3 August 2018

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Message:

By Mr Kort Goodman - Principal

Dear Parents and Students

Well done students, teachers and community members!

Today I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate a number of people on their efforts over last semester, the holidays and during the first three weeks of Term 3.

Congratulations to Ms. Michelle Rohan who is a finalist in the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Excellence Awards. Michelle was nominated in the Secondary Expert Teacher category for her work in leading the development and implementation of our College’s junior reading program. The presentation of the awards took place last night in Toowoomba and we look forward to hearing the final results.

On Monday at our Academic Excellence Awards Assembly we will congratulate the 31 students who achieved academic excellence over Semester One 2018. These presentations follow on from the recent presentation of Academic Excellence Certificates to each of the students who achieved a very high standard in a subject during Semester One. These students are to be commended for their outstanding commitment and dedication to their learning.

Year 8 Academic Award Winners

The students, staff and community members who participated, coached and supported the students in the QISS Netball and Confraternity Rugby League Carnivals over the recent holidays. This carnival was a very trying time for our students and staff as they dealt with illness that affected a great number of the students. Despite these challenges, our students performed at high levels over the duration of the carnivals and I have received numerous emails and phone calls congratulating our students and staff on the resilience they demonstrated. Congratulations to all for being such wonderful ambassadors of our College.

The students who participated in the Arts Evening last night either submitting work from their classes or performing on the evening. The level of talent that was evident on this evening was quite remarkable and very humbling. The commitment that these students apply to developing their amazing talents is to be commended. Congratulations students on your efforts, we greatly appreciate your sharing your talents with us.

Well done and congratulations to all.

Supporting our Community!

As part of Catholic Education Week, we asked the students to consider Pope Francis’ call to the youth of our society to lead the way in being proactive in supporting and standing up for those less fortunate than ourselves. Our first endeavor in this regard was to support the St Vincent DePaul winter appeal and I would like to thank the students and families who were able donate clothes and blankets.

Our next project in supporting our community will be aimed at our families who are experiencing hardship, as a result of the terrible drought we are currently enduring. We have a large group of students who are very keen to lead the way with this support and we are currently discussing and considering a range of activities and events that will support the families of our College. Further information regarding these events will be shared in the near future.

In the interim I would like to remind our parents that our school fee policy statement below highlights that we are very willing to support our families and I would encourage any families who may require assistance to make either contact with myself or our Business Manager Mr. Scott Clegg.

Parents/Guardians are expected to pay all fees and levies charged by the College. The College is aware, however, that from time to time some parents/guardians find themselves in financial difficulties. Following consultation with the Principal, every compassionate consideration will be given to families who genuinely cannot meet their fee commitments.

Finally, today we would like to offer a prayer for rain to support our families.

Please, God, please,
send us a good, soaking rain.
We are aware that everything is a gift,
and nothing should be taken for granted.
Help us to live lightly on our earth,
and to share what we have with those in need.
Bless all those who are battling the current drought,
keep them safe and bring them hope.
Amen

Have a lovely week

Kort

TERM 3 – 2018 DATE CLAIMERS

Pastoral Care News:

By Mr Craig Frattini, Deputy Principal

Parenting Ideas Insights

You Can Say No to Teenagers. Here’s Why
By Michael Grose

Two mums came to me recently, fretting over a decision they had to make.

Their daughters, who had both just turned 13, had asked for permission to go on a Saturday night party bus with over forty 16 and 17-year-olds.

The two girls put huge pressure on their mothers to let them go – pester power had been alive and well in their homes in the preceding days. However both mums admitted that the alarm bells were ringing and they didn’t feel good about letting their daughters go on the party bus. It was the first time they had been put on the spot in such a way so they sought my advice.

My response was simple and straightforward: “Say NO!”

The age gap between the girls and the rest of the party, their experience gap and the mothers’ lack of knowledge about who was attending and the exact nature of supervision were the main issues. Both girls are in the early stages of adolescence where they think they are three years older than they are. It is an age where they tread a fine line between child and emergent teen.

The emergent teen desperately wants to act ‘older’ and be older than they are. The child wants to be protected and have their parents decide for them.

So what did the mums decide?

Despite their gut instincts both mums let their kids join the Saturday night party bus. Fortunately, their kids showed some common sense!

The young teens didn’t like what they saw when their parents dropped them off to start the evening. They didn’t feel safe so they returned home with their parents. After all their fuss they didn’t go after all!

There are three salient lessons from this scenario

First, it was evident that these mothers didn’t feel confident enough to assert their authority over their daughters. They were confused about how they should respond even when their gut instinct was giving them a strong message. Their job was to keep their daughters safe and their gut instincts told them that this situation was unsuitable for their daughters.

