Erin Wedge Dean of Identity - St Joseph`s Nudgee College

news
NEWSLE T TER OF ST JOSEPH’S NUDGEE COLLEGE
2199 Sandgate Road Boondall, QLD 4034
Tel: +61 7 3865 0555 Fax: +61 7 3865 0500
www.nudgee.com Email: [email protected]
Erin Wedge
Dean of Identity
4 APRIL - VOLUME 37 - NO 9
DATE CLAIMERS | APRIL
4 April
Years 5-12 Parent Teacher Conferences
5 April
GPS Football trials v Gregory Terrace (H)
8 - 16 April
Cattle Club: Royal Easter Show
13 April
Palm Sunday
17 April
Holy Thursday
18 April
Good Friday
19 April
Holy Saturday
20 April
Easter Sunday
21 April
Easter Monday
Boarders return
Boarder Parent Support Group function
22 April
School resumes Term 2
Please refer to calendar on the website for more information
How can a non-violent Jesus be part of such a violent death?
What is the meaning of Jesus’ death? How do we understand the peaceful non-violent work
of Jesus in the light of his violent death?
The Cross of Non-Violent resistance
Often during Holy Week we come to question the violent death of Jesus. How can the cross
be God’s way to disarm, transform and redeem humanity? How can the brutal execution of
a gentle itinerant rabbi save the world, much less overcome Roman militarism and all the
empires that follow? How can the cross be the culmination of God’s visit to the human race, the
outcome of such a heroic virtuous life? How can the cross be the way for Jesus – and for us to
fulfil the spiritual life?
As we ask ourselves these questions, we might wonder what alternative Jesus had. Should
he have stayed in Galilee, taught the masses, enjoyed the accolades and lived to a ripe old
age, while the Roman Empire rolled over the world’s poor with the help of religious leaders
everywhere? No. As humanity’s Good Shepherd, Jesus had no choice but to protect us from
imperial foxes and military wolves. He could not sit back and enjoy life while so many suffered
unjustly and died under the heels of the ruling authorities. How can humanity ever find hope
in him, the God of peace, if he lived quietly and comfortably while God’s people suffered under
oppression, injustice and war? Jesus’ silence would have meant complicity with imperial
violence. He had to take action and risk his life. He had to offer the greatest act of non-violent
love the world had ever seen. Jesus had to act. He knew from firsthand experience that the
slightest outburst, the simplest political critique in his war-torn homeland would result in
immediate Roman retaliation, even arrest and crucifixion. No one stood a chance against the
Roman military authorities and their religious sycophants. He would give his life in non-violent
resistance to this culture of war and death and his death would be a gift and an inspiration to
all humanity. He called his followers to join him on this permanent campaign of revolutionary
non-violence.
The Jerusalem Temple was the symbol not only of God’s presence but of Roman and religious
oppression. In order to worship God, the devout had to make an annual pilgrimage at Passover
time, exchange their money for Temple coins, pay the expensive Temple tax and buy the
sacrificial offering (such as a pigeon). According to religious authorities, this purchase was the
only authentic worship available. Instead of welcoming the pilgrims into a holy sanctuary of
contemplative prayer before the God of peace, the Temple institution robbed the faithful of
their meagre income in one of history’s ultimate scams. By cooperating with the Roman Empire,
the religious authorities profited from this injustice, all in God’s name. If the faithful did not pay
their dues in the Jerusalem Temple, they faced being ostracized, if not excommunicated.
1 ST JOSEPH’S NUDGEE COLLEGE NEWSLETTER
4 APRIL | VOLUME 37 | NO 9
Erin Wedge
Dean of Identity
For Jesus, the unjust Temple system was the ultimate heartbreak. As God’s representative, he had no choice but to confront the
system head-on, in God’s name, and say “Enough!” He would walk to Jerusalem, enter the Temple, turn over the tables of the
money changers, dismiss the cattle, prevent the businessmen from conducting their trade, and denounce this ‘den of robbers’
as an affront to God. He would not hurt or kill anyone, but he would engage in provocative peaceful, public non-violent direct
action. He would give his life for true worship of the God of life.
Jesus’ illegal civil disobedience could have only one outcome: arrest and execution. Political revolutionaries in Jesus’ day were
crucified publically to deter others from similar resistance. Non-violent protestors under repressive regimes everywhere – in
apartheid South Africa, British run India, US Bombed El Salvador – know that such action is nothing less than revolutionary
and will not be tolerated. Rulers know better than any of us that, if ordinary people of faith and conscience start engaging in
dramatic, public civil disobedience and non-violent cooperation with their oppressive policies, their ruling days are numbered.
Jesus saw all this from his mountaintop perch. He read the signs of the times and could see the road ahead. He knew how brutal
the ruling powers were and how costly his non-violence would be. From the cross Jesus would declare, “The violence stops here
in my body. All is forgiven. Stop the killing. Stop the injustice. Stop hurting one another. Repent of your violence. Welcome,
the non-violent reign of God.” His death would be the most perfect act of non-violence in human history, and it would touch
every human being’s heart for all time, even if we did not know it. He would epitomize the dynamic of non-violence, the greatest
example of ultimate love, laying down one’s life selflessly for suffering humanity and, through his martyrdom, disarming countless
human hearts and even the Roman Empire itself.
This is taken from renowned author and scholar Jesuit John Dear in his book Meeting the Transfigured Christ page 90-92.
2 ST JOSEPH’S NUDGEE COLLEGE NEWSLETTER
4 APRIL | VOLUME 37 | NO 9
David Kelly
Barrett House Dean
It was another busy and big start to the year as we welcomed 35 boys and 29 new families to Barrett house. The Year 12s starting
their final year certainly stepped into their role as Big Brothers with relish as they welcomed the new students. Well done to Ryan
McKane and Jackson Webster who have the challenging task of being Big Brothers to 14 new students in Years 5 and 6. They have
done a fantastic job so far and have been a huge help to our new BA8 Tutor Mr Damien Raciti who joins the Barrett team, We also
welcomed back Ms Amy Pye who took over the reigns of BA1 from Mrs Monica See.
A big highlight of the term was the Year 8 inter-house Futsal competition which saw a skilled Barrett team take out the grand final
in a thrilling extra time win over McKenna. The court was invaded by excited players and fans after Finn Hearn scored the winning
goal after an excellent cross from Dyan Hinchen. We also continued our good form in the inter-house swimming carnival, coming
second overall after combining the points from the junior and senior carnival. The spirit and fun from the boys was evident all day.
Well done to our House Prefects – Jorden Dossell, Soti Enari and Liam Lewers for their encouragement and organisation of the
day. They were ably supported by a number of enthusiastic Year 12 students. Once again our Senior boys looked resplendent in
their red Barrett Senior shirts.
Another big highlight was our annual Barrett Breakfast earlier on in the term which saw over 160 people attend the breakfast
before heading off to work or school. Our new House parents – Glenys and Tony Gardner did a wonderful job in organising
the breakfast. They put a lot of time and effort into this event and were ably supported by a number of parents who made the
morning possible. A special mention to Bart and Helen Grierson for once again donating all the delicious fruit. Also it is great to
hear that so many mums attended the Ladies Auxiliary Easter Morning Tea.
