horizons - springfield anglican college · joining years 9 and 10 on their camp in week 1, and will...

HorizonsQuarterly Magazine | Volume 2 : 2017

Their Future. Kindergarten to Year12

Horizons | Volume 2 | 2017 : 32 : Horizons | Volume 2 | 2017

From The Principal 04

Teaching and Learning 06

Primary Schooling 08

Middle Schooling 10

Senior Schooling 12

Sports Overview 14

Creative Arts Overview 15

ContentsFaithHope LoveCourage CommunityJustice


Welcome back to Term 3, 2017. I hope that this edition of Horizons finds you well, and that you are prepared for an exciting Term ahead.

Term 3 is a crucial Term, especially so for our Year 12 students who enter their last full 10 weeks of learning and preparing for their final exams. There is still much content to be grasped and assignments to complete, but those students should also already be planning their revision schedules so that they can be sure that they are mastering the content and skills that they have accumulated whilst they manage the remaining assessments.

Term 3 is also marked by our musical, The Addams Family, which promises to be a spectacular celebration and showcase of the talent and hard work of our performers, stage crew and Creative Arts team. I hope that you will take the opportunity to come along, and that I see you there.

Term 2 was an incredibly successful one for the College. I was very proud to attend sports and creative arts events, the hugely successful Primary Discovery Day, and to see students flourishing in the classroom and in their leadership roles.

As we enter Term 3, I am happy to report that the College is also in a very healthy condition, with growing enrolments, reputation and parental

demand. Indeed, as I type, the College is approaching a population of 900 students from Prep to Year 12, with another 78 students in our Kindergarten which remains full for this year and for 2018.

This is an exciting time to be at TSAC, and this coming Term I shall lead the Senior Leadership Team through a strategic planning exercise which will allow us to carefully map the needs of our community for the next 5 years. This process will cover all aspects of the College’s offering, including improving teaching and learning outcomes, optimising the pastoral care we offer, our use of ICT and digital literacy, improving our sport and creative arts opportunities, and improving our built environment and facilities. I shall communicate with you further on this strategic planning process in the coming months, and also look forward to hearing your voice in that process. Term 3 also sees the commencement of the building of the new Resource Centre, which will be concluded for the start of the 2018 school year.

I would like to take this opportunity to reflect back to one event in Term 2, which for me embodied all of the warmth of spirit, celebration and joy that being a part of this community brings - our Foundation Day, celebrating 19 years as a College.

Foundation Day started with a whole school assembly, and it was an absolute delight to see students from Prep to Year 12 gathered together in the College colours to celebrate. The assembly was an eclectic mix of fun and serious messaging, with wonderful music and dance performances from Senior Guitar Ensemble, Senior Dance

Company choreographed by old collegian Maddison Campbell (’16), Junior Choir and Year 12 students leading the whole school through a fun games segment, and an overview from Dr Murray Evans, Chair of Council, about what ‘foundation’ means. He spoke to us about the growth of the College, from the tiny 11 student population 19 years ago to the thriving community of 900 students that we are today, and also about the support that the College offers in the lives of its community members.

Later that day, the Secondary campus celebrated further with the Inter-Clan Spectacular, and the Primary Campus with the Fluro Dance.

The whole day was a delight, and my objective in scheduling it was that the students, old collegians, staff and parents who joined us were able to join in the joy of being part of this community. It was a wonderful occasion, and I thank the staff who worked so hard in arranging and managing the day. We are already, you might not be surprised to learn, planning next year’s big 20th birthday bash!

Sadly, Term 2 also saw us farewell two important staff members. Firstly, Brenda Johncock (BJ), our Secondary Library Technician. BJ worked at TSAC for three and a half years, and is known by the whole community as a loving, caring and gentle woman who has over a long career been highly dedicated to helping students, and in encouraging their lifelong love of reading.

Secondly, we also bid farewell to Lorraine Breingan, who leaves us to take up a post of Year 5 teacher at Springfield Central State School.

Lorraine commenced work at TSAC in 2002, and over 15 years has made an enormous contribution to the lives of the students, families and staff of the community. Lorraine is an excellent teacher, and her contribution to the lives of TSAC families has been immense.

I wish them both luck with their new ventures.

