Term 1 Week 3 College Newsletter

Acknowledgement of Country

From the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers

Recommencement of the School Year

Welcome back to our students and families to our 2022 Academic Year with a special welcome to over 200 new families who have joined our Ignatius Park College community. I know we will be a richer community because of your decision to choose Ignatius Park College for your son's education. I hope you all had a relaxing and restful holiday break despite the restrictions that COVID has placed upon us.  The delay in the commencement of school was not an ideal start to our academic year. I would like to thank the Year 8-12 students and families for engaging in remote and online learning.  Also, a big thank you to our staff who provided a supportive and effective online platform so our students could commence the year with strong study habits. You would have received yesterday an online survey where we have asked all families to provide feedback on your experience with our online learning platform.

Irrespective of the delay in face to face learning, it was an absolute joy last Monday to witness an authentic expression of ‘inclusive community’ as our students walked onto the school campus, reconnecting established relationships and an opportunity to embrace and become acquainted with those new to our context. The new Year 7 students entered the College both excited and nervous with their new adventure into high school. One of the great sights on the day was witnessing our Year 12 seniors taking each new Year 7 student on a personal tour around the College, sharing with them the tradition and history of the school and what it means to be an ‘Iggy Boy’. This is a positive and powerful way, through our Touchstones, that we model the Gospel values to be there for each other, to welcome the stranger and to share our story. The embraces the qualities we instil daily within the boys, calling them to be young men who live our motto ‘Seek Truth’, and to be ‘Brother’.

Back to School Plan

Last Thursday I sent a letter to all parents (please click here) relating to the expectation and processes if a student is unwell, a close contact or is diagnosed as COVID positive. This week the College has been informed of two students (one in Year 9 and one in Year 10) who have tested positive to COVID.  These students did attend school this week prior to them being symptomatic and a positive confirmation being received.

I remind parents and caregivers that if your son is unwell please do not send him to school.

As we commence the new year with new hopes and aspirations, we also understand that some of the restrictions and challenges we faced throughout 2021 will remain. We will continue to communicate with families regularly as the conditions and restrictions placed on schools, and indeed the wider community, evolve.

2022 College Theme

Our 2022 College theme is Every Stride Done With Pride placing the ideology that students need to have an innate sense of pride in all that they do in order to realise their potential as they become proud Ignatius Park men. This year is our 53^rd year as a College and we need to acknowledge those who have gone before us and have worked hard to instil strong interpersonal relationships, respect and community connection in order for Ignatius Park College to stand as a respected educational institution for young men in the North Queensland region. To stride is to move forward and upwards, it is more than just taking a step, it is taking a risk, covering large ground and setting clear goals and intentionality.  Every Stride Done With Pride is both a nod to the Old Boys of the College and their accomplishments, as well as a connotation that our current students can forge new and exciting directions, while respecting the history and the traditions of the Ignatius Park College through their spirituality, dedication, conduct, dress and academic application. Our students of 2022 are encouraged to embrace the ideology that, when they make individual choices to be better each day, the entire community is exposed to positivity, excellence, pride and rejuvenation.

ATAR and Diligence Awards

Today the College celebrated our ATAR and Diligence Awards Assembly. Given the COVID restrictions, only our Year 12 and Year 7 students were able to attend the Assembly, with the event live streamed throughout the College to the other year levels and College community. As part of the Awards Assembly we invited back our 2021 Year 12 Graduates to recognise their outstanding achievements in various subjects and overall ATAR scores. As a College community, we are extremely proud of their achievements and wish to acknowledge that their results are a testament to their individual and collective strength, resilience and determination to achieve their personal best. We acknowledge and applaud our VET students, with over 50 students in school-based apprenticeships or post school, receiving employment and apprenticeships, while 30% of our Year 12 ATAR cohort obtaining an ATAR score greater than 80. We also make a special mention of our 2021 College Dux, Keegan Gedling, who received an impressive ATAR score of 97.45. I would like to congratulate all our 2021 Graduates who were a magnificent year group showing us all how to rally to “get on with it.” 90% of this cohort who received an ATAR gained Tertiary offers – 16 in Engineering, 9 in Education, 3 in Law and others in Business, Science and Pharmacy.  Today we also acknowledged our current students in Years 8 – 11 who received Gold, Silver and Bronze Diligence Awards. Congratulations to all these award winners. The list of all award recipients is included in our newsletter.

