We have come to the end of our school year and we are looking forward to a rest from schoolwork and the fun that comes with the end of year - holidays and Christmas. At this time of year the Church also turns its attention to Christmas - but not yet! We await the arrival of Jesus Christ. We remember and celebrate his birth in a stable two thousand years ago but we also wait upon his coming into our lives every day in the words of his gospel, in the eucharist and through our unity as brothers and sisters.  

This once and future arrival (adveniens) of Christ is what we celebrate every year at Christmas. The season of Advent is a time to prepare. All our life is an advent.  We await Jesus’ arrival, we prepare the way of the Kingdom of God, we celebrate the birth of each new day. United as brothers and sisters and dedicated to serve one another we celebrate the love that lights the world.

Lord God, we adore you because you have come to us in the past.

You have spoken to us in the Law of Israel.

You have challenged us in the words of the prophets.

You have shown us in Jesus what you are really like.

Lord God, we adore you because you still come to us now.

You come to us through other people and their love and concern for us.

You come to us through men and women who need our help.

You come to us as we worship you with your people.

Lord God, we adore you because you will come to us at the end.

You will be with us at the hour of death.

You will still reign supreme when all human institutions fail.

You will still be God when our history has run its course.

We welcome you, the God who comes.

Come to us now in the power of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Caryl Micklem, "Contemporary Prayers for Public Worship"

Mr Stephen Meara

Dean of Identity

As many people know, Alex Clark’s life was changed dramatically in August 2018 following a catastrophic spinal injury playing sport. 

Since that day, Alex has displayed remarkable resilience and determination. Importantly, he has never lost his cheeky grin and knowing smile. The love of his family and the daily work of his carers has been integral to his recovery. During his journey through Nudgee College he has been supported by the whole school community but also by some profoundly caring and generous individuals on staff. 

This documentary gives an insight into Alex’s journey as well as into those individuals who have shared this chapter of his life. As Alex graduates from St Joseph's Nudgee College, he does so with ambition for the future and excitement about what lies ahead. 

I am very proud to share this documentary with you and I thank every person who has been a part of this inspiring story.

Click this link to view the documentary.

Mr Peter Fullagar 

Principal 

This term has gone well and I would like to congratulate the Barrett seniors for finishing their final weeks with dignity. I wish them well for their future years in the real world. Our final House assembly was a special event that gave the boys a chance to acknowledge their time at Nudgee College and to think about their future. The Valedictory Mass and ceremony on Ross Oval were two very special events.

A big thank you to the Barrett Tutors of 2021 – Mr Ben Williams, Ms Alyssa Walke, Ms Maureen Toohey, Ms Chloe Arnold, Ms Rebecca Taghizadeh, Ms Emel Corley, MR Richard Bauer, Mr Damien Raciti and Ms Julie Winter. They have all done a wonderful job in caring and supporting the boys in their Tutor groups. Farewell to Ms Maureen Toohey after 14 years of dedicated care for the BA3 boys and to Rebecca Taghizadeh (BA5) who changes to part time next year.

Alex Clark (Year 12) finishes school this year and he has been an inspiration to us all since his accident, with his positive attitude and cheeky demeanour. Alex has worked tirelessly on his studies and has been seen quite often on the weekend supporting his class mates at sporting events. Special thanks to Mr Aaron Knott for his incredible efforts in supporting Alex through his education and his genuine care for his wellbeing. Well done to the boys who received either a Habit of Minds Award or Old Boys Award this semester.

Habits of Mind for consistent and outstanding efforts in the classroom

• Semester Two – Jack Schultz, Harrison Saurini, Kai West, Charlie Lyons, Samuel Cassee, Oliver Kele, Jayden Spiteri and Lachy McGarry. 

Old Boys Awards for their diligence and positive work ethic in the classroom

• Semester Two – Jack Roberts, Oscar Weber, Cooper Kele, Noah Wright, Ethan Anderson and Jack Balkin.

Awards night:

Academic Awards

• Year 5 – Thomas Carroll
• Year 7 – Billy Campbell and Matthew Fuller
• Year 8 – Paddy Williams
• Year 10 – Oliver Kele, Hayden O’Sullivan, Connor Sutcliffe and Dillon Watson
• Year 11 – Jim Collins, Owen Collins, Inigo Lawrence, Lachlan Russell and Bailey Thomas

Activities Awards

• Year 11 – Ben Forbes (Tennis)
• Year 12 – Kynan Enever (Volleyball), Joshua Reid (Volleyball) and Kallum Russell (Cricket)

Cultural Awards

• Year 10 – Oliver Kele (Oratory)
• Year 12 – Will McLean (Music)

A number of Barrett boys starred in the annual Awards Ceremony. Congratulations to the following for their outstanding efforts. James Carroll Year 6 – Dux, Oliver Kele Year 10 – Dux and Oratory Champion, Basil Nolan (Year 12) – Br J G Hodda Memorial Award for Leadership and Diligence as College Vice Captain, Jack Fuller (Year 12) – Caltex All Rounder Award for Study, Activities and Service and Jonty Trethowan – Shirley Agnew Award for Outstanding Participation. A special mention to Ms Emel Corley for receiving an Excellence in Teaching award for her dedicated efforts in the classroom in inspiring boys to achieve their best and to Ms Maureen Toohey for receiving the Staff Edmund Rice Award for her outstanding service over the years with social justice and being a true Sign of Faith.

