Subject Selection Forms for 2026

Could any Year 8 or Year 9 students who still have not returned their signed paper copy of their subject selections for 2026 please do so. We are now in the process of cross-checking these with the electronic submissions. 

The online portal for subject selections has now closed. If your child has not selected their subjects for 2026 online, please have them see Mrs Aplin or Mr Maher at Student Reception.  

Year 12 Mock and External Assessments

I will be meeting with all Year 12’s on Wednesday 3 September to go over the school’s expectations during the mock and external exam blocks. All information required for both the Mock and External Assessment is available in SIA:   https://schoolbox.shalomcollege.com/homepage/6641 

We strongly recommend that all students engage with these documents before they commence their examinations. 

Year 12 Results

We encourage all Year 12 students to check their myQCE account to ensure that they can view their confirmed Internal Assessment results and their projected QCE Eligibility. They need to have a private email address registered to their account – if students used their school email address to initially register, they should update this to a private email address.  

At the end of the year, students will access their final subject results, including their External Exam results, their Senior Statement, and their Queensland Certificate of Education in their myQCE Student Portal account hence it is vital that they check that they can access this portal now.  

Year 12 Assessment Arrangements (Mock Exam & External Assessment Blocks)

Year 12 - QTAC ATAR Portal Registrations

The QTAC Portal is now open and current Year 12 students are now able to register for two accounts:

1. To receive their ATAR score once published by QTAC students need to register for the ATAR portal. If you use this link, scroll halfway down you’ll see the steps to follow: https://www.qtac.edu.au/atar/

2. To apply to QTAC for university entry for 2026 students need to create a QTAC account. If you use this link you’ll see the steps to follow: https://www.qtac.edu.au/application-services/

Term 3 - Elevate Education Free Parent Webinar Series

Elevate Education delivers high-impact workshops that help to develop student study skills, motivation, and exam preparation. Again, you are invited to register your participation in the term three parent online seminar series. This can help you to support your child at home by reinforcing the skills that will support their learning at school.

Webinars for this term are:

• How To Help Your Child Improve Their Note Taking. September 3, 6:30-7:30pm (AEST)
• How You Can Support Your Child During Exams. September 17, 6:30-7:30pm (AEST)

To register please visit: https://go.elevateeducation.com/auschoolwebinars

Mrs Kate Aplin
Assistant Principal - Curriculum
Catherine_Aplin@rok.catholic.edu.au

Year 11 Exam Block (10-15 September) and Year 12 Mock Exam Block (8-19 September)

Attached is the Year 11 Exam Block Timetable (10-15 September) and the Year 12 Mock Exam Block Timetable (8-19 September). Students need only attend school for the exams they are to sit during this time, however, students who are behind in their schoolwork may be required to attend school to complete outstanding work. If this is required, these arrangements will be communicated by individual class teachers.

All exams are planned to be in the new Coolock building, with the exception of those that need computers - specific rooms will be added to the schedule at a later date. Please note that the Essential Maths, General Maths and Maths Methods are scheduled on the afternoon of 9 September which is a normal school day with regular classes in the morning.

Please remember that normal school rules regarding uniform, phones and behaviour continue through the exam block. These expectations are outlined in the attached document.

We wish our students all the best with their studies.

Year 11 Exam Block

Year 12 Mock Exam Block

Yr7/8 Core Studies Learner Conferences (ie Parent-Teacher Interviews) - Friday 5th September 2025

The second round of Yr 7/8 Core Studies Learner Conferences will be conducted in the Waterford Centre from 8:30am to 3:00pm on Friday 5th September 2025 (Student Free Day). Interviews will be of ten minutes duration. The rooms the interviews will take place in on this day are below. 

Please note that Kaylah Fox and Bree Broadhurst will interview together (ie parents can only book with Bree but Kaylah is present as well). Megan Munckton will be on long service leave and will be unavailable.

Learner Conferences will open for parent bookings through via your laptop Sia > Parent Lounge > PT Interviews or via the Shalom App > Links/Contacts > Links > Parent Lounge > PT Interviews at 8:00am on Monday 25 August and close at 3:00pm on Monday 1 September to allow teachers time to review and prepare for interviews.

Please review the wealth of information about your child’s progress available on Sia before attending these interviews. Your child is encouraged to attend the interview with you.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Mr Brendan Maher
Assistant Principal - Administration
Brendan_Maher@rok.catholic.edu.au

Shalom Day

On Shalom Day our whole College worked together to celebrate and be grateful for everything Shalom. Our theme this year was HOPE and we were reminded of this during our Liturgy. We were thankful that some of our Grandparents were able to attend this and then join us for morning tea, lots of cake and incredible music from our Jazz Band.

