As we blow the half time whistle on the year 2020, I would normally take this opportunity to offer a recap on the highlights of Semester One. Although there have been many, I thought it might be timely to look forward and look at the direction we might be heading in coming months. I think it is important that our community understands the way we are wishing to head, and is involved in the decisions that will be made as we move forward.

The Sport and Co-curricular Office continue to provide a vast and inclusive program across a range of activities, that caters to all students in the College. We invest significant time and resources into using sport and activities as an avenue to produce fine young men within our Community. We focus on the positive qualities we expect in our students including loyalty, honesty, trust, teamwork, empathy and compassion. The focus for the College this year is “Humility”, and our Sports and Co-Curricular program is the perfect vehicle to drive these wonderful ideals. However, having our coaches and staff uphold these values is only part of the process. It is the parents that set the example day in/day out, and we need your support to continue to push this message with our students. Things like correct uniform on Fridays and Saturdays, respect for our opposition, respect for each other, and behaviour on and off the field are all focus points, as we look to develop young men who demonstrate their connection to becoming Augustinian graduates. The sense of friendship and family that we experience through this avenue, forms relationships that go beyond a team or group. Whether it be a sporting team defending their goal late in the second half, a debater trying to make his final point as the bell is about to sound, or a community coming to grips with a tragic accident, through these shared values, we find our strength.

One of our focuses in coming months will be ensuring that our boys are getting a high level of coaching across all sports and activities. We know, from our continued success in the academic space, that the impact that quality teaching has on students learning is paramount, and that the quality of our coaches will influence our participation rate, and therefore our success. At the commencement of each season the Sport and Co-curricular Office will hold a Summer or Winter Induction for all coaches, to ensure they are getting the correct information for the upcoming season. These meetings will cover a range of topics including the philosophy of the College, our coaching philosophy and principles, code of conduct, child safety, coaching expectations at training and games, and injury management. This is seen as an essential part of preparing our coaches, giving them the best opportunity to provide outstanding leadership for our students. The Assistant Principal – Sport and Co-curricular, Sports Master and Head of HR will address the coaches and set the tone for the upcoming season. Like teachers, we will then offer the opportunity for professional development, and support them, so they can deliver a range of structured training sessions to ensure the development of our students. 

Lastly, we have created a regular weekly fixture sheet called ‘Around the Grounds’ which will include all the College’s Sport and Co-curricular fixtures for the week in one neat looking document. It will be uploaded each Friday morning to the College website. This will allow ALL parents, staff, students, old boys and supporters to come and support the boys on the sidelines. Obviously, at this time, with spectators at a minimum, it will not be as useful, but ideally, we are hoping that the boys will continue to develop a sense of school spirit and great pride in representing the College against other Schools and Clubs.   

I would be happy to speak further on any of these topics and hope I have provided some insight into what happens ‘behind the scenes’ in the College’s Co-curricular program.

Jonathan Harvey
Assistant Principal – Sport and Co-Curricular

Patrick Burke, Prefect & Heavey House Captain

The new school leaders have started their interview process and will soon be selected for their positions. This made me reflect on the past 12 months and the progress we have made as a Leadership Team throughout this challenging year.

The year started as normal, and we organised a basketball competition and had our school swimming carnival. They both were a great success, and brought many boys closer to their House, which is a tremendous accomplishment for the school. Several smaller initiatives happened in this time including barbeques for charities such as Lifeline.

However, in late March just before the school holidays, students were sent home and had to start remote learning. The Student Leadership Team’s focus was to remain in contact with the students and ensure they had someone to turn to. This resulted in the Team recording their struggles and advice for keeping things normal at home. From many reports this helped a large number of students both in motivation and finding purpose in a troubling time.

I would like to thank the staff for putting up with the frustrations of online learning. The dedication and strive for success are a testament to their work ethic and the need to help their students. Their ability to push through their own lack of motivation, while also motivating and assisting others all day, hasn’t been unnoticed and was greatly appreciated by all.

Thankfully, we returned to school and things slowly started to come back to normal, and the Student Leadership Team were faced with organising activities in a new social distancing world. This resulted in a spelling bee and other smaller activities that still provided House spirit and competition amongst the students.

I speak on behalf of the 2020 Student Leaders and the Year 12 cohort when I say I will be forever grateful for the experiences, knowledge, growth, and development we have made over this year and the ones before it. St Augustine’s has given us so much and I will take that into the later years of my life 

Good luck to the future school leaders and Year 12 students, I hope you can achieve all you set out to do.