Students that have achieved well this term are: Liam Lewers, Captain of the Boats and a member of the title winning 1st V111
Rowing, Ryan McKane playing in the 1st Cricket, John Vilalba a member of Rock Band 1, Hayden Cotter winning the 200m
freestyle event at GPS swimming and a QLD rep swimmer, Ryley Robertson receiving Gold at the QLD Summer International
Karate competition, Matt Wilson winning the heavy weight boxing titles in the QLD and Australian championships, James Macklin
playing in many ‘Open’ golf tournaments and continuing to improve his handicap and Will Cartwright receiving a Bronze medal at
the QLD State Lifesaving titles for flags.
Congratulations to the following boys for their Academic medals for Semester II, 2013
Gold
Dylan Hinchen, Tom Lambert, Matthew O’Connor, Harrison Van Der Meer, Joshua Bunney, William Lambert, Cameron Anderson.
Ben Rada Martin, Ryan McKane and Carter Blair
Silver
Zacharia Warren, Michael Grimes, John Bull, Cooper Burtenshaw and Jack Donovan
Bronze
Chris Doyle, Chris Jenkins, Jack Read, Lachlan Campbell, Chris Duke, Max Grierson, Tom Moore and Nikul Sharma
Thank you to all those families who have supported the Fodder Drive. This will continue into next term so any donations or
support will still be gratefully accepted.
May the blessings of the risen Christ be with you over Easter.
3 ST JOSEPH’S NUDGEE COLLEGE NEWSLETTER
4 APRIL | VOLUME 37 | NO 9
Kathleen White
Duggan House Dean
The start of 2014 has been a frantic one. We hit the ground running on January 30 and it seems as though there has been barely
any time to draw breath.
The school term had barely started before the Year 8 students headed off on their three day camp to Camp Tuchekoi. It was a
great opportunity for the boys to get to know each other and learn how to work together as a team. Year 8 Core teacher Ms
Nat Webber and Duggan PC tutor Mr Joel Speranza also accompanied the boys on their camp experience providing lots of
encouragement as the boys they tackled various and challenging obstacles and tasks. The Year 5 students also went on a retreat
where they learned more about the story of Edmund Rice and how to be a Sign of Faith to the community; a wonderful way to
start the year.
With no time to recover from Year 8 camp, we were competing in the inter-house Swimming Carnival. Across two days of
competition, the Duggan boys in Years 5-12 excelled themselves and we were all very excited to learn we had won the Swimming
Carnival by a very impressive 95 point margin! The Swimming trophy now sits proudly in my office. As a result there were a large
number of Duggan boys selected to participate in the GPS Swimming competition – Luke Rohan, Mathew Johns, Billy Caslin, Tom
Raymond, Jesse Meyer, Ben Fraser, Oliver Meyer, Kieran Cowman, Jesse Cilliers, Tigger Sykes, Tom Grech, Joe Cotton, Jake Gilliland,
Hayden Barrett, Aidan Cowman and Daneil Wedmaier.
We held our House Mass in Week 4. Thank you to Jacob Presley, Jerone Wills, Jesse Nilon, Seven Cawood, Hayden McHenery, Jacob
Elordi, Jackson Smith, Ben Arnott and Harry Lambert.
Our first House function, a breakfast, was held in Week 5 of the term. We once again had a fantastic turnout and I hope to see
similar numbers for our next function in Term 3. Many thanks to the House mothers, fathers and Old Boys who organised,
prepared or cooked the breakfast. It is true that many hands make light work and the contributions of all were greatly
appreciated.
Congratulations to the following boys who received Academic Medals for their work in Semester Two of 2013.
Gold
Gabriel Beaumont, Tom Canty, Tom Grech, Pierce Braithwaite, Matthew Canty, Hamish Lindsay, Steven Cawood, Aidan Cowman
and Zach Arnold
Silver
Will Kettleton, Jacob Wallace, Joe Cotton, Joe Grech and Nick Carbone
Bronze
Zachary Anderson, Luke McLaughlin, Shannon Wise, Luke Brown, Will Martin, Hamish Braithwaite, Zac Dawes, Nick Dooley,
Damien Janbroers, Sean Warren, Jerone Wills and Ryan Cobain
It was also wonderful to see and listen to 2013 old boy and Duggan Prefect Keegan Coomer who achieved an OP 1 in 2013. He
was able to provide the boys with some wonderful insight on how to succeed in their school work.
Congratulations to the Year 9 Futsal team who were again victorious in the inter-house competition. Many of these boys have
been competing in this event undefeated for a number of years now. They are definitely a force to be reckoned with!
2014 saw Duggan House welcome four new tutors to the family. Taking on the new role of Pastoral Care tutors are Ms Libby Lee
(Duggan 4), Ms Lisa Holohan (Duggan 5), Mr Joel Speranza (Duggan 6) and Mr George Goves (Duggan 7). Ms Natalie Webber
(Duggan 1), Ms Simone Mitchell (Duggan 2), Mr Richard Dupuy (Duggan 3) and Mr Pat Conway (Duggan 8) have continued on
with us. Many thanks to all of the PC tutors who continue to work with the boys of Duggan with grace, humour, compassion,
care and concern. We wish Ms Natalie Webber a safe trip as she leaves to spend her Easter holiday on a South African immersion
experience.
Jesse Nilon, Joseph Gilfoyle and Nick Smith have done a fantastic job in leading Duggan House in Term 1 and I look forward to
working with them again in Term 2. Congratulations must also go to the Years 5-6 Big Brothers, Daniel Wedmaier and Jackson
Smith who have been tireless in their energy to look after, encourage and care for their ‘little brothers’.
A reminder that Term 2 will see the boys return in their winter uniforms; we will let the boys know when they need to begin
wearing blazers but they will need them for the first Thursday back when we have our ANZAC ceremony.
I wish everyone a very restful Easter break and look forward to working with you again in Term 2.
4 ST JOSEPH’S NUDGEE COLLEGE NEWSLETTER
4 APRIL | VOLUME 37 | NO 9
Duggan Prefects: Joe Gilfoyle, Jesse Nilon, Nick Smith and Vice Captain Jerone Wills
Duggan - Ben Fraser
Duggan - Heading out to Mt Tuchekoi
Fogarty - Lewis Begg 1st Volleyball
Fogarty - Lawson Saurels involved in the Light the World
Social Justice Program
Chris Lake
Fogarty House Dean
So we started off 2014 welcoming 35 new students into the Fogarty community. Of those boys 13 were starting high school
for the first time, another 13 were starting Year 5 and all were eager to begin their Nudgee College journey on the right foot.
With the help of their “Big Brothers” they soon made new friends and settled in quickly, involving themselves in sports training
and activities from the first day of school. This set the tone for the successful term ahead. Term 1 has seen the boys involving
themselves in debating teams, camps, sporting activities, House functions and masses, whole College masses and GPS carnivals.
From the activities offered this term, Fogarty students have excelled in all areas. Some of these achievements include:
Ben Bright (1st VIII Rowing GPS Champions), Alex Seccombe (1st XI Cricket), Harrison Seccombe & Jacob Prideaux (10A
Cricket), Brayden Dunbar & Ollie Robson (2nd XI Cricket), Jesse Whenuaroa, Clayton Ryan, Brenton Woolf, Charlie Cox, Maximus
Morrow-Woods, Seb Horder, Ethan Robins (GPS Swimming Team), Bill Kidd, Bill Peereboom (16A Rowing) Forbes Saurels, Lachie
D’Alessandro, Declan Comerford, Robbie McLean, Hugh Hunt, Edwyn Francis (GPS Rowing Participants), David Lean & John
Lean (National Athletic Championship participants), Angus McLeod (10A GPS Debating team), Charlie Cox (National Swimming
Medallist), Ethan Lawrence, Jake Pappin (8A Volleyball), Lewis Begg (1st Open Volleyball), Joe Hijara-Stockwell (11A Volleyball),
Jack Verhoeven (U19 Met- North Hockey), William Teen (Medallist National Canoeing Championships).
