The weeks are flying by and our Musical cast and crew are excited to announce that tickets for our two shows on 26 and 27 July go on sale this Monday. To make it simple and easy for you to buy tickets, head to 

https://www.trybooking.com/BCRCO

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children, students and concession card holders. By booking online, you can choose your seats but make sure you get in guickly so you can secure the best view in the house. We have also added a quick link tile in SZapp so you can jump straight over to Trybooking for tickets. 

Alternately, you can still call in to our 'Box Office' at the College Office and purchase your tickets over the counter from the admin ladies. 

To keep up to date with all our Musical news, jump onto the College Facebook page and like our Musical event. We will be updating it with pictures and videos of our amazing students in action over the coming weeks.

We had a great day last Friday at our Junior Athletics Carnival. Thank you to those who contributed photos to make up this fantastic gallery which shows our students trying their hardest as well as smiling and enjoying their day of track and field. Thank you to all those families who came along to support their children. This added to the community feel of our Athletics Carnival and is what makes our school great. See Mr Lincoln's report for the age results and House running totals.

I trust that everyone is thoroughly enjoying the cold toes and misty mornings that come with this time of year. Just a reminder that it is the time of year to buy a new laundry marker and mark all of your child’s clothes to save digging through the lost property every week!

National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS)

What an amazing morning!  Mrs Jenkinson estimates that we had around 400 young people in the PAC on Wednesday for NSS, whilst I was fortunate enough to be invited to read for the Dalby Library NSS to a crowd of around 100 children.  “Alpacas in Maracas” was an excellent choice of text and it was delightful to be a part of over one million children reading Matt Cosgrove’s book at the same time!  Thank you again to Mrs Jenkinson for organising NSS for our College yet again, and to all families who engaged wherever they read.  Learning to read well is a must for our children to flourish in the 21^st Century and this is one small way we can celebrate and enjoy reading.

https://www.facebook.com/westerndownslibraries/videos/586003018475845/

Lockdown and Fire Drills

At least 4 times a year we have either a lockdown or fire drill so we are best prepared should an emergency arise at the College.  This week we had a lockdown drill. A real lockdown may be called in the case of any situation where people are at risk from anything other than fire.  This includes snakes, feral dogs, traffic incidents, chemical spills, police action on College grounds, sudden onset of extreme weather event or aggressive people on the College grounds.  Our primary role during this event is to ensure that we maintain safety for all those on the College grounds, and our process worked very well although as always, we have found some additional ways to improve. 

One of these is to clarify with our community what they should do if they arrive at the school during a fire drill or lockdown procedure.  You will know! – the alarm is very noisy…

• If you arrive at the College during a FIRE – either leave the grounds immediately and get yourself to safety, or go to the emergency assembly point which is on the oval.  Immediately report to the nearest member of the College Leadership Team.
• If you arrive during a LOCKDOWN – you will not be able to get into any rooms and the phones will all shut down, so trying to enter the College or phone the office will not be possible.  You are to immediately remove yourself to a place of safety, which would be a considerable distance from the College.  

Principal’s Leadership Forum @ Dalby

Next week we are honoured to be hosting the Diocese of Toowoomba Catholic Schools Leadership Forum, as well as hosting some sessions including the clergy of the Diocese.  We are able to show off our great town, as well as support local businesses with our custom throughout the period.  On Friday we will host at the College and all Principals and Diocesan leaders will tour the College from 9:00-9:45am.  If you see the visitors in town next week, please make them welcome!

Eisteddfod Preparations

I have seen quite a few classes in their preparations for the Eisteddfod this week and I must say, there looks to be some excellent performances coming up in Week 8 (Wed 5 June – Friday 9 June).  We will be sending home the schedule next week so that parents and families can plan some time to see their children perform!  We also have many individual performances throughout the Eisteddfod from various students at the College.  Be sure to support this great opportunity celebrating performing arts in our town.

