Semester One - Ormiston College Mobile Site

The OracleOrmiston CollegeOrmiston College reflects theindividual spirit, integrity and valuesof a coeducational, independent,non-denominational Christian school,catering for students from Prepthrough to Year 12.The Early Learning Centre, Puggle’sBurrow, offers a quality Kindergartenprogram that is aligned with theEarly Years Learning Framework forchildren from 15 months to five years,in a safe, caring environment.Enrolment applications for allyear levels are accepted frombirth. Parents are advised to makeapplication for enrolment well inadvance of the required year of entry.Scholarship information andenrolment application forms may beobtained from the Registrar.P +61 7 3821 8999E registrar@ormistoncollege.com.auOrmiston CollegeDundas Street WestOrmiston Queensland 4160AustraliaPO Box 1835Cleveland DC Queensland 4163AustraliaABN 96 010 613 135AdministrationP +61 7 3821 8999F +61 7 3821 1311E admin@ormistoncollege.com.auVisit our website atwww.ormistoncollege.com.auOracle Editor:Valerie WarwickPrepress/Layout/Production:Kersive Creative (www.kersive.com)Nadia GayPhotography:Staff, Students, ParentsOld CollegiansScarlett Bow PhotographyBallet Theatre of QueenslandBarbi Donnet of Diving AustraliaCNNPrinting:Fergies Print and MailContributions welcome.Please contact the editor:v.warwick@ormistoncollege.com.au2 The Oracle Semester One Edition 2012

From TheEditorWelcome to our Semester OneOracle. We normally endeavour topass on information regarding manyof the achievements accomplishedby students; this is not difficult to doas we have such a rich and variedchoice from which to choose.This issue however recognisesthe commitment and ongoingpersonal development undertakenby our staff in order to provide thevery best in educational practices.Ormiston College is fast becomingrecognised (nationally andinternationally) as one of Australia’stop schools in the implementation ofthe Dimensions of Learning (DOL).In the following pages, under theheading of Curriculum, Mrs MerilynWalsh, Deputy to the Headmaster(Teaching and Learning) has set outto explain DOL and how it is appliedfrom Prep right through to Year 12.From TheHeadmasterAt the end of Term One I visited Singapore to attend an internationalconference headed by some of the most acclaimed educational speakersfrom around the world. From there I went onto the United Kingdom tovisit several schools that had been selected for their innovative methods ofteaching and creative ways of thinking.After five weeks overseas visiting various colleges and meeting Principalsfrom schools renowned for high academic achievement and 21st centurypractice, I returned to Ormiston College confident in the knowledge thatwe, as a school, are absolutely on track and in line with some of the mostsuccessful and prestigious schools overseas.Glancing through the Oracle reinforces these thoughts. The pages thatfollow echo the fact that we have a College with extremely talented,determined and committed students - the adults of tomorrow’s world whoare nurtured and shaped by our dedicated staff providing an education thatopens up pathways for our graduates as lifelong achievers.Brett WebsterHeadmasterWith 100% of our teachers havingbase level training in DOL and97% trained to advanced level, it iseasy to understand why OrmistonCollege is looked upon as a leaderin the field.To tie in with DOL our Heads ofDepartments have given a briefoverview of the new NationalCurriculum in their particular subjectarea and how it is being successfullyimplemented at Ormiston College.As the above relates to all studentsfrom Prep to Year 12, we hopeparents will take the time to readthe various articles for a greaterunderstanding, not only of theNational Curriculum but also themodern practices applied in our‘teaching and learning’.Valerie WarwickEditorSemester One Edition 2012 The Oracle 3

ACHSPECIAL ACHIEVEMENTSThroughout the year various school publications, the Newsletter, the Redback and the Achiever, make mention ofcountless achievements accomplished by our students through their academic, sporting and cultural roles here at theCollege. However, many students are also achieving notable levels of merit outside the school and because many of theseare obtained through various clubs and organisations, Ormiston College only learns of them when parents or studentsinform the school, for this reason it is possible that some students, worthy of mention, are not included in this edition.James Connorrepresenting Australia inthe 2012 London OlympicGamesThe entire Ormiston Collegecommunity wishes to congratulateJames Connor (Year 11) on hisoutstanding diving accomplishmentand subsequent selection to the 2012Australian Olympic Team. We are allextremely proud of your achievementand wish you every success. Weasked James to write his story of thelead up to this great event.My road to LondonOn the 29th of May 2012, I wasofficially selected as a member of the2012 London Olympic Team. It wasa day of mixed emotions and one Ican honestly say I will never forget.I wish I could say that my road toLondon, so far, has been pretty muchhighway travel, but that would be alie. It has been more like backstreetsand side-roads, all leading in thesame direction, running parallel tothat same highway, but with morered lights, speed humps and detoursas well as stop, give way and “wrongway go back” signs, than I care toremember, but in hindsightI wouldn’t change a thing.My mother and I movedfrom Melbourne, Victoriaat the beginning of 2010 toQueensland and OrmistonCollege, so that I couldtrain at the NationalTraining Centre for Divingin a specific “Target 2012”training group. I had lived inMelbourne my whole life upuntil this point. I am from afamily of seven consistingof my parents and five of uskids. Somehow I managedto end up with four sisters!Given family circumstancesand commitments it wasimpossible for the wholefamily to come. I felt guiltyhaving mum leave herhusband and four otherchildren, as well as her ownlife in Melbourne purely for me tohave the best chance of achieving mygoals.From May 2010 to now I haverepresented Australia at the 2010World Juniors (Tucson, Arizona),2010 Commonwealth Games (Delhi),2011 FINA Canadian and Italian GrandPrix events, the 2011 FINA WorldChampionships (Shanghai) and the2012 FINA Canadian and AmericanGrand Prix events.After returning from the WorldChampionships in 2011, I wassidelined with two stress fracturesto my lower back. This resulted infive months of rehab with no watertraining at all from August until theend of December. Thelong process of Olympicselection commencedwith the Australian OpenNationals last Decemberbut given my injury I wasunable to compete andgranted an exemption onmedical grounds. Thisexemption allowed me tocompete at the OlympicTrials that were to be heldin March.4 The Oracle Semester One Edition 2012

