During the course of this week, we have held many functions that were previously cancelled due to flooding or COVID - 19 restrictions. This included our meeting of the Lauries Community Committee, two Principal's tours, our Gold Award winner's afternoon tea, a new parent evening and our Year 12 Commissioning ceremony. Many of these events were previously postponed. It has been due to the efforts of our staff that these events were rescheduled.

This weekend we have AFL, Volleyball and Cricket against St Patricks predominately. It has been due to the creative thinking of our Sports staff and Ground staff that competition can go ahead. I also commend our swim squad for the excellent efforts during Tuesday's AIC Swim Carnival held at Chandler Pool. St Laurence's College finished fifth in a high-quality competition. We congratulate   St Peters Lutheran College on winning the carnival. Our swimmers were superb on the day and I commend Mr O'Sullivan,  Mr Van der Zant and his team for their efforts this season.

Our Year 12 Commissioning was the highlight for me this week. Mr Knight organised a most meaningful ceremony. This ritual is an important part of the Lauries Journey for our Seniors and their parents. It was most fitting for us to officially commission all Year 12 students as leaders.

Below is a copy of the address this delivered at the Commissioning -

Welcome to all parents, caregivers, and family members. I acknowledge those boys who are on the live stream in Years 6 and 8.

I am delighted that we are finally able to conduct this most important event. Commissioning is a major part of our Year 12 boys' Lauries Journey. Although later than usual, it is always special for our families and the Seniors.

I wish to commend our Year 12 boys on how they have begun the year. Once again, it has been a disjointed beginning to our school year, with the continuing pandemic followed by recent rain and flooding. I must say that our Seniors have been exceptional throughout this time.

For me this has been evident in two particular ways.

1. Our transport buddy program 

Although this seems minor, it does much to enhance our school culture. There are multiple stories of boys in Year 12 going out of their way to support our newest boys on public transport. One that springs to mind involves a senior and a Year 5 boy. Mr Wigan, our Dean of Primary, was unable to find a buddy for a Year 5 boy who lives in the Western Suburbs. One of the Seniors volunteered and took the young boy home and made sure that he met his parents at the other end. The student then had to take multiple buses to get to his home on the Southside. We were so appreciative. However, when we thanked the Year 12 boy, he merely stated the same thing had happened to him when he began at the College. It was the least he could do.

2. Flood Support 

During the recent floods and events that we are still recovering from, a parent, Mrs Tanya Hansen, set up a Facebook page to reach out to those needing assistance. Some families needed labour to assist with the clean-up. Several of our Seniors formed clean-up gangs and were able to assist families to move back into their homes. Initially, we needed to ensure that all boys were up to date with their work as this work was done last Friday - an online learning day. All assured Mr Knight that the work was done. I was also delighted that the same boys were involved in the clean-up on Saturday following the cancellation of sport.

These two events are culturally significant for me. Service and care for those in need is what we do. Good job Seniors! Your role modelling will continue to create a culture of welcome and service.

At the end of 2021, our Seniors were surveyed about their school. This was a survey of 3447 students from 35 schools in all States and Territories except Tasmania. 

Here, St Laurence's College results are shown compared to the average of each school. The highest score is also shown. This is a 7-point scale, with 1 being the lowest and 7 the highest. Any score above 6 is excellent.

Overall Satisfaction- 

• "I have been proud to be a student at this school" - SLC 6.36 – Highest score 6.36
• "I would be happy to recommend this school to others" - SLC 6.40 – Highest score 6.40
• "I felt that I belonged at this school" - SLC 6.28 – Highest score 6.28
• "I am interested in staying in touch with the school through the ex-students' Association" - SLC 5.94 – Highest score 5.94. 

This, again is culturally significant.Our boys love their school. 

To our Seniors, we wish you all the best for the remainder of the year. I thank you all for adding to our culture and enhancing the great work of previous generations of staff, parents and students. Lauries boys look after each other. We welcome people to our community. We serve and we respect our traditions and culture. We respect ourselves. We respect our families, and we respect each other.

Enjoy the year and stay connected.

