A former Olympic swimmer. A former Australian rugby league player and sports commentator. A car mechanic. It might surprise you to know that these are the achievements of three female members of staff at the College. A focus of this week's assembly was International Women’s Day (IWD) which is celebrated on Monday 8 March. In the Student Formation section, we have noted the women and their accomplishments that were celebrated on assembly. We highlighted the vital role that women play in our school and how we, as men, have a responsibility to assist in closing the gap that exists between the genders.

Taking this notion a little further, IWD is also an opportunity to consider how our boys and young men, and all men in general, relate to girls and women. In an all boys’ school such as ours, we are constantly challenged to consider the nature of these relationships. Societal expectations continue to change and, in partnership with parents, we need to help our students navigate this landscape. Like all men, Nudgee College students must continue to evolve because the intolerant, discriminatory attitudes and behaviours of many in the past, and in some cases the present, must be challenged and need to change. It is clearly evident that respect and equality must underpin the relationships between men and women as well as boys and girls.

This applies to the relationships our boys have with the women and girls they encounter in their daily lives - their Mums, sisters, neighbours, girlfriends, teachers and support staff at schools. Equally, it applies to the incidental relationships they have with women and girls in shops, public transport, online, at parties or in workplaces.

Through our formal curriculum, such as the Student Formation program as well as on retreat experiences, many learning experiences are shaping our student’s attitudes towards girls and women. Are we doing this well enough? I would like to think we are but, the reality is, we can never do enough in this space. To that end, we are currently reviewing our Student Formation and making changes so it continues to evolve to meet the changing needs and challenges of the present day including the issue of gender equality and what best characterises masculinity in a contemporary society.

Further to this, our identity as a Catholic school means that our community should always consider the innate goodness and dignity of every individual, as each of us are shaped in the image and likeness of God. It is when our actions fail to live up to this fundamental belief that we are not being authentic to who we say we are as a Catholic school. In truth, our young men must mirror this belief in the relationships they develop with all people - irrespective of age, gender or ethnicity. Considering this, when our boys and young men fail to treat girls and women with respect, when they deny girls and women equal opportunity, when they fail to challenge other males inappropriate behaviour towards females then they are not living out what it truly means to be a Sign of Faith.

On a different note, everyone will be aware of the recent changes to restrictions at GPS sports and activities. This easing of restrictions has enabled us to gather again in larger groups. It was pleasing to see Nudgee College students again coming together at last Friday night’s debating, and again at cricket and volleyball on Saturday. What was most impressive was the positive behaviour and great example set by our Senior spirit leaders. Fortunately, the changes have also come in time for the GPS Swimming Championship on Friday which means we can take the students to support their mates. We wish the Junior and Senior Swim teams all the best.

Mr Peter Fullagar 

Principal

What matters most when it comes to student achievement?

A new Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report has identified the teacher and school factors that matter most for student achievement and social-emotional development.  It found that classroom practices that create opportunities to learn and teachers’ use of working time are some of the factors most strongly linked with student outcomes.

Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills, said that if there was only one conclusion to take away from this report, it’s that what teachers do in and outside the classroom matters the most for the cognitive and social-emotional outcomes of the school’s students.

The research suggests that boys need sufficient support from significant adults in their lives, such as their parents and their teachers, to self-regulate and be achievement-focused.  Boys are more likely to perform in reading in schools where a culture of student assessment, teacher accountability and there is a clear focus on writing skills.  At the College, our “Write that Essay” program is a key example of how we put this research into play.

This report does not only confirm the crucial role of teachers in a young person’s development, it also sheds light on other factors.  The school’s culture and parental involvement are major factors in student holistic development. The research pointed to measures such as greater support from parents in school-related activities and positive relationships between teachers and students are essential to achieve this.

Students in a school with a strong sense of community are more likely to be academically motivated, socially involved in peace and justice events, and develop social and emotional intelligence. At Nudgee College, we know the long lasting benefits of building a sense of community.  The positive flow-on effects of this are boys who avoid a number of problem behaviours, including drug use and violence.  

Community and parental engagement recognises the important role that both parents and teachers play in developing positive attitudes towards learning and education for the boys, building their motivation, confidence and enjoyment as learners. Without fail, our support groups go above and beyond to ensure our boys, parents and wider community experience nothing but the best. 

When you volunteer, you are making a commitment to share that most precious of resources – your time – to make life better for our boys.  Our parent support groups are dedicated and appreciated for their hard work. Whether you are a long-time volunteer or only got involved fairly recently, and regardless of how many hours you choose to give, it’s important for you to know that what you do makes a difference.

