This term our focus in worship is on ‘listening’. We are using this as an over arching theme as we make our way through the second half of the Old Testament where God’s chosen people, the Israelites, are established as a self-governing nation in their own land after having previously been slaves in Egypt. 

God encourages them to be a light to the nations, displaying his goodness and love through the way they treat each other and how they relate to Him as their leader. Unfortunately, the Israelites struggle with this task. They regularly chose to close their ears to God’s call upon them to be a holy nation. Instead, they looked to nations about them and adopted their ways of living which leads to destruction and ruin.

If only they would listen to God and follow his call to love Him and love others…. Today, 3000 years later, each of us still has God calling to us. He is comforting us in the challenges we face – both the large and small ones. He confronts us when we are selfish and self-centred. All of this happens as we take time to connect with Him and give Him opportunity to speak to us through the small still voice that resides in each of us.

Listening to God, spending quiet time with Him or even ‘loud’ time too - if you connect with Him that way, it always brings goodness and love, peace and joy into our lives. This, in turn shares God’s will amongst all whom we interact with; May this be for us over the weeks and months ahead as we live listening and responding to His words of life.

May I add my warm welcome back to Term Two and what a wonderful start to the term it has been.  

YEAR 7-12 CROSS COUNTRY 

We saw an array of House colours as our Years 7-12 all showed their fitness and running prowess in the Inter-House Cross-Country Carnival at Schuster’s Park. The House Spirit and participation across all Year levels and all Houses was superb. Congratulations Jubi who won the overall shield because of their strong participation. Thank you to Mr Freddie Wood who coordinated the Carnival, the Property Team, the Teaching Staff, Sports Aides and Parents who attended and most importantly the students for their wonderful contributions on what was a great day. 

ANZAC DAY SERVICES 

During the last fortnight we commemorated Anzac Day. Friday week ago, the whole Secondary School came together for a moving outdoor service in the Middle School Amphitheatre.  Our students conducted themselves respectfully and with gratitude, in memory of those who have served our nation in the Armed Services. On Anzac Day, a good number of our community marched together and a wreath was laid as part of the Burleigh Anzac Day service. At the Currumbin RSL Dawn Service, our College Captains also laid a wreath and our Vocal Ensemble performed to a nationally televised audience, both the Australian and New Zealand Nation Anthems. 

YEAR 7 CAMP

This week saw our Year 7’s head to ‘Camp Good Enough’ for their camp experience. In addition to the perfect weather, they enjoyed high ropes, a rock climbing wall, bushwalking, flying fox and giant swing, improving both their problem solving skills and peer interactions.  A huge thank you to Ms Sarah Slavin for her organisation and leadership on the Camp, to the Year 7 teachers and support staff for their commitment to this Camp, and to our Year 7 students.

YEAR 11 HOSPITALITY TO SEA WORLD

Last week our Year 11 students spent two days staying at Sea World. They participated in information sessions and engaged in the many aspects of the hospitality industry, alongside Sea World employees.  All students involved in the program received a graduation certificate at the completion of the program. The hands-on experience met the curriculum requirements of the Hospitality Practices syllabus in relation to the Hospitality Industry and the Casual Dining units. Many thanks to Mrs Louise Riddell for organising this opportunity for our students and attending with them. 

BATTLE OF THE BANDS   

Last week also saw the return of Battle of the Bands contest. This was a fun-filled inter-house competition whereby each house formed a band. The bands rehearsed for a few weeks, and then performed live together in front of their peers. The crowds went wild and the house spirit was high. Congratulations to Gowandi house for their well-deserved win. Many thanks to Mr Paul Oakley-Grant for coordinating the event and to the many other staff that supported the bands and organisation of this much-loved event.

CATALYST LAUNCH 

On Thursday, our Year 10 students attended the first Catalyst event for the year. The aim of the day was to highlight careers in the Creative Industries areas, including STEM areas. We were fortunate enough to have four outstanding speakers who spoke about their chosen careers, why they chose the area they work in and also what steps they took in their career journey to be where they are today.  

Our speakers were Mr Baden U’Ren, Entrepreneur, Ms Ellie Whitaker, Textiles Designer, Mr Greg Dart, Architect and Teacher and Dr Sam Canning, Program Director Griffith University Industrial Design.  Mr Bliss also shared his vision for the CCI building, why it has been built, the opportunities it will create for students and what a facility like this can do to help prepare students for potential career paths.

The program sparked career interest for the Year 10 students and was a great lead into the Gold Coast Careers Festival, which they also attended on Friday.    

