Welcome to the 2023 School Year - Ambrose Treacy College

A warm welcome to 2023. I certainly hope everyone had a joyful Christmas in addition to some relaxation and time for family and friends over the break.

Our staff have been busy all last week with Professional development and preparing for the start of the school year. It has been wonderful to welcome our students back today and I look forward to the full student cohort commencing on Wednesday. The presence of our students on site has added the colour, movement, laughter, and fun we all need as they start their learning, leadership, and service journey for 2023. I especially welcome our new students in all years and particularly our boys in Year 4 and 7 and their families and wish our Year 12 students the very best in their leadership call to ‘Pave the Way’ in 2023.

Staff Update

I wish to welcome all new staff to Ambrose Treacy College. One of my pleasurable components of my role is the process of appointing new staff. I am very confident our new staff will be an asset to the ATC community, and we hope to achieve great things together. I warmly welcome David Ryan, Andrew Gane, Harry McKenzie, Jayne Ogilvie, Nathan King, Teresa Dwyer, William Hunter, Thomas Schaab, Marcelle Lam, Leanne Laboo, Tasha Damon, Alana Rose, Nissa Venton, Paula Budden, Benjamin Marriott, Julie Lofting, and Lisa McKinley.

We also welcome the return of Steve McGiffin and Kevin Van Der Weide, who have agreed to contracts to replace staff on leave.

Along with these new staff, news over the holiday time also unfortunately included some departures. Mr Keith Halpin, one of our College Counsellors, took some leave at the end of last year and during this leave has decided to pursue a different path in his career. Keith has been instrumental in setting up our Senior School, and has provided outstanding support to many families, students and staff over his time at ATC. Mr Yugei Nair has accepted a position at one of our fellow ERAE Colleges, St Edmund’s College Ipswich. Yugei made this decision to support his young family now and into the future. Two of our School officers, Mr Fabio Westphal and Ms Leisa Lenihan, have also decided to accept different positions due to family-work balance. I thank these four staff for their contributions to the ATC community.

Ms Chloe Parker also shared the wonderful news in January of the birth of her daughter Genevieve Summer Parker. We congratulate Chloe and share in her and her husband’s joy.

Waterford Project

The good news in December was the successful tender process for the Waterford duplication building. Fencing has already gone up at the Kate Street end of our campus and the serious work is about o begin. Unlike our previous construction work, this project will be very central. Hence the disruption and noise will be intense. The twelve months of pain will hopefully go quickly as we look forward to the new classrooms, hospitality facilities, auditorium, offices, Senior Student Reception, staff facilities and student common room. The addition of fourteen new classrooms is essential to accommodate our growth.

The construction works will change the way of life at that end of our campus. Movement into the Senior school, St Francis Xavier Centre and surrounds will require movement in from Kate Street or from the Main Reception area. Drop off an pick up will not be possible from the Senior School roundabout and I also ask that families do not access the rear of the SFXC. To help get thru this year of construction, it will be important that we all display patience, and care for each other, particularly at drop off and pick up times. It may take a few extra minutes, but we must ensure at all times that the students are safe.

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 son’s future at ATC. Please follow the link below to the (click here)  ‘Helping Out in 2023’ online form. We look forward to welcoming you to our community of volunteers. 

COVID-19 latest

This time twelve months ago the commencement of school across Queensland was delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions. How things can change in twelve months. Last week the Chief Health Officer (CHO) moved Queensland’s COVID-19 traffic light alert system from amber to green status. This move has been made following a significant decrease in the number of cases in Queensland since the most recent peak in mid-December.

The health advice for operating under the green status is outlined below:

Green (baseline) means there are low rates of community transmission and Queensland is not in a COVID-19 wave.

When the traffic light is green, we recommend you:

stay home if you're sick

keep up to date with your vaccinations
maintain good hygiene
take a rapid antigen test (RAT) if you get COVID-19 symptoms
wear a mask if required by a healthcare provider, venue, or household.

To access more information from QH CLICK HERE.

I encourage everyone in our community to strongly follow guide hygiene and for staff and students to stay home if they are sick.

Training for Child Safeguarding

An important aspect of the culture of hospitality, partnership, and service we share is through our many volunteers across the life of the College. A responsibility we share as adults is the provision of a safe and caring environment for our young people in all that we do, and this is reflected in our compliance policies and procedures. All visitors and volunteers must review the Key Messages for Visitors and Volunteers document and please complete the online training (a few minutes) via this link.  We will keep a record of which parents and caregivers have completed the training.  Unfortunately, if you have not completed the online acknowledgement, you will be unable to volunteer in various activities across the College. Your support with this is greatly appreciated.

Child Safeguarding Policy and Practice

Further to this, Edmund Rice Education schools have a strong commitment to the safeguarding of children and clear policies and practices that we promote and follow here at Ambrose Treacy College. Mandatory reporting of all concerns that are in the interests of protecting our young people’s safety and well-being is a priority at our school. I encourage all parents and caregivers to preview our Child Safeguarding policies and information on the College website under the ‘Community’ banner and ‘Child Safety’. I encourage all parents and caregivers to feel comfortable to contact a member of our Child Safeguarding Team if you have a question or require some assistance or support. Our Counselling Team are an excellent resource in this and other regards.

ATC Child Safety Contacts

Ms Siobhan Brophy – College Counsellor Junior School – brophys@atc.qld.edu.au

Ms Danika Ehlers – Head of Munster House – ehlersd@atc.qld.edu.au

Ms Jane Ellice – College Counsellor Middle School – ellicej@atc.qld.edu.au

Mr Conor Finn – Dean of Formation – finnc@atc.qld.edu.au

Mr Matthew Warr – Dean of Faith and Mission – warrm@atc.qld.edu.au

Prayers

Christmas time brings a lot of joy but at also some sadness for some of our families. We keep in our thoughts and prayers all those families who have suffered over the last two months. I also ask the community to please keep Zachary and Tobie Williams (Year 11) and their family in your thoughts and prayers following the recent passing of their grandmother. We hope that the passage of time will help heal the pain of her passing. Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord, may perpetual light shine upon Gloria, and may she rest in peace. Amen.

All the best to all members of the ATC community for a wonderful Term One.

David Gardiner

Acting Principal