Edition 9 | Term Two, Week 8, 2023

Twenty years can be a long time I am sure but it seems like only yesterday that I walked into Somerset College on 17 February 2003.

Somerset is a very different place now to the institution I entered then  – when students still wore boaters!

So much has changed and been built:

• The Ray Building
• The Knowledge and Information Precinct
• Design Centre
• Refurbished Performing Arts Centre
• Student Services Hub
• ELP Version 1
• ELP Version 2
• Pool Grandstand
• New Learn to Swim Pool
• Fitness Centre
• Indoor Courts
• Athletics Track
• Arnison Air-conditioning – certainly visible from the moon!
• 1,100 to 1,720 students 
• Staff increases to account for the growing student numbers – in 2003 there were 48 Support Staff – 2022 a rough count of 104 not including Peripatetic teachers and sports instructors of which there are many!
• The Aitkenhead Building
• The number of Second Generation Students has gone from 7 to 171

So much has been achieved by so many – true team work has made Somerset the success it is today.

We have all had the opportunity and the capacity to have a positive influence and make the Somerset Experience bigger and better!

As said, a lot has changed but many important things have not!

• The friendly smiles which greet us each day
• The Community Spirit which is so evident in all aspects of College life
• The Somerset Experience!
• On a personal note: 
  • My desk and bookcase
    
    • My guest chairs, and the one of which I am most proud, 
      • My keyboard

I did visit Somerset at some stage between 1983 and 1986. All I remember are muddy tracks, portable buildings and rough wooden fences. It was a giant leap of faith to send your children to Somerset in 1983.

Even if was not until 2009 that the last of the portable buildings were removed.

One element of College life which has improved markedly for students has been our Service programme. I have been delighted to see this growth. Service has always been an important part of my life both as a student and throughout my working life. It has been an honour and a privilege to have been able to serve at Somerset and see our College grow to be one of Australia’s pre-eminent independent co-educational schools. We should all feel proud of this.

Please take time to reflect on this and look around you to see all that has been achieved through, and in some cases, despite our efforts. It really has only been since my retirement was announced that I have taken the time to reflect on this. It has been time well spent.

We can all be proud of our achievements because we can all make Somerset better.

I have had many challenges to overcome at Somerset, three spring to mind:

• Spelling Baccalaureate - tick
• Spelling Bassingthwaighte - tick, and 
• Spelling Entrepreneurship - failed

It must be time to leave!

Another successful Storyfest Giving Day was held this term with more than $120,000 raised for literacy programmes.

In 2022 the money raised from our first Storyfest Giving Day went towards the following:

• We delivered our first two day regional Children Writers’ Festival in Longreach 
• Hosted school visits in Queenstown, New Zealand 
• Gave away 5,360 books
• Sponsored 38 schools to attend the Gold Coast Writers’ Festival and more

Moving forward, we will be following up delivering a two day writers festival in Longreach this year as well as stepping into Lismore region (invited by them) in partnership with a bookshop to offer activities for schools impacted by floods.

We will also take our On the Road programme into the Scenic Rim region and we are investigating regional festivals in St. George and Emerald for 2024.

We will continue to support local schools and this year, out of the 38 sponsored schools, 20 were local, that attended the Festival.

We’ve also been able to put books into baby bags at various hospitals, ensuring babies receive their very first book from Storyfest. We’re looking to expand that project into the new Tweed Hospital and if we can, get into Gold Coast Hospital!

You can watch how Storyfest is helping, HERE.

With a total of 23 teams representing our school, Somerset College debaters showcased their exceptional skills and unwavering determination as they competed in the preliminary rounds of the Gold Coast Debating Competition this semester.

Both new and returning debaters embraced the challenge of a wide range of thought-provoking topics this season. Junior Division students from Years 7 and 8 argued the intriguing dilemmas such as "Early birds are better than night owls" and "Disney movies give children unrealistic expectations in life”.  Our older students grappled with profound subjects including "Monarchies are still relevant" and "People's actions matter more than their intentions” in the Intermediate A and Open A competitions. Many of these topics were analysed and argued under a significant time constraint, with preparation times ranging from nearly two hours to just one hour before students were expected to debate.

Impressively, 13 of our teams won the majority of their debates, securing a spot in the upcoming finals season in Term Three. These debates will now continue as elimination rounds, with all teams aiming to compete at the Gold Coast Debating Grand Final at Bond University in Week 6.

Congratulations to all these students on the outstanding calibre of your debates this season. The exemplary skills shown throughout all divisions is a perfect demonstration of the dedication you all have to this craft, and the Somerset Debating Programme continues to grow and thrive due to your efforts.

