By Mr Simon Fleming - Principal

As we arrive at what has been a very challenging term, I again express my appreciation for the support and gratitude offered by our community to our Assumption staff over Semester One. There have been many impacts on the school over which we have had little control.

At times, these have challenged our adaptability and resilience. In many respects, we as a staff, have had to wear the shoes of our students in what we expect from them. We should be rightfully proud of what has been achieved over the last 6 months. Our ability to leverage digital technology, differentiate for student needs, adopt a flexible assessment practice and provide a quality report are a few examples of this success.

Unfortunately, our bid for a Capital Grant in order to fund a new Library for the school was rejected. Only 12 out of 60 schools received capital assistance for building purposes and we missed out by a small margin. As a school and community we now need to revisit our strategic vision and finances to determine the most appropriate step forward. If we self-fund a new Library this would mean other developments may have to be curtailed in the short term.

I would like to take this opportunity to bring to focus our Term 3 Calendar. On the first and second Tuesdays next term we will be holding parent-teacher and student academic interviews. All students in Years 7-11 will receive academic reports for Semester One. Year 11 will have separate Academic interviews during week 2 of term. I would encourage you and your child to attend these interviews in order to establish learning goals moving forward. You will find all the relevant information in the report package being sent to families.

Next term will also be significant for Year 10 as students decide on senior pathways. Students will be involved in selecting subjects for Year 11, 2021. Also, students in Year 8 will be selecting elective options for Year 9, 2021.

Hopefully we will see a return to sport in some form during Term 3. Our sport program is important to our school and community however, we also have pressing core work to achieve in what is already a packed term calendar. We will be having meetings with other schools to see what sport we can organise under the current restrictions. At this point we still cannot hold whole school events.

Wishing you all a peaceful rest over the school break

Regards

Simon

By Mrs Anna Hardy, Deputy Principal

After a term like no other, we all deserve some well-earned time with friends and family this June/July break.  It is also important for us to reflect with our students the challenges that this last term has brought for all of human kind, along with what we have learnt about ourselves.

Below is a snippet from our Social Emotional Program ‘Program Achieve.’  This program runs in Year 7-10 focusing on key skills such as resilience, relationships and wellbeing.  This extract is from the program’s founder Dr Michael Bernard, Ph.D.  Professor, Melbourne Graduate School of Education Emeritus Professor, California State University, Long Beach Founder, You Can Do It! Education. 

Resilience

The strength that helps protect us when we are faced with stressful events at home and work is RESILIENCE – a combination of ways of thinking and social-emotional skills that help people of all ages to manage their feelings and behaviour.

A resilient MINDSET towards stress can change the impact of stress. The degree to which someone holds the mindset that stress has positive consequences or has the mindset that stress has horrible consequences impacts the individual’s performance, productivity, health and well-being.

As students, teachers, administrators and parents prepared for the return of schooling that included distance learning, what helped everyone cope emotionally including managing their anxiety, as well as to be positive about today and tomorrow was their resilience. We need to stimulate people’s awareness of the ABCs of resilience which includes the power we all have to become more resilient. This needs to be a top priority.

What is resilience?

Simply, it means being aware of how you feel, staying calm, when you get very upset, being able to manage your behaviour so you don’t get too negative, calming down quickly and bouncing back.

Resilience is what protects all of us from the negative and painful feelings we can experience at these times – much like an umbrella protects us from the rain.

The good news is that everyone can be resilient – even if it’s been somewhat battered and bruised.

When is it needed?

Whenever you are faced with difficulty – changes that have occurred at work (cutback in hours of employment, working from home, being laid off) or home (forced proximity with immediate family, lack of opportunities to meet with friends, oversight of children’s distance learning, relationship difficulties).

You can use the Resilient Lifesaver (see below) to help you stay afloat when faced with stress at home or work. You’ll see the Lifesaver has four parts.

