Domestic violence remains a significant issue across Australian society in 2024. There are many initiatives aimed at addressing it. Notably, the Queensland Government has chosen May as Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month. Unfortunately, the rate of incidents is increasing. Led by Grenfell House, Churchie hosted our annual White Ribbon Breakfast in Week 5, with Year 11 students from Churchie, St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School and Somerville House in attendance. A Year 11 representative from each school presented clear messaging about the importance of keeping the conversation open. Matthew Crossley, our guest speaker and Community Partner from White Ribbon Australia, provided students with key strategies to help them call out concerning behaviour. Matthew emphasised not only calling out poor behaviour but also directing individuals to the range of support services available. These approaches aim to educate and empower individuals to break the cycle of behaviour.
Darkness to Daylight
This year, 20 staff members from Churchie’s Senior School are taking a stand against domestic violence by participating in the 11th annual Darkness to Daylight challenge. We are aware of the devastating impact this issue has on Australians. In our country alone, an average of 110 lives are tragically lost each year due to this form of abuse. The Darkness to Daylight Challenge, a symbolic 110-kilometre run or walk, held at Parliament House in Brisbane on 29 and 30 May, represents one life lost per kilometre on average from domestic and family violence per year—a tragic reminder of the impact domestic violence has on families and communities.
The Churchie team will undertake this challenge in a relay format, with each staff member contributing to the total distance. Their participation aims to raise critical funds for organisations fighting domestic violence and to raise awareness within the Churchie community. By participating, our staff sends a strong message: domestic violence has no place in Australia. We stand united in our commitment to a safer future for everyone.
Darkness to Daylight Senior School staff participants
Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month
At Headmaster’s Assembly, Dr Alan Campbell addressed the scourge of domestic violence in Australia. He highlighted the increased number of individuals and families dealing with such behaviours in their homes—places that should be safe spaces. Dr Campbell spoke to the fact that society fundamentally rejects violent behaviour, whether domestic or otherwise, and the important responsibility we all have in taking a stand against such behaviours by calling them out. With this in mind, he introduced the White Ribbon ‘STOP’ toolkit as a starting point for all community members, encouraging everyone to:
See
Talk
Offer support
Prevent violence
In summary, we are united as a community against violence in all its forms, and we will continue to challenge such behaviours and raise awareness—violence in our community is not acceptable.
Dr Alex Krzensk Acting Head of Senior School
National Volunteer Week
This week is National Volunteer Week, where we say thank you to the millions of Australians across the country who volunteer in a range of different contexts. It is a timely reminder to say thank you to our multitudes of volunteers across the Churchie community as well, who lift and inspire different parts of our school every day.
The theme for National Volunteer Week 2024 is ‘Something for Everyone’. Across the country, we are hearing key messages that reinforce the benefits of inclusion and diversity. These messages certainly resonate for us at Churchie, where so many members of our community volunteer their time, knowledge, passions and skills to create a stronger, more vibrant and resilient community. Finding ways for parents to connect to their sons, growing friendships between families in a range of contexts, and often developing bonds that extend across generations—all this is enormously enriching and worthwhile.
We extend our thanks to all our volunteers for the vital role they play across our school. To parents, Old Boys, staff and students who already volunteer through various charity efforts and service activities—the spirit of volunteering is at the heart of a Churchie experience.
We also acknowledge the work of volunteers in our broader community as well, in a range of community organisations across Brisbane and beyond. According to Volunteering Australia, our peak body for volunteering in the country, around 25 per cent of Australians volunteer their time in formal ways (through various groups and organisations) while almost half provide more informal volunteering support in their community.
In a world that is often marked by division and conflict, it is certainly heartening to acknowledge the many remarkable efforts, both near and further afield, that are much more about building connections and showing a selfless commitment to the greater good.
Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers.
Dr Alan Campbell Headmaster
Churchie Parents Advisory Association
CPAA General Meetings
Thank you to all who attended the General Meeting of the Churchie Parents Advisory Association on 7 May 2024. The minutes of that meeting can be found here.
