BR KENNETH GALLAGHER MSC
14.05.1932 - 06.02.2012
Br Ken Gallagher msc, entered into eternal life, on the evening of Monday 6th Feb. at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney NSW.
Hamilton and especially Monivae College had a special place in the heart of Br Ken where he was a much, respected Bursar/Business Manager on a number of occasions (1967-72, 1980-86, 1991-93 & part of 2007). Br Ken will also be remembered as an untiring worker with and for the Indigenous Peoples of the Northern Territory, having spent many years in the NT, initially, as Business Manager of Catholic Missions and thereafter in many training roles.
Ametur ubique terrarum Cor Jesu Sacratissimum. In Aeternum. May he rest in peace.
Funeral details.
Vigil Service Sunday 12th Feb. at 7.30pm in the Sacred Heart Monastery Chapel, Kensington, NSW. Mass of Christian Burial Monday 13th Feb at 11.00am in the Monastery Chapel followed by burial at 2.30pm in the MSC Cemetery, St Mary's Towers, Douglas Park.
A memorial service will be held at Monivae College at a time to be announced.
Vale Mr Terry Walsh
27/9/1935-2/11/2011
The Principal of Monivae College, Mr Mark McGinnity, and the Monivae College community is deeply saddened by the death of Mr Terry Walsh. During his 47 year association with the College Terry was a teacher, boarding master, friend and mentor to so many young people and colleagues. As a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Australian Army Cadet Corp he was an outstanding Officer in Command of the Monivae Cadet Unit for 18 years.
He will be greatly missed.
Old Collegian The Hon Hugh Delahunty MP Opens Digital Classrooms
Monivae College is adapting to the continual growth of student numbers and has used the recent State Government grant to upgrade their classrooms and build two additional modern learning facilities, situated on the first floor of the main building.
The bright and spacious classrooms have been put in place to enable best practice teaching and learning, and were opened on the 9th of September by Monivae Old Collegian The Hon Hugh Delahunty MP.
In opening the classrooms the Member for Lowan remarked on his time at Monivae and how vital good facilities are for the teaching of our students.
"Education is vital for the continuing development of not only the student, but important for the community in general. We must give the best available tools to give our students the opportunity to learn."
The modern classrooms at Monivae add diversity to the learning experience through the use of the ICT (information and communication technology) facility. Incorporated into the classrooms is a video control and observation room. Within each of the two new classrooms, cameras have been installed which are controlled within the observation room at the rear of the classrooms. These latest model cameras enable lessons to be taped and uploaded onto the College's intranet so that students can review and revise what has been taught that day. Guest speakers and VCE revision lectures conducted by experts in certain subjects can also be filmed and saved for future use.
Principal Mark McGinnity said that another feature of this modern facility is that Monivae staff, now have the ability to record their lessons and then review their own teaching style and effectiveness.
"This technology gives staff an insight into how they are able to advance their ways of teaching in the classroom, to provide students with the best education possible."
In officially opening the facilities Mr Delahunty remarked on the great achievements of all those involved in seeing the project completed to a high standard.
"Congratulations to the school in general, it's a fantastic achievement. These developments are new world-class facilities, facilities that will ensure Monivae College continues to be the centre of the Hamilton community for many many years to come."
The contemporary classrooms are easily converted into spaces of different sizes with an operable wall separating the two rooms. The flexible furniture arrangements allow for more open learning spaces giving students the opportunity to work as individuals, small groups, large groups or in seminar type settings.
With this cutting edge technology and its enthusiastic staff, Monivae College is now even better equipped to stay at the forefront of teaching and learning in the Western District.
ANZAC Day 2011
Sarah recognised by Australian War Veteran
ANZAC Day, held on the 25th April each year, marks the anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli in 1915 and is a day to remember all Australians who have served and died whilst representing our nation . On this day in 2011, Sarah Noske, a year 12 Monivae Leader, was given the opportunity to speak at the Hamilton ANZAC Day Ceremony, sharing with the community what this day means to her. Sarah's beautiful address to the crowd about the character of Australians touched the hearts of many, especially war veteran, Mr Les Millard.
