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By Mr Simon Fleming - Principal
The great news for the week was not just the rain but the return of Years 11 and 12 to school. I am also pleased to say that all our Year 12 students have caught up with their learning and are applying themselves well to their studies. We are eager to have Years 7-10 return on the 25th of May.
Most students have engaged with the on-line learning but nothing replaces the classroom experience. It is timely to remind parents that from the 25th the school will return to face to face teaching and learning. Students can still access Canvas but from this time if parents elect to keep students at home then they become responsible for the learning and safety of their children.
Teachers will be reporting on Semester 1. We are currently developing a digital report that we will email to parents. For Years 7 to 10, the report will contain information on what students have learned (the content), their approaches to learning, an achievement grade and a comment. The comment will describe what students have been able to do and what they need to do in order to progress their learning.
Due to changes that have occurred since the start of the year we will be producing a new timetable for Semester 2. This timetable will be a 2 week timetable rather than one or for some people a week A and Week B. The reason is to generate greater equity for the distribution of lessons over 10 days rather than 5. For example, if a student has Maths last period on Tuesday and Thursday under the current arrangement than this would be the case all year.
A two week timetable may allow us to move one of these periods so that across the 2 weeks there is a better distribution of lessons. We will also move our Assembly time from period 4 Monday to Friday. Many new concepts are introduced at the start of the week and we need to optimise our time on a Monday for learning in class.
Have a lovely week.
Simon
By Mrs Anna Hardy, Acting Deputy Principal
Students present at school have been advised that the normal timetable is operating, as this will ease the transition for students returning the week after next. Year 11-12 students have resumed teaching and learning in their classes and the 7-10’s are completing their online learning under the supervision of their teachers. Next week is the last week the school is only open for year 7-10 students of essential workers and for vulnerable students.
All students will resume their normal teaching and learning in classes as of Monday the 25th May. This means that teachers will not be providing online learning from this date on. We are all looking forward to all students resuming school with a sense of normality returning to all of our lives.
A reminder that it is Winter uniform when students return. Girls need to check that their skirt is calf length and that their knee-high stockings meet the bottom of their skirt. Year 11 and 12 students must wear their blazer to school in the morning and out the gate of an afternoon. Year 12 students are able to wear their senior jersey under their blazer on a Thursday only. Please ensure your child is returning with the correct uniform and abiding by the jewellery and hair policy.
We understand that this is an unprecedented situation and we are here to support the students and their families through this difficult time. We have a College Counsellor, Mrs Jenny Gillespie and a pastoral team (listed below) dedicated to student wellbeing. If there is anything you feel we need to be aware of please contact one of us.
Rice House – Matt Bruton matt.bruton@twb.catholic.edu.au
Romero House – Phillip Yates Phillip.yates@twb.catholic.edu.au
Donovan House – Julie Collins Julie.collins@twb.catholic.edu.au
McAuley House – Robert Bell Robert.bell@twb.catholic.edu.au
Deputy Principal – Anna Hardy anna.hardy@twb.catholic.edu.au
By Mrs Carol Sharp, APRE
Assessment Due Dates – Year 11 and 12
Due to the impact of COVID-19 and the disruption of online learning, assessment due dates that were originally scheduled for Study of Religion and Religion and Ethics classes (Years 11-12 only) were revised at the beginning of the term. These dates have been extended to allow students to engage more meaningfully with the task and seek feedback from both their teacher and their peers. All assessment due dates that are published in the assessment calendar are an accurate reflection of due dates for this term for our senior students.
If the date that is on the task sheet contradicts the assessment calendar, this is likely to be because the task sheet was distributed before we received advice from the QCAA with regards to extending the due dates. If you are confused, always follow the assessment calendar.
Liturgy News
Due to social distancing restrictions we have been unable to hold liturgies together as a school community or even as house groups. However, with Pastoral Care classes recommencing in the mornings we will be able to begin our pastoral liturgies again. We will wait until week 6 when hopefully all students have returned to face-to-face learning and we will begin the PC liturgies then.
We were supposed to have a McAuley house mass in week 7 of this term as well. While that mass cannot go ahead at that time, we are hoping that restrictions will have lifted enough for us to have the mass at the end of the term. These masses are important as they are opportunities for students to choose prayers, readings and songs that are meaningful to them.