IEVEMENTSThree months out from the Trials Iwas still on heavily restricted training.As they loomed nearer we, as inmyself and the support staff, beganto look at things realistically. I wasadvised that the general rule is thatthe time sidelined multiplied by twois roughly how long it takes to getback to the form before the injury …we didn’t have ten months, and so if Iwas to be diving PBs (personal bests)in three months’ time we were goingto have to start taking a few risks interms of my back.The entire support network (coaches,massage and physio therapists etc.)devised a plan to get me throughthat three month period and I put allmy trust in them. Trials rolled roundas fast as we were expecting themto, and I had drilled into myself thatcompetition is not always an accuratereflection of your training and soyou don’t need to have a spotlesspreparation to dive well. I dived threeconsistent rounds (preliminary, semifinaland final) roughly 20 points offmy PB each time at trials finishingsecond behind Matthew Mitcham.Having not competed for eightmonths I couldn’t have wished to diveany better.The top two athletes in each eventwere sent off to the AustralianOlympic Committee as the nominatedteam. The team then travelled to theFINA Grand Prix events in Canadaand USA before returning and beingannounced as the Official AustralianDiving Contingent of the 2012 LondonOlympic Games.After being named in the team,it made me reflect on the entirejourney, and as mentioned beforeit was very stop start with multipleinterruptions due to injury. Therewere times where it was pretty muchtouch and go but we made it through,and I say we because although it wasme hurling myself off the platform10m above the water, it was mymum who sacrificed just as much asI did. Every early morning at five shewould be up to drive me to trainingwithout fail and without complaint. Itwas my father who’s been extremelyunder the gun, trying to work runninga business, caring for three girlsback home, with one less person tohelp do the run around and doublethe amount of mortgage and utilitybills to pay. It was my sisters whohave been without a mother for thelast two years for me to have evena chance of making it. It was thepsychologists, coaches and physiosthat kept my head and body tickingalong regardless of how time-strickenwe were with my preparation. Itwas my friends who were there withme in spirit every step of the way.It was Ormiston College teacherswho were extremely flexible andunderstanding regarding my trainingand competition commitments interms of assessment and absences.I have the greatest support networkany elite athlete could ever hopefor. So although it was my nameannounced on the 29th of May, Irepresent everyone that ever helpedme along the way. It was the greatestthank you I could possibly give tomy family especially, who have beenthrough just as many hardships as Ihave, with the amount of sacrificesthey have made behind the scenes. Iwill be forever grateful. So this Julywhen I leave for London, I take myfamily with me, and I take my entiresupport network team with me, andI hope that they feel just as much apart of the journey as I see them tobe. We made it.Semester One Edition 2012 The Oracle 5

ACHSPECIAL ACHIEVEMENTSWinning a Gold in DubaiJordan Bartley (Year 12) was selectedto represent Australia in the FAZZAInternational Wheelchair BasketballCompetition held in Dubai in April.Australia was undefeated throughoutthe entire tournament enabling theteam to bring home the Gold Medal.Australia beat Japan in the semifinalsand Iraq in the finals, makingit the first time Australia has won aGold in this annual event. The nextmajor competition that Jordan iscurrently training for is the Under 23World Championships to be held inTurkey in 2013.A cast member of theOscar Theatre CompanyHannah Grondin (Year 12) wasrecently fortunate enough to secure aplace within the 2012 Oscar TheatreCompany (OTC) repertoire cast. OTC,the company responsible for thehugely successful 2011 production ofSpring Awakening at the CremorneTheatre, recently held a launchevent, in which the 2012 cast wereunveiled to the public to greatacclaim. Hannah is hoping to takepart in many of the projects they willbe offering this year. These includean audition workshop with industryprofessionals, a ‘Musical TheatreProject’ which will take place at theBrisbane Powerhouse over a threeweek period and will showcase someamazing Australian musicals, plusmany cabaret performances laterin the year. This is Hannah’s firstprofessional company acceptanceand she could not be happier. Thisis a wonderful opportunity for a verytalented performer.Queensland State Titles for Surf LivesavingEllie Weinert (Year 12) recently competed in the QueenslandState Titles winning a Bronze Medal, and went on to receive asecond Bronze in the Under 17 Girls and Open Womens whichplaced her in the Australian Titles where she was placed fifth.Ellie has represented Ormiston College in the MetropolitanEast Surfing for all five years of high school, qualifying forthe School State Surfing Titles each year. This coming yearthey are to be held on her home surfing territory on StadbrokeIsland. Ellie has competed in the Primitive Postcode Challengeat Sunrise Beach and has won the women’s division, wherethe first prize was a handcrafted diamond ring. She is amember of the Straddie Board Riders Club and has won manycompetitions in her age division. Ellie has completed herLevel 1 Coaching through Surf Queensland and has, on manyoccasions, coached groups on Stradbroke with Murray Taylorwho has the local surf school.6 The Oracle Semester One Edition 2012

