Columba Catholic College Newsletter Volume 26 No. 11 - 10 August 2023

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Columba Families,

The term has got off to a busy start with students engaged in a range of learning programs. Preparations for Book Week celebrations and the upcoming Charters Towers Eisteddfod are also well underway. There is so much to be thankful for as we reflect on the events of the last couple of weeks.

Congratulations to all students who participated in the Charters Towers Show. Thanks to staff and families who encouraged students to submit artworks for display and competition. Special thanks to Sonia Wood, Darky Abdy and to our many parents volunteers for supporting the students of our Cattle Club. This event wraps up what has been a wonderful Show circuit for our students and we wish them all the best as they wind down for the show year. Thanks also to members of our staff who attended the Show in support of our students and engaged in conversation with current and prospective families about life at Columba.

Last Thursday and Friday our students participated in the Charters Towers Interschool Secondary Athletics Carnival hosted on Mt Carmel Campus. Special thanks to Callan Newman, Emma Systa, Madeleine Carter, Clare Stead, Andrew Butler, Cecilia Louk, our Grounds and Maintenance Team, and to our entire teaching and support staff for their efforts. The collective contribution of our team ensured that all ran smoothly on the day. Thanks also to Leslye Muller who worked with our staff in training them for leading key events at the carnival. There were some outstanding individual student performances and we congratulate our students on their efforts and the spirit with which they represented the college. Six out of the seven girls’ Age Champions were awarded to our students. Our students were awarded the Girls’ Relay Trophy and Girls’ Aggregate Trophy. Thanks to our Athletics Team Captains Reagan Butler and Assariah Lenoy for their leadership. Thanks to Christine O’Sullivan, Natalie Grant and our SRC students for holding the SRC Food Van, Wes and Alina Douglas from Pivotal Moments Coffee and Fiona Murray and members of our CSPA for facilitating the BBQ on Friday. Thanks also to the parents and community members who joined us across the two days.

On Monday Year 12 students completing the Certificate II in Active Volunteering hosted a fundraiser for Breast Cancer. Thanks to Christine O’Sullivan, Andrew Butler and our Year 12 students for their leadership here. Thanks to the many students, staff and families who support our volunteers.

Today and tomorrow we begin our secondary transition program for 2024 with the college hosting a Taste of Boarding and a Taste of Secondary. Special thanks to Caroline Jarmey, Clare Stead and our Residential staff and students who will be supporting our families and showcasing residential life at Columba. Thanks also to our residential staff for nurturing and supporting our new boarders as they join us for the first time. Thanks is also extended to Maria Peck, Madeleine Carter, Joanne Andrews, our Curriculum Leaders, teaching staff and our Office Administration Team for their work in preparing for a Taste of Secondary tomorrow. The students will participate in a range of learning sequences across the day. Special thanks to all involved in this two day program and for the support of our students and families at this very important time of transition. We look forward to meeting you all and embarking on this new journey together.

I wish to advise that the college will be submitting an application for Round 2 Go for Gold School Sports Infrastructure Funding. This application is due in September.  We have been working with an architect and TCE personnel to draft plans. I will present an application to enclose and air-condition the Iona Centre as a Multi-Sports Centre with inclusions such as a canteen, storage, amenities, AV facilities and multipurpose flooring. We are seeking letters of support for our application from local sporting organizations who may be interested in using the facility. Letters of support can be submitted directly through the college office. Successful applicants will be notified in May 2024. Keep you posted!

Academic, Sporting and Cultural Bursary applications are now being accepted for 2024. Information regarding these can be found here. This term we have welcomed a number of new students and families into our community and we are continuing to grow. Enrolments are currently being accepted for now and the 2024 school year. If you or someone you know is interested in securing a place for the 2024 school year, please encourage them to contact the office on 47871744 or via email  at office@columba.catholic.edu.au. We have a number of classes with waiting lists in Primary; as well as limited vacancies in boarding. Early application is essential.

Next week our Year 11 students head off to Bluewater for their Leadership Retreat. We wish all staff and students the best for the days ahead.

Columba is also hosting a cultural exchange with students from China joining us in both Primary and Secondary classes next week. Special thanks to Michael Ku for his organisation of this experience for our visitors and our community.

