Instrumental Music Update

As restrictions ease, we are able to increase student engagement in The Arts through our Instrumental Music program.  From the beginning of Term 3, we will continue to offer small group instruction for:

• Brass, Woodwind, Percussion with Mrs Baxter
• Guitar with Mr Thacker
• Piano with Mr Dore
• Vocal training (Yrs 5-12) with Ms Berwick
• Performing Arts with Mrs Garside

Notes will be distributed to all existing Instrumental Music students tomorrow with further details of the adjustments to billing, and the notes will also be available for any students interested in starting the Instrumental Music Program.  All sessions will be 30 minutes long with a guaranteed 8 lessons per term (7 in Term 4) delivered by the teacher/tutor.  Mr Thacker is working on creating more opportunities for students to showcase their talents later in the year.  In particular we are chasing interested students in some specific instruments with Mrs Baxter, getting the Vocal Training back on track with Ms Berwick, and getting Performing Arts up and running.  Mrs Garside will also be taking the Junior Choir on a weekly basis and will be preparing them for a variety of performances through the year.  The cost for this program is very affordable at $195 per term ($175.50 term 4) and the timetable for students will be developed by individual IM teachers/tutors in consultation with class teachers. It is important to note that participation in this program comes with commitment;  commitment to the semester of learning, commitment to practice, commitment to fun and commitment to self-improvement. It also involves the commitment of regular class time to learn some extraordinary skills that children will value and treasure for the rest of their life. If you would like to know more about Instrumental Music at OLSCC please contact Mr Thacker. 

Rebooting School Sport

This week we have received some great news about the rebooting of school sport in Queensland.  Yesterday we received the adjusted state championship calendars and we are eagerly awaiting the Darling Downs reboot calendar as soon as it is released.  From this point on, Mr Lincoln and other staff will be working on mapping out school and Bunya District trials that will align to this. 

Unfortunately there are many sports that will not occur in 2020 as the timelines for state championships have passed during the restrictions due to COVID.  It is also critical to note that although the events may continue, their format will vary considerably and there will be limited to no capacity for spectators as we abide by social gathering restrictions.  It is important to note that although schools are largely exempt from many restrictions, in order to be able to deliver the curriculum in a practical manner, this does not extend to school sport.  For more information, please see Mr Lincoln’s Sport Update and keep an eye out for more details as they come to hand. There are also some discussions in local circles regarding additional options for our students including local school competitions and the restart of Wednesday afternoon sport in Toowoomba.

Camps and Excursions

We are currently considering which camps we will continue planning for and which are no longer feasible for 2020.  Below is a table outlining Year 3- 11 camps for the remainder of the year and their status. Whilst talk of camps has been rather quiet recently, we are looking at providing opportunities for as many classes as possible throughout Term 3 and 4, although availabilities are very hard to come by.  We will be moving forward with our communication in regards to camps over the next fortnight so that families are well informed and can start planning financially for the costs that are involved.  The colour code implies: red is cancelled, orange is unsure or a replacement being planned, green is good to go.  I trust this provides some clarity for our community, and we can’t wait to see the students off on new adventures and learning experiences shortly! Please note that no camp had been organised for Year 8 prior to the implications of COVID.

Peter Cuskelly

Principal 

This week our focus virtue is Justice.  As we watch the news around the world and look to the current #blacklivesmatter campaign we pause to listen to the cries of people for justice throughout the world.  How can we be people of justice in our local community and in our world? 

Teach me to listen, O God, to those nearest to me, 
my family, my friends, my co-workers. 
Help me to be aware that no matter what words I hear, 
the message is "Accept the person I am. Listen to me." 

Teach me to listen, my caring God, to those far from me-- 
the whisper of the hopeless. 
the plea of the forgotten, the cry of the anguished. 

Teach me to listen, O God my Mother, to myself. 
Help me to be less afraid to trust the voice inside-- 
in the deepest part of me 

Teach me to listen, Holy Spirit, for your voice-- 
in busyness and in boredom, in certainty and in doubt, 
in noise and in silence. 

Teach me, Lord, to listen. Amen. 

Cate Brennan

Deputy Principal Religious Education

Check out some of our students from the Early Years at work and play enjoying each and every day at school.

Inter House Athletics Carnival

The Inter House Athletics Carnival has been will not be held at the end of Term 2. The Carnival has not been cancelled, however will move to a new date in Term 3.

Catholic Schools Athletics Carnival

The Catholic Primary Schools Athletics Carnival will not be held in Toowoomba on Friday 17 July (Term 3 Week 1). A decision is yet to be made if the carnival in cancelled or moved to an alternate date.

