News

Timor-Leste Immersion Program

The Tenison Woods College 2018 Immersion Program to Timor-Leste is fast approaching. Under the guidance of Bernadette Fisher, a committed band of parents, students and staff have been busily fundraising to support the people of this beautiful but impoverished country. The Charity Ball on Friday 25 May was a wonderful example of fundraising and a significant commitment from our school community to supporting our sisters and brothers in Timor-Leste. Congratulations to Bernadette Fisher, the student committee, the PR and Events Team and all students, parents and staff who supported the very successful Charity Ball.

The 2018 Immersion Program to Timor-Leste, under the auspices of Catholic Mission, will offer our students an immersion experience and the chance to see the world through the eyes of mission and justice.

The purpose of the immersion experience is to gain insights into the realities of life for our poorest neighbours of Timor-Leste in both village and urban contexts as well as to witness the work of the Church as it meets the material, pastoral and spiritual needs of the communities served by its presence. This journey will include opportunities to visit orphanages, schools, health clinics and training centres as well as briefings with key church personnel involved in delivering a range of services and programs. Funds raised will support the range of needs encountered on the delegation’s journey.

I look forward to further fundraisers as a significant commitment from our college community to supporting our sisters and brothers in Timor-Leste.

Catholic Education Week May 25 - June 1

We continue to celebrate Catholic Education Week this week! If you missed the feature in the Advertiser on 19 May, click here.

To see the e-booklet and be sure to flip to page 10 to see our story on Ecology and Sustainability. We also feature in the directory on page 23.

Catholic schools have been educating students in South Australia since the 1860s and today 20% of South Australia's students attend a Catholic school with 6000 staff teaching 48,000 students. 

Our Catholic schools are much more than simply places where children learn Maths, Science, English or Geography. While we take great pride in doing that with excellence, we do much more. We also teach more than simply social justice values, care for the environment and compassion for humanity. While these are all critical to a well-rounded development of our young, there is still much more which sets us apart from other school communities.

Critically, our Catholic schools are places for our students, our teachers and their families to experience the love of God revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ, and lived out in His body, which is the Church. So in essence, Catholic Education Week in South Australia is an opportunity for us to celebrate the way we are hope-filled communities; communities in which each person is invited to a deep relationship with our God and expresses that relationship by the way they serve one another and our broader global community.

Rest in Peace Joe Waters

Our prayers and condolences are with the family of Joe Waters whose funeral was held this week in St Paul’s Church. Two of Joe’s great grandchildren, Jack and Charlie, currently attend Tenison Woods College. Joe was among the group of volunteers who laid the original gym floor. He was convinced to be the on-site supervisor, having recently retired from his carpentry trade. He was really happy at being able to do this job simply to put something back into the Catholic community. As Joe once summed it up, many of the grandparents and parents of students now attending Tenison Woods College can say with some pride, “I helped to build that Hall.”  RIP Joe.

National Reconciliation Week - Our History, Our Story, Our Future

Beginning 27 May through to 3 June, members of faith communities across Australia are encouraged to offer prayers for reconciliation between Indigenous and other Australians. This year’s campaign highlights some of the lesser known aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, and achievements, to prompt Australians to ask themselves: what are some of the things I don’t know about our shared history?

National Reconciliation Week occurs from 27 May to 3 June each year, as these two dates mark important anniversaries in Australia’s history. On 27 May 1967, Australians passed a referendum that removed clauses from the Australian Constitution which discriminated against Indigenous Australians. On 3 June 1992, the High Court agreed with the position put in the Mabo case, that Australia had been occupied prior to European settlement, and as such, certain rights to native title were preserved by the Indigenous population. These two historic steps forwarded the recognition of Indigenous Australians and their rights, as they both reversed previously held beliefs.

Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

This week is a time for all Australians to renew their commitment to reconciliation and to actively work against the injustice, prejudice and exclusion that plagues our common journey. As Australians, we are all here, woven into this country. As such and as part of our reconciliation journey, there are truths to tell, stories to celebrate and relationships to grow so that reconciliation can be at the heart of our nation’s future.

Students at Tenison Woods College will be invited to pray during this week for the unity and dignity of all peoples in Australia; accentuating that Reconciliation Week invites us all to acknowledge our history, celebrate our common story and build a resilient future as a diverse but unified Australia.

32nd Annual Cardijn Exchange

This week a contingent of Tenison Woods College students and staff travelled to Adelaide to compete in the 32nd Annual Exchange, held at Cardijn College. Well done to all students who participated in this event from Sunday to Tuesday. The sporting and debating competitions were characterised by high skill level, team spirit and fair play. Unfortunately for us, Cardijn College came out on top, winning overall by one point. Sincere thanks to all parents, staff and students who contributed to the success of the exchange, with special thanks to Sports Coordinator, Ciaran Buckley, for his leadership of another successful exchange.

Drop Off and Pick Up Safety

I remind parents/carers that caution is required when dropping off or picking up students on White Avenue.

As White Avenue is a 60km/h zone and a high flow traffic area, it is advisable that parents drop off and pick up students on the Tenison Woods College side of the road.

Please consider other drop off/pick up location points such as the 'kiss and drop' areas within the school grounds, Marist Park parking area or Shepherdson Road where students can utilise the dedicated school crossing.

Staffing News

We would like to take this opportunity to wish Head of Junior School Jill Rogers all the best as she takes some long service leave from Week 4 this term. We would also like to thank Fran Dickson for covering the Head of Junior school role during Jill’s leave. We wish her all the best in this role. We also welcome Lesley Braithwaite for the rest of Term 2, teaching Year 2 and Year 4.

Staff Professional Development Days – 7 and 8 June

Staff are looking forward to the staff professional development days on Thursday 7 and Friday 8 June, when they will look at two specific areas:

• Wellbeing and Resilient Futures -  with the support of SAHMRI
• Our Whole School Action Research Project, informed by workshops conducted by Rowena Ulbricht that will consider 21st Century Learning Design – self-regulation and knowledge.

I trust the community will experience the benefits of these days through our service to students and families throughout the College. I remind families that these are student-free days and our out of school hours care service will be available to support families.

Liza Couzens | Deputy Principal 

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