COVID update

Masks

This week, the NSW Government issued a request to the general public, strongly encouraging greater use of masks in high-risk public settings to help prevent the spread of COVID 19. NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant specifically recommended wearing face masks in indoor settings where physical distancing is hard to maintain, such as public transport.

I would ask all parents to please consider this advice, and suggest strongly to students who catch public transport, to purchase and wear a mask on their way to and from school. Students on school buses may also wish to consider this recommendation, but given they are seated together in classrooms, it is not as necessary at this stage.

On arrival at school, all students should wash their hands and/or use hand sanitizer. There are many stations around the College including;

Hand sanitizers in hallways, the ARC, common rooms

Outdoor hand basins with soap dispenser

Outdoor hand sanitiser – College main entrance

All classrooms have hand sanitiser, alcohol wipes and alcohol spray

Hot-Spots

COVID isolation breaches are constantly being reported in the media, and unfortunately these breaches are leading to new and developing Hot-Spots. I would ask all families to be vigilant, especially if you are travelling for a weekend away.

Although it is against the Education Act, some families continue to travel during term time. If you are planning to do this, could I please ask you to complete a Student Absence form and specify your travel destination. In caring for our community, we are monitoring travel outside of Sydney, and would ask that if families find themselves in a Hot-Spot, they follow NSW Health advise to be tested and self-isolate, if requested to do so.

COVID Hot-Spots can be tracked through the NSW Government website – click HERE.

Student Absence forms are located on ATLAS – Forms – Student Forms, click HERE.

Channel 9, A Current Affair – Vaping story “Nicotine Nasties”

As we have written before, and many other schools have discovered, Vaping is increasing in popularity, especially amongst our curious youth. Its high popularity led to a recent A Current Affair report, aimed at making parents aware of the trend and how difficult it may be to identify. As you can see from the image below, the Vapes can be easily mistaken for USB sticks.

A worrying statistic reported by A Current Affair which may not be known to young people, is that one pod equates to 2 ½ packets of cigarettes and some boys may be vaping one or two pods a week.

If you missed the article and would like to watch it, please click HERE. You may also encourage your son to view it.

Kate Earle
Deputy Principal - Students

Mindsets

All students have natural talent, abilities and intelligence in various areas, but that is not the end of the story. These are not fixed traits. Some may have a gift for story writing, art, maths or sport, but it needs to be grown. Some may not be good at science, history or working with others…YET! The reality is that natural talent, abilities and intelligence are developed over time, through effort, persistence, practice and focused attention. It is easy to make the mistake of telling the boys that they are smart, gifted, talented, bright, and clever or a ‘natural’. This might ‘pump up their tyres’ and make them feel good for a moment, but it doesn’t help them in growing their abilities.

Over the past fifteen years, we have come to realise that the brain is a highly adaptive organ – it changes like a muscle through a process called ‘neuroplasticity’. The malleable brain is the most interesting meaningful discovery in recent times, and has a huge impact on the education of young people. In fact, much of the learning and teaching at St Augustine’s is informed by this growth mindset approach, which values the process, more than the performance. As parents and teachers, we should encourage in the boys, behaviour that we want to see the most; praise effort, persistence and the way they tackle challenges.

Every skill we can perform has been acquired through applying ourselves to it – reading, walking, talking, swimming, riding a bike. The messages we want all boys to hear is, ‘smart is not something you are, it’s something you get, fit is not something you are, it’s something you get.’ As a College, we want the boys to work hard at growing their talent, abilities and intelligence, and respond to the challenges of learning with grit and optimism through persistence and effort. The message in the Primary School is ‘not to be the best, but to try and do your best’.

Reading – PRC (Premier’s Reading Challenge)

The Premier’s Reading Challenge is reaching its final stages with one month left for boys to read and log the books they have read. The importance of reading every day is the consistent message that resonates in all classes. In previous newsletters I have written about ways to encourage your sons to read, and this week I thought I would explain what good readers do to help them read accurately, fluently and with good comprehension.

Good Readers –

1. Interact with the text (ask questions as they read)
2. Turn the words into a picture (Visualise)
3. Review important parts (re-read when meaning is lost)

Surely there is no better way than reading to your son and modelling positive reading behaviours to improve their own reading behaviours.

Strategies to Encourage Reading

1. Read different types of books

Frequently, we get trapped into thinking that there are only one or two types of books that children should be reading. The first is usually picture books, which we then expect children to grow out of as they progress towards reading novels. However, these types of text don’t always engage young male readers. When considering books to suggest to your boys, try to think of a broad range of different types of texts. Comics or graphic novels, as they are now frequently known, are engaging, fast-paced, detailed, and are usually tailored to boys’ interests.

