Week 6 Term 4 2020

Principal

Sad News

Yesterday we were shocked to receive the news that Ms Bridie O’Dea had passed away. Bridie had courageously battled cancer for the past two years. Sadly, her health took a dramatic turn for the worst over the weekend and she passed away suddenly at the Royal Brisbane Hospital on Wednesday 11 November.

Bridie was an inspiring and much loved Maths teacher. She was a great friend and colleague to many on the staff. Bridie worked at Nudgee College since 2006. Beyond her Maths teaching, she was an evening tutor in Boarding as well as a tutor in the Indigenous Education program. She was a member of Ross House and also served as the Hodda Assistant Head of Boarding House. In October 2015, she was promoted to the position of Director of Administration on the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). This is an important role which manages day-to-day class operations, school and exam timetables, as well as teacher allocations. It is a vital role in the effective operation of a large school such as ours. Bridie performed these difficult duties with the utmost professionalism and attention to detail. And always with a gentle smile.

Bridie’s family reside in Victoria, which has added complexity to this very sad occurrence. Please keep Bridie, her family and her dear friends on staff in your prayers.

May she rest in peace.

One of the very obvious impacts of COVID-19 on school life is the limits that it has placed on our capacity to gather in large numbers. In a school such as Nudgee College that values its sense of community connection so highly this has presented distinct challenges for all of us. Many staff, students and parents have expressed to me that this is their biggest disappointment in school life in 2020.

Fortunately, with the COVID-19 restrictions easing further we have begun to gather again in larger numbers and with hygiene practices in place. Given that the end of the school year is now looming, this is a positive development. Some of these community gatherings include the following:

Tuesday’s College Assembly: This was the first Assembly since March where we gathered together all students from Years 7 to 11. Years 5 and 6 had the Assembly live-streamed to their classrooms. There was a palpable sense of energy and excitement amongst everyone in the Conference Centre. We also had a large number of parents join us as we presented a range of awards that recognised achievements in diverse areas of school life. We will not gather again in that manner until the start of the new school year – health restrictions permitting!
Last Saturday morning’s annual Memorial Mass hosted by the NCOBA and the College: Not only were people in the Chapel, but it was live-streamed in Ryan Hall as well as to more than 100 others beyond the school. The Mass was followed by a gathering in the beautiful rose garden. This occasion always has a distinct atmosphere about it and the increased numbers that were in attendance is an indicator of the desire to come together that is felt by many in the community.
Annual Awards Ceremonies: This year due to COVID-19 we have had to alter our usual plans. Instead of the single large, evening event we are now holding two smaller daytime occasions. On Tuesday morning we will acknowledge the achievers from Year 5 to 9 and on Wednesday morning it will be Years 10 to 12. Fortunately, we are able to increase the capacity of these significant end of year ceremonies to include two parents or family members.
Year 12 Valedictory: As we have for the Awards Ceremony, we have had to alter this very important event. It has been changed from an evening event to the morning, with the venue changing to Ross Oval. Disappointingly, we cannot host the dinner that we have previously. Nevertheless, this will be a special morning for the nearly 240 graduates and their families. To be farewelled from the Grandstand will be memorable for everyone.

Not all schools have the capacity or the capability to be able to host all of these occasions on their campus. We are indeed very fortunate to be able to do so at the College. Certainly, we have the campus and facilities to do so. More importantly, we have a range of support staff with diverse skills, a service attitude and a willingness to work hard to make these occasions happen so successfully. These include staff from Property and Services, the Development and Communications Office, the Identity Office, the AV crew and the Catering staff. The collective effort is enormous and I express our gratitude to all of them for their efforts that are so often hidden from the community.

Mr Peter Fullagar
Principal

Deputy Principal

Like many people over the past year I have rediscovered reading. I am not like my wife, who will devour books and read for pleasure. I tend to read books and articles that I think might help me develop in some way – whether that be a book on leadership, a book on running or some other form of self-help guide. As the time in isolation mounted in various states and countries, there has been a noticeable increase in articles about how to balance your life and how to monitor and maintain a healthy headspace. This is what I have learnt.

Achieving small tasks and doing things you enjoy can boost your confidence and lift your mood, helping you keep a healthy headspace. The activities you make time for have a big impact on your headspace. When you spend time doing things you enjoy, it can give you relief from hard times, and build some fun in your life. Likewise, when you set and achieve small tasks that are important to you (such as completing homework or being well prepared for a test or giving back to your community) it can help to create a sense of accomplishment and meaning.

