Building Futures - Merici College

From The Principal…From the PrincipalEach one of us: a precious andunique individualWhether by design or not, it appearsto me that there is a definite themerunning through this edition ofBuilding Futures – a theme thatis at the heart of what we believeas members of a Catholic schoolcommunity: that each one of us,created by God, has our ownunique set of talents, qualities andcharacteristics and that each of us,therefore, should be treasured as anindividual. It is so inspiring to seeour students understanding this andworking to help others understand italso. Inspiring also to see the workgoing on in classes and co-curricularactivities where this is the basic tenetand where individuals are assisted toappreciate and develop themselvesand others.Year 10s expressing this beliefwith passionIn their analysis of the negative impactthat the media can have on the selfimageof young women see the articleon page 8, our Year 10 students,working with teacher Tahlia Perry,expose the way the media works onthe vulnerability of young – and not soyoung! – women in order to sell theman ever-increasing array of products asthey seek to attain the impossibility ofairbrushed perfection. They challengeus to think what this really meansin terms of us loving ourselves andaccepting ourselves as individuals.The theme is further explored by theKids Witness News team of Year 9students see the article on page 9 whoare making a video to enter into thisannual competition, which examinesexactly this: what is perfectionand why is it that we cannot valueourselves just as we are?How it looks in the curriculumThe articles on the RE curriculum onpage 4 and on some of the activitiesof the Sport and Rec course on page14 give wonderful examples of thisprinciple in action. The richness ofexperiences available through the REcurriculum, seeking to ensure that allstudents are able to engage with theirown spirituality and access experienceswhich suit and inspire them asindividuals, is quite inspiring. In adifferent way, the outreach ofSport and Rec students to thecommunity, working with the oldand the young, is just as inspiring inthe way it encourages individuals togrow and blossom – and I am not justtalking about the students! Don’t missthese articles!And in co-curricular activitiesThese are the quintessentialopportunities to develop individualtalents and there is so much going on!In this edition, you can read abouthappenings in co-curricular music, thesuccess of some of our Year 12 chefsand the further competition they facein the near future.You may not be aware of our LaSfida program, a program that aimsto recognise talent and interest inindividual students and challenge themto delve deeper and to explore. AnnCleary’s entertaining article on this onpage 11 is definitely worth a read! Itmay well spark some conversations atyour house about areas your daughtercould develop further and we’d love tohear from you or her if she has someideas for a project!The very core of usPastorally, our focus is completely onthe individual, on her well-being andher development as a fully roundedhuman being. Angela Merici is ourdefinitive model in this and ourMass to celebrate Angela Merici Dayfocused almost exclusively on this.In her article about the Mass onpage 4 our Liturgy and MinistryCoordinator, Colette Davison,reminds us of some of thosefoundationstatements fromAngela Mericiwhich alwaysbring us backto our needto be a lovingand nurturingcommunitywhereindividuals canfind themselves and blossom. One ofmy favourites is, ‘Take care of all yourdaughters, having each and every oneengraved on your mind and heart, notonly their names, but their situationand character and everything aboutthem. This will not be difficult if yousurround them with real love’. This isour true blueprint for theMerici community.And a call to further actionFinally, I recommend GraemePlenderleith’s article to you onpage 15. He refers to the excellentparent get-together we had recentlyand invites you all to our upcomingcommunity forum to be held on thefirst day of Term 3 at 3.45pm.There, as a community of staff,students and parents, we will belooking to review and clarify our visionfor the Merici College community.This will be a lovely opportunity forsharing ideas together.Thank you for your ongoing support!Catherine ReyPrincipal3

