Columba Catholic College Newsletter Volume 26 No. 15 - 26 October 2023
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Columba Families,
October is Mission Month. Students at both St Mary’s and Mt Carmel have been participating in a range of “Socktober” activities to raise awareness and funds for the people of Timor-Leste. Please keep an eye out for events and activities on our calendar this month. Students have participated in Crazy Sock Day, a Monster Bake Sale, Money lines, Soccer games and Mission Month Liturgies to raise awareness of this important cause. Special thanks to Christine O’Sullivan and Donna Maxsted for leading in this space. Thanks also to Father Emmanuel for carving up the oval with his soccer skills!
On Friday 13 October a group of students travelled to Townsville to participate in the Mental Health Week 9s. Thanks to Gerard Webber, Andrew Butler, Angela Carroll, Rohan Dixon and Callan Newman for their support of our students. They had a great day; had some good wins and represented the college very well. Tomorrow we will host the Rugby 9s Interschool Girls Competition at Mt Carmel Campus from 2.30pm. We wish all of our staff a great afternoon of competition.
Across the weekend of 13-15 October our Optiminds Team (Milton King, Lane McCabe, Oscar O’Sullivan, Hunter Price, Lincoln Strahorn) travelled to Brisbane to compete in the State Finals. Special thanks to Joanne Andrews and Emma Hembrow who supported the students in Brisbane and to Shae-Kia Carroll for coaching and mentoring the students in readiness for the day. They were excellent ambassadors for the College.
On Monday evening I attended the Boarders' Christmas Party. Special thanks to Caroline Jarmey, Michelle Burns and all of the Boarding staff for providing our students with these life-giving experiences.
Thanks to Aleesha Watson and Clare Stead for organising the Blurred Minds Anti-Vaping Education Workshops on Mt Carmel Campus on Friday. These workshops were aimed at educating our young people about the harmful effects of vaping.
This week our Year 5 students travelled to Gumburu for their Year 5 Camp. Special thanks to Donna Maxsted, Jemma Webber and Emma Hembrow who supported our students. They all had a great time.
This week our Year 12 students commenced External Examinations and alternate programs as they complete the final stages of their journey at Columba. Please continue to pray for our Year 12 students at this important time.
Special thanks to Mrs Tonya Burgoine, our Senior Hospitality students and to all of our staff who assisted in hosting Pink it up on Friday 13 October. What a wonderful community event. It was clear to see that all who attended had a fabulous time and all for a very worthy cause. A very special thank you to our local sponsors who donated so many wonderful prizes for our raffles. Thanks to each of you for your contributions big and small.
Special thanks to the staff and families who attended the Polding House Mass on Saturday. We appreciate your support for our students and community. Special thanks to Father Emmanuel, Christine O'Sullivan and Donna Maxsted for their leadership. Saturday was also the final Youth Group for our Year 12s...a time to celebrate an ending and pray for a new beginning.
Today we celebrated our grandparents and special friends with a special Grandparents’ Day Liturgy at St Mary’s Campus. Thank you to the staff and students for being such great hosts. The liturgy was followed by activities and class visits and a beautiful morning tea. Special thanks to the staff of St Mary’s Campus for hosting this wonderful gathering and to our grandparents and special friends for joining us. You play an important role in the education, care and support of our students, and we are grateful for your involvement in our community.
Good luck to all of our competitors tomorrow at the Primary Interhouse Swimming Carnival. A very special thank you to our staff for their preparation in advance. We look forward to a great day of competition tomorrow!
Tomorrow we recognise Day for Daniel. This day reminds us of the important role we each play in keeping our students safe and educating them about the importance of personal safety. Please find here a link to the Daniel Morcombe Foundation which provides students and families with a range of information suitable to support our young people.
Tomorrow is also World Teachers’ Day. This is a time where we give thanks for the gift of education. Happy World Teachers’ Day to our educators who bless our students with spiritual, academic, social and emotional learning that enriches their lives. We are blessed to be called to this life-giving vocation. Hats off to our teachers!
All the best for the fortnight ahead.
