Term 4, Week 9 - 11 December - 2020

Dear Parents and Carers

This is the last newsletter for the year and as you will see it is full of articles and information, informing you of what has been happening in the last fortnight, and preparing you for the holidays and 2021. Great things happen in our College and I encourage you to peruse this newsletter to see what we have been doing. 

The highlight of the fortnight was the Advent Liturgy and Prizegiving, an event that showcases and acknowledges the achievements of our students. It was a beautiful ceremony but unfortunately, this was held without parents, families, friends and special guests due to COVID restrictions. We recorded the event and the links to the videos can be found in the newsletter, as well as a range of photos and a copy of the Award Booklet. Congratulations to all our students who achieved an award in 2020. It is important that your efforts and contributions are acknowledged and celebrated. 

We thank and farewell those staff who are leaving us at the end of the year: Fran McHugh (retirement after 25 years at MCC), Simone Fawcett, Shauna Ellis, Gabe Lang, Les McLennan (Teacher assistant for 6 years) and Joshua Lill (YMO). Pam Moran retired during the year and Helen Cleary and Judy Rouse have decided not to return to MCC, and they are enjoying their retirement. Michael Burton (Term 1) and Rosemary Cureton (full year) will remain on leave. Jasmine Organ will be on maternity leave for term 1, returning in a part-time capacity from term 2. 

While we will publish a full list of all new staff and Coordinators in the first newsletter of 2021, at this stage I would like to offer a warm welcome to the following new staff: Dianne McGowan (Assistant Principal -Learning and Teaching); Margaret Bertalli (Leader of Catechesis); Peter Fox (Science); Megan Feeney (PDHPE); Molly Paton (TAS); Katrina Don (HSIE & Lang); Quinnlan Boyce & Eve Dougherty (YMO’s); Wil Bancroft (Trainee); Chelsea Brown (Teacher Assistant);  and Brooke Joe (Teacher Assistant). Some additional staffing is still being confirmed.

As holiday time is often when students take the opportunity to ‘alter their appearance’, I would remind all parents that students will be expected to return to School in 2021 having fully adhered to guidelines in relation to neatness and grooming. Of particular note are school shoes and piercings. I thank you, in advance, for your cooperation in ensuring that our students return to school looking like fitting ambassadors for the College within the wider community. 

Thank you for the support you have given me and the College throughout 2020, in a year that has been so very different. I have reflected on the year in my Principal Address, which is included in this newsletter. I am looking forward to 2021, and all that it will bring. Our enrolments for 2021 are looking very good across all the year groups.  On behalf of Frs Joe and Emmanuel, along with all College staff, I wish you all a Happy and Holy Christmas and a safe and relaxing holiday, spent in the fine company of family and friends.

In this time of Advent I offer to you these quotes and statements from Pope Francis:

Accompanied by the Mother of Jesus on the journey towards Christmas, in these times that are difficult for many, let us make an effort to rediscover the great hope and joy brought to us by the coming of the Son of God into the world. #Advent (Twitter Dec 11 2020)

Let us frequently repeat the traditional #Advent prayer: “Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev 22:20): before meetings, studying, work, and before making decisions, in the important moments or times of trial: Come, Lord Jesus!  (Twitter Dec 1 2020)

Happy Christmas,

Kate

Kate Thomson

Principal 

“We should be shining lamps, giving light to all around us.” Catherine McAuley

The Year of 2020

At the start of the year, I had many ideas, goals and projects I wanted to focus on as the new Principal of McAuley Catholic College. By mid-March, our plans and directions and focus areas started to change and then the changes came at a rapid pace. Who could have imagined that every person across our globe would be connected by one event we now call a COVID 19 pandemic? And who could have imagined what a pandemic would mean in our lives, here in Grafton, the Clarence Valley, our state, nation and across the world? In many ways, 2020 has been defined and determined by COVID 19 and at times it has been difficult for families, students, our wider community and those beyond our school community who we are connected to in some way. But from adversity can come many new challenges and positive changes and outcomes.

COVID19 became a regular and constant part of our vocabulary. Open night, sporting events, parent visitors, the school production, McAuley Fest, McAuley Day, retreats, camps, ANZAC day, NAPLAN, excursions - all disappeared off our calendar and many of us found ourselves learning and teaching from home for a period of time. Zooming, social distancing and hand sanitiser became regular additions to our daily routine. Schools and education became a hot topic in the news, especially during COVID lockdown. Some of you loved learning from home as it was a chance to excel and work without distractions, and it gave some of you flexibility in your day so you could take advantage of a great surf!

