28 November 2017

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Message:

By Mr Kort Goodman - Principal

Dear Parents

Just recently when fossicking through some notebooks that I have scribbled down sayings and the like in, I came across a quote that I believe is a good insight into life: “Life is not about being better than someone else. It is about striving to be better than you used to be.” Author Unknown.

St Augustine had another good insight when he wrote: “When people choose to withdraw far from a fire, the fire continues to give warmth, but they grow cold. When people choose to withdraw far from the light, the light continues to be bright in itself but they are in darkness. This is also the case when people withdraw from God.”

And withdraw from God we all do, not out of disbelief necessarily, but mostly out of forgetfulness, because we are just too busy with the rest of life. Take for example the Bethlehem Innkeeper who told Mary and Joseph that there was no room for them in his inn. This did not mean that he was a bad person; he was just very busy taking care of his customers, providing for their needs and keeping the peace. Unfortunately, when the most important birth in history took place in his backyard, he missed it entirely, not because he was a bad person, he was just too busy.

With Christmas just around the corner, we might be too busy to give attention to what we are actually commemorating. Those who live “by the cash register” will do everything they can to keep our attention on our wallets and purses. The Three Wise Men seem to have had the true understanding of the Christmas event. They spent many weeks in anticipation as they travelled from their homeland to Bethlehem. When they arrived, their purpose was to honour the newborn child and out of courtesy they brought one gift each.

We, too, have the opportunity for a period of anticipation in the Season of Advent which will be soon upon us. Advent invites us to prepare for the commemoration of God’s coming by taking time to have a closer look inside ourselves away from the busy outside. This looking inside is not about remorse or regret, nor about listing ways life over the past year could have been different; it’s not about wishing we were better people. It’s about forward movement, getting new bearings, relying more on God for directions. It’s about a fresh start, getting closer to the “fire” and the “light” that are God’s love and compassion.

On behalf of the Assumption College community I would like to wish you all a happy, safe and holy Christmas break.

Presentation Night

Congratulations to all of the students who either performed or received awards at our Presentation Night. The evening was a great celebration of the year that has been. Events like this do not just happen and again it is a testament to the amazing efforts that our staff and students put in outside of our core business. A massive thank you to the staff, but in particular Mrs Broderick, Mrs Bacon, Mrs Newley, Mrs Stevens and Mr Fern. Thank you to Mr Schultz, Miss Timms and Mrs Searson for their work in preparing the performers. I would also like to thank St Mary’s Primary School for allowing us to use the MacKillop Centre for the evening.

Have a lovely week

Kort

TERM 1 – 2018 DATE CLAIMERS

Pastoral Care News:

By Mr Craig Frattini, Deputy Principal

Parenting Ideas Insights

How Independence-Building is The Pathway to Your Teen’s Resilience
By Michael Grose

Parents and teachers often ask me how to build resilience in teens. My response is always the same: “Start by building independence and resilience will follow.” Here’s how.

Children are hardwired for independence

Some time around the age of fifteen months, give or take three months, most children will make a strong case for self-sufficiency. They demand to do things their own way. This demand is soon backed by a strong voice – “NOOOO!” – and then more articulate cries of “I can do it!” as their third birthday approaches.

This is the time to harness your child’s push for independence and self-sufficiency. Their desire for independence and mastery over their immediate environment will see most children take incredible physical risks in the form of play and exploration of that environment. Concerned parents will naturally minimise risks by moving furniture around, keeping doors closed and hiding sharp implements, to name a few protective measures.

But parents can’t eradicate all risks. Kids will fall and hurt themselves … but they’ll also get up and go again. In time, they’ll learn to assess situations, stare down their fears and test themselves out in new situations. Falling down, brushing yourself off and trying again is part of the natural learning experience for most young children. Parents don’t have to do much more than assess a situation for real dangers, then stand back and allow their kids to explore their environments, pulling them up only when their play and explorations transgress the rights and peace of others.

So what’s this got to do with resilience?

Well, everything really. Independence is the pursuit of mastery over one’s self and one’s environment and rarely happens without mishaps and mistakes. It nearly always involves hurt, hardship, frustration and fear. That’s where resilience comes in. Resilience is the art of bouncing forward after experiencing these hurts, hardships, frustrations and fears. Resilience is what comes from seeking out self-sufficiency and independence.