MR CHRIS LEADBETTER
Principal

Year 10 Immersions
This week, half of our Year 10 cohort spent the day with various communities as part of their service hours for their Cert II in Active Volunteering. As part of their Cert II, our students endeavour to engage with the community and challenge themselves to see the world from a variety of perspectives. This year we recognise that no matter our differences, we are “one in the spirit” that recognises the inherent dignity of each individual. Some of our Year 10 students participated in an immersion day where they learned about First Nations culture and heard stories from those from Refugee and Asylum Seeker backgrounds. They saw what it was like to be homeless and vulnerable through service at Emmanuel City Mission and St Vincent de Paul. They also heard the perspective of people living with disability through Sporting Wheelies and even experienced this themselves.

Our service and immersion experiences teach us to be humble and come as guest to honour the dignity of each individual and their story. It was interesting to hear what the students had learned from their experience and what had challenged them. The students who had the experience through Sporting Wheelies had the opportunity to be in a wheelchair and navigate themselves around the school to see the accessibility for people with disabilities. The students found this experience quite challenging and ended their day drafting a letter to Mr Leadbetter around what things needed to be considered in future building plans.

Another group of students experienced life from the perspective of those living homeless and vulnerable in Brisbane. They started their morning at Emmanuel City Brisbane serving breakfast and hearing stories from the guests. Later our students were taken through the city by St Vincent de Paul and given the challenge of finding a $2 lunch. Many of our students were confronted by this and it gave them a big insight into the daily struggles of the homeless and vulnerable. However, most students said their true highlight was going to Emmanuel City Mission and talking to the visitors there. When we talk with others we always come as guest - we listen not to respond but to hear story.

We hope the experience was valuable for the students.

International Women’s Day Forum – Loreto College
As part of International Women’s Day a group of 30 Year 11 students and 6 staff from St Laurence’s all visited Loreto College for an International Women’s Day forum. One of the main ideas was to get the students of both Colleges together to have challenging conversations around the language we use and what constitutes respectful relationships. The students from Loreto were most gracious hosts and they ran and coordinated the different workshops. This gave students an open forum to hear each other’s perspective. I could not have been prouder of the way the students carried themselves that afternoon. The discussions were insightful, well thought-out and honest. While we recognise that gender inequality exists in our world, forums such as this where we bring young people together are essential in our future generations moving forward to establish gender equality.

Opening Mass
Our Opening Mass will finally commence on Tuesday the 16th of March. While we are well entrenched into the school year, this gives us the opportunity to officially launch our theme of “One in the Spirit”. Commissioning was the first time our students had really gathered together this year. We all look forward to the Lauries students gathering together for Mass to sing in full voice.

MR PAUL CORFIELD
Dean of Identity & Community

NATIONAL ASSESSMENT PROGRAM - LITERACY AND NUMERACY (NAPLAN ONLINE)
Practice Test – Thursday 24 March 2022

On Thursday 24 March this Term, Year 7 and 9 students will be participating in a NAPLAN practice test. This is in preparation for the NAPLAN Online Test/s which begin on Tuesday 10 May and continue through until Friday 13 May – with scheduled catch-up sessions the following week.

Much has been written about NAPLAN regarding its usefulness and future viability. As a College, we are mandated to test our students, which has been moved from a paper format to an online format. The online format provides a more precise assessment for students and is considered more engaging for test users. However, as I am sure you can appreciate, it is a considerable logistical feat to test large cohorts within an online environment.

I highly encourage all eligible students to participate in the test. The data that the College receives is very useful in determining future teaching and learning programs which can target potential shortfalls for particular cohorts. For instance, if we notice a growth trend in reading which is not expected, we would design specific programs to ensure our students are challenged in the reading area to align with the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). These programs would also meet the needs of our boys, which are based upon our Agreed Practice Framework, Teaching and Learning Framework and context-based considerations. 

The NAPLAN data is also useful to determine if students are working at their potential. For instance, through our mentoring interviews, the mentor could identify that a Year 9 student achieved Band 9 or 10 in Numeracy (which is exceptional, and within the upper 2 bands nationally), but could be achieving C’s in Maths. Whilst there could be other factors for this internal Maths result, the data could suggest that this particular student is not working at his potential. This data is therefore an excellent gauge as to whether students are working at potential, and whether they need to be challenged to work more effectively in their subjects and at home.

On the night before the test (Wednesday 23 March), could I ask parents to ensure that:

• laptops are charged
• headphones/earphones are in laptop bags ready to use
• students bring a pencil and pen
• student bring a novel or some reading materials (if they finish the test early)
• students have the opportunity for an 8-hour sleep
• start the day with a healthy breakfast
• we will also remind parents through the College App closer to the testing dates.

