Current Newsletter - St Eugene Catholic College Burpengary

TERM ONE, WEEK 4
19TH FEBRUARY, 2015
Dates to Remember:
Sunday, 22nd
February
P&F Welcome Mass
and Family Fun
Morning
Reflection
“I invite all of the institutions of the world, the
Church, each of us, as one single human family, to
give a voice to all of those who suffer silently from
hunger, so that this voice becomes a roar which can
shake the world.”
Wednesday, 4th March
OP Information
Evening
The countdown is on!
There is only 150
days until our 25th
anniversary celebrations begin!
Make sure you mark
Saturday, 18th July in
your calendars!
Station Road
PO Box 598
Burpengary Q 4505
P: 07 3491 4600
F: 07 3888 5151
E: pburpengary
@bne.catholic.edu.au
www.steugene.qld.edu.au
ABSENTEE LINE:
3491 4646
Pope Francis, launch of the Caritas International ‘Food for all’
Campaign, 2013.
From the Leadership Team
Dear St Eugene Community
I have learned this week that the college has had in the past a
“No enrolment refused and no student removed” position,
under the Oblate charism and ideals. Such statements are
idealistic and like any values position, carries conflicting
demands that clash with competing ideals and practices. When
a beauty queen wins her crown and states that her goal is to
‘end all wars’ or ‘to feed the hungry in the world’, she is
expressing a noble sentiment that is easier said than done. To
refuse no one and to ask no one to leave has ramifications that
can sometimes do more harm than good. The oblates also
demanded high standards and discipline from those benefiting
from their work. My own position and that of the new
leadership team, is that the moral dilemmas and ethical
decisions associated with such a position are difficult and rarely
black and white. Do we prioritise the good of the individual
over the good of the majority? This is quite an ethical dilemma!
Burford (2005) makes a distinction between a moral choice
and an ethical choice. A moral choice is one where the
individual perceives that there is a clear decision between right
or wrong; an ethical choice is where the individual perceives
that there may be two or more rights, or two or more wrongs, in
making a decision.
Ethical decision making such as this, to enroll of not enroll…to
exclude or not exclude, is more likely to be problematic for
leaders than moral decision making for several reasons. Firstly,
the information presented to us is often more complex than the
moral choice. Secondly, these complexities stem from many
parties being involved in the decision often with differing needs
and viewpoints. Thirdly, it is difficult at times for leaders to be
aware of their own personal biases, yet others may see these
clearly. Fourthly, at times it is difficult in high stakes
environments for leaders to be able to forecast and predict the
future consequences of their actions which is an essential
component of ethical decision making.
In the risky world of educational leadership all who belong to a
community need to be able to trust their leaders. According to
Branson (2005), this means they should be able to rely on their
leaders decision making processes and have confidence in the
leader’s actions and hope the leader will safeguard their future.
A community requires a consistent, somewhat predictable, and
ultimately trustworthy leader. To aide you in this predictability, I
can state clearly that my ethical decisions are based on what
decision will produce the greatest good? What would have the
largest positive impact on the majority of students and
families?
Kind regards
JIM MIDGLEY
PRINCIPAL
Just one thing note
Last week all families received a notice
form the P&F titled Just one thing. It was
a plea to consider assisting with just one
community contribution to the life of the
College community. I thought it was well
written and appropriate opportunity for
families to nominate an event to assist at
or any minor way they could help out
during the year. It would be really appreciated if you could
locate that note in the bottom of the school bag and fill out and
return it to the P&F through school.
Parish / College Fair
I know the fair is not for another 6 months,
however the P&F are starting to plan already.
One event that requires forward thinking is
the major art union raffle. A large number of
prizes will be in the draw. We are currently
arranging for the printing of the tickets. In
the past we have purchased the prizes which obviously limits the
profitability of the exercise. This year we are hoping to have a dozen
or more significant prizes. I’m writing to see if any business owners
or generous parents have the desire or the contacts to contribute to
the prize list? It would be great if you could contact me with any
suggestions.
Welcome Back BBQ
This Sunday after mass commencing around 10.30am, the P&F will
run the annual Welcome Back BBQ. What a wonderful opportunity
for new families to meet and for experienced families to celebrate
the start of the school year. I understand games are organised for
the students and that a free sausage sizzle is provided. Please
RSVP as requested elsewhere in the newsletter. I look forward to
meeting you there.
