An absolute blast was had by the crowds of students and families who attended the annual showcase of student projects and hands on STEM activities. The favourites of the night had to be the drones closely followed by the sphero’s trying to finish the maze race! Students provided an impressive display of projects they had explored in their classes. Congratulations to the winners on your fantastic projects. Well done to Prep/1O, Mrs O’Brien and Mrs Nothdurft on your Champion STEM Project ‘Gurtle Whabacatoo’ – it is magnificent! Thankyou to the staff and students who gave of their time to make STEM Fair possible.

In our prayers 

We pray especially this week for Marg Callaghan who has been battling cancer for a number of years.  Marg has been a part of our College community since her childhood, as she was a student of St Columba’s.  Her connection deepened in her roles as mother of students attending the College, as beloved administration staff member in both St Mary’s and Our Lady of the Southern Cross offices and as grandmother of College students.  We hold Marg and her family in our prayers, may they feel the reassurance of God’s comforting embrace. 

Reflection After the Review 

Last weeks’ Quadrennial School Review was an excellent process where the staff, students and community were able to give feedback to the panel regarding what is working well at OLSCC, as well as suggestions for what the College could do better. It was rejuvenating to hear the majority of the feedback was positive as well as being directly related to the areas for improvement identified in the previous review from 2017.  On reflection, I see it as crucial to acknowledge the input from all aspects of our College community over the past 2 years in delivering improved learning environments and outcomes for our students.  This is always the key focus of any school/college and I am proud to be able to be the Principal of a community that is so dedicated to making teaching and learning a distinct priority.  To evidence the improvement we are keenly awaiting the finalisation of NAPLAN reports so we can see how our College has improved the learning outcomes for students, though it is clearly evident from the initial raw data (individual student responses) that we have significant gains.  This consolidates the Reading results of our students, as well as their general level of achievement indicated in report cards.  

In addition, the Religious Life of the College has also progressed significantly through the development and implementation of Living Your Faith (LYF).  Though there is still much to achieve in subsequent phases of LYF, the initial phase has shown a collective effort toward heightening our understanding of faith, recreation, our community, and of course the introduction of Praxis, where we enact our faith through service to others. 

For me personally, I couldn’t be prouder of our amazing College and all we stand for.  Over coming weeks you will come to see more of our new College Statement (attached) which outlines the areas of focus for our College as we continue on our continual renewal. There has been much progress over the past 18 months, sometimes at a frantic pace, though our feedback indicated that much of this needed to occur in the short term.  I thank and welcome all the contributors to this progress and from the feedback I am receiving this week from the Executive Leadership Team – CONGRATULATIONS! 

Now, in moving forward, we look forward to the finalised report, which will be made available on the website and which will be used to create our 2020-2023 Strategic Plan.  It is evident that there are some core areas of focus which will see us continue to improve for the benefit of our students and their preparedness to enter the world as active academic contributors, as well simply being good people. 

Leadership Forum 

The leadership forum in St George has been excellent thus far. The workshop on instructional leadership was excellent on Monday, along with a few learnings regarding recruitment and selection.  On Tuesday we learned of new initiatives, policies and projects which will be rolling out, including the new Student Information System which will drastically reduce the duplication of work and align education and administration, making our College far more efficient.  On Wednesday we focussed on the spiritual development of Principals, something that can be overlooked in the fast-paced world of education.  This has given us time to collectively determine where we are, how we are coping, and ways to think moving forward so we can be more like Jesus in the way we live. I look forward to more learning and collaboration over the rest of the week, as well as the benefit this learning will bring to our College. 

Visible Learning Lighthouse Schools Tour 

As part of our Visible Learning journey, our College has been invited to be part of a Toowoomba Catholic Schools Visible Learning Study Tour to Auckland, New Zealand, from Sunday August 25 – Wednesday August 28. The purpose of the tour is to experience and learn from Visible Learning in action in schools that have been working in this area for an extended period and are considered “exemplary” on a global scale. We are grateful to TCS for continuing to strengthen the support network and develop our practice amongst the Visible Learning Lighthouse Schools so that together we can achieve the goals of the project.  

Three members of the Leadership Team, Mr Peter Cuskelly, Mr Steve Gillespie and Mrs Katrina Walton will attend, along with two classroom teachers, Mrs Kristen Joyce and Mrs Bronwyn McArthur. We look forward to the sharing of knowledge and practice on their return as we continue our Visible Learning journey. 

New College Coach 

The tyranny of administration regarding the new coach is almost over and we look forward to it’s delivery on Monday, 19  August.  In valuing the arrival of the long awaited coach, we will be hosting a sausage sizzle and a tour of the coach on Monday from 3:00pm for the community. Please feel free to come along and have a sausage after looking over the new coach which will be directly used to enable far cheaper access for students to curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular experiences.  For individual events, costs will reduce by around 60-70% per individual, though will still be a user pays system for all trips outside of Dalby.  Please note however, that this coach is registered for these activities only, and as such is not a vehicle that is available for hire for other groups or for other purposes. It is possible however, as it is registered under TCS, that other schools in TCS may use the coach from time to time. 

