It was great to be able to gather with students from St Joseph’s College and St Patrick’s Primary School for this special celebration mass. The ceremony was presided over by Father Paul from St Patrick’s Parish. Congratulations must go to all the brilliant musicians who performed at Mass. The musicians were thoroughly prepared by the music staff from each school. Their performances added so much to the prayerful atmosphere of the mass. Father Paul spoke eloquently about the history of Catholic schools and the importance of those that have made a contribution throughout the years. A big thank you to all those who contributed to this wonderful celebration. Mr Beacroft Director of Mission and Identity   [foogallery id="32475"]   [embed]https://youtu.be/8xZULAW-N3k[/embed]

The vaping message from the Year 11 Student Leadership group this week is pictured below.  The poster will be displayed around the College for students to view.  

Year 7 and 9 PDHPE – Brainstorm the Hurting Game Years 7 and 9 were fortunate enough to have a live production from the Brainstorm Company. ‘The Hurting Game’ is a funny and engaging live performance that provides strategies for resilience, help-seeking, online safety and positive relationships. The actors are amazing at transporting the students into their story with so few props. Year 8 will be attending the ‘Cyberia’ presentation in Term 3 which looks at the issues surrounding technology, social media and youth. Year 11 PDHPE Expedition Mr Ellis’ PDHPE class experienced the practical side of the theory work they had been doing in the Outdoor Recreation Option in the Preliminary Course. The one day expedition involves mountain biking, orienteering and kayaking in and around the Brisbane Water National Park. Thank you to Mr Reynolds and Mrs Henderson for accompanying these students while Mr Ellis’s knees needed a little longer in their rehabilitation. Unfortunately, after 2 attempts, Mr Powell’s class missed out due to poor weather, wind and water conditions. Year 11 PDHPE First Aid A huge thank you to Mr Carpenter who assessed the Year 11 PDHPE students on their practical skills in order for them to gain the Royal Life Saving First Aid Certificate. These are such important skills to know and invaluable in life experiences and beneficial for job applications. Year 10 PDHPE RYDA The PDHPE team thought it might be valuable to try a slightly different take on our Road Safety program. The Year 10 PDHPE students attended the RYDA Road Safety program at Wyong Race Course. The students heard guest presenters talk about road crashes, car safety features, braking distances, tragic results from risk taking behaviour and how to be more aware on the road. There were also practical demonstrations of some of these aspects. Thank you for the PDHPE team for accompanying the students to this life relevant course. Year 12 Big Day Out for PDHPE The Year 12 PDHPE students found out that 'Mr Gentle and Mrs Henderson actually know what they’re talking about' when they attended the Big Day Out for PDHPE in the city. There were a series of presenters who spoke about the HSC Course the boys are studying. It was interesting to see course content in real life scenarios with ‘real people’. It was special to meet and hear the experiences of dual Olympian Matt Graham. Matt is an Australian freestyle skier. He was a finalist at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. At the Pyeongchang Olympics in 2018, he won silver in men's moguls. The boys were particularly chuffed when Matt approached them to have a chat about being a Central Coast local (Narara). Year 12 SLR Archery Year 12 SLR have had a fun start to the year with lots of practical and theory lessons on Resistance Training, Archery and now moving onto Golf. They have learned the safety aspects of these sports as well as correct technique and tips on how to improve each skill. A small class but full of dynamos! We’ve had an excursion to the Central Coast Indoor Archery Range where they were instructed on the Do’s and Do not's as well as the etiquette of archery.     [foogallery id="32586"]

The Crème and Bean Café is part of the Financial Services simulated work experience initiative providing student with a meaningful, structured learning experience. Some of you may ask, why are we running a café? In short, our team are currently completing a Certificate III in Financial Services. It is a VET course; however, it is HSC accredited too. Some students have decided to use this course as a pathway to University, TAFE or employment in the Financial field ie: accountants, banking or running their own finances in their preferred trade. Being involved in the café prepares students for the workforce, practising employability skills such as communication, teamwork, self-management along with financial skills including costing, bookkeeping and accounting. Come on down and support the boys of Eddies! Grab a coffee (for teachers and seniors only) or Hot Chocolate and a Cookie. We are located outside the ERC between 7.50 am and 8.30 am.   [foogallery id="32523"]

