SINCERE THANKS TO THE P&F!

Even in a year where physical connectivity has had its challenges, the P&F has done its utmost to maintain its presence in the College community. Many things that happen are a result of the quiet, purposeful and positive influence of the P&F, and most notably the hard-working Executive. The raison d’etre of the P&F is primarily related to ‘friend-raising’ and community building and uplifting. A tertiary function is to support the College through capital expenditure, which accelerates the completion of projects to enhance opportunities for a wide range of outcomes, most often linked to facilities for student learning and development.

I am delighted to announce that as a result of a $100 000 donation to the building fund from the P&F that we are progressing immediately to the construction of two new multi-purpose hard courts, which will be established adjacent to O Block at the carpark end of the Main Oval. These courts will be used extensively for Junior and Secondary School sport, physical education lessons and lunchtime play. They will service netball, basketball, volleyball and futsal. We have completed soil-sampling, are at an advanced stage of ‘engineering’ and are negotiating with our preferred contractor. Construction is expected to be completed within the next two months.

Sincere thanks to the P&F – generations of Andrians will benefit!

THE POWER OF A GOOD QUESTION

I recently shared the quote below with the teaching staff…..

Perhaps this is something that may be helpful in family discussions, possibly around the dining table….

Instead of asking, ‘Does anybody have any questions?’ I now say, 'ask me a question’, or – better still – ‘Ask me two questions’. This seems to elicit a greater frequency and quality of questions than my previous attempt.

Craig Barton in The ResearchED Guide to Education Myths

I may have a lot of ‘skin in the game’, though I am still so often thankful that as a lifelong learner, I come across things, often profoundly simple, that stretch me and help me shift practice.

Peace and Grace

David Bliss
Principal

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

COMING SOON – The Fathering Project.

This weekend, Fathers across our community are rightly honoured for their role as Dads. Being a Father or father-figure in the lives of children is an incredible responsibility and one I’m sure no Father takes lightly. These days, there are new expectations upon Fathers that did not exist in previous generations and yet it is common for Fathers to receive no training in how to be a Dad and frequently the model of parenting that we have received is not the model that we wish to employ ourselves. So, what is a modern-day Dad to do?

Enter The Fathering Project. The Fathering Project is a government-funded initiative being implemented across numerous schools in Australia. One of the project’s main activities is to help create and support Dads groups in local schools. The Dads groups are a safe place for Dads to come together to learn evidence-based research about what it takes to be a Dad and have access to further resources, tools, programs and activities that will help in their role.

Are you a Dad? Would you like the support of other Dads while having access to the tools and tips The Fathering Project provides? Good News! We are starting a Dads group like this at St Andrews! Please keep a lookout for material that will come out about the Fathering Project in the coming weeks. Our first (online) meeting will take place in the second week of Term 4 (13 October) @ 5:15pm. You might like to save the date. If would like to find out more about The Fathering Project or participate in a sample session, please click any of the links below.

VIDEO: What Is A Dads Group?

SAMPLE SESSION: Learn To Love Learning Zoom Live Event | 8 September 7:30pm

Some quotes from The Fathering Project:

'We know that an effective father has a profound impact on the health and wellbeing of a child.'

'The research is clear: kids with an effective father figure in their lives have dramatic positive outcomes in their long-term well-being.'

'We work to help dad's recognise and relate to their important role as a father, and equip them to be the best they can be, for the kids.'

Nathan Glover
College Pastor

SAVE – Driver Safety Program

Last Thursday our Year 11 and 12 students had the opportunity to attend the SAVE program where our Adopt-a-Cop, Acting Sergeant Tracey Clouston facilitated a program that saw a young man speak to them about the consequences of poor driving choices where his actions took the life of one of his best friends. We then heard from Melissa McGuinness who shared her powerful message of grief, sharing her and her families’ loss. Eight years ago, Melissa’s son chose to drive while under the influence of drugs and alcohol and in a horrific car accident took the life of four young people, as well as his own. Melissa and husband Peter have started a charity, You Choose – Youth Road Safety, to be able to spread their message of making the right choice and owning the outcome. For more information please follow them on Facebook. We also heard from a Police Officer from the Forensic Crash Unit about what his job entails and how important it is to remember that it is a privilege to hold a driver’s licence and used in the wrong way, a vehicle can be a very destructive weapon.

