8 June 2020

Principal’s Reflection

One of our Shalom students, who is not of European descent, sent me an email last week after sharing a conversation about racism –

Hello Mr McMahon,

I hope you have had a pleasant evening.

After coming home from school today, I was thinking a bit about what we talked about during lunch, and I realised that I forgot to mention something.

Yesterday, I was at the shops with my mum, and while we were there, a little girl came up to me. I think she was around grade one or two, and she ran up to me and hugged my legs. I knelt down and she looked at me and said “I don’t want you to die because you’re a different colour than me”. Sir, I don’t think I can actually explain what I felt like at that moment. To hear someone so innocent and young say something like that was just mind blowing for me.

I didn’t know whether to be worried that people so young are worrying about what’s going on, or be inspired by the fact that younger kids are fighting for this cause. I think I was a bit of both. It definitely gave me hope, that there’s love and kindness even in the smallest of things and during the hardest of times.

I also wanted to apologise for getting emotional this afternoon. I didn’t expect everything to have that much of an effect on me, but it just became so real and it really hit hard.

The conversation that led to that email was one I had last week with a lot of our students who are either Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders or Students for whom English is not their first language. I wanted to touch base with them and assure them of this community’s commitment to standing beside them in the face of any racism they might experience. Happily, it does not seem that they encounter examples of racism very often at Shalom. That said, it would be hard not be profoundly impacted by the events that have taken place in the United States over the last ten days and the marches that have taken place in Australia over the weekend. Our commitment to Catholic Social Teaching would demand that all of us to respect and defend the ‘dignity of the human person’ whatever their skin colour, race, religion or sexual orientation. Pope Francis has been very strong on that in the last fortnight. The God I believe in would have wept in frustration and despair witnessing the President of the United States employing a ‘baton charge’ through peaceful demonstrators so that he could get a photo in front of a Church holding a bible. For those of us who call ourselves Christian, there has never been a more important time to stand up and loudly proclaim that ‘all lives matter’! As I read on Facebook last week, “Don’t you wish that more people had said, ‘Jewish lives matter’ in 1938?”

Satisfaction Surveys – we would be really appreciative if you could take a few minutes to fill out the surveys that will be sent to you this week about Shalom. This is an important part of our effort to reflect on how we are going at Shalom. Happy to recognise what we do well but always keen to hear about areas in which we can do better.

Our Parents & Friends Association will meet next Tuesday afternoon commencing at 5.30pm. This meeting will be held in the Staff room. All are most welcome.

Mr Dan McMahon
Principal
McmahonD@shalomcollege.com

Newsletter Articles

Administration

Report Card Date Change – Now Distributed 24 July

As a consequence of remote learning, Year 7-10 Semester Reports, Year 11 Unit 1 Reports and Year 12 Unit 3 Reports will be distributed later than previously advertised to give students and teachers some more time to consolidate meaningful data. All year levels will have report cards published on Friday 24 July.

Please find attached a letter from our Diocesan Director, Leesa Jeffcoat, regarding Semester 1 report cards.

Subject Changes

Any essential subject changes must be completed no later than Wednesday 24 June. If any changes are deemed necessary, then a parent interview must be arranged with the Senior School Coordinator, Mrs Janelle Ivers (Janelle_Ivers@shalomcollege.com) for Year 10 & 11 students, or Mrs Megan Munckton (Megan_Munckton@shalomcollege.com) for Year 9 students, to discuss this. The opportunity for parents of Year 9 & 10 students to book an appointment will become available on Wednesday 10 June, however, parents of Year 11 students are able to book appointments now. Please contact Mrs Ivers or Mrs Munckton directly to arrange this. Subject changes will not be considered in Term 3.

Mr Brendan Maher
Assistant Principal – Administration
maherb@shalomcollege.com

Mission

Thank you to all the families who contributed to our Red Shield Appeal Coin Line. The Salvos are a very important part of our community and support so many people in their time of need. Presently they are experiencing greater numbers of people asking for assistance so every cent of this money will be used to benefit those in need.

The Salvation Army has had to rely on online donations this year and they have experienced far lower donations than usual – I heard on the news in Bundaberg donations went from $50 000 to $6000 so far this year. This will impact our whole community as that money is spent locally.

