Over the last week, we have enjoyed many opportunities to celebrate student leadership and achievement in a range of significant areas.
Speech Night
While learning extends far beyond the pursuit of accolades, we take great pride in celebrating success at Speech Night each year. These achievements are the result of sustained effort and dedication, intellectual curiosity, excellent organisation and a genuine passion for learning. We commend all Year 7 to 12 students who received an award last Friday at Brisbane City Hall. In particular, the Headmaster announced the following:
Year 12 Outstanding Excellence awards
The Barry Kelly AM Making of Men Award Hugh Agnew
The Spirit of Churchie Award William Whitehead
The John Crampton Andrews Memorial Award James Aralar
Year 12 Outstanding Academic Excellence awards
We were also delighted to congratulate and commend the following Year 12 boys who received our Outstanding Academic Excellence awards for 2024:
The E D Lee Memorial Prize for Proxime Accessit to the Dux in IB Bill McCart
The C E Elliott Rhodes Scholarship Award for Proxime Accessit to the Dux in QCE Henry Hillier
The Neville Harpham Memorial Prize – Dux of the School in IB Finbar Curran
The Tyrwhitt Memorial Cup – Dux of the School in QCE Garry Chen
The night also featured beautiful music and great speeches, including from our outgoing 2024 School Captain Noah Monahan.
Last Friday’s Awards Assembly in Morris Hall recognised a range of cocurricular achievements in 2024. We also announced our new student leaders from the class of 2025. Their names and areas of responsibility are listed below. Prefects and house captains will be formally commissioned at the beginning of next year as part of our Founder’s Day service at St John’s Cathedral.
Oliver Reid, Biggs House Vice-Captain (Cocurricular)
Harry Waddell, Biggs House Vice-Captain (Service)
Dan Louw, Biggs House Vice-Captain (Spiritual Awareness)
Casey
Alfie Bowman, Casey House Captain
Charlie Wehl, Casey House Vice-Captain (Cocurricular)
Joshua Crain, Casey House Vice-Captain (Service)
Don Hoey, Casey House Vice-Captain (Spiritual Awareness)
Gerald
Will Chandler, Gerald House Captain
Harry West, Gerald House Vice-Captain (Cocurricular)
Tom Shearer, Gerald House Vice-Captain (Service)
Ben Williams, Gerald House Vice-Captain (Spiritual Awareness)
Goodwin
Cooper Cory, Goodwin House Captain
Liam Gordon, Goodwin House Vice-Captain (Cocurricular)
Roly Arnell, Goodwin House Vice-Captain (Service)
Louis Brown, Goodwin House Vice-Captain (Spiritual Awareness)
Grenfell
Angus Storen, Grenfell House Captain
Angus Underwood, Grenfell House Vice-Captain (Cocurricular)
Harry Johnson, Grenfell House Vice-Captain (Service)
Angus Pearce Mann, Grenfell House Vice-Captain (Spiritual Awareness)
Hillary
Peter Sousalis, Hillary House Captain
Thomas Hatzifotis, Hillary House Vice-Captain (Cocurricular)
James Lee, Hillary House Vice-Captain (Service)
GG Gasperini, Hillary House Vice-Captain (Spiritual Awareness)
Kingsley
Henry Peters, Kingsley House Captain
Liam Meade, Kingsley House Vice-Captain (Cocurricular)
Kaiden Ball, Kingsley House Vice-Captain (Service)
Max O’Connor, Kingsley House Vice-Captain (Spiritual Awareness)
Magnus
Harry O’Connell, Magnus House Captain
Alexander Barrett, Magnus House Vice-Captain (Cocurricular)
Jeongmin Choi, Magnus House Vice-Captain (Service)
Samuel Holmes, Magnus House Vice-Captain (Spiritual Awareness)
Mansfield
Sam Cooper, Mansfield House Captain
Kai Summerfield, Mansfield House Vice-Captain (Cocurricular)
Ethan Jeong, Mansfield House Vice-Captain (Service)
Tighe Morris, Mansfield House Vice-Captain (Spiritual Awareness)
Mawson
Anthony Minglis, Mawson House Captain
Spencer Parkes, Mawson House Vice-Captain (Cocurricular)
Spencer Kilimnik, Mawson House Vice-Captain (Service)
Hayden Smith, Mawson House Vice-Captain (Spiritual Awareness)
Nansen
Max Gleeson, Nansen House Captain
Tom Wood, Nansen House Vice-Captain (Cocurricular)
Lachlan Perrin, Nansen House Vice-Captain (Service)
Lloyd Winson, Nansen House Vice-Captain (Spiritual Awareness)
2025 Prefects
Tim Angliss
Fletcher Austin
Gordon Barrie
Oliver Crum
Diego De Leon
William Evenden
Sean Hansen
Junee Kim
Alex Ma
Henry Majer
Ethan Norton
Fraser Roach
George Samios
Ned Schmidt
Hiro Sugimura
2025 Student Executive
George Samios, School Captain
William Evenden, School Vice-Captain
Gordon Barrie, School Vice-Captain
Ned Schmidt, School Vice-Captain and Head Boarder
I would like to thank our 2024 Year 12 student leadership team for all their dedication this year. They leave a strong legacy for the young men listed above to continue shaping a positive, respectful and inclusive school culture with their own formidable energy and influence in 2025.
