WINTER 2020
RISING STAR Breadth of mind, Depth of heart
Mrs Janet Stewart Principal
A Semester that demanded Courage and Hope There’s little doubt that 2020 has been a time of uncertainty and challenge for most of us. At the end of Term 1, as the threat posed by COVID-19 bore down on Australia and its education system, how we teach and how we learn was flipped upside down. In a matter of days, with the safety and wellbeing of students and staff as a priority, MBC embraced the change to remote at home learning. Before COVID-19, some of our teachers had never employed Zoom or Microsoft Teams in their classrooms; some had not used OneNote and other such tools, yet almost overnight they had adapted and learned how to skilfully use these platforms to teach lessons, to deliver Music tutoring, to meet with Form and House groups for support and connection, and to check in with students one-on-one. The staff’s learning curve was considerable; and demonstrated great courage and hope - the courage to seize these new opportunities, and prepare whole new approaches to lessons; the hope that they could engage their students in new and different ways to provide continuity of curriculum and learning. The creativity and innovation among our staff have been inspiring. The transition from school-based to home-based learning, however, did prove to be a difficult time for students, particularly since they were unable to access the kinds of social interaction they usually enjoy. Our end of Term 1 survey to students and parents revealed they needed more face-to-face interaction and again our staff re-imagined their lesson plans to respond to their students’ need for connection and interaction. Thus, we created safe and effective learning experiences online to ensure the physical, mental, and social and emotional wellbeing of our students was met, and where possible, exceeded. 2
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Our College Captains led the way with several online publications titled Thrive, Keeping up with Culture, MBC Good News, and Academics at Home - and there was a series of Be Active challenges. Each inspired our staff and students to devote time to their social and emotional health and affirmed what we have always known at MBC, that we must care as much about our students’ wellbeing as we do about their academic growth. One wonderful side effect of the remote at home learning experience is that parents have become more aware of, and engaged with, their daughter’s education. Their understanding of her daily school routine has been invaluable in strengthening our home-school partnership. The lockdown and the restrictions have also meant the re-imagining of a number of events with parent involvement – Parent/ Teacher interviews were moved to Zoom and Teams; Senior information evenings have been broadcast as live forums; celebratory assemblies have been livestreamed or recorded for viewing later. At each of these new-style events we have not only had increased numbers and engagement with our parents, we have received overwhelming positive support for maintaining similar approaches in the future. Indeed, there is no doubt that as we move forward into our new normal, what we have learned as a school and a community will inform our future practice both in the classroom and beyond. From adversity has come opportunity and the inimitable courage and hope of this community will ensure we harness the lessons learned during this unique time in our history. With courage and hope,
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Learning at Home in the 2020 Pandemic – Early Years and Primary After an exciting and fresh start to the 2020 school year, the end of Term 1 saw our students forced out of their typical learning environments. Home Learning presented our students with many challenges and some wonderful opportunities. We cannot escape the fact that our 2020 year was been greatly influenced by COVID-19, so instead of shying away from it, we have confronted it. Although at times the last few months have been difficult and unpredictable, it has been a unique chance to capture our stories and experiences, to document them for the current and future College community. In each area of the Early Years and Primary School, we have needed to be agile as leaders, educators, and teachers. We have been required to challenge our own practices; open our thinking and be the risk takers we always encourage our children to be. For many staff, there was a steep learning curve with technology, in particular video conferencing. Looking back, this was the strategy that had the greatest impact for both the girls and the teachers as it provided the vital personal connection with each other that other online platforms often lacked. A significant consideration in planning for learning and supporting wellbeing was being aware that our families were in diverse situations, viewed home learning through a variety of perspectives and had differing parental work circumstances. This meant that delivery of learning required flexibility and compromise for young families who were often trying to manage their own professional workloads as well as guide their children and support engagement in remote learning. There were also challenges for some families with internet connections or access to devices. For some families, the offering of support here on campus for ‘essential workers’ was a necessity. Our home learning then needed another 4
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rethink to ensure the children here at school had an equitable learning environment. Whether working onsite at the college or from home, our teachers made regular comments that they have never worked harder, provided more personalised feedback, or had felt more pride in a situation that was stretching their professional boundaries. It required significant determination, resilience and a growth mindset.