Traditionally, it has been considered that reading graphic novels is a lesser form of reading, or the easy option that boys often take. However, the large amount of reading required in most graphic novels provides a great source of reading practice. The detailed and complex illustrations serve as a great in-built support for boys to figure out the meaning of the text, and unknown words. Many traditional print texts that boys love are now also available as graphic novels, such as Emily Rodda’s Deltora Quest. These provide a different and often more interesting way to access the text.

2. Laugh and have fun

Boys love humour, and the plethora of humorous books that are in print makes these a popular choice. By having fun with books, we are encouraging boys to come back and read again and again. Andy Griffiths is a celebrated Australian author and his classic ‘The Day My Bum Went Psycho’ is a perfect place to start.

Principal’s Poetry Prize

Congratulations Nick, Matthew, Charlie and Liam!

Reading Buddies – Year 10/11

On Thursday, the Reading Buddy Program recommenced with the assistance of our Senior House Groups and their Formation Leaders. The Reading Buddy Program has been a feature in the Primary School for the past five years and continues to provide an opportunity for the boys to connect with an older student as well as promote the importance of reading.

Homework

There is much debate on the value of homework in the primary school years of education, and whether in fact homework improves academic performance. I would like to think that there is some value-added component to homework, especially if it leads to good study habits and it is relevant and achievable. Revising spelling lists, reading and learning basic table and mental strategies for number facts, are useful daily activities to reinforce concepts studied at school. I also believe that there should be opportunities for the boys to spend quality time with their family, preparing and having dinner together, playing games and enjoying each other’s company. Throughout the term there will be a ‘homework free week’ allowing families the opportunity to spend some quality time together.

Semester 1 Student Awards 

Congratulations to all award recipients at our recent Semester 1 Awards Assembly:

Kiss and Drop

Thank you to the parents for the relatively smooth running of this space. With more boys being driven to the College rather than taking public transport, it is important to follow the correct protocols of moving to the end of the parking bay areas, only turning left when entering and departing, and remaining in your cars. As the side gate is open for boys in Primary to depart in the afternoons, this may be an option for your son to meet you away from the Kiss and Drop space.

Grooming

Thank you for your support in meeting College expectations regarding grooming. I realise that arranging appointments at hairdressers or barbers can be difficult and your support in this area is very much appreciated. I commented today at the morning assembly how smart all the boys looked. Having a sense of pride in your appearance says a lot about your sense of wellbeing, and it also paints a wonderful picture when we present ourselves in this manner to the public. First appearances do count and forms an impression that we care about ourselves and the College’s reputation.

Saturday Morning Soccer –1 August

Mary, Our Mother of Good Counsel

The Primary School at St Augustine’s is called ‘Good Counsel’, named of course after the mother of Jesus. Mary has a very special place in the lives of the Augustinians, where her faith and life commitment as a mother and saint is remembered on special feast days and in the many schools named after her.

The prayer that we pray to Mary is written below and as a family you may like to find the time to pray to Mary for wisdom and guidance.

‘We turn to you, our Mother of Good Counsel, as we seek to imitate your faith-filled life. May we be led by the same Wisdom which God sent forth from Heaven to guide you along unfamiliar paths and through challenging decisions.

Mary, Mother of Good Counsel, hear our prayers as we look to you for guidance. Pray for us to our loving and merciful Father, to your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the Holy Spirit, giver of all Wisdom, one God for ever and ever.’ Amen

Primary School Class ‘Snapshot’ Survey

Last week we conducted a brief online survey requiring the boys to rank their teachers in several learning and teaching domains. What stood out were the very positive results on questions relating to care, trust and compassion, the cornerstones of a very successful Wellbeing program. On a sliding scale for 1-5, 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest, the average score on the 8 questions was 4.59. A sample of the questions included in the survey were –

My teacher cares about me; my teacher makes learning interesting; my teacher provides me with comments and ideas on how I can improve my work.

The top score in all classes related to the care their teachers displayed and their focus on positive relationships. In an Augustinian context, this is central to building a community where compassion, gratitude and kindness serve as core and visible values.

Year 5 Water Rocket Launches

Attollo Awards

Quote for the week . . .

‘I’m a great believer in luck: I find the harder I work the more I have it’ (Woodrow Wilson)

Terry Walsh
Head of Primary School

Celebrating the achievements of our students

Acknowledging the many outstanding achievements of our students is an important part of their growth and character formation.

