29th May 2015

Principal: Mr David Finch

Assistant Principal - Curriculum/Admin: Mrs Janine Conolly

Assistant Principal - Mission: Mr Paul MacCallum

Head of Residential: Ms Veronica Loudon

Business Manager: Mr David Osborne

Office Manager: Mrs Sue Wegert

Dear Parents and Carers

This week MSB had the opportunity to participate in the Rotary Field Day at Mareeba. It was a very fruitful experience and we showcased the many and varied opportunities our school provides. The majority of the visitors are local people and from surrounding towns, hence a great way to promote our school to increase our day student numbers. We received many enquiries and questions and so many were excited to see what our College offers, particularly in the curriculum field, sporting opportunities and to acknowledge the proven benefits of our smaller class sizes.

Sporting opportunities for both boys and girls is important to the overall holistic experience for our students. Our College has a long tradition of success in many sports and a number of our students complement many of our local teams. It is also important to mention that it is imperative to remember that school curriculum and commitment to school related activities must always come first. We endeavour to avoid clashes particularly with weekend or after school commitments, but students must not become complacent and prioritise a sporting commitment above their schooling. There have been a few instances recently and I hope it does not become a practice.

Our Year 10 students are away this week on the first “expedition” of the year. This is an extensive week long hiking and camping experience that requires significant fitness, determination and team building skills. I look forward to catching up with the students and staff on their return about their experience and adventures.

CANONISATION OF CATHERINE MCAULEY

In the Christian tradition, holiness - recognised as exceptional by those who lived and worked with a holy person - is cause for sainthood, ie canonisation in the Roman Catholic Church. Since her death, Catherine McAuley's companions in life shared their stories and her words in later writings. These give us a picture of a holy woman prompting the call for her canonisation.

The cause to canonise Catherine McAuley advanced in 1990 when she was declared Venerable by decree of Pope John Paul II. By this title she was recognised as having practiced Christian virtue in a heroic way to an heroic degree - the first step in the canonisation process.

The next step in the "making of a saint" is proof of a miracle, usually a physical cure, which can be attributed to the intercession of a holy person, in this case Catherine McAuley. Sisters of Mercy, Associates, Companions, friends and colleagues in ministry are praying that such a miracle will be authenticated, leading to Catherine's beatification. You are invited to join us in prayer that she will soon be officially recognised as a saint in our Church.

PRAYER FOR BEATIFICATION

Loving God, you chose Catherine McAuley for the service of your people who are poor, sick and uneducated. You inspired her to found the Sisters of Mercy that these good works might endure. Give to each of us a portion of her compassionate spirit and ardent desire to serve your suffering people. Bless all our undertakings and grant that union and charity may always thrive among us. Graciously hear our prayer for Catherine, and by granting the favours we ask through her intercession, hasten the day when her sanctity will be celebrated by all the church.

Enjoy the week

David

Mr David Finch

Assistant Principal - Mission

Mary’s response is a model for us – The 25th May saw the celebration of the Feast of Our Lady Help Of

Christians. ‘From now on all generations will call me blessed.’ And so they have. We, too often, forget

that these are the words of a pregnant young girl who had every reason to be frightened, not rejoicing.

When the angel told her she would bear a child, she had asked the obvious question: ‘How?’ No doubt

she also wondered, ‘What will become of me now?’ Despite this, her final answer was, ‘Behold the

handmaid of the Lord”…and this is the model for us. So often, God seems to be asking us to do something

that makes no sense and offers only pain and humiliation. But we pray, ‘My spirit rejoices in God my

saviour.’ In 1815, the feast and special title were introduced by Pope Pius VII in thanksgiving for being

liberated by Napoleon. It is also a special day of significance in Australia In 1844 the bishops nominated Mary as a special patron of

our country under this title. The Feast day of Mary Help of Christians is celebrated on May 24 each year. Catholic’s have always had

strong devotion to Mary. It is recorded that when there were no priests in colonial Australia, Catholics prayed to Mary to nurture

their faith. One of the first priests, Father Therry, dedicated the Australian Church to Mary under the title “Help of Christians”. Australia was the first nation to have Mary, Help of Christians as its patroness and to observe the feast on a national scale. Did you know that our patroness is also referred to as Our Lady of the Southern Cross.

