Welcome back to another great year of learning at Hennessy! It has been wonderful to see all the students return and actively engage in their learning. We are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for our students and staff this year.

This year, we have formalized the next step of our Behaviour Standards by producing the Behaviour Standards Statement of Practice. This document outlines the responsibilities of staff, students, and the community regarding our expected standards of behaviour. Hennessy has a proud history of excellent behaviour both in our community and within the school.

The behaviour standards table, created in collaboration with the KLA and House Leader team, was presented to staff and students at the beginning of the school year. It is important to note that while behaviour can sometimes be viewed in isolation, we understand that behaviour issues may arise when students feel unable to engage with their learning. We have taken this into consideration when creating this document.

Along with the standards, students and staff were introduced to the 3 R's Document. This document provides an important opportunity for students to reflect on behaviours that do not align with the standards table, take responsibility for their actions, and develop resilience in repairing the situation. This will also form part of the Classroom Concerns Process.

We invite all community members to celebrate the beginning of the school year with our **Opening Mass** in the College Hall at 10 AM on **Friday, February 21st**. 

Additionally, this week marks the closing of nominations for Year 8, 9, 10 Year Level Captains and Year 11 House Vice Captain nominations. We are excited to hear what the candidates will have to share with us at the beginning of next week, and we will present the badges during the opening school mass.

Uniform reminder: as the new year begins it is great to see minimal uniform infringements, a reminder that the only day students should be in sports uniform is Thursday, unless otherwise organised and informed on Compass. There have been a few students who have grown over the holidays and now have skirts at inappropriate lengths, could these please be addressed as soon as possible.

Should you be interested in being Baptised, receive Holy Communion or be Confirmed, please email me at mary.wright@cg.catholic.edu.au. This is the last call for these Sacraments. Program begining week 4.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to making Hennessy a wonderful place for learning. We look forward to a fantastic year ahead!

Welcome back to our first week of Leadership Lounge for 2025! This week brought to you by our School Captains Madi & Josh. Hope you have all enjoyed these super warm and sunny days lately and enjoyed your 6-week break.

Last week we held our annual swimming carnival which was a great success! It was amazing to see so many incredible costumes as students dressed up in this year's theme of “Aussie Icons”. It was even better to see so many bright and happy faces as students had a crack, as they cooled off in the pool on what was a hot sunny day filled with loads of fun and participation!

On Tuesday we had our year 7 meet and greet. It was so amazing to be able to get to know all the year 7 students and their families as we look forward to spending an exciting year ahead. Next week (week 3) we begin our Year 11 Vice-Captain and Year level Captain speeches and voting. The leadership team heavily encourages all students to have a go as it's a perfect opportunity to get involved with leadership, especially for those students who plan on doing it in future years. We look forward to working with all those successful students. Looking forward to the rest of the year there are so many exciting events currently being organised by the leadership team to bring fun and joy to all! Make sure you stay tuned for when they come.

All four Houses have continued with their competitive spirit from last year! With a strong win from Nagle last year, they have taken a turn with ambitious competition from Rice. Rice has taken the win after not getting the blue first place ribbon since 2018, in the swimming carnival, Mrs Cass, Izaiah, and Lachie have worked hard and we cannot wait to see what else they can pull off through the next few terms.

That wraps up this week's edition of the Leadership Lounge. We can’t wait to see you all next time!

     

Madi & Josh 
College Captains

New Year, New Opportunities
As we embark on a new school year, we look forward to new opportunities to connect, collaborate, and contribute to our Hennessy Catholic College community.

Tuesday evening was a wonderful start to connect with the families of our new Year 7 students at the Meet and Greet. The evening was well-organised and informative. It was a fantastic opportunity to network with families, staff, and to strengthen the sense of community that makes our school so special.

Vision for 2025 HCCY CC
This year, the Community Council’s focus is on promoting engagement between the school, families, and the wider community. We believe that by working together, we can continue to support and enhance the educational experience of our students.

To achieve this, we are hoping to run family and community events. To orchestrate this we have the capacity to form sub-committees under the NEW Community Council Charter. If you’re interested in being part of this team or would like more information, please contact the school office and we can hopefully spearhead a committee ASAP. I assure you, to do this sort of stuff doesn’t take much time or skill! Sometimes it’s as easy as spreading the word, plus it’s a whole lot of fun!

Join the Community Council – 2 Positions Vacant
If you feel, you can commit to at least one meeting a term and be involved in supporting the mission of Catholic education in our school. WE WANT YOU! If you are interested, please drop a note or email Ms N Woods – Secretary stating an Expression of Interest (EOI) in the position. The Community Council is advisory in nature, however we make decisions on how we spend the money we raise. The Council provides an important forum for consultation and a means for members to share their skills and talents for the greater good of the school. If we receive more than 2 EOI, we go to a vote. The office details are nadine.woods@cg.catholic.edu.au. Close of EOI is the 26^th of February 2025.