Middle School Merit Awards

A ‘Merit’ is issued to Year 5 to 9 students by staff for excellent attitude, effort or behaviour. When a student accumulates four Merits, he receives a Bronze Certificate, after three Bronze he is awarded a Silver Certificate and finally, two Silver lead to a Gold Certificate.

Congratulations to the following Middle School students who received the following awards.

YEAR 7

  GOLD - Taj Ballesty

SILVER – Aidan O'Hara, Beau Dunn, Cameron Tizzard, Casey Bray, Cian Richmond, Cooper Fenn, Gus Simmonds, Harrison Kirkham, Jack Britton, Jackson Rothwell, Jett Thom, Lewis MacLeod, Louis Tilly, Lucas Dent, Max Walls, Noah Wandl, Taj Ballesty, Thomas Bech, Thomas Cameron, Thomas Poole, Tyler Gaunt, William Hargreaves, Wilson Casey, Zac Mascolo.

BRONZE – Adam Zaknic, Aidan O'Hara, Alessio Albanese, Archer Thornthwaite, Archibald (Archie) Breakwell, Archie Isherwood, Austin Kelaher, Beau Dunn, Bede Lill, Caleb Conners, Cameron Tizzard, Casey Bray, Charles Stamp, Cian Richmond, Cooper Fenn, Daniel Weeden, Gabriel Liles, Gus Simmonds, Harrison Kirkham, Harry French, Harry Letts, Jack Britton, Jackson Quarrell, Jackson Rothwell, Jacob Daley, Jacob Saady, James Peel, Jett Thom, Julian Osbourne, Lewis MacLeod, Liam Keep, Louis Tilly, Lucas Andreone, Lucas Demasi, Lucas Dent, Matthew Kent, Max Walls, Nelson Murphy, Noah Wandl, Oliver Lalic, Rafael (Rafa) Harvey, Samuel Kiersey, Sebastian Coles, Slade Baker, Taj Ballesty, Thomas Bech, Thomas Cameron, Thomas Poole, Thomas Stubbs, Tyler Gaunt, William Hargreaves, William Pender, William Peterson, Wilson Casey, Xavier Boon, Zac Mascolo, Zach O'Sullivan, Zach Rowland, Zane Carter.

YEAR 8

GOLD - Finlay Pollock, Tyler Misciagna 

SILVER – Cameron Alexander, Cooper Swinney, Finlay Pollock, Harry Whitelaw, Henry Edgell, Jack Covic, Kodie Janik, Logan Howes, Micah Jones, Oliver Mappin, Robert Moran, Sasha Beaumont, Simon Taylor, Tyler Misciagna, Will Brewster, Will Elliott

BRONZE - Adem  Gunasti, Alex Thoms, Archie Hodgson, Aron Brennan, Arthur Osborne, Braden Zanatta, Brodie Hitchman, Brodie Sciberras, Cameron Alexander, Charlie Payne, Cooper Swinney, Dejan Boicheski, Dominic Vassallo, Ethan Buchanan, Finlay Pollock, Finn Mulligan, Frederick Foley, Hamish Rose, Harry  Whitelaw, Harvey Davis, Henry  Edgell, Ignatius Meagher, Jack Bartlett, Jack Covic, Jack Dyball, Jack O'Connor, Josh Gow, Kodie Janik, Logan Coutts, Logan Howes, Louis Jans, Luca Benham, Luca Mencio, Lucas Wong, Marius Enlund, Micah Jones, Nicholas Rademan, Nigel Kerr, Oliver Joyce, Oliver Mappin, Oscar McFarland, Oscar McMillan, Robert King, Robert Moran, Rory Richards, Samuel Agostino, Sasha Beaumont, Simon Taylor, Tully Gilbert, Tyler Misciagna, Tyrone Pengelly, Tyson Gray, Will Brewster, Will Elliott, Zachary Toole. 

YEAR 9

SILVER - Adrian Maruca, Aidan Foldes, Andrew Wealleans, Dylan King, Ezekiel Guttenbeil, Finlay Kerswell, George Davis, Harry Maher, Hongtao (Tony) Gao, Hugh Waddington, James Fyfe, Jude Schopen, Lachlan Boag, Louie Moran, Magnus Leuchars, Mario Santucci, Max Martin, Oliver Sleep, Oscar Grealy, Patrick Trevaskis, Sean Crowe, William Coates, William Cummins

