This week the rubber has hit the road for Year 12 staff and students in the new era of Senior assessment and tertiary entrance.

As Year 12 parents will know, Seniors who are on an ATAR pathway have this week commenced the assessment period for Internal Assessment 1 (IA 1). For each student there will be a further two pieces of Internal Assessment during the course of the next two terms before students complete their External Assessment (EA) in late October and November. These four pieces of assessment are combined and used in a final calculation by QTAC to generate an ATAR score. In essence, the score’s sole purpose is to enable entrance into an appropriate tertiary course. This is, of course, an important purpose, but beyond that the ATAR score has little utility. 

Much like the OP system that preceded, it is likely that the ATAR results will become, for some people and some organisations, a means to judge the quality of a school. Our Deputy Principal Mr David Johnston wrote recently in this newsletter about the interpretation of Year 12 results in the former system based on OP scores, and how judgements can be falsely made about the success, or otherwise, of particular schools.

Whatever might be said about the qualities of the schools themselves, often what is lost in this shallow conversation is that the scores are attained by students, not schools. These students are young people finding their way in life and about to embark upon life beyond school. Does an ATAR score, whether it be high or low, define a young person? Does an ATAR score capture all the gifts and talents as well as flaws and limitations of each young person? Does the score tell us anything about the challenges faced by some young people in dealing with mental ill-health, dysfunctional family situations or the myriad of complexities that are negotiated by young people today? Does an ATAR score tell us how much one young person has improved to gain this score? The obvious answer to any of these questions is no.

What an ATAR does tell us is that at this point in time this is where a young person is placed academically. Importantly, the higher the ATAR school the greater the range of tertiary study opportunities that are available. It provides the means by which a young person is enabled to take their next step on their life long journey of learning. The score itself is no guaranteed predictor of future success. Similarly, a low score is not a limit to future success. 

Most adults know friends and family members who did not succeed academically at school and who have gone on to be successful and fulfilled in life in all sorts of ways. We might also know young people who finish school with good results but who never quite translated this into further success and happiness. For others, academic success only comes later in life when they find a passion not uncovered through formal schooling.

Further to this, there is evidence that academic success, whether at school or at a tertiary level, is no longer a guarantee of employment. In 2018 the Queensland Public Service took on 2,160 graduates into 20 agencies across Queensland, stating that the skills that gave graduates an advantage were emotional intelligence, creativity, critical thinking and learning agility. In the Deloitte Access Economics 2019 report titled ‘premium skills: the wage premium associated with human skills’, four skills were identified with the greatest shortages: customer service, organisation and management, digital literacy, and leadership.

Largely, the skills listed above are not intrinsically linked to, nor measured, by an ATAR score. So, while the College is striving hard to provide the best possible opportunity for our Year 12s to achieve their best possible result at the end of the year, as an educator I know that there are personal qualities that cannot ever be measured by an ATAR score. I know that there are personal stories of the lives of our young men that cannot ever be captured by an ATAR score. I know that the score itself matters only for a fleeting amount of time and that what is more important is what the individual does with that score in further study, in training, in work or a combination of them. Furthermore, what matters over time is how that individual fulfils their God-given potential. In a Nudgee College context, what really matters is how they use that potential to improve their own lives but also the lives of others, particularly the poor and needy.

In conclusion, two significant occasions coincide on Friday. Our boys are competing in the GPS Swimming Championships and we wish the squad, led by Lachlan Gilbert (Captain), Tom Raymond and Finlay Schuster (Vice Captains), all the very best. We also acknowledge International Women’s Day (IWD) around the College. IWD was a feature at Tuesday’s Assembly and we honour all those female members of staff for their simple presence, generous commitment and valuable contribution that they make in their many and diverse roles at the College.

Mr Peter Fullagar
Principal

We all need a little inspiration in our lives. It gives us a lift when we are feeling a bit low. It motivates us to reach for higher goals. It pushes us to achieve our best. Put most simply it can make getting out of bed each morning a little easier.

What inspires us most is people, such as great leaders, talented sports people, musicians, and artists, or selfless people who give of themselves without wishing anything in return. I can think of many people who have inspired me to be the person I am today.

