Friday 15 September - Grandparents Day Whole College

Saturday 16 September - Saints Race Day

Saturday 16 September to 2 October - Holidays

The Term 3 calendar of events is now available via the link below. You can print this out and have it at home so you know everything that is happening at our College.

Millmerran Leadership Forum

It has been a wonderful week working with my fellow Principals and the leadership team from Toowoomba Catholic Schools, including our new Bishop, Bishop Ken Howell. We have been working through a myriad of challenges that face the education sector, particularly regarding the change in our funding model from 2024, and our strategic direction into the future.  Dr Pat Coughlan, Executive Director of Toowoomba Catholic Schools, spoke to us regarding “Taking Control of the Agenda”, being especially considerate of what qualities, practices and understandings make us better and more durable leaders.  He challenged us to maintain a focus of servant leadership, though especially drilling down into our work as principals into how we focus all our decisions on our noble purpose as educators.  The intent is to collectively maximise the impact on student learning and wellbeing through our strong leadership of Toowoomba Catholic Schools.

Bishop Ken Howell led a feedback session to hear what was working well in the Diocese, what the challenges are, and the direction to address the challenges that are currently arising in the Catholic Education sector.  I am excited by a fresh perspective and an open dialogue with the new Bishop, and greatly look forward to his leadership of our Diocese into the future. 

The principals have also worked very practically on new developments across the Diocese as we finalise our preparations for 2024. We have worked on finance, staffing, our 2024 annual action plan as well as shining a light on school behaviour policy and processes.  Although these weeks at leadership forums take away from my time at the College, the impact of the work we do creates better education for all students across the Diocese.  I look forward to being back at the College tomorrow.

By the way, Miss Twidale (3T) is rather famous around Milmerran and it was great to see her primary school on the school tour Tuesday night!

NAPLAN Reports

Last Friday NAPLAN reports were sent home with students or mailed home to parents.  The reports have changed quite significantly this year, though we are again very proud of the results of our students.  I encourage all parents of students in Years 3, 5, 7 & 9 to carefully read the information that accompanied the report as it very clearly explains how the new reports work.  We have already met as a college group of secondary principals to share our data and determine which schools are performing highly, and which schools are making considerable impact and adding value between Years 7 and 9.  We are taking learnings from this gathering to establish professional learning teams in 2024 to implement consistency of high impact practice across the diocese, especially in Mathematics and for High Potential Learners.

Shaping Our Future

Thank you to all the staff, parents and students who took the time to provide feedback regarding OLSCC in the recent Shaping Our Future survey. This feedback will be discerned and used to inform future planning for our College.   Although I acknowledge the time and effort required to complete these surveys, there are still some additional surveys forthcoming to parents in the next few weeks.  And this is purposeful.

In the past we have created committees and groups to consult around issues such as facilities, though this mode means that only few get to have their voices heard.  Throughout the rest of this year we are creating an updated Master Plan for OLSCC and as such require as much voice from our community as possible regarding the future of our infrastructure at OLSCC.  In addition, we are also going to be seeking more information about Report Cards.  Our current mode of reporting is very intense for teaching staff and we receive varied feedback about the impact of this effort through the report cards. 

As these surveys come to your inbox, please find a little time to have your say so all members of our community can have input into the future of OLSCC.

Mr Peter Cuskelly
Principal

Over the past two weeks I have had many moments where I have been able to look around and feel blessed to be part of our College community.  Last week many parents and teachers gathered to hear Justin Coulson speak on “the Parenting Revolution”.  This great opportunity organised by our new ‘FACE’ group, gave parents not only an informative session on parenting but a great social gathering. It was lovely to be able to gather and chat with so many parents without the pressures of the school day and taking a pause from our own family commitments.  I look forward to more occasions like this through FACE initiatives.   

Staff last week had two opportunities to gather in retreat mode, the first a twilight at the College titled ‘Listen to our heart’ which focussed on listening to First Nation Perspectives and allowing ourselves time to reflect on these; the second an overnight retreat titled ‘At the Well’ facilitated by Br Damien Price at Camp Cooby.  It is a joy to be able to spend time with our staff in prayer and reflection listening to our own hearts and to allow space for God to enter into our lives. 

On Friday last week Br Damien Price presented to our Year 11/12 students during Praxis on the theme ‘Come as Guest’.  Always inspirational to listen to Br Damien challenge the students to come as guest to those who need us.  

