No. 15 Term 4 - Week 2 Newsletter 2025
From the Principal
Welcome back to Term 4!
This week I had the pleasure of welcoming Charmaine Stevens from Catholic School Parents Queensland (CSPQ) to our school. Charmaine met with me to share insights about the vital role parents play in the life of a Catholic school community. Her visit was a wonderful reminder that Catholic education is truly a partnership between home, school, and parish, one that nurtures not only academic growth but also faith, wellbeing, and a sense of belonging.
Charmaine encouraged me to continue fostering strong relationships between parents and the school, highlighting how family engagement directly enhances student learning and school culture. When parents feel connected and involved, students flourish, they see that education is valued and that faith is lived out through community.
We are deeply grateful for the many ways our parents contribute — volunteering at school events, being part of our School Board, contributing to our Family and Community Engagement Group through to supporting learning at home, and most importantly, by entrusting us with their children’s education and faith formation. Together, we continue to build a school that reflects our shared Catholic values and commitment to creating futures filled with hope and purpose.
If you would like to know more about the Catholic Schools' Parents Queensland, please use this link:
Recently, we also had a group of students and teachers travel to New Zealand for our school Ski Trip. This was an exciting opportunity for our students to experience something truly unique, learning new skills, embracing adventure, and building lasting friendships along the way. From all reports, a wonderful time was had by all. I take this opportunity to sincerely thank the staff, Mrs Stennett, Mr Keryk, Mr Marano, Mrs Licciardello and Mrs Giddy who accompanied the group and supported our students throughout this memorable experience.
Upon their return, the school was presented with a beautiful crucifix made from paua shell by Drea Piotto. It was an honour to receive this on behalf of the school.
I would like to wish our Year 12s all the very best as they commence their External Exams on Monday 27th October. These exams will run until the 18th November. Final subject results for Year 12 students will be released via the myQCE portal on 17th December. Also, I praying for all our Vocational Education students as they are seeking their apprenticeships and employment for 2026. This is a time of application, testing and interviews. All the very best.
Yours in Christ
Lorraine Wolffe
Principal
From the Deputy Principal
Year 12 QCAA External Assessment
The Year 12 QCAA External Assessment Block commences Monday, October 27th and will run through to Friday, November 14th. To assist students with their preparation for these all-important assessments, Thursday and Friday of Week 3 has been set aside as dedicated study/tutorial days. Year 12s can register for these sessions, via the Google Form sent out via email.
New Look Timetable 2026
This week we held the final of our subject selection evenings for the year. It was also an opportunity to present the new-look timetable for 2026. As indicated in earlier newsletters, the Non-State Schools Accreditation Board has revised the indicative hours for school to deliver the range of subjects that make up the Australian Curriculum. Townsville Catholic Education has taken this information and has worked with its schools in the implementation of the new hours.
For Burdekin Catholic High School, this means a return to the 10-day timetable, last in operation in 2019. This means for us, we will comfortably cater for the new indicative hours developed by NSSAB and give us greater flexibility in our timetable structure as well as greater depth in our subject delivery. The timetable will consist of five, sixty minute lessons per day.
In Years 7 and 8, learning area knowledge, understanding and skills are consolidated, positioning students for future learning pathways. There is a heavy focus on literacy and numeracy, with English and Mathematics hours increased to cater for this focus. In Years 9 and 10, students make choices about elective areas of study that deepen their understanding and support future pathways. The emphasis on pathways means students are focusing on their learning in preparation for Years 11 and 12 and post-school.
PAT Testing and Dibels Tests
As part of our data collection and check-in on student progress over the year, students in Years 7 - 10 will be sitting their annual PAT Tests. Year 7 and 8 students will also be sitting their final Dibels Reading Tests. This information is invaluable as it provides important data in literacy and numeracy and as we are redesigning our timetable, data to help in those all important preparations for learning enrichment in 2026.
Assessment Reminders
Term 4 is a short term, so students have to maxmise every learning opportunity. Students, please refer to the assessment calendars to assist with that planning. Set a goal for this final term, and use each day as an opportunity to work towards that goal.
From the Science Department
Year 8 Science Spotlight: Exploring Cells Through the Microscope
This term, Year 8 students stepped into the fascinating world of cells as part of their Biology unit!
Students gained hands-on experience by creating wet mount slides using onion skin to observe plant cells under the microscope.
They also examined a variety of prepared slides, allowing them to compare different cell types and structures — from plant to animal cells. This practical activity helped students develop essential microscopy skills and deepened their understanding of the basic building blocks of life.
Seeing the intricate details of cells firsthand sparked curiosity, questions, and a new appreciation for the microscopic world around us.
From the Maths Department
QAMT Maths Competition
On the 14th of October, Popi Loizou, Maggie Chandler and Reeve Scuderi, travelled to Townsville and participated in Round Two of the QAMT Maths Competition. This challenging event tested students’ skills in estimation, problem solving, general knowledge, and speed and accuracy.
We are thrilled to share that our team placed fifth overall — a fantastic achievement!
We are very proud of these students for their hard work and commitment. They represented BCHS with excellence, demonstrating respect and kindness towards students from other schools throughout the competition.
Well done to our talented mathematicians!
A big thank you to Mrs Boland for her support and guidance for our Mathematicians.
From the Careers Department
Year 9 Creating Futures Career Day
Last Friday, Year 9 students participated in the Creating Futures Career Day, marking the next stage of the Creating Futures program at BCHS.
So far in the program, students took part in a Career Rotation - 2024, attended the JCU UniX Year 8 Open Day, and both the 2024 and 2025 BCHS Creating Futures Career Expos. This week’s session built on that foundation.
For students new to BCHS, we revisited the BCHS Careers Website, a key tool for career exploration. We also explored the information available to students on the 2025 Year 9 Career Google Classroom, which will follow them through to their senior years at BCHS. This page contains all information related to the Creating Futures program, including part-time job opportunities, trade and university events, and updates that evolve as students’ progress through the program.
To start the day, students participated in an icebreaker where they had to find the other half of a common saying. In pairs, they then shared their completed saying with the group and explained how it could apply to a real-life situation.
The first session focused on unpacking Carol Dweck’s theory of Fixed and Growth Mindsets. We explored the language associated with both mindsets and discussed how adopting a growth mindset can support personal and academic goals. I shared two personal examples—training for and completing a half marathon, and my five-year quest to grow and pollinate my mini vanilla bean orchard. As the saying goes, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”
This session transitioned perfectly into goal setting. At the recent Subject Selection Evening, Ms Rigano emphasised the importance of setting goals in Year 9 to ensure subject choices align with future aspirations. Students were guided through the goal-setting process using the Coaching Young People for Success model. By evaluating key personal attributes and analysing their Semester One reports, each student set one personal and one academic goal. Parents—be sure to ask your child to share these with you!
A team-building activity then tested students’ communication, critical thinking, and collaboration skills within their house groups. The challenge was to get the entire group through a hoop while keeping everyone’s hands linked. The winning house was Polding, followed by Clarence and Marcellin.
The day concluded with a session on Work Experience and the application process. As students begin to consider elective subjects for Year 10, many are finding that work experience can help confirm their career pathway and open up new opportunities.
Finally, students worked on résumé writing. As part of the 2024 Career Rotation, students had developed an initial résumé—this document is “live” and should be regularly updated as they gain new skills and experiences.
I thoroughly enjoyed spending the day with the Year 9s. Many students have already identified pathways they’re eager to pursue and asked thoughtful questions about how to achieve their goals, subject selections and work experience.
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