By Mr Simon Fleming - Principal

This week, teachers will be finalising the Term 1 reports. The aim of these reports is to provide a snapshot of how students have performed in their learning over the term. The grade provides an indicative measure of performance against syllabus standards at this point in time. Obviously, students have only begun their learning towards achieving the expected outcomes for a particular year level. What is important about these reports is the standard of application and effort that students are applying to their studies. There will be an opportunity provided to parents to attend an interview with teachers during week 1 of next term.

At our college we want students to experience meaningful learning and authentic care in calm, collaborative settings. Thank you to those working hard in this area. Everyone agrees that this goal is key to students experiencing six meaningful lessons each day. I regularly remind students that this is their right and is essential to them experiencing a full year of learning growth in 2021. Thank you to those parents and carers who have contacted me and others in a spirit of partnership to ensure we are doing the best for the children and young people in our care. Thank you as well to students who regularly identify an area for improvement or an idea for consideration. We must increase student voice in a school that seeks greater student connection and participation, and conversations about education and school in the home greatly assists this.

Congratulations to students who have been experiencing success through their positive attitudes and hard work this term. It has been outstanding to see the large number of students receiving awards for positive behaviour and service to the community. Congratulations also to the students and staff who travelled to Roma over the weekend. The Open girls had some mixed results whilst the Open League team came away with a hard fought victory over St Johns in the final, 10-4. I would like to thanks the teachers for giving up their time over the weekend to take the students. My thanks also extends to the teachers involved in taking our students to the debating challenge in Toowoomba each week. This has proved to be a valuable experience for our students.

Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter, Patris Corde, called the Church to set aside 2021 as a year to focus our attention on St Joseph as patron of the Universal Church. In this year of Saint Joseph we can learn a lot from Saint Joseph: Love and tenderness, obedience to God’s will, the value of being a courageous worker. So this Lent ‘Be More’ loving and generous with your time especially for your family and those in need.

Kind Regards

Simon

By Mrs Anna Hardy, Deputy Principal

Say No to Bullying Day

As a College we took the pledge to SAY NO TO BULLYING.  Each PC class came up with a tip for each other and this pledge and tip is currently being displayed in the breezeway.  Our focus this year has been on cyber-bullying and PC teachers have showed numerous clips to their classes that highlight the impacts of cyber-bullying.  Year 7 students have also had a visit from our School Police Officer to outline the legalities, impact and consequences of group chats and to reiterate being safe and kind to one another on the internet. This is a day for awareness, but the conversations and messages will continue throughout the year continuously.

The Storming Stage

As the year is well underway, students typically go through the first two stages of Bruce Tuckman’s model of group development - forming and storming (image below).  In these stages, they hustle to make friends, connect with others, be included, belong to a group and stand up for themselves. It's part of growing up and being in a social environment.

However, many students get stuck in the second stage (storming). Minor conflicts become major disputes and friendships are unnecessarily dissolved or broken apart. Tensions increase and group cohesion and connection reduces. The result is that students can feel unsafe and unwelcome at school. Learning time is lost as teachers pick up the pieces of heated arguments between students (especially after break times). Ultimately, learning and the wellbeing of students is affected.

In order to move past the storming stage, they often require some assistance. Many of our students don’t have the social skills to help them to move onto the next two (more productive) stages of group development- norming and performing. If we want our classroom and school environment to be conducive to students learning, getting along and thriving, we need to be proactive and intentional about equipping them with the skills to do so.

Shawn Achor (2018) discovered that more than wealth, intelligence or extracurricular activity, social connection was the strongest predictor of academic performance, wellbeing and long-term career performance (Achor, S. Big Potential, Random House, London, 2018).

Our relationships (or social connections) are a sum of the short-term interactions we have with other people. Interactions between students can either be positive or negative. They can be helpful to students and our school community, or harmful.

If we would like to reduce this tension throughout next term and beyond, what can we do to help our students navigate their social environment?

• BUILDING EMPATHY- appreciating differences, developing respect and an understanding of equality of all people
• ACTIVE LISTENING- practical conversation skills for strengthening relationships.
• CONFLICT RESOLUTION- learning how to be assertive, rather than passive or aggressive.
• TEAM WORK- working collaboratively in teams to achieve more.

