In this issue

Principal’s News

Congratulations and Happy Holidays

Mobile Phone Policy

Response to traffic

2020 Year 12 Formal Information

Year 12 Career News

2021 Senior Pathways

Secondary School Sport

iTime Term 2

Supporting Our Students Mastering English

CCC visit to Hangzhao Dong Fang High School

Uniform Shop Hours and Containers for Change

Diploma of Business

3 Trees Cafe

Apex News

Secondary School Updates and Reminders

Year 6 to Year 12 BYOD

Junior School Report Card Information

Year 3 to Year6 BYOD

Join LEO Club

Term 3 Uniform Shop Hours and Containers for Change is coming back!

Uniform Shop Hours Normal Hours will resume on 13 July 2020 – Appointment Only! Monday             8.00am – 12.00pm Tuesday                   CLOSED Wednesday        8.00am – 12.00pm Thursday           2.00pm – 5.00pm Friday                8.00am – 12.00pm      

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Term 3 Uniform Shop Hours and Containers for Change is coming back!

Uniform Shop Hours

Normal Hours will resume on 13 July 2020 – Appointment Only!

Monday             8.00am – 12.00pm

Tuesday                   CLOSED

Wednesday        8.00am – 12.00pm

Thursday           2.00pm – 5.00pm

Friday                8.00am – 12.00pm

 

 

 

Immersion Day

Platypus Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 classes had an Immersion Day to celebrate Chinese Culture. We were open-minded to trying new things and participated …

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Immersion Day

Platypus Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 classes had an Immersion Day to celebrate Chinese Culture. We were open-minded to trying new things and participated in a range of fun activities including painting designs on fans, practicing our Chinese writing and numbers, making a yummy edible teacup, colouring a Rat for Year of the Rat and playing some Chinese games.


Our favourite activity was leading our partner, who was dressed as a Chinese Lion, by playing a drum. Miss Chen demonstrated how to make Fried Rice and we got to taste some, the students all agreed it was delicious!

At the end of the day we watched a Dragon Boat Race then reflected together and thanked our teachers and teacher aides for organising the Immersion Day. Students got to take the items they made to show their families.

We had a wonderful time celebrating and can’t wait for Semester Two!

 

Secondary School News

I would like to recognise the contributions of parents and resilience of students during this last term of learning at Calamvale. Whilst many students have …

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Secondary School News

I would like to recognise the contributions of parents and resilience of students during this last term of learning at Calamvale. Whilst many students have flourished, we recognise that it was a very different way of learning to what we had planned at the start of 2020. It was delightful to see our students taking positive action towards acts of kindness on Friday 19 June, when we celebrated our inaugural Kindness Day. It was a lovely way to lead our Year 7-10 students into their exam block during week 10.

In Semester 2, we will see some significant changes in our staff for a range of reasons. We have some staff returning and leaving from maternity and long service leave which means that we must say goodbye to a number of our staff who have been on contracts with us. I would like to say thank you and goodbye to Dr Gary Lake, Sean Lans, Nia Eaton, Anita Parakh-Morgan and Warwick Comber. We will be welcoming back Huon MacKinnon-Farnworth, Michelle Bullion, Sherri Lilly, Theola Mason and Rebecca Robertson and new to the College will be David Jiang and Renee Dillon. Due to these variations, there will be a number of changes occurring to student timetables. All students will be issued with a new timetable on Monday 13 July. We will be beginning the new Semester with an assembly, so all students should go to the Sports Hall on the first bell at 8.25am on Monday 13 July. They will receive their new timetable during lesson one. Throughout the first week of the Semester, students will cover sessions on creating or re-connecting with essential agreements in their classrooms, upcoming assessment for the term and appropriate study skills and goal setting to ensure your child is reaching their potential. In Week 2, you will be emailed the Semester 1 report card for your student. From Week 3, teachers will be conducting phone interviews for Student Led Conferencing. Information regarding how to book an interview with your student’s Connect teacher will be released with the report card.

Please note that in Semester 2, we will be continuing to adopt our blended approach to learning in the classroom. Consequently, as per our BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy, every child is required to bring a charged laptop or ipad to school every day. These will be audited during the assembly on Monday 13 July.

In the meantime, I would like to wish you all a safe and relaxing holiday, and we look forward to welcoming your student back to us for another successful Semester at Calamvale Community College.

