Today my newsletter item contains lots of friendly reminders. On any given school day we manage 688 students, 90 staff, our extended families and visitors which include guest presenters and tradesmen, on our campus. It is important that we all play our part to ensure that learning is optimised, students are safe, and visitors feel welcome. Please see information below as a reminder for all in regard to before and after school expectations around student arrival and departure, visitors to the College, and notification of absentees. Family support in each of these areas ensures our teachers can focus on learning each day.

Students on Campus Outside of School Hours 

BEFORE SCHOOL 

Supervision at the College begins at 8:15am in the Pavilion and the Senior Plaza. Students should not arrive at the College before this time, this allows our staff to prepare for their day, and it is our preference that students do not arrive on campus until after 8:30am. Students who do need to arrive between 8:15am and 8:30am must drop off their bags and move directly to either the Pavilion or the Senior Plaza to be seated until 8:30am. 

At 8:30am students are allowed to move to veranda areas, classrooms and lockers to get organised for the day or to the MY Plaza/Oval area or Senior Plaza to socialise before first bell at 8:47am. Please note teachers are scheduled on duties before and after school and may not be available every day for parents at this time.

AFTER SCHOOL 

The final bell of the day goes at 3:10pm and students then move to collect their bags and move to parent pick up areas or the bus zone. Teachers rostered on duty after school also move from class to their duty areas. We supervise the front footpath from Senior Years area to the Prep gate end, the bus zone and Cooper Street near the football posts until 3:30pm to ensure plenty of time for collection.  

OSHC is available to support families for students younger than 13 years of age at the College if you need to arrange care for outside of school hours. Our Lady of Southern Cross OSHC Dalby - Toowoomba Catholic Kindergartens & Care 

Visiting the College During the School Day 

The College campus is a busy place during school hours, and it is important that we are aware of visitors on campus between 8:50am and 3:10pm. Parents and visitors attending the College during the “normal” school day are asked to sign in on arrival via the College Office and to sign out when departing. For example, this applies to volunteers, parents dropping off forgotten items eg lunch and laptops, and collecting sick children. This ensures we have a record of who is on campus in different areas of the College for safety compliance.

For attendance at College events such as Assembly or a College Mass that are in one main location, parents and visitors may go directly to the location of the event and do not need to sign in. In case of an emergency when attending events such as these visitors are asked to respond to the staff member in charge of the event and follow their directions to ensure the safety of all.  

Sentral for Parents (Parent Portal) – Absentee 

A great way to let the College know that your child is absent or will be absent in the future is via Sentral for Parents. These can be put in on the day or before the day if it is a preplanned absence. This will then be accepted by administration staff and added to the Sentral system. Logging an absence ahead of time or first thing in the morning assists us greatly to ensure all students are accounted for each day. 

HOW TO

• Sentral for Parents App 

• Choose the Absences Icon 

• In top right-hand corner choose the plus sign 

• Select which child/ren 

• Select a reason from the list eg if sick choose medical 

• Choose appropriate start and end date for the absence 

• Add a comment if needed or desired 

• Then click SEND 

It will show on the absences list as PENDING until it is accepted by Administration staff 

If at any time you have queries or concerns about the attendance data showing in your child’s Sentral profile, there are a number of avenues for parents: 

• Contact core teacher if Prep – Year 6 

• Contact lesson teacher if Year 7 - 12 

• If due to extra-curricular contact the teacher in charge of this activity 

• Contact Assistant Principal of your child’s Sector

• Email dalby@twb.catholic.edu.au 

This issue will then be explored and rectified or explained. 

See a video demonstration - Sentral Parents Explain Absence 

NAPLAN Year 3, 5, 7, 9 

Next week we will take part in NAPLAN, 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. 

Preparation to ensure an understanding of the format and platforms of NAPLAN has been taking place across classes this year. To be ready for Wednesday next week students in Year 3, 5, 7, 9 just need to ensure they are at school on time each day ready to learn. Students in Year 5, 7, 9 should ensure that their laptops are fully charged every day. 

Our schedule for all year levels: 

Wednesday 12 March – Writing 

Thursday 13 March – Reading 

Friday 14 March – catch up tests no formal tests on the schedule 

Monday 17 March – Conventions of Language 

Tuesday 18 March – Numeracy 

19 -22 March - Catch up tests for any students who have missed scheduled tests 

24 March – final day of NAPLAN period

Sacraments of Confirmation and First Communion 

Children who are baptised and have celebrated First Reconciliation (Confession) are eligible to enrol. Please contact St Joseph’s Parish to enrol your child:

Bishop Ken Howell will confer the Sacrament of Confirmation on Tuesday 20 May 6pm. 
The Sacrament of First Communion will be celebrated during 9am Mass on Sunday 25 May. 

If your child is age 7 years and older and you would like them to prepare for First Reconciliation, you can also email the Parish to be put on the First Reconciliation list. At St Joseph’s we celebrate Reconciliation in November each year, you will then be contacted later in the year with additional information. 

150 Years of Catholic Education

In 2027 we will celebrate 150 years of formal Catholic Education in Dalby. It is amazing to consider all the lives that have been educated and have taught in our Catholic schools here in Dalby! One of our goals over the next two years in the lead up to this celebration is to collect updates on “Where are they now?” from students and staff who attended our College, and past two schools, St Mary’s and St Columba’s. Our history is different to so many other schools, we have over the past 140 years varied as an education institution from being co-educational, to primary and secondary, single sex and even boarding at one point, and as such we regard anyone who attended or worked at our College at some point in time part of our OLSCC Family. We do not limit ‘membership’ in our family to only those who graduated Year 12 at our College. We all have different pathways that life takes us and we would like to celebrate them all. If you have a story to share please email it to our College email dalby@twb.catholic.edu.au – please include with it your full name including maiden name and years and school/s you attended or worked here. Don’t forget your best contacts so we can keep you updated about 150 year celebrations. We can’t wait to hear from you. 

Example – my connection with the College is varied across Student, Teacher and Parent. 

Catherine Brennan (nee Ryan) St Columba’s Student 1983-1989 (Year 1- Year 7); Teacher (2001-current), Parent (2015-current). I would also then include my story update on where I am now and what I am doing, where life has led me. Maybe a story or two about the many Spring Fairs I took part in as a student and then as a teacher. 

Cate Brennan