Year 11 2026 Subject Changes

Year 10 students wishing to change their subjects selected for 2026 need to refer to the letter sent to parents and students by Mrs Allen, Dean of Senior School, last Friday 31 October. There will be two opportunities for students to meet with Mrs Allen – this year in Weeks 5 and 6 commencing today, and early next year in Weeks 1 and 2.

Students wishing to change their subject selections must have a parent with them for this meeting. If you wish to make an interview time you can do so via this link -https://deanofseniorschool.youcanbook.me 

Year 12 External Assessments

Year 12 students continue to sit their External Examinations and we wish those students with exams this week all the best.

Parents if your student is unable to sit their assessment due to illness or misadventure, please contact the school ASAP before the scheduled exam. Mrs Allen - Dean of Senior School, will work with you to collect the required supporting evidence and submit this to QCAA on your behalf within the designated timeline. Please note the following information regarding applications for AARA on the grounds of Illness and Misadventure:

• Two pieces of evidence must be supplied to support the application. A School Statement prepared by the College AND one other piece of verifiable evidence.
• Application with required evidence must be submitted within 7 days of your child’s last scheduled exam
• NO RAT TESTS accepted as evidence
• PCR test result or Medical Certificate from a Doctor can be used as evidence. Medical certificates from pharmacies or online sources may not be accepted.
• A Medical Certificate must state the specific symptom/s being displayed at the time of the illness.
• Please note generic statements on medical certificates such as: “unfit for duty”, “suffering a medical condition” will not be accepted by QCAA.
• Other evidence applicable to a given circumstance or issue could include – police report, funeral notice, hospital admission form.

Year 12 Final Results

Just a reminder that students will be able to access their final senior results and their Senior Educational Profile (QCE and Senior Statement) in their myQCE Learning Account from 9.00 am on Wednesday 17 December.

ATAR scores can be accessed through their ATAR Registration Portal while university offers will be released through their QTAC Applications portal. This information is being released on Thursday 18 December.

Please refer to the letter and FAQ sheet sent to all Year 12 parents and students in Week 1 of this term. A copy has been attached for your reference.

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

Year 12 External Exams

External Exams for Year 12 General Subjects will occur over the period from Monday 27 October – Friday 14 November.

Attached is some important information about this time including:
- External Assessment Timetable
- Directions for Students
- External Exam Equipment List
- Student Expectations During Exam Block

Could parents and students please familiarise themselves with these important documents in preparation for the External Exam period?

Please note that normal classes continue during Week 1-3 of Term 4 (7 Oct – 24 Oct), however students need only attend school for the exams they are sitting during the External Exam Block. Students who are required to complete outstanding work may also be required to attend school during the External Exam block as organised by the relevant classroom teacher.

Good luck with your study and your exams!

Yr 11 Exam Block –  Tuesday 25 November – Friday 28 November

Yr 11 students will participate in an exam block from the 25 – 28 November. Please note that due to some extra exams this year, we are having to extend the exam block by one day.

Students participating in this exam block will begin Unit 3 assessment. This assessment is summative and as such will contribute towards the ATAR score. The Exam Timetable for this exam block is attached. Students need only attend school for the exams that they are sitting in this period.

During the exam block, students not involved in exams are expected to be involved in home study. Students who are behind in their schoolwork may also be required to attend school to complete outstanding work. If this is required, these arrangements will be communicated by individual class teachers.

Please remember that normal school rules regarding uniform and behaviour continue through the exam block.

We wish our students all the best with their studies.

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

St Vincent de Paul Society

The St Vincent de Paul Society is committed to serving people in need in our community and as a Catholic organisation we try to partner with them when it comes to actioning the Gospel values we espouse. The mission of St Vincent de Paul Society is to live the gospel message by serving Christ in the poor with love, respect, justice, hope and joy, and to bring about a more just and compassionate society. Our partnership comes about through several initiatives including:

• Homelessness awareness evening
• Ozanam Leadership Program
• Year 11 Religion & Ethics Vinnies volunteer experience
• Christmas hamper donations
• Staff participation in the communal table
• The Giving Tree Assembly – coming up on the 20 November

We are very appreciative of the contributions of our local Youth Engagement and Development Facilitator, Mr Michael Siccama, to this partnership. We hope that by participating in some of these activities, students will develop a greater appreciation for the difference they can make in their community when they demonstrate the Vinnies aspiration of ‘compassion built on justice’.

