Issue 14
07 September 2009
Contact our school
PO Box 2685Burleight MDC Q 4220
P-6 Campus Bridgewater Drive Cnr
Varsity Lakes Q 4226
7-12 Campus Varsity Parade & Assembly Drive
Varsity Lakes Q 4226
Prep School: (07) 5576 9333
Fax: (07) 5576 9300
Junior School: (07) 5576 9388
Fax: (07) 5576 9380
Middle School: (07) 5562 3555
Fax: (07) 5562 3500
Senior School: (07) 5562 3575
Fax: (07) 5562 3570
Email: soffice@varsitycollege
.eq.edu.au
Web:
www.varsitycollege.eq.edu.au
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 Dear Parents and
Guardians,
This week is the traditional Middle School Camp Week. As a result,
students from the Middle School are currently dispersed over the
country with some frolicking in the ocean and Lady Elliot Island,
while others are tackling ski slopes, touring Canberra or making
their way through the muddy gullies of Thunderbird Park. This program is one that is quite unique
in that each camp has a combination of students from Years 7 to 9. This means that students are
exposed to different social groups and form new friendships with students from other year levels. I
am really pleased that our school continues to offer this program and I thank all parents who have
supported each of the camps. This year we have more camps than before and most of these are
full. It is great to have so many students participating in Camp Week.
Of course one reason that we have this program is that it is QCS week for Year 12 students and
they are currently completing 4 exams on Tuesday and Wednesday that will have a significant
impact on their final performance this year. Varsity College has conducted a very comprehensive
training package for all eligible QCS students over the last 2 years and as a result of this program,
our students have always performed extremely well. This is one of the reasons that we have
continually produced outstanding Year 12 results. Students arrive at school and have breakfast
and lunch supplied to them. All of their needs are catered for to ensure that they have the best
possible opportunity to successfully complete these exams. On behalf of the students I would like
to thank Ms Megan Roderick and her team for all of the work that they have done in ensuring that
our students are totally prepared for their QCS testing.
Over the last 3 weeks, many of our students represented the College at the annual Eisteddfod
competition. Congratulations to students for their performances as well as their conduct, both of
which were outstanding. The official results can be found on Page 3 in Across Campus News.
This is a remarkable result for our school and one that we can justifiably be proud of. I would like to
acknowledge the continued amazing work of our music team, Tenille Barratt, Cameron Gray, Geoff
Watson and Glen Walton who ensured that all of our students were drilled with everything that they
needed in order to be successful. To achieve these results is exceptional and I know that the
performances that I witnessed were of the highest level.
The College P&C has conducted a Chocolate Drive over the last few weeks. This has been a
tremendous success and the monies that have been raised through this will be used by each sub-
school in the purchase of equipment for 2010. I am thrilled with the tremendous support that we
have received from parents and students in selling chocolates around the neighbourhood. Your
support will continue to see Varsity College grow as a community with excellent facilities. While the
final profit has not been finalised, I know that the total amount will exceed the expectations that
many of us had at the beginning of this fundraising venture. I would like to acknowledge the work
of all of the P&C parents who have volunteered in many capacities to ensure that the process was
completed with the minimum of fuss.
On Tuesday, the Primary School was placed under Internal Lock Down as a precautionary
measure during the lunch interval. As children ran towards the oval, staff noticed a number of
suspicious individuals on the other side of the playing fields. These individuals were fighting
aggressively with each other and were carrying some weapons. Before the students were able to
set foot on the oval, a decision was made to call an Internal Lock Down and police were
 immediately called. All students and staff responded quickly and at no point was there any danger
to them. The Lock Down was continued until police searched the entire area and gave the ‘All-
Clear’. The College has fielded many questions in relation to this incident and I would like to stress
that at no point were any children in danger. The offenders left the area immediately in cars when
they saw children. They had no intention of attacking any children. I am thrilled with the response
of children and staff in this instance and we should be pleased that our emergency evacuation
processes work so well.
As we approach the end of term, I would ask that all parents with students entering the Senior
School next year ensure that their child has completed their course selection documentation. This
is an essential part of the school process in building timetables and employing staff for the next
year. By completing these forms early, students will ensure that they have the best possible
chance of studying the subjects that they most want. For further information, please call the Senior
School Office.