The last few weeks has really reminded me it is important to ‘fill our bucket’ in life, to renew and refresh when times get busy.  No one can deny life is hectic, it's one of the things I love about it, but we need to model to our students and our children the importance of the recharge, the bucket fillers of our lives.  So, the last few weeks have been busy for me, but it has also filled my bucket.  As we head into the second half of this term, I encourage all to take time to fill your bucket and do something you love with the people you love.   

OUR LADY OF THE SOUTHERN CROSS DAY 

Later this term on Thursday 31 August, we will celebrate Our Lady of the Southern Cross Day (feast 1 September).  This is a special day in our College Calendar and it will be marked with a P-12 whole College Mass and our Whole College Athletics events.  Mass will commence at 12:15pm in the MPC and will be followed by events on the oval.  These events include house relays, the Gillespie and Tresillian Gifts, the all-age relay and the teacher v student relay.  All students are encouraged to dress in their house colours on this day – go crazy, show your team spirit through the coloured outfits you wear!  Free Dress must be sun safe as the afternoon will be spent outdoors. 

GRANDPARENTS DAY  

Don’t forget to let your grandparents know that our annual Grandparent’s Day has been expanded for 2023 and will encompass all year levels from Prep to Year 12.  It will be a big morning at the College on Friday 15 September.   

LOST PROPERTY 

At the end of last term all of the lost property from around the College was collected and placed outside the MPC for collection. The remains of these items were packed up to be donated to St Vincent de Paul. It amazes me how much lost property we accumulate each term around the College, mostly unnamed. Please ensure all items you send to school with your children are named, this includes lunch boxes, water bottles and non-uniform clothing.  As a mum, I am aware of how much these items cost, and it is so much easier for staff to return items when they are clearly labelled. If your child loses items, please encourage them to check the lost property baskets in the Pavilion and SY Plaza and on the blue block for these items.  These items are still at the office if they belong to your family.  They will be donated to St Vincent de Paul next week if they remain unclaimed.   

PREP-YEAR 4 RETREATS 

In Week 3 as part of Catholic Education Week, the Year 11 students as part of their Praxis delivered short retreats to the Prep – Year 4 classes they prepared themselves.  It was a wonderful time watching our younger and older students work, play and learn together.  I have received positive feedback from both students and staff about these retreats and would like to share some of these from our Year 11 students. 

Year 11 Student: 

The grade 3W class was a delight to teach, it was great to get to know the kids and have lots of fun. The class was able to bond closer throughout the retreat and guided each other to be kinder to one another, whilst using faith as key learning experience. The kids expressed lots of great feedback about the retreat and were very grateful for the experience and wished they had more opportunities to connect with the students across the school. After talking to my peers, we found the experience enjoyable and beneficial, and my class is very thankful for the retreat and the consideration you and the other teachers put into it. 

Year 11 Student: 

The Retreats that the Year 11s did were a great way to connect the early years and the seniors of the school. We built relationship with the kids while teaching them valuable lessons about love, community and faith as well as the school's values. We learnt as much from them as I hope they did from us. The retreat was extremely enjoyable, character building and lots of fun and laughs! 

BIBLICAL GARDEN 

The Biblical Garden is progressing well with most infrastructure and garden beds in place.  This week Year 6A joined with Deadly Ed to begin the plant out in this space.  They have planted a Bush Tucker Garden with indigenous plants that traditionally would have been used to create weapons and utensils, used for medicinal purposes and provided food for our First Nations people.  We appreciate the support of TCS and Deadly Ed to provide these plants and the expertise to show us how these plants can be used.  Plants are labelled with signs that link with QR Codes with deeper information about these plants. Students will now take the lead to maintain this part of the Biblical Garden.   

Mrs Cate Brennan

Deputy Principal Religious Education

What an honour to be able to celebrate the Feast Day of an amazing woman such as Saint Mary MacKillop. A woman who devoted her entire life to the education of the poor and the support of those who were unable to do it themselves. It truly humbles me to think of how a woman in that era in outback Australia made such an amazing difference and had such courage to do so. 

God of compassion, God of all people, we praise you for your servant, Mary MacKillop, who gave her life to serve you in the poor and oppressed.
As she is honoured in our world, may we continue to learn to share her vision.
Help us to recognise, as she did, that the poor of our time will hear the gospel in the way we serve them. Be with us as we strive to follow her and carry out our mission of service and care.