I would like to congratulate the following boys, across all year levels, on their outstanding academic achievements:
Gold Medal Academic Award
Matthew Pescatore, Curtis Sorby, Lewis Begg, Tom Edwards, Angus McLeod, Jacob Prideaux, Declan Comerford, Ahan Majmudar,
Timothy McGowan, Ian Ridgeway and Alex Seccombe.
Silver Medal Academic Award
Bill Kidd, Greg Schreiber, Linden Weir, Marshall Chartrand, Mitchell Crawley, Tom Zappala, David Lean, Tim Webster and Joe HijaraStockwell.
Bronze Medal Academic Award
Adam Wagner, Nimbe Bonga, Ethan Robbins, Charlie Cox, Ben Lonergan, Keegan Bichel, Jeffery Tam, Taylem Griffiths, Bill
Peereboom and Declan See.
Congratulations must also go to Harrison Fenton, Clayton Ryan, Thomas Moli, Kade Lamont, Jordan Page, Benji Bowker, Thomas
Simpson, Dominic Gillies, Kyle Talbot and Harrison Seccombe who showed a marked improvement in their results and a great
persistence to do their best.
Fogarty has started the year very well in the inter-house competitions this term placing high in most areas. The first event was
the Years 5–12 swimming carnival. It was great to see the boys all put in their best efforts so that despite us not having the very
best swimmers in the school we still managed to finish 4th due to excellent participation and enthusiasm. It was easily the best
swimming carnival I have seen with all boys having a go and relationships strengthened between the little brothers and their Big
Brothers as they competed together in some fun and entertaining races.
This term we had the Year 8 Camp which was a big success. The conditions were generally fine for the boys and they worked
extremely well together. They faced many challenges and were always encouraging each other throughout all of the activities. I
was very proud of the way the boys conducted themselves and interacted as a group. Their leadership and the bonds they formed
throughout this experience put them in a great position to tackle the challenges of their first term in Year Eight. Thank you to
Ms Amy Pye who was a fantastic help on camp.
Throughout this term the boys in Fogarty House have shown great leadership and support for each other which I have been very
proud of. In Week 7 of this term we nominated ourselves to be responsible for the Social Justice programs the College is involved
in and all boys were very eager to help and did a fantastic job. Following this we ran a BBQ to raise money for the Fodder Drive.
Through the great effort of the boys to organise and run this event we were able to raise $718 in one lunchtime to go towards
supporting the farmers in need.
Our prefects for 2014, Mitchell Crawley, John Lean and Ben Bright received their badges this term at the Senior Investiture
ceremony. They have done a fantastic job so far contributing to Fogarty and balancing their other commitments.
Finally, I would like to give a very big thank you to the House mothers for organising a bake morning this term and being there to
help with organising the morning breakfast. Also thank you to everyone for coming along to the first Fogarty function of the year
and I look forward to seeing you all again during Term 2.
I wish all members of our Nudgee College community a safe and happy Easter.
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4 APRIL | VOLUME 37 | NO 9
Julianne Daunt
Magee House Dean
Term 1 began in its usual busy fashion with our House Breakfast. In Magee, we are indeed fortunate to have a strong basis
of parental support and this was obvious at our welcome function. Our new Head House mum Alice Whetton took on the
enormous task of coordinating the function and did a fantastic job. Alice is a House mum of long standing who has a great flair
for organisation and a deep understanding of the Magee culture. She already has many ideas for possible ventures. Our team of
dedicated mums have always been outstandingly supportive of Magee endeavours and of the boys. ‘Food drops’ in PC are the
envy of anyone who passes through Nitec whilst one is in progress and Muffin Breaks are the same. Thank you to all parents for
your generous support of functions, raffles and our other initiatives. Without your help, these would not be possible.
Term 1 has already seen so many boys actively involved in all areas of the school:
Tom Ouglitchinin, Alex Ouglitchinin and Joseph Maccarrone are Magee representatives on the AV crew. These boys work very
hard on so many College events and are often the unsung heroes. Whilst I know that they often prefer backstage to centre stage,
they do need to be recognised for their technical know-how and support of the College.
Tom McNamara and Nic Careedy-Rayner (Year 11 students) were part of the First VI squad this year. From all reports, it was a
successful season in terms of hard work and dedication. I imagine both boys will feature again next year.
Congratulations to all our rowers on a very successful season and Head of the River. The boys came away with both trophies,
which is the result of enormous effort and many hours of training. Magee members of the First VIII were Adam Bakker, Sean
Gaffney and Dom Knottenbeld with Adam being Vice Captain of Boats.
The following Year 10 Magee Physical Science students competed in the UQ Science and Engineering Challenge on March 6 Finauu Kaitu’u, Jacob Wakerley, Myles Andrews. It is great to see the boys embracing such intellectual challenges.
The Queensland Schools Constitutional Convention was held in March at Parliament House. The theme was Does Australia Need
a Bill of Rights? Unngoorra Harbour was part of the Nudgee College delegation and his peers chose him to deliver the speech on
the topic. There were 15 delegates from other schools who spoke. After the delivery of speeches, all student attendees voted, with
representatives from the Electoral Commission running the ballot. Unngoorra was elected as one of four delegates to attend the
National Schools Constitutional Convention in Canberra. This was a real coup for Unngoorra and all reports reflect a successful
representation of the school.
Magee has a particularly strong representation in swimming in the College and this year’s Nudgee GPS team was no exception:
Mikey Galetti, Noah Nelson, Flinders Noble, Byron Smith, Sydney Begley, Alex Blyth, Toby Carrick, Wilson Ellis, Tristan Krause and
Regan Gugurovic all represented the College. I am sure we will be reading about these boys in newsletter items in the years to
come as their swimming careers progress.
Year 8 camp was enjoyed by the boys. Whilst some found it a challenge, all met the challenge head on and came away much
more resilient individuals. Having the camp so early in the year is an excellent way for Year 8 students to get to know each other
and to foster House spirit. Thanks particularly to Mr Jim Jeffrey and Ms Bonnie Becker who scaled the mountain and camped out
overnight. It was certainly above and beyond the call of duty! Thanks also to Ms Rhonda Neill who came up on the bus to be part
of our liturgy. Our Year 11 leaders – Matt Lord, Kirk Harding-Smith, Peter Tennant and Jack Wedmaier - all contributed significantly
to both the liturgy and the discussion that followed.
We were very fortunate to once again join with Fogarty for our Ash Wednesday liturgy with Fr Gillen leading us in prayer. Fr Gillen
is a generous man who shares his time and his wisdom with the staff and students on a daily basis and we thank him for his
influence.
Our PC team of Bonnie Becker, Josephine Hallmond, Jeff Campbell, Jemma Peisker, Jim Jeffrey, Warren Roberts, Rhonda Neill and
Natalie Roach must all be acknowledged for the enormous part they play in the lives of the boys. All are continually supportive
of all our endeavours and the House would not be the vibrant community it is without them. We farewell Jemma this term and
thank her for her contribution and welcome back Poppie Kenneally from Maternity Leave.
