Welcome back to our families as we embark on the final term for 2009.
The term has begun well as our HSC students complete their examinations and our
Year 11 students move into their studies as they are commissioned as our senior
students for 2010. The term has been action packed already as our Year 7 and 9
students attended Swim School and Year 9 also attended some wonderful Reflection
Days. Comments from staff, presenters and members of the wider community have
Volume 11 Issue 17 all been unanimous: Xavier kids are great!
30th October 2009 But yes ,as parents and teachers we all knew that.
Recently I wrote home to all our families about our Anniversary celebrations which
we have been sharing this year. Our Open Night with 500 visitors, our amazing
Opening and Blessing Ceremony, our Anniversary Book and Rose are all reminders
of the great joy that we have shared in celebrating the achievements of the past ten
years and the faith filled hopes for the future.
As you would now be aware we have had to re schedule our Anniversary Ball. In
its place we have organised an Anniversary Cocktail Party to be held
at the
Function Centre at Penrith Paceway on December 4th .We are hopeful that this
event will appeal to everyone and provide us all with an opportunity to celebrate as
a community. We have sent home with students invitations to all our families, set
up a Facebook page to appeal to our Gen Y’s and contacted all former staff. Indeed
we would love all past and present members of the Xavier family to join us in this
the culminating event of our Anniversary Year. Please be aware that it is important
for RSVPs to be received by Friday 6th November.
It was great to read in the Penrith Press recently a short article on our Opening
and Blessing entitled ’Xavier has a growth spurt’. Quoting both Mr. Greg Whitby
and myself it alluded to our place within the community. It is always affirming to
know that what we achieve here at Xavier is newsworthy and that as a school
community we are held in high regard within the wider community. To contribute to
the ‘greater good’ in this broader sense is all important and we should never lose
sight of the importance of our role as a member of the Greater Penrith community.
Yours in Xavier,
Tricia Maidens
Postal Address: PO Box 98 Cranebrook NSW 2749
Phone: 4777 0900
Fax: 4777 0930
Address: Ninth Avenue, Llandilo 2747
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.xaviercollege.nsw.edu.au
From the Assistant Principal
The afternoon bus issues relating to the changed timetables have been resolved. Students with bus issues in the morning are to see me
as well as have their parents ring the Westbus depot as the more communication with Westbus, the greater the possibility of action. The
Londonderry bus is now running and unfortunately the number of students catching it is small. This may result in the cancellation of
this service.
All students are expected to be in correct uniform, including school shoes and bags. We realize that we are still waiting on junior shirts
but this should be remediated in the near future. The uniform shop is open on Thursdays from 8am –4pm.
John Ley
Assistant Principal
UNIFORM SHOP
Our Uniform Shop is finally taking shape and we thank all those parents who have been so patient in this
transition period. There are still some items that we are waiting on such as boys’ and girls junior shirts
but generally stock is continuing to arrive each day.
It would be appreciated if the two parents who bought uniform on Thursday 22nd October and did not
got to the office to finalise payment do so as soon as possible. I am sure that this was an oversight .
Xavier College
Ten Year Anniversary Celebration
As you are aware this year we have been celebrating out Ten Year Anniversary, During the past week an
invitation was sent home with your child regarding the final celebration of the year. We welcome all past
and present members of the Xavier family to join us
Xavier College
Ten Year
Anniversary
Celebration
Friday 4th December 2009
7.00pm—11.00pm
Penrith Paceway Function Centre
146 Station St
Penrith
For enquiries and ticket information
Please contact the College
On
4777 0900
Tickets $30.00
Alcohol Not Included
Dress– Cocktail
RSVP
Friday 6th November 2009
Page 2
THE JACK ALCHIN MEMORIAL AWARD
The Jack Alchin Memorial Award was established to acknowledge a member of the teaching community who
espouses values that create opportunities for people to make a worthwhile contribution to our community and
enjoy the satisfaction of their efforts and achievements.
This member of the teaching community is one who values a well-rounded education, inclusive of factual
knowledge and skills for life, and who encourages students to value the same. They would know that learning
occurs not only within the classroom but also in the experiences and challenges that life provides.
The Jack Alchin Memorial Award shows appreciation for the efforts of a member of the teaching community who conveys the
value of lifelong learning through their mentoring of students. Through their own continued efforts to improve themselves they
show a clear understanding and knowledge that learning must have purpose and value that contributes to individuals and the
community.
The Jack Alchin Memorial Award identifies a member of the teaching community who is passionate about learning and excites
that same passion in their students, one who values respect for individuals, the dignity of human beings, and commitment to
whatever task they are undertaking. They encourage ideas that provoke critical analysis, arguments embedded in fact, the
seeking of creative solutions, and the questioning and challenging of norms whilst always showing respect for the views and
opinions of others.
To nominate a member of the teaching community for the Jack Alchin Memorial Award, please fill in a Nomination Form and
return it to Xavier College by the due date. (Parents can either download a copy of the Nomination Form from the Xavier
College Website or pick one up from the School Office.