Thank you to Mr Guy Lawson who initiated this first Catalyst Event and to Mrs Chrissie Wrigley for organising the visit to the Careers Festival.

YOU CHOOSE YOUTH ROAD SAFETY PRESENTATION

We were so pleased to offer the YOU CHOOSE program to our Year 11 and Year 12 students this week. This program is an Australian youth-led mission to change driving culture.  Our students engaged with this presentation and it was wonderful to have so many attend the Parent presentation on Thursday evening.  

Adele Ramsay
Deputy Principal Head of Secondary School

Welcome back to Term Two!

YOU CHOOSE YOUTH SAFETY PRESENTATION

This week our Year 11 and 12 students welcomed Melissa and Peter McGuinness to present their YOU CHOOSE youth safety program. This is an Australian youth-led mission to change driving culture. This multi award-winning program takes an innovative approach to placing teen passengers and drivers into profound personal reflection about the connections between their intentions, their decisions their actions and their loved ones...inspiring them to make and to advocate great choices in the moments-that-matter. 

Our students found this presentation very emotional but even more importantly they started to have discussions about how they can contribute to a more positive driving culture on the Gold Coast and beyond.

If you have a child in Year 11 and 12, we urge you to have some discussion about the ideas from this important presentation for our youth.

We also had a parent information evening this week that was well attended by our parent body and community.

More information can be found on the YOU CHOOSE website 

NEW YEAR 11 COORDINATOR

I would like to take this opportunity to farewell Ms Sange Carter who has done an excellent job as Year 11 Coordinator in 2022. Ms Carter is leaving the College on maternity leave from the end of Week Three. We welcome Mrs Amanda Tanks who will take on the position as Year 11 Coordinator until the end of the year. Ms Tank's email address is amandat@salc.qld.edu.au should you wish to contact her about your child in Year 11.

MOBILE PHONES AND ANXIETY/ PARENT DEPENDENCE

Recently in assembly, I talked to the Senior School about how important it is for students to connect with each other face to face and take a break from social media and messaging on their phones. Our young people are facing higher levels of anxiety and depression. There is a link between young people spending too much time on their phone and anxiety/depression. We want St Andrews to be a place of peace for our young people where they can have some downtime from not having to respond to a continual stream of notifications or messages. On average teenagers receive somewhere between 50 and 100 notifications on their phones a day via social media apps such as Snap Chat.  

One of other implications of teens using their phone during the day relates to some of our students immediately contacting their parents when they are experiencing a difficult time.  Part of our jobs as teachers (and parents) in the Senior School is that we need to prepare our children for becoming independent adults. Our students need to be able to learn how to problem solve and make their own decisions. While this is very difficult to watch our children as parents, sometimes it means letting go and at times letting our children make mistakes.  By taking a phone call from our child who is having a bad day and fighting their battles doesn’t help our children build independence.    

While we certainly encourage communication from you (our parents) about any of your concerns, we ask that you refrain from contacting your child during school hours. If there is an emergency and you need to take your child home for some reason, we ask that you contact the College rather than your child directly.  

Dani Goucher
Head of Senior School 

Term Two has started with a rush. Whilst three-day weekends are lovely, the school week seems to go so fast fitting everything into four days.

This term is a very eventful, exciting and sometimes daunting term for the Middle School students. Year 7 and 9 students will sit NAPLAN and go on Camp (with Year 8 Camp postponed to Term Three). Whilst busy, it can be a very rewarding time for almost all students.

At the most recent Middle School Assembly, I spoke to the students about moving out of their comfort zone into a challenge zone. Experiencing outdoor activities, eating different foods, sleeping away from home (and in a tent!) can be challenging for young people. We encourage you to stay very positive with your children and use the language of comfort/challenge zone.

Another example of students being placed out of their comfort zone is when they sit the NAPLAN exams. Last term we ran a practice session with the students to ensure their devices were set up correctly. Our current Year 7 and 9 students have not experienced this testing since Year 3 and 5 respectively. If you feel your child needs a little more practice (to ease any nerves), they can use the following link to practice.  https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site

Please reach out to the College if you or your child need support.

UPCOMING DATES

4 – 6 May         Year 7 Camp

11 – 14 May      Year 9 NAPLAN (one Year 7 test)

16 – 19 May      Year 7 NAPLAN

16 – 31 May      GOOGA- Girls Camp

2 – 17 June       GOOGA- Boys Camp

Lisa Roper
Head of Middle School

On Saturday, 26 March, three Year 10 STEM Club students from St Andrews Lutheran College - Emily L, Sophia T, and Laila B, attended the QUT engineering project. Throughout the term, students from the STEM club have been working on building electronic circuits and measuring resistances using colour codes and digital mustimeters, under the direction of Dr Gordon Naidoo. Dr Naidoo provided the opportunity of travelling to Brisbane for a day, at Queensland University of Technologies, to indulge in two engineering-based activities. The students were able to talk to several qualified Engineers, who provided expert advice on future careers in Engineering.

