Newsletter

Important Dates - Reedy Creek

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

Students Display Foundational Values During NAPLAN

2023 NAPLAN testing began this week for all Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students across Australia. This year's testing period commenced at King's on Wednesday, 15 March, with the Writing test. Year 3 students handwrote their answers, while the other years completed the test online using their school devices. Our teachers were very impressed to see all students display King's Foundational Values during their tests, particularly courage, self-control, perseverance and excellence, as they gave their best to attempt every question. Well done for your hard work and dedication.

We want to express our thanks to King's families for their unwavering support throughout NAPLAN - for ensuring your children were organised with their devices, arrived at school on time and were well-rested for these important exams. It was heartwarming to see our Year 5 tradition continue this year with the ‘NAPLAN surprise,’ which includes handwritten notes of encouragement from each parent to their child which sat on their desk during their exam to spur them on. NAPLAN requires a cooperative effort and we couldn't do it without the support of our community. Monday, 20 March, marks the last day of NAPLAN for Primary, while High School have their last test on Tuesday, 21 March, and any catch up tests on Wednesday, 22 March. We wish our students well as they complete the tests for 2023. NAPLAN reports will be sent home later in the year.

Year 8's 'Tremendously Memorable' Camp

King's Year 8 students enjoyed their action-packed and sun drenched school camp at Alexandra Park Conference Centre on the Sunshine Coast from 6 - 8 March. Complete with beach games, surfing, High Ropes, raft building, archery tag and pool games, there was certainly something for everyone. Throughout the three days, students were challenged and supported as they stepped out of their comfort zones to build greater grit, determination and confidence, strengthen friendships and grow in their personal relationship with God. Congratulations to TYNDALE for taking out this camp's Norm Rix Shield after successfully winning the Tribal Wars House games competition.

One of our students reported on the cohort's incredible camp experience:

King's Recent eSports Victory

King's was excited to have eight students represent our College in the Senior Division of the FUSE Cup eSports Interschool Competition on Thursday, 9 March. This inaugural event attracted 32 competitors from schools across the Gold Coast and four of our students made it through to the quarter-finals. King's Year 10 student, Thomas Zischke, progressed through the final rounds to win the competition and claim the coveted Champion's Trophy and prize - Congratulations Thomas! ESports is an increasingly-popular activity that requires skill, strategic thinking, and quick reflexes, and it's fantastic to see our students excelling in this rapidly-growing field. Thanks to King's eSports coach, Mr Jason Lee, for helping our students succeed - we look forward to seeing what our students achieve in the next epic battle!

King's Make Waves at QLD Beach Volleyball Competition

King's made a splash at the Queensland Beach Volleyball Schools Cup held at Coolangatta last weekend, with 24 athletes representing our school across nine teams. This competition is a highly-anticipated event that attracts schools from all over the State, and 2023 saw a staggering 394 teams from 53 schools across Queensland compete on 42 courts. Our teams faced some tough competition  through a mix of hot and rainy conditions and secured an impressive four medals over the two days, with King's successfully finishing the competition in 11th place overall. 

Congratulations to our medalling teams:

• GOLD: Year 8 Boys, Four-A-Side
• SILVER: Year 9 Boys, Four-A-Side
• SILVER: Year 12 Boys, Pairs 
• BRONZE: Year 11 Boys, Pairs

With such a hard-fought contest, King's success is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our athletes and coaches and the College’s commitment to building our robust sport’s program. Our athletes put on an exciting performance, with players showcasing their skills and teamwork on the sand. It was wonderful to see them displaying our Foundational Values of perseverance and excellence as they showed impressive resilience and sportsmanship over the weekend.  Well done to Coach Ari and his team, to our players for these achievements and to our supportive families, as we celebrate this well-deserved success with you.

South Coast Regional Swimming Trials 2023

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The annual South Coast Regional Swimming Championships was held on Tuesday, 7 March, at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre. King's had 23 swimmers competing in their selected events. Out of the 23 swimmers who attended, 17 qualified through to the QLD School Swimming Championships later this month. Well done to all students and congratulations to our swimmers who qualified to attend the State Swimming Championships:

King’s Begins 2023 with Multiple Chess Crowns

King’s chess teams, led by Mr Cooke and a supportive team of coaches, kicked off 2023 in the best way possible, winning several tournaments in the first few weeks of the school year. King’s Primary and High School chess teams both managed to win the Gold Coast Secondary and Primary Hinterland Championships, with several players achieving perfect scores on the day. 

In the Primary Championships, Joshua Ong and Nikolaj Brdaric both scored 8/8 - a feat unmatched by anyone else in the 36 players' field. Rentaro Inukai was also rewarded for his hard work and achieved a score of 7/8 on board one, while Siannah Cooke fought hard to score 4/8 to add to her team’s winning tally. 

King’s sent two teams of four to compete in the High School Chess Championship and secured First Place in sensational style, winning 23.5 points /28 King’s, a whole round ahead of their second-place rivals. The King’s team 1, including Bryan Yang, Edwin Choi, Jordan Chan, and Cooper Whitaker, defeated the top teams from some of the Gold Coast’s top chess schools, while King’s team 2, including Tristan Smith, Kotaro Inukai, Woo Joon Ki, and Will Cameron, finished strongly in Third Place with all players placing within the Top 20.