Congratulations to the students who travelled to Cromer Park for the Intermediate Football Gala Day held in April. They were unlucky not to come away with the win, but the boys should be commended on their efforts in four, fast paced games. In the first fixture they played St Paul's Catholic College, Manly and salvaged a 0-0 draw. There were minimal chances and both teams failed to convert. The MacKillop Catholic College, Warnervale team were the team to beat and St Edward's College played them in their second fixture. St Edward's were down 2-0 early but the boys managed to fight their way back, unluckily losing the game 3-2.  Well done to Aiden Ellis and Leo Hong who were the goal scorers. The third fixture required St Edward's to win by 5 goals. They played all out attack and came away with a 2-0 win over St Augustine’s Catholic College, Brookvale. Andrew Nguyen and Marley Medina both found the net, however, it was not enough to certify St Edward's a semi final place. Coming third in a tough Pool A meant St Edward's played third in Pool B for a 5th place playoff. All tactics and formation went out the window and the boys experimented and played in positions they have never played before. Congratulations to Roman Cunico for keeping a clean sheet and Tahj Werner for being a rock in defence. We were able to beat St Peter's Catholic College, Tuggerah 4-0 but it was also great to see the boys out having fun in a sporting competition that they hadn’t been apart of for 2 years. [foogallery id="32435"]

The College will be conducting our Athletics carnival on Tuesday 1 June 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 8.45am. We welcome back parents and spectators to our carnival for the first time in a long time. 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. Please note that students will not be permitted to enter McDonalds to buy food. All other students traveling by bus are required to catch their normal bus to the College and 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 student 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 Currently there are no restrictions and parents and carers, are permitted at the carnival. Parents are asked to stay outside the velodrome throughout the day and support from a distance. Feel free to access the canteen and barbeque facilities.NB: Students will be released at the conclusion of the carnival at approximately 2.15pm. During the carnival: Students will move from event-to-event in their age groups. At the conclusion of the carnival, with parental carer discretion, students may: Be dismissed from Adcock Park to make their own way home. Students who are making their way home will not be permitted to go to McDonalds or any other fast-food outlets, they are to go directly home. Senior Students with permission to drive to and from school 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.

Permission Notes The College has now moved to online permission notes for Sport. Parents will be emailed information about the event (date, venue, uniform, travel arrangements, etc) and a link for you to provide permission for your son to attend the event. Sometimes this note will be emailed prior to us receiving a draw for the event and because of this it is often not included in the online permission note. Staff/coaches will then endeavour to pass on this information as soon as they receive it. Could you please discuss with your son/s the arrangements for these events, so they are aware of what is going on. If the date conflicts with Assessment Tasks (due dates) or Exams, the boys are responsible for talking with their teachers and coming to an agreement on what is required for them to attend the event. Finally, if your son is selected in a Representative team (BBSSSA, SICC, NSWCCC or NSW All Schools), we also ask that you notify the College of his selection and details of the event. Often with these teams we do not receive any further information other than notification of his selection. Mr Bonnici will review each student’s selection before giving his Principal’s permission for them to attend. However, nothing further is passed on to us. NSW CCC Representatives Rugby Union Congratulations to Charlie Cartwright (Year 11) who was recently selected in the NSWCCC Under 18’s Rugby Union team, after selection trials on Tuesday 4 May at Eastwood. He will now attend several training camps and selections trials over the coming weeks with the aim of making the NSW All Schools team.  Rugby League Congratulations to Matthew Humphries (Under 15's) and Daniel Peters (Under 18's), on their recent selection in the NSWCCC Rugby League Teams after the selection trials at St Mary’s on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 May. Details are still to be confirmed on what and where they will play as a part of these teams. SICC Rugby League Congratulations to both Kory Botting and Devonte Vaotuua on being called into the Under 15's SICC Rugby League teams as injury replacements for the NSWCCC selection trials at St Mary’s on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 May. BBSSSA Football Congratulations to Nathan Butler on being called into the BBSSSA Open Football teams as injury replacement (Goalkeeper) for the NSWCCC selection trials at Glenwood on Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 May.   NSWCCC Sport Registrations 2021 for pathway sports opened on 1 February. Registrations are via the CSNSW.sport portal. For instructions on how to register go to – Guide For Parents – Sport Registrations >> Swimming, Cross Country, Athletics, Rugby League (U15/18’s), Touch Football (U15/Opens) and Football (Opens) registrations are through the Diocesan/Association pathways. For further information, go to the CSNSW Sport website Sport pages.