Our EthosAngela Merici Day MassOUR ETHOSSt Angela said, ‘Always have Jesus asyour source of refuge … know toothat I am in your midst, lending aid toyour prayers’.We Can Make A DifferenceOn Tuesday 24 May we gatheredto celebrate the patron saint of ourCollege, Saint Angela Merici. Wereflected upon Saint Angela’s words andhow we might live according toher charisms.St Angela tells us, ‘Take care of all yourdaughters, having each and every oneengraved on your mind and heart. Notonly their names, but their situation andcharacter and everything about them.This will not be difficult if you surroundthem with real love’.These words remind us all of how eachgirl here is your special daughter, sheis unique, just as all the females onthe Staff are also someone’s specialdaughter. As we move through ourbusy days, let us all be aware of howChrist’s love translates into ourrelationships so that in our interactionswe tenderly address their names,situations and characters.St Angela tells us, ‘See everythingas the Holy Spirit inspires you. Makesure that there are times when thewhole community comes together.This is so they can give joy andencouragement to each other andeveryone will benefit enormously’.The sheer logistics of gathering allthe College community in one spacecan be daunting but I have been bothamazed and inspired by the way over a1000 people can meet here at Merici,to listen, to speak, to teach and tocall us all to action. It is a measure ofthe dignity of each person that suchgatherings can happen with ease andreverence.4We are all baptised in Christ and we areall called to be his disciples. We do nottake this calling lightly and we striveeach day to make Christ the centre ofour lives. How are you doing this?St Angela tells us, ‘The unity andharmony with which you carry outa task will be the sure sign that Godis with you. So persevere in whatyou have undertaken and do notlose heart’.Our motto this year Have Hope fitsso well with Angela’s words. Togetherwe will meet the challenges of themonths ahead.St Angela tells us, ‘Love yourdaughters equally, do not have anypreference for one rather than theother, because they are all children ofGod, and you do not know what hewishes to make of them’.My Lord, I have no idea where I amgoing.I do not see the road ahead of me.I cannot know for certain where it end.Nor do I really know myself, and the factthatI think I am following your will does notmean that I am actually doing so.Thomas Merton, Thoughts in SolitudeSt Angela said, ‘When you see thatsomeone is in a dangerous situation,you must try to do whatever youcan to help that person and not letanything stand in your way’.At Merici, we are very conscious of theprotection that all of us need in orderto keep us safe and well. Our pastoralwork with all your daughters is alwaysat the centre of everything we do.Yours in ChristColette DavisonLiturgy and MinistryOn 23 May, Merici College held itsannual Social Justice Assembly. Thetheme of the assembly was centredaround the idea of Working togetherto make a difference. It gave studentsthe opportunity to consider howthey have already, and will continueto, contribute to society by helpingto make a difference to others onlocal, national and internationallevels. The assembly was excitingand there was enormous positivespirit from various members of theCollege in relation to Social Justice.Our College Social Justice captain,Hannah Foley, informed students ofhow they could be that one personto stand up for what they believe inand begin a chain reaction. Year 10student, Georgia Peake, demonstratedthis idea of doing something tohelp others and participated in a livehead-shave. She raised over $1000for the Leukaemia Foundation andher glorious golden locks have beendonated to the Princess CharlotteAlopecia Foundation. Our Collegeleaders created an inspiring andhumorous video to raise awareness andprovide information on the variouscharities supported by each House.Chelisa Cardinez, a Year 10 student,concluded the assembly on a highnote performing live, singing a songto allow our girls to think about whatSocial Justice means and how we canhelp make a difference in the world.Kyla GilchristSocial Justice Facilitator

Community FocusCommunity FocusYear 7 Integrated HumanitiesIndigenous PerformanceIn their study of Australia, the Year 7Integrated Humanities students havebeen exploring Australian Identity.Through the study of Indigenousculture, students are encouraged togain an appreciation of and respect forAboriginal and Torres Strait Islanderpeople and their culture.To enhance their learning, on the 27thMay the girls enjoyed a performanceby Ryka Ali who is a very proudambassador for Australia’s Indigenousyouth. He has been performing withhis family since the age of seven,presenting cultural workshops inschools throughout Australia andNew Zealand. Ryka’s Indigenousheritage stems from the Wuthathitribe of Shellburne Bay, Cape York andfrom the Torres Strait Islands. Rykais currently performing with his Aka(grandmother) Cindy.His performance included songs anddances from both Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander’s cultures. Itfocused on Australia’s unique animalssuch as the kangaroo and emu andalso Torres Strait play dances. Hepresented and provided explanationsof the instruments, costumes andvarious artefacts. The girls had funtrying out some of the dance moves.Students were excited to hear a shortdemonstration of the didgeridoo. Theamazing sound he has created includedthe more modern sounds of the DJand beat-boxing.The girls were also privileged tohear the stories of Nin Phillips,a Ngunnawal elder and Mericigrandmother. She