COLLEGE NEWSLETTER - 30 MAY, 2025

Message from the Principal

Megan Wuersching - College Principal

Dear Southern Cross College Community,

As a college, we are currently developing our guidelines and procedures in response to Generative AI, an ever-evolving space for both our teachers and students. AI is rapidly shaping the way we engage with learning, and our goal is to ensure it is used thoughtfully, ethically and in alignment with our values.

Our secondary families may have already noticed this shift in student assessments, where AI tools have been incorporated into learning. Additionally, our staff are trialling Brisk AI, a tool designed to support learning and teaching, as we explore ways to use AI effectively in education.

At the recent Catholic Education Network (CEnet) AI in Catholic Education National Conference, one truth stood out: Artificial Intelligence is a tool for learning, not a replacement for thinking. We recognise that AI is becoming integrated into education, and our students will engage with it as part of their learning experiences. Today is the worst AI will ever be. Technology is advancing rapidly, and each day brings new developments that will shape how students learn, create and interact with information.

Dr. Nici Sweaney captured this challenge perfectly: “If we don’t guide AI, students will learn its values, not ours.” AI can process information quickly, but human judgment, discernment and critical evaluation must always lead the way. As teachers, we are ensuring that AI doesn’t replace essential thinking skills but rather supports students in questioning, verifying and creating with confidence.

Our goal is to empower students as creators, not just consumers of AI-driven knowledge. We want them to understand ethical and responsible AI use, seeing it as a tool to enhance learning rather than bypass effort. This moment in time presents a unique opportunity - not to fear change but to embrace it thoughtfully, ensuring our children develop the skills to engage critically, navigate uncertainty and apply their learning in meaningful ways.

As parents/carers and educators, our guidance makes all the difference. AI may evolve, but the human ability to teach wisdom, encourage curiosity and shape ethical decision making will never be replaced. Together, let’s ensure our children use AI positively, ethically and with purpose, to support their goals.

Acknowledgement: Thoughts and ideas in this post were shaped with the support of Microsoft Copilot.

A special thank you to our families who have participated in our Conversations with the Principal series. I have appreciated the chance to discuss our college and our future direction with you. Staff and student consultations are currently underway, and we hope to share our Draft Strategic Priorities with you all by the end of this term. If you missed this opportunity and wish to contribute, please contact the college. 

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in our school community.

Megan

FROM THE DEPUTIES - Primary

Katrina Wootton - Deputy Principal - Primary

Neurodivergence and Understanding Body Cues
Neurodiverse primary school-aged students often face challenges in perceiving and understanding internal cues from their bodies, which can affect their ability to recognise when they are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired.

For example, hunger might not be easily identified or communicated, yet it can lead to irritability, meltdowns, or shutdowns. Anger, often a response to anxiety or sensory overload, may be expressed through stimming, shouting, hitting, or withdrawing. Loneliness may manifest as irritability or withdrawal, even when the child is actively seeking connection in ways that aren't consistently recognised by others. Fatigue can intensify sensory sensitivities, emotional dysregulation, and difficulties with communication.

These states can be especially hard to pinpoint for neurodiverse children, as they may struggle to interpret or express how they feel. To support them effectively, parents and educators can offer regular snacks and hydration breaks, use visual schedules, create calming spaces, validate emotions without judgment, and teach coping strategies like deep breathing. Facilitating structured social interactions, using inclusive language, and being mindful of sleep-related fatigue can also help children better manage and understand their internal experiences.

Hungry
- Hunger can cause irritability, meltdowns, or shutdowns
- Some neurodiverse children may not recognise or communicate hunger easily.

Tip: Offer regular snack breaks, check hydration, use visuals to support like visual schedule/timetable

Angry
- Anger might be expressed through stimming, shouting, hitting, or withdrawing.
- Anger can mask anxiety or sensory overload

Tip:  Provide calming spaces, validate feelings without judgement, and teach copping strategies like deep breathing

Lonely
- Children with neurodiversity might want social connection but struggle to initiate it.
- Loneliness can look like withdrawal, irritability, or trying to connect in ways others don’t recognise.