Learning at Home in the Early Years Our sense of normal has gone through rapid changes, and with this, it has seen the youngest learners of the College confidently navigate and adapt to their changing landscape. Our confident and capable learners proved that, indeed, they were just that when the gate to both the Childcare Centre and Pre-Prep became a newly defined marker for saying goodbye to family. The children’s independence and interdependence skills flourished as they accepted this new responsibility. Children waved and hugged family goodbye. They carried and cared for their own belongings, organising themselves at the start and end of the day, along with the packing and unpacking of their bags. They washed their hands, applied sunscreen and supported their peers as they worked alongside educators. With this, we also saw a new interwoven connection between the Childcare Centre, Pre-Prep and home. As the COVID-19 health crisis started, each child in the Childcare Centre received a small bag. Inside was a special teddy bear; eager to go on new adventures in each child’s home. A special message inside the bag invited the children to name their new friend and care for them at home. In Pre-Prep, the children each received a red recycling bucket, pens, sticky tape, soil and seeds. Each day, educators sent families and children learning ideas that they could follow at home with their child and their teddy bear. These experiences followed the children’s interests and developmental needs. As the Childcare Centre and Pre-Prep were still open for essential workers, learning experiences here on campus were woven into the Home Learning Programme, and adventures at home influenced the experiences that children were invited to share in the Centre/Pre-Prep. Images and videos of children at home engaged in experiences with their bears were shared with the children in the Centre/Pre-Prep, and before long, the bear became a strong tie that connected children and families with the Childcare Centre. The children and bears engaged in cooking, yoga, painting and building at home. They took their bears on nature adventures and made sure they were safely sleeping at night. Bears went looking for bugs in the garden and watched seeds grow into edible plants. From such challenging times, we saw new exciting connections, new friendships and new skills. 5
Learning at Home in the Primary Years (Prep to Year 6)
Pastoral Care and Student Wellbeing
A rapid transformation in how we delivered our teaching and learning programmes saw teachers needing to innovate and adapt learning experiences through creative digital solutions.
Throughout the period that COVID has impacted the College, the wellbeing of our students remained our top priority. Students were invited to participate in a Home Learning Wellbeing Challenge and were given support through a series of recorded Zoom interviews focussed on addressing common concerns, along with management tools. Subjects addressed included managing anxiety, ways to work remotely and maintaining relationships.
A trial of Home Learning in the final week of Term 1 provided us with an opportunity to survey our school community and then analyse feedback to make improvements prior to the commencement of Term 2. Zoom was introduced as a platform through which class meetings could occur twice daily and SeeSaw continued to be utilised as a communication avenue, where specialists’ learning experiences and personalised feedback about student progress could be maintained. These digital platforms were combined with a formal Home Learning Programme which was emailed to families (Prep to Year 3) and to our students (Years 4 – 6) each evening, prior to the commencement of the next school day. The complexities of providing a purposeful and engaging Home Learning Programme which met the educational and developmental needs of all our students required incredible flexibility in collaborative and innovative teaching practices. Conscious of the need to manage screen time and to look for creative ways for our girls to access hands-on resources within their environment, many learning experiences were differentiated and/or open-ended to cater for individual needs. A focus on student agency, which is at the heart of the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Programme, meant that there were opportunities for students to have ‘voice, choice and ownership’ over many aspects of their learning. Teacher’s incorporated numerous opportunities within the Home Learning Programme for students to share things about themselves, their learning and the thinking processes involved in making connections with new concepts, knowledge and skills. Class teachers also accessed capabilities within Zoom to conduct Reading ‘Running’ Records with students and check-ins with families and students via virtual Three-way Conferences.
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Alongside this, the Heart and Minds Wellbeing Framework continued to serve students well, ensuring a balanced approach to wellbeing. These unique circumstances provided many opportunities for girls to highlight the positive way in which they approached remote learning. Several students used their time to support and serve others through fundraising and the collection of donations. Others chose to lead physical activity sessions for neighbours and friends. Yet others chose to learn new skills such as knitting or sewing. Each of these activities allowed girls to connect with others, develop a new appreciation for relationships and express their gratitude for all they had been given. Staff wellbeing was also a top priority, ensuring the smooth transition to remote learning. Teachers were upskilled in the use of technology and were supported in developing new ways of working. Guest speakers, with expertise in the area of wellbeing, were also sourced as additional support for staff. Zoom conferences lead by Dr Justin Coulson and Dr Judith Locke assisted and encouraged teachers and families alike. Despite the many challenges, staff and students emerged from this period with increased resiliency and more in touch with their emotions, better able to express and recognise feelings.
