St Edward's College participated in Earth Hour on Friday 27 March. Staff and students switched off lights during the last 10 minutes of Period 4, during lunchtime and the first 10 minutes of Period 5.  Staff were encouraged to have a non-technology class in helping to make a difference and help the planet.  Students were encouraged to have a conversation at home with the intention of families and carers switching off for Earth Hour’s main event on Saturday 28 March at 8:30 pm.  Thank you to Sam Dewey, College Prefect for the following video promoting Earth Hour.     https://youtu.be/YZqrkuQYnnE  

Well, what a ‘Brave new world’ we have entered with online learning and virtual classrooms over the past week or two. This is indeed a challenge and one we are sure our students will rise to meet. Teachers have been busy planning lots of learning and working on ways to maintain collaboration and engagement for all of the boys in our care from Shakespeare to Writing with Minecraft the opportunities are endless. We would love to invite you to participate in any of the following competitions ahead of our inaugural ‘St Edward’s College Virtual Writer’s Competition’ (more on this in Term 2). For the competitions listed below you could use something from your journal or portfolio or create something entirely new. The choice is yours and there are some great prizes up for grabs. You can email your English teacher or Mrs McDonald for further information or assistance. Good luck and happy writing. Shakespeare Reloaded Creating a drawing from a Shakespeare quote (each week there is a different quote) Click Here for Shakespeare Reloaded Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Competition Click Here for the Dorothea Mackellar Competition The Storyfest National Novella Writing Competition The Storyfest National Novella Writing Competition is open to all Australian high school students. It is a wonderful opportunity for serious student writers, encouraging them in their literary growth - and there are also some fantastic prizes on offer! Click Here for the Storyfest Competition Wombat Books Illustration Competition Click Here for the Wombat Books Competition   As you can see, there is something for everyone. Have fun getting creative with these ideas. We would love to see your entries so send them to your teachers as well. Mrs Michelle MacDonald Leader of Learning English  

Any Clown Can Do It - Junior Technology Video Series The Any Clown Can Do It. Junior Technology Video Series is a work in progress consisting of 2 episodes at present. Sometimes it isn’t possible to find resources that are totally relevant to the work that our Technology Mandatory students are currently engaged in. The videos are an attempt to facilitate learning in a condensed and entertaining manner. There is a page of questions in the student’s workbooks to accompany each video allowing students to pause the clip and answer questions as they go. Thanks to our Director and Camerman Mr Buxton for shooting the footage and our Production Manager Mrs Saxon for the hours put into editing the clips into the final product you see before you. Stay tuned over the coming months for future episodes where your resident Clown (Mr Bondfield) will be honing his juggling skills, attempting to ride a clown cycle and learning a few tough WH&S lessons from his mistakes which should provide more amusing post credit bloopers. https://youtu.be/WiWSd_fRv44   https://youtu.be/7UJ-3hQcmJY

Our talented HSC Photography students' assignments are well worth viewing. Mrs Evan's students had to analyse the work of five environmental photographers and describe the role of the photographer as being a social activist for change. Each student had to choose five photos and explain why the photographer had used compositional elements, colour and depth of field to highlight the environmental issue at hand. It exposed the students to issues going on in society that are beyond their four walls and also exposed them to the newest learning tool in their arsenal – Prezi. Click here for Joseph Healy's Assignment Click here for Gus O'Malley's Assignment Click here for Daniel Osling's Assignment Click here for Kye Wildemann's Assignment Click here for Sam Wilson's Assignment

Every year, Francophonie week is an opportunity for everyone around the world to celebrate the French language in all its diversity. At St Edward's, many activities were organised to test students’ knowledge, expand their horizons, and to have some fun! On Monday, during lunch time, students played a Kahoot game, answering general knowledge questions about France. On Tuesday, they participated in Francophonie Bingo. On Wednesday, the boys enjoyed a free croissant to have a taste of the French culture. On Thursday, they answered general knowledge questions in a quiz about Francophonie countries. On Friday 20 March, which is the official Francophonie Day, students took French selfies, as well as enjoyed a screening of sporting highlights including the Tour de France. Thank you everyone for your support in celebrating everything French! [smallgallery fooid="24817"]

