Next term will shape up to be a very busy time
regarding our facility development program. In
addition to the LENSE building, there are 2 other
projects that will also be completed at Varsity
College. Each school in Australia has been granted
up to $200k- for some form of development. This
funding has been granted as part of the Federal
Government’s economic stimulus package. A
decision has been made to use this funding to
reconvert the Year 3 area into a Performing Arts and
Sports facility. With the new buildings housing up to
an additional 10 spaces, the College Administration
has determined that the highest priority that we have
is to convert the classrooms into 2 usable spaces.
The fully equipped Performing Arts Centre will have
seating for around 300, complete with stage, lighting,
sound and everything else that we would require to
run high quality performances. The back half of the
facility will have a fully sprung dance floor that can be
used for passive sporting activities. For major
events, a sound proof operable wall separating the
two areas can be opened to allow for seating of up to
600 people. This will become the home for most of
our College presentations and will eliminate the costs
and travel required to use other venues. I am
absolutely sure that this arrangement will ensure that
Varsity College students will have access to an
outstanding state of the art facility.
The work on the Year 3 area will take around 6
weeks to complete. Classes will be housed in other
rooms for the start of Term 3, but will return to this
building as soon as it is completed. This will mean
some rearrangement of teaching spaces, but I am
sure that the students will end up with a vastly
improved learning environment compared to what
they have now. The working plans for these
alterations and details of the rearrangement of these
classes will be available soon for your perusal. I
would ask that all families be patient at this time and
support the administration team as we aim to build a
facility for 2010 and beyond.
The other wonderful news is that we expect to start
building the Senior School wing early in Term 3 for
completion early in the New Year. This multi-million
dollar purpose built 3 storey wing will house many of
our Year 11 and 12 classes and will be totally
different to anything that has been build by Education
Queensland before. In anticipation for the next
generation of learning, we have taken some
tremendous leaps in ensuring that today’s students
feel right at home in this building and that the support
they require from either their teachers or their
electronic devices is readily available. Each learning
space has extensive built in technology and this will
significantly improve the capacity of each teacher to
present information in informative and engaging ways
that our students will enjoy and learn from.
Finally, I would like to warn all parents of the
impending dangers that our children face in using the
internet as a key communication tool. Last week Mr
Brett Lee, an expert in internet crime and paedophilia
spoke to all students in Years 9-11 and then
presented at our whole College staff meeting. This
was followed by a presentation to parents in the
evening. Each presentation was outstanding and the
dangers of this use of the internet were fully
explained through real life examples. I know that the
staff and parents in particular were shocked by the
information that was presented and many have
spoken to me about the immediate action that they
have taken to protect their children at home. I
certainly know that after my wife and I listened to
Brett’s lecture, we immediately went home and set
new rules for our children in using the internet. I
would encourage all parents to discuss with their
children the appropriate uses of the internet and
particularly chat sites, but to also set strong protocols
to ensure that what your children are accessing and
how they are using the internet is not exposing them
to any form of danger.
With all of the above to consider, the last thing you
probably need to hear is that the end of term is
approaching and as each teacher starts to conclude
their assessment for the semester, please make sure
that your children have completed and submitted all
of the work that they were supposed to. This is an
essential part of the assessment process and
eliminates any surprises that may occur when
students forget or just don’t complete the work that is
required for each subject. I encourage all parents to
check with their children about this issue and should
you require any clarification, please ring the respective teacher to gain assurance that everything
has been completed.
Jeff Davis
Executive Principal  Top
eNews 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. http://mailouts.austnews.com.au/subscription/V/varsity-college-signup.html 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 Top Upcoming Events | Yr Level | Date | Event | | Year 4 | 15 June (Mon) | Athletics Carnival | | Year 5 | 16 June (Tues) | Athletics Carnival | | Year 6 | 17 June (Wed) | Athletics Carnival | | Year 4-6 | 19 June (Fri) | Championship Day | | Junior School | 23 June (Tues) | Spelling & Writing Comp | | P-3 | 24 June (Wed) | Sports Day | | Year 4S | 25 June (Thur) | Bike Safety | | P-12 | 26 June (Fri) | Last Day of Term |
Top Preparatory School NewsFrom the Head of Preparatory School Under 8's Day What a fantastic day we had at Varsity to celebrate
Under 8’s. Students travelled around with their
passports visiting stalls and activities and collecting
stamps to show where they had been.
