John Therry Catholic College eNewsletter

Staff and students of the Year 12 Graduating Class of 2020 gathered at The Cube at the
Campbelltown Catholic Club Monday, 16th November to celebrate the culmination of their secondary school at the Formal.

It was an evening of commemoration, celebration, some tears, bountiful laughter and high-jinx and frivolity. With the easing of social distancing restrictions, dancing was permitted and the Year 12s and staff partook in some slick dance moves, literally and metaphorically letting their collective hair down.

With this the first Formal to be had without parents and caregivers, the reduced numbers made for an intimate and personal atmosphere. The students were meticulous in their preparation, evident in the flair and panache of the outfits on display.

Overall, the evening was a fitting way to celebrate the end of a challenging year and gave the students scope to reflect on the culmination of their secondary education. A truly fitting finale.

“Dear young people, please, don’t be observers of life, but get involved. Jesus did not remain an observer, but he immersed himself. Don’t be observers, but immerse yourself in the reality of life, as Jesus did” - Pope Francis, 2013.

Eight outstanding Year 12 student leaders from systemic secondary schools across the Diocese of Wollongong have been awarded the prestigious Bishop’s Student Excellence Awards in recognition of their outstanding commitment to their Catholic faith, their academic, sporting, creative, and vocational achievements, and community-based accomplishments during the 2020 school year.

Nominated by their school principal, the award was presented to one graduating student from each systemic school who exemplified the very best of Catholic education.

Congratulations to Amith Jacob-Kovoor who was deserving of this award.

Always Was. Always Will Be

NAIDOC MASS

It was a wonderful start to NAIDOC Week for our Community to come together for mass celebrated by Bishop Brian Mascord who was led in by John Therry students dancing and playing the didgeridoo. Bishop Brian led the community and spoke about the importance of asking Aboriginal communities for their input before making decisions about them. He spoke about an Elder who taught him the value of asking questions about Aboriginal culture, a lesson he remembers to this day.

After mass the Community came together with the Bishop for a catch up and refreshments. It was a beautiful liturgy on a glorious morning and we look forward to seeing the Bishop at next year's NAIDOC mass.

NAIDOC @ JTCC

On Friday the 13th of November the school had two formal assemblies to mark NAIDOC Week. Due to COVID restrictions we were sadly unable to have Community guests or Elders join us this year. Once again our JT students represented their Culture with pride and dignity, beginning the ceremony with didgeridoo playing and dancing. A number of our students also spoke at the assembly including Benjamin Anderson, Lily Short, Sokowa Parker, Olivia Omaye and Jorja Borg. These students spoke about the importance of Culture, love, ceremony, family and land to Aboriginal people. They spoke about 60 000 years of continuous Culture and how, underneath the concrete, stone and wood there is sand, histories, joys, discoveries, dreaming and tragedies, songlines and the footprints of the Ancestors.

Some of our JT students received awards for the Contribution to Culture. This award is given to students who have not only represented the school but their Aboriginal Culture in events such as Aboriginal Sunday, attendance at the Beatification of Eileen O'Connor St Mary's Cathedral as well as representing the school in cultural days both on and off site. Congratulations go to Jorja Borg, Tony Lardner-Carriage, Kalan Nau, Jesse Mundine, Brayden Wickey, Tanesha Tobler and Shontay-B McClymont-Lucas.

We have postponed a number of Staff Development days this year due to COVID restrictions but recent guidelines have allowed these to take place. On Friday 27th November, staff will be undertaking professional development around helping students achieve their potential, literacy and numeracy, and wellbeing. Importantly, this will be a pupil free day to allow this to take place.

We have now entered a transition phase with our College Sports uniform. The new sports shirt and shorts are now available from Lowes and many students have begun wearing these. The old sports uniform can continue to be worn throughout 2021 however these are no longer available for purchase.

If you are purchasing new uniform items, please consider purchasing the John Therry Sports socks as these will also become a required item in 2021. Students are reminded that ankle socks or any coloured socks (other than white) are not accepted when wearing the College Sports uniform.

