Middle/Senior School Bulletin Issue 4 / 16 March 2018
Middle & Senior School News
awareness and advocacy for people living in poverty in Asian countries. Our Kokoda teams had their first full day training last weekend at Polly’s and despite the wet conditions, the day was a huge success in building fitness and comradery.
What a term it has been! The Easter Break and Gold Coast Commonwealth Games are only a few short weeks away and I am sure we are all filled with anticipation for what that time of rest and play will hold but we are not there yet. A reminder to all families that students will be busy with assessments and end of term testing right up to our final day of term – Thursday 29 March. St Andrews is a busy, active and wonderful community. Each time I sit down to write I promise myself I will try to keep my article short but there is simply so much to share. That in itself is a true blessing. Last week we hosted our annual university showcase and it was great to see Year 12 students asking so many questions as they explored opportunities for study beyond school.
We were delighted to host the Festival of Song with Katie Noonan this week. The evening event featured choirs from LORDS; Trinity; Faith Redlands; Redeemer and of course St Andrews. The workshops during the day were invaluable experiences for our choir (57 students) and the connectedness to other Lutheran schools continues to be truly special.
Our Year 9 Student Leaders attended the Australian Lutheran World Service Day held at Trinity Lutheran College. The theme was Survive. Or thrive…with a focus on building
This week our avid readers and creative writers had the opportunity to attend the Celebration of Literature event hosted by Somerset. Our Visual Arts have benefited greatly from two Artists in Residence over the past two weeks where they learned specific skills, techniques and media with regard to self-portraiture.
Farewell for Mrs Becky Hill The farewell service for our much loved Mrs Becky Hill (Japanese teacher and LOTE Head of Department) will be held at the Worship Centre at St Andrews next Saturday 24 March at 11am. All members of our community are warmly invited to attend. Please contact me if I can offer any assistance to you or your child. Virginia Warner Deputy Principal Head of Secondary School
Easter Service – Thursday 29 March Parents are warmly invited to join us for the E-12 Easter Service on Thursday 29 March at 11.30am in the Multi Purpose Hall. As a Christian school, it is always special to come together as a whole community at this important time of year to reflect on God’s blessings. Reporting and Parent Teacher Interviews This year we have moved to progressive reporting through TASS and as such there will not be a Term 1 Interim Report. To follow are some easy to follow steps to access your child’s assessment results. Accessing your child’s results through Parent Lounge Step 1 – Log into Parent Lounge through the website www.salc.qld.edu.au portals, parent lounge and enter your username and password. Step 2 - Select Curricular Activities Due (left-hand side under the title Parent Lounge) then click View All Activities button (right-hand side at top in light blue). Step 3 – Click on an activity (in the Activity Name Column) that says “Assessed” (in the Activity Status Column). Step 4 – Results will show for that particular subject and assessment activity giving activity details, outline and assessment results. Please note, results will only show for subjects that say assessed in the Activity Status Column.
Chaplains Chat St Andrews helps out in Bahareduk…. We have a wonderful culture within St Andrews of ‘helping out’. This extends all the way from the ELC through to Year 12 and beyond to the parent body and the Church community too. We support many causes - large and small financially and practically. It is tangible evidence of bringing love to life. Two years ago the Senior School conducted its first mission adventure to a tiny village in East Timor called Bahareduk. This involved 9 students and 2 staff travelling to the remote village and assisting in the construction of houses. It was
Parent Teacher Interviews will be held on Monday 23 April and further information about booking interviews with your child’s teacher will be sent home at the end of this term. Years 7-12 Cross Country Carnival – Friday 19 April (Week 1, Term 2) The Cross Country Carnival is being held on Thursday 19 April (first week back) at Schuster Park. The events will likely commence at 12.30pm (TBC). We wish all of our competitors every success as they each strive for personal excellence in this area of their physical development. A detailed note outlining arrangements for the day will be sent home from our Sports Department but students are reminded to bring a water bottle with them, along with a healthy snack, appropriate running shoes, wearing sunscreen and a hat. Parent Morning Tea – Cancer Fundraising - The P and F are organizing a Morning Tea for Tuesday 29 May. More details will follow, but you might like to keep this date free. All funds raised from this event will go towards helping to find a cure for cancer.
