Year 12 Graduation

Next week we will celebrate the culmination of 12 years of education as our Year 12 students graduate and leave our College to continue on their Journey of Faith and Knowledge. It has been an honour and a pleasure to watch these young adults grow and mature as they prepare themselves for a world of further study, work or a combination of the two.  I was looking over their school photos from the start of the year and reflected on how much they have grown academically, physically and spiritually over the past year.  I can only imagine the same reflections others have after witnessing their growth over many more years. As the exams are finalised, Graduation ensues, followed rapidly by the College Farewell and Graduation Mass.  In the haste of all this action next week, I ask the seniors to reflect on the following scripture from 1 Timothy 4:12: Let no-one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. The message this scripture carries is as relevant now as it ever has been.  Your young age is a fictitious boundary that only you and those around you can allow to limit what you can achieve.  You can develop this trust and entrepreneurial approach through your general conduct in the wider world in which you will enter.   All you have learnt in your journey thus far has established this belief as well as the person you are, and you should not bow down to the lowest standards of society, rather be an exemplar, achieve great things, and in doing so, encourage others to do the same. I have the greatest of faith in this amazing group of Year 12 graduates and greatly look forward to hearing from you and all you have achieved in days, months, years and decades into the future!

Parent Class List Form

Over the next week we are finalising class lists for next year.  While subject selection will form the basis of the majority of lists for students in Years 9-12, the remaining year levels will be separated into their specific classes so that class lists can be distributed next week in preparedness for Up Day on Friday, 23 November.  Every student from Prep to Year 6 will bring home a form today so that parents can raise any specific issues regarding student learning or social issues that can be taken into consideration whilst teachers are creating the lists.  It is important to note that teachers are creating these lists based on the same needs of the students from their perspective, and they will not be based on parental preferences for specific teachers.  We are building the collective capacity of our entire staff toward excellence in teaching and learning and as such all classes will have a range and balance of abilities, behaviours, genders and specific skill sets.  While there is no requirement for you to submit a form, if you wish to communicate learning and social needs of your child, please feel free to do so by handing in your completed form to the Office by Monday at 9am.

Up Day

Up Day is great chance for all students across the College to truly understand what their education and routines will look like in 2019. As class lists will be confirmed and set before this date, students will be in their actual classes for 2019 and will roll through a day in the timetable of 2019.  More details will be available next week, though this is a great experience for transition for all of our students.

Peter Cuskelly

Principal

Yesterday our Year 12 students began their final week of exams for school and many other classes are working on assessment.  The prayer this week is for those sitting assessment: 

Father, 

I pray that you would be with me as I sit for assessment.  

Thank you for your guidance in leading me to this study and for sustaining me as I work through this year.  I ask now that your spirit would lead me. 

Come sharpen my thinking and help me to excel in this test of my learning and understanding. 

May I be able to recall everything I need from my studies. 

May your support be my strength and guide, 

Amen 

I love this time of year at our College, although extremely busy it is rewarding to see the achievements of our students' last week at the Awards Ceremonies and then to celebrate with the Year 12 students, the conclusion of their 13 years of schooling.  We are so proud of all these young men and women and the celebrations we hold to reflect on their schooling are important for us as a College.  For many of these students, the complete 13 years have been spent at our College and we know that they will cherish their memories of schooling as they head into the next part of their journey.  

Graduation Celebrations for our Year 12 students 

Next week, on Thursday 15 November at 9:00am, we will gather in the MPC as a whole College to farewell our Year 12 students.  All students are to wear College Formal uniform for these occasions.  

On Friday we then celebrate the Graduation Mass with students from Year 9-12 at St Joseph’s Church at 9:00am.  All students attending this Mass are to wear full College Formal uniform for these occasions, students (Year 9-12) who have active sports on Friday afternoon will need to bring sports uniform to change into.  

Family and community members are welcome and encouraged to join us at these celebrations. 