Uniforms – I again ask that all parents/carers ensure their children are in correct uniform. Students are expected to have a signed note explaining any uniform deviation. Alternatively, parents/carers may contact Student reception and give an explanation. This can be passed onto relevant staff. Generally, most students are wearing the expected college uniform in a proud and respectful manner. For students not complying with correct uniform expectations, a “pink slip” is issued. This is to be taken home, read and discussed with parents/caregivers and due attention given. Please do not hesitate to contact the college and discuss any questions or concerns you may have with any aspect of your child’s uniform.

Sam Clear - ”The walk has finished... but the journey continues.” Wednesday 2nd June will see a visit to the college by renowned inspirational speaker, Sam Clear. After 15,600km on foot, 568 days and 11 near-death encounters, Sam’s story is ONE EXTRAORDINARY STORY. Students will have the opportunity to listen to his inspirational, Christian-inspired story in periods 5 and 6. Have a look at his story at - http://www.walk4one.com/sam-clear

And finally…a short story to ponder… a season of suffering is a small assignment when compared to the reward. Rather than begrudge your problem, explore it. Ponder it. And most of all, use it. Use it to the glory of God. Max Lucado.

God bless for the fortnight ahead.

Paul MacCallum.

Assistant Principal - Curriculum

Year 11/12 Exams Year 11 and 12 block exams will be held from Friday 19th to Tuesday 23rd of June. This is an important time for students to demonstrate what they have learned, and I encourage all students to be reviewing classwork in preparation for these exams. All students are expected to be in attendance on these days, as classes will also run for students not in an exam. These classes will be finalising in-class assessment items. The exam block schedule will be published shortly. CAREERS The 24th June will be a day for yr 12 students to gain skills in resume writing, interview skills, deport-ment, financial management, university and TAFE applications and much more as we provide learning for students transition to the world of work or further study. Topics to be covered were taken from student feedback when they were interviewed regarding their career pathway in Term One. Year 10 students will spend this day experiencing senior subjects, and gaining information pertinent to their subject selections for 2016. Both years 10 and 12 students visited the BLA Careers and Education Expo last Thursday 21st May, to further inform their pathway planning. This proved to be valuable information for both cohorts—year 12s working towards their next phase of life, and year 10s moving into Senior Education and Training Plans (SET Plans) and subject selection for senior school. LEARNING Our year 7 and 9 students are to be congratulated for their positive engagement with this year’s NAPLAN testing held last week. Students focussed on the tasks at hand and worked their way through each paper conscientiously. Thank you also to Ms Riber for her organisation of this testing this year—our first year with two year levels doing NAPLAN in high school. Many thanks, Janine Conolly

BLA Careers and

Education

Expo

Senior Agriculture Report

This term senior Agriculture students are undertaking a

construction project which forms part of their assessment.

The project involves planning, budgeting and constructing a

new agriculture paddock which will be used to grow

vegetables. This entails erecting fencing and building an

irrigation system, tasks which are common place on farms.

The students have enjoyed the outdoor work with the girls

proving they can match the boys in jobs such as mixing

concrete for fence posts, hanging gates and stringing fencing

wire.

Another activity which has created a lot of interest is cheese

making. Last week the students made their first batch of

mozzarella cheese. It was popular with both staff and

students who were lucky enough to taste it before it was all

devoured. The next step is to move onto a more difficult type

of cheese to produce such as cheddar which the students will

tackle in the next few weeks.

Much excitement has been generated by the arrival of our sausage making equipment

including meat grinders and a sausage press. This will allow us to produce in bulk sausages for

special occasions at the college as well as producing our own salami. It is hoped next year that we

can acquire the equipment to produce cured and smoked meats such as ham, bacon and jerky.

The agriculture students are working towards our NAIDOC Day celebrations where parents will be

able to sample the results of their effort including the wine, cheese and sausages produced on site

at the college.

