By Mr Kort Goodman - Principal

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students

Welcome back to Term 3. I hope that you all had a relaxing break and are ready for another jam-packed term full of learning and activity. I would like to acknowledge that we are very aware a number of our families continue to experience hardship due to the ongoing drought. Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to these families, and I encourage you to please come and speak to me if there is anything that we can do to support you during this time.

Toowoomba Catholic Schools Excellence Awards 

This year the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Diocese will again present excellence awards to staff. These awards are to recognise those members of the TCS community who lead, create and/or provide the support needed to create exemplary places of learning where every student experiences academic success and comes to know and experience the loving presence of Jesus. These people may be teachers, school leaders, work in an office or volunteer their time. The awards are in 10 categories across the three areas of excellence in teaching and learning, excellence in leadership and excellence in education support.

It gives me great pleasure to announce that the following staff of Assumption College Warwick have been nominated in the following categories.

Excellence in Teaching and Learning;

Miss Carly Cooper - Excellence in teaching and learning: early career teacher.

Mr Mark Baker - Excellence in teaching and learning: secondary expert teacher.

Excellence in Leadership

Mr Piers Dudin - Emerging leader

Excellence in Education Support

Mrs Jenny Gillespie – Excellence in teaching and learning support

Mr Scott Clegg – Excellence in Administration, finance and facilities support

We congratulate these staff members on their nomination and thank them for their continued outstanding contribution to the Assumption College Community.

Assumption College Community Expectations:

A reminder of the expectations we have of our students including; wearing their uniform perfectly both inside and outside of the College grounds, attending school every day, participating in all College events, striving for their best academically and demonstrating respectful behaviour and using their manners on all occasions. Furthermore, our students understand that it is not appropriate to use foul language, intimidate or bully others or to be aggressive and/or argumentative when corrected for inappropriate behaviour. We thank our parents for their continued support in reinforcing these expectations with your children.

Changes in Student Leadership Structure 

In response to the introduction of the new Queensland Senior Schooling system we have restructured our student leadership program. This restructure will allow our Year 12 students to undertake a mentoring role of the Year 11 leaders in term 3 while completing their studies and preparing for their final exams. The Year 12 students will then relinquish their leadership responsibilities at the start of term 4 when they will start their final external exams. We believe that this is in the best interest of the students and this system is being implemented this year.

Currently the Year 11 students who have nominated for leadership positions are engaged in the process of leadership selection which includes; completing a nomination form, preparing and presenting a speech to the College students and staff, involvement in leadership activities on camp and participating in an interview either with myself and Mrs Hardy or their pastoral leader. The announcement of the College Leaders will occur at the end of this week at the Year 11 camp and the House Leaders on the Tuesday of week two. Following these announcements, the College Senior Leadership Induction Mass will take place at the beginning of week three. We wish the students who have nominated for positions the best of luck and thank them for their willingness to undertake these positions.

Staffing Term 3

We have had several changes to our staffing over the break. Mr and Mrs Frattini have left our College with Mr Frattini taking on a Principal role in Ayr, Mrs Karen Upton has moved to Biloela where her husband currently works, Mrs Sarah Worth has sought other employment opportunities in Warwick and Mrs Fraser will soon going on maternity leave. I would like to thank these wonderful people for their outstanding service to the Assumption College community. We wish them all the best in their future endeavours.

The recruitment of a replacement Deputy Principal has begun with a person to be appointed for the beginning of 2020. Until that time the staff members who were acting in the respective positions whilst I was in Belgium and on leave will continue in these roles until the end of 2019. I thank these people for their willingness to continue on in these roles for the remainder of 2019.

Acting Deputy Principal – Mrs Anna Hardy

Acting Assistant Principal Curriculum – Ms Eliza Harris

Acting Program Leader Senior Schooling – Mrs Kristy Searson

Acting Curriculum Leader Arts – Miss Rebecca Bastion

In addition, we welcome Miss Amy Parker who will be taking on Mrs Fraser's classes and school officers Mrs Tracey Patrick and Ms Jillian Johnson. We also welcome back Miss Jess Lawrence. We wish them all the best, knowing that they will enjoy their time with us.

Prayer for Rain

Almighty and everlasting God you have given us this earth to care for and delight in.

Look with mercy on our need for rain for our parched land.

We pray that life giving rain will soon fall.

We pray to those suffering from the severity of this drought – people working on the land, and those in business who depend on farming and grazing for their livelihoods.

Father, help them to know your love and care and to bring their burdens to you.

Guide all those who are seeking to provide help and bring healing in the midst of so much pain.

We ask these things through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Have a lovely week.

Kort