Mission and Identity
PRAYER
We continue our Lenten journey of prayer, fasting and giving to others - opening our hearts and minds to God’s call, growing closer to God’s purpose for us:
… bringing us closer to God the Creator,
… through the discipleship of Jesus the Christ,
… bound together by the Spirit.
In the ✠ name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit AMEN
Loving Creator of mine,
I feel the pace quicken, the time of Easter draws near.
I am filled with joy as I move toward Easter and the promised reconciliation with you.
Teach me to follow the example of your Son, to be worthy of being called one his people: a Christ-ian.
Help me to live each day as he did turning hatred to love and conflict to peace.
I await the new life with eagerness, faith and a deep gratitude.
Live Jesus in our Hearts … ALL: FOREVER!
In the ✠ name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit AMEN
NC Farm update
It’s been a big week down at NC Farm! Thanks to Year 12 student Noah Varricchio for boxing and concreting the slab for the Chicken Coop, with the assistance of Mr Cameron Brown and Mr Trent Palmer.
We have also been able to plant our first seedlings thanks to Ms Annie Banks and Mr Ken Mitchell, which will become part of a cross-curriculum project, and our Social Justice Programs.
Ms Annette Cross, Mr Kev Staines and the Property and Services team have done an outstanding job scraping and levelling the farm in preparation for the Greenhouse being built later this week.
Finally, our grade five students were able to follow up on their retreat experience with a tree planting to symbolise taking roots at Nudgee. Thanks to Mr Brent Mitchell for facilitating this experience!
Mr Stephen Meara
Dean of Mission and Identity
Learning and Teaching
This term has been momentous, and the first for some time without COVID-19 or floods disrupting learning. There is a real sense of back to normal, which has also meant boys have felt busier with camps, excursions, sport, the arts, social justice activities and College events competing for attention with their learning.
I draw on the Arts Prefects slogan of ‘A Balanced Me in 23’. It perfectly sums up our want for all boys to experience the richness of Nudgee whilst remaining grounded about what is at its core - Faith, Formation, Education, and Community. These are the building blocks boys should organise their other endeavours around.
Similarly, the image of the lighthouse introduced to launch the academic year reminds boys of two important things. Firstly, support can be found in many places. Teachers are the brightest of beacons, signalling the path to academic progress. Secondly, the idea of ‘sailing your own ship’ has resonated strongly with the boys. The Studies Prefects have emphasised the importance of self agency and personal responsibility during assemblies.
There is a week to go, and some boys tend to switch off, especially as their last assessment finishes. Learning continues until the last day. Senior students should take special note of this message, and maintain momentum with learning new content and completing revision.
During Term Two I will be absent from the College. I’ve taken on the role of Acting Deputy Principal at Ignatius Park College in Townsville. Mrs Natalie Hughes will act as the Dean of Learning and Teaching. She is a capable leader and will acquit herself well in the role. I look forward to returning in Term Three.
Parent and Teacher booking invitations were sent out this week. Thank you for the 3000+ bookings already made. Bookings close on Thursday 30 March at 8am. Please refer to this LINK for information about managing your booking. Learning Habits reports (and Work Habits reports for VET students) were also sent home this week. Please discuss these with your son, and reflect upon them in the lead up to your interview. Contact 07 3865 0165 or lnt@nudgee.qld.edu.au if you haven’t received a report.
On behalf of the Learning and Teaching Team I would like to wish all Nudgee families a safe, happy and holy Easter break.
Mr Jason Sepetauc
Dean of Learning and Teaching
Senior Visual Art Excursion to GOMA and QAG
‘When artists address the global issues confronting us today, they have the power to change the world – by changing the way we look at it.’ - Chris Saines CNZM, Director QAGOMA
On Thursday 16 March, Year 11 and 12 Visual Arts students travelled to the Gallery of Modern Art and the Queensland Art Gallery in Southbank. We were extremely excited to attend the exhibition ‘Air’ and view the Australian Art collection. This excursion is the stimulus for both Year 11 and 12 assessment items.
After a short bus journey from Nudgee, our day started at GOMA to focus on the exhibition Air. This exhibition showcases more than 30 significant Australian and international artists, reflecting the vitality of our shared atmosphere. Our journey through this exhibition allowed the boys to experience the invisible, ethereal and vital element of air.
Some stand-out works from this exhibition and favourites from the boys are Tomás Saraceno’s installation Drift: A cosmic web of thermodynamic rhythms 2022 and Ron Mueck’s monumentally scaled, middle-aged subject of ‘In bed' 2005. The boys were also amazed and amused by the 15 mirrored spheres hanging in the main gallery walkway.
