Volume 4, 2024

A few chilly mornings remind us that Autumn has arrived, bringing with it a flurry of activity at Rosebank. Adamson House helped raised the temperature on the courts, winning the Middle School Interhouse Basketball Competition and the Year 7 students, including a number of inspirational members of staff, fired up their imaginations and dressed up for Character Day on Friday. With our focus on deepening our reading culture at Rosebank, we all thoroughly enjoyed identifying some of our favourite literary characters around the campus.
 

With activity ideas shared by our Cultural and Identity Student Leaders, our students also engaged in a number of Harmony Day initiatives around the theme of ‘Everyone Belongs’ which included words of wisdom from the sporting arena, as well as from some wonderful young minds. Sharing of traditional food, stories and information from different cultures, ensures that this is always a day of trying new things, broadening our perspectives and embracing difference.

Students ended the week ‘in the dark’, as the College powered down for the last period of the day to reflect on what Earth Hour signifies to us all. We thank our Sustainability Student Leaders for their recent presentation at assembly around recycling and waste and continue to look at ways to ensure that Rosebank remains committed to achieving its sustainability goals.

This week is Holy Week, the most significant time in the Church’s Liturgical Calendar. The College will be providing a number of opportunities for students to participate in, including daily Chapel prayer, Reconciliation, praying the rosary and bible studies. We will also be holding a $5 Holy Week Pancake fundraiser for Project Compassion on Wednesday, 27 March and celebrating Holy Thursday Liturgy on Thursday, 28 March. Students who would like to receive The Sacrament of Reconciliation should complete this form or talk to a member of the Ministry team.

The vision for our Fig Tree gathering space in front of the Benedict Auditorium is beginning to take shape. Next month, students will have the opportunity to work with Indigenous artist Jodie Herden, who will be visiting Rosebank to workshop with the students around painting the ‘story poles’ and sharing the rich culture and stories of the Wangal people. This authentic, hands-on experience will allow students to actively engage with Indigenous art and traditions and to leave their mark on Rosebank’s ever evolving landscape.
 

ANZAC Events
The Rosebank ANZAC Assembly will be held at the start of Term 2 on Friday, 3 May. In the lead up to ANZAC Day, the College has been invited to participate at a number of upcoming community events. These events are open to the public and parents and families are welcome to attend. Rosebank student leaders with join Dr O’Shea, Ms Nastasi and Mr Scalia respectively, to lay wreaths at the following events:

• Thursday, 4 April from 11am - ANZAC Hyde Park Memorial
• Saturday, 20 April from 10:30am - Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway, Rhodes/RotaryPark, Killoola St, Concord
• Sunday, 21 April from 10am – Five Dock RSL Sub Branch ANZAC Day Ceremony, March to Five Dock Park
   

Diary Reminders
As you are no doubt starting to prepare for the approaching school holidays, I remind you to update your diaries for two big events at the start of Term 2*:

• Sunday, 5 May – Open Day
• Friday, 10 May – Mother’s Day Breakfast and Liturgy

*More information about these events will be going out soon.

Thank you to all who provided feedback following the Parent Welcome and Information Evening which the College will be applying in the planning of next year’s event.

Wishing you all a blessed Easter.

There is an inextricable link between faith and works, in the letter of James we asked to consider how our works are the fruit of our faith.

James poses a deep question that should rock our very foundation – if we are willing to call ourselves Christian, do our actions show our faith in God? Think about this concept another way – and I’ll use myself as the example – if all of my friends and family were interviewed and who I was, would those being interviewed say ‘yes, he is a Christian’ and if pressed as to why they saw me as a Christian, would they say ‘because of he lives in a way that reflects the life and actions of Christ’ or would they say merely ‘he’s a good person’?

This is a tough question! But a question we should all be asking ourselves, and what better time than to ask it.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. – John 3:16

We all know this verse, so much so we can skip over its significance. The work of God through Christ the Son towards us, his children is a work of love. Therefore, as God’s children we are to follow the example of our Father and our works should be the outward sign of our faith.

