Good Day, Good People,

I would like to invite you to our Secondary Experience Day this Sunday from 8.00 to 10.30. If you are wondering about secondary education, come along, have some breakfast and take a look around. We would love to see you.

Today we had our Yellow team visit from TCEO. This group of four people are there to assist the College achieve their goals for 2025. The team includes Greg Cameron- Education Consultant; Anita Livingston- Religious Education Adviser; Krista Hobbs- First Nations Education Adviser; and Nichole Denman- Curriculum Advisor. 

Over the last week students in Year 3-8 have been doing some testing in a program called Dibels. This program helps us identify specific needs for some of our students allowing us to target some activities to assist them.

NAPLAN will begin in Week 7 for students in years 3,5,7 and 9. Once again we ask that parents encourage their children to do their best. Being well rested is the best preparation for these tests. NAPLAN is a point in time testing that allows us to look at the results and plan for the future.

Next week I will be attending our Term 1 Principals’ conference. During this time I will be updated on many things and hopefully be able to bring these back to the College. 

Last week we had a First Nations breakfast at Padua and this week we had a meet and greet for our Emerging Leader families at Assisi. As we start the new year we acknowledge the many First Nation students here at St. Anthony’s and wish them all the best for the upcoming academic year.

Yours sincerely,

Barry Horner

College Principal

Good day, good people!

As we enter the Jubilee Year 2025, we are reminded that it is both a challenge and a gift. It calls us to reject cynicism, live with courage and compassion, and trust in God’s constant presence. At the same time, it is a gift—a chance to see our lives as part of a greater story, filled with grace, beauty, and renewal. 

Pope Francis invites us to embrace the theme “Pilgrims of Hope” for the Jubilee Year 2025. In the Franciscan tradition, being a pilgrim is more than just travelling—it is a way of life. It means walking with faith, simplicity, joy, and trust in God’s care. As we begin this special year, may we journey together with hearts full of hope.

Project Compassion: Uniting for a Better World

From now until Easter our College supports Caritas Project Compassion with numerous fund-raising events that raise money for important projects throughout the world.  We also raise awareness of the needs of communities around the world to ensure the provision of basic needs of housing, clothing, food and water. Project Compassion and Caritas Lenten Appeal asks us to Unite Against Poverty—there’s no better time than 2025! 

How can we do this? Classes have Project Compassion boxes if students would like to make their donations - this is very much welcomed. We can also participate in the mission stalls and market days to raise funds for those in our Caritas community who need our support. 

While individual kindness makes a difference, together, our impact is greater. By supporting Project Compassion, we amplify our generosity, transforming small acts into lasting change for vulnerable communities worldwide.

To fully understand what Caritas and our Project Compassion appeal are all about please visit the website or start by reading the story of Toefuata'iga, Samoa

This story and others illustrate the profound impact that we can have on all future generations. We believe, that together, we can create lasting change for individuals living in some of the most vulnerable and low-income areas of the world.

Matthew 5:1 -11 

Beatitudes

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.  Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Read the latest Feb 2025 Franciscan’s Schools Australia eNewsletter - Our students are featured in this edition. 

Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak. 

(St Anthony of Padua)

God Bless

Rachel Bond                                                                          Rose Fitzsimmons

Acting APRE (Secondary)                                                        APRE (Primary)

SHINE

This fortnight's SHINE Focus is:

URSTRONG - Friendology

Padua Campus will continue the Friendology program in 2025 for students in Prep to Year 6. This program, as part of our commitment to being a URSTRONG School,
provides a consistent framework that helps promote positive mental health, wellbeing, and kindness through friendship skills. With Friendology, our students
have developed a strong foundation in building healthy, respectful friendships, and we are proud to see them embody the qualities of “Friendship Ninjas”. We encourage parents to stay involved by accessing the FREE Parent Membership, which offers valuable resources, including an 8-session video series. Together, we can continue to support our students in developing the skills they need for positive,
feel-good friendships both in and outside of the classroom.

