Assumption College Warwick
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6 Locke Street
Warwick QLD 4370
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Email: acwarwick@twb.catholic.edu.au
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Assumption College Newsletter- 26 August 2022

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Assumption College Newsletter- 26 August 2022

By Mrs Liisa Hammond, Principal

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Lk 12:49-53

This reading from the Gospel, according to Luke, brings with it the tagline, “I have come not to give peace, but discord.” Jesus seems to be contradicting all that he has come to symbolise for us. Instead of peace, Jesus speaks of division - division between families and within families. At first, this causes us discomfort; however, when we take the time to discern this reading more thoroughly, we are inspired to consider how frustrated Jesus must have been at this point of his journey. He had spent so much preaching and performing miracles, yet his message was still not being heard.

This Gospel reminds us that, at times, we are required to have hard conversations. Those conversations often cause stress in anticipation of them, as well as in the delivery. Courageous conversations are those times when we have to commit to open, transparent, and respectful dialogue, focusing on seeking to understand before being understood. It is important to note that not every time you disagree with someone has to be a negative experience. There is a reason why we have clear processes to deal with any disagreements we may have – in fact, the word crisis, originally, did not have negative connotations associated with it. Crisis used to mean a time to distinguish – to discern. 

How do we as a community discern a way forward, be it brought on by a crisis or by a natural progression of evolution? Perhaps, in alignment with Jesus in Luke’s Gospel, the understanding is that if something is important, if something is necessary to achieve an agreed vision, it is okay to be in a learning pit, to be in a place of discomfort before emerging to a better place.

I appreciate it when people are confident to discuss issues that have vexed or upset them openly. It is a sign of a healthy community to be able to disagree. When you have the common goal of ensuring the community’s success as a whole, it will never be a negative experience. 

Feast Day of the Assumption

Over the course of this year, the College has been reflecting on and examining our future direction. We have been considering several aspects, teaching and learning, facilities, community connections etc.; however, at the heart of all our discussions, has been what we want for our students – who are our young people when they complete their journey with us, and move onto their various future pathways?

Alma Mater is a Latin phrase used to identify a school, college or university from which one has attended or graduated. So in our contemplations for the College’s future and our students’ future, we are considering what gifts their Alma Mater, Assumption College, can provide for them. How does this link to the Feast Day of the Assumption? The Latin phrase, Alma Mater, is translated as ‘nourishing mother’ and is actually a title bestowed upon Mary, mother of Jesus. 

As your Alma Mater, it is the College’s responsibility to provide the opportunities for our community to experience a nurturing spirituality that will nourish our students through their learning, cultural, sporting, and spiritual pursuits. As we celebrate the feast day of the Assumption, we consider our connection to Mary and her canonical role as our ‘Nurturing Mother’. Often as a community, we pray to Mary through the prayer, ‘Hail Mary’. In this prayer, we call upon Mary to bring our prayers before God. Why do we do this? Because Mary is our mother, a woman born of simple means who lived an ordinary life but someone who, through faith, courage and humility, was able to care for and protect one of our greatest gifts. 

So be it through our Masses, Liturgies, Prayers, or our Social Justice programs, including those initiated by our students, your Alma Mater, Assumption College, is committed to ensuring that the nurturing spirituality underpins all the possibilities and opportunities presented to you – so that you are able to grow in Truth and Love. 

May Our Mother Mary grant her blessings upon our College community.   

2022 Term Dates

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If you wish to submit a newsletter article, please email to acwarwick@twb.catholic.edu.au by 31 August 2022. Please note that all articles are subject to the Principal's approval. 

By Mrs Anna Hardy, Deputy Principal Anna_Hardy.jpg

Our young people are facing adolescence in a very different world from the one that we knew and grew up in.  This makes parenting teenagers challenging, often as adults we do not comprehend the world they are in today, in particular the digital world they engage in.  The internet and social media can create positive experiences for students but it can also create many situations that students are not developmentally equipped to deal with.  We have unprecedented exposure to the Internet, social media, apps, and games.   This results in students finding themselves in situations bigger than themselves.  Gaming itself has evolved to become more real and engaging to consumers, therefore more attractive to young people.

As parents and adults in this everchanging digital scene, it is integral more than ever to stay up to date and digitally wise to our young people’s activities.  The world of gaming is no exception, with many games having the capability to interact with people all over the world of all ages and experiences at their fingertips in a matter of seconds. 

In this newsletter, I would like to share some advice from e-Mental Health in Practice, a QUT printed publication, about mental health concerning internet and gaming addictions.

