17 August 2018

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Message:

By Mr Kort Goodman - Principal

Dear Parents and Caregivers

As part of each of the enrolment interviews I undertake with families, I ensure that I emphasise that a strong school-family partnership and communication are key ingredients in students successfully transitioning to secondary school. Now this is not new information to any of our parents, but I feel that it is important to highlight that our College firmly believes that Parents and Carers are a child’s first and most important teachers even when the students have progressed into secondary school. Of course, as educators, we have a key role in the student’s learning journey, but the amount of time our students spend at home is greater than the time spent at school and our parents have an integral role in developing their children’s attitudes and skills that will lead to success.

It was with this in mind that I went searching for some resources to support our new families and I discovered that the Australian Government has created a useful app which compiles a list of hints, tips and strategies to help enhance the learning journey with your sons and daughters. Learning Potential is a free app for parents, families and carers packed with useful tips and inspiring ways you can be more involved in your child’s learning. It is available for download on smartphones and can also be accessed on the Australian Government website.

Most of us would be aware that researchers agree about the positive outcomes that occur when parents and carers are involved in our child’s learning. The app is designed to help you to be part of your child’s learning and make the most of the time you spend together, from the high chair to high school.

Some of the articles and tips that I found useful include (there are dozens like these…)

• 5 tips to help your teen get ready for school in the morning
• Exam time – preparing for success
• Cyberbullying
• Does music help with study?
• Holiday challenge – 10 things to do with your teen
• What subjects star for ATAR?

I would encourage all of our parents to take a minute this week to download this to your smartphone and see if there is an idea or a project that appeals to you and your son or daughter. Visit the link below to find out more about this excellent, free Australian Government resource.

This week we pray for our parents as they endeavour to support and guide their children through their secondary schooling years.

Dear Father in Heaven,
Here are our children,
help us to love them unconditionally.
Help us to be firm and protect them when we must.
Help us to be patient while they strive to find themselves.
Help us to respect them for what you made them to be.
Help us to guide them with your wisdom.
Amen.

Have a lovely week
Kort

Term 3 – 2018 Date Claimers

Term 4 – 2018 Date Claimers

Pastoral Care News:

By Mr Craig Frattini, Deputy Principal

Parenting Ideas Insights

7 Phrases to Avoid When Kids are Anxious
By Michael Grose

Talking with kids when they are anxious can be hard work for parents and teachers. Sometimes just one word out of place or spoken with the wrong tone of voice can get a child’s back up, upset them or make them uncooperative.

Here are some common errors and what to say instead:

1. “Build a bridge and get over it!”

The “Come on. Get on with it” approach works with some kids some of the time. We often say this in exasperation, however if a child is genuinely anxious about a coming event or going into a new situation, or is worried about a looming change, then they need someone to understand their worries and fears. “Ahh! I can see you are worried about this” is a far more effective response.

2. “This is not worth worrying about. Stop being so silly!”

Similarly, not taking a child’s fears seriously or, even worse, making light of them, just doesn’t help. Kids need to know somebody understands how they feel.

3. “It’ll be right in the morning.”

The ‘get a good night’s sleep’ approach has some merit, particularly when a child is catastrophising or continually revisiting the same worries. Sometimes a child’s worries do seem better after a good night’s sleep. However, to children who genuinely experience anxiety a new day simply offers a new opportunity for feeling overwhelmed by worry and anxiousness. The source of the anxiety needs to be recognised and strategies created for management.

4. “Calm down will you!”

Anxiety can often show itself through high emotion and distress. The natural reaction of many well-meaning adults is to quietly ask an emotional child to calm down. However, a distraught child is likely to misinterpret your calmness for not caring. Often adult calmness in the face of a child’s upset just leads to more emotional outburst. Better to match your level of intensity with your child’s level of emotion and talk them down. Saying, “Yep, I can see you’re upset. That’s understandable.” at the same intensity and volume that your child uses is likely to be far more effective in bringing down his or her emotions.

5. “OMG! That is horrible!”

It’s easy for a parent or teacher to take on a child’s anxieties and worries as their own. You can become just as emotional as the child, particularly if an injustice has occurred. Better to take a breath, stand back and be as objective as possible rather than be drawn into the vortex of a child or young person’s worries.