Back to the Term ahead, which promises to be very busy. As previously mentioned, our musical occurs in Week 2. Prior to that, I shall enjoy joining Years 9 and 10 on their camp in Week 1, and will join staff and students running 5000 steps at The Gabba in Stadium Stomp at the end of July. In addition, Year 11 Careers Interviews occur in Week 5, we have a EKKA Show Day in Week 6, Book Week is celebrated in Week 7, our Year 7s head to Canberra in Week 8, and our Year 5s undertake camp in Week 9.

In addition, on Saturday 26 August, we have our Secondary Campus Open Day at which time we will be showcasing all of the warmth, talent and community spirit that our great College has to offer. I am excited and proud to be involved in showing it off, and hope that you will join us on that day for a look around, a catch up and a coffee.

As I have written on previous occasions, time passes very quickly in a school as busy as ours. Ahead of us are 10 incredibly busy weeks, full of events and excitement. I have no doubt that they will pass quickly, and I encourage all of our students to take up all of the challenges and opportunities that they present.

Welcome back, and I look forward to seeing you around the campus.

From the PrincipalDarren Pitt


Beyond the Classroom

On many occasions this Term, students have taken their learning beyond the classroom into real-world experiences.

Across all areas of Schooling, students have had a number of opportunities to present their learning through culminating activities, including the Visual Art exhibition the Year 6 Energy Expo.

Senior Visual Art students proudly displayed their artworks at the Visual Art Exhibition on 19 May. Parents, staff and the public were invited to view the exhibition and read the artists’ notes, with background music provided by the Chamber Strings.

Competitions

A number of students took the opportunity this Term to extend their academic skills through competitions, including the ICAS Science, Writing and Digital Technologies competitions, Debating, Reader’s Cup and the da Vinci Decathlon, just to name a few.

Students in the Reader’s Cup competed against 21 other teams, where they were required to read five set novels in preparation for the competition. Students were then quizzed on details from the novels. The College team of students in Years 7 and 8 placed second and only missed out on first place by 1.5 points. Congratulations to the students and also to Mrs Breingan and Mrs Whitehorne for the coaching.

Three teams of students also competed at the da Vinci Decathlon held at the Gold Coast. The challenging academic competition covers a range of disciplines including Engineering, Mathematics and Chess, Science, Art and Poetry, Code Breaking, English, Cartography and General Knowledge. The students demonstrated outstanding resilience and determination, with the Year 5 and 6 team placing third in the Science discipline.

The Year 6 Energy Expo celebrated a Term’s worth of learning in the STEAM unit which centred around the charitable work of Solar Buddy, an organisation that sends solar lights to children living in energy poverty. The studies conducted by the students integrated subjects such as Mathematics, Design Technologies, Science and English. Students researched electricity, sustainable energies and causes of energy poverty. At the Energy Expo, students presented their work and auctioned their photographic artworks. Throughout the project, students raised almost $3000 which went towards providing Solar Buddy lights to many children overseas.

Student Pathways

Year 10 students have spent a great deal of time this Term exploring potential pathways towards future careers.

This Term, Year 10 students have begun the process of investigating career paths in preparation for their subject selections in Term 3. The Career Development program begins in Middle School through the students’ Work Studies lessons, where they complete initial investigations into a range of careers. In Year 10, the students visit the Careers and Employment Expo where they have the opportunity to ask questions of the exhibitors who attend the expo. The students are then involved in a two-day Future Focus conference, participating in a series of workshops to look at their personal strengths and gain an understanding of the processes in Senior School. Students also completed the Harrison Assessment Tool, the results of which will be used as a basis for their SET (Senior Education and Training) Plan interview in Term 3.

Teaching and Learning OverviewWendy Jurss – Dean of Curriculum


Primary Schooling OverviewTania Brewer – Head of Primary

Year 6 Leadership

The Year 6 student leaders have set a great example of community spirit and service. Throughout the Term the Year 6 students have organised several lunchtime activities for the younger students in the playground. Activities such as ball games and relay races provide the younger students with structured play and assists them in developing peer relationships with the older students. The Year 6 students commence the valuable peer support program with the Kindergarten students by regularly assisting during activity time in the Kindergarten classrooms.

Another initiative of the Year 6 leadership cohort was the ‘Dress Like a Pirate Day’ to help raise money for treatment and research for childhood cancer. We thank all our College community for supporting such an important initiative.

