Filter Content
What an amazing difference a week can make! We are certainly in a time of significant change regarding how we function on a day-to-day basis due to the outbreak of COVID-19. I’m sure everyone is just as overwhelmed with the information saturation that is occurring around the world at present as well. This morning I shared with one class, the best ways to get accurate information, rather than relying on second hand resources or memes on Facebook and we found some fascinating information. The primary resources we were using was the World Health Organisation website (https://www.who.int/) and the Queensland Health Website (https://www.health.qld.gov.au/).
The great shame about the spreading of this virus is that it has begun degrading what makes Australia such a great country. A country known for helping out their mates, looking out for others, combatting adversity and overcoming the greatest of challenges is now the country where the elderly can’t purchase toilet rolls, hand sanitiser, and basic food items because of the greed apparent in society today. The Catholic Social Teachings we emphasise across the College are Human Dignity, Stewardship of Creation, Community and the Common Good, Subsidiarity and Solidarity. We cannot change the choices of others who may choose to hoard and debilitate others in society, though we can modify our behaviour, attitude and response. In a time of panic it is natural for people to think of themselves in the initial phase, though hopefully in our Dalby community we are well and truly moving past this and are focussing on others. This is a message that all of our community must share that it is now time to be selfless and give of ourselves for the wellbeing of others. Not surprising, this is the message of almsgiving which we focus upon during the Lenten period – not giving up, but giving more of ourselves for the benefit of others.
Please ensure that you take the time to reflect this Lenten period and consider what we can do at this time to make life better for others.
Additional Pupil Free Day
The Diocese of Toowoomba Catholic Schools has advised all staff that Friday 27 March will be a pupil free day for all Diocesan catholic schools. The day is to be used for the preparation of remote learning should the case eventuate in the future. Please make care arrangements for your child/ren for this day where required.
News Just In From the Bishop
- From midnight 20 March all regular public masses are suspended until 1 May 2020. This includes all Holy Week and Easter Ceremonies.
- All Funerals, Weddings and Baptisms must have less than 100 people if held indoors.
- Preparations for the celebration of 1st Eucharist and Confirmation are suspended.
- Sacrament of Penance is limited to the first rite (individual reconciliation)
Event Update
The government has placed restrictions on the gather of groups to 100 people for indoors and 500 people for outdoors. This is for non-essentials, thus schools are outside of this recommendation. However, within schools we have made adjustments to ensure we minimise the risk for our students and community. This includes:
- Staggered lunch and playtimes to reduce concentration of students. This started today and has been a great success
- Changes to tuckshop ordering and collection to encourage greater social distancing. This also started today and was excellent. Please note for Early Years students that they now have the tuckshop all for themselves during Recess!
- Prep – Year 6 Cross Country will still run as an event for students, though parents and community members will not be able to attend.
- Increased hygiene facilities all around the College with many new hand sanitisers, hand soap dispensers and paper towel – the air driers may look effective on the wall, though the reality is that kids just don’t use them and then wipe their hands on their clothes anyway.
|
New Lunch Arrangements |
Early Years (Prep – 4) |
Middle Years (5-8) |
Senior Years (9-12) |
|
11:10-11:30 |
Eating time Pavilion |
In class |
In class |
|
11:30-11:50 |
Playtime Pavilion, back prep area, Brother’s Oval, library |
Eating time MPC forecourt |
Eating time Senior Plaza |
|
11:50-12:10 |
In class |
Playtime Pavilion, Brother’s Oval, library Tuckshop |
Playtime Main Oval, Senior handball, outdoor basketball, library Tuckshop |
|
1:30 – 1:50 |
Eating and play Prep – Front prep area 1-4 – Pavilion and Brother’s Oval Tuckshop |
Eating and play MPC forecourt Main oval, middle years handball and outdoor basketball |
Eating and play Senior Plaza, Senior handball |
|
Cancelled |
Modified |
Unsure |
|
· Cross Country Training · Parish regular public masses until 1 May · Under 8’s Day - 2 April · Confro Trial Day – 25 March · Yr 7 Camp Cooby 23-25 March · Yr 10 Retreat 20 March · ANZAC Day March 25 April · Grandparent’s Day 25 June · All District, Zone, Region and State Sporting events · Nolan Day (and other icon days in the future) · College and Sector Assemblies · College and Sector Liturgies, masses and prayer celebrations · Dalby Show · Wednesday afternoon secondary sport . Eisteddfod |
· P-6 Cross Country (competitors only) · Parent Teacher Interviews (phone only from next week) · Easter Prayer Liturgy (in class)
|
· Athletics Carnivals · Confraternity and QISSN Carnivals · All future camps and excursions · All things fun…(lol) |
You will also have noticed that I am publishing frequent updates on SZApp, email and Facebook which we will continue into the future. In the newsletter I will endeavour to not repeat or summarise the same information, so please ensure you have a quick read of each update as they come to keep up-to-date. This is a deliberate attempt to slowly feed the information out rather than sending exhaustive communication on a weekly basis.
