Movember 2020 The Environment, Sport, Wellbeing and Healthy Lifestyle Portfolio led staff and students to Gro a Mo for the month of November to help raise funds and awareness to support men’s health for all the dads, brothers, sons and mates in their lives. Thank you to the College community for supporting this initiative and helping to raise an incredible $2,695!  These funds help to improve men’s lives through projects focused on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. The following staff and students are to be congratulated for taking part in Movember and helping to  make a difference! Year 7: Cooper Spinks Year 8: Aiden Blackman Year 10: Ryan Collings, Tom Crouch, Bailey Gosper, Zane Kirkman, Daniel McLoughlin, Xavier-John Nisbett, Christian Rose Year 11: Will Drennan, Harry Ellwood, Otis Farrugia, Joshua Gower, Jack Hanna, Cooper Irwin, Logan Jeans, Kai Wheelock, Beckham White, Joshua Zaia Year 12: Jacob Curcio, Jordan Terzian This was our second year participating in Movember and was a great way to end the year.   Clean4Shore Please see below the Activity Report from the Clean4Shore activity from 26 November 2020. Brisbane Water and Erina Creek Report  

Pastoral Care and Library Staff have teamed up to bring the Wellness Collection to our current Wheelers online collection. The Wellness Collection includes both Audiobooks and eBooks and can be accessed by the students through the library home page or the Wheelers app. The books in this collection have been thoughtfully curated to investigate, inform and support students on a variety of issues that they may face in day-to-day life. It has been designed to empower a student’s personal and social capabilities, mindfulness and resilience. There are many fiction and non-fiction texts that the students can access to improve their well-being. The Wheelers collection also offers special dyslexia friendly settings and the books can be accessed by parents using their child’s login details. Important topics in the collection will help students to: Better manage stress and anxiety Counteract depression Improve sleep and self-care Manage/release anger Develop self-esteem, confidence and resilience Cultivate mindfulness Address questions of gender identity Access support for eating disorders Process grief Defend against bullying / cyberbullying Develop positive coping skills Step into life with positivity and purpose   Please contact Miss Sarah Moulton (Teacher Librarian) smoulton@stedwards.nsw.edu.au if you would like any more information on accessing the Wellness Collection.    

Throughout Week 7 and 8, approximately 60 Year 10 boys participated in offsite work experience across a variety of industries. The remaining boys at the College were taken out of their classes to partake in an online virtual work experience program for Week 7. This program consisted of boys working through tasks set by industry professionals in an area of their choosing. Such tasks included music composition, health and wellbeing, cyber security and even sheep farming. The boys were so engaged throughout the week and I had the opportunity to listen to some of their presentations which were excellent. Throughout each afternoon the boys rotated through Bubble Football, Outdoor Lazertag and a team building challenge. A huge thanks to Mrs Murdoch and Mrs Dignam for all their hard work in creating this awesome opportunity for the boys. I would also like to thank all the teachers involved throughout the week for their energy and commitment to ensure the week was a success.   [foogallery id="29050"]

The following video is a celebration of our dedicated, hard working and creative teachers, who challenge, nurture and inspire the young men at St Edward's College to be the best they can be.   [embed]https://youtu.be/bb6r3MmGN5w[/embed]

