Msss bulletin 10 2015

Issue 10 / 19 June 2015

Middle/Senior School Bulletin

the opening chapel service that will be in the Worship Centre starting at 8.30am.

Middle & Senior School News Time flies when you are engaged in the process of learning!

As I write, I am astounded by how quickly Semester One has come to a close. By the time you read this bulletin, exams and tests will be finished, Year 10 students will have completed their week of work-experience, lockers and rooms will have been cleaned ready for a new start in July and your sons and daughters will be ready for a well-deserved break from their studies. In the busyness of modern life it is easy to get caught up in ‘what’s next’ and I hope the break gives you the opportunity to stop, reflect on your child’s progress and achievements and to take some time to live in the moment without the normal schedules and routines of College life.

Semester One reports will be posted home at the end of the first week of the holidays along with information regarding the start of Term Three. Please discuss this report with your child and help him/her to set goals for the start of Semester Two.

Parent Teacher interviews will be held on Wednesday 15 July (3.30pm–6.30pm) the first Wednesday of next term and students should attend with their parents where possible. These interviews are to be booked through the Parent Lounge and instructions will be sent home with your child’s report. Parent Lounge will be open for bookings on Wednesday 1 July and all interview appointments are booked by 12 noon on Friday 10 July.

The Years 7-12 Athletics Carnival will be held on Thursday 16 July (St Andrews Oval). Mr Manion will be looking for parents to help out at this event. Please contact him at andrewm@salc.qld.edu.au if you can assist.

Congratulations to our Year 7 Readers Cup team who won the Gold Coast Regional Readers Cup competition and will now progress to represent the College at the Queensland State Finals in September.

Over the break, our QISSN Netball team is competing in Brisbane and a number of students are attending the Ski Trip.

Many of the Kokoda teams who compete in the first weekend back are also training throughout the break. We pray for their safety, and that they have a wonderful experience.

Thank you to Ms Yeo and Mrs Roper who are travelling with the QISSN Netball Team; Mr Edwards, Mrs Craig-Ward and Mr Carter who are accompanying students on the Ski Trip; and to Mr Tanguy, Mr Maessen, Mr McGilveray, Mrs Myles, Mr Hancock, Mrs Atkins and Mr Ivett who are leading the Kokoda teams.

Staffing Updates Mrs Rebekah Hill returns from Long Service Leave in Term Three. Thank you to Ms Cindy Christie for her work with Mrs Hill’s classes this term. Mr Bob Grehan will remain on leave for the remainder of the year and Ms Audrey Woodhouse will continue to work with his classes. Mrs Marita Wilson will commence Maternity Leave from the start of Term Three and we are in the process of finding a suitable replacement for her Japanese classes. Mr Kotzur is also taking study leave at the start of next term and will be returning to the College at the end of August.

Thank you for your support throughout Semester One. I look forward to working with you as we continue to develop partnerships and relationships necessary to benefit your child’s learning experiences. May the holiday time ahead bring with it an opportunity for your family to relax and enjoy some quality time together. Have a happy and blessed mid-year break.

Looking Ahead Term Three starts on Monday 13 July for both Middle and Senior School students. Parents are welcome to attend

Virginia Warner Deputy Principal Head of Secondary School

Chaplains Chat

Middle School News

It is such a privilege to share God and his amazing activity with our community. Recently, we investigated modern day missionaries as a theme for Middle School worship and this brought to mind a gentleman called Don Richardson who worked with a tribe in Western Papua in the 1960s and 70s.

I was fortunate enough to have read his book called Peace Child as a young adult and it was this that led me back to investigate all that happened fifty years ago.

Debating In 2014 the College entered a team in the Gold Coast Secondary Schools Debating Competition and they progressed through to the semi-finals of the Competition.

This year there are three teams from the Middle School in the Competition and our Junior B Team has progressed through to the Quarter-Finals which will be held in late July.

An enormous congratulations should go out to all students involved in this wonderful activity and I encourage students across the Middle School to keep Debating on their radars for when sign-on occurs early in 2016 for the New Year.

The story is a truly remarkable testament to the manner in which God’s message of reconciliation through Christ is applicable to all people. Don, Carol and their 7 month old son, Stephen, arrived into the jungles of West Papua in 1962 to live amongst the Sawi people who were living as they had for thousands of years. The Sawi culture involved perpetual violence and treachery with the tribes about them which included cannibalism. They had not yet interacted in any way with the outside world.

