Sharing Knowledge and Wisdom

It was an important week of information sharing, as we hosted our Parent Information evenings. I hope these presentations provided beneficial information for the start of the year including key dates and strategies to support your child. For families in Years 4 to Year 10, it also offered an opportunity, either face to face or on Teams, to meet your child’s homeroom teacher. Our partnership with you in working together to maximise your child’s success is very important for us at ATC.

The Homeroom teacher is your first point of call in most cases, and they are directly supported by the respective Formation Leader. Wherever necessary please maintain strong open communication with these key staff. The PowerPoints that were presented on the respective evenings have been shared on the ATC App for your perusal.

Academic Assembly

Last week we celebrated the success of many students at three school Academic Assemblies. It was extremely heartening to see over 400 students receive an award.

The range of awards provides the opportunity for each student to be recognised, with categories covering improvement, effort, and achievement. The assemblies allowed opportunities for students to acknowledge their peers while also presenting the opportunity to absorb inspirations and strategies for success. The student body were presented with the stories of Tony Armstrong, Trent Dalton, Molly Steer and Ryan Campbell. Everyday Australians whose stories model how success can be achieved.

Words that we use around ATC often, such as hope, resilience, courage, commitment, gratitude, persistence, partnerships, and involvement resonated across the assemblies. Hopefully the success of their peers and the stories of others can support every student in achieving their personal excellence. I also wish to thank Ms Morgan, in her absence this week, for her leadership of learning at ATC. We are seeing significant improvement in results across many areas. Let’s continue to focus on improvement and personal excellence.

Scholars Assembly

Last week, the College held our Scholars’ Assembly where we acknowledged our 2022 Academic Award winners. Last year we were proud to have all Year 12 students achieve their pathway goals of completing either a QCE or QCIA. We celebrated 12% of the ATAR eligible cohort achieving an ATAR of 95 or above, placing them in the top 5% of the state. This tremendous academic achievement is acknowledged through the Brother Patrick Ambrose Treacy Medal. We also celebrated the joint College Duces, Proxime Accessit, Excellence in Vocational Education, and all Subject Award winners. Congratulations go to the 2022 student cohort for all their incredible achievements.

Several of our top students shared their insight on how to achieve success in Year 12. Throughout these speeches some common themes emerged such as working collaboratively with your peers and utilising the invaluable resource of your teachers. Past students agreed that each person will study differently, but that consistent and diligent effort is crucial to success. A lasting message from our alumni was to enjoy the time you have at ATC as it will be remembered as some of the best of your life.

Indooroopilly Shopping Centre

Ambrose Treacy College aims to be an authentic Catholic community in the Edmund Rice tradition that promotes excellence in learning, leadership and service in order to challenge your son to make a prophetic difference for our world. In supporting this journey, we believe it is important to provide clear, consistent and high expectations of your son. An important aspect of this is forming their ability to make constructive and respectful choices about personal behaviour based on consideration of safety concerns, social norms, the evaluation of consequences and the well-being of both themselves, and others.

In support of this formative journey the College also builds proactive partnerships with the wider community. One such important collaborative partnership is with the Indooroopilly Police Crime Prevention Unit and the Indooroopilly Police Beat at Indooroopilly Shopping Centre. The feedback regarding our students’ behaviour from the Indooroopilly Police Beat is that they are well behaved and respectful. This has also been affirmed by Indooroopilly Shopping Centre Management.

We continue to proactively build this culture of expectations and as such the Indooroopilly Police Crime Prevention Unit have been invited to speak to the Middle and Senior School students regarding their conduct generally in public, and the law. In addition, personal and public safety whilst at Indooroopilly Shopping Centre and the general community will also be discussed.

In support of this, no Ambrose Treacy College student is allowed to be inside or outside the Indooroopilly Shopping Centre prior to the commencement of the school day in addition to transitioning from their bus stop if they catch a bus. This will also support students arriving at school prior to the commencement of classes.

Should you have any queries or feedback at any time throughout the year regarding these matters please do not hesitate to contact our Acting Deputy Principal, Mr Conor Finn. As the primary educator of your child, we value your continued support and commitment to forming your son to be a ‘Sign of Faith’ in partnership with the College.

Care & Concern

The ATC community is welcoming and friendly and we believe that when everyone is involved in the Ambrose Treacy life, it builds a strong and connected community. Volunteering is a great way to make friends and meet parents in your son’s year level and by signing up for Care and Concern or getting involved with P&F events, you are investing in your child’s future at ATC. Examples of various services the P&F Care and Concern provide include:

• cooking meals;

• being available to provide some comfort by being a good listener.

Please click here to complete the ‘Helping Out in 2023’ online form. We look forward to welcoming you to our community of volunteers. 

Enrolments

Our student population currently stands at 1344 students. This is equal to the projected figure we had nine years ago when the planning for ATC was underway. Over the next month we will be interviewing for Year 4 2024 and Year 7 2026. I encourage you to contact our Enrolments Officer, Ms Robyn Donaldson on 38780505 or by email if you are interested in future enrolment. Waiting lists are forming across many year levels, so it is important that families complete an enrolment package if they are intending to enrol at ATC.

Parents and Friends Welcome Event

Ambrose Treacy College Parents & Friends invite our parents and caregivers to Kick off Cocktails on Saturday 18 February at Figs on Sylvan, Wests Rugby Club Toowong from 6.00pm to 11pm. Entry Ticket is $25pp and includes finger food, a welcome drink, (choice of wine, beer or a sparkling) one entry into the raffle of one term's tuition fees, and great music! Additional raffle tickets can be purchased and you have to be in attendance on the night to win the prize. (valued up to $3834). Event tickets are available to purchase through your Parent Lounge account and Mr Ben Prain, P&F President and I hope to see you there on the night. If you have any queries, please email the Secretary Catherine Jackson.

Opening Mass

Tomorrow we officially celebrate the start of the school year with our Opening Mass for Years 7 to 12 students at Riverlife. This is a significant even to mark the 2023 school year and we ask for God’s blessing on our community. Years 4 to Year 6 students will participate in a Junior School Opening Mass this Friday in NJ Hall. The second part of tomorrow’s ceremony will be the Senior Commissioning. As the Year 12s officially start their final year, I offer my best wishes for their success as they pave the way in 2023.

Prayers

I ask the community to please keep Joseph Brady (Year 5), William Carr (Year 9), Alesgo Koo (Year 8) and Ms Del Favero and their families in your thoughts and prayers following the recent passing on a family member. We hope that the passage of time will help heal the pain of their passing.  Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, may perpetual light shine upon them, may they rest in peace. Amen.

God bless.

David Gardiner,

Acting Principal