吃瓜网

Acknowledgement of Country

From the Principal

The theme for UN Women鈥檚 International Women鈥檚 Day this year (IWD 2022) is, 鈥�Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow鈥�, recognising the contribution of women and girls around the world who are leading the charge on climate change response, to build a more sustainable future for all. Action for sustainability is central to the work of our Justice and Mercy group and is a particular focus for both staff and student Green JAM groups. Our Student JAM Support Staff, Gabriela and Nikita, organised Clean Up Australia Day action at Henley Beach last Sunday. Providing practical ways to tackle climate change is an important aspect of JAM and they always manage to have fun at the same time! Thanks to all the families who helped their young people to be part of Sunday鈥檚 event.

Nurturing strong leaders is a key part of our mission at 吃瓜网. Whilst we haven鈥檛 been able to gather as a whole school community this year, Ms Mcilroy and I went from class to class in the Year 12 area to acknowledge our Student Leaders for 2022 and present them with their badges. We are grateful for their service and look forward to the ways in which they will shape this community in the year ahead.

This week the Leadership Team consulted the Years 7 to 12 Student Representative Council in regard to the draft Strategic Plan for the College. We were so impressed by the maturity and insight of this group, and we welcomed their creativity and innovation. Not only do they have a strong sense of the College ethos, they are deeply committed to strengthening it further through their leadership. They are proud to be students of 吃瓜网 and together, they have come up with some great ways to make our school even better. The Strategic Plan is now being finalised for parent consultation, which we plan to undertake online given current COVID restrictions. We will be in touch with all families to outline ways you can provide input and suggestions.

Last week we entered the liturgical season of Lent, ushered in with Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. The Mercy International Association tells us, 鈥淟ent is a time to dream. A time to uncover the vision God has for each of us鈥� Dreams and imagination are significant parts of spiritual life, guiding us and putting us more in touch with our Creator. We do our part but we are not alone. This Lent, we pray that we may become more in touch with God鈥檚 dream for us and for our world.鈥� Our world is certainly in need of peace at this time. We hope that as our students and staff move into the holy season of Lent, we will take the time to recognise God鈥檚 presence in our lives and in our school community.

It was our pleasure to welcome 70 prospective students and their families to the College last night. Whilst it was not possible to conduct our usual Open Night due to COVID-19 restrictions, we were able to showcase key features of the life of the College for our visitors and excite them about what is on offer here at SAC. Thanks to the many students and staff who greeted our guests with warmth and hospitality. We look forward to many of these families being part of our community in the years ahead.

OPEN NIGHT 2022!

Showcasing key features of the life of ST ALOYSIUS College

Ms Paddy McEvoy
Principal

#BreakingTheBias

Are you in? 

Have you actively called out gender bias, discrimination, and stereotyping each time you see it? 

Will you help break the bias?  

Our official International Women鈥檚 Day theme this year was #BreakTheBias

Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women's equality. Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias. 

Whether deliberate or unconscious, bias makes it difficult for women to move ahead. Knowing that bias exists isn鈥檛 enough, action is needed to level the playing field. 

In the lead up to International Women鈥檚 Day students decorated fabrics using textas and pencils. Messages included: biases experienced, names of women who are breaking biases, inspiring women, and encouraging actions on how to move forward to #BreakTheBias

On Wednesday, the JAM Leaders held a lunchtime activity in the Dunlevie Courtyard. All the fabric banners were displayed and students were invited to collect a purple ribbon to write a characteristic of a woman who inspires them. Everyone walking past joined the initiative and celebration!

Gabriela听Coelho & Nikita听De听Vuono
JAM Support Coordinators

Arch D Podcasting Awards

The 2021 Arch D Podcasting awards, celebrating the achievements of Catholic Education SA students as one big podcasting community, were held via the Microsoft Teams platform on Sunday 3 March, due to the uncertainty around ongoing COVID restrictions.

Congratulations to Laila Laila (Year 12), who won the Student Voice Award, which recognises students who stepped out of their comfort zone to create an authentic podcast that sought to make a difference. The award was presented by Peter Bierer, Assistant Director 鈥� Pastoral Life and Mission at the Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide.

Laila responded to receiving the award with the following reflection: 鈥淚 feel very lucky to win this award. I would firstly like to thank my parents, who had the courage to bring our family to Australia in the hope of a better life. Thanks James Meston, for giving me the confidence to tell my own story in my own words and making me feel relaxed and comfortable about using my own voice. Thanks to my school, 吃瓜网, and all the other individuals and organisations who have helped me and my family to build a life here in Adelaide. When I think about all the people I met on Nauru, from Myanmar, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria and many other countries, I hope and pray that Australia will find a better way to welcome people who are trying to find a home for their family in this country鈥�.