Amen

By Yolande and Clare

On the 31 July around 60 students went to QCIS Athletics to represent OLSCC. It was an early start for these students as the bus left at 5:45 am and headed to Warick, to compete against SCOTS PG, Downlands, TAS, and Concordia. All students gave their best with an outstanding performance of their abilities, and the willingness these students had to step out of their comfort zone was applaudable, as they were competing against larger schools and state athletes. These competitors represented OLSCC with great passion, persistence, and motivation. We had age group winners in the U10 Boys, U11 Girls, and U16 Girls, as well as a great outcome from the 100m relays. As a college, we were able to take home 2^nd in percentage points and 4^th overall. We want to say thank you to these students for making our college proud and giving this day their all.  

On Friday 21July the three OLSCC Girls Rugby 7’s teams, U13, U15, and U18, took on TAS, Downlands, and SCOTS PG, at the QCIS Rugby 7’s event held at Downlands in Toowoomba. The teams showed great pride, endurance, and determination to conquer each game. Overall, U18 placed 2^nd, amazing work girls! For the rest of Term 3 the Girls Rugby 7’s teams are competing in the Darling Down Independent Schoolgirl’s 7s Competition. For the grade 12 girls, this will be their last carnival they will compete in and are making the most of the last memories on the field with their friends. Well done to all the amazing girls putting themselves out there and trying their very hardest in every game. The OLSCC Rugby League boys have also accomplished so much this year, competing in the Darling Downs Rugby League Competition. Congratulations to the U13 Boys Rugby League team who defeated Dalby SHS in their Grand Final. The U18 Boys put on the OLSCC jersey for the last time, representing their college with pride. This would have been an emotional game, as they had shared many memories on and off the field forming a brotherhood. They celebrated this last game by being able to defeat Dalby SHS in the Grand Final, to win the Berwick/McCullough Shield, 3-0. What a way to end the 2023 Rugby League Season for our boys!  

On Tuesday 8 August, all MacKillop students celebrated Mary MacKillops’ feast day. Mary MacKillop is the patron Saint of Australia sharing her kindness to caring for young children who were uneducated, poor, or rich and lacking the knowledge of God and Jesus. As Mary MacKillop is an icon that we recognize at our college for her ability to share her sense of social justice, advocacy for children and others with integrity, as well as demonstrating loyalty, forgiveness, and courage. By celebrating Mary MacKillops’ feast day, all Mackillop students gathered on the main oval at lunch and became involved with activities run by the staff and senior years students. There was dancing, colouring, and a frisbee game with Mr. Coman. We recognize Mary MacKillop for her ability to care for all walks of life. Nice work MacKillop, keep it up! 

As many of you know and heard, the time has nearly come to say farewell. As we are beginning to wrap up the school year, we start to finish our last internal exams and assessments. Those who still have exams, we wish them good luck and to do their best. After Week 3 of Term 4 the Year 12 students will open the doors to external exams and work to the best of their ability. Of course, we do wish all non-ATAR students the best of their final weeks here at our college, and we look forward to leaving behind Our Lady, who some of us have known for 13 years. We are all very proud of everyone within the senior years completing their internals and we wish you all good luck and the very best for the study ahead for externals. 

Year 10 Senior Education and Training (SET) Plans

This week's Year 10 set plan process has demonstrated the remarkable awareness that these students have on working towards their individual pathways. The engagement and enthusiasm shown by them have contributed to great discussions that align with each student's strengths, interests, and aspirations. The process not only highlights the dedication of the school to individualised education but also showcases the commitment of students and their families to charting meaningful pathways. This week's set plan process stands as a testament to a shared determination in fostering a successful and fulfilling educational journey for Year 10 students.

Study Tips for Students going into exams

Make a plan of attack

Before you even start studying, make and plan out how you are going to study. This will make your life so much easier.

There are a few things you may want to ask yourself when making a plan of attack, these are:

By asking yourself these questions, you figure out where to focus your efforts over the coming weeks. Now, you can structure your plan of attack based on how you are feeling about each of your subjects, and the tasks you want to get done (tasks could include practice essays/exams, touching up on sections of the textbook, reviewing flashcards, etc.). 

