Term 1, Week 7

In acknowledging the conclusion of Term 1, I would like to start by thanking all Nudgee College families for their support and engagement throughout the last ten weeks. To our new families, I hope that you have experienced a strong sense of welcome and connection to this great school and that your young man has enjoyed the start of his Nudgee journey. Whilst the rain has certainly attempted to dampen the spirits of all within our community this week, it has not succeeded and there is a sense of excitement and anticipation amongst the boys and staff as assessments conclude and focus turns to the coming two weeks. I wish all those who are lucky enough to be enjoying a break a very safe, relaxing and fulfilling time. 

As is the case with Nudgee College, apart from the Easter weekend, there will be numerous training sessions, camps, clinics and tutorials that will continue throughout the ensuing two weeks. To all of the staff involved in such activities, both directly and indirectly, I would like to offer a heartfelt thank you in advance for all that work that lays ahead. It is greatly appreciated by our boys and families. 

Of greater importance, as I stated at the commencement of this article, is of course what commences this Thursday, Holy Thursday. This weekend commemorates and celebrates the painful death and life-giving resurrection of our Lord’s only son, Jesus Christ. During his 1986 visit to Australia (one that some parents may remember), the then Pope John Paul II stated, “We do not pretend that life is all beauty. We are aware of darkness and sin, of poverty and pain. But we know Jesus has conquered sin and passed through his own pain to the glory of the Resurrection. ‘We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our song!’” 

As a Catholic community that is composed of a diverse range of students from various backgrounds, faiths and interests, it is important that we all remember what is at the core of our school’s foundation and what continues to drive us as a faith community. The presence and example of Jesus Christ is what inspires Nudgee students to be a Signum Fidei - a 'Sign of Faith'. He, is who drives staff to ensure that they are helping to “liberate the hearts and minds” of every boy in our care. 

Finally, thank you for Term 1, have a happy, holy and joy-filled Easter and I look forward to an exciting Term 2 with you all. 

Kind regards

Scott Thomson

In 2024, the NAPLAN testing venues will remain the same as they have been in previous years. All Year 5 students will complete their NAPLAN tests in Junior School core classrooms, while our Year 7s and 9s will complete their tests in house groups on Level 2 of the Learning Centre. Please assist us in reminding your son/s that he needs to bring the following equipment to each test:

• a fully charged device (due to online-adaptive testing)
• wired headphones (no airpods)
• a book to read in case of an early finish
• 2B or HB pencil
• a pen
• eraser and
• a sharpener.

It is safe to say that our cohort’s St Rita’s afternoon on Thursday 29 February was a success. Most people I talked to about the afternoon have overwhelmingly positive recounts and responses about it, with it being described as an excellent opportunity to interact with girls and have a fun time while doing it. I also believe that statement to be true. Magee was grouped with Barrett from Nudgee and Rosa and Collins from St Rita’s for the afternoon, which involved most activities. These activities, such as partner games where each person was split into a pair with someone from the opposite school and one person was blindfolded, and the other person had to use their words to help navigate the other person through an obstacle course without hitting anything. This activity was a good opportunity to have a conversation with someone from the other school whilst having fun participating in an activity based on trust. It’s safe to say that the afternoon was a good opportunity for the boys to get involved and learn important social skills.

Stephen Mineo (Magee)

St Rita's afternoon  was an incredible event, and everyone had a great time! Nudgee College hosted an afternoon and invited the entire Year 7 cohort from St Rita's to participate in various team-building activities, including soccer, tunnel ball, tug of war, and more. It was evident that everyone enjoyed themselves, as there were smiles all around!

Ashley Morrissey (Fogarty)

In the Year 7 St Rita's afternoon we started off with making friendship bracelets for each other and for people in PNG that Nudgee visits on Immersion and then we went over to the oval and played some fun games. We played some soccer, played some tug o war, in which the girls won against the boys. We also played some trust games like landmine, in which we had to guide our partner to the other side without touching the cones or pillows.  We then spoke about the challenges of starting Year 7 and what we found difficult. I think the point of this afternoon was to make some relationships with the St Rita's girls because we don’t normally get the chance to interact with girls our age and also to have some fun. I think all of it went well and I believe that the boys and girls enjoyed the afternoon. I think one thing that I found challenging was that I haven’t really interacted with girls my age for years, so this was a good opportunity. I thought that afternoon was a good way to interact with the girls from St Rita's and we all made some new friends.