Mr Millard, a war veteran from 1939-1945, was very moved by the speech Sarah presented on this day and as a result, arranged a meeting with Sarah alongside Mr Mark McGinnity, Principal of Monivae College, to express just how grateful he was for the tremendous work Sarah put towards preparing this very moving ANZAC Day speech. It was here that Mr Millard presented Sarah with his original Rising Sun Badge off his slouch hat, as he thought it would be incredibly meaningful to her. Sarah gratefully accepted the badge and then had the opportunity to listen to some of the memories Mr Millard has from the war.
Congratulations must go to Sarah on the way she conducted her speech, which was recognised and appreciated by all in the community. It would have been an honour for Sarah to be presented with an original Rising Sun Badge, from a war veteran himself.
Below is the speech that Sarah presented on Anzac Day 2011:
Good morning, my name is Sarah Noske and I am currently doing year 12 at Monivae College. When I was asked by my school principal to be the guest speaker for this year's ANZAC day commemorations I honestly had no idea what I was going to talk about. I didn't want to be one of those speakers that reads out a whole lot of statistics and facts and rattles on for what seems like ages. So I decided to write this speech about something that is relevant for us all here today. The Australian Character; while some may know what this is others will be asking, what am I on about? Well I asked the exact question when it was asked to me. The Australian character isn't a specific person but overall how people from other countries see us, who are we as Australians and what makes us so individual. Over time many moments in our rich history have shaped this character. From our Federation in 1901 to the Great Depression leading up to the Second World War, right up to our current policies on asylum seekers. But one period specifically was a huge contributor to our nation's character. And that period of time was from 1914 to 1918, World War One.
During this war young boys became men and leaders and heroes were discovered under harsh and testing conditions. Over those horrific four years when the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps suffered a huge number of casualties while fighting under the union jack, the Australian character was being formed. We were quickly finding our feet as a young nation following the federation of the six colonies 13 years earlier on January the 1st 1901. Although we were only talking our first steps, an image of the Australian character was quickly being established, through the qualities our young men showed when fighting. Against all odds our men showed bravery, stoicism, courage, mateship, endurance, resilience and we showed that at times we could be rebellious but this worked well for us.
An Australian soldier who showed these qualities through and through was English born John Simpson Kilpatrick. He was one who disregarded orders, and his own safety, in his single-minded determination to save others. His refusal to report to his own field ambulance post was a direct affront to his commanding officer's ego, not to mention considerations of military tradition, etiquette and discipline. For the first four days of fighting he was technically a deserter until his commanding officer, seeing the value of his work, agreed to turn a blind eye to rules and approved his actions.
The term digger has also been a word that our Australian soldiers have been associated with. This term came about in Gallipoli when the ANZACS dug deep trenches to escape the shower of bullets and shrapnel and for some, these trenches was where they lived. Still today soldiers that serve overseas as peacekeepers are referred to as diggers even though we do not come under constant fire from enemy lines and have to dig and retreat into trenches.
When World War One broke out in 1914 after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, England went straight into the war and because Australia depended on Britain for its defence and we were also part of the powerful British Empire we quickly joined them under their officer's command. Labour Prime minister Andrew Fisher pledged that Australia would help England ‘to the last man and the last shilling' and when he initially called for 20,000 volunteers for the Australian Imperial Force, the government received 50,000 responses. This shows the huge dedication a man can have to his country. The 1981 film Gallipoli, demonstrated the excitement and innocence of these young men who enlisted. Many enlisted for a great adventure and a chance to see the world and also because the army offered food and pay. There was general view by all that the war would quickly end and few people would get hurt but unfortunately this was not the case.
Four out of ten Australian men between the ages of 18 and 45 joined up and in total around three hundred and thirty thousand men were sent overseas to the muddy trenches of Gallipoli.
