Veritas No 14, 11 November 2017 Dear Parent/Carer, Students & Friends of San Clemente

Veritas 13, 14 September 2018

Technology is progressing at a rapid rate and mobile phones are just one example of this. Each year we tend to see the

introduction of new and improved smartphones that are astutely marketed, creating a euphoria amongst many, partic-

ularly our young people. I recently read an article titled ‘Creating Spacious Minds’ by Jessica Lee, the owner of The

Spark Effect. She is passionate about sharing neuroscience-based strategies to better use our brains to reduce stress

and increase wellbeing.

This article caused me to reflect on how I personally use my mobile phone. I cannot deny its many benefits, including

the fact that it essentially serves as a portable device in which I am accessible and can work from, including accessing

my calendar, emails, daily reminders and so on. What can be difficult is the ability to switch off, which is not always

easy! Each day we notice this amongst people, whether it be at a local café, wandering through the shops and even ille-

gally whilst behind the wheel and waiting at the traffic lights. Each day, we also notice this amongst young people.

These phones tend to have a gravitational pull to pick them up and mindlessly scroll through them. In doing so, Lee pur-

ports that as our brains become overloaded with information, our stress levels increase and we lose the ability to think

creatively. This can lead to anxiety and brain fatigue and thus impact on decision making. One practice we engage with

at school is that of mindfulness, teaching our students the skills of being able to take notice of what is happening in the

present moment. This is not an easy skill for many students, particularly when they are forever ‘switched on’; however,

there are obvious benefits in being mindful, both in the classroom and out of it.

Lee states that “Your brain’s ability to keep up, think clearly, solve problems, work efficiently and keep stress at bay re-

lies on your willingness to stop, be still and enjoy moments of spaciousness”. While there are obvious benefits to

smartphones, like most things in life, moderation is the key. Our current school policy allows the use of smartphones at

school but only at the discretion of the teacher in the classroom if it is felt it can enhance learning. The NSW Govern-

ment is currently conducting a study into phone use at schools which we will watch closely.

Our theme for 2018 is “Take Notice’. I encourage all parents to talk with your children about sensible use of mobile de-

vices and how this looks. Let’s encourage our young people, as Lee concludes in her article, to:

“Stop. Breathe. Observe. Connect. Create”.

Over/…...

Mind Full or Mindful?

Assistant Principal - Wellbeing

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent,

but the ones most responsive to change” Charles Darwin, the Origin of Species

This week I met with the Assistant Director of Catholic Care, Tanya Russell to discuss with her the topic of Resilience and coping with stress. Tanya led our Wellbeing team through some interesting concepts focussing on dealing with stress and building resilience. As the quote above suggests, our ability to cope with situations that were not planned or times in our life of great adversity can be essential to our overall quality of life. Resilience is the process of adapting well to these changes or traumas and being able to “bounce forward” from difficult experiences. I appreciated the term , “bounce for-ward” as all situations we face in our life tend to alter or change us, it is impossible to not be affected so the thought of “bouncing back” is probably not achievable.

In our PosED sessions this week, students have moved from “Goal Setting” to discussing the concepts of Hope and Opti-mism. Two essential characteristics of resilience. These concepts along with humour, cognitive flexibility, acceptance and positive emotion are the social and emotional skills needed if we want to “bounce forward”. Tanya also explained to us that authentic resilient people often display 3 characteristics:

A staunch acceptance of reality

A deep belief that life is meaningful

An uncanny ability to improvise

There are many ways that people can build resilience including:

Managing unhelpful thoughts

Acceptance of unwanted experiences that are beyond our control

Committed action toward living a valued life.

This last point was of particular interest. As a Wellbeing Team and School community we often discuss our actions in line with our School Mission, Vision and Values. Often in this section of the newsletter I will discuss our desire to focus on the whole person, to live authentic lives (VERITAS), to connect as a community, to be active citizens and to remain faith filled. These concepts or values allow us to move forward as an organisation and respond to the difficulties all communities face from time to time.

