By Mrs Liisa Hammond, Principal

Gospel Mark 9: 2-10

Mark’s Gospel reveals a pivotal moment within our Lenten journey – the transfiguration of Jesus. Jesus takes Peter and James up to Table Mountain, where they experience the revelation of Jesus’s divine glory, supported by Moses and Elijah.
Similar to the Assumption of Mary, the Transfiguration of Jesus is hard for some of us to contextualise. A guy on a mountain with two of his mates, suddenly having his clothes becoming dazzling white and two dead guys appearing beside him … you could relate to Peter and James having a “what the?” moment, right?
Nonetheless, if we are able to interpret this narrative as being symbolic of transformation or of spiritual enlightenment, then perhaps it is easier to understand. We often challenge our students to “be the face of Jesus” for each other, to recognise that when we act with compassion, generosity, justice, and wisdom, then for that moment, we are recognised as being Jesus for those of whom we are interacting. To be transformational is to inspire and motivate, to create positive change, through connection, guidance and support. The secret; however, is that people have to be ready for the transformation to occur. Jesus was careful to choose Peter and James, as they were receptive to the experience. Just as the Year 12s' theme, Sower of Seeds, tells us that seeds require the right conditions to grow and produce crops, our hearts and minds must be open and receptive to transformational experiences that deepen our understanding and connection to our spirituality and our growth.
We have to be ready to act and receive the grace that is bestowed upon us. We have to ensure that our actions are transformational for others – that we commit to being the face of Jesus as we act with compassion, generosity, justice and wisdom. Pope Francis urges us to see that Lent is the perfect time for this to occur – to not just sacrifice superficial items, but to be transformational for each other, to “… focus on living in peace and harmony, overcoming divisions and learning, to live in fraternity with humility …” and to recognise that, “… Lent is a powerful season, a turning point that can strengthen change …” through truth and love.

Parents and Friends Committee

On Monday, 19 February 2024, Assumption College’s Parents and Friends Committee (P&F) held its first meeting. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend, owing to the fact that I was in Toowoomba at TCS’s Leadership Forum. I have been informed that there was rigorous conversation and that there were several new faces.
I appreciate every member of our community who gives so freely of their time to ensure that the operational practices and lived experiences of our current students are defined by the terms quality, challenge and success.
I look forward to our next meeting, where we have been asked to discuss issues of inclusivity, in particular our commitment to our First Nations students and their families, as well as our sense of unity as one nation, one Spirit, united through our values of generosity, wisdom, compassion, and justice.
All are welcome – 11 March 2024, 6:00pm at the Staff lunchroom.

Isabella Sullivan and the National Indigenous Business Summer School (NIBSS)

Dear Mrs Hammond and staff,
Thank you so much for the well wishes for the National Indigenous Business Summer School (NIBSS). During the week I experienced many incredible sites and made many life-long friendships which span across Australia. Throughout the week, I participated in many cultural walks and heard amazing explanations of the local area, including La Perouse and Redfern. We learned about the local Dharawal Language at the Gujaga Foundation, and some weaving techniques from Aunty Clare. Then we visited the Commonwealth Bank to learn about the unlimited opportunities for First Nations students. These experiences have taught me that the pathways for First Nations students are endless.
Let's not forget about First Nations Response who presented us with our case study; to create a fundraising campaign for a “National Breakfast Club.” This opportunity to work with industry professionals and gain personal feedback was priceless.
I would like to finish this summary with a quote from Sarah Hyland, the leading Charted Indigenous Accounting firm in Australia; “If you see a need, be the change and fix it.”
Thank you,
Issy Sullivan

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

By Mrs Anna Hardy, Assistant Principal Curriculum 

Assessment Calendars

Are available on the College website under school calendars. These are a great tool to help your child manage their time effectively.

Assessments and Extensions

It is timely to remind all members of our College community of the requirements of our assessment policy. If a student has a valid reason for extra time, they must apply for an extension by meeting with their classroom teacher to discuss their needs. This must be done prior to the due date. An extension will be granted with the required documentation, such as a medical certificate (senior students) or a note (junior students). If there are extenuating circumstances, we urge you to come and discuss it with your child’s PL, Curriculum Leader or a member of the ELT.

Term 1 Reports

Term 1 interim reports will be sent home with students during the last week of this term. Parent/teacher/student conference will be held early in Term 2 – Monday 22 April 2024 and Tuesday 23 April 2024. These are an excellent opportunity to be a part of the educational journey and set some goals for your child moving towards the end of Semester 1.

