Friday 7th

February 2014

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Welcome to the 2014 school year. It is incredible to think that we are well into February already as it only seems like yesterday that we were preparing for Christmas! Welcome to all our new families who join our community for the first time. I hope that your

journey with us will be enjoyable and rewarding for both you and your daughter.

Each year we have a theme and this year we have adopted the theme ‘From these roots we grow’. This was the one the 2014 Year

Twelve girls used as the basis for the graduation farewell assembly in 2013 and we believe it is very relevant for our community in

2014 as we move towards the changes that will be implemented in 2015 when we welcome year Seven girls into our community when one-third of our girls will be new to the College. Our focus with the girls this year is that when you have strong roots that

are well established you are able to stand strong and despite what is happening in the environment you will ‘weather the storm’ and other testing times. This also is seen in our own physical environment where we see the life and death struggle of our

vegetation in the dry times and the way it very quickly comes to life with the rain that is so intermittent in these times.

We have already commenced implementing our new Master Plan with the refurbishment of two Science laboratories over the

Christmas break. We are delighted with the result and probably worth the seven year wait! Our textiles room has relocated and we are, not so patiently, waiting for the completion of our new kitchen! We are hoping it will be in used by the end of next week. The

tender process for the new buildings has commenced, however a number of our services need to be upgraded in the very near

future before we can begin the larger building project. I will keep you informed of our progress.

We welcome a number of new staff to our community in 2014. Ms Deb Akers replaced Mrs Kerry McGuinness as Acting APA

Curriculum, Ms Melissa Keenan is our new ICLT Coordinator and Mrs Liz Pashen joins our teaching staff in the RE/English/Art area. These ladies bring a wealth of experience to our community in their field of expertise and we are delighted to have them join us.

We also welcome Mrs Megan Pidskalny who returns to the role of SOSE/Visual Art Coordinator. Mrs Barbara Singleton retired on 31st January and we welcome Mr Michael Cosgrove as our new Business Manager. Michael is an experienced Business Manager and

is very quickly settling into our community. Please feel free to contact him here at the College for any financial matters.

Congratulations to our College Leaders for 2014:

College Captain & Quinn House Leader Breanna Prendergast

Cultural Leader Georgia Dutton

Communications Leader Isabella Shoard

Sports Leader Riley Finley

Social Justice Leader Sarah James

Bridgeman House Leader Ellie Smith

McAuley House Leader Jessica Swalwell

Rochester House Leader Erica Werner

We also congratulate our 2013 Year Twelve students on the excellent results they achieved last year. In the OP 1-15 range there were 82% while 20% achieved an OP in the 1-5 range. Even more importantly is the fact that 98.5% of those who lodged QTAC

applications were offered tertiary places in the first round of offers. This is the reason OP’s are awarded. It is also interesting to see that 24% of those 98.5% were non-OP students using their rank rather than an OP to gain tertiary admission.

We wish our Year Eight students well as they head off to Camp Currimundi next Wednesday for their camp. They are settling in well and I am sure they will find the camp another rewarding experience.

A reminder that our Welcome Liturgy will be held on Tuesday 25th February commencing at 9am. We will be welcoming our Year

Eight students and presenting our year Twelve students with their senior badges. All parents are invited to attend.

We invite all parents to attend the first meeting of the College P&F Committee to be held here at the College on Monday evening

commencing at 7pm in the College Staff Room.

Maree Messer

ANNOUNCEMENT OF A SUCCESSFUL REVIEW

On Wednesday 21 August 2013 your principal, Mrs Maree Messer, completed a performance review.

Each principal in the Brisbane Archdiocese is required to complete a performance review every five years

as part of an ongoing commitment to improving professional expertise and capacity as a leader of the

school community. Fr Gerry Hefferan and a sample of parents, staff and students were invited to

participate in the review. The process involved an anonymous survey sent to a random sample of staff and

parents conducted by Ardjuna Corporate Services and a visit by a panel comprising two principals and

myself to the school to meet with stakeholder focus groups to validate the survey results and the

principal’s self-review report.

I am very happy to report that the outcome of the review was very positive and affirmed the strong and

effective leadership provided by Maree to the St John Fisher College community. Thank you for your

participation in the process and congratulations to Maree on a very successful performance review.

Derek Maclean

Area Supervisor

School Services North

Catholic Education Archdiocese of Brisbane

Our start to the year has been great. It is wonderful to see so many happy girls at the end of the first days – brimming

over with enthusiasm for the year ahead and approaching their first lessons with great motivation and energy.

The College theme for 2014, “from these roots, we grow” has given me cause to remember the opening days of the College in 1981 - when I was in Year Twelve. The entire College moved from Sacred Heart College at Sandgate mid-

year to form the new school. As I told the girls at assembly last week, I would sum up the first days in one word – dirt! There was not one blade of grass, not one tree, not one shrub or bush on the entire campus – just dirt, dirt, dirt – and

when the westerly winds blew, it was not a pleasant experience. However, despite this, the deeper values which mark

the community today were still evident in the relationships and the patterns of daily life. There were many staff and students who exemplified the College value of service via their actions. Respectful relationships were evident in

community interactions. A strong commitment to academic excellence was already part of the College culture. Still, the College has gone from strength to strength since that time and will be in stage of rapid growth and development this

year. Hopefully, we remember to appreciate the grass and the trees along the way.

Change of leadership roles: For 2014, we have changed the leadership positions available in Pastoral Care classes. Previously, each Year 8 to 11 class had a Class Captain and a Class Councillor. For 2014, each Year 8 to 11 class will have

a Class Captain who will represent the class at Student Council meetings as part of their role. Each class will also have a Service Leader who will be responsible for the organisation and promotion of Community Service and Social Justice

projects within the class. This change has emerged in response to our emphasis on servant leadership as part of the leadership development program within the College.

Year 12 Pastoral Care classes have a class captain only who assumes the duties of the Class Captain and the Service

Leader. There are also eight Year Twelve student leaders appointed to lead the whole school.