But, individually, how to establish our own values, live true to these and thus develop authentic resilience. Perhaps ask-ing ourselves these questions could help young people, parents, carers and staff to formulate their values, in line with the community and assist us all to live thriving lives:

What do you really want?

What sort of life do you stand for?

What sort of person do you want to be?

What sort of relationship do you want to build?

How do you want to act/behave in the world towards others/yourself?

What do you want to do with your life?

Nathan Beckett, Assistant Principal (Wellbeing)

‘Boundless Plains to Share’

On Tuesday evening of this week, San Clemente held its annual Drama Night at the Civic Playhouse, titled ‘Boundless Plains

to Share’. This production was a semi-verbatim/historical look at Australia's migration written by students and interwo-

ven with a "what if" narrative, dealing with some very current and real issues.

Congratulations to our Years 9 & 10 Drama Elective students, along with a number of other students, including representa-

tion from the St Dominic’s Centre, who performed on the evening. It was a wonderful display of creativity and courage by

all students and the sheer joy in performing at such a significant venue was clear for all to see.

Thank you to Amy Wilde, Drama Teacher, who enabled this production to take place through her support of the students

and passion for drama. The evening was a great reflection of the quality learning that takes place in Creative and Perform-

ing Arts at the school, led by Teaching & Learning Coordinator Emma South.

Scott Donohoe, Principal

Assistant Principal - Teaching & Learning

Dear Readers

Last night I attended the annual San Clemente Drama production- Boundless Plains to Share, at the Civic Playhouse. Not only did I find the plot thought-provoking, moving and entertaining, I found myself feeling so proud of every one of the actors, our students. It took courage, skill development, practise, commitment and teamwork to ensure the success of the production. Not only did I along with the audience in attendance, witness and enjoy a fine evening of theatre, we ex-hibited the true essence of San Clemente: students taking opportunities, working together, venturing outside their com-fort zone and most importantly, experiencing the enjoyment that comes from achieving success. My congratulations to Mrs Emma South (CAPA Coordinator), Miss Amy Wilde (Drama Teacher) and all staff who worked with the students to enable our students this opportunity. And so, another example of students fully realising their potential and living their dream…

Please see below an article that may inspire our young people how to work toward achieving their personal best, their dreams…

10 Tips for Creating a Life and Living Your Dream

1. Stop doing things just because others expect them of you.

Your heart must be in it to finish the race. When we do things just because we 'should,' we eventually reach a place of resentment, anger, and rebellion.

2. Get your priorities straight.

Spend your time, talents, and resources with the people, activities, or things that are meaningful to you. Stop wasting these on things that are not adding value to your life or that keep you from moving forward towards what you want to be or do.

3. March to the beat of your own band.

The most satisfying experiences in our lives are when we are engaged physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, or intellectually. If you're tugging and pulling, and everything feels like an uphill battle, then you're doing the wrong thing.

4. Stop making excuses and just do it.

The reason (excuses) for why you have not taken that first step does not matter. What matters is that you take that first step NOW.

5. Do what you're good at and the money will follow.

Whether you're a brain surgeon or a dog walker, be the best you can be at it because you love it. Your enthusiasm and love for what you do is what will make you successful in the long run. Enthusiastic and positive people attract others to them who want that too.

6. Share your dream with others, but be discerning.

Realise that not everyone you share your dream with will be thrilled for you. Avoid the nay-sayers and focus on those people who can support you even if they don't agree with you.

7. Determine what your ideal life looks like.

Most people's initial response to this is 'I don't know.' If you did know, what would your ideal life be like? Who would you want to live with, who would you like to meet, where would you like to live, what activities/shows/parties/places would you like to experience or be with?

8. Identify the stumbling blocks that can be turned into stepping stones.

Your past experiences and adversity can create opportunity for you. It's all in how you look at life and how you choose to use those experiences so that you eliminate the blocks and move on in spite of them. Victory is yours!

9. Reduce your learning curve.

Learn from the experiences and mistakes of others. Instead of reinventing the wheel, take what you can apply from the trials and challenges others have overcome then tweak the process to fit your own situation.