So as we enter the final week of Lent, let us consider our actions, that this Easter we show love to our neighbour whether they be over the fence, in the next suburb and/or internationally. I pray this Easter that I would give to those in need, support those who could do with a helping hand and reflect the love of God in all I meet.

Actions of Social Justice should point to the cross, not because we have to, but because He set an example we can not ignore.

Year 12 Visual Arts Students Visit to Art Express

Year 12 Visual Arts students recently visited Art Express at Hazelhurst Gallery, immersing themselves in a diverse array of HSC artworks from students across the state from 2023. From captivating paintings to thought-provoking ceramics, the exhibition sparked discussions, ignited imaginations, and provided valuable insights as they continue to build and refine their own artistic practice and Body of Work.

Year 11 Still Life Artworks

Year 11 Visual Arts students have been enjoying their exploration into the genre of Still Life. They've honed their 2D skills in printmaking, drawing, watercolour, and charcoal, transforming everyday objects into captivating compositions. 

From detailed charcoal drawings to expressive watercolours, this unit explores observation, interpretation, and artistic expression. Watch this space for their finished works showcasing their skills.

Ballet Classes in Full Swing on Tuesday mornings at Rosebank

Every Tuesday morning some of Rosebank's Dance Company students participate in ballet classes from 7:20am - 8:20am. This year will be our first year having ballet as a genre that competes in eisteddfods throughout the year. Classical training helps with all other dance genres and will help our Dance Company students to increase their technique, strength, flexibility and coordination.

Stage 5 PACE photography students have been exploring manual photography this term, looking at their surroundings in new and different ways. Their task in Week 7 was to find the alphabet in natural and man made structures around the College and create their own sentence using each of the letters. Check out their wonderful creations below of "The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog"

Public Speakers have started the year strongly with an incredible eight students making it to the Zone Finals of the CSDA competition and Alex Qiu (Year 9, Hayes) going through to the Grand Final. The depth and quality of the speeches delivered by our students was wonderful and it was noted by the CSDA adjudication panels that there has been improvement in the quality of speaking this year across all year groups.

We also had six speakers compete in the nationwide Voice of Youth Competition run by Rostrum who delivered some passionate and insightful speeches prepared for the first elimination round at Santa Sabina. Zoe Tsatsimas and Oliver Hogan came second while Gabriel Sinclair, Lola McKenzie, Mariella Lee and Myra Haddo all placed first in their heats and will represent Rosebank in the Regional Finals to take place in May. 

While all of this excitement took place, the debating teams for all year groups have been selected and are starting to train for the CSDA Debating competition that starts on the first Friday of Term 2.

Thank you to all the staff who train, mentor and organise the students these events, particularly, Lucy Monti, Tanya Whiticker, Jennifer Jackson, Demi Poulos and Michelle Khoury.

Our recent educational trip to Taronga Zoo with our Year 8 students focused on exploring various aspects of wildlife, including adaptations, ecosystems, and species classification. 

The day commenced with an engaging workshop on animal adaptations, where students delved into how different species have evolved to thrive in their surroundings. Through hands-on activities, they gained valuable insights into the diverse survival strategies employed by animals. Additionally, students explored the intricate organisation of species into different groups, honing their understanding of taxonomy.

As we ventured through the zoo, students encountered a variety of ecosystems, from lush rainforests to arid deserts. Observing the interactions between flora and fauna provided a profound understanding of the delicate balance sustaining life in these habitats.

A highlight of the excursion was the classification workshop, where students further immersed themselves in the taxonomy of animals, categorising and observing various species.

Thank you to the Taronga Zoo staff for their warm hospitality and educational guidance throughout the day. Special thanks also to the dedicated Rosebank staff who matched the enthusiasm of our students.

