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Columba Catholic College Newsletter Volume 26 No. 14 - 12 October 2023

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Columba Families,

Welcome back to Term 4!! The final term for 2023 is off to a busy start with students engaging in a range of activities both in and outside the classroom. As we begin a new time of learning, it is a time of renewal as we recommit to providing the best possible learning opportunities we can to the students at Columba. A very special welcome is extended to new students and families who have joined our community this term.

Last week the College engaged in an external Verification by a visiting team from Townsville Catholic Education. Your support and engagement in this process is appreciated as we work together to provide a high quality Catholic education for the students at Columba. We were provided with some wonderful commendations and some recommendations that will assist us in 2024 as we prepare to develop our next 5 Year Strategic Plan. Special thanks to staff, students and families involved in this important process.

During the holidays, Christine O’Sullivan, Maggie Georgopoulos and Madeleine Carter travelled to Brisbane with a group of students to participate in the Ignite Youth Conference. The students engaged in a range of faith formation activities and participated in music, song and liturgy. Special thanks to Christine, Maggie and Madeleine for supporting our students and leading them in this faith experience.

On Tuesday 12th September our First VIII Rugby League Team participated in the NRL State School Boys Trophy Grand Final in Brisbane. Congratulations to our students who came away with the title of State Champions. Congratulations to our coaches and managers for their support and assistance over a long period of time and to the many families and supporters who traveled to Brisbane to support the team.

I would like to acknowledge the outstanding achievement of Nikki Bethel. Nikki and her team competed in the National Youth Championships for Touch on the Sunshine Coast over the school holidays and her team placed 3rd in Australia. Congratulations Nikki!

Last Friday our Emerging Leaders participated in the Mental Health and Wellbeing Roadshow in Townsville. Special thanks to Natalie Grant, Jessie Huen, Lorette Tassan, Karen Spice, Madeleine Carter and Inji Jung, Khalid Almaktoum and Haydn Champion for their support and assistance. The students had a great time and were informed and engaged by a range of special guest speakers.

Last Thursday our Year 1 students presented their Art Show in the St Mary’s Campus Dining Room. Special thanks to Belinda Hourston for her organisation of this event for our students and families.

Last weekend Lorrae and Tim Strahorn and their boys Fetcher (Year 2) and Lincoln (Year 5) participated in the Towers Rush Schools Challenge. Congratulations to the Strahorn family who won this challenge along with a wonderful sports package that has been donated to the school. We appreciate their support of our college and wider community!

I wish to recognise the important work of the Guidance Counsellors in our school. Today is Guidance Counsellor Appreciation Day! This day coincides with Queensland Mental Health Week and emphasises the important role our counsellors play in supporting children and young people to develop the foundations for good mental health and to support students with mental health problems. Special thanks to Aleesha Watson, Bradley Fissore and Leah Crisp for their outstanding support of the children and young people in our care.

I wish to advise that Wade Willoughby has tendered his resignation as a Residential Houseparent effective as of the close of the school year. Wade has been an outstanding and very valued member of the Residential team. He has career aspirations outside of education and has secured an apprenticeship for 2024. We wish him all the very best for this new position and thank him for his work in Boarding over the last few years.

Tomorrow a group of students will participate in the Qld Mental Health Week 9's Carnival in Townsville. We wish all of our students a great day of competition.

This weekend our Optiminds Team from St Mary’s Campus will travel with Joanne Andrews and Miss Hembrow to the Opti-minds State Cup Challenge in Brisbane. This is a wonderful achievement for our students and we wish them all the best as they engage in a range of activities and challenges across the next few days. Good luck!

Tomorrow evening we will host our annual Pink it Up event. The function is fully booked and we look forward to a great event hosted by Mrs Burgoine, our Senior Hospitality students and our organising committee.

Enrolments for 2024 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. Waiting lists apply to a number of Primary classes and in Boarding. Please contact the College for more information.

October is Mission Month. Students across both campuses 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.

This week is Mental Health Week. Please find here a link to the Qld Mental Health Week website. We pray for all those who need strength, courage and the light of Christ in their lives in times of challenge. May they be renewed and comforted by God's love.

