Updated Thursday 27 January 2022
Dear Parents, Caregivers and students,
Welcome to the new school year at St Joseph's Nudgee College, and a very warm welcome to all those families who are joining our community in 2022. We have all encountered a different start to the school year than we imagined but if the past two years have taught us anything it is to adapt and be flexible.
In recent years this letter has served to assist families with a smooth beginning to the school year. In the two COVID Updates that the College has already provided we have largely focused on the immediate requirements of learning@home and the changes forced upon us by the alteration to the start of school.
This letter outlines some of the practical matters of returning to face to face schooling on Monday 7 February. Without doubt, this return is something that we are all looking forward to.
You would have already received some communications on the topics mentioned below, however this letter outlines all information and is designed to be an overarching document for the start of the school year.
Please note that school events that involve the gathering of large numbers have either been cancelled, rescheduled or offered in an online format. We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause but we are conscious of minimising the possible health risks for our community.
Year 12 Results 2021
The 2021 cohort has eclipsed the previous year’s excellent ATAR results. They’re the second strongest Year 12 results the College has achieved in the past 20 years. This is a testament to the hard work of the students, the expertise of the teachers, the dedication of the support staff, our partnership with parents and an endorsement of Nudgee’s continuous focus on learning and teaching.
Results highlights:
- Caine Day earned the honour of College Dux with an ATAR of 99.95. One of only 32 students out of a Queensland cohort of approximately 27,000 to receive the highest possible ATAR.
- 183 students were eligible for an ATAR (visa students not included).
- The median ATAR was 85 the mean ATAR was 82 (the Queensland median was 78.55).
- 34.3% of students received an ATAR >90
- 61.4% of students received an ATAR >80
- 83.1% students received an ATAR >70
- 155 (from 160 applications) students received their preferred university placement
Strength in our diversity as a College was evident once again by the continued growth of our skills and training area. Across the disciplines of agriculture, aviation, business, construction, engineering and fitness 110 boys were awarded one or more of the following certificates.
- Certificate I = 45
- Certificate II = 62
- Certificate III = 35
- Certificate IV = 1
- Diploma = 30
Six students also completed a School based apprenticeship/Traineeship. Our Queensland Certificate of Education QCE completion rate of 99% is outstanding, and significantly above the state average. Further details of our students’ achievements will be published in the newsletter.
Academic Assembly
Due to COVID-19 disruptions the College has amended the schedule.
The Year 12 Dux, ATAR and High Achievers assembly has been moved to Tuesday 8 February, commencing at 8:45am. This online event will feature our top ATAR achievers and an address by the 2021 College Dux, Caine Day. Links will be forwarded closer to the date.
Our celebration of those students (Years 5 to 11) who attained gold, silver or bronze medals based on their 2021 Semester 2 results will be presented in house assemblies on Thursday 10 February. This is a deviation from our usual practice, but necessary in the current context of attempting to limit large gatherings. We thank you for your understanding.
Student Matters
Please note the College continues to monitor the current government regulations regarding COVID-19 and the following information may change with short notice.
Friday 28 January
- All students are to attend the online College assembly, starting at 8.45am. Parents are also welcome to view this online. The link to this assembly can be located by clicking here
- Following this assembly, students will connect via their google calendar to a PC class for a short period of time. This will be a great opportunity to reconnect with their PC tutors as well as students within their class prior to commencing online learning the following week.
Sunday 6 February
- New Boarding Students registration and welcome
- Returning Boarding Students in Years 6 to 11 must return between 3 pm and 7 pm on Sunday 6 February.
- Year 12 Boarding students must return by 4pm on Sunday 6 February.
Monday 7 February - Return to face-to-face learning
- All students are asked to be in attendance by 8.20 am and report to the following areas:
- Year 5 and 6 students are to report to their core classroom in the O’Neill building and await instructions from their teachers.
- New Year 7 to 12 students will meet in the Hanly Learning Centre undercroft, and locate their House Flag. House Deans and prefects will connect with the students.
- New students in year 8-12 will have an orientation process with the Director of Students and Director of Learning and Teaching prior to commencing classes
- Existing students will report directly to their PC class.
