NAPLAN

Schools across Australia, including St Andrews have just completed the annual NAPLAN tests. A national assessment program that tests students in the areas of Literacy and Numeracy. While I am not going to debate the merits of such a test here, I would like to share some reflections. 

1. The tests are 'point in time' tests and give schools and parents a snapshot of how their child performed on that test on that day. It is important to note that these results should be read in conjunction with all the other assessment that goes on in the school. 
2. While foundational skills in Numeracy and Literacy are vital, a good education focuses on developing the whole child. Developing social, research, thinking, communication and research skills while being caring, compassionate and others centred are part of wholistic education. 
3. As a school, we look for trends in the data to improve our teaching practice. If we see a trend, we can devote more time and resources to improving in that area. 
4. Parents at St Andrews should take comfort in the results our students are getting. I am not so much focused on the overall result, rather the growth that is shown. In the graph below, the grey line shows the National average growth for NAPLAN results between Years 3 and 5. The orange line shows the growth for NAPLAN results for schools like St Andrews between Years 3 and 5. The blue line shows St Andrews growth for that same time. As you can see in the graph, the growth in student results is widening between St Andrews and like schools. Which demonstrates that students at St Andrews are growing more in these areas than other students from like schools. Parents can be confident that our teaching and learning frameworks are working and that students are getting what they need to be successful in the areas of Literacy and Numeracy. 

VOLUNTEERS

I had the honour of attending the Queensland Volunteer of the Year Awards recently to watch St Andrews Year 10 student Bryce U’Ren receive his Youth Volunteer of the Year Award for his work in bringing hope to childhood cancer sufferers. He has been delivering Night Lights to sick kids since he was in Year 4 and now every child in Australia and New Zealand who is diagnosed with cancer, will receive one of these lights. 

What struck me at the awards ceremony, was the humbleness of the people receiving these awards. They didn’t set out to receive an award or recognition, they simply rolled up their sleeves and helped others. This type of spirit is evident in the students of St Andrews, where they simply get in and help others because it is the right thing to do. Our communities simply couldn’t function without the help of volunteers. To Bryce, our students and others in the community who volunteer, I say thank you. 

Darrin Schumacher
Acting Principal 

The boy sat across from me staring down at his hands which were worrying with a toy. By his posture and body language, it was apparent that he was wrestling with both his actions and the worry of what the consequences of those actions might be.

We sat this way for about half an hour working through the kinds of things that made him tick and get stuck. Occasionally, he would glance up at me making sure that I was still there – still listening. When we made a connection regarding our enjoyment of reading, he launched into a narrative of his favourite genres, authors and storylines. When finished, he paused, his hands stopped and he said,

‘Pastor Reid, don’t give up on me, okay?’

This is one of the ultimate human questions. Alongside purpose, connection is a priority for all of us, whether young or old. Abandonment is a primal fear, and to be left alone, an island amidst turbulent seas, causes us to question the faithfulness of those around us.

Even Jesus, the son of God, asked the question of his disciples when they questioned the difficulty of what it meant to follow him. 

“Are you offended by this teaching?” Jesus asked. “No-one can come to me unless the Father allows it.” From (the time he spoke those words) many of (Jesus’ hundreds of) disciples turned back and no longer followed him. Then Jesus asked, “Do you want to leave me too?” (John 6:60,61,67 paraphrased)

When life gets tough, our greatest fear is that those we care about will abandon us, yet the greatest gift we can give is to say, ‘I’ll walk right beside you, all the way.’

As you’re reading this, think of the one or two people in your sphere of influence that you would never abandon. Maybe you could reinforce that this week to take some of the sting of fear out of life.

This week, I spoke to students at our Secondary School assembly about St Andrew. Whilst our school is called St Andrews, I wondered how much our students knew about St Andrew. Here’s is a little of what I shared, in the hope it sheds some light on who we are as a College and why we hold to our College mission and values. 

Andrew the Apostle, also called Saint Andrew, was one of Jesus’ first disciples. Therefore, Andrew was there from the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry and left all he possessed behind to follow Jesus. He was also the brother of Peter (later known as Saint Peter).

