St Andrews STAR Issue 4, 2013 web

Semper Fidelis

Volume 7

Issue 4

December

Celebrating 20 years 2013

2013

‘ Celebrating 20 Years of Excellence in Christian Education’

ST ANDREWS LUTHERAN COLLEGE A 175 Tallebudgera Creek Road, Tallebudgera PO Box 2142, Burleigh BC QLD 4220 P (07) 5568 5900 F (07) 5568 5999 E office@salc.qld.edu.au W www.standrewslutheran.qld.edu.au

A co-educational P-12 College owned and operated by The Lutheran Church of Australia

An Authorised IB World School Implementing PYP Program

STAR FEATURES

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CHAPLAINS CHAT 2 PRINCIPALS PEN 3 CHRISTMAS SERVICE 4 TEDDY BEARS PICNIC 5 YEAR 1 & YEAR 2 SWIMMING 6 JUNIOR SCHOOL CHESS CLUB 7 ST ANDREWS KIDS CLUB 8 YEAR 6 GRADUATION DINNER 9 YEAR 6 PYP EXHIBITION 10-11 CONFIRMATION SERVICE 12 YEAR 7 CANBERRA TRIP 13 PERFORMING ARTS REFLECTION 14-15 PRESENTATION NIGHT 16 SPORTS AWARDS NIGHT 17 STATE TOUCH TITLES 18 STATE BASKETBALL 18 WOMEN IN SPORT BREAKFAST 19 PINK RIBBON MORNING TEA 19 VISUAL ARTS REFLECTION 20-21 CELEBRATING ST ANDREWS STAFF 22 BEYOND THE EDGE 23 YEAR 12 FORMAL 24 P-12 BREAKFAST 25 VALEDICTORY DINNER 26 YEAR 12 FINAL CHAPEL 27 P&F REFLECTIONS 28

CHAPLAINS CHAT What a privilege it is to come to work each day at St Andrews. Our College has been proclaiming Christ to all who have come through the doors of the school for 20 years. We have of course, also assisted every student in their academic, physical and emotional development too, but the spiritual presence of Christ within our community is the special element that has shaped and informed the educative process of our College over the past 20 years.

Lutheran schools are unashamedly Christian and this impacts all facets of life within St Andrews. God urges us on to be the very best we can be in every part of our life. Each of us is gifted by Him with different and varied abilities and it is an offense to Him if we sit back idly and let these abilities go to waste. At the same time though, we are not to be so engrossed in our own activities that we forget where these gifts came from and who we are to use them for. It is clear that our striving for excellence is so that we may serve others with our talents and honour God through our achievements.

As a school we would be failing our students if we did not encourage them to pursue excellence – that is, seeking their personal best. Similarly, we would be failing our students if we did not present the ultimate importance of the Gospel. That is, our acceptability to God is not based on our performance but rather on his free gift to us in Christ. All human beings fall short of their “personal best” because of their self-centeredness, which Christians understand as sin. God deals with this though, through the love and forgiveness found in Christ’s life, death and resurrection. This is the true hallmark of a Lutheran school and we always endeavor to enact this in our school life.

We celebrate 20 years of pursuing excellence but more importantly, we celebrate 20 years of God’s graciousness towards all that happens in the St Andrews community.

May He continue to shine brightly in all that happens in the years ahead.

Graeme Schache

PRINCIPALS PEN It’s hard to believe that 20 years ago, in January 1993 St Andrews Lutheran College, headed by Foundation Principal, Mr Wolf Stuetzel, opened its’ doors for the very first time to 52 students and a handful of staff.

After nearly a decade of planning by members of the local Lutheran Churches, the dream of a Lutheran School providing high quality Christian Education was finally a reality. Most of us will never know the hundreds of volunteer hours, the countless committee meetings (Lutheran’s love a good committee), the debates, the heartaches, the sacrifices, the setbacks, and the struggles those early pioneers of our College faced. The reality is St Andrews was never supposed to be. It faced opposition from many different quarters. The demographics of the area didn’t support a private school. It was in the middle of nowhere. The finances of running an Independent School didn’t add up. And the land, well, who builds a school on the side of the hill? Despite this, the founders of St Andrews persevered, showed tremendous courage, made enormous personal sacrifices, and held firm to the vision of a Lutheran School serving and educating the children of families at the southern end of the Gold Coast.

