24 July 2017

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Message:

By Mr Kort Goodman - Principal

Catholic Education Week

23–29 July 2017

Dear Parents/Caregivers

Catholic Education Week will be celebrated across Queensland from 23 - 29 July this year.

This annual event is held to promote the special ethos of Catholic schools and to highlight the great things that take place in Catholic schools every day.

The theme for this year’s celebrations is: Sharing the Journey.

Catholic education strives to make a difference in the lives of those in our schools and in the wider community by challenging young people to live out the message of Jesus and to reach their full potential as compassionate, contributing, life-giving members of society.

During Catholic Education Week 2017, Catholic education communities across Queensland are invited to celebrate how they are sharing the journey.

There are 302 Catholic schools in Queensland that educate around 146,000 students and employ more than 18,500 teachers and staff, and most will celebrate Catholic Education Week in some way.

Our school is planning a number of activities during the week and we hope you are able to join in the celebrations with us.

I thank you for your ongoing support and look forward to seeing you during Catholic Education Week 2017.

Yours sincerely

Kort Goodman
Principal

Listed below is a schedule of activities/events at Assumption College during Catholic Education Week:

• Joint Liturgy with St Mary’s Primary School
• Rice Bowl Challenge
• Mercy Dash
• Kindness Crew
• Green Day

Have a lovely week

Kort

TERM 3 – 2017 DATE CLAIMERS

STUDENT FREE DAY – FRIDAY 28th JULY

APRE News:

By Mrs Kate Cullen, APRE

Welcome to Term 3!

• Feast of the Assumption Mass- to celebrate this holy day of obligation, St Mary’s Primary and Assumption College will join together at St Mary’s Church for Eucharistic Mass. Families are invited to attend on the day, Tuesday 15th of August. Mass will begin at 9:30 with students starting to arrive at around 9:10.
• Keep the date: Father’s Day Breakfast: Friday, September 1st 7:00 a.m. start.
• Reminder to Year 12 students and parents- So Long Farewell Retreat letter went home with reports, please return these and if you have any questions get in contact. That week 13th – 17th of November is a busy week for our seniors. The Retreat is Monday to Wednesday, Presentation Night on the Thursday with students involved attending rehearsal during the day and Graduation Mass on the Friday. Students leave with their families at the end of the Mass which will be finished at about 11:00 a.m..We hope all students are able to participate in these rites of passages to mark the special occasion and look forward to celebrating with families.

Catholic Education Week- 24th – 28th

• The week begins with the combined liturgy for St Mary’s Primary and Assumption College communities at the McKillop Centre, St Mary’s Upper on Monday the 24th to start close to 12:20. Families are most welcome to attend.
• Monday will also include the Mercy Dash and Rice Bowl events. These obstacle relay events are run in House groups with two students from each year level. It is a fun way to acknowledge our Mercy Sister’s and Christian Brother’s heritage.
• The Kindness Crew will challenge us to make a difference at school, home and the globe on Wednesday- more information to come as the group finalise plans. I hope the Acts of Kindness occur at home as well. A great opportunity to do something for your family to show your gratitude for all they do to help you.
• Green Day – Thursday is an opportunity for our Environmental Group to challenge all of us to make a difference to the environment and be more aware of how we can make a difference. I look forward to their efforts.

Henri Nouwen Reflection: Being Blessed

Jesus is the Blessed One. When Jesus was baptised in the Jordan river a voice came from heaven saying: "You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on you" (Mark 1:11). This was the blessing that sustained Jesus during his life. Whatever happened to him - praise or blame - he clung to his blessing; he always remembered that he was the favourite child of God. Jesus came into the world to share that blessing with us. He came to open our ears to the voice that also says to us, "You are my beloved son, you are my beloved daughter, my favour rests on you ." When we can hear that voice, trust in it, and always remember it, especially during dark times, we can live our lives as God's blessed children and find the strength to share that blessing with others.

Curriculum News:

By Ms Jen Smeed, Assistant Principal—Curriculum

Tutorials

A reminder that tutorial sessions for students run from 3.15-4.15pm each Thursday and offer students the opportunity for more study time and teacher assistance with school work and assignments.

