By Mrs Liisa Hammond, Principal

Mathew 28: 16-20

Mathew’s Gospel, reminds me of that meme that rolls around:

The Ascension of Jesus is a pivotal moment within our Easter season, and I can only imagine the hesitation that the Disciples faced when they realised that Jesus was no longer going to be with them. The Disciple’s final moments with Jesus was at Galilee, fitting as that is where it all began, and marked the end of one heck of a journey. Some theologians have described the journey of the Disciples to be that of the ultimate road trip, including great conversations, travelling to new places, experiencing new experiences, meeting interesting people and of course, the inevitable self-discovery that goes along with a great trip. At the end of it all, the Disciples were given the responsibility to be the Face of Jesus for all of humanity – through words and action.  

Hence, the meme.

We are currently deep in the midst of Academic Interviews for our Year 12 students, before moving to Academic Interviews for our Year 11s. In these interviews we discuss goals, achievement strategies and results. We focus upon the understanding that the role of the College is support our students in their bid to be the hardest working people for their own success – as they become the adult in their own life. Often that mind shift to not looking for someone else to motivate you, to take responsibility for your own future and success, can be a tough one.

The compelling purpose of education is often debated. So many, seemingly, competing agendas occupy our cognitive loads, that often we lose sight of our vision. In these Academic Interviews, and in fact in all conversations with our students, the purpose becomes clear. Our role is to support our students to become confident and capable individuals, who embrace the opportunity to be challenged and empowered to become curious. To never represent themselves as being less than who they are, and to strive to live a life that is grounded in – Truth and Love.

To know that when faced with those moments of adulthood when you look for an adultier adult, they are pleasantly surprised when they realise that they are now the adult.  

Appointment of Seventh Bishop of Toowoomba

On Wednesday, 24 May 2023, at 12:00pm in Rome (8:00pm our time), the announcement of Pope Francis’ appointment of Bishop Ken Howell, as the seventh Bishop of Toowoomba was made. Please see the attached announcement from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.

As a community we thank, Most Reverend Robert M McGuckin, Bishop of Toowoomba and anticipate the opportunity to celebrate, thank and farewell him appropriately.

Bishop Ken Howell appointed seventh Bishop of Toowoomba

Pope Francis has this evening appointed Bishop Ken Howell, who has served as Auxiliary Bishop of Brisbane since 2017, the seventh Bishop of Toowoomba.

Bishop Howell will succeed Bishop Robert McGuckin, who has led the Diocese of Toowoomba since 2012, whose resignation Pope Francis has accepted.

“I am deeply humbled to be called by Pope Francis to shepherd this local Church and I thank him sincerely,” Bishop Howell said.

“I realise that I have been given a great responsibility to care for the faithful and to engage in the life of the broader community across the Diocese.”

After serving as a priest of the Archdiocese of Brisbane for 40 years, and the last six as auxiliary bishop, Bishop Howell conceded there was a “touch of sadness” in leaving.

“However, I do not come to Toowoomba as a stranger,” he said.

“The close links between Brisbane and Toowoomba have been longstanding and I know many of the priests of the Diocese.

“I come with a desire to listen to God’s people and to understand and grow in love for the mission of this local Church. It is my firm hope that I may accompany the community of the Church of Toowoomba, as together we seek to live and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ in the world.”

In addition to parish ministry and leadership positions within the Archdiocese of Brisbane, Bishop Howell completed a licentiate in sacred liturgy at the Pontifical Institute Sant’Anselmo in Rome and served as vice rector of Holy Spirit Seminary, the Queensland regional seminary, for six years.

Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB welcomed Bishop Howell’s appointment.

“Having worked as secretary to Archbishop John Bathersby, and as Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar General in Brisbane, he will arrive well equipped for this new ministry to which he has been called,” he said.

“He has been a valued member of the Bishops Conference for the past six years.”

