The Weekly

Audio edition

Starting new this year, we have introduced this audio version of the Churchie Weekly Newsletter as a trial and an additional way for you to hear what’s on at Churchie. For feedback or general inquiries, please contact Churchie News.

From the Headmaster

Dear boys, staff and parents

‘The beginning is the most important part of the work.’ (Plato)

Welcome to the new academic year and a special welcome to families who joined the Churchie community for the first time in 2024. I join with the staff in expressing our excitement for the beginning of this school year and all the opportunities that lie ahead for our students. In a potent expression of the educational life cycle at Churchie, in the first hour of the first day, parents watched on as 44 Reception boys took their first steps into class just as 15 Year 12 students took their oath of prefectship—a commitment to lead the student body throughout 2024.

In our boarding community, we have new families from Bamaga, Townsville and Cairns in the north, south to Narrabri and from centres across the south-west and central regions of Queensland as well as the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. We also welcome expatriate families from Southeast Asia. We welcome all families into boarding and appreciate the way they enrich the whole school community.

New beginnings equal new opportunities. Every student, from Reception to Year 12, has a wonderful opportunity to begin afresh, set ambitious goals, and learn and grow beyond their own expectations.

Perhaps, like me, you have enjoyed seeing the recently released movie The Boys in the Boat, based on the beautifully written book by Daniel James Brown. It tells the true story of the University of Washington rowing crew (eight) who pursue their ambition of representing the USA at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games. Immersed in the overarching story is the personal narrative of crew member Joe Rantz, who rises from extreme poverty to achieve his goals through the pursuit of self-directed study, odd jobs in depression-era America and membership of the university boat shed. That Joe Rantz progressed to a long and successful professional and family life speaks volumes for the inspirational manner in which he seized opportunities and new beginnings. His determination to advance, against significant odds, serves as an inspiration to all and is a cogent reminder of the importance of throwing oneself into new opportunities and new beginnings.

Our hope for all the boys is that they give their all to this school year and grasp every opportunity to challenge and advance themselves in what, I am sure, will be a great year ahead.

Over the coming weeks, the boys will be introduced to new members of our staff team. Parents will have opportunities to meet our new staff at forthcoming events and parent-teacher conferences scheduled in our school calendar.

At our initial services in the Canon Jones Memorial Chapel or St John’s Cathedral, our newly appointed Senior Chaplain, The Reverend Sharon Mitchell, will be introduced. Reverend Sharon has served as an educator and ordained priest in a number of Anglican schools in Queensland for several years and brings a wealth of experience to lead the spiritual and worship life of the School.

Finally, I extend a cordial invitation to all parents to attend our annual Headmaster’s Welcome to Parents 2024 event in Magnus Quad on Friday 2 February from 6 to 8 pm. This will be an enjoyable opportunity to meet senior members of staff and new and returning parents.

With every good wish for a great year.

Dr Alan Campbell
Headmaster

Churchie Parents Advisory Association (CPAA)

The Churchie Parents Advisory Association (CPAA) communicates between the parent body and the School Executive and School Council and provides advice based on the information it gathers. All parents and guardians of Churchie students are automatically members of the CPAA.

CPAA general meetings

The CPAA Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be on Monday 29 January 2024 at 6 pm in The Nichols Science Theatre in the Stanley and May Smith Science Centre on Oaklands Parade. All parents, step-parents and guardians of current Churchie students are warmly invited to attend upcoming CPAA General Meetings:

For those unable to attend in person, you are welcome to join via video conference below:

Join on your computer, mobile app or room device

Click here to join the meeting
Download Teams | Join on the web

Or call in (audio only)

+61 2 9053 4985,,945606279# Australia, Sydney
Phone Conference ID: 945 606 279#

Prep School

I extend a warm welcome to the Churchie Prep community, and a special welcome to our new families—I know your Churchie experience will be a positive one. I hope everybody had an enjoyable Christmas vacation period and took the opportunity to recharge their batteries and prepare for an exciting year ahead.

Monday was a day full of excitement and optimism. The many smiling faces of boys (and parents) were lovely to witness as the boys returned to familiar faces and friends and met boys joining the School for the first time. We welcomed our Reception boys, who started their Churchie journey with our traditional chapel service with their parents. I look forward to the excitement, enthusiasm and joy the boys bring each day to our school.

