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Some time ago I attended a presentation by Fr Richard Leonard, a Jesuit Priest currently based in North Sydney. I was recently reminded of his book  "Where the hell is God?’ The book looks at the question of where God is in our lives in the really tough times and indeed, why he has let them happen in the first place. Famines, droughts, infant death and the pain and suffering for our elderly are things that people often question as to - why does God allow these things to happen?

The book was written as a response to Fr Richards’s reflections on how he, and his family, has responded to the crisis of his then 28-year-old sister becoming a quadriplegic. His sister, who as a trained nurse, and who spent more than three years as a volunteer working in Calcutta with Mother Theresa in the Hospital of the Dying and then later in the Northern Territory in a remote aboriginal settlement. He asked where was God in this situation? How could God let this happen to such person? Why her?

In our lives we have experiences that challenge our thinking and shift our balance of thought, they leave an entrenched feeling that our previous 'way' was not quite enough or was out if sync. In essence these experiences change us and challenge our core beliefs. It might be good to read Harry Potter or Twilight or other books for entertainment but I recommend that we also search for some literature that challenges our thinking. This book leads us through an examination of our own beliefs and expectations for God. Why does God allow innocent infants to die in their cots? It leads us to reflect on our own expectations of our God and through this to an examination of our relationship with our God.

So, how could God let this happen to Fr Richard’s sister? In the end Fr Richard realised that when he sat in the hospital crying, with his mother at his sisters bed, God was there weeping beside them. God is beside all of us in the terrible and tough times.

FAIR IS FOUL AND FOUL IS FAIR…

Last week, the Year 11 English Extension class had the opportunity to attend a modern rendition of Shakespeare's famous play Macbeth, performed by the Bell Shakespeare Theatre Company. The production took place in the playhouse at the Sydney Opera House. Throughout the year, the group has been learning about female villains and their portrayal throughout history. Ultimately, the goal of the day was to compare how a modern take on Macbeth differs from more traditional interpretations in accordance with the changing cultures and values of society over time.

The production itself was very impressive, and let us experience Shakespeare’s words come to life on the stage, rather than just written in our copies of the drama script. The actors all did an exceptional job, and the quality of the production was just as good. In regards to what we are studying, the play’s interpretation of the three witches was especially interesting. They were depicted as teenage girls who appeared not only physically, but also as projected faces on the set, incorporating a modern element of technology into the performance. There was also the portrayal of Lady Macbeth, who is infamous for her villainy, and through the live performance, we were able to compare Shakespeare’s famous female villain then and now!

Ultimately, a lovely day out in Sydney, with good theatre and good company.

YEAR 12 GATHERING WITH BISHOP BRIAN MASCORD

On Wednesday August 21st, John Therry hosted the annual Bishop gathering with the Year 12 cohort in company with three surrounding schools of the Wollongong Diocese including St Gregory’s College, Magdalene Catholic College and Chevalier College. 

The day consisted of activities to engage with the Catholic faith and our futures. A panel of speakers including Bishop Brian, Larissa Koura  & Miss Molly Durrington (from John Therry) to address questions regarding social issues that concern Catholics in the Church today. These included the recent passing of the Abortion Bill in the Lower House of Parliament and the legalisation of Euthanasia in Western Australia, making WA the second state in Australia to do so. Bishop Brian especially addressed these controversial issues in alignment with our Catholic beliefs, along with the rest of the speakers who considered the value of life as a product of the Church. 

An interesting point that was noted was the idea of respect. Bishop Brian and other speakers really emphasised the need for our Catholic faith to coexist with the multicultural landscape of Australia. And despite the fact that we don’t all share the same beliefs, it is imperative that we show respect to other people’s beliefs. Essentially, it is important we establish our own beliefs and not be pressured by society to conform to the new cultural norms that try to be imposed. 

The day finished with a Subway lunch and a small concert by CYMW (Catholic Youth Ministry Wollongong), engaging the students in a different way of expressing their faith through song. Overall, the Bishop Day for Year 12 Wollongong was an inviting experience for Year 12, as a reminder of our faith during the time of the HSC, and provided insight and advice on the current issues the Church is facing today and the Catholic response. 

Bishop Brian engaged with the students’ contributions and responded with gratitude, addressing the group about his own thoughts on Catholic education.

“Why do we do the things we do in Catholic schools? What makes us stand out? Yes, we provide throughout our church, a system of education - but why? We do it because we are Catholic. We do it as a response to the relationship we have with God. Not because this is what God would want us to do, no. But because we reach out and become that face of God to other people - through education, and the simple activities that happen throughout our schools, like fundraising cupcake days [mentioned in St Mary’s student, Mia’s speech]. We do it because of who we are in Christ,” he said.

