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By Mr Kort Goodman - Principal
Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students
Welcome back to all students and staff to Term 4. I hope you had a restful and enjoyable break and are ready for what is always a very busy term that seems to fly by so quickly.
At the end of last term, we were able to finalise the appointment of our Deputy Principal for 2020. Below I share with you an excerpt from the announcement that our Executive Director Dr Patrick Coughlan sent to the schools in the Toowoomba Diocese. I am sure you will agree that Simon will be a great addition to our team at Assumption College.
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Simon Fleming to the position of Deputy Principal at Assumption College, Warwick from the beginning of 2020. This appointment follows the Toowoomba Catholic Schools recruitment process of advertising, shortlisting, interviewing and appointment. Simon is currently the Acting Principal of St Joseph’s Catholic School, Barraba and holds the position of Assistant Principal at O’Connor Catholic College in Armidale. Simon has extensive experience in Catholic schools having held a broad variety of curriculum and pastoral Middle Leadership positions at O’Connor Catholic College as well as undertaking the role of Acting Principal at St Joseph’s Barraba and McCarthy Catholic College, Tamworth.
Simon attended the University of New England graduating with a double major in History and a major in English. He has also completed a Certificate of Religious Education through the Catholic Diocese of Armidale. Furthermore, Simon has received a number of awards throughout his career including Distinguished Service Awards in Catholic Education, Service to Sport award from the Federal Member for New England and he was nominated for an excellence in teaching award with NEiTA honouring exemplary teachers in Australian schools, specifically those teachers whose inspirational approach to teaching stimulates student learning.
Simon is married to Debbie and has three grown up children. I am sure that you will join with me in congratulating Simon on his appointment and welcoming him and his wife Debbie to the Diocese when the opportunity arises early in 2020.
Term 4 Staffing
This week we welcomed Mr Bruce Logan and Miss Dimity Brackin to our teaching staff as well as welcoming back Mr Peter Cox who undertook a part time contract with us from mid last term. Mr Cox who has previously held middle leadership positions at Rockhampton Girls Grammar and St John’s School Roma is going to be extending his contract with us to work three days a week teaching 9A History, 7 and 9 Digital Technology. We thank Mr Cox for his flexibility and continued support of our College and students.
Mr Bruce Logan joins us from Marist College in Emerald where he was the Curriculum Leader for Science. Mr Logan will be teaching a number of classes that were previously taught by Mr O’Brien including 7 Maths, 10B Science, 11 General Maths and he will be team teaching with Miss Parker our Year 11 Biology class. We look forward to Mr Logan sharing his experience and expertise across the Science and Mathematics curriculum areas and wish him well as he settles into Warwick.
Finally, we also welcome Miss Dimity Brackin to our College for the next five weeks. Miss Brackin is a former student of Assumption College who has completed all of her assessment for her Bachelor of Education degree through USQ and is now undertaking her final internship. Miss Brackin will be taking 9C Religion and HPE and 7C HPE for the next five weeks. We wish Miss Brackin all the best for her internship knowing that she will receive great support from her colleagues here at Assumption College.
Parent Engagement in Schools
Assumption College greatly values parent and caregivers who work in collaboration with our teachers to support each of our students as they strive to achieve to their potential. However, we also understand that it can be quite daunting for parents and caregivers to initially engage with the secondary school environment. In order to grow parent engagement in student’s learning Catholic School Parents Australia have just launched the Gearing Up for Parent Engagement in Student Learning toolkit. This important free resource will assist all schools and families in Australia with transitioning children into primary school and secondary school. The toolkit aims to build knowledge to encourage families to engage in their children’s learning and wellbeing for all of their schooling. We invite you to take a look at our new parent engagement website http://www.parentengagementcspa.edu.au as we have found it to be a very useful resource in designing our transition and orientation programs.
A reminder also that while we do not have official parent teacher interview sessions scheduled for this term our teachers are always willing to communicate via phone / email or meet with parents to discuss the progress of our students. Please call the College if you would like to make an appointment.
Have a lovely week.