The first workshop was a Chemical Engineering project. A professional Chemical Engineer began by introducing what they typically do in a day, and then presented students with a problem that was solved in teams. The problem was based on trying to find the best possible route for a pipeline to run along. Students had to problem solve by locating the cheapest route and the most efficient. They also had to figure out the pressure drop of the pipes, depending on their diameter and other factors. Through collaboration on this project, STEM Club members were able to challenge their knowledge and skills in Science and Maths and to learn what a Chemical Engineer does.

The second workshop was based on Aeronautical Engineering. This time, students needed creativity, as they had to design a parachute for an egg, with the main goal for it not to crack. Nothing was allowed underneath the egg to cushion its fall. Students, with the help of Aeronautical Engineers, problem solved strategies to achieve this. By figuring out the optimum area for the parachute and several other factors, we were able to successfully land the egg and parachute, only causing minor cracks. 

A speed talk session was also held where seven Engineers lectured to us in small groups for ten-minute intervals about their careers and the possible options for future careers. Overall, the event was very exciting and encouraged us as Andrians to use our STEM knowledge and skills. The lectures and demonstrations provided deep insights into the prospects of engineering in Australia. The Year 10 STEM Club would love to welcome all students in Year 10, who have a passion for STEM, to explore their options! 

Dr Gordon Naidoo                                      
STEM Club Teacher   

and

Laila Breckenridge
Year 10 STEM Club Student 

LANGUAGE AMBASSADORS

Congratulations to our newly appointed Language Ambassadors for 2022: 

Lachie R, Tobias B, Harri T, Patrick T, Angus N, Zac P.  These students will assist in promoting the study of Languages, organise cultural activities and mentor younger students. We are fortunate to have such passionate language students!

Year 8 German students were able to put their communication skills into practice, when Herr Schaich opened the annual Eiscafé – ice cream shop. To conclude Unit One 'Guten Appetit', students greeted their shopkeeper, ordered their preferred flavour, and expressed gratitude, all in German! Students enjoyed their well-earned ice cream, and the opportunity to use the target language in a realistic scenario. 

Tara Bible
Language Teacher

Museums are full of antique and vintage dolls. Dolls have been part of human life for years and the ragdoll is one of the oldest toys. Using a basic pattern, the Year 7 Fibre and Textile students are creating their own ragdoll. Some ragdolls are based on movie characters while others’ personalities are merely invented by the students. Hand stitching, sewing on buttons, painting faces, and sewing machine stitching are only some of the methods used to bring life to these little ragdolls.

Liz Polentas
Head of Digital Technologies

Congratulations to our brilliant Year 8 Debating team who convincingly won their last two debates at Somerset College. An additional congratulations are to go to Kirra T who won Speaker of the Night during the last debate. The team have all worked enthusiastically as a team and have showcased exceptional public speaking and rebuttal skills. A special thank you to Lilah T from Year 12 who has been a fantastic Year 8 debating coach!

YEAR 11 HOSPITALITY EXCURSION TO SEA WORLD

Sea World’s hotel school was a great way to experience the real world of the hospitality industry. We were lucky enough to stay for two days and one night and partnered up with staff from all sectors of the industry such as Chefs, Housekeepers, Concierge, Waiters etc. Around an hour was spent with each employee, watching and learning how their jobs work. We learnt kitchen operations, bed making, concierge procedures, the preparation time it takes to feed 800-1000 guests, how to be a waiter (setting tables, carry drinks and talking to customers), how much produce a large company stores and how to order and organise. The hospitality class thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Sea World. We took away a lot of skills, lessons and knowledge from just two days. 

Evie Kennedy
Hospitality Student

Last month, St Andrews Year 5 to Year 10 students and many of their parents, attended an educational session with Cyber Safety (and social media) Expert, Susan McLean. Her presentation was hard hitting, often confronting and completely necessary.

In my role as the College Counsellor, I am constantly confronted by young people’s commitment to social media and the ever present pressure that it presents. It can be a source of pain, conflict, fear and confusion and it can be a wonderful source for positive learning, news and celebration, friendship and adventure.  What is critical for parents to accept, is that the internet is an adult world and a space where our children require supervision, support and parental awareness.

Here are some of Susan’s top tips to support Parents in keeping their kids safe online.