Jeff Davis
Executive Principal
Yr Level
Date
Event
Year 4
Tues 8 Sept
Multi Cultural Lunch
Year 10 to Year 11
Tues 8 Sept
Subject Selection Evening
Year 6
Fri 11 Sept
Graduation Shirt Cut Off
Year 12
Wed 9 Sept to Tues 15 Sept
Exam Shutdown
Year 11
Mon 14 Sept to Wed 16 Sept
Exam Shutdown
College & Community
Fri 18 Sept to Sat 19 Sept
Primary School Musical “Aladdin”
College
Mon 21 Sept
Commencement September
School Holiday
College
Mon 5 Oct
Commencement of Term 4
Year 6
Mon 7 Oct to Wed 9 Oct
Lake Ainsworth Camp
Year 1-6
Term 4
Swimming
Dear Parent,
As a part of our school's new approach towards the way we communicate with you, we are excited
to inform you that we now offer interactive, graphically rich, full colour electronic newsletters to all
our parents.
The concept of eNews is similar to the printed paper newsletters which we already send out
regularly, but with added benefits - eNews is personally delivered directly to your email inbox via
the Internet. This delivery method has many advantages.
It is cost effective, time efficient and personalised to your name. Most importantly the school
receives this service completely free of charge from Australian Newsletter Services who also
supply our paper newsletters with the help of advertisers.
 To receive this service all you need is a computer with internet access and email. Those who
currently do not have internet access at home can still receive our traditional paper newsletter.
With our eNews service the distance between the school and the parents will be further shortened
as the parents will be able to experience firsthand what activities the school is currently
undertaking and the latest information on Academic, Health, Sport and other areas that may
interest you. This way the whole family can share the success stories of your children as these
eNewsletters can be forwarded to anyone with email.
To sign up for our eNewsletter please type the link below into the address bar of your browser.
Australian Newsletter Services has made the signup process automated and only takes a few
minutes when prompts are followed. Your email address will only be used to send out school
eNews and nothing else.
This environment friendly approach to communication means that hard copy distribution of the
Newsletter will be drastically reduced over the next 10 weeks. Classroom Newsletter distribution
will cease at the end of Term 1. Hard copy Newsletters will be available at Campus Administration
Offices from the beginning of Term 2.
If you experience any difficulties please feel free to contact AustNews IT Department on 1800 245
077 or email help@austnews.com.au.
Thank you
From the Head of Preparatory School
Visits to Child Care Centres
Over the past two weeks I have visited a dozen child care centres to work out
who will be attending our Preparatory classes in 2010. It has been a very
interesting journey where I have learned about the programs being run in these
centres and how well they align with our early years’ curriculum philosophy. What
was very refreshing for me was the positive feedback I received about our school
from a wide variety of places. It is great to hear from people in our community in
such a manner as this gives us renewed vigour in keeping our expectations high
in all areas of school life.
National Literacy and Numeracy Week
This week is National Literacy and Numeracy Week where we celebrate and
acknowledge the work that is done in our schools to create literate and numerate
individuals. Our Year 1 classes have set up an opportunity for grandparents to
read with their grandchildren, the Year 2 classes are engaging in a rotational
reading activity across their classrooms as well as inviting parents in to read with
children in the afternoon and our Year 3 classes were very excited to see the
author DC Green come to the school to talk to them about being a writer (very
entertaining and witty presentation!) It is vital we take the time to think about how important literacy
is in our lives and that we continually encourage children to be literacy lovers for life!
Teacher Aides’ Day – Friday 4 September
On Friday 4 September, we celebrate World Teacher Aides’ Day. Our
teacher aides in our classrooms, working with special needs children,
supporting children with learning difficulties and supporting our office
administration are very talented and committed people who make the job of
educating your children a pleasure.
For those of you who work with the wonderful aides on a daily basis, take
the time out on this day to give them that extra bit of acknowledgement they
most thoroughly deserve. From me, a big thank you for all of your work this term – we would be
lost without you.
Snapshots:
1.
Fathers’ Day – To all of the dads out there, have a great weekend. Hope you get a sleep in
on Sunday or at the very least get to enjoy some of the great finals action. Expect some
wonderful presents from your kids Sunday morning!
2.
Titans Visit – Had a special visit from some Titans players in Year 1 this week. For those
dads who came along, hope you had a good time – but make sure you don’t hurt anyone as
we need them fit for the home final.
3.
Pirates in Prep – What a great event in Prep this week - finding buried treasure, meeting
Captain Jellybean, hiding in the deadman’s cave – thanks to the teachers in these classes
for organising such a rich learning experience for our kids.
4.
4 Generations at Principal’s Awards – It was my pleasure to see a child receive a
principal’s award last week in the presence of her mother, grandmother and great
grandmother. What a wonderful example of family support. We had a great photo taken to
commemorate the occasion.
5.
