Columba Catholic College - Charters Towers eNewsletter

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Columba Families,

Welcome back to Term 3! A very special welcome to our new students, staff and families who joined our community this term. The term has certainly got off to a flying start and I thank each of you for your efforts as we work in partnership to begin the new semester. It is this commitment that we collectively share which ensured that we started the term on such a positive note.

In the first week of the holidays, our students traveled to Mackay to participate in QISSN and the Confraternity Shield. A very big thank you to Mrs Anita Dixon, Mr Gerard Webber, Mr Rohan Dixon, Mr Scott Bliss, Mr Justin Dixon, Mr Alwande Hlengwa, Mrs Cecilia Louk and Miss Jess Van Der Mescht who supported our students across the week. The students performed very well on and off the field and we are blessed to have such good people who give so freely of their time to enable our students to engage in experiences such as this. Thank you to the many parents and community members who joined the players, coaches and managers in supporting our students. Your presence is valued and appreciated.

Special thanks to Mrs Jo Andrews and Mrs Maria Peck for organising Parent Teacher Interviews last week and to all of our teaching staff for the preparation of materials, reflections and folios for use in conversations with families. We strongly encourage parents/caregivers to speak with their children about their academic reports and to seek support from the College if required. We are all on the same team and want to work in partnership with you to support your child to do their best, and to be their best.

Special thanks to Mrs Evelyn Capewell, Ms Christine O'Sullivan, Mrs Jo Andrews, Mr Ryan O'Connor, Mrs Trish Phillips and the staff of both St Mary's and Mt Carmel Campus for their contribution to our NAIDOC Week celebrations last week. The theme for NAIDOC Week this year was Get up! Stand up! Show up! The students engaged in liturgies and a range of activities supported by our staff. It was great to see some of our families joining us.

Last Friday night many of our senior students attended the Annual Inter School Formal. Special thanks to Mr Dan Kyle, Miss Shae-Kia Carroll, Mrs Kim Lynch, Ms Angela Carroll, Mrs Carmen Labuschagne, Mrs Maria Peck, Mrs Cheryl Callcott and Mr Michael Ku who assisted with supervision on the evening. Thanks also to Cecilia Louk for the beautiful photography. The students looked amazing and had a great time.

Last Friday we held a special morning tea to wish Annabella Ku all the best as she begins her maternity leave. May God bless and keep Annabella and Michael in his care as they await the safe arrival of their precious gift from God.

Last week students from across the College attended a week of workshops as a part of the Mulkadee Arts Festival in Townsville. Special thanks to Kalinda Large and Thomas Andersen for the support they provided our students. The students worked very hard across the week rehearsing and preparing for what was an outstanding performance. Thanks to the many families who made the trip to Townsville to support our students.

This week our students have been participating in various events at the Annual Charters Towers Show. Our students have submitted entries in various competitions providing artworks, baking entries and of course participating in various events. Special thanks to Ms Sonia Woods and the committed team of parents and caregivers who supported our students of our Cattle Club. Congratulations to all of our students who performed exceptionally well and we are very proud of the way they continue to shine in our community.

This week is Catholic Education Week. A special time where we stop, reflect and give thanks for the gift that is Catholic Education. Celebrated annually at this time, Catholic Education Week is an opportunity for the 313 Catholic Schools in Queensland to celebrate and promote their distinctive mission and ethos. The theme for 2022 is "Communities of Faith, Hope and Love".

On Monday our student leadership team joined me in attending the Townsville Catholic Education Week Mass at the Cathedral. Cassandra McIntosh was awarded the prestigious Deus Caritas Award Est for outstanding service to our community and commitment to Christian living. She was awarded a medallion and a bursary to donate to a charity of her choice or to put towards her personal goals. Congratulations to Cassandra who has genuinely contributed to community life here at Columba.

On Wednesday we celebrated our Catholic school with a special Catholic Education Week Liturgy hosted on Mt Carmel Campus. On Wednesday evening I attended the 2022 Spirit of Catholic Education Awards in Townsville. Congratulations to our recipients Mrs Maria Peck and Mr Darren Hope. Both Maria and Darren are true champions of Catholic Education and are committed to servant leadership in our community. We are blessed to have such wonderful people who contribute to the life of our College in such positive ways.

As we continue to celebrate Catholic Education Week this week, let us consider how we can each continue to live the mission of Jesus Christ. As we walk together as one, let us continue to look for new ways to enable our students to reach their full potential as compassionate, contributing, life-giving members of society.

All the best for the fortnight ahead.

