15 November 2021

Principal’s Reflection

We put off having our usual Awards Night again this year because of Covid and will create a video presentation of Academic and Sports Awards. Last week, we presented Awards to the Year 8 - 11 students. This week we will present to the Year 7s and the Year 12s. These Awards are really important for our school. We need to recognize, publicly, excellence and the striving for excellence. The cartoon reminds us, if we need any reminding, how pervasive the temptation is to be mediocre. Some who strive for excellence, or initiative, or to be creative are told to step back. It is very easy to not stand out from the crowd and just ‘blend in’. Awards Night is a chance to celebrate those who worked hard and did their best not to just be mediocre. Those young people who achieved Studentship Awards or Academic Awards, Special Awards or Subject Awards deserve our congratulations. Along with those young people who excelled this year at Sport and Cultural endeavours. Well done to all of those young people. I hope their parents are suitably proud.

Parking at Edenbrook – I am now told that parents waiting to collect their children are now blocking footpaths and some driveways in the Edenbrook Estate near the College. Along with the good folks at the Baptist Church in Fitzgerald Street, there is a degree of annoyance and disruption this is causing. Please, if you are choosing to collect your child from Shalom after school, the only place to do that is from one of our two car parks – no where else. If parents left their collection time to between 3.15 and 3.30, there would be minimal wait time. In apologizing to those in Edenbrook Estate who brought this to my attention, I did suggest they contact the BRC to request a Parking Inspector visit and issue parking violation notices.

Year 12 Graduation will be on Thursday of this week. This is a momentous occasion for those 192 young people and their families. We will do our best to wish them every success as they take the next steps to changing lives and changing the world. Nice article in a recent Courier Mail from Francis Whiting that the parents of this group of wonderful young people might enjoy.

Mr Dan McMahon
Principal
McmahonD@shalomcollege.com

Newsletter Articles

COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic

Saturday 20 November a pop-up COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic will be held at Shalom College inside the Loyola Building from 8am-11am. The vaccination clinic is open to all those eligible to receive the vaccination. Please remember to bring your Medicare Card.

Student Welfare and Information

Orientation Afternoon for Year 7s 2022 was held last Tuesday with a great turn up of parents along with their children. The Year 7s 2022 were able to meet their buddies and, for the first time, we had our 10 Houses operating ready for the new year.

I have included a few photographs across Houses – the pink panther mascots belong to Damien House.

I am very grateful for the preparation the House Coordinators and the buddies (Year 11s and a few Year 10s) put in to making the afternoon memorable for the Year 7s 2022.

In future please note: an umbrella will be a compulsory item to have! The rain “bucketed” down just as the Year 10s were heading off to show parents around the College.

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

Curriculum

Middle School

Due to a delay in the filling of our student device order from HP for 2022 we are asking parents of Year 9 students not to discard their student’s iPads. We may experience a period of time at the beginning of next year where students will be without devices. Our suggestion is to have the current Year 9 students keep hold of their iPads to use in the interim until our supply of devices arrive.

Senior School

Year 12 Students – Wednesday 17 November

A quick reminder as per Mr McMahon’s letter, all Year 12 students are expected to be in attendance on Wednesday 17 November for the whole day. Please make sure your student has read this correspondence and know what is required of them for this day.

myQCE Learning Accounts

Please check that your child has registered for their myQCE Learning Account using a personal email address and NOT their Shalom College email address. Students will use their myQCE Learning Account to access their final Year 12 results and their Senior Educational Profile (QCE and Senior Statement) on Friday 17 December. QCAA no longer mail out senior statements and results to students, results are only available online via your student’s myQCE Learning Account.

Please have your student check their personal details are correct in there myQCE Learning Account and make any necessary changes. If your home address needs to be changed please contact Mrs Norris to have this updated.

QTAC ATAR Portal Account

By now any Year 12 student who wishes to receive their ATAR score (Friday 17 November) should have created their QTAC ATAR Portal.

