On Tuesday afternoon under clear blue skies we marked the Feast Day of Blessed Edmund Rice gathered as a community on Wilkes Oval. As we prayed together I recalled the impactful words of Br Philip Pinto (an Indian Christian Brother who led the Congregation of Brothers in the recent past).

And as we celebrate the Feast of Blessed Edmund – on 5 May – I ask you, what are you celebrating? You belong to an Edmund Rice school, but that does not necessarily mean that you are an Edmund Rice person! 

So what must you do to be an Edmund Rice person? I think the answer is with Edmund himself. He lived in such a way that his heart was broken open for people. We are told that he opened his whole heart to the poor. Compassion was at the heart of what Edmund was about. And compassion means opening my heart so that someone else comes into the centre – and I am not in the centre of my life; someone else is at the centre of my life.

When was the last time someone was at the centre of your life? When was the last time you moved away from the centre and let someone else in? And if you really want to celebrate the Feast, then I invite you over the coming days, even today, for one moment, for one experience, for one situation – put someone else at the centre, see who needs you.

You belong to a group that is much bigger than the school. The Edmund Rice network spreads all over the world, in more than 30 countries, in all of the continents. Can you open your heart large enough and big enough to allow people from other parts of the world to occupy that central space, so that their needs come before your own! When you do that – then you are celebrating Edmund Rice Feast Day!

With this reflection in mind there are certainly some Nudgee College families who we could place at the centre of our lives.

These past weeks the College community has been touched by the passing of several Old Boys. Last Monday we hosted a memorial service for Sandy Kidd BEM, a legend of the channel country of Queensland and student here from 1955 to 1958. On Tuesday senior staff from the College attended the funeral in Ayr of Victor Dalle Cort (NCOB 1948-49). Vic was a hard-working North Queensland farmer and well-known figure in the Burdekin community. The sons of both Sandy and Victor attended the College and now their grandsons are here as proud Nudgee College men. The story of these two families, our Boarding community and the College, more broadly, are deeply intertwined.

Both Sandy and Vic lived long and full lives. Sadly, this is not the case for Peter Tennant who was a Senior of the class of 2015 and who passed away on Sunday night after a motor vehicle accident. Peter was a Magee Prefect, a Hodda boarder, a rower and a much loved and respected Nudgee College man – a true Sign of Faith. His funeral service will be here in the Chapel, next Thursday 16 May at 10.00am.  Fr John Gillen SM will lead the service and we expect many younger Old Boys and their friends will join with Peter's family to remember him and celebrate his life. Please keep all three Nudgee College families in your prayers.

Many in the community will be aware of the serious health situation that Aidan Roost (Year 10 Barrett) is confronting. Aidan was recently diagnosed with T-cell ALL Leukaemia and is currently undergoing chemotherapy at the Queensland Children’s Hospital. The family has been well supported by Nudgee College families and Aidan’s parents, Penny and Andy, are very grateful. Members of the College community have also set up a Go Fund Me page. There is information about his condition there as well as a means of assisting the family financially. Ms Kate Kluck is one of the mums who is helping to lead the support and her details are available through the College Office.

There are other College families, including those of members of staff, who are also facing challenging times at present. As a Catholic school community we know the power of prayer during such moments in our lives. One of the great daily practices of Edmund Rice’s life was his daily devotion to Mary, the Mother of God. This practice was subsequently followed by the Christian Brothers who always prayed to Mary. Symbolically, statues of Mary were placed in prominent positions in their schools. At Nudgee College she looks gracefully down upon us from the top of the entrance to the Treacy Building. Therefore, in the Marian month of May, and during a time of sadness and challenge for many in the community, let us place the needs of others in the centre of our prayers.

With every best wish for the week ahead.

Mr Peter Fullagar
Principal

When it comes to student learning, school facilities matter, according to the authors of a paper from the California Policy Lab at UCLA and UC Berkley. Researchers tracked the individual test scores, classroom grades and attendance rates of more than five million individual students between 2002 and 2012, before and after those same students moved from overcrowded, dilapidated schools to new facilities. They concluded that focussed school construction had a positive academic impact on students.

"School facility investments lead to modest, gradual improvements in student test scores, large immediate improvements in student attendance, and significant improvements in student effort," says a summary of the paper.

The findings also feed into a growing body of research that defends the argument that more money leads to better academic outcomes, a theory disputed by many conservative politicians (and I am acutely aware there is a federal election looming). 