Hugo Elliot (McKenna)

The Fogarty Seniors of 2024 - lead by Mitch Graham - were warned that the enormous fundraising target set in 2023, was a one off. The year of Peter Fullagar’s shave could not be topped, and that they should aim lower. In true Nudgee fashion, the Shave Team absolutely outdid themselves. At the time of writing this article, the 2024 College community has raised over $58,700 for Fogarty’s House Charity, The Leukaemia Foundation.

Fundraising started in late January with the shave event planned for Thursday 29 February, and a few Seniors signing up to start the Shave Team. Mitch Graham spoke at the Week 5 and 6 Assembly to launch the initiative. Mitch stoked the school’s fire by drawing comparison to Churchie’s efforts. Using schoolboy competition and rivalry to fuel energy into our shave event, Mitch built momentum amongst our community.

This year's Shave Team was full of personal, significant stories of battles against both blood cancer, and other forms of cancer. As per previous years, there were many staff who joined our students in shaving their heads. Amongst our fabulous team were Ms Kathleen White and Ms Sue Lake. Both had great personal reasons behind their efforts. Their passion and emotion was visible on the day of shaving. Congratulations to them both and especially to Ms White for single handedly raising a whopping $3,900 for the Foundation.

With over 100 heads shaved on the day, and over 25 volunteer shavers/hair sprayers, we thank and acknowledge everyone's contribution to make this year's event the most successful it’s ever been. Words cannot describe how appreciative I (Mr Ken Adams) am of everyone's efforts. Whether you fundraised and shaved, volunteered to clipper, hair sprayed/coloured or assisted to manage the lunchtime chaos, you have my sincere thanks.

We are so proud of what our generous community has achieved this year. On behalf of the Leukaemia Foundation, Fogarty House and myself, you (the Nudgee community) have my heartfelt thanks.

Check out the full reel of the day here. 

Service Learning

Year 9 
Year 9 students are eagerly considering their options for the Immersion program in September. Immersion serves as a pivotal opportunity for our students to venture beyond their comfort zones, immersing themselves in meaningful social justice activities within the community -  locally, nationally and abroad.

Throughout this experience, students will be actively challenged to broaden their perspectives by engaging with individuals and environments they may not typically encounter. The cultivation of these connections forms an essential aspect of every Nudgee student's journey.

Through the Immersion experience, Year 9 students will embark on a journey of discovery, fostering relationships that not only enrich their own lives but also contribute positively to the communities that welcome us.

In 2024, our Immersion options include Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Reef and Rainforest (Daintree), Wildlife Conservation, East Kimberley, UnOther, and a variety of local experiences. 

Year 10 Tabgha
This year, our Year 10 students are eagerly anticipating their involvement in the inaugural Tabgha Program, an initiative inspired by a significant location in Jesus's narrative. Tabgha holds a special place as it marks the site where the Risen Christ appeared to his disciples, urging them to carry forward his mission—an essence that lies at the heart of this program.

Throughout the program, students will draw upon their past experiences, particularly the insights gained during their Year 9 Immersion, to deepen their understanding of Signum Fidei. Through a series of workshops, students will delve into various aspects of relationships, exploring their connections with themselves, their brothers, others, and God. These workshops will also incorporate elements of careers, personal development, and the importance of serving others.

By the conclusion of the program, our Year 10 students will emerge with a renewed sense of purpose, equipped with the courage and authenticity needed to navigate the challenges of their senior years and beyond. They will be inspired to strive for excellence in many aspects of their lives, empowered by the experiences and insights gained through the Tabgha Program.

The unmatched enthusiasm of the Junior School really makes a difference during these events. They covered considerable ground at the southern end of campus, specialising in collecting the smallest pieces of plastic. This is significant because eventually waste from our College finds its way into the Zillmere Waterholes and Nundah Creek on the property before heading into Moreton Bay. A special thanks to Mr Chris Cawley and all the Junior School staff for their facilitation last Friday afternoon. 

