Year 12 Retreats at North Avoca Surf Club The retreats of 2020 were unfortunately a one-day event due to COVID-19. They will be remembered for the great enthusiasm and involvement of all students who attended. Year 12 were given the opportunity to participate in important spiritual experiences on this day amid the peaceful and serene environment of North Avoca. They didn’t waste this opportunity. Thanks to Mr Bonnici and Mr Beattie who helped facilitate the Retreat program. Students were led through reflection, prayer, beach walks and discussions about What it is to be a Man in the 21st Century, Forgiveness and Healing, The Importance of Communication, and their future directions. The celebration liturgy was very special as it is the last Retreat for this cohort. Parents and staff should be very proud of the input and maturity shown by Year 12. I am confident that these quality experiences will have a lasting effect upon our boys in preparing them for the future. I have no doubt that in years to come, many boys will remember this day as being very significant in their lives. I thank and congratulate all Year 12 for the quality of their involvement. Mr A Beacroft Director of Mission and Identity   [smallgallery fooid="27672"]

Term 3 has seen a hub of activity in the Food Technology Department. The students have enjoyed some sense of normality in practical lessons and have embraced the new protocols which have had to be implemented. Year 9 are currently studying a 'Food Trends' unit and are working on creating a 'Crazy Shake'. It has been exciting watching the boys create their own unique designs.   Year 10 are working on a 'Food for Special Occasions' unit. They have improved their practical skills and have prepared new and exciting dishes including 'Poached Pears in a Chocolate Sauce', as well as designing their own themed birthday cakes. I have been amazed by the enthusiasm which has been demonstrated by the boys. In Week 9 they have their practical exam which will involve the boys preparing 'Chicken Cordon Bleu'. Year 11 are finalising the Preliminary Course. Currently they are working on a 'Food Availability and Selection' unit. They too have had the opportunity to create a recipe from a country of their choice. I have been impressed with their commitment to this. Various recipes such as Coq au Vin, Sushi, Chicken Teriyaki, just to name a few have been prepared. Year 12 have finished their HSC studies with the 'Food Product Development' unit. Their practical task for this term was to create an Oreo inspired line extension. Some creative, unique and absolutely yummy products were prepared. I have been overwhelmed with the enthusiasm and creativity which the boys displayed. Year 11 and 12 Hospitality continue to work through their competencies and prepare industry standard meals. Mr Massey has been excited with their skill development. Year 11 students will be undertaking work placement in Term 4. I would like to take this opportunity to wish the Year 11 students all the best for the upcoming preliminary exams and the Year 12 Food Technology and Hospitality boys all the best for their upcoming HSC exams. Anne McDonald LOL Food Technology   [smallgallery fooid="27773"]    

St Edward's College HSC Visual Arts Bodies of Work. * Sculpture, Ceramics, Drawing, Photomedia and Graphic Design * Since 2020 began, the St Edward's HSC Visual Arts students have had some battles to face. Fire, Flood, Storm and COVID-19. During COVID-19 the students lost an average of 8 weeks of face to face teaching time. Working on their practical from home - albeit with a teacher via the internet - was not ideal. There was no personal direction or assistance, certainly not the same as they would have had in class. Yet, here we stand with 16 completed Visual Arts Bodies of Work. They've done it. Congratulations go to each and every one of the following boys who have overcome everything that life has thrown at them this year and who have produced a Body of Work that is personal, conceptual, inventive and of extremely high quality.     Click Here to View    

The St Edward's Podcast is a place where the student body can come together to discuss and debate global, national and school-based issues. The aim is to provide a voice for every student in our community, and to enable parents, friends, students, and potential future students, to hear what is important to our school community. What can listeners expect? Each episode will cover three topics, plus a student spotlight. The topics may deal with global, national, or school-based issues, and the student spotlight will showcase our school leaders, or achievements of members from the student body generally. We hope to enable students to share their achievements in any area of sports, academia, the arts, community contribution etc. to show the diversity and commitment of our students. The Academia portfolio has worked on developing the St Edward's podcast, and the team consists of members throughout many year groups, working collaboratively together. Currently, the students involved in the podcast are: Prefects and Student Leaders Year 10 Students Daniel Brazier Aidan Davis Daniel Pearce Johan Fernandes Harry Meggs Beau Seale Otis Farrugia Michael Holmes Louis Whyatt Fergus Clydesdale Noah Hamilton Ronan Grattan Liam Golden Cooper Lewis Zane Gerdy Marcus Channing A collaborative effort between these students has been spearheaded by the Academia Portfolio's Coordinator, Mrs Kylie Nowalinski. An ongoing podcast wouldn't be possible without her leadership and dedication, as well as the work undertaken by all the students. If any boys are interested in participating in future Academia portfolio meetings, or podcast recordings, make sure to pay attention to the daily notices for updates on upcoming events. [embed]https://youtu.be/OKolGNIbjwI[/embed]  

