Newsletter

Important Dates - Reedy Creek

Always refer to the Compass Calendar for more events and the most up to date event information.

Welcome to King's for 2023

It has been an amazing first fortnight of school as we welcomed our eager Preppies to the Prep Centre and all of our new and returning students to King's. We wish our new students and their families an incredible learning journey at our College and pray that you will all feel warmly welcomed as you settle into our school community. Please email connect@kingscollege.qld.edu.au if you would like help getting connected with other King's families. We really look forward to another successful year of learning passionately, living purposefully, loving faithfully and leading diligently. It's been an eventful start to Term 1 with our Year 7 and 12 students heading to camps, our High School students participating in their annual Swimming Carnival and our Primary School community enjoying their brand new building. You can read about all of these stories, and more, in this first edition of our College Newsletter... 

New Primary Building: A Place of Learning, Inspiration, and Excitement

Our Primary School community were especially excited to return to King’s this year and explore their incredible new building, which opened on the first day of school. Designed with our students in mind, this modern and comfortable space has exceeded all expectations as the perfect place for our Primary students to learn and flourish. The building incorporates large windows that fill our Year 3 classrooms with lots of natural light to boost creativity, mood and mental focus, while its state-of-the-art furniture and equipment also enhance the overall learning experience. Primary Reception is located on the ground floor of the new building, offering a spacious and convenient place for parents to get any administration support they need. Mrs Wendijk and her students are enjoying their specialist lessons in the amazing art studio, and many students are also making the most of the new outdoor play zone and adjoining walkway to the Year 1 and 2 classroom block.

Thanks again to our King’s parents for your support during the construction process. We invite you to take a walk through our new building next time you are on campus and we look forward to our official building opening with government dignitaries, later in the year.

Year 12's Final King's Camp

Our Year 12 cohort headed to Mount Tamborine for their final school camp in Week 1 of Term 1. The theme for their camp was 'Lead with Influence' and focussed on four of King's Foundational Values: Humility, Wisdom, Perseverance and Respect. Throughout their camp, students participated in various competitions in their Houses, learning to work together and utilise everyone’s strengths, in the hope of winning the Noel Collins trophy. After a full few days of friendly rivalry, it was Finney House who claimed the victory - congratulations Finney!

It was wonderful to see our Year 12s uniting together as a cohort, participating enthusiastically and making the most of their last school camp experience together. The Bingo Night was definitely a hit - our students were very creative with their costumes, and Mr Ravell and Mr Davis were very entertaining in their role as ‘oldies’ calling out the numbers. Our Garbage Bag Formal on the second night was an opportunity for students to really use their artistic skills, get out some dance moves and practice showing respect to others. It was lovely to see our emerging gentlemen serving dinner to the young ladies and students engaged in conversation with others outside of their usual friendship groups. Seeing so many students connect with the devotions was a major highlight of this camp. The sound of all the students singing together, the sight of so many students responding to the messages and participating in prayer times, as well as the many conversations about life and faith throughout the camp were all truly heartwarming.

A big thank you to Mr Grady for leading the camp, Mr Muir for organising the night devotions and all the teachers and chaplains who invested their time to make this camp a memorable experience for our students. Well done Year 12 - you all showed what it is to lead with influence and demonstrated what an incredible cohort you are! We hope you enjoyed your final King's camp and that this experience is a stepping stone towards seeing you move throughout this year as a united group because of this shared experience. 

Karley Lonsdale
Year 12 Coordinator (Culture)

Year 7 Camp 2023

2023 saw a different kind of start to the school year for our Year 7 students, who attended their camp in the first week of Term 1. Bringing the camp forward this year, laid a strong foundation for the cohort and gave them the best possible start to their High School journey. Our brave newcomers enjoyed the chance to forge new friendships in the more relaxed social setting of camp, while our returning students reconnected with their peers after the Christmas break to build stronger friendships for the year ahead. Camps at King's are an important part of the foundational fabric of our College culture, and this camp was the first of many that will occur throughout 2023 to create the time and space for students to connect with God and each other.

Year 7s' action-packed three days at QCCC Mapleton on the Sunshine Coast involved adventurous activities and team-building challenges that provided a fun and interactive experience for the cohort. Students particularly loved the heights of the glider possum, leap of faith and giant swing, with some even completing their turn blindfolded.

