College Photos were originally scheduled on Tue 1 and Wed 2 March. College Photos have now been rescheduled to Friday 25 March. A timetable will be published closer to the time.

COVID Positive Cases

At the moment we are continuing to have multiple positive cases of COVID-19 each day within the student population.  The College will no longer be sending out daily notices to communicate the positive cases that have presented in the student population.  Instead, weekly updates will be made in this regard.  It has become very apparent that COVID-19 is ever-present in our community and we must continue to focus on effective hygiene practices to reduce the spread of COVID.

This increase of cases at OLSCC comes at the same time as the announcement of easing restrictions from next Friday 4^th March.  The infographic outlining the changes is shown below.  Please note that the College will continue to enforce mask wearing until this point, and will continue with effective hygiene measures across the College.

Leadership Forum

On Wednesday, Dr Pat Coughlan, Executive Director of Toowoomba Catholic Schools, hosted an online Leadership Forum for all Principals in the Diocese.  Dr Pat’s theme -

"Our work this year is “Staying on Mission” and emphasises the importance of all schools in aligning their work to their mission, and continue focussing on continual improvement to enhance the learning and development of the students in our care.  We also analysed the Diocesan ATAR and QCE data for our graduates of 2021, and we have discovered many learnings that will be of great advantage for our future graduates."

During the forum, there was also great support for the innovation of OLSCC and St Joseph’s Stanthorpe in the mutual delivery of senior subjects.  This allows students at OLSCC to study Modern History and students at St Joseph’s Stanthorpe to study Legal Studies.  We have submitted a proposal for improved resources for this delivery, and trust that TCS will support our request.  This will further enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of this project, which is likely to expand throughout the Diocese in future years. 

Year 11/12 QCE Presentations

On Monday afternoon, Mr Spain and I will be talking to all Year 11/12 ATAR eligible students regarding the facts behind subjects, scaling and ATARs, whilst Mrs Baxter will be talking to all students on an employment pathway regarding QCE and school-based apprenticeships and traineeships.  We have learnt so much over recent years in the new QCE system, and we are ensuring that our students have a solid grasp of the impact of their results on the options they have available after school.

Next week I will be announcing a time for both Year 11/12 Parent ATAR sessions, Year 9/10 ATAR and SBA Sessions, and a Parent Information Session for 9/10 Parents.  We will also record these sessions for those who are not able to attend on the evening.

Peter Cuskelly

Principal

Ash Wednesday marks the first day of the 40 days of Lent, a six-week period dedicated to prayer, fasting, and reflection in preparation for the great celebration of Christ’s Paschal Mystery in the Easter Triduum. Lent is a time to re-focus and to re-enter a place of truth. It is here where we find our true identity. Ash Wednesday is the best way to begin a season that calls us into self-examination as well as self-denial, into deeper contemplation about the mystery and grace of God's mercy, giving to those most in need of comfort, sustenance, and hope. The ancient practice of Ash Wednesday reminds us that we are mortal. It causes us to pause and look at our lives– remember what we are made of, remember where we are going, and encourages us to fully immerse ourselves in the Lenten season. 

Loving God,  

We thank and praise you for all the gifts you have given us.  

But in a world of plenty, too many people go hungry.  

We pray that you may work through us, so our small acts of love may make a big difference,  

and everyone may have enough to eat. 

We ask this prayer through Christ our Lord, 

Amen 

It’s crazy to think we have reached the halfway point of the term!  This is a great time to check in with your child/ren to see how they have settled in, what they are learning and what assessment they are currently working on.  We look forward to the easing of restrictions from Friday 4 March, which will allow us to gather again as a College community. 

Year 12 Retreat 

With the restrictions imposed on schools for the first few weeks of the year we had to cancel our planned Year 12 Retreat.  We are currently investigating whether this can occur later in the year.  We are prioritizing the final assessment of our Year 12 students and will notify families once a decision has been made about whether Year 12 Retreat can be moved to another time in the year. 

Ash Wednesday 

Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.  Students will gather in class groups for prayer celebrations to mark this day.  Lent is a time of reflection in the lead up to Easter, we use this time to renew ourselves. 

