Term 4 Issue October 2014

TERM 4 UNIFORM SHOP OPERATING HOURS Tuesdays 10.00am-1.30pm Wednesday: 8.00am—11.00am Fridays 10.00am—1.30pm Phone Number 9799 6163 CASH/EFTPOS or CREDIT CARDS accepted Cheques payable to TALEB AUSTRALIA Lay-bys available

Term 4 Issue 15

17 October 2014

From the Principal… Dear Parents, Staff, Students and Friends of the Bethlehem Community, The HSC Class of 2014 commenced their examinations this week and, as a community I would ask that we keep our young women in your prayers for the duration of the HSC examinations. Prayer for HSC students Today, let us especially pray for our young people as they begin the HSC. God we ask that they especially feel your closeness during the HSC exam period. Give them calm hearts and quiet confidence in the knowledge that you hold them in the palm of your hand. Bless them with keen understanding and retentive memory. Give them the ability to grasp things correctly, be exact in their explanations And an ability to express themselves clearly. Point out the beginning, direct their progress and help in them in the completion of each of their responses. Holy Spirit send them your gifts of wisdom and knowledge We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen Announcement of new Archbishop of Sydney At 8pm on Thursday September 18, the official announcement came from the Apostolic Nuncio in Australia, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, indicating that Sydney has a new Archbishop. Bishop Fisher is currently the Bishop of Parramatta and has an impressive Curriculum Vitae as you will see below: “Baptised Anthony Colin Fisher in 1960 at St Thérèse Church, Lakemba, he then attended the parish school in 1965 and 1966. Following his early school years at Lakemba, the ninth Archbishop of Sydney, then attended St Michael’s School Lane Cove, Holy Cross College Ryde, and St Ignatius’ College Riverview. He then continued his education at the University of Sydney, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Bachelor of Laws. He then practised Law in Sydney. In 1985, Anthony Fisher entered the Novitiate of the Order of Preachers (The Dominicans) and then studied for the priesthood in Melbourne. He graduated from his Theological studies at the Yarra Theological Union in Melbourne with Honours. He made his final Religious Profession as a Dominican Friar on February 18, 1991 and was ordained to the Priesthood on September 14, 1991. Anthony Fisher would continue his studies, completing a Doctorate in Bioethics from Oxford University. According to his biography, "from 1995 to 2000 he was a lecturer in the Australian Catholic University. From 2000 to 2003 he was foundation Director of the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and the Family, Melbourne. Bishop Anthony remains Professor of Moral Theology and Bioethics in the Institute. During this time he was also Master of Students (seminarians) in the Dominican Order and Socius (deputy) to the Provincial." In 2004, he became a Member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, which advises the Church on bioethics. He has also published Catholic Bioethics for a New Millennium (Cambridge University Press). He was made Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. In that role, he was a Vicar‐ General for the Archdiocese of Sydney, Episcopal Vicar for Life and Health, Chair of the Sydney Catholic Schools Board and had responsibility for the coordination of World Youth Day 2008, in Sydney. Bishop Fisher has since served as Deputy‐Chancellor of the Catholic Institute of Sydney, Adjunct Professor University of Notre Dame Australia, and a "member of the Company of the Australian Catholic University". In 2011 Bishop Fisher received the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Notre Dame Australia. Through all of these achievements, evangelisation and youth remain a key priority.” Archbishop Elect Fisher will be formally installed at a ceremony at St Mary's Cathedral on Thursday 12 November at 7pm. Archdiocesan Catholic schools have been asked to play a special part in the installation ceremony. Formal invitations will be sent to four student leaders from each of the secondary schools in the diocese. They will represent their college at this significant event. Reflection My reflection for this newsletter comes from journalist Geraldine Doogue, whom many of you would recognize as the host of ABC TV's Compass, and Saturday Extra on Radio National. “Our hopes for the new archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher- “ What are the ideal characteristics of a man taking on the formidable job of Archbishop of Sydney in this early 21st century? Bishops have always occupied a venerable place in the life of the church. Even though Rome has steadily centralised its power in the last 150 years, the temperament and approach of a local bishop really matters to his people, more than is generally recognised by our largely secular society.

So as a Sydney Catholic, what am I seeking from Anthony Fisher? First, the Archbishop needs to be a pastoral man, who sees his job as nurturing the people of Sydney. He doesn't have to be an avuncular soul necessarily, like Pope Francis, but he needs to prove that he likes us.