Archbishop Costelloe also paid tribute to Bishop McGuckin, saying he “offered the Conference great service for more than a decade, providing exceptional leadership particularly in the area of canon law”.

“His episcopal ministry has been generous, extending well beyond the normal age of retirement to serve the people of Toowoomba and the Church in Australia,” Archbishop Costelloe said.

Bishop McGuckin said he had been “privileged” to serve as Bishop of Toowoomba for 11 years and wished Bishop Howell “every blessing as he takes up his pastoral ministry in this vast and special Diocese”.

“The people of the Archdiocese of Brisbane will be sad at losing Bishop Ken, but rest assured Bishop Ken will be warmly welcomed to Toowoomba,” Bishop McGuckin said.

Bishop Howell’s installation as Bishop of Toowoomba is scheduled for July 11 at St Patrick’s Cathedral.

Vaping

This week, I sent a letter to our community regarding the ever-present issue of vaping. In case you missed that letter, I place it here for your consideration. I would like to thank our parents and carers who are working with us, in order to act protectively for our young people. A united front on matters of our young peoples safety will always see us succeed.

Dear Assumption College Community

RE: Vaping in Schools

Over the past week, as a community, we have had information brought to us about the use, distribution, and possession of vapes on College grounds.  With substantiation, this has seen several of our young people facing various consequences aligned with our Behaviour Sanctions Policy.

The reality is that vaping is a national crisis, and according to a report from ABC Australia in April this year, vaping is experiencing a rise in popularity among young people aged 12 – 18 years. When we read the facts and figures surrounding this issue, it can very well be overwhelming – but only if we consider it to be an individual issue. If, instead, we are able to view this as a community issue, and we support each other with the compelling purpose of protecting our young people and empowering them to make positive choices for their health and wellbeing – then all things are possible.

Assumption College, through our P&F, our Advisory Board and our staff, are committed to maintaining a safe place for our students to thrive and experience success. As a College, smoking (including vaping) is banned – it is illegal for students to possess, distribute and/or use a vape. Our staff have an important role to play in supporting and protecting our students’ health and wellbeing. Unfortunately, social influences like social media (including TikTok challenges) and companies, that wish to exploit our students, glamourise vaping. This has created the need for us to stay informed about the impact of vaping and unite to protect our young people.

Hence, my reason for writing, as a commitment to your young person’s wellbeing, is a call for a united front on this issue. We will continue to educate our young people about the health risks and harms associated with vaping. We will consistently implement our Behaviour Sanctions Policy to send the clear message that vaping will not be tolerated for the simple fact that it does cause harm.

We are committed to working with industry experts to ensure our knowledge and processes are current and relevant. We will invite guest speakers to address our young people and work with health initiatives and agencies.

What we are asking from our families is to please enter into a conversation with your young person, even if you believe that vaping is not an issue for them.

The Lung Foundation Australia has provided the following advice for starting those conversations, and I present them to you here.

Talking with your dependent about vaping:

For young people - Lung Foundation Australia

To assist with arming yourselves with accurate, verifiable, and current information, please consult the following sources:

QUIT  E-cigarettes and vaping (quit.org.au)

Lung Foundation Australia For young people - Lung Foundation Australia

NSW Health  The facts about vaping - For teachers and schools - Tobacco and smoking (nsw.gov.au)

Queensland Health  Electronic cigarettes | Report of the Chief Health Officer Queensland

If you have any questions and considerations in reference to this matter, or any matter pertaining to your young person, please contact our College office on 4660 4000.

Welcome to New Staff

School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships

Assumption College would like to congratulate Jia O'Dea on securing training in certificate III in retail in 2023. Jia is completing her training through McDonalds Warwick. We wish her all the best for her continuing studies. 

Congratulations to Samuel Neucom who is completing Certificate III in Meat Processing (Retail Butchery). Samuel commenced training in 2022 and we wish him luck for his continuing studies.

May our Mother Mary grant her blessings upon our College Community.