It is my pleasure to introduce you to the latest edition of our College magazine; Mind, Heart, Soul, Strength. This is the core of what our College stands for and as the newly appointed Principal, I am excited to share with you the many accomplishments of our students and staff members, as well as the important initiatives that we are undertaking to further enhance the learning experience at our College.
At our College, we believe in a bold ambition, proud tradition, and it is my pleasure to continue the College journey that Dr Mark Sly started. As a College we aim to instill in our students the courage to dream big and the determination to turn their aspirations into reality, while also upholding the rich legacy of excellence that has been established by those who have come before us. This magazine embodies that spirit, highlighting the diverse talents and achievements of our community.
Inside this issue, you will find a range of articles that demonstrate the passion and dedication of
our team. In “A Sit Down with Mr. Henderson,” one of our primary teachers shares his perspective on why he loves being a part of our College. We also explore why literacy matters, especially in the Junior Secondary (Years 7-9) Campus, and the ways in which we are working to support our students in this critical area.
In addition, we emphasize the importance of student voice, with two of our senior students providing their perspective on what they believe is important for future learning. This is an area that we are particularly passionate about, and we are committed to ensuring that our students are at the heart of everything we do.
Overall, this magazine is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire community. We are incredibly proud of what we have accomplished so far, and we are excited about the future. I invite you to read on and discover for yourself the many wonderful things that are happening at our College.
Sincerely,
Mr Patrick Innes-Hill Principal
On Saturday 22 October 2022, the graduating class of 2012 gathered together to celebrate ten years since finishing at the College. It was a wonderful night filled with laughter and memories, as our Alumni reconnected with their peers and teachers. With incredible platters and drinks to accompany the occasion, our past students reminisced about their time spent at the College and took a walk down memory lane as they viewed highlights displayed outside.
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Graduates of 2013 and 2003 are invited back to the College to celebrate your 10/20 year reunion! A night filled with food, drinks, memories and catch ups. Saturday 21 October 2023.
Scan to register your interest
in Human Resources and preschool sports. Prior to starting my teaching role at CAC, I owned two franchises in Ready Steady Go Kids in the Castle Hill and Thornleigh regions in Sydney. We ran this for four years before I started to feel like I wanted more out of my career. I looked into teaching and fast forward six years, here I am, and I love it. I will be forever grateful for taking the plunge into running a business as it brought me to teaching and Coomera Anglican College.
We sit down with Year 4 teacher, Mr Henderson (or Mr H as we like to call him) from our Primary Campus. Mr H has taught across a number of different year levels at the College, and we asked him about why he enjoys teaching and working for Coomera Anglican College.
Q: Firstly, I’d love for you to tell us about yourself and your background!
A: Originally, I am from Wellington, New Zealand. Though I spent my schooling years in Sydney. I have a background
We moved to the Gold Coast in January of 2017 and love our life here on the coast. We have two children both enrolled at CAC, Amelie in Year 4 and Mateo in Year 1. We feel very blessed to be living on the Gold Coast and raising our children in such a fantastic community.
Q: How long have you been teaching at Coomera Anglican College?
A: This is my seventh year at Coomera Anglican College, primarily in the lower years of Primary.
Q: What is your favourite aspect of teaching?
A: I love that every day is different, every child brings something unique to the classroom and this makes for a fascinating experience each day. Our teaching team is amazing; bringing such a wide variety of life experiences,
teaching pedagogies and a love of making that positive impact in the lives of young children.
Q: Favourite subject to teach and why?
A: My favourite subject to teach is Maths. I really struggled at school in this area, and it wasn’t until I was an adult that numbers really clicked with me. I love teaching the different strategies that align with the different learning needs of the students. I also have a passion for teaching life skills in communication, behaviour management and all things that assist in developing self-awareness in the individual.
Q: If we were to sit in a class, what would our experience be? What is your teaching style ?
A: I would hope you would feel a sense of belonging, that we are in this together and you had a teacher that would always be there for you. I don’t know if there is a label for my style, but I want my classroom to be one that is comfortable, not in the sense of sitting down and feeling comfortable, but in the sense that I foster an appreciation that we are all different and unique and this is cool. Have a go, make mistakes, and share your ideas and thoughts, again…we are in this together. We have a saying in our classroom “Feel the fear and do it anyway.”
