Last Wednesday’s Commencement Mass will go down as one of my favourite moments of 2023, as the Year 12s walked the Preps into the MPC as a sign of welcome to our College.  Together they represent the Alpha and the Omega – those in the first and the last year of their educational journey at our College.  Once they reached the front of the MPC, the Year 12s were presented with their SENIOR badge by our Prep students and the Prep Students were presented with their JOURNEY PIN by our Year 12s.  Read on in my news about the significance of the Journey Pin, a new tradition we have begun this year. 

Journey Pin 

This is the first year of the JOURNEY PIN at OLSCC.  The Journey Pin is presented at the commencement mass of the College year.  The pin is only given to students who commence their educational journey at our College at the commencement of Prep.  Only one pin is ordered for each child and we hope they will treasure this symbol of their joining the OLSCC family as Preppies in 2023.  The pin for 2023 includes the year and the letters OLSC – Our Lady of the Southern Cross - in black writing on a background of white.   

This is the first year of our “Journey Pin” and a symbolic tradition we hope to incorporate for many years to come.  We look forward to these students being able to wear this when they are in Year 12 in 2035 at the College to reflect on being a part of the Prep class of 2023. 

NAPLAN  

NAPLAN is a national literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year. It is the only national assessment all Australian students have the opportunity to undertake.  The test window for NAPLAN is 15-27 March 2023.  Over the next two weeks we will conduct NAPLAN practice tests in Year 3, 5, 7, 9.  These practice sessions will be used to test our IT system and ensure its readiness for the tests in March and also to allow students to experience the conditions and platform that will be used in the actual tests.  A letter will be emailed home to parents of students in Year 3, 5, 7 & 9 to elaborate on the details of practice tests and the NAPLAN test window in March.   

I encourage parents to explore the NAP website especially the area called Public Demonstration Site that outlines the online test environment and allows both students and parents to explore the functionality of the online testing and example questions.  https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/public-demonstration-site.  Another helpful section on this website is information for Parents and Carers https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/for-parents-carers, this page outlines why tests are conducted, what to expect and how test results are reported and used.   

Season of Lent  

Lent is the period of 40 days which comes before Easter in the Christian calendar.  Lent is a season of reflection and preparation before the celebrations of Easter.  Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which is February 22 this year.  On this special day of reflection, our students and staff will take time to pray and be blessed with ashes on the forehead.  The ashes are a tangible symbol of our repentance, they show that we are willing to change, to turn our hearts toward God.  The day before Ash Wednesday is Shrove Tuesday.  Traditionally during Lent, Christians would give up rich, tasty food such as butter, eggs, sugar and fat.  Shrove Tuesday was the last chance to eat them – hence the tradition of pancakes!  Lent is a time for us to pray, fast and give of ourselves to others, almsgiving not just a time to “give something up”.  In each classroom, the office and at the tuckshop throughout Lent we will have project compassion donation boxes, any spare change dropped in these boxes during lent will be donated to the amazing work of Caritas, Project Compassion. 

2022 Academic Awards  

Congratulations to our 2022 College Dux, Georgia Bumstead.  As well as receiving our College Dux Award, Georgia is also the recipient of the Dalby and Districts Friendly Society Bursary valued at $2000 and the Western Downs Regional Council Individual Excellence Bursary valued at $250.  Georgia begins her studies of a Bachelor of Physiotherapy this year.  Congratulations to our ATAR Excellence recipients, Jaiken Crothers and Claudia Child, both receiving ATARS over 90 in 2022.  Both are off to university this year to begin their bachelor's degrees.  Jaiken was also the recipient of the Jenny Thornton Bursary valued at $300.  We look forward to following their journeys into the future.   

Harvard Book Prize 

In late November 2022 a new prize for our College was awarded by the Harvard Club of Australia, the 2022 Harvard Book Prize. Due to the late timing of this prize , this award was presented at the Commencement Mass.  The prize is awarded annually to a year 11 student of high potential and is administered by the Harvard Club of Australia.  The Harvard Book Prizes are awarded to outstanding students in the next to-graduate high school class who display excellence in scholarship and high character, combined with achievement in other fields. Donated by Harvard Clubs and Shared Interest Groups (, Book Prizes are presented annually in over 2,000 high schools around the world. The goal of the Harvard Book Prize program is to recognize outstanding high school students who display general excellence and high character. Awards should not be tied to such criteria as athletic achievement or work in a specific community. Book Prizes are awarded without regard to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, or political beliefs.  Congratulations to our 2022 recipient is Felicity Stephen. 

Cate Brennan

Deputy Principal Religious Education