THE NEWSLETTER OF THE CATHEDRAL SCHOOL OF ST ANNE AND ST JAMES
JUNE 2016 | NUMBER 57
Principal’s Report The 2016 school year has almost reached the end of its second term. Our staff, students and parents are busily involved in all manner of academic, vocational and extracurricular activities, and The Cathedral School continues to aspire to do our very best across all of these important elements of the School. Our spiritual focus has also evolved this year and we are now running Chapel services for our whole Middle and Senior Schools, rather than splitting them up on a Year Level or House Basis. These larger services (400 staff and students) are still being led in song by our Middle and Senior School Chapel Bands and Father Tim Adkins is being ably assisted by our School Chapel Captain, Tom Butson, and our other Chapel leaders. Excitement for our Centenary celebrations is growing and this issue of the Connection magazine will release important dates for the year ahead as well as launch an appeal for our Centenary Project. My hope for the Centenary year is that the School can welcome back as many former St Anne’s girls and as many former Cathedral students as we possibly can. We really would love to see you all! It is most likely a very long time since most of you have returned to your old alma mater, and what an opportunity now presents itself.The School is preparing to welcome Old Girls and Past Students throughout the Centenary year and we are more than happy for you to drop in at a time that suits you or to attend one of the functions we have planned. It is difficult to sum up why a former student should return to their school, simply because it has reached the milestone of 100 years, particularly when their memories of school are either fading or not so memorable. I have never worked at a school that has reached such an age, but I can say that I am hugely excited about what will be the major highlight of my career in schools.To very briefly give you 17 reasons that will absolutely guarantee the value of your visit: the raintrees, the lagoon, the students, the cake, the race, the merchandise, the staff, new friends, the principals, the tour, the boarding food, the Connection Place, the stories, old friends, the bell, the photos and the history. And if you’re not here we’ll talk about you! Not all schools reach this amazing milestone, particularly ones that have had a name change and the fascinating history of our school. I genuinely look forward to shaking the hands of thousands of former students in the year ahead and I hope you can find the time and resources to get back in touch with your School. Mr Ian Gamack Principal
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The Connection 2016
The International Summer Science School Program Erica selected to attend international science program in Germany Erica Coxon, a Year 12 boarding student from The Cathedral School, is one of 27 students from across the world to be selected for a prestigious International Summer Science School program to be held in Heidelberg in Germany during July and August. Erica attended the National Youth Science Forum held at The Australian National University in Canberra earlier this year with 200 students from around the country and from this group was one of three students selected from Australia to attend the four week program in Germany. The International Summer Science School is a program for high achieving students who are interested in natural sciences and allows them to experience a practical insight into the laboratories of renowned scientific research institutions. This is the 20th year for the program which aims to promote up and coming scientists from around the world and international exchange. Erica, who hails from a property just outside of Longreach, is looking forward to extending her knowledge in Physics and in particular the research field. “I’m excited to be working with the scientists from many of the science institutions located in Heidelberg” said Erica. The end of the school year is in her sights and next year Erica plans to go to university. “I would really like to study a Bachelor of Science (Advanced) and hopefully major in Astrophysics later on” added Erica.
The Connection 2016
With Erica’s family struggling through the current drought conditions, the Connellan Airways Trust and local Rotary clubs have been instrumental in funding Erica’s involvement in previous programs. Erica is seeking the support of any local businesses who may be interested in sponsoring her travel to Germany. Interested businesses are encouraged to make contact with The Cathedral School on 4722 2000 or email tcs@cathedral.qld.edu.au.
Centenary Events Celebrating the Centenary of The Cathedral School will take place throughout 2017 with various activities and events. More detailed information about the events taking place to mark our Centenary will be available in the second half of 2016. Friday 21 July 2017 am | Foundation Day Service and Lagoon Dash pm | Past Student Function by the Lagoon Saturday 22 July 2017 am | School Tours and Morning Tea pm | Centenary Gala Dinner Sunday 23 July 2017 am | Church Service at St James Cathedral pm | Picnic Lunch by the Lagoon
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The Connection Place Appeal The Centenary Project In celebrating The Cathedral School’s centenary in 2017, we will be paying tribute to all the people who have been part of our school over its first 100 years. Designs have been finalised for the construction of a unique outdoor structure which will include the name of every student and staff member who has lived, worked or studied at St Anne’s or The Cathedral School. Called The Connection Place, it will be a large circular platform situated at the western end of the lagoon, with a bench seat around the outer half. Glass panels along the back of this bench area will have thousands of names inscribed, providing permanent recognition of all those who have been part of the fabric of the school over the past 100 years. In this evocative landscape of rain trees and lagoon, the Connection Place will provide a central space which can be used on a daily basis for both educational and recreational purposes. It will also give the staff and students who attended, lived and worked at St Anne’s or The Cathedral School a permanent place in the built structure of the school. Page 4
The Connection Place will create a new focal point for the entire school, and will connect the past students and staff of the school with the present and future members of the school community. Construction will commence towards the end of 2016, and the completed structure will be opened on Foundation Day in our centenary year - 21 July 2017. Contribute to this project We invite all members of our school community, past and present, to join us in supporting this exciting development to honour our history and for the benefit of the whole school community. It is hoped that donations will contribute a large proportion of the project costs. Tax-deductible contributions to assist with this project can be made to The Cathedral School Building Fund. Please make your pledge or payment today, and help create this lasting legacy.
The Connection 2016
The Connection Place Appeal Payment methods 1.
DIRECT DEPOSIT Bank: Westpac Aitkenvale BSB: 034212 Account: 185655 Account Name: The Cathedral School Building Fund Identifier: Centenary/Surname
Please email your bank’s transaction record, together with the Remittance Advice below to accounts@cathedral.qld.edu.au to obtain a receipt for tax purposes.
2. BY POST Please complete the Remittance Advice below, and send it with your cheque or credit card details to: Accounts Department The Cathedral School P O Box 944 AITKENVALE 4814
3. IN PERSON Our friendly reception staff will be happy to process your payment (cash, cheque, EFTPOS) and provide you with a receipt for your tax-deductible donation. Please provide a completed Remittance Advice (see right) with your payment. Remittance Advice for Centenary Project donation Name: Address:
Phone:
Email:
Amount paid $______________ Method:
bank deposit
cheque
cash/EFTPOS
OR Please debit my credit card: Card Number: Expiry:
CVV:
Name on card:
Signature:
Donor Acknowledgement I am happy to have my name included in the published list of donors
YES
or
NO
Name to Appear:
Thank you for your generous support of The Cathedral School Centenary Project. The Connection 2016
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President’s Report The countdown is on to the Centenary of the School in 2017. The Committee, along with the School, is very excited to be planning projects and events for our centenary celebrations. I am certainly excited to invite all past students of St Anne’s and The Cathedral School to be part of it. But first we need to make sure that we have this year’s reunion underway! We will have all the usual events from the 5 Year Reunion on Friday 15 July and the School Tour, AGM and Reunion Dinner on Saturday 16th. Bookings are open now, so get your school friends together and come along to the Schools 99th birthday and your reunion. The start to the 2016 school year saw the Class of 2015 come to their ‘Back to School BBQ’ and we had a great turn out of about 30 past students who were excited to share their future plans with staff and their peers. House spirit came alive in Term One with the Interhouse Swimming Carnivals. Each year, the Past Students’ Association awards the trophy to the House that shows the most spirit. The cheering, costumes and war cries made for a great event. This year the trophies went to Chatham in the Junior and Middle Schools and Langton in the