Newman News Vol 3 Issue 9 - 24 July 2024

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Yirrganydji and Djabugay peoples, as the traditional owners of this land and pay respect to their elders, past, present, and emerging for they hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and hopes of Aboriginal Australia who educated their children in this area.  We show respect for their history, their culture, and our shared future.

We will always remember that under the concrete, steel and asphalt of this College, this land is, was, and always will be traditional Aboriginal land.

JCU Nguma-bada Campus - "Place for tomorrow's Learning Knowledge and Wisdom"
Yirryay (Yirrganydgi landuage, coastal dialect of Djabugay.

Prayer for Catholic Education Week

From the Principal

Dear Families of Newman Catholic College

Happy Catholic Education Week.

I do hope that this message finds you well and you are all settled into your new term.  It is a little strange to be here after two weeks away on Principal’s Professional Leave. I am now certainly very glad to be back at school for another term but missing the holiday sleep-ins that I have grown accustomed to over the past weeks.  The principal’s national gathering in Perth for Catholic Secondary Principals was good.  The keynote speakers gave us a lot to think about and some fresh ideas especially in the area of innovation in education.

Having seen student reports from last semester many have much to be proud of and some have more work to do. One great thing about schools is that each term you have the opportunity to start again. I do hope all students have started well.

How encouraging and heart-warming it was to receive an email message over the holiday break from a member of the general public who shared the boat with our PADI Divers last term. Remember: “The words we use and the actions we take, no matter how small, can have such a significant and lasting impact on many others”.  I extend my thanks and gratitude to our PADI divers for their encouraging behaviour and making such a positive difference to members of the general public of Cairns whilst doing what they love doing. The email received outlined how the other people on the boat loved having our students with them on their trip; they were proud that all the students in attendance achieved their certificates; they followed the instructions of their teachers; and, they were very impressed with students’ excellent behaviour: well-mannered and a pleasure to be with. Congratulations students and staff.

Congratulations also to all participants in the eisteddfod you did so well and the whole community was so proud. To compete against schools with Year 11 and 12 students is no easy feat. Three years of extra development and practice makes a difference.

Finally, I would like to extend a warm welcome to new staff members and students, I will look forward to getting to know you now that I am back.

Thank you and look after each other throughout the term.

Blessings to you and your families

Lauretta Graham
Principal

Pastoral Care - Year 7

Dear Year 7 Students and Families

As we step into Term 3 of 2024 at Newman Catholic College, I am filled with excitement and hope for all the wonderful experiences and achievements that lie ahead. Whether you are returning from a restful break or have been busy with activities, I hope you are recharged and ready for the new term.

Academic Excellence

Our commitment to academic excellence remains strong. Our dedicated teachers have planned engaging and challenging lessons designed to help students grow in knowledge and skills. Remember, education is a collaborative effort, and we are here to support families every step of the way. Do not hesitate to ask questions, seek help when needed. Congratulations to all those students who were recognised for their efforts in the Semester 1 Academic Assembly.

Faith and Values

As a Catholic school, our faith and values are at the heart of everything we do. This term, we will continue to nurture our spiritual growth through prayer, reflection, and community service. Let’s remember to live out the values of Unity, Wisdom, Courage, Truth and Compassion. A highlight of this term will be our Year 7 Reflection Day in Port Douglas, where students will have the opportunity to reflect on their 2024 and establish a few goals for 2025.

Extra-Curricular Activities

We have an exciting range of extra-curricular activities planned for Term 3. Whether you're interested in sports, music, arts, or clubs, there is something for everyone. Well done to those students who participated in these activities during Semester one. As the school continues to grow, more opportunities are available so please continue to show interest in these areas.