The next General Meeting will be held at 6 pm on 31 July 2024 in the Nichols Theatre.
Reminder: Churchie supporter apparel
The Churchie supporter puffer vests will be available to pre-order for one week only, closing on Friday 24 May at 10 am. Sample sizes are available to try on in the Churchie Shop.
If you have any questions relating to the puffer vest or Churchie Supporter apparel, please direct these to Mel Loring, mel_loring@yahoo.com
Self-discipline means self-control. It is doing what you really want or need to do rather than being tossed around by your feelings like a leaf in the wind. You act instead of reacting. You get things done in an orderly and efficient way. With self-discipline, you take charge of yourself.
Attribute of the week: reflective
When you are reflective, you give thoughtful consideration to your own learning and experience. You are able to assess and understand your strengths and limitations to support your learning and personal development.
Mark Wyer Head of Preparatory School
Around the grounds
Some of the Year 5 boys reading in the library.
A message from the School Counsellor
Building resilience in our students
Over the next few weeks, our students will be working closely with their housemasters on the important topic of resilience. This initiative is designed to help our children build the inner strength necessary to cope with adversity and the everyday ups and downs of growing up.
Resilience is our capacity to do well despite stresses and difficulties. It involves successfully coping with problems and building strengths that protect and promote wellbeing. Our resilience stems from a combination of
our genetic makeup
the skills and attitudes we develop
the support we receive from our community and families.
The great news is that resilience is not fixed; it can grow and change over time. While we can’t always prevent challenges from arising, we can help equip our children with the strengths needed to cope effectively.
How parents can build children’s coping skills
There are many strategies parents can use to help build resilience in their children. Here are a few:
1. Managing feelings
Acknowledge their feelings. ‘I can see you feel upset. It is ok to cry.’
Let them know all feelings are okay, even difficult ones.
Stay close and help calm them down.
Help them name their feelings.
2. Ensuring children feel loved and safe
Children need to feel loved and safe and that they have a place in the world in which they belong. Here are some ways this might happen.
Spend time with them.
Show you care with actions and words.
Support their interests.
Develop predictable routines for bed and meal times.
Create special ways to celebrate birthdays or other occasions.
3. Fostering strong relationships
Enable children to spend time with caring adults in their lives.
Afford children opportunities to play with friends.
Teach children how to be aware of others’ feelings, and show respect and care.
For more detailed information and resources on how parents can support their children’s resilience, please visit myChurchie and School TV on the Pastoral Care Curriculum page. I’ve included links to several helpful resources below for your convenience:
This past week, Year 6 has been inquiring into physical and chemical changes. As part of their learning, the boys were fortunate to visit the senior science lab to conduct an experiment and investigate the chemical change of a Berocca table in different temperatures of water. The boys needed to ensure they followed ‘fair testing’ conditions by deciding on which variables they needed to change, measure and keep the same. Once the data was collected, the boys graphed their results and explained their findings in scientific terms.
Elizabeth Walker Team Leader and Prep School Teacher
Year 6 Drama
Year 6 classes have been participating in a drama incursion, using levels, movement, space and voice sound effects to create washing machines. Students in Years 1, 3 and 6 will be exploring the elements of drama over the next few weeks, working collaboratively to create and share their own works.
Melissa Black Head of Department – Prep Music
GPS Cross Country
Last Thursday, 50 junior boys headed out to the challenging Limestone Park for the Junior GPS Cross Country Championships. It was a thrilling event filled with outstanding effort and perseverance from all runners, culminating in a well-deserved victory for Churchie. Each participant displayed remarkable determination, pushing through the challenging course and wet weather with grit and tenacity. Special congratulations go to the place-getters: Archie Ellis (third), Winston Rogers (first) and Finn Platz (third), whose exceptional performances on the day anchored the team win. All three age groups won their overall groupings, showcasing the depth of the Churchie team. The event highlighted the spirit of sportsmanship and the incredible dedication of these young athletes, who endured gruelling early morning training sessions to achieve this fantastic accomplishment. Congratulations boys.