Second, like many parents they were working in isolation. Despite the fact that they were good friends it wasn’t until the morning of the party that they spoke to each other. By this time their daughters’ pestering had worked a treat. Next time they should call for second, third and fourth opinions.

Third, as both these girls were the eldest in their families it was the first real experience for both parents of the adolescent push for independence. The parents were unaware of the developmental stages of adolescence and the approach that is needed in each stage. They were flying blind and this is not a good way to raise teens.

Lack of basic knowledge about teen development, confusion about the best approach to take with kids at this age and solitary decision making were the real issues here for the parents.

There is nothing like experience but it helps to have an understanding about teen development, a knowledge about the best approach to raising teens and a number of allies and friends whom you can swap ideas with and – more importantly – draw strength from when your resolve and patience are put to the test.

And of course, you can just say NO!

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 best-selling 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

Catholic Education Week-Thank You To

• everyone who helped out with a job at the joint liturgy last Monday. It is greatly appreciated!
• Mrs Young and her team from St Mary’s for organizing the day
• Mr Frattini for organizing and running the ball games
• all students with a smile on their face during the day
• All students who learnt the name of a student from St Mary’s and something about them!
• Those who contributed to the SVDP Winter Appeal!

Thanks to Events coming up:

• The Feast of the Assumption will be led by Bishop Robert McGuckin, celebrated with St Mary’s Primary with a combined mass on the 15th of August at 10:00. This year it will be held at The McKillop Centre, St Marys Upper Campus. 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 starting after school. More news to come!

Henri Nouwen Reflection: Two Kinds of Loneliness.

In the spiritual life we have to make a distinction between two kinds of loneliness. In the first loneliness, we are out of touch with God and experience ourselves as anxiously looking for someone or something that can give us a sense of belonging, intimacy, and home. The second loneliness comes from an intimacy with God that is deeper and greater than our feelings and thoughts can capture.

We might think of these two kinds of loneliness as two forms of blindness. The first blindness comes from the absence of light, the second from too much light. The first loneliness we must try to outgrow with faith and hope. The second we must be willing to embrace in love.

Curriculum News:

By Mrs Anna Hardy, Assistant Principal—Curriculum

NAPLAN Trial

Our Year 7 and 9 students have been selected to participate in a NAPLAN trial of Numeracy and Reading questions for the 2019 test. A class from each year level will complete the trial. These students have been informed of the process. If you have any queries do not hesitate to contact either myself or Mr Matthew Kirby (Junior Curriculum Program Leader) via the College office.

Academic Awards

Congratulations to all students who have received Academic Excellence Awards. These are presented to students who have achieved an A in any of their subjects from Semester 1. Academic pins will be presented to recipients at assembly on Monday. These families have been invited to attend and join in a celebratory lunch at the College after assembly. It is wonderful to see so many students proud of their academic efforts! Well done!

SET Plan Interviews

Year 10 students will begin their SET plan interviews next week. These are a valuable opportunity to discuss your child’s pathway to senior schooling and beyond. Year 10 students have received their Year 11 subject preference form and Curriculum Handbook via email. These are due back by the 13th August. Parents/Guardians must sign the completed form.

Academic Interviews

Year 11 and 12 students have completed their Semester 1 Academic Interview. These are aimed at informing students and parents of their academic progress and offering suggestions on what to improve for better academic success. Thank-you to all of the parents who have attended these interviews. If there are any questions about your child’s academic progress please do not hesitate to contact myself, Mrs Carol Sharp or Mrs Ali Porter to discuss.

Careers News:

By Mrs Ali Porter, Careers

Noteworthy items:

• Year 10 Senior Education & Training Plan meetings are being held next week. Parents are invited to attend
• The Southern Downs Job Expo is being held at the Warwick RSL from 3pm-6pm on the 22nd of August
• CONGRATULATIONS to the students who recently completed the General Construction Safety ‘White Card’ course. All students who participated in the course successfully passed and were praised by the trainer for their commitment and conduct.

A Great Visit

Last week saw representatives from the University of Southern Queensland visit the College to talk to interested Year 12 students. Attending students were given much information about university life and applications, accommodation and scholarships.

Year 10 SET (Senior Education & Training) Plans

We have been working with Year 10 students to develop their Senior Education and Training (SET) Plans. The Department of Education and Training requires that all schools in Queensland develop a SET Plan with each Year 10 student. These SET plans map students’ learning and career pathways.

