Week 1 Term 4 2021

Principal

Welcome back and welcome to those new families who have joined the community over the holiday break. I hope and pray that the journey of boys new to Nudgee College is a rewarding one.

The first Tuesday afternoon of the holidays was one that I will always remember. It was a day with crazy wind made most memorable by an extraordinary gathering at the Queensland Children’s Hospital. Along with the hospital staff, who were present, there were numerous Nudgee College parents, staff and Year 12 students. They were there to witness and to celebrate the ‘ringing of the bell’ - to mark the end of cancer treatment for Aidan Roost (Year 12 Tierney). Tears of joy, long hugs and strong embraces were shared by everyone gathered there. What a moment it was for Aidan, his parents Andy and Penny and his brother Dylan (Year 9). They all have been remarkably courageous in the face of monumental adversity. Aidan has been simply inspiring. Throughout their journey over the past three years, Aiden and his family have been supported by the school community every step of the way. It has been the most uplifting display of Nudgee Spirit from so many people. On behalf of the College, I express the deepest gratitude to every person who has been part of that remarkable journey.

Property Purchase

Also over the holiday break the College finalised the purchase of a house and block of land on Wyampa Road, Brackenridge. This transaction has been a very long time in the making, nearly ten years in fact. Over those years, the College has been seeking to find a new home for Nudgee College Rowing. With the increasing build up of aquatic traffic on the Brisbane River as well as the continuous growth of residential towers in the West End area our daily presence on the river in the rowing season was becoming increasingly problematic. The long commute back to school each morning was also less than ideal for our rowers.

In recent years, we have searched the banks of the Pine River for a site to establish a facility that could service our rowing community. The water there is better for rowing and certainly the reduced traffic on the river makes it safer for our rowers. The purchase of the Wyampa Road property will enable us to establish a basic shed and facility in the initial years. Long term, the vision is to develop a facility that has a wider educational use for the school community as well as becoming a facility that services the local community. Having taken possession of the property the school is now undertaking the hard work of planning for this future. In the short term, it is hoped that our rowers will train from the site in the season of 2022 to 2023.

Important changes to College Leadership Team (CLT)

It is with a good deal of mixed emotions that I inform the community that Mr Peter Todd (Dean of Students) is taking leave from the College until the end of Term 1, 2022. This will take effect at the end of next week (Friday 15 October). After 26 years on the College staff, Peter is taking a career break and pursuing other opportunities outside of education. While this is a loss for the College, it is an important change of direction for him. I admire Peter’s courage in making this change and he leaves with my full support and understanding. He will advise the College of his future intentions during the course of Term 1 next year. Should Peter not return for Term 2, we will take the opportunity to thank him and recognise his outstanding contribution in an appropriate manner at the appropriate time.

This change brings about other significant changes for the leadership of the College. Given the timing of the term and school year and consequential effects of changes to roles I have made the following appointments without the usual processes of advertising, application and selection.

Term 4, 2021: Ms Jo Barrett will be acting Dean of Students with Mr Ken Adams stepping up as acting Director of Students. Ken will retain his role as Fogarty House Dean and adjustments will be made to his teaching load from Week 1. The leadership changes will take effect from Week 3 but we will also be moving in that direction in the first 2 weeks while Peter Todd is still at the College.
Term 1, 2022: Mr Sean Toovey will be acting Dean of Students and Ms Jo Barrett returns to the role of acting Director of Students.

Decisions regarding more permanent appointments beyond Term 1 2022 will be made, if necessary, in the usual manner in the course of the first term.

Since the end of last term, the COVID-19 situation in south-east Queensland has continued to be a day to day proposition with the likelihood of a lockdown seemingly never far away. Our previous experiences with the College’s learning@home framework gives confidence to all of us that effective learning and teaching can continue. Should a lockdown be called, we will communicate with parents as soon as practical with the details of arrangements.

With every best wish for the week and term ahead.

Mr Peter Fullagar

Principal

Deputy Principal

In spite of the unprecedented challenges and disruptions over the past two years, there have been some very positive experiences here at the College. One being that we have proven to ourselves to be a very resilient community. As a parent, there are a number of strategies we can use to build our son’s resilience.

Build a strong emotional connection - Spend one-on-one time with your son. Boys develop coping skills within the context of caring relationships. When they know they have the unconditional support of a parent, family member, or even a teacher, they feel empowered to seek guidance and make attempts to work through difficult situations.