As part of our commitment to providing a relevant and engaging curriculum, the College continues to reinvigorate the campus, balancing heritage with the demands of a modern curriculum. The College is justifiably proud of the recent additions to the building renewal program, with the upgrading of the Cleary Building and its conversion to a state of the art facility for Music and Art. The building offers a wide variety of flexible spaces that anticipate changing needs and support the growing Art and Music programs. Most importantly, at its core, is the focus on creating a central space that encourages creativity, that key dimension of education that can be lost in the pursuit of standardised test scores.

In the coming year we will again look to reinvigorate the heart of the College with many new and dynamic teaching spaces being constructed in the Treacy Building. The new rooms will provide venues for Senior students to study in a variety of possible learning configurations. The new spaces will also provide an ideal location for Senior examinations to be held.

Additionally, the old Boarding House will become the main teaching staff room. The new space will house up to 80 teaching staff and provide areas for staff research, collaboration and learning. It is important as we strive for continual improvement to facilitate lifelong learning for our staff, and they in turn model this love of learning to the boys in our care.

The new classrooms and staffroom have been designed to promote creative thinkers who embrace individualised learning through its use of space and the incorporation of new technology. The renovation will create a setting that encourages innovative teaching through its intentional design to link the physical learning environment to pedagogical and curriculum design. It is an upgrade of the built environment providing new, exciting and innovative ways for students and staff to learn.

As the study mentioned at the start of this article suggests, these improvements can only enhance learning outcomes at the College and enrich our inclusive, diverse community.

Mr David Johnston
Deputy Principal

The Year 12 men returned from Kairos on Friday after a wonderful experience. Thanks to the retreat leaders, Ms Joanne Barrett, Mr Peter Todd and Ms Natalie Webber, and to all the staff who volunteered to walk the Kairos journey with the Year 12 men. Truly ‘God’s time’.

Founder’s Day

On Tuesday this week we celebrated Founder’s Day – the Feast of Blessed Edmund Rice.

Edmund was born in 1762 at Callan, County Kilkenny in Ireland. After receiving his education in Kilkenny he went to work in Waterford. He married at the age of 24 and he and his wife welcomed a daughter to their family. When his wife died three years later, he asked where was God in his life. In many ways, Edmund’s life was very blessed. He was a very successful business owner and quite wealthy. Edmund Rice answered the call of God to educate young Catholic boys. He reasoned that, with a better education and the ability to reflect and think on the great questions of life, young people are drawn to a life in God: to be a Sign of Faith.

Mr Stephen Meara
Dean of Identity

EcoSweep 360

The newest addition to the NC Sustainability Team this term is the world’s first battery powered street sweeper, the EcoSweep 360. Previously on campus, a petrol operated leaf blower was used to keep our streets clean. Unfortunately, this created significant challenges for staff and students, including noise and air pollution. However, we can now say goodbye to the noisy, dusty and environmentally harmful methods of the past and embrace the future with a totally emission free, quiet and environmentally friendly alternative.

The electric powered battery enables up to eight hours of run time per charge and produces only 75 decibels of sound. Furthermore, this vehicle has low maintenance costs and due to the absence of oil on board the risk of spills is removed, thus reducing damage to footpaths and eliminating environmental impact. Additionally, the EcoSweep collects dust and leaf litter into an attached 240L bin rather than blowing it back and forwards. Ultimately this ‘green’ waste can then be used throughout the College’s landscape as an organic resource. Finally, the reduction of dust in the air will also have positive health impacts for those in our community with respiratory problems.

With significant positive implications for the Nudgee College community, we are proud to welcome the EcoSweep to our team. Just remember to keep your eyes open during your next visit because you won’t hear it coming!

Mr Andrew Hook
Teacher in Charge of Sustainability

Please view the latest QCE Memo here.

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 aim to assess the literacy and numeracy skills of young Australians. NAPLAN is a nationally mandated test that has existed since 2008. Notably, NAPLAN is only one aspect of how Nudgee College (and other schools) measure literacy and numeracy skills. It does not serve to replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about each student’s performance. That said, it provides some valuable information about the progress of our students with regard to the kind of skills that provide the foundation for other learning.

Importantly, the NAPLAN tests provide schools and government authorities with information about how education programs are working and which areas need to be prioritised for improvement. The data derived from NAPLAN serves to ensure all Australian students receive an education that provides students with the skills needed for their productive and meaningful participation in the community. The NAPLAN tests, coupled with internal assessment items provide teachers at Nudgee College with information that serves to inform teaching and learning. It helps teachers to identify the opportunities for growth for each individual student within their classroom.

