Friday 19th

February 2016

How quickly this year is moving! We are now well into Term One with the students starting to complete assessment items.

We held our annual Welcome Liturgy on Tuesday morning and it was lovely to see a large number of parents able to join us for this important celebration. Thank you to Mrs Swindells, Julie and the other staff and students who were involved in the planning of the liturgy. Thank you also to the members of the College P&F committee who assisted us with providing the coffee and light refreshments to welcome parents prior to the Liturgy.

This week our Year Seven students have spent three days at Camp Currimundi. They have been very fortunate with the weather and the girls have fully participated in the activities the camp has to offer. Thank you to Mrs Bernie Toohey, Year Seven/Eight Pastoral Leader, and all the other staff who have helped her make it such a great experience.

I have some good news to share with our parent community. Over the last twelve years the College P&F committee has supported me in my battle to have sound barriers installed along our boundary with the Gateway Arterial road. With another upgrade currently underway that will involve major changes to the Gateway and the Deagon Deviation, we have been informed that part of the project will include the installation of sound and safety barriers along the boundary. This will involve a small amount of land on the north-eastern corner of the College grounds being resumed for the project. Work is expected to begin in the next few months with some preparations already begun. I will provide more information when it comes to hand.

I am also working at present to resolve the situation on the western boundary regarding some drainage issues. This area includes the front of the College along John Fisher Drive and the public walkway. It also includes the removal of the mounds of spoil in this area. There are some complex issues involved here and I am currently working with Brisbane City Council, Brisbane Catholic Education and our contracted engineer to put a solution in place.

You may have heard or read about the industrial action planned by staff in some of our Catholic schools next Thursday 25th February. When I have a clearer picture of the situation at St John Fisher I will provide you with further information. This will be via email so please ensure that we have your current email address. This will also be important when we open our parent portal in the next few weeks.

This week we welcome Mr Jonathon Staples to our College teaching staff. He will be working in the English/RE/SOSE department replacing Mrs Liz Pashen who left us at the end of last year. We also welcomed back this year Miss Laura Chapman, who has moved into the role of VET Coordinator, and Mrs Megan Pidskalny who has returned from maternity leave.

Over the next few weeks we will be commencing interviews for students coming into the College in Year Seven in 2019. If you have a sibling for enrolment in that year or you know of someone intending to enrol a student please ask them to contact the College as a matter of urgency. With the growth in our enrolments in recent years it is important not to leave it too late.

A big thank you also to Ms Stephens and all staff and students involved in the Interhouse Swimming Carnival held last Friday. It was a great day.

Maree Messer

Shared experiences, conversations and good manners are at the very heart of all of our relationships. At this College, we focus a lot of attention on educating students on how to do these things well so that they can engage in positive relationships. We also educate our students on those practices which detract from positive relationships.

Phone usage is one area which may enhance or detract from positive relationships. For example, phones certainly help us to have conversations and maintain our connections with many people in our lives via texts and calls. Phones also give us the ability to share our experiences with people we know and love and to include them in our life experiences even when they are a long way away. Phones are also useful for showing manners – for sending the thank you text or the invitation. Used appropriately, phones are wonderful tools.

However, phones also have the potential to be a poor substitute for real relationships. Everywhere I go, people seem to be involved in intense relationships with their phones, instead of with people. Out walking, there is no time for a friendly hello to a passer-by; the eyes are glued to the app – counting the steps, the heart rate, the calories ….. no time for enjoying the birds, the trees, the sunrise! Lunching at the surf club, the two eight year olds are propped in front of their ipads – eyes glued to the screen; the two parents eyes glued to their phones; the surfers, the waves, the glorious day unnoticed and irrelevant! In the supermarket, the loud phone conversation, ear plugs and all, simply cannot wait; manners are missing in action; the shop assistant disregarded!

It would be very easy for us to allow our phones to steal some of life’s most precious things away from us, - conversations, experiences and good manners. It is tempting to use phones to cover up those awkward moment in conversations, to make ourselves look busy so that not too much is expected of us. The use of the phone in these situations is akin to saying to those present that they are not that important, certainly not more important than Instagram or the person sending a text message. There is some irony when we find ourselves downloading the mindfulness app to tell us how to enjoy the sunset, instead of just enjoying the sunset- preferably with someone we love!

Shared experiences, conversations and good manners are at the very heart of all of our relationships. Let’s keep it that way. My message to our young women: you may love your phone but it definitely does not love you back!

Class captains and service leaders were inducted into their leadership roles at our Welcome Liturgy this week. Class captains will represent their PC class at the Student Council meeting on Tuesday next week. The Student Council is a representative group allowing students to have a voice in decisions that are made in the College. In preparation for the student council meeting, Communications Leader Alice Brown has requested the class captains to seek feedback on the types of lunch time activities they would like to see occurring. The first big project for Service Leaders is Caritas. Service Leaders will be working with their PC teacher and class to organise the PC contribution to this initiative.

The Welcome Liturgy and Interhouse Swimming Carnival were held in the last week. These are our first two big community events for the year. Thank you to our students for a fabulous day at the swimming carnival – good spirits, fantastic participation, heaps of fun. Thank you to Ms Tamara Stephen and all of our staff for making this a great day. Thank you to all involved with the

Welcome Liturgy – Mrs Swindells, Julie McCoy and all of our dancers, musician and readers. Thank you to the P and F ladies, Mrs Kingston and students who served coffee and cakes before the Welcome Liturgy. Thank you also to our grounds and office staff who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make these events happen.

I wish to especially congratulate our Senior students for their leadership at both of these events. They are announcing their intent to be strong leaders in 2016.