Important Dates:

• July 27 NCC Hearts Trivia Night
• August 1 NAIDOC Celebrations
• August 28 Stage 2 Opening and Blessing
• August 30 Student Free Day
• September 10 Year 7 Reflection Day
• September 11 & 12 Parent/ Teacher / Student Led Conferences
• September 13 Term 3 Concludes

Mr Chris Di Lucchio
Year 7 Coordinator

MyCE Parent Mobile App

NEW MyCE Parent Mobile App
(replacing the current Parent Portal)

MyCE – short for My Catholic Education – is an app developed by Cairns Catholic Education to allow parents, guardians and caregivers to easily and securely access school and student information. It provides an interactive pathway for communication between home and school.

Note: If a caregiver has access to the app, they will not have access to Parent Slips unless they are a legal guardian. 

Some of the most useful features include:

• school contact and directory information
• notification of student absences
• links to Parent Slips and Parent Teacher Online
• student timetables
• access to your students’ academic reports
• the ability to add school calendar events to your personal calendar

Link to MyCE Guide

Wilbur Donovan
Deputy Principal - Academic Studies

Stop Drop and Go Zone

Stop Drop Go Zone

Kinetic runs the public bus services in Cairns and they travel through the JCU bus interchange regularly throughout the day. 

Drivers have reported safety issues as parents are dropping off/picking up children from Newman Catholic College. 

The area around the end roundabout is marked with no standing signs however cars are often stopping in this area which impacts on the safe passage of buses. 

Parents are also reminded not to queue around the roundabout when accessing the Stop Drop Go Zone. 

We are kindly asking the families to use the designated Stop Drop Go Zone to ensure the public buses and other road uses are not inconvenienced. 

Science Matters

Greetings, Newman Catholic College families and welcome to Term 3. This term promises to raise scientific curiosity amongst our students and lead them on a journey of discovery through a number of hands-on learning activities, competitions and excursions.

Year 7 Science

Year 7 students are kicking off with a unit on chemistry and have already started to explore essential concepts such as particle theory, properties of matter, and the art of separating mixtures. Students will learn how to separate mixtures based on their physical and chemical properties, using specialised scientific equipment. They will put their critical thinking skills and knowledge to use with a separation challenge later in the term.

Another highlight on the term calendar for the Year 7s will be a visit to JCU during National Science Week. Students will be guided through a number of scientific laboratories where experts in their fields will expose students to some of the cutting-edge research that is underway at the universities. The excursion will include a tour of the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine and Australian Tropical Herbarium. We may even get to see our very own Miss Seifert working in her other role as a molecular biologist creating vaccines.

Year 8 Science

This term, the Year 8s will gain a deeper understanding of their own bodies as they navigate through a unit on Biology. Students will dive into the fascinating complexities that make up living organisms and through interactive lessons and engaging discussions, they will unravel the secrets of cells, their functions, and how they work together to form intricate body systems.

To enhance their learning experience, our Year 8 students will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on dissections and physiology labs. By utilizing tools such as the PASCO data loggers, they will collect and analyse data to gain valuable insights into the workings of the human body. These experiences will not only deepen their understanding of biology but hopefully also ignite a passion for exploring life sciences.

Year 9 Science

Our Year 9 students will also be studying chemistry, expanding their knowledge gained the past two years. They are currently learning about the structure of the smallest building blocks of matter – atoms. They will then expand on this knowledge learning how molecules can rearrange themselves during chemical reactions to form new substances with unique properties. They will endeavour to identify reactants and products during a series of reactions conducted in class, and attempt to write word and balanced chemical equations to outline the rearrangement of molecules that has occurred.

As an extension to their studies, the Year 8 and 9 extension classes will be preparing to participate in the University of Queensland’s Wonder of Science competition. The program inspires students to engage in rigorous, real-world learning and to aspire for excellence in STEM. Students develop critical and creative thinking skills as they are challenged to develop a group response to a real-world problem or scenario. Students will present their challenge task response at a regional student conference, with winning teams advancing to the state conference in Brisbane.

Marine Science

Our Year 7 Marine Science students have a busy and thrilling term ahead. They will navigate the various phyla of marine organisms and engage in many hands-on activities such as dissections and a crowd favourite - the plankton challenge. For their assignment they will be preparing entries for the Australia and New Zealand Ocean Innovators Challenge.