Start by catching up on anything you’ve missed out on. So, this means:

• Finishing off any notes you are missing for each subject (please don’t rewrite any of your notes, just fill in the blanks)
• Touching up on content you are struggling with (you can do this by going back over your textbook or by watching some YouTube videos that explain it — you can also check out QCE Together to find videos for various subjects). 

Next, start to study for the subjects that you are least confident in. Then, as the external exams get closer, focus on the exams that are the closest. 

While you are studying, keep in mind the tasks that you want to get done. I would encourage that, for your subjects, you complete practice papers or questions in the 1-2 weeks leading up to the exam. 

Time Management

Managing your time in the 4 weeks leading up to your exams will be key. There will be a lot to do, so getting through each task efficiently and effectively will be crucial to your success.

For example, on a Methods and Physics day I might’ve made a list like this:

As you can see, you have the morning and evening off to do whatever you want (hopefully getting a minimum of 8 hours of sleep!!) and you get plenty of breaks throughout the day. Now, these time restrictions aren’t hard restrictions.

For example, if you were really struggling with differentiation after the 30 minutes, move onto confidence intervals and potentially go back to differentiation.

The key things about managing your time are:

• Knowing what you want to achieve with your time (hence why making a plan is essential)
• Having time for fun. 

It is important that you still get to enjoy life leading up to your exams. Give yourself at least one day off a week where you can just have fun and get a break from studying.

Staying Motivated

Potentially one of the greatest challenges you’ll face throughout school, particularly in the lead up to your exams, is maintaining motivation. In moments where motivation is low, it helps to take a step back and look at the broader picture.

Remind yourself of what your goals are and the reason you are studying. If there is a certain subject score you want to get, think about that. It helps to make goals that you can think about when you need a motivation boost. 

Other ways to help you stay motivated are to:

• Ensure you have time for the fun things in life
• Get enough sleep and take plenty of study breaks
• Study in fun and engaging ways
• Rewarding yourself for your efforts 

Grade 9 have been studying body systems and how the body works to keep us healthy. Part of their studies is to dissect a piglet foetus to observe the systems and how it is all connected. Here are some photos from the Year 9 Piglet Dissection.

Middle Years Playtime

Due to popular demand, the College has now constructed a second 9 Square in the Air set in the Middle Years Plaza. This lunch time game encourages students of all ages to be active and have fun while on breaks. It has been incredibly pleasing to see so many students getting involved and laughing as they play. In setting up these games, we have also seen a return of an old favourite – handball. Exercise in break times can have wonderful impacts on student’s learning abilities and cognitive functions in several ways. From the release of endorphins, which are natural mood lifters, to increased blood flow to the brain, the research indicates that even just 20 minutes of physical activity before learning episodes and classes can help to increase alertness and attention in class. As a result, students will find a boost in memory as the hippocampus has also been activated. Then there are the social benefits as well. Well done to all the students getting involved and playing at breaks. It’s a great healthy habit to continue. 

Year 7 Camp
We wish our Year 7 students heading away for camp all the best for their travels and off-site learning next week. It is such a wonderful experience for students to engage in rich curriculum activities while also forging wonderful memories with their friends and teachers. Hopefully the whales are just as playful this year as they were for the 2022 group and I look forward to see the photos of their week as they are posted to the College’s social media platforms.  

Student-Led Conferences

This evening is the next round of Middle Years Student-Led Conferences. I wish that all families enjoy the experience to hear about student learning, to engage in rich conversations with teachers about student goals, academic growth, and the up coming assessment. If any parent was unable to attend this evening, but still wishes to meet with their child’s teacher, I encourage you to reach out to the individual teachers to arrange an alternate time. We view parent involvement in every child’s educational journey as a critical component to their development and success. Your continued support of College systems is also greatly appreciated.

Positive Approaching assessment

In the last newsletter, I wrote about the power of a positive mindset. As we move into the busy assessment section of the term, it is important that all students work hard to remain positive even though they may feel more academic pressure at this time. There are ways to help reduce these feelings though and it is important that students approach their academic responsibilities with integrity and a commitment to learning. Avoiding the completion of tasks or procrastinating until the day before the deadline is not a productive way to handle the workload. When students take this approach, they inevitably find themselves under more pressure. Instead of trying to evade assessments, perhaps they should consider one or more of the following alternatives:

• Plan Ahead
  This might sound easy, but it does not come naturally to most. Best practice would be to start the assignment the day it is distributed. Beginning is the hardest step for most, but just making a start, even a small one can be hugely beneficial. Procrastination can lead to stress and rushed work of a lesser quality. However, if the task is broken down into smaller steps and one or two are completed in the first few days of the assessment task it will certainly pay dividends at the back end of the assessment timeframe.
  
