DE Newsletter March 2024
Dates for the Diary
From the Principal's Pen
Jubilee Connects: Building Community and Growing Together!
This edition of the Jubilee newsletter is bursting with news about the exciting events that have brought our school community closer! From Jubilee Connect days and camps to Science and Drama workshops (photos below) and swimming carnivals, these experiences have been designed not only to help our students learn and grow, but also to foster a strong sense of community.
We believe that every Jubilee family is on a similar journey, striving to provide the best education for their children. Let's continue to support and encourage each other as we share this journey together!
Curriculum Update: Your Voice Matters!
At Jubilee, we're committed to continuous improvement. That means we're always looking for ways to make things better! Recently, we sent out a link for families to provide feedback directly to our curriculum writing team. We want to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who shared their thoughts and observations. Your feedback is invaluable and helps us to continuously refine and improve our curriculum.
We encourage you to keep the feedback coming! Click here to share your thoughts and help us continue on our journey of improvement.
Connecting and Thriving in the Senior Phase
GMeets have become a vital part of the Senior Phase learning experience. These online sessions offer a space for students and teachers to learn, laugh, pray, and share together. They also play a crucial role in exam and assessment preparation.
Here's a quick reminder about our GMeet expectations:
- Year 10 students are expected to attend all subject GMeets, including Pastoral Care.
- Year 11 and 12 General Subject students are required to attend all General subject GMeets.
- Year 11 and 12 Applied Subject students can watch the GMeet recordings.
- All GMeet recordings are available on the Home Classroom Calendars.
If you are unable to attend a GMeet, please email Dr. Radcliffe and your teacher at seniorphase@jubileecc.qld.edu.au
Investing in Our Staff: Flourishing Together
Jubilee College is dedicated to offering an authentic Christian education to our students and their families. To achieve this, we believe in equipping our staff with a deeper understanding of Scripture and how a Biblical worldview shapes the vision and culture of our school.
This led to the development of "Flourish", a professional development course designed to help our staff deepen their roots in God's Word. Flourish is anchored in John 10:10, which reminds us that Jesus came "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." By fostering a deeper understanding of scripture in our staff, we believe it will ultimately lead to a flourishing learning environment for everyone at Jubilee.
Dr. Chris Radcliffe
Prep - Year 9
Time to Learn
At the start of a new term, it is a good idea to think about how the last term went and consider ways to do it better. There are a couple of time management strategies that can significantly boost productivity in Distance Education.
1. Create an effective learning routine
These days everyone leads busy lives and interruptions to your learning schedule are inevitable but having a plan to follow helps students learn to take responsibility for their own learning.
Assisting students to make a personalised weekly timetable is a great start (see below). Sample timetables for each grade level can be found on the DE Family Portal >DE Curriculum page. These timetables contain the recommended time frames for each subject per week and can be used as a guide to help you create your own. Your teacher can provide you with a timetable template for this purpose. To get started:
- Fill in any regular weekly appointments or commitments.
- Consider a starting time that will help your student make the most of their ‘morning brain’ but also allow enough time to prepare for school.
- Fill in any regular GMeets or online lessons (if applicable).
- Schedule Maths and English before lunch if possible.
2. Teach students to use their Assessment Calender and/or Term Overview
Your student’s term overview is a tab in their ILP, which you can find in their Student Records Folder. At the beginning of each term your teacher will also email you a pdf copy which you can print and display so your student can tick off tasks as they are completed.
Families with multiple students, can ask their teacher for an assessment calendar which will display all of their students assessment tasks in one place for easier reference (similar to the Term Overview but allows for multiple students/year levels).
Creating a timetable and using the term overview effectively are just two strategies that can help your student (& you) better manage their time, allowing more time to prioritise family activities and spend quality time with loved ones.
Mrs Colleen Chandler (DE Head of P-9)
Mrs Loma Kirk (DE Deputy Principal)
From our SWAN Team
If you have had the opportunity to read the book by Alex and Brett Harris “Do Hard Things”, you may have been inspired by the encouraging and challenging concepts which the book raises (we have a year 9 English unit based around this book). There are so many great stories and ideas presented in this book which encourage young people to discover their untapped potential and remind us that never trying is worse that losing. This book serves as an excellent reminder that it is not a bad thing to embrace challenges and face things that scare us, regardless of the outcome.
As teachers, we have the privilege of coming into contact with many different students from vastly different circumstances. The challenges faced by our students differ from family to family, but each student is faced with the opportunity to find value in their situation, just as their parents are in everyday life. Any teacher you speak with will tell you how amazed we are by the strength and courage of many of our students and how much that encourages us to be braver in the challenges we face also.
Although, the goals and expectations for each student may differ greatly, the one common thread in each set of circumstances is that God has big plans for each one of you. As you face each challenge which is specific to you, large or small, be reminded that the success you experience may not come in the traditional means of achieving what you had set out to achieve. It may come as learning a new skill, stretching yourself in ways you hadn’t before, persevering in doing something hard or the honour hearing The Lord’s voice in a new way.
Look for ways to grow, even if you find something to be hard, and be encouraged that you are growing and learning every day.
God has a plan for you and it is way better than you can imagine.
