By Mr Simon Fleming - Principal

This term we have been joined by Mrs Cate Tunstall, Mr Joel Casey, and Miss Caroline Fern. Mrs Tunstall joins the Maths department and comes to us with over 10 years’ experience and the capability of teaching Mathematics at the highest level. Mr Casey returns to ACW after a brief stint in 2012. Mr Casey will be teaching Mathematics and Science and comes to us having been acting Head of Mathematics and has experience in leadership, especially in the wellbeing area. Miss Fern is beginning her teaching career and is a past student. Miss Fern will be teaching P.E and Science. Ms Smith, acting DP, will join us in week 3 after fulfilling the mandatory hotel quarantine period.

Last Friday we held our Academic Pin and NAIDOC Week Assembly. It was very pleasing to see the number of students receiving an Academic Pin for their performances in their studies throughout semester 1. We also celebrated NAIDOC Week. This year’s theme is 'Heal Country', acknowledging the significance of 'Country' to First Peoples and cultures. The theme calls for stronger measures to recognise, protect and maintain all aspects of First Nations' culture and heritage.

We strongly encourage students to set academic learning goals. Setting goals to try to outdo your previous best effort is known as 'growth goal setting' or 'personal best goals'. It is fundamentally focused on self-improvement, such as investing more time or effort in a task than before or striving to achieve a higher result in the next test.. We find students who set goals like these are more engaged in school than those who do not. The benefits are even more positive for students in lower socio-economic groups and students who have had low levels of  achievement previously.

Each term has a busy beginning, and this one is no exception. We have already had Year 11 academic interviews, hosted the Warwick Careers Expo, conducted parent teacher interviews, and have held interviews for student leadership positions. Our new student leaders will be inducted on the 13^th of August. Just a reminder to all that the Bishop's Inservice Day will be Friday 30^th of July. This day is a Pupil Free day for the school. 

In news late to hand, Ms Krause has decided to move on. We will do our best to find a teacher of Spanish, however, in the mean time, we can cover our mandatory language requirement with Japanese as we have two highly qualified teachers on staff.

Catholic Education Week 2021 - A Spirited Tomorrow

Catholic Education Week will be held from 25th – 31st of July this year, providing an opportunity for all Catholic education communities around Queensland to celebrate and promote the distinctive mission of Catholic schooling.

The theme of Catholic Education Week in 2021 is 'A Spirited Tomorrow'.

This theme acknowledges the long tradition of Catholic education and its continued relevance in preparing students for the future.

The theme references the work of the Plenary Council in discerning the way forward for the Church in Australia and complements the Faith in the Future theme of the 200 years of Catholic Education celebrations.

During Catholic Education Week 2021, Catholic education communities across Queensland are invited to celebrate and share how they represent A Spirited Tomorrow.

Kind Regards, 

Simon

If you wish to submit a Newsletter article, please email to acwarwick@twb.catholic.edu.au by Monday 2nd August. Please note that all articles are subject to Principal's approval.  

By Ms Natalie Smith, Acting Deputy Principal

Looking out of my hotel window, I watch the City Cat traverse up and down the Brisbane River. I observe joggers, people on scooters and cyclists moving along the banks of the river and children playing in the Captain Burke Park, under the iconic Story Bridge.  At low tide, a muddy little beach forms on the inside bend of the river where people bring their dogs and throw sticks and balls for them to chase.  Small white crested waves, wash from the City Cat as it passes by. At night-time, the Story Bridge lights up to celebrate Bastille Day with red, white and blue and of course, proudly red for the final State of Origin match. (I guess maroon lights were difficult to find!)  I am glad to be back in Queensland, glad to be home.

Observing the world from the hotel window has been my daily routine in hotel quarantine for the past 14 days. Not quite the view or the start to Term 3 that I had been anticipating, but an unexpected opportunity to observe, ponder and practise acceptance of things beyond my control.

So just a little about me, by way of introduction. I grew up in Daisy Hill, in suburban Brisbane. Travelling to Japan on exchange during my high school years started a life-long love affair with the country, people, culture and language. This has seen me travel to Japan many times over the years for study and to catch up with friends. As a teacher of Japanese I was able to introduce my students to this wonderful country and culture leading school trips to visit sister schools and welcoming students from Japan.

