Reading Improvement Strategy

Most of our Junior school students will be assessed in their reading using either the PM or PROBE assessment tools before the end of next week.  This occurs with a Week 6 deadline on a termly basis so we can confirm the movement of our students’ reading capabilities and determine the best way forward to see their improvement continue.  As an educational institution, we expect that every child makes a years progress for a year of education, and with reading as the primary indicator of life outcomes, it’s the most critical aspect we assess. 

In reading there are a few key aspects which vary depending on the reading age of the child.  These range from oral language and phonemic and phonological awareness for our pre-readers, phonics, fluency and vocabulary for our early readers, and fluency, vocabulary and comprehension for those working towards becoming an independent reader.

As reading is so critical, make sure that at least every week you are talking to your child about their progress and goals in reading, as well as how they feel about reading. Reading should be enjoyable as a tool to access the world of the unknown – it becomes enjoyable by being both purposeful and also by being good at it – we become good at reading through practice (at least 20 minutes every day – no excuses) and also by creating a positive culture around reading from a young age. Make reading a fun time in your household, not just part of a bedtime routine.  Recently I’ve been mixing up my reading to my kids with Bush Verse and Ballads and have found that my boys just love it!

Toowoomba Catholic Schools Excellence Awards Nominees

This year, the Toowoomba Catholic Schools hosted their first ever Excellence Awards and our College was proudly represented with 4 nominations.  Mrs Julie Nimmo and Mr Steve Gillespie were both nominated for the Spirit Of Catholic Education Award.  Julie has been an outstanding contributor to the College for many years and tirelessly goes out of her way, without recognition, reward or praise to support our College and make opportunities for our students.  Steve has instigated and developed the Confraternity program at our College which doesn’t only go about allowing our boys to play in a football carnival, but to develop the values that our young men need to enter a world as positive contributors to society.

The Prep Team was nominated as Professional Learning Community of the Year for their outstanding work in transitioning children from kindy to active learners and readers ready for the future years of schooling.  This team includes Mrs Morgan, Mrs Gormley, Mrs Walton and Mrs Gleeson as well as all of their wonderful support.

Mrs Kristen Joyce was nominated as Primary Expert Teacher due to her excellence in the day to day teaching of her class, as well as her additional contribution to things like the STEM fair. Her ability to progress students in their reading ability is not only reflective of her skills as a reading recovery teacher in the past, but also of her professionalism and dedication to her students.

Although we didn’t win any awards on the evening, it was wonderful to be there to acknowledge and celebrate the collective excellence in Toowoomba Catholic Schools. 

Leadership Forum

What a week of learning we have had in Roma already this week!  We are being educated in many aspects of our roles as Principals in our Diocese, from administrative duties to strategic planning, leadership, policy documents, enrolments, senior schooling agendas, Reading Improvement Strategy, Planning for Personalised Learning and today is the focus day on Leading Learning (everyone’s favourite!).  Although its never favourable to be away from our great College for a week, the intensive learning is certainly effective and leaves us in no uncertain terms regarding the direction of our Diocese.  See you all on Monday!

Peter Cuskelly

Principal

This week, our focus Virtue is Temperance and the Character Strength is Self-Regulation.  Often we find it hard to self-regulate in the heat of the moment so we prayer to God for his support each day:  

Dear God, 
 
Please help me to have more self-control.  

Train me Lord, like an athlete to be strong and determined.  

Feed me with your truth in the scriptures to make me healthy.  

May I exercise muscles of forgiveness, patience and peacemaking.  

Lord, increase my stamina to give out to those in need.  

And may I be freed from past hurts and confusions so that I can run free.  
Come fill my life with your resurrection hope!  
 
Amen 

INTERESTING FACT ABOUT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH 

The Catholic Church is the largest not-for-profit employer in Australia: at least 221000 employees of whom 165750 are women (75%). 

(facts compiled by Rev Dr Richard Leonard SJ) 

Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum 

Throughout this term, our College will be implementing the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum with students in Prep- Year 10. The curriculum is based on principles of best practice in child safety education and centres around three key messages: Recognise, React and Report.  

It is important that the key safety messages of the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum: Recognise, React and Report are reinforced, both at school and home. I encourage you, wherever possible, to talk with your child about safety to help them stay safe now and in the future. 

Information about the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum can be found at by clicking on the link button below or see your child’s class teacher.  

ST JOSEPH'S PARISH RECONCILIATION 

The sacrament of Reconciliation will be celebrated at St Joseph's during the week beginning 19 November 2018.  The Sacramental Program of preparation will begin with a group meeting on Thursday 11 October at 7:00pm.  