- The school day will commence with pastoral care classes. Summer uniform is to be worn in Term 1. Normal classes commence on this day.
- Please note, all new students will receive two bag tags, one for their NC school bag and another for their NC sports bag, to be attached to bags. The bag tag will have the student’s name and PC class. For returning students - who received two tags last year - additional or new tags can be ordered - please contact the Student Office. Additional details will come via the Newsletter.
Absentee Protocols
Moving forward, this year the College App will be the most efficient way to note a student as absent, an absentee button is found on the main page of the App. When you fill out the form, an email will automatically go to the relevant Absentee Office and you will receive a message that the form has been submitted as well as an email confirmation. Only parents & caregivers have access to the absentee button.
The absentee email addresses are still available;
The College will contact parents of students who miss days of school and individual teachers may email parents when students are absent from specific periods.
However, please note these additional COVID steps.
During this time we would request that any students who are missing classes, due to either being deemed a close contact or have tested positive to COVID, to please communicate with the College, via the email addresses listed above.
Identity
Due to the current health situation and subsequent changes the College will not host the Commencement Mass and Senior Investiture that was scheduled for Friday 4 February.
The College will bless and commission our Senior students as the leaders of the College community at the Senior Investiture at 5.30 pm on Thursday 17 February in the Edmund Rice Mall. This is a departure from our usual practice of marking this occasion at our Commencement Mass, made necessary by the current situation. Parents of all Year 12 students are welcome and an invitation will be emailed in the coming days. Our Commencement Mass has been rescheduled to a date in March, which will be confirmed in due course.
Volunteering for Service and Solidarity activities in 2022: All Nudgee College students and their families are encouraged to participate in our various service activities, including Big Brekky and Big Barbie. For more information on our Service Program, and volunteering to take part, please join the NC Solidarity group on the College’s Team App or contact our Director of Identity,
Ms Sian Kennedy in the Edmund Rice Centre on 3865 0525 or email ske@nudgee.qld.edu.au
General Matters
Travel arrangements
- Over half of our students currently use the extensive Nudgee College bus service. For those parents who intend to drive their sons to school please note the following arrangements which are aimed at minimising congestion.
- Pick up and set down area - This area will be very busy for the first two weeks of term as all parents drop and pick up their son/s. Please be patient and, if possible, collect your son/s from 3:15 pm or 3:30 pm.
- Parents picking up students are encouraged to please park in the P1 and P7, adjacent to the Conference Centre and walk to the ‘Pick Up’ area. All students will be supervised. Please refer to the Nudgee College Map for details.
- Please be mindful that the Mary Rice Early Learning Centre (ELC) operates from the MacKillop Centre on the campus. The ELC car park is not available for Nudgee College parking, or drop off/pick up of Nudgee College students.
Buses
- The College bus system will operate as normal from Monday 7th February.
- Please note that all routes and timetables are the same as last year. Please check your Bus Runs at Nudgee Bus Runs. Any questions regarding buses, please email transport@nudgee.qld.edu.au.
- Nudgee College operates a Bus Travel Management System called BusMinder which tracks student travel and payment from the Student ID Card. The link below is the Bus Travel Site that the NC Transport Department has produced. This site contains all the information parents need to know with regards to Bus Minder.
- Returning Students are required to use their old Student ID Card until they receive their new card (usually by the end of the first week of Term 1). This card will still work up until the Expiry Date and will save time when boarding the bus rather than manually searching the system.
- New students will be already loaded in the BusMinder system, so if they tell the driver that they are a new student, the driver can search for their name when boarding and departing the bus. New students can expect to receive their Student ID cards shortly after their photo is taken (usually by the end of the first week of Term 1).
Parent Information Evenings
Due to the current health circumstances the College has changed the arrangements for these important evenings. These four evenings will now all be online with a 6pm start.
In brief:
- Tuesday 1 February - Year 12.
- Wednesday, 2 February - Year 8 and 9. .
- Tuesday 8 February - Year 5, 6 and 7 starting with a combined presentation and then switching to google meets with core teachers
- Wednesday, 9 February - Year 10 and 11. A combined introduction and then splitting into google meets with the Directors and Dean of Students and Learning and Teaching.
