Term 1 - Week 2

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents, Carers and Friends of Bethany,

The Sydney Catholic Schools  2023 Theme brings to mind the words of St. Teresa of Avila:

“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

I hope that this sentiment remains front and centre as we begin the new academic year. May we always speak and act in persona Christi with each other and our students.

Welcome to our first newsletter of the year and a new look newsletter at that. Our newsletter is published via Compass every second Friday and is a key way for parents to keep up to date with what is happening in the College. This year we have welcomed 192 Year 7 students to the College and 15 new students across Years 8 - 11. A special welcome to all new families and to our new staff who are pictured within this newsletter.

Year 7 have undertaken a 4 day transition program with the aim of guiding them through how our school operates. The Year 7 “Vines” are to be congratulated on the way that they have started, forming blossoming friendships and displaying independence as they become accustomed to secondary school.

I sat very proud in our Opening Mass last Friday watching the spirited way in which each girl has come back from the Summer break. We are pleased to have begun 2023 in a more normal way than the past 2 years and I am looking forward to each girl excelling as the year progresses.

Year 7 2025 are now being enrolled. Current Year 5 students should now be applying. Please come to our Open Day on Wednesday March 1 from 3.30pm - 6.30pm where any prospective student can tour the school. Opportunities exist to speak with staff and students and to see what our College has to offer. I will be addressing guests at 4.45pm. If you have a daughter in Year 5, please begin to fill out an enrolment form available online or in hard copy at our office. Students who are in our Year 5 local Catholic schools will receive an enrolment pack from their Primary School beginning throughout next week. Applications are due by Friday March 31.

This year our staff will focus on a few areas as we teach. The first is on feedback and follow up. Already you may have seen an increase in merits for your daughter and an expectation that guidelines are met in terms of uniform and phone expectations. Students are greeted at the gates each morning as a reminder of our expectations for each day. Please support us in encouraging  your daughter to meet standard College expectations.

As we remain a school of choice, we have had 2 new demountables installed in Chisolm Court to support the classroom needs of a school of over 1100 girls. Thanks to Sydney Catholic Schools for your support in the purchasing and installation of these demountables over the holiday break.

A new year is a time for students to think about how they wish to approach their school year to maximise improvement. For some, it may be joining the Choir, trying out for our College Musical, public speaking or a sporting team. This year we are offering a Bridge Club and Film Club which is student led on Friday lunch times. Our newly elected student leaders have been planning for activities to encourage school spirit as well as social justice opportunities. The more immersed your daughter becomes in our College, the more accepted and connected she will feel.

In the classroom, a new year is a time to be open to new ways of learning, thinking about organisation and keeping on top of work loads whilst still leaving some time for fun and relaxation.

Today we farewell Mrs Richani for the rest of the year. Mrs Richani will take maternity leave as she awaits the birth of her first child. We wish her well for the impending birth and pray that her child will be happy and healthy.

Please spend the time reading through our new look newsletter and becoming aware of key dates in the College. Compass remains our main way for communication so please contact the College if you require help with this.

This week we will launch Bethany on Instagram. Please follow us.

I look forward to working with families in another successful year at Bethany.

New Staff

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 17

Next

Year 7 First Week

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 12

Next

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 19

Next

New Demountables

Robyn Rodwell
College Principal

Open Day

From the Assistant Principal

As we reach the end of the second week of the 2023 school year, I welcome all of our families back to Bethany, with a special welcome to the families who have joined our community for the first time. The students have returned with a positive attitude which indicates a great year ahead. Year 7 has started extremely well, making a wonderful transition to high school. 

Communication Pathways

At Bethany College, we believe close links between the College and the home ensure students’ experiences are positive ones. Effective parent engagement is beneficial to successful student learning and wellbeing outcomes an the College is focused on ensuring a meaningful partnership between parents, teachers and school leaders. As communication pathways are essential in building strong relationships, please use the following structure when making contact with the College about your child’s school experience.

