As our school year pauses for the mid-year break, Mr Taylor reflects on our incredible journey of learning so far, drawing a parallel with Marco Polo's epic travels across Asia. He reminds us all of the need for rest and rejuvenation as we take the time to reflect and prepare for our amazing adventures ahead in the second half of 2024.
From our Deputy PrincipalAttending this year's all-girls camp was an unforgettable experience filled with various fun activities. Our teacher group included Ms Green, Mrs James, Ms Capuano, Mrs Threlfo, Mrs Batt, Ms Leach, Mrs Weathered and Ms Gambiza, and they fully enhanced the camp experience by providing constant encouragement and organising so much engaging activities. Their enthusiasm and support created an environment where we all felt motivated to participate and have fun. We enjoyed activities like stand-up paddleboarding on a beautiful lake, which allowed us to appreciate nature's beauty while learning new skills. The beach activities showed our competitive side but also fostered strong bonds among our cohort. We faced our fears through archery and the high ropes course and cheered each other as we celebrated each other's victories. The evening devotions were especially impactful, particularly on the second night when numerous girls showed remarkable courage by opening their hearts to God. The chaplains, Meg and Kae, opened up an invitation for anyone wanting prayer and it resulted in an outpouring of emotion and personal revelation which solidified our strong sense of community in our cohort and God's love that enveloped us all. Overall, our Year 10 Girls' camp was a really enjoyable experience as we strengthened our bonds with others and created new friendships.
By Caitlin Orth
Over three days in June, the Year 10 boys went camping on Mount Tamborine at QCCC which was an amazing place to stay. The camp provided us with an immersive experience as we took part in many challenging activities, made new friends, and had the chance to deepen our connection with Christ. We experienced many activities that tested our courage, teamwork, encouragement, humility and respect. These included the 'Leap of Faith', giant ladder, 'stranded,' bushwalking, and mountain biking. The Leap of Faith required us to climb 16m up a tree and then jump off from a wooden platform and it was great to see everyone give it a go and support each other. 'Stranded' was an exciting activity where our resilience was tested as we navigated the woods on our own with limited resources. During the evening devotions, Chappies Jesse and Riley gave powerful sermons, and on the first night, Jesse talked about the unchanging nature of God. He spoke about how trends are always changing but God never does. God can change your life if you just follow his guidance, even if it seems like the harder path at the time. John 10:27 says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they know me.” Many boys stayed behind to receive prayer from teachers and gave their lives to God. On the second night of camp, Riley talked about ‘who are you’. He explained how identities shape us and how we live in a “you do you" self-centred world. We fill our lives with things that will be gone tomorrow, but we need to think about who we are when these things are gone. His message reminded us of how we are constantly putting things on to identify with, but we should take off these false labels because God is waiting for us to talk with him again. God will always be there waiting for us and even when we may walk away from him, he is constantly there and ready for us to turn to Him again. Camp was such an awesome experience for the Year 10 boys, as we were pushed mentally, physically and spiritually. Thanks to Mr Kelly, Mr Smith, Mr Van der Westhuizen, Mr Horiguchi, Mr Du Plessis and Mr Timile for supporting us on this life-changing camp!
By Didier Liddell
As we come to the end Term 2, we are thrilled to share our most recent High School highlights:
Bringing Learning to Life
This term, we have enjoyed numerous excursions and incursions that have brought learning to life, inspired curiosity, and reinforced classroom lessons. They have included visits to Seaworld Resort and Hotel School, Dendy Theatre for a viewing of Macbeth, Bond University, Southern Cross University, Zarraffas, Movieworld, Molendinar and Burleigh for graffiti photography, the Gallery of Modern Art, Home of the Arts, and Gold Coast Suns, among others.
Maximising Education Perfect
Education Perfect continues to enhance our students’ learning experiences. This platform allows students to engage more deeply with interactive content. Students can provide anonymous feedback on peer work and receive tasks tailored to refine specific skills. This year already, students have answered an impressive 481,013 questions in Japanese, 467,274 questions in English and 303,364 in Science!
Data-Driven Insights
Data is always an invaluable resource, offering detailed insights into student performance. Graphs analysed by Heads of Departments (HODs) and classroom teachers highlight both overachievement (celebrated with congratulations) and underachievement (addressed with encouraging conversations) based on student abilities. This data is especially helpful for senior teachers, guiding targeted interventions in preparation for success in senior courses.
Celebrating Term 1 Academic Progress
Heads of Houses have been hosting special lunches to honour senior students who have shown significant academic improvement. These celebrations recognise the hard work of students in Year 11 at the end of Unit 1, Year 12 at the end of Unit 3 and those in Years 7-10 at the end of Term 1. We love making a fuss about academic success!
Term 2 Assessment and Exams
Students across all year levels have been working diligently to draft and submit excellent assessment items and to complete in-class and Exam Block examinations. Teachers are always excited when students can demonstrate their best efforts and are rewarded with high results.
Motivating Year 12 Students
ATAR predictions have served as a powerful motivator for Year 12 students. These predictions encourage students to strive for excellence as they approach the final stages of their secondary education. Please keep our year 12 students in your thoughts and prayers as they prepare for their External Examinations. You can find the QCAA external exam schedule here.
Professional Development for Teachers
Our teachers are also lifelong learners. So far this year, our Heads of Department and teachers have attended Australian Curriculum and QCAA webinars and workshops across all learning areas. They have prioritised meeting in Professional Learning Teams to review data and discuss student learning and quality teaching, and assessment practices. King’s has also hosted in-house PD sessions to explore effective teaching strategies and techniques to improve engagement and achievement.