Tri-Service Cadets Graduation Parade
The annual Tri-Service Cadets Graduation Parade was held last Saturday at dusk on Main Oval. Lieutenant Colonel Scott Revell, serving as our Reviewing Officer, delivered an address while various elements of the ceremony reflected rich military symbolism and tradition. We commend our graduating cadets for their service to Churchie’s cadet programme. We also extend our congratulations to the award recipients for their outstanding achievements within our Navy, Army and Air Force units.
We wish all our Year 12 students only the very best for their external QCE and IB examinations, which commence next Monday. We know our students will seize every opportunity to enhance their performance right to the very last minute of their final examination.
Richard Wheeldon Deputy Headmaster
Churchie Parents Advisory Association
CPAA Executive membership in 2025
While all Churchie parents are automatically general members of the CPAA, there is also a CPAA Executive body, which meets one to two times per term to provide parent input and advice directly to the School Executive and School Council on matters of strategic and practical importance. In 2024, the CPAA Executive worked with the School in relation to fundraising policy, the master building plan, cocurricular support, volunteer engagement and boarding provision, among other topics.
The School Council appoints the Executive, which consists of two representatives from the Prep School, Years 7 to 9, Years 10 to 12, boarding and cocurricular support groups, and one representative from Parent Connect. Members are appointed for 12 months at a time, with a maximum term of four years. The Constitution is available on myChurchie on the CPAA page.
Are you interested in joining the CPAA Executive in 2025? Nominations are now open and we encourage all interested parents to apply by completing the document at this link and returning it to cpaa@churchie.com.au by Friday 25 October 2024. Our current Chair, Angela Rae, would be happy to talk further if you would like more information—she can be contacted at agrae@burnettlane.com.au.
Notice of Parent Connect AGM
The Annual General Meeting of Parent Connect will be held at Brenan Pavilion, Churchie on Wednesday 30 October from 9 am onwards.
Under the constitution, all positions on the Executive Committee are declared vacant and nominations are called for the following positions:
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Service Coordinator
Database Coordinator
Nominations for the positions above should be received by the Parents Committee Secretary prior to the Annual General Meeting scheduled for Wednesday 30 October 2024. Please see further details here.
If you would like to have a discussion about your interest and learn more about the roles, please email the Parent Connect team at mccommunity1950@gmail.com.
Prep School
Value of the week: determination
When you use determination, you focus your energy and efforts on a task and stick with it until it is finished. Determination is using your willpower to do something when it isn’t easy. You are determined to meet your goals even when doing so is hard or you are being tested. With determination, we make our dreams come true.
Attribute of the week: open-minded
When you are open-minded, you understand and appreciate your own culture and personal histories and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. You seek and evaluate a range of points of view and you are willing to grow from the experience.
The importance of teacher professional development
In the ever-evolving landscape of education, our teachers play a pivotal role in shaping the future for our boys. They are the heart of our classrooms, facilitating learning and inspiring curiosity. As educational standards, technology and teaching pedagogies advance, it becomes essential for teachers to continually grow. This is where professional development plays an important role for our teachers—a critical tool for ensuring teachers remain effective and, by extension, improve outcomes for our boys.
Professional development is something that all Prep School teachers are constantly engaged in, allowing our staff to stay current with educational trends, enhancing their teaching skills and providing better learning experiences for our boys. We currently have Angela Ehmer, a literacy coach, working alongside our staff to ensure we provide best practice in reading instruction. Several staff members have undertaken university short courses to improve their practice in reading, and we have upskilled our teacher aides to enhance reading throughout the early years in the Prep School.