The Magee response to the Nudgee College Fodder Drive has been overwhelming. The boys are in the process of organising a car
wash and are delighted to be able to do something to help our brothers and sisters who are doing it tough on the land. Further
details will be included in next term’s newsletter.
In conclusion, I would like to thank you for your continued support. I hope that you all have a safe and restful break and we look
forward to an energetic start to Term 2.
7 ST JOSEPH’S NUDGEE COLLEGE NEWSLETTER
4 APRIL | VOLUME 37 | NO 9
Paul Kehoe
McKenna House Dean
As the end of Term 1 draws to a close, you might be reflecting like I am, on how quickly term 1 has passed by. It seems like it was just
yesterday that we came together for our first College Assembly for 2014. We have had a great start to the year, both together and
individually in various College pursuits. I have been so warmly welcomed into the McKenna community by the students and parents
and for that I am very grateful. I would like to formally thank our wonderful PC Tutors for their work with your boys in Term 1: Ms
Julie Winter (Mck1), Mr Gerard Alexander (McK2), Mr Peter Gledhill (McK3), Mr Matt Waters/Ms Suzanne Tjin (McK4), Ms Sara Condon
(McK5), Mr Pep Capello (McK6), Ms Alison Crilly (McK7), Ms Nicolette Beecham (McK8).
Term 1 certainly has been a busy one for all of us. The students have brought their new devices to school, successfully implemented
them into the classroom, collected all of their text books, set up their locker, adapted to the new rules around lockers, navigated their
way around the campus to get to class, settled into class routine, participated in swimming carnival, camps and retreats , welcomed
the Seniors as leaders of the College, competed in GPS activities along with many other important College activities.
The annual swimming carnival took place in Week 2 and while we were not on the winner’s podium this year, we came 6th overall
which is an improvement on last year. There were some great performances throughout the day at both the Years 5-7 carnival and
the Years 8-12 carnival. Our Year 11s were our top scorers over the event, and the Years 5-8 age groups were the most enthusiastic
with all boys actively involving themselves in the cheering and participation. In addition, the McKenna Futsal teams were consistently
competitive making the finals in the Years 5-8 competitions. Our Year 7 team took it one step further winning the final to be crowned
Futsal age champions! It appears that we have some very strong talent coming through the McKenna ranks. Well done to all the boys
who got involved. Being involved in extra-curricular activities plays an important part in the life of a teenager and the McKenna boys
are no exception. A large number of boys represented the College in a variety of sports and activities that were on offer during Term
1, including debating, volleyball, cricket, rowing and swimming.
This term saw our Year 8 boys challenged both physically and mentally during their Year 8 camp. The boys showed an incredible
amount of persistence and resilience to participate whole-heartedly in every challenge that Ms Condon, the camp instructors and I
set for them. It was wonderful to get to know the boys throughout this time. We spent a few hours hiking, chatting, sharing jokes and
listening to music. I was particularly impressed with how the boys tried their hardest as well as supporting and encouraging each
other during the challenging times. It was a wonderful opportunity for the boys to get to know each other and start their journey
into high school. During the retreat the boys were involved in a liturgy where they were able to explore their spiritual side through
prayer and reflection. Part of this process was listening to some of the Year 11s share their spirituality and journey at Nudgee College.
Thanks to Brandon Herrigan, Zane Heveldt, Eamon Moore and Alex Walmsley for sharing the camp experience with us, your presence
made our camp even more enjoyable.
Our Year 5s also began their spiritual journey at Nudgee College by attending their retreat day with their classes. The boys learnt
about the Edmund Rice tradition and were provided an opportunity for reflection. They all seem to be settling nicely in the
Junior School with Ms Nicolette Beecham and I look forward to watching them grow throughout their Nudgee College journey.
Congratulations must go to our Gold, Silver and Bronze medal award winners for academic excellence. Their persistence and hard
work has helped them to achieve in their studies. I look forward to seeing many more excellent results as the year progresses.
We celebrated our first 2014 event as a House community at our annual BB/LB bowling afternoon. From all reports the younger
students enjoyed the opportunity to positively interact with the older students. In addition the boys experienced “McKenna
Homebake” with a number of boys bringing a plate of food to share with their peers. Thank you to the parents who worked hard
to bake this food, it was certainly appreciated by the boys. The next event on the McKenna calendar is our BBQ breakfast which is
scheduled for Thursday 1May (Week 2) from 7am-8.15am.
Each year during Lent, Nudgee College raises money for Project Compassion. Thanks must go to our Prefects who lead a number
of other McKenna boys in setting up a snowcone stall on a number of lunchtimes to raise money. In the coming months we will
turn our focus to Brasha-T which is a not-for-profit organisation which raises money for the life threatening genetic disease AtaxiaTelangiectasia. A disease which is so rare that it affects fewer than 50 Australians. Children with the condition usually end up in
wheelchairs by their early teens, can lose the ability to swallow and rarely live beyond early adulthood. Please support the McKenna
boys as they make a difference in this worthy cause.
All of the boys have experienced some wonderful successes in Term 1 and I am hoping that they have all settled well into 2014. I
would encourage them to spend some time over the holidays reflecting and setting some clear Term 2 goals. Whilst it is important
that the boys complete this process with a positive mindset, it is also important that they make these goals realistic. This will keep
them within reach throughout Term 2 and ensure they are always seeking to improve. Personal reflection is so important for the boys
to grow spiritually, personally and academically and will ensure they make the most of their time at Nudgee College.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful Easter break together.
8 ST JOSEPH’S NUDGEE COLLEGE NEWSLETTER
4 APRIL | VOLUME 37 | NO 9
Aaron Knott
Riley House Dean
Riley’s 36th year sees us 173 strong. We have been joined by 35 new students, 17 in Years 7-12, and 18 in Years 5-6. As always,
they bring a wonderful diversity of talents, and a collective enthusiasm and sense of excitement for what this new chapter in their
lives may hold. We hope that they make the most of the many opportunities available to them.
We also welcomed two new Riley Tutors this year. Our Year 8 Core teacher, Ms Stephanie Spicer, has moved into Riley 5; and Mr
Paul Cazzulino (Riley 8) has joined the Year 6 teaching team replacing Mr Matt Thornton who is on leave. Ms Lisa James has also
returned to us in Riley 7.
Our motto for 2014, ‘Anything is possible!’, is a challenge for the boys to believe in themselves and their ability to achieve great
things. We want them to think positively about the possibilities and to be more focused on their strengths and potential to achieve.
When the boys set goals for themselves, whether they be academic, or in other arenas such as sport, culture, relationships, etc, we
hope that they realise that they can do anything they put their minds and hearts to. It may require some good old-fashioned hard
work but qualities such as perseverance, thinking flexibly and striving for accuracy, along with genuine effort and being tenacious…
can really pay off!
Already this year we celebrated our 31 Medallists from Semester 2, 2013 – 16 Gold, 8 Silver and 7 Bronze – and we acknowledged
an additional 57 boys as Academic Award recipients and another 20 Academic Improvement Awards. These are great numbers
which equate to 68% of the boys receiving some form of academic award.