• Access Parent Resources:

• Watch the Parent Video:

FIRST NATIONS NEWS

In the Townsville diocese, every Primary First Nations student has a Personal Learning Plan (PLP) developed collaboratively with parents, carers, students, and school staff. These plans focus on setting tailored goals that address each child's 
educational, social/emotional, and cultural needs.  Teachers work closely with
students and Indigenous Education Support Workers (IEWs) to create meaningful and achievable goals, which are then shared with parents during Parent/Teacher
Interviews. Once approved, these goals are added to the PLP, and a copy is emailed home. The goals are reviewed at the end of Semesters 1 and 2, with progress
tracked by the classroom teacher. To ensure consistency, all relevant information is shared with School Officers who support student learning, highlighting the collective
responsibility of the whole school community in meeting these goals.

Gracelyn Mitchell
Assistant Principal Administration (Acting) - Padua Campus

Good day good people,

God bless,

Karen Krzelj - Deputy Principal (Acting)

It was good to have a full fortnight of school, however, you will see there are still events happening to enrich the lives of our students. 

Last week we had our Senior Health classes and other selected Year 12s attend the P.A.R.T.Y Program at the Townsville University Hospital. This was a great opportunity to see the fall out from some poor choices people make from parties and other events. They had a tour of the Emergency and ICU facilities as well as the morgue. Then later in the week the Year 12s had a drama presentation, Choices which was the same focus. We really hope the message has been received and we can keep our Year 12s safe.  

We also began our NAPLAN Practice last week. We had our Year 7s and 9s doing practice in their classes as opposed to a huge group in the SDC. By all accounts this went really well. The NAPLAN Test will occur Wednesday 12 - Friday 14 March. 

This week the focus has been on being kind to each other. The students had a variety of activities in Homeroom on Thursday around this topic and generally there has been activities every Homeroom for students to be engaged at school and at home around this topic. We hope they were kind to you at home as well. 

Thursday we had a fantastic turn out of parents at the Assisi First Nations Emerging Leaders Information Night. Staff from TCE came out to inform our parents of the opportunities for them as parents and students have as part of this program. We are expecting a full take up of this program from our first nations families. We also thank our First Nations team at Assisi for their work to facilitate the program and all the staff who will support the students over the course of the year. 

It is also that time in the year where we are marketing the College to our area for enrolments for next year. For the first time St Clare’s ran a Marketing Expo with about four other Catholic schools participating. This was a good opportunity for the parents at this school to see what each of the schools has to offer. Then on Sunday we have our Encountering Secondary Education morning. We are hoping for another wonderful turnout of families. We certainly have many of our teachers coming along to support the morning as well as a range of students helping with sporting demonstrations, music items, cooking in Hospitality for breakfast and our tour guides. If you are new to the College and would love to see our facilities, please come along. 

Until next Newsletter or I see you, take care

Nick Antoniazzi 

Deputy Principal - Assisi Campus

Parents/Carers, we thank you for supporting the library's efforts to keep our library books protected.  We do ask that all students have either a suitable library bag or a plastic folderm which they are asked to bring every time they come to change a book.  We like to encourage students to be responsible for care of their library books.

As we have already had a few accidents with water bottles leaking and soaking the library books, so it is important to have a waterproof bag or folder. Unfortunately, once the book is wet, we need to remove it from the library so that our other books are protected from the mould that results. Should a book be lost or damaged beyond repair, we do ask that parents/carers pay for a replacement so that other students still have access to a copy of the book (NB should the lost book be located and returned to the library we will refund any payment made).

Book Club

Books ordered from Issue 1 will be handed out to students this week. Some students have items on backorder I will deliver them as soon as they arrive.

Please be aware of the closing date on the posters around the school and in the newsletter as this ensures that our order is delivered promptly, and all orders are delivered at the same time. Scholastic will now charge the school a delivery fee for extra orders that are placed after the closing date.

