Week 9 Term 2 2019

Barrett

The dominance of Barrett House at Inter-house Cross Country continued with another win, which is the fourth in as many years. There was a special effort from the boys across all year levels as they competed. The colour red was on show throughout the day, from red socks to red head gear. Well done to the Senior boys who stepped up to race the gruelling 6km championship race: Ben McMillan, George Needham, Thomas Mennes, Max Williams, Elliott Shepherd and Angus Mackay. Boys who were placed in the top three for their age group were Byron Casson (first in Year 9), Gus Moloney (second in Year 6), Inigo Lawrence (second in Year 9) and Matt Fuller (third in Year 5).Our Inter-house Chess boys came a credible fifth place against some tough opposition. Well done to James Hong, Hayden Kele, Thomas Tatkovic and Tevita Chan for giving up their lunchtimes to compete.

Volleyball Best Team Man Awards: Harry Blackmore and Archer Springer.

Cricket Best Team Man Awards: Paddy Moloney, Sam Houston, Hugo Hart, Charlie Lyons and Will Devlin.

Well done to Brodie Boyce and Cooper Skerry for being a part of the 1st XI Football team; both boys stood out during a tough season.

Congratulations to Year 10 students Callum Stringfellow and Eamon Gerrard-Stace, who were members of the 1st IV Tennis team.

Congratulations to the following boys who received a Habits of Mind Award for their efforts in the classroom and around the school: Matthew Fuller (Year 5), Charlie Lyons (Year 6), Nicholas Harley (Year 7), Christopher Hernik (Year 8), Cohen Phillips (Year 9) and Alex Clark (Year 10).

Well done to the following boys who were voted into their Year Level Leadership Group: Harry Blackmore and Oliver Kele.

It was great to see the following boys participating in the da Vinci Decathlon: Paddy Williams, Archie Lyons, Oliver Kele, Daniel Fuller, Jack Fuller and James Hong.

Jamie Dickman was an absolute star as Fester in the College’s production of ‘The Adams Family’. He was ably supported by Alex Woodroffe in the cast and Will McLean in the orchestra.

The Year 5, 9 and 12 retreats during the term were special times, allowing the boys to reflect on their life journey and acknowledge the important people in their lives.

Year 5 Camp by Benji Brandt and William Devlin

For camp we went to Apex Camp Mudjimba. It was heaps of fun because there were lots of activities that were exciting. Our favourite activity was mountain bike riding because the track was challenging. It took us along some bush tracks and we ended up at the beach. We enjoyed spending time with our friends and doing new things together.

Year 6 Camp by Cooper Seery and Jackson Meyer

Our camp was extremely fun and exciting. We were never bored because there was always something to do and the staff helped us to push our limits in the activities. The best activity was the Bli Bli water park because it was really adventurous and we got to play with our mates.

Thanks to all the parents who baked or bought goodies for our Barrett Bake. It is always greatly appreciated by the boys and staff. Thanks to Ms Heather Trethowan for her organisation and the band of helpers who supported.

It is wonderful to have Alex Clark at school three days a week. He is currently in hospital recovering after surgery to both his arms. We look forward to welcoming him back in Term 3.

The Barrett ‘Christmas in July’ Dinner is being held on the first Friday back on 19 July. Please check recent emails for details and the invitation. This is a great Barrett community event, so we hope to see as many Barrett families as possible.

Mr David Kelly
Barrett House Dean

Duggan

So we made it to the end of another term! As always, Term 2 has been very busy but also very rewarding. The boys have been involved in so many different and varied events which, as always, seem to pass us by until this stage in the term when writing this newsletter demands some reflection.

The term started with our wonderful Anzac Ceremony, which did not lose any of its poignancy by being held in the Conference Centre. It is an event which truly unites us all. The boys, as always, rose to the occasion. We also had the Edmund Rice Liturgy held in the beautiful surrounds of Wilkes Oval. I especially like such occasions being held in this space as it really enables us all to become at one with our amazing scenery. It was even more special to be able to commemorate the anniversary of the passing of our dear friend Br Vic Larkin in a similar way. As a House, we celebrated his life in our own way by holding our Big Brother Little Brother BBQ that day. Vic would have loved it! A special thank you to Ethan Williams and his band of helpers for cooking up a storm. There was also our Emmaus Retreat for our Year 9s, which is another significant event that allows boys to spend time together reflecting on their journey so far and looking to the future. Mr Jamaal Sugars and I felt privileged to share in this day with the boys. Many students have taken part in a wide variety of social justice activities including Big Brekkie, Big BBQ and the Ecumenical Coffee Brigade. This is such an important part of the fabric of the College and it always makes me proud to see so many of our boys being involved.

Edmund Rice Camp is the big focal point of our charity work within the House and, as I write, we are gearing up for this event for 2019. As always we are working with girls from St John Fisher College as we spend a 24 hour period working and playing with our ‘Little Buddies’ from EREA. The theme of the camp for this year is ‘Succulents’, with the children taking part in gardening activities, amongst other things. The $283 raised on our free dress day has enabled us to buy strawberry plants to be planted in our veggie garden on campus and also for the Little Buddies to plant and take home. A huge congratulations to our wonderful Year 11 students who are embarking on this adventure this year: Parker Prout, Tom Raymond, Charlie McDonald, Wil Pfitzner, Jordan Ball, Campbell Rose, Vuli Anganjuan, Harry Neville, Sam Haber and Matt Neisler. Thanks also to those who contributed to our care packages with a variety of donations. These packages with go away with the Little Buddies on Saturday afternoon. These events would not happen without help and another big thank you to Ms Bambi Silvertand – ably assisted by Ms Tina Storey, Oliver Meyer and Ben Rohan – for being on cooking duties. We can’t run a camp without food!

It has been a very busy term academically. With the disjointed start due to public holidays and everything else that has been happening it has been a race to the finish line. I would like to especially commend our Year 11 students for how they are adapting to the new ATAR system. Big changes have had to be made, including no end of term exam block, but they have risen to the challenge and are doing well. Great job boys! Congratulations to the following students for being awarded Habits of Mind Awards for their hard work and persistence in the classroom:

Macrossan: Jack Beaumont and Toby Harvey
Ian Brusasco: Charlie Bell
Patrick Donovan: Jesse Stuart
Steven Cook: Edward Chapman
Stephen Daley: Matthew Johns

Well done to Christian Pye, Tom Bayo, JJ Hawtin, Ronin Prout, Tom Strevens, Quinn Silvertand and Luke Rohan for taking part in the da Vinci Decathlon – a wonderful achievement by all!

