"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11
Jeff Davis
Executive Head of College
Executive Head of College, Jeff Davis shares an update from the last two weeks.
Blessings
Culture and Wellbeing
Wednesday Worship
Each Wednesday morning at 7:45am there is worship at “The Well.” Led by different staff each week, this is a special time for students, staff and families to take a moment in the middle of the week to give thanks and sing over our College community.
Families are welcome to join us in this time. If you are part of your local church worship team and would like to be involved in the music team for one of these mornings, please email ncochran@hillcrest.qld.edu.au.
From the ELC
The past few weeks in the ELC have been filled with fun and adventure. Our Early Learning is situated in the heart of our College and it is wonderful to have the opportunity to provide transition experiences for our Kindy and Pre Kindy children that are linked with wider community events. Recently our Kindy children took part in the K-4 Sport’s Carnival. The oval was a mass of colour and excitement with many families joining in the fun of the morning. The children loved taking part in the “Kindy Dash” and cheering each other on. For many, it was a wonderful opportunity to share this time with their older JLC siblings – what a great community we have. Well done to all of our Kindy children on such a fun morning.
Our ELC children came together on Thursday to celebrate our love for reading and the culmination of our Book Week activities as they dressed up for Book Character Day! So much fun was had by all. The joy on the children’s faces was the highlight of the day as they proudly paraded around in their costumes, engaged in activities and spent the day “Dreaming with their eyes open …”. Days such as these do not come together without the huge support from our families. A very BIG thank you to our ELC families and staff for taking the time to make this such a memorable day for our children.
As we think of families, we are thankful that we have the opportunity to celebrate the men in our children’s lives with a special Father’s Day activity morning. We love sharing times like these with our families and would like to wish all of our Fathers a very Happy Father’s Day for this Sunday. As I sign off for this fortnight, it seems appropriate to leave you with this little thought …
Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was out standing in his field!
Have a wonderful week!
Michelle Cecil
Director of Early Learning Community
Director of Early Learning Community
From JLC Leadership
As Dr Seuss famously stated, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go!”
Each year since 1945 the CBCA has brought children and books together across Australia through CBCA Book Week. This year was no exception and we have loved connecting children with books to see the ‘places they will go’. This past week we have spent our time celebrating books, authors, illustrators, and the love of reading through activities embedded into each day with a focus on the 2022 theme “Dreaming with eyes open …”. Our week of celebration culminated in a Book Character Dress Up Day on Thursday. Children beamed as they entered classrooms dressed in their favourite book character. Our parade was filled with characters from books past and present and the time and effort put into costumes was outstanding. Thank you to our families for the mammoth effort in coordinating such creative costumes, and for allowing us to share and create such special memories with your children. We look forward to next year!
Michelle Cecil
Deputy Head Curriculum – Junior Learning Community
VIEW IMAGE GALLERYVIEW IMAGE GALLERY
My name is James Taylor and this semester I have been invited to support the Junior Learning Community as the Deputy Head of Pastoral. Stepping out of the best class I have ever had (don’t tell the others!) was made possible by God’s provision of the extremely capable Lauren Thirlwall and Jocelyn Shambrook. Over the eight years I have been at Hillcrest I have greatly enjoying teaching students and leading teams in Year 2, 3 and 4. Prior to this I was employed by a local church as a children’s pastor and Scripture Union as a school chaplain. Throughout these roles the common thread has been the opportunity to care for the wellbeing of others.
Research shows that high levels of wellbeing enable children to thrive in all aspects of life. As Jeff Davis, our Head of College frequently shares – by intentionally training the emotional quotient of children, you create socially and emotionally competent children. This leads to children who are confident, have good relationships, communicate well, who take on and persist at challenging tasks and do better at school. It is this investment in prevention and early intervention gives children the best opportunity for achieving these outcomes.
At Hillcrest Christian College, we have a range of support structures in place, but I’d like to spotlight some of the amazing work done by our College counsellors, Vicky Pollard, Heidi Townsend and Nat Daugherty. As part of our staff professional development focus on Wellbeing, Nat and Heidi recently shared about ‘Emotion Coaching’ – looking at how to respond to a variety of scenarios. It is incredible to be part of a community growing together in our ability to listen and understand children to help them manage their emotions. Our team found this so helpful that when a five week course was offered to interested staff it was immediately full!