Student Leaders Retreat 

With the restrictions imposed on schools for the first few weeks of the year we had to postpone our planned Student Leaders Retreat. At Student Leaders Retreat we gather all prefect, house leaders and SRC members to develop their leadership skills.  A letter will go home to student leaders next week about the new date for this retreat.   

First Whole College Assembly 

On Friday 11 March we will join as a whole College for our first assembly of the year.  It will be a joyous occasion as we will congratulate Jennifer Nothdurft, our 2021 College Dux, present our Year 12 senior badges, congratulate our QATSIF recipients and present swimming carnival medals.   

Cate Brennan

Deputy Principal Religion

Often the measurement of a community is the way in which it greets those who are new. I have been truly blessed with the warm welcome given to me by all the students, staff and the community here at Our Lady of the Southern Cross. I have already met several families and I look forward to growing our school in collaboration with our whole community.

We have set high expectations for our students and staff in 2022 asking all to strive to be the best person they can possibly be. With high expectations comes high support, from our staff and fellow students. 2022 will see us working with our students to support their individual goals and academic pathways.

Staff at OLSCC want to be actively communicating with families rather than providing a notification. Heather Wolpert-Gawron talks about “The Equation of Student Success”; “Family + Student + School = Student Success”.

“The difference between communication and notification is that communication is the act of communicating anything, while notification is (uncountable) the act of notifying. Communication requires two parties to engage, whereas notification is one way”.

Our community attendance goal is 93%, if a student is at school, then they are able to engage in their learning, being engaged in their learning will lead to personal growth and success. It has been great to see the senior sector students settling into learning over the past 3 weeks.

Next week some of Year 11 and all our Year 12 students begin their first exam block for the year. The exam scheduled has been emailed out to all families and is available on our school website. We wish them luck as they sit their exams.

Rodney Spain

Assistant Principal Senior Years

At Our Lady of the Southern Cross College, we hold a strong belief that all students are valued individuals who are capable of finding success at home, at school and in our community. Much of that success is dependent on the child be able to identify and regulate their emotions and behaviours. To facilitate the development of these skills in a consistent manner across the Early Years sector, OLSCC delivers a curriculum called The Zones of Regulation across all classes from Prep to Year 4.

You may have heard your child refer to this as “the Zones”, a curriculum geared towards helping ALL students gain skills in consciously identifying their emotions and regulating their actions, which in turn leads to increased control and problem-solving abilities. Using a cognitive behaviour approach, the learning activities are designed to help students recognise when they are in different states called “zones”, with each of the four zones represented by a different colour. Students engage in activities to learn how to use strategies or tools to stay in a zone or move from one zone to a more desirable zone. To assist with learning how to self-regulate, the lessons also teach students how to read others’ facial expressions and recognise a broader range of emotions, perspectives and how others see and react to their behaviour. This includes specific lessons on calming techniques, as well as thinking strategies to identify the size of a problem – is it a big or a little issue?

If you haven’t heard your child talk about the zones at home – ask them about it tonight! You may find some tips that could help you at home as well!

Under 9-12 Swimming Carnival

Overall Points

Rice                  532

MacKillop          341

Nolan                319

McAuley            307 

Boys Relay – Rice, MacKillop, McAuley, Nolan

Girls Relay – Nolan, Rice, McAuley, MacKillop 

QCIS Swimming Carnival

The QCIS Swimming Carnival will be held in Dalby on Wednesday 9 March. This is for students on the 10-18 Years age group. Other schools involved in 2022 are Downlands College, Toowoomba Anglican School, Scots College Warwick and Concordia College. Students who have been selected to compete will be notified next week.

Aquathlon

Last weekend Gemma Sullivan competed at the State Aquathlon Championships at Hervey Bay. This consisted of a 1km run, 200m open water swim and another 1km run. Gemma finished 17^th out of 34 competitors in he Under 11 Age Group and 62^nd out of 93 competitors in the overall Under 11/12 combined event.

Bunya District Under 12 Sports Trials Dates in March

Sign on sheets will be placed on the Notice Board before each trial date for any students wishing to attend. Depending on numbers, a school trial may need to be held in some sports.