Team Man Awards

• Rugby – Jack Schultz, Billy Campbell, John Grenfell, Tarquin Clarke and Liam O’Hara
• Basketball – Gurditt Singh, Sam Cassee and Vili Lewenilovo

Special congratulations to Harry Blackmore who has been appointed a QMEA ambassador for next year. He will certainly have a big year ahead of him.

Jonty Trethowan, Jack Fuller and Jack Harkins have done an outstanding job as Barrett House prefects this year. Every task and request were done efficiently and reliably with genuine pride in being leaders in Barrett House. They have left the house in good hands. Well done to Callum Stringfellow, Will McLean, Rory Dunn and Jackson Harte for being excellent Big Brothers and role models to the boys in Year 5 and 6.

Barrett House held a successful Barrett Bake during the term. Thank you to so many parents who provided food for the hungry hordes. There were plenty of leftovers. Thank you to Heather Trethowan who steps down as Head House mum. Heather has done a wonderful job over the years in organising House events. Chris and Justine Carroll parents of James and Tom have now stepped into the role.

Christmas blessings for all the Barrett community.

Mr David Kelly

Barrett House Dean

It has been another phenomenal term in Cotter House. The busyness of Term 4 makes it exciting, yet certainly takes its toll on the boys and staff. Term 4 has seen high-stakes exams, gruelling obstacle courses, bonfires, BBQs, Staff vs Student matches (which the staff won!), leadership inductions, farewells, pre-season training and more. Needless to say, we are all ready for the holidays!

This year, the Cotter men have built an unbreakable sense of community, brotherhood and family. They never cease to amaze me; they keep me on my toes, make me proud and give me great fulfilment in carrying out my role as Head of Cotter House. I am truly blessed to work with such a fine group of young men.

In Term 4, there is always a beautiful mixture of reflection on the year that has been and looking forward to the year ahead. We had some lovely and meaningful farewells for our Year 12 men, whilst inducting our newest leaders and Senior cohort throughout the term.

Each year we acknowledge one Year 12 by awarding the Br Cotter Shield for Outstanding Service to Cotter House. This year, we have been blessed with many great leaders in Cotter – both those that are formally recognised and those who have led by example. The recipient of the Br Cotter Shield has simply been a “doer” this year.  He has been a shining example of what a boarding perfect should be. Congratulations to Atticus Johnston for receiving this honour in 2021.

Alongside Atticus, Aidan Dohnlek has done a fantastic job as our Dorm Leader for 2021. Despite Aidan’s busy schedule throughout the year and some external pressures, he has always been able to build strong relationships with the boys around him. Thank you Aidan for all that you have done this year.

Looking forward to 2022, Cotter House will go through another stage of evolution. As I step into the Dean of Boarding role, I am excited to watch Cotter House flourish under the leadership of Mr Mike Silcock. In terms of support, Mr Silcock is blessed to have the help of Cotter’s 2022 leaders. The following boys were honoured with leadership positions at the end of term three:

Charlie Dezius (Cotter Prefect)

Nate Prien (Cotter Leader) 

Cruz Lemming (Magee Prefect) 

Jack Hallett (Ross Prefect) 

Whilst these boys have been formally acknowledged as leaders, I leave Cotter House in very safe hands with the entire 2022 Senior cohort. They are a fine group of young men and I know they will lead with enthusiasm, authenticity and integrity. Whilst I am extremely excited to step into my new role, I must admit there is a pang of sadness in leaving Cotter, which has been my beloved home for three years now.

Thank you to all who have made 2021 such a special year in Cotter House – staff, students and families. It has been one to remember. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Mr Casey Brealy

Head of Cotter Boarding House

Another amazing term by the Duggan Men!

• We celebrated our 15 GPS Athletes
• We supported Sam O’Brien (Duggan 2022 Prefect) in running the Bridge to Brisbane to raise money for our House Charity - Edmund Rice Camps.
• We farewelled our amazing Year 12 men. They will be missed!
• We celebrated DU6 Winning the Duggan House Inter PC Competition (See table below)
• We celebrated “Viking of the Year” Franco Lim Santos Faria
• We celebrated “Berserker of the Year” Tim O’Brien
• We competed in our Term 4 Inter PC Basketball Competition and congratulate DU6 on winning
• We enjoyed a wonderful Year 7 Galilee Day
• We came together as a team of Tutors to raise funds for Movember
• We welcomed our new Duggan Little Brothers into the House at Orientation Day
• We broke bread with a delicious House Bake (See photo below)
• We celebrated 24 Award winners at the recent Awards evening.
• We celebrated seven new Duggan Vikings

Thanks as always must go to the following groups for how they have stepped up as leaders in the wake of our Year 12 Men Departing.

The House Prefects – Sam O’Brien, Janindu Edirisinghe and Edward Chapman

Community Prefects – James Chapman and Gus Rossl

Junior School Big Brothers – Owen Rowbotham, Kieran Pye, Callan Thomson and Ronin Prout

PC Tutors – Ms Belinda Drury, Mr Nick Toohey, Mr Richard Dupuy, Mr Adrian Gray, Mr Paul Doneley, Mr Jamal Sugars, Mr George Goves, Mr Armand Du Mont and Mr Chris Dods.