Many blessings,

Melissa Turner
PRINCIPAL

FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - ST. MARY'S CAMPUS

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Welcome back to our returning families and a special welcome to our new families in Term 3. We also welcome a new staff member to the St. Mary’s campus. Ms Samantha Heiskell has joined our team and will be working in Year 2 one day a week as well as supporting student learning and releasing teachers for planning and development. Ms Heiskell has come to us from the School of Distance Education and we are excited to have her join our teaching team.

This week we celebrated Catholic Education Week. On Monday, Mrs Turner and our school leaders joined other schools and staff from across the diocese to attend mass at the Sacred Heart Cathedral. This year’s theme is Communities of Faith, Hope and Love. It’s a theme that reminds us that a Christian life is lived in community and at the heart of that community are faith in God, hope for the future, and love of God and each other. As a school community, we came together on Wednesday to celebrate Catholic Education week in liturgy and prayer. Each year staff in our Catholic schools are nominated for the Spirit of Catholic Education Award. This year, Darren Hope, the St. Mary’s campus groundsman is the recipient of the 2022 award. We congratulate Darren for the recognition of his outstanding work in keeping our campus looking beautiful and the additional time he puts in to care for our grounds and gardens.

The Charters Towers Eisteddfod will run from 19 - 26 August. Our students will be performing in a variety of competitions including choirs, instrumental groups and poetry recitations. Teachers are preparing students for their choral speaking pieces and the choirs will be practicing at lunch times and in additional workshops. The Eisteddfod provides opportunities for many of our students to showcase their talents in the Arts and for others, the opportunity to step out of their comfort zone and participate in a new experience. More information on dates and times for performances will be shared with families in the coming week.

Book Week returns in 2022 with the theme "Dreaming with eyes open..." . Book Week dress parade will be held on the St. Mary’s campus at 8.45am on Wednesday, 17th August. During library lessons, Mrs Smith has been reading all the shortlisted books with students in preparation for voting for their favourite books this year. Our annual Book Fair will begin the following week with books available for purchase in the library. Students will once again bring home their wish list and parents are warmly invited to visit the library with their children before and after school that week.

Mrs Laffey has been preparing for Under 8s Day for some time now and we are all very excited for this year's theme of Superheroes and other well known and loved movie characters. Students from Kindergarten to Year 2 will come together on Friday 19th August from 9.00am - 11.30am to participate in a range of activities designed to embrace the joy of learning and the importance of play and learning in the early years.

Excitement is mounting in the Year 6 class as we move closer to the Canberra excursion in early September. Students will be visiting the Old and New Houses of Parliament, CSIRO, the National Botanic Gardens, Questacon (the National Museum of Science and Technology), the Australian War Memorial, the Royal Australian Mint and the Australian Institute of Sport. In HASS lessons students have been learning about democracy and the levels of government in Australia. This excursion will provide an opportunity for students to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy.

Parking and drop off and pick up areas. A reminder to all families that safe parking in Mary Street requires carers and families to parallel park in designated areas. Disability parking areas are not to be used as short term parking to collect students in any circumstance. Please be considerate of the staff that remind you of the parking protocols. Thank you for respecting the safety of all our students and families during the busy morning and afternoon drop off and pick up times.

Joanne Andrews
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - ST. MARY'S CAMPUS

ST. MARY'S CAMPUS AWARDS

Term 3 Week 1- Offering to help others when needed

Prep - Jaden Lal
Year 1 - Charlotte Moody
Year 2 - Makenzee Butler
Year 3 - Isabelle Pilcher
Year 3/4 - Ryhen Butler
Year 4 - Jacob Gleeson
Year 5 - Robbie Sorrensen
Year 6 - Lincoln Williams

Term 3 Week 2 - Being mindful of others thoughts and feelings

Prep - Ollie Hodgetts
Year 1 - Ella Cope
Year 2 - Lanah Emerson
Year 3 - Jesse Brown
Year 3/4 - Flynn Bailey
Year 4 - Reece Taylor
Year 5 - Dekota Brumby
Year 6 - Hayley Risdale

YEAR TWO NEWS

We are so happy to be back together for Term 3, and there were many holiday stories shared. We welcomed back Nate, after he and his family had an amazing holiday around the country for the whole term!

This week, we celebrate Catholic Education Week. Being a part of a Catholic school is quite special. We learn how to nurture our relationship with God and His creations, whether that is the environment we live in or the wonderful people around us. We also learn to be compassionate, and live safely and happily with one another.

Year 2 took the time to stop and think about how lucky we are to receive an education here at Columba Catholic College.

