Issue 4 / 7 November 2014 in numeracy and literacy awareness, social and emotional skill building, and the intentional building of relationships.
From the Principal Early Learning Centre Excitement is certainly building as the Early Learning Centre nears completion. Already the Year 11s are asking if they will be able to visit the students in the ELC to read to them. Practical completion is expected before the end of November, with everything pointing to a January 5 start.
Science at St Andrews Early this month the Prime Minister, Mr Abbott made an important announcement about the Government’s commitment to Science education in Australian Schools. Interestingly, the Prime Minister chose to make this announcement when he was visiting a sister Lutheran School, Luther College in Melbourne. This reflects Lutheran Schools’ commitment to Science education.
Staffing is in the process of being finalized, with strong interest in people wanting to work in a centre that is attached to the College. Enrolments are just about complete, and there is healthy interest for future years. Already we have applications from families where their child is just a couple of months old. Mrs Bronwyn Waters, our Early Learning Centre Director has done an amazing job pulling everything together and establishing an exciting vision for the ELC. Right throughout the process of planning and building the Early Learning Centre and as it begins operations next year, the College has been conscious of endeavouring to ensure that everything that goes on in the ELC will be coherent with the overarching philosophy of a St Andrews Education, so as to give the children the very best start to their educational journey. In the ELC we will be striving to build a strong child centred focus, a warm nurturing environment, strong foundations
The Prime Minister could have equally chosen St Andrews to make this same announcement. The study of Science, under the leadership of the Science Head of Department, Mrs Lotz is flourishing. Looking at subject selections for next year we have a record number of students studying Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) in the Senior School. This reinforces the steady upward trend that the College has seen in relation to students electing to study science at a senior level. In the Middle School as well as core, Science that every student must study, our students have electives in Science that they can choose to study at some stage over the course of Years 7 to 9. Forensic Science is one of the most popular electives, with the applied nature of the subject appealing to young adolescent minds. As part of our commitment to Science, this year we have introduced a new Science Elective - called STEM, which is a combination of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. Taught by Mr Brendan Smith, the elective has proved highly successful, with students appreciating the opportunity to integrate science with other subjects. There are also lots of opportunities for students in the Junior School to engage with Science. One of the advantages of a P-12 College is that Junior School students do have opportunity to use the specialist facilities of the secondary school. Every Thursday a Year 6 Junior School Science Extension Program runs in the College’s Science Labs. In this program, taught by secondary teachers, students engage in scientific
work normally reserved for Middle School. Even our younger students in the Junior School get the benefits of the expertise of secondary school Science staff for their units. One of my favourite things every year is to go along to a Year 1 Science Lesson about sound, taught by Mr Hampshire, our Science Lab Manager. Mr Hampshire somehow is able to have the Year 1s absolutely spellbound, such is his passion and knowledge of Science.
FINISH HARD
‘Finishing Hard’ At a recent Middle/Senior School Assembly I spoke to students about the importance of finishing the year as positively as they began it. I emphasized that it is important that we work with the same endeavour right to the end; that it was important to ‘finish hard’. At the Commonwealth Games a couple of months ago we saw the importance of ‘finishing hard’, of competing right to the end. Whether it is was in swimming, athletics, cycling or rowing, the athletes that were able to sustain their performance right to the end, that were able to ‘finish hard’ were the ones that produced their personal best performances. ‘Finishing hard’ was the difference between a gold and a silver medal. It was the difference between a medal or no medal at all. It was the difference between a personal best and just another performance. We can learn a lot from those Commonwealth Games Athletes who ‘finished hard’ in their events.
Presentation Night A reminder to all families that Presentation Night is a compulsory evening for all students in Years 4-12 at the Gold Coast Convention Centre on Thursday 13 November. Letters have been sent home to notify all award recipients. The evening commences at 6.30pm (Note: this is an earlier start time to previous years). During this evening we will farewell our Year 12 students, welcome the Year 6 students who are graduating into Middle School, acknowledge the work of our students throughout the year, and celebrate who we are as a community. Vale Mr Brian Schmidt Recently the College received the sad news that one of its long standing members of College Council, Mr Brian Schmidt had passed away suddenly. Mr Schmidt was still a relatively young man, and so this news was most unexpected. As a member of College Council, our Governing Body, Mr Schmidt had been involved with the College from the early days, and had served with each of the College’s three Principals. He had seen the College grow from a tin shed to the Community it is today. As I said to the senior students when I broke the news, most of them would have never have met Mr Schmidt, but his quiet commitment to the College, working away in the background was instrumental in what St Andrews has become. St Andrews has been blessed through the work of Mr Schmidt.
