Acting Principal

Last week, I spoke to the boys about gratitude. Through more good luck rather than design, the word became a real theme for the week. It started with my talk on assembly and then was used at the 1st XI football dinner, featured as a key value for the team. Finally, gratitude was a key theme shared with the College at the ANZAC Ceremony last Friday.

Gratitude is a way for people to appreciate what they have instead of always reaching for something new, hoping it will make them happier or think they can't feel satisfied until every physical and material need is met. Gratitude helps people refocus on what they have instead of what they lack. Although it may feel contrived at first, this mental state grows stronger with use and practice.

Gratitude is the art and practice of recognising what we have received from another and being motivated to give back, without wanting anything in return. While resentment isolates people from one another, gratitude brings them into a closer relationship as they think about what they have received and how they can give back. Resentment alienates, but gratitude brings warmth, acceptance, joy and love into relationships. Resentment also drains our energy as we consider what we feel has been taken away from us. In contrast, gratitude energises us and opens us up to what we receive and how we can give back. While resentment undermines and destroys relationships, gratitude builds and sustains them.

I spent some time over the Easter break with friends and family. Sadly, I listened to them complain about students at their school, the teachers and even the school leadership. During the assembly, I suggested to the boys it is a good time for us to remember, as Mr Todd would say, how blessed we are to be a part of the Nudgee College community.

My challenge to the boys for this term (and beyond) was for them to focus on the good things that happen here at the College each day. They were encouraged to be polite and thank people - and genuinely thank staff and other students - when they could see something good happen. Additionally, try not to get caught up in negative spirals and focus on the negative or build resentment towards others.

Often as parents, we might be drawn into our son’s complaints about their teacher or the College, thinking that we are being supportive and placating them in some way. This might not only be misguided thinking but also be having a direct negative impact on our son’s learning because we are, unknowingly, reinforcing their inner attitude of complaint and therefore taking away from their gratitude.

Many people and things deserve sincere thanks. It is very easy to overlook these things, particularly if showing gratitude isn’t currently in our repertoire - and believe me, I need to put into practice what I am writing about!

As a leader, a parent, and a member of the Nudgee College community, I am thankful for all we have and what our staff and community have done to make sure we support the boys and their holistic learning.

As Nelson Mandela famously said, “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” In fact, the other person may not even be aware of the pain they have caused us and be oblivious to our resentment.

Mr David Johnston

Acting Principal

Acting Deputy Principal

COVID-19 Update

As many families would be aware, the rules around close contacts have changed. These changes make schooling somewhat easier, especially in the boarding house. Please refer to the QLD Government’s close contact advice. If your son is a close contact, quarantine him and take a RAT on day zero. If negative, he may come to school. Observe the mask and testing protocols in the close contact link.

Learning is on campus, in class. Absent boys should contact their teachers via Gmail, and review Student Cafe and Google Drive for activities. Parents can also use the Student Details’ tab in the ‘Parent Lounge’ to email class teachers. If you have trouble logging in contact itav@nudgee.qld.edu.au

We continue to urge boys to observe good hygiene habits whilst on campus, and to inform the College by presenting to the Health Centre if they display COVID-19 like symptoms. Rules for COVID positive patients remain consistent. Please review the QLD Government for further information.

The quarantine area in McKillop is no longer required. It may be used for house activities, assessment and other suitable activities. Please ensure students leave bags on the racks next to CBCC. Escort students past the Early Learning Centre and up the stairs. Be considerate of our neighbours.

Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) Touchstones

This week, I was reviewing the feedback from our latest Parent Survey. One of the recommendations asked us to further implement key messaging about the Touchstones.

The Touchstones are explicit in the language we use, and represented visually around the College. They are also implicit in shaping our thinking and responses as EREA students and educators.

I encourage you to review the EREA Charter for further information on the touchstones. Over the coming weeks I’ll unpack each Touchstone and link it to some of our current programs at Nudgee.

