8 June 2018

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Message:

By Mr Kort Goodman - Principal

Just recently I was reading the article below from Luke McKenna who is the founder of the “Unleashing Personal Potential,” (Growth Mindset) program we are working to embed at our College. Then I thought that given the phase of the term that we are in and the topic of the last newsletter where I wrote about, “Striving for our best academically – be good today – but better tomorrow,” it would be worthwhile sharing some of the information from the article. I hope that you find it beneficial.

GETTING 'IN THE ZONE"- FINDING FLOW By Luke McKenna

"Flow is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity" (Csikszentmihályi,2013).

"Flow is an optimal state of consciousness where we feel our best and perform our best. It is total absorption in a task and total focus" (Kotler, 2015).

Have you ever lost track of time or been totally absorbed in a task? You may have been in a flow state, which is characterised by:

• Intense and focused concentration on the present moment
• Merging of action and awareness
• A loss of reflective self-consciousness
• A sense of personal control over the activity
• A distortion of temporal experience, one's subjective experience of time is altered
• Experience of the activity as intrinsically rewarding (rewarding for it's own sake- not particularly for an outcome)

What Causes Flow To Happen?

So what can we do as educators and parents to create optimal learning conditions, and what factors are conducive to flow? There are 3 main conditions that can lead to flow:

• Clear goals and purpose- In class it makes sense that teachers identify and articulate learning objectives and success criteria at the start of a lesson and for parents it makes sense that we have set routines and purpose for homework and study sessions. Setting goals with our children and students leads to a greater sense of purpose and focus.
• Clear, immediate feedback- Feedback does not only need to be from the teacher- it may be peer to peer, or most often, students would get feedback from their progress on the task at hand and from their parents. It is important to note that it is very difficult to get feedback from progress on completing tasks or completing set homework or study when they don’t have a clear goal / purpose / learning objective / set amount of study time to shoot for.
• A balance of challenge and skills- This emphasises the need for differentiation in our classrooms, as the aim is to match the challenge to the perceived skills, to ensure that each student is able to “stretch” their skills. A slight stretch is best. This is the same for homework and study time. As parents we need to work on students beginning to develop the good habits and not expecting them to immediately be able to flick a switch and study for extended periods.

Finally, let’s be clear, teachers and parents cannot create a flow state within their students. However, they can create environments where the flow state is more likely to occur by providing clear goals, feedback and challenges that match the student’s perceived skill. When they get students in their flow state, the neurochemical bomb that is created could lead to higher outcomes. One other consideration- flow is highly contagious. So flow environments could be key to high quality learning environments.

Naplan Survey

ONLINE NOW

Closes 15 June
Estimated time to complete the survey is 10 minutes

Background

The Queensland Department of Education has instigated a review to identify the key issues being raised in the Queensland community, specifically by parents, about NAPLAN. This review sits within the broader context of a larger review to be undertaken at a future date on the impact of NAPLAN on teaching and learning. The Department has engaged independent reviewers, Dr Gabrielle Matters and Dr Robert Lake, to consult with parents and parent organisations from the three schooling sectors – State, Catholic and Independent – to ensure that a broad range of opinions are captured. The reviewers will analyse the information collected and produce a report by 4 July.

The present NAPLAN review is confined to the following topics:

• impact of NAPLAN testing on students, including student wellbeing
• impact of NAPLAN testing on teachers
• value and benefit of NAPLAN
• unintended consequences of the current NAPLAN testing
• usefulness of NAPLAN results
• understanding of the composition and content of NAPLAN tests.

We would highly encourage our parents and caregivers to complete this survey.

Student Protection at Assumption College Warwick

One of the most important concerns of our school community is the health, safety and wellbeing of our students. Assumption College has a number of specific child protection responsibilities which are detailed in the Student Protection Processes and Guidelines, available on the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Website along with other information for parents and caregivers:

At our school, we also have 5 staff members who can assist with student protection concerns. These staff members are called School Student Protection Contacts (SSPC’s) and you will see their names and photographs on posters around the school. Our SSPC’s for 2018 are Mr Craig Frattini (Deputy Principal), Mrs Jenny Gillespie (School Counsellor), Mrs Julie Collins (Donovan House Pastoral Leader), Ms Suzy Krause (Teacher) and Mr Kort Goodman (Principal). Students can speak to any of these 5 staff members if they have any worries about their own safety or wellbeing, or that of a friend or classmate. We thank these staff members for undertaking this important role in our school.

Have a lovely week
Kort

Term 2 – 2018 Date Claimers

Term 3 – 2018 Date Claimers

Pastoral Care News:

By Mr Craig Frattini, Deputy Principal

Promoting safe behaviours and awareness when online has been a key focus and discussion topic for our College in pastoral classes this term. This was particularly highlighted by having Brett Lee from Internet Safe Education visit our College providing student, staff and parent information sessions across a range of topics.

