College Newsletter Issue 1 / 23 February 2018 From the Principal A Day at St Andrews I sit to write this reflection on a Monday evening, following a “typical” St Andrews day. Hmmm – is typical really a thing? This morning, prompt and prior to the customary 7.00am commencement, more than 100 students alighted from the vehicles of (in some instances) somewhat blearyeyed parents and dispersed to the gym, ensemble practice rooms and the rigour of Kokoda training. The week, just an average one, had commenced. A hard-earned shower and a “supplementary” breakfast for many saw the students (and staff!) ready and off to class.
Coast City Council regarding initiatives to enhance traffic flow on and near to campus, I poked my head in at the Peter Pan rehearsal. With a cast of 180, from Years 4-12, it is one of many joys of working in an E-12 school environment that caters for students from 3-18 years of age. Watching the older students “shape” the younger cast members was the highlight of a fulfilling day. Even at 5pm, as they cascaded out of the Ruth Butler Theatre, their energy was infectious. Get in early for tickets – it is a bumper show and the “House Full” sign may well come out. Now, I sit just doing a few little things that won’t wait until tomorrow, one which is just another shade of “typical”. It is a joy to live and work in this community. Thanks for being on the bus with us! David Bliss Principal
Chaplains Chat Our new school year is up and running and pretty much in full swing. Students are settling into their new year level and the challenge of new routines and learning are being met well - all the way from our Preps through to our Year 12s. As we head towards the half way mark of Term 1, staff in Middle and Senior school are busily checking student progress so that a formative grade can be attributed to each student as an indication of how everyone is travelling in their learning journey.
In the Middle and Senior Schools, we commenced with Chapel, acknowledging a cornerstone of our very existence as a College. Then, off to maths, chemistry, accounting and all manner of other delights. I took a wander through some Junior School classrooms, with the diversity of learning experiences across and within year levels the highlight. I even dropped off my academic gown to a Year 6 class who were doing some role-playing in preparation for their trip to Parliament House in Canberra next week. A tight schedule of meetings ensued and at times I allowed the intrusion of emails to encroach on the important. Lunch was spent with a group of Year 12’s, as indeed most of my days are, after which my lunch dates will be taken over by the Year 6’s. It is the “student voice” that is a primary driver in decisionmaking. Of course, school does not finish at 3.10pm for many. After leaving a progressive meeting with officers from the Gold
Ash Wednesday (14/2) is a significant day within the Christian Calendar and it is set down for the Wednesday - six weeks before Easter. It marks the beginning of a time referred to as Lent. Just as students are assessed academicaly to check out how they are going, Ash Wednesday can be a time to take stock of how we are going in our day to day living. We can ask ourselves questions around how we treat others. What is our attitude towards people who are struggling in life. How much do we need for our self and how much are we able to share with others…. The checklist around what is truly important in life can be quite extensive if we drill down and seriously consider how we can live in a manner that contributes to the greater good. As we do this in an objective, honest manner each of us will see that we regularly come up short in how we desire to live our lives. We tend to judge others, speak unneccessary harsh words, may be even inflict harm on others so that we can get ahead. These types of behaviour suck the goodness out of life. They leave us and the people we inflict it upon damaged.
develop social skills and potentially find their lifelong passion. Imagine the possibilities!
Thank goodness for times such as Ash Wednesday when we take time to reflect on how we are travelling in life! As we do this, we become aware of our shortcomings, which can be scarey. But we are not left languishing in the ‘Bad Stuff’. Through Christ’s rescue of us on the cross, we are able to leave our self-centredness with Him and receive the exact opposite from Him. So on Wednesday, we traded our hatred for love, despair for hope, gossip for respect, greed for service and arrogance for openness. As we bring the dark aspects of who we are to Jesus, He offers forgiveness and fills us with life and love!