Social Justice News
The Saint Vincent de Paul (SVDP) group has reconvened for the year. We have decided to focus our attentions on making connections with elderly residents in nursing homes around Warwick. A key pillar of the Vincentian mission is visitation of those who are disconnected from society for various reasons. Because we cannot directly visit these residents at the moment, we are thinking of creative ways to open and maintain a dialogue including; letter writing, video messages, baking recipes that the residents provide and producing an online liturgy. I would like to thank the SVDP students for their enthusiasm and creative response to the situation. We will keep you posted on our progress.
The sewing group, who is largely made up of students from the junior school, will not be reconvening until everyone is back in week 6. However, the teachers have still been busy! A special thanks to Mrs Alannah Johnson who has been putting the elastic into the dresses created by the group last term. They now have 13 dresses completed and ready to send to the ‘Dress a Girl’ organisation for orphanages in the Philippines. A great effort from all the students and teachers involved.
Prayer – Reflection
Maybe I have been living much too fast, too restlessly, too feverishly, forgetting to pay attention to what is happening here and now, right under my nose. Just as a whole world of beauty can be discovered in one flower, so the great grace of God can be tasted in one small moment. Just as no great travels are necessary to see the beauty of creation, so no great ecstasies are needed to discover the love of God. But you have to be still and wait so that you can realise that God is not in the earthquake, the storm, or the lightning, but in the gentle breeze with which he touches your back.
For more daily meditations and reflections, access https://henrinouwen.org/resources/daily-meditation/
By Ms Eliza Harris - Assistant Principal - Curriculum
A warm welcome back to our Year 11 and Year 12 students from their online learning experience. Our teachers have been eagerly looking forward to reconnecting in person and continuing our educational journey back in the classroom. It is timely to consult the additional factsheets the QCAA have provided to support students during this time in preparing for external assessments and engaging with effective study strategies. The following link contains pertinent information for students and parents: https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/coronavirus-updates/for-students-and-parentscarers/factsheets
I cannot stress enough the importance for our Grade 11 students engaging wholly within the teaching and learning experiences prepared for them in all subjects through Units 1 and 2. Not only are these foundational skills critical for success in Units 3 and 4, but the accrual of QCE points through successful completion of Units 1 and 2 is necessary to ensure all students achieve common core and total point requirements to pass Grade 12 in 2021.
Grade 12 students and parents received information this week outlining the specific amendments to senior assessment delivery implemented at Assumption, following advice from the QCAA in order to accommodate the disruptions caused by COVID-19. For any further clarification on these matters please do not hesitate to contact your student’s subject teacher or myself via email or the College phone.
We have two weeks left on our learning from home journey with our Year 7 – 10 students with their scheduled return to Assumption in Week 6. We have been pleased with the commitment shown by our students as they embrace the new format of curriculum delivery. Thank you, parents and caregivers, for the support you are giving to both your student/s and our staff as we continue to work together demonstrating the strength of our community in times of uncertainty. We certainly are stronger together.
Thursday afternoon tutoring will recommence in Week 7 for all students.
God Bless
By Miss Rebecca Bastion & Mrs Mary-Anne Driver
This week we welcomed the Year 11 and 12 students back and we look forward to seeing everyone back soon.
We have extended all book due dates until the 1st June to make it easier for everyone. Remember if you would like any resources from the library you can email us and we will do up a package for you to collect from the office or here in the library.
Keep an eye on our Canvas page – this week's activity is up there now, plus loads of other activities to keep boredom at bay!
Unfortunately, we have had word from Warwick High School that the Book Week reading challenge has been cancelled for this year. As the staff team was the reigning champions last year I guess that means we hold the title until 2021 when the function will be held again. This competition is always well contested and fun – especially the pizza party we have for the participants the week after the event.
By Mr Scott Clegg - Business Manager
School Fees
Term 2 Fees are due 12/06/2020 unless you have a Direct Debit or other existing payment arrangement in place with the College.
Term 2 Tuition Fees will be charged this week and the statements will be emailed or posted out to families. If you have trouble viewing the email or you don’t receive the statement in the post, please contact the College via email at finance@acwarwick.catholic.edu.au and we can resend them.
P & F Refund
With the COVID-19 crisis having such a wide-ranging effect, and to assist our local community, our College P&F have refunded the P&F Levy for Term 1, 2020. They have also agreed to not charge the P&F Levy for Term 2, 2020.
These refunds and changes have been applied to Term 1 & Term 2 fees and are reflected in your statements. We again, thank the P&F for this generous donation.
Fee Concessions
If your financial situation has been adversely affected by COVID-19, please contact the College via email finance@acwarwick.catholic.edu.au and request a COVID-19 Fee Concession Application form. Once this form is completed and returned to the college, we will contact you to discuss the options that may be available (including extended payment arrangements and/or fee concessions).