This year promises to be one filled with great possibilities, endless challenges and great endeavour, whether that be in the classroom, on the sporting fields or in music lessons. I look forward to seeing our mission, the making of men, enacted by the boys.

Finally, I encourage all boys to challenge and extend themselves this year in as many fields as possible. When we are challenged, we stretch our thinking and our capabilities and really get to know ourselves and grow as people. I ask all parents to encourage their sons to do this, as the outcome and results often provide pleasant surprises.

Parent information evening

Date: Monday 29 January
Location: The Centenary Library Lecture Theatre

Prep School overview (optional)

Time: 5:15 to 6 pm

• New initiatives: maths pathways, gifted and talented offerings, and Switch4Schools
• House system
• Guidance counsellor
• myChurchie
• Reminder signatures
• Curriculum information night

Reception to Year 6 Classes

Time: 6 to 7 pm

Staffing 2024

This year we welcome several new staff who will be joining the Churchie Prep team.

• Chris Hetherton has joined us from The Springfield Anglican College and comes with a wealth of experience in early years education. He will be teaching in our Reception classroom.
• Neroli Kiem is our new Learning Support Coordinator. Neroli joins us from Brisbane State High School. She also brings a wealth of experience in supporting students and helping them achieve their potential.
• Sue Ashton is our new early years Japanese teacher. Sue has taught internationally and here in Australia. Sue is very talented as a multilinguist and is looking forward to working with our younger boys.
• Kim Nearhos will join the Personalised Learning Team as our EALD teacher. Kim has been involved at Churchie Prep in several roles, and we officially welcome Kim to the Prep Team.

This year we also welcome back staff who return after periods of long service leave during 2023—Scott Whitehead, Phil Hoyt, David Kennedy and John Grigg.

I know you will join me in welcoming our new staff, and I am looking forward to the contribution they will make to our Prep School.  

Curriculum Information Night

To provide further information about our teaching practices in the Prep School, we will be running a Curriculum Information Night. The focus of this night will be on our teaching practices in the Prep School. Our staff will be providing interactive workshops and sharing with you the pedagogy and methodology in teaching within these areas. It will be an entertaining and informative night that will help build further understanding for our parents about what is happening in our classrooms.

We are currently working on our topics for the evening and will share them with you once we have these finalised. There will be a lovely balance between core foundational skills and specialist topics for you to enjoy. Last year we had more than 140 parents in attendance, and it was great to receive such positive and affirming feedback.

We look forward to hosting you for an informative and enjoyable evening of learning.

Date: Monday 12 February 2024
Time: 6 to 7:30 pm

Around the grounds

It was lovely to see the boys enjoying their first week back at school.

Social media

We like to keep our parent community and friends of the School informed of what is taking place in the Prep School. One platform we use in the Prep School is our own Instagram page. This provides us with an opportunity to showcase the wonderful events, achievements and daily activities that take place in the Prep School. If you would like to follow us, we can be found at @churchieprep on Instagram. We look forward to sharing the 2024 school year with you through this platform.

Contacting the Prep School

Please don’t hesitate to contact the Prep Office (3896 2219 or prepschool@churchie.com.au) if you need clarification regarding any school-related matter. We are here to help. I look forward to a wonderful year in the Prep School.

Mark Wyer
Head of Preparatory School

Senior School

Senior School Prefects and House Leaders

At the Headmaster’s Welcome Back and Leadership Assembly, prefects, house captains and cocurricular captains were presented to the School. A full list of leadership positions is below.

Prefects

House leadership

Cocurricular Captains

Introduction to Year 7

It was wonderful to see so many families at the Introduction to Senior School morning on Friday 19 January. The families in attendance were introduced to their son’s form teacher and were provided with an insight into the day-to-day routine at Churchie. Students had the opportunity to meet their form teachers and peers in the classroom in preparation for their first day on Monday 22 January. Parents received presentations from Deputy Head of Senior School (Years 7 – 9) Berian Williams-Jones, Head of Year 7 Joe Hodges, School Captain Noah Monahan, Senior Chaplain The Reverend Sharon Mitchell, Head of Outdoor Education Jared Crunkhorn and Parent Connect President Emma Gasperini. The morning assisted in ensuring a smooth transition for both boys and families into the Senior School.

Our outstanding form teachers are listed below. They have begun working to get to know our newest students and have actively supported them as they joined the Senior School community.

