In this issue

As we approach Christmas, the College community is conscious of the many families who will be doing it tough. As part of the annual Giving Tree initiative, TSAC students and families have dug deep to generously donate gift vouchers and toys for local families in need. Students on the Primary and Secondary Campuses were excited to see their donations collected by Anglicare Southern Queensland, which supports the most in need within our community. A special thank you to Brooke and her team, who continue to do a fantastic job of supporting families in need over the Christmas period.

TSAC students will be putting their phones ‘away for the day’ starting Term 1 in 2024.

The College is committed to reducing the distraction of mobile phones and other devices to provide optimal learning environments for all students. From the beginning of Term 1, 2024, TSAC students will not be able to use their mobile devices anywhere on the school grounds during school hours, including morning tea, lunch or spares, or while participating in extra-curricular activities, College functions, excursions or camps. Mobile Devices may be used by students before or after school hours to check or respond to messages from parents about drop-off or pick-up arrangements. This will include mobile phones, AirPods, and smartwatches and other wearable devices.

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).

Please take a moment to read the new Student Mobile Device Policy and Procedure

Read the TSAC Policy

Read the TSAC Procedure

Congratulations to our graduating Year 6 class who held their Valedictory Chapel surrounded by their families and fellow Primary Campus students. Rev Jonathan held a moving service that reflected on students’ years at the College and the strong friendships and bonds they’ve made as they journeyed through their primary years. A special moment was the Year 6 ‘Through the Ages’ dance video that students created with Ms Peacock. Students were then introduced by their teachers for the last time before they received their graduation certificates from Mr Morris and Mrs Brewer. Students and families then enjoyed some time celebrating with special cupcakes. We wish you all the best as you journey into Secondary school.

You can access the Year 6 dance video via Nexus.

During Term 4, the College celebrated students’ outstanding achievements at our annual Speech Night (Years 4 to 12). The evening opened with a performance of Adiemus (Karl Jenkins) by more than 200 members of our Combined College Choirs and Orchestras, as a presentation of photos from the past 25 years marked the College’s quarter-of-a-century milestone.

Students were awarded academic excellence awards, subject prizes (Year 12), outstanding excellence awards, and awards of the Highest Honour. To further honour the 25th Anniversary, the College has introduced a new award of Highest Honour – the College Valedictorian Award. This award recognises a Year 12 student who has made an outstanding contribution to the College across their studies, to College Student Life, and the wider community. The College Valedictorian, as the Highest Award of Honour, complements the College Dux Award, which is awarded based on the student with the highest academic record.

Congratulations to all award winners and a special congratulations to our highest honours awardees:

Lucy Clayton, College Valedictorian
Frances Smith, College DUX
Olivia Harding and Emily Curtis, Proxime Accessit (runners up to the Dux)

The 2024 Primary, Middle and Senior School leaders were announced before the current Year 12 leaders presented TSAC’s iconic striped leadership blazers to the 2024 Senior School leaders – a College tradition.

Performances by our College musicians, choristers and dancers further enhanced the evening. Thanks to the Combined College Choirs and Orchestra, Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Senior Company Jazz, JB Crew and Woodwind Ensemble, who inspired everyone in attendance.

You can download high-resolution photos from the evening until Friday, 8 December. We request that you only download images of your child or children. ACCESS PHOTOS

The College proudly celebrated the achievements of our students at the annual Student Life Awards. The evening celebrated our students’ achievements and representation in regional, state, and national teams and ensembles, as well as students’ commitment to our College co-curricular Sports, Creative Arts, and Clubs and Activities program. The evening also featured performances by the Stage Band before, during and after the awards. Congratulations to all award recipients, their supporters, and their teammates!

PRIMARY CAMPUS

The construction work on the Jabiru toilet facilities on the Primary Campus is progressing very well.  Installation of the new chilled bubbler and bottle filling station in the Echidna undercover area will commence during the summer break and is anticipated to be completed in time for Term 1.  Construction has begun on the refitting of the former Uniform Shop space, to make way for a new dedicated ICT office & helpdesk window, and Learning Enhancement Room.

We are looking forward to new facilities when students return over the school holidays in 2024!

The College is excited to welcome Stephen Ballhause as the new Swim Coach, from Term 1 2024.