The language of independence

The fact that there’s a whole genre of language devoted to resilience (mostly cloaked in cliché) is no accident. Terms such as “Get back on the bike/horse when you fall off”, “Come on, brush yourself off and get on with it” or “What doesn’t kill you makes you strong” are built into the psyche of past generations. Many parents today will cringe at these terms as they appear a little callous and out of touch. Conversely most current parents’ relationship with risk and adventure – both required for independence-building – is very tenuous at best, non-existent at worst.

Therein lies the challenge. I haven’t met a parent, carer or teacher who doesn’t want the teenagers in their care to develop resilience that will last a lifetime. Yet many of those same adults will block the pathway to teen’s resilience by over-indulging them, solving their problems and not giving them real responsibility. In doing so they deny kids the sense of mastery that comes from sorting out their own problems, getting themselves out of jams and getting up after a fall.

You can never love your kids too much, but you can love them helplessly. That’s what happens when we deny teenagers the opportunity to become truly independent and self-sufficient. Deny self-sufficiency and you block a teen’s resilience. Develop real independence and you open a pathway to resilience that will last a lifetime.

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

2017 Thank you

Thank you to all families who supported the religious life of the College this year. I hope you were able to attend a morning tea or breakfast during the year as part of the thank you for your support and acknowledgement of how important you are in our student’s lives.

Thank you to all students who actively participated in, helped prepare, volunteered to present, helped to organise, made donations, promoted across the following parts of College life: prayers, liturgies, masses, retreats, supported fund raising events, promoted social justice issues and awareness of important community events etc.

And thank you to all staff who do many different jobs to contribute to the smooth running of the religious life of the College.

Year 11, Senior Camp 2018 Letters

Please return your forms to indicate if you will be attending the Still Life Retreat at the start of 2018.

Henri Nouwen Reflection: Unity in the Heart of God

Love unites all, whether created or uncreated. The heart of God, the heart of all creation, and our own hearts become one in love. That's what all the great mystics have been trying to tell us through the ages. Benedict, Francis, Hildegard of Bingen, Hadewijch of Brabant, Meister Eckhart, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Dag Hammarskjöld, Thomas Merton, and many others, all in their own ways and their own languages, have witnessed to the unifying power of the divine love. All of them, however, spoke with a knowledge that came to them not through intellectual arguments but through contemplative prayer. The Spirit of Jesus allowed them to see the heart of God, the heart of the universe, and their own hearts as one. It is in the heart of God that we can come to the full realisation of the unity of all that is, created and uncreated.

Curriculum News:

By Ms Jen Smeed,, Assistant Principal—Curriculum

Year 12 QCS Test Results

Congratulations to all the students who sat the QCS test. The results are very good and reflect the effort and dedication of the students of the QCS cohort. In 2015, 80% of the students who sat the test received C grade or better; in 2016, 86% of the students received a C grade or better; this year 90% of the cohort received a C grade or better (18% - As, 28% - Bs and 44% - Cs). An excellent outcome and improvement. Well done Year 12 students!

End of Semester Assessment Block

Congratulations to all students in years 7-11 on completing their exams and assignments for both the semester and the entire school year.

Semester Two Reports

Please make sure the college office has your current mailing address as reports will be sent home during the first week of the holidays.

Thank You

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire Assumption College community for making me welcome over the past three terms. It has been a wonderful experience getting to know, and working with the students, staff and parents. I wish the College all the best for 2018 and beyond.

Careers News:

By Mrs Ali Porter, Careers

ASSUMPTION COLLEGE STUDENT PATHWAYS NEWS

Noteworthy items:

• End of year monitoring has taken place for our ongoing TAFE students and school-based trainees and apprentices
• We are currently taking expressions of interest from current Year 11 students for the GenR8 program in 2018 (please see below)
• Don’t forget the Southern Downs Job Expo on November 28th (being held by Southern Downs Regional Council at the Warwick RSL, 4pm-8pm).

Congratulations To:

• Abbey Minogue, Jacob Thorne, Matthew Bell and Jane Morris on the successful completion of their school-based traineeships and apprenticeships
• Bella Millard, Braedan Mann, Breeanna Clark, Emily Guy, Jack McIvor, Samual Frattini and Tom Lloyd on the conversion of their school-based apprenticeships and traineeships to full or part-time for 2018.

