By Mrs Liisa Hammond, Principal

John 6:60-69 and Social Justice Sunday

This Gospel tells us of the struggle that some of the disciples and many of Jesus’ followers had when he spoke about being the “bread of life”. It highlights to us the difficulties that exist when our beliefs and values are challenged by the words and actions of others. When that happens, we have the choice to respond in fear or anger, or take the opportunity to respond with compassion. Seek first to understand.

This is an important reading, given that last Sunday, we observed Social Justice Sunday. Social Justice Sunday has been commemorated since 1940, with an annual statement and theme issued by the Bishops to focus our thoughts and prayers.

The theme for 2024 is Truth and Peace: A Gospel Word in a Violent World. Australia’s Bishops ask us to put our faith and hope into the possibility of peace. They challenge us to respond with compassion and reflection when we are faced with pessimism. As Brother Damien Price would say, we should enter a space of encounter and dialogue rather than fear and anger, to turn towards each other, not away.

Australia’s Bishops draw upon Pope Francis’ words (2023) when he urges us to work for a new world that is resplendent in its peace:

“Keep seeking and be ready to take risks. At this moment in time, we face enormous risks; we hear the painful plea of so many people. But let us find the courage to see our world not as in its death throes but in a process of giving birth, not at the end but at the beginning of a great new chapter of history. We need courage to think like this.”

So even when things become hard, when we are challenged by the words and actions of others, let us work together to show our young people that there is a realistic way to peace, an authentic and enduring peace – and that is through a commitment to act and respond with Truth and Love.

Fathers’ and Significant Men in our Lives Day

On Wednesday, we celebrated our fathers and all other significant men in our lives. With breakfast on the Green consisting of breakfast burgers in a variety of different flavours, it was fabulous to spend time celebrating with our dads.

Congratulations go, once again, to the Spiller Family for their win in the annual paper plane competition, expertly compered by ACW’s 2025 Spirit Leader, Harry Hume.

It is important to celebrate the significant males within our community, given that the teaching profession currently has 72% females and 28% males. it is important for us to give thanks to positive male role models within our community.

Queensland Catholic Music Festival

As was reported as a late addition to our newsletter, it is with great joy that we celebrate our College band gaining a silver medal for their performance at the Queensland Catholic Music Festival. This is an amazing achievement for ACW, given that there has been tireless work by so many in order to build our cultural offerings at the college.

Our entry into the Queensland Catholic Music Festival was initiated by Mr Richard Coe, former CL: Arts and Performance, and the hours of dedication delivered by Aaron Buchannan. Our students, as usual, were spectacular in their commitment, given the fact that several of our Year 11 students left their Leadership Induction early to attend the performance.

This silver achievement is testimony to the hard work and dedication of our performance staff and is another addition to an already standing ovation of performances for our 2024 year.

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

By Mrs Anna Hardy, Assistant Principal Curriculum

College Assessment Policy

As a College we value the importance of assessment in the learning process. We are committed to an educational philosophy that encourages all students to achieve personal excellence in their desired pathways.

It is this reason that we have an assessment policy that ensures that assessment is completed by all students in all subjects. It is at this time of the term, with numerous assessment being completed that as parents you may hear from teachers about the status of your child’s assessment status.

Below is the excerpt from our policy that explains the non-submission and extension process.

Absence from internal assessment, including examinations

Advance Notice

Assumption College recognises that some students may require extensions for assessment due to circumstances that may impact their opportunity to engage in learning and be assessed fairly. These circumstances may include medical situations, bereavement, prolonged illness, family circumstances, and school-sanctioned or representative academic or sporting events. A student in Year 7 to Year 12 who wishes to request a modification to the due date of an assessment instrument must complete an Extension Form at least three days before the submission of the draft, final response or examination. In Year 7 to Year 10, evidence (e.g. a signed note from home) must be submitted with the application. In Year 11 and Year 12, a medical certificate or other documentary evidence is required to accompany the form (note the QCAA policy regarding illness and misadventure below for restrictions regarding assessment in Units 1 - 4).

Unforeseen Circumstances

Unforeseen circumstances regarding illness and misadventure include illness, injury, incidents on the day of the assessment, family circumstances and bereavement. Technology failure is not an unforeseen circumstance, as students must maintain backups by saving their work to their OneDrive.

