A reminder that your son's Waterford (15 hours) commitment is due at the end of Term 3. Please ensure that he is working towards completion of this and hopefully aims for 100 hours, in which he will receive Edmund Rice Honours at Awards Night. Term 3 opportunities include: MS Readathon 40 Hour Famine Coast Shelter Kings Cross Program Homeless Sleepout Earn and Return Recycling Bags Your son is also welcome to support local clubs, parishes and organisations who help disadvantaged people eg surf clubs, environmental groups, sports clubs. Please contact me on 43216439 if you have questions about your son’s completion of Waterford. Mr Pat Dell Leader of Learning - Social Justice

Maths Week During Week 5 of Term 1, St Edward's celebrated Maths Week, undertaking a range of activities designed to engage students in and celebrate the wide world of mathematics. Maths teachers and students from the Education Portfolio planned and ran activities throughout the week including Blackjack, Roulette, Kahoot quizzes, solving a Rubik’s Cube and daily trivia. A great number of boys participated in the activities and competitions, winning prizes and having fun along the way. Thank you to all teachers and boys in the Education Portfolio who planned the week and congratulations to all  students who participated in the activities. Next year Maths Week will be back, bigger and better and will be held in conjunction with International Pi day: 14th March. [smallgallery fooid="20549"]   Data Analysis Activities In Term 2 and as a part of their Graphs topic, 8MA5 combined forces with the Environment Portfolio, analysing the College data collected over 10 weeks regarding ‘Trash-Free Tuesday’. Students in Mr Marks' class created graphs from various data collected including the number and percentage of students bringing a trash-free lunch and the number of containers recycled through the College ‘Return and Earn’ program. Students not only gained skills and understanding in creating and analysing graphs, but also realised the changes that we can make as an individual, school and community to reduce landfill and protect and preserve our planet. Great work! This term, students in Year 8 have been studying Statistics, learning about different ways data can be analysed and presented. In order to deepen students' understanding of the associated areas and improve their knowledge of technology (in particular Excel), some classes undertook a practical investigation into quantities of Smarties and M&Ms in fun-size packets. This practical activity required students to construct a dot plot, create an Excel spreadsheet and then calculate and compare the mean, mode, median and range of the number and colour of Smarties contained within each fun-sized packet. Students were thoroughly engaged throughout the activity, discovering what colours were most and least common, and the shocking fact that not all packets are equal in quantity! [smallgallery fooid="20611"]   Measurement and Error Investigation On Tuesday August 6, 7MA3 embarked on a challenge that will serve them in many situations across their lifetime – the ability to be able to accurately estimate distances. This practical lesson ensures that all students emerge with heightened skills in this area and have a lot of fun in the process!  In groups of three, students were given a series of estimation challenges around the Quadrangle playground.  Points were awarded depending on the accuracy of their estimations. By the end of the practical lesson, our winners were established, amidst a palpable sense of enjoyment from students and staff alike.  Here in the Mathematics Department at St Edward's, we are pleased to be assisting tomorrow’s drivers, builders, architects, engineers and others develop this important life skill! [smallgallery fooid="20589"]   Reminders Students in Years 7-10 are encouraged to continue developing and revising their ‘Learning Logs’. Building a comprehensive summary of topics studied will benefit all students in developing a deep knowledge and understanding of concepts undertaken in the classroom. Whilst not all year groups will be able to take their Learning Log into their Term 3 and 4 exam, it still plays a vital role in the consolidation of content and allows students to continue building their capacity to create a topic summary; an invaluable skill that can be utilised in any subject. A reminder to parents and students that all maths classes have access to Education Perfect (Years 7-10), Edrolo  (Years 11-12) and MathsOnline (Years 11-12). At times, teachers will set work to be completed on these platforms, but they are also available to students to utilise as they need. It is important to remember that when using an online platform, working out (most often using a pen and paper) is still a very important part of completing the questions and should be practised. Finally, with the HSC Trial Examinations almost completed, it is vital that Year 12 students take the feedback from their teachers to consolidate their understanding of course content and use the remaining 6 weeks of term to eliminate any ‘weaknesses’ in their knowledge. The HSC Examinations are only just around the corner and a bit of hard work will go a long way to achieving a result that you are happy with. Good luck! Lachlan Butt Leader of Learning Mathematics

Recently, Gosford Private Hospital approached all local high schools to create an idea for an artwork that would decorate a hallway within the grounds of the hospital. St Edward’s students were chosen as the winners of the competition and have received $1000 towards the production of the artwork and its’ framing.  The final artwork is looking spectacular and is now ready to be framed and can be seen below.  Another copy will be displayed in the Principal's office.