His message for students to take away was the importance of our relationships with each other and especially with God.

“You are leaders in your schools and in your communities, and you are called to give an example….I hope you can look back on your time here in Catholic education and recognise you’ve been called to something more. What you do with that becomes your witness to that. To be a good human being, to be a good person is the starting point.”

We thank the Wollongong Diocese for the opportunity to hear the perspectives of not only the Bishop and senior Education Office leaders but also the valuable time spent with other Year 12 students from our diocese.

Have a peaceful weekend,

Larissa Koura

Week 4 was science week.  We celebrated with the students trying to find solutions to scientific puzzles, constructing an arm span solar system and a paper plane competition.

The focus of science week 2019 was Space.  The science challenge that students were invited to attempt was to move three marbles covered with rice to the top of a glass jar.  The aim of this challenge was to demonstrate to the  students convection currents and how they move the thin outer layer of crust of the Earth.

  The students were also invited to construct an arm span Solar System.  The purpose of this activity was to demonstrate to the students the positions of the planets within our Solar System and the relative closeness of the first 4 planets to the Sun.

On Monday 19 August, students were invited to compete in a paper aeroplane competition.  The competition was fierce as over 40 students constructed and flew paper aeroplanes in the shelter shed.  It was great to see students from years 7 to 11 step up and compete.  The first prize for the plane to fly the furthest won a $30 Event movie gift certificate. 

 The winner was Mackay Collins, flying his paper plane 22.65 metres, second was Josh Browne with 20.38 metres and third was Braithan Davis with 16.72 metres.

SPORT REPORT TERM 3 - Week 6 - VS St Patricks + St Benedicts

A slight amount of rain on the evening of round five put games in doubt, however there was not enough rain to put MISA games in doubt and the surfaces were dry before matches commenced.

Our Netballers finished the season in 5th place with a tough round to finish. This means they will miss out on finals place and return to house/ recreational sport for the remaining three weeks of the season. All other MISA teams are in a good position to challenge for the title of term 3 MISA champions. We wish them the best of luck in the final round and the finals.

AS IT STANDS NEXT WEEKS DRAW IS AS FOLLOWS:

JOHN THERRY STUDENTS REPRESENT AUSTRALIA AT THE WORLD HIP HOP CHAMPIONSHIPS

Congratulations to Jayde Perenara, Vanessa Redzic, Charlie Dadd and Sarah Perenara who represented Australia in the World Hip Hop Championships in Arizona earlier this month. The four John Therry students braved the extreme heat of Arizona to make it into the semi finals for their two crews LoyalT and Wolfpack. The girls who all attend Breanna’s Academy of Dance in Campbelltown have trained extensively throughout the year in order to secure a spot in the international competition.

Both crews walked away with amazing results. In the varsity division, LoyalT placed 18th in the world out of 63 crews and Wolfpack in the megacrew division placed 22nd in the world from over 50 crews. Well done girls, this is an incredible achievement!

SPORTING OPPORTUNITIES COMING UP:

*If you have any sporting news you would like to share with our community, please contact Mr Daniel Goodhew daniel.goodhew@dow.catholic.edu.au

For more sporting information, please visit the John Therry Sport Page

https://sites.google.com/dow.catholic.edu.au/johntherrysport/home

Regards

Mr Daniel Goodhew

GETTING MOTIVATED TO DO YOUR WORK

If you are struggling to get motivated to do your schoolwork, sadly there is no magic solution. However, here are a few strategies you can try from the DEVELOPING MOTIVATION and OVERCOMING PROCRASTINATION units if motivation or procrastination is an issue for you:

• REWARDS: Set yourself small specific tasks to do with a specific reward at the end of the task. For some people little rewards are enough to get them going.
  
  
• CHUNK IT DOWN: If the work seems overwhelming or boring or unappealing, break it down into small bearable chunks and just do it one piece at a time.
  
  
• FRIENDS: Work with a friend or else tell your friend what work you want to get done and then check in on each other at the end of the night. Help each other stay on track.
  
  
• RULE OF 3: If you can’t get started, write down the 3 most important things you must get done before you go to bed, then don’t even look at any other tasks until these 3 are completed.
  
  
• MOTIVATING IMAGES: Find slogans, or images that motivate you and put them near your workspace.  Some people are motivated by pain (thinking of the consequences if you don’t study) while others are motivated by pleasure (thinking of all the good outcomes that will happen if you do study).