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SEMESTER 2 2021 ISSUE 2

ST ANDREW’S
Way

                                              INSIDE THIS EDITION:
                                              • Inside the Classroom with Mrs Reid
                                              • Farewell Mrs Bermingham

                          www.standrewscc.qld.edu.au
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FROM THE EDITOR

“ I believe in a world where we can make
and share art and words that will help us
find our way back to one another.”
Brene Brown
At a time when togetherness and wellbeing has become
more important than ever, we feel fortunate to be able to
bring you a publication centering on the essence that is
at the core of our College and can be summed up in one
word.
                      Community
Community is the beating heart of St Andrew’s.
It is what makes our College unique and sets our
students apart from the crowd. It is the theme of this
publication.
We hope that you enjoy this second edition of
St Andrew’s Way as we reflect on the many key
moments of Semester Two and celebrate the
numerous staff and student achievements.
Take a moment to read and savour the
St Andrew’s Way. Let us take you inside our world.
Enjoy.
Miss Justine Graham
Media and Marketing Coordinator
St Andrew’s Way Editor

On the cover:
‘Hudson’s Heroes’
2021 Relay for Life Team.
In memory of Hudson Steer,
a beloved student and friend.
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Inside this issue...
3   From the Principal                    16 Farewell Mrs Bermingham                37 Careers Corner
4   Parish News                           17	In the Classroom with....             38 Vocational Education
5   Religious Life of the College             Mrs Reid                                   & Training
7   The Rite Journey                      18 Outreach & Service Learning            39	The Duke of Edinburgh
                                          20 STACC In The Community                     Award
8 	Welcome
    Mrs Theresa Redgwell                  21 Reef Guardians                         40 Student Wellbeing
9   Welcome Mr Paul Ford                  22 Student Achievements                   41 STACC Viewpoint
10 House Leaders 2021                     26 The Sports Desk                        42 Chef’s Kitchen
12 NAPLAN Results – 2021                  27 The Beat of Courage                    44 STACC Snippets
13	The Journey Pathway                   30	Young Musician of the Year            45 IT Help Desk
    – Year 4 Team Building                    2021                                  46 FACE Update
14	The Journey Pathway                   32 Centre Stage – The Arts                47 Building Updates
    – Year 5 Camp                         34 Film, TV & New Media                   48 Life Beyond St Andrew’s
15	The Journey Pathway                   35 First Nations                          49	Key Dates / STACC
    – Year 10 Community Day               36 Defence News                               Traditions

From the Principal
DR SEAN MANGAN
PRINCIPAL

Welcome to our second edition of the      Strait Islander performers. Mrs Amanda    With the COVID-19 lockdown, we
St Andrew’s Way – a publication to        Stephen (Indigenous Liaison Officer)      needed to provide alternative programs
acknowledge all the wonderful work        did a wonderful job in organising the     for Years 8-11, which included
and efforts that go into our College      activities for the week.                  either had an outdoor education
community each day. I have just                                                     camp or Retreat program. Thank you
                                          We were also heavily immersed in
recently visited the Father’s Day stall                                             to our students and staff for their
                                          Catholic Education Week. Some of the
and thanked our volunteers for the                                                  understanding in accommodating
                                          highlights of that week included:
wonderful work they do in supporting                                                alternative programs.
our College. With the visioning of        •	The Gift of Music with our College
                                                                                    Term 4 will continue to be busy as our
Catholic Education Services, the             presenting Catholic Schools on
                                                                                    Year 12s prepare for their final exams.
College was built with the support of        Stage
                                                                                    There will be a range of events that
many volunteers, planting trees, mowing
                                          •	The annual Mass at St Monica’s         celebrate our students’ achievements,
lawns, working on the canteen and
                                             Cathedral that included our Student    graduation ceremonies and the
cleaning our amenities. In speaking
                                             Leaders                                Christmas festivities that will follow.
                                                                                                                              FROM THE PRINCIPAL

with Di Bermingham (Uniform Shop),
who recently retired after 15 years       •	Hosting the Docemus Awards in All      I am pleased that in this edition we
of dedicated service to the College,         Saints’ Theatre.                       welcome and introduce our new
she reflected on the early days of                                                  Deputy Principals. After extensive
volunteering her time and even allowing   Congratulations to all those who
                                                                                    searches across Australia, we welcome
parents to visit her home to purchase     participated in the Young Musician
                                                                                    Mrs Theresa Redgwell (Junior Years)
uniform items. How things have            of the Year (across the Junior, Middle
                                                                                    and Mr Paul Ford (Middle Years) to
changed!                                  and Senior sectors) and all those who
                                                                                    our community in 2022. Both are
                                          had great success in sport throughout
                                                                                    greatly excited about joining our
Early in the term, we have had events     the term. Our College performed
                                                                                    community and we look forward to their
such as the Year 5 Camp and NAIDOC        exceptionally well at the TCN Athletics
                                                                                    contributions to our College.
Week. Our NAIDOC ceremony                 Carnival and we continue to offer great
and assembly were very successful         extra-curricular opportunities to our
comprising many Aboriginal and Torres     students.                                                                               3
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Parish News
              FR DARIUSZ OSINSKI PP

              Dear Friends,
              I would like to sincerely thank our
              Safeguarding Representatives for
              their work in our communities and all
              the volunteers who have completed
              both their training, and the relevant
              documentation.
              For those who could not participate in
              this training, we will repeat this training
              again in the near future. This will be
              advertised in the parish bulletin.
              I would like to thank our Sacramental
              Coordinator, Marie Hubert Churchward,
              and all the teachers who have
              dedicated their time in running the
              sacramental programme in our parish.
              A big Thank You to all the children
              and families who enthusiastically
              participated in the programme.
              I am looking forward to the days when
              you will receive the Sacraments of First
              Holy Communion and Confirmation in
              our community.
              I am keeping each one of you in my
              prayers.
              Fr Dariusz Osinski
              Parish Priest - Northern Beaches
PARISH NEWS

              “I am a little pencil in                      The banner depicts four inspirational individuals: Frederic Ozanam, Mary MacKillop,
                                                            Caroline Chisholm and Fred Hollows; all who have accomplished many amazing
              the hand of a writing                         things that we as a College aspire to. Their core values are illustrated through
                                                            symbolic imagery of peace, compassion, journey, devotion, unity, service to others
                                                            and cultural diversity. The banner is designed to be used for Feast Day, a day of
              God who is sending a                          celebration and coming together as a community.