In Week 2 of Term 3 the Shanahan Learning Centre held the Year 12 ‘Sessions to Success’. In Week 2 of Term 3 the Shanahan Learning Centre held the Year 12 ‘Sessions to Success’. The atmosphere of the library was buzzing with learning and teaching. The aim of these sessions was to allow the students to spend some time studying in a quiet environment and to get support and feedback from their teachers. The food and drinks were definitely an additional positive. I would like to sincerely thank the teachers for giving up their afternoons to assist the boys and hope this event can become even bigger and better next year. [smallgallery fooid="20514"]

Diverse Learning Opportunities The first half of the year has seen St Edward's continue to offer a diversity of learning opportunities for students in curriculum, sport and culture. View the gallery below to see some of the experiences students have been involved in at the College. [smallgallery fooid="20638"]

Parent/Teacher Interviews for Term 3 will be held on Thursday 29 August  (Week 6). This evening will be for all year groups and will be a good opportunity for parents and staff to meet and discuss the progress of students.  It will also be a good opportunity for parents of Year 12 students to discuss the Trial HSC examination results and the lead up to the HSC exams, and for parents of Year 11 students to discuss the upcoming Preliminary HSC exam period that will take place in the last two weeks of Term 3. Parents will be able to book appointments for the evening online.  Please note that interviews will commence at 2:30 pm and conclude at 7:30 pm with a staggered dinner break for staff during the evening.  All interviews will be of five (5) minutes duration. The Parent/Teacher interview bookings are managed with an internet-based booking system called Parent Teacher On-Line (PTO) which saves time for parents, staff and students.  Using this system parents will be able to book the interview times that best suit them. Access to the system will be available from Tuesday 20 August at 7.00 pm and will be closed off for bookings the day before interviews. If you encounter any problems using PTO, please contact the school office on 4321 6400. Please follow these steps to access the system: Click here go to the PTO website Click on “Obtain PIN/Password” (you will need to supply your email address) Enter your email address and click on "Send Email" Check your email in-box for your login details or click on the link in the email Go back to the PTO website, login with the details supplied via email Follow the online instructions to complete the bookings. Please note that in Step 1 of the booking process you will need to select the start date and time by scrolling through the drop-down menu until you reach your desired start time. For additional information please click on the link below Additional Information | pdf  

Kids benefit from a mixture of two parenting approaches. On the one hand, they benefit from an approach that provides nurturance, builds strong relationships and offers strong emotional support. They also need a style that sets behavioural boundaries, challenges them to face their fears and promotes independence from an early age. This combination of nurturance and firmness is known as an authoritative style according to the work of researcher Diane Baumrind who studied parenting styles in Western countries.  A purely nurturant style is known as a permissive style, while a singularly firm style is known as authoritarian. When discussing the authoritative approach, it’s easiest to use a dog and cat metaphor. If you have a dog, you’ll know it’s usually friendly and wants to show love, affection and attention. The ‘dog’ style of parenting is relational, empathetic and warm. Cats, on the other hand, are different. They are usually self-sufficient and generally able to live quite happily without you. To develop the metaphor, a ‘cat’ style of parent is more able to set limits, more likely to challenge kids and encourage them to become self-sufficient. They can separate themselves from their kids, step back and not allow emotions to rule decision-making. Warm Cat, Firm Dog Which of these two styles do you identify with? If you defer to one, then you may have to work a little harder on more consciously to bring the other to the table. In reality, many parents working in a partnership with each other will share the dog-cat loads, just as they sometimes play good cop, bad cop when they are less than perfect. Sole parents need to be firm cat and nurturant dog all in one package, which is challenging as we tend to default to one style over the other. Don’t Mix The Two Approaches Up Get your cat and dog wrong and you’ll be ineffective. If your first approach when a child is anxious is to be distant and unapproachable, then you’re not meeting your child’s emotional needs. If you meet poor behaviour with a friendly smile or an indecisive manner, then you will not be providing your child with the guidance they require. Get your response right – meet anxiety with dog-like warmth and poor behaviour with cat-like firmness – and you are giving your kids what’s required in each situation. Keep The Approaches Separate A common mistake is the failure of adults to separate the two approaches. Imagine your son coming home from school very upset. You are not sure what’s wrong, but you keep an eye out just the same. The next minute he hurls an insult at his younger sister, causing her to come to you for support. You remonstrate with your son, then sympathetically ask what’s troubling him. Most likely you’ll get a confused response from your son, as you’ve mixed management – a cat-like behaviour – with counselling – a dog-like trait. It’s best to keep the two approaches separate. In this example, it would be better for you to remonstrate with your son about his behaviour and perhaps send him to his room. Then, when things have calmed down, speak to him quietly about any problems or worries that he may have. This separation will ensure that the firmness of the cat is effective and then gives some time and a different space for the more dog-like approach to work its magic. The cat-dog framework is a practical way to ensure that your child receives the type of parenting they need to suit different situations.

