Friday, 22 April - Under 5 to Under 11 Cross Country

Monday, 25 April - ANZAC Day Public Holiday

Tuesday, 26 April - P&F Meeting 6pm @ College Boardroom

Thursday, 28 April - Senior Years Student Led Conferences

Friday, 29 April - Year 1 Excursion to Empire Theatre

Wednesday, 4 May - Under 12 to Under 18 Cross Country

Wed/Thurs, 4 and 5 May - Early Years Student Led Conferences

Thursday, 5 May - Rice Day

Friday 6 May - Prep Mother's Day High Tea

Wonderful Start to Term 2

After a very difficult end to the last term with considerable COVID-19 impacts as well as the flooding, it was very pleasing to see so many students in class and ready to learn for the start of Term 2!  While we still have some absences due to COVID-19 and other reasons, our attendance of 94% yesterday was a significant change from the norms we experienced last term.  

Over the holidays my thoughts have been with those in our community who were considerably affected by the recent flooding events.  I hope that the holidays have given families time to recoup and clean any mess left by the continual rain, and as always offer the opportunity for families to contact the College for any assistance we may be able to offer. If you find yourself struggling through the additional expenses caused by the water please contact Mrs Sarah Hall, Business Manager, to access the application for fee concession so we can support your family through this time, or just let us know if you need some relief in the form of a meal which will take the pressure off busy Mums and Dads!

Whilst the number of COVID-19 cases seems to have reduced in our community, I continue to encourage all staff and students to stay at home if showing symptoms of COVID-19.  It is no surprise that flu season is upon us, so these symptoms are likely to increase over the coming months.  Our staff will be provided with free flu shots for this season, and the Diocese has recommended extra precaution regarding the flu for this winter season due to the low transmission rates throughout the COVID pandemic.  Again, no matter the reason or the recency of COVID infection, those students that are displaying symptoms of COVID-19 will continue to be sent home and encouraged to "stay at home and get tested", as frequently communicated by our state government.

Most importantly, many of our students have missed many days from school due to disruptions in Term 1, and nothing can improve student learning outcomes as much as attendance at school.  I ask all parents to be vigilant in ensuring that all students attend class as much as possible as we progress through the remainder of this year.  Much of the curriculum has been compacted, so every day that a student misses is another chunk of learning that they are not able to make up.  It is simply not possible for our teaching staff to "catch up" students who miss multiple days of school as their focus is to ensure that the students in attendance are learning all elements of the curriculum for their year level.  To minimise gaps in learning, I would strongly encourage all students to maintain attendance of 95%.  

Service Staff Thank You!  

I have received many comments on the great presentation of the College and this is due to the hard work and dedication that our current team of cleaners and grounds staff put into their work on a daily basis.  We are presently working to enhance the level of staff in this area to continue this great work and further enhance the College grounds and facilities.  Thank you to all involved in ensuring that our students have great spaces to learn, play and eat at OLSCC!

New Fridges in Prep-Year 6 Classrooms

Students were excited to see the welcome addition of new fridges in their classrooms this morning.  Our amazing P&F Association kindly donated a significant sum to replace the existing fridges with new improved versions that will see us through the next 10 years.  A huge thanks to the P&F in conjunction with the Saints Race Day committee for bringing this wish into reality for the start of Term 2! The new fridges with freezers look great and have much more room. Please note that these fridges will be reserved for lunch boxes that require refrigeration, and insulated lunch bags/boxes will be kept in the student’s bags.

Have an amazing start to the new term everyone!

Peter Cuskelly

Principal

We hope you and your family have enjoyed a restful and refreshing holiday break with a special emphasis on the risen Jesus over the Easter weekend.

Lord, the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope.
Help us to live as new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal.
Grant us wisdom to know what we must do,
the will to want to do it, the courage to undertake it,
the perseverance to continue to do it, and the strength to complete it.

Amen.

Project Compassion

Because of the unusual finish to last term, we have extended our collection of donations for the Project Compassion appeal until the end of next week – Friday 29 April.  Any spare change you have can be added to the boxes in all classrooms.  The money raised goes to Caritas which is a Catholic organisation providing a hand up to people across the world including in Australia. 

