In this issue

Saying farewell to the Year 12 students is a virtually sacred process in any secondary school, and in recent days the staff and I have once again bid the 2023 Seniors bon voyage. Typically, among the Seniors there is a mix of excitement, as well as amazement that they have actually made it through their high-school years. No doubt many parents and friends feel the same way.

One of the most interesting parts of the Rite Journey program (which our students complete in Year 9) is to understand what we mean by ‘rites of passage’ – that there are times when it is good to have a particular set of rituals that mark a transition between one stage of life and the next. Such rites of passage are found across all cultures and nations, but it’s been argued that young Australians are losing these forms of experience – 21^st birthday parties seem to have fallen out of favour; religious rites of passage like Confirmation or First Communion have become less common. But cultural experts say that if adults don’t oversee significant rites of passage for young people, then the young people will create their rites of passage themselves, and hence the enduring popularity of Schoolies Week events at Surfers Paradise or Orientation Week initiations at Uni, etc.

This is why our College sees value in overseeing formal events for our departing Senior students, such as the Valedictory assembly and service in the presence of their Prep student buddies, or the Night of Reflection at Brighton Homes Arena. Our Seniors have been wonderful leaders this year, and they deserve to have deeply meaningful, formal rites of passage to mark their transition from students to alumni. Thank you, Seniors of 2023, and may God grant you both success and safety over your first post-school Summer.

Meet our College leaders, Middle School Leaders and Primary Leaders for 2024! The College is behind them in all of their aspirations for the College looks forward to seeing them bring a new energy to TSAC in the New Year.

VALEDICTORY ASSEMBLY

We have officially said farewell to our graduating Year 12 Class of 2023 with a series of celebratory events.

The College formally said goodbye at the Valedictory Assembly on Friday, 13 October. The Year 12s entered the Dome with their Prep buddies, where the rest of the Secondary students, staff, their families and friends, were gathered to mark this milestone and celebrate their final assembly.

College leaders Olivia Harding and Luke Jamieson addressed the cohort. Luke marked the milestone with humour and sentiment, saying, “Year 12 has been a tough year that has involved last-minute efforts in assignments and last-minute stressing before exams. Despite all that, we have still managed to make it to our graduation day in one piece. High school for me has been so much more enjoyable than primary school. We were given a lot more opportunities, and I have made friendships that I hope will last for a very long time. I want to thank all of you for making high school very enjoyable. There were lots of good memories throughout the past six years.

To our teachers, I want you all to know that your hard work and dedication towards us has not been taken for granted. In particular, the year 12 coordinators, thank you for dealing with us for what I’m sure felt like a very long 12 months. I’m sure I talk for everyone when I say we will deeply miss you.

To every single student sitting in front of me. If you’re going to take anything from this speech, let it be this. The next few years of your life go by really quickly. Blink, and you’ll miss it. I know it may still seem so far away, but once you hit senior schooling, it doesn’t take very long at all until you are preparing for you final external exams. So, enjoy it. Because it won’t be long until you are in this position, too. So, stay consistent, and you’ll make it just fine.”

Oliva shared beautiful sentiments, saying, “I imagine today is filled with emotions – in fact, I imagine some of you may be terrified of the mayhem we will cause out in the big wide world – I know my parents are. You have been the people to see us grow from little boys and girls into young men and women in what seems to be a short amount of time. You must all be so proud of your children – as am I, and deservedly so. We have faced so many challenges throughout our schooling career, and at times all of us have thought that there were some that we couldn’t get through – but here we are, and it’s all because of you – our family, our rocks, our shoulders to cry on, our personal banks and Ubers. On behalf of my graduates, I would like you to know that your love and support have not gone unnoticed, and we are eternally grateful to have you as family.

“Some of us have an idea of what we want to do, and some of us have no idea – nobody knows 100% what the future holds because nobody can predict the future. This is what we have taken for granted while being here. To my peers in front of me, know that you can find comfort in knowing that all the adults here today and your peers beside you know how it feels, and all of you will find something to pursue that you love, that gives you purpose and that will give you a lovely paycheck. Embrace every opportunity that is thrown at you and give yourself that certainty you need to feel safe – school has shown us how to do that and taught us what we need to know to do that. And most importantly, surround yourself with people who make you feel joy, understand you, listen to you and will be there for you. We wouldn’t have gotten here without the friends and peers who did that for us.”