A big thank you to our coaches Scott Whitehead, Tim Sutherland and Gavin Darwin for their commitment and dedication to the early mornings and Friday afternoons.
On Friday 3 May, the Senior School held the annual Interhouse Cross Country, Chess, Fly ‘n’ Die and Tug of War competitions.
On what was a rather inclement autumnal day, it was delightful to see the spirit of the boys remain high throughout the carnival and their obvious pride in representing their respective houses.
Cross Country
The provisional winner of the cross country competition, adeptly managed by Michael Simes, was Kingsley House with additional points awarded based on participation.
The final positions for Cross Country, including participation, were:
In a tightly contested Tug of War competition, led once again by Heath Chandler, each house entered one team drawn from across each year level. Before an enthusiastic audience, Goodwin House prevailed with a clean sweep of wins against all opponents.
The Sir John Pidgeon Sports Complex hosted the chess competition with 60 simultaneous games taking place throughout the afternoon, marshalled by Max Condon. Grenfell House was once again victorious with a dominant performance.
Against the backdrop of The Centenary Library, three extremely competitive Fly ‘n‘ Die events were well supported by each house. Overall, Nansen was the winning house, with Mitch Rosenlund leading the competition in the absence of John Callie.
As ever, it was a privilege to be associated with such a wonderful event, with incredible student participation, so well facilitated, both in preparation and on the day, by a talented and committed team of services and teaching staff.
My sincere thanks to all involved, particularly to Michael Simes, Mitch Rosenlund, Heath Chandler, Max Condon and their respective teams, and to David Grogan for his exceptional efforts with the public address system. I also highlight the work of Con Swart, Martyn Hedley, Craig Howe, Andrea Genest, Josh Di Bella and Dr Alex Krzensk in managing events on the day.
Berian Williams-Jones Deputy Head of Senior School
Written by Year 11 Grenfell student Gordon Barrie.
The annual White Ribbon Breakfast was held on Wednesday 15 May with Year 11 Churchie students hosting their counterparts from Somerville House and St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School. This occasion marks a time when leaders and scholars from future generations can come together as a community to discuss and create awareness around the atrocities of domestic violence and the impact it has on girls and women. More importantly, it is an opportunity for young men and women to work together to spark change and stamp out domestic violence for good. Representing Grenfell House and the wider Churchie community was Harry Johnson, who spoke genuinely about the impact students can have when addressing this cultural issue. The keynote speaker at the breakfast, Mr Matthew Crossley, left the group with specific guidelines to consider and adopt. First, speak up against misogynistic attitudes and behaviours—don’t be a bystander. Second, uphold and role-model positive masculinity. Third, speak out directly against domestic violence. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, be a part of the change. Overall, the breakfast was a massive success with all students gaining valuable insights into how they can be positive forces for change. Ultimately, it was a valuable reminder that we all need to work together to be a part of the solution.
Year 11 IB Theatre collaborative performance
Last week, the Year 11 IB Theatre students presented their collaborative performance.
The collaborative performance 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 members of the group are required to create a scene and to act within the performance.
The students—Sam Clifford, Henry Crawley, Ben Green, William Marsh and Ethan Thomas—explored the responsibility we all face when using technology and social media. They investigated the power structures involved, looking at both the victim and the perpetrator. At the end of the performance, the audience of Year 7 drama students was interviewed by the group to gather feedback as to the extent to which their theatre-maker intentions were met.
Congratulations to these students for creating such an engaging piece of theatre. A very big thank you to Oliver Stjepanovic and Lachlan Perrin for their assistance with the technical side of the production, and to Issy Mowen for her work with the students in helping them prepare for the task.