This Week in Sport Week Event Fixture Date Week 6 Under 16 Rugby League Central Coast Gala Day Erina Oval Thursday 27 May Week 6 NSW All Schools Swimming Carnival SOPAC, Homebush Friday 28 May Week 7 College Athletics Carnival Adcock Park, West Gosford Tuesday 1 June Week 7 Year 7 and 8 Oztag Central Coast Gala Day CCRSC, Tuggerah Tuesday 1 June Week 7 Under 14/Opens Rugby League Catholic Schools Gala Day College Oval Wednesday 2 June Week 7 BBSSSA Open Basketball Championships Gosford City Stadium, Terrigal Thursday 3 June  

HIA have recently been awarded funding from the Lands and Housing Commission (LAHC) to give opportunities to young people who would normally find it difficult to gain an apprenticeship or administration traineeship in the construction industry, along with students who may be seeking an apprenticeship in the construction industry. This funding is available through HIA and not for directly indentured apprentices or trainees. We have some great opportunities for keen and reliable young people looking for an apprenticeship in Carpentry, Plumbing, Timber and Composite Machining, and Glazing, and some fantastic positions for young people interested in a Cert III or Cert IV as Office Based Trainees. If you are looking at a career path in the building and construction industry, have a white card, driver’s licence and you are highly motivated, please speak to Ms Dignam and forward her your resume and cover letter. HIA Apprentices GTO - Hunter Region   Central Coast Smash - Apprenticeship Central Coast Smash is offering Apprentice Panel Beater and Apprentice Spray Painter positions next year and currently seeking EOI in this field for people who are genuinely interested in the automotive field and wanting to pursue this as a career. This is a sought after area, with qualified tradesmen finding it easier to gain employment. It is a 4 year apprenticeship with one day a week at TAFE and 4 days training under some of the best tradesmen in the industry. Please forward your EOI to Kirsti Payne, Central Coast Smash,  kirsti@ccsmash.com.au or call 4324 4769 to discuss further.  https://www.ccsmash.com.au/   CNF Roofing Specialists - Trainee/Apprentice Roof Plumber Roof Plumbing is a 4 year practical trade with 2 year TAFE education. Applicants must be 17 years of age and have a vehicle. Alternatively they must be close to gaining their license and vehicle if the applicant can be at our office from 5.30 am for pick up. Site hours are 7.00 am to 3.30 pm. Our office is based at 7 Tumbi Creek Road, Berkeley Vale. The areas of work are Central Coast 80%, Newcastle, and Sydney. Basic requirements: Physically fit, good practical application, be forward thinking, be able to work at heights, be able to work 90% outdoors. Applicants, please forward resume to - cnfroofing@cnfroof.com           Job Opportunities for High School Students Micromex is a Market Research company located in the Tuggerah Business Park and we currently have positions available for Market Research Interviewers. The hours of the role are from 4.00 pm/5.00 pm - 8:30 pm weekdays and 10.00 am - 4.00 pm weekends so fit ideally with High School Students around their studies, we also offer a very attractive rate of pay. To apply click below Micromex Research - Telephone Interviewer description & application Please note that there is no sales involved in this role – Interviewers conduct surveys only.

Are you a tradie, do you own your own business?    

Students are invited to apply to be a delegate at the University of Wollongong’s 2021 Liberal Arts Winter School being held on 28 and 29 June. Aimed at high-achieving and intellectually fearless Year 12 students, the Winter School will be a great opportunity for them to work with other high achievers from across NSW and meet academics from the UOW School of Liberal Arts. Participating students will engage with and expand their understanding of texts that are part of the 2021 English Advanced HSC syllabus. Delegates will also meet like-minded people, get a taste for university life, learn about UOW, and focus their academic presentation, reasoning and critiquing skills. Other than travel to and from the Winter School, all costs for this two day program will be covered by UOW, including accommodation and meals. The students will stay (supervised) on campus at UOW; take part in a range of activities, and build networks and friendships while also learning about the Bachelor of Arts in Western Civilisation degree offered by UOW’s School of Liberal Arts. To register their interest, students should heads to UOW’s Liberal Arts Winter School’s webpage - uow.edu.au/study/events/winter-school/. Once we receive their expression of interest, we will send students a Winter School application form.

