News

Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Regional Mass

Today, Wednesday, 15 August is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and is a Holy Day of Obligation. The Feast of the Assumption commemorates Mary’s entrance into Heaven, body and soul, and we commemorated this with a Regional Mass at 11:00am, joined in our Barrie Holmes Stadium, with students and staff from Mary MacKillop Memorial School and St Anthony’s School. 

It is wonderful to have our three school communities celebrating together during this significant commemoration. We appreciate Mary as the Mother of the Church which evangelizes, and she helps us appreciate the nature of the new evangelization to which the Church is called, and to which our Catholic Schools commit their efforts.

Mary is for Catholics a special symbol, reinforcing our confidence that death is not an end. In her assumption Mary is a wonderful sign of hope for us, because, after her Son, she is the first to be assumed body and soul into heaven. Just as Mary’s Immaculate Conception is a symbol of what God is doing for all people, her Assumption is also a symbol of what will happen to all people in the ‘ages to come’ when everyone who has died will be given a new and different kind of life. So, the Assumption is a feast of profound hope; a hope that inspires all we ‘put our hand up’ to do as a Christian community.

We enjoyed acknowledging this day with a range of combined class activities and a Walk for Timor Leste, offering the support of our regional Catholic school communities to earn funds for our Timor-Leste sisters and brothers.

Gearing up for STEMtember

The College is gearing up for a celebration of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) teaching and learning at Tenison Woods College.

While the College has a proud history of achievement in this area, a focus on this area in September helps us appreciate our contemporary pedagogical approach to 21st century learning design, which accentuates multi-discipline and integrated problem-based learning, innovative and authentic curriculum, and incorporates real world applications through industry partnerships.

There will be a range of initiatives for the whole school community, including competitions, demonstrations, challenging experiences and learning inquiries for students, staff and parents.

Mark the calendar for activities like:

• 5 & 6 September - Mission to Mars for years 8 and 9
• 17 September - Virtual Simulator and Vestas Wind Power Community Information Evening
• 28 September - Solar Car Challenge for years 3–7
• 18 September - STEM Displays - Open Classrooms. Junior School, Years 6 and 7 2:00-3:00 for students and 3.40 to 4.15 pm for parents/carers
• 26 September - Sustainability HQ Display
• Lunch time activities such as Coding, Bristle Bots, Balloon Powered Cars, Mini Makers, Green Screen, Paper Planes

Staff will also have access to wonderful developmental experiences gravitating around Flight Tracker, 3D Printers, Coding Robots, STELR Kits, Edison Bots, GPS Trackers and Vesta Information Session.

So, prepare yourself and your family for a wonderful month of information, inquiry and challenge.  Students, parents and staff will shine in new ways through STEMtember.

Study Leave

I commence this week the third phase of my study leave, as part of my Principal’s Renewal this year.  As I indicated previously, I am completing research in the area of Wellbeing and Resilience, under the auspice of Catholic Education South Australia and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI). The research “Positive Education in school communities on scale and over time. What makes it stick?” will consider Positive Education in school communities which have successfully implemented wellbeing and resilience strategies across their whole community, to ascertain what measurable and sustained impacts the application of positive education has had on teacher, student and parent wellbeing behaviours.

Following on from my leave in term 1 and 2, to complete the research I will be absent from school during the following periods:

• 13 August – 6 September
• 15 October – 26 October

I look forward to Liza Couzens’ committed efforts as Acting Principal during this time, and I know you will offer her your support, which such a wonderful characteristic of this school and parish community.  

Reception enrolments 2019

I advise parents and carers that interviews are well under way for all 2019 Reception Enrolments.  We invite parents or carers and students to schedule an interview time with Mrs Jill Rogers, Head of Junior School, to formalise their child’s enrolment for 2019. If you have a child who is due to start school in 2019 and have not received a letter, please contact Tracey Davey on 8725 5455 who will help you organize this.

Tenison Woods College Re-union – A great deal to celebrate!

Friends of Tenison Woods College; past scholars since the inception of Marist Agricultural College or the Convent of Mercy, parents of former scholars, past staff members, past volunteers, in fact anyone who is proud to be or have been associated with Catholic education in the Mount Gambier; are invited to our reunion Awards and BBQ Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 October 2018.

During the Shining Light Awards evening we will present our 2018 Shining Lights at the Commodore on the Park, and celebrate the contributions of the following Shining Light Recipients:

• Alan Balshaw
• Anthony Casadio (Dec)
• Sally Duigan
• Jeanette Elliott
• Jenna McCormick

Tickets on sale now, and can be purchased from http://www.ticketebo.com.au/tenison-woods-college/2018-shining-light-awards.html

Following the awards, there will be a BBQ lunch and college tour at 12:30pm on Sunday 28 October, following Mass at St. Pauls Church at 11:00am.

Carparking Care

I ask all community members to please park only in the designated car park spaces around the school and refrain from parking elsewhere on school grounds. This includes, but is not specific to, disabled car parks and the grassed areas adjacent to the gym, classrooms and shedding.

As has always been the case, where there may be a specific medical concern due to injury and special needs, please let us know so that we can implement a suitable support plan for your family.

God Bless,

David Mezinec | Principal

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