By Mr Michael Simpson - Assistant Principal - Curriculum 

Year 12 ATAR Students

The first piece of internal assessment (IA1) has been completed, and the results submitted to the QCAA. This is a monumental task for students and teachers, and I would like to congratulate all of those involved in this process. The QCAA will now go through the vigorous moderation process to ensure all results are consistent with the rest of Queensland. Students will receive a letter grade of A-E on their report card. This should be used as an indication of their progress and should be combined with other information obtained through parent-teacher consultation. The second piece of internal assessment (IA2) is now underway and due to the condensed nature of the new senior system, students are expected to continue working over the holidays.

Parent-Teacher Interviews

Teacher-parent interviews will be occurring in week one next term. It is critical that conversations occur between all key stakeholders. The Term 1 report card will be mailed next week and students are asked to reflect on their start to the year. The report should be part of the learning journey, not the end as most people perceive. Reports are a vital indication of how students have progressed throughout the term, and when combined with information given at teacher-parent interviews, this should give them the platform to improve. The challenge is to not worry about what has been, but focus on what can be achieved in the future. Teachers look forward to positive conversations around student learning. A letter and instructions about how to book these interviews will be mailed with the student’s report card.

By Mrs Carol Sharp, APRE

Social Justice News

Lent & Project Compassion

In the fifth week of lent, we read about the story of Halima. Halima is raising her two children in a refugee camp in Bangladesh, while caring for her mother who has a disability. Widowed at 21, Halima fled violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, arriving at the camp with nothing.

Caritas Australia, through Caritas Bangladesh, helped Halima with shelter, cooking equipment, hygiene and sanitation training. She took on the role of community trainer herself, organising the cleaning of washrooms, wells and toilets. 

Halima aspired to “Be More” and is proud that she is able to earn a small income, while maintaining the health of her family and the cleanliness of the camp community.

• In the Cox’s Bazar district, women and children make up 78% of the total refugee population where 52% of children are aged 0-17 (UNHCR).

Watch a short film about Halima’s story here.

 “Aspire not to have more, but to be more.” Please support Project Compassion: lent.caritas.org.au

Coin Line Challenge

On the last day of term, we are going to have a Coin Line Challenge to wrap up our fundraising efforts for Project Compassion. Any coins that are donated to Project Compassion on the last day will be placed in a line along the breezeway. There will be four lines, one for each house. The house with the longest line wins! There will be a Zooper Dooper for all students from the winning house, so we encourage everyone to bring in any spare change on Thursday April 1.

Vinnies

The students of the Saint Vincent de Paul group are currently working to produce a video to assist students with their mental health and wellbeing. The video involves students sharing ideas around four key questions:

1. Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed?
2. How do you balance school, friends and home life?
3. How do you recharge your batteries?
4. Who could you talk to if you were struggling?

We are recording responses from students across all year levels this week and will work to edit the video next week ready for publication in Term 2. We encourage all students to get involved and help each other out with great ideas and strategies around how to cope with the stresses and demands of school as well as life in general.

Masses and Liturgies

Year Level Masses

Thursday 25 March was to be our Year 12 mass. Unfortunatley due to flooding, mass was postponed. 

Easter Liturgy

Our ACW Easter liturgy will be happening on the last day of school at 9.45am. This is before the students head to the Golf Course for the Cross Country. Under the guidance of Mrs. Patrice Riordan, the Year 10 Drama students have been working hard on preparing an adaption of the Stations of the Cross. The liturgy is an important reminder of the significance of the Easter season on the Christian calendar as we reflect on the sacrifice that Jesus made so that we might be saved. We look forward to seeing all our students in attendance.

Easter Mass Times and Bookings

Please see the mass times below if you are planning to attend mass over the Easter holidays. An important reminder that bookings are essential for mass on Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday. If you do not have a booking, you will not be able to attend. You can book your attendance by clicking here.

Vision and Mission Poster Competition

Congratulations to Meghan Crothers from Year 7 for her winning entry in the Vision and Mission Poster competition. Not only did Meghan’s entry meet all the criteria, but it was also a creative and thoughtful reflection of the values and identity of our school.

