"The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning."
Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT
Dirk van Bruggen
Acting Executive Head of College
Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 19:13-14
Over the last few days I have been working with a range of families who have been confronted with some challenging situations and have been seeking a pathway forward. It has reminded me that bringing up children is the most important job you’ll ever have.
Bringing up children is the most complex job adults will ever have, though it’s easier when there is some agreement on how to do it. It’s never too late to talk about what is important to you as parents or carers and develop some guidelines to help you in the parenting years ahead. As long as they know they are loved and cared for, and you keep them safe there are very few absolute rights and wrongs about bringing up children. However, there are some important things to keep in mind:
- Adults are the most significant role model in their lives
- Children need consistency, routines and boundaries
- Children are individuals – what works for one child, may not work for other children.
- Children need limits and choices
Children need rules and limits to help them feel safe. It’s also helpful for them to understand that adults make most of the important decisions that affect them and the reasons why. As they get older, children get to have more say about what happens in their lives.
Even when they are little, children benefit from making some decisions, because they learn from making good and bad choices. If you keep rescuing children from their own decisions, they don’t learn anything (except that mum and dad are a soft touch). Sometimes breaking the limits you set is a good way for children to rebel and assert their independence in a safe way – better they test the limits at home than out in the wider community.
Knowing what limits to set, how to respond to them and when to respond is not set down in a manual. It is unique for every child and family and the challenge that exists each and every day. Sharing your journey with others and finding like minded adults to help is the best tool. Ultimately it is the love for our children that drives all we do and we know there will be mistakes, hurt and problems along the way. By staying committed you see the reward as they grow in their own unique way into young adults ready to step out into the world.
They are our gift to the next generation.
Dirk van Bruggen
Acting Executive Head of College
Culture and Wellbeing
Parenting and Encouragement
With SLC Chaplain – Tim Cochran
SchoolTV
“There is no such thing as a perfect parent. However, research shows that one of the most important protective factors in the lives of young people, is a close relationship with a supportive adult.” – Dr Michael Carr-Gregg
The National Academy of Sciences defines four major responsibilities necessary for good parenting. These include: maintaining a child’s health and safety; promoting a child’s emotional wellbeing; instilling a child’s social skills; and preparing a child intellectually. With the mental health of today’s young people being at an all-time low, it is simply not enough to parent effectively. Parents need to familiarise themselves with practical skills, knowledge and strategies when it comes to raising children. There is no such thing as a perfect parent, but arming yourself with the right information is a good start! Link in below with our SLC Chaplain Tim Cochran and a special report from School TV filled with practical skills and knowledge to support you and your family.
Junior Learning Community
Middle Learning Community
Senior Learning Community
From the Director of the ELC
Our youngest members of our College community have been very busy learning about plants and gardening. Thanks to the kind donations from many of our families from the Woolworths discovery garden campaign, our Pre Kindy children have been learning about the different types of herbs, vegetables and flowers and watching them grow. Our Pre Kindy children enjoyed first planting the seeds and watching our first seeds sprout. We learned how to care for our new plants and the importance of how our new plants need water and light. Last week our Pre Kindy children were very excited to repot their new plants into bigger pots so we can watch them grow, we can’t wait to see our hard work pay off and harvest our vegetables and herbs in the coming weeks.
Alicia Shields
From the Head of the JLC
Welcome to Week 5 in the JLC.
There has been much learning and events happening over the first half of Term 2.
Congratulations to all our students who participated in the Cross Country in our first week of the term. Week 3, in our JLC Community Celebration, age champion awards were presented to 8, 9 and 10 year olds along with the trophy for the winning house.
Final House Scores
Flynn 276
Taylor 270
Carmichael 264
Green 238
It has been wonderful to have parents attend our JLC Community Celebrations that occur each week in the Terrace Hall at 2.20pm – 2.50pm. If you would like to attend year levels alternate each week as follows:
Week 5,7 & 9: Year 3-4
Week 6 & 8: Year 1-2
JLC Gatherings occur every Monday in Terrace Hall at 1.40pm – 2.20pm for all students in Prep to Year 4. Parents are welcome to participate in both events, as it is wonderful time to come together as a community.
A special mention to our Year 3 cohort who worked studiously, completing four days of NAPLAN testing last week. The JLC teachers prepared our students well for the new online platform along with one written test for Writing.