House spirit was strongly embraced through the tribal wars in games such as human-hungry hippos, inflatable obstacle races and tug-o-war. Rayleigh rose to take the win in an incredibly close competition. Well done Rayleigh! Students passionately worshipped God and responded to the message each night at the Chapel services. These ended with students given the opportunity to be prayed for by the Chaplains and teachers.

High School Swimming Carnival 2023

Tuesday, 31 January, marked an exciting date for King's swimmers, who were all keen to get into the pool and racing for our annual High School Swimming Carnival. Overcast skies didn't dampen spirits as our Years 7-12 students converged on Miami Aquatic Centre showing exuberant House colour and comradery. King's Year 12 cohort led their Houses through a chorus of war cries and House Challenges as our senior leaders' enthusiasm set high hopes for another fun-filled Carnival. Every student gave their best to collect points and contribute to our inaugural 2023 sports carnival. Congratulations to TYNDALE House who showcased their swimming prowess and House Spirit to win the House Champions' title.

• 1st - Tyndale
• 2nd - Finney
• 3rd - Newton
• 4th - Rayleigh 

Well done to our fastest swimmers whose outstanding performances earned them the 2023 Age Champions titles!

Highlights from the High School Swimming Carnival

Year 9 and 10 Honours Awards

Our High School Honours Assemblies occur twice a year to award Honours Badges to students as we celebrate their extraordinary achievements from the previous semester. On Wednesday this week, we recognised our Year 9 and 10 students' success in the areas of College Enhancement (Performing Arts & community service), Sport and Academics from Semester Two, 2022. Honours Badges were awarded at Teal, Bronze, Silver and Gold level, as determined by the College's Honours Criteria. It was wonderful to see so many achievements across such a breadth of endeavours and to see so many students working hard to achieve their best in their God-given gifts. Congratulations to our recipients on these outstanding achievements!

Thank you parents and family members for attending this event and showing your support.

High School Academic Update

A warm welcome to the 2023 academic year at King’s Christian College. Classes have started with enthusiasm and it is heartening to see that our students are keen to do their best. It was wonderful to welcome Year 7 and our new Year 8 - 12 students to an on-campus induction day. Year 7 students were clearly excited to be in high school at last, and have been particularly enthusiastic, even if unsure of some of the high school processes. We look forward to seeing their excitement convert into excellent results in the classroom.

After School Homework and Assignment Assistance will commence in Week 4 in the Maths Matrix for all Years 7 - 12 students. This is a great opportunity for students to come and ask questions to enhance their understanding and help to improve their results. It is free to attend and students can stay for as little or as long as they like.

Year Level Highlights

Year 12

Bringing our Year 12s back two days earlier gave students the opportunity to be settled, focused and progressing with their learning by the time all the other students returned to school. Our Year 12 students are halfway through their second last unit of work (Unit 3). All the Unit 3 and Unit 4 assessments count towards a student’s final grade, and it is pleasing to see so many of our Year 12 students working constructively and being so eager to perform well.

Year 11

Year 11 students are halfway through their study of Unit 1. It is important that students engage in their learning and succeed in their subjects to ensure they are appropriately prepared for the Year 12 course. The Year 11 course provides an opportunity for students to ‘bank’ valuable points towards their Queensland Certificate of Education, which is issued at the end of Year 12. It is also vital that students and parents understand that students must pass English and Maths, for at least a semester.

Year 10

In Year 10, students study English, Maths and Science as core subjects and commence ‘taster’ subjects in preparation for their senior courses which start in Term 4. We encourage students to apply themselves to the subjects they selected. Later in the year, if necessary, students can apply to change to a subject more suited to their interests, skills, abilities and future pathway.

Year 9

In Year 9, all students study English, Maths, Science, Humanities, Health and PE. Students are always excited to finally have the opportunity to experience two new elective subjects they have chosen themselves. 

Year 8

Now that Year 8 have progressed from being the youngest in the school, they always have fun participating in their next round of rotation subjects. This gives them the opportunity to try more practical subjects, which assist them in making selections for Year 9 electives in Term 3.

Year 7

The Year 7 cohort has made a smooth transition into our high school community. Students participated in a Foundations for Success talk on induction day and were given tips about how to find the assessment schedule, how long to spend on homework, when to start working on assignments and what to do if they are away. During Foundations for Success, we focussed on the four pillars of learning:

• Home
• Content and skills
• Applying what you’ve learned
• Assessment techniques 

Prep Teddy Bear's Picnic

Every year at King's, our Prep students receive their own King's teddy bear to welcome them to their first day of school in the Prep Centre. Dressed in a mini King's sports uniform, these adorable teddies provided some extra comfort for our brave Prep students as they embraced the new and exciting changes that the first day of school invoked. They also celebrated their Day One milestone with a memorable Teddy Bear's Picnic lunch in the Lower Primary Playground precinct, where our Prep community enjoyed getting to know all of the new friendly faces in the cohort. The special event was a highlight for many of the students during their first week of Prep and is likely to be remembered for years to come. 