Catherine Prosser Dean of International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Visit of students from Lycée Sacré-Cœur, France
During Weeks 2 and 3, we warmly welcomed a group of 30 French boys and girls, who arrived in Brisbane from Lycée Sacré-Cœur, and their accompanying teachers, Mme Bastien, Mr Mas and Mme Malisencu. Sacré-Cœur is a coeducational senior private school in Aix-en-Provence, southern France, with whom we have a longstanding valued partnership and a history of reciprocal study tours over many years. Their visit provided a wonderful opportunity for intercultural understanding, personal development and genuine language practice for our school communities. During their two-week stay, the French visitors were hosted by 30 families from Churchie and St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School. They attended classes and some cocurricular activities, improved their English conversational skills and experienced a taste of life in Brisbane as a busy Churchie or St Margaret’s student. Thank you to each host family and host student for welcoming a French visitor into your home, and thank you to Churchie and St Margaret’s staff for supporting the visit. We look forward to our own visit to Lycée Sacré-Cœur this December when the France Study Tour will take place.
Madame Sarah Washington Head of French
French group being acknowledged at Headmaster’s Assembly, Week 3Student Bill McCart and his exchange student, BNE International arrivalsFrench exchange student with Surf Lifesavers Students Max Sejourne and Pierre Sejourne with family and French exchange studentsAll Churchie host boys, their French exchange students, Deputy Headmaster Richard Wheeldon and Modern Languages Faculty staff Paul Dyer and Sarah Washington
Year 10 emotional intelligence and resilience parent information evening
The Senior School is hosting an emotional intelligence and resilience Year 10 parent information evening on Thursday 23 May from 6 to 7 pm. This is an online event which can be viewed via the following Teams link: Year 10 Teams presentation – please click here
Professor Con Stough, Head of Emotional Intelligence at the Swinburne University of Technology, Emotional Intelligence Research Unit, will facilitate the presentation, which is a parents-only event.
Please be reminded that Year 10 students have completed a self-assessment and peer assessment of their emotional intelligence as part of their pastoral learning curriculum. This information aims to increase student awareness of their own emotions and that of their peers as well as improve their ability to reason, be empathetic and resilient under stress.
Individual student emotional intelligence reports will be made available via myChurchie by the end of Term 2. This presentation is designed to help parents decode their son’s report.
Please contact your son’s housemaster if you require further information about this event.
Dr Alex Krzensk Acting Head of Senior School
Music
Jazz Under the Stars – James Morrison
Last week, it was revealed in the newsletter that James Morrison will be the guest artist. If that wasn’t enough, he is bringing his number one choice vocalist Darren Percival, to sing once again at Jazz Under the Stars. Ladies and Gentlemen, it does not get any better than this and what an opportunity for young students to see live music outdoors in the open air. Tell your friends, invite your whole family and get ready to book your table of 10. As always Jazz Under the Stars is open to the entire community and we’d like to make this one the biggest and best yet with your support!
Here’s some more information about James Morrison in addition to last week’s announcement:
Following his debut at the Monterey Jazz Festival (USA) were performances at the world’s major jazz festivals, including Montreux, North Sea, Nice and the Hollywood Bowl, playing with many of the legends of jazz – Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, George Benson, Ray Charles, B.B. King, Quincy Jones, Ray Brown and Wynton Marsalis to name a few. James also frequents the world’s most famous jazz clubs – Birdland, The Blue Note and Village Vanguard in New York, New Morning in Paris, The Tokyo Blue Note and Ronnie Scott’s in London.
Churchie Choral Concert
Congratulations to Mrs Oxenford, Ms Pincott and Mrs Black on leading a wonderful choral concert last Thursday. Singing is one of the best ways to communicate with an audience. Rarely do we use sheet music and the addition of words adds so much meaning to the concert. As a result, the audience was engaged and entranced by the wonderful repertoire. After a false start, the Prep Junior Choir showed that the future of choral music is bright at Churchie with their version of ‘Unbreakable’by Birds of Tokyo accompanied by an energetic backing track. A big thank you to Madame Washington, Mr Williamson and Mr Gante for accompanying Blessed Be with the traditional handbells as a nice way of performing music with both students and staff.