Visit the Independing Learning - Online Study Skills Handbook on our website St Edward’s College subscribes to the ELES Online Study Skills Handbook. The ELES Online Study Skills Handbook provides a comprehensive and interactive online guide for the College community (students, parents and teachers) to assist in the understanding of the study skills needed for success in high school studies. This approach taps into students’ affinity with technology to create a new and effective way to improve students’ study skills. This is a great online resource for parents and students to address all their study skills issues and concerns and enable students to learn new ways to improve their results at school. The handbook has a huge amount of information for both students and parents as well as a large number of interactive activities. https://www.stedwards.nsw.edu.au/curriculum-learning/independent-learning/  

Entries to the 2020 University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize are still open, and to allow everyone some extra time to prepare, the submission deadline has been extended to 7 pm AEST Friday 15 May. Click Here For the Free Webinar and For More Information

School Sport Australia (SSA) The Board of School Sport Australia (SSA) has decided that due to the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent restriction on school sport programs, all SSA Championships for the rest of the year are cancelled. This includes: 14 Years and Under Boys and Girls Australian Football - Darwin, NT - 8 to 15 August Combined (12 Years & Under and 18 Years & Under) Boys and Girls Basketball - Bendigo, Vic - 15 to 21 August 10 to 19 Years Boys and Girls Cross Country - Adelaide, SA - 21 to 24 August 10 to 19 Boys and Girls Years Diving - Brisbane, Qld - 21 to 27 November 16 Years & Under Boys Football - Sydney, NSW - 13 to 18 September 18 Years & Under Boys and Girls Golf - Bellarine Peninsula, Vic - 23 to 28 August 12 Years & Under Boys and Girls Hockey - Canberra, ACT - 16 to 21 August 16 Years & Under Boys and Girls Hockey - Hobart, Tas - 1 to 8 August 13 to 19 Years Boys and Girls Swimming - Brisbane, Qld - 5 to 9 August 15 Years & Under) Boys and Girls Touch Football - Wagga Wagga, NSW - 1 to 6 November 15 Years & Under Boys and Girls Volleyball - Brisbane, Qld - 15 to 21 August CSNSW (CCC) Sport: Please continue to monitor the CSNSW sport website for updates and the most current information regarding suspended events. Refunds will be processed as soon as possible from the Catholic Schools Office for all NSWCCC Sports that have been paid. A few parents have emailed, but if you could update the parents whose children have been selected in our events (Touch and Rugby League) I would appreciate it. NSWCCC have suspended events up until 12 June 2020, including the NSWCCC Football Championships at Valentine Park. We are also currently suspending: NSWCCC Junior Basketball Championships NSWCCC Open Basketball Championships NSWCCC Knockout Football CSNSW Sport Website   Broken Bay (BBSSSA) Sport: All Broken Bay Secondary Sport events in Term 2 are suspended, with the hope that we can reschedule some for later in the year. Broken Bay will not make any decisions regarding Term 3 sport until there is a more accurate understanding of the COVID-19 situation. Term 2 BBSSSA Events  

St Edward’s College is hosting its first Careers Pathways Expo. With over 40 exhibitors across universities, colleges, employers, apprenticeship group training companies and TAFE. It is the perfect opportunity for parents and students from Years 10 to 12 to connect with experts. The Expo will provide: Education on different pathways Education on different opportunities, such as early entry and scholarships Broadening traditional ideas on pathways An opportunity for students to develop career aspirations and set goals An opportunity for students to extend on existing career plans   Date: New date to be confirmed Location: Edmund Rice Centre, Russell Drysdale Street, East Gosford The Alternative Entry Pathways to University will include presentations from the University of Newcastle, Macquarie University, TAFE, Avondale College, along with an introduction to Job Jump - a careers tool that can be used to assist students to explore pathways and so much more.  