ICAS

ICAS nominations have now closed. The ICAS English test will be held on Tuesday 1st August 2017, while the ICAS Maths test is scheduled for Tuesday 15th August. Enrolled students will be emailed further information about these papers.

Assessment Calendars

These will go live on the College website in the coming days – these should help students keep ‘on top of’ their assessment and plan for important dates. Students are to check the calendar regularly for changes and updates.

QCS

The QCS test will be held on Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th August 2017. Year 12 students sitting these tests will be unable to leave the College for appointments over these two days. Please be aware of this when scheduling appointments over the next few weeks.

Year 11 2018 Subject Information Evening

The Year 11 2018 subject information evening is scheduled for Tuesday 25th July from 6pm in the Hall. This session is invaluable for the information that it provides to students and parents. It is also an opportunity to meet with teachers to seek more information and assistance regarding students’ future pathways and subject choices.

Assessment

It is important that both students and parents familiarise themselves with the policy. I wish to point out an integral detail in this policy; students will complete all assessment. If the student chooses not to submit an assessment item by the due date, it cannot be marked and the draft will be marked in lieu. However that student will still complete the assessment during a detention and hand it in. This will be kept in the student’s profile but will not be marked and graded. It is imperative that all assessment is completed.

Exam Week & Study Leave

There will be an exam block for both year 11 and 12 students at the end of this term. This will run during week 9 (4th- 8th of September). Both year 11 and 12 students will have study leave during this time; however, if students have outstanding assessment for subjects, these particular students will not be granted study leave and will be required to stay at school to complete this outstanding assessment.

Careers News:

By Mrs Ali Porter, Careers

Assumption College Student Pathways News

A special “CONGRATULATIONS” to those of our Year 10 students who completed work experience in the first week of this term. Students conducted themselves in good manner and made good impressions with the businesses that supported the program. Many students, in reflection, have learned much from the experience with some students gaining pathways opportunities. A very big “THANK YOU” to those businesses that offered our students the opportunity for work experience.

Noteworthy Items

• The Warwick Careers Expo is being held at the Warwick Indoor Recreation Centre on the 25th of July from 5.30pm-7.30pm
• University Open Days are on NOW! Check the calendar of events at

• The University of Southern Queensland (Toowoomba) Open Day is August 13
• Interviews for Duchesne College 2018 (UQ) are being held at Assumption College on July 27th
• QTAC applications open on the 3rd of August
• “Congratulations” to the students who successfully completed the General Construction White Card course at the end of Term 2. Well done!
• More comprehensive careers newsletters are available at www.acwcareers.com.

Rural and Agricultural Pathways

Four of our Year 10 students last week participated in the Ag Inspirations career awareness program that was offered through AgForce Queensland. This three-day program involved touring Warwick and surrounds with visits to a variety of businesses in the agricultural industry. This gave students the opportunity to see the variety of fields and careers in agriculture and to speak directly with local industry employers.

Year 12 Sessions

This term will feature many pathways sessions for Year 12 students. The first happened in the first week with a visit from representatives from the University of Southern Queensland to talk with students about university study, with a focus on scholarships and accommodation arrangements at USQ. This will be followed up in coming weeks with sessions about university application for interested students, along with other sessions about post school training options and tips for finding apprenticeships and employment post Year 12.

An Important Reminder!

Term 3 is a very busy term in regards to careers and pathways information. These days, much of the information is communicated electronically. Therefore, such information, along with many career opportunities, is provided to students via their school email account and published on the ACW careers website. This means that it is vital that students regularly check their school email or the careers website to ensure they are up-to-date and not missing opportunities.

Now Is The Time

Year 12 students should now be planning their options for education, training or employment for next year. In particular, for those considering university, it is advisable that students attend university open days where possible. Students should also be considering scholarships for education or training in 2018, investigating these now, as many are already open for application, and closing dates for some are this term. A good resource for investigating scholarships can be found at the link below.

LEAP: University Open Day Checklist

This checklist aims to help parents and students by guiding them through university open day events so they get the most out of the day. There are also tips about key questions to ask staff and university students on the day.

Southern Cross University STAR Early Entry for 2018.

The Southern Cross University STAR Early Entry applications are now open. With STAR Early Entry, students can gain an early offer to study in 2018 based on their school Principal's recommendation. Offers made through STAR Early Entry for 2018 will be made direct from the University. Students can register via the Star Early Entry Portal on the university website. Applications close 8th of September.

