Wednesday 17 to Saturday 20 March - Year 8 Camp to Camp Cooby

P&F AGM is to be held at 6pm on Tuesday 23 March in the PAC

Thursday 25 March - Nolan Day

Thuirsday 25 March - NAPLAN Practice Tests

Friday 26 March - PUPIL FREE DAY

Wednesday 31 March - Prep to Under 11 years Cross Country

Please note that in the very near future, you will see some changes to the parking conditions along Nicholson Street:

• There will be 14 extra angle parks painted in front of the senior years.
• 10 parks in front of the Prep area will be zoned as a passenger loading zone (max 2 minutes) between 7:00-9:00am and 2:00-4:00pm.

This change has been made in conjunction with planning from Council and Transport and Main Roads Department and will come into effect as soon as signage is in place and will be actively patrolled by police and council to ensure it is used appropriately. This is a common practice at the College to ensure we continue to keep students safe at peak traffic times. Other parking issues that are commonly policed include incorrect u-turns, speeding and parking outside of a designated parking area. Simply adhering to the traffic rules will avoid unwanted intervention and fines.

As communicated previously, 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

Writing Improvement Strategy

On Tuesday afternoon and evening, our staff all engaged in Writing Improvement Strategy professional development.  The intent of this strategy, over the next 2 years, is to develop fluency in writing skills so that our students are able to perform to a higher standard in all of their written work and assessment.  In using the resources of Write That Essay, we can teach students particular ways of communicating to a high standard in all their writing, for a variety of purposes and audiences. The College has secured online licenses to the Writer’s Toolkit (online writing resource) for all staff and Year 3-12 students. This provides stimulus for student writing as well as immediate feedback through the amazing online platform. There are already many teachers that have engaged with Mr Paffey regarding Writing Improvement Strategy, and student improvement in writing has already been significant in their classes. 

Words Out West

Our students have enjoyed a day of literacy today as many attended the Words out West Festival.  We simply love this festival and all the inspiration and ideas that it provides to our students as they continue to explore, create and be curious about all things literacy.  Madonna King is also presenting in the PAC at the College tonight!  We look forward to seeing our wonderful guests come to enjoy the presentation based her most recent text Ten-ager. The cheese van will be here from 4pm and you can contact Megan Cartwright on 0457496460 or mcart178@gmail.com regarding tickets if you haven’t done so already.

Berwick McCullough Shield

Tomorrow (Saturday 13 March) is the annual Matt Hughes Charity Shield.  This is a great celebration of all things football in our town, as well as a significant fundraiser for local charities.  For the first time in 2021, OLSCC will play Dalby State High School at 4:45pm for the first game of the Berwick McCullough Shield.  If you have a free afternoon and would like to support local initiatives, football and the College, come along to the Wheatmen grounds for a great afternoon and evening of football.  Gates open at 3pm.

Facilities

Throughout the rest of the year, we will have some exciting action in the grounds as we build the new grounds shed, Ag shed, fire hydrant upgrade and the Middle Years Plaza at the College.  We have been planning for many of these for some years now and after much red tape and disruption we are looking forward to seeing these new facilities eventuate.  Our first project to begin will be the new grounds and coach shed, located on Aerodrome Road, followed by the new Ag Shed which will be situated off Cooper Street.

Next Week

I will be at St John’s Roma completing their School Review as a peer principal for the majority of next week.  This is a great chance for me to provide support for St John’s, though also a great chance for me to see the great work happening in other schools, and to reflect and consider on the strategic direction of OLSCC.  Just yesterday I was on the panel for a principal summative review and must say that it was a very good use of my time and I learnt a lot from the great work of the staff at St George.  In my absence, Mrs Brennan will deputise and be the officer in charge.  Have a wonderful week everyone!

