1 March 2019

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Message:

By Mr Kort Goodman - Principal

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students

Inappropriate student behaviour at schools has been in the news quite a lot lately. More specifically the national media have regularly highlighted the topic of student behaviour and teacher stress in the lead up to the start of the 2019 academic year. If indeed the much-quoted statistic is accurate, that is; Australia ranks 63rd out of 68 countries in terms of standard of student behaviour at school, then this issue needs urgent attention. Improved standards of student achievement will sink without trace unless schools, parents and politicians acknowledge the need for coordinated action.

Our Federal Education Minister Hon. Dan Tehan expressed shock at accounts from teachers and principals of abuse from students and parents. He identified teacher training and improvements in teachers managing student behaviour as a key measure to the issue of chaotic classrooms. Experts in education theory, maintain that well designed, engaging lessons will minimise disruptive, off-task behaviour. While teachers agree with the two former points, the behaviour and highly disrespectful conduct of the students often occurs irrespective of the efforts of the teacher and the design innovations of the lesson.

During the early years of my career I taught at a school in the far north west of Queensland which had its fair share of behaviour issues and it was certainly a steep learning curve. Fortunately, I was provided with a mentor teacher who was an ‘old hand’ and one of the senior teachers at this school. My mentor used to take time every afternoon to chat with me and gently give advice. One piece of wisdom I remember him sharing with me was “There is no learning without order.” Now, nearly 25 years later I believe that our school systems need to remember my mentor’s advice.

Teachers need to be well prepared and deliver engaging lessons. They also need to be competent managers with good social skills. They should not however, be expected to control unruly, disrespectful and disruptive conduct. Students who behave in this way lose their right to be in the classroom. Other students’ right to learn, and teacher’s right to teach have been violated and must be prioritised. Disruptive students need help, but also need to get a definitive message about what is acceptable. Leaving these students in a classroom is unfair to all.

At Assumption College we have a coordinated system of referral from the classroom to the office and then to meetings students have with their pastoral leader. In these meetings the students work with their pastoral teacher to complete a plan and negotiate re-entry to their class. They then meet with their teacher before they can re-attend that particular class. Assistance is given to help them choose positive behaviours and be successful. If a student is referred from the classroom parents are notified on that day.

While this process is applied to very few students in the course of a year (less than 5%), this is the juncture where parent/guardian support and consistency is vital. The parent who backs the school and cooperates at this stage can almost guarantee their child is getting an unequivocal message about what is acceptable. What passes as acceptable conduct in the classroom for many Australian schools is ludicrous. In the interests of students and learning, mutual respect, good order and teacher authority must be the minimum expectation. If senior management and parents/guardians back the school, standards will increase and a culture of indulgent behaviour will be a thing of the past.

Any parents who wish to discuss the classroom management procedures that are applied at Assumption College are welcome to contact the College to make an appointment to meet with myself or the College’s Deputy Principal Mr Craig Frattini.

Best wishes for the week.
Kort

TERM 1 – 2019 DATE CLAIMERS

Pastoral Care News:

By Mr Craig Frattini, Deputy Principal

Upcoming Webinar – Switching on Your Child’s Strengths

Details About The Webinar

The extraordinary results of focusing on our children’s strengths rather than always trying to correct their weaknesses is explained in this webinar.

As a strength-based scientist for more than 20 years, Professor Waters has seen how this approach enhances self-esteem and energy in children and teenagers, and how parents find it exciting and rewarding. With many specific techniques for parents, she will demonstrate how to discover your children’s strengths and talents, use positive emotions as a resource, build strong brains, deal with problem behaviour and talk about difficult situations and emotions.

When

Wednesday 6 March 2019 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM AEDT

Price

This webinar is valued at $37 per person, but is free to families at the College using the voucher code STRENGTHS

How to Redeem Voucher

1. Click this link (see link below)
2. Click ‘Add to cart’
3. Click ‘View cart’
4. Enter the voucher code STRENGTHS and click ‘Apply’. Your discount of $37 will be applied to the order. This voucher is valid until 6 April 2019.
5. Click ‘Proceed to checkout’
6. Fill in your account details. These are the details you will use to login to your account and access your parenting material
7. Click ‘Place Order’

APRE News:

By Mrs Carol Sharp, APRE

The RE Classroom

We are half way through the term already! Students should either be working hard on assignments or completing regular revision of class work to prepare for exams later in the term. Now is the time for students to knuckle down to avoid the stress that often comes in weeks 8 and 9 when most of the assessment is due.

Social Justice News

Request for Cotton!

We are still calling for the donation of cotton fabric to the school so Mrs Amanda Stevens can begin her sewing group. The purpose of the group is to sew dresses from simple designs and send them to impoverished communities around the world. This is important not only for practical reasons but for the dignity that comes with owning well-made clothes in a good condition. Please donate through the front office and contribute to this excellent cause.