Our 2014 Prefects – Tom Keating, Dakotah Hollister and Sm Strydom – have already discovered how busy a Senior year can
be but their enthusiasm is infectious. Their high-profile role within the House is drawing on the willingness of the boys of all year
levels to ‘put their hand up’, to take on extra responsibilities and to contribute to our ongoing successes. I also acknowledge
the year ahead for Yeara 5-6 Big Brothers, James Lunney and Max Waite. They too are already achieving great things with our
younger boys.
Term 1 continued to be a busy time for Riley House:
„„ Almost 200 people attended our House Breakfast in Week 4 – a wonderful opportunity for parents to meet our Tutors and
other Riley families. A huge thankyou to Patricia Pizzica and our House Parents for their efforts to make this function such a
success
„„ In addition, a great many House mothers backed this effort up in Week 8 with our Bake Day
„„ Our Year 8s spent three days at Tuchekoi with Ms Spicer (Core teacher) and myself. This was a great experience for the boys
who rose to the challenges and developed new friendships as they got to know each other
„„ Despite what we thought to be a great effort from the boys, we finished a shock 7th placing in the inter-house Swimming
back in Week 2. The lads are hungry to rectify this with their cross-country efforts in Term 2.
Articles celebrating the achievements of the Riley boys continue to appear on the College Portal. This forum publicly celebrates
the diversity of our involvement in everything in, and around, Nudgee College. Any student news and ideas are greatly
appreciated so please let me know. A full list of Term 1 articles is listed below.
As always, I’ll finish by saying that what we have here in Riley is something very special. I feel privileged to be a part of this House.
I hope the term has seen a successful start to 2014 for your son and that he returns with new energy and aspirations to do his best
in whatever tasks he takes on. I encourage you to challenge your sons to truly believe that “anything is possible” with a bit of
effort and tenacity!
Prayers and best wishes to you all for a safe and holy Easter season.
Term 1 articles on The Riley Diary…
Riley boys at Caritas Just Leadership days
Riley boy rides to success in Rodeo Competition
Riley boys at Year 10 UQ Engineering Challenge
Meet the Riley House Prefects and our 5-6 House Captains
10 ST JOSEPH’S NUDGEE COLLEGE NEWSLETTER
Riley boys win Year 5 Inter-House Futsal competition
Riley boy writes about Year 8 camp
Meet the young men of Riley 8
Riley House Academic Awards from Semester 2, 2013
4 APRIL | VOLUME 37 | NO 9
Sean Toovey
Ross House Dean
I must admit that I love the start of a new school year, the air of anticipation amongst the new students, the desire of students to
improve upon their past results and the Seniors ready to step up and be active role models within the community. This year Ross
House launched our D.I.R.T.Y theme, whereby students were encouraged to Dream, show Integrity, Be respectful, be part of a Team
and be responsible for their own decisions.
Ross House welcomed 36 new students to their ranks, along with one new tutor; Mr Ben Peel (acting for Mr Kropp) as well as
welcoming Mr Fletcher back from long service leave.
The Year 8 boys had their first opportunity to experience the Nudgee College way of life, at Mary Valley retreat in Week 2 of the
school year. A wonderful experience was had by all the boys as they challenged themselves to get out of their comfort zones. Many
thanks to Ms Joanne Barrett (Core teacher) who shared this experience.
We all enjoyed celebrating our first Mass of the College
year; our Senior Investiture. The Year 12 Ross men were
very proud receiving their badges and were aware of the
responsibility they had for the year. Congratulations to
Prefects Shane Auakai, Patrick Watson and Nick Sheehan.
The boys have started the year well, and I am sure this
leadership will continue through the year.
Unfortunately for the second consecutive year, we were
9th in the inter-house swimming carnival. Despite some
wonderful performances by certain individuals and good
participation numbers, we are certainly looking forward
to the land based activities. Our House breakfast was
a huge success this year with over 160 people coming
along. It was wonderful to meet so many new families
and catch up with existing families in the lead up to a
hectic year. Massive thank you to all the families who attended the morning, particular thanks House mums lead by Kathryn Deery.
Congratulations to the following boys who received Academic Medals last semester:
Gold: McKinley Anderson-Brown, Freddie Carlton-Smith, Martin Le Rossignol
Silver: Adam Jamieson, Matt Jamieson, Samuel Jordan and Ben Weber
Bronze: Dylan Au, Sam Wiseman, Zane Kirk, Liam Voysey, Angus McHugh, Adrian Lascu
In addition to this, there were a number of boys who showed tremendous improvements last semester. I sincerely hope they keep
persisting to achieve their personal bests in all aspects of life.
Many young Ross men performed above and beyond this term:
Adrian Lascu (First XI Cricket), Bradley Olsson, Shannon Tuitasi, Ben Cross, Xavier Savelino (First VI Volleyball), Tom Deery (FirstVIII
Rowing crew), GPS Swimmers (Josh Tomlinson, Zane Kirk, Rhys Agnihotri, Josh Elmslie, Daniel Parker and Brodie Woodward, Sam
Wiseman), Shem James (National Track and Field Championships – 1st in U18 High Jump, 4th in U20), Liam Mitchell (Most improved
oarsman – year 10), Adrian Lascu (Queensland U15 Schoolboys cricket), Daniel Mowen (Australian U16 400m champion), Dan Parker
(Gold in 50m butterfly at State Sprints), Connor McFadyen (Met north U15 AFL), Thomas Schulz (QAS football program), Lenny
Christie (Brisbane Lions U16 AFL Academy) and Jonathan Manitta (Queensland Ballet, performing in ‘Copellia’).
Term 2 promises to be just as action packed as the first term, with inter-house Cross Country in the second week back. As always the
key message for our boys…..Get in and get involved! We will also be doing our annual “Footy Doubles for Origin 1”. Money raised
will go towards the Fodder Drive for the farmers out west.
Reminders
Winter uniform next Term – Please check for clean blazers, ties, shirts that fit, etc. Blazers will not be required from day one, however
will be required for the Thursday of week one for Anzac Day Ceremony.
Thanks once again for a successful term. I hope that you enjoy the change of routine that the holidays bring and I look forward to
seeing the boys next term, refreshed and ready in their winter uniform for another very full term.
11 ST JOSEPH’S NUDGEE COLLEGE NEWSLETTER
4 APRIL | VOLUME 37 | NO 9
Robyn Mann
Shaw House Dean
I can not believe the term has finished as it only seems like yesterday that uniforms were purchased and ironed, boarding
students arrived eagerly awaiting to see their new dorms, students excited at the thought of now having their own device and
timetable were pondered over. The nervousness of beginning a new school, new teachers, new subjects are all but a memory as
we look back at our achievements as a close community.
Shaw House welcomed 37 new students to our community along with four new PC Tutors and one House Dean! I am pleased
to report everyone has been so warmly welcomed and embraced by the returning Shaw students, teachers, parents and wider
community. I formally welcome to our PC team: Mr Michael Phillips, Mr Thomas Eichinski, Mrs Susan Reid and Mr Daniel Kiss,
joining alongside Ms Michelle Guerrero, Mrs Kate McCarthy, Mr Michael Byrne and Mr Mark Reiken.
Term 1 has been a busy and exciting term for the students with a number of activities helping develop House spirit including Year
8 camp, Year 5 Retreat, inter-house Swimming Carnival, Shaw House Breakfast, and a Big Brother/Little Brother Touch football
Pizza afternoon. Our 2014 Vice-Captain, Solomon Jerram, Prefects Cameron Harder-Hutton, Samuel Molan, Joshua Drahm and
Big brothers Nipun Amarasinghe and Eric Boittier, have been outstanding role models and leaders in building a strong, enjoyable
and welcoming House community. This leadership group could not achieve such goals without the support, participation and
leadership from within their fellow Shaw Seniors and Shaw students.
