This year St Edward's staff and students took part in Movember. Our main goal was to raise awareness about men’s mental health, prostate and testicular cancer while raising money to go towards the charity Movember. A team of 40 staff and students grew their mos and many of us also participated in the Move for Movember. The Move involved swimming, walking, running or riding 60 km for the 60 men lost to suicide every hour. By the end of November, the Eddies team raised $2039 and moved over 250 km. This money will go towards research and promotion of men’s health and stop men from dying too young. The Library also had a Movember theme with a display promoting men’s health. All funds collected from the return and earn containers and bags will be donated to the Eddies Movember team at the end of the week. There was also a guessing competition where students quessed which staff members belonged to which mos. A special thanks to Kylie Beynon and the Library staff for organising promotion material. Jacob Curcio Environment, Sport, Health and Wellbeing Portfolio [smallgallery fooid="22999"]

Each year the College donates more than 100 Christmas hampers to Coast Shelter and the St Vincent de Paul Society. Each tutor group aims to create two hampers of food items for our local disadvantaged people to provide a Christmas meal in their home. Year groups are asked to bring different items to create a balanced hamper (please see suggestions on the flyer below).  The Christmas Appeal is not to provide toys or celebratory items and gifts, but to simply provide a meal to be shared with family.       Our support staff will also donate toiletry items to fill gift bags for the residents at Raintree Retreat, Kincumber. We ask you again to support and remind your boys about our responsibility and values in thinking of disadvantaged people at Christmas.  

Dear parishioners and friends Another calendar year is fast coming to a close, and as a Church, we begin our new liturgical year with the start of Advent. I invite you at this time to take a moment to reflect on the past year, and also to open yourselves to new possibilities in both your personal spiritual life, as well as our common spiritual life as a parish. Each year that I am here as parish priest, I would like to provide some universal guidance for this important reflection by introducing a new annual theme. When I arrived at the parish in February, I announced a Year of Trust. Over the last few months, we have had a special opportunity to reflect on, learn and renew our Trust in God, in the Church and in others that are around us. We hosted different priests and guest speakers to help us further our understanding of Trust. In almost every parish bulletin we have had a reflection or a prayer for Trust. Year of Trust candles with a beautiful prayer for Trust attached were available to purchase and take to our homes and share with others. Those of us who wanted to use this opportunity to reflect on Trust had many opportunities to do so. It is my hope this year of Trust helped many of you to trust more than before and to open your hearts for the next step in your spiritual life. As we continue our faith journey together at St Patrick’s community, I would like to announce a different theme for this new liturgical year which we begin today! The next step after we learn how to trust is to love. This is why, together with the parish pastoral council, I have decided to launch the YEAR OF LOVE in our parish! The theme for this year will be based on a fragment of 1 John 4:7 “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loves is born of God, and knows God.” In the YEAR OF LOVE, I would like to invite all of us to reflect on love in the same way as we did with Trust. We will reflect on how to love God, His Church and one another. This will be an opportunity for different generations in our community to reflect on love, to learn how to love with a pure heart and how to renew our love. During this year, I will once again invite different guest speakers, and in the parish bulletin, we will have different reflections and prayers for love. We will also organise various events and prayer times to help us all better understand love as well. Love is not all hearts and flowers or what is presented in a sappy romantic film, Pope Francis said. “Love is something else. Love is taking responsibility for others.” “Love isn’t playing violins, all romantic,” the pope said in his homily at Mass. “No. Love is work.” “Do I remain in the Lord’s love? Or do I leave it, seeking other things, forms of fun, other ways of leading my life?” the pope told them to ask. “To remain in his love is to do what Jesus did for us. He gave his life for us. He was our servant; he came to serve. The love Christians are called to show others is not something that should be occasional “but must be a constant in our existence.”  “This is why we are called, for example, to care for the elderly as a precious treasure and with love, even if they create economic problems and difficulties. But we must care for them. This is why we must give every assistance possible to the sick, even in the last stages. This is why the unborn always must be welcomed.” “Life always must be safeguarded and loved from conception to its natural end… This is love.” With this short reflection of Pope Francis I would like to encourage you to start this journey of love together so we as St Patrick’s Parish community will grow in our understanding of love and share it with one another. I would also like to invite the three local schools, St Joseph’s, St Edward’s and St Patrick’s, to join us and reflect on love together, building a whole community in our area founded on Christ who is love, and learn from him how to share and reach out with love to others in our parish and school communities. Let us pray together that we all will be filled with God’s love and will share it with one other! God bless Fr Greg Skulski SDS Parish Priest Second Rite of Reconciliation Times 18/12/2019 at Woy Woy, 7:00 – 7:30 pm 19/12/2019 at St Patrick’s Gosford,  7:00 – 7:30 pm 20/12/2019 at Our Lady of the Rosary Wyoming,  7:00 – 7:30 pm 23/12/2019 at Holy Cross Kincumber,  7:00 – 7:30 pm Christmas Mass Times Christmas Eve at St Patrick’s 5:00 pm: Children’s Outdoor Mass on the grounds of St Patrick’s Primary School’s Melbourne St 9:00 pm: Youth Mass 12:00 midnight: Midnight Mass Christmas Eve at St Francis of Assisi, Somersby 7:00 pm Christmas Day at St Patrick’s 7:30 am Mass 9:00 am Mass No evening Mass at 6:00 pm.

