Newsletter

Important Dates - Reedy Creek

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

King's Anzac Ceremony 2023

Our College held a commemorative Anzac ceremony on Monday, 24 April, ahead of Anzac Day this year. The solemn service encouraged King's students and staff to reflect on the great legacy we have received by the incredible sacrifice of the courageous men and women who gave their lives in battle for our freedom. During the Call to Commemoration, we reiterated that Anzac Day is not for celebrating war but for remembering its awfulness and devastation, as we continue to pursue peace and oppose war. We were honoured to have Retired Army Serviceman, Mr Zoltan Vincze, as our guest speaker this year. Mr Vincze actively served in the Australian Army for six years as part of the Royal Australian Corps of Transport, and we are now blessed to have him as a teacher in our Senior School.

Campus Principal, Mr Russell Meyers, read the Honour Roll and acknowledged our King's alumni and all of the Australian men and women who are currently serving in the armed forces. As flowers and wreaths were laid at the base of the flagpole by our student representatives, our Concert Band played 'Lead Kindly Light.’ Cooper Cooke recited the Ode to the Fallen and Tristan Smith played The Last Post, before a minute's silence was taken. Cayden Carrick raised our nation's flag and the Australian and New Zealand national anthems were sung by our talented student vocalists. Mrs Lonsdale concluded the services by urging our community to live out the Anzac values of courage, self-sacrifice, perseverance and mateship - the character traits reflected in our King's Foundational Values.

We will remember them. Lest we forget.

Preps Explore the World Beneath our Waves

Our Prep students were treated to a unique incursion at the start of Term 2, as they learned about ocean life and sea creatures from the comfort of their classroom. The event was held in the Prep Centre and welcomed educators from Ocean Life Education, who brought along some special guests from the marine family. The students were thrilled to see a variety of sea creatures, including starfish, sea urchins, and a baby bamboo shark, that they could interact with. The marine experts shared some fascinating facts about each animal and our students enthusiastically asked questions about the creatures’ habitat and behavior. At King’s, are always looking for ways to bring learning to life for our students, and this engaging incursion will undoubtedly inspire our Prep students to learn more and care for the incredible world beneath the waves.

Primary's Inaugural Indoor Slide Ride

King's celebrated the completion of our final installation in the new Primary Building on Friday, 21 April, with the opening of the indoor spiral slide. This thrilling addition to the space was designed with our younger students in mind, and provides a quick and exciting way to travel from level 1 to the ground floor. It’s just one example of how our College strives to enhance our students' learning experience.

The grand opening was attended by our Head of Primary, Mrs Payne, Primary School staff and our Year 3 students, who have been enjoying their new building since it first opened in Term 1 this year. The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the final piece of the puzzle for this incredible facility, which houses our Year 3 classrooms, Primary Art Room, breakout rooms, Primary Reception, staff room and office spaces. The unveiling of the new slide and cutting of the ribbon by Mrs Payne elicited cheers and applause from the audience. But the most anticipated part of the event was the inaugural ride down the slide that was initiated by Mrs Payne, and followed by our Year 3 teachers and their students.

King's Animation Film Competition Winners

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King's recently hosted an animation competition in conjunction with our Easter Fest celebrations. The competition attracted over 40 entries from our student body, and the judges were impressed with the exceptional creativity and technical skill displayed. Congratulations to our 2023 winners:

Junior Category

• Winner: Grace Papworth, with her film 'Devil's Ransom'
• Runners Up: Harper Blackley, Luna Noren, and Kiana Cheney, with their animation 'A Happy Crocodile'

Senior Category

• Winner: Josiah Galer, with his film 'Ransom and Rescue'
• Runner Up: Jaiden Durman, with his film 'Let Go' 

The winners were each presented with a $100 cinema card and a Gold Class voucher, while the runners-up received a $50 cinema card. After the award presentation, the audience viewed the winners’ animations, which displayed original storytelling, vivid imagery, and captivating music. Overall, this year’s animation competition was a resounding success and King’s F&TV Department are particularly proud of our young filmmakers and the creative spirit they bring to our community.