10. Align yourself with a role model/mentor.

Having someone who's 'been there and done that' is one of the best ways to get yourself on track with what you want to accomplish or be. A mentor will be supportive, offer the benefit of his/her expertise and knowledge, and will listen to you when you need support the most.

Emma Tierney, Assistant Principal (Teaching & Learning)

Year 8 News

Term 3 has flown and is nearly finished. It is very important that all students maintain focus till the end of the term, en-

suring that they are at class on time, prepared for each and every lesson, working diligently in class, handing in home-

work and assessments and wearing their school uniform well. I reminded Year 8 students of these requirements at our

Year meeting last week.

Sometimes teenagers make irrational decisions because their brain is processing thoughts and emotions differently to

an adult brain. The good news is that in most of these instances the teenager is not being inherently rude or disre-

spectful. Teenagers aren’t fully equipped to deal with certain real world problems. Sometimes at school teachers wit-

ness students making poor choices. The response by staff is vitally important in ensuring that teenagers learn from their

mistakes. Clear boundaries and high expectations are very important for teenagers.

As parents sometimes, we feel disconnected with our child or children. As they grow from children into adolescents

where they are forming their own identity, sense of responsibility and independence, it often becomes difficult for par-

ents to still feel “connected” to their child.

Here are some “eternal truths on parental love”

A parents love gives a child hope and energy to grow

A child wants their parents to take notice of the good things they do and to communicate their love and

affection

A parent’s love for a child is a basic requirement for the development of the child into a healthy caring

adult.

A child can be likened to a flower – they open up when their parent’s love shines upon them.

Sometimes we can focus most of our energy on correcting and disciplining our children. It is very important that the un-

derlying premise of all of our actions comes from a place of love.

Please do not hesitate to contact me through the front office on 40147300 or at kate.tolfree@mn.catholic.edu.au.

Kate Tolfree, Year 8 Student Coordinator (Wellbeing)

Year 9 Students

The end of term is fast approaching and before we know it Term 4 will commence. I emphasised to Year 9 at their year

meeting this week that the conclusion of a term is as significant as the start of a new term. Year 9, it is important that you

continue to conduct yourself in a sensible and respectable manner both in and out of the classroom and continue to ap-

ply yourself in every lesson - a challenge I am sure you are all up to. Uniform standards should not slide and I ask parents

to support the school with ensuring your child is dressed in the correct sporting and academic uniform, from head to toe.

I am aware that a number of Year 9 students may be absent from school in the coming weeks due to planned family holi-

days. I emphasise to parents, could you please notify the school and myself if your child will be absent from school.

Please note it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all assessment tasks are completed before their planned ab-

sence. If an extension is required for any task, the student is responsible for making arrangements with their teacher and

the relevant Teaching and Learning Coordinator. If you require school work for your child (the earlier the notice the easi-

er it is for me to arrange work from all teachers). I ask parents to please avoid planning events/holidays/appointments

during Semester 2 Examination Week which commences on Monday 19th – Friday 23rd November (Week 6 Term 4).

On the theme of examinations and assessment tasks I am amazed at the number of students who believe that success is

due to natural ability only. I am not an expert in the area of child psychology but, during my 23 years of teaching I can

guarantee that effort and perseverance play a major role in a student’s success. I continually challenge and encourage all

Year 9 students to give their best in everything they do. I encourage parents to support me in this area, which I am sure

you do anyway. Effort and perseverance - rather than ability - is what we should be praising.

I would like to congratulate the Year 9 students who recently returned from a week at the snow and the Year 9 Drama

students who performed at the Civic Playhouse on Tuesday night. What impresses me the most about these students,

was their ability to overcome their fears and to persist at an activity which was new to most of them. I don’t even think

the students are aware of the life skills they have been learning and exhibiting. They were challenged to learn new skills

and leave their comfort zone. I was very proud of their efforts, commitment and support for one another and hope that

they continue to apply these traits and attitude at school and throughout their life.

A reminder to Year 9 parents, if you have any concerns at all please contact me at school on 4014 7300 or on the follow-

ing email address; patrick.doyle@mn.catholic.edu.au

A final thought Year 9,

"Look in the dictionary; both determination and effort come before success."