All the best for the fortnight ahead.

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.

YEARS 7-9 PAT TESTING

Students in Years 7-9 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. PAT tests allow teachers to collect evidence of student learning; to identify where students are in their learning at a given point in time; to monitor growth over time and to reflect on student attainment.

Students will complete 3 assessments:

PAT-M Adaptive
PAT-R Adaptive
PAT – Grammar and Punctuation

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 (23^rd – 27^th October 2023). 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 27^th October 2023. Unit 3 will commence on Monday 3oth October 2023. 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 23^rd October until Tuesday 14^th November. Students and parents / caregivers are able to access the resources by using the following link to the QCAA website.

2024 NAPLAN TESTS

In 2024 NAPLAN Tests will be held during Term 1 from Wednesday 13^th March to Monday 25^th 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.

NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN FOR THE MYQCE STUDENT REFERENCE GROUP

The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) is recruiting new members for the myQCE Student Reference Group in 2024. The group gives students the chance to have their say about the QCE system processes and senior schooling.

Queensland students who will be in Year 10, 11 or 12 in 2024 are eligible to apply. The group meets four times per year and membership is ongoing until students graduate from Year 12.

Nominations close on Friday 27 October 2023 — for more information and to nominate, visit the myQCE website.

Have a good fortnight.

Maria Peck
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - ADMINISTRATION

EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT TIMETABLE

Please carefully read the 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.

Please note that all Year 12 students are required to attend school during Week 7 of this term (13^th-17^th November 2023).

Directions for Students: External Assessments

Equipment List: External Assessments

Maria Peck
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - ADMINISTRATION

FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - SM CAMPUS

Welcome back to Term 4 for all our returning families and we also extend a special welcome to our new families. We have jumped into the pool this term with swimming lessons underway. We welcome Ms Johnson to the role of PE teacher and she is enjoying getting to know our students and has planned an excellent swim program for this term. I also would like to thank our parent volunteers; without you we would not be able to run a comprehensive swim program that offers high student/adult supervision ratios. Our Interhouse Swimming Carnival is on Friday 27 October. We welcome our families to join us on what always proves to be a great day of sport and participation in the pool.

This weekend our Year 5 Optimind team will participate in the Science and Engineering category at the State Finals in Brisbane. They will participate in a Youth Forum on Saturday, along with other groups to ‘market’ their idea for a better and more sustainable future. On Sunday they will participate in a spontaneous challenge. They have three hours to prepare their presentation that will culminate in the group presentations and judging later in the day. Miss Hembrow and myself will be taking the team to Brisbane and look forward to supporting our students in their efforts to give the best they can to work together, use their creative thinking skills and demonstrate full participation that saw them successfully take out the Primary Regional finals last term. Thank you to all the families that contributed to the end of term fundraising to assist the team with travel and accommodation costs.

Our Prep students visited Billabong Sanctuary yesterday as a part of their English unit where they have been exploring the features of informative texts. This excursion provides experiential learning where students will be provided the opportunity to gather information to support their writing pieces back at school. They really enjoyed being up close to the animals and were able to use their senses to ‘smell’, ‘feel’ and explore the animals in their sanctuary habitats.

Year 5 students will be on camp in the rainforests of Paluma between 23 - 25 October. Students stay at Gumburu, a Townsville Catholic Education Office owned and operated Environmental Centre. The students will engage in a range of activities that includes trail walking, wildlife spotting and team building. One activity they are very excited to be experiencing is the High Ropes challenge. We wish them a great trip and thank Mrs Webber and Mrs Maxsted for all their preparation leading up to the event.

Grandaprents' Day will be celebrated on the St. Mary’s campus on Thursday 26 October. We will be celebrating with liturgy followed by morning tea and class visits. This is always a lovely morning for our students and their families. Please join us in celebrating the special love and care our grandparents share with their grandchildren.

This week our students in Years 2 - 6 have sat Progessive Achiement tests (PAT) in Mathematics, Reading and Grammar/ Punctuation. These tests provide data to inform teachers where students are at in their learning and support goal setting and targets for growth and development. This is just one set of data that teachers use to inform teaching and learning. PAT testing is also offered to all new students at the beginning of each year.