As Australians we are so lucky that we are not confronted with war on our doorsteps. But this doesn't mean we have forgotten what has happened in the past and it doesn't mean the war doesn't impact our lives today. The ANZAC biscuit which was sent overseas to the soldiers is a legacy that lives on. Each year we still stop and remember those that bravely fought, whether that's through taking part in a service like us all here today, watching the annual ANZAC day football match where Collingwood and Essendon play or something as simple as buying a badge. This annual tradition is part of who we are as Australians and the war helped shape who we are today.But has our Australian character and the way people see us been tarnished over the years from event such as the Cronulla riots in 2005 or our approach to processing and accepting those refugees from other countries that risk their lives to come over here to have a better life. Do we want to be the ones that turn away innocent people because of their race or other circumstances? Are these incidents that have happened over the past couple of years now defining who we are as Australians?
Are we at risk of losing the Australian character? I believe more education should be offered in schools about our Australian history at war and we need more young men and women of today to stand up and be role models for the younger generations of Australia and embody the spirit of the diggers, after all we are the future for this proud nation.
In 2008 and 2009 I was privileged to be part of the Monivae Cadet Unit. Many people are turned off by the idea of sleeping under a tarp, and living in the bush for a week without all the luxuries that we get back home but for me it was about something different. It was about the friendships that I made and the leadership qualities that I picked up. Being a lance corporal for my senior year as a cadet also gave me the opportunity to be responsible for a small section of junior girls and this gave me so much confidence that has truly helped me this year. Today's Army and the many cadet units in Australia including Monivae's Cadet Unit carry on a tradition steeped in the core values of 'courage, initiative and teamwork.' What binds these values together is one of the true icons of Australian history - the Rising Sun badge. While the Rising Sun badge has evolved over time, the soldier that wears the badge has maintained a proud tradition of service to the nation. Every October the Monivae Cadet Unit have their annual parade, and it is on this day that we upturn our slouch hats and proudly display that Rising Sun badge.
Finally today as we gather here, we acknowledge the men and woman who served overseas; we look back at their achievements and their losses in war. But we also look to the future of this country and what it has to bring. We should look to the future and live our lives in a way that honours the service of all our diggers. And we should reflect on the qualities our ANZACs took to the battlefields that largely contributed to our Australian character.
Thank you for your time and the opportunity to speak here today.
NAPLAN 2011
The National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. It has been an annual event for schools since 2008.
On Tuesday 10, Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 May, all Year 7 and 9 students will undertake the 2011 NAPLAN tests.
NAPLAN is made up of tests in the four domains of Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy. NAPLAN assesses skills in literacy and numeracy that are developed over time, through the school curriculum. NAPLAN is not a pass or fail type test, but rather shows how individual students are progressing in numeracy and literacy skills against national standards for all Australian children.
All students are encouraged to participate in the tests. Students with disability may qualify for special provisions that reflect the support normally provided to them in the classroom. An individual student NAPLAN report will be issued by the school later this year. Parents can use this information to monitor how their child is progressing and to identify any areas of concern. Parents may also wish to use their child's results to discuss progress with teachers.
For more information download the NAPLAN Parents Brochure
or visit www.nap.edu.au
Frequently asked questions www.nap.edu.au/Information/FAQs
Monivae Shaves for a Cure
On Tuesday the 5th of January, the eight male school leaders;
Jack Kennedy, Tyler Hay, Tom Keightly, Ben Ryan, Jock Cleary, Niall Ashby, Daniel Higgins and Jeremy Kealy all shaved their
hair for Shave for a Cure.
This is a fundraiser designed to raise money for the Leukaemia foundation to help fight cancer. Eleanor McIntyre also courageously volunteered to cut off her pony tail which was over 40cm long. It was a very enjoyable sight for many students who came to watch the event, all of whom have donated money throughout the last few weeks and including one student who generously donated $100 for the honour of cutting off Tyler's hair.
It was a tremendous success raising a total of $1533.35, with many more donations still coming in. The boys and Eleanor look FANTASTIC with their new hair styles.