Andrew was an agile and fearless Galilean fisherman whose name means strong.  It is believed he also had very social skills and brought many foreigners and crowds to meet Jesus.  After Jesus’ death, he went forth and spread the gospel, the message of Christianity to hundreds more.  Andrew was also crucified, but on an X-shaped cross, hence the name given to the St Andrews’ cross.  The story and ministry of Andrew can be found in the New Testament Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).

Interestingly, St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, Ukraine, Russia and other European nations.  

Within the next few newsletters, I will continue to write about the different elements of our College Crest, including Luther’s Rose, and our motto, Semper Fidelis.  

YEAR 9 GOOGA

Last Monday our Year 9 girls departed for their GOOGA experience. This is a transformative shared experience for our cohort who have been well-prepared to face the challenges and opportunities for growth that GOOGA will bring. I look forward to following their progress via the Blog before heading out to visit the girls. Please contact Mrs Roper lisar@salc.qld.edu.au or Mr Tanguy christ@salc.qld.edu.au if you need any assistance or further information. 

QUALITY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Legal Studies – Two weeks ago, the Year 11 Legal Studies journeyed to Brisbane to visit the Court House. Students attend several courtrooms to observe court cases, taking in the procedures, etiquette, and personnel within the court rooms.  Last week the Year 12’s engaged with mooting, and as shared on our social media, Lilah, Braden and Piper competed in the Bond University High School Mooting competition.  The Moot models knowledge and skills in advocacy and oral presentation as in presenting a legal case before a judge. The team handled all questions from the Bench and they brilliantly summed up their case.  This exceptional Year 12 team were up against outstanding competition from other Gold Coast Schools and we look forward to hearing if our St Andrews team are indeed finalist.   My thanks to Mr Peter Hennessy, for the excellent job he does with our Legal Studies and Mooting program.

Across the Middle and Senior School our Debating teams have been competing over the Gold Coast throughout the term, usually on a Wednesday evening.  These teams have competed very well and have won several debates. Moreover, they have improved their research skills, public speaking skills, their ability to respond under pressure and their organisation and teamwork. We are very proud of the students involved and grateful to their teachers for coaching them in the skill of debating. A thorough debating report will be proved at the end of the debating season.  

This term, our Physical Education program across different year levels, is seeing students engage with surfing lessons, skating instruction and golf coaching.  As a Queensland Academy Touch Football School, our keen touch football students, are also engaged in an outstanding training program with a Queensland team qualified coach.   In Netball, our girls are currently preparing for the Queensland Indoor Netball and Vicki Wilson competitions.

In Business Studies, the Year 8s have recently run their Business market stall, giving them first-hand experience planning, preparing and running their own business venture.  While the Year 10 Business class attended the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary for a speaker presentation on the business side of the wildlifehospital operations.  Furthermore, the IC'20 and IC'21 trip to Xplor Technologies in Melbourne will take place in the first week of June. This trip includes the winners of our very own IC entrepreneurial program travelling to Melbourne to pitch their business ideas. 

Our Dance students last week attended the musical, Sweet Charity at the Gold Coast Little Theatre. This show was directed by Ms Cilla Scott, choreographed by Miss Paula Guild and the music direction by Ms Julie Whiting.  What a wonderful opportunity for these students to see first-hand, their teachers engaged professionally in the Performing Arts industry. 

But wait there’s more… over the next two weeks, different year levels will have guest speakers present to them on the following; Academic Integrity, Opportunities at Southern Cross University, Griffith University Women in Engineering, SlammEd Poetry and Relationships and Respect (Year 11 Love Bites Program).

What wonderful learning experiences for our students, I’m so grateful to be part of their learning journeys.

Blessings for the remainder of the term.

Adele Ramsay
Deputy Principal Head of Secondary School 

2022 BOND UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL MOOTING COMPETITION

For over 30 years, Bond University has held an annual High School Mooting Competition designed to share Bond Law’s knowledge and skills in advocacy and oral presentation. A team of three students (two Barristers and an instructing Solicitor) present legal arguments to a panel of Judges in a “moot” court situation (against an opponent school). Competitions are usually held at Bond University Faculty of Law, however this year the “court cases” were conducted through the Zoom platform. 