To comfort our courageous Prep parents, our thoughtful teachers prepared them a school starter pack including a tissue, tea bag and chocolate to say goodbye, as well as the book 'Socially' Starting Out' by Liz Giovas.

Year 5 Student to Debut on Foxtel Cooking Show

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Year 5 student, Luke Thacker, is set to make his television debut on Wednesday, 8 February at 8.15pm on Foxtel, as he stars with his parents in the new cooking show '4 Ingredients.' The opportunity to take part in the show came about when the family were travelling Australia two years ago and using Kim McCosker's renowned '4 Ingredients' cookbooks as part of Luke's Distance Education program. Paulette, Luke's mum, said "using these simple recipes is a great way to teach children how to serve up a great meal for the family so we found them very useful." The Thackers became friends with the author and her assistant, Melinda, over their time on the road, and she invited them to be on one of her cooking shows which is themed 'easy meals for travelling.' "We filmed back in 2020 for a full day from our caravan on a farm on the Sunshine Coast, and then enjoyed a sunset dinner," Paulette said. Airing of the series was delayed due to COVID but we are all excited to watch the 6-part series on Foxtel this week. Well done Luke on this exciting opportunity and we look forward to watching '4 Ingredients you with your parents (including Mr Thacker who you might recognise from King's Eden View traffic control team). We are excited to see your cooking career take off!

NAPLAN 2023

WHAT IS NAPLAN?

The National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) will take place in March this year and is designed to provide regular data on student achievement in the areas of literacy and numeracy - essential skills that each child needs to succeed. Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in NAPLAN tests for reading, writing, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation), and numeracy. 

NAPLAN is a point-in-time assessment that allows you to see how your child is progressing in literacy and numeracy against the national standard and compared with their peers throughout Australia. King’s teachers frequently use NAPLAN to provide additional information about student progress and inform decisions about differentiation and targeted teaching in the classroom to improve future student outcomes.

PARTICIPATION & ADJUSTMENTS

At King’s, we expect and encourage all students to participate in NAPLAN testing and we are pleased with our established tradition of high levels of participation. During the testing window in March, catch-up tests will be offered for students who are absent on test days.

Support can be arranged for students with disabilities, particularly if the student regularly accesses similar support for school assessment tasks. Students may also be withdrawn from NAPLAN by their parent or carer. This is a matter of consideration by parents and carers in consultation with the school, and would require a signed withdrawal form.

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED

• Headphones
• Keyboard for iPads (Years 5 & 7)

For parents of Year 3 and 5 students:

If you wish to discuss your child’s participation in NAPLAN, please email:

• Year 3 - Kylie French: kfrench@kingcsollege.qld.edu.au
• Year 5 - Jordan Peters: jpeters@kingscollege.qld.edu.au

For parents of Year 7 and 9 students:

Please CLICK ON THIS LINK to register your intention for withdrawal or adjusted conditions. If you wish to discuss your child’s participation in NAPLAN, please email:

• Years 7 and 9 - Mrs Stephanie Kozina: skozina@kingscollege.qld.edu.au

High School NAPLAN testing will take place in the morning sessions on the following dates: 

• Writing: Wednesday, 15 March
• Reading: Thursday, 16 March
• Catch-up session: Friday, 17 March 
• Conventions of Language: Monday, 20 March
• Numeracy: Tuesday, 21 March
• Catch-up session: Wednesday, 22 March

FURTHER INFORMATION

Later in the year, you will receive your child’s personal NAPLAN report describing their particular skills and how they performed in relation to national standards. The information you receive will be valuable in helping you consider your child’s literacy and numeracy progress. 

For more information about NAPLAN testing in Queensland, please click on the links below:

High School Assessment Schedules

Years 7-12 Assessment Schedules

Assessment Schedules have now been posted on Compass for all High School year levels. Years 7 - 11 schedules are for Semester 1 (Terms 1 & 2) whereas the Year 12 Assessment Schedule is for the whole year. To find the Assessment Schedule, your child can click on the “My Learning” tile found on each student’s Compass dashboard.