3 March – Touch Football

11 March – Cricket

15 March – Netball and Rugby League

22 March – Soccer

Inner Downs Cluster 2 Trials

Inner Downs Trials in Netball, Basketball and Soccer have been rescheduled to Wednesday 2 March at Highfields from 10.00am-1.00pm. All these sports will select separate Under 15 and Under 18 Teams. Private transport will need to be arranged for these trials.

Darling Downs Trials

Students will directly nominate to Darling Downs Trials held in March for the following sports;

Under 12 and Under 15 Boys and Girls AFL, Hockey, Squash, Girls Under 16 Rugby Sevens, Boys Under 18 Rugby Union and Girls Under 15 and Under 18 Rugby League. Students interested in attending any of the above trials need to sign on via the Sports Notice Board. Students will need to be of a high playing standard to attend the trials.

Rugby League

Rugby League training will commence on Monday mornings from 7.00am – 8.15am on Brothers Oval for any boys wanting to be a part of the Under 13 and Under 15 Teams this season. A trial game has been organised for Wednesday 9 March against Dalby SHS for both teams along with the Under 18 Team. This Under 18 game will double as the first game in the Berwick / McCullough Shield for 2022.

Inner Downs Touch Football

Congratulations to the following students who were selected in the Inner Downs Touch Football Teams to attend Darling Downs Trials this week.

15 Girls – Carla Nobbs, Charli Coleman, Emmysen Crothers, Mia Smith

15 Boys – Jack Gibson, Kai Rush, Travis Gater

18 Girls – Claudia Child, Violet Wilkie Boulus

18 Boys – Brock Sankey, Tim Mauch, Daniel O’Callaghan

Darling Downs Selections

Congratulations to the following students selected in Darling Downs Teams:

Boys Water Polo

Toby Harms, Bailey Martin, Hayden Taylor

18 Boys Touch Football

Brock Sankey, Tim Mauch

18 Girls Touch Football

Claudia Child

15 Girls Touch Football

Carla Nobbs

15 Girls Volleyball

Chloe Manteit, Tiffany Ham, Hannah Taylor, Bella Buckley, Summer Buckley, Ella Price, Monique Smith

Tim Lincoln

Middle Leader Sport

School Based Trainees and Apprentices 2022 / Careers @ Our Lady

Welcome back to 2022 Everyone. We have had a very busy start to the Careers Sector this year. At the end of last year, we had many students commence either traineeships or Apprenticeships. The College is truly grateful to our local businesses for supporting the Career Pathways of our students. We have students commencing Ag, Diesel Mechanics, Welders, and the list goes on. It is wonderful that our Dalby community can support these young people.

UQ Young Changemakers Program/ A Taste of Medicine:

We have students registered for the University of Queensland: 'A Taste of Medicine' that is taking place in May. We look forward to hearing if they have been successful. Over the school holidays two of our Year 12 girls, Claudia Child, and Charlotte Kelly, completed The UQ Young Changemakers Program.

"I found the UQ Young ChangeMakers program a once in a lifetime experience in which I was able to interact with people who had similar aspirations as me. I was given the opportunity to meet so many new, amazing people and I built some lasting relationships with people all over the state. I would highly recommend taking the opportunity to participate in this program to get an insight to university life, as well as life after school!" - Claudia Child

"I thoroughly enjoyed my time as a Young Change-Maker at UQ. Meeting people my age from across the state was really enlightening, learning about each other's lives and interests helped us to make friends. Being able to share this experience with new friends was a great way to connect with people I wouldn't have before. The highlight of my UQ experience was the party. We got to dance around and have fun with each other and not have to worry about anything else. I highly recommend this experience; it has made me lifelong friends but also given me skills and experiences that I have already been utilising in Grade 12 and I will continue to use after school." - Charlotte Kelly

Congratulations to Charlotte Wood: Headstart

A huge congratulations to Charlotte Wood who completed a University of Southern Queensland Headstart course of the summer holidays. Charlotte completed a Unit on Human Anatomy and Physiology. This course will allow her direct entry in USQ and means that she will not have to complete this course as part of her University Degree. We are already looking to enrol more students in these opportunities so if it sounds like something that might inspire your student, please book an appointment. These opportunities are offered at many universities. The news hot off the press is Charlotte scored an 'A' in Headstart!!! Well done Charlotte.