  
• Eliminate Distractions
  Despite what your child tells you, they cannot complete high quality academic work while simultaneously listening to music, accessing social media, or watching the television. This type of multitasking is impossible. It is important that they turn off the distractions and have a designated workspace within the home that is conducive to producing high quality work. Find somewhere public in the home, like the dining table, where they can also be held accountable if they switch off or get distracted.
  
  
• Seek Help
  If your child is struggling with assessment, have they reach out (or reach out on their behalf) to the teacher. They can provide reassurance, clarity, guidance, and or assistance. All of which will reduce stress.
  
  
• Time Management

Students have busy lives. Training and rehearsals for club sports or dance also have time demands outside of school times. Finding a balance here is the key. It is important for students to learn that in life we need to schedule our time appropriately. Managing their time effectively will become an important ingredient to their success later in life, but they will need some assistance in doing this. Plotting out the weekly commitments and having them visible in the home can be a great way to stay of top of things. Having a school, extra-curricular, and homework schedule visible at home will help keep them on track and hold them accountable for the completion of tasks in a timely manner.

• Take Breaks
  A schedule of commitments can be a great way to manage time effectively. However, it is important that it remains realistic and that appropriate breaks are timetabled in so that students can make their time more focused and efficient. Creating reward systems for the completion of work can be a great strategy for motivating students. It even works with adults.

It is important that students view their education as more than just obtaining grades. It is also about acquiring knowledge of a range of topics and perspectives, obtaining a set of skills that will serve them well now and into the future, and for personal growth and forming good habits around work ethic. The near enough is good enough attitude only serves to create poor working habits, ones that will be much harder to break later in life once they are engrained into everyday functioning. Break these habits now, develop productive habits instead and students will find themselves under much less stress at school.   

Mr Craig Cullen

Assistant Principal – Middle Years

Last newsletter, I wrote about how highly we value our involvement in local community events. A wonderful example of this occurred last Friday, when our Prep classes were all involved in the First 5 Forever initiative hosted by the Dalby Library, at the Under 6 Community Day. This was a great opportunity for children from local kindergartens, early learning centres and schools to come together in a celebratory event at the Dalby Events Centre. We were also admirably supported by a terrific group of Year 9 students who assisted in facilitating activities throughout the morning. I thank these older students for being fully engaged in this and being wonderful ambassadors for our College.

The community events continue tomorrow with our involvement in the Dalby Eisteddfod Verse Speaking category, held right here on site at OLSCC, in our Multipurpose Centre. All year levels from Prep to Year 4 will be involved in this section. A reminder of details previously sent is included here:

When? Friday 11 August

Where? OLSCC Multipurpose Centre

Who? All students Prep-Yr 4

Time? The section begins at 9:00am, with P-2 in the first category, followed by Year 3 then Year 4. Each performance will take between 5-7 minutes.

What do students wear? The P-2 students are in the “creative” section and will wear clothes to match their performance piece (see below). The Year 3 and 4 students will wear their formal school uniform as they perform in the traditional section.

Cost? The Eisteddfod committee have waived any admission fees for this performance since it is taking place on our College premises.

Communication with your child’s teacher in the Early Years

There are a variety of platforms used to communicate to and from school, including phonecalls, emails, newsletters and parent portal. In the Early Years, we are lucky enough to have an extra, super convenient communication method through the use of Class Dojo. This instant messaging system, similar to text, means it is quick and easy to send of a short message.

Whilst these all work to ensure we can maintain high levels of communication between home and school, it is important to note some parameters that need to be considered.