Problematic internet or gaming behaviour refers to frequent use or thoughts about the use of social media, gaming, apps, or internet browsing, difficulties controlling use, or continued use of internet or gaming despite it leading to problems with relationships, work, study or household duties.

While there is a need for more research to determine whether internet or gaming addiction is a diagnosable mental health condition, there is no doubt that problematic gaming or internet behaviour can impact the mental health and lives of individuals, their parents and their families.

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For most kids gaming is not a problem and may never be one. But for a very small amount of kids it may become a problem or an addiction.  Research is looking into whether this is an actual disorder.  The difference between healthy gaming and addiction is the negative impact it is having on their life.  It’s important to recognise the warning signs and support your child to make a change.

Where to find help:

College Counsellors, PAL’s, PC teachers, Executive Leadership Team of the College, Headspace.

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Camps

Year 8 Camp: Year 8 students will attend Camp Kokoda from the 12 September, 2022 to the 15 September, 2022. More details will be sent home in the coming weeks. 

Year 9 Camp: Due to the ongoing health situation, year 9 students will travel within Queensland this year. A camp has been organised from the 4 October, 2022 to the 6 October, 2022 at North Stradbroke Island. Again, more details will be sent home in the coming weeks.

Year 10 Camp: Year 10 students will travel to the Central Queensland coast and attend a camp near Yeppoon/Great Keppel Island.  A letter has been given to all Year 10 students. The camp will occur from the 4 October, 2022 to 7 October, 2022. 

By Mr Michael Simpson, Assistant Principal Curriculum Michael_Simpson.jpg

Assessment Reminder

At Assembly last week, I reminded students that the second half of the term can be considered the business end. It is generally when assessment is starting to occur and continues for the remainder of the term. It is essential that students plan their assessments out so they put a consistent amount of effort into all of their subjects. They should work hard on getting a full and complete draft to their teachers so that they can utilise the feedback process and submit the best possible final copy. Further, they were reminded that assessment is not a choice, but a requirement for all students at Assumption College. If students submit a late assessment piece or fail to submit it, then the Assumption College assessment policy will be followed.

Assessment is one of the most important parts of our students' learning journey. It is an opportunity to obtain feedback on their learning and create opportunities to improve. Therefore, the College has high expectations regarding assessment. Any student who fails to meet the requirements of the College’s assessment policy may be required to attend after-school academic detention. These will occur on Tuesday afternoons from 3.00 pm to 4.00 pm. If your child falls into this category, then you will be notified by the classroom teacher, and a letter will be sent home outlining the procedure. The College would like to thank parents for their continued support of high expectations for academic success.

Year 12 Final Timelines

Term 3 – Weeks 7-10

Mock Examination Preparation

During Unit 4, Year 12 students studying General subjects will start preparing for their mock exams in Week 9 of Term 3. The students must 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 released shortly. Expectations of students can be found overleaf of the mock exam timetable and any Students who have outstanding assessment WILL NOT be granted study leave.

Term 3 Holidays

Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office External Examination Preparation Program occurs in Week 2 of the coming holiday break. Students need to ensure they have registered for their workshops. Please contact the College if you need more information.

Term 4 – Weeks 1-3

All Year 12 students are to attend normal classes in Weeks 1-3 of Term 4. In General subject classes, time will be given to students so they can analyse their mock examination results and identify areas where they can improve. They will then work with their teachers on preparing thoroughly for the External Examinations. Applied subjects will be completing the final parts of their courses and finalising any assessments.

Please note: Any students who have an external examination will be able to access a supervised study room at any time during these three weeks. Examples may include – where they get permission from their teacher to use it during class for somewhere quiet to study, or where all assessment for their applied subject is complete and they have permission from their teacher to not attend that class for the remainder of this period, or they are not required to attend an alternative program. 

Term 4 – Weeks 4-7

External Examinations

The external examinations will commence in Week 4 of Term 4. Students will only need to attend their examinations, and they will need to wear their full school uniform.

The College hopes that this gives you an overview of this very important semester for your child. Further details will be released as we move through the term. If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the College directly.

By Mrs Carol Sharp, Assistant Principal Religious Education Carol_Sharp.jpg

The Feast of the Assumption and Class of 2023 Induction

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On Monday, 15 August 2022, we celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of the Assumption, the patroness of our College. It was also the perfect occasion to induct our Senior class of 2023 as the new student leaders of our community. Congratulations to our class of 2023, we are looking forward to supporting you on your leadership journey.

A special thank you to Fr Bony for celebrating Mass with us and to former student, Jewel Schnitzerling, who received her College Dux Award and shared some words of wisdom with our students. Also, a big thank you to our school band for providing the live music. Your hard work and dedication to your performances helped to make the Mass a special occasion.