The competition provides students with the opportunity to be challenged by preparing, articulating and defending legal submissions before one or more Judges.

Students gain a broader understanding of the legal system and the procedures and protocols of the courtroom.  They also have the opportunity to improve their skills in relation to legal research, courtroom etiquette and advocacy.

The competition is an “Invite Only” event limited to around 80 schools chosen from every State and Territory around Australia. Many prestigious Australian schools take part. 

Our team comprised Lilah T (Senior Counsel), Braden S (Junior Counsel) and Piper D (Instructing Solicitor). Our Legal Studies Teacher, Peter Hennessy, was the team’s Mentor/Coach. 

This year we were up against Kimberley College, Carbrook, and we were extremely confident that we had won our legal arguments on the day. Lilah and Braden confidently handled all questions from the Bench and they brilliantly summed up our case in their allocated time. Our instructing Solicitor, Piper, was mentioned by the Bench for her excellent teamwork in supporting our Barristers. 

Well done team! We now look forward to hearing which schools made it to the top eight finalists. We are hopeful.  

Peter Hennessy
Senior School Teacher

A Great Experience

On Wednesday, 25 May, the class of 8C participated in a bridge building contest involving engineering and design skills. Five students from Griffith University came to teach us about the importance of structure in bridges, which helped us design our own in groups. We were given 30 minutes, 40 paddle pop sticks and 1 glue gun to build our own bridge. We then tested to see how much weight our bridges could handle before splitting. This activity required teamwork, persistence and innovation. This activity was a great way to test our knowledge of engineering and will help us in the future. 

Portia Thwaite and Indi Dore
Year 8 Students

As the rain continues in Term Two, the CRC remains a most popular meeting space for our Middle and Senior schoolers. 

Our recently introduced new and improved range of board games are proving very popular.  With our very own Deklan Kelly (Library Technician) providing some informal assistance on how to play during lunch, as well as, before and after school.

MOTHER’S DAY

We celebrated the remarkable women role models in our lives in the lead up to Mother’s Day, with a Make-Your-Own Card craft station, and inspirational book display.  

MINECRAFT

Minecraft continues to be a popular lunchtime activity. Recently, a group of students presented their remarkable builds for the term challenged - Create a Multilevel Game! We were blown away by the level of skill and creativity exhibited by the dedicated Minecrafters. These fun challenges provide an opportunity for students to present their builds to staff and fellow students, receive positive feedback, and enjoy a free pizza lunch. Thank you to our wonderful group of Minecrafters for sharing some great builds.

Neavh I
Mia C
Keisha B
Ava B
Nate C
Riley C
Hunter P

CRIME SCENE

Our current display is all about Crime, Forensics, and Mystery. This fun display highlights our Crime and Mystery collection. We have borrowed some brilliant props from the Science department to give the display some extra interest. 

SLAMMED! POETRY

Students recently had an amazing opportunity to participate in the SlammED! Poetry Competition presented by the Queensland Poetry Festival. Below is a short video about this fantastic program.

Friday 20 May saw a group of students participate in a workshop in the CRC, with SlammED expert and performer – Angela Peita. Angela was incredibly impressed with the poetry, performances, and enthusiasm of the attending students and student audience.

Congratulations to Josie H and Amelie L who now have the fantastic opportunity to represent St Andrews Lutheran College at the upcoming SlammED! Workshop and Performance in Brisbane.

Thank you to the wonderfully talented students who joined in the workshop

Georgia W Josie H Amelie L Chilli L Penny H Oliver W and to those who provided an audience on the day.

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. 
• The direct phone number to contact the CRC after hours is (07) 5568 5906.
• Please see the Senior Library After Hours Policy on Parent Lounge for more information.  

