Earlier this term, I indicated that the College would be undertaking the Edmund Rice Education (EREA) School Renewal process. EREA is the governing body of all Catholic schools in the Edmund Rice tradition across Australia. The Renewal process is undertaken every five years and is a vital process in ensuring that the College is remaining true to the charism of Edmund Rice and the Charter of EREA.
This Charter document is grounded in the four Touchstones described below. These Touchstones should be evident in overt and subtle ways at the College. This applies to both the daily operations of the College as well as in the way that we plan strategically and for our long-term future.
From my perspective, the panel will be asking two fundamental questions:
Is Nudgee College authentically a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice tradition?
How can Nudgee College improve as a school?
The Renewal will be held from Wednesday to Friday this week with a range of teaching staff, support staff, students, the Advisory Council and parents all involved in interviews as well as visits to classrooms and the boarding house. The panel includes:
Mr Ray Paxton - National Director (Liberating Education)
Mr Peter Chapman - Regional Director North
Mr John Crowley - Director of Partnerships
Ms Elizabeth Watson - Director of Learning
In preparation for the School Renewal process, EREA had requested preparatory documentation and data. This included an extensive report including reference to the work undertaken since the last School Renewal, as well as looking to the future and the challenges that the school faces. The data included the results of a survey of 1,200 of our students in March. We look forward to hearing the outcomes of the process and the report that will follow.
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We are expecting a large crowd to attend Open Day on Saturday 22 May. Registrations are tracking robustly and ahead of our last on campus Open Day numbers in 2019. We are in an increasingly strong position for enrolment numbers with limited places available in the immediate years ahead. We continue to hold some positions for boarders in the older year levels but these are becoming increasingly limited. Further Admissions information is available at this link.
While we have committed to a range of marketing strategies for Open Day, in truth, the word of mouth of current families is our best form of advertising and it is almost universally positive. I am always grateful for the parents, their kind words and continuing support. You cannot buy this endorsement but you certainly have to earn it on a daily basis. It is our staff who deserve recognition for this. They are committed and talented professionals who are motivated to do their best for the benefit of our boys. This applies not only to the teachers doing the vital work in the classrooms but the countless other staff who provide a range of support and service to our community. I repeatedly inspired by their efforts.
With every best wish for the week ahead.
Mr Peter Fullagar
Principal
Deputy Principal
When I write the name Steve Jobs, most people know immediately who I’m writing about. The former CEO of Apple Computers, a visionary in the world of technology and a man who is largely responsible for the level at which computers are integrated within our everyday lives. Steve Jobs, sadly, died at the age of just 56.
By today’s standards, his life was short. Despite this, he managed to transform the lives of millions of people. His legacy will live on with every iPod, iPhone, Mac, and iPad that graces a desk or coffee table around the globe.
He didn’t gain all of this because he was lucky, or even because he was super intelligent or amazingly creative. He had elements of all of those things. Jobs was successful because he persevered. He started Apple with a friend from his parents’ garage. His first product could hardly be described as an overnight success, but it got Apple noticed.
He went on to become a multimillionaire, only to be fired by the company. He didn’t wallow in self-pity or blame others. Instead, he persisted, eventually returning to Apple and creating technology that people around the world will line up for days to be the first to own. In a 1995 interview, Jobs said, “I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance which is so hard."
Perseverance is a necessary trait, which is possessed by all successful students. Perseverance speaks to a refusal to give up the pursuit of a goal despite obstacles. It involves the ability to see failure as a positive learning experience and empowers our students to try and try again until the learning goal is attained. As we try to teach Nudgee College gentlemen the value of perseverance we want them to understand the value of hard work. We want them to learn how to hone their problem-solving skills and take responsibility for their own academic progress.
A key here for me is teaching our sons to not make excuses or blame others for failure. As teachers and parents, we can foster perseverance by talking to our boys about the benefits of perseverance and informing them about famous people who personify perseverance, such as Steve Jobs.
Nowadays too many students try to avoid hard work. They expect learning to be easy and they are all too willing to give up when the going gets tough. They complain that academic work is boring and difficult. Perseverance is vital because it plays a pivotal role in building a habit that keeps on no matter how hard things are. This acts as an inner strength that helps our sons ignore and overcome obstacles and keep moving forward towards their goal or their chosen path.