Student Leaders 2019 

Today, the final speeches and voting for Student Leaders will occur.  The positions for Student Leaders including College Captains, Prefect, House and SRC will be announced in the middle of the ceremony at the College Farewell to Year 12 next Thursday 15 November, 9am in the MPC.  The students will also be presented with badges at this time.  These positions will not be announced before then and no phone call or text messages will be made to families of these students to confirm positions.  We thank the Leaders of 2018 who have done an incredible job leading our College and wish all aspiring leaders the best in their applications. 

If you would like more information about any of these celebrations, please contact Mrs Cate Brennan via the College Office. 

Cate Brennan

Assistant Principal Mission

This year we celebrated McAuley Day on Friday, 2 November at lunch time. Lots of fun was had as we celebrated by having a sausage sizzle, decorating biscuits, blue  drinks, blue jelly cups, a group photo and a big game of bull rush out on the oval.  

We got all our McAuley students and teachers to participate by giving $2 which paid for our sausages and the extra money went to a charity that is supported by Catherine McAuley. This is a great way to end the year which also included winning the House Cup once again. 

“We should be shining lamps giving light to all around us” Catherine McAuley  

Junior McAuley House Leaders  

Junior

Touch Football

Last weekend, a Primary Mixed Team attend the QLD All Schools Touch Football Carnival at Cleveland. Thanks to all the parents and families who came to support the team and to our amazing senior students Dan Gillespie, Ky Kirtley, Sarah McQuaid and Lachlan Wilkins (Referee) for coaching our team. Many other teachers and officials commented on how lucky our players were to have older students assist with coaching. The team were once again placed in a strong pool with all losses recorded against teams who progressed well into the second day of competition. The team was predominantly Year 5 students so it was good learning experience for 2019.

Game Results are listed below

Loss to Guardian Angels School  0-7 (made semi finals of Championship Division)

Win vs Wishart State School 10-2

Loss to Dunwich State School 3-5 (made Championship Final 16)

This placed the team in 31st position overall out of 53 Teams and into the Cup Division (2nd highest).

Cup Round 16 Game

Loss to Worongary State School 0-7 (went on to win the Cup Final)

Silver Sports Award Recipients 2018

Year 4

Alexandra Boland, Isabel Johnston, Emmysen Crothers, Heidi Reed, Jack Gibson, Charlise Conn, Lachlan Fraser, Archie Smart, Emelia Turner

Year 5

Tiffany Ham, Ryan Champion, Maddison Gater, , Riley Paterson, Alex Patterson,

Year 6 

Emily Griffiths, Maddy Martin, Abbey Bradley, Bailey Brennan, Eli Harth, Lily Reed, Jessica MacDonald

Senior

Rugby Sevens

SWQ Sevens Series Results

Boys Under 14

Wins against Lockyer State High School and Highfields SSC

Boys Under 16

Win against St Mary’s College

Loss vs Scots College Warwick and Faith Lutheran Plainlands

Girls Under 14

Win vs St Ursula’s 2 29-20

Win vs Glennie 2 24-5 

Athletics

Congratulations to Harry Coman who has been selected in the QLD Athletics Teams for the National Championships in Cairns in December. Harry will compete in the Under 18 Boys 110m Hurdles.

Silver Sports Award Recipients 2018

Year 7 

Hannah Pattison, Dan O’Callaghan, Josh Nimmo, Cody O’May, Angus Cronin, Abby Wilkins, Will Elder, Luke Wallen, Kurt Clarke, Holly McQuaid

Year 8

Wil Brady, Lyhkan King Togia, Bailey Skinner, Tim Mauch, Claudia Child, Lily Schloss

Year 9

Dylan Nobbs, Maggie Laffy

Year 10

Shiro Frid, Lachlan Wilkins, Ky Kirtley, Pat Kelly, Gab Sombrero

Year 12

Pat Sankey, Kaleb Stewart, Lachlan Malone, Georgia Ryan, Jaylee Alexander, Harry Daniel, Riley Sankey, Eboni Frid, Brittany Pascoe

Tim Lincoln

Sports Coordinator

Last week, the College hosted a thank you luncheon for the employers or our Year 12 School Based Trainees and Apprentices. The lunch provided an opportunity for students to receive their certificates for the traineeship or apprenticeship they completed. Mr Cuskelly and Mrs Baxter were present to also acknowledge and thank the employers for their support of our students.