Year 10 - Academic Integrity Course

During the upcoming Year 10 Exam Block in Week 8 (Wednesday – Friday) students will be completing their online QCAA Academic Integrity Course when they are not in a scheduled exam. We ask that students please bring their device with them so that they can complete this in class. It is important that all Year 10 students complete this course as they begin the senior studies.

Mrs Gail Norris
Assistant Principal – Curriculum
Gail_Norris@shalomcollege.com

Administration

Year 10 End of Semester Two Examinations

The Year 10 examination timetable is attached. Please note that Year 10 students must attend school up to and including Thursday 25 November. Students who have taken Specialist Maths have an exam on Friday morning but may leave school after this exam. All other Year 10 students are not required to attend school on Friday although there will be supervision at school provided for those students unable to make alternative arrangements.

Students should expect to sit outstanding examinations and complete other outstanding assessment tasks at the direction of class teachers in any available examination session during the examination block, including the following week if necessary (29/11/20 - 3/12/20).

Year 11 Exam Block – 24 November – 26 November

Year 11 students will participate in an exam block from 24 - 26 November. 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.

Year 12 External Exams

External Exams for Year 12 General Subjects will occur over the period from Friday 22 October – Tuesday 16 November.

Attached is some important information about this time including:

• the External Assessment Timetable
• Directions for Students
• External Exam Equipment List
• Student Guide to External Assessment

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

Students need only attend school for the exams they are sitting during the External Exam Block (26 Oct – 17 Nov). 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. More information about activities that will occur on the three days after the External Exam Block (ie 17 Nov – 19 Nov) will be distributed soon.

Good luck with your study and your exams!

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

Shalom College Award Ceremonies (Academic and Sports)

Awards for 2021 will again be presented in front of peers, filmed, and released in an easy to access, online format. This year, we have invited parents and some special guests to be part of the ‘live’ presentations. Please note the schedule, (below) if you would like to attend and read on for instructions. A list of awardees was e-mailed to all parents and students. Please note that these sessions are purely for the filming of the award presentations, so not a polished event and there will only be so many seats available to parents on the day. Unfortunately, there is no room for extended family and friends, but thankfully a link to the final production will be forwarded, which we would highly recommend to parents, as the preferred viewing option.

Please note some finer details about the Award Lists;

• The lists e-mailed out to students are purely to give students an indication to sit to the front and for parents to know that their child will be part of the ceremony
• Like any ceremony, there will be some unknown special awards and a complete list of award winners will be published in the newsletter and on Face Book, at the culmination of all award presentations
• Students listed for an Academic or Studentship award, may also receive a Major Award or Sports Award.
• Students not receiving an Academic or Studentship award but receiving a Sports or Major Award, have been added to the bottom of the lists as receiving a 'Special Award'
• Thanks to new technologies, students are now awarded Academic Excellence according to Grade Point Average, across the year and all subjects, rather than a pre-determined number of A's.
• Year 12 will have all Academic, Major Awards and Sports Awards presented on Wednesday 17 November
• Years 7-11 will receive some Sports Awards at House level e.g. Best and Fairest Team Awards and Wide Bay Certificates

If attending the following ceremonies, please note they are being filmed live and the following instructions will have to be applied, for the smooth running of these sessions.

• Parents and Guests will not be able to enter late or leave the Performing Arts Theatre early (unless instructed by a staff member, controlling the door between segments)
• Parents are to use the QR code, at the entrance of the Performing Arts Precinct
• Parents then wait in the foyer for staff members to show them through to their seats
• Phones must be turned to silent and flashes cannot be used during filming (there will be photos taken at the end of filming, which will be published in the newsletter and on Face Book)
• Please note that there will be no rehearsal, therefore, time at the beginning will be dedicated to the organisation of students, which will prove for an organic experience
• Sessions are organised in to 'Periods' according to normal timetabled lessons (published at the front of each student's Record Book)

Either way, we look forward to celebrating the ‘excellence’ achieved by so many Shalom students this College year, so please look out for the published, online version, in its entirety before the end of term. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support of our wonderful students, and consequently, Shalom College.

Mrs Kim O’Shea-Hard
Assistant Principal – Staff Development
hardk@shalomcollege.com

Mission

Giving Tree

Thank you to all those who gave so generously to our Giving Tree appeal. As you can see from the pictures our tree was swamped by toys, $1 700 in gift cards and over $2 500 in cash were collected.

These items will be distributed by Vinnies to families in the Bundaberg area who otherwise could not provide these extras for their families over Christmas.

Year 12 Graduation

Our Year 12 Graduation will be held in the Sports Centre this year at 10 am on 18 November.

This is an invitation only event this year due to COVID restrictions. Families have been allocated tickets that need to be presented for scanning upon arrival. The ceremony will be live streamed so additional family members and friends can watch as well. The link will be posted on Facebook and on our website. We are looking forward to celebrating with this wonderful group of young people.

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

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

Free Short Courses

Australia is currently short of 2,300 workers in cyber security, with an expected demand of at least 17,600 additional professionals required in the sector by 2026. Close the gap with FREE online QUT Short Courses, in partnership with AIIA. Choose from Cyber Security for Non-Cyber Professionals, or Strategic IT-Enabled Innovation.

These courses are available through an online learning platform. You can commence anytime and courses are self-paced. Free registration ends 30th November 2021.

Skill Finder

New research has revealed a major gap in digital skills across Australia’s workforce, with 87% of jobs now requiring digital literacy skills.

Skill Finder will show you that digital skills aren’t just for IT professionals - they’re for everyone. Whether students are looking to do a trade, work an office job or make digital tech their career, having a storehouse of digital skills at your fingertips can put you head and shoulders above the competition. There is access to a world-first digital micro-skills marketplace available to all Australians!

With the ability to learn at your own pace, Skill Finder will enhance your skills and competency by providing you with in-demand, instantly usable digital micro-skills from top technology businesses.

Bringing together thousands of FREE online courses and micro-skills, Skill Finder is powered by some of the world's leading technology platforms and software providers including Atlassian, Adobe, Microsoft and Canva.

You can learn at your own pace with over half the courses completed in under 2 hours. Find out more here.

Work Experience

With the upcoming school holidays, it is a great opportunity for students to engage in Work Experience. Included is the link to the Student Work Experience Booklet, which offers advice on how to approach a prospective employer, what to have organised, what to say and what to wear. The booklet also includes the Work Experience Agreement (which acts as the insurance document), which needs to be fully completed and signed by all parties and returned to the Pathways Office before commencement.

The Host Employer Work Experience booklet is also attached which provides valuable information for the employer.

For students who intend to participate in work experience over the Christmas break please note that Work Experience Agreements need to be completed and returned to the Pathways Office no later than 24 November.

If you need any further assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact the Pathways team.

Employment Opportunities

Ulton, one of Queenslands largest and most dynamic business advisory, chartered accounting and wealth management practices have a vacancy for a full-time entry level receptionist in their Brisbane office. This opportunity is for Year 12 graduates. Find out more and apply here.

Bargara Golf Club are seeking applicants for an apprentice greenkeeper. This is a 3-year apprenticeship for Year 12 graduates. Find out more and apply here.

All in Stone Benchtops is a growing, locally owned and operated company in Bundaberg, specialising in the Manufacture and Installation of top-quality stone bench tops for residential homes and commercial premises. They are currently seeking a 1st year apprentice. Find out more and apply here.

Finemore Walters & Story are seeking an entry level Administration Assistant (Conveyancing). This will suit a Year 12 graduate looking for a long-term permanent full-time position. Find out more and apply here.