Please find below a variety of information from ACARA regarding NAPLAN.

• NAPLAN Online Information Brochure for Parent and Carers [here]
• NAPLAN Benefits [here]
• NAPLAN Online Conversations [here]

ACADEMIC AFTERNOON TEA
We welcomed parents and students of Semester 2, 2021 Academic Excellence Gold award winners to our academic afternoon tea on Thursday this week. It was a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge our award winners and celebrate their achievement. A reminder, that there was an extraordinary increase of 42% in academic gold award winners, compared to 2020. I also thank all staff involved.

YEAR 8 DEBATING
Last Wednesday night, our two Year 8 debating teams triumphed against Cannon Hill Anglican College. The boys worked very hard, and managed to win both rounds.

SLC Team 1 (negative) vs Cannon Hill Anglican College (affirmative)

•  1st speaker – Lewis Head
• 2nd speaker – Kyle Abasolo
• 3rd speaker – Lachlan Wintour

SLC Team 2 (affirmative) vs Cannon Hill Anglican College (negative)

• 1st speaker - Nate Ryder
• 2nd speaker - Cohen Dangaard
• 3rd speaker - Lorenzo Kleynendorst

Special thank you to Mason Wills, who doubled up as both Chairperson and timekeeper for both debates. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Location: Cannon Hill Anglican College

Topic: That Australia should become a republic.

I thank Mr Joel Glazebrook and Ms Naomi Lightbody for their leadership of these boys and this program.

STUDENT HORIZONS PROGRAM
We welcomed Jamie Wansley on Thursday morning to present to the Year 10’s information regarding the Student Horizons Program. This is an Experiential Careers Program conducted over a three-month period, with students working with employer partner companies to provide solutions to real-world issues. The program will commence in Term 3, with the major field trip component through regional Queensland to take place during the September school holidays. I have attached a program overview, which includes an application form for those interested.

Some of the industry partners involved are Alliance Airlines, Helimods, Kilcoy Global Foods, NutrienAg Solutions, Quicksilver and Glencore, just to name a few. The program is an excellent way for students to develop their employability skills, create networks and to see the vast employment opportunities available across varying fields throughout the agricultural and tourism industries. During the 2021 program, students heard from people who worked in mining, transport and logistics, human resources, engineering, science, animal husbandry, business, aviation, mechanics and law.  

Jamie Wansey from Student Horizons will be speaking to the Grade 10 cohort this coming Thursday 10 March during morning admin. Interested parents and students are encouraged to check out the Experiential Careers Program website. Please also find a link to a video from some of the students who participated this year speaking about their experience on the program, as well as some photos from the field trip component of the program. 

Please do not hesitate to contact Paul Moscos [pmoscos@slc.qld.edu.au] from the Careers Office if you have any questions, as applications for this program do need to be in within the first two weeks of March. 

I thank Paul for his work.

Live Jesus in your hearts…………...Forever!

DR LIAM HERBERT
Dean of Teaching and Learning

ATAR INFORMATION PRESENTATION FOR YEAR 10-12 STUDENTS AND PARENTS
Bond University will be holding an online ATAR Information Evening for students in Years 10 – 12 and their parents/carers. This session will cover topics such as: how the ATAR is calculated, how it is used for entry to university, and alternative pathways into university. Bond University will be running the session on two dates (23 March and 28 April). For further information or to register, please click here.

SAE CREATE FOR A DAY WORKSHOP
SAE Creative Media are holding a Create for a Day Workshop on Saturday 9 April from 10.00am – 3.00pm. Students will get to participate in creative projects on the day across a range of creative fields, interact with SAE staff and see what the campus has to offer. For more information or to register, please click here.

ADFA INFORMATION SESSION GRADE 10-12 STUDENTS
St Laurence’s Old Boy, Angus Lindsay (2020), has kindly offered to run an information session for students interested in applying to study at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA). Angus is currently studying engineering and will be entering a career in the Australian Air Force at the completion of his studies and will be able to provide valuable insight into his experiences in applying to ADFA, as well as what life is like studying at ADFA and training to be in the Defence Force. Please note – this session will not be suited to students looking to enter the Defence Force through General Entry; it is specifically relating to ADFA.