Year 10 Pathways Program

This term in Year 10 Careers lessons, we will be investigating education and training pathways and looking at options post Year 10. This will be in an effort to help our Year 10 students make decisions around senior schooling options and prepare their Senior Education and Training (SET) Plans at the end of the term. Topics that will be covered in the careers lessons include:

• The Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE)
• The Overall Position (OP) and QCS Test
• Tertiary education and training (university, training colleges etc.)
• Apprenticeships & traineeships (including school-based)

Indigenous STEM Experience Day: Griffith University

Thursday 10th August 2017, from 9:30am-2:30pm

First Australian students in Years 9 to 12, with their teachers or community Elders, are encouraged to participate in the STEM experience day at the Nathan Campus. Students will participate in one of two workshop streams, an IT and Engineering stream or a Science and Environment stream.

Billy Blue College of Design Open Day

Saturday 12th August @ Brisbane Campus, 90 Bowen Tce Fortitude Valley, QLD, 4006

Interested students should attend. The day will include creative activities, student exhibitions, industry presentations, and course and enrolment information about our flexible creative courses.

In Other News…

Information regarding the following topics is available on the ACW careers website or has been emailed to students:

• The Australian Defence Force Academy Open Day competition
• The Women in Engineering Explore Engineering program
• Bond University Excellence scholarships (close 31st of July)
• Visit to the College by a representative from Duchesne College (UQ)
• Hastings Deering 2018 Apprenticeship intake.

Sport News

By Mrs Julie Collins, Program Leader Sport

Sports Dates

Pierre De Coubertin Award

Jo-elle Natividad was the recipient of the Pierre De Coubertin Award for 2017. Jo-elle was fortunate enough to reach the second stage of selection into the International Pierre de Coubertin Youth Forum – Australian Team but was unfortunately not one of the lucky two students selected.

The award is designed to recognise students who demonstrate initiative, teamwork, sportsmanship and fair play through a variety of sports in the competitive arena. Congratulations Jo-elle!

QLD Hockey

Congratulations to Bailey Rutledge and Josh Hagenbach on your selection in the Queensland team for Club Hockey. Well done!

Border District Athletics

A list of students who have qualified for Border District Trials has been posted on the Sports noticeboard. 12yr old competitors may compete at the WSSSA Athletics but not Border District trials. Further details on Southern Downs and Darling Downs carnivals will be available in the coming weeks.

2017 Confraternity Campaign

The 2017 Confraternity Campaign began with a solid preparation in the GIO Trophy competition (Darling Downs Opens Rugby League) where we won 5 out of 6 games in our pool. Unfortunately, we were knocked out in the semifinals prior to the break. After 2 weeks of playing, and some training, the players were ready to play in the Confraternity Carnival. This year we headed to Brisbane as Padua College were the hosts for 2017. We travelled to Brisbane on the Sunday and settled in to our new surroundings for the week at St Laurence’s College. After a light run, the boys had to prepare for the opening ceremony/liturgy with the 47 other teams. This insightful ceremony had a focus on how we play the game, how to take a win and how we accept a loss.

The first game we played was against St Columban's Caboolture (the team we played in last year’s confraternity bowl final). In a tough hit-out the boys won 8 – 0 with Taegan Inmon and Thomas Lloyd scoring tries and Augustine Stowers being awarded Man of the Match. The second game for the day was against St Thomas More College Sunnybank. After a series of lead changes we drew 18 – 18. Will Gordon, Lachlan Swan, Augustine Stowers and Jack McIvor scored tries, Felix Clarke a goal and the Man of the Match was Jack McIvor.

On Tuesday morning we played Faith Lutheran Redlands in a game that was in balance until the final hooter when the boys lost 12-16. Thomas Lloyd and Will Gordon scored tries, Jack McIvor was Man of the Match and Thomas Lloyd was awarded Players Player. In the qualifying final, we drew St Thomas More Sunnybank again. In what was a very good display the boys won 24-8 with Will Gordon, Taegan Inmon, Augustine Stowers and Cody Byrne scoring tries, Jack McIvor goals, Man of the Match Augustine Stowers and Sam Frattini was awarded the Players Player. This placed the boys into the quarterfinal for Thursday morning.