Kort
By Mrs Anna Hardy, Acting Deputy Principal
Social Emotional Wellbeing Survey
I would like to draw your attention to the article written by our College Counsellor Mrs Jenny Gillespie this week. It outlines that Years 7-10 students will be undertaking a Social Emotional Wellbeing survey to provide us with data about their wellbeing.
This survey will also allow students to voice concerns or issues in our school community. These surveys will take place next week in Skills lessons. If you would like further information about this please contact Mrs Jenny Gillespie or myself.
Positive Behaviour Cards
All students have received new positive behaviour cards in PC this week. The students have been asked to carry these around with them in their ipad or laptop cover. If they are displaying positive behaviour around the school, a teacher will sign their card. Once the card is full the student returns it to the office for a printed version to take home. Students have been asked to prompt teachers to sign their card and teachers have been asked to also prompt students.
Positive behaviour could consist of helping another teacher/student out without being asked, picking up rubbish, holding a door open etc. We would like to see many more of these cards distributed for the excellent behaviour that our students display.
Merit Awards
Students were reminded this week about submitting applications for the pastoral merit awards. Students can submit these at any stage during the year. We will present more next week at assembly and encourage students to apply for them.
Our Merit system acknowledges the consistent involvement by students in the four domains of College life; Academic, Cultural, Sport, Faith and Social Justice. There are three levels of merits that students can apply to be considered for. They work up from Bronze to Gold. Student qualify for these awards through involvement in the four domains.
|
GOLD |
Application across all 4 Domains |
|
SILVER |
Application across 3 Domains including Academic |
|
BRONZE |
Application across 2 Domains including Academic |
As always, if you have any queries about these processes please contact one of us in the pastoral team via the College office.
By Mrs Carol Sharp, APRE
10RE Excursion
On Wednesday, October 16 Year 10 students have the opportunity to attend an excursion to Brisbane as part of their Religious Education course of study. During the excursion students will visit the Buddhist temple at Priestdale (http://www.chungtian.org.au/) and the Islamic Mosque at Holland Park (http://www.hollandparkmosque.org.au/). Students will be guided around these places of worship and presenters will explain how the structure of the building, the artwork and symbols all reflect specific beliefs and that religion’s understanding of God. An understanding of world religions is important for all students as they move into their senior course of study next year, however, it is particularly important for those enrolled in the Study of Religion course. It is highly recommended that students who have selected Study of Religion for 2020 participate in the excursion.
Please ensure that permission slips are returned by Monday, October 14. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me on (07) 4660 4000 or Carol.Sharp@twb.catholic.edu.au.
Saint Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal
On Monday, the students from the SVDP group will launch the annual SVDP Christmas Hamper Appeal. As in previous years, students will be asked to donate items to a Christmas hamper for a family assigned to their Pastoral Care class. The family will be from the local Warwick community and have been identified by the team at SVDP’s Cornerstone Homeless Services as being in particular need this Christmas season.
This year has been a particularly difficult year for many who are struggling from drought, bushfires, unemployment etc. We look forward to providing families in need with some relief. We ask that if you are in a position to give, could you please donate items appropriate for a Christmas hamper eg. food for a Christmas lunch, decorations or small age-appropriate presents. Any money donated will be used to purchase meat vouchers or fruit and vegetable vouchers so families can have fresh food on the table this Christmas.
Thank you in advance for your kind donations.
Prayer
A prayer from “When I talk to you: A Cartoonist talks to God”
By Michael Leunig.
Let us pray for wisdom. Let us pause from thinking
and empty our mind. Let us stop the noise. In the
silence let us listen to our heart. The heart which
is buried alive. Let us be still and wait and listen
carefully. A sound from the deep, from below. A
faint cry. A weak tapping. Distant muffled feelings
from within. The cry for help.
We shall rescue the entombed heart. We shall
bring it to the surface, to the light and the air. We
shall nurse it and listen respectfully to its story. The
hearts story of pain and suffocation, of darkness
and yearning. We shall help our feelings to live in
the sun. Together again we shall find relief and joy.