Warehouse to close, but online shopping to continue. Following the recent closure of the Cowan and Lewis uniform shop at the College, the  warehouse shop will also close from 1 April until further notice, due to current events and restrictions. Orders are still available from the online shopping platform with items sent via Australia Post at the normal postage cost. Cowan and Lewis Online Shopping  

Please see the links below for the latest information regarding COVID19.   Contact Information Mark Bonnici, Principal Email: principal@stedwards.nsw.edu.au Reception Email: info@stedwards.nsw.edu.au Telephone: 4321 6400 Enrolments Email: enrol@stedwards.nsw.edu.au Telephone: 4321 6420 Technology Help Desk Email:  support@stedwards.nsw.edu.au Parent Portal/Social Media/Website Email: kfriend@stedwards.nsw.edu.au Terase Killin, College Counsellor Email: tkillin@stedwards.nsw.edu.au Marcus Missio-Spiteri Email: mmissio@stedwards.nsw.edu.au Paul English, Director of Pastoral Care Email: penglish@stedwards.nsw.edu.au Heidi Englund, Year 7 Pastoral Leader Email: henglund@stedwards.nsw.edu.au Paul Sullivan, Year 8 Pastoral Leader Email: psullivan@stedwards.nsw.edu.au Robert Speziale, Year 9 Pastoral Leader Email: rspeziale@stedwards.nsw.edu.au Alex Powell, Year 10 Pastoral Leader Email: apowell@stedwards.nsw.edu.au Eamonn McCauley, Year 11 Pastoral Leader Email: emccauley@stedwards.nsw.edu.au Scott Beattie, Year 12 Pastoral Leader Email: sbeattie@stedwards.nsw.edu.au Finance/Accounts Email: accounts@stedwards.nsw.edu.au   Parent Information COVID-19 (Term 3 -  Restrictions) - 18 August 2020   Parent Information COVID-19 (Term 2 - Action Plan) - 2 June 2020   Student Information COVID-19  (Returning to School Monday 1 June 2020) - 28 May 2020   Parent Information  COVID-19 (Term 2 - Latest Advice) - 19 May 2020   Parent Information COVID-19 (Term 2 - Returning to School) - 18 May 2020   Parent Information COVID-19 (Term 2 - Reintegration) - 11 May 2020   Parent Information COVID-19 (Term 2 Phase in Process of Face to Face Teaching) - 1 May 2020   Parent Information COVID-19 (Term 2) - 23 April 2020   Parent Information COVID-19 (Easter Message) - 9 April 2020   Parent Information COVID-19 (Last Week of Term) - 3 April 2020   Letter to Students COVID-19 (Last Week of Term) - 3 April 2020   Letter to Students From Jackson Robb, College Captain - 2 April 2020   Parent Information COVID-19 (From Director of Pastoral Care) - 31 March 2020   Parent Information COVID-19 (Financial Assistance) - 27 March 2020   EREA Letter to Parents and Caregivers- 27 March 2020   Parent Information COVID19 (Pastoral Care and Counsellors) - 26 March 2020   Parent Information COVID19 (Off Campus Delivery) - 25 March 2020   Parent Advice for Online Learning   Parent Information COVID19 - 24 March 2020   Parent Information COVID19 Year 12 HSC/Additional Information Assessment Week - 23 March 2020   Parent Information COVID19 Years 7 to 11 - 23  March 2020   Parent Information COVID19 Year 12 HSC - 23 March 2020   EREA Letter to Parents -  23 March 2020   Parent Information COVID19  Year 10, 11 and 12 Only - 19 March 2020   EREA Letter to Parents - 18 March 2020   Parent Information COVID19 - 17 March 2020   Parent Information COVID19 - 16 March 2020   Parent Information COVID19 - 10 March 2020   Parent Information  COVID19 - 27 February 2020  

