Media and advertising often tell our children that they are the most important people in the world and that they must be prepared to do ‘whatever it takes’ to ensure their dreams are a success. It is our job as parents and teachers to balance this by modelling and encouraging a genuine interest in the wellbeing of others. Here are three simple things we can do to promote a servant heart in our children: 1. Explain why it is important to serve. Obviously, there are the proven benefits to ones own wellbeing when we look beyond ourselves but our children also need to understand the responsibility that comes when we live in community. 2/. Children look to their parents for guidance on modelling behaviour. Being someone who helps others and the environment is one of the clearest ways for them to understand its importance. Share stories of others serving in your community so your child can see examples of ways to help. Volunteer to do activities where you are serving together as a family. Spend a Sunday morning helping our local Disabled Surfers Association or picking up rubbish from the local park or beach. Encourage your child to donate old clothes and blankets to a Winter Appeal rather than having a garage sale or cook a meal together for a family who has a newborn, the homeless or for someone who is caring for a sick loved one. The list is endless.
There are a myriad of opportunities at the College for our students to serve and these are highlighted in our IMPACT Programme 2019 booklet found here. Tomorrow, our 1st XV Rugby Squad will be working with Legacy to help a war widow clean-up her yard in what Legacy calls their Backyard Assist Programme. There will be many opportunities like this for your son or daughter to connect with community during the year, including the activities for their House charities.
This year, let us continue to work together to raise young men and women who have the desire to be contributing members of their local, national and global communities.
Over four days our 10 student directors auditioned 185 students from Years 7 to 12. The volume of students entering the audition room was astounding!
Difficult choices were made and casts were selected. To all the students who auditioned, please know all of the Directors were immensely proud of your bravery and passion to be involved in the festival. For those students who were unsuccessful in 2019, I encourage you to consider other Performing Arts opportunities available at the College in 2019 and to strive for the 2020 House Plays Festival.
The House Plays Festival is on Thursday 7 March at the Robina Community Centre. I encourage you to put a save the date on your calendar, as our 2019 Festival will be a one night only affair, due to the performance moving off site. Tickets will be available to purchase through the Events page on the College website closer to the date.
I would like to formally congratulate the 2019 House Plays Festival Directors, and wish them Chookas as they prepare for the festival, which is shaping up to be a true clash of the titans!
Andrews House – Bria Phillips and Thomas McKennaLaver House – Ella Banic and Ziggy EnochFranklin House – Lilly Thompson and Harry MorrisonStarkey House – Annika Puhalla and Julius WrightVeivers House – Bella Harris and Isabella Strong
Keep an eye on the Somerset Times in the coming weeks for further information regarding the 2019 House Plays Festival. It is time to get excited!
Laser cutters, dye sublimation and heat transfer, 3D printers, wide format printing, brand new top-spec filing equipment and facilities, vinyl cutters and more, the possibilities for our Design students to bring their ideas to life is endless.
We are looking forward to an exciting and busy year with new units of work, excursions, testing out our new equipment, the handover of the Design Centre later in the year in time for another outstanding showcase of student work at the 2019 Synergies Exhibition. Watch this space for another exciting addition to the Design Faculty calendar and see how you can get involved!
Head over to the Design Faculty’s Instagram page to keep up to date with developments and student work @SomersetCollege_DesignFaculty
These organisations are proud supporters of the Somerset Celebration of Entrepreneurship and we are delighted to be working with them again in 2019.
The Student Startup Landing Pad will provide Jamie with the space, resources and support to work on his business ideas. The Innovation Hub launched with the support of the Queensland Government, City of Gold Coast and over 20 corporate partners committed to driving a new digital economy on the Gold Coast. At the centre of the hub is a purpose built three story work and event space designed by innovators, for innovators, where startups and scale-ups can connect, collaborate, grow, raise investment and expand into global markets. Home to around 200 innovators, this is the ideal location for Jamie to progress and commercialise his projects.
Congratulations Jaime!
This year our testing will be conducted by Academic Assessment Services.
Academic, Music and General Excellence scholarships are available.
If you know of a student who would require a scholarship to attend Somerset College please encourage them to apply.
All applicants are asked to submit a copy of their most recent report plus Curriculum Vitae outlining their achievements and involvement in areas such as sport, cultural activities, leadership and service. NAPLAN results should also be provided. These details will be considered in conjunction with the results of the testing. Short listed candidates will be invited to interview.
For music scholarships all applicants must take the academic testing at the above time, which will be followed by a music test - theoretical and aural. Supporting material which details musical experience and achievements should be supplied with the application. Preference may be given to applicants who can demonstrate an ability to play one or more of the following instruments: Oboe, Bassoon, French Horn lower brass instruments and lower saxophones. Please do not send original documents. A shortlist will be prepared and selected candidates will then be contacted and invited to audition.
Current Somerset College students in Years 6, 9 and 10 are able to apply.
Year 6 is a matter of being organised and prepared to work through a busy day. We were delighted to see coloured folders arriving at school with correct books in place – thanks to organised and prepared parents!
The first day and a half of the school year was spent understanding how Year 6 works and what our school year will look, feel and sound like. What do we do with our diary? How does my timetable work?
When do I access the locker area?
We looked at the values and traits that all Year 6 will need as Leaders of the Junior School. We accessed and graded great quotes that really resonated with us and made us think about the year ahead.
Boot Camp was probably the favourite group of activities. It is always fun to be part of a team, trying a variety of activities that involve sweat, buckets of water and laughter.