Very early in the term, the Year 8s ventured up to camp at Mt Tucheikoi for three days of hiking, camping, raft building, obstacle
courses, cooking and building friendships. This fabulous experience saw the boys challenge themselves on a number of levels,
lend a helping hand and support their peers while building firm friendships that will remain with them as they journey together
while at Nudgee College. I must admit I was so thankful for the power of the humble lolly! The humble lolly saw my backpack
graciously and good-naturedly carried up the mountain by numerous Shaw boys. Thank you to PC Tutor Ms Michelle Guerrero for
giving up her time to join us for the camp.
The day after camp was the inter-house swimming carnival and what a day it was! Not only perfect weather but an absolutely
shining day of Shaw House spirit, as there was not one race that a Shaw Shark did not swim in! The Shaw Sharks showed
extraordinary House spirit and enthusiasm that became infectious across all year levels. Years 5-7 were absolutely amazing,
swimming head to head against Duggan House for first and second place. Overall, we were all thrilled in achieving 3rd place at
the carnival. Well done Shaw Sharks!
In Week 6 we held our first House function of the year, our Shaw House breakfast. Close to 160 Shaw guests mingled, chatted
and nibbled their way through bacon and egg burgers, fruit platters and delicious muffins provided by our House mums. It was
a wonderful morning enjoyed by our community, particularly as our House Patron, Mrs Maggie Shaw, joined us for the event. My
sincere thank you to the families who donated so many wonderful prizes for the raffles, which included a surfboard, a day trip
to Tangalooma, a variety of pool toys, footballs, wine and much more. Thank you to Mrs Megan O’Leary and the team of House
mothers for generously giving their time to ensure the morning ran smoothly.
Our Charity for this semester is BEYOND BLUE, a most worthy organization that reaches out to many families in our own
community. Close to $500 has been raised this term to donate to the charity, an amount we will build upon in Term 2. Another
wonderful charity that the Shaw community has thrown their support behind is the Fodder Drive. Many of the Shaw community
are country families who are finding the recent drought conditions extremely challenging. Anyway we can help our country
community will be gratefully appreciated and accepted.
Congratulations must be extended to the many, many Shaw students who achieved academic, sporting and cultural awards
for the term. To our Shaw debaters, swimmers, volleyball and cricket players, rowers, Gold, Silver and Bronze award winners,
Principal award winners, Drumline and Representatives at State and National levels - well done!! Thank you to our Captain of GPS
Swimming, Clyde Lewis and Captain of Debating, Cameron Harder-Hutton for their leadership and mentoring skills.
Term 1, I think you will agree, has been hectic in a most rewarding way and I feel very privileged to care for such an outstanding
group of young men. Thank you to the Shaw students and their parents for your enthusiastic and warm welcome to the Shaw
community.
I wish you all a safe and restful break over the Easter holidays and look forward to working with you all in Term 2.
12 ST JOSEPH’S NUDGEE COLLEGE NEWSLETTER
4 APRIL | VOLUME 37 | NO 9
Sean Riley
Tierney House Dean
Welcome to the Tierney House Term 1 review. As can be seen from the photo of our young Year 8 men from their camp it was another
outstanding Term for Tierney House across a range of events and activities. The rest of 2014 and beyond is looking extremely bright
with our current crop of students, staff and supportive parents.
I am pleased to announce our student leadership team for the year: James Lindsay, Stewart Marning, Jack Vollert, Zach Mansfield and
Dominic Cridland all of who bring a range of skills and experiences to the team. It promises to be a year of firsts with such a talented
team of young and enthusiastic leaders. In the hands of these young men Tierney will continue to build upon the positives events
and activities from last year. A chance for us to focus our energy by unifying behind our chosen 2014 motto of, ‘Ignite the Fire.’ Our
aim, as it always has been, is to have 170 students and 8 House tutors pulling in the same direction with a united fire. We want Tierney
to be a House where individual success is celebrated as part of the success of the team. As part of the ongoing process of unification
we hope to call our Tierney brothers to arms as we work athletically, culturally, academically and spiritually to face the challenges that
we have in front of us this year.
Leading this charge will be our talented team of Pastoral Care tutors, who are: Mr Neil Poppleton (T1), Ms Candice Green (T2), Mr
Jason Hollyman (T3), Mr Paul Masters (T4), Mr Manny Navarro (T5), Mr Brian Hobson (T6), Ms Lorraine Hellmrich (T7), and introducing
our new tutor for 2014, Mr Corey Braithwaite who will be working with the Years 5-6 Big Brothers looking after the pastoral needs of
all the boys in Tierney 8.
Also a special mention and thank you to our wonderful hardworking House mothers and fathers who are led by the equally hard
working and talented Head House mothers of Lyndal Maloney and Meaghan Lindsay.
We only had swimming and futsal as our inter-house competitions for this term. Unfortunately we were caught napping in swimming
and finished a disappointing 8th place, our worst finish for the last five years. This performance stung our younger students into
action and we fought back to salvage our pride with high place finishes across all age groups in the inter-house junior futsal
competition. As always I am looking at only the positives as we grow and learn from our disappointing loses and also our near
misses. I am therefore looking forward to the rest of the inter-house carnivals as they are shaping up to be equally as exciting. I will
look forward to writing in the news letter next term about our performances in the cross country and athletics competitions.
Congratulations to the multitude of GPS competitors from Tierney House who took to the water, field and debating floor this
term. I wish I could list all the competitors and their achievements but there are too many and I am sure to forget someone. So I
will summarize by saying that the spirit of the Nudgee College is held in every student who push their own personal limits and
consistently tried harder than they did the week before. I would also like to acknowledge, you the parents, for your contribution to
this spirit and all you do for your boys so that they can be their best.
While we as a College bask in the success of our sporting ability I often remind our boys about our main order of business at this
College, which is success in the classroom. While pushing to achieve success on the field is admirable goal it is success on the report
card that will ultimately bring longer lasting rewards. To this end I would like to list the Gold, Silver and Bronze academic award
winners who were presented on assembly earlier this term.
Gold
Sam Schimming, Jeffrey He, Hudson King, Corbin Duncan, Matt Parisi, Tim Ricketts, Alex He, Tom Nugent, Cameron Slack, Heath
Trotman.
Silver
Isaac Rogers, Balley Dando, Patrick Long, Jack Banks, Ethan LeBlanc, Liam LoGrande, Nicolas Neroni, Eddie Rostron, Sam O’Neill, James
Lindsay.
Bronze
Zach Krogh, Connor Thomson, Connor Chistiakoff, Tom Kennedy, Matheus Vollert, Lachie Nicolls, Jake Clancy, Isaac Moss.
13 ST JOSEPH’S NUDGEE COLLEGE NEWSLETTER
4 APRIL | VOLUME 37 | NO 9
John Cross
Head of Boarding House
It’s always great to get to the end of the first term and reflect on how it went. It’s even more pleasing, after reflecting, to be excited
about the future of Cotter this year. With two outstanding House Leaders in Joe Herbert and Buddy Modin, they have been able to
create a very inclusive and vibrant spirit within the House. I think that they would acknowledge the strong support of their fellow
Year 10s whose calming influence has filtered throughout the House and made for a very positive term.