Brett and the Internet Safe Education team deliver sessions and training worldwide in the field of digital compliance, internet education and awareness and having over 20 years’ experience as a detective in the field of child exploitation, Brett has engaged over 100 000 people each year in his presentations.

Topics discussed across the sessions included:

Balancing Online Time
Digital Reputation
Protecting Personal Information
Social Networking
Cyber Abuse
Offensive or Illegal Content
Sexting
Unwanted Contact
Cyberbullying
Online Gaming
Social Engineering

Brett’s sessions have received excellent feedback from students, staff, parents and community members. I would encourage parents and carers to engage in discussions around all of these topics with your children. If you would like to access further information on any of these topics, please go to the following links:

As a College we are promoting and discussing the following:

5 Key Messages and Actions for Technology at ACW

1. COMMUNICATION - If it doesn’t feel right, if you don’t feel comfortable, if you don’t feel safe; talk to someone about it!
2. CLEAR RULES & BOUNDARIES – Teachers & parents have clear expectations about the use of technology and devices; WHAT, WHEN, WHERE & HOW LONG
3. STAY UP TO DATE – Be aware of your security settings and location services for all applications.
4. FILTERS & INTERNET PROTECTION – These are important both at school and at home.
5. TEACHERS & PARENTS HAVE THE FINAL DECISION – Technology and devices are wonderful; however, teachers and parents must help regulate their use. WHAT, WHEN, WHERE & HOW LONG

APRE News:

By Mrs Kate Cullen, APRE

Real Talk Letters – Year 7 and 9

Last week students in year 7 and 9 were given a letter regarding Real Talk presentations that will be happening on the 20th of June. Spare copies of these letters are in the office but they have been added to the website for parents to access. It is a normal school day for students with the presentations happening in the hall during normal lesson times. Year 7 will attend in Lessons 1 and 2, and the Year 9 students will gather as a cohort in Lessons 3 & 4 and then separate into two groups for the afternoon. Please contact the College if you have any questions.

Henri Nouwen Reflection: Claiming the Identity of Jesus

When we think about Jesus as that exceptional, unusual person who lived long ago and whose life and words continue to inspire us, we might avoid the realisation that Jesus wants us to be like him. Jesus himself keeps saying in many ways that he, the Beloved Child of God, came to reveal to us that we too are God's beloved children, loved with the same unconditional divine love.

John writes to his people: "You must see what great love the Father has lavished on us by letting us be called God's children - which is what we are." (1 John 3:1). This is the great challenge of the spiritual life: to claim the identity of Jesus for ourselves and to say: "We are the living Christ today!"

Curriculum News:

By Mrs Anna Hardy, Assistant Principal—Curriculum

Elective Preferences

Last week, Year 10 students received their preference forms via email for elective subjects in Semester 2. Please note that students will be allocated to these classes in order of return of preference forms. This form must be electronically signed by the student and the parent/guardian before the preferences are lodged. If you are unsure of how to do this or cannot access the form to sign, please contact me at the College office to assist. Students will be notified of the subjects they have been allocated at the end of the online process. If the classes are full, the student will be waitlisted and required to select another option. Do not hesitate to contact me if there are any issues with this process. I am happy to help students complete the form. They are also welcome to discuss options and pathways with myself, Mrs Sharp or Mrs Porter.

Year 12 QCS Students

Year 12 QCS students (all OP eligible students), will attend a Mighty Minds workshop in week 11. These workshops are valuable for students sitting the QCS test and it is an expectation that students attend all facets of the College QCS program. Therefore, when making out-of-school appointments for students it is asked that QCS and Mighty Minds workshop days are avoided. This will allow our students the best preparation and the opportunity to perform as well as possible on the QCS test. The next mighty Minds workshop is on Monday 25th June with QCS practice tests occurring on Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th June.

End of Semester Reports

These will be posted to parents on the last week of term. If anyone has had a recent change of address we would appreciate it if you could notify our College office as soon as possible to ensure that all student reports reach the correct destination.

Tutoring

Tutoring runs Thursday afternoon from 3:15pm-4:15pm in the library. All students are welcome.

Exam Block

Year 11 and 12 students will begin their exam block in week 9. Exams run from Wednesday 13th June to Wednesday 20th June, with two exam sessions happening each day. Students have received their exam timetables via email. This week students will also receive a letter for both students and parents regarding study leave. Year 11 and 12 students do not have to attend school unless they have an exam. Students that have outstanding assessment will not be granted study leave, if your student is in this situation a letter will be forwarded home with the details. When in attendance normal school uniform and expectations apply. We ask that students use this study leave for its intended purpose and respect the responsibility given to them during this time. In regards to exams we ask that students follow the exam procedures (including having all required equipment), arrive 10 minutes early for scheduled sessions and do their best.

