Rush House News

As we approach the end of Term 3, I just wanted to provide a reflection on, and celebration of, some of the key events that took place over the last 10 weeks. 

Rush Staff News

Firstly, I do want to say thank you to Kate Moore, who very capably took over the Head of Rush role while I acted in the Pastoral Leader – Students position recently. I am thankful for Kate’s compassion, care and support of the Rush family. Thanks also to Anne Quill, who took Kate’s GYM2 Pastoral Group during this time. I would like to welcome Kristy Freer to 108 Pastoral Group, who is replacing Elizabeth Kenny, who has now taken maternity leave (and upon her return next year, will take up the position of Career Counsellor at the College).

Rush House Captains for 2026

The Year 11s undertook the leadership process this term, and I was very pleased to see the number of boys who put their hand up to lead and represent Rush House and the College. It was an extremely talented group, and I was very proud of what I heard in their speeches to the cohort/House, and it makes me think that Rush will stay in good hands moving forward. The Rush gents who didn’t apply were also very supportive of their peers, and a commitment was made to still lead the House (as Seniors) whether they have an official badge or not – something I very much appreciate.

I would like to officially announce the new Rush House Leaders for 2026.

With the appointment of new leaders (starting work next term) I would also like to take a moment to thank the current House Leaders for all of their work with, and support of, me, the staff and the Rush boys this year. They set a positive tone from the beginning of the year, which helped us build community and culture, and see success in many House events (and even placing first on the House Cup for a while this year). Thank you:

• George Philp (Mission) – back left
• Lachlan Davidson (Sport) – back right
• Ethan Schulz (Wellbeing) – front left
• Zach Watts (Culture) – front middle
• Micah Netzler (Academic) – front right

Slattery 7s

In Week 2, Rush competed in the Slattery 7s competition. Thank you to the boys who represented Rush and competed. A highlight would be the Year 9/10 team - they fell just short of advancing to the finals. They were tied, but the rule is that the first team to score gets the win, and unfortunately, that was our opposition. I have included a photo of the Year 7/8 team who worked well together in their game too (as confirmed by their Year 11 coaches).

Elizabeth Kenny (108 PG Teacher) Baby Shower

In Week 4, with the help of Mrs Tara Franklin (Careers Counsellor and proud Rush mother), 108 Pastoral Group attended a baby shower to congratulate Ms Kenny and farewell her as she took maternity leave. The boys played a couple of games and enjoyed some tasty treats. I’m guessing it was the first baby shower most boys had attended, and it was a bit of fun – thanks Tara.

Year 8 Retreat Day

Also in Week 4, Year 8 students had their Retreat Day. Blake Killen (Rush 106 PG) and Alex Holding (Rush GYM1 PG) have provided a reflection on the experience.

"On the Retreat Day at Mount Coot-tha on the Kokoda Trail we did a range of fun activities including a team-building walk up the big hill, lots of talks with the instructors about never leaving someone behind, perspective and mateship, using a stretcher to carry a mate in a team, and cooking up some delicious burgers.

What we learnt was that in a good team anything is possible, and that trust in a team is the most important aspect. In the stretcher carry we learnt that you should always be careful with the way you talk to mates and check in on them to make sure they don’t fall out!

From this amazing opportunity I think some of the traits that we took back as a grade would be not leaving a man behind, meaning when times get tough, not to lose hope and always work as a team.”

Walkathon

Thank you to all those families who attended and donated to Walkathon this year. It is always a nice community event at the College, and it was good to see many Rush gents completing the walk together. Rush was also well represented in the Battle of the Bands competition that ran along side the Walkathon, and congratulations to The Waiting List for taking out the title (with Ambrose Gonzalez and Max Hammond involved from Rush).

Academic Awards 

This term, Optimus awards were presented to Year 11 students for their achievements in Unit 1- the first unit of their Senior studies. Congratulations to the following students, as this reflects your hard work, time and dedication to your studies. 

Also, congratulations to the Years 7 to 10 Semester 1 Academic Award winners. Well done.

Head of College Application Awards

Semester 1 Head of College awards were also presented this term, for achieving As across all subjects for effort and application results, which shows sustained commitment, focus and work ethic. Congratulations to the following boys – it gives us a lot to aspire to, and regardless of academic ability, this is something that all Rush gents can work towards. I was also able to attend a couple of presentations of these awards, so have included photos of the Years 8, 10 and 11 award recipients.

Ridley Mastermind

For this House Cup event, each House had to put forward a team (of various year levels) to take part in a general knowledge quiz. Thank you to the boys who represented Rush – some of the questions were not easy!

Year 9 Camp

In Week 9, Year 9 students had their camp at Noosa North Shore. It was an expedition-style experience, where boys camped in tents for the night, then trekked to their next location (either by canoe, mountain bike or hiking). The journeys were long and they needed to carry all of their belongings with them between sites – so they needed to pack light. Along the journey, they participated in surfing, stand-up paddleboarding, high ropes, prepared and cooked their own meals and tended to the campfire, all while enjoying each other’s company and encouraging each other when things became difficult. It was a challenging experience and pushed boys out of their comfort zones, but I was very impressed with the teamwork, support and persistence shown by the Year 9 Rush Rampage. Thanks to Gareth Ruh and Ash Hutchings who accompanied Rush House throughout the camp. 

Harold Like a Version

Rush House has put forward their submission for the final House Cup event – Harold’s Like a Version competition. The boys chose to cover Never Tear Us Apart by INXS. The end result is incredible, and I am very impressed by the talent shown by the following musicians - thanks for representing Rush so well.

Vocals: Ambrose Gonzalez

Keyboard: Micah Netzler

Lead Guitar: Max James

Rhythm Guitar: Max Hammond

Bass: Hunter Harvey

Saxophone: Zach Watts

Drums: Oliver Bishop

Assistance from Cooper Matthews 

All the best for a restful and relaxing break ahead for the Rush Rampage. Thanks, as always, for your support, and I look forward to working with the Rush family again in what is always a jam-packed Term 4.