We are now at the halfway mark of the term and many students will be working towards assessment and examinations. Parents are encouraged to work with their students to develop appropriate homework and study plans – the Record Book is a helpful tool for this purpose. A Homework Study Planner is included for each term (see p.48 and 49 for Term One). A term overview for your child’s study location at home is also a good strategy (see p.46 and 47).

Parents can access upcoming assessment dates for their children via Sia. Each student has a “Due Work Calendar” that shows upcoming dates for checkpoints, drafts, and exams. To access this calendar for your child in the Sia Smartphone Application please select “My Shalom” and then “Due Work”. On the webpage, an option to select Due Work will show under your child’s photograph on the home page.

Head of Departments have assigned tasks in each faculty area and class teachers adapt these to specific days/lessons when applicable. Please be aware that some tasks with multiple components may be duplicated in the Due Work Calendar.

Academic Policies and Procedures

It is important to be aware that student assessment is regulated by Shalom’s Academic Policies and Procedures which can be found in the Student Record Book from page 13 to 21. This includes issues surrounding drafting, academic integrity, and non-submission.

Flowcharts outlining the processes required for students who miss an exam or wish to request an extension are on page 15 and 16. Please be aware that extensions need to be applied for in advance of the due date. Drafts are compulsory. Non-submission of a draft will see a student being asked to attend a Supplementary Session on Tuesday afternoon. Of particular importance is the requirement for evidence (e.g. medical certificate) for exams missed in all year 11 and 12 subjects.

Please contact the Dean of Middle School or Dean of Senior School with any questions regarding assessment submission.

Middle School

A practice NAPLAN test will be held on Thursday 22 February. Students must have corded headphones to undertake the practice test. Year 7 and Year 9 students will sit the NAPLAN online tests from Wednesday 13 March – Monday 25 March.

If you have any concerns about NAPLAN or if you wish to withdraw your student from NAPLAN testing, please contact Mrs Megan Munckton, Dean of Middle School, megan_munckton@shalomcollege.com

Please note: all students MUST have corded headphones or earphones to undertake the NAPLAN Online testing. This is the responsibility of families to ensure that students have their earphones or headphones for all test days, including the practice test. These headphones/earphones must have a 3.5mm standard jack. Wireless headphones (e.g., Apple air pods) are not compatible. If you need to purchase headphones or earphones, we suggest you do this as soon as possible. The uniform shop has a small supply of earphones for $6.

2024 Elevate Education Parent Webinars

Elevate Education delivers high-impact workshops that help to develop student study skills, motivation, and exam preparation. Over the next term, you are invited to join their parent webinar series, where you can help support your child at home by reinforcing the skills that will support their learning at school.

Upcoming Webinars:

• How You Can Help Your Child Manage Their Time - Wednesday 28 February 6:30pm
• How You Can Make Technology an Ally (& Not the Enemy!) - Wednesday 13 March 6:30pm
• How You Can Help Improve Your Child's Memory - Wednesday 27 March 6:30pm

Register for the series by clicking the link below and learn some practical strategies to help support your child this year. https://go.elevateeducation.com/auschoolwebinars 

QCE System Review

Mrs Gail Norris
Assistant Principal - Curriculum
gail_norris@shalomcollege.com

Year 12 Exam Block – Monday 19 to Wednesday 21 February

Year 12 students will participate in an exam block from Monday 19 – Wednesday 21 February. The Exam Timetable for this exam block is attached below. Students participating in this exam block will undergo Unit 3 assessment. This assessment is summative and as such will contribute towards the ATAR score. 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. These expectations are outlined in the attached documents.

We wish our students all the best with their studies.

New Feedback Method-  Learner Attributes

In 2024, Shalom College is excited to announce we are changing the way we give feedback on ‘learning attributes’ of our students to parents. In previous years, Shalom has issued an Interim Report card at the beginning of Term 2 as well as the normal End-of-Semester Report cards. Our new method of feedback will replace the Interim Report card. Additionally, the End-of-Semester Report cards will no longer show Application and Behaviour.

Instead, teachers will give feedback through Sia on the learning behaviours of students in each of their classes, as well as PC classes. This will be published to parents at the end of Week 5 in Term 1 & 3 for all Year 7-12 subjects and PC classes, and at the end of Week 5 in Term 2 & 4 for the Year 7/8 rotation subjects that occur in those terms.

