Welcome to the third St Luke's Way Newsletter for Term 2. Following, you'll find newsletter articles from St Luke's Principal, Virginia Warner, as well as all main areas of the School, and learning and development. Please open your newsletter article of choice by clicking from the options below.
Saturday marks the start of National Reconciliation Week (May 27- June 3), a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to reconciliation in Australia. The theme is ‘Be the Voice for Generations.’ As a community, St Luke’s Anglican School values diversity and ‘story’ sharing. Everyone has a voice and we learn, celebrate and support one another. The Anglican Church of Southern Queensland’s Reconciliation Artwork, created by Kabi Kabi and Yuin woman and talented artist, Stevie O’Chin, is on display in Reception and amongst other activities our students will be exploring this work in the week ahead.
Webster’s dictionary defines the word reconcile to mean ‘to bring one thing into correspondence with another.’ Year 7 Browning led our Worship service for Middle and Senior Schools this week on the theme of Bravery. They gave voice to just how important it is for each of us to bring our whole selves to school each day, knowing that we are enough and we belong. The students gave their peers the encouragement to be brave, to be the voice for others when they need support, and to stand up for what is right and for a culture where everyone belongs. I continue to be in awe of the wisdom of our young people. The healing that comes from listening and sharing experiences is transformative.
I would like to thank parents, staff, and students who shared their feedback via the MMG Survey. I anticipate that by the end of the term, I will be able to share key themes that emerge from the data.
Every day on campus we come together across multiple generations from Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) to Generation Alpha (born 2013-2025). Personally, I am Gen X (1965 – 1980) and while I believe working with young people keeps me young at heart and mind, I know that I have much to learn from the wisdom of my elders and our young people. It warms my heart that yesterday, our Middle School Chapel Leader, Joshua L, and Senior School Chapel Leader, Tamryn B, along with Year 11 Worship sacristans Reese D and Blair G, joined Mother Kate to participate in Meilene Aged Care's fortnightly church service. This is the first time we have returned to this connection since Covid and so it marks a very special time of reconnection.
Our students and staff are busy with assessments, sports, co-curricular commitments and the busyness of family life. I hope all of our community enjoys a break on the Bundaberg Show Public Holiday next Thursday. Classes will run as normal on Friday.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Mrs Virginia Warner
Principal
If you can think it, you can be it
Pre-Preppies enjoyed engaging in spontaneous dramatic role play this week. Friends donned assorted dress ups, various props and immersed themselves in a world where anything is possible. As superheroes, friends set out to keep the community safe while a group of hardworking mechanics laboured tirelessly to maintain vehicles to the road safety standard. Role play such as this fosters a child’s imagination, builds cognitive and communication skills and understanding of various roles within our community.
What colour can you see?
In Kindy, children have been discussing colours and patterns. Learning about colours is a milestone in early childhood and represents a child's cognitive understanding. Exposing children to and teaching them about colours develops their visual perception – which is the ability of the brain to correctly interpret what the eyes see. This is an important pre-reading skill.
Let’s play!
Junior friends took the lead and engaged in their own unstructured play experiences this week, from camp out adventures, bear hunts, cubby building, and car racing. Unstructured play allows children the freedom to explore, create, experiment and discover new things in the world around them. It also supports their curiosity about their surroundings and promotes teamwork.
Vacation Care
A reminder to all ELC families, if you require your child to be booked into the Junior, Kindy or Pre-Prep during the upcoming school holidays, Monday 19 June - Friday 7 July, please ensure you have completed Vacation Care online booking form as soon as possible. Please note: ELC Junior, Kindy and Pre-Prep children are only enrolled during school terms.
Warmest regards,
Mrs Catherine Donaldson
Director of Early Learning Centre
Bundaberg 10-12 year old Cross Country
Congratulations to the following students that competed in the Bundaberg District Schools 10-12 year old cross country last Friday at Avoca State School:-
Levi D
Zia N
Renesh G
James K
Florence M
Leo T
Mckenna H
Amelia I
Baylin M
Addisyn P
Edward-Martin S
Joanna L
A huge congratulations goes to the following students who gained a top 6 finish:
Baylin M - 2nd in his age group and
Edward-Martin S - 3rd in his age group
Renesh G - 6th in his age group
James K - 2nd in his age group.