On Monday November 4 the Diocese of Broken Bay officially welcomed their new shepherd, Bishop Anthony Randazzo as the fourth Bishop of Broken Bay, in a beautiful Liturgical Reception and Solemn Mass of Installation at The Christ of Light Centre, Waitara. The evening was attended by close to 1200 people, 27 Bishops and 120 priests and deacons. As part of the Rite of Installation the Apostolic Nuncio, His Excellency Archbishop Adolfo Tito Ylana, read out the Papal Bull in Latin and then in English. A Papal Bull is a type of public decree issued by the Pope that in this case proclaims Most Rev Anthony Randazzo as the new Bishop of Broken Bay. The evening was a wonderful, joyful celebration of our Catholic faith, witnessed by young and old. St Edward's was very blessed to have Lachlan Smith of Year 12 chosen to be part of the official procession in the ceremony that introduced the Bishop. The St Edward’s community welcomes Bishop Randazzo as our new Bishop in Broken Bay and looks forward to our faith journey together.

On Monday 25 November, almost 200 family and friends came along to support the wonderful efforts of the students of the Music and Drama departments. It was a very entertaining night of comedy, drama, rock, jazz and much more! Year 8 student Noah Boesen wowed the crowd with his immense drumming talent, while James Nilsson, Daniel Herd and Charlie Jacobson performed a fantastic original rock piece. Year 9 Drama students demonstrated their knowledge and skill in filmmaking and black comedy, while Year 10 Drama playbuilt a piece exploring the history and mistreatment of our Indigenous peoples. Year 11 Drama presented scenes from their study of Australian Theatre, addressing issues of racism, domestic violence and police brutality, and Jackson Saunders bravely tested a monologue for his HSC Individual Project . Year 9 and Year 10 music students presented their rock bands, working successfully together to create entertaining, toe-tapping pieces! Soloists Cooper Boyce, Josh Partier and Harry Wright showcased their advanced performance skills and musicality. A very successful evening! [smallgallery fooid="22861"]

Annual College Swimming Carnival As advertised in the annual calendar, we will be conducting our swimming carnival on Friday 7 February at Peninsula Leisure Centre, Woy Woy.  The following are some important practical details regarding the carnival. Transport Normal school buses will run in the morning / afternoon and students will catch a bus from the College to the pool and back again in the afternoon. Other students may make their own way to the carnival if appropriate. All boys making their own way to the carnival need to be at the pool by 8.45am, unless they are competing in the 200 m events (see next point). Any student competing in 200 m events need to be at the pool by 8.30 am at the very latest. Buses will not be at the pool by 8.30 am so these students will need to make their own transport arrangements. All students requiring afternoon bus transport will return by bus to the College and catch the afternoon school buses under supervision as normal. Uniform For identification purposes, it is imperative that all students in Years 7 – 10 attend the carnival in their College sports uniform as they would do on a normal Friday.  They can change into their colour house clothes at the pool.  Only Years 11 and 12 are allowed to wear mufti/casual clothing. General Directions As maximum participation is the aim of the day, points will be allocated for every student entering an event. Any boy who attends the carnival is required to participate by: Swimming in all events appropriate to his ability level; Assisting teaching staff in conducting the carnival in some capacity ie: official duties; For supervision purposes when boys are not in races, they are to remain in the stands grouped according to their age divisions. Only the Years 10,11 and 12 will be permitted to gather on the grassed area. Boys need to be equally prepared for cool or warmer weather and bring appropriate sun protection ie sunscreen, as the marshalling area is outdoors. Limited canteen facilities will be available – boys are encouraged to bring their own food & drink for the day. It is imperative that students do not bring large sums of money or valuable audio equipment such as Ipods etc. In these situations, it is impossible for the College to take responsibility for items that may go missing. As the carnival is held indoors, it will be held even in the event of obvious inclement weather. Boys who live locally or who are being picked up by their parents can leave to go home directly from the pool at the conclusion of the carnival, which should be at 2.30 pm. No boy will be permitted to leave the pool precinct prior to the conclusion of the carnival, as rolls need to be marked and the usual important formalities carried out.  I particularly ask that we have parental co-operation in this matter. Parents, carers and relatives are more than welcome to attend on the day however it is recommended you bring your own chair as seating is at a premium. The College Prefects and Leaders will be required at the pool early in the day to assist with carnival set up and again at the end of the day to assist with packing up of the carnival. The co-operation of boys and their families with these guidelines will ensure that it is an enjoyable day for all in attendance.