The Year 8 Marine Science students will have the unique opportunity to participate in a collaborative project with James Cook University’s TropWATER department. Students will be trained by leading seagrass ecologists to prepare harvested seagrass samples to be planted to regenerate depleted seagrass meadows in the Cairns inlet and Mourylian Harbour. Students will work hand in hand with scientists and Gimuy Sea Rangers for this citizen science adventure.

Year 9 Marine Science students have started studying the central theme of Biodiversity which relates directly to the first unit in the QCAA Senior Marine Science syllabus. Students will put their knowledge to use when they participate in a macroinvertebrate study of Atika Creek adjacent to the school. Students will collect data over a number of weeks and prepare a scientific report paper that summarises their findings.

As always, we encourage parents to support their children's scientific endeavours by fostering curiosity, engaging in discussions about scientific topics, and exploring related activities outside of school. Our Science team wishes you all a successful term filled with scientific wonders and extraordinary discoveries!

Year 9 Marine Science Dive Course

Throughout Term 2 students in the Year 9 Marine Science class were studying the science of diving and completing the theory modules for the PADI Open Water and Advanced SCUBA courses. During Week 10 Term 2, a team of 11 students put their newly acquired knowledge into action by completing the practical components of the internationally recognised PADI Open Water diver and PADI Adventure Diver courses with Pro Dive Cairns.

Students started by spending two days in the pool at Pro Dive Cairns familiarising themselves with the Scuba equipment and learning a range of skills and emergency procedures in a controlled pool environment.

After refining their diving skills, it was time to head out on a 3-day liveaboard voyage to the Great Barrier Reef. It was an early start on the Thursday morning with students up before sunrise and boarding the vessel which they would call home for the next three days. Students were given a safety briefing and orientation to the vessel while steadily heading out to our first location – Milln Reef. Soon after arriving it was time to take the plunge into the pristine waters below. There is something very special about watching students descend below the surface and breathe underwater for the very first time. We were blessed with 20m plus visibility and students were accompanied by a range of marine life including giant trevally and red bass as they descended to the bottom of the ocean for the very first time. After some quick skills it was time to explore what lay beneath the ocean, without having to continuously come up for air. After observing some white tipped reef sharks and clownfish in their natural habitat, it was soon time to ascend slowly from our very first dive. At the surface students were treated to a buffet lunch prepared by our very own chef on the boat.

The next three days consisted of a repeat of the following three awesome activities: dive, eat, relax and then repeat it all again and again. Each time we would move between a range of awesome dive sites along Milln and Flynn reef, seeing a changing underwater landscape and meeting new creatures at every site. Over the three days we ticked off many bucket list species including sharks, turtles, rays and clownfish.

A highlight for many students was the much-anticipated night dive. After a dive briefing and some theory and skills practice, it was time to put the glow sticks on the tanks, grab a torch and jump in for an underwater disco. Predators such as giant trevally, red bass and even sharks would follow us down, just waiting for students to shine their torch on an unsuspecting fish to expose them from the cover of darkness. Then in an instant, we would witness nature at its finest, when the predators swarmed in for a free feed. It was all smiles at the surface after the night dive and didn’t take long until a boatload of tired divers was fast asleep.

On the Saturday morning, we woke up to witness the sun rise over the reef a final time and perform a deep training dive at a new location. Students plunged below the open water limit of 18m for their first deep training dive. They witnessed colours fade away as light was absorbed with depth. Bright pink fins were now a dull grey and the plastic bottles of air that instructors took down had now shrunk to a third of the size with the pressure. After surfacing to a cooked breakfast, we now only had two dives left until we headed back to harbour. Students were now certified to dive to 30m and dive at night, so these were purely pleasure dives to enjoy what the reef had to offer.

We would like to thank the crew from Pro Dive Cairns for making this such an enjoyable and memorable experience. Hopefully the completion of the course was not an ending, but a beginning of a new adventure for our students, the start of a life-long journey exploring our amazing underwater kingdom.