Who is eligible?  Children who  

• Have been baptised, and  
• Are currently in year 2 or above. 

If you would like to enrol your child in this Sacramental Program please contact St Joseph's Parish with your child's name and parent/guardian contact details, 46624011 or dalbyparish@twb.catholic.edu.au  or Cate Brennan via OLSCC Office.   Enrolment forms and payment will need to be completed at the information night. If your child was not baptised in St Joseph’s, please bring to the Information meeting: 

a copy of the baptismal certificate or an extract which can be requested from the Parish where your child was baptised.   

Cate Brennan

Assistant Principal Mission

Junior

Athletics

Training will continue on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in the lead up to the Darling Downs Carnival in Toowoomba on August 28.

Netball

The College will send a team to the QLD Primary Schools Samsung Cup in Bundaberg on the weekend of September 15-16. Thanks to the girls and families who have made themselves available for this event

Senior

Volleyball

Congratulations to the Open Girls Volleyball Team who competed at the QLD Senior Schools Cup at the Gold Coast over the weekend. Thanks to Julie Nimmo, Tanya Kruger and Georgia Ryan for coaching and organizing our girls. The team finished 10^th out of 17 Teams in Division 4 which was a good effort considering over half the team was in Year 10. Game results are listed below.

Pool A Round Games

Loss to Toola SHS 2-1 (25-19, 25-27, 7-15)

Loss to Springfield SHS 2-1 (25-19, 12-25, 7-15)

Win vs Rivermount College 2-0 (25-20, 25-18)

Finished 3^rd in Pool A

Cross Over Games

Loss to Redcliffe SHS 2-0 (18-25, 12-25)

Win vs Hillbrook SHS 2-1 (22-25, 27-25, 15-5)

9^th Place Playoff

Loss to MacGregor SHS 2-0 (22-25, 14-25)

SWQ Touch Football Carnival

Best of luck to the four College Teams who will compete at the SWQ All Schools Carnival in Toowoomba on Sunday. Players must register online for this event. Please see your coach for the login details. This carnival will provide ideal preparation for the upcoming QLD All Schools Carnival in October. Each team on Sunday will have one game which will count towards the overall results at the QLD All Schools Carnival, so all teams will have an extra incentive to win this game.

13 Boys – Centenary Heights SHS

15 Boys – Dalby Christian College

15 Girls – Chinchilla SHS

Open Mixed – Dalby SHS

 QLD All Schools Touch Football Carnival

Version 1 of the QLD All Schools Touch Football Draw has been released and placed on the Sports Notice Board. This will most likely change in the next few weeks. At this stage all games are on Thursday Friday and Saturday (October 11-14) with finals only on Sunday.

 Netball

The College has nominated a team in the Senior Vicki Wilson Cup Competition in Toowoomba on Sunday August 26 and in the Junior Vicki Wilson Cup Competition in Toowoomba on Sunday September 16. Girls playing in this team need to remember that many are already committed to playing Rugby Sevens in Warwick on Saturday September 16.

 Rugby Sevens

The College will send Boys and Girls Team to the Scots Warwick Sevens Carnival on Saturday September 15 and the QLD All Schools Sevens in Brisbane on October 27-28. More details about these carnivals will be passed on later this term.

Athletics

Students who competed at the Inner Downs Athletics Carnival that are not going on to the Darling Downs Carnival need to return their singlets by Monday please. Training will continue on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

Tim Lincoln

Sports Coordinator

Book Week 18 – 24 August 2018!

The Library is ready to celebrate Book Week next week. This year’s theme is ‘Find Your Treasure’.

Activities throughout the week will include:

• Character parade – Thursday 23^rd August at 9:30am in the MPC
• Interactive display in the Library – all week
  • Crawl into a shark’s mouth or don a mermaid/merman tail
• Lunchtime activities in the Library – all week

These include:

• A library hunt
• Treasure maps
• Colouring-in

CBCA Book Awards

Here are more of the shortlisted books in contention for a Children’s Book Council of Australia award. All of these books are available in our Library.

Older Readers

Kate, a quiet boarder, making some risky choices to pursue the experimental music she loves. Clem, shrugging off her old swim-team persona, exploring her first sexual relationship, and trying to keep her annoying twin, Iris, at arm's length. Ady, grappling with a chaotic family, and wondering who her real friends are; she's not the confident A-lister she appears to be. When St Hilda's establishes a Year 10 Wellness Program in response to the era of cyber-bullying, the three girls are thrown together and an unlikely friendship is sparked. One thing they have in common: each is targeted by PSST, a site devoted to gossip and slander that must have a source within St Hilda's. Who can you trust when rumour is the new truth?