Closing date: November 20th 2009
Envelopes should be addressed to Mrs Erin Wormleaton and be marked ALCHIN AWARD
LEGAL STUDIES EXCURSION
On the first day of this term, Year 11 Legal Studies students and Year 10 Commerce students went on an excursion to the
city. We caught a train into Circular Quay and made our way to the Police and Justice Museum. Firstly, we stepped into the
old courtroom where we learnt about court procedures. We took a tour of the court, learning how law has changed over the
years. We went into the forensic science room where we learnt about some old cases, such the ‘girl in the pyjama’ case, and
how these have influenced the law today.
On the tour we visited the weapons room, holding cells and old police station. After the tour we went back to the courtroom to
have a mock trial case. We then had lunch and walked to Parliament House where we sat in the chambers of the Legislative
Assembly and Legislative Council. We learnt about the procedures of parliament and how laws are passed. We also took part
in a mock ‘question time’ where we learnt the roles of various ministers.
We had an excellent first day of term and we thank Mrs Fenech and Miss Bradbury for the
opportunity.
Claire Schreiterer and Sandra Zhong
More photos of the
excursion can be found in
the gallery on our website.
Page 3
Year 7
Swim
School
Page 4
Year 9 Reflection Day
st
Over the course of two days Wednesday 21 and Friday 23rd October all of Year 9 had their yearly reflection day. We had the
pleasure of being visited by the Youth Mission Team. The YMT is a group of young Catholic adults who assisted us, the
students to explore and reflect on issues important to us but in a way that is unique and fun.
Our theme of the day was self image and to start off we met our team leaders. They were a really cool bunch of people who
made us all feel important and as they say “priceless”. Throughout our first session we played games such as the evolution
game, watched charades and did personal sharing in small groups. We learnt that you shouldn’t be pressured to conform to the
group but should let your individuality shine through because God made us all different for a reason.
In our second session we played more games such as the head and tails games and also watched some movie clips. We learnt
about the effects on people who are looking for acceptance and have been rejected before. These taught us that we should
appreciate and respect each others unique qualities.
Finally to end our day in the third session we did some more personal sharing by the team leaders. You really got a sense that
they have been through the same problems that we are going through right now. We also had the opportunity to light a candle
and reflect on what we had done during the day. I have learnt that God had unconditional love for us no matter the way we
dress or who our friends are and that we should always accept our self and others.
Years 9 thoroughly enjoyed the reflection days and were very thankful for getting the chance to meet and experience the Youth
Mission Team.
Emily Fezczuk
9 White
More photos of the
Reflection Day can be found
in the gallery on our website.
Page 5
Year 12 are presented with their badges
Mr Le Breton presents awards to the
Math Competition Winners
Page 6
A Piece of
π
(Some news from the Maths Department)
The year is rapidly drawing to a close, but still the outstanding achievements in Maths at Xavier continue to roll in….
In the Classroom….
Most classes are gearing up for end of Year assessments at this stage:
Year 7 and Year 8 are both tackling the wonderful world of equations with gusto and preparing for their Yearly exams in Week
4.
Year 9 are also starting to prepare for their yearly exams in Week 3 – taking on the challenge of their first School Certificate
style assessments with exams covering both the separate work from each of the three Year 9 courses as well as a common
Year 9 exam.
Year 10 are fine tuning their preparation for the School Certificate exam on Tuesday in week 4 and should be practising plenty
of past papers at home.
Year 11 have all begun their HSC courses and should be looking forward to their first HSC assessment task in the Week 7
assessment block. General Maths will be completing an open book exam and the 2 unit Mathematics students will be
completing an oral task with an accompanying written exam. The Extension Maths class has just completed their first HSC
exam – sitting their 2 unit Mathematics exam one year earlier than their peers. This is a tremendous effort from a very talented
and dedicated group of students.
Year 12 have just completed their final HSC exams and are to be congratulated on their efforts in Maths. We look forward to
seeing their results in mid December.
Year 12 Awards….
With Year 12 having just finished their HSC exams, I thought it timely to recognise the students who achieved the top place
in each of our HSC Maths courses at the recent Year 12 Graduation Ceremony:
General Mathematics – Benjamin Swain
Mathematics – James Read
Extension 1 Mathematics – Brittney Vella
Extension 2 Mathematics – Matthew Vella
On the Competition Front…..
Xavier achieved one if its strongest sets of results in the Australian Mathematics Competition recently. Of the 92 students who
sat the Maths Competition, 72 students achieved an award, an outstanding set of results by any measure!!
The Maths Competition is an international competition of the highest calibre and our students performed admirably against
many of the strongest mathematics students from around Australia, New Zealand the South Pacific and Asia. I have included a
few of the questions from the different year Levels at the end of this article for parents, siblings and friends to test your
mathematical mettle if you so choose.