Term 4 has been punctuated by many wonderful moments for me as House Dean. However, the highlight for me was the wonderful sense of belonging and love that comes from the Senior Farewell day. I always shed a tear at such moments of farewell. This depth of emotion underlines to me the power of the relationships that we build at Nudgee College. Further, we are a family in Duggan House and connected by our shared experience as teachers, students and parents and caregivers at home. Like any family, there will be ups and downs, good times and hard times but ultimately we know that we are bonded through a deep care for each other. I often talk to the boys about the Golden Rule, “treat others how you wish to be treated”. This golden rule is simply an extension of Jesus’ words according to the Gospel of Matthew.  “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”. I hope that this resonates with all the Duggan Men and they take the opportunity to show gratitude and love through acts of service to others during the holidays. Washing the car, mowing the lawn, cooking the dinner and even cleaning the bathrooms all demonstrate genuine care for those around us. Roll up those sleeves men and put others first! You will be amazed how good it will make you feel.

I hope that all in the Duggan family enjoy a wonderful Christmas and New Year holiday. I hope all stay happy, safe and warm in the love of each other's company. See you all in 2022.

Mr Karim Sedour

Duggan House Dean 

2021 was another busy year that was intermittently interrupted by the ever-changing COVID-19 pandemic. This consisted of: short snap lockdowns (meaning the return of Learning@home), many rescheduled and condensed events, and the implementation of mandatory facemasks worn by all staff and students. Flexibility, sacrifice and patience was demanded from all with the usual hustle and bustle of a busy Nudgee College year being exaggerated by events outside of the College’s control. With that said, there were still plenty of highlights worthy of community recognition.

Fogarty are proud to celebrate the amazing contribution of Year 6 student, Jacob Davies in Term 3. During Semester 1, Jacob took it upon himself to raise funds for Down Syndrome; an important cause in his personal life. Without seeking recognition or praise, he sold lollies to his peers to raise the funds. Jacob surprised the staff in the head office of Down Syndrome Queensland, when he walked in with a check for $608.60. Jacob was the deserving recipient of the “Fogarty Team Man” award.

Congratulations to the following Year 11 students who were successful in their leadership applications and will lead the College in 2022: Ethan Schneider-Loos (Sports Prefect), Elliot Browne (Studies Prefect), Matthew Wendt (House Prefect), Aidan Read (House Prefect) and Nate Scott (House Prefect). In addition, the following Year 11s have been selected and tasked to lead our Junior School PCs in 2022: Will Morrow, Lachlan Bancroft, Gabe Sellers and Adam Pearson.

The Fogarty Students and Tutors were very pleased with the overall results of the Br Vic Larkin Shield. Fogarty tied in Third place with Magee House, which is an improvement on 2020s result. Although not the focus of the House system, our competitive boys are always eager to “one up” their mates.

The College Awards Ceremony is always a highlight of Term 4. This year Fogarty proudly celebrated many award winners across the diverse facets of College life. Congratulations to the following award recipients:

Year 5: Darcy Cotter & Michael Georgieff

Year 6: Antoni Harbeck & Rocco Croucamp

Year 7: Harrison Beirne, Jeremy Deakin, Roman Jones & Eddie Power

Year 8: Angus Twist & Mitchell Vivers

Year 9: Samuel Browne & Avneesh Sidhu

Year 10: Wade Lucas, Daniel Neal, James Swao & Reinhardt Wentzel

Year 11: Lachlan Bancroft, Andrew Brown, Elliot Browne, Josh Ford, Joshua Hagenbach, Darcy Hardwick, Will Morrow, Adam Pearson & Nate Scott

Year 12: Benjamin Neal, Jed Richardson, Harrison Turner & Douglas Gemmell

A sincere and enormous thank you for the service of our “graduating” Head House Parent – Marisia Woolf. With Marisia’s youngest son (Aiden) graduating, her many years of selfless service to the Fogarty community come to an end. The entire Fogarty House community has been left in a better place, thanks to the significant contribution and energy that Marisia has invested in the house. We cannot thank you enough Marisia.

Mr Ken Adams

Fogarty House Dean

Again, I have thoroughly enjoyed leading Hodda staff and caring for the Hodda men in 2021. I am blessed to have such a wonderful position in this College. I am passionate about boys’ education and the pastoral care of young men. I enjoy watching them grow and learn how to balance their lives, mature and progress to manhood. I find it extremely rewarding to be part of their journey here in boarding and help contribute in some way to their overall growth and development while they are essentially living away from parents and their home. We have tried to make their experience a home away from home.

Hodda Motto – “Dare to be Different”

In speaking at this year’s Formal Boarding Dinner in Term 4, I explained briefly what our motto means. I referred to the wonderful example of Jesus and Edmund Rice. They were true examples of leadership, making the right decisions and doing what was right. Not in the sense of wearing weird clothes or getting a crazy hair cut, but rather linked back to the Gospels and what lessons Jesus was attempting to teach us through them. Values like forgiveness, compassion, respect, standing up for what we know is right and just, and generally making decisions based on what is right and not what is easy. This is ingrained in what we teach our young men every day and highlights how we think they should act on their journey to becoming Signs of Faith.

Staff

Without the help and dedication of committed staff, we could not do what we need to in order to care for our boarders. I would like to thank and congratulate the following staff for their work and commitment in 2021:

Assistant Head of Boarding House: Mr Graham Moore

Senior Supervisors: Mr Joel Crighton and Mr Declan Markey-Towler (Term 1)

Supervising Staff: Mr Alan McLean, Mr Kobie Smith, Mr Liam Mitchell, Mr Mike Slaven, Mr Zed Kiwai, Mr David Kilpatrick, Mr Olli Mahoney, Mr Paul Curran, Mr Zac Mansfield and Ms Leanne Boldt.