A further commitment to our ongoing professional development is the opportunity for staff to apply for a research grant through the Harrop Teaching Fellowship. I am very proud to share that Shay Thomas and Lauren Fernandes (Year 2 teachers) have been awarded the 2025 Harrop Teaching Fellowship. This embodies the deep commitment our staff have to their ongoing professional development and growth. Shay and Lauren’s focus for 2025 will be on the science of reading. I know you will join me in congratulating these two outstanding teachers.
House celebrations
As part of our end-of-year celebrations, our housemasters will be hosting a House Breakfast, where all boys from Years 3 to 6, along with their parents, are invited to join them in a morning of celebration for the inaugural year of the house system. Further details will be provided closer to the dates. Please save the following dates for our House Breakfasts:
Thursday 14 November: Angles and Danes
Friday 15 November: Saxons and Jutes
Year 2
By Year 2 student Calvin Chan.
Croak, croak! Renata, or should we say Tiddalick, gave us in Year 2 a great show in the Plaza on Monday afternoon this week. First, she told us about the history of Australia with her guitar and catchy songs. Renata and some lucky students got to act out the story of Tiddalick. Thomas was a water-thirsty frog, Luka was a hopping kangaroo, Carter was a tall emu and Adi was a cuddly koala who made Tiddalick laugh. We then had to act out some Australian animals. This turned into a draw between the best movements of 2A and 2B Australian animals. Lastly, we sang some upbeat songs and answered questions about stories from the past. It was such a fun afternoon learning about Indigenous culture and the history of Australia.
Year 3
This term, the Year 3 boys will be learning about how heat can transform a state of matter in our unit of inquiry ‘How the world works’. Through the key concepts of change and causation, the Year 3 boys will investigate how heat is transferred from an object, resulting in change. Our unit began with the boys stepping into the role of a scientist and taking part in an interactive incursion from Street Science. Their attention was transfixed as ‘Gelson’ demonstrated how chemicals and physical science are used to create a reaction, transforming states of matter.
Shannon Nicholson Year 3 Team Leader
Year 5 Australia Zoo Recap
Written by Year 5 students Benjamin Potter and Kush Pabari
This term, we have been learning about adaptations of living things, the influence of places and how the Earth’s surface has changed through erosion and weathering. The atmosphere was filled with anticipation as 125 excited boys boarded the bus for the journey to Australia Zoo. Upon arrival, we split into groups to discover different animals and learn about their adaptations to their environment. We saw the reptiles, which were huge and had mesmerising scales.
The crocodiles were also beyond impressive, with their powerful jaws and long tails. We then had a talk with a keeper who told us all about freshwater and saltwater crocodiles. Did you know that a crocodile has a third eyelid and can retract its eyes into its head? We also learnt that some crocodiles have dermal pressure receptors (DPRs), which help them detect vibrations and pressure in the water and on land. This allows them to navigate their environment and communicate. We also noticed how still crocodiles can be—most of the small freshwater crocodiles were on land, while the saltwater crocodiles were mainly in the water.
After the talk, we wandered around the zoo exploring animals in our groups. We saw a lot of incredible animals, from tiny meerkats to tall giraffes. We were fortunate to watch a cheetah running to catch his lunch—it was like a blur! In conclusion, Australia Zoo was a blast, and we were incredibly sad to see it fade away as we rode the bus back to Churchie.
MusicFest
The Prep Strings and Prep Junior Strings were both awarded Gold Awards at Music Fest held on Monday 14 October at Iona College. Congratulations to our talented and dedicated boys, and thank you to our wonderful directors and accompanists—Mr Hooper, Ms Leask, Mrs Rochet and Mrs Oxenford—for their support. What a fantastic achievement for both ensembles and a testament to their hard work and outstanding musicianship!
We look forward to hearing the Prep Band compete in their section at MusicFest next Wednesday 23 October, at Ferny Grove State School.
Melissa Black Head of Prep Music
Book Fair
Our Where the Wild Things Are Book Fair, a fundraiser for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, has been extremely popular with the boys this week. Please be mindful that the fair will be set up in the library until lunchtime on Friday, so you still have time after school on Thursday and before school on Thursday and Friday to finish your library shopping. However, online orders will remain open for an additional week. Please visit the Wild Things Schools website for more information.
