Senior School

Years 7 to 9 academic achievement

Congratulations to the following Years 7 to 9 students on their academic achievement so far this year. They are our top 10 per cent of academic achievers based on mean percentage results across all their subjects or have received all As (or the IB equivalent) for Semester 1 and at least a B in RE. All of these young men have also demonstrated excellent learning behaviours, reflecting the hard work and diligence that so often underpins real success.

A reminder that an outline of all our academic prizes can be found on myChurchie.

Year 7

• Tony Cao
• Ansh Chauhan
• William Clark
• Lachlan Cooper
• Thomas Dirckze
• Edward Grace
• Thomas Holdt
• Daniel Huo
• Edward Lu
• Stanley Luo
• James Mathew
• Robert Meehan
• Ryan Mullins
• Yunfan Shu
• Charlie Shulman
• Ethan Xie
• Ryan Xing
• Roy Xu
• Alex Yu

Year 8

• Sebastian Behrens
• Jack Burke
• Ayrton Carmichael
• Harry Gong
• Daniel He
• Joschka Holdt
• Arin Jadhav
• Henry Juniper
• Jaydy Kim
• Oliver Kotsomitis
• Oscar Moore
• James Nash
• Kimon Pantelis
• Archie Reilly
• Jonathan Vickery
• Will Wang
• Caleb Watson
• Joe Welsh
• David Zheng
• Deric Zou

Year 9

• Aadit Arora
• Lachlan Barry
• Marcus Chan
• Harrison Chandler
• Charles Chen
• Ian Chen
• Caleb Chow
• Hamilton Chuang
• Santi De Leon
• Arlee Di Bella
• Isaac Jeon
• Noah Midson
• Xavier Miller
• Flynn Moloney
• Zac Moore
• Tom Norton
• Jayden Ooi
• Edward Orthman
• Angus Peters
• Darby Prabhu
• Flynn Schmidt
• Hugo Schneidewin
• Max Tonkin
• Benjamin Watson
• Owen Yu
• Justin Zhu

Oxbridge Tour

By Year 10 students Oliver King and Charlie Salter.

On Thursday 4 July, 19 boys from Years 10 and 11, accompanied by Ms Beth Gilpatrick, Miss Kelly Jackson and Mr John Collins, embarked on a journey across the globe to the United Kingdom (UK) to take part in the Cambridge Tradition: an Oxbridge Academic Program offering students the chance to study a range of subjects including Espionage, Engineering, Astrophysics, Zoology and Global Business.

London experience

During our time in London, we explored several historic sites, including Buckingham Palace, the Natural History and Science Museums, the War Rooms and the Imperial War Museum. The scale and intricate details of these landmarks left us in awe, sparking curiosity and a desire to learn more about the stories and events that shaped them. Some of our favourites were Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral. We were also lucky enough to be in England for the European Football Championship and the bustling football culture shone through as we went back to our hotel.

Jesus College: The College of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint John the Evangelist and the Glorious Virgin Saint Radegund, Cambridge

The academic programme covers various subjects, from medical science and espionage to photography. The curriculum is designed to challenge students and deepen our knowledge in specific areas of interest. Emphasis is placed on developing critical thinking and research skills. We learnt how to analyse complex problems, conduct independent research and present our findings effectively.

Our courses have been a thrill and have given us a taste of university life, which we are now looking forward to. Having the sovereignty to explore the campus and the township of Cambridge is something we have never experienced. It has left us with a sense of responsibility and maturity beyond our years. Overall, Oxbridge has been a fantastic experience that will forever mark our lives. Given the opportunity, I would eagerly return to Cambridge next year.

All the students enjoyed the opportunity to experience other cultures, meet and develop new friendships and broaden their understanding of the world. Oxbridge is a transformative educational experience that shapes our perspectives and skills equipping us with the knowledge, confidence and global awareness needed to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.

Year 9 Outdoor Education

Week 2 Mansfield and Hillary House

Into the wild we went and the arctic wind followed. Weathering an icy cold snap, the boys of Mansfield and Hillary House showed their iron character as they adventured through Cooloola. Whether it was waking up in the dark to paddle with the rising sun, abseiling, climbing, or hiking, the boys revealed resilience, leadership and determination.