WATCH THE WINNER'S ENTRIES BELOW

International Girls in ICT Day

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International Girls in ICT Day is an annual event held in April, and this year’s theme was Digital Skills for Life. The day is dedicated to encouraging and empowering young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). It was originally established by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2011 and has grown to become a global movement that seeks to bridge the digital gender gap. The ITU and its partners are committed to promoting gender equality in the ICT sector by ensuring young women have the necessary skills, confidence, and support to achieve their goals. 

International Girls in ICT Day provides an opportunity for females to engage with the ICT sector, learn about the latest technologies, and interact with industry leaders and experts. It also provides a platform for them to showcase their skills and talents in the ICT field and to network with like-minded individuals. Many schools and organisations around the world participate in this day by organising workshops, presentations and other events. This year, King's celebrated by organising a day for our girls in Years 6 and 8 that was filled with workshops and presentations from industry experts such as Michael Cowling from CQuni, Linda Pitt from Apple, and Sharon Hunneybell  from Gold Coast Innovation Hub. This initiative was a great success as King's continues to inspire our future leaders and innovators.

Back to Bali - Our Return to Overseas Missions

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A team of 20 students and four staff travelled to Bali, Indonesia, from 29 March - 6 April, on the first overseas College mission trip since 2019. King's partnered with Bali C3 Church, led by Ps Gayle Dwije, an Australian who moved to Bali around 30 years ago. Ps Gayle and her team run a Christian College, a live-in discipleship house for young people, often escaping tragic situations, multiple slum ministries sharing the gospel to full Hindu and Muslim communities, and a Compassion program with over 200 students they are responsible for. Thanks to our wider King’s community for supporting this mission trip and helping us partner with Bali Christian College. Our Primary School community worked especially hard to raise money for BCC in their LIFE program fundraiser last term which makes a huge difference in Bali and impacts so many lives.

One of our student participants reported on her Bali Mission Trip experience:

What made this trip different from regional ones was not only the stark cultural contrast of the surroundings – the crowded streets and the manic driving, the incense and the flavours – but the way in which we served. I felt that on this trip especially, it was minimally about us but our primary purpose was to serve the Bali community by investing our time and energy into building relationships, helping with and really supporting the House of Hope, C3 Church and Bali Christian College, along with Compassion and the Arms of Love foundation. I loved interacting with the locals and I formed close relationships with some of the women and I now keep in contact with the people I met there. 

A major highlight (for everyone) would have to be the very unexpected mud bath (along with a literal game of ‘stuck in the mud’) that we were subjected to in the rice paddies! It was super fun and was a real icebreaker. Another major highlight for me was the visit to the slums. It was an eye-opening experience for all of us, as we’d never experienced such living conditions – the smells, the cramped hovels, and the tall piles of rubbish that the people there lived in. I enjoyed spending time with the locals and getting to know all the Compassion children and the students from Bali Christian College. Other special moments included our first interaction with Kadek ,when we arrived at the airport, who handed us each a frangipani necklace, made by the House of Hope children. When we played futsal with the church youth, the Balinese girls gave us matching bracelets, and we gave them the classic Australian koala keychain in return. All of the teachers imparted so much into each of us and without them, the trip wouldn’t have been the same. While much of the trip was spent serving others, we also enjoyed time to recuperate, relax, and enjoy being tourists in Bali. I loved the sunrise walks to the beach in the mornings and our nightly supermarket visits. At devotions, it was great hearing the testimonies of fellow students and praying for the locals really opened my heart and deepened my faith... 