James Taylor
Deputy Head Pastoral – Junior Learning Community
What’s been happening in the JLC
Prep Father’s Day Celebration
This week on Thursday night, the Preppies invited their dads into their classrooms to spend some quality time and show their dads how much they love them in the lead up to Father’s Day. There were lots of fun activities and the Preppies loved showing their dads around their space.
From the Head of the MLC
I had the pleasure of attending the Gold Coast Eisteddfod and watching one of our MLC Choirs perform last week and I have to say that it was inspiring to see them come together as a group and demonstrate the SECRET skills of Self-Manager, Effective Participator and Team Worker. There have been countless hours invested by staff and students into the Choral Excellence program and it was fitting that many of our choirs received Gold Awards and that ultimately, our College was acknowledged as the top Secondary School across the Gold Coast. Well done!
Over the long weekend, our College hosted approx. 180 teachers from around Australia and New Zealand at an educational conference titled, Humans Matter. The three day program was organised by Adolescent Success, Australia’s peak association dedicated exclusively to the education, development and growth of young adolescents. The feedback from visiting schools was that they were amazed at how far our College was ahead of others in our approach to Social Emotional Learning and the focus of Student Wellbeing. Several school leaders left the conference informing us that they were going back to change systems and processes within their own schools based on what they had seen here at Hillcrest. It is always wonderful to hear positive feedback such as this, which affirms our vision and continues to see us strive for Excellence in Christ in everything that we do.
We are currently focussing our EQ development on the skill of Active Listening. Students are learning more and more about their own emotional intelligence within Life Group and other classes and our WE do Wall is constantly being updated with thoughts and information. Below is the latest iteration of our WE do Wall, the WE stands for Wellbeing & Emotional Intelligence, please take a look and have a conversation with your child/ren about their Active Listening skills.
Have a great week.
Darren Rackemann
Head of Middle Learning Community
What’s been happening in the MLC
7 Lumos Science
The highlight for 7 Lumos was engaging in a variety of exploratory and practical science lessons throughout the year.
In Unit 1 (Physics) students designed and analysed Rube Goldberg Machines as they explored the physics concepts of speed, acceleration, and force. It was incredible to see the SECRET skills of Creative Thinker and Team Worker develop throughout this project. Later in Unit 2 (Biology), students dissected and compared the features of an invertebrate (squid) to a vertebrate (fish). Once they conquered their squeamishness, students were captivated by the internal and external features of these incredible creatures! Finally, in Unit 3 (Chemistry), students were engaged in a variety of exploratory practical lessons, comparing and separating solutions and mixtures. To conclude the unit, students designed their own device to separate their mixture.
Although science is becoming increasingly complex, it has been exciting to engage in more practical science lessons, incorporating the SECRET skills this year.
MLC – Carmichael C Life Group
In our Life Group this week, we tried the Pringles Ring Challenge. To complete the challenge, Mrs Tan gave us one bottle of Pringles per group. We needed to stack the Pringles on top of one another to form an upright ring! Most of us initially believed that this challenge would be simple, but as time went on, we discovered that it was more difficult than it appeared to be – because the Pringles kept tipping over and crumbling. As we only had one bottle of Pringles, we quickly ran out of Pringles as we were attempting to form the ring. Despite this, we persisted and kept trying new approaches. During this challenge, we applied the Secret Skill, “When solving a problem, I can come up with four ideas and work out which one is the best, by using my imagination to predict how each solution will work.” We did not succeed in forming the Pringles Ring, but we surely learned to work together and had an awesome time enjoying the Pringles at the end!
Sienna Crews
Year 8
MLC Ping-Pong-A-Thon
Year 7 students hosted the inaugural Ping-Pong-A-Thon with our MLC on Friday. They were involved in learning about child labour/slavery throughout the world and engaged this service learning project throughout their Christian Living lessons. More info can be found here.
Each Year 7 class prepared awareness lessons and activities for students across the MLC to be a part of, as well as a pancake BBQ and Ping Pong games throughout the day on Friday. Pastor Robbie Townsend from Reedy Creek Baptist Church supported the MLC staff and students in preparation for this event and it was another great opportunity for students to build empathy, gratitude, and a heart for social justice.