As Angus is currently based in Canberra, he will be connecting to us online. Interested students in YEar 10 – 12 are invited to attend this presentation on Wednesday 16 March at 3.15pm in Rice 1. Please complete this registration form to confirm attendance.

UCAT REGISTRATIONS FOR 2023 ADMISSION TO DENTISTRY
Whilst the UCAT is most commonly associated with undergraduate entry into medical courses, it is also a requirement for a number of dentistry courses. Selection for 2023 admission to the Bachelor of Dental Health Science and Bachelor of Dental Science at Griffith University and UQ, respectively, will be made on the basis of the combined weighted score of the following three essential components: 

• Performance in the University Clinical Aptitude Test ANZ (UCAT ANZ) 
• Performance in the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) 
• Academic attainment. 

It is important to become familiar with this testing format as it is very different from your school examination experience. As they say, practice, practice, practice.

Registrations for the University Clinical Aptitude test ANZ (UCAT) opened on 1 March 2022 and close on 17 May 2022. Testing dates will be held in various locations between 1 July and 12 August 2022.

SENIOR EXTERNAL EXAMINATIONS
A reminder that any students in Year 12 who are proficient in a language other than English may have the opportunity to complete the subject as a Senior External Examination. Completing one of these subjects means that it can contribute to a student’s ATAR, will gain them 4 QCE credits and may also provide adjustment factors for university entry. The language subjects offered are:

• Arabic
• Indonesian
• Korean
• Latin
• Modern Greek
• Polish
• Punjabi
• Russian
• Vietnamese.

Applications for this are open until 30 April 2022 and cost $69.30. Please contact the Careers Office to register.

CAREER COUNSELLING
For any students wanting to discuss career information, post-schooling pathways, job skills etc. please see Mr Moscos in the Careers Office.

Phone: (07) 3010 1158 Email: pmoscos@slc.qld.edu.au

MR PAUL MOSCOS
Careers Counsellor

This week our Year 11 and 12 students will have a presentation on the important topic of consent. I would also like to share with you a special report from Dr Michael Carr-Gregg - A Conversation on Consent which may assist some parents in starting conversations at home. At Lauries, we understand that parental engagement and building partnerships are a pivotal part of building a strong and vibrant community, we’re here to walk alongside you and your son for their Lauries Journey. If you or your son would like to speak with staff at the college, can I suggest you speak with his Head of House in the first instance.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
The lead-up to International Women’s Day was highlighted this week by Nagle House and Head of House Ms Michelle Licina by leading the recognition of our female staff. It was wonderful to see all students standing in unity with Nagle House to acknowledge the work that women do in our school and the role that mothers, grandmothers and significant females play in the lives of our students. In addition to this, Nagle House organised a morning tea for all staff in order to celebrate International Women’s Day and I would like to thank them for their initiative, enthusiasm and generosity in doing so.

COMMISSIONING CEREMONY
I would personally like to thank all the staff, students and parents who were involved with Thursday’s Commissioning Ceremony and wish the Year 12’s well with their upcoming exams, retreat and formal.

INTER-HOUSE VOLLEYBALL
I would like to congratulate the Middle School winners Sion House and Senior School winners Rice House for their victories in the Volleyball competition. Special mention also to the students in Treacy House who made both finals this week.

ONLINE TIPS FOR PARENTS AND STUDENTS
One of our key focus areas in the pastoral team has been on building relationships with others. This is inclusive of students online profile. To continue this theme for parents and the wider community, I wish to share some information from the Office of the eSafety Commissioner on ‘Cyberbullying – supporting your child online.’

Childhood bullying was traditionally thought to be conducted face-to-face, including physical and verbal behaviour in the playground, classroom and on the way to and from school. Now online technology and constant connectivity has enabled bullying through often anonymous contact or actions. Cyberbullying can happen at any time and have adverse effects on children.

Cyberbullying commonly occurs through:

• Comments posted in an open online environment such as Facebook.
• Direct text, email and/or instant messages online or on a mobile phone.
• Private features on social networking services such as Snapchat and Facebook Messenger.

