September Newsletter

From the Principal’s Desk

What a Term!

As we come to the end of another busy term, it is worth pausing to appreciate just how much has happened across the College. Students have taken part in Primary camps, TribalLink and Life Education incursions, Senior Drama experiences with Othello and Romeo and Juliet, our first Create Studio 3D printing after-school program, maths competitions, chess tournaments, Science Week celebrations and, of course, our teams competing in the Sunshine Coast Opti-MINDS Challenge.

Sport has also been a strong feature of the term, with students competing in Primary club basketball, the Sunshine Coast Secondary Schools Basketball competition, Oztag and Netball Tournament Days, and a large CalCC team competing at District Track and Field, where our Primary students again achieved first place in the Per Capita Trophy. We also saw our first Learn to Skateboard after-school program commence.

Thanks for Your Feedback

Earlier this term, we asked parents for feedback about the way CalCC uses photographs and videos in social media and other College communications.

The survey showed that parents still value seeing photos of College life and were comfortable with images being shared through restricted College channels, such as the Parents of CalCC Facebook group and the College Newsletter, while showing a clear preference for a more cautious approach to identified images shared publicly and supporting reduced unnecessary student identification in public posts.

As a general rule, we don’t add names of students to our public social media pages. We are now being more selective about the images we share publicly, favouring group, wide-angle and activity-based photos where possible instead of straight-on, front-facing shots.

This does not mean we will stop celebrating our students. We want to continue sharing the learning, achievements and everyday moments that make up College life, while doing so in a way that reflects parent feedback and current online risks.

Parents have the option of requesting their child/ren not be used for social media by contacting the Shelley Weiden (Enrolments Officer) in writing via the email address enrolments@calcc.qld.edu.au.

From the Head of Secondary

Learning to Love Well

BULLYING NO WAY! WEEK

During Bullying No Way! Week, our community came together to reinforce our commitment to kindness, respect and inclusion, reminding every student that they are safe, valued and belong at CalCC. Of particular note were the relationships intentionally built between our Primary and Secondary Connect classes to help foster connections across the College.

BOOK WEEK

Book Week gave us the opportunity to be creative, to talk about the books and characters we love, and to enjoy being together as a community. Thank you to the families who joined our parade and to every student for the effort they put into their costumes and characters; it was a joyful time together.

ROSIE’S FOOD DRIVE, PJ DAY AND SLEEPOUT

Our Foundations of Compassion and Communicate truly shone this term as our community rallied behind Rosie’s Friends on the Streets through our Food Drive, PJ Day and Rosie’s Sleepout. Some of our Year 11 and 12 students spent a night safely experiencing homelessness; they traded technology for in-person connection, beds for cardboard boxes, and bedroom walls for the winter wind. This experience fostered understanding and compassion for the less fortunate in our community.

MOCK EXAMS AND WORK EXPERIENCE

Our senior students have had a big term, ending with Year 12 students completing mock exams and Year 10 students undertaking work experience placements. Year 12 students are encouraged to be compassionate with themselves during this busy assessment period: protecting their energy levels, resting when needed, taking breaks, and nourishing both body and mind. For our Year 10 students, we hope they thrive as they step out into the workplace, building real-world skills and experience as they look ahead to life beyond school.

 Blessings,

Amber Donahoo

From the Head of Primary

Learning to Love Well

As a Christian community, we want our students to understand not just how we treat one another, but why it matters, and where that understanding begins.

Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and then to “love your neighbour as yourself.” There is a beautiful order to these words. God loved us first. When children begin to understand who God is, and how deeply they are known and loved by Him, they can start to see their own worth through His eyes. Recognising that God-given worth in themselves allows them to see and value it in others too.

That’s been at the heart of our learning this term. Through our Foundations of Compassion, “We rise by lifting others,” and Communicate, “We seek to understand, then be understood,” we have encouraged students to look beyond themselves. The story of the Good Samaritan has helped us ask, “Who is my neighbour?” The answer is not simply those who are easy to like, who think like us, or who are already our friends. Jesus calls us to notice, listen, include, forgive, help, and show kindness, even when it costs us something.

We have seen glimpses of this everywhere. Older students welcoming and encouraging younger ones; children serving in our wider community; teammates supporting one another through disappointment; students stepping into challenges and celebrating others’ successes. There have also been those quieter moments: repairing a friendship, accepting correction, choosing different words, including someone, owning a mistake, or simply trying again. These may not make the newsletter or be celebrated on a stage, but they are some of the most important learning happening at CalCC.

Our four Community Commitments, Safe, Responsible, Respectful, and Learners, give our children practical boundaries within which to practise these values. We don’t expect them to get it right every time; they are children, and learning to live well with others takes time. Our role, in partnership with our wonderful families, is to keep teaching, modelling, correcting, forgiving, and pointing our precious kids back to God’s way.