Students are in the process of nominating and voting for Class Captains and Service Leaders at the moment so these

should be announced within the next week for students in Years 9 to 12. Voting is delayed until after camp for students in Year 8. Students will be inducted into their leadership roles at the College Welcome Liturgy on 25 February at 9am.

Parent Information evenings will continue next week with the Year 10 and 11 evening on Tuesday 11 February at

11am. Thank you to those parents who attended the Year 8, 9 and 12 evenings earlier this week. It was wonderful to see you and absolutely essential for us to hear the viewpoint and concerns of parents.

Upcoming Diary Dates

Monday 10 February ID Photos

P&F MEETING – 7pm

Tuesday 11 February Yr 10 & 11 Parent Information Evening – 7pm

Wed 12 to Fri 14 February Yr 8 Camp

Wednesday 12 February Bracken Ridge Library Homework Initiative – 3:30pm

Thursday 20 February Yr 12 Road Safety Docudrama

Monday 24 February Yr 12 Drama Excursion to QPAC playhouse – 5:45pm

Tuesday 25 February WELCOME LITURGY – 9am

Friday 28 February Interhouse Swimming Carnival

Interhouse Swimming Carnival will be held on Friday 28 February. This is a compulsory community day for all

students. More details about the carnival will be in the next newsletter but I just wish to give advance notice that

students will require a one-piece swimsuit for the carnival.

Co-curricular activities are already starting across the College. Please encourage your daughter to become involved in

some of the following:

Band Social Justice group

Choir/ vocal ensemble Interact

Debating Studio 27 – Art Club

Theatre Sports Greedy Readers/ Page Turners

Dance Troupe Scribblers

Bracken Ridge Library Homework Initiative Magazine Committee

AFL Volleyball

Indoor Cricket Swimming

All of these activities require a significant commitment of time and energy from students and so they may need to give some consideration to this when signing on for activities. This is probably a good time to talk to your daughter about time

management and about her responsibilities to a team once she has made that commitment.

As you can see, we have co-curricular activities to suit all interests and abilities so we hope that your daughter is able to

find her way of belonging to our SJF community.

Regards and blessings, Sharee Lane

Welcome to the 2014 academic year.

From these roots we grow

Each year a theme is created that will assist students on their quest for academic success. In the last three years we have asked students to “Transform”, show their “True colours” and last year to “walk in my shoes”. In 2014, our theme

that “From these roots we grow” recognises the importance of our past as well as our future. In my Year 8 Religion class, we are beginning the year with a study of the identity of St John Fisher College, asking ourselves why the identity of St

John Fisher College is so important to life here at the College. Having only just joined the staff here, it is a wonderful way

for me to learn about the John Fisher Way alongside my students.

Curriculum Team

The starting point for questions and concerns for your daughters learning is always her subject teacher. However, you or your daughter may wish to speak to the Academic Coordinators or the Careers Team for information regarding your

daughter’s subject choices. Any general queries regarding learning, planning or studying can be addressed to the Support Teacher – Inclusive education (ST-IE) and any researching or inquiry learning questions to the Teacher Librarian.

The staff in the team are listed below:

Subject Changes

As students get organised and settled in their classes this week, any girls with concerns or questions about their subjects should have taken action already. Any requests for subject change needed to be made by Monday February 10. If you

have any further enquiries, please contact me directly.

Deputy Principal Ms Sharee Lane

Assistant Principal – Curriculum Ms Deborah Akers

Assistant Principal – Religious Education Mr Gary Conwell

Social Sciences & Art Mrs Megan Pidskalny

Drama Mrs Suellen Geran

English / French Ms Rikki Chandler

Mathematics Mrs Lyn Hedemann

Science Mr David Hooper

HPE / Home Economics / Hospitality Mrs Michele Tillack

Vocational Education (VET) / Careers Mrs Sarah Meder

Business and Technology Ms Melissa Keenan

Support Teacher - Inclusive Education (ST-IE) Ms Kerry Peacey

Guidance Counsellor Mrs Amy Hodgkinson

Teacher Librarian Mrs Frances Zabarauskas

Year 11 & 12 Study Classes

A number of Year 11 and 12 students have a study class in their program for the senior phase of learning. Students

undertaking an alternative pathway sometimes make use of this option (from Term Two onwards for Year Eleven) to help manage the balance between their learning commitments on and off campus. This is a valuable opportunity for those

students whilst allowing flexibility for each student to manage their individual learning needs and priorities. The focus of the activity in the lessons is self directed according to the student’s individual needs and learning goals. Students in

study lessons are responsible for bringing appropriate work to each lesson and for developing their independent learning

skills. Students in a study class may not have access to computer facilities.

Year 12 students QCE Eligibility review:

Amy Hodgkinson and I will be reviewing the progress of each Year Twelve student to check their continued eligibility for the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE). Letters will be sent to all parents, to outline where a student currently sits

with regard to eligibility for the QCE. Please contact me directly if you have any queries regarding this process.

I especially welcome the new families to St John Fisher and hope the year is very special.

Regards, Ms Deborah Akers

Bracken Ridge Library –Homework Initiative

St John Fisher College students will continue their involvement with our community homework assistance program at Bracken Ridge Library in 2014, designed to support primary school aged children. The hope is to start the program on

February 12th and continue it through the year.

Parents and carers are vitally important in supporting St John Fisher College students to be connected with these school programs and thus aid them to be socially minded and action orientated Australian citizens. In fact, one of the key goals

under the new Australian Curriculum is that students become “active and informed citizens who are committed to ……. equity and justice, and work for the common good, in particular sustaining and improving …. social environments.”1 The

Australian Curriculum uses language common to Catholic Social teaching in relation to a vision for justice in the Australian

community so this initiative is a great opportunity for students to connect with both visions in a very real way.2

Students who participate in the program with be placed on a roster to spread their commitment over the course of the

year. A teacher from St John Fisher College will always supervise students at the library in conjunction with the Bracken Ridge library staff. Parents are asked to collect their daughters from the library at 4.45 pm. Please support your daughter

in this very worthy initiative.