My name is Stephen Ballhause, and I come to you all with over 21 years of experience in professional learn-to-swim program development alongside high-end squad coaching at different locations throughout Brisbane. For the last 10 years, I have worked within the Just Sports n Fitness company, firstly at Goodna Aquatic Centre developing their squad program, then at Ipswich Girls Grammer School, for squad development and learn to swim oversight. I currently reside at Bundamba Aquatic Centre as Head Coach and Squad developer for Just Sport N Fitness as well as Woogaroo Swimming Club.

Coming from a childhood spent constantly around Aquatic Centre environments and the swimming competition scene, my greatest swimming successes have always been through the development of the many swimmers under my instruction. These successes have included swimmers making Brisbane Swimming Teams, High-Performance Teams under Swimming Queensland, State and National qualifying swimmers along with a swimmer making the Para Development Team to swim for Australia.

Though each of the above achievements is unique, each is equally special to me, and every child’s personal swimming goal is worth striving towards. Whether it’s to swim 25 metres without stopping, win first place in the school swimming carnival, or to chase the dream of winning a State or National title. I would like to encourage you to come and try swimming at TSAC.

Our grandparents are important members of our College families. This Term, our students on the Primary Campus have celebrated their unconditional love and support.

Our Primary Choirs showed the special place our grandparents hold in our TSAC community’s hearts with a special song and video presentation which they created and shared on a Primary Chapel.

Congratulations to our Year 9 Altitude students who recently presented the findings of their independent research projects to their peers and members of staff. Students have spent the last Semester researching, testing, and analysing specific areas of interest to develop a poster presentation that reports their findings. The breadth of projects was staggering and included engineering, social, environmental, ecology, anthropology, sports medicine, physics, and biology (to name a few). Congratulations on all of your research!

College families can expect to receive a copy of the 2023 College Yearbook in the New Year.

Over the past several years, the College has reduced the number of Yearbooks printed this year, in an attempt to reduce waste. As part of the College’s environmental strategy, and in the interest of reducing our environmental impact, we will be printing and distributing one Yearbook per family.

If you have a need for additional copies, please indicate your interest via this Form.

Our Year 6 students were delighted to meet Olympian Brooke Hanson during her visit to the College. Brooke shared her journey as a swimmer, including experiences winning Olympic Gold and Silver Medals in Athens (2004), winning the World Short Course Championships eight times, and being a triple Commonwealth Games representative. The students were thrilled to see some of her medals up close and set some of their own goals.

Brooke is a representative of the State Government’s Olympics Unleashed in Queensland Schools program.

Brooke’s Story: Ten years after making her international debut at the 1994 Commonwealth Games at Victoria, Canada, Brooke Hanson was selected for her first Olympic Games at Athens 2004. She immediately had an impact when finishing second to Luo Xuejuan of China in the 100 metres breaststroke. In winning her silver medal, she relegated her more fancied teammate, Leisel Jones to third place. In the medley relay, Hanson received a gold medal for her heat swim. She was also a finalist in the 200 metres breaststroke. Not long after Athens, Hanson attended the World Short Course Championships in Indianapolis, USA where she won a staggering six gold medals in the 50, 100 and 200 metres breaststroke, 100 and 200 metres individual medley and as a member of the 4 x 100 metres medley relay team.

This year, for the first time, students could complete a Certificate II in Tourism. To cap off an eventful year, our students finished their studies with a day at  Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island, where they applied the knowledge they had gained in class to practical, real-life situations within the tourism industry.

Students saw the tourism industry in action and learned about the unique ecosystem of Moreton Island, its impacts on local eco-tourism, and associated jobs. Students took a front-of-house tour of the Tangalooma Island Resort and experienced some of the activities promoted at Tangalooma, including Wild Dolphin feeding, 4WD Desert Safari Tours, and sand tobogganing.

This was a valuable learning experience and an exciting field trip that was thoroughly enjoyed by all of the students!

The Primary Campus was a sea of bright red shirts and wonderfully coloured bandannas to support Day for Daniel and Bandana Day. We are proud that our students and staff enthusiastically support these outstanding child-focused initiatives that highlight important issues of child safety, protection, and harm prevention, and supporting young people battling cancer.