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Friday 15 September - Grandparents Day Whole College
Saturday 16 September - Saints Race Day
Saturday 16 September to 2 October - Holidays
The Term 3 calendar of events is now available via the link below. You can print this out and have it at home so you know everything that is happening at our College.
Just a reminder that the parking area in front of the Prep buildings includes 10 parks with 2 minute windows so that traffic congestion is avoided.
Disappointingly, these time restrictions are being tested, and at times, completely ignored by members of our community. Continuing this leads to decreased traffic flow, more congestion and is likely to result in financial loss through traffic fines as this parking area will be actively patrolled by police and council to ensure it is used appropriately.
Simply adhering to the traffic rules will avoid unwanted intervention and fines.
If parents wish to stop the car and walk into the College, they should park:
- Further along Nicholson Street in front of the staff carpark
- On the opposite side of Nicholson Street to the College
- Further along Nicholson Street in front of the Senior School (where there will soon be the new parks painted in). This is also a viable option for drop and go, as students can enter the College by following the cement path and heading towards the Early Years without having to cross a driveway or the road.
Our Come and Try Day for Term 3 is coming up soon! If you know anyone who has been wondering what a day is like here at Our Lady of the Southern Cross College, please encourage them to join us and try it out for themselves! Details are:
- Wednesday 26 July
- Open to any student who will be Yr 1-10 in 2024
- Please register at the College Office on 46724111
- Come for an hour, a half a day, a full day – choose your own adventure!
Welcome Back
It’s hard to believe that half of the year has already passed! At the end of last term, we had some wonderful opportunities to celebrate our wonderful community through athletics carnivals, ArtsFest, and year 10 work experience. We also had the opportunity to share semester 1 report cards to provide parents and carers with feedback regarding every student’s progress toward the end of year achievement standard in their subjects. It is important to note that this progress report is best used by staff, students, and parents alike to set goals and determine patterns of behaviour that will support students to strive towards success and excellence by the end of the year in each subject. Being the start of the new semester, now is a great time to talk to teachers and your child about learning, progress and what students can focus on to improve their success.
Installation of Bishop
Yesterday I was blessed to attend the Installation of the seventh Bishop of Toowoomba, Most Reverend Kenneth Michael Howell at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Toowoomba. Our college was well represented by our Captains, Zahra Manteit & Joshua Nimmo, as well as one of our College Prefects, Jacob Utz. It was quite the experience to witness the volume of ordained bishops, priests and deacons that attended the ceremony and presided over the installation.
After listening to Bishop Ken Howell yesterday, I am inspired to work for and serve his ministry in the Diocese of Toowoomba. He spoke of engaging with society, life on the land, supporting our First Nations brothers and sisters, and of the great work that God’s people can do to enhance our communities. I look forward to seeing this message transpire into action in our College over future years, and throughout our Diocese of Toowoomba Catholic Schools.
Shaping Our Future – Survey coming out on Monday!
Every two years we ask staff, parents and students in our schools to share their views, to ‘check in’ on how each school within our community, and as a group of 31 schools together, we are bringing to life our purpose: to enable full and flourishing lives. We do this by asking each of you to complete a perception survey. The Shaping our future – Toowoomba Catholic Schools perception survey will be sent via Sentral on the Monday 17 July, so keep an eye out for it.
Great Ambassadors for our College
Over the holidays we were well represented in many fields amongst the wider community. Our QISSN Netball team had their best carnival yet, with 6 wins and 1 loss! This finished them in third of their combined division. As they say, success breeds success, and the continue focus of this team certainly came to the fore when needed at QISSN. We are all very proud of you girls!
Our rugby league team at confraternity once again stood up and performed beyond expectations, finishing 4th in our division of 16 teams. This is a remarkable effort considering some schools we competed against had 10 times the enrolment of age eligible boys to choose their team from – and I’m pretty sure they are eating very different food from us as well! Despite this, the determination and grit shown by our boys was outstanding.
Likewise, we had 4 girls representing St Joseph’s College in Toowoomba, who took out their division at confraternity with a nailbiting victory over Shalom College. Our girls performed extremely well and were an asset to the SJC team.
