2 April 2015 Issue 9 Principal’s Message Easter Assembly 2015 As is tradition at Rivermount College, the final Assembly for Term 1 focused on the celebration of Easter and the wonderful message of Peace, Hope, Love and Joy. Students highlighted the symbolic significance of Easter as a time of celebration and a time of new life. The Colin Young Community Centre was beautifully transformed for the presentation complete with Junior School students waving palm branches as they lined the aisles and the Junior School Choir singing ‘Inchworm’. The finale of the Easter story, that celebrated the resurrection of Christ, was the singing of ‘Tomb Breaker’ performed by select students from the Junior School. The Easter Assembly concluded with a spectacular display of colour as students from Prep to Year 3 participated in the traditional Easter Bonnet Parade. The creations of flowers, chickens and eggs that adorned the bonnets represented the many colours and symbols of Easter. The egg is a symbol of new life, good health and good fortune; at Easter we are truly celebrating the new life we receive when Jesus rose from the dead. The rabbit, or the Easter Bunny, is a symbol of fertility which also represents new life and new beginnings. The colours of Easter also have special significance. White represents purity and happiness; yellow is for the sun that brings new life and purple represents the sadness over the death of Jesus on the cross. Green is the symbol of beauty, growth and life after death. Bullun Bareibunn River Dream Festival On Thursday 27 March, Prep to Year 12 students experienced a taste of Indigenous culture and tradition with the Bullun Bareibunn River Dream Festival. In conjunction with the Yugambeh Museum and proudly sponsored by The Hank Young Foundation, the festival enabled students to learn about local and national culture through performance workshops and activities. Our Junior School students enjoyed hearing the Dreaming stories of the Gold Coast, learning about traditional weapons and art, whilst our Middle School students participated in a hands-on camping experience to learn about local Indigenous customs and bush food. Senior students enthusiastically participated in a discussion and debate on reconciliation and Indigenous issues. On behalf of the College we thank The Hank Young Foundation for their generous sponsorship of this unique opportunity. To the members of the Yugambeh Museum we also extend our gratitude for a valuable and memorable learning experience. We look forward to future endeavours such as the River Dream Festival that will enhance and reflect the College’s mission of building bridges between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous people of Australia. SRC Fundraiser – Vanuatu Appeal On Friday 28 March, the Student Representative Council (SRC) hosted a fundraiser to provide much needed support to victims of Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu. Students from Prep to Year 12 enthusiastically participated in the event with a free dress day that raised over $2270.00. Students were asked to wear colours of the Vanuatu Flag with Prep to Year 3 students wearing yellow, Year 4 to Year 6 wearing green, Year 7 to 9 wearing red and our senior students from Year 10 to Year 12 wearing black. Thank you to all members of the College community for your generosity and support. All funds raised will be sent to Save the Children Australia. On behalf of the staff and students of Rivermount College, I wish all families a peaceful and relaxing Easter break. In reflecting back on the first term of 2015, it is with great pleasure that I extend sincere and well deserved congratulations to all Rivermount students. Special mention is made of the dedication and success of our JTAS and TAS teams for Term 1. The level of sportsmanship and skill demonstrated by our students is to be commended. We look forward to another successful and eventful term when students return to the College on Tuesday 21 April. Richard Young Principal College News Pastoral Care Corner - Character Counts If we have enough love in our heart we can overcome everything. (Toogoolawa Schools) National Youth Week (NYW) will be celebrated from 10 April to 19 April and as an Australian State, Territory and Local Government Initiative, it is the largest celebration of young people in Australia. Events and activities organised as part of this week, give young people aged 12 to 25 an opportunity to express their ideas and views, raise issues of concern, act on issues affecting their lives, and create and enjoy entertainment. It also provides the wider community with the opportunity to listen to young people and acknowledge and celebrate the positive