In light of this we have decided to continue collecting until Wednesday. This will allow those who forgot to bring in their coins to donate, and in case you might like to give a little more.

Mrs Mary Taylor
Assistant Principal – Mission
TaylorM@shalomcollege.com

Year 10 Camps

In light of the current situation with Covid-19 our Year 10 Camps that were planned for term two are going to change. At this stage we will still be going to Chaverim each day with a different format of day time activities only. Students will be transported by bus to and from Camp each day and will not be staying overnight.

We have decided to keep year 10 Camps as daytime activities only and move to new dates in Week 7, 8 and 9 of Term 2. The students will be transported to Chaverim by the College bus or by a Duffys bus each day. Students will need to be at school by 8.30 am each morning; they will return to the College on day 1 and day 3 at approximately 2.50 pm, in time to catch buses home. For day 2, please collect your child at 5.00 pm from Shalom as the day 2 activity sessions need more time and will conclude at Chaverim at 4.30 pm. ( if you have an issue with return times – please communicate with your House Coordinator)

If your child is unwell and has flu-like symptoms please keep them at home.

As things are changing with Covid-19 and the Government’s directives we will be in contact further if things do change again.

Due to term 2 being disrupted, as you know, we have had to make the decision to cancel all of our Year 7 Camps this term and keep the Year 10 Camps.

The Year 10 Camp program initiates and promotes our students leadership and teamwork journey into Senior Schooling at Shalom and our House Coordinators are the teachers in charge of these Camps.

Please login to Parent Lounge to give permission for your child to attend the Camp.

Please notice that we have had to swap Camp 7 and 8 from previous planning due to one House Coordinators availability.

Please see camp schedule below.

Mr Peter Robinson
Student Welfare
|High Performance Program
Peter_Robinson@shalomcollege.com

Family Zone – Enforcement

Family Zone has been compulsory at Shalom for the past two years. Recently we have made a change for students to ensure that all of their devices have Mobile Zone installed.

If any parent is having difficulty with Internet connection outside of school hours, please contact Family Zone at support@familyzone.com or call on 1300 398 326. Family Zone can be called from 8am-10pm on weekdays and from 9am-5pm on weekends. Our IT Department is also happy to assist any parents wanting assistance with setting up their Family Zone account. Please email shalomit@shalomcolllege.com to book an appointment.

Ms Stephanie Johnson
IT Service Desk Manager
Stephanie_Johnson@ShalomCollege.com

Absentees

FOR ALL ABSENTEES

Preferred option is Email absentees@shalomcollege.com or Phone Absentee line 41558181

ALL student absentees should be notified to the office by 9am each day. If no notification has been received, an absentee text message will be sent out to parents to advise of the student’s absence.

Pathways

Date Claimer – QTAC Presentation

Year 12 students - if you are thinking of applying to university you NEED to attend the QLD Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) ‘How to Make Your University Application’ information session. Normally QTAC would deliver the ‘How to Make Your University Application’ session here at Shalom; however, nothing is normal this year! Zoom sessions are the new norm this year.

CLAIM THIS DATE: 4.15pm on Wednesday 17 June. The link for the Zoom session will be emailed out to students closer to the date.

CQU Year 12 Webinar

Graduating high school and starting university is an exciting time for Year 12 students and there is a lot of information needed to navigate this transition. That's why CQU are holding their Year 12 Parent webinar Tuesday, 16 June from 4 to 5 pm.

Parents and students are encouraged to attend as CQU will guide guests through each step of the transition and arm you with the information and resources you need.

The webinar will include information on:

Opportunities for students after high school
Making career choices
Where to find course information including entry requirements
How to apply
Alternate pathways
Course fees
Scholarships, and
What comes after application

We strongly encourage students and parents to register and attend. 
Event Date: Tuesday, 16 June, 2020
Event Time: 4 – 5 pm
Location: Zoom

REGISTER NOW

Got Questions for CQU Now?

Students can book a conversation with CQU and they will be in touch to help find the answers to your questions and to talk to you about the wide range of study options available. You can choose your preferred conversation option, from a telephone or video call, email or social such as Facebook messenger

BOOK NOW

JCU Year 12 Webinar

Are you confused about how QTAC works or what will happen if you don’t get the ATAR you need to attend JCU? All these questions and more will be answered at the Year 12 webinar for parents and students.