In a nutshell, doing ‘stuff’ matters. Yet, if you’re going through a difficult time, doing anything can seem like a lot of effort. And if you’re feeling low you may lose interest in things you once enjoyed.

So, what should you do? The key is to focus on doing – even if you don’t want to or feel like it. As you set and achieve even small tasks you will learn more about yourself, build confidence and improve your wellbeing.

Here’s how ‘doing stuff’ can help:

Gives you a sense of achievement and purpose
Builds your confidence
Lifts your energy
Improves your motivation
Help get you out of a rut if you’re not feeling energised.

Here’s how the ‘experts’ suggest you get started:

Set small goals: Setting and achieving goals builds confidence and self‐worth. Think of a small task you want to do every day (maybe it’s making your bed, going for a 15‐minute walk, setting aside 20 minutes for revision, etc.). It can be anything, the important thing is to set the goal and follow through. As exams approach for many or our boys, setting intentional goals around exam preparation is vital.
Find activities you enjoy: If you’re going through a hard time, you may not feel excited about doing anything. But think back – what did you used to enjoy? This can be a good place to start. This is where it is important to find balance. When you do 20 to 30 minutes of study, give yourself a 10-minute break. The key here is then to return to study, and not allow the break to continue on and on (is it too much to hope my son is reading this!).
Make a schedule: When you think of an activity, make time for it. Look ahead at your week and block out some time for the things that you enjoy. This is especially important when juggling a variety of assignments and exams.
Persist: One of our Habits of Mind. Find ways to follow through with your schedule, even when you don’t feel like it. You may not feel like doing anything, so having a schedule provides the road map to success.
Reflect: Once you begin achieving your goals, take some time to reflect on how it makes you feel. Did you enjoy it? Did you feel a sense of accomplishment? If you did, that’s great.
Be kind to yourself: Maybe try a new study method that you’ve not tried before. Think of it as making time with yourself to learn and grow. Keep persisting and enjoy the journey of learning. When you’re feeling low or stressed it’s important to put healthy habits in place – to give yourself a better chance of coping with life’s challenges.

Doing stuff and achieving little things every day is an important healthy habit, but it’s not the only one. Things like exercise, eating well, and spending time on your relationships – friends and family – are also important for good mental health.

Mr David Johnston
Deputy Principal

Learning and Teaching

Learning Habits Award

Congratulations to the students who were presented with a Learning Habits Award for their efforts this semester. A full list of recipients can be found here.

Mr Jason Sepetauc
Dean of Learning and Teaching

Pathways update

URGENT ACTION REQUIRED (EVEN IF REGISTRATION FOR ATAR HAS BEEN COMPLETED)

All eligible Year 12 students will receive their ATAR on Saturday 19 December provided they register. A reminder that students need to do the following if it has not already been completed:

Set up an ATAR account on the portal. Students will not be notified of their ATAR if they do not do this

Students should NOT opt out of allowing the school to receive notification of their ATAR. During registration students will be asked to check a box only if they do not want the information provided to Nudgee College. Our concern is that many students have checked the box without reading the question. We need to know this information in the event that advice is required on student QTAC preferences. We will be analysing ATAR scores against QTAC preferences to identify any obvious errors in December/January before the major offer round. We cannot provide advice to individual students if we do not know their ATAR. We also need this data to analyse results with a view to improving outcomes for future students.

As seen below, the relevant box in the portal should remain unchecked if Nudgee College is authorised to receive the student’s ATAR.

If students have already registered, they may edit their application and uncheck the box by logging into their account. This should be attended to as soon as possible please.

ATAR and QTAC offers

Once ATARs have been received, students need to check their QTAC preferences to determine if changes are required. The major offer round for the majority of courses occurs on Thursday 14 January 2021. If students wish to be considered for this round, applications must be submitted and any documentation uploaded by Friday 11 December. All changes to preferences on submitted applications must occur by 12.00pm Thursday 7 January 2021. These key dates are explained here.

More great news

Nick Wagensveld, after successful participation in work experience, has been offered an apprenticeship and will receive a Certificate lll in Carpentry.
Elton Shibble has been offered early entry to the Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science (Honours in Diagnostic Radiography) at the University of Newcastle.

