February Newsletter-Cedar

Antonine College A CATHOLIC CO‐EDUCATIONAL COLLEGE PREP TO YEAR 12 www.antonine.catholic.edu.au Phone: (03) 9354 1377 Important Dates
MARCH 1 4 5 6 7 8 11 12‐17 12‐13 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25‐28 26 27 28 29 31 Reflection
APRIL 1 15 16‐19 19 newsletter
Cedar Campus Photos Years 7,9, 10 Immunisa ons Years 5 & 6 Boys Retreat Year 11 Physics Excursion Year 9 Premier League 28th February 2013
Year 7B Retreat St Joseph House Athle cs Carnival Interna onal Women’s Day From the Pope's Final General Audience Address Carlton FC Mul cultural Program Va can City, February 27, 2013 (Zenit.org) Year 6 Excursion Like Saint Paul, whose words we heard earlier, my heart is filled Labour Day Public Holiday Catholic Educa on Week with thanksgiving to God who ever watches over his Church and Year 12 Retreat her growth in faith and love, and I embrace all of you with joy Year 9 Premier League and gra tude. SACCSS Swimming St Patrick’s Day Mass During this Year of Faith, we have been called to renew our Year 10 Loving for Life joyful trust in the Lord’s presence in our lives and in the life of the Church. I am Program personally grateful for his unfailing love and guidance in the eight years since I Carlton FC Mul cultural accepted his call to serve as the Successor of Peter. I am also deeply grateful for Program Year 12 Chemistry Excursion the understanding, support and prayers of so many of you, not only here in Rome, Feast of Saint Patrick but also throughout the world. Cedar History Day The decision I have made, a er much prayer, is the fruit of a serene trust in God’s VCAL History Lunch Project Years 5 & 6 Girls Retreat will and a deep love of Christ’s Church. I will con nue to accompany the Church Feast of St Joseph with my prayers, and I ask each of you to pray for me and for the new Pope. In Year 10 RAAF Excursion union with Mary and all the saints, let us entrust ourselves in faith and hope to Year 9 Premier League God, who con nues to watch over our lives and to guide the journey of the Church Year 3 Sacramental Mee ng for parents (7.00‐8.00pm) and our world along the paths of history. Year 7A Retreat I commend all of you, with great affec on, to his loving care, asking him to SACCSS Senior Sports Day strengthen you in the hope which opens our hearts to the fullness of life that he VCAL History Lunch Project Carlton FC Mul cultural alone can give. To you and your families, I impart my blessing. Thank you! Program Year 10 Loving for Life We thank and praise God for the gi of Pope Benedict XVI’s leadership in the Church Program and we wish him well in his re rement. Let’s all pray for Pope Benedict, for the Feast of Saint Rafqa church, and for our future pope: Hosanna Sunday History Week "O Lord Jesus Christ, Supreme Pastor of Your Church, Year 8 Medieval Incursion we thank you for the ministry of Pope Benedict XVI Year 9 Premier League Year 2 Excursion and the selfless care with which he has led us Years 7‐12 Sta ons of the as Successor of Peter, and Your Vicar on earth. Cross Liturgy Good Shepherd, who founded Your Church Term 1 ends on the rock of Peter's faith Good Friday and have never le Your flock untended, Easter Sunday Easter Monday Term 2 commences Year 9 Outdoor Educa on Camp Year 5 Sleepover look with love upon us now, and sustain Your Church in faith, hope, and charity. Grant, Lord Jesus, in Your boundless love for us, a new Pope for Your Church who will please You by his holiness and lead us faithfully to You, who are the same yesterday, today, and forever. Principal’s Message
Sr. Daad El‐Azzi Welcome to the 2013 school year. I again extend a special welcome to all who join Antonine College for the first me, our Founda on Year students, new students in Year 7 and other year levels, new families and all new staff. The school year has commenced well with students returning with a very posi ve a tude. They have accepted the challenges of the New Year and set about in a posi ve manner to achieve their goals and targets. Already we have seen our students experiencing the Love, Laughter and Learning in their classrooms and experiencing the College events like our whole school Opening Mass at Our lady of Lebanon Church, Ash Monday Mass and prayer service, St Joseph Campus Swimming Carnival, Founda on tes ng and the first of our Parent Informa on Evening from Founda on through to Year 12. I am very pleased to report that enrolments at Antonine College have increased to 800 students. We look forward to a rewarding and produc ve year ahead. This can be best achieved through open communica on between the school and home. We encourage you to come and discuss any concerns or ques ons with us and we look forward to communica ng with you about your child and their progress. We appreciate your me in reviewing student concerns when they arise and appreciate your ability to support the philosophy and values upon which our College is built. 2012 VCE RESULTS The College was very pleased with the results of the students who completed VCE in 2012. At the start of the school year during College Assembly, we recognised students who achieved an ATAR score of 90 and above and the Dux of College Johnny Yaacoub was also acknowledged at our School Opening Mass and received a contribu on of $1000 donated by Mr Louis Fleifel for his future studies. We wish all our 2012 graduates students the best in their future. COLLEGE THEME FOR 2013 Each year, we choose a College theme to provide a focus and a new way of thinking about what we do. In 2013, we are invited to ‘Growing together in faith ’. The 2013 theme offers an opportunity to focus on our iden ty, on our human being, our purpose and our rela onships with God our saviour. It is an opportunity to reflect and be inspired by people who have walked faithfully and lived their faith. It is also an occasion for us to focus on rela onships with others, reconcilia on and restora ve prac ces within our own context and explore the theme in the College environment and through curriculum. PARENT INFORMATION EVENING The Parent Informa on Evening allowed the College to discuss with parents and students our high expecta ons for them. This evening