              love letter to the world”                     The banner was collaboratively designed and painted by the following students:
                                                            Emma Everson, Laura Dudink, Zoe Healy, Sarah Ryan, Neve Mason, Sydney Aylett,
  4           MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA                     Astrid Giles-Langford and Tasma Smith.
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Religious Life
of the College
An update on the religious                  Middle Years                                  Senior Years
                                            In collaboration with the Identity &          Catholic Education Week this year held
life of the College from                    Outreach team from Catholic Education         extra significance being in celebration
our Assistant Principal’s of                Services, we have begun a journey of          of 200 years of Catholic Education in
                                            review and reform for our Religious           Australia with the theme of “A Spirited
Religious Education across                  Education curriculum in the Middle            Tomorrow”. There were a significant
                                            Years. This started with an initial inquiry   range of activities planned including
the sectors, Miss Sweeney                   into how we could “refresh” and make          our Lunch on the Lawn, Spirited Song
(Junior Years), Miss Harris                 our Religion curriculum more engaging         Contest, buddy activities, as well as
                                            and relevant to the Middle Years              Mass for the Cairns Diocese Northern
(Middle Years) and                          audience – naturally at an age where          Deanery at St Monica’s Cathedral.
                                            questioning is key to finding meaning in
Mr Pennisi (Senior Years).                  life and faith. Making Scripture real for     Our 20th Anniversary event was
                                            our teenage students is something we          also well attended by members of
                                            constantly strive to do; taking a more        community who have contributed to
Junior Years                                dialogical approach on board will allow       its story. The evening started with
This year to date, over seventy children    for more sharing of own stories and           a Welcome to Ceremony Smoking
are participating in the Sacramental        forming links between their own lived         Ceremony conducted by the Minjil
program across the Northern Beaches.        experience and Scripture.                     Peoples. Mass was celebrated by
                                                                                          Bishop James Foley, and clergymen Fr
This journey started with the sacrament     Since our initial move to bring about         Dariusz Osinski, Fr Frank Gordon, Dcn
of Reconciliation. This is also known       change, our Middle Years staff have had       Mark Cavicchiolo and Dcn Tony Moore.
as confession. Confession is an             various opportunities to workshop with        As part of the ceremonies thereafter,
opportunity to say sorry for the choices    both myself and the Identity & Outreach
                                                                                          speeches were presented by current
we make. These can also be referred         team from Catholic Education Services
                                                                                          principal, Dr Sean Mangan and past
to as sins. Reconciliation allows us        to gain a better understanding of what
                                                                                          principals: Mr Lee MacMaster and
to experience God’s healing through         recontextualisation is and how it helps
                                                                                          Dr Lauretta Graham. We thank all those
                                            our students and community to make
forgiveness. We gathered together as                                                      who contributed to this wonderful
                                            better meaning of our faith – and in
a community, and students made their                                                      event.
                                            turn, enhance our Catholic identity.
First Reconciliation with Father Dariusz.
                                                                                          Students in Years 11 and 12
                                            Our Middle Years staff have been busy
The Commitment Mass for our                                                               participated in a positive relationship
                                            sharing and growing in faith across
students was held on Saturday 31                                                          programme Love Bites and explored
                                            the year. They recently participated in
July 2021 within All Saints’ Chapel.                                                      respectful relationships, strategies to
                                            a formation session centered around
We have enjoyed two retreats and our                                                      desecalate difficult circumstances, and
                                            The Holy Rosary. This workshop-style
commitment mass to date. The Reach                                                        consent. Students responded well to
                                            session allowed our staff to reflect
Youth Ministries leaders ran both           on why and how we pray, discuss               the programme and found it to be of
                                                                                                                                    RELIGIOUS LIFE OF THE COLLEGE

retreats and offered a combination of       recontextualisation through prayer            value. Our Year 10 students have also
teaching, song and fun activities.          and gain further understanding on The         engaged in learnings based around risk
                                            Holy Rosary, which we will be mainly          minimisation and responsible social
This final stage in our students
                                            focusing on across the Month of Rosary        media usage, and the law. We continue
sacramental journey will involve
                                            in October. The session culminated            to invest in our Social and Emotional
completing their Confirmation and First
                                            with a hands-on activity where staff          Learning programme.
Holy Communion.
                                            linked their knowledge of prayer,             Year 11 Leadership Day was an
                                            recontextualization, and The Rosary           initiative to support our students to
                                            to construct a giant set of Rosary            prepare for transition into College
                                            Beads, each bead being carefully and          seniors for next year. The day centred
                                            individually crafted by our respective        around learning about servant
                                            staff members from their context.
                                                                                          leadership, living out our charism,
                                            These Rosary Beads will be used for           team building exercises, models of
                                            our staff gatherings and displayed            good leadership as well as verbal
                                            around the College in Term 4.                 reasoning challenges. We thank the
                                                                                          Year 11 Homeform Teachers and Year
                                                                                          11 Coordinator Mrs Symes for their
                                                                                          support with the sessions.                      5
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RELIGIOUS LIFE OF THE COLLEGE

                   THE RITE JOURNEY
THE RITE JOURNEY

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The Rite Journey

It has been an exciting 2021                To add to this frustration, parents may
                                            believe their teens “ should know
                                                                                        and used this stage as a challenge to
                                                                                        be the best version of themselves and
for the Year 9 Cohort with                  better,” and this may indeed be true.       setting goals to keep them accountable
                                            However, many teenagers cannot yet          along the way.
the introduction of our new                 utilise this knowledge to temper their
                                                                                        These activities culminated in Week
learning initiative, The Rite               emotional impulses as their brains have
                                            not sufficiently matured. Many times
                                                                                        10, when students had two significant
                                                                                        challenges that tested physical and
Journey.                                    parents will experience frustration
                                                                                        emotional resilience.
                                            and comment with “What were you
                                            thinking?”                                  We are very proud to announce that the
The program aims to support students                                                    College will be gifting each child their
                                            When in reality, there may have been
through the tricky times of adolescence                                                 very own swag as part of their Year 9
                                            little thought involved! This is why
and provides them with the tools to deal                                                journey. This swag will symbolise a new
                                            parental monitoring, guidance, and
with the social and emotional pressures                                                 beginning to the many adventures that
                                            discipline are so vital throughout the
of becoming young adults.                                                               lay ahead as young adults.
                                            adolescent years.
The Rite Journey workshops assist our                                                   In closing, we are excited for this
                                            We believe that The Rite Journey
young children with decision-making to                                                  program to continue for future Year 9
                                            Program has given the space and time
navigate their journey through childhood                                                cohorts.
                                            for the students to work through these
with the aim that they reach the age of
                                            emotions.                                   2021 was the inaugural year of the
18 as capable, responsible, respectful,
                                                                                        program at the College and was
and resilient young adults.                 In part 1 of the journey, students
                                                                                        received with great success. With a
                                            reflected on ‘Who am I really?’ This
We see firsthand the immaturity in our                                                  little bit of fine-tuning, the program will
                                            reflection has shaped them to this point,
students.                                                                               continue to deliver a quality learning
                                            whether it be family, friends, or social
                                                                                        experience allowing young adolescents
A mature person can inhibit or delay        influence.
                                                                                        the space and guidance to make better
responding to automatic, reactive, or
                                            The next step in our journey was ‘How       decisions in coming years.
emotional impulses long enough to
                                            do we get along with others?’ We
contemplate the best course of action.                                                  Mr Craig Rankin
                                            incorporated the Love Bites Program
Developmental skill is typically acquired                                               Year 9 Coordinator
                                            here to educate the students on social
during adolescence; however, until this
                                            expectations, relationship advice, and
skill is fully developed, parents may
                                            genuinely how to be a better person.
become alarmed and frustrated when
their teens make poor decisions or act      In Term 3, the Year 9 cohort explored
impulsively.                                the theme ‘Is there something more?’
                                                                                                                                      THE RITE JOURNEY

                                                                                                                                         7
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Welcome
                       Mrs Theresa Redgwell
                       “Students grow emotionally and spiritually in a culturally
                       supportive environment.”

