13 November 2017

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Message:

By Mr Kort Goodman - Principal

Year 12 Final Week

Today our Year 12 students participated in their final Pastoral Care Class gathering before heading off to Mount Tamborine for the next three days on their end of year retreat. This pastoral care class gathering was an opportunity for the students in Years 7 to 11 to farewell the Year 12 students and to thank them for the support and guidance they have provided the younger students during their senior years. It also provided the Year 12 students the chance to say thank you to their PC teachers and fellow students.

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Year 12 students on the excellent manner in which they have completed the year. They have been respectful of our community and grateful for the efforts of the staff and the opportunities they have been provided with. Well done Year 12 students! Thank you for your contributions during your time as leaders of Assumption College and best wishes for the future.

This week we pray for our Graduates.

College House Leaders for 2018

Congratulations to our elected College House Leaders for 2018. Each of the students who nominated for house leadership positions for 2018 have presented a speech to their peers and been interviewed by their Pastoral Leader. Following on from this process students from their house and staff voted as part of the election process. Congratulations to all of the students who nominated for a position. Your Pastoral Leaders have indicated that your speeches were first class and your responses to the interview questions highlighted the wonderful pride and respect you have for our College, your fellow students and yourselves. Our College House Leaders for 2018 are as follows;

Donovan – Izabella Behr and Riley Doherty
McAuley – Abbey Grayson and Jye Barrett
Rice – Flynn Donaldson and Taegan Inmon
Romero – Grace Parsons and David Kern

Annual Presentation Night

Our Annual Presentation Night which will be held this Thursday 16th November is an opportunity for our College to celebrate the wonderful year we have had in 2017 by reflecting on the events that have occurred. It is also the night when we congratulate a large number of students who have demonstrated excellence in achievement and application across the spiritual, community, academic, cultural, leadership and sporting elements of our College. All students who are receiving an award were provided with a letter informing their family that they are receiving an award and inviting them to join with us on this night. I would also like to extend this invitation to all families of our community to attend this evening to celebrate with us. The Presentation Night is being held at The MacKillop Centre at St Marys Upper Campus starting at 7pm sharp. We thank Mrs Grew and St Mary’s School for allowing us the use of this venue.

Orientation Day

On Tuesday 21st November we will be hosting our Orientation Day for students who are starting school at our College in 2018. This day is a follow up from our two transition days held earlier in the year. These days have a dual purpose in that firstly they are organised to welcome our new community members to Assumption College and to familiarise them with our facilities, routines and procedures. However, the second purpose is by far the most important in that we want all of the students to spend time with their new peers and to meet the staff of the College so that when January rolls around the students are calm and confident about starting at our College. We look forward to welcoming the Year 7 students for 2018 on this day and remind other families who have students entering other year levels, that your children are most welcome on this day as well.

Have a lovely week
Kort

TERM 4 – 2017 DATE CLAIMERS

TERM 1 – 2018 DATE CLAIMERS

Pastoral Care News:

By Mr Craig Frattini, Deputy Principal

Parenting Ideas Insights

When Young People Catastrophise
By Michael Grose

Recently, Deidre (not her real name), a mother of two children, told me how her 13-year-old son would often exaggerate his woes with comments such as “This is the worst day ever” when he came in the door after school. She was seeking my advice on what approach she should take with her son.

Diedre was attuned to her son’s needs. She realised that he had a need to talk about what was on his mind, which put her at odds with her husband who viewed her son as a pessimist. So what approach to take?

Place time limits on pessimism

Her son was more than likely down the pessimist end of the pessimism-optimism continuum. There’s nothing wrong with that although it would very limiting if he saw the world only through a negative lens. Pessimism and optimism are part genetic and part learned so regardless of how sunny and optimistic the adults around them are, some kids are just more prone to seeing the downside in most situations. It’s important to listen to kids but at the same time don’t allow them to wallow in self-pity or go over old, negative ground. Listen to their tale but at some point it’s best to say, “Enough! It’s time to think about other things.”

Cue kids to talk

Children of all ages have a need to talk about their days and get things off their chests. Kids Helpline’s busiest part of the day is the time immediately after school when kids call to talk about problems with teachers and also with peers. It’s healthy for young people to talk to adults to debrief. “The worst day ever” is a type of cue for Deidre’s son to vent. Perhaps Diedre can let her son know that she’s always available to talk and that all he needs to do is say, “Mum, I need to talk”, letting him know that he doesn’t have to be negative in order for her to listen.