If you are interested in being involved in the Debating Programme, look out for notices in Semester Two for opportunities including the Gold Coast Primary Schools Debating Competition and the A.B. Paterson Public Speaking Competition.

WorldWrights has been creating images and videos of realistic physics simulations, leveraging the powerful Alienware computers in the College’s Esports precinct.

Our members have been learning to use the professional 3D software, Blender to create realistic physics simulations.

Some projects included:

• Lighting interactions between objects and their surrounding environment
• Building and demolishing towers
• And creating a room of deforming bouncy balls

These fun introductory lessons are a good way of getting students interested in what else the software is capable of and potentially encouraging them to discover these capabilities for themselves in their own free time.

I am excited to continue mentoring these budding 3D artists into learning a powerful and budget-friendly creative outlet every Thursday afternoon in Rudkin 1.

The Year 2 cohort were very excited to display their new skills they have been acquiring during the Strings Programme recently. Parents and Prep friends were invited to the Roberts Theatre to observe students proudly play their violas, violins, cellos and double basses.

The concert was a wonderful way to celebrate the commitment children have demonstrated towards practicing their instruments.  What a joy it was to see their faces light up as they performed on the stage.

A special thank you to Mrs Moffatt, Mrs Hopkins, Mrs Yuki and Mr Keczan who are their dedicated Strings teachers. 

Students commented, “I felt proud”, “even though I was nervous, I was a risk-taker” and “I felt happy and excited playing my instrument”. 

Year 2 friends will continue to master their craft for the rest of the year, ready for another concert in Term Four.

Congratulations, Year 2 Maestros!

Celebrating our Junior School's success in the Readers Cup Competition, organised by the Queensland Branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia, our dedicated students achieved an impressive fourth place out of 24 Gold Coast schools. 

The challenge involved reading five designated books and facing challenging questions related to them, showcasing their knowledge and passion for literature. It was an enjoyable and memorable experience that fostered friendships and inspired their peers to embrace the joy of reading. We are incredibly proud of our students' achievements and remain committed to nurturing their love for literature.

Team members include (photographed in the first image from left to right) Evan Li, Emma Zhu, Hannah Sun, Miranda Shum, and Anni Lu.

In IAS we were given a ‘clay tablet’ that the Sumerians used to write on using the cuneiform language but, instead of clay, it was shortbread dough. 

We learned about how cuneiform impacted on the lifestyles and situations of the Sumerians. For example, it might be used for trading when they had to trade for different products, such as crops and materials, in which they would need to write down the number of crops they had for harvesting. They might've also used Cuneiform for writing down their laws and rules, daily events and even astronomy. 

Cuneiform was created because it was the easiest and most effective way to communicate in writing, by using symbols, made up from the wedge-shaped symbol. ‘Cuneus’ means wedge in Latin. We made the wedge-shaped symbols by using the side angle of a chopstick. We wrote some cuneiform symbols on our tablet and in the end, had a reward to eat them!

A big thank you to Mr Bassingthwaighte for visiting our class and our Chef Mr Furlong for recreating a Sumerian Clay tablet for us to experiment with the cuneiform system.

Netball Highlights

Elsa Sandholt selected in the Australia 19&U Netball squad. Elsa will be heading to the AIS in July for a camp. Selection comes on the back of the National Netball Championships held in Darwin earlier this year.

Ariana Ransfield has been selected in the 15&U Queensland School Sports team to contest the National Championships in Perth in August. 

Bayley d’Hotman de Velliers and Marley Burns have been selected in the 19&U Queensland School Sport team. There is no Nationals for this age group, however the girls will participate in a training camp together.

Ariana Ransfield, Bayley d’Hotmas de Velliers, Tahlia Evans, Marley and Rio Burns represented South Coast at the recent Queensland championships. Both the 15&U and 19&U teams took out the title.

Pictured here is the South Coast team of Somerset players including Ariana, Marley, Bayley, Rio (Tahlia absent)

Vicki Wilson Carnival

Our Open Netball team recently won the Vicki Wilson carnival and will contest the major championship in August. Our Academy team performed valiantly and took out third place.

The image below shows our Academy Development team, who competed at the Vicki Wilson carnival and gained valuable experience. They narrowly missed out on a place in the Vicki Wilson Shield finals to be held at Nissan Arena in August.

Photo of Open First team who won the Vicki Wilson Carnival, undefeated.

GT Cup

This week Somerset entered three teams in the GT Cup.

Results

• Year 6 - 3rd
• Year 5 - 1st
• Year 4 - 3rd 

It was a fantastic day with our Somerset players performing superbly.

Thank you Mrs Deborah Jordan, Andrea Richards and Amaris Toia for all of their hard work this year.