Caritas Just Leadership Day

On Friday, a group of six students will participate in the Just Leadership Day for secondary students across the Toowoomba diocese. International Catholic organisation, Caritas, will take the students through a range of activities designed to help them understand how they can take action on the social justice issues affecting their communities. From here, the aim is to start a social justice group at ACW and hopefully the students attending the Just Leadership Day will accept the invitation to be the driving force for social justice at Assumption College.

Project Compassion

Wednesday next week marks the beginning of Lent and, as such, we will be celebrating Ash Wednesday and launching Project Compassion. Lent is a time of preparation where we are asked to pray, fast and give to those less fortunate. This allows us to truly appreciate the gifts that God has given us, most notably His son Jesus Christ. Over the remaining five weeks of the term, students are asked to bring in money to donate to Project Compassion, the aid organisation of Caritas that assists people in impoverished communities around the world. For more information on Project Compassion please visit the following website:

Other Events

Plenary Council

From Monday I will be inviting students in year level groups to participate in a reflection and discussion on the direction of the Catholic Church in Australia. For many months, at the request of Pope Francis, communities around the country have been listening to the Holy Spirit and answering the question ‘What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?’ The Plenary Council is a gathering of all the local churches in the country and, the one scheduled to take place in 2020, will be the first since 1937. At this meeting, the feedback from groups across the country will be discussed as decisions are made regarding the future of our church in Australia. Focus group meetings for ACW students will begin in week 6.

Hatch Retreat

Next week our Year 7 (Tuesday) and 8 (Wednesday) students will be participating in their Hatch Retreat. This retreat is a great opportunity for students to come together, share and reflect. It is an essential part of our RE program at school and attendance is expected – just like any other school day. The retreat takes place in St James’ Hall and students are allowed to wear their sports uniform for the day.

Lenten Prayer

Almighty and Everlasting God,
You have given the human race
Jesus Christ our Saviour as a model of humility.
He fulfilled Your Will by becoming Man
And giving His life on the Cross.
Help us to bear witness to You
By following His example of suffering
And make us worthy to share in His Resurrection.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son.

Amen.

Curriculum News:

By Mrs Anna Hardy, Assistant Principal—Curriculum

Thanks to all of the parents who joined us for the Year 10 and 11 QCE system information night. There will be more of these evenings throughout the year. If you have any questions from the night or couldn’t attend and would like more information, please contact us at the College office.

UNSW ICAS TESTS: a letter will be distributed in the coming weeks to the invited students. If your child is not invited and you would like them to be a part of the ICAS tests, please let us know, they are more than welcome to join.

We would also like to call upon any Year 7 student who would be interested in sitting the tests. Their 2017 results were not available to access to select students and therefore invitations to students have not been sent.

End of Term 1 Progress Report: Term 1 Progress Reports will be posted to parents in the last week of term. This report is designed to give parents some indication of how their child is progressing in their studies. Please keep in mind that results are based on the Term 1 assessment only (drafts, finals or formative classwork) and may reflect only parts of the criteria and units that are being studied. Whilst teachers may request an interview with parents, we also strongly encourage parents to request interviews with teachers. We understand that families have busy schedules; yet we would really appreciate an opportunity to discuss your child’s education with you. Interviews for both days will be booked through our online SOBS program. An instruction sheet outlining how to do this will be sent home with reports for Year 7 parents. If you need assistance with this please contact the College office.

Assessment Extension process: If your child is unwell and cannot email their assessment in on the due date, the extension process can be followed. For Junior students a note from home is required but for senior students it must be a medical certificate or other relevant documentation. Students can then complete the form either digitally (available on the student drive) or in hard copy (available from the office) and discuss it with their teacher. Junior students must then seek final approval from the Junior Curriculum Program Leader- Mr Matt Kirby and seniors must seek final approval from the Senior Curriculum Program Leader – Ms Eliza Harris. Extensions can also be granted in extenuating circumstances such as bereavement, injury or certain family circumstances.

Week 10: Across all year levels and subjects week 10 will herald the beginning of all new units. This is an important week for all students to be in attendance as the foundations of the Term 2 work will begin. It is not a time for holidays or staying at home as integral learning will be happening across all classes.

NAPLAN: NAPLAN testing will occur on the 14th – 17th May. This year, Year 7 and 9 students will complete the test online.

If you wish to withdraw your child from the NAPLAN testing, contact the College office for the appropriate documentation and evidence.

Assessment calendars: A reminder that assessment calendars are available via a shortcut on student’s iPads/laptops. All students have been emailed about their calendars.