• All Early Years teachers are unable to check messages during the school day, from 8:30am-3:10pm. This is because they are fully engaged in welcoming students into the classroom, then teaching face to face, covering playground duties at lunch, afternoon tea, before and after school. On top of this, they are often juggling the all important tasks of locating missing hats, assisting to refill waterbottles, finding the tuckshop box that has gone astray, getting a lost jumper to it’s rightful owner, soothing a scraped knee…..the list goes on, as you can imagine!
• As such, any important messages that need to be acted on THAT DAY must go through the College office via a phone call, eg, changes to pickup routines including buses, appointment scheduling etc. The teacher will quite likely not see a dojo message or email about this until after all children have left the school grounds. In addition, your child comes across many different staff during the day, including on playground duty and after school duties, and any concerns or queries by those other than the class teacher will be directed to the Office Administration staff for clarification. If a dojo has gone to the teacher with a change in pickup arrangements, the office staff are therefore unable to assist with queries.
• Our office is currently fully staffed, and these magnificent ladies will ensure your message gets to where it needs to be in a timely manner.
• Any request for a teacher to respond to your message should include a 24 hour turnaround period as a minimum. Teachers are not always able to respond directly the same day, as they are often running extra-curricular activities such as athletics training, Optiminds team practice, choir rehearsals, team meetings etc after school.
• All communication, including phonecalls, dojo and emails, should occur between the hours of 7:00am – 5:30pm as a matter of courtesy.
• Since you are reading this newsletter, you will get this message! Please ensure others also get all the important information by encouraging families to regularly read the newsletter. I love it when I hear one parent assist another by saying ‘It’s in the latest newsletter.’ Thanks for doing that!

Mrs Katrina Walton

Assistant Principal Early Years

MacKillop Feast Day 

On Tuesday 8 August, we celebrated the Feast Day of Saint Mary MacKillop by getting together for lunch and joining in a variety of activities. Mary was born 15 January 1942 in Melbourne and died in Sydney 8 August 1909. She was driven by her desire to show God’s love to others especially those who were most in need. Mary yearned to ensure that poor children and women were offered the opportunity to gain an education and thus the ability to create a better life. In 1866, inspired by Fr Julian Tenison Woods, Mary opened the first St Joseph’s school in a refurbished stable in Penola, South Australia. Then, drawn by the good work Mary was doing, her own sisters came to her assistance at the school.  

Mary MacKillop longed to help “the poorest of the poor” and to “never see a need without trying to do something about it”. She was excommunicated from the Catholic Church in 1871 due to her alleged non-compliance with the church at the time but was later reinstated. Mary fought hard for her beliefs and even visited Rome to continue fighting for what was right. Mary’s inspirational work in education, with refugees, indigenous communities and all those who struggle in our world continues. 

Mary MacKillop was a woman truly ahead of her time, always pragmatic and down to earth. She wasn’t afraid to question authority when justice and charity required it. Throughout all her trials and tribulations, she never stopped giving and helping those in need, regardless of their circumstances or their religion. Every day we work hard to follow in her footsteps and to improve conditions for those who need it most. 

‘We must teach more by example than by word.’ Mary MacKillop 

University Applications Open for Year 12 

The first week in August is the time when the ATAR and university application process opens for all year 12 students across Queensland. On Wednesday the 2nd of August, the year 12 ATAR eligible students met with the Careers Team to register their year 12 ATAR and open their applications with QTAC. The twenty-two current year 12 ATAR students were required to come prepared with 4 to 6 university courses and choices they would like to attend. On lodging their applications with QTAC, students applied for a wide range of courses from medicine to engineering and creative design to nursing. 

Students are encouraged to attend university open days as listed in the following pages to gain a perspective on university expectations, scholarships on offer and college accommodation. The college also encourages current year 11 students who are planning to attend university in 2025 and beyond, to also attend the current open university days. Please remember to contact the universities to register your attendance. For more information visit www.qtac.edu.au/open-days-expos and for students current QTAC applications visit www.qtac.edu.au/applications and www.atar.qtac.edu.au.  

Year 10 SET Plan  

Week 5 is an exciting time for the current year 10 cohort when they meet with school leadership and the careers team, where they are interviewed on their Student Education and training Plan or SET Plan. These SET Plans are compulsory for all year 10 students and is an opportunity for students, parents and staff to establish a pathway plan for students whilst in senior school to post high school. Students will discuss any short term and long terms career goals and other personal goals whilst they attend year 11 and 12 at the college. It will establish if they are interested in applying for a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship as well as any external certificate courses on offer from external training providers whilst also engaging in general and applied subjects at the college. This information also provides leadership at the college an insight into the pathway directions that the students in year 10 are heading. With this information in hand, the students will make subject selections for year 11 and 12 later in term 3.  