Leading the Way for Children During the Coronavirus Pandemic If you’re like me, the news of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has your head spinning and your heart pumping. That’s only natural as life as we know has taken a seismic shift in recent days. International travel bans, cancellation of sporting and cultural events, shopping frenzies and talk of school closures continue to dominate the airwaves. Terms such as social distancing, self-isolation and social lockdowns have entered our vocabularies and may soon become part of our daily lives. Coronavirus is having an unprecedented impact on our daily lives, and will probably do so for some time. While keeping ourselves and children healthy and safe is our main concern, it’s also essential to address the anxieties of children and young people during these changing times. Here are some ideas to help inform, reassure and keep children and young people safe. Build on What Your Children Know Children and young people have already been exposed to a great deal of information about corona virus through media, digital means and direct social contact. Their understanding will vary depending on their age and also the quality of their information sources so you probably will need to help kids process what they already know. Casual conversations with teenagers and older children can be useful ways to glean their understanding. You could ask questions like “What are you hearing about Coronavirus? Is there anything you’re not sure about?” Younger primary age children may need a more direct approach with parents addressing their specific concerns without giving too much information that can overwhelm them. Check Your own Thoughts and Feelings Check your own frame of mind and emotions about COVID-19 before talking to kids. Most children are astute mood detectives and they’ll gauge their safety by the way you communicate with them. If you tell a child, “You’ve got to wash your hands or you’ll get infected,” you are communicating your own anxieties, making it difficult for them to maintain a healthy state of mind. Have a think about how you can frame your instructions and their importance in a way that doesn't heighten your child's anxieties. Stay Informed It’s difficult to work out fact from fiction, correct from incorrect, information from exaggeration when the news is changing so fast. However you need to educate yourself about the virus itself, including how it’s transmitted and how to stay safe. Get information from trustworthy sources such as The Australian Government Health Department website and the current federal government corona virus information media campaign. Answer Questions Truthfully It’s important that parents and teachers answer children’s questions honestly in age-appropriate ways and within context of what is happening at the given time. If their sport or hobby has been temporarily cancelled empathise with their concerns, while helping them maintain a sense of perspective. Initiate Positive Action One way to reduce anxiety and allay children’s fears is to involve them in planning and preparation for their personal and group safety. Positive activities such as maintenance of personal hygiene, greeting people with an elbow tap and getting plenty of sleep can help restore a sense of control, that is so important for their wellbeing. Find Refuge in Rituals Regular rituals such as mealtimes, bedtime stories and regular one-on-one time provide both an anchor to normality and a sense of connection for kids at times of change. Consider reconstituting favoured family rituals at this time if they have lapsed due to lack of time, or lifestyle frenzy. Look Outwards In difficult times there is a tendency to look inwards, which is a natural protective strategy. The alternative is to establish a sense of connection and community spirit by focusing on generosity and togetherness. Help children see past their own needs and look for ways to assist others whether it’s shopping for an elderly neighbour, helping a younger sibling occupy themselves, or planning an indoor movie night for the whole family. The Coronavirus presents many practical challenges to parents and other important adults in the lives of kids. Staying calm, keeping informed, and adjusting our own habits are just some of the challenges we face. However a significant challenge is one of personal leadership. That is, during these difficult times we need to be civil to each other, look out for each other and be mindful of the common good in everything we do. In this, we can all take a significant lead.

Four Critical Tools for Kids' Anxiety Management It’s been estimated that there will be at least four children in every Australian classroom who are experiencing an anxiety disorder at some stage during a year. Anxiety is not restricted to secondary schools. Children as young as four are now presenting with symptoms of anxiety, manifested in headaches, tantrums and refusal to go to school. Anecdotal evidence suggests that there is still a stigma attached to anxiety, as some people still seem to associate it with weakness and don’t understand the difference between normal feelings of stress and crippling anxiety. Anxiety is Normal Anxiety is the body’s response to fear, real or perceived. It’s our body’s way of protecting us when we’re in danger. It’s completely normal to feel anxious from time to time. A child might feel anxious about speaking in front of their class or a teen might feel anxious about an exam. Those anxious feelings can act as a motivator to do more revision or be better prepared. With ‘normal’ anxiety, when the stressful event has passed, the anxious feelings pass too. We can liken our anxiety response to a smoke alarm. The alarm is designed to alert us to fire, a danger that can threaten our lives. Anxiety becomes a problem when the mind’s alarm system is extremely sensitive and responds when there’s no genuine danger present. Anxiety needs to be addressed when it starts interfering with daily life. Kids and teens with anxiety experience the symptoms when they’re actually quite safe; the danger is only imagined. And sometimes anxiety shows up for no reason at all. Parents are well positioned to provide kids with the tools and skills to regulate their anxiousness. Here are four critical skills to teach kids to help them self-manage feelings of anxiousness: 1. Breathing to Calm Down the Anxiety When it comes to calming down anxiety, the brain ‘listens’ to the body. Kids and teens can show their brain they’re safe using deep, slow breathing. This type of breathing helps bring the brain down from high alert and signals the nervous system to begin to return to normal. Encouraging kids to practise deep breathing in between times of high anxiety is essential. By practising, they’re preparing their body to also be able to calm down using breathing when the fight or flight response is in full swing. 2. Mindfulness to Bring Kids into the Present Generally kids become anxious about future events such as giving a talk, starting secondary school or going into an unfamiliar situations. They can be perfectly safe yet their bodies can respond as if they are in danger because they are thinking about what may happen. Mindfulness is a great tool to bring kids into the present and relieve them of their feelings of anxiousness. 3. Exercise to Dissipate Anxiety Exercise plays a huge role in anxiety management, yet children’s lifestyles are increasingly sedentary. Exercise and movement help kids regulate their moods and reduce the symptoms of anxiety. Play and exercise help to ease muscle tension, regulate breathing and induce the release of ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitters. 4. Thought-Noticing to Shift Thinking Thought-noticing is a wonderful skill set that helps kids to better manage their mental health. When kids tune into their thinking, they can immediately distance themselves from it. Rather than being lost in the thoughts that are making them feel anxious, they can mentally step back and see the thought for what it is – a thought which comes and goes, and not a fact. Breathing, mindfulness, exercise and thought-noticing are best taught and practised when kids are not under stress. They are most effective when they become an entrenched part of kids’ lifestyles rather than an activity to be called upon from time to time.