Parent contact during the school day 

Should parents need to reach their child during the school day, we ask you to make contact through the College office and we will ensure that your daughter receives any important communication. Please do not message your daughter on her phone or laptop at any time during the school day. 

Students have been informed that they are not to use their mobile phones to contact parents at any time. If students are sick or feel unwell they are to report to Student Services where the staff will follow normal procedures and make the necessary calls home at that point. It would be greatly appreciated if parents and carers could please remind their children of this process and assist us in this endeavour.

Attendance

If your child is away from school it is important that you let the College know. There are a number of ways you can explain your child’s absence or partial absence from school:

• Adding an attendance note in Compass
• Calling the College and leaving a message
• email Student Services via studentserv.13990@sydstu.catholic.edu.au

Uniform

The students have had the College’s expectations regarding uniform and personal appearance reiterated to them and staff will be working with the students to ensure students meet these expectations. It is important for parents to support the College staff by knowing the College expectations and challenging their children when they are not meeting them. The College’s uniform and grooming information can be found on p15 of the Student Planner.  

A reminder that the Bethany College school bag is part of the uniform and is the bag the girls should use to bring their equipment to and from school. Students should only be using their tote bag whilst at school to carry their equipment to and from class.

Parking

A reminder to families that parking is not permitted in the grounds of St Michael’s Catholic Church, Hurstville at any time when picking up or dropping off your child. Parents are asked to use Waratah St or nearby alternatives when collecting their children from school. 

Upcoming Events 

There are a number of upcoming events at the College. A summary of events can be found in this newsletter and are also communicated through Compass. Detailed information about each event will be sent to you, in most instances, through Compass. Permissions for events, again in most instances, will be online and given by you through Compass. 

Open Day is being held on Wednesday 1st March. Students will be dismissed at 12.30pm and buses will be arranged for the usual school routes. Supervision until 3pm will be available for any girl who is unable to finish school early on Open Day. There will be more information, provided to you through Compass, about Open Day over the coming weeks. 

We are off to an exciting and busy start to the year and I look forward to working with you and your family in 2023.

Important Dates

Kristina Flanagan
Assistant Principal

What's Happening in Religious Education and Mission

Welcome Year 7 Vines

It was my absolute privilege to immerse Year 7 into the Catholic dimension of Bethany. Students learnt about what it means to be a Catholic, a topic that will be further explored as the first unit of study in the Religious Education classroom. Our visit to St Michael’s Church was the perfect setting to teach them about the Tabernacle, the Eucharist, how to receive Communion and the parts of the Mass in readiness for their active participation in Bethany’s liturgical life. I look forward to guiding the Year 7 Vines on their unique spiritual journeys and providing opportunities for meaningful faith formation.

The Year 7 Welcome Mass will be held on Tuesday 21 February at 5:00pm in the College Hall. Students are to be in full College Summer Uniform and assemble on Yallunga Court in Homeroom groups at 4:40pm. We look forward to seeing Year 7 families and friends at this special event.

Opening College Mass

 The spiritual life of our College was opened with a Eucharistic celebration presided by Father Janusz Bieniek. It was a stunning occasion that saw our staff and students celebrate our Catholic identity.

Night Patrol

 It’s back and Bethany is on Board! This initiative begins on Friday 3 March. Two staff members and 3-5 students aged 16 years or over will meet at Maria Gordon House in Lewisham at 6:30pm to load up the Vinnies Van with food, drinks and essential items for those in need. The Van will then proceed to visit three areas within Eastlakes and distribute these goods. The Van will return to Lewisham at 10:00pm to be cleaned by the Team and students can be picked up from this venue by a parent/guardian at approximately 10:30pm. Students who are 16 years or over can contact Ms Perrin Jones, Youth Ministry Coordinator, via email to register their interest and receive further information.

Youth Mass

Save the date! The first Youth Mass will be celebrated in St. Michael’s Church at 6:00pm on Sunday 26 February. All members of the community are welcome.

