Columba Catholic College Newsletter Volume 25 No. 8 - 26 May 2022

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Columba Families,

As we head into the second half of the term there are so many wonderful things to share and to celebrate as a community here at Columba.

We welcome back Father Emmanuel who returned from his holiday to his home in Nigeria. We are pleased to see him return home safe and well  to Charters Towers and are glad to hear he had a wonderful time connecting with his family and friends.

Last week, the students of the Columba Cattle Club commenced their annual show circuit with the Malanda Cattle Camp last weekend. Special thanks to Sonia Wood and our team of dedicated parents and staff for their commitment to our students. The students are off to the Springsure Show today and we wish them well.

On Tuesday our Year 11 and 12 Hospitality students, led by Mrs Tonya Burgoine, hosted a wonderful evening showcasing international food from around the world with their Global Gourmet Function. Special thanks to all involved and to members of the Columba community for your commitment to our students and the practical application of the learning. 

On Wednesday we joined over 100 million children from around Australia by participating in National Simultaneous Storytime. This event is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. This year we read the book the Family Tree by Josh Pyke and Rhonojoy Ghosh. Special thanks to Mrs Paula Smith for organising this event for us and to the students at St Mary’s for embracing this opportunity so beautifully. We had three generations of the Jackson Family live out the story for our students.

Today is National Sorry Day. It is a day to acknowledge the strength of Stolen Generations Survivors and reflect on how we can all play a part in the healing process for our people and nation. While this date carries great significance for the Stolen Generations and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, it is also commemorated by Australians right around the country. 

In 2022 Columba Catholic College initiated the formation of our Indigenous Education Advisory Committee. Our aim is to foster a common and collaborative approach to educating our young people and to strengthen awareness of First Nations stories, histories and tradition. We will continue to form our team and share our achievements across the year. 

Tomorrow marks the start of National Reconciliation Week and the theme for 2022 is Be Brave. Make Change. Across the College this week we have recognised the importance of National Reconciliation Week with liturgies, activities and conversation to raise awareness of the importance of working in partnership with each other to benefit all members of our community. Special thanks to Evelyn Capewell, Trish Phillips, Christine O’Sullivan and Ryan O’Connor for their contributions. Most importantly I thank each of you; our students, our families and staff for your commitment to the ongoing journey towards reconciliation.

This week our Year 9 students attended camp at Camp Gelding up at Hervey’s Range. Special thanks to camp organiser Rebecca Wade and to our team of support staff who provided such a great experience for our students. Special thanks to Dan Kyle, Brett Leadbetter, Kalinda Large, Cheryl Callcott,  Maricalize Herbst, Jessica Van Der Mescht and Kyle Crouse for their leadership of this camp. The students are due to return to the College tomorrow and we look forward to hearing about their experiences.

Being in the classroom is the most effective way for students to learn and grow. A gentle reminder to all families aS we head into the winter flu season that if your child is unwell, please keep them home. Students are unable to fully engage in learning when they are not feeling their best.  We also need to ensure the safety and wellbeing of your child, our student body and our staff. Please also continue to ensure that cases of COVID-19 are communicated with the College. We appreciate your ongoing support with this matter.

The countdown is on. With only a little over a week away from our special celebrations, I very warmly extend an invitation to each of you to attend the 2022 Celebrations Mass which will be held on the Bullring Terrace on Friday 3rd June at 6.00pm. We look forward to seeing you there.

All the best for the fortnight ahead.

Many blessings,

Melissa Turner
PRINCIPAL

FROM THE ASSISTANT TO THE PRINCIPAL - RELIGIOUS EDUCATION - SM CAMPUS

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Many of you will know that our theme for the year is ‘I will follow’.  This is in many ways a nod to the celebrations occurring next week recognising 140 years and 120 years of the foundations of St Mary’s and Mt Carmel Colleges respectively.  When speaking with students, we are regularly reflecting on the legacies of so many girls and boys, women and men that have walked the floors of our great College before us and the privilege of following them.  We also acknowledge the work of the Sisters of Mercy, the Good Samaritan Sisters and the Christian Brothers.  As we draw closer to our celebrations and to Founders’ Day, we are reminded just what all of this means for us at Columba Catholic College today.