During the holidays, we also had 5 girls named in the Volleyball Queensland Squad. Tiffany Ham, Monique Smith, Charlotte Bennie, Lucy Cusack and Jacinda Smith – Well done!!
And last but not least, Judd Alderton travelled to South Australia to attend the national boxing titles and walked away as the Australian Champion in the Junior 63kg division. An outstanding effort!!
Mr Peter Cuskelly
Principal
Welcome back to Term 3, I cannot believe we are halfway through the year. Preps have been in school for almost 100 days and our Year 12’s have less than 100 days left. On Monday staff gathered for a professional development day. To begin the day we had a session on wellbeing. There are so many things we can do to impact our own wellbeing and others in a positive way. It was a great way to get back into the swing of things after our holidays. The other sessions in our day were focused on Australian Curriculum Version 9.0, more details on the implementation of v9.0 below.
Australian Curriculum v9.0
Teachers at our College have been familiarising themselves with the Australian Curriculum version 9.0 (v9.0) since 2022. We currently use the Australian Curriculum version 8.4 (v8.4) to develop our units of work for our students. V8.4 has been As a College, we are using 2023 to familiarise ourselves with v9.0. We will begin implementing this updated version in 2024. Implementation will focus on English and Maths and then flow into other Key Learning Areas over the next few years. As we implement v9.0 we work to ensure that we achieve the purpose of the curriculum:
The Australian Curriculum is designed to prepare young people for the future world in which they will learn, and prepares them to respond to the challenges that will continue to shape their world. It sets out the priorities and aspirations we hold for all our young people. The curriculum represents what the Australian community values as the knowledge, understanding and skills that young people should attain.
The Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration (December 2019) commits all Australian educators to achieving 2 goals:
- The Australian education system promotes excellence and equity.
- All young Australians become confident and creative individuals, successful lifelong learners, and active and informed members of the community.
One of the most exciting parts of a Prep-Year 12 College is the privilege of being able to watch our young people learn, grow and change over their thirteen years. We really do see their development from early learners to young people heading out to be future leaders in our world.
NAIDOC WEEK
As NAIDOC Week falls in the school holidays we mark it this week as a College. 'For Our Elders' NAIDOC Week 2023 will be celebrated together at our College at our Whole College Assembly this Friday at 8:50am in the MPC. Why not grab a coffee from the College Café (closes at 8:30am) and join us for this celebration. Bobbi Lockyer, a proud Ngarluma, Kariyarra, Nyulnyul and Yawuru artist, born and based on Kariyarra Country in Port Hedland, is the winner of the prestigious National NAIDOC Week Poster Competition for 2023 with her entry, 'For Our Elders'.
“Where there is knowledge there are our Elders. Our Elders paved the pathways for us, taught us our knowledge, our history, they passed down their art, stories and wisdom. Our Elders are the foundation of our communities and role models for our children. With this poster I wanted to showcase how important our Elders are in passing down traditions and culture to our children and future.” said Bobbi.
GRANDPARENTS DAY
Don’t forget to let your grandparents know that our annual Grandparent’s Day has been expanded for 2023 and will encompass all year levels from Prep to Year 12. It will be a big morning at the College on Friday 15 September.
CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK
In Week 3 we join with the other Catholic Schools of our diocese and state to celebrate Catholic Education Week. We will commence our week with a Whole College Mass on Monday 24 July at 1:50pm in the MPC. This year’s theme, Communities of Faith, Hope and Love allows us to celebrate our wonderful community throughout the week. Other events during the week are our staff breakfast; Prep – Year 4 Retreats, hosted by our Year 11 students, Catholic Schools Netball and Touch competition, Pupil Free day on Friday 28 July while our staff gather in Toowoomba with colleagues and our new Bishop, Bishop Ken Howell.
On Australia Day, 1938, protestors marched through the streets of Sydney, followed by a congress attended by over a thousand people. One of the first major civil rights gatherings in the world, it was known as the Day of Mourning. After the Day of Mourning, there was a growing feeling that it should be a regular event.
1939 William Cooper wrote to the National Missionary Council of Australia to seek their assistance in supporting and promoting an annual event.
1940 – 1955 Day of mourning was held annually on the Sunday before Australia Day.
