It is such a wonderful feeling to have our full complement of students back.  Even though we are aware that there is more to be done in overcoming the impact of the pandemic, and there will be further operational impact upon schools, the presence of students lets us get back to our core business.  

The transition to and from online learning has provided a lot of really useful lessons for us all.  I have been fascinated by it.  My brother-in-law teaches at an all-girls Catholic school in Brisbane, and one comment he made to me early in the term has kept ringing in my head.   Talking about the significant progress that some of his quieter students were making in the online learning world, he said, 'Some of these kids have got more attention in the last two weeks than they had in the previous ten'.  Before he took the plunge and married my lovely sister, my brother-in-law was a player alongside me in the first team squad at Reading RFC in the UK.  He lives how he played; assured, no-nonsense, direct and never one to mince words.  This wasn't an exaggeration.  I've actually never known him to exaggerate. 

It is a pattern that our data showed as well.  There was varied engagement with digital learning - but our information has highlighted children for whom the quiet digital space provided a perfect interactive platform for great progress.  Certainly, there was a flip side of this!  There were some children who, without the strong interaction of the classroom and the guidance of routine found learning very hard.  

What causes such a discrepancy?

There is a wonderful book by former lawyer Susan Cain call 'Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking'.  In this, Cain talks about the societal pressures that create incentives for extroverted behaviours.   Conversely, introverted people have at times found themselves alienated in a type of unusual blame culture, where genuine introversion is seen as asocial or antisocial behaviour, positive contributions are overlooked or underplayed and outgoing personality types are praised more as a result of their presence rather than the substance of what they contribute.  You can see a neat summary of her ideas here.  (Interesting fact: my wife curated this video!)

Classrooms are social melting pots.  All personality types are present, and one really central duty of the teacher is ensuring that every voice is authentically heard.  This can at times be a challenge, but online learning flattened the playing field.  I would never propose that all schools should maintain a purely digital learning platform.  The classroom is the key place where learning takes place, and interactivity is central to that being embedded.  What this time has shown me as a Principal though is that when we have the tools to really listen to our students we can be pleasantly surprised by what we hear.  

We will be maintaining many elements of the online learning platforms as we move forward beyond Covid.  These will complement the outstanding teaching that is happening in our classrooms and provide a strong platform of support for all of our students.

Thank you so much for the way that you have supported us and continue to support.  

Chris Gabbett

Principal

We are excited to launch our new Scholarship and Bursary program!

As we grow, it becomes even more important that our students are positive, engaged and resilient learners, who can make a positive contribution to our College culture and our mission.

We are interested in hearing from students who would like to apply for a scholarship to attend Mary MacKillop Catholic College. We are particularly interested in recruiting young men and women with strength of character and a positive outlook. Through our Wellbeing program we are consciously building a College community that is mentally healthy, confident and resilient, and we want students to apply who will both contribute to and benefit from that culture.

Students currently enrolled and attending Mary MacKillop Catholic College have the opportunity to apply for the General Excellence Scholarship, Sporting Excellence Scholarship or the Academic Bursary.

General Excellence

The General Excellence Scholarship is open to new and existing students, for commencement in Years 7, 10 or 11. This scholarship offers a discount on the tuition portion of fees for a set scholarship term.

Sporting Excellence

The Sporting Excellence Scholarship is open to both new and existing students of the College, commencing in Years 4 to 11. This scholarship offers a discount on the tuition portion of fees for a set scholarship term.

Bursaries

The Academic Bursary offers full tuition fee relief only for a three-year period for existing students at the year level entry points of Years 4, 7 and 10. Additional levies still apply.

For more information and how to apply, please visit Scholarship & Bursary Opportunities.

Greetings community and friends,

As College Captains we would like to welcome you back to the restart of the 2020 school year! We would like to thank everyone for being respectful during these times and in following the recommended advice and social isolating. We would like to thank the students for their wonderful participation in all the classes and activities given to you by your teachers, and especially thank the teachers, parents and the school for helping us all reach our full potential during this time. We are both very excited to see everyone back at school shortly and hope we can continue transforming 2020 into an amazing year!

Have a wonderful week,

Caitlin Lang & Connor McKerrow

The Tuckshop has a new Winter Warmer Menu!  The new menu is now available on a two week rotating menu with two options each day of the week.  All the old favourites are still available plus some new yummy winter options like Savoury Mince Rolls, Curried Sausages and Rice and everyone's favourite, Mac and Cheese!  Please see the attached menu for more details.