Shalom College has several traineeship opportunities to support Year 12 graduates who may want to work within Business Administration and Hospitality (canteen). Trainees enjoy 12 months of employment where they complete a complimentary Certificate III qualification and prepare themselves for the next steps in their working life. If you are a Year 12 graduate and are interested in these opportunities please reach out to Mrs O’Donnell asap.

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

Amelia Tu and Brooke Andrewartha are both Year 10 MacKillop students who are exceptional role models within our House. They are both committed to their studies, maintain a high level of personal presentation and are reliable participants in House and College activities. Recently, these two girls organized a bake sale as a fundraiser for the MacKillop House charities. They demonstrated a high level of initiative to instigate this activity and the success of the fundraiser was due to their meticulous organization. Congratulations Amelia and Brooke on establishing what will now become a MacKillop annual fundraiser.

Mrs Michelle Moller
MacKillop House Coordinator
MollerM@shalomcollege.com

Instrumental Music

Term 4 has been full of concerts in the Instrumental Music Department. While the students were preparing for their performances, their teachers were also preparing for a very special concert. On Saturday 6 November, music teachers from all over the Bundaberg region joined together to perform a free concert in the Shalom Theatre. Under the name Pro Musica, music teachers from both state and private schools, primary and secondary, along with a maths teacher, a few recent graduates, and even a local vet, formed a symphony orchestra which wowed the packed audience.

Mr Ian King set the tone of the evening with his awe-inspiring opening to Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin, which also featured Mrs Rebecca Helbig playing just about every note on the piano. This was followed by the exquisite voices of past students Suellen Cusack-Greensill and Mrs Natalie Sweetapple (also a current teacher) singing jazz standards arranged for orchestra by another past student, John Rotar. Mr James Belluz’s haunting rendition on alto saxophone of “The Old Castle” from Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky, also arranged by John Rotar, was mesmerizing.

Shalom College was well represented in the orchestra with staff members Mrs Bernadette Connolly (viola), Ms Wendy Davis (violin), Mrs Megan Hoban (clarinet), Mr Brett Hoskins (bass trombone), Mrs Janelle Ivers (flute), Mrs Nicole Strohfeldt (double bass), past teacher Alison Vercoe (cello) and past student Kael Yunus (trombone) all performing exceptionally well. Led by local conductor Mr Robert Rotar, the orchestra filled the theatre with beautiful music and left the audience wanting more.

John Rotar

Thanks goes to Mr Dan McMahon for donating the hire of the Theatre for this event, which proved a most valuable experience for the music teachers across the region, as well as the students and other audience members who were impressed by how much musical talent we have here. It looks like there may be more concerts like this in the future!

Mrs Rebecca Helbig
Instrumental Music Teacher
helbigr@shalomcollege.com

Performing Arts Department

Performance Night

This week our Year 9 and Year 10 Semester 2 Drama classes with be holding their end of semester performance nights.

Year 9 have been focusing on their performance skills in the style of Realism, whilst Year 10 have devised their own original Epic Theatre performance entitled ‘Our Covid World.’ The Performing Arts Department would like to invite family, friends and the wider community to support our drama students as they share their final performances for the year. Entry is free and on a first-come first-served basis.

Year 10 – ‘Our Covid World’
Monday 15 November (Tonight) 6:30pm

Year 9 – One Act Play Performance Evening
Thursday 18 November 6:30pm

We look forward to seeing you there.

Ms Cassandra Hoiberg
Performing Arts Learning Area Coordinator
Cassandra_Hoiberg@shalomcollege.com

Duke of Edinburgh

Nina Hilton, Joshua Booth and Alex Murray participated in a Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journey during the September holidays. These students are attempting their Gold Award. During 4 days they completed legs of canoeing and bushwalking in the Cooloola National Park. The Duke of Edinburgh Award is an international youth development program for young people aged between 14 to 25 years old. The program enables young people to step out of their comfort zones while; Learning new skills, getting active, helping the community and meeting new friends.

