Mr Scott Thomson (Week 4, Term 2)
This weekend (Saturday 17 May), we look forward to opening our gates and doors as we host Open Day. This annual event offers a wonderful opportunity for prospective families and members of the public to experience Nudgee College firsthand, meet our students, and gain a genuine sense of our school. We anticipate welcoming hundreds of potential families between 9.30am and 2.00pm, and I thank in advance all those who will contribute to the success of the day.
Open Day also coincides with a home game against BBC. In the first week of GPS competition, it was great to see strong student support for their Nudgee brothers in both Tennis and Football. A reminder that students attending as spectators should wear their full school winter uniform. This Saturday promises to be a terrific day for many reasons.
Edmund Rice Feast Day - Monday 5 May
At the beginning of last week, our school community celebrated the Feast Day of Blessed Edmund Rice. His life is one well worth honouring, and our College – along with the many young men privileged to receive a Nudgee education – remains a direct beneficiary of his faith, dedication and vision.
A practical and successful businessman with little in the way of formal writings (his only known quotes are from personal letters), Edmund Rice answered God’s call to serve those on the margins of society. In the late 1700s in Waterford, Ireland, he recognised the need to educate the young boys working on the docks. Their futures were bleak, in his view, due to a lack of education and formation. Edmund rose to meet that need – and today, more than 280 schools in 20 countries educate over 200,000 students as a result of his legacy.
I ask that you keep in your prayers the remaining Christian Brothers, who last week farewelled three revered members of their community: Br Paul Conn, Deputy Province Leader of the Christian Brothers Oceania Province; Br Ted Magee, former Headmaster of our brother school St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace (1990–1992); and Br Jon Hansen, former Head of St Laurence’s College Junior School. May these men rest in peace.
Classroom Culture and Behaviour Survey Results
At the end of Term 1, I issued a non-compulsory survey to both students and staff, focusing on our Classroom Culture procedures and overall behaviour across the College. As I’ve noted in previous communications, our goal with these routines is to support every boy in thriving as a learner at Nudgee. As UK academic and teacher educator Tom Bennett puts it, “Good behaviour is essential to good learning.”
As with any change, the feedback reflects areas for improvement, but the overall results are encouraging. The average student rating of classroom behaviour across the past three years sat between 4.45 out of 7. By the end of last term, this rose to 5.46 out of 7. Similarly, in the 2024 Staff Survey, teachers rated student behaviour at 4.4 out of 7 – a figure which increased to 5.8 out of 7 in the end-of-term survey.
We will continue to monitor these results and refine our approach as needed.
Students:
Staff:
School Fee Commitment
I would like to sincerely thank the families who have signed up to our fee payment schedule – almost 1,000 have done so. If you have not yet completed this step, please visit the Parent Lounge at your earliest convenience. Should you require alternate arrangements, our Finance Department is available to assist.
As with any organisation, it is essential that Nudgee College operates in a financially responsible manner. Knowing when payments will be made enables us to manage our operations effectively. If you have not yet committed to a payment plan, we would greatly appreciate you doing so. And as always, if you are experiencing difficulties or have concerns about meeting financial commitments, I encourage you to contact our Credit Manager, Mr Neil Clare.
