E-News 15 June 2021
Thank You
I am sure the Corpus Community would join me in thanking all teachers who have prepared the students for their examinations and to all staff for their diligence in ensuring the smooth implementation of the Semester One examinations for Years 10-12. This week we see our Year 10 students complete their examinations and I ask you to keep them in your prayers.
Being Unique
When I read the quote below, it makes me think about the role of educators at Corpus Christi College. Daily we strive to know and understand each individual student in our classes, to have a connection through relationships. We cater for individual needs and with a current focus on senior students, help them to be ready to demonstrate their understanding. The data returned form student performance in the examinations will be an important way to reflect and plan how best to support and grow each student. Using these assessments for feedback and therefore growth is always a key component of our practice at Corpus.
“The cellist, composer, and conductor, Pablo Casals, on being unique:
”Each second we live in a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that never was before and will never be again. And what do we teach our children in school? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all of the world there is no other child exactly like you. In the millions of years that have passed there has never been another child like you... You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is like you, a marvel? You must cherish one another. You must work—we must all work—to make this world worthy of its children.” ”
Year 11 Dinner Dance
On Friday night this week (18 June), the Year 11 Dinner Dance will be held at the Fremantle Sailing Club. Past experience indicates that this opportunity to celebrate the first Semester as one cohort has been beneficial in growing the cohesiveness of the students. Thank you to Head of Year 11 Mr Ray Andrew for organising this gathering of students and staff.
Year 12 Retreat
I would like to particularly mention our Year 12 students who will be on the Crossways Retreat next week 23-25 June). To the many staff who will lead the Retreat program, the management overseen by Mrs Anita Finneran and Mr Mark Barron, a big thank you for your willingness to provide this opportunity for our senior students. I encourage our Year 12 students to embrace the workshops and experiences of the Retreat.
St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal
St Vincent de Paul stores in Western Australia are facing a shortage of winter clothing for the neediest in our community. Please see details about donating clothing this winter.
College Assembly
Our next Assembly will take place on Tuesday 29 June in the David Heath Gymnasium at 8.45am. Parents are welcome to attend.
Frank Italiano
Principal
News
In case you missed it...
Keep up to date with news as it happens by following our social media accounts and by checking out our latest posts, blogs and podcasts below:
Uniform and Grooming Reminders for all Families
Students are expected to arrive and depart each day wearing the full winter uniform. The wearing of the uniform is fundamental to reflecting the values and expectations of our College. As a Catholic co-educational secondary College, the uniform is a sign of the College’s identity and should always be worn with pride.
Missing an item, what next?
If a student is missing a minor part (eg: tie, socks, shoes) of the Winter Uniform, they must wear the uniform without the missing piece and provide a note of explanation from home. Students are NOT permitted to wear their sports uniform. Students who wear the uniform incorrectly will lose the privilege of wearing House Sports uniform on Fridays.
You can find further details of the Uniform requirements in the College diary on pages A18-20, or via the College website: www.corpus.wa.edu.au/policies
Questions?
If you have a question pertaining to this, please direct this to your child’s Head of Year.
The College appreciates all parents support with this matter.
Student Success
KADE DE LUCA (Year 9) & GISELLA COLLETTI (Year 8)
Kade and Gisella have recently performed at two of the City of Cockburn Pioneer Luncheons. They are pictured here with his Honourable Lord Mayor Logan Howlett who got their autographs on his programme!
They received some wonderful feedback on both their performances and their conduct. There were MP’s from other councils there too who saw them perform - Josh Wilson MP from Fremantle council who recently spoke to the Year 9s at Corpus said he really enjoyed their performance.
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We love celebrating student success, so if you have a story to share please send details to:
Library Update
Origami
After two days of hard work the winners of our competition showed off their work. Year 8 students Jessica Hartono and Zamia Williams quietly folded paper to create some beautiful birds for our Library. We also featured an interesting range of fiction related to our theme.
Lego
Our new Lego table was delivered and immediately put to use to complete the Lego railway. We are grateful to Year 12 student Cohen Tarzia who volunteered his time to complete the track for the Lego Club. We are now waiting for an exciting new Lego project to begin in Week 11.
Reading Club
Reading Club is in recess for the duration of the Year 10 and 11 examinations. Meetings will recommence once they finish. We will begin to explore philosophy and what we can know.