1 Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. Dec, 2010. The Shape of the Australian Curriculum. ACARA Copyright

Administration, Sydney. 2Australian Catholic Social Justice Council. 2012. Accessed at http://www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au/content/socialteaching.html

Blessings, Gary Conwell

Welcome back to the new school year to our Senior girls and their families, and welcome to new students Sequoia Tautu

(Eleven McAuley) and Analysé Tautu (Twelve McAuley). I hope they enjoy their time here with us and feel very much a part of our community.

The Senior Leaders gave their first speeches to the whole school at Assembly last Friday. Together, they are eight young women who really have something to say with great ideas for 2014. I wish them well in their leadership endeavours this

year and look forward to seeing their fellow Seniors also lead by example for the rest of the College.

Thank you to the parents who attended the Year Twelve Parent Information Evening on Tuesday night. A reminder that the Year Eleven Parent Information Evening is being held next Tuesday 11 February at 7pm in the Chapel. I would

encourage your attendance in order to receive important information relevant to your daughters’ year level and look forward to meeting you at that time.

A reminder to all that the early finish on Thursdays are for our students to work on assignments and school work. Those

students who attend TAFE or are on Work Placement on other days of the week are required to remain at the College on Thursday afternoons to catch up on lessons/work missed. Supervision is provided.

The Year Twelves have been busy this week organising their ‘Opening Ceremony’ for the Swimming Carnival and getting new Committees underway. I commend them on their enthusiasm and for being good role models to the younger girls.

By the time the next newsletter is published, we will have eight new Class Captains and four new Service Leaders in the Senior School. These girls will receive their badges at the Welcome Liturgy on Tuesday 25 February. Please note that

this is an annual event which all students must attend.

Regards, Carol Hoareau

Welcome back to all Year 9 and 10 students for the 2014 school year! I hope that you all had a relaxing break full of fun

and are eager to begin another school year.

The year 9 and 10 Pastoral Care Teachers for 2014 are as follows:

9 Bridgeman: Mrs Pam Eichmann 9 McAuley: Mrs Jodie Trounce

9 Quinn: Ms Laura Chapman 9 Rochester: Mr Michael Ephraims

10 Bridgeman: Ms Jan Gulliver

10 McAuley: Mrs Brenda Tilyard 10 Quinn: Ms Trish Fitzpatrick

10 Rochester: Mrs Shan Mager

On Thursday the 30th of January I spoke to the Year 9 and 10 students about expectations for the year. I wanted to

communicate what my main expectation were of the year 9 and 10 students: To take ownership of their actions, to wear

the college uniform correctly, to concentrate in class and to achieve to the best of their ability. I will continue to talk to the students about my expectations throughout the year. I feel it is important to remind our 9 and 10 students why they

are at school, and as much as they would like it to be to socialise, it is to learn.

This year all Year 9 and 10 students will have one lesson a week for PSD (Personal and Social Development) on a

Thursday. All units are taught in accordance with the Catholic Church teachings and are designed at equipping students with valuable information so that they can be capable of making informed and comprehensive decisions in their future.

I spoke about the PSD program for year 9 at the parent evening on Tuesday and will talk more at length about the year

10 PSD program at the Year 10 parent evening on the 11th of February.

Thank you to those parents who attended the Year 9 parent evening on Tuesday. It was great to meet so many parents

and I look forward to working with you are your daughters throughout this year.

As always, should you have any questions or concerns in relation to your daughter, please do not hesitate to contact me

at the College.

Regards, Kirsty Kingston

Welcome to High School! I am Nicole Garske, the Year 8 Pastoral Care Coordinator, and I am excited to have the role of helping your daughters transition into what is such a memorable occasion; starting high school. Over the past week, I

have spoken to your daughters about our vision for their first year of secondary school and have given them some challenges to meet. This year is themed from these roots we grow. Their individual Year 8 challenge is to branch out.

Some handy tips that I have given, and points that you, as parents can help us drive home are:

1. Get out of your comfort zone and try new things, meet new people, get involved. See your start at St John Fisher College as a new start!

2. Grow with confidence and integrity – Show initiative and be a problem solver, give 100% effort, own your mistakes and move on!

3. Reach out and be gracious – Give back. Be accepting and inclusive of others. Say thank you and be thankful for the

MANY blessings in your life,

4. Consider the whole forest – be empathetic, respect and considerate of EVERYONE around you.

5. Stand tall. Understand that life, like a forest, never stays the same. Parts of the forest are always growing, decaying, or renewing. Understand that disturbance is a natural part of any life cycle and it’s this that creates diversity and

enhances resilience.

The past two weeks first week have involved many new experiences, an abundance of new information and the

beginnings of many new friendships. The girls have been given the chance to get to know each other, their PC teachers

and meet and interact with all of their “sisters.” In the first two days they were kept very busy learning about High School life including how to decipher a timetable, how to use their lockers and planners, how to colour code their books,

how to access the library and computer network, what “right relationships” involve and discovered information about different learning styles. Last Friday saw the girls begin their first timetabled lessons for the year.

The first few weeks are very busy for you and your daughter and we are trying to provide lots of opportunities for your

daughter to get to know others and learn about high school life. The Year Twelves and the Senior Leaders have been active in getting to know the Year Eights and have organised many activities for them. My thanks go to the many Year

Twelves and the Year Senior Coordinator Mrs Carol Hoareau who greeted the Year Eights on their first day and who have continued to be a part of their school days over the past two weeks. The eight Senior Leaders will also be joining the girls

on camp!

