By Mr Simon Fleming - Principal

Covid Update

Since the most recent COVID-19 lockdowns, I have received enquiries about whether school excursions and camps should proceed, particularly where these involve significant planning, travel and accommodation costs. One risk is that an emergent COVID-19 situation may cause the excursion or camp to be cancelled at late notice, incurring a financial burden to schools and parents. Another risk is that students and staff participating in an excursion or camp may be impacted by a lockdown or hotspot situation that requires themselves and family members to quarantine for a period of time, with resultant impacts on employment and schooling.  Of course, there is also the risk that students and staff may be exposed to an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 by travelling outside of their community.   

I am mindful that the Delta strain of COVID-19 is highly infectious and has been impacting both children and adults, with current cases transmitted to teachers and students within school communities. 

The Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office has requested that all excursions and camps planned for the remainder of Term 3 involving travel outside of our Diocese be suspended or cancelled.

Where the event is a day trip, for example, a sporting event, this may be risk-managed closer to the scheduled time, depending on the current COVID-19 advice. Therefore, some events, like Border District Athletics and local hockey, may go ahead.

Student Leadership

Congratulations to our student leaders who will assume responsibilities from week 8 of this term.

• Academic – Taylah Eastwell
• Faith and Social Justice – Juliana Cruda
• Sport – Tom Doherty
• Cultural – Rachael Jordan

House Leaders are:

• Donovan House - Keely Lockart & Emily Phelan
• McAuley House - Joey Beveridge & Lachlan Bacon
• Rice House - Zane Brown & Connor Riemers
• Romero House - Lily Osborne & Molly Cullen

All students who nominated for Leadership positions gave great speeches. What was most impressive was their desire to see specific areas of improvement within the school. We need to work with our student leaders to provide them with the agency and voice to effect positive change for students.

Transition and Year 7 Enrolment for 2022

The College ran a successful transition day for 90 Year 6 students. Students experienced lessons in RE, Food Technology, PE and Science. I have been impressed with the students I have interviewed so far and they are all looking forward to attending ACW. With these numbers, it is imperative that if you know someone who intends to enrol, but has not, they need to make an interview time with Mrs Newley as soon as possible.

Surveys

Thanks to all parents who completed the RADII Survey. Students and staff at school also completed a student satisfaction survey. A wellbeing survey will also be completed by students in years 7-10. We will use this information to establish school goals for our Annual Action Plan. In the longer term, the College will undergo a School Review and Improvement Process during 2022. After this, the College and community will work toward shaping a strategic plan for 2023-2026.

Kind Regards,

Simon

If you wish to submit a newsletter article, please send an email to acwarwick@twb.catholic.edu.au by Monday 16th August. Please note that all articles are subject to Principal's approval. 

By Ms Natalie Smith, Acting Deputy Principal

With Term 3 well and truly underway, students should now be in a good routine about getting to school on time. However, over the past week, we have noticed a significant number of students who are arriving late to school, for a variety of reasons.

As Mrs Hardy wrote in her newsletter article this time last year, 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).

Something that we have all learned over the past year is the importance of students attending school every day and being involved in the face-to-face learning.  The relationship between the teacher and the student in the classroom has a direct impact on their learning and nothing can effectively replace face-to-face teaching.

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, parents must make sure their child of school age is enrolled and attends school all day, every school day unless they have an acceptable reason. Acceptable reasons for being absent from school include illness, doing work experience or competing in school sporting events.  Parents should avoid keeping their child away from school for things such as birthdays, shopping, visiting family and friends, if they sleep in, looking after other children, minor check-ups or care such as haircuts. Routine medical or other health appointments should be made either before or after school or during the school holidays.

We understand that for some families, getting their child to school can be difficult.

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 Academic Leader, College Counsellor or me for further advice and help with school refusal.

By Mr Michael Simpson - Assistant Principal - Curriculum 

Subject Selection

Year 8 students had a presentation session on Friday 6^th August. This included information on the Elective subjects available in 2022 and how to make their preferences using the web program.

Years 9 and 10 students have completed a range of activities which should assist them when making the initial subject preferences. This has included careers and personality surveys.

Year 10 students will have SET plan interviews in week 7 to ensure their preferences align with their senior pathway. More information regarding the interviews will be sent out in the coming weeks.

A subject selection booklet has been published on the College website. Please, can you read through this with your child and ensure they are selecting subjects in line with their own interests and/or career aspirations.