By Mrs Alison Porter, Program Leader Student Pathways
“Congratulations” to our Year 10 students!
In the last week of last term our Year 10 students headed out on a week of work experience. For many students this involved the development of new skills and the challenge of new experiences. Feedback received so far has been positive from both the students and local businesses and our students have been great representatives of the College. Many students too have been able to reflect upon the experience and use it to further develop their work skills and decisions around education and careers pathways. I would like to take the opportunity to thank parents for the work that goes into supporting students in these endeavours. I would also like to thank the local businesses for their willingness to support our students and our work experience program.
School-based Apprentices & Trainees
A reminder to parents of those Year 12 students who are or have been a school-based trainee or apprentice that we are holding our annual graduation and employer thank you event this coming Tuesday 15th of October. Invitations were sent home last term and we are still waiting on some families to RSVP their attendance. I would like to encourage both parents and employers to attend the event as it is a wonderful way to recognise the efforts and achievements of these students and the commitment and support their employers have provided.
TAFE At School – Register now for 2020
TAFE Queensland, South West (Warwick campus), is offering school students the opportunity to complete selected certificate courses as part of senior school studies in 2020. These courses are aimed at current Year 10 and 11 students. An overview of offered courses and course costs has been provided to Year 10 students and will be provided to interested Year 11 students. For further details of the courses and options families can consult the TAFE Queensland South West ‘TAFE At School’ 2020 Course Guide booklet. This booklet can be obtained at the Careers office at the College or online at http://tafeqld.edu.au. With the guide is the price list for the courses, however, most are VET funded and therefore fee free. The Warwick TAFE courses on offer for school students in 2020 are listed below. Any student interested in completing one of these should see me for information and will need to register as soon as possible.
- AUR20716 Certificate II in Automotive Vocational Preparation
- SHB20116 Certificate II in Retail Cosmetics
- CPC10111 Certificate I in Construction
- CHC30113 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
- CHC22015 Certificate II in Community Services
- MEM20413 Certificate II in Engineering Pathways
- SIT20416 Certificate II in Kitchen Operations
- SIT20316 Certificate II in Hospitality
- SIT20316/SIT30616 Certificate II in Hospitality / Certificate III in Hospitality (Dual award)
- HLT23215 Certificate II in Health Support Services
- TLI21815 Certificate II in Logistics
Opportunities Are Out There
I strongly encourage students to regularly check their student email accounts and listen to the morning daily notices at school as many opportunities for jobs and apprenticeships in 2020 were sent through last term with more to come this term. I am also emailing through to students information about university, TAFE and other training and education opportunities, and whilst students should be doing their own research in these areas, such information could be of assistance.
For more careers information, tips and news, please view the careers newsletter that is regularly emailed to Year 10, 11 and 12 students or view it online at www.acwcareers.com.
By Mrs Julie Collins - Program Leader Sport
Rugby League
ACW open rugby league training commenced on the 9/10/2019, potential players for 2020 are involved in skills sessions under the guidance of Jason Fairleigh from the NRL development. The six week program will get the boys together in preparation for the 2020 season.
The sessions are every Wednesday 3:30 to 4:30PM at the Cowboys fields until the 13th of November. All boys turning 16 next year and are interested in the game of Rugby League are welcome.
TGS Cricket Coaching Clinic 2020
The camp is run in partnership with the Australian Cricket Institute and will be held from Monday, 20 January - Wednesday, 22 January 2020.
We are able to offer both Dayboy & Boarder experiences during the camp. Please see the flyer below for more details.
By Mr Scott Clegg - Business Manager
Term 4 School Fees accounts are being issued this week and the fees are due 22nd November 2019 unless you have a Direct Debit or other payment arrangement with the College.
If you have any queries, please contact the College office. Thank you.
By Mrs Jenny Gillespie
Social Emotional Wellbeing Survey
Educational research has established that there is a relationship between student wellbeing and student achievement and Assumption College is committed to the social and emotional development of our students. We currently offer a range of social and emotional learning opportunities through curriculum, pastoral and faith activities at school but have not before, had the opportunity to actually measure, from students’ perspectives their social and emotional wellbeing.