 Children can manage cyberbullying with your support by taking the following action:

• Blocking any person cyberbullying and changing privacy settings. Retaliating or responding to the perpetrator only gives them the attention and power they crave.
• Reporting the bullying behaviour. Most websites have online safety centres and reporting facilities. Learn about the latest games, apps and social media, including how to protect your information and report inappropriate content through the link above. Online abuse is in violation of the Terms of Use of most social networking sites. The Office of the eSafety Commission can take complaints and provide assistance in relation to serious cyberbullying material that is directed at a particular child with the intention to seriously embarrass, harass, threaten or humiliate.
• Collecting the evidence. Keeping mobile phone messages and printing emails.
• Talking to someone they trust like parents or a teacher.
• Visiting ‘eSafety Parents’ (advice for parents and carers) found at https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents

As always parents, if you believe your child has any issue at the College that we may be able to assist with, please contact your son’s Head of House or the Pastoral Precinct.

I wish all parents and students the very best and as always, Live Jesus in your hearts……..Forever!

DAVID KNIGHT
Head of Senior School

On Tuesday 15 March we launch out first SLConX session.

This is a new collaboration with the Old Boy’s Association and the College Carers Office to facilitate meaningful carer connections for our boys. 

Students in year 10, 11 & 12, with their families are invited to attend an information session offering stories of expertise and advice in a particular industry.  Our first evening is focused on the construction industry. 

Mr Paul Moscos will be joined by the following Old boys:

• Rhett Foreman (1990) – Construction Manager
• Grant Meredyth (1993) – Senior Project Manager, Construction
• Michael Batch (1994) – Construction Lawyer
• Billy Hammond (2011) – Pre-Construction Manager
• Ryan Byrett (2015) – Construction Lawyer

Stay tuned for more industries to be showcased.

All ID Cards have been distributed to students. The canteen is now cashless. Students are required to use their ID card to purchase food from the canteen. No cash will be accepted. Parents can top up student cards using the My Student Account tile on the Lauries Net.

Password queries can be directed to ITHelpDesk@slc.qld.edu.au.

Join us for the inaugural Autumn Harvest Brunch. An opportunity to come together and celebrate our great community and raise money for the College Annual Appeal. 

All proceeds from this event will go towards providing bursaries via the St Laurence’s College Old Boys Foundation, that help boys who otherwise may not, experience a Lauries Education. Funds will also aid the College Building Fund, helping us delver amazing facilities in line with our Masterplan. Meet other members of our community over a light brunch and glass of bubbles and listen to thought-provoking conversations by our guest presenters. Guest will be seated at tables of 12 so you can book a small party or get a whole group together. As per the Queensland Government vaccination mandate, every guest will need to provide their certificate of positive vaccination on entry to this event. Click here to secure your spot. 

Click here for the link. If you have any questiosn please contact Trudy Heard - tmheard5@gmail.com.

We are pleased to advise all instrumental lessons and ensemble rehearsals have now returned to normal and students are currently preparing for their upcoming concerts. 

Special thanks to Concert Band 1 and Brotherhood members who assisted with this week’s Commissioning Assembly. This event was an important milestone as our 2022 Seniors were inducted.  

TERM 1 CONCERTS 

Wednesday 16 March | Intermediate Ensembles Concert | 6.30pm ERPAC
Please note the start time for this Concert has been moved back to 6.30pm. 

Ensembles Performing: Concert Band 2, Big Band 2, String Orchestra 2, Guitar Orchestra 2, Little Brotherhood, Middlehood. 

The Lauries Music Support Group (LMSG) is calling for volunteers to assist with their pre-concert BBQ from 5pm – 6pm. If you can assist, please register via the link below.

https://volunteersignup.org/MFCJY 

Thursday 17 March | Senior Ensembles Concert | 6pm ERPAC 
Ensembles Performing: Concert Band 1, Big Band 2, String Orchestra 1, Guitar Orchestra 1, Symphony Orchestra, Fellowship of the Strings, Brotherhood, Big Brotherhood. 

The Lauries Music Support Group (LMSG) is calling for volunteers to assist with their pre-concert BBQ from 5pm – 6pm. If you can assist, please register via the link below.

https://volunteersignup.org/TLBR9 

Saturday 19 March | Singing Surfin’ Safari | Noosa
Little Brotherhood will return to Noosa this year for their annual Singing Surfin’ Safari. 

This overnight trip is a unique opportunity for our Middle school singers to enjoy the best Queensland has to offer with downtime in the surf, singing with peers and bringing the gift of music to the Noosa District Parish. A collaboration the parishioners look forward to each year. 