Winter Warmer Tuckshop Menu

Week one commences 1st June for Week 7 of Term 2.

Please note: Sushi will not be available for the remainder of the term.

Please order via Flexischools before 8:15 am.  Alternatively the Tuckshop now has EFTPOS!  Students can drop by the Tuckshop, order and pay by EFTPOS on the day.

We hope you enjoy the new items our Tuckshop has to offer.  We value your feedback, so please send any comments to highfields@twb.catholic.edu.au.  We'd love to hear from you!

Coronavirus-related disruption has given us pause to rethink the way we deliver the curriculum. Technology has stepped into the breach, and will continue to play a key role in educating future generations, where knowledge is a mouse-click away

Not since World War II have so many countries around the world seen schools go into lockdown at around the same time and for the same reason. While we know that the impact of this virus will be far-reaching, what might it mean in the longer term for education?

In the midst of this COVID-19 crisis, as educators we are wondering what we need to be preparing our students for in the future. According to a Dell Technologies report, 85% of the jobs in 2030 that Generation Z and Alpha will enter into have not been invented yet. According to this World Economic Forum report, 65% of primary-school children today will be working in job types that do not exist yet. (World Economic Forum)

The COVID-19 crisis may well change our world and our global outlook and therefore change the way we teach, to be able to better prepare our young learners for what the future might hold.

COVID-19 is a pandemic that illustrates how globally interconnected we are – there is no longer such a thing as isolated issues and actions. Successful people in the coming decades need to be able to understand this interrelatedness and navigate across boundaries to leverage their differences and work in a globally collaborative way.

In this ever-changing global environment, young people require resilience and adaptability – skills that are proving to be essential to navigate effectively through this pandemic. Looking into the future, some of the most important skills that employers will be looking for will be creativity, communication and collaboration, alongside empathy and emotional intelligence; and being able to work across demographic lines of differences to harness the power of the collective through effective teamwork. (World Economic Forum)

Our teachers have been compelled to harness and utilise a suite of available technological tools to create content for online learning. As a result, our teachers are experiencing new possibilities to do things differently and with greater flexibility resulting in potential benefits in accessibility to education for students. These are new modes of instruction that have previously been largely untapped particularly in the P-6 space.

It is an exciting period of change to be experiencing.

Mrs Natalie Adler

Assistant Principal Teaching & Learning: Junior

Last week, the results of our Year 12 students came back from Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA). This is part of a new process where teachers mark the student works and submit it to QCAA for checking. The majority of the allocated marks by our teachers were agreed to by QCAA. There was only one subject which was not agreed to; however, the difference in marks was very minor indeed. This is a tremendous outcome given this is the first time going through the process. Some of our results were outstanding:

• Biology: 9/10
• Chemistry: 9/10 and 8/10
• English: 24/25
• Physics: 9/10 and 8/10
• SOR: 22/25
• Mathematical Methods: 16/20

Being a young Senior School, we are constantly faced with the question, ‘Can you deliver academic outcomes in Year 12?’ The above results demonstrate that teachers have a strong understanding of the syllabus requirements and can deliver quality teaching and learning experiences that allow students to achieve outstanding academic results. As a Senior School, we will continue to develop, improve and grow.

Finally, thanks to our parent community for your continued support and encouragement during online learning. This week, we received a food platter from one of our parents from the College to acknowledge the hard work of the teachers during this challenging time. The kind gesture meant a lot to the teachers.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding curriculum, subject options, career pathways, ATAR or traineeships.

Mr Kris Naiker

Assistant Principal Teaching & Learning - Senior

Once we learnt about possible closures for schools towards the end of Term 2 we decided, as an English team, to rearrange the order of the units we were studying so we could provide students with content that is easily accessible and conducive to online learning. As a result, students in Years 7 – 10 embarked on their novel study at the beginning of Term 2. I’ve previously discussed the importance of reading, and reading aloud, and the events that have unfolded opened the door for our students to engage with their novel in a way they previously might not have. All English teachers have been very impressed with the engagement shown by students in their classes and their application to the set work. They have stressed how students have developed their application of generic features of specific writing styles as the term progressed, through their diligent approach to engaging with the feedback provided by their teacher.