ASK A LIBRARIAN  

Remember 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 

Assessment and Reporting in the Junior School

Is based on the following beliefs:

• students feel valued, safe, supported and respected
• students are given time and opportunity to explore and question
• learning is challenging, motivating and enjoyable
• learning is relevant and purposeful and connected to prior learning
• the curriculum encourages students to be active participants in their learning and the teacher’s role is to facilitate this learning
• the learning environment is responsive to student needs
• students have the opportunity to share and reflect on their learning
• parents are involved in the educational partnership
• teachers are lifelong learners

Assessment within the Enhanced PYP serves to assess current learning and inform where learning is to go to next. Assessment is not about an end point rather about monitoring learning for future growth. Monitoring learning is one of the main purposes of assessment and is often an observation or reflective process for teachers and students.

Part of our partnership with parents is to document learning which we do through learning journals on Seesaw, Three way and Student-led conferences so that progression is seen in real time not just at the end of a semester. A number of tools are used to measure learning against standards including standardised tests, NAPLAN and moderating against the Australian Curriculum Achievement Standards. Monitoring this learning gives us information on the effectiveness of our learning and teaching program. We report on learning via our semester reports. These reports reflect a point in time grade but don’t always give the whole picture of the progress a student is making.

The Seesaw app is available for all parents and provides information about much of the learning and happenings that take place in classrooms. Through Seesaw teachers and students update you on learning that is happening. You can filter through the happenings in the class to find your child’s learning journal including comments on what your child is achieving as well as next steps for learning by the following steps:

1. Click on the journal tab
2. Choose which child if you have more than one at school
3. Choose the current class
4. Click on the filter tab
5. Click on the black Learning Journal folder
6. This will filter out all the happenings, posts etc that are on your seesaw and show only the learning journal pieces that have been selected to show your child’s progression and growth.

The information in the Learning Journal is useful for you to understand the levels that your child will receive in the upcoming reports. The Learning Journal is also on-time reporting that gives you information about what your child can do and what the next steps for learning are.

If you need any further information please free to contact myself or your child’s teacher to find out more.

Blessings until next time,

Karen Koehler 

Deputy Head of Junior School Pastoral

The rain did not stop our recent Under 8’s play afternoon. ELC, Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 students celebrate this special day by playing. We love to see the learning, the excitement and the thrills of these days as our younger students explore and enjoy learning through play.

The importance of play can not be under-rated as it allows for creativity, collaboration and communication skills to be practiced in unstructured ways. 

Jean Piaget is quoted as saying “Play is the work of childhood” and Albert Einstein once said, “Play is the highest form of research.” It is wonderful to see our students engage in the work and research of childhood through play.

Mardi Frost
Junior School Counsellor

Recently our Prep students put on a morning of pampering for our Mums and mother-figures. Makayla K reflected “It was good that I got to paint my mummy’s nails” while Hudson R said, “I liked it when my mum said you’re the best massager”.

Thank you to all who attended (Mr Schumacher even got his nails painted) and for all that our ‘Mums’ do for our community.

From the Prep team

Thank you! 

Over the past month we have been busy supporting a few different charities and without your support it could not have been possible. The Mother’s Day raffle for Super Max and Bryce was fantastic and we raised $395.00 for the project. We were able to sell all the scarfs and socks during the week to families and to QLECS colleagues when I went to the QLECS retreat. The Mother’s Day High Tea in conjunction with the Biggest Morning Tea for Cancer Council raised $364.00. The efforts of the Book Fair resulted in the ELC being able to purchase new books for the parent library to the value of $103.50. The Parent Library is set up in the foyer where you can borrow a book or two and then return. Please note that an honesty system is in place for this. 

We have the Picture Product Plate fundraiser coming soon. Your child can draw a special drawing and it is transferred to a plate. This is a great keepsake. I still have plates from my children that are 22 years old. Your older children can also do a plate if they have not done one in previous years.  

A Pre Prep Information evening will be held on 15 June, 6pm to 7pm. This Information Session will provide information on the Kindergarten Program, school readiness and rough and tumble play. Mr Schumacher will also join us to answer questions from the College perspective. We hope that you can make it.

MSP photos should be arriving in the next week or so, they will be sent home in your child’s bag.

We are currently reviewing the enrolment package, excursion package and water safety policy, if you are interested in any of these policies please reach out and we can provide a copy for your feedback. 