begins the communica on channel that we encourage at Antonine, so that we journey together over the schooling years. I wish to acknowledge the staff at Antonine for their dedica on and willingness to give freely of their me in a ending the sessions we provide for parents. Thanks to all parents who made the effort to a end the night on Wednesday 20 February. STUDENT / PARENT / TEACHER INTERVIEWS These interviews will be held in term two on 23 and 24 April 2013. Please mark these dates in your diary. IT DEVELOPMENT IN 2013 In 2010 the College has moved to a 1:1 IT ra o across the College. Each student now in Years 9‐12 will have a MacBook and all other students at other year levels will have access to MacBook trolleys during their classrooms me. Over the past three years the Commonwealth Government has supported schools financially from Years 9‐12 in the development of IT. WELCOME TO NEW STAFF We welcome the following Staff who joined Antonine College this year and we wish them every blessing: Saint Joseph Campus Natasha Le Noel Carla Panozzo Roudaina Tabet Mary‐Anne Lilikakis Sam Wilson Barbara Gleeson English, Religious Educa on and Informa on Technology English, Humani es and Drama Maths, Science and Physics Health, Mathema cs and Physical Educa on English and Humani es Library Technician Cedar Campus Yve e Kalms Anne‐Marie Nehme Ms Danielle Velona Sr Chadia Abou Antoun George e El‐Hajj Founda on C Year 1A Year 4B Faith Development and Liturgy Coordinator Library Technician What’s New / Reminders
NEW SMS Service If your child is absent from the school without a reason. More details on the right  STUDENTS ABSENCE All parents and guardians are reminded that you must call the College office when your child is absent from school. As of Monday 4th March, Antonine College will be tex ng all parents/
guardians when their child is absent from school without a reason. This text will be sent mid‐
morning (around 10.00am)on the day of the absence. ENROL NOW FOR 2014/2015 If you wish to enrol your child/children at Antonine College for 2014, please fill out an applica on form and return it to the college with all the necessary paperwork by Thursday 28 March 2013. Applica on Forms are available at the front office at both campuses or can be downloaded from our website under the enrolment sec on. Enrolments 2014 Applica ons are now being accepted for students from Founda on–Year 12 Uniform Shop St Joseph Campus Monday 9.00am‐1.00pm Thursday 1.00pm‐4.00pm THREE WEEK SEMESTER ONE BREAK in 2013 Earlier last year all parents and staff were invited to comment upon a proposal for extending the semester break in 2013 to three weeks instead of the current two week break. This decision was strongly supported by both staff and parents in the feedback that was received and the College would like to confirm that the semester holidays in 2013 will be for three weeks. It is believed that this change will have the following implica ons and posi ve effects for the school:  To provide parents and students the opportunity to use the three weeks for travel if required.  Less disrup on with students being absent due to travel.  Less pupil free days throughout the year for staff development and report wri ng days which will mean less disrup on for families. The three week semester one break dates for 2013 are outlined below: Saturday 21st June to Sunday 14th July OVERSEAS TRAVEL PROCEDURE It is advisable that students miss no more than four weeks of school in total. Missing more than four weeks may have a nega ve impact on their progress at school. Please take this into considera on before making your decision to travel and discuss extended travel plans with the Principal. VCE students must a end 90% of all their classes to get a sa sfactory result in their subjects. The school must be no fied at least one month in advance of the intended travel so that work can be set for the child to complete while overseas. An applica on form must be completed and returned to the College to be approved by the Principal. Deputy Principal – Student & Staff Wellbeing Ms Joanne Bacash Welcome all to the 2013 school year. I pray that this year will bring all our families good health and happiness. The students have made a great start to the year. We are very impressed with their organisa on, punctuality and their coopera on with school uniform. This of course does not happen without the support of parents. Both Year 7 and Founda on have made a smooth transi on and even though we s ll have few tears in Founda on (some mes from the parents!) we are happy with the way all have se led in. I welcome all parents and students who are new to the school. The full church for our Opening Mass highlighted the College’s growth in numbers. I take this opportunity to highlight some key informa on for all parents. EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENT BEHAVIOUR: At ANTONINE COLLEGE we expect our children to behave in a responsible way. We have listed below our expecta ons and we encourage parents to be familiar with them also. We have them listed in every classroom – perhaps you can put these up in your children’s bedroom as well to help support us. These are our expecta ons: Strive to learn Do your personal best. Share your learning. Accept challenges. Act safely, play safely Play safely without figh ng, causing harm or bullying. Use all equipment safely. Report unsafe behaviour and situa ons. Stay in bounds. Be respec ul to yourself, others Show coopera ve behaviour. and the environment Encourage others. Be helpful. Dress neatly. Take care of the building, equipment, furniture and playground. Keep everything clean and dy. Be polite, be friendly Show courtesy to everyone. Respect and welcome visitors. Be fair, play fair Never cause anyone to feel embarrassed or threatened. Be a good sport. Seek to include others. Share the equipment and playground. STUDENT WELFARE At Antonine College we base our approaches to student welfare in recent research and findings. We have developed a Restora ve approach to dealing with discipline issues and we have developed a curriculum for social and emo onal learning based on the You Can Do It! Program. In each newsle er I will