BRONZE - Adrian Maruca, Aiden Perry, Andrew Wealleans, Anthony Nazarian, Archie Partridge, Bailey Spitzer, Bailey Foster, Ben Hessell, Benjamin Southerden, Charlie Darrow, Cody Murphy, Cody Kearney, Daniel Calci, Dominic Femia, Dominic Eden, Hugo Bryant, Isaac Burke, Jack Jones, Jack Dixon, Jackson Gourlay, Jacob Crews, James Wathen, Joel Cunynghame, Joseph Moy, Josh Telfer, Joshua Hawke, Jude Schopen, Lachlan Iemma, Lachlan Howell, Lachlan Miles, Lachlan King, Liam Stocks, Louie Moran, Luke Sargent, Max Mascolo, Max King-Gibbons, Nicholas Clancy, Nikolas Coumanias, Oscar Rossetto, Taylor Schramm, Thomas Malouf, Will Rylands, William Coates, William Andrews, Yannick Leonard.

Senior School Record of Achievement

A ‘Record of Achievement’ is issued to Year 10 to 12 students by staff members for excellent attitude, effort or contribution to College life.

The accumulation of Records of Achievement is acknowledged as follows:

5 = House Formation Leader recognition
10 = Student Co-ordinator recognition
20 = Deputy Principal – Students recognition
30 = Principal recognition

Congratulations to the following Senior School students for receiving 5 Records of Achievement:

CRANE – Flynn Grady
HEAVEY – Brandon Smith
REVILLE – Matthew King, Scott Walters

Special congratulations to Jack Nugent from Reville House and Jessie Michniewicz and Rory Graham from Goold House for receiving 10 Records of Achievement. Well done!

Attollo Awards

Augustinian Kitchen - A helping hand when needed

The St Augustine’s College community has a strong tradition of supporting our families facing a challenging time. The Augustinian Kitchen is a volunteer pool of College families who prepare meals individually a couple of times a year. We have the meals frozen ready for our families in times of need or sometimes provide ongoing support. To find out more and to understand meal and school delivery guidelines please see details in the Augustinian Kitchen Flyer.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Beth Murphy, 2020 P&F Member/Augustinian Kitchen Coordinator
Mob: 0412 709 290
Email: augkitchen@saintaug.nsw.edu.au

Peter Nolan
Deputy Principal – Mission and Wellbeing

Year 7 Reflection Day 2020

On Friday 31 July and Monday 3 August, Year 7 students took part in a Reflection Day which focused on the theme of Community.

The boys travelled to the Avalon Recreation Centre and participated in games and team work challenges, discussions, creative activities, prayers and a meaningful liturgy. They explored the importance of community and the positive role that each boy can contribute to the College. A big thank you to all staff involved who made these days a success.

Term 3 Community Mass Schedule

Wednesday 12 August – 8 Murray 1&2
Wednesday 19 August – 8 Reville 1&2

Significant Dates

Simon Hyland
Leader of Liturgy and Retreats

Year 9 Visual Arts – Self-Portrait Drawings

Year 9 Photographic and Digital Media – Portrait Photography

Year 10 Visual Arts – Ceramic Vessels with lids decorated using Northern Beaches imagery

Year 10 Photographic and Digital Media – Filmmaking

Robyn Larbalestier
Faculty Co-ordinator - Visual Arts

Rehearsals

All Co-curricular Music rehearsals will commence from the start of Semester Two.  For your reference, the rehearsal schedule is listed below:

Rehearsals usually follow this generic procedure:

• Set Up (Commences 5-10 minutes BEFORE listed rehearsal start time)
  • Responsibility of the members of the Ensemble and supervised by the conductor.
  • Includes chairs, stands, sheet music, ensemble instruments (Percussion etc)
  • Sanitising of equipment.
  • Set up and warmup of personal instruments.
• Ensemble Warmups (the first 5-10 minutes after the listed start time)
• Repertoire work
• Pack Up
  • All ensemble equipment (personal and group) to be sanitised and put away.

Co-Curricular Music Events

Due to the interruptions of Semester One, our performance calendar has been significantly altered.  Please refer to the list below for our planned events for the rest of 2020.

Recording Sessions: In Week 4, the following ensembles will be involved in recording sessions in place of the calendared Music Festival.

Choir

Please note: to aid the recording session before school next week, Choir Rehearsal will commence at 7:15am.

Night of Voice

Set for October 27 (Term 4, Week 3), this concert is designed for all singers at the College.  Featuring special performances by the College Choir, and accompanied by our in-house band, it is a great opportunity for our vocalists to have their time on stage.

Performing Arts Awards

Booked for 3 November (Term 4, Week 4), this is our opportunity to recognise the work put in by all of our talented performing arts students.