Darling Downs Athletics Carnival

There is the possibility the Darling Downs Athletics Carnivals will proceed in Term 3. The Under 9- 12 dates are 7 - 8 September and the Under 13-19 dates are 27 - 28 August. These carnivals will only proceed if the 100-spectator restriction is lifted. There will be no State Athletics Championships this year. No decisions have been made yet about Bunya District, Inner Downs and the QCIS Carnivals. More information on all of the events listed above should be available before the end of term.

QLD All Schools Touch Football Secondary

The latest information available is that the carnival is still going ahead as planned. Plan B is for the Under 18 Divisions to go ahead only. A final decision will be made early next term. 

Rugby League

There is the possibility of the Darling Downs Rugby League Competitions being rescheduled to Term 3. This would involve Under 13, Under 15 and Under 18 teams with games being played in a knockout or round robin format. Any decision on this happening will be made before the holidays.

Representative School Sport

There will be a reboot of School Sport in Term 3. More information will be available in the coming weeks. Some Darling Downs Teams that have already been selected will attend the following State Championships; 10-19 Golf, 11-19 Squash, 13-17 Water Polo, 13-15 & 16-19 Netball, 13-15 & 16-19 Volleyball, 13-19 girls and boys Hockey.

Trials to select Darling Downs Teams to attend State Championships in Terms 3 and Term 4 will include the following Sports; U12 Softball, Under 12/15 Cricket, Under 12 Netball, U12/15 Basketball, 13-19 Triathlon and the Under 12 Aquathlon.

Tim Lincoln

Middle Leader Sport

The following link will give access to a series of Podcasts directed at parents and related to University application and entry. Parents might find these very interesting particularly if your student is classified as the first in family to attend university.

https://www.usq.edu.au/study/school-leaver/resources/parents-guide-to-uni

Libby Baxter

Careers Development Practitioner

Teachers and students alike have been busy completing and marking assessment pieces to contribute to their overall results for this semester’s report cards.  As mentioned in a previous newsletter, report cards for Semester 1, 2020 will be distributed in Week 2 of Term 3.  This change in timing for 2020 has allowed more time in class for teachers to monitor student learning and their progress.  We have been working on how we report to ensure that report cards meet their purpose. At OLSCC we report to parents to: 

• Communicate progress of individual learning 
• Make comparative judgements against the achievement standard 
• Inform parents of the application and attitude of students towards their learning
• Be accountable to the intention of our teaching as communicated at the start of each unit 

You will notice a number of changes on our report cards this term and each week, we will highlight one of the areas of reporting in the newsletter in readiness for your child’s report card next term.   

Academic Achievement  

Your child’s progress is graded on a five-point scale based on their progress throughout Semester 1. This progress is measured against their year level Achievement Standard.  So what does that mean?  The Achievement Standards describe the depth of understanding and the sophistication of knowledge and skill expected of students at the end of each year level or band of years.  It means that your child’s teacher/s covers curriculum and then assesses your child’s knowledge, skills and understanding against what they have taught at this point in the year.  The teacher uses evidence from your child’s work to give an overall grade of achievement at one of the following five points: 

Other notations against Academic Achievement on the report card may include 

As work continues to produce a parish history to mark the centenary of St Joseph's Church in 2021, our research efforts have continued apace over the past couple of months, with recent focus on:

• Mary and Samuel Stewart, who hosted the first mass in their home in late 1849; their Irish origins have been explored, and our investigations and request for information were mentioned during Sunday Mass from Monasteverin, their home town in County Kildare
• The early missionary priests; we have come across information that contradicts some of the 'origin myths' of the establishment of the Catholic Church in Queensland, and in Dalby
• the second St Joseph's Church (1886-1917) which was demolished due to termite infestation; we are finding information about this building very difficult to come by. Apart from some photos and very brief mentions in the press of the time, there seems to be little else. If your family has knowledge of this church, or of ceremonies held there and so on, please let us know.
• the early Catholic schools and teachers before the Sisters of Mercy arrived in 1877

We have also been given access to some wonderful family photos and stories, but would be happy to see more! Specifically, we would be keen on seeing  material about the YCW, Holy Name Society, Legion of Mary, Knights of the Southern Cross, the Hibernian Society, or any of the parish sporting teams from days gone by.

Covid19 restrictions have made some research and interviewing difficult to manage, but as restrictions ease, we hope to be more involved with this aspect.

If you have an interesting anecdote, or an knowledge of an important event you thin might be missed, please get in touch!

