Welcome to 2025 at OLSCC

2024 was over in the blink of an eye! Our students have grown, matured, lost teeth and now are all ready for the year ahead. It has been very pleasing to see how the students from all sectors have arrived at the College ready to learn for the new academic year. 

Again, we continue to offer an excellent education for all our 691 students at OLSCC. As I explained to the College community at the Commencement Mass on Monday, every one of our 2024 graduates left Year 12 well on their way in their chosen pathway, with a Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) or a Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement (QCIA). Every university applicant from OLSCC received their first preference for university prior to the end of the academic year. Many others continued in their apprenticeships from their School Based Apprenticeships, others progressed to further training, and others have begun in the workforce. Each of every one of our graduates go out into the world with the values and ethics that make them great people.

This year we will continue to provide an excellent well-rounded education for all our students. Last week all students in Years 3 to 8 began their study of Spanish with Mr Jose Jaimes. It is very exciting to have languages back at OLSCC and the way the students have engaged is excellent. Please ask your child about their Spanish lessons with Mr Jaimes and see what you can learn from them! In Year 6 Spanish today, I learned that every vowel is pronounced the same way in every word, even when two vowels are together. As a teacher, I wish English was so simple, there are 20 vowel sounds in our language to teach our early readers and spellers!

What’s Different in 2025?

Our Annual Action Plan has very consistent themes with 2024 as all our work is aligned to the College Strategic Plan released early last year. 

Our 5 strategic areas are:

• Living Our Faith
• Learners of Influence and Impact
• Staff Empowered to Inspire
• Our Distinct Identity
• Equipping Our Future

Most important of these is developing the ability of our students to strive, excel and engage in the learning process. We have excellent classrooms where students are very compliant, teachers are well planned and prepared, and the quality of learning is very good. Our ongoing challenge is to develop every student, so they are actively engaged in learning in the classroom. I am currently doing a lot of reading regarding High Potential Learners and their ongoing engagement in the curriculum throughout their teenage years. High Potential Learners are generally recognised as in the top 10% of their cohort in a particular subject or activity. That means that in everything we do, we have high potential learners who are capable of performing to a higher standard than the other 90% in the cohort. We do not label 10% of our students as High Potential Learners and exclude them from activities to do other things, though we are further refining our practices so that the way we teach/coach allows the high potential to convert to high performance. This will be a gradual process throughout the year, though I am looking forward to a slight shift in practice and to make greater opportunities for our High Potential Learners.

New Displays

Another difference that students will certainly notice around the College are the new posters in every classroom regarding:

• The College Statement – outlining the focus areas of the College
• The OLSCC Learning Dispositions
• The OLSCC Learning Pit
• College Expectations
• The 5 B’s. Brain, Book or Board, Buddy, Boss.

These posters create clarity and consistency for our students. One poster that underpins our culture of learning at OLSCC is the College Expectations. These aren’t rules, these aren’t aspirational targets, these are the core expectations that we expect of each and every student, staff member, parent, and community member. The College Expectations are that everyone, everyday is able and willing to:

• Learn and allow others to learn
• Be safe
• Be respectful
• Be responsible.

Everyday, every student, in every grade, is expected to align to these expectations so that high quality teaching and learning is possible in every classroom. Most important is the first word and last word of the first expectation. LEARN. This means not to simply show up to class, it emphasises that the main reason for students to come to school is to LEARN. LEARN new concepts, understandings, and information, LEARN new skills and ways of thinking, LEARN new ways of working with others to solve problems and work collaboratively, LEARN how to contribute positively to the College and learning environment. The only person who can make the choice to LEARN is the individual. I expect each and every student and staff member to actively LEARN. Not passively learn by sitting in class and staring out the window, but to engage in the program of instruction and LEARN. It is not an option for a student to opt out of learning, or to refuse to follow instructions, or deliberately act against the College Expectations. The job of all students is to LEARN, that’s the primary reason they are here and those who actively learn and engage in their education will continue to reap rewards and access additional opportunities across LYF, Academia, Sport, and Arts.

Staff Right to Disconnect

In 2023 we developed our Right to Disconnect Protocols, which are linked for your interest. This document creates clarity regarding what can be reasonably expected of staff being contacted outside of their scheduled hours. The area that most impacts our communication between staff and the community is regarding “Response times for electronic communication”. This outlines that “OLSCC staff will respond to electronic communication within two working business days of its receipt, during the hours of 8.00am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday. This response time takes into consideration: time to consider an appropriate response to an issue, teaching commitments, absence due to travel and professional development, work schedules, weekends, leave, other non-working days, vacation periods and holidays.”

This means that in general work times, staff are expected to respond to electronic communication within 2 business days, though we also recognise that if staff are attending a conference, sporting carnival, on leave, then these times may be extended.

Beyond these workplace protocols for employers, it is very important that we value our staff in our small community by respecting their wellbeing and time away from the classroom. While our staff embrace our small community and love saying hi to our kids and families when they are out and about, the middle of Coles certainly isn’t the best place to discuss students and school. I ask that the community contact teachers via agreed platforms at times relevant to their work if they would like to discuss school-related matters. Also, in small communities, many people have staff mobile numbers for a variety of reasons. The College does not supply staff with mobile phones, so please use the office phone to make an appointment with a staff member or at least ask in advance if it’s okay to chat about a school topic before contacting their personal mobile phone.

Right to Disconnect Protocols

Promotional Photos

On Tuesday, 11 February we have engaged DMS Creative to undertake promotional photos that will be used in marketing the College. We will have an array of staged classroom photos, playground photos, along with a variety of shots taken as they are seen by the photographer. Students will be selected for this photo shoot randomly on the day, please ensure your child/ren are well presented in full formal uniform including tie (Years 5 to 12). This photo shoot will have minimal distraction to the students learning at the College on Tuesday.

Peter Cuskelly

Principal