Jeff Davis
Executive Principal  Top
Upcoming Events| Yr Level | Date | Event | | Year 5 | 11 March (Wed)
13 March (Fri) | Year 5 Camp | | Yrs 10,11 & 12 | 17 March ( Tue) | Parent/Teacher Meetings | | P - Yr 6 | 17,18,19 March | School Photographs | | Yrs 8 & 9 | 17 March (Tue) | GC Sports Trials | | Year 10 | 18 March (Wed) | Recreation Sport Starts | | Yr 11 & 12 | 31 March to 3 April | Snr School Exam Block |
Top Years P - 6 NewsVarsity Junior Joggers
A number of students across the Junior Campus has displayed a keen interest in increasing their fitness. There are many studies that acknowledge the link between sport and increased academic achievement. To capitalise and develop upon the student interest and enthusiasm, a bi-weekly walking/ jogging/ running group has been formed. If you have noticed what appears to a group of very happy people running around in circles on our Junior School oval whilst driving by or dropping your child off - then you have already observed our health phenomenon in action. Lisa Maddison and Jessica Apanui (5M & 5I Class teachers) and their group of student walkers/ runners warmly invite any interested members of the Varsity Community to join us. Together we can show the students how much fun 20-30 minutes of exercise can be. We meet at 7.45am on the Junior oval. Supporting staff are - Mondays (Mrs Apanui), Tuesdays (Mr Ryan Head), Wednesdays (Mrs Lisa Maddison) and Thursdays (Mr David Gurney). Dig out those runners, come along - we'd love to see you.
Such is the interest of the students that we are looking to the future and we have strong interest in putting together our second representative squad for the Gold Coast Marathon.
Junior School Photographs
Junior school students were handed a letter and order envelope for their school photo last Wednesday March 4. Photographs will be taken on Tuesday 17 March, Wednesday 18 March and Thursday 19 March. Families should now also have a photo schedule outlining the specific times for particular grades. Just a friendly reminder to parents that the order envelope for the photographs is to be returned on the day the photos are taken. Families who have not received the photo information as yet are asked to contact their class teacher. All children must wear their school dress uniform on their photo day with black, polishable, lace-up shoes.
Please direct any questions relating to the photographs to the appropriate school office. Peter Dallas
Deputy Principal Top Junior NewsFrom the Head of Junior School
We have had another fantastic fortnight of learning and teaching in the Junior School. I am absolutely delighted with the way in which children have been enthusiastically completing classroom activities and the manner in which the College uniform has been worn correctly on a daily basis. By the time parents receive this newsletter, we will have passed the halfway mark of Term 1. As learning and teaching time is so precious, it is important to remind parents that ‘Every Day Counts'. This slogan reinforces the need for students to arrive at school on time and to attend school every day unless illness prevents them from doing so. If your child is away from school on any given day, a note explaining the reason for the absence is required upon their return to school. Over the coming weeks, a number of extra-curricular activities will be taking place including the Year 5 Camp and interschool sport. It is important that parents support the College by reminding their children of the positive behaviours that are expected from children participating in these programs. Children who do not display appropriate behaviour will be withdrawn from these events. Junior School Common Expectations
The Varsity College Junior School has a list of common expectations that are designed to promote a safe and engaging learning environment. The expectations are listed under the headings of: - in class, on time, on task
- be self managed
- act safely at all times
- achieve to your potential
- follow TRAKS values / philosophy A detailed copy of the expectations can be found in all classrooms.
NAPLAN Testing
-2009 Parents of Year 5 students are invited to attend a NAPLAN information session on Wednesday, April 1 from 1:30pm to 2:30pm. The focus of the session will be to provide parents with a greater understanding of the tests and provide strategies that parents can use to prepare their children. The tests will be held in May and will be based on Literacy and Numeracy. Parents can access further information on http://www.naplan.edu.au/ Uniform Expectations
The following expectation is in place for all students in the Junior School: | Expectation | Process | All children must wear a Varsity College hat for outdoor activities. | Children who do not have a Varsity College hat will be directed to one of the undercover areas or school library for play time.
Notes provided by parents to justify the wearing of an incorrect hat will be valid for one week only. These hats may be worn for curriculum related activity but not during lunch breaks. |
Stephen O'Brien
Junior Head of School Junior Sports News
Congratulations to the following students who were selected as part of the Varsity Swimming Team to compete at the recent Gold Coast South District Swimming Carnival.
Riley Brown Kurt Kumon Bayley Hendy Jye Melverton Kelsey Purcell Jacinda Grey Shiloh Young Katherine Ploog Mahia Onekawa Joel Parker Matthew Van Der Vaught Luke Pearce Sinead Doyle Shania Carton Summer Clarke  
Inter-school sport teams have been finalised over the last few weeks in preparation for the upcoming winter sport season. Sport will begin Friday 20th March. In 2009 Varsity students will compete in Soccer, Rugby League, Netball, Hockey and AFL.