Will Trueman - Agriculture Teacher

Maree Higginson monitors the progress of the first batch of mozzarella cheese produced

in the college. Marzena Greenwool and Thelma Bani setting up the corner

fence posts for the new vegetable paddock.

Year 12 English Communications students research NAIDOC Week

Year 12 English Communications students are busy researching their presentations about NAIDOC (National Aborigines and

Islanders Day Observance Committee) Week, which falls on 5-12 July 2015.

During NAIDOC Week, Australians from all walks of life celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander peoples.

As part of this unit of work, students will research and present on a range of topics. These include Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander cultures pre-colonisation in Australia, changes to the Indigenous way of life in Australia following

colonisation by the British in 1788, what is NAIDOC Week and why do Australians celebrate it, and how relationships

between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians have changed since 1967.

Why 1967? That’s the year that a referendum resulted in the amendment of the Australian Constitution to remove two

references which discriminated against Aboriginal people.

Pictured: back row l-r Callum Hicks, Cody Brooks, Hayden McMullen, Oscar

Burnett

Front row l-r Eugene Miller, Matilda Warria, Seiji Gabey, Genesis Singut.

Absent from photo: Dakota Bowen, James Jackson, Samantha Brooks, Neve Krug, Lorna Cunningham-Hill

MSB celebrates NAIDOC Week with a day of fun, festivity and culture -

stay tuned for more details.

RESIDENTIAL NEWS

The Youth Group, initiated this year, is an all out success story for students who look for something to do on weekends. Thanks to the expertise of husband and wife team, Danny and Carla, boarders can also access a supervised range of activities Monday to Friday in Mercy Hall. Danny and Carla both discovered their love for Youth Ministry through the Catholic organisation called National Evangelisation Teams (N.E.T), and apply their skills and gospel message to boarders in a friendly, caring and loving way, which brings so much joy to many students at MSB.

10.3 Activities

Mathematics

This term students are developing their understanding of financial responsibilities using real life examples. In this lesson students had $1000 to spend at a variety of shops. Their goal was to spend as close to $1000 as they could. They had to estimate the running totals then work out the actual cost of the items they wanted to purchase.

Small Engines

On Mondays, 10.3 learn about small engines, including maintaining them. These skills will be invaluable to the students when they own their own cars.

Mother’s Day Craft

Mrs Rolfe’s daughter, Zoe, came to school

and taught us how to make jewellery. We

used silk cord and different beads to create

a bracelet and a necklace that could also

be used as a bracelet or anklet. They were

really hard to make and the silk was hard to get through the holes in the beads.

We had to try lots of different ways to get them through.

Karen Rolfe—Middle Leader Transition

The Readers’ Cup

Competition 2015

The 2015 team comprises Alexa-Rose Ellis (Year 8), Racheal Clauss (Year 8) and Rhiannon Shepherd (Year 7) .

To prepare for the challenge, the team travelled to Malanda High School in Week 5 to experience a ‘Friendly’ quiz with Malanda

students. Special thanks to Malanda High School for the wonderful hospitality.

The Final will be held on 5 June at Cairns State High School where our team will go up against eighteen other schools from across

the region. Good luck team and remember, ‘Readers are winners’. By Chris Weedon

One Minute’s Silence by David Metzenthen

Night Vision by Ella West

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K LeGuin

Two Wolves by Tristan Bancks

Ratcatcher’s Daughter by Pamela Rushby

The Last Thirteen Book 1 by James Phelan

Each year Mount St Bernard College enters a team in the

Children’s Book Council of Australia Readers’ Cup

competition. Students in Years 7 and 8 are invited to

participate and a final team of four students is selected .

Team members read six books during Term Two. Questions

are challenging and it takes hard work and perseverance.