Blessing of the Animals
Archbishop Jeremy Greaves will join Senior Chaplain Sharon Mitchell and Prep School Chaplain Stephanie Cotroneo to conduct a special service in the Prep School’s Early Childhood Playground to bless family animals on Saturday 15 October from 9:30 to 10:30 am.
This very special service will acknowledge the wonderful place pets play in our lives. 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 attending are to wear their Blues uniform.
On behalf of Anglicare Brisbane Children and Families (foster and kinship care agency), we extend our deepest appreciation for your continued support of our foster and kinship carer families at Christmas. The children’s gifts provided by our community last year meant that Anglicare was able to put smiles on the faces of our children at a time that can be difficult, as they are away from their biological parents.
Anglicare’s team supports 85 children and young people in out-of-home care, aged between zero and 17 years, as well as the biological children in foster and kinship care families, who so generously share their homes. During Christmas, this number increases, with carer families often unexpectedly opening their homes to more children. As a result of your support, with donations of gifts and suitable gift cards, Anglicare can provide beautiful 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 aged from zero to 17. For children aged 13 and above, gift cards are well received, as they like to shop and choose something themselves. Please ensure that gift card donations exclude liquor services.
All donations can be delivered to Chaplain Stephanie’s office in the Prep Admin building.
Camps in Term 4
Year 4: Emu Gully, Wednesday 16 October to Friday 18 October
Year 5: Tyalgum Ridge Retreat, Monday 4 to Wednesday 6 November
Mark Wyer Head of Preparatory School
Chaplain’s Corner
Christmas card designers
Each year Archbishop Jeremy Greaves sends a Christmas message to hundreds of people across Australia and the world. This year Archbishop Jeremy selected three artworks created by Year 5 students at Churchie to use as designs for his Christmas cards. The Archbishop told the boys,
‘I was so impressed with all of the designs, it was too hard to choose just one.’
The boys have reflected on their Christmas card designs below:
Austin Li: My design is the birth of Jesus and Mary taking care of him. My favourite part of the nativity story is when the angel said, ‘Do not be afraid, I bring you good news that will cause great joy!’ because it makes the people in that community happy and excited for Jesus to be born. Christmas is a time to remember Jesus and God and pray to them.
Angus Richmond: My design symbolises Mary and Joseph with Jesus. They are under the star that the magi saw and signalled to them that Jesus was born, God’s son. My favourite part of the nativity story is when Jesus was born they put him in the manger and all the animals were surrounding him. Jesus came to give peace to the earth again and to teach everyone to learn how to respect and love God.
Alan Wu: My design is a dove flying in the night sky. The dove symbolises peace and the sky symbolises the night when Jesus was born. My favourite part of the nativity story is when the angels of God guided Joseph and Mary to the place where Jesus was born. The Christmas story has sacredness and is important for people to understand.
Senior School
Interhouse competition 2024
The 2024 interhouse competition for the Student Representative Cup (SRC) was, as ever, a closely fought event. All the houses are to be commended for their excellent participation throughout the year. That said, special mention must be made of those houses that won the respective events, as outlined below:
Queensland History Teachers’ Association historical writing competition
We are pleased to announce the outstanding achievements of several of our students in the recent Queensland History Teachers’ Association (QHTA) Historical Writing Competition. This competition pits students from independent, Catholic and state schools across Queensland and the Northern Territory. This year saw the largest number of entries, with standards continually improving, all of which makes our successes even more pleasing.
In the Year 10 History essay category, Hao Hiep Nguyen secured a remarkable second place and was also the winner of the prestigious Years 7 to 10 Human Rights and Civil Liberties special category. This is a fantastic recognition of Hao Hiep’s dedication and insight into this significant area of historical study. Shaun Campbell also received a Highly Commended award in the Year 10 History category, showcasing his extremely developed historical essay writing skills.
In the Year 12 Modern History Independent Source Investigation category, Hamish Barwick achieved an impressive third place. His thorough research and critical evaluation of sources were rightfully acknowledged. As one of the judges for this competition, I can attest to the extremely small difference between the top three placegetters – Hamish’s ISI was truly exemplary.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to these students for their hard work and dedication to the craft of producing history writing of the highest calibre. Well done.
Nigel Page Head of Humanities
Ben Green – JCU Heroes in Business
Business Management is one of the most popular IB subjects at Churchie, with many students choosing to combine it with economics in their subject selection. The University of Queensland values the IB Business Management course highly, offering IB students who achieve a six in this course an exemption from a first-year university subject in a range of Business degrees.