This Week in Sport Week Event Venue Date Week 4, Term 3 Year 8 Oztag Champion of Champions Kingsway Playing Fields Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 August Week 4, Term 3 Open Rugby League, City Cup State Semi Final Heathcote High School Tuesday 13 August Week 4, Term 3 Junior and Intermediate Basketball BBSSSA Gala Day Terrigal Basketball Stadium Thursday 15 August Week 5, Term 3 NSWCCC Hockey Championships Newcastle Hockey Centre Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 August Week 5, Term 3 Open Rugby League, City Cup State Final Campbelltown Stadium Thursday 22 August  

Information from the National Institute of Education Since the very first day of the UCAT 2019, our office has been inundated with calls and emails from UCAT candidates, parents, and teachers alike, all asking the same questions: ‘What do my UCAT Scores mean?’ ‘What percentile did I get?’ ‘How does my mark compare against other UCAT candidates?’ ‘Is my mark good enough to get a medical interview?’ ‘Which universities should I apply for, based on my UCAT score?’ ‘Should I start preparing for the interviews now, or do I have to wait until I get an offer?’ And so on... While we are doing our best to address each and every enquiry personally, we have also decided to write an article to address the most frequent questions in relation to the UCAT scores, UCAT percentile, and medical school university applications.  https://www.nie.edu.au/medical/ucat-scores-and-percentiles  

How do we help young people prepare for the future of work? Watch an 8-part series about the future of work, led by Triples J’s Tom Tilley. Click Here Camp America 2020 Season Launch for Year 12 Students considering a gap year. The Camp America program is a great option for students wanting to travel, work and experience life in another country. Celebrating our 50th year in operation, it is a rewarding and safe cultural exchange experience that has been offered to young people around the world since 1969. Click Here       TAFE NSW Career Guide 2020 is now available Click Here Link to August KLA Careers News Click Here [embed]https://www.stedwards.nsw.edu.au/curriculum-learning/careers-and-vocational-education/careers-news/[/embed] Macleay College   We understand that studying for the HSC and applying to college can be a stressful time for students, so, you'll be happy to know that applications for our Early Offers Program are now open to Year 12 students. At Macleay College we realise that students are more than just a number. That’s why their ATAR is only one factor used to determine their suitability to study with us. We also value things like the student's involvement in community service, leadership roles in sport and student government, and their portfolio of work. To find out more about the program, selection criteria and how to apply  click here.     Why Macleay? You learn by doing. We use project-based learning and real-world briefs to give you industry experience. You get professional experience and industry networks through our internship programs. Learn from current industry leading experts. Enjoy personalised learning with classes of just 25 people or less. Finish your degree in just 2 years with relevant, industry ready skills. We outperform Australia’s highest ranked universities in measures like overall quality of educational experience, teaching quality and graduate satisfaction in the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) survey, and score well above the national average on all other indicators. If you or your students have any questions about the Early Offers Program or about any of our courses, please contact one of our career advisors. We look forward to hearing from you. Careers with STEM 5 Free National Science Week STEM events   Click here for the link TAFE NSW Open Day - 14 September Find the perfect course at TAFE     Click here for more information Click Here for More Information       ICT Traineeship for 2020 to 2021. The ICT sector in Australia is growing faster than other industries, which means the demand for talented, knowledgeable and experienced individuals continues to grow at a rapid rate. The Catholic Schools Office, Diocese of Broken Bay have partnered with the Australian Training Company to run a 2 year ICT Traineeship Program that offers vital on-the-job and educational opportunities that will ultimately create a platform to build an amazing future in ICT. Click the link below for more information. ICT Traineeship 2020/2021