Each student will be awarded either a Consistently (4), Mostly (3), Sometimes (2), Rarely (1) or Never (0) in the following criteria:

• Organisation - punctual to class, correct equipment in good working order, laptop charged, record book present
• Application - actively engaged in learning, appropriate use of technology (laptop, phone etc), homework complete
• Presentation - uniform worn appropriately, follows school guidelines for hair, make-up, jewellery etc
• College Values - treats others with dignity and respect, displays a positive attitude

This will appear on Sia Parent Dashboard under ‘Grades’.

and will appear as a mark out of 16.

More detailed information can be found by clicking on the ‘Learning Attributes’ link on the above screen.

After the initial feedback is published, teachers are able to update these criteria and re-publish them to parents at any time throughout the year and add a comment if necessary. Parents are advised of updates via Notifications in Sia. In this way, reporting on your child’s application in class is ‘live’, improving the quality of feedback for parents. We believe this is a significant improvement in our communication with parents, compared with the previous ‘point-in-time’ reporting.

Please note that end-of semester reports will still be issued as normal, however there will be no grade for Application and Behaviour on these reports.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions/concerns about our new method of providing feedback.

2024 Student Residential Address and Other Information Collection Notice

The 2024 Student Residential Address and Other Information collection notice distributed by the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment. This data is routinely used to inform Commonwealth school education policy, and to help ensure that Commonwealth funding arrangements for non-government schools are based on need, and are fair and transparent.

Could you please ensure that your address and contact details are up-to-date through the Parent Details tab in Parent Lounge to ensure accurate collection of this data?

PLEASE UPDATE YOUR SHALOM COLLEGE PHONE APP

Recently, Shalom has had some important updates to the phone app. Most notably, there is now a new button called ‘Clipboard’.

Clipboard is the application our sporting coaches use currently to record results and attendance at school sporting events. This year, we are allowing access for parents and students. This will allow students and parents to see:

• the schedule for upcoming sporting events for you/your/child both through the phone app as well as in the Sia Calendar
• the teams you/your child has signed up for
• any changes to the draw/venue etc which will be communicated via notifications on the phone app

Some of these functions are currently available while others will be rolled out over coming weeks. In the future, Clipboard may also be used for music groups, community groups etc and we may unlock other features through Clipboard – watch this space!

To enable these features to occur, could all members of the Shalom community update their Shalom phone app as soon as possible? Those who have automatic updates should have this installed automatically. If your screen looks like the picture below, with the ‘Clipboard’ button showing, then your phone is updated.

If you do not have automatic updates, you will need to go to your App Store, search for the Shalom College phone app, and press update. The update only takes seconds to do.

Please complete this update as soon as possible to gain the benefits that Clipboard offers.

SIA – LOG ON NOW! GET THE PHONE APP!

‘Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.’ -Warren Buffet

A parent’s role in the education of their child is vital. Student outcomes will be maximised when parents and teachers are both involved in their child’s education and have positive interactions. Sia is a fantastic way for parents to be fully informed about student progress, assessment due dates, news items, upcoming events, assessment results etc.

Sia, and the Shalom phone app, have been available to parents since the beginning of 2022. Currently, our parent login rate is slightly lower than the end of last year. We would like all our parents to be successfully logged into Sia as soon as possible. Attached in the link below is a Parent “Everything You Need To Know About Sia’ Guide which includes how to log in for the first time. The phone app is super-convenient – a must-have for parents!

Our IT team will have sent the login details for Sia to all new parents to the school at the beginning of the year. If you have misplaced these details, or are having technical difficulties, please contact our Shalom IT department via email at shalomit@shalomcollege.com or phone 41558131 during office hours 8am - 3.30pm Monday to Friday, Tuesdays are 8.30am - 3.30 pm.

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

Quiet Achievers

These two young ladies from Chisholm House are the main leaders of the Ibis Brigade. The Ibis Brigade is the name we have bestowed upon the group of students who have volunteered to look after/put out/bring in the recycling bins as part of our “Containers for Change” initiative. All money raised from this recycling program is donated to charity.

Amelia W and Ella B are true quiet achievers as they diligently do this community service without any fuss or fanfare; not the most glamorous job and they have done so for the past year, signing up again for 2024.

We are so appreciative of the small group of students, capably led by Ella and Amelia, who have signed up this year to participate in this program.