Don Richardson set about living amongst them and learning their language. Upon being able to share the story of Jesus, he was horrified to find that the Sawi thought the hero of the Christian message was Judas because he was able to so cleverly betray Jesus. In their worldview, the greater the act of treachery a man could perform, the more value he was to his tribe. This, together with the constant fighting that continued, led Richardson to feel there was no way to bring God’s love, goodness and peace meaningfully to the Sawis.

But God knew otherwise. Over time Don came to learn of an ancient Sawi tradition whereby two tribes could make peace with each other if one warrior from each tribe was prepared to offer up a baby son to the other tribe to care for. As long as the two children remained alive and cared for, the peace was maintained.

Don Richardson was able to draw on this ancient custom to convey how God has made peace with all of creation through his very own peace child, Jesus. This began a beautiful transformation of the Sawi people. They changed from being a violent people to genuinely caring for those of their own but also for tribes they had traditionally fought with. The power of God’s love and forgiveness as experienced in Christ’s life, death and resurrection brought untold beauty into the lives of the Sawi and their neighbours.

Thankfully, our culture today is not as visibly violent as the Sawi but we still experience hurt and betrayal and just as Christ brought healing for their pain, he is able to do the same for us. What a beautiful fact to celebrate.

Graeme Schache Chaplain

Presenting Orals in Class It is an inevitable part of the schooling experience for students to feel a sense of anxiety and dread upon discovering that they are to present formally to their peers for an assessment.

I relish the opportunity to see students present their learning to their peers but acknowledge that it takes considerable effort for this to be done. In the Middle School we try to normalize these experiences as much as possible by featuring oral presentations throughout our curriculum; however, there still remains a time when students will feel the nerves associated with oral presentations. My advice to all students would be that the more prepared and organised they are for these presentations then there will be an associated alleviation of nerves – but that some anxiety is inescapable.

Students should take some comfort in the knowledge that every single time they get up to present actually makes it easier the next time. I look forward to being able to sit in on some presentations in the coming term.

I hope that all students have a wonderfully refreshing break and that they return to Term 3 energised and renewed.

Tom Casey Head of Middle School tomc@salc.qld.edu.au

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Senior School News Flourishing in the Senior School Next term we will be focusing on the Virtue of Temperance. This includes the Character Strengths of prudence, forgiveness, humility and self-control.

Our students in the Senior School will explore these Character Strengths and the Virtue associated with it. For example, exploring the importance of forgiving those who have done wrong and why that is beneficial not only for the wrongdoer but for the victim as well. To practice this we will work through the skill of offering an apology so that it is meaningful and healing. Another important aspect of forgiveness is also forgiveness of self or self-compassion. What are our instinctive reactions when we are payed a compliment or someone reviews our good points? Often the first thing that pops into our heads is a self-depracating comment or a focus on what we are not good at instead of sweeping up the compliment and basking in our accomplishments or positives. A part of flourishing includes the acceptance of our flaws and an understanding that failure, disappointment and conflict are just normal parts of life and the essential thing is how we cope with this. Lastly, self-control, such a difficult strength for an adolescent to master, will be an area in focus. Our students who consistently perform well and flourish both academically and socially have well-developed self-control or regulation. They realise that life is made up of ebbs and flows and that while at times it may be difficult and stressful, these times shall pass. The only productive alternatives when it is stressful are to dig deep, work hard, forgive or let go.

Congratulations to: • Jessica Palfreyman who represented Queensland in the Junior Ice Dance division in the Hollins Trophy in Sydney and placed second. She and her partner, in the pair’s competition had just moved to the junior division and performed above expectations to come second.

They qualified to represent Australia in international competitions later this year. For those of us who don’t know and can remember Ice Dance is what Torvill & Dean did.

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To Will Atkinson who placed 4th at the recent Regional Cross Country. The competition was tight and Will was only 200m behind the winner. He has qualified to represent the region at State.

The College Captains, Student Representative Council and Year 11 volunteers who ran a great afternoon for the Senior and Middle School students at Exo Day on the last day of school. Activities included a paper plane competition, big rope skipping, handball, fitness challenges, colouring in, board and card games, hair braiding and nails. Well done team.

The Leos who will be running their first external BBQ at Bunnings (Burleigh Waters) on the 6 & 7 July. So, if you need some plants or hardware drop by for a welldeserved drink or sausage on bread.