House Mother: Ms Cassandra Smith (Term 1) and Ms Gaby Morrison (Term 2 to 4)

Without the dedication and care of these wonderful staff, the Hodda Boarding House would not function as well as it has. I know and appreciate that our staff have a genuine sense of care and willingness to do extra things for the boys to help make sure they are safe and happy.

Reach for the Stars

Again, this program of academic support has been appreciated and successful for the many boys who have benefited from the presence of academic staff in Boarding houses at night. This program is only successful because of the dedication, effort and willingness of the teachers to give up their time at night each week so that the boys can receive the help they need. I’d like to sincerely thank all the many teachers who have been involved and congratulate them on their many hours of service.

Year 12s

It is always a mix of emotions as we farewell the Year 12 boys at the end of each year. We know we have done our best with them and have prepared them well for life after the College. We also look forward to the next time we see them and hear the stories about what they have been doing and achieved whether that is at University, work at home on the property, or apprenticeships that have been earned along the way. Either way, it is always rewarding to see what Nudgee College has done for them and the friendships they forge along the way. I wish them all the best as they venture out into the world and aim to make their own way forward with their own skills and personalities.

Awards

Each year, we present a shield to one of the Seniors for outstanding contribution to the Boarding House and a general commitment to Boarding life. The 2021 recipient is Caleb Reiher. He is always well behaved, giving, co-operative, always willing to do extra jobs, a pleasure to have in the House and he gets on well with staff and students alike. We also had Rodin Martin take out the overall Boarding Award, the John Treacey Memorial Shield, so well done to both young men.

Finally, I would like to thank the parents and guardians for your support throughout the year. The partnership between you and the College is invaluable. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the boys and feel privileged to have served another year at Nudgee College.

Mr Ken Mitchell

Head of Hodda Boarding House

It was with some sadness but mostly pride and optimism that we farewelled our Senior cohort this term. Congratulations and best wishes to the Knottenbeld and Smith families who have seen the last of their three sons graduate from the College. We also farewell the families of Gabe Allen, Nick Glass, Zac Smullen, Ethan Petcos, Luke Sedgman, Will Godson, Patrick McGillion and Dylan Eastland whose time at the College has ended. We wish all families all the very best and look forward to reconnecting in the future.

There were many notable achievements in Term Four. The following is a summary:

Dylan Eastland, Zac Smullen and their team  made the grand final of the Theatre Sports competition. Dylan and Ethan Petcos teamed up for Shakefest and finished second in Queensland. Well done, boys.

Learning Habits awards were presented to Alex Layt, Rahul Padmanabhan, Edward McDonnell, Max Lazzarini, Dermot Clancy, Ned Curran, Anthony Mineo, Lachlan Barrett, Thomas Robertson and Nikhil Lalwani,

The recipients of Principal’s awards were Charlie Riethmuller, Lewis McGrorey, Will Condon, Xavier Cantero, Myles Armstrong, Harry Lloyd, James Duggan, Daniel Maiava-Tapusoa, Will Godson, Ben Ryan, Lucio Valle.

Ethan Petcos was named as Captain of our victorious GPS Athletics’ team. Our Magee GPS team members were Josh Kelly, Xavier Hicks, Michael Beirne, Will Curran, Ned Curran, Cruz Lemming, Alex Romano, Daniel Maiava-Tapusoa.

Old Boys’ Awards Semester Two:

• Macrossan Award (Junior School): Charlie Jones
• Ian Brusasco Award (Year 7): Oliver Shaw
• Patrick Donovan Award (Year 8): Dermot Clancy
• Steven Cook Award (Year 9): Will Curran
• Stephen Daley Award (Year 10): Thomas Woodhead

The following Year 10 boys gave up their time to help with  small group activities on retreats.  Year 8 Retreat: Myles Armstrong, Eamon Mahoney, Jahdarl Rogers, Aidan Easton, Anthony Mineo and Brodie Navarro. 

Year 7 Retreat: Ty Lowrie, Noah Varricchio, Angus Wishart, Alex O’Connor, Patrick Andrews, Xavier Cantero and Xavier Griffiths.

Their contribution was very much appreciated.

Thank you to the army of House Parents, led by Jo Smith, Wendy Astbury and Danielle Mills, who work tirelessly on House endeavours. The boys feel privileged to be the beneficiaries of so many muffin breaks! This year, the parents seem to dodge and weave COVID-19 outbreaks so that the boys never miss out. Sadly, we farewell Jo after four years as Head House Mum. She has been a fantastic support to me and to the whole House. We will miss you Jo.

Thank you to our Magee PC tutors. In Term Three we farewelled Mr Jorden Smith (Ma 8) and welcomed Mr Matthew Smith. Matthew is a NCOB and is returning to familiar territory. Ms Tammy Grindley (Ma 1), Mr Sione Mohenoa (Ma 2), Mr Cameron Brown (Ma 3), Ms Katherine Ellis (Ma 4), Mr Dayne Tracey (Ma 5), Mr Warren Roberts (Ma 6), Ms Simone Hanran (and Grace Waterman in Simone’s absence) (Ma 7) and Mr Jack Dahms (Ma 9) continue to support all the boys in their respective PCs. I thank them for all they do, bringing a depth and breadth of experience and skills to the Magee community. In Week 6, the current Year 6 students visited their ‘new’ PCs and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive from both boys and tutors.

I wish you all a safe and happy break and look forward to catching up in the new year.