In all of this, the College’s founders maintained their faith in God, and their faith in the need for, and value of, an excellent Education in a Christian context. Their faith was rewarded in the birth of a school, St Andrews Lutheran College, a learning community, that has for the past 20 years, remained true to its Mission of ‘Celebrating the Gospel; Nurturing the Individual; Empowering Lifelong Learners’.

Our theme for our 20th Anniversary year has been ‘Foundations of Faith, Footprints for the Future’. St Andrews has indeed built strong foundations over the past 20 years, and it is fitting that we acknowledge and celebrate them; but we have been doing this, with one eye fixed firmly on the future. In order to continue to provide the very best education possible for the children and young people of St Andrews in the second half of the year the College has been charting its course for the future.

participation, challenge, and growth’.

The culture of a school is critical. Our Strategic Intent makes it very explicit that St Andrews, true to the wishes of its founders, be a community where people feel a strong sense of belonging and connectedness. The College will be intentional in its’ striving to build a culture based on the quest for excellence, mutual care and support, service and others-centredness, and embracing ’where everyone is someone’.

Developing and maintaining facilities, resources and infrastructure that supports this vision is critical. To this end, the College Council have approved two major capital projects in 2014 - the construction of a 3 unit Kindergarten over-looking the Junior School Oval, In keeping with our approach of educating the whole and the Lower CRC project. The lower CRC project will child, our Strategic Theme for the next four years is involve the construction of a Flexible Learning Space, ‘Educating Hearts, Minds and Hands’. In pursuing this the consolidated Student Services, Learning Laboratories and ‘Academic Imperative’ of enhancing student learning will a new Tuckshop with indoor/outdoor eating areas. This remain our core business. The introduction of a world class project will also enable the refurbishment of G Block teaching and learning framework, known as Dimensions to create classrooms for the Years 9 and 10 in their core of Learning, into the secondary school to complement subjects, and in doing so create greater synergy between the PYP in the Junior School; the use of technology to aid Learning Spaces, Pedagogy, and Student Learning. The learning, and an ongoing focus on developing the capacity ongoing beautification of what is an already attractive of teachers, the single most important determinant of campus remains a priority in the coming years. learning outcomes, lies at the heart of this.

Most importantly, College Council has reaffirmed its Care for each child, through enhancing our Pastoral strong commitment to continuing to develop St Andrews Care systems and structures is an important aspect of as a Christ-centred Learning Community. It is this Gospelour approach to developing a community ‘where every centred approach that makes St Andrews the school and child matters, everyday’. The further rolling out and community it is, and the school and community it will be embedding of Positive Education, based on Positive in the future.

Psychology, to proactively build student well-being, With strong ‘Foundations of Faith’ and clear ‘Footprints resilience and emotional intelligence will be a corner for the Future’ St Andrews has much to be thankful for stone of our Pastoral Care Program. It is my hope that by over the past 20 years; much to celebrate with so many this time next year, every member of our community will wonderful achievements in our community in 2013; and know what the acronym of PERMA (Positive Emotion, we can look forward with hope to the years ahead, for as Engagement, Meaning & Purpose, Positive Relationships we are told in the Old Testament book of Jeremiah: ‘For and Accomplishments) is and how it is used to build and I know the plans I have for you’, says the Lord, ‘Plans to strengthen Wellbeing. prosper you and not to harm you …. plans to give you Continuing to enhance our co-curricular offerings in hope and a future’.

Sport, the Arts, Service Learning, Student Leadership and Enjoy this edition of STAR Magazine.

Intramural Activities is another key intent of the College to be a place where children can experience ‘opportunity, Tim Kotzur Principal 3

P-11 CHRISTMAS SERVICE “Frosty (Henry) the snow man……”

“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, Just like the one I used to know…..” “the kookaburra laughs ……. All for the birth of God.” “do you hear what I hear…”

No matter where we live, North or South, hot or cold, young or old we all have different takes and experiences of what is important at Christmas. Something happened in an obscure corner of Palestine that has changed the course of history and has an effect on our lives. Even if it is only a fleeting moment at Christmas that we are more

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loving, considerate, compassionate and less focused on ourselves – Christmas makes a positive difference. The coming of Jesus was not to give us a few good moments once a year, but to make a difference 24/7, to make us alive to love and joy and peace.