I'm particularly grateful to Ms Marie Movsessian for orchestrating a well-planned and seamless trip, complemented by the perfect weather forecast.

Below are some of reflections from students who attended.

The Taronga Zoo excursion was an absolute delight! We had the chance to witness an array of captivating animals up close and learn about their incredible adaptations. It truly was a fantastic day for everyone involved.

Sacha Pather

From camels to seals, gorillas to fennec foxes, we encountered a myriad of fascinating creatures. Our midday visit to the Institute of Science & Learning provided a unique learning experience. Split into groups, we engaged in hands-on activities, learning about animal adaptations and even had the opportunity to interact with snakes and lizards. Overall, it was an incredibly fun and educational excursion where we gained valuable insights into different animals and their environments.

Lachlan Maiden

With three weeks of the term to go and Easter in the middle of that, lots of organisation for InspirED activities is underway. If your child received the InspirED Booklet and they haven’t selected the activities they are interested in, it is important that they do that right away. If your child has completed their selections, please ensure that you have completed the parent acknowledgement at the second link in the back of the booklet. Both links have remained open due to some students recently being identified to join the program. However, the links will not remain active for much longer.

Places for the Sydney Writers’ Festival excursion, the Write a Book in a Day activity, Future Problem Solvers and the Term 2 Chess Competition are now full.

However, there is still time to sign up for Tournament of Minds, the Bebras Competition, the Global Academic Competition, the Future Entrepreneurs Australia workshops and Ethical Explorations Day all of which will be held next term. Applications for these opportunities will close off soon.

We are also seeking Year 9-11 students to work with a support team of Year 8-12s to compete in the Model United Nations activity in June. Please see Ms McArthur or Ms Hay if you are interested in this opportunity.

Also, a reminder that the InnovatED Independent Project opportunity will be launched early next term. Students who are interested in completing a project in Term 3 should be thinking about their topic and completing some preliminary research over the holidays so they can complete a proposal early next term. The Diverse Learning Office door is always open to students who want to meet and discuss their ideas.

The College Colloquy have attended several events this term. This is something students from Year 9 to Year 12 can sign up for at any time. Students don’t have to attend every event offered and can choose just what interests them most. Below are some student reflections for the two events attended most recently.

College Colloquy: A Day in the Life of Abed Salama

A Day in the Life of Abed Salama was an event hosted by the Sydney Peace Foundation and held at the University of Sydney. The discussion panel included Rawan Arraf (Executive Director and Principal Lawyer at the Australian Centre for International Justice), Nathan Thrall (former Director of the Arab-Israeli Project at the International Crisis Group, political analyst, journalist and author of A Day in the Life of Abed Salama) and Dr Ihab Shalbak (Former Senior Research and Policy Advisor at the Australian Human Rights Commission, and current lecturer in human rights and social justice). The presentation was followed by a general discussion and Q&A session with the audience. 

Below are two students’ reflections on the event:

During Week 7, I had the privilege to attend a presentation held at Sydney University, where I, amongst my peers, observed a conversation about the book, ‘A Day in the Life of Abed Salama’, which included some discussion about the persisting conflict in occupied Palestine. The evening commenced with a discussion about author Nathan Thrall's latest book - an immersive, non-fiction narrative that included the retelling of a tragic incident involving a bus full of Palestinian kindergarteners on the outskirts of Jerusalem. The text delves into the apartheid regime, which consequently poses a number of physical, emotional, and political barriers for all non-Israeli citizens. It sheds light on the real, and unfiltered realities that Palestinians endure as a result of military control. Thrall and his co-hosts presented the concept of ‘cold and hot violence’, as a means to illustrate the daily, structural devastation in the occupied territory, and the intense bursts of conflict (currently taking place), respectively. They discussed the failings of the media in exposing the periods of cold violence, and the tendency to only report instances of hot violence, portraying them as isolated incidents, instigated by Palestinian aggression. Thrall’s book endeavours to reveal the reality outside of active warfare, the cold war which he refers to as ‘a moral catastrophe’.