As we move into the midterm, the challenge is for all boys to develop that key habit of perseverance. We want our boys to strive for accuracy in their assignment submissions and examinations.
Mr David Johnston
Deputy Principal
Identity
Resurexit Sicut Dixit
He has risen just as he said
A LIBERATING EDUCATION
Last week we celebrated the life of Edmund Rice and our heritage as a school in the Edmund Rice tradition on Founder’s Day. This week we celebrated the Learning Habits Awards and the presentation of our Academic Firsts.
It may seem at first glance that these two occasions bear little correlation to one another. It is, however, the essence of what we do here every day. Blessed Edmund was convinced that faith was a personal relationship with the risen Christ and so to know Christ was to love Christ. In Christ’s own words to know him was to know God. Education is our path to God through faith.
We educate not to gain employment, wealth or to influence others. We educate to broaden our capacity to embrace the world and, through our experience of that world, deepen our capacity for love. Love God, love others and ourselves.
O God, we thank you for the life of Blessed Edmund Rice.
He opened his heart to Christ
present in those oppressed by poverty and injustice.
May we follow his example of faith and generosity.
Grant us the courage and compassion of Blessed Edmund
as we seek to live lives of love and service.
We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Live Jesus in our hearts … Forever!
Mr Stephen Meara
Dean of Identity
The Carers Foundations Australian fundraiser
Please join The Carers Foundation Australia for the WHO CARES? Caring for those WHO CARE Fundraising Luncheon for The Carers Foundation Australia. It will be a day not to miss with amazing food, inspirational speakers and great entertainment! Hosted at Victoria Park Golf Course on Friday 18 June.
As you may know from reading Mr Peter Fullagar’s article or at our recent College Assembly, this week Nudgee College is undergoing the School Renewal process facilitated by Edmund Rice Education Australia. We look forward to receiving the affirmation for the things which are going well and the recommendations of things about which we can improve.
For the first time in this process across Australia, EREA have included the ‘student voice’ in the process. Last term, all boys from Year 7 to 12 who have been at the College for at least a year completed a survey with many questions to provide student feedback about how Nudgee is travelling.
I share the results of two questions which most align to the Student Formation area of school life which are now guiding us in terms of the work we do.
I would describe the relationships within this school as:
In this school, I feel that I am:
I am passionate about using data to inform focus areas. I will unpack some of this feedback in later articles but share for your interest. These results were seen by EREA as very affirming of a positive school culture. We agree but this feedback from the boys will also drive us to improve.
The number one strategic item for the College in the area of wellbeing is that all boys feel safe and included. This data is encouraging but there is work to do.
Student Drivers
Driving is a wonderful privilege and one that shouldn’t be treated lightly. Students need to be aware that if they wish to drive to school and park on the College campus, they need to apply through the following linkand meet with Director of Students Ms Joanne Barrett before parking on campus. Once again the students conduct and attitude on the road impact our entire community, therefore students must take every responsibility when driving to and from school and particularly on campus.
Mr Peter Todd
Dean of Students
Learning & Teaching
Learning Habits Awards
At this week’s assembly, it was my pleasure to present Learning Habits Award winners. The full list of winners can be found here. In introducing the awards, I also explored what it means to be truly outstanding in the classroom.
Learning Habits over the last two terms (except for Year 5 and new boys) are rated in each year level and each house to determine winners. Recipients are also typically rated as ‘outstanding’ across four categories, in every subject, based on our Habits which are derived from the Habits of Mind pedagogical framework. What lays behind the numbers is at the heart of the conversation.
Classroom application and participation
This isn’t just about turning up and doing what you’re asked. It’s about Listening with Understanding, Empathy and Thinking about my Thinking. Do I engage, can I retell another person’s idea, pose questions and express my interest in a topic or to others
Organisation for Class
It’s more than bringing the right equipment. It’s about goal setting, and Habits of Mind like Managing Impulsivity and Thinking Flexibly. Be clear about your expectations, plan the steps you’ll take to achieve them, and monitor your progress. Adjusting if necessary.