At the whole College Christmas worship this transformation was evident in the creative take in the “Henry the Snowman” story told by 3D and written by Dylan Franklin-Platt and in the imaginative recasting of the Christmas story by his sister Aimee. Year 12 student Samantha Granatelli returned to sing at this service in which the Semitones and the Year 9 boys also sang.

One of the really good things about St Andrews is the cooperation and mutual support that goes into making this kind of event a success.

The Christmas Service concluded with the commissioning of the Service Learning Team who left the next day for Cambodia. We prayed that they would be safe and with the singing of “This Little Light of Mine” that they in fact would have opportunity for useful service of the communities they are visiting.

Pastor Terry Unger

WELCOMING NEW PREPS Our annual Teddy Bears’ Picnic, held in early November for the following year’s new Preppies and their families, has become one of our wonderful traditions at St Andrews.

It is yet another example of how our College community works together to make our families feel welcome and extra special.

Then there is a wonderful morning tea, complete with individually wrapped teddy bear biscuits. All too soon it is time to go home, but the anticipation of a wonderful year in Prep has been firmly embedded in the minds of the children and their parents. We look forward to welcoming them all back to Prep in the new year.

It is always an exciting morning as the children arrive, Joy Schloss eager to visit their new classrooms and join in a range of teddy bear activities as they get to know some new friends and meet their teachers.

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TAKING THE PLUNGE In Week 8 our courageous Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 students participated in an intensive swimming program at the Miami Pool. This highlight of our Term 4 PSPE program saw the excited students travelling to the Miami Pool on four out of five days in Week 8. The program focused on improving swimming confidence and skills along with a water safety component.

Each day every student had a small group lesson with a fantastic swim coach and the benefits of this ratio of

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instruction and quality of teaching were clearly visible in the achievement and progress made. Every parent filled out a survey prior to the commencement of the program to ensure their child was placed in a group where lessons were targeted to their individual level of swimming.

The smiles on the faces of the students were a great testament to how much fun was had by all. This was clearly an excellent program and with some outstanding leaps or ‘splashes’ made by the youngest students of St Andrews.

ST ANDREWS CHECKMATE On the 23rd October, 15 students from the St Andrews Chess Club took part in the Gold Coast Individual Age Championships at Emmanuel College. The players experienced varying degrees of success but all players managed to take out several of their opponents throughout the day.

Two of the outstanding performances for the day were achieved by Aiden Campbell in the 2003 age division and Ethan Chant in the 2004 age group. Both boys were in contention for the overall win but were just pipped at the post.

However, 5 wins out of 7 saw both students finish inside the top ten – Well done Boys! Thanks to all of the players who represented the College with pride. We look forward to many more commendable achievements in 2014.

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KIDS CLUB FUN

What do you like about kids Club?

Kid’s Club is a St Andrews Congregation activity that has been ministering to Years 4-6 students of the College and the wider community for nearly ten years. It was one of Pastor Peter Bowmer’s initiatives as he changed roles from College Chaplain to Congregational Pastor.

It has always been an activity based time where the children are encouraged to: 1. Have Fun 2. Look after each other 3. Connect with God and his love for us.

We always endeavor to do this through sharing a specific Bible story, participating in activities based around the story and sharing a meal together. Our activities range from traditional ‘party games’ like Murder in the Dark through to craft, cooking, team problem solving and anything else that is fun and helps the kids connect with the Bible story and God’s love and care.

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Abbey: n with ve a lot of fu a h to t e g e “W our friends”

Over the past years it has always run on the 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th Friday of term from 6 - 7.30pm. The Congregation is very appreciative of the support the College has provided to the activity and we look forward to it continuing to be an integral part of the connection between Congregation and College.

Joanne Schache St Andrews Congregation Family Ministries Coordinator

Emily: something s y a lw a is re “The ing on” interesting go

Skylar: “Bible stories”

RITE OF PASSAGE In 2007, the Gold Coast Titans were preparing to play their first game, Silverchair’s Straight Lines was the number one song in the country, Shrek the 3rd was one of the most popular films and the graduating Year 6 class were beginning their first year of formal education in Prep. The Year 6 Graduation Dinner is an important step in a child’s journey, a rite of passage you might say as they celebrate the years they had in the Junior School and look forward to the years ahead in the Middle and Senior School.