Patrick Doyle, Year 9 Coordinator (Wellbeing)

Year 10 News

Uniform: I ask parents to support the school’s uniform policy of no hoodies under jerseys, clear studs for nose piercings, black, polishable leather shoes for academic uniform and long hair tied back. These standards will be expected and enforced up to including Year 10’s last day of school at San Clemente.

Important Dates for the remainder of 2018: November 12th – November 16th: Semester Two Examinations November 19th – November 23rd: Work Experience November 26th – November 30th: Awareness Week December 6th: Graduation at Wests City.

Shout-outs: Congratulations to the students involved in the Drama Night earlier this week and good luck to our golfers at the Diocesan Golf Tournament. Congratulations to the Year 10 Students involved in the Variety Spin for Kids Charity Day last Friday. From 10:00am to 4:00pm, the students pedalled for 158.7km on a station-ary bike - you may have seen some tired faces on our Facebook page or the NBN News segment! A great effort to raise money for young people who are unwell.

A reminder to all parents/ carers, if you have any concerns or questions about your child’s wellbeing, please don’t hesitate in contacting me on 4014 7300 or at nicholas.marsh@mn.catholic.edu.au

Nicholas Marsh, Year 10 Coordinator (Wellbeing)

Recently, I read an article outlining strategies that all people can implement in their lives to improve productivity and overall wellbeing. After examining paragraphs of information on the science of the brain, I came across a concise list of “10 things that require zero talent”, including:

Being on time Work ethic

Effort Attitude

Doing extra Being prepared

The above behaviours have an obvious link to the academic side of schooling, however I would advise all students to consider implementation in all aspects of their lives. In alignment with San Clemente’s Posi-tive Education program, attitude (Connect), effort (Be Active) and doing extra (Give) can be applied to friendships, sporting endeavours, everyday tasks and dealings with others. With subject choices for 2019 all but finalised, new schools selected or new pathways ready to be ex-plored, it is important for all students to keep working hard and doing their absolute best in all that comes their way for the remainder of the year. The habits that are formed now are vital in setting the standard for the next chapter in each student’s lives beyond San Clemente. Year 10, we as a staff will con-tinue to encourage you and challenge you – this is not a time to switch off. Keep your head down, keep persevering – ensuring you continue to thrive for whatever comes next for you in the years to come.

Year 7 Students

Throughout this term our Year 7 students have been enthusiastically working through our positive education sessions.

These sessions focus on our students strengths and how they can best use these in their ‘everyday lives’. Our students

are learning the importance of mindfulness and taking a moment each day to reflect. We also focus on specific skills

that assist students to strengthen their relationships, build positive emotions, enhance personal resilience and encour-

age a healthy lifestyle. Our mentor teachers will continue to work through the positive education program with our stu-

dents over the next four years and I encourage families to discuss with their children their strengths and perhaps even

look at discovering a few of their own!

Recently four of our Year 7 students used their strengths and spoke at our Year 6 Information Evening. Ella Howarth,

Estelle Nicholas, Lyji Vaags and Logan Aoake spoke at the evening about their time this year at San Clemente. It was

wonderful to hear the students speak of their experiences and their presentations were very well received by the audi-

ence. Great work!

I would like to remind students and parents about where to find the extra help that is available to all students at school.

The Feldt Centre is open everyday at lunch for the students to work on their assessment tasks or simply ask for help

with some homework. There is also opportunities such as homework hub on a Monday afternoon and ‘Maths and Milo’

throughout the week. A big thank you to the staff for always making themselves available for our students.

Finally, a shout out to Abigail who was recently awarded an individual athlete grant

available through the Australian Institute of Sport. Abi was presented with a $500

grant and Local Sporting Champion Award last week by Meryl Swanson MP for Paterson

The grant was to go towards her State Age netball participation. Congratulations Abi!

Please contact me at the school if you have any questions or queries and have a great

holiday!