I speak with many boys everyday who are inspired by particular teachers. It could be because of the teacher’s knowledge or the methodology they employ in the classroom. Typically though, it is because they see that the teacher loves what they do through their commitment to providing a quality learning experience for the student.

In his ground-breaking study, Visible Learning Professor John Hattie listed 195 influences that are related to learning outcomes from very positive to very negative effects. He discovered that by far the most significant influence on learning outcomes for students was collective teacher efficacy. That is the collective belief of the staff of the school in their ability to positively affect students. A school staff that believes it can collectively accomplish great things is vital for the health of a school; if they believe they can make a difference then they very likely will.

Having said all that our staff would be the first to tell you that being passionate and knowledgeable about the subject they teach is only part of the story. They will tell you that engaging young men in learning is also about developing excellent pedagogical or teaching practice.

A recent report from the Grattan Institute suggested 40 per cent of all Australian students are disengaged from their learning. At the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS), Dr Jennifer Buckingham, a research fellow with expertise in early reading instruction, tells us that "one in four Australian kids in Year 9 is just at the minimum standard of reading and that minimum standard is very low”.

At the very heart of problem lays a state of disengagement, with students reporting four reasons for it:

• A poor sense of autonomy ("why don't I have any say in what I have to learn?")
• Competence ("I'm hopeless at maths and now my parents and teachers know it too")
• Relatedness ("I don't like my teacher”, “why don't I feel like I fit in here?")
• Relevance (“how is knowing a+b=c ever going to help me in life?)

I know we are a great school; a caring school. I know that our staff work extremely hard to support the learning and wellbeing of our students. I know that we are not immune to these national trends. As an inclusive learning community we need to reflect on the level of disengagement that exists in our own school and develop whole school strategies to meet this issue head on. 

Our focus on programs such as Write that Essay and interventions like dedicated reading time in Boarding are examples of the College being proactive in literacy development. Our interventions focus on a process which will see the boys engaged in more personalised learning with greater breadth and depth. Learning which focusses more heavily on the development of literacy skills in a more integrated environment. Our teachers aim to act more as coach, mentor and facilitator, with the boys being encouraged to become more independent learners in preparation for real world environments.

Mr David Johnston
Deputy Principal

Year 5 Retreat

In Religion this term we are learning about Edmund Rice. We are also learning about the history of Indigenous Australians, how they adapted to the land and their cultural connection to it today. The main focus of the Year 5 retreat was to learn how to walk in the footsteps of Edmund Rice at Nudgee College and become a Sign of Faith.

To help us better understand the school we have just joined we covered the following topics.

• Who is Edmund Rice?
• How do you be a Sign of Faith at Nudgee College?
• What was the importance of prayer in Edmund’s life?
• How do we find stillness and silence in our lives at Nudgee College?
• What stories can we share to be a part of Nudgee College?

We learnt how Edmund Rice helped the poor by educating them and how polite he was. There was also a Nudgee College Old Boy at the retreat who assisted us with activities. We wanted to show him that Nudgee College is still a great school, and to do that we listened, used our manners, and showed respect at all times.

Last Thursday, 5R and 5E went to Cedar Creek Falls. The bus ride took just over an hour. When we were on the bus the boys at the back were singing a song in true road trip style. Once we got off the bus, we had to walk up and down countless hills to get there; just when you thought you had conquered the biggest hill ever, the next one was even bigger. We eventually arrived at the meeting point and split up into groups to do different activities. My group first learnt how to plant seeds – I think mine was beans. While we were doing that I found a horse fly which was ginormous, and a wasp’s nest. I knew that the point of the activity was to learn about growth. Then we had recess where we ate brownies, donuts and more delicious food. After recess we started our next activity, which was painting a Nudgee College faith star Ms Reid showed us the College crest and pointed out the many elements that make it up and what they all mean. We then focussed on the Signum Fidei star and discussed how we might be a ‘star’ of Nudgee College – how might we answer the call to be a Sign of Faith? After painting our star we moved on to our next activity of mindfulness while the star was drying. After the peaceful music we did a colouring called Mandala. When we finished colouring we had to go back to write a word on our star. This word had to be a word which represented our Nudgee College journey, for example, respect, courage, or any other similar words. After that we headed back the way we came and that's when we knew our retreat had sadly come to an end.

