22 July 2018

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Message:

By Mr Kort Goodman - Principal

Dear Parents

Assessment, Report Cards and Parent Teacher Interviews

Over the last couple of weeks, the students have been busily completing assessment for the semester, and the great majority of them would already have been provided with feedback on their tasks by the teachers. During this time the teachers have also been finalising the compiling of report cards, which will then be printed and finally checked and signed by myself. As I have stated previously, having this opportunity to read the student’s reports and view their progress over the semester is something that I enjoy doing. I am continually encouraged by the effort and application that our students are exhibiting. As a College we are committed to working with our students and families to achieve at least one year’s growth in learning for each calendar year for all of our students. The achievement of this ambition requires quality teaching to occur in classrooms, consistent effort from our students, and each of our families taking the time to reflect on the positives noted on the report cards and to discuss any areas for improvement that are identified.

A reminder for parents that we have made a change from previous years to our parent – teacher interview scheduling. The reasoning for this move is that parents indicated through feedback to the College that the semester reports provided more information than our interim reports, and so parent-teacher interviews would be best scheduled at the start of term two and four after we release interim reports. However, it is important to note that parents are most welcome to contact the College at any time to either speak with or to come and discuss their child’s progress with their teachers.

On behalf of our students this week we offer a prayer of thanks for the gift of education.

Staffing Term 3

At the beginning of Term 3 we will be welcoming back Mrs Kirstie Andrews to our College after being on leave for the last twelve months. Mrs Andrews will be returning as the Curriculum Leader for English a position that Mr Robert Dawson has been acting in for the time that Mrs Andrews has been on leave. On behalf of the Assumption College community I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Dawson for his generosity and leadership of the English department during this period.

Athletics Carnival

Congratulations to all students and staff on the wonderful two days of athletics events that were undertaken over the end of this week. In particular, I would like to thanks Mrs Julie Collins for her outstanding leadership in the organisation of this event and to our College Leaders who set a great example through their participation and behavior. A number of photos and highlights of the two days have been added to our College app and College Facebook page. A full run down of the results of the carnival will be included in future sports sections of the newsletter.

Have a lovely week

Kort

Term 2 – 2018 Date Claimers

Term 3 – 2018 Date Claimers

Pastoral Care News:

By Mr Craig Frattini, Deputy Principal

Parenting Ideas Insights

Dealing With Video Game Crazes: Fortnite and Fanaticism
By Martine Oglethorpe

Working with kids in schools these past weeks, and indeed having five children of my own, has alerted me to the seemingly unprecedented obsession with the new online game Fortnite. Not since Pokémon Go has something seemed to take the world by storm, leaving parents wondering when it will ever stop.

The answer to that last question is probably that it will stop when the next big thing comes along. These fads may well be a modern day version of the Rubik’s Cube, elastics or swap cards, though of course the effects of the obsession can be much more pervasive than with my childhood obsession with PacMan.

If Fortnite is the latest craze to hit your household, or you are being nagged and cajoled to let them have the game “that everyone else is playing”, then here are a few things you should know:

• It is violent. The aim of the game is to be the last person standing, and in order to do that you must kill all the other players.
• However the violence is portrayed as less real and almost cartoonish. There is no blood and gore as such, and so the violence is not comparable to that portrayed in other games such as Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto.
• You can work in a team or on your own; working in a team can develop some effective teamwork skills.
• You can chat to team members but also random strangers who make up the remainder of the 100 players who are playing at the time.
• You can turn the chat function off by going to the settings and clicking on Audio options. This limits chatting to a player’s friends or team members.
• Kids will be very loud playing this game so there is little chance of them playing it behind your back!
• Each game goes for about 20 minutes so it is an easy one to put time limits on by stipulating the number of games.
• It is frequently described as addictive so it is unlikely they will leave a game midway through.

As with any new game, social network or fad, it is crucial that we familiarise ourselves with it. Have a game with them, play around with the app or read about what the possible dangers may be so that you can have the right conversations and put the right boundaries in place.

Whilst there are certainly many areas of video gaming to be concerned about, it is also important to recognise that most video games can build skills and can also have social, emotional and cognitive benefits.

Now of course in order to enjoy these benefits parents need to ensure that gaming remains under control and that the games being played are at an appropriate level for their child.

Five things to keep in mind

1. Discuss any themes or concepts you are concerned about to see if your child has a grasp on the reality (or lack thereof) when it comes to certain games.
2. Monitor how your individual child is coping with a game and the amount of time they are playing. If their mood is changing, they are having a fight to come to the dinner table or they are staying up all night and neglecting other areas of their lives, then you will need to step in and make some changes.
3. Remember it is your house and your rules. But making these rules and boundaries from a place of knowledge and understanding makes them a lot easier to enforce.
4. If a child is struggling with time limits, warnings may help and you may wish to slowly reduce the time being played (rather than go cold turkey). However, some parents have had success with giving their kids a total break from games when things were getting out of hand.
5. Always go to the settings area of any game or network as there you will find ways to make the experience as safe and positive as possible. Minimising the number of people they have the ability to connect with and who can make contact with them is a good place to start.

