3 August 2020

Principal’s Reflection

At present, people in Victoria are being pushed back into their second lockdown this year. New South Wales appears headed down the same path. In response, Queensland has again closed its borders to Victoria and parts of New South Wales as we brace ourselves against the risk of greater rates of infection. It may be the case that we too will return to lockdown.

Let’s hope not. It is interesting to note that during the first lockdown, people for a time reflected on how they were enjoying the slower pace of life which came with the enforced restrictions. What is even more interesting and even more concerning is the difficulties that individuals seem to be facing having to go through this a second time.

Think about it. The stories of conducting a zoom meeting in a suit top and pyjama pants have been replaced with reports of people trying to sneak illegally across borders, refusing to comply with health safety directions such as wearing masks in public and failing to follow directions to stay home or self-isolate if unwell or infected with Covid 19.

So what changed? How is it that for the exception of shoppers fighting over the purchase of toilet paper, the good natured yarns of the first lockdown are being replaced by anger, resistance and hostility? This is more than a response which is driven by fear of infection or a loss of civil rights. This reaction has everything to do with a loss of connection. It is about a need we all have which is not being met.

Human beings are not programmed to live separately or to exist in isolation. Every day we thrive on being in the company of others. For us, it is essential that we have connection with other people. The phone, skype, zoom etc. are okay but what we crave is to be in the presence of others, to see their smiles and to hear their laughter. How lovely it is to sit in the company of a friend where we chat quietly, sit quietly and just enjoy being. A great example was when our students returned to school in Term Two when the learning from home restrictions were lifted.

The thing that made the students the happiest was that they were back with their friends. For the staff, seeing the school full of children and hearing the babble of voices was inspirational.

Our sense of community is integral to how we function. It sits above politics and economics which are two areas that draw most media attention. These areas are important but they cannot substitute for our greatest priority: the need to interrelate; the need for friendship because this is what gives our lives meaning and authenticity.

As a school we are a community. As an educational institution we are obligated to ensure that our students learn well. Literacy, numeracy, ATAR scores and Vocational Education qualifications are only part of the story. All of us, students, staff and parents must learn how to build better communities and how to be better members of a community.

We do this in a variety of ways. Our vertical pastoral care system is only one example. Here, the students are exposed to others of different ages on a daily basis. Different ages will bring different ways of viewing the world. It is true that twenty students of the same age will see things differently but combining students from Years 7 – 12 at least once per day is more authentic. It is a less controlled environment and learning how to deal with this is good. The older we get the less controlled are our environments such a work places, community or sporting groups.

Here lies a challenge. We crave community but we must also learn to be good at living within one. Successful communities are those where different views are welcomed, encouraged and respected. This can only happen by us learning, working and playing together.

As always our greatest teacher in this is Jesus. If you read the Gospels, the idea of “table fellowship” is constant. Jesus is often sitting down to a meal with others. He is often seen walking through the streets and meeting with others. He is frequently invited into people’s homes.

There is a message here for us all. We must be active in seeking out our brothers and sisters in community. We must be willing to open our doors to everyone. We must put aside our different backgrounds and outlooks and learn to embrace community because by doing so we tap into the essence of what it is to be human.

This month on School TV - School Refusal

School refusal, sometimes called school avoidance or school phobia, is not uncommon. It is different to ‘wagging’ or truancy and is often related to worry or anxiety-related issues about going to school. School refusal may start gradually or happen suddenly. Although it is normal for a child to occasionally miss a day of school, parents should only be concerned if a child regularly complains about feeling sick or often asks to stay home due to minor physical complaints.

School refusal is a complex issue as there is rarely a single cause. It affects children of all ages across primary and secondary levels. It can often occur during times of transition at school. More recently, the Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the educational experience of all students, affecting some more than others. Dealing with a school refusal child can affect the whole family, adding pressure to an already challenging time. School refusal is not considered a formal psychiatric diagnosis. It’s a name given to an emotional and/or behavioural problem.

