Year 12 Vinnies Winter Sleepout

This year I have asked our community to “Step Up to the Potential of One;” be as good as we can be so that our community is as good as it can be. With that understanding and appreciating my own limited understandings, I had the pleasure of attending a Principal Retreat with colleague principals titled ‘Take off your shoes, you are on holy ground; Feel 40,000 years of humanity.’ It was an opportunity to reflect on Aboriginal Spirituality and how this spirituality can complement our faith journey.

Year 8 Retreat
On Wednesday 21 June, Year 8 students attended their annual retreat day at Casadio Park. The focus of the day was the Fruits of the Holy Spirit and this was closely connected with the themes from World Refugee Week which was also celebrated last week. Sister Elizabeth Young (RSM) attended the day as a guest speaker and group leader. Sr Elizabeth shared many stories from her ministry as a Sister of Mercy and some of the ways she sees the Fruits of the Spirit reflected in the people she meets in the detention centres. Students and staff had a wonderful day and look forward to continuing some of the conversations from the day in their Religious Education lessons back at Tenison Woods College. Special thanks to parents Sally Crook, Chris Nattrass, Simon O’Leary, Matt Bryant and Bert Prosperi-Porta who came along and cooked the BBQ. Their help was enormously appreciated.

Timor-Leste Immersion Trip
As we farewell the 12 2017 Timor-Leste immersion participants, we would like to sincerely thank all families, students, staff and parishioners who have supported the fundraising events over the past 12 months. The events combined have raised $12,000 which is an incredible effort that will make an enormous difference in the communities in Timor-Leste. We wish the group every blessing and safe travels and look forward to hearing their stories and experiences when they return.

Thanks to Nick Zema from Zema Wines and Nerys Merrett from Majella who generously donated the wine that was used for the High Tea Fundraiser.

Family Mass
This Sunday at 11.00am there is a Family Mass at St Paul’s Parish. We would love to see your family there. Children who would like to read are asked to contact Carol Chislett at the Parish office and those who would like to sing are asked to see Ms Higgins at Tenison Woods College.

Youth Survey
This is the last week to complete the youth survey which closes on Sunday 2 July. 
In 2018 there will be a Synod of Bishops in Rome on ‘Youth, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment’. Pope Francis has asked that the voices of young people be evident in the Synod conversations, and so every diocese throughout the world has been asked to provide information about their young people.

In response the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has created an online survey for young people between the ages of 16-29. The survey is for all young people, whether practising or non-practising Catholics, and whether deeply committed or those on the margins.

The survey is available at this link: https://www.catholic.org.au/youthsurvey

Parish Mass: 9.15am each Thursday
Week 9: Thursday 29 June – Year 7
Week 10: Thursday 6 July – Year 11


Michelle Coote | APRIM - Assistant Principal Religious Identity and Mission

Congratulations to Tenison Woods College Mount Gambier Year 5 students, Neave Hood, Isla Dickson and Jack Waters who represented Tenison Woods College at this year's "Mad Minute". The project is an initiative of the Mount Gambier Lions Club and provides a structured impromptu speaking competition for students from across the Limestone Coast region.

This year, the competition involved 34 schools and nearly 1,200 students in two separate contests. The Lower Limestone Coast ‘Grand Challenge’ featured 14 schools with Tenison Woods College competing against four other schools in Division 1.

The student trio placed first as a team and won the Division 1 trophy for the College. Also, a very special mention to Neave Hood who placed 3rd overall out of all the contestants. Well done!

Your child’s Semester 1 academic progress report will be available on PAM to access and download next week (Week 10) via the Parent Access Module (PAM). You can access PAM by using your unique login provided earlier this term - if you have misplaced these login details please contact the Front Office (8725 5455). The Semester 1 reports will include a summary of your child’s achievement for the semester. Please be aware that there are several significant changes that have occurred to the appearance and composition of the end of semester reports:

•             Each report will include information regarding tasks set and assessed in learning areas;

•             The mid semester report is a snapshot in time and will be added to the end of semester report;

Further information on your child's performance in assessment and recommendations for future learning can be found by referring to the Teacher comments posted on PAM throughout the semester.