Congratulations to Tara Tu and Jessica Vlassopoulos who won Podcast of the Year Secondary which recognises the most engaging episode that consistently and effectively uses the techniques taught within the Arch D courses in the creation of their podcast. The award was presented by Dr Neil McGoran, Director of Catholic Education SA.

This year, Year 9 Digital Technologies students will continue to work with James Meston, from Arch D Radio and Podcasting, to provide students with the tools and opportunities to use their voice to transform the world around us in a public space.

Ms Joanne Villis
Digital Technologies Coordinator

Watch Ms McEvoy presenting the awards and Laila's words of gratitude:

Artistic Creations of the World鈥檚 Landforms - Year 8 Geographers

The Year 8JT class has been demonstrating their creativity and artistic flair in creating models of landforms and landscapes. They have been learning about geomorphic processes such as the movement of tectonic plates, volcanism, erosion, transportation and deposition in the creation of the world鈥檚 landforms, including the Himalayas, the Southern Alps of New Zealand, the American Rockies and Australia鈥檚 highest mountain Mt Kosciuszko. In their presentations to the class, the students explained the formation of their chosen landform and showcased their models of Halong Bay in Vietnam, the Whitsundays, Vinicunca Peru, known as the rainbow mountain, the Death Valley in Nevada, Jeita Grotto in Lebanon, the Nile River, the Himalayas and Mt Kilimanjaro.

Ms Lucyna听Zwolski
Year 8 Geography Teacher

From the Religious Education Coordinator (R-6)

Shrove Tuesday

SHARING THE meaning, traditions & RAISING OVER $130 for Project Compassion

The traditions of Shrove Tuesday date back to the Middle Ages when people were encouraged to eat the luxurious foods of butter, eggs and milk before the fasting of Lent. Some Primary classes participated in the Pancake event of Shrove Tuesday by eating pancakes, donating a gold coin for Project Compassion or collecting donations for the Adelaide day Centre. We raised $135.60 for Project Compassion. 听Food donations were delivered on Monday morning to the Adelaide Day Centre. They were very appreciative of our contributions that will support their breakfast and lunch program.

Ash Wednesday

"remember that your are dust & to dust you shall return"

Ash Wednesday begins the liturgical season of Lent reminding us of the forty days that Jesus spent in the desert.  It is a time for all people to follow the example of Jesus. This includes reflecting through prayer, reading Scripture, fasting and giving to others. It is also a time of gratitude, to consider our blessings and give thanks for all God has given us. It is a period of preparation and during this time the liturgical colour is purple.

On Wednesday, students participated in liturgies in classes receiving ashes and acknowledging ways to follow Jesus鈥� example more closely. Each primary student was given a Project Compassion box to take home to collect donations for Caritas Australia as a way of helping others, known as almsgiving. This year鈥檚 theme is 鈥�FOR ALL FUTURE GENERATIONS鈥� encourages us to work for a better future. These boxes can be returned after Easter to the front office. Please complete the tab inside with box with the total amount collected. 听As a Mercy school, we are encouraged to follow our values of justice, courage, hospitality, compassion, respect and service to others during the season of Lent.听

Sacraments

SACRAMENTS OF CONFIRMATION & FIRST EUCHARIST

Students from Year 4 who are of the Roman Catholic Rite and have already celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation are now able to prepare and celebrate the Sacraments of Confirmation & First Eucharist to complete their Sacraments of Initiation. The celebration of both these sacraments will occur on Wednesday 22 June in the St Francis Xavier Cathedral.

Please click here to access further information.

Ms Sandra Sofia
搁别濒颈驳颈辞耻蝉&苍产蝉辫;贰诲耻肠补迟颈辞苍&苍产蝉辫;(搁鈥�6)&苍产蝉辫;颁辞辞谤诲颈苍补迟辞谤

From the Deputy Principal (Pastoral Care)

The annual SAC Can Drive will be held this term on Friday 1 April (Week 9). This is a major fundraising event with all cans donated going to the Adelaide Day Centre, to support the current 6000 people experiencing homelessness in South Australia.

We invite each student and their family to donate a minimum of two cans to help exceed the number of cans we collected last year, which was 12,430 cans in total, our largest total amount ever.