However, many of you and your parents missed school and all that it offers. And we as teachers and staff missed our students greatly - schools are not the same without students! Our videos, dance moves and messages hopefully demonstrated this. And we tried to show you by doing some slightly crazy things - Take a moment to reminisce

Many points came out of the COVID experience. For me, COVID highlighted three things  - 

• The importance of communication and working in partnership with our parents and carers, 
• Acknowledging that every student is an individual and that everyone learns in a different way;
• And the importance of looking after each other and our wellbeing, 

We will continue to keep these as our focus as we move forward into 2021 and beyond.

Our year of adversity continued into July with the tragic news that Rachel Johnson, our Indigenous Education Worker had died very unexpectedly at the age of 46. This terribly sad and tragic event brought us together as a school community to support each other and Rachel’s family. We continue to remember Rachel and her contributions to our community each day as we walk through the courtyard past our painted poles Rachel was an important bridge between our Indigenous and non-indigenous cultures and we need to continue to learn and understand and build on these connections as a legacy to Rachel. A highlight of the year was the  Rachel Johnson Memorial Touch Football homeroom competition, which will now be an annual event on our calendar.

Thank you and Congratulations 

I have said from the beginning of my tenure as the Principal that this school is student-focussed and faith-based, with Christ as our model. A beautiful example of this is seen in the donations we will make today to St Vincent de Paul with our homeroom hampers. Thank you for your generosity. Giving to those less fortunate than ourselves is very important and can bring pleasure and happiness to those giving and receiving. Again I am very proud. 

I thank our parents and carers for their support and understanding this year. It isn’t quite the same not having parents with us here, but that has been the year of 2020. We have learnt to connect in other ways and it has been a chance to explore alternative ways to communicate and involve parents, many of which we can take into the future. Thank you, parents, for entrusting MCC to care for and educate your children

I would like to acknowledge and thank the staff who are leaving MCC this year - Frances  McHugh is retiring after 25 years at MCC and over 40 years as a teacher; Les McLennan after 6 years as a TA; Simone Fawcett, Shauna Ellis,  Eliza Corcoran,  Gabe Lang who have been here this year, and our YMO’s Josh Lill & Chelsea Brown for their great work in the area of mission. We wish you all the best for 2021 and thank you for the contributions you have made to this College.

Thank you to our 2020 Student Leadership Team and I welcome the incoming Team. It has been a year with a difference, yet they have shown how adaptable and creative they can be. A. Highlights have been the Olympics, lunchtime activities such as dodgeball, touch football, soccer and music concerts. They have highlighted the importance of connecting with each other and servant leadership

I congratulate all students who are receiving an award of some kind today. Be proud of yourself and each other. It is one of my favourite days of the year - where we acknowledge achievement and effort on many levels and in a range of areas. A lot of effort goes into this day and I thank, in particular  Mrs Warby, Mrs Lee, Mrs Toovey and the staff who have assisted behind the scenes to ensure this is a success.

Thank you to the leadership team - Kathy Warby, Tiffany Lee, Natasha Green, Rob Imeson and Steve Hartmann for the support they give me, as I lead this school. Thank you to Fr Joe and Fr Emmanuel who continue to support the school and provide guidance to our staff and students. 

Thank you to my staff for the work they do at McAuley Catholic College. Students continue to be at the centre of what we do here and we are constantly looking for ways to connect with them and build positive and strong relationships to ensure we have engaged students wanting to learn and love life. The staff here are prepared to go to great lengths our students and we even embarrass ourselves to show we care! One of my favourite moments in one of the strangest, loneliest and quietest times of the school year was this: 

Thank you, staff, for all that you do. 

This year I believe McAuley Catholic College demonstrated our core values in so many ways and showed our selves, our own community and the wider community that we are a school of excellence, hospitality, justice, compassion and respect. I started the year by saying I am proud of this College and I will finish the year by saying that I am proud to be the Principal of this great school, one I believe strongly in and will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the students of the College have every opportunity to be the best they can be. My hope is that you are proud to be a student of McAuley CC and all that it stands for.

So reflecting on a year that has been like no other, it really has been a good year! 