Sara Camporeale
Leader of Religious Education and Mission

Teaching and Learning News

Assessment Resources

Students will be provided with their Assessment Calendars and Grids throughout this week. Families are encouraged to speak with their daughters regarding key assessment dates and have calendars visible around the home as a reminder. All students will receive an Assessment Handbook that outlines the requirements surrounding assessment this year. Please take time to review this information, especially that pertaining to illness and misadventure.

Travel Procedures

Whilst students are expected to attend school at all times, we understand that families may be required to travel. Should this be the case, families must apply for leave with the Principal, Ms Rodwell. Students can collect the Travel Leave form at Student Services. Once approved, students will meet with the Leader of Curriculum, Mr Kipriotis to organise arrangements for any missed assessment tasks.

Knowing our Bethany Learners and Effective Feedback

One key focus for the teachers at Bethany in 2023 is effective feedback and knowing our Bethany learners. The staff started this year with a full day of professional learning, embedding themselves in a variety of data sources, learning how this can improve how we deliver content in the classroom as well as provide effective feedback to your daughters. 

Effective feedback is an important tool for teachers to help students improve their performance, build confidence, and support their learning. There are several reasons why teachers need to provide effective feedback, including:

1. Supports learning: Feedback helps students understand what they have done well and where they need to improve. This information is critical for helping students learn, grow, and reach their full potential.
2. Improves performance: Feedback provides students with a clear understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. This information is useful for students as they work to improve their performance and reach their goals.
3. Increases motivation: Feedback can boost student motivation by helping them see their progress and feel a sense of accomplishment. This can lead to increased engagement and effort, leading to even better performance.
4. Promotes self-reflection: Feedback encourages students to reflect on their own work and think critically about how they can improve. This is an important skill for lifelong learning.
5. Builds trust and rapport: When teachers provide regular and meaningful feedback, it shows that they care about their students and are invested in their success. This helps build trust and rapport between teachers and students, creating a positive and supportive learning environment.

Providing effective feedback is an essential part of the teaching and learning process and can have a significant impact on student success.

Naplan Information and Dates

NAPLAN is the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy. It is a standardised assessment test for students in Australia, taken by students in Years 7, and 9. The tests are designed to assess students' skills in reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation), and numeracy. The results of the tests are used to provide information on the performance of students, schools, and education systems. Our teachers at Bethany use NAPLAN results to support student learning and growth. The 2023 NAPLAN tests will take place between the 15th and 27th of March. More information regarding NAPLAN will be provided closer to the test date.

ATOMI

All Bethany students have access to the online learning platform Atomi which provides a wealth of videos and quizzes aligned to the curriculum. Atomi is an effective way for students to revise and consolidate their learning in class. Students should be attempting the quiz questions on Atomi especially in the lead up to an assessment task. More information can be found here.

Library Afterschool Tutoring

The Bethany Afterschool tutoring program will return this week in the library from 3:00pm to 4:00pm. Tutors will be available for all students to access. The program is free for all students to use.

Dorian Kipriotis                                           Sarah Rowland
Leader of Curriculum                                 Leader of Data & Growth

From the Leader of Wellbeing

Welcome back to the 2023 academic school year! A special welcome to those students new to the College this year. I trust that your daughter's school year has begun in a positive way and that she is looking forward to her learning and Bethany life this year.

Elevate Education is an external group who has worked with our students for many years around the area of study skills and learning preparedness. Strategies taught to parents and students are based on research and best practice. To this end, they are offering 16 free webinars for parents on topics such as motivation, time management, technology and focus, and memory. By tuning into their webinar series you will learn how you can better support your daughter at home through reinforcing the skills they learn at school. The first webinar will be on Wednesday February 15th from 6:30 ~ 7:30 p.m: “How to help get (and keep!) your child motivated”

This link will take you to the information and registration site

Safer internet day (Tuesday, February 7th) is a global event bringing communities together to help create safer online spaces; part of this move is educating young people to have a greater awareness of responsible and safe ways to use the internet and online spaces. The esafety commissioner website in Australia has a wealth of resources available for parents and students in helping them to navigate safe ways to use and interact online. Please continue to speak with your daughter about her use of the internet and social media in terms of wellbeing and safety.

