St Saviour's College Newsletter 2024 - Term 4 Week 6

Principal

Parent Engagement Network Family Fun Night

Last night, we shared our first ever Parent Engagement Network Family Fun Night. It was a very casual evening, a perfect balmy night to enjoy the company of our parents and students.

The brainchild of our PEN president and secretary and supported by the College Parent Engagement Network, the lighthearted barbeque was a chance to connect with other parents and family members while our kids played on the oval and danced the night away in front of the big screen to Just Dance.

It was a wonderful opportunity to appreciate just how special our College community is; kind, diverse, friendly, relaxed, welcoming. I enjoyed the opportunity to bring my own children, Harry and Charlotte, to the gathering and enjoyed the relaxed vibe. No speeches, no formality, just easy company and connection.

I would like to thank the College PEN, in particular Maria and Brian Morcom, Kevin Stapleton and Jacinta Obst, for their leadership in organising this event and I look forward to another successful year of the Parent Engagement Network in 2025.

Year 12 external exams

This week, Year 12 students will finish their external exams, signalling the last throes of their senior year. The class of 2024 has been an exceptional group, and I look forward to sharing their academic successes with you when final results and ATARs are released in December.

In the meantime, I would like to extend my congratulations to these incredible people for all their determination, focus and persistence over the past three weeks. Simply exceptional.

Staff professional goal setting celebrations

This week on Tuesday evening, all teaching staff gathered to share and celebrate their professional goals from 2024. As a staff, we have been diligently working towards unpacking the literacies of our subjects and teaching them explicitly in our classrooms. Staff shared their professional growth journeys across the year and celebrated such successes as:

• Improved student learning and growth in their subjects
• Improved engagement in their subjects
• Increased enrolment in elective subjects
• Improved Canvas user experience, including using quizzes to understand what students know and need to learn next to move forward in their learning.

Our teachers are an incredibly passionate and joyous group, committed to achieving excellent learning outcomes for our students. This celebration of all their achievements was a highlight of the term.

Jessica Wade
Principal

Deputy Principal - Teaching and Learning

Standardised testing 

This week, students in Years 7, 8, and 9 participated in standardised testing, an important annual process that enables us to assess student progress in reading, writing, and numeracy. The results from these tests provide valuable insights into areas of strength, affirming the effectiveness of our educational practices. Additionally, they highlight any gaps or areas that may need further attention in the upcoming year. This information is crucial for our staff as it helps identify students who may benefit from additional support to enhance their literacy and numeracy skills. We greatly value standardised testing as a tool that informs our understanding of each student’s needs and allows us to tailor our approach to ensure their continued growth and success. 

Year 12 external exams 

Year 12 external exams have come to an end this week, with students completing their mathematical methods exams on Friday. Our Year 12's were well prepared for these exams and were visibly calm as they completed each assessment. The dedication and hard work they put into their studies throughout the year truly shone through, reflecting their commitment to academic excellence. Many students expressed a sense of relief and accomplishment as they finished their final exams, eagerly looking forward to the next chapter in their educational journey. We are incredibly proud of their resilience and determination, and we wish them all the best as they await their results and prepare for the exciting opportunities that lie ahead. 

2024 awards ceremony 

The annual Year 7-11 awards ceremony is set to take place in our College hall on Thursday, 21 November, starting at 8.45am. This special event will honour and celebrate the remarkable achievements of our students across academics, sports, cultural activities, and community service. Parents of award recipients have been notified this week through the Sentral Parent Portal. We kindly ask that all attendees submit their RSVPs, as this will assist us in providing a delightful morning tea for everyone to enjoy. We look forward to celebrating the accomplishments of our talented students together! 