Season - When you feel sad, there is always someone around to help you.
Elsie - We get to read and learn about different Bible Stories.
Audrey - We show respect for our school and it is always tidy.
Makenzee - This is a loving school.
Emmi-belle - We read the Bible and it tells us about Jesus and God.
Lanah - We have lots of loving teachers.
Lochlan - We have the chance to meditate and pray to God.
Jaymee - We are a small school and it is easy to work with the teachers when we need their help.
Archie - We meditate and pray to God.
Alyssa - We learn about the life of Jesus.
Ada - We care about the environment and have a tidy school.
Alexiis - We can become better people by listening, learning and trying our hardest.
Jayde - We pray to God and learn to be good sports.
Eliza - We are kind to others when they are feeling sad.
Grace - We have supportive teachers.
Maicey - We take care of people and help them.
Hamish - Meditation calms us down after play.
Harry - We have Mr Hope who helps us keep our environment clean.
Nate - We learn to respect, help and include everyone around us.
Summer-Rose - We can share the Bible stories we learn with others.

Year 2 certainly appreciates their Catholic education. We know you do, too!

Toni Pilcher
YEAR TWO TEACHER

WORK EXPERIENCE

After many weeks of planning, our Careers Team placed our Year 10 students across a range of business and industries as part of their Work Experience Program. Forty…. Students spent the last week of Term 2 engaged in practical learning with real-world experiences thanks to host business around Charters Towers, Townsville and our rural hosts as far away as Normanton. Students shadowed industry professionals in industries they were potentially wanting to pursue post-school. Students enjoyed the hands-on experience and gained valuable life and career skills.

Kim Lynch
CAREERS ADVISER AND YEAR 9-10 PASTORAL LEADER

Dear Parents, Caregivers, Staff and Students,

I trust that the students and staff have returned to the College fully recharged, relaxed and ready to fully involve themselves into another action-packed term. This term students will have the opportunity to participate in a range of interschool sports and extra-curricular activities such as athletics, softball, cricket, debating, Cattle Club and TAG, just to name a few. I have no doubt that Boarders will be heavily involved in these activities and will give of their best.

This term, Mrs Jarmey has commenced her new role as Head of Boys’ Boarding. She is very excited to be working with the boys under her care as well as the staff that she now leads. Mrs Jarmey brings a new richness to the Boys’ Boarding space that will only enhance the residential experiences for the young lads under her care. Matt Guy has also commenced his role as a Houseparent in Boys’ Boarding. He is enjoying his new role so far as he gets to know and work with the boys.

This term we have a number of new students commencing their journeys as Columba students and from what I have been able to ascertain and observe so far, they have transitioned fairly well into the boarding space and school at large. Of course, there is the usual homesickness that students will experience because of the temporary separation from their families, but as the term progresses and they settle into a routine, school life will become much easier. Being a former boarding student at the school, I recognise the importance of routine in settling into boarding school life.

Last Friday, many of our Senior boarding students attended the Inter School Formal. I was left in no doubt that the young ladies spent many hours and significant amounts of money to look their very best. They all looked very glamorous in their gowns as did the young men who looked most dapper in their suits. From all reports, they all had a great time.

From 8-10 August, the Year 11 students will be involved in a 3-day Leadership Retreat at Bluewater. Please check with your children that they are adequately prepared for the Retreat as it will most likely be still chilly at that time of the year. From 8.30 am on Friday 2 September to 5.00 pm 4 September, the Boarding houses will be closed due to the Boarders' Long Weekend. Those students who are not attending the camps with the school will be required to seek alternative, and appropriate leave arrangements for that weekend.

This term Boarders will be engaged in a myriad of weekend activities. As per usual the weekend activities schedules will be emailed to parents and caregivers in a timely manner.

In regards to Day School matters, Mrs Kimberlee Lynch has commenced her role as the Year 9 & 10 Pastoral Leader. I have included her contact details below along with the other Pastoral Leaders for your convenience.

Year 7 & 8 Pastoral Leader Ms Madeleine Carter mcarter2@columba.catholic.edu.au

Year 9 & 10 Pastoral Leader Mrs Kimberlee Lynch klynch6@columba.catholic.edu.au

Year 11 & 12 Pastoral Leader Mr Haydn Champion hchampion@columba.catholic.edu.au

Finally, I would like to express my sincere thanks for choosing Columba to educate your child/ren. It is an honour and a privilege to be associated with such a fine body of young men and women.

Dan Kyle
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - PASTORAL/RESIDENTIAL

2022 CENSUS PRIVACY NOTICE

2022_Census_Privacy_Notice.pdf

Columba Catholic College Newsletter Volume 25 No. 11 - 29th July 2022 -