Staffing

The College Leadership Team for 2022 is:

Mr Shaun Clarke   College Principal
Mr John Doolan   Deputy Principal
Mr Shane Dove   Director of Curriculum
Mrs Johanna Smith   Director of Students
Ms Marg Hodgson   Director of Staff
Mr Mark Holmes   Director of Mission and Identity
Mr Vilton Crasto   Business Manager

This year we also appointed two leadership positions:
Mr Grant Rossiter   Dean of Pathways
Mr Paul Marano   Faculty Leader – Skills and Training

I also take this opportunity to welcome the following new and returning staff to the College:

Mrs Mell Richter – Maths Teacher
Mr Michael Andersen – Manual Arts Teacher
Ms Lauren D’Amico – Maths/Science Teacher
Mr Gerry Escalada – Maths/Science Teacher
Mrs Paula Luke – Teacher Aide – Inclusive Education
Mr Daniel Vanstone – Teacher Aide – Inclusive Education
Mrs Rachel Wakelin – Teacher Aide – Inclusive Education
Mr Damon West – IT Department
Mr Aaron Bolton – IT Department
Mr Chase Warrell – IT Department
Mr Jaelen Feeney - Indigenous and Multicultural Coordinator

We also welcome back Mr Frank Iemma, Mr Bianca Barbagallo, Mr Brian Geaney, Mr Matthew Fanning, Mrs Liz Hayward, Mr Ethan Collins and Mr Erin Reyes who have returned this year.

Australia Day Award Recognition

Congratulations to both Jacob Fowler (Year 12) and Luke Jack (2021 Graduate) who both received awards on Australia Day. Jacob Fowler was awarded the Junior Sports Award at the Townsville Australia Day Awards and Luke Jack received the Senior Sportsperson of the Year Award at the Burdekin Australia Day Ceremonies. Well done to both award winners.

Called by Scripture

Scottish author and spiritual leader Eileen Caddy MBE once stated that if we are to be successful, we need to:

Our scripture reading from Psalms (119:105) which accompanies our 2022 theme states “Your word is a lamp to my feet and lights my stride.” We pray that in 2022 all our students may always be open to God’s word who calls to us be the best we can be. As a College community may we continue to stride forward, to be strengthen by our faith and continue leave a legacy in this school that is Christ centred and inspired by the vision of  Blessed Edmund Rice.

Live Jesus in our Hearts.
Forever.

Shaun Clarke | Principal

Awards Assembly

Year 9

Year 10

Year 11

Year 12 Reflection

Lucas Dummett spoke at today's Awards Assembly on behalf of the graduating class of Year 12, 2021. 

Good morning students and teachers,

I just want to start by thanking you all for gathering here today and celebrating the achievements of all the Old Boys from 2021. For those who don’t know me, my name is Lucas Dummett, and I was the Prefect for Liberating Education last year. I graduated last year and was accepted into JCU to study Engineering with honours.

Today I was asked to give a summary of any lessons that I picked up while studying last year. The main idea that repeatedly came to mind when thinking of what I had learnt, was to give yourself the time of day to breathe. Sometimes last year, I felt as if all my schooling, sporting, and working commitments were crashing down on me so much that I couldn’t breathe. But to get out of that trap, I occasionally took time off work every couple of weekends so that I had the chance to reset. I also tried to let people know when I needed some help. We all have heaps of people in our lives – family, mates, teachers – who are there to give us a hand; we just need to ask.

Burning out is a real thing, but if you can keep working hard throughout the year to keep track of not only your work but yourself and how you’re travelling, you’ll be able to keep up with school and stay healthy.

To the Senior lads and year 11s, I know a lot of you are probably stressed about your grades, your exams and your current predicted ATAR. Just remember though, that focusing on what your current marks are, and what a random ATAR calculator you found on Google says about your predicted score, isn’t going to get you the ranking you want to achieve. You just need to focus on working as hard as you can for each assessment, one after the other, and worry about your ATAR scores after you’ve put all your energy into every assignment or exam.