Bronwyn Denham, Year 7 Student Coordinator (Wellbeing)

Parent/Teacher Day—Thursday 18 October—Pupil Free

Students are encouraged to attend with parent

Staff Spirituality Day—Wednesday 31 October—Pupil Free

Year 10 iSTEM visit to the University of Newcastle Faculty of Engineering

On Friday the 7th of September, the San Clemente Year 10 iSTEM class visited the University of Newcastle Engineering pre-cinct and had the opportunity to tour through some of the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering workshops to see what goes on inside the laboratories and view the current research projects being undertaken at the University of Newcastle on the cutting edge of Science and Engineering.

The tour was led by Kate, a future students team member and Joshua, a student ambassador and third year engineering student.

Firstly, we were taken through the Mechanical Engineering building and talked through ground breaking research work like a 3D printed fan with an original innovative blade design based on mathematical algorithms that maximise energy generation from a turbine, and new materials created at the university, currently being tested for possibilities, including a newly developed alloy with greatly increased battery storage potential. Also viewed were lasers which can accurately record motion millions of times per second and the applications of this technology in the field of geo-sensing.

Secondly, we toured the electrical engineering and mechatronics laboratories and were introduced to leading edge nano-technologies, nano-fabrications and micro-robotics, where atomic force microscopy enables observation and manipulation of atoms.

Finally, we had a walk through the physics building on our way to a quick lunch at the one of the university cafe areas prior to hopping back on the bus.

The experience was judged valuable for all who attended. We are hoping to make this an annual tour for our iSTEM stu-dents.

Julia Nolan, Teaching & Learning Coordinator, Science

Science Experiments

This week, all Year 8 classes are dis-secting ox hearts as part of their Living World topic, allowing stu-dents to observe the structure of the heart and it's function.

On Tuesday 11th September, 43 students took to the stage at the Playhouse Theatre to per-form “Boundless Plains to Share”. Our Elective Drama students began the process of building this production by researching their own an-cestral ties to Australia’s vast and colourful migration history. From there the pieces were written creatively both through workshopping and by using Verbatim Theatre techniques. From an infamous bushranger, to our untold story of slavery, to real-life pirates, the audi-ence found the show both entertaining and informative. A big congratulations to all stu-dents involved, both our Year 9 and 10 Elec-tive Drama students and those who shared the stage, rehearsing in their lunch times in dance, music and drama. A big shout out to Nick Campbell who represented The St. Dominic’s Centre in our 2018 performance. We are very proud of the students for their enthusiasm and professionalism in staging this production. They have done themselves and the entire CAPA faculty proud. Thanks must also go to Miss Wilde, our Drama teacher, for her tireless energy and commitment to her students.

Mrs Emma South Teaching and Learning Coordinator

CAPA and Languages

Hunter Regional Oztag

A great day of Oztag at Raymond Terrace today with the Doves again soaring high at the Hunter Regional Championships.

This was the first time that we have competed at this tournament, and it was an amazing effort to have five teams competing across the Years 7/8 and 9/10 Boys and Girls divisions. All teams did SCM proud with all students playing with great commitment, sportsmanship and passion for the "black and white."

Despite some exciting games, our Year 7 Boys and 9/10 Girls narrowly missed out on qualifying to the Quarter Finals.

Our remaining teams went even further with the Year 8 Boys reaching the Quarter Finals and the Year 9/10 Boys reaching the Semi-Finals.

Our best result for the day was our Years 7/8 Girls team who made the Grand Final, but were unfortunately beaten by Hunter Sports High in a hard fought game.

Hopefully next year, with a bit more practice and training, we can go even further and progress to the NSW/ACT Championships Tournament Finals.

Thanks to the water boys and girls who helped out and a huge thank you to Iain, Cassie, Anna and Nelson for their help coaching the teams.

Kieran Knight, Coach

7/8 Oztag Girls

7/8 Oztag Boys

San Clemente P&F Association

Fundraising Raffle

Don’t miss out on our raffle with tickets on sale next week.

Prizes are fabulous and you can’t win if your are not in!