Cricket
Our 1st XI team found their mojo with a gutsy win at Tennyson in Round 5. 

After a disciplined bowling performance from all of the Nudgee bowlers, GT finished their 50 overs 7/151. Opening batter Findlay Jones then played one of the better innings I have seen from a Nudgee 1st XI batsman. On a slow spinning wicket and heavy outfield, Findlay's innings was all skill as he guided his team to a 7 wicket win.

We have our 1st Nudgee centurion of the GPS season with Ben Del Favero (9A) going big at Tennyson with a blistering 108 runs from 86 balls hitting 8 sixes. Congratulations to Ben and the 9A team on their win.

Round 6 was a BYE round with supplementary games being played. 

Rowing
Regatta four was a historic regatta for the Nudgee Juniors. The team boated more Year 8 teams than any other school with 11 full crews plus two boys in a composite with BSHS. It was also the best results Year 8 and 9 crews had gotten since 2016. The 1st VIII finished fourth with the youngest crew in the field. 

On Saturday 2 March the rowing team attended GPS #5 Regatta at Lake Wyaralong. The boys raced just one full length round. Despite injuries, illness and a heavy training load, the team had another day of improving results. The 1st VIII improved to third, showing good speed after an uncharacteristically slow start. These were only some of the many signs of a quickly improving rowing team. A big congratulations to Year 12 rowers George Coorey and Will Enders on their selection in the Queensland Pathways team.

Swimming
Congratulations to our swimmers who competed at the GPS Championships last Friday. Our Seniors came away with second and Juniors landed third place. 

Some highlights included: 

• Linc Lauder winning 50m Free, 100m free and 50m Fly
• Matthew Turner winning 50m Free and 200 Free
• Layke Shipley winning 100m Backstroke
• Angus Cran winning 50m Fly
• Dom Osswald winning 100m Breaststroke.

Volleyball
Round 5 was another great round for the Volleyballers, with 26 wins from 29 matches against GT.The 1st VI had another strong performance, winning 3:1 in front of a loud crowd of supporters. 

Cattle Club 

Our Cattle Club team went for a training weekend out at Mt Kilcoy in Week 5. With team building being the primary goal, the boys were paired off from different year levels and worked together on various tasks. Some of these included mustering, fencing, cattle work, wheelbarrow races, cooking for the team, swimming in the dam and rinsing off troughs.

Bell Show
With a team of 25 students and 13 cattle in tow we had a great time. The boys teamwork made the day's jam packed activities with cattle, paraders and young judges seem like a breeze. Our very own born and bred Nudgee Dior placed 3rd in her class, which was a stellar effort since she was easily 6 months younger than the nearest competitor in that class.  In traditional format we assisted the show society in catering for the exhibitors dinner where Luke, Corbett, Riley and Braxton spent over 4 hours cooking, they had many shout outs for their manners and ability from far and wide. Notable mention goes to Michael Beirne who took out first in the young judges competition against some very seasoned and well known beef families. Chace Crema and Lachy Thomas also placed third and fifth which was a great effort. 

Coming up in sport 

Round 7: 

• Head of the River 
• GPS Volleyball Round 7 vs TGS - Home
• GPS Cricket Round 7 vs TGS - Home
• Cattle & Show Team at Proston Show 

Round 8: 

• GPS Cross Country Meet #1 vs ACGS - Away
• GPS Volleyball Round 8 vs BBC - Away
• GPS Cricket Round 8 vs BBC - Away

Round 9: 

• GPS Cross Country Meet #2 vs TSS - Away
• GPS Volleyball Round 9 vs BSHS - Home 
• GPS Cricket Round 9 vs BSHS - Home
• Cattle & Show Team at Warwick Show 

All photos are by Brody Grogan Photography. 