The first semester report will reflect student achievement demonstrated in relation to the year level standard, taking into account what has been taught to that point in the year. In the middle of the year, Reception – Year 10 teachers will make an on-balance judgement about the level of achievement the student is demonstrating in relation to the achievement standard, taking into account the curriculum taught and assessed to that point in the year.

The end of semester reports contains important information about your child’s progress. If you have any questions regarding the information contained in your child’s report, please make an appointment to discuss this with your child’s teacher.

As mentioned above, the reports will be available on PAM for you to download and SIMON for students to download using your PAM login. Reports will be available on all devices on which you are currently accessing PAM and will be easy to access, download, save and print if required.

To view the reports please log onto PAM, click on your child’s name and then click on assessment reports. The PDF document will then be there for you to view.

If the electronic delivery poses a significant concern for you, we would encourage you to contact the College to arrange for our staff to provide additional support. In addition to this service, the College has allocated computer resources in the gallery at the Front Office to enable those in need the opportunity to print reports.

You may like to arrange for your son or daughter to print the report at school for you if you prefer.

Scott Dickson | Director of Learning 

Three Tenison Woods College students took part in this year’s SESSSA Interschool Cross Country on Wednesday 14 June at Millicent High School.

We would like to congratulate Year 8 student, Tara Bryant, as she successfully won gold in the Under 14 girl’s division with a run of 12 minutes. “I found the course challenging, especially competing against 15 great runners. However, overall, I am happy with the end result.” Tara said.

Well done to Archie Muller (under 14 boy’s division) and Aden Brand (under 15 boy’s division) for their participation on the day. Although these two boys didn’t place in their divisions, we are proud of their determination and persistence as they ran well and created personal bests for themselves.

A terrific performance from these three students and we wish the best of luck to them and the others that compete in next year’s event.

Click here to enlarge

Congratulations to Year 11 student, Maddi Clark and Year 10 student, Georgia Clarke for being selected in the School Sport Australia Pacific Games, playing Hockey for South Australia. The girls will be playing in Adelaide from 1-10 December this year and are very excited about the opportunity to play for the state. “I am looking forward to playing alongside my teammates in the Pacific Games. It is a great experience to not only play with other states but also against the Pacific Countries.” Maddi says.

Hockey is one of 11 sports featured over the tournament, with an opening ceremony organised at the Adelaide Showgrounds on Sunday 3 December.

The girls had to go through three sets of trials to be selected in the team, so it is a big achievement and one which they are both proud of. Georgia is eager and excited about the challenge of playing in the tournament, “I am looking forward to the tournament because it is part of the South Pacific Games. It is great that I can play my sport for the whole week and play against other states.”

The tournament this year in Adelaide will be the 10th Pacific School Games and we are looking forward to following the girls’ progress when they are there.

Tenison Woods College offers scholarships for full or partial remission of tuition fees to students entering Year 8 and 11 for the following year.

Scholarship applications for 2018 will close on 7 July 2017. For information on criteria and to download an application form, please click here

Alternatively, information and application forms are available at the Front Office.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is an invitational program for students in years 8-12 which allows students to use their own tablet or laptop for classwork at school.

With the end of financial year upon us and NBN rollout nearing completion, there have been many catalogs and advertisements highlighting the endless list of devices available.

To assist parents, caregivers and students, the Portal@TWC website contains BYOD program help and device guidelines. To access the site:

Open the Portal@TWC site (tenison.catholic.edu.au/parent-information, or Google ‘Portal@TWC’)
Select the ‘Parent Information’ tab at the top to view the steps, from invitation to device setup.

NBN internet connectivity is well worth considering if available in your area, as the rollout has provided even greater connectivity to school ICT services such as Citrix Xendesktop and Office365.

If you have any questions about BYOD or the school’s ICT services, please contact the ICT department via the ‘Contact ICT’ tab on the Portal@TWC website.