WELLBEING

Block exams are upon us for both Year 11’s and 12’s, thus, it is important that our young people take care of themselves. Staff have talked with them recently about ensuring that they:

get enough sleep (8-9 hours per night)
eat nutritious meals to feed the brain and the soul
say no to extra shifts at work and that social occasion on the weekend
exercise regularly – even a walk on the beach (sunshine + movement)

Congratulations to:

Our Year 12 Teachers who have worked hard in recent weeks to prep our seniors for the Mock External Examinations happening in Week 8 and 9 (see image above of the first Mock Exam for the subject of English).
Our Year 11 Teachers who have prepared assessments for our 2021 Year 12 cohort – being our second time through the assessment endorsement process run by QCAA was certainly a lot easier.
Our Senior School students who continue to engage with their learning in uncertain times. They are a pleasure to spend time with on a daily basis.

Upcoming events:

We will shortly publish the final weeks schedule for Year 12’s (which includes links to booking our Introductory Barista, RSA and First Aid Courses) and an External Assessment Block Tutorial Schedule.

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

HITTING NEW ENTREPRENEURIAL HEIGHTS AT ST ANDREWS

The 2020 Idea’s Camp hosted by Bond University was held on Thursday, 20 August on their incredible campus. It was attended by 25 Year 10 and 11 students from St Andrews Senior Business classes along with 75 other young entrepreneurs from Toowoomba, Brisbane and here on the Gold Coast.

St Andrews parent and Director of Bond’s Commercialisation Centre, Dr Baden U’Ren was the MC for the event. The day took students through a variety of activities amongst hearing from some truly inspirational people.

We heard from Mark Zmarzly who is the Development Manager for Startups for Amazon Web Services. He spoke of fears and failures and what it’s like moving your family across the world… twice.

Campfire tales with young Bond alumni Emma Sam prompted the students to question their ‘WHY?’. She set the challenge to push the status quo and ensure that you are following the path that inspires you rather than simply slotting into the daily grind. Emma is a team member of Kynd, a disability and support service based in Burleigh.

Lastly, we were privileged to hear from Eleanor Carey. With 6 weeks’ notice, she said yes to 62 days at sea rowing across the Pacific Ocean with two strangers breaking two world records. We heard of how to break down challenges and approach impossible tasks one tiny section at a time.

The following day, we were lucky enough to again have Dr U’Ren with us as we took on our fourth session of the IC’20 program. Students have been working incredibly hard on their prototype’s and with Dr U’Ren’s assistance, they learnt the importance of testing their ideas and products. Last Friday, our entrepreneurs took their inventions out into the real world to seek some feedback from shoppers at the Pacific Fair Shopping Centre. We are at the halfway point of the program, with students taking their tasks very seriously and throwing themselves into the world of entrepreneurship with a growth mindset.

THE SHARE MARKET CLUB (TSMC)

And… we’re trading.

The launch of The Share Market Club was a huge success last Thursday at morning tea. Thirty-Four students have opted to take part in the second Share Market Game of 2020. Students have been given $50,000 of ‘game money’ to trade in the Australian top 200 companies on the ASX website. The game market mirrors that of the real stock exchange with students having the opportunity to win in cash prizes (real money) amongst the hundreds of syndicates playing in Australia and New Zealand.

Students can trade between 10:00am-4:00pm Monday to Friday with a weekly trade meeting set up for students to research companies and the behaviour of the market.

At the time of writing, The Cream Puffs (Tom A 7D and Harri T 7D) are the leaders from the St Andrews’ players (which includes several staff players).

Get in the game!

Meg Sippel
Senior School Teacher

The Year 12 Hospitality students have been investigating the impact that cultural groups have on Australian Cuisine.

As part of the study a multimodal presentation of their chosen culture was presented. This research culminated with students developing a menu and presenting a three-course meal authentic to their chosen culture. Part of the assessment criteria is that individually or in pairs, students manage resources to run the event.

YEAR 11 HOSPITALITY

The Year 11 Hospitality lunch buffet function was successfully served to 20 staff members. We worked hard to produce eight main meals and six desserts. A variety of dishes were chosen, catering for everyone’s preferences. The Year 11 Hospitality class appreciated this opportunity to represent our skills and techniques we have learnt over the year. When organising this function, we learnt time management skills and how to produce a high-quality result in a deadline. We enjoyed showcasing our skills to our teachers and experiencing what it is like to work in the Hospitality industry. Our positive feedback shows our function was a success.