Photo left: Our all- girl team:

Alexa-Rose Ellis, Racheal Clauss and Rhiannon Shepherd

Paint a Filly Challenge Image from: The Cairns Post—May 08, 2015 4:35PM

The Cairns Amateurs Paint a Filly challenge is back with an all new theme! This year we are

celebrating all things “Tropical North Queensland”(The Cairns Post, 2015).Ten schools from

across the region were selected and we now have a life-size horse making it’s way to Mount

St Bernard College, Herberton for painting. Please see a brief overview of how we plan to

decorate our horse in the 2015 theme “Tropical North Queensland”.

Year 11 & 12 Creative Arts are a culturally diverse group of students from across "Tropical North Queensland" and the Torres

Strait. 'The Filly' will be painted using a variety of techniques from spray painting and stencilling to intricate dot painting and line

work. Ideas will be developed based on symbols (animals, landmarks etc.) or stories that represent "Tropical North Queensland".

Collaboratively, students will carefully consider the placement of these symbols. A colour palette suited to the tropics will be

developed and will demonstrate colours of different areas, from the dry outback areas to the waterholes and beaches. A project

like this will provide this class with a sense of pride and place in their community, representing a town they spend so much time

in during the school term. Ms Traylea Sexton-Art Teacher

Dr Chris Thurber and family visit MSB

As I write this newsletter article I realise that we are already in Week 6 and holidays are

approximately 3 1/2 weeks away. Wow, it has been a busy term!

7.2 with Mr Morley

Kirk Morley, a final-year Student Teacher from James Cook University has been working

with me throughout Term One and Two.

At the moment, in 7.2 History, he has been

creating lessons around the Ancient Roman

Empire. Mr Morley has used a variety of techniques with students—

puzzles, timelines, bingo, group-work and Pictionary. Considering this

change in teachers and teaching methods, students have responded

beautifully: always using their manners, being respectful and working

Next term, Kirk will be working with the 7.2, 10.1, 10.2 Social Science, as

well as Modern History and 12 English Communication classes next

term, for approximately five weeks.

Modern History

We are venturing into what I like to call the ’pressure cooker’ (stressful part of term). This means study, drafts, assessments

and exams are a weekly part of classes. In Modern History, students have an exam at the end of term (during exam block)

which requires intense study of the notes taken in class and homework tasks given.

Students have also been working on their research presentation which has been no easy feat. Students must place all

research and reflections on their task into their research book (this contributes to 1/3 of their final grade). They also need

to begin working on a written draft, using their research books, which will need to be handed in by Week Eight. The

conflicts students have chosen are:

Mikayla and Chloe—Mexican Drug War

Angus—war in Afghanistan

Luke and Siyesha—Vietnam War

Fergus– Operation Hot Winter

Olivia—Iraq War

This task is due in Week Two, Term Three. Finally, tutoring is available for

Modern History students at 3.30 on both Monday and Wednesday afternoons.

Emily Pensini - Middle Leader Humanities

On the 19th May, twenty young women from Cairns, Innisfail and the Tablelands went to the Cairns Defence Recruiting Centre. We were chosen by our schools to sit an aptitude test for a woman’s Pilot Position in the Defence Force. Of the twenty young women that went and sat numerous amount of tests, five of us passed all tests, myself included. It was a great day full of chatting with current pilots and other women serving for their country. As the day progressed the number of ladies in the

centre got fewer and fewer. When we had finished the last of our testing there were

only five of us left. We were notified that it is very rare for 25% of applicants to get

through, it is more like only 4% of applicants get through the initial testing. To be

eligible to go to the testing that day, I needed to be doing Maths B and Physics, and

passing both subjects. Two very hard yet quite rewarding subjects. Even though I sat aptitude tests for a pilot’s position, I still now

have the opportunity to apply for many other rolls in the defence force. And I can assure you I will be applying, but as of yet I am not

quite sure for which position. I’d like to thank Mrs Natalie Van Der Zant for allowing me the opportunity to go and sit these tests.

Without her I would have never have been given the opportunity to do this. By Tahlia Shalier

DEFENCE FORCE RECRUITING www.defencejobs.gov.au or phone 13 19 01.