Congratulations and Happy Holidays

2020 was always going to be year of firsts, as our seniors graduated the International Baccalaureate Diploma for the first time and our ATAR students …

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Congratulations and Happy Holidays

2020 was always going to be year of firsts, as our seniors graduated the International Baccalaureate Diploma for the first time and our ATAR students negotiated external exams also for the first time and then we ran into the pandemic.  So in addition to those first, we have cancelled just about every event in our school calendar and toggled between face to face and learning@home for all of our students from Prep to 12.  We have learned to wash our hands and social distance and many of our regular routines and practices have been changed for the foreseeable future.

From a positive perspective, we have all become very capable in a digital learning world.  We have found ways of staying connected through virtual parades and zoom meetings and our students have continued to collaborate both inside our College and online.  We have shared arts performances by the teachers, who could forget ‘Footloose’ and beamed our Students of the Month home through SeeSaw and Youtube.

The strong sense of care in our community has been evident as parents, teachers and students have supported each other with messages of appreciation and kindness.  Our students led Kindness Week across the College and had those messages into tangible signs which was heartwarming.

My sincere thanks to our whole staff team, admin, teachers, support staff, teacher aides and cleaning staff – we could not have journeyed through this semester without our strong team.    Many thanks to parents and carers as well and to our students for their resilience in difficult times.  We hope that you enjoy the holidays without the burden of learning@home, I know the staff are looking forward to the two weeks.

Take care, stay safe,

Lisa

Principal’s News

Term 3 and Covid-19 Restrictions As we emerge from the most severe of the Covid-19 restrictions, some of our procedures will be reduced and others …

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Principal’s News

Term 3 and Covid-19 Restrictions

As we emerge from the most severe of the Covid-19 restrictions, some of our procedures will be reduced and others will have to remain in place. From July 10th much of the responsibility for the Covid-19 restrictions will rest with the College. Where we can provide the correct social distancing, we will run events for the students. The use of an RSVP process will underpin our management of the number of people at any event.

There is a new calendar up on the website and below are some of the highlights and the thinking behind the decision to run particular events:

Both athletics and cross country carnivals have been missed and there are no state level competitions. We are endeavouring to run a ‘competitors’ only event for students who train for these sports. This will provide event times for those students who require them for non-school ‘meets’ as well as an experience for our Year 12s for whom this is the last set of school carnivals.

Assemblies will return to the school calendar for both secondary and junior schools, but not for the whole college.

Awards nights, performances and exhibitions are postponed at this stage and will not occur in term 3. Where it is possible there will be virtual displays of art and live streamed or pre-recorded performances. The students will be able to attend performances as it is only the parents and staff for whom we have to provide social distance. If we are not able to host over 500 people for an event this year, we will seek to postpone the awards ceremonies to the beginning of 2021 unless there is another solution.

Parent-teacher interviews and student –led conferencing will be postponed and instead phone interviews will be held. Where appropriate meetings will be held using Microsoft Teams as a virtual facility.

 


Year 9 and Year 10 Senior Pathways parent information and SET planning nights will be held in the gym, with appropriate social distancing, which may feel a little sparse but we have the space and technology to do this. These will be advertised this week and held in weeks 1 and 2 of Term 3. There will be ATAR, Certificate and Diploma sessions as well as IB sessions using CPAC for the smaller group.

The Year 12 formal will go ahead on Thursday night August 13th, although Rydges is unable to host our senior cohort in a manner that will allow the students to enjoy the event, due to restrictions. CCC will subsidise the formal so that we may hold a very elegant event in the gym, which will be unrecognisable with wall screens, and props. This is a one-off for 2020 which has been a particularly difficult year for the seniors. Unfortunately, whilst there will be a photographer for the students and a photo booth, we cannot have family photos due to the crowding – so these should be arranged prior to arrival. We will have the car parade but no pre-formal event as we cannot use share plates, drinks or allow gathering of adults. Information will continue to be made available via email to Year 12 families.

Elsewhere in this newsletter is the publication of my letter to our local representatives regarding our on-going traffic problems. Due to the tight spaces around the Prep building and the confluences of paths around the Year 1 classrooms, we will continue the LookOut program for term 3. Parents will be welcome to park and queue for their students.

2020 Year 12 Formal Information

We can now confirm that the formal will be held at CCC and will be an amazing ‘one of a kind’ event.  As we prepare …

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2020 Year 12 Formal Information

We can now confirm that the formal will be held at CCC and will be an amazing ‘one of a kind’ event.  As we prepare bookings for flooring, furniture and very impressive room-conversion decorations, we will keep you informed.

There are still rumours, the latest being that the tickets will cost $200.  As I wrote in the email home to parents on June 9, the College will seek to subsidise this event.  The ticket price will remain the same although there will be no family photos. The tickets are normally approximately $140 and the students have fund-raised to reduce this cost, this year is unlikely to be any different.