Many blessings,
Melissa Turner
PRINCIPAL
DAY FOR DANIEL
This Friday, 27 October, is the annual Day for Daniel. On this day we remember the loss of Daniel Morecombe and it reminds us of the importance of teaching our children how to keep safe. During the week, the St Mary’s Campus teachers have been focussing on making sure students can recognise the signs their body gives them when something just doesn’t feel right. These body signals include things such as butterflies in the tummy, shaky hands, sweaty palms, wobbly knees, hair standing on end, pounding heart, crying or being frozen on the spot. The children will also review their safety network, by identifying at least 5 people they can go to and report any situation in which they feel unsafe. Upper school children will have an opportunity to engage with an animated interactive, “That’s Suss: e-Safety Challenge”, that teaches them about cyber safety.
The Daniel Morecombe Foundation provides excellent educational tools to help build the confidence and skill set of students to be able to recognise unsafe situations and to be able to report any concerns to a trusted adult. Parents are also able to access these resources which may help them start a conversation with their child about personal safety. These resources can be found on the following website: https://danielmorcombe.com.au/day-for-daniel/#:~:text=Friday%2027%20October%2C%202023&text=We%20ask%20all%20Australians%20on,conduct%20child%20safety%20education%20activities
Donna Maxsted
ASSISTANT TO THE PRINCIPAL - RELIGIOUS EDUCATION - SM CAMPUS
AWARDS CELEBRATIONS 2023
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 (13th-17th November 2023).
Directions for Students: External Assessments
Equipment List: External Assessments
Maria Peck
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - ADMINISTRATION
QUEENSLAND MENTAL HEALTH WEEK 9S CARNIVAL - GIRLS
Columba girls participated in the Queensland Mental Health Week 9s Development Carnival at Ryan Catholic College, Townsville on Friday, 13 October.
Captained by Erin Day, the girls were a little nervous in the first game, however, they gathered confidence as the carnival progressed and played some sparkling football alongside their determined defense.
Results:
Game 1 vs Saint Patrick’s College, Townsville: 4-12 loss;
Game 2 vs Gilroy Santa Maria College, Ingham: 26-4 win (Player of the match: Chantel Wilson);
Game 3 vs Ryan Catholic College, Townsville: 18-14 win (Player of the match: Erin Day).
Playing squad: Erin Day (c), Bridget Wosomo, Ashlyn Hoey, Zyanne Bartlett, Jess Braes-Polke, Shakira Fogarty, Chantelle Santo-Hero, Charlie Limpus, Mikayla Murray, Chantel Wilson, and Latisha Spratt.
Special thanks to Ms Carroll (Manager), Mr Newman, Mr Dixon and Mr Webber for their help and support prior to the carnival and on the day.
Andrew Butler
COACH
PREP NEWS
Our Excursion to Billabong Sanctuary
In Week 2, 38 of our littlest learners braved the journey to Townsville to visit Billabong Sanctuary. The Prep students have come so far with their writing and have been learning to report information. What better way to do so than to go and check out the animals in their natural habitat?
Our day started bright and early, leaving school at 8:00am to embark on our journey. The bus was brimming with excitement. All the cars and trucks that we passed were marvelled at and crossing the Burdekin Bridge was unimaginable!
When we arrived (finally!) at Billabong, we were greeted by our rangers for the day, Ash and Maddie. We were lucky enough to meet Reuben the Wombat, Puzzle the Koala, as well as Snappy Tom and Betty the Crocodiles. Another highlight of our day was getting to be VERY brave and touch a real snake and baby crocodile! Not to mention getting to meet some of Billabong’s newest animals, the Meerkats! To finish the day, all the students got their own bag of animal food to feed to the ducks, kangaroos and birds. We have lots of animal lovers amongst us!
All fun aside, the children had a very important task for the day. They had to choose their favourite animal from the tour and find out what the animal looks like, what it eats, and where it lives. When students returned to school on Thursday, they got working on their informative reports. Facts were flowing and describing words were in no shortage! Miss Burns and Miss Stevenson were very proud of the writing that was produced.