Ms Julianne Daunt

Magee House Dean

As the 2021 school year comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on the year that has gone by. It often amazes me (as cliché as it is) how sometimes the weeks seem long but the year is so short. The 2021 year is no different – I feel this year has gone by so quickly. The young men of McKenna House have been exceptional again in 2021 in many facets of school life. In particular, they have responded so well to the numerous challenges faced with COVID-19. There have been a few occasions where they have needed to show responsibility at times beyond their years in order to stay on top of their work. So much learning and growing occurs in these times where they are out of their comfort zone and learning new skills. It has been an absolute pleasure working with your son/s in 2021. 

Our Year 12 cohort for 2021 have served their House and school with pride and involved themselves in all of the activities Nudgee College has to offer. They particularly showed their House spirit in the lead up and during the Inter-house Showcase. The leadership these gentlemen showed to bring McKenna House together was something that will stay with me for some time. Good luck to our current 2021 Seniors in whatever they pursue post Nudgee College. You will always be remembered by Nudgee College and now become part of the Nudgee College Old Boys and 10,000 Brothers.

As one door of leadership comes to a close, another one opens. At the end of last term all of our Year 11 students responded to the call of leadership with their leadership retreat. It was a pleasure working with all of these young men as they began planning for 2022. Congratulations to Jake Gilmore, Morgan Bourke and Thomas Malone who will be McKenna House Prefects for 2022 and congratulations to Al McEwan (Identity), Cooper Cameron (Sports Prefect) and Baxter Giorgas (Arts Prefect). Finally a big congratulations to Daniel O’Driscoll, Kai Goodman, Kieran O’Shea and Harry Shaw who will take on the role of Junior School Big Brothers.

McKenna House continued our support for charity Youngcare in 2021. Youngcare is an Australian non-government organisation founded in 2005 to assist people between the ages of 18 to 65 with high care needs. Youngcare's programs and projects focus on supporting young people with a disability by providing greater choice in housing and care options. A massive thanks must go to all who have contributed to any of our fundraisers. We will make our annual donation in a few weeks time. We are hoping that with less restrictions next year we might be able to have another House event to raise funds.

Many thanks must go to the McKenna House PC tutors for all of their ongoing support for the students. Thank you to Ms Nicky Beecham, Mr Pat Conway (and Ms Cunningham), Mr Peter Gledhill, Mr Kevin Ayres, Mr John Hodder, Mr Pep Cappello, Ms Alison Kilgour, Mr Matt Waters and Ms Jaimee Trembearth.

Thanks must also go to our 2021 Prefects for their leadership of the house – Logan Azzopardi, Mitch Doyle and Caleb Reiher. In addition, another significant Leadership role in McKenna House are the Junior School Big Brothers. Well done to Bill Hutchinson, Jack Moses, Ethan Innes and Toby Quy-Verlander on a great job down in the Junior School guiding the younger students. Thank you to all of these gentlemen for their efforts. I wish the McKenna Seniors of 2022 all the best for their future endeavours.

As I finish up and look towards long service leave for Term 1 and 2, I reflect on the journey of so many of your son/s. I feel very honoured to have shared such an important stage of their life at Nudgee College. I would like to thank the entire McKenna community for your ongoing support. It is the ongoing commitment and support you put into your son’s wellbeing that makes the McKenna community so strong. I wish you all well in the near future.

Have a safe and enjoyable festive season.

Mr Paul Kehoe

McKenna House Dean 

Term 4 was a short, but very busy term within the Boarding and wider School community. The term started very quickly with the Boarding formal dinner taking place in week two. This was a great event where we recognised the leadership of the Senior cohort and announced the leaders for Murphy in 2022. Congratulations to Luke O’Sullivan for being named as the Murphy Prefect and Luke Doig for his appointment as Murphy Leader. We look forward to these boys leading the Men of Murphy House next year.

Along with the formal dinner, there were a number of other exciting and special events that took place this term. The Seniors had their final mass and were applauded out of the Chapel as they left for the final time. The Boarding community farewelled the Seniors on Ross Oval on their final night following their external exams. The College awards night took place in Week 7 and saw a number of Murphy men get recognised for the achievements in their schooling and extra-curricular endeavours. The Seniors of 2021 graduated and said their final goodbyes and the Year 11 cohort were announced as the new leaders of Murphy House.

This term saw the continuation of the Mini-Teams competition. It was great to see the boys embrace this again and get involved in the various activities that occurred throughout the term. Congratulations to the Orange Tigers for finishing the year on the top of the Mini-Teams table and winning the competition for 2021. I look forward to this initiative getting bigger and better in 2022.

It has been a pleasure to be the Head of Murphy Boarding House this year. I have been particularly impressed with the way in which the men of Murphy have finished the year. They have all made the most of their opportunities and it has been great to see boys of all years levels engage so positively with one another within the boarding house.

Finally, I would like to wish everyone within the Murphy and wider Boarding community a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. I hope you all have a joyful and safe holiday.

Mr Alex O’Regan

Head of Murphy Boarding House

It’s been a short, sharp and hectic term and it seems like we were only just welcoming back the boys for term four and we’re now saying goodbye and Merry Christmas. 

One of the term four highlights for O’Brien is the Boarding Formal Dinner in which we present our Boarder of the Year.  At this year’s dinner we were pleased to present Lawson Swain with the O’Brien Community Spirit Award. Since arriving at Nudgee College, Lawson has consistently displayed an outstanding and positive attitude towards both staff and students in our boarding house. He is trustworthy, respectful and understanding of those who live around him and continually seeks to do the best he can for himself and others. 