It is also to be noted that there was an error with the initial batch of new sports shorts. This relates to the embroidery of the College crest. If you have purchased the new shorts and they have an error, please return them to Lowes where they will be replaced.

uniform lowes link.htm

science-banner-typography-and-background-vector-18388242

Riley Tonna is a passionate science student who is currently studying Biology, Investigating Science and Science Extension. Riley’s dedication and hard work in his Science studies have seen him awarded the prestigious Victor Chang School Science Award.

As part of his Science Extension studies he is exploring the local Campbelltown Koala population in an effort to improve conservation efforts. This is important research as the Campbelltown Koala population is the only chlamydia-free populations in mainland Australia, as well as being one of the largest in the country. Chlamydia is one of the biggest threats to koala population and a better understanding of how the population in Campbelltown has managed to remain chlamydia-free could aid in the conservation of the entire species.

Riley has completed an extensive literature review of relevant scientific articles and local council documents to develop his foundational understanding and refine his research question and direction. Riley is currently working with data from Campbelltown Council to determine the most common cause of koala death in the local area. Riley will then use this data to assess the importance and effectiveness of current and planned local management strategies such as the recent installation of koala tunnels along Picton Road and provide statistical data to Council for future consideration in conservation planning to ensure the continuation of this iconic species in the local area.

Riley research concluded that chlamydia has a negative effect on koala behaviour due to higher road kill rates.

Congratulations to Riley for receiving the Bronze award in the newest and most competitive category of the STANSW young Scientist Awards “The Rowe Scientific Depth Study Awards”.

'ONSTAGE’ HSC DRAMA ACHIEVEMENT

Congratulations to the very talented Olivia Mesa whose individual project for HSC Drama was selected for inclusion in the annual ‘OnSTAGE’ exhibition. Olivia’s practical work both in Drama and Visual Arts represents amongst the best in the State. Olivia was accepted into the 2021 HSC Drama Showcase Onstage with her costume design for William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.

OnSTAGE is a presentation and exhibition of group and individual performances and projects by HSC Drama students. Olivia's work is one (1) of only five (5) selected in the state and to have a work selected is a huge honour for the college. Due to COVID-19 and social distancing requirements, the OnSTAGE exhibition will be presented as an online exhibition in 2021

Congratulations to teacher Mrs. Cascarino on her continued success with this outstanding achievement.

‘ARTEXPRESS’ HSC VISUAL ARTS ACHIEVEMENT

Congratulations to Morgan McPhee (“Check in, Check out….”) and Aaron Crispino (‘Meta Utopia Between Process and Poetry’), whose Year 12 Visual Arts bodies of work were selected for inclusion in the annual NESA Showcase event ARTEXPRESS. Morgan’s work will be exhibited in 2021 at The Armory, Sydney Olympic Park, while Aaron’s work will be exhibited at Hazelhurst Arts Centre and Grafton Regional Gallery.

Furthermore we had two other students nominated for Artexpress. These students whose works were nominated were Hollie Cunningham (‘Colony Collapse Disorder; Silence of the bees’) and Logan Harber-Kerr (‘Marginalised Malaise: (We Can’t Breathe’). Although they were not selected, our school can be proud of the achievement of all our nominated students.

ARTEXPRESS is an annual exhibition of artworks that represents the highest standards and diversity achieved by Year 12 Visual Arts students in New South Wales schools. All works demonstrate outstanding exceptional quality across a broad range of subject matter, approaches, styles and media including painting, photography, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, documented forms, textiles and fibre, ceramics, digital animation, film and video, and collections of works.

This tradition of excellence from the John Therry Catholic College Visual Arts faculty in the last decade has resulted in having twenty three (23) ARTEXPRESS nominations, the best in the region and Wollongong Diocese, and an outstanding achievement within the State. These nominations over the years came from different expressive forms: Photomedia: (12), Drawing (7), Collection of Works (3) and Designed Objects (1).

