It is a pleasure to welcome everyone in the Churchie community to Term 2. Like the beautiful April weather, I hope the Easter period has been refreshing for you, and your family, and you are looking forward to a great term ahead. We believe that anything is possible with a clear set of goals and hard work, so we encourage the boys not to waste a single day in pursuing their dreams.
Anzac Day
Next week, the School will pause to acknowledge Anzac Day in our traditional fashion. It is very special that, over the years, our community as a whole has committed to attending our annual ceremony on The Flat on 25 April. As well as honouring the 119 fallen Old Boys and staff, we are honouring the men and women around the world who continue to serve and defend our peace, democracy and freedom.
I thank, in advance, our cadets and commanding staff, who will also be supporting a range of remembrance services before and during Anzac Day this year. I also acknowledge the contributions of our musicians and stage crew to the Anzac Day Ceremony.
A reminder that our service, next Thursday, commences at 8 am on The Flat. Parking around the surrounding streets will be very busy, so please allow time to park and walk to the campus.
Congratulations and well done
Over the recent vacation period, we had some wonderful achievements from our students.
The School congratulates Bill McCart, Eli Manser, Finbar Curran and Garry Chen, who placed first in The Australian Computational and Linguistics Olympiad (OzCLO) National Round. This is a highly regarded, widely contested national contest for senior school students in which they solve complex problems demanding reasoning, intuition and outstanding general knowledge. The School has entered teams into this competition for some years. We congratulate the students and coach Mr Grant Smith on this outstanding achievement.
The School also congratulates Eric Kim (violin) and Gabin Won (flute) who were recently announced as finalists, in a field of only six musicians, in Queensland Symphony Orchestra’s Young Instrumentalist Prize. This is an outstanding achievement and a tribute to the students, their families, and the music staff.
Outstanding performances have been recorded by Caelan Smith and Felix Mutinelli who have been selected for the Queensland State Debating Team at the National Schools Debating Championships.
Lastly, the School congratulates sporting high achievers Quinn MacNicol, for his pair of goals representing the Australian Joeys football team in a 4–3 win over the Switzerland U16 team; Max Blanch who was selected for the Queensland U18 Rugby Union Squad; and Maxwell Cunningham, for achieving the Australian record for a 14-year-old boy in the 50 metres butterfly at the Australian Age Championships last week.
I wish everyone an engaging and successful Term 2.
With good wishes
Dr Alan Campbell Headmaster
Prep School
A warm welcome to Term 2. I trust you had the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful Queensland weather and took the chance to recharge the batteries in readiness for another busy term.
Next week we will host our parent-teacher interviews. This provides an opportunity to meet with your son’s teacher and discuss his academic and pastoral development along with goals for the coming term and the year ahead. Staff have generously made themselves available over two nights, and we encourage you to take the opportunity to meet with them to discuss your son’s progress.
Anzac Day
Anzac Day will take place next week on Thursday 25 April. The School conducts a special Anzac Day Service on The Flat each year, and this is a compulsory event for our Years 4 to 6 boys. This is a special day in the Churchie calendar and with our close ties to the Tri-Service Cadets programme and the history of Churchie Old Boys serving our country. A roll will be taken on the day. Further details will follow.
Value of the week: honour
Honour is living by the virtues of showing great respect for yourself, other people, and the rules by which you live. When you are honourable, you keep your word. You do the right thing regardless of what others are doing. Honour is a path of integrity.
Attribute of the week: communicators
Communicators understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and a variety of modes of communication. You are willing to work in collaboration with others.
Oaklands – car parking
A reminder that the Oaklands Car Park located off Oaklands Parade is not a facility for Prep parent use. Under the regulations for a childcare facility, there needs to be parking provided for parents for the safe pick up and drop off of children. Please refrain from using this facility for parking.
Churchie’s Open Day is on Wednesday 1 May 2024. If you have a friend or relative who would like to find out more about a Churchie education, you are most welcome to invite them to attend. Registrations are via the Churchie website.
QCE evaluation
The QCAA has engaged the University of Melbourne’s Assessment and Evaluation Research Centre to conduct an independent evaluation of the new QCE system. The aim is to assess the QCE’s efficacy and for recommendations to the QCAA for future improvements.
Following a recent opportunity for school communities to provide initial feedback via a quick survey, the University of Melbourne is now inviting organisations and individuals to make more substantial written submissions of up to 2,000 words on their thoughts, experiences and impressions of the QCE system and its processes. Responses are required address to five stimulus questions that can be found on the submission form via this link. The closing date for these written submissions is Friday 19 April.
Please click here for information on Churchie’s thoughts regarding the new QCE. However, we encourage members of our community to offer their own views.
