Senior School

Senior School Academic Achievement Awards

Churchie takes great delight in celebrating student success in all areas of school life.

Boys in Years 7 to 12 have been updated regarding new parameters for Academic Achievement Awards. These awards are always presented in Term 1 and Term 3 during Headmaster’s Assembly for work completed in the previous semester.

The changes outlined below will come into effect in Term 3 this year, with awards that reflect Semester 1 efforts and results. The changes are subtle, but ensure greater levels of fairness for all students. For example, there were occasional situations with our previous parameters (which were largely based on subject grades) where students with strong overall percentages were excluded (e.g. outstanding A+ results in five subjects and two high B+ results), while students with weaker overall percentages were included (e.g. with 6 low As and one B). Our new metrics prevent this issue and still allow for a reasonable number of students to be recognised for their hard work and success.

Therefore, Academic Achievement Awards will now be presented for each semester as follows:

• Top 10% of the cohort based on the mean percentage or all As (or the equivalent for Year 11 and 12 IB students)
• A minimum of a B in RE
• Full subject load for Year Level
• Typically at least 85% of Learning Behaviours at or above ‘Consistently’ (4) across all subjects for the most recent full semester

* QCE Applied subjects in Years 11 and 12 given normalised percentage results based on A-E grades.

This information is also available in myChurchie through the Academics tile.

Richard Wheeldon
Deputy Headmaster

Interhouse Carnival: Friday 3 May

The Senior School will be holding our annual Interhouse Cross Country, Chess, Fly ’n’ Die and Tug of War competitions this Friday 3 May.

These events are for Years 7 to 12. Chess will be held in the Sir John Pidgeon Sports Complex and all other events on The Flat.

All students are to wear their Blues uniform to school on Friday. The day will begin with a house meeting at 8:25 am, followed by shortened Periods 1 and 2.

Students will change into their house shirts and sports attire during morning tea.

The first cross country race commences at 10:50 am, with the final race beginning at 12:20 pm. The afternoon events then start at 1 pm.

Parents please note, there will be no access to the rear car park (by the swimming pool) from 10:45 am until 12:45 pm whilst the cross country races are on.

Students are not to take their tablets, wallets, mobile phones or other valuables to The Flat. They must be secured in their lockers.

The Viking Café will be open from 10:10 to 10:30 am and 12:30 to 1:15 pm. Students will be allowed to access their lockers at these times to get their lunch or student card to purchase food from the Viking Café.

Students are required to change back into their Blues at the end of the day.

World’s Greatest Shave

Last Friday in Morris Hall was the celebration of our most successful World’s Greatest Shave in Churchie history, with 35 students having their heads shaved on stage in support of the Leukaemia Foundation. Mr Howe, Mr McIntyre, Ms Lewis as well as Neil Wisson and Ary and Elly from Col Nayler Barbershop North Lakes donated their expertise to celebrate the $72,000 raised by Churchie’s team this year. Students shared their stories of personal connection and motivation to the cause, and they were supported by staff, students and parents in the hall. Even Mr Di Bella braved the shave this year to support fundraisers like Henry Majer (over $13,000) and Orlando Culpo (over $5,000 as a Year 7 student). Nick and Lisa from the Leukaemia Foundation explained that the funds raised would support blood cancer research to achieve a goal of zero lives lost to blood cancer by 2035.

Clayton Kelly 
Director of Service 

Year 12 IB Theatre Collaborative Project

At the end of last term, Year 12 IB Theatre students presented their Collaborative Project. This project requires students to create, stage and perform an original piece of theatre lasting seven to ten minutes. The piece is presented as a fully realised production and the audience is selected by the students. All group members must create a scene and act within the performance. It was wonderful to see the diversity of performances by the Year 12 students and their enthusiasm and energy on stage.

Group one, comprised of Alex Davies, Harry Deefholts, Tom O’Neill, Finlay Peterson and Caelan Smith, used elements of physical theatre and shadow puppetry to help their audience of senior students empathise with the struggles of individuals wanting to reveal their true identity to their peers.

Group two, comprised of Bentley Burke, Henry Capp, Harry James and Nicholaus Suchting, utilised elements of physical theatre and realism to educate their audience of teachers on identifying students with anxiety, understanding the causes of anxiety and how to mitigate it.

After each performance, the audience was interviewed by the group to gather feedback on the extent to which their intentions as theatre-makers were met. These interviews led to fascinating discussions on the themes that emerged in each performance.

Congratulations to these students for completing their second assessment piece of the year. A big thank you to Mr Andrews for his work with the students in preparing them for this task.

Catherine Prosser
Dean of International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

Exam techniques

Date: Tuesday 7 May
Venue: The Centenary Library, Level 1 (CL110)
Time: 3:20 to 4:15 pm
Presenter: Dr Terry Byers

Please RSVP by email to Kelly.jackson@churchie.com.au.

Join us for an engaging and insightful workshop on mastering exam techniques! This one-hour session after school will explore essential strategies for excelling in assessments and exams.

Learn how to maximise your planning time, ensuring every minute counts towards your success. We will discuss effective time management techniques, including breaking down the timing of the assessment to avoid the common pitfall of spending too much time at the beginning and rushing towards the end.

Gain valuable tips on how to read questions for deeper comprehension and maximise your chances of scoring higher grades.

Additionally, we’ll explore the four main cognitive verbs used and how they guide your responses, ensuring you address each question precisely and clearly.

This workshop will equip you with practical strategies and insights for academic success.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to elevate your exam performance! Act now, reserve your spot today and take the first step towards achieving your academic goals. Spots are limited. 

Kelly Jackson
Senior Learning Support Coordinator

Churchie versus St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School netball game

Written by Year 12 student and Prefect William Hood

The afternoon of Thursday Week 1 played host to the annual Churchie versus St Margaret’s netball match. With Churchie not having held the cup since 2021, the team of 9 boys led by Ms Brumpton and Ms Ryan were locked in and keen to make history. The game was close, with the lead changing every quarter but when the final siren went Churchie had it 20-17. Thank you to Mr Wise for umpiring and everyone else who contributed to a wonderful afternoon.