IEVEMENTSOC’S future champions -Our younger swimmersalready making the gradeTwo over par in the MetEast Golf TournamentAngus Porter (Year 12) made aspectacular impression at theMetropolitan East Golf Tournamentrecently coming third in a verychallenging competition. Angusachieved a 72 (which is two over par)and was in the lead coming into thelast hole and then double bogied. Hehad an impressive seven birdies inthe round. His striking performanceput him in the Team for the four dayToowoomba competition in July.Congratulations Angus.At the end of last year the OrmistonCollege Redbacks held their first meetfor the Bay Challenge which was toencourage their younger swimmersto race and have fun. There werefour local clubs participating makingit a very exciting day for the aquaticyoungsters. It was a wonderfulopportunity for them to experiencechallenge but more importantly forthem to experience what it feels liketo be part of a team and a specialorganisation. A great introduction tocompetitive sport interlaced with funand laughter as well as strong familysupport.Ormiston is very proud of threeboys (now in Year 1), Flynn Walden,who won three first places for sixyear olds, Freestyle, Breaststrokeand Backstroke. Also Riley O’Brien,who came a very close second forsix year olds in the Freestyle. DanielMoloney came away with three firstplace ribbons, 25m Freestyle, 25mBreaststroke and the 25m Backstrokefor five year olds.Keep up the good work boys, we lookforward to you representing OrmistonCollege in the years to come.Term 1 SportingSuccessThe Redbacks won five Term 1 season Premierships:Year 8, 9, Seconds and First Grade Volleyball and Year 9 Cricketwhich ranked OC as the runner up TAS Champion school.Semester One Edition 2012 The Oracle 7

ACHSPECIAL ACHIEVEMENTSA professionalperformance fromour dancersClaire MacfarlaneMolly FoortKeely LynchIn January Keely Lynch (Year 9)along with Molly Foort and ClaireMacfarlane (both Year 8) performedin one of the most professionalpresentation of the ballet Cinderella.The event was staged at thePlayhouse, QPAC, South Bank. Keely,Molly and Claire were select froma record number of high standarddancers who auditioned in the middleof 2011. The girls train at RedlandsDance.Cinderella was the Ballet Theatreof Queensland’s 75th AnniversaryGala Production. The three girlswere selected for their dance ability,technique, stage presence andmusicality. Keely, Molly and Claireall stood out for their individualinterpretation of their roles and areto be congratulated on an extremelyprofessional performance.Tennis tournament in theUnited StatesAt the latter end of the year GemmaTapson (Year 10) underwentextensive tennis training at the JohnNewcombe Tennis Academy in theUnited States. Gemma was a finalistin the San Antonia U16 Girls USTATournament and also a finalist in theHouston U16 USTA Tournament. Thisis an excellent result for Gemma whowas competing against players twoyears her senior.ISKA World CupChampionshipsLast October, Serai Taskan (Year6), scored a first place in KataTraditional Forms at the ISKA WorldCup Championships, held in Sydney.As a result of this, Serai returned toSydney for the ISKA AustralasianChampionships, in which all entrieswere ‘invitation only’, based on theirsuccessful performance at the WorldCup Championships. Many hoursof tournament training, dedicationand commitment led to Serai’ssubsequent Bronze medal win inPoint Sparring. Serai's next big eventwill be attending the US Open ISKAWorld Martial Arts Championshipsin Florida, when competitors from 42countries will be competing for a title.Our best wishes for this special event.8 The Oracle Semester One Edition 2012

IEVEMENTSAn honour for OrmistonCollege studentsSix of our Ormiston College boys(Year 4 and 5) stood proudly infront of 17,500 fans on the pitch ofthe Suncorp Stadium as part of theMascot Team accompanying the ALeague Team, Melbourne Victory.The Team were playing our hometeam Brisbane Roar. The boys werefortunate enough to be on the parkwith such idols as Harry Kewell,Besart Berisha, Thomas Broich andArchie Thomson. Brisbane Roar wenton to win the game on the night. Theboys are members of the RedlandUnited Football Club.Ongoing success intheatrical achievementRebekah Schmidt (Year 12) hasalready made a name for herselfwith the La Boite Theatre Company,giving her the opportunity to gainexperience alongside industryprofessionals. Success has continuedthrough her involvement with theBrisbane cinematic theatre company,Markwell Presents. As one of theselected few, Rebekah was offereda role in their 2012 Young Artists inResidency (YAiR) Project, resulting ina week long season performance atthe Metro Arts Theatre.During National Youth Week Rebekahwas engaged in the MarkwellPresents ‘Writing on the Walls’project, in conjunction with BrisbaneCity Council. At that time Rebekahwas part of the filming process thatwas later seen projected on the sideof the Queensland Performing ArtsCentre and the Brisbane Squarebuilding as a form of contemporaryart. Rebekah’s talent and enthusiasmhas resulted in a most rewarding yearto date.A silver medal Inthe FISAF StateChampionshipsIn April Dillon Lay (Year 6)participated in the Federation ofInternational Sport and Fitness(FISAF) State Championships andcame away with a Silver Medal in theHip Hop Division. This qualifies Dillonfor the Nationals to be held at the endof July in Adelaide, which could leadto the FISAF World Championshipsin Netherlands at the end of theyear. Dillon has been training inbreakdance and hip hop for fouryears and has competed in manycompetitions and dance displays. Ourbest wishes for the Nationals.Semester One Edition 2012 The Oracle 9

