St Saviour's College Newsletter 2023 - Term 3 Week 4

Principal

Shaping our Future Survey

As a part of our commitment to renewal, St Saviour’s College as part of the Toowoomba Catholic Schools (TCS), we want to make sure every student and staff member feels that they belong, are valued and can succeed. The ‘Shaping our Future’ survey provides valuable feedback from staff, students and parents to inform us on what we do well and where we could strive for improvement.

I urge you, if you have not already done so, to check your emails and complete the survey that would have been sent out to you on 17 July. The title of the email is ‘Shaping our Future’. The survey takes around 15 minutes to complete and the information you provide is confidential, so your honesty is appreciated.

The survey closes this Sunday evening 6 August.

Catholic Education Week

Last week, was a great celebration for our College as we joined the other 312 Catholic Schools across Queensland in celebrating the gift that Catholic education is not only to our College, but the lives of the many it influences. We celebrated the theme of ‘Communities of Faith, Hope and Love’, and celebrated each theme with activities throughout that week.

The week culminated in the celebration of the Grandparents’ Day Mass on Thursday – a beautiful Mass celebrated by Fr Ray Crowley and organised by Mrs Schulze and Mrs Rasmussen and the Year 11 R&E students. This was followed by the presentation of the Spirit of Catholic Education Awards to:

Rianne Caggauauan – Year 7

Poppy Diesing – Year 8

Abbi Jones – Year 9

Maleta Cowley – Year 10

Alison Douglas – Year 11

Holly Anderson – Year 12

Kym Stewart – staff

Ann Young – staff

In addition, members of staff were recognised for service to Catholic Education across many years. Congratulations Julieanne Rasmussen, Rod Hickey and Ann Young.

Congratulations to Boarding Manager, Ms Nicole Booth who was awarded the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Excellence Award in the ‘Teaching and Learning Support’ category. This award, presented annually, recognises excellence across the Toowoomba Catholic Schools network and this is a wonderful and well-deserved achievement.

St Saviour’s College is also a part of the winning E-Learning Team. Such a wonderful achievement made possible by the hard work of all our teachers.

On the Friday, all staff participated in Bishop’s Inservice Day, whereby staff gather in solidarity with schools and Colleges from across the diocese to engage in celebration, professional learning and Eucharist. “The keynote address by Maeve highlighted the multi-faceted and counter-cultural nature of our work, to be the bearers and role models of a life-giving message of hope and liberation to students. It was a joy to experience the high staff morale and firm commitment to our mission which is such a distinctive feature of our organisation” (Dr Pat Coughlan, Executive Director, Toowoomba Catholic Schools, 2023).

What a privilege it is to be a part of broader community of faith, hope and love.

Showcase

Showcase 2023 took place on Thursday night and it was nothing short of incredible. Congratulations to the Showcase team for their efforts in putting together such a wonderfully polished program, displaying the vast variety of talent that exists at our College across a range of different creative pursuits. I was so proud of our Mercy Girls who most certainly gave us performances to remember.

To our performers – our eternal gratitude. You are a credit to yourself in the way you threw yourselves into both your performances, media clips and the artworks on display.

To our incredible team – words aren’t enough – you are a gift to us. Ably led by Mrs Adele Sretenovic and supported by Mrs Wendy Collins, Ms Jo Stewart, Mrs Jen Potter, Ms Leah Dempster, Mrs Berni Gray, Ms Kara Jensen, Mr Rhody Nilon, Mr Jed Burley, Mrs Kim Benvenuti, Mrs Sue Justice, Mr Rod Hickey, Ms Harriette Spork and Fr Nathan Webb.

NAPLAN Growth

As you will see in Mrs Wade’s Deputy’s report, NAPLAN data has been released and our 2023 results are excellent. St Saviour’s College continues to grow from strength to strength across all domains and this is testament to the commitment of staff in engaging students in their learning, in ensuring success for all.