Just like those Commonwealth Games Athletes who achieved Personal Bests by ‘finishing hard’, we need to ensure that we achieve personal bests this year by ‘finishing hard’. So what does ‘finishing hard’ mean for the later part of the term and semester: To finish hard is to1. Continue to apply yourself fully in class. Stay focused, ask questions, complete the set work. 2. Do your homework. Use homework as an opportunity to consolidate your learning in your various subjects. 3. In addition to homework have a study plan where you are regularly revising your work. Don’t leave it to the last minute. 4. Do your very best on assessment tasks, tests and exams. And finally; 5. Continue to do all the little things right, like arrive for class on time and wear your uniform correctly. It’s amazing what a big difference the little things make. To all of the students of St Andrews now is the time to ‘finish hard’.
The College thanks Mr Schmidt for his loyal, dedicated and selfless service to this community over many years, and extends its condolences to his wife Victoria and their three children at this sad time. Tim Kotzur Principal
Junior School News Leadership in the Junior School St Andrews Lutheran College recognises the importance of student leadership and student voice. Duignan (2005) promotes “… schools that better prepare
students to lead meaningful lives by becoming more actively engaged in their communities and by being responsible citizens who will not just accept the world as it is, but will help transform their communities into havens of hope and promise”.
be role models with their behaviour and set a good example for all students in the Junior School. Wearing their uniform with pride shows a deep respect for the school and inspires the younger students to do the same.
The leadership program aims to: • develop leadership skills such as communication, decision-making, preparation, organisation, innovation and creativity; • develop or enhance social and personal skills such as commitment, punctuality, cooperation, selfesteem, confidence, building relationships, teamwork and goal-setting; • develop positive attitudes towards voluntary community service; • enhance relationships between students, staff and the College community; • develop stronger links between the College and community organisations.
There are so many ways students can demonstrate their leadership capabilities – both formally and informally. By being one of the leaders in the Junior School the students are giving back to the community and are a blessing to those around them.
There are formal positions that students in Year 5 can apply for to undertake when they are in Year 6. The selection process is a rigorous one where students complete a formal application that asks them to address selection criteria, sit an interview with the Head of Junior School, prepare and present a speech to over 300 people and then go through a voting process. There will be some students who will be disappointed when they don’t receive a formal position but I believe the process that they go through is a valuable life experience. Those who don’t get a position, can find other ways to serve the community. Below outlines other areas in which students in Year 6 can take an active part in the community. Active Leaders • Competitive sport • P-3 actvities Student Council Leaders • Representing the voice of the students GO Team • Fund-raising – for local, national, and international projects • Special events (e.g. 8 hr famine) Helping Hands • Class buddies, picnics, lost property, flags, restorative practices Special Events • Chapel, Assembly, Special Events Library • Supervision, promotion (Book Week, etc) We expect all of our students in Year 6 to be leaders in one way or another. The students are expected to
Darrin Schumacher Deputy Principal Head of Junior School
Middle & Senior School News “The real voyage of discovery consists of not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” - Marcel Proust At St Andrews we look to provide learning experiences that encourage students to immerse themselves; hearts minds and hands, in the process of learning. Our work with Habits of Mind this year has given us a common language and intentional context for building our students levels of self-awareness of mindfulness when it comes to building healthy habits for learning and living in community. Each term, we have explored and celebrated four Habits across Years 7-12 and the quote from Proust reminds us that curiosity and learning requires contemplation and a positive growth-mindset. This term we are focusing on the following four Habits of Mind: Responding with Wonderment and Awe; Listening with Understanding and Empathy; Creating, Imagining and Innovation; and Finding Humor. A brief description and an example of each Habit in action is to follow: Responding with Wonderment and Awe - Finding the world awesome! We want our students to be curious, to take the time to notice beauty and to feel a sense of wonder and awe in the world around them. Over the past few weeks our chapel services have focused on this habit and disposition towards finding and celebrating moments of awe and wonder as we explore God’s work and His gifts in this wondrous world. We continue to encourage students to feel compelled, enthusiastic, and passionate about the world around them and their learning.
Listening with Understanding and Empathy Making an effort to perceive another’s point of view and emotions. Our Restorative Practices approach to listening with empathy and understanding is an important aspect of our culture at St Andrews. Highly effective people listen to others. Some psychologists believe that the ability to listen to another person; to empathize with and to understand that person’s point of view is one of the highest forms of intelligent behavior. Staff continue to work with students to build the skill of listening and positive community where all voices are heard and where each student is encouraged to grow in their understanding of self and others with a focus on individual giftedness, tolerance, acceptance and a sense of belonging.