In Conclusion Once our ‘new normal’ routines developed, as a staff we reflected on our experiences throughout COVID-19 with an open-minded lens. We engaged in a process to ‘Capture’ data (feedback from staff, students and parents), ‘Cleanse’ (sort and analyse the feedback and experiences of the students with a focus on learning) and finally ‘Weave’ our ideas into making decisions for the future to embed into practice. This included a review of our Homework Policy and Practice for 2021 and offerings for families online for Three-way Conferences and Parent Information Sessions. Thank you to our families for the support and guidance provided to our youngest learners. Thank you also to our incredible staff for their professionalism, demonstration of a growth mindset and living as a lifelong learner. Our staff aptly displayed all the attributes of the IB Learner Profile. Creative and innovative solutions from staff went beyond our expectations. The importance of the human element in education cannot be overemphasised. The period of Home Learning saw all members of our learning community displaying resilience and adaptability to overcome any challenges. There are many positives which have come from this experience, in particular how we use digital platforms to enhance teaching and learning and the opportunities that the explosion of online resources and collaboration has provided for teachers to strengthen current programmes and approaches to teaching. Mrs Rebecca Lennon Head of Primary Ms Carolyn Wilson Deputy Head of Primary (Early Learning) Mrs Nicole Bowers Deputy Head of Primary (Teaching and Learning/ PYP Coordinator) Mrs Kelly McBurnie Deputy Head of Primary (Students)
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Learning at Home in the 2020 Pandemic – Secondary 2020 began with the Secondary School focussing on two mantras: • You’ve got this and • Being the best version of yourself you can These two mantras provided the foundation for secondary students and staff alike, as we rose to meet the challenges and discover the joys of Remote at-home Learning and the transition back to faceto-face learning. As a Secondary Leadership, our implementation and delivery during the early stages of COVID-19 and as various restrictions lifted was focussed on being responsive and creative while being true to what it means to belong to our ‘Bay’ community. For us this meant:
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Ensuring students Kept Learning by receiving an outstanding online learning experience that was familiar to them, where they had voice, choice and agency and supported them in the everchanging uncertain world in which they found themselves. The student voice in the online experience was sought and suggestions were implemented. This included the preference for them to be in school sport uniform, maintain the normal timetable and the College routine, have breaks between lessons, preference for ‘live’ teaching and interactions with teachers and classmates through video links, channels and challenges.
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Students were Connected, supported, felt cared for, cared about, and were able to access the Pastoral Care Programme, people and activities that have always been there to support their learning journey. Students and staff valued time to connect with each other less formally in the online space through engagement with Form class check-ins, House activities, House Form and Assembly. Ensuring these activities were reimagined enabled all members of our community to connect with the culture and the people that make Moreton Bay College the special place that it is.
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• Providing Be Active co-curricular opportunities that engaged our students with others, developing their unique gifts and talents in different ways and their relationships with peers, teachers, tutors, and coaches. It was essential for us that our online and face to face environment provided opportunities for students to Be Active in this aspect of College life. Music lessons, running clubs, skill clinics, Amnesty International, Debating, Public Speaking, the Hearts and Minds Committee and many other activities all continued in various formats ensuring the girls were involved in all aspects of school life. •
Offering opportunities for members of the secondary community to Give back to others and each other in appreciation of the efforts ensuring that as a College and broader community, we were safe and well. Staff found new ways of gathering and supporting each other, students, and families by giving of their time to write notes, write check-in emails and provide small treats or moments of support. It was this camaraderie and willingness to display courage that modelled to the girls the amazing things that can be accomplished when we come together as a team and demonstrate teamwork. Our students displayed the action of Give by taking time to thank our teachers, support staff and our frontline workers through cards, emails, treats and regular smiling emoji’s. All were greatly appreciated.
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Providing moments for our students and staff to Take Notice, by being present with each other and in solidarity with others in our immediate community and the broader global community. Reverend Peter and the Chapel team reimagined what Worship looked like for us, providing a time for us to be present with God and with each other through live and pre-recorded Chapels. These moments allowed us to express our gratitude, be welcomed into the homes and lives of members of our community and participate in Light up the Dawn Anzac Day services through the creation of egg carton wreaths and milk bottle lanterns.
Teaching and Learning Teaching and Learning in 2020 was significantly reshaped. For the Secondary teaching and learning community, 2020 was earmarked for solidifying the alignment of our pedagogical practices with the New Art and Science of Teaching while deepening students’ understanding and application of Cognitive Verbs. In mid Term 1, we developed a (rather audacious at the time) strategy for continued teaching and learning at home in a routine-based process that fostered connection and engagement. We also recognised the need to pivot our pedagogical practices. While classroom teachers took a crash course in Microsoft Teams, we considered what effective pedagogy could be like in this new teaching and learning environment. Before the end of Term 1, the Secondary Senior Leadership Team had developed an intermediary pedagogical plan to support teachers to adopt this new platform in a way that ensured continuity of learning for our students. The teaching team did an amazing job to ensure that student engagement, checking for understanding, explicit teaching, student driven tasks, and connections were prioritised in an online context. Both students and teacher will admit some lessons and days were harder than others, but with grit and
determination students not only continued to learn, but they were afforded an outstanding experience. There were times where we were uncomfortable, however I truly believe that this is when our best leaning occurs. I ask students every day to challenge their thinking and be willing to take an academic risk, to be uncomfortable – our teaching staff also rose to this challenge. We acknowledged that the learning for everyone would be hard – we not only achieved our goals of continuing student learning; considering the circumstances, we thrived. The nature of the new learning environment necessitated increased creativity and a fresh outlook. Over the Easter break we saw teams of teachers and administration staff supporting each other to create Remote at-home Learning packs, from Science catapult kits to design project packs. Each time we faced a new challenge it was overcome with innovative thinking and ingenuity. It was important for the Senior Leadership Team to maintain a connection to our parent community despite so many events having to be re-imagined. We held countless online forums, providing students and parents the opportunity to be both informed and ask questions. Subject selection evenings for Years 8, 9 and 10 were run as online forums with our Heads of Department, and Year 10 SET Plan interviews were also held online. There was an air
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of apprehension before our first ever Virtual ParentStudent-Teacher Interviews, however with significant planning, preparation and support from the IT Support Team, these events were streamlined and successful. As well as keeping families informed, we wanted to involve parents in moments of celebration, when they would have normally been able to attend the event on campus. The Semester 1 Academic Excellence and Citizenship Awards ceremony was live-streamed Teams event, with parents – and grandparents - tuning in to watch from all over Australia. I have asked both students and teachers to consider the good things that have come from the changes and challenges that the pandemic has given us. From this we are considering new and altered methods of engaging in learning, running events and connecting with our community. Teaching and learning will never be the same and we are excited to see what this new future holds.
Pastoral Care The Hearts and Minds Wellbeing Framework continued to drive our approach to wellbeing during the period of Remote at-home Learning. Despite the lack of face-to-face contact, staff remained committed to monitoring and maintaining the wellbeing of students in the online learning environment. The Heads of House continued to provide pastoral support for students via the House ‘teams’ set up in Microsoft Teams. Every secondary student was added as a member of the Teams for their House, as were Form Teachers and other House staff. Via this platform, the Heads of House offered intra-House challenges, wellbeing activities and resources and hosted House Form one day each week. Likewise, students were added to a Form class group, which enabled them to participate in Form each morning. The House and Form Teams were certainly busy virtual spaces, and it was wonderful to hear and read the comments from students expressing their gratitude to their Head of House and Form Teacher for their efforts in helping them stay connected to the school and to each other. Secondary students were also able to access counselling support from the Secondary Counsellor, Mrs Melanie Taylor, via telehealth using phones or Zoom. As the coordinator of the Positive Minds
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Programme (PMP), Mrs Taylor ensured our wellbeing curriculum was also adapted for Remote at-home Learning. In one of their weekly lessons, students across all year levels completed a COVID-19 Time Capsule, enjoying the chance to answer 19 questions and create a keepsake about their lives during the pandemic. PMP lessons provided an ideal opportunity for pastoral staff to reinforce the importance of help-seeking and students were encouraged to reflect on their support network in an activity called ‘Who’s on Your Team?’ Additionally, students in Years 7 to 12 were invited to complete an online check-in form which proved to be invaluable in assisting pastoral staff to gauge how students were coping with this new way of schooling.
thing that has truly kept us going has been our commitment to Character. Being authentic to our purpose, having integrity, being honest and open and true to our purpose. This meant “Being the best version of yourself you can, each moment and each day”, remembering that we are part of a team who together are stronger, providing the support to ensure that all of our students, teachers, support staff and family “have got this”!
Eager to provide the best possible support to all stakeholders as we navigated change and uncertainty, the Pastoral Team engaged parenting and wellbeing expert Dr Justin Coulson to deliver webcasts to students, staff and parents early in Term 2. In his presentations, Dr Coulson spoke to the five evidence-based actions of Hearts and Minds and provided strategies for managing the challenges that came with remote learning.
Mrs Michelle McKersey, Deputy Head of Secondary (Students)
Mrs Kay Gleeson, Head of Secondary Ms Delia Stecher, Deputy Head of Secondary (Teaching and Learning)
The College Captains also played a significant role in supporting the wellbeing of their fellow students during the period of online learning. Undeterred by how the pandemic changed the course of their leadership journey, they turned their attention toward what student leadership in the Age of COVID-19 could look like. Focussed on encouraging their fellow students to Connect, Be Active, Give, Keep Learning, and Take Notice, they developed their own e-newsletters and online challenges and each week secondary students received an edition of Thrive on Tuesdays, Keeping up with Culture, Academics at Home or a Be Active Challenge.