The Year 12 formal will go ahead on Thursday night August 13th, although Rydges is unable to host our senior cohort in a manner that will allow the students to enjoy the event, due to restrictions. CCC will subsidise the formal so that we may hold a very elegant event in the gym, which will be unrecognisable with wall screens, and props. This is a one-off for 2020 which has been a particularly difficult year for the seniors. Unfortunately, whilst there will be a photographer for the students and a photo booth, we cannot have family photos due to the crowding – so these should be arranged prior to arrival. We will have the car parade but no pre-formal event as we cannot use share plates, drinks or allow gathering of adults. Information will continue to be made available via email to Year 12 families.

Mobile Phone Policy

At various meetings held in Term 3, we will be consulting with parents and students about our existing BYOD and mobile phone policies. Whilst most …

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Mobile Phone Policy

At various meetings held in Term 3, we will be consulting with parents and students about our existing BYOD and mobile phone policies.

Whilst most of our students have access to a digital devices, some do not. Since the weeks of learning@home during the Covid-19 pandemic, we have found more flexible ways to learn using our digital devices. Whilst computers are not essential to learning, they are very useful devices and our students have significantly developed their capacity to use these, as have all staff. The College has a proposal to support families in accessing digital devices for learning in 2021. This will involve a payment made over three years for the use of the device and more details will be provided in Term 3.

Our P&C have brought to the College Administration’s attention, issues regarding mobile phones. From the College’s perspectives phones can be a very useful device, with a calculator, web access and a range of apps that are useful to students. The same device circumvents Education Queensland’s filtering services, making social media accessible to students throughout the day. Phones also provide easy access to videos, music and photos which are frequently air-dropped to large numbers of students in the immediate vicinity, which is not desirable.

We are open to a community discussion and development of mobile phone policy that will provide the basis of the College response to issues arising from mobile phone use.

Year 12 Career News

During iTime this week, Year 12 students were given an opportunity to learn about post-Year 12 pathways and QTAC applications. A copy of the presentation …

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Year 12 Career News

During iTime this week, Year 12 students were given an opportunity to learn about post-Year 12 pathways and QTAC applications. A copy of the presentation slides is attached along with the current information regarding open days for tertiary institutions. Students have been, and will continue, receiving information via the shared OneNote “Well-being and Career Hub” and regular updates via email.

Every Year 12 will receive an appointment time (regardless of ATAR, Diploma, Non-ATAR or IB) to meet with a guidance officer during Term 3. It is the responsibility of students to attend their allocated appointment time. For this appointment it is expected that students wishing to make QTAC applications have with them their “Guidance Appointment QTAC Preference Sheet” (see attached) completed and signed by parent/caregiver. Students are also encouraged to develop a list of any questions or discussion items to bring with them to their appointment. Students on a non-ATAR or vocational pathway will also be given the opportunity to meet with the guidance officer to discuss pathways and/or further study options.

All students who attended the presentation have received a copy the QTAC guide. The information contained in this guide is also available online via the QTAC website (www.qtac.edu.au). Students with VET qualifications (Cert III, Cert IV and Diploma) are eligible to apply for some universities and courses offered via QTAC. Please note, that students have been asked to use the adjusted ranks (not unadjusted) as their guide to receiving a successful offer in a course. There are details within the presentation slides regarding preferences courses and key dates.

Once students have completed their guidance officer appointment it is their responsibility to complete an application via the QTAC website. QTAC charges a fee of $45, which allows for three free changes of preferences (meaning students can change their preferences when ATAR/IB results are released –provided the closing date has not passed for their chosen course or offer round). It is also the student’s responsibility to ensure all necessary documentation is uploaded to QTAC, including EAS scholarship details, prior to any deadlines.

Guidance Appointment Preferences Sheet

Open Days 2020

QTAC Presentation CCC 2020

 

2021 Senior Pathways

As we approach the end of the first year of the new ATAR system (only 14 weeks before external exams) and as we prepare for …