The Years 7/8 and Years 9/10 Touch Football teams recently played their Round 3 games against St Peter’s Catholic College at the Central Coast Regional Sporting Complex, Tuggerah.   Years 7 and 8 The boys were down a couple of players this week in our game against St Peter’s at Tuggerah, but they didn’t let that stop them from taking the win. They were a little rusty to begin with, letting in a few tries, but the boys focused on clear communication and managed to turn the game around. The end result was 10-4, with St Edward’s coming out on top again. Next week in the Grand Final against St Augustine’s, we are focusing on structured plays, clear communication, and strong defence. Well done to the boys on their hard work and efforts! Congratulations to our incredible boys: Cooper Jones, Sam Logan, Fletcher Sommerville, Donovan Wright, Harper Turner, Ryder Kasun, Josh Brown, Sam Flakus, Byron Marks, Luke Cherub, Darcy de Vries and Latrelle Wilson. Years 9 and 10 A new day and totally different weather conditions to deal with. The boys not only battled St Peter’s but a very strong cross wind that made both handling and long passes difficult. However, to their credit they quickly adapted to the conditions and went about controlling the tempo of the game. Time and again they were able to repel St Peter’s and drive the ball down field and either put St Peter's under pressure or score. We continued our winning way with a comfortable 10-1 win. The team consisted of Sebastian Plaister (c), Zane Smith, Jonah Wright, Leith van Aalderen, Tyrone Dorrell, Sean Bullen, Calan Tucker, Tommo Peters, Charlie Cartwright, Will Hodder, Aymn Hamilton, Kieran Diamond and Elliot Sterland. Our next games in the competition are: Final vs St Augustine’s on Thursday 3 December to be played at Adcock Park

On Tuesday 24th November, the St Edward’s tennis team headed down to Oxford Falls in Northern Sydney for the BBSSSA Tennis Gala Day. Nine boys from Years 7-11 were selected following very competitive trials held early in Term 4. The 17’s won every early match comfortably, dominating their pool and going on to easily win both the semis and the finals. Congratulations to Joel Cross, Sebastian Zurita and Kai Dawkings on a very successful day. The 14’s team consisting of Leon Towle, Joseph Aygun and Connor Duncan who played consistently all day and were successful in the semi’s, only to be defeated in the finals in a close match against St Paul's, Manly. Our Championship Team made up of Kale Puata in Year 8, Conor Murphy in Year 8 and led by Max Byrnes in Year 10 enjoyed victories against St Leo’s and Mater Maria in the early rounds, making it to the semi finals, where they were knocked out by a very able team from St Paul’s. The boys were disappointed not to advance to the finals but should be proud of their performance on the day. Thanks to all the boys for their excellent sportsmanship and behaviour – I am always pleased to say that I am with the St Edward’s team. Mrs Heidi Englund Coach   [foogallery id="29089"]

Rugby Union Sevens Against Central Coast Sports College Under 13’s ‘Friendly' We travelled up the mountain to take on the Central Coast Sports College in a friendly game of rugby sevens. The boys were grateful to be able to represent the school after such a strange year of disruption and they started the game with gusto. After we scored the first try the scoreboard continued to tick over as both sides were keen to spread the ball wide to their speedy finishers. Everyone played their part to make the game successful and because no conversions were taken, or score recorded, both teams agreed to a “gentleman’s draw”. This was a great way to finish the sporting year for many of our students and should lead nicely into next year where a lot of these boys will be gunning for a state title. Team:  Nate Vaughan, Keanu Wells, Archer Mesritz, Toa Paea, Jay Clark, Riley Turner, Donovan Wright, Kieran White, Sam Tracey, Cooper Wheelock, Caleb Peterson, Deakin Wright, Saxon Young.   Under 15's and Under 17's On 25 November the College Rugby 7’s teams travelled to Kariong to play fixtures against Central Coast Sports College. It was a great opportunity for the boys to play rugby, even though it was in the limited number format of 7’s, after the disrupted year they’ve had. The Central Coast Sports College was an unknown quantity, as they have only started their 7’s program with earnest this year, though knowing that they had been training all year without playing any matches the boys realised that these were not going to be easy matches…and they weren’t. Having not played for a period of time, the speed and ferocity of the games was unexpected, especially for those boys who had not experienced 7’s rugby before. Even though the matches are only 14 minutes long, attacking and defending across a full rugby field definitely takes its toll. The games were entertaining for those who were in attendance, fast paced, pin-point passing, great support play and ferocious defence, and the boys really enjoyed the opportunity to play football. This opportunity for the boys would not occur without the time and effort of planning the day, organising the teams, transporting them etc. Many thanks to Central Coast Sports College for hosting the games, Mr Jason Carpenter for communicating with Central Coast Sports College and Mrs Tanya Olip and Mrs Kristen Mantellato for managing these sides. Team Under 15:  Joseph Bonham, Leroy Carter-Mason, Dylan Day, Harley Dimech, Jacob Hassan, Will Hodder, Noah Kidd, Oscar McCoombe-Lopez, Sunny McRae, Max Newman, Lachlan Paea, Tevita Tibbutt Team Under 17: Will Cohen, Charlie Crimmings, Hunter Dixon, Dylan Foster, Ulysses Fotofilli, Riley Marotta, Daniel Peters, Angus Price-Jones, Jackson Ryan, Nat Stanley, Cameron Steer, Sterling Witt Results: 15’s: Game 1: Won 15-10 Game 2: Won 15-10 17’s: Game 1: Won 20-10 Game 2: Won 30-5  