                       Introducing Mrs Theresa           Mrs Redgwell previously worked at the
                                                         College in 2007 as a Year 1 teacher.
                                                                                                    same warm and welcoming culture I
                                                                                                    remember so well.
                       Redgwell, who joins the           However, a more important role was as
                                                                                                    My educational philosophy centres on
                                                         a St Andrew’s parent.
                       College as Deputy Principal –                                                all students achieving to their highest
                                                         We welcome Theresa back to the St          ability with the right assistance and
                       Head of Juniors Years in 2022.    Andrew’s family in 2022; until then,       support. Not only academically, but
                                                         please enjoy getting to know her.          students also grow emotionally and
                       We welcome her back to our        My husband and I built our home in
                                                                                                    spiritually in a culturally supportive
                                                                                                    environment.
                       community and thank her for       Redlynch 25 years ago and raised
                                                         our family here. In 2004 we joined the     In the ten years I was away, I spent
                       allowing a quick delve into her   St Andrew’s family as parents, and in      some time in the small business we
                                                         2007 I was blessed to join the staff as    owned and the majority working in other
                       life.                             a Year 1 teacher. Although I have been     Colleges. When I spent the day at the
                                                         away for ten years and the College has     College recently, it truly felt like coming
                                                         grown and expanded, it still has the       home. I can’t wait to start in 2022!

                                                         Fast Facts!
                                                           Favourite movie?                         One thing about you that people
                                                           Pride and Prejudice                      would be surprised to know?
                                                           Favourite book?                          I needed help with this one, but my
                                                           The Harry Potter series                  daughter suggests it is that I have
                                                                                                    completed the Wheelbarrow Race
                                                           Sunrise or sunset?                       and climbed the pyramid.
                                                           Sunset
                                                                                                    Favourite subject at school?
                                                           Favourite season?                        English
                                                           Winter
                                                                                                    Favourite childhood teacher/
                                                           If you could live anywhere in the        mentor?
                                                           world, where would it be?                Sr St John, Year 8 English teacher
                                                           Anywhere that is close to those          who left plenty of time to read in
                                                           I love.                                  class.
                                                           What is something you’ve always          The greatest thing you’ve learnt
                                                           wanted to try but you’ve been too        from teaching?
                                                           scared to do?                            That you never stop learning.
                                                           Skydive and I never will.
                                                                                                    Three words that best describe
                                                           Goal for 2022?                           your teaching style?
WELCOME MRS REDGWELL

                                                           To make the most of my first year        Calm, collaborative and supportive.
                                                           back at the College and meet as
                                                           many families as possible.               If you could do anything other than
                                                                                                    teaching, what would it be?
                                                           Do you have a daily ritual?              The other thing I would do I am
                                                           Yes, based loosely on the Ignatian       blessed to do already, spending time
                                                           prayer “The Examen”                      with those in our community “doing
                                                           I end every day reviewing the day with   it tough.”
                                                           gratitude and praying for tomorrow.      If someone wrote an autobiography
                                                           What phrase/motto defines how            of your life, what would be the title?
                                                           you live your life?                      Always follow your dreams.
                                                           “Happiness can be found even in          Best advice for your Year 12
                                                           the darkest of times, if one only        graduating self?
                                                           remembers to turn on the light.”         It all turns out better than you even
                                                           (Albus Dumbledore)                       imagined it could be.
    8
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Welcome
Mr Paul Ford
“Be kind, be honest, be positive. Honour the dignity of every
person. Strive to be humble. Smile. Explore. Learn.”

In 2022, we will welcome
a new Head of Middle                        Fast Facts!
Years, Mr Paul Ford. We                      Favourite movie?
                                             Dead Poets Society
                                                                                      One thing about you that people
                                                                                      would be surprised to know.
welcome him to our College                   Favourite television series?
                                                                                      In Grade 5, I played Joseph, in the
                                                                                      St Mary’s Catholic Primary School
community and invited him                    The West Wing
                                                                                      musical, Joseph and the Amazing
to help us get to know him                   Favourite book?                          Technicolor Dreamcoat!
                                             Mean Streets, Kind Heart –
with some very important                     The Father Chris Riley Story
                                                                                      Favourite subject at school?
                                                                                      Politics (Political Science)
                                             (By Sue Williams)
questions!                                                                            The greatest thing you’ve learnt
                                             Sunrise or sunset?
                                             Sunrise                                  from teaching?
Paul was born in the Murray River
                                                                                      Teaching has taught me that all
town of Corowa, New South Wales,
                                             Favourite season?                        students can learn and succeed, but
and grew up on his parent’s wheat
                                             Autumn                                   not all at the same time in the same
and sheep farm in nearby Balldale. He
is the second eldest of four children.       If you could live anywhere in the        way. From teaching I have learnt
As a young boy, Paul thought that he         world, where would it be?                the importance of forming positive
was destined to continue to farm his         Australia                                relationships with all students and
parent’s property, however, after Year                                                community members. I have also
                                             What is something you’ve always          learnt the importance of showing
12, circumstances drew him to his love
                                             wanted to try but you’ve been too        students that you genuinely care
of basketball coaching and then to
secondary education.                         scared to do?                            for them, that you believe in them
                                             Skydiving                                and their innate goodness and
Paul attended primary school at St
                                             Do you have a daily ritual?              potential. Teaching has taught me
Mary’s Catholic Primary School,
                                             My daily ritual involves waking early    the importance of fostering positive
Corowa, and secondary school
                                             to exercise (gym) and to access          mindsets in students and nurturing
as a boarder at Salesian College,
‘Rupertswood’, Sunbury (Melbourne).          the early morning news, including        safe conditions for students to learn
Paul studied at the University of            overnight finance report and weather     with others.
Melbourne and Australian Catholic            forecast. Contacting family members      Three words that best describe
University. His first teaching               is an important ritual. I repeat this    your teaching style?
appointment was at Dominic College,          at the end of the day, except for        Three words that best describe my
Hobart. Paul intended to teach in            exercising!                              teaching style are (high) expectations,
Hobart for one year but remained in the                                               energy and care.
                                             What phrase/motto defines how
southern capital for twenty years.
                                             you live your life?                      If you could do anything other than
During this time, he taught in a number      Certantes in Vita (Striving in Life)     teaching, what would it be?
of Catholic schools and held positions       [Secondary school Motto]                 If I could do anything other than
of leadership as Deputy Principal at
                                                                                      teaching, I would like to be an
                                                                                                                                WELCOME MR PAUL FORD

Sacred Heart College and Guilford            Be kind, be honest, be positive.
Young College. Seeking to explore new        Honour the dignity of every person.      accountant/financial planner or
opportunities and a warmer climate, in       Strive to be humble. Smile. Explore.     farmer. I am particularly fond of the
2007, Paul and his family moved to the       Learn.                                   idea of being a pig farmer.
Sunshine Coast.                              Goal for 2022?                           If someone wrote an autobiography
Currently, Paul is Deputy Principal of       My goal for 2022 is to immerse           of your life, what would be the title?
Siena Catholic College, Sippy Downs          myself fully in the St Andrew’s          Balldale Boy – A Journey from the
where he has been on staff since 2012.       Catholic College community. To           Bush to the Beach
Paul is excited about his appointment        continue to to learn, to grow, to care
                                                                                      Best advice for your Year 12
to St Andrew’s Catholic College, and         and to share.
he looks forward to joining the College                                               graduating self?
community in 2022. Paul’s interests          Favourite childhood teacher/             Be kind to all people. Plan risks.
include family, news, current affairs and    mentor?                                  Learn often. Embrace change.
politics, gardening, personal fitness,       Mr Oswald; Year 11 and Year 12           Persevere; don’t give up. Nurture
sports and basketball coaching.              Economics Teacher                        your faith and spirituality.
                                                                                                                                    9
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House Leaders 2021
                                                                                               SENIOR YEARS
                                                                                               Captain: Jordan Cunsamy                  Captain: Ryan Maher
                                                                                                      SENIORLayla
                                                                                               Vice Captain:       YEARS
                                                                                                                       Burtt            Vice Captain: Nicholas von Dietze
                                                                                               MIDDLECaptain
                                                                                                          YEARS                       Ryan Maher, Jordan Cunsamy
                                                                                               Captain:VicePiper
                                                                                                            CaptainHenery Captain: Nicholas
                                                                                                                                     Kaitlinvon  Dietze, Layla Burtt
                                                                                                                                              Dennis
                                                                                                      MIDDLEMadeline
                                                                                               Vice Captain:       YEARS Yates
                                                                                               MIDDLECaptain
                                                                                                          YEARS                         Piper Henery, Kaitlin Dennis
                                                                                               Captain:ViceMadeline
                                                                                                            Captain			Weyling                       MadelineHayne-Keon
                                                                                                                                        Captain: Nikhil        Yates
                                                                                                      JUNIORJacob
                                                                                               Vice Captain:       YEARSAbbot           Vice Captain: Ella Rogers
                                                                                                      Captain                 Nikhil Hayne-Keon , Madeline Weyling
                                                                                                      Vice Captain                         Jacob Abbot, Ella Rogers