Developing a Resilience Mindset If you want your child or young person to be resilient enough to cope with the hardships that come his or her way, and in doing so build strengths for the future, consider fostering your own resilience first. Parents are in the best position to influence their children’s resilience. Children watch our reactions to adverse events and view first hand how we look after – or neglect – our own mental health and wellbeing. Focusing on our own resilience is not as difficult as it may seem. If you adapt a resilience mindset you’ll find that resilient behaviour follows. Want to get fitter physically? You could take up a new fitness regime or you could simply adopt a fitness mindset. Adopt the former and there’s a reasonable chance that you’ll start off gung ho and run out of steam after a month. Adopt the latter and you’ll more likely take small, sustainable steps such as walking or riding to work, taking stairs instead of escalators and playing active games rather than sitting on the couch on weekends. The mindset approach works well with resilience. Take the sustainable approach of looking after your mental health, becoming conscious of the messages you send yourself and developing coping skills that allow you to respond rather than react to adverse events. These simple ideas will help: Watch Your Self-talk The little voice inside your head can have a catastrophic impact when you allow it to. It can talk you into the blues, lower your confidence and build mountainous problems out of molehills. Once you’re aware of its impact, you can switch it off or change its negative chatter to something more positive and realistic. It takes practice but it’s worth it. When you have a resilience mindset you’ll start to check that chatter in your head. Park the Bad Stuff Ever had an argument with a family member at breakfast only to find it messed up your whole day? A common trait with resilient people is that they can compartmentalise their lives so that difficult experiences in one domain won’t interfere with their effectiveness elsewhere. When you have a resilience mindset you’ll consciously park the negative stuff while you get on with the rest of the day, only revisiting it on your own terms. Stay Flexible in Your Thinking People who lack resilience pepper their language with absolute, imperative statements such as ‘I must always be on time,’ ‘They never do anything to help,’ or ‘They should always use good manners'. This shows inflexible, unrealistic thinking that leads to stress and anxiousness. When you have a resilience mindset you’ll use more moderate language reflecting a flexible approach to life. The above statements become ‘I’ll always try to be on time but sometimes it’s impossible,’ 'They are sometimes helpful but they can be forgetful,’ and ‘I’d like it if they were well-mannered but sometimes they aren’t'. Make Sleep a Priority We are only beginning to make solid links between sleep and resilience. Mothers of newborns know how debilitating sleep deprivation can be. They can’t function effectively and depression is close at hand. Many people spend much of their lives experiencing some form of sleep deprivation, compensating by taking regular caffeine hits, self-medicating with alcohol and using other ineffective remedies. When you develop a resilience mindset, you make sleep a high priority, taking the necessary lifestyle steps to make sleep easy to attain. Create a Pressure Valve In a society that views busyness as a status symbol, it’s tempting to keep working until you drop, neglecting to enjoy some downtime that releases the pressures of work. When you have a resilience mindset you value down-time and relaxation and understand the positive impact these have on your mental health and the wellbeing of people around you. When you have a resilience mindset you have a greater understanding of what resilience is about and you’re in a better position to develop a lasting sense of resilience in your kids. Developing resilience in kids is like jumping off a pier with some friends on a cold winter’s day. In both instances you need to go first.