The Tiny Tartan Kindergarten

Term 2 has been a busy time for our Kindergarten students. Since commencing at the beginning of the year, they have grown in both size and maturity. As young learners, they have continued to explore focussed learning activities and enjoy the variety of specialist lessons.

Mother’s Day is always a wonderful occasion in Kindy. The students hold a special Mother’s Day Chapel service for their loved ones, sing some of their favourite kindy songs and present their loved one a handmade gift before sharing in morning tea.

Throughout the Term, the students have also been learning about healthy eating and good food choices. Through the ‘Kids Dig Food’ program, students are encouraged to try new foods that are a healthy choice. Parents were also invited to attend a ‘Body, Mind and Soul Food’ workshop for kids presented by Dietician and Nutritionist, Deb Blakley. The after-school workshop provided parents with valuable information and great ideas on how to get their child to try healthy food options.

The Kindergarten Family Picnic at Queens Park has become a highly anticipated Kindergarten event. On a lovely, warm Saturday morning, the Kindergarten students and their families and Kindy staff met at the park, enjoyed a picnic style morning tea before wandering through the Ipswich Nature and Environmental Education Centre. The family picnic morning provides the opportunity for families to connect with other Kindergarten families. Grow Your Mind Day

At TSAC, we believe that effort is the path to success and our students are given a range of different opportunities to develop a growth mindset.

Students from Prep to Year 6 were provided an opportunity to participate in ‘Grow Your Mind Day’ where students participate in a range of challenging activities. Activities that might be seen as difficult at first, were mastered with a positive attitude and belief that effort leads to success. Students created their own games with the help of Code Camp, became circus stars with Flip Side Circus, completed mathematical challenges, science experiments and art activities.

Outdoor Education – Prep Excursion to Paradise Country

The Prep students ventured out of the school environment with the teachers and parent helpers to attend Paradise Country. The outdoor excursion supported the classroom learning unit – ‘It’s Alive and I Know Why’. The authentic learning opportunities allow students to connect real life experiences with their classroom learning activities. Students had the opportunity to watch a sheep shearing demonstration, milk a cow, feed some friendly farmyard animals, learn about Australia’s native animals and the significance of these animals to the environment and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture through the telling of a Dreamtime story.

Celebrating our 19th Year – the Annual Fluro Dance

As part of our 19th Birthday celebration, the Primary Campus students attended a very special assembly on the Secondary Campus. Coming together as a community in celebration was a joyous occasion. The annual Primary Campus Fluro Dance concluded the eventful day.

The Primary Campus was turned into a brightly coloured, dance filled disco for the night!


The Rite Journey

The Year 9 students have been engaged in several challenges this Term along the themes of ‘Who am I really?’ and ‘How do I get on with others?’

Both boys and girls Rite Journey groups have taken on the Mother’s Day Challenge, which required students to prepare a meal for their family. It involved deciding on a menu and preparing a shopping list right through to cooking a meal and cleaning up afterwards.

The boys’ groups have been learning about group dynamics, specifically working with others and understanding the relationships between leaders and followers. A group drumming activity was used to highlight the importance of leaders and also working together towards a specific goal. Boys have also been challenged in other group activities by their Teacher Guides with activities like Staves, where movements and sequences must be done in time to achieve success.

The girls’ groups have discussed issues around Body Image and how society has shaped our ideals of the ‘perfect body’. Girls also explored negative self-talk and how that impacts their perceptions of themselves. The girls have set themselves goals for their Fitness Challenge and are working towards their personal fitness goal. They have had an opportunity to participate in Zumba and Yoga sessions to explore various styles of physical activities. Finally, the girls spent time researching great women in history. They looked at the amazing achievements of many women including Mother Theresa, Oprah Winfrey, Cathy Freeman and discussed the legacy they have left the world.

Digital Thumbprint

We recently welcomed Optus’ free digital education program, Digital Thumbprint, to deliver their workshops to our Year 9 students. Delivered in class to students by a facilitator, the program’s fun and interactive workshops are tailored to the needs of specific year groups. Designed to empower and inform Australia’s young digital natives, the workshops taught students the advantages of having a positive online presence and armed them with the vital information they need to stay safe online.