Please remember to include your child’s name and class on the order.

If you are ordering books/items as a gift, could you please email the class teacher or me directly so that we know to put those items aside for you to collect.

Sue Keith
Teacher Librarian
Padua Campus Library

“If you are going to get anywhere in life you have to read a lot of books.” – Roald Dahl

Careers and Counselling

Throughout this Term, our Year 12 students will have the opportunity to meet with Miss Tebble for a career conversation about their school, personal and post-school goals. In preparation for their interview, students have been asked to think about their short-term and long-term career goals and complete a Career Action Plan. 

For students considering an apprenticeship or traineeship, undertaking work experience during the school holidays can be a great opportunity to explore areas of interest, and may lead to employment opportunities. The Australian Apprenticeships website is a great place to learn how to find and apply for an apprenticeship, including financial support.

For students considering further study after school, now is a good time to start researching courses, entry requirements and pathway options. A very helpful website is Course Seeker, as well as the Good Universities Guide. Universities are also beginning to publish their 2026 course guides on their website. The 2026 JCU Undergraduate Course Guide can be located here.

For Year 12 students considering accounting, finance or commerce at university, and are keen to work in the industry while studying, PVW Partners’ undergraduate program in Townville is a wonderful opportunity. Applications open on 28 April 2025 and close on 27 June 2025. Interviews will take place in the June/July school holidays and offers made by early August 2025 for a January 2026 start. The undergraduate program offers students income, extensive support and mentoring while completing their degree. Students will work alongside experienced and passionate experts, assisting families and prominent businesses in Northern Australia. More information can be found on the PVW Partners website -https://www.pvwpartners.com/careers/high-school-students/

Attending Open Days, Expos and Work Experience Programs can also be very helpful in supporting a young person in making a decision about their next step. We have a list of upcoming events below.

Our Careers website also contains a wealth of information available to support young people, from exploring occupations and courses, to writing a resume and applying for jobs and scholarships.

Our Career Development Practitioner, Miss Kathryn Tebble, is available to meet with students and parents (from Year 7 to Year 12) to discuss pathways and options, and is contactable on 4751 7300 or ktebble1@sacc.catholic.edu.au.

Vocational Education & Training

 - Year 10 TAFE Trade Taster Program

Did you know that students in Years 10, 11 and 12 can complete work experience in their school holidays?

The conditions of the St Anthony’s Catholic College work experience program are based on the Department of Education and Training Procedure ‘Work Experience Placements for School Students’ and operate within current legislation.  Workers Compensation and Liability Insurance will be covered under this agreement in most instances, however there are certain high-risk activities that are not covered.

Work experience means spending time with an employer in a real workplace. You may watch others perform a role, get hands-on experience yourself, or both. Work experience is a great way to improve your workplace skills and experience, boost your resumé and increase your chances of getting a job, traineeship, or apprenticeship.

Many of our students have been successful at securing a school-based apprenticeship/traineeship after completing work experience. These placements have also led our Year 12 students to full time employment once they have graduated. 

- Energy Queensland (Ergon Energy) Work Experience

Energy Queensland (Ergon Energy Network and Energex) offer work experience placements for high school students currently in Years 10,11 or 12. If you’re interested in the Electricity Supply Industry, your enthusiasm may lead to a work experience placement with Energy Queensland. 

Application & Placement Periods:

- Defence Work Experience

Please see below Defence Work Experience Programs for North Queensland students for March to July 2025. 

We understand that there is a strong interest in Army programs, Defence are working with their North Queensland Army units to confirm dates. It is expected that the Army programs will run August to November for 2025, further information will be sent out once advertised.