Many students were completely unaware of the millions of children around the world bound in child slavery. Congratulations to all of Year 7 who were successful in creating awareness and much needed funds for the Ping-Pong-A-Thon charities. More info can be found here.
Gold Coast Secondary Schools’ Drama Festival – Junior Section
The Year 8 Drama Festival students who performed ‘The Trolleys’ did us proud.
The Adjudicator, Elise Greig (professional playwright, director and actor) awarded the cast 4 Highly Commended Certificates: Esther Rush; Sam Kennedy; Jayden Viljoen (Technical); The Ensemble on Thursday 4/8 and then on Saturday night (6/8) at the major awards, the production was awarded Best Overall Play – Runner’s Up (2nd Place) with Sam Kennedy awarded 1 of the 6 best actor awards.
Congratulations to these young thespians:
Allanah Borg Garcia
Oscar De Jersey
Anastasia Grinev
Nathan Hill
Sam Kennedy
Grace Mackenzie
Kaydn McMillan,
Hayley Oakley
Esther Rush
Georgia Slaymaker
Jayden Viljoen
Crazy Hair Day
Wednesday was filled with colour and joy as students and teachers enjoyed Crazy Hair and Sock Day. It was delightful to see so many themed socks, ribbons, wigs and colour to raise money for a good cause. All profits go towards supporting Effective Aid in their efforts to bring education to the vulnerable young people in the Myanmar/Thailand region. Thanks to everyone for their involvement!
MLC Term 3 Mash Up
What a wonderful atmosphere and amazing weather we had for our Term 3 Mash Up. Connect four, cream smash, volley ball, Guess Who, table tennis, skipping and a sausage sizzle set the scene for MLC students to relax and have fun after school together. This is an important community event that provides an opportunity for all MLC year levels to come together outside of their usual classes.
QAMT Maths Quiz
In 1983, QAMT launched its highly successful QAMT Year 8 Mathematics Quiz. Now the annual quiz has expanded to include Years 5 – 6 and 7 – 8 and is held regionally throughout Queensland. Hillcrest MLC played host to a Gold Coast region Round 1 QAMT Quiz.
Do you like solving maths problems? Consider yourself a mathematics enthusiast. Try these few questions from this year’s QAMT Maths Quiz from Year 5-6 (answers at the end of the article):
1. Claire lives 10 km from school. Her mum drives her halfway, then she catches the bus for 2/5 of the remaining distance. She then walks to school. How far in metres does Claire walk?
2. In AFL a goal is worth 6 points and a behind is worth 1 point. The score a team gets if they kick 4 goals, and 8 behinds is 4 x 6 + 8 x 1 = 32. This is also the same as the product of the goals and behinds: 8 x 4 = 32. Find one other combination like this.
3. Marvin McMathman has brought along some edible maths bars. Sarah ate half of one, Steve ate one-third of one and Sally ate one-quarter of one. How many bars have they eaten in total?
The Quiz was an opportunity to engage our enthusiastic maths students from the MLC and provide an opportunity for them to experience a fun and challenging team activity for over 90 minutes.
Teams competed in two competitions, a Year 5/6 quiz and a 7/8 quiz. Teams consisted of groups of three students, randomly allocated with Year 5/6 or 7/8 mixed. There were team rounds and individual rounds, with top teams going through to the next round and representing Hillcrest.
The following winners and runner-up teams will proudly represent Hillcrest in the QAMT Quiz Round 2 competition to be held at Griffith University, Gold Coast campus in Term 4, on Wednesday 14 September.
5/6 Winners Team F – Samantha Salanitri, Eve Mackenzie, Andrew Gao
5/6 Runner Up Team C – Kate Arden, Solomon Tamou, Grace Chan
7/8 Winners Team 2 – Kaleb Wren, Timothy Gregory, Bridget Henderson
7/8 Runner Up Team 5 – Sienna Crew, Sasha Lee, Serena Zhang & Team 1 – Matthew Sabot, Aidan Colgate, Leo Stockwell
Well done to all who participated and special thanks to the teachers for supporting the competition, with special thanks to Mrs Coutts, Ms McClure, Mrs Skinner and Mrs Pohlman.
