‘Continuous improvement’ is a mantra for many individuals, organisations and businesses in the contemporary world. It is a catchphrase for many in the education industry also. In fact, it perhaps sits most appropriately in schools and tertiary institutions since their focus is always on learning, which by association brings about improvement.

Tuesday’s Assembly was an opportunity to acknowledge those students who have achieved the greatest improvement in their results when comparing Semester 2, 2018 with Semester 1, 2019. These young men were presented with Principal’s Awards, which is an award focused on improvement. This group may include some young men who achieved an Academic Award last week at Assembly, but the vast majority did not. This is a significant award which attempts to recognise the quiet achiever in the classroom who is working hard at improving their results. These students are not often achieving top marks in the class or the subject. Importantly, the award is attainable for every student irrespective of grades achieved. I am grateful for the numbers of parents who were able to attend Tuesday’s Assembly and for the positive feedback I have received from many parents.

In a similar vein, we were also able to present the Best Team Man Awards for Football and Tennis. Once again our focus is the student who contributes the most to the team, on and off the field, and not simply on the student who is the most skilled.
In mentioning improvement in an academic context, it is timely to also mention the College’s commitment to improving the built environment of the College. The College has a well-developed Master Plan, which is currently in its third iteration. This iteration is divided into four stages and conceptualises a vision for the College until 2035. The first stage (2016 to 2020) has included the completion of the new entry and Edmund Rice Way, associated car parking, improved campus signage as well as the extensive refurbishment and redevelopment of the Music and Art facilities in the Cleary Building.

This first stage of the Master Plan also contains redevelopment projects for the Treacy Building, the Duhig Building, the Flats playing fields and the MacKillop Building (which is to be repurposed as an Early Learning Centre). These are significant projects that have already involved extensive planning and consultation. They have been submitted to the State Government for approval under the Ministerial Infrastructure Designation Process. This entails a rigorous process of application before approvals are granted. The College is currently in negotiations with the State Government and we are awaiting approval. This has already taken several months and we are hopeful that we will soon receive the necessary approvals.
We had hoped that some work associated with the projects would be underway before the end of 2019. This may still happen but it is looking likely that construction on these parallel projects may not start before early 2020. We will keep the community informed on the status of these exciting projects, which will have a major impact on our campus in the immediate and long term future.

Finally, few people in the Nudgee College community need reminding that this Saturday we are hosting our Catholic cousins from St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace. This is a very large day for the community with thousands in attendance throughout the day. Much work has already been committed by many members of staff in organising, planning and setting up for the day. We are grateful for these efforts. It is our expectation that the wider Nudgee College community of students, staff, coaches, families, Old Boys and supporters will show our school in the best possible light – on and off the field. The day culminates for everyone with the Boarders’ Bash in Edmund Rice Mall. Many Boarding families make a special effort to travel long distances to be a part of the whole day and this gathering is always a celebration for the entire community.

Certainly, this was an outcome of last Saturday’s Rugby match at Suncorp Stadium. Yes, we won the game and our boys played well. More importantly in my mind was the way the boys in their Nudgee College uniform conducted themselves in the grandstand and around the stadium amongst the public. I have received many favourable comments about the 600 boys who supported their mates on the field. On a night of many highlights, my personal one was the gathering of the 1st XV on the sideline, in front of their Nudgee College brothers, and their collective shout out and three cheers to Aidan Roost, who was able to join us from his hospital bed. It was truly 10,000 brothers and authentic Nudgee Spirit!

Mr Peter Fullagar
Principal

I wrote some articles last year on the importance of parent and teacher relationships. These articles covered a range of topics, but after a recent encounter, I wanted to reuse one based on the importance of communication between parents and the College. I do get worried writing these articles that there could be a perception that I am dragging out my soap box again to start a lecture. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am a parent and I make mistakes – lots of them.

Gone are the days when what the teacher said was taken as gospel. I remember when my mother would come home from a parent teacher conference and not even ask my side of the story. She would simply tell me to stop playing the fool in class or else I'd lose my television rights for a week.  That or my father would simply clip me behind the ears and say, “behave at school”.

Today, teachers' words are doubted, questioned, and at times, simply dismissed with no basis or previous reason for doing so other than not wanting to believe them. Speaking from experience, I have seen boys go home and report an incident that, when truth be told, paints a very poor picture of a teacher or another student which is totally unjustified, unsupported and can cause unnecessary hurt.