Ultimately, we’re not just preparing children to behave well at school. We are shaping young people who know God loves them, understand their value, and can carry that love confidently into the way they treat others. God loved us first. Our hope is that, as our children come to know the depth of that love, they will learn more and more what it means to love their neighbour.

Blessings,

Julie March

This term, Book Week was a wonderful celebration across our P–12 community. Students enjoyed a full week of activities, competitions and our colourful costume parade. Thank you to all parents and carers who helped their children prepare costumes and to everyone who came along to watch the parade. Your support helped make the day truly memorable.

Students who had photos taken in our costume photo shoot are welcome to collect their copies from the Library circulation desk.

Upper Primary students enjoyed a visit from author R. A. Stephens, who inspired them with stories about writing, imagination and weaving science into mystery narratives. Some of her books are now available for loan in our College Library. Lower Primary students were treated to the Book Week musical Something Special, performed by Perform Education.

Star Readers

Well done to all our weekly Star Readers. Our Star Reader Wall of Fame in the Library is looking fantastic and continues to inspire and encourage.

Congratulations to the Term 3 Star Reader prize winners: Aria W. (3/4H) and Mia G. (2L).

Chess Achievements

Congratulations to the following students on receiving chess awards from the Term 3 Gardiner Chess Interschool Tournament:

• Isaiah B. — 3rd place individual medal
• Jacob W., Evan K. & River B. — merit ribbons for high scores
• Isaiah B., Zach VW, Jacob W. & Hezekiah B. — 2nd place team medals

TERM 4 — THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO

Book Fair — Week 3

• Library guessing competition
• Book prizes
• “Out of This World” space-themed displays

Lego Legend Club — Tuesdays (Lunch)
Lego challenges encouraging creativity and teamwork.

Chess Club — Thursdays (Lunch)
Friendly matches and strategy practice for all interested students.

Year 7 Readers Cup Challenge
The Year 7 Readers Cup team will continue to prepare for the Sunshine Coast Readers Cup Challenge held in Week 4, building teamwork and deep reading skills.

We hope that all families have a restful break over the school holidays. Keep reading and see you in Term 4.

God Bless.

Sarah Porter

Counselling & Life Skills at CalCC

Free Parenting Courses Looking for some extra support in your parenting journey? Caloundra Community Centre offers a range of free parenting education courses and programs for local families. Find out more and explore upcoming courses through the Caloundra Community Centre website.

Free Family Adventures on the Sunshine Coast

When my family moved to Australia 27 years ago with four small children, we were keen to explore the Sunshine Coast, but we had no money! So every weekend we chose a different outdoor activity to do that cost nothing. We had so much fun discovering new walks, eating outdoors watching goannas or swimming in freezing waterfall pools. As they got older, we got more adventurous, climbing mountains to watch the sunset or taking long hikes in the bush.

We’ve never been a family to do a lot of paid entertainment, and there’s one great reason why. When you go to the movies or Laserzone or Movie World, you engage with the ride or game in front of you. They are definitely fun things to do; however, when you head outside with your family, you engage with each other in God’s creation. The outdoors offers a combination of peace in the beautiful surrounds and excitement as you adventure into the unknown. Not too unknown, hopefully!

Looking back on my family culture, this is something I really value about us. We had time to walk and talk, listen and learn from each other. Precious moments that communicated to our children that we want to spend time with them because we value their company; we love them enough to make sure family is prioritised. It gave us all space to explore together, built a strong sense of belonging and created space for deep conversation sometimes too. I am so pleased that my grandkids are having the same experience, as their parents have repeated our family culture with their children.

So I have made a list of some of our favourite free things to do on the Sunshine Coast. Turn your phones off [yours included, not just your children’s!] and take your family on an adventure! You may have to persuade your children at first, but I know it will be an absolute blessing to you all.

A few places to get you started:

Walk: Mary Cairncross, Buderim Forest Walk or Noosa Coastal Path
Climb: Mount Ngungun, Mount Coolum or Mount Ninderry
Swim: Gardners Falls, Kondalilla Falls or one of our beautiful local beaches
Picnic: Ewen Maddock Dam, Cotton Tree or Baroon Pocket Dam
Wildlife: Spot kangaroos around UniSC or look for koalas in Noosa National Park
Rainy day: Visit Caloundra Regional Gallery, Sunshine Coast Libraries or the Rainforest Discovery Centre at Mary Cairncross

God bless you and your family as you build your family times together.

Fi Cran
College Counsellor

Interested in Coast Solve?

Coast Solve, our inaugural inter-school mathematics competition, will be held in Term 4. Students in Years 7–10 who are interested in representing the College are invited to register their interest by emailing Mrs Frans by Friday 9 October.

Places are limited to eight students from Years 7–8 and eight students from Years 9–10. Students will first be considered based on their merit record, with final participants selected through a random draw if interest exceeds the number of available places.

Kindest regards

Chrystal Frans