We acknowledge the difficult economic circumstances many families now find themselves in due to COVID-19 and we encourage any family facing financial hardship, to contact the College via this streamlined method.
Special provisions may be available to families experiencing financial difficulties relating to COVID-19. We remain committed to providing an education to all students through these uncertain times and all requests for fee relief are treated as confidential.
Drought Relief Funding
Our College recently received Drought Relief Funding from the Australian Government allocation to our College, through the Special Circumstances program to support non-government schools facing financial hardship as a result of ongoing drought conditions.
As part of this allocation, some of our student/s were identified as being eligible to receive funding. We thank the Australian Government for this financial assistance which will help support our local community through these difficult times. As part of this allocation, there were funding guidelines that needed to be adhered to and we have actioned our approved distribution plan to ensure it complies with those funding guidelines.
Our College has made it a priority to provide access to this fee relief for our drought affected families, and we have recently processed the funding allocation against each applicable family’s school fees account. We hope that this will, in some small way, help to reduce the financial burden that has been placed on them.
NSSAB Student Travel Rebates
By Mrs Alison Porter, Program Leader Student Pathways
The ‘world of careers’ is starting to get busy and whilst the Coronavirus did certainly slow things down in this area, we now renewed momentum with many career related organisations changing the way they offer programs and information. More careers opportunities are available via our digital world to access the information we need. The benefit is that it means we can now access the information and opportunities from our armchairs!
Next week too is National Careers Week. This is an initiative of the Career Industry Council of Australia and aims to celebrate careers, career development, career development services, and career development practitioners and to promote the economic, social and personal benefits of career development. Whilst we cannot get together for usual events, various online webinars and such are being held to recognise the importance of careers in our lives.
Traineeship Vacancy
We currently have an opportunity available for a Year 11 or Year 10 student interested in becoming a dental assistant. This opportunity is a funded traineeship that would give the student a Certificate III Dental Assisting whilst being paid for on-the-job training. Any students interested in this opportunity should see me as soon as possible.
Careers Now
It is that time of year when universities, colleges and other tertiary institutions start offering information sessions, tours, and open days. The good news is that the Coronavirus has not stopped these and instead organisations are looking to still offer the opportunity through digital means. Therefore, students can now start attending virtual open days and online information sessions for many universities, defence forces and the like. I would recommend that students get involved in as many of these as they can so that they can gather information about post-school pathways and options. This is particularly important for our Year 12 students.
To find out what is on offer, students and families can use the events calendar available at our College careers website. The web addres is https://www.acwcareers.com/calendar-of-events.
For students looking specifically for university open days and information sessions, I would advise they look at the list of events on the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) website at https://www.qtac.edu.au/courses---institutions/open-days-expos.
TAFE in Schools Courses
This week TAFE have resumed many of their school’s courses. Students enrolled in these courses should have been emailed by TAFE with notification and details of this. Please note, however, that there are some guidelines and restrictions still in place for TAFE and social distancing still needs to be considered. Therefore, some courses have not resumed and there may be modifications to the arrangement of classes that have resumed.
Studies in Certificate II in Rural Operations
As per the information above regarding TAFE courses, there have been some modifications to the arrangements for the practical sessions for our students studying the Certificate II in Rural Operations. Due to the number of students, and practical arrangements of the course, we have been required to split the class for the time being.
This means that the Year 11 and 12 students will be rotated through their usual practical TAFE sessions on Fridays. Year 12 students will participate in practical sessions first, due to time needs, Year 11 students will commence practical sessions thereafter and when arrangements can be made.
For each year level when not participating in a practical TAFE session on Friday, those students will remain at school for supervisions to work on theoretical and online aspects of the course. For any parents who have queries about these arrangements, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Year 10 TAFE Trade Taster
Year 10 students have been emailed information about a ‘Trade Taster’ program being offered by TAFE Queensland, South West. The program offers Year 10 students the opportunity to spend a series of days at our local TAFE campus to ‘test’ what it is like to be a TAFE student and to try the different trades that are on offer for study. At this time, the program is scheduled for Term 3. Students will need to register for this online as soon as possible as numbers for the program are limited.
A great ‘Head Start’!
Applications for the University of Southern Queensland’s Head Start program are now open for Semester 2 and required by the 24th of July. The USQ Head Start program is an academic extension program where students can study one university subject during a semester of Year 10, 11 or 12, allowing them to get a ‘head start’ on university studies early.