(Photo: LtoR - Sophia Maniaci, Isabelle Campion, Ella Nicholas, Lauren Goldsmith, Samara Borrows, Matilda Meidling, Annike Meidling, Joon Kim, Front: Moses Lawrence)

This further extended into a conversation about the illegitimacy of Israel’s authority, and the right of self-determination for the Palestinian people, which I found particularly interesting. The very existence of the Israeli government’s occupation is a violation of International Humanitarian Law. I learnt that military occupation is only permitted under the agreement that it is a temporary means of allowing rehabilitation and restoration within a conquered nation. The Israeli occupation however, has repeatedly breached these terms in their prolonged 57 year siege, a matter which is currently being tried within the International Court of Justice. To date, there is no clear path or genuine interest for Palestinian self-determination, merely the concepts of a singular or divided state in order to achieve indigenous sovereignty. Thrall, however, aims to rectify this lack of concern. He stated that the motivations behind writing his book in a narrative style, stemmed from the disconnect between the values and actions of individuals. He revealed that he is often a witness to the fear people experience in regards to speaking out about injustice, whether that be fear of losing their jobs or being targeted, amongst other things. Hence, his book was written with the purpose of connecting with its readers in a meaningful, and profound way. Thrall explained that his intention was to elicit an empathetic response through impactful storytelling, rather than semantic knowledge. In doing this, his book has created an immersion into daily life in Palestine as a second-class citizen in an Israeli controlled state.

The speakers then discussed the apparent ‘solidarity’ of western nations, and the fact that this is not reflected in their actions. This gave way to a conversation about Biden’s values and his complicity in war crimes, as well as the internal political pressure he is facing to align his measures with the Palestinian movement. Thrall revealed his perspective on the importance of structural change, rather than the reliance on an individual leader, in order to reach a long-term resolution; a statement I wholeheartedly agree with. That is, creating conditions that will push Israel towards peaceful negotiation. Ultimately, the presentation pushed a number of societal boundaries, in that it fostered a discussion revolving around taboo topics, not normally talked about within educational institutions. The conversation assisted me to develop a broader scope of understanding of the situation in Palestine, as well as providing new knowledge about the nation-wide apartheid system, combined this allowed me to have a greater appreciation of the issues surrounding apartheid, specifically in the West Bank, and how this restricts day to-day life for Palestinians.

Samara Borrows (Year 11)

A Day in the Life of Abed Salama is a book that depicts the apartheid between Jews and Palestinians, and the wall in Jerusalem that was designed to “push Palestinians out”. Thrall (who was visiting from the USA and has spent time in Israel, working as a political analyst and journalist) talked about how it was a choice that he made to write about the “structured violence” that the Israeli government is currently enforcing in Jerusalem. 

(Photo: LtoR Top: Isabelle Campion, Matilda Meidling, Ella Nicholas, Annika Meidling, Joon Kim LtoR Bottom: Lauren Goldsmith, Samara Borrows, Sophia Maniaci, Moses Lawrence)

He defined this as a “moral catastrophe”, and briefly discussed the “cold violence” (as opposed to hot violence) that is currently happening there. Finally, for context, he talked about how you could only enter the Israeli part of Jerusalem if you had a blue ID, but if you had a green one, you had to remain within the Palestinian precincts. 

Thrall then read out an excerpt of his book. It portrayed the crash of a semi-trailer in the Israeli part of Jerusalem (off to extract rocks for concrete) hitting a bus full of kindergarteners, going to spend a day at a play area. The passage describes one of the bystanders (Doctor employed by a UN Aid Agency) heroically entering the bus multiple times and saving many children, but sadly, some still died. Some of the other bystanders (because by then, a crowd had gathered around the crash site) rushed the children with Blue IDs off to hospitals, as Israeli emergency services and the Defence Force did not come to help. “Some roads,” Thrall said, “Palestinians aren’t even allowed to walk on”.