Allow kids to vent and be understood

There’s nothing more therapeutic than knowing someone understands you. As a listener that means you need to stop what you are doing and really tune into the feelings behind your child’s venting. If your child is feeling sad, mad or rejected think of a recent time when you felt the same way and share that with them. It will allow you to get on the same wavelength as your child. This takes time and a willingness to be vulnerable, but it is probably what your child wants from you.

Call kids out on extreme black-and-white language

Many young people catastrophise or see situations in extreme terms. “The worst day ever”, “Everyone hates me” and “The teacher never says anything nice to me” are examples of extreme views. The world is rarely so black and white. Challenge extreme language. Wind it back with more realistic responses such as “Yes, it sounds like you’re having a bad day”, “Some people can be unpleasant but you have some terrific friends” or “That teacher can be grumpy sometimes but I think you’ll find he can be reasonable too”.

Encourage kids to show gratitude

If you have a child who constantly brings the negative parts of their day to you then it may be wise to bring some balance to his or her viewpoint. Do this by encouraging them to show some gratitude for the good or positive things that happened to them. Many resilience experts encourage children and young people to keep a gratitude journal. At the end of each day they should note in this journal three things that happened to them that they are grateful for. Not only does this add some much-needed perspective but routinely looking for the good and positive sides of life can become habit forming even for died-in-the-wool negative Nevilles and Nellies.

Deidre’s initial approach – listening to her son when he wanted to talk about his day – was the right one. However, she admitted she was tired of being the sole recipient of her son’s constant negativity. If you can identify with Deidre then I encourage you to be empathetic and understanding but also to have some different strategies at your finger tips to steer your child or young person towards a more positive, more realistic appraisal, not allowing one bad event or incident define their entire day.

Michael Grose

Michael Grose, founder of Parenting Ideas, is one of Australia’s leading parenting educators. He’s the author of 10 books for parents including Thriving! and the bestselling Why First Borns Rule the World and Last Borns Want to Change It, and his latest release Spoonfed Generation: How to raise independent children.

APRE News:

By Mrs Kate Cullen, APRE

Seniors Final Week

Students were farewelled this morning by their Pastoral classes and the House Groups to acknowledge their contributions within areas of school life.

The majority are currently on the So Long Farewell Final Retreat. They will be spending time reviewing their school years and acknowledging how much has happened especially in this last 12 months. The group will return on Wednesday evening after a day at Wet and Wild.

Graduation Mass

Mass begins at 9:30 and we are asking for families to sit opposite and behind the Senior Class who will sit as a group together during the mass. We look forward to seeing family and friends there to help mark the occasion. At the end of the mass Year 7-11 students within House Groups will create an honour guard for the seniors to walk through from the side of the Church up to the front entrance. Families will be asked to move to the front of the Church to get a photo of the students leaving their last official school function walking through the students and staff of Assumption College to begin the next phase in their lives.

We wish families and students all the best for this day and the future.

Christmas Appeal

Last week on assembly, students launched the SVDP Christmas Appeal. Each year we work to make a difference for local families by creating Christmas Hampers. Pastoral Classes each have a clothes basket to work to fill for their families.

Henri Nouwen Reflection: The Mission of the Church

There are more people on this planet outside the Church than inside it. Millions have been baptised, millions have not. Millions participate in the celebration of the Lord's Supper, but millions do not.

The Church as the body of Christ, as Christ living in the world, has a larger task than to support, nurture, and guide its own members. It is also called to be a witness for the love of God made visible in Jesus. Before his death Jesus prayed for his followers, "As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world" (John 17:18). Part of the essence of being the Church is being a living witness for Christ in the world.

Caritas Global Gifts - We are One Human Family

Send a Christmas message to those you love, and support those in need.

When you choose a Global Gift this Christmas, you are bringing a moment of joy and helping create a lifetime of change for some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

This year you can help bring the gift of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love to our one human family around the world. Each Global Gift will go towards supporting our most important work; from responding to emergency situations to supporting education programs and training farmers with new sustainable livelihood techniques.

Share a message of compassion this Christmas – Simply select one of our beautiful Global Gift cards. When you send a Global Gift card to your friends or family, you also share a gift with the world and help support our one human family.