1955 This was shifted to the first Sunday in July, and it was decided the day should be not just a day of protest but also one of celebration.
1956 – 1990 Formation of National Aborigines Day Observance Committee (NADOC). Second Sunday in July became a day of remembrance for Aboriginal people and their heritage.
1991 – Present NADOC was expanded to recognise Torres Strait Islander people and their culture. The committee became known as National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC). This new name has become the title for the whole week, not just the day.
Each year, a theme is chosen to reflect the important issues and events for NAIDOC Week. This year’s theme is For Our Elders. This theme highlights how across every generation, our Elders have played, and continue to play an important role and hold a prominent place in our communities and families.
Let us pray for our Aboriginal brothers and sisters, asking God to bless our Indigenous races with new hope ...
Father of all, You gave our Aboriginal People the Dreaming
You have spoken to them through their beliefs,
You then made your love clear to them in the person of Jesus.
We thank you for your care of these people.
You own them. You are their hope.
Make them strong as they face the problems of change
We ask you to help us, the people of Australia,
To listen to them and respect their culture.
Make the knowledge of you grow strong in all people
So that you can be at home in all of us,
And so that we can make a home for everyone in our land.
Amen.
Adapted from the Prayer prepared by the Aboriginal People for Pope John Paul II's visit to Alice Springs 1986
From Hannah, Joey and Jacob
Another great experience for our seniors was had by our returning and new QISSRL and QISSN players that were a part of the 2023 teams including the girls representing St Joesph College Toowoomba. We took our journey to Brisbane leaving Sunday 25 June arriving at the Opening Ceremony. This was an eye opener, seeing the number of teams that will be competing for the week ahead. It was a jammed packed Monday through to Wednesday for the girls who managed to win all games in their pool with the exception of one very tight game which resulted in a draw. This result promoted the team to the division above for finals and what a great few games that was, competing Thursday and Friday. The girls managed a third place in their division with the highlight of their week, being the amount of wins they achieved. The girls showed great sportsmanship and companionship, as it was visible to all on and off the court. The boys had some great games, they had a slow start with their first game but then proceeded to win all games leading into the semi-finals. The semi game was versing the host school St Laurence’s College, they were the team to beat but unfortunately, they had victory against the boys. The highlight of their week was attending the Broncos and Titans game at Suncorp Stadium and creating mateship within the team. All players would like to acknowledge appreciation to the sponsors, teachers, staff and parents who were able to support the trip for both Confraternity and the QISSN carnival, it is a fantastic experience and should be for many more students for years to come.
Over the holidays was also the celebration of NAIDOC Week. What is NAIDOC? NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Before NAIDOC was formed, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people mourned and protested on the Sunday before Australia Day, which was originally known as Aborigines Day. It was then shifted to what it is known as today, a week of celebration for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture, held every July. Each year, the celebration of NAIDOC week spreads across Australia and was even celebrated within our school. This years’ celebration was held over the holidays from the 2nd to the 9th of July. Additionally, the National NAIDOC theme this year was 'For our Elders'. As an Indigenous person, respect for our elders is essential, as they are our mentors, and play an important role in our communities and families. Even as different ethnicity people, I believe we all should join in, and celebrate the commemoration of Australian history and Aboriginal culture this year.
Welcome Back to Term 3!
This term holds great promise and opportunities for each student. As we begin this new phase of the academic year, it is essential to set ourselves up for success. Let's embrace a positive mindset, approach our studies with enthusiasm, and make the most of the resources and support available to us. Remember, your teachers and the school community are here to guide and assist you every step of the way.
As usual the mid-year break sees lots of staff and students having a busy holiday break, with the QISSN and Confraternity Carnivals held in Brisbane in the first week of the holidays. I offer my sincere thanks to the staff who travelled in the first week of their holidays, as managers, coaches and supporters of our QISSN and Confraternity teams. They were warm, caring, professional, generous and skilled. It was a joy for me to witness how well the students responded to their care.
The students were terrific and played with heart and sportsmanship. Congratulations to all players across both netball and rugby league in your efforts over the week.
Thanks also to the many parents and friends who were solid supporters on the sidelines. The whole week was a great endorsement for our whole college community.