In conclusion Due to the efforts that went into ensuring students and staff remained connected with each other during Remote at-home Learning, the transition back to face-to-face schooling was both smooth and joyous. It was wonderful to witness the campus slowly come to life again with the staggered return of the different year levels. We have been challenged to remain true to ourselves and the values that we all hold so dear here at Moreton Bay College. However, the one
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Reverend Peter Lockhart Chaplain
Teaching and Forming Faith at Home The time that we spent at home during the At Home Learning period due to COVID 19 was a challenge for parents and caregivers as we all grappled with our roles as educators and as people responsible for influencing our children’s beliefs, values and morals. This was captured at the beginning of our At Home Learning journey, when the MBC Chapel team prepared an opening to our worship greeting people at their own front doors. This call to worship was a reminder of just how important our home is as a place faith formation. It is commonly understood and accepted that parents are the first educators of their children. For example, Genie Price writes: “From the moment your first child is born, you become a teacher. Although not a formally qualified one, whether you like it or not, you instantly become your child’s first and most influential coach.” Our home is where most of us begin the journey of learning about and understanding of who we are as human beings. Our home is where we build our beliefs around who God is as well as our practices of spirituality. It is an important place we grow our faith. In fact, the research group Barna writes “Church leaders from all stripes are in agreement when it comes to where the responsibility lies for a
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child’s spiritual formation and development. They universally agree it should start with parents.” It has been exciting to watch our Chapel team adapt as they have explored how to express their spirituality in a myriad of ways. Since ancient times, spiritual practices and rituals have been an important element of passing on faith and growing in our relationship with God. As we thought about these things, students were encouraged with ideas like making a prayer wall of people and things that wanted to pray about, keeping a spiritual journal, listening to spiritual music, praying and reading the Bible. Being at home was a reminder that all of these expressions of faith can be engaged individually or together as a family. From the simple act of sharing in a prayer of thanksgiving before a meal to building a family prayer wall, our faith is a journey that can be shared with our families. Since the days of the very early church, homes have played a vital part if developing a person’s spiritual life, and this is no less true today. Perhaps, an upside of COVID 19 has been the reminder of just how important the home is as a place of learning and formation. I pray that being at home stimulated some reflection on how to engage with your spiritual life as a family.
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Every year, Moreton Bay College hosts its annual Greene-ware Art exhibition, showing artwork from our youngest learners through to our Senior Art students. As with many events across the year, this year we needed to reimagine what an Opening Night, and gallery displays of over 1000 artworks, would look like in a digital space.
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SPORT
Moreton Bay College developing Track and Field Champions Across the multitude of Track and Field disciplines, Moreton Bay College has continued to develop exceptional athletes, resulting in a continued string of Andrews Cup and QGSSSA Athletics competition successes. Moreton Bay College Director of Sport Sue Pavish says “Investing in top coaches that are relevant and specific to the level the girls are competing at” is paying dividends as our athletes break records and claim championships. In late August, a small but determined team of 10-12 year old students contested the age championships at the Andrews Cup Athletics Carnival. MBC proved their dominance on the day, taking out the 10, 11, and 12 year old age pennants. This result was achieved through a combination of team determination, many high-ranking places and some personal bests throughout the Carnival. Although the overall programme was shortened due to COVID-19 restrictions, MBC won an impressive 36 events, placed 2nd in 18 events and 3rd in nine events. MBC also proudly retained the Sue Pavish Relay trophy, with an all-star team of Chloe Munro, Taylah Hazell, Isla Flett and Poppy Lind winning the event by a considerable margin in the record time of 56.13. Due to the amended programme, the Andrews Cup was not awarded in 2020. Following this success up in September, our Secondary Track and Field athletes put on a blistering performance to claim the QGSSSA Stehpens Cup for the fifth year in a row. Across 125 events, MBC girls finished 1st, 2nd or 3rd in 82 events: a staggering 66% of all events on the day.
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Moreton Bay College started claiming success (and new records) early, with Estanoa Faitala breaking two records in the 15 years Shot Put. Across throwing events other impressive results saw Phoebe Nielsen, Grace Hayden and Zoe Cumming winning their respective throws. Discus and Shot Put coach Matthew Denny has been working with MBC since 2018. An Olympian and Commonwealth Games Silver medallist, Matthew has firsthand knowledge of the work required to develop strength, technique and consistency, and works closely with our young athletes as they progress. The next record claimed by MBC was in Division B of the 17 years 800m event, where Nyree Hamilton smashed the existing record by seven seconds. Nyree also took control in the 17 years 400m to win her second event of the day. The successes continued on the track with Annabelle Barnett winning the 15 years 400m. Our distance runners were off to an impressive start, with 15-year-old Kaya Agnew setting the tone for the day and finishing in an impressive 2nd place in the Open 3000m event. Middle and Long Distance Coach Ben Norton has been coaching middle and long distance runners for a number of years, and has been working with the College since 2014. He’s coached runners all the way to the Youth Olympics, and uses his specialist knowledge to get the best out of the MBC girls. Under Ben’s training, the 800m races were equally as impressive for MBC. In the 13 years 800m A Division, Monica Heeremans claimed a win after
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placing 2nd earlier in the 1500m. Emma Bible was dominant, winning the 15 years 800m A Division after placing 3rd in the 1500m. Ellie Ryan then claimed the 17 years 800m A Division while Lausanne Agnew finished in 2nd place in the 17 Years 1500m. The Sprints also saw MBC dominate, with Liv Reynolds taking the 17 years 100m & 200m A Division double and Lily Neill winning the 14 years 100 A division and placing 2nd in the 200m. Ava McConnell, Bella Doo, Jazlyn Leota, Chloe Nikola and Ellie Ryalls all picked up wins in their 100m sprints. Sprints and Hurdles Coach Wayne Leaver has been coaching for over 30 years, and has been working with Moreton Bay College for over 20. He has had multiple athletes selected for Australian National teams, and over the years he has shared his decades worth of knowledge with the MBC athletics teams, helping them perform at their highest. 17 year old Lily Yadlosky secured two first placings, one in the 100m D Division and one in the A Division Long Jump. Long Jumper Francesca Peacock won the 16 Years B Division while Sienna Hume won the Junior Triple and Placed 2nd in the 15 Years Long Jump B Division. Giaan Thomas won the 13 years B Division Long Jump. Best results in hurdles saw Claudia Chapman finish 2nd in 17 Years 100m Hurdle race. The day finished with MBC dominating the relays. Across 12 relay events, MBC had six wins, two second place finishes, three third place finishes and one fourth place finish. There’s no doubt about it; the coaching programme at Moreton Bay College is developing home grown track and field talent right here in the Bayside.
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Leading the State in Basketball
Bronze Medallists for CBSQ Open Championship
Despite the cancellation of the 2020 QGSSSA basketball season, it was a very successful year for the basketball programme. The Junior Basketball Team were winners of the inaugural Champion Basketball Schools Queensland (CBSQ) Junior Secondary Girls Division 1 Competition. The team were undefeated throughout the competition, defeating Southport State High School by 20 points in the final to claim the gold medal and State Championship. Further highlighting the teams’ dominance over the competition, three MBC students finished in the top 10 for point scoring. Alice Dart led the way for MBC with 20 points per game (PPG) which placed her second overall in the competition, followed by Harriet Baker (14PPG) and Lucy Reid (13PPG).
The Open Basketball Team finished in third position in the CBSQ Open Championship Division. The team defeated 2019’s competition winners Hillcrest Christian College in the quarter final in a nail-biting encounter. With scores level for most of the match, Lil Dart calmly shot three free throws to give MBC the lead with one second remaining. After a loss against the eventual title winners (St Margaret Mary’s College) in the semifinal, MBC claimed the bronze medal, defeating Sheldon College by 17 points. This is an incredible achievement as MBC has never finished in the top four of the Championship Division. These collective results were not only the best in the programmes history, but would have also qualified both teams for the Australian Schools Championships. Further, the results make MBC the most successful girls school in Queensland for
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basketball in 2020. No other girls’ teams came third and first in Division 1 in the Junior or Senior State Championships.
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Member of the Australian U17 Australian Squad
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Australian Institute of Sport scholarship offer
Instrumental in the success of the programme is the outstanding coaches involved. MBC boasts an exceptional coaching staff equipped to assist students in reaching their full potential. All A team coaches are qualified Level 1 Basketball Australia coaches or higher, and are drawn from Basketball Queensland, Queensland School Sport, local associations, Old Girls, teaching staff and parent population. In 2020, students had the opportunity to participate in development sessions with Miela Goodchild (MBC old girl, Duke University Athlete), Anita Peckham (U20 Queensland Girl’s Team Assistant Coach) and Patrick McInerney (Brisbane Capitals QSL Men’s Team Assistant Coach).
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Member of the National Performance Programme
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Member of the State Performance Programme
Additionally, 2020 was also very successful for some of our individual athletes. Lil Dart was one of only 40 female athletes selected globally to attend the 2020 NBA Global Academy Next Generation Showcase in New Orleans. The Showcase is an opportunity to compete against the World’s top secondary school players in front of Division 1 College and WNBA scouts. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 the camp showcase was cancelled, however we congratulate Lil on the following accomplishments achieved in 2020:
Junior Gold Medalists at CBSQ Junior Championships
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Alongside Lil, three other MBC students have been named in the U16 and U18 State Performance Programme. This programme identifies athletes with the potential to represent Queensland and Australia, play in the WNBL and secure college scholarships in the USA. Congratulations to: •
Harriet Baker
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Alice Dart
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Lucy Reid
Sienna Peckham was selected into the Future Development Programme (FDP). The FDP is the entry level into Basketball Queensland’s Performance programme, aimed at identifying and preparing young athletes aged 12-13 for elite basketball. With all the success on and off the court in 2020, basketball at MBC has well and truly come of age.
CUTURAL SUCCESS Barbara Sisley Award Congratulations to MBC Speech and Communication students Ava, Sophie, Emily, Juliet and Abby for attaining the highest results in Queensland in their 2019 AMEB Speech and Drama exams! The girls were awarded the prestigious Barbara Sisley Award for their outstanding achievements.
Well done, girls!
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Classics Concert A College favourite, done a little differently! As with many different activities across the Colleges, live musical performances have been more difficult than usual in the COVID-19 environment. In Term 3, easing restrictions allowed The Moreton Bay Colleges Music Programme to perform their first concert of 2020, Classics. To comply with restrictions on large gatherings, the music centre was only able to hold 180 occupants. The students performed two concerts back to back, and with a full house at each concert, a large number of our community were able to see the performances. The hours of rehearsals paid off, with rousing performances from the College Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, College Strings, Senior Stage Band, Percussion Quartet, Vocal Point, Chamber Choir and the Combined Colleges Choral. To close out the night, all students performed Halleujah on a jam-packed stage, leaving the audience stunned and excited to see live music at The Moreton Bay Colleges once again.
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Alumnae
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Mrs Joy Nugent (nee McClintock) Class of 1956
Ms Irenee Chan Class of 2003
Joy Nugent attended Moreton Bay College at Bay Terrace in the 1950’s and considers herself to be privileged to receive a Moreton Bay College Hall of Fame Medallion in July 2008. Joy had an extensive nursing career as a private palliative care nurse and Founder of NurseLink Foundation until 2015. Following this she became the founder of a charity - Soul Talks Incorporated - which was launched in September, 2017. This charity aims to offer support through loss and grief and conducts free weekly forums at the Hunab Ku Healing and Meditation Gallery in central Adelaide. Hunab Ku comes from the Mayan languages and means Oneness – a fitting name for this work. This business provides Health and Wellness Consulting and sells associated retail products – including the three books that Joy has published. Joy hopes to inspire scholars to stay active and continue to contribute to the community into their eighties. Being born in 1938, she recalls that Miss Handley and certainly Mrs Drew were great mentors to her.
Irenee Chan graduated from Moreton Bay College in 2003. She graduated from Griffith University with First Class Honours in a Bachelor of Education (Primary). Irenee moved to Hong Kong and started teaching at an all boys’ primary school. She then went on to earn a Master of Arts in English Language Teaching from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and was awarded the Grandway Scholarship Award, as well as being one of four students on the Dean’s List in her final year. After teaching full-time for over nine years, Irenee decided to take a sabbatical in 2017 and she currently works freelance for different educational institutes and tutors English privately. Irenee runs workshops for students and has written teachers’ guides, textbooks, designed lesson plans and other teaching materials for publishers such as Oxford University Press (China) and Wiseman Education. More recently, she started writing children’s books and has self-published two books and a reading journal. Her debut books: ‘Can You Hear Me, Daddy?’ and ‘Can You Hear Me?’ are two versions of the same story, based loosely on her personal experience of loss and grief. The books have both been awarded the Five Star Review Award Seal from Readers’ Favourite and LitPick and have been featured on various blogs.
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Alumnae
Mrs Stephanie Looi Class of 1998
Miss Luisa Gauci Class of 2018
Stephanie Looi graduated from Moreton Bay College in 1998 and is now a volunteer Firefighter with the NSW RFS and is Vice President of WAFA (Women and Firefighting Australia). She has worked in many facets in the health industry and is also a mother. You can hear more about Stephanie’s role on the Board Experience Podcast, where discusses having two jobs; one that pays her and one that pays others through volunteering. Her skills are vast including working as a remote area operator, helicopter crewie, trainer and assessor. Stephanie advocates for women in firefighting and promotes the skillset that women bring to the industry. “It’s not all about the brave fireman striding through the smoke to throw the damsel in distress over his shoulder and stride off into the sunset. There are lots of skills that make a good firefighter” says Stephenie.