Peter Cuskelly

Principal 

This year marks the celebration of 200 years of Catholic education – acknowledging that Catholic schools have educated millions of Australian students. Catholic Education is marking the bicentenary of the first Catholic school established in Parramatta in October 1820.  Over 200 years, Catholic schools have grown to become the largest provider of schooling in Australia (outside government) with one in five school age students attending a Catholic school.

Almighty and all-loving God,

with gratitude for the endeavours of Catholic education in the past,

with confidence in our Catholic pre-schools, schools and universities today,

and with faith in their continuing contribution in the future,

we celebrate 200 years of Catholic education in this Great South Land.

As our Heavenly Father,

we thank you for your providential care for your children in this land in inspiring priests,

religious and lay people to found and staff our schools in ages past.

Through them the Good News of your Son was brought to the young even in colonial times – and ever since.

 As Christ the Teacher,

you grace the staff and leaders of Catholic education today.

As they build on the achievements of their predecessors

direct them in their present efforts to ensure that every young Australian

has the opportunity for an excellent education and formation in faith.

As our Inspiring Spirit,

you lead us into the future.

In the century ahead grant those teaching and learning in our schools,

those planning and leading,

and the families and community that entrust their young people to us,

a love of learning and a willingness to be the face of Christ in the world of tomorrow.

Pour out your abundant blessings upon all involved in the ministry of Catholic education.

Amen.

St Joseph’s

Our links with St Joseph’s Parish are an important part of College Life.  Classes attend Mass and visit the Church throughout the year.  This year the parish celebrates 100 years since our current Church’s opening.  This milestone is being marked in several ways, with the collection of historical information, a 2021 calendar including historical photos from the past 100 years and future events.  We look forward to supporting this celebration wherever possible this year.  I encourage families of the College to follow the St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Dalby Facebook page to keep in touch with parish life.  Sacramental programs, Reconciliation (November- Year 2 students), Confirmation and Communion (following year to Reconciliation – March/April/May) are coordinator through the parish. Each month we assist as a College with the Youth-led Mass at Saturday 6pm Mass – if you would like to know more about this please contact me directly through the College.

NAPLAN

In 2021 we will conduct NAPLAN Online with our students in Year 3, 5, 7 & 9.  NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through their regular school curriculum.  NAPLAN is not a test that children can prepare for in the same way they might prepare for an end of term test. NAPLAN tests skills that develop and improve over time. These are skills that should be continuously developed throughout the year and not just in the lead-up to NAPLAN.

Keyboard skills are critical for NAPLAN online writing assessment. I encourage families to allow students time to type up stories/work on the computer.  Spend time with your child editing their work on the screen.  Discuss this process with your child and articulate your thinking. 

I encourage Parents to learn more and see the types of questions and related functionalities available in the NAPLAN Online assessment at www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site.  If you would like to discuss NAPLAN further, please contact your child’s core teacher or myself.  Each fortnight leading to NAPLAN we will include general NAPLAN information in the College Newsletter. 

STUDENT PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES

In 2020 we adjusted the format of our traditional Parent Teacher Interviews towards student-led conferences.  This positive work will be continued this year.  All our work at the College focuses on student progress and the purpose of these meetings is to discuss this progress. As drivers of their learning, students will lead these conferences, with support from their teachers.  They will discuss what they are learning and the steps they need to take in order to progress.  The focus of these conferences is not reporting overall grades, levels or achievement.  One of the outcomes from these conferences should be students feeling empowered about their next steps in learning and the partnership of home and the College being strengthened.  These formal conferences will be allocated for Prep to Year 4 in Week 9 of this term and Year 5-12 in Week 1 of Term 2.  More details on times of conferences, how and when to book these interviews will be emailed home to parents in coming weeks.  Also, a reminder, parents can arrange appointments to meet with their child’s teacher at any stage throughout the year and we encourage you to do so if you have any pressing concerns or updates for your teacher.  These are best coordinated directly with the teacher or through the College office. 