Grade 8 Camp success
I spent last Thursday evening with a tremendous bunch of students
and staff at the grade 8 camp. Students participated enthusiastically and made a good impression for the start of the school year.
Thanks to Tegan Parry and her team for the time and effort that
went into this important culture and character building few days.
Opening mass and leadership presentations
Thanks to the great crowd who attended the start of year mass.
Peter, Alison and Ali did a great job and I found it to be a very
rewarding spiritual experience. I am very confident that the new
student leaders will set a fine example in community leadership this
year.
Parent Teacher night
Thanks to all families who managed to find time to attend the parent teacher night presentations. I was most impressed with the details shared in class meetings and especially the work of the Year
level co-coordinators in middle and senior years.
Maximising learning time during the school day
While we would encourage families to
make necessary appointments after
school hours we understand that this is
not always possible. In the case where you
need to collect your student during school
hours we ask that you:
1. Write a note or make a note in the student’s diary explaining why they are leaving and exactly what time they
are required to leave;
2. The note is to be shown by the student to their teacher –
the PC or class teacher in the morning and the teacher
whose class they are in at the time of departure; and
3. Meet your student at Student Services at the agreed
time.
It is imperative that students understand their responsibility in these
rare occasions when they have to leave the school for an appointment. Showing teachers the note and making sure that they are at
Student Services at the agreed time is their responsibility. We thank
you for your cooperation in this matter and in working with us to
minimise interruptions to the learning day.
College News
MIDDLE YEARS NEWS
APRE NEWS
Making Learning Visible – Celebrating Academic Excellence
At the Year 6-12 Assembly this week we celebrated outstanding academic achievement and
improvement from the end of Semester 2, 2014.
I would like to congratulate the sixty-one students
who received an Outstanding Academic Achievement Award which is earned by achieving an ‘A’
grading in 50% or more of their subjects. Another
44 students received an Outstanding Academic Improvement
Award – a new award at St Eugene – which is awarded to students
who showed significant improvement across their subjects between Semester 1 and Semester 2. At St Eugene College we place
high value on setting learning goals and working with persistence
to improve.
Ash Wednesday
The season of Lent began this week with Ash
Wednesday. This also marks the beginning of
the annual Caritas Australia Project Compassion appeal. This year’s Project Compassion
stories focus on the ways in which Caritas
Australia is working around the world to empower vulnerable people to establish sustainable food sources and develop income
streams for life. Your donations to Project
Compassion allow Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, to work towards a more just and
fair world, where the basic human right for food is met and sustained.
I have no doubt that a number of students who didn’t receive
awards worked very hard last year to achieve personal bests.
Other students know that they have room for improvement and
should see 2015 as a fresh start. I took the opportunity at assembly to remind all students that their number one occupation at the
moment is that of full time student. Between being at school and
study time, learning should be taking up the majority of their working week. To be an effective learner requires a sense of curiosity,
a great deal of persistence and a desire for feedback. I told the
students that their responsibility as learners is to know what they
are learning (that is, what is the learning intention); to understand
how they are progressing with that learning and how to keep moving forward. If students don’t know the intention of a lesson; activity or set homework they should ask the teacher. Teachers take
their responsibility to plan for learning very professionally – it is
their full time occupation.
Thank you to all who supported our Caritas Café on Shrove Tuesday. All funds raised supported Project Compassion. Donations
may also be made online via the website at www.caritas.org.au/
projectcompassion. Please put your compassion into action this
Lent by supporting Project Compassion 2015.
Please follow up with your student with regard to the goals they
have set for themselves for this term, semester and year. The
more specific a goal is, the better. Check if they have developed a
study timetable – one that fits in their extra-curricular activities
and some leisure time. Assessment schedules are now complete
and have been shared with students. These can be found on the
college website. If any student would like assistance to develop a
study planner they can receive help from staff by letting their PC
teacher know. Being a successful learner requires effort and organisation. I look forward to celebrating many more academic
achievements as the year progresses.
MARISA DANN - P-12 HEAD (MIDDLE YEARS)
House Spirit Points
As part of trying to encourage House Spirit amongst the students,
St Eugene has an annual House Spirit Competition. There are
various events that students can get involved in for each house to
pick up points. The two main ones so far this year has been the
war cry battle in preparation for the swimming carnival and house
attendance at the Swimming Carnival. The points to date are:
Dunlea
Mitchell
Ryan
Carroll
300
125
150
175
There are two Discos coming up in a few weeks and participation
in these also comes with House Spirit Points, so make sure you
encourage your child to come along, have some fun and pick up
some points for their House.