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2021 Senior Pathways

As we approach the end of the first year of the new ATAR system (only 14 weeks before external exams) and as we prepare for our current Year 9 and 10 students to enter that system, we are preparing to share our learnings with both parents and students. The following information and further detail will be shared with parents and students at our information nights in term 3.
Every year 100% of our seniors graduate with a Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE). The QCE remains with us however it has become more complex to calculate. For students enrolled in ATAR subjects, mathematics and science results are dependent upon external exams for 50% of the grades achieved by students and Humanities for 25% of their grades. Schools can no longer reliably calculate whether students will have accrued sufficient points to effectively secure the QCE. Applied subjects are more predictable however Essential Maths and English still have an external exam component. In addition, the points accrued by certificates towards QCE and ATAR have changed, as has the rank-entrance to tertiary institutions of certificates and diploma level qualifications.
The more certainty our students can have about their subject selection, the more likely they are to achieve successful outcomes in Year 12. The more likely they are to secure their QCE and the next stage of their learning or work life. To that end, we are offering our students entering years 10 and 11, dedicated pathways instead of a collection of subjects. These pathways will lead students toward their chosen fields of employment via tertiary study, TAFE/certification or directly to work.
At next term’s Information Evenings for Years 9 and 10, five pathways will be presented to students.

In order to deliver these pathways, we require a more flexible day structure. We are proposing a flexible timetable one day a week.  This will provide a more personalised learning program.  On the flexible day, IB and ATAR students will operate on a traditional timetable with High Level subject study opportunities for the IB stream.

Students studying diploma and certificate courses will use this day to access their courses through our registered training organisations or through CCC delivery of modules.

Students enrolled in TAFE or traineeship will be encouraged to attend these sites on this day, although there is some flexibility, in doing so students will avoid missing four subject classes and being required to complete the work outside of school time and without direct teacher support.

Below is the proposed combinations of subjects that will deliver our best options for our students.

There is much more to discuss and questions to be asked.  All of this will occur in term 3 as we endeavour to provide a more responsive learning program for our senior students.

Secondary School Sport

Secondary Sport will adopt a dynamic new look in semester two. Students across the Secondary School will be exposed to exciting new opportunities that will …

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Secondary School Sport

Secondary Sport will adopt a dynamic new look in semester two. Students across the Secondary School will be exposed to exciting new opportunities that will raise the profile of sport within the College. Our developing athletes will now be presented with opportunities that they have never been presented with before which include entering Queensland All-Schools competitions that pit the best players in the state against one another and also the opportunity to play against new schools from outside of our school district. We are very excited for students to experience these new opportunities and immerse themselves into our new sporting culture. Go Wolves!

 

Calamvale Wolves Sports Department Proposal

Brenton Male – Secondary Sports Coordinator

iTime Term 2

This week, we have embarked on a timetable change which has taken effect as of Wednesday 10 June. We are trialling a swap between Lesson …

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iTime Term 2

This week, we have embarked on a timetable change which has taken effect as of Wednesday 10 June. We are trialling a swap between Lesson 2 and 4. This change has been made so that we can capitalise on the staff who are available at the school and to increase engagement into our iTime activities. All students in year 7-11 have chosen either mainstream iTime, Sport, Hospitality or Musical. Students in year 12 have been streamed into either Study Skills or Essential Maths Tutorial. Below is further information about each of the offerings

 

iTime Year 7-11:

 


Year 12 Study Skills: Students who are studying 3 or more General Subjects in yar 12 will be attending weekly study skills sessions. These sessions are aimed at building the student’s capacity to use high yield strategies to improve long term memory capabilities in preparation for external exams.  Students are enhancing their study planning habits, developing effective study strategies that can be implemented now, as they work through their final unit of work before exams.  Students are being provided with time to put their study habits in place and next term will focus on the real test preparedness hints and tips.

Year 12 Essential Maths Tutorial: In the Essential Maths tutorial we are analysing the Common Internal Assessment task and devising strategies to work through solutions for each style of question. We are also encouraging the students through this time to critically analyse their Problem Solving and Modelling Tasks, so that they follow the processes involving problem solving. Students will then be able to better understand the requirements of the Essential Maths course and complete it successfully.

Musical Year 7-11: Unabowed and indefatigable, the Arts Department refuses to let 2020 be the death of CCC’s proud tradition of entertaining school musicals – we are back and working tirelessly to salvage our production of Footloose. Whether it is ultimately seen by an audience or not is in the hands of the fates, but students are still being given invaluable rehearsal and performance experience – with an all-acting, all-singing and all-dancing cast giving their all, and a hardnosed, creatively inspired crew assisting with everything from costumes and props, to microphones, lighting and front of house.

Hospitality iTime Year 10 and 11: Students studying either a Certificate II/III in Hospitality or Certificate II in Kitchen Operations at Calamvale Community College have had the option of choosing Hospitality during iTime. This session is part of our Signature Program where students have the opportunity to go beyond the classroom to explore the industry and also develop their skills further in order to support 3 Trees operations. We are also working with our industry partners within the Global Competency context, to establish projects for our students to participate in, which incorporate charity and sustainability opportunities, once COVID restrictions are lifted.

