Parents should all be aware that the transition back to school is underway. Transition is an interesting word for me. I recall many years ago a very wise priest and counsellor told me that times of transition in our lives are never easy. Over the years this statement has proven to be true in my lived experience.

At the College we are now working through the details of the staged return of students commencing with our Year 11 and 12 students next Monday. While we are universally pleased to have the boys back with us, after all they are the reason that we are all here, there is a significant amount of planning required to make this transition back to school as effective and efficient as possible. The return is not as straightforward as one might imagine and the College Leadership Team is working through these details. This COVID-19 era means we have had to rethink certain school practices that we have largely taken for granted.

The details of the next two school weeks will be advised in a further COVID-19 update to parents tomorrow. While the Year 11 and 12 students return to day to day schooling, our students in Year 5 to 10 will continue in NC@home mode for a further two weeks, subject to Queensland Health advice. A positive step but one that also presents challenges, particularly for our teachers who are doing such a magnificent job.

Last week I detailed for you some of the essential principles upon which we based the NC@home program. Critical factors for us in the delivery of the program have been:

• the collaboration and collegiality of our staff
• consistent and clear communication across the College
• being adaptable to frequent changes
• the integrity of our technology to support the program
• leadership at all levels of the school

In the coming two weeks we will continue to be mindful of these factors as we work through the next stage of our staged return to school.

In conclusion, I am looking forward to sharing my lunch with 101 parents and fellow members of the CLT today. The response has been terrific and the questions posed by parents are important in assisting everyone’s understanding of where we are headed from here. This online gathering is just another way for the community to remain connected during this time of transition. 

Mr Peter Fullagar
Principal

Continuing on from last week, I am offering some more tips I have collected from the various articles that have been written about our current learning environment. This is advice for our boys aimed at maximising their learning during the first half of this term.

• Tip 11 - Take breaks: To study efficiently and consistently, get in the habit of taking regular short breaks (5-10 minutes). Quick timeouts keep you fresh and allow you to put in longer hours. Walking the dog or tidying up is preferable to frequent snack breaks, though!
• Tip 12 - Stay healthy: Paying a little attention to your health is good for your studies and good for you in general. Sleep is vital. Hydration is essential. Eating well gives you energy. Exercise makes you stronger and fitter.
• Tip 13 - Connect to classmates: The success of online learning often depends on communication between classmates. You can contact each other for learning, motivation and support. Yes, you can reach out to other students in your class, but please remember that you are ‘in class’ and should not waste your time or that of others. Just like group work in class, 5-10 minutes is all you should spend in such a discussion. You just might miss out on important information coming in from your teacher!
• Tip 14 - Ask questions: Good students understand how their online learning course works. They also achieve a solid grasp of every topic. These things do not happen just by chance. If you are ever struggling to figure something out on your own, just ask a question online – of your teacher, a classmate or your study group.
• Tip 15 - Beat deadlines: There's nothing like an urgent deadline for motivation. The trouble is that leaving everything to the last-minute always comes at a cost. If anything goes wrong, an assignment can be of a low quality or late. Allow time for good work and revision.
• Tip 16 - Reward yourself: Putting in solid hours of self-directed learning is an achievement. So, celebrate your online learning milestones and successes. You have earned a reward for discipline and effort.

And finally, I think this diagram is a great guide to ensure success when involved in a video meeting, or a Google Meet like we are using at Nudgee College.

Mr David Johnston
Deputy Principal

Thanks to all who participated in the liturgy to celebrate Edmund Rice Day this week. It was a great way to mark the occasion in 2020.

Creator God, in celebrating the vision and work of Edmund Rice, we pray as one.

Guide us to pay attention to the personal story of each individual, fostering the respect, honesty and compassion that help transform lives.

Help us to always remember that providence is our inheritance.

May we, in each of our own families and communities, be open to the spirit of Blessed Edmund moving in our midst to bring simplicity, humour, humility and warmth to the relationships we share. We ask this through Jesus our Brother. Amen.

Mr Stephen Meara
Dean of Identity

It has certainly been a very different start to Term 2 from a Nudgee College Sport point of view. I am hoping the boys are taking positives out of this situation and making the most of some cross training and active rest. It has been wonderful to see all the photos, videos, strava and other recording apps that boys have been posting. We have seen running, walking, ergo rowing, backyard pool swimming, ocean swimming, completing backyard gym circuits, lifting weights, juggling, dribbling, shooting, practising line-out throws, as well as participating in Google Meets, Zooms and even cooking. Congratulations to all who are making the most of some new opportunities to enhance themselves as athletes. It is also a good time to thank Ms Lauren Byrne, Mr Harry Westbrook, all sport directors and coaches for their outstanding commitment to delivering so much content for boys to remain engaged and ready for a season, if and when it comes. I feel over the next four weeks we will see some return to sport, although under very different circumstances. I look forward to providing you with a more detailed update of what this will look like in the coming weeks.

Mr Anthony Connellan
Director of Sport

Sport@home

It's been fantastic to see many boys engage in our cooking segments from Student Notices and the NC Swimming Fried Rice Challenge. We've had emails offering different substitutions and recommendations for these meals.

The traffic on our Strength and Conditioning, Football and Rugby YouTube channels is increasing. It is great to see that the boys are seeking out ways to keep active during this time. Remember, all boys can jump onto these channels and get involved with the skills and drills.

Ms Lauren Byrne
Activities Administrator

Cross Country@home

Our Cross Country boys have continued to push themselves with even more passion and determination than they had in our pre-season! Keeping up the momentum during this period has not been as challenging as one might believe, with our Strava group keeping the competition and accountability factor present. Supportive comments mixed with friendly banter on each other’s run data have kept the camaraderie alive! Weekly time trials plus the Met North Virtual XC Competition, which is open to all Cross Country boys, has given them even more incentive to train.

Some highlights have been Henry Cliff smashing out a 5km at a pace of 3:31mins per kilometre, Jordan Cordingley and Charles Dallimore running a number of half marathons together over the past six weeks, and our Leo duo (Leo Fairley and Leo De Clara) consistently racking up some of the largest amount of kilometres each week.

Ms Jaimee Trembearth
Cross Country Director

NC Football@home

Our Football@home program has continued into Term 2 with positional workshops, Tottenham tips and Nudgee College Football challenges. Well done to all boys who have got involved. We have also posted several videos on our Football YouTube channel, including our Trick Shot Competition, which you can view here.

Mr Jamie Pybus
Football Director

Rugby@home

The video analysis and webinar series were launched through our Nudgee College Rugby YouTube channel last week. Melbourne Rebels player James ‘Bobby’ Tuttle (NC 2009-13) was our first guest and he shared some great advice for our boys on leadership, managing injuries and covid training. 

This week's episode features Ethan Bullemor (NC 2016-17), who shares his experience of debuting for the Broncos earlier this year in front of an empty Suncorp Stadium, and how he balances his study and footy commitments. He also humbly reveals his Broncos gym record. 

I hope all players are finding the time (and space) to get stuck into pre-season training. More resources are regularly being uploaded to the Nudgee College Rugby YouTube channel to assist with your preparation.

Mr Sean Graham
Rugby Director