College Photos will be held on Friday 25 March in the MPC. All Students are required to be in full formal uniform including ties (see uniform guidelines) and to bring their photo envelope (with payment or receipt number written on envelope) with them to school on the day to hand to the photographers.

Sibling photos will be held in the MPC from 7.30am to 8.40am and will require a parent to accompany them as there will be no student supervision until 8.30am. Sibling envelopes are available from the College Office.

The additional photo envelope for Prefects, House Leaders, SRC, Prep/Yr 12 and Yr 12 (fun photo) are also available from the College Office.

COVID-19 Update

Thanks to our families for your support and patience over the past few weeks as we navigate COVID in our community. 

NAPLAN

In 2022 we will again conduct NAPLAN Online with our students in Year 3, 5, 7 & 9.  NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through their regular school curriculum.  NAPLAN is not a test that children can prepare for in the same way they might prepare for an end of unit test. NAPLAN tests skills that develop and improve over time. These are skills that should be continuously developed throughout the year and not just in the lead-up to NAPLAN.

Keyboard skills are critical for NAPLAN online writing assessment. I encourage families to allow students time to type up stories/work on the computer.  Spend time with your child editing their work on the screen.  Discuss this process with your child and articulate your thinking.  Encourage the use of Write That Essay (WTE) with your students.

I encourage Parents to learn more and see the types of questions and related functionalities available in the NAPLAN Online assessment at www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site.  If you would like to discuss NAPLAN further, please contact your child’s core teacher or myself.  Each fortnight leading to NAPLAN we will include general NAPLAN information in the College Newsletter.  If you would like to discuss your child’s participation in NAPLAN please contact your child’s core teacher, Andrea Gormley or myself.

Student Leaders Retreat

With the restrictions imposed on schools for the first few weeks of the year we had to postpone our planned Student Leaders. At Student Leaders Retreat we gather all prefect, house leaders and SRC members to develop their leadership skills.  A letter will go home to student leaders next week about the new date for this retreat. 

Parent Engagement

Over the past two years, COVID-19 has made it difficult to engage with parents at the College.  Event organization shifted to a high level with capacity and seating rules, QR Codes, vaccine mandates and mask guidelines all adding complications to simple events we have held in the past.  Whilst many of these rules have not gone away we are learning to live with COVID-19, this is an adjustment for us all.  It is a goal of the College in 2022 to embrace these times we live in and work with our families to ensure opportunities for our students are not missed and that parents can join with us as community whenever possible.  I must acknowledge that sometimes we have to prioritise the experience/event for the students based on what is ‘current advice’ and how we can manage the ‘rules’.  But as Queensland restrictions are currently lifting we look to the future and focus on what we can offer.

The following events will occur in the next ten weeks of school and we encourage parents to mark them in their diaries and join us when you can:

Guests will be asked to sign in with the at these events but will not need to show proof of vaccination.

 Volunteers are welcome to assist in the classroom, on excursions and at our tuckshop upon completion of Volunteer Induction Module and return Declaration form.  All volunteers must be fully vaccinated, and proof must be provided with the Declaration form.

Information regarding the Volunteer Induction Module can be found on Parent Portal or via the link: https://www.twb.catholic.edu.au/work-and-learn-with-us/volunteers-and-visiting-service-providers/

Cate Brennan

Deupty Principal Religious Education

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble - Psalm 46 

Almighty God, Creator and preserver of our world. We ask you to hear our humble prayers for all those affected by the devastating floodwaters.  

We pray for all threatened by floodwaters in city & rural areas. Protect both life and property.  

In your mercy, bring relief to affected areas.  We pray for the sick, the injured and the homeless. Give courage and hope in the midst of despair.  

Grant wisdom to those who assist, especially government leaders, our State Emergency Service, our Australian Defence Force, other emergency workers and aid agencies.  

By your gracious hand, rebuild communities where men, women and children are nurtured with care and love.      

At this time, may we find peace and hope in your Son, Jesus Christ.      

In His name we pray.    

AMEN. 

Study Habits

Exam periods can be a stressful time for students. Early preparation/study and frequently revisiting and revising work remains one of the best strategies that students can adapt to give themselves the best possible chance of success in an examination. Below are some other tips worth considering as we move into the assessment period in Middle Years.