an awesome experience for those of us who were fortunate enough to go and visit. Seeing community development first-hand and actually be involved was life impacting for our students and staff. In the lead up to going, the small group set about fund-raising on behalf of the people of Bahareduk. The East Timorese have the skills within their community to construct their cement-block houses but basically have no means to finance the required materials. They rely heavily on donations to be able to purchase cement, wood and iron used for construction. In 2016 the St Andrews Community was amazing in its support of the people of Bahareduk. The Junior School alone contributed just over $12,000 through the walkathon held in May 2016. All of this money, plus other funds raised have been forwarded directly to the people of Bahareduk, except for a $500 fee needed by the Australian government to ensure all of what has occurred is above board.
As the second trip approaches at a rapid rate…. We fly out on Tuesday 26 June. We are once again setting about enlisting support of the St Andrews community to assist our neighbours in Bahareduk. A major initiative this year will be the Junior School Cross Country and Fun Run. There will be opportunity for the students to secure sponsorship for completing their run in aid of purchasing building materials for the village. Students will have a form come home in the next few days outlining the exact details for this event. Other fundraising activities will occur in the months leading up to the team travelling to Bahareduk in June/July and if anyone would like to assist in any manner, it would be greatly appreciated. The support in 2016 was fantastic and on behalf of the 2018 team we hope that we can replicate and if not surpass the efforts of 2 years ago. Graeme Schache College Chaplain
Middle School News Carpark Angels This week saw our Year 9 students beginning their Carpark Angels initiative. Each morning a number of Year 9 students will don a high visibility vest and a set of Angels Wings and assist Junior School students from vehicles in the lower carpark and escort them to their prescribed waiting area. Almost one quarter of Year 9 students have volunteered for this initiative and I commend them on their willingness to step beyond themselves and provide a service to our community. Please look out for them as you drive through the carpark each morning. Debating We have six debating teams from the Middle School entering the Gold Coast Debating Association annual competition. This is the largest number of teams we have entered in the Competition and thanks must go to the students for their enthusiasm as well as Mrs Thorpe, Mrs Hamilton, Mr Nelson and Mrs Wamsley for their support and guidance. Hats As we are nearing the end of the first term, it is worth a timely reminder about our Hat Policy at the College. Formal hats are to be worn by students in their normal day uniform and should be with students at all times. Sports hats and caps are permissible to wear with students while they are in the College sport uniform. Teachers have been asked to be particularly vigilant about ensuring that students have an appropriately named hat with them at all times. As always, please contact me should you wish to discuss anything further. Tom Casey Head of Middle School
Flourishing in the Senior School Mindset in March - Growth Mindset (https://www. mindsetworks.com/science/) In the Senior School we regularly talk about a growth verses fixed mindset. That is the underlying beliefs we have about our learning and our intelligence. Carol Dweck, who has done 30 years of research on this subject believes that a growth mindset drives motivation and achievement. That is, when students believe they can get smarter, that effort makes them stronger or better and they focus on learning as a goal then they are motivated to put more time into their studies and work harder. The result - higher achievement. During March we will focus on mindset, particularly a growth mindset and understanding that the brain, like a muscle, can grow when it is challenged and works – that is, brain plasticity where scientists have discovered that the brain is malleable, able to change, develop new connections between neurons and strengthen existing ones due to the actions one takes. This includes, using good strategies, asking questions, practicing, following good nutrition and sleep habits. It also includes some form of self-assessment as outlined below.