These students will now attend the Wide Bay School Sport 10-19 years cross country trials at Hervey Bay on Tuesday 6 June vying for a spot to represent Wide Bay at the State Championships at Runaway Bay on 17 July.
On Tuesday this week, our St Luke's Chess Club consisting of 23 students attended Term 2's Gardiner Chess Competition at Walkervale State School. We would like to congratulate the following students who received Merit awards (at least 4.5/7) - Coby W, Callum W, Amelie I, Zachary H, Hayden M, Aaron A and Mannix M. We also had students that placed 3rd in the teams' event and those students were Mannix M, Eshal B, Hayden M and Dishanth S. A big congratulations to all of these students. We would like to thank Mrs Taylor in Year 6 for giving up her lunch hour to help these students better themselves before competition day.
Prep A Splitters Farm Excursion
On Monday last week, Prep A visited Splitters Farm. The children fed pigs, goats and sheep and saw horses and cows as well.
The animals loved eating sweet potatoes. This excursion was all about learning about animals and their habitats.
Prep B Splitters Farms Excursion
On Tuesday last week, our Prep B students attended Splitters Farm and we asked some of the students, what they thought of the day:-
"On Splitters Farm we walked around in groups to see different animals like horses, cows and sheep." - Maci
"On our excursion, we saw dogs, pigs and goats. We fed the animals sweet potato." - Ashleigh
"Our class caught the bus to the farm because we have been learning about living and non-living things." - Kytan
"At Splitters Farm, Prep B walked around the creek in groups and saw water birds, boats, lizards, fire pits and holiday houses." - Molly
Prep C Splitters Farm Excursion
Prep C enjoyed a fun day out at Splitters Farm as part of their Science unit, exploring living and non-living things. The students fed the animals lots of sweet potatoes and even got to pet the animals. They saw chickens, ducks, goats, horses, sheep, pigs and even a camel. Some of the animals had babies and the students were lucky enough to see lambs, ponies and piglets.
"I loved seeing the horses." - Harry
"I loved the camel." - Olivia
"I liked the peacocks." - Sabine
Prep C students were intrigued by the rescue animals as we saw lots of animals with injuries.
"Where did they find the rescue animals?" - Dominic
"Why did the goat have a broken horn?" - Cameron
"What happened to the horse's eye?" - Elizabeth
Splitters Farm was a great experience that evoked a lot of questions and interest from students! Cannot wait to return!
Kaufusi Shield Competition
This week our Primary Rugby League Team played in the Semi Final of the annual Kaufusi Shield knock-out competition against a combined Avoca State School/Moore Park Beach State School. While our team had no reserves due to illness, they fought hard and came away with the win with the final score of 22-10.
The boys will now prepare for the Grand Final against St Patrick’s State School next Wednesday at 5.30 pm at Salters Oval. Congratulations to all the boys that played and a big thank you to Mr Geiger for giving up his time to train the boys and being their coach and mentor at the games after school. Best of luck boys in the Grand Final, we will be cheering you on.
Primary Readers Cup
Best of luck to the following students that will be competing in the Readers Cup on Tuesday 6 June at Xavier Catholic College in Hervey Bay: Eshal B, Jeanica C, Scarlett D, Eloise H, James K, Samantha L, Irene N, Kelly W, Matilda W and Indigo W. I know they have been meeting weekly (during their lunch hours) with Mrs Hills in the lead-up to this competition and dedicating their time to reading the set books. Best of luck to you all.
Cane Train Reminder
As we enter the cane crush season, we would like to remind our community to be careful crossing or travelling near cane train railway lines. Stay safe everyone!
The St Luke’s Way Community Feedback
The School invites parent members of our community to join us for a feedback session on our St Luke’s Way. The School has been purposefully revisiting our values to ensure they are current and connected to our ongoing needs as a growing and flourishing community.
We will meet on a normal P&F Meeting evening, on 14 June at 6:00 pm in the Lecture Theatre. Those who would like to stay on afterwards for the formal section of the P&F Meeting, are more than welcome. This will start at about 6:30 pm.