Regards and blessings, Sharee Lane

Getting Organised

Assessment Planners for each year level have been released to students in hardcopy and on the Portal. This documents provide a day-by-day overview of assessment for the semester ahead and can play an important role in

students’ organisation and planning for balance. Also to support student learning are the Student Learning Plans (SLPs). Available on the Portal, these documents are created for each subject in each year level and provide students

with a weekly overview of the content and skills being covered as well as details of assessment. This detail can assist in

forward planning, revision and provide detail to students who are absent from school.

Upcoming Diary Dates

Wednesday 9 March Year 8 Reflection Day

Thursday 10 March CaSSSA Shield Interschool Swimming Carnival at Chandler

Monday 14 March Year 11 Drama Performance at St Pat’s College 7.00 pm

P & F Meeting 7.00 pm in the Staff Room

Tuesday 15 March Years 7 & 8 HPV1 Immunisation 1.30 pm

Thursday 24 March Holy Week Liturgy; Interhouse Cross Country; Reports distributed. End of

Term 1

Monday 11 April Term 2 commences.

Options Career Information Bulletin

The College subscribes to this fortnightly bulletin which provides comprehensive

information about:

The bulletin is updated fortnightly and can be viewed in its entirety on the Portal. Each newsletter will feature a few key aspects of the bulletin. Students in Years Eleven and Twelve and their parents are particularly encouraged to check the

bulletin for events and information about future options in regards to study and career pathways.

Mistakes can help us learn…

“A life spent making mistakes is not only most honorable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing” – George Bernard Shaw

Stretch mistakes happen when we are working to expand our current abilities. We are trying to do something that is

beyond what we already can do without help, so we are bound to make some errors. Stretch mistakes are positive. If we never made stretch mistakes, it would mean that we never truly challenged ourselves to learn new knowledge or skills.

Aha-moment mistakes happen when we achieve what we intend to do, but then realize that it was a mistake to do so

because of some knowledge we lacked which is now becoming apparent.

Sloppy mistakes happen when we are doing something we already know how to do, but we do it incorrectly because we

lose concentration. If we make a mistake because we are not focused on the task at hand, or we are too tired, upon reflection we can gain aha-moments on how to improve, such as realizing we are better at certain tasks after a good

night’s sleep.

In a high-stakes event, if we do not achieve our goal of a high test result or winning the competition, we must reflect on

the progress we have made through time, on the approaches that have and have not helped us grow, and on what we

can do to grow more effectively. Then go back to spending most of our time practising, challenging ourselves, and seeking stretch mistakes and learning from those mistakes.

Mistakes are not all created equal, and they are not always desirable. In addition, learning from mistakes is not all automatic. In order to learn from them the most we need to reflect on our errors and extract lessons from them.

(Eduardo Briceño, Mindshift )

Best wishes, Britt Gurnett

Last week we marked the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, with a service of prayer and the distribution of ashes

involving the whole College. Lent is an important time in the Church calendar, a time when we are called upon to look at

our lives, and if necessary change our priorities, while also giving help to others. We are challenged to renew our lives and renew our values.

The following reflection was given to me some years ago, and I think the author sums up well, the powerful possibilities of new life in this time of preparation for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter.

In the Australian bush, fire is a sign of devastation but also of cleansing and new life. Many people in Australia have had homes destroyed and family members tragically killed in these seemingly ruthless fires. However there is another side to fire.

After a severe bushfire, the land is blackened; there is a sour dank smell. There are many signs of destruction: hollow shells that once were homes, signs of suffering and signs of death.

Because all of the undergrowth has gone you are able to see so much further through the spaces opened up by the fire, every contour of the landscape. However after the fire has passed through, in the midst of all this devastation and death, there are unmistakable signs of new life. The ashes from the intensity of the fire form a rich and fertile crust to give the millions of seeds that will be scattered, a wonderful chance to grow and flourish.

Not only that, some of the seed pods are so strong and resistant that they could only be broken by the heat of the fire to release their seeds. The flannel flowers appear and the grass trees put out beautiful green shoots to soften the landscape.

In the story of the bushfires, we see a connection with the Church season of Lent. Perhaps there has been a buildup of useless

employment

career exploration

Australian Defence Force

competitions

course and institution updates

financial assistance & scholarships

gap year programs

occupational information

open days, expos and careers markets

QTAC and tertiary entry

study skills

youth enrichment activities

undergrowth in our lives; perhaps some of the seeds, the possibilities of new life, are trapped within the resistant pods of our fears; perhaps we are mindlessly clinging to the past, or wanting a private relationship only with God so that we do not have to be involved in the lives of others.

As new seedlings grow in the bed of ashes, so too are ashes a symbol of new beginnings. The ashes are a symbol of

change; we know that things happen in life that require struggle, resilience and change. We need to allow ourselves to be helped, to be loved. The ashes remind us that God brings new life and hope where before we could see none. Just as

happens in the Australian bush, the ashes are a sign of new beginning and of renewed growth.

Throughout history, ashes have been used as a sign of repentance and sorrow, and people covered themselves in ashes to show everyone in their community that they were sorry. The idea of ashes is particularly appropriate this year when

we have had such devastating fires in our country. From the ashes of these fires we hope for new life, just as we wait and hope for the Resurrection of Jesus at Eastertime.

A Lenten Prayer

God of the mountains and the forests, the awesome power of nature

can be both a wonder as well as a source of tragedy. We open our hearts to You during this season of Lent knowing that You transform

all things – the seeming senselessness of devastation from fire and the humble brokenness of our small lives. Help us to place our hope

in Jesus, who reminds us that we must be people who bring healing

and forgiveness to others, and love God and other people more than we love ourselves. Amen.