After working in schools in and around Brisbane and after many years of working with senior students I became interested in their post-school education, particularly tertiary education. At the end of 2015, I was given the opportunity to work at The Women’s College, at Sydney University, which I have thoroughly appreciated. It has a given me a deep understanding of what Year 11 and 12 students need to appreciate the difference between school and university and the challenges that they often face when they are a long way from home and from their support networks.

However, after five and a half years in Sydney, the yearning to be closer to family, and to re-engage with students in the secondary context, has seen us return to Queensland and come to Warwick. I look forward to working with the students and staff at Assumption College; to engaging parents and the wider Warwick Catholic community.  I am looking forward also, to exploring the local area of Warwick and the Southern Downs. Please be sure to come up and to introduce yourself when you are next at school. I am excited to be seeing you all, in person, soon.

Natalie Smith

By Mr Michael Simpson - Assistant Principal - Curriculum 

Year 11 Subject Selection Night

Subject selection night will occur on Wednesday 28^th of August. It is an important night for our Year 10 students as they start to commit to a long term plan for the next two years and beyond. Year 10’s will be selecting their preferences during careers classes; however, there must be conversations at home regarding their choices. The new QCE system requires careful consideration when changing subjects during Year 11, so there should be a high degree of thought put into a student’s senior schooling plan. The PowerPoint presentation from the subject selection evening will be available on the school website, as well as a information booklet.

Year 10 and 9 Subject Selection

Information booklets will be given to Year 8 and 9 students during their career class in Weeks 4 and 5. Further, there will be several short elective subject presentations during school time where students will be able to listen to teachers regarding what occurs in each area. Students will select their preferences during career class and bring them home to be signed.

Year 12

Year 12 students studying General subjects will be completing their final unit of work by Week 5 of Term 3. The provisional results for the IA2 and IA3 need to be uploaded to the QCAA by Wednesday 18^th August for the confirmation process. This involves teachers from schools across Queensland checking student work to ensure consistency of results. As this is the final internal assessment for these subjects, it is essential that students continue to work over the holidays and maintain their already impressive standards into the beginning of next term. Throughout this term’s academic interviews, it was emphasised that “every mark counts” towards the ATAR calculation; therefore, it is imperative that students make the most of teacher support.

Following the finalisation of Unit 4, Year 12 students studying General subjects will start preparing for their mock exams which commence in Week 9 of Term 3. It is essential that the students prepare for these examinations as they would for the real external exams. The more effort the students put in, the more quality feedback they will receive from their teachers. This whole process is vital for identifying key weakness areas within the content so students can formulate a targeted approach to their learning. During the exam block, all Year 12 students will be able to stay home and only attend school for the exams. They will need to sign-in each day and wear their full school uniform. The mock exam timetable will be realised early next term.

By Mrs Carol Sharp, APRE

Founders' Day

At the end of last term, we celebrated our very first Founders’ Day. It was a great success despite the rain as students really entered into the spirit of the day. Our liturgy was lovely as we reflected on what it means to be a member of the ACW community. Our novelty games in the afternoon were loads of fun – a big thankyou to our College and House Leaders who, under the guidance of Mrs. Ali Porter, rearranged all their hard work at the last minute to come up with a wet weather program.

However, the highlight of the day would have to have been the Talent Quest. Our Culture College Leader, Deiv Sorono, was outstanding as MC and really got the audience involved - the teacher versus student dance off was a hit. Check out the photos from the day and, if you follow the link below, you can see the recording of the Talent Quest. Check out the teachers dance moves!

https://vimeo.com/576530904/d3344f8840

 

 

Retreats

Year 10 Retreat

On Tuesday, July 20^th the Yr 10 students participated in a retreat lead by motivational speaker Az Hamilton. The day was a lot of fun and a provided a good opportunity to stop and reflect on how seemingly small opportunities can bring about major change in our lives and the lives of others. As our Year 10 students start to think about their senior years and pathways, this retreat day encouraged them to step outside of the roles they set for themselves and see a whole ocean of possibility.

Year 12 Retreat

Final preparations are being made for our Retreat in week 4 from Aug 4^th – Aug 6^th. All parents would have received a letter detailing the specifics of the retreat and we are looking forward to spending some quality time with our Yr 12 students as they reflect on their journey so far and where they may go with their next steps.