So appreciative for this important service to our community and beyond.

Elizabeth Austin-Campbell
Deputy Principal
acampbelle@shalomcollege.com 

Pathways Information

UNIVERSITY

• Thinking of Applying for Medicine or Dentistry in 2025?
  

• Register for Work Experience or Professional Shadowing

ADDITIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

• 11 Careers You May Never Heard Of
• How Are Drones Used in the Workplace

EVENTS

• The ADF are Visiting Shalom Tuesday February 27
• Certificate III Health Services Students Participate in Job Ready Program

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

• School Based Warehouse Traineeship – Cert III in Supply Chain Operations

Click on the HERE for complete Pathways Newsletter for further information.

The Pathways Team
Mrs Liza O’Donnell, Mrs Kim Toll, Mrs Kathryn Laing, Ms Jacinta Cook & Mrs Cristel Simmonds
Liza_ODonnell@shalomcollege.com
kim_toll@shalomcollege.com
kathryn_laing@shalomcollege.com
jacinta_cook@shalomcollege.com
cristel_simmonds@shalomcollege.com

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.

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.

All 2024 annual fees are due on 4 March 2024 unless an organised payment schedule has commenced before this date to have all fees paid either by the end of Term 3 for families with a Year 12 student only or by the end of Term 4 Week 4 2024 for families with Year 7-11 students also.

A 2.5% discount on tuition and eligible levies (please refer to the 2024 Tuition Fees and Levy Schedule) will be given if all fees are paid by 4 March 2024. Families who choose to pay via an approved regular payment schedule where the first payment has commenced before the 4 March 2024 and the plan has been maintained with all fees paid by the required date will receive a 1.5% discount on tuition and eligible levies.

With regard to the new option now available for payment via EasyPay through Parent Lounge, can families please note:

1. If you wish to move to this direct debit payment system and you already have an existing direct debit set up through the college, please advise and we will cancel this original plan for you

2. All dishonour fees will be charged directly to your bank account

Full listing of preferred payment methods available are:

Parent Lounge
- Single payment by using credit card
- EasyPay– Set up of a new Direct Debit via EasyPay using either Bank Account or Credit Card.

BPAY
Please find details of your Biller Code and Reference Number for BPAY at top right hand corner of the fee statement.

Personal/Internet Banking Transfer
Those wishing to pay by direct transfer, it is important that you use your account number as the reference. This account number can be found on your fee statement.

Cash/Credit/Debit Card in person – through the Finance Office

Centrepay
Use Centrepay to make regular deductions from your Centrelink payment. Centrepay is a voluntary and easy payment option available to Centrelink customers. Go to humanservices.gov.au/centrepaybusiness  for more information and to set up your Centrepay deductions.

Automatic Credit Card Deductions / Direct Debit (not through Parent Lounge)
We can set this up for you. Please contact the Finance Office for assistance. Payments can be weekly, fortnightly or monthly.

Should you have any queries or require assistance with setting up a new payment plan or reviewing your existing payment plan, please phone the Finance Office on 4155 8179 or email finance@shalomcollege.com 

Information Evening - Wednesday 21 February 2024 - REGISTER NOW >

Open Day - Tuesday 5 March 2024 - REGISTER NOW >

Applications Close - Friday 19 April 2024 – ONLINE ENROLMENT >

Second Hand Uniforms

We are currently not accepting second hand items, we will advise when we are able to accept them again. Thank you to everyone who has bought in second hand items. 

Back in Stock

The uniform shop has now been restocked with boys shirts and girls blouses.  Available now.

Mrs Leanne Barker
Uniform Shop
barkerl@shalomcollege.com

Monday to Thursday: 8.00am to 12.00pm

Monday, Tuesday and Thursday: 3.30pm to 5.30pm

Friday: Closed

A reminder to Students and Parents that legislation dictates that families need to provide their own labelled box of Panadol and/or Nurofen for staff to dispense. If you would like our Admin Office to hold medication for your child/children, please submit the appropriately labelled medication box together with a signed copy of the Student Medication form to our Office.

Medical Certificate Absentee Notification

When providing medical certificates for your child/children's non-attendance could you please ensure that these are scanned (jpeg or png) and attached in the email (absentees@shalomcollege.com) or alternatively dropped into the main administration office.