                                                                                                                House Coordinator
                                                                                                               Mr Stephen Hofmeister

                                                                                                      SENIOR YEARS
                                                                                                      Captains                   Ollie Boltz, Jade-Leigh Kempton
                                                                                                      Vice Captain                   Cameron Garven, Mia Harris
                                                                                                      MIDDLE YEARS
                                                                                                      Captain                        Saxon Tookey, Sophie Page
                                                                                                      Vice Captain                  Tyler Fortune, Frankie Adsett
STUDENT LEADERS 2021

                                                                                                      JUNIOR YEARS
                                                                                                      Captain                         Harry Sharpe, Mae Bolton
                                                                                                      Vice Captain                  Ben Rumble, Emma Mangan

                       “Be enthusiastic and willing to put yourself out there, and encourage
                       your friends to do the same. Make an effort to support and motivate
                       younger students so they may develop a love for sport.”
                                                                                                                  House Coordinator
10                     Cameron Garven (Year 11) - Vice Captain, Hollows House                                      Mr Angus Walton
House Leaders 2021

                                                                     SENIOR YEARS
                                                                     Captain                          Samuel Ellis, Aisis Eyre
                                                                     Vice Captain                Hamish Wright, Ashleigh Tran
                                                                     MIDDLE YEARS
                                                                     Captain                Bailey Hemsworth, Sami-lee Smith
                                                                     Vice Captain                Saniya Thomas, Elisha Ayson
                                                                     JUNIOR YEARS
                                                                     Captain                     Jimmy Marr, Poppy Donnelly
                                                                     Vice Captain               William McKellar, Alexis Wood

“Being a house captain is a role that revolves around team spirit,
mateship and friendly competition.”                                                 House Coordinator
Ashleigh Tran (Year 11) - Vice Captain, MacKillop House                             Miss Emma Kearney

                                                                     SENIOR YEARS
                                                                     Captain                        Jayme Ruiz, Ella Stephens
                                                                     Vice Captain                  Adam West, Kassie Benson
                                                                     MIDDLE YEARS
                                                                     Captain                    Riley Montague, Ruby Simpson
                                                                     Vice Captain               Travis Pershouse, Olivia Boase
                                                                                                                                 STUDENT LEADERS 2021

                                                                                                           JUNIOR YEARS
                                                                     Captain                 Ashleigh Macpherson, Leila Hewitt
                                                                     Vice Captain         Willow Ross-Trimby, Hannah Rayment

                                                                                    House Coordinator
                                                                                    Miss Ebony Leonard                           11
NAPLAN Results – 2021

                        The National Assessment Program                   Student reports provide information about what your son/
                                                                          daughter knows and can do in the areas of Reading, Writing,
                        (NAPLAN) results provide students, parents        Language Conventions and Numeracy. It also includes
                                                                          information on how your child has performed in relation to
                        and teachers with information that will be used   other students in their year group (school average) and
                        to improve student learning.                      against the national average. In 2021, NAPLAN went fully
                                                                          online and we were pleased with our staff and students’
                                                                          preparation for this to occur.
                                                                          Overall, we saw a number of positive improvement outcomes
                                                                          with our NAPLAN results, particularly in Years 3 and 5.
                                                                          Targeted strategies have been embedded such as Spelling
                                                                          Mastery and Writing programs. Generally, Years 7 and 9
                                                                          were stable results and remained above the national average.
                                                                          Spelling improvements were made in Years 3 and 5, and
                                                                          pleasingly, Spelling in Year 5 has now moved above the
                                                                          national average.
                                                                          The 2021 NAPLAN tests should not be regarded as the
                                                                          sole assessment tool for literacy and numeracy for students
                                                                          in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. The NAPLAN tests complement
                                                                          but do not replace other effective classroom assessment
                                                                          and reporting practices. The best indicator of each child’s
                                                                          achievement is our College assessment program, which
                                                                          is designed to assess the student’s ability in relation to all
                                                                          aspects of the complete curriculum taught in our school.
                                                                          These judgments of achievement will continue to form the
                                                                          basis of semester reporting to parents.
                                                                          Staff will respond to the valuable information we have
                                                                          received at the College and work towards further improving
                                                                          literacy and numeracy standards within the College. As a
                                                                          College, we will spend a substantial amount of time carefully
                                                                          scrutinising the results of these tests both for individual
                                                                          students and for the College as a whole. This information
                                                                          will be used to amend curriculum planning practices in the
                                                                          College and enable the provision of additional individual and
                                                                          small group support for students where deficiencies are
                                                                          apparent.
NAPLAN RESULTS - 2021

12
YEAR 4
TEAM BUILDING

                            Kane Harris “All activities were fun but the best
                                         one was the land skis!”

                                          Lachlan Maher ”I really enjoyed working as a
                                          team, we were able to become closer to each
                                          other and make different friends.”

                                                                                         THE JOURNEY PATHWAY – YEAR 4 TEAM BUILDING
Jaz McLeish “The blanket flip activity
was fantastic because it was so fun! It
was fun working with other people not
from my class.”

                                          Quinn Rayment “I loved using the
                                          and doing the Blanket Flip activityland skis
                                          as playing on the playground.”      as well
                                                                                         13
AN AMAZING
                                    ADVENTURE!
                                    This year for camp, Year 5 went up to the Tinaroo
                                    Environmental Education Centre (TEEC). The camp
                                    started very early on Monday morning on the first day
                                    of Term 3 where we got all of our luggage together to
                                    make the huge trip to the Atherton Tablelands. After a
                                    few hours on the bus, we arrived at our camp for the
                                    week and were welcomed by some awesome teachers.

                                    During the camp, we did some really fun games and activities
                                    such as kayaking, high ropes, low ropes and raft building.
                                    The best activities by far were kayaking and high ropes. In
                                    kayaking, we learned how to kayak in 5 minutes. This was
                                    important as we needed to cross the lake to do some scoop
                                    netting so we could catch macroinvertebrates to check the
                                    water quality of Lake Tinaroo.
                                    Camp was important as we did a lot of learning about
                                    friendship, compassion, bravery, organisation and getting
                                    along. We had to work in our camp groups to encourage
                                    each other when we were out of our comfort zones, solve
                                    problems and to never give up on tough activities. We were
                                    glad to be able to go to camp while much of Australia was
                                    locked down and unable to even go to school. We are very
                                    lucky indeed to be able to have a trip that we will remember
                                    forever.
                                    Madeline Weyling and Isla Tomley
                                    Year 5
THE JOURNEY PATHWAY – YEAR 5 CAMP

14
YEAR 10
COMMUNITY DAY
The Year 10 Community Day to Tobruk pool was a
success. The cohort came together and had a very
fun day in the pool. This day showcased the spirit of
the community. We thank all those who supported the
event.