Student Pathway News:

By Mrs Alison Porter, Program Leader Student Pathways

Noteworthy items:

• Date claimer 20th of March – University Showcase for interested Year 12 students
• Enrolment forms for the ‘Trade Taster Program’ are being taken now

Information for Students

Information about careers events and such is now starting to come through very regularly. I have encouraged all students to make a habit of checking their school email account as I send much of this information through digitally. Information recently sent to students includes:

• The Griffith University Business School workshops (Year 12)
• Australian Defence Forces Information sessions (see following information)
• The weekly careers update (emailed newsletter)
• USQ Deadly Ways Residential (indigenous Year 11 & 12)
• Current district apprenticeships and traineeship vacancies.

Trade Taster for Year 10 Students

The “Trade Taster” program is funded and supported by The Department of Employment, Small Business and Training and offers interested Year 10 students a two-day TAFE workshop. The trade this year will be related to the repair and servicing of Heavy Vehicle Mechanical Technology. ie. Trucks/Large Engines/Tractors etc. Students will be exposed to working engines, as well as tools and equipment related to the Heavy Vehicle Servicing industry. These 2 days, March 25th and 26th, will give students a “taste” of the Heavy Vehicle Mechanical Technology, Agricultural Mechanical Technology and Mobile Plant Technology qualifications. This is a great experience for students interested in, or considering a career or apprenticeship in, heavy vehicle mechanics. Places in the program are limited and students that would like to participate should see me as soon as possible as information has been provided and forms are due for return in just over a week.

University Showcase for Year 12 Students

Year 12 students studying for an Overall Position are invited to attend the annual ‘University Showcase’ being held at Warwick State High School on the 20th of March. The showcase involves approximately four universities, plus other tertiary education organisations, coordinating a visit to Warwick. The showcase includes a panel of speakers delivering a 20-30 minute presentation on general tertiary information. Topics include pathways to university, costs, how to apply, accommodation, lifestyle and transition issues. Afterwards there is time available for students to visit tertiary exhibits, speak to exhibitors and collect relevant information. It is a good opportunity for students to get first-hand information regarding tertiary study. A permission letter has been provided to Year 12 students and those students wishing to attend will need to return the permission slip by March 12th.

Australian Defence Forces

The Australian Defence Forces are offering the Women in Defence, International Women’s Day Luncheon on Friday, 15th March. In the theme of 2019 International Women’s Day #BalanceforBetter current serving ADF Women share their experiences in leadership and the ADF. Throughout the luncheon students will have the opportunity to learn about careers in the ADF and leadership.

When: Friday 15th March 2019
Where: Gips Restaurant, 120 Russell St, Toowoomba
Time: 11:00am to 01:30pm

Sport News:

By Mrs Julie Collins, Program Leader Sport

WSSSA - Swimming Carnival – Congratulations to the students who competed at the All Schools Swimming Carnival. This carnival is about school teams and the participation of as many swimmers as possible. All swimmers competed to the best of their ability and, where possible, all were able to compete in a relay team. The following students will be awarded certificates from the carnival.

Thank you to the seniors who were able to offer their support at the carnival.

Border District Winter Trials: Border District trials were held this week with a large number of students attending the trials – congratulations to all competitors on your efforts at the trials. We wish competitors who have been selected in Border District team’s success at the Darling Downs trials over the coming weeks.

Library News:

By Mrs Mary-Anne Driver

Internet safety – following on from the visit by Brett Lee, we have complied our own tips for safe use of the internet. The four R’s encouraged by the Australian eSafety Office are Respect, Responsibility, Reasoning and Resilience. There are online games and ideas at esafety.gov.au - check it out – I did and found some great things!

We have so many different games happening in break time. Some students have started bringing in their own card games to share with their friends - it can get so busy and we see some very creative use of space (and books).

We have a reserved area for students needing to study or do school work and we now have noise cancelling earphones available for them.

It was lovely to see some of our students participate in a celebration at St Mary’s church on Sunday. It was the Feast of Senor Santo Nino which included singing, dancing and some stories and pictures about the way this Feast is celebrated in the Philippines.

Business News:

By Mr Scott Clegg, Business Manager.

The charging of our college fees for Term 1 has been delayed due to a software issue. We expect that the issue will be resolved quickly and the fees will be charged to your accounts during March 2019. If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact our Business Manager, Mr Scott Clegg via phone on 0746 604 000 or via email scott.clegg@twb.catholic.edu.au

General Notices:

Pink Stumps Day

The 2019 Pink Stumps Day held on Friday the 15th of February, was a huge success. Staff and students wore pink on the day for a Gold Coin Donation and a barbecue was held at lunch, raising money for the McGrath Foundation.

This year was the most successful year in Assumption College History, raising an outstanding amount of $2,365.40

In periods 5 and 6, students from 7-11 went down to Queen’s Park to play an Inter-house Cricket Challenge. Well done to Donavon house, prevailing as overall winners. This was followed by the Annual Teachers verse Students game. The students produced their best ever-batting effort, but it was not enough to prevail over the teachers, with the teachers winning the event. It was a great day which was enjoyed by all. We are looking forward to an even bigger year in 2020. Thank you to all involved in the whole day from cooking Patty Cakes, preparing ribbons, BBQ cooking, serving and cleaning up and donating to this great cause. A big thank you to all.

