In this issue

At CHAC, we recognise that for many of our families, school fees can represent a significant portion of the family budget and many families would welcome greater flexibility around the management of these payments.

CHAC is working with Edstart to make managing tuition fee payments easier for our families. Edstart offers an easy, flexible, and zero-cost way for parents to pay their tuition fees in periodic instalments that suit the family budget, with no credit checks. Edstart Plus allows families to spread fee payments into weekly, fortnightly, or monthly instalments over the school year, with the ability to choose a preferred day for when payments are made.

While we put our resources into guiding and supporting our students in their learning and wellbeing, Edstart are the experts in their field and are best placed to assist our families with flexible tuition fee payments.

For more information, visit – edstart.com.au/chac

Embrace the joy of the season with the 2023 CHAC Christmas Food Drive! Last year, our wonderful College community came together in the spirit of giving, and the result was nothing short of magical. Thanks to your generosity, we were able to fill a staggering 68 colossal hampers at Pete’s Pantry, turning what could have been a challenging Christmas into an unforgettable one for families in need.

This year, we’re fired up to continue our tradition of spreading holiday cheer. From 23 October to 23 November, let’s make the holiday season sparkle for even more families. You can drop off your non-perishable food items in your Homeroom, primary classroom, or place them beneath the twinkling Christmas tree in the cafeteria foyer.

But that’s not all! As we aim to deck the halls and fill hearts with warmth, we’re requesting donations of the following festive treats:

• Christmas cakes
• Christmas puddings (both family and singles)
• Mince pies
• Tinned fruit (standard size)
• Jellies
• Tinned ham or fish
• Shortbread biscuits
• Potato chips/corn chips
• Chocolates/bags of lollies
• Nuts
• A variety of nibbles and sweets
• Long-life milk, cream, and custard (both normal and lactose-free)
• Rice, pasta, and sauces
• Fruit juice/poppers/cordial/soft drinks
• Tea/coffee/sugar
• Stationery items
• Breakfast cereals

Your contributions will light up the holiday season for those less fortunate. We are immensely grateful for your kindness and support.

Wishing you a festive season filled with love and goodwill.

Mrs Marion Rutter – Social Justice Coordinator

The CHAC Foundation was formed in March 2000 with the remit to build corporate relationships and to provide financial resources for future capital projects at the College.

Over time, the Foundation has played a vital role in our College’s development by organising various fundraising initiatives. Notably, the annual golf day, the Day of Giving, the Supporters’ Wear campaign, and introducing the Foundation Connect platform.

After careful consideration and following the lead of other independent schools in Brisbane, we have made the decision to cease the independent operations of the CHAC Foundation. This decision comes as part of a broader review around governance and Director liability of College entities.

I would like to acknowledge the time and effort that each Foundation Board member has provided to the College. Their efforts are greatly appreciated and acknowledged.

On behalf of the College Board, I wish to express our appreciation for the support from the College community who have contributed to the CHAC Foundation’s fundraising efforts.

While the CHAC Foundation will cease to exist, please rest assured all funds raised by the Foundation will still be used for their intended purpose and your ongoing support is still very important. Fundraising will continue to occur through our marketing team and will continue to have a significant impact on our College’s future endeavours. To those who have contributed specifically to our sports centre and wellness facilities, we will ensure your contributions are recognised in a meaningful way once the new facilities have been completed.

We understand that you may have questions or wish to discuss this transition further. Please feel free to reach out via email.

Members of the CHAC community are invited to attend All Souls’ Day Services in the College chapel tomorrow (2 November 2023). All Souls’ Day is a time in the Christian calendar when we remember those who have gone before us and pray for their eternal rest.