Year 7 to Year 10 students may submit a draft, a final response or sit an internal examination late without penalty when the following supporting documentation is produced:
• written note from a parent explaining the situation or
• written advice/note from a relevant College professional or Pastoral Leader or
• a medical certificate is also accepted (but not expected in our College community where securing a medical appointment can be challenging)

Year 11 and Year 12 students may submit a draft, a final response or sit an internal examination late without penalty when the following supporting documentation is produced:
• a valid medical certificate, or
• for non-medical situations, written evidence from a relevant independent professional or another independent third party

Note the QCAA policy regarding illness and misadventure below for documentation requirements involving absence from assessment in Units 1 - 4.

What you can expect if your child does not complete and/or submit draft by the due date. 

• The classroom teacher will make contact with you to discuss the non-submission of a draft.
• The classroom teacher will set an academic support session during a lunch break, for the draft to be completed. This work is collected as evidence in the case of a non-submission of the final assessment piece.
• This draft will not be marked or given any feedback.

• The classroom teacher will make contact with you to discuss the non-submission the final assessment piece.
• The draft will be marked, note that this may be sub-standard and result in a fail.
• The student will be issued an academic detention by the Director of Teaching and Learning. This is conducted after school from 3:15pm-4:15pm.

We understand that there may be extenuating circumstances and illness that contribute to the non-submission of assessment responses. In these cases, students are eligible to apply for an extension. Note that Year 7 to Year 10 students require documentation from parents/guardians to support their application. Year 11 and Year 12 students require a medical certificate for an extension to be approved. This is a QCAA requirement across the state.

Please note that it is College procedure to inform parents and guardians if their child has not passed an assessment item. We would expect this to occur in a timely manner after the assessment is marked and moderated.

Upcoming Exam Blocks

Year 11 Students – End of Unit 2 exams will occur from Wednesday 9 October to Friday 18 October 2024. A detailed timetable will be released to students and parents by the end of this term. This signifies the end of Unit 2 and Unit 3 will begin across all subjects from Monday 21 October 2024.

Year 12 students – we wish them all the best of luck for their exams next week. Their external exam block will begin on Wednesday 23 October 2024 and finish on Tuesday 12 November 2024.

In light of the upcoming exam blocks, I would encourage parents to log in to the below parent webinar information session for parents run by Elevate Education.

Elevate Education works with our students, delivering high impact workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing, and exam preparation. By tuning into their webinar series, you will learn how you can help better support your children at home through reinforcing the skills they learn at school:  

Wednesday 18th September 2024 @ 6:30pm (AEST) 

How You can Support Your Child During Exams

Register your place in our parent support series - Elevate Education

Here's what Elevate will be covering:

• What to do in the final days before any test or assessment 
• How to establish a good routine for the night before 
• How to optimise exam-room performance

Term 3 Interim Reports and Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences

These reports will be released in Week 10 of this term via the Sentral Portal.  Following on from these, in Term 4 Parent/Student/Teacher conferences will be held on Tuesday 8 October from 3:30pm.  All bookings for these conferences can be made on the Sentral Portal.

By Mrs Julie Collins, Assistant Principal Pastoral and Wellbeing

Summer Uniforms

As the warmer weather arrived early, students transitioned to their summer uniforms last week. Students were reminded of the standards regarding their uniform and expectations around presentation of self. Personal presentation is paramount and their attitude, behaviour and grooming must reflect the standards of the College. You send your children to Assumption College for the high standards we hold, and we appreciate your support of the College.

A couple of reminders:

• Skirts should brush the knee

• Ladies socks are ankle length (not invisible)

• Mens socks are knee high

• Hats are an essential part of the uniform

As always, if you need any assistance with your child’s uniform, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s Pastoral Leader.

Tuckshop

A reminder that mobile phones are not to be used whilst at school, including paying for Tuckshop. Please ensure that your student/s bring their Eftpos cards with them to pay for tuckshop. 

Child Protection Week 1-7 September

The message this year is ‘Every child in every community needs a fair go’

National Child Protection Week aims to promote a safe and supported life for every child, today and every day. 

Last year’s theme was ‘Where we start matters’, to build on that theme, this year is ‘Every conversation matters’.

Conversations are a powerful tool to keep young people safe.  Conversations can help us understand issues, help craft solutions and build the brains and social connections of children.

So, please, engage with your children, listen to them, talk with them, and teach them to be safe.

For further information or resources, please use the link below.