Sport Year 7-11:  Due to Covid-19 restrictions Interschool Sport will look different for the remainder of term two. Each Wednesday students will remain with their current Summer Season Interschool Sport team to participate in a mixture of activities. These activities will relate to the sport they selected and will include team training, skill development, team strategy meetings and inter team tournaments. This is a very exciting opportunity as it allows the teams to further immerse themselves into their chosen sport and further enhance their sports specific skillset. Interschool Sport has also transitioned from session four to session two each week which will allow students to participate in their sporting endeavours earlier in the school day. With regards to the Winter Season of Interschool Sport it is currently postponed and we will provide you with further updates in the near future. (edited)

Response to traffic

Response to Traffic Thank you for your patience with our LookOut Program for dropping-off and pick-up students this term.  I understand the frustrations, but please …

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Response to traffic

Response to Traffic

Thank you for your patience with our LookOut Program for dropping-off and pick-up students this term.  I understand the frustrations, but please rest assured I have listened to every complaint and suggestion.  Unfortunately I have no authority to manage traffic and carparks outside the College fence and so earlier this term I have collated our efforts to address the issues and attached some samples from parent suggestions and sent the letter below to our elected representatives at Brisbane City Council and State Government levels.

Supporting Our Students Mastering English

At CCC we welcome international students of all ages. We recognise that the English language needs are very different, and we have a team of …

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Supporting Our Students Mastering English

At CCC we welcome international students of all ages. We recognise that the English language needs are very different, and we have a team of eight caring and experienced educators to support students to make the progress they need to be successful in all subjects.

Making friends with their English-speaking  class-mates, and engaging in regular lessons are all excellent ways of improving English through immersion. However, we also recognise the importance of students receiving dedicated English language lessons, where they learn vocabulary, grammatical structures and broader language skills.

On entry to the school, all students receive a language assessment to determine their level in each of the macro-skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing). Students are assigned a bandscale level (1-6) to ensure that they receive targeted support according to their specific needs.

In the Junior School (Prep to Year 6), students are withdrawn from their mainstream classes to receive very small group (8 max) English lessons. These lessons run 2-5 times a week, depending on the bandscale level. In Year 5 and Year 6, the aim of the lessons is to prepare students for entry into secondary school. Two afternoons a week, after school, we run a Support Club where EALD stduents can attend to receive additional support to complete homework. This is particularly beneficial where parents have limited English to help their children at home.

In the Junior Secondary School (Year 7 to Year 9), EALD students are allocated to a smaller class (max 20) and engage in lessons taught by specialist maths, science and English teachers who are also enthusiastic teachers of language. A teacher aide also supports students in these classes. These classes allow students to learn English language through the content of the subject. Lessons are challenging in content, but scaffolded in language use. Progress in bandscale levels are closely tracked, to ensure that students are prepared for Senior years. Two afternoons a week, after school, we offer additional assignment and homework support at EALD Club.

In the Senior School (Year 10-12), students are supported through their chosen pathway. International Baccalaureate offer lessons in Chinese A (first language) and English B (additional language). We also offer English as an Additional Language as an ATAR subject (university ranking), and we provide in-class support to students who choose Essential English as their pathway. We aso encourage stduents to study their mother tongue through Distance Education courses where possible. Senior EALD students can also take advantage of an array of tutorials and after school support.

Throughout their time at Calamvale Community College, our international students feel well supported in their English and they make very good progress. Ultimately, our aim is that students confidently and successfully access the curriculum, eventually without support needed.  We find our younger students learn English very quickly and within 2-3 years no longer need any additional help. This is very rewarding for us.

Tips to Improve English

Read books, comics and English websites

Watch TV programmes and movies with English subtitles turned on

Make friends with English-speaking class-mates – arrange play-dates and activities at the weekend

Older students should be encouraged to live with an Australian family

Listen to English-spoken music

Keep a notebook to write all new vocabulary you learn throughout the day – and then try and use the new words yourself as quickly as possible.

Diploma of Business

The Diploma of Business provides an alternative pathway to the ATAR score for students into tertiary study.  In 2020, the Dip. Business is providing a …

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Diploma of Business

The Diploma of Business provides an alternative pathway to the ATAR score for students into tertiary study.  In 2020, the Dip. Business is providing a rank of between 82 and 87 ATAR equivalence.  Commencing in Semester 2 will be our next intake window for the Diploma of Business, and will be made available to year 10 and 11 students meeting pre-requisites for course completion. This qualification has proven to be very popular and represents significant opportunities not only for future employment, but also for university entrance at a selection of local universities. We will continue our successful partnership with Axiom College as the external RTO and coursework provider, however we will be moving into a model where bv one of our own staff members will be delivering the face to face lessons to our Calamvale Community College students. This transition will significantly reduce the cost of the Diploma for students who enrol semester 2 in 2020 and beyond. Further details around course structure, price and enrolment in this course will be available to students and families.