What always delights me is the ‘value add’ that we see in our Year 9 students, since they began with us in Year 7. These results are indicative of the fact that St Saviour’s is a College where we actively seek to foster the God-given potential of all, through quality learning and teaching.

Thank you most sincerely to Deputy Principal: Teaching and Learning and Year 7 - 9 Learning Leader, Ms Leah Dempster, for their work in with Curriculum Leaders and teachers in this space. Our girls are blessed to have the best!

Welcome Catherine

It was wonderful to finally welcome our very own statue of Catherine McAuley this week. She sits proudly at the base of the Ellen Whitty building, at the entrance of Student Services, as a reminder of our Mercy past. Many thanks to Ms Leah Dempster for her work in acquiring the beautiful piece of art, and to Business Manager, Mrs Xenia Taylor, and ground staff, Mr Warren Gardner and Mr Sam Templeton, for their work in finding and creating a home for Catherine. She is a welcomed addition to our College grounds, to commemorate 150 years of Mercy education on this site.

Blessings for the weeks ahead.

Sharon Collins
Principal

Deputy Principal

We are pleased to announce the release of the NAPLAN student reports, which were provided to parents via envelopes sent home in Week 3. 

As a College, we are thrilled to celebrate the incredible gains our students have made across all domains, with particular emphasis on spelling, grammar and punctuation, and reading. Furthermore, our numeracy results have reached the highest level in the past 10 years. 

It is noteworthy that our students have achieved above the state mean in 9 out of 10 domains: Wow! 

While acknowledging the importance of all NAPLAN domains, we take special pride in our students' achievements in reading. We consider reading to be a vital skill for accessing literacy across the curriculum and a significant predictor of success in subsequent years of schooling. In Year 7, an impressive 75% of our students are either exceeding or strong in the Reading domain, while in Year 9, 70% of our student body achieved the same level of proficiency. These remarkable achievements reflect the effectiveness of our precise, targeted reading program and the dedication of our teachers to implementing meaning-making strategies across all subjects. 

Lastly, although our numeracy results are the highest they have been in a decade, they still fall slightly below the state mean. Therefore, numeracy will remain a key focus for our College as we continue to strive for sustained improvement in this area. Our Curriculum Leader Mathematics and Science and our skilled Maths teachers are keen to work with you in supporting your daughter's continued improvement in numeracy. 

Congratulations to Uniprep Graduands

Congratulations to all students who have successfully completed the Uniprep Unit 1 course. 

In particular, we extend our congratulations to College Vice Captain, Abbey Crothers for achieving a remarkable High Distinction in Unit 1 of the UniSQ Uniprep course. Abbey's diligence, attention to detail, and unwavering commitment to her Uniprep studies have truly paid off. We would also like to acknowledge the outstanding accomplishments of Adolphine Nabine Buloze, Furaha Iranzi, Madisyn Green and Hannah Schubert, who have successfully completed Unit 1. Their remarkable ability to juggle senior schooling commitments while embarking on their university journey is truly commendable. We applaud their dedication and wish them continued success in their academic pursuits.

Maths Trust Competition 

We extend our warmest congratulations to all the girls who participated in the Australian Maths Trust competition. Their willingness to embrace challenges, push themselves beyond their comfort zones, and tackle complex problems is truly commendable. We admire their determination, resilience, and unwavering commitment to the pursuit of excellence. Their participation in this competition not only showcases their mathematical abilities, but also highlights their passion for learning and growth. 

Year 10 Setting Sail Conference

We are excited to announce the upcoming Year 10 Setting Sail Conference, a 3 day break away to the Gold Coast that offers a different camp concept: a conference-style experience.

This innovative approach will feature inspiring keynote speakers, thought-provoking guest speakers, engaging workshops, and interactive breakout sessions. 

The primary focus of the conference will be to empower students to discover their true selves and understand their unique strengths as they transition into the senior phase of learning. Additionally, the program will emphasise the importance of protective well-being strategies, equipping students with tools to safeguard and steady themselves for success in senior schooling and beyond. 

