Assistant Principal - Learning and Wellbeing - Happening Events

As we approach the end of term during the season of Lent, there is much to look forward to. Next Monday we have a whole school community evening. You are very welcome to return to the College for a social get together to be physically part of the community again. For many it has been a long time. We will gather in the quad. For many it will be an opportunity to meet our new principal Mrs Clare Healy but it will also be a chance to touch base with other teachers as well. 

Selected students in Years 7 to 10 will compete in the Da Vinci Decathlon against other schools in the region where they will apply the knowledge they have gained across all Key Learning Areas to open-ended tasks that require solutions and presentations. We wish our teams the best of luck.

As mentioned in the last newsletter opportunities to represent the College in sport are opening up with the easing of COVID restrictions. Further rugby league trials for Northern Country Catholic Schools are in week 10, A Bill Turner (Football) game looms against Glen Innes High, a girls Rugby League carnival in Bingara, NSW CCC Swimming in Homebush and the College Cross Country on the last day of term all give students other opportunities to express themselves, learn and share their talents with the rest of the community.

No doubt Miss Roach has  mentioned this elsewhere in the newsletter but preparation for the great feast of Easter continues at O'Connor. This occurs in RE lessons but also with events such as regular Mass in the chapel, the upcoming Paupers Banquet, the Year 12 Caritas Fundraiser and our Stations of the Cross on the last day of term. Holy Week takes place in the first week of the holidays (very apt insofar as the word derives from the words holy and day) so please check your local Parish bulletins regarding mass throughout the week including the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral and  Triduum involving Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. It was wonderful to see so many of our students at the Family Mass last Sunday.

Last week at Monday's briefing, I addressed our students on the emerging culture of our College of "Bump it Up". This refers to students using fast feedback to improve their original work. The fast feedback may come from the teacher or a fellow student using a success criteria to give constructive criticism. Indeed the success criteria can be used as self assessment. Have I met all those criteria required to do the best work possible? Finishing work for the sake of finishing work is not enough. We need the work to be part of the learning process, i.e. how can I do better? We want to build a culture at O'Connor where work can always be improved no matter the starting point. 

Mr Damian Roff

Assistant Principal - Learning and Wellbeing

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