General Permission Form 

Simply, attaining individual permissions for everyday items is a nightmare! On Friday we will send a note home which will include a 'General Permission Form'.  This form will grant permission for your child to attend common outings and excursions with optional tick boxes for you to tick off before signing.  This allows our staff to focus on delivering the learning experiences for students in place of chasing permissions. We ask that all families complete and return the form as promptly as possible, with the first students to hand the form in on Monday gaining the benefit of being the first group on the College Coach! The form will include various items that parents may or may not wish permit their students to engage, so please read and complete carefully before returning to the College.  Obviously, without this form completed, we will still need to send you individual paperwork whenever your child is due to travel.  

Have an amazing end to the week.

Peter Cuskelly

Principal 

Our prayer this week is for all who need the comfort and strength our God provides.  In difficult times we may we be open to the presence of God in our lives.  So we pray: 

Lord, I pray today for strength.  

For the times when things get tough and I feel like giving up…. 

Strength for the times when people fail me…. 

Strength for the times when I feel overwhelmed, stretched to the limit, tired and cranky… 

Instead, send me your joy, your inner peace… inspire me. 

Remind me once again to dust myself off, hold myself tall and to never lose sight of your love. 

May your will be done with my hope placed in you.                

Amen 

Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum - React  

Our students have been learning to recognise if they are safe or unsafe via the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum. Our safety lessons will now be focusing on the second safety message; react. 

When children recognise that they are in an unsafe situation, we encourage them to think about what they could do to be safe again. They will have opportunities to think about ways to react using real-life scenarios. Our students will also learn that breaking the rules (e.g. saying no to an adult who is behaving inappropriately) is sometimes necessary so that they can become safe again.  

Please take the time to talk with your children about what they have been learning about safety and, in particular, the ways they could react if they are unsafe to make themselves safe again. Talking with your child about ways to stay safe will help them to develop life-long safety skills.  

It is important that the key safety messages of the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum: Recognise, React and Report are reinforced, both at school and home. I encourage you, wherever possible, to talk with your child about safety to help them stay safe now and in the future.  

Information about the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum will be published each week in the newsletter and can be found at www.education.qld.gov.au/child-safety-curriculum or see your child’s class teacher.  

Youth Mass 

Our next youth led Mass at St Joseph’s 6pm Mass will be on 31 August.  All young people and their families are encouraged to attend and join in where possible.  These are held on the first Saturday Mass each month. If you would like to get involved in one of the jobs eg welcomer, reader, singer, musician please contact Cate Brennan via the office or email cate.brennan@twb.catholic.edu.au 

Cate Brennan

Deputy Principal Religious Education

This week, you should have all received a separate letter with details for the Lantern Parade at the Delicious and Delightful Festival this Saturday. Each letter will have had an orange armband attached to it that allows entry into the festival itself. Please note the meeting times for the Parade – 6.30pm in the area opposite the Woolworths Loading Dock. I am sure we won’t miss all of the fabulous lanterns ready for our collection! We would love you to bring your lanterns back to school next week so that we can use them as part of our College Art Show later in the term. 

Early indications from the information gathered during our recent School Renewal and Improvement Plan process was that parents greatly valued timely communication with classroom teachers, and that Class Dojo has been an integral part of this. It is fabulous to see the tremendous uptake of this communication platform. I would just like to point out a couple of ways we can ensure it continues to be used in the most effective manner: 

• If your child is unwell or will not be attending school, it is always wise to notify the College office directly, even if you have sent a Dojo to the teacher as the teacher may not get to read that message prior to rolls being completed. 

• Please be respectful of the time and manner of use of Dojo messages. As a College staff, we aim to limit communication to between the hours of 6:00am-6:00pm on weekdays and we would appreciate parents use Dojo within the same time parameters. It is best practice to refrain from sending messages over the weekends. 
• If you wish to meet face to face with teachers at any time, please feel free to arrange an appointment with them. It is not necessary to wait for formal parent teacher interview times to speak to your child’s teacher. 

Katrina Walton

Assistant Principal Early Years

Junior

Touch Football

A reminder to all students in Year 5/6 that permission forms for the SWQ and QLD All Schools Carnivals need to be returned by Monday, 19 August. 

Volleyball

Eleven teams from Year 5/6 will compete in the QLD Primary School Cup Competition next Thursday at Craigslea SHS in Brisbane. This is the first time since 2015 since we have attended this carnival. It will be a massive day for our students and staff, departing at 5.00am and returning at 5.30pm.