Viking Vocals 3 enjoyed the power of the microphones with a crowd favourite ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’before the Viking Vocals Generations in Jazz showed that they could mix it with the best in the nation with their Division 2 set piece ‘Beyond the City’ and ‘Centrepiece’ featuring the velvet solo tones of Alex Ma (Year 11) and Caspar West (Year 10). Senior Voices walked down the aisle in a flashmob entrance to further engage the very obliging audience with a group singing the song ‘Calypso Canon’ by Jan Holdstock. After a great performance at Headmaster’s Assembly earlier in the morning, Viking Vocals showed why they are the school’s premiere vocal group with the upbeat and toe-tapping version of ‘Sh-Boom’ from The Chords.
A special mention must go to Thomas Dwyer (Year 12 Choir Captain) who was a constant source of energy and inspiration amongst all the choral groups with some really eloquent MC contributions in addition to getting the audience involved in the group singing opportunities. The program finished with a massed finale choir featuring all the singers throughout the school and in so demonstrating that singing is for everyone and has no boundaries when it comes to performing together. Thank you to all the parents for your wonderful and continued support of the boys who love to sing!
Please follow this link to a recording of the Choral Concert last Thursday night:
Congratulations to Big Band 1 on their performance at the Brisbane Multicultural and Arts Centre as part of the Brisbane Youth Big Band Festival. Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young was in attendance as a patron for the arts and youth jazz music. The students lifted to the occasion and performed with wonderful enthusiasm and virtuosity. For the first time, the band performed a Division 2, Generations in Jazz set piece composed by Ross Irwin entitled ‘Hudson Dusters’ and Charlie Hartwright (Year 12) performed a wonderful rendition of Harry Connick Jnr’s ‘Come By Me’with a splendid piano accompaniment intro from James Aralar (Year 12 Music Captain). Thank you to all the friends and family for coming out to support the students as they refine their performing skills and have fun doing so at the same time.
Please follow this link to a recording of last night’s performance:
Congratulations to Chamber Strings 1 who were awarded Silver at the Queensland Youth Music Awards last Thursday. The boys played both of their pieces to the best of their ability and their award placed them in the top five of all competitors on the night. The boys worked incredibly hard to deliver a high standard of performance with extra sectionals and great leadership amongst the senior boys. One of the other schools commented on how well Churchie performed since they had heard them at Stringsfest. Other schools suggested Churchie should have finished higher in the overall placings. Unfortunately, the subjective nature of an adjudication is never easy on an adjudicator. In Churchie Music, we will always pride ourselves on the way we represent the school first and foremost, followed closely by the music and the effort that we put into realising authentic and stylistically appropriate music. Mr Hooper said that the strings played their very best and that everyone could be very proud of their performance – well done Chamber Strings 1.
QYMA Morris Wind Symphony
Congratulations to Morris Wind Symphony who were awarded gold at the Queensland Youth Music Awards last Wednesday night. The band represented the school with a full complement of instrumentation as one of the larger ensembles on the night. The band played two very ambitious works and worked hard to play and adapt to their new surroundings. A big thank you to all the students who performed in both Big Band 1 and Morris Wind Symphony in the one evening; with an even bigger thank you to all the parents who supported both events. The opportunity to perform on St Peter’s wonderful stage was an amazing experience and one that the younger students will be able to build upon in future years. The adjudicator was very complimentary towards all soloists and encouraged the students to play with more articulation, precision and intonation. Congratulations Morris Wind Symphony!
Please follow this link to a recording of Morris Wind Symphony at QYMA:
In the final instalment of the May Concert Series, the Strings department under the Direction of Mr Ben Hooper will be performing music from the all time great composers with the Symphony Orchestra performing Beethoven’s ‘Egmont Overture‘ for the finale alongside music from Elgar, Grainger and McCartney. Even the Prep Strings will be paying tribute to the great Brahms with an arrangement of ‘Finale from Symphony No 1’. Please bring your friends and family along to support all of our wonderful string players on what will be an amazing night of music making.