Proactive Attendance and Punctuality Initiatives
Attendance and punctuality are crucial for academic success. Heads of Houses engage with students to address attendance issues, while our Teaching and Learning team collaborates with parents. We will continue to work closely with families for the second half of the year to ensure that students can meet the 95% attendance target and maximise every available minute of learning.
Semester Two Assessment Schedules
Semester 2 assessment schedules for Years 7 - 11 will be released within the first two weeks of Term 3. The Year 12 assessment schedule was made available at the beginning of the school year.
We Appreciate our Partnership
Thank you, parents and caregivers, for your continued support of our vibrant high school community. Together, we are making remarkable strides in providing an engaging, challenging and dynamic education for all of our students. Please note that Semester 2 assessment schedules for Years 7 - 11 will be released within the first two weeks of Term 3.
On Friday, 21 June, High School hosted its very first Write a Book in a Day event. Led by Miss French, Miss Marlow and Mrs Daly, the activity transformed the Writers' Block into a bustling hub of creativity. It was great to see 35 students from Years 7-10 give up their first day of school holidays to participate in this enriching experience. Write a Book in a Day is part of a nationwide competition that encourages teamwork and creativity while supporting a noble cause. Participants have 12 hours to write and illustrate a complete children’s book, with unique parameters given at the start of the day. It is an intense but fun challenge that not only tests writing and drawing skills but also fosters collaboration and time management. More importantly, this event serves as a fundraiser for the Kids’ Cancer Project. Each team gathers sponsorships, with all proceeds supporting vital childhood cancer research. The finished books are donated to children in hospitals across Australia, bringing joy and comfort to young patients. Our students' dedication and hard work was truly inspiring, and we look forward to seeing the impact of their creative efforts. Congratulations to all the participants for their remarkable contributions to this worthy cause!
On Thursday, 6 June, young athletes from schools across the Gold Coast gathered to compete in the highly anticipated Gold Coast Futsal Cup, showcasing their exceptional talent and sportsmanship.
All students exhibited fantastic effort, attitude, and sportsmanship. Congratulations to the champions, and well done to all participants for their dedication and positive spirit!
After successfully qualifying earlier in the term at the regional Schools' Futsal qualifiers, the State Championships were held at Nissan Arena, and all four King's teams achieved exceptional results, finishing in the top four and qualifying for the nationals later this year in Brisbane.
Elijah Winnington, King's Class of 2017, is off to his second Olympic Games after qualifying at last week's Australian Swimming Trials in the 400m and 800m events - congratulations to Elijah on this exceptinoal achievement! Well done to Jesse Coleman (Class of 2022) and Maya Zunker (Year 10 student), who also competed at the Olympic Trials. Jesse finished 4th in a lightning-fast 100m Butterfly, only a few tenths off the qualifying time, while Maya competed in the 100m Breaststroke and came 49 out of 73 at only 15 years of age. We are excited to see our alumni and students competing at the peak level of their sport and look forward to watching Elijah chase his Olympic dream in the pool in Paris this July.
We are excited to announce that, for the first time, our school is participating in the Swell Sculpture Festival, held on the stunning shores of Currumbin Beach from the 6th to the 15th of September. Our entry into this prestigious event is a collaborative artwork that beautifully tells the story of the Gold Coast shoreline through a striking combination of 50 clay houses and towering timber structures. This project has brought together students from Years 7 - 10, teachers from all three campuses, support and admin staff, and even our Deputy Principal, Damien Taylor, who personally created one of the clay houses. The juxtaposition of the small, handcrafted cottages and the towering timber structures represents the contrast between the Gold Coast’s historical roots and its modern skyline. The collaboration showcases the incredible creativity and unity of our school community. We’re immensely proud to see the hard work of our students and staff come to life at such a well-known event.
This project was initiated and driven by Jody Lock, whose vision and leadership helped bring this artwork to life. Our talented Art Teachers played a crucial role in managing the construction of the clay houses. We invite everyone to come down to Currumbin Beach and experience the artwork firsthand. Let’s support our budding young artists and celebrate this wonderful achievement together!
The last week in May saw the return of our second-year KCOT trainees from ‘prac’, which was the very first one, for most trainees. Practicum placement is the allocation of a teacher-in-training into a classroom to plan, prepare, and teach real content and skills to students under the supervision of a registered and experienced teacher. Our proud trainees returned with plenty of stories from a range of schools throughout South-East Queensland, from Tweed to Toowoomba and everywhere in between!
Trainees in our KCOT program are at a natural advantage. They have been in classrooms with King’s teachers from the first week of their first year of university. All second-year trainees reported feeling comfortable with staff and students in their ‘prac’ schools, thanks to their experience here at King’s. Our first-year trainees cannot wait to go on their first practicum. Teaching schools like KCOT are flipping the narrative on training, offering experience and cultural understanding that regular universities just cannot match.
We are pleased to have all of our trainees back from prac and look forward to them returning to our King's classrooms at every campus.
The library had an incredible response to their latest cricket quiz competition. Thank you to everyone for taking part and congratulations to all our winners, we hope you enjoy your prizes!
King's P&F are pleased to invite our community of parents and friends to a night of glamour at the Oscars-inspired 2024 King's Ball on Saturday, 12 October. View the flyer for more information and purchase your tickets via the button below... tickets are selling fast so don't miss out on this exciting event!
Did you know that King's Reedy Creek has a dedicated Instagram account that showcases the many exciting aspects of our school life? We also have pages for our art and sports departments and our central College page: @kings_christian_college. We'd love you to follow us to support our students and see what's happening behind the scenes at King's Reedy Creek @Kings_reedycreek