He needs to build on the virtues of Sydney, not merely define its vices; for there are many virtues in this big town, marked by generosity of spirit, vitality and creativity. As St Ironaeus said in the early second century: The greatest testament to the presence of God is a man (or woman) fully alive. That, in my view, is a good description of Sydney, which despite all its flaws, stands ready to contribute much to modern Australia. He should revel in drawing lay people right inside the tent, by recognising their readiness to serve and the talents just waiting to be exploited on behalf of the church. He should be humble enough to know that only skills from outside the hierarchy will save the church's reputation and refresh it now in the eyes of modern Australia. He should especially realise how much women are keen to be invited into the venture. They have been the long-term faithful and lament, more than most, the drift they see in their parishes. He needs to reassure himself – and those of us in the pews – that the church's tradition has so much to offer modern Australians, if accessed in ways that apply to contemporary dilemmas. This is not easy to divine but really is a critical challenge. He needs to expend multiple energies, plumbing the wonders of church writings in order to refresh them for Australians and use all the modern techniques to spread the word. Plus he needs to continue the journey, full of shame, repentance and self-knowing, that I assess is well underway about sexual abuse. I think Winston Churchill's end-of-the-beginning remarks genuinely do apply to the hierarchy's approach, which implies, just as at the start of World War II, that there is still much to come. Above all, the Archbishop needs to model an authentic sense of hope, so that it becomes contagious. It has to be "of him", whatever that means, nothing bogus. Otherwise, why bother? This is my list for what I think will be necessary to encourage some church flourishing. Others will emphasise different priorities. I wish our new Archbishop Anthony the very best of luck. 27th General Chapter of the Sisters of Charity of Australia- Election of the new leadership Team On Sunday evening, 21st September 82 Delegates to the 27th General Chapter of the Sisters of Charity of Australia gathered at St Joseph’s Centre for Reflective Living at Baulkham Hills. A Chapter is a special meeting of a group of Religious to discern the future direction and to elect the leaders who will carry forward the plans agreed at the Chapter. The Chapter included discussion, prayerful reflection and a discernment process leading to the election of Sr Clare Nolan as Congregational Leader and Sr Margaret Beirne, Sr Suzette Clark and Sr Catherine (Cate) O’Brien as Councillors for a sixyear term that will commence on 8th December and continue for six years.

We are Sisters of Charity, women of Mary Aikenhead,
 contemplatives in action
impelled by the love of Christ. We live the joy of the Gospel. We respond courageously to the call to mission, going out to the margins,
 walking in partnership with others.

Student news Monique Cambria - HSC Dance Callback Nomination Callback is a selection of outstanding performances and projects from HSC Dance students. It will be held at the Seymour Centre, University of Sydney in February 2015. Monique Cambria, one of our very talented 2014 HSC Dance students has been nominated for inclusion in Callback based on her performance in the practical examination marked externally by representatives of the Board of Studies in three categories: Core Composition Core Performance Major Study Performance. Nominations for Callback are rare, but nominations in all three categories are even rarer. This is only the second HSC Dance class that Bethlehem College presented for the HSC and this is also the second nomination our dancers have received. It is a wonderful achievement for Monique and her teachers Ms Carla Hankinson and Mrs Ashleigh Boyle who have guided and supported her throughout the course. Further selections will occur before the final list of dancers is chosen for Callback in February. We wish Monique every success in the next stage of the process and want to let her know how very proud we are of her achievements. Rhiannon Carr—Swimming Rhiannon Carr of Year 9 is a swimmer who has competed at an elite level for a number of years and achieved outstanding results. In November, she will travel to Adelaide to compete in the Australia Open Age Short Course Swimming Championships. She has qualified for two events: the 50 and 100m Butterfly events and is also seeking qualification in the 200m event. We wish Rhiannon our best wishes for the championships and look forward to hearing of her success on her return. Naome Rusera—NSW National History Challenge Naome of Year 10 is a state winner in the National History Challenge for 2014. Naome’s entry has been deemed best in NSW in the Women’s History category. Naome will attend a presentation ceremony for the NSW state winners on 22 October 2014. Cindy Robson—Figure Skating Cindy of Year 7 will be competing at the National Figure Skating Competition in Brisbane late November. -2-

Bethlehem College—Issue 15 Student News (cont’d) Ruby Busuttil of Year 9 successfully auditioned for the 2014 CaSPA SENIOR TheatreWorks ensemble which recently commenced rehearsal. The SENIOR TheatreWorks production this year is "Lockie Leonard - Human Torpedo". Adapted for the stage from the acclaimed book by Tim Winton. During Wk 8 this term CaSPA will be taking the production 'on the road' around the three CEO regions doing a total of 8 school performances. I would like to congratulate all the students on their outstanding work and commitment. Well done. Message of thanks from Sisters of Charity Outreach In the last newsletter I wrote of our success in winning the Secondary School Wests Ashfield Leagues Club Community Service Awards for the work of our Faith in Action group. The College received a cheque for $3,000 to continue its social justice work but the College’s nominated charity, Sisters of Charity Outreach also received a cheque for $1,000. This week I received a letter of thanks from Sister Pauline Nicholson rsc, Executive Director of Sisters of Charity Outreach and I wanted to share part of the content with you: “Congratulations to Bethlehem College Faith in Action Group winning the Secondary School Diviision in the Wests Ashfield Leagues Club Community Service Awards. Your girls would be just the best volunteers and that, blended with taking a stand on mandatory detention of asylum seeking children by the Australian Federal Government makes a very good citizen package developing. It is a privilege for us that Sisters of Charity Outreach was your nominated charity. You can be assured that the donation will support those in need through our services. We are indeed grateful. It confirms what we always say: ‘there is something special about Bethlehem.”

