Msss bulletin 14 2015 by St Andrews Lutheran College

Issue 14 / 4 September 2015

Middle/Senior School Bulletin

Middle & Senior School News QCS Test This week our Year 12 students completed their QCS tests. While this style of testing is stressful for our students, they faced this challenge knowing they were well-prepared and that as a College we hold every confidence that each of them will achieve to the best of their abilities. While the preparations for these tests are cumulative and something that spans across their learning experiences from P-12, I’d like to acknowledge Mrs Christina Wrigley (Head of Learning and Teaching) and the Year 12 teachers for their tireless efforts towards assisting students to achieve their personal best performances. As a tradition, to show their support and care for the Year 12 students, Year 11 students cooked breakfast for the Year 12s.

system which will include some external assessment. The College has been anticipating this announcement and has already begun to prepare for this transition. Over the coming years, the College will continue to work with staff and your children, so that they are well prepared for this change in 2018. Real World Experiences Year 10 City Xp On Tuesday our Year 10 students took part in a self-guided Brisbane based excursion. The City Xp enriches the curriculum at Year 10 where students already participate in Destinations and Work Experience as part of their ‘Preparation for Senior’ and journey through a St Andrews education. This excursion is focussed on building Teamwork, Problem Solving, Independence and Competence, as students have to navigate their way through Brisbane CBD and engage with key civic and educational institutions. On Wednesday the students were involved in an alternate learning program. Thank you to Mr Nelson for developing the program and for the other staff who have assisted in making this experience for our students possible. Readers Cup Congratulations to our Readers Cup team who placed 6th on Wednesday night at the State Final for The Readers Cup. Over 400 schools competed in the Queensland combined Year 7/8 competition and our Year 7 team performed exceptionally well. Well done, team! I’d also like to thank Mrs Stockwell for coaching. She tells me that the team is already planning a strategy for the 2016 Cup.

The Education Minister Kate Jones recently announced that Queensland will transition from the current OP system to the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) system in 2018. The new system will include a mix of internal and external exams, starting with students entering Year 11 in 2018. This was one of the recommendations of the Australian Council for Educational Research review into the state’s education system, which was carried out under the previous government. Universities have increasingly turned to ATAR as a preferred score. Our current Year 8 students will be part of the first Queensland cohort to transition into this new

Business Ventures On Friday 21 August nine of our Year 12 Business students graduated from their Griffith Business Outreach course which now sees them eligible for direct entry to Griffith to study Business. This opportunity is one of many provided to our students that link their College based studies to studies beyond senior schooling.

On Sunday 23 August our Year 9 Going into Business elective students held a gourmet cupcakes stall at the Coolangatta Markets raising money for 40 Hour Famine. This was the culmination of their small business studies project which saw them develop a business plan, undergo product development and market research relating to small business. Many members of the community enjoyed providing feedback on their cupcakes at the Middle School Expo. Students will now complete an evaluation of their project. Thank you to Ms Myles for her work with these students.

On Monday, Year 11 Visual Art students created a series of works based on the landscape at Fingal Beach. Students captured all aspects of the design process as they created, photographed and documented their own visual earthwork through to completion and as they were taken by the tide.

Creative Expressions Year 12 Visual Arts students Melissa Maessen, Tayla Cotis and Zak Taylor recently presented work at the Creative Generation exhibition which showcases the top young artists in our region. Held at Griffith Universityâ€™s White Box gallery, the studentsâ€™ work was very well received by the audience. Zak Taylor received a Commendation for his work Power and Passion. To be invited to contribute work speaks to the high standard produced by our students. Ms Harman and others were particularly impressed by the the sophistication of the imagery captured by Melissa, Tayla and Zak.

The 2016 College Musical, The Little Mermaid, auditions were held this week and last. The Performing Arts Staff are eagerly anticipating this production which will be held at the Arts Centre next year.

Co-Curricular and Recreational Sport This week students selected their Recreational Sport activities for Term 4. Any questions about Recreational Sporting activities can be directed to Mr Manion. Over the past two weeks a number of our College Touch Football teams have competed in preliminary tournaments and I would like to acknowledge all of the players and their coaches for their commitment to early morning and lunchtime training sessions. Mr Hibbs and the other staff involved relish the opportunity to assist our students to grow their skills and passion for this sport. Virginia Warner Deputy Principal Head of Secondary School

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Middle School News Year 7 Canberra Trip Students from Year 7 at St Andrews will soon be undertaking an educational tour of the National Capital. While on this tour they will participate in a variety of educational programmes focused on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy. The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit their National Capital as part of their civics and citizenship education. To assist you (the parent) in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing $60 per eligible student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate Programme toward the travel expenses incurred. This contribution will be paid directly to the College upon completion of the excursion. We would like to thank the Australian Government for their support of this programme. We hope that the excursion is a rewarding experience for all students.