Wellbeing Wisdom: Teenagers need (on average) 8 ~ 10 hours sleep per night. A good sleep improves memory, reduces forgetfulness and keeps emotions in check during the day.

Charlotte Buxton
Leader of Wellbeing

Sport Update

Sydney Catholic Schools Rep Sport Update

Congratulations to the following students on their selection in a Rep Team for Term 1 and for competing in their first round game against St Ursula’s.

Junior Basketball (7/8)

Sophia Flarakos, Daisy D'Angelo, Marielle Vassilopoulos, Sophia Liney, Daneille Raad, Ava Jukic, Ava Cranston, Sarah Maakrun

Intermediate Basketball (9/10)

Milana Milakovic, Jessica Hanna, Isabel Olup, Maria Mandoukos, Kayley Lai, Claudia Edwards, Harper Bollard, Emily Wang

Senior Basketball (11/12)

Rhiannon Lopez, Jasmine Bates, Claudia Ruggeiro, Jeanna Garcia, Monique Johnson, Eleni Theodoropoulos, Olivia Pereira, Jessica Ryan, Lia Athanasiou, Junez Legaspi, Marienne Sarmiento

Junior Touch Football (7/8) (Wash Out)

Alana Saidi, Sienna Ngatuvai, Lily Croker, Lucy Teplicanec, Chloe D'Astoli, Isabella Borg, Katie McLoughlin, Despina Michales, Ceanna Swindon, ​Lilu Ciraolo

Intermediate Touch Football (9/10) (Wash Out)

Niah Morris, Xanthie Pollard, Charlotte Teplicanec, Emily Teplicanec, Sophia Brightwell, Joanne Lewis, Erana Old, Nadia Debbo, Isabella Quilkey, Serra Kazzi

Senior Touch Football (11/12) (Wash Out)

Marie Apostolovski, Millie Markou, Jessica Brightwell, Hannah Cabot, Zara Cabot, Holly Boyd, Amahlia Ngatuvai, Amelia Urbina, Aleisha Foundotos, Christine Tsougranis, Jennifer Sarkis

Viareggio Cup World Football Tournament

Congratulations to Maria Roumeliotis in Year 11 whose APIA football team (Leichhardt Tigers) has been invited to attend the Viareggio Cup World Football Tournament in Italy later this year. This is an amazing opportunity for Maria as she will play against opposing teams from all over the world, also being one of the youngest players in her team. The tournament will be held over 3 weeks at the end of March and we are wishing Maria the best of luck!

Rachel Bevan
Sport Coordinator

Public Speaking

The 2023 Catholic Schools’ Debating Association’s Public Speaking Competition will be held in Term 1. The competition dates are as follows:

Round 1 - Friday, 3rd of March

Zone Final - Friday, 10th of March

Grand Final - Friday, 17th of March

Public Speakers who are interested in competing in this year’s competition are invited to try out. Topics and speaking times have been released. Try-outs will be held Monday next week. For more information, please contact Ms Woo at shirley.woo@syd.catholic.edu.au

Shirley Woo
Public Speaking Facilitator

Year 11-12 Drama Excursion

Senior drama students enjoyed a night out at the theatre. A wonderful educational experience was had by yr 11 and yr 12 students at OnStage - which is an annual event presenting exemplar HSC Drama projects and performances from across NSW. All students left feeling motivated and inspired - a great way to start the year !

Loretta Iffland
Drama Teacher

February 2023 Census - Privacy Policies and Standard Collection Notices

On February 17 Census for schools will take place.  Linked are the Sydney Catholic Schools SCS Privacy Policy  and SCS Standard Collection Notice, which we are required to send to all families which advises you of the Census.  Occasionally, personal information in regard to student details and background data are required to be passed onto Government agencies.

