From Br Steve Hogan fsc
The past several weeks have been very busy with respect to the College鈥檚 calendar.
Most Year 12 students have completed their Trial HSC exams and will receive important feedback over the next two weeks on what they have done well, as well as what is needed moving forward to attain their best in the HSC exams in October. There is still plenty of time, and much can still be done and achieved. It is important that all Year 12 in all classes, whatever pathway, whether to university or work, whether receiving an early entry or not, continue to aim for the stars, that is, to aim to achieve their personal best. Doing one鈥檚 personal best will help each and every student feel accomplished knowing they had the grit to work hard and 鈥榮tay the course鈥�. It must now be the focus of every student in every class to improve their mark and thus improve the class mean and standard deviation which is needed to improve the class's rank (and each individual鈥檚 rank) within the whole NSW cohort as this is what helps in the scaling process.
The last few weeks have also involved many students in the Dance, Drama, and Music 鈥楽howcase鈥� recitals including Year 12 students trialling their HSC performances. These recitals illustrate the amazing talent and giftedness of the students at 蜜桃影像.
Our recent Year 7 and Year 9 NAPLAN data, Year 7-10 Allwell assessment data, and Year 7-10 10 ICAS Science assessment data provide the College with rich information to inform teachers about the learning needs of the students in front of them. It also provides national comparisons and benchmarks to aim for, helping us to improve each individual鈥檚 achievement so that they can attain their best, fulfilling the potential of the gifts God has given.
Year 7 and Year 9 NAPLAN results showed significant improvement yet again in most domains. The rate of achievement was higher than that for the Association of Independent Schools (AIS) and the State. The results this year show us that the area that needs improvement is spelling. 蜜桃影像 has had a whole school reading and writing initiative now for several years including staff professional development on teaching writing. Improving writing, especially academic writing, the type of writing needed for assessments and exams, requires a whole school approach 鈥� every teacher in every class across the College using the same terms, reinforcing a common standard and an awareness of what is required. I am confident our students spelling, and writing will continue to improve. Mrs Revai and the library team develop many initiatives for our students to maintain a focus on reading and writing. This week's Newsletter includes one such initiative, Book Week 2022.
In addition to the busy academic programme in the College, these past few weeks students have been fully engaged in the closing rounds and finals of the winter sports competition. There will be six out of six Netball teams; two out of two Girls鈥� Football teams and 11 out of 15 Boys鈥� Football teams in the Semi-Finals on Saturday 13th August. Our Rugby teams do not have a Finals series, and placement in the competition is based on points. All 22 Rugby teams are doing well with most in line for a top three placement with only two games to go 鈥� Saturday 13th August and Saturday 20th August. We wish all our teams, their coaches and managers every success in the final game of the season.
Research tells us that practice and feedback are the most essential elements to improving performance. This applies to all aspects of life, but the evidence certainly supports this in education. There is no shortcut to hard work, particularly for boys who sometimes 鈥渙verestimate their ability and underestimate the effort required鈥� (Celia Lashlie). Thank you to all those parents who support their children by getting them to training and rehearsal and who keep motivating and encouraging them to keep practising and working hard. Building resilience (grit) is one of the more significant attributes of life that home and school can work on together.
The last two weeks have also been busy in the Catholic and Lasallian life of the College. Monday 8th August was the Feast of Saint Mary MacKillop. Friday 12th August was the Feast of St Benildus, and Monday 15th August is the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Feast of the Assumption is a very special day in the Catholic calendar. Mary is a woman who made a very strong choice for God in her life, whose vocation, like ours, was to bring Christ to the world. This belief that Catholics hold about the assumption of Mary into heaven is but one of many traditions Catholics accept as part of their Catholic faith, but this landscape is changing, which is why it is so encouraging to see so many of our students attend our Friday morning Mass. In these changing times, it is also encouraging to see so many students so keen and enthusiastic to be engaged in the many Catholic and Lasallian service programmes that help us nurture our faith tradition. It is through this involvement in service that the Catholic faith is sustained. It is also through involvement in service that good human values are formed, one of the most important attributes of an Oakhill graduate.
While academic achievement is important and essential, Catholic Education goes beyond skills and qualifications. It guides individuals to seek wholeness, truth and hope in their lives; sees the person as essentially social, with a sense of community, based on solidarity and the promotion of justice. Lasallian staff and students have a keen sense of the pursuit of justice and the importance of making a difference. College Liturgies, Mission Action Day, service programmes to India, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines and Fiji; local mission service activities for the disabled through the swim programme, St Lucy鈥檚 Day, the Year 9 St Edmund鈥檚 service programme; our aboriginal community service programmes at Baabayn and Blacktown; and Retreats and Reflection Days are all examples of how our students live their Catholic faith and/or nurture and ground their value system in ways which hold meaning for them. In the coming weeks, the College will inform parents and students about the upcoming service programs to Fiji and Cambodia in late 2022 and 2023.
Finally, I would like to thank all parents for their support of the College through their attendance at parent鈥檚 meetings and briefings or by dropping off, picking up, or attending the side-line, supporting sons and daughters and teams of 蜜桃影像. I would also like to thank the staff who coach and manage teams, and Showcase evenings, often giving up their family time for Retreats and service tours. And I would like to thank the students, your sons and daughters, for their hard work and effort in 鈥榓iming for the starts鈥�, aspiring to do their best in all things. 蜜桃影像 is an amazing place and each one of you makes it so.
Br Steve Hogan fsc
Principal
