Columba Catholic College Newsletter Volume 28 No. 5 - 3rd April 2025

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Columba Families,

This term has been a rewarding experience for me both personally and professionally.  I am very proud to have been granted the privilege of leading our College community. In saying this, I have great support from our parents and caregivers, along with our wonderful staff. Whilst there have been challenges, our school community has banded together. So much happens in a Boarding school, it never ceases to amaze me the effort everyone puts in to make sure the wheels of our school keep turning.  

At Columba there is always so much happening! On Monday 17 March, Columba became a sea of green as we encountered St Patrick’s Day celebrations aplenty at both St Mary’s Campus and Mt Carmel Campus. The Mt Carmel Campus held a lucky shamrock competition along with sales of jelly cups and icy cups raising money for Project Compassion. Special thanks to Mr Matt Tyrie and Ms Karen Casey for organising these events. 

Students and staff participated in the Secondary Interschool Swimming Carnival on Friday 21 March. The day was convened by Columba and many thanks to Mr Nathan Juhas and our Secondary staff members who ensured the day ran smoothly. Congratulations to our Columba swim team for their shared win of the Rattray Shield and second place overall.  Special thanks to Mr Andrew Butler, Ms Emma Systa and Mrs Leanne Brandis for training our swim team.

Last Wednesday we were visited by the members of the Blue Service Team from Townsville Catholic Education. The team spent time with members of the Senior Leadership Team to discuss our 2025 Annual School Improvement Plan and ways to work together to achieve our goals. We have identified our key priorities of reinforcing our Catholic School Identity, establishing a positive and productive learning environment and developing the literacy needs of all levels of learners at the College.

I would like to acknowledge a few staff that are moving on to the next chapter in their lives. Mrs Michelle Burns has made the tough decision to resign from her position as the Head of Girls Boarding, for family reasons, and will finish at the end of Term 1. Michelle has made such a valuable contribution to our community over the last 17 years and has been a strong positive influence on so many girls' lives as they have come through the College's Boarding House. Mr Dayle Hackett has been with us since the start of this term and for personal reasons has resigned his position as an English and Humanities teacher at the College.  Ms Fiona Adcock has made the tough decision to resign from the end of the term, to be closer to family. We thank Fiona for her time and positive contribution at the College, particularly with our Year 7 programs. 

Some exciting appointments for the College. If you could please join me in congratulating Mr Rodney Lane, on his appointment as Acting Principal of St Mary's Primary in Bowen for the duration of Term 2. I am very pleased to announce that Ms Karen Casey will step into the position of Acting Deputy Principal of the St Mary's Campus. With the recent resignation of Christine O’Sullivan, I have the pleasure of announcing that Mr Matt Tyrie has had his contract as Acting APRE Secondary extended until the end of the year. In other exciting news Ms Emma Systa will be teaching Health, Physical Education and coordinating the Sport program at St Mary's from Term 2. Ms Systa will continue teaching at Mt. Carmel, working across both campuses. In Term 2, Mrs Lesley Archer will be moving from her school officer role to join the administration team on the St Mary’s Campus. We would like to welcome Ms Paige Nibbs, who will be joining our Secondary School officers team in Term 2.

Throughout Lent, Pope Francis reminds us that ‘through the desert, God leads us to freedom’. This central theme is echoed in our Holy Week liturgies here at the College where we focused on ‘from suffering to freedom’. Holy Week - the most significant liturgical week in the Church - is from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. Let’s make the time this Easter to focus on Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection, and to consider how we can choose spiritual renewal and freedom in both our personal and community life here at Columba.  

It is extremely important to be reflective in our everyday lives. To have high expectations and a strong learning culture, we need to always strive to be better than we were yesterday. We need to be more committed to learning, our community and our faith life. In synergy, we can achieve great things. The holiday period will be an opportunity for us to reflect on our academic progress, and the teaching staff next term will work with our students to set goals to improve the various aspects of their academic life at the College.

As we move into the holiday period, I wish everybody a safe, happy and holy Easter. I hope that the holidays provide an opportunity for you to enjoy the people and places that give you joy. We look forward to seeing you all in Term 2.

Shayne Harrison
ACTING PRINCIPAL

FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - LEARNING AND TEACHING

NAPLAN 2025

NAPLAN testing for students at the Mt Carmel Campus has concluded for this year. I would like to extend my gratitude to all parents and caregivers who ensured that students were well-prepared for the scheduled testing period. The results will be available later in the year.