talked to thestudents about how she grew up asan Aboriginal in the Tumut area, andbeing educated in the Catholic missionthere. She also talked about the sortsof things Aboriginal people valuehighly and led the students in singingin the Wiradjuri language.The girls were able to gain a realinsight into traditional Aboriginalculture and also a deeperunderstanding of what it means to beAboriginal in Australia today.Adrienne RicharsonIntegrated Humanities CoordinatorMarist-Merici OliverProduction a SuccessCongratulations to Merici students MaddieFurner, Gracie O’Malley, Rebecca Riggs, Lexie Thomson,Zufi Emerson, Sophie Bunnett, Chloe King, Paige Baker,Julia Lopilato, Sarah Lowe, Genevieve Bunnett, AmeliaO’Brien, Elizabeth Bunnett, Susannah Bourke, MargaretHarrison and Lucy Barber who performed or participatedin the Marist College’s musical production “Oliver!”between the 1st and the 4th of June. The studentsperformed brilliantly! We would also like to congratulateMarist College, all the cast members, musicians andproduction crew for presenting a very entertaining andprofessional production.6

Media in our WORLDKid Witness NewsInfluence on GirlsKid Witness Newsis a Panasonicpromotion opento students in High Schools acrossAustralia. Each year the students whobecome involved in this programmedecide on a focus topic and develop ashort film which illustrates their themeor idea. Merici College year 9 studentswho are working on the KWN 2011project have chosen to illustrate theidea, ‘Don’t Mess with Perfect’. Thiscomes from a campaign run at schoolto encourage girls to embrace whothey are and not rely on makeup andother artificial aids to feel goodabout themselves.Our video for KWN is our way ofshowing to people the effect the mediahas on our perception of perfectionand what is considered cool or pretty.Girls feel these effects particularly aswe tend to feel more insecure withinourselves. Individuality is almostostracised and so we conform. We aretold by the media to be thin and tall.We are told to wear makeup and weare shown what clothes to wear. As welook around, many of the girls havethe same hairstyles, the same clothes,and the same makeup.We express the positive side toperfection which to us meansthat everybody is perfect. We believewhole heartedly that there is nothinga person needs to change intheir appearance.We ask a few teachers for theiropinions because we wanted theirperspectives. Our peers tend to havethe same idea of what perfect is andthat is central to the media’s influenceon us. In our video we ask some ofthe teachers at Merici College threequestions to their perspective onperfection and individuality. The threequestions we asked were:• How do you feel about the waygirls change their appearance to suitothers?• Define what being unique is to you.• How do you feel about the impactthe media has on teens?From this we ascertained that asadults we see things differently and werealise that it’s fine to be unique, it’sokay to think outside the square. Wecan be innovative, think different, bedifferent and that is acceptable. Thosewho don’t appreciate those wonderfulqualities that make us perfect andbeautiful don’t need to be in our lives.Respect what makes you, you insteadof changing so that those people willstick around a little longer.Without individuality and the freedomto be different, we would not havethe Picasso’s, the Einstein’s or theVan Gogh’s.Individualityshould becelebrated notfrowned uponand that’swhat we hopeto express inour project forKWN.“That’s alwaysseemed soridiculousto me, thatpeople wantto be aroundsomeonebecause they’re pretty. It’s like pickingyour breakfast cereals based on colourinstead of taste.”– John GreenJaquelin BoydYear 9 StudentSources:Make Up Picture: “Philosophies on Beauty |REPUBLIC OF SKIN.” Republic of SKIN. Web.13 June 2011. .KWN Logo: Panasonic KWN (2011)[Internet]. Available at viewed 14 June 2011INDIA PROJECTThe Social Justice assembly kickedoff our annual India Project. Thisyear our aim is to raise money for aplayground at our school in India – outside thevillage of Kolkata.The India Project Playtime Trivia Night is comingup on the Thursday 11 August and all arewelcome to attend! Many prizes will be on offerand there will be plenty of entertainment for all!Where: Merici College AuditoriumCost:Time:$15, paid to the Merici Collge front office, or via creditcard (Phone 6243 4100). Tickets can also be paidfor at the door on the night, provided seats are reservedfor you.6:30 for a 7pm startTheme: Come dressed in traditional Indian clothing or as a youngchild who loves to play! Prizes for the best dressed!You are welcome to bring your own food and drinks – however, somesmall snacks will be available on the night.Tables of 10 – If you’d like to make a booking, please contact KylaGilchrist, the Social Justice Facilitator on 6243 4100 orkyla.gilchrist@merici.act.edu.au9