Common Traits Among Low Performing Students

These are the habits that are most common in underperforming students. Avoid them!

To manage feelings of anxiety and stress around assessment, it is important that students maintain balance in their life and rest when they need to. Studying for lengthy periods of time reduces the quality of study being completed. Take a short 5-minute break every half an hour. Get a drink of water in that time. Hydration can also improve performance. Healthy eating and sleep are also critical in preparing for assessment.

Bookings opened on Wednesday for Early Years Student-Led Conferences. These will take place in Week 9, on Wednesday 23 March and Thursday 24 March. You may be asking what the purpose of these conferences are, and why they have replaced the former Parent Teacher Interviews. Our Visible Learning work at OLSCC is based on the work of Professor John Hattie, a well-known educational researcher who has published a list of the most effective influences on student achievement. This means that we can put all our energy into engaging in practices that are proven to raise student achievement. Sometimes, this can be very challenging to our long-held beliefs, however the same growth mindset we encourage in our students can be helpful to adults as well! A student’s ability to talk about

• what they are learning
• how they are going and
• what goals they can set for themselves

have all been identified by Professor Hattie as highly significant indicators linked to raised student achievement. This is the purpose of the Student-Led Conference.

An email earlier this week outlined how these conferences will work, and a few essential points are repeated here:

• Students will attend with a parent /carer
• Students will take a lead role in the conference setting
• Teachers will support the students throughout the process as needed
• Students will share with you what they are currently learning
• This will look different from Prep through to Year 4 and may include showing you how they learn with concrete materials, a work sample to discuss, a focus on a particular subject area, or a personal-social goal they are working on.

It is important to let your child know you are an interested participant in the Student-Led Conference – it is a very important time for them and impacts positively on their learning, as well as showing your child how much you value their education. Spend some time discussing the conference at home in the days leading up to the actual conference date.

As part of their regular learning, all students have been putting considerable time and energy into reflecting on their learning and preparing for this. If you cannot attend, please arrange for another significant adult in your child’s life to come to the conference.

In addition to your child’s regular classroom, I will be available in the Drama room (Blue 6 – your child will know where!) for any students who would like to drop by to discuss learning that has taken place in specialist lesson time. I would love to have you call by if it fits between your other appointment times!

The conference is about learning, not behaviour or social issues. As always, your child’s classroom teacher remains your first point of contact and parents can arrange appointments to meet with teachers at any stage throughout the year and we encourage you to do so if you have any pressing concerns, updates or wish to discuss anything beyond the scope of these Student-Led Conferences. 

Student-Led Conferences will occur again in Term 3. Formal written reports, with a focus on achievement against the Australian Curriculum achievement standards, will be available twice per year as a written report in Terms 2 and 4. 

Katrina Walton

Assistant Principal Early Years

Senior Swimming Carnival

The Under 13 - Under 18 (Born 2009 – 2004) Inter House Swimming Carnival will be held on Monday 21 March at the Dalby Aquatic Centre. Parents will be able to attend the carnival. Students will travel on the College Coach leaving at 8.50am. Students will be back at school before the by 3.00pm. Swim shirts are optional for all races. Students may wear their house colours on the day. 

Bunya District Swimming

Congratulations to the following students who were selected in the Bunya District Swimming Team to attend the Darling Downs Trials in Gatton; Charlotte Bennie, Charlotte Colquhoun, Lainey Geiger, Isabelle Manley, Gemma Sullivan, Innes Dellit, Hugo Fraser, Lucas Galligan, Myles Gilliland, Bobby Machin, Louie Machin, Archie Stephens, Brax Hunt, Kash Hunt.

Record Breakers

Isabelle Manley

100m Backstroke 1.32.88 (old record 1.42.48)

100m Freestyle 1.24.64 (old record 1.30.62)

Lainey Geiger

100m Breaststroke 1.43.01 (old record 1.50.19)

50m Breaststroke 46.44 (old record 48.47)

Charlotte Colquhoun

100m Breaststroke 1.41.32 (old record 1.43.98)

50m Breaststroke 46.39 (old record 47.15)

Darling Downs 10-12 Swimming

An amazing day was had by our swimmers at the Darling Downs Trials on Monday with five students selected in the Darling Downs Team (Charlotte Colquhoun, Gemma Sullivan, Isabelle Manley, Lainey Geiger and Archie Stephens), the best ever results for the College. Results from the carnival are listed below.

