Columba Catholic College Newsletter Volume 27 No. 8 - 6th June 2024
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Parents and caregivers and Friends of the College,
Good study skills can never be underestimated and as our Years 7-10 cohorts have been involved in completing assessments during the Exam Block period, effective study habits are paramount. Power study skills which involve sustained focus and concentration is key for realising one’s academic potential. The environment in which students study also plays a very important role in setting the foundations for power studying. Having access to a private and quiet study place, along with recommended practices of taking regular breaks and drinking water, can enable students to maintain the focus and concentration that is required for effective study skills. Research also indicates that regular attendance at school and being on time to class are also strongly correlated with good academic outcomes.
Founders’ Day
This Friday, 7 June, the College will celebrate Founders’ Day. This is a very important date on the College calendar and allows our community to reflect on our story and the role that St Columba, Blessed Edmund Rice, Archbishop Polding and Catherine McAuley played in modeling the message of Jesus Christ. The day will commence with the Founders’ Day liturgy, followed up with the Columba Gift, Feast Day Cup and Columba’s Got Talent competition. A special thank you in advance to Christine O’Sullivan, Donna Maxstead and the staff who have played a role in organising this event. Your efforts are greatly appreciated by the College community.
Staffing Update
In regards to staffing, it is with great pleasure that I announce Lyle Paterson as the Year 4 teacher commencing as of 4 June, 2024. Lyle will bring a wealth of experience to the College and I am highly confident that he will perform admirably in his new role on the St Mary’s campus.
Workplace Health & Safety Audit
This week, the College undertook a Workplace Health & Safety audit. This is a very important component of the College maintaining its compliance as an educational institution.
Complaints Process
On occasion a staff member, parent or caregiver may have cause to make a complaint in relation to a school decision, process or conduct of staff/students. This is something that the College takes seriously and there is a very clearly documented procedure for staff/parents to follow when filing a complaint for the College to address. Please refer to this Link for further information about the complaints process.
Emerging Leaders’ Showcase
Last Wednesday evening, I had the opportunity to attend the Emerging Leaders' Showcase at Country Bank Stadium in Townsville. This was the culminating event which showcased the success of the Emerging Leaders' programme. Grace Kuhl, Max Campbell and Matthew Hewlett all participated in the event and they certainly did themselves, families and school proud. A big thank you to Lorette Tassan and Jessie Huen who also accompanied the students to the event.
William Brennan’s Ordination
On Thursday 13 June, William Brennan, a former student of Columba, will be ordained as a priest in Townsville. On Friday evening (14 June), William will conduct his first Mass as a priest at St Columba's Parish church in Charters Towers. After Mass, William and his family will host a dinner on the Mount Carmel campus. This is a wonderful achievement for William and we wish him the very best with his future life as a priest.
Blackhawks’ Cup
On Tuesday 4 June, Columba was privileged in making 2 grand finals of the Blackhawks' Cup at both the Under 15s and Open levels. As Columba was the most successful school up until the grand finals, the College had the privilege of hosting both grand finals. Congratulations to both the Under 15s and Firsts for taking out both Grand Finals. Many thanks to Mr Dixon, Mr Webber, Mr Bliss, Mr Brown (Firsts), Mr Johnston and Mr Murray (Under 15s) for all their efforts in coaching their respective teams to and including the Grand Finals. I would also like to thank Ms Moy (Firsts Netball coach) and her helpers for organising and running the BBQ and refreshments stand to cater for the hungry and thirsty appetites of the spectators. It was a fantastic afternoon enjoyed by all who attended.
Dan Kyle
ACTING PRINCIPAL
FOUNDERS' DAY LITURGY
FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - PASTORAL/RESIDENTIAL
Dear Parents, Caregivers, Staff, and Students,
As the weather has taken a cool but welcome turn, I would like to remind everyone of the College uniform policy regarding jackets and jumpers. The tracksuit/sports jacket is not part of the day uniform and is not permitted to be worn on Tuesday or Thursday. Instead, students should wear the College sweater. Additionally, Senior jerseys should only be worn on Friday. It is not optional for students to deviate from the uniform policy unless there is a valid reason. If a student is in the incorrect uniform, the Pastoral Care teacher must be informed the same morning with either a written note or email.
As Café 1902 grows in popularity, I would like to remind all families about the purchasing procedure on Flexischools. Please ensure you have communicated clearly with your child/ren about what has been ordered for them, whether that be Tuckshop or Boarders’ lunch, as there has been some confusion in recent weeks. Additionally, a reminder to students, please be patient when lining up for Tuckshop. Only five students should be in the tuckshop at one time and should wait for clear directions from the staff member on duty. Please be considerate of our lovely Tuckshop ladies who go above and beyond to ensure everyone is fed.
Students at the College have been fortunate enough to participate in several extra-curricular activities this term, including Interschool Rugby League and Netball, The Scene Project, and many more. A big thank you to all staff and volunteers who have offered their assistance with any of our extracurricular activities; without you, they would not be possible.