Brooke S

YEAR 9 HOSPITALITY

In Hospitality we cooked a variety of healthy dishes that were appropriate for a child’s birthday party. The task we were given was to investigate healthy food options that would appeal to children of a young age. It was fun having the opportunity to cook and prepare snacks with our friends. My favourite part of the lesson was trying everyone’s food because it demonstrated how different my peers were compared to me. It showed us that everyone can achieve the same goal in different ways. For example, we made cookies while another pair made burgers. It was an interesting task to complete and I would highly recommend doing it again.

Lulu W

Louise Riddel
Head of Food Technologies

The Senior Library embraces the core values of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) with our commitment to respect the diversity, individuality and equality of all. The library’s current digital and book displays focus on student wellbeing and ‘being the change that they want to see.’

ACTIVITIES

The CRC Senior Library continues to buzz with many extracurricular events during lunch breaks. Students have participated in the following Clubs: Minecraft: Craft the Library; Esports and the student directed Reading and Writing Club and Dungeons and Dragons. Activities have also included National Science Week and the new Lego Wall. The next project for Minecraft is Craft the Village Green!

The students from the Minecraft: Craft the Library Club were enthusiastic and excited to share their finished Minecraft library design products and ideas with Mr Bliss and Mrs Warner. They had thought of different features that provide for diverse student needs. These included very practical elements—including a workspace for the CRC librarians, a teacher lounge, designated quiet study and reading rooms, and a room for Esports and media creation! The CRC provides a safe space and place that contribute to student and community wellbeing. These were not forgotten, with designs including trees, fireworks, fountains, relaxation lounge, aquarium, a roof top garden and a therapy panda!

ESPORTS

The next Esports competition for Years 7 and 8 will be FUSE Cup Rocket League. We have more students involved in this round. Congratulations to our first Esports team who represented St Andrews Lutheran College at the FUSE Cup. Results haven’t been announced yet, but we are proud of their enthusiasm and sportspersonship. Thank-you to teachers Brendan Smith and Julian Hunt, who have been part of the Esports organising committee.

NEW BOOKS

New books, including fiction, nonfiction and graphic novels have been catalogued and placed on display, ready for students to engage and connect with reading for pleasure. Students can also access books digitally through the Wheelers eLibrary by using their school log-in details.

ASK A LIBRARIAN

Your Librarians are always happy to help with research, finding resources, book recommendations and IT support. Come in and chat to us or via Teams or email:

Warmest regards,
The CRC Senior Library Team

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING QUIET

Have you noticed that there is less and less times in our lives when we are truly quiet? There is always something that is in our minds whether we are at work, watching tv or reading through our social media. When we go for a walk or drive in our car we are often listening to the radio, music or a podcast. It is not uncommon for our children to be watching a movie while in the car. This is not a criticism of these things but a reminder that often our best thoughts, or we are at our most creative, when things are quiet. I regularly do my best thinking when I am walking the dog in the bushlands.

This is an important reminder for us to not fill our children’s lives with too many activities. It is OK for our children to get bored. When we remove all the distractions such as TV, internet and devices, often you will find that they will grab a book, play with their toys or go on some adventure.

DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY

As Mr Bliss has outlined in his note home to families earlier in the week, our end of year celebration events will look very different this year. The Year 6 Dinner and Celebration Ceremony will this year be combined and held on College grounds. This will allow our Year 6 parents to have a formal dinner with their child and we shall present certificates and awards in this setting. The awards for Years 4 and 5 will be presented in a special Awards Assembly that will also showcase some of the extraordinary talents of our junior school students. While it is initially planned for this year only, when we review feedback about the events we will make decisions about what we do in the future.

ELC EDUCATORS

Some of the very first students to attend our ELC are now in Year 4. The overwhelming feedback I receive from parents when I meet them at enrolment interviews is how much they valued the wonderful team of educators we have in the ELC. Last Wednesday was Early Childhood Educator’s Day. It was a great opportunity for us to formally recognise what an excellent job our ELC staff do every day.

