I know that you and your student are going to have a wonderful educational experience when you enter the Calamvale community. This year marks the twentieth anniversary of our College, established in 2002 when Calamvale State School was moved from the Calamvale Special School site to the current site and a secondary school to year 9 was added with additional cohorts added over the next three years. A great deal of thought and planning went into the foundation of Calamvale Community College, including into its name. We remain the only state college in Queensland that has community in its title rather than state and that is indicative of who we are as a school – we are the heart of our community and our community is our reason for being. Our Foundation Motto, ‘Building on Success’ has remained at the core of our College as we aspire to be Curious, Creative and Clever.
The International Baccalaureate program reflects the cultural diversity of our community that values academic rigour, language, diversity and global competence. Over the last ten years, our College has grown and developed into an inclusive community that has grasped its diversity and used it to create a learning place where all of our students can see them selves reflected. The adoption of the International Baccalaureate program (IB), Primary Years (PYP), in years Prep to 6 and the Diploma in Years 11 and 12 has provided opportunities for our students to grow as global citizens with five languages being taught and students ever-focused on curiosity and open-mindedness. The introduction of the Middle Years program (MYP) in 2023 will complete our College as an International Baccalaureate World School.
Being an IB World School brings with it an expectation that our students will acquire the attributes of the Learner profile, that they will take action and have an impact on their world; have a voice. Having transitioned through a realignment of our courses Prep through to Year 12 we have settled on several key levers that provide our students with Voice, Choice and Ownership. In Senior Secondary our students use the evidence of their results to inform their career pathways, selecting: university destinations through the IB Diploma and Queensland Curriculum ATAR courses, with a ranking option provided by a Diploma in Business; Certification pathways access seven different certificate courses and Work Readiness and Traineeship programs partner with our local businesses and industries.
Our Junior Secondary students’ academic success populate our APEX academic excellence program directly from Year 6 leaving few spaces for enrolments out of catchment. Upcoming athletes aspire to join the Wolves 32 program, preparing themselves with coaches and exacting training for a tilt at the Brisbane Olympics in 2032. In year 8, our Honours program has delivered every student the opportunity to engage in subjects most passionately enjoyed and to extend their learning experiences beyond the day to day curriculum. Students in Year 9 have been our first participants in the IB Community Project requiring students to consider the Sustainable Development Goals expressed by UNESCO and underpinning global competence by taking action based on their learning.
Across the College the opportunities for students to develop their potential are now boundless with diverse Arts programs including The Company delivering two performances this year and the annual Musical, this year Aladdin in secondary and what a spectacular show that was and Jungle Book in Junior School as our youngest students enjoy the fun of the theatre presenting a heart-warming rendition. For the sports-minded, the Wolves sports program has taken competition to the next level this year with successful participation in a number of state level competition.
In Junior School, after six years of PYP our Year 6 students’ results are better than ever and their self-confidence and understanding has grown impressively. They have learned to be collaborative thinkers, able to share opinions and use their inquiry process to extend their curiosity, to find out, sort out and go further. The International Baccalaureate program develops the learner profile as a priority, it encourages the thinker, the carer, to be open-minded and an academic risk-taker. Nowhere is this more evident than in our Immersion classes in Prep to Year 2. These students consistently outperform their cohorts at CCC and beyond, as they develop the unique skills of bilingualism, some of them this year, acquiring a third language. Our youngest learners across the Junior Years have become principled in perspective, balanced in their thoughts and reflective of their actions. We use our major events to grow these skills – Book Week, Easter Hat Parade, Under 8s Day, gala days and our many cultural celebrations. All of these co-curricular activities are opportunities for our learners across the College. This comes to fruition as our Year 6 communicators present their learning in their culminating exhibition; one of the highlights of our IB year.
Do take the opportunity to view the videos on the School page and search some of the hyperlinks in this document to take a deep dive into our world. I look forward to sharing the next few years of your child’s educational journey.