This will be the second year that Nudgee College will participate in online testing. 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 last year also suggests that it improves the engagement of our students. Students will use their personal device to participate in NAPLAN Online via the NAP Lockdown Browser, which they will download in their lessons this week.

For further information about NAPLAN Online, please watch these videos: NAPLAN Online and Tailored Testing.

The schedule for tests is shown below:

Year 5

Test: Writing
Date: Tuesday 14 May
Periods: 1 and 2

Test: Reading
Date: Wednesday 15 May
Periods: 3 and 4

Test: Language Conventions
Date: Friday 17 May
Periods: 3 and 4

Test: Numeracy
Date: Tuesday 21  May
Periods: 1 and 2

Year 7

Test: Writing
Date: Wednesday 15 May
Periods: 1 and 2

Test: Reading
Date: Thursday 16 May
Periods: 3 and 4

Test: Language Conventions
Date: Friday 17 May
Periods: 1 and 2

Test: Numeracy
Date: Monday 20 May
Periods: 3 and 4

Year 9

Test: Writing
Date: Tuesday 14 May
Periods: 3 and 4

Test: Reading
Dates: Thursday 16 May
Periods: 1 and 2

Test: Language Conventions
Date: Monday 20 May
Periods: 1 and 2

Test: Numeracy
Date: Tuesday 21 May
Periods: 3 and 4

All Year Levels

Test: Catch-Up Tests
Dates: Wednesday 22 to Friday 24 May
Periods: 1 to 4

Ms Natalie Webber
Director of Learning and Teaching

Australian Mathematics Competition

Entries are now being accepted for the 2019 Australian Mathematics Competition. This competition is an excellent opportunity for students to challenge themselves with problem solving questions in a test that is not high stakes. The competition consists of 25 multiple choice questions and five short answer questions of increasing difficulty.

You can find more information on the Australian Mathematics Trust website. The boys can find practice questions on the Nudgee College Mathematics website.  

The competition is being held on Friday 2 August during Periods 1 and 2.

Cost: $6.50

Due Date: Friday 7 June

The entry fee is to be paid directly to your son’s Mathematics teacher or via the Nudgee College Payment Gateway. Please ensure payments are made by the due date if your son wishes to compete.

Mr Paul Masters
Maths (Year 7 to 9) Coordinator

Last Sunday our current Year 12 mothers and their sons attended Mass at St Stephen's Cathedral and shared lunch at the Sofitel as part of our annual Mother and Son Luncheon. As always, it was a wonderful Nudgee College event and I would like to personally thank Ms Julie Bakes and Mr Stephen Meara for organising the Mass, and Ms Larissa Patti and Mr Raoul Carmody for their organisation of the lunch. 

We were also lucky to have a number of wonderful mothers who worked together in event theming, adding those special touches, and I thank Ms Dolores Bygott, Ms Sarah Roati, Ms Patti Smith, Ms Jocelyn Bundock, Ms Donna-Maree Long and Ms Alysia Bridger. I also wish to say thanks to Ms Dolores Bygott, Ms Patti Smith, Ms Kylie Rennie, Ms Christine Populin, Ms Larissa Patti and Ms Alysia Bridger, who arrived early to decorate the room on the day.

Many of our boarders were also able to enjoy the day with Head of Maths Faculty Ms Louise Nardi and Boarding House Mum Ms Tracey Hoffmann who attended as ‘mums’ to the boys whose mums could not attend – a kind and wonderful gesture, for which I thank you.

Mr Peter Todd
Dean of Students

Bramble Bay Cross Country

On Friday 3 May, 17 excited and determined little faces arrived at St Paul’s School for Bramble Bay Cross Country trials. We were blessed with perfect weather for the morning and after having a wander around sections of the course, the boys began preparing themselves for their events.

First up were the 12 year old boys. Out on the start line amongst 90 odd other boys, our runners were eager to push themselves through their 3km event. The gun went off and so did our boys! Before we knew it, Angus Durkin came sprinting down the finishers chute in first place with Gus Moloney only metres behind him in second place. Chase Tatum and Charles Dallimore came in sixth and eighth respectfully, resulting in four Nudgee College boys qualifying for Met North trials! Finishing in 28th place was Harry Stoneman, and Oli Patterson ran through the finish line in 41st place. Well done to all our 12 year old boys on strong running.