Senior School carnival. We awarded our PSA scholarship this year to Laura Stone and she will be a part of our committee until the end of the year. This scholarship gives an insight into the running of the Past Students’ Association and we look to our scholarship holders to promote us in the school community. The School’s Centenary is going to be a year of celebration and we want to celebrate it as one community. I am very aware that the school has grown from humble beginnings and we must never forget the wonderful Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent who started the school back in 1917. The past students have also had a very important role in preserving school history and traditions. The members of the original Old Girls’ Association (OGA) were loyal supporters of St Anne’s from the very earliest days, but their numbers dwindled when the Sisters left. However, the organisation was revitalised in 1984 with the formation of the Past Students’ Association (PSA), to
include all former students of St Anne’s and The Cathedral School. We sometimes overlook how important the past history of this wonderful school is and we want to make sure that everyone who has contributed to the school is recognised in the centenary year. This will be possible through our major Centenary Project which will contain the name of every past student and staff member on our records. Details of this project are included in this Connection, plus details of how you can contribute. The Past Students’ Association has made the first donation of $10,000 towards this project, and we encourage all past students and families to please get behind this and help us raise the money for its construction. Won’t it be great to see your name up in lights for many years to come? And to have a place to bring your family and show them the school you attended? We are looking forward to the Centenary and we hope that you are too. We are launching a centenary website so that you can stay up to date with all the plans for the year. We are always needing past students to help our committee and get involved. If you are interested in joining the PSA Committee for the Centenary year, please nominate for a position. Elections will be held at the AGM on Saturday 16 July (at around 3pm, after the school tour). Please email your nomination to Mrs Toni Lanphier, Registrar registrar@cathedral.qld.edu.au by Monday 11 July. Thomas Porter PSA President
In Memoriam Vale - Bishop John Lewis Bishop Lewis passed away on 22 December 2015, in South Australia, but his funeral was held here in Townsville on 27 February 2016. He was Bishop of the Diocese of North Queensland from 1971 to 1996 and was very involved with the School during his time.
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The Connection 2016
Class of 2015 Results The Class of 2015 is to be congratulated for their success. In 2015, we had the highest percentage of students being accepted into their first choice of study through QTAC, over 75% of students received their first choice in the initial round of QTAC offers; a fantastic result. The cohort had 82 % of students achieving in the 1 - 15 OP Katie Sutcliffe 2015 DUX range and over a quarter, 27.8% receiving an OP in the 1 - 6 range. These results are a testament to the hard work put in by the students in their final year. Two students, Arthis Zhang and the school dux, Katie Sutcliffe both attained an OP1 and special congratulations must go to them. The 2015 departing seniors have chosen a wide variety of destinations to continue their Arthis Zhang OP1 study, including local study at James Cook University and Central Queensland University’s Townsville campus, QUT and UQ in Brisbane and interstate universities including the Australian National University where Stella Rapson and Kira Ahyick are continuing their education. It is also worthy to note that both Katie Sutcliffe and Jack Bryant have been accepted into JCU to study medicine, no mean feat considering only 200 students are chosen from the 3,000 applications. So “hats off” to the Class of 2015. We hope your post school studies are as enjoyable and rewarding as your time at Cathedral.
Update Your Details... Did you attend St Anne’s CEGS/The Cathedral School? Or know someone who did? As the school approaches its Centenary next year we are searching for everyone who attended St Anne’s CEGS/The Cathedral School for an exciting project that will represent all the students from the last 100 years. Please contact the school to update your contact information to ensure we have your details on file. Or visit the website cathedral.qld.edu.au/paststudentupdate
Mr Allan Carman Director of Studies The Connection 2016
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Celebrating our Centenary “It
is just over 12 months until The Cathedral School’s 100th birthday and to celebrate this significant milestone, we are delighted to launch our Centenary website. The website will be your “go-to” place for all things Centenary such as a History Timeline, News and Events, Past Student Stories and an update on our Centenary