Mr David Johnston

Deputy Principal

This Friday 5 March, Nudgee College community is celebrating International Women’s Day. We always likes to commemorate this important day to honour all the women in our lives. From our blessed Mary, to our very own mothers, sisters, daughters and colleagues. This year’s IWD Theme is “Choose to Challenge”; meaning choose to challenge stereotypes and gender bias.

We do not have to look far to find women who have chosen to challenge themselves and the expectations of society. At assembly on Tuesday, three boys told the inspiring stories of three of our very own staff. I include this script below:

Karin Van Wirdum OLY is a mother of a Nudgee College old boy and is the newest member of our Student administration team in the Brother Larkin Student Centre, after previously working in the Tuckshop.  She is also a former freestyle swimmer who competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics for Australia, starting in 1988. She has competed for Australia thirteen times at the Commonwealth Games, World Championships and Pan Pacific Games.  She has won five gold and three silver Commonwealth medals, including a gold medal in the 100-metre freestyle at the 1990 Commonwealth Games and in the 50-metre freestyle at the 1994 Commonwealth Games. Ms Van Wirdum was recognised for her achievements to her sport by being presented with the Australian Sports Medal as well as the OLY initials by the World Olympic body.

Jo Barrett has been employed in many roles at Nudgee College, from Indigenous Program Coordinator, to House Dean and is now the Director of Students.  However, before she was any of those things, Ms Barrett represented her state and her country in Rugby League.  She was part of the most successful generation of Queensland representative players, winning 7 State of Origin series in a row and played in  2 World Cups with the Jillaroos, including the first win for Australia in 2013.  She has also challenged herself by branching into commentary.  When the first ever women’s rugby league test match was broadcast in 2015, Ms Barrett joined the commentary team as the first female to commentate rugby league in Australia for Channel 9.

Emel Corley is a Chemistry teacher at the College, having worked here since 2002.  Prior to this job, Ms Corely was the first female mechanic in Queensland.  She had to protest to be accepted into the training course, and was relentlessly bullied by her male classmates as the only girl in a class of 2000 people.  However, she managed to graduate second in her class and then gained an apprenticeship.  She went on to own her own garage and even taught Year 11 and 12 students in a pre-mechanical course through TAFE.  It was here that she discovered her love of teaching which ultimately brought her to her current position.  Ms Corely chose to challenge the stereotypes about what women are capable of in their careers.

All of these women have chosen to challenge themselves and as a result, have challenged how the world perceives women.  Now it is our turn.   We need to choose to challenge people when they make comments that are derogatory towards women, challenge assumptions when we see bias in the world and take action to ensure equality for all.  

Forming Good Men

The unfortunate flip side of being able to celebrate women through International Women’s Day has been highlighted through recent events at Parliament House in Canberra, which have shone a light on places which may have a male dominated culture, and the terrible expressions of masculinity which can go with that. Similarly, on the 19 February, we were reminded of the tragedy of Hannah Clarke and her beautiful children - a completely avoidable and devastating tragedy which just flattened us all. It is unbelievable a year has now passed marking this tragic event.

At times like these, it is not uncommon for caring parents to ask: what does Nudgee do in forming young men to be good men? What do we do here to try to stop things like this from happening? These are fair questions to ask, as we are in a privileged position in being able - in partnership with our boys’ families - to influence the attitude and values of emerging adult males.

When trying to be change agents and influence the way boys behave, there is a simple framework:

What are we doing to educate and raise awareness?

What are we doing to prevent negative things or to keep everyone safe?

What is our response when boys err and make mistakes and how can they learn from that?

Of course, the part of the answer in forming young men not to be aggressive/violent is holistic relationships- education. One approach, which I am passionate, is giving boys an opportunity to ‘take off the mask of traditional masculinity’ and be authentic, open and vulnerable.

Amongst other activities, such opportunities play out on our ‘boys to men’ themed Year 9 Father and Son Powerhouse Day. Across many year levels, our significant off campus retreat experiences, particularly from Years 9 to 12, encourage boys to be open and vulnerable and remove the macho costume. These culminate in our Year 12 Kairos Retreat which this year is a bit earlier in week 10 of term 1; a highlight of boys’ Nudgee College journey. They are part of a deliberate program to allow boys to ‘remove their masks’, to challenge traditional stereotypes of masculinity and say it’s okay and healthy for men to show vulnerabilities. While this helps the boys who take off the mask, it also teaches empathy and compassion to those who listen to others - particularly if they share a truly heartfelt story. Hugh Mackay, Australia’s foremost social researcher, suggests that in Australia we need to focus on compassion and empathy as an antidote to anxiety and depression. If we are empathetic and compassionate, we are always focused on other people and less self-focused. This in turn helps all with their personal relationships. This is the point of our Catholic Retreat and Formation Program here at Nudgee. 