In this edition of School TV, adult carers will learn how best to approach this issue and work towards a solution. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month’s edition, and we always welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to this month's edition

Covid – Stay home if unwell. Again, it is the world in which we find ourselves but the days of ‘soldiering on’ in the face of colds and flus are not OK anymore. Please, if your child is displaying flu-like symptoms, please keep them home for everyone’s safety.

Mrs Elizabeth Austin-Campbell
Acting Principal
AcampbellE@shalomcollege.com

Newsletter Articles

Administration

2020 Non- Government Schools Census

The annual Non- Government Schools Census occurs on Friday 7 August 2020. Attached is a document which outlines the rationale for the census and further information about this data collection. Please take the time to have a read of this notice.

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

Mission

The Youth Hub

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

Student Drivers

Parents and Carers of Year 11 & 12 Students

If your child has obtained their Provisional Licence and wishes to drive to and from school. You are required to fill out a Permission to Drive Form and return it to Student Reception for approval by Mrs Elizabeth Austin-Campbell. Once approved the details will be placed on our School Register.

Thanks to those Parents who have already completed this form for their child.

Mrs Amanda O’Mara
Executive Assistant to the Principal/ Enrolment Officer
amanda_omara@shalomcollege.com

The Staffroom Kitty

FOUND

This friendly little one showed up in the Sports Centre Staff Room on Friday morning! After it received some food, hugs, and general adoration, it was taken to Vet Cross to see if it was microchipped – unfortunately it wasn’t! It is now located at Vet Cross and will soon be up for sale if the owners cannot be located.

We are calling on the Shalom Community to help find the owners of this beautiful little kitty, and if that cannot be done, we’re are hoping that someone in the Shalom Community is looking for a little cat to adopt.

Year 7 Camps

In light of the current situation with Covid-19 our Year 7 Camps that were planned are going to change. At this stage we will still be going to Chaverim each day with a slightly different format.

The students will be transported to Chaverim by the College bus each day. Students will need to be at school by 8.30 am each morning; they will return to the College each day at approximately 2.45 pm , in time to catch buses etc. home.

Please login to Parent Lounge to give permission for your child to attend the Camp and update medical and dietary information.

These Outdoor Education programs aim to provide an additional approach to the personal and spiritual development of your child and the greater Shalom community. This three-year program has specific objectives designed to provide.

• An atmosphere of cooperation between students, which can be applied at school, in the family and on the sports field. This may be characterized by cooperation, encouragement and concern for fellow students.
• Knowledge, skills and attitudes that contribute to a sense of responsibility, self-reliance, cooperation and harmony within oneself, with other people, and with the natural environment.
• Opportunities for participants to develop knowledge, low level skills and attitudes for participation in a number of outdoor pursuits.
• Knowledge, skills and attitudes towards a ‘minimum impact ethic’ consistent with the environment in which activities take place.

Each participant involved in the program will be given the opportunity to:

• Look into the mirror” to see how their behaviours, both good and bad, impact their fellow participants.
• Participate in physically and mentally challenging activities while remaining safe on physical, mental and emotional levels.
• Experience and practice Christian values by living and working together in an open and encouraging atmosphere.
• Develop low level skills in a number of outdoor activities as well as a basic understanding of the associated equipment and safety precautions.
• Experience achievement in a non-competitive ‘win-win’ environment.

The camp also gives the teacher and students the opportunity to get to know each other well.

Please see camp schedule below.

Mr Peter Robinson
Student Welfare
High Performance Program
Peter_Robinson@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

University Early Offers

Attached is a summary table of the Early Offer and some Alternative Entry opportunities available at Queensland universities for 2021. This table is a fantastic resource for any students considering a tertiary pathway.

Year13 FinLit Program

When you're young, you're told money makes the world go around, but often the education ends there. Where can you learn how to use it wisely or what to do to make the most out of your money?

The thing is, money's not as easy to manage as it seems. That’s where FinLit comes in.

Year13 has teamed up with Westpac and built FinLit, a financial literacy program that will equip you with the knowledge you'll need to navigate the big old world of money. So, if you've ever wondered how to save for a car, how to do your tax, how to go about buying a house, or what the heck is up with superannuation - you've come to the right place!

