We are encouraged to see student numbers continue to increase and students continuing to support the Environment, Sport, Wellbeing and Healthy Lifestyle Portfolio’s Trash Free Tuesday initiative. We encourage students and families to watch the ABC’s Fight for Planet A, a program exploring how we can all reduce our individual and collective carbon emissions, this three-part documentary shares the message of "empowering and motivating Australians to take action on climate change!”  This is great motivation for students on being mindful when packing their lunchboxes. We congratulate and welcome our new Year 11 prefects into the Portfolio:  Samuel Beatson, Byron Bird, Jack Hanna and Kai Wheelock.  These young men have been involved in this portfolio over the last few years showing their commitment to their environment and wellbeing.  We can’t wait to see what initiatives they come up with as leaders in this portfolio.  Congratulations and we look forward to supporting you in your new role. [caption id="attachment_27285" align="alignleft" width="200"] Samuel Beatson[/caption] [caption id="attachment_27286" align="alignleft" width="200"] Byron Bird[/caption] [caption id="attachment_27287" align="alignleft" width="200"] Jack Hanna[/caption] [caption id="attachment_27288" align="alignleft" width="200"] Kai Wheelock[/caption]                     It is also a great time to thank our current Year 12 Environment, Sport, Wellbeing and Healthy Lifestyle leaders: Lars Cleeren, Sam Dewey, Aaron Judd, Jacob Curcio and our other prefects; Joseph Hussein, Jackson Robb, Jordan Terzian, Ashleigh Palupe, Daniel Brazier, Aidan Davis, John Fernandes, Daniel Pearce, Ethan Short, Kane Howe, Daniel Hope and Joshua Armstrong.  Each of these students have individually made an impact to this portfolio, joint collaboration between the portfolios has been incredible.  They have shown great leadership over the last two years by introducing Envirobank’s Return & Earn Scheme, Trash Free Tuesday, Movember, Earth Hour, The Push-Up Challenge, attending Sustainability conferences with other private and public schools, mentoring our upcoming leaders and organising the first ever College mufti day.  Your professionalism, commitment and leadership has been exemplary.  We wish you every success during your final year at the College.  

To support your son in developing a greater sense of responsibility for his learning, the structure of parent-teacher meetings at St Edward’s has changed. These meetings are now called Learning Conferences and it will be compulsory for students to attend all scheduled meetings with their parents. Students will be expected to take an active role in leading their parents and teachers through a reflection on their learning in that subject. This reflection must be completed for each subject prior to the meeting. The student, parents and teachers will then discuss some learning goals as they approach the Semester 2 assessments and strategies to address areas of challenge and achieve learning growth. It will also be a good opportunity to discuss the Semester 1 Report that was published to the Parent/Student portals last week. With the current COVID-19 restrictions, Parents are currently not permitted onsite for Learning Conferences. Therefore, these Conferences for Term 3 will be held online as a Microsoft Teams meeting. These Conferences will be held on Thursday 27th August (Week 6) and Wednesday 9th September (Week 8). Please note that these conferences will not be recorded by teaching staff and we request that parents and students not record meetings either. Parents will be able to book appointments for either of the evenings that suit.  Please note that conferences will be available for bookings between the hours of at 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm.  All conferences will be of seven (7) minutes duration. The Learning Conference bookings will be managed with an internet-based booking system called Parent Teacher On-Line (PTO). It will save time for parents, staff, and students.  Using this system, you will be able to book the conference times that suit you best. The teachers will then contact students at the scheduled time via a Microsoft Teams meeting. This will mean that parents and students will need to be available at booked times with Microsoft Teams open on a device. This process and the process for student reflection will be further explained to students at a year meeting prior to Week 6. Access to the booking system will be available from Friday 21st August at 7.00 pm and will be closed off for bookings the day before interviews. If you encounter any problems using PTO, please contact the school office on 4321 6400. Please follow these steps to access the system: Click here go to the PTO website Click on “Obtain PIN/Password” (you will need to supply your email address) Enter your email address and click on "Send Email" Check your email in-box for your login details or click on the link in the email Go back to the PTO website, login with the details supplied via email Follow the online instructions to complete the bookings. Please note that in Step 1 of the booking process you will need to select the start date and time by scrolling through the drop-down menu until you reach your desired start time. For additional information please click on the link below Additional Information | pdf  