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENTSThe letter that touchedthe heart of the QueenLast year, Tatum Botha (Year 5),who is a dedicated Royalist, decidedto write to Queen Elizabeth. Sheincluded a painting of herself and theQueen sharing tea together, she alsosent a postcard of an Echidna. Twoweeks later, much to Tatum’s delight,she received a detailed reply fromHer Majesty. Soon after receivingthe letter, Tatum had the privilege ofmeeting the Queen when she visitedBrisbane. Tatum had the uniqueopportunity to hand Her Majesty anarrangement of flowers and show hera handmade poster which thankedthe Queen for her letter.CNN has recently made contact withthe view to including Tatum’s story inthe television documentary about theQueen's Jubilee.This has encouraged Tatum in herwriting and she now holds out hopesto write a book.As a result of her personalcommunication with Her Majesty,Tatum was featured on Channel7 News prior to the Royal Visit toAustralia. The London Director ofCompeting againstdancers from all overSouth East QueenslandJordan Predl (Year 6), who trainswith the Ashfield Ballet School,worked extremely hard towardsthe recent Australian Teachers ofDancing (ATOD) State Scholarships.As a result of this, Jordan not onlywon three places but also receivedover $400 in prize money plus hersignificant trophies. Jordan won firstplace in the Mini Dancers Award(Jazz), first place Junior NationalCharacter Scholarship and secondplace Mini Dancing Award (Tap).In order to compete in the ATODState Scholarships, dance studentsmust obtain examination marks ofan extremely high standard. TheScholarships competition includes theselected top ATOD dancers from allover South East Queensland.10 The Oracle Semester One Edition 2012

CURRICULUMPREP TO YEAR 12... YOUR CHILD, OUR TEACHINFor the successful implementation of the new National Curriculum, schools are dependent upon the development of aneffective professional learning system for their practicing teachers.Here at Ormiston College, we can proudly state that the success of our acknowledged and continuing academic excellenceis attributed to the fact that ‘our teachers’ effectively execute the best practice teaching.A Report from Mrs Merilyn WalshDeputy to the Headmaster(Teaching and Learning)For the last four years, our Headmaster and others havebeen urging us to acknowledge “these outcomes aresome of the best ever”. Each of those four years hasbeen “better than the previous best”, in a wide range ofacademic measures, such as NAPLAN, Overall Year 12graduate data, numbers of graduates accessing TertiaryStudies courses as their First or Second Preferences,National Tests in Mathematics, Science, Chemistry, MathsTeam Challenge, QDU Debating and the list is long.Ormiston College, presenting an outline of the Dimensionsof Learning Framework to all our Teachers and the MusicTutors at a Twilight In-service.Early in 2012, Greg Cameron and Howard Pittler made areturn visit to Ormiston College to check out what we weredoing so well in our DOL journey which was projectingsuch a strong reputation within South East Queenslandand Northern New South Wales, and even further afield.No one has waved a magic wand and hoped for the best!Our students have every opportunity to achieve theirpersonal best because we aim and plan for this to occur.Everyone knows that Ormiston College is an AcademicSchool with a focus upon Excellence. It always hasbeen. This has not been just a statement in our MissionStatement. Our Graduates had demonstrated theexcellence of their learning, but in 2006 when we madethe decision to adopt a particular teaching framework, webelieved we could offer our students even more effectiveteaching.The Dimensions of Learning Framework offers us theopportunity to ensure that Teachers are using teachingstrategies in all their classrooms which are even moreeffective than previously. WHY? So that students willlearn much more effectively. We at Ormiston College areconsciously seeking to make an even bigger difference withinteaching and learning than before.Key management of the Junior and Senior Schools andthe Executive took the well-considered decision in August2006 to begin to implement the Dimensions of LearningFramework (McRel). Implementation began in earnestin 2007, and from small beginnings, a large amount oflearning has occurred both by Teachers and by students,so that it is not a coincidence that “best performances” areoccurring.During our first year of implementation, Mr GregCameron from the McRel Research Laboratory in Denver,Colorado was in Brisbane presenting a Conference on theDimensions of Learning Framework and we were veryfortunate that he could stay on for a day which he spent atMerilyn Walsh with Greg Cameron and Howard PitlerOf course we took seriously theimplementation of DOL!It was a priority in the College’s first Strategic Plan (2008 –2011) and continues to sit with the meaningful use of ICTsas priority Learning strategies in the current Strategic Plan(2012 – 2015), SO WE STILL DO!A clue as to what attracted us towards adopting apedagogical framework which would offer us the meansto be intentional in our teaching focus is found in the factthat, when the DOL Framework was originally released byRobert Marzano from McRel, it was called the “Dimensionsof Thinking” Framework. We were looking for a teachingframework which would enable us to make a big differencefor our students’ learning through offering us teachingstrategies to teach Thinking. The DOL Framework14 The Oracle Semester One Edition 2012