The purpose of a SET plan is to help students:

• set and achieve their learning goals after Year 10
• include flexible and coordinated pathway options in their course of senior study
• think about their education, training and career options after Year 12 and make decisions about their learning pathways
• structure their learning around their abilities, interests and ambitions
• communicate with their parents, teachers and career guidance officers about their learning pathways and post-school plans (www.qcaa.qld.edu.au)

Parents are encouraged to be involved in their child’s SET Plan. You can do this by asking your child to log onto his/her online careers account and viewing the SET Plan online. Parents can also join their child and a College representative at a SET Plan meeting next week. Letters have been sent home regarding these meetings and a confirmation slip was due for return to the College last week. We would appreciate if any of these slips still outstanding be returned as soon as possible. For any parents unable to attend the SET Plan meeting at the specified time please contact the College office to organise a more suitable time.

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). Many students have already organised their placements which is great news. Work experience agreement forms are due for return by the end of this week.

Aspire To Health

The Department of Employment, Small Business and Training is again working in collaboration with Griffith University, University of Southern Queensland and The University of Queensland Rural Clinical School to offer the Aspire to Health program to students. This is a one-day program held at the Warwick Hospital on the 9th of August and offers participating students workshops and information sessions about careers in the health industry. There are very limited positions available for Year 9 & 10 students with a strong interest in a career in the health sector. Students wanting to register their interest in the program, should go to the link below. Registrations close on Friday 3rd August 2018 and notification of allocated places and further program details will be made at this time.

Police Experience Day

A number of Year 11 & 12 students have expressed interest in attending the recently advertised Police Experience Day being held on the 14th of August in Toowoomba. Applications for this program have closed and students will be notified as soon as possible of their success in securing a place to attend.

White Card Course

All students who participated in the white card course were successful in completing the course. Students will receive their white cards as soon as results have been processed and finalised.

Sport News:

By Mrs Julie Collins, Program Leader Sport

Confraternity Report

On the June/July holidays, the St Joseph’s/Assumption Confraternity Rugby League team, travelled to Charters Towers to compete in the Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Rugby League competition. We played two games on the first day of the carnival; the first against Marist College Emerald, defeating Emerald 18-12 and the second against St Mary’s/St Patrick’s College (Maryborough), defeating Maryborough 20-6. On the second day of the carnival, the St Joseph’s/Assumption team played against one of Charters Towers local teams, All Souls, defeating them 16-8, leaving the Warwick/Stanthorpe side on the top of their pool. In the qualifying final, we played Clairvaux McKillop from Brisbane in a tough game. Injuries and sickness played a significant role in our loss of 28-12.

On the third day of the carnival, a rest day, the team travelled from Charters Towers to Townsville for a tour of the North Queensland Cowboys home stadium 1300SMILES, some shopping, lunch and a swim at the Strand.

Due to injury and illness, which affected 18 of the 21 players, leaving very few on the bench, the St Joseph’s/Assumption team were defeated in the finals rounds of the competition. Overall, the team finished 24th out of 48 teams across Queensland, played some high quality rugby league and made many memories. Well done gentlemen you have left the 2018 STJ/ACW Confraternity team in an excellent position for 2019. A big thank you to our sponsors, managers Declan Murphy and Lachlan Mahoney, School of Distance Education, Des and Kerri Collins, Jack Breen, Mick Mahoney and Dave Fleming for their generous support and time given throughout the confraternity campaign.

Monday Game 1: V Marist College Emerald. Won 18-12 (Tries: Tom Bell, Riley Doherty, Cooper Tate-Roche. Goals: Copper Tate-Roche, Felix Clarke 2) Player of the match Tom Bell.

Monday Game 2: V St Mary’s/St Patrick’s Colleges. Maryborough/Gympie. Won 20-6 (Tries: Taegan Inmon, Jye Barrett, Tom Bell, Joe Gordon Goals: Cooper Tate-Roche, Felix Clarke) Player of the match Jack Duggan.

Tuesday Game 3: V All Souls Charters Towers. Won 16-8 (Tries: Dylan Brassel X 2, Tom Bell. Goals: Felix Clarke, Cooper Tate-Roche). Player of the match Tom Bell/David Kern.