Charlotte Bennie – 26^th in Freestyle

Charlotte Colquhoun – 1^st in 100m Freestyle, 1^st 50m Breaststroke, 1^st 100m Breaststroke, 2^nd 50m Freestyle, 2^nd 200m Individual Medley, 13^th 50m Butterlfy, 15^th 50m Backstroke.

Innes Dellit – 8^th 50m Butterfly, 9^th 50m Breaststroke, 15^th 50m Freestyle, 17^th 50m Backstroke.

Hugo Fraser – 17^th 50m Freestyle, 18^th 50m Backstroke

Lucas Galligan – 15^th 50m Backstroke, 19^th 50m Freestyle

Lainey Geiger – 1^st 50m Breaststroke, 1^st 100m Breaststroke, 3^rd 50m Freestyle

Brax Hunt – 19^th 50m Freestyle

Kash Hunt – 16^th 50m Backstroke, 21^st 50m Freestyle

Bobby Machin – 7^th 50m Butterfly, 8^th 50m Backstroke 15^th 50m Freestyle

Louie Machin – 7^th 50m Backstroke, 22^nd 50m Freestyle

Isabelle Manley – 1^st 100m Backstroke, 2^nd 50m Freestyle, 2^nd 50m Backstroke, 4^th 50m Breaststroke, 4^th 100m Breaststroke

Archie Stephens – 3^rd 50m Backstroke, 4^th 50m Freestyle, 5^th 50m Butterfly, 8^th 50m Breaststroke

Gemma Sullivan – 3^rd 100m Breaststroke, 6^th 50m Backstroke, 8^th 50m Breaststroke, 20^th 50m Freestyle

Darling Downs 13-18 Swimming

Congratulations to the swimmers who competed at the Darling Downs Trails last week. Clay Lawson and Lachlan Fraser were selected in the Darling Downs Teams for the State Championships later in the term. Results are listed below.

Macie Allen – 3^rd 50m Breaststroke, 6^th 50m Backstroke, 6^th 100m Backstroke, 16^th 50m Freestyle

Hamish Colquhoun – 2^nd 200m Freestyle, 4^th 50m Butterfly, 5^th 100m Freestyle, 6^th 50m Freestyle

Lachlan Fraser – 1^st 50m Freestyle, 2^nd 50m Butterfly, 2^nd 100m Freestyle, 4^th 50m Backstroke

Clare Griffiths – 4^th 100m Breaststroke, 4^th 200m Breaststroke, 5^th 50m Breaststroke

Clay Lawson – 3^rd 100m Backstroke, 5^th 100m Freestyle, 5^th 50m Butterfly, 6^th 50m Backstroke

QCIS Swimming Carnival

A great day was had a the QCIS Swimming Carnival in Dalby on Wednesday. There were many highlights on the day however, being the only school to have two competitors in every event showed the commitment of our students to represent the College with pride. Special mentions to Louie Machin, Hayden Koehler and Kash Hunt who swam in older age divisions to ensure we had a full team of swimmers. The College finished second in the overall points and third in the percentage points for school size. Age Group Results are listed below.

Record Breakers

Clay Lawson – Boys Open 200m Freestyle

Lainey Geiger – Girls Under 10 50m Breaststroke

Charlotte Colquhoun – Girls Under 11 50m Breaststroke and 50m Freestyle

Girls Under 10/11 Freestyle Relay Team

Isabelle Manley, Gemma Sullivan, Charlotte Colquhoun, Lainey Geiger

Boys Under 10/11 Freestyle Relay Team

Bobby Machin, Archie Stephens, Myles Gilliland, Ethan Koehler

Bunya District Touch Football

Congratulations to the following students selected in Bunya District Touch Football Teams to attend Darling Downs Trials next week.

Boys – Will Barwick, Josh Barwick, Noah Cook, Talon Burton

Girls – Molly Gibson, Charlotte Colquhoun, Gemma Sullivan, Jacinda Smith, Sophie Jeude

Bunya District Under 12 Sports Trials Dates in March

Sign on sheets will be placed on the Notice Board before each trial date for any students wishing to attend. Depending on numbers, a school trial may need to be held in some sports.