Eleighta Hannam
Deputy Principal

Assistant Principal - Wellbeing and Engagement

Recently the wellbeing team headed to Brisbane for professional development with internationally renowned Dr Ross Greene for his Collaborative and Proactive Solutions workshop. As a team we have been working intensively this year, to bring to life a wellbeing framework which ensures our students at St Saviour’s College thrive. Key messages from Dr Ross were that when students can, they will and as educators we need to not be late with intervention. It has given us much to consider as a wellbeing team on how we can support students, teachers and classrooms to ensure when students have skill deficits (not just curriculum but social and emotional skills) how we can assist in developing these skills allowing them to flourish in the classroom. It meshed very nicely with the work we have been doing with Marg Thorsborne around restorative practices and its place within our college community. Females thrive on relationships and, moving forward, this will be a common language and practice. It is important to develop in our students the understanding that sometimes relationships rupture, but it is important for us to repair the rupture and develop empathy for others. I found it exciting to read Linda Stade’s latest report that reinforced this: “Teaching kids to say sorry and repair relationships”. 

Thanks to the SRC for their efforts in showing appreciation for our teachers on World Teachers' Day earlier this month. The SRC had students coming in at break times to write personalised messages for every teacher and they organised a guard of honour to the lunchroom for teachers at first break so they could “take their hats off to teachers”, the theme for this World Teachers' Day. We are so lucky to have such wonderful teachers in our school!  

Thank you also to the SRC and our 2025 leaders for helping at the PEN Summer Celebration with selling lollies and soft drinks and leading the entertainment.   

Upcoming events 

21 November: After the awards ceremony we will be doing our annual Running of the Inspirational Female Colour Run. For students to participate, we ask that they bring old clothes, preferably white, as they will not be allowed to run in their formal uniform due to the colour staining. It’s always a wonderful afternoon and we encourage students to bring a towel and a change of clothes to leave school in. Stay tuned to see who our 2025 inspirational female is! 

22 November: We are excited to collate the data and celebrate those students who have been doing, as Catherine McAuley would say, ‘the ordinary, extraordinarily well’.  For those who qualify to go on the Dreamworld trip, letters will go home early in Week 7.  There will be a $20 cost for this trip to help cover the cost of the bus. For those who do not make the yearly trip but meet the Term 4 criteria, there will be a smaller merit trip with a picnic in the park.   

Megan Schulze
Assistant Principal - Wellbeing and Engagement

Assistant Principal - Mission and Identity

Important dates for next year

Mark your calendars! We have finalised the key dates for the upcoming year.

To stay updated with all events and important dates, please refer to our full Sentral Calendar. 2025 Parent Portal Calendar - Term View - Calendars

Term dates | 2025

Term 1 | Wednesday, 29 January 2025 - Thursday, 3 April 2025 | 10 weeks

Term 2 | Wednesday, 23 April 2025 - Thursday, 26 June 2025 | 10 weeks

Term 3 | Tuesday, 15 July 2025 - Thursday, 18 September 2025 | 10 weeks

Term 4 | Wednesday, 8 October 2025 - Wednesday, 3 December 2025 | 9 weeks

Pupil free days and public holidays 2025

• Monday, 27 January 2025 (Australia Day public holiday)
• Tuesday, 28 January 2025 (pupil free day - staff professional development)
• Friday, 28 March 2025 (Toowoomba Show public holiday)
• Friday, 18 Apil 2025 (Easter Friday public holiday)
• Monday, 21 April 2025 (Easter Monday public holiday)
• Tuesday, 22 April 2025 (pupil free day - staff professional development)
• Friday, 25 April 2025 (ANZAC Day public holiday)
• Monday, 5 May 2025 (Labour Day public holiday)
• Monday, 14 July 2025 (pupil free day - staff professional development)
• Friday, 1 August 2025 (pupil free day - Bishop's Inservice Day)
• Friday, 5 September 2025 (pupil free day - staff professional development)
• Monday, 6 October 2025 (King's Birthday public holiday)

Vinnies Christmas Appeal: your help is needed

This holiday season, we are launching our Vinnies Christmas Appeal to support those in need. Your generous donations can make a significant difference in the lives of many. Please see below how you can contribute to help us spread joy and hope.