Mental Health Month at Bethlehem College Mental Health Month NSW is part of a national mental health promotion campaign held throughout October each year. The theme for Mental Health Month this year is ‘beYOUnique!’ This theme promotes acceptance and an understanding of the impact that being proud of who we are can have on our wellbeing. It is about celebrating our strengths and differences and being ourselves! This theme aims to encourage all of us to consider our strengths and challenges and nurture our own ‘unique worth’. We should also take the opportunity to support the people in our lives and celebrate their own individual qualities that make them unique. This year, for the first time, Bethlehem College has joined the campaign with a range of activities aimed at raising awareness of mental illness. Our campaign began last Thursday with a visit by a guest speaker from the Black Dog Institute. The Black Dog Institute is a world leader in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder. They have an outstanding education program with over 150 speakers who volunteer their time to speak to schools and other groups about Mood disorders, Bipolar disorder and Depression. Our Years 10 and 11 students were privileged to hear from Shannai Pearce. Shannai is a 23 year old student living in Sydney. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Behavioural Studies with plans to do a Masters in Social Work. Shannai is passionate about instigating change in the community through facilitating awareness. Shannai was diagnosed with depression, anxiety and PTSD at the age of 14 and is particularly passionate about helping youths as a result.

http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au

She spoke from the heart about her battles with depression and anxiety, presented factual information about depression and bipolar disorder but more importantly offered hope to those suffering from these disorders. She connected well with the students with many staying behind after the presentation to ask more questions. I would like to thank Mr Eirth for organizing the presentation. I commend the Black Dog institute to you as a source of great information.

Annual Prom Concert Spectacular
On The Block Bands & Ashfield Concert Band Last Thursday, October 9, On The Block Bands and Ashfield Concert Bands held their Annual Prom Concert Spectacular in the hall. The concert provided the opportunity to showcase the talents of our Block Bands including: the Training, Palm Court, and Ashfield Concert Community Bands in addition to individual performances from some of our Music scholarship students. It was fantastic to see how far the bands have developed in the last 12 months under Mr Howes’ direction. The highlight for me was the combined performance by the Palm Court and Ashfield Concert Community bands. See page 9 for a few photos of the evening.

Mr Howes, the Coordinator of the Band Program, had also secured a guest appearance from professional performers including: Rosamund Plummer’- Principal Piccolo from the Sydney Symphony, Vatche Jambzian (left), an emerging International pianist, Michael Griffen saxophonist and James Morrison Scholarship Finalist, Pip, the Comic Illusionist and many others who kept the large audience entertained with their extraordinary talents. It was a major coup to have so many talented local performers grace the stage of our humble school hall offering inspiration and encouragement to our younger performers. I would like to thank Mr Howes for his coordination of the evening and the preparation of all of the bands for their performances. I would also like to thank Mrs Bowyer, Ms Sukkar, Ms Stewart and Mr Bowyer for their assistance on the night.

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Bethlehem College—Issue 15 Croydon Park Festival During the past few weeks we have been advertising the Croydon Park Festival, a series of satellite events along Georges River Road to promote businesses and services in the Croydon Park areas. The very lively festival took place last Saturday in glorious sunny conditions. Many of our students had volunteered their time to work at the festival in a variety of roles. One of the highlights for our school was the Underground Art Exhibition held in the underground car park at McDonalds which showcased the talent of local artists including the work of students from Bethlehem and De La Salle Colleges. Thanks are extended to Mrs Guevarra and Ms Buccarelli for the many hours spent setting up the exhibition the day before and giving up their precious family time on the day of the festival to supervise the exhibition.

A message regarding review of safety procedures. Dear Parents/Carers On 12 September 2014, on advice from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Australian Government raised the National Terrorism Public Alert level from ‘Medium’ to ‘High’. With the safety and wellbeing of all members of our community being our highest priority, and in light of this revised rating, the Catholic Education Office has asked that each school review its normal safety procedures to reflect this revised rating. This direction is precautionary only and in most cases, you will not notice anything different. Everyone who enters the school will be required to sign in and out. Office staff will be carefully checking the identification of all visitors. We will be reviewing our critical incident response plan and conducting our normal emergency evacuation practice drills. In the main, it will simply be about being careful and vigilant. If you have any questions or concerns about this matter, please contact the school.

Planning for 2015 We understand at this time of the year families are planning for 2015 and may be making changes – perhaps moving house. We are currently arranging classes for next year and as we have waiting lists for each year level in the junior school, we would appreciate it if you would complete the slip below if your daughter will not be returning to Bethlehem College in 2015. This will enable us to offer places to students on our waiting lists. The families on our waiting lists are very anxious to gain a place at the College and frequently ring our enrolment secretary to establish whether any vacancies exist. If applicable please return the attached form (page 14) to the School Office by 31st October 2014.