The students had a great night eating a formal meal, being involved in a presentation and then letting down their hair and grooving on the dance floor. A big thank you to the very supportive parents who worked tirelessly to make this evening a truly memorable night out for the children. Everything sparkled!

Darrin Schumacher Head of Junior School

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YEAR 6 SHARING THE PLANET One of the major aims for the exhibition is for the students to have the opportunity to engage in an indepth, collaborative inquiry that demonstrates their independence and responsibility for their own learning.

They are also asked to take action as a result of this learning. The transdisciplinary theme on which the exhibition was based this year was “Sharing the planet�.

This is an Inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and other living things; communities and the relationship within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

The students conducted inquiries into child labour, discrimination, poverty, child soldiers and many other challenging topics. Through their research the students were able to gain an in depth understanding of their chosen topic and then take real action as a result of this knowledge. The exhibition night is an opportunity to show case their hard work. The students did a fantastic job and were able to describe their topics in great detail and with a level of depth that appeared to go beyond their years. The students are to be congratulated for their caring attitude towards others who don’t have as much as we do.

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CONFIRMATION SERVICE Throughout the year Mitchell Dunn, Caleb Friebel, Jack Schumacher, Abbey Schumacher, Kayne Jestrimski, Trinity Howard and Izak Schache all participated in confirmation lessons before their first communion.

The students studied the reasons why we take communion and explored their own Christian beliefs. They were all

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confirmed on Sunday the 27th October in a Service at St Andrews Lutheran Church. Each student was asked to prepare a faith statement and recite the Apostles Creed in front of the Church congregation and then they took their first communion supported by their family members.

EXPLORING THE NATION’S CAPITAL The final week of Term 3 saw the annual migration of Year 7 students to the Nation’s capital. With the aftermath of a government-changing federal election still fresh it was an ideal time to view many of the elements of Australia’s systems of government. Following a term’s study on the history of democracy students visited both the ‘new’ Parliament House as well as the ‘old’ to gain valuable insight into the running of our country. Many other attractions were visited in the first few days although the undoubted highlight for the majority of our students was the Australian War Memorial with many students seeking out relatives’ names on the Roll of Honour.

The second half of the week saw the cohort up in the cooler climate of Cooma with a day spent at Perisher Valley enjoying the freezing temperatures and the delights of fresh snow falls before stopping to examine the development of The Snowy Hydro Scheme and its importance on the growth of the Australian psyche.

Enormous thanks must go to Mrs Karen Hamilton for her organisation of the trip and to the attending staff for their boundless energy and enthusiasm so far from home.

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THE YEAR OF 2013 IN THE ARTS

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A NIGHT FOR REFLECTION Presentation Night is always a special night in the College calendar and a wonderful celebration of all that has been achieved during the past 12 months. The theme, ‘Foundations of Faith – Footprints for the Future’ was an apt one for our 20th anniversary year. During the evening as a College Community we had the opportunity to reflect on the hard work, dedication and sacrifices that the College founders made to get St Andrews up and running. We also had the opportunity to look forward confidently to the future, with the announcement of some key strategic initiatives that will take the College forward in the coming years. The College Founders would have certainly been very proud of what St Andrews has become judging by the many significant student achievements of the past 12 months, and the excellence in student academic, musical, cultural and sporting achievement evident on the night.

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The Year 12 farewell ceremony, now a St Andrews tradition, at the conclusion of the evening was both touching and moving, and a fitting occasion to acknowledge them for their contribution to St Andrews.

Just as previous graduating classes have left their mark on the College, so has the class of 2013. St Andrews is what it is today because of the gifts and talents that each member of our community - past and present brings to the College.

There is both a piece of our founders and a piece of our graduates 20 years later in St Andrews - and it is this, people and their gifts which helps to make our community such a special one.