Camp is only a few days away – how exciting! Preparations are well underway with many great activities planned. Year

Eight Camp is about getting to know each other, team building and taking risks in a controlled, safe environment. It is

an opportunity for the girls to make new friends and have new experiences such as kayaking, raft building, alpine team rescue, the giant swing, dodgeball and craft. Thank you for returning permission slips and medical information back so

promptly. If your daughter requires medication, please ensure to pack it in a clear, zip lock bag, clearly labeled with instructions for dosage. All medication, prescription or not, must be handed to me the morning of camp. Mobile

phones are discouraged. Your daughter will be able to contact you using the school phone, if it is absolutely

necessary. If your daughter must bring a mobile, it is to be handed to me in a ziplock bag, clearly labeled, the morning of camp.

Parent Information Evening – It was SO fantastic to see so many parents and guardians at information night on Tuesday! Thank you for taking the time to come. Remember if you do have any queries or concerns please feel free to

ring me on the College phone or email me – ngarske@bne.catholic.edu.au

While we spend a lot of time on how your daughter can be more organised at school we ask that you help her at home.

Organisation and management of time is often not shown or explained explicitly and so each girl’s skills, experience

and awareness of time management and organisation is different. Please establish routines involving the checking of the planner for homework, notes and forms and the packing of the school bag with the appropriate books and uniforms for

each day.

Finally to end – some important dates for you and your daughter:

Monday 10th February - ID Photos.

Wednesday 12th – 14nd February – Year 8 Camp @ Camp Currimundi

Friday 28th February - Interhouse Swimming Carnival held at the Sandgate Pool. (A one piece swimsuit, sun safe

clothing, hats & sunscreen are all compulsory).

Tuesday 25th February - Welcome Liturgy @ 9.00am (all welcome)

Kind regards, Nicole Garske

Creator God, you are always there in our hearts. We speak to you today as we begin a new phase of our lives. May we look upon these days with happiness in our hearts and look forward to taking on the changes and learning experiences that are yet to be discovered. May God bless our Year Eight girls, all our new students and our entire school community at St John Fisher. As we grow from tiny seedlings may our footsteps land on good soil so that we may branch out to awaken our gifts from God and live them with a happy heart. May we learn to work together and keep close to our hearts the importance of accepting each other’s different qualities and talents and treat one another with compassion and respect. Remember that we all grow in our own time; let’s strive to build a community where all feel included, valued and loved.

We offer all our prayers today through Christ our Lord, AMEN.

Julie

YEAR 10 & 11 PARENT INFORMATION EVENING

The information evening for the parents of students in Years 10 and 11 will be held on Tuesday 11th February at 7pm in the following venues:

YEAR 10: KILLORAN CENTRE

YEAR 11: CHAPEL

We look forward to seeing you on that evening.

Homework Club Starts Next Week!

Homework Club will continue this year starting Monday 10th February on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons from 3-4pm in the Library. It is open to all year levels and caters for all students’ learning needs. Students choose if and

when they wish to come; however, a teacher and Teacher Aide are always available for assistance.

Ms Peacey will run a special planning session in the Library’s Purple Space starting at 3.15pm on Monday 10th February

about setting up your study space and schedule – Year Eights are especially welcome to get you started with your study routine. A second session focusing more on setting up a Term Planner with assignment dates will be run the following

Monday. The rest of the Library will be open for other students just wishing to do their homework. Come along and get off to a great start!

Regards, Ms Peacey (Support Teacher Inclusive Education)

TOP TEN STUDY TIPS

Delaying getting “stuck in” to your first lot of homework? The following tips might just get you on your way. These tips have been drawn from the Victorian Government’s Youth Central website at http://youthcentral.vic.gov.au

1. Pick a place and time – quiet, comfortable and distraction-free at a time when you can work efficiently 2. Study every day – make it a habit 3. Plan your time – use a wall planner, “to do” lists, set time limits/ use an app to set an alarm to keep you

on track 4. Discover your learning style – do a quiz to find out at

http://courseworks.unimelb.edu.au/scholarly_life/learning_styles a. Visual – use colours/ highlighters, draw diagrams to represent key points or try to remember ideas as

images b. Auditory – try reading notes aloud and discussing them with others (perhaps at Homework Club) or

recording key points and playing them back to yourself on an iPod c. Kinesthetic – try role playing, dancing/ movement to revise key points or building models to

represent ideas 5. Review and revise – at least once a week quiz yourself or with a friend; make your own study materials

(flash cards, practice exams etc.) or use an app 6. Take breaks – every 20-30 minutes get up and do something physical for 5-10 minutes (brain gym is great

for getting the left and right brain parts working together and a walk around the block can help you to reflect on a problem); drink some water and snack on an almond or two (not too many!)

7. Ask for help – facetime a friend, speak to class peers, parents and teachers 8. Stay motivated – set goals and reward yourself when you achieve them; decorate your study space with

inspirational quotes or photos of people you admire and family members you want to make proud of you 9. App it up – try http://www.ipadsforeducation.vic.edu.au/education-apps for more iPad app ideas to help

you organise, plan and study a. Notability - note-taking on your iPhone, iPod or iPad b. iStudiez Pro - creates daily schedules and timetables for classes backed up on iCloud and accessible

on iPads, laptops and iPhones c. Flashcards+ - retrieves ready-made flashcards from the Quizlet and Course Hero study guide websites

and enables you to regularly revise d. Dropbox – stores documents on the web so you always have them on hand (never need to wear the

consequences of a computer crash or forgetting your USB again!) 10. Look after yourself – eat (vitamins, minerals) and sleep (regularly and without disruption) well,

exercise and drink lots of water; avoid salty and fatty foods, sugary carbohydrates (cakes, lollies etc.) and fizzy drinks

Good luck!

The perfect theatre show for our Year Eleven students

This week our Year Eleven English students began an exploration of our Australian national identity and as it would happen QPAC is currently showing Australia Day, a play that deals with many of the ideas that will be discussed in class

in the coming weeks.

I really encourage those students who are interested in the show to go along and check it out. For more information visit

www.qpac.com.au.

Welcome to the Aussie country town of Coriole, where life is laidback and carefree. Unless you are a member of the

Australia Day committee, who couldn't raffle a chook in a pub. These six quirky community leaders can't agree what it means

to be true blue Aussie, and Mayor Brian Harrigan is no help. He's too busy scheming over his Liberal Party pre-selection and

sledging the local Greens.