Mrs Paula Bounds Principal

Benefit Evening for Mr Tim Huang news update Parents should have received by now information regarding this benefit event on Friday 21st November in the College Hall commencing at 6.30pm. Tickets are now on sale and are selling fast. They are available for purchase ($40.00 each) and collection through the General Office. If you pay for tickets over the phone, the ticket/s will be available for collection either from the General Office or at the benefit night. We would encourage parents to gather some friends and organize a table for the evening. Please contact Mrs Condon by email or phone if you wish to make a donation.

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Bethlehem College—Issue 15 From the Assistant Principal… Welcome back to Term 4. This month we are promoting and engaging in Mental Health Month. Last week the Black Dog Institute presented to Years 10 and 11 about Mental Health. The presenter herself suffers from anxiety and depression and shared her inspirational story. She recounted how she moved from just coping to now thriving as a university student with the help of a supportive network that included, family, friends and a health care team. Below you will find an excellent article published recently in the Huffington Post titled, “9 things every parent with an anxious child should try”. This is a truncated version of the article. You can read the full article at: http://goo.gl/G5JyVg 9 Things Every Parent with an Anxious Child Should Try by Renee Jain, Chief Storyteller at GoZen.com, Well-being Programs for Children 1. Stop Reassuring Your Child Your child worries. You know there is nothing to worry about, so you say, "Trust me. There's nothing to worry about." Done and done, right? We all wish it were that simple. Why does your reassurance fall on deaf ears? It's actually not the ears causing the issue. Your anxious child desperately wants to listen to you, but the brain won't let it happen. During periods of anxiety, there is a rapid dump of chemicals and mental transitions executed in your body for survival. One by-product is that the prefrontal cortex -- or more logical part of the brain -- gets put on hold while the more automated emotional brain takes over. In other words, it is really hard for your child to think clearly, use logic or even remember how to complete basic tasks. What should you do instead of trying to rationalize the worry away? Try something I call the FEEL method: • Freeze -- pause and take some deep breaths with your child. Deep breathing can help reverse the nervous system response. • Empathize -- anxiety is scary. Your child wants to know that you get it. • Evaluate -- once your child is calm, it's time to figure out possible solutions. • Let Go - Let go of your guilt; you are an amazing parent giving your child the tools to manage their worry. 2. Highlight Why Worrying is Good Remember, anxiety is tough enough without a child believing that Something is wrong with me. Many kids even develop anxiety about having anxiety. Teach your kids that worrying does, in fact, have a purpose. When our ancestors were hunting and gathering food there was danger in the environment, and being worried helped them avoid attacks from the saber -toothed cat lurking in the bush. In modern times, we don't have a need to run from predators, but we are left with an evolutionary imprint that protects us: worry. Worry is a protection mechanism. Worry rings an alarm in our system and helps us survive danger. Teach your kids that worry is perfectly normal, it can help protect us, and everyone experiences it from time to time. Sometimes our system sets off false alarms, but this type of worry (anxiety) can be put in check with some simple techniques. 3. Bring Your Child's Worry to Life As you probably know, ignoring anxiety doesn't help. But bringing worry to life and talking about it like a real person can. Create a worry character for your child. In GoZen we created Widdle the Worrier. Widdle personifies anxiety. Widdle lives in the old brain that is responsible for protecting us when we're in danger. Of course, sometimes Widdle gets a little out of control and when that happens, we have to talk some sense into Widdle. You can use this same idea with a stuffed animal or even role-playing at home. Personifying worry or creating a character has multiple benefits. It can help demystify this scary physical response children experience when they worry. It can reactivate the logical brain, and it's a tool your children can use on their own at any time. 4. Teach Your Child to Be a Thought Detective Remember, worry is the brain's way of protecting us from danger. To make sure we're really paying attention, the mind often exaggerates the object of the worry (e.g., mistaking a stick for a snake). You may have heard that teaching your children to think more positively could calm their worries. But the best remedy for distorted thinking is not positive thinking; it's accurate thinking. Try a method we call the 3Cs: • Catch your thoughts: Imagine every thought you have floats above your head in a bubble (like what you see in comic strips). Now, catch one of the worried thoughts like "No one at school likes me." • Collect evidence: Next, collect evidence to support or negate this thought. Teach your child not to make judgments about what to worry about based only on feelings. Feelings are not facts. (Supporting evidence: "I had a hard time finding someone to sit with at lunch yesterday." Negating evidence: "Sherry and I do homework together--she's a friend of mine.") • Challenge your thoughts: The best (and most entertaining) way to do this is to teach your children to have a debate within themselves. 5. Allow Them to Worry As you know, telling your children not to worry won't prevent them from doing so. If your children could simply shove their feelings away, they would. But allowing your children to worry openly, in limited doses, can be helpful. Create a daily ritual called "Worry Time" that lasts 10 to 15 minutes. During this ritual encourage your children to release all their worries in writing. You can make the activity fun by decorating a worry box. During worry time there are no rules on what constitutes a valid worry -- anything goes. When the time is up, close the box and say good-bye to the worries for the day. 6. Help Them Go from What If to What Is You may not know this, but humans are capable of time travel. In fact, mentally we spend a lot of time in the future. For someone experiencing anxiety, this type of mental time travel can exacerbate the worry. A typical time traveler asks what-if questions: "What if I can't open my locker and I miss class?" "What if Suzy doesn't talk to me today?" Research shows that coming back to the present can help alleviate this tendency. One effective method of doing this is to practice mindfulness exercises. Mindfulness brings a child from what if to what is. To do this, help your child simply focus on their breath for a few minutes. 7. Avoid Avoiding Everything that Causes Anxiety Do your children want to avoid social events, dogs, school, planes or basically any situation that causes anxiety? As a parent, do you help them do so? Of course! This is natural. The flight part of the flight-fight-freeze response urges your children to escape the threatening situation. Unfortunately, in the long run, avoidance makes anxiety worse. So what's the alternative? Try a method we call laddering. Kids who are able to manage their worry break it down into manageable chunks. Laddering uses this chunking concept and gradual exposure to reach a goal. Let's say your child is afraid of sitting on the swings in the park. Instead of avoiding this activity, create mini-goals to get closer to the bigger goal (e.g., go to the edge of the park, then walk into the park, go to the swings, and, finally, get on a swing). You can use each step until the exposure becomes too easy; that's when you know it's time to move to the next rung on the ladder.