 

3 Trees Café

In order to continue to provide an industry experience for our Certificate II/III in Hospitality & Certificate II in Kitchen Operations students, 3 Trees has …

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3 Trees Café

In order to continue to provide an industry experience for our Certificate II/III in Hospitality & Certificate II in Kitchen Operations students, 3 Trees has been continuously evolving to reflect the impact of COVID-19. Term 1 ended with customers unable to even enter the café and now whilst we can welcome guests back in, we have chosen to remain takeaway only at this stage. The students have become more aware of hygiene and safety, whilst supporting us on our journey. We have seen this as a positive experience as we have been able to work together to review our service styles and menus, and consider ourselves very lucky as we have been flexible enough to not have to close our doors, even being able to extend our trading hours. We look forward to a time in the future when we can welcome the public back, and also offer dine in experiences. We will keep you updated on the CCC Facebook page – stayed tuned!

Junior School Report Card Information

At Calamvale Community College, we value ongoing communication between home and school and seek to make this communication as authentic and valuable as possible. We …

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Junior School Report Card Information

At Calamvale Community College, we value ongoing communication between home and school and seek to make this communication as authentic and valuable as possible. We are always seeking to ensure that information provided enhances your understanding about your student’s current learning and helps you support their learning.

In Term 1, prior to the online learning period, parents had the opportunity to discuss student progress with the class teacher during oral reporting interviews. Some of these were held face to face and some were conducted as a telephone interview.
With the disruption to face-to-face learning and the onset of COVID-19 restrictions in schools, we have made the decision to delay our academic reporting period until next term.

You will receive your student’s academic report card on Friday 7 August (Term 3 Week 4), a delay of four weeks.

The Semester 1 formal report card will consist of achievement, effort and behaviour grades for key learning areas as well as generic subject comments. The final global comment will address the individual student’s progress.

A parent teacher interview affords parents the time and place to connect with teachers, discuss assessment items, review student work, share information and communicate a plan to enable the student to move forward with their current learning. After receiving your academic report, you have the option of making contact with the classroom teacher if you require an interview. You can do this by communicating directly with the classroom teacher via email or through the regular classroom communication channels.

Thank you for your support.

Yours sincerely
Jackie Welch
Junior School Principal

CCC visit to Hangzhao Dong Fang High School

In November 2019, representatives from Calamvale Community College had the pleasure of visiting Hangzhao Dong Fang High School in China through EQI. During the visit …

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CCC visit to Hangzhao Dong Fang High School

In November 2019, representatives from Calamvale Community College had the pleasure of visiting Hangzhao Dong Fang High School in China through EQI. During the visit the Secondary School Principal and Head of Program (Teaching and Learning) shared practices with our Chinese and other International Colleagues through workshops, cultural tours and many other amazing experiences.

The welcome and hospitality of the staff at Hangzhao Dong Fang High School were highlights of the visit. Principal Lee guided us through a tour of the school, which showcased the impressive facilities, the students and the culture of the school. The immaculate grounds of the school include beautiful gardens, and extensive facilities for the boarding students of this school. Through the grounds, there are reminders of the vision and philosophy of the school in both Chinese and English, reminding students to achieve their best through effort, persistence and positive attitude.

During our workshops, we worked with teachers from international backgrounds, sharing expertise of the Queensland Senior Curriculum and pedagogy in Australian and Chinese school settings. These highly interactive professional exchanges helped us to appreciate how Chinese students approach learning in the Queensland Curriculum, as well as sharing processes and experiences to support the teaching, learning and assessment of the curriculum.

Whilst we were at the school, we immersed ourselves as many aspects of school life as possible, from eating local Hangzhao food in the school canteen, to running with the students during their morning exercise session. Seeing a school cafeteria menu which included Bullfrog and Duck Feet as menu items was an experience, and very tasty! We were very impressed by the spirit of the students during the daily exercise, and pride and responsibility taken by each class for the cleanliness of the learning environment.

