Parents are asked to support our annual St Edward’s Christmas Appeal by encouraging their sons to contribute to the Christmas hampers, which are organized by tutor groups. Our school community is hoping to create over 100 Christmas hamper baskets, for local disadvantaged people, the hampers will be distributed by: Coast Shelter St Vincent de Paul The Raintree Retreat Kincumber Each tutor is asked to aim for at least two Christmas hampers. Suggestions are: Year 7 - tinned food (ham, turkey, vegetables) Year 8 - tinned food (ham, turkey, vegetables) Year 9 - packets of chips, nuts, crackers Year 10 - soft drinks, juice, napkins Year 11 - bon bons, dips (eg salsa), chocolate Other food items are welcome but please keep in mind that we are trying to create enough for a family to share a Christmas meal, rather than just snacks. Please contact Mr Pat Dell on 4321 6439 if you have any further questions.

'There's forty bottles just here!' That was the call from St Edward's College students as they nervously ventured into the thick mangroves in Erina Creek. From the barge, the area looked clean, in Erina Creek, but a chance look uncovered masses of polystyrene, plastic bottles, plastic pieces and cans, 15 m  inside the mangroves. The students 'crawled' on hands and knees, to reach the litter, and it just kept coming. Only 60 m was cleaned in the high tidal water, yet 25 very full bags came out of this small section of mangroves. Many heavier items (bottles) remained unseen under the water. Just further upstream, behind the baseball field, a known dump site again produced plenty of litter, plus a car tyre and galvanised iron. Earlier the boys cleaned the mangroves adjacent to their main oval, only a bag removed here, mostly from the open drains running into Caroline Bay either side of the school. Erina Bay was also checked, a 'BBQ Boat' was removed by Simon from the mangroves, Maritime was contacted and met our group on our return trip. Erina Bay had small amounts of litter, mainly on the tidal marks, plenty of food wrapping and plastic pieces. Thirty very full bags, plus the steel, was loaded onto the Clean4shore trailer and delivered to the tip. Statistics on the sampled bags revealed a total of 650 plastic bottles, 1180 pieces of plastic, 530 pieces of polystyrene and 740 pieces of food wrapping. Well done boys and thank you to Jono from Clean4Shore.   [smallgallery fooid="15467"]

The Year 10 camp was an amazing experience for the boys who challenged themselves in activities that were outside their comfort zone. The weather was incredible for the whole week, with sunshine and mostly blue skies. It was still cold in the morning and night, especially in the carpark at Charlottes Pass before the hike. The landscape for the hike was a colourful mix of snow, blue lakes and alpine flora. The hike was a challenging 16 km where the boys where driven to Charlottes Pass and then walked to Guthega. The hike included a river crossing requiring them to take off their shoes and socks. The boys also abseiled, rode (and crashed) mountain bikes, camped in tents, camped under tarps and swam in Jindabyne Lake whist raft building. Most importantly though, they tackled everything that was thrown at them with good humour and tenacity. The boys' behaviour was fantastic, and the staff and instructors were full of praise for the way they approached the camp. I believe the challenges of camp show a person’s true character and if this holds true, this group are going to be amazing young men in Years 11-12. Thanks boys for a great week. Mr Beattie Year 10 Coordinator   [smallgallery fooid="15292"]

Year 7 to 10, Semester 2 Examinations commence Monday 12 November 2018. Please see timetable below, students also have access to their own timetable via the College Portal. Yr 7-10 Exam Schedule Semester 2 -  2018  

Information from School Immunisation Clinics, Central Coast Area Health The School Immunisation team are offering the following dates and locations for Catch-Up Immunisation Clinics for students who were absent or unable to be vaccinated on the dates we attended your school. There is no need to book, parents can just attend with their child who is due for a catch-up vaccination. Dates and Venues: 9th November 2018 - 3:00pm to 5.00pm at Erina Community Health Centre - 169 The Entrance Road, ERINA, NSW, 2250 15th November 2018 - 3:00pm to 5:00pm at Erina Community Health Centre - 169 The Entrance Road, ERINA, NSW, 2250 21st November 2018 - 3:00pm to 5:00pm at Long Jetty Community Health Centre - 64 Wyong Road, KILLARNEY VALE, NSW, 2261 22nd November 2018 - 3:00pm to 5:00pm at Lake Haven Community Health Centre -3 Stratford Avenue, LAKEHAVEN, NSW, 2263 Any queries from parents regarding catch-up of missed vaccinations can be directed to the Public Health Unit on 4320 9730.

The Great Aussie Bush Camp kept our Year 9 students entertained and quite busy. The boys experienced an overnight bivouac which involved a hike to the site and a canoe trip on Myall Lakes back to camp. On site the students experienced the Giant Swing, Team Challenge, Leap of Faith and the Vertical Challenge. Participation on the part of the boys was excellent, they supported and encouraged each other and their behaviour was exemplary. They worked as a team, they challenged each other and themselves. They were well fed and the experience helped take many of the students out of their comfort zone. I would very much like to thank the staff who accompanied and supported me and your sons on camp. Their time and effort is greatly appreciated. Mr Speziale Year 9 Coordinator [smallgallery fooid="14313"]  

On Thursday 20 September, the Shanahan Learning Centre hosted ‘Reading Hour’ for students and staff. Everyone was encouraged to bring their classes to the library (or participate in their own classes) and read for pleasure for a full lesson. The library staff also organized competitions such as book in a jar, lucky door prizes and staff’s favourite book guessing competition. A huge thank you to all the students and staff who took part. With over 200 books checked out, it’s clear we have some keen readers in the school. A big congratulations to Ms Connor and Mr Sullivan who won the teachers lucky door prizes – ironically Mr Sullivan won the same book he was reading. Also, a massive thank you to Ms Hatfield-Smith who took her Year 12 Advanced English class to read to other students. Provided are a few quick facts that reinforce why reading is so important for our students: Reading reduces stress by 68%, relieving stress more quickly than listening to music, going for a walk or having a cup of tea Children who know adults who read for pleasure take it for granted that reading is valuable The more leisure books people read, the more literate they become and the more prosperous and equitable the society they inhabit Reading a gripping novel causes positive biological changes in the brain that can last for days Increasing literacy and numeracy skills has a positive and significant effect on gaining employment [smallgallery fooid="14255"]

In conjunction with the new train timetable, which commences 30 September 2018, Red Bus Service and Busways have made changes to some routes and times. Parents and students are encouraged to view the PDF/link below for changes. St Edwards College Red Bus Service Timetable - Effective 30 September 2018   Click here for the link to Busways Timetable Information - Effective 30 September 2018