Classroom Behaviour
Outstanding is beyond keeping out of trouble or not getting a detention. Habits of Mind like Remaining Open to Continuous Learning and Finding Humour asks each boy to deal with the unexpected, to react maturely, to be humble, to resist complacency and to avoid pride - especially when you make a mistake.
Study Habits and Homework
‘I’ve gotta do this by Tuesday’ isn’t outstanding. Instead use Habits of Mind such as Persisting and Striving for Accuracy. Do you use a variety of ways to solve problems and stay on task? Do you do your best and not just do what you have to?
I congratulate each boy who has been outstanding in demonstrating Habits of Mind. I challenge all teachers and boys to consider our Learning Habits in each lesson as we go forward.
Mr Jason Sepetauc
Dean of Learning and Teaching
NAPLAN: The Nudgee Approach
Parents and families’ willingness to support the NAPLAN testing program is vital to its successful completion. We feel it’s important to share our philosophy behind NAPLAN participation.
NAPLAN might not matter – it’s what it measures that matters.
NAPLAN is a measurement instrument. It is designed to measure students’ literacy and numeracy skills under controlled conditions. Let’s use the act of measuring one’s height as an analogy. We do not attempt to measure the person as they go about their daily activities, but instead place them in an artificial situation: shoes off, back to the wall, chin up, no slouching. The same is true of measurement in education. In reality, when we give a boy a reading test, we know that he may never again encounter those particular reading passages or those particular questions. That is not the point. The reading passages we use and the questions we ask are merely opportunities to gather relevant observations about what is really of interest – the student’s underlying reading ability, which cannot be observed directly and must be inferred. In truth, the literacy and numeracy skills students attain by Year 9 will substantially affect their life outcomes.
NAPLAN enables us to measure and reward improvement.
It’s true that NAPLAN is a ‘point-in-time’ test. The value lies in comparing student achievement from point to point. This is possible because of inbuilt statistical scaling measures. For example, a comparison of your son’s reading scores from two consecutive NAPLAN tests – say from Year 7 to Year 9 – provides information about his progress over time and across multiple year levels. This provides an opportunity to acknowledge excellent improvement, not merely excellent achievement.
We use NAPLAN for comparison, not competition.
NAPLAN shines a spotlight on school performance every year. Media commentary is often based on over-simplified comparisons of school averages (a statistic that is strongly correlated with students’ socioeconomic backgrounds). We are less interested in ranking systems and more committed to understanding the value we add, reflected in the progress students make. Our focus is simple: #MakeEveryLessonCount. In this way, NAPLAN scores simply showcase the difference a Nudgee education can make.
Ms Lauren Nolan
Head of Special Programs (School Improvement)
Australian Mathematics Competition
Entries are now being accepted for the 2021 Australian Mathematics Competition. The competition as it is an excellent opportunity for students to challenge themselves with problem solving questions in a test that is not high stakes. The completion consists of 25 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions of increasing difficulty.
On Tuesday 4 May, Nudgee College enjoyed performances by the contemporary Brass stylings of Hot Potato Band. The 10-piece brass collective provided our curricular and senior co-curricular Musicians with a performance workshop, followed by a lunchtime concert for the wider College community.
Unique covers of Riptide and Superstition opened the workshop, engaging the boys in what the band called “their vibe”, exploring the sound waves and vibrations in the space and the bands arranging process. The boys then broke into groups, and created their own vocal loops, which came together and were directed and shaped by Simon Ghali, the band’s manager. Moving on to the second stage of the workshop, boys grabbed their instruments and worked in sectionals on the band's original piece Positive Vibrations. A lot of time was spent on shaping the vibe of the piece, including movement and how to attack with the sound. Working with each of the band members' specialised instruments was an excellent opportunity for the boys to appreciate the band’s expertise and talent, while also developing their own performance skills.
The day culminated with a concert by Hot Potato Band - starting at the Cleary building, the band moved through the school as they headed to the Tierney Amphitheatre, drawing a crowd of students behind them. The band really showed off their vibe, moving, dancing and interacting with students and the environment around them (including bins!). As the concert came to its conclusion, all of the Music boys who engaged with the workshop got their instruments, and performed Positive Vibrations as a combined piece - including some synchronised movement in the middle!