Last term our Year 6 students went on an excursion to our national capital. Students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational activities and programs with a focus on Austalia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy. The students certainly enjoyed their visit and even survived the very cold weather Canberra turned on for them during the week. I would like to thank Mr Webber and Ms Wood for the time they gave to our students to make this excursion an enjoyable and memorable experience. The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenshiop education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion, this year the Australian Govenment is contributing funding of $900.00 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.

World Teachers Day is celebrated on Friday October 27. This day recognises the wonderful and dedicated work of our educators. Please join the school in acknowledging this work in thought and sentiment.

Joanne Andrews
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - SM CAMPUS

NRL TROPHY

On Tuesday the 12^th September, our Confraternity squad travelled to Brisbane to contest the State final of the NRL Schoolboy Trophy competition, following our earlier season results:

v Thuringowa State High School, Townsville 54 - 6 NQ Final

v Bentley Park High School, Cairns 42 - 16

v Sarina State Hugh School, Sarina 32 - 0 Qld Country Final

The boys had built on their confidence following the Confraternity success and were playing a very exciting brand of football in the lead-up games.

We were under no illusions however that this was going to be very tough game against Xavier Catholic College from Harvey Bay, but were buoyed by the support we were receiving from the entire College who gathered in the Dining Room to watch the game.

The match did not disappoint and was a high-level encounter with very few mistakes from either side. An early try to our captain, Azzie Lenoy gave us the early lead, one which we did not relinquish for the entire match, winning 26 – 14, despite a spirited fight back from Xavier. Fortunately, we probably kept our most complete game of the season for the final and there was not a player who did not give his all.

This was a very fitting way for the boys to finish the season, and were deservedly crowned:

2023 Mount Carmel Cup Winners

2023 Charters Towers Undefeated Interschool Premiers

2023 NQISSRL Townsville Blackhawks Schoolboys Trophy Winners

2023 Neil Bloxsidge Confraternity Plate Winners

2023 NRL School Boys Northern Region Champsions

2023 NRL Queensland Schoolboy Trophy Champions

This was the final game that our seniors, Assariah Lenoy, Mathias Santo-Hero, Angus Ford, Riley Amos, Ben Simpson, Brady Horan and Naqarne Oui would play in the red jersey, but a fitting way to go out. Unfortunately, Riley was not acknowledged in The Townsville Bulletin article covering the game, along with a number of the Year 10 and 11 group who were not mentioned and were outstanding on the day.

We thank the entire squad for their dedication to training. The group, along with our Seconds players began training in October last year and did not take a week off, apart from school holidays, for nearly 12 months. They deserved what they achieved this year and leave a legacy that we hope other groups will follow in future years.

Rohan Dixon
COACH

YEAR 6 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 finishing off their work on perimeter, area and volume, in particular, circles, cylinders and spheres. They will then move their attention to the Statistics and Probability strand of the subject. Later in the term they will 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 the Corporal Works of Mercy.

Swimming lessons have started with Miss Johnson 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 is 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 6 TEACHER

YEAR 4 NEWS

We're Approaching the Finish Line!

We're nearly there! The end of the 2023 school year is just around the corner, and what a journey it's been. As we gear up for the final stretch, let's take a moment to highlight some of the exciting learning experiences happening in our classrooms this term.

In our English classes, our focus is on mastering procedural texts. We're learning how to craft clear and detailed instructions, ensuring that readers can easily follow the steps. We've kicked things off by exploring directed drawings, reflecting on how we can enhance clarity in instructions for better understanding.

In the area of mathematics, we're diving into two key topics this term. First, we're delving into data collection and the art of creating effective graphs. Additionally, we'll be conducting surveys within our class, using Google Sheets to transform our data into electronic graphs. Next up on our learning agenda is multiplication and division. Throughout the year, we've dedicated ourselves to mastering these concepts, and the moment has arrived for us to showcase our skills in action!

In Religious Education, it's a term of excitement as we blend parables with drama. We're starting with the fundamentals of drama, teaching students how to use their voices, bodies, and props to captivate an audience. Soon, our students will form small groups to craft and perform their own scripts based on their chosen parable.