But aside from the stress of grades and schooling, the major thing I struggled with throughout the year was coming back from breaking my leg. It hit me hard to watch my best mates play footy with the First XIII while I sat on the sidelines, but instead of giving it up like I considered so many times, I pushed harder to make the team. I know that not all of you play footy, and hopefully won’t be breaking your leg, but the same message goes with academics because everyone has setbacks. You might fail an assignment or bomb an exam; your ATAR score might not be what you were aiming for. Even if you do have plans to go to university the year after you’ve graduated, it doesn’t mean it’s set in stone. But remember that you don’t have to make life decisions as soon as you leave the gates for the last time. There’s plenty of time to decide when you’re ready. Most importantly, you can get back up from adversity, lads. No matter what grade you are in, don’t let anything break you. Keep pushing for what your goals are, and don’t stop until you reach them.

Thank you for listening, and especially thank you for having us Old Boys back to receive these awards. I think I can speak on behalf of all of us in saying how appreciative and proud we are to accept them. I know that Iggy Park meant a lot to all of us and we’re proud to be heading into the future as Old Boys.

Lucas Dummett | Iggy Old Boy (Class of 2021)

College Calendar

In our rapidly changing environment, it is more important then ever that parents have access to the most up to date information about college events. The College app carries regular updates as does our Facebook page and this newsletter.

Parents also need to regularly update themselves with the College calendar that is used to record all events authorised by the College. This calendar is available on the College app, through the College website and through the Parent Lounge and Student Café portals.

In addition to listing the events, most entries also include times and details about the events.

John Doolan | Deputy Principal

School ID Photographs - 4 March

The ID Photographs will be taken on 4 March. 

• Individual photos for all students. These photos are used to identify students in our system for roll marking etc. and are also used for student ID cards to use in the library, buses etc.
• Class photos will be held in Term 2.
• Students need to wear formal academic uniform on Friday 4 March.
• Photos will be in the Hall.

1. Please place your order online before the day of photography

- Go to www.advancedlife.com.au and enter this code: 

1. Payment can be made using Visa, Mastercard, PayPal or Latitude Pay
2. If you are unable to order online, please hand your completed order envelope directly to the photographers on the day of photography

Identity and Mission

Dear IPC Community,

Welcome (finally!) back properly to the 2022 school year. I trust you had a great break and might be extra refreshed (or extra tired with online learning?!?).

As usual, we have plenty going on in the Identity and Mission space to begin the year, as Mission never rests! Please inform your son to keep an eye out in the notices for the all the volunteering and service opportunities available to him throughout the Term and year. It will be great to have as many as possible engage with the ‘other’ in society and look beyond their own immediate welfare, to that of those less fortunate in our society. To that end, I would like to offer a reflection that discusses that we all now begin, ack at school, on ‘level ground.’ If it were only that simple in practice, the world would be a much nicer place. We do our bit, however, to keep the message of this alive and do as much as we can within our community to help those in need.

Standing on Level Ground

The Sermon on the Mount is the most recognised passage of the gospel. Matthew’s gospel pictures Jesus on a hillside preaching. Luke tells us Jesus delivered this famous sermon on a plain. Does it matter whether this is the Sermon on the Mount or the Plain? Scholars have speculated that Luke didn’t know any better. As a Greek convert to the faith, he may have never been close enough to the geography of Israel to know the difference.

But in the context of Luke’s whole story, it’s a shrewd move to have Jesus preaching on level ground. Jesus literally levels the playing field by blessing the poor with the advantages of the rich, promising satisfaction to the hungry, and laughter to those who grieve. He likewise assures those who’ve made it that “it’s trouble ahead”. If Jesus stands on a par with the crowds and doesn’t enjoy a privileged place, we can be sure the justice of the kingdom will make no exceptions.

How are you, at this time in life, poor, hungry, sorrowing, or excluded?

How are you rich, satisfied, celebrating, and admired?

Commit yourself to levelling the playing field. Share your surplus: money, time, love, joy, faith, talent, attention, respect.

Have a great rest of the Week.