Promote healthy risk taking - In a world where playgrounds are made “safe” with bouncy floor materials and netting around trampolines, it is important to encourage your son to take healthy risks. A healthy risk is not using a rope swing to propel yourself into a river while your mates sit on the other side of the river and try to shoot you with a pellet gun! (And if my parents read this they will now know why I had welts all over my back after I went for a swim each summer during my high school years). Rather, a healthy risk is something that pushes our boys to go outside of their comfort zone. It results in very little harm if they’re unsuccessful. Examples include trying a new sport, participating in the College musical, or striking up a conversation with a shy peer. Nudgee College encourages the boys to embrace risks, knowing this teaches them to learn to push themselves.

Resist the urge to fix it and ask questions instead - When your son comes to you to solve their problems, the natural response is to lecture or explain. A better strategy is to ask questions. By bouncing the problem back to your son with questions, you’re helping him to think through the issue and come up with solutions.

Label emotions - When stress kicks in, emotions run hot. Teach your son that all feelings are important and that labelling his feelings can help him make sense of what he is experiencing. Tell him it’s okay to feel anxious, sad, jealous, etc. and reassure him that bad feelings usually pass.

Embrace mistakes (theirs and yours) - Failure avoiders lack resilience. In fact, failure avoiders tend to be highly anxious people. When parents focus on end results, children get caught up in the pass/fail cycle. They either succeed or they don’t. This causes risk avoidance. Embracing mistakes (our own included) helps promote a growth mindset and gives your son the message that mistakes help them learn. It can be helpful to talk about a mistake you made and how you recovered from it.

Promote the bright side (every experience has one) - Optimism and resilience go hand in hand. Some boys may appear more naturally optimistic than others, but optimism can be nurtured. If you have a mini pessimist on your hands, acknowledge the feelings that lead to pessimistic thinking and teach your son to reframe his thoughts to find the positive.

Model resiliency - The best way to teach resilience is to model it. We all encounter stressful situations so using coping and calming strategies such as deep breathing can be an effective way to work through stress. Always label your emotions and talk through your problem-solving process.

As we continue to navigate this changing world, we can use our experiences to develop strong, resilient young men.

Mr David Johnston

Deputy Principal

Learning & Teaching

Year 12 External Exam Preparations

During the holidays, Year 12 masterclasses were held for General Maths, Maths Methods, Study of Religion, Philosophy and Reason, and Modern History to prepare students for the QCAA External Exams which commence on Friday 22nd October. Thank you to Ms Nardi, Ms Simpson, Mr Lilley, Mr Lee and Ms Gardner for planning and leading the sessions. Thanks also to the teaching staff who assisted and supported through their timely marking of Mock Exams and their attendance.

The sessions were also live streamed and recorded for students who live remotely or could not attend. They provide important feedback alongside the Mock Exams results, lessons during early Term 4, ATOMI study planners and further masterclasses across several subjects right through the exam period. Link to the full list: External Exams Preparation Program.

A highlight of the program was the inclusion of St Rita’s students in the Study of Religion session. We welcome the collaboration of St Rita’s teachers and students in our Year 12 academic program, just as we have for many years in cultural events such as the musical. We hope to establish further academic opportunities for both schools in the future.

The masterclasses would not have succeeded without the tireless work of Mrs Scott who will remain a key contact during the External Exams. The efforts of the IT/AV crew and the Catering team was also appreciated.

Year 11, Unit 3 General Subjects Commence

As most families and all students should be aware, Unit 3 topics for General subjects will be taught this term, culminating in an Internal Assessment One (IA1) block at the end of term. A detailed exam timetable will be released in the coming weeks. Assessment scheduled in the calendar through until Wednesday 24 November.

The start of Unit 3 signals the beginning of summative assessment, the results of which are included in the calculation of subjects scores used to calculate each student’s ATAR. This is an important change. An online parent online session is scheduled for 6pm on the Thursday 14 October. The focus will be on the process of Internal Assessment and how you can support your son. We will send out the link and also record the session next week. This will be followed by a student information session for ATAR students on Friday 15 October in Tierney Hall during the Student formation lesson. Work and Further Study students will have an alternate program.

PISA Testing

We are pleased to be participating in the OECD PISA-based Test for Schools 2021. This is the first time PISA for Schools has been offered to Australian schools and we are looking forward to gaining valuable insights into how our school is performing on the global stage.

As you may be aware, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is recognised as the world’s most comprehensive and reliable indicator of school students’ capabilities. While PISA delivers national-level results, showing how well a country is performing, PISA for Schools delivers school-level results. PISA Link.