How did you go with the maths problems? Did you get them right like our winners? Check the answers below and see if you would have made the team to round 2:
1. 3000 metres OR ( ½ mark for 3 km)
2. 2 goals 12 behinds OR 7 goals 7 behinds (is there another combination?)
3. 13/12 OR 1 and 1/12
From the Head of the SLC
The Value of a Value
The Cambridge dictionary defines value as: the beliefs people have, especially about what is right and wrong and what is most important in life, that control their behaviour. Our college has seven values:
We aspire to develop these Christ-like values in every student with the belief that they will live and outwork them in their everyday lives. Students are explicitly taught the values in Assemblies and Life Groups.
The value of a value is when you need to resolve a dilemma. For example, if a student steals, we approach the incident through the value of integrity. The College values have a hierarchy. For example, while we value both integrity and diligence, we value integrity over diligence. For example, this means that we value that a student submits their own response to an assessment task (integrity) over the student just completing the task (diligence).
My Big Question to the students this term is how we acknowledge the students who display the values. I am seeking student input into what this age-appropriate method looks like. Students have been asked to complete the following form. Please sit with your student and work through what this may look like for them. In the next few weeks, the results will be collated, and I will seek final input from the College Captains.
This week, I also ask that you discuss your personal and family values with your child and look for alignment with the College values and discuss reasons why there may not be perfect alignment. When your child does not meet your expectations, ask yourself, which of my values is affected. It may help you to resolve the dilemma.
Until next time.
Jason Day
Head of Senior Learning Community
What’s been happening in the SLC
Sherwood Cliffs Mission Trip
From Thursday to Sunday of Week 7, a group of Year 12 boys volunteered their time to go and visit Sherwood Cliffs near Coffs Harbor. Sherwood Cliffs is an organisation, who for the past 40 years, has housed and ministered to broken people for particular periods of time.
The boys spent time doing some manual labour around the property and completed a refurbishment of the on site basketball court which included the construction of a small grandstand. The boys also participated in daily devotions and bible studies as well as a local BBQ celebration on Saturday night.
These young men served diligently over their time away and were great advertisements of Hillcrest. We would like to thank Colin and Chantel from Sherwood Cliffs for hosting us as well as staff members Steven Gill, Dale Adams and Peter Fernance for giving up their time to attend the trip.
More information about Sherwood Cliffs can be found here.
Gold Coast Show Art Competition
Recently we have entered various MLC and SLC students` artwork into the Gold Coast Show Art Competition which was on display at the Broadwater Parklands from 26-28 August 2022. There were various categories and aged groups that the students were entered in and a total of 400 entries were received. Artworks were judged by Tracie Worth who is a Gold Coast artist specialising in unique abstract art works.
Congratulations to the following students who received awards for their works:
Preston Robinson (Year 9) – Award: Highly recommended
Willow Layton (Year 9) – Award: Third Place
Maggie Dai (Year 9) – Award: Second Place
Sarah Radloff (Year 11) – Award: Second Place
Poppi Watson (Year 10) – Award: First Place
Eva Dekell (year 10 ) – Award: First Place and Highly Recommended
Jessica Powell (Year 10) – Award: Third Place
Reiya Williams (Year 7 ) – Award: First Place
Isabel Cummings (Year 7) – Award: Second Place
Mayali Jeffery (Year 8 ) – Award: Second Place.
Once again congratulations to all students.
International Tours are Back
At last, the borders are open and we were honoured to welcome the return of two wonderful Japanese study tours this month.
The first school, Kanagawa High School, an all-girls school from Yokohama, 24 students and 1 teacher joined Hillcrest for five days.
The second school, Oshukan High School from Tokyo, had 34 students, two teachers and their principal also joined us for five days.
On the day the students arrived, they were teamed up with eager homestay families, many of which were Hillcrest families. They stayed a week in their homes, sharing meals, helping with the cooking, and chores, playing board games and enjoyed Australian family life. It’s a rewarding experience for all involved, learning and engaging with a different culture, and experiencing the traditions practiced by each family.
While at Hillcrest, they spent some of their time in ESL, studying Australian history, Aboriginal culture, money, our lifestyle, beaches, and animals. We make it fun integrating games into their ELS lessons which enable students to laugh, build confidence and courageously participate in ESL lessons, all while strengthening their English and their knowledge of our country.