Assessment due dates are also visible on every student's calendar in the Compass App (My Student > Calendar). The Assessment Schedules show the academic week in which an assessment piece is due, but the actual day is shown on student calendars and class pages. Please note: except in the case of practical assessments or exams, assessment pieces are due at 8.30am on the due date.

It is always very helpful for students to look ahead at their Assessment Schedule so that they can easily see an overview of what is due when. We encourage you to look at the schedule and discuss due dates with your child. You might like to print the schedule and place it somewhere prominent in your home.

Our College Captains Attend Leader's Retreat

Over the recent holidays our two current College Captains, Seo-Woo Choi and Caleb Choga, were chosen to attend the Griffith University Leader's Retreat. They shared about this valuable experience:

"On the 16th - 18th of January, Caleb and I had the privilege of attending the 2023 Future Leader's Retreat at Griffith University. It was such an amazing experience as we were able to gain insight on what true leadership is like and how we can use these gifts to make the world a better place. The days were filled with inspiring speakers who shared with us about their journey through life, as well as hands-on sessions in health, criminology, business and science, and various fun activities where we could practise our leadership skills. This included the drumming workshop and an ‘amazing race’ activity, along with a pool party, campus tour and late-night karaoke with the team. Many new friendships were formed and the kindness that everyone showed was so contagious that we are confident that these relationships were the start of something new and exciting for us all! Caleb and I will never forget this group of people and we are both so ready to bring what we learned into our leadership roles at King's and beyond."

- Seo-Woo

"In the last week of the holidays Seo-Woo and I were selected to attend the Griffith University 2023 Future Leaders Retreat. The three-day experience was filled with school leaders from across Queensland and Northern New South Wales and helped prepare us for our transition into Year 12 and beyond. Every day we had the honour of hearing from successful business owners, coaches and other leading experts who shared their inspirational stories and gave us tips on how to develop our leadership, professional and personal skills. Additionally, we received exclusive access to Griffith University and got a first-hand feel of what it’s like to be a university student. This time away was certainly one of the highlights of my holiday as I made lots of like-minded friendships that I’m sure will last a long time. I highl recommend this opportunity to any other future leaders as I learned so much about myself and the kind of leader I am and can be."

- Caleb

King's Students Attend SHEP

Three of King's very talented young musicians were successfully selected to participate in SHEP (the State Honours Ensemble Program) for the Primary School category. Griffith University hosted this prestigious two-day prograam in late November and our College was honoured to have Darren Lim (Cello), Kassia Tezel (Violin) and Aya Ucharatna (Violin) attend this event. Participating in SHEP is a great honour and we congratulate the students on this achievement.

Easter Fest Art Competition 2023

In conjunction with Queensland Art Teacher's Association (QATA), King's invites students to take part in the 2023 Easter Fest Art competition. All entries need to be A4 size or smaller and in 2D format, with no restriction on the medium used. There are a number of amazing art pack prizes to be won.

Categories

1. Easter Fest Theme: Randsom & Rescue
2. Open 

Entries open on March 13 and will be exhibited on March 28, 2023. Please email Mrs Wendjk for more information.

Careers Department Highlights

Traineeships Available

There are a number of traineeships available and these vacancies are listed on King's Careers site. These change on a weekly basis as new positions become available. Students are encouraged to source their own traineeship employer if there is nothing on the list that appeals to them.

Registered Training Organisation Courses

Students in Years 10 and 11 can apply for external study options to enhance their career options. Students need to ensure they have good time management skills to cope with the workload. 

• GeSS Education courses and pathway options
• TAFE Brisbane - To register an expression of interest, apply HERE and enter the code TQB2301
• TAFE Gold Coast - To register an expression of interest, apply HERE and enter the code TQGC2301
• Gold Coast Trade College - pre-apprentice courses for 2023.  Enrolment form and transport permission

Online Careers Hub

The 'Where to Next' Hub is available on CareersEvent.com, and provides an informative Careers Hub for senior students and their parents. Visit the hub for access to tertiary webinars, upcoming events and the latest news on careers and courses.

Read More From King's Careers

For a full list of events or to register for the King's Careers Newsletter, visit King’s College Careers.

Follow King's on Instagram

Did you know that King's have a range of vibrant Instagram accounts showcasing many exciting aspects of our school life? We have pages for our art and sports departments and our central College page: @kings_christian_college. We'd love you to follow us to support our students and see what's happening behind the scenes at King's...