The Ponytail Project

What an amazing community effort this has been. Our team for the Ponytail Project 2022, ‘Sandra’s Legacy’, has raised over $4,400 so far! There is still plenty of time to contribute to this worthwhile cause. Simply follow this link to the donation page. All funds raised will go towards essential cancer support services, prevention programs and life saving research. This means everything from transport to getting cancer patients to and from their medical appointments, and assisting childcare facilities to keep kids safe from the sun.

We also have a growing number of students and teachers who are committing to #rockthechop. The big day is Friday, 9 September 2022, so keep those donations coming in. In the next newsletter we can provide details of the activities we will run on the day to celebrate the event.

Prayer

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Father in heaven,

all creation rightly gives you praise,

for all life and all holiness come from you.

In the plan of your wisdom

she who bore the Christ in her womb

was raised body and soul in glory to be with him in heaven.

May we follow her example in reflecting your holiness

and join in her hymn of endless love and praise.

 

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

 

Amen.

From the Prayer for the Assumption of Mary - Prayers - Catholic Online

By Mrs Alison Porter, Career Development Practitioner 361_Porter_Alison.jpg

Careers reminders:

  • Year 10 work experience agreement forms are due for return
  • University applications for 2023 are now open
  • 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.

Year 10 Work Experience

Thank you to those parents and students who have been working hard to secure work experience in Week 10 of this term. We appreciate the many work experience agreement forms that have been returned. The work experience block is programmed with the aim of supporting students to develop work skills and gain some knowledge of careers interests as part of our broader and ongoing careers curriculum. This is an invaluable opportunity for students to gain ‘hands on’ experience to help them with upcoming decisions around their education and careers plans and goals. We encourage our Year 10 students to make contact with local organisations with whom they would like to gain some experience; however, if any students would like further support and assistance to find a placement, I would encourage them to talk to their careers teacher and our careers department.

University applications are open!

The Queensland Tertiary Applications Centre (QTAC) is now taking applications for 2023 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. The PowerPoint presentation from the session has been made available to Year 12 students and students have received their copy of the QTAC 2023 Guide.

Monitoring meetings for trainees and apprentices

We are having monitoring meetings with our school-based trainees and apprentices in the coming weeks. 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.

Espresso Machine Operation Skillset Course

The College would like to offer Years 10, 11 and 12 students the opportunity to participate in an Espresso Machine Operation Skillset Course. This provides students with the skills and knowledge to work in barista environments. This is useful for many hospitality pathways and the course has the benefit of awarding two (2) QCE points to students who successfully complete the course. 

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A letter/permission slip has been made available to students via email and at the College Office.

Remember to check out the College Careers newsletter for more career information and opportunities, as well as our College Careers website at www.acwcareers.com.

By Mr Thomas Duggan, Sports Coordinator1420 Duggan Thomas.jpg

On Monday, 8 August 2022, the following Assumption  students represented the College at the Southern Downs Athletics trials:

  • Hugh Denny
  • Billy Benz
  • Jack Burton
  • Ruby Wright
  • Jada Rossiter
  • Bridget Kerlin
  • Lucy Spiller

Congratulations to these students for their tremendous efforts on the day and for representing the College with pride. A special congratulations to Billy Benz and Jack Burton who both qualified to attend Darling Downs trials in their track events. Jack was also awarded Runner Up in his age group.

On Wednesday, 10 August 2022, the Warwick Secondary All Schools Track and Field Association hosted its 100th Track and Field carnival. We had a very impressive number of athletes from Assumption College attend the carnival to compete in their nominated fields who displayed our tremendous sporting culture. As a College, we had several of our athletes shine in their events and these athletes were rewarded with new personal bests, Age Champion/Runner Up medallions, as well as setting new records. Congratulations to the following students on their achievements:

Billy Benz (12 yrs Age Champion, new 400m record)

Lily Kerlin (14 yrs Runner Up)

Riley Wainwright (15 yrs Age Champion)

Gabriella Kerlin (16 yrs Runner Up)

Denika Murray (16 yrs Age Champion, new Triple Jump record, new Long Jump record)

Assumption College teams were also very successful in the relays as we had several of our teams finish in 1st place. We were acknowledged for these achievements by receiving the Senior Boys and the Senior Girls relay trophies for the most successful school in these categories. Congratulations to our Senior Girls and Senior Boys relay teams.

We were also awarded the Montrose Trophy (senior girls) for having the most outstanding performance overall by our Senior girls. Congratulations to all of our Senior Girl athletes.