Upcoming Webinars & Resources
Stay informed and engaged with the latest updates and resources from:

• Catholic Education Canberra Goulburn: https://www.facebook.com/ceoacg | http://cg.catholic.edu.au/ 

• Council of Catholic School Parents: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Council%20of%20Catholic%20School%20Parents | www.ccsp.catholic.edu.au 

• Hennessy Catholic College Young: https://www.facebook.com/HennessyCatholicCollege/ | https://hccy.nsw.edu.au/

I have attached 3 upcoming webinars and events that offer valuable insight for families and educators. They are ALL FREE

SCHOOLSPEAK 101
A free online webinar for parents and carers

Presented by Mary Ryan, Head of Professional Learning, CSNSW

Two sessions offered:
25 February, 12.30pm – 1pm
26 February, 7.30pm – 8pm 

Learn the basic language of school so that you can better engage with your child’s school and learning:

A free online webinar for parents and carers of primary school-aged students

Presented by Beyond
Wednesday 5 March 2025
12:30pm – 1pm

Help your child find their passion and pathway:
1. How to encourage curiosity, creativity and confidence in your child
2. Practical tips on introducing the idea of careers early
3. Helpful resources

Presented by eSafety Commissioner

Wednesday 19 March 2025
7pm – 7.30pm

Helpful topics such as –

1. How young people are using some of the popular social networking apps and games
2. The role of algorithms and recommender systems in influencing how children and young people experience the online world, including potential harms and impacts
3. Strategies to have better conversations with your children about social media use, managing content and reporting negative online experiences

God Bless,

Natalie Turner
Chairperson
Hennessy Catholic College Young Community Council

The 2025 Swimming Carnival was a fantastic day, starting with Nagle showing their clear intentions for the year with a convincing victory in the War Cry competition. A standout moment of the day was the breaking of eight records by our talented swimmers, with special mention to Ashlee Peacey, who set an impressive five new records.

Ashlee Peacey
– 16 Years Girls 50m Freestyle – 30.10 (Previous: Lucy Williams, 30.75 in 2013)
– 16 Years Girls 100m Freestyle – 1:08.36 (Previous: Ellie Rutter, 1:13.37 in 2017)
– 16 Years Girls 50m Butterfly – 33.77 (Previous: Ellie Rutter, 34.18 in 2017)
– 16 Years Girls 50m Breaststroke – 38.98 (Previous: Ellie Rutter, 40.94 in 2017)
– 16 Years Girls 200m Individual Medley – 2:47.05 (Previous: Ellie Rutter, 2:55.91 in 2017)

Grace Derrick
– Open Girls 50m Breaststroke – 38.66 (Previous: Emme Williams, 42.39 in 2015)
– Open Girls 50m Backstroke – 36.61 (Previous: Lucy Williams, 37.91 in 2013)

Eliza Taylor
– Open Girls 50m Freestyle – 30.19 (Previous: Anna Bewley, 30.56 in 2013)

Congratulations to the 2025 Swimming Age Champions: 

13 Girls Champion: Chloe Buck
13 Girls Runner-Up: Lexie McGovern

13 Boys Champions: Samuel Presser & Rory Brodbeck

14 Girls Champion: Ivy Murphy
14 Girls Runner-Up: Bonny Bromham

14 Boys Champion: Michael Oakley
14 Boys Runner-Up: Eli Terry

15 Girls Champion: Sybella Murphy
15 Girls Runner-Up: Malayah Anesbury

15 Boys Champion: George Presser
15 Boys Runner-Up: Harry Robinson

16 Girls Champion: Ashlee Peacey
16 Girls Runner-Up: Emily Buck

16 Boys Champion: Mitchell Gibson
16 Boys Runner-Up: Nicholas Bailey

17+ Girls Champion: Grace Derrick
17+ Girls Runner-Up: Emma Simmons

17+ Boys Champion: Archie Blackman
17+ Boys Runner-Up: Sid Van Leeuwen

Congratulations to Rice House, who claimed victory with 599 points, followed by:
2nd – Nagle House – 567 points
3rd – Gallagher House – 484 points
4th – McAuley House – 460 points

Hennessy Catholic College
School Photography Date: 12/02/2025

Dear Parents,

School photos have now been taken. Group and portrait photographs can be purchased for 7 days from the day photos are taken, after which late fees/additional charges will be incurred.

Purchase before late fees apply via:

Visa, MasterCard or PayPal

Or visit: www.advancedlife.com.au
And enter online order code: Z9K THF WTV

School photography information:

• Online orders - do not require an envelope returned to your school
• Late fees - a late fee will be applied to each package purchased more than 7 days 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

advancedlife would like to express our appreciation to Hennessy Catholic College for placing your trust in us. Please remember we offer a 100% money back guarantee on our products to ensure your peace of mind. We would also love to receive your feedback or resolve any issues you may experience as fast as possible, to ensure your satisfaction. If you have any questions, comments or feedback relating to your advancedlife experience please contact us at: www.advancedlife.com.au/contact