Subject changes

Year 7-10 subject changes need to be made at the end of semesters or in the first few weeks of a new semester. For Year 11 students, changes need to be made at the end of Unit 1, this ensures that the required amount of semester credits are acquired to achieve their Q.C.E. Any issues or questions regarding subject changes, please do not hesitate to contact me via the College office.

Tutorials

It is great to see that students are using the tutorial time to access their teachers for extra help with assessment and homework. A reminder for those that have not been before, tutorials are held on each Thursday 3:15pm-4:15pm and everyone is welcome!

NAPLAN 

NAPLAN will take place for all of our Year 7 and Year 9 students from Wednesday 13 March – Monday 18 March, 2024. There will be catch up days on the Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 March, 2024 for students that have missed tests. Information around NAPLAN testing has been sent to Year 7 and Year 9 parents/guardians. If parents/guardians have any questions around the testing, please contact the College office.

Elevate Education for Parents 

Elevate Education will be hosting their next parent webinar on technology and focus on Wednesday, 13 March 2024.
Elevate 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 support your child, at home, by reinforcing the skills they’re learning at school.

Sign up for the session via the following link to learn how you can turn technology from a distraction into an incentive to study.

How You Can Make Technology an Ally (& Not the Enemy!)
Wednesday 13 March 6:30-7:30pm (AEDT)
Register via the link in the flyer

Here’s what Elevate will be covering on the night:
✅ Reducing your child’s dependence on technology
✅ Using apps to prevent your child procrastinating
✅ Using technology to enhance your child’s learning

By Mrs Julie Collins, Assistant Principal Pastoral and Wellbeing

Real Talk

Recently, at the student protection mandatory training day, Real Talk delivered a presentation on Technology, Personal Identity and Life and Relationships. Of particular interest were the statistics relating to the unrestricted use of devices, especially phones with younger children. While some of the information was confronting, it is a reality that needs monitoring. The exposure of sexual content to children from 8 years of age was discussed, and the necessity for proactive monitoring and guidance from parents.
Drawing upon family values and morals as a compass for navigating the digital landscape, is a great place to start. By initiating open and honest conversations, parents can empower their children to make informed decisions and develop a strong sense of digital literacy and online safety.
The Year 7 cohort was recently addressed regarding a chat group named ‘ACW 7 Gang’ which involved students taking photos of themselves in uniform, writing comments and posting.
Assumption College students are not to take photos of themselves or others in uniform and post online in any platform, including their desktop backgrounds.
Students attended the Brett Lee online safety presentation at the beginning of the year where many examples and reminders were given on how to stay safe online.
At the College, we are committed to working with you and your children to keep them safe online.
It is your right as a parent to check what your children are doing online, this is not an invasion of their privacy, this is good parenting.
Resources are available on Real Talk (realtalkaustralia.com)

Early Departure Form

Permission for students to walk/drive to appointments during College time.

Written consent for students to drive or walk to an appointment during College time is required as part of our safety protocols. This written consent serves several important purposes:

Students being picked up by someone other than a parent.

 By Mrs Jo Winlaw, Acting Assistant Principal Mission and Identity 

Caritas/Project Compassion Gaza Crisis Appeal

The leaders of McAuley and Romero Houses are heading up our awareness of and fundraising for this Caritas appeal. Each Friday, for the next three weeks, and then on Wednesday in Weeks 9 and 10, the leaders will be visiting PC classes to collect coins [and notes if possible] to assist Caritas in helping the people of Gaza, especially the women and children. Thank you in advance for your support of this appeal.

Thank you

As you will have heard by this point, this is my final week at Assumption College. Due to a change of family circumstances, my husband and I will be moving out of the area. Thank you for welcoming me into your community and for showing me why this community is so special. Assumption College will always have a tender spot in my heart.
Blessings to you all for the year ahead!

By Mr Scott Clegg, Business Manager 

College Fees

We have recently issued the statements for our College fees via email. We kindly ask that you review these statements and arrange for payment by the due date. For those who have an existing Direct Debit or an approved payment plan with our College, please consider this notice as a friendly reminder and feel free to disregard if your payments are already scheduled accordingly.

We understand that managing finances can sometimes present challenges, especially in the current climate. If you encounter any difficulties with accessing your emailed statement, have not received it, or have any queries related to your College fees account, we urge you to contact our Finance Team. We are available to assist you via phone on 07 4660 4000 or email at Finance@acwarwick.catholic.edu.au ensuring you have all the necessary information at your disposal.