Students were able to receive this in a beautiful ritual where they were given opportunity to have a cross of ash marked on the forehead with the accompanying words -‘remember you are from ash but through the cross of Christ you are forgiven and empowered to love.’ God enacts this within our hearts and minds as we take time to connect with Him and are honest about who we are. What wonderful gifts - love, hope, respect, service and openness we receive through God being active in our community. As we make our way through Lent this year, may this be true for all of us. Graeme Schache College Chaplain
Junior School News The beginning of a school year is an exciting time. A number of students have joined us from other schools, the Prep students are beginning their journey and new teaching staff have joined the faculty. The students have all been put into new classes and are getting to know their new teacher. Every student has a new start. The students have matured into a higher year level and with that there is an increasing academic intensity. It’s an opportunity for a fresh start. There are so many possibilities ahead! There are so many extra curricular opportunities that are available to students. Students can join the choir, bands, PAT lessons, dance troupes, technology camp, sporting teams, chess club and leadership groups to name a few. These extra-curricular activities provide opportunities for students to try something outside of the normal classroom routines,
The Junior School runs the highly acclaimed PYP program. It is a program that gets the students to delve deeper into subjects, ask challenging questions, work with experts to construct meaning, develop higher order thinking skills, become global citizens and develop the attributes and profiles of lifelong learners. Within the classroom setting, teachers differentiate the program to challenge all of the students to go to the next level with their learning, provide extra assistance and extend students. Goal setting and achieving personal bests all help the students to reach their potential. Think of all the possibilities. St Andrews is a caring and loving community. The Parents and Friends Association have organized many functions throughout the year with the primary aim to build the community. There is also an element of fundraising which benefits everyone in the school community. Class coordinators provide opportunities for parents and children to get together in social contexts. It is a great opportunity for families to get to know each other as their children go through this educational journey together. Join in and experience all of the possibilities. In the year ahead there are so many opportunities for you and your children. My encouragement and prayer to all of you is to embrace all of those opportunities and make the most of them. A year full of possibilities! Darrin Schumacher Deputy Principal Head of Junior School
Middle & Senior School News Each new year brings with it endless possibilities to embrace new learning opportunities and to grow and develop as a College. 2018 is particularly special for our community as it marks our 25th Anniversary. It will be a year of celebration, commemoration and innovation as we embrace making some new traditions and explore futures-focused initiatives. At our commencement service and in the weeks following we have been focusing on our connection to one another – we are all connected. Our Student Leaders have initiated a ‘Gilgan’, a rhythmic clapping pattern in four parts where each member of each House contributes to making a spectacular piece of music.
Our construction of agile futures-focused learning spaces in our Middle School and Science block is well underway with the first of three buildings starting to take form. These new spaces along with ‘practices for real-world success’ in the 21st Century will help to transform learning at St Andrews in the years to come.
this term. Our ‘scrunchy bunch’ in Year 8 have been raising funds and awareness, our whole community has continued to support Bryce’s Super Max turtle initative and our Year 12s have resumed their work with Rosies and a group of Year 11 students are working to support cystic fibrosis in support of a classmate’s journey with this condition. In June nine of our senior students will join Mr Schache and Mrs Craig-Ward on a Service Learning trip to East Timor and once again a significant number of students have signed up to participate in Kokoda, an event which honours the past and supports those in need through the Kokoda Youth Foundation. So as we move forward into this year we do so with clarity in our mission and ongoing aspirations to do and be the best we can be and to serve our students and their families and to be a lighthouse for the community. Virginia Warner Deputy Principal Head of Secondary School
The construction in itself has seen increased opportunities for our students in Middle and Senior Schools to connect in break times in shared play spaces and our House and Sports Captains have already started to run Inter-House lunchtime activities as part of ‘Bingojuwarra’ – a combination of our House names. Teachers at St Andrews continue to refine and evolve their practices to ensure that our Mission Statement; Celebrating the Gospel, Nurturing the Individual and Empowering Lifelong Learners, is enacted in a contemporary, authentic and aspirational way. Working collaboratively in professional learning partnerships, through action research they use data, inquire and reflect on how our students learn best and how to help each student to flourish. Informed by educational research, in particular work done by John Hattie, the Marzano Institute and Martin Seligman, a founder of Positive Psychology, we continue to build programs that support next, best practices. Our teachers encourage students to be active in their learning and to explore their thinking, to innovate, to problem solve and to apply knowledge in classes and beyond.
Science News Last week 61 Year 12 Biology students were accompanied to Hastings Point with Mr Luxton, Mrs Twine, Miss Castles and myself. These students participated in field studies where rocky shore and mangrove ecosystems were studied. Students were able to conduct surveys to determine the health of the systems and to look at how organisms fitted into their particular niches. I was impressed with the enthusiasm our students performed their rocky shore tasks on Thursday under the very trying conditions of oppressive humidity. Friday saw conditions ease a little and kayaking amongst the mangroves in the morning was certainly a cooler activity.
This year we will continue to embed both our Learning and Teaching Framework, Dimensions of Learning (DoL) and our Positive Learning and Wellbeing Framework (PERMA) knowing that both complement our aspiration to unashamedly pursue excellence and flourishing. We also continue to focus on service, character development and personal best achievements with the hope that students might individually and collectively do and be at their best. Our values and themes for this term are Courage and Wisdom and our students are encouraged to apply both of these values as they dream and think big; persist and show resilience when faced with challenges in learning and in life. This week I shared a chapel on Courage to Act and what it means to live with integrity and to ‘speak up’ in support of those in need. The courage to act in a time when you see a need greater than yourself has a positive impact on the world. It has been humbling to watch so many students acting with courage and conviction by leading service initiatives
Students experienced the uniqueness of this part of the Tweed coast and got some insight into how this tiny part of the coast is connected to our entire planet. We all learnt that we have an important role to play in this dynamic and changing world.