We are no longer able to accept a photo of the medical certificate via email.

If you advise any of your child/children's Teachers or Head of House (via email) of any non-attendance, could you please also advise the admin office via the preferred options. Either email as an attachment to absentees@shalomcollege.com or via the Parent Lounge (as per the process above - under Absentees).

Tickets on sale now via the link www.trybooking.com/COQMY

In 2023 sixteen Year 11 Science students signed up to be University of Queensland (UQ) Science Ambassadors at Shalom College. It was their job to promote science. They did this very successfully by running science club weekly in terms 2 and 3. They engaged junior students by showcasing exciting experiments that students participated in. They also engaged with the wider school and primary school students during Science week in August. They, along with the 2022 UQ ambassadors, were instrumental in creating a series of videos about the senior science subjects that could be used by Year 10 students for subject selection. At the end of the year they were required to submit a report to UQ outlining all they had done for the year. I am incredibly proud to announce that their report was successful in attaining the following award:

Runner up Best New Ambassador School – Regional 2023.

Below is the feedback received from the University of Queensland:

“We were all incredibly impressed with the exceptional efforts you and your Ambassadors have made in 2023 to elevate the profile of science in your school and local community, as well as creating a legacy for future cohorts to be inspired to pursue STEM and follow in the footsteps of these wonderful student role models. Especially as a school that is new to the program, we deeply appreciate the effort and vision it takes to build a committed UQ Science Ambassador team, and it seems like through your dedication and the exceptional work of the Ambassadors, Shalom College has developed a strong network of students and teachers committed to fostering a vibrant STEM culture at your school.

A huge congratulations from all of us at the UQ Faculty of Science on this incredible achievement! This was a particularly strong year for the program, and we were all so thrilled to see the spectacular work your school is doing and the positive impacts the Shalom College UQ Science Ambassadors have made.”

A video created by the 2023 Science Ambassadors explaining what the program entails may be accessed using the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDw5RF2sctY

STEM Opportunity: Kangourou sans Frontieres Mathematics Competition

Inspired by the AMT’s Australian Mathematics Competition, Kangourou sans Frontières (KSF) is now the largest maths competitions in the world, with more than 6 million participants each year. Held in March, the KSF is a great opportunity for students to experience maths in a competition environment.

Competition Date: Week 10 -Tuesday 26 March -Students will be notified of details closer to the date.

Time: 75 minute exam - online only

Cost: $5.00

Nominations: Please email Mrs Bishop bishopd@shalomcollege.com to express your interest. You will then be invited to the event in Parent lounge where you will be able to make the $5.00 payment.

Nominations close: Monday 11 March: 8:30am

For more information please click on the link: Kangourou sans Frontieres Competition or see the information below

NB: Participation in this competition could create opportunities for involvement in additional Maths Enrichment programs and competitions throughout the year.

For example: Maths Team Challenge; QAMT Year 7/8 Quiz; UQ/QAMT Problem Solving Competition; Australian Intermediate Mathematics Olympiad (AIMO)

Competition Details

Divisions:

• Junior – Australian Years 7 and 8
• Intermediate – Australian Years 9 and 10
• Senior – Australian Years 11 and 12

Topics:

• Basic arithmetic
• Fractions and ratios
• Algebra and pre-algebra
• Geometry
• Measurement
• Statistics and probability
• Problem-solving

Question and Answer Format:

• 30 questions for Upper Primary and all secondary divisions, all multiple choice

Delivery: online only

Mrs Debbie Bishop
STEM Co-ordinator – Science and Math
bishopd@shalomcollege.com 

Week 4 saw a group of our Year 10, 11 and 12 students Welcomed to Country by Taribelang Bunda Elder, Uncle Willie Broome to mark the beginning of their Certificate II in Conservation and Ecosystems Management Course.

The students will be heading out to Chaverim every Wednesday for the conservation program. Through the guidance and expertise from Brad Crosbie of WYLD Projects, these students will acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to care for Country and protect the environment, with a major focus on the preservation of the critically endangered freshwater white-throated snapping turtle (Milbi). 

W.Y.L.D Projects Indigenous Corporation (Where Youth Live Dreams) are a community based Indigenous Corporation that specialises in developing legacy-based learning projects that provide improved opportunities for Indigenous Youth aged 14-24, in the Burnett Mary Region and throughout Queensland.