Mark Holmes | Director – Identity & Mission

Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Tuesday) is 1 March 2022. We kindly ask for donations of:

• Pre-made pancakes
• Ready to go pancake mix
• Spreads

OR

On the day, a gold coin to contribute to the purchasing of the above would be appreciated.

Subject Changes

Year 9, 10 and 11 students have been permitted to change their subject selections this week. We will not be accepting subject change forms after Monday. Any changes after this time will require the approval of Mr Dove, Director of Curriculum.

Shane Dove | Director of Curriculum

Pathways Hub (Formerly Skills and Training)

Over the Christmas holidays, a number of enthusiastic young men took the opportunity to gain experience in a career of choice or to trial for a school-based apprenticeship. Work placements are a great way for students to determine their interest and suitability for a role and to also develop much-needed skills and attitudes necessary for a positive career outcome. One of my main priorities for 2022 is to promote and place as many students in work experience as possible to ensure that future decision processes have experience in the job as a necessary factor. If you are in Year 10, 11 or 12 and would like to participate in a week of holiday work experience, please come to the Pathway Hub to discuss options and possibilities with me.

School-based Apprenticeships

Over the holidays Caylis Whyte, Daniel Bell and Kym Nuth secured school-based apprenticeships. We would like to congratulate them on securing his future career and thank their new employers for this wonderful opportunity and investing in our young men.

White Card Course

A mandatory requirement of the construction industry is that all workers, including industry placement students, undertake a General Construction Safety Induction prior to entering a construction worksite. This is necessary to ensure their safety and so that they understand and know what all signage and signals mean and how to wear all relevant PPE. Once the induction is completed students are issued with a White Card.

This course is compulsory for all students enrolled in Construction, Engineering Pathways and Resource Infrastructure. However, students undertaking Certificate I in Construction will not be required to pay the fee for this course, as it is included in their subject. For non- construction students the cost is $69 payable by the 11 February 2022. While it is not a mandatory requirement for other VET students, it is highly recommended. Your son will not be placed on industry placement in a construction trade if he does not have a White Card.

The College will be offering this safety induction through a third-party provider and will be conducted at the College, during school time. Two White Card course will be run on 14 and 16 February.  Your son will be advised via email which course he will be attending.

Industry Placements

There will be approximately 130 students attending industry placement this year. Finding placements for this many students is a mammoth task. Some of the placements have already been finalised, but many more still need to be matched with a willing employer.

If you have personal contacts and can assist with finding your son a placement, please contact Jennie Vignale as soon as possible – pathways@ipc.qld.edu.au

Once placements are organised, we are hesitant to change them (until the following placement) so we do not inconvenience employers.

Industry Placements Dates for 2022

Please find below the industry placement dates for 2022. It is an expectation that all industry placement students attend every day. We ask that appointments, sport and work commitments are organised outside work time on these weeks as to not interfere with attending industry placement.

If you have any concerns or queries with regard to anything in this article, please call me on 0438185403 or my email is grant.rossiter@ipc.qld.edu.au.

Grant Rossiter | Dean of Pathways

Holiday Work

EREA National Young Leaders Forum 2022

Every year, Edmund Rice Education Australia hosts a National Young Leaders' Forum, which brings together student leaders from over 50 schools across the country. I was fortunate enough to be invited to attend and represent the College at this important conference in January. Despite the current circumstances of COVID-19, captains throughout Australia were able to collaborate and exchange their future endeavours for 2022 through Zoom.

During the meeting, many ideas were suggested that took emphasis on charity events such as men’s mental health, cultural programs acknowledging diverse ethnicities, and College activities that build relationships with not only students but also staff. Additionally, after talking to many schools, there was a common theme of connecting with the outer community and foundations to educate, serve others, and live a life through the Edmund Rice tradition.

Ignatius Park College will aim to continue to stay in contact with other EREA schools throughout the year as there will be hopefully a face to face second gathering in July. Until then, myself and the IPC leadership team look forward to implementing some of these strategies and skills discussed during the conference, in which will provide a stable framework for 2022.

Riley Innes | 2022 College Captain

Safer Internet Day

Even though Edmund Rice had no mobile phone in 1872, he still treated every person with dignity – and today at Ignatius Park in 2022, despite the massive change in communication technology, essentially nothing has changed.