Students are asked to bring in cans of food to their home class as early as this week and classes will keep a tally of the number of cans that have been donated. 听The class with the highest number of cans will be shared via SEQTA each week, leading up to the Can Drive, with the overall class winner announced and presented with an award.听

The Adelaide Day Centre appreciates all of our can donations, in particular cans of baked beans, spaghetti, beans, pasta, tuna, salmon, soup, tomatoes, corn, asparagus etc. are very much appreciated by centre staff in their work to support the homeless in our community. 

The Can Drive will begin at 12.15pm with all students from Reception to Year 12 meeting in their designated outdoor area, as part of our Covid approach. Students will then have 20 minutes to build their sculpture based on this year鈥檚 book week theme 鈥淒reaming with Eyes Open.鈥�   

Students will wear their usual summer uniform or PE uniform, if they have PE on this day and will be dismissed at the normal time of 3:15pm for Primary and 3.20pm for Secondary students. The OSHC service will run as normal from 3.15pm.

Year 7 to Year 11 Students Representative Council (SRC)

Nurturing Student Leadership Across our school

At St 吃瓜网, we have a proud tradition of working to nurture student leadership across our school in a wide range of areas. One of those includes our Student Representative Council (SRC), which is a formal group of students, elected by their peers to represent them and their points of view.

As an SRC, students facilitate leadership and decision making by bringing important issues to the notice of the school community, as well as organising whole school events and taking on additional responsibilities.

We congratulate our 2022 SRC members, a strong group of passionate and energetic young leaders. Students were presented with their badges in their Home Classes, and we look forward to seeing all of our leaders take on their new role in the Secondary school.

We would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate every student who nominated themselves on their willingness to become involved in the leadership of our school community. We look forward to many of the nominees taking up other informal leadership opportunities this year including lunch time clubs, JAM, tour guides and other activities.

Ms Jacqui McMcilroy
Deputy Principal (Pastoral Care)

From the Director of Teaching & Learning

NAPLAN ONLINE 2022

The National Assessment Program 鈥� Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) takes place each year for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. The tests will be scheduled between Tuesday 10 May and Friday 20 May, 2022. Please note that this timeframe allows for catch-up days for students who may miss a test. All tests will be conducted online, with the exception of the Year 3 Writing test. Students will participate in 4 tests in total in the following domains:

• Writing
• Reading
• Conventions of Language
• Numeracy

In preparation for NAPLAN tests, students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will sit a National Practice Test on Thursday 24 March, 2022.

The test is for practice only and will not produce student test results for schools.

Students in all year levels will need to provide wired headphones for use in the practice test in March and the NAPLAN testing window in May. If your daughter does not have wired headphones, we have some headphones available which can be borrowed.

Participation in the National Practice Test will provide students with an opportunity to become familiar with the types of questions they will experience in NAPLAN Online 2022.  Students, teachers and parents can also use the public demonstration site at any time to become familiar with NAPLAN Online:

If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact me at the College.

Yours sincerely

Ms Jacqui Jury
Director of Teaching & Learning

From the Primary Sport Coordinator

A busy start to Term 1!

It has been a busy start to Term 1 Primary Sport. Basketball, lacrosse, water polo, and Year 1 and 2 Come 鈥榥鈥� Try are all underway and it has been fantastic to see so many enthusiastic SAC girls involved in these programs.

This term we have four basketball teams, and large groups of students participating in the lacrosse and water polo clinics. Good luck to all Term 1 sports students.

Important Reminders

• Please continue to check your daughters' (Year 3-6) email on a regular basis for updated information and messages regarding sport
• Information regarding Term 2/3 Primary Sport will be coming out shortly so watch this space!

SAPSASA/SACPSSA

Swimming
Thank you to all students who trialled for the SAPSASA swimming team. Year 3-6 students who have been successful in making the swim team will be notified via email and a permission form will be sent. The swim team will attend the SAPSASA East Adelaide swimming trials on Wednesday 16 March and SACPSSA Monday the 21 March. Good luck girls!

Netball
SAC will also be entering a Year 5/6 team into the SAPSASA knockout netball competition which runs throughout Term 2/3. Students who play netball at a high level are asked to try out. Information regarding trials will be communicated to students via the student notices and email. Trials will take place towards the end of Term 1.

Ms Melissa Potter
Primary Sport Coordinator

From the Secondary Sport Coordinator

Term 1 secondary sport is officially up and running!

Our volleyball, tennis, basketball, touch football and water polo teams played their first round matches last weekend and had some great success. We look forward to seeing our girls compete over the next four rounds, with 24 teams entered in the Catholic Girls Schools Competition. Go SAC!

