Don't get too excited. There still isn't much on, but here are a couple of important dates to remind you of. This coming Monday is a public holiday so there is no school and no remote lessons on that day. For those who wish to participate in the next P&F Meeting, the date is below. We soon hope to have a few more things to add to our 'What's On'. Fingers crossed.

Public Holiday - Monday 4 May

DATE CLAIMER – OLSCC P&F AGM – 26 May 2020

Congratulations

Our whole College community deserves a massive pat on the back after the week that has just been.  Every student has had the opportunity to engage with online learning with staff developing some outstanding learning for students to engage in remotely.  The most amazing aspect of all of this is that every single bit of what students see (as well as all the work that can’t be seen) has been developed by our teachers, for our students, to meet them where they are at.  And all this in a new way of working that is creating demand unseen in the teaching profession prior to this.  It is also phenomenal they way in which families and students have engaged.  While we realise some families are engaging more than others, though there are also many colleges around Australia that would give anything to have the platforms, resources and staff that we have in order to provide Remote Learning.  We look forward to this continuing to develop over the coming weeks!

College Fees

What turbulent times we have had so far this year.  We understand the impact the seasonal variations as well as the COVID-19 pandemic is having on our families. As such, I would like to everyone to have a clear message of both the fees arrangements for this period and the support we can offer families under hardship at this time.

Fee Structures:

Despite the hardships of this time, the College has continued to provide Remote Learning to all students of OLSCC.  We have also continued to operate as normal, maintaining full staffing levels, and going above and beyond to support our community.  We have also provided additional resources such as software, hardware, new devices and additional training to staff in order to create an online learning environment. As a College we rely on fees to pay for services and provide resources to our students as we are not funded to the same rate as our State Schooling counterparts.  Accordingly in order for us to maintain our wonderful staff and resources at the College, we still require parents to continue to pay school fees, as in any term. We do, however, realise some families are doing it tough at the moment, so the following supports are available through the College via an application process.

Concessions:

Our College was a part of a Diocesan Drought Relief Funding Application in 2019 which means that we have provision to support concessions for families who have been adversely affected by drought.  If you have been affected through drought in 2019 and 2020, please feel free to contact the office so that we can send you the appropriate paperwork.

Likewise, we are offering support for families adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic due to loss of income, loss of employment and other such impacts.  This support will also come in the form of a fee concession.  Similarly, if you would like to explore this further, please contact the office.

It is also possible that we may contact you if you already receive a concession to discuss your situation so we can be sure that we are supporting you through this time.

Whilst it is important that we support those in our community as best we can, it is also very important that the rest of our community continues to pay their fees in order to ensure that we can continue to employ staff and provide the great education we pride ourselves on.

Instrumental Music

Mrs Baxter and Mr Thacker will be resuming their Instrumental Music lessons remotely as of next week for those students already enrolled in the program. Further details regarding the organisation of this, as well as billing, will be sent home to instrumental music students early next week.  If you are interested in becoming involved in the instrumental music program please contact the Office for an Expression Of Interest form. This can be submitted via the Office or email to dalby@twb.catholic.edu.au.

Please look after your families and we look forward to hearing more advice from the National Cabinet in mid May when we hear of the arrangement for the rest of the term.  Fingers crossed we get all our students back for Week 6 or 7!

Have a wonderful week and please be proactive in contacting your child’s teacher if you any concerns regarding their learning or wellbeing.

Pete Cuskelly

Principal

This weekend as restrictions are altered around Queensland, we look hopefully to the future. This week Pope Francis led this prayer with the world: 

At this time, when some of us are beginning to receive instructions for coming out of quarantine, we pray that the Lord would give his people - all of us - the grace of prudence and obedience to the instructions so that the pandemic does not return.  May the Lord help us remain vigilant in these uncertain times.  Amen  

ON CAMPUS STUDENTS - reminders  

ATTENDANCE 

Reminder; parents must notify the College office via email dalby@twb.catholic.edu.au if your child is attending the College during this Remote Learning period. This notification assists with our planning for resources and supervision.  It is important for parents of students learning on campus to familiarise yourself with the CANVAS platform and your child’s learning. 

BUS ZONE 

The Bus Zone and adjoining carpark at the front of the College is not to be used as a drop off or pick up area for students.  Even though we have less students attending presently it is for the safety of both our students and the bus providers that we insist that parents use the parking on Nicholson St to drop off and collect their students.   

Cate Brennan

Deputy Principal Religious Education

Last week we saw a very different sort of ANZAC Day commemoration.