Celtic & Podcasting
The Library held a successful CELTIC on 19 May. Following this James Dove will be holding short PD sessions in the Library on Thursday mornings for staff. This will mean Podcasting Club will move to Friday morning in the Library.
Reconciliation Week (26 May to 2 June)
The Library had a week themed to support reconciliation week and to acknowledge the achievements of Indigenous peoples. Our Bookflix featured the works of Indigenous writers held in our collection, the e-Boards focussed on facts about Indigenous history, culture and
inspiring Indigenous individuals. We also ran an Indigenous playlist on our Apple pods on National Sorry Day. Many patrons of the Library made positive comments about the soundtrack, enjoying the low key soundscape as they worked.
Library Activities
The Library is available for students to use for study with their schoolbooks and devices. Students are also encouraged to borrow and read from our extensive fiction collection. At recess and lunchtime students are also able to play chess or Lego. Students may not use their devices to play games in the Library. Students who have schoolwork should use the desks that are available for private study outside class time.
Dr Annette Pedersen
People of Corpus (Staff) - Rachel Taylor
We are excited to introduce the newest member of our College staff – Aboriginal Liaison Officer, Rachel Taylor!
Rachel has many years’ experience working with at risk children and their families, and has undertaken support roles in Aboriginal health and employment/training. She is proud to be part of a large Nyoongar family who live in Perth and originate from Albany. She is also proud to have New Zealand heritage and has a large family in New Zealand too.
Rachel will be available on Wednesdays and Thursdays, where she will be building relationships with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) students at the College. Rachel will be working collaboratively to assist students utilise the support available to them, including building their knowledge of ATSI specific opportunities for post-secondary school to help plan for the future. Rachel also hopes to increase the number of ATSI children attending the College.
WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT WORKING AT CORPUS?
I was raised to value education and I look forward to assisting students and their families as much as I can.
DO YOU HAVE ANY HIDDEN TALENTS OR HOBBIES?
I love beautiful timber. I recently helped to design, build, fill with black epoxy, sand and varnish a marri timber vanity we built for a new bathroom we have added to our house.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TRAVEL DESTINATION?
New Zealand – it is so beautiful and very nostalgic for me. I spent 11 years of my childhood there. I love to visit when we can with my husband and our four children. My family over there are very welcoming and hospitable.
Enrolments & Withdrawals
Year 7 2022, 2023 & 2024 - Enrolments Open
If you have a child currently in Year 4, 5 or 6 and are hoping for your child to attend the College in Year 7 2022, 2023 or 2024, please ensure an application has been lodged with the College.
Application fees are $100 per family, therefore there is no fee required for a sibling application.
If you wish to apply, please submit an online application: www.corpus.wa.edu.au/enrolments
For queries, please contact Manager of Marketing and Enrolments (Alex Carcione) via email on: enrolments@corpus.wa.edu.au
Withdrawing Information
A reminder to parents, if you are withdrawing your child from the College you are required to give a Term's notice in writing. Failure to give adequate notice will result in a Term's fees being charged as per the terms and conditions of enrolment.
If your child will not be returning for Term 2, please email the College as soon as possible to notify us of withdrawal: enrolments@corpus.wa.edu.au
Events
Public Speaking Night
We warmly welcome you to join us for the annual Corpus Christi College Public Speaking Competition. This evening is an opportunity for our Public Speakers to showcase their skills in an atmosphere of friendly competition.
It is expected that all students who were involved in this activity this semester will participate in this evening. Full winter uniform for competitors is required.
Date: Tuesday, 29 June 2021
Time: 6.50 for a 7.00pm start until approximately 9.00pm
Where: Sadler Centre
A light supper will be provided. For catering purposes, please RSVP the number of guests attending no later than 15th June using the link here.
Music Night
Join us on Wednesday 30 June as a number of our talented music students showcase their musical talents. It will be a great night featuring a wide variety of instruments and musical styles.
Doors open at 6pm. The performance begins at 6.30pm.
To book tickets, please visit: www.trybooking.com/BRRWR
Inter-house Play Competition
Inter-house play is back for 2021!
This competition for house points will have rehearsals beginning in Week 8 and will perform in Week 5 of Term 3.
Rehearsals will take place from 3:30 - 4:30 on Wednesday afternoons each week leading up to the performance. We would like to encourage everyone to come down and give the competition a go, even if they don’t want to act, as we have roles available in directing, set/costume/prop design, stage management and lighting! There is truly something for everyone at the Inter-house play.