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Between Relay for Life and the 40 Hour Famine St Andrews students and families have raised over $6000. The Leos continue to go from strength to strength and this week visited the Aged Care for Father’s Day joined by Year 11 student Elliott Bayliss on guitar who entertained the residents. They also cooked a BBQ breakfast for our Performing Arts students as a way of saying thank you from the College for all their hard work in recent months. St Andrews Leos will also volunteer their time on Saturday to join a fellow Leo Club and assist at a disco and movie night for students at the Currumbin Special School. In the wider community, our Year 11 students have been out to visit and connect with the homeless through Rosies and we are currently in the process of raising money, through our Leo Bunnings BBQ over the holidays, to purchase swags for the homeless. Last week, Riley Kennedy, Tia Lightbody, Sam Irvine and Ben Beggs visited the Preps and read stories to help celebrate ‘Book Week’.

Please note that the Government’s rebate has already been included in the budgeting for this trip and, accordingly, will not feature as a separate rebate for parents. There is an air of excitement about the College at the moment as the trip draws near and I look forward to joining the Year 7s on this study tour. Subject Selection The online system for elective selection for 2016 has closed and we are now examining the data in order to make up the timetable for next year. This is a complex process and students should be aware that they will not be guaranteed their first preferences when their timetables are released. As always, I am happy to try and assist students by placing them into subjects when the allocations are released later in the year. Tom Casey Head of Middle School

Senior School News Flourishing in the Senior School Service is an important part of wellbeing or flourishing. Last month we celebrated appreciation and ‘awesomeness’ in August. Senior School students have had a myriad of opportunities to give back and also to find meaning through; appreciation for what we have, and by lending a helping hand to someone in need. I have been so proud of how awesome our young people have been in their efforts to serve the College and wider community. Here are a few examples of what I mean by ‘awesome’.

During this busy time of service students also managed to complete a lot of important assessment and on that note there is more to come. Our Year 12’s sat the QCS tests this week. The culmination of 13 years of schooling went into those two days of tests. However, the hard work is not over and there are still important exams and assignments to complete both this term and next. I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge and thank Mrs Wrigley for all her hard work, meticulous preparation and commitment to ensuring that our students are utterly prepared for this important milestone in their senior year. Just over two weeks ago we had one of the most successful Year 11 Camps I’ve ever experienced. I know the students felt the same because their feedback was that it should be for a week not three days. They are now settled back into the routine of school and many are developing their leadership applications for 2016. The Year 10’s enjoyed the City Xp in Brisbane this week and will no doubt be inspired by what they saw and did. They have also benefited from some time with our Head of IT to ensure they are making the most of their computer skills and the programs available to them, gathered some tips on researching and time management and heard from our Adopt-a-Cop Tracey Clouston on Drugs, Alcohol and Violence. All in all it has been a big week in the Senior School.

After School Mathematics Tutorials: Please note that Mrs Anderson is running a tutorial for all students in Years 7-12 for Maths in the CRC on Wednesday afternoons. All welcome.

Chaplains Chat

Congratulations to: • Jessica Palfreyman in Year 10 who was selected to represent Australia in Ice Dance in Slovakia later in the year. She and her partner were also selected to compete in Poland. Jessica is busy brushing up on her German in preparation for the training camp in Dortmund, Germany. Good luck Jessica – we are very proud of you. • Max Johnstone in Year 10 on his selection in the Qld State Polocrosse Squad for the National Championships in Albury next April. This weekend Max will compete for the GC Polocrosse Team at the Queensland State Polocrosse Championships where the final selections for the Queensland team will be made. Great work Max and good luck.

‘As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord’. Joshua announces this to the Israelites as he nears the end of his time here on earth. He has spent all his life living as God’s servant, faithfully following the Lord’s leading as the Israelites took possession of the Promised Land. Now, as his leadership of the nation draws to a close he issues a challenge to God’s people. “I will continue in God’s will, remain deeply connected with him – What will you do?” The people respond in the affirmative. Of course they will move forward, loving and serving God. But what is the reality that unfolds in the years ahead? The Israelites move into a cycle of enjoying God’s love and care and then succumbing to temptation and pursuing other more ‘charming’ ways of living that involved idolatry and pleasure seeking. They would then realise the error of their ways as life for them disintegrated and turn back to God again and enjoy living within his will for a period of time. •

The College Captaincy Team – Finn, Melissa, Braden and Jacinda who last week hosted our Annual Leader’s Lunch. This was an opportunity for our College leaders from Junior, Middle and Senior School to come together and talk all things leadership.