Year 11 IB student Ben Green is a current business management student with a passion for pursuing a business-related career after school. Last term, he attended the James Cook University – Heroes in Business one-day programme, which allowed him to further this interest by engaging in various activities surrounding practical business scenarios and learning how to deal with them.
Some of Ben’s experiences included:
Learning about each department’s role in a business, including human resources, finance and management.
Engaging in a panel discussion with a finance broker and a representative from Queensland Country Bank.
Delivering presentations and proposing different business ideas to help a given business adapt to artificial intelligence.
Ben would highly recommend the programme as he was able to meet and collaborate with Year 11 and 12 students from different schools around Brisbane and learn from several banking industry experts.
Catherine Prosser Dean of International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
GPS Track and Field Championship spectating
The GPS Track and Field Championships will be held on Friday 18 October 2024. To support the Churchie Track and Field team, all Year 8 and Year 11 students will attend as spectators.
The 13 years to Open events begin at 1:30 pm, and the presentations are expected to conclude at approximately 8:15 pm.
Date: Friday 18 October 2024
Venue: Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre (QSAC), Kessels Road, Nathan.
Transport: Buses will depart from Oaklands Parade at 1 pm, and all spectators will return to Oaklands Parade at approximately 8:45 pm.
Uniform: Blues with Akubra.
Requirements: Students must bring sunscreen, a water bottle and food or money to purchase these items at the venue.
Please note that there will be no period 5 or 6 classes for Year 8 and Year 11 students on Friday 18 October. If your son is unable to attend, please notify Student Absentees via the normal absentee process.
Ordering Senior School photos
Please note that if you would still like to purchase Senior School photos, contact the Senior School via seniorschool@churchie.com.au to access your son’s Individual student key. You will need this key to purchase photos through the Leading Image website. Leading Image will communicate directly with you online and post your photos to your home for your convenience. Any further enquiries should be referred directly to Leading Image via info@leadingimage.com.au.
Rod Olsen Head of Senior School
Boarding
Destination Boarding
Headmaster Dr Alan Campbell and Director of Boarding Mike Symons recently featured as guests on the Destination Boarding podcast, ahead of Churchie’s visit to the Mount Isa Boarding Schools Expo on 2 December.
Dr Campbell and Mike discussed Churchie’s thriving boarding programme and the School’s strong ties to rural and remote Australia.
Headmaster Dr Alan Campbell and Director of Boarding Mike Symons
Music
Speech Night
Congratulations to the members of the Symphony Orchestra and Senior Voices for providing outstanding musical interludes and leading the hymns in City Hall for the annual Speech Night celebrations. The highlight of the evening was, of course, the Churchie Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Michael Keen, performing ‘Jupiter’ by Gustav Holst. This performance truly embodied the abundance of life and vitality that characterises the piece, with the values of generosity and nobility captured in the broad, slow melody at its centre. Rosemary Oxenford elevated the second interlude with a massed choir, including members of the St John’s Cathedral Choristers and the Symphony Orchestra, performing Handel’s ‘Messiah’. The performance featured amazing imitative contrapuntal and homophonic iterations of the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus. It’s hard to believe Handel composed this masterpiece in just three weeks. Feedback from staff and parents has been overwhelmingly positive. A special thank you also goes to Christian Gante for his accompaniment on the organ, which is always a particular highlight and a privilege when performing in City Hall.
As our Year 12 students finish their final performances at Speech Night and the Tri-Service Cadets Parade, it is fitting to hear some of their reflections on the year, the memories and advice for the younger generation:
Written by Year 12 student Captain of Strings Finbar Curran.
‘I have been a part of Chamber Strings 1, Symphony Orchestra and the Musical Pit Band this year. My favourite memory from this year was Gala. It was wonderful to see the Churchie music community come together in full force. My favourite memory from all of my time doing music at Churchie is the 2021 Strings Concert. The music was enjoyable and the atmosphere was great. My advice for younger students in the programme is to make the most of the opportunities you have to form connections across year levels. These opportunities are not common, and the relationships they can produce are often meaningful.’
Written by Year 12 student and Captain of Music James Aralar.
