Our 41st Founders’ Day was a wonderful celebration of the College’s past, present and future.
Our celebrations commenced with the Official Naming and Dedication of The Craig Sayer Stand. Our guests were treated to heart felt words from the Chair of the College Board, Mr Tony Hickey OAM, Performing Arts Captain, Pheonix Kyaw and Sports Captain, Sophie Clements (Year 12 Starkey and Andrews) and of course, Mr Sayer.
What a brilliant start to the day! Our Founders’ Day ceremony included inspirational addresses by the Chair of Board, Mr Tony Hickey OAM, and our College Captains, Benjamin Major and Ava McCarthy. We presented the Spirit of Somerset and Founders’ Day Awards amidst magnificent performances from the Concert Band and the Vocal Group. It was a perfect Gold Coast Day to enjoy the traditional Founders’ Day activities, the All-Age Swimming Relay, the Steeplechase, the All-Age Track Relay, the Tug-o-War and the Courtyard Dash with its new course. Our Spartans shone as they competed or cheered – such wonderful traditions established to celebrate Founders’ Day. We could only continue to be amazed at the passion that Somerset produces.
Mr Hickey OAM reminded us of our humble beginnings and the dedicated and brave people who founded our great school and gave us the opportunity to thank three of the founders, who were in attendance, for their contributions; Mr John Aitkenhead, Mr Tony Cordner and Mrs Mary Rudkin and former Chairs, Mr Lex Bell, Dr Peter Brown.
Mr Hickey made a very important announcement, that Mr Craig Bassingthwaighte, would retire after 16 years as Headmaster of Somerset College at the end of 2024. You can read the announcement here. Mr Hickey also announced that the Sports Facility will be named The Craig Bassingthwaighte Centre and that the annual award presented to the Dux of Somerset College will be named The Craig Bassingthwaighte Medal - Dux of Somerset College.
While the students attended their House Lunch our invited guests enjoyed lunch on the Design Centre Terrace with a perfect view of the Tug-o-War and Courtyard Dash on Towers Quad.
The verandahs of The Smith Building, The Brown Building and The Arnison Building – all named for other magnificent servants – were perfect for a wonderful display of all things Somerset and the optimal vantage point for our littlest students. It truly had the atmosphere of a colosseum! Congratulations to the winning teams:
Are awarded for exceptional effort and commitment, which embodies those qualities that the College is proud to embrace. The recipients this year are:
Presented to Year 12 students who have demonstrated service and leadership at a level recognised and respected by staff and students this year were presented to:
Another Founders’ Day tradition is the Recognition of Service Award which is presented to colleagues who have served the College and its students for 20 years.
From this Founders’ Day onwards we have decided to recognise and thank those staff who have served the College and its students for 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years.
As with the 20 Year Service Staff and with our birthdays we tend to celebrate the milestones like 20, 30 and 40 and so on. We will present a gift to those members of staff who have served Somerset for 20, 30 and 40 years.
In 2023, the Recognition of Service Award for 20 Years service was presented to: Mrs Helen Little, and Mr Bryce Leader.
At the start of the holiday break, Year 11 Engineering student Georgie Kilmartin completed work experience in Brisbane with Aurecon Group - A design, engineering and advisory company, bringing ideas to life to create a better future for people and the planet. This opportunity was organised in collaboration with UQ’s Women in Engineering group, and we hope it will be the first of many Engineering students getting real world experience in this exciting field.
Attached is a photo of Georgie (and others) on a site tour of the new Performing Arts venue at Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) where Aurecon are the sustainability consultants.
A group of 20 students had the privilege of meeting and being coached by double Olympic Shot Put Champion, Dame Valerie Adams.
New Zealander, Valerie Adams was at Somerset College at the end of Term Two, as part of the weeklong Oceania Throws Clinic hosted here at the College. Valerie was here to help upskill athletes and coaches from the Oceania region, as well as help her Para Olympic Champion sister, Lisa Adams prepare for the World Paralympic Championships in Paris.
Head of Athletics, Mr Scott Walsh organised a 45-minute Q and A with Valerie followed by a 45-minute Shot Put masterclass coaching session. The Q and A was an enlightening affair with Valerie talking about her tough upbringing in South Auckland amongst her 12 brothers and sisters, her rise to the top of world athletics, her two Olympic Gold Medals (2008,2012), her damehood (equivalent to the male knighthood honour), her retirement and family life. Her powerful messages of making sure you have great people ‘on your bus’ and not being afraid to kick people off your bus, when they’re not helping you get to where you want to go. As well as when a ‘ray of light’ is offered to you, you take full advantage of that opportunity. These messages, along with many others, helped Valerie to achieve five World Athletic Championships Gold medals, three Commonwealth Gold Medals, a World Athlete of the Year award in 2014 as well as remain undefeated for 100 plus consecutive athletic meets. A dominance in sport that few other athletes can claim!