Assumption College was recognised for their support of the 100th Warwick All Schools Track and Field carnival with a plaque which will be proudly displayed in our College Office.

Thursday, 11 August 2022 was the first round of the friendly Warwick Interschool Netball competition where Assumption College versed Scots PGC College. We fielded three strong teams in the under 13, under 15 and Opens divisions. It was great to see so many girls put their hands up and want to play. Our girls all played very well despite not having any team preparation leading into the matches. The under 13 girls had a very narrow loss whilst our under 15 and Open girls teams both had a victory. Unfortunately, due to The Warwick Christian College withdrawing from the competition, the next round of games won’t be held until September 1 2022, against Warwick State High School.

Year 9 Debating Final

The College could not be any more prouder of our Year 9 Debating team last Wednesday night who were outstanding. The debate was fierce from start to finish.  Our team members are the runner up champions of Year 9 debating in our region. 

Also outstanding in every respect were the students who travelled to Toowoomba to be a part of the audience. They conducted themselves beautifully and were also excellent ambassadors for our College, receiving praise from many debating officials.  

A big thank you to Mr Donnelly as our team's coach, Mrs Mayall, Mrs McBride, Ms Meibusch, Mrs Hammond, our Principal as well as family members who also attended and were in awe of our team's performance. It was a wonderful evening!

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Year 11 and 12 Hospitality Coffee Shop 2022

This week the Year 11 and 12 Hospitality classes have been running a Coffee Shop for staff. They have been getting up early for breakfast shifts, working during the lunch breaks and staying after school for afternoon tea. The students have prepared foods such as ham and cheese croissants, coffee walnut muffins and breakfast burritos. Espresso coffee has also been available for purchase. Staff have really appreciated the delicious food and coffee. Check out our reviews:

  • Thanks for the toastie! Definitely a gourmet version! ? Little butter on the top and bottom if I’m not mistaken??? Makes it so good.
  • Hot choc ordered – speedy, right temperature, good taste. Ham and Cheese Toastie – worth the wait.  I was expecting bland, but it was the right amount tasty and cooked well. Thanks!  I needed this today.
  • You should be very proud of your students and their achievements with the coffee shop today.  The brownie slice was extremely I had a toastie and a mini quiche – both were lovely!
  • You are all doing an amazing job! Coffees I have had have all been really good. The Chicken wrap was fantastic. Flavour was good and the chicken was impressively crispy! The spinach and ricotta muffin was delicious and the relish that came with it was a great addition. I did have an extensive argument with the paper liner… not sure if that was just me though. The chicken open grill was excellent. The pesto was a fantastic addition to it and something I will be remembering for home. :D
  • The toastie was just the right size and cooked perfectly. The quiche had a beautiful crispy pastry and was hot. Both were served very quickly. I’ll be back tomorrow. Thank you, Coffee Shop.

 The students would like to thank the staff for supporting our Coffee Shop.

Science Week - Glass

Last week we celebrated Science Week with the theme of GLASS.  Students etched a design of their choice onto wood using traditional techniques by focussing sunlight through the lens of a magnifying glass.  It took coordination, patience and persistence.  The lenses were so powerful that the wood could have caught alight.

Year 9 Science - Body Systems

In Science, the Year 9 students have been studying Body Systems. As part of this unit, students have undertaken a number dissections, including long bones, lungs and a sheep’s heart.

They have drawn accurate scientific drawings of the structure of the heart prior to making a number of incisions to learn more about the passage of the blood through the heart’s blood vessels and chambers.

Year 8 Science - Energy

In Year 8 Science, students have been studying a unit on Energy. Students designed and built their own Solar Ovens to utilise the heat from the sun to cook “smores” to enjoy.

Year 9 Steam Train Trip

In Year 9, History students have researched the significant inventions of the Industrial Revolution. One of these was the steam engine. Warwick is very fortunate to have the Southern Downs Steam Railway as a feature in our community. Thanks to the President of the railway, Mr Peter Gregory, and the many staff and volunteers of the railway, the Year 9 students were able to experience first-hand the wonder of steam train travel which will enrich their understanding of the significance of this invention.

For many students it was their first time on any train - and what a way to start! Students relaxed with friends over morning tea, took in the scenery and bought refreshments from the refreshment carriage as they travelled to Hendon and back.

On their return, students were welcomed at the Warwick Station with a delicious sausage sizzle, before returning to Assumption College in time for lunch. Assumption College staff and students wish to express their great appreciation to the Southern Downs Steam Railway for making this amazing experience possible.

