From the Principal

Teaching and Learning around the CampusThe highlight of my week is always my visits to class-rooms. To observe the quality of teaching and learn-ing that occurs in classrooms across the College is a wonderful privilege. Upon entering a classroom whether it is a Prep Literacy Rotation, or a Year 12 Maths C Class it is clearly evident that St Andrews is blessed with skilled, passionate teachers - teach-ers who have a real heart for this community and for the children and young people that they teach. It is apparent that St Andrews teachers put a great deal of thought and preparation into their teaching - from making the Japanese Language relevant to Year 2s, to engaging real world Year 6 Science Extension learning activities, through to Year 11 Business Studies learning how to run a small business, the breadth and depth of St Andrews teacher’s knowledge and pedagogical expertise is apparent. One thing that always impresses me when I’m in classes is just how well our teachers know their students – what their students’ learning strengths are, and where there might be some gaps. For example our Senior English teachers provide excel-lent individualized feedback on their student’s draft essays so that each student knows exactly what they need to do in order to improve. The defining quality that I notice when I visit classrooms is the quality of the teacher-student relationship. St Andrews teach-ers work hard at developing positive relationships with their students, because encouraging and affirm-ing relationships lie at the heart of effective learning. A senior member of staff shared recently shared an email from a recent past student whose family had moved interstate and so had to move also. In the email the past student remarked just how special the teacher-relationship was at St Andrews, and that she only really appreciated since having to change schools.

Issue 2 / 23 May 2014

Parental InvolvementSt Andrews is fortunate to have Parents and Grand-parents who are willing to help out in the College - from serving on the P&F, helping in the Tuckshop or Uniform Shop, sewing costumes for Musicals, running a stall at the Fete, or assisting in their child’s classroom. This term I have had the privledge to see two great examples of parental involvement. The first was a few weeks ago when we had over 40 parents attend a workshop about how to assist your child with reading at home. The other has been the ongo-ing involvement of parents with Literacy Rotations in the Junior School. Volunteering within the College is a good thing to do for a whole host of reasons. Perhaps the biggest reason is that it helps to make a highly effective school. Being involved in your child’s educa-tion helps to build what is known as ‘Social Capital’. By building social capital in a school student learning actually improves. As parents and grandparents by volunteering in our community you are helping to improve the learning outcomes of not just your child, but all St Andrews students.

Strategic IntentA copy of the College’s Strategic Intent is available from our new Website. Our Strategic Intent charts the College’s course in broad terms for the next four years. With the overarching Strategic Theme of ‘Educating Hearts, Minds and Hands’; the St Andrews Strategic Intent 2014-2017 has 5 key Strategic Foci-• Spiritual Formation/Celebrating the Gospel - Con-

tinue to develop St Andrews as a Christ-centred Learning Community.

• Community, Culture & Ethos - Develop a strong sense of community and belonging within and amongst all members of the St Andrews Com-munity and build a culture based on the pursuit of Personal Bests, mutual care and support, service and others-centredness, and embracing ’where everyone is someone’.

• Pastoral Care & Relationships - Continue to develop a safe, nurturing and supportive environ-ment in which each student is known, valued and cared for, whilst proactively developing student well-being, character and resilience.

• Teaching & Learning - Empower students as life-long and life-wide learners who strive to achieve their academic personal best through the provi-sion of a challenging, connected and engaging curriculum, underpinned by visible teaching and learning.

• Co-Curricular - Offer a Co-curricular Program that provides opportunities for students to participate in and develop their interests, talents, skills, val-ues, and character beyond the classroom.

Our Strategic Intent provides the College Council, Senior Staff, Teachers and Staff with a very clear road-map for the future as we work together to provide the very best possible education for our children and young people.

Building DevelopmentsThe lower CRC project is nearly complete. Condev, the appointed builders for the project have done a great job ensuing the project has remained on budget and on time. People that have had a special sneak peek of the facility have commented what an excel-lent use of space it is. Apart from the new Tuckshop, the thing I am most excited about in this new learning space is the flexible learning area, or what we will be calling the ‘Learning Commons’. The Learning Com-mons will provide a space for students to work col-laboratively and independently, and move between the two modes seamlessly - reflecting how learning best occurs.

The Early Learning Centre has commenced with the land cleared, and preparation for the site in the early stages. There is strong interest in the ELC, with a large number of ‘Wait List’ applications received. With its 3

rooms, and large outdoor learning area the ELC will provide a wonderful foundation to the early years of learning. Things are well on track for a January 2015 start.

St Andrews Fine Young PeopleRecently I spoke at a Middle/Senior School Assembly about what it means to be a ‘fine’ St Andrews man or woman. St Andrews students are fine young men and women.