CURRICULUMPREP TO YEAR 12... YOUR CHILD, OUR TEACHINThe Dimensions of Learning Framework (McRel) isdeveloped by teachers through deliberately payingattention to the pedagogical aspects of five Dimensionswhich research into teaching has indicated makes thebiggest difference for Learners. This is teachers makingintentional decisions about their practice of teaching withina Framework which also asks teachers to use a commonlanguage which describes the key processes of teachingFOR learning.• Dimensions 1 and 5 can be described as the“bookends” for the others as they deal with setting upthe Learner for successful learning. They deal with theessential environment, both individual and classroom,of Attitudes to learning; a Classroom Climate of comfortand trust; Perceptions about the relevance of the learningto be undertaken and about the Habits of Mind which aLearner can be taught to bring habitually to learning.Ormiston College: Learning InstitutionProfessional Learning for Teachers has been high priorityfor Ormiston College since implementation of DOL began.Financially resourcing this focused and strategic initiativewas and still is of significant importance. The College doesnot shirk from this, as it is a Whole School strategic focus.• Dimension 2 is about helping Learners to acquireknowledge AND integrate knowledge. This has alwaysbeen perceived as the core business of teaching. Itstill is important for Learners to be able to know andunderstand the declared knowledge, but in Century 21,it is equally important for Learners to be able to takeaction though the knowledge they have. Taking actions,or using knowledge or practising the steps of a process iswhat integrates the knowledge within the cognition of theLearner and thus stores it in memory, so that the Learnercan access it and re-use it.• Dimension 3 is about extending knowledge andrefining knowledge. If Learners are going to be able tolearn lifelong, not only do they need to know knowledgeand have it stored in their brain, they also need to beable to examine and analyse knowledge in ways whichenable them to make new connections, discover orrediscover new meanings, gain new insights and clarifymisconceptions, FOR THEMSELVES. So, Learners aretaught various complex reasoning processes (such as,comparing, analysing, constructing support, classifying).• 100% of our Teachers have base level training. 97% ofour Teachers have Advanced level training (June, 2012.)• DOL Key Team formed in 2010 at an internally organisedtwo day Conference• Classroom Teacher Observations by Critical Friend/Mentor• Use of Web planning tool for planning and writing UnitPlans within DOL. (Unit Planner: EduTect)• Professional Learning in large groups and small groupsand by individuals• Teacher Presentations to other teachers• Music Tutors in-services regarding DOL• Junior School Teacher Aides undertake DOL in-service• Students know Teachers are learning so they can TEACHfor more effective LEARNING.The ease with which the Teachers of Ormiston Collegehave been implementing the National Curriculum istestament to their engagement in the Dimensions ofLearning Framework where it is the Teaching strategieswhich REALLY MATTER.• Dimension 4 is about Learners USING knowledge inmeaningful ways, often in an extended period of time.So engaging in an Experimental Enquiry; conducting anInvestigation or analysing the parts of a System are allways in which Learners can be engaged into using theirthinking for real or authentic purposes.So, what’s it all about?Dimension 4 is about distinguishing between projectswhich ask students to reproduce knowledge and thosethat ask Learners to PRODUCE KNOWLEDGE, suchas solutions, decisions, clarifications, justifications,explanations and insights.16 The Oracle Semester One Edition 2012

G AND THEIR LEARNINGOur school is dedicated to providing an education that prepares students for the 21st century. Here our keyDepartmental Heads give their insight into how and why an Ormiston College education is able to producecontinual academic excellence from its student body.The Australian Curriculum:Offering Obstacles and OpportunitiesA Report from Mrs Amanda BowkerJunior School Head of CurriculumWith Phase One of the implementation of the AustralianCurriculum well under way, the question arises: Whatimpact is this having on the students, teachers, and theCollege?Firstly, what is the Australian Curriculum? The NationalCurriculum has been developed by the AustralianCurriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA)to ensure we have a quality curriculum that is accessibleto all young Australians. The Australian Curriculum will"equip all young Australians with the essential skills,knowledge and capabilities to thrive and compete in aglobalised world and information rich workplaces of thecurrent century." – Melbourne Declaration on EducationalGoals for Young Australians. In 2012, the first phaseof transition begins with schools planning, teaching,assessing and reporting in the learning areas of English,Mathematics and Science across all year levels.Firstly, significant time to investigate the new curriculum inthe area of English was needed. We reviewed our currentprograms and areas of student achievement to make surethat we had a clear vision for the year. While we continueto reassess our priorities as the year progresses, our aimof developing confident communicators who enjoy a loveof literature and learning is constantly emphasised. Thisyear we have focused on supporting the developmentof strategic learners through building a repertoire ofcomprehension strategies and utilised Reader’s Theatre tobuild self-assured readers and speakers.Students enjoyinga love of literatureduring sharedreading groups.What has been happening in our school?In the Junior School at Ormiston College we haveembraced the introduction of a national curriculumand have dived in head first. As a result, a number ofopportunities have presented themselves along the way.These include:• Reviewing, improving and reinvigorating existingprograms;• Strengthening professional dialogue within our teams,across year levels and with the Senior School to ensure asmoother transition for our students;• Continuing to embed our teaching and learning program,Dimensions of Learning for a focus on independent,creative and innovative thinking; and,• Reinforcing our steadfast commitment to lifelonglearning for both our staff and our students.We began the year with several professional developmentdays to familiarise ourselves with the differentcomponents of the new curriculum, including year levelstatements, content descriptors, elaborations, achievementstandards, and the list goes on. This gave us the chanceto prepare for some of the hurdles that many schoolsare now stumbling over, i.e. adequate time to plan andtraining in the curriculum.Next, Science provided us with the opportunity to visitthe Senior School science labs and join in on a practicalchemistry investigation. Moreover, the implementationof the Primary Connections science program encouragedus to highlight the inquiry process through collaborative,hands-on learning experiences. After two terms of thisprogram, both teachers and students have remarked onthe success of the curriculum with increased studentengagement and participation in science.Semester One Edition 2012 The Oracle 17