From the Careers Team
Embark on Your Future - Your Way!
The Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) stands as Queensland's pinnacle qualification for senior secondary schooling, boasting international recognition and providing a tangible testament to each student's academic achievements. The QCE is based on a credit system. Credits are awarded for different areas of study from year ten onwards. To be eligible for a QCE certificate students need to achieve 20 QCE credits.
The QCE empowers students with the freedom to choose from a diverse array of subjects and courses aligned with their God-given interests, gifts, talents, future studies, and career aspirations.
This year marks an exciting development as we introduce the Cert III in Aviation Remote Pilot Drone course and the Cert III in Community Services to the JCC timetable, in addition to a myriad of other VET and trade courses. Undertaking a Cert III VET qualification in Year 10, not only accrues valuable QCE Credits, utilises government funding, and provides students with a tangible real-world qualification, the VET experience fosters personal growth, self-confidence, and a profound sense of accomplishment, equipping students with practical job-ready skills.
Completing a Cert III qualification in Year 10, gives students the flexibility to shape their Year 11 and 12 pathways, without the traditional pressures associated with more conventional forms of schooling. In our next newsletter, we will delve into various pathways to provide further insights.
The Careers Team door is always open, inviting your questions and fostering discussions about subjects and pathways. Please drop us a line any time. We would love to hear from you.
You can find us at thecareersteam@jubileecc.qld.edu.au
Chaplain's Chat
It has been wonderful to see a small group of parents, gather and connect 'virtually' over the last few weeks with in our Parent Connect Devotional Group. Each Tuesday Wendy plans to introduce different resources to encourage families in their parenting journey.
Last week Chappy Wendy shared from 'Loving Our Kids on Purpose' By Danny Silk. She shared this quote. "As parents, we are gatekeepers not only of our own lives, but also of our families. The health and happiness of our families are directly related to our health and happiness as parents. We are creating the atmosphere. We are imparting to our children who we are...We can only offer to others what we ourselves have. Taking good care of our children begins with learning to take care of ourselves.....In order to take care of ourselves, we need to learn how to set up healthy boundaries with our children. We need to put a fence around our yard, complete with a gate."
This book together with other parent resources, is available for loan from our DE Library
If you are interested in joining the Parent Connect Devotional Group on Tuesdays from 8.30-9am you can follow this link to the Gmeet.
South Brisbane/Gold Coast Jubilee Connect Day
Over 50 students gathered for our first Jubilee Connect day on Monday 12 February for a full day of fun with STEM! Lizzie and Cameron from IntegratedSTEM joined us for the day, bringing with them a wealth of knowledge and lots of fun hands-on technology.
Students designed their own egg cups with playdough and then engaged with CAD software to create digital designs to 3D print. They learned about drone technology in the real-world and each had a go at flying a real drone. Younger students enjoyed playing with ‘squishy circuits’ where they built an electric circuit with play dough and LED lights.
Our DE Family Support Officer, Jason Kaufmann, started the day with a devotion, and parents had a support session with our Deputy of DE, Loloma Kirk, about our Secondary Maths program. It was great to see students, parents and staff connecting with each other throughout the day, and being kind and inclusive to new students. We’re looking forward to our next Jubilee Connect Event next term!
Ms Cheris Csikos (P-9 Teacher)
Student Activities & Achievements
My name is Zoe, and I'm a 14-year-old writer who's in year 9. I'm part of the Wattpad writer's community. A few months ago, I wrote a story called Frozen World. I submitted it to a Wattpad Competition, in which I had to write a story where a Marvel character enters a Disney world. I thought it would be fun to do it, as I'm a huge Marvel fan. Then, a few weeks later, I got a message from Wattpad Competitions saying "Congratulations, you've won the October Disney x Marvel competition!"
I was over the moon and when I told my parents, they were ecstatic! This is my first time winning a writing competition, so it's a big deal for me. Strangely enough, I wasn't always as passionate about writing as I am now. My parents used to make me write stories when I was younger, and I disliked it. Eventually, I started to write on my own, and I started to enjoy it! Now, my dream is to become an author, and I'm already writing a book! This goes to show that something you used to dislike can become enjoyable. I hope my story can encourage everyone, including young writers.
Click here to connect to Zoe's profile on Wattpad. You can read her winning story 'Frozen World' or take a sneak peak at her work in progress 'New Reality'.
Most of us wind down after a long year of school. But not JCC students Hayden and Ava de Vries and Josie Kubenk. As soon as the 2023 school year had finished, they packed their bags to join the Teen Missions International Summer Program. Hayden and Josie traveled to Madagascar to assist 'Thrive Madagascar', a non-profit organisation providing opportunities for Madagascar’s poorest people through education, health and vocational support (Pictured above). Ava headed to the Solomon Islands to work with YWAM on projects such as hospital outreach, building refurbishments, and church and children’s presentations (Pictured below). It was an experience they will not forget, sacrificing their holidays and time with family over Christmas to help others.
Art Corner
We have 2 winners from last month's art competition
Impressionism/Post-Impressionism from our Year 10 Art Students
Community Notices
For more great camps coming up all over QLD, be sure to check out the SU Australia Website - link provided below.