Tip:  Facilitate structured social opportunities, buddy systems, and model inclusive language (ask others to join you)

Tired
- Fatigue worsens sensory sensitivity, emotional regulation, and communication.
- Sleep challenges are very common in neurodiversity

Tip:  Children with neurodiversity may have difficulty identifying or expressing internal states.

Have a wonderful week

Katrina

Hayley Fulmer - Assistant Principal Pedagogy & Learning - Primary

Dear Families,

As we pass the halfway mark of Term 2, I wanted to provide you with a summary of the reporting changes that were recently communicated via email and remind everyone about our upcoming Learning Breakfasts.

Primary Reporting Changes
As you may recall from our recent email communication, Townsville Catholic Education conducted surveys with staff and parents in 2024 regarding our reporting practices. Based on this feedback, the Reporting Guidelines for Prep to Year 10 have been updated. Here's a summary of the key changes you'll notice in your child's report this semester:

• Learning Area Statements have replaced Learning Area Comments. These statements will outline the key learning undertaken during the semester for each subject area.

• Application to Learning will be reported on a 4-point scale (Needs Attention, Satisfactory, Very Good, Excellent), reflecting your child's effort, response to feedback, and interest in learning.

• Reports will clearly indicate that the "Working With" level (Prep-Year 2) or "C" level (Years 3-6) represents the expected end-of-year achievement standard.

• For Prep students, assessment and reporting will focus on English, Mathematics, Health and Physical Education, and Religion. While other learning areas are taught, they will not be formally reported on.

• Each report will include one personalised general comment from your child's classroom teacher.

Changes to Prep Curriculum
Beginning in 2025, we are implementing new time allocations for learning areas across all year levels, with a notable change in the Preparatory year:

Provided learning areas (taught, assessed, and reported on): English, Mathematics, Health and Physical Education, and Religion.

Experienced learning areas (taught and monitored, but not formally assessed or reported on): Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, The Arts (including Music), Technologies, and Languages (if provided).

This change aligns with Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) guidelines and allows for a more focused approach to literacy and numeracy development in these foundational years.

If you have any questions regarding these updates, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or myself.

Learning Breakfasts
We've already enjoyed a couple of wonderful Learning Breakfasts this semester, where families have had the opportunity to celebrate their children's achievements and see their learning. For those who haven't yet, we have several more Learning Breakfasts scheduled in the coming weeks:

These breakfasts provide a valuable opportunity for you to engage with your child's learning journey. We encourage families to attend their child's scheduled breakfast if possible.

Thank you for your continued support of your child's education.

Kind regards,

Hayley

FROM THE DEPUTIES - Secondary

Jaye Beutel - Deputy Principal - Secondary

2025/26 College Student Leadership Selections
The past four weeks has seen 35 dedicated year 11 students apply, interview and be voted on to be our next College Student Leadership Team. This process asks our talented emerging seniors to place themselves in a vulnerable space as they share their hopes and aspirations for the College through servant leadership lens.

On a personal note, I have found the experience to be a stunning insight into the strength of student voice we have here at Southern Cross. A voice that is looking forward to being the lead custodians of our traditions, but one that seeks to improve and extend the great sense of community and connection we have across the College. I am truly excited to be in a position to support this incoming senior cohort and their leadership team. It is obvious that there is a shared vision and mission working within the year level already and they are positioned well to take the mantle from another extraordinary cohort, the 2024/45 Senior Leaders.

The announcement of our 2025/26 College Student Leadership Team will be released around the same time as this publication. However, it felt necessary to share this insight and experience with our community. To also acknowledge that there will be disappointment for fifteen worthy applicants in this process as we only appoint 20 to this team. No doubt, as each articulated at their interview, student leadership is a collective approach here at Southern Cross and they will still form a strong part of this.

I congratulate all candidates for their efforts, and for being vulnerable in placing themselves in the process and seeking an opportunity to serve the College as a student leader. Thank you, our College is blessed to have you here as part of our community.