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

The ROSA (Recognition of Student Application) program is an award program which recognises student application to their studies.  We value the importance of acknowledging students who are motivated, show perseverance and work diligently to reach their potential. The 'goal posts' for all our students are different, however all students are capable of achieving their own success targets.  There are many ways we regularly encourage and reward the efforts of our students. The ROSA award allows for more of our students to be recognised amongst their peers.

Pathways News
HIGHLIGHTS

SCHOOL LEAVERS

• Some fantastic resources for students who are leaving school.

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Get your expression of interest in as soon as you can!

CAREER SPOTLIGHT

• How to become a Carpenter
• CSQ – Career Spotlight – Surveyor
• Defence Industry Careers

ADDITIONAL LEARNING

• Uni Step Up – Applications Open Now!
• Year 11 or 12 next year and looking to study at TAFE or externally?

UNIVERSITY

• Interested in Studying Medicine?

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

• BDO Australia
• Finemore Walters and Story – Legal Administration Assistant

Unlock your future with this week's School Pathways Newsletter—your go-to guide for career insights, study options, and inspiring student journeys!

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_McMahon@rok.catholic.edu.au

Catherine McAuley encouraged her Sisters of Mercy to go out and show others MERCY in all they do and say. These actions could be big or small but as long as the focus was showing MERCY to others they were doing the work of God in their daily lives. In McAuley we encourage our house family to show this same MERCY daily in quiet unassuming ways and our Quiet Achiever does this so many times without often even realising and for this we celebrate MYSEN S as our Quiet Achiever. Mysen is always so polite and helpful in his own special way. He is always the first to say good morning to staff and students as he passes them and so often offers his assistance to others if he sees a job needing to be done or a student needing support. The smile Mysen has for others when he himself may be feeling low is certainly a special way he is showing how he as a member of McAuley is able to SHINE.

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.

QLD School Sport Referee

Congratulations to Alex C on being selected as a referee for QLD School Sport at the recent School Sport Australia Touch Football Titles in Ballarat. 

Rowing

After a very successful season, we are excited to invite interested students to try our oarsome sport. Rowing is a whole-body sport that is described as the ‘ultimate’ team sport. It builds so many important life skills like communication, teamwork, confidence, as well.

A common theme we hear from rowers is they wish they tried it earlier in their schooling. So come along to one or all, of our sessions. All sessions will have our current rowers supporting the new rowers while being supervised by our experienced coaches.

We have sessions for our current Shalom students in Week 6 & then in Week 7 we have sessions for any interested Year 6 students coming to Shalom next year. Please register via the QR link.

In addition, we have a Rowing Day in the last week of school on Wednesday 3 December for Shalom students. This is essentially a big come and try day. We take out all our big boats and bus any interested students out to Bucca and have a couple of fun sessions on the water. Signs up will be at school in the coming weeks.

Any questions, let us know.

Keep being oarsome.

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

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

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.

My interview with Jub Clerc

By Amber K, Year 9

Just last week, I had the incredible opportunity to get in contact with Jub Clerc, the brilliant mind behind the deeply moving movie Sweet As. If you haven’t heard of her, you're truly missing out on an inspiring storyteller whose work explores important themes about family, culture and belonging. For our Year 9 assessment this term, we’ve been assigned with creating a podcast that examines our chosen film, Sweet As, through themes such as culture, identify, loss of identity, and family disconnection.

When I reached out to Jub, I honestly didn’t expect a response, so you can imagine my face when I saw the email come through at exactly 7:32am on Tuesday last week. She was so generous with her time and insight. Speaking with her gave me a whole new perspective on Sweet As, I learnt about the subtle choices she made in the film, the emotional depth behind certain scenes that I hadn’t blinked an eye at prior and the real-life experiences that inspired the story. It was fascinating to uncover the hidden layers of meaning that I had completely missed and I can’t lie when my teacher used to tell me ‘Everything is done with the intent of meaning something’ I didn’t believe her. But it’s true!