Steps for Strengthening Your Resilience

Prepare means you are clear on what event or person is stressing you out and you decide ahead of time on the positive ways you’d like to feel and behave to make the problem go away – if possible!

Self-Talk are the private conversations you have with yourself. The key here is to get rid of negative thinking and replace it with healthier, more positive thoughts.

Coping skills are the little things you can do to keep yourself calm and cool.

Action is the way you go about dealing with the stressful event, solving the problem so that it reduces in size or disappears altogether.

Resilience means being strong, positive and having self-belief. It’s not something you are born with.

By Mrs Carol Sharp, APRE

Donation Drive for Victims of Domestic Violence

Last week the Warwick branch of Saint Vincent de Paul put out a call to the Warwick community via the Daily News. They were seeking donations of warm clothes, toiletries and money to assist local people who are fleeing domestic violence.

The ACW Vinnies group immediately, and very enthusiastically, stepped up to answer the call. This week we have been calling for donations to be brought into school and tomorrow, we are running a bake sale to raise money for the cause. So please feel free to turn up to school tomorrow (Thursday, June 25) with some baked goods to donate to the cause or some money to purchase a yummy treat at our stall.

A big congratulations to our Vinnies group for responding to the call so quickly and with such passion to help those in need. If you would like any information or statistics on domestic violence in Australia please visit this website.

The Oaks

Our liturgy group has finished their liturgy designed for the residents of The Oaks Nursing Home. They have been working hard on putting together prayers, choosing hymns and creating a meaningful experience for the residents.

The theme of the liturgy was Hope and I have included a video of one of the prayers used for you to watch. This is reflection about how COVID-19 can be seen as an opportunity to return to what really matters. The words to this film were written by Fr. Richard Hendrick, OFM, on March 13th this year.

You can access this YouTube video by clicking this link.

World Refugee Day

In the current climate it is easy to forget that there are issues other than the coronavirus and how it is affecting us all. However, it is important to note that there are other things going on in the world, other causes that we need to be aware of and, as is our Christian duty, we need to be responding to them.

In fact, the coronavirus epidemic often makes the other social justice issues of the world more obvious if we go beyond the superficial news coverage we see every night. Such a crisis highlights the inequity between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’ in our world.

In fact, Pope Francis stated in his message for World Refugee Day that ‘In fact, due to [the pandemics] virulence, severity and geographical extent, this crisis has impacted on many other humanitarian emergencies that affect millions of people, which has relegated to the bottom of national political agendas those urgent international efforts essential to saving lives. But “this is not a time for forgetfulness. The crisis we are facing should not make us forget the many other crises that bring suffering to so many people.” 

Francis challenges us to respond as Christians should. He states ‘Displaced people offer us this opportunity to meet the Lord, “even though our eyes find it hard to recognize him: his clothing in tatters, his feet dirty, his face disfigured, his body wounded, his tongue unable to speak our language” (Homily, 15 February 2019). We are called to respond to this pastoral challenge with the four verbs I indicated in my Message for this Day in 2018: welcome, protect, promote and integrate. 

To read Francis’ full message please click on this link.

Prayer

Lord, No one is a stranger to you and no one is ever far from your loving care. In your kindness watch over refugees and asylum seekers, those separated from their loved ones, those who are lost, and those who have been exiled from their homes. Bring them safely to the place where they long to be, and help us always to show your kindness to strangers and those in need.

Australian Catholic Social Justice Council

By Ms Eliza Harris - Acting Assistant Principal - Curriculum 

As Week Ten, Term Two and the end of our first academic semester of 2020 draws to a close we are thankful to have spent the last few weeks together as a College community. This year so far has been uniquely challenging yet, has allowed us to celebrate the diversity of strengths within our staff and student body.

There are many exciting changes coming in the Assumption College curriculum space for Semester Two and we hope that the upcoming holidays leave our students and staff renewed and recharged, ready to tackle a fresh set of academic opportunities.