For the first time, the school live streamed a service, we built a collage constructed of photos sent in remotely and many lit up the dawn by standing at the letterbox as a mark of respect.

It was fantastic to see such a wonderful response to the ANZAC Day project. To have so many students and families submit an image was simply wonderful and it shows how grateful we all are to our service men and women. Thank you to all who were involved.

Today, I would like share some stories of how our little community, like so many others, is connected to the ANZAC story. 

The Backhouse Family

Firstly, I would like to draw your attention to the image of Patrick (Year 12) and Charlie (Year 9) Boland. They submitted this image to be part of the collage, but what may have been missed is the small photo that Charlie is holding. This image shows their relatives, the women from the Backhouse family who hailed from the Killarney region in the Southern Downs. The women pictured are as follows:

Back Left to Right: Ellen “Nell” Backhouse (Army – Nurse, served in the Middle East), Betty Backhouse (Army - Nurse), Mary Backhouse (WRAAF – Secretary).
Front Left to Right: Margaret Backhouse (too young to enlist, just dressed for the photo), Kathleen “Kath” Backhouse (Army - Driver, served in North Qld and PNG).

Flight Lieutenant Jack Appleton

A student of both St Columba’s and St Mary’s, Jack Appleton graduated in 2004 and has since attended ADFA and completed studies a B Tech Aeronautical; B Engineering (1^st Class Honors).

Jack is still serving in the RAAF and has completed 4 tours of the Middle East as a Hercules pilot. He has also been involved in a number of humanitarian missions. Thank you for your service, Jack.   

Poem

Dib Morgan is a Queenslander from Condamine on the western Darling Downs. His poem 'Sir' is a vote of thanks to the men and women who have fought to defend the freedom that this country enjoys. Dib is determined to play his part in helping to preserve the ANZAC Spirit.

Sir - would it help if I shed a tear
I swear it’s the first time since this time last year
My spine is a tingle - my throat is all dry
As I stand to attention for all those who died

I watch the flag dancing half way down the pole
That damn bugle player sends chills to my soul
I feel the pride and the sorrow - there’s nothing the same
As standing to attention on ANZAC Day

So Sir - on behalf of the young and the free
Will you take a message when you finally do leave
To your mates that are lying from Tobruk to the Somme
The legend of your bravery will always live on

I’ve welcomed Olympians back to our shore
I’ve cheered baggy green caps and watched Wallabies score
But when I watch you marching (Sir) in that parade
I know these are the memories that never will fade

So Sir - on behalf of the young and the free
Will you take a message when you finally do leave
It’s the least we can do (Sir) to repay the debt
We’ll always remember you - Lest We Forget

Damian (Dib) Morgan 1998

Craig Cullen

Assistant Principal Middle Years

Congratulations to our Early Years families on the fabulous way you have supported your child’s remote learning by successfully navigating your way around the Canvas pages for years P-4. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly around the use of the videoed microlessons to facilitate explicit teaching. Students have appreciated seeing their teacher “in action”. We look forward to continuing our rollout of lessons in this manner and I am sure you will see continual refining of these practices as we respond to feedback from students.

Katrina Walton

Assistant Principal Early Years

We have featured lots of photos of our students learning at home but this week we would like to acknowledge and feature some of the amazing students who are conducting their remote learning at school. It is quite a challenge to remain focussed on individual remote learning whilst still in a classroom environment. The day looks very similar for those students who attend school but the situation with their online program is quite different. Everyone is working from a different point in their lessons and with various online sessions and open classrooms there is much distraction. These students are to be commended for their focus and effort in adapting to remote learning at school and we know that our School Officers and teachers are making every effort to help them through their day. Great work kids!

Last week we put out the call for students to submit photos of themselves in full uniform with their ANZAC Day tributes and we were overwhelmed with the response. Some of you may have already seen the collage on Facebook however we have randomly selected a few of the individual photos for you to enjoy and to also appreciate the effort of our students as they observed ANZAC Day in such a unique way. Many people have commented all across our great nation that this ANZAC Day was just as emotional if not, more emotional than ever before. We are proud of the manner in which our students took part.

Blessed Edmund Rice's feast day is 5 May. Edmund Rice established the Christian Brothers in Ireland. His religious order was one of the orders that founded St Mary's College (the highschool that unified with the primary school, St Columba's to form Our Lady of the Southern Cross College). Therefore, his legacy is significant to our College heritage. We are reminded of God's presence in all we do, our history and our future.