This year, our College Awards Ceremony and Senior Farewell took on a new look with the presentation of awards taking place all on the same day along with the acknowledgement of our Seniors and their last assembly. Many new awards were presented with a different criteria for selection across the four key areas of our College life, Academia, Sport, Culture and Spirituality.

Special guests were welcomed and the proceedings commenced with an address from Mr Cuskelly outlining the great work done over the year in improving reading data across the whole College as well as recognising improvements in other areas of learning and College life.

Presentations commenced with the LYF awards with one student being selected from each class from Prep to Year 12 as a representative of someone who has demonstrated kindness, consideration, humility, compassion, care, selflessness and gentleness. The LYF Awards were presented by Father Jim Cronin. This was followed by the ADF Long Tan Award for Leadership and Teamwork presented by Leading Seaman Lauren Faulke from the ADF. The Year 10 recipient of this award was Clancy Biggar while Lytana King-Togia received the Year 12 award. The Dalby Rotary award was presented by Dalby Rotarians Mr Frank and Mrs Jean Bach to a student who showed involvement in community service and this year's recipient was Gabrielle Parker.

Cultural Excellence Awards recognised the commitment from students in the areas of The Arts and Culture and included activities such as the Eisteddfod, art shows, The College Musical, Choir and Optiminds. There were 21 recipients of this award and a further three students were then named as the winners of the Cultural Distinction Award. They were Fallon Baxter, Anna Lilburne and Jonty MacDougall.

Sporting Excellence Awards were presented to a number of students from each year level from Year 5 to 12 and the criteria included representation in any sport at Darling Downs level or higher. It is remarkable to have so many students achieve at this level in sport and a further three students from this group were then named as Sportsperson of the Year. These included Carla Nobbs, Michael MacDonald and Lytana King-Togia.

The presentations then moved to focus on Academia and a new criteria for 2019 included all students from Prep to Year 12 firstly with Excellence in Progress Awards for one student from each class who has shown significant improvement in their core subjects. These were followed by Subject Excellence Awards for Senior students who must have achieved an 'A' in that subject.

Academic Excellence Awards were presented to students from Prep to Year 12 who achieved 'A' across their core or chosen subjects and no more that 2 'B's or one 'B' for Year 12. It was very pleasing to see a number of students in some year levels receiving Academic Excellence as this demonstrates a high level of achievement in all areas of learning. 

Academic Distinction Awards were presented to one student from each year cohort who achieved at the highest level across their core subjects and were also a recipient of an Academic Excellence Award. The winners of these awards were Mary Nevell, Benjamin Barwick, Lucy Bennie, Lucinda Conn, Claire Davison, Charlise Conn Braithen Crothers, Samuel Luck, Felicity Stephen, Claudia Henderson, Charlotte Crothers and Laura May. Mr John Coman from Toowoomba Catholic Schools was in attendance to present the awards for both Excellence and Distinction.

The Short Story Award is presented in honour of Mr Andrew McGahan who was a past student and winner of many literary prizes including the Miles Franklin Award. This year, this award was presented to Garet Mathews. The Persuasive Literature Award is donated by Madonna King for a student who demonstrates excellence in persuasive writing in Year 11 or 12 and this year the award went to Samuel Gillespie.

The Award for Excellence in Technology and Creative Industries is donated by Mr David Presley, a past student and leader in his field. The award is presented to a Year 11 or 12 student who demonstrates excellence in this field and includes a $100 gift voucher and this year, the recipient was Ariella Stephen.

Harrison Gwynne received the School Based Apprenticeship Award from Mrs Julie Payne of Toowoomba Catholic Schools while Lytana King-Togia was awarded the Outstanding Vocational Student Award by Margaret Harth from TAFE South West. Mayor Paul McVeigh then stepped forward to present the Western Downs Regional Council Community Spirit Bursary which includes a one-off payment of $1000 plus an opportunity of paid work experience at Council over vacation periods. Mayor McVeigh proudly presented this award to Gabrielle Parker for 2019.

MacKillop took out the 2019 House Cup while Harrison Burton and Chase Price received the Saint Mary MacKillop Award, Clancy Biggar, Charlotte Crothers and Lachlan Sankey were awarded the Mons Thomas Nolan Award, Claudia Child, Tom Clarke, Elsie Irwin, Noah Nothdurft and Gemma Sullivan received the Catherine McAuley Award and Lucy Bennie, Carter Harth, Oliver Harth and Harriet Martin were presented with the Blessed Edmund Rice Award.