We had two Inter-house activities this term. It was a great shame that there seemed to be a lack of commitment to the Cross Country event. This is probably the hardest of them all and I would advise the boys to look upon it as a challenge and to dig deep on such occasions. However, we excelled at Chess and were narrowly defeated on points by Tierney for the title. Congratulations to Brandon Hargreaves, Nathan Levu, Charlie Bell, Thasindu Chandrasekara and Kaushikraj Srihari for this amazing achievement!

Another highlight of the term was the College Musical, ‘The Addams Family’. This really was fabulous and many congratulations to Ben Rohan, Parker Prout and Joey Peardon for their participation in this production.

Best Team Man Awards

Volleyball: Xavier Corry (8D), Spencer Mahoney (8B) and Max Simmonds (7C)
Cricket: Harry Neville (11A) and Christian Pye (6A)
GPS Cross Country: Yideg Nethery (Captain), Jack Beaumont, Ryan Cant, Angus Glyde, Alex Kluck, Jake Lockington, Oliver Meyer, Willem Pfitzner, Jake Robertson and Jesse Stuart.

Finally, thank you to Prefects Charlie Hayes, Oliver Meyer and Ben Rohan for their ongoing leadership of the House. They are such a delight to work with! Thank you to PC tutors Mr Mark Kraschnefski, Mr Nick Toohey, Mr Richard Dupuy, Mr Joe Stephens, Mr Paul Doneley, Mr Jamaal Sugars, Mr George Goves, Mr Armand Du Mont and Ms Lauren Nolan. The boys and I are so very lucky to have such fine professionals supporting them. Thank you to Ms Bambi Silvertand and Ms Angela Johns for their amazing support in all things Duggan. A very special thank you to Mr Mark Kraschnefski as he leaves the College for a new position much closer to home at Ormiston College. My very sincere thanks for all your hard work, and good luck!

I hope you all have a wonderful mid-year break and manage to enjoy some time with your beautiful families. My thanks for your ongoing support and friendship and I look forward to doing it all again next term!

Ms Sian Kennedy
Duggan House Dean

Fogarty

Term 2 commenced with Parent Teacher Student Conferences on Tuesday 23 April, and since then the boys have been extremely busy and productive. These first few weeks included the Anzac Ceremony, Kairos Retreat and the launch of GPS Tennis, Football, and Cross Country. Right from the start we knew it was going to be a big term, juggling academic, sporting, cultural and spiritual pursuits throughout the College.

The first big community gathering on the cards for the term was Inter-house Cross Country back in Week 1 (26 April). The Fogarty boys did really well on the day. On the theme of distance running, congratulations to Aidan Read who finished second in the Junior Division of the Founder’s Day Dash on Thursday 9 May.

Best Team Man Awards

Volleyball: Dominic Gillies (11B), Ben McGinty (10A) and Mackenzie Jones (8A)
Cricket: Nicholas Graham (10A), Jack Fitzpatrick (9B), Matthew Wendt (9A), Patrick Cook (7F), Liam McBride (7E) and Jordan Wendt (7C)

Habits of Mind Awards

Great work to the following boys who won the prestigious academic awards for showing a positive attitude, creativity, persistence and determination:

Mark Hili (Year 6 Macrossan Award)
Daniel Cross (Year 7 Ian Brusasco Award)
Daniel Neal (Year 8 Patrick Donovan Award)
Ethan Schneider-Loos (Year 9 Steven Cook Award)
Aiden Woolf (Year 10 Stephen Daley Award)

Congratulations to all GPS Football and Tennis participants (far too many to name). Congratulations also to the GPS Cross Country participants: Benjamin Lonergan (Year 12), Ethan Zwolsman (Year 11), James Burgess (Year 7), Xavier Filmer (Year 9), Findlay Jones (Year 7), Franz Wentzel (Year 10), Ewan Bishop (Year 7), Harrison Turner (Year 10), Liam McBride (Year 7), Aidan Read (Year 9), Blake Turner (Year 8), Jake Thurgood (Year 8), Aiden Woolf (Year 10), Roman Jones (Year 5), Henry Potter (Year 6) and Jeremy Deakin (Year 5).

Two Fogarty Senior students demonstrated that they were men of action, by representing the College and Fogarty in the Great Wheelbarrow Race. Campbell Duncan (Year 12) and Maea Mitchell (Year 11) competed ferociously to race and raise money for our House charity, the Leukaemia Foundation, as well as a large range of other charities, which this event supports.

Nudgee College proudly celebrated the election of various year level leadership groups and we are fortunate to have two Fogarty men selected by their peers and teachers. I commend Mackenzie Jones (Year 8) and Nate Scott (Year 9) on their respective year level leadership positions.

Well done to Jack Vivers, Callum Beane, Kade Lamont, Matthew Wendt, Benjamin Neal and Mikey Dechphant who achieved eighth place in Inter-house Chess. This competitive tournament is enjoyed and celebrated in the Learning Centre during lunchtime, which gives quite a unique ‘stadium’ feel to players.

This term included the Year 9 Emmaus Retreat. This was a very rewarding experience and was enjoyed by all. It allowed the boys to come together as a core group, share stories and reflect on past experiences. I was very impressed with their mature approach to this day.

Finally I would like to thank all of the Fogarty House tutors who continue to support the boys pastorally throughout the term. Also a very big thank you to all of the House parents, particularly Ms Marisia Woolf for her efforts helping the boys throughout the term and her work in organising the Bake Morning. This is always a highlight of the term for the boys. I look forward to seeing many of you next term at the Fogarty function at Kingpin on Friday 26 July.

Wishing everyone safe and happy holidays.

Mr Ken Adams
Fogarty House Dean

Magee

The term began with most of our Year 12 students attending Kairos retreats. Thank you to the Identity Office for coordinating such a huge project. However, any time and effort devoted to these retreats is absolutely well spent. It is a unique retreat and one that the boys are fortunate to experience.