CELEBRATING OUR HIGH ACHIEVERS On Monday the 18th November the Annual Sports Awards evening was held in the Ruth Butler Theatre. The evening was a celebration of St Andrews high achievers and the sporting pathways being followed by some present and some past students. The evening followed this year’s College theme of “Foundations of Faith – Footprints for the Future.”

it prepared her to balance a successful sporting life whilst studying at University.

We celebrated the success of present students such as Photographer, Oliver Waddingham and Surfer, Luke Hynd who graduated this year. We were also treated to an excellent presentation from past student JK Faulkner who has continued to achieve great success since graduating in 2010. Past student Jamie Stanton, who graduated in 2012, was a recipient of a Soccer scholarship in the USA and kindly Skyped us all the way from Kentucky to speak of the great foundations she made at the College and how

It was great to see so many students and their families attend the evening to help celebrate another great year in sport at St Andrews. Congratulations to all of our award recipients and we look forward to continued success in 2014.

This year saw the introduction of a new award, the Griffith Sports Award which saw Kane Richards receive a medallion, certificate and $200 from Griffith University Sports Program.

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STATE TOUCH TITLES This year the College competed in the SQBD titles [2 x 13 Mixed, 15 Boys, 15 Girls, Open Mixed], Secondary All Schools State Championships (13 Mixed, 15 Girls, Open Mixed) and Primary All Schools State Championships (2 x 12 mixed teams).

All teams showed a great deal of commitment that went to the State championships. The 13 mixed team was most successful just missing out on finals day. All teams won games and were competitive in all games played. They represented the College well.

STATE BASKETBALL TITLES The College entered a team in the state’s annual Champion Basketball School of Queensland Tournament.

This year the tournament was hosted by the Logan region with the majority of our games at the Beenleigh Arena, from Thursday 19 September through to Sunday 22 September.

We managed to finish the tournament with 3 wins and 4 losses, a very good result considering that for the majority of the team it was their first experience at playing in organised basketball games with referees and an operational scoreboard. In the final placings for the Division 3 teams, we ended up in 12th position, something to be proud of and to build on in the future.

Results: Game 1: St Andrews (78) v Southern Cross Catholic College (25) Game 2: St Andrews (65) v Riverside Christian College (46) Game 3: St Andrews (62) v Downlands College (58) Game 4: St Andrews (50) v Northside Christian College (70) Game 5: St Andrews (56) v Marymount College (63) Game 6: St Andrews (46) v Windaroo Valley SHS (76) Game 7: St Andrews (52) v Mackay Christian College (67) A huge thank you to Ms Sharon Fowler, Mr Kotzur and Mr Hibbs for doing scorebench duties for our games.

The team consisted of the following students:

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Tobin Birmingham, Harry Clancy, Connor Dougherty, Mackenzie Edwards, Lachlan Evans, Max Gray, Hayden Hoskins, Sam Jarrett, Zach Thomson-Smith, & Sam Walsh.

Shane Edwards Basketball Coach

RECOGNISING WOMEN IN SPORT The ACHPER Women in Sport Breakfast is an annual event held to inspire and celebrate the success of women in sport. A range of female athletes across a variety of sports had the opportunity to represent St Andrews this year. Not only were the girls treated to breakfast at the Brisbane Convention Centre, but also had the opportunity to be inspired by 3 professional female athletes who provided insight on how they juggle the demands of an elite athlete, study, work and even a social life. This year the guest speakers were Australian representatives Jess Hall (Rowing), Jo Barrett (Rugby League) and Jodie Fields (Cricket); all with a wealth of knowledge and commitment showing how perseverance, determination, resilience and passion can all lead to a successful sporting career.

Breakfast Participants Ashleigh Blake Morgan Atkins Ashleigh Kemp Carly Desfosses Chelsea Blockey Natalie Roberts Yasmin Morrison Chelsea Hackett

PINK RIBBON MORNING TEA Breast Cancer Foundation. The P & F hopes to host a At the start of this year’s Pink Ribbon Morning Tea, a similar event next year for even more ladies from the collection of market stalls lined the COLA and the 60 College to enjoy. ladies who attended, members of staff and the Senior girls enjoyed finding treasures aplenty. Guests enjoyed a glass of Sirromet “Love” and a Pink decorated Ruth Butler Theatre while they indulged in a scrumptious morning tea, provided by Subway Coolangatta and Fentons Coolangatta Bakery. A number of talented music students performed throughout the event and a fashion parade also provided more entertainment as did the MC’s for the day Karen Martin and Sandy Gooley. However, the most inspirational highlight came from our two guest speakers, our intrepid and brave crossing lady, Charmaine and a confident and passionate former student Isabella, who shared with us their very personal experiences with breast cancer.