Kind regards,
Tonia Lassman
Head of Primary School
Dear Middle School Parents and Caregivers,
The St Luke's Middle School newsletter is recorded as a video by myself and Head of Senior School, Mrs Robyn Deer, and then uploaded to YouTube. For this fortnight's newsletter content please visit the following YouTube link.
Alternatively, you may wish to jump ahead to specific topics within the same video. If so, please go to the following category links.
Kind regards,
Matthew Hughes
Head of Middle School
Welcome to the Senior School newsletter for this fortnight. Head of Middle School, Mr Matthew Hughes and I have recorded a video update and uploaded it to YouTube for your convenience. To watch this fortnight's newsletter content for Middle and Senior School, please visit the following YouTube link.
Alternatively, you may wish to jump ahead to specific topics within the same video. If so, please go to the following category links.
Kind regards,
Robyn Deer
Head of Senior School
Australia's Biggest Morning Tea
On Friday 12 May, the Interact Club of St Luke’s Anglican School hosted Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea in support of the Cancer Council. The Interact members baked cakes, cupcakes, brownies, biscuits, slices etc so that students and staff could have a delicious morning tea and thereby earn valuable funds for Cancer Research. All these goodies sold like hotcakes, so to speak, with approximately $450 being raised.
The Cancer Council is the largest non-government funder of cancer research in the country, and thanks to the generosity of supporters, such as those who visited our Interact stall, they have been able to invest almost $250 million in Australian cancer research in the past five years alone.
Investment in research has helped increase cancer survival rates from 49% in the 1980s to 69% today. Because of this research, more people are surviving cancer than ever before. Every day, brilliant Australian researchers are working to unlock more of cancer’s secrets.
Almost 150,000 Australians are diagnosed with cancer every year. That’s 150,000 families who need practical information and support. Interact President, Caoimhe Craven-Hughes said,
“The Interact Club would like to thank all who supported the event. Your assistance will make a difference to the lives of others who are struggling as cancer sufferers or supporters. I would also like to thank the Interactors for their involvement in this service activity.”
Vice President, Dakota Carroll, stated,
“The Interact Club would like to thank the Rotary Club of Bundaberg Sunrise for their support and for providing an opportunity for its members to serve the community”.
Neil Robinson
Interact Club Coordinator
Matthew Cathcart
Director of Community and Service
Bundaberg All Schools Lead Up Regattas
Over the past few weeks, our St Luke’s rowers have been busy participating in the Bundaberg All Schools Lead Up Regatta #1 and #2 in preparation for the pinnacle of the local rowing season – the Bundaberg All Schools Head of the River Regatta to be held on 11 June.
These lead-up regattas have been the perfect opportunity for our newest rowers to get out on the water and gain some valuable experience ahead of the upcoming competition. With our rowers showing some very promising form and posting equally impressive times, we are looking forward to seeing some amazing results at the next regatta.
Oustanding effort for Marnie-Lee at the Golf State Championships
Recently, St Luke’s Year 7 student, Marnie-Lee competed at the Golf State Championships held in Noosa. Over the four day championship event, Marine-Lee’s skills and commitment to the game were outstanding. Marnie-Lee came away the Nett Winner in the 10-12 Years division.
Congratulations, Marine-Lee. We are extremely proud of your efforts.
Sporting Representatives
Congratulations to our 2023 Sports Representatives. Please click here for the full list.
Len Kirchner
Director of Co-curricular (Sport)
Mmmmmm… The School Production for 2023 is on its way!
Last week out of the 90 students that expressed interest in being a part of our upcoming production, we officially have a cast of 50 exceptionally talented students. Mrs Hutchings, Mrs Butler, Miss Rogers and I were completely blown away by the talent that stood before us. As challenging as it was, it was also a good position to be in when we realised we could have cast 4 or 5 different people in each lead role and still have an exceptional cast.
But the process is done now, and I cannot express how grateful we are to be working with a team of people that want to achieve greatness, and that are willing to do the right thing by the production team, and their peers. Each and every student is open to learning and realises with every new experience no matter how young or old, experienced or inexperienced, there are always valuable lessons to be learned. This is the quintessential spirit of a growth mindset. In addition to this incredible attitude, we have a combination of first-time musical students to highly experienced students. But one of the things I love most about our school is that when our students get to Years 10, 11 and 12 they are excited about giving back to the community that has given so much to them. None of our older students would be able to achieve nearly as high as they do without the role modeling, and positive culture-building habits of their predecessors. And last but certainly not least, the support, encouragement and exemplary education provided to them by our incredible staff.