Staff Changes

We are currently recruiting to replace Mrs Tanuja Vakade who has accepted a position at St Patrick’s Marist College, Sydney and Mr Atesh Prasad who has accepted a position at another Diocesan College, St Josephs in Toowoomba.  We wish them both well for their new endeavours, and thank Mrs Vakade for her time at the College where she has been such a dedicated teacher and colleague in our community.  Interviews for these positions are taking place next week with replacements likely to begin in term 3.  It is likely that students will have interim teachers for the remainder of this term to continue their learning until a permanent solution can be put in place. Letters will go home to impacted families once details of replacements have been finalised.

Purposeful Life

When we think of well-being we tend to think of objects or activities that make ourselves feel good.  Recently I have been investigating what really makes for a person living a purposeful life as well as gaining happiness and satisfaction from their day to day interactions.  While we often think that our own well-being and happiness is about us, the reality is that our happiness comes from serving others, as well as through transcendence.  A recent TED talk encouraged us to focus on four areas to achieve a meaningful existence, rather than focusing on what makes us happy, which tends to centre around selfish instant gratification.  These four areas are:

1. Belonging – relationships where you are valued for who you are intrinsically and where you value others as well
2. Purpose – Using your strengths to serve others
3. Transcendence – Transcendence is when yourself fades away and you feel connected to a higher reality
4. Storytelling – we create our own stories – future and past. You can edit, interpret and retell your story, even whilst being constrained by facts

Mostly, it centres on us being in control of our well-being, and not relying on others to validate all we do in order to feel satisfied with our lives, progress, happiness and success.

Pete Cuskelly

Principal

This week our College diaries highlight the virtue of Wisdom and the character strength - Love of Learning.  As a College we strive to instil this in ourselves and our students as we grow to understand that in life, our learning never ends and wisdom is often found through the challenges and mistake moments of our lives.  This prayer was shared with staff this week: 

Heavenly Father 

You know every decision I need to make and every challenge I face. 

Please forgive for the times I try to figure this life out on my own. 

I need you.  

I need your holy spirit to give me strength, wisdom, and direction. 

Amen 

Youth Mass 

Our next youth led Mass at St Joseph’s 6pm Mass will be on 1 June.  All young people and their families are encouraged to attend and join in where possible.  Youth masses are held on the first Saturday Mass each month if you would like to get involved in one of the jobs eg welcomer, reader, singer, musician please contact Cate Brennan via the office or email cate.brennan@twb.catholic.edu.au 

Intergenerational/Intercultural Wisdom needed 

OLSCC are seeking interested persons to be a part of a PRAXIS initiative with Year 9 students, running from Term 2 until the end of the year. The project will involve developing relationships with students, sharing stories, interests and wisdom. Participants will then be interviewed over a series of sessions in order to create films about their life which they will be gifted at the end of the project. Sessions will take place at OLSCC on Wednesdays from 12:30pm – 1:30pm. We hope this project will assist students to learn from other members of the community who have experienced different generations and cultures and strengthen the bonds of our St Joseph’s Parish/OLSCC community.

If interested, please contact Cate Brennan (Cate.Brennan@twb.catholic.edu.au) or Nicholas Blauw (Nicholas.Blauw@twb.catholic.edu.au) or call 0746724111 for more information.    

Cate Brennan

Deputy Principal Religious Education

The expectations of a changing world.

Half way through Term 2 and the pressures of assessment will be beginning to impact on our children. The demands of life in the 21^st Century seem to be increasing almost daily. Our young people are continually expected to step up and meet these challenges.

Our Year 3,5,7 and 9 students have recently sat the NAPLAN tests. This was a highly organised and strictly run activity. It is interesting the hype that is whipped up leading into the middle week in May. Amid the debate, it was wonderful to see the complete calmness in the testing rooms, our students going about the business of working hard and doing their best. Good for them.