Most importantly, please be vigilant with personal hygiene, look after those around you, and if your child is sick, keep them home.
Have a great week
Peter Cuskelly
Principal
NAPLAN Online
NAPLAN Online will be rolled out in our College in 2020. We will conduct practice tests for students in Year 3, 5,7, 9 in Week 9 and 10 of this term. I encourage all parents of children in these year levels to familiarise yourself with the test platform via https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site. Students in Year 3, 5, 7, and 9 will sit practice Naplan Online tests in Week 9 and 10 of this term.
Monday 23/3 – Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 Writing tests
Tuesday 24/3 – Year 3, 5 7 and 9 Omnibus tests
It is essential that students in Year 7 and 9 bring their laptops to school fully charged to access these tests.
Mini Vinnies Easter Raffle
The Lenten Season has begun, and our annual Easter Egg Raffle is about to start. College families are invited to donate Easter eggs or other Easter items to be used to create Easter Baskets as prizes for our raffle. Donations of Easter Eggs can be left at the College Office or given to classroom teachers.
Raffle tickets will be on sale outside the tuckshop for 50c during both eating breaks. Prep students will be able to purchase tickets from their class teachers.
Prize winners will be announced and presented at the Easter Prayer Celebration on Monday 30 April.
Many thanks in advance,
The Mini Vinnies Committee
Volunteers at the College
Volunteers are an essential part of our College community including supporting the tuckshop, working with classes attending excursions, coaching and managing teams. Working together we aim to create and maintain safe environments for our students, staff and families. We require all volunteers to read, understand and follow relevant code of conduct and student protection information. All volunteers at the College need to complete a Volunteer declaration form annually as part of our this safeguard. Packs with relevant information are available from class teachers or the College office or directly from the Toowoomba Catholic Schools website https://www.twb.catholic.edu.au/work-and-learn-with-us/volunteers-and-visiting-service-providers/. I am also available to assist with this process if needed. If you are planning to assist this year, please complete the online module and form and return to the College Office.
Cate Brennan
Deputy Principal Religious Education
Each week of Lent, Caritas shares a story of a person who always goes further. These stories show how Caritas Australia’s training, development and support have improved their way of life.
SAKUN FROM INDIA
Thirty-two-year-old Sakun lives in a village in central-east India. She developed polio as a child and has difficulty walking. Until now Sakun, an indigenous Gond woman, has been isolated in her community, unable to earn a livelihood and without knowledge of government schemes that could help her.
Sakun lives with her sister in a rural area of Chhattisgarh, India’s poorest state. Home to 26 million people, with 10 million living in poverty.
Life is hard in this region, and even harder for the state’s indigenous people. Sakun belongs to the Gond tribal community which is amongst India’s officially designated Scheduled Castes and Tribes. Historically disadvantaged, they suffer higher poverty rates than other parts of India.
In 2018, Sakun joined a Caritas Australia-funded program which is implemented by Caritas India and its local partner, Samarthan. Through their strategic guidance and support, Sakun learned new skills and gained important mobility.
Sakun now earns her own income and makes a small profit which goes towards her family’s basic needs. She is more resilient, more confident and more independent.
With your help, Caritas Australia can help uplift vulnerable communities and support the right of indigenous peoples around the world. A brighter future for women, men and their families can start today. Let’s Go Further, Together.
“I can move around my village, visit community members and talk to them, I feel happy and my social life and network has improved,” said Sakun. “It has also given me the opportunity to keep in contact with other people living with disabilities which enabled me to express solidarity with them. Today I am given due respect in the village and community.”
Online Learning
Our teachers who teach classes in Years 7-12 has spent the last week exploring some new tools that will further enhance the digital teaching and learning for each student. Teachers now have the functionality to record narrated lessons and add quizzes to video content. Additionally, our new tools allow us to track student progress. No more skipping videos!
Our main digital tool is Canvas. We are just over 12 months on our journey with the program and we continue to learn new tricks every day. Our teachers and students will continue to develop their skills in ensuring that our use of Canvas continues to have a positive impact as an extension of the classroom environment.
CASE Groups
Yesterday, students in Years 9-12 joined their CASE groups for the first time. Evidence shows that students who have their ‘person’ - a teacher that advocates and supports them - achieve greater academic success. We look forward to seeing the positive relationships, and increased student support that develops in these groups.
CASE stands for care, advocacy, support, and encouragement. This is a positive move forward for our students.