The Our Lady of the Southern Cross Award is presented to one student who displayed involvement in College life during the year as well as being a diligent student. The winner received the Mary Barry Perpetual Bursary of $100 and the winner for 2019 was Lytana King-Togia. Thank you to our P and F President Dr Lotte Verhoef for being present to distribute the Icon awards.

Congratulations to all the award recipients for 2019. Too see the full summary of all award winners and the criteria for each award, please click on the link 2019_College_Awards.pdf.

The last few days have seen a number of milestones and significant events celebrated by our 2019 Senior cohort and we all join in our thanks for the contribution each one of them has made at their time at the College. Yesterday's Senior Farewell Assembly allowed students to reflect on their journey over the last 13 years and some of the funny things that happened along the way. Mrs Lisa Gwynne, Harrison's mum was able to give her reflection on the journey of parents in guiding their children to reach the point where they can graduate from school and move on to the next exciting chapter ahead. Mr Hodge, Assistant Principal of Senior Years, addressed the Seniors with many words of advice and encouragement concluding his address singing his part in the very well known song, 'Don't Stop Believin' which is a great piece of advice just in the title.

The legacy of the 2019 Senior cohort is a magnificent Journey Bell which now takes pride of place on the wall outside the Library. It is intended that the bell will be rung by students as they begin their journey at the College and again at the end. These 15 young men and women were the first to ring the bell as they left the MPC for the last time and the sounds of each student ending their journey were powerful and moving.

Today was the final event for the Seniors as they attended the Graduation Mass at St Joseph's Church. Please enjoy some of the images from the last couple of days of our Seniors and wish them luck now as graduates of 2019.

Our 15 Year 12 students enjoyed their much anticipated Formal and Valedictory at the Dalby Leagues Club on Tuesday evening. Many students, friends and family gathered to watch as the students arrived in an array of magnificent vehicles dressed in their finest formal wear. Enjoy our gallery of images from the students' arrivals.

Our Student Leaders for 2020 were announced yesterday during the Assembly and Awards Ceremony. Congratulations to those students who nominated themselves and went through the interview and voting process. It is a remarkable achievement to put yourselves forward for consideration. We congratulate the following students for their successful appointments.

House Captains

Student Representative Council

It has been an incredibly busy week and finding the time to sit down and write has been almost impossible with many events taking priority. My Principal's Pen will be short but the most important message I have is for our senior students who are now graduates having completed their 13 year schooling journey today. I have enjoyed all the events of the past week and would like to congratulate each individual graduate on their success and achievements, many of which have been recognised and celebrated with members of our College and wider community in the last few days. Please enjoy all the photographs in this Newsletter which beautifully record these events including the Formal and Valedictory Dinner, the Awards and Farewell Assembly and the Graduation Mass today. Thank you to the graduates, our students, staff and parents who made this week possible and so memorable for us all. 

Peter Cuskelly

Principal

This week we celebrate the end of the school education journey of our Year 12 students. Best of luck to these wonderful young people and all the future holds for them. 

God of our beginnings, 
We thank you for the gifts of these graduates; 
their excitement, their curiosity, 
their open speech and encouraging words. 
Their contributions have blessed and challenged us, 
We have become a richer community because of them. 

As they move out into the world, 
comfort their fears with the full knowledge of your divine presence. 
Strengthen their resolve to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. 
Guide them as they move through life,  
protecting them and guiding their path. 

We ask this blessing  
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

Amen 

Mini Vinnies Christmas Appeal 

Don’t forget to bring in your donations for the St Vincent de Paul’s Christmas Appeal.  We look forward to presenting St Vincent de Paul with amazing hamper supplies again in 2019.  Donations can be placed in the College Office or in Classrooms until Week 8. 

Immaculata Mission School 2020 - To Know God, To Love God, To Make God Known 

"My experience at the Immaculata Mission School allowed me to meet new people from all over the country and to journey deeper in the faith with them all". Year 10 student who attended in 2019  

What is it: A ten-day live-in formation school for young people, with talks on the faith from awesome speakers, daily Mass & prayer, Eucharistic Adoration, praise & worship, fun & fellowship & lots more! 

When: 1-10 January, 2020 

Where: The Glennie School, Toowoomba QLD 

Who: 15-35 year olds 

Special guest speaker: Dr Ralph Martin (USA), Professor of Sacred Theology, international speaker on evangelisation and the spiritual life.  Dr Martin is a consulter to the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation and has spoken in over 30 countries. 

Other guest speakers: Archbishop Julian Porteous, Vince Fitzwilliams, James Parker, Jess Leach, Paul Elarde, Sisters of the Immaculata & more. 