Year 9 Employer Dinner May 6

Work Experience Year 10

We are very excited to announce that the Early Years, Middle Years, and Senior Years Choirs will be starting up again next week! The choir will be invited to show off their performance skills at assemblies, choral events and much more throughout the school year. OLSCC has many very talented students and it will be marvellous for those skills to be on display in our choir!

Children gain so much from being part of a choir. They develop skills in memory, concentration, singing, articulation, reading (words AND music notation), teamwork, confidence and many other skills! In fact, research tells us that students that study music, develop skills to assist them in all other academic areas at school.

If you or your student is interested in joining the choir, click below to access the miscrosoft form.

Tamara Creeley

Middle Leader Culture

Last Friday, our Year 9 Praxis students fulfilled a community request. Gabrielle Peters from Karingal asked if our students would be able to create 80 Valentine's Day Cards for residents for the 14^th of February – Valentine’s Day. 

Realising a fantastic opportunity to create a service-learning opportunity, the students eagerly engaged in cut’n’past practices, colouring in, writing messages of affection to fashion these colourful cards.

This week we received a wonderful response:

“Thank you for the thoughtful Valentine’s day cards. It brought smiles to the residents all day and some wonderful conversations about Valentine’s Day and some of the friendships and long-term marriages they have or had.”

Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 all completed Headspace sessions this week. The sessions taught the students about bullying as well as the brain and body responses to bullying. Students were taught what it is to be an 'upstander'. An upstander is not a bystander but someone who can stand up for the victim who is getting bullied. They can also pull a victim away from a bully. This can be as simple as asking the victim to come for a walk with them. We are encouraging students to "be the upstander" We are asking students to let staff know if they see anyone being an upstander so we can acknowledge them. 

Katrina Ballantyne

College Guidance Counsellor

On Wednesday 9 March, Western Downs Regional Council – Dalby Library is once again hosting a community event, the Words Out West Readers and Writers Festival at the Dalby Events Centre. This fabulous opportunity allows us to access presenters encompassing authors, artists, musicians and journalists who are highly regarded in their fields both nationally and internationally. To be able to access professionals of this calibre in our hometown is significant and provides us with unique experiences for our students.

All students from Prep to Year 6 will have the opportunity to participate in a session of the Words Out West Festival.

Students will be transported to and from the event via bus. As such, each student must have the Minor Excursion Consent Form completed ASAP.

It is preferable that students bring packed lunch on this day as tuckshop access is limited due to the scheduled program.

Details for year groups include:

Year level Event Time Tuckshop Availability

Prep-Yr 1 Mr Yippadee 9:30am-10:30am Available both breaks

Yr 2 Mr Yippadee 11:00am-12:00pm Afternoon Tea ONLY

Yr 3-4 Stig Wemyss 12:00pm-1:00pm Afternoon Tea ONLY

Yr 5-6 Peter Carnavas Andrew Daddo 12:00pm-2:30pm NO TUCKSHOP Students must BYO lunch and afternoon tea.

We look forward to an inspirational day ahead

A friendly reminder for those parents that have not paid their 2021 Term 4 Fees to please make payment as soon as possible. Please contact our Business Manager, Sarah Hall, if you are experiencing any difficulties.

For any families experiencing genuine financial hardship, the College does offer concessions on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the College Business Manager if you believe this applies to you.

sarah.hall@twb.catholic.edu.au

During recent patrols of Nicholson Street, Dalby Police have noticed a number of students riding bicycles without a helmet. It is compulsory for all bike riders to wear a helmet as per the excerpt below which is referenced from the Queensland Government Road Rules and Safety for bicycle riders. Click on the link button for more information around this topic.

TUCKSHOP

Please be advised that there will be no tuckshop on Wednesday 2 March 2022. 

SZAPP

As students may have moved from one sector to another, please ensure your SZapp settings are updated. If you have not downloaded the SZapp app to your mobile phone, please see below for the instructions. If you want to receive the College fortnightly Newsletter and are not receiving it via direct email, click below to register.