On the weekend, I was interested to read in the agenda section of the Sunday Mail, the lead article “The Real Education Revolution.” This article reinforced the changing nature of education. The idea that by the time our Preppies finish their education a high percentage of today’s jobs will be nonexistent or completed using technology. Linking with this, a high percentage of the jobs in 2031 haven’t actually been created yet.

The article went on to identify that the demands on teaching and learning are changing and one of the high-level skills that people of the future need is creativity. The students of our tomorrow need the ability to try, be challenged and then try again. This cycle is about independent processes within structured environments which encourage students to step out of their comfort zone and take a risk. A risk that is seen as a learning journey, a challenge that increases our knowledge. Sometimes it is important to find out what is not right so that I can then see what is.

The QCAA which is the body which directs education processes in Queensland identifies the following:

Young Queenslanders in the 21^st century need to be:

• innovators
• entrepreneurs
• lifelong learners
• responsible global citizens.

QCAA General syllabuses are underpinned by the skills students need in the 21^st century:

• critical thinking
• creative thinking
• communication
• collaboration and teamwork
• personal and social skills
• ICT skills.

QCAA website, 23/05/2019

It is interesting how at times we shelter our children from the demands of the world they are preparing for. We must encourage our children to take risks, they are able to make a mistake, and use it as a learning experience. Our young people need to see learning as the key to their future in this ever-changing world. Can we afford to make the excuses, “oh he just isn’t creative,” or “she doesn’t like to talk in front of the class.” The 21^st Century learner needs to embrace the idea that this world is about being seen and heard, it is about being innovative and creative, it is dominated by the use of technology and they will have to play their part as a citizen of the world.

The great thing is that the more we focus on student learning and student success the easier these 21^st Century skills will be to achieve. When looking at your child’s work focus on the effort they are putting in, the determination they are showing and celebrate the skill development they are displaying. Ask them what they learnt today. I was visiting a class who were working on using graphical information. The question I asked was, “what are you learning today?” The first answer was, “graphs.” Then I asked how you can use this skill? I then heard about working with cattle and how it is important to be able to display the growth data for cattle so that you know that your livestock are on an upward track ready for sale.

I hope that we can encourage our children to take that step out of their comfort zones and really get involved with their learning journey. These are challenging times in education but with all challenges come the rewards for a job well done.

Steve Gillespie

Assistant Principal Middle Years

Junior

Athletics Carnival Results

Points

Rice 855

McAuley 674

MacKillop 658

Nolan 433

The following students have qualified to run in the Gift Races at the Senior Athletics Carnival on Thursday, 27 June.

Gillespie Gift

Lachlan Fraser and Xavier Gibson

Tresillian Gift

Emmysen Crothers and Chloe Manteit

A Ball Games Carnival will also be played on 27 June. Students selected to run for their house in the All Age Relay will be notified later in the term. 

Catholic Schools Athletics Carnival

Best of luck to the team of athletes who will compete at the Catholic Schools Athletics Carnival on Friday at the O’Quinn Street Oval in Toowoomba. There is to be no parking on the oval. Many students have been placed in additional events on the day. Please check in with Mrs Kaysey Wilkins on Friday for more information.

Rugby League

ARL Development Cup Round 2

OLSCC defeated Dalby South SS 30-8

Tries – Xavier Gibson 4, Taj Burke 2, Caleb Wiedland

Conversions – Taj Burke

Round 3 Wednesday 29 May

OLSCC vs Pittsworth SS 3.30pm Pittsworth Rugby League Grounds

Cross Country

Congratulations to all students who competed at the Darling Downs Cross Country on Tuesday. Carla Nobbs was selected in the Darling Downs Team to attend the State Championships at Highfields early next term.