MACARTHUR NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

In a world seemingly overloaded by a daily avalanche of images, through Instagram, Facebook and television, a striking image can still cut through the clutter of it all, revealing to us something in our worlds that we have been missing.

The Macarthur councils again hosted the highly anticipated Macarthur Nature Photography Competition (MNPC) and encouraged our community to enter their most striking, engaging and enticing images of local native flora, wildlife and natural scenery taken from within the Macarthur area. This year there was almost 800 entries. In the High School category we had another extraordinary year with four (4) students winning awards.

Our Award winners were:

Taylah Skinner (Year 11) Nature Flora Category: 2^nd Prize
Hayden Smith (Year 9) Nature Flora Category: Highly Commended
Tess McEvoy-King (Year 9) Nature Fauna Category: 2^ndPrize
Heath Meadley (Year 9) Waterways Category: Highly Commended

This significant award coincides with the increased popularity of Photography and Digital Media as a subject at JTCC. In 2020, we had six (6) Photography and Digital media classes from Year 9-12. Congratulations to all our students who entered the competition. We look forward to continued success in 2021.

CAMPBELLTOWN ARTS CENTRE & ONLINE: ‘TENNIES’ - TERM 4 2020

Congratulations to Year 11 Visual Arts student Caitlin LaRue, who was successful in her application to be involved in the ‘Tennies’ program. ‘Tennies’ is a place for high school art enthusiasts from South West Sydney to connect and create, learning with artists and arts workers. It takes place from November 7- December 12, 2020

The regular program continues on Saturday mornings both face-to-face and online in Term 4, 2020. The first and last workshops will take place at Campbelltown Arts Centre with online Zoom chats in-between. This term they have an amazing line-up of contemporary artists who are also running their own businesses, starting up collectives or companies, all while being leaders in the creative industries. Caitlin will speak with artists Nancy Trieu, Kim Siew, Dennis Golding, Bayvick Lawrence and Candy Bowers, sharing their creative practices across photography, illustration, graphic design, video, performance, costume and fashion. This is an opportunity to understand career options and pathways in the creative industries, and connect with artists and peers over art-making each week – participating students will be given art materials to take home for online workshops.

SPORT REPORT TERM 4

Reminders:

The weather is heating up as we head into Summer. It is really important that students are wearing their hats, bringing a water bottle and applying sunscreen whenever they are participating in practical activities.
MISA students are not allowed to wear their MISA shorts on a Tuesday. They must bring them to school and change at the venue.

Round 4: Week 6 VS St. Patrick’s College/St. Francis CC

Round 4 had our girls and mixed frisbee teams playing against St. Patrick’s CC, a number of the boys teams playing against St. Francis CC and three teams having a bye round. Coaches feedback is that teams are continuing to improve, and the teamwork and attitude of the John Therry students is excellent, even in defeat. This term is a bit shorter than terms 1-3, with many of our competing schools finishing the term at different dates. Our teams have one more round to play before the Finals/ Interzone finals on the 1st of December. Good luck to all teams and coaches, keep training and working hard each week.

