APMI News
By Mrs Patrice Riordan, Assistant Principal Mission and Identity
Year 10 Retreat
On Wednesday, 12 July 2023, Year 10 students participated in a retreat day held here at the College. This day is an important part of the pastoral program for our students and is designed to provide them with an opportunity to take a break from their studies and explore ways in which they can be agents of positive change in our world. The day was be led by presenter Az Hamilton who has years of experience in motivational speaking and working with secondary school students in engaging and dynamic ways. As the founder and director of the organisation Just Motivation, Az works for social justice by ‘Educating, motivating and stirring hearts to connect with small ideas that bring about big change in the world.’ For more information about Az and Just Motivation please visit the website at http://www.justmotivation.com.au/.
Founders’ Day
At the end of last term we celebrated Founders’ Day. This is a great day for building community spirit, but it is also important to remember the contribution of our founders, Catherine McAuley, Blessed Edmund Rice and Our Lady of the Assumption. Their example of how to love and serve others that inspires us in our call to live the mission of Jesus Christ. Please keep an eye out on our social media posts and the next newsletter for plenty of pictures from the day’s events and activities.
Catholic Education Week
“Celebrated annually in Week 3 of Term 3, Catholic Education Week is an opportunity for all 309 Catholic schools in Queensland to celebrate and promote their distinctive mission and ethos.
Catholic education strives to make a difference in the lives of those in our schools and in the wider community by challenging young people to live out the message of Jesus and to reach their full potential as compassionate, contributing, life-giving members of society.”
From the Catholic Education Week website.
The Friday of Catholic Education Week (28 July 2023) was a student free day. On this day, all staff travelled to Toowoomba to join with staff from other catholic schools in the diocese. Here we celebrated mass together, listened to keynote speakers and the Bishop of Toowoomba, the Most Reverend Ken Howell. This Bishop’s Inservice Day is an important part of our calendar, allowing for staff to reflect on what it means to be a part of the Catholic story and how that impacts our roles within the College.
Grandparents Day
On Monday, 31 July 2023 over 40 Grandparents and Elders from our school community came to the College and shared morning tea and participated in a walk around our school with their grandchildren. Pope Francis’s theme for 2023 is, “His Mercy is from Age to Age.” This has been taken from a passage in Luke’s Gospel. Grandparents Day is an opportunity to recognise the importance of family and the wisdom older family members offer to us all.
Japanese Exchange Program
Assumption College had the privilege of hosting 15 Japanese students from July 20, 2023 until July 29, 2023. The students came from Chiba outside of Toyoko City. Thirteen families opened their homes to host these bright-eyed students who spoke limited English; however, between facial expressions and the occasional charades we were able to communicate. I would like to thank Jane Greenhalgh from St Saviours’ College Toowoomba for presenting this opportunity to Assumption College, Ms Meg Lawler who taught the students' English each day, and every other staff member and student who contributed in any way to the wonderful experience we were able to give these students. I have been informed they would like to return next year.
As a host family I can say we made memories we will never forget. Haruka had opportunities to attend band practice at school, go to the movies, attend Jumpers and Jazz, mixed martial arts and visit the Darling Downs Zoo. We were also able to give Haruka several adventures at my family’s property, horse riding, quad bike riding and trying as many different Australian foods as possible. Her time with us was so rewarding. She brought gentleness, peace and tranquillity to our very busy household. I would recommend everyone host a Japanese exchange student.
“It was a great experience, and I made a lifelong friend in Tamako. We went to Killarney for the bonfire, patted horses, went to various restaurants, Jumpers and Jazz and she loved the Aussie food. I taught her how to say Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi. Tamako wants to return to Australia when she is able, and I hope to go to Japan now to experience her culture.” Erin Walsh.
“It was an absolute honour to have the Japanese exchange students with us last week. Every single one of them were absolutely beautiful people who brought so much light to our school community. They kindly shared their culture with us, teaching us about Japan, their lives there, sharing gifts with us, and teaching us a bit of their language. It’s crazy how they can become part of the family in such a short amount of time. Very grateful for our beautiful new friends in Japan!" Lilly Oloman.
Prayer
Below is a prayer for busy people.
SLOW ME DOWN, LORD
Slow me down, Lord, Slow me down!
Ease the pounding of my heart
By the quieting of my mind.
Give me amid the confusion of my day
The calmness of the everlasting hills.
Break the tensions of my nerves and muscles
With soothing music of the singing stream
That lives in my memory.
Help me to know the magical restoring power of sleep.
Teach me the art of taking minute vacations,
Of slowing down to look at a flower,
To chat with a friend, to pat a dog,
To read a few lines from a good book.
Remind me each day of the fable
Of the Hare and the Tortoise,
That I may know that the race is not always to the swift -
There is more to life than increasing speed.
Let me look upward into the branches of the flowing oak
And know that it is great and strong
because it grew slowly and well.
Slow me down, Lord, and inspire me
To send my roots deep into the soil of life's enduring values
That I may grow towards the stars of my great destiny.
Amen.