Following our chat, Valerie helped guide our up and coming Shot Putter’s in a 45-minute coaching clinic where she provided each individual with quality feedback about their throwing technique. Valerie’s hulking 6 foot 5 and 120kg frame made her look like she was throwing a marble as opposed to a three-kilogram shot put! Her cheeky nature and positive comments quickly endeared who to all the students present. I think all the students who were lucky enough to meet Valerie, were enthralled by her presence and advice. It’s not often you get to meet an athlete who has achieved such success at the highest level possible.
Somerset Spartan Rowers won seven medals at the South Queensland Regional Championships with two athletes selected in the South Coast Team.
The Championships saw 430 athletes from 27 different schools take part in at Wyaralong Dam on July 15 and 16. This regatta is the start of the Championship Term with the State Championships coming up in September. The competition has taken a step up from Term Two with athletes now needing to progress from heats to finals and with a greater number of schools involved the higher the standard of competition. With half the entries making it through to finals, Somerset Spartans continue to match the standard being set and it was fantastic to see the two Silver and five Bronze Medals won over the two days.
This year the event kicked off with the Year 11 Schoolgirl Double Scull with Maya Pearse and Sage Stevenson winning their heat and setting up the first final appearance for Somerset Spartans for the day. As the morning progressed a total of 12 Spartan Crews had made it through to finals. The first medal of the day was a Silver Medal for the Year 10 Schoolboy Quad crew of Luke Oishi, Max Ward-Harvey, Angus Riddle and Bowen Mansell, coxed by Zoe Benson. The following race Brooke Bowden and Maddi McLaughlin teamed up in the Year 9 Schoolgirl Double Scull to win Bronze. The Year 11 Schoolboy Quad of Alex Newing, Bowen Mansell, Callum Miles and Luke Oishi, coxed by Zoe Benson won Bronze with another Bronze Medal also going to Angus Riddle in the Year 9 Schoolboy Single Scull. The Year 8 Schoolgirl Quad narrowly missed out on a Bronze having survived a collision with the Umpire Boat after the finish of their heat, with the last medal of the day going to the Year 9 Schoolgirl Quad of Brooke Bowden, Maddi McLaughlin, Bella Vujanovic and Anna Zeng, coxed by Zoe Benson who won Bronze.
Sunday morning started with the Time Trial to select the Inter-Regional Quads for the South Coast Team that will compete at the School State Championships. A big congratulations to Bowen Mansell and Maya Pearse who have both been selected for the Under 17 Schoolboy Quad and Open Schoolgirl Quad respectively.
Once the Heats had been completed in the morning it was once again time to see how the Somerset Spartans would fair in the Finals. With an understrength Year 8 Schoolboy Quad no one was expecting a repeat of their Trophy Regatta performance, but they still came away with a Silver Medal. A great result especially with two Year 7 rowers in the boat. Ed Hoult and Ethan Hu teamed up with Luis Pearse and Xavier Brand, coxed by Josh Rosentreter. Backing up his coxing skills Josh Rosentreter then steered the Year 9 Schoolboy Quad of Will Hoult, Angus Riddle, Benji Strong and Byron Taylor to a Bronze Medal to finish up the Medal tally for the Somerset Spartans.
Not satisfied with their results, the Spartans have started the term training harder than ever keen to step up for the Queensland School State Championships at Bucca Weir, Bundaberg on September 15 to 18.
During the school holidays, our female football teams participated in the Queensland School Futsal Cup and the FQ School Futsal Championships. These are the two highest recognised School Futsal Tournaments in Queensland. Our female Futsal players can be proud on being the second best team in Queensland!
The QSF Cup took place on the first two days of the school holidays. This well organised futsal cup started Day 1 with three group matches. At the end of Day 1, we had qualified for the Cup Champions group. Day 2 was more of a challenge for our female futsal players. The quarter and semi-final were wins for Somerset. In the grand-final we met Kawana Waters, Sunshine Coast. Kawana defeated us last year with penalties in the final and so Somerset was keen for revenge. Conceding three goals early in the game the team came back and were close by the equalizer. Unfortunately, the side struggled to get on top but came Runners Up.
Congratulations to: Arya Denzongpa Bathols, Ari Thake, Zara Ryan, Georgie Zerbst, Ellie Davies, Livi Budd and Emily Nickels.
During Term Two, Somerset became the Regional Champions in the Gold Coast edition. The next step, is the State Championships.
Football Queensland was delighted with the first FQ School Futsal Championships State Titles held at Nissan Arena. On Day 1, 16 school teams were split into four pools. The pool winners progressed into the knockout phase on Day 2, where they competed for state title honours.
Four of the students who participated in the QSF Cup, were also invited for the FQ Championships. Our team played two matches on Day 1, and both results were in advantage of Somerset. This qualified the team for the finals. In the quarter final the side played and won against Islamic College. After an absolute thriller of a game in the semi-final against Corinda Senior High School. After full time, the game ended in 3-all. Extra time was needed with Somerset scoring to qualify for the grand final.
In the final we versed King's Christian College. King's took an early lead and somerset came back to 1-all. Both teams were from an similar level and the 1-all score reflected the game well. In the last minute of the game, Somerset wanted the win and took a risk having a full team on the half of the opponent when we received a corner. King's could intercept the pass and went for a counter attack to score 2 to 1. Shortly after King's also scored resulting in a 3 to 1 final score. The girls can be proud of being the second best team in Queensland!