6. “You should be worried about that!”

Sometimes we can feed children’s anxieties and worries or even create worries that aren’t there. Be careful not to foist your own anxieties and fears on children and young people.

7. “Stop being so naughty. Behave yourself.”

Many children will act out when they are anxious and nervous so it’s quite natural to focus on their poor behaviour without thinking about the reasons behind that behaviour. When you know the triggers for your child’s anxiety then you are better placed to recognise anxiousness and respond appropriately.

Parents and teachers are in the best positions to support children and young people when they are anxious. Support starts by recognising anxiety in children and knowing how to respond appropriately so they know that you are taking them seriously and that you can support them both emotionally and practically to achieve what’s important to them.

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

Fathers Day

Father’s Day BBQ is to be celebrated on Thursday, 30th August this year at 5:30 p.m. An invitation went into the mail this week with a RSVP request for numbers to help with catering preparation. We look forward to seeing as many of our students and their significant male role models on the afternoon to share in a meal and a chat!

Thank you to

• Those of you supporting our families with prayers, letters and donations for key events. Don’t forget to support the free-dress BBQ lunch on the 22nd. A thank you to Jenny Gillespie and Teresa Bourke for their efforts and all those helping them.

• Jeans for Genes Day- Thanks to all who participated and for Lisa Frattini who co-ordinated the event again this year!

• Feast of the Assumption Mass.
  We celebrated the Feast Day this year with St Mary’s at the Mackillop Centre. Thank you to Bishop Robert McGuckin, Father Franco and Father Terry for leading us on this day, and to Mrs Sharon Young for preparing and organizing the mass for us. Below is some information about the Feast Day.

The Story of the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary

On November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII defined the Assumption of Mary to be a dogma of faith: “We pronounce, declare and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma that the immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul to heavenly glory.” The pope proclaimed this dogma only after a broad consultation of bishops, theologians and laity. There were a few dissenting voices. However, what the pope solemnly declared was already a common belief in the Catholic Church.

We find homilies on the Assumption going back to the sixth century. In following centuries, the Eastern Churches held steadily to the doctrine, but some authors in the West were hesitant. However by the 13th century there was universal agreement. The feast was celebrated under various names—Commemoration, Dormition, Passing, Assumption—from at least the fifth or sixth century. Today it is celebrated as a solemnity

Understanding and Appreciating Our Differences: Ron Rolheiser, OMI

In both the Jewish and the Christian scriptures there is the strong, recurring motif that God’s message to us generally comes through the stranger, the foreigner, from the one who is different from us, from a source from which we would never expect to hear God’s voice.

Ron Rolheiser, OMI

Added to this is the notion that when God speaks to us, we generally experience it as a surprise, as something unexpected, and as something that does not easily square with our normal expectations as to how God should work and how we should learn. There’s a reason for this.

Simply put, when we think we are hearing God’s voice in what’s familiar, comfortable, and secure, the temptation is always to reshape the message according to our own image and likeness, and so God often comes to us through the unfamiliar.

What’s familiar is comfortable and offers us security; but, as we know, real transformative growth mostly happens when, like the aged Sarah and Abraham, we are forced to set off to a place that’s foreign and frightening and that strips us of all that is comfortable and secure. Set off, God told Sarah and Abraham, to a land where you don’t know where you’re going. Real growth happens, and real grace breaks in, when we have to deal with what is other, foreign, different. Learn to understand, writes John of the Cross, more by not understanding than by understanding.

What’s dark, unfamiliar, frightening, and uninvited will stretch us in ways that the familiar and secure cannot. God sends his word to the earth through “angels” and they’re not exactly something we’re familiar with.

Curriculum News:

By Mrs Anna Hardy, Assistant Principal—Curriculum

Tutorials

A reminder 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.

Assessment Calendars

These are live on the student’s ipad, under the icon Assessment Calendars – these 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.

QCS

The QCS test will be held on Tuesday 4th September and Wednesday 5th September. Year 12 students sitting these tests will be unable to leave the College for appointments over these two days. Please be aware of this when scheduling appointments over the next few weeks.