We invite past and present students, their families and friends, and staff to join us for one or more of the following All Souls’ Day Services. There will be three options to attend a Requiem Mass (a short Communion service where we remember and pray for past loved ones) in the College chapel:

• 7.30 am – 8.00 am
• 1.20 pm – 1.50 pm
• 3.30 pm – 4.00 pm

Throughout the day you are invited to come into the chapel at any time and spend a time of reflection and thanksgiving for the lives of loved ones, and you may also wish to light a candle. I also invite you to leave the name or names of anyone you would like remembered during the Requiem Masses in one of the baskets on the Altar.

If you would like a loved one to be remembered and prayed for but are unable to attend any of the services, please feel free to email me with the names of any loved ones.

Br Nathan-James SSF – College Chaplain and Director of Mission

Please complete this short survey before 30 November 2023.

Thank you!

COMPLETE SURVEY

Mr Steve Forster – Director of Marketing and Development

CHAC students, parents and guests are warmly invited to The Project Showcase, a celebration of student achievements from the Year 10 subject The Project over the second semester of 2023.

The Project is a special elective that provides mentored students with the opportunity to develop an individual area of passionate interest and emerging expertise over a semester.

During the evening, students will present their final projects and give an insight into the diverse talents of our students, with work ranging from urban design and original music composition to writing projects and start-up businesses.

Event Details

Date: Wednesday, 22 November 2023
Time: 6 pm – 8:20 pm (doors open 5:30 pm, Interval 7 pm)
Venue: CHAC Auditorium
Catering: Light refreshments will be served during the interval

We do hope you will be able to join us for what promises to be an inspiring showcase of our students’ work from Semester 2 this year.

RSVP HERE

Ms Barbara Mossman – Head of Gifted and Enterprise Education

You are warmly invited to the Changing Tomorrow Showcase, a presentation evening for the innovative Year 9 elective, Changing Tomorrow. This College subject is focused on developing students’ self-awareness and problem-solving skills. Over the semester, in teams, students have investigated an issue they care about in teams and then designed a multi-faceted solution to help address it.

The Changing Tomorrow Showcase allows student groups to present their solutions to an audience of staff, family, friends and individuals from external organisations who have helped them to better understand their issue.

In this way, the evening represents a marked departure from usual College assessment processes, and it is our experience that in communicating their presentation to a broader audience, students are motivated to perform at their very best.

The collaborative skills and processes the students have practised in preparing their presentations will no doubt stand them in good stead as they progress academically within the College and as they move out into the world beyond school. We hope that you can join us on the evening, and look forward to hearing some creative and thought-provoking ideas from the students who have undertaken this elective.

Event Details
Date: Thursday, 9 November 2023
Time: 6 pm – 7 pm
Venue: CHAC Auditorium

We do hope you will be able to join us for what promises to be an inspiring showcase of our students’ work.

RSVP HERE

Ms Barbara Mossman – Head of Gifted and Enterprise Education

As we celebrate 35 years of educating young people, we are excited to introduce a special project that captures the essence and spirit of our College like never before. We are thrilled to present the 35 Sights and Sounds of CHAC video.

This video is a celebration of our journey, our community, and the moments that have defined us over the past 35 years. From the iconic music of the College bells to the infectious laughter of our students, this video is a sensory journey through the heart of CHAC. This video truly has something for everyone, whether you’re a long-time member of our community or a newcomer. It’s a testament to the dedication and passion of everyone involved in the CHAC journey.

Thank you for being a part of our CHAC family, and here’s to the next 35 years of excellence in education!

Mr Steve Forster – Director of Marketing and Development

Recently, the College celebrated the accomplishments and successes of our students at the annual CHAC Sport Awards evening. The evening featured special guest, Australian Olympic Hurdler Michelle Jenneke, who shared her inspiring journey to elite sports and how she triumphed over adversity.

One of the highlights of the night was acknowledging the dedication of numerous students who had actively participated in three trimesters of sport throughout the year as a testament to their commitment to CHAC Sport.