On behalf of all the boys I’d like to thank and congratulate Buddy and Joe for organising and managing our touch football
competition. It’s these type of events that really build friendships and spirit within a boarding house, particularly in Term 1 with lots
of new boarders starting. Buddy and Joe will be organising our Term 2 event shortly, but in the interim are also organising a Cotter
Charity to support David Pocock’s EightyTwenty Vision. EightyTwenty assist communities in Zimbabwe to become self-sufficient.
This year we have had quite a few new Year 10 boarders commence in Cotter, which certainly seems to have been a trend in recent
years. Fortunately, our new Year 10s have adapted to boarding life extremely well and this has filtered through to all year groups.
Our Year 10s have had an exceptional term and they have been fine role models for our younger boarders through their application
to study, extra-curricular involvement, behaviour, respect for others and
Year 9 can often be a difficult year in a junior boarding house as boys can often get caught between being a senior and a junior
member of the community. We are fortunate to have a number of Year 9s who have been here since Year 6 and with the arrival of
few new boarders we have seen this cohort go through a period of positive change with new friendship groups developed and
boys starting to mature.
With only a small group of Year 8s commencing in Cotter this year, it has enabled the boys to form friendship groups easily. Our
new Year 8 boarders have thrown themselves into studies and activities with vigour. It has been especially pleasing these boys get
involved in everything that Nudgee College has to offer from Rowing to the many Social Justice programs. These young men have
adapted well to boarding with new friendships being formed, sporting and recreation activities being explored, learning about
and developing that Nudgee College spirit, but most of all, developing into young men who we will be relying on to be our College
leaders of the future.
This year has seen the arrival of five new primary boarders in Year 6 and 7. It always amazes me how resilient these young boarders
are, particularly when they come from as far as Western Queensland and even Dubai. While our primary boarders have all
experienced their ups and downs, they can be very proud of their efforts and are now part of a unique and special group who can
call themselves a Nudgee College Boarder.
Each Thursday we award the Cotter Cup to our boarder of the week. The award does not always go to the best behaved boarder,
but the boarder who is trying the hardest to become a better boarder. This term’s winners are:
Week 1 Clay Combarngo
Week 2 Willie Malala
Week 3 Alex Colvin
Week 4 Doug Bailey
Week 5 Paul Silcock
Week 7 Jake Perry-Kearney
Week 8 Andrew Deshon
Week 9 Tristan Bourgeois
Week 10Rueben Anderson
Congratulations to Joe herbert who is our boarder of the term. Joe’s consistent positive attitude, work ethic and behaviour in Cotter
have been an excellent example for all boarders. Joe wins an $20 iTunes voucher for his outstanding efforts.
Just a reminder that boarders are to return for Term 2 after 3pm on Monday 21 April. The boys will also wear their winter uniform in
Terms 2 and 3 so all boys will need white shirts and a tie. The boys will not be required to wear their blazer for the first few weeks
until the weather cools.
From all the staff in Cotter we hope you and your son spend an enjoyable time together over the holidays and we wish a very safe
and Holy Easter.
14 ST JOSEPH’S NUDGEE COLLEGE NEWSLETTER
4 APRIL | VOLUME 37 | NO 9
Some friendly faces of
Cotter House
Term 1, 2014
Ken Mitchell
Head of Boarding House
Spirit Committee
Again, watching the boys in the Spirit Committee work during the week to gather support and momentum for that Saturday’s
sports and activities fixtures has been a highlight this term. They also include the younger boys really well and this promotes a
sense of Spirit among the boys which is great to see.
Head of the River
It was great to see all the hard work pay off for the Rowers. Well done to all the boys but particularly to the Hodda and Murphy
boys whose efforts you see first hand and so closely - I felt a part of it and win lose or draw, they did their best which is the most
important thing. Congratulations to the boys also who went on to represent at the National titles in Sydney last week. Adam Bakker,
Cameron Milne, Justin Greenhalgh and Sean Gaffney who all achieved milestones and won medals.
First 11 Cricket
Although not having the most successful season result wise, the boys also worked hard and are building for the future. Led well by
Nick Smith, we also had Toby Dodds and Mitchell BUnker in the young brigade and I’m sure they will be leaders in their own right
in the not too distant future. Well done to all the other cricketers too on representing Nudgee so proudly and with such a good
sportsman’s attitude.
Debating
For most normal people, public speaking is their worst nightmare - imagine being a teenager and volunteering to do it! Well that’s
exactly what Isaac Moss, Sam O’Neill and Peter tennant do each Friday night. Well done to them and I know that experience will
help them in their future lives.
Reach for the Stars
I’d like to thank all the teachers who give up their nights or wait around campus to help provide academic support to the boarders.
They really do appreciate the help and I know they have benefited from their presence.
Term 2
Please remember that it is winter uniform next term so all boys must have their white shirts and ties from day one. Blazers may not
be compulsory from day one but will be soon after the start of the term. Please ensure your son has all the right gear for school
and that shoes are polished and haircuts are appropriate. There’s nothing worse than being forced to start the term with a negative
conversation about any of these issues so please help us by sending them back all ready to go.
Achievements
Well done to Gavin Luka, Sam O’Neill and Peter Tennant who have been leading the Magee House Car Wash to raise funds for the
Fodder Drive. They have done really well and I am certainly looking forward to driving out to Longreach next term and being a
part of the support we are wanting to show for our country families. The Boarder Parents Support Group has chipped in as well
and bought 10 bales of hay to the value of $1600. I can’t thank them enough for this generous donation and I know that it will put
smiles on faces.
Boarding Redevelopment
The plan is to have Stage One (Hodda / Murphy) finished by the start of Term 3. They are certainly picking up the pace with all the
major structural building nearly complete. We are looking forward to the move and seeing how much better life will be with the
new Houses. I’ll continue to update people as we progress through next term.
Finally, I’d just like to thank all of you for your support and help through the term and particularly the Boarder Parents Support
Group and their work with the Year Level Parents. I know this initiative will be a positive thing and will help many parents with the
unique challenges that boarding presents. I wish you all a safe and holy Easter.
16 ST JOSEPH’S NUDGEE COLLEGE NEWSLETTER
4 APRIL | VOLUME 37 | NO 9
Stephen Meara
Head of Boarding House
For me this has been a very short term, and I can’t say that without a little bit of guilt. A lot of hard work was done in the first few
weeks of term to get Murphy House up and running for 2014 while I was on long service leave. I have said in this forum before
but must repeat my heartfelt thanks and my admiration for Bruce Barlow for the energy of and professionalism he brings to caring
for your sons at all times but particularly for acting in my place for the half of the term I was absent. Thanks also for the assistance
given him by Dr Graeme Mellor and Mr Brian O’Reilly and to Mr Ken Mitchell for his oversight of both the Senior Houses during this
period.
One could think that starting late in the term I may have missed out on a lot of the excitement of Term 1 but there was much to
be enjoyed in the second part of the term. A big night out at Chandler for GPS swimming, an exciting morning at Kawana to see
Nudgee College dominate at the Head of the River were two highlights from the sporting calendar. Well done to all our cricketers,
volleyballers, rowers and swimmers on an outstanding term of activity. The debating season continues next term and of course our
football and tennis seasons will be in full swing from Week 1.
