Columba Catholic College Newsletter Volume 27 No. 6 - 24th April 2024

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Columba Families,

Welcome back for Term 2. I trust that everybody has taken some time for recreation and rest over the Easter period. Students have transitioned back into the normal school routine and from my observations of classrooms, students are actively engaged in learning. 

This Friday (26 April) the College staff will be engaging in professional development pertaining to Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum. Staff will be busy developing new units of work over the coming months in preparation for the new curriculum to be rolled out next year.

This term there are many events and activities that our students will have the opportunity to be involved in. Already, netball and touch football began on 17th and 18th April, along with training for upcoming rugby league fixtures. The rescheduled Secondary Interhouse Cross-Country event took place on Friday 19th April. This year, for the first time in many years, Benjamin House and McAuley House tied. What an amazing event it proved to be with many students showcasing their athletic prowess and resilience. I would like to thank Mr Marty and Ms Kennedy for organising the event, and our staff for their various roles in ensuring that the event flowed as smoothly as possible. The Primary Interschool Cross Country took place this morning. Well done to all our students who participated. They certainly conducted themselves well.  The Secondary Interschool Cross Country will be hosted by Columba on the 3rd May. I wish all competitors the best of luck.

On the 3rd May, students and staff will represent the College in the annual Country Music parade. All students from Years P – 12, as well as College staff, are invited to participate by walking with our float. It will be great to see as many of our College families at the event supporting not only the College Float but the entire event itself.

It is most likely no surprise that people are aware of the national shortage of teachers and it is especially difficult to attract teachers to regional centres. In saying that, Columba, in conjunction with the Townsville Catholic Education Office, has put together a video which is to be shared on social media and other relevant platforms. The video showcases the attraction of living and working in a school such as Columba. Please visit the College Facebook site to view this video. Furthermore, please keep in mind that this is just one avenue for attracting staff to Columba. I would like to thank Lara Burns, Thomas McFarlane, Georgina Porter, Rodney Lane and Emma Mooney from the Townsville Catholic Education Marketing Team for their efforts in making this marketing product for the benefit of our school.

This term the College has revamped the Tuckshop menu. The Tuckshop, now called Café 1902 (which is the year the Mt Carmel Campus was founded), has extended its menu and now has eftpos in addition to the cash and Flexi School options. The options now available make it a little more convenient for students and families to purchase various items. The kitchen staff have done a wonderful job in bringing this project to fruition. The menu will be reviewed regularly and adjustments made, where and when necessary.

Over the holiday period, the Columba Ag Vet Centre has refurbished the interior of the classroom. It is now aesthetically pleasing and is more functional for the teaching and learning process. I would like to thank all the people involved in this project. 

As part of the 2024 School Improvement Plan, the College will be re-writing the College Prayer. This important project commenced in 2022 and will culminate by the conclusion of the school year. Surveys have been sent out to students, staff,  parents and caregivers to seek feedback/input in relation to the prayer. If you haven’t completed the survey yet, please do so. This project is being facilitated by the Catholic Identity Team, in conjunction with Mary Mudge and Lee-Ann Barton from TCE.  

This Thursday is ANZAC Day. The College will be represented at the Dawn Service and the ANZAC Day Parade down Gill Street. Please ensure that your child/ren are well hydrated and nourished prior to the march. This is a very important event on the College calendar. It is expected that students will participate in the parade down Mosman and Gill Streets in order to pay due respect to all of those military service personnel who have served and or paid the ultimate sacrifice for their county. Please refer to details for the ANZAC Day in this edition of the newsletter. 

This Friday evening (26 April from 5.00 to 8.00 pm) the College will be represented at the History and Heritage Fair located in Lissner Park. This is part of the Ten Days in the Towers program and it would be fantastic to catch up with as many students and parents and caregivers at this event as possible. Members of the College Leadership Team will also be cooking a BBQ. Please drop in to say hello and enjoy a light takeaway meal. The proceeds will go towards the Santa Teresa Immersion trip in the Northern Territory which will take place later on in the year for a number of the College’s students and staff. This will be a life changing social justice experience for all involved and will allow them to work alongside Indigenous people in that local community. 

Dan Kyle
ACTING PRINCIPAL

ANZAC DAY - THURSDAY 25th APRIL 2024

All students are expected to attend the ANZAC Day March down Gill Street to the Cenotaph. 

Uniform requirements will be as follows.

Prep:               Correct Sports Uniform and Columba Hat

Years 1-6:     Correct Day Uniform including Columba Hat

Years 7-12:   Correct Formal Uniform. College Formal Hats will be available on the day. All Prefects must                               wear Blazers during the Dawn Service and March.