After cheering on their 12 year old mates, the 11 year old boys had a warm-up and headed over to the marshalling area for their 3km event. Our boys started strong and were in the first half of the tribe of boys within the first minute! Heading back to the finish line area to watch the boys come through, we could all see Elfie Piper in third place and determined to overtake the boy in second place. He succeeded and finished in second place! Moments later a sea of ‘big N’ singlets appeared with Alex Smith, Henry Potter and Tom Kewley finishing in fifth, sixth and seventh places respectively. Five Nudgee College 11 year old boys became part of the team of eight qualifying for the Met North trials. Not far behind these five was Matt Fuller, flying into the finisher’s chute knowing he had given his all and finished in 15th place. Unfortunately, Sean Putra Susilo, the incredibly speedy young man that he is, just didn’t have the race he wanted, but we were so proud of his efforts. Look out 2020 Bramble Bay Cross Country trials; Sean will be back!

Our last event for the morning was the 10 year old boys’ 2km event. Again, a race of around 110 boys saw lots of nervous faces, but it was also super exciting at the same time. Before we knew it, the gun went off and a buzz of determination came hurtling towards the spectators! Within minutes Rhys Griffiths came bolting down the finish line with Harry Williams and Michael Donovan claiming the fifth and sixth places. Baxter Witteveen pushed hard to finish in 19th place whilst Jeremy Deakin also darted into the finisher’s chute grabbing the 43rd spot. It was a magnificent effort from all of our 10 year old boys!

Overall, each boys’ Nudgee Spirit shone through. They certainly represented Nudgee College in fine form with their enthusiasm, determination and joviality.

Ms Jaimee Trembearth
Director of Cross Country

Year 5 NAPLAN

Our Year 5 students will soon sit the annual NAPLAN testing. Here at Nudgee College we complete all testing online. This will be the first time our Year 5 boys will have conducted this kind of testing. Our IT department has ensured that all our student’s devices meet the requirements to successfully complete all the testing. It is important that students and parents keep these series of tests in perspective. It is a national testing program and reports on your son in the key areas of literacy and numeracy at a point in time. Whilst this testing can show where your son sits on a national level, our testing regime shows more accurately how he is tracking on the Australian Curriculum. No student should feel stressed by sitting these tests, and I have spoken with each class this week about why they should be relaxed going into NAPLAN.

I would ask parents and caregivers to avoid making any appointments for their son in the time slots below. The nature of the testing now means each test must be done in the exact order listed below. Therefore, should your son miss a test, he must complete that upon his return before he can move onto the next test.

Should you have any questions regarding NAPLAN please contact me via the Junior School Office.

• Tuesday 14 May - Writing - Session 1: 8.50am to 10.40am
• Wednesday 15 May - Reading Comprehension - Session 2: 11.10am to 1.15pm
• Friday 17 May - Language Conventions - Session 2: 11.05am to 12.40pm
• Tuesday 21 May - Numeracy - Session 1: 8.50am to 10.40am

Mr Chris Cawley
Director of Junior School

Year 12 Mother and Son Luncheon

On Sunday we were blessed to attend the Year 12 Mother and Son Mass and Luncheon. It was wonderful to see many Year 12 Boarding mums at the annual event and I was fortunate to be able to catch up with many of you. This is always such an enjoyable day and is also an opportune time for Year 12 boys who have recently returned from Kairos to spend that quality time with their mums. 

Once again this year I wish to thank Ms Tracey Hoffmann, who attended the event as House Mum to many boys whose mothers were unable to attend. This allows our Year 12 gentlemen to experience this unique day and give thanks to the important women in their lives.

Goondiwindi Show

Another annual event over the weekend was the Goondiwindi Show. Of course our Cattle Club was heavily involved with events over the weekend and I share below a couple of happy snaps of the event.

In attendance at the event were also two Nudgee College teachers: Mr Paul Curran and Head of Cotter House Mr Casey Brealy. We were fortunate enough to share some pavilion space with Stuartholme School and met with prospective families and current families who enjoyed the festivities over the weekend. 

Weekend Activities

• Friday: Rock climbing
• Saturday: Football and Tennis away games and Clayfield Social
• Sunday: Dodgeball

Mr Christian Oneto
Dean of Boarding

Last Saturday was an overcast day, which exploded into life at 2.00pm on Ross Oval. The 1st XI game was a fantastic spectacle for the neutrals, as two attacking teams played out a 3-3 draw.