Date: Tuesday 16 June
Time: 4 pm

QTAC will provide information on:

Applying for tertiary study through QTAC (selecting preferences, entry requirements, ordering preferences and pathways if students don't get the ATAR they need)

How QTAC calculates the ATAR and assesses other Year 12 qualifications and certificates

Special Admissions Schemes (e.g. Educational Access Scheme and other adjustment factors as well as JCU's Year 12 Student Success Package)

Important dates and deadlines and how to respond to offers when the time comes

The JCU team will also be available to talk about what university life is really like, and there will be an opportunity to have questions answered.

University of the Sunshine Coast

In lieu of the regular Open Day event, USC will be hosting an online Open Day on Sunday 19 July. More information will be sent out closer to the date. If you have any questions about studying at USC you can contact the Student Recruitment team at schools@usc.edu.au

The Pathways Team
Mrs Liza O’Donnell, Mrs Kathy Laing & Mrs Julia Fox
Liza_ODonnell@shalomcollege.com
LaingK@shalomcollege.com
Julia_Fox@shalomcollege.com

Quiet Achiever

Every day during PC, Year 9 student Jack Helbig holds the door open for his PC teacher, Mrs Cutmore, and his PC-mates to enter. It might seem like a small thing, but it’s the small things that can so often demonstrate such warm care and consideration of others. We love those traits in The Rice House Family.

Miss Claire Stallard
Rice House Coordinator
claire_stallard@shalomcollege.com

Library News

It’s All About Manga!

The Beerarlem Library has recently bought some new Manga books for our graphic novel collection!

One series that is currently flying off the shelves is My Hero Academia. Middle school student Izuku Midoriya wants to be a hero more than anything, but he hasn’t got an ounce of power in him. With his life looking more and more like a dead end, a chance encounter with All Might, the greatest hero of them all, gives him a chance to change his destiny.

Another series that is very popular is Once Piece, a manga series about Monkey D. Luffy, an aspiring pirate. It follows his journey as he sets out to find the legendary “one piece”, which is supposed to be the greatest treasure in the entire world.

Also, please remember to bring back all library books that were borrowed out before the holidays in Term 1.

See you at the library!

Miss Bella Little
Gap Year Student – Administration
Bella_Little@shalomcollege.com

Sport

Shalom ‘VIRTUAL’ Cross Country

Over the past few weeks, we have conducted a Shalom College ‘virtual’ Cross Country event for students, staff and parents. The purpose of this event was to promote exercise through participation while the Covid restrictions were in place. We had over 170 recorded submissions and the results are attached. Congratulations to everyone that recorded a submission. Virtual Certificates will be sent out to all our Champions.

Mr Simon Gills
Sports Coordinator
gillsS@shalomcollege.com

Sport Team Photos

Sport Team photos for all Summer Sport Teams, Swimming, Rowing and QISSN/QISSRL teams will be held this month.

All photos will be taken at the 2ND HALF OF LUNCH – MACKILLOP 2. Please check your child/ren allocated day in the below link.

Staff and names listed are the coaches and managers of each team.

Uniform Shop Online!

Shalom College now has an online Uniform Shop! Shop 24/7! Perfect for busy parents and students - you can select the items you need, pay online with credit card and you will be e-mailed when your order is ready for collection!

Girls tights are available now at the Uniform Shop, all sizes in stock $8.50 each

New to the Uniform Shop

Boys formal socks will be compulsory as of Term 1 2021. These socks are available now, 2 pair to a pack $21.

Girls Bummers are available now, $30 each.

Go to the link below:

Uniform Shop Opening Hours – Term Time

• Monday 8:00am – 12:00pm
• Tuesday 8:00am – 12:00pm
• Wednesday 8:00am – 12:00pm
• Thursday 8:00am – 12:00pm
• Friday – Closed

Phone : 41 558 121

Mrs Leanne Barker
Uniform Shop Co-ordinator
barkerl@shalomcollege.com

Term Dates for 2020

Breakfast

Breakfast is now available in the tuckshop for purchase each morning 8:00am – 8:30am.