As a school, we now have access to the Australian Council of Educational Research’s (ACER) ‘Social-Emotional Wellbeing Survey’, which has been specifically designed to provide schools with information on their student’s social and emotional wellbeing (whole school and specific year levels).
During Term 4, students in Yrs 7-10 will trial this anonymous 45-minute survey using ACER’s school portal and the data collected will be used to review our current social and emotional skill development offerings and to direct planning and problem-solving efforts moving forward.
It is important to remember that these are anonymous group surveys and student identification details are not included in the survey reports at all. Reporting is by year level and gender groups, i.e. Year 8 boys, Year 8 girls etc.
If you would like any further information about Social Emotional Wellbeing, the ACER Survey or prefer your child to not participate, please contact me at school by phone or email Jenny.Gillespie@twb.catholic.edu.au.
Year 12 Gambling Education Session
Parents of Year 12 students are advised that on Thursday 17/10/19, Sue Hamlet Gambling Educator Lifeline Darling Downs will conduct a 50-minute lesson for Year 12 Students only re: gambling in our society. Sue will discuss with students various forms of gambling, gambling as a recreational pursuit v’s what constitutes problem gambling. If this session raises any concerns for people please contact me at school before Thursday 17/10/19.
Australian Reading Hour
Thursday 19th September (Week 10, Term 3) marked Australian Reading Hour. Recognising the importance of regular reading in child development, Assumption College embraced the initiative by hosting their own event which saw each student read a cumulative hour across their school day.
We had reading in PC classes, 10 minutes reading in each lesson and a read aloud session with Mrs Driver in the Library during lunch - allowing us to meet the 60 minutes per student goal.
This event supported the 2019 College focus on Reading improvement.
Why is regular reading important?
There is no doubt about the importance of regular reading. Studies have shown that even a small amount of reading each day has a massive positive impact on student development in key areas like comprehension, vocabulary, knowledge, fluency, concentration, stress reduction, analytical thinking, writing and memory. With such an array of benefits, Assumption College has embraced a structured regular reading process in many subject areas, especially English and Skills where students spend 10 minutes at the beginning of each lesson partaking in an active reading session, using a book of their choice. Teachers of these classes have noticed improvements within their students ranging from enhanced fluency and confidence when reading, the development of a wider vocabulary, to a greater enjoyment of reading.
The infographic from the Learning Links Organisation (left) certainly supports the promotion of regular reading.
We recommend that in addition to our regular reading program at school, students should be reading at home. For those parents who wish to encourage their child to read, there are several great resources that ACW students have access to. Our Assumption College library contains a wide array of texts to engage all students in reading and our fabulous library staff - Mrs Carmel Wooding and Mrs Mary-Anne Driver - are great at aligning the interests of even the most reluctant readers to a text. In addition, students can access an array of eBooks and audiobooks on their iPads or Laptops using the Wheelers App, or following the link on our library website: https://au.accessit.online/ASS01/
Enrichment Excursion
On Friday 13 September, a group of twenty Year 7, 8 and 9 students travelled to the Queensland Museum for a tour that included SparkLab and the NASA Exhibition. Some highlights included the “thong piano”, learning about space and the digestive system, experimenting with forces, the preserved specimens displays and the various space exploration replicas.
Canberra Trip
During the last week of term 3, Year 9 students embarked on a weeklong excursion to Sydney and Canberra. The trip proved to be fun, informative and full of new experiences. When given the opportunity, here’s what some students had to say about some of the highlights.
Sydney Cricket Ground
During the tour of Sydney, we visited one of the most influential Australian sporting grounds, The Sydney Cricket Ground. The SCG is a place of momentous triumph for the Australian cricket fan, and to visit the grounds, was a dream come true. The whole experience was phenomenal from the tour guide, to the museum. But the cherry on top of the tour was experiencing the iconic Australian dressing rooms. In these rooms, the Aussie legend Don Bradman sat prior to games - sitting where he sat was a check off the bucket list for me. We were also treated to a Sydney Roosters training session, and despite not being a Roosters fan, to view a secret training session, was awesome!
by Benjamin Gale & William Reardon.