The Australian Curriculum:Offering Obstacles and OpportunitiesA Report from Mrs Amanda BowkerJunior School Head of CurriculumFinally, in the learning area of Mathematics we wereconfident that our current program aligned with theAustralian Curriculum with the support of our SteppingStones program and other available resources. However,we wanted to continue to challenge our thinking andthe thinking of our students. We wanted to encouragea problem solving culture within our classrooms.Many discussions occurred around what a successfulmathematician looks like and how we could promotethese behaviours through the curriculum. As a result, thestrand of Working Mathematically evolved. This includesthe explicit teaching of problem solving strategies; thestudents being asked to explain, analyse and justify theirthinking; and supporting the successful communication oftheir ideas to their peers and others.Where to next? The second half of the year will see morework occur in the area of general capabilities and crosscurriculum priorities, with plans already proceedingfor Information and Communication Technologies andCreative and Critical Thinking.Year 3 student, Joshua Honeycombe, communicating hismathematical thinking to the class and Year 4 student,Alexis McKechnie, visiting her ELC buddy exploring anddiscussing 2D and 3D shapes.Year 2 student, Mitchell Cannon,holding a chick from theincubator and students in 7GM,Sarah Naulls, Liam Colquhoun,Holly Lyons and CampbellStewart taking part in an eyedissection.Next year will also bring the implementation of Historyand Geography at Ormiston College. With the HumanitiesDepartment offering plenty of support and guidance and anumber of staff involved in professional development, weare one step ahead.Lastly, while the implementation of the first phase of theAustralian Curriculum has certainly been rewarding, it hasnot been without its challenges. A great deal of work hasoccurred on behalf of the teachers, as they continue toupdate, enhance and strengthen our learning programs.With new unit plans, resources, assessment items andreports, it has been a year of learning for all involved andwe continue to be excited about preparing for the everchangingfuture.18 The Oracle Semester One Edition 2012

Australian CurriculumEnglishA Report from Mr Peter HoensHead of English Department“The Australian Curriculum sets out the core knowledge,understanding, skills and general capabilities importantfor all Australian students. The Australian Curriculumdescribes the learning entitlements of students as afoundation for their future learning, growth and activeparticipation in the Australian community.” (ACARA, 2011)The Australian Curriculum, more colloquially referred toas the National Curriculum, is being implemented in threedistinct phases in the Senior School. 2012 has seen itsimplementation in Years 9 and 10. To coincide with Year7 entering the Senior School, 2014 will see the AustralianCurriculum implemented in Year 8. Finally, 2015 will likelysee implementation begin in Years 11 and 12.With any curriculum change, it is easy to get distracted bythe magnitude of the changes. However, the AustralianCurriculum asks students to develop core knowledge andskills that have been a feature of Queensland Curriculumfor many years. Students will continue to study novels,short stories, newspaper reports, feature articles, poetry,dramatic performances, and film.Aspects of the Australian English Curriculum, such asresearch skills and citing references and synthesisinginformation from a range of sources and perspectives,have been identified as new content in the QueenslandEnglish curriculum. However, these have been a feature ofOrmiston College’s English program for some time.The Australian Curriculum also provides opportunitiesfor Ormiston College students to become more informedcitizens. New content includes foci on English and itsdialects, systems of communication, language change, oralnarrative traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanderpeoples, and classic and contemporary world literature.Naturally, given its goal of being a foundation for futurelearning and active citizenship, digital texts and onlineenvironments are a significant emphasis of the AustralianCurriculum.responses to each other’s posts.In our globalised world, it is important that studentsdevelop an understanding of the people and cultureswithin Australia and beyond our shores. English has animportant role to play here by offering students classic andcontemporary world literature and texts from Aboriginaland Torres Strait Islander peoples.Students study the craft of creative writing in year 9English. Picture books are a significant resource in thisunit and provide students with the opportunity to explorethe experiences of people from different countries andcultures. In Shake a Leg by Boori Monty Pryor and JanOrmerod, for instance, students join three hungry boyshunting for pizza in Far North Queensland. Like the threeboys, the students come to realise that, “Pizza, it’s muchmore than flour and water and a few tomatoes. It’s todo with song and dance and stories. We Murri fellasknow that.” Like the boys in the story, students cometo appreciate the ‘melting pot’ of culture in Australia. InYear 10, students read poetry by indigenous authors,such as Oodgeroo of the Tribe Noonuccal, Jack Davis,and Kevin Gilbert, and engage with their perspectives andexperiences.To study English at Ormiston College is to engage with theworld. Not only do students develop their skills as writersand speakers, but they also develop greater empathyfor Australia’s indigenous people and those in and fromother countries. Whether in online/virtual environments orinterpersonally, Ormiston College students are well placedto participate in the world of the twenty-first century.The Year 9 Australian Curriculum requires students toengage with media texts, including digital texts andmultimodal texts. This has been realised in our programin the current affairs assessment task where students useMovie Maker to record their own current affairs show.Year 9 students will also use Movie Maker in Semester 2to transform a poem, such as Banjo Paterson’s WaltzingMatilda or Robert Browning’s My Last Duchess, into a filmtrailer.In Year 10, students are required to interact with people inonline/virtual environments. In Term 2 our students studya novel as part of a wider study of social commentary.Their assessment task in this unit is to use Word Pressto create a blog in response to their studied novel. Thisenables students to engage in online discussion by postingSemester One Edition 2012 The Oracle 19