contributions made by their efforts and achievements. The theme for 2015, It starts with us, was specifically chosen to encourage young people to make a difference, whether by themselves or as part of a group. National Youth Week culminates in the National Youth Awards which recognise achievement across a broad range of categories. This is a wonderful opportunity to recognise the achievements, vitality and strength of young people across our country and their important contribution to every aspect of community life. In Queensland, National Youth Week have teamed up with the Police-Citizens Youth Club (PCYC) right across the state, which will be holding numerous activities and events in the lead-up to and including NYW 2015. Queensland’s National Youth Week Young Member is Shannon Dillon, a full-time student and part-time sales assistant at ABC. In an extract from his NYW profile, Shannon explains, “I got involved with NYW because I enjoy seeing young people from all different walks of life coming together and working together as a community. We are further apart than ever in this world today, despite technology that says it brings us together. Any opportunity for young people to build their social, community and leaderships skills is a great opportunity. NYW is important to me, because I want young people to feel comfortable and encouraged to achieve great things and showcase their talents, to feel safe enough to continually build their social circles and to feel inspired enough to make their voices and opinions heard. NYW is a great opportunity for this.” Shannon’s profile is available at, http://www.youthweek.com/young-members/shannondillon. Queensland’s finalist in the 2015 Young Australian of the Year category is Yassmin Abdel-Magied, who was born in Sudan (1991) and arrived in Australia with her family when she was just two years of age. At age 16, she founded Youth Without Borders, an organisation that enables young people to work together to implement positive change within their communities and internationally. She is a qualified engineer, a media commentator and social advocate as well as an advisor to both State and Federal Governments. Yassmin has been a member of the Australian Multicultural Council, the Board of the Queensland Museum and the Design Council, contributed as a member of the Federal ANZAC Centenary Commemoration Youth Working Group and was on the organising committee of the 2014 Youth G20 Summit. She recently appeared on a special International Women’s Day episode of the ABC’s Q and A program. Yassmin has been recognised with many awards, her achievements across a number of fields “providing positive proof that hard work, resilience and self-belief can reap rewards, regardless of gender, faith or cultural background.” http://www.abc.net.au/australiaday/awards/qld.htm In 2009, as part of her mission to alleviate the effects of poverty across Australia, Juliette Wright developed an online platform - GIVIT - to connect those who have with those who need, to ensure that quality goods get to where they are most needed by safely connecting and inspiring an online network of givers. In 2011, when Queensland was hit by devastating floods, GIVIT became the State Government’s official website for matching donors and recipients – with 1.8 million hits resulting in 33,500 goods matched in three weeks. “Juliette’s vision, hard work and determination have resulted in donations of more than 126,000 items to disadvantaged members of the Australian community. Juliette’s passion is supporting each community by ensuring local donors give to local residents in need.” GIVIT Kids has just been launched, a safe online platform for children to give new or pre-loved belongings. Juliette Wright is Australia’s 2015 Local Hero, and most deservedly so. http://www.australianoftheyear.org.au/honour-roll/?view=fullView&recipientID=1178 Fran Stuetzel Dean of Pastoral Care Middle and Senior School News Junior Gold Coast City Council 2015 The Junior Council is a student leadership and civic program for students in Year 10 and Year 11 within the Gold Coast region. The two year program provides students with the opportunity to develop their skills in communication, public speaking, leadership, and to learn about local government and local issues. Rivermount representatives on the Junior Council are Kitty Millen, India Edwards, Christopher Berndt, Hope Nardi and Reanna Noon. The first Council meeting was held on Friday 20 March and it gave students an opportunity to learn about the way in which the Council operates. A number of ice-breaker activities started the day, speeches by representatives of various Executive branches of the Gold Coast Council were conducted