CHALLENGE YOURSELFMaths and ScienceScience Competitions at MericiMaths ChallengeThe students of Merici Collegerecently participated in two nationalScience competitions.On 1 June 2011 all students in Years7 to 10, and senior students studyingScience, entered the Rio Tinto BigScience Competition, and then on 8June 2011 approximately 120students in Years 7 to 12 volunteeredto sit the International Competitionsand Assessment for Schools (ICAS)Science paper.These Science competitions aimto test a student’s critical thinkingand problem-solving skills and themethods of scientific inquiry, aswell as the student’s knowledge ofscientific concepts.The one-hour competition papersconsist of multiple choice questionsarranged according to year level,with questions being developed inline with the emerging AustralianScience Curriculum.The main purpose of Merici studentsparticipating in these competitions isto promote the learning of science byengaging students and encouragingtheir natural enthusiasm, possiblyleading students to consider a sciencebasedcareer in the future.In addition to the experiencegained by entering into a nationalcompetition, there are a number ofother benefits for the students. Thesecompetitions are an opportunityto excel in a non-threateningenvironment, as the results are notused for assessment purposes. Thestyle of questioning used in the papersis also good practise for other externalexams such as the ACT Scaling Test(AST) and National AssessmentProgram – Language and Numeracy(NAPLAN). The analysis andapplication questions require studentsto use higher order thinking skills andare in line with the College’s ownPrinciples of Powerful Learning.Research into encouraging girlsto excel in Science indicate thatproviding girls with creative learningopportunities that include spatialtraining and giving prescriptive,valuable feedback, helps the studentsview the study of science favourably.Each student will receive a certificateas well as detailed feedback on theirperformance for both competitions.Individual achievement will berecognised by the awarding ofcredit, distinction or high distinctioncertificates by the organisingbody. Merici College will be senta comprehensive report for eachcompetition by paper level,showing how students performedon each question, the percentage ofstudents in the cohort who answeredcorrectly, and a comparison withthe national results.Providing the opportunity for studentsto enter the Rio Tinto Big ScienceCompetition and the ICAS Sciencepaper is just one of many ways thatMerici College aims to support ourstudents to excel in Science.Joanne AboudScience CoordinatorThis year Merici College puttogether a strong team of studentsfor the Maths Challenge. The aimof the challenge was for students toanswer six thought-provoking andpuzzling maths questions, withoutexternal help. Students had fourweeks to answer the questions,and they answered the final twoquestions in pairs.The students got together twicea week at lunchtime to work ontheir problems. They showedmotivation and ingenuity, makingrapid progress. The questions werequite challenging. For example, Year7 and 8 students answered highlyvaried questions such as how to stopan infectious tree bug in an orchard,how different coin denominationscan be added up, and variety of waysthat you can stack trays. Year 9 and10 students, meanwhile, investigatedthe variety of edge possibilitiesfor symmetrical polygons, themathematics of card games, andpossible shortest routes along thesurface of a pyramid.The end of the challenge cameall too quickly. However, mostparticipants would agree that it wasan enjoyable opportunity to explorea different, and more quirky, sideof maths where we investigatedinteresting everyday things anddiscovered some of the mathematicalcomplexity and beauty that lies allaround us.Oliver BarlowScience Teacher10

Teen chefs conquer fearEight Year 12 girls have been selectedto contest the final of this year’sTeenChef competition, which issponsored by Belconnen Fresh FoodMarkets. Four Canberra teams havebeen chosen, two from Merici, onefrom Alfred Deakin High School andone from Canberra High School.Recently all contestants went toCooking Coordinates at BelconnenMarkets to watch well-known localCHALLENGE YOURSELFCo-Curricular Activitieschef, Tom Moore formerly of Sage,Grazing and now of Knead Patisserie,prepare a surprise dish that eachteam has to replicate. The girls beganthe day intimidated by the prospectof completing a fourth dish in theone hour time frame. They werealready challenged by the criteria,completing a three course menu fortwo people in an hour, now they havea mushroom and leek risotto added tothe challenge. They carefully watchedTom prepare the dish, took copiousnotes and asked many questions inpreparation for the numerous practicesthey will do before the contest on 8July. Our girls will have to spend thebeginning of their winter break atschool, honing their skills, masteringtheir mise en place and perfectingtheir timing to create eight perfectmeals all within an hour and at a costof under $60.All Year 12 Hospitality studentsentered the