28 March 2019

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Message:

By Mr Kort Goodman - Principal

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students

I find it hard to believe that it is almost two weeks since many people in the world collectively held their breath when they heard about, or saw, the heinous acts of violence that took place in Christchurch. We have all been left scratching our heads about how such a thing could happen to so many innocent people who had left their families to go and pray. While much has already been said about what the world can learn from this tragedy, I found the commentary of Michael McVeigh, senior editor at Jesuit Communications who publish Eureka Street to be the most poignant to me. He stated in his article ...

In the wake of the Christchurch attacks, I'm not interested in learning how the person who killed those people was radicalised. It's the oldest story in the world. It's what happens when you decide the humanity of a group of people no longer matters. I'm tired of that story.

"I need to refocus on our shared humanity, because that’s the one idea that will expose the lies at the heart of this hateful act."

What I need right now is a new story, one that focuses on the life-givers not the death-dealers. I need to refocus on our shared humanity, because that's the one idea that will expose the lies at the heart of this hateful act.

What I need is to feel a connection to the human beings whose lives have been taken from them. To mourn the loss of their life, their hope, their possibility. To feel diminished by the space that they will leave behind.

I need to open my heart to the courageous and inspiring people in these besieged Muslim communities, who will continue to hold onto their faith and humanity in the face of this hatred. I need to join the thousands of people who are showing their love and support in various ways to Muslim communities — visiting mosques, attending prayer vigils, standing in solidarity.

I need to encourage those leaders who used this tragedy to emphasise our shared humanity, those like New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinta Ardern who called for 'sympathy and love for all Muslim communities'. The story of renewal, of life sprouting out of the ashes of death, is another story that we've seen throughout history. In the wake of these Christchurch attacks, I dearly need that story to be told again.

I need that story to be told because I need to believe that someday we'll find an enduring place of peace and community, where we can live together as one human family, without having to worry about someone bringing it to a bloody and abrupt end.

When reflecting upon what happened in New Zealand and the words of Michael McVeigh, it again highlights to me why it is vitally important that we continue to do what Assumption College has done so well in the past, in working with parents to develop outstanding young women and men.

Our world today and into the future needs young people who will build others up not knock them down. This starts with an understanding of themselves and what they are capable of as a person and how much difference they can make to the lives of others. Too often we are hearing about and seeing acts of violence or humiliation performed on human beings. Our communities need to start challenging such actions and remind others of our standards and expectations. Allowing others to do such acts without challenge reinforces their belief that what they are doing or saying is acceptable.

At Assumption College, if we are going to truly form young women and men to understand how to make a positive difference throughout their lives, our families and College need to work together to ensure that words and actions that depict violence and hatred are not tolerated. In this way our young women and men will learn and grow to understand the impact that they can truly have on others.

Assessment and Report Cards

As we head towards the end of the term the students have been busily completing assessment for the term and being provided feedback on their efforts by the teachers on their assessment pieces. During this upcoming week the staff will be finalising the compiling of report cards prior to them being printed and finally checked and signed by myself. This is something I really quite enjoy doing at the end of each term as it provides me with the opportunity to develop a better picture and understanding of where our student’s strengths and areas for development and improvement lie. I would encourage all parents to take the opportunity to sit down with their child and discuss the ratings on the report card prior to making appointments for parent – teacher interviews early next term.

Best wishes for the break. Please be safe and take appropriate breaks when travelling. We look forward to students returning on Tuesday 23rd April refreshed and ready to participate fully and give their best in Term 2.

Have a lovely week

Kort

TERM 1 – 2019 DATE CLAIMERS

TERM 2 – 2019 DATE CLAIMERS

Pastoral Care News:

By Mr Craig Frattini, Deputy Principal

Senior Schooling Preparation – Pupil Free Days 2019

In order to provide time for teachers to continue their work on the implementation of the new senior schooling system being introduced this year, the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Diocese have provided all secondary schools in the Diocese with an additional three pupil free days. These pupil free days will be taken on the last day of Terms 1, 2 and 3.