Tuesday Qualifying Final: V Clairvaux McKillop College Brisbane. Lost 28-12 (Tries: Joe Gordon X 2. Goals: Cooper Tate-Roche X 2.) Player of the match Dylan Brassel

Thursday Game 5: V Faith Lutheran Plainland. Lost 24-4 (Try Taegan Inmon). Player of the match Bill Upton

Friday Game 6: V Marist College Emerald. Lost 36-20 (Tries: David Kern, Tom Bell, Cooper Tate-Roche, Dylan Brassel. Goals: Cooper Tate-Roche X 2). Player of the match Nathaniel Ryan

Player of the Carnival: Bill Upton
Spirit of the Carnival: Felix Clarke
Tourists of the Carnival: Nathaniel Ryan & Lachlan Swan

Sponsors

• Tru-Flow Services
• Green Homes
• Tullin Tulla Beef
• Braeside Quarries
• SEQUEL Drill and Blast
• ACW P&F
• Peter Sullivan
• Ryanie for Tyres
• MALY Engineering
• Wickhams
• Collegians JRL
• Stanthorpe JRL
• Wattles JRL

Miss Belinda Payne and Mr. Robert Bell

Library News:

By Mrs Mary-Anne Driver

Chess Club – 6 students travelled to Toowoomba over the weekend to compete in the Toowoomba Schools Teams Chess Championship. These students did our College proud and conducted themselves with grace and good sportsmanship. Congratulations to Brendan Lunn, Hessel Brydon, Kynan King, William Thomas, Laura Schiewe and Zoe Grayson.

Jenga takes out the prize for the most students playing at once this fortnight. There were also some very lively games of snap and UNO happening.

Jumpers and Jazz – our ‘tree’ ended up in the library where we could add to it over the fortnight. Check out the photos!

Business News:

By Mr Scott Clegg, Business Manager.

The Term 3 school fees have been emailed or posted. They are due 24th August 2018. If your student is attending the Year 8 or 11 camp payment must be made by the 24th August. If you have any concerns about your account please contact the business manager Mr Scott Clegg on 4660 4000.

General Notices:

Ag Inspiration Program

This week several Assumption College Year 10 students travelled to various sites around the Darling Downs to participate in the 2018 Ag Inspirations Tour. Over the course of three days, the students visited the Hermitage Research Station, Carr Farming, Riverina Stockfeed, Raheen Stud, Myrtleholme Stud, John Dee and Wickham Farms.

Year 7 & 8 Mathematics Competition

On Tuesday the 31st July, six Assumption College students competed in the Year 7/8 Mathematics Quiz at Warwick State High School. It was a very exciting quiz and very closely contested.

The teams were:

Team 1: Molly Cullen, Taylah Eastwell and Keely Byrne.
Team 2: Juliana Cruda, Alexander Newley and Thomas Ryan.

It was a fun afternoon and the students represented the school with distinction. Both of the Assumption teams performed creditably and enjoyed the night out competing against other students from many different schools across the Darling Downs.

Thank you to Mr Peter Gordon for coaching and accompanying the students!

Year 11 Biology Excursion

On Friday the 27th July, the Year 11 Biology students travelled to Goomburra to conduct a field study for their assessment. This field study consisted of water quality testing, macroinvertebrate sampling and river assessments along three sites of the Dalrymple Creek, finishing their trip in Apex Park, Allora.

Students obtained invaluable information for their assessment and practised a range of scientific skills. Students enjoyed practising these skills outside of the classroom whilst experiencing some of the Southern Downs’ natural beauties.

Catholic Education Week Celebrations

On Monday Assumption College joined with St Mary’s Primary School and Kindergarten for a joint Liturgy, games and morning tea to celebrate the start of Catholic Education Week.

Assumption College Annual Mini-Saga Writing Competition

Bigger and better than ever, the ACW Annual Mini-Saga Writing Competition is back again!

The conditions of entry are as follows:

• Students are to write a story using strictly no more than 50 words, but which is still thought provoking and meaningful. Anything over 50 words will be disqualified.
• Submissions are open to all year levels, including teachers and parents!
• Each person can submit up to three mini-sagas into the competition. Anything submitted beyond the third will be disqualified.
• There are no set themes that stories must abide by, however some options for exploration are love, hate, fear, war, identity, challenges, behaviour, disaster, faith, technology, or fantasy.
• Submissions in prose will have the best chance of winning the competition. Poetic submissions, however, will still be accepted and judged so long as they meet the above criteria.
• Prizes are available for the best submissions in both junior (years 7-9) and senior (years 10-12). Winners will receive a $50 iTunes gift card, first runners up a $30 iTunes gift card, and second runners up a $10 tuckshop voucher.
• Submissions are open from 25/07/2018 and will close on 29/08/2018.
• Students are more than welcome to seek feedback from their teachers before submitting. That being said, the work must be entirely the students. Teachers are not permitted to re-write sections of the mini-sagas.

This is a fantastic opportunity for all students to get involved in a simple school activity focussed on fun, creativity, problem solving and literacy. So, get writing and we’ll see a mini-saga from each and every student by the end of August!

Happy Writing,
Mr Watts

St Mary’s Kindergarten:

Community News:

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