Charles Sturt University - Don't Miss Out on the Advantage Round one applications for Charles Sturt Advantage early offer program are closing soon. We’re looking at Year 11 results and searching for people with soft skills. All students have to do is answer three questions to show us the qualities we’re looking for. Jump online to see how easy it is to apply. Click Here for More Information Key Dates Applications for round one close – midnight 31 May Offers made for round one – late June Start your course – February 2022 University of NSW Sydney Year 12 Degrees and Scholarship Information Evenings Tuesday 15 June and Thursday 17 June 6.00 pm to 7.05 pm The Roundhouse - UNSW Kensington Campus Secure Your Place Now UAC Digital Online Events Click Here for all Online Event Information Bond University In a disrupted world, Year 12 students have shown incredible resilience in adapting to the ongoing challenges presented by the events of recent years. Bond University is committed to continuing to support students. Continuing an initiative developed in 2020, in 2021 we will assess applications based on first semester Year 12 results, for entry to Bond in 2022.  Click here for more information. Australian Catholic University Experience ACU, spend time at a campus, choose a workshop. Click here for more information Open Day 2021: This year ACU is planning to run Open Day as a physical events in July and August, as well as having a virtual component to meet the needs of a post-COVID world. Click here for more information ADF Gap Year Information An Army Support Gap Year role is a unique opportunity for students to experience life in the Army, without needing to make a long-term commitment. The skills obtained through the Army Support Gap Year program will provide them valuable work and life experience, which are transferable to civilian employment opportunities. It enables Gap Year members personal and professional development for their next endeavour.  In an Army Support role, recruits will learn logistic and task management skills to ensure the Army has the necessary supplies for exercises and humanitarian operations. Gap Year recruits can experience what life in the Army is like in one of three rewarding Army Support Gap Year roles. They may assist in the movement of supplies as a Driver, manage logistics as a Warehouse Coordinator, or become the point of contact within a unit as an Administration Assistant. Gap Year applications are closing soon. Explore more about the Army Support Gap Year. Click a role below or contact Defence Force Recruiting on 13 19 01 for more information.  

Two sessions available:  Thursday 3 June and Thursday 10 June. Register Here for Webinar: Thursday 3 June 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm Register Here for Webinar:  Thursday 10 June 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm

Video - Helping Teenagers Manage Friendship Issues Friendships are important to young people's happiness and wellbeing. This video will help parents and teachers assist young people to navigate the tricky terrain of teenage friendships. Click Here for the Link to the Video  

During the current COVID-19 pandemic, parents are rightfully urged to take a cautious approach and keep children and young people at home if they show symptoms of the virus. It’s a balancing act if you’re a parent as one the most important things you can do to ensure your child has a bright future is to make sure he or she goes to school every day—and gets there on time. It sounds simple, but it’s true. The correlation between school attendance and children’s achievement levels is well established. The more time kids spend at school, the more likely they are to experience school success .Of course, most people know this intuitively, yet school absenteeism is a huge problem in Australian schools. According to a report by the Australian Curriculum and Assessment authority nearly 13 per cent of Australian students are missing at least one year of schooling by the time they reach year 10. In today’s highly competitive world, this rate of absenteeism is alarming, putting our kids at a distinct disadvantage. Current research shows that mornings for most children are the most productive time of the day, with 10.00 am the peak period for productivity. When children arrive late and take time to settle as they inevitably do, valuable learning time is lost. It’s reassuring to know that you can maximise their chances of future success just by making sure they turn up to school every day. And, of course, regular school attendance also helps kids prepare for the workforce, where it will be expected that they turn up each day work-ready. The real world is unforgiving of those who stay away with no excuse. As a parent: Commit to sending kids to school every day Make sure kids arrive at school and class on time Inform the school when they are away, sending medical certificates and other evidence of genuine absence Follow current COVID-19 health guidelines and recommendations Consider catching-up on missed work Make kids who are away stay in their bedroom, which is where unwell kids should be