Columba Catholic College Newsletter Volume 24 No. 13 26th August 2021

A Message from the Principal

Dear Columba Families,

What a wonderful week it has been for the Columba community.

Last week we celebrated National Science Week on the Mt Carmel Campus. Special thanks to Mr Telfer Robertson and the team for the variety of activities facilitated for our students across the week. The students genuinely enjoyed all that they got to see and do, especially the experiment conducted to make Elephant’s Toothpaste!

On Thursday and Friday we began our transition program for 2022 with the College hosting a Taste of Boarding and a Taste of Secondary. Special thanks to Mr Dan Kyle, Mrs Llana Fuller, Mrs Michelle Burns and our Residential Captains and Vice Captains (Bryson Steele, Lawsen Ford and Georgia Kirkwood) who supported our families with a presentation regarding boarding life at Columba.  This was followed by a Taste of Secondary last Friday. Special thanks to Mrs Maria Peck, our Curriculum Leaders, teaching staff, our wonderful Office Admin Team, Miss Madeleine Carter and the Year 11 Student helpers. The students participated in a range of learning sequences across the day. Special thanks to all involved across the two day program for supporting our new students and families at this very important time of transition. The students were very engaged and we look forward to having them join us in the new school year.

Under 8s Day- Wow! What can I say? On Friday St Mary’s hosted our Under 8s Day. The special theme for this year was Frozen. There were so many wonderful activities for the students and community visitors to participate in, including art and craft activities, obstacle courses, charades and a BBQ. My most sincere thanks to Mrs Agnes Laffey, Mrs Joanne Andrews and all of the wonderful staff who participated and supported our students and families across the day. Special thanks also to the Year 9 student volunteers who assisted our younger students on the day. We are grateful to each of you for your contributions. 

This week we celebrated National Book Week. The theme for 2021 is Old Worlds, New Worlds and Other Worlds. Special thanks to Mrs Paula Smith, Ms Megan Lucas and Ms Marie Coleman for their efforts in organising the events of the week. Students at St Mary’s donned their best costumes on Monday and I am looking forward to seeing the costumes on show at the Mt Carmel campus on Friday.

Congratulations to all of the students who participated in the Charters Towers Eisteddfod this week. Special thanks to the staff who have spent many hours preparing the students for their performances. It was great to see so many young people performing poems, songs and musical items. Thank you also to our families for supporting them through their rehearsals and at the performances.

This Sunday 29th August at 9.00am we celebrate 10 Years of Father Emmanuel’s Ordination with a special Mass and morning tea at the St Columba’s Parish. Please join us in celebrating this special milestone with Father Emmanuel.

Staffing Updates: Mr Brett Kondratiew has tendered his resignation from his position at the College. We thank Brett for his contribution and wish him well in his future endeavours.

Next week we welcome Mr John Hegarty to the College. John is an experienced Senior Mathematics and Science teacher and will be joining us from here in Charters Towers.

Mrs Alexandra Marty has been transferred to Holy Spirit Catholic School, Cranbrook effective as of January 2022. We wish Alexandra all the best and will formally thank her for her contribution to the College at the close of the school year.

Mid term assessment: Please ensure that you encourage your children to be prepared and ready for the school day and for any assessment tasks they may have scheduled. We always encourage our students to seek balance in their lives. It is important to get  plenty of rest, eat a well balanced diet, enjoy social and family time and give an appropriate amount of time to study and assignments. The overall health and wellbeing of our students makes a difference to their readiness for learning each day. Your support is greatly appreciated.

A gentle reminder to all families that next Friday 3rd September is a Pupil Free Day. Staff will be engaging in a range of professional learning opportunities across the day. Next weekend is also our Boarders' Long Weekend. Our girls are off to Airlie Beach and the boys will be heading to Cairns. We hope they have a great time and look forward to hearing about their experiences.

All the best for the week ahead.