Order Global Gift cards online at: the link below or call us on 1800 024 413

Curriculum News:

By Ms Jen Smeed,, Assistant Principal—Curriculum

Year12

Year 12 exams are now completed. Congratulations to the Year 12’s for finishing their final school assessment block! Key information and upcoming important dates for Year 12 students include:

• A reminder to Year 12 students to ensure they have accessed their Learner Account through the Student Connect website (https://studentconnect.qcaa.qld.edu.au/). Students will need their LUI numbers and password to login and access their OPs from 9 am on Saturday 16th December. Students will be able to access their results more quickly if they have previously activated their learning account.
• SAI’s for all Authority subjects will be published in the breezeway for Year 12’s to view from the 22nd November 2017
• From 9am on Wednesday 15th November students will be able to access their individual QCS Test results – from A to E – in their learning account (on the Student Connect website). These results will also be included in their Senior Statement at the end of the year.
• From 9am on Monday 18th December students will begin receiving their Senior Education Profiles in the mail. Depending on individual student’s circumstances and results, each profile will comprise one or more of the following documents:
     -    QCE
     -   Tertiary Entrance Statement
     -   Senior Statement
     -   Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement.

Year 11

Year 11 Exam block runs from Monday 20th November to Friday 24th November. Exam timetables were recently distributed to students and included an accompanying letter which outlined the protocol for study leave and exam blocks. Please discuss these with your child so that they are aware of expectations. A reminder that if all assessment is not submitted prior to the commencement of exam block, the exam block privileges will be revoked and students will need to remain at school until the required work is complete.

Years 7-11

End of Semester Two reports will be mailed home to parents at the end of the term. Please make sure the College office has your correct postal details.

2018 Year 9 and 10 Students

Students have now been given their elective subject for 2018 letters. These letters outline the subject allocations for your student next year.

Assessment Reminders

A reminder to all students and parents that assessment must be submitted on the draft or due date. If the assessment has not been submitted you will be notified by the teacher either by a text message or a phone call. If the student cannot make it to school, the assessment must be brought into the College Office or alternatively emailed to the teacher (at teacher’s discretion). If the student is ill or unwell a medical certificate is required (senior students) a note from home (junior students), students can then organise extensions when they return to school.

Careers News:

By Mrs Ali Porter, Careers

ASSUMPTION COLLEGE STUDENT PATHWAYS NEWS

Noteworthy items:

• Reminder to students to check their school email accounts for messages regarding apprenticeship, traineeship and employment opportunities
• We are currently taking expressions of interest from current Year 11 students for the GenR8 program in 2018 (please see below).

Congratulations to:

• Nicole Mortison on the completion of her school-based traineeship
• Thomas Randall for his graduation from the GenR8 program.

Well done to both students!

Music and Vocal Workshop

Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University is offering a Tertiary Preparation Workshop (TPW) program in 2018 and registrations for this are open now. This program is open to students from Year 10, 11 and 12 and recommended for those considering applying for entry to a university music degree after Year 12. This program can help students to better prepare for the theoretical and practical requirements of the audition process involved in tertiary application. The workshop runs Monday 2 to Friday 6 July 2018 and provides prospective instrumental and vocal students with an opportunity to work closely with Queensland Conservatorium staff and music industry professionals in the conservatorium facilities at South Bank in Brisbane, Queensland. Students have been emailed more information or can visit the link below:

GenR8 Program – Year 12 2018

Any current Year 11 students interested in participating in the GenR8 program, or wanting more information, should see me as soon as possible as places in the program are limited.

QTAC Applications

Year 12 students applying to university for 2018 are reminded to check carefully the dates of offer rounds and preference deadlines for course applications. Some students are considering moving their preferences around to take advantage of possible early entry offers. Whilst students can do this, they do need to be wary of the due date for which their preferences are required for each university offer round. The offer rounds and due dates are below and can be found in student QTAC Guides and on the QTAC website.

• Offer round 17th November 2017 – change preferences before 14th November 2017
• Offer round 21st December 2017 – change preferences before 18th December 2017 (9.59am)
• Offer round 16th January 2018 – change preferences before 9th January 2018 (4.29pm).

University of Southern Queensland Residential Scholarship

Any Year 12 students considering study at USQ Toowoomba and wanting to live on campus, should check if they are eligible, and possibly apply, for one of the USQ residential scholarships. Applications for these scholarships close on the 17th of November. For more information visit the link below:

School-based Traineeship Vacancy

Currently a school-based traineeship is available in hospitality at a local business. Any current Year 10 or 11 students interested in a qualification and work in the hospitality industry are encouraged to apply. To register their interest students should see me at the careers office at the college.

AEPP

The Accelerated Entry Pathway Program (AEPP) (formerly known as the Tertiary Preparation Program Intensive Pathway - TPPIP) is an intensive program offered over Semester 3 (December/January) at the University of Southern Queensland. The program assists students to develop their academic skills before they start a degree. The AEPP is suitable for students who:

• Want to gain entry to a degree program at USQ
• Want an introduction to how to study at university level
• Want to find out more about university to see if it is for them
• Did not undertake an OP at school and want to go to university
• Are unsure if their OP will get them into the USQ program they want to do.