Emergency Service Fire Safety visited on 20 May where they conducted a site inspection and showed the children the fire engine. All records were inspected and we were ensured that we are meeting all requirements. 

We were fortunate to win a prize from Mini Marines, a program we are involved in. On the 13 May we had a visitor to present our prize to us which included. 

• Visit from the EcoMarines Team 
• Worm Farm donated by Redland City Council 
• Educational incursion from Urban Utilities  
• $100 Bunnings Voucher 
• EcoMarines Sign 
• Seed pencils 
• Reusable bamboo cutlery packs 

Until next time,

Bronwyn Waters
Director of the Early Learning Centre

We have had a great month in our Junior Kindergarten room, the sun is finally out, and the rain did not dampen our spirits over the past fortnight. 

We have been focussing on cutting with scissors, recognition of all the letters of the alphabet and sounding out the first letter of our names. You may see some observations recorded around these. Our planned ongoing focus for this term is numbers one to ten, counting both forwards and backwards. We are also focussing on supporting the children to build on their independence skills. This includes supporting them to try to put their jumpers on, shoes and socks and sunscreen in the afternoon (with a mirror and support from an educator). The children are embracing these independence skills and also enjoy the teamwork involved when they pack up the room together after their activities.

Our Junior Kindergarten program is on display for you to view. We welcome feedback so please send an email or write on the board.

The children always look forward to our regular Jesus Time with Pastor Reid on Wednesday, and Japanese with Sensei Taki on Thursday. This week we were happy to welcome Pastor Andrew for Jesus Time as Pastor Reid was on a school camp. We are extending on our Japanese throughout the week in our classroom so all of our Junior Kindergarten children benefit from the lessons. This term in Japanese we are focusing on Kazouku (family) and numbers one to ten. 

A highlight of the month was the Under 8’s day held on the College oval. The children went on an incursion to join the Junior School for just over an hour. We spent time engaging in amazing activities and many children were able to interact with their older siblings, which was lovely to see. When we got back to the ELC we asked the children what their favourite memory or activity of the Under 8’s day was and below are some of the children’s responses from the day: 

• Seeing my brother or sister 
• Bubble blowing activity 
• Obstacle course 
• Digging in the sand 
• Making a kite 
• Going to big school 
• The dress up box 

  

  

This term is going quite fast and we as educators are enjoying every minute with our Junior Kindy room. 

The Junior Kindy Team

MOTHER'S DAY

Pre Prep 1 mothers were invited to an afternoon tea for our Mother’s Day celebrations. The children performed one of the songs they have been learning in Pre Prep 1 called ‘The Creation Song’. The children have been learning the words and actions to this song in alignment with our educational program of Music, Language, Christian Studies and Our Unit of Inquiry ‘Share the Planet (environment)’. The Pre Prep 1 mothers then watched a slideshow of all the children sharing what they loved about their mums. During the afternoon tea, it was clear that connections were being made between children, their mums, and their friends. In an excited voice, Cedric said ‘Miss Lily, this is my Mum!’. The love was oozing out of our children!  EcoMarines Visit.

After our visit from the EcoMarines team from Moreton Island, the children were asked  ‘What did you like about the EcoMarines?’ Some of their wonderful responses are below

Liam - I looked in the treasure box and saw shells, lots of shells. I loved the worms, they’re so tiny.

Levi - saw big blue sand

Scarlett - the big shell, it was heavy passing it to everyone

Damon - we learnt lots of things, the shell was my favourite

Blake - seeing the whale, I learnt not to put rubbish in the water cause animals will get sick and die if they eat it.

Neve- I liked when we talked about the plastic. To not put it in the drain from the story.

Isla - I saw the treasure, I liked the shells in the treasure box

LuLu - they showed me worms, I like worms. I liked the blue sand

Asha - the worms, they gave us some colouring in books and some pencils

Eva - the worm farm, putting special food in there

Dylan - the shell because it looked cool and I learnt about the plastic lid that was clear but I couldn’t really see it because it was nearly invisible and somebody saw this at the beach, maybe someone dropped it.