Eisteddfods/Competitions (TBC)

There are a number of opportunities still available to us that allow our students to perform with the community.  Many of these have been modified to accommodate the nature of music performance this year.  We are currently reviewing the registration requirements and will confirm our involvement in the coming weeks.

Cancellations

Unfortunately, the following events have had to be cancelled:

• College Music Festival (Term 3, Week 3)
• Manly Jazz Festival (September Holidays)

Upcoming Events

RECORDING SESSIONS  August 10-13

Joseph Montz
Performing Arts Co-ordinator

The third year of the Principal’s Poetry Prize built on the success of the previous years with many students crafting insightful poems on the COVID-19 inspired theme: “Lockdown” and the 2020 College theme: “Humility.” At the College Assembly on Friday 31^st July, Murray House was crowned as the 2020 Principal’s Poetry Champions and the following individual awards were announced:  

Below, are the outstanding winning poems from the four competitions- Primary, Junior, Intermediate and Senior. 

Primary Winner: Nicholas Christou (6 Goold)

Through The Screen 

Goodbye outside freedoms,
Hello zoom,
It was fun at first,
But now I tire of learning in my room,
Day in, day out,
Tick, tick, zoom,

No soccer on the field,
No learning at the school,
No jamming with my mate,
No swimming in the pool,
Day in, day out,
Tick, tick, zoom,

Click the link
Make a video call,
Type in the password,
Repeat all,
Day in day out, tick, tick zoom

Junior Winner: Hamish Rose (8 Reville)  

Looking Through A Window

I watch the window
People pass by,
They live on the street
But they seem foreign

I’m unsure if it’s the fact
That I can’t speak to them,
or if it’s the fact
That they choose not to communicate

I would help them with the small things
Offering a smile from time to time
But I never seem to make contact
As they slowly pass by

I would learn a language
But which one to choose
It’s as though everyone
Who I knew before?
Has become alien
And forgotten their repo ire

So, I still look out my window
Continuing to wait
Eventually I’ll leave again
Going nowhere now,
As I stare once again the rain begins to come down.

Intermediate Winner: Max Martin (9 Murray)

The Battlefield of Lockdown

The trepidation of advancing outside,
While the lethal virus engulfs no man's land,
Inevitable death, by your officer's command.
However, there was nothing to do but hide.

The weaponry of the infection makes you petrified,
No chance of survival. Just look down and pray,
The orders are something you should not obey.
However, there was nothing to do but hide.

In contrast, this hell will be modified,
And back to your safe, mundane lives we desire,
It will assist you to avoid the gunfire.
However, there was nothing to do but hide.

This virus battlefield of lockdown has died.
You no longer need to hide.

Senior Winner: Rory Graham (11 Goold)

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables

Empty chairs at empty tables
Upright; vigilant; sharp
Dust collects meekly, a docile collection
Although still a hearty sigh
Perhaps it be the mercy of metallic temporal shackles
Subservience is thick; it chokes and strangles to dutiful submission
A fine pulp, sweet ambrosia
A slight pain has always disciplined
The mind
There be but a slither for space
A golden creak of honey
The soul
Bleak upholstering, lifeless; stiff; rigid
Stark stillness.
A gothic overture wraps its icy barren tentacles around
The empty chairs and empty tables
Stifling: a calculated usurpation
But calculation seems romantic
Villainous decisiveness seems virtuous, after all
It slips you through a forest
With looming oaks and impending willows
Syrupy blades of glass dressed in sparkling morning dew
Silky crispness; warmth of anew
A liberal honey of utopia
Of course
Escapism in itself escapes one thing
Or another
You lie: sluggishly
Perhaps overcome by the heavy pressing of your lust
The frosted tentacles slither and slide around, about; onto
But not without seizure
A metallic shackle strikes like a hand on a clock; decisive
You do not drift into the sunny meadow
Instead
You flip upright
A bleak shiver of deep-sea constriction
A gothic overture; thickly packaged, swims methodically
A behemoth kraken
You slip back
A snap of whiplash
Vertical. Stillness.
A bleak upholstering, dusty and parched
An empty chair at
An empty table

"You should write because you love the shape of stories and sentences and the creation of different words on a page. Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write." -Annie Proulx

Calling all interested and budding young writers to attend Writer’s Club this Semester. Committee members will attend each Monday and Wednesday afternoon from 3:30-4:30pm in G3.1, beginning in Week 4, Term 3, 10 August 2020.

We will be covering key literary pieces crossing the literary canon from Medieval to Post-modern literature. Using a rich range of various texts and sources, we will be refining our technical approach; to build a multifaceted writing style, containing a treasure chest of ideas and techniques.