TeenChef competitionas part of an assessment task. Theirchoice of recipes was influenced bythe work of award winning chefs andthe resulting menus were impressive.At our Bridge Restaurant we are ableto practise the recipes. Chefs like SeanMoran, Tetsuya Wakuda, Neil Perry,Christine Manfield and Skye Gyngellhave had an impact on the menusand Bridge guests are blown away bythe quality of the food produced byour girls. The experience has had atremendous impact on the studentsand their understanding of theindustry. Though nerve-racking, theyhave already learned enough to makethe experience worthwhile.Virginia McLeodSupervising TeacherStop Press Stop Press Stop Press Stop PressMerici wins 1st and 2nd placeLivin’ la Vida Loca, or is thatLivin’ la Sfida?!As parents, we may dream of Livin’the Crazy Life with (or without) RickyMartin, but the reality is that we haveto deal with the many challenges lifethrows at us. Many of us even embracechallenge. Merici’s La Sfida ‘challenge’program is in its second year. It isnot a program restricted to the mostacademically proficient students, but isopen to all students who want towork beyond the regular activities ofthe classroom.Dr Judy Willis MD, MEd, presenteda stimulating series of seminarson The Brain and Learning at the8th Annual Hawker BrownlowEducation Conference held recentlyin Melbourne. It was inspiring tohear a neurologist’s view of educationand how we educate our students.Key to good teaching practice is anunderstanding of its purpose.‘Students … need new skills for thecoming century … to be ready tocollaborate with others on a globallevel to find creative solutions toproblems now and in the future …Schools need to provide opportunitiesfor collaboration and communication– first in the classroom and thenbeyond to develop these skills.’ (WillisJ (2007) 10 Points for PresidentObama, http://www.radteach.com/page14/page38/page38.html)These are important considerationsin all classes, but our goal with LaSfida is to have individual or groupsof students identify projects thatthey would like to undertake thatallow them to challenge themselves.These can be within one subject areaor cross-curricular. Teachers maygently encourage students towardsprojects. From experience, theseprojects usually have significantaspects of collaboration requiringgood communication skills. Ourpresentation evening, a great successlast year, will be held in Semester 2and showcases student projects andoffers another forum for students tocommunicate their learning to a newaudience; fellow students, teachers andparents. If your daughter is copingwell with her study workload and hasa drive to challenge herself, we wouldencourage her to talk to a teacher whocan mentor her through a project.Current undertakings include theBlack Mountain School projectwhere 22 Year 9 Religious Educationstudents work once a week to supportBlack Mountain students in all aspectsof their school routine. A team iscurrently being prepared for the DaVinci Decathlon and Mr Barlow hasled students through the recentMaths Challenge.Ann ClearyAssistant Principal11

Musical MericiMusical MericiMusical Merici Shines ThroughThe Merici music department nowhas five full time ensembles: theString Group, Senior and JuniorBands, College Choir and the CollegeJazz Band.These groups have been busy playingin the ACT community and the Choir,Junior Band and String Group recentlytravelled to country NSW centrespresenting concerts to Diocesanschools at Harden and Booroowa.They entertained their audienceswith some fine music and alsodemonstrated their instrument to theyoung students.The Two bands completed a Threeday intensive workshop at “ThePines” in Tuross during May, underthe leadership of two eminent retiredAustralian Army conductors,12before returning to participate in theAustralian National Eisteddfod.They were fortunate in winning Goldand Silvers Awards. In addition wewere excited for the Junior Bandwho gained an additional PlatinumAward. This is a special award given toonly a few ensembles over the wholeeisteddfod period and we congratulatethe Junior Band for winning thisprestigious trophy.On Sunday June 5th our Stringensemble and Jazz Band participatedin a fund raising concert to raisefunds for a Zambian project, theChikincata Hospital. The M.C.Virginia Hausinger from the ABC wasmost impressed by our girls and theafternoon function raised $2970 forthe hospital. This money has alreadybeen remitted to a team of Australianpainters who are organising a teamto paint this large hospital buildingcommencing on the 1st July 2011.New Choir membersOur College choir conducted byCaroline Wallace has regularrehearsals on Tuesday afternoons, andwould welcome some new members.The ability to sing in tune and beregular in attendance for rehearsalsand concerts is the only perquisite formembership. We rehearse Tuesdayafternoon from 3.30 until 4.30pmafter refreshments. Contact MrThompson for more details.NEW BAND MEMBERS.We can still welcome some moremembers into our rapidly growingbands (both senior and junior). Wehave some instruments available forrent if required at a nominal charge.We rehearse Thursday afternoons 3.30until 4.45 pm after refreshments.Contact Mr ThompsonNEW STRINGENSEMBLE MEMBERS.There is still room for new membersin this ensemble which meetsThursday morning at 8am.Contact Mr Thompson.John ThompsonMusic Teacher