and then the process of electing the Executive of the Junior Council for 2015 began. Students who nominated for the Junior Executive team were required to deliver a speech outlining a small personal window, their commitment to the Junior Council and most importantly, their vision for the Council in 2015. Sixteen students gave entertaining, insightful and powerful speeches. India Edwards delivered a speech which was eloquent, discerning and passionate as she outlined her personal experiences from 2014, her ideas for 2015, her commitment to the process and provided a reminder to the people in power of their individual networks. Voting for the election is being completed via the Junior Council Portal so the results will not be known until the next meeting. The Junior Council achieves a significant amount of positive outcomes with the overall benefit being a sense of community through active participation with like minded people. Rob Mulder Head of Humanities Queensland Debating Union School Competition The College’s Middle School debating teams are set for another strong showing in this year’s Queensland Debating Competition, which began earlier this term. The Year 9 team of Whitney Griffith, Daniel Berndt, Cheyanne Briese and Ellie-Rose Priest were faced with negating the hypothesis that Australians should be banned from staying and defending their property during natural disasters. They did so by focussing on the lack of equity in access to community evacuation centres and the free will of individuals. In what was a very close debate, they were unfortunately defeated by Forest Lake State High School by one point. All team members should be commended, however, on the systematic organisation and signposting of ideas, and their developing rebuttal skills. We look forward to their continued skill development and the results of Year 8 debating, which will commence next term after postponement due to Year 8 camp. Meredith Walker Debating Coordinator The 7 Stages of Grieving and Wicked On Tuesday 24 March, seven Year 11 Drama students travelled to the Bille Brown Studio in South Brisbane to attend the Queensland Theatre Company and Grin and Tonic Theatre Troupe’s production of The 7 Stages of Grieving featuring Chenoa Deemal. The play was received enthusiastically, with the students impressed by the power of Deemal’s storytelling and interaction between performer and the design elements of the production. In contrast to the intimate nature of Tuesday’s excursion and performance, the following day over 130 students and five teachers from Music, Dance and Drama travelled to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s Lyric Theatre to see the latest Australian production of Wicked. For some students, this was their first taste of musical theatre. The experience was spellbinding. Students will be completing a variety of formal and informal activities associated with their experiences to see the professional live theatrical productions with a view to analysing and evaluating the performances or production elements. Thank you to Miss Alex Burrie, Miss Allison Nipperess, Mr Rob Mulder and Mr Adam O’Connor for accompanying the excursion to Wicked. Darryn Swaby Drama Coordinator Right: Rivermount students at two different type of drama performances. Middle and Senior School News Year 12 Cup 2015 - Tug of War The Tug of War is a competition that places two teams against each other in a test of strength. There are artworks dating back 4000 years which record a version of the competition. The Tug of War, with or without rope, has been practiced in many cultures as a way of resolving conflicts, preparation for battle, status of groups, keeping people fit on boats and just good old competition. The Tug of War was an Olympic event when the modern Olympics were revived in 1900 and continued till 1920. At Rivermount, the Tug of War is simply used as the first event of the Year 12 Cup which is based on a multitude of diverse activities. The battle for PC dominance began with 12.2 versing 12.3. This was an intriguing battle with 12.3 asserting their dominance, albeit rather convincingly. They did this again with a whitewash over 12.2. It appeared at this stage that 12.3 were definitely the favourites, however, as every sporting enthusiast knows, favouritism does not always translate to final victory. The semi-final between 12.1 and 12.2 was eagerly anticipated as both teams were evenly matched. This did not translate into an evenly matched result as 12.1 were beaten 3 to 0. There were contentious issues relating to the demise of 12.1 but it would be unsportsmanlike to mention them at this time. This then set the scene for a greatly anticipated final between 12.2 