share with you our overall student welfare program and focus on one aspect at a me so that you are fully informed about why and how we do things. Should you ever want to discuss student welfare in general with me, please feel free to make an appointment. Specific concerns about your child are best directed to the Year Level Coordinator at St Joseph or Mr Diab at Cedar Campus. PARENTS VISITING THE SCHOOL Parents are more than welcome in the school at any me, however, if parents require teachers to discuss any concerns or issues at length, it is best to make an appointment. Teachers have teaching and mee ng commitments and may not always be in a posi on to see parents on the spot. The same applies to requests to see the Year Level Coordinators, Head of Cedar Campus, Deputy Principals and the Principal. Please call the office at the relevant campus and an appointment will be made for you. Deputy Principal – Student & Staff Wellbeing Ms Joanne Bacash UNIFORM AND APPEARANCE A reminder that students must be in full school uniform every day. There should be no colour or highlights in hair‐hair should be a natural shade. Uniform must be clean and dy. Students should not have torn hems on school pants. No nose‐rings, jewellery etc. will be tolerated. Girls should not be wearing make‐up and hair must be worn away from the face. Boys should keep hair short and dy without excessive styling products or “tails”. Obviously these issues are more prominent with the older students but this can also be a problem with some younger students. Boys in senior years including Years 9 & 10 must be cleanly shaven. Please see student planner for full details of uniform policy. Proper school shoes and runners for sport should be worn – not canvas shoes or “ballet” shoes as these offer li le foot support and can be a safety issue. We ask parents to check their child’s appearance before they leave for school. STUDENT PLANNERS All students have the same student planner. We ask parents to check and sign the planner weekly. Students will have their homework listed plus teachers will be repor ng to you any issues, concerns or good work/behaviour via the student planner. You will see that we use “icons” to indicate when a student is late to class, out of uniform, working well etc. The planner includes a legend to explain these icons. Please be aware that teachers will always give students verbal warnings first and usually if they have recorded a problem in the planner, it is because the student has not heeded the verbal warnings. Please contact the teacher or Year level Parents
Coordinator/Head of Campus if you are unsure. Homeroom sign here
teachers will check the planners regularly ensuring they have been each week
used appropriately and signed by parents weekly. STUDENTS TRAVELLING OVERSEAS DURING THE SCHOOL TERM Just a reminder that families planning to travel during the school term are expected to no fy the school in wri ng of the intended absence and the dates for which the student will not be a ending school. This should be given to the Principal four weeks prior to travel. This year we have a three week break in the middle of the year and encourage families to plan holidays at this me to avoid students missing school. Also, while travel can be a posi ve learning experience for students, it is important that parents take into account the impact the travel will have on the child’s academic progress. This is of par cular concern for students who already struggle with school work. While teachers may provide about two‐four weeks worth of work for the student to do while travelling, this is not a replacement for the learning and teaching that takes place in the classroom where students have the teacher’s support and supervision. Work completed overseas can not always be formally assessed for the reports either. This means that the student may not achieve certain work requirements and standards for repor ng and may have sec ons of the report indica ng this. When students return, they will find that they need to catch up with missed work and keep up with the current work which can be very difficult for some students. See student planner for more informa on. VCE students should not travel at all during school terms. This will impact on the 90% a endance requirement and may result in a not sa sfactory or “N” result. If you have any ques ons, please contact your child’s Head of Campus: Mr Diab for Founda on to Year 6, Miss Sarah Afif ‐ Year 7 & 8 Coordinator, Mr Jacob Levy ‐ Year 9 & 10 Coordinator, Miss Tania Aoun – VCE Coordinator or Ms Fran Davey ‐ VCAL Coordinator. I WISH YOU ALL A GREAT YEAR! Deputy Principal – Teaching and learning Mr Robert Fomia I would like to begin by welcoming all students, staff and parents to the 2013 academic year, which has commenced in an extremely posi ve fashion across all year levels. I would especially like to welcome all new staff, students and families to the Antonine Community. There is no doubt that our College is entering a very important period of new facili es, student growth, expanding academic opportuni es and ongoing academic success. It is extremely important that we remember that we are all key contributors to the ongoing and long‐term success of our College. YEAR 12 – 2012 The College is rightly proud of our Year 12 students of 2012, who performed very credibly with many posi ve individual results. A significant number of our students received excellent individual Study Scores in their subjects and Australian Ter ary Admission Rank (ATAR) results. The Dux of the College for 2012 was awarded to Johnny Yaacoub with an ATAR of 98.10 This was achieved through a Study Score in Year 11 (2011) of 50 in Further Mathema cs, followed in 2012 with a Study Score of 37 in English, 42 in Mathema cal Methods (CAS), 43 in Physics and 39 in Specialist Mathema cs. This is a great result and the College congratulates Johnny on his hard work and dedica on to his studies. As Dux of the College, Johnny received a $1000 contribu on for future studies, provided by Mr Louis Fleifel. This was presented to Johnny at the Opening School Mass for the Feast of St Maroun on Friday 8 February at Our Lady of Lebanon Church. I