Describing our students as ‘fine young men and women’ is not some throwaway line, nor is ‘fine’ some bland generic word plucked from the ether. It is a deliberate and carefully chosen word that encapsu-lates and conveys a number of things:• To be described as a ‘fine’ young St Andrews man

or woman is a badge of honour. It is honourable to be described as a ‘fine’ young person.

• To be a ‘fine’ young person is attainable by all students regardless of age or aptitude.

• It sets us apart as a College that values the depth, breadth and diversity of character of each person.

• It signals our desire to be aspirational and at the same time comfortable. We want to keep on striving to be better, but at the same time we are comfortable in the knowledge that each of us is a loved child of God.

• It speaks of strength of character, yet at the same time humility. We want to be the best we can be, but not because we think we are better than oth-ers, but because we have something to offer and want to make a difference in our community.

• It conveys respect - respect for ourselves, respect for our peers, respect for the adults in our com-munity.

• It communicates the importance of service, of being other-centred. There is great significance in the small gestures of daily life at St Andrews: a student saying thank you to a teacher after a les-son or senior students tutoring younger students after school in the library. This is what ‘fine’ young St Andrews men and women do.

I encouraged our students to be proud to be a ‘fine’ young St Andrews man or woman, and to live up to it in all that they do and say.

Tim Kotzur Principal

As you receive this newsletter we would have just concluded the Junior School Arts week with the GALA concert. It was a fantastic week with students showcasing their artistic talents and many workshops that were held with students and teachers from the Senior School. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the staff who worked tirelessly to make this week a reality, the students for their dedication to developing their talents and the parents who have supported the program.

I am lucky enough to have two children who love playing music and I am often asked “Where does the musical talent come from?” I have never learnt a musical instrument in my life, so I am first to say that I don’t have a musical bone in my body. But the truth is I have never spent any time dedicated to learning an instrument or even trying to learn to play an instru-ment. This statement also does a big injustice to my children and their music teachers who spend hours teaching and practicing how to learn to play that mu-sical instrument, rather than relying on some innate talent.

Learning an instrument takes a lot of time and prac-tice. I remember Mr Oakley-Grant telling a musical group that there are no natural musicians, only those who practice more. I believe that while some people will find it easier to learn a musical instrument than others, we all have the capacity to learn how to play one. Carol Dweck would call this a Growth Mindset. With a Growth Mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedica-tion and hard work - brains and talent are just the starting point. When it comes to learning a musi-cal instrument I have suffered very much from what Carol Dweck calls a Fixed Mindset. In a Fixed Mindset, people believe their basic qualities are fixed traits and effort is fruitless, because our talents are finite so rather than put in the effort, it is easier not to try in

Middle & Senior School NewsLove, Humanity and JusticeThis term students and teachers have been explor-ing the theme of “Love, Humanity and Justice”. This theme is linked to our Positive Education and Wellbe-ing initiatives and relates to our Mission of “Celebrat-ing the Gospel” by encouraging each of us to show grace and forgiveness, and to make a difference in the world around us through love and service. With these aspirations in their minds and hearts, students contin-ue to express a keen desire to serve others. Through-out the term, their involvement in service activities has been impressive. The Leos club have been involved in running their ongoing community fundraising BBQs on Saturdays, undertaken the opportunity to assist some of our local over 60s to learn how to use iPads and have rallied the secondary students behind the initiative “Coats for a Cause” which seeks to pro-vide warm clothing for homeless youth on the Gold Coast this winter. Also of note are the recent initia-tives from Nicole Richards (Year 9 student) who as a member of the Australian Youth Climate Council is working towards developing an environmental group at the College and Melissa Maessen (Year 11 student) who recently raised over $1200 and jumped out of a plane as part of the Love, Hope, Jump campaign run by a group called Hands of Compassion. Each week, a handful of our Senior Students donate blood as part of our Club Red program and later this term, as a combined initiative, students in Years 8 and 11 are planning a food drive in support of the Gold Coast Youth Services to help those in need in our local area. While these are all indeed noteworthy service activities to be celebrated, it is really in the everyday approach to showing love and care for each, and through see-ing a need and helping, that our students are living the Gospel.

Our work in implementing a new Teaching and Learning Framework, Dimensions of Learning, across

Junior School News

the first place.

We are currently doing a book study on Carol Dweck’s book “Mindset - the new psychology of success”. The aim is to encourage students to have a Growth Mind-set and to encourage them to believe that intelligence can be developed, that the brain is like a muscle that can be trained. This leads to a desire to improve. In much the same way as a musician practices their instrument over and over to improve, a student needs to work hard at their school work to improve and be the very best they can be.

