By Mrs Liisa Hammond, Principal

Gospel

Luke 9: 28 – 36

In the Gospel of Luke 9:28-36, the Transfiguration of Jesus is explored. This profound event, where Jesus is transformed, and His divine glory is revealed to Peter, James, and John, offers us deep insights into our faith and affords us the opportunity to reflect upon our College’s motto of Truth and Love.

"As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning." (Luke 9:29)

Truth and Love are the cornerstones of our college community. The Transfiguration teaches us that living in truth means being open to the divine presence and guidance in our lives. It calls us to be honest with ourselves and others, to seek the truth in all situations, and to stand firm in our convictions.

Living in love means embracing the compassion and grace that Jesus exemplified. It means reaching out to others with generosity and wisdom. As a community, we are called to love one another as Christ loves us, creating an environment where everyone feels valued and respected.

How can we do this in our daily lives? Here are some suggestions which are inspired by our values of justice, wisdom, generosity and compassion:

1. Seeking Truth: Be curious and open-minded in your studies and interactions. Wisdom is not simply gaining knowledge, but the action inspired by that knowledge. Question, explore, and seek to understand the world around you with integrity.

2. Living in Love: Show generosity and compassion to those around you. Support your peers, respect your teachers, and contribute positively to our college community.

3. Transforming through Faith: Allow your faith to guide you in making decisions and facing challenges. Understand that justice is demonstrated by respectfully advocating for fairness, supporting the marginalised, and living out Christ's teachings of truth and love.

As we reflect on the Transfiguration, let us be inspired by our motto of Truth and Love. May we light the lantern for those in our community to guide and support all.

Live Feedback and the Removal of Interim Reports

As we continue to embrace innovative ways to enhance our young people’s educational experience, I am pleased to share an important update regarding our reporting system.

With the successful implementation of our online learning management system, CANVAS, we have introduced live feedback for our students. This system allows students and their parents/guardians to track academic progress in real time. Through CANVAS, feedback on drafts and final results is readily accessible, providing a continuous and transparent view of each student's performance.

Given the comprehensive nature of this live feedback system, we have determined that interim reports are no longer necessary. The real-time updates available on CANVAS effectively negate the need for these reports, as they offer a more immediate and detailed insight into student progress.

This change aligns with our commitment to fostering an environment of open communication and continuous improvement. By utilising CANVAS, we ensure that students receive timely feedback that can be used to guide their learning journey. Parents and guardians can also stay informed and engaged with their child's academic development, supporting them more effectively.

We understand this is a significant shift from our traditional reporting methods, and we are confident that this approach will better serve our community. Should you have any questions or require assistance navigating CANVAS, please do not hesitate to reach out to Anna Hardy or Natalie Bennett. We are here to help you make the most of this valuable tool.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in our mission to provide a high-quality, faith-based education grounded in Truth and Love. Please note that the live feedback functionality does not replace our Student/Teacher/Parent conferences, which are scheduled for Term 2, Tuesday, 29 April 2025 and Term 4, Tuesday, 14 October 2025, or whenever you would like to schedule a meeting with one of your young person’s teachers.

Employment Opportunities and Updates

Specialist Mathematics Teacher: As many of you would be aware, via Anna Hardy’s previous newsletter item, we are still awaiting our Mathematics Teacher, replacement for Cate Tunstall. Given the teacher shortage and the difficulty of filling such a specialised position, we have had to recruit internationally. Our new teacher is on her way from South Africa, via New Zealand and Adelaide. We anticipate her arrival any day now and are incredibly grateful for the expertise of our current Mathematics teachers, particularly our Curriculum Leader of Mathematics, who has stepped in to ensure that no student is disadvantaged whilst we pursue this process. We absolutely acknowledge that this is not ideal, and I encourage you to speak with Anna and Esther if you have any questions or concerns.

Mathematics/ITD Teacher: You may have noted that we have also advertised, in the past week, for a Mathematics/ITD teacher. Due to family commitments, Mr Greg Convery has decided to return to Toowoomba. If you know someone suitable for this position, please do not hesitate to encourage them to contact Anna Hardy or me to discuss the role.

