Saint Ignatius College Geelong
Yr 12 exams and pathways
Our Yr 12 VCE students are well and truly into their exam period. Many have sat two or more exams since they commenced with English on Wednesday last week. Please keep these students in your thoughts and prayers that they can revise well and demonstrate their learning to the best of their abilities at this time.
Our Yr 12 VCAL students have finished their classes for the year, and I wish them all the best for their next step toward employment or further study. I know some have already obtained an apprenticeship, and others are enrolling in a vocational course for next year. So it is also important to keep them in our thoughts and prayers as they make this very significant transition from secondary school.
Mr Bruce Connor, our Work and Further Education Coordinator, supported many VCAL and VCE students and parents when considering possible pathways. Mr Connor remains available for the rest of the school year (and into the next school year) if any student or parent would like some support or information regarding pathways, courses or employment. He can be contacted by phoning our Office (03 5251 1136) or emailing (connorb@ignatius.vic.edu.au)
Invitation – Blessing & Opening of our new Loyola Centre
Parents and friends of the College are invited to attend next week’s whole school Mass on Friday, 11th November 2022 (9 am – 11 am). This will be a very special Mass for the Blessing and Opening of the Loyola Centre. I am grateful to Fr Jim Clarke (President of the Association of Canonical Administrators), who will bless this fantastic new facility and Fr Gerry Healy SJ (Jesuit Representative on our College Advisory Council), who will officially open the Centre.
Please report to the main office at 8:45 am to be escorted to a seat in the Multipurpose Centre. The official ceremonies will conclude at 11 am, followed by a tour of the new facility and morning tea.
Please note that we will include acknowledgment of Remembrance Day as part of the ceremonies, and we will also celebrate the postponed College Feast Day with the Mass and special activities for the remainder of the day.
Mosaic Evening
Our annual ‘Mosaic’ evening is a wonderful yearly College community celebration. After being unable to hold this event for the previous two years due to the pandemic restrictions, we look forward to this year’s Mosaic evening. All members of our school community are encouraged to attend this wonderful evening on Thursday, 17th November, at Costa Hall, Deakin Waterfront Campus, Geelong. The Student Art & Technology display commences at 6.30 pm in the Costa Hall foyer, followed by the celebration evening that begins at 7.00 pm in the main auditorium.
We have received very positive feedback over the years about this major College function. This year, we ask all Years 7 & 8 students to attend. All other students and their families would be most welcome to attend. Students are expected to attend in full school uniform.
Mosaic reinforces the College’s values for our students, celebrates student achievement in various areas and builds a sense of belonging and school community. So, as part of our strategy to re-establish and reinforce our College values, traditions and our culture of striving to improve oneself, Mosaic will hopefully inspire our Years 7 & 8 students and instill a sense of what they can aspire to over their years at the College. This is why we want the Years 7 & 8 students, in particular, to attend. I also encourage parents and families to support our community by attending and being part of a delightful and uplifting celebration of the 2022 school year at Saint Ignatius College.
I look forward to joining with students, families and friends of the College to celebrate the school year. As was the case in previous years, no tickets are required to attend, all you will need to do is turn up at Costa Hall, and you will be ushered to a seat. Again, there is no cost to attend, and you are most welcome to invite Grandparents, other family members, and family friends.
Parents & Friends Association
Can I please encourage all parents to consider committing to being a member of the PFA? We must ensure we keep ‘topping up’ this group each year as we lose some members with their daughter/son finishing their time at the College. Perhaps you can give a couple/few years as a member of this group? The next PFA meeting will be the Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, 9th November, at 7 pm in the Loyola Centre, and it would be great to see some new parents at this meeting.
Michael Exton | Principal
Yours in Christ,
Brendan Nicholls | Liturgy Coordinator
In his reflections on the state of the world Pope Francis often dwells on its impact on children. He focuses on them as the future of the world, and emphasises the poignant contrast between the promise that shines in their eyes and the ways in which that spark dies through poverty, war and lack of opportunity. He has dedicated this November, which each year hosts World Children’s Day, to invite us to hold suffering children in our minds and hearts
At Jesuit Social Services we share Pope Francis’ wonder at the delicacy and infinite possibilities of each young child. We share, too, the same mingled sadness and outrage at seeing children so often disrespected and their horizon of possibility reduced to mere survival. In our work we accompany young people whose lives have been marked by disadvantage. We hope that through this accompaniment they may grow in hope for the future and in confidence to live full adult lives.