Darrin SchumacherDeputy Principal/Head of Junior School

We have just celebrated Easter for another year, the event that all of history as told from a Western World perspective revolves around. Our dating of the year stems from Christ’s birth, but we know about his birth because of what took place on that first Easter weekend.

The fact that Jesus was crucified, buried and then rose from the grave can seem like a legend or a myth. Our rational minds certainly tell us that things like this cannot happen. But this is not the case. A myth couldn’t possibly have such a profound effect on civilization for the next 2,000 years. Secondary School chapels have been investigating people of faith down through the centuries, reflecting on how Christ has inspired them to bring about great social change. We have been following the effect of the first Easter through history.

This all began with the disciples taking the good news of Christ’s resurrection to the four corners of the known world. These men encountered Christ in such a profound way that they were prepared to give up their lives for him. It can be said that there isn’t anything particularly startling about this because 9/11 involved 20+ men giving up their life for a cause. But the difference for the disciples is that they would have been giving up their lives for a lie and they would have known first hand that it was lie. Giving up one’s life for a belief does not make it true, but giving up one’s life for something you know is not true does not normally occur.

Checking out these types of facts helps us place Christ’s life, death and resurrection in the historical context that it belongs in. It is great encouragement to understand that all that happened 2,000 years ago has corroborating evidence to support the claims of Christianity. It isn’t just some folklore that exists in a vacuum. All manner of substantiating facts and evidence exist around the claims of the Bible. The good news of Easter continues to shape life in our world today. It motivates people to help others, both close to home and in distant lands. It certainly impacts the manner in which we go about our core business here at St Andrews. As we look back at what occurred on that first Easter weekend may all of us be touched by God’s embrace and be filled with his love as we experience it through Christ. Let us continue to celebrate it daily and grow as people of love, compassion and justice.

Chaplain Graeme Schache

Chaplains Chat

the Secondary School also continues this term with an emphasis on four of Art Costa’s Habits of Mind: Thinking about your thinking, Thinking flexibly, Ques-tioning and problem posing and Remaining open to continuous learning. A brief description of each habit is to follow:

Thinking about your thinking - Successful people actively monitor their own thinking. They install plans of actions in their minds and monitor them as they are enacted. When they finish a task they reflect back on it and evaluate how well their thinking strategies served them. This tendency to monitor the thoughts that are leading to our actions, rather than just our actions, is a hallmark of a successful person.

Thinking flexibly - The ability to alter perspectives, consider alternative points of view and change our minds when the data no longer supports our original ideas is thinking flexibly. To see things from different points of view, and to consider options, is a skill that can be learnt. Successful people are good at flexible thinking.

Questioning and problem posing - Successful people don’t only ask questions, they search for questions to ask. They are curious and they deliberately craft questions designed to gather the sort of information required. This Habit is about asking questions, rather than answering them. There are many different rea-sons to ask questions. Sometimes we need a specific answer. Other times we might want to open a discus-sion. Questions can be used direct or lead people to certain conclusions. Being skilled in this Habit means you are good at asking the sort of questions that will generate the information you need.

Remaining open to continuous learning - Remain-ing Open to Continuous Learning is the opposite of arrogance and means always seeking to improve. Successful people tend never to be complacent. They are always looking for new things to learn, new ways of doing things, never happy to be where they are, always wanting to grow. This is what this Habit is about. Even when at the top of their field very few successful people will sit back, content to be the best. They seek new challenges, new ways forward, new ways to grow.

At home, parents might like to reinforce these habits by looking for opportunities to acknowledge their children when they are demonstrated or giving exam-ples of how these habits have helped them on their journey. Please contact me at the College if you are interested in more detailed information about Habits of Mind or life in the Secondary School.

Virginia Warner Deputy Principal/Head of Secondary School

Art News

Junior School Arts WeekThis week we shone a spotlight on the Arts Life in the Junior School. Students engaged in workshops with our Artist in Residence, Kerry Spence, as well as Dance, Drama and Music Workshops led by SS Staff and students. Our First Break Concert Series show-cased some of our young performers, as did The Mini Musos Debut Concert and String Ensemble Open Rehearsal. The Week culminated in a Gala Concert.