Q: What are some of the different trends you have seen over the time you’ve spent at the College?
A: In a busy curriculum, we are constantly evaluating how we can go deeper into our teaching. Moving to an Inquiry Based model of teaching has assisted in this trend. Taking the teaching outside of textbooks and worksheets is allowing students to guide their own learning and have the freedom to ask more questions and then answer them through various forms of research and discovery.
Q: How do you leverage technology in your teaching and has it been difficult to embrace this in the classroom?
A: I believe there is a fine line between developing fine motor classroom skills that we have traditionally seen in classrooms, and the use of technology as these skills can essentially be done all online. They both have their place in classrooms and I believe we have a good balance of these at our College. The use of our SMART Boards in each classroom are a fantastic tool to enhance learning, along with laptops, iPads, robots, coding and buildings like The Pod.
Q: How would children feel being in your classroom?
A: I would like to think that students in my classroom (or any child that I interact with during my working day)
Q: If you had an endless amount of money to spend on educational resources within the classroom, what would you spend it on and why?
would feel safe, encouraged and feel comfortable in being themselves. I hope they are developing a love of school and learning…including a love of discovery through our time together that extends beyond the concepts and teachings in the classroom, a self-discovery into themselves and friendships. Finally, I would hope they say that they wanted to come to school every day just in case they missed out on something incredible.
A: We can never underestimate the incredible support of our Teacher Assistants to a classroom and students. Our assistants are a tremendous resource and play a key role across all areas of our College. Within the classroom, I would research and invest in flexible seating options and working areas that cater for and enhance student learning. Classroom designs might take a different shape and look completely different in the future to what we know currently.
I would hope you would feel a sense of belonging, that we are in this together and you had a teacher that would always be there for you.
As a child, my earliest memories of learning Mathematics were through hands-on resources, activities and challenging gameplay. This was in England in the 1970s. I remember the classrooms opening with the other classes and we were led on a path of discovery by a teacher who clearly had a passion for learning Mathematics. When I moved to Australia, I was met with a single class, and everyone
sat down quietly and simply listened to the teacher. I did not experience much success in my first year in a new country, until one day the teacher asked us what we thought ≠ meant. I sat quietly whilst listening to the other students give answers that did not make any sense in my world, I decided to be brave and raised my hand and simply stated ‘not equal to’. I remember my teacher being elated that I responded with the answer and
I got to receive a stamp on my hand. Thus began my love for the beauty of Mathematics.
I decided to become a Mathematics teacher, to help make my subject accessible for all students, not just those who experience success in assessment. But to make it enjoyable and have all students be curious and intrigued. In the 21st century, students have access to information at their
fingertips with the click of their fingers and as educators, we need to equip our students with the appropriate skills to help them flourish in the everchanging world.
Mathematics sometimes has a negative image from people in society. Often when people ask the question what do you do? The answer of ‘I teach maths’ results in the response of ‘Oh I hated Maths when I was at school’. Is this because the person responding never experienced success or joy in such a wonderful subject? I then try and convince them that they do not really dislike Mathematics and point out evidence in that moment. For example, design around us involving shapes, money, or even simply angles existing on
parallel lines they can see in that time. I am sure people think I am a bit crazy.
In the classroom today, not only are students exposed to some direct teaching and demonstration of face-to-face examples, but also, they have access to online technologies that have instructional videos. At Coomera Anglican College we use personally created videos and through these we insert questions and monitor individual student’s progress. Students have access to these videos not only to assist with their understanding, but also for revision or if they have missed a lesson. This also allows extra time within the classroom to explore thinking processes in Mathematics, also it assists the teacher in delivering a lesson that is aimed at the students and much more engaging. It allows for the teacher to receive
their thinking skills and develop a deeper understanding of the subject content.
The Mathematics department creates their own videos, using a lightboard. This means a student can not only see the mathematics being taught but also the teacher at a board and their facial expressions to further engage the students.
feedback from all students, including those who are hesitant in asking questions. This is called a Flipped learning approach and allows for more activities in the classroom that facilitate students to develop
We need to understand that the youth of today are growing up in a society that is very different from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and even the early 2000’s. Students are exposed to a lot of technological stimuli through phones, tablets, laptops - so much information is on tap for them. We need to be innovative in our teaching approach and meet the needs of our learners as they will be the adults of the future. Student acquisition of knowledge needs to be from a variety of mediums whether it be direct teaching, videos, or student investigative activities that spark curiosity. At the same time Mathematics education needs to be relevant to them in the present and the future, whilst still honouring the beauty in this subject area.