James Duffy QYO3 Concerto
Congratulations to James Duffy (Year 10), who has been selected to perform the Chaminade Flute Concerto with QYO3 on 9 June 2024 at 3 pm in the Old Museum. Only three students were selected, and the opportunity to perform a concerto in front of a full orchestra will be an amazing experience for James.
Viking Vocals 1 Headmaster’s Assembly
Congratulations to Viking Vocals 1 on their acapella performance of Billy Joel’s masterpiece, ‘And So It Goes’. To sing unaccompanied with complex harmonies is an enormous achievement. Please listen below to a recording of their performance at Headmaster’s Assembly:
As part of the upcoming Signature Concert Series in Term 3, all students will be performing a solo piece as part of the Soiree studio recitals. This is a fantastic opportunity for parents to see their sons perform in a warm and friendly environment as we encourage students to improve their performing skills. Please note the date, time and location of your Soiree below. You should also receive further, more detailed, communication from your tutor by the end of the term.
Congratulations to the following students who have been selected for the State Honours Ensemble Program in Brisbane and South East Queensland. The weekend allows students to work with the best conductors in the state and refine their instrumental skills while meeting with students from all over Brisbane and South East Queensland. To be nominated for this experience, continue to speak with your teacher about AMEB examinations on your instrument.
South East Queensland
Student
Instrument
Ensemble
Rémy Gaffney
Vocal Soprano
Magenta Vocal Ensemble
Archie Goodison
Vocal Soprano
Silver Vocal Ensemble
Rehan Mubarak
Vocal Alto
Magenta Vocal Ensemble
Benjamin Shepherd
Vocal Soprano
Magenta Vocal Ensemble
Zachary Stumer
Vocal Soprano
Magenta Vocal Ensemble
Brisbane
Student
Instrument
Ryan Mullins
Vocal Soprano
Lucas Shan
Tenor Saxophone
Bohdan Davison Director of Music
Sport
Thursday’s wet weather presented a more challenging course for the GPS Cross Country Championship, but our efforts were not dampened. A concerted effort from all our boys—well done to the junior school team who came home as overall winners of the Junior GPS Championships. Round 5 away games at BBC proved more challenging for our tennis teams, and our football programme once again came out victors, with our First XI remaining unbeaten thus far.
GPS results
After another exciting GPS round four last weekend, we invite everyone to view the weekend’s results summary via myChurchie – GPS Sports and Activities.
Cross Country
On Thursday 16 May the Churchie Cross Country team completed a very successful season by competing in the GPS Cross Country Championships at Limestone Park, Ipswich.
Junior results
The junior team of the 10, 11 and 12 years boys performed very well, winning the Junior GPS Championships by a remarkable 10 points and winning each of the three age groups in a dominant performance.
10 years scoring team (1st): Archie Ellis (3rd), Nashton Walker (7th), Angus Richmond (11th), Sebastian Fitton (16th), Liam De Almeida (28th) and Max Broad (30th).
11 years scoring team (1st): Winston Rodgers (1st), Finn Platz (3rd), George Chandler (4th), Dorcen Walters (13th), Nate Keily (19th) and Michael Smee (23rd).
12 years scoring team (1st): Samuel Phipps (9th), Blaze Berlese (12th), Mitchell Kelly-Sammut (13th), Henry Furness (17th), Jacob Choi (19th) and Matthew McMaugh (20th).
Well done to all the boys in the junior team on a wonderful result.
Senior results
The senior team competed hard all day to finish in a very close fourth position, only one point behind Nudgee College in third place—a wonderful team performance.
13 years scoring team (6th): Archie Jackson (14th), Daniel Lane (16th), Joel Trouchet (21st), Robert Meehan (31st), James Turley (48th) and Ethan Jeremijenko (66th).
14 years scoring team (1st): Andrew McConnel (4th), Mac Chandler (8th), Caleb Watson (15th), Archie Reilly (19th), Max Miles (29th) and Tobias De Kievet (33rd).