The commencement of a 10-day timetable at ACW will allow for greater equity in the placement of lessons and will see us make better use of our wonderful facilities as well as maximising learning time. With COVID-19 regulations expected to continue easing, we are hopeful to include some practical curriculum enrichment experiences for our students before the conclusion of the year as well as engaging more as a whole College community to celebrate and reflect.

Due to our Mathematics Curriculum Leader, Mr Peter Gordon taking long service leave for the duration of Term 3, 2020 there will be some staffing changes to accommodate our senior mathematics classes. We are excited to announce that Mr Piers Dudin will be stepping in to lead the mathematics department during this time. Mr Gordon and Mr Dudin have worked tirelessly to ensure a seamless transition for our staff and students. The following staffing arrangements will be in place for the senior mathematics department from the commencement of Term 3, 2020:

Year 11:

Essential Mathematics – Miss Belinda Payne (no change)

General Mathematics – Miss Taylor Jannusch (taking over from Mr Piers Dudin)

General Mathematics – Mr Bruce Logan (no change)

Mathematical Methods – Mr Piers Dudin (taking over from Mr Peter Gordon)

Specialist Mathematics – Mr Piers Dudin (no change)

Year 12:

Essential Mathematics – Miss Jaime Slattery (no change)

General Mathematics - Miss Taylor Jannusch (taking over from Mr Peter Gordon)

General Mathematics – Mr Bruce Logan (no change)

Mathematical Methods – Mr Mark Baker (no change)

Specialist Mathematics – Mr Piers Dudin (no change)

Due to this timetable and staffing movement there may be staffing changes to several junior classes as well. Students will receive updated timetables prior to the commencement of Term 3.

Have a restful, and reinvigorating holiday break. We can’t wait to welcome our students through the wonderful new front gates, ready to shine in Semester Two!

By Mrs Mary-Anne Driver 

End of another a term - and what a topsy turvy term it has been!  We have continued to get on with life in the library, getting in new books, swapping textbooks and the never ending cleaning!  When our books are returned they are cleaned and set aside for 72 hours before going back on the shelf. We have also been getting into the habit of hand sanitising upon entry and when exiting the library.

Students have enjoyed being back in the library and spending time with mates, the overall opinion of school from home was enjoyment at being able to set their own pace (and help themselves to food when needed) but also lots of comments about missing teachers and friends.  

Next term we are excited to be able to offer lunch time activities again.  Mrs Gillespie will be coming in with social games and craft, we will also have board games, chess and lots of other things planned.  The activities will be in the notices each week.

Books are able to be borrowed over the holidays. Remember to return any overdue books to the library before the end of term or have them renewed if you are in the middle of your adventure.  Some students have already come in to stock up on books and magazines ready for their holiday reading. 

Enjoy your holidays and we look forward to seeing everyone back in the library, fresh and ready for new challenges, new books and more fun!

By Mrs Julie Collins - Program Leader Sport

Unfortunately, we have missed much of our sporting calendar this year due to COVID-19 restrictions. We will be looking to implement some interhouse activities in Term 3 with details to follow when finalised. However, the College will not be holding an interhouse athletics carnival this year.

By Mrs Jenny Gillespie

13 Reasons Why.  A note of caution for parents.

In recent years Headspace, the National Youth Mental Health Foundation Schools team have provided a range of support to school sectors in relation to the impact of the Netflix Series 13 Reasons Why. Below is some information that Headspace are currently providing to schools across Australia regarding the recent Season 4 release.

Due to the global impact, difficult themes and some mental health sector criticism of previous seasons of 13 Reasons Why, Headspace, is encouraging young Australians and their parents to be safe and informed before making decisions about watching Season 4 of the show.

Headspace has independently created resources to ensure young people and parents are supported and equipped to have constructive conversations about themes depicted in the show.

The likelihood that the content will be distressing or triggering for some viewers will depend on their individual life experiences and current circumstances. No two people will take exactly the same meaning or understanding out of the same episode.