It was a great morning. Thank you to everyone who supported the event as well as those who helped with the organisation leading up. In particular, thanks to Michelle Brown, Karen English, Sharon McVay, Krissie Butler, Jane Chant, Karen Martin and Sandy Gooley, Nicole Ainger and Julieanne Andrews. $1,000 was raised for the National

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VISUAL ARTS WRAP UP Year 12 Visual Art Graduating Exhibition - FLUX On Friday the 1st November, the Year 12 Graduating Visual Art Exhibition Flux was opened at the Kirra Hill Community and Cultural Centre. The work represented the culmination of for some students, 6 years of Visual Art study. The media areas that students engaged with were many and varied from film, to collage, mixed media, photography, sculpture amongst others. Students also considered many different concepts in the production of these works, from fear of the future, to fear of losing one’s mind; to the power of nature and the question of gender equality. The Year 12 visual artists have to research, develop, resolve and then reflect on their own focus within two distinct bodies of work. They also need to write about artwork and artists who inspire them and create work based around similar themes. The Graduating Exhibition is a highlight as it allows these students to showcase their artwork to a wider audience, giving them a taste of putting together an exhibition and putting themselves ‘out there’….which can be a daunting proposition for some, to take their work from the safety of the artroom to the world.

to tiny inukshuks made out of rocks, the students used the available materials to create artworks that provoked interest from the passing public and much comment amongst themselves. It is imperative in the Senior School Art class that students are able to discuss their own and each other’s work in a supportive environment, and that students are not afraid to comment or ask questions about the work of their peers. This enables students to learn new ways of thinking and creating, and fosters an atmosphere of collegiality and mutual respect. Although the day was cut short due to an impending thunderstorm, the students then used their own time to complete the activities at a variety of different venues, showing initiative and commitment. Congratulations to the Year 11 students on producing a wide range of successful land artworks.

Thanks to Miss Stewart for coming along and joining in the fun!

CAPTURE AWARDS 2013 The Gold Coast Bulletin annual TXT4U Capture Photography Awards were held in October. Once again our students scooped the prize pool. Congratulations to Jarrod Congratulations to the Graduating Visual Artists of 2013.

Yates, Kye Wylde, Luke Workman, Oliver Waddingham, Well done!

Nicole Richards, Alexandra Murray, Marcus Kalman, Emma Gibson and Gene Huang for their stunning entries.

Thankyou to Mrs Nicole Howell for organising the catering And the winners are: for the opening night, and also for assisting with hanging Kye Wylde - Finalist - Sports Action category the exhibition. Thanks also to Kerry Spence for her work in Nicole Richards - Finalist - Manipulated category hanging and dehanging the exhibition.

Oliver Waddingham - Finalist - Photojournalism category Development Award for young Photographers who show Year 11 Fingal Excursion outstanding potential - Marcus Kalman On Friday the 18th October the Year 11 visual artists set Capture Outstanding Achievement Award 2013 - Kye off for the annual Fingal adventure. This day enables Wylde students to work in the style of Andy Goldsworthy, Creative Industries Gold Coast Industry Award - for Christo, Robert Smithson and a range of historical and the student whose work is most professional - Oliver cultural artists, and work within the scape, using materials Waddingham found in the environment. The Year 11s persevered through driving rain to produce work that reflected Well done and keep a look out for this great competition the concept of Places and Spaces in our environment. in 2014. Get clicking!

From wrapped trees to drawn umbrellas in the sand,

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CELEBRATING ST ANDREWS WONDERFUL STAFF “Teachers affect eternity; they can never know where their influence stops.”