The poster competition was judged by our school leaders and they were particularly impressed with Meghan’s use of both the Australian flag and the Aboriginal flag as a design motif. These symbols reflect one of the most significant ways that we can live out our school values of generosity, compassion, wisdom and justice; by working for reconciliation and healing in our country. Well done Meghan.

Prayer

by Miss Denise Ryan - Chaplain

Last weekend we had the annual Warwick Show and what a weekend it was. It was awesome to see all the student's entries from the Horticulture pavilions to the pet parades then to cattle parading and finally in equestrian events. It was heartening to see students express themselves through their hobbies and passions in life. It was a successful weekend overall for everybody involved. Also, remember that if you were at the show on the weekend and took a photo, make sure you share on Facebook or Instagram with the #warwickshowphotocomp for your chance to win $50 Gift Card to Big W.

Over the past week I was reading an interesting article about how there are seven life lessons we can learn from jig-saws. Thanks to the hundreds of jig-saw puzzles you may complete over the years, we can learn a lot about problem solving.

So today, I would love to share these insights with you in the hope that you’ll find these helpful when facing your own challenges.

1. Start with the end in mind.

Most jig-saw puzzles come in a box that shows a picture of what the finished product will look like. There is a clear goal we are working towards. If we know what we are trying to achieve, it is easier to map out steps to achieve the goal. It is important to keep looking back at the picture – to see where the parts fit into the whole.

2. Put boundaries in place.

When doing a puzzle, we usually start with the edge pieces. This sets the boundaries around the project. It is important to be clear about boundaries, what is in, what is out, what is my responsibility, what is not, what is within my control, what is not!

3. Only bite off what you can chew.

The biggest puzzle I have done was 1500 pieces, the smallest was eight pieces. There are factors to consider in choosing the size of the puzzle. It is important to assess your environment, your ability and the resources you have available before making a decision. While there is limited fun to be found in an eight-piece puzzle, starting a 500-piece puzzle over a 30-minute lunch at McDonalds is just silly!

4. Match your approach to your situation.

Different parts of the puzzle benefit from different approaches. Sometimes matching colours is the best strategy, or matching shapes, or sometimes trial and error is the only way! Trial and error is the most time consuming and least rewarding. It’s really a last resort.

5. Celebrate your successes.

We tend to start with the edge, then the sections of the puzzle that will be the easiest. The flowers of the field with their varying colours and shapes are formed fairly quickly under our busy hands. We stop often to admire our achievement and happily chatter away. Then we come to a solid block of blue sky only discolored by the occasional puff of white cloud. Nerves become more frazzled as the tedious ‘trial and error’ method must be employed, we celebrate our successes with an exclamation of ‘got a piece in’ which, when the going is slow, warrants a cheer and congratulations.

6. Start with what you can do, not what you can’t.

With a puzzle one tends to work on patches that seem easy. If you are stuck, move to a different part or simply look at what you are working on from a different angle. Sometimes it is best to put the puzzle on hold and come back afresh.

7. Know when to walk away.

This last ‘lesson’ is one that I have found particularly difficult. Recently, for the first time ever, we actually gave up on a puzzle. We pulled apart what we had done and put it back in the box. After many hours working on it my mother and I made a decision that it was just not worth continuing. As we solemnly packed it away, we reflected on times when we have pushed forward in what we thought was perseverance when time showed it to have been simply obstinance. While never giving up is a great catch cry, sometimes the struggle and fall out of continuing is simply not worth it

Blog Article from https://www.suqld.org.au/blog/category/family-space/#7-life-lessons-i-have-learnt-from-jig-saw-puzzles

By Miss Jaime Slattery

“Friendships first, competition second.” – Yao Ming

What a sport-filled start to the year it has been. The college has been very well represented at all trials and sporting events. Thanks must go to parents/guardians for your continued efforts transporting students to trials and events. Students, you should be proud of your efforts and achievements, keep up the good work throughout the year. Remember, although you may have missed out on making a team there will be plenty more opportunities in the future. Manifest your goal, train hard and keep your chin up.

Rest up over the holidays, enjoy time spent with loved ones and have a Happy Easter.

QLD State Championships

Best wishes to Lily Osborne and Alyssa White who are both competing at the QLD Swimming State Championships in Brisbane. We are so proud to be represented by these two talented competitors. We hope your training and perseverance pays off. Good luck!