In the meantime please monitor their website- Defence Careers - Jobs List - Defence Work Experience

- Hands-On Work Experience with PVW Partners for Aspiring Accountants

For students who are serious about exploring a career in accounting, we are also offering exclusive work experience opportunities during the April and September school holidays. Students will get the chance to immerse themselves in real-world accounting tasks, experience our supportive and vibrant work culture, and see what it’s like to be a valued member of the PVW team—all while having fun! These spots are limited, so interested students will need to apply.  https://www.pvwpartners.com/careers/high-school-students/work-experience-form/

For information about work experience, please contact our Industry Liaison Officer, Mrs Sam Van Eerde, on 4751 7300 or svaneerde@sacc.catholic.edu.au 

 - Upcoming Events

Due to our school’s commitment to supporting youth wellbeing through its partnership with SchoolTV, we would like to invite parents, carers, grandparents, educators and school leaders to attend an exclusive webinar supporting primary and secondary students.

WEBINAR: Digital Media Literacy & Safety (Part 1)
DATE: Tuesday, 18 March 2025
TIME: 7:00 pm

This presentation is Part 1 of a two-part series.

Join us for an exclusive session with two of Australia's leading experts in youth wellbeing and cybersafety, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg and Susan McLean. Gain invaluable insights on how to empower young people to navigate the online world safely and responsibly.

Topics in this session will include:

• New Regulations on Social Media
• Cyberbullying
• Exposure to Hate Speech
• Online Safety and Fraud

**** IMPORTANT ****

Please note, this webinar is a one-off event and will not be available to replay later.

To register, scan the QR code found on the promotional material below.

From the SchoolTV Team

A Special Report: The Wellbeing Barometer - 2025

The Wellbeing Barometer survey is an invaluable tool for schools, providing critical insights into the mental health and wellbeing of young people. This annual survey identifies areas of concern, highlights resilience and adaptability in students, and emphasises the importance of preventative strategies to promote positive outcomes.

Participation in this survey is strongly encouraged, as it offers a comprehensive view of students' experiences, challenges, and achievements. By capturing a detailed understanding of young people's experiences, the survey supports a tailored approach to enhancing their mental, emotional, and social wellbeing. It helps to identify strengths and areas for improvement, as well as pinpoint opportunities for early intervention.

The survey is part of an ongoing longitudinal study, and we encourage you to take a few moments to complete the survey for each of your children. Responses remain anonymous and should be based on your observations over the last 12 months. By working together, we can reduce the long-term impact of mental illness and make a meaningful difference to the lives of our young people for a brighter future.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report:
https://sacc.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-wellbeing-barometer-2025-au

Immunisation program for Year 7 and Year 10 students

Our school is participating in Queensland Health’s annual School Immunisation Program. All Year 7 and Year 10 students will be offered free vaccinations as recommended on the National Immunisation Program schedule to protect against vaccine preventable diseases. Year 7 students will be offered human papillomavirus (HPV) and a combined diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine. Year 10 students will be offered vaccines against meningococcal disease.

Please read the information booklet contained in the consent pack which will be sent home with your child in term 1.

Only students with a signed and completed consent card, indicating ‘Yes to Vaccination’ will be vaccinated. If you would like your child to be vaccinated, please fill in the consent card and return it to the school within one week.

If you do not wish your child to be vaccinated, or your child has already been vaccinated with the offered vaccines, please complete the ‘No to Vaccination’ section on the consent card and return the consent card to the school within one week.

The Public Health Act 2005 requires the school principal to disclose student and parent/legal guardian/authorised person information for eligible Year 7 and Year 10 students to the school immunisation provider if requested. This information will enable the school immunisation provider to determine those who have and have not consented, and directly follow- up with parents/legal guardians/authorised persons of students who have not returned a consent card. This direct follow-up ensures all parents/legal guardians/authorised persons are offered the opportunity for their child to participate in this important school health program. It may also assist you in making decisions about your child’s immunisation needs.

Parents, legal guardians and authorised persons who have indicated ‘No to Vaccination’ will not be followed up by the provider.