This was followed by Battle of the Bands where some amazing musical talent was on display and our very capable host Mr Stranieri kept everyone entertained with Mario Kart races and so much more.

The all-important competition was the House Dance Competition, hosted by the wonderful Mrs Hume and judged by Mrs Bolam, Mrs Murdoch and Miss Kaufusi. The highly coveted trophy went to Rice House. Congratulations!!!

Also a special thanks to John from Walker St Wholesale Bakery for his kind donation of the cakes for our celebration.

Brother Rochford

August 23 was the 4^th Anniversary of Brother Rochford’s death. His presence is still felt by many at Shalom and in the wider community. Shalom Brother!

Ignite Conference: The Light

Ignite is a National Catholic Conference for young Catholics to experience real world formation, powerful worship and encouragement in their Catholic faith in an exciting, and ground-breaking way.

All high school students are welcome to travel down to Brisbane for the 2025 conference with the NET team as per of our diocesan group.

This year Ignite runs from September 25 to 28.

For more details, scan the QR code or
contact Mick on 0433 897 973 or
email youth@rok.catholic.net.au

Have you ever thought of becoming a Catholic or completing your Sacraments?

Masses

Also, if you would like to join in other Parish services, the Catholic Parish of Bundaberg advertises Mass times at https://www.bundabergcatholic.net.au/mass-prayer/

Mrs Sandra Freeman
Assistant Principal - Mission
Sandra_Freeman@rok.catholic.edu.au

Pathways News
HIGHLIGHTS

ADDITIONAL LEARNING

• 2026 Additional Learning Opportunities

CAREER SPOTLIGHT

• How to land your Christmas casual job

YEAR 12 GET READY

• Tertiary Access Payment (TAP)
• CQU – Principal’s Recommendation Scheme

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

• Year 12 Trade Ready Program Bundaberg
• Plenty of jobs this week, so don’t forget to check the Pathways SIA page jobs board for employment opportunities.

UNIVERSITY 

• UniSC Early Offer Guarantee
• Young ChangeMakers Program 2025
• JCU Webinar Series: Veterinary Science

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Mater Education – High School Health Adventure
• Work Experience Forms to be completed by 24 August 2025

Stay informed and inspired with this week’s Pathways Newsletter – 

The Pathways Team
Mrs Liza O’Donnell, Mrs Kim Toll, Mrs Carmen Wyatt, Mrs Melanie Bock & Ms Brigette McMahon
Liza_ODonnell@rok.catholic.edu.au
Kim_Toll@rok.catholic.edu.au
Carmen_Wyatt@rok.catholic.edu.au 
Melanie_Bock@rok.catholic.edu.au 
Brigette_McMcMahon@rok.catholic.edu.au

If you would like to submit any sporting achievements about your child/children along with a photo, please email your submissions to Simon_Gills@rok.catholic.edu.au
Please note photo submissions must only include photos of students from Shalom.

You can also keep up to date with anything sport related via our Facebook page - Shalom College Sport.

Chess

Shalom Shines at Wide Bay North Inter-School Chess Tournament

"I used to play chess with my dad. He taught me everything he knew… then I started winning." – Unknown

Term 3 saw an outstanding performance from Shalom College at the Wide Bay North Inter-School Chess Tournament, with a record turnout of 28 students — the largest representation of any school by far.

In the Premium Division, two Shalom teams competed fiercely. Shalom Black —featuring Callum M, Waylen H, Jacob B-W, and Alex C — secured the bronze teams medal in a very strong field, with Jacob B-W earning an individual gold medal for his exceptional play. Well done boys!

The Second Division saw five Shalom teams in action, with Shalom White —Nelson M, Quaid B, Jonathon E-A, and Riley R — bringing home the silver medal with some exceptional performances. 

Furthermore, Shalom had some outstanding individual performances resulting in a Merit award, for winning at least 4.5 of their matches. These students were Callum M, Waylen H, Quaid B, Noah B and Rowel F using the fearsome 'bongcloud' opening. These excellent results display the depth of talent we are fortunate to enjoy at Shalom. 

The tournament was a fantastic day of strategic thinking and friendly competition, played in great spirits. Congratulations to all participants for their enthusiasm and sportsmanship! Well done Shalomies!

Mr Brendan Maher and Mr Steven Love
Shalom Chess Coordinators

Student Success

A couple of weekends ago in Ballarat, Shalom student Koby I competed in the Australian Athletics National Road Walking Championships in the U16 Men’s 5km and the National Teams Cross Country 2km for Athletics North — and delivered outstanding performances!

In the Race Walking Championships, Koby powered through the cold and windy conditions to finish with an impressive new personal best of 24:09. A superb race from start to finish!