Blessings, Geraldine Swindells

It was a real pleasure to witness our Senior Leaders and Year Twelve students receive their badges and take their Oaths

at the Welcome Liturgy this week. It is purely one of the joys of teaching that I am able to be a part of, and share their

journey with them. The next day it was back to the business of teaching and learning, with some perhaps wondering ‘where do we go from here?’

In her address, College Captain Rachel Toohey shared her thoughts on the legacy that these Year Twelve girls will leave behind; how will we remember them when they graduate from this College? What will they be remembered for? To assist

them in the endeavour, YLead has been invited to conduct a Leadership Day with them on Thursday 3 March. This day will help our girls to understand that leadership is all about actions and example, and learning how to use the power of

the group to be a great student leadership team.

The Year 11 girls have also made a positive start to the year. With many assignments now distributed and exams coming up in the next couple of weeks, the girls are learning that they need to manage their time effectively. They are also

learning the differences between Year Ten and Year Eleven styles of assessment – they are being challenged to demonstrate more of the ‘higher order’ thinking skills such as analysis and evaluation. This is something we can all help

them with by simply discussing issues, asking for an opposite point of view, encouraging them to consider how the issue

impacts on those involved etc. Stuck for topics to discuss? Just watch the news!

Congratulations to the following students who have been elected to class captain and service leader positions for 2016.

CLASS CAPTAIN SERVICE LEADER

11 BRIDGEMAN Alice Mathewsell Cassandra Friday

11 McAULEY Piper Foley Kara Gellangarin

11 QUINN Neeve Colley Lauren Smoothy

11 ROCHESTER Jessica Beard Ysabel Usabal

12 BRIDGEMAN Maddison Hill

12 McAULEY Hayley Fitzmaurice

12 QUINN Dayna Winter

12 ROCHESTER Taylah Wardley

With the assessment demands now increasing for all students, please encourage your daughter to think about how she

will use her time. Monitor hours of part-time work and help her get as much sleep as she needs in order to function well.

WHATS COMING UP IN THE CALENDAR:

25 February – Year Eleven Forum – Study Skills Seminar presented by Elevate Education 3 March – Year 12 Leadership Day with YLead (at school)

17 March – Sister Lunch (Period 5) 24 March – Last day of term; Cross Country

Regards, Carol Hoareau

Thank you to the parents who were able to attend the Year Ten Information Evening last Tuesday. It was lovely to start putting faces to names! Feedback from the Pastoral Care teachers has been very positive and I hope you found the night beneficial.

Last Friday the college held their Annual Interhouse Swimming carnival at Sandgate pool. Attendance on the day was fantastic and I was very proud of the Year Nine and Ten students who got in and gave it a go! When the points grab was on for Years Nine and Ten I am sure every Year Nine and Ten student was in the pool! It was great to see the John Fisher Spirit on the day.

On Tuesday the College held its Annual Welcome Liturgy. It was a time where the College welcomed our new students and their families and to also present the new Captains and Service Leaders for each PC. The Captain and Service Leader for 2016 are:

Class Captain Service Leader

9 BRIDGEMAN Emma Hill Savanah Stegeman-Symss

9 McAULEY Feba Philip Madelyn Long

9 QUINN Iesha Ryland Jessica Pinto

9 ROCHESTER Annalise Ellem Amy Carle

10 BRIDGEMAN Lauryn Plichta Jaimy Bruce

10 McAULEY Maya Rees Catherine Wright

10 QUINN Emily Nath-Wacuch Mackenzie Sleep

10 ROCHESTER Georgina Lock Jessica Wearing

Congratulations to these girls who have been elected to roles of responsibility. I look forward to working with the students and I wish them every success in the coming year.

All Year Nine and Ten girls received a letter on Monday outlining our Personal and Social Development program for the year. If you are yet to receive this letter, please quiz your daughter about its whereabouts. Should you have any concerns in relation to any of the topics that we are planning to cover, please do not hesitate to contact me at the College.

On the 25th February the Year Nine students will have a preparation session for their upcoming camp. On Thursday the students will have the opportunity to ask the camp facilitator themselves any questions they may have about the camp. They will also see how “big” their tent is and will be able to determine how much they can pack!

On the same day the Year Ten students will have a guest speaker from the Queensland Police Department talk to the students about cyber safety during their Personal Development lesson.

Should you have any concerns in relation to your daughters, or need to inform the College about any issues then please do not hesitate to contact me at the College.

Kind regards, Kirsty Kingston

To say that the Year Sevens and Eights have had an action packed few weeks would be an understatement! Their

adventures began last week when on Friday 12th February we all attended this year’s SJFC Interhouse Swimming

Carnival. As the youngest members of St John Fisher College they certainly showed the older students what participation and team spirit is all about both in the pool and in their House areas. Their confidence that they displayed in challenging

other year levels and staff, in particular Julie (our campus minister) to “dance offs” across the pool was impressive. They are certainly learning very quickly about the ‘John Fisher Way’.

Thank you to the parents who were able to attend the Year Eight Information Evening last Tuesday. It was lovely to start putting faces to names! Feedback from the PC teachers has been very positive and I hope you found the night beneficial.