‘This year, I participated in Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Strings 1, Big Band 1, Jazz Combo and the Senior String Quartet. Outside of school ensembles, I was selected to play in the GPS Music Showcase Symphony Orchestra and the Brisbane Grammar Strings Festival Orchestra. My favourite music memory of this year is split between Strings Fest and Jazz Under the Stars. Both were massive performances with huge crowds, and I was able to play alongside some very talented and entertaining musicians.’
‘If I had to choose a single favourite event from my time in Churchie Music it would most likely be the jazz workshop at QPAC last year with Carlos Henriquez, Wynton Marsalis’ knowledgeable and friendly bass player. My advice for the next generation of musicians would be to play the music you enjoy and keep in mind that you are a role model for younger musicians. Music is unique in that it allows you to build connections with students in all year levels over the course of a year, so ensure that you build good relationships with those you are performing alongside.’
James Aralar, Captain of Music
Awards Assembly
A huge congratulations to Gabin Won (Year 11) for performing the virtuosic first movement of Ibert’s Flute Concerto. Earlier this year, Gabin performed the second movement of the same concerto at Churchie’s Best Solos, where he went on to become the eventual winner. Please take the time to listen to the recording from Gabin’s Awards Assembly performance below:
Tri-Service Cadets Parade
Congratulations to Morris Wind Symphony for supporting and aptly accompanying the cadets on their final parade. The Wind Symphony opened with a rendition of American Barndance by Richard Saucedo, followed by an abridged version of Interstellar by Noah D Taylor, showcasing the beautiful timbres of a full wind symphony. A huge thank you to all the new members who participated on short notice and to the Year 12s who returned to support the Morris Wind Symphony and the cadets. A special thank you must go to bugler Luka Roberts (Year 11), who performed many solo bugle commands on the day, ensuring the parade was a success.
Over the weekend, Churchie clarinet students participated in the Queensland Saxophone and Clarinet Competition, which featured 117 participants across various sections. Several of our solo competitors and ensembles were among the award recipients:
Alexander Ling, alto saxophone – 3rd place in the Saxophone Beginner (up to Grade 2) division
Daniel Zhou, alto saxophone – 2nd prize in the Saxophone Grade 3–4 division
Squeak, Clarinet Ensemble – 2nd place in the Junior Ensemble division
Wind Power Clarinet Ensemble – 1st place in the Intermediate Ensemble division
Toby Pattison, bass clarinet – Highly Commended in the hotly contested Paul Kopetz Bass Clarinet and Baritone Prize, and the only awarded bass clarinettist in this category
Toby Pattison, bass clarinet – 3rd place in the Australian Work division
In addition, Lindsay Yokoyama, Alex Carson, Michael Jin and Daniel Zhou (clarinet) all delivered strong performances in their respective sections. A huge thank you to Dr Rianne Wilschut for mentoring, preparing and organising such an amazing experience for the clarinet students at Churchie.
Prep Strings and Junior Prep Strings MusicFest
Congratulations to Prep Strings and Junior Prep Strings who were both awarded a gold at MusicFest on Monday 14 October 2024. This is the first time that Prep Strings have achieved a gold award, and they should be extremely proud of their efforts under the guidance of Acting Head of Strings Joanne Leask and Ben Hooper, who is currently on long service leave.
Music Camp
Best wishes to the members of all the premiere ensembles attending Music Camp this week. The weekend provides an amazing opportunity to get to know your ensemble members, work with guest conductors and prepare the 2025 repertoire, with almost a term’s worth of repertoire allocated to each of the premiere ensembles. Please be punctual and show your best both inside and outside the rehearsal room to ensure the weekend is a success for you, the ensembles and the staff who graciously and enthusiastically dedicate their weekends to you.
Bohdan Davison Director of Music
Sport
We turn our focus to the GPS Track and Field Championships at Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre this Friday. We anticipate a robust competition and look forward to competing against the other GPS schools.
Good luck to our team of boys representing Churchie in all track and field events.
Swimming
We welcome all new and returning families to the commencement of our season on Monday next week. Boys, it’s time to get your training gear ready and caps dusted off to dive in for our first pool session. Our new and returning coaches look forward to welcoming you back on deck. Training schedules and key dates for the season are available for download on myChurchie – Swimming.
All registered GPS swimming athletes are invited to join us at our annual January camps for fun training and team-based activities.
