DE Newsletter January 2025
Dates for the Diary
From the Principal's Pen
Dear Parents and Carers,
A very warm welcome to the 2025 academic year! I extend a special welcome to our newest students and families to the Jubilee College community.
Over the break, our dedicated staff have been diligently preparing for a fantastic year ahead. I am particularly excited about the launch of our "Character Matters" program, designed to enrich the lives of both students and families. Our team has also continued to refine our curriculum to ensure it best meets the needs of our learners. As always, we encourage parent and carer feedback so that we may continue to improve our program.
Communication is Key
Our staff are here to serve your family and we understand that each family has different needs and aspirations for their child’s education. Our staff are here to help, guide and empower you to make decisions regarding your child’s learning program. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher with any questions or concerns.
If for some reason you are unable to reach your teacher directly, please email support@jubileecc.qld.edu.au
Home Visits: A Valuable Partnership
Home visits are a crucial part of our parent-teacher partnership. These visits provide an opportunity for open and honest dialogue about your child's learning program as well as tips and tricks for you, as the home supervisor. Remember, home visits can take place at a location and time that is convenient for your family.
As one parent recently shared, "Our first home visit was incredibly valuable. My teacher patiently guided us through the online resources and clarified some aspects of the learning program that I was finding a bit confusing."
A Gospel-Centered Foundation
As a Gospel-centered school, Jubilee prioritizes the teachings of Jesus Christ in all aspects of our learning and community. As one guest speaker recently emphasized, "A gospel-centered school places the gospel of Jesus Christ at the heart of everything. It is not just the entry point of the Christian life but the foundation, the motivation, and the power for all aspects of its life and ministry." As we seek to do this as a school, I pray that Jubilee Christian College will be a place where your child thrives academically, socially, and spiritually.
- Dr. Chris Radcliffe
Spiritual Development
Persona or Performance?
In the Bible, we encounter individuals whose persona stands out more prominently than their performance. Consider Moses, described in the Bible as the meekest man of all time. Think about Solomon's wisdom, Job's patience, Paul's courage, Gideon's valour, Abraham's faith, and Ruth's diligence. Their qualities and character traits shaped who they were and how we perceive them today. Because of their persona, they accomplished great things for God. Yet, none are as significant as the Lord Jesus Himself. In His time on earth, and to those who know Him now through the Scripture and a personal relationship, He is characterised by kindness, compassion, gentleness, mercy, and grace. He extended hospitality to the needy ones and a welcoming presence to sinners. His servant's heart was evident in acts such as washing the disciples' feet. Most profoundly, His character is encapsulated in His own words:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" Matthew 11:28-29.
The thrilling and timeless account of David and Goliath is one of the most recognised stories found in the Bible. Imagine David, a young shepherd, stepping onto the battlefield to face the formidable giant, Goliath. What traits might we attribute to David at this daring moment? Words like courageous, fearless, and confident come to mind, don't they? But it's important to note that these qualities didn't just appear out of nowhere on that fateful day. David didn't magically transform into a hero by mere words of affirmation or overnight resolve. Instead, these traits were carefully cultivated throughout his lifetime, shaped by his experiences and the divine purpose God had for him to eventually lead Israel as king.
No doubt, the influences of those around him played a significant role in moulding the young man he became. After David's stunning victory over Goliath, a curious moment unfolds: King Saul, intrigued by his young hero, inquires of his army commander, "Whose son is this youth?" Uncertain, Abner, the commander, replies, "I do not know." Nonetheless, he brings David to the king, where Saul asks directly, "Whose son are you, young man?" To which David responds, "I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite." It’s fascinating to consider how David's identity and upbringing were interwoven with God's greater plan for him.
With our exciting new Character Matters curriculum, we're on a mission to cultivate the virtues of kindness, joy, and friendliness—alongside 33 other essential qualities over three years—deep within the hearts of young people. We invite you, as parents, to join us in nurturing a generation of warriors. Not warriors like David who defeat human giants, but warriors equipped to tackle the challenges of complacency and secularism. We aim to instil in them the wisdom (not of Solomon) but from God Himself that will enable them to navigate a world that often struggles to find truth. We aim to see a generation rise that those looking on will enquire, as did King Saul, “Whose son or daughter is this”? Ultimately, we hope that these young hearts will reflect the gentle and humble spirit of Jesus Christ.
Prep - Year 9
From our SWAN Team
What’s the Difference? Executive Function Skills vs. Executive Function
Whilst they are strongly related and each play a part in helping children, teenagers, and adults
problem-solve and complete goals each day, they are different abilities.
What are executive functioning (EF) skills?
They are the brain processes and abilities, such as planning, organization, time management, and task initiation, we use daily to complete tasks and goals. EF skills are likely to be seen in action. That is, a learner who successfully writes out a plan before starting a research project has used planning skills. Learners who start an assignment without requiring multiple prompts or reminders have used task initiation.