Australian CurriculumMathematicsA Report from Mr Ian ThomsonHead of Mathematics DepartmentThe implementation of the Australian Curriculum in SeniorSchool Mathematics at Ormiston began last year withstudents who were then in Year 8. This year the AustralianCurriculum is being implemented in Years 8, 9 and 10. Theplanning for this transition to the Australian Curriculumwas undertaken by writing new curriculum units whichaddress the relevant criteria.These units were written not only to meet therequirements of the Australian Curriculum but also torelate to the "Dimensions of Learning" framework thatunderpins all teaching and learning at Ormiston. Thenew units also integrate the use of technology into thecurriculum and monitor the development of skills thatstudents need to draw upon when they eventually sit theQueensland Core Skills Test.The implementation of the Australian Curriculum isprogressing smoothly in Years 8, 9 and 10. The AustralianCurriculum for Years 11 and 12 will be implemented in duecourse.capacity, rainfallpredictions, water usageand measurementsfrom the feeder river,the students were askedto conduct a systemsanalysis and construct asimulation using spreadsheet technology. Thestudents had to decidewhen to release theflood gates in order tomitigate the flood. Theseare just two examplesof how the MathematicDepartment at OrmistonCollege uses meaningfulknowledge to buildproblem solving skills.Using knowledge meaningfully is all part of creatingmathematical study interesting, absorbing and challenging.Our Year 11 students took on an historical investigationinto the passenger list of the Titanic one hundred yearsafter the tragic event. The senior students applied theirskills in statistical analysis by analysing the actual list. Inthe process they uncovered some stories behind the dataand developed a model depicting the survival rates inrelation to passenger class, gender and age.Our Year 12 Mathematics B students were asked toinvestigate the devastating Queensland flood and themanagement of the release of water from the WyvenhoeDam. The students adopted the role of an engineerworking on the dam. Given information about the dam’s20 The Oracle Semester One Edition 2012

Australian CurriculumScienceA Report from Mr Paul DhuHead of Science DepartmentScience provides a way of answering interesting andimportant questions about the biological, physical andtechnological world. Science is a dynamic, collaborativeand creative human endeavour arising from our desire tomake sense of our world through exploring the unknown,investigating universal mysteries, making predictionsand solving problems. Science aims to understand alarge number of observations in terms of a much smallernumber of broad principles.Science at Ormiston College has always excelled indeveloping the inquiring minds of our young adults,and the introduction of the national curriculum has onlyincreased our ability to do so. Rather than be spoon-fedcopious amounts of new information, students are nowcompelled to explore scenarios and to investigate scientificideas. A change in curriculum has given us the opportunityto introduce new, exciting, topical units of work based onthe key overarching subjects of biology, chemistry, physicsand marine science, the science subjects on offer in Years10 to 12.Beginning with Year 8s in Term One where they exploredthe working conditions in a laboratory followed by creatingtheir own fair tests to test hypothesis – Which aluminiumfoil was the ‘best’? Students gained a very good insightinto the scientific method, designing independent methodsand modifying these when appropriate. Who would havethought one single strip of Al-foil could hold more than5kg? This investigation is currently being processed by theCSIRO to issue students with a CREST award for scientificinquiry, a national recognised certificate for sciencestudents.Semester Two will be the ever interesting explorationof the human body and the systems that keep it alive,dissections do seem to be the most memorable of allscience experimentation.The Year 9s began the year with the wonderful worldof chemistry and the myriad of reactions to go withit. Brilliant colourful changes, pungent odours andintense heat just some of the products from many of theexperiments conducted. The students quickly moved intoinvestigating the world around them with the introductionto a new unit on oceanography, later beginning to lookat special adaptations of marine organisms and theecosystems around them, such as the Great Barrier Reefand Moreton Bay. Coming up soon, speed – how fast istoo fast and a look into genetic diversity and evolution.All in all, the introduction of the national curriculum inscience has given the chance to reinvigorate science;moving away from learning lots of facts and figures,although your child will still tell you there’s lots there,and into a realm where students can chose their ownadventure in many aspects along the way.Semester One Edition 2012 The Oracle 21