School immunisation providers will be bound to comply with the Information Privacy Act 2009 (Qld). This Act stipulates the requirements for the secure collection, use, storage and disposal of personal information to be followed by school health program providers.

The vaccinations will be conducted by a team of authorised registered nurses and/or a medical practitioner. Parents, legal guardians or authorised persons are encouraged to ensure their children have an adequate breakfast on the morning of vaccination.

The vaccination team will be visiting the school to give the free vaccinations on the following date/s:

7 March 2025 – Year 7
13 March 2025 – Year 10

For further information about the School Immunisation Program please call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) or visit www.health.qld.gov.au/immunisation

We have welcomed our new Food Specialisation and Hospitality classes back to H block to begin to sharpen their skills and create delicious dishes. As we begin cooking, please remember to bring your own labeled containers to safely store your prepared food. Also, a reminder your OnGuard safety modules must be completed before you can participate in practical cooking lessons as safety comes first! This week our Year 9 Food Specialisation students made their own pizza dough to create delicious Margherita pizzas. Our Year 11 and 12 Hospitality students have been learning how to use the commercial espresso machine and practicing their barista skills for our very willing staff customers! Keep an eye out for Cafe at lunchtimes reopening again soon. 

We have a wonderful group of arty students attending Art Club this term, in an atmosphere of fun and creativity. Art Club is an extracurricular activity offered by our Senior Visual Art Teacher, Ms Glistening Deepwater, where students are encouraged to come up with an idea that they would like to try, and then they are supported in making their idea a reality through an Art Making technique of their choosing. Lots of experimentation with materials and mediums, methods and techniques are underway, with many different projects getting started. Students can join Art Club, which runs every Tuesday afternoon from 3 - 4 pm in weeks 2 - 9 of each term, by emailing Ms Deepwater gdeepwater@sacc.catholic.edu.au and having their name added to the roll, which parents can access to give their consent. Teachers are also welcome to attend Art Club if they would like to learn something new, or expand on their repertoire of art making skills.

I’m reaching out from Brother Rugby Union Club to ask for your support in sharing an exciting opportunity with your school community.

We’re currently welcoming new players for our Junior Rugby programs, designed for children turning 7-17 years old in 2025. Our Junior programs focus on developing fundamental skills in a fun and supportive environment, while encouraging teamwork, confidence, and an active lifestyle.

We would greatly appreciate it if you could share our flyer with your school community, either through your newsletter or on your communication platforms. There are still spots available for the upcoming season, and we’d love to offer this opportunity to as many young players as possible.

In particular we are looking for 7-11 years olds to playing the mixed aged groups, without your help there is a chance that we will not be able to field teams.

For more information or to register, families can contact us at  registrar.bjruc.com.au, through our social media www.facebook.com/brothersrugbyuniontsv or scan the QR code on our flyer.

Thank you for your support in promoting healthy, active opportunities for students in our community.

Warm regards,    

Luke Eastlake                                                            

Registrar                                                        

Brothers Junior Rugby Union Club

M: 0417 006 715

I’m reaching out from Phoenix Netball Club to ask for your support in sharing an exciting opportunity with your school community.

We’re currently welcoming new players for our Set and GO programs, designed for children turning 7-10 years old in 2025. These programs focus on developing fundamental netball skills in a fun and supportive environment, while encouraging teamwork, confidence, and an active lifestyle.

We would greatly appreciate it if you could share our flyer with your school community, either through your newsletter or on your communication platforms. There are still a few spots available, and we’d love to offer this opportunity to as many young players as possible.

For more information or to register, families can contact us at  admin@phoenixnetball.com.au, through our website phoenixnetballtownsville.com.au or scan the QR code on our flyer.

Thank you for your support in promoting healthy, active opportunities for students in our community.

Warm regards,
Katrina Appleton

Phoenix Netball Committee Member
0401 614 846