Remember that every child is different and so the effects that gaming has on each child will be different. The key to enjoying a positive experience with whatever game or craze comes your way is to ensure your child maintains control over their play, that they are playing safely and that they are still leaving plenty of time to do all of the many other things they need to experience on any given day.

Martine Oglethorpe

Martine Oglethorpe is a speaker, counsellor and educator with a passion for building resilient kids in a digital world. Martine is available for student workshops, for teacher professional development and for corporate and parent information sessions. Contact details: info@martineoglethorpe.com.au, themodernparent.net , facebook.com/themodernparent

APRE News:

By Mrs Kate Cullen, APRE

Year 7 and 9 Real Talk

Presentations for these year levels occurred on Wednesday. Both groups experienced the Love and Life Seminar aimed at their year level group. The Year 9 students had afternoon presentations in smaller groups as well. The day explored topics of self-worth, personal identity, good decision-making, love and relationships. Having experienced these presentations based on Catholic Christian values as part of the presentation and programs that help young people to understand God’s amazing plan for love and life. I hope students and families were able to take the time to discuss what the day was about and what message(s) it had for their students.

Next Terms Events

• Catholic Education Week 30th July to 3rd of August. We will share in liturgy with St Mary’s Primary School and experience the first Acts of Mercy Day led by Donavon and McAuley Houses on the Wednesday.
• The Feast of the Assumption will be celebrated with St Mary’s Primary with a combined mass on the 15th of August. Families are most welcome to attend.
• Father’s Day afternoon BBQ. This year we will celebrate the important men in our lives for with an afternoon BBQ on the 30th of August.

Henri Nouwen Reflection: Power of the Spirit

In and through Jesus we come to know God as a powerless God, who becomes dependent on us. But it is precisely in this powerlessness that God's power reveals itself. This is not the power that controls, dictates, and commands. It is the power that heals, reconciles, and unites. It is the power of the Spirit. When Jesus appeared people wanted to be close to him and touch him because "power came out of him" (Luke 6:19).

It is this power of the divine Spirit that Jesus wants to give us. The Spirit indeed empowers us and allows us to be healing presences. When we are filled with that Spirit, we cannot be other than healers.

Curriculum News:

By Mrs Anna Hardy, Assistant Principal—Curriculum

Parent/Teacher Interviews

There are no formally organised parent/teacher interviews in Term 3; however, we encourage parents to contact teachers to discuss their child’s results on the reports cards early in term 3. Please contact the teacher via email or the College office.

Tutorials

A reminder too 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. Tutoring will begin in week 2 – 23rd July 2018.

ICAS

ICAS nominations have now closed. The ICAS English test will be held on Tuesday 31st July, while the ICAS Maths test is scheduled for Tuesday 14th August. Enrolled students will be emailed further information about these papers.

Assessment Calendars

These will go live on the student’s devices in the early weeks of Term 3 – they 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.

Year 11 2019 Subject Information Evening

The Year 11 2019 subject information evening is scheduled for Wednesday 25th July. These sessions are invaluable for the information that they provide to students and parents. They are 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 folio but will not be marked and graded. It is imperative that all assessment is completed.

Careers News:

By Mrs Ali Porter, Careers

Noteworthy items:

• University Open Days have begun! A calendar of these and other careers events are available at the web links below
• 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!

Congratulations to…

Morgan Byrne and Dylan Marsh on their recent sign-ups into school-based traineeships and apprenticeships. I would like to thank Collins Food Group and Top Two Motorcycles for providing these great opportunities to these students.

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.

Australian Defence Forces

The Australian Defence Forces are offering scheduled work experience blocks for any students interested in future employment in the services. The work experience is in particular areas at the Amberley base at set times across the remainder of the year. Students have been emailed the information about this opportunity as well as information about how to apply. For those interested students I encourage them to apply as soon as possible as numbers of participants for each of the work experience blocks are limited. For more information please contact me or visit:

Monitoring Meetings SBATs

At the end of each semester we conduct monitoring of our school-based trainees and apprentices. This monitoring involves checking in with students on their progress, as well as contacting employers and trainers for feedback on student progress. Parents are welcome to request any of this information and parents will be contacted should any concerns arise from monitoring.

Year 12 Pathways

Year 12 student have been advised that if they are considering taking up further study next year it is recommended that they attend the open days of the universities, TAFEs or other institutions they are looking at enrolling in for 2019. These open days and other careers related events are happening now and across coming months. Below are some links that can help students find out what is on and when.