King's Inaugural Netball Tour to NZ

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Over the recent holidays, King's Senior Netball squad took their on-court success from the 2022 season overseas. The team travelled across the ditch to windy Wellington for King's inaugural female international tour. They found their bearings around NZ's Capital and then headed to the courts for some pre-game training. Windy conditions and cold weather tested the team early. For a reprieve from the cold, they visited Te Papa Museum and enjoyed an amazing experience. They finished the day on a high, with both teams winning their matches against St Mary’s Catholic School, who were the 8th strongest team in NZ schools' netball in 2022. With some tall opponents, King's players held strong and came out victorious.

vs St Mary’s Catholic School

• Junior - KCC 67 v St M 35
• Senior - KCC 49 v St M 44 

The group then travelled two hours north to Palmerston North to compete against Manukura School. Manukura is a small school with only 192 students but a strong netball program, placing them 7th overall in NZ. Once again, King's teams had to adapt to the NZ-style of netball, but successfully came out on top. The rest of the day was spent relaxing with the Manukura students and staff, including a memorable cultural experience. Some King's students even found family connections among the group and discovered that some would be competing against each other in Japan for the Girls Rugby 7’s tournament!

vs Manukura School

• Junior - KCC 41 v MS 17
• Senior - KCC 37 v MS 22

To end the Netball Tour, the group travelled to play Samuel Marsden Collegiate School back in Wellington. King's remained undefeated but it was during the after-game activities where the girls had the most fun. Our last group dinner with Samuel Marsden turned into a night of mingling, creating Tik Tok videos and making great memories.

vs Samuel Marsden Collegiate School

• Junior - KCC 54 v SM 12
• Senior - KCC 42 v SM 23

Other tour highlights included wharf jumping, scavenger hunts around the city, group hiking, meeting the NZ Central pulse, karaoke night and other team challenges. The group bonded with each other across all the challenges and showed great teamwork.Our very first international tour was very successful. Together as a group, we had many learning experiences, many memorable moments and laughs and played some great Netball. We are very excited to watch this group continue their seasons strong.

Sensational School Holiday Sports Results

Australian Schools' Beach Volleyball Championships

The first weekend of the Easter school holidays saw our star beach volleyballers take to the sand at Coolangatta to compete at the National Championships. After a number of hard-fought games, they came away with some awesome overall results, including:

• Y12 Boys Pairs - Gold
• Y7/8 Boys Fours - Gold
• Y9/10 Girls Fours - Bronze
• Y9/10 Boys Fours - Bronze

[Photo credit: Wes Tolhurst Photography]

U19 Thailand National Volleyball Championships

King's Year 11 students, Jerome Mak and Byron Tolhurst, were selected to travel with the Australian Junior Development Squad to compete at the U19 Thailand National Volleyball Championships. Outside of the competition schedule, the Australian team trained daily at the Federation of International Volleyball (FIVB) Development Centre which is the premier volleyball training facility in the Asia Pacific region. The two-week tour provided our talented King’s athletes with incredible opportunities to develop their skills, train with the best of Australian junior volleyballers and gain match experience competing against elite teams from South East Asia. Congratulations Jerome and Byron on the privilege of wearing the green and gold for Australia!

South Coast Volleyball

Last week, King's had a small group of students represent South Coast in various divisions at the QLD School Sports Volleyball Championships. The South Coast team experienced its best performances on record, winning the U19 Girls division and achieving 3rd Place in both the U19 Boys and U16 Girls divisions. Well done!

• GOLD - U19 Girls 
• BRONZE - U19 Boys 
• BRONZE - U16 Girls 
• 4th - U16 Boys 

Following this competition, three standout students were selected for the State Merit Team and we congratulate them and wish them well:

• Emma Hardman - U19 Girls 
• Thierry Liddell - U19 Boys 
• Ethan Field U16 - Boys

QLD Ballymore Cup

The Ballymore Cup is an annual Statewide competition held in Brisbane, and this year it took place in the Easter school holidays. The highly-anticipated event invited teams from the best rugby union schools in Queensland to compete over three days across three age groups: U18s, U15s & U13s. King's entered a team into each age group in Division 1 and achieved strong results. The U13 team WON for the second consecutive year, while our U15s were also crowned 2023 Champions. Our U18s played some very hard-fought matches to finish a close 3rd Place. Congratulations!

TSS Easter Football Tournament

TSS hosted a three-day football competition in the school holidays that saw schools and clubs from around the Southeast Queensland region and afar compete to become champions. This year, King's entered the U15 and U18 Divisions and both teams narrowly lost in the Grand Finals to finish as Runners-Up for their respective age groups, which was a fantastic accomplishment.