A bang-up-to-the-moment barbecue-stopper of a comedy, Australia Day follows a mob of bumbling bureaucratic battlers

as they debate the details of the national day. Never mind wrangling the Nippers, the Lions and the CWA; these unhappy little Vegemites are at loggerheads deciding on the

appropriate type of bread for a dinky-di sausage sizzle. Grab a lamington and a stubbie, sit back, and find out if Coriole's

Australia Day will be a little ripper, or will it go off like a bucket of prawns in the sun!

Where: QPAC Playhouse Theatre | When: 25 Jan – 16 Feb | Cost: $33 (under 30s)

Regards, Rikki Chandler

All of our Year Eight girls have now visited the library for their Library Orientation lessons.

Each girl received a bookmark that includes important information such as our opening hours and links to the St John Fisher College Library Home page and ClickView online, which is our

digital resource management system. The girls will learn more about these as they work with their teachers over the course of the coming months.

I have included the QR code link to the Oliver Library Home page for you to view. If you do not have a QR code

reader on your smartphone, iPhone, iPad or computer,

you can easily download a free app.

We also offered all girls the opportunity to borrow books

to read. I was delighted by the number of girls who welcomed the opportunity and walked out of the library

with a pile of books in her arms. In all 147 books were

borrowed by Year Eight girls in their first week at school. That is more than one book per student!

I would like to highlight the importance for students to have multiple sources of information available to them so that they can maximise their

learning. Membership of your local public library is free and your daughters will be able to get

access to both books and an extensive range of online resources. However, you will have to help her to get a library card if she is less than 18 years of age. More information about the

requirements for library membership and opening hours are available from the relevant council websites. Information about Brisbane City Council libraries can be found at:

http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/facilities-recreation/libraries/index.htm and you should go to http://library.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/MSGTRN/OPAC/HOME for Morton Bay

Region libraries.

To celebrate Library Lovers’ Day, which is an initiative of the Australian Library and Information Association, on Valentine’s Day next Friday I will be asking girls to bring their library cards from

the State Library or from a Council Library in next week to show me. Each girl who can bring me their own or their family’s library card will receive a small surprise to celebrate their love of

libraries.

Happy reading, Frances Zabarauskas

Oliver

What a big year we have ahead of us! There is so much to look

forward to in 2014, including some very new and exciting things which will be happening, like House assemblies, sporting carnivals,

cultural days and of course preparing for the Year Sevens who will be arriving in high school in 2015.

My name is Breanna Prendergast, but everyone calls me Bre, except mum when I have not cleaned my room, and I have the

honour and privilege of being your College and Quinn Captain for

this year. I am going to tell you a story about a girl I knew. She was having a debate over what to watch on TV with her brothers whilst her parents were at work when her phone

started ringing. The caller ID didn’t show a number she recognised, so still grumpy that her brother had won the rights to the TV remote, she answered her phone. The voice on the other end sounded familiar but she couldn’t quite put her

finger on it, so she asked how the person was. They replied saying they would feel much better if she accepts the

position of College Captain. She started to cry, which she hardly ever does, from pure shock.

Yes, as most of you have probably already guessed, that girl is me, and yes, I was crying my eyes out on the phone to

Mrs Messer. I know, embarrassing! But whether or not it’s embarrassing, it doesn’t change how excited I am to lead each and every one of you this year! I can’t wait to spend my final year of high schooling with you and share in many life long

memories. I’ll do my best to make sure you all have an amazing year and adopt this year’s theme, ‘from these roots we

grow.’ I hope I can inspire you to be yourself, because if you just be yourself, what’s not to like. I’m not lying when I say that time flies, so why waste it trying to be somebody you’re not. Being ‘too cool for school’ sadly often means that you

miss out on doing the activities at school that you really want to try because your ‘cool’ friends don’t approve. There is no shame in being who you want to be. Try something new, even if your friends don’t. On the first day, Mrs Hoareau told all

the Year Twelves something which I think all of you should consider, “if you have always been the ‘gonna’ girl, don’t be. This is the year to change that. Do it.” Let your light shine girls! Bre

Welcome to a new school year. The Cultural Life of the College for 2014 promises once again to be a busy one. I would

like to begin by firstly congratulating our Cultural Leader for 2014, Georgia Dutton. Georgia is a passionate and talented student who you will hear from regularly throughout the year. I look forward to working with her and the Cultural

Committee to help ensure that students from all year levels have the opportunity to be involved in a variety of cultural activities throughout 2014.

This year we are starting with a new Cultural activity – an Interhouse Theatresports

Competition. This competition will see each house represented by a Junior Theatresports team made up of students from Years Eight to Ten and a Senior team involving students

from Years Ten to Twelve. The competition will run during the last few weeks of Term One. Students will be provided with more information through their House Captains.

Rehearsal will take place during Monday and Thursday lunch hours in the Killoran Centre.

This week saw both the College Band and the College Choir rehearse for the first time for 2014. We would love to see more students – especially new students and Year Eight

students – get involved in these activities. The College Band rehearses on Tuesday afternoons whilst the Choir rehearses on Tuesday lunch hours in the chapel. Students should listen to morning notices for reminders of these rehearsals and

are always welcome to come to my office if they would like to know more.

Dance Squad, another of our Cultural activities, will commence in the next few weeks. Students from all year levels are

welcome to join Dance Squad. Dance experience is not a requirement but an enjoyment of dance is! Interested

students should listen to morning notices to hear when the first meeting is called.

Lastly, I would like to congratulate Year Twelve student Alana Riley who was named as a Youth Ambassador for La Boite

Theatre Company for 2014. This position gives Alana the opportunity to attend live theatre performances, be involved in question and answer sessions with actors and participate in workshops run by La Boite. We hope Alana enjoys her role

as a Youth Ambassador and look forward to hearing about her experiences throughout the year.