                                    “Community day was a blast,
                                    it was a lot of fun”

                                                           “It was a great day, enjoyed watching
                                                        Ms Marcus compete to get fastest female
                                                                     time on the obstacle course”

                                                                                                    THE JOURNEY PATHWAY – YEAR 10 COMMUNITY DAY
“It was relaxing, fun, great day just
hanging out with friends”

                                                                                                    15
Farewell
                          Mrs Bermingham
                          UNIFORM SHOP COORDINATOR (2005 – 2021)
                          ST ANDREW’S PARENT (2001 – 2018)

                          In Semester Two, we               My name is Diana Bermingham, and
                                                            I have managed the College Uniform
                          farewelled Mrs Di                 Shop for the past 15 years. I have
                                                            just recently stepped down from this
                          Bermingham, who has been          position to pursue some other interests.
                          part of the St Andrew’s family    The journey of the Unform Shop began
                                                            in 2005. The story starts with the
                          since the College opened its      closure of the local retail outlet Harris
                          doors in January 2001. We         Bros which supplied uniforms to all the     Shortly into the new school year
                                                            schools in the area. They had provided      (2006), Dr Lauretta Graham, Principal,
                          thank Di for the many hours       the initial uniforms to St Andrew’s for     allocated a (temporary) room in
                                                            the first four years.
                          she has contributed to our                                                    the College for the P & F to set-up
                                                            The St Andrew’s P&F Committee,              the Uniform Shop. This was one of
                          College’s growth as a parent,     at the time, decided that they would        the small classrooms in the newly
                                                            set-up and run a school uniform shop.       completed T Block.
                          volunteer, and staff member.      With the help of a very dedicated,          With the help of P&F volunteers, we
                          The College will miss her and     passionate, and committed group of P        moved all the stock into the T Block
                                                            & F volunteers, we set up the Uniform       classroom and set up the Uniform
                          the history that departs with     Shop.                                       Shop. Temporary shelving and a front
                          her.                              For the first six months there was no       counter were installed. A few months
                                                                                                        later the school supplied a computer,
                                                            dedicated space within the College
                          We thank Di for leaving us        to run the uniform shop. So, I would        installed a Point of Sale, Stock Inventory
                                                            either sell uniforms from my home on        Software and EFTPOS machine.
                          with this snippet of College      Friday mornings or I would set up a         After two years in the T Block
                                                            pop-up shop in K Block for parents
                          history - the Journey of the St   to purchase uniforms after assembly.
                                                                                                        classroom, the Uniform Shop was
                                                                                                        moved to its current location in
                          Andrew’s Catholic College         Hats and jumpers could be purchased         O Block. This was only supposed to
                                                            two mornings per week in the carpark        be a temporary location for the Uniform
                          Uniform Shop.                     from Tracey Pink’s (P&F Secretary)          Shop; however, 13 years later, the
                                                            landcruiser. The uniforms were stored       Uniform Shop is still there.
                                                            in a very small storage room adjacent to    Over the years the College Uniform
                                                            the disabled toilets in Junior Years.       Shop has grown from a group of
                                                            The first ever Uniform Shop ‘back to        volunteers, selling uniforms, initially to
                                                            school week’ in January 2006 was            300 students from a pop-up shop and
                                                            set-up in two of the newly built Middle     the back of a vehicle to now selling over
                                                            Years classrooms. Temporary change          20 separate uniform items to over 1700
                                                            rooms were set-up with bedsheets,           students and open daily to cater for the
FAREWELL MRS BERMINGHAM

                                                            rope, and bulldog clips, thanks to          uniform needs of students.
                                                            some creative thinking from Mrs Janet       The Uniform Shop has evolved into
                                                            Johnston (Head of Science – Senior          quite a large and busy business and
                                                            Years). The other classroom was set         several years ago, the P & F handed the
                                                            up with stock in cardboard boxes            administration of the Uniform Shop over
                                                            and a payments counter. There was           to the College.
                                                            no computers/laptops, Point of Sale         I have been part of this journey from
                           Did you know?                    System or EFTPOS. It was cash only          the very beginning and there have
                           The counter in the Uniform       sales and handwritten receipts. This        been many twists and turns and some
                                                            was a massive undertaking and some          huge challenges along the way. I have
                           Shop is still the original       very long days, but everyone cheerfully     worked alongside many very dedicated
                           counter installed and was        volunteered many hours of their time        and hardworking people. I thank all
                           the original Reception           to help. The P &F Treasurer (Marie          these wonderful people and my family
                                                            Herrmann) would dutifully collect and       for sharing this journey with me, the
                           counter for the College          bank all the cash takings at the end        many long days, the laughs, and the
                           Office.                          of each day and maintain the ledger         tears. It has been quite an amazing
16                                                          accounts.                                   journey.
In the Classroom
with.... Mrs Reid
Words: Miss Justine Graham

Verdi Reid never needed a                      up with technology, she still prefers to
                                               take her notes by hand and relishes the
                                                                                           and Verdi strolls back up the journey
                                                                                           pathway to her beloved Junior Years
career counsellor to help her                  joyful experience of a hard copy book       Library; she delivers one last pearl of
                                               over an electronic version.                 wisdom.
decide her vocation in life.                   Covid-19 has changed teaching forever       “Our modern-day students are
Playing ‘school’ with eight siblings and       with buzz words such as synchronous         wonderful and will become great
always taking the role of the teacher          and asynchronous becoming part of           adults. Of that, I am certain.”
predetermined the pathway Verdi was            a teachers toolkit. The pandemic
going to take. Fast forward from 1970,         opened the way for online education.

                                                                                           Fast Facts!
when Verdi commenced teaching as a             This area had already been mastered
graduate teacher at Parramatta State           by universities but tested schools
School in Cairns to the present day at         and teachers who were still relatively        Favourite book:
St Andrew’s, Verdi is still finding joy in a   new to this area with an expectation          The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
career that she loves.                         to deliver lessons in a timely fashion.       Favourite movie: Godfather
“We are privileged as teachers to be           Many teachers had to master online
a small part of our students’ lives. We        applications as Zoom, Screencastify           Do you read the book before
are given the opportunity to see them          and provide feedback via virtual digital      seeing the movie or vice versa?
in a different way from their parents,         learning management.                          Book first
grandparents, or anyone else,” says            “We were fortunate at St Andrew’s to          Whiteboard or blackboard?
Verdi when asked the most rewarding            have AndIE our online Digital Learning        I write better on a blackboard, but
part of being a teacher. “It is all about      Environment, which enabled teachers to        prefer the whiteboard
the students and trying to create good         deliver synchronous and asynchronous          Notetaking by hand or laptop?
memories for them.”                            lessons,” says Verdi.                         Notes by hand
Technology is continuously changing,           “The pandemic has shown us the                Most memorable teaching
and with a teaching career span of             possibilities for teaching differently,       moment? Having to save a
over fifty years, Verdi has witnessed          but also reminded us that our students        student from an angry grounds man
and participated in this evolution.            need social connection with the school        who was pursuing the student with
Significant changes include moving             and their friends for their emotional and     a raised hammer
away from overhead projectors, 8mm             social well-being.”                           (not at St Andrew’s)
reel to reel movie projectors, and film
                                               Verdi Reid has been teaching for              One thing always on your desk?
strip projectors to the iPads, smart
                                               over fifty years and is reluctant to talk     The Micah 6:8 Bible verse: ‘and
boards and social streams of the
                                               retirement as teaching still brings           what does The Lord require of
present day.
                                               so much joy. When asked what she              you? to act justly and to Love
“I remember using a jelly pad duplicator       wished people would understand                Mercy and to Walk Humbly with
                                                                                                                                      IN THE CLASSROOM WITH ... MRS REID

when I commenced teaching in the               about teachers, the answer is simple          Your God.’
70s,” Verdi recalls with a laugh.              and delivered with a passion. “I wish         Biggest grammar peeve?
“The pad was made from glycerine and           people understood how much teachers           Pronoun order e.g., ‘Me and my
gelatine, a carbon image was pressed           want their students to do well, not to be     friends’ instead of ‘My friends and I’
onto the pad, and then the student’s           top of the class but to just succeed to
                                                                                             What subject did you struggle
book was pressed onto the pad. The             the best of their abilities. There needs
                                                                                             with as a high school student?
image would then be transferred                to be a partnership between teachers
                                                                                             Mathematics
directly onto their exercise book. It was      and parents to help shepherd students
good for about forty presses.”                 through these education years.”               Sunrise or sunset? Sunrise
However, as much as Verdi has kept             Before we conclude the interview              Coffee or tea? Tea