On behalf of Year 5, we would like to thank all the staff who made this possible. We look forward to our future retreats in the years to come.

Zach Tatum & Harrison Cahill
Year 5 Students

A movement is underway. At this week’s College Assembly, Nudgee College students heard the call to action: #MakeEveryLessonCount. Here are some of the talking points:

The question is: Every lesson of every day, are you making your golden ticket count?

To make something count is to make it mean something. To count, literally, is to add up. One day when you leave these gates, you might come to reflect on your Nudgee College education and all the things you took away. But is that what you really want? Our hope is that you might appreciate that your Nudgee College education was all about the adding up. It was the bringing together of the little things that you did every lesson, of every day.

Start by making this year count for as much learning as possible.

This is only possible, if you make each term count.

And that’s only possible if you take the last five weeks of this term and make them count.

Which is only possible if you take the remaining 20 lessons this week and make them count.

Even still, that’s only possible if you take the next four lessons today and make them count.

Boys, this is you, making every lesson count. 

Ms Lauren Nolan
Head of Special Programs (School Improvement)

International Women’s Day on Sunday 8 March

Last week I wrote in response to the terrible situation of Hannah Clarke and her beautiful children. I write this week with that still strongly in my thoughts, but connecting to this week’s College Assembly and theme of the week.

On Tuesday Ms Nicky Beecham and Ms Andrea Kewley spoke passionately about how women within Nudgee College play an integral part in the forming of our young men, whether it be educating them in their studies or nurturing them as House Mums. They also spoke about how our own mothers and female role models play an important part in our everyday lives. International Women’s Day honours all women around the world for being women, for being caregivers, for being nurturers, for being entrepreneurs, for being leaders, for being whatever they want to be.

In 2020 the theme for International Women’s Day is ‘an equal world is an enabled world’, or #EachforEqual. Individually, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day. We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women's achievements. Collectively, each one of us can help create a gender equal world.

We are blessed to have so many leading women in our community at Nudgee College. This Friday, I encourage boys to write notes and give small tokens to recognise their female teachers, staff members and of course their mothers to honour International Women's Day.

In continuing with last week’s theme of the role of forming our young men, and in keeping with this week’s theme of International Women’s Day, I honour the role our boys’ mother’s play in their formation. 

“Men are what their mothers made them.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

In working in the pastoral care and formation ‘space’ with young men for more than 30 years in the boys’ school environment, combined with my own experiences as a son, husband and parent, I agree with the research/science which clearly shows mothers have a significant impact on their sons – to the extent that the way they behave in their later years is often attributed to their relationship with their mother. 

Arguably, in most cases, no other person understands a child better than a mother. Right from the time he is born until his adult years, a boy nurtures a deep-rooted bond with his mum. This relationship is imperative for the overall development and emotional health of the child. So, what does research show concerning a healthy mother and son relationship?:

• Emotionally intelligent: Boys who share a healthy relationship with their mothers from their early childhood are emotionally strong and are believed to have less behavioural problems in their lives. The strong bond between the mother and son makes him feel secure and confident.
• Emotionally strong and independent: A boy who is loved and cared for by his mother turns into a confident man. A study published in the August 2011 edition of ‘Child Development’ says that unconditional love and acceptance by the mother reassures the son that he is lovable and capable of being a good friend and partner.
• Academically strong: A mother who takes a keen interest in her son’s education can impact his level of academic success.
• Have control over their behaviour: Emotional intelligence imparted by the mother helps the son develop the ability to articulate his thoughts. Thereby, he develops self-control in the classroom and social settings.
• Challenge stereotypes: Boys with a positive relationship with their mothers tend to challenge the stereotype that they always need to fight or be tough to prove their manliness. They often believe that there’s nothing wrong with crying or expressing their emotions. Respects women: A close relationship with the mother will help a boy appreciate her role in his life and her contribution to the family. He will learn to respect women in general because he is less likely to have superiority issues with his female counterparts.
• Less risky behaviour: Boys who are close to their mothers are less likely to engage in risky behaviour. A positive relationship reduces the peer pressure influence. A recent study revealed that a boy’s mother has a major influence in his attitude toward alcohol, drugs and relationships.