Full details will be revealed at the first rehearsal... so get your teams together for next Wednesday and be prepared for what’s to come!
Middle School Homeroom Challenge
The Middle School students have been working very hard on their Homeroom Challenge. Students were asked to collect donations for the Vinnies Winter Appeal. These items included socks, scarfs, beanies, gloves and toiletries items. Below are the Homerooms who have collected and donated the most items:
Year 7 De Vialar
Year 8 Merici
Year 9 Chisholm
Just a reminder that students should have their Booklet signed off by their Homeroom teacher when they donated items. Booklets are available on the Ministry Portal and your Head of Year Portal if they have lost them.
Well done to all students! In your RE classes in Week 11 you will have time to complete the reflection on the back of the booklet and then hand into Homeroom Teachers by Thursday Week 11.
Vinnies Sleep Out 2021
Friday the 11th June, 120 students participated in the Vinnies Sleep Out. I would like to thank the following staff who came and supported the event: Mr Italiano, Ms Bird, Ms Farrington, Mrs Mothiram and to the following staff who braved the cold with the students and myself: Mr Maye, Mr Andrews, Mrs Wooltorton, Ms Berndt, Ms Johnson, Mrs Finneran and Mr Borg.
Please see below a reflection completed by one of the students Molly Dawkins (Year 11) who was in attendance:
The Vinnies Sleep Out is a great event held every year at Corpus for Year Tens and above. The experience focuses on providing students insight into the lives of the homeless, through sleeping outside in cardboard boxes. While this increased awareness and empathy, but also is valuable experience that I will never forget. I also learnt about initiatives that can help the homeless and who we can serve these people. I leave the Vinnies Sleep Out each year inspired to discover more about homelessness in our state as well as energised and excited to discover new ways to help others. As a result, I found the experience to be generally positive and uplifting. What I find most important about this experience is how it gives personal insight into the daily struggles and emotions of the homeless and what they might be feeling and why. For example, the lack of community and loneliness they feel as well as the feeling of being forgotten by society.
The guest speaker at the sleepout as well as teachers from our school commented on the large number of students that attended this year. Upon reflection on this I have become inspired by my peers and proud of my community for our care and service of others. I believe that it is incredibly beneficial to discover injustice and explore faith in action as a community and that community can enhance these experiences. The Vinnies Sleep Out is a prime example of this and I feel lucky to have such a great community where by comparison many homeless people do not. Throughout the experience the ties between gender equality and homelessness stood out to me and became more and more prominent as we discussed and learnt more throughout the night. An issue that has become quite prominent recently is the growing number of retired women who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness because of the reduced superannuation they experience in comparison with their male counterparts. The high numbers of homeless women that have experienced both domestic and sexual violence also stood out to me as well as the increased danger that women experience when homeless. I feel a sense of solidarity with these women as well as a sense of responsibility to stand up for them as some of the most vulnerable homeless people.
Conversations with Students
Reminder for all parents/guardians to have a conversation about their child regarding their Faith in Action. Some possible questions to start the discussion:
What have they learnt about themselves through completing an activity?
How have they put a Corpus Value into practice through your activity?
Katrina Thomas
Christian Service Learning Coordinator
Speak for Faith
On Saturday 12th June, Year 12 students Chelsea Fuderer and Victoria Ann Chong took part in the Speak for Faith competition which is jointly organised by the Catenian Association and CEWA. The Catenian Association is a fellowship of active Catholic lay men who have a love of their Catholic faith and practice and want to encourage emerging young Catholics to express their faith to the world. Hence, the Provincial Council of the Catenian Association in Western Australia resolved to sponsor a public speaking contest for senior students in WA Catholic Schools.
Candidates were asked to research and prepare a five-minute speech, drawing on the curriculum material studied in Senior Secondary Religious Education, so that they can speak on the connection between religion and life from a Catholic faith perspective.
Immediately afterwards, the contestants were given an unseen topic and after a few minutes preparation, they spoke on this topic for up to two minutes. This year’s unseen topic was ‘how can the Church attract and maintain the involvement of young people?’
Chelsea and Victoria Ann participated in the morning heat which also included two speakers from John XXIII College and two from St Brigid’s College. The afternoon session saw students from Mandurah Catholic College, Kolbe Catholic College, Mercy College and St Joseph’s School compete. All students spoke extremely well in what was a very new and possibly, a very different experience.
