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Arthur Weasley taught us that curiosity is a good thing.
What is NATIONAL RECONCILIATION WEEK to us?
What is NATIONAL RECONCILIATION WEEK to us?
Reconciliation is a process of forgiveness. It is also a choice that people today are disregarding. It's found between God and between others, found in the best of us today and the best of us in history. There are multiple instances in our history, in Australia and the world, where actions required penance and forgiveness but wasn’t acknowledged as an option. Misunderstandings and prejudices prevented people from seeing the fault in themselves where they've unknowingly missed the wrong in their actions. It birthed a chain of conflict and despair that became difficult to end. Humans worked in retaliation and not reconciliation.
The world would become a better place if reconciliation became more integrated into our daily lives. If we realise our mistakes and apologise for them upfront. Making mistakes can be as easy as breathing but owning up to them is like holding your breath. We should notice each other as equal, imperfect beings who are prone to making mistakes, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” As we notice the wrongs done upon us we should also note the wrongs we've committed. “How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?” Sometimes we are the ones at greater fault. We should constantly seek to understand others and the choices they make, even if we don't agree with them. Pride, at times, interferes with our want to reconcile and create peace.
In this week of reconciliation we remember Kevin Rudd’s apology to the Indigenous Australians. He apologised for actions unrelated to himself (directly) and yet he willed to do the right thing. However, it does not end there, it is more important for our generation today to amalgamate with Indigenous Australians who have been wronged in the past. Our interactions shape the reconciliation of past ancestors and as a Catholic community it is our responsibility to demonstrate love, compassion, solidarity and to acknowledge the human dignity of all individuals alike. We should aspire to have an extended proliferation of our school values of Courage, Faith, Welcome, Learning and Action towards the Aboriginal community. We are fortunate to witness such reconciliation.
Remember, reconciliation is stronger than any contract. It can end conflict and resolve resentments. It may not fully compensate for any crimes, but it's definitely necessary and important.
-T Singh, Year 12
Ai Gen, School Captain
reader of the month
reader of the month
This month we are fortunate enough to interview one of our very own peers, School Captain Ai Gen! Once again, this interview has made us stop and reflect on the role reading plays in shaping our individual lives.
Like everyone else, Ai’s love for reading started young. She would often go to the bookstores with her family and enjoy this time scoping out books that she would not usually find in her school’s library. Everyone gets that feeling of satisfaction when we buy a book, and Ai has been experiencing this wondrous feeling ever since she was little and had the opportunity to do so. Her family members supported her love for reading as well, gifting her books throughout the year.
Ai expresses that she thoroughly enjoys reading contemporary thriller novels. Novels that are packed full of realistic elements that can be easily found in our everyday lives but with a twist.This twist is perhaps something dark and uncommon. Contemporary thrillers do a good job of twisting reality and shaping it into something that intrigues its audience, and Ai is absolutely captivated by this. It’s these bone chilling elements that belong in thrillers combined with nostalgic aspects that belong in contemporary fiction that draw her love of reading. Ai says that she does not enjoy reading the dystopian genre. It isn’t always like this before but she says she does not find this genre appealing anymore. Before the dystopian genre was uncommon and it made her look forward to reading it, but now all plots and characteristics of this genre seem to be repetitive and unoriginal. Ai has slowly lost her interest for the dystopian genre, yet her love and passion for the fantasy genre has yet to disappear. This leaves hope for the fantasy genre to continue being part of her bookshelf.
Ai exclaims that reading played a major role in shaping who she is as a person. This is mainly because she is always inspired by the ideas and concepts that she reads within books. She uses these ideas and concepts and attempts to display them into her own life, as many of us try to do. For instance, reading about an adventurous character has led her to challenge herself in becoming more adventurous herself. Additionally Ai says that reading has enabled her to be more curious about the things in her own life. She expresses that reading has “opened up new pathways in her mind”. She also reveals that reading is a valuable experience for everyone as it is an intimate experience between the reader and the protagonist in a way which can’t be replicated by films, given that movies are distant and impersonal for the audience.
Ai urges everyone out there to read anything, whether it’s articles, magazines, short stories, anything that keeps the mind active because we all know the benefits of reading are endless.
We would like to thank Ai for taking time out for this interview. She has really enabled us to take a step back, relax, and view reading from a different perspective. She is a great leader and does a wonderful job encouraging us to continue to pursue reading and use it as inspiration in life. Thank you Miss Reader of the Month.
-A Chahal and N Venu, Year 11
4 March 2020
Eloise Nilon of Year 12
Year 12 Student Places Runner-up in the 2019 Summer Reading Challenge
It’s the summer holidays and you can't wait to charge through the confinements of the school gates! You itch to embrace the warm breeze that envelopes every step, making your skin tingle with excitement. You’ve finished all your assignments, conducted your last experiment and cleared out your locker. Finally, the stress of school has been lifted like the storm clouds from last week, making it perfect for that relaxing day at the beach you had planned 2 weeks ago with your friends.