If you have any queries or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me on tanias@salc.qld.edu.au Tania Stewart Head of Senior School

Why weren’t they able to stay true to their intention? Why couldn’t they remain faithful? We may ask the same question – Why am I unable to stick with my commitment to always respond with love towards others? Why do I allow small things to irritate me? Surely, I am better than that? The Old Testament Biblical narrative is full of individuals and the nation of Israel believing they will be able to do it! But ultimately making a mess of life. Why does this occur time after time? Because they, just like us put our trust in ourselves. We believe that we are strong enough in our own strength to be a worthwhile person – and yet all the evidence of history and what happens around us is contrary to this. Thankfully, God does not leave us languishing in the mess that we create. He comes to us and heals us through his offer of love through His son Jesus. Trusting in God’s promises and constantly sharing our life with Him brings renewed hope and love into our lives. We are blessed with strength that can only come from God. Strength we are unable to muster in our own efforts. May each of us be able to say, ‘As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord’ but more importantly may we be able to connect authentically day in day out with our God so that we live in His strength – not our own. Graeme Schache Chaplain

Student Development The City Xp is part of the Year 10 transition experience and ‘Preparation for Senior’. This compliments the Destinations and Work Experience programs in order to give young people a vision for work, creativity, social smarts and to assist them to make clearer connections between learning now, careers and enterprise in their future. As part of the College’s outdoor education program the experience, during City Xp students work on Teamwork, Independence, Confidence and Problem Solving. Students plan their own excursion to Brisbane City, accessing maps, timetables and public information to construct their team excursion.

MS Dance Troupe - 2nd Combined Troupe - Contemporary - VHC Combined Troupe - Jazz - HC Semitone Choir - 3rd Golden Clef Choir - 3rd Senior Choir - VHC Percussion Ensemble - VHC Jazz Band - HC Cultural Awards 2015 In Term 4 we have our annual Cultural Awards Evening on Friday 23 October (Term 4 Week 3), where we celebrate the year in the Arts and recognise individual student achievement. Below is the criteria for our Cultural Awards from Years 4-12. Essential Criteria for all Levels: Active Participation in School Cultural Activities Bronze Award This is awarded to students who: • Have been involved in several (3-4) cultural groups/ activities throughout the year OR • Passed Grade 5 or above in Music, Dance or Speech & Drama Exams OR • Are nominated for outstanding contribution to a College ensemble/activity

The day in Brisbane was a success with many students in awe at the major universities, the talented musicians at the Conservatorium of Music, interviews with some of Australia’s leading Physiotherapists and Sports Medicine professionals, the engineering and geography of the city and the real life drama unfolding in Magistrates, District and Supreme Courts. We look forward to continuing to grow the City Xp program which currently extends across two days and heightens student engagement with useful Information Technologies to facilitate further engagement with learning for the future also. James Nelson Director of Student Development jamesn@salc.qld.edu.au

Silver Award • Grade 5 or above in Music or Speech & Drama Exam and involvement in cultural groups/activities throughout the year OR • Major Award at Regional level (GC Drama Festival/ Eisteddfod Championships etc) Gold Award • Representation at State level or equivalent in chosen discipline OR • Major Award (eg. Top of State in Speech & Drama Exam) We gather our information using two separate processes. Junior School We track student involvement based on our rolls.

Performing Arts News Gold Coast Eisteddfod Wrap Up Well done to all students who represented the College at the recent Eisteddfod. Whilst it is always wonderful to walk away with a trophy or place, for us as a department what is most impressive and most valued is how wonderfully the students performed on stage and how well they represented the College on and off stage. Well done all and special thanks to our amazing arts staff who supported the students through this experience. Results: Grade 4 Animi - 1st MS Contemporary Troupe - 2nd

NB: If your child is involved in any activity outside of school, please email Cilla Scott priscillas@salc.qld.edu.au before the end of Week 9 (Friday 11 September) for that information to be considered. Middle/Senior School Students are to complete a Cultural Awards survey (Available on Parent Lounge) and ensure Cilla Scott receives it before the end of Week 9 (Friday 11 September). Any questions about this process can be emailed to priscillas@salc.qld.edu.au Cilla Scott Head of Arts

Sport News Student Achievements Track and Field St Andrews had 19 students qualify for the Regional Track and Field Championships to be held at the GCCC Track at Griffith University on 8th, 9th September. We look forward to hearing of their results.