Items include

Bacon & Egg Muffins - $3.50
Ham & Cheese Croissant - $3.50
Porridge & Cereal - $3 (self-service option with milk and bowl & cutlery are supplied)
Fresh Fruit - $1 (seasonal fruits such as; Bananas, Apples, Mandarins etc.)
Plus, the already available items of Yoghurt Pots, Up n Go drinks & Flavoured Milk

Students who train before school need to consider utilising the breakfast menu to replenish energy lost during their training sessions, however must be dressed appropriately before entering the tuckshop and must not be late for class.

Tuckshop Roster

Shalom Sunday Markets

Shalom Markets will continue to operate (with restrictions) until further notice!

• Fresh food stalls fruit, vegetable & local food products
• No BBQ or tuckshop
• Social distancing to include gaps between stalls (all outdoors)

SHALOM MARKETS 6AM TO 12PM EVERY SUNDAY!

No volunteers required

Due to the temporary closure of the Shalom Markets Food Stalls we DO NOT NEED volunteers for the Markets Tuckshop or BBQ, if you have any queries please contact Leanne via email – barkerl@shalomcollege.com

Community Notice Board

Back to School Support from Headspace

Catholic Parish Bulletin

Triple p

The State Government is funding free access to Triple P, which is the world’s most evidence-based parenting program and has helped more than four million children and their parents around the world develop closer, more positive relationships.

Please click on this link, which will take you to the website where you can access information relevant to your situation.

This link will remain in our Newsletter with Triple P sending us regular updates and helpful tips.

Drivers College

Drivers College has returned to provision of pre and novice learner driver education, special provisions have been put in place for the protection of both staff and students training on our complex. Please see below the changes made to ensure safety from transfer of the virus. Currently we are only working with one student per booking, on Saturday or student free days until further notice.

School holidays at present will be one student per educator with the 2 day program being offered on Monday and Friday of both weeks, this will mean we will only have two student places each week so if you are wanting to book please contact us early as they will go fast. A special amended one day program will be available for students with more than 70 log book hours, only 2 places will be available for these.

Pre learners program;- Pathway to Safer Driving is a 2 day comprehensive program from basic car set-up to hazard identification, crash avoidance, skid control and braking on varying surfaces and reverse parking.

The advanced program is based on less of the fundamental driving skills and more on braking, evade and crash avoidance, emergency stopping, reversing and parking.

Dates for the advanced program will be negotiated when the booking is made.

To book please call Diana on 41811773 if the phone is unattended please leave a message and I will call you back.

In the current climate of social distancing and our own concern for the health and safety of our clients and staff, Drivers College has developed and constructed two adapted vehicles and a new safe working procedure for cleaning and sanitizing all facilities and vehicles used in education. All staff are required to report any illness, students are required to fill out a questionnaire on their health and contacts for the 4 week period prior to booking. On the day staff and students along with any family entering the complex will have their temperature taken, anyone above normal will be referred to medical assistance and the booking deferred until they are cleared by their doctors. New measures are in place including more frequent breaks at which time vehicles will be cleaned and sanitized, students will be encouraged to use hand sanitizer in the rest area during the break. No staff is permitted to have any physical contact with the students.

We now have two vehicles being utilized in this new format number one has a clear hard Perspex Screen at head height separating the driver and educator as an extra precaution, this vehicle is being used for steering, cornering, etc. The student and educator will change vehicles to our new Distance Education Controller car. This car has had the front passenger’s seat removed and a special safety control system added for student safety during training in crash and skid prevention, emergency braking and other driving skills taught in our learner driver program. With the removal of the seat it allows the educator to distance themselves from the student and gives a more comprehensive view of hands and feet controls as well as a full view of the road. This is an innovative concept providing the educator with a new teaching method using combined visualization of hands, eyes and feet working in unison.

Drivers College is a not for profit entity built by sponsorship of local business and a small army of volunteers who share our vision. Our ethos is to “save lives on our roads through early intervention education”. The College and our education complex is a living work, operated by professional trained educators, all staff are volunteers and financial input is used to run and expand the complex. On our wall and web site below you will find a list of local business who support us please support them when you can as we build a healthier, safer community.

Diana
Director of Programs and Administration
Drivers College
Brickworks Circuit, Bundaberg, Qld, 4670
Phone: 0741 811 773