In a truly remarkable achievement, we also recognised twelve students who have consistently engaged in three trimesters of sports each year since Year 7, earning them the prestigious 18 Trimesters of Sport Award. These students were:

– Lauren Ballard
– Zoe Billings
– Jaide Cambourne
– Lucinda Farrell
– Oliver Gardiner
– Johannes Goossen
– Megan Lawry
– Charlotte McNally
– Thomas Mollee
– Lucy Roe
– Courtney Smith
– Caitlin Teakle

To conclude this evening, it was my pleasure to announce the 2023 Sportspersons of the Year. These students were chosen for their outstanding involvement in a wide range of sports, both curricular and co-curricular, and for exemplifying a commendable sporting attitude and conduct while representing the College.

Junior Sportspersons of the Year:
– Millie Mitchell and Peter Elliott

Sportspersons of the Year:
– Caitlin Teakle and Thomas Mollee

Congratulations to all the deserving award recipients for their hard work and dedication to sports at CHAC.

Mr Mark Spindler – Director of Sport

The Performance Music Awards evening celebrates the achievements of our students who perform in one of CHAC’s 27 ensembles or choirs, and our Music Technology students. Select students were presented with Outstanding Achievement or Most Improved trophies for each ensemble, while all ensembles received their annual photograph with their conductor.

We awarded four students Fenwick Bass Bursaries, which were presented to students by Mr Mike Fenwick, as well as 36 SHEP and 1 AHEP certificate.

We thanked the Performance Music staff for all of their efforts and hard work this year, and we said goodbye to our departing Year 12s. The night was full of music performed by our Year 12 Music Captains and special guests, with the highlight of the evening being the Year 12 video, sending us back in time with our graduating students.

View a photo gallery of the evening here.

Mr Geoff Govier – Director of Performance Music

After a very successful CHAC visit to our sister school in Japan in September this year, we are expecting a return visit from Seiryo high school in March next year.

We would like to ask for Expressions of Interest to host a student. The dates are confirmed as 10 – 19 March 2024 (nine nights).

Host families need to be able to offer a separate room to the student for the duration of the stay and provide 3 meals a day. The Japanese student basically shadows your child, so there’s no need for separate pick-ups and drop-offs if your child has sport or music commitments before or after school.

There is bi-lingual support available for the duration of the stay and host families receive some payment to help cover expenses. All members of the host family over 18 years of age need to have a Blue Card to host; however, there is some assistance given with this process.

Your child does not need to be studying Japanese to host a student. Being a host family is a wonderful way to make a connection with a young person from overseas and to broaden your children’s horizons.

Please complete the Expressions of Interest form if you are interested in hosting – EOI Form

CHAC Japanese Department

The Creative Generation Excellence in Visual Art Awards is a state-wide competition for students completing Senior Visual Art in 2023. This year we chose four participants to enter: Aurelia Marsh, Sienna Sampson, Elliana Thomas, and Danielle Weizman. From this very talented group, Elliana received the highly coveted ‘Commendation Award for Excellence in Visual Art’. Her entry ‘Liminal’ might be remembered as the large blue floating sine wave installed in the Auditorium at our Breathless exhibition in September.

We congratulate them all for their continued excellence in Visual Art.

Mrs Jennifer Chaplin – Secondary Arts Teacher

Artist Statement – Elliana Thomas

Exploring the world through sensory experiences has become central to my art practice through creating spaces that immerse audiences in moments of comfort and tranquillity. I particularly enjoy the idea of stepping away from the real-world and simply existing in a space where time has no merit. I am drawn to highly technical large-scale installations that consume room-sized spaces, as well as tapping into the idea of creating intimate spaces for audiences to explore and experience.

Students in Years 6-12 are invited to enter a fantastic competition to design the 2024 Student Diary cover.