The power of trust in our educational system has moved from teacher to student. I recently experienced a situation where a parent in particular wouldn't accept her son’s grade and blamed the teacher and other students for disrupting her son’s learning. When it was explained that her son had already admitted he was not paying attention in class and was engaging in disruptive behaviour himself, she turned to her son and said: "Did you do this?" The son shook his head and said "no”, and the parent immediately replied, "see, he was not mucking around, my son doesn't lie”.

This is where it gets tough and confusing for everyone. As parents, we want to believe everything our sons tell us, but as a teacher, in the situation outlined, I was stunned with the realisation that his mother could believe a 12 year old boy over the school’s account of events.

Teachers are human and do make mistakes, but they all have gone through rigorous training requirements and are continually being exposed to professional development to maintain and improve their skills in the classroom. And with all the pressure on them, they still want to see every child in their care succeed, not bring them down. A former principal of mine would always say to the parents at the start of each year: "If a teacher emails, calls, texts, or contacts you in any form because there's a problem, then there's a problem. No teacher has ever said, 'oh, I want to deal with an angry parent today’. Teachers go into teaching to make a difference, not to torture your child."

So where do we go from here? How can we return to a world where parents trust teachers at their word and engage in open, productive forms of communication aimed at supporting their child’s learning?

Getting a call, email or report that your son might be exhibiting some negative behaviours can be hard to hear for any parent. You might feel worried, frustrated or even a bit embarrassed. It's important to remember that every child can act differently at times to what you see at home. Our staff understand this concept and are not there to judge you. Staff want to work with our parents to get the best outcome for each boy in our care.

In the end, open and honest dialogue must occur. Asking questions of your son’s teacher in order to understand the situation better is something every parent should feel open to doing. But believing the worst in staff or other students at the school is simply closing a door to one of the most important relationships you need to have – the one between you and your son’s teacher. And that's the relationship that will truly pave the way to your son’s educational and personal wellbeing.

Mr David Johnston
Deputy Principal

National Tree Day

Sunday 28 July marked the annual National Tree Day in Australia. We celebrated this event for the fifth year in a row with 35 students planting 80 endemic native plants on campus on Wednesday. Students from Years 5 to 12 were in attendance, including boarders from O’Brien House and members of NC Sustainability. Furthermore, parents from Riley House also attended to provide their expertise, as well as homemade baked goods!

It should be noted that the tree planting record was broken this year in Ethiopia with 350 million trees planted across 1,000 sites! It is a significant difference from the previous record held by India, with 50 million trees planted in 2016. Although this target may overshadow our efforts, to date we have planted more than 1,000 native plants on campus over the last five years. We will continue to take care of our common home with our next tree planting event, Arbor Day, taking place on Wednesday 9 October in Term 4.

Mr Andrew Hook
Teacher in Charge of Sustainability

Principal’s Awards

Congratulations to our Principal’s Award winners for Semester 1. A full list can be found here.

Mr Jason Sepetauc
Dean of Learning and Teaching

The Scene Project

On Thursday 25 July, we took a group of 13 students to participate in the Queensland Theatre’s ‘The Scene Project’. This program is a wonderful opportunity for students across the state to participate in creating a piece of innovative theatre in relation to a play script they read. This year the students worked on a play called ‘The Shot’ by Ms Angela Betzien, which is set on a plane where time is fluid and the destination is unknown.

This project acknowledges teachers and students as artists and encourages them to create a live performance in a professional space and manner. Our boys had a wonderful day and were given the opportunity to view performances by All Hallows College, St Joseph’s College Gregory Terrace and Somerset College. The students used their imaginations, took risks and worked collaboratively with each other. Congratulations to our boys who participated in this project and achieved so much: 

• Joshua Price
• Samuel Mills
• Fletcher Dunn
• Parker Prout
• Enrico Contarino
• Jake McGrorey
• Luke Rohan
• Matthew Voysey
• Jackson Goggin
• Shannen Gerard Solker
• Mitchell Doyle
• Morgan Chippendale

By Year 12 Student Samuel Mills

Last week we went to Queensland Theatre to participate in ‘The Scene Project’. We spent the entire day at the Billie Brown Theatre where we got to present our pieces to each other, as well as see professional Queensland Theatre actors perform the play. On behalf of all of the boys and myself involved, I just want to say that we were very excited to participate in this day, as we had been practising our piece for more than a term and were proud of our work. We received very positive feedback on our performance. Finally, we also want to thank Ms Alison Kilgour and Mr John Hodder for all their time and effort that they put into organising this event for us, as well as Travis from Queensland Theatre for helping us storyboard our scenes. We are all very much appreciative.