We recognise that unforeseen circumstances can affect one's ability to settle accounts on time. If you find yourself in a situation of financial hardship or if there are any concerns about meeting the payment deadline, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our Principal and I are available to discuss any matters confidentially and to explore supportive measures that can be put in place. Our aim is to ensure that financial concerns do not impede our students' education and wellbeing. Please contact our College office via phone on 07 4660 4000 to make a mutually convenient appointment.

Your cooperation and prompt attention to these matters are greatly appreciated. We are committed to supporting every family within our community and believe that open communication is key to overcoming any challenges that may arise.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in fostering an enriching educational environment for our students.

By Mr Thomas Duggan, Sports Coordinator 

Pink Stumps Day Update

District and Regional Trials 

2024 QISSN and Confro Teams

By Mrs Jenny Gillespie, College Counsellor

Habits Matter

Although the adolescent years are a time when young people establish independence and take on more personal responsibility, teens will still need guidance to help them become the best versions of themselves.
These good habits will not only help improve your teens’ skills for high school but will also assist them to develop independence as they move into adulthood.

Good Habits in High School

The key to developing good habits starts with consistency. If your teen wants to know how to improve study/school work habits, there are plenty of ways they can go about cultivating them:
• Take meaningful breaks from social media. Tell your teen to switch off their phone, close the apps and to log out from social media browsers on the laptop. Notifications are an easy way to lose track and deter them from starting or finishing a task.
• Set up a study/work area. Help your teen create a peaceful zone inside the house where they can focus on the tasks at hand. It should be quiet, comfortable and uncluttered with minimal distractions.
• Encourage your teen to avoid cramming for exams. Cramming can increase stress and make it more difficult to retain information.
• Outline objectives. To ensure your teen accomplishes what they need to in a practical, systematic fashion, it’s a good idea to look at their assessment calendar with them and see if they need help to plan out their assignment tasks, step by step.

Time Management

Strong time management skills go together with good school habits. Whether your teen likes to wait to the last possible moment to complete their HPE report or they continually miscalculate how long it takes them to get ready for school, waiting until the last moment to complete tasks or arrive at an event will cause them issues in their adult life.
Instil in your teen the importance of managing their time effectively on their own without needing constant reminders. NB – some teens will take longer to learn this than others. A consistent but patient approach does help.

Sleep Matters

Teens are notorious for having an unpredictable sleeping schedule. With the combination of early starts, social media, online gaming and Netflix movies, it’s no surprise they might not be getting enough sleep. It is recommended by the Australian Department of Health that teens get 8-10 hours of sleep per night. Household Wi-Fi control apps can help parents and teens to establish (and maintain) a regular sleep routine which in turn, assists them to function at school to the best of their ability.

By Mrs Amanda McCosker, College Chaplain

We are officially more than half-way through Term 1 – how quickly has that time gone? Many of you will have tackled an assessment or two (or three) and be well and truly back into the swing of all things academic.

The Year 7s are settling in well and enjoying the different opportunities that secondary school offers them. It’s been so great to see new friendships developing, as well as their participation in activities and new experiences.

We are preparing to recognise some important days in the coming weeks, such as International Women’s Day, Harmony Day and of course Easter at the end of term, with various activities planned for each of them. More details about each day will be provided as the dates draw closer.

I’d like to finish with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson. It’s just something to think about if you have had a bad day, as we all do sometimes. “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders no doubt crept in, forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day.”

Have a great week and look after each other.

By Ms Mary-Anne Driver, Library Aide

The library has been many things to many people this fortnight. We have had quite a few students spending time doing individual assignments, sitting quietly and reading, or having down time. As assignment due dates get closer Mrs Wooding and Miss Quinn are popular and are always willing to offer support. Mr Salter and his debating group came in to use the whiteboard while other students have enjoyed games, jigsaws and our set lunch activities of craft, chess and Dungeons & Dragons. We had a lego tower that reached a whopping 2.17m before it was dismantled, ready to start a new build using the information learnt about structures and supports!

We have a pink flamingo on the library desk that seems to go on adventures around the library, only to be found by one of the library staff and brought back to the desk. This week he was found visiting White Bird!

Containers for Change – we have been collecting 10c cans and bottles for 18 months now with the money planned for equipment for the new library. There are red bins scattered around the College that students can place their empty containers (minus straws and lids) into. If you would like to support us, the ACW Containers for Change number is C10441035.