Good female role models and mothers in particular are a crucial part of shaping good men. That is why we have so many ways at the College that mums can be directly involved in their son’s educational life.

#EachforEqual

Student Bag Tags

At the start of 2019, we started a process where all students received two bag tags on commencement at Nudgee College.

These seem to be successful in helping boys identify their bags, and in the event they are taken or removed, have assisted staff in identifying the owner of a bag when received in the Br Vic Larkin Student Centre.

We recognise there are a number of students who carry multiple bags to school, so we would like to give you the opportunity to purchase additional tags to the ones already supplied.

These tags would be at the cost of $6 each and would be laser cut during the Easter holiday break.

If you would like to purchase some additional tags place your order through the College Payment Gateway. 

Cut off for orders is strictly Friday 27 March 2020.

Mr Peter Todd
Dean of Students

International Women’s Day

On Friday 6 March we celebrate International Women’s Day. The day is marked at Nudgee College with a morning tea provided by our Principal Mr Peter Fullagar inviting all women who work at Nudgee College to take a moment, stop work and enjoy morning tea with their colleagues. In our Boarding community this day is special for our Boarding House Mums. I'd especially like to thank Ms Denise Johnson, Ms Tracey Hoffman and Ns Megan Brealy for their tireless dedication in helping to nurture our boarders into being the best Nudgee College men they can be. I’d also like to thank Ms Shirley McLean and Ms Kim Spicer for stepping into and sharing the role of House Mum for Hodda, with the untimely passing of one of our much loved House Mums Julie Kopittke. I encourage all of our boarders to show their appreciation for any female role models they have within Nudgee College this Friday – a flower, a note or a chocolate just makes them feel like they are in your thoughts.

GPS Swimming on Friday 6 March

Congratulations to all boys who were named in the Swimming team to compete on Friday: Angus Tudman, Cameron Reppel, Coby Richardson, Ethan Zwolsman, Jacob O’Mealley, Jed Manson, Tyler O’Keefe, Caleb O’Mealley and Kane Johnson. Special mention to Swimming Captain Lachlan Gilbert. We wish all boys the best of luck on Friday and have no doubt they will do Nudgee College proud. Nudgee Spirit will be flying high with more than 100 boarders heading to the event to cheer on our squad on Friday night.

Cotter House Staff versus Students Cricket Match

Staff were again triumphant at the annual Cotter House cricket match held on Sunday 23 February. After a wet week it was great to see a dry, warm and sunny day for the match. The students just could not beat the mighty force of our staff, who took out the win against our enthusiastic Boarding students.

The weather was very hot and steamy as expected in February, but staff and students were able to cool down between wickets in our spectator pools on the side-lines.

Weekend Recreation

• Friday: GPS Swimming
• Saturday: On-site activities
• Sunday: Theme park

Mr Christian Oneto
Dean of Boarding

2020 St Joseph’s Nudgee College Tennis Championships

Singles Competition

Friday 20 March

• Year 5 - 3.15pm
• Year 6 - 4.30pm
• Year 7 - 6.00pm
• Year 8 - 7.00pm

Friday 27 March

• Year 9 - 3.15pm
• Year 10 - 4.45pm
• Year 11 - 4.45pm
• Open - 5.30pm

Start times may vary depending on entrant numbers. Players will get a minimum of two games. Draws to be published online on the Tennis Australia website on the Wednesday before play.

Free barbecue and refreshments available for all players and supporters.

Nudgee College players only. Please register by Monday 16 March at https://tournaments.tennis.com.au/sport/tournament?id=CD7F7250-40E1-464E-BA84-65E8AF88E5DD.