Recently, teaching staff participated in a twilight staff meeting where we delved into the stories of our Founders.  I’d like to take this opportunity to share with you some of the key points we, as a staff, took away from our learnings.

Saint Columba’s life was one of redemption.  He caused a great battle and was banished from Ireland as a result.  Saint Columba travelled to the island of Iona where he vowed to return as many souls to God as he caused to be lost in the battle.  When he built his monastery at Iona, he was renowned for welcoming travellers in by washing their feet.  This act of humility after the pride-induced battle of his past shows us that it doesn’t matter what we have done, it is what we do that matters.

Catherine McAuley started the Sisters of Mercy in Ireland in 1831.  It was these sisters that opened St Columba’s Primary School in 1876 and St Mary’s College in 1882.  Catherine was famous for professing to her sisters the power of a cup of tea.  Great things can occur when people gather together to rejoice in each others’ company, listen to each other, and serve one another.

Edmund Rice started the Christian Brothers in Ireland in 1802.  It was these men that opened Mt Carmel College in 1902.  Edmund Rice was a wealthy man who was moved so much by the plight of the poor in Ireland to sell his lucrative business and use his property to house and school boys.  He aspired to a community that advocated for the voiceless, the marginalised and the oppressed, and inspires us to do likewise; always promoting the value of a solid education and strong faith.

John Bede Polding started the Sisters of the Good Samaritan in Australia in 1857.  TheY hold the honour of being the first order of religious sisters to be founded in Australia.  The Good Sams moved to Charters Towers in 1900 to take over the running of St Columba’s Primary School and St Mary’s College from the Sisters of Mercy.  John Bede Polding was Australia’s first Archbishop and was known for being full of energy and action as well as mercy and an all-embracing love.  He and the Good Sams were passionate about living the message of the Good Samaritan parable, by recognising the needs of the other and reaching out with compassion and love.

We also spent time learning about the legacy of Bishop Benjamin, the Bishop of Townsville in 1997 when the three schools merged to become one.  Bishop Benjamin was known for his mercy, vision and his ability to see the best in people and encouraging them to become all they could.  He was a fierce advocate for indigenous Australians and left a lasting impression on all who knew him.

We are very fortunate at Columba to have a plethora of inspirational people as role models for our community.  Our goal as staff is to now share these stories with each other and do them justice by replicating the values and example that has been set for us to follow.

Best wishes, 

Ryan O'Connor 
ASSISTANT TO THE PRINCIPAL - RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 
ST MARY'S CAMPUS

CSPA MEETING

ST. MARY'S CAMPUS AWARDS

Term 2 Week 5- Being an attentive listener

• Prep:          Noah Webber
• Year 1:        Noah Hall
• Year 2:       Season Adhikari
• Year 3:       Lainee Emerson
• Year 3/4:   Reazon Adhikari
• Year 4:       Lincoln Strahorn
• Year 5:       Jack Hedges
• Year 6:       Clayte Bryant

Term 2 Week 6 - Contributing to class discussions

• Prep:          Alexis Winterburn
• Year 1:        Charlie O'Connor
• Year 2:        Jayde Neilsen
• Year 3:        Kambelle McGuire
• Year 3/4:    Emily Wright
• Year 4:        Charlie Webb
• Year 5:        Bruno Bennetto
• Year 6:        Liam Bartschat 

  
  

MT. CARMEL CAMPUS NOTABLE MENTIONS

Congratulations to the following students who received certificates at Assembly on Tuesday 24th May.

Respect for Others: Interacts with students and staff in a kind, just, thoughtful and compassionate way 

• Year 7 –  Kiara Muchamore
• Year 8 –  Mollie Ebsworth
• Year 9 –  Gypsy Telford
• Year 10 – Temperance Holden
• Year 11 –  Hannah Wilson
• Year 12 – Regan Burgoine

YEAR 10 PARENT INFORMATION EVENING: SUBJECT SELECTION FOR 2023

Year 10 students are commencing the process of discussing pathway options available to them in their senior years and the subjects they can study in Year 11 and 12. One part of this journey for our students will occur on Tuesday 14th June 2022 at 7.00pm in the Mt. Carmel Campus Dining Room. At this evening we will discuss subject selection, pathway options and the timeline of events for Year 10 sudents. All Year 10 parents / caregivers and students are invited to attend this important evening and students are required to wear their day school uniform.