Thank you also to all parents and family members who attended our Welcome Liturgy on Tuesday 16th February to join

the College in welcoming our new students and their families as well as introduce our Senior Leaders for 2016 and announce the new Captains and Service Leaders for each PC. Congratulations to the following Year 8 girls who have been

elected to roles of responsibility by their peers and I wish them every success in representing their PC class:

Year 8 Class Captains and Service Leaders

CLASS CAPTAIN SERVICE LEADER

8 BRIDGEMAN Kiara Booth Finley O’Connor

8 McAULEY Bonnie Hare Leanna Salve

8 QUINN Eleanor Cameron Mya Blades

8 ROCHESTER Liliana Fallon-Marin Bridie Steel

This week the Year Sevens embarked on a journey of a life time – Camp! On Wednesday we saw 1 Pastoral Leader, 1 Deputy Principal, 4 PC teachers, 1 College Counsellor, 1 Campus Minister, 1 Inclusive Education Officer, 1 Teacher Aide,

8 Senior Leaders and 113 excited (and many nervous) Year Sevens set off for camp at Currimundi. What a fantastic time we all had (we even had a visit from Mrs Messer). Everyone was kept incredibly busy learning to kayak, trying to balance

while stand up paddle boarding, braving the giant swing, catapulting balls and problem solving their way through the

Alpine team challenge- and that was just in the activity groups! In between all this we also swam in the pool, rehearsed dances, made new friends and ate plenty of food. All this, however, was done during the daylight hours! At night we

played ball games, flaunted fashion items in our garbage-fashion-parade, staged tribal dances, showed our unique and

entertaining moves on the dance floor and generally had bucket loads of fun! Everyone also managed to get some sleep,

though some more than others.

The most important thing was that everyone got to meet new people, make new friends and got to know the teachers better. I am pleased to report that every Year Seven girl attended the camp and challenged themselves in some way.

The girls were commended for their excellent behaviour, positive attitude and willingness to live up to the aims of camp: to get in and get involved, meet somebody new and to show initiative. I hope each of them come home and share some

of their own personal highlights with you and say how much they enjoyed themselves.

Many thanks must go to Miss Sarah Butler, Ms Tracey Winders, Miss Tiffany Rabbitt, Mrs Dearbhla Gardiner, Mrs Amy Hodgkinson, Miss Julie McCoy, Ms Kerry Peacey, Mrs Vanessa Schoener, Ms Sharee Lane and Mrs Maree Messer for all

their hard work in helping me organise and run the camp, and for taking time away from their own families to be with the Year Sevens. Thanks also to the Senior Leaders Rachel, Abbey, Courtney, Alice B, Hannah, Keely, Alice R and Triz for

taking time out of their studies and away from their families to join us. Together we made an awesome Camp team.

While the Year Sevens were on camp the Year Eights learnt some valuable study and organisational skills in PSD. The

girls have been shown how to map out all of their assessment due dates on an A3 calendar to help make sure that

assessment doesn’t “sneak up” on them. Please ensure your daughter displays this somewhere near her home study space. All of the Assessment Planners are available for viewing on the school portal. After the busy few weeks, the girls

should now be settling down into the routines of high school, particularly morning and afternoon PC duties, wearing their uniform with pride, and being prepared for their classes. The girls have been reminded about the importance of

completing all of their class work and homework in time.

A reminder that Homework Club is on after school three afternoons a week (Monday, Wednesday and Thursday) from 3 – 4pm in the library where teachers are present to help students with homework or assignments. Please let your daughter’s

PC teacher know if any serious issues arise regarding homework or assignments.

Finally, this is the last day that the Year Sevens are required to wear their name badges. From Monday, students will no

longer be required to wear their badges, however we will be collecting them, so please remember to pack it one last time!

Here’s to a slightly quieter but still enjoyable next couple of weeks

Kind regards, Bernie Toohey

It has been a very busy and exciting few weeks with many different activities and events happening around the College. Firstly, the Interhouse Swimming Carnival which was held last Friday was an amazing day. On behalf of all students I

would like to thank Miss Stephen, teachers and also student helpers for the massive task of organising and setting up for the entire day. The House spirit from everyone was one to be admired and I hope that that level of enthusiasm lasts

throughout the whole year.

On Tuesday this week we held the annual Welcome Liturgy. We were lucky enough to have many friends and family join

us for this special welcome to the Year Sevens and new students and also to present badges to the Class Captains and

Service Leaders. The Year Twelve students and Leaders were also inducted into their positions. I would like to thank Mrs Swindells, Julie McCoy and the Tech Crew for organising such a heart-warming liturgy.

It is coming into assessment time which for most of you is a stressful time. Just remember to prioritise your assessments and homework to help avoid procrastination and cramming. It is also extremely important to have a healthy balance

between school studies, your social life, sporting or working life and also relaxation time. Do not forget to take some time

out from your studies to do something that you enjoy. This will help keep you focused so you are able to continue your studies with a refreshed mindset and therefore improve the quality of your work. Good luck with your studies and just remember, act with heart. Rachel

The cultural year is in full swing now, with a number of activities under way. Last week Dance Squad sign up was a great success with many keen girls ready to dance their hearts out. It was fantastic to see that so many girls want to be

involved this year and I cannot wait to work with all of them. The first Dance Squad performance will be on Open Day.

Rehearsals will be held each Tuesday lunchtime.

Concert Band and String Ensemble rehearsals have also commenced. Both of these groups will rehearse each Monday

morning – the Concert Band from 7.30am and the String Ensemble from 8.00am. This year the Concert Band will be conducted by Mrs Elissa Higgins and the String Ensemble by Mrs Melinda Coles. The first performance for these students

took place at Welcome Liturgy.

As students become involved in various activities it is important that they show their commitment by attending all

rehearsals, meetings and performances.

The Year Eleven Drama students have now commenced rehearsals with the St Patrick’s College Year Eleven Drama class in preparation for their joint drama production. It is a verbatim theatre piece based around “The Impact of War”. The

performance will take place towards the end of this term. It would be great to see everyone there supporting the girls

and all their hard work.

Balancing school life alongside extracurricular activities is very important as it helps to develop many skills such as time management and confidence and may help students to discover new talents. Involvement in such activities also helps to

develop healthy relationships with other girls who share the same interests.