Priscilla ScottHead of Arts

Dates to remember June

Tuesday 26Northern District Futsal Titles - Boys Tuesday 27Mufti Day - Kokoda theme Northern District Futsal Titles - Open Girls Year 7 Canberra Trip Parent Info Night Wednesday 28Years 8 - 10 Immunistations Yrs 15 Boys Futsal SW Championships - selected playersWednesday 29Yr 10 - 12 “Power of Sleep Presentation”Friday 30 Yr 2 Excursion Hinze DamYr 12 QCS Workshop, J1 and J2Kids Club Years 4-6, 6pm - 7:30pmTuesday 3Evening of Drama Years 10 & 12 Class ProductionsWednesday 4Year 5 Camp to Luther HeightsSS Students & Parents Empowering Young Women - Mak-ing Positive Choices, 5:30pm - 7pm, RBT, Thursday 5Year 5 Camp to Luther HeightsFriday 6Year 5 Camp to Luther Heights House Monday 9Queens Birthday Public Holiday Tuesday 10Years 4 - 12 Regional Cross CountryWednesday 11P&F General Meeting 7pm, CRCChess Tournament, CaningerabaThursday 12Volunteers induction, CRCFriday 13Kids Club Years 4-6, 6pm - 7:30pmSunday 15Year 1 Family Service, 9am Worship CentreMonday 16Year 11 & 12 ExamsICAS Writing Year 10 Work Experience Tuesday 17ICAS Spelling Year 11 & 12 ExamsYear 10 Work ExperienceWednesday 18Year 11 & 12 ExamsYear 10 Work ExperienceYr 12 Christian Studies Myers Briggs SeminarThursday 19Year 11 & 12 ExamsYear 10 Work ExperienceFriday 20Last Day of Term 2

It’s that time of year to up-date the interest earned on your LLL account that is credited annually on the 31st of May. Please send your books in by last day of term, the 19th of June. They will be sent to Adelaide for the interest update and will be returned to you on the first week of Term 3.

We are selling the Entertainment Books again this year!!

New this year, you have a choice:The traditional Entertainment Book Mem-bership that comes with the Gold Card and vouchers or the brand new Entertainment Digital Membership that puts the value of the Entertainment™ Book into your iPhone or Android smartphone.

Entertainment Memberships contain thousands of valu-able up to 50% off and 2-for-1 offers from many of the best restaurants, cafés, arts, attractions, hotel accommo-dation, travel and much more!

The price is $55.00 per book and $11.00 from each book goes to fundraising for the College.Books are available from Reception, Junior School Ad-ministration and the Uniform Shop.

*CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE NOW*

P&F News

The General P & F meeting for Term 2 is Wednesday 11 June 7pm in the CRC. We welcome any new parents to attend and assist the P & F with ideas and initiatives for the school. If you have any agenda items for discussion please email the Secretary at pandf@salc.qld.edu.au by Friday 6 June. It is a great opportunity to have input into school projects which the P & F fund. Everyone is wel-come.

Mr Kotzur has kindly offered to show us through the new building under the CRC during this meeting, provided the building work is on schedule. The P & F has funded the outfitting of the Tuckshop so this is the perfect opportunity to see where the money is spent.The P & F has recently funded a new piano for the Col-lege.

We will soon be looking to form the Fete Committee for next year’s Fete, so if you are interested in helping out, please come to the next meeting. There are plenty of subcommittee positions and the more assistance we have the more successful the Fete will be.If anyone has any suggestions or comments and cannot make the next meeting please email the P&F at pandf@salc.qld.edu.au

GrantsWe are very fortunate that Kim Allen has agreed to take on this important role. Kim has applied for grants from Coles for Junior Landcare, which may be used for a verti-cal garden for the new Tuckshop.

Kim has also applied for a grant from the Cancer Coun-cil, which could go towards much needed shelter up at the top oval.

Further, Kim has met with Daphne McDonald and her Grants Officer who will advise her of any grants which may be available to the College.

If you have anything you wish to discuss do not hesitate to contact a member of the P & F.

President: Daniel RennebergVice President: Julieanne AndrewsTreasurer: Michelle BrownSecretary: Nicole Ainger.

Daniel Renneberg P&F Executivepandf@salc.qld.edu.au

                 

                                                                                                                                        Secondary School Parents are warmly invited to

join the Year 10-12 Students for a special presentation – The Power of Sleep

on Thursday 29 May from 12.00noon-12.40pm

in the Worship Centre

 

Facts:

§ Lack of sleep for secondary students is fast becoming one of the most important physical and mental health issues

§ Teenagers need between 9-10hrs sleep per night but many get less than 7

§ Sleep deprivation leads to poor cognitive function, decreased wellbeing and anxiety

This program will help our young people see the importance of sleep and give them skills to achieve it.

   

Testimonials from other Schools:

The session was great – so refreshing, physically and mentally. - St Michael’s College The feedback from the staff and students has been unreservedly positive. Thank you for an excellent

presentation, and congratulations on inspiring our students. - Xavier College Our students absolutely loved your sessions. They raved about them. A huge thank you. I will certainly be

in touch in the future. - Salesian College Rupertswood