be/1X_9HgvZrnU[/embed]   Year 9 Year 9 Award Recipients   [smallgallery fooid="26042"]   [embed]https://youtu.be/t0I16MnHNQI[/embed]   Year 10 Year-10   [smallgallery fooid="26069"]   [embed]https://youtu.be/9y3mdgDGZDs[/embed]   Year 11 Year 11 Award Recipients   [smallgallery fooid="26089"]   [embed]https://youtu.be/Nacd8ZK8cL4[/embed]   Year 12 Year 12 Award Recipients   [smallgallery fooid="26108"]   [embed]https://youtu.be/XypJ-rJq1xk[/embed]

See the link below for Episode 3 of SECTV.  Last week's hosts were College Prefects, Samuel Dewey, Lars Cleeran and Aaron Judd.   [embed]https://youtu.be/-85GTpKl1zg[/embed]

In Week 3, the Shanahan Learning Centre hosted the Year 12 ‘Sessions for Success’. The aim of these sessions was to provide the boys with a friendly and quiet space to prepare for their upcoming trial examinations, with the aid of their teachers. This year we had the largest number of faculties, and boys, participate. Thank you to the library staff for organising the afternoons and providing snacks and drinks. A huge thank you also to the teachers who ran presentations or who made themselves available for the students’ questions. These included: Anne McDonald, Scott Massey, Fran Toomey, Lachlan Butt, Frank Samyia, Richard Massey, Tony Herringe, Nathan Marks, David Ritchie, Carolina Murdoch, Greg Hannelly, Vanessa Henderson, Sarah Moulton, Michael Gill, John Griffin, Josephine Emmett, Jodie Connor, Trent Foster, Kristen Mantellato, Mark Bondfield, Karl Beemster, Joel Buxton and Jessica Saxton. There was a lot of positive feedback from teachers and students and we are very excited about running them again in 2021. [smallgallery fooid="25905"]

Sport in Term 3 College Athletics Carnival We unfortunately had to postpone our College Athletics Carnival until Tuesday 22 September (Week 10). Fingers crossed this will give our Year 12 boys an opportunity to compete at their last College carnival. Representative Sport Term 3 At the moment we are following information and guidelines from Broken Bay (BBSSSA) and NSWCCC (CSNSW) in regards to representative sport: BBSSSA (www.brokenbaysport.org.au) Cancelled: Under 13 Rugby League Gala Day Junior/Intermediate Basketball Athletics The following events are currently planned to go ahead this term and early next term: Golf Surfing (Term 4) Waterpolo (Term 4) Tennis (Term 4) Beach Volleyball (Term 4) Surf Lifesaving (Term 4) CSNSW (https://csnsw.sport/) All representative sporting events for Terms 3 and 4 have been cancelled. These include: Hockey Teams Athletics Junior/Intermediate Basketball NSW All Schools Athletics (click here for more information) Currently this event is still going ahead (Thurs 20 – Sun 24 Sept) This is not a school based event, students must register themselves and notify the College if they are going to be absent from school. We do not receive notification of student entries from NSW Athletics.

Macquarie University Early Entry Congratulations to our Year 12 students who were offered early entry into Macquarie University last week, through Macquarie’s  Leaders and Achievers Program first round offers. Student Course Jackson Robb B Marketing and Media Reid Yarnold B Ed (Primary)/B Psychology Aidan Davis B Clinical Sc Joshua Armstrong B Business Admin/B Prof Accting Matthias Palmqvist B Commerce Daniel Pearce B Media and Communications Johan Fernandes B Medical Sciences Oliver Shippendale B Secur Stds Jacob Curcio B Sec Stds and MCT/MCri/Mcy/MIn/MSSS Daniel Brazier B Maths Sc/B Actrl Stds Roy Kim B App Finance/B Prof Accting Laurence Miller B Commerce Oskar Thomson B Secur Stds Mitchell Benson B Eng (Hons) (Mechatronic) William Lambeth B Commerce/B Laws Year 13 Expo - Future of Work The Year13 Expo is back! This August during National Skills Week, Year 13 Future of Work Expo will take place to fill you in on everything you need to know about starting your career and what changes to expect. Register to attend the Year 13 Expo and receive a ticket into the draw for prizes. Year 13 Expo - More Information     [embed]https://www.stedwards.nsw.edu.au/curriculum-learning/careers-and-vocational-education/careers-news/[/embed]

Expressions of Interest for HSC Exam Supervisors St Edward’s College is seeking expressions of interest for HSC Supervisors to assist the Presiding Officer and supervise the students during the HSC Examinations starting on Tuesday 20 October and running through until Wednesday 11 November 2020. Essential Requirements Supervisors must: have a valid Working With Children Check clearance for employment work as part of a team have attention to detail be able to carry out duties confidentially and discreetly be able to stand for long periods of time. Supervisors must not have a friend or close relative sitting the HSC at the same school or be an employee of the school. If you are interested in working as a HSC Supervisor during the HSC Examination period, please contact Mrs Debbie Massey on 0416 294 096.    