On their day off the boys hit the shops of Brisbane and I think many of them were in more pain, well maybe their wallets, after a shop than after a game of footy. On early Sunday morning before we left our cook, Mary McLucas, was unable to attend due to sickness. An early phone call to Mr. & Mrs. Frattini was made and they were more than happy to help as head chefs. Many meals were pre- prepared, but on the rest day Mr. and Mrs. Frattini cooked up a hearty casserole for the boys to enjoy upon their return to camp.

Thursday commenced with another game against St Columban's Caboolture. It is unusual to play the same team twice in a carnival. The boys were clearly prepared and defeated St Columban’s 28-6 with Lachlan Swan, Jacob Adams and Sam Williamson scoring tries and Cody Byrne goals. Man of the Match was awarded to Will Gordon. Our defensive efforts thus far were outstanding, however, converting goals was an issue; as we could score tries but we were not converting too well. This put the boys from St Joseph's/Assumption in the final of the Confraternity Bowl for the second year in a row.

Friday was the final against All Souls Charters Towers. At half time we were up 18 – 4 and looked in control. All Souls came back after half time much hungrier for the win and with 10 minutes to go we were trailing 18-22. The last 10 minutes proved why we were in the final and we did not give up until the final bell. With two minutes to go the scores were locked at 22 all with a kick to come from just inside the sideline. Considering we kicked six from 23 attempts all week (26% strike rate), my confidence was low. Cool as a cucumber Cody converted to win the game 24-22. Dylan Brassel, Augustine Stowers, Will Gordon and Jacob Adams scored tries with Jack McIvor and Cody Byrne scoring goals. Man of the match was awarded to Dylan Brassel.

Congratulations to all the boys involved on a successful carnival. Not only did we win the Confraternity Bowl, we were also awarded the Spirit of Confraternity. Out of 47 other teams this is a massive award and needs to be celebrated. The Spirit of Confraternity award is given to the team who displays the confraternity spirit. It is a team that is: well-mannered, well-behaved, knows how to win and also knows how to lose, they respect their opposition and play with the right spirit. WELL DONE! From where we were after being knocked out of the GIO Trophy to what we have accomplished, it would appear we were two different sides. The boys made the change and we are very proud of them all.

A big thank you to Mr. & Mrs. Frattini for being a part of the Confro campaign. Thanks Mick, Dave and Craig for your continual support and commitment to this concept. Well done Thomas Smith and Regan Eastwell in your job as managers; we could not have asked for better people in the job. Thank you to St Laurence’s for your wonderful hospitality and facilities and a big thank you to John Butterworth. To all the parents we thank you for your support at the games and the cooking of slices, cupcakes, biscuits etc. And finally a big thank you to our sponsors. Confraternity would not happen without the support of the community. Confraternity in Charters Towers 2018 will be here before you know.

Award Winners:

• Player of the carnival: Augustine Stowers
• Spirit of the carnival: Jack McIvor
• Tourists of the carnival: Sam Williamson & Will Gordon

Sponsors:

• Tru-flow services
• Tom Costanza
• Green Homes
• Lever Business Accountants
• Peter Sullivan building
• Austasia animal products
• Zin Met
• Tullin Tulla Beef
• Ryanie for Tyres
• MALY Engineering
• Wattles JRL
• Collegians JRL
• Stanthorpe JRL
• Crisps Coaches Stanthorpe

Business News:

By Mr Scott Clegg, Business Manager.

Term 3 School Fees

Term 3 School Fees were mailed or emailed out last week. They are due 25th August. If you have a direct debit this due date does not apply. If your student/s are going on an excursion please make sure that it is paid for before the excursion day. Any concerns please contact the Business Manager, Mr Scott Clegg on 4660 4000.

Thank you.

School Counsellor:

By Mrs Jenny Gillespie

Friendship Challenges in High School

Emotional Intelligence remains a work in progress throughout our lives. Dr Jenny Brockis (Medical Practitioner) offers parents tips to help their young people deal with friendship issues and has published the article “BFF Forever: When Friendships Go Sour” to help describe why. Attached is an edited version.