PARENT STUDENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS

Years 7- 12 Parent Student Teacher Interviews will be held on Wednesday 23 April from 3.30pm – 6.30pm. Interviews will be held in the Dining Room on the Mt. Carmel Campus. 

Students are requested to attend Parent Student Teacher interviews in their day uniform. This will provide them with an opportunity to discuss their progress and set goals in partnership with parents or caregivers and teachers for Term 2.

Parents and caregivers of boarding students who are unable to attend the interviews may request a phone interview with the teaching staff. Please schedule an interview with the desired teachers and then email the office at kcrouch@columba.catholic.edu.au. In your email, indicate that you are requesting a phone interview and provide the scheduled interview time along with your best contact phone number.

Bookings can be made through the Compass Parent Portal via the conferences tab from 3.00pm Friday 4 April until 9:00am Tuesday 22 April 2025. 

Ben Naughton
ACTING DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - LEARNING AND TEACHING

FAITHFUL HEARTS, PURPOSEFUL LIVES - ONE COLLEGE - ONE STORY

Dear Community

Last week was a busy week for our College, yet there was so much hope shown in the actions of our students around the College.

• When we reflect on the Teen Vinnies selling their baked sale items for the benefit of Project Compassion, we are filled with hope and joy.
• Or the students striving for selection in the QISSN or Confro trial games we are filled with hope and inspiration.
• Recently our Year 12’s attended their retreat on Magnetic Island and they reflected on growing up, defining moments, challenging times and the biggest lessons that led them to be. You would have been moved by the sense of hope revealed in the thoughtful reflections of gratitude in the affirmations shared by the seniors of today. 
• The Year 10 visit to the ‘Eventide Retirement community’ provided opportunity to share some Easter goodwill with the elderly residents and exchange in respectful conversations revealing their humanity or stories.
• Our students share their gifts in service of the Parish and maintenance needs.

This year the Catholic Church has decreed a Jubilee year. A Jubilee is a special year of grace and conversion, involving prayer, pilgrimage and sacramental repentance, held every 25 years, or during other years as called for by the Pope. Through a series of concrete rituals, acts and commitments, the goal of a Jubilee year is to inspire and encourage holiness of life among the faithful and therefore to strengthen the Church’s witness to God’s loving mercy in and for the world. The word “jubilee” is derived from the Hebrew word jobel, which means “ram’s horn”; since it was precisely that horn which was used as a trumpet, whose sound indicated to everybody the beginning of the jubilee year. This is the theme for our College community for 2025, we are ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. It is this sense of Hope revealed in the humanity of our kids through their actions, that instils hope.

Pope Francis says,” Hope is a light in the dark and that it is a gift from God”.  I feel that it is a gift also defined through action. My hope is that all our students, families and their communities are safe as they travel home after a hope-filled term of learning and joy to return to us safely at the start of Term 2.  My hope also at this time of Lent, is we can become closer to God, feel his grace and know the reason for his crucifixion and resurrection over this Easter season and holy week.

Heavenly Father,

As we journey through this sacred season of Lent, we come before you with hearts open to your mercy and grace. In a world that often feels weary and uncertain, we lift our eyes to you—our source of hope, healing, and renewal.

Lord, in our struggles, remind us of your steadfast love. When we feel burdened by sin or doubt, help us embrace the forgiveness you so freely give. Strengthen our faith, that we may walk in trust and not in fear.

For those in our community who are hurting, bring comfort. For those who feel lost, be their guiding light. For those who are in need, provide abundantly. May we, as you people, become instruments of your love, extending kindness, generosity, and compassion to all we encounter.

Amen.

Holy Week Mass times at St Columba’s Parish

Palm Sunday and Easter Mass times

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

6.00pm Vigil Mass on Saturday, 12 April

8.30am Mass on Sunday, 13 April

Maunday Holy Thursday (17 April)

9.00 am Morning Prayer

6.00pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper

Friday of the Passion of the Lord (Friday 18 April)

3.00pm Stations of the Cross

3.30pm Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion

Holy Saturday Easter Vigil (Saturday, 19 April)

9.00am Morning Prayer

7.00pm Easter Vigil

Note: change of time from 6pm to 7pm

Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord (Sunday 20 April)

8.30am

PLEASE DONATE TODAY

You can support Project Compassion 2025 through the donation boxes, envelopes or by scanning the QR code. Or online at: caritas.org.au/project-compassion Or by calling: 1800 024 413.