Using a lightboard means a student can not only see the mathematics being taught but also the teacher at a board and their facial expressions.
We’re proud to say that, with so many priorities in education today, in the secondary campus of Coomera Anglican College, a dedicated Literacy focus remains at the forefront.
We are very fortunate to enjoy a collective approach to encouraging students’ literacy growth, with the entire secondary staff taking ownership and working together to foster everincreasing literacy outcomes.
Late in 2020, a Literacy Group was formed, comprised of staff from all sectors and key learning areas of the secondary curriculum, and together they’ve led the charge on specific Literacy initiatives. One of these is the weekly ‘Literacy Spotlight’ presentation
at Monday morning secondary staff briefing – from hot tips on using apostrophes correctly, to ways to encourage students’ reading (strategies for pre, during and post-reading), and approaches to become more active listeners. The priority – keeping it simple, short and sharp, making it easy for all staff to digest and try with their students.
The outcome? Greater staff confidence in approaching aspects of literacy with students across subject areas. We now have a very impressive (and growing!) bank of minipresentation PowerPoint resources for staff to use as a handy reference point when focusing on a particular aspect
of Literacy – Reading, Writing, and Speaking/Listening - with students.
Our library (now The Hub), curated and expertly managed by librarian, Ms Marija Sijakowska, has been key to building students’ confidence in becoming more literate in a wide range of ways – with incredible enhancements to the physical library space, the revamping and reimagining of our collection of reading material, and encouraging students to engage with reading through opportunities such as Readers’ Cup and other competitions.
The outcome? Increased book borrowing rates. Students actively involved in a range of activities within and beyond the library spaces.
Within the English Faculty in particular, approaches to growth in student literacy include:
a. Literature Circles reading programs in Years 7 and 8
b. Authors-in-residence – in the past year, we’ve been thrilled to welcome acclaimed authors such as Nick Earls and Brian Falkner to the College to share their writing expertise with students
c. Annual Storyfest excursion for literature lovers
d. English tutorials for both Junior and Senior English students
e. A return to using a handy hard copy student reference book for developing grammar, spelling, reading and writing in Year 7 to Year 9 (Successful English – Books 1, 2 and 3)
f. A spiralling approach to writing progressions from Year 7 to Year 12 – in key writing areas of analytical, persuasive, narrative, and public audience text types
g. Classroom posters – e.g. sentence starters, colourcoding in paragraph writing, analytical essay writing, and a connectives placemat
h. Literature as a subject is now into its fourth year of life at the College
i. 2021 Year 12 English results for the College’s students were among the best in the state – 85% of our cohort received either an A or B (compared with 62% statewide) and one of our students, Caitlin Brims received 100/100, the highest possible result.
As we all know, the best outcomes occur with a team approach, and another key element in the literacy approach in Secondary at Coomera Anglican College is in partnering with our parents by sharing The ‘R’ Word – a parent guide to support teen reading resource. It has been created specifically for Australian parents of secondary school-aged children and offers hope in the form of 18 practical tips to begin using today.
The creation of this resource was sparked by the age-old question raised by parents genuinely seeking to support their child’s reading journey
(through the teenage years and into adulthood):
‘How can I get my teen reading?’
Parents of incoming Year 7 students have received a copy of this resource and is available to all parents, either in electronic or hard copy format – so it can be kept handy, on the coffee table, the kitchen bench or a bedside table, as a quick reference point for parents looking for inspiration in supporting their teen’s reading.
Here’s a sample of the tips included in the guide:
• Tip #2 – The screen magnet – this tip provides practical suggestions for combating the lure of the biggest threats to reading – the phone screen, the computer screen, and the television screen
• Tip #9 – Allow for restarts – this tip is all about remembering that it’s not that reading can’t be enjoyed; it’s just that some books aren’t the right fit for some individuals. It’s important to stay with the quest to find the ‘right’ book, rather than simply giving up.