Please be reminded that there will be a further Year 7 Outdoor Education briefing online for parents and students. This will take place on Wednesday 24 January at 6 pm. To access the link, please refer to the Year 7 page on myChurchie.

Joe Hodges
Head of Year 7

Founder’s Day Service

The annual Founder’s Day Service will be held at St John’s Cathedral, Ann Street, Brisbane on Wednesday 31 January commencing at 6 pm and concluding at approximately 7 pm. All students in Years 8, 11 and 12 are expected to be in attendance to share this wonderful occasion and support their peers. We ask that all students be seated in the Cathedral by 5:45 pm. Parents are also warmly invited to attend this service.

Dress for this event is Whites without the Akubra.

If you require further information about this event, please contact your housemaster.

Mobile phone and smart watch policy

Senior School students are not to carry a mobile phone (or smart watch) from the first warning bell at 8:25 am until the end of the school day at 3:05 pm. These items are to be secured in the student’s locker before the tutor group and are not to be accessed during break times. Earphones and headphones (including wireless/Bluetooth models) are also banned during the school day unless requested by the classroom teacher for specialised use. Full details of the policy are in the School Handbook.

School Vaccination Programme

Our school is participating in Queensland Health’s annual School Vaccination Programme to protect against vaccine preventable diseases. Year 7 students will be offered a free human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and a combined diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine. Year 10 students will be offered the free meningococcal ACWY vaccine. Information on these vaccinations can be obtained from the Queensland Health website at the following link:

Year 7 vaccinations

A vaccination consent pack has been sent home with Year 7 students. Please fill in the consent form and have your son return the form to MS24 by Monday 12 February 2024.

If you do not wish for your son to be vaccinated, or your son has already been vaccinated with the offered vaccines, please note this clearly on the consent form and return it to MS24.

Year 7 vaccinations will take place on Thursday 9 May.

Year 10 vaccinations

Year 10 vaccinations will take place on Wednesday 16 October and vaccination forms will be sent out later in the semester.

2024 School Calendar (Blue Book)

A hard copy version of the 2024 School Calendar has been distributed to students in the Senior School.

Rod Olsen
Head of Senior School

Music

Welcome back

Welcome back to all musicians and their parents. We trust that your holidays have been rewarding, refreshing and perhaps musically productive. Additionally, we extend our congratulations to the students who spent the first two weeks of their holidays touring Japan, performing music with schools and culminating in a wonderful public performance at Tokyo Disney. 

Premiere ensembles, including Viking Vocals 1, Senior Voices, Morris Wind Symphony, Big Band 1, Churchie Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Strings 1, will all begin rehearsals in week one. All other ensembles will start rehearsals in week two. If you are unsure of your rehearsal time or location and have not heard from your conductor by the end of the week, please feel free to make contact via email. Alternatively, you can rely on the scheduling clipboard for your weekly rehearsal schedule.

Private lessons will commence in week two to give students an opportunity to get acquainted with their timetables and settle in. It is always a challenge to work out the initial schedule with your tutor, so please do everything you can to arrive at your first lesson. This will make the timetabling process much easier for you and your teacher.

We have a few announcements about some departing tutors. In addition to Anna Colville and Grace Kruger announcing their departure at the end of last year, Lochlin Dormer has taken the opportunity to progress his performance career in London and Brijette Brookes has been appointed Head of Bands at John Paul College as part of her career progression. We wish Brijette and Lochlin every success in the next chapters of their careers.

We welcome to the Music Department Belinda Williams (Viola), Dominic Machen (Drumkit/Percussion), Andrew Smith (Percussion), Dr Michal Rosiak (Flute) and Michael Keenan (Year 4 Immersion Lower Brass). All of these tutors bring a wealth of experience and excellence in the areas of performance and education. We trust that you will make them feel very welcome and that you will thoroughly enjoy learning from their deep and thorough knowledge of their particular teaching areas.

Students in Senior Voices and Churchie Symphony Orchestra are asked to please keep on top of the communication from the Music Department regarding the Founder’s Day rehearsal and service on January 31.