Our College has proudly joined Optus’ Digital Thumbprint program in its commitment to ensuring our students are savvy, responsible and proactive members of Australia’s online community. The program proved to be a highly beneficial experience for students and was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Altitude Day

Altitude Day is a Year 9 specific, one-day, multi-school conference experience, developed to empower students at a critical stage of their life and school journey. Through a combination of interactive presentations, inspirational guest speakers and networking opportunities, Altitude Day challenges students to step outside of their comfort zone and realise their potential. Students return from the day motivated with the knowledge that even in Year 9 they can be active and inspiring leaders of the school community. They develop greater confidence, increased motivation, enhanced skills and gain practical advice.

Cr David Morrison Youth Forum

Our Year 9 leaders were personally invited by Cr David Morrison to attend a Springfield Youth Forum where they were briefed on the development plans for the Greater Springfield area and were asked for their input. They discussed the possibilities of including features for teenagers into Council Plans with other leaders from local schools. It was an excellent chance for them to network and experience a taste of what the real world is like.

Year 7 and 8 Future Studies

This semester sees the conclusion of the first round of Future Studies electives which have proven to be extremely popular with Years 7 and 8. They have studied a wide range of topics, as diverse as psychology and coding. Over their 2 years in Years 7 and 8 they will get to study 4 out of the 8 options currently on offer. The Future Studies program aims to extend the students’ range of knowledge beyond the traditional subject choice, enabling them to engage in thinking skills which will be a point of difference in maintaining student engagement.

Year 8 Maths exams

When our current Year 8 students reach senior schooling they will be amongst the first in Queensland to undertake external examinations. In the long lead up process to this event these students were exposed this Term to a real life exam situation. Instead of the previous topic and immediate test, they undertook a term long exam in maths, covering all 9 weeks of the Term. Students were nervous but took on the challenge with tenacity.

Year 7 and 8 end of Term Activity Day

Year 7 and 8 enjoyed a last day of Term activity program which was organised for them by Year 12 students. It started with free dress and culminated in a fun sporting inter class sports competition. We also helped Ally McIlveen raise money for cancer research as she “Shaved for a Cure” collecting a grand total of nearly $2000.

Middle Schooling OverviewGraham Swinton – Head of Middle School


ANZAC DAY Service

On Anzac Day the College was well represented by students attending Springfield Community dawn ceremony at Robelle Domain. Several thousand people attended the hour long service that began at 5.45am. Jake Mellow and Jessica Lythall, the Year 12 College Captains, presented a wreath on behalf of the College. Year 9 students were invited as part of the Rite Journey and several Year 12 students also attended ensuring the College had over 80 representatives on the day.

At College on Monday 24 April Reverend Charlie and Squadron Leader Bill Watson led a moving service with prayers of remembrance and reflections. Our cadet students were on hand to lay a wreath and conduct a two-minute silence. It is a credit to both the College and wider Springfield community that they continue to show enormous respect for the great sacrifices others have made on our behalf.

Lest we forget.

Year 12 100 Days

On Tuesday 23 May the Year 12 students celebrated the key milestone of only having 100 school days left to complete. It was a mixed celebration with some relief that soon the ideas of homework and assignments will be a thing of the past, but also much sadness that their time at TSAC is rapidly coming to an end.

Year 12 Cohort Excursion - NRL

On 27 April nearly fifty Year 12 students attended the second of this year’s social sports visits. After the success of watching the Reds win, our luck continued seeing the Brisbane Broncos defeat the Penrith Panthers 32 -18. The Year 12 students are certainly turning into a lucky charm for the teams that play at Suncorp stadium.

Senior Schooling OverviewRichard Clark – Dean of Students

Year 10 Market Day

Year 10 Business Studies students spent the Term completing market research, conducting product launches and running a small business during the Market Day. Students were able to purchase products from businesses such as “Pizza Parlour”, “Chocolate Indulgence” and “Waffle Iron”. Students displayed great enterprise and initiative and had a successful day of trading.