The following is an outline of a series of self-assessment questions that our students can use to evaluate their practices and stimulate personal growth. Obviously, we would like to see a ‘yes’ answer to these questions but more importantly, a reflection of where our students could make some changes to promote their growth mindset and thus their learning and academic success (achievement of personal bests). 1. Did I work as hard as I could have? (Were you lacking in energy (tired due to poor sleep) or were you stuck?) 2. Did I set and maintain high standards for myself (Were you lacking in vision or worthy examples to inspire you, did you begin the work with this is impossible, what motivates you – pride in effort or fear of failure?) 3. Did I spend enough time to do quality work? (Did you schedule time to work on the task, were you inefficient and waste time?) 4. Did I regulate my procrastination, distractions and temptations in order to complete my work? (Did you prioritize your time, schedule in breaks to clear your mind and refocus, set a time limit on your breaks or was the break longer than the work time?) 5. Did I make good use of available resources? (Our greatest resource is people – did you go to a tutorial, organise
a study group with friends – Remember as they say at Hogwarts “Help will always be given … to those who ask for it”). 6. Did I ask questions if I needed help? (Did you think that your question might sound silly - there is no such thing as a stupid question, teachers want you to ask questions to clarify your understanding, hang with those who will support you and your learning). 7. Did I review and re-review my work for possible errors? (Did you run so short of time that you had no opportunity to check the quality of your work, did you ask someone else to review your work?) 8. Is my work something I am proud of – would you be happy to show it to a large audience? (did you put 100% into that task?) Congratulations to: • The Leos for taking time out of their weekends to Clean Up Australia and help out at Surfing for the Disabled. • The Year 12’s who have done such a great job so far as Seniors and showcased their willingness to get involved in College life, and lead by action. • The Year 12 girls who spoke so brilliantly to the senior girls last week at Women’s Assembly on bravery and wisdom. Thanks to Lilli MacDonald, Ella van der Kamp, Jordon Dillon, Madeleine Tritton and Emma Rowan.
Expectations With block exams about to take place in the Senior School for Years 11 and 12 a few reminders: • Students will need a medical certificate if they are absent for any type of exam (or assessment). • Students need only come to school when they have an exam. It is expected that if they do not have an exam on they will be at home studying and preparing for upcoming exams. • Once they have completed their exam/s they may sign out (if this occurs in the middle of the day) and go home to continue studying. • Students may not leave the College grounds and then return to complete an exam – they must stay at school and continue with supervised study. • MOBILE PHONES are NOT to be brought into an exam room – failure to comply with this exam protocol will result in a FRIDAY AFTERNOON DETENTION. Staff will remind students of this and request that phones are locked in their lockers. Uniform • We continue to persist with the College uniform expectations regarding hair, make-up, jewellery (facial pierc-
ings and piercings in upper lobes are not allowed.) 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
Visual Art News This week we have had Kerry Spence working with the Year 11 and 12 Art students. With the Year 11s, Kerry took them through a series of media experiments with their self portraits as subject. The students loved the experience to get their hands dirty and experiment with charcoal, watercolour, pastel and graphite. The Year 12s worked one on one with
Kerry developing their ideas for their body of work. For some students it was a chance to crystallise where they are headed, while for others they got to get ‘out of their visual diary’ and start to work on a much larger scale. This spurred on the others and by the end of the day we had the beginnings of a street zine, a large scale drawing exploring line, tone and charismatic people, an oil painting test portrait and some gel emulsion experiments. Hopefully the Year 12s can build on this on Monday when they are working until 7pm in the artroom.
There are a number of photographic competitions on at the moment, Mia Andresen, our Visual Arts Ambassador has been advertising these on assembly. Check out QIEU Art Awards and the ATOM Photography Awards online.
Heading into the home stretch of the term, we are ramping up our efforts for the Musical sets and props. A huge thankyou to Hannah Barclay, Tia Scott, Christina D’Assonville, Mark Kennedy, Kerry Spence and Darryl McAlister for their continued brilliance, expertise and never-say-die attitude!! Peter Pan is shaping up to be our best set yet! And finally, I am hoping that all of the artworks that we created across the College for the athlete’s village at the Commonwealth Games are truly appreciated by our visitors. I look forward to a flood of #SHARETHEDREAM to our school’s facebook page as the athlete’s photograph themselves with the work.......