Damien Morgan

dmorgan4405@gmail.com  or

dalbyparish@twb.catholic.edu.au

STEMPunks is holding online 'camps' over the June/July break. Check out the details below.

Give your child the edge with 21st Century skills. Award winning classes led by our team of leading STEM Educators & Innovators. Fun and interactive online classes developed and delivered by teachers.

Now open for enrolment with Early-Bird Pricing.

20% discount for our College students using promo code 'OURLADY'

Limited spots, book now

Click here for all the details and check out the YouTube clip below for a sneak preview.

The College Parents and Friends Association meets once a month on a Tuesday evening in the College Boardroom. The 2020 committee would like to encourage new faces to come along and have input on what happens at our College. Attending a meeting won't mean you'll be given a job but it will give you a chance to raise any issues you have or make suggestions on what you'd like to see. Meetings are a great way for parents to discuss any aspect of the College in a friendly and open atmosphere. If you are unable to make it to a meeting but would still like to raise an issue or make a suggestion, you are welcome to email the College Office or contact a member of the committee anytime.

The 2020 P & F Committee is as follows;

Steve Barwick (President)

Peta Spies (Vice President)

Janelle Cronin (Secretary)

Clare Gibson (Treasurer)

Conquering kids’ techno-tantrums

Many of us have witnessed our kids or teens emotionally combust when asked to switch off their gaming console or put their phone away. I colloquially call these ‘techno-tantrums’. Many of us fret that this signals that they’re ‘addicted’ to technology and find ourselves worrying about why they behave in such intense ways.

So, what makes technology so psychologically appealing for kids and how can we help them to unplug so that screen-time doesn’t end in scream time?

Technology is so appealing

Technology has been intentionally designed to cater for our kids’ most basic psychological drivers. As humans, our three most basic psychological needs are the need for connection, competence and control.

Technology caters for these needs in very clever ways. For example, our need for relational connection explains why many of our boys are obsessed with multi-player video games and girls are infatuated with social media. These online tools have also been designed to help young people experience competency- gamers see tangible measures of their performance by their levels of attainment, or battles won. Scrolling through YouTube and ‘selecting’ which video they’ll watch next also enables young people to experience a sense of control and agency over their lives – something they biologically crave.

Here’s what technology does to their brains and bodies

Digital technology impacts on children and young people in the following ways:
‘It feels good’
When our kids use a screen it’s usually a pleasurable experience for them. Their brains secrete the neurotransmitter dopamine, which makes them feel good. This means, when you demand that they turn the device off, you’re terminating their production of dopamine (pleasure response).  It's better to provide a choice of more appealing transition activities when you want them to move away from a screen. For example, suggest that they ride their bike, or walk the dog after they’ve switched off the device.
‘I want more’
The online world has no stopping cues, so our kids and teen never feel ‘complete’ or ‘done’. They can always refresh social media; continue to play to attain another level in a game; or watch another YouTube clip. This is also referred to as the state of insufficiency.
One parenting tips that works is to give your children and teens hard end points. Rather than giving them a quantity of time (for example, you can watch an hour of TV today), give them the finish time (for example, I’d like you to switch off the TV at 4:30pm).
‘It’s so novel’
Our brains are wired to seek out new and interesting stimulus. The online world is always instantly gratifying, fast-paced and requires minimal cognitive effort. In comparison the offline, real world doesn’t always offer novelty. The real world is a lot slower-paced, and it’s not always instantly rewarding and interesting like our kids’ digital world.

Ensure your kids and teens have ample time to experience boredom. Our brains were never designed to be switched on and processing information as they are in the digital world. Opportunities for boredom allow the brain time to reset and help our kids become accustomed to not always being ‘switched on’.

Related webinar
Our school has a membership with Parenting Ideas. As part of this membership, you can attend the upcoming webinar ‘Understanding techno tantrums’ at no cost.

In this webinar Dr Kristy Goodwin helps parents and carers understand why children and teens emotionally combust when they digitally-disconnect, and how to establish new, healthy technology habits.

When
17 June 2020 8:00pm AEST

Monday 15 June 2020

Twilight College Tours

            Tour 1: - 4:00 – 4:45 pm (capped at 20 people – with current restrictions)

            Tour 2: - 4:45 – 5:30pm (capped at 20 people – with current restrictions)

Parents / Carers that have previously enquired are invited to attend one of our tours. Please contact the College Office on 4672 4111 to make a booking.

Tuckshop News

Please be reminded that orders for Flexischools must be in by the cut off time of 8:30am each morning.