Many blessings,

Melissa Turner
PRINCIPAL

From the Deputy Principal - Pastoral/Residential

Dear Parents, Caregivers, students, staff and friends of the College,

At the time of writing this article for the College Newsletter, we are fast approaching the conclusion of this term.  So much has already happened this term including the Interschool Formal, Taste of Secondary, Taste of Boarding, Under 8s Day, Charters Towers Show (displays, performances and Cattle Club), Interschool Athletics and Book Week. Columba is certainly a hive of activity and is a very busy place to be. The staff of this College, ably assisted in many ways by the wider community and our fabulous parents, contribute so much to the richness of our school culture.

This term and over the course of the next few weeks, Year 11 students will continue on their leadership journey.  This week, the Year 11s will meet with the current Year 12 Leadership team, Year 11 & 12 Pastoral Leader and various members of the College Senior Leadership Team to discuss their experiences as servant leaders in this College. In Week 8, the Year 11s will be introduced to the Student Leadership structure including key dates for the leadership process. In Week 1 of Term 4, all Year 11s will attend the Year 11 Leadership Retreat. This is especially important for those vying for 2022 leadership roles.

In my role as Deputy Principal, I have on occasion had conversations with parents and caregivers about supporting their children socially and emotionally and their reluctance to say ‘no’  to them. It’s actually okay and can be beneficial to them long term as they mature into young adults who will make a positive contribution to society. In the words of Georgia Manning - who is a renowned counsellor and psychotherapist - saying ‘no’ to your kids is one of the best things you can do for them. A key tenet to good parenting is setting up good life skills which will serve them well into the future. Manning adds that there are a number of reasons why it is okay to say ‘no’ to their children including:

• Children need to feel discomfort. This means that we as parents should not always protect them from uncomfortable situations as they will possibly develop unrealistic expectations in the future and when presented with an uncomfortable situation, they will not have the required coping skills to deal with a particular situation or feeling.

1. Children need to learn to wait – delayed gratification is one of the best life skills we can teach children; otherwise there is a real risk of rearing self-entitled children and this does not positively correlate with the Gospel values or principles of Catholic Social Teaching. Focusing on what we have as opposed to not having is key to building resilience.
2. Boundaries  - Sometimes parents will negotiate with their children and while this can be considered a good thing, sometimes it can serve to confuse the actual boundaries themselves. 
3. Students need to know that their parents are in charge. Bargaining or negotiating with children will only disrupt the hierarchical parent-child dynamic. Being assertive will generally reassure children and will lend itself to them feeling safe. 

• Parents are parents and not their children’s friends. There's absolutely no evidence to suggest that loving but firm parenting will break your bond. Parents can often worry by saying ‘no’ it will rupture the parent-child bond. Research suggests quite the opposite, as it is more likely to create and maintain healthy and mutually respectful relationships with children as they mature into young adults.                                                                                                                                        (Source: https://www.melbournechildpsychology.com.au/blog/why-parents-should-feel-good-about-saying-no-to-their-children/)

Part 3: The Resilience Project: Empathy & Kindness.

This next presentation from  The Resilience Project is all about Empathy and Kindness.  

Empathy is the ability to understand another person’s thoughts and feelings from their perspective. 

Brain imaging data shows that being kind to others registers in the brain as more like eating chocolate than like fulfilling an obligation to do what’s right (e.g., eating brussel sprouts)!

Research shows that practicing empathy, such as performing acts of kindness, taps into our brain’s ‘mirror neurons’, builds compassion and our behaviour becomes more social and community-based. 

View Part 3: Empathy of the series here: https://theresilienceproject.com.au/parent-and-carer-hub/

Here’s an activity to practise empathy and kindness:

1. Reflect on someone in your life who could benefit from an act of kindness today. It could be a friend who would love some affirmation about their work, your pet who deserves an extra treat, or a family member who would love a phone call or text message. 
2. Make a plan for who you are going to gift an act of kindness to, and what you are going to do. 
3. If you want to add accountability to your plan, share it with someone else and encourage them to do the same thing.
4. Follow up with each other in a few days time, to ask how it went! 

Sources: Psychology Today, UC Berkeley, Greater Good Science

For mental health resources and support information, visit The Resilience Project’s Support Page.