                                                                                                                                      17
e r v i c e L e a r n i n g
                              Outreach & S
                              Rosies
                              Words: Miss Justine Graham

                              In 1975 Fr Tom Shortall OMI, an
                              Oblate Priest in Rosebud Victoria,                                                                                     St Andrew’s Catholic College staff and Year 12 students attend an outreach
                              started an outreach called Rosies.                                                                                     evening twice a term. During the school year, our students raise funds and
                              Fr Paul Costello OMI expanded                                                                                          awareness for the Cairns branch via various initiatives such as sausage sizzles,
                              the charity to Queensland in 1987                                                                                      creating hygiene packs, blanket collection, and the annual Winter Sleep Out
                              Queensland where it continues to                                                                                       during Catholic Education Week.
                              grow yearly.                                                 Chris, you have been a Rosies volunteer
                                                                                           for over 10 Years – what made you want to
                              Aged 21 in 1992 and working for the Brisbane office of       volunteer?
                              Rosies, Ms Theresa Sheppard stepped off the plane armed
                              only with the determination to set up the much-needed        Rosies is a volunteer organisation that provides vital
                              Cairns branch of the charity. In 2017, Ms Sheppard visited   help for those who are not able to help themselves.
                              Cairns to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Cairns       It’s also a part of what we do as a member of a
                              branch attended by 150 volunteers. One of those volunteers   catholic school.
                              was our very own Mr Christopher Leete, who was honoured      How important is Rosies for Cairns?
                              with a ten-year service award on the night.
                                                                                           All voluntary organisations are essential. The Rosies
                                                                                           outreach van operates four nights a week, including
                              “Being homeless can happen                                   Christmas Day providing hot meals and drinks and
                                                                                           a friendly face. Our volunteers hand out food, warm

                              very quickly. It can happen                                  blankets, and hygiene packs; they also offer a friendly
                                                                                           ear to listen and embrace the charity’s motto – A
                                                                                           Friend on the Street.
                              to you,                                                      Some might say that there is a stigma to being
                                                                                           homeless. What do you say to those who
                              to anyone”                                                   believe it is an excuse for being lazy, that it is
                                                                                           not that hard to pick yourself up mentally, get
                                                                                           dressed and get a job?
                                                                                           Come out with us on outreach and ask our patrons
                                                                                           these questions, listen to their stories. Being
                                                                                           homeless can happen to all of us, and it can happen
                                                                                           very quickly and easily. People lose jobs, incomes,
                                                                                           can’t make payments on their home, and eventually
OUTREACH & SERVICE LEARNING

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           OUTREACH & SERVICE LEARNING
                                                                                           lose the house. Many also lose family support.
                                                                                           People can easily fall into addiction, become isolated
                                                                                           and lose their support network. Statistics tell us that
                                                                                           every night, 20,000 Queenslanders are homeless.

                                                                                                                                                       Rosies Prayer
                                                                                           Being homeless can happen very quickly. It can
                                                                                           happen to you, to anyone.
                                                                                           Do you hope one day that outreach like Rosies               O Jesus,
                                                                                           isn’t needed?                                               Make our hearts so human,
                                                                                           2017 marked the 25th anniversary for Rosies,                That others may feel at home with us,
                                                                                           and the outreach is needed more than ever. It is a          So like Yours,
                                                                                           double-edged sword. It is fantastic that we have the        That others may feel at home with You,
                                                                                           service and volunteers to help on outreach nights,          So forgetful of self
                                                                                           but sadly, the service is needed. Unfortunately, I          that we might simply become the place
                                                                                           can’t see in the foreseeable future that we won’t           where You and they meet
                                                                                           be required. I would like to hope that one day we
                                                                                           can have a dedicated outreach venue for Rosies              In the power of Your Love and the joy of
                                                                                           in Cairns, and we can provide a greater outreach            You friendship.
18                                                                                         service than just handing out hot meals and drinks.         Amen                                                                rosies.org.au   19
e r v i c e L e a r n i n g
                              Outreach & S
                              Rosies
                              Words: Miss Justine Graham

                              In 1975 Fr Tom Shortall OMI, an
                              Oblate Priest in Rosebud Victoria,                                                                                     St Andrew’s Catholic College staff and Year 12 students attend an outreach
                              started an outreach called Rosies.                                                                                     evening twice a term. During the school year, our students raise funds and
                              Fr Paul Costello OMI expanded                                                                                          awareness for the Cairns branch via various initiatives such as sausage sizzles,
                              the charity to Queensland in 1987                                                                                      creating hygiene packs, blanket collection, and the annual Winter Sleep Out
                              Queensland where it continues to                                                                                       during Catholic Education Week.
                              grow yearly.                                                 Chris, you have been a Rosies volunteer
                                                                                           for over 10 Years – what made you want to
                              Aged 21 in 1992 and working for the Brisbane office of       volunteer?
                              Rosies, Ms Theresa Sheppard stepped off the plane armed
                              only with the determination to set up the much-needed        Rosies is a volunteer organisation that provides vital
                              Cairns branch of the charity. In 2017, Ms Sheppard visited   help for those who are not able to help themselves.
                              Cairns to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Cairns       It’s also a part of what we do as a member of a
                              branch attended by 150 volunteers. One of those volunteers   catholic school.
                              was our very own Mr Christopher Leete, who was honoured      How important is Rosies for Cairns?
                              with a ten-year service award on the night.
                                                                                           All voluntary organisations are essential. The Rosies
                                                                                           outreach van operates four nights a week, including
                              “Being homeless can happen                                   Christmas Day providing hot meals and drinks and
                                                                                           a friendly face. Our volunteers hand out food, warm

                              very quickly. It can happen                                  blankets, and hygiene packs; they also offer a friendly
                                                                                           ear to listen and embrace the charity’s motto – A
                                                                                           Friend on the Street.
                              to you,                                                      Some might say that there is a stigma to being
                                                                                           homeless. What do you say to those who
                              to anyone”                                                   believe it is an excuse for being lazy, that it is
                                                                                           not that hard to pick yourself up mentally, get
                                                                                           dressed and get a job?
                                                                                           Come out with us on outreach and ask our patrons
                                                                                           these questions, listen to their stories. Being
                                                                                           homeless can happen to all of us, and it can happen
                                                                                           very quickly and easily. People lose jobs, incomes,
                                                                                           can’t make payments on their home, and eventually
OUTREACH & SERVICE LEARNING

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           OUTREACH & SERVICE LEARNING
                                                                                           lose the house. Many also lose family support.
                                                                                           People can easily fall into addiction, become isolated
                                                                                           and lose their support network. Statistics tell us that
                                                                                           every night, 20,000 Queenslanders are homeless.