PA to the Principal: We have also advertised for this Level 5 full-time role. Marita Lunney is also returning to Toowoomba owing to her husband’s work commitments and, more excitingly, the opportunity to move closer to her first grandchild, who was born just over a week ago. If you know someone suitable for this role, please do not hesitate to encourage them to contact Marita Lunney or me to discuss the position.

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

By Mrs Anna Hardy, Assistant Principal Curriculum 

NAPLAN

Congratulations to all our Year 7 and 9 students who sat NAPLAN. Thanks to Ms Lawler for her dedicated organisation to ensure that the testing period ran smoothly for all staff and students.

NAPLAN, the National Assessment Program — Literacy and Numeracy, evaluates skills in reading, writing, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and numeracy. These assessments offer insight into students' performance and complement our ongoing classroom assessment practices.

Additionally, they provide valuable data for informing teaching strategies tailored to the needs of our student body.

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) develops the tests and associated marking standards, while the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) coordinates administration, marking, and reporting of NAPLAN tests within Queensland.

Results will be made available to parents later in the year. We will keep you informed once we receive these parent reports for distribution.

Extension Process for Assessment

As we progress through the term, it's essential to understand the extension process for assessments, particularly for Year 7-10 students. To assist you, we've provided a flowchart outlining the steps outlined in our assessment policy.

For Year 7-10 students, extensions require a note from home to support their application, whereas Year 11-12 students necessitate a medical certificate or explanation of extenuating circumstances, including misadventure. It's crucial to note that this process encompasses examination periods as well.

Unforeseen circumstances such as illness, injury, incidents on the assessment day, family circumstances, or bereavement may warrant an extension. However, it's important to remember that technology failure is not considered an unforeseen circumstance, as students are expected to maintain backups of their work on OneDrive.

The QCAA has specific criteria for illness and misadventure extensions, including demonstrating that the situation was beyond the student's control and could not have been anticipated or chosen. If an illness or misadventure affects internal assessment, supporting documentation will be required, including diagnosis, onset date, symptoms, and the probable impact on assessment participation.

For non-medical claims, written evidence from relevant independent professionals or third parties may be necessary.

Should you require further clarification on the extensions process, please feel free to reach out to Natalie Bennett, curriculum leaders or me.

Term 1 Interim Reports 

Given that parents/guardians have access to Canvas to see all teacher feedback on all drafts, assessment, and the final result, this negates the need for Term 1 Interim reports. There will be no Term 1 Interim Reports issued. This does not replace the Teacher/Student/Parent conferences that are scheduled for Term 2. We invite parents/guardians along to these with their child to discuss their child’s academic journey. Bookings will be made available via Sentral in Week 10 of this term.

By Mrs Julie Collins, Assistant Principal Pastoral and Wellbeing

The Little Things

By Mr Patrick Donnely, Assistant Principal Mission and Identity 

Religious Art, Icons and Statues

Here at Assumption College, we are very privileged to have so many different religious iconography around the College. At the beginning of the year, we welcomed our new statue of Mary, at the front of the College. This space will evolve over the years but for now, it is a simple space for us to reflect, be still, listen and most importantly pray. The image here does not do it justice. I encourage people to take the opportunity, when they next visit the college, to ask to visit this new statue and sacred space. I encourage students that during times when they are facing challenges to ask to use this space as an opportunity for prayer.

Cornerstones – Session 3

This week's reflection was on the topic of intercession in prayer. The group meet once a fortnight and this fortnight was a fun-filled session. Below are snippets of a different staff member from their fortnight’s reflection.

This week, we were reminded again of the presence of God in the ‘now’, and how He is in every circumstance of our lives. This may be easy to be complacent about at times, yet we regularly turn to God in times of need. We hear in Matthew 7:7-8 to ‘ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find … knock and the door will be opened …’. This passage reminds us that we are not in this alone, and to turn to the Lord for guidance and support. Through a prayer of Intercession, we can find a sense of who we are, who God is, a sense of the world, and each other. We seek the ‘Lord, to hear us’, therefore seek the Lord to consider our call for guidance. We know that, at times, we do not receive what we ask, and we need to view that in itself as guidance from the Lord.