The significant growth in junior boarding numbers over the past few years has meant that the traditional model of O’Brien as a Year 5 to 9 dorm, has altered slightly.   To the delight of our current Year 8 boys, the increase in 2022’s enrolments has meant that they will all be moving to senior boarding houses when they return next year. While we will be sad to see them leave, we are so proud of what they have achieved during their time with us and know that they have had the training to achieve real success throughout the rest of their boarding journey. 2022 will also bring new experiences for the remaining O’Brien boarders and staff who will relocate to another building (currently the location of Murphy Boarding House). 

On behalf of all the O’Brien staff and boarders I’d like to recognise Mr Sean Toovey for his work this year in the Acting Dean of Boarding role. Sean’s movement into the Acting Dean of Students role in 2022 will provide some new and exciting challenges for him, but we know he will do an amazing job. 

One of the very special people and roles in every boarding house is that of the House Mother. A boarding house simply does not function or feel like a home without its “mum” and O’Brien is very lucky to have Ms Tracey Hoffmann filling this role. Tracey’s ‘can do’ attitude and care for the boys shine through in every aspect of her role. Of course, to Mr John Cross, Mr Declan Markey-Towler and the rest of the O’Brien Boarding supervisors, thank you for your unwavering support and tireless energy that you bring to the dorm each and every day; the place just isn’t the same without you.

Thank you to Sisters Glenda Elliot, Jenny Jordan and all the Health Centre staff for your care of the O’Brien borders. As always, you have gone above and beyond with daily health checks and overseeing the COVID-19 vaccinations; we are truly blessed to you both.

I would like to wish all O’Brien Boarding Families a very Merry Christmas, and hope that you enjoy spending some quality time with your son/s.  We look forward to catching up with you all in the New Year.

Mr Jeff Campbell

Head of O'Brien Boarding House

The end of the year is upon us again. Each year I marvel at the speed at which the year passes us by. The reason we always talk about the busyness of College life because it is unbelievable how much we manage to cram into one year. Last year, we excelled during a long stint of online learning. This year, we experienced multiple mini online learning periods; as always, the Riley and Nudgee College community came together to ensure the 1,700 students were supported. Our inspirational motto, ‘Day One, not One Day’ challenged the boys to change their mindset about their goals, to not think, ‘I’ll do that one day’ but to think ‘this is day one’. If they are able to think in the ‘now’ then starting those steps to achieving their goal just got a little easier. This was something the boys lived by this year in all aspects of their Nudgee College lives: academics, sports and activities, social justice, in the classroom and online, around the College, and in their relationships with friends and family.

Our focus on House spirit and participation ensured our pursuit of the Br Vic Larkin Shield started and ended in high spirits, even with COVID-19 restrictions again. Our placing in Swimming again proved we are not water babies in Riley House – but we didn’t come last which meant the three year spell of bad luck in the pool was finally broken. Our Debating team were again crowd pleasers with a reformed ‘young but wise’ trio of Oliver Bryans, Oscar Roati and Sejin Lee gaining us a worthy Third place again. The Riley Chess team continues to grow in strength gaining another amazing Third place. Big thanks to Ben Ditchburn, Dominic Stein, Mitchell Dudurovic and Toby McGown for their participation in the competition this year. Academically, too, our results continued to be among the best in the College. In the fight for the Br. Larkin Shield, this was even more important with the academic medal tally and Learning Habit reports contributing to the competition. While we didn’t get to hold the shield, I am so proud of our Second place again this year. It is clear we are the brains amongst the houses, if only we could get slightly better at swimming and running!

Congratulations to the wonderful young Riley men recognised at the Awards evening last week. 33 Riley men received an award, an amazing achievement by those gentlemen. All awards winners will be listed in the College annual. Another congratulations to the Old Boys Award winners too. It truly is an amazing achievement to be recognised with one of these awards. Well done to Finn Oliver (5), Darcy Hill (7), Roan McNamara (8), Lawson Swain (9), and Kyle Brady (10).

Our Prefects Rowan Burton, Will Mann, Keiran McCarthy and Cooper Percy were great role models for the boys. Oliver Evangelista, Hugh Smith and Will Sutherland, were selected as our House leaders for 2022 from a talented pool of 14 applicants. Oliver Bryans was selected as one of three Arts Prefects – a new role introduced for 2022. Harry Roati was selected as the College Captain for 2022, which is truly deserved. We look forward to what all these young men can offer as a leadership group next year. At our Senior Farewell Assembly we also congratulated two outstanding young men, Rowan Burton and Josh Clark, as the recipients of this year’s Br Riley Award for his meritorious conduct, participation and service to the House and College.

I would like to acknowledge the support of our PC tutors who have been so wonderful in caring for the Riley boys on a daily basis: Ms Stephanie Spicer, Mr Sam Proctor, Mr Tim Bird, Mr Damien Gannon, Mr Simon Lilley, Mr Thomas Hughes, Mr Andrew Hook, Ms Jai Dwyer, and Mr Michael Ford. The Riley family welcomed two new additions this year with the birth of Mr Proctor and his wife’s second child, Winifred Louise Proctor, and Mr Hook and his wife’s first child, Herbie Claude Hook. Congratulations to Mr Tom Hughes, firstly on his recent engagement, and secondly on his appointment as Acting House Dean for McKenna House for Semester 1 next year. We look forward to him coming back to Riley House in Term 3.