Year 11 Preliminary examinations commence Monday 14 September.  Student timetables have been uploaded to the Portal. Preliminary-HSC-Exam-Timetable-2020

Representative Sport (BBSSSA and CSNSW) Update Broken Bay (BBSSSA) has last week cancelled all Term 4 Representative Sport due to the current Public Health Order and the uncertainty of when this will change. Catholic School NSW have also followed suite with their Representative Sport. However, at the moment, the convenor of the Berg and Downie Shield Cricket competitions is yet to make a decision and is looking at possibly delaying the start of these competitions in Term 4.

After last year's success in the NRL Schoolboy Trophy Competition, our Open Rugby League was invited to contest the Schoolboy Cup against the Top Tier Sports High Schools for 2020. We drew Farrar Memorial Agricultural High School in round 1 and this involved a road trip to Tamworth. Several protocols had been put in place for the game/competition to go ahead and this allowed our squad of 18 to travel to Tamworth on Tuesday 28 July. The game kicked-off at 10.30 am at the picturesque Farrar High School main oval. A mix of nerves and excitement spread throughout the team in anticipation of our opposition and the live streaming of the game. Many of the team had only just started back playing with their local team in the last couple of weeks and for some, this was their first game of the year. We were very aware that Farrar would be tough and play a physical brand of football. The boys were up for this challenge, but there were some concerns from the coaching staff about the fitness of our team as a whole. Both teams started cautiously, feeling each other out, completing sets and getting to their kicks. Early on it was clear that Farrar was going to attack us through the middle, and we were going to try and run them around. Tyler Moriarty, Ben Dufficy, Sandon Smith, Beau Newlands, and Josh Woutersz all had half chances breaking the Farrar line in the early exchanges. Some sustained pressure saw Tyler dart from dummy half close to the line and open the scoring in the first quarter. This was closely followed by very flat cut-out pass from Sandon to put a flying Beau Newlands over in the corner early in the second quarter. All was good and the team was playing with confidence. As the second quarter continued, Farrar clawed their way back into the game with some momentum and repeat sets. By this time, we were starting to look a little tired and weary. Their classy five-eighth firstly scored a great individual try and then backed-up with an offload to score just prior to half-time and reduce the deficit to 12-10 at the break. The momentum of the game had certainly swung. Farrar began the third quarter in the same manor as they finished the second. They were running hard and challenging our line. Sustained pressure led to a third try for the five-eighth and it looked like Farrar might skip away with the game. Farrar continued to dominate possession and field position for the remainder of the third quarter and most of the final quarter. The Eddies boys hung in there and kept turning up in defence and stayed in the game. Late in the final quarter we had a few repeat sets but could not seem to find a way to crack their line. Farrar, on the back of a few penalties, marched down the field and attacked our line. On the back of a quick play-the-ball, and a decision to pass long saw Sandon Smith pluck the ball out of the air and run the length of the field to score. Ben Dufficy calmly converted to give us an 18-16 lead and see the boys hang on for a gallant win. The narrow win combined with the access to the live streaming footage led to an interesting drive home. Countless reviews of the footage, reliving the key moments and many varied comments on the performance, filled our bus ride. The win saw us move into the quarter finals and a game against the 2019 Champions – Westfields Sports High School. Unfortunately, we had to withdraw from the competition due to the date of the next round (during the Trial HSC exams), injuries and the lack of adequate preparation for the game. The competition has since been suspended due to the current Public Health Orders.   Our Team 1. Ben Dufficy, 2. Josh Woutersz, 3. Nate McLean, 4. Beau Newlands, 5. Matt Kuech, 6. Owen Flaherty, 7. Sandon Smith, 8. Mackenzie Zammit, 9. Tyler Moriarty, 10. Hugh Thomas, 11. Daniel Peters, 12. Elias Prokopiou, 13. Zac Healey, 14. Callum Richardson, 15. Ulysses Fotofili, 16. Marlon Guest, 17. Harry Walker and 18. Wiremu Tibbutt