The conference promises to create a fun, collaborative, and positive retreat that combines both learning and leisure. We extend our incredible thanks to Mr Chris Grierson and Mrs Renee Hunter for their exceptional plenary work in the lead up to the conference. To ensure your daughter's participation, kindly remember to return all forms and complete the necessary Sentral permissions. Get ready for an unforgettable experience!

Subject Selections 

Thank you to all Year 8, 9 and 10 students who have selected their subjects this week. In the coming weeks, students in Year 10 will undertake set planning processes and subject allocations will be announced following this.

All Year 10s will progress to their Year 11 subjects from the beginning of Term Four, when Year 11 students will also begin their summative (Year 12) work. 

Year 11 and 12 Exam Block

General Subject students in Year 11 and 12 have a compulsory exam block running from Friday 1 September (Year 12s only) to Friday 8 September - Friday Week 8 and all of Week 9 of Term 3. Students who undertake General subjects and have exams, have the opportunity to study flexibly from home at times when they do not have exams. 

Students who undertake Applied subjects will attend school as usual, and their classes will continue to run as timetabled, as their subject syllabuses do not have the same exam requirements. 

The first draft of the Exam Timetable has been published to students this week. Please ensure all students know and understand their attendance at exams is mandated by QCAA. 

Assistant Principal - Mission and Student Wellbeing

Week 3 saw the Toowoomba Diocese, along with the other Queensland Dioceses, celebrate Catholic Education Week and the theme, “Communities of Faith, Hope and Love”.  As a College we focused on all aspects but in particular ‘Hope’, raising money for the St Vinnie’s Winter Appeal and their Sleepout that raises funds for people experiencing homelessness in Toowoomba.

While students enjoyed the Bishop’s Student Free Day, staff congregated with other staff from the Diocese at St Mary’s College to celebrate what makes our Catholic Schools distinctive in a time where many educational pursuits are available.

Megan Schulze
Assistant Principal - Mission and Student Wellbeing

New Uniform Supplier

We have a new uniform supplier, School Locker, who will commence in Term 4 with first day of trade being Tuesday 3 October. (Please see flyer below for more information)

School Locker is advertising a customer service position at our uniform store and members of our College community are welcome to apply. Please click on the following link:

Subject Support

Students needing support in Maths and Science are welcome to come along to the following sessions:

Sticks & Stones

As part of our Pastoral Care/Wellbeing Program, Brainstorm Productions presented their student wellbeing performance ‘Sticks & Stones’ for all Years 7 - 10. 'Sticks & Stones' is a live theatre experience that explores different forms of bullying and aggression, and encourages respect, assertiveness, and conflict resolution at school, at home and online. Students were challenged to consider the impact of their behaviour and develop strategies for managing emotions, seeking help, and building respectful relationships. This engaging theatrical experience used humour, soundscapes and physical theatre to capture our students' attention and inspire them to make positive changes. All issues were then unpacked in a post-performance Q&A. 

“The Brainstorm Production - "Sticks and Stones" was a great opportunity to reflect on the issues that some adolescents face daily regarding their mental well-being. It was a thought-provoking experience that allowed me to feel as though I shouldn't hide my emotions and I should speak up when in need. The actors in the production have done an incredible job in delivering an educational, engaging and insightful performance. Looking forward to seeing it next year!” Year 10 student – Elize Tom

“Sticks and Stones production was extremely informative. We learnt about mental abuse and how to control our anger through an entertaining two-person play.” Year 8 student – Clovelly Leonard

“Brainstorm Production gave a very powerful lesson on how to channel unnecessary anger, to deal with bullies and a lot more; in a fun way.” Year 7 student – Abigail Allan

Libary News

Harry Potter’s Birthday Celebrations!

What a great time had by all – from celebrating in “Diagon Alley”, students visiting “Flourish & Blotts” (a.k.a. the library)

… and then finishing in the afternoon with some rousing games of competitive SSC’s own Wizard Tournament! between the sports houses …

Winners to be announced in the next newsletter!