The four girls, or the ‘Four Musketeers’ as they called themselves, had been really close friends since Primary School. They did everything together. They shared the good times and the bad; they slept over at each other's houses and seemed really happy. Then one day it all fell apart. Noticing our daughter seemed unusually quiet I asked, "Is everything OK, you seem a little down?" Then it all came tumbling out.

One of the four had decided it was time to say goodbye. She didn't want to be part of that friendship group anymore and had already made overtures to another group that she wanted to be best friends with instead.

But rather than explaining her decision, she chose to break all contact with her former best friends and spread rumours that they had been mean to her and it was they who had outed her from the group. Bewildered and hurt the three girls attempted to rebut the accusations, to no avail. Their frustration led to resentment and anger along with grief that the happy band of four was no more.

Helping our kids deal with relationship issues is an important part of growing up; at any age. As adults we have our previous experience, logic, and reasoning which helps us to keep things in perspective, without resorting to catastrophising or experiencing very intense emotions that can be difficult to contain. That's because the fully mature adult brain uses the pre-frontal cortex (PFC), the thinking part of our brain to help regulate emotion and behaviour.

We know that full cognitive maturity is not achieved until approximately the age of 24 (boys can be a bit later!). This means our kids see their world through a predominantly emotional lens, they feel emotions more intensely than we do and they react more strongly to those emotions because they lack the regulatory mechanisms of a fully developed PFC.

Helping your young person through a difficult time helps them develop a higher level of Emotional Intelligence, which helps them to handle those more complex interpersonal relationships as they get older.

It's hard seeing your child in pain, whether emotional or physical, and it's natural as a parent to want to fix it. What matters though is to not intervene with all guns blazing, as this can make matters worse and doesn't teach young people how to work through a tough time and find their own solutions. It's difficult too if we have a pre-existing relationship with the other parents involved, because the fallout from our kid's friendships can impact everyone.

Helping your child deal with emotional pain

Allow them to grieve. Pain hurts and that's normal. Social pain hurts as much as physical pain because they share common neural pathways. Share with your child that you're sorry they are hurting to help them learn that emotions are normal, and that it's normal too to feel that their whole world has temporarily turned upside down.

Encourage them to step away from the situation

When up close it can get very personal. Encourage your child to look at the situation from the other person's perspective to ease their pain; even though they may not fully understand why the other person acted in the way they did or said those horrid things. This helps them to reframe what happened, elevates empathy and builds resilience to future hurts. What doesn't work is returning fire with fire as it usually only exacerbates emotional pain. A nasty comment on Facebook is best not responded to. However, telling your child to not use social media or to ban access to Facebook or their phone isolates them further and means they can't reach out to their other friends for support.

Offer time and an open ear

Sometimes what helps the most is to just be there. Offering support, affection and encouragement to join in family fun is what counts, as well as being available to just listen when required. It's about understanding, not interrogation. They don't necessarily want solutions or our advice!

Move forward with respect and dignity

A great friendship is a thing of joy, but many will wax and wane for a variety of reasons. Helping your child to celebrate what makes them feel good about any relationship leads to greater acceptance and tolerance of difference. Emotional Intelligence remains a work in progress throughout our lives. It's something that can always be built on and added to. Helping our children develop their Emotional Intelligence equips them to know they will survive when a relationship becomes difficult or falls apart and increases resilience to life's hard times. This has to be one of the greatest gifts as parents we can give to our kids!!

As the School Counsellor I welcome referrals from students and parents to assist with Friendship, Grief, Stress Management, Relaxation, Family, Behaviour, Self-Esteem, Mental health or general coping challenges. Secondary School is full of ups and downs for students and families and this service is provided free and completely confidential.

General Notices:

School Improvement Survey

As in previous years, this year our school will be participating in a School Review and Improvement survey managed by Research Australia Development and Innovation Institute (RADII).

As a College, we encourage all our staff, students and parents to participate in the survey and to be very honest in your responses to the surveys. This survey plays an important part in providing feedback to our College as we continue on our journey of continual school improvement.

Further information regarding the survey is outlined below. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the College.

* Who receives the survey and when is it emailed to parents?

On Monday the 23th July 2017, RADII will send all parents a personalised invitation to complete the survey online. If both parents' email addresses are on file at the school, the invitation will be sent to both parents. However, the survey will close once the first person has completed it.