So, a huge congratulations to the cast, and a gigantic thank you to Mrs Hutchings, Mrs Butler and Miss Rogers for your collective decades of knowledge and experience that you will be sharing with our students, in the hundreds of hours to come.
Date Claimer
June 10, 11 and 12 - Senior Music Camp
17 to 26 July - Bundaberg Music Eisteddfod
31 August - Cultural Celebration Evening
October 5, 6 and 7 - Musical Production
Many thanks,
Sarah Ferguson
Director of Co-curricular (Culture)
There is no update this fortnight from the Director of Academic Welfare and Careers.
Mr Kane Kersnovske
Director of Academic Welfare and Careers
Hello Parents, Caregivers and Students of St Luke's.
Visit our all new webpage where you can find everything you need to know about Turtle Café, including this term's downloadable Turtle Café and ELC menus, and our FlexiSchools ordering system. It's all located by clicking right here.
Yours in Nutrition,
Serena Curnock
Turtle Café Convenor
Shop Hours
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday (with the exception of Public holidays)
7.45 am to 11.00 am and 2.30 pm to 3.30 pm
New Primary Uniforms
We are still waiting on the arrival of our Primary shirts. We thank you for your patience in the unforeseen delay of our new Primary uniform items.
New Primary Hats
We are now fully stocked with the new Primary hats.
Primary Socks
Primary socks size 9-12 have arrived. Socks are now available in all sizes.
New Winter Jackets years Prep to 12
Our top-up order of Winter jackets have arrived. All sizes are now available.
Embroidery on Primary hats
Just a reminder that if you have your child's name embroidered on the back of their school hat, please ensure that only their first initial and surname are included - first names are not to be embroidered. This is a child protection measure. Innstyle Mensland have the correct colour thread and fonts that the school require.
Online Ordering
Online ordering is available through the Flexischools website: http://www.flexischools.com.au/
Please note that Flexischools online ordering is not available during the holiday periods.
Ms Karen Orreal
Shop Supervisor
Seeking Scrap Donations - Under 8s Day
Do you have scrap fabric or unneeded wool or ribbon pieces? Donations will be gratefully accepted at the Learning Hub! They will be used in a beautiful community weaving activity for Under 8s Day, celebrated in the Primary School on the morning of Friday 2nd June.
National Simultaneous Storytime
On Wednesday 24 May, at 11.00 am, schools and families all around Australia read the delightful picture book ‘The Speedy Sloth’ by Rebecca Young and Heath McKenzie. The Learning Hub has been filled with adorable sloths all week! Students crafted their own sloth masks at lunchtimes, and the big screen has been used to display live video of baby sloths being cared for at Toucan Rescue Ranch.
Premier’s Reading Challenge
The Premier’s Reading Challenge for 2023 is underway. Completed reading record forms must be returned to your child’s classroom teacher or to the Learning Hub by 28 August. Please direct queries to your child’s classroom teacher. Further information and suggested reading lists can be found at https://readingchallenge.education.qld.gov.au/about.
Scholastic Book Club Issue #4
Issue #4 of Book Club has been distributed to Primary classrooms. Orders can be placed online at http://scholastic.com.au/loop, or order forms with cash payments of correct change may be given to the Primary Office, by Friday 2 June. If your order has been marked as a gift, we will notify you when it is ready for you to collect from the Primary Office.
Learning Hub Hours
Monday to Thursday: 7:45 am to 4:45 pm Friday: 7:45 am to 4:30 pm
Ms Sarah Simpson
Learning Hub Manager
Bus Fare Assistance
Online applications for the Non-State Schools Transport Assistance Scheme and the Students with Disabilities Scheme will be accepted from 1 May until 31 May 2023 directly via the website: www.schooltransport.com.au
Please note: The School will process all applications on behalf of families using the Scifleet Bus.
Notice of Enrolment Termination
The Notes to the Schedule of Fees lists the following requirements for withdrawal of enrolment:
If the student is to leave the School the parent agrees to give at least one term’s written notice to the School. This notice should be received:
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