Matt Radburnd
Leader of Science

Year 9 Marine Science Dive Course

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Health Sciences

With a new term of Health Science comes new classes of students exploring the world of Anatomy, Physiology and Healthcare systems. We have started off learning the basics of biology; looking at the structure of plant, animal and fungi cells and exploring how these cells make up the unfathomable array of unicellular and multicellular life on Earth.

Next, we moved to our first body system review. In year 7, students examined the textbook structures and functions of the human circulatory system then moved into their first dissection of bovid hearts. With this combination of book and practical learning, the students have been able to start fully appreciating the intricate and beautiful nature of tissues and organs within mammalian body systems.

Our circulatory system review concluded with class discussions and research on healthcare options for people suffering from strokes and cardiovascular disease. This resulted in fantastic conversations and further learning around real world healthcare technologies and the professionals who spend every day helping the sick and injured within our local hospitals.

Bring on the next topics (Respiratory system and illnesses next) and exciting enquiry learning!

Mr Klein and Mrs Seifert

Health Sciences

Technologies

Aerospace Excursion to Cairns Airport

On Wednesday 17 July, 12 selected Year 8 Aerospace students visited Jet Aviation at the Cairns Airport. The students were privileged to see the ‘stripped out’ jets and how aircraft parts made from composite materials are made and fixed. They learned about what it takes to become an apprentice and eventually a licenced aircraft maintenance engineer (LAME). We would like to thank Jet Aviation and Business Liaison Association for offering this opportunity to the aviation enthusiasts at Newman Catholic College.

Kim Auld
Leader of Technologies

Languages Department

Welcome to Term 3!

This term promises to be an exciting time for the Language Department. Over the next four weeks, we are delighted to host two groups of Japanese schools. This presents a wonderful opportunity not only to showcase our school experience to our Japanese visitors but also for our students and staff to immerse themselves in Asian cultures. Together, we will have a shared lunch on the lawn with our visitors and celebrate NADOIC week with special events.

In addition to our Japanese visitors, we are gearing up for the Italian speaking competition later this term. Moreover, there's a possibility of a French guest speaker visiting us soon. Our Japanese learners will also visit Sun Pacific College to immerse themselves in Japanese learning. Stay tuned for updates from the department!

Shixang Chen
Leader of Languages

Sport & HPE News

HPE News

In our Health and Physical Education curriculum this term students are studying the following units of work:

• Year 7 – Nutrition and AFL.
• Year 8 – Respectful Relationships and Team Sport. Over the next Semester the Year 8 classes will rotate through five weeks of a team sport including either Volleyball, Soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, Oz tag and AFL.
• Year 9 – Principles of Fitness, Health and Wellbeing. Our Year 9 classes have been engaged in group fitness including boxercise, circuit training, pump class and resistance training in the gym.

In our Outdoor Education curriculum this term students are studying the following units of work:

• Year 7 – Mountain Biking. Students will be utilising the Smithfield Mountain Bike trails that are running sweet at this time of year.
• Year 8 – Lightweight Hiking and Camping. Students are preparing for their first excursion to Davies Creek where they will be hiking, camping, cooking and water activities.
• Year 9 – First Aid and Surf Rescue at Palm Cove with Surf Education QLD and Navigation and Orienteering with the aim of participating in the Adventure Sport NQ Urban Navigation Series https://www.adventuresportnq.info/events/2021-uns-events/ to held later in the term.

Junior School Sport

Well done to Mrs Gough and the HPE team who have worked hard to put together teams to enter the JSS interschool competition this semester. To be eligible each school must enter 10 teams to be included in the competition including: Boys AFL, Girls Netball, Boys and Girls Basketball, Football, Touch and Volleyball. We look forward to seeing the sporting culture build over the next few years in this space. Good luck Teams!