Reminders: • Over the holidays please ensure your child has a haircut, tidies up their uniform and shoes and comes back ready to set goals for Term 3 having read their report and planned how they can improve.

If you have any queries or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me on tanias@salc.qld.edu.au Tania Stewart Head of Senior School

Student Development Holiday Homework Rest and leisure are important, as these things have the potential to replenish the body and mind for productive learning and growth next semester. That said, using leisure time unproductively to simply sleep and watch television might be of very little benefit. We encourage students to keep regular sleep times, and to continue to maintain exercise and reading as part of their leisure time these holidays. At their final assembly, Senior School students were challenged with some holiday homework. In addition to family responsibilities, we asked students to focus on doing the following: 1. Try a new food – even better, research and prepare it.

2. Read a new book – even better, read a classic.

3. Meet a new person – see if you can identify their strengths.

4. Watch a new movie – again, seek out a classic and understand why it has such a status.

5. Experience a new sight – rainforests, dawn at the beach, sunset over Mt Tamborine are all good suggestions.

James Nelson Director of Student Development

Sport News AGCC Sport Semester 1 Our Semester 1 competition has concluded with 9 St Andrews teams winning Premierships. The players in these teams were presented with Team Sports Award medallions at a recent assembly. Congratulations to players and coaches from:

Students who perform very well on the day may then nominate for selection to attend the Hinterland District Carnival on 3 & 4 August. Nomination forms will be available on our Carnival Day. As with all District Trials and Carnivals, it is the students’ responsibility to submit nomination forms and then their application to attend will be considered.

Equestrian Mikayla Van Kampen competed at the Equestrian Queensland National Qualifying Event on the 6 & 7 June. She has now qualified to represent Queensland at the Nationals in Werribee, Melbourne in December.

Year 8 Soccer Year 10 RED Soccer Year 10 BLUE Soccer Year 11/12A BLUE Volleyball Year 9A BLUE Futsal Year 9B RED Futsal Year 10 Futsal Year 9/10A RED Tennis Year 9/10B WHITE Tennis The Most Valuable Player and Outstanding Commitment Certificates were also presented for each team. We look forward to another successful season of sport for our Years 7-11 in Semester 2.

Regional Cross Country St Andrews had 12 students represent the Hinterland District at the Regional Cross Country Championships at Runaway Bay on June 9. We now have 5 students who qualified for the South Coast Team to compete at the State Championships in July. Those students are: Lachlan Irvine – 1st Place 18 Years Ethan Read – 3rd Place 10 Years William Atkinson – 4th Place 16 Years Abbie Hawkins – 4th Place 15 Years Just missing out on South Coast selection but still achieving outstanding results were: Shelby Walter – 6th Place 12 Years Eboni Strickland – 7th Place 18 Years Lily Harvie – 20th Place 14 Years Hayley Wells – 20th Place 13 Years

Ice Skating Jessica Palfreyman has recently returned from a National Ice Skating competition in Sydney. She performed very well and came second, achieving enough points to be able to go and compete overseas at the end of the year.

Soccer We wish Tyran Sonter all the best as he competes at the Youdan Soccer Cup in the United Kingdom in Term 3.

Swimming Ieuan Watkins attended the Gold Coast Swimming Regional Awards presentation recently, where he received an award for the 2015 Age Champion for 13 year old boys.

Ieuan set new Regional Records in the following events at the Gold Coast Regional Short Course Championship for Boys’ 12 Years.

50m Freestyle 100m Freestyle 200m Freestyle 400m Freestyle

Athletics The Years 7-12 St Andrews Athletics Carnival will be held on the Top Oval on Thursday 16th July. Parents and Friends are very welcome to attend and support our students in the House Athletics Competition. More information will be circulated soon.

At the Gold Coast Regional Long Course Championships, Ieuan set new Regional Records in the 800m freestyle - boys 11-13 years and the 4 x 50m freestyle relay - boys 14 years and under.

Andrew Manion Head of Sport

Performing Arts News Gold Coast Eisteddfod Below are the session times for this year’s Gold Coast Eisteddfod. All groups will receive notes before the end of Term with further details.

NB: All sessions are at The Arts Centre Gold Coast.