Jared Frazer Varsity College
PE Department
Musical News Update
Varsity College Junior School is about to embark on its first ever Musical, ALADDIN JR. Set in Agrabah, "The City of Enchantment", this magical stage adaptation of the classic Disney hit, is filled with mystery, mayhem and flying carpet rides that will set your spirits soaring with excitement. Auditions are already underway for lead roles including the likes of Aladdin, Jasmine and the Genie. Call back auditions begin this week before finalising and announcing the cast. Good luck to everyone auditioning and well done for giving it a go! The show will hit the Robina Community Centre Stage on September 18th and 19th. See you all there,
The Aladdin Creative Arts Team.
Top Across Campus NewsSupervised School Crossings : Bridgewater Drive & Varsity Parade The commencement of the school crossings in Bridgewater Drive and Varsity Parade gives priority to the safety of all community members and Varsity College students needing to walk to and from school. When children use the crossings please encourage them to observe the following: - Wait behind the yellow line until the crossing supervisor blows her whistle.
- Walk across the crossing; please don't run.
- If they are on a bike, scooter or skateboard, dismount before crossing.
- Hold onto footballs, tennis balls and anything else that might cause a distraction while crossing.
To ensure safety for all community members, it is vital that: - drivers do not park where yellow lines are painted on the road.
- drivers do not complete u-turns at theentrance of staff carparks.
- all adults and children wait for the crossing supervisor to blow her whistle twice prior to entering the crossing area.
This service is provided for the safety of all members of our school community. Top Middle School NewsFrom the Head of Middle School
On Wednesday 11 March our Middle School Leaders were inducted for 2009 in front of proud parents, staff and students. The ceremony formally recognised and celebrated our Captains for Burleigh, Kirra, Miami and Rainbow Houses, and our Middle School Captains and Vice Captains. Our 2009 School Captains, Aaron Butler and Tiahna Cave gave their first formal speech to our Varsity school community. Throughout the selection process, our panel was proud of the extremely high standard of our Year 9 students and their thought provoking responses to application questions about leadership, communication and their commitment to Varsity College. We have every confidence that our Middle School is in good hands with these young leaders and their team.
 
| Captains | Vice Captains | Student Leaders |
| Aaron Butler | Bradley Outtridge | Thomas Pagram |
| Tiahna Cave | Ashleigh Sullivan | Brittany Fowler |
| | | Amy Hardcastle |
| House Captains | |
| Burleigh: | Brooke Davies & Ashleigh Brownsdon |
| Kirra: | Caitlin Jaeger & Jordan Kennedy |
| Miami: | Eleni Marios & Hayden Mansour |
| Rainbow: | Rachael Sullivan & Luke Sharp |
We are most proud of these students who have been chosen both by their peers and their teachers which is testament to the wonderful qualities they have displayed at Varsity. We would also like to acknowledge the support of parents, family members and their teachers in mentoring, role modelling and inspiring these young people towards their goals an dreams. We wish all our student leaders a successful, eventful, and rewarding year in 2009. Chinese New Year
 Congratulations to our Year 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 Chinese Immersion students who did a great job on Tuesday 3 March during our 2009 Chinese New Year celebrations.  Students took significant responsibility in preparing and conducting this celebration. They performed plays, songs and even produced a short comic video.
Guests on the evening were not only entertained, but also enjoyed a Chinese supper and the  Lantern Ridd Guessing game. Thank you to all of the parents, families and friends who supported our students during their performances and also to our dedicated staff for organising this evening. NAPLAN Practice Tests
On Wednesday 11 March our Middle School students were exposed to the various types of test formats they will encounter during 12 - 14 May during the National Testing Program. This purpose of these sessions is to ensure students become familiar with types of questioning, length of tests and the demands of the tests. Our outstanding results in 2008 give us great confidence in the curriculum opportunities for students at Varsity. More information about the National Testing Program will be sent home shortly in a brochure. Have a great week! Margaret Heiser Top Senior School NewsFrom the Head of Senior School
In the past two weeks we have had a number of significant events in the Senior School calendar. The senior swimming carnival was held on the 27th of February and was greatly enjoyed by all of those who attended. Burleigh House was once again victorious but the success of Miami House in the Middle School this year may herald changes for the future. Last Friday we had a campus assembly to support the Leukaemia Foundation with "Shave for a Cure". This was well supported by some very brave students and staff. In the coming weeks students will be undertaking assessment in many subjects and by the end of week 8 (20/3) parents should have received a mid-term report giving an indication of how students are working in their classes. Following this there will be the opportunity for parents to book interviews with teachers. The parent/teacher interviews will take place in the afternoon and evening of Tuesday March 24th. Jo MacDonald
Acting Head of Senior School SEP News
The most significant news this month is the transfer of one of our SEP Team to a school in Logan. Matt Walls had been travelling to and from Varsity College from Brisbane for the past two years. At the end of last year Matt requested a transfer, and on the 20th February was offered a position at Logan to start on Monday 24th. We wish Matt all the best in his new school. Since our staffing numbers have been reduced this year, Matt will be replaced by Belinda Pearson who will teach two and a half days a week in the Middle School. We welcome Belinda to the SEP team.