Younger Readers

An elephant?' Arthur gasped. 'In your house? But...is it real?' Olive leaned a little closer and lowered her voice. 'Well, that's the thing ...' Olive's father has a sadness so big that she imagines it as a large grey elephant following him around. With the help of her cheery grandfather and her best friend, Arthur, Olive sets out to chase away her father's elephant.

Early Childhood

In the 1950s and 60s Australia welcomed thousands of British immigrants as part of the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme. Ten Pound Pom is the true story of award-winning author Carole Wilkinson's immigration to Australia.

Reader of the Week

You were spotted reading a book at lunchtime recently. Please see Mrs Jenkinson for your reward. Well done!

We encourage students to leave their own sports equipment at home and to use the equipment provided at the College (including soccer and footballs) during break play.  In Junior School students may borrow equipment from the Sports Shed at lunch time.  If students prefer to bring their own equipment to the College it may only be 1 item, e.g. a skipping rope, 1 handball sized ball or 1 Soccer/Football ball, to play with at designated play time.  This item must fit in their school bag and be stored in there whilst travelling to and from school and throughout the school day.  The owner will be responsible for the equipment at all times.  It should be named clearly.  By bringing this item (eg ball/rope) to school they understand that it becomes shared equipment with their peers and may be played with in a team group situation by a number of students not dictated by the owner of the item.   

We have had an incredible response from local businesses for sponsorship of our up coming Saints Race Day. This unique and stylish event coordinated by the College P&F Saints Races Committee is being held on Saturday, 1 September at Bunya Park Race Course, Dalby. Thanks to our generous sponsors, your race day experience is set to be one to remember.

Shine Lawyers have sponsored the Saints Marquee which will include a seat for you and your friends at a table of 10 and a delicious Ploughman's Lunch sponsored by Urban Paddock. The marquee will provide a stunning location for you to enjoy your lunch plus the company of racegoers with all the track side action right alongside.

Tickets for the Shine Lawyers Saints Marquee are available from The Shop, Dalby and the College Office for $40/head or a table of 10 for $350 so be sure to secure your table now.

General admission to Bunya Park with access to the HEQ Viewing Deck are also available for $25 per head. General admission will allow you access to all areas on course however no allocated seating or catering is included with GA tickets.

Golding Air Conditioning and Heating are sponsoring the bar for all refreshments while Milli and Robe have sponsored all the Fashions on the Field. Racegoers are invited to stay on into the evening for entertainment from the Live Band, Solitary Man, sponsored by the Criterion Hotel.

There will be a live auction throughout the day of some fantastic prizes donated by Nev and Kartina Walton, Dr Lotte Verhoef, Wild River Concreting and Ray White.

We would also like to thank the Dalby Herald and SNAP Printing for their sponsorship of all our advertising and marketing material. 

Thank you also to our Silver and Bronze sponsors who have generously donated to our Saints Race Day. 

Year 7 Students will be receiving their 2^nd Round of Immunisations at the College on the 22 August.  Please contact Mrs Boland in the College Office if you have any concerns or if your child will be away prior to this date as it is important this course is completed.

Date:  Wednesday 22 August

Vaccination: HPV (human papillomavirus)

Today students will receive raffle tickets for our Saints Race Day Multi-Draw Raffle which includes and huge selection of some fantastic prizes from our very generous sponsors. There is something in there for everyone and all items are on display in the College Office foyer now.

Each family will receive a book of five tickets which are $5 each or $20 for all five tickets. All sold or unsold tickets must be returned to the College either via class teachers or directly to the College Office by 29 August. There are more ticket books available if you are able to sell more tickets.

This year, there will be a prize of a pizza and movie for the class that sells the most tickets.

The earnings from Saints Race Day this year will go towards Technology in your childrens' classrooms so please get behind selling the tickets. 

Kind Regards 

Rebecca Matrin and Melita Dellit

AJSP Toowoomba is getting a group of Japanese students outside of the July/August peak season

A large group of students (200-240 students) are coming to Toowoomba in early October and they are very excited for the opportunity to have a typical Aussie lifestyle experience in a regional/rural area.

There will be approximately 7 mini buses transporting the students in two stages to different areas in Toowoomba and surrounds (depending on the number of families in an area, a bus will transport the students to/from that are. Approximately 17 host families needed per bus of students).

The first group will be arriving on Friday, 5 October and leaving on Sunday, 7 October and the second group will arrive on Saturday, 6 October and leave on Monday, 8 October.

As the two groups overlap in dates, you can only host for one of these groups. 

There will be two students staying with each family and the payment will be $45/night/student which means a payment of $180 for two students for two nights will be paid before the students arrive.