What is executive function?
EF is the manager or boss of our brains. It helps to direct, cue and integrate the individual skills to get going when they need to be done. Think of it like an air traffic controller in charge of sending off different skills (like planes) to do their jobs at the right time.
Alternatively, EF isn’t the actual skill, but the mechanism that manages the skills, to be implemented at the right time. For example, a learner who receives a marked worksheet back from the teacher might get an internal cue to put the paper in the correct place in their workbook. This is their EF telling them to organize and activate their organization skills. On the other hand, a learner who doesn’t get the cue may mindlessly shove the paper into the wrong workbook or their backpack.
How can we build executive functioning skills?
- Encourage tools and supports as scaffolds: to-do lists, timers, calendars, planners
- Encourage a growth mindset and brain plasticity: our brains change over time with practice,
strategies and supports - Explicitly teach executive functioning skills: how to plan, organize, manage time and getting
started on tasks - Model and discuss executive functioning skills as life skills: e.g. how athletes use these skills
in sport
How can we build executive function?
- Teach and practice routines and systems
- Use visuals: colour code, mindmaps
- Teach and practice calming strategies
- Use questioning, e.g. what’s the next step?
- Discuss and act out real-life scenarios
- Remove distractions
Reference:
Pathway2success. (2024, November 6). Executive Function vs. Executive Functioning Skills: What's the Difference?
https://www.thepathway2success.com/executive-function-vs-executive-functioning-skills-whats-the-difference/
The Careers Corner
We believe every student’s future is unique, and our Careers Program ensures they have the right pathway to success. Our 2024 graduates achieved outstanding ATAR results, early university offers, and secured apprenticeships, highlighting the program’s impact.
A key to this success is our Year 10 VET (Vocational Education and Training) pathway, which provides hands on learning and industry recognised qualifications. Whether students pursue university, TAFE, or enter the workforce, they are set up for success.
Student Feedback on the VET Experience!
Here’s what some of our 2024 Year 10 students had to say about their VET journey:
If you could sum up your VET experience in three words, what would they be?
"Fulfilling, exciting, and interesting."
How did completing the VET Certificate III set you up for Year 11/12?
"Doing a Certificate III this year has decreased my workload for Years 11 and 12, giving me more time to focus on my core subjects."
Has completing the Cert III improved your confidence, and how do you see this helping you in the future? "I am now confident in my skills, and this will benefit me by giving me more options to choose from after school."
What skills did you develop during the course that you think will be valuable for your future career?
"I gained a lot of skills, like learning how to write reports, engage with workmates, find solutions in the workplace, and understand common workplace health and safety rules and regulations. Completing the VET Certificate III means that I can attend uni while still at school because I gained 6 QCE credits from my course, meaning there’s much less stress to try and get them during Years 11 and 12."
How did completing the VET Certificate III influence your career goals or future studies?
"I decided that I wanted to leave school and complete an apprenticeship with a local café to become a chef for my early years. Doing the course helped me secure an apprenticeship."
The Careers Team works closely with students to develop personalised pathways that align with their interests, strengths, and future aspirations. Through one on one guidance, we help students explore various options and tailor an approach that ensures they are on the best track for their goals.
This term, Year 11 students will have a Week 7 subject review with the Careers Team. The review will help students reflect on their current subjects, consider any changes, and ensure they are on the best pathway for success in their final years of school and beyond.
Each student’s future is theirs to shape—and we’re here to guide them toward success!
Jubilee Service Team
Community Events
0-Week Staff Meeting Recap
In the week before our students started back to school for the year, all the teachers and support staff gathered in Brisbane for a few days of preparation, fun and learning. It was a fantastic opportunity for all the staff to meet in person as we are all spread out across Queensland, like our students. We all worked hard getting ready for the upcoming school year to support the students the best we possibly can and prepare for some of the changes being implemented throughout the year. G-meets were planned, Connect Days organised and many other behind-the-scenes organisation tasks completed.
We all worked hard, but also had a lot of fun. Meal times were a wonderful opportunity to connect and playing board games in the evening brought out the competitiveness in some. There was also a lot of laughter as we took part in the Duck Olympics as a fundraiser for the missions team. Overall it was a productive, thoughtful and fun few days spent preparing for the year of learning ahead for our Jubillee Distance Education families.
Art Corner
Over the holidays, some of our Senior Phase students pulled out their camera and took some beautiful photos of ordinary life around them. Here are a few of their Summer Collection.
Summer Collection
Photo credits:
Jillian Pallet-yr 11, Sarah Skerman-yr 11, Zoe Oyola-yr 10, Jemima Farkash-yr 11, Emily Gibson-yr 12
Student Activities & Achievements
Last year, some of our wonderful year 3s (now year 4s) produced some very creative poetry, as displayed below.
- Marching Tanks by Henry Csikos
- Playful Cats by Holly Gordon
- Why I Pray by Max Winters