Term 3 is always a critical term, where learning is consolidated and extended for students. This term is critical for our Years 10, 11 and 12 students. Year 10 now engages in the process of developing their Senior Education & Training plans; Year 11 students consolidate their units of achievement in readiness for Year 12; and Year 12 need to dig in, balance workload and non-school commitments to end well and strong in their final terms at school.
In addition, I would like to remind everyone that our Student-Led Conferences will be taking place on Wednesday, 26 July. This is an exciting opportunity for students to take ownership of their learning journey, showcase their progress, and engage in meaningful conversations with their parents and teachers. It's a chance to reflect on your achievements, set goals, and collaborate on strategies for further growth. We encourage all students to prepare for these conferences and take full advantage of this valuable experience. Further information on booking via the parent portal will come out later this week.
I am looking forward to another productive and successful school term. As a community parents should be proud of the efforts your students have put into their school work and their overall exemplary behaviour. Of course, this does not occur by accident or by good luck. The pride students take in their work and how they conduct themselves is a product of great parenting and highly effective teaching. It takes hard work, but the fruits of our labour will be well worth the effort.
We wish everyone a fantastic start to Term 3 and look forward to witnessing the growth and success of each individual. Together, let's make this term a memorable and rewarding one!
Mr Rodney Spain
Assistant Principal – Senior Years
The beginning of a new term always brings such excitement! Students and teachers have had a chance to rest, restore and refill their cup. The anticipation of a clean slate, new goals to set and friendships to consolidate give us much to look forward to.
Over the next week, all Early Years families will receive an email outlining course overviews for the learning that will happen this term in your child’s class. These are intentionally sent home at the BEGINNING of each term so that you can support your child by referring back to these to discuss the learning that is happening. Remember to use our regular questions:
- What are you learning? (students refer to the Learning Intention in class)
- How are you doing? How do you know? (students check the Success Criteria to respond to this)
- How can you improve? (what feedback do you have from the teacher or peers that can help to bump your learning up?)
- Where will you go for help?
You should also be hearing plenty of mention of the Learning Dispositions and the Learning Pit during these discussions. Feel free to share any stories back to either your teacher or myself as we love to hear how the learning conversations happen at home.
Uniform Reminders – the beginning of a new term is a great time to reset our standard of uniform, and to check whether any items need updating or replacing. In particular, please ensure your child’s footwear meets uniform guidelines. For clarity:
Formal Uniform Yrs 1-4: Footwear must be black LEATHER or LEATHER LOOK joggers or LEATHER lace up dress shoes (including ‘Mary-Jane’ style shoes for girls). Currently, some students are wearing black mesh joggers with formal uniform. This does not meet the uniform guidelines, please purchase for 2023 are LEATHER or LEATHER LOOK joggers or LEATHER lace up dress shoes.
Sport Uniform Yrs P-4: From 2024 all sport shoes (joggers) must be all black. If you are needing to replace sport shoes in the second half of the year, purchasing all black shoes (not shoes with with white trim, or any other visible colour) will ensure that they meet uniform guidelines with longevity.
Mesh joggers are not acceptable footwear with the formal uniform.
Mrs Katrina Walton
Assistant Principal Early Years
Last Term in science we learnt about pollution and its effect upon our environment. When we visited the science lab, we had a scenario where a ship had overturned and was leaking oil. The students investigated the best way to clean up the oil from their ocean.
University of Southern Queensland Experience Days
The University of Southern Queensland held experience days for Year 11 and 12 students on the 6th of July. Two Year 11 students, Shannon Larsen and Nadine Garside attended the experience day and enjoyed the attending university classes with lecturers and tutors. Shannon attended class involving psychology and criminology and Nadine attended classes involving the performing arts, theatre and visual arts. Both students found the day insightful and a worthwhile experience.