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 profile but will not be marked and graded. It is imperative that all assessment is completed.

Extension Process

As we move towards the end of the term please be mindful of the application for extension process.

Junior students - must complete the extension form, get their subject teacher to sign and negotiate a new due date and then they must get the Junior Curriculum Program Leader, Mr Kirby to approve the extension.
Senior students - All senior student extensions go through the Senior Curriculum Program Leader, Mrs Sharp for approval.

Remember that extensions are for extenuating circumstances, extended illness (with medical certificate supplied in senior years), and family bereavement. Technological issues are not grounds for an extension as backing up electronic work is the student’s responsibility. Students can not apply on the due date for an extension (unless in extenuating circumstances) as they can email staff their assessment if they are not at school. Students must make every effort to get the assessment handed in on the due date.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any additional questions in regards to Curriculum at the College.

Exam Week & Study Leave

There will be an exam block for both year 11 and 12 students at the end of this term. This will run during week 9 (10th-14th of September). Both year 11 and 12 students will have study leave during this time; however if students have outstanding assessment for subjects, these particular students will not be granted study leave and will be required to stay at school to complete outstanding assessment.

Zonta Club of Warwick Young Women’s Scholarship Information

The Zonta Club of Warwick offer this scholarship to provide assistance to a deserving young woman making the transition from Year 10 into Year 11 at a Warwick District School, with the aim of providing financial assistance to support her to continue her studies. Applications close Friday 12th October, and will be awarded according to the following selection criteria:

• Is a full time student attending a school in the District of Warwick
• Is keen to make the most of Years 11 & 12 at school
• Has been active in academic, sporting and/or cultural activities
• Has personal qualities demonstrating sociability, initiative, co-operation, reliability and personal commitment to achieving goals
• Will benefit from the financial assistance

If anyone is interested in finding, please contact Mrs Anna Hardy for further information.

Student Pathway News:

By Mrs Alison Porter, Program Leader Student Pathways

Noteworthy items:

• QTAC applications are now open
• Counting down to the Year 10 work experience week (17th -21st of September)
• Thank you to parents for your attendance at Year 10 SET Plan meetings
• USQ Early Round Scholarship applications are now being taken.

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). Students should have their placements organised as we will now send final information and confirmation to the businesses that have agreed to have students for work experience. I would like to thank all of those local businesses who have been so willing to give our Year 10 students a work experience opportunity.

Police Experience Day

A group of Year 11 and 12 students recently attended the Police Experience Day that was held at The Armitage Centre in Toowoomba. These students enjoyed the day and were able to gain a good insight into the many facets of policing and the different career areas in the Queensland Police Force.

Aspire To Health

Last week a group of Assumption College students attended the Aspire to Health program at the Warwick Hospital. This is a program organised by The Department of Employment, Small Business and Training in collaboration with Queensland Medical Rural Education, The University of Southern Queensland, Griffith University and the University of Queensland Rural Clinical School. The day was an opportunity for students to gain information about careers in the health industry and participate in information sessions, tours and practical workshops. The students all enjoyed the day and found it a valuable experience.

Tertiary Studies Application

Applications for tertiary study in 2019 are now open through QTAC (Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre). Year 12 students have had an information session about creating their QTAC account and the process of applying for university courses in 2019. When lodging a QTAC application for tertiary study, students can preference up to 6 courses. QTAC advises that students preference their courses in the following way:

• Preferences 1-2 should be a student’s desired courses
• Preferences 3-4 should be back-up courses
• Preferences 5-6 should be pathway courses.

Of course, students also need to consider the OP cut-offs and major round offer dates for courses in their preferences. Another follow-up session will be held but students and parents are welcome to see me for any assistance or queries in relation to student course preferences or QTAC applications.

Defence Force Toowoomba Sessions in September

• School to Service Information Session – Monday 3rd September, 5.30pm This session is an opportunity for upcoming school leavers to explore the diverse range of jobs available in the Australian Defence Force (Milne Bay Training Depot, O’Quinn Street, Toowoomba).