Ms Valli Mitchelson
Indigenous Education Liaison Officer
Velma_Mitchelson@shalomcollege.com

Bundaberg and Wide Bay Trials – Tennis Success

Once again, Shalom players performed extremely well at the recent Bundaberg trials, with three players gaining selection in the Bundaberg tennis team. Of the eight players who made the Bundaberg team, three were from Shalom - Lachlan C, Lachlan R and Lara B. Congratulations to these students!

These three players travelled to Kingaroy on the 14 February to participate in the Wide Bay trials. Congratulations go to Lachlan C who played some outstanding tennis to finish as the number 1 player in the Wide Bay Boys Team. Lachlan R and Lara B were on the verge of qualifying with both falling agonisingly short. Each of these students are talented tennis players who should be proud of their efforts.

Lachlan C will now lead the Wide Bay team at the State Titles from 4-7 March played at the University of Queensland. With Lachlan as talented as the top players in the State, he has the potential to perform very well and gain selection in the Queensland team. Good luck Lachie!

Mr Brendan Maher
maherb@shalomcollege.com
Mr Dan Hubbard
daniel_hubbard@shalomcollege.com
Shalom Tennis Coaches

Term Dates for 2024 

Term 1: Monday 22 January – Thursday 28 March (10 weeks)

Term 2: Monday 15 April – Friday 21 June (10 weeks)

Term 3: Monday 8 July – Friday 13 September (10 weeks)

Term 4: Monday 30 September – Thursday 5 December (10 weeks)

Breakfast is available every morning for purchase from 8.00am - 8.30am.

Items available are:

Croissant Ham & Cheese $3.00
Big Breakfast $6.00
Toasted Sandwich $4.00
Bacon & Egg Muffins $3.50
Bacon, Egg & Cheese Wraps $4.00
Breakfast Bars $1.50
Fresh Salad Tub $4.00
Yoghurt Pots $3.00
Hashbrowns 3 for $1.00

Up & Go drinks and flavoured milk are available everyday.

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

If you are interested in volunteering at our College Tuckshop, we would love for you to indicate your availability and book a shift following the link below. 

The booking system helps to accommodate our very much appreciated regular volunteers, but also families who may not be able to commit on a regular basis and have a day here or there throughout the year. 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 4155 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 2-3 hours (school drop off to around 11.30 am).

No experience required!

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

Volunteers Required - Markets Tuckshop

We are seeking your help!! We are always in need of new volunteers for the Markets Tuckshop and BBQ.  If your child/children would like to gain some work experience, why not get them to volunteer in the canteen. If you have a few hours you could spare to assist in our canteen, please click on the link below to register your assistance or contact Leanne via email at barkerl@shalomcollege.com.

If we get enough volunteers, it may work out that you only need to volunteer once per term.

Register to Volunteer HERE

Markets Tuckshop Roster

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.

A Lifetime in a Year-Rotary Youth Exchange - Applications Now Open

Do you know someone that would like to experience a Year in a Lifetime? Well, read on!

Applications for the Rotary Youth Exchange Program 2024/25 are now open! Students in Years 9-12, with an interest in traveling abroad, learning a new language, and immersing themselves in a new culture and way of life are invited to apply for this opportunity. We offer short (10-12 weeks) and our long term which is our 12 month program. Please go to https://ryea.org.au/ to express your interest and for more information.

Rotary International is one of the largest service organisations in the world. The mission of Rotary, is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace. Our Youth Exchange program achieves this with reciprocal hosting between countries.

The program began in 1958 and has helped thousands of students worldwide learn a new language, learn lifelong leadership skills and make lasting friendships with students from around the world and not just from the country they are visiting. One of the goals of the Rotary Youth Exchange is to promote world peace and cultural understanding.

We'll be looking to welcome more students from abroad in July. If you're not keen on an exchange, but you're a family who would like to host a student, please apply via:

https:// ryea.org.au/host-family-application/

We will be holding an Information session online on Sunday February 25th at 10am. We will have students currently on exchange to talk about their experience and answer any questions you may have.

For more information, please contact Heather Sugget on 0400 553 295 or rye@rotary9560.org

Interested families can enrol their child using the online referral link on our website, http://phoenixhouse.com.au. 

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@shalomcollege.com

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 May for Semester 1. Please click here to check if you are eligible.