Welcome back to Term 2.  I hope you had an Easter blessed with prayer, family time and just a sprinkle of chocolate.  The Easter period challenges us to be renewed in our faith, to face the sacrifice of Jesus and all the potential that holds for us as individuals to know that we were created by God and he is present with us on our journey. 

As our journey continues this term, we look forward to the many occasions, events and milestones we will experience.  Life is busy, we know that, there is no avoiding it, so I encourage you to talk to your child about events mentioned in our newsletter and in our Calendar on SZApp (Schoolzine) to be ready and aware of what is coming up.

ANZAC Day 2022

This Friday we will join together as a College for our ANZAC Day Service during our regular Assembly time at 8:50am in the MPC.  Families are welcome to join us for this occasion.  We will be joined this year by retired Australian Navy serviceman, Mr Barry Cullen, he is a grandparent to one of students and will talk to students during the service about his naval career.

On Monday we invite students to join with our local community at the various services around the Western Downs region.  For those in Dalby on Monday, we invite you to join us for the march from Bell Park along Cunninham Street to ANZAC Park.  Please assemble in Bell Park in full College uniform (inc hat) at 9:15am.  Parents are encouraged to leave their child/ren with staff for the march and join the community along the march route and give us a wave as we pass.  All students will then be corralled into Sydney Street (left of March route and across from ANZAC Park) for collection by parents. As a family you are encouraged to attend the Commemorative Service.  Students will be supervised by staff in Sydney St until collected so please ensure you do this promptly as staff would like to attend the service which begins at the completion of the march.  Full details about all of the services around the Western Downs region are on https://www.wdrc.qld.gov.au/living-here/our-communities/anzac-day/

NAPLAN Online – 10 May – 20 May 2022

At the end of last term students in Year 3, 5, 7 & 9 completed practice tests for NAPLAN Online which will be conducted in May.  The aim of these sessions was for students to interact with the NAP Browser online platform and experience the types of questions that will be asked. 

To assist Parents to have the same experience I encourage you to check out the NAPLAN website, in particular the NAPLAN Online page https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment.

I encourage all parents of students engaging in NAPLAN this year to explore the Public Demonstration Site on this webpage.  Here you can click on your child’s year level and explore what the online platform looks like, sounds like and how they can interact with it.  Perhaps dedicate some time with your child to explore this together – let them show you around.  If you have any questions about NAPLAN Online not answered by this site I am always happy to meet with parents to discuss it further.  If you would like to discuss your child’s participation in NAPLAN please contact your child’s core teacher, Andrea Gormley or myself.

WINNERS – READY, SET, GLOW

At the end of last year, we entered the Western Downs Regional Council Ready Set Glow competition with a photo of our timber nativity scene and our Mini Vinnies Christmas Appeal.  I am pleased to announce that we won this competition for the Dalby area.  The prize is a movie night for our College community.  Over the next few weeks, we will begin making plans for the date of this event.  Watch this space for news of this exciting prize!

Cate Brennan

Deputy Principal Religious Education

How wonderful was it to see all our Early Years students begin the term so enthusiastically? The sight of FULL classrooms was a joy, and students were extremely keen to get back into the routines and learnings of the classroom. In fact, most students were ready to start the day prior to the bell actually ringing!

This week, all Early Years families will have received an email informing you of the new dates and booking instructions for the rescheduled Student-Led Conferences, which will now take place on Wednesday 4 May and Thursday 5 May. Students are to attend with parents as they will lead the discussion around:

• What they are learning
• How they are going
• What they need to do next

Students will prepare for these conferences in the same manner as they prepare their learning in the early years – by answering the dot points above. This is a wonderful opportunity for them to share this with you in a powerful and meaningful way.

How will this work?

• Students will attend with parent/carer and take a lead role in the conference setting
• Teachers will support the students throughout the process as needed
• Students will share with you what they are currently learning
• This will look different from Prep through to Year 4 and may include showing you how they learn with concrete materials, a work sample to discuss, a focus on a particular subject area, or a personal-social goal they are working on.

What do I need to do to support my child?