Middle School Career Days
During week 1 of term 3, year 6, 7 and 8 students attended career intensive days held at the College. These students experienced activities that are designed to give them an insight into the world of careers and employment post high school education. The middle school students were also given first hand experiences by year 10, 11 and 12 students who have already started their career journeys by attending School Based Apprenticeships or Traineeships. Guest speakers form the community including past students Ryan Troe (BMO) and Joshua Halling (Nutrient) spoke to the students about their career journeys and Gavin Bradford (Diesel Care) gave his insights about his career journey and expectations of young people in the workplace. As parents, it is important to start to discuss a career with you child and encourage the natural curiosity of young people and the world of employment and work.
Important Dates: Up and Coming Events – Save the Date
5 – 16 July – Tertiary Studies and Careers Expo – Brisbane Showgrounds. CareersEvent.com
Friday 21 July 2023 Dalby Careers Expo
9.00 – 10.10am OLSCC Yrs 10, 11 & 12 Students
10.15 – 11.25am OLSCC Yr 9 Students
UNIVERSITY OPEN DAYS 2023
We encourage Year 11 and 12 students who are interested in attending University, to attend the open day of Choice. For open days, you are required to register for the day. To register click on the link there will be a register tab.
Griffith University
Gold Coast & Nathan Campuses
Open Day Sunday 13 August 9am -2pm
QUT Open Day
Gardens Point & Kelvin Grove Campuses
Sunday 30 July 2023 9am -3pm
University of the Sunshine Coast Australia
Sunshine Coast Campus
Sunday 16 July 2023 9am – 2pm
Moreton Bay Campus
Sunday 23 July 2023 9am – 2pm
University of Sunshine Coast - Guarantee early offer
UQ Open Day 2023
St Lucia Campus
Sunday 6 August 9am – 3pm
Gatton Campus TBC
UniSQ Open Days
Springfield & Ipswich Campus
Sunday 13 August 2023
Toowoomba Campus
Sunday 20 August 2023
JCU Virtual Open Day
Virtual Open Day
Tuesday 12 September 2023 3pm – 7 pm - Register online
Southern Cross University
Gold Coast
6 August 2023
Southern Cross University Open Day
Australian Catholic University
Brisbane
Saturday 26 August 2023 10am – 2pm
Early Offer applications open
24 July – 18 September 2023
Apprenticeship Opportunities
Apprenticeships for Year 12 students for 2024 are available at the following companies: Hastings Deering, Ergon Energy and Komatsu. Students have been emailed this information along with the links. If your child is interested, please ask your child to open these emails.
Golden West are offering an apprenticeship in Cabinet making in Dalby please see the link Golden West Apprenticeships - Current School-based Opportunities (mailchi.mp)
Plumbing – A local plumbing business is offering an SBA in plumbing for a student who is interested in this rewarding trade and career. Driver’s licences in preferred. Please see Mr. Garside for further details.
Mr Dean Garside
Career Development Practitioner
Darling Downs Rugby League Competition
Semi Final Results
Under 13
OLSCC defeated Highfields SSC 24-18
Under 18
Harristown SHS defeated OLSCC 28-18
Under 13 Grand Final
OLSCC vs Dalby SHS Wednesday 2 August in Dalby
Rugby Union
Congratulations to Archie Stephens who has been selected in the Darling Downs Under 12 Rugby Union Team for the State Championships in Ipswich later this month.
Rugby League
Congratulations to Charlotte Colquhoun who will represent Bunya District at the Darling Downs Girls Rugby League Trials next week in Toowoomba.
QLD Representative
Congratulations to Carla Nobbs who has been selected in the QLD U15 Touch Football Team to attend the National Championships in Darwin. Carla was captain of the Darling Downs Team that attended the State Championships in Bundaberg.
QISSRL / QISSN Netball and Rugby League Tour
Congratulations to all players involved with the Confraternity Shield Rugby League and QISSN Netball Carnival held on the first week of the school holidays. The Netball team had our most successful carnival yet – winning Pool H and moving up to Finals in Division 7. The girls ended up finishing third in this division. The Rugby League team had a target on its back from Day 1 after winning B Division last year. The boys did well to finish in fourth position overall. Thanks to all parents, staff, supporters and sponsors for their commitment to these teams in 2023. Preparations have already begun for the 2024 Carnivals in Townsville.