How much: $390 (cost includes all accommodation, food, speakers and activities) before 18 Nov, $450 after 18 Nov  Funding support available from St Joseph’s Parish see Mrs Brennan or Fr Jim for details. 

For more info or to register: www.sistersoftheimmaculata.org.au/ims or  phone 0406 372 608 

Cate Brennan

Deputy Principal Religious Education

The year is nearing a close, we have had the awards morning, students are busily finishing assignments and cramming for exams. Assessment completed equals work completed. It seems that this is the thought process of many. This is one of the great “Urban Myths” in education. Once assessment is handed in, the semester or year is over. I will pose this question, where else in society do you complete something and come to work the next day and say, “I’ve done that job now I’m going to do nothing?”

I have found a common question asked in classrooms especially for older students, “is this for assessment?” It is interesting when you stop to think about this idea. Assessment has become, for many, the most important action undertaken in school. I can’t remember a student saying to me, “is this for learning?” Dr Justin O’Connor, senior lecturer at Monash University in curriculum points out, “assessment is the ongoing process of gathering and analyzing and reflecting on evidence to make informed and consistent Judgements to improve future student learning.” The interesting idea is here, assessment is not the end but part of an ongoing process.

Process not product, learning not assessing, the core of education is to learn not to be judged at a specific point in time. Judgement is a necessary part of the process, but it is not the process. If we can instill in all involved a love of learning, a passion for discovering the unknown and a curiosity to know more now than I did yesterday, the assessment will take care of itself.

Looking at learning then, what am I seeing? It was brought to my attention how a group of young ladies worked out a dilemma. An outcome was achieved between the time I was alerted to a possible problem and when I caught up with the parent the next morning. Young people communicating to work things out using positivity and compassion. The Year 8 group using their curriculum to inspire an auction of items that were unwanted by their owners but bought by others. The students saw a need and put into action so many of the values that we hold dear at OLSCC. The group of Year 6’s who are planning a Prayer Gathering and morning tea for their parents to celebrate the wonderful year they have had. Initiative and effort aimed at promoting the common good. What are these children learning about life? Skills that will hold them in good stead in the years ahead.

Let’s go full circle back to the beginning of this article. Learning is a lifelong journey it is not punctuated by assessment it is complimented by assessment. Some of the best learning outcomes I have witnessed have been achieved in the latter weeks of semesters. The students have three more weeks of learning. Let’s make it count.

Steve Gillespie

(acting) Assistant Principal Middle Years

The Learning Pit…..continued! 

As students approach the pointy end of the Term, most have been involved in assessment over the last few weeks. There has been plenty of time spent in the learning pit and it has been fabulous to hear what the students themselves have had to say about it: 

Zia (Year 1) We are writing letters in my class and when I had to write my first letter it was hard because I was nervous it would be too scribbly. I kept on trying. I asked a buddy to help me when I got stuck. 

Kai (Year 4) I was in the learning pit when I was learning about division. I felt confused. I asked a buddy – my mum! She helped me with some strategies and I climbed out of the pit and I’m not confused anymore!  

Zane (Year 4) You need to go THROUGH the learning pit, not just jump across to the other side, otherwise you won’t have done the learning! I had to go into the learning pit when I had to do a big writing assessment. I was positive I could do it but when I started it was actually really hard! I could ask the teacher for some help and she walked me through the assessment and I learnt a bit more about what was expected. I got it done by doing the hard work myself. 

Abby (Year 4) I had to go into the learning pit when I was in English. We had to make a dialogue with a partner. I was nervous to start. I got myself out of the learning pit by looking back at the book, Charlotte’s Web, and I did it with a partner so I had a buddy to help me with the learning. 

Will (Year 2) I know about the learning pit. When you learn something new you go down into the pit and then the 5 B’s help you to learn and get out of the learning pit. When you get out, you have learnt more than you knew before. 

Montaya (Year 2) When you are learning sometimes you think “I can’t do this” but I can ask a buddy, look at the board – you can use all the 5B’s! If all the other 5 B’s don’t help you can ask the boss – that’s the teacher. You start to work it out and you can say Hooray! I got it! I got out of the learning pit. 