Dan Kyle
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - Pastoral/Residential

Meet our Staff

Name:  Manny Exarhos                    

Hometown:  Charters Towers           

Subjects Taught:  Year 10 Maths, Year 11/12 Essential Maths,                      Year 11 Chemistry

Favourite Foods:  Italian food

Hobbies:  Watching movies

Year Three News

Year 3 students have accomplished a great deal since the beginning of Term 3. The term is indeed a busy one in the classroom.

In English, the class explored the structure and features of an Information Report. We are now writing a report about a planet in the Solar System and presenting it in poster format with lots of glitter and gold stars as decoration. Our Maths lessons have involved work in Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry and Statistics and Probability.

In Science, Year 3 has been studying the marvels of the Solar System and they have shown great enthusiasm for this topic. During our H.A.S.S. lessons, we have been exploring the unique qualities of our country and they have been amazed at how special Australia is physically and culturally.

This term, Year 3 have been learning about the Sacraments of Initiation and the history of our local parish and church.

 Health and PE are also very popular subjects in our curriculum. It is all about being healthy and active!!

Recently at the local show, many of our students won prizes for their various personal entries as well as school ones. The Under-Eight’s Day was a welcome surprise for Year 3 and it was enjoyed by all. Book Week this year also proved to be full of activities to involve everyone.

The Charters Towers Eisteddfod is this week and Year 3 have been rehearsing for the Verse Speaking competition. Some students have been rehearsing for the Singing Choir also. Go Year 3!!   

This is only a snippet of the work we are doing! Term 3 is a particularly busy term so please stay tuned for the next exciting episode in the adventures of Year 3 students at Columba Catholic College.

Robyn Christensen and Deirdre Martell
YEAR THREE TEACHERS

SM Campus Learning Enrichment News

We have been very productive with Learning Enrichment on the Primary Campus this term. Learning Enrichment is provided in various forms from Prep to Year 6.

Prep students are offered in-class and group support, in the areas of Reading and Numeracy. Reading focus is on the explicit teaching of strategies during small group instruction. Students learn various forms of decoding, chunking, sounding out, using picture cues, and sight words, to read PM texts. Numeracy sessions have been on number recognition and formation, counting, grouping and recognising 3D objects. Some Students are also part of a writing intensive group where they read various texts and work collaboratively to recount and summarise information. 

During Literacy sessions, Year 1 has been working on recalling sight words, learning spelling rules, letter sounds, blends and improving fine motor skills. Numeracy sessions have seen some gains in the areas of counting patterns, addition, subtraction and grouping collections of objects. Year 2 Learning Enrichment students have been improving their sentence writing, reading strategies, comprehension and spelling rules.  Some Year 3 students are given Learning Enrichment extension in numeracy. These students have been working on money transactions, addition, subtraction, multiplication, problem solving, data and graphing.

The MacqLit Literacy intervention Program is provided from Years 3-6. MacqLit is an explicit and systematic reading intervention program for small groups of older children. It provides a comprehensive sequence of lessons that includes all the key components necessary for effective reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. We have seen a marked improvement in students' overall reading ability since this program has been implemented at Columba.

Children should read orally to an adult, a minimum of 3 times per week, for 10-20 minutes each time.  Reading aloud helps your child gain a better knowledge of sounds, pronunciation of words and their meanings. The more oral practice readers have, the greater their fluency will become. Our teachers continue to implement a rich shared and guided reading experience across the College. Because of this, teachers have an understanding of your child’s abilities, strengths and developing needs as the years progress. Parent helpers for reading groups are appreciated by teachers at various times across the year. 

Over the past 2 weeks, all students from Prep-Year 2 have post tested in the Townsville Diocesan Early Years Testing Program. Testing the students at the beginning and towards the end of the year allows us to see if there has been growth in the areas of oral communication and numeracy.  Most students will have progressed in these areas; however, if some have not,  the information provided from this testing allows us to offer intervention and targeted learning groups for improvement and/or extension in the classroom.