In our work we meet directly children who are homeless and lack support from families. Although in Australia we mercifully are spared from war and from its effects on children, we do walk with children of refugee families who have experienced trauma with which they must cope as they grow. The effects of childhood terrors and anxieties do not automatically leave children or their families when they come to a safer place. They remain to be addressed.
In Australia, however, many children suffer quite avoidable trauma. Some are taken from their families that are judged unsuitable for them and placed in emergency accommodation or with adults which often prove to be totally unsuitable. This experience can destroy their confidence and self-respect. A disproportionate number of these children are Indigenous.
Other children come before the justice system for anti-social behaviour and are placed in detention centres. The experience of detention in centres that are often under-resourced, are administered by the justice departments, and lack experienced staff with training in child care, makes it more likely that children sent there will reoffend and graduate to adult prisons. A disproportionate number of these children are also Indigenous.
These children suffer needlessly and their life expectations are sharply diminished. To treat children as adults is destructive. It ignores the reality that the development of our brains is not complete until our early 20’s. This affects our judgment of the consequences of our actions and so our culpability. Children need the support of sympathetic adults and models of adult behaviour. When they are imprisoned in an often violent environment, are locked in their cells for much of the day and have predominantly conflictual relationships with adults, it will be very difficult for them to grow into responsible adults.
The destructive treatment of children through detention is not simply the result of poor government policy. It also reflects a long-standing public attitude of society to children. They are seen either as little angels, to be doted on and excused, or as little devils who need to be punished and straightened out for the protection of society. Media often emphasise this in the way they represent children who misbehave.
For this reason Pope Francis’ request to attend to the suffering of children that so often underlies their behaviour is important. So is his insistence on the kind of formal and informal education that will prepare them for life. This implies the accompaniment of caring adults who can provide good role models and for assistance to their families. And it demands public attitudes in favour of giving children a second chance.
The Visual Arts Newsletter
VCE year 12 Exhibition
The Year 12 Art, Design & Photography Exhibition was a big success! Opening night was on Tuesday 18th October with many staff, students and parents who attended in celebration of finishing such a huge amount of work for these subjects. It was wonderful to be able to view such a large variety of individualised and creative pieces, all of which were finished to a very high standard. It is always a special night when our artists, designers and photographers are able to share their work proudly with their parents and other students.
Mosaic Art Show year 7 -11
Student work from Year 7 – 11 will be exhibited at the Mosaic evening prior to the awards presentations. Students will present a range of work in various materials ranging from Year 7 Indigenous artworks, Year 10 Clay sculptures and Year 11 Oil on canvas paintings. This will be a fantastic evening to commend all students in Visual Arts and the electives. It is brilliant to see the artistic development and creativity across year levels and as a collective.
Cura Personalis – Art workshops
We have had two workshops through the new Year 7 and 8 program of Cura Personalis called Pop Art and Kusama. In Pop Art students were experimenting with bright colours to create vivid landscapes influenced by British Pop Artist, David Hockney. Students also explored Kusama and created their own portrait of famous Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama, influenced by her unique and expressive style while also adding to the installation in the Art Gallery. Students from all year levels were encouraged to add to the installation and the constantly evolving artwork.
Queenscliff Art Prize exhibition
Congratulations on Mali Taylor and Ella Dries with their artworks to be exhibited in the forthcoming Queenscliff Art Prize exhibition that appeared in Forte Mag. An exciting aspect of the event is that all artworks including the student artworks will be illuminated by solar powered LED lights along the Queenscliff Jetty. The exhibition will commence on the 1st of November and run for six months until April 30th.
Koling Wada-ngal Week
The students of Saint Ignatius College came together as a school to create an Indigenous artwork in celebration of Koling Wada-ngal, which means Let's Walk Together in Wadawurrung language. The artwork incorporates the Indigenous flag and symbolism of walking together along this journey of Reconciliation to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Ruth Nolan | Visual Arts Learning Area Leader
The Year 11s hit the ground running in Term Four and have continued at a rapid pace; and for good reason! It is their last term before they begin the final year of their secondary education.
Our students have been involving themselves in incursions, excursions, extracurricular activities, Unit 3/4 studies and examinations, sports, performances, leadership elections and much, much more! However, a key focus of this Semester has been the inclusion of “Mentor Time” every Tuesday. These sessions are a key to the pastoral development of the cohort and the College.
During mentor time in week three, the cohort heard from Lisa De Lahaye from the Australian Taxation Office. Within her presentation, she discussed tax file numbers, superannuation, student HELP loans and identity protection. Students were equipped with the necessary knowledge and resources to support them in financially preparing for their studies/employment after they have finished with us at the end of 2024.