ICAS Tests

Congratulations to the students who sat the ICAS Science Test. We wish all students undertaking this test the best of luck. The ICAS Maths test will be sat on 14th August and the ICAS English test on 24th August. Entries for these exams have now closed. Those students the tests will be contacted via email and the morning notices to give them further details.

Careers News:

By Mrs Ali Porter, Careers

Assumption College Student Pathways News

Noteworthy items:

• University Open Days have begun! A calendar of these and other careers events available at www.acwcareers.com.
• Work experience information packs have been sent home with Year 10 students – see below for more information
• Tertiary Studies Expo coming up soon – highly recommended for Year 12 students!
• Date claimer: white card course being held for students on the 28th of June.

Congratulations to…

Grace Neilsen, Lachlan Venz and Clare Ramsey on their recent sign-ups into school-based traineeships and apprenticeships. I would like to thank King Street Mechanical, Warwick Veterinary Clinic and Treasure Island Clifton Community Childcare association for providing these great opportunities to these students.

Please see the photos below for photos of these sign-ups and others from the year so far….

Congratulations also to Joseph Hume, Brody Weier and Zachary Balfour for their successful completion of the recent ‘Trade Taster’ program. This was a two-day program held at the Warwick TAFE campus that gave these students a ‘taste’ of training and work in the heavy vehicle and agricultural industries.

Year 10 Work Experience

Year 10 students have the opportunity to complete work experience this year in the last week of Term 3 (17th to 21st of September). Year 10 classes will not run in that week in the hope that all students attend work experience. The aim of such work experience is to give students the opportunity to develop their employability skills and their understanding of the world of work and career pathways. Students have had a session at school that outlined the process involved in organising work experience and approaching organisations. They have also been provided with a work experience pack that includes a letter and information for parents about the college work experience program. Students themselves are encouraged to approach organisations and have been provided with a letter of introduction to use when talking to local employers. Any students who are unsure about the process can refer to the tips provided in school sessions and in the booklet provided to them, or are welcome to see me also. Please note that if any students are looking for placement at a local school or with local council they have been advised to let me know and do not need to make their request directly to these organisations. I am hoping that work experience placements and agreement forms are completed by early Term 3.

White Card Course

The College would like to offer Year 10, 11 & 12 students the opportunity to participate in the ‘Work Safely in the Construction Industry’ course. Successful completion of the course is awarded with a ‘Construction White Card’. This card & course are mandatory requirements under Queensland's Workplace Health & Safety Regulation 2008 for all persons wishing to carry out construction type work or frequenting a construction site. Therefore, any students wanting to complete work experience, obtain employment or secure a traineeship or apprenticeship in a trade involving construction or work on a construction site, will need to have successfully completed the accredited course and obtained their ‘white card’. Such trades that would require the card could include structural steel erection, carpentry, bricklaying, concreting, plumbing, electrical, tiling and painting etc. We are offering the white card course to students on the 28th of June at a cost of $65 per student. A letter will be provided to interested students in coming days and permission slips will need to be returned by the 19th of June so that course numbers can be ascertained.

Upcoming Careers Events:

• Date claimer: Tertiary Studies Expo July 21st and 22nd
• Year 10 Work Experience week scheduled for the 17th to 21st of September
• General Construction Safety ‘White Card’ Course scheduled for the 28th of June
• Date claimer: Warwick Careers Expo is being held on the 24th of July.

Sport News:

By Mrs Julie Collins, Program Leader Sport

Athletics Carnival

The Inter-house carnival will be held on Thursday 21 June and Friday 22 June.

• Thursday 21 June – Hamilton Oval 8:45am start. Students are to make their own way to and from the oval.
• Friday 22 June – Suburbs JRLFC fields. Students will attend school for PC and be bused to and from the fields.
• A canteen will be available on both days.
• The 1500m event will be run upon the completion of events on Thursday – if you wish to compete, please be aware it may conclude after 3pm.

Darling Downs Sport Representatives

The following students have been selected in various Darling Downs Teams this year. We wish these students every success at their next trials.

Congratulations to all students who have attended trials or been selected in representative teams this year.

Sports Dates

ACW Equestrian Team

Recently on the 27th of May 2018, year 12 student Abby Grayson competed for the ACW Equestrian Team at the Scots PGC Show jumping Interschool event held at Morgan Park. This event was a crucial event as it was used as a qualifier event for the Queensland State Championships to be held later in the year. Abby and her mount ‘Casanova’s Pride’ competed in the 1.10cm show jumping class. Riding strongly throughout the day against a strong field of competitors with clear rounds placed Abby and Casanova’s Pride 3rd in the A2 round and 4th in the AM7 round. At the end of competition, this found Abby in overall 6th place in a highly competitive field of horses and riders. We are also happy to report that with these placings Abby and “Casanova’s Pride” have qualified to compete at the State Championships for Assumption College Equestrian Team. We wish Abby and her mount all the best in their up and coming events.

