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Columba Catholic College Newsletter Volume 25 No. 15 - 14th October 2022 -

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Columba Families,

Welcome back to Term 4! A new term of learning and a time of renewal as we recommit to providing the best possible opportunities we can to the students at Columba. A very special welcome to the new students and families who have joined our community this term.

On Monday, our residential and day staff participated in a Student Protection Protection Training session led by Alyse Howard from the Townsville Catholic Education Office. It is always important to stop, think and reflect on ways to keep our students safe at school and at home, and to recognize the signs when our students may not be fully engaged in life and learning. Leading learning often and with purpose builds a strong team of educators and I am committed to ongoing growth in this space.

This week is Mental Health Week. It is an important time to promote the importance of positive mental health and to raise awareness of the impact of mental illness and how it impacts the lives of people in our community. With this in mind, please find here information regarding some of the services and resources available to our students and families.

Guidance and Counselling

The effect of life’s stressors on the personal, social and academic development of students is widely acknowledged. Schools exercise a central role in supporting and assisting student development by providing a guidance and counselling service. At Columba, the College Guidance Counsellor works in partnership with the College community to promote and foster student development, mental health and resilience. The Guidance Counsellor is available to meet with students, parents/guardians and staff to talk about concerns. This is a confidential service. An appointment can be made either by contacting the Counsellor directly or leaving a message with the office staff. Our Guidance Counsellors are Aleesha Watson and Sarah Smith. We warmly welcome Aleesha back this term as she returns from maternity leave. We also give thanks to Lena Hewitt who has been working with our community this year whilst Aleesha has been on leave.

Resources for Families

School TV is a free resource to assist families in raising happy, healthy and resilient youth. These resources are available by clicking on the link on our school website at School TV I strongly encourage families to take a look at this resource as there are a wide variety of videos and resources available here.

For more information regarding Mental Health Week please click on the following link.

Enrolments for 2023 are currently being taken. To ensure that we can best support our families, please ensure that applications for enrolments are submitted as soon as possible. Please contact the college for more information.

Staffing Updates:

Mrs Toni Pilcher has accepted a transfer to St Benedict’s Catholic School in Townsville commencing 2023. Toni is a wonderful educator who has made an outstanding contribution to early years education at Columba. We wish Toni and her family all the best as they embark on their new journey. We will give thanks to Toni as the year draws to a close.

It is with great pleasure that I announce that Emma Systa has been appointed as a Secondary Teacher at Mt Carmel Campus for 2023. Emma is currently engaged in her final practicum placement teaching in the areas of English and HPE. Emma is a committed educator and we look forward to welcoming her more formally to the Columba community next year.

In 2023 we will also welcome Miss Kara Dawson to St Mary’s Campus. Kara is currently working locally in Charters Towers and over the last few years has worked in rural and western communities as a Primary Teacher. We warmly welcome Kara to Columba and we look forward to working with her in the future.

Congratulations to students and staff involved in the Legends of League pre-game matches held at the Bill Lewis Oval last weekend. Both our Primary boys and Open Rugby League teams performed very well. Special congratulations to our Open Boys team who had a fantastic win against All Souls St Gabriel’s School with a score of 58-0. Both girls and boys teams traveled to Townsville today to participate in the Michael Putney Cup. We wish them well for a great day of sport and community.

Tonight our senior Hospitality students and Mrs Tonya Burgoine will host our annual “Pink it up” event to promote Breast Cancer Awareness. The students and staff have been very busy working behind the scenes to bring this night to fruition. We are looking forward to a wonderful evening with members of our community

October is Mission Month. Students at both St Mary’s and Mt Carmel will be participating in a range of “Soctober” activities to raise awareness and funds for those less fortunate than ourselves. Please keep an eye out for events and activities on our calendar this month.

In the busy-ness of life it can sometimes be hard to stop, reflect and recharge. You are important and you are valued and loved. Please take the time to read this beautiful prayer and message written by Pope Francis that reminds us of our humanness.

Many blessings,

Melissa Turner
PRINCIPAL

FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - ADMINISTRATION

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Term 4 will provide the students on the Mt Carmel Campus with many opportunities to participate in the curricular and extra-curricular opportunities available. Regular attendance at school is essential for students to avail themselves of the many opportunities available. In fact, research suggests that higher student attendance at school is associated, on average, with higher student achievement.

NAPLAN RESULTS.