After lunch, we visited the Queensland Art Gallery where boys were tasked with finding three different artists working with people, places or objects and then identifying a common theme using a reverse chronological approach. This research will assist the boys in writing their reports over the coming weeks. It was lovely to see the boys engaged with artworks created over a variety of periods, from the 17th to the 21st century. A highlight of this gallery was the Indigenous Australian Art Collection which is presented beautifully on the upper level.
A hugely successful excursion for all involved with full engagement from our Art students! I am very much looking forward to seeing what the boys can create from this experience. Student art from this body of work will be exhibited at our annual Arts Festival in October this year.
Ms Katherine Ellis
Subject Co-ordinator - Visual Art
Religion in Term 1
Year 7 have been learning about the significant people who are Signs of Faith for us as Nudgee boys. This was reflected in the wonderful posters produced in their learning this term.
Year 8 explored some of the influential and inspiring Old Testament prophets and benefited from the study of their message for us in the modern world.
Year 9 explored the parables and miracles of Jesus, with their diverse messages about the Kingdom of God. They are so much more than just stories.
Year 10 explored the many concepts divine across four major world religions. They have explored the ultimate power in Aboriginal Spirituality, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. Some have engaged in walking of the labyrinth, connecting to the Irish custom we associate with reflecting on our Christian journey.
Year 11 in SOR explored sacred texts, while R&E have focused on the study of peace and conflict.
Year 12 SOR have completed their IA2 on a selected ethical relationship issue, while R&E have explored the many concepts and need for Social Justice in the world.
The Religion program at Nudgee continues to inspire and deepen a sense of identity and spirituality in our boys through lived experience, a deep searching and inquiry, not just in their own lives, but in the lives of others around the world.
Mr Simon Lilley
Head of Faculty - Religion
Student Formation
Harmony Day
On Tuesday 21 March, the College celebrated Harmony day, a day that recognises our diversity and acknowledges students from all different backgrounds. The 2023 theme is - ‘Everyone Belongs’. It is about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone.
College Prefects Aidan Easton and Mladen Markovic spoke beautifully about what Nudgee diversity means to them. Please find their speeches below. You can also watch the Harmony Day video here.
Did you know that nearly half of all Australians were born overseas or have at least one parent who was. Did you know that since 1945, more than 7.5 million people have migrated to Australia. Did you know that Australians identify with over 300 different ancestries.
Today is Harmony Day. This year’s message for harmony day is “Everyone Belongs”. It’s about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural background, united by a core set of values. It’s time for us to reflect on the importance of respecting each other and our differences. Nudgee is a multicultural society which gives us unique opportunities to gain knowledge and learn about different cultures. From languages, to food, to song and dance, we are blessed with the ability to learn so much about our world from the people around us.
However, this message is only real if we, as students, are inclusive in our language, in our actions and in our words. We take pride in being an inclusive community, one of the EREA touchstones, so it is important we live this out not only today on Harmony Day but every single day with anybody we interact with. This is extended to everybody a part of the Nudgee community to all year levels, staff, visitors and anybody else who joins us along the way. I would now like to hand over to Mladen for him to give some practical examples on how to create an inclusive community.
Aidan Easton, College Prefect
As mentioned before, Nudgee College is proud to represent their cultural diversity as all students share a unique story about themselves and their journey to Nudgee. As a proud man of Nudgee College, I can confidently say that Nudgee as a school is very accepting of honouring different backgrounds and embracing each person’s unique story. The variety of cultures present today within all of us will only grow in the future.
Because of this rapid growth, new faces are constantly moving around the school and are sometimes not feeling the coveted Nudgee Spirit that we hold dear to our hearts. Boys, we gotta stop this as we must stand for our Nudgee brothers, no matter what their story portrays. Practical ways to include and learn about each other includes the simple stuff, such as just having a casual chat with someone who you don’t really talk in PC. To challenge yourself too, do you know everyone in your PC? While we all wear the same khaki uniform, do we know what makes the other people in our PC unique? There is no harm in sharing stories with others as we unite through our differences. Even sharing some cultural food or song and dance helps us better understand each other and create a stronger bond.
Being a first generation Australian, I’ve had my fair share of strange lunches and even music. Another way to help bring inclusivity to Nudgee includes promoting a positive environment through our language. This includes inclusive language online as well as in person as we must challenge ourselves to steer away from racist language and stereotypes that can potentially disturb others. Boys, it’s very simple. The way we can include everyone is to be accepting towards others and treat everyone with respect, no matter the background. Harmony Day. The day in which everyone belongs. Thank you.