Confraternity Shield Rugby League
Game 1
Holy Spirit Mackay defeated OLSCC 20-16
Man of the Match – Brock Sankey
OLSCC Award – Hayden Taylor
Game 2
OLSCC defeated St Columban’s Caboolture 22-10
Man of the Match – Joey Sankey
OLSCC Award – Lyucian King Togia
Game 3
OLSCC defeated St Theresa’s Abogwerie 16-14
Man of the Match – Hayden Taylor
OLSCC Award – Brock Sankey
This placed the Boys 2nd in Pool A at the conclusion of the round games.
Quarter Final
OLSCC defeated Assumption College Warwick 20-0
Man of the Match – Harry Cooper
OLSCC Award – Joey Sankey
Semi Final
St Laurence’s College defeated OLSCC 28-16
Man of the Match – Joey Sankey
OLSCC Award – Dan O’Callaghan
Third Place Playoff
St Columban’s Caboolture defeated OLSCC 12-0
Man of the Match – Dan O’Callaghan
OLSCC Award – Dan O’Callaghan
Tom Gillespie was awarded the Spirit of Confraternity Medal
Brock Sankey was named the OLSCC Player of the Carnival
Joey Sankey was awarded the “Player with Most Potential” for the whole carnival
QISSN Netball
Pool H – Team finished 1st
Game 1
OLSCC defeated Emmaus Jimboomba 23-19
Game 2
OLSCC defeated St Mary’s Kingaroy 33-1
Game 3
OLSCC defeated Blackheath Thornburgh Charters Towers 24-11
Game 4
OLSCC defeated St Joseph’s Stanthorpe 26-13
Game 5
OLSCC defeated St Mary’s Ipswich 21-20
Game 6
OLSCC defeated Columba Charters Towers 20-11
Game 7
OLSCC drew with Southern Cross Annadale 19-19
Finals in Division 7
Quarter Final
OLSCC defeated Assisi Coomera 21-12
Semi Final
St Anthony’s Townsville defeated OLSCC 26-15
Third Place Playoff
OLSCC defeated St Augustine’s 16-13
Tiffany Ham was named OLSCC Player of the Carnival
Girls Rugby Sevens
The College will participate in the Darling Downs Independent Schools Rugby Sevens Competition being held on Friday afternoons. Age Groups will be Under 13, Under 15 and Under 18. Draws and permission forms will be sent home, once finalised. The QCIS Girls Rugby Sevens Carnival will be held be held next Friday afternoon at Downlands College.
Bunya District Athletics Carnival
The Bunya District Athletics Carnival will be held on Monday 24 July. Students who have been selected to attend will be notified next week.
Inner Downs Athletics Carnival
The Inner Downs Athletics Carnival will be held on Tuesday 25 July at Dalby Christian College. Students who have nominated to compete, will be given all paperwork next week.
QLD Combined Independent Schools Athletics Carnival
The QCIS Athletics Carnival will be held on Monday 31 July at Scots College Warwick. This is for students aged Under 10 – Open. Students who have been selected to represent the College at this event will be notified next week.
Athletics
The All-Age Relay, Gillespie and Tresillian Gift Races, Staff / Junior / Senior Captains Relay and the Circular Relay will be held in the afternoon session on Our Lady of the Southern Cross Day. Age Champions and Runners Up awards will be presented at College Assembly on Friday 11 August.
Overall Points
Record Breakers
Ava Robinson
Girls Under 8 600m 2.18.40
Isabelle Manley 2.20.00 in 2020
Jasper Filewood
Boys Under 13 1500m 5.11.80
Thomas Knox 1985 & William Herbert 2017 with 5.17.00
Age Group Results
Mr Tim Lincoln
Middle Leader Sport
St Joseph’s School Chinchilla is holding School Horse Sports Day on Friday 25 August 2023 at the Chinchilla Showgrounds.
This event is run in conjunction with Pony Club Queensland and is being hosted by Chinchilla Pony Club so all riders must be members of an affiliated pony club but are permitted to ride in the school equestrian uniform on the day.
The event will be run as a formal gymkhana and all costs, riders transport and supervision will be the responsibility of their parents. Kelly Muller will be acting as team manager at the event.
If your child is interested in participating, please contact Sarah Lilburne via email sarah.lilburne@twb.catholic.edu.au for more details.