I wish you all a Happy and Holy Christmas and a safe and relaxing holiday. Make this Christmas one of simplicity and appreciation. Be grateful for what you have and find an opportunity to say thank you to those that love and care for you. Take some time to give back to those that help you and to those that are less fortunate as Pope Francis says - “Our life spreads light when it is given in service. The secret of joy is living to serve.” 

Thank you

SPECIAL AWARDS

Christian Leadership Awards

The Br. John Mullins Memorial Award for Demonstration of Christian Leadership - Year 11

Takara Smith, Ryan Dick

Marist Brothers Award for Demonstration of Christian Leadership - Year 10

Charlotte Hayes, Taylor Powell

The Fr Frank Mulcahy Award for Demonstration of Christian Leadership - Year 9

Jorja White, Matthew Morgan

The Parents & Friends Assoc. Prizes for Demonstration of Christian Leadership - Year 8

Lucy Day, Christian Moran

The Anne Landenberger Memorial Award for Demonstration of Christian Leadership in Year 7

Jasmine Chellew, Beau Thompson

Year 11 Awards

The Sam Dougherty Memorial Award in Year 11 - presented by Mr Isaac Day

Thomas Mullins

Rotary Club of Grafton Award for Community Service in Year 11

Harry Hreszczuk

McAuley Catholic College Creative and Cultural Arts Award for Overall Honour in Music and Performance

April Irwin

College Award for Academic Excellence in Year 11

Melissa Meier, Jacqueline Samms

Commitment to Study in Year 11

Clare Campbell, April Irwin, Alana Madden, Corey Newbold, Hanna Tait

Service to the College

Molly Kenny

Senior Sportswoman of the Year - Hanna Tait

Year 10 Awards

Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea Generalate Award for Junior Dux

Layla Cramb, Matilda Sheehan

Australian Defence Force Long Tan Award for Leadership and Teamwork – Year 10

Matilda Sheehan

Australian Defence Force Future Innovators Award – Year 10

Jonathan Leung

College Award for Academic Commitment in Year 10

Jonathan Leung, Brooke Surawski

Helen Farrell Prize for Commitment to Commerce

Taylor Powell

Year 9 Awards

College Award for Academic Excellence in Year 9

Dean Chapman, Levi Vereyken

College Award for Academic Commitment in Year 9

Mayha Mead-Davies, Angelina Francescucci, Jorja White

Service to the College in Year 9

Navrin Howard

Year 8 Awards

College Award for Academic Excellence in Year 8

Finla’e Cassidy-Thomason, Laura Hoade, Ayla Howell-McLachlan, Eva Patricks

College Award for Academic Commitment in Year 8

Lucas Becker, Theodore Lobsey, Lani Mott

Year 7 Awards

College Award for Academic Excellence in Year 7

Brooke Chapman, Jasmine Chellew

College Award for Academic Commitment in Year 7

Alizandra McPherson, Grace Stackman, Sheridan Sutherland, William Tait, Timothy Van der Vlist

Junior School Awards

The Lions Club Award for Community Service in the Junior School

Matilda Sheehan

Kane McPherson Memorial Award for Determination

Zoe Bailey

Premiers Reading Challenge - Premiers Medal

Violet Campbell, Paige Thompson

Premiers Reading Challenge - Platinum Award

Amelia Adamson

Premiers Reading Challenge - Gold Award

Eliza-Rose Bullen, Chase Callaghan, Lynai Cotterill

Wellbeing 

Some useful information regarding Managing Stress from MacKillop Family Services.

Gratitude 

To Parents / Carers, Students and Staff,

What a year 2020 has been!  I’m sure there have been numerous events this year when we have struggled and our wellbeing has been affected.  The most obvious event that still hasn’t quite left us, has been coping with the effects of COVID-19.  

As a school community, I feel we have handled the events of 2020 with an attitude that says something like, “together, we can get through this”.  It’s been a year like no other and while I have the chance, I’d like to thank the people in my Wellbeing team that have certainly turned up for work every day with that attitude.

To our Homeroom Teachers and House Leaders - thank you for all you do.  For greeting your students every morning with a smile, checking they are OK, keeping carnivals and school events fun and filled with spirit. Your efforts do not go unnoticed.  Enjoy your break.

To our Year Coordinators - thank you for all you do.  For the watchful eye over your year group, to the hours after school talking to parents on the phone, to the time off class spent talking to students who need some extra support.  Your efforts do not go unnoticed.  Enjoy your break.