Remember to be listening to morning notices and keeping your ears open to find out any information about sign up,

meetings and rehearsals.

Thank you, Courtney

Thank you and congratulations to the dancers, singers and instrumentalists (and their teachers) who contributed to our

Welcome Liturgy this week. It is always lovely to see such wonderful performers playing a part in our special College

celebrations.

Thanks also to Cultural Leader Courtney Love who has had a busy start to this year. Courtney choreographed the dance

for Welcome Liturgy and has held the first of many rehearsals for Dance Squad. It was terrific to see the huge turnout for this rehearsal, and particularly pleasing to see the large number of our Year Seven students who have decided to become

involved.

Our instrumental teachers have also been busy organising their timetables for this year and meeting new students. This year Mrs Melinda Coles will hold String lessons on Mondays, Ms Lauren Crick will hold Vocal lessons on Tuesdays and

Thursdays, Mr Keita Neralic will hold Guitar lessons on Tuesdays and Mrs Elissa Higgins will hold Wind and Percussion lessons on Mondays and Piano lessons on Thursdays. Should any students still wish to join the instrumental program this

year, forms can be collected from my office in the Killoran Centre.

A few more of our cultural activities will begin in the next week or two. Actors, Artists and Vocalists should all get ready as Theatresports, Studio 27 and Choir will all begin shortly. Students should listen carefully to morning notices giving

details of where and when these activities will take place.

Should you or your daughter have any questions or concerns regarding the Cultural activities at our College please do not

hesitate to contact me.

Warm Regards, Suellen Geran

With the new school year well underway, there are many exciting things already happening. I am already seeing the communication aspect of the College community begin to grow and thrive over these past few weeks.

Although the Swimming Carnival is a sporting event it is also a day where I see communication flourish within the College. It is a day that gets everyone involved whether it be through competing or cheering and it allows girls from all

age groups to form new bonds and friendships. Throughout the entire day I was surrounded by girls cheering until they lost their voices, spectators yelling words of encouragement and competitors congratulating each other on their

performance. Sporting events like the Swimming Carnival truly are platforms for communication, allowing students to

interact with other students from all different year levels as well as different teachers. It also enables students to capture all the memorable moments from the day through photographs which then may be added into the school magazine. If

you took photos on the day be sure to come along to a Magazine Committee meeting or see Miss McKenzie with a USB.

The first magazine committee meeting was held Tuesday 16th February. If you did not make it, it is not too late! All

students are welcome to join the committee whether it be to take photographs, help design the final product of the

magazine or to sort through all the potential photographs. It would be great to see as many students there as possible. All they need to bring is a positive attitude and any idea that may come to mind. Watch the notices for our next meeting!

The first Student Council meeting is also fast approaching. It will be held on Tuesday the 23 rd February. Watch the notices for the location! The Student Council is open to the Leaders of each Pastoral Care class, as well as any Year

Twelves that may like to join. The Student Council has the mission of improving the College in hopes of make every

student’s experience that much better

Thank you, Alice

Interhouse Swimming Carnival

What a day!! The sun was shining and the girls were all in the pool competing for our Interhouse swimming trophy. Thank you to all the students who took part in age championship races, points grab, heat events and relays. The points

grab this year saw a sea of ‘floaties’ and girls scored many points for their house in this event. Mr Wroe was seen

floating along on a jet ski at one stage and the floating dolphins looked amazing. The day was a huge success and it would not have run as smoothly as it did if it was not for all staff involved. Thank you for all your help. I will be

announcing our age champions and House winners at our next whole school assembly.

Met North Swimming Carnival

The 10-19 years Met North Swimming Carnival is being held on the 24th and 25th February at Lawnton pool. St John

Fisher will have 14 representatives at the Carnival this year. This Carnival is the pathway for our competitive swimmers to become a member of a representative team and trial for state championships. Best of luck to all competitors.

Trimester sport

Our first round of Trimester sport commences next Wednesday and we will be entering the largest number of teams that

we have ever entered before into the Trimester One CaSSSA Competition. We had an increased number of girls at trials

last Wednesday, but unfortunately not all girls were able to make a team. To accommodate all students wanting to play sport, we will be running lunch time house sports and also entering more teams into day carnivals. Please remember that

there are still two trimesters of sports this year and if your daughter was unsuccessful there are still plenty of opportunities for her to trial later in the year.

Permission notes have been sent home to all students and these must be returned to their coaches as soon as possible. On game days our buses aim to return to the College by 5:45pm, however, due to traffic we sometimes return later.

Coaches will ask students to contact their parents when we leave each venue letting parents know what time we hope to

arrive back at the College. Parents may pick their daughter up from the venues if they wish; please just let their coach know when you leave.

Junior Touch: Shaw Park, Kedron. AFL: Home and Away venues – venues on draw

Indoor Cricket: Toombul Indoor Sports, Toombul

Volleyball: Home and Away venues – venues on draw.

AFL Schools Cup

This year our College has entered two teams into the AFL Schools Cup. This carnival is a state wide competition that has over 300 teams entered. The first Brisbane North round will take place next Tuesday (for juniors) and the following

Tuesday for seniors at Zillmere AFL Club. If our teams are successful, they will move forward in the competition. Our girls have been training before and after school and are very excited about the games next week. Good luck to all girls

playing.

If you have any questions regarding sport at the College please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you, Tamara Stephen

Welcome to 2016 in the St John Fisher College Library! My name is Ms Sarah McCallan and I am thrilled to be the new

Teacher Librarian here at this wonderful school. I am looking forward to an exciting year ahead of reading, movie-watching, author-visiting and dressing-up!

Speed Date with a book!