Thrall concluded his speech on an emphatic note, stating that instead of protesting, we need to actually be doing something about the war against Palestine by using external pressure to force the Israeli government to make a structural change to apartheid.

Overall, Thrall’s talk was very insightful and eye-opening. Despite not having read his book, this was a rare and enriching opportunity that I was able to take part in, and if ever something similar to this came up I would encourage all who are offered an opportunity to go.

Moses Lawrence (Year 9)

The Ethics of Beauty

The talk on the Ethics of Beauty was enlightening to say the least; Tara Rae Moss, previously a model and now a respected author and someone with a disability, spoke about her life experiences with Dr Sam Shpall of The Ethics Centre. They discussed the advantages to being born with beauty include being more likely to be hired for a job or given preferential treatment; however, this also comes with some downsides. Things like stereotypes of only being able to be beautiful or intelligent, but not at the same time, can create a shadow over your whole life. There is also the issue of industries such as the fashion and the beauty industries taking advantage of this one aspect of your life in order to put pressure on others by raising expectations about what is acceptable in terms of appearance. This manipulation is used to increase profits.

As the name suggests, the discussion was centred around the unethical nature of this treatment and was the main provoker of the discussion we had as we viewed the recording. Our group shared our thoughts and experiences of unrealistic beauty standards as set by the industry, especially in the area of rapidly changing trends over time and different cultural ideals, and the kinds of pressure this places on us.

We also discussed other types of beauty such as the beauty in nature, internal beauty that stems from personality, and the beauty we perceive through senses other than sight, such as music and how this should be viewed and valued.

It was a thought-provoking afternoon that left everyone with more ideas and thoughts than we came in with. I would recommend participating in other College Colloquy events if you want to think deeply about anything.

Lachlan Restifa (Year 9)

Future Problem Solving 2024

Future Problem Solvers is back for 2024. This year’s team members are Elena, Amelia, Sophie, Lauren, Jasmine, Liam, and James. For our project in 2024, we are tackling awareness about vaping in our school community.

We meet every Thursday during PACE, and we have been brainstorming new ideas of how we can launch and deliver the project to students, and then to the greater Rosebank community about the challenges associated with vaping.

Over the next six months we will be developing our project and submitting an entry to the Australian Future Problem Solvers competition, with the goal of reaching the national finals again in October. Watch this space as we progress on our mission and provide further details.

Jasmine Taylor (Year 7)

Watch: Badging of Year 7 SRC

Watch: Certificates Awarded to Italian Accelerator Students

Watch: Students Receiving University Certificates

2025 University Applications
Applications for 2025 entry open on 3 April. 

Year 12 Students will attend an information session on 5 April during EmpowED on the application process and associated schemes.

To apply through the University Admission Centre (UAC), students will need their NESA student number and their UAC PIN. The PIN will be sent to the email address registered with NESA.

In preparation for receiving their PIN, students need to login to their NESA Students Online account and check the following:

• The name shown is their legal name.
• Their personal email address is listed (not the school email address)
• The correct mobile number is listed
• The postal address is correct

Please contact the Pathways and Partnerships Office for guidance if any changes are needed.

UAC LIVE webinar for Year 12 students
ATAR to Uni Success: Applying to Uni with Ease

Wednesday, 3 April 2024, 6 pm.

Expert speakers will equip students with the knowledge to make the most of their application and maximise their chances of success. Register here

UAC Digital LIVE webinar for parents
ATAR Calculation to Application: A Parent's Roadmap to Uni Entry

Wednesday, 27 March 2024, 6 pm.

The LIVE webinar is specifically designed for parents and Carers supporting their child's journey to higher education. Parents will receive valuable insights on course preferences, adjustment factors and selection ranks plus a detailed timeline of key dates. This UAC Digital event will be run from several platforms, including Easy Webinar, Facebook and Instagram. Register here