To our Support Staff (School Counsellor, Youth Support Worker, Indigenous Education Worker) - thank you for all you do.  For the listening ear, the restorative meetings when friendships go wrong, for the weekly check-ins.  Your efforts do not go unnoticed.  Enjoy your break.

To our Students.  Thanks for being you.  For making mistakes, for asking for help when needed, for taking advice when given, for being vulnerable and honest when questioned by staff.  For thanking those who go out of their way to help.  Without you, there is no us.  You are all important and valued.  Enjoy your break.

To our Parents.  There are times when tension can arise between parents and schools.  Thanks for approaching these times with respect.  Thanks for communicating when you need advice or support.  Thanks for taking time off work to meet to discuss the needs of your children.  Your support does not go unnoticed.  Enjoy your break.

Some great holiday reading for anyone who likes to read about Wellbeing:

The Resilience Project - by Hugh Van Cuylenberg.  I have also attached a web link - https://theresilienceproject.com.au/

I wish everyone a safe and restful break.  I pray that 2021 is a better year for us all.  

Take care, God bless,

Rob Imeson
Leader of Pastoral Care

2020 

December

Monday 14th - Student Activities. Last day for students

Tuesday 15th - Staff Development Day: Berry St Education Model Day 1

Wednesday 16th - Staff Development Day: Berry St Education Model Day 2

Thursday 17th - Staff Day.

Friday 18th - School closed

2021

January 

Wednesday 20th - College Office open 9am - 1pm

Thursday 21st - College Office open 9am - 1pm

Friday 22nd - College Office open 9am - 1pm

Monday 25th - College Office closed

Tuesday 26th Australia Day Public Holiday

Wednesday 27th - College Office open; Staff return

Thursday 28th - College Office open; Staff Development Day

Friday 29th - Student in Years 7,11 & 12 return to school

February

Monday 1st - All students return to school 

This is a reminder to Year 9 parents and carers that the warranty and accidental damage protection insurance on your child’s Chromebook expires next month. If your child has a warranty or ADP issue it is important that the device be surrendered for repair and the excess of $60.50 (ADP claims only) be paid before the last day of school to ensure the repair falls within the claim period.

It is College policy that all Year 7-9 students are restricted to the use of Chromebook devices. However, as students move into Year 10, many will need to replace their existing device. Students in Years 10-12 are not restricted to the use of a Chromebook and the College allows flexibility in terms of what to purchase. Nonetheless, it should be noted that Windows devices are better supported by the College computer system as opposed to Apple devices.

Lastly, Chromebooks are considered an adequate device for senior years and the College is able to obtain a quote on behalf of parents and carers if required. If you have any further enquiries, please call Steve Hartmann or Julie Power at the College.

Country Universities Centre ( CUC ) Clarence Valley 

The Country Universities Centre is a not-for-profit organisation, established with the aim of making higher education more accessible for regional and remote communities in NSW.

A CUC has been established in Grafton based on a model which delivers supported learning to students, providing them with access to campus-level technology, facilities, tutors and a network of fellow students.

Any student, studying at any Australian University, studying any course can use the facilities free of charge. CUC's vision is to improve equity in higher educational opportunities for rural and remote students.

The Country Universities Centre Clarence Valley is located at 146 Pound St, Grafton directly beside the Clarence Regional Library. It is accessible from 6am to midnight with the use of secure swipe cards given to students upon free registration.

CUC Clarence Valley Centre Manager, Melanie Lamb is there to guide and support students with their tertiary decisions and challenges. Melanie has been speaking to our Year 11 students in the past weeks.

The class of 7.4 took part in a Secret Santa gift exchange this week. Students were encouraged to give a gift to another student and reflect on this season as a time to give to others and be thankful for the people in our lives. All students were delighted with the outcome. Merry Christmas to everyone!

On Monday and Tuesday the College Captains, Vice Captains and House Captains attended an intensive leadership camp in Lismore with the leadership teams of St Mary’s Casino and St John’s Woodlawn. The three schools all have a Marist tradition and the theme of Mary as a model for servant leadership underpinned the 2 days. We also planned activities for 2021. We will have another day early in 2021 where we will also work with the new leaders in Years 10 and 11.

Thanks for the big effort by the Year 11’s as these days can be very long.

On a side note we were given great hospitality from Mr Aaron Beach, McAuley Principal 2019, who is now Woodlawns’ principal. We were also probably the last group to ever stay in the old boarding section of Woodlawn as these parts of the school are being converted into classrooms next year.