Year 9 Retreat

This year, Magee joined McKenna at Cedar Creek for the Year 9 Emmaus Retreat. The boys explored God in nature, the challenges they have experienced and also their own skills and talents. Thank you to Mr Sione Mohenoa who led the groups on the day. Sione facilitated a gentle and spiritual experience for the boys. Thanks to Mr Jack Dahms who accompanied us. It is always special for Magee to attend the retreat at the Cedar Creek venue as it is operated by the Benbow family (former Magee parents). The Benbows have a registered charity, The Carers Foundation, which supports carers of all ages, but particularly those aged between 13 and 19 who are sole carers for family members.

Da Vinci Decathlon

The da Vinci Decathlon is an academic competition designed to challenge and stimulate the minds of school students. Students compete in teams of eight across 10 disciplines: Engineering, Mathematics and Chess, Code Breaking, Art and Poetry, Science, English, Ideation, Creative Producers, Cartography and General Knowledge.

Well done to Dermot Clancy, Nate Barnett, Jackson Ho, Liam Astbury, Joseph Wesche, Alec Fuentes, Alex Romano, Rohan Astbury, Ethan Petcos and Blake Keir, who all participated in this great venture. Ethan’s team achieved second place in Engineering (Year 10) and third place in Art and Poetry (Year 10). Blake’s team achieved third place in General Knowledge (Year 11). Rohan’s team placed second in Engineering (Year 10) and third in Art and Poetry (Year 10). Well done.

Congratulations to the following Magee boys who have been selected as members of their year level leadership groups:

Year 8: Aidan Easton and Joseph Wesche
Year 9: Lachlan Barrett and Akot Akot
Year 10: Nikhil Lalwani

Habits of Mind Awards

The following boys were the recipients of Habits of Minds awards. These awards celebrate Habits of Mind such as persisting, thinking flexibly, striving for accuracy and thinking interdependently.

Year 6 Macrossan Award: Alexander Eyles
Year 7 Ian Brusasco Award: Gabe Gerry
Year 8 Patrick Donovan Award: Jackson Copeland
Year 9 Steven Cook Award: Ben Evans
Year 10 Stephen Daley Award: Rohan Astbury

The College Musical ‘The Addams Family’ was a huge success. Well done to Tom Walsh and Enrico Contarino, who were valued members of the cast.

Readers Cup

Aidan Easton was the Magee representative in the Year 8 Nudgee College Readers Cup team. The boys finished in the top 10, which is a great achievement. The following is a message sent by the boys’ mentor and coach Ms Kath White:

An enormous congratulations to you for the awesome job that you did last night in the 2019 CBCA Readers Cup Challenge event. You were absolutely amazing! It is well documented that reading for pleasure has many health and social benefits, improving our sense of connectedness to the wider community. It also increases our understanding of our own identity, improves empathy and gives us an insight into the world view of others. You are truly advocates for reading for pleasure. In a school where our motto is Nudgee Champions Read, you are CHAMPIONS!

Cross Country

Magee had another podium finish in the Inter-house Cross Country, coming third overall.

Special mention must go to Lachlan Hill-Lewis who took out the championship race! Well done, Lachie.

Congratulations to the following boys who were selected in the GPS Cross Country Team: Hugo Allen, Nate Barnett, Sebastian Cantero, Henry Cliff, Lachlan Hill-Lewis, Patrick Hill-Lewis, Michael Jones, Sam Klein, Xavier Mape, Nick Rosolen and Ante Salinovic.

Thank you to the Magee PC tutors for all they do every day for the boys and thank you to you, the parents, for your continued support of all things Magee. I hope the school break is kind to you and we look forward to an energised Term 3.

Ms Julianne Daunt
Magee House Dean

McKenna

We can all take a deep breath! The term has almost come to a close. It has been a busy, productive and enjoyable one for the young men of McKenna House. The term had a disrupted start for some very important events in the calendar. The College Anzac Ceremony, Inter-house Cross Country, and Kairos and Emmaus retreat all took place in the early weeks of the term. In addition we also had GPS sport and activities. As we approach the end of another term, it is a great time to reflect on what we have achieved as a House and look forward to the new term.

McKenna Tropicana Pool party

At the start of Term 1 we hosted the inaugural Tropicana Pool Party. It was a great opportunity for parents who are new to the Nudgee College community to meet other parents and develop networks. It was also a great way for other longstanding McKenna parents to catch up, despite the busyness of the Nudgee College calendar. Thank you to Ms Margie Hutchinson for all of her hard work for the event. Thank you to Ms Lucielle Barletta, Mr Patrick Doyle and Ms Kylie Aleman for their assistance in set up. Thank you also to everyone who kindly donated prizes for the raffles.

A final thank you to Mr Steve Oberon for his donation of the music for the event. Steve runs a DJ service and certainly created the perfect atmosphere.

College Musical

Congratulations to a number of McKenna men who represented their school so well in the College Musical. They were led so strongly by Artistic Director Ms Alison Kilgour and Assistant Art Director Mr John Hodder. From all reports the sell-out show was a great success. The following students should be very proud of their involvement in ‘The Addams Family’: Mitchell Doyle, Morgan Chippendale, Jackson Goggin, Joshua Keen and Sebastian Wright. Congratulations Gentlemen!

Year 9 Retreat

The Year 9 students embarked on a journey to Cedar Creek for their retreat. The boys were challenged to reflect on some of the storms in their life. They shared their journeys and created a prayer stick of where they saw God in themselves, nature and in life’s challenges. Later in the day the boys had an opportunity to affirm each other and acknowledge the positive qualities they see in each other. Many thanks to Mr Peter Gledhill for helping out on the day. Thanks also to the boys for the mature way they engaged with this program, making it a very rewarding experience for all.

Academic achievements

The following boys were presented Habits of Mind Awards for displaying one or more of the Habits of Mind in their schooling: Ethan Andrews, Grady Wiskar, Darcy Thorne, Declan Wright, Al McEwan and Jed Manson. Congratulations to these gentlemen for being acknowledged for their hard work in the classroom.