Japan Music Tour 2024

On 30 November 2023, 37 music students and six staff departed on the inaugural Music Tour to Japan. The itinerary was tightly packed, with each day providing many enriching opportunities and memorable experiences. After landing in Osaka, we visited Osaka Music School to play in a state-of-the-art studio, followed by an assembly performance at Kozu Public School just 30 minutes after finishing at Osaka Music School. The following two days were packed with sightseeing and wonderful experiences as the students tested their resolve on rides at Universal Studios Theme Park and delved into the history of Japan at Osaka Castle and the Todaji Temple.

In Kobe (Brisbane’s Sister City), the students performed at Marist International High School in collaboration with with St Peters Lutheran College, who were touring Japan at the same time. Using Kobe as a base, the tour took a cultural day trip to Kyoto where they fed the monkeys at Arashiyama and walked around iconic temples such as Kinkakuji and Kiyomizudera. The day culminated in a cultural arts performance of some traditional Noh Theatre. Before leaving Kobe, the students performed for St Margaret’s sister school Konan Elementary and had the opportunity to collaborate with their Wadaiko club. After taking the Shinkansen from Kobe to Tokyo, the students performed for Keio Senior High School and were treated to yet another amazing opportunity to interact and share cultures with the Japanese students. The tour culminated in an amazing public performance at Tokyo Disneyland, and the students and staff finished with a wonderful feeling of success and achievement.

As this was the first tour of its kind for Churchie Music, students were keen to make a positive impression. At each school, venue and accommodation, students showed pride through their manners and their presentation, which resulted in many return invitations for future generations of Churchie musicians. Additionally, the students truly understood the universal impact of music. Not only is it fun to perform but it has an inestimable impact on the audiences that you share it with. Music truly transcends the language barriers across the world.

Thank you to the staff, Jeremy Williamson, Ben Hooper, Lochlin Dormer, Rosemary Oxenford and Sarah Fenton-Wolski, and all of the wonderful parents for their support of their students. We hope this tour has created lifelong memories and we look forward to the next tour opportunity.

Congratulations, Gabin Won

Gabin Won recently completed his LMusA in 2023 on the flute. This is the first student in Churchie’s 113-year history to successfully complete the Licentiate for flute in Year 10. We look forward to hearing Gabin performing at the many solo and ensemble opportunities in 2024.

Daniel and The Bachelors performance

Late last year, we were treated to a wonderful performance at the final Headmaster’s Assembly. The students performed and rehearsed this work independently during their lunchtimes. Student bands who are interested in performing at assembly or school service activity are encouraged to make use of the music practice rooms in the Jensen building.

Please follow this link to a recording of Daniel and The Bachelors performing Nina Simone’s ‘Feeling Good’.

Music Calendar Launch and Welcome (Years 7 to 12)

The Music Calendar Launch and Welcome is a wonderful opportunity for students and their parents to come along and meet other parents and students within the music community, especially if you are new to the school or in Year 7. The evening will serve as an opportunity to view slides from the recent Japan Music Tour and collect information on the next tour to Mt Gambier in 2024 and the strings and choral tour in 2025. You will also receive some wonderful information on the music calendar events followed by an opportunity to share some food and drinks with the parent and student community courtesy of the Music Support Group. The event will take place in The Centenary Library lecture theatre on Thursday 15 February.

Bohdan Davison
Director of Music

Sport

Welcome back, to all new and returning Churchie boys, for  Term 1 GPS sports and activities. The holidays were a busy time for the cocurricular programmes, with local and international tours, volleyball and cricket weeks and swimming camps and clinics. This week we leap straight into GPS round one home competitions, beginning with debating against Brisbane Grammar on Thursday followed by cricket, volleyball and rowing on Saturday. We are anticipating a vigorous competition and encourage everyone to come with true Churchie spirit and support our teams.

Rowing

Churchie are Queensland state champions! After an intense two-week training block, including our rowing camp on the Maroochy River, the Churchie First VIII won the Under 21 Men’s VIII at the Queensland State Championships.

Holding off crews from fellow GPS schools and a strong boat from Commercial Rowing Club, the boys capped off an already impressive state campaign. Sam Williams finished fifth in the Under 19 single scull, putting him in great contention to be selected for the Queensland State Team. In a thrilling finish, Jez Pini and Tom Taylor claimed bronze in the Under 19 pair, and Campbell and Spencer Parkes had a fantastic result of fourth in the Under 17 double scull.