The PISA-based Test for Schools is delivered online. Students will complete a 2-hour assessment where they will be asked to apply their knowledge of Mathematics, Reading and Science to real world problems. There is also a 30-minute student questionnaire.

The data is designed to measure our current success and help us continue to drive improvement within our school. A random sample of students in Years 9 and 10 have been invited to sit the test. Our test is scheduled to take place on Friday 8 October, commencing at 8:40am in the Christian Brothers Conference Centre.

Mr Jason Sepetauc

Dean of Learning and Teaching

Year 9 Business and Economics Ventures

The Junior School recently hosted Year 9 Business Ventures for four lunch breaks. A wide range of stalls greeted the enthusiastic Year 5 and 6 students each day, keen to take their hard-earned cash.

The Year 9 students were tasked with deciding on a suitable venture by doing both a SWOT and cost benefit analysis. They then needed to decide on a suitable pricing and marketing strategy to make their venture stand out from the ‘herd’. A ‘purple cow’ strategy!

This semester the stalls ranged from rugby passing competitions to spider and snow cone drinks. Regular favourites like 'choc toss’ and ‘pick a stick’ provided the skills and games of chance in one.

All money raised go to Bravery Box, a charity supporting children with cancer - a worthy cause. The other day, Aidan Roost delivered the first of the gifts to the children in hospital hoping to brighten up their day.

Thanks to the Junior School for their continued support and well done the Year 9 Business students who raised hundreds of dollars with their ventures.

Mr Michael Phillips

Coordinator of Business and Accounting

Sport

Basketball

Round 9 Wrap brought to us by Emphasis on Eyecare, Samford

Nudgee College concluded the GPS season with a mix bag of results for the round. The 1st V winning their first game of the season was clearly the highlight of the day. The boys were in dominant fashion from the tip-off. Although IGS fought hard to the end, chipping into the lead early in the final term, we were able to withstand their push coming away with a comfortable 15 point victory. The Year 12s were awesome on the day with Mason Davis and Jed Richardson carrying the offensive load, whilst Josh Clark was supreme on the defensive end. Mitchell Doyle, of course, brought his mighty spirit off the bench igniting the crowd, whilst Rory Dunn provided the boys with much needed support and encouragement.

TEAMS OF THE WEEK

I would like to thank our Nudgee College seniors for competing very well, representing the 2nd V, 3rd V and the 4th V teams in great NC fashion throughout the season. Special thanks to College Old Boys Jaisson Angalo and Kaushikraj Srihar for assisting in coaching the boys this season.

Please support those who support us! Emphasis on Eyecare will help you feel good, look good and see clearly with new eyewear. Visit Kellie Vanderburg, current Nudgee parent, for all of your optometry needs.

https://emphasisoneyecare.com....

Cricket

Community

Orientation afternoons for current Year 6 and Year 11 students - Week 5 of Term 4

There will be three afternoon sessions, students and their families are only required to attend one afternoon.

All current Year 6 Nudgee College students entering Year 7 in 2022 will be attending
All current Year 11 Nudgee College students entering Year 12 in 2022 will be attending
All new students commencing in 2022 will be attending.
Year 6 students can wear casual clothes or school uniforms.
Year 11 students please wear their school uniform, and further details will be provided by their house deans.
A detailed program will be sent in Week 4 of Term 4, to all Year 6 and Year 11 students, including their parents.

Each afternoon there will be three Houses per afternoon

3:30 pm for a 4 pm start until 6 pm Tuesday 2nd of November - Barrett House, Duggan House and Fogarty House
3:30 pm for a 4 pm start until 6 pm Wednesday 3rd of November - Magee House, McKenna House and Riley House
3:30 pm for a 4 pm start until 6 pm Thursday 4th of November - Ross House, Shaw House and Tierney House

All parents/carers/family are welcome to attend, including siblings.

Buses will be running at the end of the event for students, families and friends. If you wish to catch the Nudgee Bus home for free, with your son/s you are more than welcome.

RSVP for Bus Runs from Orientation Afternoon

All catering will be provided, if you and/or your son has a dietary requirement please complete the form below

Dietary requirements for Orientation Day

Please note: Nudgee College is currently monitoring the QLD COVID-19 Government advice and should the situation change further communication will be released from the College.

The Locker Room

Nudgee College Supporter caps in pink and blue, $25

Face Masks, $15