1) GET DEVICES OUT OF BEDROOMS AND BATHROOMS

2) BLUE TOOTH SPEAKERS, DIGITAL ALARM CLOCKS

3) KNOW PASSCODES AND PASSWORDS

4) USE A FILERTING TOOL

5) KNOW THE APPS

6) PEOPLE YOU KNOW AND TRUST

7) ONLINE CONTRACTS

8) TALK, TALK, TALK

Adolescents take risks and we all accept that this is a normal part of development. Reducing risk-taking opportunities by not allowing devices in bedrooms or bathrooms is both practical and protective.

There are great solutions to keep the phone ‘necessary for music in the shower’ and ‘alarms’ out of the bathroom and the bedroom.

Just make it a rule! You are not invading privacy by parenting. I hate to think worst case, but you need to get into that phone in a worst case scenario.

The internet is an adult world. Filtering can help to prevent your kids from being exposed to material that is inappropriate, explicit or illegal.  

This is a link from the Carly Ryan Foundation App Fact Sheets | The Carly Ryan Foundation that provides a useful insight into app’s that are familiar to our young people. Susan discusses knowing apps, asking your young people to show you how they use them, get involved and show your interest. 

Allow (and encourage) your young people to accept only people they ‘know and trust’ – not friends of friends for example.  Susan told our kids “if you would not have them over for dinner – then you shouldn’t have them online".

Online contracts can be useful and important. You will find an example on the earlier link to the Carly Ryan Foundation and Susan also shares one in her book Sexts Texts and Selfies - Cyber Safety Solutions

As always, talking early, often and openly is the greatest defence we have against hidden dangers, such as online dangers.  It is never too late to start. This is also where an online contract can be useful. You can consider the expectations and limits that you would like to set for your children, prior to developing a contract and they can request their own support needs of you. There is a need to be flexible and a need to say ‘No’. Both can be managed concurrently and both are very important. 

Reference: Home - Cyber Safety Solutions

Kate Bowyer
College Counsellor 

Welcome back to the Secondary School Library for Term Two. We love to see so many students enjoying our Library space and have some fun activities planned for the coming weeks.

NEW BOARD GAMES

Brand new board games arrived late last term. Students have enjoyed mastering these new games and challenging their friends. Games include Machi Koro, Battle of Legends, Disney Villainous and Sushi Go Party! Thank you to Mr Deklan Kelly, our resident board game aficionado, for the fun recommendations.

E-SPORTS

Our E-sports teams are currently in training for the FUSE Cup held later this term. Teams have been training hard in both Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros during their lunch break.

UNCLE ALLAN VISIT

In Week 1, Uncle Allan Lena, our local traditional custodian and Elder of the Yugambeh Language group / Bundjalung nation visited the Secondary Library in the Cecile Ryan Centre. Uncle Allan toured the Library to see how we have been integrating Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) goals into Library Services E-12. Our overarching RAP goal is to ensure our Libraries are safe spaces for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students as well as spaces which educate our students, staff and community about the truths of Australian history by highlighting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices and experiences. 

ANZAC DAY

We commemorated Anzac Day with a special book display, honouring ANZACs and acknowledging the varied stories, and cultural diversity, of those who served and sacrificed.

ACCESSIBLE RESOURCES

Based on student and staff feedback, the Library is continuing to build a collection of accessible resources. This includes books in dyslexic-friendly font for many of the English unit titles, as well as graphic novel and large print editions. The Library also enables access to audiobooks for those students with additional learning needs. Please see Library staff for more details. 

CRC OPENING HOURS  

Monday and Friday   

7:30am – 5:00pm   

AFTER HOURS:  

(3:15pm-5:00pm)  

• Students in Years 7-10 will need to sign in at the CRC front desk and be signed out by a Parent/Carer or sibling in Years 11-12.  

• Students in Years 11-12 can sign themselves out.  

• Please see the Senior Library After Hours Policy on Parent Lounge for more information.    

Ask a Librarian 

Remember Secondary Students may log in using student details to read eBooks through the Wheelers online platform.   

Your Librarians are always happy to help with research, finding resources, book recommendations and IT support. We also love to chat about books, life and the universe. Come in and chat to us or email us directly:  

•  Head of Library Services: Barbara Kristo  

•  Senior Librarian: Trudy Slabosz  

•  Library Aides: Cara Harrington and Brad McMillan  

•  Library Tech: Deklan Kelly 

The Library Team  

HELPING CHILDREN TO READ

The main purpose of reading is to make meaning from the text. Effective readers expect that what they read will make sense. Learning to read is very complex and takes time. Parents can help at home by listening to their children read their readers. Often parents ask about what they can do to help their children when they come across a word that they don’t know. At St Andrews we use the Pause, Prompt and Praise method to help decode what the word is. 

