Deputy Principal
As a new year begins, I reminded the boys during the first assembly that we start a new journey. Completing the journey will take initiative, creativity, boldness, audacity, courage, collaboration, cooperation and persistence. It is the tangible expression of these life forces at work which we must continue to embrace as we strive daily to inspire our community with renewed meaning and purpose. This is truly reflective of what we believe in, proclaim and stand for as a faith driven community. We believe in education and caring, respecting the wholeness and dignity of each person, valuing learners and their learning and which is liberating, healing, and loving.
A new chapter in our rich 130 year history is just beginning and WE (students, parents/carers, teacher support and teaching staff) are privileged to lead it and play our part. We have demonstrated, especially during the past very challenging year, that we have the desire, the collaborative expertise, an openness to growth, a commitment to learning, the energy and enthusiasm and a real confidence in our collective capacity to successfully change and embrace the new normal.
I am sure we are about to write another exciting chapter in the Nudgee College story in 2021.
Upon entering the campus it is evident that the building projects are completed or nearing completion. The MacKillop Building on Edmund Rice Way has now been transformed into the Early Learning Centre with our first enrolments enjoying the wonderful facilities on offer. At the top of the campus, the extensive building site that encompasses the heritage precinct, including Edmund Rice Mall, as well as the Treacy, Duhig and Gallagher buildings is really taking shape. We are using all the new large, air conditioned classrooms and the new Health Centre will come on line towards the end of the term. And the flats are unrecognisable as they are nearing completion. The surface is now world class and will provide the amazing facilities for our boys to train and play on.
Looking back to 2020, in the final week of December we received the wonderful ATAR achievements of our first cohort of students to complete the new Queensland Certificate of Education. We had 170 (visa students not included) ATAR eligible students. It is pleasing to see the sustained focus on learning and teaching resulted in the second strongest set of Year 12 results in the past 20 years. Overall, we had a QCE completion rate of 99%, which represents an outstanding completion rate, significantly above the state average. You can read more about the Year 12 results in the Learning and Teaching section of the newsletter.
In other news, I am sure many of you are now aware that Peter Fullagar has been hospitalised due to an infection. He is responding well to treatment and after a short period of rest is expected to make a full recovery.
We keep Peter in our thoughts and prayers and look forward to seeing him back at work sometime next week.
Finally, as we start the new school year, I would ask that we keep our brother school, St Brendan’s Yeppoon, in our prayers and thoughts. They are dealing with the tragic loss of two of their St Brendan’s College family members in the last few days. Rhys Yore, Year 11 student, was tragically killed in a traffic accident last Wednesday night and Peter Bartlett, a long standing and much loved staff member succumbed to illness and died peacefully surrounded by family early this week.
Eternal rest grant unto Peter and Rhys, O Lord;
and perpetual light shine upon them
May their souls, and the souls of all the faithfully departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Mr David Johnson
Deputy Principal