Students will be given time during school to choose their preferences. The school will then create a 2022 timetable based on the student selections and this will dictate what is offered next year. Once the timetable has been established, it may be necessary for students to reselect due to restrictions on class sizes and staff availability.

The due date for the initial preferences is Wednesday 11th August.

If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the College directly.

By Mrs Carol Sharp, APRE

Retreats

Year 12 Retreat:

Unfortunately, we have had to postpone our Year 12 Retreat due to the Covid lockdowns in the Greater Brisbane area. We are hoping that we can reschedule something for our students in the weeks ahead at a time that doesn’t interfere with their preparations for upcoming examination blocks. The retreat is a great time to reflect on their journey so far and where they might meet Jesus on the road ahead. An important reflection for all our students.

Catholic Education Week:

On Friday, July 30^th all staff gathered to have a day of spiritual formation and reflection. Held every year at the end of Catholic Education Week, the Bishop’s Inservice Day is a great opportunity for staff to take time out to consider what it means to be part of the Catholic story. 

Long service Awards:

A big congratulations to our two recipients of Long Service Awards. These awards are given in recognition of ongoing service to Catholic Education over many years. Our two recipients this year were our Principal, Simon Fleming for 35 years of service, and Mrs Marg Grew from our Learning Support Department for an amazing 40 years of service.

Feast Day and Leadership Induction

The Feast Day of Our Lady of the Assumption is on August 15 and, as always, it is a holy day of obligation. This year we will celebrate this feast with a Mass held here at ACW on Friday, August 13^th at 9.30am. This Mass will also serve as the induction of our senior class of 2022 and the formal transition of College and House leaders to the newly elected Year 11 Student Leaders. Parents of newly elected leaders will receive an invitation to attend the Induction Mass on Friday, August 13^th.

Of course, with Covid restrictions looming and the possibility that we could go into lockdown at any moment (perhaps even before this newsletter is published), we will remain flexible around these arrangements. Rest assured that even if restrictions or lockdown hampers our plans for August 13^th, we will ensure that Our Lady’s Feast Day is recognised and our senior class is formally inducted at the next available opportunity.

Prayer

During our Bishop’s Inservice Day, staff reflected on the papal encyclical Fratelli Tutti: On Fraternity and Social Friendship by Pope Francis. This is an important encyclical considering the global pandemic we are currently experiencing. Due to the spread of the Delta variant that we are currently experiencing in Australia, I thought it very appropriate to share a prayer for helping us live the way Fratelli Tutti calls us to live. If you would like to access the full document, please visit Fratelli tutti (3 October 2020) | Francis (vatican.va).

by Miss Denise Ryan - Chaplain

Wow, week 4 is finished already! Where has the time gone? Last Monday we launched Chappy’s Great Library Challenge. The first theme of the challenge was Catholic Education and students best hashtag (#). There were several parts to the first week's challenge. We started with using clues to unscramble the names of some important founders of our College and different movements that have impacted Catholic Education. Finally, the groups had to come up with their best hashtag, the best described Catholic Education. 

There are a few photos from our selfie competition component of the Great Library Challenge.

As there are many schools and communities which have been placed into lockdown, it can be scary and confusing for communities like ours which are watching on and trying to keep our lives as normal as possible. This can be hard on  kids as there is so much information constantly thrown at them. Fortunately, there are many different resources available that can help us navigate this uncertainty together. There is a great article from the “Raising Children” website that answers questions that we might find difficult to answer, or just help us better to understand what children may be going through at the moment. Here are the key points from their article and the link. 

• Teenagers will probably have many and mixed feelings about COVID-19, physical distancing and self-isolation.
• Talking with teenagers about this situation can help them cope.
• Teenagers need help sorting through information, plus opportunities to talk about feelings.
• Physical distancing can mean staying at home. It protects your family and community.

https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/coronavirus-covid-19-guide/coronavirus-talking-about-distancing-and-isolation-teens

By Mrs Alison Porter, Program Leader Student Pathways

Careers reminders:

• Year 10 work experience agreement forms are due for return next week
• University applications for 2022 are now open
• Parent signed subject preference forms are due for return by Wednesday 11^th of August
• Invitations to Year 10 parents for SET Plan meetings with their student will be emailed early next week
• Tertiary institutions are holding open days and virtual information sessions in coming weeks. For a calendar of events you can visit our college careers webpage at https://www.acwcareers.com/calendar-of-events.
• Our careers department is currently receiving advice of many vacancies for traineeships and apprenticeships in 2022. Students should be checking their school email account to make sure they don’t miss out on any of these opportunities.