Year 7 - Literacy and Art Streamlined Art and Literacy have always been streamlined as subjects – why can’t we analyse both a written and a visual text at the same time? This semester, students have begun the term with examining the properties of Dramatic texts including  plays during Core classes. This aligns with the examination of texts in Visual Arts – visual texts, to be precise. Students were able to analyse the storytelling properties of Indigenous art as told through the use of symbols and patterns. The boys painted backgrounds of watercolour, with acrylic paint brush strokes over the top. Their final layer was created using permanent marker. Each painting was then drawn over the top with Indigenous symbols to tell a story of their own creation. Year 7 Work [smallgallery fooid="26445"]   Year 8 Work [smallgallery fooid="26484"]   Year 9 Photography -  Light Trails and Composition This term, the photography students in Year 9 have been capitalising on their basic understanding of using the DSLR camera. This term they have concentrated on long exposure photography and using the BULB setting in darkness to create imagery using torches, glow sticks, fairy lights and sparklers. The students were asked to create their own sparkler circle and then turn it into a Portal into another dimension using Adobe Photoshop. They were then taken to the Drama room and asked to act out a superhero scene as if they were shooting lasers at each other. The results are exceptional!   Year 9 Work [smallgallery fooid="27008"]   Year 10 - Gargoyles and the Art of Chris Ryniak Year 10 have started a ceramics and sculpture unit based on the work of Gothic Cathedrals and their Gargoyles. Students have begun with tonal drawing using Charcoal and Conte Chalk on buff paper to show the gargoyles themselves. The drawings have then been turned into black and white scratch art using the cartoon character monsters of Chris Ryniak as inspiration. Well done, boys, the results are fantastic! HSC Bodies of Work Sneak Peeks As the due dates for the HSC Bodies of Work loom closer, the students have been working feverishly to try and put the final polishing touches on their works. They have chosen everything from tradition artforms of drawing and painting, to ceramics, graphic media, photo media and sculpture. The standard of the work and their conceptual nature has been exceptional and we wish the boys every success as they complete their Trials and then finish their Bodies of Work ready for their final assessment at the end of the term.   Year 12 HSC [smallgallery fooid="26970"]

See the link below for Episode 4 of SECTV.  Hosts were Jackson Robb, College Captain; Joseph Hussein, College Vice Captain; and Daniel Pearce, College Prefect.   [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE5DZZ1ukTo[/embed]

Our combined Concert Band generally rehearse during lunch but unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, this has quickly changed particularly for the woodwind instruments. The following video of the piece which is called Pastime with Good Company, composed by our conductor Dr Phillip Rutherford, features our students who have had most of their rehearsals over Zoom. St Edward's College Students Sebastian Eager in Year 9 playing flute Brendan Minto in Year 8  playing alto sax Juan Jose Rodriguez-Caldas in Year 8  playing tenor sax Kai Maitland in Year 8 playing bass guitar Daniel Herd in Year 9 playing drums [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGDdz4M0cKY[/embed]

On August 11 and 12, Year 7 Core classes of St Edward’s College participated in an excursion to Pioneer Park, a short 1.5 km walk from school. The purpose of the excursion was to complete a site study that enabled the boys to understand the local historical environment and participate actively in an historical inquiry. The students gained an understanding about the fascinating history of the former Point Frederick Cemetery, one of two main burial grounds from 1840-1953 for the Gosford area. In 1977 the cemetery was converted into Pioneer Park, with many of the gravestones relocated into a smaller area of the grounds. The boys took photos, studied the monuments and memorials, and recorded information for their classroom activities. They learned about some of the earliest families to settle in Gosford, including Thomas Alison Scott, a pioneer in the Australian sugar trade. With impressive views of the Brisbane Water and first-hand experience in using sources to form opinions and hypotheses, it was indeed a great outing for learning! Many thanks to Mr Jackson English for organising the excursion. Nevin Odden Core Teacher   [smallgallery fooid="26289"]

Debating 2020 The debating season is well underway and this year the format is a little different. Throughout this term our Year 9 and 10 debating team will participate in five rounds of virtual debates, with the two highest scoring teams in each round progressing to a knockout stage. Last Tuesday we had our first debate against The Scots College and with a comfortable win the boys are sitting on top of the ladder. Congratulations to Jayden Redfern, Daniel Herd, and Jivesh Shonak (Year 9), and Ikey Allen and Cameron Shaw (Year 10) on their outstanding performance. It is no easy feat to be able to stand up and argue a topic for six minutes with only an hour to prepare. Their teamwork was admirable, and their speaking skills exemplary. Well done on a great start to the competition!    

Webinar - New Era of Manufacturing Follow the link to register. Register Here   Coles Lisarow is currently hiring. Go onto Coles careers and fill out the application form once completed you will be given an applicant number. Come and see the Store Manager Jenn or 2IC Leanne with your resume and applicant number on the top. https://www.colescareers.com.au/   NSW-Apprentice-Trainee-Programs-Brochure   Website for more information iworkfor.nsw.gov.au