Congratulations to: Arya Denzongpa Bathols, Ari Thake, Ellie Davies, Livi Budd, Natalia Zotti, Sarah Nickels, Ruby Zerbst, and Miranda Ross.
Both teams were coached by our Head of Football and Futsal; Maarten de Kruijf.
In the second week of the school holidays, futsal coaches Kydra and Maarten participated in the AFC Futsal Level 1 Coaching Course.
The course was delivered by Futsalroos Head Coach Miles Downie and Assistant Coach Bruno Cannavan. By attending this six-day course, our coaches increased their knowledge of the game and participated in practical components. The course concluded with a theoretical and practical coaching exam. As final step to receive their accreditation, Kydra and Maarten need to submit their logbook. Kydra and Maarten are looking forwards to share their information with our students once our Futsal Club commences in Term Four.
For any questions in regards Futsal at Somerset College; Please contact Maarten on mdekruijf@somerset.qld.edu.au
The South Queensland Schools Conference Trophy Regatta saw 14 Schools meet at Wyaralong Dam on June 10. With perfect conditions everything was set for some fast times and great racing. It was an even contribution from both the Boys and Girls with the Boys earning 423 Points coming third in the overall Boy’s competition, while the Girls earned 421 Points coming second in the overall Girl’s competition. Overall, Somerset College came second with Trinity Lutheran College winning the Overall Trophy for 2023.
Hugo Derksema started the day with a win in Division 2 of the Year 8 Boys Single Scull followed by Michael Zeng winning Bronze in the Division 1 of the Year 8 Boys Single Scull. The Year 7 rowers Ethan Hu and Edward Hoult teamed up and took on the Year 8 competition winning Bronze in Division 3 of the Year 8 Boys Double Scull. Then it was the Year 7 and Year 8 girls turns to hit the water with the Division 3 Quad winning Silver and the Division 2 Quad winning Gold. Byron Taylor won Gold in the Division 2 Year 9 Boys Single Scull with Angus Riddle winning Silver in the next race Division 1 of the Year 9 Boys Single Scull. Xavier Brand and Tony Stephens won Silver in Division 2 of the Year 9 Boys Double scull while Will Hoult and Benji Strong won Silver in Division 1 of the Year 9 Boys Double scull. The Year 9 girls have been working hard all season to lift the standard of the competition and did so winning Gold in both the Division 1 and 2 of the Year 9 Girls Quads. Rowing Captain Bowen Mansell clocked his fastest time of the year so far with an 8:10 to win Bronze in the Division 1 Open Boys Single Scull. New to rowing this year Alex Newing teamed up with Callum Miles to win Bronze in the Division 1 Open Boys Double Scull. A late injury saw a last-minute crew change for the Open Girls Quad. Rather than scratch from the event, Year 8 rower Esther Fink stepped up and helped the Quad to a brave fourth place, only missing Bronze by a second.
After the break in racing, it was a return of the Year 8 girls with Tamar Chester-Haviv winning Silver in Division 2 of the Year 8 Girls Single scull and Esther Fink winning Bronze in the Division 1 Year 8 Girls Single Scull after having to back up so quickly after helping the Open Girls Quad. Liana Warwick and Kite Weintrop teamed up in Division 2 of the Year 8 Girls Double scull to win Gold and another new rower Beth Curry rowed with Trinity TJ-Wilson to win Silver in the Division 1 of the Year 8 Girls Double Scull. This was followed by the Year 7 boys taking on the Year 8 competition in Division 3 of the Year 8 Boys quad winning Silver. Somerset College continued the success in the Year 8 Boys Quads winning Silver in Division 2 and Gold in Division 1. Maddi McLaughlin was pipped by 0.31 of a second in Division 2 of the Year 9 Girls Single Scull to win Silver, while the doubles of Noku Mhlanga and Aanika Soni, and Alanja Thomasson and Bella Vujanovic both won Gold in the Division 2 and 3 of the Year 9 Girls Double Sculls. Anna Zeng and Natalia Zotti teamed up for Division 1 of the Year 9 Girls Double scull coming away with a Bronze Medal. The Year 9 Boys Quads found competition tough against the crews from St Peters Lutheran with the Division 2 Quad coming third for Bronze and the Division 1 Quad winning Silver. The Open Rowers took to the water to finish off the day with Rowing Captain Eliza Strong and Maya Pearse winning Silver in the Open Girls Double. Just as the Open Girls Quad needed a late crew change so too did the Open Boys with a late withdrawal, Year 8 rower Hugo Derksema stepped up to fill the seat and help the Open Rowers contribute to the points tally finishing just a boat length off St Peters for fourth place.
While the Term of local racing is over for another year, it is just the warmup for the tougher competition ahead. Next term will see the South Queensland Championships back at Wyaralong in July and the School State Championships in Bundaberg in September. It’s never too late to join the Rowing programme as we search to get stronger and stronger. If you are up for the challenge, make sure you give it a go!
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