While our First VIII was at the regatta, our full squad had their January Rowing Camp at Maroochy Waterfront. The Seniors joined us for six days while our Years 9 and 10 squads had four days, respectively. Most impressive was the Year 9’s second ergo trial where all boys improved by 5 to  10 seconds, setting them up for a great first regatta season.

Tyson Sholl
Director of Rowing

Swimming

Welcoming back, everyone, to recommence our 2024 Churchie GPS Swimming programme. We have enjoyed seeing everyone back on the pool deck as we prepare for the season ahead.

Please note we have no pre-meet on Friday this week (26 January) due to the Australia Day public holiday. Our first pre-meet will be the Churchie Invitational against The Southport School and Brisbane State High School on Friday 2 February for both the junior and senior squads.

Please find below some important information for your action and review:

• Monday breakfast service payment
• 2024 GPS season key dates
• Junior pool party fundraiser save the date – Wednesday 31 January (More information to be released soon)
• Support Group Committee meeting – Monday 29 January in Brennan Pavilion

Senior Swim Camp and Junior Day Clinic

The weather events of December 2023 on the Gold Coast sparked some apprehension about the annual trip to the Gold Coast Performance Centre, but the weather subsided and the group of 36 enjoyed two days of team building. They benefited from several pool training sessions, the Southport Aqua Park, an amazing race and nutritionist workshops as well as our friendly race meet hosted by The Southport School. Thank you to all boys who attended and the staff who supported the boys while away from their families. The Gold Coast Performance Centre must be very quiet without the constant laughter and chatter from the boys. Next year we will be expanding numbers to accommodate an increase in demand. Photos from the camp are available in Pixevety (Churchie photo platform).

The Junior Day Clinic reported nothing but happy faces as the boys conquered the training, skills testing and the infamous Base Zero rock wall. A great surprise was the visit from 2024 Captain of Swimming Will Shepherd-Smith and current bronze medal international athlete Thomas Pattison. Will and Thomas shared their knowledge and tips for GPS success in the coming years. Thank you to coaches Liam and Richard for the time spent developing and educating the youth of our programme.

Lastly, congratulations to the eight Churchie boys who competed in the 2023 Hancock Prospecting Queensland Championships during the school holidays.

Below is a quick summary of individual successes:

• Maxwell Cunningham – gold and bronze medals in 14 year old events and a new record.
• Charlie Wehl – competed in 16 year old 100 m and 50 breaststroke events.
• Spencer Kilimnik – competed in five 15 year old events in freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke.
• Lachlan Evans – competed in eight 14 year old events in butterfly, individual medley (IM), breaststroke and freestyle.
• Boe Duncan – competed in 14 year old club relay team
• Fin Pollack – competed in 16 year old club relay team
• Jayden Soh – competed in 14 year old 50 m breaststroke
• William Shepherd-Smith – gold, silver and bronze medals in 16 year old  events.

We are very excited to see these performances flow into our GPS Swimming season and peak at the GPS Championships on Friday 1 March.

Jaye Finocchiaro
Director of Swimming

Cricket

Churchie Cricket New Zealand Tour

The beginning of the Term 4 school holidays saw 21 boys and four coaching staff depart Brisbane for Auckland for the inaugural Churchie Cricket New Zealand Tour. Across 13 days, the boys travelled across the Auckland and Northern Districts regions of New Zealand, with both teams on tour playing five matches against some of the country’s top cricketing schools, as well as enjoying some of New Zealand’s top tourist attractions.

On the field, the Churchie Blue team secured two wins, in matches against St Peter’s School Cambridge and Tauranga Boys College. The win against St Peter’s School was especially impressive as they had qualified as finalists for the New Zealand Secondary Schools National Championships. The team also played Westlake Boys High School, who were Auckland’s premiership-winning school in 2023 and finished runners up at the National Championships. The Churchie Grey team won their fixture against St Peter’s School as well.

Off the field, the boys on tour enjoyed numerous activities, including visiting Waiheke Island, Auckland Sky Tower, the All Blacks Experience, Hobbiton Movie Set and Rotorua’s Skyline gondola and luge rides.

The boys were an enormous credit to Churchie on the tour and did themselves proud throughout the trip. Thank you to the tour staff and coaches: Brayden Hartley, James Patmore, Matt Preston and Angus Youngr.