And to make things even juicier, if you finish all four FinLit modules (including the quizzes), you’ll be in the draw to win one of four $1,000 prizes.

Keen to get FinLit for a chance to win? Get started here:

Tax File Numbers (TFN)

Any students commencing work (casual, part-time or full-time) will require a tax file number. Also, current Year 12 students are reminded that they will be requested to provide their Tax File Number (TFN) on enrolment to TAFE or university next year, so it is worthwhile getting an application submitted early! Students must now apply for a TFN online and have their identity verified through an interview at a participating Australia Post office. To apply and also to find out about participating Post Offices, visit the link below:

Coming Events

SAE Creative Media Institute Open Day

If you are considering studying creative media (Animation, Audio, Design, Film or Games), don’t miss this exciting opportunity! SAE will be opening their doors at their Brisbane Campus on Saturday 22 August and Sunday 23 August as an opportunity to check out the facilities and equipment, meet with lecturers and ask any questions about studying at SAE.

To ensure SAE adheres to COVID-19 restrictions, a number of Open Day session times are available. All attendees must be registered to attend, including family members or friends attending with the prospective student. Please register to attend at the link below:

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

Year 12 Student Olivia Schneider is a wonderful asset to Chisholm House. Recognised as having ‘commendable’ behaviour throughout her time at Shalom, Olivia also manages to have fun with friends and show a positive attitude every day. We are extremely proud of Olivia in Chisholm House, she is a great role model for academic, sporting and social reasons.

Mr Aaron Brown
Chisholm House Coordinator
Aaron_Brown@shalomcollege.com

Japanese Department

Culture corner - Kanji

Kanji is one of three Japanese writing systems along with hiragana and katakana. Both hiragana and katakana are phonetic, meaning that each character represents a single syllable, and that character will never be pronounced any other way. Kanji is a system of symbols that represent words or ideas, and that can have different meanings and pronunciations depending on their context. A kanji can be a word all by itself, like 木 (which means tree) or a kanji can be part of another word like 木造 (which means ‘wooden/ made of wood’).

Kanji are believed to have originated in China, though it is not certain exactly when they were first written. Some believe the first writings appeared in 4500 BC, and the oldest known modern kanji is dated to 1600 BC. The original kanji are meant to be pictograms, that is, they express an idea through a picture, similar to the ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics as such.

While kanji originate in China, it didn’t reach Japan until 57 AD and still wasn’t adopted by the Japanese until the early 5th century AD. At the time kanji came to Japan, the Japanese had no written language of their own. By the 8th century AD, the Japanese began to annotate the Chinese characters in order to mark pronunciation and to change them to make sense with existing Japanese grammar. And so, katakana and hiragana were born!

Last week, students in Year 9 Japanese enjoyed creating Chalk Kanji designs to demonstrate their knowledge of KANJI. Enjoy the photos.

At the end of last term, we farewelled our Japanese Native Language teacher, Kurosawa Sensei. We wish him well on his new ventures after a very hectic trip home to Japan in these times.

Ms Simone Wilson
Japanese
Simone_Wilson@shalomcollege.com

Instrumental Music

Choir

Choir and all vocal ensembles have resumed weekly rehearsals in the music room.
Choir - Monday morning at 7.30am
Girls vocal ensemble - Tuesday morning at 7.30am
Treble Makers vocal ensemble (Years 7 & 8) - Thursday mornings at 7.30am
Boys vocal ensemble - Wednesday lunch at 11.30am
New singers are very welcome to all groups.

Singing lessons

We are currently fortunate to have two qualified singing teachers working at Shalom College. Both teachers have limited vacancies and would like to invite singers to come along and ‘have a go’ in Term 3.

One specialises in contemporary and music theatre styles and the other in classical and music theatre styles. In the hope that the College is able to put on a musical production next year, it would be great for the singers who would like to audition, to have some prior knowledge and understanding particularly in relation to the control of breathing and basic projection techniques.

