Newsletter | See as God sees

Welcome back to all staff, students and families for what I hope will be a very positive year. While it was some time ago now, I hope everyone enjoyed a very Happy Christmas and a well-deserved summer break.

Welcome in particular to those who are new to our school; our Year 7 students and families, and the following students who have joined our community this year: Melissa Chua, Alexandra Dieckhaus and Nina Waddick in Year 8, Mieke Vercauteren in Year 9 and Holly Yelland in Year 10. I also welcome the following new and returning staff:

• Miss Tahlia Kloprogge – English, Drama, Humanities and co-ordinating Debating & Public Speaking
• Mrs Carolyn Chuter – Food Technology and VCE Health & Human Development
• Mrs Stephanie Jones – Science
• Ms Lorena Raspa – French & Italian

I would like to acknowledge the work of our staff in recent weeks and thank them for their planning and preparation to ensure all was ready for our students. It was a real pleasure to welcome back all students at their year level assemblies on the first day and to wish them well for the year. Today is the end of our second week since their return and so much has happened in that time already. I thank your daughters for the ways they have contributed to such a positive start and how they have settled into the routine of their classes and activities.

Thank you to parents who were able to join us for the Years 8, 9, 11 and 12 Information Evening this week. We hope it provided you with a good opportunity to establish a relationship with your daughter’s Wellbeing and Growth Leader, and her Homeroom teacher. If you were unable to attend or you have further queries, please do not hesitate to contact them. We look forward to welcoming our Year 7 families on Monday 15 February and our Year 10 families on Wednesday 24 February.

Each year, one of the highlights of our Opening School Eucharist is the launch of the College theme. This year, I invited Mia Maguire from Year 11 to help me make the announcement and I thank her for her reflection, which she has shared below.

2021 College Theme: See as God sees

This year’s theme builds upon those of recent years but frames it in a different way. It’s a challenging theme but I think it’s an important one for our world today, especially as we are presented with many issues that impact not only people but also our environment. The 2021 theme invites us to ask questions to fully understand what it calls us to do, for example:

• What does God see?
• How do we know?
• How does this then influence our relationships with each other, with those we know and those we don’t know personally?
• How does it influence our relationship with the environment?
• What might our actions be if we See as God sees?

The symbol includes a mirror to remind us to see ourselves as God sees us and a pair of binoculars to encourage us to see others and creation through the same lens. As I explained to our students, I don’t think you need to belong to a particular faith tradition or any tradition to answer these questions. You just need to have an open and inquiring mind, a deep respect for other people, a willingness to really see beyond the surface and perhaps at times, the courage to do something that may not be easy but you do it because you have grown in understanding and you know it is the right thing to do. I look forward to how our thinking and actions might change throughout the year as we all engage with this theme.

Next week, the College community will mark Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. I thank our student leaders who are preparing to lead our year level liturgies and the distribution of ashes. Lent is a time to reflect on our lives, and as Pope Francis invites us, to ‘return to God’. It is also a time to reach beyond ourselves and support those in need. This week, our Social Justice leaders also promoted the start of Project Compassion which this year invites us to ‘Be More’.

As you will now be aware, next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the College will resume Online Home Learning. Over the weekend your daughter will receive more detailed information from our Deputy Principals that will support you during the next few days. We hope and pray that this will be a short process and we look forward to our students and staff returning onsite in the very near future.

Finally, I am delighted to bring Edition 1 of this year's newsletter in a new, digital format. Following the Newsletter Survey feedback we received from our families last year, we have enhanced the look and navigation, and created a newsletter that is easy to read on any mobile device. I hope you are pleased with the result.

With every blessing for the fortnight ahead.

Tina Apostolopoulos
College Principal

Welcome back everybody.

How lovely it was for us to be able to gather last week and celebrate our return to the 2021 school year at our Opening Mass. Whilst we were situated in a number of different spaces around the school for this celebration, it was wonderful to be able to launch our College theme for the year, ‘See as God sees’ and come together in faith.

As part of the Communion Reflection, our new Liturgy Captain, Imogen V-R, led us in prayer - using our College prayer. Hopefully, the strength and sentiment of this prayer can provide us all with a sense of direction and purpose throughout the year. I share it with you for reflection.

Top Achievers Assembly and Learning Around Sion

As always, the academic year has commenced with the triumph of the Top Achievers Assembly held on Monday 8 February. The whole College watched as we celebrated the 25 students who received an ATAR above 90, many of whom were also dux of their subjects. One such dux was Emma Daly, who was among only four students state-wide to have achieved three perfect study scores, as well as other high-achieving students, all of whom we celebrated for the gifts that they have used well, and have benefited the College.

A highlight was the reflections provided to us by Ms Siobhan Brophy, a graduate of the Class of 1991, who challenged us with the question, not ‘What do you want to be when you are older?’ but ‘Who do you want to be?’. Ms Brophy went on to talk about the pathway that she has taken to becoming the CEO of a major national public health advocacy organisation, the moments that she has paused and reconsidered what actually brings her joy, and the adventures that she has had along the way. Ms Brophy was able to draw upon her experiences as a Daughter of Sion to help her with these decisions and she reminded all of us of the importance of our school days connections.