By Year 11 Student Joshua Price

‘The Scene Project’ was a brilliant experience, which was a lot of fun and a great insight for anyone with a passion in performing arts. Personally, it was really interesting and rewarding to participate in the process of interpreting script, workshopping with Queensland Theatre, breaking apart and piecing back the text, and the overall devising and performing of a section of script. To see other schools as well as a professional acting team perform the same script in their own ways was eye-opening. I cannot wait to take part in it again next year.

By Year 10 Student Fletcher Dunn

Over the past term I had the opportunity to work with a group of talented Nudgee College students by taking part in ‘The Scene Project’. We were given the task to devise a 15 minute performance using Angela Betzien’s ‘The Shot’ as our stimulus. Our performance incorporated the use of fairy tales and our own creative process to produce an interpretation of the play. The culmination of our efforts was sharing our performance with other schools and Queensland Theatre at the Billie Brown Theatre. Seeing how other young people interpreted the script, as well as watching professional actors from Queensland Theatre perform the script were highlights of the day. ‘The Scene Project’ was a rewarding experience and I can’t wait for next year.

Ms Alison Kilgour
Head of Arts Faculty

Year 11 Leadership Launch

On Friday 26 July, the Year 11 men attended their Leadership Launch. During this presentation students were provided with details about the leadership process, in preparation for 2020. Like so many other wonderful programs at the College, we always enjoy launching such processes with a ritual. It was wonderful sharing this experience with Mr Peter Fullagar, who re-enacted the ‘washing of the feet’ ritual.

At Nudgee College, we follow in the footsteps of Jesus and Edmund Rice in the model of ‘servant leadership’. This dovetails nicely with some of the theory from James Kouzes and Barry Z Posners’ ‘The Leadership Challenge’. They have identified five key attributes of successful leaders:

• Model the way
• Inspire a shared vision
• Challenge the process
• Enable others to act
• Encourage the heart

Kouzes and Posner also talk about the importance of leaders being credible by:

• Cultivating a culture of trust (honesty)
• Having vision and direction (forward-looking)
• Having the necessary skills (competent)
• Building a truly inclusive community (inspiring)

Finally, and something that we strive with the students in our community, credible leaders know that 'it's all about positive relationships'. The process of applying for a leadership position is a life skill, and is certainly something that we recommend students undertake.

Powerhouse Day

On Friday 23 August, the Year 9 students will be facilitated in a workshop centred around ‘finding their inner self’. The involvement of Year 11s as mentors, and the invitation and involvement of dads on the day are both vital elements. Some of the desired outcomes of the day include:

• Greater personal responsibility and building empathy for self and others
• Addressing issues such as judgement, teasing, racism, violence, and emotional highs and lows
• Sharing stories of hardship, bad behaviour and individual struggles
• Celebrating diversity, building self-esteem and encouraging students to stand up for positive change
• Challenging everyone to step outside of their comfort zone, share feelings and build connections between students that would rarely happen
• Teaching students that people are like icebergs: only 10 per cent of their emotions are visible on the surface, while under the surface lies much more
• Understanding people with personal problems often take out their emotions on others, sometimes even not realising it

So far we have more than 20 dads participating in the day as ‘tribal elders’, but would always welcome more to be included in the day. If you are interested please do not hesitate to make contact with Director of Students (Acting) Mr Michael Byrne via email.

Mr Sean Toovey
Dean of Students (Acting)

Let’s Chat Education

I would like to thank those parents who were able to attend our Let’s Chat parent presentation last Monday evening. Presenter Ms Mandy Stephens provided not only an excellent outline of the programs that will be delivered to our students, but also some informative tips on how to answer some of the tricky questions that our children can raise. If you have any questions regarding the program please contact me at the College. The message from Monday night was again clear – no student in the Junior School should have a mobile phone that has data access.