State Combined Event Championships - student achievement

Congratulations to听Year 10 student Amy, for winning a bronze medal in the U16 Girls Heptathlon in the State Combined Event Championships . The Heptathlon is seven events split over the two days of a weekend. In Amy's seven events she PB'd in six of them. Well done Amy!

Ms Meg Henderson
Secondary Sport Coordinator

From the Music Department

First Prize Winners!

Last year the 2021 SAC Senior Rock Band, also known as The Morning Shift, entered the Battle of the Bands division of Echo Fest, a national competition for secondary schools. Held online, The Morning Shift performed Where Did You Go, written by band member Zoe Molloy, and were awarded first prize in their division! Congratulations to all the members and to their director, Ms Nicole Wedding!

Ms Fiona Turner
Music Coordinator

Student Achievement

Story Box Library | Home

an ever-growing library available to your child at home as part of our school subscription

We are delighted to let you know about an education resource that is available to your child at home as part of our school subscription 鈥� Story Box Library. Your child can watch favourite stories, read aloud by fabulous storytellers, at home as well as in the classroom. Reading aloud to children, in particular by diverse and engaging storytellers, greatly improves language and literacy skills, especially in the early years of a child鈥檚 development. Story Box Library is committed to supporting and engaging the practice of storytelling.  Connecting children with literature through the complementary medium of film, providing a vibrant, interactive experience via a diverse range of storytellers sharing the best of our local children鈥檚 picture books.

Story Box Library regularly add new stories, so it is an ever-growing library. It is a safe online space without any advertising. It can be used as a complementary form of delivering the precious experience of being read aloud to. We hope accessing this wonderful resource offers a meaningful addition to the way your family shares literature and a love of reading together.

Ms Ali Ripberger
Teacher- Librarian | Information Services Coordinator

WHAT we share and WHO we share it with...

Australians are among the world's most frequent social media users. About 50% of us use it at least once a day. It is a great way to stay connected with friends and family, but we need to be mindful of听what we share and who we share it with.

To explore safe use of social media, students in Year 8 viewed and discusses a short film called #GameOn, following the online experiences of a group of lower secondary students who find themselves in situations that catch them off-guard and teach them the consequences of making poor decisions online.

Then students completed a course by Grok Academy called Information Privacy and Security. In this challenge students played the role of a cyber security expert to find information about others online by reading posts and studying photos in apps via a virtual phone application. 

Students were surprised just how much information you can gather about someone through social media.
"When finding information about people, sometimes it wasn't the person who posted it, it was their friends. Friends can upload photos to social media and reveal information about you without you knowing." Mariya Zaghwan 8MP

"One of the character's shared his address on social media with a friend, this could then be viewed by others." Isabel Butler 8MP

"A character shared a picture of herself sitting on her letter box, then in another post she shared her address. You can put these two pieces of information together to find where someone lives." Tiaana Gunatilaka 8MP

Ms Joanne Villis
Digital Technologies Coordinator

From the Careers Department

UCAT and Entry to Medicine/Dentistry

During the last two weeks Year 11 and Year 12 students had opportunity to attend UCAT information sessions and to hear about requirements for entry to Medicine and Dentistry. We welcomed 2021 graduate Ivy Larwood who provided a wonderfully informative question and answer session for students regarding UCAT. Having sat UCAT herself last year, Ivy was able to share her firsthand knowledge and experience offering students advice and tips for preparation. Thank you, Ivy, for sharing your insights with us!

We also thank Flinders University who ran a lunch time meeting for students interested in studying Medicine. Valuable course information, as well as consideration of a range of alternative options, was provided to ensure clear understanding of opportunities.

Year 12 students taking the UCAT ANZ in 2022 for entry to universities in Australia and New Zealand in 2023 should note these key dates:

Ms Julie Stephenson
Careers & VET Coordinator

The Centenarian Portrait Project by Teenagers

Congratulations to Year 10 student Olivia, who was accepted into the upcoming 'The Centenarian Portrait Project by Teenagers'

The program enlists 100 teenage artists and 100 one-hundred-year-old centenarians, who will each be partnered together. The teenage artists visit their subject multiple times; mapping out sketches, taking photos while learning about each other. The artists then return to complete their artwork for exhibition.

Oliva鈥檚 work will be put on public display in June, with more details available closer to the exhibition date. Please stay tuned for more information to support Olivia鈥檚 wonderful achievement.