GenR8 Program – Year 12 2018

Any current Year 11 students interested in participating in the GenR8 program, or wanting more information, should contact me as soon as possible as places in the program are limited. There will be a parent and student information session (held by the Department of Education & Training) early in 2018.

Best Wishes!

I sincerely hope that the school holiday break is positive and joyous for students and families. I know that over this time, many of our students, including our Year 12 Graduates, will be completing work experience, looking to find apprenticeships, secure places in tertiary study or gain employment and I sincerely wish those students the best with these endeavours. I wish to all a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year.

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

Sport News

By Mrs Julie Collins, Program Leader Sport

Congratulations to the ACW Hockey Teams who played in a Gala Day in Toowoomba last week. The Division 1 team won the final and Division 2 came second in a count back. Thank you to Mrs Toni Cox who accompanied and coached the teams and to the students for your excellent behaviour on the day.

The College Swimming Carnival will be held on Thursday 25 January next year. Sports dates will be available in Term 1 2018, once confirmation of Border District and Southern Downs dates have been finalised.

Thank you to College Staff for your support throughout the year with sporting interruptions, I know the students appreciate these opportunities and your support.

Thank you also to students for the way in which you conducted yourselves at various trials, your positive behaviour is appreciated.

Sports Dates

General Notices:

St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal

Thank you to Assumption College students and staff for their generous support to the St. Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal. As a College, we raised just over $700.00, which went towards meat, fruit and vegetable vouchers as well as food staples and gifts. Students and staff donated many items, food, books, toiletry items and toys for various families and individuals within our community. Christmas is a time for giving and considering others less fortunate. We commend our students on their substantial contribution and thank them for their efforts.

ITD Projects

During Semester 2 Year 10 students have been busy researching, planning, and constructing their major ITD project for the year, this being the following coffee tables. Much was learned and students came across a few unforeseen difficulties but through hard work, all students completed the attached tables to a standard that even surprised themselves! All students should be extremely proud of the tables they constructed.

Year 11 had a semester of researching and constructing group projects, and the following dog kennel and cubby house designs were selected. Students worked well as groups and began to realise by the end of the project just how much organisation and planning helps to process a build faster and not to mention to a much higher quality. These kennels and the one cubby house are now up for sale with all proceeds going back into tools and accessories for the ITD workshop.

IT Laptop Information Night

On Wednesday 24 January at 5:30pm, we will be holding IT Device Information nights for the Parents/Guardians of all students receiving a Laptop Device in order to improve student and parent understanding of their IT Device.

During this information night, we will be informing parents and students of when they will receive their device, as well as covering a number of topics relating to the device and its usage within the College.

This will include:

• Device demonstration and specifications
• Protection strategy
• Estimated Repair and Replacement Costs
• What not to do list (Hardware and Software)
• Included Software and Office365 Overview
• Access and Usage Restrictions
• Question Time

Before students can receive their device, they must attend this information night so that they are aware of and familiar with the functionality and expectations surrounding the Laptop.

IT Ipad Information Night

On Tuesday 23 January at 5:30pm, we will be holding IT Device Information Nights in order to provide a baseline student and parent understanding of their iPad and its intended usage.

During this information night, we will be informing parents and students of when they will receive their device, as well as covering a number of topics relating to the device and its usage within the College.

This will include:

• Device demonstration and specifications
• Protection strategy
• Estimated Repair and Replacement Costs
• What not to do list (Hardware and Software)
• Included Software and Office365 Overview
• Access and Usage Restrictions
• Question Time

Before students can receive their device, they must attend this information night so that they are aware of and familiar with the functionality and expectations surrounding the iPad.

Year 12 Graduation

Congratulations to our Year 12’s who graduated last Friday. We wish you all the very best in your future endevours!

Uniform Shop

If any families have any uniforms or blazers no longer required, these can be dropped into the office to be sold through the uniform shop. Uniforms can currently be sold on commission, or donated to the uniform shop with all proceeds going directly to the P&F.

The uniform shop will be open the week prior to school on the following days:

Wednesday 17th January: 7am – 3pm
Thursday 18th January: 7am – 3pm
Saturday 20th January: 8am – 11am

Year 8 Home Economics

The Year 8 Home Economics students have produced some amazing pencil cases this term – the quality just keeps getting better and better. Well done students on your great efforts this term!

St Marys Kindergarten

St Mary’s Catholic Parish:

Community News:

Summer Reading Club

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