NOTE: Bucket Hats are not permitted for this event.

DAWN SERVICE AND ASSEMBLY POINTS:

5.35am Assemble at War Cemetery (Front Gates). Dawn Service starts at 5.45am.

PARADE TIMES AND ASSEMBLY POINTS:

8.15am Assemble at Charters Towers Towing, Corner Mosman/Mary Street. Parade commences at 9.05 am Mosman/Mary Street intersection.

All Day Students marching can be dropped off by Parents / Caregivers at Charters Towers Towing between 8.00am and 8.15am (no earlier please). 

After the service, Secondary students are to be picked up from the corner of Mary and High St in front of St. Mary's Campus.  Primary students are to be collected from the Hospital grounds. 

CHARTERS TOWERS HISTORY AND HERITAGE FAIR

CCC BBQ STALL - SATURDA Y 27TH APRIL

FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - SM CAMPUS

Dear Parents/Caregivers

Welcome back to all our existing families and a warm welcome to new families joining our College. This term is a busy one with many opportunities for our students to participate in a range of activities including sport, the Arts, community service and academia. 

Last week parent interviews were conducted on the St. Mary’s campus.  This was a great opportunity for families to meet with their child’s teacher, to check on their progress and engage with teaching staff to plan for the best outcomes for their child. 

We remembered the ANZAC tradition in this week’s liturgy and students participated in a range of activities in their classes. Mrs Smith’s library lessons this week include ANZAC stories and craft activities. 

The  Country Western Music festival will be celebrated on the St. Mary’s campus on Friday 3 May.  Students will get their best country western outfits on for the fancy dress parade starting at 8.30am on Friday morning.  Music festival committee members will once again join our parade to choose best dressed boy and girl in each year level.  After our parade, classes will perform in a concert and students have been practicing their songs and dances in preparation for a wonderful morning of country music fun. Parents are very welcome to join for both activities on Friday morning.  In the afternoon the school will join the Charters Towers community in the street parade.  This year’s theme is ‘Aussie Bangers’ and we have a wonderful float celebrating iconic Australian outback themes and lifestyles.  Once again, parents are very welcome to join in our float parade. 

Our assembly on Thursday 9 May will recognise and celebrate all our mothers and those that act as mothers to our students.  Our morning will commence with a liturgy followed by classroom activities and a morning tea.  Communication will be forwarded home to families over the next week.  Year 2 will lead our assembly and we are very excited to recognise and celebrate the wonderful mothers in our community. 

Mrs Smith has been preparing two teams to participate in this year’s Readers' Cup challenge. Students will travel to Townsville to participate in the regional finals on Tuesday, 11 June.  We wish them well as they read through six novels in preparation for this competition. Many animated discussions have been happening in the library at lunch time!   On May 22 students will participate in the National Simultaneous Story time.  This year’s book is Bowerbird Blues by author, Aura Parker. National Simultaneous Storytime is an important annual campaign that aims to encourage young children to read and enjoy books as well as teach them the value of literacy. Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around Australia, New Zealand and the world.  Thank you to Mrs Smith for once again organising this event and inspiring a love of reading for our students.

Today the primary inter-school cross country team represented Columba Catholic College at the Charters Towers Inter-School Cross Country.  Our team performed very well. Primary Inter-School sport is Touch football this season.  This is a 5 week season and Round 1 begins on Friday 3 May. Trials, team selection and training will start this week.   This term will also see some of our students try out for selection in Charters Towers teams in Rugby League, Softball, Rugby Union and Soccer. 

Wishing all our students and staff a positive start to Term 2.

Joanne Andrews
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - SM CAMPUS

REMINDER PUPIL FREE DAY - FRIDAY 26TH APRIL

SECONDARY INTERHOUSE CROSS COUNTRY

Only one false start plagued the Interhouse Cross Country this year with inclement weather forcing the postponement of our carnival from Term One to the beginning of Term Two. Due to the change of plans students participated in an afternoon carnival which took place at the Charters Towers Airport Reserve on Friday of Week One.

Mr Butler did his best to give the runners some last-minute motivation before starting the races at 1pm. McAuley showed early signs of dominance taking out several spots on the podium in the senior years. However, a strong showing from Benjamin, particularly in the Junior years, significantly evened the playing field. As the carnival continued, ability to split the points become increasingly difficult and for good reason. After a full day of racing and multiple lead changes throughout the day the overall winner was sure to surprise. In what many believe was a carnival first both Benjamin and McAuley were announced combined champions for 2024, finishing on even points!