*SPORT*	*Coach*	*WINNING SCHOOL*	*SCORE*	*Report*
*7-8 Girls Softball*	Mr. Webb	ST. PATS	0-10	The good run of results came to an end with the girls being taught a tough lesson. The girls batted first and struggled to get between bases with some solid fielding from a strong St Pat's team. After failing to score any runs in the first innings the girls were put under pressure with some big hitting. After going 5 down the girls failed to get back into the game. MVP - Gabriella Klarich
*9-10 Girls Volleyball*	Mrs. Pellegrino	ST. PATS	1-2	A disappointing game which could have easily been won by the JT girls. Winning the first set, the girls were ahead by 10 points in the second. Overconfidence got the better of the team, being defeated in the second and third set. MVP - Reijeli Rayawa
*9-10 Boys Volleyball*	Mr. Williamson			BYE
*7-8 Girls AFL*	Mrs. Stanley	ST. PATS	0-50	Another competitive game against an outstanding opposition, our girls gave 100% effort all the way until the final whistle. Unfortunately this week we were unable to score a goal, but our teamwork and game play is improving each week, a credit to the girls' commitment to training. Alexis Paulo and Gese Satuatasi were so dominant in moving the ball up the field and creating opportunities but MVP goes to Achel Malek who was fantastic in defence, with an exceptional natural ability to read the game. MVP - Achel Malek
*7-8 Boys AFL*	Mr. Geribo			BYE
*9-10 Mixed Frisbee*	Mr. Bodeker	JT	23-4	Another impressive display from John Therry today saw us put together a comprehensive 23-4 victory over St Pats. A fantastic start enabled us to jump out to a 14-0 lead at half time which was the result of some slick passing and some in your face defense. Shoutout to Jayden Cook who once again led the team around the park and was instrumental in our dominant victory. Tess managed to score multiple touchdowns to rub salt into the wounds of her former school. Well done all! MVP - Jayden Cook
*9-10 Boys indoor Cricket*	Mr. Chapman			BYE
*7-8 Boys Oztag*	Mr. McGrath	JT	16-3	Another dominant win by John Therry against a humble St Francis side. The boys showed good sportsmanship and teamwork to take a very convincing 16-3 win. MVP - Riley Oitmann
*7-8 Girls Oztag*	Mr. Tran	ST. PATS	2-13	Unfortunately the ladies lost today being defeated 13-2 by a very strong team. Energy was still high with a riveting halftime speech from Maddison Browne . "If they can score 7 so can we!" With the energy high the girls held them to only 6 tries which was a great effort. MVP - Bridget Shearer with 2 long distance tries.

The latest improvement works happening on the grounds of JTCC.

Donate here

We believe that education provides the best catalyst for building brighter futures for vulnerable young people and their communities.

Below are examples of what we hope to achieve with your support in 2021:

1. ACCESS FOR ALL
Access to quality education for vulnerable children and young people

Providing computer classes for vulnerable young people in Uai-Lili, Timor-Leste
Investing in the education of young Burmese migrants in Thailand

2. FACILITIES FOR THE FUTURE
Investing in infrastructure to ensure safe places for learning

Installing water tanks to improve hygiene and sanitation in Bougainville
Building toilet blocks and communal spaces for a school impacted by climate change in Kiribati

3. RESILIENCE AND READINESS
Supporting community development activities that prepare vulnerable young people to engage with education

Provide care and support for the girl children of females working in prostitution in the Philippines
Empower and build the life skills and literacy of young people with a disability in Bangladesh

2020 CHRISTMAS DONATION CARD

For the first time ever, AMS is also proud to offer a Christmas Donation Gift Card option, in which you can make a donation to AMS in lieu of a gift for a loved one. You will receive a card to provide them with, as a token of the contribution made on their behalf. To order your Christmas Gift card, please click here. Special thanks to Marcellin College Bulleen for their time and support in producing this card.

The Australian Mint has recently released a new $1 coin, the ‘Donation Dollar.' On one side, the new Australian $1 coin has an image of Queen Elizabeth II. On the back it’s stamped with a message: “Donation Dollar: Give to help others."

The coin, the first of its kind in the world, can be spent like any other money. But it’s intention is to be shared with people in need and we are asking our Marist Schools Australia network to use this great new Aussie initiative to support the work of Australian Marist Solidarity.

So bring in your loose change and there will be a Marist Solidarity Box in student services where you can pop this special coin or any loose change you have as you pass to support the work of Australian Marist Solidarity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=60&v=LfP9jTH9Dvs&feature=emb_logo

DECEMBER 2020
11/12/20	Yr 7-10 Presentation Assembly JT Superstars Yr 7-10 Semester 2 reports via Compass
14/12/20	Jack Crawford Games Day Last day of Term 4 for students
15/12/20 -16/12/20	Parent Teacher Interviews via Zoom
JANUARY 2021
28/01/21	Yr 7, Yr 11, Yr 12 return to school
29/01/21	All students return to school