But that wasn’t all…

In the Cross Country event, where the track was treacherous and unforgiving, and was made even tougher with the rough terrain and muddy water traps, his team showed grit and determination — finishing 30th out of 50 teams.

Incredible resilience and determination on display — congratulations, Koby!

Equestrian

Congratulations to our Shalom Equestrian Team riders, Lilyannah, Meghan and Asha who competed at the Fraser Coast Interschool Equestrian Comp in Maryborough last week. It was a big week of competition for our riders and also a big week of travelling, camping and looking after their horses at the grounds with their parents. Results to come.

Rowing - Head of River Success

After 3 terms of training & practice regattas, the local schools rowing season has come to an end, with the final Bundaberg All Schools Combined Head of River Regatta. The 2-day regatta was held on Saturday 23 & Sunday 24 August with 43 of our rowers participating against the local Bundaberg schools. This year we also had Maryborough SHS & Genesis Christian College from Brisbane join in the regatta fun.

Despite the extra competition, Shalom put in a strong performance & took out the Head of River (HOR) Trophy. This is an oarsome triumph as St Lukes has held onto this trophy for the past 15 years. Thanks to the Seniors; Trey H, Jacob N, Mary S, Sophie E & cox: Jinny J for their exceptional effort in the Senior Mixed Quad & winning the HOR trophy. Big congratulations to all our rowers on their performances. All rowers walked away with a medal with the team overall receiving 19 x Gold, 10 x Silver & 10 x Bronze. Our oarsome gold medallist are listed below:

This year we competed in the Senior Mixed 8, however only as invitational, as we didn’t have enough senior girls to row it competitively. We are proud of the seniors for taking to the water & competing in the 8 without winning any medals on offer. This demonstrates great teamwork, sportsmanship & support for their team mates, Jacob N, Trey H & Cameron W’s as this was their last HOR regatta.

A huge THANK-YOU again to the parents, coaches and volunteers that assisted the rowers and the team throughout the local season. It has been a big 3 terms, and we couldn’t have been a success without you all. THANK-YOU also to our sponsors that help financially support our uniform. But this is still not the end. Our next regatta is the Queensland States Championships at Wyaralong Dam on the 20th – 22nd of September. 31 of our rowers will be heading south to verse up to 800 competitors from all over Queensland. We look forward to sharing the team’s success after the regatta.

Keep being Oarsome. Thanks

Ms Teressa Tibbey
HPE Teacher and Rowing Coordinator
teressa_tibbey@shalomcollege.com

Mr Nick Smith
Intad Teacher Assistant and Rowing Coach
nicholas_smith@shalomcollege.com 

RYDA is a National Road Safety education program for youth in Australia. It provides youth with the skills and strategies they need to stay safe on the roads. 

The RYDA workshop features highly engaging practical demonstrations, real-life narratives, videos, quizzes and interactive role play. The RYDA approach supports youth development in a number of areas including social resilience and anticipating and managing risk. Created for senior high schools, RYDA gives students a unique opportunity to set road safety goals and build strategies alongside the friends they will most likely be riding with, as drivers or passengers. At the workshop, students attend six interactive sessions at a dedicated venue over the course of a school day. Back in the classroom, we give teachers everything they need to continue the learning throughout the school year. 

The Ryda Experience - View the Video Here

On Wednesday 3 September – All of our Year 10 Students will attend a one-day workshop organised by the Queensland Police Service Bundaberg in cooperation with Rotary Bundaberg. 

Buses are organised by Bundaberg Police and Rotary. They will transport the students and staff to and from the venue on the day. The Buses will depart Shalom at approx. 9.00 am and return before 3.00 pm on this day. 

The workshop will be held at the Bundaberg Recreational Precinct, Kendalls Road. Lunch is also supplied for the students and staff, free. If your student requires any special dietary requirements for the lunch please complete the attached google form. 

Special Dietary Requirements Form

If you are concerned about the lunch provided due to special dietary requirements, please pack your own lunch and snacks for the day.

Thanks in advance for your support.

More details will be emailed to all - closer to the workshop date.

Mr Peter Robinson
Dean of Student Welfare
High Performance Program
After School Activities
Camps
Peter_Robinson@rok.catholic.edu.au

Celebrating the achievements of Years 7–9

Date: Week 10 Thursday, September 18th

Time: Drop in anytime between 3:30pm – 5:00pm

Location: Waterford Building

Join us for an inspiring afternoon as we showcase the incredible work of our middle school students across many curriculum areas. Enjoy a cuppa and biscuit while exploring student displays, including pre-recorded dance and poetry performances!

This is a wonderful opportunity for parents, guardians, students, and grandparents to come together and celebrate learning, creativity, and achievement.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Preferred Student Absentee Option 

Parents are able to inform the College of student absentees via Parent Lounge, using the below pathway:

Parent Lounge> Student Details> Attendance> "+Add Absence Notification"

The Shalom College App has now been updated so when parents select "Absentee" it will re-direct to Parent Lounge for the absentee notification to be added.