The ceremony concluded with students lining the path, which snakes through the Campus, to clap and cheer the graduating students. They gathered with their families at the Kurrajong Centre for Senior Learning to cut the graduation cake and celebrate their final roll call.

We are excited to announce two key roles to the College.

Welcome Sarah Ferguson: Director of Student Life

We are delighted to announce that Sarah Ferguson has been appointed Director of Student Life from 2024.

Sarah is a Bundaberg native and moved to Brisbane to complete a dual degree in Music and Education. She moved to London for two years to further her experience as a teacher, learner, and performer. Upon her return to Australia, she took up teaching positions in several diverse schools. She joined St Luke’s Anglican School, Bundaberg in 2011 and completed her Master of Education in 2020 before she took on the role of Director of Co-Curricular Cultural Activities. She believes wholeheartedly in developing resilience and strong personal growth in young people through the creation of beautiful music.

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Jillian Hunt: Head of Faculty, Performing Arts

We are also excited to announce that Jillian Hunt, TSAC’s Secondary Music Teacher, has been appointed Head of Faculty, Performing Arts. Jillian is an experienced educator and joined the College in the middle of Term 3 from Redeemer Lutheran College, where she taught for more than 20 years. Jillian has already made a positive impact in our secondary music classes and is excited to work with our dedicated Performing Arts team.

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The Rite Journey program is held throughout Year 9, and helps our students explore many aspects of adulthood. They recently held their Rite Journey picnic which is a vital part of the program whereby they explore broadening their communications skills. Students gathered at Robelle Domain Parklands to complete activities designed to support positive interactions between girls and boys, and help them communicate in different settings, including large groups, small social groups, and one-on-one situations. The highlight of the day was a delicious picnic lunch which the boys prepared for the rest of the group. Students enjoyed learning outside the classroom and having the chance to learn more about their peers, and are now looking forward to their final graduation and celebration.

The Rite Journey is run each year and encourages students to learn more about who they are, what they value, and to develop their emotional intelligence and resilience.

The College’s first-ever Colour Fun Run was a spectacular success! Thank you to everyone who supported the event on the Primary Campus. We were excited to see more than 300 students and their families take to the obstacle course on Saturday, 7 October, dressed in white and ready for messy play. It was such a fun day, with so many big smiles on everyone’s faces.

It was great to see so many parents pick up a colour powder bottle and get in on the action, creating an array of colourful clouds. Having the students and parents enjoy this event together was something special, as was seeing our very own Mr Morris get slimed by our highest fundraiser!

It is a fantastic testament to the dedication of our families and our community that the Fun Run generated an incredible total of $28,805. Profits from this fundraising will now be used to develop the nature play area on the Primary Campus.

Thank you to the College P&F, and our team of volunteers and parents who made this event a success.

The College was excited to celebrate its first Alumni reunion on Saturday, 21 October. More than 50 former students, former staff, their partners, and families reunited with current staff on the Green at the Secondary Campus. Against a clear sunset backdrop, they enjoyed a relaxed BBQ and drinks soiree before touring the Campus many hadn’t seen in almost ten years.  We look forward to many more alumni events in the coming years.

Are you a former TSC or TSAC student? Make sure your contact details are up to date to find out about upcoming events.

We are delighted to welcome Mr Richard Brown to the TSAC College Council. Richard will join fellow members of the TSAC Council, which is responsible for the ongoing sustainability and success of the College through prudent financial management, forward planning, and strategic oversight.

Richard was raised and educated in Sydney. After completing a degree in Mathematics, he began his teaching career at Newington College in Sydney, including three years living and working in the school’s Boarding House. His keen interest in mission work led him to live in the Southern Philippines for a year, leading a team of young Australians working with local churches.

In 1988, he moved with his young family to Toowoomba, where he was appointed a staff member of Toowoomba Christian College. In 1992, he was appointed Principal of that school, a position he held until his retirement in 2022.

Richard played an active role within the Australian Christian school movement both as a State and National Council Member. In 2014, he was appointed a Board member of ISQ and has served on their finance committee for a number of years.

