Student Protection Training

Yesterday our Student Protection Contacts were all in attendance at the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Student Protection Symposium, hosted in Toowoomba.  This was a wonderful opportunity for everyone in these roles across the Diocese to come together and gain unity in protection of our students.  Presenters included Bruce and Denise Morcombe (founders of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation), Judi Fallon (Alannah and Madeleine Foundation), Professor Stephen Smallbone (expert psychologist in situation crime prevention) as well as many presenters from the Toowoomba community.  My main takeaways for the day were:

• We must educate our young explicitly regarding their personal safety and ensure parents are doing the same by providing support materials. Recognise – React - Respond
• Sexting and cyberbullying are here, and telling children not to post pictures will not solve this problem by itself.  We must develop a standard of ethics and collective responsibility amongst our young to ensure we can monitor and correct misbehaviour.  We must also make students are aware of the law regarding the production, distribution and possession of illegal content that relates to this.
• Abuse in schools :   
  • Prevention is the key – remove all possible opportunities for abuse to happen in the College environment and ensure collective accountability to observing these measures as a critical point in ensuring student safety
  • 80% of those arrested for sexual abuse are arrested for the first time.  Incidents are 6 times more predictable by their address, than predictable by the individual – Circumstances allow the abuse
  • We must teach children about sexual ethics.  Youth commit the vast majority of sexual abuse in organisations despite the outside perspective of adults.
  • Maximise visibility and accountability in all areas of the College – remove any possible barriers.

After the training and our collective reflections since, our Diocese and College are on the front foot when it comes to ensuring that our students are safe at College every day. 

P&F Association – Thank You!

The OLSCC P&F have committed to contributing $200,000 to the improvement of the College over the coming 12 months.  There are a considerable number of projects rolling out concurrently and the College greatly welcomes such a significant contribution to the strategic direction of the College.  Without this kind of support, the College would simply not be able to implement programs such as the Digital Enhancement of the Curriculum, the Middle Years Plaza (in planning), the reinstatement of a College Chapel (on the drawing board), greater communication and software solutions and the financial planning for the future including new significant infrastructure programs. Our College, together with the P&F Association, is here to be progressive and give Every Child, Every Chance, as the future is in our hands right NOW!

Peter Cuskelly

Principal