Shirley Champion and Robecca Sorrensen
LEARNING ENRICHMENT TEACHERS - SM CAMPUS

Under 8's Day

A special day was enjoyed last Friday when our youngest children participated in this year's Under 8's Day.  The 'Frozen' theme was threaded through all the activities including craft, games, obstacle courses and crazy snowball pitching at our very own 'Olaf' aka Mr. Webber.  Thank you to our Year 4, 5 & 9 helpers who were very committed to giving our students a wonderful, fun filled experience.   A big thank you to all who were on the team, but especially Mrs Laffey for her continued brilliance and dedication to our U8's Day.

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Primary Disco

SM Campus Father's Day Liturgy

St. Mary's Campus Awards

Week 5 - Being a Good Listener and  following directions well

• Prep:   Chantilly Cockfield
• Year 1: Harry Webb 
• Year 2: Logan Mearns 
• Year 3: Quade McMahon
• Year 4: Molly Sproat
• Year 5: Kiandra Evans
• Year 6: Melissa Horder 

Week 6 - Accepting help from others when needed

• Prep:   Bill Couper
• Year 1: Summer Long
• Year 2: Jayce Risdale
• Year 3: Noah Hermann
• Year 4: Rejina Pedracini
• Year 5: Alexander Zhao
• Year 6: James Uren 

Mt. Carmel Campus - Notable Mentions

Congratulations to the following students who received certificates at Assembly on Tuesday 24th  August.

Respect for Others: Interacts with students and staff in a polite and respectful way.

• Year 7:    Jai Jack
• Year 8:   Gypsy Telford
• Year 9:   Brianna Spurdle
• Year 10: Assariah Lenoy
• Year 11:  Aleisha Perry
• Year 12: Kimberley Monaghan

From the Languages Department

It might be once in a blue moon that we have a Hong Kong showbiz star that pops up at our College.

Last Friday, it was an honour to invite one of Hong Kong’s well known showbiz entertainer to visit our College - Mr. Gregory Charles Rivers, who is an average Australian. River’s face would be instantly recognisable and known by the people who have grown up watching TVB, Hong Kong’s largest broadcaster of Hong Kong and the South East Asian community (Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Taiwan, etc) from all around the world as “Ho Kwok Wing”, who appeared in more than 200 Hong Kong drama series and films.    

I am one of the people who have grown up watching him in many drama series he has portrayed, as a typical caucasian high-ranking police officer, priest, judge, and so forth. Sitting alongside with him, it was a great privilege to host a “talk show’ format for our students, where I was able to interview Mr. Rivers about his language learning of Cantonese and Mandarin, acting and singing journey in the Hong Kong entertainment industry over the past twenty years. All of his projects and work are all in Cantonese, not English.

During the talk show, Mr. Rivers shared about his successes, setbacks, and challenges as an entertainer, which inspired many of our students across Year 4, 7, 8, and  9-11. Many students have posed meaningful and interesting questions on the three main areas to Mr. Rivers - Chinese language, Drama and Music, where I do feel that it was a wonderful opportunity for them to learn critical thinking and inquiry skills. We thank Mr. Rivers for a very inspiring and motivational session for our students.

Mr. Rivers will be returning to Hong Kong in the next fortnight for his preparation of his upcoming screen project. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours.

Michael Ku
CURRICULUM LEADER - HUMANITIES/LANGUAGES

From the Humanities and Social Sciences Department

In the last week of Term 2, Year 7 and 9 students visited the local Courthouse and Townsville Army Barracks War Museum respectively where they gained deeper exposure and a better insight in what they have learned in the classroom. 

Year 7 students had the opportunity to further their knowledge and understanding of the Civics and Citizenship unit by experiencing a court scenario, facilitated by the local Courthouse registrar. Students had a glimpse of how the court proceeds by role-playing a scenario. 

Year 9 students travelled to the Townsville Army War Museum to explore the accounts and the realities of World War Two. Students were divided into four groups and did a guided tour of the museum by the voluntary war veterans. 