In Week 6 we had Year 7 back again to play the next round of the competition. This time playing against three new teams from another House. House pride continued to be the focus in the afternoon Oztag competition, although the hot, humid temperatures also contributed to a tough afternoon. Doolan 2, Knights 3, Shanahan 1, and Shanahan 3 teams all winning their respective competitions on the day. Currently Knights 3 and Shanahan 1 remain the only undefeated teams after two rounds. Shanahan had a resounding win overall in the House Points for the day. Year 9 House Points (Round 2): Doolan                         Knights                        Shanahan                    Spillane 45                                55                                65                                40  

Representative Sport for 2021 Below is the most current updates for CSNSW (https://csnsw.sport/ ) Representative Sport in 2021. The calendar has been updated with the following details: NSW All Schools Triathlon – Individual Event – Tuesday, 30 March 2021 (Week 10) Teams Event – Wednesday, 31 March 2021 pending COVID Restrictions SSA has postponed the Baseball, Softball and Tennis Championships. NSW All Schools will still go ahead with the current scheduled dates for these sports. NSWCCC selection dates remain unchanged. CSNSW Sport Portal 2021 Sport registrations for NSWCCC will open 1 February 2021 HELP Functions: the front page of the portal (public area) for staff and parents has 2 ways to find HELP: GET HELP: a bubble in right hand bottom corner – this is a Knowledge Base – type in key words to find documents and videos using those taxonomies. Indexed documents OR choose the Contact Us to send a message to the HELP desk GET HELP!:  on the top label bar – find Help and Services Knowledge Base - type in key words to find documents and videos using those taxonomies OR choose the Contact Us to send a message to the HELP desk in the Need to Raise a request box BBSSSA Sport The calendar for 2021 is currently being updated and added to the website. Information regarding events and pathways can be found on the below website: https://www.brokenbaysport.org.au/secondary Local Sporting Champions Grants Below is a link to information regarding financial assistance for coaches, officials and competitors aged 12-18 participating in state, national or international championships. If successful, applicants will receive $500-$750 towards the cost of attending their championships. Details on eligibility, terms and the application process can be found on the following link: https://www.sportaus.gov.au/grants_and_funding/local_sporting_champions    

Full Time Traineeship - Architectural Drafting If you are interested in a Full time Traineeship in Architectural Drafting email your resume to paul@aspectz.com.au Location: Narara More information will be found on the Aspect Facebook page in December. www.aspectz.com.au     Holdtech Electrics is seeking a first-year apprentice to assist Licensed Electricians to complete day to day tasks onsite. See below criteria: Tidy presentation Interest in learning South central coast based (we are based in Empire Bay) Years 10 or 11 students Punctual Must have their L’s with P’s an expectation next year. Chosen candidate/s will be place on a work trial prior to Christmas and if successful signed up in February.  Once employed there will be a probation period of three months and then if amicable, the company will offer an apprenticeship. Interested student’s should send their resume to: holdtechelectrics@bigpond.com  