Year 12 batyr Presentation

Statistics show that for every 30 students in Australia, 7 will suffer from some form of mental ill-health and that only 2 of those will ever ask for help. Using the phrase ‘Let’s Talk About the Elephant in the Room’, batyr provides programs that focus on preventative education in the area of youth mental health by aiming to train young people to speak about their personal experience with mental ill-health and start a conversation in their community.

batyr’s presentation at TSAC focused on the difference that our students can make by offering support and a friendly ear to their peers, and most importantly to know that there is always help available if they need it. Students heard two powerful stories from batyr speakers who had themselves been through these issues. They discussed how long they kept the feelings to themselves and how this illness impacted their lives, but also how they received help and how they worked through this illness in order to recover. Finally, students were given advice on where to look for help for themselves and how to support any friends that may be suffering with mental ill-health.

Hazard Perception and Distractions: A high energy session familiarizing students with the most common crashes involving young people and how to avoid or minimize their impact.

Plan B: Alcohol, Drugs, Fatigue and Driving: An interactive workshop focusing on the impact that alcohol, drugs and fatigue have on driving ability.

Police: A Police Officer led discussion on the consequences of poor choices on the road, from the tragic human toll to the financial and legal ramifications.

Crash Survivor: A powerful presentation by a crash survivor who has a brain or spinal injury as a result of a vehicle crash.

My Wheels: Students learn about vehicle safety, covering such topics as ABS brakes, car maintenance and insurance.

Year 11 RYDA Program

Year 11 students took part in RYDA – a program designed to raise awareness of a range of issues relating to Road Safety. During the day students attended six sessions to enable them the opportunity to experience various situations that we face on our roads. This program has been included as part of Senior Schooling as we work towards educating the ‘whole student’, providing a unique opportunity to learn crucial life skills as they face the challenges of becoming a driver on our roads. The students found this day to be of incredible value to engage with specialist instructors to understand and respect the importance of road safety to help them learn to become safe drivers. The program covered off such aspects of road safety as:

Stopping Distances: Demonstrating the impact of differing speeds, reaction times and vehicle traction on the time it takes to stop a vehicle, students are given the opportunity to travel in a vehicle, driven by a licensed driving instructor, as well as observe from outside.


Sports Overview Creative Arts Overview

Another big and exciting Term for Creative Arts across all areas of schooling – we pride ourselves on setting the bar high for students and are immensely proud

when we watch them soar above and beyond what they set out to do.

Term Two was another incredibly busy Term for the College Sport Program, with 24 teams competing in a variety of JTAS and GBC sport fixtures. The Springfield Anglican College Mascot, the Scottish Terrier, was formally

introduced to the College Community as Sir Terence of TSAC (Terry) at the Foundation Day Assembly. The College community had the privilege of welcoming Sir Terence at various sporting events throughout the Term.

On the Primary Campus, cross country, rugby union and netball were the focus sports of the Term.

The highlight being the success of the Cross Country team, who won the Central Districts Cross Country Carnival for the fourth consecutive year, with 10 students gaining selection in the Central Districts Cross Country Team. Year 4 student Jade Hennessy then went on to gain selection in the Metropolitan West Cross Country team to compete at the State Championships. The team also performed well at the JTAS Cross Country Carnival, finishing a commendable third place in the Red Division.

JTAS Saturday Sport saw one rugby team and five netball teams represent the College, with the improvement that all teams made as the season progressed very encouraging to see. There were a number of excellent wins recorded against tough opposition throughout the Term, which bodes well for the future of both sports.

The end of Term saw the annual Primary Inter-Clan Athletics Carnival take place in perfect conditions at the Primary Campus Oval. In the closest carnival in many years, Clan Robertson held on to the secure the Clan Trophy for the first time since 2014, whilst there were a number of outstanding individual results achieved as well.

On the Secondary Campus the Term started with Clan Keith winning the Inter-Clan Cross Country Carnival. The GBC Cross Country team then went onto finish a credible third place at the GBC Cross Country Championships, with Lauren Bray being awarded the 15 Years Girls Age Champion. A special mention to Lauren Bray, Grace Burow and Madison Farrell-Thomas, who secured first place in the 15 Years Girls Division at both the GBC Cross Country Championships and the

Outstanding Dance Program

Our dancers excelled with three dance troupes performing at the Brisbane Performing Arts Challenge. The Senior Dance Troupe received excellent feedback at the Ipswich Eisteddfod. Junior Dance Troupe performed a wonderful piece to music from Mary Poppins and came second in the Primary Open Section. The Junior Dance Company received First Place in the Open Section and were the only school to be invited to perform in the prestigious BPAC Gala Concert on 11 June. They also performed at the Ipswich Eisteddfod and again won their section, against 28 other schools.