PAUSE When children come across a word that they don’t know, pause before expecting an answer. This will allow them the time to try and work out what the word is for themselves. 

PROMPT To help your child continue reading, give a hint. Remember, if the word is not correct after two or three prompts, say "The word is ……."

I will often ask the child if they know what that word means. Things you might like to do are sound out the word or predict what the word might be based on what they have read previously.

PRAISE Offer praise for the effort, the use of strategy or for working the word out.  

I have included two links to videos that might be useful. The first unpacks the pause, prompt and praise method and shows a teacher using this method when reading with a child. The second video goes through phonemic awareness which you can use to help your child read an unfamiliar word. 

15 of 25 - Pause, prompt, praise - YouTube 

3 of 25 - Developing phonemic awareness - YouTube

FATHER OR FATHER FIGURES NIGHTS

We will be hosting two events this term. One event for fathers/father figures and their children and the other for fathers only. For catering purposes and/or to book the Top Golf, can you please complete the form below by close of business Tuesday, 10 May. 

Thursday 19 May – Pizza night and Amazing Race (Meet at the MPH at 5:00pm)

Thursday 2 June – Top Golf (at Parents’ expense) (Meet at Top Golf at 6:00pm)

Click Here to RSVP

Darrin Schumacher
Deputy Principal Head of Junior School

OUR CURRENT LEARNING IN THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

Units of Inquiry are transdisciplinary by nature. This means that concepts and central ideas are the vehicle for learning and our traditional disciplines like English, Maths, Science, History, Geography etc are learnt through these Units if they can (otherwise these are learnt separately). The central idea is a big idea that is timeless, global and transferable into many different situations. The Primary Years Programme promotes international-mindedness in its mission and our students learn global perspectives through these transdisciplinary units. The concepts are also transferable, global and timeless. These concepts become the lens through which we teach the central idea. The lines of inquiry help to explore the central idea and concepts further.

So what are our students learning at the moment? Here is a small snapshot into the Units of Inquiry students are currently exploring. All classes follow the same central idea at the same time.

Ask your children about some of these understandings they are inquiring into and encourage them to find out more.

Until next time.

Karen Koehler
Deputy Head of Junior School / Acting PYP Coordinator

FIRST BREAK ACTIVITIES

Students have been getting creative this term during our first break activities. Students have been coding bee bots, competing in Lego challenges, engaging in mindfulness colouring and learning to code using Scratch Junior on the iPads. These activities are additional to the games, construction and drawing that is available every day. 

READERS CUP

A team of Year 6 students are busy reading the five titles prescribed for the Readers Cup this year. Readers Cup is organised by the Queensland branch of the Children’s Book Council of Australia. Our Year 6 team will compete on 24 May. Good luck Alexander T, Nahlah B, Luca Z and Magnus L.

ANZAC DAY

Anzac Day was commemorated in the Junior School Library with every class participating in a read aloud with Mrs Rees. Our Prep students made poppy wreaths after listening to My Grandad Marches on Anzac Day. Year 1 students designed a uniform for Anzac Ted. Lest we forget.

LITERACY PRO

Congratulations Lachlan S from Year 5 for reading over one million words on the Literacy Pro Reading Program. Lachlan received a medal at the last Assembly and has a personal goal to reach 2 million. Well done, Lachlan! 

MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU!

This week we have celebrated all things Star Wars in the Junior School Library. Mr Mac and Mrs Rees have created a wonderful display showcasing the libraries Star Wars collection. We have a variety of graphic novels, chapter books and non-fiction featuring all the Star Wars characters. 

Vikki Rees 
Teacher Librarian

Here comes the cooler weather.

Over the past few weeks, we have not just been worrying about COVID-19, but also Influenza and other viruses. Thank you to the families who have kept children at home when they are showing signs of illness. As the cooler weather approaches, we ask that your child has some warm clothing packed in their labelled bag.

CHILD CARE SUBSIDY CHANGES

Changes to the Child Care Subsidy came into effect on 7 March. As a result, some families may have seen a change in percentage if you have more than one child in care under five years of age. 

Click here for more information.

ELC BAGS 

St Andrews ELC bags can now be purchased for $15.00 from the office. These are great for packing spare clothes.