The novels studied from Year 7 – 10 have been carefully selected and are quite progressive in nature. We chose novels which expose students to real-life events and incorporate a strong message, whilst ensuring they align with ACARA guidelines. The novels also allow for some excellent cross-curricular opportunities, especially with Religion and History. We strive to delve into the topics and events in each novel and open our students’ eyes to the hardships, prejudice and injustice that many people around the world face on a daily basis. The application of the Catholic Social Teachings underpins our approach, especially The Common Good and the Dignity of the Human Person.

Extension reading suggestions were provided to students across year levels. If your child found the novel, or content interesting, encourage them to approach their teacher for further suggestions or ideas for texts to read which will help to develop their understanding of the content studied this term.

Year 11 and 12 students remained focused during their time away from the College and returned with renewed vigour and enthusiasm for their persuasive speeches which occur over the next couple of weeks. Both units are based on the representation of concepts, identities, places and times in the media, with Year 12 students focusing specifically on events in the media in the past 12 months. They had plenty to explore during their time away as Covid19 took over the media. Year 11 students moved onto their novel study this week as we begin The Great Gatsby, while the Essential English students embark on The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. Year 12 students have a break from assessment until the eternal exam so we have ample time to dig our claws into my favourite text, Macbeth over the coming weeks. The Year 12 Essential students continue their preparation for their next assessment as their explore representations of Australian social groups in The Merger and a variety of other popular culture texts.

Christopher Bracken

Director of English and Literacy

The Feast of the Ascension was last Sunday.  The gospel of Matthew reflects the quote and theme "I am with you always".  The disciples at the time when Jesus ascended to heaven were left wondering how they would cope without him for the second time (the first being his death on Good Friday).   The Ascension is a time to remember that Jesus has left the Earth as a human but is still ever present in spirit.  At this time with Covid 19, we are trying to stay present with family, friends and colleagues while still maintaining social distancing.  People have been really creative in ways to stay connected.  Why not try this weekend, sending a message to someone who you haven't had contact for a period of time; having a Zoom get-together; cuppa from one driveway to another, just to say that you are thinking of them and that you are with them always, is a great way to show how present you are to them.  

This Sunday, we celebrate Pentecost.  Here are some facts:

• it is celebrated fifty days since Easter
• ten days after Ascension
• it is a Jewish celebration for the fruits of the early harvest
• it is known as the birthday of the church
• this is the start of the large-scale spread of the gospel 'good news'
• its liturgical colour is red and it is symbolised with tongues of fire. 
• it is connected to life today with the sacrament of Confirmation - receiving of the Holy Spirit

And continuing on with our theme of 'I am with you always', this was the next way for Jesus to show the apostles that he was ever present to them as they had gathered for the Jewish festival but they were still living with some fear with Jesus not physically present.  This gift of the Holy Spirit gave them the new courage to be witnesses and to go out into the world spreading the gospel message but also healing people.  And so it brings me to ask this question - How can we make a connection to this in our current situation?  How do we know that Jesus is with us - ever present? 

I was reminded recently when a Facebook feed shared a story about a man and his deep faith.  The story goes like this... A priest one day noticed as he was walking through the church, this man coming in.  He was untidy, his hair and beard were very unkept, frayed edges on his coat, rips in his pants, shoes falling apart, carrying a small lunch bag. The man came in knelt in front of the altar for a moment and then left.  The next day the same thing happened again, about noon.  After a week, the Priest decided he would approach the man to find out why he came and only stayed for a short time.  The man replied "It is the only time I can come to the church and talk to my friend as I work at the factory and this is my lunchtime.  By the time I walk here I then have to return to work."  The priest questioned further, "But you only stay for such a short time and you never talk to anyone here?"  The man replied, "I come to talk to my friend.  I say 'God, it is Ben.  I give you my day and ask for forgiveness for the things that I have not been so good at.  I thank you for your friendship. Amen.'  The man said that he needed to leave otherwise he would be late to work.  After his departure, the priest knelt in front of the altar and spoke to God in the same way as Ben had.  He truly felt a change.  A peacefulness.  A connection that he had never felt before.  And so, this continued until one day the Priest noticed that Ben had not been in for a few days.  He made inquiries at the factory where he was informed that Ben was very sick and in hospital.  The priest immediately went to visit him as the nurses had mentioned that there had been no visitors.  Ben was pleased to see the priest.  The priest raised his concern of the lack of visitors to which Ben replied that he was all good.  His friend visited him everyday at noon."  The priest was bewildered as the nurses had said there had been no visitors.  So the priest asked, "Who visits you?"  "God comes to see me at noon everyday."  And so I am reminded of the theme - "I am with you always".