Happy ‘New’ Year!

Monday, 1 February, I had the great pleasure of being at the front gates, along with our 2021 student leadership team, to welcome our new Year 7s for 2021. The crowd was filled with proud parents and excited young women, some ready, some not so ready, to begin their Sion journey with us. It is inevitable that emotions will be mixed on such a day, and wanting to be accepted and to fit in would be at the forefront of our Year 7 students’ minds. We are, after all, highly social beings and the desire to be part of a community is core to our wellbeing.

Our Lady of Sion College is a most welcoming and open community but there is still much that students, both new and returning, can do to promote this sense of belonging. Last year, I wrote about the importance of being involved in the life of the College and how important it was as a way to develop an authentic sense of belonging, improve skills, share talents, provide service to others and build relationships.

It has been a busy start of the year for Notre Dame students. During Scheduled Program, both year levels were presented with the key points from the 2021 VCE/VCAL Handbook. This handbook summarises the key points discussed in the 2021 VCAA VCE/VCAL Handbook and is essentially our ‘rulebook’ for the management of VCE at Our Lady of Sion College. All students have this handbook and a copy is available via the link above.

I urge all parents to read through this document as it outlines the policies relating to such aspects of VCE as attendance, special provisions and authentication of work.

Our Year 11 students are beginning a new transition in their lives. Often this transition is overlooked, however, it marks the end of middle school education and the start of their senior years of learning. I am sure you can recall a time in your life when you have experienced change yourself; it is the ending of the ‘known’ and start of something ‘new and unknown’. As a result, all Year 11 students will experience the stages of change in their own way and in their own time. The most important thing to remember is to remind yourselves and your daughter that feeling anxious or nervous is a normal feeling to be experiencing right now. As parents, supporting your daughter through this transition period by communicating when things do become overwhelming will be a great source of comfort.

Examinations and SmartStart

I would like to warmly welcome all Year 10 students and their families to the 2021 school year. I trust you and your family have had a relaxing and enjoyable break, and that you feel rested and ready for a busy and exciting year.

We have a strong group of Homeroom teachers who will be supporting our Year 10 students this year, and I thank them in advance for their guidance, care and assistance. I trust you will be able to meet the team at our Parent Information Night on 24 February, where we will be introducing the year ahead. A major focus will be the Year 10 camp, including a presentation by Bindaree, our Adventurous Journey partner. The Year 10 Homeroom team consists of:

• 10 Blue – Miss Beth Amos
• 10 Gold – Mrs Stephanie Jones
• 10 Purple – Miss Monica Clarke
• 10 Red – Ms Katrina Gurciullo
• 10 Silver – Mr Chris Davis
• 10 White – Mr Andrew McLeod.

Our Year 9 students are off to a great start and have settled in very well to the new year. We extend a warm welcome to Mieke Vercauteren in 9 Gold who is new to Our Lady of Sion. We are very pleased to have Mieke join us at Year 9.

We are also very lucky to have an enthusiastic and experienced team of Homeroom teachers on board at Year 9 in 2021:

• 9 Blue – Mrs Rangelov
• 9 Gold – Ms Rebecca Bennett
• 9 Orange – Mrs Caroline Holly
• 9 Purple – Mr Jac Canning
• 9 Red – Miss Sherine Baydoun
• 9 Silver – Mrs Renate el Shataly
• 9 White – Ms Margaret Rooney.

Welcome to Year 8, 2021! I hope that you and your family had a beautiful holiday and that you are ready to be a part of your daughter’s Year 8 journey. We have had a busy start to the year with Pastoral lessons, school photos and our Opening College Mass last week.

The Year 8 Homeroom teachers and I are looking forward to getting to know the students and have already been very impressed by the way the Year 8s have started the year with enthusiasm, eagerness and excitement. Also, a big welcome to all of the Year 8 Pastoral Team (Homeroom teachers):

• 8 Blue – Ms Laura Teicher
• 8 Gold – Ms Monique Davey
• 8 Purple – Miss Tahlia Kloprogge and Mrs Carolyn Chuter
• 8 Red – Miss Courtney Madeira
• 8 Silver – Ms Helen Mulvogue
• 8 White – Ms Lorena Raspa.

Welcome to Sion! I would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest members of the Sion community, our Year 7s and their families. The first two weeks of school have been busy, with many tasks and information being provided to your daughter. Some of these are:

• first day orientation
• school photos
  
• iPad induction
• getting to know new people and making new friends
• Opening School Mass
• pastoral lessons and meeting Big Sisters.

High school is a new adventure for your daughters; each day is different and they will need to spend some time working out which ways work best for them. This process and the information they are provided with can be overwhelming, but please encourage your daughters to ask questions as the Year 7 Homeroom team and myself are here to help.

Life is not what happens to you; it’s how you react that matters.
Epictetus (Greek Philosopher)

Students and families can find the fortnightly Careers newsletter at https://olsccareers.com/newsletter.

