Principal
Opportunity. This word has kept recurring for me in recent days. Last week in talking with current and prospective families in North Queensland greater opportunity was a highly motivating factor in the decision to send their son to Nudgee College. At our hugely successful Open Day last Saturday opportunity was repeated time and again in conversations with Brisbane families about their son starting at Nudgee College in the future.
Then at Tuesday’s Assembly College Vice Captain Isaac Roati spoke about opportunity in his address. In fact, the word was placed on their Senior symbol that the Senior leaders are adding to throughout the year. Isaac reminded us all of the range of opportunities that is presented to Nudgee College students each and every day, both in the classroom and beyond.
Everyday our students engage in classroom learning experiences that challenge them to become more self-directed, critical thinkers. There are classroom learning opportunities that enable each student to learn more about their own gifts and talents as well as their limitations and areas for growth. These opportunities cannot always be fun and easy. More likely they require application, persistence and resilience. These personal qualities do not come easily to most young people and are themselves learnt over time.
Opportunity at Nudgee College is also found in the many dimensions of school life beyond the classroom. In Term 2, these opportunities are extensive and diverse. They include:
The College Musical: The Addams Family runs next week and is already almost sold out. The cast and crew have been preparing for months and there is a real excitement about the show. We wish them well.
The Da Vinci Decathlon: We have numerous students from Years 5 to 11 participating in this unique learning experience and academic challenge next week. In fact, we are hosting hundreds of students in the junior division next Wednesday and Thursday.
The Great Wheelbarrow Race last week on the Atherton Tablelands. Our team of 10 Senior students won this extreme event. Not only is it a great feat of endurance and teamwork, but it was a marketing opportunity for the College.
GPS Cross Country Championships: We wish our runners well for next week’s event. Again, the preparation has taken months and months with countless kilometres run by the team of nearly 200 boys. Congratulations to team Captains Yiddy Nethery and Patrick Cabot.
Of course, there is also a long list of other sports and activities that continue to operate either in season or in preparation for events and competitions to come. These are all complemented by the regular service and outreach experiences that the school offers, as well as the special occasions such as the Emmaus Retreat for Year 9 students and the Year 5 camp that is being held next week.
It is evident then that a Nudgee College education presents many opportunities. In reflecting more deeply on this it is legitimate to ask ‘why do we do offer this diversity of experiences?’ It is part of our holistic view of education and the holistic view we have for each Nudgee College student. One of our College-wide priorities is to nurture physical, social and emotional wellbeing in our boys and young men. In particular, the emotional wellbeing and mental health of young people continues to be a growing concern for many families and schools alike. One way in which we strive to enhance wellbeing is through the diverse opportunities in the broad range of spiritual, academic, sporting, cultural and social justice activities in the day and boarding school. Involvement in these enable individual students to achieve improvement, to develop a deeper sense of themselves and to fulfill their God-given capabilities.
Mr Peter Fullagar
Principal