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Queensland School State Swimming

King's talented swimmers entered the pool at Chandler Aquatic Centre in late March to compete for placings and PBs against the best school swimmers from across the State. Well done to our students for these outstanding results:

National Age Swimming Championships

This week-long national annual meet, was held at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre in the holidays and the best junior swimmers from across Australia battled it out for the first place and the crowned age champions. Our swimming superstars, Jessica Melo and Maya Zunker both collected multiple medals, while King's 2022 Alumnus, Jesse Coleman, set a new 18 years Age record in the 100m butterfly - and has his sights set on the next Olympics.

Maya Zunker

• SILVER - 50 Breaststroke 13yrs 
• SILVER - 100 Breaststroke 13yrs 
• BRONZE - 50 Free 13yrs 
• BRONZE - 100 Free 13yrs 
• BRONZE - 13-14yrs 4x50 mixed medley relay 
• 8th - 13yrs 200 breaststroke 
• 11th - 13yrs 200 free

Jessica Melo 

• GOLD - 50m Free B Final 
• GOLD - 100m Backstroke B Final (equivalent time of 7th in the A Final)
• GOLD - 100m Free B Final (equivalent time of 3rd in the A Final)
• 4th - 50m Backstroke B Final

Ciara Fay 

• 6th - 100m LC Breaststroke B Final17yrs

Skipperoos State Success

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On the weekend of 22 - 23 April, King’s competitive skipping team, the Skipperoos, competed at the State Championships, held at Tallebudgera. A team of 19 King’s athletes competed in many events including:

The team is coached by Year 4 Lead Teacher, Miss Meteyard, as well as Mrs Hawkins, Mrs Smith and Jasmine Hawkins (Class of 2021). In conjunction with coaching the team, Jasmine competed at the Championships, winning all of her events, including Age Champion. Team camaraderie was exceptionally high at this event, with every student showing great sportsmanship, encouragement, and team support. It was the first event at this level for some of the younger skippers and they performed very well. The results achieved were outstanding. Seventeen athletes will now represent King’s at the National Championships in June in Sydney. Six King’s athletes have also qualified to represent Australia at the 2023 World Championships in July in Colorado Springs, USA, which is outstanding. Go King's Skipperoos!

'Where's Wally' Week Fun

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World Book Day was held on Sunday, 23 April. World Book Day is a celebration to promote the enjoyment of books and reading. To celebrate this event at King’s, our libraries held a Where’s Wally Week. Students were encouraged to participate in our 'Where’s Wally'school search in the High school and Upper Primary school precincts. Pictures of Wally and his friends were hidden around the school and the students' mission was to find as many Wally characters for the chance to win a prize. In all libraries, Where’s Wally page searches and puzzles were also available for students to enjoy. This fun and popular week was enjoyed by many of our students, staff and College librarians, and we would like to congratulate the winners who found the most Where’s Wally pictures and each received a $10 tuckshop voucher.

King's Mother's Day Celebrations

We are very excited to invite our mums to a special Mother's Day celebration at King's. RSVP is not required. Please view the invitations below:

MOTHER'S DAY STALL

We are also excited to announce that on Wednesday, 10 May, our King's P&F will be running a Mother's Day Stall in the King's Table Forecourt. They will be offering two gorgeous gift options this year - a $15 pamper gift bag or a $20 luxury gift bag, both filled with quality goodies. Families will be able to pre-purchase these gift bags on Parent Portal or students can pay via cash or EFTPOS on the day. Primary Teachers will bring their classes to the stall to buy a gift bag or collect pre-purchased bags.

We will let families know when Parent Portal is open for Mother's Day gift purchases.

King's Careers Festival 2023

King's Careers Department is excited to be hosting the largest Careers Fair of its kind on Wednesday, 24 May, in the Auditorium. We invite students in Years 9 - 12, and their parents, to attend our inaugural King's Career Festival from 5.30pm -7.30pm. The event will include guest exhibitors from tertiary providers across the Gold Coast as well as helpful Subject Selection information sessions to assist students in selecting their 2024 subjects. Scan the QR code or click the flyer to register.

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...