Year 6 students are now ‘getting in the groove’ of life up here at the top of the Brown Building, looking out to the Senior School while turning their heads to the Junior School for what will be a fabulous year.
The students spent time working in House groups identifying their character strengths, their emotions, their levels of attention and awareness, relationship building, learning how to cope in difficult situations and finally looking at developing good habits and goals to support them through the early days of change in a new year level.
Below is a summary of just some of the opportunities on offer in Semester One, with many more to come later in the year. Any students interested in pursuing any of the following activities are encouraged to access the sign-up form on the Performing Arts Schoolbox page, or contact College Debating Co-ordinator Miss Janie-Marie Burgess, at jburgess@somerset.qld.edu.au.
Gold Coast Debating Competition (year-long) is a three-on-three style debating competition in which Somerset College has enjoyed great success since its establishment over fifteen years ago. Students in Years 7-12 are encouraged to join, where they will receive the benefits of dedicated coaching and many externally-run development opportunities. The competition will this year, for the first time, lead its Open A Champions to a Queensland Regional Debating Final.
Gold Coast Junior Council (year-long) is a student leadership and civic program that provides students with the opportunity to meet in a mock local council setting, elect youth council members, and debate the issues of their local community. This year, applications are open to Year 10 students wanting to join the two-year program that will see them through to the end of Year 11.
UN Youth State Conference (22 to 24 February) is a three-day residential event run by the youth-affiliate to the United Nations Association of Australia. Their facilitators teach the attendees, over 100 Year 9 to 12 students from all over the state, about the function and role of the United Nations and the issues with which they deal – all through a series of workshops, discussion forums, and group activities. Queensland Youth Parliament (year-long) is a youth mirror of the Queensland State Parliament run by the local YMCA. Participants act as the youth-affiliate to their own state MP, and debate in Queensland Parliament House on bills they have drafted. In the past, some youth bills have been passed as real Queensland legislation! Students aged 15 years and over can make a difference with this opportunity.
Rotary Model United Nations (MUNA) (23 March) is a single-day mock UN General Assembly, in which students represent a nation in teams and debate global issues. Students must speak from the perspective of their allocated country, and some resolutions are unseen until the day. Years 10 to 12 students may participate, and those who debate well on the day can be selected to represent the district at a National Final.
Rostrum Voice of Youth (4 May) is a public speaking competition with a strong nationwide participation across Year 7 to 12 students. Students prepare speeches under broad provided topics, choosing a related idea about which they are truly passionate. There is an opportunity to progress through numerous local heats to state and national finals.
Bond University High Schools Mooting Competition (May) is a mock legal trial conducted in the prestigious moot courts at Bond University. Year 11 to 12 students analyse a provided circumstance and previous civil case, and act as either the appellant or respondent in an appeal context. Successful participants proceed to a national final, where a scholarship to study law at Bond University is on offer.Bond University Model United Nations Conference (BUHMUN) (9 to 10 May) is a two-day conference in which Year 10 to 12 students both learn about and act as delegates of the united nations. Participants must submit ‘position papers’ on the allocated issues prior to the event, which will be considered as part of the judging process. This year, the university is also offering students the opportunity to act as ‘journalists’ for the event, recording interviews with ‘delegates’ throughout.
Plain English Speaking Award (June) is a public speaking event with a focus on the integrity and power of the English language. Students partake in both prepared and impromptu speech presentations, and participation in this prestigious event is restricted to one Year 11 or 12 participant from each of the invited schools – one of which is now Somerset College.
Regardless of your child's ability, singing helps build confidence, memory training, language and auditory skills along with improving lung function and breathing awareness. Professor Sarah Wilson from the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Melbourne suggests that singing offers a range of neuroprotective benefits, as well as activating a range of networks associated with movement, listening, planning, memory, and language, singing triggers the release of the feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine.
Somerset College singing teachers Miss Jenine Carnell, and Miss Mia Fanning are both qualified singing teachers having studied vocal pedagogy at the Qld Conservatorium of Music as well as being professional contemporary singers for many years.
This year there are currently small singing group vacancies for Years 3, 4 and 5 as well as limited places for individual lessons for all students from Years 3 to 12. Click here to learn how to enrol your child in singing lessons today.
The Sustainable Spartans committee has four sub-groups; PYP Sustainable Spartans (led by Mr Will Boston), MYP Sustainable Spartans (led by Mrs Helen Coombes), Senior Sustainable Spartans (led by Dr Michael Brohier) and Parent Sustainable Spartans (led by Mrs Katie Norman).
Information about our projects can be found on the Sustainable Spartans Schoolbox page – click here.
In 2018 we saw our biggest ever turnout for Clean Up Australia Day, with almost 100 students coming together to help rid our campus of litter and reduce the impact on wildlife and the environment. We hope this year is even bigger than last! Parents and friends are invited to volunteer at this Somerset Community event – please send me an email if you are interested in getting involved (hcoombes@somerset.qld.edu.au).
We will likely hold another Sustainable Sewing event this semester to create more Bounce Bags for use in the Bird & Bush Café. A gentle reminder that if you have use one of our Bounce Bags, please return it to the B&B so that other families may use them. We are currently very low on stock!
Aqua and Deep Water Running
These classes:
Class varieties such as Circuits, Interval Training and Core Strength targeting will keep you on your toes and ensure you are always receiving a full body workout whilst most importantly having fun.
We are looking to have a come and try week, for a free trial, beginning Monday 25 February. Class time and dates will be announced in the coming week and we look forward to you joining our great new programmes.
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