YEAR THREE/FOUR NEWS

What a fantastic start Class 3/4 has had this term!  We have been involved with ANZAC Day, Country Music Festival, Mother’s Day celebrations, Reconciliation Week and have had an incredible visit from the Ryan Instrumental Music Tour.

This term we have been looking at colonisation and the impacts that it has had on Australia and Indigenous Australians. We will be looking more into what has changed and remained the same within our Charters Towers Community as we prepare for our 140 and 120 year celebrations. To commemorate this wonderful town and our College, our class will be designing their own events to commemorate and celebrate being a Towers’ local.

Students will also be designing a fire-fighter suit based on their knowledge of materials and their properties and the design process that they have been learning about in Science and Technology this term. After they have designed their fire-fighter suits they will be involved in learning more about fire safety and the roles of fire fighters as they meet fire fighters from our community. We can’t wait to meet them and discover what they do!

During English lessons we are learning about poetry, reading comprehension skills and developing our relational and conversation skills. We have already made such a massive progress in our reading, speaking and listening skills this year. In Maths, we’ve learnt about fractions and decimals and are excited to learn how to tell the time and convert between seconds, minutes, hours and days.

I am extremely proud of our wonderful class completing NAPLAN testing and making the most out of their learning. They are definitely shining as they learn at Columba Catholic College.

Emma Weirnet
YEAR THREE/FOUR TEACHER

My New Gallery

YEAR FOUR NEWS

What’s on in Year 4?

We’ve reached the halfway mark of Term 2 and Year 4 are as busy as ever! There has been lots of growth and success in the classroom and the students as the students take responsibility for their learning. 

One of the most exciting things students are buzzing about is their Design Technology project. In Science, students have been learning about materials and their properties to investigate how materials have different uses. They have been challenged with an ‘Egg Drop’ whereby they must plan and design a landing device that will keep an egg from cracking when dropped from a certain height. The students are using their knowledge from Science to carefully choose the most appropriate materials.

This week, students were also given the responsibility of leading the school in assembly for National Sorry Day. As part of the assembly, students created Native Hibiscus flowers for each classroom as well as important people in our school. The Native Hibiscus flower was chosen as the National Sorry Day Flower as it represents resilience and healing. Students also had to create drawings to represent a prayer that they lead the school in. The prayer was a verbal commitment and a call to action. As their teacher, I am beyond proud of how the students collaborated with each other to create such special drawings that will be displayed in our school. 

Let’s hear how the students are enjoying Year 4 so far - 

My favourite thing I'm learning is how to write a Narrative using the Seven Steps.
- Allyssa Muchamore

I love Year 4 because I love my teacher and my friends.
- Jacob Gleeson

My favourite thing to do in Year 4 is Maths Mentals because it's fun and it challenges me.
- Clancy Hodgetts

I love doing addition and subtraction sums because I feel successful.
- Evelyn Bennetto

My favourite part of the day is when we do Maths Mentals because it gets my brain going and teaches me how to do sums in my head..
- Lincoln Strahorn

Brooke Stevenson
YEAR FOUR TEACHER

My New Gallery

ZONTA WOMEN IN SCIENCE BREAKFAST

Last Thursday, a small group of girls including Ananya, Nakara, Treselle, Grace, and Cass attended the Zonta Women in Science Breakfast at the Charters Towers RSL club. While we munched away at our breakfast, 5 local women including a doctor, geologist, environmentalist, dentist and vet student, gave presentations on their experiences with science. The women spoke about the challenges they faced being a female in the science field, but also the amazing benefits that came from their hard work. 