Important Dates: Up and Coming Events – Save the Date  

• 14 August – SBA Check in visit for college students at OLSCC  
• 23 August – USQA, Professor Ben Wilson Indigenous IEHL information session.  
• 4, 5 & 6 September – Year 12 Barista and RSA course  

• ADFA Virtual Open Days 

UNIVERSITY OPEN DAYS 2023 

Griffith University  

Gold Coast & Nathan Campuses Open Day Sunday 13 August, 9am -2pm  

Griffith University Open Days  

Griffith Early Offer Scheme 

UniSQ Open Days  

Springfield & Ipswich Campus Sunday 13 August 2023  

Toowoomba Campus Sunday 20 August 2023  

2023 UniSQ Open Days  

JCU Virtual Open Day  

Virtual Open Day Tuesday 12 September 2023, 3pm – 7 pm - Register online  

2023 JCU Virtual Open Day  

Australian Catholic University  

Brisbane Saturday 26 August 2023, 10am – 2pm  

ACU Brisbane Open Day  

Early Offer applications open 24 July – 18 September 2023  

QTAC Information Evenings 

The Queensland Tertiary Application Centre (QTAC) presented online information sessions for parents and students during week 7 of term 2. A copy of these sessions can be found below.  

Year 10 QTAC information evening held in term 2 on the ATAR and QTAC Process  

 View Recording 

Year 12 QTAC information evening held in term 2 on the ATAR and QCTAC Process.  

 View Recording 

Apprenticeship Opportunities  

Plumbing – A local plumbing business is offering an SBA in plumbing for a student who is interested in this rewarding trade and career. Driver’s licences in preferred. Please see Mr. Garside for further details.  

Mr Dean Garside 

Career Development Practitioner 

162 parents and carers attended Dr Justin Coulson’s parent information session last week. We were very happy to hear so much positive feedback from you all. Rachel Grossman who came from our Dalby community, sent us this email:

“It's so wonderful OLSCC opened their doors to the whole community to have the opportunity to be part of seeing Dr Justin, who is a well known parenting expert and his advice is much needed for parents raising children. I recommend anyone in the Dalby community to take some time to look into Dr Justin and I hope all parents at OLSCC take the time to see what he has to offer and access the tools available to their school community.  Thank you OLSCC and the FACE committee for the opportunity to help me understand about raising the children of the future”.

In upcoming news, the Saints Race Day will be held on 16 September 2023. You can grab your tickets from https://www.trybooking.com/CKFRE, hurry they’re selling fast!

If you have any feedback for our committee or would like to be a part of any future working parties, please get in contact by emailing DalbyFACE@twb.catholic.edu.au

Mrs Kaitlin Machin (President) & Mrs Kate Cullen (Secretary)

The digital world and our children’s/teenagers’ well-being

Children and teenagers accessing the online world, digital platforms, and social media, is a completely new curve ball that us parents are learning to navigate. It’s safe to say that we are all in the Learning Pit in this parenting domain. We all know there are benefits and risks associated with digital technologies, for our kids. The best advice around parenting children with technology, that sits well with me, is from Dr Justin Coulson. He explains that exposure to technology can be thought of, as teaching children to swim. We wouldn’t just throw them in the ocean and hope for the best. Firstly, we would be in a gated pool, in the water with the child and likely to have a swimming teacher in the pool as well. We would be teaching our children skills and safety responses and the risks of the water. Then we get out of the pool, still gated but still have a swimming teacher supporting our child. As, independence, skills and awareness of risks grow, our children can then swim independently in the safety of a gated pool. Lastly, they swim in the ocean. 

For me, the safety gate of technology is parenting control software like Qustodio or Bark

Here is a snip from Qustodio and the link Parental control and digital wellbeing software | Qustodio

To support you with your coaching skills of technologies, Justin Coulson has a webinar supporting parents in this area. Please, find an email from me with the login details and password to access our school membership and this webinar. Here is a snip and description of the pre-recorded webinar that you can listen to at your leisure.

Happy swimming!

Katrina Ballantyne

School Guidance Counsellor

Darling Downs Rugby League Competition

Under 13 Grand Final

OLSCC defeated Dalby SHS                26-16

Archie Martin was Player of the Final

Game 3 Berwick / McCullough Shield

OLSCC defeated Dalby SHS                38-16

Daniel O’Callaghan was named Man of the Match

OLSCC win the series                         3-0

Independent Schools Girls Rugby Sevens Round 1

13 Girls

Loss to Toowoomba Anglican     0-32

Loss to Fairholme College          0-27

15 Girls

Loss to Toowoomba Anglican     17-31

Loss to Fairholme College          5-45

18 Girls

Loss to Toowoomba Anglican     0-30

Loss to Fairholme College          5-15

QLD Combined Independent Schools Athletics Carnival

Thanks to all students who represented the College at the QCIS Carnival in Warwick. It was a long day with a 5.45pm departure and returning at 5.15pm. The College finished second in the average points based on school enrolment and fourth in the overall points.