• Tip #14 – Should vs Could – explores (and dispels) the myth that there is such a thing as a list of must-read books; focusing on the idea that teens should feel free to read whatever book they choose to read.
In short, the importance of literacy development of each individual student across the areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking isn’t just something we ‘talk’ about here at the College. We are truly fortunate to have a communitywide valuing of literacy and a commitment to working in a myriad of ways to see students’ literacy blossom throughout their learning journey.
Libraries have always been the cornerstone of educational institutions, providing students with access to information, resources, and a space for learning and growth. However, with the rise of technology and the digital age, libraries have faced challenges in maintaining their relevance in an everchanging landscape. Despite these challenges, libraries in schools have not only survived but have thrived, adapting to the changing needs of students and offering new and innovative services that are vital to their success.
As a future-focused College, Coomera Anglican College undertaken this journey, transforming the Secondary Library into a modern, innovative space that encourages students to experiment, tinker, innovate and inquire—introducing The Hub. The Hub’s focus on fostering communication and community, and providing students with access to the latest technology and resources, has made it an essential part of the College’s curriculum and student learning experience.
The Hub’s success can be attributed to the dedication of the College’s librarians, who have embraced the challenges of the digital age and are committed to ensuring that students have access to the information and resources they need to succeed. From providing access to traditional printed materials to incorporating new technologies like robotics and podcast studios, the librarians have worked to create a relevant and engaging space for students.
The impact of The Hub on the College’s students is evident in their increased confidence and independence, as well as their development of critical and creative thinking skills. The Hub has not only provided students with access to information and resources but also fostered a love of learning and a desire to explore and discover. This, in turn, will prepare them for future challenges and ensure success in their chosen careers.
One of the keys to the success of the Hub has been its ability
to evolve with the times. With the rapid pace of technological change, libraries in schools must be flexible and adapt to new technologies and changing student needs. This requires a commitment to continuous learning and development on the part of librarians and staff and a willingness to embrace new ideas and approaches.
Coomera Anglican College’s Hub continues to play a vital role in supporting students and preparing them for success in the future. By providing access
to information, resources, and technology and fostering communication and community, libraries are helping to develop the next generation of thinkers and innovators. As the digital age continues to evolve, it will be essential for libraries to remain flexible and adapt to new technologies and changing student needs so that they can continue to play a critical role in educational settings for years to come.
Contributions from our best and brightest
Elka Macaulay has taken the netball world by a quiet, yet successful storm.
Elka Macaulay is currently a Bond University netball player in Netball Queensland’s Ruby series and a 2022 U17s training partner.
Netball Queensland’s Ruby Series underpins the HART Sapphire Series, helping provide a direct pathway for developing emerging talent. It allows players like Elka exposure to highprofile coaches and highly experienced players. Participating in this league helps form a crucial step in the development framework for players to move to the Suncorp Super Netball competition.
Elka dominates the shooting circle with her calm manner and strong holding stance, something unique for such a young netballer. However, you will never hear her boast about her achievements as she is always ready to improve her skillsets and learn from her teammates and coaches.
For Elka playing at her very best is the only thing which matters. After narrowly missing out on going to State Titles as
Outside of semi-professional netball, Elka is a vital part of Coomera Anglican College’s Open Netball team and the Senior Netball Academy. She is a homegrown talent and a testimony to the College’s netball pathway.
Playing at this level (semiprofessional for Bond Bullsharks) has made me stronger mentally and physically.
the younger age of the U17s in 2021 (she was only 14 at the time ) she is determined to showcase her abilities as a training partner in the U17s team.
“I really want to make the Queensland squad again,” says Elka, “But first, I need to make the state titles team for my club.”
“Playing at the semi-professional level for Bond Bullsharks has made me stronger mentally and physically.
“The exposure to strong oppositions in the series has definitely made me gain confidence,” says Elka.
There is no better way to describe Macaulay other than a hardworking and humble athlete.
Bond University Bullsharks Ruby Head Coach Kim Boland attested to Elka’s modest approach to her game.
“We had a conversation about her not starting, and she said to me, ‘whatever you must do to win the game, you do that.’ She is one of those athletes who will do anything for the team. It’s not about what can she achieve to look like the superstar; it’s what can we do to win the game,” Boland talking about Elka after a close game against the Gold Coast Titans.