We also had the opportunity of meeting past student, Dr Cheyanne Bethel, who is a dentist at Charters Towers Family Dental. She explained that there are always ways to find your specialisation in science and that science classes at school is a great place to start. She recounted her story of how she became a dentist and said that although her course was long and it required a lot of strenuous time and effort to complete, that it was worth being able to give people the smiles they deserve. It was the first Women in Science Breakfast hosted in Charters Towers and hopefully not the last, so if you’re a girl interested in science, it would be a great opportunity for you to go along next year. Overall, we had a great morning and thank you to Ms Ebsworth for volunteering her time to take us. 

Treselle Lavis  and Grace Kuhl
YEAR 9

SCHOOLTV

In this edition of SchoolTV - EXAM JITTERS

Every year, more and more emphasis is placed on achieving good results in exams causing many students to feel extraordinary pressure and having unrealistic expectations. This month on SchoolTV, parents will find advice on how to help students cope with the pressure and how students can work smarter to achieve the results they desire.

Exams are like a game. Once you know how to play the game, your chances of achieving great results rapidly increase. Parents can learn how to assist their kids to maintain perspective and keep their sanity intact during exam time.

Diet, exercise and sleep all play an important part in helping a student balance a busy schedule and study smarter. Keeping stress levels to a minimum and reducing anxiety can be easily achieved through careful planning and having a supportive environment.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the Exam Jitters edition of SchoolTV

https://columba.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/exam-jitters

Sarah Smith & Lena Hewitt
GUIDANCE COUNSELLORS

RESIDENTIAL NEWS

Dear Parents, Caregivers, Staff and Students,

The last fortnight has been a very busy one indeed for our boarding community. National Boarding Week (15-21 May) commenced last Saturday with a Pizza and Lip Sincing night and there were many great performances on show. The event kicked off with Ms Muston, Mrs Jarmey and Mrs Burns singing “Girls Just Want to Have Fun!" This set the stage for many great performances for the remainder of the evening Mrs Turner also got into the swing of things with a splendid rendition of "Working-Class Man". It was clear to see that she comes from a drama/singing background as one could have sworn that she was actually singing. The Backstreet Boys took out the honours with their commanding performance of “I want it that way”. The likes of Preston Ah Wing, Naquarne Oui, Assariah Lenoy, Taelah Morgan, Angus Ford and Hugh Lyons are no doubt stars of the future. The night concluded with the cutting of the National Boarding Week cake. 

On Monday night (16 May), Boarders attended a formal dinner dressed by ‘Vinnies’. Many students visited St Vincent de Paul's shop prior to the event to purchase their attire for the evening. The idea was to purchase the items from Vinnies, wash them after they were worn for the night and then return to the same shop. A simple but meaningful way for our students and staff to give back to our wider community while at the same time engaging in a bit of fun. The dinner itself was divine to the palate and everyone enjoyed each other’s company. 

Another highlight of National Boarding Week was the video that Mrs Burns and Mrs Jarmey constructed, depicting and showcasing boarding life. A big thank you to Mrs Burns and Mrs Jarmey for all their great work in making boarding week such a special time for our boarders.

Moving on to end of term travel and the College bus services, some changes have been made to the fee structure for those who wish to access the service. The following fees are applicable for the various disembarkation points:

Richmond Service

Richmond $70 per person

Hughenden $50 per person 

Mt Surprise Service

Greenvale $50 per person

Mt Surprise $70 per person

The service will operate, numbers pending (minimum of 5 students per service). For those who would like to access the service please contact the relevant Residential Leader (Mrs Burns or Mrs Jarmey) by no later than Friday 17 June. 

This week, the Year 9s will be attending their annual camp at Camp Gedling, Hervey’s Range. The students will be involved in a range of activities including abseiling, high ropes, and bush walking. The students are very much looking forward to this event and I am sure they will all have a wonderful adventure. Camps form an integral part of the College’s pastoral care program especially in regard to relationship formation, not only between students but between students and staff as well. It will most likely be chilly, and therefore it is imperative that students are adequately prepared. The Year 8 camp has been postponed until Week 10 of this term due largely to the waterways not being at a level that can be deemed safe for students.

Regards

Dan Kyle
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - PASTORAL/RESIDENTIAL

2022 CELEBRATIONS MASS

2022 CELEBRATIONS PROGRAM

Tickets are still available by visiting here.  Bookings are essential.