Not only were we able to experience and share the life of Hangzhao Dong Fang School, but our hosts kindly guided us through the sights, food and experiences of Hangzhao. Experiencing Hangzhao food and the sights of area was a highlight of the visit! We ate street food and local delicacies on our first day in Hangzhao along the banks of the Grand Canal. Hot Pot was definitely a favourite, with different types of meat, mushrooms and lotus. We attended banquets which featured a huge variety of local dishes, including stinky tofu, jellyfish and deep fried lotus, and we learned how to eat fresh local crab the Hangzhao way!

Our visit to Hangzhao included many famous local sights. A night cruise down the Grand Canal deepened our appreciation for the history and ingenuity of the Chinese people, and the beauty of the canal banks. Visiting West Lake, a famous scenic spot by night was also a highlight. We would also like to thank our hosts for taking us to the Lingyin Scenic area, with its ancient temple and Zen Buddhist statues, and for introducing us to the varieties of local tea during the tea ceremony.

Thanks to EQI, we returned to Calamvale Community College with a heightened appreciation, not only for Chinese culture and food, but also for the perspective of Chinese students studying in our College. As a school with a significant number of students from mainland China who come to study at our school, this visit has helped us to appreciate and better understand how our students must feel when they first arrive at our College. Through this visit, we have developed a greater connection to China and to the experiences of our Chinese students.

APEX News

In Term Three all APEX students will be participating in the world-renowned ICAS Assessments. The assessments allow students to extend themselves academically and take up …

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APEX News

In Term Three all APEX students will be participating in the world-renowned ICAS Assessments. The assessments allow students to extend themselves academically and take up the personal challenge of competing in an international assessment.

APEX applicants for Year 7 2021 have recently sat the ACER Cognitive Abilities (CogAT) test on Saturday 13th June and in Week 10 will attended interviews. The APEX team wish to acknowledge the high standards of applications received this year and are looking forward to meeting individually with all applicants.

In Term Three Year 9 APEX students will discuss how the strong foundation of skills and habits built in APEX could lead them to experience success in the two streams of senior secondary that prepare students for tertiary education. Students will discuss the unique university pathway, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, that is available at Calamvale Community College.

Secondary School updates and reminders

We are now several weeks back from online learning and it is timely to remind students and parents our College expectations and inform you of …

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Secondary School updates and reminders

We are now several weeks back from online learning and it is timely to remind students and parents our College expectations and inform you of some changes that have occurred due to the ongoing relaxation of restrictions.

Student time management: In week 6, assessment planners were emailed to parents and students. Please work with your student to assist them to use this planner to manage their time to ensure they stay on track to submit assignments and study for exams for each of their subjects.  During Connect time (Tuesday Lesson 2) over the past two weeks, students have been learning about study skills and tips to better prepare for their assessments. Please note that the results that students achieve in subject in year 9-11 will be used as pre-requisites for entry (and continuation in) General subjects.

Student attendance and timeliness:  The first bell rings at 8.25am.  Students are expected to be at their class door by 8.30am at the latest. Be aware that traffic is not an excuse for being late.  All students are expected to be in the College on time to their first lesson of the day.  Please be aware that after 9.00am each morning, students must enter via the front gate near administration. All other gates will be locked. This is to ensure the safety of the student community and to limit community members from entering the school grounds during learning time.

Students entering and leaving the school grounds: Thank you to all of our students who have quickly adjusted to the new process of entering and leaving through the senior and back gates. Thank you also to the parents who have adapted to our pick up routine in the afternoons. We remind you that students can wait to be picked up by parents at the top basketball courts. Parents can drive up the gravel road to collect students from here and then head straight onto the access road near Beaudesert Road.

Uniform: The weather has started to become cooler, and all secondary students are reminded that they are expected to wear their ties and all students are only permitted to wear school jumpers (College branded jumpers, or plain navy with no hoods or branding). A reminder that tracksuit pants are not a permitted part of our uniform. Please ensure that your student is equipped with all items of our uniform and that they leave home each day in full correct uniform. Dress Code  If students are out of uniform they will not be permitted to enter the classroom and will be directed to the Uniform Loan Room.  Students will be required to change out of their incorrect item and into a school loan item. This uniform loan room is able to be opened due to the new relaxation in COVID requirements.  A number of procedures have been implemented to ensure the uniforms adhere to the current health advice.

Students collecting uniform items

  1. Students attend Uniform room if they are out of uniform. Uniform Attendant to interview and issue slip. Uniform Attendant to wear gloves prior to students entering the room.
  2. Students to use hand sanitiser as they enter the room. Students are to be issued with uniform piece and an antibacterial plastic bag (new bags will be used each day for each student).  Students place their piece of clothing in the plastic bag.  Uniform Attendant will tag bag.  Student exits room.
  3. Uniform Attendant to remove gloves, wash hands and use sanitiser.