The highlight for many students was the face
painting. There were spidermen and princesses
everywhere and even a Deputy Principal looking a lot
like a pirate.
Thanks to Miss Penny Loy for organising the day and
to our wonderful staff who ensured that all students
understood what it means to be a kid. As always, the
day was supported by many parents and younger
siblings – thanks to everyone.
Free Dress Day
As the oldest year level in our sub-school, the Year 3
students have formed a student representative group
which will work together throughout the year to
organise special events for students and staff.
Started in 2008, this program gives responsibility to
the Year 3 students while also preparing them for
future leadership opportunities both within and
outside of school.
On Friday 19 June, the Year 3 student representative
group will be holding a Free Dress Day. Students in
Preparatory through to Year 3 are invited to wear
their own clothes to school on this day and bring a
gold coin to donate. It has been decided by the
student group that the funds raised from the Term 2
Free Dress Day will be donated to the Children’s
Hospital.
Students wearing free dress are reminded to dress
safe on the day with their shoulders covered for sun
safety and closed in shoes worn to protect feet.
Should parents have any queries regarding the Free
Dress Day please contact the Preparatory
Administration.
Shirley Hadwen
Head of School - Preparatory Top Years P-6 News  Varsity College Athletics Day 2009
Year 4 (students born 2000) 15th June
Year 5 (students born 1999) 16th June
Year 6 (students born 1998 & 1997) 17th June
Prep-Year 3 24th June Karis for State Selection  Congratulations to Karis Davidson from
6 France. Recently Karis competed in
the State School Golf Championship on
the Gold Coast and I would like to
acknowledge her achievements. Karis
was a member of the winning South
Coast team and the runner up in the girls 12 years
and under section. This was a fantastic achievement
after 4 days of golf in very difficult conditions due to the weather. Karis was also invited to be a part of
the Queensland team to play at the National
Championships in November in Victoria. As well as
her golfing achievements, I would also like to praise
Karis’s great attitude, sportsmanship and friendliness
to other team mates and competitors. She was
certainly a credit to her family and school. We wish
Karis the best of luck for the tournament and are very
proud that a Varsity student will be representing her
school, district, region and state at national level.
Well done Karis!!!!!
Carol Fox (South Coast Manager)
Pacific Pines State High school Contributions Beautify Campus Thank you to the parents/teachers/teacher aides who
have kindly donated plants to help me make the
school a better looking place. I have had nothing but
positive feedback from parents and staff!!
Special thanks to Michelle MACDONALD, for her 2
large contributions of "Roheos," "Agave's" and other "succulents" from her garden.
Tony Haycock
Facilities Officer Top Junior NewsFrom the Head of Junior School Last week, our Junior School was visited by Julie
Grantham, Acting Director General of Education.
Julie was the foundation Executive Principal at
Varsity and was extremely eager to view and listen to
the journey that the College has undertaken since
her departure. Julie left the school extremely
impressed and complimented the school community
on the environment and academic results that
continue to be achieved across all year levels. It is
great to know that Varsity College is valued so highly
by leaders of Education in Queensland.
All Junior School teachers have now completed the
Education Queensland five day Literacy program.
Teachers have returned to school extremely
enthusiastic and eager to reflect on current practice.
A representative group from the College will be
developing action plans to ensure the training has a
positive influence on future literacy planning and
pedagogy.
Preparations are well underway for the upcoming Junior School Sports Days. The program will be: - Monday, June 15: students born in 2000
- Tuesday, June 16: students born in 1999
- Wednesday, June 17: students born in 1998 and 1997
- Friday, June 19: Championship Day for students who finished 1st, 2nd or 3rd on their house day
Afternoon Departure Over the past couple of weeks, we have received
advice from community representatives that some of
our students are displaying dangerous behaviours
whilst crossing the surrounding streets and waiting
for parents or buses. It is essential that all parents
establish rules and expectations for how and where
their children wait for them after school. Parents must
reinforce to their children to:
- cross the road at the designated crossings
- wait a safe distance away from the side of the road
- keep tennis / footballs in school bags so that they do not roll out onto the road
- respect the property of residents when walking home
Student behaviour after school must be exemplary so that Varsity maintains our excellent reputation amongst the community. Congratulations The students of 4S received a lovely letter from the
Senior Constable of Whittlesea Police Station. The
letter was in response to the students’ messages and
art work that were sent following the recent Victorian
fires. It is wonderful to read and see quality learning
aligned to real life experiences.