University applications are open!

The Queensland Tertiary Applications Centre (QTAC) has now opened its applications to 2022 university courses. We held an information session on university application processes last week. This included information on how to apply, advice on course preferencing and some resources for students to use regarding early entry programs and university scholarships. Thank you to those students and parents who took the time to attend. The PowerPoint presentation from the session has been emailed to Year 12 students and they can get their copy of the QTAC guide from the College careers office.

Monitoring meetings for trainees and apprentices

We are having monitoring meetings with our school-based trainees and apprentices next week. These are short sessions to check on the progress of students in this program. If parents of these students would like any information from the monitoring meetings, please contact the College Careers office.

Year 10 SET (Senior Education & Training) Plans

Next week we will email parents of Year 10 students an invitation to meet with their child and a college member of staff to discuss career and study interests, including pathways and subject selection for Years 11 & 12. The meetings will be scheduled at times from the 25^th to 27^th of August and will be based on each Year 10 student’s SET Plan.

“The purpose of a SET (Senior Education & Training) plan is to help students:

• set and achieve their learning goals after Year 10
• include flexible and coordinated pathway options in their course of senior study
• think about their education, training and career options after Year 12 and make decisions about their learning pathways
• structure their learning around their abilities, interests, and ambitions
• communicate with their parents, teachers and career guidance officers about their learning pathways and post-school plans.” (www.qcaa.qld.edu.au)

Remember to check out our college careers website at www.acwcareers.com.

Noosa Film Academy

Last week the Noosa Film Academy visited the college and worked with the 20 students who took up this unique opportunity to produce a film in a day. As a group, they workshopped ideas for a storyline which needed to incorporate an umbrella. As the day progressed, everyone had a chance to contribute to the ideas, assist in the film making and recording process, act and deliver dialogue, be an extra, continuity checkers, hit the clapboard to start the shoot and generally become all parts an entire film unit (they had to self-cater though). I am grateful to the Academy team who were engaging presenters and shared wisdom and insight into the entire film making process. They were highly impressed with the creativity of our students and what the group was able to achieve. Thank you to our students for being such wonderful ambassadors and for Ms Brown for helping out on the day.

 https://youtu.be/0xVHhf0Z1h4 

Year 10 Advanced Mathematics

This term, students have been investigating equations, specifically functions, and how to modify (translate and transpose) a function to change the shape of its graph.

Their assessment task was to create or replicate a logo for a company using graphing software and their knowledge of functions and equations, and by limiting their ranges and domains. Below is an example of the equations needed to create a cool logo by Keely Byrne.

I must say that the quality of work submitted by the entire class was exceptional.  The students are worthy of congratulations on their efforts.  Here is a small sample of some of the logos the students created or recreated.

Mrs Tunstall

Humanities Department

Welcome back to term 3, I am sure it will be an interesting term.

This term in Year 7 humanities, we are investigating the water cycle, and how it interacts with our world. The Year 7 students will be completing various formative assessment tasks in class. 

Year 7 students who are studying Business and Civics will be learning about types of work, sources of income, entrepreneurs, and multicultural Australia. They too will  complete small formative assessment tasks throughout the term in class.

Year 7 students engaged in Digital Technologies this term will be learning how to code an application in Scratch. Their assessment involves them coding an educational game.

The year 8s are studying the Spanish Conquest of the Americas in their Humanities classes. This includes their cultural beliefs and the fall of the Empire. Their assessment will be to create a replica of a primary source for a museum display. I look forward to seeing their creations and analysis.

Year 8 Digital Technologies students are block coding the Spheros with their tasks involving ‘driving’ by using code around several shapes and a maze. They need to navigate the maze without hitting any objects.

Year 8 Business and Civics students will be delving into the circular flow of money and business structures. In the civics stream, they will be looking at key concepts about the democratic processes and the legal system in Australia. They too will complete in class formative tasks.

Year 9 Geographers will be exploring the distinguishing features of the world’s biomes and how we interact with each of them. Assessment for these geographers will be two small exams that involve the students using their skills to create and understand maps and explore the impacts people have on some of our most important environments.

Year 9 Historians will be discovering the experiences of slaves, convicts and free settlers upon departure, their journey abroad, and the reactions on arrival, including the Australian experience. These students will be investigating a convict to discover their journey.