Thankyou to our intern teachers, Miss Rainford (2Aqua) and Miss Richards(1Blue) for your
time spent in the Year 1 and 2 classes this term – we wish you well in the future and hope
you stay in contact with our school.
Go the Titans on the weekend – this is going to be our year!
James Forrest
Head of Preparatory School
South Coast Primary Athletics
Congratulations to the following students who were selected in the Gold Coast South Athletics
team to compete at the South Coast Primary Athletics Carnival on Tuesday 1st September.
Jack Taffs
Ashton Nunn
Mahia Onekawa
Javan Leyshon
Kayla Miller-Gorse
Milan Egic
Jared Frazer
Varsity College PE Department
From the Head of Junior School
It is with great pride that I commence my article this week by congratulating the Music students and
staff for the fantastic results achieved at the Gold Coast Eisteddfod. All of our groups not only
excelled in their performances, but also positively represented Varsity College through the wearing
of correct uniform and excellent behaviour. Congratulations to everyone involved.
We have also recently achieved some excellent results at the Gold Coast District Athletics
carnivals which saw Varsity College students being selected in the District Athletics Team.
Congratulations to all students who participated in these events and best of luck to those students
who will be competing at the upcoming Regional Carnival.
The selection process for the 2010, Year 6 Chinese Immersion
class will commence in the
coming weeks. Students will be selected based on school based and systemic academic results,
behaviour and commitment to learning. Possible candidates will be identified by classroom and
LOTE teachers. Parents who would like to ensure that their child is considered for the program are
advised to speak to their child’s classroom teacher.
Within the coming weeks, the Year 5 and Year 6 Electives Program will be coming to an end.
The program has allowed children to engage in higher order learning aligned to an area of interest.
There have been some amazing achievements, with students creating excellent products in
programs such as movie making, robotics, sewing and science. Congratulations and thank you to
all students and teachers who have committed themselves and contributed towards making the
program extremely successful.
 In Week 9 this term, the annual Junior School ‘Varsity’s Got Talent’ will be held. I would like to
pass on a huge thank you to Mr David Curmi who has once again committed a large quantity of
time and effort towards organising and preparing students for the event. The program is a great
opportunity to view the variety and high standard of talent our students possess.
Finally, I would like to remind parents and students of the importance of returning payments and
permission forms on time for upcoming College events. For programs such as the Year 6 camp,
swimming and the P&C chocolate drive, it is vital that necessary forms and payments are returned
on time so that bookings and paperwork can be completed.
Stephen O’Brien
Head of Junior School
Creative Arts News
Hip Hop Avenue, an extra-curricula dance group with students from Years 8 to 12, travelled to
Brisbane on the 7th of August to compete in Bring It On, a national hip hop dance competition.
Amongst strong competition our students managed to win the heat and earned themselves a place
in the final to be held on October 10th. Apart from the win, one of the most impressive facets of our
students’ performance was their professionalism and genuine goodwill towards the other schools
competing. If you missed the performance, you can check it out on You Tube by searching for
“Bring It On Brisbane 09; Varsity”. Congratulations to the students from Hip Hop Avenue and Mr
James Grace for their dedication and commitment in representing the school in such a positive
forum.
The instrumental music groups have also been busy representing the college at the Gold Coast
Eisteddfod. The results are as follows:
Orchestra:
2nd Place
Middle Strings:
2nd Place
Stage Band:
2nd Place
Chamber Strings:
Very Highly Commended
Concert Band:
Very Highly Commended
Middle Showcase Choir:
Highly Commended
Middle Choir:
Honours
Congratulations to these students who spend many hours practising and rehearsing to reach this
level of achievement. Congratulations must also go to Mrs Tenille Barratt, Mr Cameron Gray, Ms
Astin Blaik, Ms Renee Dent & Ms Caitlin O’Sullivan for their hard work and dedication in providing
students with fantastic, educational music activities.
Geoff Watson
HOD Creative Arts
Clinton Guest competes at Australian Longboard Titles
Clinton Guest this week represented Queensland at the Australian Longboard
Titles. Clinton did a wonderful job as an athlete and as a person during the titles.
Clinton finished the titles with a second in the Under 18 boys. He showed true
sportsmanship during the events and also helped Queensland to the Team’s
Challenge Trophy defeating all of the other states, setting a new points record.
Important Message
Combating Bullying
In this time of heightened awareness of violence in schools, I would like to reassure all parents and
carers that our school takes a tough stance on bullying.
 We do not tolerate any form of violence or harassment.
As principal, it is my number one priority that every student feels safe in our supportive school
environment.
