For those still thinking about what they might engage in over the course of the semester or year, can I encourage you to think about the six ‘Rs’?
Service Learning is our own ongoing exploration of what exactly it is in this life that we simply cannot walk past, without actually doing something (carefully and thoughtfully) about it. The Service journey has begun for many of our students who have taken up the opportunities provided by the College with its community partners.
The media likes to tell our children they are the most important people in the world and they should be doing ‘whatever it takes’ to turn their dreams into reality. Parents and teachers can balance this by modelling and encouraging a genuine interest in the well-being of others.
Here are three simple things we can do to promote a servant heart in our children:
Enjoy the following brief reflections from a selection of students across the College, following various activities this term:
Year 6: "Forfeiting my run to volunteer on a Saturday morning at Park Run allows me to cheer on everyone to finish. I enjoy handing out the finish tokens to people of all ages."
Year 7: "My time at Terraces was a great, new experience for me as I felt that many of the elderly are very warm and friendly. After a short time there, it has helped me realise that just talking to the elderly can put a smile on their faces and that makes my afternoon."
Year 8: "Cooking a meal for someone in need is beneficial for many. Obviously, the community in which I am serving (by providing them with food, but also a place for connection). I also feel a sense of benefit through preparing a meal. It helps me with my cooking skills and reminds me that helping others also makes me feel good. My little brother also helps me cook the meal and I like telling him what it is about and who it benefits."
Year 9: "I love being a Somerset Shed mentor, because it allows me to help younger students improve their skills in something that I take a lot of joy from."
Year 10: "Clover Connect reminds me how important it is to help people. It also gives me a greater understanding about the community."
Year 11: "I’m really looking forward to welcoming the Year 5 students from Murgon State School to the Celebration of Literature next week. Since B1 last June, I’ve missed their friendship, their laughter, running around with them at lunch and helping them with their school work in the classroom."
Teacher from Mudgeeraba Special School: "My boys have been excited all day waiting for the Somerset Students to return. It is the highlight of their week."
1st XV: "Our community boasts a strong sense of togetherness and commitment. By sticking to these core values, as a group it means that we are always there for each other and always willing to help one another and the needy in the greater community."
My surfing has evolved over the years and my experience has made me more aware of the surfing equipment required. My mentor Jason Jameson helped me extend my knowledge of surfboards and develop my Personal Project.
I have based my Project on a surf trip I am taking to North Sumatra in a few weeks, when I wanted to use my board. The research, concept and design commenced at the end of last year with Jason, and has come together with a finished product I am proud of, in time for my upcoming trip. Considering the level of skill involved for this Project, without the involvement of my mentor Jason, I would have struggled to complete it.
Over the design and production time, my Personal Project has taught me to appreciate the amount of work, skill and knowledge that is required to build a surfboard. These are skills that can not be acquired simply by building your first surfboard from start to finish. It’s also exposed me to the technological advancements in building a surfboard through the use of computer profiling machines.
Surfboards now are not just not a hand made product. Surfboard production is a combination of the technological advancements of computer profiling, combined with specific hand-finishing, labour intensive skills to complete the finished product.
I am proud of my end result, and I can’t wait to ride it!
Women are standing up stronger than ever on issues they believe in, and have in the past felt too intimidated to push for. Movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp are fuelled by the global activism for women’s equality, standing up for sexual harassment, unfair treatment and feeling unsafe.
International Women’s Day, celebrated 8 March each year, is a day to acknowledge the great achievements of women, to challenge stereotypes and bias, forge positive visibility of women, and to accept, understand and influence less progressive beliefs and ideas. From the World Economic Forum’s 2017 Global Gender Gap report, findings suggest that closing ‘the gap’ is over 200 years away.
On Tuesday 6 March, I was lucky enough to be one of the four students, along with Ms Hyman, to attend an Australian Defence Force High Tea which celebrated Women in Leadership and reminded us of our ability to excel in any area we may choose. We heard from accomplished women in the ADF who shared with us their stories, how they overcame challenges, built resilience and more but most importantly how as a woman in today’s society we can 'have it all’ and we should aspire to nothing less.
This International Women’s Day was important to acknowledge a society that accepts progress and encourages movement towards better equality for women through fair treatment, pay, media time, sport recognition, gender stereotypes, sponsorships, leadership positions and opportunities for success, is a society we all must work toward achieving.
Congratulations and good luck to the following students who will compete at the state swimming titles next week:Bessie Dear, Raiden Kyaw, Jordan Wilson, Ky Codd, Mia Collins, Malorie Gell, Brooke Otto, Leon Shirayama, Harrison Smith.
A number of Somerset students took part in the state titles last week, with the following students achieving medals:Casey Wilson - 2nd Surf Swim Team (Year 10)Mia Collins - 2nd Individual Surf Swim (Year 8)Lila Horobin - 3rd Individual Surf Swim, 2nd Surf Swim Team (Year 9)Lilli Hodge - 1st Board and 1st Surf Swim Teams, 2nd Beach Relay (Year 6)
Last week Kipp took part in the Queensland U/15 Hockey Trials. He was selected in the squad of 60 boys from various tournaments and events across the calendar in 2017. He subsequently received notice that he had been selected in the top side to represent Queensland at the National Championships in Wollongong 17 to 27 April.