Uniform and Appearance Expectations - Jewellery, Makeup and Hair
To Shine - We wear our uniform with pride.

As we reach the mid-point of term it is a timely juncture to remind students and families of our uniform and appearance expectations. There has been an increase in students not meeting these expectations and requiring support from home to address these.

The College has two points of reference for students and families with regards to these expectations, our College website and the Student Diary.

Our uniform is an important part of College life, so much so that it is a highlighted part of our Southern Cross Way values. To Shine - we wear our uniform with pride.

Can I encourage students and families to check their understanding of these expectations, with particular reference to hair, makeup and jewellery. Over the next few weeks our Homeroom teachers will be drawing their focus to these areas to address the mid-term creep with these expectations.

Southern Cross Student Diary & Website
Hair: A student’s hair must be kept natural, well-groomed and off the face at all times. Fringes should not interfere with eyesight. Hair that reaches the uniform collar is to be tied back with ties and/or bands. Tie(s), band(s), hair clips etc are to be of the college colours (maroon, black, white, charcoal grey, or gold). Hairstyles are to be compatible with the College Uniform policy. Extreme or radical hair styles (including ‘streaks’, ‘tracks’, ‘rats tails’, ‘horse tails’, ‘mullets’, extreme hair parting, shaving, undercuts, or extensions) are not acceptable. Coloured hair (tints/dyes) that are not your natural hair colour, or do not look natural on you are unacceptable. Hair shorter than a ‘number 2’ cut is not acceptable. Cultural exceptions to hair styles can be negotiated with a member of the CLT on a case by case basis. A request will be made to make required changes to hair, that does not meet the agreed uniform standard. This may include withdrawal from classes until the standard is met.

Jewellery: acceptable jewellery items include one pair of plain gold or silver studs or sleepers (no gemstones, pearls or shapes) that may be worn in the ear lobes; a simple wrist watch; flat signet ring; a plain metal chain with a religious medal or cross. No other body piercings are acceptable. Students will be asked to remove unacceptable jewellery items on first notice. Refusal to remove items may result in withdrawal from classes until the uniform policy is adhered to. The College takes no responsibility for the safety or replacement of any jewellery worn by students. It should be noted that any item of jewellery may be required to be removed due to health and safety reasons.

Make-up: students are not to wear make-up to school. Students with visible make-up (including sunscreen foundation) will be asked to remove it and be given a consequence in the form of a detention. Ongoing wearing of makeup will result in further consequences. This includes eyelash extensions.

Nail polish: nail polish, acrylic nails or tattoos are not to be worn to school. Students will be asked to remove polish and tattoos on first notice.

Shaving: male students are to be clean shaven on arrival to school.

EScooter Use and Safety 
The College has many students who are fortunate enough to own or use an eScooter. They are a wonderful mode of transportation for students who leave around the area.

However, in recent weeks we have had a few near misses and the occasional accident involving other vehicles and sadly pedestrians. I am saddened to report that in many of these cases the eScooter rider was not practicing safe ownership or control. Contributing factors for these accidents were attributed to speeding, doubling passengers, lack of road/path awareness and in some cases the rider is not wearing a helmet.

I urge all students using eScooters to do the right thing and be safe when riding. Most importantly for us near and around the college grounds - follow the road and footpath rules, don’t ride in high pedestrian traffic areas and to always use a helmet.

The College will continue to work with parents and families when we recognise that safe practices are not being met and seek support to ensure the safety of their child and the community here at Southern Cross.

Jaye

From our Chaplain

Dot Parnell - College Chaplain

Week 6 of Term 2  is almost done. I think we all wish there were more hours in the day. I seem to get my work and chores done during daylight hours; then spend time on my favourite pastime - word and number puzzles and knowledge quizzes - in short, anything that keeps the brain exercised. I’m really trying to undo my addiction to these but it’s really hard. My bedtime, on some nights, has gotten a little bit earlier than it used to be. I shouldn’t complain about lack of sleep, then, should I!!

Last Saturday, 24 May, we celebrated the Feast of Mary, Help of Christians as the patron saint of our College, our Diocese of Townsville and of our great country, Australia.