Mladen Markovic, College Prefect
We are getting to that time of the term
It is during this time of the term, that the Student Office is in full swing. What we find clearly is that lots of people are tired and stressed (boys, staff and parents). It is definitely time to be mindful and ‘on purpose’ about stress, anxiety, being ‘wound up’ and therefore not being able to be truly present and perform at our best. Over the next week and a half we all might spend time focusing on getting the little things right.
- Focus on Gratitude
- What am I thankful for?
- Who can I thank for the opportunities I have at Nudgee?
- Control the Controllables
- ‘Getting the little things right’ - Is it time for a Haircut? Uniform Standards? Timeliness to class.
- This provides us with a disciplined mindset that we can then transfer into our studies
- Continue to engage with the community
- Being connected to the College, and providing ‘balanced’ time between studies and individual pursuits is important. It has been impressive to see the support for many term one events.
- Focus on building and maintaining positive relationships
- It is during this time of the term that the little comment, or bit of banter between students can quickly escalate. This is due to the fatigue or stress they don’t even know they are carrying - A focus on the students being very mindful of their interactions with others.
- Plan for Success
- Map out the following few weeks and plan for how you will complete assessment and revise for exams.
Leading Child Psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg outlines a section on School TV, focused on “Exam Jitters”
Setting a schedule is vitally important. Students need to schedule everything from sleeping and eating, to studying and exercising. It is one of the best ways to manage inevitable exam stress. Students need to look after themselves when they have big demands in their life.
When it comes to productive study, sometimes less is often more. It is recommended that students hit the books in 50-minute stints, broken up by 15-minute breaks. This gives the brain, and body, a rest. Adolescents will often underestimate the amount of sleep they need. Getting enough sleep is key to successful study practices.
Research shows that physical activity also has a very positive impact on mental wellbeing. Eating well is another crucial factor to maintaining concentration and staying focussed on the task ahead.
“Balance is key when it comes to getting the most out of the brain. Students need to take responsibility for when to study and when to socialise.”
Click here to find additional resources on the School TV subscription.
Mr Anthony Connellan
Dean of Students
Performing Arts
What We’ve Been Doing
Debating - travelled to Toowoomba on Friday with just four teams. This is TGS’s first year in the debating comp and whilst they were great hosts, we walked away with three wins. The behaviour of the boys was a credit to them and was commented on.
Team of the week - 7.1 who won their first short prep debate.
Player of the Round - Oliver Kele who recognised and jumped on a point that had cost the team a win in the previous round and turned the debate.
The 2023 Senior A Team is now the most successful in recent memory, with 4 victories.
This Friday all teams are on the road to TSS.
ESport were at QUT Gardens Point on Saturday to compete in the disciplines of E-safety, live broadcasting, and positive gaming. Well done to Nudgee College for again winning the Safety and Fairness conduct awards on the day; an exceptional effort for all students involved.
Music - Stage Band were part of the St Rita’s College Jazz Evening on Monday night, and were lucky enough to observe a workshop held by Dan Quigley from the Jazz Music Institute before performing in a concert with two jazz ensembles from St Rita’s, as well as the JMI Band.
What’s Coming Up Weeks 9 and 10
Debating - our last GPS round is again a long bus ride away at The Southport School. We are looking forward to having all students who have finished their debates in the audience to support (and learn from) the mighty Senior A team.
QDU debates continue this week, both at NC and away!
Music - Treble Makers and NC Brotherhhood (our junior and senior vocal ensembles) will perform alongside choirs from St Patrick’s College and Eagle Junction State School in Tierney Auditorium next Wednesday, as part of a prelude concert for the upcoming Pemulway Male Voices festival.
2023 Arts Prefect Thomas Mallet will be competing in the Young Conservatorium Concerto Competition next Tuesday. This is a prestigious event and Thomas had to audition for the chance to play, with the wonderful opportunity to be backed by a full symphony orchestra. The event will be held at st Rita’s College and we wish him all the best for his performance.
Writers’ Circle - students are taking their newly published booklets to Viridian next Tuesday afternoon, and will share their stories with the residents there.
Musical - with 10 weeks to go until show week, things are looking great. We will head into the holidays with the whole musical blocked, and the cast sang with the band for the first time last weekend - it sounded spectacular. Next term, rehearsals ramp up - please keep checking TeamApp for the most up to date information.
Don’t Forget- details for our activities are on Team App - join your team and get involved!
As always, please contact me with any questions - akh@nudgee.qld.edu.au
Ms Alex Khafagi
Director of Performing Arts