In a difficult year, we still had over 20 students complete the Premiers Reading Challenge in 2020.

All of them have done so well to read at least 20 books in 2021. The special awards include:

Gold Certificate: 4 Years of Premiers Reading

Eliza-Rose Bullen, Chase Callaghan, Lynai Cotterill.

Platinum Certificate: 7 years of Premiers Reading

Amelia Adamson.

Premiers Medallion: 10 years of Premiers Reading

Violet Campbell and Paige Thompson.

We had a lovely pizza party to celebrate the success of all the students. Once again congratulations to them all and we look forward to running this great event again in 2021.

Mark Bellamy
Teacher-Librarian

LEAGUE TAG VALUES SHIELD - Friday 27th November Coffs Harbour 2020

Under 14’s Girls

The U14’s girls had a wonderful day with no losses. The girls were very nervous but very determined to win as many games as they could. The first game was against Jetty High; the girls started off slowly but soon learnt that defence and teamwork were going to win the games. Nava scored a beautiful length of the field try followed by Ella with a dummy and try to the line. They came away winning 2-1. Next game was against Orara High and the girls also had another great win. The girls looked more confident and stronger with Karla strong in defence and Sienna and Nava scoring again, winning 2-1. Next game would be tough against BDC who also had won 2 games. The girls came away with a draw. The last game was again against Jetty. Sienna had 2 great attempts of scoring; however, the faulty tags fell off and they wouldn’t allow her diving over the line to score. Charlie scored a great try on the wing to tie against Jetty. Overall, the girls did extremely well, considering no training. They certainly did Mrs Corcoran proud on her birthday, coming away with two great wins and two draws. 

Under 14’s Boys

The Under 14’s boys started well with a 6-1 victory over Coffs Harbour High.  The highlight of the game was watching captain Rhys Berry running the length of the field after a beautiful intercept!

Next game, full of confidence, the boys took on Bishop Druitt College.  Unfortunately for the boys, they were out skilled, losing 5-3.  There were a few highlights of this game, including tries to Mitchell Dick and Theo Lobsey with some great straight running. 

Nambucca High were our next opponents and the boys went down again 6-3.  Some great defence from the two Toms (Tom Kenny and Tom Austin) kept us in the game!!

The last game for the boys was against John Paul College.  Again, we tried hard, competed to the death, but couldn’t get the win.  Final score was 7-3.  Chris Cunich was elusive out wide, as was Regan Howard.

As a coach, the highlights of the day were the never say die attitude of all the boys, the respect shown to the referees, the way the boys were happy to come off and share the time equally on the field, and the smiles that started and finished each game!  Player of the day went to Mitchell Dick!!  Well done all. Mr I.

Under 14’s Boys B

With a young team of thirteen-year-old boys, McAuley was always going to find the competition tough. Playing against teams from St John Paul College, Bellingen High, Bishop Druitt College and Coffs Harbour High, the boys performed at their best. The team scored in every game, had some narrow losses and a draw against Coffs High. The experience gained from the day was invaluable for the players with strong performances from Kyron Nipperess, Tui Simpson, Brock and Aiden Pearce. Also, the late inclusion of Will Tait benefited the team, as he seemed to be a try-scoring machine as the day went on.

Under 16’s Girls

Our U16 girls started their day up against the tournament favourites, Toormina.  The long bus trip seemed to have taken its toll, as we started sluggishly and went down 5 – 0.  During the break before the next game, some tactics and strategies were discussed.  Our game against Orara saw a marked improvement with a try to Jacinta and a final score of 3 – 1.  After a quick lunch break, we were back on the field to take on Grafton, which was a highly anticipated game.  We started very strongly, but unfortunately, after five minutes of play, the game was called off due to an injury.  Our final game of the day saw us take on JPC.  This was an awesome game to watch, as the team had finally gelled and worked well together. We gained an early lead – thanks to Sahara, but JPC fought to level the scores.  It was down to the final minute of the game when JPC scored the winning try.  Overall it was a fantastic day; the team played with great McAuley spirit and improved each game, and the girls should be proud of their efforts.

Under 16’s Boys

The “more experienced” under 16’s team played some enterprising flag footy with wins and draws throughout the day. They managed to keep the ball alive during games and subsequently the scoreboard kept ticking over. An early injury set-back to Jye Boehme didn’t halt their momentum, and just made other players step-up and be more creative. The elder statesmen of Nicko Wheaton and Tom Mullins guided the team throughout the day and each player contributed to their success.

