I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today, in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

Luke 2:10b-12 (NIV)

Recently, our family decided to put up our Christmas tree at home. I know there is a bit of a trend to get going on this early, even in November – and I get it. The year 2020 has been full of unexpected surprises, to say the least. As Christmas usually marks the end of the year – we simply can’t wait for the end of the year to come and perhaps we also hope that 2021 will be a chance for a new start and a better year.

Likewise, in the College, we are now beginning to talk about Christmas and, of course, are just about to begin our end-of-year events. It would be true to say that many among us have similar feelings – thank goodness 2020 is coming to a close. Thank goodness we can put to bed the challenges that we have faced and make a new, fresh start.

If all this means that we celebrate Christmas early or for longer than usual, then this can only be a good thing. For at Christmas time we remember a good news story that is for all people. The good news it that Jesus was born and that through Jesus, God rescued humanity. This means that God provided a way through Jesus to forgive us for the wrong things that we have done or failed to do and put us in a right standing with God. On the surface, it might sound like a cliché but in practice this means that a person who receives this gift is able to live their life with new freedom and confidence because God has taken care of the BIG stuff.

We erroneously imagine that the BIG stuff is Coronavirus or US politics, but friends and families of the College – this is not the BIG stuff. The BIG stuff concerns our identity, our sense of self-worth, our purpose and whether we are living with a good conscience about who we are and what we’ve done. This BIG stuff has been taken care of by the person we celebrate at Christmas. As you celebrate Christmas this year – whether early or late – remember, ponder, think about what He has done for you.

Nathan Glover
College Pastor

As you read this our Year 12 students will be on the verge of entering their final week of schooling at St Andrews. In many ways this has been a year like no other, and still what we value most remains the priority – building strong relationships and a culture which encourages people to flourish: Celebrating the Gospel, Nurturing the Individual and Empowering Lifelong Learners.

And flourish they did! I’d like to take the opportunity to thank our 2020 graduates, one and all, for their exceptional approach to College life throughout the year. Their vibrancy and resilience are true reflections of their character and it has been an absolute privilege to walk alongside them.

Throughout the week ahead we will celebrate the class of 2020’s journey and accomplishments at significant occasions including Valedictory, our Good Goodbyes morning and Final Assembly.

For our students in Years 7 – 11 significant events and award ceremonies are but a few weeks away. Nonetheless, much work remains ahead of the students as they complete final units of work and assessments. If you or your child require any additional support at this often stressful time please reach out to myself or a member of the College team. We are here to help.

A huge congratulations to our Esports team who represented the College at The FUSE Cup – GC High School Mario Kart tournament. Congratulations also to all who competed at the Queensland Schools Weightlifting hosted last weekend at the College. See the Sports Section for individual results.

Last week our Year 9 students enjoyed a special BINGA Reflection Day. Thank you to Ms Bible and Mr Tanguy. A great reconnect for all of our students.

Our Middle School Theatre Electives provided such joy to our younger students through the Aristocats KIDS Performance and the Under the Big Top – Circus Performance to the Junior School and Early Learning Centre this week. The smiles on the faces of the students says it all!

I also want to acknowledge the dedication and commitment shown by our Teaching Staff, for their work towards coaxing, coaching and inspiring our students to strive to achieve to their true potential. The work they do in and out of classes is what keeps our students learning, growing and developing as learners and as well-rounded individuals. Non-teaching Staff, Teacher Aides, Groundsmen, Administration, Library, Tuckshop, and Uniform Shop all too also go above and beyond to ensure this is a College of flourishing and so to them we are also most grateful.

Today I had the pleasure of hosting Mrs Adele Ramsay who has been appointed to be the Deputy Principal – Head of Secondary School in 2021 and I hold every confidence that the College and our students are in highly capable and caring hands.

Virginia Warner
Deputy Principal Head of Secondary School

WELLBEING

I would like to begin this Newsletter by acknowledging the hard work of our Year 12 cohort who have been sitting the first ever External Exams for the new Queensland ATAR system. What a journey it has been for them. I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of their teachers in preparing them for this mammoth undertaking – 3 weeks and 2 days of scheduled exams with some students completing an exam nearly every day and sometimes two in the early stages of the exam block. As I have said to the students and their parents, this new process is a marathon not a sprint. It really began at the end of Year 11 when many subjects started Year 12 work to ensure all internal assessments were completed with enough time to revise for the externals. Let that be a word of advice to our current Year 11s. Start early!

However, it is all very well for me to say how well we are doing but my thoughts and feelings were confirmed by the positive feedback from Year 12 parents and students and more recently by Mr Erskine who assisted with the invigilation and administration of the external exams. I have shared his email below as I would like our whole community to know what a fantastic Year 12 cohort we have and how hard our teachers have worked in this new space. Special acknowledgement also to Mrs Wrigley. But enough from me, over to Mr Erskine who shared his reflection recently:

“Dear All,

With the Year 12 External Assessments drawing to a close, I thought it opportune that I share with you some of my impressions.

I have assisted with every one of the twenty-two Year 12 examination sessions so far and have observed all of the students during this time. I can say that without an exception the students have conducted themselves in an exemplary manner, focused and intent on doing their best at every examination. They have been patient with the repetitive nature of (mandatory) instructions and have shown great respect for themselves, their peers and their supervisors, (the latter of which arrived at their invigilation sessions promptly and with professional demeanour).

I congratulate all of you who have contributed to the academic, psychological and emotional preparation of the Year 12 students for this exercise. I am sure they also thank you!