Mentor Time in week four, saw some more life based information; registering to vote. With the help from Ms. Cuthill, the Year 11 homeroom teachers supported the students in preparing for their first year of voting. Students were presented with instructional videos, with some even delving a little deeper into their voting preferences using resources such as Voting Compass, developed by the ABC.
With the final mentor sessions approaching we have some very exciting things to look forward to. On November 15th, Year 11s will meet for a final time as a collective. In this assembly, we will take the time to support students in their final weeks of Year 11 and thank the staff who have been there along the way. The final mentor session will see our final homeroom competition. In previous terms, homerooms have competed in table tennis, trivia and artistic competitions. This term, all 10 homerooms will take part in a round robin similar to the “amazing race” where various challenges and tasks will be required and strengths of homerooms will be tested!
Over the next few weeks, the Year 11s will be very busy with their studies and assessment. Unit 2 VCE exams will commence on the 24th of November. With students revising the Semester content in the leading weeks. During this time, our VCAL students will be finalising their assessments to complete their requirements for the year. As of the 1st of December, Year 11 students will begin their Year 12 studies when they engage in “Kickstart”. During this time they will explore the content of their 2023 studies and receive their requirements for the summer break. We wish all year 11 students the best of luck for a very busy time ahead!
Ms Alex Simpson | Year 11 Coordinator
Max Craven applied and was selected to attend the 2022 Civics and Citizenship Pilot Program on the 27th of October at the Windsor Hotel in Melbourne, along with 29 other students selected to represent Victoria. The one-day hub was run virtually from Canberra, with students from each state and territory joining the program.
The aim of the Pilot Program was to increase young Australians’ knowledge about the Australian Constitution and the role it plays in our democracy and provide an opportunity for students in Years 9 and 10 to represent their state in a convention which enabled students to explore a contemporary constitutional issue and encourage students to become better informed about the Australian system of government and how the Australian Constitution provides the framework for our democracy. This opportunity aimed to encourage students to take an active interest in the traditions, processes and practices of government.
Recently, I was fortunate to have been selected to represent Victoria in a national constitutional convention. The purpose of the convention was to bring Year 9 and 10 students from around the country together, to discuss, debate and vote on whether Australia should retain compulsory voting in elections. I was really interested in applying after two particular experiences that I had this year: one was work experience with Federal MP Libby Coker and seeing how important it was for her to listen to people in her electorate, who wanted to bring important issues to her; and the other was the amazing Cape York experience I had. In Cape York, I saw just how far away people are from the decisions that politicians make and how important it is that they are represented.
On the day of the convention (October 27th) I joined a small number of other Victorian delegates at the Hotel Windsor, in Melbourne, from where we participated with students from other states and territories, remotely. Based in the ballroom at the Windsor, we were guided through the day by the very well- renowned academic and writer, John Warhurst, who facilitated from The Old Parliament House in Canberra.
We spent the morning listening to various academics telling us about their research into the history of democracies around the world and examined the very interesting history of how voting rights in Australia especially, were fought for and won. We learnt more about women and indigenous Australians’ battles to win the right to vote. Each speaker was certainly in favour of compulsory voting, but also presented opponents’ views. I had not realised that Australia was an example to the world of compulsory voting.
Delegates from around the country were able to contribute their thoughts on compulsory voting and one of the most enjoyable parts of the day was the ‘soapbox’ session. During this session, delegates shared their honest views on voting, even if they weren’t very popular! I went into the day feeling very strongly about the rights of all people to express their views and have a say on who rules. Listening to some people argue that not everyone deserved to vote (correct – there was a rather controversial view expressed by a NSW delegate that only the most educated of the population deserve to, which, rightly so, was met with many shocked expressions and “enthusiastic” responses) made me wonder if those in powerful positions simply want to retain those positions by silencing others.
At the close of the day, all of the material documenting our discussions, comments and the results of our own voting, was presented to the president of the Senate, Sue Lines, who was really generous answering questions about her role in the parliament and her career in general.
I was really impressed by the students I listened to and worked with on the day and, as you would expect from The Windsor, I was well fed during what was a long day! I have come away from the experience realising that we are incredibly lucky to live in a country with an extremely democratic and fair electoral system that is not afforded to citizens of other countries. The convention has made me feel a stronger urge to act on the various issues faced in our society and assist as many people as possible, making sure their voices are heard.
Max Craven, Year 10
Remembrance Day.
What is happening on remembrance day?