15 years scoring team (5th): Zac Moore (1st), Freddie McDonnell (5th), Jay King (21st), Santi De Leon (36th), Aden Jeremijenko (51st) and Daniel Desmet (56th).
16 years scoring team (2nd): Lachlan Moore (1st), Nate Wallden (17th), Charlie Matigan (19th), Max Pope (26th), Aiden Manivong (27th) and Alec Easton (40th).
Open scoring team (7th): Noah Tyne (17th), Hamish Barwick (22nd), Campbell McIntyre (32nd), Henry Peters (34th), Connor Rudman (43rd) and Liam Meade (54th).
Outstanding results
Special mention must be made of some outstanding performances on the day.
Zac Moore won the 15 years race in an outstanding time of 12:10 (4 km) the fastest time ever over the Limestone Park 4 km course by a Churchie boy, a simply wonderful performance.
Lachlan Moore won the 16 years race in a time of 18:40 (4 km) almost a minute ahead of the second-placegetter in a dominant performance.
GPS Cross Country is a very high level of competition, and the success of these boys and teams is a result of great dedication and commitment to training over a long period.
Thank you to all the boys who participated in cross country this year. Your attitude and effort over the season have been outstanding.
Thank you also to the coaches and coordinators for their wonderful mentoring of the team this season.
We look forward to starting our preparation for next year with a premiership as the goal.
Our round five matches were against the powerful BBC tennis programme, and the day proved to be as tough as we predicted. We played 27 GPS matches against the boys from Kensington Terrace and two supplementary matches against Brisbane Grammar.
Our undefeated Fourth IV continued on their winning streak and was our only successful team in the senior school. Our four Year 6 teams and our 5A and 5B teams all proved to be too strong for their opponents and flew the flag magnificently for Churchie. The strength of these teams gave Churchie the only six victories across the day.
Our Second IV continued to toil hard and battle each week and, as always, were very close to a win with a bunch of three-setters but unfortunately fell short.
Our First IV went down six rubbers to two but held themselves in high regard, especially at the end of the day. Our boys fought hard but were outclassed in the long run.
As we move into the back end of the season, all spectators are reminded that coaching, including any information, from the sideline is not allowed. We understand it’s difficult at times, but only encouragement is supported by the GPS rules. This rule is implemented in most tennis tournaments/competitions, with the exception of professional tours. If any Churchie supporters are uncomfortable with another school’s disregard for this rule, the appropriate channel is to advise the Churchie age group coordinator immediately.
This Saturday we play Brisbane State High School. Our junior teams will get a week off, but all other teams will be in action with our Years 7 and 8 teams the only ones not playing at a Churchie venue.
A reminder again of the end-of-season function for the Senior School students only and their families on 8 June. The online RSVP link is open until Friday 31 May.
Ian Malpass Director of Tennis
Football
On Saturday 18 May, the Churchie boys made the short trek to Toowong to play BBC.
We ended up with an impressive 18 wins, 6 draws and 5 losses. A further five supplementary games were played, where we ended up victorious in four of the five games.
Our First XI team has made it five from five victories. The first 20 minutes was a very even affair with both sides holding their own. Mid-way through the first half, Zane North put in an inviting cross, which was superbly converted by Quinn MacNicol, who headed the ball into the back of the net. The second half began with Churchie’s dominance, which was rewarded by a clinical left-footed finish by Zane North who was very impressive in the second half with clever passing, mazy dribbles and great tackling skills. The game was wrapped up when Arden Hogan put the ball in the top corner to seal the game.
Josh Tanner was very impressive in goals. He made some very crucial interventions and saved at 1 – 0. Oliver Reid and Lucas Herrington proved to be rock solid in the centre-back positions.
Below are a few of the many examples of boys living by the Churchie Football values of integrity, discipline and determination in round four.
Integrity: George Samios (11A) leads by example and gives everything on the pitch. He is always respectful and brings positivity to the dressing room.