SHOW AND TELL 

This term we began Show and Tell. The children are invited to bring in something that relates to our Unit of Inquiry ‘Share the planet (environment)’. We have been looking at living things and what they need to survive and how we can be responsible and look after the planet. The children have practiced their communication skills, both listening and responding, through questioning. Their confidence to share and make connections between their sharing and the learning we have been doing has been evident.

The Pre Prep 1 Team

The feeling of freedom is something that Pre Prep 2 children experience daily when they enter the playground to play games with friends or when they are experiencing nature. The outdoors is a critical part of a child’s learning journey and involves children taking safe risks, developing their gross motor skills and the absorption of vast amounts of basic knowledge through interactions and experiences. 

Over the past month, we have had lots of discussions about ways to be respectful of others when playing in the playground and in the classroom. Aspects of respect, such as using good manners, being kind to others and using gentle hands, can be very difficult for children to practice. Positive reinforcement and discussions are a good way to encourage the children to use good manners and be respectful and responsible towards others. These messages make it clear to children what behaviour you like and let them know you are paying attention. 

Teaching respect to children can be accomplished through everyday interactions with adults who model respectful behaviour. Each day in Pre Prep 2, we talk about our classroom agreement and the importance of being respectful and responsible with each other as well as our equipment and toys. As an educator, it’s important that we too model this behaviour to help children understand and establish expectations. We continue to encourage the children to use their words and to tell others about what they are feeling. Helping young children develop problem-solving skills now will benefit them for the rest of their lives. Being respectful of others may also mean respecting differences in the way others look or act. Children can begin to learn about respecting differences among people by learning about differences among children in the classroom. In Pre Prep 2 we talk about differences as a part of our daily program the children learn about how they are all unique and special. 

Our Unit of Inquiry has progressed well and the children are understanding our responsibility in the environment and how we can make changes to help protect our animals and land. Utilising resources such as our classroom recycling bins, the worm farm and books from the library, the children have made successful efforts to change our everyday practices to help make our environment a better and happier place to live and learn. As apart of our unit, the children also created a journey stick which is something that the aboriginal people used to remember their way in the bush. Pre Prep 2 created their own journey stick using items collected from their visit around the Junior School, a memorable reminder of our Sharing the Planet unit. 

The Pre Prep 2 Team

SWEET CHARITY 

Last week our Dance Troupes and our Senior Dance Class enjoyed a performance of Sweet Charity at the Gold Coast Little Theatre. The Broadway musical is well known for its choreographer Bob Fosse and his iconic style. The creative team was made up of St Andrews Arts Staff with Ms Cilla Scott (Director), Miss Paula Guild (Choreographer,) and Ms Julie Whiting (Music Director). The students really enjoyed seeing their teachers as artists and were especially excited to see their Dance Teacher perform on stage. 

TERM TWO DATE CLAIMERS

We have a few Mid-Year Concert Events and performance opportunities coming up in the Arts. It is so lovely to see these come back to our calendar and I look forward to seeing you in the audience as we celebrate our young performers and their progress.

Cilla Scott
Head of Arts

July

Monday 11 
Term 3 Commences
Year 6 Canberra Experience

Tuesday  12
Year 6 Canberra Experience

Wednesday 13
Year 6 Canberra Experience
Year 5 Camp

Thursday 14
Year 6 Canberra Experience
Year 5 Camp
Secondary School Athletics Carnival

Friday 15
Year 6 Canberra Experience
Year 5 Camp

Saturday 16
Gold Coast Kokoda Challenge

Sunday 17
Gold Coast Kokoda Challenge

Monday 18
Year 5 Excursion
Senior School Studies and Careers Expo

Wednesday 20
Musical - Tech Rehearsal day

Thursday 21
Senior School Musical

Friday 22
Senior School Musical

Saturday 23
Senior School Musical

Monday 25
Year 7-12 Three-way Conferences
Year 3 Camp

Tuesday 26
Year 3 Camp

Wednesday 27
Junior School Japanese Culture Day
Getting Ready for Prep - Prep 2023 Info Night

Friday 29
National Tree Day