• Book a time through Parent Portal (Sentral for Parents). Bookings will open on Friday 22 April and will close at 6:00pm on Tuesday 3 May.
• Let your child know you are an interested participant in the Student Led Conference – it is a very important time for them and impacts positively on their learning!
• Discuss the conference at home in the days leading up to the actual conference date
• Come – with your child 5 minutes prior to the actual conference time
• Listen – Your child will do a lot of talking
• Prompt to support your child if necessary – your child’s teacher may have prompt cards to help you with this. Some ideas for prompts are included at the end of this letter.
• Enjoy the opportunity to see your child in his/her learning environment
• Celebrate your child’s progress to date

Important things to remember

Your child will run this conference—not you, not the teacher. As part of their regular learning, all students have been putting considerable time and energy into reflecting on their learning and preparing for this. If you cannot attend, please arrange for another significant adult in your child’s life to come to the conference.

The conference is about learning, not behaviour or social issues. If you wish to speak to the teacher privately, please make an appointment for a different time.

I look forward to seeing many of our families on Friday at the Cross Country!

Possible Prompts for Parents to use during Student-Led Conferences

• What were you learning to do with these sound cards/piece of work?
• What were the steps you went through to learn this?
• How can you make it even better next time?
• What helped you to learn this?
• What do you need to learn next?
• What are you most proud of? Why?
• Which area of learning do you find easiest? Why?
• Which area of learning do you find trickiest? Why?
• What do you do when you don’t know what to do next?
• What happens when you are in the learning pit?
• What could we do together to help you with this learning?

Katrina Walton

Assistant Principal Early Years

Under 5- Under 11 Inter House Cross Country

The Inter House Cross Country will be held on Friday 22 April. Students may wear house colours on the day. Standard Free Dress rules will apply. A timetable of races is published later in the newsletter. 

Under 12 – Under 18 Interhouse Cross Country

The Inter House Cross Country will be held on Wednesday 4 May. Students may wear house colours on the day. Standard Free Dress rules will apply. A timetable of races is listed below.

9.05am Girls Race

9.25am Senior Boys Race (Under 16,17,18)

9.50am Junior Boys Race (Under 12,13,14,15)

Darling Downs Cross Country

Any students turning 13 -18 this year who would like to attend the Darling Downs Cross Country Trials need to see Mr Lincoln for more information. Trials will be held on Tuesday 17 May. Students in the Under 10-12 Age Group must qualify for the Darling Downs Cross Country via the Bunya District Trials on Friday 6 May.

Bunya District Netball

Congratulations to the following girls selected in the Bunya District Netball Teams to attend the Darling Downs Trials next week.

Under 11 – Ava Boland, Lexi Bruce, Lucy Reed, Lainey Geiger, Isabelle Manley, Matilda Ryan, Gemma Sullivan,

Under 12 – Sophie Taylor, Sophie Jeude, Abigail Zillman, Charlotte Bennie.

Bunya District Under 12 Sports Trials Dates in May

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.

11 May – Tennis

12 May – Rugby Union

QISSN Netball

Congratulations to the following girls who have been selected to represent the College at the Queensland Independent Secondary Schools Netball Carnival in Mackay over the June / July Holidays. Trial games have been played against Dalby SHS and Downlands College and another game has been organised against St Mary’s Kingaroy next Wednesday.

2022 Team – Claudia Child, Hannah Pattison, Chloe Donaldson, Violet Wilkie Boulus, Charlotte Roberts, Abby Marshall, Claire Harth, Tiffany Ham, Carla Nobbs, Hannah Taylor.

Shadow Players – Mackenzie Wedrat, Kaitlyn Harms

Confraternity Shield Rugby League

Congratulations to the following boys who have been selected to represent the College at the Confraternity Shield Rugby League Carnival in Mackay in the June / July Holidays. The boys will play in the Darling Downs Rugby League Competition this term. The students are Brayden Falvey, Harry Cooper, Charlie Cooper, Bailey Skinner, Bailey Rathmell, Cooper McDonnell, Lyhkan King Togia, Wil Brady, Hunter James, Joe Gillett, Jaiken Crothers, Toby Harms, Brock Sankey, Tom Gillespie, Joe Sankey, Cody Wenham, Lyucian King Togia, Jacob Utz, Daniel O’Callaghan, Keli Leahy, Hayden Taylor.

Rugby League

The Darling Downs Secondary Schools Rugby League Competition will begin next week. Games will be played on a Wednesday afternoon after school with some games being held in Dalby and other weeks games being played in Toowoomba. Students and parents need to coordinate with team coaches about training and travel arrangements each week.