Our Prep Mummy and Me Pamper session held at the end of Week 3, created many treasured moments. Year 2 students also made lovely pieces of artwork for their mothers to cherish. We hope all our JLC Mothers felt valued and blessed on this special day!
A perfect day was had by 1TC and 1AM as they ventured out to David Fleay Wildlife Park last Monday. Year 1 students spent the day experiencing Australian animals in their natural habitat as part of their DCL unit this term. 1MG and 1MF will venture out later in the term as their day was postponed due to the weather.
Please remember that as the weather begins to get colder, to label all uniform items so we can return them to you quickly. If your child has lost an item of clothing recently, our lost property is located in the JLC reception.
We look forward to the remaining 4 weeks of Term 2 and joining with you and your child in their learning and development in the JLC.
Christy Gittins
Head of JLC
Prep – Mummy and Me Pamper Session
On Friday, 7 May, the Preppies set their classroom up all ready to pamper their mums and grandparents! There were lots of pamper stations including a hair salon, make-up booth, art and craft, reading on pillows, nail station, foot washing, photobooth and more! The kids gave their mummies beautiful cards they had made and really enjoyed taking the time to pamper their mums. We hope you all enjoyed a lovely Mother’s Day together!
Year 2 – Mother’s Day Art
Last week, our Year 2 students worked hard in Specialist Art class, in the lead up to Mother’s Day, sculpting handmade flowers out of Magiclay for their mums, grandparents or carers in their life. Students could choose from an array of colours for their flower and they worked carefully rolling out each flower petal by hand, before constructing the whole flower and attaching it to a special box for mum. The kids were really proud of their creations and excited to give them to their mums. We hope you all had a lovely Mother’s Day!
Year 1 – David Fleay’s Wildlife Park
This term our Year 1s have been learning about different habitats, the native animals that live in them, how the habitat provides for their needs, and threats they face. On Monday, 10 May 1TC and 1AM went to David Fleay’s Wildlife Park to see some of these native animals up close and personal. Unfortunately 1MG and 1MF had to postpone their excursion until later in the term due to inclement weather. Students could see first hand native animal habitats, food they eat and behaviours of these creatures. It was also a great opportunity for them to ask the animal experts any questions they had. Students had a great time learning a bit more about Australian habitats and what we can do to protect them.
Year 3-4 Cross Country Awards
On Friday, 7 May, the Years 3-4 students gathered together to celebrate the age champions from the JLC Cross Country. Well done to the following champions for their achievement:
10 Year old Girls
1st Mia Lehmann
2nd Chloe Helling
3rd Mia Smith
9 Year old Girls
1st Meme Ley
2nd Millie McClure
3rd Zadie McCarthy
8 Year old Girls
1st Hannah Cockburn
2nd Esie Eweka-Esiet
3rd Jessica Hope
10 Year old Boys
1st Huddy Bowker
2nd William Haslop
3rd Ashton Flower
9 Year old Boys
1st Zach Cavanagh
2nd Bowie Taylforth
3rd marlin Jacques
8 Year old Boys
1st Hudson Flower
2nd Austen Gering
3rd Sebastion Taylor
From the Head of the MLC
As part of our learning programs in the MLC, students learn how to develop the 6 SECRET Skills: Self-Manager, Effective Participator, Creative Thinker, Reflective Learner, Enquirer (Independent) and Team Worker. In 2018, the Gonski 2.0 report was released; this was a culmination of a review commissioned by the Federal Minister for Education to make recommendations on our current and future models of schooling. One of the five key recommendations was that every student needs to be equipped to grow and succeed in a changing world. This included suggestions such as revising the Australian Curriculum to place greater emphasis on the acquisition of general capabilities such as critical and creative thinking (Reflective Learner, Creative Thinker), personal and social capability (Self-Manager, Effective Participator, Team Worker) and ethical and cultural understanding (Enquirer).
Here in the MLC, our students are already building the foundational skills in which to experience success in a dynamic, ever-changing world. From recognising that people have different ideas about things, to finding things out independently, to receiving and giving feedback, to taking on different roles within a team, to working on areas of both strength and weakness, students are continually being exposed to opportunities in which they can strengthen these skills. We are proud of the fact that here at Hillcrest we provide a future-focused education where students can develop these crucial skills as a part of their ‘every day’ learning.
Our vision is to further embed these SECRET skills into the everyday so that our students are using them to support their learning both here and in the community. Part of this future vision is to include more information about the skills into feedback platforms for parents, particularly in formal reports. We hope that this will bring parents into the conversation so this framework becomes much more than just a tool for learning during the day, but a framework that leads to learning for life.
Darren Rackemann
Head of Middle Learning Community
The Premier’s Coding Challenge is an annual, state-wide initiative for all Queensland students in Years 3-10, which aims to encourage an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in Queensland students. The Premier recognises that technologies and digital services can have an impact on people’s mental, physical, social and emotional health, and so her challenge for 2021 is for students to code an interactive and innovative digital solution to raise awareness of digital wellbeing. This can include themes such as:
- Work and study life balance
- Postural considerations of using technology
- Personal security and safety online
- Adhering to social media ethics and protocols.
Entrants can develop an app, game, animation or website, and they must submit a short video showcase with their entry. Students can enter as individuals or as a pair, in one of eight categories, with winners receiving prizes of coding and robotic kits (total prize pool $10,000). The submission portal is now open, and entries close on Friday, 17 September. For more information, visit Premier’s Coding Challenge #digitalwellbeingqld (education.qld.gov.au) We would love to see some of our Hillcrest students take up the challenge.
Danni Foster-Brown
Deputy Head of MLC – Alignment
NAPLAN Comes to MLC
Level 1 of the MLC took a trip back in time last week as all of our lovely, flexible furniture was arranged in traditional exam-style formation for our annual National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) testing. Year 5 (and Year 3) students have now completed their suite of tests, 
comprising of Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language and Numeracy, with our Year 7s (and Year 9s) to complete their final test on Monday. This was the first year Hillcrest had transitioned to the online testing platform, and we have been so impressed with how our students (and teachers!) have adapted to this new format. Congratulations to all involved. We are now enjoying having our Level 1 learning spaces back to the agile spaces we know and love!
From the Head of the SLC
Personal Interests and Strengths in the Senior Learning Community Student-driven Pathways
Hillcrest Christian College offers a wide and diverse range of curriculum offerings, allowing students to explore their personal interests and strengths as they navigate their pathway through the Senior Learning Community. In Year 11 and 12, students have the opportunity to explore an equally wide and diverse range Vocational Educational and Training opportunities or enrol in University subjects of their choice for a semester (or two) as their chosen pathway becomes clearer.
To ensure that all students are provided with an outstanding student experience while in the Senior Learning Community, we also offer a wide range of co-curricular activities around students personal interests and strengths. These include our Choral and Ensemble programs, private instrumental lessons, a number of sports including Basketball, Netball, Futsal, Mountain Biking, AFL, the Kokoda Challenge, Gold, Silver and Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award and debating, just to name a few.
I am interested in exploring opportunities that allow students to engage other activities that further develops their personal interests in a user pays afterschool club activity (e.g. chess club, photography club, environmental club) or user pays activity that runs for a fixed number of weeks (e.g. remote pilot licence). If you have ideas for either of these two ideas, please email them through to me.
As we approach the half way mark of the term, I do hope all students have settled into their home study routine and sufficient time is being allocated to homework, revision and assignments each week. Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s class teacher if you have any concerns.
Jason Day
Head of Senior Learning Community
FREE Parent Cyber Safety Info Session
FREE – Parent Cyber Safety Seminar
When: Tuesday 1 June 2021
Time: 6:30pm in the College Theatre
For all MLC and SLC community parents
Year 10 Mathematics
Students in Year 10 have been engaging with real life problem-solving activities. Their task is to design a pedestrian bridge between the SLC and the new MLC Precinct building. This requires students to use measuring tools, technology and apply their knowledge of trigonometry. An important part of the process is for students to recognise assumptions and limitations in their design. E.g. How straight does my measuring tape have to be? Would my bridge actually fit between the buildings in real life? In the words of British statistician George E.P. Box when he described using Maths to solve real life problems, “all models are wrong, but some are useful.”
Yr 10 Geography Excursion – Coastal Management
Students collected primary data to investigate and predict the impacts that the proposed Master Plan at The Spit will have on the social, economic and environmental aspects for those who live on the Gold Coast, in particular Southport.
Ethics Olympiad Victory
On Tuesday, 11 May, some of our SLC students competed against 11 other schools in the Queensland round of the Ethics Olympiad. Hillcrest entered two teams into the competition and worked their way through several rounds of ethical statements arguing for or against.