Cate Brennan

Deputy Principal Religious Education

By now all students should have received, and hopefully returned, the booking sheet for Early Years Student Parent Teacher Conferences. These will take place in Week 9, across Tuesday March 23 and Wednesday March 24. This was a new format for our College in 2020, and our students are keen to build on the great work we began last year. These conferences are an opportunity for your child to share with you what they are learning, how they are going and what they need to do in order to progress their learning. As such, the students will lead this learning conference, concentrating on some of the key areas of their learning journey. The focus of these conferences is not reporting overall grades, levels or achievement.  One of the outcomes from these conferences should be students feeling empowered about their next steps in learning and the partnership of home and the College being strengthened.

This year, Early Years Specialist Teachers will be available for a “drop in” in conjunction with other conferences. This will occur on Tuesday March 23, 3:30-5:00pm. Whilst it is not necessary to book separate conferencing times, Mrs Garside (pink 3), Mrs Lincoln and Mrs Walton (blue 6)will be available for students to bring their parents along to see what they are learning and how they are progressing in The Arts and PE. We would love to have you call by between your other appointment times!

As always, your child’s classroom teacher remains your first point of contact and parents can arrange appointments to meet with teachers at any stage throughout the year and we encourage you to do so if you have any pressing concerns, updates or wish to discuss anything beyond the scope of these student led conferences. 

Student Parent Teacher Conferences will occur again in Term 3. Formal written reports, with a focus on achievement against the Australian Curriculum achievement standards, will be available twice per year as a written report in Terms 2 and 4. 

Katrina Walton

Assistant Principal Early Years

Cross Country

• The Prep – Under 11 Cross Country will be held on Wednesday 31 March
• The Under 12 – Under 18 Cross Country will be held on Friday 30 April
• Under 12 students who wish to attend the Bunya District Cross Country will need to compete in a trial at lunchtime on Wednesday 31 March.
• More information on the Inter House Cross Country events will be in future newsletters

Upcoming Cross Country Carnivals  

Bunya District Cross Country Friday 7 May

Darling Downs Cross Country Monday 17 May 

QCIS Cross Country Tuesday 1 June (Warwick)

Darling Downs Swimming Trials

Congratulations to all students who attended the Darling Downs Swimming Trials last week. The College had 16 students attend the Under 9-12 Trials which was the highest representation of any school on the Darling Downs. Macie Allen and Jennifer Nothdurft were selected in the Darling Downs Team to attend the State Championships later this term. Results from the Carnivals are listed below.

Senior

Jennifer Nothdurft – 2^nd 200m Butterfly &100m Butterfly, 4^th 100m Backstroke & 50m Butterfly, 5^th 50m Freestyle, 6^th 50m Backstroke.

Clare Griffiths – 4^th 50m Breaststroke, 5^th 100m Freestyle & 200m Freestyle, 6^th 50m Backstroke, 7^th 50m Butterfly

Emily Griffiths – 5^th 50m Backstroke

Clay Lawson – 2^nd 100m Backstroke, 6^th 50m Backstroke, 7^th 50m Butterfly & 100m Freestyle, 12^th 50m Freestyle

Junior

Macie Allen – 2^nd 100 Breaststroke, 3^rd 50m Breaststroke, 4^th 100m Backstroke, 6^th 50m Backstroke, 16^th 100m Freestyle

Ava Boland – 22^nd 50m Freestyle

Charlotte Colquhoun – 7^th 50m Breaststroke, 9^th 50m Freestyle, 16^th 50m Backstroke

Innes Dellit – 5^th 100m Breaststroke, 10^th 50m Breaststroke, 18^th 50m Freestyle

Lachlan Fraser – 7^th 50m Freestyle & 100m Freestyle, 9^th 100m Backstroke, 10^th 50m Backstroke & 50m Butterfly