I have reminded all students that bullying behaviour is unacceptable and will not be tolerated at this
school. I ask that parents and carers take some time this week to speak with their children about
bullying and to remind them of the importance of treating others with fairness, dignity and respect.
If you believe your child is being bullied or may be involved in bullying another student, I also urge
you to contact me to discuss the ways we can help to address this behaviour.
Our school community has a number of programs to combat bullying and harassment, including:
Mantis Program - Senior Campus
TRAKS Program – Senior Campus
For more information on these programs, please contact the school office.
Varsity College takes very seriously its responsibility to keep our students safe and to ensure our
school community is free from bullying, harassment and violence.
I urge any parents and carers who are concerned about bullying to contact me directly.
Jeff Davis
Executive Principal
Varsity Showcases Talent
The last few weeks have been crazy with the instrumental and choir students participating in the
Gold Coast Eisteddfod. The music staff would like to congratulate all students for the wonderful job
they did with both their performances and behaviour. Below is the list of results:
Choirs
Prep School Choir
Highly Commended
4/5 Choir Honours 5/6 Choir
Very Highly Commended
Middle Showcase Choir
Highly Commended
Middle Choir
Honours
Bands
Beginner Band
3rd Place
Intermediate Band
1st Place
Concert Band
Very Highly Commended
Stage Band
2nd Place
Orchestra
2nd Place
Strings
Beginner Strings
2nd Place
4/5 Strings
1st Place
5/6 Strings
3rd Place
Middle Strings
2nd Place
Chamber Strings
Very Highly Commended
Orchestra
2nd Place
Tenille Barratt
Music Department
From the Deputy Head of Senior School
Term 3 is perhaps the most hectic time in the Senior School calendar. The Year 12 students who
are OP eligible sat the Core Skills Test on the 1st and 2nd of September. Many thanks to Ms
Megan Roderick and the QCS teachers who put so much time and effort in to ensuring the
 students go into the tests as prepared as they can be. Also, thank you to the Varsity Ambassador
students who have given their own time to support the Year 12’s in preparing their breakfasts and
lunches on these days.
Last week we held the Year 9 into 10 Subject Selection evening for students entering the senior
phase of schooling in 2010. The evening was well attended with over 400 parents and students
receiving vital information pertaining to subject choices for next year. Next Tuesday night, the 8th
of September the Year 10 into 11 Subject Selection evening will be held in the Sports Hall from
6.30pm.
Exam Shutdown commences for Year 12 students on the 9 September and shutdown for Year 11’s
is in the last week of term. It is imperative that students, as well as studying in preparation for these
exams are also getting enough rest and eating well to ensure they produce their best work. It is a
highly stressful time for students but effective time management can alleviate some of these
pressures.
Elections for the senior leaders for 2010 will occur over the next few weeks. Having been involved
in the rigorous application and interview process, I would like to pass on my gratitude and
congratulations to those students who have been brave enough to put themselves forward for
leadership positions. Though you may not all be successful, remember that as the Year 12 cohort
of 2010, you are ALL the future leaders of the school. Thank you to Mr Graham for facilitating this
process. Nicole Brazeau Deputy Principal Senior School
Nicole Brazeau
Deputy Principal Senior School
From the Industry Liaison Officer
Varsity Students (keep) Shining Through!
Please join me in congratulating Year 10 student, Amy Mason. Amy has secured herself a
Certificate II in Retail. Her school-based traineeship is with Red Rooster, Burleigh Waters, in
conjunction with Gold Coast TAFE. Well done Amy and we wish you all the best with your
traineeship.
We have a number of students currently interviewing for traineeship positions, so I would expect
there will be some more great news in the next newsletter.
Stay tuned!
Lee Johns
(Acting) Industry Liaison Officer
 Camp Australia
Just a reminder that our Holiday Club for the September
holidays is fast approaching so book early to ensure a
place for your child as our excursions fill up very quickly.
This break we will have a great time at putt putt challenging
each other with our scores and ability to have fun.
Programs and enrolment forms are available from the Camp Australia OSHC
building located on the Prep Campus or more conveniently on our website
We are also collecting empty 600ml water and soft drink bottles for
a special activity during Holiday Club. We would greatly appreciate
any bottles that can be dropped into us between 7.00-9.00am
and 2.30- 6.30pm Monday to Friday.
Until next time
Camp Australia Team
Varsity Vipers Basketball
Junior Development Competition
Commences: Saturday 10 October
(1st Saturday after the holidays)
Venue: Varsity College Hall
Assembly Drive
Varsity Lakes
All age groups welcome (6-16)
Time: Sign-on: Saturday 10th. October 9:00am
Bounce in now for the new season
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