Polocrosse Congratulations to Max Johnstone for his selection in the Qld State Polocrosse Squad for the National Championships in Albury next April. This weekend Max will compete for the GC Polocrosse team at the Queensland State Polocrosse Championships where the final selections for the Qld team will be made.

AFL Georgia Eller has been selected in a 24 person squad for the Under 14 Girls Gold Coast Sunsets AFL team. The squad will be reduced to 20 players after Monday 7 September. We wish Georgia all the best as she breaks new ground. Pool Rescue Championships At the National Pool Rescue Championships held at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, Misha Varley recorded the following list of impressive results; 1st and Australian Champion – Line Throw 1st and Australian Champions – 4 x 50m Obstacle Race 1st and Australian Champions – 4 x 50m Brick Carry Relay 1st and Australian Champions – 4 x 50m Medley Relay 4th in 100m Patient Tow

Touch Our Girls’ Touch teams performed very well recently at the All Hallows Touch Championships. One of our teams coached by ex-student Jamie Stanton, made it into the Shield Final. Both teams displayed outstanding application and effort on the day. Swimming Ieuan Watkins has continued his outstanding success in the pool at the recent Gold Coast Short Course Championships at Nerang. Ieuan won Gold in the 50m, 100m, 200m and 400m Freestyle, 100m Individual Medley and Silver in the 100 Backstroke. He also broke the records in 50m, 100m and 400m Freestyle And to finish off a great list of results, Ieuan won Age Champion for his age group.

Ice Skating Jessica Palfreyman and her skating selected to represent Australia in Ice Slovakia in mid-December. They will training camp in Dortmund, Germany great achievement indeed.

partner have been Dance in Bratislava, also be attending a in January. What a

Rugby Union Naithanial Thomson-Smith recently played in the Queensland Rugby Union State Championships. Naithanial was selected in the Gold Coast Cyclones, and was chosen to captain the side. At the end of the Championships, Naithanial was selected as the outside centre for the ‘Team of the Tournament’ and also awarded the ‘Players’ Player’ trophy. We look forward to one day seeing Nait help the Wallabies win the Bledisloe!

Andrew Manion Head of Sport

Continuing Enrolment Forms for 2016 are now due. Please return your form to the College asap.

P&F News

Tuckshop News

AGM (Annual General Meeting) This year’s AGM is on Wednesday 25 November 7.00pm in the CRC (Cecile Ryan Centre).

As the warmer weather approaches, we (as parents) need to reconsider the way we pack and also what we pack into our children’s lunch boxes.

At the meeting all current office bearers will resign and a vote will be taken for the positions from the nominations received.

Food spoilage can be one of the reasons why many people suffer from illness associated with eating contaminated food and may put children more at risk.

All nominations must be submitted 30 days before the AGM to the President. A nomination form will be available shortly on the College website under the P & F section.

Tuckshop is unable to reheat any foods bought in from home as we are unsure as to how the food was prepared, stored and the quality of the food when brought to us. Our concern is to keep your child free from food related illnesses.

The office bearer positions are as follows: President Currently Daniel Renneberg (daniel@austplan.com.au) Vice President Currently Julieanne Andrews (julieanne6@optusnet.com.au) Treasurer Currently Michelle Brown (michelle@brownslawyers.com.au) Secretary Currently Nicole Ainger (bidwill16@bigpond.com) Grants Officer Currently Kim Allan Fundraising Officer (Currently Vacant) Most of the current office bearers are unable to commit to a further year on the P & F due to full time employment and family commitments and are unable to re-nominate. Please consider taking on a role on the P & F. It is a very rewarding position to hold, allowing you to be involved in a meaningful way in your child/ren’s school. If you would like further information on the duties of any position please feel free to contact us at pandf@salc.qld.edu.au P & F general meetings are held once a term and everyone is always welcome. Father’s Day Raffle A big thankyou to all the Volunteers who helped out with the Fathers Day stall. The kids love choosing their presents and as always there was a great variety. Also, would like to thank Currumbin RSL for donating the hamper for the raffle. The winners are: 1 prize – Sonny Nichols – 2B 2nd prize – Gwilyn Corfield - 3B 3rd prize – Mila Berg - ELC st

P & F Committee

Below is some information relating to “Lunch Box Safety.” Please click the link below to read more about food safety. Keep it Cool! The most important thing to remember in keeping food safe during storage is to keep potentially hazardous food out of the ‘temperature danger zone’ of 5 degrees C to 6 degrees C. As schools generally do not provide students with access to heating devices, any potentially hazardous food in a school lunch box needs to be kept at a safe temperature of below 5 degrees C. Keeping in mind that school lunches usually sit for a few hours before being eaten, below are some simple tips to help ensure food is kept at a safe temperature until the time it will be consumed: • • • • •