Paper copies of the 2022 Years 3,5,7, and 9 NAPLAN reports have been posted to parents. All students who participated in the NAPLAN Test will receive an individual report. The report will provide information about what students know and achieved in reading, writing, conventions of language and numeracy. Please set aside some time to review your child’s results with them.

YEARS 7-10 PAT TESTING

Students in Years 7-10 will complete the Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) developed by ACER in Weeks 2 and 3 of this term to provide a means of assessing and monitoring student growth over time.

Students will complete 3 assessments:

PAT-M is a Mathematics assessment mapped against the Australian Curriculum that assesses mathematical achievement across the six strands of number, algebra, geometry, measurement, statistics and probability through a multiple-choice format;
PAT-R assesses students’ reading comprehension skills, vocabulary knowledge and spelling. These skills reflect comprehension skills described in the Australian National Curriculum for English;
PAT – Grammar and Punctuation assesses a range of language convention skills including the usage and purposes of grammar and punctuation at the word and sentence level. The skills reflect those outlined in the Australian National Curriculum for English.

It is important that all students complete these tests and do their best. Teachers will spend time analysing students’ performance on these assessments to help inform future teaching and learning.

YEAR 11 ASSESSMENT BLOCK

Year 11 students will complete assessments that require longer blocks of time during Week 4 of Term 4 (24^th – 28^th October 2022). Students are expected to attend school during this block and attend classes indicated in their timetable unless they are completing an exam. Some Applied subjects also have assessment such as projects, investigations, folios etc that will be due when indicated on the assessment date calendar which can be accessed in Compass.

YEAR 11 COMMENCEMENT OF UNIT 3

Year 11 students will complete Unit 2 on Friday 28^th October 2022. Unit 3 will commence on Monday 31 October 2022. It is essential that students remain focussed and dedicated to their studies until the end of the year as students will be commencing new learning and work. It is imperative that Year 11 students remain at school and attend classes until the last day of Term 4. Please plan travel arrangements taking this information into account.

YEAR 12 TRIAL MOCK EXAMS

At the end of Term 3 Year 12 students completed trial mock assessments in each of the General subjects as part of their External Assessment preparation. The Trial Mock Block provided students with the opportunity to experience the conditions and types of assessments they will complete during the external assessment block. Teachers have marked the Mock assessments and provided students with feedback to help guide their revision over the coming weeks.

YEAR 12 EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT

The QCAA has developed some resources to assist students to prepare for their external assessments which will take place from Monday 24^th October until Tuesday 15^th November. Students and parents / caregivers are able to access the resources by using the following link to the QCAA website.

2022 EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT TIMETABLE

Please carefully read the 2022 External Assessment Timetable and take note of when students are required to attend school to complete External Assessments. It is crucial that students are present and punctual to each external assessment. Students must arrive on campus 30 minutes before the assessment is scheduled to commence. When not completing External Assessments, it is expected that students would be at home studying and preparing for upcoming External assessments.

Students not completing External Assessments have been invited to participate in the alternative program on offer. Students are able to opt in to complete work experience, a Tenancy Agreement Course as well as numerous short courses. Mr Champion and Mrs Lynch have provided students and parents / caregivers with information about these options and associated costs.

Please note that all Year 12 students are required to attend school during Week 7 of this term (14^th-17^th November).

2023 NAPLAN TESTS

In 2023, NAPLAN tests will be held during Term 1 from Wednesday 15th March to Monday 27th March. All eligible students in Years 3,5,7 and 9 are expected to participate in the NAPLAN Tests. Adjustments are permitted for students with disability to support their access to the tests and facilitate maximum participation.

Maria Peck
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - ADMINISTRATION

YEAR TWO NEWS

We can’t believe we are in our last term of Year 2. We have all grown so much in the past year, and will continue to do so in the weeks to come. Here are our favourite moments from Year 2 in 2022:

Season - When we went to Towers Hill for the excursion.
Elsie - Conducting the jelly experiment and then eating it.
Audrey - When we went to the Mt Carmel Museum.
Makenzee - Singing in the choir.
Emmi-belle - Writing about Towers Hill and making an information poster.
Lanah - Going to the Museum for HASS.
Jaymee - The best thing about being in Year 2 was when we got to do the jelly experiment.
Archie - When we went on an excursion to Towers Hill.
Alyssa - Making the jelly for our Science experiment.
Ada - Learning how to divide in Maths.
Summer-Rose - Learning how to read.
Jack - Looking at the old things in the Museum.
Alexiis - Learning to be a rainbow to others around us.
Jayde - Learning about the continents of the world.
Eliza - Learning about life cycles.
Grace - Going to Towers Hill to see the ruins.
Maicey - Learning about the life cycles of animals.
Hamish - Going to the Museum to see all of the old things.
Harry - Learning about Towers Hill and the bunkers.
Nate - Reading all the books in reading groups.
Tyler - Making the life cycles.