We are very appreciative of the provision of these days as they will allow the staff time for the preparation of new units of work and assessment for the new system, the aligning our junior school curriculum with the new senior school curriculum and most importantly ensuring that we continue to support our current Year 11 students who will complete their senior schooling under our current system this year.

Winter Uniform Term 2

A gentle reminder that going into Term Two the students move to wearing the winter uniform. We continue to emphasise with the students that the uniform is an important part of setting the tone for the College community. A student wearing the uniform correctly shows that they have pride in themselves and pride in the community they belong to. A school uniform reduces incidents of bullying and the stress of peer pressure as all students are the same. Uniforms do not distinguish between socio-economic backgrounds like free dress does.

The uniform also helps the students focus on their job at hand. They are students not fashion statements while at school. Wearing their uniform helps the student “switch on” to student mode and it provides the students with a reminder of what the expectations of the College are and how they are supposed to behave and apply themselves to their learning.

A student that wears their uniform well in public shows that they are proud of being a part of this community. When a member of the wider community sees a student who is proud of where they come from, it often reflects back to the student in the way the member of the community interacts with them and their opinion of the school.

There is a detailed outline of uniform requirements on the College website, but below are some of the more important details. It is important that students follow the required procedures if they are not able to wear their College uniform appropriately at any time. That is the student is required to bring a note to their PC teacher explaining why they are not wearing their uniform appropriately. This note is acceptable for one day and if the issue with the uniform is for longer than one day then a note is required for each day.

Important details regarding the wearing of the College uniform:

• Students must arrive and leave Assumption College in full dress uniform. In winter this means that the senior students are to have their blazer on until the end of PC. If a student is going somewhere on their way to and/or home from school then the expectation is that they will be wearing their uniform correctly at all times.
• All students are free to change after 3.05pm before they go home if they wish – however, if a student wishes to change out of their uniform they must change completely.
• Boy’s shirts need to be tucked in and socks need to be up if wearing shorts.
• Students are to wear white or skin coloured under garments only.
• Girls’ hair is to be of suitable length and style and should not bring undue negative attention to themselves or the College. Hair should be of one natural colour, cut no shorter than a no 2 blade and undercuts, tails, tracks, shaven strips and extreme haircuts which draw attention to the student are not acceptable. Hair must be kept neat and clean – not messy and untidy. Long hair touching the collar must be tied back and off the face. Hair bands and accessories should be plain and simple in the colours of bottle green, lemon, white or navy.
• Boy’s hair is to be of suitable length and style and should not bring undue negative attention to themselves or the College. Hair should be of one natural colour, cut no shorter than a no 2 blade and undercuts, tails, tracks, shaven strips and extreme haircuts which draw attention to the student are not acceptable, e.g. ‘afro’, Mohawk style, Beckham, ‘mullet’, dread locks, man buns etc. Hair length must not be over the collar or over eyebrow and hair must always be kept neat and clean – not messy and untidy. Boys are to be clean-shaven at all times with side burns no longer than the ear lobe.
• The only items of jewellery permitted for girls are unobtrusive, plain gold or silver studs or sleepers, maximum of one per ear in the ear lobe. The only visible piercings should be in the ear. All other piercings are to be removed. A wrist watch and a simple neck chain with a religious crucifix only. Boys are to have no visible jewellery except a wrist watch and a simple neck chain with a religious crucifix only. Any infringement may result in confiscation. Confiscated jewellery is returned to students at the end of each term. No visible tattoos are permitted for any students.
• If wearing makeup, application should be natural with neutral colour that does not cause undue attention but blends with the skin tone. No lipstick or eyeshadow is to be worn. Fake nails and coloured nail polish are not to be worn; clear only.
• Boys are to be clean shaven at all times.
• Senior students may wear their jersey over their normal shirts and ties and under their blazer on a Thursday.

We hope that this information will assist both parents and students by clearing up any confusion and by setting clear guidelines for the appropriate wearing of the College uniform. If you have any concerns please feel free to contact your child’s Pastoral Leader, or myself.