Across the day there was good competition between the hosts and our visitors Brisbane State High School (BSHS). We also welcomed St Laurence’s College to the campus for games against our Year 6 boys and held some coaching clinics for our Year 5s down on Hendry Oval. 

We would like to wish Oscar Roati in the 7C team a speedy recovery from a serious leg injury in his game. It was great to see Brodie Boyce return to action in the 1st XI game and we hope that 1st XI Captain Harry Arnison is able to recover from an injury picked up in Round 1.

As we travel to St Joseph’s College Gregory Terrace (GT) this weekend I would like to remind all players, parents and coaches of the GPS Codes of Conduct. Games against our rivals are always hotly contested but please remember that sportsmanship, respect and fair play should be at the heart of everything we do. Boys will need to sign up to buses please via the Football Team App.

Team of the Week

Age Group Teams of the Week: 2nd XI, 11C, 10A, 9F, 8D, 7A, 6C, 5E

Results

Saturday 9 June

• 1st XI - Drew 3-3
• 2nd XI - Won 5-1
• 3rd XI - Lost 1-2
• 4th XI - Won 2-0
• 11A - Lost 0-1
• 11B - Won 2-1
• 11C - Won 3-1
• 11D - Won 5-0
• 11E v ACGS - Won 5-2
• 11F  v ACGS - Won 5-2
• 10A - Won 3-1
• 10B - Drew 1-1
• 10C - Lost 2-3
• 10D - Won 3-1
• 10E  v ACGS 10E - Won 8-0
• 10F v BGS 10E - Won 8-1
• 9A - Lost 0-1
• 9B - Lost 1-4
• 9C - Drew 2-2
• 9D - Lost 1-5
• 9E - Drew 4-4
• 9F  v ACGS - Won 8-0
• 8A - Lost 2-3
• 8B - Lost 1-2
• 8C - Lost 2-4
• 8D - Won 4-3
• 8E - Won 3-0 (Forfeit)
• 8F v ACGS 8E - Won 8-1
• 7A - Won 1-0
• 7B - Drew 1-1
• 7Cameroon - Won 3-1
• 7Denmark - Won 6-0
• 7England v BGS - Lost 1-13
• 6A  - Internal
• 6B - Won 6-1
• 6Cameroon - Won 11-0
• 6Denmark - Won 10-0
• 6England - Won 6-1
• 5A - Internal
• 5B - Internal
• 5Cameroon - Internal
• 5Denmark - Internal
• 5England - Internal

Summary

• Won - 13
• Drawn - 5
• Lost - 8
• Supp games - 17
• Total - 43

Mr Jamie Pybus
Football Director

Tennis

The Nudgee College men were prepped and ready for Round 2 of the GPS Tennis season against BSHS at home. Unfortunately, just prior to the first round of matches starting, a heavy downpour ultimately resulted in all home games being rained out for the day. However, the Year 7 to 9 teams who played at BSHS went ahead as scheduled. These boys played hard and represented the College with pride. Team of the week goes to the 8Ds, who had a comprehensive win and displayed great progress.

We now look forward to playing GT away from home and hopefully some dry weather!

Mr Brendan McGuinness
Tennis Director

Dimensions Art Festival

This year, Dimensions Art Festival commences on 6 September with the spectacular Opening Night Gala. Save the date for this exciting event, as well as the remainder of the entertaining three day festival. Your invitation to this event will arrive via email when tickets are on sale. Affordable, original artwork makes the gala a popular event. It is also your best opportunity to have first pick of the feature, competition and student art on offer.

The variety and quality of the art from our three feature artists this year is diverse and impressive. We are delighted to introduce Carla Adams. Carla has exhibited at MOANA, Turner Galleries, Bus Projects (Melbourne), FELTSpace (Adelaide), ARTBAR at The Museum of ContemporaryArt (Sydney), Verge Gallery (Sydney), Blindside (Melbourne) and her work was selected for the 2013 Hatched national graduate exhibition at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts. She was also a finalist in the 2017 Joondalup Invitation Art Award.  

Her work is aligned with feminist sculptural and textile practices and investigates how women navigate digital dating platforms. Her practice is concerned with personal and intimate internet encounters rather than mass attended online spaces.

Raffle

The Dimensions Raffle is back for 2019.

Ticket numbers are limited - so get in fast for this amazing prize!

Tickets are $50 and only 1,000 are available for purchase.

The major prize is Nudgee College tuition fees fully paid for one student in 2020 or $10,000 cash.

Thanks in advance for your support.

Nudgee College Arts Committee