National Reconciliation Week - "In this together" 

"National Reconciliation Week celebrates and builds on the respectful relationships shared by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians. It is a week for us to acknowledge the past, celebrate the world's oldest living cultures and be proactive in creating a strong equitable future together.  Let’s learn about our shared past, work to reconcile and heal wounds, work for fairness and justice and to create a shared future where all voices are heard. Educators of course play a huge role in this – as testified to by these two famous quotes -

‘Education is the most powerful weapon there is to change the world.’ Nelson Mandela

‘Be the change you want to see in the world.’ Ghandi"   (Taken from work compiled by Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office on Canvas for teachers.)

These two quotes say it all and I challenge you to listen and gain a greater understanding of the indigenous people of Australia so that we can move forward as part of the reconciliation.  I leave you with two videos - one about the indigenous seasons of the year and the other a song "We are one" sung in an aboriginal language.   Happy NRW!

Mary MacKilllop saw a need and sent her Sisters to indigenous communities to set up schools, of which many of which are still operating today.  There are still sisters who work with the indigenous people of our communities, as they continue to serve the Josephite way.  How can we be like Mary MacKillop and her sisters, in seeing a need and doing something genuinely about it?  Like all communities, no matter where it is, it is all about relationships.  And so, during this week consider how you are able to build a relationship with some others in your community?    

Remember, 'I am with you always'!

Yours in God's forgiving grace

Paula O'RourkeAPRE

In an article titled “This Changes Everything” by Dr Peter Mudge (2020), a Senior Lecturer in Religious Education and Spirituality, Mudge suggests that a pandemic such as COVID-19 invites us to depart from surface living and calls us to ‘live larger’. If our life is made up of little things, it is no longer very satisfying. According to Mudge, people are looking for a larger beauty and a larger sense of life – an opportunity to think and serve beyond themselves. Importantly, the author asks the question: “How can [COVID-19] connect [us] to the disadvantaged and vulnerable in [our] community?

As the restrictions around COVD-19 begin to lift, the opportunities for mission and service will increase. I encourage students to get involved when various social justice and service initiatives arise. Live out the vision of your College and serve others with your hearts and hands. Take the advice of Dr Peter Mudge and live larger!

In Week 4, I wrote about cultivating an attitude of gratitude. In the prayer journaling tasks that week, students were asked to share an image or a sentence explaining who or what they are grateful for. Some students in the Senior College wrote: “I'm grateful for the opportunity to walk my dog more often”; “I am grateful for the beautiful nature that we are able to be a part of and enjoy”; and, “I am grateful for my dad serving the country”. There were many photos shared of pets and nature—also relevant given the recent anniversary of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si encyclical, which urges Catholics to care for our common home. Thank you to the students across the College who shared their gratitude.

Another way to cultivate an attitude of gratitude is to encourage generosity and to take some time out of our own day to do something for others. This generosity was evident in the actions of the students and staff in our College community who took the time last week to bake biscuits for Rosies – Friends on the Street. On Friday May 15, Fay and Jim Stein from the Darling Downs branch of Rosies, visited Mary MacKillop Catholic College to collect an assortment of homemade biscuits for their patrons. Fay and Jim were overwhelmed by our students’ generosity—some 700 biscuits, packed in bundles of three or four—were donated. Their gratitude was evident in the email that Fay and Jim later sent to the College:

We were absolutely thrilled and humbled when we arrived back at the Rosies’ room and unpacked the beautiful biscuits you have gifted for our patrons…thank you to each and every one who took the time to participate in creating and baking the biscuits, which will show our patrons how much others care. Your thoughtfulness and kindness will touch every one of them and, as their gratitude is often verbally expressed, we now pass that on to you.