* How long will the survey take?

The survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. You can complete the survey from anywhere you have access to the internet.

* When do I need to complete the survey by?

The survey will close on Sunday, 12 August 2017 for parents.

* Who receives the information in the answers?

All responses go directly to RADII so they are confidential and anonymous. When the surveys are completed, and responses aggregated by RADII, overall data is sent to us so that we can then share the findings with you.

* What do I do if I have not provided my current email address to the school?

Please contact the school and we will make arrangements for you to be able to complete the survey.

Important Dates:

RADII Survey Opens – Monday 24rd July 2017
RADII Survey Closes for Students and Staff – Sunday 6th August 2017
RADII Survey Closes for Parents – Sunday 13th August

NAPLAN

Dear Parents

As I am sure you are aware from the media coverage, NAPLAN is moving online. This means moving NAPLAN from the current paper-based tests to online -based assessments. In order to prepare for this transition our College will be participating in the upcoming school readiness test, which is being held between 5th – 25th September.

NAPLAN Online will:

• feature tailored testing which gives students questions that are more suited to their ability resulting in better assessment and more precise results as well as providing a more engaging test experience for students
• allow test results to be available within three weeks so teachers can identify learning priorities and meet individual student needs early.

The transition to NAPLAN online will start in 2018 with a subset of schools selected by jurisdictions. Only schools that have demonstrated they meet the minimum technical requirements and have sufficient ICT capacity will undertake NAPLAN Online in 2018. State and territory education authorities are responsible for identifying schools to take part in the school readiness test.

Apart from the school readiness test, all schools, students and teachers can familiarise themselves with NAPLAN Online and the types of technology enhanced questions to be included, by using the public demonstration site available at the website below. Further information about NAPLAN Online including frequently asked questions and answers are available below

Outlined below are a number of frequently asked questions regarding the preparation for and transition to NAPLAN online. If you have any further questions please contact the College to speak to Mr Goodman, Mr Frattini or Miss Smeed.

SCHOOL READINESS TEST 2017

What is the purpose of the school readiness test?

The school readiness test aims to ensure a school is ready to undertake NAPLAN Online the following year. The test will:

• assess whether schools have sufficient ICT capacity (bandwidth, wireless connectivity, devices)
• support schools to trial online assessment administration processes and logistics, and
• provide an initial opportunity for teachers and students to become familiar with the assessment platform and the types of technology-enhanced questions new to NAPLAN Online.

What will the 2017 school readiness test involve?

The school readiness test includes two components: an omnibus test of numeracy, spelling, reading, conventions of language and a separate writing test. Each test will take approximately 1 hour to complete (40 minutes of testing time). The tests will also include a short student survey.

When is the 2017 school readiness test?

Selected schools will participate in the school readiness test during August and September 2017. Further information and exact dates for each school participating in the readiness test will be provided by statue/territory education authorities.

What year levels will be taking the readiness test?

Individual schools are able to decide what year levels will participate.

Will all schools participate in the 2017 readiness test?

No. Each school sector has selected schools based on their ICT capacity to participate.

Will the school readiness test include tailored test design?

No. The questions were selected to demonstrate the different types of technology-enhanced questions possible, to increase familiarity with online assessment and to test school readiness only.

Will there be prior training for schools participating in the readiness test?

Yes. State and Territory school authorities will provide training and support for participating schools.

Will participants receive results and a report?

(NB. This section has been amended following advice from the NAPLAN Online Project Management Office.) A sample report will be available for schools to access. The purpose of the readiness test is to test school readiness to transition to NAPLAN Online.

Does the school need a device for each student?

As will be the case for NAPLAN Online, the school readiness test has a longer testing window than NAPLAN pen and paper and this provides flexibility for schools to schedule the online assessments in such a way that students won’t need to complete the test all at the same time. The capacity planning tool, which is provided as part of the assessment platform below will help schools to schedule tests within the testing window.

Can students use their own devices in the readiness test?

NAPLAN Online supports BYOD (bring your own device) for students. BYOD devices must be secured so students do not have access to unauthorised websites, applications and spell-checking features.

NAP locked-down browser applications are available to support schools in ensuring online assessments run smoothly. Visit the BYOD section on the 'Technical requirements' page of the NAP website

Will students need headphones for the spelling questions?