In this fortnight’s newsletter there is information relating to:

• What the Careers Domain can assist students and families with in 2021
• Career Industry in the Spotlight – Astronomer
• Things to Consider – 2021 Year 10 work experience, 2021 Year 12 Australian National University (ANU) Tuckwell Scholarship program, Year 12 UCAT, Tax File Numbers
• Research ideas – What is the difference between Computer Science, Information Technology and Software Engineering?, SAE Creative Media Institute.

Over the break, with the help of the Maintenance Team, the Health and Physical Education Department have made a few new changes around the school to encourage the students to be physically active.

You may have seen, we have installed multipurpose goals on the oval, where Soccer, AFL and Rugby can be played. It has been wonderful seeing the students kicking the footy at lunch and recess with their friends.

In addition, a bike rack has been installed at the back of the ELC building to encourage your daughters to ride to school to increase their incidental activity and reduce their time spent sitting each day.

Totem tennis on the oval is also available as well as equipment borrowing, following the correct COVID-hygiene protocols. Students must ensure when borrowing equipment that they sanitise before and after use and return the equipment to the LHC for proper cleaning. Alternatively, they are encouraged to bring their own equipment.

Physical activity not only benefits your body, it benefits your mind, social life, mood and sleep. Keep kicking goals!

Music 2021 is off and running

The girls have certainly started the year with a range of pieces. These fantastic videos will be made available for parents to see before the end of the year.

Year 7 Music Program

During the first two weeks of classes, all Year 7s have completed trials on a range of instruments. The next step is to complete the instrument preference form, which your daughter will receive in class. This process needs to be informed by her availability for one of the following compulsory ensemble rehearsals, which will begin at the end of February:

• Junior Concert Band 1 (brass, woodwind, percussion), Monday mornings 7.25 am – 8.30 am
• Junior Concert Band 2 (brass, woodwind, percussion), Tuesday afternoons 3.25 pm – 4.30 pm
• Junior Strings (violin, viola cello), Wednesday afternoons 3.25 pm – 4.30 pm
• Junior Choir (voice students), Tuesday afternoons 3.25 pm – 4.30 pm

After the challenges of 2020, we all enjoyed a well-deserved rest and hopefully we had time to open a good book and dive into another world for a while. The LRC staff are excited to be back and supporting the students and teachers of Sion.

Makerspace

During the summer break, our maintenance team worked hard at work revamping the space that was the photocopier and study space, to transform it into a Makerspace.

This will be a place where students can access tools, technology and fabrication equipment such as 3D Printers. We have installed three new Flashforge 3D printers; two small Inventor 2 and a larger Guider 2, which can use more complex filament.

We look forward to developing this space and the opportunities for our students with the support of Mr Greg Barker who will use the space to run workshops during lunchtimes.

Welcome back and congratulations to the following Social Justice leaders for 2021:

• Year 12 – Jordin R
• Year 11 – Alannah M and Rebecca T
• Year 10 – Frances T and Abby F
• Year 9 – Paige H and Michelle Y
• Year 8 – Hannah M and Sara K.

Project Compassion

Next week, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, from which time the Sion community will continue to support Caritas Australia’s initiative of

Project Compassion. Students will be provided with many opportunities to help the cause throughout Lent. This year’s theme is ‘Be More’. It challenges us to venture into a new experience of compassion, and is taken from the invitation of St Oscar Romero to ‘Aspire not to have more, but to be more’. In doing so, we acknowledge that we are called to a life of ‘being’ as opposed to ‘having’ because our human dignity is not gauged by what we have but who we are: made in the image and likeness of God. Who we are and how we relate to others and live out our lives is more important than what we have.

During Lent we encourage the Sion community to ‘Be More’ by making simple lifestyle changes and taking action for social and environmental justice.

Donation boxes will be placed in all Homerooms. Students are encouraged to give all they can, in donations and prayer throughout Lent, to assist in the work of Caritas around the world.

Welcome back. I hope you all had a lovely time over Christmas and the holidays and everyone is feeling refreshed and ready for a brand new year. Bring on 2021!

I wanted to draw your attention to a number of parent webinars being offered by Whitehorse Council:

Talking Teens Program for parents of 12 to 18-year-olds

• Improve your relationship with your teen
• Improve communication and resolve family disputes
• Understand why young people behave the way they do.

When: Every Thursday, 18 Feb to 25 March 2021

Time: 7.00 – 9.00 pm

Bookings: sharon.muir@anglicarevic.org.au.

Welcome parents and guardians,

I hope you all had an enjoyable break.

For new parents and guardians, welcome to the Our Lady of Sion College community! All members of the Sion parent community are also members of the Parents’ Association. We welcome parent involvement at any PA activity or meeting. Any contribution of time is greatly appreciated.

To the current parents, welcome back to school. As we all know, last year was a challenging year. Unfortunately, most Parents’ Association sponsored events were cancelled. However, the PA continued to support our school in different formats. We look forward to supporting our school with whatever 2021 brings.

The 2020 AGM was postponed due to government restrictions and is scheduled together with our first meeting for 2021 on Monday 22 February at 7.00 pm.