For Parents that do not already have the College App please click below:

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.

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 Mr Aaron Brown.  Once approved the details will be placed on our School Register.

As promised, these are our very talented winners and second place getters for the Literary Wonders writing competition.

In the coming weeks, samples of their brilliant work will feature in the newsletter. A digital copy will also be added to the Library’s Sia page.

Thank you to all the students who submitted entries and to our enthusiastic judges; David Richardson, Vince Haberman, Tracey Shears, Sandra Freeman, and Karen Dell.

Year 7/8 Short Story
Winner - Isla L. “The Apple Thief”
Runner Up – Loretta B. “The Dragon Quest”

Year 7/8 Poetry
Winner – Pepper I. “Who You’ll Be”
Runner Up – Colette R. “Out of the Sky”

Year 9/10 Short Story
Winner – Savannah W. “The Last Lap”
Runner up – Lilian T. “One Trick Pony”

Year 9/10 Poetry
Winner – Lily P. “Adventure”
Runner up - Adelaide W. “His Promise”

Year 11/12 Poetry
Winner – Luke G. “When the Bell Rang”
Runner up – Isaac W. “Mapper of Old Lands”

Year 11/12 Literature Short story
Winner – Ellehra W. “Beneath the Red Star”
Runner up – Duru T. “Same Girls…Same Dreams…Different Destinies.

Denise Harvey
School Librarian
Denise_Harvey@rok.catholic.edu.au 

Shalom Students Explore the Future of Technology

On Wednesday 13 August, Media Arts and Digital Solutions teacher Beau Von Stein accompanied sixteen senior students from Shalom College to a special Digital innovation and Unity coding day. This hands-on experience gave them a glimpse into the exciting world of emerging technologies and digital careers.

Eight of our students dived into the fundamentals of game development, getting hands-on with the Unity game engine. They learned essential coding skills that will help them turn their creative ideas into a reality.

Meanwhile, a second group of eight students explored various technological innovations through a tour focused on virtual reality (VR) and program development. They experienced the latest advancements in the manufacturing industry by using a VR system to learn how to weld and even tour different manufacturing factories across Australia to perform virtual manual tasks.

The students also got to see how VR can be integrated into the classroom. They used the Flight 8 program to participate in a variety of lessons entirely in VR from hands-on science experiments to performing open-heart surgery and even hairdressing.

Our Digital Technologies department and students are buzzing with excitement about the possibilities that these technologies hold. We are always on the lookout for new ways to innovate with technology to ensure our students are well-prepared for the jobs of the digital future.

Thank you to Steve Howard from Wide Bay Manufacturing and the Bundaberg Regional Council, Rebecca Egan from Link and Launch, and Geoff Augutis from Queensland Computers for hosting this immersive event for our staff and students.

Term 1: Tuesday 28 January – Friday 4 April (10 weeks)

Term 2: Tuesday 22 April – Friday 27 June (10 weeks)

Term 3: Monday 14 July – Friday 19 September (10 weeks)
Year 12 Formal: Saturday 6 September

Term 4: Tuesday 7 October – Thursday 4 December (9 weeks)

The Shalom Markets are open every Sunday 6am-midday. Come along to purchase your fresh fruit and vegetables, local food products and handmade items. 

Markets BBQ Roster

Office Hours: 9:00 - 1:00 Monday to Friday
Parish Office: Rossolini Place Level 1, 66 Woongarra St
Phone: 07 4151 6666    PO Box 79 Bundaberg QLD 4670
Email: sbundaberg@rok.catholic.net.au
AFTER HOURS:  Anointing of the sick for medical emergencies
phone 4151 6666 and follow the prompt
UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF MARY MOTHER OF CHURCH

"The annual parish "Good News" magazine is now available in all churches for a Gold Coin Donation. As you read our in-house publication of the Good News magazine this year, discover the ways in which our parish vision statement is being made clear.

Shalom College Families Business and Trade Directory 

To help assist the Shalom College community in supporting local businesses that are run by Shalom families, we have created our Shalom College Families Business and Trade Directory. If you would like to be listed in this directory, please send a copy of your business card to Mr Peter Robinson who will be establishing and developing this directory to Peter_Robinson@rok.catholic.edu.au

Student Travel Rebates 

Would you like to know more about the Non State Schools Transport Assistance Scheme and eligibility requirements? Click on the link to view the short introductory video here: https://youtu.be/ogWpq7tVaio 

Student travel rebate applications open 1- 31 October for Semester 2. Please click here to check if you are eligible.

Mental Health Resources