Another component of their day constitutes time with our dedicated and quality team of Hillcrest ‘buddies’ who volunteered their time to take on one student for the week and integrate them into their usual classes. They also spent their mornings, recess and lunches with them encouraging our visitors to make new friends, practice their English and engage in the Australian way of relating.
Thursday ‘activities’ is a cultural treat for our guests, as they generally don’t have a weekly commitment to school sport or activities in Japan, so being whisked away on a bus to a non-academic event always generates thrill and anticipation.
Drama Festival
‘SPONTANEOUS HUMAN COMBUSTION’
Years 9 and 10
Directed By Kelly Sparke
Congratulations!
- Bella Marcos
- Lucy Marrett
- Alice Mackenzie
- Ella Henderson
- Lizzy Kerr
- Ella Kerry
- Caitlin Brodie
- Tia Davidson
- Alaya Johnson
- Lincoln Kitching
- Jasmine Mather-Glauser
- Lillee Mather-Glauser
X9 Highly Commended Certificates
- Bella Marcos
- Lucy Marrett
- Alice Mackenzie
- Ella Henderson
- Lizzy Kerr & Bella Marcos – Mum and Daughter moments
- Entire ensemble
- Transformative Set
- Magic Moment – The opening Image
- Magic Moment – ‘The ‘AMY’ Reveal
Overall Section Awards!
1of 8 Outstanding Actor Trophy
– Lucy Marrett
Best Overall Play – Runner’s up for 2022
- ‘Spontaneous Human Combustion’
‘The Fever’
Years 11 and12
Directed By Director from ‘Shock Therapy’ Productions – Zach Boulton
Congratulations!
- Giselle Chau
- Jessie Duduc
- Alisha Kapadia
- Georgia Tanis
X5 Highly Commended Certificates
- Giselle Chau
- Jessie Duduc
- Alisha Kapadia
- Georgia Tanis
- Script Choice – Challenging Themes
Overall Section Awards!
1of 6 Outstanding Actor Trophy
- Giselle Chau
Adjudicator’s Award for 2022
‘The Fever’
We are so proud of you!
Pathways News
The Hotel School Australia
This event will take place at Sofitel Brisbane Central. This event offers an opportunity for high school students interested in business, hotels, hospitality or events to experience behind the scenes of a 5-star Hotel. Information on career opportunities and the future of the industry will be discussed. There is no charge for the event but registrations are essential. Parents are welcome. Register here.
Griffith University Engineering Program
Griffith University is excited to offer Year 11 students the opportunity to take part in GRIFFITH ENG Program commencing in late 2022. The program is designed to encourage students interested in pursuing a career in engineering to study the equivalent of a first-year first trimester Griffith University course during their senior years.
GRIFFITH ENG is a two-stage program. Stage one, A Taste of Engineering, consists of an intensive Experience Day offered to Year 11 students, covering the practical components of various engineering disciplines. Students who successfully complete the Taste of Engineering will be invited to enrol in GRIFFITH ENG in Year 12 to continue with stage two of the program in Trimester 1, 2023. The content of the program in Stage 2 introduces students to the engineering design process and professional aspects of being an Engineer or Industrial Designer. The course takes into consideration the increasingly complex interactions between engineering systems, project stakeholders and the environment, including the positive role of engineering in sustainable development as well as the potentially adverse impacts of engineering activities. Exposure to engineers and designers who are in the workforce will be a feature of this course.. Students who successfully complete this course and choose to study Engineering at Griffith will receive full credit for Engineering Design Practice (1022ENG).
High school students who complete the program can:
- Gain credit for a first-year engineering course, saving thousands of dollars in HECS bills and reducing the essential workload of the first-year in university.
- Be awarded an adjusted selection rank
- Access it all for FREE! All costs are covered by the University.
How to Apply:
Interested students can apply online,
- Select Program: GUESTS At School (9933), Part-time, Trimester 2, 2022, relevant campus (Gold Coast or Nathan)
- Add Course: Griffith Eng for Year 11 (9000ENG). Select relevant campus (Gold Coast or Nathan)
Applications close on Friday 30 September 2022
Southern Cross Parent Information Night
Is your child in Year 12 and planning on attending University in the future?