On Thursday 8 June, Our Spartans competed in the Gold Coast Futsal Cup.

Somerset entered teams in six different age categories with five of the teams reaching the grand final.

Year 4 Girls

Coach Lucy

Heading up to Coomera to play in the GC Futsal Cup, the girls were nervous yet very excited, especially since some of them had not done this before. Throughout the day, the girls had an extremely fun and enjoyable day while displaying amazing skill, teamwork and sportsmanship fighting their way to the finals. 

In a nail-biting grand final with the score all tied up at 1-all, they head into a penalty shoot-out. While unfortunately going down in the penalty shoot-out, the girls still bring home second place to very proud parents and coaches alike. It was an absolute joy to see these girls play futsal, seeing how much they have improved over just one day, and to see their commitment and dedication to the beautiful game.

Year 4 Boys

Coach Kydra

Fantastic performances from the Year 4 boys saw them narrowly win their opening fixtures against Coomera Anglican College and King's Christian College. The 18-minute matches promoted a high tempo brand of futsal, with the boys drawing upon established passing combinations to create space in front of goal. 

Topping their group, the Year 4 Blue Team progressed to the final where they met Emanuel College. Saving their best futsal to last, the boys recorded a comfortable 5-nil win, claiming a maiden grand-final victory and finishing the day undefeated. 

Year 5 Girls

Coach Ryan

This group of promising players, transitioned from a very successful season on the football pitch to the fast-paced action on the futsal court and they absolutely flourished. The group was an absolute joy to work with; they are all so attentive and enthusiastic. When it got tough, they came together and piroritised the team ahead of any one player. I was also very impressed with how much they progressed over the tournament with very little team training in the lead up. 

Unfortunately, a very strong King's team stood in the way of our trophy after both sides delivered a nail-biting final. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for this group. I enjoyed seeing all the smiles on their faces as they relished their environment, and enjoyed a fantastic day overall. Well done to all.

Year 5 Boys

Coach Jonno

The Year 5 Somerset boys entered a strong Gold Coast Cup tournament for their age group. 

The boys had four matches in their pool and without losing a game, narrowly missed out playing the Grand Final by goal difference. Only one team would be able to progress through out of pool A and B. Our last game against King's was tough, ending up 4 to 2 in a tight match. The boys represented Somerset well and played some great Futsal. 

Year 6 Girls

Coach Oliver

The Year 6 Girls age group consisted of two pools in which two out of the four teams in each pool reached the semi-finals to potentially win it all. 

The tournament began with a team talk from Coach Ollie. The girls had their first game, defeating Saint Stephen's College 4 to 1 after trailing 1-nil. Goals from Evie and Holly saw a terrific start to the tournament for the girls. Game 2 played similarly to Game 1, defeating Coomera Anglican College 4 to 2. 

Before going into the tournament the girls knew that King's were the team to beat believing a victory against King's, meant they would beat anybody. The team headed into their final Pool match with a lot of doubt and nerves, however two sensational goals from Evie and terrific goalkeeping from Annabelle saw the girls narrowly win, 2 to 1 resulting in a maximum of nine points and winning their respective Pool.

Finishing first in the Pool meant versing Coomera Anglican College and the girls once again rose to the occasion winning 3 to 1 with a terrific all-round performance. To the Grand Final to win it all and the only team to beat was A.B. Paterson; the girls had a mix of both nerves, confidence, and revenge after an APS loss. 

The girls headed into the final pumped and determined to win a piece of silverware. The girls huddled up before the game ready to win it all and do the College proud. The game was at deadlock at nil-all for 17 out of the 18 minutes until Coomera committed a Handball offence. With the last chance of the game an indirect freekick decided whether the game ended as a draw to go to a Penalty shootout or a win for the Spartans! Evie stepped up for the free kick and strikes the ball into the roof of the net and all the girls on and off the field go ballistic. With Evie's strike being the last kick of the game saw Somerset win the final 1-nil and the Year 6 Girls age group!

Year 6 Boys

Coach Keita

The Year 6 boys had a tough group stage, up against strong competition. However, they persevered and were able earn themselves a spot in the semi-finals. The team pulled together and played a terrific semi-final, securing their place in the final. 

The final saw the team tested to new lengths, with multiple injuries and fatigue setting in. Against a strong opposition, the team played a great game, however in the end it wasn't quite enough. They still ended the day with a fantastic result as Runners Up. 

A big congratulations to all the boys, who are already looking forward to their next tournament!

In this week’s episode of Spartan Stream, we see results from the lunchtime Race that Stops Education, highlight Spartan success in climbing, gymnastics, basketball and equestrian and we tally final premierships from APS Season 1 sport.