and 12.3. With 12.3 being the favourite, sides were changed, huddles formed, strategies were discussed and the steely stare of competitive sport descended upon the opposing teams. Fortunes did initially change with the next round and 12.2 almost did succeed in pulling the rope past the marker but just as they were about to claim victory, a concerted effort from 12.3 reversed the situation and 12.3 began their slow and determined stride to victory. The brawn of 12.3 reigned supreme and the early favouritism was vindicated! As in all competitions of any calibre, initial success does not imply final success. There is a long and winding road yet to be navigated before any Pastoral Care class in 2015 can lay claim to being the best. Brawn has had its day, now it is the time for brain to be put to the test with the next highly anticipated event – THE SPELLING BEE! Rob Mulder Year 12 Teacher PC? 2015 RMC Year 12 Cup Above, right and below right: Year 12 Students working hard to gain the advantage in the Year 12 Cup - Tug of War. Below: Looked on by a proud Pastoral Care Teacher. Junior School News Junior School Japanese News Japanese Teachers Professional Development Rivermount College hosted a Modern Language Teachers’ Association of Queensland (MLTAQ) Professional Development meeting for Language teachers on Saturday, 28 March. The Junior School Japanese classroom was packed with close to 40 language teachers who came from Brisbane and Gold Coast areas to participate in the workshop with presentations by Susan Taylor, who came up from Victoria to present the workshop, and Kathryn Tominaga, from Brisbane. The presentations, on the topic of Visible Learning Strategies, were inspiring. The MLTAQ extends its thanks to Mr Richard Young for supporting the hosting of the Professional Development meeting at Rivermount College. Left: MLTAQ development meeting at Rivermount College Year 6 Hiragana The Year 6 students have been working on Hiragana studies this term. They each have a set of Hiragana cards to use for personal study. There are also many Apps for learning Hiragana, and many are free. Please ask your child about the Apps that they have been using in class. I can recommend the following Apps and online learning options for Hiragana: Quizlet - Rivermount hiragana (App and website) Hiragana Bubbles (App) Dr Moku’s Hiragana Term 1 Winners – omedetou! This term, the Year 4 to Year 6 classes had an inter class points based competition in Japanese lessons. This week the winning class from each year level will receive an “Icy Pole” ice block as their reward. Congratulations to the Term 1 Winning Classes: 4B, 5C and 6B. Omedetou gozaimasu! Sensei Kath Kirkpatrick Right: Japanese classroom activities Junior School Mathematics Tutoring A successful Term 1 of Junior School Mathematics tutoring has just been completed, with a large number of students attending each Monday afternoon to work on their Mathematics and to receive assistance with any topics or concepts of concern to them. The Mathematics tutoring sessions for Term 2 will commence on Monday 27 April at 3:30pm to 4:30pm and will continue throughout Term 2. These tutoring sessions are held in Mr Tranter's Year 6 classroom (J14). The Mathematics tutoring is available to any interested students from Year 4 to Year 6. These sessions will provide an opportunity for students who would like additional assistance with their Mathematics to come along and receive guidance and support in this important academic area. The tutoring sessions are offered free of charge. Students attending are required to bring along work they need help with, together with any resources needed to undertake their Mathematics activities at the sessions. Additionally, students can bring along their Mathematics homework on which to work and they can then receive on the spot assistance with any of that work which may be causing them a concern. If you have any questions or you would like more information about the Mathematics tutoring sessions, please contact me anytime. Rick Tranter Junior School Mathematics Tutoring Coordinator Important Dates to Remember More information can be obtained from Parent Lounge and the College App Friday 17 April Uniform Shop Open 9:00am to 3:00pm No appointment necessary Monday 20 April Pupil Free Day Tuesday 21 April Start Term 2 – Classes commence Year 12 QCS SR Practice JTAS Training Wednesday 22 April RMC Netball Academy (VW Squad) from 25/3 to 9/9 at 6:45am to 8:00am in The Colin Young Community Centre Year 3 Excursion Science/Geography 9:00am to 3:00pm TAS Training Thursday 23 April Incursion Year 8 and Year 9 Theatre Performance by Grin and Tonic “Sunburn” Friday 24 April RMC Netball Academy (Junior) from 