Sporting Achievements

Congratulations to the following boys who competed at GPS Cross Country at Limestone Park, Ipswich: Jaisson Angalo, Patrick Burchard, Kai Combarngo, Patrick Dallimore, Michael Donovan, James Hannan, Merrick Hoffman, Maurece Jackson, Hudson Kirby, Michael Malone, Deevashan Naidoo, Nicholas Mulligan, Alex Smith, Callum Turner, Izaak Vaughan, Jamie Waddington and Malachi Tuck. These boys persistently trained during the early hours of the morning in preparation for the event.

Special congratulations to Jacob Krayem, Mitchell Perkins, Josh Allen, Maurece Jackson and Charl DeVilliers, who were all members of the 1st XI Football squad this season. It has been a mixture of results for the boys but a wonderful finish to the season saw them record a win versus BBC. It requires a big commitment and a lot of hard work to be a part of any 1st squad and all of these boys should be proud of their efforts.

Thank you once again to all of our PC tutors for their ongoing support and guidance to your sons throughout the term. Finally thank you to all of you as parents and caregivers for your ongoing support of McKenna House and Nudgee College.

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday break and I look forward to working with you and your sons in Term 3.

Mr Paul Kehoe
McKenna House Dean

Riley

Term 2 has been an exciting term, with some great achievements throughout Riley House. The Term saw such events as GPS Football, Tennis and Cross Country, Emmaus and Kairos retreats, the College Anzac Ceremony, Inter-house competitions in Cross Country and Chess, and many more events and activities. It truly has been an action-packed term for the men of Riley House.

At Inter-house Cross Country Riley finished in eighth place, but we still managed to highlight some clear talent across the House. I was extremely proud of the effort and sportsmanship the boys exhibited on the day. We may not be getting those higher places but we are definitely high in spirit.

Congratulations also to the following boys who were members of the following 1sts or GPS teams in Term 2:

Football: Luke Behan, Vidur Sehgal, Joseph Duffy, William Beauchamp, Jaxyn Boucher and Daniel Carroll. Both Jaxyn and Daniel are only in Year 10 so I look forward to seeing them develop their skills for the 1st XI in the next couple of years.
Cross Country: Harry Atkinson, Harper Evangelista, Harry Stoneman, Daniel Lobo, Zeke Watters, Kyle Brady, Roman De Clara, Ethan McNamara, Leo De Clara, Joseph Duffy, Rhys Griffiths and Harry Williams. Well done to all boys involved.
Tennis: Alec Reverente again performed well in the 1st IV

Our Inter-house Chess squad were truly amazing, committing to some difficult and sometimes very tense games over the two days of competition. We were able to better our placing from last year, earning third place in a strong competition. Thank you and well done to the amazing Riley Chess players: Dominic Stein, Declan Ford, Daniel Kuskie, Vidur Sehgal, Dylan Nichols, Aiden Richards, Campbell McBride and Ben Ditchburn. Another respectable placing for Riley House. A special thank you to Declan Ford for his leadership of the Riley Chess team this year. We are slowly climbing the Inter-house competition leader board. Next term we'll be looking to take back our first place from 2017 in the Inter-House Debating competition.

I hope you all found the opportunity to support the College Musical, ‘The Addams Family’. What an amazing performance by all of the wonderful boys and girls. A special standing ovation to our wonderful Riley boys who were involved: Robert Fitzgerald, Ethan Cameron, Izaac Andrews, Mitchell Watson, Oscar Scarcia, Isaac Roati and Malakai Vale. A special applause for our resident musician Mr Andrew Hook, who worked tirelessly on the production – what a role model for our boys.

Recently, the College presented our Habits of Mind awardees for consistent application to their studies. These awards are not reserved just for high achievers, but an acknowledgement of ‘motivated’ achievers. Congratulations to Riley Boon, Harry Stoneman, Liam McBride, John Fitzgerald, Oliver Evangelista and Aidan Power – all very deserving winners of these awards.

Riley House has supported the work of the Salvation Army by collecting for their Red Shield Appeal for 24 years. On Sunday 26 May, 45 members of the Nudgee College family hit the streets of Boondall to knock on doors. The boys also ran a sausage sizzle and a bake sale, with all of the proceeds going to the Salvation Army to assist their social justice work. Our recent free dress day will also contribute nearly $300 to the Salvation Army. Our final figure is very close to $3,000, which is a big improvement on last year. Amazing work Riley men!

As an early reminder, next Term sees the Riley House Dinner on Friday 9 July (Week 4). The theme is yet to be decided but it will be an opportunity for the amazing Riley family to get together and have some fun! Keep the date free, more news will follow early next term.

Finally a thank you to the Riley community for another fantastic term. I have truly loved working with your sons. They keep me very busy and very entertained. Blessings to all of you for the holiday break. I hope the boys will return with renewed energy, clear goals and a willingness to participate in all things Nudgee College and Riley.

Ms Lynsey Hale
Riley House Dean

Ross

It is hard to believe that we are already half way through the academic year and our Year 12s are about to enter what will be their final semester of school at Nudgee College. It has been an action packed term for the young men of Ross House, with many of our students achieving great things across different areas of College life, including academic, activities and social justice.

Academic

Congratulations to the following Ross House students who were presented with Habits of Mind Awards:

Year 7 Ian Brusasco Award: Brody Pink
Year 8 Patrick Donovan Award: Max Kerr
Year 9 Steven Cook Award: Jack Hallett
Year 10 Stephen Daley Award: Mason Nash

Activities

Congratulations to the following Ross House students who received a Best Team Man Award in either Cricket or Volleyball from Term 1:

Cricket: 11C William Svenson (Ross 5) and 10B Joseph Picone (Ross 1)
Volleyball: 9B Jack Gunn (Ross 4)

Congratulations to the following Ross House students who were members of 1st or GPS teams in Term 2:

Football: Harry Arnison (Ross 4) and Brendan Box (Ross 7)
Tennis: Declan Townsend (Ross 2) and Paddy Townsend (Ross 6)
Cross Country: Elfie Piper (Ross 1), Dusty Piper (Ross 1) and Oliver Patterson (Ross 9), James Alexander (Ross 6), Ethan Tiffan (Ross 1), Jack Gunter (Ross 2), Will Gunter (Ross 4), Jacob Johnson (Ross 3), Louis Robertson (Ross 7), Jack Falvey (Ross 2), Zach Manitta (Ross 2), Ben Brandt (Ross 2), Ethan Irvine (Ross 2), Will Clarke (Ross 2) and Dean Kenny (Ross 7/8).