In the next few weeks, we will continue on with our learning experiences by investigating water usage, looking at Australian money, learning about the history of Jerusalem and more! You are wonderful learners, Year 2.

Toni Pilcher
YEAR TWO TEACHER

YEAR SIX NEWS

This year has certainly flown by as our Year 6 class embark on their final term on the St Mary’s Campus.

In Mathematics, the class are focussing on the Statistics and Probability strand of the subject. They will then finish off the year with plenty of problem-solving equations.

Students are learning about recounts in English and will soon write a recount for assessment about the life of Queen Elizabeth II. Each student is doing a novel study on ‘Devils in Danger’ which is part of our comprehension work. As always, there is plenty of work around, spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Science and Technology are integrated this term as the class learns about electrical circuits and will make their own circuits to power objects.

In HASS, the students are exploring business and economics and looking at the positives and challenges of running a small or large business. This should include plenty of interesting discussions around these topics.

In Religious Education, the students are learning about the role of missions and will be participating in a number of fundraising activities as part of this unit of work.

Swimming lessons have started with Mr O’Connor as children start preparing for the Interhouse Swimming Carnival in Week 4.

In Dance, students will soon start learning dances as part of their Rite of Passage celebration in the final week of the term. I have no doubt this will be a wonderful evening where students will reflect fondly about their years on the St Mary’s Campus.

It is clear from all this that Year 6 are going to be busy over the remaining 7 weeks of this term. Please don’t hesitate to come and see me if any issues arise throughout the term.

Gerard Webber
YEAR SIX TEACHER

ST. MARY'S CAMPUS AWARDS

Term 4 Week 1 - Treating other students with fairness and understanding

Prep - Ava Bailey
Year 1 - Fletcher Strahorn
Year 2 - Elsie Bennetto
Year 3 - Cade Porter
Year 3/4 - Eden-Rose Naughton
Year 4 - Owen Neilsen
Year 5 - Renae Yeo
Year 6 - Jayden Stewart

Term 4 Week 2 - Listening attentively to the responses of others

Prep - Cruz Bryant
Year 1 - Sophie Pilcher
Year 2 - Season Adhikari
Year 3 - Sammy Brady
Year 3/4 - Luis Yeo
Year 4 - Clancy Hodgetts
Year 5 - Hannah Brown
Year 6 - Ryan Kime

MT. CARMEL CAMPUS NOTABLE MENTIONS

Congratulations to the following students who received Notable Mentions on the MC Campus at Assembly recently.

Term 4 Week 2 - Respect for Learning: Has commenced the term positively and prepared for learning.

Year 7 - Nathan Purcell
Year 8 - Cooper Jeffries
Year 9 - Bianca Grant
Year 10 - Kadence Hill
Year 11 - Mea Telford
Year 12 - Jacky Truong

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION ON THE MC CAMPUS

DIAGNOSTIC TESTING

Over the past fortnight students from Years 7 to 10 have completed their diagnostic testing for grammar and punctuation, reading and numeracy. The results from these tests will be analysed and be used to inform our responsive planning for next year. Teachers will target areas of improvement to ensure all students are working to their best of their ability.

NAPLAN CHANGES

NAPLAN for years 7 and 9, will move to Term 1 next year. We are currently in the process of identify students who may require adjustments to enable an equivalent learner experience during NAPLAN testing and encourage maximum participation. These adjustments can include:

Parents and students are welcome to explore these adjustments online. ACARA has developed videos which show how these adjustments can be used successfully. You can view them here: https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/accessibility/adjustments-for-students-with-disability

We will be in contact with families whose students receive these adjustments as part of their learning journey.

DISABILITY STANDARDS FOR EDUCATION - NEW RESOURCES

The Australian Government has released new information resources on the Disability Standards for Education 2005 (Standards) that were co-designed with people with disability with the help of Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA).