LOUISE OLLEY - ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL (MIDDLE YEARS)
BUD Music Ministry
BUD (Believe Understand & Do) Music ministry was formed to enable younger members of
the Parish to participate in the ministries for
the celebration of Mass. Presently the focus is
mainly on the participation in the music ministry for the 5.00pm on the first Sunday of the
Month at St Eugene Church Burpengary.
Practice is generally held on the 1st Sunday of the month starting
at 4.00pm prior to the Mass. St Eugene College students who are
interested in participating in BUD Music Ministry (singing or playing an instrument) may contact Sharon Flux Ph: 3888 1768 email:
[email protected]. The next BUD Mass is on Sunday 1 st
March at St Eugene Church Burpengary. Practice begins at
4.00pm for the 5.00pm Mass. If you are interested in joining us
you are very welcome to turn up for the practice at St Eugene
Church at 4.00pm on Sunday 1st March. There is also an optional
practice for the March Mass this Saturday 21st at 2.00pm.
P&F Welcome Mass and Family Fun Morning
All St Eugene families are invited to our P&F Welcome Mass, commencing at 9:30 am on Sunday 22 February. Mass will be celebrated in St Eugene de Mazenod Church, Springfield Drive. Family
Fun with games and sausage sizzle will follow.
College Mass each Tuesday
There is a mass held in St Eugene Church every Tuesday morning
during school term time at 7:30 for students, families and staff of
St Eugene College. The Saint Mary MacKillop Chapel is always
open during office hours for private prayer. Everyone is welcome.
Junior Assemblies
We welcome families to our junior assemblies. The class listed
below indicates the particular class leading prayer at each assembly. They will take place on the following dates:
24 February
3 March
17 March
25 March
5 Gold
5 White
5 Blue
4 Gold
ALISON BATES (P-12 APRE – JUNIOR/MIDDLE YEARS)
College News
OP INFORMATION EVENING
JUNIOR YEARS
The Parent information evening on OP
Scores, how they are calculated and their
significance will now be held in Wednesday
4th March not on Wednesday 25th February
as is in the College calendar.
YOURTUTOR WEEKLY TIP #4
Quick Tips for Parents: Can’t find a tutor? With ‘yourtutor’, the
best come to you, in seconds.
Parents always ask “Really? In seconds? How?” From 3pm–
11pm, the best of the best experts are available online, ready for
tricky or frustrating homework questions. Students must apply
their own critical thinking, expertly guided by the professional
tutors online. The college is providing access to ‘yourtutor’ to help
with after hours study, for confidence, support for parents, and
learning improvement. Students from years 6-12 have received
activation codes. Activate now at: yourtutor.com.au/start. Once
activated, you can log in whenever you have a question. From
3pm—10pm, Sunday to Friday.
PAT BEGGS - P-12 AP (SENIOR YEARS)
CONGRATULATIONS
Dermot Fritsch (Yr 11) was recently selected in the
U16 Queensland Bandits Baseball Team. The team
played in the U16 National Youth Championship in
Sydney in January. The Bandits finished with a
bronze medal and Dermot was awarded the Golden
Glove Trophy (fielding award).
STUDENTS OF THE WEEK
16th February, 2015
Congratulations to the following students for their fine efforts:
Bailey Sumner
Prep White
Gabriella Schmidt
Prep White
Ally Broad
Prep Gold
Charlotte Olsen
Prep Gold
Isaac Dunsdon
Prep Blue
Jonathan Jackson
1 White
Tahlia Morris
1 White
Teagan Sullivan
1 Gold
Sonny Gatfield
1 Gold
Cayleb Bourke
1 Blue
Oscar Donaldson
1 Blue
Isabella Schmidt
2 White
Dominique McLaren
2 Gold
Katie Shields
2 Blue
Byron Disley
2 Blue
Khiana Morris
3 Blue
Ella Aldridge
3 Blue
Malachi Robie
3 White
Saige Carey
3 White
Reise Beil
3 White
Emilee Quinn
3 Gold
Jessica Lane
4 Blue
Ethan Buckley
4 Blue
Carys Lavia
4 White
Thomas Tatkovic
4 Gold
Isabelle Gonano
4 Gold
Mark O’Brien
4 Navy
Hunter Casey
5 Blue
Caiden Delaney
5 Blue
Zac Whelan
5 White
Brock McIlwaine
5 Gold
Emma Humber
5 Gold
College News
SPORTS NEWS
LIBRARY NEWS
Sports Stars
District Swimming: Last Wednesday night 4 of our students swam at the Caboolture District Primary School
trials, Riley Fiorin from year 6 was a standout placing
second in backstroke and butterfly, third in freestyle
and fifth in breaststroke. Unfortunately his times were
not fast enough to put him through to the next level.