Should you or your daughter have any questions concerning any of our College’s Cultural activities please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind Regards, Suellen Geran

“We cannot expect to grow if we are too afraid or unwilling to change and face

challenges. When we exit our everyday lifestyles to do something different we can

experience growth, undiscovered strength, and new abilities within ourselves.”

I am Georgia Dutton and I am your Cultural Leader for 2014. For me this quote reflects my

journey here at St John Fisher.

When I started out at St John Fisher, back in Year Eight, sport was my main focus. I did, however, jump in and have a go at a one or two activities culture related. Over the years I

realised that the more I got involved in and the more I stepped out of my comfort zone, the more I was able to discover new talents and interests that I never knew I had. I grew so

much from getting in and giving things a go that I eventually became more and more

involved in cultural life here at St John Fisher. However, that’s not to say that I completely stopped participating in other activities the College had to offer. I guess the moral to my

story is that from just giving it a go, whatever the activity was, I was able to learn so much more about myself as well as grow as a person.

If you’re like me when I started here and have never participated in anything Culture related, then this year is the perfect chance to have a go. There are so many opportunities and activities that you can get involved in because Culture doesn’t

stop at drama and art classes. Here at St John Fisher there is a variety of cultural activities that you can take part in such

as Choir, the Vocal Ensemble (which is show choir), theatre sports (for those of you who love improv drama), Dance Troupe, the College Band, String Ensemble, Pacific Islander dancers (they are amazing), singing and music lessons

(during class time), Tech Crew, Sister Act (talent show), Greedy Readers (junior book club), Page Turners (senior book club), Scribblers (writing club) and the list goes on! These cultural activities won’t just help you discover new interests

and talents but, if anything, these activities will allow you to be different, express yourself, and, most importantly, help

you to build confidence in yourself that can be used in all aspects of everyday life.

So over the course of 2014 my vision for all of us is to say to ourselves “Just give it a go”. Don’t be afraid to be different

or worry about what everyone else thinks. And most importantly, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.

Georgia

Don’t just have a nice day, have an absolutely fabulous day! My name is Isabella Shoard and I am blessed to be your

Communications Leader for 2014. Communication is such an incredibly large, exhilarating and powerful part of all of our

lives and I am very excited for us to share that this year. It’s all about the way we share our thoughts, ideas, emotions; the way we socialise, and the way we interact with others. But before we can successfully communicate with each other,

we have to look at ourselves and focus on our own outlook. Our own attitude is going to define our relationship with others and determine the rest of our day. I believe with all of my heart that if I want my day to be absolutely fabulous,

it’s my responsibility to make it happen. It might be easier said than done, we all have those days where we stumble

through the school gates in a mood less than cheerful, but it’s up to us to decide how that is going to affect the rest of our day, and how we can turn around and make it fabulous.

My suggestion is to make the most of the amazing opportunities that are available, especially extracurricular. The great thing about the start of the year is all of the amazing activities you can take a risk and get involved in. One thing which I

highly recommend you get involved with is the Magazine Committee. Magazine committee is open to everyone, especially if you’re interested in photography or art, love

meeting new people, enjoy flicking through the school

magazine or have any ideas that you would like to implement. You will be hearing a lot more about this committee in the

upcoming weeks, so keep an eye out. I strongly urge those who have not considered this committee before to come and

give it a go, because ultimately, the bottom line is this: if you

change nothing, nothing will change. But with a different outlook, you can really make a difference. So don’t just “have a

nice day.” Make today absolutely fabulous. Isabella

My name is Sarah James and I will be Social Justice Leader at the College for this year.

What does social justice mean to you? Social justice is essentially creating a just and equal

society, but what does a just and equal society look like in your eyes? No matter what it is, I

know that everyone has something they are passionate about, whether it involves improving society or simply making a difference in the life of one person. This year is the year where we

let these ambitions, the roots, grow and flourish by taking the initiative to seek justice in our families, school, local community and on a global scale.

Social justice at St John Fisher is more than just attending the weekly committee meeting and

trying to raise the most money for Caritas, although these things are important. It is way of looking at the world; a perspective. Seeing a need, no matter how small, and taking the initiative to actively seek justice towards it. Whether

that be simply smiling at someone, taking the time to help out a stranger or even volunteering at a charity event. I challenge you all this year to choose one thing you can do to seek justice in our community whatever it may be.

Every little thing we do could help make a difference in lives of someone else. Think about this:

‘Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around’

Remember, you have the power to make a difference whether you realise it or not.

Helping others needs no talent, only the giving of yourself. You can never fail at helping those around you, it is the one thing that each and every one of us has the potential to do. So, just as we show passion, support and spirit within our

houses at school, we can apply these same attributes to help achieve a more just and fair community also.

Seeing social justice become more than something we partake in is my goal for 2014. To see it grow into something that

we value at St John Fisher would see social justice become part of how we act not just something that we are reminded

to do.

I would love to see many more of your smiling faces this year at the Social Justice meetings every Monday Lunch. Our

first big fundraiser will be Caritas and we will need to work together to continue to make the impact that we do. If you are too busy getting involved in everything else our school has to offer and you are passionate about Social Justice, feel

free to talk to me about ways you can help or any issues you would like to see us get involved in. It is your year to make a difference girls!

Go forth and be just! Sarah

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a nice break and are all ready for a big year of sport at the College. Over the next few weeks there is a lot happening at John Fisher. The swimming carnival in a few weeks, trimester sport starts, lunch

time activities commence and sports committees are formed. If you ever have any questions or concerns about sport at the College please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Swimming Carnival

On Friday 28th February the interschool swimming carnival will be held at Sandgate Pool. All girls are expected to attend the event. Any girls wishing to nominate for Age Champion need to write their names on the nomination form in PC

classes.

Trimester Sports

This trimester there are three sports on offer to play, AFL, Indoor Cricket and Volleyball. Trials were held this week and

team lists are available on the sports notice board. Games will commence on Wednesday 26th February and run for 8 weeks.