Assessment Guidelines
The approach of our Senior Years students towards their first round of summative assessment has been encouraging. I have heard of a number of students who have achieved some improved results and are being rewarded for their effort and attitude towards their assessment. Senior Years students will receive their assessment results before the end of term.
The core principle of our assessment program is the high standard of the integrity and equity of each task. These qualities of our program are outlined in two key documents: SY Assessment Guidelines and our SY AARA Guidelines. The AARA guidelines outline our approach at access arrangements and reasonable adjusts to assessment. The following are some excerpts out of the guidelines
- All submission (drafts and final submissions) must be submitted <u>on or before</u> the due date, unless there is a case of AARA. On the due date, the submission closing time is 3.30pm.
- Failure to submit a final copy of an assessment for any reason (including computer/printer/internet breakdown) means the draft will be graded.
- If students are absent on the day of an exam, parents must contact the classroom teacher (Years 9 & 10) or the Assistant Principal Senior Years (Year 11 & 12) by 8.30am.
- Extensions/Rescheduling of Exams will not be granted for:
- matters of the student's or parent's/carer's own choosing (family holiday)
- cultural activities
- teacher absence or other teacher-related activities
- matters that the students could have avoided (e.g. misreading an examination schedule, misreading the examination instructions)
The Year 9 & 10 application process of applying for extensions/rescheduling exams can be found on page 3 of the SY AARA Guidelines. It is a student driven process and the first step is to obtain the paperwork from Miss Belonogoff. Year 11 & 12 students and parents must speak to Mr Hodge directly regarding AARA applications. This is an application process and there are no guarantees that AARA will be granted. Supporting documentation will be required.
We appreciate your assistance in supporting our students in achieving success in their assessment. If you have any questions, please contact any member of the Senior Years teaching team, or myself.
Matt Hodge
Assistant Principal Senior Years
Cross Country
The Prep to Under 11 Cross Country is scheduled for Wednesday 1 April (Week 10). At the present time, this event will go ahead as planned. All classes have been preparing for these races in PE Classes. Due to the Covid -19 restrictions the decision has been made that no spectators will attend this event. Classes will come and compete in their age group races and return to normal classes. The following events will be run on the day and race distances are listed below.
|
Year of Birth |
Age Group |
Race Distance |
|
NA |
Prep |
300m |
|
2014 |
Under 6 |
480m |
|
2013 |
Under 7 |
830m |
|
2012 |
Under 8 |
1.2km |
|
2011 |
Under 9 |
1.6km |
|
2010 |
Under 10 |
2.3km |
|
2009 |
Under 11 |
3.2km |
QCIS Swimming Carnival
Unfortunately, the College’s first QCIS Sports Carnival was postponed on Monday. There is a chance this carnival will be rescheduled in Term 4. More details will be available later in the year.
Bunya District & Darling Downs Sports Trials
As previously advised all Bunya District and Darling Downs School Sports Trials have been cancelled until further notice.
QLD State Championships
Unfortunately, the following students who had been selected in Darling Downs Teams earlier this term won’t be competing at State Championships in Term 2. A special mention goes to the five boys selected in the U15 Rugby League team (this is quite a feat for a College our size).
U18 Squash
Isaac Halling, Lachlan Sankey
U18 Rugby League
Sam Gillespie, Ryan Welsh
Under 15 Rugby League
Lleyton Dodd, Will Herbert, Joe Gillett, Bailey Rathmell, Lyhkan King Togia
Under 15 Touch Football
Lleyton Dodd, Brock Sankey
U18 Touch Football
Ky Kirtley
Swimming
Pat Boland, Jennifer Nothdurft
Tennis
Congratulation to Ben Forbes who competed at the Under 18 State Tennis Championships in Rockhampton last weekend. Ben finished with a ranking in the Top 20 players, which is a great effort considering Ben is only in Year 10.
Rugby League
Congratulations to the following boys who have been selected to attend the QISSRL (Confraternity Shield) Carnival in July in Brisbane. The squad has been training since Term 4 last year and the final team of 21 was selected after an Intra-Squad game on March 7 and the game vs Dalby SHS last Wednesday.
2020 Team
Ryan Welsh, Hunter James, Brayden Hughes, Matt Cuskelly, Michael MacDonald, Brayden Falvey, Lachlan Wilkins, Mitch Portbury, Jack Welsh, Hugh Clarke, Sam Gillespie, Lachlan Sankey, Declan Crothers, Dylan Nobbs, Wil Brady, Gab Sombrero, Oliver Harth, Clancy Biggar, Jack Henningson, Pat Kelly, Harrison Quinlan.