MOTHER’S DAY

This year, for Mother’s Day, we have linked with the Cancer Council of Australia to host a Mother’s Day High Tea. Cancer is a disease that affects just about every family. So if you would like to support the cause, make your donation via the link: https://www.biggestmorningtea.com.au/s/42913/56215 We extend our invitation to all mothers, grandmothers and remarkable women in our ELC children’s lives to attend on Monday 9 May at 2pm. 

SERVICE PHILOSOPHY

After two months of reviewing the service philosophy and seeking feedback we are happy to publish this year’s philosophy and statement of who we are:

BOOK FAIR

Book Fair is coming up in the week of 16 May. Families are invited to purchase books and raise funds for the service. Funds raised enable the ELC to purchase books for the centre. Reading to your child each night is one of the best school readiness activities you can do. Look out for your child’s wish list. 

NATIONAL SIMULTANEOUS STORYTIME

National Simultaneous Storytime will be held on 25 May. Children can come dressed as any culture or in a special outfit that reflects their family heritage. Mr Schumacher will be visiting the ELC and reading the story to the children at this event. 

ANZAC DAY MARCH

A very special thanks to the families who joined the College for the Anzac Day March in Burleigh Heads. While four ELC children marched with the five ELC Educators, many ELC children and families were spotted in the crowd.

NEW STAFF MEMBER

This week, we welcomed Adele to the ELC family. Adele is a new relief staff member who you will see on a casual basis covering staff on annual leave and holidays. A sign will be placed on the classroom doors when staff are absent and notifying you of changes in staffing. 

CARPARK

If you have older children at the College, please ask them to walk to their classrooms while you are at the ELC. This will ensure there is a fast turnaround of carparks and traffic is not slowed.

Bronwyn Waters
Director of the Early Learning Centre

With the start of the new term, we have made a few changes to the room. After following the children’s interests, we have changed our home area into a doctor’s surgery. The children have all engaged in this space and are learning how to take turns in being the doctors and deciding who gets to be the patient. The children really enjoy the fun when one of the educators is the patient.

As a team, we have looked at goals for the children and have designed a term program with what we will be focusing on. With a focus on developing fine motor skills, in the last few weeks the children have engaged in a number of activities including cutting playdough, cutting out pictures, threading and paper weaving. We have also focused on giving the children an opportunity to try basic self-help skills like putting on their shoes and socks before offering the children help.

The children have started to learn more about families and how all families are different. This is also being incorporated into our weekly Japanese lessons to extend this learning. 

The children have shown a considerable interest in numbers and counting. This has allowed for fun transitions with number flashcards.

The most beautiful Easter bonnet parade was held in April to celebrate Easter. It was wonderful to have so many families attending the event and supporting the children.

The Junior Kindy Team

What is it about going on a treasure hunt that inspires our (inner) child to explore and discover? The wonder and magical mysteries of what can be found is something that sparks curiosity and almost immediately engages the mind. The children and educators in Pre Prep 1 have been invited to dream, wonder, inquire and discover the world through our daily program. The interest in searching evolved from our Easter egg hunt into something that has become part of our ongoing program to cultivate the nature of ‘discovery’. This Term, our Unit of Inquiry is ‘Share the Planet (environment)’. We have delved into the nature of observing our daily lives to make connections of ‘What is a living thing?’. Intentional and spontaneous treasure hunts have occurred where the children are learning about living things and what they need to survive.

Week 1 included Nature Week and Earth Day. This provided opportunities for the children to bring in materials or resources that they had found from their homes. We used sticks to help us learn about mathematical concepts such as measurement and addition. We read the creation story outside and learned that God created the earth and rested over the course of seven days. Our exploration of art also involved cutting patterns on leaves and painting them.

We had a visit from our local Indigenous Elder, Uncle Allan, who showed us kangaroo and possum skins and indigenous cave art. He demonstrated how the Indigenous Australians paint the outline of their hand using a spray.  The children were then invited to also participate in this experience.  

REMINDERS: 

Pre Prep 1 are commencing Show and Tell in Week 3 (relating to the Unit of Inquiry) please refer to the roster in Pre Prep 1 to find out when your child is sharing. Any questions, please do not hesitate to ask Lily or Stephanie. 

We look forward to seeing where the curious and creative minds of the children lead us over the coming weeks and sharing with you in our next newsletter. 

The Pre Prep 1 Team

This month, Pre Prep 2 have hit the ground running and are making the most of every opportunity to explore, create, play and learn. The children are super enthusiastic about our unit of inquiry ‘Sharing the Planet’ and have taken on the role of Izzy Inquirer as they developed a good understanding of some big concepts. Through intentional teaching, open ended experiences and provocations, the children have explored the question ‘What is a living thing?’.