Mary, under the title of Help of Christians, is credited with keeping the Catholic faith alive in the early settlement days of Australia (as far back as 1844) when there were no priests to say Mass. The people remained faithful to praying the Rosary and the Catholic faith flourished.

We will celebrate our College feast day under the patronage of Mary Help of Christians on Friday 13 June. (This date is also the Feast of St Anthony of Padua - you know the saint you pray to when you’ve lost something. Also a miracle worker.)

I’d like to share the following prayer for those who need hope and meaning in their lives. We also give thanks for all in our College community as we continue our learning to grow and be the best we can be.

Mary, Help of Christians,
You listen with a Mother’s love to all those who look for your guidance.
We ask you to keep all those we love in your tender care.
Keep all those who need hope and meaning in their lives close to your heart.
Give us the strength to face up to life’s difficulties and protect us from all spiritual and bodily harm.
Grant us an abundance of love, so that we too may be a help to others, sharing with them in their time of need and caring for them in their moments of distress.
Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us.

God’s blessings for a great week, and remember, “In a world where you can be anything - BE KIND.”

Dot

From the Guidance Team

What to do when your kid asks you if they are fat
By  Dr Zali Yager

Despite being a body image researcher, I was not prepared for my kids to start saying the word ‘fat’.

When my oldest boy was four, it seemed like he started to say ‘fat’ a hundred times a day - and I freaked out. I tried to ban it like a swear word. Of course that didn’t work, but it also wasn’t necessary. Without all of the negative connotations and associations that we’ve given this poor little word, it is just an adjective - a describing word.

And that’s what we want it to become - a neutral word that we can use to describe lots of things. A macronutrient. A necessary part of our bodies.

But when our kids come home asking “Am I fat?”, we can panic. We can rush in with, “You’re not fat, you’re just right” - but what that does is reinforce the negative associations of ‘fat’. We want to keep this word as neutral as possible, explain that saying this to people can hurt their feelings, but that it is just a word, and that we all have fat.

Usually, what kids are really asking here is, “Am I OK/do I belong?” They see kids being called ‘fat’ to hurt their feelings, and exclude them from friendship groups. They want to know if they are this thing that they see being used to label others as ‘not OK’. They want to know if they are accepted.

So what do we say when our kids come home asking “Am I fat?” There are two main binaries to reject here:

There are no ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bodies
We don’t need to be one or the other - thin or fat
Everyone has fat. All bodies are good bodies. Accepting all bodies as they are removes all of the shame of being ‘bad’, and frees us up to nourish and nurture our bodies.

Fat is a really important part of our body, and it wouldn’t work well without it. Fat doesn’t just sit there doing nothing, either. Fat tissue insulates all of our organs and protects us from the cold. Our fat stores ensure that our brain will always have a steady supply of glucose in order to power our body functioning and our thinking. Fat helps us to metabolise a range of vitamins that can’t be absorbed without it.

‘AM I FAT?’
If your child asks you if they are fat, or tells you that someone called them fat, please, as we mentioned earlier, try to resist the urge to say “You’re not fat, you’re beautiful!” as this reinforces some of the power of the word. The aim is to keep your response as neutral as possible. Here’s how you could respond – either at the time, or in a quiet chat afterwards.

• Don’t freak out. Be curious about what they have heard, and the context they have heard it in.
• Empathise with them. You might talk about a time that you were called ‘fat’ as an insult at school or at home, and how it made you feel.
• Explain that some people use the word ‘fat’ to make people feel bad about themselves, and it’s not OK. In our family, we believe that all bodies are good bodies, and we know that all people have fat on their bodies, and it’s really necessary for their body to work properly.
• Emphasise the fact that it’s quite a serious problem if people are teasing each other about the fat on their bodies. Just as we wouldn’t tease someone who has a disability, or whose skin is a different colour, we shouldn’t tease people about their size and shape.
• Tell them that there is nothing wrong with their body, that you love them just as they are.
• Brainstorm some of the things that their body can do that they are proud of.
• Think of some of the kind things they can say to themselves to make them feel better. Empower them with things they can tell themselves and others if this happens again.