First prize—Thermomix

Second prize—Rustica eight course banquet for four people

Third prize—Peter Lehmann wine pack from Whitebridge cellars.

Tickets available from the Canteen, Finance Office or P&F Members

Purchase your tickets

through the Qkr! app

Members of the school community are invited to attend an information session about Cybersafety on Wednesday 19 September at 7 pm located at St Pius X High School, Adamstown in "The Factory".

Topics that will be discussed are:

Protective and preventative measures

The law and the internet

Social networking

Instant messaging and communication

Online gaming

Cyberbullying

Sexting

This is a FREE event. Please RSVP via the link be-low.

https://www.mn.catholic.edu.au/news-events/event-cybersafety-presentation/

The Library will be open after school every Monday until

4pm with teachers available to assist with Assessment Tasks

and homework.

The Maths ASAP program also operates on Monday after-

noons in D3 for Year 9 and 10 students.

Starting Monday 12th February, 2018. All students wel-

come!

For more information, please contact Mrs McDonell (02) 4014

7300

Permission to attend Homework Hub I give permission for:

Student Name: ________________________________

Year: ________ Mentor Group: _______________________ to attend Homework Hub in the Library at San Clemente High School every Monday afternoon until 4pm. This student will be travelling home from San Clemente by: _______________________________________________

Parent Name: ____________________

Contact Phone Number: ______________________

FINANCE OFFICE

Office Hours

Mon – Thu 8.00 am – 3.00 pm

Friday 8.00 am – 2.30 pm

Fees:

Fees:

All fees for Term 3 should have now been paid.

If you have not received a copy of your statement, please contact the school asap.

Fees were due for payment by Friday 17 August 2018.

If you are paying by Direct Debit or Bpay, please ensure your weekly/fortnightly payments are enough to finalise fees by Mid December.

Canteen Lunch Orders:

Student lunches can be ordered using QKR! App. All orders must be placed before 8am of day required.

QKR is now our preferred method of payment. Details are available on school website.

The construction of our new Hall is progressing and we are planning to make the Centenary

Bricks part of the project.

This is the final opportunity to be included in the project and ‘Etched in Stone’. Please complete

the form below and send it back to the Finance Office with payment before end of September.

Canteen Roster

SAN CLEMENTE HIGH SCHOOL

100 YEARS

Memorabilia for Sale

GLASSES $10.00 MUGS $10.00

KEY RING $5.00

San Clemente High School—Uniform Shop Calendar Dates to note

18 Sep Dio Debating Yr 7 (Lochinvar)

18 Sep P & F Meeting 6pm Library

20 Sep Marine Studies Ash Island Excursion

24 Sep IST Yr 9 & 10 Virtual Reality Excursion

24 Sep Maths Yr 10 Topic Test Pds 3&5

28 Sep End Term 3

15 Oct Beginning Term 4

18 Oct Parent Teacher Day—Pupil Free

24/25 Oct Hunter Wetlands (2 groups Yr 9)

29/10-2/11 ASPIRE Auditions

30 Oct Socktober activities

31 Oct Staff Spirituality Day

31 Oct iSTEM Electrical Vehicle Challenge

1 Nov Immunisation Yr 7 (HPV & Catchups

12 Nov YEAR 10 EXAM Week

14/15 Nov Awabakal Edu Centre Dudley Yr 8

19 Nov Year 10 Work Experience Week

19-23 Nov Orientation Groups Year 6

19 Nov YEAR 9 Exam Week

26 Nov Awareness Week Year 10

28 Nov SFX Orientation Year 10

6 Dec Year 10 Graduation

17 Dec School Mass

19 Dec Final Day 2018, Years 7-9

2019

31 Jan Year 7s

1 Feb Years 8, 9, 10

06 Feb School Photos 7 & 10

11/13 Feb Yr 7 Camp

20 Feb School Photos 8 & 9

Week Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Week 8

17/09/18

Helen Starkey Carmel Sharah Natalie Tetavano Helpers not

required

Helpers not

Required

Week 10

24/09/18

Helpers not

Required

Carmel Sharah Priscilla Heigle Helpers not

required

HELP