The deadline to register for this event is Sunday 13 March. If you need any further information, please contact the Music Department. 

Monday 21 March | Old Boys and Community Choir Concert | St Ignatius Church Toowong 
Our annual Old Boys and Community Choir Concert will be held on Monday 21 March. 

Performing will be our Old Boys Choir, Guitar Orchestra and String Ensemble and the SLC Community Choir.

The concert will commence at 7pm at St Ignatius Church Toowong. There will be no charge to attend this event, however donations to the Jesuit school in Myanmar are welcome. 

Tuesday 22 & Wednesday 23 March | Junior Ensembles Breakfast Concerts | ERPAC
Our annual 'Progress Report' informal breakfast concerts for Treblehood, Concert Band 3, Big Band 3 and String Orchestra 3 will take place in ERPAC from 7.20-8.10am. 

Treblehood will provide a special performance on Tuesday at 7.45am, while all other ensembles will perform on Wednesday morning from 7.20am. We’d like to invite families to join us before work for tea, coffee, hot cross buns, and music! What better way to start your day?

Thursday 24 March | Open Day
Big Band 1, Guitar Orchestra 1, String Orchestra 1 and Treblehood will be performing at the College Open Day on Thursday 24 March. Further information will be sent home soon. 

If you need any further information regarding any of the above, please contact the Music department  music@slc.qld.edu.au or telephone 3010 1138.

Strike up the Band!

MR ROSS CAPERN
Director of Instrumental Music

THANK YOU- FLOOD RECOVERY ASSISTANCE 
It was wonderful to see the large number of families who volunteered to assist the flood recovery efforts around Brisbane. Many families responded to the Sports office callout for assistance at South’s Cricket Club. Our College and South’s have had a long standing relationship and it was wonderful to see our community being able to assist. We also had a lot of families assit the Lauries Helping Hands Initiative, coordinated by Tanya Hansen. It was incredible to hear the stories of our boys and families going out in the community and helping other Lauries Families. We also had a number of families participate in the Mud Army 2.0. Again, a huge thank you to every student and family who assisted in the flood recovery. To all families still impacted by the catastrophe of the last couple of weeks, our thoughts, prayers and support are with you.

AIC SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS 
Congratulations to the AIC Swim team for their performance and efforts, both through the season and at the AIC Championships on Tuesday. The College finished fifth in the Secondary competition and sixth in the Primary competition. The highlights being the 16 Years team finishing third and the Opens, 14 Years and Year 6 teams all finishing forth in their respective divisions. These are very good results-seeing that we are the only AIC College that does not have a pool facility on site (This is being addressed in the College Masterplan). Particular congratulations to the Year 12 boys who competed in their last AIC Swimming Championships. Nearly every boy in the Open squad has competed in the team since Year 5 or Year 7. Their commitment has been greatly appreciated and a great example to all in the College. Thank you to Mr O’Sullivan (Director), Ms Flanagan (Primary Coordinator), Mr Van der Zant (Head Coach) and all of the coaching staff for their efforts this season. Also special thank you to Yeronga Park Swimming Complex and Somerville House for their support with the use of their pools. Please note: The Swimming Age Championships have been rescheduled to Thursday 17 March from 4:00pm-6:00pm at Yeronga Park Swimming Complex.

ROUND 6 SPORT V SPC 
This weekend, the majority of our fixtures are against fellow EREA school St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe. Our sporting fields at Runcorn and SPC’s Curlew Park fields still have considerable damage from the floods and rain events. A couple of the fields at Runcorn are still unplayable. Both College’s have worked together to ensure the cricket fixtures can go ahead this weekend. It is likely to be the case that fields are still wet in some places. Some extra napisan might be needed in the washing machine this weekend on the cricket whites. This aside, every student across all sports will have an opportunity to play this weekend.

TRIMESTER 2 AIC SPORT EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST – PARENT LOUNGE ACCEPTANCE 
All students who have expressed an interest correctly through the online EOI form for Trimester 2 Sport will now have a Parent Lounge invitation awaiting parents to accept for them to participate in Trimester 2 Sport. We ask that parents/caregivers please go into their Parent Lounge and accept these invitations. Students will not be able to participate until they have accepted the invitation. A number of boys failed to submit the expression of interest form- this was definitely not a parent error. Boys who failed to submit an EOI form are asked to see the Sports office staff to express their interest in playing a sport and a Parent Lounge invitation can still be added. Cross Country training and chess trials commence next week, with rugby and football trials commencing in Week 9.

