SUM M ER ISSUE 2018
100 years of School House | GPS Chess premiership | Armistice Day centenary | Inaugural Spain tour | Boarding captain’s charge | Book Week with St Margaret’s
Key dates 29 Jan
4 Feb
5 Feb
8 Feb
15 Feb
First day of Term 1
P&F AGM
Founder’s Day
Headmaster’s Welcome to Parents
Past Parents Welcome Drinks
18 Feb
21 Feb
27 Feb
2 Mar
8 Mar
GPS Music Showcase
OP 1 Assembly
Senior Play Opening Night
Prep School Cocktail Party
GPS Swimming Championships
16 Mar
4 Apr
19 Apr
21 Apr
23 Apr
Head of the River
Last day of Term 1
Good Friday
Easter Sunday
First day of Term 2
25 Apr
8 May
16 May
Anzac Day Ceremony
Brisbane Jazz Club Performance
Strings and Choir Concert
5 June
11 June
20 June
GPS Cross Country Championships
Prep Solos
Billy Cart Grand Prix
Anglican Church Grammar School Oaklands Parade, East Brisbane 4169 Queensland Australia Tel +61 3896 2200 www.churchie.com.au Editorial enquiries: eagleswings@churchie.com.au Cover image: School House in 1918
24 May
4 June
Vintage Vikings Lunch
Prep Solos
20 June
15 July
Last day of Term 2
First day of Term 3
Statement of Commitment Anglican Church Grammar School supports the rights of children and young people and is committed to ensuring the safety, welfare and wellbeing of students. Churchie is committed to responding to allegations of student harm resulting from the conduct or actions of any person, including that of employees. This commitment includes the provision of a safe and supportive living and learning environment for all students and requires all employees, volunteers and visitors to model and encourage behaviour that upholds the dignity and protection of students from harm. In support of this commitment, Churchie is dedicated to its Child and Youth Risk Management Strategy, which includes having relevant policies, procedures and training in place to effectively address the safety and wellbeing of students in their care.
Contents
02 04 06 10 12 HEADMASTER’S MESSAGE
CHESS PREMIERSHIP
100 YEARS OF SCHOOL HOUSE
INTERNATIONAL TOURS
BOOK WEEK
16 18 22 26 28 NEW STAFF
SELF-REGULATED LEARNING
PYP EXHIBITION
PREP PAGEANT
CART
30 30 31 32 34 ‘THE CHURCHIE’
GPS CENTENARY
MUSIC NEWS
REMEMBRANCE DAY
SONY CAMP
36 38 40 42 44 CHURCHIE FOUNDATION
OLD BOYS' ASSOCIATION
IN MEMORIAM
OBA EVENTS
For Eagles’ Wings enquiries or to update your delivery preferences (hard copy or email), please contact eagleswings@churchie.com.au
PLATINUM SPONSOR
FROM THE HEADMASTER
Our people,
our strategy In August this year, the School Council approved and released Our Strategy 2018 – 2022, a strategic plan encapsulating Churchie's goals and aims in the pursuit of our mission, the making of men.
Our Strategy is both aspirational and ambitious in its intent because it seeks to place Churchie among the leading schools in the world. In essence, however, a plan around strategy is really about people. Accordingly, Our Strategy has primarily come into being to serve our students, our staff, our parents and our Old Boys. This document was borne from many months of consultation with students, staff, parents and other groups throughout and beyond the Churchie community. External partners, including leading Australian universities, were also consulted to ensure a broad-minded and informed approach.
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The challenge we faced was to be future-focused while preserving the distinctive Churchie culture and traditions that generations of families have come to know and love.
service tour and our annual Sony Camp for high-needs children through to the inaugural Year 6 PYP Exhibition in which boys seek to resolve global challenges. A sense of duty to others permeates our activities.
It is clear that the School is ambitious for our students, who must be prepared to lead and serve others in their local communities and beyond. Churchie men have an extraordinary opportunity, and there is not a moment to be wasted. The wonderfully articulate and prolifically published Churchie Old Boy Graham Freudenberg AM said Churchie men must learn to move through life with self-confidence, but without swagger.
Further, by expressing their creativity and gratitude, our students can have a very positive influence on the world. Such is the case with the extraordinary Pinwheel Poppy Project that, on the centenary of Armistice Day, honoured the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country. This was also a tribute to the Churchie Old Boys and staff who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedoms we all enjoy.
This is at the heart of our future intent: to develop young men of good character, strong intellect and generous spirit who will move confidently into the global community and who will use their talents and gifts to lead and serve others.
I take this opportunity to thank all members of the Churchie community who have contributed across the life of the School this year. It has indeed been a wonderful year and some of the highlights are captured in the following pages.
As you read the following pages of Eagles’ Wings, you will see how we are already living our mission and putting these strategies into practice. Our intent to be a widely recognised world school, whose graduates make a positive difference in the lives of others, will be evident from our well-established Samoa
With good wishes Dr Alan Campbell Headmaster @ChurchieHM
Our Strategy 2018 – 2022 OUR MISSION
The making of men
OUR FOUNDING TENETS
Academic excellence Personal growth Spiritual awareness Service
WHAT WE VALUE
Future-focused learning and thinking A balanced curriculum Emotional intelligence, wellbeing and resilience Tradition, culture and community Commitment to excellence Respect, compassion and support Openness and integrity
WHO WE SERVE
Students Parents Staff Old Boys
OUR STRATEGIC GOALS AND INITIATIVES 2018 – 2022
1. Excellence in learning 2. Excellence in teaching and leading 3. Balance across our tenets 4. Global focus 5. World-class corporate services View Our Strategy at www.churchie.com/ourstrategy
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GPS Chess
premiers Congratulations to our Premier Chess Team who secured the 2018 GPS Chess Premiership for the second consecutive year.
The team of Jason Wang, Alex Au, Henry Slater-Jones and Michael Ostapenko (pictured) was undefeated throughout the season in a GPS competition that features many talented teams. In addition, the other Churchie Chess teams from Years 5 to 12 had successful seasons. Director of Chess Max Condon
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commended the boys for their commitment and dedication, which has resulted in the continued rise and growth of chess as a sport at Churchie. ‘We are now seeing incredible interest from our youngest age groups through to the Senior School. Thanks to supportive parents and inspiring coaches, chess at Churchie is experiencing a welldeserved period of success,’ Max said.
Following the GPS season, Churchie teams competed in the Queensland Schools Chess Championships. Again, the boys triumphed against strong competition, emerging as Queensland’s top team and progressing to the Australian National Schools Chess Competition, held in December.
Readers Cup
champions Churchie’s Readers Cup team of Alexander Young, Garry Chen, Finbar Curran and Angus Rae (pictured) were hailed Queensland champions, Years 5 and 6 division.
The Readers Cup, an initiative of the Children’s Book Council of Australia, is a state-wide competition that challenges students to read a set of five books and answer comprehensive quizzes based on the books. The aim is for students to work as a team, develop study and recall skills, and further their love for reading. Competing against nearly 300 schools, this achievement is testament to the boys’ selfdiscipline and collaborative skills. Finbar said, ‘In the regional round, I felt really in the moment, but the state round was so surreal.’ The team started in thirteenth position and worked their way up to first, which they defended for three rounds in a row, winning the competition by four points.
Describing the experience of the final rounds Angus said, ‘It gave me a feeling of pure excitement and anxiety.’ As the competition progressed, the tension and nerves increased. The boys drew strength from each other. ‘When my team was in doubt, especially when they were announcing who won, I always told them to keep their hopes up,’ Alexander said. For preparation, the team met three times a week throughout the regional competition. Once they reached the state finals the boys stepped up the work. ‘We got in and practised for days and days, studying and quizzing each other,’ Gary said.
Along with the prestige of being crowned state champions, the boys received a book voucher for $200, which they generously donated to the second-place team from Augathella State School after learning about the difficulties being faced in that droughtstricken community in western Queensland. The Readers Cup experience fosters in students the ability to pick up any book and learn from it, an essential study skill that will assist the boys in their future studies.
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100 years of
School House School House is Churchie’s historic heart. As the first permanent building at the East Brisbane campus, we are proudly celebrating our rich heritage.
Churchie’s School House, the first permanent building on the East Brisbane campus, is a historic 100 years old. Originally the hub of all school activities and administration, School House is now the centre of our boarding precinct and home to the Years 2 and 3 classrooms. Together with The Centenary Library, named in honour of School House, these buildings are the heart of Churchie— our heritage and our future. In 1917, Churchie had outgrown its premises at St John’s Cathedral. In a location that may have been deemed ‘too far out of town’ by some, the School Council purchased 34 acres of the Barker Estate in East Brisbane. It was dairy grazing land with a large, uncleared river flat and a ‘pocket’ that was prone to flooding. After the laying of the foundation stone in October 1917, construction was completed with School House opening on 12 February 1918. The building included headmaster’s and administrative offices, a dining hall and kitchen, accommodation for masters and dormitories for boarders. Student numbers grew rapidly, with boarders sleeping on the open verandas for a period. By 1928, new buildings were completed on each side of School House. Also, a tower at the rear provided additional accommodation and spectacular views. As the student population continued to grow, new buildings were needed: Gerald House (1934), Goodwin House (1936) and Donaldson House (1937). For a period, the verandas were enclosed, with every available space being used to accommodate boarding students.
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In 1991, the School Council commissioned a restoration project to bring School House back to its original character and style. Verandas were restored, recreating the broad open-air spaces. Gerald House, constructed on the other side of Oaklands Parade, eased the accommodation pressure on School House. From 2007, boarders no longer resided in School House, with the former dormitories on the eastern side becoming Prep School
classrooms. From 2015 an extensive refurbishment programme occurred to modernise the facilities, focusing on the dining hall and catering areas. The original office of the headmaster on the ground floor was retained and refurbished. During the refurbishments, hand prints made by boarders during the original construction were uncovered, bringing us face-to-face with the building’s rich heritage.
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C H U R C H I E N E WS
Stanford experience
Samoa service
Given the increasingly globalised world in which we live, Churchie continues to focus on providing international learning opportunities for students. This is borne of the need to ensure our boys are well prepared to live and thrive in any setting in the world in the years ahead. As our students leave school, it is essential they are well equipped to pursue study or career opportunities overseas.
During the winter school holidays, 12 students embarked on a ten-day service tour to Samoa. Alongside the opportunity to explore a unique and incredible country, culture and people, the focus of the trip was teaching and working alongside students of Alofi-o-Taoa College.
An exciting realisation of this international focus is the Stanford University Pre-Collegiate International Institute, held in the USA in August each year. Twelve international academic explorers completed a ten-day immersive, residential programme during which they learned and interacted with hundreds of bright young men and women from across the world. They heard from some of the world’s leading thinkers and academics on topics ranging from science, entrepreneurship, history, creative writing, design and climate. Such experiences, enabled by parents and supported by staff, help our students to develop a better understanding of the ways of the world and how other cultures think, live and interact.
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The relationship between Churchie and Alofi-o-Taoa College is an ongoing tradition, with this trip being the seventh opportunity for Churchie students to visit the Samoan school and embrace a new culture by being hosted by student billets. In the school setting, the boys worked with senior students as they prepared for their final exams and post-school opportunities. As part of the school, Churchie students were also encouraged and warmly invited to participate and involve themselves in preparations for the ‘culture day’ on Friday 29 June. Outside of school, the boys were immersed in Samoan lifestyle and everyday activities, with many exploring the unique and beautiful landscape. In addition, they were given the chance to involve themselves in everyday chores and activities, including food preparation and church services. Several evenings provided the opportunity to congregate within community halls and participate in music and dancing and traditional ‘fia fia’ nights.
Thirty years on
At home in Pamplona
This year we celebrated a milestone in our relationship with Mie Junior and Senior High School in Japan. Churchie has a wonderfully long and rich history with Mie, with 2018 the thirtieth anniversary of our exchange partnership.
Alongside celebrating 30 years of exchange to Japan, this year Churchie’s inaugural language tour to Spain took place.
After Churchie welcomed a group from Mie in July, a reciprocal visit in September saw 26 Churchie students travel to Matsusaka for a five-night homestay with a Mie school family. Living and attending school in Japan was a valuable immersive experience of Japanese life and culture. The tour also included visiting the sights of Tokyo, Hiroshima, Kyoto and Nara, including navigating the subway system in Tokyo and experiencing the famous bullet train. While in Tokyo, the group saw the final day of the Tokyo Sumo Tournament where the reigning champion, Hakuho, completed his fifteenth consecutive win.
Following the introduction of Spanish in 2015, the subject has flourished at Churchie, and we are proud to be able to offer another wonderful learning experience for students. In what we hope will be another fruitful international exchange partnership, IES Plaza de la Cruz in Pamplona was selected as our Spanish sister school. In September, students from Years 9 to 11 travelled to Madrid, Toledo and Segovia before arriving in Pamplona for a week living and attending school with their host families. Year 11 student Hayden Butler, wrote of his experience, ‘In Pamplona, we were thrown right into the culture of the country. Our six days in Pamplona included attending classes, experiencing fishing trips, ‘salting’ (the Spanish equivalent of ‘bounce’) and swimming. One day we separated into groups of four (two Australians, two Spaniards) and went on a city-wide scavenger hunt to test our Spanish and learn more about the customs of Pamplona itself.’ After bidding farewell to Pamplona, the group travelled to San Sebastian and on to Barcelona.
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Finding
treasure Churchie’s youngest students spent a morning searching for treasure as part of Book Week celebrations. The 2018 Book Week theme was ‘find your treasure’, which aimed to open the doors to books about a wide range of topics and what it means for each student to find his or her own treasure.
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On Friday 24 August, Churchie’s Reception to Year 2 students welcomed girls from St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School for a fun morning of activities based on the shortlisted books for the 2018 Children’s Book of the Year. The day was a wonderful opportunity for the boys and girls to learn in a co-educational setting. As the children moved through the five activities, they stamped a book cover image on their own bookmark, reflecting the treasure hunt theme. The books that each activity revolved around were Rodney Loses It! by Michael Gerard Bauer, The Sloth Who Came to Stay by Vivienne To, Idan Ben-Barak’s Do Not Lick This Book, BOY by Phil Cummings and Florette by Anna Walker. The boys and girls worked together in activities such as rhyming and drawing, creating a treasure box, conversing in sign language, completing obstacle courses and looking through magnifying glasses to see what they could find in the natural environment. It was a fun day covering science, physical education, language, visual arts and English.
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N E W S TA F F
Churchie
Boarding Xavier Gargan, Jason Wynne-Markham, James Thorpe
We are proud to introduce the leadership team for Churchie Boarding, featuring some familiar and new faces.
Jason Wynne-Markham, Director of Boarding Jason is well-known to the Churchie community, particularly as Assistant Boarding Master and Housemaster of Gerald House over the past nine years. He has also been Head of Year 9 and highly involved in many co-curricular and service programmes. After acting in the director role for several months, Jason was announced as Director of Boarding in mid-2018. He looks forward to continuing his work in the boarding community, which includes a focus on emotional intelligence, academic enrichment and wellbeing. This year, Jason presented at The Future of Education conference in Italy on the topic of how new technologies can improve care for residential students. James Thorpe, Goodwin Housemaster Even before he commenced as Goodwin Housemaster in Term 3 this year, James was a familiar face in the Churchie community.
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He began his career at Churchie, working as a resident master in Goodwin House and as a teacher of English. During that time, James was also Head of English – Middle School (Acting) and a valuable contributor to the cricket and rugby programmes. Over the last five and a half years, James has held leadership positions at The Southport School (Gold Coast) and The King’s School (Sydney). James is particularly interested in character development and leadership studies in boys’ education, which will see a focus on fostering leadership and brotherhood in the boarding house and pursuing balance across Churchie’s four tenets. ‘Returning to Churchie has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience. As a boarder myself (at Michaelhouse in South Africa), the opportunity to be a leader in this unique area of Churchie is very significant for me. One of the highlights has been reconnecting with families, which has been a lovely reminder of how important relationships are in our community,’ James said.
Xavier Gargan, Gerald Housemaster Xavier has an extensive background in boys’ education, and he will join Churchie Boarding as Gerald Housemaster from January 2019. Xavier is currently concluding his tenure as Head of House at Melbourne Grammar School, where he has been since 2011. Previous to this, Xavier was Head of Personal Development, Physical Education at Melbourne Grammar School, Senior House Coordinator at St Francis Xavier College and Director of Sport at Lavalla Catholic College. Xavier is well established as a pastoral care leader and as an educator, and we are looking forward to his contribution to Churchie as housemaster. ‘My family and I are extremely excited to be joining the Gerald boarding community. My wife Sally and I have a rural community background and understand the importance of providing strong educational support structures for boys in boarding. Our three sons are also looking forward to joining the Churchie community,’ Xavier said.
Jack Miers, Educational Psychologist
Stephanie Cotroneo, Prep School Chaplain
In Term 4, Churchie welcomed Jack Miers to the position of Educational Psychologist. Jack has been working for 13 years in various private practices with children, young people and adults with a variety of different mental health concerns. Most recently, Jack was School Psychologist at Melbourne Grammar School.
Stephanie Cotroneo joined Churchie in July 2018 as Prep School Lay Chaplain. In this role she will be responsible for chapel services and religious education classes in the Prep School (Years 4 to 6).
An educational psychologist supports young people to identify barriers to their learning and helps them to work through or around these issues. These barriers can be due to mental health issues, social issues, learning issues or family issues, which impact on school and education. ‘The school years offer young people so many opportunities for development, and opportunities to work towards becoming healthy, independent adults. It is, however, a time when they encounter various challenges and times of struggle.’ ‘I have always respected the adults who support young people through these times and, as an educational psychologist, I enjoy providing support to children and those who care for them, such as parents and teachers,’ Jack said. Jack’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology), Bachelor of Arts (Honours) (Psychology) and a Masters of Psychology (Educational and Developmental). He has brought a wealth of experience in youth counselling and guidance to Churchie. He is also a keen sportsman with a love of basketball, rugby union and Aussie rules.
Steph has an extensive background in education and, more recently, chaplaincy. Her career began as a teacher in 1994 and, while teaching at Moreton Bay College, she ‘answered the call’ and became lay chaplain in 2015. Now at Churchie, Steph is looking forward to continuing learning and developing lay chaplaincy in the Anglican environment, particularly through the Admission to Holy Communion programme and Indigenous awareness. ‘My first impression of Churchie was the way student achievement and effort are recognised. Whether it be artist of the week, or the celebration of writing and reading, sport, music or languages, it is clear there is much to celebrate here at Churchie. I was also impressed at the support for spiritual development, prayer and worship. I am constantly amazed at the boys’ interest, motivation and confidence. I am always inundated with volunteers to lead us in prayer, help with chapel and hymn requests. Their enthusiasm and support is tremendous,’ Steph said. ‘One of the most intriguing aspects of being a lay school chaplain is the way people are very open and honest, sharing their stories with me. I am thankful for the feeling of trust that goes with the title. I have always been a good listener, and I hand all these conversations over to God in prayer, thanking Him, as I do each day, for the privilege to live out my faith and share the Gospel,’ Steph said.
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Self-regulated
learning
Churchie’s Alex Krzensk, Head of Mathematics (Years 7 to 9), is in the final phase of his doctorate programme that has taken him around the world, from Churchie to the University of Uolu in Finland. His research into self-regulated learning in mathematics has revealed significant impacts.
A student’s ability to self-regulate their learning has long been linked to academic success. However, these are skills and attributes that have generally been considered innate.
learning skills in the Year 8 cohort. Over the
Self-regulated learning is how students manage and focus their emotions and behaviour during a learning experience. For example, being able to manage time effectively, employ problem-solving strategies or being aware of emotional states such as frustration. These are, however, skills that can be taught, leading to a significant positive impact on student results.
The SRL cycle gave students the opportunity
Beginning in 2014, mathematics classes included a focus on developing self-regulated
teachers and collaborate with each other to
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year, students employed a self-regulated learning (SRL) cycle, which addressed contextual and individual misconceptions about mathematics.
to reflect on their learning and develop ways to identify issues, develop goals and work towards those goals. For example, following a mid-term exam, a student reviews his results and identifies a need to work on a particular area or theory, such as probability or Pythagoras. Using dedicated SRL class time, students complete exercises, discuss with work on the areas they have identified, which empowers them as learners.
The study found that, by integrating SRL into mathematics curriculum time, there was a significant, positive impact on students’ maths results over the course of the school year. Furthermore, as the programme was refined in successive years, the positive impact increased. Teachers involved also noted that they were increasingly integrating these practices into their general teaching practice. Read the original article, ‘Influencing academic resilience and self-regulation in students: An intervention in mathematics’, on the Churchie Research Centre website (www.churchie.com.au/research-centre).
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C H U R C H I E B OA R D I N G
Captain’s
charge
With his final ‘captain’s charge’ address to the Senior School at Headmaster’s Assembly, Head Boarder Angus McCasker delivered a memorable and inspiring speech. We are proud to share this in Eagles’ Wings. Churchie isn’t just a school. It’s not just a place where I come, day after day, to sit in a classroom, be educated, play sport and enjoy spending time with my friends. It’s so much more than that. And we should all be thankful that we go to a school that stands alone from the rest. Churchie isn’t just a home because I live here alongside my fellow boarders. It is a home to every single young man sitting here today. Just like a home, there is a family: the boys of Churchie. We come from various backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures. We’ve worked hard and have become men through the decisions and the choices we make, supported by those around us. It is a lifetime brotherhood that lives beyond the years that we spend within these walls. It is a connection to those that have come before and those that are yet to come. I look out onto this sea of young men and I don’t see any of you as average. I don’t see one person who won’t dare to make a difference. The fact that each of you wake up every day and put on that blue and grey shirt means that I will never see a man of Churchie be average. Why? Because we make the tough choices. We act with dignity. We are gallant, gracious and giving. We will strive for every opportunity and relish in our successes.
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While we can’t be the best at everything, our strength is that we never give up. I have been a proud student of Churchie and I will be a proud Old Boy. As our Year 12s leave, we will take with us the memories of these true friendships that have been formed. Wherever you are in this world, know that you have been my friend. I have thoroughly enjoyed growing up with each and every one of you. Let’s dive into the future with purpose and challenge ourselves to learn, to embrace, to be bold and brave, and take the road less travelled. To the boys here, the future is in your hands. I challenge you to never stop striving to do your best. Not only for yourself but for your fellow Churchie men. Uphold your strengths and values and treat each other with the kindness and respect that the young men of Churchie deserve. As it was not the School that made this year special for us, it was your individual contribution. It is the individual being valued for his contribution to this place that is Churchie— our legacy, our spirit. It is a sense of belonging. A sense of home. Where you can be yourself and rise to the challenge of being better. When the many memories of our high school years fade, that’s how I will remember you—being the person you chose to be. I wish you all the very best in your journey and I thank you for being a part of mine.
I N T E R N AT I O N A L B AC CA L AU R E AT E
Exhibition of
learning
Churchie's Year 6 students held an impressive exhibition of their learning in the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) in Term 3.
This was Churchie’s first PYP Exhibition, and it has set a high standard for forthcoming years. The PYP Exhibition is a culminating event for students in their final year of the PYP. It is an opportunity to display the knowledge, skills, concepts and action developed throughout their time in the programme. Students presented displays on the transdisciplinary theme ‘sharing the planet’ with the central idea ‘resources shape our future’, addressing a variety of complex and current issues. The boys were knowledgeable, enthusiastic and deeply engaged, demonstrating clearly and convincingly their learning. The boys spoke articulately about the action they would take from their learning and its implications for the world they live in. The exhibition is an important facet of learning, with students bringing together the essential elements of the PYP and sharing them with others. It is an opportunity for students to exhibit the attributes of the IB learner profile as communicators, curious inquirers and risk-takers.
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PREP SCHOOL
Blessing of the
Animals
Running contrary to the advice ‘never work with animals and children’, Churchie’s annual Blessing of the Animals is an enduring highlight of the year.
On a fine Saturday morning in October, we welcomed Prep School families, including their cherished pets, for a service and morning tea in the Prep School early childhood area to give thanks for the beauty and blessings found in all of creation. There were four-legged friends in all sizes along with shy felines and scaly fins! Even the crows joined us as we gathered to pray and recall the example of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. Churchie’s Lay Chaplain Stephanie Cotroneo led the service. ‘It was a wonderful occasion, 24
bringing together families and pets to give thanks for the beauty and blessings found in all of creation. Students participated with their own prayers and by lighting candles to symbolise the Trinity: God the Creator, the hope found in our Saviour and the transforming strength of the Holy Spirit,’ Stephanie said. Senior Chaplain Fr Bryan Gadd blessed the animals as they were brought forward. All pets and children worked in harmony, with not a mishap or squabble amongst it all. We were all friends, delighting in the love shown through and in these pets.
For Chaplain Stephanie, a highlight was seeing students, parents and grandparents coming together in gratitude and praise. One student, Noah McKee, went a step beyond his family and brought his neighbour’s dog for the morning. ‘Keen to bring an animal, Noah approached his neighbours. The generosity and trust required in this lending was in keeping with our prayers that day. Just like the dog belonging to Noah’s neighbour, we have a responsibility to take care of this world while we are using it,’ Stephanie said.
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Shining
stars
The 2018 Prep School Christmas Pageant, featuring boys in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, was a showcase of stars in the making.
The budding stage actors danced and sung their way across the Morris Hall stage in a production of Superstar, a nativity musical about what it really takes to be 'the star'.
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CART –
Churchie Art The opening night of Churchie’s annual art show was abuzz with creative, technical and conceptual talent from the boys in Years 7 to 12. The dedication and encouragement of our art, design and technology staff was evident in each display. The evening was supported by Year 12 band The Boogie Babes. CART represents the popularity of visual art at Churchie, demonstrated in the sheer number of high quality works on display in a dizzying array of media. This year, CART was judged by Michael Zavros, a leading and highly acclaimed Australian artist. He has exhibited widely within Australia and internationally, and his work is held in the collections of most major museums within Australia. Michael was impressed by the technical skills on display and the sophistication of the boys’ ability to clearly articulate themselves and their ideas. Visitors to the exhibition were thoroughly impressed by the high quality of work which, as one parent remarked, could easily grace the walls of GOMA.
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Congratulations Year 11 student Hamish McLennan was a finalist for the Independent Education Union Art Award. Hamish was selected from over 1900 applications to be a finalist and was awarded a highly commended for his work (pictured above).
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C H U R C H I E N E WS
Guest judge Lisa Havilah with winning artist Caroline Gasteen
An image from the GPS centenary movie
New era for ‘the churchie’
100 years strong
The thirty-first annual churchie national emerging art prize (‘the churchie’) continues to grow in both features and popularity. This year was, again, an outstanding success, attracting submissions from artists from every Australian state, which culminated in the Official Opening and Prize Announcement at the QUT Art Museum, attended by over 400 people.
Throughout 2018, the nine member schools celebrated the centenary of the GPS Association. In addition to the special theming at GPS music and sports events this year, the GPS has launched a new website and a series of short movies that brings to life 100 years of shared history and values.
The overall winner was Brisbane artist Caroline Gasteen for her three oil on boards Plantin’ seeds, Mother #1 and What to do with pictures7. She received $15,000 prize money sponsored by BSPN Architecture (formerly Brand + Slater Architects) who have sponsored ‘the churchie' for 19 years. Jimmy Nuttall, from Victoria, was awarded a special commendation of $5000 sponsored by NK Orthodontists, and highly commended Sam Whiteley Memorial Awards of $1000 each, sponsored by Rob and Roz Whiteley, went to Marikit Santiago and Nick Santoro. A new initiative of ‘the churchie’ is the People’s Choice Award for $3000, sponsored by Rob Whiteley of Madison Cleaning Services, which was awarded to the artist receiving the most votes from exhibition attendees. The first People’s Choice Award winner of ‘the churchie’ was Priscilla Beck for her work Transparent things.
Churchie was proud to have the opportunity to collaborate with the GPS and the other schools to create these wonderful legacy products. The first short film, GPS Spirit of Fellowship, was released in March and was an exciting preview of the year to come. As the year progressed, a second project was undertaken, bringing to life a poem written for the GPS centenary, GPS 100 Years Strong. The end of the year saw the launch of a commemorative website, featuring stories, histories and photos from all schools, spanning 100 years. And, finally, at the GPS Track and Field Championships, the GPS premiered GPS 100, a flagship film for the GPS centenary. Thank you to the participants from the Churchie community who generously gave their time to be part of Churchie’s contribution to the three GPS centenary videos: Daniel Pitt, David Leggett, Angus Leggett, Jae Cho, Jack Taylor, Will MacPherson, Alex Russell, Ryan Yu, and the OBA Committee. We were also lucky to film a special war cry of the full Senior School and a training session of the Under 11B rugby team, both of which are featured in GPS 100. View the videos on the GPS 100 website: www.gps100.org.au
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Guest musician Ralph Pyl with Big Band 4 (Prep Band)
Vocalist Zachary Dunn with Big Band 3
Evening of stars
Grand gala
Churchie’s jazz ensembles reached new heights at the annual Jazz Under the Stars.
After our musicians had performed and competed throughout the year, the Churchie Music community embraced the annual Gala Concert in Morris Hall, with a broad range of developing and premier ensembles on show.
As in years past, Drumline kicked off proceedings, immediately followed by our guest band, the Queensland Youth Orchestra Big Band, which contained a number of Churchie boys, past and present. Our Prep Band played three pieces with guest trumpeter Ralph Pyl, followed by Big Bands 1 and 2. Our headline act, star of The Man from Snowy River turned jazz singer extraordinaire Tom Burlinson, performed with Year 12 student Aidan Campbell the great Nina Simone classic ‘Feeling Good’. The culmination of the evening was Tom Burlinson singing songs by Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin with the QYO Big Band, directed by Ralph Pyl. Mr Burlinson and Mr Pyl proved inspirational and had much to say to the boys in finessing their craft during the workshops held throughout the day. The boys enjoyed the opportunity to work with such luminaries and no doubt will become better musicians for this experience.
There were outstanding performances from an exceptional line up of choral and instrumental ensembles performing across the musical genres, from classical to contemporary. This year, the Gala Concert theme was ‘water’. The rich variety of repertoire exploring the concept of water, and played to such a high level, was a testament to the continuing strength and diversity in the music department. Director of Music Jeffrey Black said, ‘Water has been a popular theme for music throughout the ages, as seen in Handel’s Water Music, Mendelsohn’s 'Fingal’s Cave' and Schubert’s song cycles. Water-themed music’s quixotic qualities range from restful and languorous to dramatic and overwhelming. However, given the impact of drought across our country, the lack of water in our farming communities was also on our minds.’
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Pinwheel
poppies A stunning cascade of hand-made poppies adorned Kangaroo Point Cliffs in November to honour the centenary of Armistice Day.
Churchie students made 4000 pinwheel poppies in red, white and purple, which were attached to a 120 square metre space on Brisbane’s iconic cliffs. The project was led by artist and current Churchie parent Suzanne Bosanquet in conjunction with the Gabba Business Association and supported by a Federal Government Armistice Centenary Grant. ‘The artwork pays homage to all affected by war, engaging and binding the community through service, a legacy to be instilled in our children and future,’ Suzanne said.
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Given her family connection to John Neil, a Churchie teacher who fought and died in Gallipoli, Suzanne’s artwork is a tribute to her family legacy and all those who are connected to the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country.
For the Year 11 students, this project comprised one of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme essential elements: CAS (creativity, activity, service), which requires students to combine creativity, community service and physical action.
The Churchie contribution was coordinated by Year 11 Visual Art students. One student, Theo Milbourne, said, ‘It’s been important to understand that the first poppies that were made and sold in 1918 were done by children for children affected by war. This is our way of giving back to the community, celebrating the legacy of the Armistice and paying homage to all affected by war.’
Over the course of several months, the boys worked with younger Churchie students to create thousands of pinwheel poppies, which were attached to a mesh by Churchie’s Tri-Service Cadets. The work was installed on Friday 9 November and was on display until 12 November.
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S E RV I C E
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Sony Camp
2018
During the September school holidays, students from Years 11 and 12 at Churchie and St Margaret’s spent a weekend at our annual Sony Foundation Children’s Holiday Camp.
This was Chuchie’s seventeenth Sony Camp, and it was another tremendous success as boys and girls experienced the joys and challenges of being carers to children with special needs. The four-day camp sees students and guests living on campus and completing a range of activities, such as a dance, art classes, visits from entertainers and guests, such as Queensland Fire and Emergency Services. For all boys and girls involved, this is a profound experience that will remain memorable for a long time.
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C H U R C H I E F O U N DAT I O N
A generous
community The very land Churchie occupies was purchased through the collective efforts of parents, the diocese and community support in 1917, enabling a growing school to move from St John’s Cathedral to 34 acres of the wild and undeveloped Barker Estate in East Brisbane. This insightful decision is the reason why Churchie is the only inner-city GPS school with all sports and academic facilities on a single campus. Most of our key buildings are the result of dedicated fundraising drives: The Canon Jones Memorial Chapel, Morris Hall and, more recently, the Sir John Pidgeon Sports Complex and The Centenary Library.
The Churchie community has a long history of generosity and giving. Indeed, much of our physical form and many of our facilities have been built from the generosity of many benefactors through contributions both large and small.
The photo adjacent shows the Morris Hall appeals committee in September 1958, whose ambitious goal was to raise £100,000 (millions of dollars in today’s money), and they achieved it in just nine weeks! Today, as we walk through and admire the beautiful campus that is Churchie, arguably the best in Australia, there are many reminders of the generosity of past students, parents, teachers and members of the community. Whether it is sporting, artistic or scholastic aspects, most of what we enjoy and see around us is the result of the efforts and generosity of those who have gone before, keen to contribute to the greatness of the School by recognising its continuing need for development, refurbishment and provision of modern facilities to provide the best possible education for our students.
The School Council has recently published an ambitious strategic plan for the next five years, Our Strategy 2018 – 2022. Additionally, the School's strategic goals and initiatives will be supported by a built environment master plan, which includes significant new facilities and initiatives. The Foundation’s role is to safeguard Churchie’s future by securing the funds to see that the plan is delivered, keeping Churchie at the forefront of boys’ education. The Foundation’s other major contribution is to the School’s annual programme of scholarships and bursaries. While government school funding environment continues to be uncertain, the Foundation is ready to assist the School through fundraising and philanthropy. The Foundation needs the Churchie community's continued support to help the School retain its leading position in the Australian education landscape. Your donation, large or small, will contribute to Churchie's further development, continuing to keep it great and creating leaders and contributors to society, today and into the future. I’d also like to thank the 2018 Year 12 parents for financially contributing to the Foundation for their Year 12 gift back to the School. Gestures such as this are a very positive step for our school and our community. Russell McCart (1974) Chairman, Churchie Foundation
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6 1 5 4
9
11
10 3 7 8
2
The impact of giving at Churchie 1 David Turbayne Tennis Centre 2
The Graham Fowles Boathouse (Mowbray Park)
3 Jensen Building 4 Morris Hall 5 Sir John Pidgeon Sports Complex 6 The Barry McCart Aquatic Centre 7 Stanley and May Smith Science Centre 8 The Hugh Nichols Theatre Fundraising for Morris Hall in 1958
9 The Centenary Library 10 School House dining room renovation 11 The Stanley Smith Preparatory School
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O L D B OYS ’ A S S O C I AT I O N
From the President of the
Old Boys’ Association Of particular note, we enjoyed the 50 year reunion of the 1968 cohort, which saw 99 guests reunite to celebrate half a century since leaving Churchie. The OBA Cocktail Evening on Friday 12 October was a memorable event. Held at the Porsche Centre Brisbane showroom, this event format was an experimental departure from our normal sit-down dinner, and it did not disappoint.
It has been a busy end to the year for the Churchie Old Boys’ Association. This year we celebrated cohort reunions for 1968, 1973, 1988, 1993, 1998 and 2008.
The Churchie Business Network (CBN) has gone from strength to strength. The CBN is our online platform that brings together job search and networking with a community business directory. It is the central hub for our networking activities and, although still in development, has already attracted huge interest. So far, over 1500 members and 100 businesses have registered. At our recent cocktail evening, I was excited to hear from several old boys who had leveraged the CBN for networking opportunities. Visit churchieoldboys.com.au to register. It has been fantastic to hear of several notable Old Boy achievements in recent months. David Crombie (1961) has been awarded the Colleges' UQ Alumni Award. Jonathan Hamwood (1965) secured a world title in the aquabike world championships in the 70 to 74 age category. Zac Stubblety-Cook (2017) placed second at the 2018 Pan Pac Swimming Championships in Tokyo.
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John Millman (2006) defeated Roger Federer to reach the quarter finals of the US Open. Kalyn Ponga (2015) was voted RLPA Players Champion and also polled second in the 2018 Dally M Awards in recognition of his outstanding season for the Newcastle Knights in the NRL. Brodie Croft (2015) made his NRL grand final debut playing for the Melbourne Storm. Jeremy Markey (2017) was awarded QRRA Junior Referee of 2018. Congratulations also to Steve Pilcher (1980) and Paul Worroll (1985), who competed in the 2018 Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawai’i. This has been my final year serving on this committee. It has been a great privilege to serve as president for two years and as a committee member for twelve years. I am always proud to see the fellowship that exists among Old Boys of Churchie, which is the strength of this association. Congratulations to president-elect Simon Pattison (1984), vice-president-elect Andrew Fleming (1979) and new committee member Rob Needham (1988). Dr Daniel Pitt (2006) OBA President
50 year reunion
David Crombie (1961)
John Millman (2006)
Jonathan Hamwood (1965)
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IN MEMORIAM
Graham Bond (1954) Graham Francis Bond attended Churchie from 1951 to 1954 as a boarder. In his senior year he was School Vice-Captain, Dux of the School and Goodwin House Captain. Graham won an Open Scholarship to The University of Queensland and, in 1961, was awarded a Rhodes scholarship to study philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University. In 1966 he was awarded a PhD on the application of computers to the solution of mine ventilation networks at The University of Queensland. Graham was a leading IT solutions engineer who maintained a passion for learning. Since his Churchie days, expanding knowledge through books and travel was integral to his life and the lives of his children. At the age of 19, Graham was selected to represent Australia at his first Olympic Games, held in Melbourne in December 1956. He went on to become one of Australia’s most decorated male gymnasts and was also selected to carry the Olympic Torch from Wondai to Murgon in the lead up to the Sydney 2000 Olympics. In May 2018 Graham was inducted into the Gymnastics Australia Hall of Fame as the only male gymnast to have represented Australia at three Olympic Games (1956, 1960 and 1964). In 1953, while recovering from a sporting injury, Graham spent many productive hours in Churchie's library. Graham noted that this time assisted him in his academic successes.
Vale We respectfully acknowledge the passing of the following Churchie Old Boys. To help ensure Old Boys are recognised appropriately, please send notifications to oba@churchie.com.au 40
John Allan Hyde Bailey Keith Arthur Batts Charles Herbert Beaumont Peter Guerin Blunt Graham Francis Bond Geoffrey Spencer Briggs Arthur Desmond Buck Harry Lawrence Chapman Grahame Lester Corfield John Albert Jephson Emmett
1964 – 1968 1949 – 1950 1970 – 1973 1953 – 1954 1951 – 1954 1940 – 1944 1938 – 1941 1947 – 1951 1948 – 1951 1943 – 1948
Robert Goodwin (1935)
Jonathon Ross (2004)
Dr Robert ‘Bob’ Molesworth Goodwin OAM attended Churchie, 1933 to 1935 and was an insurance clerk in Brisbane before he enlisted in July 1940. Following his training in Brisbane, he served in Malaya and Singapore. Bob was taken prisoner in 1942 during the Fall of Singapore. In Thailand, he worked on the Burma-Thailand Railway, including at Hellfire Pass. In December 1943, when work on the railway was finished, he was sent back to Singapore and spent the remainder of the war in Changi.
Jonathon Philip Ross was one of four brothers from Longreach who attended Churchie as boarders in Gerald House. In his senior year, he was Head Boarder and School Vice-Captain.
Bob graduated as a doctor from The University of Queensland in 1952. He practiced as a GP in Brisbane and then Warwick, before returning to Brisbane in 1970 as specialist physician (cardiologist). In 1993 Bob was awarded an OAM for his services to medicine.
After school, Jonathon returned home for a year to his family farm, Glenthomson. His rural heritage would proceed to play a large part in his life. Jonathon completed a Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Honours) at The University of Queensland and commenced work at Brisbane Valley Vets in the town of Toogoolawah in 2011.
At the age of 92, Bob returned to Thailand for Anzac Day, the visit coinciding with the 70th anniversary of work on the notorious Hellfire Pass. Bob rarely missed the Anzac Day march. In 1996, he was Reviewing Officer at Churchie’s Anzac Day Ceremony. Bob and his wife Marie had three sons (George, Chris and Jim) and one daughter (Lois). George attended Churchie in 1968.
William Peter Fox Desmond George Gagen Robert Molesworth Goodwin Bruce William Hinckfuss Malcolm Stirling Hosier James Victor Lambley Michael Edmund Leahy David Gordon Ferguson Lee Ross McCowan Arthur Graham Harry Midgley
1955 – 1962 1947 – 1950 1934 – 1935 1953 – 1956 1947 – 1950 1949 – 1952 1952 – 1958 1957 – 1960 1939 – 1943 1938 – 1941
His leadership qualities extended to the rugby field, where he captained an undefeated Second XV to a GPS premiership. A natural athlete, Jonathon also represented Churchie in cross country, cricket and AFL.
He became an accomplished vet early in his career and was offered a partnership in the practice. He also started a small business that transported donkeys into rural Queensland to act as guardian animals for sheep. His vet work took him across Australia and notably to rural England for two years in 2016. Jonathon was well-travelled and made friends wherever he went. His fierce loyalty and love for his family will be remembered by all those who were lucky to know him.
Sydney John Miller Ronald Francis Mullen Clement Frederick Nommensen Jeremy Bradley Penesi Pulesea John Alan Rigby Herbert Peter John Sachs Max Arthur Schibrowski Neville Alan Tingle David Wallace-Barnett John Gregory Wightman
1940 – 1944 1945 – 1948 1941 – 1944 2013 – 2015 1957 – 1960 1946 – 1949 1959 – 1960 1945 – 1948 1937 – 1938 1954 – 1959
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OBA events It was wonderful to see so many Churchie Old Boys reconnect via cohort reunions, Melbourne and Sydney Reunions, the annual Old Boys' Day and the Cocktail Evening.
65 Year Reunion
10 Year Reunion
50 Year Reunion
20 Year Reunion
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60 Year Reunion
Sydney Reunion
1956 Annual Reunion
70 Year Reunion
Melbourne Reunion
45 Year Reunion
30 Year Reunion
25 Year Reunion
Old Boys' Day
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P L AT I N U M S P O N S O R
A message from Churchie’s
platinum sponsor
Porsche Centre Brisbane and Brisbane City Jaguar Land Rover have enjoyed another year supporting Churchie as a platinum sponsor. From home games, to luncheons and Old Boys functions, it has been a pleasure connecting with the ever-growing Churchie community. As 2018 draws to a close, we wish all students, parents and friends of Churchie the greatest success in your onward journey and welcome all commencing students to the Churchie community, which we have enjoyed being a part of for over 10 years.
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Promise you’ll drive it like a Porsche. The new Cayenne is here. Live the way you promised yourself you would. Take the road never travelled; break curfew and convention; leave ordinary behind. The Cayenne continues to epitomise the performance SUV, and this latest generation pushes the concept even further. Even more powerful than its predecessor. More connected than ever before. The only thing better than owning it, is sharing it.
Porsche Centre Brisbane 147 Breakfast Creek Road Newstead QLD 4006 Tel: 07 3867 6911
Visit porschecentrebrisbane.com.au/cayenne
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www.churchie.com.au