Instant Noodles – Health ImpactsThinking FoodThinking FoodWe have noticed a disturbing amountof students eating instant noodles atschool. These noodles are popularbecause they are easy to prepare,cheap and for some, tasty. Whilst thenoodles themselves are pretty harmless,they have little nutritional value. Theproblem, however, is that a largenumber of instant noodles contain MSG(monosodium glutamate) in the flavourpackets, which are a problem. MSGcan cause an allergic reaction includinga burning sensation in the chest, facialflushing and headaches – so if youexperience any of these sensations pleaseSTOP eating them. There is also a veryhigh salt content in most instant noodleswith some containing up to 3,000mg of sodium per package (NB. Therecommended daily allowance of sodiumis 2,400 mg/day). At the same time,each serving can contain between 7 and11 grams of fat, or 11 to 17% of therecommended daily amount. The risksof eating instant noodles on a regularbasis are health problems includingobesity, increased blood sugar levels andincreased body tension. Not all instantnoodles are the same so please READthe label, eat occasionally if you must,and look for a healthier alternative!For more information, visithttp://www.medicinenet.comTrish McEwanSustainability OfficerKarinya HouseA group of Year 10 students fromMerici College and their parentsworked into the night on Wednesday,22 June to prepare 80 frozen mealsfor the mothers and families in thecare of Karinya House. This is acommunity event which was initiatedby the Year 10 SRC students in 2009.The students have contributed anenormous amount of personal timeand commitment to continue thepartnership between Mericiand Karinya.Students and their parents weregiven a demonstration by Merici’sHospitality teacher, VirginiaMcLeod assisted by Tookie Capezio.Both are ex restaurateurs as are allthe Hospitality teachers at Merici.The class was shown how to preparea meal that would be suitable forbulk cooking and freezing. The foodwas then prepared and packaged inpreparation for delivery to KarinyaHouse. At the end of the nightthe students, teachers and parentsshared a meal together to celebratethe achievements of the group andreaffirm the importance of familyand giving.These evenings are a truly rewardingexperience for all who participate anda wonderful community event. Thestudents and families donate $20.00per family as a contribution towardthe cost of the food. A further fourcooking sessions will be held this yearwith the next session scheduled tooccur on 1st August 2011.Book now to avoid disappointment.Each group is limited to 6 groupsof 2 and everyone who participatedin our last session wants to return forthem all.Virginia McLeodProgramme Coordinator13

Community ForumCo-curricular ActivitiesA Busy time for DanceSenior students also performed aFlash Mob (impromptu dance) forgirls eating their lunch in the OldQuad. It was a hoot!Dance students have been involvedin many activities over the last term.In May we celebrated Dance Weekwith a free lunchtime concert whichshowcased the wonderful workhappening in our dance classes.On Saturday 7 of May, dancers alsoparticipated in an Ausdance ACT eventat the Belconnen Fresh Food Markets.Our senior students, Gabi Ide,Georgia Wood and Freya McGarrydazzled the crowd with theirmusical theatre routines, and juniorstudents also enjoyed performing forthe lively crowd.Also in May, the senior dance classestravelled to Sydney. The highlight ofthe trip was participating in workshopsat Brent Street and Sydney danceCompany studios and seeing themusical Mary Poppins. There was eventime for a bit of retail therapy!Currently, Year 10 students, JessicaBoyton, Athanasia Kanellopoulos,Louisa Huon and MaddisonMcDonald have been working withme on a project to help St Gregory’sschool in Queanbeyan choreographtheir Wakakirri entry. The girls haveenjoyed working with the Year 5students and have visited the schooltwice so far to teach the excited littlies!There will be no rest for Dancestudents next semester as Year 10, 11and 12 classes all have DanceFestival entries to prepare – but thatis a report for a future edition ofBuilding Futures.Liza LairdDance TeacherPenola House CoordinatorYou’re never too old tolearn new tricks!Sport and Recreation is a two-yearvocational course that students canelect to undertake at the beginningof Year 10 or Year 11. The unitenables students to achieve units ofcompetency recognised by theBSSS and National TrainingOrganisation Packages.This semester students have beenstudying Sports Administration14and Management including boththeoretical and practical components.The