Stephen O'Brien
Junior Head of School  Mathletics News
It's not an easy task reaching number one in
the world, but Nathaniel Dallas from 4T did.
On Tuesday, he had conquered the Mathletics world
by 9 o'clock in the morning! By this time, Nathaniel
had amassed a score of over 6 thousand points,
enough to make any 'Mathlete' green with envy. A
quick look at Nathaniel’s profile shows that he is quite
the Gold Coast Titans fan. Well done Nathaniel!
Mr Faust Top Across Campus NewsH1N1 Influenza A
(Human Swine Influenza)
The Department of Education has released a
Question and Answer page for Parents and Carers.
This page answers commonly asked questions about
the Human Swine Influenza. This information will help
clarify the situation and allow Parents and Carers to
make informed decisions for their children and
families if required.
To access this site please go to
http://www.qed.qld.gov.au/pdfs/h1n1-influenza-afaqs-parents.pdf
Lisa Thomas
Business Services Manager Top 7-12 News | Sports Herald |  |
Year 7 Sport Grandfinals Unfortunately our Primary School Sport Grand Finals
were cancelled on Friday. These finals have been
re-scheduled for Friday, 5th June (this Friday).Congratulations to our teams who will be competing
for Gold Coast Primary honours.
7A Netball 7C Netball Year 7 AFL 7A Soccer (Boys) 7B Soccer (Boys) 7A Soccer (Girls)
I look forward to announcing our premiership victories next newsletter! Regional Cross Country A number of our students will be competing in the
Gold Coast Regional Cross Country this Thursday at
Runaway Bay. We congratulate the following
students in making the South Coast Team and wish
them the best of luck:
- M
 ikeala Grono - Sam Lukoszek
- Jeff Jarvis
- Reuben Gallagher
- Gabrielle Sutherland
- Josh Bacon-White
Cluster Sport The cross over finals for our cluster sport teams is
taking place on Wednesday, 17 June. Teams that
won our central cluster will compete against Northern
and Wider Schools to determine the Gold Coast
Secondary Schools’ champions. Teams competing
include:
- Netball - 13 and 14 years
- Soccer - Girls · Soccer - Boys
- Basketball - 13 and 14 years
- Tennis
- AFL
- Hockey
- Touch
Don’t forget the Gold Coast Marathon takes place in
the middle week of the holidays. It’s not too late to
start training for a small distance. Good luck to all
teams competing in finals!!!
Katherine Tewes
Sports Co-ordinator
Senior and Middle School Top Middle School NewsFrom the Head of Middle School Uniform Expectations We are very proud of our Middle School students and
endeavour to uphold the ‘Dress Code’ standards
determined by the Varsity College P&C. Our school
uniform is regarded by the school community as
being important in its role in encouraging a sense of
self-esteem, belonging and self-discipline in students
through their adolescence.
We would again like to remind all parents about
several of the ‘Dress Code’ standards that we have
recently needed to remind students:
Day Uniform includes black polishable leather lace-up shoes and plain white socks. Sports Uniform must only be worn on the
days students have Sport or H.P.E and
includes lace-up sport shoes (canvas shoes
not permitted).
Facial studs, including tongue studs of any kind are not to be worn at school. Make-up is not to be worn at school.
We would like to thank you for your continued
support of our students, school and community
expectations.
Students in Year 8 were asked to write a persuasive
essay on the topic of school uniforms. These essays
were written under time constraints and in exam
conditions. It is interesting to note that the vast
majority of students wrote in favour of uniforms. I
have included an outstanding example of the
interesting and thought provoking essays written by
one of our students. Well done, Samantha!
 Persuasive Argument- School Uniforms are a Great Idea
In my opinion, I believe that school uniforms
are a great idea. The first reason why I
believe this is that school uniforms look smart
and stand out. The second reason is that school
uniforms are comfortable. My third reason is that
school uniforms are protective. My final reason is that
school uniforms can be useful in crucial times.