The interview left me not only inspired but also more confident in how I'll approach my podcast. I’m glad to be given the opportunity to understand the film on a deeper level and it’s truly an experience I wish everyone could have. I left with a better understanding on cultural identity and personal growth. Overall, talking to Jub Clerc was such a rewarding experience, and it gave me so many valuable insights that will definitely stick with me throughout my years here and even outside of school. If you haven’t watched this film, this is your sign to put it on your watch list ASAP.

On Tuesday 21 October, Year 12 Aquatic Practices students spent the afternoon engaging in recreational fishing at Burnett Heads. This excursion was a culmination of their final unit “Commercial and Recreational Fishing”. For their final assessment task, students researched and created a lure designed to target a local fish species.

The fishing excursion provided an opportunity for students to put into practice the basic skills of recreational fishing. While some students were regular ‘fishers’, others had limited experience or had not fished for a very long time. A cast net was also available, with a number of students having a go with great success in their casting technique.

There were sufficient nibbles and catches (and release) of small fish to keep the students engaged. Competition quickly grew between students to see who could catch the most fish. Zoe S pipped George H seconds before we packed up by landing her sixth fish of the day. This meant Zoe took out the inaugural ‘Shalom Aquatic Practices Fishing Champion’ trophy!

A huge thank you to Lenore from Tackleworld Bundaberg who supplied the rod/reel combinations, tackle and bait to allow students this opportunity – as well as giving advice on baiting hooks, casting and general operation of a rod / reel, along with how to throw a cast net. Hopefully it has sparked an interest and put some students on a course to be regular recreational fishers.

Top Left to Bottom Right: 1. George H with a small barred grunter. 2. Zoe S with a golden toad fish. 3. Flynn A with an effective throw of the cast net. 4. Students and staff on the Burnett Heads fishing excursion. 5. Zoe S with her fishing champion trophy.

Mr Troy Braund & Mr Ben Stranieri
Aquatic Practices Teachers

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)

Term 1: Tuesday 27 January – Friday 2 April (10 weeks)

Term 2: Tuesday 20 April – Friday 26 June (10 weeks)

Term 3: Monday 13 July – Friday 18 September (10 weeks)
Year 12 Formal: Saturday 5 September

Term 4: Tuesday 6 October – Thursday 3 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.

QLD Government Rules for E-Scooters & E-Bikes

E-Scooters 

• Don’t drink and ride.
• Park responsibly and safely.
• Stay off your phone while riding.
• No doubling. One rider only at all time.
• Always wear a helmet with straps fastened.
• Must be over 16 years old or 12-15 years with adult supervision.
• Maximum e-scooter speed of 12km/h on footpaths or 25km/h on bike paths, separated paths, bike lanes, and local streets with a speed limit of 50km/h or lower (unless signed otherwise). 

Rules for personal mobility devices | Transport and motoring | Queensland Government

E-Bikes

There are two types of e-bikes allowed in Queensland:

1. EPACs (Electrically Power Assisted Cycles)
2. 200-watt e-bikes

When riding an e-bike you must follow the bicycle rules. Important points to note:

• always wear a helmet
• obey speed limits (motor can only help you up to maximum 25 km/h)
• only carry passengers if the bike is made for it—and they must wear a helmet too
• don’t use your phone while riding (unless it’s in a cradle and hands-free)
• give way to pedestrians on footpaths and shared paths
• don’t ride on the pedestrian side of separated paths
• don’t ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• no riding on motorways or anywhere a ‘no bicycle’ sign is installed
• if there’s a crash, stop, help anyone hurt, and share your contact details.

Know the difference: e-bikes verses other electric bikes

Some electric vehicles look like e-bikes but are actually electric motorcycles. These:

• don’t have pedals
• can go very fast
• look like mopeds or dirt bikes 

E-Bike rules in Queensland | Transport and motoring | Queensland Government

Goodwood Road, undertake safety improvements

The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) will soon commence construction work to improve safety on Goodwood Road (locally known as Barolin Street) at the Thabeban Street and McCarthy Road intersections in Avenell Heights, along with minor improvements at the Goodwood Road and Coonarr Road intersection.

For more information on the 'Project overview' and 'What to expect' click link to PDF below. 

Mental Health Resources