The College Athletics Carnival is on Tuesday 22 September at Adcock Park. The College will be conducting our Athletics carnival on Tuesday 22 September at Adcock Park, West Gosford. It is compulsory for all boys to attend and rolls will be taken throughout the day.  We need boys to be at Adcock Park by 8.45 am.  Due to COVID restrictions, parents are not able to attend this year.  Any students wanting to compete in the 1500 m event need to be at the oval ready to race by 8.30 am. Transport Normal school buses to and from school will run in the morning/afternoon. Boys from the southern end of the coast will be dropped off near McDonald’s at West Gosford.  Students are then required to cross the Central Coast Highway at the pedestrian lights immediately outside McDonalds where a staff member will be stationed to direct them safely across the main road. All other students traveling by bus are required to catch their normal bus to the College and at 8.30 am they will be directed to make their way to Adcock Park. Staff will be stationed along the way to direct students to the correct and safest crossing points.  They will not be permitted to cross at any other points. This is most important for their safety and wellbeing. Other students may make their own way to the carnival as appropriate. All students requiring afternoon bus transport will return on foot to the College under the close supervision of staff and catch the afternoon school specials as normal. Uniform For identification purposes, it is imperative that all St Edward’s students attend the carnival in their College track suit/sports uniform. This is most important so that we can carry out appropriate supervision of all the boys on that day. Senior students who don’t have a sports uniform should wear appropriate sports clothing, possibly in their house colours. General Directions As maximum participation is the aim of the day, points will be allocated for every student entering an event. Boys need to be equally prepared for the weather, especially at this time of the year. There is little protection from the elements at Adcock Park, so boys also need to bring a hat and sun protection cream etc. The canteen (snacks and drinks only) will be run on the day and is on a cash only basis. There is no facility for use of flexischool accounts or student cards at Adcock Park. The boys are asked  not to bring footballs, basketballs or soccer balls with them as there will be no opportunity to use them on the day. The balls can be a hazard on a day such as this. It is imperative that no boy brings along large sums of money or valuable audio equipment etc. In these situations, it is impossible for the College to take responsibility for items that go missing on the day. In the event of obvious inclement weather, boys would need to come to school prepared for the normal Tuesday timetable. A posting will be listed on the College Facebook page and the College App. No announcement means the carnival will go ahead. COVID Restrictions Spectators, including parents and carers, are not permitted at sporting events held during school hours. (Current CSNSW guidelines). Parents dropping-off or picking-up students from the carnival, must: Do so in the adjacent car park to the Velodrome/Athletics Field Remain in their car at all times (IN – OUT system, under staff supervision) NB: Students will be released at the conclusion of the carnival at 2.15 pm During the carnival: Students will move from event-to-event in their Age Groups Staff supervising these Age Groups will carry hand sanitiser for the students to access/use after each event Event equipment will be wiped down after each Age Group has been completed At the conclusion of the carnival, students, with Parental/Carer discretion, may: Be dismissed from Adcock Park to make their own way home Senior Students may drive Return on foot and under supervision to the College to catch the usual bus services The cooperation of boys and their families with these guidelines will ensure that it is an enjoyable day for all in attendance.  Under normal circumstances the carnival should conclude by 2.15 pm.  No boys will be permitted to leave the oval before that time.  I would ask that parents cooperate in not asking for their sons to leave before that time.