You can tell a lot about a school when students are
wearing its uniform. If the uniform is smart then you
would probably believe that it is a good school. If the
uniform was daggy then you could tell that maybe the
school isn’t good. When students wear their uniforms
they help to promote the school. People can
remember the school by looking at the colours of the
uniform and at the logo which is usually printed on
them. School uniforms also stand out. If the school is
talented in music for example, then people could
remember that the school was talented in that area
by looking at the uniform.
When people wear clothing all they want to be is
comfortable. Students need to stay in school for at
least 6 hours so comfort is important. This is why
people make school uniforms comfortable. The
uniforms are usually made of soft cotton which is
easy to move around in. When the students play
sport they would want to be very comfortable when
they move about which is why some schools have a
different uniform to play sport in. The sport uniforms
are designed to cool the body down and also to help
the student wearing it exceed to their highest
potential. When the weather is hot, school uniforms
usually help cool the wearer down. In winter when it’s
cold, students can wear a comfortable tracksuit which
keeps them nice and toasty.
Students take lots of lessons at school; therefore
they need to be safe. For example, if a student is
doing woodwork, then he or she would need to be
wearing leather shoes so that their feet won’t get cut
if a sharp tool is accidentally dropped on them. This
is why school uniforms have the safety standard. If
the person in that woodwork class had dropped the tool and also had been wearing canvas shoes what
would’ve happened? School uniforms are great
because they are designed to keep people safe. I’m
sure students would prefer to be safe than sorry.
At times, students leave the school to go and
participate in sporting events, excursions and other
competitions. But what would you do if you
accidentally got lost or left behind whilst on this trip?
This is where school uniforms can help. By looking at
you, a person can see which school you belong to.
This person could even contact the school and you
could be on your way back before you could blink. If
that person were me then I would be considering
myself lucky for wearing a uniform. If I had been
wearing jeans and a t-shirt then what would’ve
happened to me?
In conclusion, this is why I believe that school
uniforms are a great idea. They look smart, they’re
comfortable and they’re safe. Many students don’t
like their uniforms because they don’t like the way
they look. But do these students actually think about
the fact that they are comfortable and safe? Do they
even care that they are showing school spirit? I think
that students need to start respecting their school
uniforms and that despite the fact that they might not
always like their uniform, they are a great idea.
By Samantha Prendergast Term 2 Date Claimers Thursday 25th June - Middle School Reports posted home. Friday 26th June - Last day of Term 2 Monday 13th July - Student Free Day Tuesday 14th July - First day back for students in Term 3
Have a great week! Margaret Heiser
Middle Head of School  Middle School Camps
I would like to thank parents for their
prompt payment of the first
instalment for camps. Please be
aware that the second payment is due Wednesday
17th June. It is crucial that payments continue to be
made on time to minimise the work of the college
finance administration staff. Your child will meet with
the teachers attending their respective camp before
the end of this term when the initial communications
specific to their camp will commence. Micah Davis
Camp Coordinator Top Senior School NewsSenior Exam Shutdown As we draw to the end of Semester 1, senior students
should be busy preparing for their exams. All
assignments should be submitted by the end of
Week 8 enabling students to focus their attention on
their exams. Year 11 and 12 students have been
issued a Shutdown Schedule for the exam period.
