Deputy News

The year is flying by! Next week is the halfway point of the term.

Next Friday is the Feast of the Assumption. It commemorates the belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken up body and soul into heaven at the end of her earthly life. Our College is named after Mary, she is a significant role model for us, as we strive to live lives of service. Whilst we will not celebrate Mass as a College on this day, we will gather to commemorate Mary on Monday 1 September on Our Lady of the Southern Cross Day. Mass for the Feast of the Assumption will be celebrated at St Joseph’s Catholic Church at 5:30pm, our families are invited and encouraged to attend this mass in our parish with Fr Jim.

Learning Discussions

In Week 6 of this term families will have the opportunity to meet with their teachers and discuss your child’s learning progress. An email was sent to families yesterday outlining the times and booking details for these Learning Discussions. Prep – Year 12 will be held on Tuesday 19 August from 3:30 - 6:30pm. Bookings will open on Monday 11 August at 9:00am via Sentral for Parents (Parent Portal) and close at 9:00am on Monday 18 August. The timeslots on the evening are limited so we appreciate when families focus on meeting with priority areas/teachers for your child. Parents are welcome to reach out to teachers at any time throughout the year, as such, this event is not compulsory for families. If you are already in regular communication with your child’s teacher(s), you may not feel the need to attend this evening.

150 Years of Edmund Rice Education in Queensland

This year we join with our wider Edmund Rice community to celebrate 150 Years of Edmund Rice Ministry here in Queensland (1875 - 2025). Our College was invited to join with other Edmund Rice schools and community members to celebrate Mass in Brisbane on Thursday 31 July. Mr Cuskelly, Fr Jim and myself attended this significant event with a small group of student representatives. It was a wonderful experience to take these students to celebrate our history entwined with this wider Edmund Rice community.

Shave For a Cure

Our Year 12 students have committed to World’s Greatest Shave and even convinced a couple of staff to join in the fun, some shaving, cutting and colouring. They are holding a number of events in coming weeks and have set a target of $10000 for fundraising. A huge thanks to everyone who wore their pyjamas and purchased hot chocolates and snacks on Monday. As a College community we raised $3396.35. What a phenomenal effort! All money raised will go directly to the team’s Fundraising efforts. If you would like to donate directly via the official page please use this link World's Greatest Shave - OLSCC2025

Catholic Education Week

Last week we join with Catholic schools throughout Queensland to celebrate Catholic Education Week with the theme Communities of Faith, Hope and Love. Catholic education offers a high-quality, holistic education to one in every five young people Queenslanders.

Thanks to our staff who received Long Service recognition for their dedication to Catholic Education Nicole Bryers – 20 Years, and Katherine Black – 25 years.

Congratulations to our CSPQ “Couldn’t Do It Without You” Award recipient Mrs Anita Jeude and to our two finalists in the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Excellence Awards, Mr Rodney Spain and Mrs Louise Pevy.

CSPQ “Couldn’t Do It Without You” Award

Our school would not run without volunteers! We have many wonderful people who give up their time to help in many ways for example in our classrooms, join us on camp, organise social functions and make our yummy tuckshop food. The Catholic School Parents Group (CSPQ) Diocese of Toowoomba are recognising one volunteer from each of the 31 Diocesan schools in the Toowoomba Diocese. Today we congratulate our 2025 Couldn’t do it without you Award recipient, Mrs Anita Jeude. Anita is mum to four students at our College, and she has showcased a long-term dedication to our College community. Anita has always been an active member of our College community as well as in our parish. Over the years, she has consistently provided assistance for many teachers in the classroom, supported a variety of teams and programs both on the sideline and by providing transport. She is passionately engaged in College life through her attendance at performances, practices, games, assemblies, liturgies and masses. This award, however, is in recognition of her longstanding, reliable commitment as a volunteer in our tuckshop.

Anita has volunteered in the tuckshop for many years. As tuckshop days and staff have changed, she has remained a constant. She has stepped in when the convenor was absent, and she has mentored and assisted other volunteers to learn the ropes. Jesus’ message is about service, and Anita has served, and she continues to serve our College and our students in a humble way. It is hard to quantify the amount of support she gives in this area, but she does so without the need for recognition and praise. We congratulate Anita on being the recipient of this award.

Crutches

In our Senior Years we have several classrooms upstairs. It is important for student safety that when students are on crutches, we relocate their classrooms to downstairs classrooms wherever possible. If your child is in Year 9 - 12 or studying Drama in Year 7 - 8 and they have an injury that requires crutches, please let the College office know so we can make arrangements to move their classes downstairs for the duration of their recovery. Once they are off their crutches we will return their classrooms to their normal location.

Mrs Cate Brennan

Deputy Principal Mission and Identity