APRE News:

By Mrs Carol Sharp, APRE

The RE Classroom

Most students should have completed assessment for Term 1 by now. Please be aware that students will be commencing work on Unit 2 after their assessment for Unit 1 is completed and, therefore, should be present at school each day or else they will miss a significant amount of work.

Social Justice News

Request for Cotton

Keep those generous donations of cotton fabric coming in please. The students are working hard to cut material from the patterns and will soon be sewing the dresses to donate to the ‘Dress for a Girl’ foundation. It’s great to see our students using their talents for the benefit of those in need. A big thank you to the group and to Mrs Amanda Stevens for all the hard work.

Project Compassion

Students continue to work hard to raise funds for Project Compassion. They have been selling Zooper Doopers and making cakes and slices in an attempt to generate more funds for this worthy cause. Week 10 will be the final opportunity for students to donate and we encourage them to keep up the great work they are currently doing.

Last Thursday our Year 11 REET students were visited by Baskoro from Caritas Indonesia to talk about how the money raised in Project Compassion is used. In this presentation the students learned about the importance Caritas places on working with the local community to develop solutions to the problems facing those who are living in extreme poverty. One key message was that a little bit can go a long way. $1 seems like a small amount of money to us but it can pay for a health check for a pregnant woman living in a remote community in Bangladesh.

To learn more about Project Compassion, the work that Baskoro does and how the money raised is helping to create more just communities, visit the Caritas website:

Youth Prayer for Lent

Lord,
Teach me a new freedom.
Freedom to reject comparison
And to embrace uniqueness.
Freedom to cut ties with greed
And feast on love.
Freedom to abstain from over indulgence
And feast on self-control.
Freedom to leave behind selfish thoughts
And to focus on the needs of others.
Freedom to fend off insecurity
And to embrace grace.
Lord, at this time of Lent,
Thank you for the freedom you bring.

Amen.

Curriculum News:

By Mrs Anna Hardy, Assistant Principal—Curriculum

End of Term 1 Progress Report:

Term 1 Progress Reports will be posted home next week. This report is designed to give parents some indication of how their child is progressing in their studies. You will notice that your child will be awarded a result, yet keep in mind that this may only reflect one piece of assessment or one criteria in that subject. For some students it reflects classwork, drafts or formative assessment. A letter and form accompanies the report. The letter outlines our next scheduled parent and teacher interviews. Whilst teachers may request an interview with parents, we also strongly encourage parents to request interviews with teachers. Please also note that the learning support teacher Karyn Morrison will be available for appointments with parents. We understand that families have busy schedules; however 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 all Year 7 parents. If you are unsure on how to complete the bookings please contact us at the College office.

Tutoring

As we approach the end of the term and the peak of assessment submissions for our students, it is timely to remind all students and parents of the academic support structures in place here at Assumption. The College is pleased to offer Thursday afternoon Tutoring from 3:15pm-4:15pm in rooms 311-312. These sessions are staffed every week by both the Senior and Junior Program Leaders and are available to all students from Years 7-12. With our incredibly dedicated staff volunteering their attendance every week it is a wonderful opportunity for students to seek additional help in clarifying class work, developing high quality assessment pieces and catching up any work missed due to absences from school. There are teachers present every week across a variety of faculties, with a special mention to the Mathematics Department and the fabulous Mr Baker and Mr Dudin who have been present every week.

These tutoring sessions are held in two rooms with one being dedicated to silent, supervised, independent study and a second room in which students are able to engage in quiet, on task discussion with peers and teachers. Please note: these sessions are not intended to be used as space for students to wait or waste time after school. Attendance is encouraged only for students who are genuinely using this time to focus on school work in a dedicated manner. Distracting, loud or off-task behaviour will not be tolerated.

Happy studying!

Student Pathway News

By Mrs Alison Porter, Program Leader Student Pathways

Noteworthy Items:

• The Australian Defence Forces have opened applications for the 2020 Gap Year
• A local business is offering an interested Year 10 or 11 student a position as a school-based trainee in horticulture
• Reminder that any students competing work experience over the Easter holiday period should have their work experience agreement forms signed and submitted this week.