Theme - NAPCAN

By Mr Scott Clegg, Business Manager 

Assumption College Warwick, Year Seven Precinct and Learning Resource Centre Project

Our new building project features six new classrooms that will be utilised as a dedicated Year Seven Precinct. This precinct incorporates classrooms, offices, separate locker and toilet facilities, and a lift for easy access. The Year Seven Precinct is designed to provide a smooth transition for students moving from primary school to high school, offering them a supportive and well-equipped environment to begin their secondary education journey.

Additionally, the project includes a state-of-the-art Learning Resource Centre, which will replace our existing library.

The newly constructed buildings and infrastructure are designed to significantly enhance the educational environment for both students and faculty. These upgrades aim to improve our facilities and elevate the overall academic experience.

We are very excited to gain access to our new Year 7 Precinct and Learning Resource Centre, with practical completion for our current project scheduled for this week.

During the first two weeks of September, we will furnish these areas and prepare for the physical reveal later in September 2024.

We will invite our community to view our new Learning Resource Centre and Year 7 Precinct during the physical reveal later in September 2024. To stay informed with the latest updates and news, we invite you to check out our ACW Website and follow us on social media via our ACW facebook page.

Should you require further details, please feel free to contact the College office on 0746 604 000.

By Mrs Alison Porter, Career Development Practitioner

Aspire2Health Program

Fifteen students from Year 9 and Year 10 attended the Aspire2Health program on Wednesday at the Warwick Hospital. This program is funded and held by Rural Medical Education, the University of Southern Queensland, Griffith University and Queensland Health. The College thanks these organisations and their representatives for the great day and wealth of information provided. The program offered workshops and information sessions about careers in the health industry and included information about nursing, paramedicine, midwifery, medicine and more.

Years 10 and 11 First Aid Skill Set Course

This course is coming up on Wednesday 11September 2024. Students who secured a place in this course should have received a link via email to complete the online theory component of the course. Please note this theory is due to be completed by Monday 9 September 2024 and must be finalised to then take part in the practical component of the course. For other interested students, please note that this course will be run again in Semester 1 2025.

Year 10 Pathways Days

To support Year 10 students in their planning for careers and pathways, the College is hosting Pathways Days on Thursday 12 September and Friday 13 September 2024. We hope students are looking forward to these scheduled days at the end of this term and find them valuable. On Thursday 12 September, Year 10 students will travel to Toowoomba and have the opportunity to visit the University of Southern Queensland for a tour and activities or visit local trade businesses to explore vocational pathways and trade options. On Friday 13 September, we will have a variety of guest speakers, workshops and career relevant information sessions at the college for students to participate in. These Pathway Days will give students the opportunity to hear from industry representatives on the range of careers and pathway options available. A letter to parents with more details will be sent home shortly.

Year 10 Espresso Barista Course

Year 10 students are being offered the opportunity to participate in an Espresso Machine Operation Skillset Course from Wednesday 2 to Friday 4 October 2024.  This is a three-day course that provides students with the skills and knowledge to work in barista environments.  This is a useful course for many hospitality pathways and has the benefit of potentially awarding two points towards the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) to successful and eligible students. A letter has been emailed to students and hard copies can be found in the office or Careers office. Permission forms are due back Friday 6^th September 2024.

Year 12 Students and University

Applications are now open for entry into 2025 university courses. Year 12 students interested in applying are encouraged to consider the course preferences in their application carefully and are welcome to visit the Careers office for assistance in applying. Information regarding where to find scholarships and other relevant information has also been provided to Year 12 students. I would also encourage students to make application to early entry programs that universities offer. These are a great way to gain entry but many of these do close and cease taking applications soon.

By Mr Thomas Duggan, Sports Coordinator 

Darling Down Track and Field Trials

Inter School Basketball Competition

By Mrs Jenny Gillespie, Counsellor

Self Regulation 

At this busy time in the term many students may feel tired and tense and this can lead to frayed tempers, emotional outbursts and more challenging behaviours at home.  Learning how to manage demands and emotions is an important developmental task for teens and understanding the role of self-regulation can assist parents in this regard.

What is Self-Regulation?  

Self-regulation develops slowly over time and is the ability to understand and manage your own behaviour and reactions.  Self-regulation incorporates physical, emotional and cognitive processes and helps children and teenagers learn, behave well, get along with others and become independent. 

Why Does Self-Regulation matter?

As young people learn to manage their emotions, they feel more confident, capable and in control. They have stronger relationships, are more able to pay attention, learn new concepts and can cope better with the normal stresses and disappointments of daily life.

Self-Regulation in Adolescence?