The Ethics Olympiad provides students with a unique opportunity to develop skills in critical thinking, collaboration and communication. The Ethics Olympiad cultivates the virtues central to democratic citizenship, and prepares students to navigate challenging moral issues in a systematic and open-minded way. Students are scored according to set criteria which rewards clear, concise and respectful discourse around interesting ethical cases. Medals are awarded to schools that draw clear considered conclusions, address issues with a good understanding of multiple perspectives and where they respond well to critiques of their argument.
We are pleased to announce that our student teams came in at 1st and 4th place and want to congratulate them all for their effort and commitment! This means that our top team has qualified for the International Finals to be held in July this year against teams from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, China, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Many thanks to Mr Hudson and Mr Du Toit who have been working with these students for a number of weeks to prepare for this Olympiad.
Japanese Children’s Day
On Wednesday, 5 May, SLC International Students in conjunction with Years 10 & 11 Hospitality students, presented Children’s Day during the lunch break. Children’s Day is a national Japanese holiday that honours and celebrates children. Years 10 & 11 Hospitality classes prepared Japanese bento box lunches, while the international and many domestic students decorated the SLC Courtyard and served ice cream for a gold coin donation.
The student body especially enjoyed the live entertainment from Kizuna, Gold Coast’s own Japanese drum corps, who performed four Taiko songs in the SLC courtyard. Their drumming could be heard throughout the campus.
Academic Achievements
On Tuesday, 4 May, SLC students came together to acknowledge and celebrate academic achievements from Term 1. There were two categories of awards given out; GPA Awards and Effort Awards. The GPA Award is for students who have achieved an average GPA of 13.00 or an A- and above in at least five subjects. The Effort Award goes to students who received an ‘Exemplary’ for effort in at least five of their subjects.
Click here to view full image gallery.
GPA Award Recipients
Year 9
Taylah Britz
Ricky Cai
Ella Jacob
Emily Snowdon
Caitlin Brodie
Elise McGeorge
Jet Parkes
Jessica Powell
Grace Purnell
Bradley Adams
Emily Arnold
Year 9 cont…
Savanna Brosnan
Abby Edwards
Jonathan Rouse
Tatumn Tonkin
Maya Woods
Nate Chang
Eva Dekell
Laura Gregory
Asher Hammersley
Jack Johnson
Daniel Lattimore
Year 10
Eathan Waters
Laila Chequer de Souza
Luca Nathan
Mene Nel
Jayden Adams
Charlotte Armon
Lucy Carstairs
Robert Pollock
Jed Gregory
Chloe Halberstadt
Year 11
Fynn McNeish
Rio Matsuoka
Ella Pyyvaara
Lachlan Hammersley
Sophie Kent
Alyssa Runnalls
Year 12
Jasmine Scott
Shelby Parkes
Imogen Parry
Marnie Rienecker
Mitchell Gant
Remi Geyer
Effort Award Recipients
Year 9
Emily Snowdon
Lana Waldmann
Airlie Williams
Nathan Harris
Elizabeth Maynard
Grace Purnell
Kooper Ransome
Bradley Adams
Emily Arnold
Savanna Brosnan
Abby Edwards
Charlize Firgaira
Jonathan Rouse
Tatumn Tonkin
Maya Woods
Eva Dekell
Laura Gregory
Asher Hammersley
Jack Johnson
Oliver Miles
Le Tong
Nono Toshikawa
Year 10
Halle Kapeechkin
Cierra Ryan
Eathan Waters
Laila Cherquer de Souza
Victoria Gering
Luca Nathan
Mene Nel
James Owen
Jayden Adams
Charlotte Armon
Lucy Carstairs
Giselle Chau
Byron Evans
Lachlan Kerry
Jed Gregory
Chloe Halberstadt
Amelia Hart
Alisha Kapadia
Georgie Tanis
Year 11
Fynn McNeish
Cael Simpson
Dylan Simpson
Brandon Tong
Emma Adams
Rio Adams
Kassia Nathan
Kate Peterson
Ella Pyyvaara
Samara Ballinger
Julia Brand
Alexis Chau
Paris Firgaira
Bronte Ryan-Oliver
Lachlan Hammersley
Sophie Jordan
Sophie Kent
Alyssa Runnalls
Year 12
Annalise Daniel
Anitta Santhosh
Jasmine Scott
Tahlia Spence
Grace Thompson
Milena Waldmann
Holly Woodroffe
Shelby Parkes
Lilly Rotunno
Charlotte Blackwell
Zoe Dutfield
Marnie Rienecker
Grace Gager
Mitchell Gant
Remi Geyer
Abbey Gibbs
Jerrin Kurian
Year 11-12 Music – Queensland Symphony Orchestra
An excursion was arranged for Year 11 and 12 Music students to view ‘Shakespearean Classics’, performed by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, at Home of the Arts (HOTA) on May 7. The program aligned beautifully to their current units of study, ‘Identities’ and “Narratives’. Students were able to enjoy and witness professional musicians perform exquisite masterworks of the symphonic repertoire. This was for many, their very first time watching and listening to a live symphony orchestra. William Shakespeare is regarded as the greatest playwright of all time because his stories speak so much to universal human emotions and experiences. In his comedies, tragedies and histories, he speaks to his audiences about love, revenge, bravery, cowardice, life and death. Is it any wonder then that many famous composers have been inspired by Shakespeare’s work to create music that is equally as dramatic? In this concert, students were able to hear a selection of the most powerful and enjoyable works inspired by Shakespeare’s plays from Mendelssohn’s iconic music for ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ through to Prokofiev’s extraordinary ballet music for ‘Romeo and Juliet’. A great night was had by all and music memories made for students to treasure always.
SLC Interhouse Mountain Biking
The Hillcrest Knights MTB Program is off to a great start this term, with numbers across the MLC & SLC growing term by term. Since inception in 2018 we’ve progressed from six students and a small cage trailer, to 30+ students and a custom built 24-bike trailer.
We offer a range of weekly activities including Skills Coaching for Years 5 & 6 in the MLC through the Explosions Program and Trail Riding and Interschool Competitions for Years 7–12. Hillcrest Knights MTB currently represents Hillcrest at two events annually, namely Gold Coast Schools MTB Competition and AusCycling Schools MTB National Champs. Both events run in Term 3 and students are training hard weekly for these upcoming competitions.
Last week Hillcrest hosted the Interhouse MTB Team Relay Event. This is the second time we have run the event and it was fantastic to see so many students turn up on the day with their bikes, ready to have a go. The track was set out in reverse this year giving students a better chance at completing more laps. Students started in the far corner of the oval and headed out the back gate and along the fence behind the oval. They then turned the corner and headed down the embankment and shot out onto the oval, only to turn sharply and be confronted with a zig zag through the agility poles. An optional wooden table top obstacle was attempted by most before completing the lap and tagging their next team mate. With 24 students across four houses the rivalry was intense. The first few laps saw little difference in the field, but as the day progressed, Greene pulled away to finish top, only one lap ahead of Taylor. Final placings were:
- Greene (19 laps)
- Taylor (18 laps)
- Carmichael & Flynn (16 laps)
Congratulations to all riders who participated. A special thanks to Mr Harris for building the wooden table top feature, to Mr Coetzee and Mr Bogatie for coordinating the event, to Robbie Pollock and Talisha Simmons for assisting the marketing department in capturing photo and video footage and to an awesome team of Year 12 student leaders who assisted with setting up and packing down the event.
Performing Arts, Co-curricular and Sports
Classic Tunes and More – SLC Choir Performance
On Wednesday evening, 12 May, our SLC Music students put on an unforgettable concert showcasing a variety of classic tunes. We saw instrumental performances from Wind Symphony, Rock Band, Volare and Vivo String Orchestra. MANCHOIR, Bel Canto and Bella Voce performed and then joined together for a massed choir piece called ‘The Sound of our Home’. Music Extension students Tahlia Spence and Marnie Rienecker showcased their work and for the first time, our own students performed the world premiere of Marnie’s composition, ‘The Goodbye Song’. The audience enjoyed Mission: Impossible theme music played by the Wind Symphony, Music from La La Land by the Vivo String Orchestra, Fox on the Run by the Rock Band and many other classics by our talented students.
This was the first performance the groups have put on for the community since 2019 due to COVID, making it highly anticipated by many. The quality of the performances was a credit to all ensembles but the way students collaborated and encouraged one another was the definite highlight. Well done to all students and staff who worked tirelessly to produce a spectacular performance.
Click here to see the image gallery.
Duke of Edinburgh
On Friday, 29 April, a team of students and a handful of staff headed out on an adventure down the Tweed River for the weekend. They battled cold and rainy conditions but stuck it out to the end on Sunday afternoon when they returned a little wiser from life lessons learned. You can read more about their adventure here.
Sports
Hillcrest Excel at District Cross Country
A warm and sunny day blessed our Hillcrest Knights as we disembarked our bus at Runaway Bay Sports Precinct. We had time to set up our tents, walk the course and warm-up prior to the first race.
Our athletes competed valiantly in every age group from our under 10 athletes starting the day at a cracking pace for 2 kilometres right up until our open boys running 6 kilometres. The coaches were very impressed with the speed during the races and the effort was obvious on the faces of our runners.
All Hillcrest athletes represented the college and themselves with integrity and courage. Constantly running to a state of near exhaustion, pushing through the pain to finish each race with ‘nothing left in the tank’. It was great to see the culture of supporting and encouraging each other before, during and after the race.
To represent our college at district level is a great achievement for all students who competed. However, to finish in the top 7 at this level is an amazing accomplishment. Congratulations to the following students:
| Place | Division | Student |
| 2nd | Boys 12 yrs | Lucas Soegaard |
| 2nd | Boys 16 yrs | Byron Evans |
| 3rd | Boys 14 yrs | Vincent Churches |
| 3rd | Boys 16 yrs | Jayden Adams |
| 4th | Girls 15 yrs | Halle Kapeechkin |
| 6th | Girls 12 yrs | Tess Walker |
| 6th | Girls 13 yrs | Matilda Duhig |
| 7th | Girls 11 yrs | Lola Wight |
| 7th | Girls 16 yrs | Whitney Prior |
A big thank you to Amanda Scott and Matt Lappin for training many of the runners. Also, to Shireen and Nat for organising all students for a very successful day for Hillcrest Sport.
Cameron Suter
P-12 Sports Co-ordinator
Girls Futsal
Taya Reeves, Amity Pink, Mia Lynett, Sophie Jordan and Tanisha Chavez from the U14, U15 and U19 Futsal teams travelled to Coomera last week to participate in the Gold Coast School Titles. All three teams competed valiantly, as they represented the College at an excellent standard and had a lot of fun along the way. Many of the girls were competing in their first tournament, and can be very proud of their efforts. Congratulations to all involved! We look forward to future tournaments!
Open Boys Basketball
Our open boy’s basketball team had their first game against some of the strongest local and GPS schools in the two-day TSS Basketball Tournament last weekend.
On the Saturday we had two comfortable wins against Nudgee College and Kings Christian College. In both we led for most of the game and extended our half time leads during the 3rd quarter and consolidated both games during the last quarter. Nevarda Ridgeway, Mathayus Mata’afa and Tyler O’Neill led the way and were very well supported by Connor Johns and Cael Simpson.
On Sunday we defeated St. James College with a very good team effort and younger players Jacob Peters, Tyler O’Neill and Cael Simpson were extremely strong. This win meant we finished at the top of our pool and qualified us for the final against TSS.
With only a 20-minute turn-around and still fatigued from the previous day, our boys were behind from the beginning but slowly worked our way back into the game and fought bravely to lose by just 5 points.
Coaches David and John were extremely happy with the effort shown by the boys during the two days with the pressure they applied and how they fought through fatigue, even suffering cramping, to give continued outstanding performances. They acknowledged that they will benefit greatly from the games played over the weekend. With plenty to improve on we are once again going to be highly competitive in each game we play and at all levels. Replays of each game can be found on the Hillcrest Basketball Facebook page.
Game Results
| Hillcrest vs | Result | Score |
| Nudgee | Win | 47-35 |
| Kings | Win | 50-31 |
| St. James | Win | 54-35 |
| TSS (Final) | Loss | 38-43 |
SLC Netballers Impress in Beenleigh
On Thursday and Friday last week our SLC students competed at the Secondary Indoor Netball Competition in Beenleigh. This was an opportunity for our teams to get valuable game time against other schools in our preparation for the Vicki Wilson Cup in a few weeks’ time. The competition was very strong and intense. We were very impressed with the girls and how they played as a team. Our junior team finished 4th in the competition and our seniors finished 6th.
Hillcrest Netball Club Day
Last week, the Hillcrest netball community came together to run a successful club duty day. Each club throughout the season has the duty of running the Saturday competition, putting out the post pads, picking up rubbish, cleaning the toilets, marshalling the games and running the BBQ. All the parents and students gave up some of their Saturday before or after their game to help make it a very successful day.
Student Achievements
Isla Brown – International Sustainability Winner
Isla and a team of students from All Saints and Summerset College entered an international sustainability competition, and have been announced as the winners. They teamed up with a group from Russia, looked at a challenge in their community caused by COVID and came up with ideas to address it. The group from Russia have now implemented their own version of ‘Clean up Australia Day’ in their park, with involvement from the Council and local schools.
The team also addressed the issues faced by artists and the creative industry in Australia and provided art supplies to the Cherburg Indigenous community and ladies living with teen suicide in their community. The works the ladies created were displayed and sold in the 8×8 Art Exhibition which provided funding for girls’ education in Africa. Well done Isla on your part in this multicultural project that has made an impact around the world.
The girls were invited to Switzerland to present to the United Nations as part of the #INFOCUS project but due to COVID lockdowns will now present online to the UN via the Film Festival in Moscow in October. They will have the chance to have their work made into a formal documentary.
Noah Kerry – Gymnastic Championships
Year 6 student, Noah Kerry went to the Australian Championships for Gymnastics last week. Noah competed in the U13 International Division for Double Mini Tramp (DMT) and Tumbling. Noah’s results are:
1st U13 Tumbling – National Champion 
4th U13 DMT
Well done Noah!
Coraline Cook – Spelling Bee Champion 
Congratulations to Year 4 student, Coraline Cook on her recent achievement in the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee. She achieved a perfect score of 30/30 in the Open Schools round, which lands her a spot at the next stage of the competition – the State and Territory round. Only a handful of students from the 20,000 participants achieved this perfect score – well done Coraline!
P&F
Mother’s Day Stall
The students had a lot of fun last week choosing gifts for their mums from the P&F Mother’s Day stall at school. From Prep all the way up to Year 12, students visited the stalls across two days and looked through an array of items, thinking about something that might be just right for their mum! We hope you all enjoyed the gifts picked out by your children and had a lovely Mother’s Day. Special thanks to the P&F team for providing this opportunity.
School Banking
For those participating in school banking, please have your child bring in their bank book every Tuesday and hand it to their teacher when class goes in. It will be processed by our lovely volunteers and make its way back to your child later that day 😊
All you need to get involved in the School Banking program is a Commonwealth Bank Youthsaver account. You can open an account for your child in one of three ways:
- Online: commbank.com.au/schoolbanking and click on the link to open a Youthsaver account.
- In branch: visit a Commonwealth Bank branch with identification for yourself and your child, like a driver’s licence and birth certificate.
- In person with the CBA representative later this term. Date to be confirmed.
Thank you to our wonderful volunteers who have committed to helping out on Tuesday mornings. If you are able to assist, please contact us – even once a term is helpful!
Key Dates
Tutoring
Supervised Study Sessions (with Teachers)
Teachers in certain faculties will offer supervised study sessions for their classes on a weekly basis, and will communicate this with their individual classes. These sessions will run from week 5 to week 8 in the Resource Centre.
Tutoring (University Student Tutors)
The Senior Learning Community provides a ‘Tutoring Program’ for students in Years 5-12. This is a free service and an excellent opportunity for small groups to support and learn from each other with the guidance of Student Tutors. The Tutors are some of our top academic Hillcrest Alumni who are currently studying at various universities. During Term 2, Student Tutors will be available for assistance with Mathematics, Science, English and Humanities subjects predominantly. ‘University Student Tutor Sessions’ will take place from week 5 to week 8 in the Hillcrest Resource Centre as follows:
- 1:00 -1.40pm – Lunchtime (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday)
- 3:00 – 4:30pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
- 3:00 – 5:00pm Thursdays
Online Tutoring (University Student Tutors)
Tutors can include 1 x student via Teams online while in a group session. The ‘online’ option will be set up with the ability to book 20-minutes during the afternoon sessions as outlined above. Mr Wotton (Tutoring Coordinator) will advise as soon as the booking system is active. If you have any questions regarding the student tutors, please contact Mr Paul Wotton in the Resource Centre or email pwotton@hillcrest.qld.edu.au
Peter Fernance – Deputy Head Senior Learning Community – Academics
Danni Foster-Brown – Deputy Head of Middle Learning Community – Alignment
Paul Wotton – Head of Resource Centre / SLC Tutoring Coordinator