The “less experienced” under 16’s team struggled with the pace of the games. The team was led around the park by our year 9 contingent of Hamish Speed and Noah Burchell calling the shots. Oscar Hanson was a surprise packet and well supported by those new to League. A great day for all players who represented McAuley Catholic College with honour. Cheers from Mr Nipperess.

For some people, the festive season and holidays can be an exciting and enjoyable time of year as family come together and time is taken away from our everyday activities such as work, school and daily routines. For others, however, it can be a stressful, difficult period as pressures can mount across different areas of our lives. We are also mindful that it can be a time where access to usual supports such as therapists, counsellors and other practitioners can be delayed or particularly difficult to become linked-in with, therefore, we have included a few 24-hour support options below that are available 7 days a week:

eHeadspace: 1800 650 890 or headspace.org.au/eheadspace

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800

Lifeline 13 11 14

Mental Health Line 1800 011 511

Or in an emergency 000 or present to your local hospital ED

Other things to keep in mind over the festive period:

Plan ahead for difficult/alone times - The festive season can be an overwhelming time as we try to fit in many activities. For others, it can be a lonely time - plan in advance for these times by including downtime for yourself or enjoyable and fulfilling activities that will take your mind off things. The festive season can be a great time to volunteer also!

Exercise your choice - If you’re experiencing a lot of pressure over festive arrangements, gift-giving, or other festive activities that can be stressful, make choices that put you and your family first and spend time with supportive people doing things that are enjoyable; avoid doing things out of obligation or tradition that are stressful or not enjoyable. 

Be wise with gifting - Christmas can easily become a financially challenging period with food, gifts and the many associated activities that come with the holiday period. Stretching yourself will only add further pressure. Be mindful that gifts don’t have to be material objects - they can be offering someone help or time with everyday tasks, or just spending some quality time together!

Look forward - The downtime of the festive season can be a great time to look ahead and set positive, achievable goals for the year ahead and make plans about how you’re going to achieve these.

Reach out - If you are feeling lonely or finding the festive season stressful, talk to people you trust about it; this may include parents, friends, forums or any of the support networks listed above.

Relaxation - If you are feeling tense or stressed, you can try meditation, progressive muscle relaxation or other relaxing activities (e.g. yoga, calm breathing) that are free and easy to implement. There are many apps and resources available online. An app we recommend for many of our students here at McAuley’s is Smiling Minds for meditation.

We’ve enjoyed working with students and their families this year and look forward to welcoming back familiar and new faces in 2021. Best wishes to all and we hope that you and your families have a safe and happy holiday.

Kind Regards,

Siobhan McNamara and Megan Barton
Student Counsellor and Student Support Officer

Tiktok’s Family Pairing Has Expanded into Australia

Tiktok made broader steps into expanding the parental control and safety features the app possessed in April 2020. There is very little doubt that Tiktok has problems with content moderation, inappropriate contact from older users, and the content access younger users have within the app.

It is also a poorly kept secret that many users of TikTok are well below the 13+ age recommendation and that they possess these accounts with the full permission of many parents.

TikTok needed to develop further safeguards. Parents need to familiarise themselves with the app to understand the real risks to Privacy and unregulated content that are part and parcel of the behemoth that is TikTok.

Online safety tips for parents to keep their kids safe this holiday season

Whether your child is receiving their first device, or they may be online more over the holidays. Remember you wouldn't give your child the keys to the car and let them drive off down the highway without lessons. It is the same with devices. Here are a few tips which will help you to support your children in navigating the online world better.

Pam Dougherty’s Lemon cake

 Preheat oven to 180°C   

Ingredients

• 2 Cups SR flour sifted
• 2 eggs
• 1 Cup sugar
• 180g butter softened
• 1/2 Cup milk
• Grated rind of a lemon

Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy

Add eggs, one at a time and mix together

Slowly add flour and milk. Mix well but do not over beat.

 Pour into very well greased and floured cake tin, and cook for 30-35mins.

To make the syrup

• 2 lemons
• 1/2 Cup sugar

Combine the juice of lemons and sugar in a saucepan, bring to boil and simmer for 2min.

Remove cake from the oven when cooked and slowly pour syrup over the cake. Leave in the tin to cool.