Congratulations to Jet Liebke for representing Australia in the Under 17 Cricket Team.

Inter-house Cross Country:

The young men of Ross House can hold their heads high after a gutsy team effort to place an overall fifth place in what was a very tight battle with the other Houses. As usual, what we lacked in speed, we made up for in participation and sheer effort. I am looking forward to next year’s Inter-house Cross Country event as we have a fantastic group of young Ross House students coming through the ranks and their enthusiasm is impressive. I loved walking around the course and hearing the Ross boys cheering for each other and encouraging their mates to do their best.

Social Justice

Our fundraising initiatives are up and running again with big plans for 2019. We have set a total fundraising target of $2,000, which will be shared between our usual House charity Water for Cambodia and a new charity in Papua New Guinea (PNG), which is still to be confirmed. The new PNG charity has come about due to the College making the decision to change the Year 10 Cambodian Immersion trip to a PNG Immersion, linked to EREA and our Boarding community. The first fundraising activity was a home game barbecue on the Flats, which was run by Ross and Shaw House students. The boys were outstanding and the money raised was a fantastic start to achieving our fundraising goal. Well done to the many Ross House students who volunteered their time to participate in one of the various Social Justice Program opportunities that are on offer at Nudgee College. Students definitely benefit from these experiences and I believe it helps form our young men into Signum Fidei – ‘Signs of Faith’.

Congratulations to Mr Karim Sedour (Ross 3 PC tutor) who will be Acting Ross House Dean for the first six weeks of Term 3. Mr Peter Todd (Dean of Students) is going on well-deserved long service leave, Mr Sean Toovey will be acting in his position during this time and I will be taking on the Acting Director of Students role.

Term 3 will no doubt be a very busy time with Formal and QCS testing for the Year 12s, Year 11 Semi Formal and Leadership Program, Year 9 SET plans, Year 10 Immersions, Year 7 Retreat, as well as Basketball, Chess and Rugby. The Ross House Function for Term 3 will be on 25 August so please keep the date free as it will no doubt be a great community event. I wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday before returning to Nudgee College refreshed and ready to launch into a new semester.

Mr Michael Byrne
Ross House Dean

Shaw

Shaw House has had another busy term. From the classroom, sporting field, musical performances, retreats, bake days and birthdays, the Shaw community has embraced and thrived in all things Nudgee College.

Term 2 began with Year 12 Kairos Retreat and Seniors heading to various venues. Again this year I was very fortunate to share the experience with a wonderful group of young men, some of them Shaw boys, at Peregian Springs with the Theta group. This retreat is a fabulous opportunity for the young men of Year 12, and I am sure as parents you noticed a sense of calm and purpose when your son returned.

Year 9 students attended their retreat with Ms Marie-Rose Burton and me at Brookfield Retreat for a day of reflection in response to the Emmaus story. The students shared their life journey and were challenged to create a prayer stick, as well as to ask themselves where they saw God in their life. It was a wonderful old home and surrounding grounds for a retreat. The students had a most enjoyable day together and were complimented by the staff at the retreat centre for their outstanding behaviour and manners. Years 5 and 6 also had fun this term with their camps and were lucky to enjoy fabulous weather. Senior Shaw student and Big Brother Thomas Enders participated in the Great Wheelbarrow Race in North Queensland, raising money for the victims of the Townsville floods. It seemed to be a gruelling three days – great effort Tom! Our free dress day was quite a success this term and we ran with the theme to dress in our House colour or Hawaiian shirts. Overall, Shaw House raised $732 for our House charity Queensland Epilepsy Foundation. Wow! Thank you Shaw boys for embracing the day and raising an enormous donation – double the amount from last year.

Congratulations to the following Shaw students for outstanding application and participation in College life during Term 2:

1st XI Football: Sigi Beschel
Volleyball Best Team Man: Howard Yanda (11C), Will Jones (11A), Charlie O’Connell (7D) and Will Enders (7B)
GPS Cross Country: Dashiel Withnall, Tom Kewley, Jake Stacey, Hayden Hamilton, Angus Durkin, George Gillam, Sam Kewley, Jacob Gillam, Sam Rogers, Harry McKeown, Callum Dodds, Rodin Martin, Tyler O’Keefe and Jazz Born
Da Vinci Decathlon: Ash Taylor (Year 6), Christian Rogers (Year 7), Jacob Gillam (Year 8), Archie Wallis (Year 9), and Oliver Horwood and Xavier Nicolaidis (Year 11)
‘The Addams Family’ Musical: Athan McLeod (cast), Christian Setefano (cast), Poitoa Wells (cast), Thomas Mallet (orchestra) and Marcus Cutuli (orchestra
Year 8 Student Leadership Group: Jacob Gillam, Mitchell Gray and Thomas Mallet
Year 10 Student Leadership Group: Degen Beschel, Frank Bundock, Cameron Reppel and Ian Pantaleon.
Year 7 Ian Brusasco Award: Finlay Burrows
Year 8 Patrick Donovan Award: Thomas Mallet
Year 9 Steven Cook Award: Nicholas Taylor
Year 10 Stephen Daley Award: Samuel Rogers

Early this term we raised money for our House charity with a barbecue on the Flats in Week 3. Thank you to the following boys for stepping up on that Saturday: Oahu, Sigi, Marcus, Izzy, Degen, Howard, Manraj, Max, Will and Tom.

We also celebrated Maggie Shaw’s 92th birthday – happy birthday! As a community we will celebrate Maggie’s birthday together in Week 2 Term 3 when the weather is warmer. Many, many thanks to parents for the generous contributions towards the yummy treats for Bake Day this term. The boys so look forward to these Bake Days.

Thank you to our wonderful PC tutors for their ongoing support, guidance and care of Shaw students. Thank you for the fabulous leadership from our House Prefects and from our Big Brothers in the Junior School. Again, a most sincere thank you to our House Mother Ms Jules Born and her merry band of helpers, and to the many parents for attending functions and providing for Bake Days. Your support and effort is so greatly appreciated and is what makes our community a family.