Leah Dempster
Assistant Principal - Mission and Identity

From the Careers Centre

Career resources for parents 

Research shows that parents have the greatest influence in relation to post school decisions made by students  (Parents and guardians guide). This can be a lot of pressure in a world where labour market and skill requirements are ever changing. 

The Your Career Parents and guardians guide | Your Career provides further information to parents about various career options to discuss with your child.  

Here are some current facts that could be good talking points for these conversations: 

• The biggest projected employment growth area in Australia in the next 10 years is in the health care and social assistance, including careers in the nursing and care sectors (Employment Projections | Jobs and Skills Australia) 

• Presently in Toowoomba the top five occupations (largest employers) are sales assistants, aged and disabled carers and registered nurses (Jobs and Skills Atlas | Jobs and Skills Australia) 

• At a university level social work, IT, teacher education and tourism degrees have the highest university dropout rates (University dropout rates have risen to the highest level in a decade, with one in three trainee teachers and one in four nurses failing to graduate. | The Australian) 

• In the next 10 years, around 92 per cent of new jobs are expected to require post-secondary qualifications. About half this number will require a Bachelor degree and around half will require a VET qualification. (Employment projections for the decade ahead | Jobs and Skills Australia) 

• Artificial Intelligence is already changing the way many jobs are performed. AI is expected to replace some jobs which can be fully automated, such as cashiers. However, other occupations will use AI to assist in the delivery of services, for example, to read and interpret legal contracts (AI in Australia: how it’s changing our jobs and what that means for you | The Australian). Rather than fretting about impacts of AI, students can prepare for AI by recognising the skills they are already developing every day at school including communication, teamwork and critical thinking skills. Our students will need to be flexible in order to be prepared for their futures.  

There is always a pathway…. 

Careers education is closely linked with wellbeing in the sense that it is really about helping young people to learn about themselves and in the process to build a strong sense of themselves, build positive relationships and develop the ability to manage their own physical and mental wellbeing (Career Competencies 1 – 4 from the Australian Blueprint for Career Development).  

For many young people, awareness of the many and varied pathway options for them can help to manage their own wellbeing. Some of the many pathway opportunities we are supportive of at St Saviour’s include: 

• Undertaking a range of VET taster and certificate level courses

• Undertaking university HeadStart Courses: Head Start - University Courses For High School Students | UniSQ 

• Undertaking school based apprenticeships and traineeships 

• Undertaking tertiary preparation courses: UniPrep Pathway Program & Course | UniSQ  

• Undertaking work experience 

 QCWA student bursaries

QCWA Oakey Branch is offering four bursaries. Valued at $5000 for each year of study for a maximum of four years. Potential tertiary students from the Darling Downs region of Queensland are invited to apply. Applications are invited from students wishing to study either education, agricultural science or allied health care. This bursary is to be administered by the QCWA Oakey Branch and both male and female students are encouraged to apply. Find out more.

Louise Delahunty
Acting Career Development Practitioner

Sports news

Futsal  

With only a few rounds left to go in the Monday night futsal competition, the improvement that our students have made is fantastic. Our girls are starting to compete with some of the bigger schools and some of our results really reflect the hard work the students in the squad have been putting in during training and during our Wednesday sport time. Claire Eckersley and Ella-Brooke Folie have been excellent scoring weapons for the senior team.  I would encourage several of the students in the squad to think about next year’s school titles and trial for representative teams in 2025. A full wrap-up of results will be available in Week 8.  

Rugby 7s  

Currently sitting seventh on the ladder, our girls recorded their first win of the competition last week. Ava Anderson stood out, scoring four tries as the girls overcame a 10-nil deficit to finish winners 25 -10 against Mary Mackillop College. The girls will travel to the Toowoomba Sports ground on Thursday, 7 November to play finals games and this will also be part of the Australian women’s team visiting Toowoomba.  A full wrap of the final series will be available in Week 8.  