USQ Aviation Experience Days

The University of Southern Queensland invites Year 9-12 students to attend a USQ Aviation Experience Day. USQ Aviation offers a number of experience days at the Springfield campus, designed for years 9, 10, 11 & 12 students who have a high interest in the aviation industry and future aspirations to study a Bachelor of Aviation (Flight Operations) or a Bachelor of Aviation (Aviation Management). Details of the experience days are below and students have been emailed the links to register. Attendance at, and transport to, the experience days are the responsibility of individual students and parents/guardians.

Please note that places for the years 11 & 12 two-day experiences are extremely limited.

University Showcase

Last week interested Year 12 students were given the opportunity to attend the University Showcase. The showcase involved various universities coordinating a visit to Warwick. The showcase included a panel of speakers delivering a presentation on general tertiary information. Topics included pathways to university, costs, how to apply, accommodation, lifestyle and transition from school. Afterwards there was time available for students to visit tertiary exhibits, speak to exhibitors and collect relevant information.

Year 12 and University

Year 12 students interested in attending university have been advised to start researching possible university courses for which they might like to apply. The QTAC (Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre) is a great place to start the research. The QTAC course guide can be found at www.qtac.edu.au (course search). Part of this research should include planning for the open days at the universities in which students are interested. Information and dates can be found at www.qtac.edu.au (courses and institutions) and www.acwcareers.com (calendar of events).

Vocational Courses

For any students interested in completing a vocational qualification, that is a certificate or diploma course, a great website to investigate options and find training providers is Queensland Skills Gateway. When students visit the site at the link below. They can find a comprehensive list of courses and information about organisations offering the qualification courses.

Australian Defence Forces

The ADF have a number of information sessions coming up. An overview of these is listed below and students have been emailed more information regarding these. To register for any of the information sessions, students can visit:

ADFA Future Leaders Evening – 4th April

For Year 11 students the night will cover life at ADFA as well as the dual recruitment process with the UNSW. Students will also have the opportunity to network with current serving ADF members who studied through ADFA.

STEM Activities Day – Wednesday 10th April

The ADF have a range of positions available for students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. During the STEM day students can participate in a hands on activities designed to give them insight into the work they can do in the Navy, Army or Air Force. Students will have the opportunity to build a Lego Mind Storm Challenge and immerse themselves into Virtual Reality, all whilst meeting and hearing from ADF serving Engineers and Tradies. This event is open to all students in Years 10-12.

Gap Year 2020

Defence Force Recruiting Gap Year applications are now open. Gap Year positions are always in high demand, therefore students interested in the ADF Gap Year are strongly encouraged to apply now, so they don’t miss out. For more information on the ADF Gap Year, eligibility and the roles available visit:

InspireU Camp

The InspireU Health Science camp provides an opportunity for up to 20 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from schools across Queensland to participate in a number of activities designed to provide an insight into studying health sciences at The University of Queensland. The camp is open to Year 11 and 12 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and all costs including meals, transport and accommodation are covered by the university. Interested students should visit

Sport News

By Mrs Julie Collins, Program Leader Sport

Assumption College Cross Country

Our Cross County carnival will be held on Tuesday 22 April – that is the first day back after holidays!! Students will attend school as normal for Periods 1 & 2, then will travel by bus up to the Golf Course during first break. Students will be expected to stay until the completion of the carnival and may be collected from the Golf Course from 2.30pm. Students who need to catch a bus from school will travel back to school by bus in time for normal bus services.

Darling Downs Trials:

Congratulations to students who have been attending various Darling Downs trials over the past weeks.

The following students have been selected in DD teams.

Sports Calendar

Music:

Instrumental Music

This term the College has offered a vocal group, rock band and lessons for Vocal, Piano and Guitar. We will be continuing to offer these opportunities next term and are hoping to implement further instrument opportunities in Terms 3 and 4. A note will be distributed in Week 10 to students who have been learning an instrument to confirm whether they will continue. In addition, this note will be available for any students who would like to learn piano, vocal or guitar and could possibly be added to the Term 2 timetable if a position becomes vacant.