I would like to thank Mr Luxton for organising and running this camp and for Mrs Twine and Miss Castles for giving up their valuable time to make such a wonderful experience possible.
See the flyer below for details
P & F Picnic in the Park Performances It was such a joy to see the diverse range of performances from so many of the the Middle and Senior Schools musicians at the annual Picnic in the Park. Special thanks to those who performed and to our Cultural Captain Ella van der Kamp for her organisation of the event
David Wyatt Head of Science
Performing Arts News An Evening of Song Featuring Katie Noonan Thursday 15 March Following on from the success of our combined Lutheran schools concert with The Idea of North in 2017, St Andrews is excited to be hosting An Evening of Song Featuring Katie Noonan and the choirs of LORDS, Trinity, Faith, Redeemer and St Andrews Lutheran Colleges in our new Ruth Butler Theatre. This is an exceptional opportunity for our young singers and a concert not to be missed.
Valentines Day Pop up Concert and CF Fundraiser Year 11 Waradjam LAGs are continuing their fundraising efforts for Cystic Fybrosis with a pop up concert and sale last Valentine’s Day. Thanks to everyone who performed and who supported the sale.
in Years 7-12 interested in playing for the school needs to make their own way there and indicate they want to play for SALC. Libby Wood Head of Sport - Secondary School
P&F News A huge thank you to all families who came along to Picnic in the Park on Friday 16 February. The night was a great success and there was a wonderful community atmosphere. Special thanks to all parents who volunteered their time at the various stalls and supervision, Trina from the Tuckshop for organising all the food, and Cilla Scott and her PAT team for the wonderful entertainment. We have lots of gifted very talented students!! Thanks also to those businesses and families who donated prizes to the raffle: the Gisler, Baxter & Ryan families, Black Belt Plus Martial Arts, Hypoxi Bodyzone Gold Coast, Aspya Hair & Beauty @ Burleigh Heads and the Uniform Shop. Raffle winners were: Kim Audsley, Nathan Thompson, Ella Ainger, Ruth Porter, Kent, Anne, Chantelle Thwaite, Sophie Innes and Nikki Beaver. The next general meeting of the P&F is Tuesday 13 March at 7pm. All parents and guardians are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Prisiclla Scott Performing Arts
Dates to Remember
Sport News Club Touch Three teams have represented our school, playing in the Palm Beach Touch competition held down at Mallawa Fields. On Friday nights our younger teams have been playing in a boys and girls Under 14 competition, and on Monday nights our senior students have entered in the Open Mixed fixtures. It is wonderful to see our school being visible in the local community, with all teams showing improvement, sportsmanship and development. I look forward to this concept and opportunity growing in the future. Club Indoor Soccer Any students in Years 7-12 interested in playing for the school in a local competition have an opportunity to do so. On Thursday 22 February Rebound Stadium, just down the road is conducting a sign on afternoon from 3pm – 5pm. Any male or female high school student interested in playing should register their interest. The competition will start the following Thursday and run between 3:40–5pm. Entry for this competition is FREE! If successful, the stadium will continue to run this competition in Term 2 for a small fee (approximately $6/player per week). Any St Andrews student
FEBRUARY Saturday 24 1B Mum’s Class Coordinator Event Sunday 25 Junior School Family Service Year 3 Monday 26 Year 6 Canberra Trip Regional Swim Carnival Year 12 Science Excursion
Year 11 PE Surfing
Peter Pan Rehearsal
Peter Pan Rehearsal
Tuesday 6
Tuesday 27
Year 11 PE Surfing
Year 6 Canberra Trip
Junior School Chapel - Worship Centre 1:40pm
Hinterland Basketball Trials
Wednesday 7
Year 10 Surfing Elective
SE Qld Futsl preliminary round
Wednesday 28
Hinterland Netball Trials
Year 6 Canberra Trip
Junior School Chess Comps Years 2-6
Year 4 Camp to Lake Ainsworth
Year 12 Visual Arts Incursion
Year 12 Surfing Elective
University Showcase
Prep - Year 4 Auskick
Prep - Year 4 Auskick
MARCH
Thursday 8
Thursday 1
SLAPS Swimming Carnival
Year 6 Canberra Trip
ALWS Awareness Day
Year 4 Camp to Lake Ainsworth
Friday 9
SE Qld Futsl preliminary round
Year 12 QCS Workshop
Friday 2
Years 5-6 Sport
Year 6 Canberra Trip Year 4 Camp to Lake Ainsworth Monday 5 Year 6 camp recovery day SE Qld Futsl preliminary round Year 10 Surfing Elective Year 12 Surfing Elective
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