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Bethlehem College—Issue 15 From the Assistant Principal (cont’d)… 8. Help Them Work Through a Checklist What do trained pilots do when they face an emergency? They don't wing it (no pun intended!); they refer to their emergency checklists. Even with years of training, every pilot works through a checklist because, when in danger, sometimes it's hard to think clearly. When kids face anxiety they feel the same way. Why not create a checklist so they have a step-by-step method to calm down? What do you want them to do when they first feel anxiety coming on? If breathing helps them, then the first step is to pause and breathe. Next, they can evaluate the situation. In the end, you can create a hard copy checklist for your child to refer to when they feel anxious. 9. Practice Self-Compassion Watching your child suffer from anxiety can be painful, frustrating, and confusing. There is not one parent that hasn't wondered at one time or another if they are the cause of their child's anxiety. Here's the thing, research shows that anxiety is often the result of multiple factors (i.e., genes, brain physiology, temperament, environmental factors, past traumatic events, etc.). Please keep in mind, you did not cause your child's anxiety, but you can help them overcome it. Toward the goal of a healthier life for the whole family, practice self-compassion. Remember, you're not alone, and you're not to blame. It's time to let go of debilitating self-criticism and forgive yourself. Love yourself. You are your child's champion.

Wayne Wheatley Assistant Principal

Important Dates Term 4, 2014 17 Oct.-5 Nov. 4 November 20-21 November 25 November 10 December 12 December

15 December

HSC exams continue Students finish early (2.30pm) Staff Meeting Yr10 Retreat at Stanwell Tops 2015 Italian Trip Information Evening 5.30-6.30pm at the College in Lab. 3 College Final Mass (12.00 midday and Farewell to Yr10 leavers. Parents are welcome. Last day for students. Awards Night 5pm in College Hall. End of Year reports will be handed out at the conclusion of the evening. Parent/Student/Teacher day in College Library (non-compulsory)

Important Dates Term 1, 2015 28 January 29 January 4 February 9 February 11 February 20 February

Yrs 7, 11 & 12 students return in full Summer College Uniform ALL students return Yrs7-12 Whole School Photo Day College Swimming Carnival College Opening School Mass & Year 7 Welcome Mass Yr7 Vaccinations (Visit 1) letter will follow early in 2015

Faith in Action – World Vision 40 hour famine and CWF news: This year, the College had an overwhelming response to World Vision’s 40 Hour Famine with over 100 students from varying year groups signing up to support this wonderful initiative. Early last term, the Faith in Action committee invited Justin Nicolle from World Vision to speak to students about the global food crisis. He informed us that malnutrition and hunger-related disease cause 60 percent of deaths in children under five in developing countries each year. Students were inspired to help raise community awareness and much needed funds by getting involved in the 40-hour famine. Many students participated in this year’s famine by sacrificing simple luxuries such as watching television, sitting on a chair or sleeping in a bed. I am pleased to announce that students and staff were able to raise $6,903.60. This significant contribution will go towards the communities, families and children in Rwanda, Africa and will hopefully help create a lasting change to eradicate the global food and hunger crisis. Justin will return to address our College Community in November to inform us where exactly these funds will go and to encourage and thank everyone who supported this cause. On another note, last term the school held a Jersey/mufti Day and raised over $800 for the Charitable Works Funds. The CWF is the leading social welfare agency for the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney. It provides over one hundred community programs and helps thousands of people in need in each year. With out support of the CWF, the Sydney Archdiocese through the six main benefiting agencies is able to carry out its pastoral, social, advocacy and educational works in our local community. Ms Marie Boland