Uniform Shop Opening Times The West Gosford warehouse will be accessible by appointment only from 4 January to 30 January 2021, Monday to Friday between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm. Book an Appointment Here   Uniform Shop Click and Collect and Further Information   [embed]https://www.stedwards.nsw.edu.au/parent-community/parent-college-uniform/[/embed] 2021 Stationery Year 7 receive a complimentary book pack on their first day of school. Years 8-12 are responsible for purchasing their own supplies. Please find the link below for stationery lists for Years 8-11 for 2021.  Year 12 should be advised by their teachers of ongoing requirements for their HSC year.   [embed]https://www.stedwards.nsw.edu.au/curriculum-learning/stationery-requirements-2021/[/embed] Return Dates Group Return Dates 2021 Staff Wednesday 27 January 2021 Years 7, 11 and 12 Friday 29 January 2021 (Summer Uniform to be worn) Years 8, 9 and 10 Monday 1 February 2021 Student timetables for 2021 will be available on the Portal from early January 2021.   Contact Information Pastoral Care If students or parents have any pastoral care concerns, they should contact the Director of Pastoral Care via the following email, Click Here If you become worried about your child’s mental health over the school holidays, you can contact one of the 24 hour phone numbers listed below: In case of an emergency please call 000 immediately. Mental Health Crisis Line – 1800 011 511 Lifeline – 13 11 14 Kids Help Line – 1800 55 1800 Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636   Enrolment For current students who will not be returning in 2021, please contact Mr Chris Millar, Director of Enrolments and Marketing on cmillar@stedwards.nsw.edu.au For all new enquires please see the link below:   [embed]https://www.stedwards.nsw.edu.au/enrolment/enrolment-enquiry/[/embed]  

“The mental load means always having to remember.” Emma, a French cartoonist summed up the mental load that most mothers carry in her 2017 viral comic, ‘You should’ve asked’. In the opening scene a very hassled mother was preparing for a dinner party, while feeding her two young children, dealing with a noisy dog and answering the phone, all while she was hosting a colleague for dinner. As the dinner boils over the stove and onto the floor she looked at her partner imploringly. He unwittingly answered, “But you should’ve asked! I would have helped.” This scene artfully exemplifies the many invisible layers of responsibility that mothers carry including arranging most household tasks, managing the family home and being on top of the fine detail in every family member’s life. This is not the case in all families, but current research reveals that the great majority of women bear the load when it comes to housework (mums do twice as much as dads), caring for children (again, mums doing twice as much as dads) and carrying the mental load for their family. There’s only so much we can manage. For those of us who are anxious, there will be times our plates will fill, and overflow. While there’s no single way to ease the mental load that mothers carry the following ideas will help to make life more manageable: Stop Making Life Easy for Others Anecdotal evidence suggests that many mums will overdo preparation rather than expect others to step up and help. I have been known in the past to cook and freeze up to a week’s worth of meals prior to travelling for work. Not any more though. Magically, my husband and two school-aged children have become very capable in the kitchen as I’ve stepped back. Delegate and Let Go Delegate some household jobs to your children. Leah Ruppanner, professor of sociology at Melbourne University says, “Unless death is impending from poor domestic decisions, step back, support and allow others to learn from their mistakes.” Letting go of jobs and allowing kids to do things in their own way is hard for perfectionist personality types, but it’s essential if you are going to last the parenting journey. Surprisingly, both guilt and perfectionism ensure that many mums keep their children dependent upon them. Diarise and Check One way to ease is the mental load is to lessen the number of mental notes and details that you carry around. Set up recurring electronic calendar entries for routine tasks and check regularly. This way you have less to remember and a place to find what you need, which is more efficient and mum-friendly way of being organised. Lower the Bar Many mothers confess that they constantly feel guilt. if they don't put their children first. That's a heavy burden to carry. If anxiety is a constant companion, it’s essential to lower the bar on your self-expectations. Unfulfilled expectations are proven stressors for mothers so take away tasks, rather than add to your mother load. In Closing There’s little doubt that many mothers carry an overwhelming mental load that adds to their anxiety and stress. I’m not suggesting that you abandon your job entirely but rather to look for ways to make the mental load you carry a little lighter. In doing so, life will become easier to manage. As with all behavioural change its easiest to start small. But whatever you do, if you’re straining under the mother load make a start at releasing and sharing the load.