Successful completion of the Head Start program also offers points towards students QCE and entry into USQ after Year 12. Any students interested in taking up this opportunity can see me or find more information at the website https://www.usq.edu.au/study/school-leaver/programs/head-start.
Other items of note:
- The ‘Big Day In’ is a virtual conference for students interested in Information and Communication Technology being held on the 20th of May. Check out https://www.thebigdayin.com.au/ for more information.
- The University of New England's early entry program is now taking applications. This is a great way for students to apply to the university without requiring an ATAR score for entry.
- The University of Southern Queensland is holding some online classes in media for students. These are available at https://www.usq.edu.au/study/faculty-events/2020/04/online-learning-for-students-parents.
By Mrs Jenny Gillespie
Welcome Back
It is wonderful that our Yr 11 and 12s are already back and as we eagerly look forward to seeing the faces and smiles of all of our students returning to classrooms soon, we are also mindful of the impact coronavirus has had, and may continue to have for a while yet.
This impact will of course, vary tremendously depending on each student (age, personality, approach to learning etc) and their family's particular circumstances, but in general terms, some points are worth noting.
Even though our society is slowly settling, students may have mixed feelings about resuming a regular school routine. They may be excited about connecting with friends again, relieved to be able to collaborate with teachers in person but also frustrated by their online learning progress or anxious about changing routines. To recognise anxiety in adolescents it helps to understand Executive Function skills.
What are Executive Function Skills?
Executive Function skills are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions and juggle multiple tasks successfully. Just as an air traffic control system at a busy airport safely manages the arrivals and departures of many aircraft on multiple runways, the brain needs this skill set to filter distractions, think flexibly, prioritise tasks, set and achieve goals and control impulses and emotions. These brain functions are not fully developed until adulthood (early/mid 20s).
If adolescents are stressed, their executive function skills will be challenged and you may see this in some behavioural changes for a time. They might be irritable, hostile or more moody than usual and some will need extra help to organise themselves for a while. But DO NOT worry, teens are adaptable and resilient and they will settle over time. Just be as patient as you can.
Need ideas to improve your communication with your adolescent? Try this…
Need help with teenage angst and high emotion or friendships? Try this…
- https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/behaviour/behaviour-questions-issues/disrespectful-behaviour
- https://www.healthyfamiliesbc.ca/home/articles/teens-friendships
Not sure how much sleep your teenager needs? Try this…
Not sure how to explain anxiety? Try this…
Not sure what to suggest when a friend of your teenager is not ok? Try this…
Chess Tournament
Calling all chess athletes. Assumption College is holding the 1st Warwick Regional Online Chess tournament, Week 5 Term 2 on Friday the 22nd of May. The half day event will be run by Gardiner Chess, who have been appointed by the Chess Association of Queensland (CAQ) to run the Queensland Interschool Championships (go to http://gardinerchess.com.au for more information) and there will be both junior and senior divisions.
Last year was a great success but this year the tournament will include all schools within the Warwick area (17 high schools and 36 primary schools). Due to COVID19 the tournament is an online event and will be played using a dedicated online chess program called Chesskids.com. Registration for the event and monitoring of the tournament will be controlled by Gardiner chess.
We need students who can play chess and have the determination to win. All abilities are welcome. Students just need to know the basic rules of chess and be prepared to have fun. Your participation and support for the tournament is encouraged as students will have the opportunity to compete in a professionally run local event with students from other schools and help ensure the future success of the tournament.
The $5 entry fee is to cover the cost of Gardiner chess and other associated expenses.
The details are: -
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Venue: -
Game Format: - |
Online Tournament.
Format to be advised but will be either a 5 + 3 or 10 + 3. Format to be clarified and details will be sent so participants can practise the game format on Chess kids. |
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Date and Times: - |
Friday, May 22nd 2020 from 10:00am – 2pm. (approx.) Registrations will open from 9:30am. There will be no new nominations on the day. |
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Cost: - |
$5.00 per student (incl. GST) for registration. |
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Entry Deadline: - |
Wednesday, May 20th 2020 |
Students can enter by emailing Stephen.Lunn@twb.catholic.edu.au. Entry fees can be paid to Assumption College by cash, cheque or EFTPOS.
If you would like any further information, please don’t hesitate to contact either Mr Michael Cannard (Michael.cannard@twb.catholic.edu.au) or Mr Stephen Lunn by email. We look forward to a fun filled day of chess for everyone.
Enrolments