The boys loved the experience. Here is what they had to say:
“Hot Potato Band was filled with a child-like sense of play that was intoxicating. Paul (the trumpeter) was wonderful to play with and helped me develop my trumpet skills through improvisation and trusting in the instrument. Thank you very much to Hot Potato Band and everyone involved in making this day a possibility” Fletcher Dunn, Year 12
“The Hot Potato Band workshop gave my fellow students and I an incredible insight into how professionals perform. They not only taught us valuable lessons but provided us with entertaining performances. It was very inspiring seeing the Hot Potato Band play so effortlessly and with such finesse and I am sure that all students involved will remember the experience for years to come.” Matthew Johns, Year 12
This was an absolutely incredible experience for the boys, and I would love to publicly send my appreciation to Hot Potato Band, who are such incredible role models for our boys. This group is not a full time professional ensemble, with many of the band having other full time work. A strong message they emphasised was to never give up on Music, as no matter where your life takes you, no matter what career you might pursue, you can always keep playing Music. I hope the boys learnt a lot from the band, and take the vibe with them moving forward.
Mr John Hodder
Coordinator of Music
Sports & Activities
Cross Country
Mid-morning on Friday 7 May, 13 eager junior boys boarded a bus to Taigum State School where they participated in the Bramble Bay District Cross Country Carnival. With 24 schools participating, a couple of our boys were a little nervous given they usually only compete against a maximum of 8 other schools in GPS XC. Once each of the events got underway, our runners soon realised that their training was paying off. Feeling particularly strong was Oliver Steven (12), who managed a 1st place finish! 11-year-old runners Rocco Croucamp, Sean Watson, Lewis Abdy and James Neubecker also scored top six places in their event. Our 10-year-old athletes who sprinted through their 2km course included Zac Zillman, Jacob Guthrie and Finn Oliver finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th. All of these boys will now move onto Met North to represent Bramble Bay on Tuesday 25 May. Huge congratulations, gentlemen! Overall, Nudgee College attained the highest aggregate score out of all of the participating schools!
Later that afternoon, NC runners travelled to Limestone Park to participate in our 5th GPS Lead-Up Meet. This was a great chance for all of our athletes to run the actual GPS course before the big day next week on Thursday 20 May. Archie Dean (10) and Thomas Gibb (11) were our first juniors in their events, and Michael Donovan had a fantastic run, coming in first for the 12 year old runners with an incredible time of 11:18. Closely following Michael was Alex Smith for the 13s with a time of 11:22 and Lachlan Cook (13) with 11:27. Dusty Piper and Tom Scholes were first in for the 14s, and Paddy Moloney was our first 15 year old in. Seniors Sam Rogers, Leo De Clara and Alex Kluck topped our Opens with Kyle Brady (16) trailing closely behind them.
Ms Jaimee Trembearth
Director of Cross Country
Tennis
Round 3 saw the Nudgee College men play TGS. The seniors travelled whilst the juniors hosted at home. Weather was on our side this week. All matches went ahead as scheduled. Winning teams were the 6B, 7D, 7A, 8A, 8C, 9D, 9A, 11B, 11A and the first IV. First IV won the day 8-0. There were a few tight matches but boys were able to dig deep to come away with the clean sweep.
Players of the round include:
Matthew Walker
Oliver Johnston
Tom Elmes
Harry Ore
Tom Ibrahim
Sam Fairley
Great work boys. Make sure you collect your V Golf voucher and grip from coaches at training. There is a bye week coming up. Tennis training is back to the regular schedule this coming week. We also have spare camp shirts available for purchase. Come see Mr McGuinness if you are interested. Big thanks to the parent support group for running the BBQ.
Mr Brendan McGuinness
Director of Tennis
Community
The Locker Room
Winter is coming and it's time to rug up in your NC Track Tops and Hoodies.
Don't forget: a picnic rug is essential for those cool mornings on The Flats and Ross Oval.