Students are reminded that if they choose to only attend school for their exams, they are to return the
permission slip to their Form Teacher. Also,
shutdown does not mean that other school policies
do not apply, so students should attend their exams
in correct uniform and with their correct bag, even if
they only have one exam. There is no shutdown for
Year 10 students or VET students. Students should be allocating time each night to
preparing for their exams. This will include reviewing
and summarising notes from class and ensuring they
understand the content. Parents can assist their children during the stressful
exam period by ensuring they get plenty of rest, eat
well and be organised for their assessment. Cutting
down on excessive part-time work hours around the
exam period may also be a consideration to minimise
stress. Utilising the Student Organiser effectively
should also assist students in planning their study,
work and recreation time effectively. Attendance
Research shows strong links between attendance at
school and the results achieved by students. Regular
attendance checks have been done in every lesson
to ensure students are in every scheduled class –
because EVERY LESSON COUNTS. Students
truanting lessons will be issued with afternoon
detentions. There has been a concerning increase in the number
of senior students arriving late to school without
legitimate reasons. The senior school commences at
8.15am each day. This early start enables the
flexibility in our timetable to allow most students to
finish early on Wednesdays and Fridays. Detentions
will be issued to students with perpetual lateness. Should parents need to collect their child before the
end of scheduled classes, the student MUST be
signed out through Student Services. The student will
be issued with an Early Leave pass. The Senior School also discourages parents taking
their child out of school for lengthy periods of time,
particularly in Years 11 and 12, for holidays. Any time
absent will result in the student missing valuable
information and create a level of stress for them to try
and ‘catch up’. If this situation is unavoidable,
students should seek a Request for Leave form from
Student Services which will advise the school of their
absence and also give the student an opportunity to
collect work from their teachers to complete during
their absence. Nicole Brazeau
Deputy Principal Senior School Frazer Island Excursion 2009 Many Year Twelve students regret their decision not
to take Geography at this time of year. When they
imagine their friends at Fraser Island, waist deep in
the crystal waters of Eli Creek or driving in a huge
4WD bus up the ocean beach or struggling to name
songs from Mr Standen’s infamous music collection,
they wish they too were Geographers. However, when we were huddling in the torrential
rain outside school on the morning of 20 May,
listening to news broadcasts of closed roads and Fraser evacuations, we didn’t hear too many staff or
students saying, ‘Wish I were going.’ What we
mostly heard were muffled sniggers and calls of ‘Got
your waders?’ It was wet, very wet. The Bruce Highway was indeed
closed southbound and flood water was lapping at
the carriageway as we travelled north. But, by the
time we got to Gympie the skies were clearing. By
the time we got to the ferry at Riverheads students
were shedding their fleeces. By the time we got to
Fraser, it was gloriously sunny and it stayed that way
for three wonderful days. The day after we left, the
island was evacuated! We climbed sand blows at Lake Wabby and swam in
pure rainwater at Lake McKenzie. We ate well and
laughed a lot. But we also saw the less attractive
side of Fraser: the destruction caused by previously
unrestricted 4WD access; the miles of toilet paper strewn around ocean side camp sites; the
irresponsible behaviour of a local on a pushbike
intent on firing up a family of dingoes. Fraser is an
island of immense natural beauty but also a reminder
of the enormous impact simple ignorance can have
on a fragile environment. We had a memorable time and recommend the
experience whole-heartedly to all prospective
Geographers. Thank you, Mr Standen, for all the
hours of preparation and effort that go into making a
trip like this so incredibly successful. Thanks to the
staff, Ms MacDonald, Mrs Little and Ms Heafield, and thank you to the students whose behaviour and
enthusiasm did Varsity proud. Ms Heafield
Top P & C NewsSchool Banking School banking is available through the P & C. We
do this through the Commonwealth Bank and receive
$5 for every new account which is opened. We also
receive a commission for all savings banked. Do you remember the feel of bringing your banking to
school and watching your savings grow? Why not let your children experience that same
feeling and teach them a lifelong skill of banking.
Contact Sue Jones in the P & C office in the library or
call 55769394. June P & C Meeting: All Welcome When: 17 June, 2009
Time: 6.30pm to 8.30pm
Where: Chinese Immersion Room (Use stairs next to Senior Library, Senior Campus) School aged child minding available, please advise Sue Jones on 55769394 if you require this service. P & C Meeting Minutes are now available for your perusal on the Varsity College website. $10.00 One Day Sale Mid/Senior Uniform shop will be having a sale of selected Bintax/Paddinton stock on Saturday 13th June at 9am until 12 noon. Preparatory/Juniors day will be Friday 19 June 9.00am until 12 noon. This coincides with sports championship day so come down and support the students and pick up a bargain or two. Varsity College Business Directory Expressions of Interest Required
From Businesses within Varsity College school community The Varsity College P & C Association is looking at producing a Business Directory for our school. We see this as an opportunity to support our local community, whilst fundraising for the school. We can also develop a local business base that can be utilised by parents, carers, staff and the school itself, as well as the P & C Association. We are looking for expression of interest from any businesses that would like more details. If there is enough support we will contact you shortly and it will be raised at the next P & C Meeting for discussion. If successful we are envisaging launching this project at an inaugural golf day to be held later this year. Please complete the tear off section and return it to any Administration office of your sub-school. If you have any other queries, contact Sue Jones on 55769394 or via email at pandc@varsitycollege.eq.edu.au. Please click here to download the form. Varsity College P & C Executive Committee
Top va
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Dear Parent/Guardian,