Week 3 Grenfell and Kingsley

Through a week of dazzling winter weather, the Grenfell and Kingsley House boys ventured. Touring through the Noosa Everglades, Cooloola Wilderness area and Mt Tinbeerwah/Brooyah, they combined adventure, naturalist studies, camp skills and relational skills. Whether climbing the cliffs, paddling through the river of mirrors, or hiking to the Sand Patch, the boys showed resilience, skill and leadership.

Dylan Lockhart
Outdoor Education Instructor

Aquila News

World Scholars Cup Global Round Kuala Lumpur

Congratulations to Sam Zuo and Ben Wu (Year 8) who travelled to Kuala Lumpur in the mid-year break to contest the World Scholar’s Cup (WSC) Global Round. WSC is a challenging interdisciplinary academic competition contested over four rounds: essay writing, an exam, debating and a quiz. Competing against over 100 schools from across Asia and the world, the boys finished sixth in the exam division and 14th overall. Sam was ranked eleventh place overall individual and placed fourth in the quiz division.

Maths Team Challenge

On 29 July, Churchie hosted its tenth annual Maths Team Challenge competition with 70 teams from 13 schools joining us in Morris Hall and, in some instances, remotely on their own school’s site. The teams of five students faced two rounds of challenging problems fiendishly devised by Ben Wasley and John Krasniewicz. Churchie was represented by nine teams who performed admirably. Our leading senior team of Max Yan, Quan Nguyen, Garry Chen, Felix Nano and Eric Zhang received our first-ever outright win in the leading division. The team of Finn Pollack, John Law, Darby Prabhu, Owen Yu and Kevin Tan finished second in the intermediate division with the team of Arden Young, Kevin Chou, Hao Hiep Nguyen, Lucas Ding and Jayden Ooi placing third. The junior division was won by Daniel He, Lucas Shan, Ben Wu, Yunfan Shu and Lucas Xue, with the team of Brian Yao, Ben Frederiksen, Max Miles, Alex Yu and Stanley Luo finishing as runners-up. The cumulative results meant that Churchie was named best overall school for the third year in a row. Many thanks to Jessica Ross for her leadership in this event.

Model UN Conference

A delegation of eight students in Years 8 and 9 recently attended The Southport School Model UN conference, together with over 150 students from other schools, each representing different nations. The students were asked to debate resolutions in regard to issues around cybersecurity and refugees. Churchie was represented by Connor Goodwin, Harrison Chandler, Marcus Chan, Charles Chen, Daniel Keegan, Aiden Jamieson, Ewan Keogh, Jon Vickery and Harry Gong.

International Robotics Competition

Dario Lim in Year 12 recently represented Australia in the Robocup Junior international championships in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Dario, a longtime enthusiast of robotics, won the national championships in the Lightweight Soccer division in 2023 and was chosen to represent the country. The lightweight soccer division requires participants to build two robots to play a scaled-down version of soccer. As such, Dario had to design a completely custom robot with a complex system of sensors to track a ball and direct it towards the goal. Out of 25 international teams, Dario finished second in the preliminary rounds before ultimately finishing fourth in the finals. As Dario enters the final stages of his Churchie career, he is considering pursuing a degree in Engineering next year.

Junior Science Olympiad

Congratulations to the following students who received High Distinctions in the Australian Science Innovations Junior Science Olympiads:

• Year 7 – Lucas Xue, Yunfan Shu
• Year 8 – Daniel He, Bruce Allen
• Year 9 – Owen Yu, Charles Chen, Santi De Leon

Over 30 students from Years 7 to 10 contested this competition. Best of luck to Owen Yu who, having been part of the JSO development programme, will contest the entry exam for the Science Olympiad Spring School training programme this week.

Write a Book in a Day

On 10 September, students in Years 7 and 8 are offered the opportunity to participate in the ‘Write a Book in a Day’ competition. Working in teams of five to ten students, they will be asked to produce a book based on specified prompts within a school day. The programme is run by the Kids Cancer Project and students who participate raise funds through sponsorship for this great charity. If you would like to be involved or find out more, please email Grant Smith at grant.smith@churchie.com.au.