No competition is too big, or too small as we sail across the literary competition seas!

Bring a pen, yourself and a special writing book.

Yours in writing,
Alexandra Foord
English Faculty

Weekly Careers News updates are now available via the College ATLAS page.

Information related to university, TAFE, private colleges, cadetships, scholarships, gap years and employment opportunities are included.

Enquiries: pmcalinden@saintaug.nsw.edu.au

BBQ with International Students

Every July school holidays, the International students often travel home to visit their parents and other family members. However, travel plans were interrupted this year due to the COVID outbreak and border closures.

To support our International students during the Term 2 break the College organised and hosted a rooftop BBQ for 60 international students. We also extended an invitation to eight current international mothers living in Sydney under a guardian visa.

Students, families and staff enjoyed a traditional Australian BBQ lunch, a gentle touch of afternoon sun, exciting games and lots of laughter and memorable moments.

Thanks to everyone who attended and helped at the BBQ. It was much appreciated by the overseas families as the students were unable to visit their families during this unprecedented time.

Vivian Cao
Executive Officer International Program Augustinian Schools

At ISA Rugby and Tennis HOME fixtures parents will need to sign in using a mobile registry. You are simply given a mobile number and asked to text the code of the venue you are visiting. Eg ‘aug Rugby Joe Bloggs’ at Pittwater Rugby Park or ‘aug Tennis Joe Blow’ at Wakehurst Park Tennis Courts. Details of the registry are posted on Team App and will also be on signs around the venues. Click HERE for more information

As we finish Week 3 of Term and thankfully reintroduce parents/carers back to the sidelines, it is the perfect time to remind our parents of the Code of Conduct that goes along with supporting on the sidelines at MWFA Football and ISA Rugby and Tennis. We ask that you read and adhere to these guidelines each weekend whether at home venues or away. 

ISA Code of Conduct

College Parent and Spectator Expectations

Remember that children participate in sport for their enjoyment - not yours. Encourage children to play according to the rules Never ridicule or yell at a child - for making a mistake or not winning. Respect officials’ decisions - encourage children to do likewise.

Show appreciation for coaches, officials and administrators- remember they are usually volunteers. Applaud good performance and efforts - from all individuals and teams. Congratulate all participants- regardless of the game’s outcome.

Condemn the use of violence, verbal abuse or vilification in any form – regardless of whether it is by spectators, coaches, officials or players. Support all policies and practices (lead by example). Support involvement in modified rules games and other junior development programs. Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every young person - regardless of their gender, ability, cultural background or religion.

Ensure you are aware, and follow the correct processes if you have an issue or complaint, by informing the Teacher in Charge of the sport and or the Assistant Principal – Sport and Co-Curricular – do not perpetuate issues with gossip or general criticism.

We also ask ALL parents/carers to ensure they follow the COVID-19 health guidelines and protocols for the specific venue that you are visiting. These may change from venue to venue and from sport to sport. They will be communicated to you ahead of the weekend. 

Rock on the Roof

Our annual battle of the bands competition has evolved!  “Rock on the Roof” has been a delight for the students and staff as our talented musicians have blasted the tunes from the new Goold Building Terrace.

With performances from ten soloists and bands over the week, this is our biggest competition ever.  A big thank you to our three judges Sharon Jones, Alex Davis and Gretel Harrod. 

Water Polo

St Augustine's College have been offered a position in the Combined Schools Water Polo competition to commence in Term 4, 2020. This competition runs on Saturday mornings and involves schools from the AAGPS and CAS. St Augustine's will be the first ISA School to be invited to participate!! Please let us know if your son is interested in participating in this competition. Games will be played on Saturday mornings at venues around Sydney including Drummoyne, Lane Cove, North Sydney, Stanmore, Summer Hill, Eastern Suburbs etc. Mr Hull has emailed all Water Polo parents, however if there are other students interested in playing, we will be catering for all experiences and skill levels. This is an extremely exciting time for the College and its Water Polo program!