Richard Wheeldon Deputy Headmaster
Senior School
Aquila News
OzClo National Champions
Congratulations to the Senior team of Garry Chen, Finbar Curran, Eli Manser and Bill McCart who were crowned national champions in the OzClo National Finals, a challenging computational linguistics competition. This follows their success as state champions in 2023. As national champions, Churchie has been invited to represent Australia in the International Linguistics Olympiad. The national finals were also attended by the Churchie Year 10 team of Hao Hiep Nguyen, Arden Young, John Law and Finn Pollack who finished second in the Queensland Junior Division.
Class Clowns
Year 12 student Bill McCart was a runner up in Class Clowns, a nationwide stand up comedy competition. Bill was the winner of the Brisbane heat of the competition and was invited to the final as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. As part of the programme, Bill was able to work with experienced mentors to help him develop his material and delivery.
Grant Smith Head of Gifted Education (Aquila)
House Chapel services in Term 2
The Annual House Chapel Services will take place during Term 2 and families are invited to join their house to come together as a community to celebrate and worship. All Year 7 students will be welcomed into their house by receiving their house badges and the Seniors will be acknowledged as house leaders.
Dress for students at the chapel services is Whites and blazer, no Akubra and dark grey or black socks.
Morning tea for families will be served immediately after each chapel service in the undercroft of The Centenary Library lecture theatre.
Churchie’s Anzac Day Ceremony is one of the most significant events on the school calendar.
All Senior School students are required to attend the School’s Anzac Day Ceremony, which will be held on Thursday 25 April 2024 commencing at 8 am on The Flat. The Anzac Day Ceremony is viewed as a compulsory School activity. The service is expected to conclude at approximately 9:15 am.
Dress requirement for Term 2 and Term 3
On Thursdays in Term 2 and Term 3, students are to wear their Whites and blazer with Akubra. All other days the uniform is Blues.
Dr Alex Krzensk Acting Head of Senior School
Music
Term 2 performance season
Welcome back to Term 2. This is our first performance season of the year where all the hard work from students and staff comes together in some wonderful events including the May Concert Series, our service activities, our musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and our Queensland Youth Music Awards Competition. Now is the time to practise intently and clinically so you can get the most from your performance experience. Please keep an eye on the communication through your conductors and the myChurchie music page. As always, your attendance and support as parents during these concerts is what makes the experience so special for the students. We look forward to seeing you at our concerts throughout the term:
Are musicians our best employees?
As we recognise the importance of a balanced education at Churchie, I thought it pertinent to share a TEDx talk from Dr Diana Tolmie as she explores the value of music education among the many wonderful opportunities at our schools.
Sip and Sing 2024
Singing is a wonderful way to bring communities together. There is no prior knowledge required and the experience is always more affirming when there are large numbers singing together. Please see the invitation to join the wonderful Community Chorale for a harmonious experience and an opportunity to meet more of our amazing Churchie community. There is no experience required – just come along and sing your heart out! Please RSVP by Thursday 18 April by emailing here.
Date: Saturday 20 April 2024 Time: 3 to 5 pm Location: 41 Wisteria Crescent, Mt Gravatt East Cost: $5 per person for beverage and snacks
Congratulations to Eric Kim and Gabin Won
A huge congratulations to Year 11 students Eric Kim and Gabin Won on their selection as two of the six finalists in the Queensland Symphony Orchestra Young Instrumentalist Prize Finals. This is an outstanding achievement and we wish the boys every success for their final performance on Saturday 4 May 2024 from 6:30 to 8 pm in the QSO Studios, South Bank.
Bohdan Davison Director of Music
Sport
GPS Football and Tennis programmes commence their seasons with an away round against Brisbane Grammar School this week. Good luck with the beginning of the season, boys! Cross Country participants will be attending their third practice meet at Victoria Park on Friday afternoon.
Water polo
Training commences this week at the Churchie 25m pool at the following times:
Years 7 and 8 – Thursday, 7 to 8 am
Years 9 and 10 – Wednesday, 7 to 8 am
Open Firsts and Seconds – Wednesday, 6 to 7 am
Teams for the games against Brisbane State High School at Somerville House on Friday 19 April will be selected after the training session with team lists published on the Water Polo page of myChurchie by Thursday.
Transport to the games on Friday will be provided with buses leaving from the flag pole at 3:40 pm. There is no transport back to school as most boys go home directly from Somerville. Taxi vouchers are provided for boarders returning to Churchie; any day boys who will require transport back to school must email Mr Alan Greenbank or speak with him at training.
Alan Greenbank Director of Water Polo
Debating
We encourage you all to get any last-minute tickets for the night picked up before the term gets underway! As is tradition, the Parent Support fundraising raffle has also kicked off! I’m tremendously appreciative of the donations made by the Parent Support Group in the prizes on offer and encourage you all to support our main fundraising initiative of the year, which keeps our boys fed during home rounds and recognised in the form of prizes at the end of season presentation.