Congratulations gentlemen on securing these amazing opportunities!

If you have good news of which I am unaware, please let me know so we can celebrate as a community.

Ms Dee Tyrrell
Director of Pathways

QUT STEM for Schools

Students from Years 7 to 9 were invited to attend the QUT STEM for Schools workshop on Wednesday 4 November to expand their knowledge and understanding of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Students from Year 7 included: Nate Barnett, Thomas Bayo, Dermot Clancy, Andrew La Monaca, Sejin Lee, Will Neubecker, Riley Nixon, Alex Smith and Paddy Williams. Students from Year 8 included: Liam Astbury, George Gillam, Fred Nash, Alex Patti, Dusty Piper, Sam Kewley, Michael Malone, Oscar Roati and Jamie Waddington. Students from Year 9 included: William Duffield, Aidan Easton, Jacob Gillam, Jonathan Hawtin, Oliver Johnston, Oliver Kele, Daniel Neal, Jack Vivers, Jack Weaver and Joseph Wesche.

Participants were given the opportunity to take part in workshops led by current QUT students working in the field. One was Green Energy: Big Data and another was Rockets 101, which was led by Nudgee College Old Boy Pierce Braithwaite (NC 2012-16).

The QUT for Schools STEM workshop was a very enjoyable and informative experience. In small groups, we obtained a deeper understanding of STEM-based technological skills. Drawing from the concepts of creativity, innovation and leadership, we completed two workshops.The program ambassadors were helpful with regards to teaching us new ideas and concepts, tackling difficult problem-solving based tasks, and explaining potential career pathways available at QUT. – William Duffield (Year 9)

The STEM workshop was a program held at QUT. The Green Energy workshop investigated renewable energy resources and how data collection can influence its efficiency. The second workshop explored the science behind how rockets work. This mainly included how much empty mass, fuel mass and thrust is needed to power a successful rocket. The third and last workshop was the Cube Experience, which looked into coding simple robots to recycle rubbish into the right bins. Overall, the QUT STEM program was an exciting experience and one I would like to participate in again in the future. – Sejin Lee (Year 7)

I would like to thank the QUT STEM Student Ambassadors for the great learning opportunity and Ms Kim Spicer for assisting and supervising students throughout the day. It was a highly enjoyable experience for all involved.

Ms Stephanie Spicer
Enrichment Program Leader

Year 9 Science

At the end of Term 3, Year 9 Science students participated in an optional Science Communication Challenge to create a small appliance poster. After a tough deliberation by the judges, who commented that “all the entries were fantastic”, the competition results are as follows:

Overall Winners: Toaster Poster (Zachary Peach, Sebastian Pugh, Diesel Craven, Charlie Blinco and Lachlan Cox)
Overall Runner-Up: Pedestal Fan (Mathew Blums and Angus Wishart)
First Prize 9G: Kettle (Samson Naawi, Spencer Frame, Emmanuel Taviri and Ryan Heaton)
First Prize 9C: Toasta On A Posta (Bailey Todd and Macklin Byrne)

Mr Pat Conway
Head of Science Faculty

Year 8 Science

During Term 3 for our science unit we were required to create a car using a mousetrap. We had to customise the prototype car to make the modified car travel further. Overall the assignment was a fun and enjoyable learning experience. Pictured below is the 8D class celebrating and racing our modified mouse-trap cars on the final day of Term 3.

Akira Chen
Year 8 Student

Stationery Ordering for 2021

Stationery lists for 2021 will once again be available for online ordering through Campion Education.

Friday 13 November 2020: Online stationery ordering commences
Wednesday 16 December 2020: Online stationery ordering to be completed
Fortnight ending Wednesday 15 January 2021: Stationery orders delivered

***Please note, orders placed after Wednesday 16 December 2020 will not be guaranteed delivered by Wednesday 15 January 2021.

If you choose to collect your order from their shop at Salisbury, this can be done from Monday 18 to Friday 22 January 2021.