DESIGN HIGHDESIGN HIGHDESIGN HIGH

ART & DESIGN ART & DESIGN ART & DESIGN

WORKSHOP WORKSHOP WORKSHOP

with Bic Tieuwith Bic Tieuwith Bic Tieu

Students participated in a

Art & Design workshop with

Sydney-based jewellery and

object designer, Bic Tieu, at

the Cairns Regional Gallery. Siyesha, Nathan, Samantha, Chloe,

Lorna and Neve all appreciated the experience and said “it’s great

to get outside the classroom and see different artists” . Bic taught

the students how to make brooch’s using riveting techniques using

silver wire, thin wood veneers, acrylic paints and jewellery making

tools. They also had the opportunity to view the “Resolve”

exhibition and discuss how to display artwork in a gallery

setting. It was a wonderful day out and the students

thoroughly enjoyed it. By Ms Traylea Sexton-Art Teacher

Art News—The lovely 7-8.4’s developing their

ideas for the Safety hero Competition.

Nabil’s

Safety

Hero

Poster

above.

Upcoming Events 2015

Tues 2nd & Wed 3rd June ICAS Science Tests

Fri 5th June Readers Cup Finals - Cairns

Thurs 4th & Fri 5th June MSB Athletics Carnival

Fri 5th from 3pm -

Mon 8th June 5pm Boarders Free Weekend

Mon 8th June Queens Birthday Public Holiday

Tues 9th June Study Zone commences

Fri 19th - Tues 23rd June Exam Block

Thur 25th June Term end Liturgy and BBQ Lunch - Term 2 ends at 3pm

Fri 26th June Boarders travel home

Wed 8th July Atherton Show Local Holiday

Mon 20th July Boarders travel to school

Tues 21st July All classes commence Term 3

The 2015 Eacham Junior Rugby League competition is well underway with MSB students playing in the

U12, U14 and U16 teams. The season started off with ‘Gala Days’ in Ravenshoe and Atherton which saw

mixed results for all three teams. The season officially kicked off at Ravenshoe on Saturday the 9th May.

The U12’s played out an entertaining 16 all draw with Colin Aruba and Mapoo Thaiday starring. The

U14’s who were one player short from the start, and injures suffered by Raven Coleman and Tamou

Namai during the game made for a difficult contest, were defeated by strong a Ravenshoe outfit 98-6.

The U16’s who are looking very strong thus far squeezed past a determined Ravenshoe team 42-26. Standout players were Richard Dau,

Joshua Malachi and Toby Williams. Round 2 which was played on the 16th of May saw Herberton play its first home game for 2015 against

Atherton at the Wondecla Sports Oval in front of a huge crowd. Again this saw mixed results for all teams as the Under 12s were successful

in a 24-12 win. The Under 14s again went down 52-6 while the Under 16s were defeated 42-18.

A special mention must also go to the following players who were selected to play for the Eacham Panthers against Innisfail on the week-

end at Wondecla in the annual ‘Green Shield.’

Leroy Messa, Mapoo Thaiday, Yaurus Blanket, Tyrese Malachi, Daniel Sam, Lukin Liddy, Tamuri Namai, Billy Dau, Richard Dau, Waylon

Miller, Braiden Sesar, James Ballie and Joshua Malachi.

Well done to all and go the mighty Herberton Magpies!! By Alex Collins—School Officer and Herberton Magpies Coach-U14.

Herberton and District Junior Rugby League

Senior Business Communication & Technologies—State of Origin Event

Overwhelming support of QLD!

On Friday 22nd of May, the senior BCT class held a festival to celebrate the upcoming 2015 State of Origin. This festival was part of

their ‘Event Administration’ task for their term 2 assessment.

Different stalls and games were available for students to enjoy; the Dart throwing game was very popular as was the Kick 4 Cache

(Kicking a football the furthest) and face painting. A Nerf® shooting gallery was exciting entertainment for spectators and competitors

alike. The festival was a success with plenty of positive feedback from both students and staff. Money raised from the proceeds is

going towards the Senior Paintball Competition in Term 3. Congratulations to the students of BCT for their wonderful event.

Brendan Akers - Middle Leader Information Technology