Yes. There will be some questions with audio and therefore headphones, earphones or earbuds will be required for all students completing the school readiness test. Students will be able to use their own headphones, earbuds or earphones.

What can our school do to prepare for NAPLAN Online?

There are a number of ways in which schools can prepare for transitioning to NAPLAN Online.

• Students: It is important that students are provided with opportunities as part of their schooling to access, and become familiar with the device they will be using for NAPLAN Online. This may not necessarily be the same device they normally use in technology at school. Using ICT should be part of the teaching and learning process for all schools as detailed in the Australian Curriculum. Students can become more familiar with the online test format by using the public demonstration site available below

• Staff: it is important for staff to become familiar with the technology students will use for NAPLAN Online and with the classroom logistics required for online assessment. State and territory education authorities will provide training and resources to support and guide schools.
• ICT infrastructure staff: check that the ICT infrastructure of a school meets the minimum requirements to undertake NAPLAN Online. This will include assessing bandwidth availability and managing bandwidth effectively; improving the wireless connectivity within the school; and ensuring maintenance of devices within schools. Refer to the link below for the minimum technical requirements and NAPLAN Online capacity planning tool.

What will happen after the school readiness test is complete?

State and Territory education authorities will use the outcome of the school readiness testing and the experience of schools, including the identification of any issues arising, to evaluate the readiness of schools to proceed to transition to NAPLAN Online the following year.

Will students’ personal information be safe?

Security and privacy are key requirements for the delivery of national testing. The online assessment platform has been designed to comply with relevant national data security policies and guidelines as well as data encryption standards. It meets the requirements of the Australian Government’s Protective Security Policy framework and Information Security Manual to protect privacy of data.

Assumption College Arts Evening

Assumption College Equestrian Team

The Assumption College Equestrian team has just wrapped up competition at the Inter-School State equestrian titles in Toowoomba. With members doing very well in a hotly contested field of 68 horses and riders. All team members had mixed results, however, cool, calm riding under pressure by Abby Grayson on Bill, saw their combination place just outside the ribbons with a 7th overall. Well done to all members of the ACW Equestrian team.

Shaun Godley

Year 11/12 Hospitality

On Thursday 25th May, the Year 11 and 12 Hospitality Studies Class hosted a cultural buffet. The class worked as a cohesive team to prepare and serve foods from four major cultural areas: China, Europe, India and South America. The 8 students transformed one of the classrooms into a glamorous night out for guests. Students were delighted with the positive feedback received from the invited guests and would like to take the opportunity to thank them for attending.

Woolworths Earn and Learn

Woolworths Earn & Learn program is happening once again this year. This will run from Wednesday, 26th July until Tuesday, 19th September. When you shop at Woolworths you can collect stickers to place on a sticker card. Once the sticker cards are completed they can be placed in a collection box at either the office or Woolies.

When the program finishes all sticker cards will be sent to Woolworths for collation and they will let us know the number of points earned by our school to redeem on resources and equipment.

In past years Assumption College has received excellent resources thanks to the efforts of everyone collecting stickers. Spare sticker cards are available from the office if needed.

Seeking Climate Champions and Signatures

Climate change is already hurting vulnerable communities and making hard lives even harder. It’s the single biggest challenge we face to ending extreme poverty worldwide.

Australia and the world are at a crossroads for tackling climate change. The Earth is warming more rapidly than at any time in human history. We need your help as we petition the Australian Government to take stronger action to protect our communities from the harmful impact of climate change.

This year Caritas Australia and many other faith-based organisations are co-ordinating a huge campaign for climate justice: a multi-electorate, 150-petition campaign involving every MP in the country. We are seeking climate champions to act as Petition Organisers and Principal Petitioners to co-ordinate our action as we stand together across Australia. Together we will send a resounding message to our political leaders that people of faith want climate justice.

If you would like to sign the petition, please add your name and signature to the school copy in the office. To learn more please visit the link below.

Thank you for adding your voice to this important issue.

St Mary’s Catholic Parish:

Community News:

WIRAC - YMCA Squad Training

Sing & Swing at The Salvos

Art @ St Marks

Southern Downs Regional Council Trivia Night

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