On Tuesday 8 February, Ignatius Park College pressed pause on our busy schedules to discuss the online world which surrounds them every day. This is the second time IPC has done this, and it is about preparing our young men for a healthy online presence. The men of IPC are growing up in a world very different from the one their parents grew up in, which makes the importance of internet safety critical. With technology changing at such a rapid rate, our young men are faced with increased responsibilities and risk regarding their conduct from a very young age.

During Safer Internet Day, each Homeroom took time out to discuss the importance of being safe and respectful online and to participate positively on social media. There are always opportunities to talk to those who are unknown to them or speak without thinking of the consequences, which is something as a school we discussed at length. Young men make mistakes, but as a College, we believe we can skill them to make smart choices as they continue to learn and grow in this complex world. As families, and as a College, the challenge for the adults in our students’ lives is to help them navigate this moral and ethical minefield. Offer them advice on how to conduct themselves, and to not shy away from an opportunity to stand up when they see wrong, or report issues that they think might cause harm. At Ignatius Park, we also committed to taking steps personally to make the internet a safer and more respectful place.  The men of IPC do look after each other well both on and offline in most cases, and this is another day to remind ourselves to keep working hard at that.

Some simple steps to stay safe online are found here. There are tips for parents, students and many other groups.

Please take the opportunity to have a conversation with your son about how he stays safe online, what images he takes copies or sends, and the importance of being respectful at all times to others when he is online in any forum (computer games, social media etc).

John Deer | Dean of Wellbeing

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 17

Next

Inclusive Education

I would like to introduce the Inclusion Team for 2022. Please don’t hesitate to contact the year group Inclusive Educator regarding your son.

Year 7 – Sandra Walton

Year 8 - Nadine Burnett

Year 9 – Nicole Putscher

Year 10 – Nicole Putscher

Year 11 – Sandy O’Melia

Year 12 – Sandy O’Melia

Nicole Putscher | Program Leader - Inclusive Education

Indigenous Marathon Project

Last Saturday night in the Edmund Rice Hall, Tristan Nelliman-Adams, Iggy Old Boy and Journey to Jobs Officer graduated from the highly lucrative Indigenous Marathon Project, in front of many family, friends and project organisers (including Robert de Castella). The culmination of this project was running a marathon after 6 months of training, which he completed at Alice Springs last November. Tristan presented a number of awards to his support network including everyone here at Ignatius Park College. Congratulations Tristan on this amazing achievement!  

Mark Holmes | Director of Identity and Mission

Defence News

Welcome to our new Defence families and all those returning families. I trust you had a restful break and some much needed family time. While it hasn’t been the ideal start to the year, I know that the skills and resilience of our ADF students can withstand a lot.

This year we welcome 8 new Year 7 ADF families to the IPC community. I will spend time this week catching up with students, so they know who I am, what I do and where to find me. It is important that the boys are welcomed and integrated into the College community.

This year shapes up to be a busy one with military commitments. Over the Christmas period, we saw people departing Townsville for COVID Assist projects across Australia, as well as to the Solomon Islands. We will also see some Townsville troops stepping into Nursing Homes in the coming weeks to assist with a vast range of duties. The IPC community thank our ADF members and their families for what they do.

As the Defence School Mentor, it is important to keep me informed of any possible changes that may impact your child. If a serving member is heading away (no matter how long to short) then please try and let me know. I can put supports in place to ensure that each student feels safe and supported. Parental absence is one of the most prominent factors ADF students face, so it is imperative that we stay informed. I can be contacted on my email carolye.drummond@ipc.qld.edu.au or by phoning the front office.

Please keep an eye out for various programs and activities that I will be running this year. I will advertise these in the daily notices and via social media.

Milo Club will begin Tuesday at Recess in the Defence Mentor Space. Please come along, enjoy a milo and catch up with mates. All ADF students are welcome and can bring along a friend.

Carolyne Drummond | Defence School Mentor

Study Skills Tip for February

Having run over 5000 study skills seminars over the last 20 years, Dr Prue Salter has been asked many questions about study skills. Below are some of the common questions parents ask.

Should you type or handwrite study notes?