Thank you for standing with us as we Unite Against Poverty this Lent.

INTERHOUSE CROSS COUNTRY

Monday 28 April 2025

Venue: Airport Reserve

Time: 8:25am

Dress Code: Full House Uniform

Secondary students will participate in the annual Inter-house cross country at Airport Reserve in Charters Towers. This is a compulsory event, and all students are expected to attend, as there will be no supervision at school during the event.

Students are to be dropped off at the Airport Reserve by 8:25am.  Pastoral Care rolls will be taken at this time.

Students are required to wear their full and correct sports uniform with house shirt, including a College hat and bring a water bottle.

All students are expected to run in the cross country.  If your child is not able to run, you must provide a written note to Mr Juhas.  Girls may choose to run in PLAIN BLUE OR BLACK skins, PLAIN BLUE OR BLACK bike pants, or CCC shorts.  Boys must run in PLAIN BLUE OR BLACK skins or CCC shorts.  Please organise this now so that if you make the interschool team you have the correct uniform. 

From 10:30am onwards, students will be bused back to the Mount Carmel Campus for the start of lesson 3.  

For students who drive to school. You must be at school by 8am and drop your keys into the front office. You will be bussed over with the boarders and staff at 8:10am.

All students will run the distance required for their age group.

INTERSCHOOL SWIMMING CARNIVAL REPORT

Columba’s swimming team participated in the highly anticipated InterSchool Swimming Carnival on Friday 21 March. Our swimmers put up an outstanding performance, showcasing their skills and sportsmanship throughout the carnival. 

Highlights from the day was Dale Beatty, who broke two records; 50m backstroke and 50m breaststroke and CJ Knox, who broke the AWD 50m breaststroke record. Congratulations must also go to our students that were announced as Age Champions and Runners Up:

12 Years Girls Age Champion - Isabel Webber 

13 Years Girls Age Champion - Brodie Beatty 

13 Years Boys AWD Age Champion - CJ Knox

14 Years Boys Runner Up - Clayton Walsh

15 Years Girls Runner Up - Mikayla Gleeson

15 Years Boys Runner Up - Liam Bartschat 

15 Years Girls AWD Age Champion - Peggy Pickering  

16 Years Girls Runner Up - Chloe Archer

16 Years Boys Age Champion - Ethan Ford

16 Years Boys AWD Age Champion - Azariah Hunter

Open Girls Age Champion - Dale Beatty 

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank all our coaches; Mr Andrew Butler, Ms Emma Systa and Mrs Leannne Brandis for their tireless efforts in training and preparing our team for this event. Their commitment to our school's sports program has provided valuable guidance to our students. 

Overall, the InterSchool Swimming Carnival was a huge success, and our school's performance was a testament to the skills and hard work of our students and staff. Congratulations to all of our swimmers, coaches, staff and supporters who helped make this carnival a memorable one. The determination and dedication from every team member brought about this amazing result, and we are incredibly proud of each and every one of our students for their hard work.

TALES FROM THE TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT

This term has been a very busy time in all 4 areas in the Technology Department. Students have been working on a variety of projects ranging from programming robots and designing computer games in ICT, researching and developing feed troughs in Agriculture, sewing bags, serving stunning mocktails and cooking delicious food in Home Economics and constructing dragsters, briefcases, toolboxes and locker tidies in the Wood and Metal Workshops.

Next term is shaping up to be just as busy. Students have already started working on their next projects. These range from building a bedside cabinet, designing a clock or a metal storage rack in the workshops, developing a prototype robot or game in ICT to planning and organizing casual dining events and delicious meals in Home Economics. 

The students have been generating and producing some very interesting ideas and concepts so keep your eyes and ears open for the finished products.

Dean Johnston
MIDDLE LEADER - TECHNOLOGIES

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 10

Next

CAREERS ADVISOR

Year 10 Residential Program - JCU Navigate YOU Summit 2025

JCU has a new residential program for Year 10 students in 2025. Please see flyer below for more information. 

Australian Catholic University - Future Students Events

The flyer below is the upcoming events at the Australian Catholic University, page two of this flyer has a variety of online events available to students and families. 

Kind regards,
Helen Milton | Careers Advisor

YEAR 3 NEWS

We have been so busy learning in Year 3 that we honestly cannot believe it is Week 10! On top of this we have also celebrated many significant events  – NAPLAN, Lent, St Patrick’s Day and Harmony Day, as well as learning about Jesus the Messiah in Religion. As the saying goes…time flies when you’re having fun. I must say, the classroom is looking amazing with all of the incredible student work around. This makes Mrs Stevenson VERY happy!

