Hennessy Catholic College - Young eNewsletter

Welcome to our Week 8 newsletter. This term seems to be flying, with only two weeks to go. St Mary’s Parish and the wider community were saddened to hear of the passing of Mr Greg Broderick and Mr Don Smith last week. These two men were outstanding examples of what it means to live a life of service to the community. They were men of faith who lived out their faith by their actions. Mr Broderick made a huge difference through his work for the local St Vincent De Paul. Many students will remember him for his generous work with the Parish and the Young North Food Van. Mr Smith was in the midst of coordinating the improvements to the St Mary’s Church and was a daily presence as he tirelessly gave his time to manage this project and many others around the Church. May they rest in peace.

This week, we welcome Miss Sarah Napier to our staff to commence work as a Relief Classroom Teacher. Miss Napier has been teaching in the Wollongong Diocese and is a former Hennessy student; we wish her all the best in her work at Hennessy.

A small group of students and staff hosted Year 10 Sacred Heart students and their families for a Meet and Greet evening at Sacred Heart on Monday evening. Hennessy students spoke to prospective Year 11 students about their Hennessy experiences and parents had an opportunity to find out more about what Hennessy has to offer. Our annual Open Day will be held on May 14 from 1:30 - 3:10 pm. 2026 is looking like a very strong year with enrolments already being made for next year.

The Houses continue to fundraise for Caritas with weekly events to raise funds for this important cause. On Thursday McAuley sold hot chips and last week Gallagher House had a very successful lolly fundraiser. We also remind the students that Lent is not just about giving up material things such as food but it is also about ‘giving up’ to change our lives for the better.

A Lenten Prayer:

Fast from judging others, feast on the Christ dwelling in me

Fast from grumbling, feast on gratitude.

Fast from anger, feast on patience.

Fast from being negative, feast on being positive.

Fast from worry, feast on trust.

Fast from complaining, feast on agreement.

Fast from aggression, feast on gentleness.

Fast from bitterness, feast on forgiveness.

Fast from self-concern, feast on compassion for others.

Fast from suspicion, feast on truth.

Fast from thoughts that weaken, feast on promises that inspire.

Kathy Holding

Principal

ATTENDANCE

As the term is progressing we are seeing an increase in student absences.

Regular attendance allows children to build knowledge and understanding of previous lessons, by missing days of school it creates gaps in understanding. Strong attendance shows a correlation with academic achievement. Attendance at school also assists with social development and future success. In addition to this, we have a legal requirement to ensure that students are attending school and this is mandated under the Education Act.

Ways to improve attendance and assist your child;

Establish a consistent bedtime routine.
Prepare school materials the night before.
Schedule medical appointments outside school hours when possible.
Discuss the importance of attendance with your child.

Remember, every school day counts! Let's work together to ensure your child gets the most out of their education.

YEAR 11 & YEAR 12 ASSESSMENT TASKS

We are now starting to see lots of Assessment Tasks coming in for our Year 11 & Year 12 students. Just a few reminders about expectations around Assessment Tasks;

Should a student be absent on the day of an Assessment Task - a parent/caregiver must call the College prior to 8:45am, advising the reason for their absence
On the student's return, they must complete an illness/misadventure form and attach any supporting documentation - this must be submitted to Mrs McInerney - Assistant Principal - Teaching & Learning
Should the task that the student was completing be unseen - they will be issued an alternative task still meeting the same outcomes

Partial absences - on the day of Assessment Tasks - students are expected to be present for the whole day - should a task be an in-class task and they are not present prior to that task without explanation, they may receive zero for that task. Should a student be absent the morning of the task - same rules apply, call the College prior to 8:30am and complete an illness/misadventure form.

The Stage 6 Assessment Policy is available for all students/parents/caregivers to view. Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any questions.

CLASSROOM CONCERNS

As the term has been progressing we have seen an increase in classroom concerns. As you are aware, we have been refining the classroom concerns process as such, here are the updated steps and stages. As well as the sanctions for each stage for students who are not meeting our College expectations.

-1, Classroom Concern Level 1 Any Subject - Warning and Chronicle Entry (management by classroom teacher), -1 point for student.

-2, Classroom Concern Level 2 Any Subject - Warning and Chronicle Entry (management by classroom teacher, KLA leader and contact made with parents by the staff member who wrote the concern), -2 points for student and an email sent to student.

- 3, Classroom Concern Level 3 Any Subject - Automated Chronicle Email to parents/carers (management by classroom teacher, KLA leader and contact made with parents by the staff member who wrote the concern), -3 for student. The student will be withdrawn from representing the College in extracurricular activities, including excursions and sports teams for 3 weeks.

-4, Classroom Concern Level 4 Any Subject - (management by classroom teacher, KLA leader. Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning, Phone Call to Parents/Guardians, -4 for student. The student will be removed from the playground for a week and will be withdrawn from representing the College in extracurricular activities, including excursions and sports teams for that term.

-5, Classroom Concern Level 5 Any Subject - management by classroom teacher and KLA leader and Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning Phone Call to Parents/Carers to organise class withdrawal for a day and an interview with Assistant Principal. The student will be removed from the playground for a week and will be withdrawn from representing the College in extracurricular activities, including excursions and sports teams for that term.