Senior

Darling Downs Super Schools Cup Rugby

Round 3 Results

Under 13

OLSCC defeated Faith Lutheran College 24-5

Tries – Bailey Rathmell 3, Fletcher James

Conversions – Lyucian King Togia 2

Under 15

OLSCC defeated Faith Lutheran College 31-0

Tries – Brayden Falvey 3, Lyhkan King Togia, Hunter James

Conversions – Will Herbert 3

Open

Faith Lutheran College defeated Dalby Barbarains 31-7

Try – Lytana King Togia

Conversion – Lachlan Wilkins

Round 4 Wednesday 21 August against Scots College Warwick at Dalby Rugby Union Grounds

Under 15 at 5.00pm, Under 13 at 6.00pm, Opens at 7.00pm

Touch Football

Three College Teams will compete in the SWQ Swans All Schools Carnival in Toowoomba this Sunday. Students must register online for this event and have been passed on team codes to do this. Draft 1 of the draw has been published with Round 1 games beginning at 8.45am. Full playing conditions and any late draw changes will be posted at www.swqtouch.com.au Students are expected to attend all games in College Sports Uniform, wearing College Football shorts or bike pants to play in.  No representative attire (including jackets) is to be worn. The standard of dress at all sporting events should reflect the uniform standard expected at the College.  College Sports Caps are now available at the office for $15. These are to be the only headwear worn on the field.

Tennis

Best of luck to Ben Forbes, Pat Kelly, Hugh Faggotter and Jonty MacDougall who will represent the College at the Darling Downs Schools Tennis Challenge in Toowoomba on Monday.

Netball

The Senior Vicki Wilson Cup Netball team will compete in Toowoomba next Sunday. Round games are scheduled against St Joseph’s College, Pittsworth SHS, Chinchilla SHS and Fairholme College. Trials to select two Junior Vicki Wilson Cup Teams (Year 7-10) will be held this Friday at lunchtime. This carnival will be held on Sunday 1 September at Nell E Robinson Park. A Division One and Division Two team will participate.

Rugby Sevens

An under 14 and under 16 girls along with under 14, under 16 and under 18 boys teams will compete at the Scots PGC Warwick Sevens Carnival on Saturday, 14 September. Girls teams have been preparing for this carnival for the most of the year, while the boys will transfer their skills from the 15 a-side Darling Downs Cup to the seven a-side format. Teams will also compete in the SWQ Sevens Series in Term 4 in Toowoomba. Girls will play on Tuesday afternoons starting 15 October and boys will play on Thursday afternoons from 17 October. Age groups for this competition are under 13, under 15 and open.

Tim Lincoln

Middle Leader Sport

MacKillop Day marked the celebration of the feast day of Mary MacKillop on Thursday, 8 August. She is Australia's first saint and House Icon of our College. Mary MacKillop came from a large family and as the eldest cared for her younger siblings. This began the start of her care and compassion through teaching that led her to 'not see a need without doing something about it'. In a similar way the students in the MacKillop House belong as members of a family, where the older students look out for the younger ones. We celebrated the day, by joining together as a House by wearing red, playing games on the oval organised by the Senior school students, decorating biscuits, face painting and sharing in a sausage sizzle. Furthermore, it was wonderful to see classes across the College engaging with the key ideas around Mary MacKillop's legacy and prayer. There were members of our school community spotted "seeing a need and doing something about it" which were Mrs Patterson, Felix Twidale, Mikayla Leahy, Ashley Dean, Charlotte Caldwell, Molly Gibson, Keira Bryant, Gemma Sullivan, Jessica MacDonald and Pippa Smith.

The final results from last week's Speech and Drama Eisteddfod are in and we had two winning classes which were 2J and 3B. Year 3/4 HB and Prep Blue were awarded third place and all other competing classes were awarded with Highly Commended. It is so wonderful to see the students on stage doing their best, gaining confidence from performing to an audience and working together with class mates and teachers to strive for success. Congratualtions to those students and teachers who did so well.

The Year 11 and 12 Ancient History class visited the Queensland Museum in Brisbane recently as part of their Archaeology unit. The students were focusing on the ethics of displaying artefacts and the sensitivity of cultural perspective. The group visited the dinosaur display and also took the time to visit the ANZAC display which was of particular interest from an ethical point of view. 

Year 11 student, Bailey Cleary is that latest student to sign up for a school based traineeship. Bailey is taking on a Certificate III in Agriculture with SP and KE Cleary. We wish Bailey well with his traineeship and thank Stephen and Kylie for providing this opportunity.

Congratulations to the lucky winners of the Saint’s Race Day Raffle –

• Student Pack                        Melissa Hart
• Spring Home Décor             Jake Griffiths
• Pampers & Champers         Bill Goodlett
• Mens Pack                             Bec Martin
• Wine & Dine                          Julie Nimmo
• Tupperware Pack                 Bree Barnett
• Ladies Package                     Melissa Irwin
• Family Pack                           Tammlynn Kimpton

We recently received a lovely postcard from some travellers who were in Dalby when the Musical was on. They came along to see the show and enjoyed the performance so much they took the time to write and congratulate those involved. 

Tuna, Cherry Tomato and Potato Salad

Makes 1 salad

• Half a tin on tuna drained (tuna in olive oil is nice)
• Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
• Half a stick of celery, diced
• 4-5 new potatoes, boiled and cut in half
• 1 tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar, or squeeze of lemon
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Arrange the tuna, cherry tomatoes, celery and potatoes in a container.  Drizzle with the vinegar and oil and season with salt and pepper.  Keeps for two day in the fridge.

Variations:

Use your favourite bottled dressing, add spinach leaves or use chicken in place of tuna.  Tinned cannellini beans are nice instead of potatoes