Science takes us on a journey through erosion this term, exploring both natural and human factors contributing to it. We're beginning by understanding different rock and soil types, followed by hands-on experiments to see how they withstand various erosion processes.

Finally, in HASS (Humanities and Social Sciences), our theme centres on "Belonging." We're emphasising the multicultural fabric of Australia and celebrating the strengths that each culture brings to our nation.

As we approach the finish line of this school year, we will continue to embrace these exciting learning opportunities and make the most of our remaining time together.

Kara Dawson
YEAR 4 TEACHER

ECO WARRIORS DAY 2023

Eco Warriors Day 2023

At the end of last term, a group of Year 5 students, along with members of the Emerging Leaders Program from the Mt Carmel Campus attended the 12^th annual Eco-Warriors Day. This event was held at St Benedict’s Catholic School and the theme of the day was Call of the Earth, Call of the People.

After checking-in and coming together for prayer with students from schools across the diocese, the students engaged in the keynote address and workshop which was delivered by Jack Growden from Litehause International. Students learnt how through simple steps, enormous change can be initiated. Jack began his organisation by recycling old computers which previously would have ended up in landfill. By collecting these older computers from various organisations, he is able to donate them to schools in both overseas and in Australia, who would otherwise not have access to these valuable educational tools. His achievements are twofold – reducing landfill and improving educational disadvantage.

The children also engaged in various other workshops throughout the day, including: sustainable landcare practices, recycling, birdwatching, raising native bees, and the Tangalooma Ecomarines program. The students all received a native tree at the end of the day for planting.

Donna Maxstead
ASSISTANT TO THE PRINCIPAL - RELIGIOUS EDUCATION - SM CAMPUS

RESIDENTIAL NEWS

Welcome back to Term 4 and I hope that everybody enjoyed time with their families over the holidays. This is a term that many of our students look forward to because of the range of activities on offer including Awards Night, Christmas dinner, Graduation and the various interschool sports on offer. Of course, students and staff can also see the “end” and everyone looks forward to the long summer holidays. In saying this though, it is expected that students work to the best of their abilities until the very end of the year. Students need to maintain a good balance between work and play.

I want to share with you the concerns I raised with the students this week on assembly: the matter of consent when filming and/or sharing photos and videos taken on school grounds. If students are going to share any images or videos online, it is best that they make sure the people who are featured in the photos or videos are on board with it. I urged the students to ask themselves, ‘Do I have consent or permission to share a photo or video of someone?’

Students need to:

ask before taking the photo or video. When recording someone, it’s important that they think about why they’re filming. Is it to mock someone? Are they comfortable having their image taken? If they aren’t, it’s probably best that they put their phone away.
ask before sharing and respect their decision. If the person in the video says they’re uncomfortable with it, then their decision must be respected. Respecting the choices and decisions that others make about their personal privacy is one of our core values.
remember: once a video or image is posed, all control of the content is lost. This can have devastating consequences on the mental health and wellbeing of people who may not have wanted the image to be shared in the first place.

At Columba we regard the filming and sharing of videos without consent a serious matter because it compromises the personal safety and wellbeing of other members of our community. Photos or videos taken and shared on any school grounds without consent is against our rules and will be dealt with in a serious way.

Clare Stead
ACTING DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - PASTORAL/RESIDENTIAL

IN THIS EDITION OF SCHOOLTV - ONLINE GAMING

Most young people today experience anxiety at some point in their life. Sometimes that slight rush of anxiety that occurs prior to an exam or sporting event, can enhance their performance. However, experiencing too much anxiety, over long periods of time, can be extremely damaging to their health and wellbeing. There is a difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ anxiety.

Statistics show, that the psychological health of young people today is far worse than it was a generation ago. This is having an adverse affect on children in both primary and secondary levels. Some of their issues of concern include stress, school, study, body image and friendship.

Parents need to be aware of the warning signs of ‘bad’ anxiety. There are preventative measures parents can implement as well as teaching kids the skills to cope more efficiently with their anxiety.

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 Anxiety edition of SchoolTV.

Aleesha Watson
GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR