Vol. 51 No. 4
16 March 2017
Parents in Touch with Greg Mitchell
St Augustines College P&F Association met on Monday 27
February before the first Parents in Touch evening of 2017.
We spent the meeting allocating funds to various projects
around the College to benefit the Men of Saints. Br Darren
explained how beneficial the Parents in Touch guest, speaker
Greg Mitchell was to the boys as well as staff at the College.
Greg Mitchell gave insights to students during the day in
presentations that kept them captivated. He followed up with
a session with the staff who have gone away better for the
experience.
After hearing Br Darren speak about Greg Mitchell at the P&F
meeting, I along with 130 parents went to see what he had
to say. A fantastic number in attendance for the two hour
evening. For those who couldn’t make it, it was entertaining
to say the least with Greg making it a fun, interactive evening
of information to help us raise our boys. Who is Greg Mitchell?
He grew up unable to spell and found school difficult but, that
didn’t stop him becoming an author and university lecturer.
A number of points really have been entrenched in my
mindset. Some things were of course common sense, others
very profound. Resinating with the whole group was a
confronting thought. He explained that we need to first of all,
be there for our kids, secondly, always love our kids, but most
of all, never, ever TRUST our kids. That’s right, never trust
your kids. Trust needs to be earned and kids often do things
out of the ordinary. He did ask the group who trusted their
children, to which many raised their hands. His hand covered
his eyes in disbelief. I know that parents went home thinking
about that very comment.
The evening was very entertaining and of great benefit to the
College community and I would encourage all parents to make
the time to attend events like this in the future. Every little
bit can help us through the roller coaster ride of parenthood.
Mr Maurice Andrejic
President, P & F Association
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Congratulations to all boys on their special achievements. Well done!
Zachary Tabuai
Year 9
Interschool Swimming
New Record
14 Years
50m Backstroke 30.38
50m Butterfly 28.55
Lucas Kresevic
Year 10
Interschool Swimming
New Record
15 Years
200m Freestyle
2.04.62
Oliver Anu
Year 9
Interschool Swimming
New Record
15 Years
200m Individual
Medley 2.23.70
Please direct your son’s special achievements to Br Joa for both in and out of school activities.
Email: [email protected]
Over the past 7 weeks there has been a large amount of time spent
by both staff and students looking for lost property.
Often a student will forget where they have left an item and it
eventually ends up on the lost property table which is located outside
the Junior Heads of Year office, or an item is picked up by a student
who then realises it is not his and again it ends up in lost property.
A lot of this can be avoided if students clearly label all items, including
their College bags. Please check your son’s items to ensure that they
are labelled.
TRADING HOURS
Monday and Wednesday
8.00am–3.30pm
SAINTS SHOP WEBSITE
We invite all parents/carers to have a look at the
Saints Shop website www.shop.sac.qld.edu.au. The
website provides:
•
Uniform requirements
•
Online purchasing of uniforms
•
Stationery lists for Years 7-12
•
Hours of operation
Please do not hesitate to contact the Saints Shop direct
on 4052 9137 or email [email protected]
COLLEGE CALENDAR
Friday 17 March
Wednesday 29 March
Thursday 30 March
Tuesday 18 April
Wednesday 19 April
Thursday 20 April
Thursday 27 April
Boarders' Free Weekend
Interhouse Cross Country
12.00pm–2.30pm
Classes finish Term 1 at 3.20pm
Year 7 2018 Applications Close
Student Free Day - No Classes
Boarders in Residence (4pm - 8pm)
Year 11 & 12 Parent/Teacher/Student
Interviews 1.00pm - 7.00pm
All Year Levels Commence Term 2
ANZAC Day Service at 9.50am Year 8, 9 & 10 Parent/Teacher/Student
Interviews 3.40pm - 7.30pm
College Interhouse Athletics Carnival
Year 7, 2018 Applications
Interviews for Year 7, 2018 student enrolments have commenced and if
you wish to enrol your son for Year 7, 2018, please apply now.
An interview time will be arranged once all paperwork has been
submitted.
Interviews for Year 7, 2018 day students conclude Thursday 30 March.
Letters offering enrolment will be sent home early in Term 2, 2017.
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From the
Principal
Dear Members of the Saints Community,
In this Bicentenary Year of the Marist Brothers it is an
opportunity to provide some editorial reflections on the
mission and works of the Marist Brothers throughout the
world.
Recently, we received and displayed two of the four paintings
to mark this special year. These will travel to all the schools
in the Marist network on the east coast while two others
will travel down the west coast. They began their journey
in the centre of Australia at our school in Alice Springs.
There they were blessed by Bishop Hurley, the Bishop of
Darwin, in a special ceremony initiating the pilgrimage of
the paintings throughout Australia. The paintings will be
installed at the chapel at The Hermitage in Mittagong in the
southern highlands, south of Sydney.They are designed to be
transformed into stained glass windows.
These were painted by Michael Galovic, one of the most
notable religious artists in Australia. Michael was the artist
of the two icons (Marcellin and the Madonna) at the back
of our chapel and which appear at all our major Masses and
assemblies.
The four paintings depict key events in the Marist story:
• The Pledge of Fourviere in France – 12 seminarians,
Marcellin Champagnat included, pledged their lives and
mission to Mary the Mother of God on 23 July 1816;
• The Dying Boy – The 16 year old boy, purported to be
Jean Baptiste Montagne, who was on his death bed was
visited by Marcellin on 28 October 1816 in the parish of
Lavalla. This meeting reinforced Marcellin’s belief that
the children in that part of France were poorly educated
and had little knowledge of God. It spurred him on to
starting the Marist Brothers.
• Lavalla – this is an impressionistic painting of Lavalla
with a focus on the table around which the first brothers
gathered to eat and share community. Marcellin started
the Marist Brothers at this location on 2 January 1817
• May Miracle – this is an impression of the miracle that
the first Australian brothers believed happened. When
the brothers started the first Australian Marist school in
the Rocks in Sydney in April 1872, they were faced with
remarkably unruly children who had never been to school
before. Nevertheless, the brothers persisted with the
tradition of the May Altar where the children sit before an
altar of Mary each day and recite the rosary. The miracle
was that May the end of the month of May a dramatic
change had occurred whereby the children were orderly
and were engaging positively in their learning.
Lavalla and the May Miracle were present here in the chapel
for two weeks, which allowed teachers to take classes to view
these artworks and hear the accompanying stories. Naturally,
there was a perfect connection with our boys and the Lavalla
story considering the presence of our table. This meant that
the wider Lavalla story could be appropriated at the local level
and become more meaningful.
I hope that these paintings have served to inspire many of our
boys and remind them that with simple beginnings something
more significant can develop when vision, hard work and faith
are combined into a powerful force.
With best wishes,
Br Darren Burge FMS
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DEPUTY PRINCIPAL
College Procedure for Parents
How to Notify a Student Absence from School
The Report Student Absence tab on the Parent Portal is used only for reporting your son’s absence from
school due to illness or unexpected family circumstances.
When applying for one full day or more of planned absence (ie. Peninsula sporting commitments, family
circumstances etc.) you must access and complete a request for Student Absence Form. This form is
available via the Forms and Documents tab on the Parent Portal and must be handed into the College Office
for approval by the Principal in advance.
Page 4
DATE CLAIMERS
Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews
Year 11 & 12 -Tuesday 18 April
1.00pm–7.00pm
Year 8, 9 & 10 - Thursday 20 April
3.40pm–7.30pm
Interviews will be of 6 minute duration, with a 1 minute changeover time.
As the College has recently migrated to a new Parent Teacher On-Line (PTO) internet-based booking system, parents will
need to know the following information:
• ALL Parents must create new logins in order to access the system.
• Instructions on how to create logins and when the booking system will open for appointments will be emailed in Week 10.
• Homeroom teacher appointments will not be available through PTO. Please email your son’s Homeroom teacher direct
if you have concerns.
• Students must wear their College uniform and accompany their parents to all interviews.
COLLEGE MASS INVITATION
St Augustine’s Community
warmly invites
the Saints Family of Students, Parents, Staff,
Past & Present and Marist Community
Members to join them for
Mass
on Wednesday mornings
from 8.15am to 8.35am
in the College Chapel
MISSION DEPARTMENT
On Monday 6 March, Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Ari Rubin visited
St Augustine’s to meet with Year 11 and Year 12
classes. Rabbi Ari was born in America, but grew
up and attended a Jewish school in Melbourne,
and studied around the world. He moved
to Cairns a year ago as the first permanent
appointment of the Jewish organisation
Chabad.
we suffer and what happens when we die. Year 12 Study of
Religion students were able to interview Rabbi Ari for
their assessment work, asking him questions about
Jewish responses to ethical issues such as abortion,
euthanasia, war, and sexuality. Two of the Year 11
Religion and Ethics classes are studying Judaism
this term, so the Rabbi’s insights were pertinent
to their work.
Ari was keen to share knowledge of the local
Jewish community, many of whom live on the
northern beaches, which explains the large
kosher section at the Clifton Beach supermarket!
There are approximately 1000 Jewish people living in the Far
North. Ari shared Jewish teachings on ultimate questions
with Year 11 Study of Religion, including perspectives on why
We thank Rabbi Ari Rubin for his openness
and depth of sharing about his faith and Jewish
teachings, and for taking the time to build the
relationship with St Augustine’s that we hope will
continue into the future.
Dr Danielle Lynch
Director of Mission
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GROWING GOOD MEN WEEKEND
The relationship between a father and his son is one of the primary and
most critical relationships a man will have, particularly in the teenage years. The
impact that a father has on his son is profound and defining.
Growing good men is a weekend retreat experience to discuss this relationship
and the challenges that the journey to maturity presents to young men. The
weekend is open to boys in Year 9 & 10 and their fathers (or other significant male
role model >18yo). The weekend will run from the evening of Friday 19
May to the afternoon of Sunday 21 May.
To register your interest and to find out more about the Growing Good
Men weekend please contact Danielle Lynch (Director of Mission) on
[email protected]
The weekend is facilitated by menALIVE www.menalive.org.au hosted by St Augustine’s College, Cairns
JAPANESE DEPARTMENT
On 28 February 2017, nine Year 10 Japanese students
travelled to Orchid Plaza for a traditional Japanese lunch and
to meet with a group of Japanese students. We departed the
school grounds at 12.30pm and were eating lunch not too
long after that.
We went to a restaurant called ‘Riki’ which served traditional
Japanese meals, including the well-known bento box. Many
students ordered the bento box, including myself, however,
a couple of students were game enough to try Japanese eel.
The bento box consisted of many compartments containing
different foods such as chicken, sashimi, fruit, miso soup, and
tempura. The meals served at this restaurant were fantastic
and I would recommend it as a restaurant that you have to try.
We then said thank you to the chefs, and waiters/waitresses
and continued on to our next destination, Navi Tour.
Page 6
Waiting for us at the travel agency were four Japanese
students who had come to learn English in Cairns. We then
engaged in conversations with these students, asking many
questions and telling them about the wonderful place that
we live in. They also told us many things about their lifestyle.
We took a group photo and even a few of the boys managed
to follow the students on Instagram. We said goodbye to the
students and the people working at the travel agency. We
then boarded the bus to travel back to school.
I thought, and I’m sure that most of the class did as well, that
the excursion was magnificent and that there should be more
like it. Ms Yamaguchi even enjoyed this excursion because
she was the happiest that I had ever seen her.
By Harrison Le Bherz - Year 10
ARTS DEPARTMENT
Addams Family Tickets now on sale online: Tickets
Congratulations to Marco De Roma, Year 12 Music
Addams Family Rehearsals: Rehearsals are proceeding
Congratulations to Darcy Maher, Year 12 Music Extension
student and lead actor for The Addams Family, for his
wonderful performance of one of Gomez’ songs on Assembly
yesterday. His performance gives great impetus to what will
be a wonderful show next term.
for all evening performances for The Addams Family are now
available online. You can book tickets at www.trybooking.
com\PACA and follow the prompts.
well. A reminder that all cast and band members will be
required to attend rehearsal on Sunday 26 March from 1pm
to 5pm in Lennon Hall. Full attendance is required at the camp
on Friday 31 March and Saturday 1 April from 9am to 4pm in
Lennon Hall. Some design students will also be required.
SHEP Program: Congratulations to Darby Conley, Sebastian
Extension student, for his excellent performance on Assembly
last week. Marco performed “Free fallin’” on guitar and voice
to great acclaim.
Dr Malcolm Cole
Director of Arts
Crookes and James Holland for participating in the annual
State Honours Ensemble Program run by the Queensland
Conservatorium of Music at St Marys College. All boys played
in the Concert Band. The weekend finished with an excellent
concert featuring students from all over North Queensland.
Year 7 Strings Classes: The Junior Arts Year 7 String
class held an open lesson for parents last week to showcase
student work. A number of students are taking up lessons
with teacher, Ms Rebecca Austin commencing this week.
Year 7 String Class
Sebastian Crookes, Darby Conley and James Holland
at the SHEP at St Mary's College
Rehearsals for the College Musical - The Addams Family.
Tickets now on sale
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DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY
DESIGN and TECHNOLOGY
To add a little excitement and fun for the boys in Year 8 Design and
Technology classes, we race the Dragster they design and construct
against each other. This becomes the highlight of the end of semester
when the boys gather around the race track and cheer for each
other’s cars.
A prize is awarded to the best looking dragster because we want to
reward the construction skills rather than speed, which is dependent
on several variables. Prizes are given to both groups of classes that
complete one semester of Design and Technology.
Last year the two winners were Dylan Shakespeare and Brodie Davis.
Prizes will be given to this year’s classes and I look forward to seeing
the results of student designs.
Stan Johnson - Head of Technology
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
The first assignment for Year 7 English is a recount. This task requires the boys to recount an incident or
experience in their life which has had an impact on them and one which they will never forget. The following
recount was written by Jack Hardy, 7.3 and tells of his memory of an afternoon exploring Florence, Italy.
In the Heart of Florence
My father and I sat down in the café, exhausted. We sat
together, tired but pleased with what we had seen and done
in the twisting, cobbled streets of Florence. The mild spring
air carried the smell of the street vendors, and the sounds of
an eager, bustling foreign crowd. Our guide had left us, and
together we reflected upon what we had seen on our Insider
Tour of the artisans of Florence. We sat in the café two years
ago, and that day is still one of the best days of my life.
I was apprehensive about meeting the guide at first, but
my father assured me that we would have a brilliant time.
We were standing in a cobbled square, near the centre of
Florence. Our guide was late, so we took in the concrete
benches, the overflowing flower boxes and the mismatched
shop fronts, all out of a story-book. Then the guide arrived,
a young woman with an American accent, and she seemed
quite knowledgeable. She told us about the architecture in
the Renaissance style, still clearly evident in the historic city.
We moved off on our tour, walking along the cobbles that
hadn’t seemed to have changed since the sixteen-hundreds.
The first site we visited was an old palace, colourful wood
and shingles, like something out of a Shakespearean play.
It must once have been massive, but by today’s standards,
it was barely larger than an office block. We stood in an
alley, while our guide told us about the scandalous duchess
who once resided there. Then, we moved on again, walking
through the cramped streets that seemed dark and open
at the same time. As the wind blew through them, the old
buildings seemed to sigh and whistle.
We arrived at a courtyard surrounded by old houses, each
two stories high, looking for all the world like old couples
leaning on each other for support. Our guide explained that
we were here to see a silversmith, and we crossed the stone
courtyard to a door, just like all the others. However, when we
entered, we found ourselves in a small shop, brightly lit, with
shelves facing us and a wooden counter to our left. Behind the
counter was an old man, slightly hunched, but his lined face
Page 8
and squinting eyes seemed to come to life
with the prospect of customers. Our guide
and he conversed quietly in rapid Italian,
and it seemed that our guide had made
an appointment for us. The old man gestured to a descending
staircase at the back of the room that we had not observed.
The old silversmith led us down the staircase to a dimly lit
room, with a huge, dark shape in the centre. As the man
flicked a switch, the room was lit up like a lamp. His face
suddenly looked like a young boy’s, bright with excitement.
Then, we saw that the shape was a machine, with two huge
cylinders like rolling pins, and clusters of levers like pins in a
cushion. Via our guide, the wizened man explained that this
was one of the machines, along with the smaller contraptions
on the tables and along the walls, that he used to craft his
merchandise. The workshop contained all the tools of a
silversmith’s art, something we would rarely see in Australia.
Inserting a two-euro coin, he demonstrated the use of the
machine. He turned a crank, the rolling pins crushed the coin,
and out came a thin disc of gold and silver metal, stamped
with an elaborate design.
After seeing this wonder, we moved to another square with
a gleaming white church like a Spanish villa, on one side.
We sat down in a café, and thanked the guide. She left
and we sat together resting after our long walk. I realised
that throughout the entire tour, nothing had been as it first
seemed. There had been a luxurious palace in the middle of
an area filled with cramped streets and crumbling masonry, a
silversmith’s workshop behind a door identical to those seen
throughout the world on houses and apartments. Above all,
the tour that started late, and that I was sure would drag on
seemed to have taken no time at all, and was one of the most
amazing experiences of my life! As we sat in the café, the
foreign crowd filled the square, deep in the heart of Florence.
Jack Hardy - Year 7 Student
GENEROUS DONATION
Presentation of a Telescope to St Augustine’s College
Recently St Augustine’s received a gift of a refractor telescope, a precision
instrument for examining the night sky. The gift is from College Old Boy,
Mr Anthony Despot who was a student and boarder at St Augustine’s
in the 1980s.
This is the second telescope that Mr Despot has donated to the College
in recent times. The other, a reflector telescope is already in the Gildas
Resource Centre.
Mr Despot was motivated to bequeath these instruments in
appreciation of what the College gave him, a love of learning, especially
in Science. It is his hope that present students might develop a keen
interest in astronomy.
Both instruments will be placed in the Gildas Centre under the care of
staff who will make them available to classes. Perhaps, this might be
the start of an Astronomy Club in the College.
Nicholas Lauder, the College Academic Prefect, accepted the donation
at today's Assembly and is pictured with the telescope in its new home
in the Gildas Centre. On behalf of St Augustine’s College, we thank Mr
Despot for his generous gifts.
COLLEGE WALKATHON
Pictured above is Mr Max Churchward
encouraging the boys at today's
Walkathon launch.
Thursday 16 March saw the launch of this year’s Walkathon which is one of the
College’s biggest annual fundraising events. The Walkathon is scheduled for Friday 19
May. The boys will depart the College on a 15km walk weaving their way through the
neighbourhoods of Cairns, finishing back at the College.
However, before the boys undertake their trek they must obtain sponsorship. The boys
have all received their sponsorship cards and so they need to get out there and sign up
as many sponsors as they can! This year we are offering the boys who raise the most
money chances to win major prizes, along with a day off!!
Over the years money raised has gone to improve many of the College’s facilities such
as the Gildas Centre, Health & Well-being Centre, College Gym, upgrading the toilet
block and the water bubblers. This year our goal is to continue to raise enough money
for a permanent shade cover for the basketball court. This will allow the boys access to
keep fit by getting out there and playing ball with their mates during recess and lunch
all year round.
Boys you have your sponsorship cards, so make sure you get out there over the holidays
and start collecting sponsors. Good luck!
Mr Max Churchward - Walkathon Coordinator
DEBATING & PUBLIC SPEAKING
Cairns Rotary Debating
Last week saw St Augustine’s face off in the first round of the
2017 Rotary Debating competition. Tuesday night saw both
Junior teams argue the affirmative for “The Zoos Should be
Abolished.” Facing off against a strong St Monica’s side, Team
1 were unsuccessful in scoring the win. They did however, put
up a strong fight and delivered polished speeches and some
powerful rebuttals. Team 2 came out victorious
against Gordonvale State High School and go
through to the next round on 22 March. The topic
for that round is That there should be a quota of
male teachers in schools, which I am sure will be an
interesting debate!
On Wednesday night the seniors
won both of their debates against
Gordonvale State High School and Cairns State High School
respectively. Their topic, “That Australia has Become a Nanny
State,” was argued for the affirmative by Team 2 and negative
by Team 1. Both teams were polished and delivered some
strong rebuttals. Special mention should go to our Public
Speaking Captain Joseph Krebs who wowed everyone with
more than 4 and a half minutes of non-stop rebuttal as
third speaker. This was something that even Mr Dorahy
had to admit he hadn’t seen in his time before!
Both boys continue to the next round to debate
“That Digital Disruption has Changed the Nature of
Society.”
Well done to all teams.
Miss Tina Nguyen - Head of English
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SENIOR PATHWAYS & CAREERS
8 Tips to help you build a successful creative career
12 Industries to watch for future jobs
Want a creative career but know how hard it is to make a
living in this field? These tips are for you. They come from a
Career Insights article on the myfuture website. Where are you heading? – Have some idea of your career
direction (you don’t have to know the destination yet). Think
of what you love doing and train, practice, learn and rehearse.
Inspiration – Research people who have made it in the
creative industries. Read their blogs and follow them on
Instagram. Information–Find out more from industry associations. You’ll
find links to professional associations on most of the myfuture
occupation pages e.g. professional associations for Set
Designer include the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance
and the Design Institute of Australia.
What’s in demand?–Look for areas of demand, or that might
be growing. Look for the trends and then advance them.
You’ve gotta eat!–Be prepared to work more than one
job. Creative careers often take a while to become established. Internships and volunteering–This is about getting
experience, building your reputation and getting to know
people in the industry.
Get some business skills – Learn the basics of business
management so you can make some money from what you do.
Hear from people who are working as creatives – Find out
how they first started. Learn from them.
If you found these tips helpful, have a look at Jonathan
Yvonne’s Twitter account (scroll down to ‘30 ways to stay
creative’). Also, read the advice given by JMC Academy
lecturer, Nigel Tucker, in How to break into the arts and
entertainment industries.
The Careers FAQs team analysed reports from internationally
known experts to come up with 12 industries they believe are
going to be the next ‘big thing’. They list and back up their
selection in Jobs of the Future: The 12 Industries to Watch. The industries are:
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)–AI technology has improved in
leaps and bounds over the last few years, and is expected
to evolve even more rapidly in 2017 and beyond.
• Drones–The drone industry is set to boom by 6,000% by
the end of the decade.
• Virtual reality – See the Facebook demonstration of
augmented social reality in the article.
• Wearables–Estimated to be worth $14 billion at present,
the wearables industry is expected to grow to a staggering
$34 billion by 2020.
• Mobile payments – Mobile payments are set to increase
in the future.
• Cryptocurrencies–Just like the internet revolutionised
the way we communicate (making it possible to
speak to anyone in the world, anywhere, anytime),
cryptocurrencies allow us to transfer money instantly to
anyone in the world, anywhere, anytime.
• Genomics – This could be the next trillion-dollar industry
of the future.
• Internet of Things (IoT) – Currently there are 8.4 billion
devices connected to the internet. Last year the world’s
connected devices managed to outpace the world’s
population.
• Robotics–Robots are already manufacturing shoes for
us, greeting patients at our hospitals, and even making
pizzas for us.
• Connected Home–From roof tiles that store and convert
solar power to smart ovens that recognise food (and
automatically cooks it for you!), homes of the future will
take convenience and efficiency to a whole new level.
• Driverless cars – In the future, expect to use a network of
fully autonomous cars to get from A to B.
• 3D printers – From houses to organs, 3D printers will
revolutionise many industries.
With these emerging technologies and industries, how can
we plan for future jobs? Read The 10 Skills You’ll Need by
2020 (and beyond).
The best way to find out about a job is to try it
This sounds obvious, doesn’t it? However, it is often the last
thing people think of when exploring jobs and making career
decisions. Apart from doing work experience, you can also
join an activity group where you can try out some of the skills
you will need in the job you like e.g. join the Air Force Cadets
or the St John Ambulance Cadets.
• Participating in various programs associated with specific
career areas e.g. Engineering Link projects.
The benefits of work experience or volunteering are:
• Learning about what the job involves
• Having a structured, supervised, hands-on experience
• Experiencing a work environment – the world of work
isn’t like school!
• Gaining a new referee to add to your resume
• Developing contacts that may help you gain employment
in the future
Don’t forget to visit the Careers Weebly for all your
Careers & Pathways news
http://saccareersandpathways.weebly.com/
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YEAR 12 NEWS
Friday 3 March saw the inaugural Shishkebab Shindig
whereby the St Monica’s Seniors invited the St Augustine’s
Seniors for an afternoon and evening of fun and frivolity.
The event was very well attended and a great time was
had by all. A mass game of mixed football, a monster BBQ
and a cake cutting by the respective College Captains all
contributed to the convivial atmosphere.
Thanks to Mrs Wendy Casey and the St Monica’s ladies for
their splendid hospitality. We look forward to returning
the favour with the Saints Soiree in Term 2.
Mr Andrew Dorahy
Head of Year 12
COLLEGE COUNSELLOR
Cyberbullying
The media have been addressing recently the topic of
bullying. It’s a big time for bullying as the ABC’s In Focus:
Bullying season of programming on the issue began last
Sunday, 12 March, including a documentary hosted by Ian
Thorpe about young people’s real life experiences of bullying.
There is an online bullying support portal from the ABC
broadcaster. It’s a place where all viewers can connect with
bullying support like digital self-help, peer-to-peer forums,
telephone counselling and crisis support from a range of
service providers. It contains specific section for parents
of primary aged students as parents of secondary aged
students, as well as tips for students.
2017 Safeguarding Children Conference
This year Catholic Education Services is excited to announce
that their annual Safeguarding Children Conference theme is
Every Child Matters.
We hope that you are able to join us on Saturday 6 May 2017
at the Pullman Cairns International.
Please note that there is no registration cost but places are
limited. Conference information and registration details can
be accessed via the conference website:
www.2017safeguardingchildren.weebly.com
If you have any further queries please contact Professional
Standards:
Ms Heidi Williams [email protected]
What is cyberbullying. Essentially, it is any form of bullying
using social media: facebook, snapchat, email, and other
forms of electronic communication and carriage. Any bullying
behaviour that is online can be termed cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying can be dreadful and terribly hurtful.
Cyberbullying can be incredibly public and hard to take
down. A youtube clip of the effects on one young person
of cyberbullying [or cy-bullying as it is sometimes called] is
very informative for parents and students. It can be tough
for young people to deal with, let alone parents (but here’s
a little help with that).
So, the first message is to educate your sons that cyberbullying
or bad behaviour online is never justified and never defensible!
The second message is that if you suspect your son is
suffering cyberbullying, ACT promptly!
Today, Friday 17th March is the National Day of Action
Against Bullying and Violence. Please check out this URL to
learn more about what you can do to help your son better
cope and be resilient to all forms of bullying.
Br Roger Vallance FMS
Counsellor
CONFIDENTIAL COUNSELLING
Ph: 4052 9135 Email: [email protected]
Page 11
The Geaney Residence.
How did the Name originate.
Named in honour after Brother Kieran Geaney.
Born Colin Patrick Geaney on 17 January 1931, growing up
near the beaches of Bondi in NSW, Kieran went from the
Bondi Beach School to the Marist Juniorate at Mittagong in
early 1948, where he proved himself to be a fine scholar,
setting scholastic standards in the Leaving Certificate Class.
Kieran also proved himself to be a competent Rugby League
half-back who knew the tricks of the trade. There were early
indications of things to come when Kieran won the annual
Assumption Essay Award which was a manifestation of his
devotion to Mary. Kieran received his Marist Habit on 2 July,
1949.
From here Kieran was appointed to the Villa Maria School
where he taught a full load of classes each day and still
managed to complete an Arts degree at Sydney University.
Subsequent years saw additional attainments with further
qualifications in Philosophy, Theology and Educational
Administration acquired and in 1961 Kieran was chosen
by the Provincial Council to undertake Theology studies in
Rome. His four years in Rome coincided with the sessions of
the Second Vatican Council, which was an historic time for
the Catholic Church. In the following years Kieran travelled
the world bringing the Marist traditions to many different
communities.
Br Kieran was appointed to St Augustine’s College in 1990 1992 and 1993 - 1997 to share his theological insights into
the religion, and care for the boarding community with his
gracious hospitality and caring nature. Sadly, Br Kieran (Colin
Patrick) Geaney passed away and was born to eternal life on
15 July 2013. To honour the life and devotion of Br Kieran, the
Year 7 boarding residence will always be known as “Geaney
Residence”.
Introduction to Head of Geaney Residence
Mr Mathew Osmond
My name is Mr Mathew Osmond, I am
the Head of Geaney Residence - Year 7
boarding. I relocated from the Hunter
Valley in NSW to Cairns at the start of
Term 1, January 2017.
Given the opportunity to work with
such a reputable and well known
College, the decision to relocate was
an easy one and with the support of my
wife Rebecca and my daughter Hazel I
am excited about the future.
The relocation was a great adventure, all be-it a long one. I
hope it is the start of a new chapter which cements a new
story line for my family and our new life in Cairns. It was hard
to leave my home town where I grew up, and holds similarities
to the experiences of a new boarder leaving home for the first
time. I left behind a close knit circle of family and friends in a
place I have lived since I was 4 years old. The positives from
the relocation is that they are all only a phone call or a short 3
hour flight away and I can visit them all in the school holidays.
My New Experience with Boarding at Saints
Since we have arrived, the Saints community has been so
welcoming, friendly, supportive and just an all-round great
experience. It is an honour to represent St Augustine’s
College and I am thankful to be in a positon where I am able
to mentor and lead the Year 7 boarding group. It is such a
rewarding experience.
Mr Mathew Osmond - Head of Geaney Residence
Boarding Life for the Year 7 Students
Harry Molloy-Webster from Redlynch,
Sam Whittle from Alyangula
Page 12
Jesse Neilsen from Chillagoe
Taras Showniruk from Lakeland.
Martin Weiss from Lake Eacham.
Year 7 Boarding Life Questionnaire 2017
by Hossain Nupiri from Trinity Park
What do I think about boarding?
I think boarding is fun because we get to live with our mates, meet new friends and we help one another with activities and
study etc. Study routines are great, it gives me the time to concentrate and finish my homework thoroughly.
What do I like most about boarding?
Getting to hang out with my mates every day, living all together and all having a good
time at the same place.
What do I find most challenging about boarding?
I find that I miss my family and my home the most but I have my friends with me now.
Why do I think boarding is good for me?
I can get more study done, concentrate harder, become more mature and organised
and be social with all my friends in the one place at the same time.
Hossain Nupiri Year 7 boarder from Trinity
Park in his room first day of school 2017
Hossain Nupiri during music practice.
The brand new 2017 | 2018 Entertainment Book as well as the new
Entertainment Digital memberships for smartphones are on their way
- and for a limited time, it’s the early birds who get the value!
Order your new Entertainment Book before 28 March 2017 and you’ll
receive six printed Early Bird Offers or order an Entertainment Digital
Membership and your Early Bird Offers will be loaded straight to your
phone that you can use right away - that’s over $160 of bonus value
for you to enjoy!
Your advance purchase contributes to our fundraising and ensure
you’ll get your Book when they become available in early April 2017.
Thank you for your support.
http://www.entbook.com.au/27035s6
Page 13
SAINTS SPORT
Sailing 2017
Our Saints sailors are rallying after a successful two day regatta
where they took out their division for a well deserved win.
With a challenging and uncharacteristic start in unfamiliar
conditions our boys were not able to get points on the board
in round 1 up at Lake Tinaroo. Then limited winds and not
ideal conditions during the second regatta hosted by the
Cairns Yacht Club in Trinity Inlet was slightly more successful.
Our boys then made the decision to meld our two teams into
one and seven dedicated young sailors and their families
travelled down to Mission Beach to participate in the final
regatta. A huge thank you to the wonderful support from
the Saints sailing families allowing their boys to have this
opportunity, and to Ms Essex for her support and presence
at the regattas. Great job to the boys and we look forward to
seeing you all in Semester 2 for Wednesday afternoon sport.
Mrs Kastelle Gane
Term 2 Sports Payments Due by 28 March
To secure your son's sport selection, please ensure payment is made by Tuesday 28 March.
SPORT PRICE LIST
Please ensure selection is made by Tuesday of Week 9. Payment must be made for your selected activity/sport by
the end of Term 1. Students who have not paid by this date will forfeit their right to participate in their activity/sport
& will complete sports detentions until the payment is completed. Students must be aware that there are associated
risks that may lead to injury with a number of the activities so please discuss your proposed selection with your parents.
Payment can only be made at the College Office only. Please do not pay at the Sports Office. Your cooperation is
much appreciated.
SPORT
Badminton (PCYC)
BMX @ Cairns BMX Club – Full Faced Helmet Required
Ten-Pin Bowling (Go Bowling Centre)
Cable Ski (Smithfield) (Not available on Feb 22)
Fitness & Weights (PCYC)
Indoor Sports (Sharkcage)
Skating @ Cairns Recreation Centre (NEW)
School Gym
School Sport (Lennon Hall / Tennis Courts)
Squash (Sportsworld)
Jump Mania
Table Tennis (Cairns Table Tennis Centre)
World Gym (Weights)
Water Polo @ Tobruk Pool (NEW)
Year Level
10 – 12
9 – 12
9 –12
9 –12
10 – 12
9 – 10
9 – 12
10 – 12
9 –10
10 –12
9 – 12
9 –12
10 – 12
10 - 12
Prices based on a 10 week term of 10 sessions
Page 14
COST
$30
$0
$60
$90
$50
$50
$60
$0
$0
$50
$50
$30
$50
$60
SAINTS SPORT
Young Rugby players become Regional Champions!
On Friday 10 March, Mr Martorella took 12 very keen Rugby
Union players to compete in the North Queensland Rugby 7’s
Championship in Port Douglas. It was a very wet and humid
day but the boys ended up being the U15 champions!
Our first game was up against Djarragun College. Despite the
cold rainy weather, the boys won easily with a 10-nil score.
The second contest for the Saints boys saw them up against
Burdekin Catholic High School. Although the opposition
sneaked a few quick tries towards the end of the game, the
boys managed to run away again with a comfortable win,
with the score being 26-12 to Saints.
As the weather was getting hotter, Saints saw themselves up
against a well-structured St Andrews team. Luckily, our boys
were fit enough to snatch a 20-nil win. Saints were
undefeated through the pool stages and claimed a
spot in the semi-finals. They were again up against
a resilient St Andrews team who were hungry for
revenge. This time, the boys played smarter and with
the scores being 10-5 with two minutes to go, the
team summed up their energy to score a try to put
the game out of reach for St Andrews. The end score
was 17-5 to Saints.
It was now grand final time for Saints, who were again
up against Burdekin Catholic High School. They knew
that Burdekin wouldn’t take them easy so they had
to do the same to them. After numerous penalties against
Saints because of some poor discipline, Burdekin eventually
scored a try before half time that would put them back in the
contest. The half time score was 12-7 to Saints.
Saints had to pick up their game, and after a hard talk with Mr
Martorella, the team knew that it was either now or never.
The second half of the game was filled with huge tackles,
breaks and good passes. In the dying moments of the game,
the boys managed to score 2 quick but well-constructed tries
to win the Grand Final 24-7.
A huge thank you to Mr Martorella and Mr Toombs for
organising
Simeon Natusch - Player
1st XV Rugby wrap up pre-season trial
Last Sunday, Saints 1st XV hosted
Townsville’s Ignatius Park College in a
Rugby Union trial match at West Barlow.
This trial has been a fixture of both
Colleges’ calendars in the last couple of
years and a solid and supportive crowd
enjoyed the early season spectacle in
searing heat.
Despite their tiring early start and drive up
the highway, Ignatius Park came out firing
and after an impressive and tight start,
the visitors scored first. Our boys weren’t
to be denied and struck back quickly. The
match was played across three thirds,
due to the midday start and heat, and
the 1st XV stabilised
in the middle third
when we were at
our most vulnerable.
An almighty effort
indeed by some of our
more inexperienced
players as they did
a most admirable
job of holding the
fort. The final stanza,
however, saw most of
our big guns take the
field again and blew
Iggy away with another three tries. A
final score of 29-10 could not have been
more impressive from the squad and we
look forward to what they can do after
reflection upon this outing.
The 1st XV have now beaten Ignatius Park
the last three times they have clashed and
the 2017 squad shows much promise. I
would like to thank super-manager Mr
Steve McDonough for all of his invaluable
assistance organising the match and for
his tireless work on the day.
Mr Toby McCarthy - 1st XV Coach
Page 15
SAINTS SPORT
Saints Swim to Victory
Congratulations to the St Augustine’s swimming team who claimed their 42nd Inter-School Swimming title at last week’s
carnival, which was held at Tobruk pool on Friday. Upon the completion of the day’s events, the Saints spirit, talent and depth
in all age groups, was the factor that allowed the boys to enjoy another successful day in the pool.
In teaming up with the St Monica’s girls, the combined Saints
team proved to be a formidable team. Congratulations to
St Monica’s in re-capturing the girl’s title in 2017. At the conclusion
of the carnival, the team scores were as follow:
Overall School Points
Saints – 3536 points
Trinity Anglican School – 2967 points
St Andrew’s Catholic College – 1896 points
Boys Aggregate Scores
St Augustine’s – 1932 points
Trinity Anglican School – 1489 points
St Andrew’s Catholic College – 884 points
Girls Aggregate Scores
St Monica’s – 1604 points
Trinity Anglican School – 1478 points
St Andrew’s Catholic College – 1012 points
Congratulations to the following boys who figured prominently
in the Age Champion results:
Age Champions
St Monica's Swimming Captain Mikaela Crowe and St Augustine's
Swimming Captain Baiden Sager accept the winning trophy
Record Breakers
Zachary Tabuai (14 years) – 50m Backstroke – 30.38
12 years – Savenaca King (3rd place)
Zachary Tabuai (14 years) – 50m Butterfly – 28.55
14 years – Zachary Tabuai – (Age Champion)
Lucas Kresevic (15 years) – 200m Freestyle – 2.04.62
15 years – Lucas Kresevic – (Age Champion)
Oliver Anu (15 years) – 200 Individual Medley – 2.23.70
15 years – Oliver Anu – (3rd place)
16 years – Brayden Cramp (Runner Up -2nd place)
A special mention to all Saints staff (St Augustine’s and St Monica’s) in convening
what was a highly enjoyable and successful swimming meet. With 13 schools
in the Cairns region participating in the day, it was an excellent opportunity
for the region’s best swimmers to come together and enjoy the competition.
Congratulations to our Saints Swim Coach, Kirk Donaldson, who once again
prepared the team in a meticulous and precise manner. Saints is very fortunate
to have such a fine and advanced coach. Special thanks to Mr Shane McMenamin
who refereed and oversaw the carnival in such a professional manner.
Mr Brett Toombs - Head of Sport
12 Years Age Champion: 3rd Place Savenaca King
15 Years Age Champions: From left
Oliver Anu (2nd) & Lucas Kresevic (1st)
16 Years Age Champion: 2nd place
Brayden Cramp
14 Years Age Champion: 1st place
Zachary Tabuai
Date Claimer - Change of Date
College Athletics Carnival Thursday 27 April @ Barlow Park