Another rewarding aspect from this term was to see how many of the Murphy and MacKillop students were planning and
conducting their study time so effectively. Many of the College’s top performing students from 2013 were boarders (including a
Dux) and I can see great promise amongst our Senior and Sub-Senior students this year.
Tommy Deery and Liam O’Connor continue to lead the way on the cultural front with their involvement in the College’s music
program. Best of luck also to our Cattle Club boys this holidays as they take the herd to Sydney to compete at the Royal Easter Show.
As we know Term 2 will bring other changes as well. All boys are to wear winter uniform to school from the beginning of term.
Please check that your son has enough white shirts that fit and will last for the next six months. He should also have the appropriate
College tie for his year level. Blazers will become required daily wear once the weather has cooled but all students will be wearing
them on the first Thursday of term (24 April) when the College commemorates ANZAC Day.
Next term boarders are also expected to wear long pants to Mass every Sunday evening. Please ensure that your son has a pair of
casual trousers or jeans. I have warned the boys that if they claim not to own a pair of appropriate trousers for wearing at Mass I will
presume this to be a falsehood.
I look forward to seeing you at the Boarders’ Parents Support Group function on Easter Monday as you return your sons to Nudgee
College for the beginning of Term 2.
Enjoy having them home and my prayer is for all the joy of Easter for you this holiday.
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4 APRIL | VOLUME 37 | NO 9
Logan Hawkins
Head of Boarding House
Term 1 in O’Brien Boarding House has been a time of change for many boys. Whether it be the one of the 15 new boys who has
arrived to start his journey as a Nudgee College Boarder, or even the 40 returning boys who have come back to some significant
changes to the boarding house. Each of the boys has done a great job in Term 1 by building and maintaining friendships, working
well with staff, and by creating a safe and supportive environment in the O’Brien Boarding House.
We are blessed to have a number of very talented athletes in O’Brien. Some of this talent was showcased at GPS Swimming this year.
There were a number of O’Brien Boys on the Nudgee College GPS Swimming Team: Congratulations to Jack Prosser, Surya Stark
and Paddy Lynch for their efforts on the night and throughout the GPS season. The O’Brien boys were exceptionally well behaved
during their support of the swimmers – even Mr Hanly made a special mention about how well behaved they were – well done
boys!
Following on from a successful GPS Swimming championship, the rowers in O’Brien were rewarded for all of their hard work during
the rowing season. Congratulations to the following boys; Harry Carmody, Jaxen Dossel, Campbell McCoy, Noah O’Brien and
Duncan Hartwig on their excellent efforts this season and being crowned GPS premiers.
We are very proud of all of our O’Brien athletes (including those involved in volleyball and cricket) and we look forward to a
successful football and tennis season coming up. Some other notable events of Term 1, 2014 include:
O’Brien House BBQs
Due to our space constraints we have moved these to Wilks oval which allows us more room and gives us an opportunity to have a
game before dinner. A special thank you to the Year 10s for their cooking, serving and organisation.
Junior Boarding House Sport
An unbeaten record by the O’Brien boys over Cotter House with convincing wins in both dodgeball and basketball. The boys will be
looking to continue this trend throughout the year
Here at Nudgee College there are many wonderful and rewarding Social Justice programs going on. This year Mr Sean Toovey and
Ross house raised money for cancer research by doing the ‘World’s Greatest Shave’. While I was happy to be an innocent by stander,
the fantastic generosity from the Smith family meant I myself along with Jamison lost their precious locks. I would like to thank
Chris and Sonia for their amazing generosity and support of our social justice initiatives.
The boys in O’Brien have been kept busy with a number of activities both on the weekends and during the week. I would like to
thank Mr Jackson Bannah for his work throughout the term in creating rewarding and entertaining activities for the boys.
Lastly, a huge thank you to our O’Brien House staff. This term we welcomed Mr Jeff Campbell as our Senior Supervisor and his
enthusiasm and energy has been a wonderful asset to the dorm. Ms Bonnie has joined us as a part-time House Mother and
the boys have taken to her support and guidance with open arms. I am so very lucky to have the support and friendship on my
staff, the boarding house would not be able to run without the efforts of Mr Paul Carmody, Mr Jeff Campbell and House Mothers,
Rachael and Bonnie. Also, to our supervisors, a big thank you for all of your hard work and dedication in Term 1.
I wish all members of the O’Brien Boarding community and their families a safe and enjoyable break. I look forward to seeing you on
April 22 for the start of Term 2.
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4 APRIL | VOLUME 37 | NO 9
Worlds Greatest Shave
in support of the Leukaemia Foundation
Community
Notice board
Rodeo
With only a few days notice before the end of Term 1, the team was disappointed
to hear the final rodeo of the term, Toogoolawah Rodeo, was postponed due to
the wet weather. We look forward to competing at this rodeo when a new date
has been set.
Fitness and riding technique is always the basis of our weekly training
afternoons. To build on that, this year saw us also start a weekly gym session.
Every Thursday morning the boys do an hour of strength and conditioning to
enhance their core strength, balance and overall strength. We would like to
thank Mr Jake Winwood and Mr Michael Green for all their instruction and
encouragement throughout these sessions.
Foxfire Industries Pty Ltd is a locally owned family business who have, for a
number of years, supplied and maintained the College’s security Access System
and Cameras. Last year, Mr Alex Christie (Owner), kindly donated money towards
the team and this year has kindly done so again. The Foxfire Industries Incentive
Award will be awarded at the end of each term, to a team member who has not
only shown commitment to training and improving his riding skills, but also a
commitment to improving his academic studies.
Congratulations to our Term 1 award winner, Isaac Westerhuis.
Thank you to all the team members attended and helped with our display on
Open Day.
Term Two Rodeos: Dayboro Rodeo, Beaudesert Rodeo, Casino Beef Week
Rodeo, Caboolture Junior Rodeo and Caboolture Show Rodeo.
Cindy Abbey
Rodeo Team Coordinator
DimensionsNC Art Festival
How you can become involved
The Cultural Events Committee is seeking sponsorship from the Nudgee College community in
support of the Annual DimensionsNC Art Festival. Three levels of sponsorship are available which
cater to families and Old Boys wanting to support the creative industries at Nudgee College, as
well as local businesses who wish to reach out to a familiar or new client base.
For further information or to discuss your contribution please contact
Debby White, President Cultural Events Committee
0417 802 430
[email protected]
Festival dates
22 - 25 August 2014
Opening gala night Friday 22 August
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Community
Notice board
Tuckshop
The Tuckshop is looking for volunteers for the following Term 2 dates.
April 26 (onliny 3 people so far)
Mary 10
May 17
June 7
If you can assist please contact Tricia via email [email protected]
Australian Mathematics Competition
Entries are now being accepted into the 2014 AMC. This competition has been running for 36 years and many parents would have
attempted it when they were at school. The benefits include the challenge of attempting problem solving questions. The more we
extend ourselves on these types of challenges, the more we improve our brain function.
Cost : $6.00 paid to your son’s Maths teacher
Closing Date: Friday 2 May
Competition: Thursday 7 August
Paul Masters
Tennis - Date Claimer
Saturday 26 April, 2014
Nudgee College Tennis Age Championships 2014 - at Nudgee College Tennis Centre
Years 5 and 6 start at 7.30am
Years 7 and 8 start at 9.00am
Years 9, 10, 11 and 12 start at 10.30am
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