2025 Junior GPS Swim Day Clinic
Years 5, 6 and 7 boys – must be registered for GPS swimming Wednesday 22 January 2025 Barry McCart Aquatic Centre, Churchie Register here – closes 30 November 2024
2025 GPS Swim Camp
Years 8 to 12 – must be registered for GPS swimming 20 to 21 January 2025 Gold Coast Performance Centre, Southport Register here – closes 30 November 2024
For camp details, the itinerary and the payment link, please visit myChurchie – Swimming.
Chess
2024 Queensland Schools Teams Chess Championships Summary
Churchie has emerged as the Queensland state champion in the senior and junior divisions at the Queensland Schools Teams Chess Championships 2024. These victories secure Churchie’s position as Queensland’s representative at the Australian Schools Teams Chess Championships, which will be held in Perth on Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 December.
Senior division:
In a fiercely contested tournament, Churchie, Kings Christian College and Brisbane State High School (BSHS) were neck and neck on points heading into the final round. After the sixth round, Churchie clinched the title on a countback with 18 game wins, narrowly edging out Kings Christian College, who also had 18 game wins. BSHS finished third with 17.5 game wins. This has been the most thrilling result in a decade at the Queensland Interschool Chess competitions.
Senior results:
ACGS – 6 games, 5 match wins, 18 game wins – First
Kings Christian College – 6 games, 5 match wins, 18 game wins – Second
BSHS – 6 games, 5 match wins, 17.5 game wins – Third
Notable performances included Sraven Renjith from Churchie, who won the Board 1 award with five wins out of six matches. Jayden Ooi also placed third on Board 2 with 4.5 wins. Ryan Xing and Liaw were strategically interchanged depending on the opposition, a tactical move to match the opponents’ strengths with excellent results. Ryan Liaw narrowly missed the board prize with a tournament score of 4.5/5. Nicholas Bond, Churchie’s chess captain, gave a gracious victory speech, thanking the participants, organisers and Churchie’s chess programme directors and coaches for their dedication. Senior players were Sraven Renjith, IM Jayden Ooi, FM Zerui Xing, Ryan Liaw and Nicholas Bond.
Junior division:
Churchie’s first team dominated the competition in the junior division, winning the title with an outstanding 22-game win. All four players in the team—Zeqi Zing, Owen Shen, Yuwei Wang and Austin Li—won their respective boards, showcasing their exceptional skills. Somerville House secured second place with 16.5 game wins, and Churchie’s second team claimed third place on a countback with 15.5 game wins, narrowly edging out The Southport School (TSS) and Brisbane Grammar School (BGS).
Junior results:
ACGS (1) – 6 games, 6 match wins, 22 game wins – First
Sommerville House – 6 games, 5 match wins, 16.5 game wins – Second
ACGS (2) – 6 games, 5 match wins, 15.5 game wins – Third
TSS – 6 games, 5 match wins, 15.5 game wins – Fourth
Congratulations to Zining Jie (Matthew), Azaan Bansal, Chris Cong, Ethan Wu and Zhibin Yan of Churchie’s second team for their strong performance. This is especially pleasing as this team draws mainly from Years 2 and 3, all past or current participants in our Tuesday Chess Academy.
The two-day event required intense concentration, and all players demonstrated exemplary skill and focus as they undertook six two-hour examinations of their chess skill, patience and perseverance over a sultry Queensland weekend.
Churchie’s triumph in both divisions is a testament to the exceptional chess programme and the unwavering dedication of its students, coaches and directors. Their commitment and hard work have brought glory to the school and inspired the entire chess community.
We are now in the fundraising phase to send these two teams to Perth for the 2024 Australian Schools Teams Chess Championships, which will be held at Duncraig Senior High School on Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 December.
If you can assist us, please contact our Chess Support Group president Derek Bond on 0439 762 951 or via email: derek.bond1591@gmail.com.
Max Condon Director of Chess
Sporting achievements
Congratulations to Andrew Watene, who was recently selected for the Australian Men’s U15 basketball team. Andrew will be competing in the FIBA Oceania Championship in Canberra from 11 to 17 November.
Trent Goodrick Head of Cocurricular
Parent Connect
Parent Connect is the school-wide parent community support group focused on nurturing the fun and family-centric side of school life. We provide valuable support services through formal and informal networks across the School. We intentionally communicate, connect, coordinate services and facilitate wellbeing support for our families and the greater community. Click here to view on myChurchie.
Parent Connect Annual General Meeting
The Parent Connect AGM will be held at Brenan Pavilion at 9 am on Wednesday 30 October. This will be followed by an end-of-year lunch.