Darling Downs

Well done to Alex Newley, Jacob Darker, Claire Eckersley and Laura Schiewe who trialled for the DD Football team and congratulations to Denika Murray on her selection in the team. Your efforts are admirable especially under the challenging weather conditions.

Southern Downs

After the recent Southern Downs Hockey, Netball and Rugby League trials it is necessary to acknowledge those students selected. Well done to Olivia Groves for being selected in the SD Netball team, Cooper Rhodes and Lachlan Corney for being selected in the SD Hockey team and Marty May and Archer Barrett for being selected in the SD Rugby League team. These students will now compete at upcoming Darling Downs trials with their teams, best wishes.

Good luck also to Jazmine Cruda, Olivia Groves and Lara Santo who are competing as part of the Southern Downs Basketball team at the Darling Downs trials on Monday 29 March.

ACW Cross Country:

The next Inter-House event is Cross Country, which returns Thursday 1 April after a brief hiatus in 2020. In 2019 Romero ran away with both the House Champion and Ashes trophies, for those in Romero you have plenty to live up to and for those in Donovan, McAuley and Rice it’s time to bring your A game! Parents are welcome to attend and are encouraged to adhere to social distancing measures.

Students will attend school for periods 1 and 2 before catching buses up to the Warwick Golf Club from 11am. All 12 and 13 years will be completing a 3km course, all 14’s, 15’s, 16’s girls and Open girls will be completing a 4km course and 16’s and Open boys will be completing a 6km course. A BBQ will be operating on the day by members of our Student Representative Council. Thank you in advance to those students and staff. On completion of the carnival, students can either be picked up from the Golf Club or can return to school via the provided bus.

Attendance is mandatory for all students, so wear your full sports uniform including College socks and house colours, bring some change for the BBQ and have a great day out with your friends.

Confraternity Football & QISSN Netball

On Friday, the 19 March the boys' Confraternity and the girls' QISSN netball team travelled to Roma to compete for the Mercy Shield. The boys kicked off their campaign with a comprehensive win over St. Joseph’s Toowoomba winning 30-6. In very hot and humid conditions, Lane Eastwell and Matt Higgins were leading the way in the forward pack. We then headed in to our second game against St. Johns Roma. With a very fast start, Augustus Macdade scored from a cross field kick. We went on to win the game 18-0. The next games we played were on Saturday against OLSC Dalby. A much tougher game and we came through with the win, thanks to a man of the match performance from Augustus Macdade, also Ethan Le Sueur was very impressive. A 20-10 win cemented ourselves a spot in the final against St. John’s Roma. We then played the final with St. John’s, coming out scoring the first try, we then hit back with a determined Tom Doherty crossing the line. The game got very tough and scrappy at times but a barnstorming Conner Reimers close to line, ended up being the match winning try. With our boys winning the Mercy Shield 10-4,  player of match and Carnival was award to Dan Howard. We would like to thank Mr. Bell, Mr. Duggan, Miss Cooper, Mr. Breen, Mr. Mahoney and Mr. and Mrs. Collins for taking the time to take us out for the long weekend.

Dan Howard, Augustus Macdade and Mr. Bell.      

Youth Council

Keely Byrne, Lilly Oloman and Thomas Ryan have been inducted into the Southern Downs Regional Youth Council. Over the next twelve months these students will explore the needs of the Southern Downs and be involved in implementing various activities within our community. All 3 students are very excited to have the opportunity to participate in this experience and begin their leadership journey as they transition into senior school.

QPAC - COME FROM AWAY TRIP NEXT TERM

All students are invited, grab a group of friends to share the day with. Numbers are limited and must be finalised before the holidays. Pay the $20 deposit to secure your seat! It is happening on 5 May depart 9:00 be back close to 6:00 p.m.

If you are thinking about joining the QPAC school trip to see the musical, here is some more information and some clips that may be of interest for you to find out more about it!  The letter is available at office, online or from Mrs Cullen.