Of course, amongst a holistic approach is another area of passion - a respect for all people, and of course men’s respect for women.  Some things which build on this respect include:

• Guest Speakers: Real Talk ‘stronger’, One Woman Project
• Female role modelling on campus and in leadership
• International Women’s Day celebration and connected activities
• Stella Fella Day
• White Ribbon Day participation
• Dances, Formal and Semi Formal and etiquette courses
• Consistent female presence in Day and Boarding House events
• Partnership with local Girls Colleges in co-curricular activities

An expanded regular connection with girl’s schools is a further strategic direction in 2021 - stopped somewhat in recent times due to Covid-19 restrictions. In this area we take as a given the key role that fathers and significant male adults play in forming young men. I have a very strong personal and professional belief, in the critical and powerful role of mothers (as well as fathers/significant others) in forming good men - but I’ll leave that for another article.

Mr Peter Todd

Dean of Students

EXAMS

Library Activities

DJ Hanly Learning Centre is home to our beautiful library and is located in the centre of our school. It services all students from Years 5 to 12 and is open to all staff and students during the following hours:

7:30am - 5:00pm from Monday to Thursday

7:30am - 4:00pm on Fridays

Students are always welcome to visit the Learning Centre at morning tea and lunch breaks, as well as before and after school. We offer a variety of board games, card games and puzzles for students to play with at ‘Lunchtime Games Club’ on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, as well as ‘Lunchtime LEGO Creations’ to make on Thursdays and Fridays.

Dr Gwen Dewar suggests that, as well as providing enjoyment, playing board games encourages the development of social skills, teaches how to win/lose gracefully, enhances critical thinking and higher order thinking skills, and helps students develop a myriad of other skills, such as:

• Detecting patterns
• Planning ahead
• Predicting outcomes
• Learning from past experiences
• Critical reasoning
• Following rules
• Comprehension
• Managing impulsivity

Similarly, LEGO as an activity offers its many benefits, such as:

• the development of lateral thinking in a fun environment
• teaching children to think in three dimensions
• improving literacy as children work with instructions and follow steps
• developing problem-solving, organisation and planning by construction
• improving creativity
• enhancing communication and critical thinking
• developing fine motor skills
• assisting in the development and improvement of social and communication skills, and fine motor skills in children with autism and other social/emotional challenges

LEGO and board games provide a platform for children to play and interact with each other as equals. They encourage a sense of accomplishment through creative and imaginative play, and offer opportunities for students to build friendships. Most of all, they are fun!

For any queries regarding the Learning Centre, please email library@nudgee.qld.edu.au.

Ms Melissa Miller

Acting Head of the Learning Centre 

Year 11 Drama and Music Performance Assessment Evening

On Thursday 11 March (Week 7) the Year 11 Drama, Music and Year 10 Drama students will be presenting their FA1: Performance pieces for assessment. This will take place in Tierney Auditorium. All are welcome to come along and support the boys in their assessment or if you wish to just come along and see what they do you are more than welcome. 

Date & Time: Thursday 11 March 6:30pm

Venue: Tierney Auditorium  

Ms Alison Kilgour

Head of Faculty - Arts

Boarding Formal Dinner

Last Thursday night marked a big event in our Boarding community with our first Formal Dinner for this year. The first one is traditionally with our sister school Stuartholme which we held in the Christian Brothers’ Conference Centre. While it was formal, there was a relaxed atmosphere – the boys certainly looked impressive in their crisp formal uniforms. During the evening, there were many opportunities for the boys and girls to get to know each other and share stories about their experiences as boarders and the unique opportunities that brings. Staff and students from both schools were amazed at the transformation of the Conference Centre – the room looked beautiful. A huge thank you to Mrs Larissa Patti who coordinated the event, and to our wonderful House Parents Ms Tracey Hoffman (O’Brien), Ms Kym Wisseman (Cotter), Ms Denise Johnson (Murphy).  We would also like to thank our volunteers who gave up their time to help set-up for the event: Sally Hopper, Angela Hayward, Leigh Osborne-Mark, Mel Ryan, Catherine Fitzgerald, Hallie Smith, Bob Holmes & Jill Holmes and Lesley McBride. The support from our wonderful Boarding community is always greatly appreciated.

Boarder Badges

A highlight of the dinner was when the Heads of Boarding Houses presented this year's new boarders with a ‘boarder badge’. This badge will no doubt be worn with pride on the lapel of all blazers when students are in their formal uniform. 