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Bethlehem College—Issue 15 Religious Education News... From the Religious Education Coordinator… Year 8 Archdiocesan Religious Education Test Throughout this year the College’s Religious Education Team has been preparing our Year 8 students for the Sydney Archdiocesan Religious Education Test. On Wednesday the 8th October every Year 8 student in a Catholic School of the Archdiocese of Sydney participated in the examination. We now eagerly await the results of the test in the coming month. Year 11 Reflection Day On Friday 24 October all Year 11 will travel to Concord RSL and Community Club for their Reflection day. The aim of the day is to make students aware of their responsibilities and duties as the 2015 Year 12 leaders of the College community. Different models of leadership will be presented and discussed in relation to Gospel values. A permission note was sent home during the week with all Year 11 Students. Please complete this note and have your daughter return it to a SRC spirituality coordinator. Our Assistant Catechists recognised at the Annual Archdiocesan Catechists Mass On the first Sunday of the School holidays the great work of our Student assistant Catechists were recognised at the Annual Archdiocesan Catechists Mass. It was a beautiful celebration led my Bishop Brady and one of the highlights was a lady receiving an award for 50 years of service as a Catechist.

National Conference on the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees During the school holidays we were very privileged to attend a Towards a Better World Conference Program, at North Sydney's ACU. The three-day conference featured numerous renowned advocates, such as Father Aloysius and Executive Director of the RICL David Manne, who discussed the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees. It was a truly amazing and enlightening experience where we were able to learn, discover and develop a deeper understanding of the lives of and issues regarding asylum seekers. Throughout the conference we listened to the various sincere and factual testimonies of each speaker and through this, discovered the vast range of mental and physical health issues asylum seekers endure with approx. 30% of all adults observed to suffer moderate-severe mental health conditions within Detention Centres, as well as the toll this lack of dignified treatment takes on their spirit as a human being. A strong theme throughout was symbolised through the words of Matthew 25:35, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me”, and the connection of this to the maintenance of dignity and respect that is equally vital to all human beings, “The Catholic Church teaches that the demands of human dignity always come before the national interest.” (acmro brochure, 2014). As a Catholic community, we believe it is important for all of us to unite and become advocates for the voiceless as Jesus was throughout his life; Let us be the example of this generation for the many more to come. This was a moment where our eyes and hearts were opened to the truth and the fact that it is we who have to the responsibility to show people who choose to ignore the concerns and issues that surround us. It is within our ability to exercise the right judgement, empathy and compassion that the seeds of change can be sewn and in this way, we as Christians and as humans are able to take the first steps to care and protect those in our world who are less fortunate than us. Ellanor Kanaan, Neti Lata, Frances Perol and Melissa Bebbington Faith In Action Team

In faith, Liz Moodey Religious Education Coordinator

Youth for Christ Sixteen Bethlehem girls were among thirty-two new participants who became part of a community called Youth For Christ through an entry camp called ‘Heavenward’ to endure on a spiritual journey. On the 26th of September 2014, a group of young people from high schools all over Sydney came together and marked the beginning of a journey that would unknowingly impact their lives. Within the two days and two nights spent at the campsite, Bethlehem girls were able to learn about their faith, listen to talks and sharings, as well as talk about their own experiences with the YFC community. Many friendships were created, potential from within unlocked and affirmations written to each other from the heart. On the third and final day, all new members went through a weekend which not only gave them a great time, but opened their hearts and minds to endless possibilities even more. All Bethlehem girls show such eager attitudes, our weekly meetings on Tuesdays during lunch never fail to be a reminder of the enjoyable time everyone had at camp. Catherine Sison & Neti Lata (YFC Bethlehem High school based Presidents)

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Bethlehem College—Issue 15 Curriculum News and Brain teaser From the Curriculum Coordinator… The HSC examinations are well underway and we wish the class of 2014 all the best. We pray that they are remaining focused and calm, and are preparing for these examinations effectively. Please continue to keep all our HSC students in your prayers. The HSC year officially begins this term for our current Year 11 students, and the HSC Assessment Handbooks and the Assessment Calendar for Term 4 are being issued during Week 3. Please take some time to read this document with your daughter. Organisation and a good study routine are both very important to ensure that assessment deadlines are met and that work submitted is of a high quality. The internal HSC Assessment marks are sent to the Board of Studies and contribute 50% of the final HSC mark. It is essential that students and parents understand the assessment rules and procedures so that no penalties are incurred during this HSC year. Please remember that late submission and/or absence on the due date of a task will incur a zero penalty unless an Illness/Misadventure form is lodged within one week of the due date of the task. Year 10 students are completing their first big exam block in week 5. We hope they will perform to the best of their ability and look forward to continued effort as they complete their Stage 5 studies and begin preparation for their HSC courses. Years 7, 8 and 9 students are also working towards a number of assessment tasks and should take time to map out a management plan for each task in the coming weeks. Page 58 of the College planner has a “Checklist” template to help break down both hand-in and in-class tasks to manageable chunks. There are also handy study tips on pages 42 – 50. ASSESSMENTS DUE DURING TERM 4 WEEKS 3,4,5 YEAR 12 2015 WEEK 5

rd

3

Nov – Community and Family Studies YEAR 9

WEEK 3

WEEK 4

WEEK 5

20th Oct – Mathematics 22nd Oct – Visual Arts 24th Oct - Dance 27th Oct – Mathematics 28th Oct – Textiles 28th ,29th Oct – PDHPE 29th Oct – Music 31st Oct – Commerce, Drama, IST 6th Nov – Geography 7th Nov – History, Italian

YEAR 10 WEEK 4

Assessment free week.