We have provided opportunities for the children to develop their independence and communication skills by taking ownership of their own learning by capturing photos of living and non-living things in the playground and indoors. Using the outdoor area provides opportunities to explore, discover and appreciate the natural world and often relieves stress levels and the pressure of learning these new concepts. As we continue to move forward, the children will look at the learner profile puppets Theo Thinker and Carry Caring as they investigate what our responsibility is in nature. 

Anzac Day opened the eyes of many children this year as we discussed the teamwork and sacrifices made to protect and bring countries together. Throughout the week we read the story Anzac Ted and created a beautiful wreath using rosemary from our garden which was then placed alongside others at the Anzac Day service in the Junior School.  

Our local Indigenous Elder, Uncle Allan, also visited the ELC this month. Uncle Allan plays an important role in educating and passing down traditional knowledge and stories to our ELC friends and provides opportunities for us as educators to stay connected to the local community and understand more about our land. Throughout the visit, Uncle Allan played the didgeridoo and told stories about how Aboriginal people put a mixture of ochre, water and animal fat into their mouth and blew it across their hand which rested on a rock surface. We recreated this using water paints on a large piece of material. 

Respect and responsibility are what we instil into our children from an early age. As teachers, we always try to focus on positives and ensure that your children understand that it is important to always be kind and include others. We use the Fill a Bucket story to help children understand this concept. The analogy of having a full bucket (happy heart) is language that they understand and use daily. Be sure to ask your child how their bucket is feeling. 

REMINDERS:

Library day is Friday this term, please wear closed in shoes 

Morning tea (separate piece of fruit/vegetable or container)

Please send a jumper as it is getting cooler in the afternoons 

Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea – 9 May

Until next time

The Pre Prep 2 Team

CROSS COUNTRY 

On Thursday 21 April, St Andrews hosted the highly competitive Inter-House Cross Country Carnival at Schuster Park. Students were provided with the opportunity to either run the Championship race (4km) and potentially qualify for Hinterland Trials or take part in the more leisurely Participation race (1.5km). Some fantastic house spirit was on display, especially during the Tug-of-War and in the newly introduced All Star relay which saw a member from each year level in each House compete over a 600-metre sprint. Being my first ever event at the College, it was great to see the House spirit, camaraderie and enjoyment from students and staff on the day.

A huge congratulations to the following students:

U12- Charlotte R and Hayden L,  Runners up Summer J and Riley C

U13- Maeve S and Lucas G, Runners up Anna H and Reid S

U14- Shelby B and Kye E, Runners up Sienna S and Oscar E

U15- Amelia W and Joe G, Runners up Sophie G and Alexander H

U16- Skylah E and Sam L, Runners up Amelie L and Ziah P

OP- Sophia M and Chris H, Runners up Sienna Y and Felix B

OVERALL POINTS

1^st Jubi 1968 points

2^nd Gowandi 1514 points

3^rd Wardjam 1027 points

4^th Binging 933 points

CLUB TOUCH

St Andrews Club Touch Program recommenced on Friday 29 April. This year, the College has multiple teams across a range of age divisions and we look forward to another successful season as Touch continues to grow within the College. A reminder to all players that Touch training is every Friday morning at 7:00am at the College. If you would like to get involved in a team, please do not hesitate to get in contact.

The Q Development Talent Sessions commenced Thursday with all our representative students from Year 9 to 12 invited to attend. This talent session is being run by Queensland Touch at the College as we are a pilot school for the course. St Andrews will use this as a selection trial for our representative teams for Queensland All Schools later in the year. The next session will take place on Thursday 12 May at 7:00am.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

Year 12 student, Ivy M has been selected in the U18 Australian Futures squad for Hockey. These athletes were selected from the recent U18 Nationals in Cairns (where her team won the GOLD) and have been chosen to potentially be a Hockeyroo for the 2026 Melbourne Commonwealth Games and 2032 Brisbane Olympics. This is a fantastic achievement, and the College is very proud of Ivy’s achievements.

Year 10 student, Kody B was recently in Adelaide competing in the Swimming Australia Age National Championships.  Kody competed in 4 events recording personal best times and making finals in the 50m Backstroke where he came 6^th (6^th fastest 15yr boy in Australia). In the 100m Backstroke he placed as the 4^th fastest 15yr boy in Australia. 

Kody's next big swimming meet will be at the National School Swimming Event in August where he will represent the College in 50m Backstroke, 100m Backstroke and Medley Relay. We wish him all the best of luck with these events. 