Library News:

By Mrs Mary-anne Driver

Chess Championship

Students have been invited to compete in this year’s Toowoomba District Individual Junior Chess Championship. This exciting event is taking place on Saturday, June 16 (5:30pm – 9:00pm) & Sunday, June 17 (1:00pm – 5:00pm). This is a wonderful opportunity for any students interested in the game of chess to advance their skills and be in the running for some great prizes! Entry is $25 per student and parents / carers are required to accompany students to the event and supervise their participation. Entry forms are available at the library, or by contacting the organiser directly on zacpomerenke@gmail.com.

Lego Coding

Each Wednesday until the end of term there will be an opportunity for students to learn basic coding using the college’s Lego collection. As part of the STEM learning enrichment the students use the Lego to build a 3D maze. They then have to use the programing cards to send the Lego mini-figurine through the maze. While there are simple ways to do this, it takes many steps and instructions so the aim is to learn the more functional ‘IF’ and ‘ELSE’ functions to reduce the number of steps. This learning occurs within the play based experience of keeping our Lego figurine out of danger. In our first week we had 7 students give it a try with varying levels of success. All students are welcome to join us on Wednesdays in the library.

Business News:

By Mr Scott Clegg, Business Manager.

Canberra final payments are due 11th June – please make sure all outstanding money is paid by this date.

School Fees were due on 31st May. Term 2 school fees were emailed to most parents as this is our preferred method of communication. If you did not receive your school fees please contact the school office.

General Notices:

Year 12 Legal Studies & Year 10 Business & Civics Excursion

On Friday the 25th of May the Year 12 Legal Studies class and the Year 10 Business & Civics class visited the Supreme Court in Brisbane. We saw real trials, appeals and sentencing, and were able to see what we had been learning in class applied in context. For the seniors, this meant seeing how barristers use specific sections of legislation to justify their reasoning. We also had the opportunity to watch Judge Jarro, Queensland's first indigenous District Court judge in action delivering verdicts. Unexpectedly we met a barrister who had worked on the Deirdre Kennedy case in the 80s and were able to ask him questions about the changes to the double jeopardy laws that we had learnt about in class.

Premier’s Reading Challenge

This year Assumption College is participating in the Premier’s Reading Challenge as part of the learning enrichment program. The Premier's Reading Challenge is not a competition, but a way to encourage students to develop a love of reading for life. Through the challenge children and students are given an opportunity to develop their appreciation of the English language, and additional languages, and are encouraged to explore and enjoy a wide range of literary texts. Students who complete the challenge have their efforts recognised through the receipt of a Certificate of Achievement signed by the Premier of Queensland. Early childhood centres will also receive a centre-wide certificate of recognition for their involvement. The requirement for Year 7, 8 & 9 is to read 15 books and they are required to record the books they read on the School Reader Record Form. This form then needs to be signed by a parent/carer or teacher. If your child would like to participate they can speak to Mrs Wooding or Mrs Leslie to register and get a record form.

Year 7 Science Excursion

As part of the Ecosystems unit in Term 1 and the Earth and Space unit in Term 2, Year 7 science students attended an excursion to the Brisbane Botanical Gardens and the Planetarium at Mt Coot-tha. Students went on a tour around the gardens classifying different types of plants, some native and some introduced species, as well as classifying different types of insects and organisms that were collected from the garden’s own pond. They also observed eels, ducks, turtles and a range of lizards and birds. The trip finished off in the planetarium where students observed different features within the southern hemisphere night sky and located Jupiter, Venus and other constellations.

School Improvement Survey

This year our school will be participating in a School Review and Improvement Survey managed by Research Australia Development and Innovation Institute (RADII). As well as school staff and students from Years 7 - 12, all parents are invited to participate in the survey. The survey provides valuable feedback for the future directions of our school.

It would be appreciated if parents could update their contact details prior to the 24 June 2018. This will ensure delivery to the correct parent email address.

On Monday the 30 July 2018, 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. If you do not wish to complete the survey, simply delete it.

The survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. You can complete the survey from anywhere you have access to the internet. The survey will close on Sunday, 12 August 2018 for parents.

We encourage you to be very honest in your responses to the survey. 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.

Thank you.

St Mary’s Catholic Parish:

Sacrament of Confirmation 15th June 2018

Please say the following prayer for our Candidates

Holy Spirit Prayer

Come, Holy Spirit.
Fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in them the fire of your
love. Send forth your Spirit
and there will be a new creation;
and you will renew the face of the
earth.

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