WEEK 5

Examination Block (separate Timetable issued) YEAR 7 th

WEEK 3

20 Oct – Mathematics 21st Oct – Music 22nd Oct – History

WEEK 4

29th Oct – Geography, Maths 30th Oct – Visual Arts

WEEK 5

4th Nov – Music 5th Nov – Visual Arts 7th Nov – Science YEAR 8

Please note that all students now have access to the assessment calendars through the student portal.

Mrs Janet Mann Curriculum Coordinator

th

WEEK 3

20 Oct – Maths, Vis Arts B,D,E 21st Oct – Geography 22nd Oct – Japanese

WEEK 4

27th Oct – Maths, Science D 28th Oct – Science A,B,C,E 29th Oct – History 31st Oct - Music

WEEK 5

4th , 5th Nov - Italian

BRAIN TEASERS Problem 86 How much dirt is in a hole the measures 2 metres by 3 metres by 4 metres? Students are invited to solve this problem and deposit the solution, marked clearly with name and homeroom, in the box in the General Office by 3pm on Monday 27th October. The first correct entry drawn will receive a canteen voucher!!!! Unfortunately the last teaser proved too difficult for everyone! The answer is 11. If I have 10 ribbons or less, it is possible that they are all different colours. Choosing 11 ribbons means at least one colour must be repeated.

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Bethlehem College—Issue 15 Annual Prom Concert Spectacular—On the Block Bands photos

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Bethlehem College—Issue 15 Bethlehem College Tour Of Italy: 8 April 2015 update Information Evening An important Information Evening has been organised for Tuesday 25 November 2014, 5:30-6:30pm in L3 at the College. The meeting is compulsory and students attending the trip are to bring at least one parent with them. At this meeting we will require parents to sign an Authority and Consent form and students to sign a Student Agreement form. We will also issue General and Health Information forms, which can be taken home for completion and returned to school the following week. The evening will also provide an opportune forum to share some advice and answer any queries, which will help with pre-planning for the tour. It would be a good idea for students to bring a notepad to jot down notes. Host family gift A couple of parents have indicated that it would be nice for their daughter to give a gift to their host family. For the sake of consistency, I would recommend every student purchase a gift in Australia and bring it wrapped with her in her luggage. The gift should be approximately $30 in value and have an Australiana theme. For the sake of uniformity, students should give it to their host family on their first night’s stay. We will not have the details of the host families and their members until Term 1 next year, so it might be best to wait until then; otherwise, a generic gift will be the way to go. Suggestions regarding luggage Each student will be allowed 1 piece of checked-in luggage (a suitcase) with a maximum weight of 23 kilograms and 1 piece of carry-on baggage with a maximum weight of 7 kilograms. Despite this allowance, it is strongly recommended that the carry-on baggage be limited to a handbag. Students will then have only one substantial piece of luggage to worry about. Whilst airline carriers allow a very generous allowance for the checked-in luggage, students are strongly advised to limit themselves to 15-20kgs. This will allow them space and weight allowance to carry home their purchases, gifts and souvenirs. It also makes it less onerous for them to lift this luggage. Students will be responsible for lifting and carrying all their own things. Pieces of luggage that have 4 wheels are easier to move. We will issue a checklist of things to bring on tour at our upcoming Information Evening. Students are encouraged to label their luggage with their name and address. Tying a piece of identifying ribbon on the checked-in luggage is also useful. For security purposes, all zippers on the checked-in luggage should be padlocked. It is also advisable to have clearly marked identification on their handbag, camera, purse, wallet and the like.

Short fun facts about Italy At 300 000 sq km Italy is only marginally bigger than New Zealand. Don't try to outrun the police in Rome: some of the officers drive a Lamborghini. SPQR is a symbol you’ll see all over Rome today (especially on drain covers) as it is used by the Rome Municipality. It stands for "Senatus Populusque Romanus" and means "The senate and the people of Rome". • Rome's emblem is the she-wolf suckling the two brothers Romulus and Remus. According to legend the brothers Romulus and Remus (the founders of Rome) were raised by a she-wolf in a cave on Palatine Hill. • Try not to knock over the salt container on the dinner table. "Rovesciare il sale" (to spill the salt) brings bad luck in Italy. Back in the days when there were no fridges, salt was a precious commodity and used to preserve food.