congratulate Johnny on being awarded Dux and thank Mr Fleifel for his generous support of the College. Other very commendable results were achieved by a number of students. Joseph El‐Assaad received an ATAR of 95.05, Elie Chahine with an ATAR of 93.40 and Mark Balkis with an ATAR of 89.20. Well done to Joseph, Elie and Mark. Of the forty‐five students who completed VCE in 2012, there were five students who received Study Scores of 40 and above: Johnny Yaacoub received 43 in Physics and 42 in Mathema cal Methods (CAS), Mark Balkis received 42 in IT Applica ons and Elie Chahine received 42 in IT Applica ons and 40 in Mathema cal Methods (CAS). In addi on, there were an addi onal forty individual study scores between 35 and 39. The student with the highest Study Score received the academic prize for each of the VCE subjects offered in 2012. A summary of each of the subject prize recipients is outlined below: Biology Joseph El‐Assaad Business Management Jana Chalhoub Chemistry Joseph El‐Assaad English Stephani Maalouf, Mark Balkis & Jana Chalhoub Further Mathema cs Jana Chalhoub Health & Human Development Nancy El‐Dekkan IT Applica ons Mark Balkis & Elie Chahine Interac ve Digital Media Rabih Mazloum & Ibrahim Ramadi Legal Studies Nancy El‐Dekkan LOTE ‐ Arabic Nadine Al‐Najle & Jon Melhem Mathema cal Methods CAS Johnny Yaacoub Physics Johnny Yaacoub Psychology Jana Chalhoub Religion and Society Jana Chalhoub Specialist Mathema cs Johnny Yaacoub Visual Communica on & Design Deana Namrood The College congratulated each of these students at the Antonine College ‐ St Joseph Campus Academic Assembly on Friday 1st February 2013, where they were presented with their respec ve subject awards and joined the staff for a celebratory morning tea. Special men on was also noted for Jana Chalhoub, who received the highest study score for each of her five classes in 2012. This is a very significant achievement. Deputy Principal – Teaching and learning Mr Robert Fomia In addi on to these fine results of the students listed above, there were many other very sa sfying individual results in 2012 in the inaugural class of the Victorian Cer ficate of Applied Learning (VCAL). This new ini a ve has been very successful and I recognise the hard work and posi ve contribu on from all the VCAL teachers in 2012. More informa on about VCAL is contained in this newsle er with an ar cle from Ms Fran Davey, the VCAL Coordinator. The College acknowledges the dedica on and exper se of all the teachers who have walked with and guided the students of 2012 across all year levels over their en re me at Antonine. INTRODUCTION OF SIMON IN 2013 From the commencement of the 2013 academic year, Antonine College has adopted a new Learning Management System called SIMON. This new system will be u lised by staff, students and parents. Staff have already begun to extensively use the system with students from Years 5 to 12 now beginning to use the many different components. SIMON will allow students access the following areas: metable, classroom changes, daily messages, calendar, school links, learning areas, class curriculum, homework tasks, school resources and library resources. An integral part of the Learning Areas is that students will now be able to access informa on about all their metabled classes. Each teacher will start to place curriculum resources, homework tasks, assessment tasks and all other classroom resources on to the Learning Areas in the coming term. Students will also be able to submit and upload homework and assessment tasks. The student calendar will also provide a summary of all assessment and homework due dates. This new system allows each student to take much greater control of your their individual learning. Students must also access their email when they are away from school through SIMON. This new system will be used for all year levels but will obviously have different levels of student engagement depending on their par cular year level. Students from Years 5 to 12 should log on as soon as they can and look at the different areas that are available to them within SIMON. The old system of MyClasses will no longer be in use for students and staff later this term. During term two, parents will also begin to have access to SIMON to see the current progress of your children at school. Eventually all reports will also be available through SIMON. There will be informa on sessions conducted for SIMON during term 2. SIMON represents a fantas c opportunity for teachers, students and parents to engage in the many different aspects of the Antonine College community. It represents a very exci ng and engaging me. I encourage all members of the Antonine Community to become involved in all aspects of the College and wish everyone a successful 2013. Finance Department TUITION FEES 2013 2013 Tui on Fees Statements were mailed last week to all families; if you haven’t received your statement please contact the office to request a copy.  First instalment of 2013 Tui on Fees is due on Thursday 28th February 2013 and needs to be paid on me as it is required for the ongoing costs of the College.  Laptop Parent Contribu ons for all year levels are now overdue and need to be paid immediately. If you have any queries regarding laptop payments and balances please contact the office.  Credit Card Authorisa on can be faxed to the Accounts Department on 9354 1399.  