All of this would not have been possible without the support and generosity of the leaders and Eleanor, our hairdressers Mrs Julie Donehue, Mrs Karin Giles, Miss Elaine Noske, as well as the Monivae and wider communities, so well done and thankyou to everyone involved!
Isabella Strada and Niall Ashby, Community Service Leaders
Ride2School Day For Monivae
On Wednesday 16th of March we are riding to school, departing from the Boat Shed at Lake Hamilton at 8:15am.
ONE HOUSE POINT IS AWARDED FOR EACH PARTICIPANT!
What's it about?
The Ride2School program is designed to make walking and riding to school normal for people. This program (even though there is only one ride to school day in a year), tries to teach people road safety and encourages healthy living.
WHAT YOU NEED TO BRING: Your own bike, helmet, and anything that you may need for school for the day.
Please get behind this great cause, get on your bike and make Ride2School day a great success as lots of planning has gone into the event.
**When we get to school, the bikes will be stored in the stadium foyer and will be safe and secure until the end of the day.**
Teachers that will be present on the ride:
- Mr Hatherall
- Mr Kermeen
Who to contact for more details: Hayley Elsom, Amelia Ross, Bec Ryan, Ben Noske, Pat Stephens, Luke Parfrey and Marc Udabe.
Monivae Student Wins Top Award
Monivae College School Leader from 2010, Harry Purvis, was presented with an award at the Rural Industries Skill Training (RIST) graduation night on Friday the 28th January.
Harry studied a Certificate III in Agriculture and was awarded Most Outstanding School Based Trainee. He was presented with the award by Monivae Old Collegian and Member for Lowan, Minister for Sport and Recreation and Minister for Veterans' Affairs, the Hon Hugh Delahunty MLA, pictured on the far right with Harry and Monivae Principal Mark McGinnity.
Mr. McGinnity was full of praise for his former pupil.
"Harry has been a wonderful ambassador for Monivae College. Harry not only received a most impressive VCE result with an ATAR that saw him admitted to his chosen field of study at university as a Paramedic but at the same time completing a Certificate III in Agriculture. This highlights the great work ethic that Harry possesses as as well as his versatility and ultimately his employability."
Harry had previously received qualifications for the Certificate II in Agriculture and continued working towards his Certificate III during his VCE studies. To qualify, Harry had to select units of study and undertake these units during his school holidays and on six school days for the year, where he would then catch up on missed work in his own time. On these days Harry would go out to local farms and complete different courses such as fencing, chainsaw and tractor courses.
In 2011, Harry is moving on to tertiary education, having received an offer at the University of Ballarat.
Upon receiving his award Harry stated that "it is a really good qualification, and I recommend the course to anyone interested in Agriculture."
Monivae College wishes Harry the best for hsi future studies
'Moving Forward With Confidence' - The Future of MSC Colleges in Australia from 2010
The purposes of this document is to initiate discussion concerning the long-term future of MSC Colleges in Australia.
The document also:
- Provides a brief look at some aspects of the history of Catholic education in Australia and MSC education in Australia;
- Posit some important questions concerning the long term future of MSC Colleges in Australia;
- Make suggestions for some more immediate changes to be made in MSC education ministry; and
- Make some suggestions for longer term changes to be made in MSC education ministry.
In line with the principles for decision making, there is wide consultation happening with all stakeholders over the longer term issues raised in this document.
The first consultation is with the MSC Education Committee and Provincial, and then on to senior administration teams in each College, Board members, all College staff, and any other interested friends of our Colleges. Following this there will be an Assembly of all interested persons so that we can move forward together.
The recommended time line is that initial comments be received by Monivae by the end of January 2011.
These should be sent to:
Principal
Monivae College
C/- Linda Thompson
PO Box 423 Hamilton VIC 3300
or via lthompson@monivae.vic.edu.au
This information will be collated and reported back to stakeholders in 2011, with an Assembly for all in 2012.