Jonathan Harvey
Assistant Principal – Sport and Co-Curricular

Competition Results Rounds One and Two Saturday July 5 and Saturday August 1

The ISA Tennis Competition finally got underway at the start of Term 3. It was great to see the teams back on the court. St Augustine’s has increased the number of teams in the competition to four this year. All four teams made a very convincing start to the season. The Division 2 team played St Pius X in Round one and then had a bye; the Division 9 team played Barker College and then St Pius X in Round two; the Division 13 team played Central Coast Grammar and then Barker College in Round 2; the Division 15 team played St Paul’s Grammar School and then Oxley College in Round 2. All boys showed very sportsmanlike behaviour towards their opponents and always played in great spirit. The teams are as follows:

Division 2: Mitchell Gerrie; Orlando Encina; Jackson Elepano; Jack Hamer
Division 9: Rick Andrews; Mitchell Gilligan; Hugo Bryant; Lucas Wong
Division 13: Cooper Swinney; Rory Hermann; Tom Gustard; Cian Richmond; Jack Sedgwick
Division 15: Michael Hatzis; Riley Wickham; Hugh Thrift; Jeremy Spillane

Round One Singles Matches

Mitchell Gerrie won 6-0; Orlando Encina won 6-1; Jackson Elepano won 6-1; Jack Hamer won 6-2;
Rick Andrews won 6-1; Mitchell Gilligan won 6-3; Hugo Bryant won 6-0; Lucas Wong won 6-3;
Cooper Swinney won 6-4; Rory Hermann won 6-1; Tom Gustard won 6-1; Cian Richmond won 6-3;
Michael Hatzis won 6-0; Riley Wickham won 6-0; Jeremy Spillane won 6-0; Hugh Thrift won 6-0.

Round One Doubles Matches

First Doubles: Mitchell and Orlando won 6-3; Jackson and Jack lost 6-5; Rick and Mitchell won 6-4; Hugo and Lucas won 6-0; Cooper and Rory won 6-0; Tom and Cian won 6-4; Michael and Riley won 6-1; Jeremy and Hugh won 6-0.

Reverse Doubles: Mitchell and Orlando won 6-1; Jackson and Jack won 6-3; Rick and Mitchell won 6-0; Hugo and Lucas won 6-1; Cooper and Rory won 6-3; Tom and Cian won 6-3; Michael and Riley won 6-1; Jeremy and Hugh won 6-0.

Round Two Singles Matches

Rick Andrews won 6-0; Mitchell Gilligan won 6-1; Hugo Bryant won 6-1; Lucas Wong won 6-2;
Cooper Swinney won 6-2; Rory Hermann won 6-0; Tom Gustard won 6-0; Jack Sedgwick won 6-0;
Hugh Thrift won 6-0; Jeremy Spillane won 6-0; Riley Wickham won 6-0; Michael Hatzis won 6-0.

Round Two Doubles Matches

First Doubles: Rick and Mitchell won 6-2; Hugo and Lucas won 6-0; Cooper and Rory won 6-0; Tom and jack won 6-0; Hugh and Jeremy won 6-0; Riley and Michael won 6-0.

Reverse Doubles: Rick and Mitchell won 6-1; Hugo and Lucas won 6-1; Cooper and Rory won 6-0; Tom and Jack won 6-0; Riley and Michael won 6-0; Hugh and Jeremy won 6-1.

James Kirkwood 
Teacher in Charge - Tennis

Parents should have received an email from the College concerning changed arrangements for water polo for the 2020-21 summer season and beyond.  As explained, this is an exciting opportunity for the boys, and will lead to a much better water polo experience.

In that email there was a link to  Combined Schools Water Polo which is a survey to provide up to date and accurate numbers of players, so that we can enter the correct number of teams in the appropriate age divisions.  Could all parents please complete that by Friday 14 August.

Any boy who had not previously registered for water polo and who now may be able to play because of the change of seasons, please contact me and I will forward the email with detailed information to parents.

Note: these arrangements only apply to boys in the Secondary School.  Previous arrangements for Primary students remain unchanged.

Paul Hull
Teacher in Charge – Water Polo

Dear Parents,

This is a quick note to inform you that the St Augustine's College digital forms and school operations platform provider, CareMonkey, will be rebranding as ‘Operoo’. 

The name change will occur the week beginning Monday 10 August. How you use the service, as well as the ownership and operation of the company, will remain unchanged.

You can continue using the system, and its mobile application, as usual. Just be aware that, after Monday 10 August, emails and notifications sent from the system will start appearing under the new name ‘Operoo’. You will also be automatically diverted to the new Operoo website if you go to the old CareMonkey website.

We look forward to continuing to digitize, streamline and automate the St Augustine's College operations with Operoo.

Best regards,
ICT HelpDesk

The Augustinians joyfully announce the ordination to the Diaconate of Br Tuấn Anh Lê OSA by Most Reverend Mark Coleridge, Archbishop of Brisbane, on Saturday 15 August in St James’ Parish Church, Coorparoo, Brisbane. Please keep Br Tuấn Anh in your thoughts and prayers over these coming days.

Many thanks and God bless.

Fr Percival Sevare OSA