Questacon
Despite the massive day Monday, we were ready and excited for Tuesday! First off we headed to Questacon. Upon arrival, we were met with eye catching displays of scientific wonders. After a quick tour and stop at the shop, we all broke off to explore the massive centre filled with endless educational fun. We were entertained by many of the hands-on activities found in each room. A memorable experience was the thrilling free fall drop and the air hockey table that let us verse our friends and teachers – all in the name of physics! The unbelievable and inventive way the centre has incorporated science into interactive and fun activities has ensured an everlasting impact on us and our newly developed fascination for science. The captivating activities and engaging experiments made our trip to Questacon unforgettable.
by Hannah Small, Alex Bender & Lillian Jessen
Australian Electoral Commission
Whilst we were in Canberra, we visited the Australian Electoral Commission. Stephanie, our instructor, was extremely informative and had us playing fun interactive games teaching us about the different democratic systems. We even held a mock election, proving once and for all that Chicken Wraps are the best lunch foods. We would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a fun and educational experience for all ages.
by Hugh Inmon & Connor Reimers
AIS
On the second day in Canberra, our schedule had us heading for a tour of the Australian Institute of Sport. Our tour guides were athletes themselves, their sports being volleyball and javelin. We were treated to a tour of the grounds and facilities available to our nation’s top athletes. The swimming pool was 50m with adjustable diving blocks in order to facilitate certain training and sports. The gymnasium was interesting as it had spilt sides for the girls and boys with slightly different training equipment for the genders. One of the last stops was the indoor entertainment stadium where people were setting up for a basketball game later that afternoon. Finally, we went to the games centre. Here, we were able to test our balance, race each other in a virtual wheelchair race, test our soccer skills along with many more fun activities. The experience was amazing, as we could see where our athletes train and study. For many of us, it was a chance to see future dreams may be an achievable reality.
by Taylah Eastwell, Holly Aspinall & Kiah Murray
Parliament and Government House
The sun had barely risen before we were back on the bus for another day full of adventures. First stop for today – Parliament! After looking at historical paintings of the different prime ministers who existed in Australia’s past, we climbed into the media rooms and watched our QLD representatives tackle issues of pollution and the protection of the Great Barrier Reef. Soon enough we were off to morning tea and having a chat with Federal Minister David Littleproud. Watching first hand how decisions are made that affect each and every one of us was an inspiring experience.
by Jack Collman & Kaleb Baker
Australian War Memorial
Upon arrival, we broke into 4 groups and were led through by experienced tour guides hearing the stories behind many artefacts and people. These stories were heart-warming, touching and reflective of our Australian culture and heritage. The tour was both engaging and influential; seeing firsthand the remains of many wars and battles left a long-standing impact on each and every student. Our time at the memorial offered us a rare chance to reflect upon our journey as a young and developing nation.
by Jorja Lepp & Leila Fox
The Snow
Thursday morning greeted us early as we made our way south to Jindabyne to visit the snow at the Blue Ridge Mountains. Everyone was excited and chirpy – many of us hadn’t seen real snow before. When we arrived, all 57 students came racing out of the bus. It was a great day, filled with tobogganing, snowball fights and spending time with friends. Despite not expecting sunburns, it was the greatest school trip ever!
by Ginger Aranas
A Special Thank You
A big thank you to our five teachers: Ms Krause, Mrs Orford, Mr Bernardi, Mr Dudin and Mr Kirby. They voluntarily gave up their own time to look after us over the five days. Just like us students, the teachers gave everything a go from tobogganing in the snow to the slide at Questacon and definitely had as much fun as us (even though they might not admit it). The trip wouldn’t have been possible without their countless hours of keeping us in line whilst making the trip a truly unforgettable experience.
by Lily Osborne
The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding of $60 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate Program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.