                                                                                                                                                       Rosies Prayer
                                                                                           Being homeless can happen very quickly. It can
                                                                                           happen to you, to anyone.
                                                                                           Do you hope one day that outreach like Rosies               O Jesus,
                                                                                           isn’t needed?                                               Make our hearts so human,
                                                                                           2017 marked the 25th anniversary for Rosies,                That others may feel at home with us,
                                                                                           and the outreach is needed more than ever. It is a          So like Yours,
                                                                                           double-edged sword. It is fantastic that we have the        That others may feel at home with You,
                                                                                           service and volunteers to help on outreach nights,          So forgetful of self
                                                                                           but sadly, the service is needed. Unfortunately, I          that we might simply become the place
                                                                                           can’t see in the foreseeable future that we won’t           where You and they meet
                                                                                           be required. I would like to hope that one day we
                                                                                           can have a dedicated outreach venue for Rosies              In the power of Your Love and the joy of
                                                                                           in Cairns, and we can provide a greater outreach            You friendship.
18                                                                                         service than just handing out hot meals and drinks.         Amen                                                                rosies.org.au   19
STAC C I N T H E
                           COM   M  U N I T Y

                                                                           n
                                                 e Sing & Quinn Robso
                          Year 4 students Georg             in the loc al hospital
                                                 chi ldre n
                          created care cards for
                                                                                     Junior Years
                                                                                                  cohort, with he
                                                                                     Senior Years                 lp from school
                                                                                                  students bake                   officers and
                                                                                     nearby aged                 d biscuits for
                                                                                                  care facility                 residents of a

                            A note of kind
                                           ness
STACC IN THE COMMUNITY

                         Year 5 students Isabella, Helena, Williow & Millie
                         supporting Daffodil Day with their pop up stall                                   Hayden from
                                                                                                                         ARC Disabilit
                                                                                                           Group was de                 y
                                                                                                                          lighted to rece
20                                                                                                         donated art pr                 ive
                                                                                                                         oducts from Ye
                                                                                                                                           ar 2
REEF GUARDIANS
TO THE RESCUE

Earlier this year, the Junior Years’         see-through lobster that’s skeleton was     On the boat, we ate bush tucker. The
Student Representative Council from          actually on the outside of his body! This   bush tucker was a beach hibiscus! It
St Andrew’s Catholic College went to         skeleton was called an exoskeleton.         tasted like spinach and lettuce! One of
the Holloways Beach Environmental            We learnt lots in the aquarium, it was so   the most exciting parts of our day was
Education Centre (HBEEC).                    fun to be able to hold animals and learn    taking out the crab pots. We would pull
                                             more about them.                            them in with a long stick with a hook
The main reason for going to Holloways
                                                                                         on the end and then take out the bait
Beach was so we could learn about            After going to the aquarium, we went to
                                                                                         and fold them up. Sadly, we didn’t get
being Reef Guardians for our school.         the beach. On the beach, Alana drew
                                                                                         anything for dinner in our traps. If we
We have a lot of students in our SRC,        two lines. We were allowed to play
                                                                                         had, I’m pretty sure that John would
so we got to split up into three groups.     anywhere between those lines. On one
                                                                                         have wanted us to return anything we
In our groups, we all got to go out on       end was a little humpy that we could
                                                                                         caught back to the river.
boats on the Barron River.                   play in, and on the other end there
                                             were loads of cool nuts and shells and      The excursion was definitely something
The boats had fantastic names.
                                             leaves! If we wanted, we were allowed       we would want to do again! Thank
They were called “Croc Cruise” and
                                             to get a sheet of paper with a load of      you John, Terri and Alana from the
“Kingfisher”. They were expertly
                                             pictures of things we could find on the     Holloways Beach Environmental
piloted by John and Terri, who are
                                             beach. It was like a treasure hunt!         Education Centre. We thank our
Environmental Educators at the
                                                                                         parents and carers for taking the time
environmental education centre.              It was great to stop after all of this
                                                                                         to get us organised for the excursion
In each boat, there was a box of             activity and eat some lunch with our
                                                                                         and to help us organise all of our
binoculars and a camera so we could          friends. During lunch, we watched the
                                                                                         SRC activities. It was such a great
get up close with the environment we         wallabies hop around the centre while
                                                                                         experience! We will definitely be looking
were in. We got to take turns taking         we ate. After lunch, it was finally our
                                                                                         forward to taking more care of our
photos on the camera. The first group        turn to get onto the boats. To get to the
                                                                                         environment back at school so that we
out on the boats put about eight crab        boat ramp, we had to walk through a
                                                                                         can protect this beautiful river and the
pots in the river. They were all attached    track in the bush. We stopped at the
                                                                                         Great Barrier Reef that is connected
to a buoy so we could find them again.       end of the track near some rocks to
                                                                                         to it!
                                             take our shoes off. When we went to
While some of the groups were out on
                                             walk down the boat ramp barefoot, it        Poppy Donnelly and Mae Bolton
the boats, the other groups went to the
                                             was really muddy!                           Year 5
aquarium and then the beach! At the
aquarium there was a barramundi called       The boat was a very safe-looking dingy.
Patty Barri. Eight lucky students in total   There were two benches we could sit
got to feed him. We learnt how to feed       on and at the back was the driver’s
Patty Barri properly without him thinking    seat. We all got a pair of binoculars and
our fingers were food! He ate dead           took turns with the camera. Surprisingly,
fish which was pretty disgusting! We         the bird watching sheet added
also got to watch Alana feed Snappy          excitement to the experience. If we
Tom the crocodile. He was a saltwater        spotted five birds in a diagonal, row or
                                                                                                                                     REEF GUARDIANS

crocodile so obviously we couldn’t feed      column, we would get a prize! Sadly no
him! Whenever we dropped his food in         groups won a prize. If only a crocodile
his tank he would just wait there like we    counted! We saw loads of them, all
were about to give him his food, but we      thanks to our eagle-eyed boat pilot who
already had!!                                was awesome at spotting crocodiles! I
                                             don’t know how he could spot them so
The aquarium also had a touch tank sea
                                             well! We went all the way to Thomatis
stars (starfish) and burnt sausages (sea
                                             Creek near Yorkeys Knob. There was
cucumbers)! We got to take turns in
                                             a really cool crocodile trap near the
holding the cute little creatures. There
                                             mangroves. The whole river was lined
was also clownfish, guppies and a
                                             with Mangroves on the shore.
                                                                                                                                     21
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

                       Heath Kruip
                       Year 1 student Heath Kruip recently spent many hours in the College library and the local
                       Cairns library selecting and reading books. Lots and lots of books. 311 to be exact.
                                                                        “I love reading and helping people. Mum suggested I read
                                                                        books and at the same time raise money for children who
                                                                        have a mum or dad with MS as part of the MS Readathon.”
                                                                        Heath said when asked why he has read so many books.
                                                                        Heath has been recognised within the MS Readathon 2021
                                                                        Hall of Fame as one of their top readers (#27 in Australia)
                                                                        and fundraisers. To date, Heath has raised $1460 through
                                                                        sponsorships.
                                                                        Since 1979 the iconic readathon has been one of the
                                                                        significant national fundraising events for MS Australia.
                                                                        The readathon inspires children to read as many books
                                                                        as possible in return for sponsorship and helps create
                                                                        awareness of the disease.
                                                                        Well done, Heath, and on behalf of the MS Community, thank
                                                                        you.
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