Lucas Galligan – 5^th 50m Butterfly, 21^st 50m Backstroke, 25^th 50m Freestyle

Lainey Geiger – 1^st 50m Breaststroke, 2^nd 50m Freestyle, 7^th 50m Backstroke

Myles Gilliland – 10^th 50m Backstroke, 23^rd 50m Freestyle

Ethan Koehler – 7^th 50m Breaststroke

Hayden Koehler – 6^th 50m Breaststroke, 15^th 50m Butterfly, 17^th 50m Freestyle & 50m Backstroke

Bobby Machin – 6^th 50m Backstroke, 13^th 50m Freestyle

Louie Machin – 8^th 50m Backstroke, 19^th 50m Freestyle  

Isabelle Manley – 1^st 50m Backstroke, 3^rd 50m Breaststroke, 4^th 50m Freestyle

Archie Stephens – 3^rd 50m Freestyle, 4^th 50m Backstroke

Gemma Sullivan – 3^rd 100m Breaststroke, 5^th 50m Breaststroke, 8^th 50m Backstroke, 25^th 50m Freestyle 

QCIS Swimming Carnival

The College will be attending the Queensland Combined Independent Schools Swimming Carnival on Monday 15 March at the Milne Bay Pool in Toowoomba. This will be the College’s first QCIS event and will compete against Downlands College, Concordia College, Toowoomba Christian College, Toowoomba Anglican School and Scots Warwick.

Rugby League

This Saturday night the Open Boys Rugby League Team will be playing Dalby SHS at 4.45pm in the curtain raiser to the Matt Hughes Charity Shield Game between the Dalby Diehards and Dalby Wheatmen. This will be a 3 game series with Dalby SHS and will be known as the Berwick / McCullough Shield recognizing the contributions Matthew Berwick and Andrew McCullough have made to their schools Rugby League programs. A flyer for the day is in the newsletter.

Mercy Shield Roma

Next weekend the Open Girls Netball Team and Open Boys Rugby League Team will travel to Roma for the Mercy Shield. This is a round robin competition giving schools valuable match practice before the QISSN and QISSRL Carnivals in the July vacation. Schools involved this year include St John’s Roma, Assumption Warwick, St Joseph’s College Toowoomba and Marist College Emerald.

Laura Geitz Netball

Best of luck to the Laura Geitz Netball Team who will compete in Toowoomba this Sunday. The team has pool games against Lockyer District SHS, Mary MacKillop Highfields, Pittsworth SHS, Warwick SHS and Stanthorpe SHS before finals begin. Thanks to Miss Nicholson and Miss Price for taking the team and Claudia Child for umpiring.

Bunya District Touch Football Trials

Any Boys or Girls born in 2009 or 2010 who wish to attend Bunya District Touch Football Trials need to sign on via the Sports Notice Board. The Bunya District trials will be held in the first week of Term 2. A school trial will be held before the holidays to select teams to attend the Bunya Trials.

Darling Downs Cluster 2 Trials

Congratulations to the following students selected in Darling Downs Sports Teams this week;

Under 18 Rugby League

Lyhkan King Togia, Wil Brady

Under 15 Rugby League

Lyucian King Togia

Under 15 Squash

Max Brownhall

Under 15 Girls AFL

Gabby Banks

Under 16 Girls Rugby Sevens

Breanna Hoskin – Named as a Shadow Player

Tim Lincoln

Middle Leader Sport

The Year 11 Praxis group has launched the OLSCC's participation in the project, Bread Tags for Wheelchairs, and are we are hoping for the opportunity to have whole school community involvement. Some of our organising committee may have already, or are about to, visit classrooms with information flyers and containers for the collections of bread tags and any other plastic tags. We are also hoping that parents will help with collecting the bread tags and then send them to school with their children to their classroom on a regular basis.

Our Year 11 class will do classroom collections, sort the bread tags into colours, and send them to project headquarters in South Australia. The tags are then purchased by an artist who recycles them into saleable home wares. The money raised through the sale of bread tags is then used to purchase wheelchairs for the poor in South Africa. Our group will be presenting further information on sector assemblies and we have also attached a flyer on what the project is all about. You can also go to the Aussie Bread Tags website by clicking on the image below.