Baking for Rosies

We are hoping to show this same kindness again in Week 7. Students who contributed in Week 5 are welcome to bake again; however, we also welcome other students and their families who would like to provide some home-baked biscuits for Rosies. Jim and Fay will collect the biscuits on Friday, 5 June, so we ask please that all biscuit donations are delivered to the Senior or Junior Offices by 3:30pm Thursday, 4 June.

There are specific guidelines for packaging that need to be adhered to. If you are interested in baking for Rosie’s, please contact myself (leisa.radley@twb.catholic.edu.au) or Paula O’Rourke (paula.orourke@twb.catholic.edu.au) and we will send you the requirements.

Leisa Radley

Director of Formation

Our Technologies teachers have been hard at work throughout this term exploring new and innovative ways to embed technologies into the classroom.  Senior school students that have already returned to classes have been eager to re-engage with our workshop to learn and create.  Not only are students creating for their own learning but for the good of our school community (as can be seen in the photo below of Lawson Smith welding a cross that will be mounted in our outdoor chapel).  From 3D printed fishing lures to cast resin jewellery, laser cut images transferred to wood, trailer fabrication and welding, it is certain that our students are exploring all that technologies has to offer. 

Be sure to look for our Toowoomba Hospital Foundation 'Pop Up Pallets' pallet furniture entry at Grand Central Shopping Centre later this year.

Ryan Cavanough 

Director of Learning (Science, Technologies, Health and Physical Education)

Wednesday, 27 May marked the 20th anniversary of National Simultaneous Storytime.

This promotional event features the simultaneous reading of a picture book written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator.

The event aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children's book that explores age-appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6.

 Whitney and Britney: Chicken Divas, written and illustrated by Lucinda Gifford, was selected as this year's book.

Usually, we would welcome staff from Highfields Library to the College on this day to perform an interactive version of the story for Prep, Years 1, 2 and 3 students.

This year our celebrations took on a more cosy experience with classroom teachers and myself sharing the story and some activities with individual classes. While our numbers may have been small, the enjoyment that the children experienced from the book reading and the story discussion was still large.

The classrooms are full, Uluru and Billabong are a hive of activity, and our play areas are filled with games, laughing and friendships! It has been a truly wonderful week having students back at the College. Students have transitioned exceptionally well and this has been well supported by our parent body- particularly with morning drop off. A positive drop off to school each day, sets your child up for a positive day of learning. Thank you to everyone who has supported in these transitions this week.

Classroom Check-Ins

All children in Prep through to Year 6 have had class visits from our College Counsellors as part of our 'Return to School' Wellbeing plan. Through connecting with every class, we have been able to provide appropriate check ins for every child, along with a forum for children to discuss the positives and challenges of Online learning and Covid-19. All children have also been provided with strategies for managing  emotions. I invite you to talk to your child/ren about the class visit from Jasmin and Khara. 

Positive Learning Behaviour

The positive learning behaviour for week 7 is a 'heart' behaviour. It is for children in all primary year levels. It was also presented at our online assembly this morning by our Junior Cultural Leader, Gabby Voll.

Take pride in your school work

It was a privilege to present ribbons to students who have received 7 Joey Points from their positive learning behaviours. When students earn a Joey point in class, they also receive a point for their house.

Keep up the positive approach to your learning everyone!

Ms Bridget Rillie

Assistant Principal Wellbeing - Junior

Although the reality of the Coronavirus is ongoing, we are all experiencing various levels of transition at home and now at school. Whilst many children may be excited at the prospect of lockdown restrictions being lifted, others may feel mixed emotions. Each child’s reaction will differ depending on how well they cope with stress and change.As we adjust to new routines, keeping a check on our child's mental health and wellbeing will be vitally important. Encourage them to focus on the things they enjoy and value in order for them to remain motivated and ensure their sense of belonging.

Here at school this week it has felt like we are repeating Week 1 of the school year. Teachers have re-established expectations, established baseline data of where students in their class are at and worked hard at developing routine and consistency. All of these things offer stability and familiarity, which are very important in this time of transition. 

All young people will currently be looking at the adults in their life for a sense of balance and to see how we are coping with this transition. Therefore, it is important that we display resilience and adaptability to set the tone for our child(ren).