With heat number two being conducted this Saturday 19th June and including students from Ursula Frayne Catholic College, Holy Cross College, Mazenod College, Aquinas College, Servite College and Iona Presentation College there is sure to be some worthy competition.
Winners from all heats will be announced Monday 21st of June with the final being held on Saturday 26th June.
We wish both Chelsea and Victoria Ann the very best of luck as they wait to hear if they have made it through to the finals.
Simone Preedy
Head of Religious Education
(L-R) Chelsea Fuderer, Victoria Ann Chong, Simone Preedy
Corpus Excels in Rotary Public Speaking
The preliminary heats for the historic Four-Way Test Public Speaking Competition for the Booragoon Rotary Club took place on Tuesday, June 1st with Keerthana Binu, Maurcio Meyzen-Ruesta and Aiden Foley of Year 10 competing.
The Four-Way Test consists of four universal service-based questions that can be applied to almost any aspect of life. It is a speaking test used by Rotarians world-wide as a moral code for personal and business relationships and participating provides students with an understanding of our relationships with each other and the action we take in the world.
The Booragoon heat saw Keerthana’s speech on “The Power of Coffee” win first place prompting insightful conversation from the Rotarian audience about what’s really in their morning brew, ultimately advancing her to the Semi-Final. Aidan’s speech on “The Effects of False Information” was an ethical examination of how media outlets source and deliver information to the public. Maurcio’s speech on “Artificial Intelligence” was a thought-provoking look into the benefits and short falls of humanity’s increasing dependence on artificial intelligence. Both Aiden and Mauricio were awarded Certificates of Commendation for their moving performances with special mention of their insightful research and passionate delivery.
Based on the feedback given to her by the esteemed judging panel, Keerthana is currently refining her speech in order to maximise her chances of progressing to the District Final. Keerthana spoke about the history of coffee and the humanitarian issues associated with its production. A local Rotarian who was so impressed with the promise of Keerthana’s topic choice and talent has volunteered to personally coach Keerthana for the finals. The judges made special mention of the way her speech permanently altered the way the Rotarians consider their daily coffee!
All students are to be commended on their mature and professional demeanour in representing the College, as well as their ongoing support of our Public Speaking Program at Corpus Christi.
Please register your interest in attending the College’s annual Public Speaking Competition on June 29th at 7pm in the Sadler Centre via the link here.
Melanie Bird
Public Speaking Coordinator
The Bishops' Religious Literacy Assessment 2021
At the request of the Western Australian Bishops, Year 3, Year 5 and Year 9 students in Catholic schools across Western Australia will take part in The Bishops' Religious Literacy Assessment (BRLA) from the week commencing Monday 26 July in Term Three. The assessment will be accessible to students only online.
Students enrolled in Year 3, Year 5 and Year 9 who are following a regular classroom program are expected to participate. Students with disability are also entitled to participate in the assessment. Exemptions may apply.
The Nature and Role of the BRLA
The Bishops' Religious Literacy Assessment is a large-scale, standardised assessment that consists of a series of Religious Education (RE) tests developed and marked by the Office of Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA). The purpose of the BRLA is to measure student learning of the content in the RE curriculum. Formal school and student reports are produced by the Office and will become available to schools in Term Four.
The BRLA provides a ‘point in time’ snapshot of student performance in RE. Students’ knowledge and understanding of the content of the RE curriculum is assessed using a combination of multiple choice, short and extended response items. Students’ faith is not assessed. The use of the BRLA complements the school-based assessment programs in RE.
Please contact your child’s teacher or myself if you have any enquiries regarding the administration of The Bishops' Religious Literacy Assessment.
Simone Preedy
Head of Religious Education
Year 9 Business Beginnings
Students enrolled in Year 9 Business Beginnings planned, marketed and conducted food stalls.
They were engaged as a team to market, promote and conducting a small business venture. The class were highly were successful in raising $570 for LifeLink.
Alumni - call out for stories and announcements
We are currently compiling our ‘Alumni Announcements' for the next issue of our Alumni magazine, Corpus Spirit.
If you are an Alumni or know of an Alumni who has celebrated a career highlight, the birth of a child or wedding in the past 12 months, we would love to include it in our digital magazine.
Please email details and photos to alumni@corpus.wa.edu.au
To view our previous issues of Corpus Spirit, please visit www.corpus.wa.edu.au/alumni