Mr Jason Sepetauc

Acting Deputy Principal

Learning and Teaching

NAPLAN

In Weeks 4 and 5 of this term, our Years 5, 7 and 9 students will participate in NAPLAN. In doing so, they will join students around the country in a series of tests that assess the literacy and numeracy skills of our young Australians. NAPLAN is a nationally mandated set of four tests: Writing, Reading, Language Conventions and Numeracy. It provides schools and government authorities with information about how education programs are working and what areas need to be prioritised for improvement. The data derived from NAPLAN serves to ensure all Australian students receive an education that provides them with the skills they need to meaningfully and productively participate in the community.

Notably, NAPLAN is only one aspect of how Nudgee College measures our students’ literacy and numeracy skills. It does not serve to replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about each student’s performance but it does complement internal assessment items in identifying opportunities for growth for each individual student.

It is worth noting that our Year 7 and Year 9 students have not participated in NAPLAN in four years and our Year 5 students have never participated in NAPLAN due to the cancellation of NAPLAN in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this will be the fourth year that Nudgee College participates in online testing as we successfully facilitated online testing for NAPLAN in 2018, 2019 and 2021. Year 5, 7 and 9 students will be fully prepared for this year’s testing.

Students will use their personal device to participate in NAPLAN Online via the NAP Lockdown Browser, which they will download in their Core lessons over the coming weeks. They will also require a set of headphones (earpods cannot be used in order to maintain the integrity of the tests). To see a sample of what your son’s NAPLAN tests will look like, please visit the NAPLAN Public Demonstration Site and view this online brochure for more information.

A key benefit of NAPLAN Online is ‘tailored testing’ which gives students questions that are suited to their ability, enabling more precise results. Our experience in 2018, 2019 and 2021 also suggests that it improves the engagement of our students. For further information, parents and carers are recommended to watch this video on Tailored Testing.

Nudgee College’s schedule for tests is shown below:

Parents have the right to withdraw their children from NAPLAN. If you wish to withdraw your son, please contact Ms Bonnie Becker at bbe@nudgee.qld.edu.au before Tuesday 10 May.

Senior Visual Art Excursion to GOMA

On Thursday 21 April, our Year 11 Visual Art and Visual Arts in Practise students travelled to the Gallery of Modern Art and the Queensland Art Gallery in Southbank. We were extremely excited to finally attend ‘The 10th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT10’ exhibition after our plans were unfortunately cancelled due to the recent flooding in the area). It was definitely worth the wait!

Our day started at the Queensland Art Gallery where boys were tasked with finding three different artists working with people, places or objects and then identifying a common theme using a reverse chronological approach. This research will assist the boys in writing their reports over the coming weeks. It was lovely to see the boys engaged with artworks created over a variety of periods, from the 17th to the 21st century. A highlight of this gallery was the Indigenous Australian Art Collection which is presented beautifully on the upper level.

We then moved on to our focus exhibition at GOMA. The APT10 this year includes 69 projects with new and recent work by emerging and established artists and collectives. Altogether there were more than 150 individuals from 30 countries. The exhibition's focus was connected with the future of art and the world we inhabit together. It’s rich with stories of how to navigate through time and space, reimagine histories and explore connections to culture and place. A fantastic space for our students to immerse themselves in contemporary art.

We ended the day with a late lunch where conversations were full of the interesting works of art we had viewed but more importantly included milkshakes and hot chips!

A hugely successful excursion for all involved with full engagement from our Art students! I am very much looking forward to seeing what the boys can create from this experience. Student art from this body of work will be exhibited in our annual Dimensions Arts Festival in August this year.

Ms Katherine Ellis

Subject Co-ordinator - Visual Art

Performance of Romeo & Juliet by Shake & Stir Theatre Company

Throughout Term 2, our Year 10 English and Literature students are completing a close study of William Shakespeare’s, Romeo & Juliet and The Merchant of Venice in preparation for a persuasive multimodal presentation. To assist the Year 10 teaching team to formally commence this unit of work, Shake & Stir Theatre Co. were invited into the College this week to perform their modern day twist on the tragedy that is Romeo & Juliet.

Apart from serving as a unit orientating activity, this incursion was designed to entertain our Year 10’s and to assist in making the play far more accessible. I’d like to thank our Year 10 students for the energy that they brought to this performance and I wish them well as they delve further into their Shakespearean studies in weeks ahead.

Mr Dayne Tracey

Head of Faculty - English & Languages