What are the resources?
The new resources provide information about the Standards and offer practical advice on how to navigate education systems from early childhood through to tertiary education.
There are four new resources:

Explaining the Disability Standards for Education – this resource outlines what the Standards are and what they are designed to do.
Milestones and Transitions – this resource is to help students and their parents and caregivers make their way through their education journey.
Advocating with and for your child: Primary School – this resource is for parents and caregivers of primary school students.
Disability Standards for Education in Practice: Action Plan – this resource is for students who are in high school or tertiary education.

Each resource has been translated into Easy Read format and Auslan, and Arabic, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Farsi, Hindi, Khmer, Korean, and Vietnamese. To find the resources on the Department of Education website use this link

Chloe Shaw
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION MIDDLE LEADER

INTERSCHOOL TENNIS

Interschool tennis evolved into a single tournament in 2022. Originally scheduled in Term 1 but postponed due to hot weather, the tournament was conducted on Friday 9 September.

Students prepared for the tournament by practicing with Mrs Butler and I each Thursday afternoon in Term 3.

Columba’s tennis team comprised:

13s - Hugh Lyons, Aaron Murray, Zander Murray, Nash Wilton, T’ae Struckel, Laicey Struckel, Shayla Jonsson, Nikki Bethel;

15s - Adam Brandis, Payton Smith, Sam McHugh, Brendan Kelly, Ella MacPherson, Chantel Wilson, Jannali Kyle-Giakoumi, Treselle Lavis;

Opens - Bailey MacPherson, Harry Pickering, Beau Lavery, Assariah Lenoy, Maria Wilson, Cassandra McIntosh, Hayley Zadow, and Aysia Kruger.

At the tournament, the students competed in mixed doubles and singles against All Souls and Saint Gabriels School, Blackheath and Thornburgh College, and Charters Towers State High School. All players enjoyed the competition and displayed good sportsmanship. Columba won the 15 years age group and finished second overall behind BTC.

Special thanks to CTSHS and the Charters Towers Tennis Club for running the tournament.

Andrew Butler
COACH

RESIDENTIAL NEWS

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students,

Welcome back to Term 4! I truly hope that everybody has enjoyed their time with their families over the holidays. For many parents and guardians, I know that it was a welcome time to have their sons and daughters’ home to assist with the operation of their respective family businesses.

I had the good fortune of travelling out to the western parts of Queensland over the holiday period. It was somewhat confronting though to see that many farms are still drought stricken. For the most part, the livestock still looked strong but early rain is needed to enable good pasture growth to sustain the livestock. We are praying for early rain!

Term 4 is a term that many of our students look forward to because of the range of activities on offer including Awards Night, The Boarders’ Biggest Birthday Party, Christmas dinner, Graduation and the various interschool sports on offer. Of course, students and staff can also see the finish line (in terms of the academic school year) and everyone looks forward to the extended school break. In saying this though, it is expected that students work to the best of their abilities to enable them to realise their academic potential. Students need to maintain a good balance between work and play. Success is effort related and as the saying goes ‘you cannot plough a field by simply doing it in your mind’.

On October 3, the College hosted the final Boarder Parent Council meeting. We discussed all matters pertaining to Boarding and to a lesser extent Day School as well. The Council discussed a range of agenda items. A summary of topics covered can be referred to directly below:

Changes to the afternoon study procedure. Girls will now complete their study on the Mount Carmel campus. Boys and girls will study together in their respective cohorts with the Senior students (Years 10-12) operating out of the Kelly Block classrooms and the Junior students completing their study in the Rice Block complex. Students will have access to breakout areas whereby they can collaborate and receive tutoring from various teachers of specialist subjects.
Dining Room Menu. The menu is currently under review with a new menu to be put up on the College website next week. Feedback has been obtained from students (including the Boarder Representative Council), staff and parents to come up with a menu that is nutritionally balanced.
Girl boarders will have breakfast in the Good Samaritan Residence. This will enable girls to enjoy a more home-like environment with a range of hot meals and continental options available each day. Additionally, it will also allow the girls that little bit more time to organise themselves for the school day ahead.
The Boarders Christmas Dinner.
The 2023 Senior Student Residential team. The Residential Captains; Assariah Lenoy and Chloe Girlder along with the girls’ Residential Vice-Captain – Lindsay Kirkwood will work with the current 2022 leaders until they graduate.

Dan Kyle
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - PASTORAL/RESIDENTIAL