Year 7 student, Jye K has recently been selected to represent South Coast for Touch Football. Jye will go and compete against other regions at the State Champions from 16-19 June in Brisbane. Jye is an active member of our St Andrews Touch Club and has made the South Coast team two years in a row. We wish him the best of luck at the carnival.

GOLD COAST FUTSAL TITLES 

St Andrews had two teams compete in the Gold coast Futsal Titles this week with our 16 Years boys winning their division and out 19 Years boys placing runners up.

JUNIOR SCHOOL FUTSAL 

Our five futsal teams competed at the Gold Coast Titles Futsal tournament this week. The teams played a lot of games and represented the College very well. Our 12 Years boys Red team made the Quarter Final and 10 Year Boys Navy made the Semi Final. Congratulations to all students. The teams now turn their attention to the Winter Titles and Champions of Champions competitions.

YEAR 4 TO 6 CROSS COUNTRY CARNIVAL

Term Two kicked off with a bang with our Year 4 to 6 Cross Country Carnival. It was a wonderful morning of competition and House Spirit. Thank you to all involved. Congratulations to Wardjam who took out the House Shield and congratulations to our Age Champions

9 Years – Byron S and Sofia M

10 Years – Orlando S and Laylani L

11 Years – Spencer B and Indi S

12 Years – Tom B and Elyssia S

HINTERLAND GREEN CROSS COUNTRY

This week, we had 60 students across Years 4 to 12 compete at the Hinterland Green Cross Country Carnival. It was a fantastic day of racing, with some excellent results. We had 12 students qualify through the South Coast carnival in a few weeks. A special mention to Orlando S, Indi S, Poppy C, Lucas G, Shelby B, Sienna S, Kris H for placing top 3 in their age group. Good luck to all students competing at regionals. 

If you have any information that we could celebrate in student achievements, please send me an email freddiew@salc.qld.edu.au

Freddie Wood 

Head of Sport – Secondary School 

It has been a very busy start of the term in the Arts Department. From the Vocal Ensemble performance at the Currumbin Dawn Service, Frozen Excursion, Battle of the Bands, Grease rehearsals and The Saints first gig for the year- students have been engaged in the Arts. 

CURRUMBIN DAWN SERVICE 

It was a very special experience to be with the Vocal Ensemble on the beach as the sun rose at the Currumbin Dawn Service. This is the second year our Vocal Ensemble have sung the Australian and New Zealand National Anthems for this very important event. Many thanks to the ensemble and their families for being involved.

Courtesy of Channel 7 News. 

St Andrews Lutheran College Choir 1:16:45

https://fb.watch/cQsXz2uC8j/

The Golden Clef Choir performed at the College's ANZAC Service to pay tribute to the soldiers past and present. Below is a video of their performance.

BATTLE OF THE BANDS

Last Thursday saw the Ruth Butler Theatre rocking to our annual Battle of the Bands. It was wonderful to see so many students hit the stage. We also had a special guest Alumni Band who finished the concert.

Congratulations to Gowandi who were victorious.

GREASE REHEARSALS

Last Monday saw our ensemble join the Grease Cast. Together we were learning the hand Jive and Shaking at the High School Hop. Tickets for the musical will go on sale at the start of Term Three and it promises to be a wonderful show.

FROZEN AT QPAC

Last Thursday, our Senior Performing Arts Students headed to Brisbane to see Frozen at QPAC. Seeing live theatre – especially of this calibre is such a wonderful learning experience.

In their words:

It was a magical production that I will never forget, the set, music and actors were incredibly amazing. I would see it a million more times. Madyson C

It wasn’t just a show, it was an unforgettable experience. I want to be Anna when I grow up. Isabella Y

The Frozen musical was an incredible experience overflowing with emotion and amazing dramatic techniques used by the whole cast. With an even better set design to accompany it! Oliver W

Cilla Scott
Head of Arts

Due to the upgrade on the M1 there will be significant changes to the northbound access at the Tallebudgera Interchange. 

Please see below for more details.

All access southbound to and from the M1 at Exit 89 will remain open.

A reminder to please slow down and drive with care through the works zone to ensure the safety of all roadworkers and road users.

For more information about the upgrade and reconstruction of Exit 89, please visit the Package B project webpage here.

MAY 2022

Monday 9 
SLAPS Cross Country
ELC Biggest Afternoon Tea

Monday 16 
Googa Camp Girls
ELC Book Fair Week

Tuesday 17
Googa Camp Girls
ELC Book Fair Week
Under 8’s Day

Wednesday 18
Googa Camp Girls
ELC Book Fair Week

Thursday 19
Googa Camp Girls
ELC Book Fair Week

Friday 20
Googa Camp Girls
ELC Book Fair Week