The Year Twelve English Communication girls were recently lucky enough to get some literary dating advice from their teacher, Ms Suellen Geran, and our amazing Library Assistant, Ms Shari Dows. The girls were encouraged to challenge

themselves to pick a novel to read that will then be used for a variety of assessment items. To entice the girls to try something new, books were placed on tables depending on their genre. A timer was set, and the girls had 3 minutes

with each genre to decide if there were any books that they were keen to “date”. Students had to pick books they were really interested in, books they felt okay about, and books they ABSOLUTELY never wanted to see again! Based on their

feedback, Ms Dows and Ms McCallan played “matchmaker” and selected a special book for each girl that they hoped

would be just right. The books were wrapped in beautiful paper and handed out at a special Valentine’s Day morning tea. Happy reading Year Twelves!

Our Reading Goals

Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 English classes have also been busy getting

into their DEAR (Drop Everything And Read!) program. Each girl had the chance to think about a personal reading goal for

2016, and share them in the library on the branches of our cute library trees! Goals ranged from the super-ambitious (Read 50 books this year, read more classics and write a book!) to the

realistic (Finish the last two books of ‘Harry Potter’). What’s your reading goal this year?

Greedy Readers

This year we have lots of girls, including some of our new Year

Sevens, interested in joining the Greedy Readers Book Club! At our first meeting, we all chose one of our favourite books to be

displayed in the library as part of a “Greedy Readers

Recommend…” display. If you are looking for a great read, why not try one of the books already tried and tested by our very own voracious readers here at SJFC? If you are

interested in joining Greedy Readers, let me know (send an email or pop in to the library). This year we are planning some great movie nights and other bookish activities. We meet every second Thursday at Morning Tea Time, in The Book

Nook! Be there or be square!

Yours in reading! Sarah McCallan

Ms Peacey will continue to offer study/ organisation tip sessions on Monday afternoon in Homework Club from 3.00-

4.00pm in the Purple Area of the library for new students. If you missed any of the earlier sessions and would like to do them please see her for a catch up on any Monday afternoon.

The sessions are:

8 Feb Setting up your study space 15 Feb Establishing a study schedule and study folder

22 Feb Organisation tips - Using Student Learning Plans, Assessment Calendar, Term Planner

29 Feb Assignment Breaker - planning, researching, writing, checking 7 Mar Exam revision strategies

Kind regards, Ms Peacey

On Tuesday the 9th February the Year Twelve Hospitality girls went on an excursion to investigate the Let Minnow Café, a beautiful, peaceful place with big ambitions, a considerable amount of passion and spectacular outcomes. Who could ask

for more? Let Minnow café is situated at 57 Park Avenue, Clayfield. It is just 500m from the Eagle Junction train station,

and just 400m from the Kallinga Park bike track. It pays homage to the old Clayfield Aquarium site that it occupies through its very fishy vibe. This fishy feel is light, airy as well as being filled with loads of fun and fishy puns. Led by

Lauren McNamara, the Let Minnow team provided us with a warm welcome and outstanding customer service. They were more than happy to help us with our upcoming assessment pieces. The food that we were able to experience not only

provided us with a spectacular brunch but gave us valuable insight into how to run a café and what should be considered. We hope to be able to replicate this as it was a great opportunity and we highly recommend it to anyone!

Jacinta Kerr, Hayley Fitzmaurice and Bec Dallas.

LIONS YOUTH OF THE YEAR COMPETITION

Naomi Seuao (12R) and Hayley Crowe (12Q) competed this week in the Bracken Ridge Central Lions Youth of the Year competition. The competition had two components – an interview with the judging panel and a public speaking section.

The public speaking section included two impromptu speeches as well as a five minute prepared speech. Hayley’s prepared speech was about the sexualisation of women in the media and the negative impact of this on women. Naomi’s

prepared speech was about childhood and how children are being robbed of one of life’s greatest experiences.

Although not winners on the evening, Naomi and Hayley were outstanding entrants. In particular, we were very proud of the way they handled the impromptu questions, despite having some apprehensions about this difficult task. Thank you

to their families for allowing them to compete and to the Bracken Ridge Central Lions for presenting our young women with this opportunity.

Tuckshop Roster

Term 1 (Feb-Mar)

22 February – 11 March 2016

Mon 22 Lisa Bowen Mon 29 Mon 07 Laura Lawson

Tue 23 Emma Malthouse Tue 01 Joan Woodland Tue 08 Linda Dallas

Wed 24 Dianne Best-Semple, Maryanne Doig Wed 02 Kim Nolan Wed 09 Suzanne Fingleton, Wendy Forsyth

Thu 25 Tricia Bolton Thu 03 Shelley Paine Thu 10 Interschool Swimming Carnival

Fri 26 Kym Gavan, Susan Galvin Fri 04 Kath Dutton, Terese Stephenson Fri 11 Natalie Castledine, Angie Hill

Uniform Shop

TRACKSUIT ORDER

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS THE ONLY ORDER FOR TRACKSUITS FOR THE YEAR. IF YOU WISH TO PURCHASE A TRACKSUIT FOR WINTER YOU MUST ORDER NOW.

It will be too late when the weather turns cold. Orders take 8-10 weeks to be processed.

Orders for Tracksuits must be placed by Wednesday 24th February 2016 If you wish to order a tracksuit for winter please come into the Uniform shop on Tuesday 3- 4 pm or Wednesday 8 – 9 am before the above date and try on a sample track suit for sizing. Sizes range from XS to XL. A $50 deposit is required at this time. Delivery will be in mid-May when the balance of payment is required. It is suggested that a parent be present during these times in ensure correct fittings. Note: Tracksuits may be worn from 1st June to the end of August as an alternative to the formal uniform with the sports polo shirt, white sport shoes and white formal hat.