                                                                                                          Dr Mangan and Mrs Simpson
                                                                                                  congratulate Heath on his achivement.
22
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

Bailey Wilson
Meet Senior Years student Bailey Wilson. In July this year, Bailey was announced as one of two
regional finalists in the 2021 Australian Super Model of the Year competition.
In this article, Bailey reveals how she   What has being a part of the               contestants may have thought of me as
juggles schoolwork with the demands       Australian Supermodel of the Year          less experienced purely because I don’t
of modelling and shares her passion       meant to you?                              live in a major city. But I have found
for using this opportunity to promote                                                that the other girls have been open and
                                          When I entered the competition, my
diversity and sustainability within the                                              accepting. Living in a regional area has
                                          goal was to advance my career, learn
fashion industry.                                                                    made me more driven to succeed as
                                          new skills and use it as a platform to
                                                                                     I don’t have the same advantages as
                                          spread the importance of diversity
                                                                                     those who live in metropolitan areas.
                                          and sustainability in fashion. As I have
                                          progressed through the program, it         Do you feel your modelling
                                          has taught me the importance of being      influences your day to day tasks, and
“Being able to be a                       a role model rather than purely just a
                                          model.
                                                                                     vice versa?

part of a community                       The competition promotes
                                                                                     In some ways, I feel like I live a double
                                                                                     life, kind of like Hannah Montana in a
of diverse women in                       inclusiveness and promotes a sense
                                          of community. What do you feel you
                                                                                     way. One minute I will be at school,
                                                                                     and the next I could be about to walk
this competition is                       brought to the competition, and what
                                          did you take away from it?
                                                                                     into one of the biggest castings in my
                                                                                     career. I feel fortunate to be able to be
truly empowering.”                        Inclusivity and diversity are two of the
                                                                                     a model and still live a regular teenage
                                                                                     life.
                                          main themes for the 2021 Australian
                                          Supermodel Of The Year. Even before        How do you combine school work
                                          the competition, I tried to promote        and your work as a model?
                                          this on my platforms as I feel it is
                                                                                     I find my time management skills have
                                          such an essential part of our society.
                                                                                     greatly improved since my modelling
                                          Being a part of a community of diverse
                                                                                     work has increased and that has been
                                          women in this competition is genuinely
                                                                                     a huge part of the balance. I always try
                                          empowering, and it is beautiful to
                                                                                     to remain ahead of my school work, and
                                          see the other contestants feel more
                                                                                     whenever I have a day off from school
                                          comfortable within themselves.
                                                                                     for modelling, I always make an effort
                                          What perceived ‘failure’ has turned        to catch up and do the work set in my
                                          into the most helpful lesson on your       classes for that day.
                                          journey so far?
                                                                                     What’s next for Bailey?
                                          Being one of two regional contestants
                                                                                     I honestly do not know, but I will keep
                                          in ASOTY, I thought it would make
                                                                                     working hard to achieve my goals, and I
                                          the experience harder. I felt the other
                                                                                     am excited about the opportunities.
                                                                                                                                 STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

                                                                                                                                 23
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

                       Will Davy
                       Words: Will Davy

                       Thanks to a scholarship from the Cairns RSL Sub-branch, Year 11 student Will Davy recently
                       experienced the journey of a lifetime aboard the STS Young Endeavour.
                       From early morning wake up calls,          life experiences, like where my life is    debrief/lesson. There were watches
                       watching the sun rise over the horizon     now and what I need to do to achieve       that would continue throughout the
                       and disconnecting from the world           my goals in the future. This experience    night lasting for 4 hours, these watches
                       of technology, Will recounts his           helped me disconnect from the world of     were covered by three groups: Red
                       experience of daily life on the historic   technology and learn more about myself     Watch (the best watch), White watch
                       tall ship.                                 and the people around me.                  and Blue Watch.
                       Ahoy there shipmates, landlubbers,         There were many highlights on the          I encourage the youth of Australia to get
                       and armchair sailors, join me on my        voyage, including island exploring,        involved in this program either through
                       amazing story. On the 28 July 2021,        learning how to sail, seamanship           contacting their local RSL or through
                       I was lucky enough to set sail with        training, and leading a team on the        the YEYS website for more details
                       16 other youthie’s on board the STS        command day. However, if I was to pick     because it truly was a life-changing
                       Young Endeavour for a voyage from          one, it would have to be watching the      experience and something that I will
                       Cairns to Airlie Beach which would take    sun come up over the vast expanse of       never forget. I made lifelong friends
                       approximately 11 days. I was excited       the ocean while sitting up high in the     on my voyage, learnt leadership skills,
                       and ready to go for the journey ahead,     rigging with only the sound of the wind    and was pushed outside my comfort
                       but little did I know how amazing it       and the waves.                             zone but the best part of all; I learnt
                       would be.                                                                             how to sail a tall ship! This program is
                                                                  Every day was different depending on
                                                                                                             one of the best things you could ever
                       The voyage was suggested to me by          whether we were sailing or at anchor.
                                                                                                             be a part of, especially now as we are
                       my parents. Upon further investigation,    There was never a dull day on board
                                                                                                             all very connected to our phones, and
                       I discovered that the Cairns RSL Sub-      the ship, daily routine consisted of
                                                                                                             electronic devices this program gives
                       Branch was providing a scholarship for     a 6:30am wake-up with a morning
                                                                                                             you the opportunity to escape those
                       a place on the Young Endeavour. I was      activity, followed by breakfast. Then
                                                                                                             distractions. This program helps you
                       successful in my application and cannot    the rest of the morning would be taken
                                                                                                             learn about yourself, your boundaries
                       thank the Cairns RSL Sub-Branch            up by some lessons on how to sail the
                                                                                                             and makes you aware of your
                       enough for the opportunity that they       square rigger, which included setting
                                                                                                             surroundings without being connected
                       provided me.                               and furling sails or climbing the masts.
                                                                                                             to anything. I personally have loved
                                                                  Lunch was next, followed by the main
                       I found that I could do things that I                                                 every minute of it.
                                                                  event of the day whether it was going
                       never thought I could do, like lead a      onto land and exploring, snorkelling,      Thank you to the Cairns RSL Sub-
                       team of strangers, learn to sail a tall    or team activities on board. After that    Branch, my fellow youthie’s, the Crew
                       ship and be able to push myself past       was dinner and possibly another activity   of V09/21 & and the best Captain of all
                       my personal limits. I also learnt some     whether it would be climbing aloft or      LCDR Adam “Charlie” Farley.

                                                                  “Start by doing what’s necessary, then what’s
                                                                  possible…pretty soon you’re doing the
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

                                                                  impossible.”

24
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

Chloe Dwyer
“My art attempts to capture the introduction of new technology and the electric buzz of the
times. I have used coloured pencils and acrylic to create my exhibition works which reflect the
aesthetics of the 1950s and 60s. Exploring the theme of ‘nostalgia’, I drew upon the imagery of
the 50s and 60s to inspire my artworks. I decided to implement iconography of this much-loved
period. This includes vintage cars, American diners, Beatles music as well as milkshakes and
desserts – some with a twist.”
2021 has been a very successful year
for Year 10 student and Art scholarship
recipient Chloe Dwyer.
In July, Chloe’s artwork received
a highly commended award in the
‘Perfect Places’ competition and won
first place in the BLA Cairns Show
Billboard Competition 2021 – Category
4: Original Media Image Promoting
the Cairns Show. The artwork proudly
adorned the front of the Fred Moule
Pavilion to promote the Cairns Show.
More recently, Chloe’s work was
selected for the Receive
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