Student Free Day

Bishop’s Inservice Day

Week 3 of Term 3 is Catholic Education Week. Every year during this week there is a student free day so staff can gather to have a day of spiritual reflection. Usually, we gather with staff from schools all across the Toowoomba Diocese however, due to COVID restrictions, last year we gathered as a staff here at ACW. We will follow the same format this year, gathering at school to develop our relationship with our God and reflect on how that is brought to bear on our roles and teachers and support staff.

Prayer for NAIDOC Week

This week in our Academic Assembly we celebrated NAIDOC Week by reciting The Aboriginal Our Father.

 

by Miss Denise Ryan - Chaplain

We are happy to be back for another fantastic term. This Term we will continue with the Great Library Challenge. The challenge will be designed to have students work in small groups or pairs and complete a series of mini challenges building up to the final challenge in Week 9. This challenge will cover a wide range of topics to engage the students in thinking about their wellbeing and how to support others around them.  This challenge will be launched next week just in time for Catholic Education Week and this will be the first theme of the challenge, as well as our award ceremony for the Paper Plane Competetion.

This week I found an awesome article about how mentors can challenge and motivate teens.  The author Tess,  is a former School Chaplain and Youth Pastor with 15 years of experience in Youth Work. She now serves as SU QLD’s Children and Youth Program Team Leader, delivering training and professional development to Chaplains and Youth Workers.

“Close your eyes for a minute and think back to your teen and young adult years… Who were the important people in your life at the time? Who were the significant adults in your life?

Research tells us that high-quality relationships are crucial to the development of young teens and young adults. However, 40% of young people report feeling lonely (Search Inst. 2017) and possess one or less relationships they would deem significant (Search Inst. 2017). In a hyper-networked world, teens and young adults lack real relationships, and are at a high risk of not having a significant adult in their life to guide them through the unstable landscape of young adulthood.

In short, teens and young adults need mentors. When I think about mentoring young people, I am reminded of this little gem from the Bible:

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says; “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

How does mentoring benefit teens and young adults?

The Search Institute uses the term ‘developmental relationship’ to describe the nature of healthy connection between significant adults (mentors, parents, coaches, teachers, etc.) and young people.

In layman’s terms, a Developmental Relationship is a close connection between a young person and an adult that positively influences the young person to help them thrive.

Express Care. Young people don’t just need to be told they matter; they need to be shown. Think of how you can practically demonstrate to a young person that they are valued.

Challenge Growth. Young people need to be encouraged and pushed to keep getting better. Consider how you can encourage a young person to give their best and keep them accountable.

Provide Support. In order to grow, sometimes we need a little help. How could you assist a young person to complete their tasks and achieve their goals (without taking over)?

Share Power. We all want to feel empowered to make decisions and take action in our lives. How could you treat a young person with respect and give them a say in what is happening around and to them?

Expand Possibilities. I don’t know what I don’t know. Can you connect a young person with people, places and experiences that broadens their horizons?

Consider how the significant figures of your teens addolescence and young adulthood demonstrated these key elements, and how they impacted your life?

As the African proverb says; it takes a village to raise a child. Mentoring matters, not just to avoid loneliness, but to assist teens and young adults to thrive on their journey to adulthood. For the full article please see this link. https://www.suqld.org.au/blog/category/family-space/teens-young-adults/#mentoring-matters-5-keys-to-help-your-teens-thrive

In the September school holidays on the 24^th September, the St Mary’s Parish Youth Group will be attending the Ignite Conference for a day trip for students in grade 7 and up. If your child would like to attend, please let myself know and I can forward more details and information as it is released. This conference is held in Brisbane each year and is hosted by Emmanuel Worship and is designed to help young people network with other students from across the state and to help them on their journeys. There are several workshops that the students can elect to go to that cover topics from school, leadership, faith to social justice etc. There is more information available at the following website.  https://igniteconference.com.au/brisbane

Once again if your child/ren are interested or have any questions please feel free to contact myself and I will be able to help. I am available by email denise.ryan@twb.catholic.edu or by phone as well. 

Have a fantastic week.