Notes:

• The diary will be distributed in early 2024 to all students in Years 5-12 who opt-in to receive it
• The diary is seen by students, parents, and sometimes by external audiences, so all entries must be appropriate – maintaining the College spirit and the Anglican ethos
• Dimensions (front cover) – 210mm width x 297mm height. Leave room for student name, year 2024, and include Student Diary as the title. Inside front cover artwork is not required. Leave 1cm on the left-hand side blank for spiral. See the template here
• Dimensions (rear cover) – 210mm width x 297mm height. Include College Crest and College contact details. Inside front cover artwork is not required. Leave 1cm on the right-hand side blank for spiral. See the template here
• File – hi-res jpeg 300 dpi and print-ready PDF with trims and bleed
• Note – artwork may need to be manipulated in order to suit the printer’s requirements and final approval is given by the Principal
• Logo – leave room for the College logo

Submissions close on Wednesday, 22 November 2023.

Email your submission to the Arts Ambassadors.

Year 12: Tuesday 14 November (the last day of QCAA External Assessment). A list of current Library loans has been emailed to all Year 12 students. Students are encouraged to return their textbooks after each exam or assessment. If students have any queries, they should speak to Library staff. Lost or damaged items may incur replacement costs.

Year 7 – 10: Friday 24 November. Students should return all 2023 loans by Friday 24 November. Overdue textbooks and novels should be returned immediately. If students have any queries, they should speak to Library staff. Lost or damaged items may incur replacement costs.
Holiday loans will be available in the last week of school (to Secondary Students only), and only when all 2023 resources have been returned. These books will be due back in the first week of Term 1, 2024.

Year 11: Tuesday 21 November. Students should follow the instruction of their teachers. In many cases, Unit 1 and 2 textbooks should be returned prior to Year 11 Exam Block (commencing Wednesday 22 November). Students should borrow their Year 12 textbooks and ebooks now, where available. Year 12 textbooks should be kept over the Christmas holidays for use in 2024. Students can confirm their requirements with their classroom teacher or talk to Library staff if they have any questions.

Years P – 6: Friday 24 November. Students should return their books during their final class Library visit (as notified by the classroom teacher). All books must be returned by Friday 24 November.

If you have any questions regarding your student’s loans, please do not hesitate to contact Ms Shannon (Librarian) or Ms Byrne (Librarian – Early Years and Primary).

Ms Naomi Shannon – Librarian

CHAC was well represented at the recent Queensland School Sport Athletics Championships.

• Sam Paech won the 17 years Boys High Jump with a personal best 1.91cm and will now represent Queensland at the Australian Track and Field Championships in Perth next April.
• Ashton Samson-Wood placed second in the Under 12 Boys High Jump and has been selected to compete for Queensland at the 10-12 yrs National Track and Field Championships in Tasmania this November.
• Toby Chippendale won the 16yrs boys 1500m, came 4th in the 3000m, and 9th in the 800m. Congratulations, Toby.
• Milly Mitchell competed in the 14yrs girls 400m, where she placed 10th overall.
• Oscar Dingle also competed in the 14yrs boys shotput.

Queensland Open Water Swimming Championships

Cameron Wold (Year 10) recently competed in the Queensland Open Water Swimming Championships, where he won the 16yr old boys 7.5km event. He has now qualified to represent Queensland at the Australian Open Water Swimming Championships in WA in January. Great work, Cameron.

Throughout Semester 2, social sciences students have been engaged within their local community and beyond. Year 10 oceanographers were provided with the opportunity to examine coastal geomorphology and the impact of tourism upon the Gold Coast. The day culminated with a beach safety lesson and surf at Rainbow Bay led by our service provider Cooly Surf.

Student reflections…

“Throughout the span of this excursion, our class travelled from Point Danger, down through Snapper Rocks, Froggy Beach, where we saw the famous painted green frog, proceeding to walk along Rainbow Bay, Greenmount Beach, and Coolangatta. During our walk, we discussed numerous landforms; some of which including, headlands, seawalls, bays, and beaches. We then returned to Rainbow Bay where we started our surfing lessons. Overall, this excursion was both a fun and educational experience, which ultimately helped us visualise the manmade, natural and environmental processes and landforms which are rife throughout our coastal environments.” Grace and Bella, Year 10

Young Economists from Year 10 were provided with the opportunity to attend a real-world economics showcase. Hosted by EY at their Eagle Street headquarters, our students were provided with valuable insights into the pathways and journeys economists can follow in their professions.