In English, students have been mastering the art of persuasive writing and speaking. They have also been improving their sentences with the use of nifty nouns, awesome adjectives and victorious verbs. For their assessment, they had to persuade their peers that THEIR chosen class mascot should be voted for. Should it be Sammy the Sloth, Furry the Fox, Dancing Dashy, Larry the Lorikeet? Indeed, a very difficult decision!

We have also been having some fun in Maths learning about right angles, clockwise, anticlockwise and rotations. As you can see below, the students brought this to life in the classroom.

In Science this term, students have been exploring ways that heat moves within and between objects. They are very good at identifying insulators and conductors, and explaining the transfer of heat. Students had great fun investigating ‘the transfer of heat’ through several experiments we did in class, in particular, the ‘Melting Chocolate’ experiment where they got to eat the chocolate. 

As you can see from our masterpieces below, Year 3 certainly has some future artists! This week, students are excited to be finishing the last of their assessments and are looking forward to doing some arts and crafts. We also need to get busy and get our creative pants on to make our hats for the Easter parade on Friday. To finish the term off, Year 3 will complete a ‘kindness flower’ followed by a party.

From Year 3, we wish everyone a safe and relaxing holiday.

Mrs Leesa Stevenson
YEAR 3 TEACHER 

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 15

Next

YEAR 4 NEWS

PRIMARY CLASS AWARDS

RESIDENTIAL NEWS

Dear Parents, Caregivers, Staff, Students and Friends of The College,

As we wrap up another successful term at Columba, I'd like to take this opportunity to highlight the importance of our boarding program. For many of our students, boarding isn't just about having a place to stay while attending school — it's about embarking on a journey of personal growth, independence, and community building.

I have always believed that Boarding sets the culture and tone of a school. Our boarding students have the opportunity to achieve outstanding academic results. With supervised and structured study times, our boarders’ academic outcomes should always be improving. As mentioned in previous newsletter articles, boarding study is one of our key priorities on our School Improvement Plan. 

Living away from home encourages students to develop crucial life skills. From managing their time effectively to taking care of their living spaces, boarders learn responsibility in a supportive environment. These skills prove invaluable as they prepare for life post Columba whether that be in the workforce or Higher Education training.

Boarding students have unparalleled access to the school's facilities and extracurricular activities. Whether it's early morning gym sessions, after-school netball training, or weekend sports such as club rugby league, cricket or  rugby union, boarders can fully immerse themselves in school life. Furthermore, as a Catholic school, we provide a nurturing environment for spiritual development. Boarders participate in regular chapel services, and community service activities (such as mowing and tending to the gardens of our Parish church) which hopefully deepens their faith and understanding of Catholic values.

As we continue to invest in our boarding facilities and programs, we're excited about what the future will bring. Next term, it is our intention to  be out and about visiting many of our boarding communities. We hope to catch up with as many of our families as possible - something I have always enjoyed as a part of my role in the boarding community. 

As you are most likely aware, Mrs Michelle Burns will be resigning as Head of Girls’ Boarding at the end of the term. I thank Mrs Burns for the extraordinary contribution that she has made to boarding. Her experience, level of commitment and professionalism extended towards all members of the boarding community can not be understated. She will be surely missed and we wish her all the best in her future endeavours. Ms Kylie Pitt has also tendered her resignation from Boys’ Boarding. We thank her for the contributions that she has made to our community and we wish her all the best in the future. Recruitment for the above mentioned positions has already commenced in preparation for Term 2.  

To our current Boarding Students -

Thank you for your contributions to our school community.

Have a safe and restful holiday. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for another exciting term of growth, learning, and community.

Finally, I would like to thank our parents and caregivers who have entrusted the College with the education and residential care of their children. It is truly an honour to serve such a wonderful community.

Regards,

Dan Kyle
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - PASTORAL/RESIDENTIAL 

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.

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.

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 Social Media & Digital Reputation edition of SchoolTV

https://columba.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/social-media-and-digital-reputation

Aleesha Watson
GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR | REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGIST

MEET THE EMERGING LEADERS MENTORS

JOIN THE TEAM!

1-2-3 MAGIC PROGRAM

SCAN & WIN - JOBS NQ