Using intercession in the classroom invites students to develop deeper relationship with God. Creating opportunities for personal intercession and sharing them with each other also enables the class to learn more about each other. When hearing what classmates are seeking, students can view others in a different light. Through then having the opportunity to pray for them, as well as with them allows for relationship building and deeper connection to their class and community.

With prayers of intercession providing opportunities for connection to the class, opportunities for meaningful reading of the Bible are important. Lectio Devina is an ancient form of prayer associated with the Benedictine monks that invites the pray-er to ‘listen with the ear of your heart’. Lectio Devina is designed as a four-step process to encounter the sacred readings with thought and intent. It is a deep listening that is open and attentive to the Word. Through a slow reading of the chosen passage, the individual responds to the word in a transformative way, with the purpose being intrinsic nourishment. A word or phrase that speaks to the individual is to be meditated upon, to deepen the encounter with the story. This prayerful phase of the Lectio Devina reveals an authentic version of the person praying, revealing a meaningful moment of purpose and connection. The final contemplatio, or contemplation of what has just been read invites a silent moment with God to consider the meaning of the text that has touched the heart. Lectio Devina invites a presence and relationship with God through his inspired Word.

This session has reminded me of the mediative effect of prayer, and the opportunity to spiritual growth through creating time to encounter God’s word through the Bible reading. The contemplation of how Lectio Devino is an opportunity to speak with God – just Him and me, creates a reassuring thought, one that is easily pushed out of one’s mind when times are busy. But this really is the time that it is needed the most. The phrases or words that are whispered through the Word is the intercession that I could be seeking, even though it is not what I may have asked for. It is what God wants me to hear.

By Mr Tom Duggan, Sports Co-Ordinator

The Assumption College Cross Country Carnival is being held on Friday 4 March 2025 in Week 10. This is the last day of term.

This year, the Cross Country will be held at Federation Park and will be ran around the river, with the start and finish line located near the Skate Park. Same location as last year.

It is a regular school day, so you will come to school as per normal. After our Easter Liturgy, we will bus the students to the course.

Here are the distance per age Group:

Similar to Swimming Carnival, we encourage all students to add items of clothing matching their House colour to their Sports Uniform.

By Mrs Jenny Gillespie, College Counsellor

Teenagers and Food

Experienced parents will be aware of how their teens' eating habits can fluctuate significantly over time. Teens often go through eating habit ‘stages’ and parents may worry, for a time, that their young person’s eating behaviours or nutritional intake is unhealthy in some way. Often these sorts of patterns are fleeting, do not last and do not require medical support; however, sometimes, eating patterns can become more entrenched and may be classified medically as an eating disorder. The following summary, from Child Mind Institute, describes this well.

Most teenagers worry about how they look. It can be hard to tell the difference between normal behavior and a possible eating disorder. Here are the signs that a teenager might be dealing with an eating disorder.

First, kids with eating disorders have very unrealistic views of their bodies. Even if everyone else says they look great or even too skinny, they think they’re too fat. They also care more than other kids about how they look and feel like their self-worth is very closely tied to their weight and appearance.

Teenagers, with eating disorders, also have extreme eating habits. They might eat way too little, which is the main symptom of anorexia nervosa. Kids with anorexia are often high achievers trying to be perfect, and their weight can get very low. It can be hard to spot because these kids are often successful and ‘popular’.

Other kids with eating disorders eat way too much. In Bulimia Nervosa, they eat a lot all at once, which is called binging. Then, some kids with Bulimia get rid of the food by throwing up, taking laxatives, or exercising a lot. This is called purging. They might be a normal weight or even overweight.

Many teenagers are good at hiding their eating disorders, but big changes in weight, eating habits, or exercise habits are often signs of trouble. If you think your child might have an eating disorder, get help from a doctor right away. Untreated eating disorders can be very dangerous, but treatment helps a lot. In particular, family-based treatment (FBT) has been shown to help kids get healthier quickly while staying at home with family.

By Mr John Hodder, Curriculum Leader

Senior Hospitality – International Women’s Day

In celebration of International Women's Day, the Senior Hospitality class showcased their culinary talents by hosting a delightful brunch for all Year 7 and 12 female students and staff. The event was a resounding success, bringing together the College community to celebrate the achievements and contributions of women.