Ordering is done in four simple steps:

Go to www.campion.com.au and click the red 'Order here' button
Create your account (this enables you to save, adjust and track your order)
Enter the school’s code: J8B7
Select your year level and complete your order

Ms Robyn Frappell
Book Hire Coordinator

Student Formation

2020 House Charities

Although 2020 will probably go down in history as being one of the most challenging years for many families. Unfortunately, this year many of our social justice activities were paused. Nudgee College has continued to do what we can to raise money for several charities throughout the year through bake sales, free dress days and other ventures as a result of the initiative and ingenuity of our students. Their passion to act in the spirit of Edmund Rice, who devoted his life to prayer and charitable work, especially with the poor and marginalised, should be commended. Our students have been an exceptional example of this ethos, thinking of others this year instead of themselves and raising funds or participating in social justice activities that benefit those less fortunate than themselves. Below I list just some of the highlights from our Houses in relation to our charitable work.

Barrett House once again supported Anawin Orphanage on Negros Island in the Philippines, which has had a long association with Year 10 Immersions in the past. Money was raised by raffles at their one event for the year, the Barrett Breakfast. Barrett boys were also actively involved in many of the Social Justice programs on offer.
Duggan House have, in conjunction with St John Fisher College, continued to support Edmund Rice Camps through raising money to enable our Year 11 boys to attend as carers for a camp, and also to provide care packages for their ‘little buddies’ and materials for the camp itself. This year the event had to be postponed. Duggan look forward to being able to continue this event in 2021.
This year Fogarty continued to support the Leukaemia Foundation by arranging the World’s Greatest Shave event. 2020 saw a recorded-breaking amount raised of more than $20,000 by both the student body and staff who signed up to shave. Although the shave event was cancelled at the last moment (due to COVID-19 restrictions), the support, generosity and awareness raised was overwhelming.
McKenna House continued its support of Youngcare as their House charity. The Mckenna student leaders worked hard selling snow cones during lunch times, which largely contributed to an annual donation to Youngcare of approximately $1,000. Youngcare is a not-for-profit organisation providing high-care housing for young people with high care needs.
In Term 4, Magee held a fundraising barbecue to raise money for men’s mental health. This was an initiative from two Year 11 students. In terms of House charity, Magee is focussing on the Carers’ Foundation. A barbecue fundraiser was held this year. Ms Ronnie Benbow (former Magee mum and founder of the Carers' Foundation) is the Queensland nominee for Australian of the Year 2021. All of Magee are behind her in this amazing and well-deserved honour.
Riley House’s support of the Salvation Army continued for its 24th year and, as with everything this year, there was a slight twist. The annual Red Shield Appeal went online with its Digital Doorknock. This new initiative to contend with social distancing constraints actually resulted in Riley House raising a record-breaking amount of money for this amazing organisation, which is much needed money during what has been a difficult year for families.
This year Ross House has taken on a new House charity, Callan Services, who provide disability and inclusive education services to communities in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The highlight of the year was when students organised and ran a PNG Cultural Celebration Day that highlighted the College’s connection with PNG, and raised money for our new House charity. Callan Services are connected to the work of the Christian Brothers through the Edmund Rice Foundation and their organisation helps to facilitate parts of the Nudgee College Year 10 Immersion program.
Shaw House continued to raise awareness of and support Epilepsy Queensland in memory of Old Boy Sam Milne. Fortunately we raised $400 at our House Breakfast at the beginning of the year; however, due to COVID-19 our annual Bridge to City Walk fundraiser was cancelled. The House continued to support Ed Shed’s food drive, led by Year 12 student Howard Yanda.
Tierney House continued their partnership with the Royal Flying Doctor Service by continuing to raise awareness about this important charity. However, the focus for fundraising was to continue supporting Year 11 student Aidan Roost, who was diagnosed with Leukaemia in 2019. While Aidan’s attendance at school has increased significantly this year, he continues to face challenges associated with his illness. Once again the Tierney community rallied to support Aidan this year by raising funds as part of the Day for Aidan event.

Valedictory

A huge thank you to the following parents who gave up their time and energy to pack the gift bags for our Year 12s: Ms Amy Mitchell, Ms Viema Levu, Mr Dale Roche, Ms Erica Navarro and Ms Kuldeep Kaur Birk.

We hope the boys will like their gifts and there’s an extra little something in there as a personal gift from Mr Peter Fullagar to each of our 2020 Seniors; the first cohort to go through many challenges in their final year, including a global pandemic, and the first to experience the new QCE process.

Mr Peter Todd
Dean of Students

In This Newsletter

Principal

Deputy Principal

Identity

Learning and Teaching

Student Formation

Community