Our Year 10 students are busily preparing for work experience in Week 10. Please ensure all required paperwork has been returned and specific arrangements have been made for your child. Similarly, Year 8 and 9 students will participate in camps in Week 10. Please ensure you have organized all the necessary equipment and returned the required paperwork as soon as possible. These opportunities are an integral part of College life, and all students are encouraged to actively participate.
On Tuesday, June 4th, our U15s and Opens rugby league teams participated in the grand final for the NRL Schoolboy Trophy. Congratulations to all students and staff involved in this achievement. Once again, Columba is batting well above its weight and showcasing our courage and commitment in the sporting realm. Lastly, congratulations to the girls who competed in the Karyn Murphy Cup today. Thank you to Mr. Butler and Mr. Murray for all your hard work in training the girls leading up to this carnival.
As my tenure at Columba once again draws to a close, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone for making my time here so rewarding. I have enjoyed reconnecting with our students and the community. This experience will not be forgotten, and the country charm will always hold a place in my heart.
Best of luck for the rest of the year and beyond.
God Bless,
Jordan Marty
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - PASTORAL/RESIDENTIAL
LEARNING AND TEACHING UPDATES ON THE MC CAMPUS
YEAR 12 EXTERNAL ASSESSMENTS
The 2024 external assessment timetable is now publicly available.
Students’ final results for General subjects are based on their achievement in three internal assessments and one external assessment that is:
- common to all schools
- administered under the same conditions, at the same time and on the same day
- developed and marked by the QCAA according to a commonly applied marking guide.
External assessments are held annually in Term 4. The 2024 External Assessments will be held from Monday 21st October until Tuesday 12th November 2024.
Please use this link to access the 2024 External Assessment timetable.
SEMESTER 1 REPORTS
Semester 1 reports will be released to parents / caregivers and students in Compass on Monday 24th June 2024.
CHARTERS TOWERS CAREERS EXPO
On Thursday 30 May, Year 10 and 12 students attended the Charters Towers Careers Expo at the PCYC. Students were provided with an opportunity to explore their post school opportunities. Students were able to talk to representatives from educational providers, student support services, employers and industry groups about careers, courses, and training and employment opportunities available to them. A large range of exhibitors were present to advise students. Examples of exhibitors that students engaged with include:
- All Tig Welding
- All Tig Printing
- Busy At Work
- Central Queensland University
- Charters Towers Health Services
- Charters Towers Regional Council
- Charters Towers Veterinary Service
- Commonwealth Bank
- Coral Sea Training
- Department of Youth Justice, Employment, Small Business and Training
- James Cook University
- MAS Careers
- MEGT
- Milton Career Counselling
- North and West Remote Health
- Queensland Ambulance Service
- Queensland Country Bank
- Queensland Fire and Rescue Charters Towers
- Queensland Police Service
- QUT Oodgeroo Unit
- Rural Mechanical Repairs
- Sun Metals
- TAFE Queensland North
- Tenancy Skills Institute
- Townsville Manufacturing Hub
- University of Queensland
- Wilmar Group
YEAR 11 AND 12 UNIT 2 AND 4
Year 11 and 12 students commenced Unit 2 / 4 on Monday 20th May. A reminder to parents and caregivers that students will be engaging in learning and teaching right up until the end of the term on Friday 21 June. Students should be at school until the end of term engaging in lessons. Please factor this into your planning when making travel arrangements at the end of the term.
Maria Peck
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - LEARNING AND TEACHING
YEAR 1 NEWS
It is so hard to believe that we are almost at the end of Term 2. It has just flown on by.
This term Year 1 have been researching and writing an information report about Australian animals. They have enjoyed using the Ipads to research their chosen animal and have discovered some really interesting facts about them. Such as: Did you know that a cane toad is able to kill a crocodile if they eat them, or that frill neck lizards can run up to 15km per hour. Even Wombats are able to run up to 40km per hour.
Our next stage in our journey of exploring native animals is to plan and create a diorama, based on the information that was researched about their selected animal’s habitat. This will tie into our Science and Design & Technology unit. All of the children are excited to get started - with a few lucky children in 1B who got to start last week. Have a look at their cool creations below.
This term the Year One children were very excited to welcome their Mum’s into the classroom after the Mother’s Day Liturgy. It was lovely to see everyone sharing some quiet moments together either colouring in or sharing a book.
Belinda Hourston
YEAR ONE TEACHER
SECONDARY INTERHOUSE ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
Thursday 13th 1pm – 3pm
Friday 14th 8.30am – 3pm
ALL students will be required to be in FULL Sports Uniform, including a school hat (bucket hats are acceptable), on BOTH days. Students are to wear their house colour shirts on Friday. Students who are not in full sports uniform (including a hat) and who do not have a note will be removed from the carnival to complete community service.
Female athletes wishing to compete in skins or bike pants are reminded they must be plain navy or black in colour. Otherwise, the CCC PE shorts may be worn. Boys must wear CCC PE shorts or skins. You may NOT wear CCC football shorts.