Goondiwindi Eisteddfod

Assumption College had several dance students compete at the 2022 Goondiwindi Eisteddfod recently. This is the second year running where students have competed in various dance categories, including, tap, jazz, contemporary and lyrical styles.

Many placed 1st and 2nd in their chosen categories. They competed in solos, duos, and group dances.

Well done to Alyssa March (Year 10), Amy Ryan (Year 9) and Isabella Sullivan (Year 9) for their dedication to this extra-curricular activity. The girls will be competing again at the upcoming Warwick Eisteddfod on the first weekend in September at the Warwick Town Hall.

QLD Short Course Swimming Championships

Alyssa White and Aiden Brown competed at the QLD Short Course Swimming Championship in Brisbane over the weekend. 

Alyssa competed in the 16yrs 50m Fly. This was a PB swim and she finished in 16th place.

Aiden had a massive weekend in MC division coming out with 7PBs and 2 Bronze medals - a Bronze medal in 100m IM and Bronze medal in 50m Fly.

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Year 7 Transition Afternoon

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By Mrs Mary-Anne Driver, Library Aide

As you would suspect, we’re mad about books – so we are excited about Book Week this year. The  2022 CBCA Book week theme is:

Dreaming with Eyes Open

This is about stepping into your own story, dreaming with eyes open …

Listening to Country as the first storyteller ..

Learning from friends who help you on your way.

There will be PC activities, lunch time activities in the library and details will be coming home soon about a dress up day.  I have included a photo from last year to get your creative juices going!

CBCA book awards – the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) is a not for profit, volunteer run organisation that recognises and celebrates quality Australian literature for young people.  You can find the short list for the Book of the Year Awards here.  We have many of these books  in the library and they will be on display for students to enjoy and with which to engage.

https://www.cbca.org.au/shortlist-2022

In the library, we currently have a group who are very interested in  drawing and we are watching their skills improve every week.  We love seeing one student enjoy their passion and for other students to watch and then try a new activity for themselves.

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By Mrs Jenny Gillespie, College Counsellor

Hope in Action

Michael Grose, Parenting Educator, Researcher and Author, writes about hope as being a critically important predictor of teen wellbeing and resilience.

Think of two teens who you have regular contact with: one who is resilient and happy, and one who is struggling and languishing. Imagine you are interviewing each of them and you ask them to rate their response to these six questions:

I think I am doing pretty well

I can think of many ways to get the things in life that are important to me

I am doing just as well as other kids my age

When I have a problem I can come up with lots of ways to solve it

I think the things I have done in the past will help me in the future

Even when others want to quit, I can find ways to solve the problem.

Chances are that the child who is more resilient will respond affirmatively to these items. The child who is struggling is more likely to say ‘no’ than ‘yes’.

These items form the basis of the internationally-recognised Children’s Hope Scale that is used to assess the hopefulness of children and teens.

Understanding Hope

Psychologists say a person has hope when they believe that they can find ways to achieve their goals and to motivate themselves to try and follow those ways and meet those goals. Hope theory suggests we need three things to actually have ‘hope’:

Goals: something we are aiming to achieve in the future

Pathways: at least one way (and hopefully more than one) that we might follow to achieve those goals

Agency (sometimes called efficacy): the belief that we can actually make things happen along those pathways in order to meet the goals

Hope or Optimism?

Hope sounds a bit like optimism. We hope good things will happen … so we’re optimistic. But there’s more to it than that.  While optimism is the belief that good things will happen in the future, and the sense that the glass is half full, hope is about taking that optimism, making it goal oriented and taking steps to make things happen.

Encouraging kids to be hopeful

Parents who want to instil hope in their children can try the following three ideas:

Build a future focus

Speak to your children about their possible futures. What do they want to achieve, and why? Have them imagine their potential best selves. Talk to them about what they’re looking forward to. Ask them about their interests, what they want to have, do and be.

Work with them on plans (or pathways)

When your child says “I want to be a builder”, be encouraging and then ask them, “What do you need to do to get there?” Discuss pathways, options and possibilities. Thinking about the future and making plans is central to fostering hope.

Help them solve problems

When your child or young person is stuck, instead of giving them an answer, ask them, “What do you think is the next best thing to do?” or “When have you overcome something like this before?” This type of question promotes a sense of agency or efficacy. Rather than having our children rely on us for all the answers, they can rely on themselves, their resourcefulness, and their initiative. They can recall times they’ve succeeded before and use that to build hope that they can succeed again.

Michael Grose 2021 (parenting*ideas.com.au)

WIRAC - Disability Participation Day
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