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Dear Parents/Guardians,
I write to you at the end of a very busy and difficult Term of learning. The introduction of remote learning for the students and Staff (because of Covid-19) bought many new learnings and a lot of tensions and pressures that have not existed prior. I congratulate the Staff on the way they took up the challenge of the new way of operating a virtual classroom.
Through this the students of John Therry have also done very well in the main. While some struggled with the new style of learning from home I believe that they have returned to the College with a deeper appreciation for the classroom. Whilst most students managed well once they experienced the remote learning for a little while, some students actually thrived in such conditions and accelerated their learning.
Whichever group that your child was in, the result will be a slightly different learning culture in the future. The style of homework will change and incorporate aspects of remote learning. Self-guided learning will be on offer for those that demonstrate the capacity for it.
I also need to congratulate all parents who took on the role of temporary teacher or leaning partners for your children. It wasn’t easy and some of the stories we have heard show lots of successes and a few difficulties.
I also thank the work of the Staff, some of whom who had their own health and family concerns during the Covid months, causing a different dimension of stress and commitment to the students.
Term 3 commences with P/T/S interviews for Years 7 – 10 students and I urge all parents to engage in this process. The outcome should be that you get a picture of the current progress and a roadmap for future progress.
So once again I thank all for the great work this Term and the successful outcomes under trying conditions.
ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIGHT ISLANDER WEEKEND
As we move to the holiday break I would like to draw all to a special event held on Sunday this week by the National Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Catholic Council. A live stream of the Mass from St Francis Xavier Cathedral in Adelaide at 11.30am.
www.natsicc.org.au
HOLIDAY BREAK
I wish all in the John Therry community - Staff, students and parents – a very safe and happy holiday break. As we work through winter and the days become a little longer and the sun grows stronger we will return to the very important Term 3. This is traditionally a Term of learning focus as Year 12 prepare for the HSC and the Year 11 students take on the process of selection of School Leaders.
Sincerely,
Wayne Marshall
Principal
Year 7-10 Reports have been for distributed this week and we have Parent teacher interviews scheduled for Monday 20th July (first day of Term 3) as online interviews using zoom.
Online bookings have now opened up and all parents should have received an email with instructions on how to book these. A link to the document we have shared has been included below.
Parent Teacher Interview Instructions
The interviews will run from 10am-5:30pm and will be run via Zoom, after success with our senior students. Parents may be able to attend in lunch breaks if working and we hope that the zoom meetings make the interviews more accessible for all.
If you have any issues with booking your interviews, please contact the school for assistance.
An exceptional but successful Semester 1, 2020
When we began our academic year in January 2020, who would have thought that, by the end of Term 2, we would be looking back at such a unique period in the history of learning and saying to each other- ‘What just happened?’
Rather than contemplating the challenges-and yes, there were a few, I would like to affirm the positives.
In Term 1, we celebrated learning in a variety of ways. The HSIE and PDHPE faculties had displays in the school foyer and showcases at school assemblies. There was acknowledgement at these assemblies of students’ hard work and commitment to learning. 37 HSC students ranked First in their respective courses (till the halfway mark) and 12 Year 11 students received Grade A in most of their courses.
Our Stage 4 & 5 students had a busy time with in-class tasks and exams, the success of which (along with ongoing classwork and homework) is reflected in the Semester 1 reports.
So, in spite of the challenge that COVID-19 presented us with, we continued to do what we do best- learn! I congratulate all our students on their commitment to learning!
Ordinarily, we would have had our Year 8 and Year 10 students attend Course Preference night with their parents to get information that would inform their subject selections for 2021. However, as we couldn’t host a gathering, students and parents were given information via the Google Sites platform.The first round of submissions (26th June) will be followed by a discerning process which will culminate in a ‘Zoom’ one-on-one parent/student interview with KLA Coordinators and members of the Executive in Week 2 of Term 2 (details to follow).
Students in Years 7, 8, 9 & 10 received their Semester 1 reports, this week via Compass. Letters from the Principal, Year Coordinators and me have also been mailed along with letters of congratulations to students who have excelled in various areas of learning.
So, all in all, a successful semester! My thanks to the staff, students, parents/caregivers and the wider school community for your ongoing commitment and support.
Have a safe and blessed break.
Mrs Ramchandra
Curriculum Coordinator.
As part of their studies in Language and Geography, students in our Multicat class have been researching different countries and cultures. This week students celebrated the end of term with an International Feast.
Students provided a cultural dish representative of the country they have been studying.
The enthusiasm of parents and students saw a great array of dishes from such places as Sweden, Samoa, South Africa, China, Switzerland and Italy. A special visit from our Principal Mr Marshall and our Head of Secondary Schools, Mr John Lo Cascio saw that an enjoyable afternoon was had by all.
Year 7 had a fun last Pastoral Lesson on Thursday. With some oval games. A great way to connect after a long term.
Drama NSW Annual Conference: ‘No Strings Attached’
Our Drama teacher Mrs Angela Cascarino was invited to run a session at the prestigious Drama NSW annual Conference. With the COVID restrictions the conference was postponed but Drama NSW ran a series of innovative Professional Development Online Sessions with international and local leaders in Arts education. Our JTCC Drama teacher was invited to lead a session ‘No Strings Attached’ on the 25 June 2020. Mrs Cascarino hosted teachers from all over NSW teaching the simplicity of developing a narrative and working with the teachers to develop play, and empower teachers to be creative and innovative with characters and narrative to lead dramatic educational practice. Her article on the cognitive and theoretical practice of puppetry as a creative discipline has been selected to be published in JEDA, the educational journal of the Arts.
Congratulations to Mrs Cascarino who, like our Creative Arts staff, continuously strives to lead educational practice and develop personal practice to bring to the classrooms
Year 10 Visual Arts Exhibition: ‘The Coronavirus Diaries’
Art is a form of communication that reflects time and place. The Year 10 Visual Arts class recently held an exhibition of their artwork based on the term’s theme’ ‘The Coronavirus Diaries’. As the title suggests, the exhibition consisted of works that were a response to the recent Coronavirus epidemic and the residual effects on members of the class. Students had six weeks to produce works based on their own choice of expressive forms which included drawing, painting, sculpture and photography. It was open to the school community during lunch and recess on selected days. Thank you to Year 10 Visual Arts teacher Mrs. O’Brien and the class for all her effort in organising this exhibition.
Year 7 Music Incursion: ‘Brass Masterclass’
This semester, Year 7 Music students have been learning about the instruments of the Orchestra. This week, Mrs Blunden's Year 7 Music class were lucky enough to have a mini masterclass. Mr Andrew Mayes, one of our Senior Music teachers, brought in a large range of his own brass instruments to demonstrate to the class.
Mr Mayes demonstrated everything from the Trumpet to the Tuba. The class learnt about how the instruments are constructed and played, and how they differ in tone and dynamics. Students were also invited to voice interest in the school band that will be auditioning later this year. We thank Mr Mayes for his time and efforts in organising this experience for our students.
Year 8 Visual Arts: ‘Now You See Me, Now you don’t’
Year 8 Visual Arts students recently completed this unit of work, investigating the conventions of portraiture from figurative to semi abstract styles. They studied the history of the Archibald Prize, Cubism and Picasso. They produced as series of drawings in figurative and semi abstract styles and extended their artmaking into three dimensional forms. These forms were inspired from African Tribal Masks, the same influence Picasso had with his invention of Cubism.
Rebuilding Vanuatu