There is a small Remembrance Assembly between the Saint Ignatius Feast Day Mass and the blessing of The Loyola Centre. The assembly is been run over about 10 minutes with a speech by Jackson Brotchie, minute of silence, national anthem and a catafalque party run by Charlie Hardcastle. On the day there will also be a stall selling poppies located at The Loyola Centre (admin building) and a lowering of flags at 11:11am.
Remembrance day mapWhat is remembrance day?
Remembrance Day is a day of remembering war and what happened in it. By this we mean remembering the people that fought that died and survived with many problems like loss of limbs and ptsd. It is also a time when the soldiers that survived knew that they would hopefully see their families soon. It is a day of remembering the bloody battle that happened during the time of the war. During WW1 it wasn’t always a bloody battle. During one of the Christmas times the two different sides called a truce and played soccer. They also called truces in order to be able to remove the bodies of their former colleagues from no man's land who died trying to gain ground.
At some points of the war they were in the same spot as what they were a year before. They might make ground, but as quickly as they make ground they could also lose it. There were also the never ending gas shells flying over the heads to be avoided.
In the trenches in the morning of the 11th of November all the troops were happy that the armistice was getting signed at 11am but they still knew anything could happen and they still might not make it past 11am.
What is the armistice? The armistice was signed by all the countries that were involved in the war. This was to declare that the war would be ending with a cease fire at 11am on the 11th of November. After the long 4 years of never ending battle with not much change in the way of territory in some areas and the 9.7 million troops lives lost and 10 million civilians that were killed.
Jackson Brotchie
Summer Fun Pack Raffle
Thank you to everyone who supported our fundraiser and purchased a ticket. The lucky winners are:
1st prize – Julie Castle
2nd prize – Belinda Agustsson
3rd prize – Bernadette Bell
Please continue to support the local businesses that have very generously supported all our fundraising this year.
Entertainment Book
Yes we are still selling the Entertainment Book however it now is digital and is valid for 12 months from date of purchase. If you would like to purchase an Entertainment Book please email us at sicgpandf@ignatius.vic.edu.au.
Become part of the Parents and Friends’ Association
Our next meeting is our AGM and we need parents to help us to continue to support our school community. Please consider attending our AGM and nominating for a role and be part of our wonderful team.
Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday 9th November 2022. We look forward to seeing you there. Even if you cannot make it to the monthly meetings, but think you might be able to be on call to help at fundraising events, please get in touch with us by emailing sicgpandf@ignatius.vic.edu.au
The Uniform Shop
The Uniform Shop is now opening prior to our monthly Parents and Friends meeting in addition to the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month. Please note this is dependant on current visitor restrictions within catholic schools. Please check the Saint Ignatius Facebook page for updates regarding open days and times. Email the uniform shop at uniformshop@ignatius.vic.edu.au if you have any questions.
Did you know the uniform shop also sells brand new socks, ties and hats?
Items to be sold or donated can be dropped off at the Uniform Shop during opening times or anytime at the front office. Please ensure any item that is sent in for sale has been freshly laundered, if not it will be returned to you.
We are always seeking Volunteers to help in the uniform shop. If you are available and have time to help out contact Kate by emailing uniformshop@ignatius.vic.edu.au . Training is provided.
Saint Ignatius College is delighted to present this limited sponsorship opportunity to the College Community.
College families, alumni, and members of the College Community are invited to 'purchase a piano key,' with all money raised going towards the purchasing of a new piano.
Sponsors names to be displayed on an honour board, on our College website, and on our social media channels.There are only 88 keys on a piano, so don't leave it too late!
This is a great opportunity for a lasting contribution to our College.
https://www.trybooking.com/CCXIU
Ms Elana Cole | Development Manager
W/C 7/11/22
7th: B.Brinfield, NEEDED
8th: K.James, S.Peters, M.Dunstan
9th: M.Jackson, NEEDED
10th: M.White, NEEDED
11th: E.Savage, L.Taylor, B.Allen.
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W/C 14/11/22
14th: L.Mew, NEEDED
15th: J.Johnston, NEEDED
16th: C.Ford, NEEDED
17th: E.Carpenter, NEEDED
18th: J.Rogers, L.Taylor.
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If you are able to assist on the above mentioned dates, please contact Canteen Manager Mrs. Sandra Woodall on woodalls@ignatius.vic.edu.au
Volunteers must hold a current WWCC. New volunteers must fill out the form provided via the link below.
Mrs. Sandra Woodall.
Canteen Manager.
PARISH ADVENT REFLECTION with Maria Forde
You are invited to join singer-songwriter and presenter Maria Forde for a beautiful evening of musical reflection in preparation for the Holy Season of Advent.