A reminder that Friday 1st September is a Pupil Free Day. Staff will be engaging in a Staff Professional Learning day centered on the Australian Curriculum and Reflective Practice. Professional renewal is an important part of growing as life-long learners and benefits our entire school community.  Thank you for your support.

Good luck to our students participating in the NRL School Boy Trophy and the Karyn Murphy Cup Quad Series Finals today and Friday in Townsville.  Thank you Maria Wilson, Veronica Wilson, Peter Wilson, Callan Newman, Andrew Butler, Angela Carroll, Neil Brown, Scott Bliss, Justin Dixon, Gerard Webber and Rohan Dixon for their organisation, coaching and supporting of our students. 

All the best for the fortnight ahead.

Many blessings,

Melissa Turner
PRINCIPAL

FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - ADMINISTRATION

Dear Parents and Caregivers

TEACHING AND LEARNING NEWS

I hope students on the Mt Carmel Campus have had a positive and industrious start to the term. As we progress towards the halfway point of the term, students have had many opportunities to engage in academic, sporting and cultural opportunities on offer at the College.

To ensure that students are ready for learning and are well prepared to complete their work and assessments in Semester 2, there are a number of strategies that parents can employ to assist and support students, such as:

• Reflecting on students Semester 1 Report Card available in Compass and setting specific goals for Semester 2. As well as looking at the grades, it is also important to reflect on teacher feedback provided regarding strengths, areas of improvement, personal effort, and behaviour.
• Develop a set routine, for example, a set time for going to bed, a set time for getting out of bed.
• Ensure that students allocate time to complete homework / study / assessment each evening. Students should be recording the homework / study / assessments they need to complete in their student diary.
• Have a dedicated study area at home to complete homework, assessments, and study.
• Know when assessments are due by referring to the Assessment Date Calendars in Compass.
• Refer to the Mount Carmel Campus Weekly Events Calendar available in the newsfeed in Compass. This will assist families in planning the extra-curricular activities that students maybe involved in.
• Pack students' bag the evening before with all the necessary equipment, taking into consideration their timetable and extra-curricular commitments.

ATTENDANCE

Research shows that regular attendance at school is associated on average with higher student achievement. Every day and every minute at school counts. Attendance on the Mount Carmel Campus is recorded for every lesson during the day including morning Pastoral Care. Punctuality to school and class each day is crucial. The warning bell rings at 8:25am and morning Pastoral Care commences at 8:30am.

Regular periods of absence may significantly impact on a student’s ability to connect with their teachers, keep up to date with school work, assessment and studies as well as build relationships with their peers.

We understand that occasional absences due to illness, misadventure, sport or cultural commitments are inevitable. However, it is important that students are proactive when absent. If students are absent, they need to contact their teacher and make arrangements to catch up on work missed. Teachers regularly place work on Google Classroom, therefore it is important for students to check Google Classroom for work as well.

Please note that it is a College expectation that students will attend school until the last day of each term.

WHAT TO DO IF STUDENTS ARE ABSENT FOR ASSESSMENT

As we go into a period of assessment and students experience illness or absence due to other circumstances, families are reminded that they may be eligible to apply for special provisions (e.g. an extension of the due date or an exam re-sit) for assessment items.

• For students who are absent due to illness:  All Years 7-12 students must complete the AARA / Extension Application Forms available from the College Office. If in Year 11/12, please attach a detailed medical certificate (please also contact the office if this is an exam date); if in Years 7-10 a medical certificate or parent note needs to be attached to the application.
• For planned absences (eg sporting representation/ family wedding etc), students should submit work on, or before, the due date as per our Assessment Policy. 

YEAR 12 TRIAL MOCK EXTERNAL EXAMS

Year 12 students have just completed their final piece of internal assessment in General subjects. For some this represents 75% of their course and others 50%. Students in General subjects will now begin to focus on preparations for External Assessments.

In Weeks 8 and 9 of this term, students will complete mock external assessments. Please note that the final exams will be held on Thursday 14^th September. Students can expect to have 2 exams timetabled each day. The External Assessment Block will prepare students well for the rigors of the actual external assessments and provide them with valuable feedback.

Students will attend school as usual, coming out of class to undertake the assessments. Attendance until the end of term is important as students will have mock external assessments as well assessment items in applied and certificate courses to complete. Please take this into consideration when making travel arrangements at the end of the Term 3. An exam schedule will go out to students and parents in coming weeks.

