A few years ago I was lucky to experience a white Christmas in Austria. I visited the picturesque village of Oberdorf which is the town where, in 1818, the Christmas carol "Silent Night" was written. A hundred years later, the First World War started. France, Britain and Belgium opposed the invaders from the empires of Germany and Austria-Hungary. As the first Christmas of the War approached in 1914, each side had lost nearly a million men. Soldiers in opposing trenches were only the width of a football field apart, with 'No-Man’s Land' in-between. On Christmas Eve, in the section where the British opposed the Germans, the British gathered holly, and the Germans set up small Christmas trees which they lit up. It was an unofficial 'truce'. German soldiers started to sing “Stille Nacht”, and the British joined in the carol in English: “Silent Night”. The soldiers shook hands with their enemies, exchanged small gifts, and even played football! This is the Spirit of Christmas - even in that time of war, they found goodness in each other. [Images sourced from Shutterstock.]

Advent Prayer Service

At our final Advent Prayer Service with students last Friday, we emphasised the spirit of giving at Christmas time and it was wonderful to see over 120 hamper boxes filled to the brim with non-perishable food, toys and decorations. These hampers will go to St Vincent de Paul to help those in need within our own local community.

I wish you and your loved ones a safe, happy and holy Christmas.  As we finish our school year, let us pray for the final time:

Christ, our Teacher,
Bless all at this College
as we seek to end our year
with the grace you so liberally provide.

We acknowledge all the moments,
of learning and accomplishment, both in and out of the classroom,
of creativity, and most importantly the sense of community.

Guide us to see the opportunities this Christmas to be an unexpected light for others. Through our actions let us use our gifts unselfishly, to brighten the days of those around us. Let us be grateful for all that has been gifted to us by sharing it freely with others, to build community, in Jesus’ name.

Amen

Image Source: Shutterstock

God Bless,

Lesley Fraser - Assistant Principal (Mission)

Curriculum News

Everyday Literacy Learning

Holidays are an excellent opportunity to improve your student’s literacy without them noticing!  Parents and older family members have a wealth of vocabulary that children learn without realising if they hear it spoken around them.

When children are young, we often simplify our language so our children can understand and learn at their rate. Now that they are teenagers it is a great opportunity to introduce them to all the words and language an adult uses, just by making a point of using a higher level of language in normal conversation than we would for children. There are also technical words that are used in our places of employment that they would benefit from learning to use in their assignments and exams to improve their results.

As an example: “Petrol prices have gone up a lot lately” could be replaced by “Fuel prices have risen significantly in recent weeks” or “There has been a substantial increase in fuel prices over the summer months”.  The first sentence might be found in a C standard assignment and the second and third might a B or A standard. Encouraging children to use the best expressions they can will improve their writing.

Demonstrating to students how to identify advantages and disadvantages is excellent for developing logical thought and more complex ideas.

Often the best source of new vocabulary is reading. The holidays may be an opportunity for students to read anything and everything that develops their ability to express themselves.

Parents are the first teachers of literacy and have the greatest impact on their children’s ability to communicate with their world.

In 2022 all students will participate in a reading program to assist in all subjects. This is a priority at HSC and we encourage parents to discuss with their young people what they are reading to assist in comprehension.

Year 12 Graduates

We encourage our Year 12 graduating students and families to share their successes for their future endeavours by emailing the College on admin@hsc.qld.edu.au.  Please advise if they have secured scholarships, apprenticeships, traineeships, employment and other opportunities as we would love to celebrate their successes publicly at our Academic Assembly.  Outstanding graduates in a range of areas will be invited to participate in our Academic Assembly in February 2022.

Anne Miles - Assistant Principal (Curriculum)