I thoroughly enjoy my role as Riley House Dean. I love getting to know all of the wonderful Riley men. I am inspired on a daily basis by their amazing spirit, kindness and unrelenting energy. I continue to have high hopes for what Riley House might achieve in the years ahead. Across all of our year groups, we have a wonderfully diverse collection of interests and talents – academic, spiritual, cultural, sporting and social awareness – and a great sense of family and community. This gives Riley House a great balance. What we have in Riley is something very special, and it is an absolute honour to be part of this family.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hope that you enjoy the break with family and friends. See you in 2022.

Ms Lynsey Hale 

Riley House Dea

Another year of schooling life has come to an end, despite the unusual year that included lockdown, students wearing masks and an ever changing calendar. Ross House students are to be commended for how they managed to stay engaged and still achieve great things across the different areas of the College.

Something that has stood out to me was the attitude of boys when facing challenges put before them. We have never claimed to have the most gifted house in any specific area but we do pride ourselves on how we engage in the various activities with numbers, comradery and enthusiasm. This attitude saw many Ross men engage with the Inter-House competition and represent the House well.

This year saw limited opportunities for students to be involved in the College’s Social Justice program. However, in Week 7 of Term 4. Ross House students organised and ran the PNG Cultural Celebration Day that highlighted the College’s connection with PNG and raised money for our House Charity. This was achieved by serving PNG inspired food and sauces at the regular Thursday lunch time BBQ. All food was sold out before the end of lunch and the feedback from boys and staff was very positive.

Ross House is very proud of the calibre of its leaders and this year our House was led extremely well by our Prefects: Hunter Lim, Tony Fuimaono, Jamie Knight and Joseph Picone. Our Junior School Big Brothers Darcy Carmody, Ewen Lalor and Luke Darbyshire-Roberts did a fantastic job in helping our new Year 5 students settle into life at Nudgee College and ensure our Year 6 students enjoyed their year. Chad Oehlman is to be congratulated for being such an excellent role model and College Vice Captain this year. This year’s Seniors will be remembered for their strong leadership of the House. The House farewelled these boys with an assembly and then the College farewelled these boys at Valedictory. Both occasions saw the men recognised for their accomplishments and wish them all the best.

I would like to acknowledge the efforts of our PC Tutors who are terrific mentors and a day-to-day presence in the students’ journey through Nudgee College. A huge thank you to Mr Peter Kropp (Ross 1), Mr Tara Kelly (Ross 2), Mr Sam Smith (Ross 3), Mr CJ Massingale (Ross 4), Mr Dave Fraser (Ross 5), Ms Sue Minor (Ross 6), Mr Dave Fletcher (Ross 7), Mrs Heather Hume (Ross 8) and Mr Samuel Dickinson (Ross 9). Over the course of the year. The PC groups compete in various competitions. It has been great to see the PCs engage with these activities and work together. Congratulations to Ross 6 for taking out the cup.

Finally, it has been a privilege to be working with the young men of Ross House and their families again this year. To the Senior men of 2021, may you use the knowledge and skills you have acquired from your time here as a launch pad into your future endeavours. I look forward to 2022 and the challenge of motivating and supporting our students to be the best they can be.

Mr Brendan McGuinness

Acting Ross House Dean

Term 4 has been just as busy and exciting as any other term this year! In Term 4, the House said farewell to our Senior Shaw cohort with our final Bake day of the year, a heartfelt House Assembly, Chapel service and Rose Garden ceremony. This year the House was placed 5th in the Brother Vic Larkin Shield; a very close Top 5 result this year so well done. This term also hosted the Year 11 Semi-Formal, a wonderful night of dancing, fun, food and great company. The Year 7 cohort retreated to Shorncliffe beach and pier for the day to reflect on the journey this year. This was a beautiful day to collect our thoughts and connect with fellow Shaw families. Thank you to our Shaw Year 10 gentlemen who lead the day with finesse. Despite the weather, Year 8 enjoyed their postponed camping experience of canoeing, tracking, mountain biking and sleeping to rain on their tents for two nights.

Congratulations to the following Shaw students who received awards in Term 4

• Macrossan Award: Harry Smith-Roberts, Tobias Grant
• Ian Brusasco Award: Tom Kewley
• Patrick Donovan Award: Ryan Stewart
• Steven Cook Award: Alex Patti
• Stephen Daly award: Thomas Mallet

• Speech Night Awards: Hugo Bourke, Harper Cameron, Tobias Grant, Brodie Martin, Ethan Cockburn, James Gray, Tom Kewley, Ash Taylor, Chase Crema, George Gillam, Matthew Walker, Sam Kewley, Xavier Cutili, Blair McKitrick, Eric Yang, Jacob Gillam, Luke Cowley, Alex Patti, Jacob Gillam, Luke Cowley, Thomas Mallet, William McAra, Zachery Lewis, Harrison Knox, Juan Carrasco-Guerrera, Lachie Gray, Degenhard Beschel, Harry McKeown, Ian Pantaleon, Jackson Mills, Rodin Martin, Samuel Rogers
• The Maggie Shaw Prize for Creative Writing, Proxime Accessit: Tom Kewley
• College Chess Champion: Eric Yang
• Year 10 Ladies Auxiliary Award for Conduct, Study and Co-curricular, Year 10 RJH Elliot Bursary for Social Justice and Community Service, Academic excellence Award: Jacob Gillam
• Dux of Business, Dux of Mathematical Methods: Luke Cowley
• Dux of Accounting, Academic Excellence: Mitchell Gray
• Dux of Music, Music Ensembles Award: Thomas Mallet
• Dux of Agricultural Science: William McAra
• Dux of General Mathematics, Academic Excellence Award: Zachery Lewis
• Dux of Business Cert III: Juan Carrasco-Guerrera
• Dux of Business Diploma: Lachie Gray
• Liberating Education Award: Degenhard Beschel
• Rowing Open Best Oarsman: Harry McKeown
• Sustained Academic Excellence award: Ian Pantaleon
• Cricket Best all-rounder (1st XI): Jackson Mills
• John Francis Treacy Memorial Award for Service to the Boarding Community: Rodin Martin
• David Carmody Cross Country Trophy, Open Champion, Award for Outstanding Contribution to Nudgee College Sustainability: Samuel Rogers