Coaches If any parents or past students are interested in coaching any of our teams could you please contact me at the College.

Jersey Hire

Last year many of our interschool sporting jerseys and playing uniforms were not returned and as a result there were many sets with missing numbers and sizes. During the holidays we updated our uniforms and ordered new sets,

however, to make sure this doesn’t happen in the future we have introduced a playing uniform hire system.

How the system works: Once your daughter has been selected to represent the College in an Interschool sporting team, she will be asked to pay $20 for her uniform. Her coach will collect the money and at the end of the season, when the jersey is returned, your

daughter will be reimbursed $20. If your daughter does not return her jersey the $20 will help cover the costs of

replacing it.

This system does not apply for one day carnivals E.g. Athletics and swimming. On these occasions, your daughter will be

given a jersey on the morning of the carnival and will be asked to return the jersey at the end of the day.

Thank you, Tamara Stephen

My name is Riley Finley and I look forward to working with you this year as your Sports Captain.

If I am to respect someone to lead me, I want to know who that person is and what they stand for.

I am 16 years of age, live in Bracken Ridge, was a very shy girl in Yr 8 who did not really like sport, my favourite food is lasagne and I like long walks on the beach...and have a good sense of humour.

All jokes aside, I take my leadership role here at SJFC very seriously and see my role in the school leadership team as the person to develop pride, respect and enjoyment in the field of sport here at the College.

‘The whole is greater than the sum of its parts’

We are all individuals with our own ideas, beliefs and values which is brilliant. This year we will be focussing on inclusion

- how we can all use our unique qualities and attributes to create something so powerful and strong, that it could not be

created by one individual or leader.

I don’t expect everyone to be out there playing every sport, winning races and attend training sessions after school.

Every one of us can offer something to make the school and sport a better place. That is what I am asking or challenging you to do. We all have skills and if directed together, we can achieve so much more. As we found last year

and using Sarah’s equation, more involvement creates more enjoyment and ultimately pride and respect for our school.

For example, in Year 8 I would not have gone near a sports field as I was shy and was new to such a big school with all these people around that I didn’t know. In hindsight, what an opportunity I missed to shine.

And lastly, I need people to support our teams, whether it be as a member of our reinvigorated Scream Team, helping with the swimming carnival as an assistant to Ms Stephen, playing sport, coaching, managing or anything else you could

possibly think about.

Let’s work together to make something great. I aim to be out the front cracking bad jokes and giving as much as I can.

Come join me.

Riley

COMPETING FOR AUSTRALIA IN CHINA

When most of the St John Fisher College students were melting in 40 degree temperatures during the holidays two of our

students were in -30 degrees competing against international teams such as China, Japan, Korea and New Zealand.

Samantha Jeffs (10Q) and Ivy Militano (8R) are players in the Australian Junior Curling team. With the Winter Olympics Games starting this weekend, these students have had firsthand experience with one of the least known but very

competitive Olympic sport.

This year their team was able to break records and, to their credit, beat the more experienced and older New Zealand

team during the Junior Pacific Curling Championships held in Harbin, China. Their coach, Lyn Gill, a teacher at St John

Fisher College believes they have a great future and the team may even be able to represent Australia in the Winter Olympic Games in the years to come!

ST JOHN FISHER COLLEGE - SIBLINGS IN OTHER BCE HIGH SCHOOLS (Please return to College Office)

SJFC Student's Name: ______________________________________ PC Class: _______________

Parent's Name: ___________________________________________

Please circle if you have children attending any of these schools:

Mt Maria – Petrie Mt Maria – Enoggera St Columban's St Benedict’s St Eugene’s

Please provide child's name and year level.

1. ______________________________________________ Year Level: ___________________

2. ______________________________________________ Year Level: ___________________

3. ______________________________________________ Year Level: ___________________

Samantha and Ivy with the team on the ice in Harbin.

HOUSE REPORTS

‘It is impossible to live without failing, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not lived at all – in which case you fail by default’. This quote by JK Rowling is one of my all time favourites and how I want everyone to live this year. I want you to make new mistakes and live without the fear of failing. I want you all to make glorious, wonderful mistakes. Make mistakes nobody’s ever made before. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect, just try your best in everything you do, because if you are making mistakes you are trying new things, you are learning and you are living.

Welcome back to another sensational year at St John Fisher. Hopefully most of you have seen me around school before, but if you don’t know me, my name is Ellie Smith and I am truly excited to be your 2014 Bridgeman House leader.

My motto for this year is Carpe Diem, which is Latin for seize the day. It means you put aside all differences, fears, worries, and just go for it. 2014 is the time to do all those things you’ve wanted to do. So promise me that this year you will try something new! Have you always wondered what Interact was about? Why not visit a meeting! Secretly loved basketball but always been afraid to try out? Just give it a go, what’s the worst that can happen?

I have many goals this year and they are all centred on this motto of Carpe Diem. My first goal is for all of the Bridgeman members to participate in everything we can this year so we will have the best chance of winning the House Cup. We’ve won it for the past three years in a row and I know the other houses are hungry to take this title from us. We are ready to fight harder than ever before, so Rocky, McCauley and Quinn, get ready to be blown away. Bridgeman girls, the first chance we have to do this and demonstrate our determination and mighty team spirit is the Inter-house Swimming Carnival which is fast approaching. Just remember it’s not about whether you win or lose the race but all about participating and getting points for our house. It was only last year when we won the house cup by one single point, that could have been earned by any one of you who joined in, gave it a go and contributed to our victory. Don’t forget the motto, Carpe Diem, when you are signing up for the swimming races in the next few weeks because you don’t want to have any regrets. It’s going to be a fantast ic year so get excited girls because the best is yet to come. Ellie

My name is Jess Swalwell and I am the incredibly proud McAuley House Leader for 2014! I am a big believer of the small things and I am also a big believer of family. But how do we, the marvellous McAuley ladies of 2014 create a family out of a group of unrelated 12 to 18 year olds? Well I can assure you, it is not going to be like High School Musical where we all sing a song to a choreographed dance and have a sudden epiphany that we actually are all in this together but rather it starts with something a lot smaller. It is the small acts that people overlook that really are appreciated by others. We never know what other people are going through and a simple “hey, I love your hair today,” or “wow you have such amazing eyes,” could completely turn their day around. What is the worst thing that could happen if you compliment someone? Because sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can change someone else’s life forever.