Here are some tips to help your child(ren) transition back to school

• Encourage them to focus on what they can control
• Ask them how they feel
• Acknowledge and validate their feelings
• Reassure them that it is normal to have some level of apprehension about this term
• Encourage them to come up with ideas and strategies to overcome their concerns
• Focus on the things they enjoy and value about school
• Provide as much information as possible
• Consider good habits that started during the lockdown and how they could be transferred into the school routine
• Maintain contact with teachers and work with the school to support your child

"One thing is certain, the ‘new normal’ will continue to evolve beyond the transition back to school, and there will be enduring benefits. By placing student wellbeing at the centre of the transition we ensure that collectively we focus on our young learners getting back to school effectively". Professor Donna Pendergast Dean and Head of the School of Education and Professional Studies Griffith University.

Sean Albion

Assistant Principal Wellbeing Senior

Over the past few weeks, we have been welcomed into every classroom across the Junior school – from Prep to Year 6. This has provided us an opportunity to create connections with all students (reconnecting with some), and to create a supportive space to openly discuss their experiences with online learning and the re-adjustment to normal schooling. In each class, we spent time hearing from students who wished to share about their experiences and supported all students to recognise their experiences as varied, but also similar, providing an important underlying message that they are not alone in their experience. We took time to validate varied emotions, whether pleasant or unpleasant, and normalising all feelings as okay; however acknowledging at times emotions can be experienced as overwhelming (i.e., too big), and which then can distract us or get in the way of the things we need to do or the person we want to be. For the remainder of our in-class wellbeing sessions we focused on learning some specific strategies that are particularly helpful for calming big feelings.

• Ocean Waves or Wave Breathing. In this strategy you take some time to take long and slow in-breaths and out-breaths, while covering your ears with your hands, kind of like putting a shell up to your ear and listening to the waves rolling back and forth to the shore. This strategy is particularly useful as it incorporates breath awareness, slow and deep breathing, alongside imagery that is most often associated with pleasant and calm feelings.
• Rocks and Socks. The more formal name of this strategy is ‘progressive muscle relaxation’. However, for students we taught them the technique of making tense, tight fists as if their fists were solid, indestructible rocks; and then after a short time (e.g., count to 5) they let go, and relax their muscles as if they turned into floppy, dangling socks. We tried this first with our hand muscles, and then with our shoulder muscles, and discussed other areas that may benefit from experiencing the relaxation that can result in the body and mind when muscles are progressively tensed and then relaxed.
• Grounding with the senses. We also spoke with the older grades about the ‘grounding’ technique of mindfully paying attention with our senses to the here and now. A simple version of this technique is to pause and notice 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear and 3 things you can feel. This strategy is helpful to bring the mind to rest and be grounded in the present moment, shifting away from often unhelpful thoughts that are linked to a past or future focus.

For Prep and Year 1 the above techniques were similarly taught with the Mindful Monsters ‘Inhaling Izzy’ and ‘Tensing Taylor’, alongside other Mindful Monsters including Grateful Greta and also Accepting Alex; who knows all of his feelings are important and okay!

The students were also tasked with the challenge of teaching their favourite strategy to someone at home. You too may now have experience with one of these strategies! Practicing these as a family is a great opportunity to not only model the use of these adaptive coping strategies, but acknowledges that everyone can benefit from taking time to calm their mind and body.

Dr Jasmin Slack-Smith & Mrs Khara Saunders

College Guidance Counsellors

Leadership is one the 24-character strengths and when expressed, empowers us to support others to be their best and to make things happen! Character strengths are the positive parts of our personality that impact how we think, feel and behave.

Character strengths are possessed in different degrees and contribute to each person’s unique character strengths profile. These can be underused, optimally used, or overused. When optimally used, leadership enables us to provide a positive vision or message that inspires others who feel empowered and perhaps even inspired. We support others to be their best.

We have been working with the Year 11 and 12 students to reflect on their character strength of leadership; to identify how this can be strengthened and optimally used at school to empower, support, and inspire the MMCC culture. The students have engaged well in this discussion, acknowledging their capacity to support the younger students to feel connected and empowered to be their best.

We had a number of internal guest speakers attend a recent Get Skill’d session to share what leadership means to them and what characteristics they believed effective leaders expressed. Mrs Rillie, Mr Naiker, and Ms Radley were very engaging speakers, as they empowered and inspired our emerging leaders.

As parents and caregivers, we can adopt a strength-based approach to parenting and be mindful of our own character strength profile, working to optimally use our own leadership strength. Our children and those in our care often look to us for inspiration and empowerment. At times they need us to lead them toward their best self and to help them achieve what needs to be done. Importantly, we need to lead by example.