Year 4 student Lachlan Grace placed fourth in breaststroke and sixth in freestyle. Other swimmers Carys
Lavia and Harrison Brown also competed well swimming some
personal best times. These students should be very proud of their
efforts. It was wonderful to be there to see them compete.
Ten minutes of reading to your
child (of all ages) a day is the best
investment you will make in your
child’s future. With older students,
you would more likely share a book
or read it together modelling the
importance you place on reading. Secondary students need
encouragement to continue their reading habits and sometimes
Ebooks are more enticing. Keep involved and support their reading,
no
matter
your
child’s
age.
Go
to
www.tenminutesaday.com.au for some helpful ideas. Remember,
the greatest gift you can give your children is a love of reading
and books.
District Softball: At the 12 year old girls softball trials last week
three of our girls were successful in making the Caboolture District
team. Kiera Waters, Jade Allan and Bree Ryan will compete as part
of that team at the Sunshine Coast Regional Trials in March.
Congratulations girls, well done and good luck.
District Trials: Please see Mrs. Collier if you are interested in
attending any of the following trials.
10 & 11 Years Girls Softball Trials
Where: Caboolture East State School,
44 Manley St. Caboolture.
When: Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th February, 3:45pm –
5:00pm
What:
Running shoes, hat/cap, water bottle, glove
Who:
Girls who are turning 10 & 11 years old
10 & 11 Years Boys Rugby League Trials
Where: St. Eugene College
When: Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th March, 3:45pm –
5:15pm
What:
Jersey, shorts, socks, footy boots, protective gear and a
water bottle
12 Years Boys AFL Trials
Where: Caboolture East State School,
44 Manley St. Caboolture.
When: Thursday 26th February, 3:30pm – 4:45pm
What:
Boots, water bottle.
Who:
Boys who are turning 11 & 12 years old
Running Club
Training is starting for those keen to get fit for
cross country. All students are welcome to join
in on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8am
to 8:20am.
Please wear suitable clothing and bring your
uniform to get changed into. We will meet on the
junior oval at 8am and I look forward to seeing
lots of enthusiastic runners there!
MRS. COLLIER - JUNIOR SPORTS CO-ORDINATOR
World Book Online
WBO will make research so much easier for all our students doing
research assignments. There are 5 levels of text in Ebooks and
encyclopaedia articles, catering for Preps to University levels. It is
accessible to all our students, staff and families and can be used
at school or home at any hour. Plus it has the facility to “read text
aloud” for all levels. It also includes short videos for most topics.
Older students will find the APA referencing information provided
for each article at the bottom of the screen enabling them to do a
copy and paste into their Bibliography.
Log-in Details:
http://www.worldbookonline.com/
User ID: stec (school use); steh (home use)
Password: s4505
Having WBO so readily accessible could save many students
much time and effort.
Burpengary Library Author Visit- Suitable for 8-16 year olds
Discover the inspiration behind Tristan Bancks’
hilarious My Life series and his acclaimed novel Two
Wolves. Find out how your life can be turned into
funny and interesting stories and get all your tricky
writing questions answered. Hang out, be inspired,
share stories and writing experiences with Tristan.
Chat about everything creative and pick up useful
writing and filmmaking tips. Hang out with Tristan: Thursday 26
March Burpengary Library 3.30pm. Bookings are required.
WEP Student Exchange Information Session
18 February 2015 / 6:30-8pm
Lake Kawana Community Centre
114 Sportsmans Parade, Bokarina
Phone: 1300 884 733
Email: [email protected] Online: http://www.wep.org.au
WEP Australia is a not-for-profit student exchange organisation
registered with the QLD Education Department. Every year, WEP
facilitates secondary exchange programs for motivated students,
wishing to learn about different cultures and ways of living.