Direct Deposit facili es are available. Please contact Mrs Reina Osta on 9354 1377 if you wish to use this facility or if you have any other enquiries regarding the fees. Ms Chris na Staunton‐Burke RE Coordinator F‐12 Religious Educa on Report YEAR OF FAITH “Today, 50 years since the opening of the Second Va can Ecumenical Council, we begin with great joy the Year of Faith,” proclaimed Pope Benedict XVI as he launched the Year of Faith in front of 30,000 pilgrims who were gathered in St Peter’s Square for the Opening Mass on Thursday 11 October. In this Year of Faith, the Holy Father would like to see all Catholics worldwide, come to a deeper understanding of the faith, to live the faith more fully and to make an effort to share the faith with others. In his Apostolic Le er Porta Fidei, Door of Faith, Pope Benedict reminds us that: “Faith grows when it is lived as an experience of love received and when it is communicated as an experience of grace and joy” (PF 7). As we now know, Pope Benedict XVI has re red from the Papal throne, the first Pope to resign in over six hundred years. This is such a significant event not only for Catholics but for all people throughout the world. May we keep Pope Benedict in our prayers as we pray for his successor. “GROWING IN FAITH TOGETHER” Our 2013 Opening Mass celebrated by Monsignor Joe Takchi at Our Lady of Lebanon Church, Thornbury on Friday 8th February, marked yet again a wonderful start to our college year. We came together to celebrate the feast of St Maroun our patron saint and founder of the Maronite Church. We welcomed and prayed for our new Staff, Students and Parents and commissioned our College Leaders who will serve our College Community. Class representa ves were invited to come forward for the blessing and presenta on of the 2013 class candles which will be used at prayer mes throughout the year as we live out this year’s College theme: “Growing in Faith Together.” Each one of us has been called to deepen our understanding of our faith, by drawing closer to God through prayer, reading the scriptures and trea ng others with respect, generosity and compassion. Special thanks to our Founda on children who were not present but had prepared a poster for the Opening Mass. We pray for them as they begin their school journey. Through the grace of God may we grow in faith together as we face the joys and challenges of our new school year. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM Catholic educa on ‘promotes the full human development of every person according to the gospel of Jesus Christ.’ Catholic Schools on the Threshold of the 3rd Millennium The central aim of the Religious Educa on program is to help our students develop a conscious, loving rela onship with God, in Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit. We are commi ed as a Maronite Catholic learning community, based on the life of St Maroun to sustaining and celebra ng our faith through Prayer, Liturgy, the Scriptures, Sacraments and Social Jus ce programs. The Coming To Know, Worship and Love religious educa on framework (Founda on ‐ Year 10) which underpins our Religious Educa on Program is produced by the Catholic Educa on Office Melbourne. It has been designed to enhance and consolidate the series of religious educa on student texts To Know Worship & Love u lised in Religion classes. Our VCE students have the opportunity to study Religion and Society, Religion and Art and Religion and Media in Year 11. This year an internal RE school based program (designed to provide students about to enter ter ary, workplace and other post‐school environments, with an emerging adult perspec ve of their faith) is offered to Year 12 students. SACRAMENT, PRAYER AND LITURGY Our students will have numerous opportuni es to experience a living faith through the sacraments, prayer and liturgy. We welcome back Father Edmond Andraos (Cedar Chaplain), Father Alain Fares (Year 7‐10 St Joseph Campus Chaplain) supported by Monsignor Joe Takchi our Maronite Parish Priest (VCE St Joseph Campus Chaplain). WELCOME SISTER CHADIA A very warm welcome to Sr Chadia Abou Antoun who has taken over Sister Ib ssam’s role in the RE Department at Cedar Campus. Religious Educa on Report Ms Chris na Staunton‐Burke RE Coordinator F‐12 ASH MONDAY On Ash Monday, the beginning of Lent, we began our journey towards Easter. Ash Monday Mass on 11th February was a ended by Year 4‐8 students at Our Lady of Lebanon Church whilst prayer services including the distribu on of the ashes were held for the Year 9‐12 students at St Joseph Campus and the Founda on to Year 3 students at HAVE A NICE LENT Cedar Campus. SEASON WITH JESUS The cross of ashes marked on our foreheads calls us to turn away from sin and follow Jesus. In our Maronite Tradi on, Lent is a fi y‐day period of prayer, self‐denial and helping others. It is a me for us all to look at our lives, repent our sins and believe in the Good News of Jesus Christ. Lent ends with the celebra on of the Resurrec on of Jesus on Sunday 31st March. PROJECT COMPASSION “We work towards a brighter and more humane world so as to open doors into the future.” The theme of this year’s Project Compassion is “Open Doors Into The Future”, taken from Pope Benedict’s 2007 Encyclical Spe Salvi, 35. This Lent we have a great opportunity to show our compassion and take ac on for the poor by suppor ng Project Compassion. Posters and Project Compassion Boxes have been placed on both campuses and all money donated will be sent to Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for Interna onal Aid and Development. I also recommend that you view the Caritas website www.caritas.org.au to find out more about how we can help Caritas Australia, to open doors into educa on, sustainable livelihoods, affordable healthcare and suppor ve, safe environments. CARITAS GUEST SPEAKER Last Monday we were fortunate to have Edson Quezada Rodriguez, the founder and the coordinator of Centro Crea vo Ar s co “educar es fiesta” (educa on is celebra on) in Bolivia to speak to our Year 7 students. It was a great opportunity for them to hear Edson’s story first hand and to witness the circus skills and teaching strategies that impact on young Bolivian lives. Edson’s professional life has been dedicated to working with disadvantaged children and youth in the area of educa on and performing arts. Using a unique methodology to reach communi es and at‐risk children using ac vi es focused on the arts, “educar es fiesta” also aims to contribute to the strengthening of communi es, families and children through the promo on of peace and conflict resolu on, learning to treat others with respect, the raising of self‐