Canteen News - Term 3 Gluten Free The canteen is now offering gluten free options on a number of our hot food items, at this stage we will only offer this service on Flexischools due to the high additional costs involved in gluten free products, however if the demand is there we may consider also offering these items within the canteen too. Please note there will be an additional $1.00 cost on all items that are gluten free. Survey We have recently surveyed the students and staff for their opinions on the canteen, we will be collating all of the results and creating an action plan taking onboard all of your feedback.  Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey. Facebook and Instagram Please follow us on both Instagram and Facebook at Fresh Food Fast for more information, shared recipes and great giveaways.

Teaching Young People About Healthy Relationships Webinar St Edward's College has a membership with Parenting Ideas, one of Australia’s most trusted sources of parenting education and support. As part of this membership, all parents and carers of students at the College can attend some fantastic webinars in 2020 at no cost. See the link below for more information about this free webinar. Teaching Young People About Healthy Relationships

Strong families develop their own traditions and rituals that define them and bind members together. They are the coat hooks upon which we hang our family memories. Strong families develop their own traditions and rituals that define them and bind members together. They are the coat hooks upon which we hang our family memories. By definition, they are permanent and not set aside when life gets busy. They also link young people to their childhoods at a stage when everything around them is changing. Develop Traditions Early Family traditions are relatively easy to develop when children are pre-school or primary school aged. Parent approval is important to most children, so they will generally fit with family traditions and rituals that they enjoy and provide a relaxed, calm atmosphere. Young People Can Challenge Family Traditions Adolescents are likely to challenge many of their family’s traditions and rituals, which is often difficult for parents to encounter. Questions about, or even defiance towards the way you act as a family can come suddenly and be a shock to parents. On one hand, you know that your young person’s challenge is healthy and part of their search for identity separate from their parents. On the other hand, to discover that the child you brought up to respect family and even cultural traditions and rituals no longer wants to follow the family or cultural line can really sting. Know the Traditions That are Negotiable If part of the healthy development of young people means stepping away, albeit, temporarily, from their family it helps to establish those traditions that are negotiable and those that are non-negotiable. For example, if family birthdays are important then your young person may no longer need to attend their aunt’s birthday but they need to attend the birthday celebration of their immediate family members. “This is non-negotiable!” should become part of your family’s proprietary language. Give Young People Some Leeway Giving your young person some leeway in family activities is recognition that they are growing up, but this shouldn’t be confused with growing away. Recent studies reveal that young people value being part of supportive family, but they want their family life to accommodate their burgeoning independence. Make Family Meals Non-negotiable This writer recommends that shared mealtimes should be non-negotiable in families. There is a correlation between good mental health in young people and those families that share a meal at least five times a week. A young person can too easily drop out of their family unless there is a tradition or ritual that keeps them connected. Healthy families are built around traditions and rituals. It’s useful to approach the concept of family traditions with a mix of flexibility to accommodate a young person wish for more independence and firmness to hold the line on those rituals that are essential to your family’s identity and your young person’s wellbeing.

Kids of all ages are excellent at wearing down the resistence of a parent who denies permission for them to go somewhere due to lack of safety or suitability concerns.E Unfortunately many kids use annoying methods such as: repetition (Can I go? Can I go? Can I go?) questioning (Why can’t I go?) guilt (You never let me go anywhere!) nagging (Can I, can I, can I go, pleeease!) whining (Ahhh! Whyyy Caaan’t I gooo!) Often we are so tired that we give just to gain some peace, which makes pester power a useful strategy as kids achieve what they want. One way to avoid this obnoxious pestering is to ask them to convince you that they are responsible enough, old (read mature) enough or aware enough to be allowed to go somewhere. Here’s an example: “Amelia, I’m not sure that I should allow you to take the train into the city with friends. I’m worried that it might not be safe. Convince me that you can do so safely.” This response puts the onus back on the child or young person to think to counter your concerns. Listen carefully to their response as it will indicate whether they really have considered your concerns and are aware of the depth or range of potential difficulties. Simplistic Responses Don’t Cut it If they respond with simplistic comments such as; “I’ll be okay”, “we’ll stick together” and “I won’t do anything stupid” then they are probably unaware or unprepared for contingencies that may arise. However if they provide a response with more depth, they may demonstrate their readiness. An example for this might be “I know you are worried that we might get picked on by older kids on the train. That worries me too. We’ll make sure we pick a carriage with plenty of adults and if kids hop on that look like they’ll give us a hard time, we’ll get off at the next station.” Minimising Risk Answers such as the above show they understand your concerns and also that they have some strategies in mind to minimise risk. As a parent we’d like to remove risk from our kids’ lives but this is unrealistic. As kids grow up their world rapidly expands taking them further away from the safe confines of home, and exposing them to new and potentially risky situations and people. Our hope is that our kids are able to avoid or counter the risk as much as humanly possible. One way of assessing this is asking them to convince you that they are responsible, old enough and possess sufficient awareness to go into new situations and places. “Convince me!” may well be the smartest two words you’ll ever use as a parent. It may stop pester-power in its tracks and at the same time induce your child or young person to think ahead and better prepare for spreading their wings when you don’t feel they are quite ready.