Date Claimers

• USQ representatives will be visiting ACW on July 23rd to talk to Year 12 students
• Tertiary Studies Expo July 21st and 22nd
• Year 10 Work Experience week scheduled for the 17th to 21st of September
• Warwick Careers Expo is being held on the 24th of July.

Sport News:

By Mrs Julie Collins, Program Leader Sport

Bronco’s Foxtel Cup Finals

Netball

The C team, comprising of year 7’s was undefeated throughout both rounds and finished on top of the table – setting up a final against Allora. All girls came together brilliantly as a team and played well to secure a 27-10 victory. Their team sprit was wonderful to see and the support from both the A and B teams was fantastic.

The B team finished the rounds in 4th place meaning they met 3rd place Clifton in the battle for the bronze. The girls played a brilliant game to come out victors in the final with a 20-9 result. All girls played well together and the support from the C’s and A’s was wonderful to see.

Congratulations to Kiah Murray who won player of the final.

Our A team banded together to produce a much-improved final round of games, winning 3 of their 4 matches. This left them in a play-off for 5th and 6th against rivals Goondiwindi. The girls played brilliantly to secure a 30-12 win and finish their Broncos Cup season in 5th place.

Congratulations to all girls on their team spirit, attitude and behaviour – you represented your school well and should all be proud of yourselves.

Rugby League

The Junior boys were undefeated over the two days and won their final and the Senior boys won their final against Goondiwindi after being defeated by the same team twice in the round robins which was a wonderful feat.

Congratulations to a most impressive effort by the boys in the Senior A & B divisions to field two teams with only 22/23 players – a number of players played back to back games without any complaints - impressive demonstration of the wonderful students we have at our College.

All students who attended the Broncos Cup in both Goondiwindi and Warwick were outstanding ambassadors for our College. Not only did they demonstrate exemplary behaviour, effort and sportsmanship but they were very successful.

Thank you to all staff who helped organise, supported, coached or travelled with teams to make the Gala Days possible for the students. Thank you to Mr Goodman and Ms James for a wrap of the days.

Sports Dates

Library News:

By Mrs Mary-anne Driver

Strategy is the name of the game in the library at present.

The students are challenging each other with war games like Stratego, Chopper Strike and Battleship, as well as more classic games like mancala and chess.

We had a Marshmallow Tower Competition which had lots of groups participating, all trying to make the highest tower to win the prize – with some marshmallows disappearing along the way.

We are currently trying to get all our overdue library books back to the library. If you see a book at home that should be here, can you please remind your student to return it to us. If your student has a book that has been overdue since term 1, the cost of this book will be added to your account next term! If your child is interested in reading books over the holidays, they can be borrowed for the holiday period – the cold weather is a good excuse to curl up with a good book.

Enjoy the holidays.

Chess News

Chess is going great guns here at Assumption since the arrival of Mr Lunn at the start of Term 2 with a number of events and opportunities taking place! Last week saw the inaugural student-v-teacher chess match in Courtyard 2 being played by Year 10 student Brendan Lunn & teacher Adam Watts. The many spectators enjoyed the battle with victory being taken by Brendan to rousing applause.

Last weekend, Assumption was represented at the Toowoomba Secondary Schools Individual Chess Championships by 2 students: Brendan Lunn (Yr 10) & Zoe Grayson (Yr 8). Both students played exceptionally well with Brendan winning 4 of his 6 games and Zoe winning 3 of her 6 games. We are delighted to see students taking up these opportunities to improve their skills and represent our school.

Upcoming opportunities for chess at our school include the Toowoomba Secondary Schools Team Chess Championships on Friday, July 20 & Saturday, July 21. We are seeking interested students to nominate themselves to Mr Lunn or Mrs Wooding for this competition. Students will commit to weekly training prior to Championships with entry costs will be covered by the school. Similarly, we hope to host a local chess competition here at Assumption in Term 4 & encourage all students to attend our weekly chess club on Tuesdays to learn how to play the game and improve their skills.

Finally, we are hoping to engage the services of a professional chess coach for interested students on a one-off or ongoing basis. If your child may be interested in this, please contact Mr Lunn or Mrs Wooding so that we find the best way for this to move forward.

General Notices:

Border District Eisteddfod

Congratulations to Jade Moon on her recent achievements at the Border District Eisteddfod in Stanthorpe on 31st May. Jade entered in the Musical Theatre Vocal Solo section of the Competition, and sung “I Dreamed A Dream”, from the musical Les Miserables. Jade was awarded 1st Place for the second year running in the competition. Well done Jade!

State of Origin Doubles

Thank you for all your support with our Students for Confraternity and QISSN on the State of Origin free dress and BBQ day. Our $100 winners for the doubles were:

• Michelle Spence
• Ingrid Riedener
• Julie Spiller
• Michael Stokes

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.

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