Elective Dance students in Years 10 - 12 attended a performance by Expressions Dance Company’s “Behind Closed Doors”. Alana Sargent, Expressions Dance Company Dancer, then come in the final week of Term to give senior dancers a workshop in contemporary movement.

Drama, Drama, Drama!

Drama students have been busy with excursions, competitions and performances. Senior Drama Troupe competed in the Youth Theatre Sports Competition in May, and were rewarded with a Magic Moments award. Year 9 Elective Drama class performed a student-devised play for an audience of their peers. Using lighting software and our well-resourced Drama Room to present a professional product. Year 11 and 12 Drama students polished their collaboratively-written script before presenting the production, Steinberger Lodge, on 9 June. A beautiful Queenslander in Ipswich provided a unique setting for their promenade performance, during which the audience followed the action in rooms throughout the house. Finally, the Year 9 and 10 Drama students visited the Queensland Performing Arts Centre on 14 June to see the renowned Noises Off in a curriculum-based excursion.

Primary Art

Primary art students have researched, planned and created art works based upon the basic elements of art line, tone, texture, colour, shape and pattern. They have developed their art journal skills, presentation and layout and incorporated the work of other artist.

Inter-Clan Spectacular

Each Clan on Secondary campus came together on 5 May to present a 10-minute production centred on the theme, Succeed and Flourish. This experience aids students in working collaboratively and increasing their creative skills. This year, the winning Clan was Sinclair.

Congratulations to those who entered the Inter-Clan Visual Art Competition. Bronwyn Spiers was the winner of the Painting Section, Monique Nguyen the winner of the Drawing Section, and Regan Hinze was the winner of the Sculpture Section and Overall Winner of the Inter-Clan Visual Art Competition.

Ipswich Independent District Cross Country Championships, after finishing in first, second and third place respectively. Lauren Bray, Dakota-Farrell-Thomas and Chloe Bradley then went on to gain selection in the Metropolitan West Cross Country team to compete at the State Championships.

TSAC sport saw five teams secure a place in the GBC Grand Finals, with the Seconds Netball team, Junior Girls Soccer team and the Intermediate Girls Soccer team each securing a GBC Premiership. The Junior Girls Football team finished the season undefeated after a 2 – 0 win against Redeemer Lutheran College, and the Intermediate Girls Football team secured a Premiership with a resounding 5 – 0 win against Rivermount College. The Seconds Netball team left it late into the final quarter of the game against Sheldon College, before finally securing victory with a 19 – 17 win.

The Junior Boys Volleyball team secured a silver medal at the Queensland Schools Volleyball Championships and the TSAC Equestrian riders have all qualified for the Equestrian State Championships in Toowoomba. The Intermediate Girls Soccer team have qualified for the knock-out stage of the ISSA Cup, and the Firsts Girls Soccer team are one win way away from qualification after defeating St Peter’s Lutheran 6 – 1 in the Uhlsport Cup.

Individuals have also excelled, with Darcy Prest gaining selection in the Queensland 15 Years Boys AFL team to compete at the National Championships in Perth in July, after securing a bronze medal at the State Championships, where he was captain of the Metropolitan West team. Deakin McKenzie also secured a silver medal at the 15 Years Boys Volleyball State Championships.

Music Matters

Year 1 and 2 string players had the chance to show their parents just how far they had come in their lessons by performing at the Year 1 String Demonstration Concert on 16 May, and the Piccolo String Ensemble Concert on 14 June. Thank you to Ms Parker and Ms Pollicina for their efforts with junior string players.

In May, our singing students from Years 3 to 12 performed in our annual Vocal Soiree which was packed with variety and quality singing.

Junior Concert Band and Senior Woodwind Ensemble both performed at the Ipswich Eisteddfod on 25 May. It was the debut eisteddfod performance for Junior Concert Band. They were awarded Second Place which was outstanding, and Senior Woodwind Ensemble achieved Third Place in their section which was very competitive in nature.

horizons - springfield anglican college · joining years 9 and 10 on their camp in week 1, and will...

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