Happy Birthday to Bethany College

The Bethany Tree continues to Grow

The College logo is based on the Bethany Tree that symbolises the centre of the school and the growth in strength and dimension of the trunk and branches to encompass everything with the passage of time. The qualities associated with the symbol of the Bethany Tree helps each student to grow in faith, intellect and character.

This year Bethany College will be celebrating our Thirty Year milestone with a range of activities and the ongoing production of an electronic book documenting the history of the college.

I am keen to contact  former students of Bethany to share ideas, information, photos and memories over the next few months. Combined St Mary’s, St Joseph’s and Bethany College Ex-Students Association is the official Facebook  page for former students and it would be great to follow and share the site.  My email address is wendy.munro@syd.catholic.edu.au and I would appreciate any help or suggestions as well as information that would be useful. The Bethany community is a happy and thriving community and I am looking forward to working with you to mark this important celebration.

Wendy Munro
Archives

Careers News

What is the ATAR?

The ATAR is a rank, not a mark.

The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) is a number between 0.00 and 99.95 that indicates a student’s position relative to all the students in their age group (ie all 16 to 20 year olds in NSW). So, an ATAR of 80.00 means that you are 20 per cent from the top of your age group (not your Year 12 group).

Universities use the ATAR to help them select students for their courses and admission to most tertiary courses is based on your selection rank (your ATAR + any applicable adjustments). Most universities also use other criteria when selecting students (eg a personal statement, a questionnaire, a portfolio of work, an audition, an interview or a test).

WSU | Discover Western – Area of Study Webinars

From: February 7, 2023 to March 29, 2023

Learn about the large range of study options Western offers with the Discover Western Webinar Area of Study series. Each webinar will focus on a specific area of study and will include virtual access into the facilities on campus.

Find out more

Five signs you might be ready for your first job

Have you started thinking about working for the first time?

It’s a big step, but a good one – the research shows that young people who work part time at some point during their education may find it easier to move into a full-time job, and take less time to find a stable job than those who don’t work while they’re still at school.

If you’re wondering if you should be looking for a job, here are five signs that may indicate that you’re ready to work part time:

1. You are thinking about making some money
   This could be to have more control over what you can buy, to save for something big like a car, or just because you’re ready to start building your wealth and working towards billionaire status. If you’ve been thinking a bit lately about how much money you have then that might be a good sign that you’re ready to look for a job.
2. You can manage your time by yourself
   To work part time you’ll need to be reliable and keep track of your own time and shifts, so if you feel like you are able to manage your schedule by yourself then this could be a good sign that you’re ready to take on more responsibility.
3. You feel confident talking to adults
   Even if you find a job with a large proportion of teen workers (think fast-food, the supermarket, or the pizza shop), you’ll still need to be able to speak confidently with adults, so if you feel like you’ve crossed this barrier lately then you might be ready to work. You’ll know if you’ve reached this stage because you feel confident buying things at the shop, or calling the hairdresser to book a haircut.
4. You are old enough to legally work
   There are rules around how old you need to be before you can start work, so if you’ve passed those age barriers then it’s a sign that you’re ‘officially’ old enough to work. If you’re not sure, search online for labour laws in your location and do your own research (if you can do that, it’s another sign you’re ready to work).
5. You want to build more work-ready skills
   Working part-time is a great way to make a ‘soft’ entry into the workforce – you’ll have more space to learn the ropes and it’s expected that you’ll probably make a few mistakes. You’ll learn about shifts and uniforms, timesheets and payslips, and you’ll also learn a lot about working in an adult environment, which can help you prepare for working in a more formal and less forgiving environment down the track.

After all this, if you think you’re ready then the next thing to do is starting looking at jobs around you in the kinds of workplaces you’re interested in.