The changes in staffing require major adjustments to the support timetables, so I ask parents to bear with me while I make those adjustments. I need to be very creative in how I stretch the resources a little bit further this year. Just a reminder that the Applied Behaviour Analysis Course and information session are filling fast, so you will need to log onto the following sites for more information and to register as soon as possible.
http://abiq.agileway.net/events/register/3
Registration for the morning session
http://abiq.agileway.net/events/register/4
Registration for the course Congratulations to all the senior students who competed in the swimming carnival last week, and to those who were there to cheer the champions on.
Well done Seniors!
Remember:
It's a good idea to begin at the bottom in everything except in learning to swim.
-
Author Unknown
Maureen Durney and the SEP Team
5562-3533 - mdurn1@eq.edu.au
Sports News - Senior Swimming Carnival
The senior swimming carnival was a huge success with not only great weather but exceptional talent on show. Congratulations to our 2009 Age Champions. 15 years Girls 15 years Boys 1st Nicole Vaughan 1st Jack Doyle 2nd Nicole Peutter 2nd Brenden Elliott 3rd Selina Nepia 3rd Daniel Sweeney 16 years Girls 16 years Boys 1st Jess Evatt Davey 1st James Freeman 2nd Aimee Cusack 2nd Jack Saville 3rd Isabel Damon 3rd Luke Jones Open Girls Open Boys 1st Melanie Durso 1st Lauchlan Cushing 2nd Jennifer Robinson 1st James Sweeney 2nd Rilla Harland 3rd Mitch Dobell The day however, was not just about these competitors; it was about participation and fun. The highlights were the house swims, house cheer competition, dolphin races and our first belly-flop competition. All of these events went towards the Inter-house Swimming Champion. Congratulations to Burleigh House who were victorious by nearly two hundred points. Thanks to all the staff who helped make this day run smoothly and to the house captains and Year 12's who helped me set up. Interschool Sport
Year 7, 8 & 9 Interschool sport trials are underway. Year 7 sport looks like costing $65 for the entire Semester and year 7 & 8 cluster looks like costing $40. These figures will be finalised this week but just giving you the heads up so you can organise your finances. Please do not pay until the notes goes out with the confirmed figures. Jerseys will be available for borrowing from the library in Week 7 (next week). A note will be issued about times.
Miss Katherine Tewes
Middle/Senior Sports Co-ordinator Amazing Apprenticeships & Terrific Traineeships
Last Monday, I conducted a presentation to the Year 11 students to inform them of the merits of gaining a school based traineeship or apprenticeship. This presentation gave the students a clear understanding of the processes involved and how they might best apply and be successful in their application. Also, Scott Whimpey of ONQ Human Resources addressed the students with respect to employer expectations and selection processes and how best to present themselves, and also their resumes. All students should now be well informed with respect to how traineeships work, how to apply for traineeships and how best to manage themselves in an interview situation. We've experienced a great start to the 2009 year of traineeships and apprenticeships. Our students are to be commended for their enthusiasm and developing knowledge of the benefits of traineeships and apprenticeships.
Pictured below is Year 11 student Belinda Seery with her stepdad Tony and employer Pam Brown of Snappy Snoopy. Pam has employed Belinda in her pet grooming business where Belinda will undertake a Certificate II in Animal Care. Congratulations Belinda!
The Gold Coast Gymnastics Club situated near Pizzey Park has offered Tye Lyne a Certificate III in Sport and Recreation. Pictured at his sign up is Tye Lyne, and Mark Freeman of Busy at Work. Tye was formerly a state representative junior gymnast; his skills and knowledge will help assist the young students of the club. Well done Tye, we wish you well in your traineeship.
Local education software development specialists Intrepica have offered three of our students, below, an amazing opportunity to undertake a Certificate IV in Multimedia. Shannon Tonkin (Year 10) left, Callum Donald (Year 10) middle and Elaine Fang (Year 12) right, displayed skilful artistic and creative ability to secure these traineeships. Congratulations to all three. This will prove to be a fantastic opportunity!
Until next edition...
Linda Dallas
Industry Liaison Officer Top
Art Camp 2009Thirty-six very enthusiastic and talented art students ventured to Springbrook for Varsity's inaugural Year 12 Art Camp. Three days of intensive art studies followed, including a life drawing class, responses to a glorious rainforest walk and a workshop with local artist Sara Zastera. The students embraced every activity with commitment and maturity and impressed all involved. The camp provided great stimulus for the Year 12's major art work which will be exhibited in the Arts Showcase next term.
Maria Breeden
Art Teacher
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