YEAR 7‐10 ASSESSMENT DATE CALENDARS

Years 7‐10 Semester 2 assessment dates are now available in the year level assessment calendars in Compass. Please take the time to carefully look at when assessment drafts and final submissions are due as well as exam dates.  Encourage students to record their assessment dates in their College diary. This will assist students to plan study time effectively and meet all deadlines. A reminder that all assessment is due on or before the due date.

NAPLAN REPORTS

Recently NAPLAN reports were posted to parents and caregivers as well as a fact sheet: NAPLAN Individual Student Report Information for Parents and Carers. Further information about NAPLAN Reporting is available at the following website. 

NAPLAN results provide additional information, which can be used along with school assessment and testing, for you to compare your child’s achievement with other children across Australia. By itself, NAPLAN does not improve the quality of education, but it gives a snapshot of how your child is achieving in literacy and numeracy against other Australian children in the same year level. It is important that you know as early as possible about your child’s strengths or if your child needs assistance, and NAPLAN data can assist with this.

YEAR 8 AND 9 SUBJECT SELECTIONS

This term, we commence the process of elective subject selections for Years 8 and 9 students. For Year 8 students it is a time to choose subjects that may lead to a pathway in the future, while Year 9 students should be starting to narrow a future direction with their subject selection.

YEAR 10 SET PLAN INTERVIEWS

This term Year 10 students will undertake subject selections and SET Plan interviews to map a pathway, whether that be ATAR, Vocational or fulltime work/apprenticeship. This is an exciting time for students as they select subjects / pathway for next year.

In the near future, Year 10 parents / caregivers will be sent a Compass notification inviting them to make a Senior Education and Training (SET) Plan interviews with a member of the College staff. All Year 10 students and parents must attend a SET Plan interview. SET Plan interviews are aimed at ensuring that students have considered their post-schooling pathways and have selected subjects which will assist them in attaining their goals.  

QCAA LEARNING ACCOUNT

All Year 11 and 12 student have a Learning Account that provides information on their subject enrolments and Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) credits. Students need their LUI number to access their personalised account. Each student’s Learning Account can be accessed via the myQCE website. It is each student’s responsibility to notify the College if any personal details have changed or their subject information is incorrect.

To receive a QCE, students must achieve the set amount of learning, in the set standard, in a set pattern, while meeting literacy and numeracy requirements.

Students are at risk of not receiving a QCE if:

• Their QCE is projected to be 20 less that 20 credits.
• They do not pass all subjects they are enrolled in in Unit 3 and 4. Units 3 and 4 are studied as a pair and students must achieve a C for all summative assessment completed to achieve 2 credits for each subject.
• They do not successfully complete all competencies in a certificate course they are enrolled in.

If students are not currently achieving a passing grade in any of their subjects, it is important that they contact their subject teachers to discuss the steps that are required to meet a C level or above in any upcoming assessment tasks. If students are not on track to complete all competencies in their certificate, they need to discuss this with their trainer so that a plan can be put in place to support the student to do so.

Students who do not meet the QCE requirements at the end of Year 12 can continue to work towards their certificate after finishing Year 12 through the completion of additional learning such as vocational education and training courses or traineeships. Once eligible, students will be issued a QCE in the following July or December.

If you wish to discuss your child’s progress in regards to their QCE eligibility or future pathway options, please contact the College to arrange a meeting with the Deputy Principal Administration.

Maria Peck
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - ADMINISTRATION

FROM THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

Have you considered the benefits of AI (artificial intelligence) in a classroom?  Greetings from the English department.  I take this opportunity to share an important upcoming event and also explain what the hype about Writer’s Toolbox is all about!

Some of you might be aware that the College has invested in the Writer’s Toolbox, which is proving to be quite beneficial as a teaching resource for all the teachers while providing a great learning experience for all the students. In Secondary, students from year 7 - 10 have been able to access the resources on this platform and engage with a variety of activities on offer.  This is what the creators of the toolbox have to say about the programme:

“Writer’s Toolbox is an educational writing programme powered by patented AI.

Designed to help students master writing—without doing the work for them—Writer’s Toolbox gives real-time, individualised feedback at scale: in every topic, for every student, at their most teachable moments.”