Do you have questions about the process?
We are here to help with your child’s transition from High School to University. No matter what University your child is interested in attending we encourage you to attend our upcoming Parents Information Evening.
● How to apply
● UAC and QTAC processes
● The ATAR
● Scholarships
● Costs of Uni
● Accommodation
● Support Services & More!
Your children are also welcome to attend. Register here.
Save The Date
Southern Cross University Discovery Day
Friday, 21 October 2022
For the new Year 12’s graduating class of 2023
10am – 2pm
Southern Cross University Gold Coast Campus
Students will participate in campus tours, student panels and a free lunch.
Careers Advisors, Deputies and Principals are invited to a professional development session hosted by the University Executive and a networking lunch.
More details to come but for now, please save the date.
Year 12 Students – What happens next when you leave school?
Let us help you find your next! Simply register with the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training (DESBT)
- Click here to join our Connected to Jobs & Training school leavers service.
- Enter your personal email – not your school email.
We will email local job opportunities, funded training opportunities and the 2023 School Leavers Resource with quick web access to local job boards, Government School Leaver Career Guides, and training.
*Please see attached the 2022 ‘School Leavers Resource’ to raise your awareness about post school services and assist you with career planning.
School Leavers Resource – Flip book – click here
Be smart pre-employment skills workbook – click here
There is also a VET Choices flyer attached.
Can you or your business offer work experience for our Year 10 students?
We are looking for businesses to partner with us to offer our students work experience in the last week of term (12–16 September).
Students will be getting a taste of work life in their areas of interest and you will be inspiring the next wave of professionals into your industry.
If you can take one or more students, please submit your expression of interest for more information by clicking on this link.
Co-curricular
SCNA Club Carnival
On Sunday, 21 August, Hillcrest took two teams to the SCNA Club Carnival. We were extremely impressed not only at the skill level and determination of our girls, but the beautiful culture of sportsmanship and encouragement they showed towards each other. Both teams played incredibly well against some tough competition, beating some strong competitors in Kings, Trinity and Somerset. Congratulations to our two nominees who captained brilliantly on the day – Poppy James and Imogen Fletcher. We look forward to seeing these two teams develop further over the next few years.
A Strong Finish at the 2022 Rocky Trail QLD Academy Mountain Biking Series
Well done to all our Hillcrest Mountain Bikers who competed at the Brisbane Schools MTB Competition yesterday on the Eastern Escarpment trails; you all showed such determination and passion for the sport, dusting yourselves off and getting up after tumbles and slides and pushing yourselves to better your times each time around the tracks. You should all be very proud of yourselves, well done.
Notable mentions:
Year 7-8 Boys: Jacob Borrelli (Bronze Medal – missing out on Silver by 0.1sec), Padjua Torres (7th place) Chace Adams (9th place)
Year 9-10 Boys: Kai Pyyvaara (Silver Medal), Sebastien Borrelli (12th place – missing out on Top 10 by 1sec)
Final school placings: Hillcrest managed to place 4th Overall in a fiercely contended field.
Massive shout out to Jay Stockwell, Tony Bogatie, Paul Pyyvaara and Drew Doty for assisting in various capacities throughout the day, from riding alongside our students, to walking riders back to base, to marshalling at various key positions and just all round looking out for our kids on the day. Goes without saying that events like this just wouldn’t happen without your support!
Rumours of a Rocky Trail QLD Academy State Final in 2023 to level the playing field and attain overall 2023 QLD Champion School Title. Format could include limiting number of students to 10 per school, leaving the fastest and fittest to fight it out for first place!
Year 7-9 AFL Girls Progress to the State Finals
The Year 7-9 Girls AFLQ Schools Cup semi-finals were held on Tuesday 23rd of August at Metricon Stadium. Our opponent for the day was Park Ridge State High, the no.1 Brisbane AFL excellence school. We had a beautiful day for footy and the girls didn’t disappoint. Watched by special guests for the day, Mr Jeff Davis and Zach Smith, and a number of parents who came to support our girls.