For the King’s chess teams, the Cookies Chess Individual Age Competition is always one of the most exciting events on the calendar and presents a great opportunity for students from our Reedy Creek and Pimpama campuses to demonstrate their improvement over the last year. With a record-breaking 185 participants, First Place was eventually split between Woo Joon Ki, Edwin Choi, and William Cameron, in the overall division. It was particularly exciting to see students who have been working hard during their chess lessons come out on top of the individual championships, and this hard work will undoubtedly pay off later in the year in external competitions.

Parent Ambassador Program Launches for 2023

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Every class in King's Primary has a Parent Ambassador (previously known as Class Coordinator) who helps to foster stronger connections among the families in their class and year level, as well as support their teacher at times throughout the year. Parent Ambassadors are invaluable members of our school community, and as busy parents themselves, they generously volunteer their time to our College. Our Parent Ambassadors attended their 2023 Welcome Event on Friday, 10 March, in the new Primary Building. They were welcomed by our Head of Primary, Mrs Payne, introduced to King's Year Level Coordinators, learned some valuable Compass tips from our Director of IT and Innovation, Mr Galer, and enjoyed afternoon tea together.

If you are a new King's family and would like to get better connected, email connect@kingscollege.qld.edu.au to be put you in touch with your Parent Ambassador. The College also has private King's Year Level Facebook Groups which are strictly for current parents in that year level as a way to help connect parents. These groups also show the list of Parent Ambassadors for that year level.

Special thanks to our 2023 Parent Ambassadors for their willingness to serve this year!

Japanese Students Visit King's on Study Tour

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We are delighted to welcome Japanese students from Seikyo Gakuen to King's for a week-long study tour. The students are staying with host families from our school community, providing an opportunity to experience life here and learn more about our culture. Our Japanese visitors have been attending classes and chapels, participating in cultural activities and visiting local tourist attractions during their stay. They will have the opportunity to explore the Gold Coast and gain a deeper understanding of our culture and way of life.

We encourage our school community to extend a warm welcome to our international visitors and show them hospitality and kindness. Take the time to introduce yourselves, make them feel at home and learn about their experiences in Japan. Let's make this study tour an unforgettable experience as we share our culture and learn from theirs!

King's Busy New Art Studio

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The new Primary Art Room continues to be a hive of activity, with students busily completing their incredible creations for our upcoming Easter Fest event. We have been astounded by the quality of the student’s artwork and encourage all parents to come and view these exhibitions on March 28 at Easter Fest 2023. Our teachers have also been blown away by the beautiful entries for the Easter Fest Art Competition, which attracted over 100 entries and will make judging very challenging.

The new Art studio space was also host to some very special guests on Friday, 3 March, with Mrs Wendijk opening the room to QATA Primary Art Teachers. A number of teachers turned out for a relaxed evening to discuss art ideas, the best resources and the new 9 ACCARA curriculum.

King's Armed Services Honour Roll 2023

Our college has an Honour Roll of King's alumni who have joined the Australian armed forces since their graduation. The Honour Roll is read out each year during our school ANZAC Day service in April. Please email Mrs Aya Baker the names of any King's alumni who are not on the current Roll below, but are serving or have served in the armed forces, so they can be added and acknowledged during our ANZAC Day assembly in Week 2 of Term 2:

King's Honour Roll

Easter Fest 2023 is Nearly Here!

Easter Fest 2023 is an incredible event for our College community and will be the perfect chance for King's families and friends to celebrate our student's musical and artistic talents while enjoying festivities for all ages. This year's event is themed Ransom and Rescue and we look forward to this special community celebration on Tuesday, 28 March from 5pm - 7.30pm.

Easter Fest Highlights will Include:

• Student musical performances
• An Easter scavenger hunt
• Food trucks with a range of cuisines
• An art activity, hosted by special guests from HOTA
• Art exhibitions
• King's Student Film Festival
• Fun for the whole family!

We look forward to welcoming you to King's for Easter Fest 2023, as we come together as a community, to reflect on the Easter message. More information will be shared via Compass in the coming weeks. 

Careers Department Highlights

University Showcase

Our Year 12 students had the opportunity to hear from Queensland Universities at our University Showcase held in the auditorium during Week 6. The valuable event welcomed representatives from 10 universities who shared more information about various aspects of university such as accommodation options and fees. King's parents will have a similar opportunity to ask questions of Universities at our King’s College Career Festival happening on Wednesday, 24 May. More details will be communicated via Compass in the coming weeks.

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 Art on Instagram

Did you know that our High School and Primary School Art Departments have Instagram accounts showcasing the many beautiful artworks created by our talented students? Please feel free to follow @kingscollegeart and @kingscollegeprimaryart to support our students and enjoy the visual stories from King's young artists. You may also like to share these with your family, friends and age-appropriate children!