Denise 

By Mrs Alison Porter, Program Leader Student Pathways

On the 28th of June the Assumption College’s Confraternity campaign officially began. In preparation for this, the boys have been training since Term 4 2020. After a small bus trip, the boys settled into camp at St Lawrence’s School Campus at Runcorn and commenced a light run followed by a captains' run. The boys attended the opening with all 48 teams. This year was the first year of the girls' competition which included nine teams. Once returning to camp after the Opening Ceremony, we all quickly settled in to watch the State of Origin which sadly did not result in a win. The boys had a very early start on Monday as we played the first game to kick off Confro 2021 on Field 1 against Clairvaux Mackillop. This was a tough match up for our boys to start the week and the boys lost 22-0, player of the match: Martin Bell. In our second game for the Monday against Blackheath and Thornburgh College the boys were very motivated to play well and were able to put together a very strong performance to win 20-4. Our boys not only attacked well across the width of the field, but most satisfying was their tough goal line defence. Player of the match was Dan Howard. After a big day of footy, we went off to the Manly pool for a warm down session in preparation for Tuesday.

New Staff at Assumption College 

This term we have some new friendly faces joining the College.  Please read on to learn a little more about our new teachers!   

Mrs Cate Tunstall

• Favourite movie – The Pirate Movie.
• Favourite book – The Martian (Andy Weir).
• Hobbies - Studying and playing with my dog Trixie.
• A bit about your life – I am a math nerd math teacher! I originally come from Brisbane but have been living and teaching near Mackay for the last 8 years.
• Three people you would invite to a dinner party and why – Lin-Manuel Miranda (entertainment!), the Queen (what stories she must have to tell) and Anh Doh (again for the stories).
• Greatest fear – ants!  I’m terrified of them.
• Worst subject at school – art.  I can draw a smurf.  That’s it.

I'm really looking forward to living and teaching in Warwick. What a lovely reception I've already had!

Miss Caroline Fern

I’m excited to be apart of the Assumption team and as this is my first teaching role out of university, I look forward to everything that comes with it. A little bit about me: My family moved to Warwick about 7 years ago and I did my final year of school in Warwick. I will be teaching Junior Science and HPE here at Assumption. My favourite sport is Basketball as I played at a state level through school and played in the Queensland Basketball League for the Toowoomba Mountaineers. I have three very large dogs that are as tall as I am when they stand on their hind legs, but are very gentle. I look forward to teaching here at Assumption and getting to know each student and parent as best I can. I am a very happy and welcoming person so if you run into me, feel free to have a chat! 

Mr Joel Casey

• Favourite book - The Power of One (Bryce Courtney) and most of the pre-2000s Wilbur Smith.
• Hobbies – Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, fitness, fishing, gardening, bottling olives and making cheese.
• Prior occupations - Microbiologist, Scientist, Environmental Management.
• Your last school – Warwick state High School (teaching mostly mathematics, science, agricultural science and biology)
• Greatest fear – I’m not entirely sure but let’s just say that absolutely NOTHING will persuade me to get on Dreamworld’s Giant Drop again.
• Worst subject at school – Music.

Important School Reminder

We wish to draw parents/guardians’ attention to the ample number of students who have been arriving late to school. Students are to are to arrive to school, collect their items from their locker, and be ready for Pastoral Care (PC) class which begins promptly at 8.45am.

If your student is going to be late, please ensure you contact the office on 4661 4000.

We ask for our parents/guardian’s cooperation and support in this matter to ensure your student arrives to school on time. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING AT SCHOOL ON TIME AND EVERY DAY

iPad Keyboard Failures

I would like to extend my apologies to Year 7 and 8 students and parents impacted by the iPad keyboard failures that have plagued our 2021 intake.

Our 2021 intake of iPad keyboards ended up having a large number of faulty units in the batch. I realise this has been a significant inconvenience for students that have been impacted. Due to the ongoing problems with the global supply chains, obtaining replacements has proven very difficult. Delivery dates have been continually pushed back on multiple replacement options. I would like to be able to provide a set date on when replacements will arrive, but I am not in any position to at this stage. Just know that as soon as they arrive, students who have advised us that their keyboard has failed will have a replacement immediately.

I wanted to thank those affected for your ongoing patience with this issue.

Mr Abraham Fern 

School Officer - ICT 

Year 6 Transition Afternoon

2022 Enrolments

Enrolments for 2022 are filling quickly. If you are considering enrolling your child at Assumption College for 2022, we strongly encourage you to contact the office for an enrolment application as soon as possible.