Year 9 Business and Civics students are completing a financial literacy-based unit where they investigate bank account types, calculating taxes paid on income and investment options. They will complete an exam at the end of the term.

Year 9 Digital Technology students are learning how to code the EV3 Lego robots they have built. Their assessment is a group assignment, that will require them to code their robots to navigate the classroom automatically avoiding obstructions. You can see some of the students coding in the videos at the end of this article.

Year 10 Geographers will be studying environmental change and management. Specifically, how we can better manage our precious agricultural land through gaining a deeper understanding of the impact that we have on the natural processes of soil erosion and salinity. Students will explore causes, impacts, and analyse management strategies to improve our land and current practices through a research report.

Year 10 Historians will be examining the causes and impacts of World War II. Their assessment for this term is an essay where students choose a topic that is of interest to them. They will have a series of due dates, and they hand in each stage of the process to receive feedback along the way.

Year 10 Business and Civics students are exploring the accounting field. They are learning about Debits and credits, and how to post items to the general Journal and ledger. Their assessment will be an examination that assesses these skills.

Year 12 Modern History and Digital Solutions students are wrapping up unit 4 in preparation for Mock External examination this term, and in turn, their External Examination in term 4.

The Year 12 Certificate III in Business students are wrapping up their qualifications with the last unit of work now available for them to complete. The Year 11 students are currently working on the Business Documents unit, amongst other units that have already been opened for completion.

Mrs Amanda Stevens 

Census

By Mrs Carmel Wooding

This term, the English department & Library are teaming up to creating literacy rotations for our students in grades 7 & 8.  These weekly activities give students an opportunity to hone their knowledge and skills of reading practices, such as differentiating between fact and opinion, and figuring out that main idea of a text. Students will complete rotations in groups within their classes, completing writing activities, board games, and shared reading (among other things) to help them develop as stronger readers.  We are also using the online tool Plickers to measure our progress.  Plickers involves each student receiving a card with a distinct QR-code like graphic and holding up that card with a different side on top to answer multiple choice questions. The teacher then uses their iPad to scan the room & collect the student responses, instantly capturing their answers and allowing them to see a graph of the number of correct answers.  The students have really enjoyed the introduction to this technology, and we look forward to using it in creative ways to engage the students further. If you’d like to find out more about Plickers, see their website: https://www.plickers.com/

By Mrs Mary-Anne Driver

We have been busy with Year 7 and 8 reading rotations the last fortnight.  These lessons are taking place in 1 English lesson per week and are aimed at helping student’s literacy, reading comprehension and purpose of texts.

Other benefits of group work for students include sharing responsibility, discussions and putting forward their perspective and justifying it, as well as taking charge of their learning as some of the group activities require a group leader to run activities or to organise themselves.  This is great practice for future years!

The focus of this term is ‘Fact and Opinion’ and ‘The Main Idea’.   We started with a Plickers pre-test – it’s a great app to help make learning fun. They have now moved into rotations working in small groups through a range of short activities around identifying signal words and the difference between fact and opinion in texts.

We are also looking forward to the annual Reading Challenge held at Warwick High School for Year 7, 8 and 9 students.  Groups of four are asked to read two set novels, a picture book and a short story.  The team competes against other local schools to answer a series of questions about the books.  We field a staff team as well, and are looking forward to competing against SCOTS and the High School to (hopefully) continue our winning streak – no pressure Mrs Wooding! 

By Mr Scott Clegg - Business Manager 

Commonwealth Census – Census Day – Friday, 6 August 2021

A Privacy notice provided by the government can be obtained by accessing this link https://schools.education.gov.au/schoolshub/help/files/census.privacy.notice

Round 5 Fair Play Vouchers are now open!

Applying for a FairPlay Voucher - Parents, carers or guardians can apply for a voucher valued up to $150 for their child, which can be used towards membership, registration or participation fees with registered activity providers.

There is a limit of one voucher per child per calendar year.

Key dates to remember:

• 21 July 2021: Round 5 – Now open.
• 29 September 2021: Round 5 applications close (or earlier if fully allocated).
• 10 November 2021: Vouchers expire and must have been presented to an activity provider.
• 24 November 2021: Vouchers must be redeemed by activity providers.

For further information on if you are eligible and how to apply for a voucher, please visit the website https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/sports/funding/fairplay/apply.

Warwick Junior Cricket Clinic