22 March – Soccer

Inter School Rugby League

Games vs Dalby SHS Wednesday 9 March

Under 13 – OLSCC defeated Dalby SHS 20-16

Under 15 – Dalby SHS defeated OLSCC

Under 18 – Dalby SHS defeated OLSCC 26-22

Representative Rugby League

Congratulations to Lyhkan King Togia, Wil Brady, Bailey Rathmell, Brayden Falvey and Joe Gillett who have been selected to attend the Darling Downs Trials next week following their performances the Darling Downs Gala Day held in Toowoomba yesterday.

Inner Downs Netball

Congratulations to the following girls selected in the Inner Downs Netball Teams

It was great to see the budding netball talent and commitment to hard work!

Under 15 – Carla Nobbs, Monique Smith, Hannah Taylor, Ava Bruce

Under 18 – Abby Marshall, Emma Donaldson, Chloe Donaldson

Netball

Congratulations to the QISSN Girls Netball Squad who defeated Dalby SHS 45-17 on Thursday. The girls have another game vs Downlands College next week.

Darling Downs Selections

Boys Squash

Max Brownhall, Rory McLutchen

Girls Squash

Emma Cusack, Lucy Cusack

Girls U15 AFL

Gabby Banks

Under 15/16 Rugby Sevens

Breanna Hoskin named as Shadow Player

Boys U15 AFL

Chris Banks named as a Shadow Player

Tim Lincoln

Middle Leader Sport

Year 12 University Options

All Year 12 students who are intending to apply for a university course have been invited to book a meeting this term to commence some initial discussions around course options. These discussions are important at this time so that we can plan pathways through this year. Students should be considering accommodation, early entry options, scholarships, employment opportunities once they graduate. These are just a few areas that Year 12’s need to start considering. I have also flagged with Year 12’s that universities will require students to be double vaxxed before they can attend campus. If your child is considering a career in the medical field, being vaccinated is also a consideration. If your Year 12 student is looking to move into a trade, now is the time to be discussing employment options with me. Every year local businesses contact me looking for employees. Our students need to complete a solid resume and start preparing their CV in preparation for interview opportunities.

Please encourage your child to book this initial interview with me. I also welcome any parents who would like to come in for a chat about your child. Please contact the College office for a meeting time.

Year 10 Work Experience

Work Experience will occur in Week 10 of Term 2. Students in Year 10 need to speak with me before approaching businesses for work experience. I am happy to start having chats with students and parents to discuss opportunities.

SBA Sign Ups

The following students have recently completed their sign up for a School Based Traineeship or Apprenticeship. Cody Wenham (Cert III in Agriculture with MAG Farms), Ethan Horrigan (Cert III in Hospitality at Urban Paddock), Hayden Doherty (Cert III in Engineering with RSA Contractors) and Indiannah Patrick (Cert III in Community Pharmacy with Dalby Pharmacy). Congratulations to these students and thank you to their employers.

Libby Baxter

College Careers Development Practitioner

A shift in your child’s perspective

I thought it might be a good opportunity to think about how our cultural norms influence the way we parent. I would like to highlight the word egocentric. We could think of this term as experiences and perceptions being viewed from oneself. For example, we ask our children “how was your day? What did you do?” Our questions prompting our children to reflect on experiences within themselves. However, these types of questions are not asked across all cultures. Where there is a cultural emphasis on others, parents question their children on their friends’ days or experiences. I find this fascinating and a practical way of building empathy in our children. I challenge you to ask your children, how their friend’s day was, or what was something positive that happened in their friend’s day. Unfortunately, for me when I tried this, it was met with silence. However, this is ok and a great space for an interesting conversation. I look forward to hearing your feedback.

Enjoy your week,

Katrina Ballantyne

College Guidance Counsellor

On Wednesday 9 March, every OLSCC student from Prep to Year 6 attended the Words Out West Readers and Writers Festival – Student Day. This is our fourth year attending this event, and it seems to just get better and better. We are extremely grateful to Western Downs Libraries and the Western Downs Regional Council for facilitating such a professional event. To be able to give our students exposure to such high calibre authors and artists right here in our home town is just amazing. The photos below tell the story of just how captivating our students found the day. A huge shout out to our School Officer Mr Florian Scheuch who not only assisted classes for the entire day, but was an extremely good sport when he was “randomly selected” to assist the presenters!