Grant Smith
Head of Gifted Education (Aquila)

Headspace Viking Run

Years 5 to 12 students are invited to join with the Senior School at this year’s Headspace Viking Run, a fun afternoon of mental wellbeing, walking and running after school on Friday 9 August. The Viking Run sees students from Churchie and St Margaret’s complete a 4.5 km fun run course (2.5 km for Years 5 and 6) while wearing viking helmets, with the course lined with conversation starters, music and drink stations to add to the feel of the event. Starting on the Flat at 3:45 pm, there will be a record attempt (Largest Gathering of People Running in Viking Helmets) verified by our Federal member Max Chandler-Mather MP and local councillor Fiona Cunningham. Students have also organised bands, a sausage sizzle, a food truck selling sushi and prizes for runners who get involved. It is also a fundraiser for Headspace Woolloongabba, with the funds helping to connect young people in our community to wellbeing services.

Entries are $16 and this pays for entry, a donation to Headspace, helmet hire, entry to the prize draws and a memento from Headspace. Prep School students can be collected from the Flat from 4:30 pm to 5:15 pm. Entries can be purchased from the Churchie payment portal here with pre-registrations including a wristband and entry to the prize draw. Any questions about the event can be directed to the Director of Service Clayton Kelly at Clayton.Kelly@churchie.com.au.

Clayton Kelly 
Director of Service 

SchoolTV wellbeing resource

SchoolTV is a wellbeing resource at our school to help support you in the challenges of modern-day parenting relating to youth mental health and wellbeing. To see the latest topics, including a report on Eating Anxiety by Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, please access them via myChurchie or by clicking on the following link: School TV

Parent Wellbeing panel discussion

Mental Health and Seeking Support – 31 July 2024

The Senior School is hosting a Wellbeing Panel Discussion on Mental Health and Seeking Support in collaboration with Parent Connect and the Old Boys’ Association. The panel discussion will be facilitated by Old Boy Damien Edmonds (1987), co-founder of Edmonds Marketing. The panel will include Alastair McDonald, a current Year 12 student and Wellbeing Ambassador; Mitch Rosenlund, teacher and Nansen Housemaster; and Toby Ford, an Old Boy (1977) who is the founder and CEO of Ford Health and an expert in corporate health and resilience.

You are welcome to join the panel and Churchie staff for a barbecue before the commencement of this discussion. Please note the following details:

Date: Wednesday 31 July 2024
Details: Barbecue 5:30 to 6 pm (undercroft of The Centenary Library)
Presentation: 6 to 7:15 pm (The Centenary Library Lecture Theatre)

As with all presentations in the Parent Wellbeing Lecture Series, attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions during the session.

This free event is for parents, guardians and members of the Old Boys’ community.

If you have any queries, please contact the Senior School office via email at seniorschool@churchie.com.au or the OBA office via oba@churchie.com.au.

Josh Di Bella
Deputy Head of Senior School (Years 10 to 12)

Senior School photos

Senior School photos, which include Years 7 to 12 house photos, portraits, Year 12 Valedictory photos and sibling photos are scheduled for Thursday 1 August for Goodwin, Grenfell and Kingsley House, including their sibling photos.

Students who missed their sibling photo or individual photo last week are welcome to make their way to the Mezzanine level of Morris Hall from 7:45 am to 8:15 am or from 10:30 to 10:50 am on Thursday.

Students are to wear Whites and there is a high expectation of all students to have the correct haircut, as per the School Handbook and Student Diary.

Students not suitably presented will be excluded from the photos.

Ordering photos

To order photos please refer to the Leading Image flyer below or use the following instructions: 

1. Go to https://leadingimage.com.au/ 
2. Click on Order School Photos
3. Select your State
4. Enter the following Access Key: 9AJLTMZ8

Leading Image will communicate directly with you online and post your photos to your home for your convenience. Individual student ordering will stay open after the photo day except for sibling photos. If brothers have had their photo taken your families will receive communication about the method for ordering photos. Orders placed after the photo day may incur a postage charge per order. Any enquiries should be referred directly to Leading Image via info@leadingimage.com.au.

Year 8 Grandparents and Special Guests Lunch

Please view the invitation to the Year 8 Grandparents and Special Guests Lunch to be held on Monday 12 August from 11:45 am. 

Year 8 students are welcome to invite up to two guests for this special event. We ask that only grandparents or special guests attend this sit-down lunch. It is important for parents to RSVP by Monday 5 August on behalf of their son’s guests via the following link: please click here.

Grandparents and special guests will receive a programme before the event.

Dr Alex Krzensk
Acting Head of Senior School