On Thursday, events will commence at 12:50pm. The Thursday schedule will include two rounds of field events, and the 1500m. Please note: Hurdles have been removed from the CTSSA competition.
On Friday morning any 400m competitors may make their way to the ovals at 8:15am (no earlier) to commence a warm-up. All other students are required to assemble in the Iona Centre for a roll call and uniform check at 8:30am sharp. Presentations should be finished by 3:00pm.
Lunch will be provided for Boarders, and for those day students who purchase a lunch. Day students wishing to order boarders' lunch for Friday need to have their orders placed by 3.00pm Thursday afternoon. All other students will need to provide their own lunches as normal. Please note - the tuckshop will not be operating on Friday. Ms O'Sullivan and students will be operating the SRC Van selling hot food, chocolates and drinks. The Pivotel Moments Coffee Van will be operating from the Ovals also on Friday.
Callan Newman
SPORTS MIDDLE LEADER
PRIMARY INTERHOUSE ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
Primary Interhouse Athletics Carnival
Tuesday 18th - 8:30am- 10:30am (800m & High Jump Events - Selected students only)
Wednesday 19th - 8:30am -3pm (Track & Field Events - Whole school)
Students are to be dropped to Mt Carmel Campus by 8:30am in preparation for an 8:35am start.
Spectators are welcomed and encouraged to attend what will be an enjoyable day.
Students are to wear their sports uniform with their house shirt and College hat. Tuckshop will be operating, however, manual orders will need to be placed at the SMC office the day before on Tuesday 18 June. All students are reminded to bring a water bottle and any other food on the day.
On Wednesday 19, Year 6 Parents & Students will be running the canteen to fundraise for their Canberra Trip. They will be selling yummy hot foods, snacks, homemade baking and drinks between 9:30am and 1:30pm. Pivotal Moments Coffee Van will be onsite for spectators from 8:30am.
We look forward to an exciting day of friendly competition and fun for all.
Tuesday 18 June
- 8:30am High Jump & 200m
Wednesday 19 June
- 8:30am March Past, War Cries
- 8:50am Sprints (60m,80m,100m)
- 9:45am Field Event rotations
- 12:15pm 200m
- 1:00pm Lunch
- 1:30pm Relays
- 2:15pm Clean Up
- 2:30pm Presentations and Dismissal
RESIDENTIAL NEWS
Dear Parents/Caregivers,
We are now at the busy end of the term in terms of assessment and so time management is key for academic success. There are no shortcuts to achieving this and every effort needs to be made to realise our academic goals. For those students who may be struggling to meet their deadlines, Homework Club and Assessment Support are two opportunities offered by the College where students can access help with their work on the Mount Carmel Campus after school.
Since National Boarding Week, residences have been much quieter with a lot of students taking the opportunity to recharge. After a busy day of Miners home games on Saturday, both girls and boys dorms visited Townsville on Sunday to make the most of the lovely weather down the Strand. I have been incredibly impressed with the way our students have conducted themselves when on excursion with the residences.
Most families are in the process of finalising their child/ren’s end of term travel arrangements. If you haven’t already please communicate your travel arrangements with dorms as soon as possible. When your child is travelling home ensure that they follow these travel safety tips:
- Students having a fully charged mobile phone with a list of emergency contact numbers
- Students having adequate funds on their person and in their bank accounts
- Educating your child about Stranger Danger and
- Keeping the College informed of your child/ren’s movements before and during transit. This is particularly important when students have to catch interconnecting buses, trains and or flights.
With only a few short weeks to go I encourage you to check in on how your child/ren are going. It has been an incredibly busy term which both mentally and physically drains our young people. Staff are regularly checking in and promoting positive wellbeing practices. I would like to remind you of the valuable resource of schoolTV should you need any information on a number of wellbeing issues influencing students today. Together, I am sure we can get our young people across the finish line.
Jordan Marty
ACTING DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - PASTORAL/RESIDENTIAL
IN THIS EDITION OF SCHOOLTV - CYBERBULLYING
With the advent of the Internet, smart phones and tablets, there is now a whole new digital dimension added to traditional schoolyard bullying. There was once a time when bullying victims were given some respite outside of school hour. Sadly, these days, online bullying can occur 24/7. In today’s world, teaching your child about online and cyber safety is as important as learning to swim or cross the road!
Cyberbullying can be identified as being the repeated behaviour by an aggressor with the intent to harm or embarrass. Technology enables these aggressors to share information widely and quickly, making this form of bullying extremely dangerous and harmful. However, the answer is not to shun the internet nor social media. Instead, parents are encouraged to embrace it and instil a family Internet policy to protect their children without limiting the freedom to learn, explore and communicate online.
In this edition of SchoolTV, parents are provided with useful guidelines and advice on how to minimise the risks. Children have the right to feel safe, regardless of whether it is in the schoolyard or online.
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 Cyberbullying edition of SchoolTV
https://columba.catholic.
Aleesha Watson
GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR | REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGIST
COLUMBA CATHOLIC COLLEGE