Colin Langford | ICT Manager

Regular Opening Hours:

• Tuesday 8.00am - 12.00pm
• Thursday 1.00pm - 5.00pm

Holiday Opening Hours:

• Tuesday 18 July - 9.00am - 1.00pm
• Thursday 20 July - 12.00pm - 4.00pm 

Click here to enlarge

Click here to enlarge

Thursday 29 June

• St Peter and Paul Day

Friday 30 June

• Year 1 Fairytale Day
• Junior School Assembly, 2.15, Barrie Holmes Stadium
• Year 8/9 Girls Football, Tintinara Football Oval

Monday 3 July

• Term 3 Reception Visit, 9.00am - 12.00pm
• Timor Immersion Trip departs

Tuesday 4 July

• Changing Tunes Concert, 6.30pm, Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre
• Year 10 PLP session 5
• Nationals Netball Carnival, Waverly Netball Centre, Melbourne (until Friday)

Thursday 6 July

• Whole School Assembly, 12.00pm, Barrie Holmes Stadium
• ELCC Graduation, 2:00pm

Friday 7 July

• End of term 2 -  2.15pm dismissal for Junior School and 2.20pm for Senior School.

Semester 1 school fee statements will be posted out this week. Fees for Semester 1 are now overdue. To avoid a $30.00 Late Administration Fee, please finalise the accounts by 14 July 2017. This will not apply to families who have an arranged payment plan in place. For families who may not be able to pay by the due date, please contact the Finance Team on 8725 5455 as soon as possible.

Neal Turley | Business Manager

I acknowledge and appreciate the important work that volunteers carry out within our school environment. Our community is greatly enhanced by people stepping up to the potential of one; the generous donation of time and talent by volunteers who work in a variety of areas for the benefit of our young:

• Canteen
• Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden (SAKG) Program
• Sports coaching
• Learning and Assistance Program (LAP)
• Reading
• Working Bees
• Excursions/Incursions

June is Volunteer Sign Up Month at Tenison Woods College. If you are currently volunteering or would like to volunteer in any capacity at Tenison Woods College, we ask that you complete the volunteer registration process this month. Trudi Dempsey, who manages the volunteer process, will issue people who complete the process with a warm beverage voucher from the Sugarloaf Café.

Please read and complete the Volunteer Registration Information Booklet and hand it in to the Tenison Woods College Front Office. Prior to partaking in any form of volunteering, a Work Health and Safety induction must be completed. You can do this online or when you go to the College to submit your paperwork. A Catholic Police Check is also required prior to volunteering and this will be arranged through the College free of charge.

For more information and to register, visit the Volunteering page on the College website.

Please note that all of the processes are mandatory and the entire process is to be completed before you can be placed on the School’s Volunteer Register.

This regulation is designed to ensure our children are protected and safe at school. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at school if you have any further queries.

Thank you for your cooperation, and don’t forget to use your voucher at the Sugarloaf Cafe.

David Mezinec | Principal

The Tenison Woods College 8/9 Boys Football team are on the road to defending their 2016 State Championship title, with a win over both Mount Gambier High School and Grant High School at North Gambier Football Oval on Tuesday 27 June in the first round of competition.

The boys started their first game off strong against Mount Gambier High School, with a three goal lead in the first five minutes of the game. Their competiveness and determination proved too strong against the opposition. Leading with a score of 7.4 to 0.2 at the end of the first half, the Mount High boys knew this would be tough to chase. Throughout the second half, the Titans continued to dominate the field, successfully winning a well earnt game, 13.5 to 0.3.

Athleticism, strength and determination spread across the field throughout the first quarter of the second game against Grant High School. Again, three goals were scored within the first five minutes of the game. Great team work was displayed, allowing the Titans to lead 8.1 to 0.2. However, unfortunately in the second quarter, the boys lacked in defence, creating confusion in the midfield, allowing Grant High School to kick four goals, taking their score up to 4.3. Despite this, the Titans boys didn’t give up at the attacking end and continued to try their best.

In the end, the Titans 8/9 Boys won 12.3 to 4.3, progressing them through to the second round of competition which will be played in Naracoorte against travelling schools that are yet to be confirmed.