27/3 to 11/9 at 6:45am to 8:00am in The Colin Young Community Centre ANZAC Assembly Year 3 to Year 12 at 11:30am to 1:00pm in The Colin Young Community Centre NO Prep to Year 3 Assembly TAS GBC Round 1 Absentee Phone Line (07) 3287 0099 Community News ANZAC Day, 100 Years Since Gallipoli An invitation to be a part of the Centenary of Gallipoli at the 2015 Ormeau Pimpama ANZAC Day Celebrations on Saturday 25 April commencing at 8:30am in the grounds of the Pimpama Living Rivers Uniting Church, Creek Street (The Old Pacific Highway) Pimpama. Being the centenary of the landing at Gallipoli and the very beginning of our Anzac Spirit you are invited to attend our special celebrations commencing at 8:30 am at the Memorial Statue. Following the ANZAC service you can view the memorabilia display including an Army Tank and a T Model Ford. Morning Tea will be provided and a sausage sizzle will operate until 1:00pm. Entertainment for your enjoyment, with songs of the war years by Dennis (Dingo) Dryden. Anzac badges will be offered for sale. Please put a few hours aside on Anzac Day to rekindle your Community Anzac Spirit and remember those who have given us the peace and freedom that we are able to enjoy today. Bevan Love Chairman Ormeau/Pimpama War Memorial Committee Saturday 25 April ANZAC Day Term Dates 2015 Term 2: Tuesday 21 April to Friday June 19 Term 3: Monday 13 July to Friday 18 September Term 4: Tuesday 6 October to Friday 27 November Year 12 finish Friday 20 November Uniform Shop Holiday Hours The Shop will be open on 17 April at 9:00am to 3:00pm No Appointment Necessary RIVERMOUNT COLLEGE Principal’s Awards March 2015 Junior School February 2015 PA PB PC 1A 1B 1C 2A 2B 2C Maddison Allen Isabel-Rose Pesut Riley Buckley Savannah Hare Charlotte Oliphant Ella Moloney Kyle Stewart Aleya Stork Tahlia Cucuzza March 2015 PA PB PC 1A 1B 1C 2A 2B 2C 3A 3B 3C 4A 4B 4C 5A 5B 5C 6A 6B 6C Xavier Clark Sophia Olszewski Daisy Beckton Ethan Isaacs Ashlee Whatmore Eloise Aird Fletcher Morris Izabel Richardson Sullivan Clark Levi Peden Cassandra Robertson Alyssa Carroll Kelsey Ahrens Nathan Radler Aleesha Minge Abigail Robertson Darcy Beattie Paige Strachan Kirra Kubinski Ella Boyd Baker Webb Middle School Year 7 Riley O’Connor Amber Little Ryan Kelly Year 8 Abigale Pineda Zacchae Joukoff Year 9 Kiwa King Andrew Gilliam Sierra Webb Senior School Year 10 Tabitha Fleming Jack Garner Hayley Wakefield Year 11 Ashli Welland Sarah Fuller Emmanuel Chang Wai-Ofori Year 12 Melisa Sehovic Talia Iwinski Tristan Lubke Thursday 2 April 2015 FROM THE SPORTS MANAGER Trimester One finals took take place at The Springfield Anglican College on Saturday 28 March and it was pleasing to see so many of our teams represented. Overall, College teams put in some strong performances with a total of eight premierships won on the day. Volleyball was the big winner, with all of our teams winning pennants. The firsts also gained a win over their keen rivals Springfield to wash away the disappointment of last year’s defeat. This topped off a great weekend for the Captain of Volleyball Reilly O’Connor who has also gained a place in the South Coast Team to compete at the State Volleyball Championships. Go RMC! Yours in sport Andy Knapper Director of Sport TAS GBC - FINALS RESULTS: Saturday 28 March 2015 Volleyball Firsts Seconds Gold Year 9 Year 8 Year 7 Result RMC 3 RMC 2 RMC 2 RMC 2 RMC 2 Tennis Seconds Year 9 Year 7 Result RMC 1/16 TSAC 5/32 RMC 6/36 Redlands 0/9 RMC 5/34 TSAC 1/11 Basketball Firsts Green Seconds Green Year 9 Green Year 7 Result RMC 20 RMC 27 RMC 31 RMC 15 TSAC 1 Sheldon 0 TSAC 0 CHAC 0 CHAC 0 TSAC 24 Redlands 22 Sheldon 50 TSAC 27 Futsal Round Up TAS Greater Brisbane Swimming Carnival Congratulations to all of our College swimmers who attended the Greater Brisbane Conference Swimming Carnival at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre on Tuesday 31 March. Overall, the College had some excellent individual and team performances with the 15 Years and 16 Years boys coming away with premiership trophies and pennants. Well done to Annmarie Temo, Jamie King and Jack Andersen who also won their respective age championships. The Rivermount College teams enjoyed a positive experiences in the Summer Futsal Competition, with the U13 boys being the most successful being placed in the top eight in South East Queensland, closely followed by the U14 girls who were placed in the top sixteen. As a result, five students have been selected into South East Queensland team for the National Titles in the September/October holidays. These students are Alfie Haestier, Connor Lewis, Chris Fullerton, Imogen Noon and Luke Constantin. A number of other Rivermount College students are competing