Join here. The Churchie parent community has a long-standing initiative to enable the sharing of contact details for those who opt in and provide consent. Joining the Parent Connect database is easy. Once you have joined, you will receive communication from your parent coordinators, access to your cohort’s parent contact list and membership to the private Facebook groups.
Parent Connect Contacts
Click here to meet the Executive Team and Coordinator Community of volunteer parents. Each year, house and service activity has dedicated, friendly peer contacts for parents, helping them navigate school life, host social connections and administer private Facebook groups.
Upcoming events
Upcoming events and dates for your diary are below:
Best wishes, Parent Connect Executive Team and Coordinator Community.
the churchie emerging art prize
Save the date!
Prize announcement: Friday 22 November 6 to 8 pm at Metro Arts, West End. Churchie families are invited to attend the exciting prize announcement event, open to everyone.
From a pool of over 500 entrants, 16 emerging artists have been selected to exhibit as finalists and be considered for prizes totalling over $40,000 in the country’s most diverse art prize for emerging contemporary artists—the churchie emerging art prize (‘the churchie’).
Each artist was selected based on the diversity, innovation and uniqueness applied to their creation, showcasing Australian contemporary art in practice. Each work of art will be displayed at the Finalists’ Exhibition from 22 to 30 November 2024, hosted at Metro Arts.
The national prize invites early-career artists over 18, regardless of age, practice or medium, to exhibit and be considered for awards totalling over $40,000.
The major prize, sponsored by BSPN Architecture, has increased to $30,000, reflecting the growing excitement and engagement with the emerging artist award. Finalists will also be considered for a $5,000 Special Commendation Award by Fardoulys Constructions, two Commendations valued at $1,500 each (sponsored by A1 Frames), and a People’s Choice Prize valued at $3,000.
Now in its 37th year, ‘the churchie’ is Australia’s longest-running prize for emerging artists. It provides an exceptional platform for career opportunities, education and direct engagement with the broader arts community.
Congratulations to: Marion Abraham, Josie Alexandra, Joel Arthur, Nick Breedon, Chun Yin ‘Rainbow’ Chan, Samantha Dennis, Claire Ellis, Ming Liew, Edwina McLennan, Shannon O’Hara, Sid Pattni, Josina Pumani, Chrystal Rimmer, Nicholas Smith, Melissa Stannard and Prita Tina Yeganeh.
This year, the churchie committee has invited QAGOMA’s Curator of Australian Art, Samantha Littley, to judge the artworks and select the recipients of the Overall Winner and Commendation awards. Samantha Littley has enjoyed a varied career as a curator, writer and educator at a range of cultural institutions, including the National Gallery of Australia, Australian National University and the University of Queensland Art Museum.
The exhibition will take place at Metro Arts this November, continuing the institution’s legacy of promoting innovation and excellence across art, as well as supporting the future of Australian contemporary arts practice.
Churchie Foundation raffle
The Ultimate $500k Sports Car and Experience Raffle
The Churchie Foundation is giving you the opportunity to win extraordinary prizes from a prize pool valued at $500,000. Prizes include a Porsche vehicle package valued at $320,000, Porsche Alpine Travel Experiences valued at $80,000 each and a Sports Travel Experience valued at $20,000.
Ticket sales close on Friday 22 November 2024 at 9 am.
The Churchie Cricket Luncheon will take place on Friday 15 November at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Bank. This will be the 19th annual Churchie Cricket Luncheon which over the years has generated significant financial support for the Churchie Grand Master Plan, the Churchie Cricket programme and many nominated charities. The 2024 Cricket Luncheon will support Parkinson’s Queensland.
As always, the luncheon will be full of fun including the traditional bowling competitions for both men and women, networking, quality raffles and auctions, a quality three-course meal, top-shelf beverages and wonderful entertainment from cricketing legends Doug Walters, Michael Vaughan and Simon Katich.
Tables of 10 and individual tickets are still available.
Pixevety is Churchie’s photo platform, where photos from across the School will be uploaded weekly. The system recognises students so parents can simply click ‘myVIPs’ and see their son’s photos in one easy location.
Families new to the School may not see ‘myVIPs’ yet, as new student ID photos are still to be processed in the system. However, you can still browse the galleries.
Watch the video below to learn how to use Pixevety.
We welcome mums and dads to volunteer at our tuckshops. Please contact the Tuckshop Volunteers Coordinator for more details if you can spare some time during the term to help in our busy tuckshops.