esteem and an awareness of human rights. The circus school is transforming the lives of children and young adults. Week Two of Project Compassion features the story a young man Raymundo whose life has been transformed by his associated with Edson and “educar es fiesta”. SCHOOL RETREATS Lent is a me for growing closer to God and retreats help us to think more deeply about our rela onship with God. During the months of February and March our Year 5, 6 and 7 students have the opportunity to a end year level retreats at Don Bosco, Sydney Road, Brunswick, whilst our Year 12 students will a end an overnight retreat at Amberley, Lower Plenty. More details in our next newsle er. Mr Abraham Diab Head of Cedar Campus Cedar Campus Report
Dear Parents/Guardians, WELCOME: I’d like to welcome all our families, especially new families to our school community. I know you will have a long and happy associa on with our school and you will soon see what a special place Antonine College is. It is pleasing to see everyone excited, refreshed and looking forward to a great 2013. The children were very excited to start back, to see their teachers and friends and to share their holiday stories. Please do not hesitate to contact me at Cedar with any queries you may have throughout the year. ANAPHYLAXIS MANAGEMENT We feel that all parents should be aware that there is a child in our school with a severe life‐threatening food allergy to nuts, sesame seeds and eggs called Anaphylaxis (ana‐fill‐axis). This is a medical condi on that causes a severe reac on to specific foods or other materials, and can result in death within minutes. Although peanuts and peanut products are the most common foods to cause anaphylaxis, shellfish, fish, eggs, sulphites, milk, sesame seeds, soy or any other food can cause this dangerous condi on. In recent years, anaphylaxis has increased drama cally among students. Although this may or may not affect your child’s class directly, we want to inform you so that you may choose to send foods to school with your child that are free from nuts, sesame S U M M E R U N I F O R M / D R E S S C O D E : seeds and eggs. It is great to see so many of our students wearing our The College has procedures for the preven on and school uniform with pride. Wearing of the uniform is management of anaphylac
c reac ons. If you are interested, compulsory and our school dress code should be contact the school office for further informa on. Further followed at all mes. informa on is also available through Department of Educa on During term 1 all students are required to wear their and Early Childhood Development. clean and complete summer uniform at all me. Sports If your child has health related allergies of any kind, please uniform is only to be worn on the days your child has inform your child’s teacher or office staff immediately so that sports. All items of clothing which are removable or the necessary health protec
on steps may be taken. Thank school items such as bags, lunch boxes, bo les etc. must you for your understanding and co‐opera on in ensuring the be clearly marked with your child’s name. Nail polish is safest environment. not allowed. Students who a end school with inappropriate hair styles and excessive amounts of cosme c products in their hair or on their bodies will not S T U D E N T P L A N N E R S be tolerated and parents will be contacted. Please ensure All students in Founda on ‐ 6 have been issued with a school for boys that it is neat and dy, one colour and no longer diary. School diaries are an important communica on tool than collar length. For girls one colour and hair that is between parents and teachers. Homework tasks and longer than collar length will need to be ed back and reminders will be wri en in the student planner regularly. secured with a blue elas c, ribbon or clip. Please refer to Please remember to check and sign your child’s diary and your child’s student planner for a more detailed communicate with their teacher using this method. descrip on of the dress code policy. Thank you for your  STUDENT OF THE WEEK AWARDS 
support and understanding. Founda on A Tahlya Mardini A reminder that all students are to be wearing the Antonine College School Hat. No Hat No Play. Students Founda on B Isabella Mar n who are not wearing the correct college hat will be asked Founda on C Sienna El‐Zain 1A Gerges Diab to sit under shelter. 1B Mohammed El Hayek It is also fantas c to see most students with the 2A Angelo Yousif necessary sta onery equipment to start the school year. 2B Souad Ahmad It is important that your child has everything that they 3A Larrissa Haifa need so that no valuable learning me is lost in the 3B Angelo Hawas classroom. Please ensure that everything is labelled with 4A Nicole Abou‐Ghalioum your child’s name. 4B Jonathan Tabet 5A Jessica Samie BIRTHDAY PARTY POLICY 5B Julie Chehade Birthdays are not to be celebrated at the college. This 6A Rebecca Bou‐Khazen was established to be fair to all students and to limit 6B Rebecca Saad distrac ons from teaching. The policy forbids bringing ARABIC Mariam Wehbe food, treats or party invita ons to school. All birthdays ARABIC Pamela Bou‐Antoun will be acknowledged in class and at assembly. LIBRARY Dib Diab Cedar Campus Library Mr Gavan Kelly College Teacher Librarian F‐12 The 2013 year has well and truly commenced and all classes at Cedar campus have visited the library at least three mes to borrow books; listen to, read and engage with quality literature; and locate informa on for research and class work. The new Founda on students were quite overwhelmed on their first visit but it was fantas c to see so many of them had their College library bag with them to make sure their books would be protected from damage and being lost. They now understand that they can borrow a book to read and enjoy at home with mum and dad or their big brothers and sisters, then return them the next week to get another book. A much be er idea than buying books at a bookshop! Founda on A Love to Read! A reminder that all students at Cedar campus are encouraged to borrow books for research and reading pleasure on a regular basis and that they should be using a library bag when they do so. Students earn points for their house team each me they bring their library bag to school and these points contribute to the awarding of the house shield each year. The College library bag is part of each student’s uniform and sta onary requirements and can be purchased for $10.00 from the uniform shop at St