Cross Country

On Friday afternoon we hosted St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace and St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School squads for our annual Time Trial event. Attending for the first time, the St Margaret’s girls certainly brought tenacity and vigour. Gregory Terrace brought their competitive nature and agility. In addition to this, 84 young men donned in Blue and White, and their Nudgee Spirit was palpable. Gathered together at the start-line on Hendry Oval for the first event, all students bolted as the gun went off for the 2km time trial. Cheers of support and excitement filled the air as the runners completed a loop of Hendry before disappearing through the middle of the school onto Wilkes and Ross ovals. What seemed like only moments later, our first runners sprinted towards the finish. Nudgee College had a very close finish, with Shaw House Year 7 student Angus Durkin crossing the finish-line for Nudgee College in 7:45mins, followed closely by new Tierney House Year 7 student Diego King-Scott just one second later. Other students with standout performances include Rocco Croucamp, Kewley brothers Sam and Tom, as well as new Year 5 student Sebastian Mattiussi. 
Warmed up and ready to give their absolute all in the 3km time trial event were 42 more Nudgee College boys amongst a sea of red and navy uniforms. Undoubtedly, the St Margaret’s girls gave our Nudgee College men a run for their money throughout the event. This fuelled our boys. They gritted their teeth. They pushed harder than they knew they could only moments earlier. When the lead runners across the schools sprinted around the final loop of the grassy island outside the O’Neill Building, with a look of determination across their faces, they knew they had to get to the finish-line first. Managing to shake off a St Margaret’s runner only a few hundred metres earlier, Riley House Year 11 student Leo De Clara crossed the finish-line in just 9:49mins – what an incredible pace! Moments later, a string of N singlets came bounding through the finish-line, including new students Leo Fairley and Brashar Coutts, as well as Cross Country Captain Declan Cabot. They were closely followed by another new student, Will Morrow. Had this been a GPS event, Lachlan Hill-Lewis would have rounded out our top six runners! Both the 2km and 3km events showed each of the 84 boys where their fitness level is currently, and how much they know they can grow as a runner over the next three months before the GPS Cross Country Championship on Wednesday 27 May.

Following the Time Trial event, all of the smiling faces relocated up to Tierney for our first ever Cross Country Season Launch. After a bite to eat, a chance for parents to meet one another and some down time for the boys to relax and refuel, we headed into the auditorium. Our Captain Declan Cabot and Vice Captain Ben Brandt were presented to the team, which was followed by an inspiring speech from 2004 World Cross Country Champion Benita Willis. Through the use of stories throughout her journey as a runner, she continued to bring everyone’s focus back to hone in on her main points: never give up, be resilient in the face of adversity, you are capable.

This afternoon would not have been so successful without the collective efforts of Mr Chris Gale, Mr David Johnston, Mr Paul Masters, Ms Sue Minor, Mr Damien Gannon, Ms Sian Kennedy, Mr Anthony Gibb, Mr Jason Sepetauc, Ms Christine Atchison, Mr Anthony Connellan, Ms Vicki Dodds, Mr Raoul Carmody, as well as Property and Services and Catering staff. A huge thank you also to these wonderful parents: Ms Nicole Moloney, Ms Katherine Potter, Ms Donna Wedmaier, Ms Lynda Croucamp, Ms Chrissy Tatum, Ms Desiree Cullen, Ms Kym Thomas, Mr Michael Cox and Mr Brian Brady. 

Ms Jaimee Trembearth
Cross Country Director

Drama

Registrations are now open for Queensland Theatre Residency Week. This is a wonderful program run by Queensland Theatre for students from Years 9 to 12 who are passionate about acting. A number of our students have participated in this over the years and have found the program beneficial and amazing. For more information visit the Queensland Theatre website.  

Ms Alison Kilgour
Head of The Arts Faculty

Swimming

Friday night saw 96 swimmers head to Chandler in a last minute bid to lower their personal bests in order to be selected on the GPS Swimming team. There were some standout performances across the board from Daniel Carey (10 Years), Michael Donovan (11 Years), Lucas Tainui (12 Years), Dusty Piper (13 Years), Xavier Griffiths (14 Years) and Jack Maconochie (16 Years).

This year's swim times have been some of the closest contests for GPS Swim team selection; which is a credit to all boys who participate in our Swimming Program. We hope to fill the stands with as many brothers from the blue and white army to cheer on our team as they strive to keep Nudgee College's name in the books.