Thank you to all Shaw parents for sending in the fabulous treats for our Shaw Bake Days. Every Bake Day was simply amazing. To the Year 12s, thank you for your energy, humour and good grace. I take this opportunity to thank our Prefects for 2021, Degen, Frank, Cameron and Sam, for their enthusiastic and dedicated leadership this year. Working closely with the Prefects in the Junior School were Big Brothers Sam Rogers, Callum Dodds, Hugh Osborne and Elijah Tiso.  All our leaders were wonderful role models for the Shaw community demonstrated through their compassionate, enthusiastic, motivating and community-building leadership. Through their leadership, Shaw House raised $1,600 for our House Charity, the Epilepsy Foundation in memory of Shaw Old Boy, Sam Milne.

I sincerely thank our fabulous PC team of: Mr David Sen, Mr Mark Reiken, Mr Anthony Gibb, Mrs Marie-Rose Burton, Mr Thomas Eichinski, Mrs Kate Fraikin, Ms Kathleen White, Mrs Susan Reid, Mrs Melissa Miller and Mr Luke Condon for their continued outstanding pastoral care for all Shaw students. I extend a most sincere thank you to our wonderful House Mum, Anne Gray, and her merry band of helpers and many parents; your support and effort is greatly appreciated and is what makes our community a family. The heart of the House is of course our patron, Mrs Maggie Shaw. We thank Maggie for her continued enthusiasm, love and guidance she gives the Shaw students.

It has been a very successful and rewarding year overall and I commend the Shaw students for their hard work, dedication, respectful attitude and vision in learning.  I feel very privileged to care for such an outstanding group of young men. We continue to build a vibrant, strong, caring and welcoming House community filled with compassion and support for each other. I wish you a safe and joyous Christmas and very much look forward to an equally fulfilling 2022.

Ms Robyn Mann

Shaw House Dean

Term 4, like all terms at Nudgee College, started with pace and did not slow down. A few memorable events included:

• Year 8 Retreat
• Year 8 Camp
• House BBQs
• Big Brother Farewell Breakfast: thanks to Fletcher Dunn, Joshua Ferns, Jameson Jameson and Eddie Ryan for their presence with our Junior School boys this year
• Year 12 Farewell Assembly
• Year 11 Semi Formal
• Year 7 Retreat
• Orientation Day for our new students
• College Awards Ceremony and Valedictory Mass

Tierney Cup

Congratulations to Tierney 5 who claimed the 2021 Tierney Cup. Members of the Ti5 PC, led by Seniors and Miss Danby proved to be the champions across engagement, participation and improvement in all areas over the year. The Tierney Cup will take pride of place in L25 in 2022.

Br OP Tierney Award

Symbolising the presence of God and the light that shines in all of us as we walk in the footsteps of Jesus and Edmund Rice, the Br OP Tierney Award is presented to the Year 12 student who best upholds our house motto, not only in their final year, but throughout their Nudgee College journey. This year, Aidan Roost was the recipient of this prestigious award.

Aidan’s story is well known in our community and we can all take many learnings from the courage he has showed and willingness to remain positive, engaged and an example to so many, particularly those young men in Tierney House. Congratulations and thank you Roosty.

Br Vic Larkin Shield

Congratulations to all Tierney men as we were acclaimed as the champion house for 2021.

Thank You

I would like to thank our passionate and dedicated PC Tutors Mr Dan Luke, Mrs Kelly Vowles, Mr Craig Brown, Miss Lousie Nardi, Miss Laura Danby, Ms Lesley Gardner, Mrs Candice Green, Mr Corey Braithwaite and Miss Tahnee Brahim whose positive and engaging approach ensure our boys start the day in the best possible fashion.

I would like to commend our House Prefects, Ciaran Casey, Shannen Gerard Solker, Jameson Jameson (Mid Year Prefect) and Simon Vollert, for the way they led the House throughout 2021. These young men were an outstanding source of support in my first year at Nudgee College and I particularly wish to thank them for the manner in which they welcomed me into the Tierney family.

To the graduating class of 2021, you have all brought your gifts and talents to the table throughout your Nudgee College journey. You will always be Tierney men. The challenge you now face is to continue to develop and grow into being the best version of yourself in all that you do into the future.

Merry Christmas to all Tierney men and families.

Mr Nic Aldridge

Tierney House Dean

The Locker Room Christmas opening hours

Closed - Sunday 5 December, 2021

Re-Open - Thursday 13 January, 2022

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We have a great range of Stocking fillers!

NC 130 Limited Edition Memorabilia 

NC 130 Cap $25

NC 130 Tie $35

Show Team Cap $25

The Uglies are so popular.  

Drill and Gym Shorts $40

Nudgee White L/S Shirt $40