Our students once again proved that a little determination goes a long way and managed to conquer the course. I would like to congratulate everyone who not only achieved great success on the day but also participated in the carnival. A full list of our Age Champions and Runners Up can be found below.

I would also like to acknowledge the incredibly hard work of all the staff that helped put this carnival together. In particular, Ms Vicky Kennedy and our tireless workmen for their efforts.

Girls’ Age Champions and Runners Up

Boys’ Age Champions and Runners Up

Jordan Marty
ACTING DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - PASTORAL/RESIDENTIAL

COLUMBA NETBALL

Assistance Required: Columba Netball

We are seeking expressions of interest to assist our netball teams on a Wednesday night as a manager. No netball experience is needed; we just need some help with administrative tasks (e.g. collecting money and scoring).

Teams needing managers.

• Under 15
• 2nds
• Firsts (additional duties required).

We are also looking for parent support for our upcoming Charters Towers Netball Carnival (11 and 12 May). We have several duties that we need assistance with (including canteen and toilet duties).

If you are interested or would like some more information, please contact Mr Marty (jmarty@columba.catholic.edu.au or the College office).

RESIDENTIAL NEWS

Dear Parents/Caregivers,

Welcome back to Term Two, I hope that you and your children had a lovely Easter break. The term has started off relatively well for both the residential boys and girls, however, some of our students have needed a few reminders about the expectations surrounding communal living, and respecting the environment and those in it.

This term has an incredibly busy start for our residences. Monday (23/04) our Residential team hosted the Boarders Parent Council meeting and gave those present an insight into the upcoming events of this term. Thank you to those parents who were able to attend, and I ask that all families please keep a watchful eye on any correspondence that comes out for updates on the weeks ahead. This week we will partake in the annual ANZAC march. Historically, Columba has been very well represented at this event and I look forward to marching alongside our young men and women. With ANZAC day public holiday being on the Thursday and Friday being a student free day, both girls and boys dorms will be partaking in a number of activities. This weekend is then of course backed up by May Day long week the following week.

The busyness of the start of the term should assist students in their transition back to school life, including addressing homesickness, a natural process that typically diminishes with support and time. Actively engaging in the activities that are offered within residences and other aspects of College life is vital for a smooth transition back into boarding. Furthermore, adhering to a routine is essential for all students, fostering consistent study habits, reducing stress, and enhancing focus, while also aiding in time management, prioritisation, and discipline, resulting in improved academic performance and overall well-being.

Regarding staffing, Ms Natalie Keough has been appointed as acting Girls’ Residential Leader while Michelle Burns takes some well-earned leave. Natalie already has strong foundations in boarding, both as a past student and current staff member. I wish Natalie all the best in her tenure and look forward to working with her.

National Boarding Week is from 12-18 May. This is an important week as we celebrate everything boarding across the country. There will be several planned activities that will be posted on social media throughout the week for our boarding parents to see.

Jordan Marty
ACTING DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - PASTORAL/RESIDENTIAL

GET TO KNOW OUR RESIDENTIAL TEAM

Terrina Muston

Role: College Nurse, 7 ½ years

Originally from: Tully

Fun Fact: I have four children

Hobbies include: reading, camping and 4WDing

IN THIS EDITION OF SCHOOLTV - SOCIAL MEDIA & DIGITAL REPUTATION

Social media has become such an integral part of a teenager’s life. However, many miss out on some critical social skills with most communicating whilst looking at a screen instead of another person! Statistics show that 60% of 10-11 year olds are using at least one social media site, with the majority using age-restricted platforms. What kids do, post and say online is permanent and most are not mature enough to manage their own digital footprint. Friendships, relationships and even future job prospects are all put at risk.

Parents need to be aware of what picture their children are painting of themselves online. Unfortunately, many parents do not see the dangers inherent of these sites, as they form opinions based on their own experience. But predators are usually not interested in grooming adults. Over the years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of primary schoolers owning mobile phones, highlighting the importance to teach kids about the dangers of social media and the implications it can have.

In this edition of SchoolTV, parents will learn how to talk to their children about the inherent dangers of social media and how to educate their kids to be responsible users in the online world we live in.

If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the Social Media & Digital Reputation edition of SchoolTV
https://columba.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/social-media-and-digital-reputation

CATHOLIC WOMEN'S LEAGUE PLANT AND GIFT STALL - SATURDAY 11th MAY 2024

YEAR 12 ACADEMIC BOOTCAMPS

2024 AEDC