“The dynamic nature of the jobs and the extrinsic rewards that come with it make it a very attractive career pathway.” Harry, Year 10

Year 10 legal students visited the Brisbane Magistrates Court. Here they were addressed by Magistrate Pinder who provided them with an overview of his role and the types of cases that may come before him in the Magistrates Court. Students then were able to sit in on a number of summary criminal and minor civil cases as a means of seeing how the courts function.

Senior Legal students visited Parliament. They were able to observe how the unique unicameral system of governance we have in Queensland represents its constituents and makes laws. A highlight of our visit was being able to witness Question Time. The Member for Bulimba – Di Farmer – and the Member for Buderim – Brent Mickelberg – gave up their time and allowed students to ask questions about legislation and the passage of the bill.

Mr Anthony Florido – Head of Faculty, Social Sciences

On Tuesday, 24 October, a group of 32 Year 7 and 8 students went to QUT as part of CHAC’s Exceptional Scientists’ Program.

QUT STEM workshops offer high-school students hands-on STEM learning opportunities. Students completed the Clean Energy: wind power workshop.

Here’s what a few of our students had to say about the experience:

“I really enjoyed and appreciated this opportunity to take part in such an educational and enjoyable program. I found the topic of using wind to create energy really interesting and I loved working with the student ambassadors and students in my group to gain new perspectives on many different concepts! I’m very grateful for this experience!” Pippa Mahon, Year 7.

“On Tuesday, 24 October 31 students (including myself) went on a STEM excursion to QUT to learn more about wind and turbines. During the day we were taught by student ambassadors about each part of wind turbines. Such as the generator that converts the wind into electricity that can provide electricity for many houses in the area. We also had to work collaboratively to place wind turbines in a QLD/NSW town, that could provide electricity for everyone in the town. Our chosen town was Mackay and we had to choose 1 design of turbine out of 3. We successfully presented a plan for wind turbines and provided electricity for a specific region in Mackay. The day was very fun and gave us new opportunities, to learn about topics we enjoyed!” Renzo Hine, Year 7.

“The Year 7/8 STEM program included an excursion to QUT where students collaborated together to research a project about wind energy generation. This STEM excursion was one of my most favourite moments of this year as we got to go to a University and learn about really interesting and new things, such as how wind turbines work. The best part of the day was when we built and delivered a model turbine that produced 3 volts of electricity.” Arty Fennell, Year 8.

As we move into the middle part of the term, teachers and students are working productively through their learning programs. Soon, students will move into their assessment period and teachers will gather data to inform Semester 2 report cards. This is an important time in the term, and I will be reminding students at our upcoming assembly to continue their hard work during this time.

Getting a good night’s sleep will greatly aid in this endeavour, and I encourage all families to ensure children are getting enough sleep each night. The benefits of doing so include improved attention, behaviour, memory and overall health. For this to occur, it is recommended that children in primary sleep between 9 – 11 hours a night. If you do find your child/children are seeming a little run down, a few early nights might be just the thing they need to turn things around.

MADD

MADD is unique to CHAC and very special. While many primary schools put on a musical or play, MADD allows students to produce work that is relevant to their learning and also gives them agency in the creation of the show. This event provides all our students in 3 – 6 an opportunity to perform and to display their visual art to an audience. For some, this is an experience that can be challenging and at times uncomfortable. For others, and hopefully most, it is a wonderful experience that they enjoy immensely. Judging by the excitement both before and after this year’s MADD, it was an overwhelmingly positive experience for our students. It is amazing what can be done in such a short space of time. It is hard to believe that students only took to the stage the day before MADD to practice in the Auditorium for the first time. The fact that MADD was such a great show is due to the hard work of many. I congratulate all involved, including staff and students for their hard work and dedication. Particular thanks must go to Dr Riek for her efforts to devise the show and pull it all together. Thank you to all who attended. I hope you enjoyed the show as much as I did.