Joseph campus or the front office at Cedar campus. Last year was designated the Na onal Year of Reading right throughout Australia. At Antonine College many events and programs were conducted to ins l in the Founda on students exploring students a life‐long love of reading. Students who are passionate readers have interac ve stories on the iPads greater literacy success so it is a goal of our College libraries to promote books and reading to improve student learning outcomes in literacy. A measure of our success in achieving this is the sta s cal report on the number of books borrowed from the library. In 2012, with approximately 350 students enrolled at Cedar campus, over 14 000 books were circulated through the library. That is an average of 40 books for each student! Throughout 2013 we will con nue to engage students with author visits, Book Week ac vi es, dress‐up days, interac ve stories on iPads, par cipa on in the Simultaneous Story me event, access to new books by favourite authors, and an array of many other reading based ac vi es. As parents, you can share in developing your child’s posi ve experiences of literature and reading by spending me discussing what everyone in the family is reading, finding regular mes when everyone reads quietly in the home, and showing an interest in the books your child is borrowing from the College library. I am confident that we will con nue to see a growth in the number of books that are borrowed by students from both campus libraries and I look forward to repor ng back to you in the College newsle er and Antonine Annual the results of our endeavours. F‐12 Maths at Antonine College 2013 Miss Amy Kilpatrick F‐12 Numeracy Coordinator Welcome back to another big year at Antonine College. We look forward to seeing all students from Founda on to Year 12 working hard throughout the year. As students get older it some mes becomes more difficult to keep them interested in Maths. In order to keep students focused and engaged during the year and in future years I have included some ideas for you, the parents, to help your child. Don’t forget that as a parent, you have the power to make a tremendous difference in your child’s success by staying informed and involved. FOUNDATION, YEAR 1 AND YEAR 2  Think and speak posi vely about Maths. Try not to say to your child that you were never good at Maths at school. This promotes a nega ve image of Maths and encourages your child to stop thinking that Maths is important. Instead talk about the importance of Maths in our lives and how we use it everyday.  Use home and family ac vi es as ‘teachable moments’. Pre y much anything can be counted ‐ for example, biscuits, vegetables, or money. Get your child to help you count these items. Also cooking requires measurements. Get your child to help you measure the 150mL of milk or the 1kg of mince you need when baking or cooking dinner. YEAR 3 AND YEAR 4  Take me for games that reinforce Maths and thinking skills. Play games like Monopoly, Ba leship, or Mastermind to get your child using their number skills and thinking strategies. This will help them reinforce the skills they have learnt and they won’t even realise they are doing Maths!  What does your child want to be when they grow up? Talk to your child about what they want to be when they grow up and the Maths they would need to understand in order to help them reach their goal. For example, fashion designers need to know how much material to order, and builders need to be able to measure items to a specific length. These are the skills they will learn in Maths. YEAR 5 AND YEAR 6  It’s OK if it’s hard. Everyone that’s good at something has to prac ce in order to stay good at it. Help your child learn that if they put their mind to it, they can do anything. Encourage them to challenge themselves and enjoy the success of solving a difficult problem.  Review what they have learnt. Year 5 & 6 students are ge ng ready for the transi on to secondary school, therefore they will need to review the necessary skills to help them be successful when they get there. Encourage your child to solve ‘real‐life’ problems, for example, give them $5 ‐ ask them what they could buy for lunch or how many songs they could download from iTunes. YEAR 7, YEAR 8, YEAR 9 AND YEAR 10  Make sure your child has a quiet, comfortable space to work at home. This helps them complete their homework correctly and make sure they are able to think clearly. It is also important to make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and eats a good breakfast.  Make sure your child goes to school every day. Every day your child misses, they miss something important in Maths. In secondary school there are lots of topics to cover and work becomes more challenging. Children can become stressed when they have to make up the work they have missed at school as well as the regular homework they must complete.  Talk to your child. The middle years of secondary school can be difficult. Take the me to listen to your child and praise any and all progress. Try to con nue conversa ons about what they are doing at school and show interest.  Look ahead. Start researching your child’s op ons for their career. What subjects do they need to par cipate in to have access to the course or work op on they want? Most courses at University require at least Year 11 Maths to apply. The careers counsellor can help you with this. YEAR 11 AND YEAR 12  ‘I’m proud of you’. Tell your child that you are proud of their accomplishments and the achievement of gradua ng from secondary school. Today’s world requires more educa on than ever before so it is important to con nue to encourage their efforts. Source: ‘Mul ply Your Child’s Success’ wri en by the Na onal Math and Science Ini a ve, Texas. For more informa on go to www.na onalmathandsciencesuccess.org Miss Jessica Gorlin F‐10 Humani es Domain Coordinator History Week ‐ March 25th‐28th Throughout their years of schooling at Antonine, the students experience a vast array of History topics. They inves gate their own personal histories, local history, the history of Australia and the Ancient, Medieval, War me and modern eras. Each of these is celebrated during our