Good luck to all teams for this weekend!

MR EDDIE WALLACE
Director of Sport

SLC DEBATING REPORT - ROUND 1, WEEK 1

After a chaotic start to the year, the revised round 1 debates finally kicked off this week with three of the five year levels competing over the course of two evenings – a schedule completely unheard-of in the world of QDU competitive debating.

In a superb start to the season, both year 8 teams, who debated at Cannon Hill Anglican College on Wednesday night, proved victorious. Congratulations to Lewis Head, Kyle Abasolo and Lachlan Wintour (Team 1) who successfully opposed the proposition that ‘Australia should become a republic’. Team 2 – Nate Ryder, Cohen Dangaard and Lorenzo Kleynendorst – successfully defended the same proposition. Of special note: this was the first debate undertaken by any member of Team 2. Under the guidance of their expert coaches, Naomi Lightbody and Anne Cholakos, the year 8 teams have started the season in the best possible form.

Both the year 9 and 11 teams debated on Thursday night. Despite incisive argumentation and rhetorical brilliance, both year 9 teams, who debated down the hill at Somerville, lost by very small margins. Team 1 – Mackinnon Moffat, Oscar Clancy and Simeon Jeremijenko – defended the proposition that ‘Australia should become a cashless society’. After a tense series of interchanges, the students from All Hallows edged out SLC, despite not being able to adequately respond to the all important environmental case contended by our team. Team 2 – Darcy Bryan, Hamza Al-Laith and Medhansh Sekhri – opposed the same proposition, but unfortunately went down to Brisbane Girls Grammar School. The teams were well-prepared, under the guidance and support of coaches Leisa Priebe and Donna Braithwaite. Dinel Ratnasekera and Chinonso Njoku served timekeeping and chairperson duties for the teams this week.

Year 11 round one exemplified both the glory and the heart-rending pain of competitive debating; while Team 1 was victorious against Mansfield State High School, Team 2 went down to Iona College. Team 1 – Jack Montague, Max Rossberg and Cruze Bunting – ably opposed the controversial proposition that ‘We should ban essential workers from striking’. Team 2 -  Joseph Arroyo, Sam Steiner and Kai Klisanin – had the unenviable task of defending the proposition. Coaching legend Roy Wojciechowski ensured that both teams faced their oppositions with the greatest possible argumentative acuity and conviction.

Next week: year 10 and 12, round 1.

JOEL GLAZEBROOK
Head of E-Learning

This week kicked off the 2022 eSport season. Tuesday saw students in Year 7-10 competing internally for the chance to represent the College on 24 March in the FUSE Cup. Playing on Nintendo Switch, students honed their skills in Just Dance 2022, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Rocket League and Smash Bros. 

Wednesday saw students in Year 11 and 12 head over to QUT to train in Overwatch. Students enjoyed the opportunity to train in a purpose build eSport Lab used by the QUT Tigers Academy. Next week, they will be joined by other Year 11 and 12 students competing in League of Legends and Rocket League on a Tuesday afternoon. Students selected will represent SLC across all three games against other high schools at QUT on Saturday 19 March.

Please email Brent Malcolm on bmalcolm@slc.qld.edu.au if you would like to join these students on a Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon, or to answer any questions you may have.

Register your interest here. 

Every day, thousands of Australian children suffer the effects of eczema, and families struggle with managing eczema and children’s behavioural and emotional adjustment.

Healthy Living Triple P is an adaptation of the successful Triple P - Positive Parenting Program, offering practical ideas and support for parents of children with eczema. This innovative online program is designed to help parents manage their child’s eczema more easily, help children cope with their eczema and emotions, prevent and manage difficult child behaviour, and reduce the impact of eczema on families.

Over the next few months, parents of 2-10 year old children with eczema are able to access Healthy Living Triple P free of charge as part of a research project through the Queensland Children’s Hospital, Griffith University, and the University of Queensland. For more information, please visit us at https://exp.psy.uq.edu.au/eczema/, contact Dr Amy Mitchell on (07) 3735 6462, or email healthyliving@uq.edu.au.