By adolescence, the part of the brain associated with emotions, impulses, aggression and instinctive behaviour (amygdala) is well developed. However, other parts of the brain associated with the ability to plan, think about the consequences of actions, solve problems and control impulses is not fully developed until the mid-20s. 

For this reason, young people are more likely than adults to:

• frequently experience strong emotions (particularly anxiety and anger)
• act on impulse
• misread or misinterpret social cues and emotions
• engage in risky behaviour
• make decisions based on how they feel at the time

Families can support young people’s self-regulation development by:

• De-escalating teen emotion
• Talking with teens about different ways to manage uncomfortable or upsetting situations
• Talking with teens about strategies to use when they’re feeling out of control
• Helping teens to express their emotions in healthy ways
• Exploring the immediate and long-term consequences of actions
• Explaining how people will have different reactions to events depending on their circumstances.
• Role-modelling problem-solving skills

Further information @  Self-regulation in children & teenagers | Raising Children Network

By Mr John Hodder, Curriculum Leader 

Year 10 Hospitality Gourmet Sandwiches

Our Year 10 Hospitality students showcased their culinary skills by creating gourmet sandwiches as part of their assessment. After experimenting with various sandwich types earlier in the term, they designed their own unique creations. To complement their delicious sandwiches, students also prepared hot and crispy hand-cut potato wedges. Well done to all the students for their hard work and creativity!

Year 12 Hospitality High Tea 

Last week, Assumption College's student leaders experienced a delightful high tea, courtesy of the Year 12 Hospitality students. The leaders enjoyed their tea at beautifully adorned tables set with native flora, and indulged in a variety of exquisitely crafted treats including sandwiches, sausage rolls, scones, quiches, and slices. The Year 12 students showcased their event management prowess, handling everything from food preparation to decor and service. A heartfelt thanks goes out to Mrs Williams for orchestrating such a memorable affair, which wouldn’t have been possible without the assistance of Ms Siddans and Mrs McCosker.

By Mrs Amanda McCosker, College Chaplain

Busy End to Term 3

This term certainly has been a busy one, and there are still so many events happening before we reach the end of Term 3.

This week, we held our Father’s Day breakfast on The Green and many of our students had the opportunity to enjoy a bacon and egg breakfast with their Dads. During breakfast, we held our hotly contested Paper Plane Competition, with our 2025 Oogie Harry Hume taking up the role of race caller. With planes named, “The Green Machine”, “Lightning” and “Flappy Bird”, the competition was on. Congratulations to Toby Spiller, who took out the grand prize – for the second year in a row!

Excitement is building as many of our cohorts are heading off to camps in the last weeks of the term. The memories they will make with their friends while having wonderful experiences together will no doubt last a lifetime.

As we head into the last weeks of this busy term, please remember to be considerate of each other. People may be tired, overwhelmed, stressed and ready for a break. Take some time to check in on your friends and make sure they are travelling okay. Remember to be kind to each other – many people are struggling with things even though they may appear quite fine on the outside.

I hope you enjoyed the day with your Dad on Sunday and found some time to do something you love.

By Ms Taylor Quinn, Teacher Librarian

Book Week 2024

Book Week was a resounding success! We were excited to see so many students and staff dressed up and having fun! From 3D-printed bookmarks to an emoji quiz to a whole-school scavenger hunt, our library activities were very well received, and we loved giving away lots of prizes to those who took part. We can’t wait for next year as we plan for the 2025 theme: ‘Book an Adventure’. How exciting!

The 2024 Dress Up Awards (after much deliberation) went to:
Best Classic Character - Lauren as The Lorax
Most Magical Costume - Ava as Bellatrix from Harry Potter
Crowd Favourite - Will as Mr Salter
Best Staff Costume - Mrs Hohenheim and Jess as Meg and Mog
Most Classic Group - Nick, Taia, Camille and Megan as Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Most Magical Group - Indiah, Amity, Morgan, Ava, Bessie and Amelia as The Rainbow Fairies
Most Creative Group - Nat, Suzie, Meg, Jaz, Jada, Harry, Liv, Lara and Issy as The Mario Cart Crew
Most Magical PC (PC with the most participation)- McAuley 1
Best Dressed Grass Head - Donovan 3

It was a tough call! Please check out the photos attached.

New Library

As we approach the end of term, we are so close to being in our new space! It's going to be a big job, and we thank everyone for their understanding that our library services will be limited as we move all our resources to the new building. We can't wait to welcome everyone in to have a look and to use the new areas.

Remember, if you don’t know where to go, come to the library!