The main message is this:

“Your worth has nothing to do with your weight. All bodies are good bodies. Everyone is worthy of respect and love regardless of how they look. “

This is just a short excerpt from our book, Embrace Kids. Taryn and I talk a lot about how and why you should try to improve your own feelings about your body in order to encourage your kids to have a positiv  e body image. The whole first part of the book is dedicated to this actually! You can buy the book here.

For more information on body image check out the School TV website:

https://sctsv.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/body-image

First Nations Education Updates

Looking forward to seeing you at our National Reconciliaton Week Liturgy this Friday.

From the Careers & VET Team - Secondary

Careers/VET team escape the Classroom (and Survive Heavy Machinery)

On Wednesday 21 May, the Careers and VET team swapped whiteboards for work boots and hit the road with colleagues from other Townsville schools. Our mission? Visit seven local businesses in one day and find out what makes them tick and more importantly, what gets our students hired.

A massive thank you to the local legends at Fabbro Diesel Services, Kenny’s Auto Electrical, Logistics NQ, Brown & Hurley, Blenners Transport, Mick Murray Welding, and Holcim Quarry for welcoming us in and showing us around. We had real conversations about how our students can find their way into these booming industries.

So, what did we learn (apart from how to dodge forklifts)?

• There are loads of jobs out there. Seriously. Employers are desperate for good young people.
• Having a strong Report card is great, but it’s not a necessity.
• The golden trio of hiring? (no surprise)- Enthusiasm, Work ethic, and Initiative.
  
• And here’s the big one: employers LOVE when young people turn up in person (yes, physically), dressed neatly, resume in hand and ask for a job or work trial. Yes-it's old-school, it's bold, but it works.

We’re always happy to support our students as they spread their wings and (hopefully) land in a fulfilling career once they leave the Southern Cross nest.

High-vis heroes,

 Sam De Luca, Therese Escria & Fiona Glendenning

Careers & VET @ SCCC - Opportunities…Support…Empowerment…

SCCC Music Academy

Congratulations to Bailey who has been selected to participate in the Australian Honours Ensemble Program 2025 (AHEP). Over 1000 students from across Australia auditioned to be part of the coveted program, and Bailey was selected to be part of the Vocal Ensemble. We are thrilled to see Bailey perform alongside some of Australia’s best high school musicians in October. Well done, Bailey!

SPORTS NEWS - Primary

PRIMARY SPORTS NEWS

Inter school Cross Country
A big congratulations to the 30 Southern Cross students who attended the Inter-School Cross Country last week at Bicentennial Park.

The students put in an outstanding effort representing our school with pride and sportsmanship and came away with some amazing results.

A special mention must go to the following students who finished in the top 10 for their age group and gained selection in the Townsville District team. They have been invited back to the Northern Regional trials which will take place in the coming week.

We want to wish these students all the best for the next stage of selection. Southern Cross will be cheering you on. Goodluck.

• Jason N (5th Place)
• Dustin A (8th Place)
• Koen J (3rd Place)
• Connor O (9th Place)
• Lucas J (3rd Place)
• Harrison G (9th Place)
• Ava O (7th Place)

Parkrun every Saturday morning at Riverway or North Shore, it’s free! Just register online at https://www.parkrun.com.au/register/  and add SCCC as your running club.

From the P & F

The P & F Colour Run and College Feast Day is coming soon!

Information has gone out via Compass and the weekly What's On documents. 

🌈 We are fundraising for an Outdoor Kitchen and for our Shine Time charities and can't wait to see everyone in their colourful best on the day! 🌈

The School Locker

The School Locker Uniform Shop is opened on the following days each week.

Tuesday           8.00am – 10.00am

Wednesday      2.00pm – 4.00pm                            

Friday               8.00am – 10.00am  

Important Events & Date Claimers

Stay up to date with what's happening in your childs class with the weekly 'Whats On' documents.

Check out upcoming events and important whole college messages below 👇🏼