About The Show – Come From Away

Come From Away performance 'Welcome To The Rock' | Olivier Awards 2019 with Mastercard - YouTube

Cast of "Come From Away" performs for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - YouTube

2021 Next Step Survey

The Queensland Government is conducting its annual statewide survey of all students who completed Year 12 in 2020. The Next Step survey is a brief, confidential survey that gains a comprehensive picture of the employment, study and life choices made by Queensland school completers in the year after they finish Year 12.

Between April and June, all our students who completed Year 12 last year can expect to receive instructions to complete a web-based survey or a telephone call from the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office. Please encourage them to take part. If their contact details have changed, please assist the interviewer with their updated details or forward the survey to their new address so they can participate.

Thank you for your support of the Next Step survey in 2021.

Further information on Next Step, including results from previous years, is available online at www.qld.gov.au/nextstep or on toll free telephone 1800 068 587.

Set a Safe Pace at School - Traffic Safety

By Mrs Mary-Anne Driver 

Friday is Lego day in the library – Mrs Wooding challenged the students and they came up with the goods, as you can see from the photos!  Mrs Gillespie provided a flower activity for the students culminating in some beautiful work.  We are also having a lot of chess games, black jack, UNO and exploding kittens!  There is always fun stuff happening in the library.

In preparation for our new library we have set up a Containers for Change account.  Any bottles and cans the students place in the bins provided at school will go towards and the purchase of VR equipment (virtual reality headsets and software) that can be used in lunch times as well as during class time.  We are very excited about being able to provide a dedicated space to this newer technology that has many benefits to students, not to mention lunch time fun!  If you would like to donate your next batch of recycling towards this effort, our Containers for Change number is C10441035.

By Mr Scott Clegg - Business Manager 

School Fees

School fees have been sent out and we require payment of the account by the 18th of April 2021, unless you have a Direct Debit or other existing payment arrangement in place with the college.

If you have any problems paying this account, trouble viewing the email or you haven't received the statement by email, please contact the college via phone 07 4660 4000 or email at finance@acwarwick.catholic.edu.au to check that your email address is recorded correctly or please speak with our Business Manager, Scott Clegg.

Parent Portal

The existing parent portal is currently inactive, as we wait for the rollover to Sentral, our new Student Information System. Once the rollover is complete, the new parent portal will be available, and we will issue operating instruction at that time.

In the meantime, if you have a query about your school fees account, please don't hesitate to contact the college Finance Officer, Sarah Worth by phone 0746 604 000 or by email finance@acwarwick.catholic.edu.au

By Mrs Jenny Gillespie

School Attendance

The second Mental health and suicide prevention | Australian Government Department of Health examined links between school attendance and mental health.  The report suggested that early intervention when problems arise is crucial to positive educational and health outcomes over time.

School Refusal

There is no universally agreed definition of school refusal or avoidance but common to most definitions is student avoidance of school for an extended period. This includes situations where students miss specific lessons on days when they do attend school. These absences are often known to parents and carers. It is generally accepted that school refusal is complex and comes with multiple contributing factors.

A definition that may be useful comes from Maynard, et al (2018) who defined school refusal as featuring:

1. Reluctance or refusal to attend school, often leading to prolonged absences,
2. Staying at home during school hours with parents’ knowledge rather than concealing the problem from parents,
3. Experience of emotional distress at the prospect of attending school (e.g. somatic complaints, anxiety, and unhappiness),
4. Absence of severe antisocial behaviour, and
5. Parental efforts to secure their child’s attendance at school.

Interventions

Interventions may be multifaceted and involve education and health resources, reflecting the complexity and diversity of presentations.  However, in general terms school staff will have a significant role to play in terms of:

• Interviewing the student and parents/carers to gain an understanding of possible barriers to attendance including illness and other family difficulties.

The School-Refusal Assessment scale may be administered to students and parents/carers and can assist schools in understanding some of the reasons a student may be avoiding school.

• Promoting good sleep habits (Sleep Hygiene Tips - Headspace),
• Identifying learning difficulties and/or,
• Supporting mental health needs,
  • Links to health practitioners
  • Making referrals to the relevant Child and Youth Mental Health Service

Resources

Many resources exist to support families to understand the nature of school refusal as well as potential responses. 

• Understanding school refusal (headspace.org.au)
• School refusal - Be You

Please contact your Pastoral Academic Leader or Student Counsellor if any further information is required or if you are concerned about your young person’s school refusal.