An invitation will be sent to parents to attend these online forums.
Activities
Co-curricular offerings at Nudgee College fall under either Performing Arts or Sport. During Term 1, our students compete in the GPS cricket, debating, rowing, swimming and volleyball competitions. With the delay to face to face schooling only Open 1sts and 2nds and A teams will be training and playing in the GPS competition for Week 1 and 2.
GPS sport is anticipated to return in full, Week 3 beginning Monday 7 February. Boys may also participate in cattle club, club swimming, club athletics and music. We encourage all students to get involved as soon as possible. Please refer to the appropriate team app for further details regarding co-curricular activities. If you have any inquiries email performingarts@nudgee.qld.edu.au or sport@nudgee.qld.edu.au.
Nudgee College App
Launching this year is the Nudgee College App, which will be the main form of communication for school notices. Please download the App with the links below:
Here is the link to download the app for APPLE.
Here is the link to download the app for ANDROID.
The App is the central place for all updates and notices from all areas of the College, including Houses, Newsletter, Learning and Teaching, Identity, Sports and Activities and Performing Arts. Most importantly, please ensure you are subscribed to the correct tags to see the information relevant to you and your son. It is essential you are subscribed to the Parent tag as well as your son's year level and House.
Please find a FAQ page here for your convenience.
If you have any trouble logging in with your Parent Lounge username and password, please contact support@nudgee.qld.edu.au
If you have any questions regarding the content of the App, please contact Kate McGrath Burgess on kmcgrathburgess@nudgee.qld.edu.au
Fees
Fee Statements 2022
Fee statements are distributed per term to allow parents and caregivers a more even and manageable billing cycle across the full school year.
In January, parents received a School Fees Account for Term 1 of 2022. This account included the School Tuition Fees for Term 1, levies and compulsory charges.
All accounts must be finalised in full by the due date on your fee statement unless a payment plan or a direct debit is in place.
Since we provide parent statements each term, if you wish to pay by Direct Debit then we request that Direct Debit Payment Schedules are set up in the Parent Lounge each term. The deadline to set these Schedules up for Term 1 has been extended to February 4 and we will advise relevant Term 2, 3 and 4 dates in due course.
The College recognises that these payment arrangements may not suit all families. Should this be the case for you, please contact the College’s Finance Debtor’s Clerk, Ms Jade Amey on (07) 3865 0404 or via email fees@nudgee.com to discuss alternative fee payment arrangements. It is imperative that these arrangements are in place prior to the commencement of the 2022 school year.
International Student School Fee Payments
Parents/caregivers of overseas students may find it easier to pay their school fees by International Transfer. Please contact the College Finance Department directly for transfer details on (07) 3865 0417.
Also, a reminder that the College has an obligation to report to the Secretary of DEEWR via PRISMS all international students who have not paid their fees by the due date or whose parents have failed to negotiate for an extension with our Finance Credit Manager. The College is also required to report failure to pay fees to the Department of Immigration which may impact on the student’s visa.
Nudgee College Foundation and Edmund Rice Foundation Voluntary Contributions
Both contributions are voluntary and will be added to your School Fees Account at the start of each term. However, you have the choice to vary your contribution or opt-out of the contribution in the Parent Lounge. Contributions to the Nudgee College Foundation are 100% tax deductible.
Conclusion
While the College has had to change many well-considered plans on the run over the past couple of weeks we have been mindful to always put the learning, health and well-being needs of our boys first. We know that there are little year 5 and 7 boys who have been looking forward to their first day at Nudgee College for a long time. Equally, there are Year 12s who have been waiting to take their place as school leaders with much anticipation. Between this blend of old and new, there are all those other Nudgee boys who have just been looking forward to seeing their mates and teachers back at school.
So, we look forward to welcoming all 1,710 Nudgee boys back on Monday 7 February and to them making the most of the opportunities and challenges that 2022 will present.
Let’s all commit to making the year ahead the best it can be for them all.
Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the College reception on 3865 0555 or email contact@nudgee.com.
With every blessing for the year ahead,
Yours sincerely,
Mr Peter Fullagar