If all our community, including those who have roles other than as a classroom teacher, spread the word among family and friends, we feel this project will be a great success, enabling us all to be stewards of God’s creation and respect the dignity of all humans.

Thank you for your time and assistance.

Jorja Ellis

(on behalf of the Year 11 cohort)

It has been a busy start to the term for our Year 10 students who are working on their Certificate in Horticulture. Each fortnight, Peter, the trainer from TAFE visits the College to work with the students. In the alternate weeks, we have been lucky enough to have volunteer horticulturalist, Clinton McGrath working with the students to back up the training the receive through TAFE.

Clinton lives in Highfields and travels across each fortnight to help the students as he believes that there is a skills gap with horticulturalists and that it is important to encourage young people to become interested in the industry. At high school, Clinton was an ag student himself, so he understands the needs of a high school student who is studying agriculture and is keen to ignite a similar passion in others. Clinton believes that most things we eat and wear at some point, were grown from the ground, so there are many opportunities available for anyone who is thinking about moving into the  industry.

Having travelled all over the world, Clinton has a vast knowledge of broad scale horticulture right down to the home vegetable garden and this week, he had students planting out various vegetable seeds in one of the Ag gardens outside the Science block. The students were also inspecting the growth of their broccoli seedlings which have been fertilised according to regular soil test and water conductivity measurements. The broccoli will soon be planted out in the Ag field to become a commercial crop. You may even be able to buy some fresh broccoli from our Year 10 Certificate students some time next term!

The College would like to thank Clinton for volunteering his time to enhance the learning our certificate students are experiencing.

This week, the Year 7 classes joined together to investigate historical, archaeological and forensic sources surrounding the real life mystery of Narrabeen Man.

“In January 2005, contractors were digging a gas pipeline near this bus stop when they came across the bones which they first thought were of a recent murder victim. But after a police investigation it turned out it was not a recent murder at all but one that happened 4000 years ago. This makes the Narrabeen Man the oldest skeleton found in Sydney and the third oldest found in Australia after Mungo Man and Mungo Lady.”

Source: http://www.historyofsydney.com.au/

Students will combine the information they have learned with their other course work to produce a forensic report during their assessment period.

Never let it be said that history is boring!

Michelle Patterson

Year 7 HASS Teacher

As part of our Design and Technology Unit, ‘Sow and Grow’, the Year 5 students recently visited the Dalby Garden Centre. During our visit, students investigated the various management systems for running a nursery, including pest and predator, soil, water and plant management. We were surprised to learn that even a plant nursery has a ‘sick bay’ for plants that are unwell!

We all had a wonderful time exploring the greenhouse, viewing the irrigation system, smelling the roses, examining types of packaging used to transport plants in, looking at a variety of pesticides used to protect plants from pests and learning about different types of mulch and soils for gardens.

Thank you to the Dalby Garden Centre for allowing us to visit your wonderful nursery.

Mrs Cruickshank's Year 4C class have saved the day of some of the poor plants that were destined for the garbage. Mr Kavney was at Bunnings recently when he spotted the discarded seedlings and plants and thought that perhaps he could find a class to help nurse them back to health. Mrs Cruickshank's student cleared out the garden beds near Pink block, replaced the soil with some potting mix and have carefully planted out the sick plants. Already they are looking much healthier and hopefully they will soon see some rain to help them along.

We would like to thank Alana Steadman from Bunnings for making this donation.

The College is gearing up to enter teams in the 2021 Optiminds Challenge. Optiminds is an inclusive team challenge that empowers participants to think, create and communicate. Teams of 4-7 people are required to solve demanding, open-ended challenges from one of the following areas:

• Language Literature
• Science Engineering
• Social Sciences
• Media/Communication (NEW category!)