The goal kickers for the day (both games) were Harry McInnes (5), Lachie Burtt (3), Zac Bradley (2), Josh Werchon (2), Harry Tunkin (2), Matthew Davies (2), Conall Schultz (2), George White (1), Jaden Grosser (1), Mitchell Varcoe (1), Oli Thomson (1), Will O’Connor (1) and Sam Dukalskis (1).

Best players were awarded to Stuart Dickenson, Zac Bradley, Harry Tunkin, Lachie Burtt, Jaden Grosser, Harry McInnes and Matthew Davies.

Well done to everyone who participated and good luck for round two!

Morgan Fisher | PE Administration Trainee

The State Carnivals for both Soccer and Hockey are currently underway this week in Adelaide and Tenison Woods College has a number of representatives in both sports.

Lauren Miller, Ella Clarke, Tess Kenseley, Mercedes Theobald and Patrick O’Hehir are all playing hockey in the SAPSASA Carnival and Harris Livingstone, Matthew Godrik, Mitchell Cornolo, Charlie Facy and Riley Turnbull are part of the Lower South East Soccer Team.

So far, the girls hockey team have played two games on Tuesday 27 June, winning against Onkaparinga South/North (1-0) and losing their second game against Adelaide South East (0-1).

The boys hockey team played one game on Tuesday 27 June, defeating Northern and Southern Yorke Peninsula (1-0).

The Lower South East Soccer team have played five games so far, winning one and drawing another.

We wish all students the best of luck for the remainder of the carnival.

As Term 2 draws to a close, I remind families of some key dates:

• Term 2 concludes for students on Friday 7 July at 2.15pm for Junior School and 2.20pm for Senior School.
• Student Free Day on Monday 24 July – this professional development day for staff will focus on our action research learning in the classroom and how we are listening to the individual learner.

School resumes on Tuesday 25 July for all students except our Year 10’s who will be on work experience.

David Mezinec | Principal

School holidays are almost here! If you require vacation care for your child, don’t forget to make a booking before the program fills up. OSHC will also be open on the student free day on Monday 24 July.

Click here to see the Vacation Care Program.
Click here to see the 24 July student free day program.

For bookings, phone: (08) 8724 4633 or email: oshc@tenison.catholic.edu.au

Information from: Skilling Australia – Perceptions are not reality

Australia’s Vocational Education & Training (VET) system is internationally respected for its ability to deliver flexible, relevant and responsive education and training to explicit national quality standards. However, multiple misconceptions surround the VET industry. Compared with university, VET is often considered the poor second cousin, seemingly receiving less positive attention in the media, among career counsellors and, significantly, with parents. Confusion about career earnings, employability and course relevance have led to a culture of belief that only university qualifications guarantee a future career. The core of the myths and false perceptions surrounding VET simply do not stack up against the facts. 

Myth #3
VET is a thing of the past
Three in five Australians (59%) agreed with the statement that in a globally competitive world we need university education more than VET. Nearly half suggested that VET is no longer as relevant as university (47%).

Fact
VET courses have adapted more readily to changing workforce needs
According to the Commonwealth Government Department of Employment, the VET sector currently provides training courses for 9 out of 10 occupations predicted to have the greatest growth of new jobs over the next five years.15 This shows that VET is more relevant than ever when it comes to preparing Australia to be more globally competitive.

Joanne MacLean | VET Coordinator and Business Studies Teacher

Monday - TBA
Tuesday - Lyn Wilson
Wednesday - Marg Egan
Thursday - Cassie Edwards
Friday - Bernie Passauer
 

Click here to enlarge

Click here to enlarge

Tenison Woods College
Shepherdson Road (PO Box 965)
Mount Gambier South Australia 5290

t: (08) 8725 5455 (Main Office)
f: (08) 8724 9303
t: (08) 8724 4650 (Senior School)
Absentee Line: (08) 8724 4659
OSHC Line: (08) 8724 4633

e: news@tenison.catholic.edu.au
w: www.tenison.catholic.edu.