Age Group results:

Touch Football

Congratulations to all students who competed at the Swans Touch Carnival last Sunday. The College had a fantastic day with the Under 15 Boys only losing one game to finish second in their pool. The Under 15 Girls and Under 18 Mixed Teams both won their pools and finished Runners Up Overall. Thanks to Leah McDuff, Kaysey Wilkins, and Lorelle Sankey for their assistance in coaching our teams, along with Brenton McMillian who refereed on behalf of the College. Game results are listed below.

Under 15 Boys

Win vs St Joseph’s                                 2-1

Win vs Highfields SSC                           6-0

Win vs Mary MacKillop                           10-2

Loss to Lockyer District SHS                   2-6

15 Girls

Win vs St Joseph’s                                 6-0

Win vs Aquinas College                          7-2

Win vs Lockyer District SHS                   7-3

Win vs Glennie                                      2-1

Draw with Centenary Heights SHS          3-3

Semi Final

Win vs Ipswich Girls Grammar                3-2

Grand Final

Loss to Fairholme College                      0-6

18 Mixed

Win vs Harristown SHS                          7-2

Win vs Faith Lutheran                            6-2

Win vs Charleville SHS                          9-1

Win vs Dalby Christian                           5-1

Win vs Highfields SSC                           8-1

Grand Final

Loss to St Joseph’s                                2-5

Primary Touch Football

Expression of interest letters will be sent home to students in Year 5/6 about attending upcoming Touch Football Carnivals. Please see Miss McDuff for further information.

• Swans Primary All Schools Carnival, Sunday 15 October in Dalby
• QLD Primary All Schools Carnival, 3-5 November in Cleveland

Catholic Schools Sport

A terrific day put was had by our Year 5/6 Netball and Touch Football Teams at the Catholic Schools Carnival. Thanks to Miss McDuff, Miss Crow, Miss Fry and secondary students Jack Gibson, Monique Smith, Carla Nobbs, Tiffany Ham, Hannah Taylor, Emma Cusack, Karlie Falvey and Chloe Wilkins for assisting with coaching and officiating our games. Congratulations to the Year 6 Girls’ Team who won the competition.

Catholic Netball Carnival Results

Year 6 Girls Division 1

Win vs Mater Dei                       26-1

Win vs St Saviour’s                    16-3

Win vs Downlands 1                  14-8

Win vs Downlands 2                  18-1

Win vs Our Lady of Lourdes       27-0

Win vs St John’s Roma              14-9

Year 5/6 Girls Division 2

Win vs Our Lady of Lourdes        9-4

Win vs St Thomas Mores           12-5

Win vs St Stephen’s                   21-1

Win vs Holy Name                     14-4

Win vs Mater Dei                       14-3

Catholic Touch Football Carnival Results

Year 6 Boys Division 2

Win vs St Monica’s Oakey          7-0

Win vs St Joseph’s Stanthorpe    8-0

Win vs St Thomas Mores            9-0

Win vs Holy Name                     11-0

Win vs St Monica’s Oakey          7-0

Year 5 Boys Division 2

Win vs St Mary’s                        3-0

Win vs Mater Dei                       2-0

Win vs Our Lady of Lourdes        8-0

Win vs Mary MacKillop               5-0

Win vs St Stephen’s                   5-3

Mr Tim Lincoln

Middle Leader Sport

The following opportunity has been placed on the Toowoomba Catholic Schools website.

If you have any queries relating to this vacancy, please email us at recruitment@twb.catholic.edu.au.

Supporting Dalby & District Rugby Football Club U12s

There are still tickets available in the Tank Raffle. Thanks to our friends at Clark Tanks Dalby you could win a 5000 gallon tank!! $20 for a ticket to win this monster is well worth your while! Don't miss out as ticket sales are capped at 200!

Tickets online only and very easy to purchase.
https://www.trybooking.com/CJRCV