Junior GPS Music Day of Excellence

Next Tuesday students across Years 5 to 7 will participate in the annual Junior GPS Music Day of Excellence, hosted by Brisbane Grammar School. This day culminates in the Vicki Sargent Concert to showcase the wonderful talents of students across the GPS network. 

As I have noted in previous years, this concert is very special to me as Vicki was not only a colleague, but a dear family friend from the late 1980s up until her death in 2007. If previous years are anything to go by the standard will be extraordinary. I wish all participants the very best for their performances.

Year Level Google Sites

A reminder to parents to explore our year level Google Sites with your son. These are a fantastic platform for students to be able to access a wide variety of resources, which complement what they are learning in the classroom. The videos filmed by our own teachers on the lightboard are found here, along with advancement and enrichment documents, links to related websites, support resources for assignments and lots more.

This Weekend

I’m sure I will see many of you this weekend at the annual clash of two passionate rugby schools – Nudgee and Terrace. For our young men in Year 5 this is one of those days when that much talked about, Nudgee Spirit, is well and truly on display. Best of luck to all teams across many disciplines. 

Mr Chris Cawley
Director of Junior School

Academic Improvement

Well done to the 11 boarders who were awarded a Principal’s Award at Assembly this week. This is awarded to the 25 highest academic improvers across the whole school. Whilst last week I was so proud of the boys who achieved Academic Awards (the highest number we have ever had) as they thoroughly deserve their recognition; I want to highlight these 11 boys this week as they have demonstrated the most important aspect of learning – improvement. Director of Learning and Teaching (Acting) Ms Lauren Nolan spoke at Assembly about ensuring all boys not only have aspirations, but more importantly have a plan. I want to thank the many Boarding staff and teachers who come in each night for the work they have done in assisting boys not only with their learning, but more importantly facilitating the boys in developing a plan each night to achieve their goals during study over the term.

From Left to Right: Jamie Knight, Billy Banks, Flynn Faulkner, Franco Lim Santos Faria, Mr David Johnston, Aidan Coleman, Justice Wasiu, Joshua McPherson and Giacomo Keable
Absent: Will Jones, Jed Manson and George Needham

Hodda’s Christmas in July

Congratulations to the staff in Hodda for a wonderful formal dinner held in Ryan Hall on Thursday 25 July. It truly looked and felt like Christmas! A highlight of the evening was the more than 40 staff in attendance, accompanied by some Hodda parents, which made it a memorable night for the boys. The boys acted as chaperones for our lovely guests, continuing to instil our strong formation elements of manners and respect for women. This was a wonderful occasion for the boys to, as Head of Hodda Boarding House Mr Ken Mitchell, share a formal meal as a family. Thank you to all the Hodda staff, particularly Ms Julie Kopittke and Mr Alan McLean, who worked tirelessly over many weeks to coordinate this wonderful event.

Boarders’ Bash and Complimentary Lunch on Saturday 3 August

This Saturday we host the annual Boarders’ Bash. We encourage as many Boarding families as possible to attend the day and gather as a community in the Edmund Rice Mall after the 1st XV game on Ross Oval.

Before the game, Boarding families are invited to enjoy a complimentary lunch in the Boarders’ Dining Room during the day. The Dining Room will be open for Boarding families to enjoy lunch at their convenience anytime between 11.30am and 1.00pm. If you would like to attend the lunch, please RSVP via the Lunch RSVP Google Form. 

Weekend Activities

• Friday: NRL game
• Saturday: Boarders’ Bash
• Sunday: Shopping 

Mr Christian Oneto
Dean of Boarding

Basketball

The 1st V went down to a strong Brisbane State High School (BSHS) team. The boys showed some resilience by cutting into the lead during the fourth quarter. Despite not being able to close the gap, the effort was pleasing to see. With another high scoring output the boys are proving they are an entertaining and talented group. Khobie Dehaan continues to impress with some very athletic play and high flying dunks.

The Year 5s performed very well, with the 5A and 5B teams picking up some convincing wins. For the 5A team Matthew Fuller and Jack Walker played outstanding, with both boys putting on a full display of great offensive skills and creating havoc defensively for the opposing side. The 5B team are proving to be a well-rounded group of boys. Ball movement and teamwork seem to be the common goal as they head towards victories. 

As a whole, despite the scoreboard not ticking over much in our favour, the boys’ individual skills continue to improve each week. 