in regional teams at the Australian Futsal Association State Titles over the Easter holidays. If any students are interested in playing in club teams at Cornubia next term in the winter competition please contact Mr Perry via email at [email protected] as soon as possible. David Perry Futsal Coordinator TAS Andy Knapper – TAS Wet Weather: 3287 0080 Mobile: 0408 679 988 JTAS Mario Collavino – JTAS Wet Weather: 3287 0081 Mobile: 0412 942 095 @rivermountsport Proudly sponsored by The Hank Young Foundation On Wednesday 25 March Year 8 students were presented with a Drama production of Medieval Europe in The Colin Young Community Centre. Living History Australia brought to life the everyday experiences of people living during this period. The students walked away with a fascinating insight into the cause and effect of the Black Death and the significance of the Crusades, in particular the Legacy of Suspicion and the Misunderstanding of the Crusades. Living History Australia displayed an exciting array of medieval weaponry such as helmets, swords, shields, lances, clothing and domestic items creating constant engagement between the presenters and students. The students had the opportunity to re-enact sword fighting with helmets and foam swords which proved very popular. The day ended with the students participating in an archery shoot out! A wonderful day was had by all with the students and teachers gaining a more intimate knowledge of the life and times of Medieval Europe. Steve Evans Humanities Teacher Commemorative Mosaic On 25 April 1915, members of the Australian Army along with New Zealand soldiers landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula and secured a bridgehead at what is now known as ANZAC Cove. 2015 is the Centenary of this significant moment in our young country’s history. In response, Rivermount, in addition to commemorating the ANZAC tradition, will identify the connection our College and its families have to the military service of our country. The spirit of the ANZAC service is in essence about the sacrifice that people make for their countries. Illustrations of Service Through discussion already occurring in our College community, some connections to the ANZAC history have come to light. Year 10 student Scott Bertwistle, has a grandfather who served in the Kokoda campaign, Mrs Mary Helbig’s father was a Rat of Tobruk and when he came home to Australia he was then assigned to Papua New Guinea and served in the Kokoda campaign. Mrs Angela Baker-Gillies grandfather, identified in the photo, served at Gallipoli. Creating the Commemorative Mosaic If members of your family have served for any country in conflict or peace, we would like the details of their service, personnel details, a short story and a photo about their achievements and connection to Rivermount College. This information will be placed in a Commemorative Poster, attached to our Commemorative Mosaic which will be displayed at our ANZAC Service. Our College community will have the opportunity to understand what some of our extended community have done in service for their respective countries. We do not want anything that is valuable, hence if there are war medals, please just take a photo of them and we can attach that to the ensemble of photos. The information can be electronically sent to Mr Rob Mulder – [email protected] or place the information in an envelope with your name and return address and hand in at Student Welfare. The information will be scanned and then returned to you. Description of Service Rupert Oswald Douglas was a member of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade, a mounted infantry brigade of the First Australian Imperial Force, who served in the Middle Eastern Theatre of World War 1. In 1914, the brigade formed part of the New Zealand and Australian Division, but during the Gallipoli campaign served in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corp (ANZAC). The 3rd Light Horse Regiment was raised in Adelaide on 17 August 1914. Although most of its recruits were enlisted in South Australia, one of the regiment's three squadrons was composed of Tasmanians. Rupert was one and was raised and trained in Hobart. They sailed from their home ports in late October 1914 and arrived in Egypt in the second week of December. There, they joined the 1st and 2nd Regiments to form the 1st Light Horse Brigade. The ANZAC Mounted Division also served from March 1916 as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, taking part in the Sinai and Palestinian Campaign until the end of the war. Rivermount College Relationship: Granddaughter Mrs Angela Baker-Gillies (Teacher)
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