Project “The Connection Place”. We invite you to explore our Centenary website which provides an insight into the School’s past, present and future. There will be new content released every month, so keep checking back at cathedral.qld.edu.au/centenary
Cowboys Grand Final with Staff Members Junior School Teachers, Mr Luke Baills, Mr Ben Dallimore and Mr Michael Porter were lucky to enough to witness one of the greatest moments in North Queensland history, the North Queensland Toyota Cowboys winning the 2015 NRL Grand Final! They were even luckier to meet some of the players after the game including past student Justin O’Neill (Class of 2008) and congratulate him on his try. Congratulations to Justin and his team, the North Queensland Cowboys an outstanding win last season. We wish you all the best with the 2016 season. Further congratulations to Justin O’Neill on his selection in the Queensland State of Origin team this year. Page 8
The Connection 2016
Celebrating 150 years of Townsville’s history Earlier this year 2016 School Captains, Thomas Browning and Emma Carman attended a special function hosted by the Townsville City Council to celebrate 150 years of Townsville. Guests were asked to wear period costume so Emma wore the original school uniform from 1917 (minus the brown shoes) and Tom is wearing one of the original boys hats and the first Principal, Mr Neil Tucker’s special tie. The School also entered a float in the Townsville 150 Pacific Festival Parade this year. The huge semi-trailer displayed a progression from the early years of the school to the modern day. The early classroom had students in original uniforms sitting at old-style desks using slates and the other end of the truck had students sitting on brightly coloured modular furniture with iPads in their laps. The float also featured a ‘chapel scene’ with a girl in church dress and a staff member dressed in a nun’s habit using an original pew, altar rail and kneeler from the old school chapel. The transition also included an 80’s style classroom with the original boys and girls check uniform and a male teacher in the typical dress shorts and long socks of that era. Everyone who was involved enjoyed being part of the festival, and the opportunity to showcase something of our school’s history.
Matty Doyle Memorial Shield Recipient Congratulations to Year 12 student and School Captain, Emma Carman, who was last year awarded with the Matty Doyle Memorial Shield for Outstanding Effort. Emma was presented with the shield by Matty’s mum, Sharon.
Star Wars Day 2016
Thank you to Rebecca and Barry Smith who donated the shield as their eldest daughter was Matty’s Year 7 Bede House buddy when he was in Year 12. Matty was a student at The Cathedral School from 2004 - 2012 and sadly passed away in 2014. Matty was a happy yet determined young bloke, who didn’t let his disability diminish his enjoyment of life. Congratulations on this award Emma.
Our Junior School Library celebrated Star Wars Day on 4 May with Star Wars books, a Wookiee craft activity and our Teacher Librarian, Mrs Marcia Fisher dressed as Princess Leia.
The Connection 2016
#Maythe4thbewithyou
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2016 Reunion Weekend 2016 Reunion Weekend...
Reunion Contacts
Reunions 2016
2011 Still needed
Bookings are now open for this year’s Foundation Weekend events - please book online for any of these functions at http://www.trybooking.com/KOTG.
2006 Rachel Howard rachelkate89@gmail.com
Class of 2011 Come to your first ‘official’ reunion. Drinks & nibbles at the Birdcage on Friday 24 July 5.30 - 7pm. School Tour & Afternoon Tea All are welcome to come and view the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ on Saturday 25 July 1.30 pm - 4pm. The Annual General Meeting will be held after the tour, approximately 3pm. Annual Reunion Dinner All are welcome, but especially the ’10 year’ groups of 2006, 1996, 1986, 1976, 1966 etc. on Saturday 16 July at 6.30pm. Canapes plus two-course meal - cost $45 per person. Bus transport is available into town after the dinner included in the online booking form. Reunions are always more successful if there is a ‘driving force’ getting the year level together, as it is more likely that others will attend if they are invited by someone they know. If you would like to be a coordinator for your year group’s reunion, please email registrar@cathedral.qld.edu.au so we can help you get a group together.
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1996 Melissa Prince (nee Feather) 0417 735 868 or info@dancensations.com.au and
Sandra Lundie (nee Graham) 0439 897 739
1986 Jenny Woodside 0437 100 559 jennywoodside@live.com.au and
Lori Morris (nee Collyer)
1976 Still needed 1966 Still needed Class of 1990 Reunion • Saturday 30 July • 6pm at The Dalgety Public House, Tenerife, Brisbane, QLD. • Contact: Angie D’Arcy (Raasch) angiedarcy73@hotmail.com or 0410 452 930
The Connection 2016