Wednesday touch  

Currently sitting fourth in pool B, The SSC rebels team continues to improve and develop an understanding for the game. After a rainy season, the girls have started to find a rhythm and will look to continue their winning ways each Wednesday night until the end of term.  

Sports uniform returns  

Please return all sporting uniforms that are on loan to students. The only outstanding uniforms that students would have is if they are involved in Rugby 7s, touch football or futsal. Parents, the College asks that you speak with your students about returning any outstanding sports uniforms.  

Student achievements  

Year 9 student Georgia Denny recently competed in at the Under 16 state championship squad for hockey. She was selected as part of a larger squad who will trial in February, and if selected she will represent Queensland in a national tournament in April 2025. Congratulations Georgia and best of luck with your trial early next year. 

HPE uniform 

Students are reminded that to get the best outcomes within your Health and Physical Education studies you must apply the appropriate uniform. This includes making sure you have the right equipment to participate in the running, jumping and movement activities within the subject area. Students should use their planners and speak with their HPE teachers if they are unsure, however the standard expectation is that students should have their sports uniform for any double lesson in HPE.  

2025 sports calendar  

The 2025 sports calendar is currently being updated and confirmed with various stakeholders from both the region and QSSR. The latest copy of the calendar will appear in the Week 8 newsletter. Please note that this is subject to change, but it should give an overview of representative sport trials and their venues and the locations of various state championships in 2025. If you would like more information, please contact the sports office.  

Greg Leathart
Curriculum Leader Sport and HPE

Arts and Performance news

Saviour’s Sisters Performance Choir: Christmas preparations in full swing 

As the holiday season approaches, the Saviour’s Sisters Performance Choir is busily preparing for our upcoming Christmas performances. The choir, known for its harmonious melodies and festive spirit, is excited to bring joy and cheer to the community. 

Our first major event of the season will be at the Grand Central CBD Tree Lighting on Thursday, 14 November. This magical evening will feature two performances by our talented choir at 5.00pm and 7.30pm. We invite everyone to come and support our choir as they fill the air with beautiful Christmas carols and holiday classics. 

Parents of choir students are reminded to please grant permission for this event through the Parent Portal. Your support and cooperation are greatly appreciated as we ensure a smooth and successful performance. 

Join us for an evening of music, lights, and festive fun. Let’s make this Christmas season unforgettable with the Saviour’s Sisters Performance Choir!  

College rock band shines at assembly 

Our St Saviour’s College rock band recently wowed the audience at our assembly with a stunning rendition of “Time After Time.” The band, featuring Sophie Moore on vocals, Lacey Neighbour on bass guitar, Dhriti Shah on drums, and Abi Allan on guitar and backing vocals, delivered a performance that left everyone in awe. 

This talented group of musicians, all new members this year, has been working tirelessly to learn and polish their repertoire. Their dedication and hard work were evident in their flawless performance, which was met with enthusiastic applause from students and staff alike. 

We are excited to announce that the rock band will be performing again at our upcoming Academic Awards ceremony. We look forward to another fantastic performance and encourage everyone to come and support our talented musicians. 

Jennifer Potter
Program Leader Arts and Performance

From the Business Manager

Neil Street traffic

Our new Neil Street school crossing attendants have been doing a great job to help ensure the safety of students crossing the road. To assist in keeping students safe, please avoid carrying out manoeuvres that can contribute to traffic congestion or pose a danger to students and staff. This includes stopping on the road to pick up or drop off students rather than pulling into a park, doing u-turns in Neil Street, or moving at speed along Neil Street and through carparks.

The police will have a presence to help ensure the smooth flow of traffic.

Year 9 laptops

As per our letter sent to parents and children on 18 October, all Year 9 students must return their laptop and charger to the College by 29 November 2024, or the last day of attendance if students leave the College earlier. Please ensure the letter is signed and returned to the College by 15 November 2024.

Library News

All resources to be returned before the end of term 

The one time of year everything must be back. There is no borrowing over the Christmas break as we would like all resources returned to their home in the library so they can be checked over and audited for the year. 