Discipline: Nate Strachan (7C) never gave up and persisted until the final whistle. He had to break up a lot of the opposition’s attack and continues to impress in a position he hasn’t played a lot previously.
Determination: Spencer Klimnick (11B) came back after breaking his arm two weeks prior and played with protection. He gave his all in defence and then moved forward to midfield before scoring a goal.
This week, we welcome Brisbane State High School to Churchie. It promises to be an action-packed day.
Alex Rados Director of Football
Zane North dribblingArden celebrating third goalJosh TannerOliver ReidOliver ReidZane North celebrating his goalPhotos: NAGISA SUGIMURA
Water Polo
The pool came alive last Friday at the Queensland Water Polo Championships, marking the exciting climax of the season for our Churchie Water Polo boys. We fielded teams in both the Senior and Junior divisions, competing against rivals from Gregory Terrace, Brisbane Grammar, Iona, Padua, Marist Ashgrove, Trinity Lutheran College, Brisbane Boys’ College, and Brisbane State High School (BSHS).
Senior division
The Senior boys started with a close match against BSHS but ultimately fell short. However, they bounced back with determined draws against both Gregory Terrace and Padua College. This secured them a spot in the fifth-place playoff against Trinity Lutheran College.
Churchie dominated much of the game, leading by a strong 4 – 2 margin. Unfortunately, a late technical foul awarded Trinity a penalty in the final minute, which they capitalised on to snatch victory by a single goal.
Junior division
The young guns in the Junior division, comprising Year 7 and 8 players, defied expectations by playing against teams with mostly Year 9 competitors. They started strongly with a convincing win over BBC White but faced tough losses against Trinity and the eventual champions, BBC Green.
Their resilience shone through in the crucial third-place playoff against Trinity. This nail-biting game went all the way to a penalty shootout, where our Churchie boys displayed nerves of steel and emerged victorious 5 – 4!
Congratulations to all our water polo players and coaches for a fantastic season and a thrilling finish at the championships!
Alan Greenbank Director of Water Polo
Sporting achievements
Congratulations to Harry Makridakis, who recently placed first in both the regional and state Gymnastics championships earning him a position in the Queensland state team to compete at nationals. After two days of tight competition, Harry placed fourth overall, winning the vault event and placing second on the floor and parallel bars. His Queensland team also placed first in the team competition. Harry will represent Churchie at the GPS Gymnastics Championships on Saturday 1 June.
Trent Goodrick Head of Cocurricular
Photos: Melisa Makridakis
Churchie Rugby Luncheon
The annual Churchie Rugby Luncheon will be held on Friday 9 August 2024 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre in Brisbane’s South Bank. This event precedes the Wallabies’ match against the current World Champions, the South African Springboks at Suncorp Stadium. As always, there will be top-level entertainment, with Justin Harrison as the main speaker, along with a panel discussion conducted by MC Greg Clark featuring new Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt and other former Wallabies. Additionally, there will be the usual raffles, auctions and the ball-passing competition for both men and women.
With the much talked about British and Irish Lions Tour in 2025, tables purchased for the 2024 luncheon will receive priority for 2025, which will undoubtedly be a sell-out at the new venue, The Star Casino, Brisbane. Save the date for the Churchie British and Irish Lions Test on Friday 18 July 2025.
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.
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.
Join Parent Connect
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, hosting social connections, and administering private Facebook groups.
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.
Chapel Centenary special project
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 Reverend Mitchell and Chaplain Stephanie. Click here to volunteer.
Midweek meditation
Reverend Sharon welcomes all. 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.
Upcoming events
We host several events throughout the year to unite our community, and we would love for you to join us. Our upcoming events include:
Parent Connect Meeting
Date: Wednesday 29 May Time: 6 pm Venue: Brenan Pavilion Click here to RSVP
Mothers of Old Boys High Tea
Date: Wednesday 17 July Time: 10 am Venue: Brenan Pavilion
Wellbeing Speaker Series
Date: Tuesday 4 June Time: 6 pm Venue: The Centenary Library lecture theatre
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.