As a parent, the ultimate goal for adolescents is to achieve autonomy. This quest for independence shows in many ways, including frequent challenges to the family status quo, small acts of defiance and straight-out refusal to cooperate with parental ideas and suggestions. All exhausting for parents on the receiving end.   This boundary testing signals a readiness to begin developing your young person’s independence and self-sufficiency skills. Not only is this good preparation for their life without you, but it gives them a chance to show that they are growing up. Complicating the development of independent living skills is the fact that many young people believe that they are far older and more capable than they are, yet many parents believe their children are younger and less capable than they really are. Getting the balance right is the key. Let’s get started. Expectations As your young person gets busier with school and activities outside home it’s tempting to put less expectations on them to help at home. This may make life easier for them in the short term, but in the long term, your young person will benefit more from learning how to take care of themselves and by contributing regularly to their family’s wellbeing. These activities include: • Cooking a meal • Shopping for supermarket items • Washing their own clothes • Regular chores such as emptying the garbage, mowing the lawn or cleaning up the garden • Looking after younger siblings Balance School, peers, family, personal interests and part-time work can compete for your young person’s attention, which can become overwhelming. Help your young person balance these competing priorities by encouraging them to: Look Ahead Plan the week out at the start of the week so your young person knows what’s coming up. Keep a Schedule Teach them to use a schedule/planner to stay organised. This is a great way to help them to think ahead, keep track of time and commitments, and also reflect on what they have achieved. Whether it is a physical planner or an electronic one, encouraging young people to use them helps them to build confidence and independence in managing their time. Allocate Carefully Help your young person allocate their time across all areas such as school, family, peers, interests and work rather than fill up one or two areas. Plan for Downtime Ensure your young person has some downtime each day to help them relax and unwind. Problem-solving Problem-solving is a big part of adult life, so it’s best start when young people are under your roof rather than wait until they’ve flown the nest. Help your young person solve some of their current issues and dilemmas, which range from getting home by themselves after sports practice to being harassed by a peer at school. Here’s how: • Share your own stories and struggles • Talk through options with them • Encourage them to tackle problems when they are small • Discuss when to enlist the assistance of a teacher or other adults Getting Around Getting around on their own without being reliant on parents is a significant hallmark for independence for young people. Using public transport, negotiating timetables, budgeting and working out what happens when schedules change are important skills to learn. If your young person is reluctant then you can take some trips together by bus or train to help familiarise them. Responsibility Encourage your young person to take more initiative with their learning and study habits as they move toward the end of their secondary school years. Take on the role of a coach where you assist them to make sensible decisions about their education including choice of subjects, their homework and schoolwork habits. As your young person moves through secondary school gradually step back and provide them with more opportunities to become self-sufficient at home, to take on more responsibility outside home, and to have greater influence over their own studies and work habits.

Respectful Relationships Respectful relationships is currently a topic of conversation in schools across Australia and New Zealand. Encouraging children and young people to develop relationships with each other based on mutual respect and equality is at the heart of gender quality. In a recent wide-ranging interview I asked prominent Australian psychologist Collett Smart to identify the impediments parents face when teaching kids about respectful relationships. Collett identified pornography as the biggest challenge parents had to overcome when developing respectful attitudes to gender and sexuality. Smart says, “Children as young as nine have been exposed to pornography, even when they did not intend to access it. It’s safe to assume that most kids already know what it is. The flood of porn, so easily available online, has become our children’s primary source of sexual education.” Talking to children and young people about sexuality is often challenging particularly when they don’t wish to engage in such conversations. But Smarts warns, “If pornography is not specifically addressed, it is likely to erode young people’s healthy development.” Smart points out that many parents discover that their upper primary school or secondary school aged child has accessed porn, so the topic can’t be ignored. She provides this advice for parents who discover their child or young person has accessed porn: Be Ready Be armed with knowledge. Take your time, but don’t avoid talking about it. Expect Denials Most kids are very embarrassed or fear adverse parental reaction so don’t be surprised if they deny accessing porn. Reassure Let your child or young person know that you are not angry. Explain calmly what you found and tell them that you are there for them and you will now work through this together. Check the Tech Check that you’ve set up blocking software and parental controls on children and teens’ devices. Although difficult, keep internet connected devices out of bedrooms. Create a Plan Sit with your child or young person and draw up a plan for what they can do when future exposure occurs. Smart believes that no matter how well prepared parents may be, they never feel ready when they realise that porn infiltrates their own family. She advises, “It’s okay to feel confronted by the fact that this ‘statistic’ is now a reality in your house. Take a little time before responding. Don’t jump straight in and blurt out your fears. Go for a walk if necessary, to think about what you might say next. If you messed up, clammed up or even yelled – apologise and start again!” Smart is correct. Your kids won’t remember that you fumbled the parenting ball. They will remember the overarching atmosphere of your relationship – that you cared and that you were prepared to talk to them about anything, including the hard stuff! Related Webinar Our school has a membership with Parenting Ideas. As part of this membership, you can attend the upcoming webinar ‘Teaching young people about healthy relationships’ at no cost. About In this webinar Collett Smart gives parents the tools to build a strong relationship with their child where no topic is off-limits and they can come to them with any questions. When 9 September 2020 8:00pm AEST To Redeem 1. Click this link: https://www.parentingideas.com.au/parent-resources/parent-webinars/webinar-teaching-young-people-about-healthy-relationships 2. Click ‘Add to cart’ 3. Click ‘View cart’ 4. Enter the voucher code HEALTHY and click ‘Apply Coupon’ Your discount of $37 will be applied. 5. Click ‘Proceed to checkout’ 6. Fill in your account details including our school’s name to verify your eligibility. These are the details you will use to login to your account and access your webinar and resources 7. Click ‘Place Order’   This offer is valid until 9 December 2020. If you’re unable to make the broadcast time, just register anyway and you will get access to the recording. The recording will be available in your Parenting Ideas dashboard so you can refer to it at anytime.