Source: https://www.writerstoolbox.com/

There are daily writing challenges to be completed and students are encouraged to use a variety of sentence types to add flair to their writing.  Additionally, the ‘Learning Journey’ for each student is based on their ability level and students are provided with reading comprehension, games focusing on sentence structure and vocabulary.

Book week is coming up in Week 6 and the theme of this year is, “Read, Grow, Inspire”. There are a variety of activities planned for this week and as usual students will be able to dress up as their favourite character. I cannot stress enough how important reading is and the benefits that one can reap from this activity on a daily basis. Perhaps this poem by Julia Donaldson will inspire you to read a book!

Neelam Raj
MIDDLE LEADER - ENGLISH

GROWING CONNECTIONS FOR THE NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION AGAINST BULLYING AND VIOLENCE

On Friday 18 August 2023, Columba Catholic College will be participating in the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (NDA). The NDA is Australia’s key bullying prevention initiative for schools and provides an opportunity to connect with students, staff and our school community to implement workable solutions to prevent bullying.

The 2023 NDA theme, Growing connections, promotes the importance of school, family and community connections in building safe and supportive learning environments where all students can belong, feel accepted and respected. Research has shown that strong school connections and positive relationships can help to prevent bullying. When students feel a sense of belonging and connectedness at school, they are more likely to enjoy school, to trust and respect their teachers, and be concerned about and help others (Australian Education Research Organisation 2023).

At Columba Catholic College, we will take part in activities during our Pastoral care lessons which will help grow connections to promote inclusiveness, respect and community belonging for all students.

If you have concerns that your child is being bullied, please contact their classroom teacher or Pastoral leader in the first instance. You will be referred to me if a satisfactory outcome is not achieved. If you believe the behaviour constitutes a crime, or is a serious incident of cyberbullying, please refer to the Bullying. No Way! website for information on how to report to other authorities and accessing wellbeing help.

Clare Stead
ACTING DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - PASTORAL/RESIDENTIAL

PRIMARY INTERSCHOOL ATHLETICS CARNIVAL

On Friday 28 July students from our Primary campus represented Columba Catholic College at our Primary Interschool Athletics Carnival. 

During the morning, the Preps to Year 2 students came and excitedly ran in the 60m and 80m sprints and took home many ribbons in the relay events. Our Year 3 to Year 6 students competed across all track and field events throughout the day and many placings were given out. 

Congratulations to Charlie Webb (10yrs boys age champion) Cooper Groves (9yrs boys age champion) Stevie Goodwin ( 9yrs girls runner up champion) and Clayton Walsh (12yrs boys runner up champion)

Coming away with the Aggregate trophy, our students showed wonderful sportsmanship, encouragement and resilience. We are very proud of every single competitor and look forward to being bigger and better next year. 

SECONDARY INTERSCHOOL ATHLETICS CARNIVAL

Last week we held the Inter School Athletics carnival at our MCC ovals. Our girls' team proved to be an unstoppable force, leaving an indelible mark on the carnival. Their strong running team saw them take the girls' relay trophy. Not stopping there, our girls also clinched the Girls' Aggregate title, showcasing their versatility across various Athletics disciplines. We had a number of overall champions and record breakers throughout the two days. ASSG took off to an early lead after the first day of events, which CCC fought hard to bridge, but in the end couldn’t make the gap. Congratulations to ASSG for winning the overall aggregate this year.  Thank you to all who made this carnival possible.

Female Age Champion

Male Age Champion

Records

Trophies and Shields

Boys' Relay

Girls' Relay

Boys' Aggregate

Girls' Aggregate

      Overall

Callan Newman
MIDDLE LEADER - SPORTS

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YEAR THREE NEWS

Year 3 has come back ready to rock and roll!

We have been busy preparing for the eisteddfod with our Year 1 and 2 friends, visiting with our buddies in Kindy, and learning many new things. 

In Week 1, we explored Dreamtime stories and completed lots of fun activities to celebrate NAIDOC Week. Our favourite story was Tiddalick the Frog!

Last week we led assembly and shared the story and good works of Catherine McAuley. We have been inspired by Catherine to help others in our school community. 

