In this issue

“It’s me. Hi. I’m the problem, it’s me.”

If you recognise these lyrics, then you’ll know it’s from Taylor Swift’s song Anti-Hero which she is currently performing down South for lucky “Swifties” who managed to get tickets. It’s a fascinating song because it seems to be all about what Taylor Swift thinks of herself and her own thought processes. She admits that sometimes she fears things that turn out to be nothing; she gets anxious about everything; and very often she doubts the people she should trust the most.

These themes resonate with the Christian season of Lent, which began on Ash Wednesday and which we observed at the College with services on both Campuses where staff and students could choose to be marked with an ash cross as a reminder of our mortality. Lent will last for six weeks until Easter Sunday, and in the first week, it’s traditional to reflect upon Jesus wandering alone in the wilderness (Matthew 4; Mark 1), forced to confront his own human fears and temptations, and to contemplate what it would be like to be abandoned by God and friends. In a similar way, Lent is a season intended for us to examine our own priorities in life, face our deepest fears and decide how to bolster our strongest relationships.

Through His heroic acts of surviving the dangers and temptations of the wilderness, Jesus encourages us to persevere in giving, fasting and praying throughout Lent; but at the same time, like Taylor Swift’s song, it’s also a time to look in the mirror with honesty and understand ourselves better. It may well be “exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero”, but God’s desire to know us, love us, and be with us is completely inexhaustible.

Grace and peace,

Rev. Jonathan Kemp

As an Anglican College, we are eagerly anticipating Easter and all that it represents to our Christian faith. The 40 days leading up to Easter is known as Lent. Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. During Lent, many Christians engage in some form of fasting, repentance, moderation and/or spiritual discipline.

Shrove Tuesday, often known as Pancake Tuesday, marks the beginning of the Lenten season. It is a day of indulgence before the solemnity of Lent. Historically, it was a time to use up rich foods like eggs and milk before the fasting period began. On the Primary Campus, students ate pikelets and jam in their classes whilst they learned about the meaning of the Shrove Tuesday. On the Secondary Campus, several Year 11 students, led by Rev Jonathan, cooked and served pancakes to all the hungry students.

The College is proud to support our local community agencies dedicated to supporting those impacted by homelessness. Last week, our students donated more than 2100 cups of noodles – a staple non-perishable meal – to Rosies – Friends on the Street. This is the fourth year the College has donated noodles, with students donating 300 more cups than last year!

Representatives of Rosies were grateful for the support, saying, “How amazing are these students at The Springfield Anglican College? These noodles will go directly to supporting our friends in need – filling their bellies but also warming hearts through conversation and connection. Rosies is 98% funded by the community and relationships like the one we have with TSAC are vital to ensuring that we can remain a constant source of companionship and comfort for people in need. Thank you!”

The ‘Help our Homeless Day of Action’ was organised by our Year 12 Health students, who have been studying the impact of homelessness in the Ipswich Region. We are proud of all of our students who continue to demonstrate compassion for those less fortunate than themselves and feel empowered to make a positive impact within their local community.

The inaugural P&F Welcome BBQ was held early in the Term to the delight of parents, staff and the P&F Committee. Parents from both the Primary and Secondary Campuses enjoyed the casual get-together as they met fellow parents and speak with the P&F about their future plans. Mr Steven Morris took the opportunity to introduce the members of the College’s Executive Leadership Team, including our new  Deputy Principal, Peter Westhead, and Director of Student Life, Sarah Ferguson.

Watch highlights of the event

The College P&F are looking for new members. Visit the College website to learn more about the TSAC P&F Association or connect with the P&F on their Facebook page.

At the start of the Term, our Year 6 Leaders, Middle School Leaders, and College Prefects were acknowledged by our College community at a College Chapel (Primary Campus) and College Assembly (Secondary Campus). It was a wonderful occasion to support our student leaders as they pledged to be servant leaders in front of their peers and proud families.

Congratulations to our student leaders. We look forward to seeing you all achieve great things this year!