-6, Classroom Concern Level 5 Any Subject - management by classroom teacher and KLA leader and Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning Phone Call to parents/carers to organise a one-day external suspension and an interview with Assistant Principal. Students will also be removed from representing the College in extracurricular activities including excursions and sports teams for the rest of the term.

CLASS SPOTLIGHT – YEAR 12 PDHPE ⭐

This week we have seen Year 12 putting their knowledge of Skill Acquisition into place, showing the difference in styles of learners. Thanks to Mrs Dunk and the Year 12 PDHPE for allowing me to see your skills.

Jessica McInerney

Assistant Principal - Teaching & Learning

Year 8 and Year 10 Retreat Day
We recently held a wonderful retreat day for our Year 8 and Year 10 students, hosted by Real Talk Australia. The day was a fantastic shared experience, focusing on respectful relationships and Catholic values. Students engaged in meaningful conversations and activities that reinforced the importance of healthy relationships and our school's values.

Important Reminders
Phone Policy for Year 7 and 8
Please remember that Year 7 and 8 students must hand in their phones to the front office at the beginning of each school day. This policy helps minimize distractions and promotes a focused learning environment.

ICT Policy and Social Media
We'd like to remind everyone about our ICT Policy. Students should not take photos of other students in school uniforms and post them on social media. This is a child safety issue, and we appreciate your support in reinforcing this rule at home.

Uniform Policy
We've noticed some students' skirt lengths have become inappropriate. The College Uniform Policy states that skirts should be knee-length. We ask for your cooperation in ensuring your child adheres to this policy.

Year 11 Jersey Orders
Our Year 11 students have voted on their 2026 Jersey design and are now finalizing sizes and nicknames. We're starting this process early to avoid any delays, as manufacturing can take up to 12 weeks.

Colour Run Fundraiser
We're excited about our upcoming Colour Run, which will raise funds for Margaret House, a domestic violence shelter chosen by our Year 12 students. The run will take place right after the Cross Country event. We encourage everyone to get involved! You can find more details on Compass.

Mary Wright

Assistant Principal - Mission & Ministry

Welcome back to this week's leadership lounge written by your Rice house captains Lachlan and Izaiah. We hope you have enjoyed term one!

This week we have been super busy with many events and fundraisers.

McAuley had their Caritas fundraiser this week where they sold hot chips and soft drinks for the students raising money towards Project Compassion. This was a great success. We thank all of the students who were involved.

Rice has recently welcomed its new Vice-captain Isaac Brown. We are looking forward to a great year with him and all the contributions he will bring to Rice.

PCs were all involved in their belonging projects competition last week, with many creative pieces being shown such as posters, dances songs and poems. We congratulate R5, N1, M4 and G4 for coming away with the victory in their houses The overall winner will be judged next week.

On Tuesday, some students travelled to Canberra to play in Ms Wrights Hennessy Elite Netball Squad (HENS). This was a huge success and each team played with amazing sportsmanship.

In the coming weeks, we have many events. Next week we have the last Craitas fundraiser, where Rice is selling Spiders and soft drinks to students. We also have the college cross-country being held in week 10 along with the colour run where many students come in either black or white and are covered in colourful paints.

Thank you for reading this week's Leadership Lounge

Our Year 7 students have been hard at work practicing their sewing skills, mastering straight lines with focus and precision. Some impressive work and proud smiles all around!

Term 1 College fees are now overdue.

It would be appreciated if you could please make your payment if you have not already done so.

Should you wish to discuss your fees, please contact Mrs Nadine Woods, Business Manager, nadine.woods@cg.catholic.edu.au 63821486.

The Gallagher House watching the PC Belonging projects!

Congratulations to Nic Canellis and Riley Butcher who have progressed to the U18 Western Rugby League team. The boys will now play in Wagga later in the year to hopefully be selected in the Southern Country NSWCCC team.

To avoid missing out on your favourite canteen food download the Flexischools App, place your order online and get VIP service!

Yesterday McAuley House held their Caritas fundraiser by selling hot chips, drinks and lollies!

This was a great treat for the students and very well supported.

The local Police have visited the school and asked that we distribute this information to students regarding the use of electric scooters.

E_Scooters..._Advice_for_Families.pdf

Year 11 & 12 senior IT classes have been calling into classes to help Year 7 & 9 with the NAPLAN program setup and device checks.

They then provided technical support for the NAPLAN exams which have now been successfully completed.

Year 9/10 PASS Class playing Gridiron football during their practical lesson this week.

Temora Junior AFL

Since the beginning of the Term this year 7.3 have been looking at Cubism, what it is and then sharing their knowledge and skills of this within their art pieces. They have completed images of their faces in water colour and completed a scratch art, that involves covering a page in oil pastels, then covering in black paint left to dry, finally scratching in their faces, with pointed sticks, to expose pattern and colour. At the moment the students are completing a 3 Dimensional work of their face that we will share with you at a later time. Thankyou to Mrs McLachlan for working with 7.3 until the return of Mrs Hill in Week 7, the students thoroughly enjoyed your teaching.