By Mr Simon Fleming - Principal

This week I would like to touch on our complaints management procedure. Schooling of children in the Assumption College community is a partnership between the school, parents/carers, students and the community. As with all partnerships, from time to time there will be misunderstandings and differences leading to various levels of concern.

Our guiding principle is that all people have a right to be heard, agree to act courteously, politely, honestly and expect that relationships will continue respectfully both during and after the management of the complaint.

Confidentiality is a key element of complaints management. When a concern is raised by parents, in the first instance it should be directed to the relevant staff member by either phone, email or in written form. I appreciate that this may be difficult for some people.

It is the responsibility of the staff member to acknowledge receipt of the communication and inform the Principal. The Principal and the staff member are to work together to determine the best way to address the complaint.

It is our role to ensure that a mutually agreeable outcome is reached. Confidentiality means that discussions at meetings are not necessarily disclosed. In the event that a complaint remains unresolved the matter can be referred to Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office. The complete procedure can be found on our College website.

At a recent Diocesan Principal's forum, it was decided that students who are unwell should not return to school unless they are symptom free.

This week I am delivering a presentation for a Capital Grant for a new Library at Assumption. We already know that 3 new High Schools are being built in Queensland next year and as such we are competing with every other school for the left over funds.

Also, this week many of our teaching staff are engaging with Mr Brett Leadbetter from the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office. Brett profiles teachers in order to offer coaching support around the effectiveness of teaching and learning. This is a great initiative as even the best of teachers can learn from observations. As sometimes don’t have the perspective of what the student hears and sees.

Have a lovely week.

Simon

By Mrs Anna Hardy, Deputy Principal

Getting students back into the routine of school can be difficult for some families.  Breaking the habit of staying at home post COVID is important though. There is a direct correlation between students who achieve high results and their school attendance. The time missed adds up considerably over time (see graph below). 

Given the circumstances of 2020, it is vital that students are attending school every day and being involved in the face to face learning that is occurring.  If online learning taught us anything, it is that nothing can effectively replace face to face teaching and the relationships that teachers and students have in the classrooms and the impact this has on their learning. 

Why is regular attendance at school important?

Regular school attendance will mean that your child has a better chance in life. Your child will achieve better when they go to school all day, every school day.

• they learn better
• they make friends
• they are happier
• they have a brighter future

Under Queensland law, you must make sure your child of school age is enrolled and attends school all day, every school day unless they have an acceptable reason. Illness, doing work experience or competing in a school sporting event are acceptable reasons for being absent from school. 

Avoid keeping your child away from school for: birthdays, shopping, visiting family and friends, if they sleep in, looking after other children, minor check ups or care such as hair cuts. Routine medical or other health appointments should be made either before or after school or during the school holidays.

Are you having problems getting your child to school for some of these reasons?

• won’t get out of bed in the morning
• won’t go to bed at night
• can’t find their uniform, books, school bag
• slow to eat breakfast
• haven’t done their homework
• watching TV
• have a test or presentation to do, have an assignment to hand in
• it’s their birthday.

If so, a set routine can help

• have a set time to go to bed
• have a set time to get out of bed
• have uniform and school bag ready the night before
• have a set time for starting and finishing breakfast
• set a time for daily homework activities
• speak about school positively
• be firm, send your child to school every school day including their birthday and the last day of term!

What should I do if my child won’t go to school?

You should contact the College as soon as possible for advice and support.  We will work with you to create a plan moving forward.  Please contact your child’s PC teacher, Pastoral Leader, College Counsellor or myself for further advice and help with school refusal. 

By Mrs Carol Sharp, APRE

Liturgy News

Our PC liturgies have begun again! A big thank you to Fr Franco for joining us on Wednesday mornings to help run the liturgies. As I mentioned in the previous newsletter, these liturgies are so important for our students especially in light of the fact that our usual ways to meet and celebrate important rituals are not permissible at the moment.

In addition to PC liturgies, our Vinnies group and Liturgy group are busy preparing a digital liturgy for the residents of The Oaks Nursing Home. As we are unable to visit them face to face, the students have begun writing letters to the residents and have selected prayers, music and symbols to reflect our theme of hope. Filming of the liturgy will begin this week, and we hope to be able to distribute it to the residents within the next two weeks.

Prayer – Reflection

Our Unique Call

So many terrible things happen every day that we start wondering whether the few things we do ourselves make any sense. When people are starving only a few thousand miles away, when wars are raging close to our borders, when countless people in our own cities have no homes to live in, our own activities look futile. Such considerations, however, can paralyse us and depress us.

Here the word call becomes important. We are not called to save the world, solve all problems, and help all people. But we each have our own unique call, in our families, in our work, in our world. We have to keep asking God to help us see clearly what our call is and to give us the strength to live out that call with trust. Then we will discover that our faithfulness to a small task is the most healing response to the illnesses of our time.

For more daily meditations from Henri Nouwen visit the website https://henrinouwen.org/meditation/our-unique-call/ 

By Ms Eliza Harris - Acting Assistant Principal - Curriculum 

Assumption College has sung with the bubble and hum of students Grades 7-12 back hard at work this week. It has been wonderful to witness the sea of green and yellow uniforms busy at work in a variety of College pursuits over the last fortnight. Classrooms have been buzzing with teachers and students eager to catch up on lost time to ensure core skills and understandings from Semester One are delivered with clarity.

As we approach semester’s end, our teachers have commenced the reporting process which will include some significant changes in the method and manner information regarding students’ learning progress is communicated to parents. We are very proud of the work that has gone into revising and refining student reports and feel strongly that these academic reports will facilitate a deeper level of understanding for both students and parents. Open dialogue and collaboration between students, parents and teachers is a critical step in ensuring each student is supported in reaching their academic potential.