Since its inception St Andrews has been blessed with dedicated and committed teachers and staff. The College In October every year schools around Australia celebrate and its students have been and are fortunate to have World Teachers Day. World Teachers Day is a time to teachers who value high quality learning outcomes, acknowledge those who teach in our College and thank a values-based education, pastoral care that goes the them for what they do. At St Andrews this term we extra mile, a sense of community, a sense of service, a celebrated and recognized our teachers and staff with commitment to valuing the learner as a whole person, a special morning tea. Student Leaders also delivered and a desire to help children and young people grow and handwritten notes to staff thanking them for their efforts. develop.

Parents also had the opportunity to recognize the wonderful work that our staff do by nominating them for a National Excellence in Teaching Award (NEiTA). This year, 8 St Andrews staff members were nominated - an amazing recognition of our staff by our community. Staff nominated for a NEiTA Award were: Greg Arnold, Michelle Atkins, Julia Boulton, Phil Buddee, Stacey Goodridge, Susan Ridley, Vicki Stehn and Helle Walsh.

Another way that the College recognizes and affirms its staff is through a termly award known as the ‘Principals Award’. There are 5-6 Principals Award given each term.

The Principal Award aims to recognize St Andrews staff who 1.

Continually and consistently go above and beyond what is normally expected of a St Andrews Staff member; and/or 2.

Make an outstanding contribution to College life in one or more areas; and/or 3.

Consistently display excellence in their work; and/or 4.

Develop and implement an innovation or program that enhances the learning and well-being of students; and/or 5.

Epitomize what it means to be a member of the St Andrews Lutheran College community.

In 2013 the following staff were recognized with Principal’s Awards (table right)

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Teaching is truly a noble profession. The former Governor General, Michael Jeffery shortly before his retirement stated that ‘there is no other profession which so comprehensively informs the mind and develops the character of young people’. Teachers have the capacity to touch and change the lives of young people for the better, not only for today, but for the rest of their lives.

At St Andrews we give thanks for our teachers and staff and for all the gifts and talents that they bring to the College, and pray that they will continue to find satisfaction and meaning in the important work that they do.

Prep – Year 3 Year 4 – Year 6 Year 7 – Year 9 Year 10 – Year 12 Prep – Year 12 Prep – Year 12

Term 1 Gloria Chan Lyn Gibson Paul McGilveray Suzanne Barclay Janette Jestrimski

Term 2 Chrystal Fuller Michelle Atkins Rachel Hancock Alli Craig-Ward Kerry Bahr Nick Hancock

Term 3 Catherine Walker Kerryn Browne Rebekah Hill Adam Maessen Paul Hampshire Cilla Scott

Term 4 Louise Thorpe Michelle Pratt Katie Castles Ngaire Harman Graeme Schache Margaret Moore

BEYOND THE COMFORT ZONE If I asked you to show me, I don’t think you could. As a matter of fact, you might not even know where ‘exactly’ it is… What I am talking about is the boundary – the one that exists between being inside or outside your ‘comfort zone’. For the most part, it is intangible – and often more about the psychological than the physical. For the Year 9 boys and girls who attended “The Edge” program this year, the experience is about pushing past that undefined boundary; to learn to rely almost exclusively on themselves and each other.

The whole experience is a bit like waking up in a strange hotel. There is excitement and eagerness about being away from home, but uneasiness about being in a foreign place. During the day, it’s easy to negotiate the room.

“The Edge” is like feeling the wall in the night to find the light switch that you know is there, somewhere. We search for it with open hands, brailing the walls in hope the light is not far, and that we are even going in the right direction… We are lucky if we can avoid stubbing our feet on the furniture, or falling over in the unfamiliar surroundings. And yet – we get there. The light switch, eventually, is found. The moment the light shines, there is relief – which is how most students feel finally arriving at the Googa camp itself after weeks, months, for some years, of anticipation.

The four week ‘Edge’ experience is a rite of passage for Year 9s as they leave the comfort and security of being the top dogs in Middle School to the young pups of the Senior School. The program is designed to foster independence and to empower students to trust themselves – their skills and their abilities – in a range of activities. Students engage in a week of community service, where they attend non - profit organizations and come to understand that their hands are for helping. For the next two weeks at Googa, the students are taught rope-tying and teamwork skills which help them to participate in pioneering, tree climbing, sugar gliding, and hiking. In their cabin dorms, students do chores involving making each other supper, doing dishes, washing their own clothes with a manual tub, chopping wood for the

stove, feeding the cows and chooks and weeding the garden. It’s not a boot camp, it’s real life. And it’s hard work. Students learn to sort through conflicts without parental involvement and to trust themselves and each other as they participate in the program events. The last week of ‘The Edge’ is dedicated to reflection and making mission statements that the students create detailing their experiences, strengths and future goals.