I look forward to the Senior Formal and our Shaw Dinner next term. I believe a Hawaiian theme is in the mix for our House Dinner. A reminder that Parent Teacher Student Conferences are held the first Monday of the term, with classes commencing the next day.

To the Shaw community, I wish you good health, a safe and restful break and I very much look forward to the second half of 2019.

Ms Robyn Mann
Shaw House Dean

Tierney

With the holidays looming, there is much to recognise and celebrate in the Tierney community. In many ways it’s hard to believe we are at the end of another term and have completed Semester 1 for 2019 already. Our first week of term included our Anzac Ceremony and Inter-house Cross Country. At both of these events Tierney was well represented. Finishing second in the Cross Country was an unexpected result that was testament to the focus on fun and participation modelled by our Seniors throughout the day.

Our second week of term included the Year 12 Kairos Retreat, which was a highlight for not just our Seniors, but those of us who were privileged enough to join them on this experience. Additionally our Year 9s also attended their Emmaus Retreat along with Ti3 PC tutor Mr Paul Raven.

Henry Kennedy capably led our Tierney Chess team to victory in Inter-house Chess, which was indeed a highlight this term. Congratulations to Henry and his brother Patrick, Brodie Ramsay, Cooper Hunter, William Kewley and Mitchell Kewley for their team effort to win in this category of the Br Vic Larkin Shield.

Early in the term we were able to run a barbecue at our first home game, with the proceeds going to our House charity, the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Thanks to Mr Mannie Navarro, Ms Wilma Peters and our student volunteers Ethan Ferraro, Izaak Fiorini, Charlie Radford, Patrick Long, Tom Shaw, Bill Ingham-Myers and Isaac Cunningham for their help throughout the day.

Our free dress day that was held later in the term was dedicated to raising funds for Aidan Roost from Ti5. Early in the term Aidan was diagnosed with Leukaemia and has spent the term facing many unexpected challenges throughout his treatment. Each and every day Aidan has inspired those around him and continues to meet this challenge head on with an incredibly positive attitude. The Tierney community has been incredibly supportive in raising funds for Aidan’s GoFundMe page and will continue to support ‘Roosty’, his brother Dylan (Ti2) and their family throughout this difficult time. We look forward to his return to school in the future.

‘The Addams Family’ was an outstanding production and certainly a highlight of the term. Congratulations to chorus member Shannen Gerard Solker (Ti1) and also Fletcher Dunn (Ti2), who was most entertaining playing Lurch. Additionally Sam Schimming continued to demonstrate his incredible commitment to Nudgee College’s Music Program by joining the orchestra for the Musical, in addition to his many other commitments as an exceptional musician.

The following young men have truly embodied the essence of Signum Fidei – ‘a Sign of Faith’ throughout the term and have worked hard to achieve the Habits of Mind Award for their year level:

Year 5 Macrossan Award: Nekoda Murphy (TI9)
Year 7 Ian Brusasco Award: Ryan Krough (TI4)
Year 8 Patrick Donovan Award: Henry Christofferson (TI4)
Year 9 Steven Cook Award: Johnson Meraveka (TI2)
Year 10 Stephen Daley Award: Fletcher Dunn (TI2)

While most of our students showed commitment this term to many GPS competitions and activities, a special mention goes to the following students who were named in the 1st XI Football team: Flynn Faulkner (Ti4), Haralambos Constantinou (Ti3) and Zac Krough. These boys have all worked hard and shown commitment to their sport throughout the year.

I wish all members of the Tierney community a safe and happy mid-year break.

Ms Joanne Barrett
Tierney House Dean

Cotter

Whilst this term was shorter in length, I think it was certainly a step up in intensity. It just seems like so much has happened. We have had Football, Tennis, the Musical, Rugby trials, Basketball trials, formal dinners, barbecues, staff versus student activities, Monday Night Lights, dorm breakfasts, Evening on the Green, Kairos Retreat, exams, assignments and more! It is hard to believe we squeezed this all in around the public holidays and other disruptions that this busy term has thrown our way.

Despite the chaos and complexity of Nudgee College life, I think we have also had some sincere and authentic moments that have brought us together as a House. To me, I believe we have taken yet another step towards solidifying our identity as Cotter House. We have had ups and downs, good weeks and challenging weeks, but all in all, there is a positive picture being painted in the Cotter community (and I am not just talking about Matt Konilio’s progressing mural).

Recently, the boys were provided with an online feedback form. This prompted them to answer a number of questions about how they view Cotter House and offer some constructive criticism where necessary. Whilst the boys were more than happy to tell us what needed to improve, there were also some fantastic positive data and comments that emerged. I thought I would share a few comments from this survey that really stood out.

Things I like about being in Cotter:

“The community”
“The brotherhood and friendships”
“No one is excluded”
“The people are great and the community is comfortable”
“All the boys cooperating with each other creating a brotherhood”
“The companionship”

As the Head of Cotter House, these comments bring a smile to my face. It is comforting to know that the boys are building strong relationships in our community and getting the most out of their time in Nudgee College Boarding. After all, mateship is at the core of a positive boarding experience.

As they say, ‘Nudgee College Never Sleeps’, so here is a snapshot of all of the upcoming events for Boarding in Term 3:

Sunday 14 July: Year 12 Formal
Monday 15 July: Boarders return
Friday 19 July: Boarders’ Night In (no leave)
Saturday 27 July: 1st XV game at Suncorp Stadium before the Wallabies versus Argentina match (no leave)
Saturday 3 August: Boarders’ Bash
Wednesday 14 August: Ekka Public Holiday
24 and 25 August: Boarders’ Exit Weekend
21 to 29 September: Year 10 Immersions

One final reminder, please ensure all boys return well groomed, with haircuts that abide by the College’s policy.

Mr Casey Brealy
Head of Cotter Boarding House

Hodda

It is often said that boarders are the heart of Nudgee College. It is also true that our origins as a Catholic school are at the centre of what we do here as teachers and Boarding staff. To that end, we are indeed blessed to have such a beautiful Chapel at Nudgee College. The boys are encouraged to get involved in the Social Justice Program, be aware of the sacrifices that others have made for them and then think about how they could sacrifice something to give to others. I often reflect on where else nearly 300 teenage boys gather together to celebrate Mass and reflect on their own spirituality. We do it here every Sunday night and it is always a highlight to share that experience with them.