Family are there to support and look after each other and that is exactly what these small acts do as well as creating a more welcoming place for our roots to grow from. For that reason I am looking forward to meeting every member of the McAuley family and helping to encourage all their magnificent talents to shine this year. This job has been made easier through the increase in opportunities available for the McAuley ladies to get involved in this year.

With that said, the big goal for McAuley is striving towards winning the House Cup. This big goal is made up of many smaller parts that all bond together to help reach this goal like; participation, developing a closer relationship and working as a house instead of just in PC classes. Our first opportunity to gain a head start on winning the House Cup is at the Interhouse Swimming Carnival. So make sure you start nominating for events, make sure you actually show up on the day (I can guarantee you will want to be there this year) and most importantly make sure you PARTICIPATE! Whether you swim or “doggy paddle” all those participation points will be McAuley’s secret weapon to winning. So let us put these words into action and give the Interhouse Swimming Carnival our all.

There are many amazing experiences to look forward to this year so get excited for a fantastic, event filled year to come!

Have a marvellous week, Jess

Spirit, strength and unity, 5 years ago these 3 words did not mean that much to me but now that I have learnt what it means to be in Rochester, they have taken on a new meaning as this is our motto that I wear with pride on my house badge every day. My name is Erica Werner and I am so unbelievably excited to be the House Captain for 2014.

I think it is fair to say that over the past few years Rochester has not exactly had the best winning streak but without a doubt at every carnival or competition every single Rocky girl brings her A game! It amazes me despite our incredible house spirit and the fact that we are the loudest proudest house; that we have not won the House Cup in while. This year is different, this year it is Rocky’s year to shine brighter than ever before!

Even if we do not have best winning streak I am determined that 2014 will change all of that. With your help, Rochester, this year I truly believe that we can bring that House Cup home to where it belongs! For that to happen I think that we need to be a little fearless. After all we have nothing to lose and everything to gain! Being fearless is not about being 100% not fearful, it is being scared or sceptical but jumping in anyway. This year I would like to set every Rocky girl a challenge, to be fearless. To do this it will require a few things of us all, to have spirit amongst our house, have strength in the knowledge that we can achieve anything and unity to be able to work together and support one another. I think that it is so important to remember that we can do anything we put our minds to and as Walt Disney once said “If you can dream it, you can do it” and that is exactly what we are going to do whether that is winning the House Cup at the end of the year or participating in the upcoming Swimming Carnival. Although it would be great to win the House Cup this year, not everything is about winning. I encourage you all to have fun along the way this year and get involved as much as possible.

A very special welcome to our new Year Eights joining our house as well as all of the new students; we cannot wait to show you what Rocky is all about! We already have such strong roots and I am so excited for the year ahead and to watch our house flourish and grow to our fullest potential. Always be fearless this year as you remember that you can achieve anything you put your mind to and you let nothing hold you back in 2014. Erica

Tuckshop Roster

Term 1 (February)

Mon 10 P White Mon 17 R Wiman Mon 24 N Jukes

Tue 11 L Dallas Tue 18 L Robinson Tue 25 J Madini

Wed 12 M Citro Wed 19 S Fingleton T Woodbridge Wed 26 D Best-Semple M Doig

Thu 13 K Sauer Thu 20 D Rostirolla Thu 27 P Bolton

Fri 14 K Shukla Fri 21 A Wardley V Smith Fri 28 T Stephenson N Muller

Uniform Shop

TRACKSUIT ORDERPLEASE NOTE: THIS IS THE ONLY ORDER FOR TRACKSUITS FOR THE YEAR. IF YOU WISH TO PURCHASE A

TRACKSUIT FOR WINTER YOU MUST ORDER NOW.

It will be too late when the weather turns cold. Orders take 8-10 weeks to be processed.

Orders for Tracksuits will start on:

Tuesday 11th February and finish on Wednesday 26th February 2014

If you wish to order a tracksuit for winter please come into the Uniform shop on any Tuesday 3- 4 pm or Wednesday 8 – 9 am during the above dates and try on a sample track suit for sizing. Sizes are XS - XL and cost $110. A $50 deposit is required at this time. Delivery will be in mid-May when the balance of payment is required. It is suggested that a parent be present during these times to ensure correct fittings. Note: Tracksuits may be worn from 1st June to the end of August (if the weather is cold enough) as an alternative to the formal uniform with the polo shirt, white joggers and white school hat. Maria Wolf

BLAZERS Blazers that were ordered in October 2013 are now ready to be collected. Balance of payment ($90) is required at the time of collection from the Uniform Shop during normal trading hours.

In our Community

Brighton Bulldogs FC

Redcliffe Leagues Hockey Club

Samford Netball Club Inc

SAMFORD NETBALL CLUB INC WANTED!

Calling all men and women (16 years +) who want to get fit and have fun at the same time . . . .

If that’s you, then the Samford Netball Club’s MIXED COMPETITION is waiting for you!

Join us of a Thursday evening at Samford Parklands. For information and registration: www.samfordnetball.org.au

Queensland Rail

Vipers Netball Club Sign On

VIPERS NETBALL CLUB ASPLEY SIGN ON DAY!!

Saturday 8th February 2014, 9am - 12pm

Multi-purpose Hall top car park off Horn Road Aspley State Primary School

Cnr Maundrall Terrace & Horn Road, Aspley

Registered with "Get Started" Programmed.

Face Book: Vipers Netball Brisbane

Email: vipersnetball@hotmail.com

Website: www.vipersnetball.com.au

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