“For a 15-year-old, what she has been able to achieve is amazing. I only started working with Elka going into the 16s State titles in 2021, and what she achieved to get into that (Queensland) squad as a 14-year-old turning 15 was a massive achievement.
“Elka is very humble, she has a high work ethic and always pushes herself beyond what is required.
“She’s always going to post (to shoot) after training and any conditioning or
footwork. That’s what I love to see in a young shooter. That’s exceptional for someone her age, as you generally see many cocky young shooters who think they are too good and do not need to practise.
“This mindset will make her a great athlete for the future. She knows doing that one percenter (like shooting after training drills) daily will get her over the line to be a phenomenal athlete.
“She’s still got a lot of learning to do, but the hunger is there, and she wants to learn. She’s always asking questions; she’s always working hard. I see good things in the future for her.
“Elka’s potential is endless at the moment.”
During 2022, eight Year 11 students attended a Student Innovation and Leadership event in Brisbane facilitated by BOP Industries with our Acting Deputy Principal of Strategy and Innovation, Dr Bek Duyckers. We were both lucky to be a part of this group of students. At this event, we engaged in the start of a design sprint, but we didn’t complete the sprint so we were unable to ideate and design solutions to problems we had identified meaning we also didn’t get to see the long-term impact of what our design sprint would result in. What we really liked during this event was having our voice heard.
Dr Duyckers listened to our feedback from the event and offered to
create opportunities for us to work through our thoughts as students and explore how our voice can help shape our learning into the future. Across Semester Two, we met with Dr Duyckers every Thursday morning from 7.30am to reflect, share, explore and ideate.
During one of these sessions, Dr Bek Duyckers invited us to design a session to facilitate with staff during the College’s Staff Professional Development Week in January of 2023. We were nervous but excited at the opportunity to share student voice and perspective to work together to enhance learning at the College. We started with a couple of games, where staff were to engage with different
types of student learners and the character traits or behaviours they might see in these students in their classroom. Below is the transcript of our presentation…
After that quick brainstorm, it is obvious that all students learn differently, which, as teachers, you would already be aware of. But the question we are asking today is, “How can you keep all these unique students engaged in a learning environment that provides them with the opportunity to reach their highest learning potential?”
As students we do not have the qualifications or experience that you all share, however, ultimately we are all here for growth, whether personally or professionally and to learn. Our goal for this short session is to provide you all further insight into what our students are looking for within their classrooms. We stand here as representatives for the student body and have conducted numerous surveys among all year levels at the College to capture the students’ opinion on our College’s learning environment. By the end of the session, we hope you all have at least one new
idea to take away and trial and a chance to reflect on which techniques are already strengths.
There are many different theme’s that come through. Here are our top three, that we believe to be the most important and common themes that came from our students:
1. You are all amazing teachers already – it is clear our students love your passion for teaching and the energy you bring to your students, because it makes lessons more engaging for us.
2. Collaboration is key – students want to collaborate. They want to share ideas and knowledge, help others overcome challenges and work together so they can bounce off each other’s unique ideas and learning styles
3. A range of learning styles – some students prefer individual work and others collaborative. As teachers it is really important to have a variety of opportunities in class to give students choice.
Over 450 secondary students participated in surveys at the end of last year and these are our results. When asked how do you learn best
we observed among Senior Secondary students the top three methods were collaborative work, one on one with the teacher and listening to teachers as a lecture based style.
Similarly in Junior Secondary we noted the top three methods were collaborative group work, videos and individual work.
Like all good essays and research investigations, we collected thorough reasoning and asked why? Why were these methods their favourites and what made them most beneficial?
Junior Secondary Students: “I like doing group work activities as it lets students connect with each other and be more familiar with everyone in the class”
“Interactive learning. Because it means I actually get to do something instead of listening to someone talk for hours” “Visual learning allows the information to sink in more”
“Group activities so you can share your ideas and elaborate off of each other’s answers to have a better outcome.