We also had some wonderful dress-ups by students and staff alike!

Book Week is nearly here… is your costume ready? READ, GROW, INSPIRE

Australian School Library Day August 23

“Libraries are made by people”

When
Australian School Library Day will be celebrated on the 23 August 2023, which is the Wednesday of Book Week – the day we have our dress-up and book quiz!

Why
The purpose of Australian School Library Day is to celebrate and highlight the glorious variety of things that your school library staff do - especially those things that may normally be ‘hidden’ from view but are so essential to the far-reaching web of impact that the school library has in your school.

What
Australian School Library Day is a day to highlight and celebrate school libraries.

Who
Everyone! It's the perfect opportunity to celebrate school libraries.

Retrieved from: https://studentsneedschoollibraries.org.au/asld/ 

Dress Up Day 23 August

Come dressed up with the theme “Read Grow Inspire” linked with a book character or author. Book Quiz in the afternoon with prizes for teams for best team name, 1^st through to 3^rd and more. 

Gold Coin donation to support Indigenous Literacy Foundation.

Costumes are to be school appropriate and sun safe.

There is no need to purchase a costume, we love costumes derived from what you already have in the closet at home. Any questions, see Mrs King in the library!

Andrea King
Teacher Librarian

From the Careers Centre

St Saviour’s College Careers and Employability Expo

Last week we saw over 20 exhibitors grace the Callaghan Centre to provide career information to students and parents in our inaugural Careers and Employability Expo. This was a chance for students to ask questions of local employers and explore courses with training providers and universities. There was much excitement as students imagined what their futures could be like and ground this in communication and networking skills which will serve them well into their futures. Positive feedback from students and exhibitors indicated that not only was this a successful event but that it has sparked curiosity in our students as they continue to explore what their senior schooling pathway may look like. We thank all of our exhibitors for their time and expertise.

University of Divinity – Study a Bachelor of Counselling

Ranked the #1 university in Australia for student experience (according to QILT 2022 SES National Report), the University of Divinity invites you to consider studying a Bachelor of Counselling in Brisbane in 2024.

SBA Vacancies

29/23 – Year 10 only: Certificate II in Supply Chain Operations at Reece Group, Toowoomba West. Applicants should be enthusiast with a great attitude, ability to follow instructions, well presented and a team player. The successful applicant will learn how to perform a range of tasks including: Customer service, processing sales, stock management, answering the phone to take messages and orders, communicating with customers and staff, and building product knowledge. One day per week and Saturday mornings. Apply online at https://reece.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/ReeceCareers/jobs/details/School-based-Traineeship---Plumbing-Toowoomba-West--Showroom-_R-00017804

Certificate II in Salon Assistant – Koyote Kuts (Closing date: 11 August 2023). Applicants should have great communication skills and a passion for hairdressing. The successful trainee’s duties may include greeting clients, scheduling appointments, drying hair to shape, washing clients’ hair, cleaning the salon and selling products and services. Applicants are to contact Heather on 0458 457 114. To arrange an interview.

Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care – Learning Pathways Child Care Centre and Kindergarten (Closing date: 4 August 2023). The successful applicant will learn how to perform a range of tasks including: support inclusion and diversity, support children’s health, safety and wellbeing, nurture babies and toddlers, work effectively in children’s education and care and support children to connect with the natural environment. Applicants are to email their resume to Director, Christy Gentz at hello@learningpathwayschildcare.com.au  or call 07 4638 1000 to arrange an interview / work experience.

Open Days

ACU | 2023 Open Days  (Saturday 26 August, 10.00am – 2.00pm). Open Day is the perfect opportunity to find out more about your study options, meet our friendly staff and students, and explore our campuses. Find out more

Chris Grierson
Career Development Practitioner

McAuley House Boarding News

Our very deserving Resilience Rockstars for this fortnight are Minnika Baird and Sophie Neil. Both girls consistently display resilience qualities such as "giving things a go and doing your best", "bouncing back after difficult times" and "being strong on the inside" along with being thoughtful, kind and respectful.  Congratulations, girls!