Our first Transition Day is on Thursday 29^th July, and we warmly welcome all current Year 6 students to come and experience Assumption College for the afternoon.

Please contact the office for more information or to RSVP for Transition Day.

Hearing Assessment

Hey! How’s your hearing?

If it is not identified and managed appropriately, hearing loss can impact negatively on your child’s educational pathway, including post-school employment and study.

• Have you had grommets?
• Does listening to people talk sound muffled or distorted?
• Are you tired at the end of a day of listening?
• Do you rely on body language to follow conversations?
• Do you find it difficult to keep up with conversations?
• Do you experience ear infections?
• Do you have to ask people to repeat what they have said?
• Do you experience ringing in your ears?
• Do you listen to the tv or music at unusually high volumes?

Did you know around 1 in 5 adolescents experience hearing loss?

On Wednesday August 4 the College is offering hearing assessments for students and their families. The cost is $88. Please collect an information pack from the office or email karyn.morrison@twb.catholic.edu.au for more details.

Year 12 Formal 2022

The Assumption College Year 12 Formal will be held on Friday 22nd April 2022. Further information will be sent out closer to the date.   

Containers for Change

Welcome back to Term 3!

Mrs Wooding, with the help of students, presented on assembly last Friday to celebrate NAIDOC week. This years’ NAIDOC theme is ‘Heal Country’.  The term ‘Country’ in Indigenous Culture means so much more than a place. It describes a relationship between the land, culture and people. 

Here in Warwick, we are on Githabul country.  The Githabul people are the traditional custodians of this land, where we learn, work and play.

The Githabul name for Warwick is Waringh Waringh (pronounced ‘Wadding Wadding’) & it means ‘cold place’.

‘Yangan’ is a Githabul word & it means ‘over there’ or ‘go away’.

The Githabul name for Queen Mary Falls is Borabee falls which means ‘koala falls’.

The Githabul name for Allora is Gnallorah (pronounced ‘Nullora’) meaning ‘place of the swamp’. 

Mrs Wooding invited everyone to the library to watch Jade Kennedy’s TED talk ‘Welcome to Country’ a great explanation of why we have a welcome or acknowledgement of Country, along with a better understanding of what Country is.  If you have a spare few minutes we can highly recommend it to you.

We have asked students, ‘How can we show gratitude and respect to the country (land/culture/people) around us?’  We have some great answers and are looking forward to receiving and displaying more. 

We have also been busy designing a representation of ourselves with wool to celebrate Jumpers and Jazz.  The theme for schools is MAGIC -  just like the magic in Dreamtime stories, we too are magic, each one of us in our own way. 

This term we will again be running lunch time activities.  If you have a skill you would be happy to come in and share with students, please let us know – we love having community members in our midst.

A quick reminder to return any reading or class novels and texts that you/your student no longer need.

 

By Mrs Jenny Gillespie

What is Self-Regulation?  

Self-regulation develops slowly over time and is the ability to understand and manage your own behaviour and reactions.  Self-regulation incorporates physical, emotional and cognitive processes and helps children and teenagers learn, behave well, get along with others and become independent. 

Why Does Self-Regulation matter?

As young people learn to manage their emotions, they feel more confident, capable and in control. They have stronger relationships, are more able to pay attention, learn new concepts and can cope better with the normal stresses and disappointments of daily life.

Self-Regulation in Adolescence?

By adolescence, the part of the brain associated with emotions, impulses, aggression and instinctive behaviour (amygdala) is well developed. However, the ability to plan, think about the consequences of actions, solve problems and control impulses is not fully developed until the mid-20s. 

For this reason, young people are more likely than adults to:

• Frequently experience strong emotions (particularly anxiety and anger)
• Act on impulse
• Misread or misinterpret social cues and emotions
• Engage in risky behaviour
• Make decisions based on how they feel at the time

Families can support young people’s self-regulation development by:

• De-escalating teen emotion
• Talking about different ways to manage uncomfortable or upsetting situations
• Talking about strategies to use when they’re feeling out of control
• Helping them express their emotions in healthy ways
• Exploring the immediate and long-term consequences of actions
• Explaining how people will have different reactions to events depending on their circumstances.
• Role-modelling problem-solving skills.

Further information @ Self-regulation in children & teenagers | Raising Children Network