If you are interested in hosting two students from either of these groups, please contact Susan Dodt from AJSP using the details below.

Susan Dodt
Tour Coordinator
Mobile: 0451 553 535

Email: ajspsusan@gmail.com

Australia Japan Study Programme Pty Ltd (AJSP)

Group 1 (Abiko Nikaido HS) - This is a group of approximately 120 girls and boys aged 16-17 years old from Abiko High School, Abiko (near Tokyo) and they will be staying for 2 nights from 5^th - 7^th October 2018.  The students will be DOUBLE PLACED (two students with each host family) and the payment to families for hosting two students will be $180 for the 2 nights ($45/student/night).  The pickup/drop off point will be at centralised points in Toowoomba and outside areas depending on number of host families.  They will be arriving sometime after 3pm on Friday afternoon and leaving around 9am on Sunday morning. Being a Rural Homestay, means they are expecting to stay in Toowoomba and surrounding areas, not in Brisbane….so you don’t have to live in the country, just happy to show your student our ‘country hospitality’ that they don’t get in the big cities.

Group 2 (Abiko Nikaido HS) - This is a group of approximately 120 girls and boys aged 16-17 years old from Abiko High School, Abiko (near Tokyo) and they will be staying for 2 nights from 6^th - 8^th October 2018.  The students will be DOUBLE PLACED (two students with each host family) and the payment to families for hosting two students will be $180 for the 2 nights ($45/student/night).  The pickup/drop off point will be at centralised points in Toowoomba and outside areas depending on number of host families.  They will be arriving sometime after 2.30pm on Saturday afternoon and leaving around 9am on Monday morning. Being a Rural Homestay, means they are expecting to stay in Toowoomba and surrounding areas, not in Brisbane….so you don’t have to live in the country, just happy to show your student our ‘country hospitality’ that they don’t get in the big cities.

21 August - Year 11/12 Biology Excursion

23 August - Book Week Parade MPC 9.30am

24 August - SRC Social MPC

31 August - OLSCC Day

PLAYGROUP

Playgroup is on every Wednesday from 9 to 11am in Prep Green and everyone is welcome to attend. Weekly activities are planned and supported by experienced staff. Playgroup is also a great opportunity for parents to get together and enjoy a morning with their 0 to 5 year olds.

TUCKSHOP ROSTER

Friday 17 August                Volunteer – none                              Baker – none

Monday 20 August             Volunteer – none                              Baker – S Forbes

Tuesday 21 August             Volunteer – none                              Baker – C Brennan

Wednesday 22 Aug             Volunteer – none                              Baker – B Griffiths

Thursday 23 Aug                Volunteer – J Cook & J Sullivan          Baker – C Geiger

DATE CLAIMER

SRC will be holding a Social on Friday, 25 August. More details to come so mark the date in your calendar.

MANY CULTURES EXHIBITION

The Many Cultures - One Community Exhibition was launched last Sunday at Gallery 107 @ Dalby and features our very own Clare Meere, Guitar Tutor. This exhibition celebrates and explores the diversity of all cultures in our community of Dalby. Check it out.

UNIVERSITY OPEN DAYS

University of Queensland, Gatton   Sunday, 19 August 9am to 3pm

Griffith University  Sunday, 12 August

University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba  Sunday, 19 August 10am to 2pm

University of Southern Queensland, Ipswich  Saturday, 1 September 10am to 1pm

University of Southern Queensland, Springfield   Friday, 7 September 3pm to 7pm

James Cook University, Townsville  Sunday, 19 August

James Cook University, Cairns  Sunday, 26 August

BELL THEATRE GROUP

The Bell Theatre Group invites you to their Theatre Restaurant production "Dame Agatha's Greatest Case" which is being held at the Bell Memorial Public Hall on Sunday, 2 September for a Matinee and on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 September Night Sessions.

For more information or to book a ticket, please contact Ruth Storey, Secretary of Bell Theatre Group at bellbunyacommunitycentre@gmail.com

STUDENT PROTECTION CONTACTS FOR OUR LADY OF THE SOUTHERN CROSS COLLEGE

Please contact these officers via the College Office or in person.

Mr Peter Cuskelly, Principal

Mrs Melissa Irwin, Director of Teaching and Learning, Student Services

Mr Luke Holmes, College Counsellor

Mr Nicholas Blauw, Teacher

STUDENT PROTECTION CONTACTS APPOINTED BY THE CATHOLIC SCHOOL AUTHORITY TOOWOOMBA

Peter Simpson, Student Protection Officer

Barbara Woods, Student Protection Officer