Student exchange allows secondary students to live with a carefully selected, volunteer host family and attend school with the
locals. It's an exciting adventure from which students return with
memories and skills for life!
Cont/...
College News
LIBRARY NEWS CONT...
ADMIN NEWS cont..
Stephen Boucher
UNIFORM NEWS
Hi and welcome back! Late we know, but this is the first chance
we've had to say hello as it is just starting to slow down in here
and we can take a breath.
The College’s adopted and much-loved
veteran was recently awarded a
“Meritorious Medal” by the RSL of
Australia for services rendered. Amongst
all the commendations was listed “Youth
Activities- Stephen has been the
adopted veteran at St Eugene College at
Burpengary for over 20 years. They take
great pleasure in having him attend
functions at the school and for him to
tell his stories.” Congratulations Steve,
thank you for all that you have done and
given our school community over the
many years and we hope to continue our strong links with you.
Steve can be found at local shopping centres around Anzac Day
and Remembrance Day selling RSL memorabilia.
Chess Tuition
For all ages and experience levels continues every Tuesday from
3:15-4:15pm in the library. Costs for the remainder of this term
are $70.
Interschool Chess Tournament
An interschool tournament for Yrs 7-12 will be held on March 3 at
Churchie, South Brisbane, and March 12th at Nundah State School
for Prep-Yr 6.
We will travel together on the bus for a full day of chess playing.
Any interested students need to leave their names at the library,
now.
JANICE CHILCOTT—TEACHER/LIBRARIAN
PARENTS AND FRIENDS NEWS
Our annual Welcome Back BBQ is on this Sunday 22nd February
2015. A great day will be had, with the P&F donating a sausage
sizzle, ice block, drinks and great games...see the back of the
newsletter for more exciting information!
ADMIN NEWS
Please be advised that all advertised Board Meetings, including
Finance, have been postponed until Term 2.
FREE SKOOLBAG APP FOR MOBILES
Did you know that our College has our
own Skoolbag iPhone and Android
App to help us communicate more
effectively with our Parent/Student community. We invite parents
and students to install the Skoolbag School App as soon as possible to begin to access its benefits for free!
Installing the app is very easy, just search for our school name "St
Eugene College Burpengary" in either the Apple App Store, or
Google Play Store or go to
http://www.steugene.qld.edu.au/documents/skoolbagParentInstr
uctions for a list of instructions to commence using this free service.
Firstly we would like to sincerely thank everybody who made
uniform appointments and kept it all running smoothly with their
attendance. Remember, from around August onwards, keep an
eye on the newsletters for try-on dates for 2016.
Apologies for the delay of certain sizes of socks. All orders will be
sent to classrooms as soon as they arrive . We also have some
winter stock available now if you would like to purchase early this
year.
FLEXISCHOOLS (www.flexischools.com.au) is still a fantastic and
easy way to order. Please keep in mind delivery to class is
currently 3 days at this stage. The items will be placed in your
child’s teacher’s pigeon hole for distribution.
Monday, Wednesday & Friday
8.00am to 10.00am
Tuesday & Thursday
2.00pm to 4.00pm
Kind Regards
ANGELIQUE—UNIFORM CONVENOR
TUCKSHOP NEWS
Next Week’s Roster commencing 23rd February:
Monday
HELPER NEEDED
Tuesday
HELPER NEEDED
Wednesday
HELPER NEEDED
Thursday
Leiza Dunlop & Leanne Camerlengo
Friday
Leone Keen & Melissa Robertson
As you can see, we are in urgent need of volunteers for the tuckshop! Even if it is just for an
hour or so when you drop your child to school,
any assistance will be gratefully accepted. If you
could be of any assistance please contact me
at: [email protected] or through
the office on 3491 4600.
The tuckshop menu is available on the college website:
www.steugene.qld.edu.au.
A reminder that tuckshop vouchers are no longer available from
Finance.
Remember the easiest way you can order is online at
www.flexischools.com.au. Follow the instructions online, and your
child’s order will be printed at the tuckshop and delivered to their
class for children in grades 1 to 5. Children in grades 6 to 12
who order on flexischools need to pick their order up from the
senior tuckshop.
PAULA PORTER - TUCKSHOP CONVENOR
Updated Tuckshop Menu
College News
PLEASE COME AND JOIN US THIS SUNDAY...
22nd