Newman Catholic College – 2024 First Nations Leadership Forum

On Thursday 18 July, six students participated in the 2024 Cairns NAIDOC Youth Leadership Forum.  The day was hosted by DIYDG – Deadly Inspiring Youth Doing Good Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation.

The day offered the students time to come together, to connect and ignite their leadership potential.  The students engaged in several interactive activities and meaningful discussions.  Students were encouraged to explore their cultural identity, make connections and suggest ways to make positive impacts in the local community. 

Our students were able to speak in front of 80 peers about their background and how they can demonstrate leadership skills.   The students were also able to develop friendships with other students through playing Touch Football and some traditional games.  

JSS:  Junior School Sport

Junior School Sport commences next Wednesday 31 July.  Please ensure the students who have selected JSS have paid the JSS Levy via the Parent Payment link. Students will travel to and from venues via bus.

Key Points

• Students to wear Full HPE uniform
• Students to have protective equipment (pending on sport) e.g.: Mouth guard/shin guard
• Students will need to meet their JSS Coach at the Café at 12:30pm in preparation for departure to game venue

Draw for upcoming games:

• Week 4:  Wednesday 31 July  - Newman Catholic College Vs Bentley Park College
• Week 5:  Wednesday 7 August - Newman Catholic College (FEMALE ONLY) vs St Monica’s
• Week 6:  Wednesday 14 August - Newman Catholic College (MALE ONLY) vs St Augustine’s

TCN Athletics

On Thursday 8 and Friday 9 August, selected students will represent and compete at the TCN Athletics which is held at Barlow Park.  Students who have been nominated for TCN Athletics have received an email in relation to their events.  Parents of these students have also been notified. Please remember to complete the Peninsula paperwork and the Parent slip for you to attend the day. The Peninsula paperwork must be handed into the office to be signed by College Principal.  Mrs Gough will take all forms on the day.  

TCN Trials

See the dates and please email Mrs Gough if you haven’t already to nominate for the TCN trials this term.

• 15 - 16 years Boys Futsal – Monday 5 August
• 15 - 16 Girls Futsal – Monday 5 August
• 13 - 14 years Girls Futsal – Tuesday 6 August
• 13 - 14 years Boys Futsal – Wednesday 7 August
• 13 - 15 years Boys Cricket – Tuesday 13 August

Other Sporting News

Ella Rogers:  Ella went playing netball in Singapore at the end of last term.  The girls came first place against Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.

Saffryn Turner: Competed at the QRSS 10-19yrs Cross Country in Brisbane

Other News

• Trivia Night: Saturday 27 July – Any questions, please email Mrs Gough
• Newman Hearts Cheerleading – Training Monday and Friday afternoons 3:00pm – 5:00pm
• FitBox – Monday morning 7:00am – 7:45am
• Volleyball – Monday 3:00pm – 4:00pm in the Hall with Mr Dockray.

Public Notices - Sugar Cane Haulage

Mossman to Gordonvale Sugar Cane Haulage

Increased Heavy Vehicle Movements

Trucks hauling sugar cane from Mossman to the Mulgrave Mill in Gordonvale will be travelling on the Captain Cook Highway, Cairns Western Arterial Road, Mulgrave Road, and the Bruce Highway from July to December 2024.

There will be increased numbers of heavy vehicles on these routes.

TMR is working key stakeholders and industry to minimise disruptions to the travelling public.
Safety is our first priority, and we encourage road users to be aware of the following during the cane haulage season: 

School zones

To travel from Mossman to Cairns, Cane trucks will travel through multiple school zones.

Pedestrians and other road-users are asked to consider their safety and stay aware of traffic conditions particularly during pick-up and drop off times.

Road work sites

There are several single lane sections on the Captain Cook Highway between Buchans Point and Turtle Cove. Road users may encounter queues of traffic stopped at these locations.

Road users approaching a roadworks queue should switch on hazard lights to warn approaching vehicles of the queued traffic ahead. Turning on your hazard lights is a way to let others know to slow down and be alert, keeping motorists, roadworkers and traffic controllers safe.