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In Bocca al Lupo! for our trip This means “Into the wolf’s mouth”. I don’t know why, but this is the phrase used instead of “Good luck” before an event, exam, etc., somewhat in the sense of “You never say ‘good luck’ on opening night” (instead you say “Break a leg”). The proper response is Crepi il lupo (“May the wolf die” – which is to say: “If I’m going into the wolf’s mouth, may he choke.”) Italian tongue-twister If you want to try something fun to practise the Italian accent and intonation in preparation for our trip, try saying this fast three times: "Sopra la panca la capra campa; sotto la panca la capra crepa". Its meaning? Does it really matter? For those who simply must know: “On the bench the goat lives; under the bench the goat dies”. Ciao,

Mr E Cinque Stage 5 Coordinator / Italian Teacher -10-

Bethlehem College—Issue15 Evangelisation Day News...

On the 9th of October, a group of Year 10 students from Bethlehem and De La Salle took part in an Evangelisation Day. Each of us had the responsibility to look after our own group of year five and year six students who came from different Catholic schools from all across Sydney. The theme of the Evangelisation Day was “IGNITE YOUR FAITH” and ‘ignite our faith’ we did through various means including singing, dancing, inspiring workshops, attending a small mass and listening to Bishop Peter Commensoli explain the parable of the Good Samaritan in a manner that the primary school students could comprehend. The were two workshops. The group of primary school students (from St Mary’s Concord) I attended were titled “Love your Neighbour as Yourself” and “More than a Gold Coin.” The first workshop took place in the cold and mysterious St Mary’s Crypt. Knowing that we were surrounded by several tombs set a rather interesting vibe, mind you. But besides this sentiment, the workshop was absolutely FUN-TASTIC! The activity we were given was to choose a variety of love songs and perform the choruses of them- all mashed up- in front of the whole group. Not only did this test our singing abilities (I truly believe I worked with a group of future singers, they were so confident! I should’ve gotten their signatures!), I was able to exercise my leadership skills and act as a role model for the younger students. The other workshop took place in the lovely Captain Cook and Phillip Park- a much warmer climate compared to the previous destination. In this workshop, secondary students helped the primary school students create a chain of hearts, with each paper heart symbolising a letter of the word “NEIGHBOUR”. The presenter of the workshop spoke about a Catholic school in Sydney that took some time to help out needy families living in rural Sydney and how compassion- in many cases- can provide someone with more support than money ever could ever give them. Overall, I, the primary students, the secondary students and the teachers that participated in this Evangelisation Day had a brilliant time. We all enjoyed being true leaders for a day and helping younger students ignite their faith in a hands-on and creative way. Though the one memory - something I’m sure everyone who attended the day would agree with- that stuck with me the most- literally- was the theme song titled “Ignite Your Faith” along with the various dance moves that went with it. I would definitely recommend this experience to future Year 10 students if they are given the opportunity to do so!! !And a big thank you to Ms Boland for supporting us every step of the way throughout this day!! ! Victoria Pistevos 10F

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Bethlehem College—Issue15 CGSSSA News... CGSSSA Dance News: On the 10th September an extremely talented and dedicated group of Bethlehem students competed in the very competitive annual CGSSSA Dance competition held at Santa Sabina College, Strathfield. It was the first time in many years we entered five categories: Hip-Hop, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary and Folk. The overall standard was very high amongst all categories and seems to become more competitive each year. Our students had been preparing for this competition since early Term 2 and attended Beats 905 for choreography every Thursday during sport in addition to lunch and recess rehearsals on Monday to Friday with Mrs Hankinson (Term 2) and myself (Term 3). Although I believe all our performances deserved a place, I am pleased to announce that our Hip-Hop crew placed 3rd overall and we placed in the top 5 for Contemporary and Folk. It was truly amazing to share this whole experience with them. On behalf of the Bethlehem Community I would like to acknowledge the following students: Louise Dos Santos (7) Maria Manos (7) Danielle Ingrassia (7) Sarah Hanningan (7) Jenifer Mentis (8) Ashleigh Ross (8) Pariss Bostik (8) Amira Cetin (8) Maria Seufale (8) Eliana Isaia (8) Hope Lesui (8) Kiara Lo (8) Dara De Ascencao (9) Michelle Khoury (9) Anna-Marie Leftakis(9) Isabella Sanney (9) Catherine Zoioglou (9) Mia Labrou (9) Harmony Tanielu (9) Bernadette Balabat (10) Georgia Williamson (10) Stella Scoumbourdis (10) Emily Azzopardi (10) Helena Boviatsis (10) Vika Latu (11) Caroline Faasalafa (11) Adeline Lui Yuen (11) Esther Pokorny (12) Monique Cambria (12) Sienna Brogan (12) Luana Belmonte (12) Sarah Gonsalves (12) Crystal Butuhan (12) I would also like to thank all the many parents who attended the day to support Bethlehem College and our amazingly talented students. From a very proud teacher, Mrs Boyle Teacher In Charge of Dance 

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Bethlehem College—Issue15 Community News...

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Bethlehem College—Issue15 Planning for 2015

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