“I enjoy researching, writing notes, presenting and watching stuff - mainly
individual work - because it allows me to go at my own pace and if I have any questions, I can search them up or ask questions”
“I enjoy activities like practice tests as they help me to prepare for assessments by highlighting my weaknesses”
Senior Secondary Students: “Having a video to explain topics works better for me as I am much more a visual learner than anything, along with having relaxed collaborative classroom environments can for me feel more productive”
“Group work can be engaging; however, it can also be distracting or hard to organise. Silent work can be helpful sometimes (maybe only for half the lesson though otherwise attention spans go out the window)”
“I think the teaching here is great, the PowerPoints and sample structures are always very helpful when getting started”
Students are more engaged in the classroom when they have the opportunity to collaborate and have
time to practice the knowledge you teach within class time, because they are more easily able to ask questions and have time to process the new applications of their knowledge.
Additionally, including various different methods of teaching in classes is also essential. Not only to cater for the different preferences between students, but also to provide the variety needed to maintain engagement which keeps us motivated and, more likely to want to get the work done, rather than simply because it is assigned. It helps drive curiosity which is an invaluable trait in our learning journeys.
Finally, “having access to classroom resources, for example, PowerPoints and videos, before and after class” can not only provide us with basic understandings prior to class but provide accessible resources for revision.
Looking into the future we want to continue to build upon these strengths because the first priority should be the students. Creating a comfortable environment for learning should be our goal, so based on student suggestions
we have gathered a list of ideas on how to continue growing a flourishing learning community starting with learning and teaching styles that could further enhance our CAC experience.
This also considers teacher student relationships. Just to quickly touch on this, students want teachers that are calm and relaxed at times because they find:
“its easier to learn without much pressure on you, so a good connection with the teacher does impact your learning” And
“being able to talk to the teacher comfortably versus being scared to ask a question because I have a poor connection with them”
As far as classroom activities go, these are our most prominent suggestions:
Junior Secondary Students: “Split up into groups based on learning abilities so you get taught properly”
“After a topic has been taught once allow the students who understand to continue on with the work and the ones that don’t go into a small group with the teacher as to not disturb the others.”
“Kahoot and gimkit because it’s a more interesting way to learn”
“I like the activities that we do as partners or groups because you are able to collaborate and share you ideas with your peers”
“30-second brain bash in Maths”
“Give students a choice about how they learn or have a balance between options.”
Senior Secondary Students: “More group work would be nice, as in some cases the teacher shuts down conversations, regardless of if it is related to the work or involves helping a fellow student.”
“Work more in groups or partners because we talk more and are able to explain it to each other, which helps us learn better.”
”Tasks that can be done with either peers or can be done alone when someone either gets stuck or not.”
“Each week have mini quizzes so we know what we need to study”
This quick snapshot captures the most frequented suggestions regarding:
• Collaborative activities like class discussions, group projects, friendly debates, four corners and research/inquiry tasks.
• Visual based learning utilising the whiteboard walls and desks more often, poster making, brainstorming, mind maps
• Brain breaks to help maintain focus during long double periods
• Having a variety of individual, group, pair and classroom work where this may look like dividing a period or double in half and doing half quiet and the other group based.
Our main take away is that students want to have flexible learning styles within their lessons and this would ultimately benefit their studies because, by designing lesson plans to include a few of the ideas just mentioned, we can better fulfil the needs of our students which would improve focus, engagement and productivity.
As well as enabling students to get to know others better, especially in
an academic sense, we believe it is important to implement the common theme of collaboration (that was frequent among all respondents) as the applications of this learning style has advantages far beyond the classroom walls. For example, working in our future career paths, in a team or project.
So how can you as a teacher make a difference in your student’s academic growth?
We ask you to take time to reflect on the message we have given today. Our challenge for each of you as teachers is to choose at least one new idea to trial in your classroom this term. Maybe you could have a fortnightly Kahoot revising old content to help improve the long-term memory of core content or, initiate class discussions once a week to allow students more collaboration and sharing of ideas or maybe a five minute brain break to maintain focus in double periods. We are not trying to change and force a different teaching style upon you, but we are looking to further improve the way students learn and the way they feel about Coomera Anglican College.
You ask us to be brave so now it’s your turn, it’s ok if you fail, it’s ok if things don’t go to plan, all we ask is that you try. Try and do something that you wouldn’t normally do and see what happens. If we could easily incorporate a video and collaborative discussion within only 15 minutes then there is endless opportunity for you all.