Luisa Gauci graduated from Moreton Bay College in 2018 and is only one of two females currently playing baseball in American College teams. Luisa confesses that she wanted to play cricket like her father and brother, but due to them being injured while playing cricket Luisa’s mother said no. Her mother approved of Luisa playing softball. “My mum thought softball and baseball were the same sport. The softball field was 15 minutes away [from home] and the baseball field was 10 minutes away, so she chose baseball.” As an MBC Senior student, Luisa was actively involved in many sports, including being the captain of Softball and winning an award for service to sport. Mrs Pavish recalls Luisa being very dedicated to her application of school sport. “Although we didn’t have a College baseball team, she was a very valuable member to the College softball team as well as district representative for javelin”. While attending MBC, she participated in a summer baseball program in North Carolina then decided to find a U.S. college open to having a talented female player. She received an offer from Menlo College in Northern California. Luisa confesses that it has been hard work to be accepted in a male dominated sport and acknowledges that these challenges are just beginning of her sporting journey. 25
Mr Jason Titman Chair of The Moreton Bay Colleges’ Foundation
From the Foundation The Importance of Community We are truly blessed that the Moreton Bay Colleges’ community has been so supportive to each other and to the Colleges during a very challenging year. The way we support our students, families and staff makes our schools a special place to be. During a year of uncertainty, The Moreton Bay Colleges’ Foundation, like many organisations, has taken this time to reflect and pivot on activities and initiatives and decided to take a pause with fundraising. We have maintained our Sponsorship arrangements with Motorline BMW and this is why we have had some beautiful BMW’s on display across both Colleges in the past few weeks. In 2018, the Foundation discussed the option of starting a business directory for our College Community businesses. Earlier this year after a suggestion from the Moreton Bay College Parents and Friends Association we made the decision to launch this early so we could support our College family business during the COVID-19 period. While the listing that went live in March, this current version does not offer the capability we originally planned. The Foundation are working with our website developers to ensure that our upcoming version presents a more user-friendly experience for both businesses and customers alike. We encourage all our current families, past students and staff to utilise our directory. Currently, The Foundation are forming a working group to drive the business directory and relevant events and opportunities to be included with this initiative. Led by some of our business savvy board
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directors, we welcome other members of the MBC and MBBC community to join us. Please contact our Foundation Manager if you would like to be a part of this working group. The College Community is full of businesses that support our school, one of these is Trendell and Turner Travel Associates in Manly. Owner Lolo is an MBC and MBBC parent and has sponsored and donated to numerous events over the years. During these past 6 months, Lolo has worked hard to keep her business moving forward, they too have had to move with the times. “My team at Trendell & Turner Travel Associates love supporting the MBBC and MBC communities and watching them thrive. We welcome all families to come and book their getaways with our experienced advisors who have vast knowledge to share, and who love being a part of your adventure” - Lolo Trendell
Scott Palmer Electrical Services is another local business who have supported The Foundation and Colleges over recent years.
We hope to see more of our College supporters utilising our directory and we look forward to revealing our updated version in the coming months.
“Community service is especially important to Scott Palmer Electrical Services. As a small family electrical business we want to demonstrate to our three sons that attend MBBC, a sense of belonging, to support one another, and to develop a strong and positive relationships within the community.
Lastly, we would like to welcome three new Board Directors Katie Farley, MBC Old Girl and MBC Parent, Clarissa Lynch, MBC Parent and Toni Knowlson, MBC Old Girl.
A big thank you to the parents, staff members at MBBC & MBC, and the local businesses that have supported us and allowed us to enter their homes and businesses to complete all their electrical, data and air conditioning needs during this challenging year of COVID 19”. - Scott and Monica Palmer Another avid College supporter and business directory user is Keryn Osgerby, MBC Old Girl and Principal of SOLD Property Group. Keryn generosity sponsored the 2019 MBC P&F High Tea and was looking forward to sponsoring them again in 2020. Keryn’s business success is directly linked to her approachable and giving personality. “My team and I are a proud part of the Bayside Community, at a time where we draw comfort from those closest to us during the uncertain landscape of 2020. Having been an MBC student, it’s the core values of integrity, respect and ambition that I took from my days there and which are the foundation of my real estate business. We have grown from a concept dreamt up in a tiny home office to become a leading agent in the bayside, with genuine service at heart – I’m proud to return the kindness and give back to the community that has supported me.” - Keryn Osgerby 27
Find out more Visit our website and download a Prospectus. www.mbc.qld.edu.au
Visit us Book a College Tour with our Enrolments team. registrar@mbc.qld.edu.au 07 3249 9322
450 Wondall Road Manly West, Queensland 4179 P 07 3390 8555 mail@mbc.qld.edu.au www.mbc.qld.edu.au A Pre-Prep to Year 12 Uniting Church School for Girls CRICOS 03371K
Enrol online For your convenience our online enrolment process is now available. www.mbc.qld.edu.au/enrol