Ms Lauren Byrne
Activities Officer

Volleyball

Round 4 of the GPS season proved to be another big round for Nudgee College Volleyball against tough Anglican Church Grammar School (ACGS) opponents. It was also another opportunity to measure the growth of the program against a strong opposition school. In 2019, Nudgee College only won a single match against ACGS. 2020 proved to be a year much more in our favour, winning five matches. This was an immensely pleasing result to see that we are becoming a stronger volleyball School. A few standouts for the week were:

• Team of the Week: 7B for fighting hard all the way to the end. Coach Mr Anton Malan said it was the best match that he’d seen the boys play and was proud to see them develop so quickly.
• Malakai Vale (2nd VI) was able to swing hard at the ball and work his way through well placed opposition blocks. It has been great to see him develop through the year.
• Xavier Cantero (9C) showed great composure in the back-court to ensure he was passing accurately and setting the standard for his team.
• Owen O’Grady (7E) showed great leadership and enthusiasm as Captain to ensure his team's morale was high and the communication was effective.
• Ethan Petcos (1st VI) gave up most of his afternoons last week to help the younger teams and give them advice. Ethan was also thrusted into a new position (that he’d never trained for, let alone played a match in) the day before a GPS 1st VI match due to injuries and didn’t miss a beat. Well done Ethan!
• Winston Jory (10A/1st VI) made his starting debut for the 1st VI this week and despite the obvious nerves was a punishment at the net for the opposition. Winston made a number of crucial blocks and was always in the face of the opposition.
• Xavier Roati (11B) was outstanding all through the back-court rotations. His passing and communication must be applauded.
• Thomas Haines (9B) had an outstanding match in all aspects. His passing, serve receive, hitting and serving were all parts of his game that stood out to a number of people.

The 1st VI had their toughest match of the season and I believe we played our best match of the year. The younger boys in the team really stood up to match the older/more experienced players. Coach Mr Lewis Begg summed up the game perfectly by saying that the match could have gone either way. Each set only had two or three points of difference. The final score ended up being 3-1 to ACGS.

This week we host Brisbane Boys’ College (BBC) who we have developed a sort of rivalry against through trial matches and different tournaments that we have come up against them in. With a few key injuries we have had to make a few changes to our 1st VI, but believe the boys we are putting in their place are more than capable of doing a good job and pushing hard for a win this weekend.

I hope to see you all there on Saturday.

Mr Jorden Smith
Volleyball Director

Sports Injury Team

The Sports Injury team is a group of registered nurses, physiotherapists and qualified sports trainers who provide first aid and injury management for Nudgee College students and visiting teams for most sporting events.

We are assisted by physiotherapy, paramedic, and exercise and sports science students.

Doctors also support us during the Rugby season, in addition to having paramedics on site from the Queensland Ambulance Service.

We are currently recruiting more staff in preparation for the upcoming Football and Rugby seasons, so if you are suitably qualified and interested in joining the team, please feel free to apply.

Recent sports injury or emergency department experience would be a definite advantage.

Joint strapping experience is preferred but not essential.

We would also like to hear from any parents who are doctors who would like to volunteer their time and expertise to support the team on home game days. Please contact Director of Activities Mr Anthony Connellan if you are able to assist (aco@nudgee.qld.edu.au).

All other applicants please contact email catchison@nudgee.qld.edu.au or phone 0411 273 685 if you have any queries regarding this role.

Ms Christine Atchison
Sports Injury Coordinator

Boarding House Mother

The House Mother is a ‘mother’ figure within the Boarding community with the goal of providing a caring, guiding influence for all boarders under their care. The House Mother leads students in the areas of faith and pastoral guidance and provides academic assistance to Boarding students in their care.

This position is a part time term time position.

The hours for this role are Monday to Friday, 6.30am to 8.30am and 3.00pm to 6.00pm.

View the position description for this role here.

To apply, please submit a cover letter and CV to employment@nudgee.com by 12.00pm on Friday 13 March.

World's Greatest Shave

Nudgee College’s ‘World’s Greatest Shave’ team is assembling on Tuesday 17 March to support the Leukaemia foundation. Parents can join the cause by volunteering on the day (1.00pm - 2.00pm), to shave students’ hair (BYO clippers). Thanks to Toombul Barber for supporting the event by sending hairdressers to oversee our ‘parent shavers’. Students can join the team at: https://worldsgreatestshave.com/signup/117033.

For more details, email kad@nudgee.qld.edu.au.

Mr Ken Adams
Fogarty House Dean