As the academic year draws to a close and the Christmas season is upon us, it’s a great time to reflect on and be grateful for the many blessings we have. The Christmas season also brings to our attention the plight of so many families who are less fortunate than us and provides us with an opportunity to give something back to those in need. 

Each year, we as a College make every effort to support St Vincent De Paul in their challenge to help the needy in our community.  The focus for St Vincent De Paul this year is "supporting families”, who they feel are most in need at this time.  We are seeking donations of gift cards, day to day items, tinned food, as well as some traditional Christmas treats.  These could be items that are considered treats at Christmas or staples to fill a pantry. 

Donations can be placed under the giving tree at the College Office or in the box/basket in your child's classroom by Friday, 30 November. All the donations will then be given to the St Vincent De Paul Society at the College Christmas Fair on Sunday, 2 December.

Please see the table for your child's class group so we can streamline the donations ensuring we receive a range of goodies for those in need.

Why developing empathy in your child matters

Parenting is a socialisation process during which parents develop in their children and teenagers the skills and attitudes that will enable them to fit into the different groups they encounter. These groups will exist inside the classroom, in friendship groups, during sports and leisure activities and elsewhere.

This socialisation process needs to begin from a young age.

Initially, most kids believe that their world and everyone in it revolves around them. "I want" is their mantra. Patient, firm parents will continually remind children that they need to think of others. "It’s your brother’s turn.""Nana doesn’t feel comfortable listening to that language." "Think about how your behaviour affects others." These are the types of appeal to a less self-centred approach that many parents make.

The socialisation process operates on two levels. On one level its focus is on teaching and helping kids to follow social rules or conventions that exist to help them get along with each other. At a deeper level successful socialisation develops empathy in a child or young person.

Empathy – the ability to understand how another person is feeling or how they respond to a behaviour or an event – is the basis of all respectful relationships. Without empathy it’s impossible for someone to enjoy a relationship based on respect and equality. It’s easy for a person who doesn’t practise empathy to reject, bully, intimidate or hurt someone else.

Empathy learned in childhood carries on to adult life

Empathetic adults enjoy better personal relationships and experience less stress. They also make better leaders who are more likely to get the best out of people than self-centred, result-focused leaders.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that empathy, if neglected in childhood, can be difficult to develop in adulthood. In some adults it takes a traumatic event or a 'road-to-Damascus' moment for them to adopt an empathetic perspective.

So, rather than wait until adulthood, let’s focus on developing empathy in your children and adolescents. There is a good chance they will benefit very soon in terms of enjoying better friendships, improved wellbeing and more success at school. Here are five ideas to get you started:

• Model empathetic behaviour. Be kind even though the person in front of you in that queue is slow.
• Read fiction stories to kids or encourage them to read fiction. People who read fiction score highest on tests that ask them to infer other people’s thoughts and emotions.
• Praise kind and compassionate behaviours. The behaviours that parents focus on, even with teenagers, are those that tend to expand, so bring their empathetic behaviours to the fore.
• Validate your child’s feelings. When a child shares difficult stories or emotions let them know you understand, without offering solutions or advice.
• Invite your child to walk in someone else’s shoes. Occasionally ask your child a question like, "What would it be like to be feel tall like Tanya?"

Empathy is too important to wait until adulthood so make it a priority to develop a sense of 'other' in your child from an early age.

Michael Grose - Parenting Ideas Website

We recently included information in the Newsletter about the Lions Club International Peace Poster competition and we are now proud to unveil the entries from our College students. Mrs McArthur has encouraged and supported a number of students with their entries which are on display in the foyer of the Library ready for judging this Sunday. The theme for this year's competition, 'Kindness Matters' has been embraced by the students and there are some very inspiring and colourful posters to be considered.

Next week, we celebrate the Graduation of our Year 12 students with a full program of events concluding with Graduation Mass on Friday at St Joseph's Church. In order to fit all our events into the one publication of the Southern Cross Connection for Week 6, we will hold off publishing the Newsletter until Friday lunch time. It will be a bumper issue so will definitely be worth the wait!

TUCKSHOP ROSTER