Creating, Imagining and Innovation - Generating new ideas and approaches. Try another way. This Habit of Mind reminds us that the future is not some place we are going to but one we are creating. Creative human beings try to approach problems from multiple angles and perspectives and to conceive solutions by examining alternative possibilities. They have a growth mindset and are intrinsically motivated to work on a task purely because of the challenge. Staff continue to challenge the mindset of students who are often quick to say: “I can’t draw,” “I was never very good at art,” “I can’t sing a note,” or “I’m not creative,” to build a growth mindset which encourages them to see problems and activities as an opportunity to grow and to step out of the comfort zone into the ‘growth zone.’
Finding Humor – Laugh a Little! - According to research, you can increase your brain power three to fivefold simply by laughing and having fun before working on a problem. Laughter may have medicinal and psychological value as well. It liberates creativity and provokes higher-level thinking skills. Some students find humor in all the wrong places—they laugh at others. We want students to acquire the habit of finding humor in a positive sense so they can distinguish between those situations of human frailty that require compassion and those that truly are funny and to be enjoyed as a shared experience. Learning is about shared experiences and as I walk in and around classrooms, I continue to relish the opportunities to share in the laughter and learning that typifies St Andrews.
The Habits of Mind are in essence about mindfulness. Building awareness of these habits is a powerful way for our students to learn and explore the world and their own thinking. At home, parents might like to reinforce the benefits of these habits and look for opportunities to acknowledge their children when they are demonstrated. Please contact me at the College if you are interested in more detailed information about Habits of Mind. Virginia Warner Deputy Principal Head of Secondary School
lessons on their selected instrument. Students also play in the Mini Musos so that their ensemble experience begins as they start on their musical journey. Both the ensemble and lessons compliment each other.
Art News Arts Dates As we move towards the end of the year, please note the dates for the following End of Year Concerts that highlight many of our PAT Students and Music Ensembles: Sat 15 Nov Tues 18 Nov Thurs 20 Nov Tues 25 Nov Fri 28 Nov
– Animi Concert – Evening of Song – Piano Concerts (in MPH) – Speech and Drama Concerts – Band Soiree Afternoon – Featuring our String Ensemble, Mini Musos, Concert Band and Jazz Band
Information regarding these events will be sent home over the coming weeks. Spotlight on Instrumental Music At St Andrews our Instrumental Music Program has grown significantly over the past few years. Learning an instrument can be a very rewarding journey for a young person, and assist with developing focus and concentration in the classroom, creative expression and social skills. Our program is structured as follows: Year 3 Strings This audition based program is a wonderful introduction to the String Family of Instruments - students learn in small groups and as students progress are invited to play in our College String Ensemble.
Mini Musos For 2015 this program will be offered to both Year 4 and Year 5 students, however as of 2016, will be a Year 4 only program. This program offers an excellent start to a child’s musical journey. For a levy of $100 for the year, students receive an instrument and group
Instrumental PAT Tuition Outside of these sponsored programs, Instrumental PAT Tuition is available on a range of instruments, including: Flute Clarinet Saxophone (Alto, Tenor, Barri) Brass (Trumpet, Trombone, Baritone) Guitar Percussion Strings (Violin, Cello) Lessons are available as Individual, Pair and Small Group. Applications can be done via the College website or by emailing performingarts@salc.qld.edu.au
Concert Band Recently we have combined our Intermediate and Concert bands together to create a larger ensemble. Many of you would have enjoyed this group’s debut performance at the Cultural Awards Evening. We are very excited about this group and look forward to lots of performance opportunities in 2015.
Sport News Sports Awards Evening Our Annual Sports Awards Evening will be held in the Ruth Butler Theatre on Monday 17 November from 6.30pm – 8.00pm. Our Guest Speaker this year will be Paralympics Basketballer Bridie Kean.
Jazz Band Our premier performance group, the Jazz Band have extended their repertoire recently to welcome vocalists to the group. In support of our major Bands, we also run smaller ensembles including a Percussion Ensemble and a Brass Ensemble, which we will debut at our Bands Soiree end of this term on Friday 28 November in the RBT from 4pm. Bridie was part of our Paralympic Games Bronze Medal winning ‘Gliders’ wheelchair basketball team in Beijing in 2008 and Captain of the ‘Gliders’ team which won a Silver medal in London in 2012. Lists of our St Andrews Sports Award winners have been published for students to check. All members of the St Andrews Lutheran College community are welcome to attend.