A special thank you to our wonderful parent helpers, Marissa Smith, Bridget Moody, Tiffany Emerson and Sophie Baumer. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Our last weeks of Prep are quickly approaching. As teachers, it is very much a bittersweet time as we cherish our last moments with the children and celebrate all that they have achieved.
Lara Burns and Brooke Stevenson
PREP TEACHERS
YEAR 1 NEWS
We already feel that this term is going to fly by very quickly and are looking forward to events such as the Swimming Carnival, Grandparents’ Day and our final assembly item for the year, which will be in Week 6. We are looking forward to another fantastic term. A reminder that Library is still on Thursdays and homework is due on Fridays.
In English, the children are looking forward to becoming authors and publishing their own stories that they will write this term. They have been learning how the characters and setting can be written so that they enhance a story.
In Religious Education this term, we are learning about Mary, mother of Jesus, and how we can honour her. We have been working hard to learn the Hail Mary Prayer.
The children are also busy researching the weather in different countries in preparation for becoming weather reporters. They have been tracking the weather in Charters Towers and are looking forward to comparing the Charters Towers weather to the weather in another country of their choosing.
Art Show Success !!!
Thank you to all who came along to our class Art Show. The children were very excited to show off their artistic talents and hard work. They were very proud of themselves and I applaud their efforts to complete each piece independently.
Belinda Hourston
YEAR 1 TEACHER
ZONTA BURSARIES
The Zonta Club of Charters Towers offers two bursaries annually, valued at $750 each and awarded
to two female students attending one of the five Secondary Schools in Charters Towers. The funds
are awarded directly to the recipient, to be utilised for furthering her education/life goals.
The bursary is awarded to a student entering either Year 11 or 12 in the coming year, with the funds
available to the student in the year the bursary is awarded. The bursary will be awarded to an
individual once only.
For an application form and more information, please see the attached flyers:
RESIDENTIAL NEWS
The College Boarding community celebrated its annual Christmas Dinner at The Enterprise Hotel on Monday 23rd October. Mrs Burns and Mrs Jarmey were very busy preparing for this much anticipated event and I am in no doubt that the students, staff and invited guests had a wonderful time. A big thank you to everyone for all their efforts.
This week the Senior students commenced their final exams. The exam block runs for 3 weeks for those students completing external assessment. Time management, effort, and focus will be key for the students to realise their academic objectives. Study time is available in the library for our boarders during this period and some staff have offered tutorials which I encourage the students to take advantage of.
Some key dates for upcoming events include:
Year 12 Big Day Out - 10 November
Awards Night - 14 November
Final Year 12 Assembly - 16 November
Graduation - 16 November
Clare Stead
ACTING DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - PASTORAL/RESIDENTIAL
IN THIS EDITION OF SCHOOLTV - A SPECIAL REPORT: A GUIDE TO SAFE PARTYING
Teenage gatherings provide young people with important opportunities to interact and build on their social skills and experiences. Celebrations, partying and socialising are a fundamental rite of passage and one of the most important aspects of a young person’s life. However, it is possible for the best young person to get carried away by their peers and the euphoria of the moment.
For parents and caregivers, keeping your young person safe can at times feel daunting and is often a compromise and a challenge. Most teenagers try to do the right thing most of the time, but your leadership as a role model is crucial. Your child may appear to be physically large and mature, but this is not necessarily matched by their emotional maturity and responsibility in behaviour.
Every party has the potential to get out-of-hand as sometimes it’s hard for young party goers to make good decisions. Communication and regular discussions are vital, particularly because young people are often faced with peer pressure to do things they prefer not to engage in. Hosting a celebration at home or at a venue can be a fun and memorable event, but it is important to agree on the ground rules well before your event is announced to ensure there are no misunderstandings later on.
If hosting an event, you owe your guests a ‘duty-of-care’ and should ensure all reasonable steps are taken to keep partygoers safe. This Special Report provides caregivers with a list of things to consider when planning a celebration. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please seek medical or professional help.
We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.
If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.
Check out the Guide to Safe Partying here!
College Counsellors
Aleesha Watson
GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR