Prep School

Value of the week: preparation and responsibility

Being responsible means others can trust you to do things with excellence. You accept accountability for your actions. When you make a mistake, you offer amends instead of excuses. Responsibility is the ability to respond ably and make smart choices.

Attribute of the week: communicators

Communicators understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. You are willing to work in collaboration with others.

Welcome to Term 4

A very warm welcome to Term 4! It was wonderful to see the boys return to school with smiling faces and genuine happiness to be back. I am looking forward to the many special events awaiting the boys this term. Musical performances, our Early Years Christmas Pageant, the Christmas Service at the Cathedral, Final Assembly and the Final Chapel Service for our Year 6 boys are just some of the significant occasions we will celebrate.

Term 4 promises to be another busy, exciting and productive time for the boys, and I look forward to seeing their individual and collective efforts as we move through the term!

Year 6

As part of their inquiry into systems, Year 6 began Term 4 with an excursion to Queensland’s Parliament House. During the tour, the boys participated in a mock parliament and were given an insight into the structure and functions of how laws are made. The boys were able to consolidate their knowledge of Australia’s democracy whilst gaining a deeper understanding of the importance of the people, institutions and processes that make Australia the wonderful nation it is.

Following their visit to Parliament House, the Year 6 boys were treated to a special visit from Churchie Old Boy, the Honourable Milton Dick (1989), Member for Oxley and Speaker of the House of Representatives in the Australian Parliament. Milton spoke to the boys about his role as a parliamentarian and Speaker, providing an invaluable opportunity for them to deepen their understanding of the Australian political system. The boys actively engaged, asking insightful questions that showcased their strong grasp of how our government operates. As a memento of his visit, Milton presented our school leaders with a special gift—an Australian flag that had been flown in the House of Representatives.

Blessing of the Animals

Reverend Sharon Mitchell and Chaplain Stephanie Cotroneo will conduct a special service in the Prep School’s Early Childhood Playground to bless family animals on Saturday 19 October from 9:30 to 10:30 am.

All Churchie families are invited to our annual service, during which we gather to give thanks for our beloved pets and God’s creation. Your furry, finned and four-legged pets, friendly and with leads/carry cases, are welcome to join us. If you are unable to bring your pet, you may like to bring a photo or drawing instead.

Students are to wear their blue and grey uniform to this event.

Canberra Tour 2024

On the first four days of the school holidays, 59 Year 6 boys had an unforgettable adventure on their recent tour to Canberra, filled with engaging educational experiences and memorable moments.

One of the major highlights was our visit to Parliament House, where students had the opportunity to explore the heart of Australia’s democracy. They toured both the House of Representatives and the Senate, learning about how laws are made and participating in a mock parliamentary session. The visit provided a deeper understanding of our government and sparked curiosity in many future leaders.

Another fascinating stop was the Australian Electoral Commission. Here, students gained insight into the electoral process and the importance of voting in shaping our nation. They even participated in a simulated election, which helped them grasp the fundamentals of our democratic system.

The cultural aspect of the trip was enriched with a visit to the National Gallery of Australia, where students were mesmerised by a range of stunning artworks, including iconic pieces of Australian history and contemporary art.

Overall, the Canberra Tour was a fantastic educational experience, filled with learning, exploration and fun! A big thank you to Mrs Guy, Mrs Valentine, Mrs Walker, Mrs Carr, Mr Frewin and Mrs Nicholson, who supported our Year 6 boys.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their civics and citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion, the Australian Government contributes $90 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate initiative costs. The rebate is paid directly to the School upon completion of the excursion.

Anglicare collection

On behalf of Anglicare Brisbane Children and Families (foster and kinship care agency), we extend our deepest appreciation to you for your continued support of our foster and kinship carer families at Christmas time. The children’s gifts provided by our community last year meant Anglicare was able to put smiles on the faces of our children at a time that can be so difficult for them, being away from their biological parents.

Anglicare’s team supports 85 children and young people in out-of-home care, ages up to 17, as well as the biological children in foster and kinship carer families who so generously share their homes with children in need. Over the Christmas period, this number increases, and their carer families are often unexpectedly opening their homes to more children in need. As a result of your support with donations of gifts, Anglicare can provide a number of beautiful and thoughtful presents to some of our community’s most vulnerable people, ensuring they can have a memorable Christmas.

Anglicare supports a fairly balanced mix of boys and girls up to age 17. For children aged 13+, gift cards are well received as they like to go shopping and choose something themselves. We just ask for any gift card donations to not include liquor services.

All donations can be delivered to Chaplain Stephanie’s office in the Prep Admin building.

Camps in Term 4

• Year 3: Burleigh Heads, Tuesday 1 to Wednesday 2 October
• Year 4: Emu Gully, Wednesday 16 October to Friday 18 October
• Year 5: Tyalgum Ridge Retreat, Monday 4 to Wednesday 6 November

Use of school crossing

Please note that before and after school, boys should only cross Oaklands Parade at the supervised crossing near Gate 1, the main Prep School entry. As these are very busy traffic periods, a crossing supervisor is provided to ensure the safety of the boys and others using the crossing. When dropping off boys on the western side of Oaklands Parade in the morning, please insist that the boys use the supervised crossing.

Please note that there is no parking in front of the Health Centre and Churchie Shop on Oaklands Parade. Brisbane City Council has just replaced the signs in front of this building and will be regularly monitoring this area.

Class placements 2025

As we move towards the end of the year, planning for 2025 is well underway. Class placements for 2025 will be communicated to our parent community at the end of this year in preparation for the commencement of the academic year. Our staff is in the initial stages of looking at class allocations, and we are undertaking a thorough process to ensure we continue to have the boys at the forefront of our decision-making.

When allocating boys to classes, there are several factors we consider. One key priority is ensuring we have an even spread of academic ability levels across each of our classes, and another is ensuring that the social structure of classes is conducive to both learning and the building of friendships. This sometimes means we need to separate boys when a friendship becomes a distraction to their learning and enables boys to further their friendship circles. Other factors that help determine our class allocations are the social/emotional needs of our boys, student interests and, if applicable, personal and family backgrounds. As a school, we also need to consider our entry points and the impact this has on our class placements. The construction of class groupings is therefore a process we take very seriously and plan for carefully in collaboration with class teachers, specialist staff and the Preparatory School Executive team.

When creating class lists, the School will consider all information about a boy that may have been communicated to the teacher, Deputy Heads and Head of Prep School throughout the year. The School will then create balanced classes according to the educational and social information we have about each of our boys. We do value these ongoing conversations; however, class placements will remain the professional and operational responsibility of the School and, as such, we will not be accepting requests for specific teachers.

As you can appreciate, the consideration of all these factors makes class placement a time-consuming but important process. We feel positive that the extensive time and care we give to this process, together with the talented and committed team of staff into whose classes we are placing each boy, mean we are able to produce the best possible class combinations to benefit each and every boy.

We know you appreciate the careful consideration that goes into these decisions and the competence and dedication of every member of our team involved in the process.

Mark Wyer
Head of Preparatory School