Other highlights for our boarders in the last couple of weeks were attending a Queensland Reds game where they braved the rain to enjoy a great game and an aqua park on the weekend to cool off from our recent hot weather. We are getting record numbers of boys wanting to participate in weekend activities, which is great to see. As the Dean of Boarding, it is so great to see how well our boarders are settling into the rhythm of life at Nudgee College.

One of the outstanding aspects of working within this community is the leadership from our students. A few years ago boarding staff and senior students came together to identify and embed the values that are centred in our Boarders Code of Conduct.

Nudgee College is a FAITH community. As members of a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice Tradition, it is our privilege to follow in the footsteps of Blessed Edmund Rice.  

A Nudgee College boarder is someone who is TRUSTing of others and can be TRUSTed. Trust is the foundation of a Boarding community and links closely with the other Boarding value of INTEGRITY.  

A Nudgee College boarder demonstrates INTEGRITY through his respect for others and his honesty. INTEGRITY is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. A Nudgee College boarder is expected to hold himself to high standards and meet the expectations of the staff, not because he has to or because he receives accolades, but because he knows this is important for the wider community.

It is not surprising that BROTHERHOOD is a word that is often associated with Nudgee College Boarding, as the relationships between boarders go far beyond friendship. As a community, we provide a welcoming and inclusive BROTHERHOOD for all boarders.  

We recognise that boarding can be a challenge but it builds RESILIENCE. Moving away from home is not an easy task and it brings with it a complex array of issues. Routines, restrictions and a certain level of invasiveness are an unavoidable part of a boarding education. Nudgee College boarders are expected to relish any challenges they face and approach them with a sense of maturity, reasonableness and grit. In other words, they need to exhibit RESILIENCE.

Mr Sean Toovey

Dean of Boarding

Cattle Club

The Cattle Club & Show Team competed at the Bell Show over the past weekend. The show was a great expression of student teamwork and solidarity. Both the boys and the cattle brought home some ribbons, which we are all very be proud of. Notably our Angus heifer (Kedmaw stud) won her class under 12 months followed by reserve champion Brahman bull (Rodlyn stud) and reserve champion Angus bull (Kedmaw stud).

Special mention to Dan O'Sullivan who placed second in Junior Paraders which is a testament to student ability in personal presentation and animal handling ability. The Show Team decided to donate the proceeds of our gold coin donation BBQ dinner to the Bell Show Society to assist in the preservation and improvement of the society through the severe drought they are still enduring. We are eagerly looking forward to the Warwick Show this month.

Cross Country Time Trial and Season Launch

Last Friday afternoon, we hosted our annual Invitational Time Trial on Hendry. Clad in their school colours, Terrace, St. Margaret’s, Ambrose Treacy and Stuartholme Cross Country runners participated in either a 2km or 3km time trial against our boys in Blue and White. Heating up the afternoon, Mother Nature added an extra challenge for the runners; however, being the challenge-ready young men and women that they are, all athletes pushed through! Our 2km event saw 12-year-old Rhys Griffiths cross the finish line first with a time of 7:36! Other top performers in this event included Harry Williams (12), Jeremy Deakin (12) and Lewis Abdy (11). All 36 of our 10 - 12 year old runners gave it their all! Twins Will and Ned Curran (14) dominated the 3km event coming in under 10 minutes, with Harry Waldron (15), Lachlan Cook (13) and Elfie Piper (14) closely behind. The final 3km event saw our 16 years and Opens showcase their pre-season strengths, with Vice-Captains Sam Rogers (Open) and Leo Fairley (Open) both running hard to cross the finish line in under 10 minutes. Soon after, Alex Kluck (Open), Will Morrow (16) and Brashar Coutts (16) all finished within seconds of each other.

Our second Annual Season Launch took place in the greenspace outside of Tierney Auditorium after our time trial. Beautiful lighting, happy and smiley young men, and the sun setting in the distance created an atmosphere of excitement and joy. Warmly welcomed by our athletes, parents and staff, we announced our 2021 Cross Country Captain, Malachi Tuck, and Vice-Captains Sam Rogers and Leo Fairley. These young men will certainly be fantastic captains who will lead a successful and spirit-filled season. Listening to the wise words of Olympian Dane Bird-Smith, everyone hung on to his every word and was inspired by his life story and the discipline it took to become the incredible athlete he is. We concluded the night with a raffle as well as a sense of determination for a magnificent season ahead.

A huge thank you to the coaching staff, property and services, Raoul Carmody and the AV Crew, catering, and the parents and families who made these two events run so wonderfully and smoothly.

Ms Jaimee Trembearth

Cross Country Director

The Locker Room

We are super excited that the Hoodies in all sizes are back in stock for $80. They are so popular, you don't want to miss out.  Come in and get your Hoodie today.