Five Ways to Validation: Showing Distressed Kids You Get it Every single day, we send messages to our kids that shape their thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Equally, our kids are sending us messages about their thoughts and feelings through their behaviour, particularly when they’re feeling distressed. When kids feel distressed their behaviour can vary enormously. Some might lash out while others cry. There can be displays of frustration, fear, sadness, anger or disappointment, to name a few. There are times as parents when we do and say all the ‘right’ things in response to such situations, but there are also times when we don’t. It makes it especially hard to respond in helpful ways when we think our kids are completely overreacting or are feeling differently to what we’d expect to (or what we’d feel) under the circumstances. Feeling this way can prompt us to say unhelpful things like “Don’t be silly”, “You’re overreacting”, “It’s not as bad as you think it is” or “It will all be forgotten tomorrow”. Our responses can also be influenced by how distressed we feel in the situation. It’s hard to hear our kids crying and upset, no matter how old they are. So we might find ourselves saying things like “stop crying”, “settle down”, “take some deep breaths” or “it’s not that bad”, all in an attempt to calm our child down, stop the crying and feel better ourselves. By understanding that all behaviour is a form of communication, we can begin to respond in ways that show our kids that their message has been received, that we get it, and that we genuinely understand and care about how they’re feeling – whether we agree with their reactions and feelings (or the extent of them) or not. This is called 'validation', and it’s the first step to helping our kids wind back their emotional response. Done properly, validation also helps them to connect their feelings with the situation that provoked their reaction in the first place. “You’re frustrated that you have to re-sit the chemistry test” or “You’re disappointed that you didn’t get invited to the party”, for example. Validation also shows them that you care and you understand. Here’s how to go about validation: Use 'Ahh' and 'Oh' Statements and Keep it Brief "Ahh, you’re feeling jealous that you weren’t picked for the team and she was", "ahh, you’re having the idea that you can’t do it", "oh, you’re feeling nervous about the exam." When it comes to validation, keep it brief. When our kids are distressed, it’s harder for them to listen and concentrate so keep validation clear and to the point. The intention for now is for our kids to know that their message (via their behaviour) has been received; there’ll be time for more of a discussion about the situation later. Build a More Nuanced Emotional Vocabulary Validation is the perfect opportunity to help your child broaden their language when it comes to their emotions. It’s never too early, or too late, to start. Try replacing 'upset' with 'disappointed', or 'angry' with 'frustrated'. The Mood Meter mood tracking app is a great tool that offers a wide choice of emotions associated with positive and negative feelings of high and low energy. In it you’ll find 100 emotions including apathetic, at ease, proud, timid, alienated, furious, alone, inspired, ecstatic and more. Show Some Emotion Another important component of validation is showing some emotion yourself. It can feel intuitive to try to remain calm when your kids are distressed but this actually sends the message that you don’t get it. They actually need to see an emotional response from you. Use your facial expressions and your body language to match your validation statements. Remind Them That Thoughts Are Not Facts Recognise also that thoughts and ideas can feel like facts when kids and teens are distressed. It’s hard for them to differentiate between the two. You can help by saying things like: “Oh, you’re having the idea right now that it will be too hard”, “it looks like you’re having the idea that you’ll never find it”, “ahh, you’re having the thought that you won’t be included.” Sit With Them One of the most helpful things you can do is to sit with your child or teen while they are suffering psychologically. Once you’ve shown them validation you need to simply be there for them. Sit with them and comfort them by holding their hand, putting an arm around their shoulder or giving them a big hug. In doing this you’re strengthening their ability to tolerate their discomfort. Try not to let your distress hurry them or shut down how they’re feeling. Reassure them that you understand, that you’re there for them, that they can tolerate their discomfort and that it will pass. By doing this, you’re building within them strength, tolerance and emotional intelligence which will all contribute to their lifelong resilience and mental health. Of course, if at any time you’re concerned about your child or young person's mental health, make time to see your family GP for reassurance and answers to your questions.    

Working from home: A checklist to support your mental health during Coronavirus Click Here for the Link to the Black Dog Institute Website for More Information