Overdue and recall notices are being sent out and will continue through the remainder of the term to remind students to return all their resources. Students can access what they have out through our Library Web App – please encourage your child to check what they have borrowed that must be returned. Go to the link, and sign in using the Single Sign-on (SSO) blue button.  

Stay tuned in upcoming newsletters for activities to keep yourselves reading over the Christmas break. 

Historic newsletter piece: 

As we come to the end of the year, I thought it was a great time to reflect on the importance of comics and graphic novels. These are great motivators for reading and can engage with various readers. What a great idea for a Christmas present too! You can find so many different types of comics and graphic novels today, from the classic superhero ones to true stories done in graphic form, Japanese manga and more. Pick up one and have a go and in the meantime, have a read (or re-read) of their importance below. 

Webinar: Engaging reluctant readers with comics and graphic novels 

I recently watched a webinar with the renowned Professor Stephen Krashen discussing the role of comics and graphic novels in reading. He has some fantastic points about engaging students with comics, especially as a conduit to establishing a reading culture, drawing on his reluctance to read when he was young. He discussed how comics were his way into reading, and he has never looked back since. He discussed the readability age of comics and how they are often higher than a lot of books. That in a number of the superhero comics there are descriptions of science concepts and terminology for example in Marvel The End #1 “…this device apparently caused sub-atomic particle dissociation, reducing us to proto-matter, …” (Starlin & Milgrom, 2003). Professor Krashen also mentioned how Desmond Tutu read comics and engaged with reading in this manner. 

Following on from Professor Krashen was Iurgi Urrutia who is the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) graphic novels and comics convenor. He discussed his journey as a refuser – a person who outrightly refuses to read. It wasn’t that he couldn’t read but he made the conscious decision not to read. He mentioned that it was comic books that engaged his interest and from that moment he became a ‘reading monster’. In this, he discussed the importance of role modelling and the ability to read freely with no judgement. Iurgi made the connection between the library being a space where this can happen, especially as it provides free access and expert advice. He also made the connection between comics and literacy: 

• Good for struggling and advanced readers 
• Multimodal (multiple literacies)
• Examples of concise and efficient writing
• Higher memory retention
• Involves: aural/symbolic, linguistic, visual, gestural, and spatial aspects for students to engage through 

It was a great webinar and very relevant when our school libraries are working to engage students in reading. This continues to make clear: 

• Reading for pleasure is an important skill and past time to engage in
• Comics and graphic novels have their place in engaging readers and improving literacy
• School libraries are important facets of a student’s life at school, both for academic and life long learning 

New resources

New resources are still available at the moment – come in and check out what is on display. Check the images below to see what is new in our library.  

Don’t forget: write your suggestions and put them in the box on the front counter so we know here in the library what resources you would like to see available for borrowing. 

Senior (Years 10-12)

Biography

Fantasy

Graphic

Humorous

Mystery

Science Fiction

Supernatural

Picture book

Non Fiction

What's happening in the library?

As Halloween closes at the end of October, here are some images of students enjoying our activities and movies that we played during this time.  

Now, our Library moves into November – a time of remembering, a time of acknowledgement and a time of commemoration. Our school has a vital role in educating our students about the sacrifices soldiers made and why we must remember this. Our school library has some simple activities to support our students in remembering our soldiers at this time of the year. 

“By educating students about this history, they can develop a deeper understanding of these world events with the hope of maintaining a peaceful future.” Retrieved from https://www.softlinkint.com/blog/commemorating-our-veterans/  

Monday, 11 November 2024 marks the anniversary of the Armistice that ended fighting with Germany in World War I.

Every year at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, millions around the world pause in silence to remember the sacrifices many have made so we can enjoy life today.  

Lest We Forget 

Our Library display to commemorate this day: 

Remembrance Day from RSL Queensland And RSL Australia

Stay safe and keep reading.

Andrea King
Teacher Librarian