Use insulated lunch boxes or cooler bags Keep a frozen drink or freezer brick(s) inside the lunch box If preparing lunches the night before, keep it in the fridge until leaving for school Encourage children to keep the lunch box in their schoolbag and to store it out of direct sunlight. Pack items that don’t spoil quickly

Any perishable food such as meat, poultry or egg sandwiches, should be thrown out if not eaten that day. www.health.qld.gov.au/foodsafety Flexischools Did you know that if you have a child in Years 7-12 you can link their Student ID to their Flexischool account? If not, simply have them associate their Student ID card to the photocopier then login to Flexischool and add the student ID number. If you have having trouble, please contact us at Tuckshop and we will be more than happy to assist you. Trina van der Kamp Tuckshop Manager

Dates to Remember - September Sunday 6 Father’s Day Monday 7 Junior Council GC City Council (selected students) National eSmart Week 7-11 September Tuesday 8 Running Club Breakfast South Coast Sec. Regional Ath Track & Field Years 8 & 9 Book Club Wednesday 9 South Coast Sec. Regional Ath Track & Field Years 8-10 Netball Competition (selected students) Friday 11 Years 7-12 Assembly Year 12 Exams Monday 14 Year 7 Canberra Trip 14-18 September Year 12 Exams Tuesday 15 Years 8 & 9 Book Club Year 12 Exams Wednesday 16 Years 8-10 Netball Competition (selected students) Year 12 Exams Thursday 17 Champion Basketball School of Qld (selected students) 17-20 September Battle of the Bands Friday 18 End of Term 3

NCE A H C E LAST E IN TH E TO B R PRIZ O MAJ RAW D

It’s back!

Earn 1 sticker for every $10 you spend.

Completed sticker sheets can be placed in the collection box at Junior School Administration or handed into Senior School Administration.

Purchase your Entertainent BookTM Membership before 8 September for a chance to win 2 x Nights Accomodation & Buffet Breakfast Package

CLOSING SOON!

INSIGHTS Building parent-school partnerships

WORDS Michael Grose

Exploring the New Frontier in Parenting So what is this new frontier of parenting? Emotions are now recognised as an important part of the parenting landscape. Here are five ideas to help you explore the alien landscape of kids’ emotions. This is not to say that we ignore children’s

It’s official! Emotions are now part of the parenting and educational mainstream!

poor behaviour, neglect to set limits or

For some time they’ve been relegated as a sideshow to the main events of discipline, confidence building, character building, and lately, resilience.

experienced hardship at school. Accepting

not ask anything of them when they’ve and recognising emotions is an added layer in our interactions with kids, which may well be the missing link in building cooperation, connection and resilience.

Not now. The recently released movie Inside Out gives life to emotions in a fun, accessible way. It’s a wonderful demonstration of why we must put emotional intelligence front and centre in our parenting and teaching. The quickest pathway to happiness and success is the acceptance and recognition of feelings.

Emotions are messy. They can be loud. They can be hidden. They so often interrupt our well-organised schedules. “What do you mean you’re sad? We’re off to watch a movie. It’s a happy time!” Emotions are hard to control and difficult to see. Like slippery eels swimming in a dam, you know that they are down there somewhere but it’s hard to

This is not a new idea. Over 2,000 years ago Socrates reminded his Greek compatriots, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”

figure out just what they are doing.

Current day muse Dr. Marc Brackett, Director of the Yale Centre for Emotional Intelligence is more expansive. He says, “Emotions matter as they drive learning, decision-making, creativity, relationships, and health.”

your three-year old throws a tantrum in

It’s a wonder parents haven’t smartened up to emotions earlier because ‘good parenting’ is hard emotional labour. When a supermarket and all you can do is grin and bear it (rather than throwing your own tantrum or doing what you really feel like which is disowning your own child!) you’re doing hard emotional labour.

When you console and contain the hurt of a primary school aged child who throws himself at your feet howling that everyone hates him, you are doing emotional labour. Staring down a teenager who looks you straight in the eye while spitting out “I hate you!” because you’ve denied their request to go out is hard emotional labour. Parents do emotional labour all the time. That’s one of the reasons its so draining. Accepting kids’ emotions mean we need to listen to them. We need to be mindful of their feelings as well as their behaviours and thoughts, which is what most parents and teachers are conditioned to do. We’ve built a broad vocabulary around behaviour management featuring terms such as consequences, limits and boundaries, and time-out to name a few. And the perennial ‘To smack or not to smack’ question shows we are very willing to have debates about behaviour management methods, but discussions about emotional management are few and far between.