Please email Mr Eke - david_eke@shalomcollege.com for any further details or to express an interest in joining the program in 2022.

Mr David Eke
Responsible Thinking Process Co-ordinator
Engineering and Technology Teacher
David_Eke@shalomcollege.com

Sport

Indoor Hockey

Cohen Usher was a member of the Maryborough Under 15 Indoor Hockey Team that finished 5th in the State from 15 teams across 2 Divisions on the weekend of 5 -7 November. From this Cohen was selected as a Shadow for the Queensland Under 15 Team, this was Cohen’s first year to be eligible for this team and has another chance next year. Unfortunately Nationals Scheduled for January has been cancelled, but Cohen is awaiting confirmation of a training camp/competition in early 2022.

Coen Usher

Queensland Hockey Camp

Last Thursday 4 Shalom students attended the U/13 Queensland Hockey development camp in Brisbane. Ethan Kenny, Connor Castelli, Ava McCaig and Tully Dorgan. Ethan Kenny was selected in the Qld Sabres team as goal keeper, he met and played games and trained with his team. It was a fantastic experience for everyone with training, games, information sessions, meeting an Olympic silver medalist of the Hockeyroos and goal keeping clinics.

Connor Castelli, Ethan Kenny, Tully Dorgan and Ava McCaig

Mr Peter Robinson
High Performance Program
After School Activities
Peter_Robinson@shalomcollege.com

Wide Bay Cricket Representatives

Last week, Shalom students Lucy Hamilton, Ella Bigg and Lara Hamilton represented Wide Bay at the State U15 Schoolgirls Cricket Championships in Ipswich. Wide Bay were undefeated in their pool games but unfortunately lost their semi final against Capricornia. They did however defeat Met North in the Bronze medal match. All girls played well over the 3 days in some very tough, hot and wet conditions. Lucy won the Individual Trophy for most runs scored at the carnival, she was also named in the Qld U15 Team that will play the ACT in Sept in 2022. Congratulations to all three girls on their selection in the Wide Bay team.

Mr Simon Gills
Sports Coordinator
GillsS@shalomcollege.com

Queensland Schools Table Tennis Championships

On Saturday 13 November, three teams from Shalom competed in the Bundaberg round of the Queensland Schools Table Tennis Championships. Tahia Zia and Tayla Scott played strongly to win the Open division. Ezekiel Bullard and Daniel Cavanagh played in the Junior division and came in third place, while JJ Werchon and Michael Richardson claimed second in the ‘Hopes’ (Under 12) division.

The competition was delayed due to Covid, leading to smaller than usual numbers, however, players still enjoyed themselves and played in great spirit. Tahia and Tayla, and JJ and Michael are eligible to compete in the State Finals to be held in Brisbane on Friday 3 December.

Many thanks to Kathy Cavanagh for supervising the Shalom students on the day.

Shalom Players with their medals after competing in the Queensland Schools Table Tennis Championships – L-R: Daniel Cavanagh, Ezekiel Bullard, Tayla Scott, Tahia Zia, JJ Werchon, Michael Richardson.

Mr Troy Braund
Table Tennis Coordinator
Troy_Braund@shalomcollege.com

Come and Try Rowing

Uniform Shop Opening Hours

Sports/House Polo Shirts

There is a new Sports Polo Shirt that will be introduced in 2022 to all Year 7 students and all Students of McCormack and Damien Houses. At this stage the new design of shirts is only available to these Students.

Sale on old style sports shirts – does not apply to new style

Special Price Now $30 were $41

Uniform appointment dates for 2022 year 7 & year 10 girls

15 minute appointments

All appointments need to be booked online using the link below.