After outstanding success last year, winning two awards, including placing in the top 3 teams in the state, the College is gearing up to once again enter the Optiminds Challenge in 2022. Optiminds is a creative sustainability challenge which empowers participants to think, create and communicate through a problem-solving event for teams of 4-7 students. There are a variety of divisions for teams (determined by the year level of the oldest group member) who choose to solve open-ended challenges from one of the following categories:

• Language Literature
• Science Engineering
• Social Sciences
• Media Communication

When is it and what is my time commitment?

• Challenges open July 19
• Teams have 6 weeks to prepare
• Challenge Day – Sunday August 28, Toowoomba (either in person or virtual)
• Teams present their solution in a 10-minute presentation to a panel of judges
• Teams also participate in a spontaneous challenge
• Facilitators commit to meeting with their team on a weekly basis for this period at a time mutually suitable to participants and facilitator

At OLSCC, students from Years 2-10 are invited to participate.

In preparation for this, Mrs Walton will be offering Critical and Creative Thinking Club during Term 2 on Wednesday afternoons, 3.15-4:00pm. Whilst it is not compulsory to attend this club in Term 2, it is intended to provide experience and preparation of similar tasks as the Optiminds challenges and may help with team selections.

Parents and caregivers of students who wish to participate in either Critical and Creative Thinking Club and/or Optiminds should register their interest by completing this form online by Monday 28 March. An individual form entry is required for each child.

Optiminds / Critical and Creative Thinking Club

Team selections will be finalised late in Term 2. Thankyou to staff who have volunteered to manage teams during the challenge period. This has enabled us to be able to offer this opportunity to our students.

Early Years and Middle Years choir has begun! All new faces are welcome—and any old faces too. We would love for you to join the 30+ choir students in preparing for the Dalby Show and other events throughout the year.

Rehearsals are Tuesday 8:15am (Year 2-4) or Thursday 8am (Year 5-8) in the Music Room.

See you there!

Harriet Nicholson

Music Teacher

Throughout this term in The Arts Year 3 and  4 are focussing on indigenous art and creating their own artwork. The students all painted a dot painting on boomerangs. They were asked to write a story in relation to what their symbols were representing. We sat them in class piles on display without judges knowing which class was which. 3C did a fantastic job to take out the title of the four classes with “The Best Boomerangs of 2022.” We cannot wait to finish our Indigenous Puzzles to take home at the end of the term.

Year 5 is commencing their Mini Vinnies fundraising with an Easter Raffle. Mini Vinnies is a student based social justice program within Australian Catholic schools focused on raising awareness and funds for those in need in the local and global community through the work of St Vincent de Paul Society. All proceeds from the raffle will be donated to our local St Vincent De Paul Society to support families in need, including families from our own College community.

We are inviting all College families to donate Easter eggs or other Easter items as prizes for our raffle. Donations of Easter eggs can be left at the College Office up until Friday 25 March or given to classroom teachers. 

Raffle ticket sales will begin Monday 14 March. Each raffle ticket will cost 50c and will be sold at first lunch break in the Senior Plaza, outside the MPC and at the Pavillion. Prep students will be able to purchase tickets from their classroom teachers.

Prizes for our raffle will be announced on Thursday 31 March at the Easter Prayer Celebration.

Please support this fantastic cause and give back to our wonderful community.

Thank you!

Year 5

The College will be hosting the School Immunisation Program for Year 7 and 10 students on Wednesday 23 March commencing at 12.30pm.

Yr 7        HPV (dose 1) – Human Papillomavirus

                dTpa – Diptheria-Tetanus-Pertussis

Yr 10      MenACWY – Meningococcal ACWY

Consent forms were sent home with students last week and only a limited number of forms have been returned. If your child has not given you the consent form, please ask your child for their immunisation envelope. Please return these consent forms (with either consent or declined section filled in) to the College Office by 3.00pm Monday 14 March.

Concessions for the 2022 year are available for families who are experiencing genuine financial hardship.

Please contact the College Business Manager, Sarah Hall, for a confidential discussion via phone 4672 4111 or via email Sarah.Hall@twb.catholic.edu.au