The morning tea featured an incredible spread of delicious pancakes, freshly baked muffins, a variety of seasonal fruits, and refreshing juices. The students' dedication and hard work were evident in every bite, making the event a memorable experience for all attendees.

Adding to the significance of the day, the attendees were privileged to hear from an inspirational guest speaker. Susan Shaw's speech emphasised the importance of the little things in the progression of female empowerment, leaving a lasting impact on everyone present.

A special thank you goes to Donna Williams for her tireless efforts in organising such a successful event. Her commitment and attention to detail ensured that the brunch was not only enjoyable but also meaningful. We also extend our gratitude to the guest speaker for sharing her wisdom and inspiring us all.

The Senior Hospitality class's brunch was a beautiful celebration of International Women's Day, highlighting the power of community and the importance of recognising and supporting women's achievements.

By Ms Taylor Quinn, Teacher Librarian 

Library News 

The term is almost over! Hasn’t the time flown by?

With the assessment period upon us, students have been participating in many fun activities to de-stress during lunchtime in the library. Here's a peek at what we've been up to:

Our Chess Club has been buzzing with activity! Students have been sharpening their strategic thinking and problem-solving skills. We've seen some intense matches and impressive checkmates. From the beginners to the seasoned professionals, we’re glad so many students are interested in Chess, and we are grateful for the seniors who have been helping out.

Our LEGO enthusiasts have been busy building extraordinary things. From intricate towers to futuristic cars, you can wind up and let go; the creativity and engineering skills on display are truly remarkable. It's a joy to see students from all year levels collaborating and bringing their imaginative ideas to life.

Adventure awaits in our D&D sessions! Students have been diving into fantastical worlds, crafting epic stories, and embarking on thrilling ship-based quests. It's a fantastic way to develop teamwork, creativity, and storytelling skills. We are so proud that the students have taken what was once a teacher-led activity and made it their own.

All the other games have been as popular as ever, with favourites like Uno and Cat, Taco, Goat, Cheese, Pizza, being played daily! Guess Who and Connect Four also make a regular appearance around the library.

We have a new sign! Creativity is in full swing as we update our new sign daily with important reminders, news and fun messages. We have loved inviting students to decorate the sign and add their fantastic drawings for everyone to see as they enter the library.

Of course, it’s not all fun and games. The library has been a hub for study sessions during lunch and class time, and many research lessons have been happening as we assist students with finding credible and up-to-date sources. We are glad students make the most of our quiet spaces and resources to prepare for upcoming examinations and assignments.

As the holidays approach, start thinking about your Autumn reading.

And if you don’t know where to go, come to the library.

Warwick Show 2025 

As we enter the week of our Spano’s IGA Warwick Show, we wish to congratulate two of our outstanding students, Ella Winfield and Shanna Yates, for their remarkable achievements in the Warwick Credit Union Warwick Showgirl and Rural Ambassadors competition.

The Showgirl competition is an excellent opportunity for young women to become involved in the local show and community. The aim of the competition is to broaden the knowledge and participation of youth in the Show movement, helping them learn lifelong skills and personal development. Ella and Shanna were both outstanding on the presentation night and were crowned as follows:

Junior Showgirl – Ella Winfield

Runner-Up Junior Showgirl – Shanna Yates

Overall Fundraiser – Shanna Yates

We are incredibly proud and look forward to seeing them represent our College and community with pride. 

Assumption College attended the annual Zonta Club of Warwick Inc International Women's Day Breakfast. This year it was held at King's Theatre, Club Warwick RSL where guests were treated to an inspiring panel of homegrown sporting stars.

Cricket star Delissa Kimmince from Warwick and NRLW icon Steph Hancock from Killarney shared their remarkable stories, demonstrating that talent from small towns can excel on both national and international platforms.

A huge congratulations to our very own Inclusivity College Captain, Isabella Sullivan, for winning the 2025 Young Women in Public Affairs Award.

Thank you on behalf of our College to everyone who came together to make this morning possible.