And, as with any homework or assignment you like to give out, we will be coming back at the end of the year to reflect on your approach to our challenge and the impact it made not only you but your students. So there is no escaping it.
Coomera Anglican College’s own Emerald Brewer is assisting to change the lives of young people who are at-risk or high-risk across the Gold Coast. In particular, Emerald works closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders families
Emerald attended the College from 1999 to 2008 where she excelled in visual arts, soccer, and basketball. Since leaving the College Emerald became a mum to four beautiful children and completed her Bachelor of Social Science and is now completing her Masters in Secondary Teaching (English & Humanities).
While studying Emerald started working as with high-risk juveniles for both Youth Justice and in the Youth sector in the Brisbane City Watch House. From this she started working for child safety specifically with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families under every level of intervention which then led her to be a Team Leader for a pilot project by the Queensland Government. The Finding Kin project aims to try to find kin and support young people to transition from the
residential space back to kin/community. So far, Emerald has transitioned 16 children, nine of those being Indigenous children.
Working within this area grew her passion in life to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to reengage back onto a steady/ supported pathway and effectively change their outcome and quality of life for the better. Although in a short period of time Emerald has changed many lives for the better, there is no slowing down, with aspirations to become a Practice Leader for the South-East Gold Coast region within child safety or to eventually work in remote communities as a teacher or guidance counsellor.
For Emerald there is no slowing down, with aspirations to become Practice Leader...
Madeleine Green is a highly accomplished professional with a passion for heritage and museum studies. Since graduating from Coomera Anglican College in 2008, Madeleine has gone on to achieve great things in her academic and professional life. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology at the University of Queensland, followed by a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Archaeology, a Graduate Certificate in Heritage Management, and a Master of Museum Studies. Currently, she is working on her PhD in Archaeology and Paleoanthropology at the Australian National University.
Madeleine has worked extensively as an archaeologist at UNESCO World Heritage Sites and as an outreach educator and associate lecturer at various universities. She now works in museums and is passionate about using digital technologies to enhance public access to collections and create more engaging exhibition experiences. Madeleine has worked with the Supreme Court Library Queensland as their museum curator, and now works for the Logan City Council coordinating daily operations at the heritage listed Mayes Cottage House Museum.
Chris Knott is a seasoned professional who is currently serving at Queensland Government’s Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning. He is a valuable member of the team, where he offers advice on major infrastructure proposals during their planning and development stages.
Chris completed his secondary education at Coomera Anglican College, where he served as the College Captain in 2010. He then pursued his undergraduate studies, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bond University. Since then, he has continued his education and pursued postgraduate studies at other institutions.
Chris credits the humanities department at Coomera Anglican College for equipping him with the essential skills required for both his academic and professional life.
Chris is an active member of the College’s Past Students Association and enjoys staying connected with the College. He is passionate about giving back to the community and has been involved in different activities over the years.
Bridie Hunt is a passionate young professional in the arts and education. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Drama) and a Master of Teaching (Secondary) from QUT. Recently, Bridie fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a Secondary Drama, Dance, and Visual Arts teacher. She attributes her love for the Arts to the positive and nurturing classroom environments she experienced at the College.
Nathan Coombridge, 2009 graduate of Coomera Anglican College, is currently working as an E-commerce Manager at Global Footcare. After completing his double degree in Law and Business at Bond University, Nathan ventured into the corporate world and has since excelled in his role. Alongside his professional endeavours, he also maintains his fitness as a hobby.
During his time at Coomera Anglican College, Nathan was the College Captain in 2009. He fondly remembers the school culture, which fostered good relationships among peers, offered great co-curricular activities, and had excellent teachers and learning environments.
Nathan attributes much of his success to the fundamentals and approach to learning that he learned at Coomera Anglican College. As College Captain, Nathan gained significant self-confidence that he believes helped him achieve his goals. Nathan is grateful for the opportunities and experiences he had at Coomera Anglican College and the role it played in shaping his future.
Megan Moore, 2002 Graduate and past College Captain of Coomera Anglican College is one of the first Alumni to have children attend to the College. With two students now in Year 5 and Year 2, Megan is an active member of the Coomera Anglican College Community. Megan also spoke at Dr Sly’s Farewell Soriee with fellow Captain Shem Aitken.
MIND HEART SOUL STRENGTH