All policies and procedures are outlined in the Senior School Sport page of Schoolbox, under “Sport Policy and Dates”. All students and parents are encouraged to familiarise themselves with these.Please note, practices are compulsory for both Winter and Summer Seasons.
Hinterland Trials are for strong performers to trial for representative selection in school sport. These lead to Regional and State teams.
Students wanting to trial for these teams, must email or come to the Sports Department ASAP. All trials are listed on the Sports Page of Schoolbox (“Representative Sport” tile) and announced in Notices during the week.
Every day at 7.00am to 8.15amMeet Ms McKenna and Ms Oppermann at the Track, all welcome
House Cross Country Carnival, Wednesday 18 April:In Week 1 of Term Two, we will host our Annual House Cross Country Carnival. Students will leave class at the end of period four and head to the Track area to prepare for their races (16 Years+ Boys race 6km, all others race 3km). Awards will conclude at the Track by 4.45pm.
Monday 19 and Wednesday 21 March Compulsory APS Practices continue
Friday 23 March APS Winter Sports Practice Round vs ASAS (Years 8 and 9 on Camp)
Term 2: Weeks 1 to 8 Winter Season Rounds 1 to 7 and Finals Day
APS Sport Photos
Click here to access photos of your sport or your team.
All Season details on Schoolbox Senior School Sports page. (“Winter Sports” tile for all season dates, and training schedules of the APS Season)
If you need more information, drop by the Sports Office in the Ray Building.
Student Injuries: If your son or daughter is injured at school sport, it must be recorded at the time by the school nurse/medical person present if parents wish to apply through the school insurance policy. If delayed signs or symptoms arise over the weekend, students must notify the school nurse on Monday morning.
All sporting details are posted on Schoolbox on the Sports page.
Andrea has travelled the globe and draws on her worldly experiences to write songs, poetry, personal essays, drama, fictions and a memoir. Having worked with children and young people for much of her career in arts and health, Andrea is passionate about helping them to express themselves and reaching others through words and music.
In the workshop with Andrea, students identified their strengths and harnessed their skills as either a ‘wordy’ or a ‘muso’, or a bit of both. During their session, the group worked at creating the basis for three songs and in doing so, developed a growing appreciation for the synergy of words and music.
The critical message heard through the session was that each of the students are individuals, whatever they write is fine and they are to be proud of, and confident in what they create because it is theirs.
The students are thankful for the opportunity to have an established singer-songwriter work with them, someone who knows exactly what they experience when taking their own creative journey.
The top Somerset team won Gold in A Division, ahead of rivals King’s Christian College (silver), while the second Somerset team won bronze (equal second with King’s).
The winning team in A Division had three of its players win all seven games: Raff Atia, Eason Wang and Kenny Ming, and Anson Qu finished equal fourth on 5/7. So as a team they scored an incredible 26 points from 28 games. Congratulations also to Melody Yang and Sophia Ahern on a very good result (5 points each).
In B Division, Somerset teams won all three podium finish places. Advait Naik was the star performer with 7/7, winning individual gold and leading his team to bronze. Sasha Hanford scored individual silver with 6/7 (only losing to Advait), and Ken Yang won individual bronze with 5.5/6. Congratulations to these merit winners: Edward Zhang (5/7), Ken Wu (5/7), Harry Mackintosh (4.5/7) and James Young (4.5/7).
Somerset also won a team bronze in C Division. Merrit winners for C Division: Nate van den Brink (5/7), Noa Chester-Haviv (5/7), Calen Tang (5/7), Angus Fraser (4.5/7), Adriana Smith (4.5/7) and Oscar Goetz (4.5/7).
Some of Somerset’s best young Chess stars had the opportunity to play against a Grandmaster last weekend. Kayden Troff, from the United States, was the World Under 14 Champion. He became a Grandmaster (the highest possible title in Chess) at just 16 years old. Now 19, he’s temporarily in Australia, serving as a missionary for the Mormon Church.
Some of the best young players in South East Queensland had a rare opportunity to watch a presentation by Grandmaster Troff, where he analysed his win from the World Championship. Following that, there were two “simuls” (simultaneous displays), where Grandmaster Troff played against the group of 20 kids at the same time, and then against a group of 22 kids/ adults.
Of the 42 games in total, GM Troff only lost two games and drew one. One of the losses was against Year 7 Somerset student Oliver Yang, while Byron Morris, from Year 8, held the Grandmaster to a draw. Byron and Oliver are currently the Board 2 and 3 for Somerset’s first Senior team.
• Junior Masters - Saturday 24 to Sunday 25 March
• One Day Challenge - Sunday 25 March
• Doeberl Cup (29 March to 2 April, an international event in Canberra; some top Somerset students will participate)
Ticket sales at this year's event topped the first business lunch with guest speaker, Peter Greste. Thanks must be extended to the volunteer team led by Immediate Past President Justin Taylor and Past President Josie Kay (with the always fantastic support of Andrea Lewis and her team in the College Events office) who with their determination have made the event successful.
A business lunch will again be held in September. We urge you to stay updated for ticket sales, to avoid disappointment with another predicted sell out.
Sponsors and raffle prizes are always welcome. Anyone with a business who would like to contribute can contact the Events team.
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