Mr CJ Massingale
Basketball Director

Chess

After some hard-fought games, the 1st IV had a narrow loss against BSHS on Friday, 1.5-2.5. Chess Captain Henry Kennedy beat a player rated 300 points higher on Board 2, while Thasindu Chandrasekara managed a draw on Board 3. Unfortunately, we were not able to secure enough wins to achieve any team victories, but the Open E boys were able to draw 2-2 thanks to Jack Weaver and Jett Parker.
Congratulations also to Patrick Kennedy and Pana Constantinou who defeated higher rated opponents, and Jacob Martin and George Coorey who drew against higher rated players. Thank you to all the supporters who came along last week. With our first away game this week the boys are looking forward to a good match against St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace (GT). 

Mr Martin Harmon
Chess Director

Rugby

Round 2 of the GPS competition saw us face BSHS. Fortunately, we found games for all but two of our teams, which included games against six different schools across six venues throughout Brisbane. One of these venues, of course, was Suncorp Stadium, where our community was treated to a rare opportunity to watch a 1st XV game at the famous stadium. The positive feedback we have received from the public about the way our boys supported their school and conducted themselves at the stadium was overwhelming. It was so good to have Aidan Roost out of hospital and on the side-line to support the 1sts. Please continue to keep Aidan in your prayers.

Results wise, we had a very successful day, winning 9 out of 10 games against BSHS, and the majority of the supplementary games also. A match review of every game is available on the Rugby Team App.
Nudgee Team of the Week Round 2:

1. Caleb Reiher (16C)
2. Al McEwan (15E)
3. Harry Vella (1st XV)
4.  Sam Tallon (11A)
5. Lochie McLean (15B)
6. Jack Reynold (11Blue)
7. Michael Jones (16A)
8.  Titi Nofoagatotoa (1st XV)
9. Oscar Varricchio (3rd XV)
10. Benn Dalle Cort (2nd XV)
11. Emmanuel Taviri (14A)
12. Lewis McGrorey (12B)
13. Connor Matthews (13D)
14. Lochie Walker (5th XV)
15. Byron Cason (14A)

Round 3

Welcome to Terrace Week! All teams are playing at home this Saturday for our annual Nudgee College Old Boys’ Reunion Weekend, which includes all our Open teams on Ross Oval. This year we will once again compete for the St Joseph’s Rugby Cup, where the results of every NC versus GT game played on the day contributes to the overall winning school. Therefore, whether you are in the 11Cs or the 3rd XV, every result equally counts.

Rugby Support Group

The huge thanks to the work of the Rugby Support Group. Much has already been achieved, including the Season Launch, launching the Rugby Memberships, preparing for our first home game experience this Saturday, and the sold out St Joseph’s Rugby Luncheon, which takes place this Friday. Thank you for all your work! Check out the Membership tab in the Rugby Team App or look out for the Rugby Support Group tent on Saturday to purchase your 2019 Membership.

Mr Sean Graham
Rugby Director

Download the Barralong Registration Form here.

Dimensions Opening Night Gala on Friday 6 September

This week you were emailed your invitation to the Dimensions Art Festival Opening Night Gala.

We are delighted to introduce you to our 3D Feature Artists for 2019 – Natalia and Duncan Broadhead. Duncan and Natalia started Broadcroft Design almost a decade ago after building substantial roots in the metalwork industry from industrial to artistic. From structural steelwork to theatre scenery, from fabrication to design, they have experienced and grown through it all. These days their direction is turning to more sculptural projects and they are excited about what their creative future holds.

Pieces for sale at the Dimensions Arts Festival will be available for viewing in the online catalogue one week prior to the Gala. Purchase tickets here.

Raffle

Major Prize: Nudgee College tuition fees fully paid for one student for 2020 OR $10,000 in cash

Tickets on sale now. Purchase tickets here.

We’re also seeking to assist us with raffle ticket sales at home games and during the festival. Sign up here.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Dimensions on the Green

Finally, we are pleased to announce a new addition to the 2019 Dimensions Arts Festival – Dimensions on the Green on Sunday 8 September. You will be well entertained by a range of our talented young Nudgee College men. More information to come, but for now please save the date.

Nudgee College Arts Committee

Tuck Shop Volunteers needed this Saturday!

The College Tuckshop is seeking volunteers for this Saturday’s Rugby and Basketball home games. Any time you could give would be greatly appreciated. If you’re able to help out please fill out this form.