Catholic Education Week including Bishop’s In-Service Day 

Last week was a wonderful celebration of what we do that makes Catholic Education so critical to our students and community.  It culminated with a day for all staff at St Saviours College in Toowoomba where around a thousand staff gathered to hear the key messages from the Bishop, other key members of the Diocese of Toowoomba Catholic Schools and Father Richard Leonard, our keynote speaker.  Fr Leonard is a profound, enthusiastic, challenging, highly educated and passionate Jesuit priest currently working in Northern Sydney, though educated in Catholic schools in Toowoomba.  He is a highly regarded academic across many fields and last week enlivened our faithful spirit as we addressed the current data relating to religion and education in Australia.  From this it was clearly evident that despite some challenging demographic changes up until and including the last census, there are a vast array of critical aspects that Religious Education is providing for the future of our nation.  In the lead up to the Plenary Council in 2020, Australians are being asked to reflect on what it is our church may look like in the future, who will make this formation a reality, and what role people see themselves as playing into the future.  In a time of distinction between “faith” and “the Church” Fr Leonard challenged us not with “Will our youth have faith?”, though rather with “Will our faith have youth?”.  I encourage all and sundry to investigate the Plenary Council and take the time to reflect and contribute to the future direction of Catholicism in Australia, including the impact that this Plenary Council will have on Catholicism all around the world, including the Vatican.    

Non State School Accreditation Board Review 

On Monday we underwent our NSSAB review with John Coman and John O’Brien and all went well.  As a means to improving our practices we are further refining our practices which may mean some small changes in signing in, volunteering and general interactions in the College.  As these are taking place we will ensure you are well informed through the Office and your sign in, to ensure that we are exemplary in our practices with conduct of visitors on school grounds, as well as student protection. 

Welcome Mr Gillespie 

With Mrs Hobson doing a great job in Chinchilla as Acting Principal for the remainder of the year, we are pleased to announce Mr Stephen Gillespie as our Assistant Principal Teaching and Learning for the remainder of the school year.  Mr Gillespie has much to offer the College Leadership Team, and although quite busy attending professional learning throughout this week, his focussed work in teaching and learning will continue and enhance Mrs Hobson’s legacy for our students’ learning.  We are currently confirming Mr Gillespie’s replacement, ensuring continuity of learning for all classes is our priority. 

Senior Schooling Update 

Today Mr Hobson, Mr Gillespie and I are attending professional learning in continuing our College’s preparation for the implementation of the new QCE system and syllabi in 2019 and beyond.  There is much that will change and the processes and transparency of teaching and learning align very closely with all of our work in Visible Learning.  One of the most significant shifts in thinking is that the content of the course is no longer the primary concern, it is the cognitive skills of the student to ensure they can respond to the assessment in a manner that clearly and acutely addresses the cognitive expectations of the assessment.  Simple knowledge recall will no longer allow a student to achieve as the assessment is designed to address the ability of student to comprehend, analyse and utilise the knowledge within a response. We will continue to work with staff in aligning our professional learning, including the senior school professional learning day on the last day of this term.   

Community Goodwill 

Thank you to all and sundry in their support of our search for a missing child yesterday.  The student was found safe and sound.  What struck me yesterday was the enactment of our Christian values in the situation.  We have dozens of staff, parents and community members who immediately and actively took action with the sole purpose of looking after our student.  There were cars driving all around Dalby, people scouring the school grounds, dozens upon dozens of phone calls made, answered, returned and followed up, as well as sharing of Facebook posts to maximise the impact of communication (16,000 people were reached through your collective sharing).  I am proud to know that no matter the personal cost, when the need arises our community is infallible in its dedication to loving and supporting one another.  

Thank you everyone, from the bottom of my heart, and God bless, 

Peter Cuskelly
Principal