Shae-Kia Carroll
YEAR THREE TEACHER

SM CAMPUS BOOK WEEK

YEAR FOUR NEWS

We've been diving into fractions and decimals this term, and it's been a blast! The class has been surprising me left and right with how well they understand fractions and can even turn them into decimals. If you swung by the Charters Towers show last week, you may have spotted some of our awesome fraction artwork on display. Those super colourful pictures were created on a hundreds board, and then the students got their counting skills in action to figure out what fraction each colour covered in their masterpiece. We then went a step further and converted those fractions into decimals up to two decimal places. To finish we had a vote to pick the coolest pieces, and those artists snagged some dojo points for their creative chops. Check out the picture of the "finals" crew!

Science-wise, our Year 4s have been knee-deep in the fascinating world of plant and animal life cycles. We've been unravelling the ups and downs of each stage, considering all the good stuff and challenges they go through. Our latest experiment? Sunflower seeds taking a plunge into different digs: paper towel, potting mix, and sand. Guess what? They're already popping up! We made our predictions on where they would thrive best, and by the end of term, we'll sit down and see how well they have grown.

Now let's talk tech! In Digital Technologies, we've been busy bees with block coding using Scratch to whip up some seriously cool games. Getting those blocks in the right spots took a bit of brain power, and there are still a few mystery blocks, no lie! But here's the kicker – the games we're crafting are pure fun, and it's an incredible feeling knowing we built them from scratch (pun intended).

Kara Dawson
YEAR FOUR TEACHER

QLD VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING STRATEGY

The Queensland Government is developing a new Queensland Vocational Education and Training (VET) Strategy to maximise outcomes from the government’s investment in skills and training.

 Employers, industry groups, training providers, schools, job seekers, students, parents, apprentices and trainees are invited to have their say to ensure government investment is delivering the best outcomes for Queenslanders, employers and communities.

 A discussion paper and online survey are now live at www.qld.gov.au/qvetstrategy.

 You can register your interest to attend a forum or focus group here.

Organisations involved in skills and training are encouraged to contribute to this discussion to ensure our VET system is delivering the right outcomes for all Queenslanders.

 To learn more about the consultation process, visit www.qld.gov.au/qvetstrategy. Consultation will be open until Friday 18 August 2023.

IN THIS EDITION OF SCHOOLTV - SLEEP

Students today have extremely busy schedules, with ever increasing responsibilities at school and at home. Many kids, especially adolescents, are going to bed later and later and are at risk of sleep deprivation. This affects three areas of a child’s development: psychological, physiological and psychosocial. All three are essential to a child's growth, learning ability and overall wellbeing. Sleep is vital to a child’s overall development and is as important as diet and exercise.

Sleep also strengthens a child’s immune systems and supports their ability to function properly on a daily basis. Children who do not get enough sleep show increased levels of aggressive behaviour, are less attentive and are much less active. Trying to catch up on sleep on weekends is not the answer and can still lead to severe sleep deprivation.

In this edition of SchoolTV, parents will learn about the importance of sleep and how sleep deprivation can have adverse effects on a child’s health and wellbeing.

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 Sleep edition of SchoolTV.

Aleesha Watson
GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR

RESIDENTIAL NEWS

Dear Residential Families,

It's been a hectic two weeks for our boarders; from sports carnivals and competitions to quiet nights around the fire pit, our residential students have certainly had a lot to keep them busy.

Last week, we hosted the Charters Towers Interschool Athletics Carnival. It was a huge event where many of our students excelled, while others cheered friends on or helped teachers run events and fundraising food vans. It takes a whole community for an event such as this to achieve success and our boarding students certainly played their part. Congratulations to all our Boarders for their fantastic contributions on the day. Before that many of our boarding girls and boys took part in rugby league competitions in Townsville. Congratulations to our winning teams who go on to play in the next round this week. 

The public holiday last week was enjoyed by all, but especially our students who paid a visit to the show. They all had a great time being whirled around in sideshow alley, feasting on fairy floss or stocking up on show bags. Some of our boarders also enjoyed much success at the show with Cattle Club. Congratulations to all.

Clare Stead
ACTING DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - PASTORAL/RESIDENTIAL

COLLEGE FACEBOOK

We are conscious that our students often share their many gifts and talents with our community.  We love to celebrate and acknowledge our students' success stories.  If you would like us to publish your child's success stories please email details and photos to the College (email office@columba.catholic.edu.au) so that we can acknowledge and celebrate their success.  

READY, SET, PREP

A TASTE OF COLUMBA

TRANSITION DAYS TO PREP 2024

UNDER 8'S DAY

FLEXISCHOOLS