Information for the Christmas holiday break: Stationery Below are is the link to stationery requirements for 2020. [embed]https://www.stedwards.nsw.edu.au/curriculum-learning/stationery-requirements-2017/[/embed] Uniform Shop Opening Times Uniform Shop Holiday Opening Times for January 2020   Enrolment Enquiries For all new enrolment enquiries or for currently enrolled students leaving the College, please contact Mr Chris Millar via cmillar@stedwards.nsw.edu.au. Pastoral Care Enquiries For all pastoral care or wellbeing enquiries please contact Mr Paul English via penglish@stedwards.nsw.edu.au. 2020 Commencement Dates Staff Commence - 28 January 2020 Years 7, 11 and 12 Commence - 30 January 2020 Years 8, 9 and 10 Commence - 31 January 2020

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. Click the link below for more information. [embed]https://www.stedwards.nsw.edu.au/curriculum-learning/careers-and-vocational-education/careers-pathways-expo/[/embed]  

FITT Resources is looking to employ 2-4 apprentices in Engineering – Fitting and Machining Who can apply: Years 10, 11 or 12 students.  No car license necessary Apprenticeship offered: 4 year trade in fitting and machining skills. The practical work at FITT is varied and diverse, in that the apprentice will receive all-round skills from the type of work we perform on a day to day basis. Start: Late January 2020 Looking for a bright, enthusiastic young person who shows a desire to complete a trade with a dynamic company like FITT Resources. If you are interested send your resume to Dan Hechter Engineering/Production Manager d.hechter@fittresources.com.au or contact him on 0430 454 289 if you have any questions. A little more about the company from their Managing Director Greg Fowler “We are a Lisarow based engineering sales and service organisation that employees 57 people and we are looking to offer 2-4 apprentices in the field of engineering eg Fitting and Machining. We have successfully employed apprentices for well over 10 years and offer ongoing career opportunities once their trade certificate is completed.  We currently have an employee who completed his apprenticeship and is now into his 3rd year of his mechanical engineering degree”. More Information About FITT  

Spending time with kids: How much is enough? The need to spend time with their parents differs for different kids. For some, there’s no end to the time they’d spend with you. However, other kids feel differently. There’s no right answer. I’m fortunate to have the flexibility that allows me to spend a great deal of time with my children. However, my nine year old daughter wants to spend more time with me. My eleven year old son, on the other hand, is content either way. Australia ranks first According to a recent study Australian parents rank number one among OECD countries (including most of Europe, North America, the UK and Finland) when it comes to spending time with their kids. The lion's share of this time is still invested by mums, but Australian dads are ahead of those from many other countries, averaging around 70 minutes a day with their children. The source of misplaced parental guilt According to research published in the Journal of Marriage and Family, not spending enough time with children is the biggest source of parental guilt in Australia. The researchers also found that it’s quality, not quantity of time children spend with parents that’s important for their emotional wellbeing, achievement and behaviour for kids aged 3-11 years. The researchers concluded that volume of time doesn’t matter. It’s much more important how time is spent with your children when you are together. This in no way advocates for absentee parenting. It’s about making the most of the family time you have and reducing feelings of stress for you if you can’t be around as much as you’d like to be. Here are some ideas to help make sure you optimise the time you spend with your kids: Create a tradition of one-on-one time with each of your kids around an activity that you both enjoy, such as a cafe catch up over a milkshake, shooting hoops or playing a favourite board game Read regularly to each other, as these are special times of connection, especially in bed at night Eat meals together as a family so you can all catch up and connect - this is worth its weight in gold when it comes to quality time Pay attention to your children, watching for cues that they’re in need of extra time with you Adolescents benefit from spending extra time with their parents. Through interactions with their parents teenagers can learn to make better decisions about their health, improve their academic achievement and experience better wellbeing Take an interest in their interests. Connect with your children through the activities that they value such as music, sport or games, even if they aren't hobbies you don't normally enjoy. Your kids will appreciate you making the effort and will respond accordingly Be present when you’re with your kids. Research shows our minds can wander up to 47% of the time when we are with our loved ones. If you're present with our kids, you won’t miss out on nearly half of that precious time. Be mindful of the importance of unstructured time for kids. That is, time they spend playing alone or with siblings and friends. Play is essential for our kids’ wellbeing and development. Play changes as our kids grow up but as long as whatever they’re doing is child-led, it’s play. This is the time to leave them to it.