Tailored discussion guides for parents and young people have been created and are uploaded to the headspace website: https://headspace.org.au/13reasonswhy/

Studies conducted in the United States and Canada, following the release of 13 Reasons Why Season 1 showed some increased risk of suicide and self-harm in young people, which these reports attributed to content included in the series. It is unclear the exact cause of this increase but is likely related to unsafe depiction of suicide.

By Mrs Alison Porter, Program Leader Student Pathways

ATTENTION ALL MUSIC STUDENTS - Woodwind Music Lessons Update

Mr Aaron Buchanan is currently teaching instrumental music lessons, in the music room during College hours, and would love to have more students involved in the hope of establishing an Assumption College Band.

This is a great opportunity for music students across all year levels. For Semester 2, 2020 he is offering free lessons and hire of instruments to encourage students to pick-up (or begin again) the following instruments:

Flute, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Trumpet, Trombone, Baritone, Euphonium, Tuba, French Horn.

Lessons occur on Thursday mornings, and we are hoping to be able to progress from lessons to Concert Band practice if the numbers grow to make this possible.

If you are interested please contact the College to inform of your student's name and the instrument they would like to be able to play- a form may then be forwarded with more information about this.

Transition Day

Front Entry

Assumption College Warwick is proud to unveil their long anticipated Front Entry Statement, which is now open to students and visitors to the College.

The Front Entry Statement has been designed to improve the street appeal of Assumption College and together with the proposed signage, the new entrance will clearly identify the College as a Catholic Educational Facility.

Construction commenced in January 2020 as part of the Assumption College Master Plan. The completion of the front entrance now finalises three stages of the current master plan projects which included:
• The refurbishment of the Southern courtyard and construction of shade areas
• The conversion of Home Economics to an industry standard hospitality centre
• The construction of the College Front Entry Statement.

These three stages of the Master Plan were self funded by Assumption College Warwick, with assistance from the local Catholic Community.

The Assumption College Master Plan now continues on from these stages and includes the proposed construction of a new Information and Learning Centre (Library).

Assumption College warmly welcomes all members of the community to come and view their new facilities and tours can be booked at any time through the Website or through the College Office on 07 4660 4000. The College is in the early stages of planning an official opening and details will be announced in the near future.

ASX 2020

L - R: Mr Peter Gordon, Cameron Watt, Lachlan Venz, Brendan Lunn, Mrs Pauline Pickering.

Can anybody make money in this volatile 2020 sharemarket?  Our students can!

Congratulations to our three prize winning students (pictured above) and to all the students who actively participated in what is an excellent way to test real world 21^st century mathematical skills without actually risking a cent.

In the Australian Stock Exchange game for schools which ended recently, all students were given an imaginary $50000 to invest in the ASX and prices and gains were calculated in real time.

At Assumption College our students actively played by investing the imaginary money in the stock market and really enjoyed themselves. This game does real time trades and calculates all of your profits and losses in your portfolio as if you were an actual investor.

We have been very fortunate to have Pauline Pickering, the director of Globe Accounting, sponsor monetary prizes for our students and this keeps the level of interest high. Pauline’s sponsorship is much appreciated and allows the students to receive a tangible reward for their wonderful efforts.

Technical analysis, where you study the graphs of the stocks you want to buy, is a fine real world example of applied Mathematics and many of our students did a great job of purchasing the shares and then trading their way to profits.

Our winners for Semester One 2020 were:

1 Lachlan Venz - whose portfolio value reached $64568

2 Brendan Lunn - whose portfolio value reached $57046

3 Cameron Watt - whose portfolio value reached $54871

USQ Online Series

A number of students are being featured in an upcoming online series, including our very own past student Taylah Hoffman.

If you would like to watch, or see further information, please CLICK HERE

St Mary's Kindy Come & Play Day

Flu Shot - Qld Health 

Junior Netball