World Teachers’ and Staff Day

On Friday 27 October, we celebrated World Teachers’ and Staff Day. Thank you to the P&F for providing staff with breakfast and for also organising well wishes from all the students to be placed up around primary. These kind messages were very well received. This year, the World Teachers’ Day theme is “hats off to teachers” so let’s all join together once again to do just that. Thank you teachers for all that you do. Your impact is great and long-lasting!

Stationery Aid

Earlier this week, Ethan Malouf from 6B discussed the Stationery Aid charity with the community on assembly. Stationery Aid collects unwanted stationery, cleans it and creates stationery boxes for disadvantaged children across Australia. Ethan encouraged his peers to bring in their unused stationery to donate to this worthy cause. Collection boxes can be found at Primary Reception. For more information on what families can donate, please see the flyer here. Ethan, thank you for your work to bring this initiative to the community!

Upcoming Events

P&F Meeting – Monday, 6 November – 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Next Monday will be the final meeting of the Primary Subcommittee of the P&F. P&F primary events for 2024 will be discussed and confirmed during this meeting. If you would like to contribute to this important discussion, please come along to the primary staffroom next Monday evening. All are welcome. For those unable to attend in person, please use this link to join virtually.

Years 2 – 6 swimming carnival, Valley Pool – Friday, 17 November 

On Friday, 17 November, our Years 2 – 6 students will travel by bus to the Valley Pool for our annual swimming carnival. Races will begin at 9 am and conclude at approximately 2 pm. Parents are most welcome to come along and enjoy the racing!  

Reminders

Early Friday pickup

We have noticed in the last couple of weeks that many students are being picked up early on Friday afternoons. While we realise that there are times when students need to go to appointments, in many cases it appears that children are beginning their weekend early. We would ask families not to do this where it can be helped as having multiple children leaving class does have an impact on student learning.

Dear parents,

Thank you for coming to support the arts with your attendance at the recent MADD celebration. For those new to CHAC, the event came about in an effort to address the need for some sort of Primary Arts celebration that included as many students as possible. This format is the best way of allowing as many students to shine as possible, without the pressure of evening and weekend rehearsals, as it draws on class work. This is only possible because of the help I receive from colleagues. So tremendous thanks to the following: Scott for his amazing support and passion for the arts; classroom teachers for the visual artwork completed for the show; special thanks to Helena Milne for her diligent preparation of said artwork with trimming, framing and preparing it for hanging; Carolyn Troughton, Troy Jones, Monica Tseng (parent) and Anton Van Burren in helping me to hang the art show; and Steve Wright, Katie McAllister and Scott Warfield for helping me pull it down again after the show. I would also like to thank Abbie Reed, Year 11 student, who has been coming over to CHAC Primary to assist with classes over the term. Abbie has been a great role model for prospective artists in secondary.

To Troy Jones, Monica and Sam Jones for backstage work on the night, along with the sound and lighting crew. Finally, my night is made so much easier now I have Dr Malcolm Cole and David Quinn as accompanists – prior to this, I would run back and forth to the piano – lose my dignity and my place! Thanks, chaps.

A special thanks to my Year 6 compares – Alexis, Matt, Spencer, Chloe, Charlotte, Sofia, and Sophie, and a hearty congratulations again to all the performers! As Scott said on the night, who knows what sparks are ignited on that stage – the arts have an amazing way of working their magic on all of us, one way or another. Fabulous work everyone!

Best,

Dr Rowena Riek – Primary Performance Arts Teacher