THREE WAY CONFERENCES

Today we held our Three Way Conferences. This was the first time that we have done it remotely using Microsoft Teams. If you have any feedback both positive and constructive on the effectiveness of conducting these virtually, please email me at darrins@salc.qld.edu.au

LOST PROPERTY

A friendly reminder that all lost property will remain downstairs on the table in the tunnel behind the Japanese room. The amount of items in the Junior School Administration Office seems to have increased significantly this term. If students lose something, please ask them to look in the lost property downstairs. Mrs Martens does an excellent job of trying to return items of clothing that are named, however it is impossible for her to do this for items that are unnamed. At the end of each term, all unnamed lost property is disposed of so it would be advantageous for students to regularly check lost property and to have their items named.

Darrin Schumacher
Deputy Principal / Head of Junior School

NAVIGATING THROUGH FRIENDSHIP ISSUES

Your daughter has just jumped in the car at the end of the day and she bursts into tears, “Nobody likes me – I’m not going back to school ever again!”. Or, your son gets off the bus and quietly takes himself to his room and sits staring into space. You know something is going on but how is it best to support your child/children through the ups and downs of friendships.

As parents we don’t want our children to feel uncomfortable and we want what is best for them. But can I offer some ideas that might help you in these situations to act rather than react.

Be the adult. Before you even jump in to ask what is going on, be in a calm head-space first. Your child needs your adult brain at this moment – not the brain you used when you were in primary school and this happened to you. Your calmness will help to calm your child so that you can work through what is going on.
Show trust. The way you react will either give your child the message that you trust them to sort through the issue or that you don’t trust them and the issue will only be solved by you (the parent) fixing it. Our children are learning how to navigate socially and we need to allow them the time to develop these tools.
Listen for key skills that are missing. As your child is re-telling the story, listen with your calm adult brain, but also listen for opportunities for building relationship skills. CASEL https://casel.org/core-competencies/defines relationship skills as having the following key components:
- Communication – using verbal/non-verbal skills; building positive exchanges; listening to others
- Social engagement – having positive connections/interactions with others; conveying ‘no’ and following through with it
- Relationship building – constructively solving conflict; seeking or offering help
- Teamwork – cooperating; maintaining relationships; addressing other’s needs
Accept differences in others. Not all families and children are the same, in fact we all have different ways of looking at things and we are also learning at different rates. Ask your child what they think the other people involved might be thinking? What might be happening for them as well? Does that help to make some connections to the situation?
Acknowledge that friends (and ourselves) don’t always get it right. This can be hard to see but when we see things from other’s perspectives we can sometimes understand that maybe we didn’t make the best choices either. Many times when there is conflict I find that children only tell the part of the conflict where they have been harmed, rather than how they have also contributed to the harm of another. Acknowledging that there is always more to the story will also help your child to develop empathy.
Discomfort is okay. We want our children to be happy but it is unrealistic for them to be happy all the time. Children need to experience some discomfort (as we all do) to learn and grow. This doesn’t mean being hard and not listening but rather acknowledging that it is a bit uncomfortable and that they are developing new ways of dealing with these situations.

As you’re listening, think about how you can use the opportunity to build new skills for your child. For example… “Betty made me go to the Library and I didn’t want to go” – an opportunity to talk about saying ‘no’ and sticking to it.

Finally, a word about normalising. We have all been through friendship ups and downs. We know that some friendships grow and flourish and others change or finish. We don’t have to be friends with everyone and neither do our children. We do need to be respectful of others though and even if they aren’t our friends we can show care, courtesy and compassion to others. This ultimately is how societies function. We are growing our children to be part of this society and learning takes place through all these ups and downs – we just need to let them go through these things so they can learn.

(Acknowledgement goes to Linda Stade for some of these ideas)

Karen Koehler
Deputy Head of Junior School Pastoral

MUSICAL UPDATE

Tickets for the College Musical are now Sold Out!

SPEECH AND DRAMA HIGHLIGHTS

There have been many wonderful opportunities happening in our PAT Speech and Drama programs this year. Below are a few of the highlights so far.

PREPARING FOR ASCA EXAMS

It has been exciting to embrace the introduction of ASCA (Australian Speech and Communication Association) exams to St Andrews this year. These exams are offered in addition to the existing Trinity College, London exams.

Students have been working hard in preparation for group and individual exams. It is a wonderful opportunity for them to achieve a nationally recognised graded certificate for their efforts. The level of work varies from grade to grade, but encompasses drama, poetry, prose, mime, improvisation, sight reading, effective communication, and audience participation.