But what you hadn't planned on was laying around for the next 6 weeks bingeing all the newest shows on Netflix!
During this increased ‘downtime’ not only have you lost your ability to process the information being presented to you on the screen but let’s all face it, your sleeping patterns have been thrown out of whack and you’re probably more tired than before. In fact recent research conducted by educational psychology professor, Edward Hubbard, at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, has shown that during the holidays, students can experience Brain Drain.
"Learning changes the brain. Every time you learn something, there are nerve cells that are making connections and they can strengthen or weaken those connections. So when you're learning, you’re strengthening those connections in the brain at a microscopic level. But if you're not using that information, over time those connections will weaken." - Edward Hubbard
In accordance with this research, you can lose up to three months of education during the summer break. That’s more than 1 term’s worth of knowledge and 2160 hours of hard work, gone in just 6 weeks!
Now instead, imagine if you had taken part in the Summer Reading Challenge of 2019.
Would you have been as lethargic and moody, dreading the day school started?
Relaunched, for a second year, the Summer Reading Challenge is a fun and engaging way to test your memory and build fundamental analytical skills, which shape personal thought and interpretation. Created by the Executive Director of Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta, Greg Whitby, this program offers students the opportunity to broaden their connections to characters, authors and the broader human experience, whilst enhancing literacy levels. For those who participated within this competition, the Nagle library staff would like to share their great support and appreciation for your dedication to reading. Through your engagement, you have not only exuded the College values of; Action, Learning and Courage, but have also embodied what it means to ‘Be the Light’. Congratulations!
The College would also like to recognise the significant achievement of year 12 student, Eloise Nilon, who placed as a Runner Up in the competition. Over the holidays she read graphic novels, short stories, poetry, and novels of various genres. Eloise said that “Participating in the Summer Reading Challenge was a good experience. It gave me the motivation to read. Hopefully my recognition helps promote reading for leisure among Senior students”.
Truly, the efforts of Eloise and everyone who participated in the Summer Reading Challenge has shown us that reading is an essential and engaging experience. Expanding imagination and the capacity for complex thought, it has transformed minds and enabled individuals to open their hearts to the wonders of the world.
What are you waiting for? We know you’re busy, but as they say Rome wasn't built in a day! So get inspired and challenge yourself, pick up a book and be the Light of knowledge today and always.
Happy Reading Everyone!
-T Singh, Year 12
2 March 2020
Year 12 students spread love at the Hardi Aged Care nursing home and Westmead Children’s Hospital
Be The Light Initiative
Be The Light Initiative
Christmas is a time for giving. It is a time where we all stop and reflect upon our lives; reliving the good and appreciating those who were there for us in the bad. Despite who we are; our background, religion, gender or age, the Christmas season calls us all to celebrate together as; family, friends and a wider community. Just think back to a month ago, were you celebrating mass at Church, having dinner with your family or even exchanging gifts with your kris kringle? Throughout all these actions and moments of happiness we have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by those we connect and feel closest to the most.
However, for many individuals within our society, the Christmas period can often be a lonely and confronting experience; filled with darkness and no way out. To support and bring light to such members of our community, a group of Year 12 students banded together to make a difference; venturing out to spread joy and good wishes.
On the 20th of December, during the 2019 Christmas holidays, 5 of our peers at Nagle visited the Hardi Aged Care nursing home and Westmead Children’s Hospital. They delivered presents via a smile, a conversation and a game of UNO, embracing the festive season by baking cookies. Their efforts have actively demonstrated Nagle’s theme for 2020, “Be the Light”.
Our values for Action, Faith, Learning, Welcome, and Courage have been reflected in the creation of this new initiative, striving to take the teachings of Nano and implement them to fortify relationships and overcome injustices within the modern world. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 52% of people in aged care (2018) had dementia, whilst 49% were suffering from depression and 86% from mental health or behavioural conditions. These statistics only convey a numerical value which may at times seem inconceivable to the Australian public, yet as presentation people the year 11 students were able to actively engage in positive ministry by having the courage to go out and interact with a minority.
Filled with compassion and the light of Christ, the group acted as listening ears and welcoming arms; learning of the struggles that impact both the older and younger generations within our community. This act was particularly important, as we have often perceived the life experiences between older members of society to differ immensely to our own. Recently terms such as “Ok Boomer” have surfaced on the internet, emphasising high levels of prejudice and ignorance towards the elders of our society. Whilst many have taken it as a lighthearted joke, it is vital that we realise, acknowledge and reinforce the importance of respect and value for wisdom/ knowledge which is shared from the past to the future. Engaging in this initiative, the Year 11s have learnt a lot about the unity which is brought only through action, as they overcame hurdles to ultimately achieve their goal, “Be the light”. As a result of this opportunity, we hope that we, here at Nagle will grow in our connections to the wider community, developing the required skills through our implementation of the College values; Action, Faith, Learning, Welcome, and Courage.
7 February 2020
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