Tuesday - 9:00am to 11:00am
3:45pm to 5:15pm
Appointment Only

Wednesdays - 9:00am to 11:00am
Appointment Only

Thursdays - 9:00am to 10:15am
11:00am to 1:00pm
3:45pm to 5:15pm
Appointment Only

Monday 29/11/2021 – 8:00am to 11:45am
1:00pm to 4:45pm
Appointment Only

Wednesday - 08/12/2021- 8:00am to 11:45am
Appointment Only

Closed Wednesday 08/12/2021 from 12:00pm for Stocktake.
Holidays Thursday 9/12/2021 – 09/01/2022

Re – open Monday 10/01/2022
Appointment Only

Monday 10/01/2022 – Friday 14/01/2022
8:00am – 11:45am
1:00pm – 4:45pm
Monday 17/01/2022 onwards no appointments necessary.

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

Term Dates for 2021

Term 1: Wednesday 27 January - Thursday 1 April (10 weeks)
Term 2: Monday 19 April - Friday 25 June (10 weeks)
Term 3: Monday 12 July - Friday 17 September (10 weeks)
Term 4: Tuesday 5 October - Friday 3 December (9 weeks)

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!

Tuckshop

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.

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

New volunteers are DESPERATELY required 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

Shalom College Families Business and Trade Directory

Mackay Sugar Research Institute Past Employees

Youth Support

Headspace

Find Out More below

The Catholic Parish of Bundaberg

Office Hours: 9:00 - 1:00 Monday to Friday
Parish Office: Rossolini Place Level 1, 66 Woongarra St
Ph: 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

Current Parish Bulletin

Letter from the Bishop

GOOD NEWS

CURRENT ROSTER (Term 4 2021)

Trust in the Mystery

by: Elizabeth Kelly
Youth Ministry Co-Ordinator

When I was a little girl, I had an imaginary friend. My imaginary friend’s name was Stella and she was a Bigfoot who lived in the Boondall Wetlands, near Nudgee College in Brisbane. I would tell my parents weird and wonderful stories that often would go along the line of Stella sneaking into my bedroom through my window at night, and then we would go on adventures through the Boondall Wetlands.

Some people can think that Jesus is like an imaginary friend and the stories of His miracles are just fantasy stories, that have a nice wholesome message. There are other people who think the Gospels are a bit like a game of “Chinese Whispers” or “Telephone”.

They believe that, over time, the stories of Jesus were recorded and explained with exaggerated detail, especially the miraculous events that were performed by Jesus during his time on earth. We can be tempted to downplay the miracles of Jesus or offer an alternative interpretation of Scripture, to maintain the validity of Scripture in our science-minded culture.

For example: some people believe that the feeding of the 5000 was not a miracle where Jesus multiplied 5 loaves and 2 fish to feed thousands of people because scientifically that’s not possible. Instead, some people say that it was a miracle in the sense that people shared the food they had tucked away for themselves resulting in a big potluck style picnic.

While it might be tempting to explain Jesus’ miracles in ways that we can wrap our human heads around, we should resist this temptation. We have a God who can do the impossible, who can part seas, turn water into wine and raise the dead. All these things seem so impossible to us, but they aren’t to God. Just because we don’t understand something doesn’t mean it’s not possible. We will never fully understand the miracles of Jesus because our human minds are limited compared with the mind of God.

But do we really want a God that we understood the inner workings of everything God did? To me that sounds exhausting; We are not meant to understand everything. We need to surrender to the mystery of God.

To conclude, read the quotes below from two great Catholic minds on the topic of understanding God.

“Whatever you do, anyway, remember that these things are mysteries and that if they were such that we could understand them, they wouldn’t be worth understanding. A God you understood would be less than yourself.” — Flannery O’Connor, The Habit of Being

“If you understood God, it would not be God.
St. Augustine of Hippo

"Good News Magazine"

"The annual parish "Good News" magazine will now become a bi-monthly bulletin of photos and brief news stories. If your parish group would like to be showcased in the bulletin, please send in your photos with a short note, and we will attempt to include it in the coming edition. We welcome your feedback as we trial this new format."

"September Edition"

Catholic Youth Groups

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.