At St Edward’s we are trying to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health by involving all students in Wellbeing sessions to inform and empower them. In Week 1 of this term, all Year 9 students attended a Wellbeing session with Batyr - a preventative mental health organisation, created and driven by young people, for young people. Batyr “gives a voice to the elephant in the room by smashing the stigma around mental ill-health and empowering young people to reach out for support”. The program involved students listening to young, relatable speakers who engaged the students with their stories of hope, resilience and courage in their experiences with mental ill-health. Trained facilitators educated students on the support networks available to them outside of school (kidshelpline) and inside school (Counsellors, Pastoral leaders, teachers and peers), to empower them to reach out for help when needed. The session was fun, educational and engaging for all students who joined in the activities and conversations. Last term it was the Year 10 students who participated in the Batyr “Look Out For Your Mates” program. This session helped students how to identify the signs and symptoms they can look out for to recognise if a friend or peer might be struggling with their mental health. The session taught them how to start a safe conversation with their friend and how to ask for help. Mrs Thomas was present at the Year 9 Batyr session and afterwards in her Religion class they continued the conversation about what is mental health. Students then created wonderful posters which are displayed around the school to educate all students about the importance of good mental health and seeking help. Below is a sample of some of their artwork. Anthea Pearson Wellbeing Coordinator For further information about Batyr see https://www.batyr.com.au/about-us/ kidshelpline for Teens: https://kidshelpline.com.au/teens Poster Year 9   Poster Year 9   Poster Year 9   Poster Year 9  

The Loss of Healthy Rites of Passage Rites of Passage have always been a significant part of community life, until now. Each stage of a person's life was marked and celebrated including the significant step of moving into adulthood. The shift from childhood to adulthood has always been marked by a rite of passage, which represents entry to the adult world and the rights that go with it. This new set of rights is also accompanied by a responsibility to serve and contribute to the community. The Loss of Healthy Rites of Passage For many young people Schoolies Week, the annual Year 12 endless party, is the only rite of passage they have. The loss of meaningful rites of passage is having disastrous consequences on young people. Too often we see young men in their twenties and beyond acting like boys in constant need of acknowledgement from their peers, dodging responsibility and still seeking approval from their mother. Many young women are stuck in perpetual adolescence, more worried about how they look than how they can contribute to their communities. Adults Have a Role to Play It's the role of adults to recognise and bring out children's strengths and natural gifts so they can contribute fully to their communities as adults. One of the most significant roles of the elderly is to care for and pass on wisdom to the young. Not surprisingly in the past it has been the elders who were responsible for overseeing the Rites of Passage and their timely delivery. Rites of Passage are not supposed to be done in isolation. As a child becomes a young adult parents also need to take a step and move to the next stage in their lives.  Each new stage of development for a child or young person represents a new beginning for parents as well. Unfortunately, elderhood is not highly coveted or respected in these modern times and there is a global marketing campaign telling us that youth is the desirable and only really acceptable life stage. When adulthood is not fully appreciated or understood, then it's little wonder that many young people are hanging on to their adolescence well into their twenties. Some never make the leap into adulthood. Families and communities can rediscover the notion of rites of passage and begin to invent their own pathways to adulthood, complete with markers and appropriate recognition. They can put their own celebrations in place that mark significant ages, and the all-important transition to adulthood. These celebrations should include a bringing together of significant adults and a passing on of wisdom and stories from past generations to a young person. These rites of passage can be creative, must be inclusive and need to be appropriate to each family or community situation. About the Webinar Join Dr Arne Rubinstein as he discusses the importance of rites of passage in the 21st century. In this webinar you’ll develop clear guidelines and learn impactful strategies to support you to build strong healthy relationships with your children, bolster their independence and support them in their use of technology in these rapidly changing times. When Wednesday 28 August 2019 8:00pm AEST. Price This webinar is $37 per person to attend, and is free of charge to families at schools that have a membership.   Your Exclusive Voucher                   How Parents Can Redeem the Voucher Click this link: https://www.parentingideas.com.au/parent-resources/parent-webinars/webinar-creating-21st-century-rites-of-passage Click ‘Add to cart’ Click ‘View cart’ Enter the voucher code RITES and click ‘Apply Coupon’ (valid until 28 September 2019). Your discount of $37 will be applied. Click ‘Proceed to checkout’ Fill in your account details. These details are used to login to your account and access your parenting material Click ‘Place Order’