the South East joined Katie on stage to present an array of songs to soothe the soul and excite the senses. During the day, the choirs work-shopped with Miss Noonan to hone their already impressive choral skills. The workshop concert is another opportunity facilitated by St Andrews to create unique occasions to work with industry experts like Noonan and connect our students to the professional arts community. At St Andrews Lutheran College we recognize the importance of developing the creative mind, to support the whole child, in education. Priscilla Scott Head of Arts
Ngaire Harman Visual Arts
Languages News Performing Arts News
こんにちは and Guten Tag, While we are enjoying (and sometimes struggling with) a hot summer, our friends in the Northern Hemisphere have just had their coldest month. Covered in snow and enjoying winter activities; so different from us at this same time of the year. These contrasts are just one of the ways that add an extra dimension to our learning about other cultures and traditions. The photos below are of Yuki-Matsuri, the ‘Snow Festival’, in Hokkaido, held each February and some of the enthusiastic Year 8 students as they challenge themselves to order icecream - all in Japanese! German students in Year 8 also set up an ice-cream shop to use their language in a realistic situation. Needless to say, 100% of the students present were incredibly proficient in ice-cream ordering!
Festival of Song – featuring Katie Noonan On Thursday 15 March St Andrews Lutheran College hosted an Evening of Song with the amazing songstress Katie Noonan. “For more than 20 years, Katie Noonan has been one of Australia’s most revered musical talents. A singer, songwriter, producer, pianist, mother and fierce champion of the arts, Noonan’s career has seen her win five ARIA Awards, go seven times platinum, release over a dozen studio albums and be named one of the greatest Australian singers of all time by the Herald Sun”. (Katie Noonan Biography, 2018) Five choirs from a collection of Lutheran schools from around
our prep families with a Tea & Tissues morning tea to mark the significant milestone of some of our youngest college members commencing their formal learning journey. On 16 February, many families & staff joined together for our annual Picnic in the Park. It was a great success. Everyone had the opportunity to mingle with new and old friends and listen to entertainment from many of our talented PAT students. We have lots of other exciting events planned for the remainder of the year.
If you are anywhere near Broadbeach on Sunday 25, Japan and Friends Day is on again. It is a fun, delicious and eyeopening afternoon. I hope some families can enjoy this wonderful cultural opportunity. More information is on the flyer and please email me if you require any further information; kerryf@salc.qld.edu.au
2018 has seen the induction of a new P&F committee and together we really look forward to developing and fostering community spirit within our wonderful school community. You can find all our details on the College website under the “Community” tab, “P&F”. We welcome all parents and guardians to attend our once a term meetings. It’s a great way to come together and hear about things happening within the College including projects to benefit all our students and community. It’s also a great way to share your input and ideas for a better St Andrews. Please mark these dates in your diary! Term 2 - TUESDAY 12 June at 7pm Term 3 - TUESDAY 11 September at 7pm Term 4 - TUESDAY 6 November at 7pm(also AGM)
Dates to Remember Mon 19 Junior Council 2018 Year 10 Surfing Elective Year 12 Surfing Elective Year 11 An Evening of Drama Tues 20 Year 11 Surfing Elective さようなら and Auf Wiedersehen from the Languages Department
Wed 21 Harmony Day
P&F News Term 1 has been a busy one for the St Andrews Lutheran College P&F. We enjoyed welcoming new & existing year 7 families with a special afternoon tea. We also welcomed
Year 11 Visual Arts Incursion MS Bronzed Aussie Surfing
Thurs 22 Years 11 & 12 Exams Year 7 Hinterland Cup Futsal Fri 23 Rosies School Outreach Years 11 & 12 Exams Mon 26 Years 11 & 12 Exams Year 7 Immunisations Tues 27 Years 11 & 12 Exams Hinterland Football Trials Year 10 Surf Museum Visit Wed 28 Years 11 & 12 Exams Thurs 29 Years 11 & 12 Exams Year 11 RAAP Program E-12 Easter Service, Multi Purpose Hall – 11.30am End of Term 1 for all Students and Staff. School resumes Tues 17.04.18 Fri 30 Good Friday
Gold Coast Oral Health Services Book your Child’s FREE* dental check. School holiday appointments are available. Phone Gold Coast Oral Health on 1300 300 850. Services may be accessed at Burleigh Heads School Dental Clinic: Lower Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads 4220 *Eligibility criteria applies. For more information visit www.goldcoast.health.qld.gov.au/oral-health