Debating
In Week 5, our Debating teams headed over to St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace for Round 5 of GPS Debating. Our boys have been training hard and applying feedback from adjudicators over the past few weeks and the results have paid off! Teams 5.1, 6.1, 7.1, 7.2, 9.1, 9.2, 12.1 and our Senior A team all won their matches. A huge thank you to our coaches - many of whom are Nudgee Old Boys, Ms Grace Waterman, Mr Dominic Caroll (NCOB) and Ms Julianne Daunt for your leadership of our program. We wish all our Debaters luck as they take on Toowoomba Grammar tomorrow evening at home. For those wishing to come out and support our Senior A team - you are welcome to attend their debate at 6:15pm in Tierney Auditorium tomorrow evening (8 March).   

Chess
Chess has been busy competing and hosting our own Nudgee College Chess competition over the past few weeks. 

On Sunday 25 February, our Year 5-6 chess players competed in the Somerville House Primary Teams Invitational. The team finished third in the Novice Division and two team members, Cormac and Cary received merit ribbons for winning four point five out of seven games. Playing in the Reserve A division, Archie S finished 1st Under 700 rating after winning five out of seven games.  

Similarly, on Friday 1 March, 12 of our Secondary Chess players attend the Somerville House Chess Invitational. Our students played well and had some great results. In the top Open division, Tanush P received a merit for winning four point five out of seven games. Spencer L got a merit for winning five out of the seven games in the intermediate division. Finally, William G was undefeated and won the Novice Division! Congratulations to all students who took part. 

Finally, on Sunday 3 March our Nudgee Chess Competition smashed its previous attendance record with 197 students from all over South East Queensland competing in the Conference Centre. 19 students took part in these amazing numbers. Some standouts on the day were Year 9, Michael C winning four of the seven games in the Intermediate Division and Year 6s Teddy D-F and Hemish P also winning four of the seven games in the Novice Division. Continuing his success from Friday night, William G won five of the seven in the Novice Division, receiving a merit ribbon and finishing equal fifth out of 63 students. 

A big thank you to all the parents and staff who helped help behind the scenes making this massive event in the Conference Centre run as smoothly as it did. Finally, a huge thank you to our wonderful Chess Coordinator, Martin Harmon. His dedication to Nudgee chess over the years is one of the main reasons why we have such a successful program at the College. 

Esports

On Saturday 2 March, a select team of Senior Students competed at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Valorant competition. The league provides high school students with Esports competition and production experience, as well as online wellbeing and safety skills. 

It was a great opportunity for our students to meet new friends, share in their love of their hobbies and learn more about cyber safety in the process. 

Privacy Collection Notice for Parents Address Collection 2024 
The Australian Government Department of Education (the department) would like to notify you that we have requested for your child’s school to provide residential address and other information. Under the Australian Education Regulations 2023, the school is required to provide the department with the following information about each student at the school:

• names and residential addresses of the student’s parent(s) and/or guardian(s)
• student residential address (excluding student names)
• whether the student is a primary or secondary student (education level)
• whether the student is boarding or a day student (boarding status).

The school collects the above information by generating a unique and unidentifiable student reference number (SRN) for each student record. The school only uses the SRN for this collection. The SRN cannot be used for any other purpose. The number only indicates to the department that each record provided is for one student.

Read more here

Brody Grogan Photography

All of the amazing photography you see around the grounds is taken by our fantastic photographer Brody Grogan. If you would like to purchase a photo for yourself you can do so here: 

https://www.brodygrogan.com/Nudgee-College/Youre-Almost-There
Password: 1891

See the full Nudgee College Careers website here.

Parents and students can use this site to locate University, TAFE and any other type of course across Australia, get information about the QCE, search for job vacancies and much more. Students can also drop into the Careers Office if they have any questions.

As a thank you for participating, Year 12 completers will be entered into a draw to win a MacBook Air.

We ask parents, siblings and friends to encourage our graduates to complete the survey. If their contact details have changed, please assist survey interviewers with their updated details or forward the survey to their new address so they can participate. Graduates may receive an invitation by mail, email or phone. The survey can be completed online or by phone.

For more information about Next Step, including previous results, visit http://www.qld.gov.au/nextstep.

17 May

• Evening on the Green

18 May

• OPEN DAY 

20 May 

• Year 5 Camp 

21 May

• Year 5 Camp 

23 May

• Shaw and Tierney House Mass

27 May

• National Reconciliation Week (27 - 31 May)