Under 10 Boys – Archie Smart 19^th, Lachlan Fraser 20^th, Travis Gater 27^th

Under 10 Girls – Lauren Ramage 31^st

Under 11 Girls – Carla Nobbs 2^nd, Isabelle Johnston 25^th, Alex Boland 49^th

Under 11 Boys – Jack Gibson 24^th, Chris Banks 31^st

Under 12 Boys – Tiffany Ham 28^th, Gabby Banks 32^nd

Senior

Rugby League

Darling Downs Rugby League Competition Round 4

Under 13

St Mary’s College defeated OLSCC 70-0

Under 15

Highfields SSC defeated OLSCC 26-18

Tries – Lyhkan King Togia 2, Dylan Nobbs,

Conversions – Will Herbert 3

Round 5 Draw

Wednesday 29 May Dalby Leagues Club

Under 13 OLSCC vs St Joseph’s College 4.15pm

Under 15 OLSCC vs St Joseph’s College 5.15pm

Tim Lincoln

Middle Leader Sport

Year 1 students have made links with Religion and Science. In Religion, they have learnt about God and the Creation Story and how they must look after the earth, plants, animals and each other. So far students have enjoyed investigations with snails and worms as they learn to care for these creatures.  Stay tuned as they continue to research minibeasts in our environments. 

Year 2 students have embarked on a journey to discover the similarities and differences between their lives now and the life and time of Jesus. Curiosity about clothing, food, homes and schooling have made for intriguing searches of our children’s bibles and virtual tours of Nazareth Village and ancient Bethlehem leading to surprising learnings of the similarities of foods and some clothing items. Many more questions remain unanswered as they continue their research.

Dear Musical Parents,

Firstly, I would like to welcome all of you and your children into our revitalised Instrumental Music family here at Our Lady of the Southern Cross College. I would like to thank all of you for giving your children the gift of music through participation in this program. On a personal level, I am excited to be able to extend the gifts and talents of our students and develop a high quality program here at the College.

This week Wind students learnt:

• How to put their instrument together
• How to correctly hold their instruments
• How to play their first 3 notes
• How to read music 

This week Guitar students learnt:
 

• How to correctly hold their instruments
• How to play their first 3 notes
• How to play chords E minor and G Major
• How to read music

This week Percussion students learnt:

• How to correctly hold their drum sticks
• How to read music notation and rhythm
• How to play in time

Thank you to those who have already returned Instrument Hire forms. If you have not yet returned this form, please do so as soon as possible so that your child can then be allocated an instrument. Once the form is returned, students may meet Mr Wager in the Music Block, where I will provide them with their instrument. 

The interest in the program has been high, with over 20 Expressions of Interest received. If you are still interested in the benefits of Instrumental Music for your child, there are still a number of vacancies. Please enquire at the College Office. I look forward to welcoming even more of our College community to the program, and know that we have the beginnings of an exceptional program.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me and I will respond as soon as I can. Email to Caine.Wager@twb.catholic.edu.au .

Caine Wager

Instrumental Music Teacher

Calling all interested students!

Please join us to create a unique BIG Lantern to represent our College at this year’s Dalby Delicious and Delightful lantern parade.

• May 25^th 10:00 - 3:00 pm
• June 1^st 10:00 am –-3:00 pm

at 11 Cunningham Street (next to Dalby Family Dentist)

The College has a number of very good computers for sale including specialist gaming machines as well as desktop PCs. All units come with the PC, keyboard, monitor and mouse. Gaming models include Asus ROG TYTANT G30 - AU003S, ASUS ROG G20 Compact Gaming PC and Custom Build Gaming Machines. The PCs are HP Compaq 8200 Elite and HP Compaq Pro 6300. Screens are either ASUS or HP. All machines operate with Windows and are in working order. They can be purchased at a low cost of $100 for a PC unit or $400 for a gaming unit. If you are interested in making a purchase or inspecting the machines, please email Business Manager Elizabeth Kuruilaca on Elizabeth.Kuruilaca@twb.catholic.edu.au or phone the College office to speak to Elizabeth.

P&F Working Bee Sunday, 9 June 10 am till 1 pm 

End of Term P&F Barbecue Friday, 29 June from 5 pm