• Army Reserve Information Session - Tuesday 4th September, 6pm
  (Milne Bay Training Depot, O’Quinn Street, Toowoomba)
• Defence Careers Information Session – Tuesday 18th September, 6pm (City Golf Club, Toowoomba - 254 South Street).

Sport News:

By Mrs Julie Collins, Program Leader Sport

Sports Dates

SSI Red Lions Football Tournament

SSI Red Lions Plate – Open Boys Competition

On Friday 07/08/2017 members of Assumption College Warwick Boys Football Team travelled Captain Cook Oval in Toowoomba to compete in the SSI Red Lions Plate Competition.

Our pool consisted of Lockyer SHS, St Joseph’s Stanthorpe, Oakey SHS and ourselves. In our first game, we met Oakey and after a scrappy game with a lot of missed opportunities, we ended up with a 2-0 Win. Our next game was against St Joey’s and after holding them at 1-0 for the majority of the match, they came back late and the game ended in a 1 all Draw. Our final game of the day was against Lockyer and this was an end to end affair and thanks to some very good defence, it finished as a nil all Draw.

This outcome saw us to finish 2nd overall in our pool and we now play the Semi-final against Highfields SHS, who finished in 1st place in their pool. This Semi-final will be held at Highfields SHS and the date and time of this match are yet to be advised.

Overall, this was a great effort for our first competition as a team together. We would like to thank and acknowledge our whole team and we look forward to competing strongly in the upcoming Semi-final!

Library News:

By Mrs Mary-anne Driver

A very exciting teachers -v- students lunch activity was held with Connect 4, mancala and Rubic Race being the games of choice. The teachers seconded Callum onto our team and there was lots of friendly rivalry. The teachers had a resounding win 47 to 19, however some students did get a prize by beating two teachers at their own game!

Friday was “stress-less” day in the library with students writing down how they relax. We have bubble wrap popping available and a cute kitten video. There is a little quiz on the board to gauge stress levels and some strategies – hopefully our students coming up to exams might find some helpful ideas.

Business News:

By Mr Scott Clegg, Business Manager.

Term 3 School fees and Year 8 & Year 11 camp money is due 24th August 2018. Please contact the College Business Manager Mr Scott Clegg if you any concerns with payment.

General Notices:

Academic Assembly Award Recipients

The students who received Gold, Silver and Bronze Pins were congratulated recently at our Academic Assembly, and afterwards enjoyed lunch with family members at the College. Well done to all of these students for the work and effort that they have put in throughout Semester One to achieve these fantastic results.

Jeans for Genes Day

On Friday 10th August, Assumption College dressed and donated towards Jeans for Genes day to help find treatments and cures for children’s genetic diseases – thank you to all the students and staff who supported this worthy cause.

Year 6 Transition Day

Assumption College strives to create a welcoming and supportive community. As part of our continuing efforts for Year 6 students to have a smooth transition into Year 7, we held our second Transition Afternoon last Tuesday. The students enjoyed an afternoon experiencing various subjects and becoming familiar with the secondary school environment to help ease their transition to Assumption College. We look forward to welcoming these students back for their final transition day later in the year.

Drought Relief Fundraising

To start our contribution to assist our farmers in the devastating drought, Assumption College will be hosting a Free Dress and Sausage Sizzle Gold Coin Donation Day on Wednesday 22nd August. The Assumption College Community asks for ALL students to support our Drought Fundraiser as we are ALL affected by its devastating impact! Lets help make a difference to the farmers in our region and show them our united support!

Letters to Our Farming Families

During PC lessons this week, hundreds of students enthusiastically wrote personal messages of support for local drought impacted farmers. These notecards demonstrate a treasure trove of compassion and support and shine a light on the spirit of love that is alive and well at Assumption College. Students’ notecards will soon be given to local farming families alongside financial offerings as raised through our school’s drought relief fundraising efforts. Hundreds of letters have been written, here is a typical example:

Year 7 Home Economics

Our Year 7 Home Economics students have been learning some very valuable culinary skills this week while preparing some very impressive looking dishes!

St Mary’s Catholic Parish:

Community News:

Commonwealth Bank Financial Confidence Session

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