Unique to ASCA, these exams take place before an audience, which of course, is what performance is all about. This year, because of COVID, the exams will take place before an examiner and students' peers within two-hour sessions. Hopefully next year, parents will be able to attend. Audiences are encouraged to participate in the fun and informative question times.

Students have been enjoying assembling and utilising props and subtle costume additions, learning stage and movement skills, perfecting lines and vocal technique, to confidently present the very best performance they can.

It has been so rewarding, as a tutor, to experience every child's individuality and creativity as they contribute ideas, talent and teamwork to make their offering a success.

ASCA exams will take place Tuesday, 17 November in the Ruth Butler Theatre.

Pamela Cassidy
Tutor

SHAKEFEST RESULTS

This was the first year St Andrews has participated in Shakefest – a Qld wide Shakespearean Festival run by Brisbane Theatre Company, Shake & Stir. We had lots of wonderful feedback from the judges and Madyson Cloherty and Callum Ahern were both invited to the Qld Showcase and workshops with Industry professionals. Well done Callum and Madyson.

BRISBANE EISTEDDFOD RESULTS

Congratulations to the following students on their outstanding results.

OLIVIA F

Adjudicators Award
1st Place - Humorous Verse
1st Place - Memorised Prose
1st Place - Australian Verse
3rd Place - Monologue

JOEL L

1st Place - Duologue with Samuel Kennedy
2nd Place - Memorised Prose
3rd Place - Character Recital (Monologue)
3rd Place - Humorous Poetry
Highly Commended - Impromptu Reading

SAMUEL K

Adjudicators Award
1st Place - Duologue with Joel Luxton
1st Place - Memorised Prose
2nd Place - Australian Verse
3rd Place - Humorous Poetry
3rd Place - Character Recital (Monologue)

YEAR 4 – 12 CULTURAL AWARDS

Whilst this has been a most unusual time we would very much like to celebrate and acknowledge our young performers in some way. As such we will be having a recorded Cultural Awards featuring performances from our College Ensembles from Year 4 – 12 as well as a recorded presentation of awards.

How are awards determined?

In Year 4 – 6 we use ensemble rolls to determine levels of involvement and ask that any activities completed outside of the College (this does include those from October last year onwards) by email to priscillas@salc.qld.edu.au.

The deadline for this information is the end of Term 3.

In Year 7 – 12 students can complete the survey which is available via student notices and email to priscillas@salc.qld.edu.au

The deadline for this information is the end of Term 3.

What is the criteria?

Cultural Awards recognise individual student achievement in the Performing and Visual Arts. In the area of performing arts the awards include achievements in Music, Drama (stage and screen) and Dance (achievements within College Dance Programs, Dance Schools, Professional Dance Companies, Stage Productions and RAD Examinations are included). Visual Arts include photography and filmmaking.

Essential Criteria for all levels: Active Participation in school cultural activities

Bronze Award

This is awarded to students who

· Have been involved in several (3 – 4) cultural groups/activities throughout the year

OR

· Passed Grade 5 or above in Music, Dance or Speech & Drama Exam

OR

· Are nominated for outstanding contribution to a school ensemble/activity

Silver Award

· Grade 5 or above in Music or Speech & Drama Exam + involvement in cultural groups/activities throughout the year

OR

· Major Award at Regional level (GC Drama Festival / Eisteddfod Championships etc)

Gold Award

· Representation at State level or equivalent in chosen discipline

OR

· Major Award (e.g. Top of State in Speech & Drama Exam)

When will the Cultural Awards be presented?

Performance items will be recorded from the end of Term 3 and start of Term 4 with the event made available via a link mid Term 4.

Cilla Scott Head of Arts

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Issue 10, 4 September 2020

In This Newsletter

Principal's Pen

David Bliss

Chaplain's Chat

Pastor Nathan Glover

Secondary School

From Head of Senior School

From the Head of Middle School

Business Studies Report

IC’20 News

Hospitality News

Workshop: Support your child’s body confidence

Secondary School Library News

Junior School

From the Deputy Principal / Head of Junior School

From the Deputy Head of Junior School Pastoral

Junior School Japanese News

Junior School Library News

Sports

Junior School Sports Report

The Arts

Arts Corner

Community

Uniform Shop

Parents and Friends Association

Entertainment Booklet

Principal's Pen

Chaplain's Chat

Secondary School

Junior School

Sports

The Arts

Community

Principal's Pen

Chaplain's Chat

Secondary School

Junior School

Sports

The Arts

Community