If you have any queries regarding instrumental music, you can email the following: Strings kateo@salc.qld.edu.au Mini Musos/Percussion Ensemble mattp@salc.qld.edu.au Concert Band/Jazz Band/ Brass Ensemble anthonys@salc.qld.edu.au PAT Enrolment performing arts@salc.qld.edu General priscillas@salc.qld.edu.au or paulo@salc.qld.edu.au Cilla Scott Head of Arts
We will be acknowledging students who dedicate extra time and effort to the St Andrews Sports Program by regularly training with school based teams and representing the College in school based competitions. A special St Andrews Sports Team Badge has been commissioned for these students, which will be presented shortly. If you have any questions please contact Mr Manion at andrewm@salc.qld.edu.au Andrew Manion Head of Sport
Details will soon be available on the College website with a list of vacancies for stall holders and position descriptions.
P & F News AGM The AGM was held Wednesday evening and it was great to see so many parents attending and having input into the money which will be spent around the College in the following months. All positions were declared open and the following nominations were received unopposed: President – Daniel Renneberg Vice President – Julieanne Andrews Treasurer – Michelle Brown Secretary – Nicole Ainger
Please consider helping out the Colleges biggest fundraiser, all the profits go directly back to the College. An icon has been set up on the front of the College website where all related Fete information will be placed. If you have anything you wish to discuss do not hesitate to contact a member of the P & F Executive. President: Daniel Renneberg Vice President: Julieanne Andrews Treasurer: Michelle Brown Secretary: Nicole Ainger P & F Executive
This is our last P & F meeting for 2014 and we look forward to working with the College community next year. If you would like to contact the P & F please email us at pandf@salc.qld.edu.au Flashing Lights - School Zone The P & F has received notification from Michael Hart (State member for Burleigh) that flashing lights will be installed outside the College in the near future. Shade – Tuckshop It was decided at the meeting, funds will be allocated to provide shade around the tables outside the new Tuckshop. The school will be looking at the best solution to suit the area and all the money will be donated by the P & F. These should be in place by first term next year. FETE 2015 THE DATE HAS BEEN SET – Saturday 16 MAY 2015 and there is only half a school term left for 2014! THE RIDES have been BOOKED! It has been decided by the P & F we will not have one convenor to run the Fete as we consider it is too overwhelming for one person. The P & F committee will be responsible for the Fete as a whole; however we are still looking for ideas and volunteers for stalls. A number of stalls have already been filled, but we are open to new ideas. If you have any ideas or are interested in running a stall, please contact the P & F at fete@salc.qld.edu.au or call the P & F President Daniel Renneberg 0409 729 676 for further information if you are interested. If you were a Stall Convenor at the last Fete and are interested in running your stall again in May 2015, could you please let us know by emailing the Fete email fete@salc.qld.edu.au or if you have an idea for a stall for the Fete that you would like to run please contact us.
Dates to Remember November Tuesday 11 Remembrance Day Wednesday 12 The Edge Year 9 Girls Presentation Year 11 Hospitality Class Dinner Thursday 13 Presentation Night - 6.30pm Gold Coast Convention Centre P3 Family Dinner - Wazen Japanese Restaurant 7.30pm Friday 14 Kids Club (Years 4-6) Saturday 15 Animi Dance Concert - RBT- Years 1-4 4.30pm, Years 5-9 6.30pm November 5 - 12 Year 12 Exams November 4 - 15 Year 12 Art Exhibition
St andrews fete Saturday 16 may 2015 THE DATE IS SET!!
Welcome to the first edition of the Fete Newsletter, which will be sent out on a regular basis to keep you informed on how things are progressing.
POSTIONS VACANT We are still looking to fill the following positions: Food Stall Convener If food is your passion come and help organise the food stalls. All the previous Fete’s stalls will be there. General Stall Convener You will be looking after the stalls not relating to food, all these stalls have been run successfully at previous Fetes, so you will have plenty of support. Cent Auction This is one of the most exciting stalls at the Fete, organizing this event will be fun. Sponsorship/Donations This will be an integral role at the Fete and you will get to know community and family members. If you are interested in any positions please email the P & F at fete@salc.edu.qld.au
ARE YOU OUR NEXT MAJOR SPONSOR? If you are interested in getting involved contact the P & F President – Daniel Renneberg on 0409 729 676
FETE MEETINGS
Will be held from Term 4 After school in the Junior School Staffroom Stay tuned for dates
Fete 2015 - Volume 1, Issue 1 - St Andrews Parents and Friends