Many students commented that they enjoyed the excursion not because of ‘not going to school’, but because it enabled them to explore, extend and enrich what they have learned in their class. Thanks to our Year 7 and 9 Humanities teachers for accompanying our students on these wonderful excursions.

Excursions are a learning tool to enhance the curriculum  - powerful learning takes place in the real world. 

Michael Ku
CURRICULUM LEADER - HUMANITIES/LANGUAGES

Science Week on the MC Campus

Science week here at Columba was a week of exciting practicals and startling discoveries! The national theme was Food: Different by Design and for Columba this means discovering the amazing features of some everyday food.

Every lunchtime the students had an opportunity to participate and experience food related practicals. Students got to make surprisingly simple yet delicious food items like ricotta cheese and sherbet. On another day, students investigated the surprising usefulness of red cabbage as a chemical indicator. Red cabbage, other than being a healthy vegetable, can change colour in the presence of acids and bases. This may change the way you look at your vegetable soups from now on.

As well as practical activities that the students could participate in there was a large demonstration on Wednesday. Ever wondered what would happen if you froze some solid everyday things? What would it sound like? What would it feel like? Students were able to watch a live demonstration of the freezing effects of liquid nitrogen. We froze flowers, bananas, even someone`s unwanted lunch! The top favourite was when we froze a rubber ball. It froze in seconds and when thrown; it shattered with a very satisfying bang. If that was not enough we then showed students the incredible process of a thermite reaction. Involving common metals such as aluminium and iron this reaction produces enough heat to melt iron, that's around 2000^OC of heat! When the reaction finished students were then were able to take a closer look at the melted container and molten iron made. After all that excitement students were treated to some appropriately science themed cupcakes. All made by the professionals in the Food Tech department. Yum!

Finally, if all that was too much action, students could also chill out and watch some award winning international science short films in Q4.

All of this is only possible due to the support of the staff involved and the enthusiasm of the students. Hope to see you at Science Week 2022!

Telfer Robertson
CURRICULUM LEADER - SCIENCE

From the HPE Department MC Campus

We are well over half way in Term 3 and our students have been very busy in their Health and Physical Education classes.

Our year 7 students have been investigating ‘Dilemmas and Decisions’ during their theory lessons. They have been working closely with their teachers to develop strategies and practices to enhance their own and others’ wellbeing, particularly in relation to caffeine use in adolescents. In the practical arena students have been honing their skills on the tennis court. In year 8, students have been developing an understanding about identity and the diversity of Australian groups. In particular, the impact these groups have on the sporting landscape of our country. In practical lessons, students have continued to develop their striking and fielding abilities by engaging in cricket.

In year 9, students have been developing training programs to improve on their AFL ability. Students have steadily been growing in confidence as they continue engage with the new sport! Term 3 welcomed a whole new group of year 10 students to the subject. Our tens have critically analysed factors and identities that are impacting our community. They have investigated equitable participation in sport while engaging with the sport, ultimate frisbee.

The beginning of the term was incredibly busy for our year 11 and 12 students as they were finalising their submission for the final internal assessment for the year. Since then, they have been focusing their efforts into preparing for their exams. The students who study the Certificate II/III in Sport and Recreation have been developing training programs for their class to participate in. This experience is invaluable for our students as they are developing the ability to plan and implement a program for a large group.

All our students should now be working hard on their assessment items as we approach the end of term.

Jordan Marty
CURRICULUM LEADER - HEALTH & PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS PROGRAM LEADER

Year 12 Updates

2021 UPDATED EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT TIMETABLE

The Year 12 2021 External Assessment timetable has been updated. External assessment will now run from Friday 22 October until Tuesday 16th November 2021. Students studying Economics will complete their External Assessment on Friday 22 October. Please refer to the following link to access the 2021 updated  QCAA External Assessment Timetable.

YEAR 12 TRIAL MOCK EXAMS

Year 12 students will complete Trial Mock Exams from Tuesday 7 September until Thursday 16 September 2021. Students can expect to have 2 exams timetabled each day. The Mock Assessment Block will prepare students well for the rigors of the actual external assessments and provide them with valuable feedback about their preparations for the External Assessment. 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 exams as well assessment items in applied and certificate courses to complete.

EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT INVIGILATORS FOR THE QCAA

The QCAA is now seeking applications from Queensland community members for external assessment invigilator positions. Invigilators are appointed as casual employees.

The QCAA appoints members of the Queensland community to observe the administration of assessments. The invigilator role is independent; they are appointed to observe and report on the administration of the external assessments.

Invigilator duties and eligibility requirements are detailed in External Assessment Invigilator Position Description. 

Careers News at Columba

For the latest information on Careers, please visit the College Careers Website. You can view it here. You will find lots of valuable information including the latest Careers Newsletter.

College Musical - Mamma Mia!

Rehearsals are going well for our College Musical - Mamma Mia. Tickets are available now from The World Theatre, Mosman Street, Charters Towers.  To purchase tickets online please visit World Theatre 

Residential News

Dear Parents, Caregivers, Staff and Students,

Last week, Columba Catholic College hosted its annual Taste of Boarding (Thursday 19 August) and  Taste of Secondary (Friday 20 August) days. From all accounts of what I personally witnessed and heard, all the students had a great time. It was great to catch up with the parents and guardians of the children who will soon become Boarder parents of our Catholic school family. It was particularly pleasing to see that many of the soon-to-be Columba students’ parents were also former students of the school. It was a clear indication that tradition runs deep in the great school. I would like to thank Mrs Burns and Mrs Fuller for all of their efforts in making the Taste of Boarding a great success. After the Taste of Boarding experience, the students then had a day of tasting everything a secondary boarding school has to offer by participating in four rotational subjects. The feedback has been extremely positive regarding this day as well.  

Boarders’ Long Weekend

As mentioned in the previous edition of the Residential Newsletter, the Boarders’ Long Weekend will occur over the weekend of 3 – 5 September. This means that the Boarding residences will be closed from 8.00 am Friday 3 September through to 5.00 pm, Sunday 5 September. So that the College can finalise numbers for catering, I ask that parents and guardians submit their permission slips to attend the camps as soon as possible. 

Blue Edge Program

This term approximately 10 of our senior boys’ boarding students have been participating in the Blue Edge program. This is a program run by police officers and community role models and consists of physical training designed to extend a young person’s mind and physical capability. It also includes career education, motivational speakers and mentoring with a view to having youth realise their potential. The program runs for eight weeks, with two training sessions per week (Wednesday and Friday mornings) to build routine. It finishes after the 8th week with a graduation day named ‘The Final EDGE’. All of the lads seem to be enjoying it. I would like to thank Paul Ansell from the QLD Police Service for overseeing this program. 

Keeping our Boarders Safe

As it is the flu season, I feel compelled to make parents and guardians aware that if a student or students become ill whilst they are on leave, that in the interest of the health and wellbeing of the entire boarding community, they are encouraged not to return to the residences until such time they are symptom free. Furthermore, the College must be made aware of any student returning from a COVID-19 hotspot/s. For further information in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic please refer to the Queensland Health Website on the following link - https://www.covid19.qld.gov.au/

Regards

Dan Kyle
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - PASTORAL/RESIDENTIAL 

Meet our Residential Staff

Mrs Kimberley Johnson

Girls’ Boarding Houseparent 

Residence:  I am currently working in the Good Samaritan Residence but I also work in the Boys’ residence from time to time..

Previous Workplace/s: Prospect Community Services

Favourite meal: Chicken spaghetti 

Favourite movie: Crimson Tide with Denzel Washington

Favourite Music Genre: Country

Favourite Music Artist: Uncle Kracker

What do you do in your own time?  Chill with my family

Who would you most like to meet? Harrison Ford

If you had the power to do one thing in the world, what would it be? To bring world harmony - everyone needs to get along.

What excites you about 2021?  Working at Columba. I absolutely love it.

CSPA Melbourne Cup Luncheon 2021

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