Columba Catholic College - Charters Towers eNewsletter

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Columba Families,

This year we continue our whole school focus on improving writing across the College. On Monday afternoon our teaching staff engaged in a twilight professional learning session linked to the Writers’ Toolbox. They have been enhancing their skills and collaborating to use explicit teaching strategies to improve student outcomes in this domain. I commend the staff on their commitment to this focus and to the use of data and team based practice,s to ensure our students are being met at their point of need. We are focused on student growth in all aspects of learning at the College.

This week students in Years 3,5,7 and 9 participated in NAPLAN testing. Whilst this testing has been scheduled much earlier than in previous years, the preparation for the online portal has been a part of our program thus far in 2023. Special thanks to our Naplan Coordinators and support staff including Mrs Maria Peck, Mrs Joanne Andrews, Ms Robecca Sorrensen and Ms Clare Stead for the dedication to ensuring the testing period was well organised and prepared.

Last Monday we held the CSPA AGM. It is with pleasure that I announce the following CSPA Executive for 2023:

PRESIDENT: Fiona Murray

VICE PRESIDENT : Erin Bryant

VICE PRESIDENT - EVENTS: Kate Hodgetts

SECRETARY: Kate King

We are grateful for the service, commitment and generosity of the executive and team members and look forward to working with them this year.

Special thanks to Mr Jaymi Evans, Mr Callan Newman, Mr Jason Buczynsky, Mrs Caroline Jarmey, Mrs Michelle Burns, Mr Andrew Butler, Ms Larrissa Crowley, Mrs Deb Naughton, Mrs Leesa Currie, Cecilia Louk, our Office Administration team, and the many volunteers and residential staff members who made the Catholic Schools' Carnival held on the weekend of the 3rd and 4th March, a great success. God blessed us with a little rain, but he also blessed us with great community spirit and the students had a wonderful time. A big shout out to our coaches and managers: Miss Madison Mikletic, Mrs Kim Lynch, Mr Gerard Webber and Mr Rohan Dixon, for the preparation and support of our students as they kick start their season together. We appreciate all of your efforts in preparing them for the carnival.

Thanks to all MCC staff for their support of the Secondary Interschool Swimming Carnival. The students represented the College with pride and we were fortunate enough to celebrate the evening with a number of fantastic individual and overall achievements. Special thanks to Andrew Butler and Emma Systa for training and supporting the students as they prepared for the carnival and to Jaymi Evans, Callan Newman, Cheryl Callcott, Angela Carroll and Jordan Moy for their assistance across the two days of the carnival as well. It was a wonderful community event and a successful carnival with Columba achieving overall carnival winner on the day.

Tomorrow Columba will turn green as we prepare to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. Students are preparing to participate in a range of activities and events to celebrate the day. Our Mini Vinnies and Teen Vinnies students, led by Ms Larrissa Crowley and Ms Christine O’Sullivan, are preparing to have lots of fun to raise awareness and well-needed funds to support Project Compassion. We thank the students, staff and our families for your generosity in advance.

And...as we continue on our Lenten journey of prayer and reflection, let us continue to be people who are giving of ourselves and life-giving to others. “God, may Your light guide my day, and your spirit bring me peace. Amen.”

All the best for the fortnight ahead.

Many blessings,

Melissa Turner
PRINCIPAL

FROM THE ACTING DEPUTY - PASTORAL/RESIDENTIAL

School spirit is a topic often discussed within a school community. School spirit is at an all time high after great performances at both the Catholic Schoos'l Carnival and the Interschool Swimming Carnival. This spirit can be recognised by the level of enthusiasm that is exerted into various sporting events, attitudes towards academic pursuits and other activities that a school offers.

A positive school spirit is very important as it can establish a feeling of ‘belonging to one large family’. A positive school climate includes norms, values and expectations that support people feeling emotionally and physically safe. A positive school culture produces a climate that is positive, caring, supportive, respectful of all learners, with high expectations for all students to learn.

Behaviour Expectations

Columba prides itself on the exemplary behaviour that our students exhibit whether in Day School, the Residences, or in the wider community. Sometimes though, some students find it challenging to comply with the College expectations and this leads to consequences that are put in place.

Mobile Phones - Procedures for Student Use

While it is acknowledged that providing a student with a mobile phone provides parents and caregivers with peace of mind that they can be contacted in an emergency situation, this does not apply during the school day when students have access to College staff. If parents and caregivers wish to contact their child/ren during the school day, they can do so through the College reception and the message will be passed on accordingly. Therefore, in most circumstances, students may not require a phone at school. If mobile phones are brought to schoo,l the following guidelines are in place.

Mobile phones are to be kept in lockers during the day. Mobile phones are ‘not seen, not heard and not used’ at any College related activities and events, both on and off campus.
Students are not permitted to use the camera, voice recording or web-browsing components of their phone while at the College or during a College-related activity on- or off-campus.

Should a student be found to be holding or using a mobile phone during the school day, including before school, or at any school related event, the teacher will confiscate it and hand it to the Deputy Principal for safe keeping. The phone will only be returned to the parents / guardians / caregivers of the student following an interview with the DP-P&R.

It is important for students to know that if they don't abide by the expectations of the College, then they forfeit the right to represent our school events/activities such as Mulkadee, Debating and school sports.

The Resilience Project

Throughout 2023, we will be working again closely with The Resilience Project to support the wellbeing of our school community. This project delivers emotionally engaging programs and provides evidence-based, practical strategies to build resilience.

Our Partnership Program consists of online presentations and weekly lessons for students, professional development for staff, and Parent & Carer Hub (inc. digital presentations) for our parent and carer community.

Over the coming terms, we will be sharing the Parent & Carer Hub with you. The videos are 5-10 minutes long and will walk through the key pillars of resilience: Gratitude, Empathy & Mindfulness. You’ll hear stories and be introduced to activities to show how these strategies can support our students' learning and development, and also support you as parents and carers.

This program is an important part of our school’s effort to look after the mental health of our community.

Jason Buczynsky
ACTING DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - PASTORAL/RESIDENTIAL

SECONDARY INTERSCHOOL SWIMMING CARNIVAL

Columba Catholic College shines at the Inter-School Swimming Carnival with Record-Breaking Performances!

Last week, our school's swimming team participated in the highly anticipated Inter-School Swimming Carnival. And what a day it was for CCC! Our swimmers have put up an outstanding performance, showcasing their skills and sportsmanship throughout the carnival.

One of the main highlights of the day was Dale Beatty, who broke four records; 100m freestyle, 50m freestyle, 50m breaststroke and 50m backstroke. Dale's achievements were nothing less than remarkable, and we congratulate her on these accomplishments.

But Dale wasn't the only one to make waves at the carnival. Our school's collective efforts saw us winning all but one trophy! The determination and dedication from every team member brought about this amazing result, and we are incredibly proud of each and every one of our students for their hard work.

Congratulations must also go to our students who were announced as age champions and runners up:

12 years girls' runner up - Latika Fogarty
12 years boys' runner up - Jed Kruger
13 years boys' runner up - Michael Archer
13 years boys' age champion - Liam Bartschat
14 years boys' AWD age champion - Azariah Hunter
14 years boys' age champion - Ethan Ford
15 years girls' age champion - Dale Beatty
16 years girls' runner up - Layla Ford
Open girls' age champion - Chloe Girdler
Open boys' age champion - Isaac Neilson
Open boys' AWD age champion - Conner Smith

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank our coaches, Mr Andrew Butler and Ms Emma Systa, for their tireless efforts in training and preparing our team for this event. Their commitment to our school's sports program has provided valuable guidance to our students, leading to such fantastic results.

Don Doyle Memorial Shield

CCC 251
ASSG 235
BTC 98

Rattray Shield

CCC 155
ASSG 82
BTC 63

Morton Cup

CCC 76
ASSG 71
BTC 31

Coleman Cup

CCC 390
ASSG 332
BTC 16

Griffiths Memorial Relay Trophy

CCC 77
ASSG 68
BTC 47

A & R Duckworth Trophy

CCC 338
ASSG 302
BTC 250
Dis Edu 18

Aggregate: Althea Norton Shield

CCC 728
ASSG 634
BTC 391
Dis Edu 18
CTSH 11

Overall, the Inter-School Swimming Carnival was a huge success, and our school's performance was a testament to the skills and hard work of our students and staff.

Congratulations to all of our swimmers, coaches, and supporters who helped make this carnival a memorable one.

Callan Newman
MIDDLE LEADER - SPORT

VENUE: Airport Reserve

TIME: 8:15am-10:35am

DATE: Monday 27th March 2023

All students (Grades 7-12) must attend the Airport reserve by 8:25am for homeroom roll marking to occur at 8:30am.

Students should be in full and correct sports uniform with house shirt, including College hat.

All students are expected to run in the cross country. If they are not able to run they must provide a written note from their parents/guardian. If students make the interschool cross country team, they will be expected to run in PLAIN BLUE or BLACK skins, PLAIN BLUE or BLACK bike pants, or CCC shorts. Boys will be expected to run in PLAIN BLUE or BLACK skins or CCC shorts. It is recommended that this is organised now so that if your child makes the team, they have the correct uniform.

From 10:35 am onwards, students will be transported back to the Mt Carmel Campus. All students are to gather under the Edmund Undercover Area and wait for the morning tea bell.

All students will run the distance required for their age group.

TIME	EVENT
8:00AM	STAFF ON DUTY FOR STUDENT ARRIVALS
8:30AM	PC TEACHERS MARK ROLLS
8:45AM	OPEN BOYS (6km)
8:50AM	16YRS BOYS (6km)
8:55AM	OPEN GIRLS (4km)
9:00AM	16YRS GIRLS (4km)
9:05AM	15YRS BOYS (4km)
9:10AM	15YRS GIRLS (4km)
9:15AM	14YRS BOYS (4km)
9:20AM	14YRS GIRLS (4km)
9:25AM	13YRS BOYS (3km)
9:30AM	13YRS GIRLS (3km)
9:35AM	12YRS BOYS (3km)
9:40AM	12YRS GIRLS (3km)
10:15AM	ALL RACES CALLED
10:25AM	PRESENTATIONS
10:35AM	STAFF AND STUDENTS BUSSED BACK TO SCHOOL

PRIMARY INTERHOUSE CROSS COUNTRY CARNIVAL

Friday 31st March

Students from Prep - Year 6 will participate. All students are to be dropped at the Mt Carmel Campus between 8.10am - 8.30am in their sports uniform with house shirt. Students will then be bussed back to St Mary’s Campus at the conclusion of the carnival at approximately 11.00am. There will be no tuckshop morning tea available on this day. All students are to bring thier own morning tea and water bottles as they will be having morning tea at the Mt. Carmel Campus. Big lunch will need to be ordered and paid for by Thursday 30th March.

YEAR ONE NEWS

Year 1s have been having an extremely busy and fun term. It is hard to believe that they have already completed 7 weeks of their learning journey.

This term in Religious the children have been enjoying learning about the stories of Noah and Moses. Through the story of Noah they learnt that God will keep his promises as he promised that he would not flood the Earth ever again.

Children have also been learning about the Sacraments of Eucharist and Baptism. To enhance their learning, the children walked to the Church to experience a Mass and talk with Father Emmanuel about Baptism. This was an enjoyable excursion and we learnt a lot. To follow on from our excursion, the children have begun to plan and write a recount of their trip for their English work.

We still have a lot more work to go but we are looking forward to our well deserved holidays in the next few weeks.

Belinda Hourston
YEAR ONE TEACHER

In this edition of SchoolTV - MANAGING SCREEN TIME

The latest research found that 77% of teenagers spend more than five hours on screens per day, but it is important to note that not all screen time is considered equal.

Parents play a crucial role in modelling a positive and healthy approach to using screens and assisting children to navigate the content they watch. Excessive screen time can be detrimental to a child’s overall wellbeing. Ensuring the correct privacy settings are in place is vital to prevent children from being inadvertently exposed to inappropriate content or online predators. Parents need to also be mindful of the potential impact screen time can have on a child’s social, emotional, educational, behavioural, and even physical domains.

In this edition of SchoolTV, care-givers will be provided with a range of guidelines and strategies to help manage screen time at home.

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 Guidance Counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the Managing Screen Time edition of SchoolTV

RESIDENTIAL NEWS

Dear Parents, Caregivers, Staff and Students,

This fortnight has certainly been a busy one for our Residential Community. On Friday 3 March, the College hosted the annual Catholic Schools’ Carnival. The number of schools that participated was down on previous years but a good time was had by all. This was the 9th consecutive year that we have convened the carnival and incidentally it is Boarding’s major fundraiser for the year. In rugby league, Columba played Abergowrie in the Grand Final. They left everything out on the field leaving victorious 22-10. Player of the final went to Max Campbell, who performed strongly with some great charging runs into the opposition's defence. Assariah Lenoy, another one of our boarders, won the player of the carnival.

In netball, our girls played four different teams from around the Diocese: Southern Cross Catholic College, Good Shepherd from Mt Isa, St Margaret Mary's and St Catherine's, from the Whitsundays. This carnival was the first time many of the girls had played together. Although they did not come away from the weekend with a win, it was a crucial learning moment we can take away and improve on.

A special thanks to Caroline Jarmey and Michelle Burns for preparing meals for the carnival.

As we are now at the busy end of the term, academic wise, time management is key for optimising academic performance. There are no shortcuts to achieving academic success and effort is obviously a key factor in realising one’s academic goals. For those students who at this time may be struggling to meet their academic commitments, Homework Club and Assessment Support are two courses of action that students can readily access on the Mount Carmel Campus after school.

I trust that most families are in the process of finalising their child/ren’s end of term travel arrangements. Please ensure that when your child is travelling home that you and they adhere to the following travel safety tips:

Students having a fully charged mobile phone with a list of emergency contact numbers
Students having adequate funds on their person and in their bank accounts
Educating your child about Stranger Danger and
Keeping the College informed of your child/ren’s movements before and when warranted during transit. This is particularly important when students have to catch interconnecting buses, trains and or flights.

If parents wish to access the Western and Northern Bus services that the school provides at the end of each term, please email Caroline Jarmey or Michelle Burns directly before Friday 24 March. The services will operate pending student numbers.