Our girls played with great skill and composure and methodically moved the ball from one end of the field to the other with great teamwork. The girls have been working hard to improve their centre bounce and ball up clearance tactics which paid immediate dividends. Ruck, Sophia Springer would often win the hit-out to our midfielders Fleur Hammersley, Sunny Lappin and Ava Usher which allowed us to get the ball in our forward line. Our forwards worked to keep the ball forward and it often stayed in there until we kicked a goal through Angie Perugino or one of our many other goal kickers on the day.
The rare times Park Ridge got the ball forward it was repelled by Ella Ballantyne who was a rock in defence. By half-time the result was beyond doubt. Coach Matt Lappin was able to move the team around and play our less experienced players around the ball to further assist their development.
The girls are now through to the State Finals which puts this team as the top four in QLD to be played in Maroochydore on 14 and 16 October.
Choral Excellence
After a two-year hiatus, 22 – 25 August finally saw the Choral Excellence program involved in the 40th Gold Coast Eisteddfod. This year’s choir sections were held at GLOW Church and adjudicated by Kate Albury. For some of our singers, this was their very first eisteddfod while others marked their last competition as a member of Hillcrest Christian College. The adjudicator was impressed by the sound and professionalism of the choirs, commenting on their “sincere and moving performance”, “sensitive phrasing”, and “beautiful resonance and blend”. Each of the choirs earned a gold ribbon and a place finish in every section:
Bel Canto – runner up in the Harley Mead Award
MANCHOIR – 1st place
Bel Canto/MANCHOIR – 2nd place
Bella Voce – 1st and 2nd place
Poco Voce – 2nd place
Year 5/6 Chorale – 3rd place
Year 4 Primary Voices – 1st place
The Eisteddfod also awarded several overall trophies. This year Hillcrest received the Adjudicator’s Choice Awards for Best Secondary School Choir (Bel Canto) and the overall Secondary School Aggregate Trophy.
Thank you to the many staff, parents, and students who made the week run so smoothly. Thank you to our accompanists Anthony Kissick and Kylie Loveland; supervising teachers Renae Battle, Miranda Markham, Alison Swords, Tracey Adams, Hayley Campbell, Marg Moore, Fleur Sutherland, and Marty Harris; Sean Woodward and the team of bus drivers; and our administrators Donna King, Sharon Asley, and Amy Hacker.
Mrs Nerida Rienecker
Dr Robert Stewart
Choral Excellence Program
Somerset Festival for Young Performers
It was wonderful to have many of the Speech and Drama students who were born in 2009 or later being able to attend the Somerset Festival for Young Performers on Saturday and Sunday, 20-21 August 2022. Each performance received a ribbon and an encouraging report. This was a great confidence booster and less daunting as the groupings were mainly smallish and this Festival is not held onstage.
Below are excellent results
Trisong Yangzom Yr 7
Prose 2009 1st Place
Humorous 2009 1st Place,
Monologue 2009 1st Place,
Mime 2009 1st Place
Jack Flanagan Yr 7
Humorous Poem 2009 1st Place,
Audrey Schuurs Year 5
Poem Solo (lyrical) 2011 1st Place
Monologue 2011 1st Place
Duologue 2011 or later 3rd Place
Osella Yangzom Yr 5
Prose 2012 1st Place,
Poem Solo (lyrical) 2012 1st Place,
Poem – Humorous 2012 1st Place,
Solo Mime 2012 1st Place
Andrey Waldmann Yr 5
Humorous Poem 2011 3rd Place,
Poem Solo (lyrical) 2011 1st Place
Sienna Perri Yr 4
Lyrical poem 2nd Place,
Poem Aust. Author 2012 1st Place,
Monologue 2012 3rd Place
Margot Schuurs Yr 4
Poem Aust. 2013 1st Place,
Poem Humorous 2013 1st Place
Duologue 2011 or later 3rd Place
Max Sun Yr 3
Poem Humorous 2013 2nd Place,
Monologue 2013 or later 1st Place,
Duologue 2013 (with Derek) Very Highly Commended
Group Drama (with Derek & Griffin) 2nd Place
Griffin Pridmore Yr 3
Poem Humorous 2013 2nd Place
Group Drama (with Derek & Max) 2nd Place
Derek Wei Yr 3
Poem Aust. 2013 Highly Commended
Poem Humorous 2013 2nd Place
Duologue 2013 or later (with Max) Very Highly Commended
Group Drama (with Max & Griffin) 2nd Place
Zoe Parker Yr 3
Poem Aust. 2013 2nd
Poem Humorous 2013 2nd Place
Monologue 2013 or later 2nd
Oliver Yu Yr 2
Prose Solo 2014 3rd Place,
Poem Aust. Author 2014 3rd Place
Poem Humorous 2014
Monologue 2013 or later 2nd Place
Mila Perri Yr 2
Poem Humorous 2014 2nd Place
Poem Aust. Author 2014 2nd Place
Prose Solo 2014 2nd Place.
