Principal
For many of us there is seemingly a constant creative tension between being mindful of the present and the day-to-day, as well as being able to look ahead to the future while not neglecting to consider our past. This is true for us as individuals as much as it is true for organisations and institutions such as a school. This has certainly the case this week at Nudgee College with differing occasions requiring a focus on either the present, the past or the future or a combination thereof.
At Tuesday’s Open Morning event for prospective students and families, the focus was certainly the future of the College. In fact, we received enrolment applications stretching out to 2031! At the Q & A session that culminates the morning, I was asked to name some of the future directions of the College. Without providing an exhaustive list, I highlighted the following.
An increasing focus on the wellbeing of our young men. Coping with change, the ever-increasing pace of life and the pervasive influence of technology are all having a deleterious effect on the mental health of young people. The College’s formation programs as well as camp, immersion and retreat opportunities need to be strengthened and renewed to meet changing needs of young men. The growth in waiting lists for 2020 and beyond once we reach our optimal enrolment of 1680 with 300 boarders at the commencement of next year.
- In the area of Learning and Teaching the focus of embedding the 21st century skills, identified by the Queensland Curriculum Assessment Authority (QCAA), in our classrooms will be of significant influence. Further to this, the implementation of the new model of senior schooling over the coming 18 months, across the State, will have a cascading effect through the curriculum across all year levels
- The affordability of education at Nudgee College continues to be a focus for the Board and the CLT. As we consider tuition and boarding fees for next year and beyond there are deliberations concerning the impact that increases may have on our families.
- The capital development program, involving the heritage precinct of the Treacy building, the flats redevelopment as well as the commencement of the Early Learning Centre, is currently awaiting approval and these projects will be a focus over the next two to three years.
In the present, we are at the midpoint of the term, and there has been an endless list of events, occasions and day-to-day activities that all add considerably to the quality of the schooling experience at Nudgee College. This week alone, there have been the important subject selection evenings, Tuesday’s Open Morning, staff and students at the Ekka, the usual sport and activities plus Queensland Catholic College's Music Festival this weekend, the Year 11 Semi Formal on Thursday night, Duggan and Magge House Function Friday night, and Tierney House have a function on Sunday. Amidst all this, our senior teachers have been completing and submitting vital assessment pieces for the QCAA endorsement deadline on Friday midnight. All this follows on from last Sunday’s very successful Nudgee Long Lunch on Ross Oval. A crowd of 850 enjoyed another relaxing and fun community occasion.
Finally, we have the opportunity to celebrate stories from our past when the Senior Old Boys and their families gather on Saturday morning for mass in the Chapel and morning tea in the Old Boys’ Mall. Our community is blessed to have so many proud Old Boys who still seek to be connected to the College. To hear their stories but also to witness their great friendships that were formed here at Nudgee College and which survived over many decades is a very real privilege.