Hodda Leaders

We are also blessed to have so many leaders among this group of Year 12s. The best type of leadership is where everyone considers themselves to be a leader. I think we have that situation here in Hodda. By the way they have conducted themselves so far, I can’t wait to see how they perform for the rest of the year. Your guidance, patience and teaching as parents have obviously had a huge impact on your sons, as I can genuinely say, they are a pleasure to care for here in Hodda. Thank you for doing such a good job so far and more thanks for trusting us to work in partnership with you to continue their development. I would particularly like to thank and congratulate our Hodda leaders for 2019 Hamish Smith and Yideg Nethery as they have both been awarded the title of Mid Year Prefect. This has been for their efforts in leading the Boarding House and for their leadership in the day school.

I am also really positive about the future of Hodda and the boys we have in Year 11 coming through, who will be future leaders. In addition to them, it has been a pleasure to work with my Assistant Head of Hodda House Mr Alex O’Regan. His energy and enthusiasm, great ability to build relationships with the boys and the partnership he has been able to develop with Mr Joel Crighton and I has been so valuable in our care for the boys here in Hodda. Of course thank you to all the other staff here, and in particular our House Mother Ms Julie Kopittke. I am lucky to lead such a wonderful and caring team.

Returning

Can I please ask that you ensure your son comes back to Boarding with an appropriate haircut, proper uniforms (winter next term), labelled clothing, a blue drawstring laundry bag and all his equipment to start school such as a calculator, books etc. It is difficult for us to start the term by having to chase boys up who have had all holidays to get these things right. We’d rather simply be welcoming them back as opposed to talking to them about haircuts and the like. Your cooperation is very much appreciated.

Week 1 and 2

Week 1 is a compulsory weekend in, where we will travel to Sandgate as a House and have a barbecue dinner by the water. It is a good chance to escape the normal routine and spend some time with the boys off campus. We then travel to The Southport School on the Saturday to play Rugby and Basketball.

Week 2 we will be encouraging boys to stay in on Saturday night to travel to Suncorp Stadium as the 1st XV will be playing the curtain-raiser for the Wallabies versus Argentina Test match on the Saturday 27 July. Both weeks will be a fantastic opportunity to build community and have fun together.

Hodda Formal Dinners

In Week 2 next term we will be having our usual Hodda ‘Christmas in July’ Formal Dinner. We are all looking forward to taking some time out of the usual routine to enjoy each other’s company. We use these formal dinners to educate and train the boys so they know what the difference is between a casual or relaxed dinner and a more formal setting, as well as the way they should act and carry themselves. They are to be congratulated for the way they always turn up looking fantastic and the way they engage in the proceedings of the night. Thanks also to all the staff and parents who will be in attendance.

Mr Ken Mitchell
Head of Hodda Boarding House

Murphy

The men of Murphy Boarding House have had a very busy Term 2. It always surprises me the amount some of the boys involve themselves in all aspects of the College. Examples of this include playing and supporting the Football and Tennis programs, pre-season for Basketball and Rugby, ‘The Addams Family’ Musical, AV Crew, Friday night competitions with Mr Sean Toovey and several recreation activities. The commitment to study and schoolwork for a majority has most importantly improved, which has been very pleasing to see. I hope the efforts the boys have put in are rewarded in their marks.

Mid Year Prefects

I would also like to congratulate the following Murphy Senior students who have been awarded a Mid Year Prefect role:

Dean Kenny
Sam Mills
Ezyaiah Ulia

These boys have been awarded this honour after great service to the College. They have not only been great leaders within the Boarding House, but have also done a number of things around the College, including being great role models as Big Brothers in the Junior School.

Photo Competition

The Boarding Support Group will once again be running a Boarding photo competition to encourage boys to showcase the pride they have for their hometown or region. The Art department staff will judge the entrants, with a single winner chosen from each dormitory and at least two runners-up. The winners of this competition will receive a $50 voucher.

During the upcoming holiday break, I want to encourage all students to use their phones or cameras and capture images that represent their community.

Evening on the Green

It was great to see so many attend the annual Evening on the Green. It was a wonderful event and great for families to meet while watching the boys enjoy some Inter-dorm competitions. Murphy House was victorious, taking out the Touch and Basketball titles. It was good to see how proud the boys were to return with the trophy.

‘Home Away From Home’ Photos

As per previous communication we were hoping that each boy could return from the holidays with a photo that best represents home (canvas or framed picture) that will be hung within the dorm. Ms Denise Johnson and the Murphy staff are continually trying to improve the ‘home away from home’ feel of the Boarding House, so your support in this is much appreciated.

Reminders

I’d like to remind parents and caregivers to ensure that your son returns with an appropriate haircut. Boys should not have any colour or ‘tracks’ in their hair. Hair should not cover the ears, collar or eyebrows. Further, could parents and caregivers please ensure that boys have sufficient toiletries, including roll on deodorant and shaving equipment, to last the whole term.

Remember that the Boarding Team App page regularly updates photos and other information of what the boys are getting up to at the College.

The Friday night of Week 1 and the Saturday night of Week 2 will be the compulsory nights in for the term. The Murphy leaders are organising a Murphy specific activity for the first Friday night, which will include dinner. The following Saturday will see the boys head out to Suncorp Stadium to support the 1st XV in a curtain-raiser to the Wallabies versus Argentina Test match. These nights are important in trying to build upon the culture within Murphy and the whole Boarding community. Your support of this is appreciated.

Weekend six of Term 3 will be an ‘Exit Weekend’ for all boarders. This weekend is a wonderful opportunity for our boarders to share the routines, meals and activities of other Boarding and day boy families. Many boarders will gain life skills and new friendships will be forged through the events of this weekend and we thank everyone for their efforts, generosity and kindness.

I hope all our boys and their parents have a safe and happy holiday and I look forward to seeing the boys all back here in Term 3.