In addition, you may appreciate the enormous administrative and organisational task this has been for Mrs Wrigley especially. It has been a pleasure to work with her and I would hope that you may express thanks to her as I do here.

So, congratulations and well done to all.

Regards Neville Erskine”

Congratulations to:
Ryan S and Jack McL in Year 10 who have learnt to sew on a button after a wardrobe malfunction of some magnitude (4 lost buttons). All sorts of learning occur in the Senior School.

UPCOMNG EVENTS:

The Year 12 final week
Valedictory Night, Thursday 19 November, Final Assembly, Friday 20 November.

Year 10 and 11 Final Assembly (students only) – Tuesday 24 November (Week 8)

Year 11 Camp – Wednesday 25 November to Friday 27 November (Week 8)

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

It’s hard believe that the 2020 academic year is coming to a close. But with 3 weeks of the school year left we have much to reflect on and be grateful for. I am continually grateful for our students and their enthusiasm to learn and grow. I’m also grateful for our families who encourage each of our students in their endeavours and also for our staff who toil tirelessly to ensure students are happy, safe and learning to be the best of their ability.

Over the coming weeks I look forward to the many celebrations we will have of student learning even through the challenges of this year. These events have been modified to be COVID safe but are no less valued as we celebrate all that has been achieved. There are also a number of learning engagements still to take place in and out of the classroom. Some of highlights are:

Beach Safety – our Preps through to Year 3 will be hitting the beach next week as they learn about beach safety while enjoying our beautiful climate and environment.
Summer Series – some fun activities are happening at break times over the coming weeks including ‘Just Dance’, Concerts, and organised games.
Year 6 Celebration Dinner – Tuesday, 24 November in the MPH – our formal celebration recognising all that is Year 6 before these lovely students move onto Middle School.
Junior School Step-Up Morning – Monday, 30 November – all students will have an opportunity to go to their new class areas for next year to familiarise themselves with the staff and space they will be in.
Year 4 and 5 Awards Assembly – Tuesday, 1 December in the Ruth Butler Theatre – this will be a student and staff only event but will be recorded for viewing on that day.
Closing Chapel and Class Party Day – Wednesday, 2 December – your class teachers will communicate with you further about the arrangements for these as we have COVID restrictions to follow.
Academic Reports – will be available in the last week of the term.

At the end of the year we will farewell Mrs Joy Schloss who has been at the College for many years serving our students through various roles including Deputy Head of Junior School, classroom support and Student Services. There will be many opportunities for students to farewell Joy.

Also at the end of the year Ms Jackie Brewster will be going on maternity leave as she welcomes her first child into the world. We look forward to sharing in Jackie and Robbie’s joy as their family grows. Consequently, Mr Dan Toomey will be moving into Year 4 and Mrs Lyn Anderson will be returning from leave to join the Year 3 teaching team. All other teaching teams will remain as 2020 has been.

As we move toward this Christmas season, sometimes the busy-ness can overshadow the joyous birth of our Saviour. My prayer is that you will also find time to ponder and reflect on the wonderful gift Jesus is to our lives and community even through the busy-ness.

Blessings,

Karen Koehler
Acting Head of Junior School/ Pastoral Care

Why can’t I be home schooled?

“A ship is safe in harbour, but that's not what ships are for.” ― John A. Shedd

I wonder how many parents have heard this argument from their children over the past few weeks. It has been a unique year in numerous ways. I am sure none of us could have ever envisaged that we would be spending part of 2020 with our children learning from home. Perhaps some of us would never like to have that experience again! What it has created though, is a point of difference. Our children have experienced, albeit for the fairly short timeframe of six weeks, what it is like to have lessons from the comfort of home. And now that it is Term 4, and they are feeling tired, they may be drawn toward that point of reference.

They are currently feeling mentally challenged by the expectations of learning and school regimes. They are feeling emotionally challenged by friendship disputes, playground politics and forgetting what uniform they were supposed to wear. They are tired, and they are done with the 2020 school year. They will plead their case by telling you that they have no friends, the work is too hard, they don’t understand anything and they feel sick…all day. They are recollecting those home learning days with extra fervour. That mid-morning break patting the dog, not having to share the play equipment, not having to worry whether they can find two matching socks. It will all seem very appealing to them at the moment.

Most of all they had you. They had your attention. Even though I’m sure there were times of frustration and disillusionment, they were home with you, yet still had a strong connection to their friends and teacher. They have three weeks to go. They need your encouragement to finish the year well. As parents, we need to resist their pleas and know that they are safe, supported and most of all they are learning valuable social and emotional skills when they are here at school. They have celebrations in class, they have projects to finish up and achievements to applaud. They have loads of activities to choose from at breaktimes including our ‘Summer Series’ of music performances, Just Dance dance-offs, staff vs student handball matches and step up days to prepare them for the year ahead. Then they will have a nice big break to reset and recharge. Resist the pleas to stay home, reach out to us for help and support if you need, and most of all keep the positive dialogue about school in the forefront over the next few weeks.

Mardi Frost
Acting Deputy Head of Junior School/Pastoral Care

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Issue 14, 13 November 2020

In This Newsletter

Chaplain's Chat

Pastor Nathan Glover

Secondary School

From the Deputy Principal Head of Secondary School

From the Head of Senior School

Business

Japanese Language News

Junior School

From the Acting Head of Junior School

From the Acting Deputy Head of Junior School

The Arts

November Arts Corner

Community

Gold Coast Health Immunisation Program

Important Dates

Important Dates

Chaplain's Chat

Secondary School

Junior School

The Arts

Community

Important Dates

Chaplain's Chat

Secondary School

Junior School

The Arts

Community

Important Dates