Laila Ritson Yr 2
Poem Humorous 2014 1st Place,
Monologue 2013 or later 2nd Place
Mime 2014 3rd Place
Lily Yang Yr 2
Prose Solo 2014 1st Place,
Poem Aust. Author 2014 1st Place,
Poem Humorous 2014 1st Place,
Monologue 2013 or later 3rd Place
Duo Poem 2014 or later 2nd Place
Bayes Cai Yr 2
Duo Poem 2014 or later 2nd Place
Poem Humorous 2015 1st Place,
Poem Aust. Author 2015 or later 1st Place
Prose Solo 2015 or later 1st Place
Amelia Taylor Yr 1
Prose Solo 2015 or later 2nd Place,
Poem Aust. Author 2015 or later 2nd Place
Poem Humorous 2nd Place,
Monologue 2013 or later 3rd Place
Micah Woods Yr 1
Poem Humorous 3rd Place,
Monologue 2013 or later 1st Place.
Archie Crews Yr 1
Prose Solo 2015 or later 1st Place
Poem Aust. Author 2015 or later 1st Place
Poem Humorous 2015 2nd Place
Student Achievements
Mackenzie’s Dance Success
Congratulations to Mackenzie Simpson! Last weekend she danced her way to victory at the Dancestar National Championships making her a national champion.
Mackenzie achieved:
1st Under 8s Jazz Competition Team 🥇
2nd Under 8s Lyrical Competition Team 🥈
3rd Under 8s Ballet Solo 🥉
4th Under 8s Lyrical Audition
Well done Mackenzie!
Grace Chan (5 LUMOS) competed at the Trampoline State Level Championship on the 20 and 21 August.
Student Achievements
We love celebrating the achievements and success of our Hillcrest students. If you have a child that has reached a state or national level in their area of interest – anywhere from sport, the arts and more – we would love to hear from you and celebrate this success in our College News. Please email a short write up (approximately 150 words) on this achievement and some images to accompany it, to news@hillcrest.qld.edu.au.
Parents & Friends
Parents and Friends – Let’s Chat
The P&F are excited to present the ‘Let’s Chat’ series running at The Well every Wednesday morning at 8.15am.
Wednesday 7 and 14 September 2022 – Pastor Robbie Townsend will be onsite for sessions to explore faith. Are you wanting to know about Christian faith? Do you want to bridge the gap that may exist between what your children are learning and questions you may have around faith? This is a safe and comfortable place to come and ask any questions you may have and learn about Jesus.
Other News
Student Departure Notification for 2022
Our College has gained a strong reputation for innovation and excellence, locally, nationally and internationally. We continue to receive numerous applications from families who have selected Hillcrest as the preferred schooling option for their children. Many of our year levels have now reached capacity, or are nearly full and our waiting lists are growing. The College now only has formal enrolment intakes for Pre Kindy, Kindy and Prep.
Your family is a very important part of our College Community and because of this we will be preparing for your child/ren moving into their new year level in 2023.
Please be reminded that the Enrolment Contract states that you must provide one full term’s notice in writing, before any departure. If the full term’s notice has not been received and the student is outside of the initial six month cooling off period, a full term’s fee will be charged. Whilst we acknowledge and respect the right of parents to withdraw their child from Hillcrest at any time, this policy was introduced to encourage families to think carefully about early withdrawal and to ensure that the College has continuity of enrolment to meet its financial commitments.
If your child will not be returning to Hillcrest Christian College in 2023, please provide your departure notification in writing to registrar@hillcrest.qld.edu.au no later than Friday 16 September 2022 to avoid any financial penalty.
On behalf of the College Executive, thank you for your support with this matter.