Katrina Walton

Assistant Principal Early Years

Junior

Touch Football

Last weekend a Primary boys and girls team attended the QLD All Schools Touch Football Carnival at Cleveland. Thanks to all the parents and families who came to support the team and to our amazing Senior students Claudia Child, Shawnee King, Sarah McQuaid, Lachlan Wilkins and Maggie Laffy (Referee) for assisting with the coaching of our teams along with Mrs Wilkins and Mrs Lincoln. Both teams played fantastic Touch Football on Saturday to comfortably win their pools and qualify for the Championship Final 16 on Sunday. The boys unfortunately went down to Algester State School 3 - 9. (the boys did well to fight back after being down 5-0 at halftime) Algester went on to win the championship division.  The firls team went down to St Matthew’s Primary School 0 - 1 in tight game which was locked at 0-0 at halftime. Results from both days are listed below.

Boys (Pool 12 Winners)

Win vs Holland Park SS 6-2

Win vs Our Lady of the Rosary 10-1

Win vs St Mary’s Ipswich B 7-2

This placed the boys in 12^th position out of 64 Teams on Day 1

Championship Final 16 Game

Loss to Algester SS 3 - 9 (Algester won the Championship Final 7-2)

Girls (Pool 14 Winners)

Win vs Kenmore SS 5-1

Win vs St Mary’s Ipswich 4-2

Win vs Unity College 6-0

This placed the girls in 14^th position out of 64 Teams on Day 1

Championship Final 16 Game

Loss to St Matthews 1 - 0

Swimming

The Years 1-3 (Under 6- Under 8) Swimming Carnival is being held on Friday 29 November. Nomination forms needed to be returned to class teachers by this Friday 15 November. Full details about the carnival will be in next week’s newsletter.

Senior

Return of Sporting Uniforms

As the end of the year is fast approaching, I am making an urgent request for the return of any sporting uniforms that may be still outstanding. Please return them ASAP. Replacement bills will be issued to students with uniforms not returned. This include Netball dresses, Touch Football shirts and singlets, Rugby jerseys and Athletics singlets.

SWQ Rugby Sevens Series

Any late draw changes, wet weather and the final series information will be available via the SWQ Sevens Series Facebook page or at https://www.downsrugby.com.au/sevens-rugby

Round 5 Results Tuesday Games

Under 13 Girls

Loss to Downlands College 17 - 30

Under 15 Girls

Win vs Mary MacKillop Highfields 17-12

Loss to Chinchilla SHS 5 - 17

Under 15 Boys

Win vs TAS 21-7

Round 4 Results Thursday Games

13 Boys

Loss to St Joseph’s 10 - 15

Draw with Lockyer District SHS 12-12

Week 6 Draw Finals

Tuesday 19 November

Under 15 Boys Semi Finals

OLSCC vs St Joseph’s College 5.35pm

3^rd Place Playoff 5.55pm

Grand Final 6.35pm

2020 Confraternity Shield Rugby League and Netball Training

The 2020 QISSRL and QISSN Carnivals will be held in Brisbane in the first week of the June/ July holidays. The Rugby League Carnival is open to any boys turning 16 or older in 2020. The Netball Carnival in open to any girls in Years 9-12 in 2020. Training for both teams is on Monday mornings from 7.00am – 8.15am. Boys will be training on the College Main Oval and Girls Team will train at the PCYC Indoor Courts. The last day of training for the term will be Monday 25 November.

Volleyball

Volleyball Training has started again on Friday mornings in the MPC from 7.00am -8.15am until Friday 22 November (Week 7). This is open to both boys and girls to begin preparation for school competitions and representative trials early in 2020. 

Tim Lincoln

Middle Leader Sport

Our Vocal Ensemble Group performed two songs on Friday night to a very appreciative crowd at the St John's Anglican Annual Parish Dinner. Mrs Baxter accompanied the group on keyboard as they sang to an audience of 85 guests. The group made up of 6 students from Year 9 and 10 including Clare Griffiths, Claudia Henderson, Charlotte Kelly, Clancy Biggar, Charlotte Wood and Anna Lilburne were very well received and it was a delightful opening to a fantastic night. The group was warmly thanked by Rev David Browne at the conclusion of their performance. 

The College Christmas Carols are fast approaching on Friday, 29 November and we would like to invite our College community and the wider community to come along and enjoy the evening on the College Oval. There will be a Bar and BBQ available and guests are encouraged to bring along a chair or a rug to sit on. The evening will commence at 6pm and conclude at around 8pm.

Harry Maunder who is currently in Year 10 has just completed his Certificate II in Engineering through Dalby TAFE. This has been a great pathway for Harry as he works towards the possibility of working in the field of mechanics.

College Staff

• Melissa Irwin
• Peter Cuskelly
• Luke Holmes

TCS Staff

• Peter Simpson
• Barbara Woods