If the exam will be handwritten, students are better to handwrite study notes. This creates muscle memory and helps student practice their handwriting skills. However, many students prefer to type their study notes as it is so much easier to organize the information. If students choose to type when they are learning their notes they need to read a section, see what they can write down without looking and check and see if they were correct. This will help them practise their handwriting skills while committing the information to memory.

My student doesn’t seem to know how to study, what should they be doing?

Sadly many students think that studying for a test just means reading their notes over and over. This is the slowest and most ineffective way of studying. Studying involves 3 steps. The first is to make study notes or summaries on what they have been learning. The second is to learn the notes by testing themselves over and over on the information to be retained. The last step is to do as much practice as possible – the more different questions they can do, and preferably under time constraints, the better they will be prepared. Remember that we all learn in different ways so there is scope to allow students to use techniques that suit their individual learning style, such as recording notes to listen to.

How can students get more organised?

The first step is to work out what area of organisation you want to target. Books, computer files, locker, diary, desk, folders…the list goes on. There is no point saying to a student ‘you need to be more organised’. Instead, identify an area where there could be an improvement. Then, with your student, work out specific strategies to implement to address this issue. Once this issue is under control, then move on to the next problem.

What time should students go to bed?
Although it varies, most students need at least 8 hours of sleep each night. Therefore, work backwards and allow an hour or so for students to get ready for bed and fall asleep, then work backwards to the time they need to get up for school. Have students pay attention to how they feel in the morning – they may need less or more sleep than the average.

How can I get my student motivated to do their work?

There is no quick or easy fix for lack of motivation. There are quite a number of strategies to try, but they all take time and effort and persistence. Check the Developing Motivation unit to print a guide on helping your student to be more motivated.

Parents and students can learn more about studying efficiently and effectively by working through the units on www.studyskillshandbook.com.au.
Our school’s access details are:
Username: ignatiuspark
Password: studyskills

Andrea Tarttelin | Dean of Pedagogy

Counsellors' Corner

“Where do I fit? The question every high school student asks themselves!”

High school is a time of transitions. There are the obvious from Year 6 into Year 7 and then Year 10 into Year 11 however each year is a new transition for all students.

As we know adolescence can be an extremely daunting time. It’s a time of comparison and competition. There are worries if they have grown as much as their peers over the extended break, has their voice changed and who now needs to shave. All at the same time as new classes and classrooms, new lunch areas, new teachers and new students. All of this can also feel much bigger as most of them are out of the habit of going to be bed at a reasonable time and getting up before noon!

If your son seems a little quieter than usual, hiding out in his room a little more, maybe he is snappier than normal – he might just be trying to find himself again and where he fits in the social setting of school.

Remind him that you are here for him, help him adjust, maybe cook his special meal. Our young men still need physical contact from their parents/carers (though they won’t tell you and they certainly won’t ask!) – they need a hug, or a ruffle on the head or a squeeze on the shoulder so that they know you’ve got them.

Its going to be a challenging couple of weeks for parents/carers and students as we all get back into routine (COVID-willing). Please be patient with each other.

If life doesn’t settle for your son or you are worried – please do not hesitate to contact your Pastoral Leader or Mrs Derwent or Ms Charge (Student Counsellors).

Dannielle Charge | Student Counsellor

Music at IPC

Did you know that students at IPC can learn an instrument or join an ensemble? We currently have opportunities for guitar, piano, drums, voice, bass, woodwind, ukulele, songwriting and band.For more information, please contact Miss Tess Higgins, Coordinator of Instrumental and Ensemble Music – tess.higgins@ipc.qld.edu.au

Fee Payment Reminder

Please be informed that timely payment of the School Fees is mandatory. If you have defaulted a timely payment, or have outstanding fees, please pay in full as soon as possible. Please contact the College Finance Team at finance@ipc.qld.edu.au or call (07) 4796 0222 if you need any further information.

Edstart

Ignatius Park has partnered with Edstart to assist parents to manage their School Fee payments. You can pay weekly, fortnightly or monthly by choosing a plan that suits your budget. This is an application-based process. There are no credit applications and no transaction fees or interest charges when using Edstart Pay+ for your IPC fees.
Visit edstart.com.au/ipc for more information on Edstart payment options.

Vilton Crasto | Business Manager 

Community