As a community, we will reflect upon the meaning of Advent and how we can prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ. Join us in prayer, scripture, and conversation. Enjoy reflection, live music, sacred space, and a catch up with parishioners.
Date: Wednesday November 30.
We will have a Light Supper and socializing up in the Pioneer Room at 6.00pm (please bring a plate to share) and the Advent Reflection over in the Basilica at 7.00pm.
Cost will be $5.00pp for the performance. Absolutely everyone is invited & welcome to attend.
Payments can be made at the Parish Office (150 Yarra St, Geelong), prior to the event, and will be accepted at the door on the night.
Helping your young perfectionist
There’s a perception in our society that perfectionism is a good thing, akin to ‘being perfect..’ That it’s something we should strive for or drop into conversation in job interviews… Yet the reality is quite different.
Perfectionism leads us to place unreasonably and often unrealistically high expectations on ourselves. Essentially, it causes us to raise the bar so high, that we frequently wind up feeling like failures, consumed by frustration and self-blame.
Of course, this can be very unsettling to witness in our kids and it can be hard for us to know how best to help. It can start when our children are very young and grow with them in intensity and impact. Perhaps you have a young child who refuses to draw because her drawings don’t look exactly like those of an adult artist. Or maybe your little guy becomes so distressed by a small mistake in his homework, that he insists on starting all over again in his unhealthy quest for perfection.
If you have older kids, perhaps they refuse to submit an assignment because it’s not perfect, or they won’t run the cross country because they know they won’t win.
While it’s great for our kids to hold high expectations of themselves, aiming for perfection actually sets them up to fail. Their habitual ‘all or nothing’ thinking leads to the unhelpful belief that if they don’t achieve 100%, they’ve as good as flunked. Their focus on their mistakes rather than on their successes often affects their self esteem, fuelling a vicious cycle that can lead to stress, depression and anxiety if left unchecked.
The sooner we help our kids break this unhealthy habit, the better. So let’s look at a few tips for doing just that.
Reduce your praise
There are two ways in which we tend to praise children. ‘Content praise’ often draws attention to the end product, for example, “What a fantastic drawing!”, or to a fixed quality in a child, such as “You’re so clever”. In contrast, ‘process praise’ focuses on how your child got there. When we use process praise, we draw attention to their good ideas, problem solving approaches, effort, persistence, concentration and enthusiasm.
While it’s helpful for all children to experience more process praise than content praise, this is particularly true for children with perfectionistic traits. This allows us to draw the focus away from how impressive the end result might (or should) be and instead highlight the importance of having a go, trying their best and learning along the way.
For example, rather than saying, ‘What a fantastic drawing! You’re an amazing artist – what were you worried about?’, it’s more helpful to say something like, ‘It’s great to see you having a go at drawing. I love watching you try new things’; or, ‘I love seeing the ideas you come up with when you draw’.
Of course, most of the time we needn’t praise children at all. Saying simply, ‘Drawing is fun isn’t it?,’ is often enough to provide children with that all important sense of connection.
Model making mistakes
At my children’s school, they’re taught to embrace ‘flearning’ - learning through failure. Admittedly, my children witness me ‘flearning’ all the time at home, but in the eyes of your child, you might seem perfect. It’s helpful for your kids to see that you make mistakes too, and importantly to learn through your modelling how mistakes can be managed.
Look for (or create!) opportunities to do this. When you’re planning on bringing some spoons to the dining table, you could bring knives over instead and say, ‘Oops, my mistake. Not to worry. I’ll just go back and swap these over.’ Or, perhaps you could draw alongside your toddler and deliberately keep from drawing inside the lines, commenting to your little one as you go, ‘I love drawing with you’. By doing so, you model for your child that mistakes are okay, that they needn’t hamper their enjoyment of a task and importantly, that the end result isn’t all that matters.
Teach your child to speak to themselves as a friend
How does your child talk to themselves?
Would they speak to a friend in the same way?
No? Then what might they say instead?
We all know how much our inner voice can affect how we feel. Teach your child to be kind to themselves. To be supportive, forgiving and encouraging, even when they make mistakes.
Consider how you react when your child behaves in an ‘imperfect’ way
Do you respond calmly when your child accidentally spills cereal all over the kitchen bench or do you tend to overreact? It’s important when we’re teaching our children that they needn’t be perfect, that our responses back this up.
By accepting our children as they are – wonderful, ‘good enough’ young learners – we teach them to do the same. And that’s so much better than perfect.