If you see hazard lights ahead of you at roadworks, that is a signal that you need to slow down and prepare to stop.

Road users should plan their journey and expect delays.

The increased level of traffic is anticipated to be temporary and will cease with the end of the cane crushing season.

For up-to-date information about the state-controlled road network, please check the QLDTraffic website or call 13 19 40.

Cafe News

Flexischools New Cut-Off time - 7:45am each school day.

All orders for the Cafe are to be placed by 7:45am. Parents are asked to note the new cut-off time of 7:45am. A reminder if you have more than one child you are ordering for, please place each child's order seperately. Orders are to be collected by students at 1st Recess at 10:20am. 

Student IDs can be used for over the counter purchases

Students can now make over the counter cafe purchases with their student card. Parents can prepay funds into their Fleixschools parent wallet and link their child's existing Student ID card. Refer to the image below for information on how to link the card. 

Reminder that students making purchases at the Cafe must use a card, cash or their preloaded student ID to make purchases.  Students are NOT to use their mobile phones or smart watches for payment. 

Thank you for your assistance.

Mrs Julie Davies
Cafe Supervisor  

Uniform Shop

Uniform Shop Open Hours

Monday to Friday -  1st Recess 10:20am - 11:00am

Tuesday and Thursday afternoons 2:30pm - 3:30pm

When ordering through Flexischools, if the order is placed before 5:00pm it is available for collection the next working day at 1st Recess (10:20am). 

College Uniforms

If you require new uniforms for 2024, please use the link through Flexischools to purchase. If you have not used Flexischools before, below are instructions on how to set up your account. If your child has any outgrown uniforms you wish to donate, we would love to assist and help families in need.

Please bring your secondhand uniforms into the College Office.

Reminders regarding Uniforms

Please ensure to label all items:

• Uniforms are to be worn as a complete set - no mixing between formal and sports uniforms
• Tracksuit jackets are able to be worn with both formal and sports uniforms
• Tracksuit pants are only be to be worn for sporting excursions or camps/retreats
• The jacket and pants are not compulsory, however, no other jackets can be worn.

Shoes

Students are required to wear completely black leather lace-up shoes when wearing their formal uniform. No colour trim is allowed. Below are examples of acceptable and non-acceptable
options.

F@N News - President's Report

Welcome to all Newman College Families & staff to Term 3.

Busy start to the term for the Families @ Newman committee as the AGM was held on Monday 8 July and committee positions were up for re-election. I am pleased to share that the current F@N committee members retained their respective positions, along with a few new fresh faces to the team.

My team & I am looking forward to building a bigger, stronger, resilient & united college community.

2024-25 Committee Members

Event Organisation

The F@N Committee represents all parents/carers in the College and acts in their interests and on their behalf. It exists to support the College community and is involved in the total life of the College. Parents/carers, as first educators of their children, have a vital collaborative role to play in the development and implementation of the educational philosophy and policies of the College. The Committee plays a significant role in the formation of a collaborative and cooperative College community where parents/carers are recognised as authentic partners, with the Principal and the College Staff, in the education of their children. Your contribution is needed, and F@N welcomes your support. The success of the Committee relies on parent/carer volunteers and this in turn enhances all students’ educational journey within the College. 

Looking Ahead

In Term 3, the F@N team is assisting with the ‘Trivia by the Stars’ Fundraiser event which is on Saturday 27 July. This fundraising event is for our Newman Hearts Cheerleading team who are off to the Gold Coast in December to compete in National Cheer and Dance championship.

In 2024/25, I am confident that our commitment has already established a good rapport with the community and our families. With our focus on creating a friendly family environment and with new committee members, our drive towards improving our ideas, events, and connections with the Newman families will continue to support a stronger, more capable, and successful college culture working with teachers and parents.

If you have any questions or would like any information on the committee, please email ncc.families@cns.catholic.edu.au.

Looking forward to your continued support and engagement.

Sincerely,

Ray Cowan
President - F@N Committee