Kaitlin Thorne & Sophie Otten

Lions Youth of the Year- 2019

On Saturday 16th February three of our Year 12 students: Taylah Hoffmann, Amy Harrison and Nathaniel Ryan, participated in the local Lions Youth of the Year competition. The morning began with individual interviews with the judging panel where the students were asked about a multitude of things from their involvement within the local community, to their opinion on the banking royal commission findings.

Following this, students presented their prepared 5-minute speeches with confidence. Congratulations must go to Taylah whose speech saw her win the “Public Speaking” prize.

Lastly, students were challenged to answer impromptu questions, where they were expected to speak for 2 minutes. All three of our participants, spoke with flair and were wonderful representatives of Assumption College. Taylah, Amy and Nathaniel, you should be very proud of your hard work.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the students for taking part, and their families and friends for attending on the day. Special thanks must also go to Ms. Eliza Harris who helped coach and support the students.

Mrs. Kirstie Andrews.

ACW Senior Boys cricket V Scots

The senior XI battled blistering conditions in the first round of the Smart Secondary T20 competition. Captain Jack Duggan elected to bowl to a young and enthusiastic Scots XI. Contributions from all players in the field saw Scots stagger to a total of 48. Personal performances from Jack Duggan (4/3), Matt Higgins (2/8) and a special moment for Samuel Ogden taking his first catch with a leather ball boosted the team’s confidence heading into the second innings. Foundations were laid by Jarrod Millard and Jack Phease releasing the pressure from the middle order batters enabling Pat Gordon to hit the winning runs early in the ninth over. Contributions from all players heightened the confidence heading into round 2.

Carly Cooper

Junior Cricket Team

The Assumption Junior Cricket team won their first game against St Mary’s scoring 240 with Hugh Inmon and Morgan Bourke leading the way with 76 and 72 runs respectively. They limited St Mary’s to 165 with Morgan backing up from his battling performance to take 1-10. There was great support from the younger players on the team with Laura Schiewe and Thomas Ryan both taking a wicket, but it was Lachlan Collins who was pick of the bowlers taking 2-10.

The Assumption Cricket team had another win in the regional T20 competition, this time against Highfields SHS. The win ensures Assumption’s progression into the next round. Bowling first, Assumption limited Highfields to 106 from their 20 overs with captain Morgan Bourke ending with the best figures of 1 for 2 from his 2 overs. Tom Ryan and Zane Brown also pitched in with equal figures of 1 for 5. The Assumption run chase got off to a slow start and at one stage were 3 for 14. Key innings again from Morgan, 25 and Hugh Inmon, 37, got Assumption home. Hugh is now averaging over 50 and Morgan just under 50 for the tournament. Morgan led by example with his captaincy making sure everyone one the team had a chance to participate. If Assumption can live up to their potential, then they should have a great chance of winning the competition.

Well done team and looking forward to your next game in a couple of weeks.

Paul Bernardi

Unleashing Personal Potential

On Monday 25th February students in Years 7,8 and 9 participated in the Unleashing Personal Potential sessions. The Year 7’s focussed on Growth and Mindset, Year 8’s Grit and Goalsetting and Year 9’s Positive Relationships.

Southern Downs Youth Council

Congratulations to Kaitlyn Newely and Matthew Higgins who were selected to represent Assumption College on the Southern Downs Youth Council. On Wednesday, they attended their first meeting and were presented with their badges at an official morning tea at Council Chambers.

Fish Tanks Wanted!!

Next term the year 10 Science classes will be doing an Agricultural Science unit. We are planning on growing some Juvenile Red Claw. In order to do this we need some fish tanks.

If anyone has fish tanks that they are not using and would like to donate to us for next term it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

St Mary’s Catholic Parish:

A Christian Meditation Day will be conducted on Friday 15th March in the meeting rooms of Assumption Place (access via Acacia Avenue and Church Car Park) at 9:30am for a ‘cuppa’.

Speaker, Gabby Nelson, Brisbane, will then lead us in the practice of Christian Meditation with the introductory session beginning at 10am.

Morning Tea and lunch will be provided. The cost for the day is $10 per head.

Our Meditation Day is a perfect way to relax and unwind and nurture your soul in a positive, peace-filled environment and will finish by 2pm.

Contact Trish on 4661 3133 if you would like to come along.

The St Mary’s Catholic Parish Debutante Ball is being held on Friday 7th June. Please see the Parish website at the link below or contact the Parish office on 4661 1033 for further details.

Community News:

Helping Children Relax Workshop

Madonna King Parent Evening

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