Thank you, Maria Wolf

KOLEGA CAFE Opened today and every Friday from 7:45am

HOUSE REPORTS

The smile across my face could not be any bigger. The determined ladies of Bridgeman bravely battled against

McAuley, Quinn and Rochester at the Interhouse Swimming Carnival last Friday 12th February; and I can confidently say, they did our house proud. Bridgey girls from Year Seven through to Twelve arrived very enthusiastically, bringing their 'give it a go' attitude along with them. Whether our girls were cheering on the side line or swimming their hearts out in the water they exemplified the true Bridgey spirit; supporting their fellow team members left, right and centre. In addition, Bridgeman had close to 100% participation from all students on the day. We had girls swimming in races, jumping in the pool for the points grab, helping out the teachers, organising races, creating posters and/or cheering all day long. It was astounding how we as a House had collectively and cooperatively worked together to strive for first place. In order for accomplish this community bond all grades contributed to the best of their ability, which was greatly appreciated. To the Year Elevens, thank you for your leadership and willingness to step up and get involved throughout the day. You have already shown yourselves to be very capable leaders of the College. To the Year Nine and Tens, thank you for screaming the war cries as loud as you could and teaching the younger grades what it means to be in

Bridgeman. To the Year Eights, thank you for being your bright and energetic selves, you definitely shone a positive light on the day. Another thank you goes to the Year Sevens, you may be new on the block but you definitely stole the show, with your determination and confidence…not to mention your quirky dance moves on the pool deck. And of course thank you to my fellow Year Twelves for all your

support and spirit whilst completing another one of our ‘lasts’. I hope to see this fantastic attitude continue as we take on the rest that Term One has to offer in all facets of the College. Hope you have a lovely weekend! Keely

Wow! It is hard to believe we have just finished Week Four already. It feels like just yesterday that we were packing our bags and getting ready for the new school year. We have had so many exciting events take place already this term, including our very first sister lunch of the year to celebrate Pancake Tuesday. This was a successful day with plenty of the girls getting involved and enjoying the company of their sister group. We acknowledged the beginning of the Season of Lent with our whole school mass on Ash Wednesday. To finish an already jam packed week, we had our swimming carnival on the Friday. It was great to see so many girls participating in any way they could throughout the day. I would like to congratulate all of the Year Seven girls for showing such spirit and energy at their first ever St John Fisher College swimming carnival. Thank you also to all of the beautiful McAuley girls for getting involved, helping out and making it a day full of laughter and smiles for all. I think that it is safe to say that every single McAuley lion there embraced our motto and demonstrated their own courage, bravery and success. This week we celebrated our annual Welcome Liturgy where all new students were formally inducted into the school. The Year Twelve girls received their senior badges and were officially introduced as leaders. Following this, our Year Sevens had their first school camp. Being lucky enough to have joined them for a night, I can say we had

a great time and it was fantastic to see the girls getting to know each other. We have had so many exciting events already and there are plenty more to come. Thank you so much beautiful McAuley girls for getting involved and helping out. Let us continue this enthusiasm throughout the rest of the year. Have an amazing week everyone. Alice

Congratulations to everyone on their organisation of and participation at the Interhouse Swimming Carnival last Friday. Fantastic effort to my lovely Quinnians! You girls cheered your hearts out and participated in all that you could and I am so proud of each and every one of you! What an exciting day it was, with race after race full of Quinn giving their best and gaining points for the house. Seeing the level of attendance and participation made me delighted to be your Quinn leader. I know I was not the only one who went home Friday afternoon with no voice because the volume of the cheers coming from in front of the mighty red house tent was incredible. Whether you swam, cheered, photographed or ran errands for the teachers on the day, you did a wonderful job. I know that every girl that got involved at that carnival has made this last swimming carnival memorable not only for myself but also the whole of Year Twelve. By participating in war cries and giving it your all, you have made the seniors so very proud. As a year level, we were so excited about our last swimming carnival and you have made it that much better! I hope to see this level of pride and spirit continue throughout the year not only within Quinn but throughout the whole St John Fisher College community. Rachel

Four weeks of term one has gone past including our Swimming Carnival last week. First of all, I would like to thank all of the Rocky girls who made the effort to jump in the pool on the day and earn us some very valuable house points, your contribution made a big difference. I would also like to thank all of the staff involved because without your help and efforts the day would have not gone as smoothly. All of the Year Twelves were amazed by the enthusiasm of the Year Seven girls at the swimming carnival. Even though it was their first Carnival, they were owning the place with their cheering, friendliness and dance moves. Our opening Ceremony went as planned thanks to the help of the Year Twelves and the PC teachers. The Rocky spirit at the Carnival was amazingly high even though we placed last overall. It is not whether you get knocked down but whether you can get up and Rocky is going to get up ready for a comeback for the next carnival, the Cross Country. I know it is really hard to keep on top of all the assignments and exams that are piling up, but one piece of advice that has always helped me out at times like this is not to stress! Make sure you keep a positive attitude and it will all be over before you know it. Have a wonderful weekend! Triz

GUESTS Program for Semester two – GUESTS (Griffith University Early Start to Tertiary Study) gives senior students an opportunity to try a university subject and experience university life. Year 12 students applying for the Semester two intake must submit their application by 30 May 2016. Year 11 students may also apply for Semester two in some study areas. See https://www.griffith.edu.au/pathways/guests-program for details.

NIDA courses in Brisbane The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) will hold acting/drama courses on weekends in 2016 at

TAFE Brisbane (Southbank). The courses are for specific age groups. Visit https://www.open.nida.edu.au/courses?near=BRISBANE for details.