JS Dance Troupe

Thursday 6 August 11am

MS Song & Dance Troupe Thursday 6 August 3.30pm MS Elite Dance Troupe

Thursday 6 August 6pm

Semitone Choir

Monday 10 August 9am

Golden Clef Choir

Wednesday 12 August 5.30pm

MS/SS Choir

Thursday 13 August 2pm

Combined Dance Troupe

Friday 14 August 8am/1pm/6pm Sessions

JS Concert Band

Monday 17 August 5.30pm

Mini Musos

Tuesday 18 August 5pm

Concert Band

Thursday 20 August 11am

Percussion Ensemble

Thursday 20 August 7pm

Jazz Band

Friday 21 August 8.30am

Congratulations Lily Fleming competed in the Murwillumbah Eisteddfod on Sunday. Results were 1st in Group Drama, 2nd in Group Devised, 1st in Duologue, 2nd in Individual Drama and she also received the “Most Promising Performer 13 Years” Award.

Yr 10 Artist in Residence Performance This week our Year 10s performed their Cinematic Production of The Judgement of Paris.

Having Markwell Presents work with the class was a wonderful experience and the students were able to experience green screen technology and the experience of working across both stage and screen.

Cilla Scott Head of Arts

Dates to Remember - July Monday 13 Term 3 commences for all students and staff Tuesday 14 Years 8 & 10 Immunisations Wednesday 15 MS/SS Parent Teacher Interviews, 3.30pm-6.30pm Thursday 16 Years 7-12 Track & Field Carnival Friday 17 Years 7-12 Assembly 8.30am Saturday 18 Kokoda Challenge Monday 20 Year 12 Griffith Business School Outreach Program Friday 24 SS Academic Awards Presentation Assembly, 8.30am - WC

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INSIGHTS Building parent-school partnerships WORDS Michael Grose

Reading your child’s report

Reports can mean anxious times for children.

Will my parents be disappointed or proud?

This is the main concern of most children.

Could try harder . . . always does her best . . . lacks concentration . . . easily distracted . . . a pleasure to teach . . . Do these comments, taken from a batch of student reports sound familiar? Student reports bring mixed feelings for parents. Pleasure and pride if they are performing well but considerable angst when children are not progressing as you hoped.

Reports can mean anxious times for children too. Will my parents be disappointed or proud? This is the main concern of most children. Kids of all ages take their cues from their parents, so your reaction to their school report can affect the way they see themselves as learners and as people.

Before you rip open the sealed envelope containing the report do a little self-check to see if you are in the right frame of mind:

1 Are your expectations for your son or daughter realistic and in line with their ability?

Expectations are tricky. If they are too high then kids can be turned off learning. Too low and there is nothing to strive for. Pitch your expectations in line with your child’s abilities.

A quick check of your child’s last report cards may provide you with a good yardstick.

2 Do you believe that children learn at different rates?

There are slow bloomers, late developers and steadyas-you-go kids in every classroom, so

avoid comparing your child to siblings, your friends’ children and even yourself when you were a child. Instead look for individual progress.

3 Are you willing to safeguard your child’s self-esteem rather than deflate it?

Self-confidence is a pre-requisite for learning, so be prepared to be as positive and encouraging as possible.

School reports come in different formats.

Some are prescriptive while some use grading systems such as A, B, C, etc. with room for teacher comments. Regardless of the format school reports should provide you with an idea of your child’s progress in all subject areas, their attitude and social development.

Here are some ideas to consider when you open your child’s report: • Focus on strengths. Do you look for strengths or weaknesses first? The challenge is to focus on strengths even if they are not in the traditional 3Rs or core subjects.

• Take into account your child’s effort and attitude to learning. If the report indicates that effort is below standard, then you have something to work on. If your child is putting in the required effort, then you cannot ask any more than that, regardless of the grading.

• Broaden your focus away from academic performance to form a picture of your child’s progress as a member of a social setting. How your child gets along with his or her peers will influence his happiness and well-being, as well as give an indicator to his future. The skills of independence and co-operation are highly valued by employers so don’t dismiss these as unimportant.

• Take note of student selfassessment. Kids are generally very honest and will give a realistic assessment of their progress. They are generally very perceptive so take note of their opinions.

• Discuss the report with your son or daughter talking about strengths first before looking at areas that need improvement. Ask for their opinion about how they performed and discuss their concerns.

After reports are read and discussed celebrate your child’s efforts with a special activity or treat. In this way you will recognise progress and remind them that the holidays are just around the corner when they can forget about assessment, tests and reports for a while.

Michael Grose

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