Stephen Donlan
Careers Advisor

School Vaccinations

NCCD Fact Sheet for Parents

Bethany College 2023 School Photos

Photography Date:22/03/2023 - Years 8, 10 and 11

Dear Parents,

School photography day is coming up early in 2023. Group and portrait photographs can be purchased by following the link below or by returning the order envelope with your payment to our photographer on school photo day.

NEW
advancedlife now offers Latitude Pay! To take advantage of LatitudePay and split the cost of your order into 10 small easy payments, simply order your school photos online as usual, set up a Latitude Pay account in just a few clicks and pay no interest or fees when you pay according to your payment schedule; it’s that easy.

3 easy ways to purchase:

1. LatitudePay – Click on the link below, set up an account during the online order process and split your payments across 10 weeks with no interest or fees, if you pay on time
2. Visa, MasterCard or PayPal
3. Cash – complete the envelope supplied and return it to our photographer on photo day

Or visit: www.advancedlife.com.au
And enter online order code: HZC FK4 YXH

School photography information:

• Online orders - do not require an envelope returned to your school
• Sibling Photos - Don’t forget to pre-order your sibling photos online up to 24 hours before photo day. We provide your school with a list of sibling orders right up to the day of photography, so no one misses out. If you miss the online order deadline, you can submit a completed sibling order envelope first thing in the morning of the day of photography, so your school is aware you want the photo taken and can bring your children together in time for it. Sibling photographs only apply to children enrolled at your school. Please note not all schools offer sibling photos
• Late fees - a late fee will be applied to each package purchased after photo day due to the additional cost of producing these packages separately
• Package delivery - School photographs will be returned approximately 6 weeks after the day of photography. Please note this delivery timeframe is dependent on proofing and additional photography days at your school.
• Previous Years’ photos - Past years’ photographs including sports, co-curricular and representative groups are also available to order under the 'previous years or group photo' tabs at your school’s advancedorder site when you click on the 'Order School Photos Here' button above. You can also order past packages, portrait images and gifts from your child’s unique, individual and secure advancedyou image archive site using the unique 9 digit image code found on packages you have ordered in the past.

Learning Italian at Bethany Makes the NEWS!

The Italian newspaper, La Fiamma, published an article last week about what learning Italian looks like at Bethany College.

In the article, journalist Barbara Manzini outlined the different activities that are held inside and outside the Bethany classroom to keep the students engaged and ultimately successful in their Italian studies.

Our Italian teacher, Enza Criniti, was interviewed at length about what is important in keeping students interested – “topics that are relevant and important to them, understanding their values and be able to make an impression on them.” The article also contained photos and information about the excursions (scavenger hunts and movie screenings in Leichhardt, cooking in an authentic restaurant in Riverwood), incursions (Repubblica lunch) and all the various strategies that are used in the classroom to keep our students engaged.

A great way to show our Italian-speaking community the work that happens here in keeping
the Italian language alive and thriving.

Marco Gianni
Teacher in Charge - Languages

Performing Arts at Bethany

We are excited to offer a range of extracurricular Performing Arts activities for Bethany students.

Choir

The choir rehearses each Wednesday morning at 8am in MA203 (music room). All students are welcome to join this ensemble. 

If you would like to join the choir, please join the Google Classroom with this code: btjh35w and come along to the next rehearsal.

For any questions regarding choir, please email Ms Pascuzzo: chiara.pascuzzo@syd.catholic.edu.au 

Music Tuition

Bethany College is pleased to offer private music tuition with our highly experienced music tutors. Lessons are currently available for piano, guitar and vocals. For more information, please click here.

For any questions regarding music tuition, please email Mr Cindric: michael.cindric001@syd.catholic.edu.au 

Musical

Our 2023 musical is soon to be revealed! Look out for an important notice on Compass in the next few weeks. Information for auditions will also be released following this announcement. Students in Years 7-11 are able to audition. The musical will be performed at Hurstville Entertainment Centre in Term 4, Week 3.

If you have any questions regarding Performing Arts at Bethany College, please don’t hesitate to contact the school.

Clare Moroney
Performing Arts Coordinator