Congratulations are due to the following students: Distinction Students Matthew Koots, Jason Johnston, Emily Cowell
Year 7 Credit
Tayler Currie, Joshua Hauville, Maichael Kalugin, Christian Ceniccola, Blake McCartney, Lachlan Atkinson, Robert Corney, Corey
Wright
Proficiency
Daniel Klippert, Jack Goodwin, Zoe O’Keefe, Olivia Elliot, Natalia Canak, Tiarna Beasley-Gray, Mark Gilbert,
Travis Bozic, Bernice Severino, David Pizarro, Nishanth Menakath
Year 8 Credit
Jason Mogan, Nicole Vella, Steven Korner, Emily Ling, Joshua Seiffert, Alanna Vella, Dominic Mico, Zoe Burk,
Brandon Gray
.Proficiency
Danielle Rayner, Callan Grady, Isabella Picot, Joven Lazo, Aaron Sharman, Joshua Sale, Andrew Stewart
Year 9 Credit
Bernadette Pace, Jessica Landrebe, Beau Banks, Liam Gleeson, Ayasha Shrestha, Kerry Deng
Proficiency
Rachel Tippins, Josephine Walker, Jessica Galea, Luke Howard
Year 10 Credit
Alex Graham, Nikkila Stagg, Hayley Birch, Georgia Marshall, Glenn Tomczak, Upasana Shrestha, Bradley Corry
Proficiency
Joshua Neville, Mitchell Kendall, Annaliese Vella, Tahlia Carratt, Eden Doran, Alexandrea Teuma, Rhys Fodor,
Steven Farrugia, Taylah Clark, Nicholas Henderson
Year 11 Credit
Christopher Grech, Dwani Mathur, Eric McClelland, Jake Wilson, Kimberley Nicholson
Proficiency
Annette Haddad, Apsem Jibrail
Page 7
Exam News….
As mentioned earlier, most years have assessment tasks or major exams this term. On the back of the exam notifications
which we give out to students is some advice on the most effective forms of study for Mathematics. I would recommend that
both parents and students take the time to read over this and try to adopt as many of these practices into their home study
routine as possible. In particular remember the online website mathsonline.com.au which is being regularly used by teachers
in most classes as a homework and study tool.
The basic theory when it comes to studying for Maths is quite simply to:
Practise, Practise, Practise
And now for some Questions to try…
As promised earlier – here are some questions for the folks at home to have a go at:
Junior maths Competition:
In Mrs Atkins’ class, every student swims or cycles and half the students do both. The total number of students who
swim is the same as the total number of students who cycle. If 24 students in total swim, how many students are in
Mrs Atkins’ class?
Intermediate Maths Competition
An eyebrow is an arrangement of the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 such that the second and fourth numbers are each
bigger than both of their immediate neighbours. For example (1, 3, 2, 5, 4) is an eyebrow and (1, 3, 4, 5, 20 is not.
The number of eyebrows is….
Senior Math Competition
A palindromic number is a ‘symmetrical’ number which reads the same forwards as backwards. For example 55, 101
and 8668 are palindromic numbers.
There are 90 four-digit palindromic numbers.
How many of these four-digit palindromic numbers are divisible by 7?
Enjoy the challenge……
Winners from the Walkathon
1st Cameron Moore R8
2nd Bernice Severino S5
3rd Naomi Uren R1
Page 8
Xavier Carols
Wednesday November 25th
6pm
in the College library.
BYO blanket to sit on and nibbles/drinks
(no alcohol please)
Come along for a fun night of carolling
We may even get a visit from Santa!
St Finbar’s
School Fete
The annual school fete at St Finbar's
(Levy Street, Glenbrook),
is on again.
Saturday 31 October from 10am - 3pm.
Rides, food, book stall, cake stall,
plants, trash and treasure, market stalls, centre stage, side show alley, crafts, show bags
and
lots, lots more.
Start your trade AND get your HSC
* Hairdressing
* Hospitality
* Automotive
* Carpentry
* Electrotechnology
* Engineering
* Brick and Block Laying
McCarthy Catholic College Trade Training Centre Penrith.
Enrolling now for Year 11 next year
We are also seeking support from local businesses interested
in offering school-based apprenticeships to students.
Phone - 4735 3211
Visit - www.mcchs.nsw.edu.au
Page 9
Important Dates
Term 4
Ten Year Anniversary Celebration
RSVP
Friday 6th November
School Certificate exams
Monday & Tuesday 9th and 10th
November
Year 12 Formal
Monday 16th November 6.30pm
Nurragingy Reserve
Know Rd Doonside
Year 10 Graduation
Year 10 Formal
Xavier Carols
Year 7 2010 Orientation Day
Year 7 2010 Information Night
P & F Meeting
Feast of Francis Xavier
Advent Mass
Ten Year Anniversary Celebration
Presentation Night
Wednesday 18th November
Thursday 19th 6.30pm –10.30pm
Penrith World of
Entertainment
Wednesday 25th November
Friday 27th November
Monday 30th November 7pm in the
College Library
Tuesday 1st December 7pm
Thursday 3rd December
10.30am
Friday 4th December 7pm
Penrith Paceway Function Centre
Wednesday 9th December 7pm
Page 10