Mr Ben Ralston
Head of Murphy Boarding House

O'Brien

It was another busy and successful term in Boarding and we already find ourselves halfway through the year. The boys have continued to be involved in many activities around the College and it has been great to see a number of them making the most of the opportunities that the College has to offer.

Staff News

As many would be aware, Mr Karim Sedour (O’Brien 3IC) has been announced as the Acting Ross House Dean for the first six weeks of Term 3. This is a fantastic opportunity for Karim to be part of the middle management team in the day school and provide pastoral care and guidance to the boys in Ross House. In his place, I am happy to announce that Mr Tom Hughes will move into the Acting 3IC position for this period of time. Tom is currently a Senior Supervisor in Hodda Boarding House, the Head of English Essentials (Years 10 to 12) and organiser of the Reach for the Stars Tutoring Program.

Boarding Support Group

Recently many families met for the Boarding Support Group event, Evening on the Green. This was a very enjoyable evening and a great way for us as staff to touch base with so many Boarding families. From conversations had on the night, I am so pleased to hear that many of you had the opportunity to meet some other Boarding families. I encourage you to stay in contact with as many of these families as possible as these can form into very close friendships throughout your son’s time at the College.

Parents are also reminded of the Boarding Parents Welcome Function on Monday 15 July (boarders’ return day for Term 3) from 5.00pm in the O’Brien Boarding House. Drinks and nibbles will be provided and all parents of O’Brien boarders are very welcome and encouraged to attend.

Parent Teacher Student Conferences

Monday 15 July is the Term 3 Parent Teacher Student Conferences. Please note that in recent years the College has moved away from calling it Parent Teacher Interviews. Students are encouraged to attend with their parents and be a part of the conversations regarding their Semester 1 results and strategies for improvement across all subjects for the remainder of 2019.

Reminders

As a reminder to parents and caregivers, please ensure that your son returns with an appropriate haircut. Boys should not have any colour or ‘tracks’ in their hair. Hair should not cover the ears, collar or eyebrows and should not be cut any shorter than a blade three. The sides should also be blended with the top. Formal uniform, which includes white shirt, tie and blazer, will be again worn for Term 3, so it is essential that your son has enough uniforms to get him through the school week.

I hope the boys enjoy a very well deserved rest over the break and we look forward to their return in what will be a very busy Term 3 in all aspects of the College.

Mr Jeff Campbell
Head of O’Brien Boarding House

Activities

Readers Cup

On the evening of 13 June, the DJ Hanly Learning Centre hosted the 2019 Readers Cup Challenge, an inter-school reading competition for 21 different schools from Brisbane’s northside. Teams of four or five students from Years 7 and 8 came together to compete in the Children's Book Council of Australia literature quiz challenge.

Year 8 students Aidan Easton and Jacob Gillam and Year 7 students Liam McBride, George Gillam and Sam Kewley capably represented Nudgee College in the event. Over an eight week period, the boys committed to reading five novels with varying degrees of complexity, while also managing their curriculum, extra-curricular and social justice commitments. Competing against 20 other schools, the boys were required to remember the smallest of details from each book, answering 10 questions per book in a time pressured environment across five competition rounds. The boys came a very impressive 10th out of 21 schools on the night in a tightly fought contest.

These five incredible young men are truly advocates for the joys of reading for pleasure and it was an absolute joy to be their coach and mentor this term.

Ms Kathleen White
Teacher Librarian

Tennis

In Round 8, the Nudgee College men took on Brisbane Boys’ College (BBC). The Junior boys had the pleasure of hosting and the Senior boys played at BBC.

Going into this round we knew we were going to have our work cut out for us. BBC have set the benchmark for most of the season. Their 1st IV side particularly is undefeated to date. Unfortunately, BBC were able to get the better of us on the day. Across the board, many of the matches were rather tight, with us winning almost 40 per cent of the games on the day. This suggests that a lot matches could have gone either way.

8A put on a stellar performance, coming away with a great win on the day. Another great performer was Dusty Piper from the 7As. Dusty was in every point and fought to the very end – a great display of what Nudgee College Tennis is all about.

Next round is a little unorthodox. This will be held tomorrow on the last day of school for Term 2. All matches begin at 9.00am and will be completed by 1.00pm. Only A and B teams will play this round. See Team App for more details.

Good luck for the final round!

Mr Brendan McGuinness
Tennis Director

Rugby

2019 All Age Rugby Camp and Season Launch

The Nudgee College All Ages Rugby Camp is an important element of the Rugby pre-season program at Nudgee College, as it gives all players an opportunity to take part in an extensive block of quality training, and it gives coaches a final chance to look at players before the first round of the GPS competition the following week. It’s crucial we get as many boys to camp as possible to ensure we are organised and well prepared heading into Round 1.

The Season Launch will once again occur on the Friday afternoon (from 4.00pm to 7.00pm) of the camp and will have a carnival atmosphere with rides, a barbecue, drinks, live music, plus a meet and greet with Reds players and the introduction of the 1st XV squad. This will all occur on campus out the front of Tierney Auditorium. Families will have an opportunity to meet the coaches and coordinators of their son’s age group and other parents in their team.

To accommodate our Boarding students, we will be asking some day boy families to take in a Boarding student for the duration of the camp. This billeting request application is to be completed through the College Payment Gateway.

Dates:

Thursday 11 July, 12.30pm to 4.00pm (registration from 12.00pm)
Friday 12 July, 12.30pm to 4.00pm (Rugby Launch from 4.00pm to 7.00pm)
Saturday 13 July, trial games versus St Joseph’s College Gregory Terrace at Tennyson

Venue: Nudgee College

Who: All Nudgee College Rugby players from Years 5 to 12

Cost: $120 per person (includes coaching, game day, camp shirt, afternoon tea on Thursday, sausage sizzle on Friday, and Season Launch - four hours of rides, games and giveaways)

Equipment to bring: Sunscreen, NC hat, training shirt, shorts, joggers, boots, mouth guard (mandatory) and headgear (optional)

Camp bookings: Go to the College Payment Gateway to make payment and record all details

Contact Details: Please direct any queries to Ms Deb Daly in the Activities Office on 07 3865 0430 or ddaly@nudgee.qld.edu.au

Mr Sean Graham
Rugby Director

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