Time flies when you’re having fun!  We are already 1 and a half weeks into the year and classrooms are settled and our teachers are getting to know our learners, your children.  We welcome 104 new students who join our story this year, we are excited to have you, and your families join the OLSCC Family. At the Commencement Mass our Prep students were welcomed into our College by our Year 12 Seniors.  Our theme this year is ‘Called to be the light’ and our seniors were leading the way on Monday at our Commencement Mass. The Year 12 students presented the Prep students with a special Prep journey pin and our Preps presented our Year 12’s with their senior badges.  The Prep badge was a new tradition introduced in 2023.  This special badge is only given to students enrolled in our current prep class at the commencement of the school year. Ritual and ceremony is important in our celebrations and we look forward to more moments like this throughout the year.   

Staff at OLSCC 

We are blessed to commence this year full staffed again, there are many schools throughout the state not this lucky.  Joining our team this year are 12 new teachers, 1 new administration staff member and 2 new classroom school officers.  They will each be introduced in coming weeks on our Facebook page.  We are glad to have these wonderful, committed people join our OLSCC Family. 

Sentral for Parents (Parent Portal) 

All new families should have received their access details for Sentral for Parents (Parent Portal).  It is important to use Sentral for Parents to keep up with notices around the College including information about upcoming activities that may involve your child. It is a useful tool for communicating and the College utilises it for many purposes including the dissemination of letters and information, permission granting, booking conferences.  It also has a widget that enables you to notify the College about student absences.  Student timetables, absences and previous report cards can be viewed on this portal.  I encourage families to set the notifications settings so that you do not miss communication from the College.  Over the coming weeks we will be including short videos and information sheets in our newsletter with tips to help you navigate the Portal – this week’s are detailed documents on set up and activation of your account.  The office can also assist if you run into trouble using this App. 

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 12-24 March 2025.  

NAPLAN is a nationwide measure through which parents, teachers, schools, education authorities, governments and the broader community can determine how well young Australians are developing the literacy and numeracy skills that provide the critical foundation for other learning, and for their productive and rewarding participation in the community.  

• NAPLAN tests are one aspect of each school’s assessment and reporting process. NAPLAN does not replace the extensive, ongoing assessments made by teachers about each student’s performance. A child’s teacher will have the best insight into the child’s educational progress. NAPLAN results do not measure overall school quality. 
• NAPLAN questions are directly linked to the Australian Curriculum: English and Mathematics. As such, the best preparation students can do for NAPLAN is to learn what they do in the classroom every day. On its own, NAPLAN is not a test that can be studied for, and students are not expected to do so. 
• The assessments allow parents to see how their child is progressing against national standards in literacy and numeracy, and over time. Along with other school assessment reports, NAPLAN supports parents in discussing their child’s strengths and areas for improvement with teachers. 
• NAPLAN results can assist teachers by providing additional information to support their professional judgement about students ’ levels of literacy and numeracy attainment and progress. 
• NAPLAN can support school improvement by enabling teachers to monitor their students’ progress over time against the national measure, to identify strengths and areas to improve in teaching programs, and to set goals in literacy and numeracy. 
• Students and parents wishing to familiarise themselves with NAPLAN can visit the public demonstration site on the NAP website. Some past NAPLAN papers are also available. 

Volunteers in our College 

Volunteers are welcome to assist in the classroom, on excursions and at our tuckshop upon completion of Volunteer Induction Module and return Declaration form. Volunteer Induction must be completed annually at the beginning of the new school year.  Declaration forms must be submitted before your day of volunteering to ensure approval is granted. 

Information regarding the Volunteer Induction Module can be found on Parent Portal or via the link: Volunteers and Visiting Service Providers 

Parking and pick up 

Before and after school we supervise a number of areas around the College to ensure safe arrival and departure of the students.  The front footpath is supervised at 8:30-8:50am and from 3:10-3:30pm and the Cooper Street fence line from 3:10-3:30pm.  Parking around the College can be congested at peak times and parents are encouraged to make regular arrangement with their children to save confusion at home time.  Police regularly patrol our school zone to ensure the safety of our students and the compliance of drivers, we encourage this support from the police and we thank parents for following all the road rules. 

Loading Zone Passengers – 2min max 

In front of Prep we have designated loading area that allows 2 min drop and go between 7am-9am and 2pm-4pm. Parking is monitored by Western Downs Regional Council and fines can be issued for those not following these zone regulations. 

Front Car Park & Bus Zone 

It is important that parents and extended family who do pick up and drop off are aware that the bus zone and front car park are not suitable places for drop off and pick up.  Our staff park in this front car park and this is the location of 3 disabled car park which parents can access based on individual needs.  All other student drop off and pick up activity should avoid this area, ustilising the street parking in front of the College or Cooper Street.    

Bus transportation 

Students who catch buses to and from the College are dropped or collected in the bus zone at the front of our College office.  Throughout the morning buses arrive over a longer period of time and staff supervise this arrival as students move from the bus to class.  In the afternoon as everyone departs at the same time this area is coordinated by staff on duty.  To assist with the coordination of our bus zone in the afternoon we record rolls of bus students.   

Please ensure you complete the digital form using the link 2025 BUS TRANSPORTATION to the best of your knowledge as soon as possible to assist with this coordination.   

Minor Consent 

Throughout the year, our students will have the opportunity to participate in many minor excursions which complement and enhance the academic, spiritual, cultural and sporting offerings provided by Our Lady of the Southern Cross College. With the College Coach, access to learning outside the College is now remarkably more affordable for staff and students alike. Accordingly, to save the administrative tyranny of permission slips repeatedly being sent home, we have collated this form to cover all minor excursions as well as regular activities that the College is engaged in. As per mandatory safety guidelines, parental permission is required for some sporting activities prior to participation. This includes high risk activities like shot put, javelin, discus and rugby league. Wherever these activities are undertaken a risk assessment is carried out and appropriate planning completed to address the risk.  We require this form returned for every student in the College, whether permission is given or not.  The link to the form was sent out via email on 30/1 please ensure you have completed this form. 

Cate Brennan