Before the students go to camp, there is often worry about being away from their comfort and security for almost two weeks, especially not having access to their mobile phones, computers and iPads – but by the end of Googa, they do not want to come home. They have forgotten about nail polish and the xbox. The comfort zone of home is an easy place to stay, but growth doesn’t happen in easy places. If you want the fruit, you have to go out on the limb. If you want to travel, you have to grope in the dark for the light switch. It’s uncomfortable, but necessary.

Our students come back from “the Edge” ready for Senior School. The cohort is stronger, confidence and hope abound, and the kids are happy. We know at last where the boundary is – that’s ‘The Edge’. The program moves students past its periphery into the future of Senior School that awaits their incredible shining lights.

Colleen Ijurco

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A NIGHT TO REMEMBER The arrivals on a windy Saturday afternoon began with a limousine and culminated with a motorised lounge, great stuff as our Year 12’s donned a different type of formal attire to enjoy their evening at the Royal Pines Resort. The class and elegance of our young graduates speak volumes about the success of the evening.

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The Year 12 Formal, at the beginning of Term Four, was where it really started to sink in for our Seniors that their time in the safe environment of St Andrews really was coming to an end.

A ST ANDREWS JOURNEY The final week of Year 12 began with a breakfast for those St Andrews students and their parents who had journeyed with us since Prep. From 2001 these 25 students had witnessed the growth and change of the College, as well as experiencing some pretty significant growth themselves. Kelly Glaister shared some memories of the thirteen years, and of significance, were experiences at camps, especially the bonds forged at Googa and Emu Gully. As Sam Walsh said afterwards, ‘Thank you to the College for organising the breakfast. It was great and the clock (a gift to our foundation students) was really appreciated’.

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CELEBRATING THE END OF AN ERA The Valedictory is where parents, staff and students come together to celebrate and mark the end of secondary education. The students receive their graduating certificate and College reference. However, it is also a time where many fond memories and words of wisdom are shared. In 2013 the College Vice-Captains, Shari-Lee White and Ryan Baldwin, staff member Mr Edwards and Year 12 parent, Mrs Carruthers spoke to the audience. A common message from all speakers was that it is important to

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develop strong relationships but also important to work hard, aim high and live life to its fullest. We can safely say that our Year 12’s of 2013 embody these ideals. Harry Veivers capped off the evening with a message of thanks to the parents for their sacrifices, taxi services, comfort and support over the last 13 years of education.

FAREWELL CLASS OF 2013 On Friday 15 November we said good-bye to The Class of 2013 at the Year 12 Final Chapel. We wish our graduating students the very best as they enter the next exciting phase, life after school. Hopefully, the messages and skills that have been imparted to our young people in their time at the College will see them through life’s journey, the up and downs and as B.B. King said ‘ the beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you’.

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ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR Well the year has come and gone very quick. As they say you haven’t been there till you have done a fete year but in the end it was a great event and a great result. Overall we have made some significant changes to the way the P&F operates with the handover of the Uniform Shop & Tuckshop for the College to operate. This has allowed us to focus on the future and is reflected in the new terms of reference being put forward. The change of the P&F levy to be a compulsory levy was done in consultation with the College Council to ensure this was not an extra fee for parents but a way for the P&F to have regular input into funding certain projects within the College.

The P&F has funded the following items over the last year • 4 new water bubblers • Shot-put & long jump areas • EBooks • Robotics Lego • Sound system upgrade to MPH • B Block toilet area upgrades • Student Services furniture • Bus shelter extension

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• • • • •

Year 12 common room area PYP Banners New guitar AFL posts Village green seats

All up the total donations for the year were $205,662.22.

Looking forward, we are considering a new covered grandstand for the top oval to seat approx 450 people and also assisting with the fit out of the new Tuckshop as our major projects.

It has been a great year and the P&F look forward to assisting the College in its future plans and developments.

Daniel Renneberg President