keen sports enthusiasts havesuccessfully conducted many differentevents over this time. The MiniMighty Sports Gala for students fromlocal primary schools included runningthem through various sportingactivities and challenges. Students alsoofficiated at the YMCA Seniors SportsCarnival; here they liaised with SportsAdministration students from CITin running inclusive games for seniorcitizens from across Canberra. On topof this fun and excitement, studentshave been participating in a practicalcourse run by Synergy Self-defence.The dynamic sessions were fantasticin building the girls’ confidence andteaching them defensive skills andstrategies if ever they find themselvesin unfamiliar and potentiallythreateningsituations.The highlight this semester wasworking closely with elderlyparticipants from Goodwin VillageNursing Home. The experience somestudents found initially daunting;

Working togetherOn 6 June 2011, the Board hosted itsfirst social evening with parents, givingparents the opportunity to meet theBoard and to discuss our plans andstrategic vision for the future of theCollege. The function was held in thenew Flexible Learning Centre and Iwould like to thank all of the Year 11students for the delicious food thatthey provided on the evening. Theobjective of the evening was to opencommunication channels, introducefellow Board members to parents,and enlist the assistance from parentsin varying projects. On behalf of theBoard, I would like to pass on oursincere thanks to all parents who wereable to attend.We spoke of things that are happeningin the College. The building projectis progressing well, the new facilitiesCommunity ForumWider Communitycoming on line in a timely manner,and the students are alreadyexperiencing the advantages of thenew improved facilities.In particular, we gave someinformation on the new process inplace for internal cyclical review ofschools in the ACT Catholic system.The process is one of self-assessmentand continuous improvement,gathering evidence both qualitative andquantitative to make the assessment,and then planning for further action.The input of all members of thecommunity is sought in this. In all,27 areas of the school’s operation willbe examined over the next five-yearperiod. These areas are broken downinto a number of areas to be addressedeach year, and these will feed into theRegistration process for the school.First on the agenda is a re-visioning ofthe school’s basic purpose. To do thiswe are meeting as a whole community– students, parents and staff – on 25July, the first day of Term 3, from 3.45pm to 5.00pm. Please come along andcontribute to the discussion!We are also seeking volunteers in alarge number of areas. Assistanceis needed in the Canteen, throughguidance in recruitment, systems andoperational aspects. The Board wouldlike to draw on expertise from Parentsin assisting with other individual areasof the College.I was personally delighted with theattendance on the evening andthe support offered. We willcontinue to seek your support,input and suggestions.2011 has been a year of change withdistressing and heart wrenchingnatural disasters. Here in the Nation’sCapital we very fortunate to have beensaved direct impact from many of thehardships associated with the disastersthat have affected other parts of ourcountry and that of our neighbours inNew Zealand and Asia. As we celebratethe development of our facilities,the successes that our students areexperiencing in academia and the arts,let us spare a thought and prayer forthose less fortunate.We would love to see you for thecommunity forum on 25 July. Pleasecome along and introduce yourself tothe Board and Staff. Enjoy having yoursay and meeting and interacting withother like-minded parents.The Board would like to remind allparents that the best way to contactus is through email onboard@merici.act.edu.auBoard ChairGraeme Plenderleithhowever, after a few games of cannonball, bocce and hot potato, we hadwon them over. The girls could notwait to see the ladies again, so weinvited them along to the Collegefor more games led by the Sportand Recreation students. The ladiescompeted in a series of activitiesresulting in the Skylarks taking outthe competition. This was followed byscones and tea whilst the ladies sharedstories with the students about theirglory days playing sport, and pastexperiences at school.The initiatives we have developed atthe community level and within thecontext of ‘community’ have given thestudents the greatest opportunity to:• Establish collaboration amongstpeers based on a culture of a caringand supportive environment• Share a commitment to achievingpositive outcomes• Promote health and well-being tovarious population groups within thecommunity through encouragementin inclusive and fun activities• Develop innovative programs andsessions to children and the elderly• Build authentic relationships withindividuals in the community.Brooke DeaneSport and Recreation Teacher15

Merici momentsAngela Merici Day Playfest