Head of Middle Years

Welcome back to Term 2. We had a wonderful opportunity to come together as a College at our Year 7 – 12 Athletic Carnival on Wednesday 4 May. It was fantastic to observe the students show enthusiasm and enjoyment during their participation in events. For a number of students, this was their first experience of a House event at the College and I do hope they left with a real sense of belongingness and House spirit! A big shout out to all of the students who entered events that they were unfamiliar with, but were eager to score points for their House team. Congratulations to Baker for taking home the College’s Athletics Shield! 

NAPLAN Testing – Weeks 3 and 4

As mentioned in the previous newsletter, students in Years 7 and 9 will be commencing NAPLAN testing on Wednesday 11 May (next week). Testing will run into the following week (Week 4). It is VERY important that each student has their own set of earphones for NAPLAN. The College does not have spare earphones to supply the students. These need to be compatible with their iPads. Additional suggestions to help prepare your child for NAPLAN include:

• encouraging your child to get a good night’s sleep prior to the tests
• ensuring your child is eating a well-balanced diet
• being well-hydrated with water and ensuring that a water bottle is brought to school/ sessions
• Re-assuring your child that the NAPLAN test provides a snap-shot of their learning and does NOT define future success

Again, if your child was absent or if they would like further familiarisation, you are welcome to visit ACARA NAPLAN Online public demonstration site 

Parent / Teacher Interviews

Teachers enjoyed the opportunity to meet parents/guardians during the recent online Parent/ Teacher interviews conducted in Week 2. There are still slots available to book in a time to meet with subject teachers on Wednesday 11 May in a face-to-face setting. I encourage you to take the time to meet with your child’s subject teacher as well as Pastoral Care teacher to better understand how your child is working within a subject. Please refer to the information sent to all families via Signmee and SEQTA Direct Message. 

Wynspeak Public Speaking Competition

On Thursday 28 April, three of our students represented Good News Lutheran College in Heat 1 of the Wynspeak Public Speaking Competition. Eleasha E (7SN) and Shalom B (7HP) participated in the junior competition (Year 7 – 9) and Anna S (10BG) represented us in the senior section (Year 10 – 12). 

The competition requires students to present a five minute prepared speech and a two minute impromptu speech on a short-notice topic. All three students spoke with confidence and flair, with Eleasha presenting a passionate speech on the topic of discrimination and Anna persuasively arguing about the importance of addressing the issue of fast fashion. Shalom from 7HP gave a lyrical and poetic recitation on ‘growth’ which was awarded first place in the junior section. 

As the winner of Heat 1, Shalom will now go on to compete in the final of the Wynspeak Competition on June 1.  Congratulations to all three students on their excellent achievement in this competition.