UAC News 2021 admissions Early Bird Closing Encourage your students to apply as soon as possible, early bird closing is midnight on Wednesday 30 September, after which, UAC’s processing fee rises from $70 to $200. If students aren’t sure about what they want to study, they can submit an application with any course and change their preferences as many times as they like for free. 2020 Year 12 applicants can also 'commit to pay' using BPAY or Post Billpay. Payment must be made, however, in order to have their application assessed and receive an offer. Schools Recommendation Schemes A reminder that student applications for SRS will be closing earlier this year at midnight on Sunday 20 September. School ratings close at midnight on Wednesday 30 September. UAC PIN reminder All 2020 NSW HSC and ACT Year 12 applicants have had their UAC PIN emailed to them. For students who have not yet applied through UAC, we'll be sending a PIN reminder email on Wednesday 23 September. If students are having problems with logging in to Apply, the quickest and easiest way for them to get help is to call UAC Customer Service on 1300 275 822 (or 02 9752 0200 from mobiles) 8.30am – 4.30pm Monday to Friday. We won't reply to email requests as we need to identify them before giving out this information. ATAR and Offers 2020 Release date A reminder that following the announcement by NESA that HSC results will be released at 6am on Friday 18 December, ATARs will be released at 9am on Friday 18 December – the same day as HSC results – once again giving students time to finalise their preferences for December Round 2 on Wednesday 23 December. ATAR Enquiry Centre UAC is once again operating its ATAR Enquiry Centre for students who have queries about the calculation of their ATAR. Days are as follows: Fri 18 December, 8.30am–6pm Sat 19 December, 8.30am–4.30pm Mon 21 December, 8.30am–4.30pm Tue 22 December, 8.30am–4.30pm Offer Rounds for Year 12 Students The most important offer rounds for Year 12 students are: December Round 2 – Wednesday 23 December January Round 1 – Friday 8 January 2021. Not all courses will be offered in December Round 2, and applicants should check UAC’s website for details of excluded courses before they finalise their course preferences. Please note, the Australian National University (ANU) will not be participating in December Round 2. Students whose results are not available in time for December Round 2 can be assured that they will not be disadvantaged – universities will still have places available to make offers to all courses in January Round 1. Open Days Many institutions are offering virtual open days for 2020, others are offering online tours and information sessions instead. UAC has gathered the latest information about institution Open Days in one place to help students easily plan the events they'd like to participate in. New Unique Student Identifier (USI) The Australian Government is extending the Unique Student Identifier (USI) to higher education students, starting in 2021. The USI is 10-digit number students will use throughout their education journey. The USI will be introduced with students who are commencing their studies in 2021. Connect with us Our Community Engagement team is 'virtually' out and about taking part in many of the university online open days and info nights. A list of where they'll be is below. If you'd like a more personal session, the team is here to help with your students' understanding of the ATAR and admissions process. To make an appointment for them to 'visit' your students via Zoom, email ce@uac.edu.au. UTS Virtual Open Week 31 August – 5 September Future Choices Virtual Transition Expo Wednesday 9 September University of Sydney Virtual Open Nights 9 and 10 September University of Newcastle Virtual Open Days 14–18 September Charles Sturt University Virtual Open Days 15, 16, 17 and 26 September Undergraduate key dates SRS applications close – Sunday 20 September Early bird applications close – Wednesday 30 September HSC results released – Friday 18 December (6am) ATAR released – Friday 18 December (9am) December Round 2 – Wednesday 23 December January Round 1 – Friday 8 January 2021 News from our institutions Read the latest news from our institutions. Australian Catholic University Charles Sturt University CQUniversity International College of Management, Sydney Macquarie University University of Sydney University of Wollongong UNSW, Sydney Western Sydney University  

North Construction - Apprentice Carpenter Position 1 Apprentice Carpenter - Seek     Position 2 Apprentice Carpenter - Seek   The Basair Aviation College Career Webinar is on in September. Become a fully qualified commercial pilot within 12 months. For more information see the link below. Basair Aviation College Brochure 2020   Defence Force Recruiting Click the link below for upcoming events and information sessions for Australian Defence Jobs Defence Jobs - Upcoming Information Sessions   MEGT Current NSW Apprenticeship and Traineeship Vacancies Click Here for the Latest Vacancies in NSW   University of Newcastle - Future Students News Click Here for the Latest News   TAFE NSW News and Information for Open Days Click Here for the Latest TAFE NSW Information  