AEPP is a fee-free program for Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens residing in Australia, or those holding a Permanent Humanitarian Visa. Successful completion of AEPP will provide students with the English subject pre-requisite required for USQ degrees and ensure they are eligible to apply for a range of USQ undergraduate degrees. In the course students complete two subjects designed to help them transition into university studies. Students are expected to attend two, two-week on-campus workshops, in addition to completing study at home/online in between. For more information please visit the link below:

Please visit the link below for more comprehensive careers and pathways information and news

Learning Support News:

By Mrs Karyn Byrne, Learning Support

Sport News

By Mrs Julie Collins, Program Leader Sport

Soccer

Assumption College Warwick supplied a player, Lisa-Marie Henry for the St Joseph’s Stanthorpe team which played in the SSI Red Lions Cup Soccer Competition. Lisa-Marie was a very welcome addition to the team and bolstered the St Joey’s defensive backline. This competition is made up of Schools/Colleges in Toowoomba and the surrounding districts and included 15 teams in the girl’s section. Lisa-Marie assisted the St Joseph’s Stanthorpe team to go through the whole competition undefeated and then they went on to beat The Glennie School in the Semi-finals. To go through the carnival and Semi-Finals undefeated, is a remarkable feat and we would like to thank and acknowledge the whole team.

On Wednesday 01/11/2017, the girls team travelled to Harristown State High School in Toowoomba to compete in the Grand Final against St Ursula’s College. After a sluggish start we began to build some good ball movement and this resulted in a lot of end-to-end football. Thanks to some strong defence, we were able to keep it at nil all, but with about 10 minutes to go in the first half, St Ursula’s put in a great goal against us. We went to the break, down 1-nil. The break was the catalyst to wake us up and again thanks to the ball movement created by our midfield and forwards, we slotted a goal to draw level. Our strong defence continued up until the last 10 minutes when we started to tire and we made some required substitutions. At this point we allowed another goal against us, to bring the score to 2-1 to St Ursula’s. This spurred the St Ursula’s team into action, with them scoring 3 goals in quick succession. We ended up with a hard fought 5-1 loss, with that score line not being a true reflection of the game itself.

Overall, this was an outstanding effort for the St Joseph’s Stanthorpe team. A special thank you to Lisa-Marie Henry who was invited to play for the St Joseph’s Stanthorpe team and thank you to St Joseph’s Stanthorpe for allowing this young woman to play on their team. She was certainly an asset to their team and she was made to feel welcome and a real part of the team.

This is the inaugural year for our College, competing in this code of football and we look forward to being able to build on our involvement in the game over the next few years.

Confraternity News

The 2018 Assumption Confraternity players going through their some preseason drills under the watchful eye of NRL Jim Stevens. The boys have been involved in a 6 week program, a big thank you to Jim Stevens.

Business News:

By Mr Scott Clegg, Business Manager.

Just a reminder that Term 4 school fees are due 10th November. Also please make sure all Textbook hire forms have been returned to the school as soon as possible.

General Notices:

Kindness Crew

Last Tuesday saw the official hand-over of $350 – raised during Catholic Education week by the 2017 Kindness Crew, through a bake-sale and selling of ribbons. The homegrown charity that benefited this year was Days for Girls – which has an active branch in Allora. Mrs Rosemary Easton accepted the money on behalf of the local group and spoke to the small but passionate Assumption College group about how the charity provides for girls overseas - providing them with menstrual health kits and allowing the girls to have some dignity and confidence in their lives. Thank you to the school community for supporting the activities during Catholic Education Week – a great opportunity to share in the journey.

2017 Rodeo Sponsor’s Dinner

Last Thursday evening, four Year 10 Home Economics students volunteered their time to assist at the 2017 Rodeo Sponsor’s dinner. This was a very busy evening for Nathanial Ryan, Chris Henderson, Jess Botha and Holly Kelly, who assisted in the plating and serving of finger foods to the 200+ patrons. The students thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to assist and were complimented on their manners and professionalism, by both patrons and organisers.

Socktober Day

Thank to you all staff and students who supported Socktober Day – some of our students pictured below show off their colourful socks to Dr Patrick Coughlan, Executive Director; Catholic Schools Diocese of Toowoomba.

Riding For The Disabled Breakup

Thank you to our Junior Students who supported Riding For The Disabled this year – it was wonderful to see these students volunteer their time for this cause. A break up was held last week to thank these students for their efforts throughout the term. Well done!

St Mary’s Catholic Parish:

Community News:

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