As such, it is strongly recommended that students in Grades 7-10 along with their parents, attend the Parent-Teacher-Student interviews scheduled to take place next term in weeks one and two. Grade 11 students will also be provided the opportunity to engage with their parents and teachers in future-focused conversations during their Academic Interviews scheduled for week two of next term.

Date Claimers

Grades 7-10 Teacher-Parent-Student Interviews

Tuesday 14^th July & Tuesday 21^st July 3:30pm-6:00pm

Grade 11 Academic Interviews

Tuesday & Wednesday 22^nd-23^rd July

Grade 11 2021 Subject Fair & Information Evening

Wednesday 29^th July 5:30pm-7pm

By Miss Rebecca Bastion & Mrs Mary-Anne Driver 

We continually have new books and magazines coming into the library – you can check them out either in person – on the two display stands in the library, or you can go to our Accessit web app and view the new resources on the carrousel -  www.au.accessit.online/ASS01. We are happy to take requests if there is a series or book you would like us to add to our collection - just email through your suggestions.  We now have a huge selection of anime graphic novels thanks to some keen readers.

Our magazine collection is sure to tempt every reader with recent additions: RM Williams Outback, Grazier,  Science Illustrated, Teen Breathe, Frankie, Dirt Action, Stock and Land, Tradies, Small farms, Rotary, Waste and Water Management and Australian Geographic.

While we aren’t doing any organised activities in the library at the moment, we still have plenty to offer – chess is an easy game to play while social distancing, also UNO and board games. Students also come into the library to play computer games, browse our books, chat in a warm space and work on assignments!

By Mrs Alison Porter, Program Leader Student Pathways

Careers Events

Unfortunately, the annual TSXPO (Tertiary Studies Expo) has been cancelled this year due to Coronavirus restrictions. However, the expo has ‘gone digital’ so the opportunities it provides do not need to be missed. With the cancellation of the TSXPO, Careersevent.com has put together digital information on their website, including many great webinars. These are worth viewing and can be found at www.careersevent.com.

University Entry – Year 12 students can secure a place now!

A reminder to Year 12 students considering application to university that many early entry programs are now taking applications. Many universities offer early entry programs that quite often are not reliant on the student’s ATAR result. These programs are a great way for students to secure a place at their chosen university before the end of year offers, or to provide entry to university for students who may not be eligible for an ATAR or for those who are concerned about the level of ATAR they may receive.

For more information on these early entry programs, students can visit university websites and consult the information that I will email to them this week.

TAFE in Schools Mid-Year Course

TAFE are currently offering the Certificate II in Kitchen Operations to start mid-year for school students. Therefore, students in Year 10 and 11, if interested, could start the course, and then finish with the qualification mid-year 2021. Any students wanting to take up this option should see me as soon as possible.

Year 10 TAFE Trade Taster

For those Year 10 students who have registered for the ‘Trade Taster’ program being offered by TAFE Queensland, South West, this will be held in Term 3 (16^th of July – 10^th of September). The program offers Year 10 students the opportunity to spend one day per week for 9 weeks at our local TAFE campus experiencing TAFE study and various trades courses.

Any interested Year 10 students that have not registered will need to do so urgently. As soon as TAFE have finalised details, more information will be sent home with those students that have registered.

A great ‘Head Start’!

Applications for the University of Southern Queensland’s Head Start program are now open for Semester 2 with entries required by the 24^th of July. The USQ Head Start program is an academic extension program where high achieving 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.

Year 10 Work Experience

At this point in time we are planning to still hold the annual work experience block week for Year 10 students. However, we have postponed this on the College calendar to the week beginning the 14^th of September (Week 10 of Term 3). More information will be sent home with Year 10 students in coming weeks.

Year 12 Information Sessions Coming!

In coming weeks and into Term 3, I will be holding various Year 12 information sessions related to careers and further study. This will include sessions regarding the information that students need to effectively make application to university through the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC).

Other items to note:

• The Australian Defence Forces have offered group information sessions for students in lieu of being able to visit schools. I will be calling for student interest around this and providing a time for them to ‘meet’ online with members of the defence forces.
• A reminder too that the Australian Defence Forces are currently taking applications for their ‘Defence Gap Year’. The gap year provides students with an opportunity to join the defence forces for twelve months. This is a great defence forces introduction for students that doesn’t involve a lengthy time commitment, or a great way to spend a gap year. Interested students should visit defencejobs.gov.au for more information.

Welcome

Last, but not least, I would like to announce that Mrs Karla Bacon has joined the Careers department at the College. Karla is one of our valued College administration officers and is now providing support on a part-time basis to our Careers & VET department. I welcome Karla and am sure that she will be of great assistance in supporting the pathways of our students.

 

By Mrs Jenny Gillespie

If your teen is showing some anxiety about school, the following article from the QLD Department of Education is worth a read.   It is written for primary and secondary school students but don’t be put off by that.  In my experience the causes, symptoms and support strategies required are very similar for both primary and secondary school students.

https://education.qld.gov.au/initiativesstrategies/Documents/anxiety-about-going-school.pdf

By Mr Scott Clegg - Business Manager 

Term 2 Fees are due 12/06/2020 unless you have a Direct Debit or other existing payment arrangement in place with the College. These fees have been charged to your school fees account and the statements emailed or posted out to families.

If you had trouble viewing the email or you haven't received the statement in the post, please contact the College via email at finance@acwarwick.catholic.edu.au and we can resend them. 

With the COVID-19 crisis continuing to have such a wide-ranging effect, we remind you that 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.