PRIMARY CAMPUS LEADERS

At the start of Term 1, our Year 11 students headed up to the Noosa North Shore Retreat for their Leadership camp. For four days, students focussed on developing their leadership, decision-making, communication and teamwork skills.  The camp is an important part of the students’ school curriculum as students start their final two years of education and prepare to step up as the 2025 College leaders.

Activities included communication-based puzzles, and physical activities, such as the flying fox, high ropes course, and canoeing and surfing. While the range of new experiences took them out of their comfort zones, students were supported throughout the camp.

We are proud of how well our students performed as a group. Many students reflected on how they enjoyed working with people outside their friendship circle and getting to know their peers.

Year 7 camp is always an exciting way for the newest members of the Secondary Campus to get to know each other.

Early in Term 1, students travelled to Lake Cooby, 30 minutes outside Toowoomba. This camp is a support for our Year 7 students who are transitioning to the Secondary Campus as it encourages friendships and relationships with their fellow students, teachers, and student leaders. The camp also focussed on personal development, providing experiences encouraging teamwork, decision-making and communication skills. Over the three days, students participated in goal-setting activities, rope courses, archery, a Rogaine challenge, and forest activities.

The giant water slide that contoured through the natural environment was the favourite activity for most students. A special thank you to our Year 12 Clan Leaders, who assisted with the activities and created a positive environment for the Year 7 students!

Our Year 11 students studying Film, TV and New Media embarked on an educational workshop held at Movie World. Student filmmakers explored the perspectives of Directors, Producers, and Art Directors through the lens of Fright Nights advertisements. Students were immersed in the audition process using Virtual Reality technology. Following the workshop, Movie World’s Creative Director led students on an exclusive backstage tour, revealing the intricacies behind three famous Fright Nights mazes – The Conjuring, Circurse, and Hellship. This was an exclusive tour for TSAC students who experienced firsthand the breathtaking vision and meticulous attention to detail invested in the set designs for Fright Nights.

The College is proud to advocate for students’ safer and more responsible use of online technology. As part of our recognition of Safer Internet Day, students in Years 3 to 6 attended an incursion by Brainstorm Productions (6/2). Students explored age-suitable themes, including positive relationships, resilience and cyberbullying. Thank you to Brainstorm Productions

The Year 12 formal is a significant milestone in every student’s life. Our Year 12 Formal Committee has been busy organising fun activities across the Secondary Campus to support their fundraising efforts this term.

Ahead of Valentine’s Day, secondary students were able to show kindness to a fellow student by ordering a card, flower or homemade cookie which were prepared and delivered by members of the Committee. They have also been hard at work selling chocolates to family, friends, students, co-workers, neighbours and anyone else with a sweet tooth!

The College is proud to see our Senior students demonstrating leadership in such a special way.

Our Year 11 and 12 Health and Physical Education students have enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to attend classes, including High-Intensity Interval Training and Hot Yoga at TotalFusion Lions, as part of their timetabled lessons. Students have enjoyed trying new types of exercise within top-class facilities to challenge and develop their fitness levels. We are very grateful to TotalFusion Lions for their ongoing support of students at The Springfield Anglican College, which represents one way in which the College strives to provide authentic learning experiences for our students.

College families are able to claim a complimentary Experience Pass to trial TotalFusion Lion’s state-of-the-art studio.

The College is committed to reducing the distraction of mobile phones and other devices to provide optimal learning environments for all students.

Students are reminded that they must put their phones and mobile devices away for the day. They cannot use mobile devices anywhere on the College grounds during school hours, including morning tea, lunch or spares, or while participating in Co-curricular activities, College functions, excursions, or camps. This includes mobile phones, AirPods, smartwatches, and other wearable devices.

Mobile devices may be used by students before or after school hours.

The College recognises that some students have a genuine need to bring a mobile device to the College in instances where it is a safety measure to ensure a student’s safety while travelling to and from the College; to monitor or manage a health condition; to facilitate contact by parents or part-time employers outside of school hours; or to facilitate contact about a person under a student’s care. In these cases, students will need to leave their device (switched off) in their bag or locker (Secondary Campus), or at student reception (Primary Campus).

Student Mobile Device Policy and Student Mobile Device Procedure.