Our boarders were lucky enough to have a trip to the Gabba for the Broncos vs Roosters footy game. We also got to watch part of the women's game beforehand. There was much excitement on the day with an early departure from school before taking the bus and a train to get there. This is a favourite excursion for the girls and it was a great night. A big thank you to Miss Christie for organising this and to Miss Jodi, Miss Narelle and Miss Peru for going with the girls.  

We also enjoyed another excursion to Queen Mary Falls. These gorgeous falls are located south of Warwick, close to the NSW border. The weather was perfect and we were able to do the bush walk from the top of the falls all the way to the bottom before enjoying a BBQ lunch and some relaxing time outdoors. Feeding the parrots was a highlight of the day for many of the girls ... they were delighted to be able to hand feed them. Thanks to Miss Nicole for organising this. 

We strive to have a great balance of education, social and spiritual time for our boarders. We continue to encourage our girls to engage and strive for success in their studies while at school and with our usual after school study time. This is an opportunity for homework and assessments to be completed with supervisors present to help where needed. It's been a great start to Term 3. 

Nicole Booth
Boarding Manager

Blood Drive 2023

Every drop counts. Can we count on you?

From 1 August to 31 October, St Saviour's College will be supporting Australian Red Cross Lifeblood’s annual QLD & NSW Schools Blood Drive and we’re encouraging all eligible members of our school community aged 18+ to roll up their sleeves and donate.   

Can we count you in?

Every week across our nation, Lifeblood needs to collect 33,000 donations to support patient healthcare needs.  Australia’s donors are lifesavers, they’re indispensable and inspirational. However, with winter colds and flu having an impact, many regular donors are feeling unwell and are unable to donate. That’s where people from St Saviour's College come in!  If you haven’t donated for a while or if you’ve never donated and are keen to give it a try – Lifeblood is counting on you to help fill the gaps.

By giving together, our College can make a difference.

Schools are at the heart of our communities, they bring people together, foster connection and support others when they need it most.  And this Blood Drive is the perfect opportunity for our school to do just that! 

To be eligible to donate you need to be aged 18+ and feeling healthy and well on the day of your donation.  You can check if you’re able to donate by taking the online Lifeblood Blood Eligibility Quiz.  Blood can be given every 12 weeks, while plasma can be given more often – helping even more people. 

And because this is a Blood Drive, hundreds of schools across Queensland and New South Wales will join together as we aim to give 1,000 donations, which have the potential to save up to 3,000 lives.

You can see our school’s donation tally at any time on the Blood Drive landing page.

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3 to count yourself in.

So, whether you’ve been giving blood for decades or you’ve just started thinking about it, now is the perfect time to start, and it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.

1. Join St Saviour’s College's Lifeblood Team
2. Register as a donor.
3. Book your life-giving donation.

You can learn more by visiting the Lifeblood website or if you need help please get in touch with Kerri Prentice: kerri.prentice@twb.catholic.edu.au or phone 4637 1600.

Remember, every drop counts - and we’d love to count you in!

My First Speech Competition

The House of Representatives has announced the national My First Speech competition for year 10 to 12 students across Australia.

This competition will provide the opportunity for three lucky students to be flown to Canberra with a parent or guardian to present their speeches live and undertake a program at Parliament House.

The competition asks year 10 to 12 students to consider what they would say if they were a newly elected Member of the House of Representatives and record themselves presenting the speech on video.

A website has been established for the competition at: www.aph.gov.au/myfirstspeech

Entries for the competition close at 5pm EST 11 August 2023.

For more information on the competition contact the House of Representatives, Information Management Office, email: comps.reps@aph.gov.au

This competition is a wonderful way for our next generation of community leaders to have a say in our national parliament.