Touch Football
Trials will be held later this term to select an Under 15 Boys Team to attend the SWQ and QLD All Schools Carnivals held in Semester 2. Interested students need to sign on via the Sports Notice Board.
Tim Lincoln
Middle Leader Sport
With all the recent concerns of COVID 19 and the affects it could have on our school and our community, it is important to continue to observe and celebrate some of the events that shape our students and this includes Bullying, No Way Day. Students have been preparing for this day by writing messages on orange flags on how they think we can eliminate bullying and how to be kind to one another especially when people are worried or scared about all the news of COVID 19. Each flag has been strung together to make a line of bunting which is running along the Junior building walkways. Tomorrow students are encouraged to wear orange accessories and we hope that, even though we can't have our usual day of sharing pizza and games on the oval, we will still discuss how we can stamp out bullying in our school and lives.
Mrs Kucks was sharing her happiness today to show that bullying is not okay and the students were interested to stop and read some of the messages on the bunting which is lining the walkway.
This week, Mrs Connellan's Year 7 PRAXIS class were busy helping with the gardens in between the new chapel and the INTAD building. This area has been a building site for so long and was in need to some trimming and tidying. A big thank you to those students who got in and worked hard to make the space look attractive again.
LAST CHANCE TO WIN ONE TERM OF COLLEGE TUITION FEES
ECSI SURVEY and Catholic Dialogue in Schools Project
With families restricted in movement and outing opportunities we have decided to extend our competition in case you now have more spare time to complete the ECSI Survey and enter our draw. Only 29 families of our 366 families have completed the survey. It is important that as many families as possible are represented to give us useful information about our community. All College families are asked to complete the ECSI Survey to assist with the direction setting in regard to Catholic Identity of the College. As an extra incentive for parents to take part in the survey we are offering a prize for one family whose parent completes the survey. To be in the running for one term’s tuition fees taken from the oldest child in the family you must complete the survey in full, save your Certificate of successful participation (with parent contact name filled in) and email to cate.brennan@twb.catholic.edu.au or drop it into the entry box in the office foyer by Friday 24 April at 9am. The certificate verifies your completion of the survey but does not link to any of the answers you give.
Thank you for your support and participation in this valuable research project. Information on how to complete this survey is detailed below.
I write to you today to share some resources on how you can assist your child with their worries associated with coronavirus.
Across Australia and the world people are facing an unprecedented situation as our health authorities and governments act to effectively manage the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). The coronavirus pandemic comes as many Australians are still feeling the impact of recent bushfires, floods and drought.
Although children are considered to be in a lower risk category, this does not protect them from being exposed to news reports on television, radio or social media. Watching and listening to media and social media coverage and commentary can be confronting and confusing and also at times distressing for children as well as us as adults. As a parent it is important to reassure your child, dispel any myths or untruths, and help them feel informed, allowing them to focus more on positive messages. Parents can involve their children in planning and preparedness at home, assigning jobs and roles and teaching them ways to look after themselves. Having this sense of purpose and control can help alleviate a child’s worries. However, despite your best efforts, some children may still present with some issues. Knowing what to look for will help you provide your child with the support they need.
Dr Michael Carr-Gregg is a Child Psychologist who appears on Sunrise and other morning TV shows regularly. Michael has recently produced a special report in the form of a short video for parents about coronavirus. This video is well worth a watch! https://schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-coronavirus
I have also included a number of sites and useful resources below that are worthwhile to visit
- Birdie and the Big Sickness is a resource for supporting younger children and has been developed by the QLD Centre for Perinatal & Infant Mental Health – available via this link.https://www.childrens.health.qld.gov.au/chq/our-services/mental-health-services/qcpimh/natural-disaster-resources/storybooks/
- Emerging Minds: Talking to children about natural disasters, traumatic events and worries about the future https://vimeo.com/394049129
- Centre for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/managing-stress-anxiety.html Please note the support phone numbers on this site are NOT for Australia, however there are some great links to child-appropriate resources for explaining natural disasters (including pandemic) and supporting children afterwards
- SBS: what to tell your kids about Coronavirus https://www.sbs.com.au/news/insight/8-tips-on-what-to-tell-your-kids-about-coronavirus
- Headspace: How to cope with Stress related to COVID 19 may be appropriate for older children and teenagers https://headspace.org.au/young-people/how-to-cope-with-stress-related-to-covid-19/
Kids helpline has some great information what is age appropriate for little and big kids (as well as parents) https://kidshelpline.com.au/. This may be a useful time to introduce your child to this fantastic resource. Head to Health is a great place to start when looking for online resources to assist is worrying times.
Please consider spending some time reviewing these resources, if concerned about how your child is travelling with this situation consider letting their teacher know and, if need be chat with your GP.
Luke Holmes
College Counsellor