Brene Brown speaks to the ideas of embracing our vulnerability and being courageous. This is what we have asked the Year 11 and 12 students to do with the view to inspiring younger students. You may have also heard the recent podcast where these students volunteered their time in support of you and your children, offering tips to support the return to school this week. As parents and caregivers, we can support our children to strengthen these qualities – to show up, to learn, and to inspire! Empowering our children to share both stories of struggle and strength, and modeling this in our home, is helpful. Everyone has strengths and everyone has weaknesses – or growth areas. Having weaknesses doesn’t mean you’re unworthy; it means you’re normal!

Strength spotting and intentionally identifying, labelling, and sharing examples of times when our children have expressed specific strengths is reinforcing. Notice not only those that come naturally, but those that are in development or progressing, and appear to be energising for your child. Focusing on your child’s strengths fosters the positive, engaged mood that enhances attention, assists them to internalise these strengths, and to feel confident in their capacity to take charge of their experience.

Attending to the positive and helping our children to build their strengths helps them to thrive!

Dr Jasmin Slack-Smith and Mrs Khara Saunders

College Guidance Counsellors

Choir

There will be no choir rehearsals this term at the college. I am hopeful that we will be able to resume next term. In the meantime I will continue to upload some repertoire in the Teams choir files.

Music Lessons in the Junior School

Why singing?

1. Your voice is a free instrument that is very portable.
2. We are all born with a voice.
3. When students are not singing they are still surrounded by sound which they can internalise.
4. Singing is absolutely fundamental to the ability to hear in your head that which you are about to play on your instrument (whatever that instrument may be).
5. Singing stimulates the vegus nerve. Increasing the tone of the vegus nerve enables our bodies to relax faster after experiencing stress.

Year Two Music

This term we are starting to learn the proper names of some notes on the treble staff. The students are busy practicing Row Row Row Your Boat so that we can sing it as a canon. A canon is where we are performing the same song but starting at different times (currently the students are singing first while I start the song after). We have some wonderful singers in the year 2 cohort who are being a big help in this process.

Instrumental Music

It is wonderful to have instrumental music lessons back at school. Please contact your teacher if you have any questions about lesson times. Social distancing and safe hygiene practices will be adhered to at all times.

“My child wants to quit music Lessons.”

Help your child take control

Learning music is challenging but must be rewarding. Given lack of progress is a leading reason for stopping lessons, it is vital, particularly for teenagers, that they develop agency as musicians.

Examples of fostering agency include:

• encouraging them to select some of the music they play
• giving them space and encouragement to compose their own music
• allowing them to choose where, when and with whom they play
• valuing a learning journey that explores a breadth of repertoire, rather than repertoire of ever-increasing difficulty
• letting them take responsibility for their learning.

This last point might mean parents gradually let go of monitoring practice. An interim step is for a parent to offer to help keep the teenager accountable.

I know you often practise at 7pm […] would you like me to ask you how it’s going or remind you if it seems you’ve forgotten?

Competing interests represents a leading cause for stopping music tuition. The transition to high school is a pressure point in this regard.

Susan Fredline
Music Teacher

susan.fredline@twb.catholic.edu.au

Congratulations go to Jaymee Suliman who took out a 1st place overall for the state in the most recent ASX Sharemarket Competition.  This national comp sees over 17,000 students compete to make the largest profit on an initial $50,000.  In under 2 months, Jaymee turned her $50,000 of game currency into over $104,000.  Impressive given the downturn in our share-market and the increased volatility seen in markets globally. 

Jaymee took up the challenge as an extra-curricular activity during the period of online learning and had no idea the success she'd had in the competition.  Weighing up the current global situation, Jaymee chose AfterPay and Fischer & Paykel Health stocks as two companies she thought would do well, buying in at a bargain price and cashing in at the perfect time. 

For her success Jaymee will receive $400 in prize-money to use as she see fit.  Hopefully it will be invested wisely!

We have a large supply of second hand uniforms available for families.  These are giveaway and there is no criteria to access them.  They are currently stored at the Senior Admin Building, so stop by if there's something you need.  Please see the attached list of items available.

Second Hand Uniform List

Kirsty Gillett 

Business Manager