First XI Sunshine Coast Camp

The Churchie Cricket First XI squad ramped up their preseason preparations for the upcoming season with their annual Sunshine Coast camp from 8 to 12 January.

The boys enjoyed a fantastic week of preparation, with multiple high-intensity training sessions, fitness sessions, four matches against the Sunshine Coast under 19s squad, and multiple recreational activities, including the highly sought-after First XI Masterchef trophy.

On the field, the boys played some excellent cricket, winning both 50-over fixtures and one 20-over fixture against a highly talented Sunshine Coast team, which included multiple players with first and second-grade experience in the Brisbane Premier Grade Competition. This was outstanding preparation ahead of the season opener against Brisbane Grammar School.

Well done to all boys for their hard work throughout the week, and thank you to the staff members of the camp: Peter Drinnen, Alister McDermott, Jack Pratt and James Patmore for being.

Lord Taverners success

Congratulations to Churchie First XI squad members, Daniel Boreham, Zac Griggs, Sean Hansen, Angus Storen and Alex Walduck, who were members of the University of Queensland team that won the Brisbane Premier Grade Lord Taverners Under 17s Premiership. The team defeated Gold Coast by four wickets in the grand final, with Alex Walduck top-scoring with 46 in the match.

James Patmore
Director of Cricket

Volleyball

In the first week of the December break, five volleyball teams from Years 7 to 11, along with coaching staff and families, had an unforgettable time on the Gold Coast, competing in the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup. Despite each day being a challenge, with multiple games and duties (not to mention the heat and traffic on the M1), all teams showed tremendous spirit and camaraderie.

Our young men competed against the best schools in the country and displayed school pride, teamwork and, most importantly, the joy of playing volleyball. 

The overall placements for each division were:

• Year 7 Div 1: 14th place 
• Year 8 Div 1: 5th place 
• Year 9 Div 1: 14th place 
• Year 10/11 Div 1: 2nd place 
• Year 12 Div 1: 1st place.

It’s worth mentioning that our Years 10 and 11 teams consisted of predominantly Year 10 athletes competing in the age group above. The schools in the top division are the best in the nation, and we couldn’t be prouder of not only their result but also their overall development, growth, and resilience throughout this tough competition. 

This Saturday is the day we have all been waiting and training for, the start of the 2024 GPS volleyball season with Churchie hosting Brisbane Grammar School for round one. This round promises to be a thrilling showcase of talent, teamwork, and sportsmanship from our brand new 5B and 6B teams to the First VI. 

After finishing 2023 as GPS premiers and the top programme, we have a tough opening round against a very strong Brisbane Grammar School. All of our teams have been training hard throughout Term 4 and their summer camp and are fit and ready to compete. 

We encourage all volleyball fans and supporters to come and cheer for our team. The players have put in countless hours of practice and are eager to showcase their abilities on the court. Your presence and support will undoubtedly make a difference in their performance. 

Carrie Mill
Director of Volleyball

Chess

Welcome to Churchie Chess, 2024. Our chess community started 2024 with excellent New Zealand and Australian National and Age Championships results. Sravan Renjith (Year 11), our premier team board one player, competed in the New Zealand Chess Open National Championships, winning the blitz tournament and coming third overall. These results qualify Sravan to represent New Zealand in the World Rapid and Blitz Championship, where he can play against the likes of Magnus Carlsen. His third place in the National Championship should also see him selected to represent New Zealand in the World Chess Olympiad later this year in Budapest, Hungary.

Our younger students also held their own at Adelaide’s Australian National Junior Chess competitions. Matthew Jia (Year 3) won his division and is the Champion under eight years of the Australian Champion, winning eight of nine games during the tournament. 

Louis Wang came second in the Under 10, winning eight of nine games and was joined by Zeqi Xing, who also finished in the top ten in the Under 10s. Jayden Ooi is currently placed second in the Under 18 tournament at the time of writing, as are several of our keen chessmen of Churchie.

Our chess training programme starts in week two, with Chess Academy on Tuesday 30 January 2024, from 3:05 to 5:30 pm, and our general training in The Centenary Library on February 1 from 3:10 to 5 pm.

This year has had a stellar start, and we are looking forward to a magnificent jubilee year where our young men create lasting friendships, explore the extent of their ability, and enjoy the successes of our very talented group of chess players.

