Welcome back to Term 3!

As we find ourselves past the midway point of the year, it's time to reflect on the accomplishments of our students and recommit ensuring our focus is on education. The past few months have been filled with hard work, dedication, and countless moments of growth.

Congratulations to the QISSRL and QISSN teams who represented the College as great young representatives of our college over the mid-year break. Thank you also to the staff who so generously gave up some of their holidays to accompany the teams. It was a pleasure to watch you engage with each other, compete, and improve over the week.

Wearing the Uniform: Pride in Our School, Pride in Ourselves

The school uniform is more than just a dress code; it symbolizes our shared identity and values as a school community. When you wear the uniform, you become part of a larger collective that upholds respect, integrity, and a commitment to learning. The uniform fosters a sense of belonging and equality, reminding us that we are all on this journey together, regardless of our backgrounds or differences.

I follow on from my article in the Term 2 Week 8 newsletter:

Wearing the uniform is not just an obligation; it's an opportunity to express pride in who we are and the educational institution we represent. Students are reminded to wear our uniform with confidence, knowing that we all are part of a community that supports and uplifts one another.

Students and parents are reminded that the uniform policy is on our College website and in the student's diary. If a student is not in the current uniform staff will work with the student and parents to ensure this is rectified. A partnership with parents is important in ensuring that students can meet expectations here at the College that mirror the expectations of the future workplaces our students are moving into.

Celebrating the Success of Our Students: Achievements Worth Commemorating

We take great pride in the accomplishments of our students, from outstanding academic performances to exceptional achievements in extracurricular activities, each student's progress contributes to the vibrant tapestry of our school.

At the end of Semester 1, 59% of all students in the Senior Years attained at least 1 “A” grade in their subjects, with 10% of students across all years 9 to 12 obtaining either straight “A”s or “A”s with either 1 or 2 “B”s across their subjects. This is an increase on this time last year with students celebrating their success in their class.

As a school community, we celebrate not only the high achievers but also those who have shown tremendous growth, perseverance, and improvement. Every step forward, no matter how big or small, deserves recognition and applause.

Whole College Student Leadership

Nominations are open for our Year 11 students to apply for College Captains and Prefect roles. Timelines for students to apply are listed below. Students currently in Year 10 and 11 will be able to apply for House Leaders roles in Term 4.

Student Led Conferences for Term 3

The previously advertised Student-Led Conferences advertised for Week 3 (Senior Years) will no longer proceed as originally communicated in our College calendar. Learning Discussions will instead take their place and will be positioned later in the Term 3 calendar.

This decision stems from the sentiment of our community which was provided to the College through the feedback opportunity linked to the recent adjustments to the Academic Reporting processes. We have taken your feedback onboard and will now look for a new date for the Learning Discussions and this will be distributed to families shortly. We will also provide a greater booking window for these discussions, as per the feedback.

Toowoomba Catholic Schools External Examination Preparation Program (EEPP).

During October Year 12 students around the state sit External Examinations which are their final assessment pieces. Each exam is held at the same time and on the same day and so External Examinations can be daunting, especially for those students sitting an examination that contributes 50% of the marks to their result. They can also be very rewarding.

Toowoomba Catholic Schools, through a strong collaborative process, have a proud record of supporting students to achieve their best possible results in these External Examinations. To further consolidate this excellent preparation Toowoomba Catholic Schools and their Principals have developed an External Examination Preparation Program (EEPP).

EEPP brings students from across nine Catholic schools to a central location to refine their knowledge and understanding of content, providing an opportunity to work collaboratively with their peers, and offering suggestions with regard to managing exam conditions. At EEPP students will have the opportunity to be guided in their preparation by an expert mentor. Each mentor possesses expertise in their subject area and, most importantly, experience with the external examination process They are well equipped to pass on the nuanced skills that can make all the difference in a student's results.

EEPP is being conducted over six days in the second week of the September school holidays, from Sunday, 22 September through to Friday, 27 September. The venue for the event is the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office in Toowoomba (opposite St Saviour's College).

Further information regarding this excellent program is attached, as well as a link to a Registration form to enrol.

If you require further information please contact Mr Paul Herbert (paul.herbert@twb.catholic.edu.au) from Toowoomba Catholic Schools or myself.

Please use the link below to register, once committed all costs will be invoiced to your college account. Please be aware If a student chooses not to attend once registration closes, costs will still apply to families from Toowoomba Catholic Schools.

2024 External Examination Preparation Program Registration (EEPP) Form

As the term progresses we encourage our students and parents to engage with our staff to ensure students in all year levels are working towards being the best versions of themselves.

Rodney Spain

Assistant Principal Senior Years