Please contact the Instrumental Music Coordinator Mrs Megan Hoban (megan_hoban@shalomcollege.com) or Mrs Robyn Edgar (edgarr@shalomcollege.com) if you are interested in taking advantage of this opportunity.

Mrs Megan Hoban
Instrumental Music Coordinator
Megan_Hoban@shalomcollege.com

Library News

Hello Everyone! This week we are featuring the fantastic author Joanna Grochowicz, who is known for fusing the real and the imagined in her stories of early Antarctic exploration. She reveals the human aspirations and tragedies that have shaped our understanding of what remains an utterly inhuman place.

Into the White by Joanna Grochowicz.

Amundsen’s Way by Joanna Grochowicz.

Also, could all students please bring back any overdue library books to the Library. Several books are still overdue from Term 1 and need to be returned as soon as possible.

See you at the library!

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

Champion Golfer

Congratulations to Year 9 Student Kate McFarlane, Kate is the Bundaberg Golf Clubs 2020 Ladies Club Champion. Well done Kate!!!!

Mr Peter Robinson
High Performance Program
Peter_Robinson@ShalomCollege.com

Winter Sport Restrictions

BDSSS Inter-school sport

Please see important letter to parents and students regarding Term 3 Inter-School Sports.

In summary, for the BDSSS Winter Sport season to be successful during this unprecedented COVID era, students are required to

1. Be dropped at and collected from their sport venue (unless travelling with their team in school arranged transport) – NO PARENT ENTRY TO ANY SPORT SITE
2. Be ready to play their game – no change rooms will be available
3. Bring a NAMED water bottle to games
4. Be aware there are NO canteen facilities available at any venue

BDSS – PDF
Mr Simon Gills
Spors Coordinator
GillsS@shalomcollege.com

Uniform Shop Online!

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

ONLINE ORDERS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PICK UP THE NEXT DAY DURING THE 11:25am LUNCH BREAK

PARENTS WILL BE NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL ALERTING THEM ONCE THEIR STUDENT’S ORDER IS READY FOR COLLECTION

Phone : 41 558 121
Mrs Leanne Barker
Uniform Shop Co-ordinator
barkerl@shalomcollege.com

Term Dates for 2020

Parent and Carer Tuckshop Volunteers

At the start of each school year we ask parents to indicate their availability for volunteering in the College tuckshop.

Life is busy and forever changing, so for this reason we have set up a booking system that will not only accommodate our very much appreciated regular volunteers, but also families who may not be able to commit on a regular basis and who may have a day here or there throughout the year to come along and lend a hand and support our students. The beauty of this system is that you can select your day and manage your booking, so if something comes up, you can quickly and easily go online to reschedule or cancel. Your booking will generate a confirmation email with links to manage your booking, it can be synched with your calendar and an SMS is sent the day before as a reminder. Of course, we are also here to help - simply contact Shalom College on 41 55 8111.

For those of you who are regular volunteers your shifts have already been added to the schedule for this year and you should have received an e-mail for each booked shift.

Shifts last from 2 to 3 hours (school drop off to around 11.30 am).

No experience required!

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
• BBQ and tuckshop are operating, social distancing practices are in place
• Social distancing to include gaps between stalls (all outdoors)

SHALOM MARKETS 6AM TO 12PM EVERY SUNDAY!

Markets Tuckshop Roster

We NEED volunteers for the Markets Tuckshop or BBQ, if you have any queries please contact Leanne via email – barkerl@shalomcollege.com

Markets BBQ Roster

Community Notice Board

Back to School Support from Headspace

The Catholic Parish of Bundaberg

Catholic Parish Bulletin

COVID-19 Precautions

Mass Timetable

Breast Screen Queensland

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 3 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.

Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 September our 2 day program will be run

at our Mundubbera Outreach Center located at the Airport on Jack Parr Street.

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 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 doctor. 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 are permitted to have any physical contact with the students.

Drivers College is urgently seeking volunteers to train up as Driver Educators on our off road complex. All you will need is a clean licence for the last 5 years and a blue card or the ability to obtain one.

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.