START QUT – High achieving Year 12 students can study a university subject and experience university life through this program. Applications for Semester two 2016 open on 1 March and close on 13 May. Find out more at https://www.qut.edu.au/study/high-school-programs/start-qut.

What you need to know about studying Law @ QUT– Visit the Law Faculty website at https://www.qut.edu.au/law/courses-and-study/undergraduate-courses/studying-law-the-basics to find the answers to the most frequently asked questions.

Prerequisite subjects for Education degrees – Unlike most courses at QUT, Education courses have prerequisites for entry in 2017. Students who wish to apply for these courses but don’t meet the prerequisites have an option to gain them through bridging courses. See https://www.qut.edu.au/study/applying/undergraduate-applications/prerequisite-subjects for a list of the prerequisites and information about bridging courses at QUT.

2016 UQ Science Ambassador Program – Through this program, science teachers nominate up to four current Year 11 students to interact with UQ and assist science teachers to raise the profile of science in your school. If you are in Year 11 and are interested in being a part of this program, talk to your science teacher and visit the website at http://www.science.uq.edu.au/science-ambassadors. Applications close on 21 March 2016.

FEAST in 2016 - Interested in agriculture, animals, vet science, food or the environment? Consider attending FEAST (Future Experiences in Agriculture, Science and Technology), a five-day residential program held at the UQ Gatton Campus for students in Years 10 – 12. It will be held from 26 - 30 June (during the school holidays). Registrations open online on 1 March and close on 24 April. At this time, you can submit an expression of interest on the website at http://www.science.uq.edu.au/feast.

Experience Science 2016 - If you are in Years 10 – 12, the Experience Science 2016 program at the St Lucia campus provides an opportunity to find out what it is like to study science at UQ and how science is applied in industry and everyday life. The event will be held in July. You can read more about the program at http://www.science.uq.edu.au/expsci.

Architecture Workshops - Senior high school students are invited to a hands-on workshop held at the Queensland State Library on Thursday 10 March 2016. Students will have the opportunity to work through the design minds process (inquire, ideate and implement). For information, contact Helen Burdon on phone 3365 2382 or email h.burdon@uq.edu.au.

Did you know there are thousands of scholarships on offer each year in Queensland?

Universities, TAFE Queensland, private education providers, the Commonwealth and Queensland governments, some professional associations and industry groups offer scholarships. Common categories include:

sporting scholarships

equity scholarships for women and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

scholarships for specific fields of study

financial hardship scholarships

campus scholarships

field of study scholarships

international student scholarships

academic scholarships.

A scholarship can help with course fees, textbooks, accommodation costs, transport and living expenses. No matter what your further education and training goals, it’s worth finding out what’s available. You can get scholarship information from:

Scholarship sections on university, TAFE Queensland and other education institute websites

The Good Universities Guide website at http://www.gooduniversitiesguide.com.au/

Study Assist website at http://studyassist.gov.au/sites/studyassist

Talk to your school guidance officer/counsellor for specific information about scholarships.

Scholarship information is generally available on university websites from mid-year. With the exception of Bond University, Queensland university scholarship application due dates usually occur from October to December each year. The application due date for Bond University scholarships is 31 July each year for Australian Year 12 students.

Join the YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament

Are you interested in community issues? Think you can do a better job than our current politicians? Then you might be interested in joining the YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament (QYP). Nominations for the 2016 program are now open. If you are between 15 and 25 years of age, you are invited to nominate. QYP is a Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority accredited educational program (participation can contribute credit to your Queensland Certificate of Education). The nomination form and details about the program can be accessed at http://www.ymcaqyp.org/.

In our Community

Get Started Vouchers

Under the Get Started Vouchers program, vouchers of up to $150.00 are provided to eligible children and young people to help pay for the cost of sport or recreation club membership and or participation fees through registered Get Started Vouchers clubs.

Students or their parent/carer/guardian who hold a valid Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card are able to apply online. Alternatively, nominations for children and young people who do not hold a concession card need to be initiated through their school by two eligible referral agents. To ensure the limited number of vouchers are allocated to those most in need, the list of referral agents has been revised. Teachers are no longer included in the list of referral agents. However, the school principal and guidance officer positions remain, so referrals are still able to be initiated through relevant school members. Referral agents also now include some Indigenous specific/targeted positions. Further details about referral agents and eligibility requirements are outlined on the Queensland Government website or in the attached fact sheets. Queries can be directed to the Program Development Unit PDU@npsr.qld.gov.au.

Vouchers are issued on a first-in-first-served basis. Applications close on 30 March 2016 or once all available vouchers have been allocated.

Queensland Running

Strathpine Scorpions Netball Club

AUSTRALIAN NAVY

CADETS

TS PALUMA

Are you bored on Saturday afternoons?

Looking for lifelong friends?

Want your resumé to look impressive?

Then come along to the

TS Paluma Open Day

Saturday 5th March 10am to 1pm.

See how you can be part of the fun

learning new skills such as sailing, canoeing,

seamanship, first aid, drill and ceremonial,

while learning life skills such as

teamwork and leadership.

If you turn 13 this year and would like more

information please call the

Commanding Officer on 0407 005 473

or go to Allpass Pde Shorncliffe on the day.

Mass Times

Bracken Ridge/Bald Hills – Sat. 6pm. Sun. 7:30am & 9am

Brighton – Sat. 6pm. Sun. 7am

Sandgate –Sun. 9am. & 5pm

Zillmere – Sat. 6pm. Sun. 7am. 9am. & 5pm

Weekday Mass or Liturgy:

9am Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays

HOTLINE FOR

STUDENT ABSENCES

3869 1740