Under 13 – Mr Fraser and Mr Cullen

Under 15- Mr Spain

Under 18 – Mr Gillespie

Round 1 Wednesday 27 April

Dalby Leagues Club

Under 13 vs Dalby SHS at 4pm

Under 15 vs Dalby SHS at 5pm

Under 18 vs Dalby SHS at 6pm

Round 2 Wednesday 4 May  

Under 13 vs Centenary Heights SHS at 4pm at Brothers Toowoomba

Under 15 vs Pittsworth SHS at 5pm at Brothers Toowoomba

Under 18 vs Assumption College Warwick at 5pm Dalby Leagues Club

Darling Downs Under 15 Rugby Union Trials

Any boys turning 14 or 15 this year who would like to attend Darling Downs Under 15 Rugby Union Trials need to see Mr Lincoln for more information. Trials will be held on Tuesday 3 May.

Tim Lincoln

Middle Leader Sport

College Athletics and Cross-Country training will commence next week. Please see the scheduled attached in the newsletter. Training this term in open to all students in the College.

Welcome back to Term 2! I would like to say a well done to our Early Years Choir who performed at the end of last term at Dalby Show. Thank you to all the students and their hard work and all the parents who came to support them. Well done as well to all the students who entered into the photography and art competition. I hope you all got to see the amazing work our students are doing.

Starting out we’re continuing with our Culture Extra Curricular Program and building on the great skills we learnt last term. An important note is that for Week 1, 2, and 3 Piano lessons will take place on Wednesday. Additionally, Mr Dore will be away Weeks 5, 6, and 7, but back and ready to go for Week 8 onwards. If you’re still looking to participate in this program please contact Miss Creeley because places are filling up fast.

Make sure you mark your calendars because this term is our first Eisteddfod of the year, the Piano and Vocal Eisteddfod which will take place 31 May – 4 June. In addition to our CECP students our Early Years students and both Early Years and Middle Years Choirs are beginning to prepare for this exciting event. If you would also like to enter into the Eisteddfod for a solo category, please contact Miss Nicholson and Miss Creeley by Tuesday 26 April.

Now for an exciting announcement… Coming to you Term 3 is our Enchanted Evening! This will be a night full of wonder and magic that showcases the brilliant talent of our students. Auditions will take place in Week 3 and will be open to students from Year 7 – 12. More information will come out before the end of the week. We can’t wait to get creating!

Tamara Creely

Middle Leader Culture

After outstanding success last year, winning two awards, including placing in the top 3 teams in the state, the College is gearing up to once again enter the Optiminds Challenge in 2022. Optiminds is a creative sustainability challenge which empowers participants to think, create and communicate through a problem-solving event for teams of 4-7 students. There are a variety of divisions for teams (determined by the year level of the oldest group member) who choose to solve open-ended challenges from one of the following categories:

• Language Literature
• Science Engineering
• Social Sciences
• Media Communication

When is it and what is my time commitment?

• Challenges open July 19
• Teams have 6 weeks to prepare
• Challenge Day – Sunday August 28, Toowoomba (either in person or virtual)
• Teams present their solution in a 10-minute presentation to a panel of judges
• Teams also participate in a spontaneous challenge
• Facilitators commit to meeting with their team on a weekly basis for this period at a time mutually suitable to participants and facilitator

At OLSCC, students from Years 2-10 are invited to participate.

In preparation for this, Mrs Walton will be offering Critical and Creative Thinking Club during Term 2 on Wednesday afternoons, 3.15-4:00pm. Whilst it is not compulsory to attend this club in Term 2, it is intended to provide experience and preparation of similar tasks as the Optiminds challenges and may help with team selections.

Parents and caregivers of students who wish to participate in either Critical and Creative Thinking Club and/or Optiminds should register their interest by completing this form online by Monday 28 March. An individual form entry is required for each child.

Optiminds / Critical and Creative Thinking Club

Team selections will be finalised late in Term 2. Thankyou to staff who have volunteered to manage teams during the challenge period. This has enabled us to offer this opportunity to our students.

2022 Term 1 Fees are now overdue. For families who have not yet paid their Term 1 Fees, please do so as soon as possible.

If any families are experiencing financial hardship, please contact the College Business Manager, Sarah Hall, for a confidential discussion.