Max Condon
Director of Chess

Basketball

This year will be another fantastic year for Churchie Basketball. After the overall programme first-place finish in the GPS competition and a  bronze medal-winning finish for the First V in the Champion Basketball School of Queensland tournament, the year ahead will once again see Churchie in its well-earned place atop programmes in the GPS, the state and, indeed, the country.

Congratulations to Oskar Olechnowicz, Kurt Siwek and Noah Kirk, who achieved the pinnacle of recognition in the state, being selected in the Queensland Under 18 Basketball team to compete at the National Championships in the upcoming Easter school holidays. Additionally, Noah was also selected to attend the Australian camp for boys 16 and Under this week at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.

We look forward to seeing many boys start the year by returning to their Vikings Club Basketball teams, as well as developing their game in the Vikings Basketball Academy and Churchie Hoops programmes. These programmes are still open for registration, so get in fast to secure a spot by going to the myChurchie basketball page.

Aaron Harding
Director of Basketball

Strength and Conditioning programme

The Churchie Strength and Conditioning programme is available to any student in Years 7 to 12. Not just for students in a sporting programme, all boys are encouraged to attend for their health and wellbeing. All sessions are supervised by at least two university-qualified coaches who have a keen interest in junior athletic development. All sessions have age-matched programming to ensure students’ maturation is considered when exercises and programmes are prepared for the young men.

Below is the link to myChurchie with the current Term 1 gym schedule attached, new parents are encouraged to follow the Churchie Strength and Conditioning page as updates about session modifications as well as educational pieces are posted.

If you have any questions or queries about participating in the Strength and Conditioning programme, please feel free to contact me at Jarrad.Boswell@churchie.com.au.

Jarad Boswell
Director of Athletic Development

Trent Goodrick
Head of Cocurricular

Pixevety

Pixevety – a photo platform for Churchie images

Pixevety is Churchie’s photo platform, where photos from across the School will be uploaded on a weekly basis. Students are recognised by the system 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.

For more information visit the Pixevety page on myChurchie or email news@churchie.com.au.

Churchie Shop

Term 1 opening hours

Extra opening hours

• Saturday 27 January: 9 am to 12 noon

For current parents, the Churchie Shop’s extended opening hours can be found on myChurchie (login required).

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 access on myChurchie.

Join Parent Connect

It is a long-standing initiative of the Churchie parent community to enable the sharing of contact details for those who opt in and provide consent. Joining the Parent Connect database is easy. Join here. Once you have joined, you will receive communication from your parent coordinators and access to your cohort’s parent contact list.

Year and house parent coordinators

Each year and house has a parent volunteer who is the friendly peer contact for parents to help navigate school life, host social connections, and assist with the administration of the private Facebook groups.

Parent Connect services and volunteer engagement

Any member of the Churchie community (parents, old boys, friends, and staff) can participate in these services or make a confidential request for wellbeing support. Click here to volunteer or request support.

Meals on Wheels Parent volunteers needed

This is a service that requires the involvement of parents to be the volunteer drivers for boys from Biggs House and Gerald House on a Friday to provide meal delivery services for Bulimba and Carina Meals on Wheels. The commitment is approximately two hours once a term. Stacey Lacy is the Parent Connect Coordinator she is a current Year 10 and Grenfell House parent. Click here to volunteer.

Upcoming events

Year 7 Coffee & Connect
Friday 2 February
The Arches
After drop-off

Wellbeing Lecture Series: Dr Terry Byers
Wednesday 7 February
Centenary Library Lecture Theatre
5:30 – 6:30 pm

Coffee & Connect
Friday 8 March
The Arches
After drop-off

Parent Chapel Service
Friday 8 March
Canon Jones Memorial Chapel
9:30 am

Parents and Churchie Staff Morning Tea
Friday 8 March
Morris Hall
10:30 am

Boarding and Day Mothers Afternoon Tea
Friday 8 March
Brenan Pavilion
1:30 – 3 pm

Tuckshop news

Viking Café volunteers

We welcome dads and mums to volunteer in our tuckshop. Please contact the Tuckshop Volunteers Coordinator for more details if you can spare some time during the term to help in our busy tuckshops.

• Viking Café volunteers please contact via email.
• Prep Tuckshop volunteers please contact via email.

Upcoming events

View the school calendar on myChurchie for all scheduled events.

Follow Churchie

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• Churchie on LinkedIn

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