He is passionate about educating the whole child for a life of fulfilment and flourishing.  Richard is keen for every student to understand the Biblical perspective that states we are all made Imago Dei and the truth of Saint Augustine’s statement “You have made us for Yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in You. Grant me Lord to know and understand”.  The Confessions (Book 1)

College presented the Student Life Awards, which acknowledge the achievements of students involved in the Creative Arts and Clubs and Activities from across the year, as well as GBC Sports and GBC Primary Sports from Term 3.

Congratulations to students awarded Play of the Season awards and to students awarded Director and Excellence Awards for individual ensembles, troupes, teams and groups in our Creative Arts and Clubs & Activities programs. They have all demonstrated exceptional effort, skills, leadership and teamwork. Congratulations to all award recipients!

The Primary School, Primary Extension & Enrichment Program (PEEP) is a co-curricular activity for students in Years 3 to 6. Since Term 3, students have been working in groups to develop plans for sustainable and biodiverse gardens for the Primary Campus. They recently presented their proposals in front of their peers, parents, and members of the College Executive Leadership Team.

The students’ presentations incorporated physical and virtual modelling, recycled elements, energy conservation, and sustainable practices. They showcased their research and planning, connection with the College cafe, plant selection and rationale, budget implications, and the garden’s educational potential. They are to all be applauded for confidently presenting their ideas and demonstrating their understanding of local environmental issues, scientific reasoning, and creative problem-solving. Great work, everyone! We look forward to seeing your ideas come to fruition on Campus.

Our dancers have started Term 4 with an enthusiastic flutter of feet. All students in the College from Prep to Year 12 are welcome to attend one of our dance workshops, which will help students get ready for the 2024 dance season. We are so pleased to welcome to the College three new tutors, Miss Banwell-Young, and Miss Amy-Lee, and Miss China Tautali.

READ MORE: PRIMARY WORKSHOPS (Nexus post)

READ MORE: YEAR 6 TO 11 WORKSHOPS (Nexus post)

Recently, our Year 8 Geography students travelled to Edenbrooke Park in Seventeen Mile Rocks to conduct fieldwork for their riverine landscape reports. Our students engaged in a scavenger hunt-style activity and utilised the Survey 123 app to gather reliable data. They will now construct their reports using an ArcGIS program, Storymaps. What a fantastic learning experience!

Did you know that both the Primary and Secondary Campuses have Solar Power? Did you know that you and your students can quickly view both the solar production and our consumption?

Monitors are located in the Echidna undercover area on the Primary Campus, and the Jacaranda walkway on the Secondary Campus.  Swing by and check them out!

TOILET BLOCK

We are very excited to be getting prepared for the renovation of the café breezeway toilet facilities commencing on 31 October. The area around the toilets will be fenced off, with additional fencing occurring on the grassed area at the front of the Campus to enable safe movement of workers and delivery trucks. Once the site fence is up, no access to the site area is permitted for staff, students, parents or visitors.  The Jabiru Café and entrance gate will still be fully operational. However, where possible, parents and students are encouraged to access the Campus through the reception breezeway gate.

This is noisy and messy work.  Noise from jackhammers and concrete cutters can be expected next week, and is expected to last one to two weeks. During the construction time, a few minor changes to routines will occur.

• From Tuesday, 31 October, students attending before-school Student Life activities can enter through the front reception breezeway (roller door will be open) and move directly to the undercover area for staff collection.
• All students will access the toilets in the undercover area.  Additional staff will be allocated for duty during busy times, and younger students will be escorted to the toilets by their classroom teachers before eating breaks to assist with the usage of toilets.  Students will also have access to the accessible toilets in each block if required.

Over the next few weeks, we will work with the builders to ensure the renovation causes as little disruption to students as possible. The College shall provide regular updates on the progress of this project, as well as other projects planned for the summer break on Nexus, so please keep an eye out for these.

St Andrew’s Springfield is hosting its annual Carnival of Light. Come dressed in your brightest fluro costumes for a light-themed evening of fun activities, games and competitions! There will be loads of activities for school-aged children, including Meltdown (mechanical game), Jumping Castle, Ninja Wall, and an array of stalls and games!

Saturday, 28 October | 5:00 pm to 7.30 pm

Children/Students $10, includes sausage sizzle and drink
Adults: Free. Sausage sizzle: $3.50. Water $1.50