Students returning uniform items

  1. Uniform Attendant to wear gloves prior to students entering the room.
  2. Students are to use hand sanitiser upon entering.
  3. Students are to enter change rooms with antibacterial plastic bag containing their original clothing item. Students place used uniform item in tub as they exit and place plastic bag in the bin.
  4. Items of returned uniform are to be washed. Shoes are to be disinfected and be reissued the following day.
  5. Uniform Attendant to remove gloves, wash hands and use sanitiser.

Year 6 to Year 12 BYOD

Did you know… From Year 6, CCC students can bring a device to school that is either a laptop or an Apple iPad! Students will …

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Year 6 to Year 12 BYOD

Did you know…

From Year 6, CCC students can bring a device to school that is either a laptop or an Apple iPad! Students will continue to use this device throughout Junior Secondary. From Year 10-12 students are expected to bring a laptop device to school every lesson every day.

Bringing a device to school enables students to…

  • Facilitate Inquiry learning through accessing educational sites and research material
  • Use OneNote in each of their subject areas to access subject material, produce work and access ongoing feedback from their teachers
  • Engage with Education Perfect as a study tool to reinforce concepts in class and at home
  • Access emails and easily communicate with their teachers
  • Access timetables and Connect notices to be up to date with College events

CCC students are expected to bring their own device to school every day to enhance their learning opportunities and fully engage in the all aspects of the curriculum. For more information about BYOD and the Responsible Use of Technology Policy, please visit the College website https://calamvalecc.eq.edu.au/extra-curricular/computer-and-internet

Join LEO Club

Leos are young people who want to make a difference. Aged between 11 and 18 years, Leos are the youngest members of Lions Clubs International. …

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Join LEO Club

Leos are young people who want to make a difference. Aged between 11 and 18 years, Leos are the youngest members of Lions Clubs International. They get together to deliver projects that will help to make the world a better place- one step at a time! Past projects include: refugee food donations, working with the Mater Hospital, breast cancer care packages, cash and resource donations to families in our community, bake sales, sponsoring Calamvale Junior School projects and many more. Our purpose:

  • To promote service activities among the youth of the community to develop the individual qualities of LEADERSHIP, EXPERIENCE AND OPPORTUNITY
  • To unite its members in friendship, fellowship and mutual understanding


The Leo Club is looking to start back up Term 3, 2020. Any students in year 7-12 who would like to join, to please email your interest to Leo Club Advisor, Mrs Thach, at tthac13@eq.edu.au.

Years 3 to 6 BYOD- BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE

It’s great to have our students back in the classroom and learning face to face however, online learning brought to the forefront positive aspects of …

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Years 3 to 6 BYOD- BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE

It’s great to have our students back in the classroom and learning face to face however, online learning brought to the forefront positive aspects of using a device to enhance and engage students’ education. In order to continue this great work, it is important for students in Years 3 to 6 to bring their compatible device to school.

What are the benefits of my child having a device at school?

From Year 3, CCC students bring their own Apple iPad to school to use in a blended approach to their education. While maintaining regular bookwork, students also use their devices EVERY DAY at school in the following ways:

* SeeSaw to access reading materials, activities, record their reading and upload their learning activities while allowing teachers to give written and oral feedback
* Applications like Matific, Literacy Planet and Reading Eggs
* As a tool for research in their inquiry units
* To record their learning in text, visual, photo or video form

How do I know my child and their device is safe at school?

CCC has a Responsible Use of technology Policy to ensure iPads are kept safe and the students using them are also protected:

* Devices stay in school bags before and after school (there is no unsupervised access to iPads)
* Devices must come to school in a protective case
* Upon entry to the classroom, students follow the classroom procedure for the safe storage and use of iPads
* Students do not access their iPads during breaks. iPads remain in a locked classroom
* Students access the internet using the school network allowing access to appropriate sites only
* Teachers use the ‘Classroom App’ to adequately supervise individual iPads
* Students participate in lessons around the responsible use of technology

For students who do not bring their own device to school, they may share in a limited number of devices allocated to the Learning Community.

What happens when my child goes to Secondary School?

Students may continue to use their iPads in Junior Secondary School. Alternatively, from Year 6, students are permitted to bring a laptop to school. A device is an investment in your child’s education now and in the future!

CCC students are encouraged to bring their own device to school every day to enhance their learning opportunities and fully engage in the all aspects of the curriculum. For more information about BYOD and the Responsible Use of Technology Policy, please visit the College website https://calamvalecc.eq.edu.au/extra-curricular/computer-and-internet