Whilst the opportunity is open to all ages, teams will be nominated in the division that matches the oldest participant in each team.  Divisions are as follows:

• Division 1 – up to Year 6
• Division 2 – up to Year 9
• Division 3 – up to Year 12

At OLSCC, students from Years 1-12 are invited to participate.

Students selected in teams will be required to work on challenges for a six week period from July 19. This six week period will involve meetings and practise sessions organised outside of school hours, with days and times negotiated by each team and their manager. This commitment of time is likely to intensify as the event draws closer. All participants must be available to present their team challenge solution on The Challenge Day in Toowoomba on Sunday August 29.

In preparation for this, Mrs Walton will be offering an Optiminds 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.

Parents and caregivers of students who wish to participate in Optiminds should register their interest by completing this form online by Monday March 15. An individual form is required for each student.

OPTIMINDS EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FORM

Team selections will be finalised mid Term 2. Thankyou to the many wonderful staff who have volunteered to manage teams during the Challenge period. This has enabled us to be able to offer this opportunity to our students.

Congratulations to Hunter James who recently completed his sign up into the Certificate III in Agriculture. The College would like to thank John and Angela Cook from Coslinco Farming for giving Hunter this incredible opportunity. This is the second student from our College that John and Angela have employed, and we are grateful for the opportunities that they provide for our students. Hunter will complete the AHC30116 – Certificate III in Agriculture as a school-based trainee. Hunter has settled in well to his new job and is loving all the opportunities he has been given so far.

Mini Vinnies is a student based social justice program within Australian Catholic schools focused on raising awareness and funds for those in need in the local and global community through the work of St Vincent de Paul Society.

Each year, as part of our Mini Vinnies fundraising and social justice efforts, we organise an Easter Raffle. All proceeds from the raffle will be donated to our local St Vincent De Paul Society to support families in need, including families from our own College community.

We invite all College families to donate Easter eggs or other Easter items to be used to create Easter Baskets as prizes for our raffle. Donations of Easter Eggs can be left at the College Office up until Friday 26 March or given to classroom teachers.

Raffle tickets will be on sale for 50c at lunch times in the Senior Plaza, outside the MPC (before school and at lunch) and at the Pavilion, beginning this Thursday 11 March. Prep students will be able to purchase tickets from their class teachers.

Prizes for our raffle will be announced on Monday 29 March at the Easter Prayer Celebration.

Thank you, in anticipation of your support.

STUDENT FREE DAYS 2021 (Teacher Professional Development Days)

UNIFORM DAYS 2021 (Throughout the year these days may change for one off occasions)

You may have noticed that there is a different bank account number appearing on invoices/statements.  Our bank, The Archdiocesan Development Fund, is upgrading their electronic payment system, and in doing so, upgraded account numbers for us.  If you are paying by electronic funds transfer direct deposit please change the bank account details for the deposits to the below account:

BSB:  064-786 (no change)

Account:  10 001 9916

Reference: DAL plus your number (see below)

Reference Changes

In changing over our accounting system, new account numbers have been issued to College accounts.  In the top left hand side of an invoice or statement you will see an account number beginning with DAL  please use the ‘DAL’ plus number as your reference:  E.G.  DAL001.

Should you have any queries, please contact  Administration and Accounts Assistant, Jo Bourne or Business Manager, Elizabeth Kuruilaca at the College Office.

From the Uniform Shop

Senior boys formal shorts in size 6 are now available from the Uniform Shop.

It has turned cold so everyone came into the Uniform shop chasing Jumpers. The following stock is currently on order and will be in at the end of April.

Fleecy Jumpers size 4 & 6

Micro Jackets size 3XS & Large

Student Address Collection Notice

The Australian Government collects some student information such as residential addresses, parent's names, secondary or primary status of students and whether students are boarders or day students. Please see the link below for the collection notice from the Australian Government for more information.