First prize – JBL PartyBox speaker
Second prize – RM Williams belt
Third prize – JBL Clip 4 speaker
Tickets are available for $10 each (with 3 for $20 and 10 for $50) and can be purchased here right up until the dinner itself.
Rebecca Hewitt Director of Debating
Strength and conditioning
Please see myChurchie – Strength and Conditioning for the Sir John Pidgeon Sports Complex gym schedule in Term 2. There are significant changes to the schedule from Term 1 with the transition to our in-season Term 2 sports and pre-seasons for our winter GPS fixtures.
Introducing the Churchie GPS Sport Triage Screening service
We are thrilled to share some exciting news from the Churchie Strength and Conditioning department! We are embarking on a collaboration with the Integrated Physio Centre (IPC) to introduce a new and invaluable service for our students–the Churchie GPS Sport Triage Screening.
In extending IPC’s successful management of our Rugby programme over the past three years, we are excited to announce their expanded role in overseeing this service for our wider sporting community. These screenings will take place following each weekend’s GPS fixtures and during respective pre-season training weeks.
The primary aim of these sessions is to offer our student athletes additional support through comprehensive physiotherapy assessments. This includes initial assessments, injury observations, referrals, modifications to the Churchie Strength and Conditioning programme (conducted by our expert staff), and adjusted field or court training. The process follows a systematic approach to facilitate a safe return to training and play, with the option for further in-depth assessments during off and on-site clinic times.
This collaborative effort is designed to elevate the standard of care provided by the Churchie Sports department. Our goal is to offer prompt, direct, and specific assessments, recommendations, and rehabilitation exercises, ensuring our student athletes can remain actively engaged in their desired sporting pursuits.
Key details about the Churchie GPS Sport Triage Screening
Who: Open to Senior School GPS Sports students Where: Medical room of the Sir John Pidgeon Sports Centre (SJPSC) foyer When: Monday mornings from 6:30 to 8 am, starting from Term 2 Arrival: Students seeking assessment must be in the SJPSC by 7.00 am to ensure sufficient time for screening Supervision: Churchie Strength and Conditioning Staff and Physiotherapists from IPC
We are pleased to announce that the Monday morning assessment is free of charge to the community. However, follow-up appointments will need to be covered by private health insurance, with charges at a reduced rate compared to private clinic fees.
For those interested in learning more about the program, please feel free to email Mr Jarrad Boswell, Director of Athletic Development.
To explore further information about IPC, visit their website.
We are enthusiastic about the positive impact this service will have on the well-being and performance of our student athletes. Thank you for your support!
Jarrad Boswell Director of Strength and Conditioning
Sporting achievements
Congratulations to the following students who have achieved representative success in their sporting pursuits:
Football
Quinn MacNicol was selected in the Subway Joeys squad for a two-week camp in Italy ahead of friendly matches against Switzerland U16 and Inter Milan FC U17 over the Easter holidays.
Photos: Football Australia
Water Polo
Nate Strachan Xavier Ringholt and Thomas Holdt competed at the Water Polo Queensland State Titles 2024. The team displayed a dominant performance throughout the tournament and came away as State Champions competing for the U12 Mantas.
Photos: Colin Strachan
Table Tennis
Owen Jin recently participated in the 2024 Queensland Junior Closed Championships and the 2024 Queensland Senior Closed Championships in table tennis, where he showcased remarkable talent and dedication. Owen secured two gold medals in the U15 boys doubles and U15 boys’ teams categories, along with a silver medal in U17 boys doubles and a bronze medal in U21 Men’s Singles. Owen was chosen to represent Queensland at the upcoming 2024 National Championship in July, which will be held in Perth.
Photos: Christine Yu
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.
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. Once you have joined, you will receive communication from your parent coordinators, access to your cohort’s parent contact list and membership to join the private Facebook groups. Join here.
Parent Connect contacts
We are happy to share with you all that the Parent Connect executive team, Year, House and Volunteer coordinators can be viewed on the Parent Connect page on myChurchie. Click here to view on myChurchie
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
We also invite you to participate in our Chapel Centenary Special Project. The Chapel is celebrating its 100th year, and we are coordinating a creative task force of volunteers to add to the beautiful collection of kneelers and create some new pieces inspired by Reverand Sharon and Chaplain Stephanie. Click here to volunteer
Midweek meditation
All are invited; the chapel will be open from 7:45 to 8:10 am on Wednesdays for meditation, an opportunity to take a quiet moment in our busy lives. We will endeavour to post the meditations in the Churchie Parents Facebook Group.
Parent Connect upcoming events
Coffee and Connect (1 May)
Churchie Open Day (1 May)
Parent Connect Meeting Brenan Pavilion (29 May)
Wellbeing Speaker Series (TBC)
Best wishes, Parent Connect Executive Team and Coordinator Community.
Tuckshop news
Viking Café volunteers
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.