Maurice Balson, author of Becoming Better Parents constantly reminds parents, 'If you want your child to be resourceful you need to put them in positions to develop their resources'. Balson’s resourcefulness message is just as apt today. Coping with change, dealing with small losses, handling rejection and overcoming disappointment are the types of experiences that build a child’s or young person’s inner resources. Developing resourcefulness is the appropriate approach to take when considering the disruptive impact that coronavirus is having on kids’ lives. A child who is struggling to come to grips with the changes brought about by the pandemic initially needs an emphatic, supportive approach. They also need encouragement to tap into their inner resources to help them manage the hard times. The following strategies will help develop your child or young person’s inner resources. Give Them a Chance to be Resourceful Harry, age 10, often leaves his lunch at home. His father, who works from home, won’t take forgotten items to school. Harry either misses lunch or persuades his friends to share their lunches with him. Either way, when Harry leaves his lunch at home he’s forced to rely on his emotional or physical resourcefulness to get by. And he does. Catch Them Being Resourceful A child’s behaviours that gain a parent’s attention generally expand. Highlight a child’s good manners, acts of kindness or honesty and you’re more likely to get a repeat of those behaviours. Positive parental recognition is a high motivator for most kids. To encourage your child’s resourcefulness, focus your attention and positive comments on acts of resourcefulness and resilience they exhibit. Encourage Creativity Sylvia, age 13 walked to school each day, saving her bus fare to spend on clothes that were out of reach of her parents’ budget. Sylvia found a way to overcome her money problem in her own way. Children and young people usually come up with very creative solutions when they’re allowed to own their problems. Develop Coping Skills Kids rely on their coping skills to help them manage their emotional states when life throws them curve balls. Build your child’s set of coping skills through direct teaching, modelling and discussion. Humour, distraction, relaxation, exercise, play and thought-distancing are some of the more common coping skills kids can use to help them tolerate their difficult feelings.   The resourcefulness a child develops when they experience adversity doesn’t desert them when life returns to normal. It waits in the background, ready to be drawn upon again when hardships, frustrations and difficulties come their way.    

Wellbeing Strategies for Parents The coronavirus pandemic and its associated disruptions are beginning to take a toll on our mental health and wellbeing. You don't need to look far in your community or social networks to identify a worrying trend of people experiencing a range of challenging emotions including mood swings, despair, anger, sullenness and lack of motivation. People who usually pride themselves on being able to manage most difficulties that come their way now find themselves suddenly unable to cope, leading to a profound sense of disappointment. A number of people have spoken about feeling guilty for being a less than perfect parent, partner, teacher, work colleague or friend during these times. This inability to cope is understandable. Our capacity to adapt to acutely stressful situations such as natural disasters has been severely depleted by the long-term nature of the pandemic. It’s common in situations of great uncertainty to feel exhausted and experience periods of burnout. Coupled with this is a sense of loss that many people feel – loss of connection to friends and family, loss of freedom and a loss of a way of life. There is no handbook for functioning in a pandemic however it’s apparent that we need to accept that our lives will be different for some time. It also helps to expect less of yourself, which is the opposite to how high-achievers and perfectionists ordinarily operate. Feeling comfortable with uncertainty takes some getting used to as most of us have an innate wish to feel in control. Daily Wellbeing Treats Self-care is a proven remedy to most wellbeing ailments, but it’s ironic that for many of us our self-care activities have been restricted by the coronavirus. Coffee with friends, a massage or a visit to the gym and other such activities are out for many people. However, this doesn’t mean that we should neglect our mental health and wellbeing. Instead we need to look closer to home for our regular wellbeing treats. Things that help include regular deep breathing to start the body’s relaxation response, practising moments of mindfulness to shut down mental chatter, finding hidden exercise opportunities to promote mood-enhancing endorphins and spending time each day in calm-inducing green space. Resilience Bank Account During my conversations one person described living in this era as “always feeling a little off balance, like standing in a dinghy in a rough sea and not knowing when the storm will pass.” Our mental reserves are constantly been called upon, so it’s necessary to build regular practices into our lives that build our resilience. Hopefully, most of us had bulging resilience bank accounts before the pandemic hit but it’s never too late start. Attending to areas such as sleep, good nutrition, regular exercise, relationship-building and self-care help keep our resilience buckets filled up. Humans are adaptive and can get better at anything with practice, including living through a once in a century pandemic and all the changes it brings to our lives.