annual History Week and this year we have a number of exci ng ac vi es planned. The Medieval Knights will be returning to demonstrate ba le techniques to the Year Eights. The Year Tens will be exploring WW2 aircra at the RAAF Museum in Point Cook. The Year Sevens are going to learn about the conserva on and preserva on of our past at the Melbourne Museum and Grade Two students will be looking at the way the suburb of Coburg developed over me, when they visit a 150 year old Bluestone Co age on Bell Street. Now that Antonine College is offering VCAL in the senior levels, we have also had the opportunity to involve a team of student project officers in History week. They will prepare a historically themed morning tea at both campuses and be responsible for budge ng, coordina ng and running the en re event as part of their learning. We’re looking forward to the games, posters, displays and costume compe ons that are always a part of this annual celebra on and hope that the students take home with them some happy memories of the ac vi es they were able to par cipate in. 2007_In costume at the 2008_A chainmail making workshop 2006_Mrs Diab figh ng a Knight Melbourne Museum 2009_Making an Egyp an mummy 2010_A Medieval Castle on display 2012_A Collec on of Medieval Characters 2011_Wri ng with Ink and Quill 2012_Red Poppies for Anzac Day Literacy Report ‐ Cedar Ms Ayn Walsh‐Richardson Reading Recovery Teacher and Literacy Coordinator F‐6 I am pleased to be con nuing in my role as the Reading Recovery Teacher, helping year 1 students to become independent readers and writers. Also, I have taken on the posi on of Literacy Coordinator while Ms Gentle is on leave. The classroom teachers have been busy assessing all of the students in F‐6 and they will use the results from the assessments to plan and cater for each student’s needs. We value parental involvement, therefore, it is important to support your child with home reading as they need to prac se their reading skills every day. It helps them build vocabulary knowledge and comprehension. Teachers and parents need to work together to achieve the best outcomes for all students. R E A D I N G W I T H Y O U R C H I L D Things to do before reading  Encourage your child to look at the tle and the cover of the book. Things to do while reading  Praise your child.  Some mes follow the words with your finger.  Point out words in the text and explain what they mean.  Ask your child ques ons.  Encourage your child to look at the pictures for clues if they do not know a word. Things to do after reading  Talk about the book and encourage your child to re‐read parts of the story.  Talk about the characters, the storyline and where the story took place e.g. home, beach, inside or outside. Learning Support Ms Nandy Awadalla F‐12 Learning Support Domain Leader Welcome back to another school year. What a posi ve beginning to the year we have seen. Term 1 has been as busy as ever as we focused on se ling our students in, assis ng them with their organisa on and ge ng back into the school rou ne. At Antonine College we strive to meet the educa onal needs of all our students. We aim to provide students who may have addi onal needs or require extra assistance with the opportunity to do this in an inclusive and suppor ve educa onal environment. Our wonderful Learning Support Team consists of Mrs Dolly Blanco and Ms Natalia Rypien at St Joseph Campus, Mrs Mona Georgios, Mrs Adriana Borg and Mrs Arlene Miller at Cedar Campus. This wonderful team of staff work relessly with our students suppor ng them with their learning, organisa on, social skills and so much more. We are very fortunate to welcome back our experienced teacher Mrs Maria Amaru who will be running Numeracy Interven on Groups at Cedar alongside our talented teachers Mr Paul Tarabay and Ms Chantelle Gauci. Mrs Amaru will also be suppor ng our Founda on, Year 1 and Year 2 students with developing their Oral Language and Literacy skills. We hope that 2013 will con nue to be a successful year as we work together with staff, students and parents in catering for the needs of all our students. Co‐Curricular & SRC at Cedar
Mr Nick Triantafillopoulos Co‐Curricular: Founda on‐6 & SRC Coordinator CO‐CURRICULAR AT CEDAR It has been a fantas c start to the year with Co‐Curricular ac vi es at Cedar Campus. Students across all year levels have had the opportunity to be involved in a number of ac vi es offered to them. This term we have seen the con nua on of the Homework Club, every Tuesday in the school library. The program provides a quiet, well‐resourced area for students to complete homework with assistance from the teachers. Students have also been par cipa ng in the Ac ve A er School Communi es Program. Sports such as table‐tennis and basketball have been a great success with children. Also, our Chess Club has seen an influx of students, eager to start learning some chess fundamentals. In addi on, the students of Year 3, 4 and 5 have had the chance to ac vely par cipate in the Mul cultural Program run by the Carlton Football Club on the grounds of our school. The objec ve of the program is to assist children to access Australian Football whether that is as a player, fan, administrator or umpire. Finally, we look forward to more fun and engaging Co‐curricular ac vi es in the upcoming months at Cedar Campus. SRC CEDAR CAMPUS LEADERS 2013 Congratula ons to the following students who were chosen as SRC leaders of the Cedar Campus for 2013. They have each pledged to lead our school with perseverance, dignity and strength and with opening and welcoming arms. Our SRC Cedar Leaders have wasted no me in choosing to support and promote Project Compassion during this Lent. They have been ac vely encouraging students from Cedar Campus to open their hearts and give generously to help end poverty. NASSAR:  Captains James Melhem Angel Mousa  Vice‐Captains Ghadeer Ibrahim Jamie Merhi MACKILLOP:  Captains Elias El‐Tawil Amalya Roma  Vice‐Captains Leo Amad Shinelle Younis MAROUN:  Captains Bryan Goro Lucia Taouk  Vice‐Captains Charles El‐Khoury Samia Elkhoury PATERSON:  Captains Anthony Ghantous Josephine Ghosn  Vice‐Captains Anthony Gerges Yvonne Abou‐Issa