College Musical

Congratulations to all students who have been selected to be involved in the College musical, Legally Blonde Jr. A special mention to students who have a lead role: Jade Moon, Matt Higgins, Morgan Bourke, Travis Lambert, Shakira Byrne, Amy Harrison, Mackenzie Ganley, Tori Abood, Ava McLucas, Erin Walsh, Kaitlyn Newley, Taylah Hoffman, Will Howard, Nat Ryan, Jarrod Grayson, Sophie Lambert, Holly Kelly, Jess Botha, Ben Fischer, Tasmyn Walters, Josh Neucom, Paige Boyle

Rehearsals started last week and it is very clear that we have a talented group of students who are sure to wow audiences in August. Thank you in advance for your support.

Library News:

By Mrs Mary-Anne Driver

Mrs Hughes plaiting activity has become increasingly popular now that they are starting to make halters and leads. A special thanks to Mrs Hughes and Mrs Butler who give up their lunch times to come and provide interesting and exciting activities for all.

It is also lovely to see the seniors being involved. Kaitlyn spent one lunch teaching how to make pipe cleaner flowers – we now have a lovely bunch decorating our desk to brighten up our days.

Liam is continuing to come and spend one day a week with coding – we have paused our work with the spheros and are moving on to creating a team for the First Lego League challenge which will be held later this year. This challenge has 3 parts – a robotics/coding ‘game’ where students create and program a robot to complete a set challenge, a project where students devise a solution for an existing world problem, and the third part is being judged on their core values of team work and sportsmanship. There is still plenty of time for students to get involved if they are keen – remind them to send Mrs Wooding an email to register their interest.

Further to the mention of our spheros, one of our little robots (attach pic) has become lost. Please keep an eye out in case it has accidentally ended up in a pencil case or bag in students’ rush to leave the library and get to class.

We also notice lots of caring happening in our space - a senior will offer help with a school problem, someone is asked if they would like to join in a group game. It makes our hearts happy to see friendships blossoming, inclusion and thoughtfulness happening this happening every day in this space.

Have a great holiday and we look forward to term 2.

Business News:

By Mr Scott Clegg, Business Manager.

2019 Term 1 School fees were issued last week. If you didn’t receive them please contact the Finance office. Fees are due 29th March 2019 unless you have a direct debit or payment plan with the College. For those parents/guardians who have students participating in the Year 9 Canberra excursion, the cost of the excursion was charged to your school fees account so that you can start paying it off before the departure date.

General Notices:

Southern Downs Youth Council

Kaitlyn Newley & Matthew Higgins attended the first 2019 Southern Downs Youth Council meeting for the year at Killarney State School on Thursday 14th March 2019. Twenty student members representing various schools from around our district were in attendance at the meeting. The next meeting for the Youth Council will be held at Stanthorpe State High School on May 30.

ACW Open League

The ACW Open league squad has been training hard this term for upcoming “NRL Darling Downs competition and Confraternity 2019”. On Wednesday the 27th the boys played St Joseph’s Toowoomba in a trial match at Warwick Cowboys.

Year 9 CO2 Car Race

We are racing in 3, 2, 1 and they are off!

The Year 9 CO2 car race day was on! There were cheers, fist pumps and missing car parts as the races progressed. Some cars lost wheels but still won (because of good aerodynamic design) and other cars came to a spectacular end. Some cars were built for speed (the sleds and rails) and others were built for appearance (foxes, fishing lures and art works). Last minute alterations and adjustments were made to try and get the fastest car but none of the cars managed to finish the 20 metre course in under 1 second. With the cars travelling at an average speed of about 75 kph the action was fast, furious and close. The post race analysis (what I should have/could have done) was fun to listen to but the race winners had lots of fun with bragging rights. Everyone enjoyed themselves and the races were a great way to finish the term project.

Chess Challenge

St Mary’s Catholic Parish:

Community News:

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