Exceptional Outcome forthe Class of 2011We congratulate the graduates of2011 for upholding the high standardof academic achievement for whichOrmiston College is well recognised,achieving exceptional outcomes asreported by the Queensland StudiesAuthority.Seven Ormiston College studentsreceived an OP1 and nine studentsreceived an OP2. Furthermore, 93%of the cohort achieved an OP scoreof 15 or better. These outstandingresults represent another very strongperformance for Ormiston Collegeand will assist our 2011 graduates toadvance toward the tertiary learningand career pathways they aspire to.We thank the Class of 2011 for theacademic, cultural and sportingcontribution they have made to theCollege and the leadership that theyhave displayed. We wish them everysuccess for their future and are proudto welcome them as members ofthe Ormiston College Old CollegianAssociation.Tertiary scholarshipsWe would like to congratulatethe following students who wereoffered Scholarships from variousUniversities. However, some studentshave chosen to accept other preferredtertiary offers. Recognition in theform of a University Scholarshipoffer is acknowledgement of the highstandard achieved by the followinggraduates.University of QueenslandPeter Photinos, Ryan Spence andScholarshipsErin Ibbott were offered four-yearAcademic Scholarship. The value ofthis particular is $24,000over the four year period.Ryan Spence was also the recipientof the prestigious Australian StudentPrize for Academic Excellence,announced by the Minister forEducation in May. Each year theGovernment awards 500 of thecountry’s top students, based on theirfinal years of schooling. The studentsare nominated by State and TerritoryCertification and Assessmentauthorities. The winners of theAustralian Student Prize receive aCertificate of Excellence in SecondaryEducation and are awarded $2,000from the Government. This award isvery highly regarded.Rebecca Grey and Mila Skewesreceived offers for a MeritScholarship which pays for their firstyear of studies.Queensland University ofTechnologyKatherine Stevens received an offerfor a Vice Chancellor’s Elite AthletesScholarship to the value of $25,000.Griffith UniversitySiobhan Reynolds received aScholarship offer from GriffithUniversity.Bond UniversityTyler Blah (College Captain) wasoffered the Collegiate Captain’sScholarship.Naomi Kellner-Read and LukeLovegrove received offers ofCollegiate ScholarshipsIt is a great achievement forthe graduates concerned andacknowledgement of the efforts madeduring their last years of schooling.University offers of scholarship arecertainly recognition of academicachievement for which OrmistonCollege is immensely proud.Semester One Edition 2012 The Oracle 23

Taking on the challenge ofleadershipAt the February Prefects’ Investiture,held in the Lingo Lin PerformingTheatre, 13 Year 12 students pledgedtheir loyalty and commitment to thewellbeing and service of the schoolcommunity. The event was stagedat Senior Assembly in front of staff,parents and special guest, the HonAndrew Laming (MP, Federal Memberfor Bowman), presented the prefectswith their badges of office.As part of her address, CollegeCaptain, Jessica Peters, said “Acapable and enthusiastic team ofstudent prefects has been put inplace to lead this school in keyareas of the College’s ethos. We areconfident that this student executivewill represent you with dignity andpride and will work diligently to fosterthe features of the Year 12 missionstatement. Already within the Collegeenvironment we witness a massiveamount of spirit which we intend todevelop and expand throughout the2012 College year.”College Co-Captain, Aaron Barker-Smith, then gave an address in whichhe posed the question “So what doesit mean to be a student at OrmistonCollege? Firstly it means that youcommit to the College and face thechallenges and the opportunities youare offered every day at school.” Hewent on to mention the importance ofbeing a united community, of leadingby example, showing support andencouragement and of having pridein one’s school.At the end of morning assembly thenewly invested Prefects moved on tothe College Pavilion to share morningtea with their parents and staffmembers, before returning to classand taking up their official positionsas the new student leaders.2012 PrefectsLeft to right, Alex Lindon, Savannah Evans, Jessica Peters (Captain), Chane Geldenhuys, Kayla Duckham,Jamie Wildner, Jules de Courtenay, Mrs Merilyn Walsh (Deputy to the Headmaster), Matthew Foster,Mr Brett Webster (Headmaster), Mr Paul Hornibrook (Head of Senior School), Mr Andrew Laming(MP, Federal Member for Bowman), Mark Hukins, Ms Sarndra Bown (Year 12 Year Level Co-ordinator),John Brown, Aaron Barker-Smith (Captain), Catherine Birch and Meg Lovegrove.Year 2 ExcursionA different learning experience wasenjoyed by our Year 2 Studentswho recently visited the RedlandMuseum. This excursion was part oftheir history curriculum and madefor a very interesting and worthwhileout-of-school lesson. Students from2FM and 2DA were made awareof the manydifferences thathad taken placeover a period ofyears, dating backfrom early timesin the Redlandsto modern life intoday’s RedlandCity, an unusualand exciting way tostudy history.24 The Oracle Semester One Edition 2012

Junior School LeadersIn February, parents of elected Junior School Leaders were invited to attendJunior Assembly to witness the presentation of badges to their sons anddaughters. The following Year 7 students are to be congratulated, not onlyon their appointment to the role, but also on the way they have conductedthemselves as role models in the various positions they have undertaken tolead.Social Justice Academic Cultural CollegeCommunitySports CaptainsKim Anderson Andrew Fowler Alena Olds Costas Hiratos Lance AshKali Roche Sarah Naulls Jenna Hurley Emily Pearson Teneka AshSemester One House CaptainsChappell Laver Norman WickhamCasi McDonnell Chiara Gay Jack Robinson Jamie MartinLachlan McDonald Tom Waller-Brown Lana Burke Sally WareOur students excel inNational GeographicCompetitionGeography students from OrmistonCollege demonstrated keygeographical skills and knowledgein the 2012 National GeographicChannel Australian GeographyCompetition.Head of Humanity Department,Ian Burgess, had just received thestudents’ results and the school’soverall performance was veryencouraging. “We have a number ofstudent geographers at our schoolwho performed to a very high level inthe Competition this year, 26 gainingHigh Distinctions, 31 Distinctionsand 63 Credits,” said Mr Burgess.“The National Geographic ChannelAustralian Geography Competitionattracts students from all overAustralia, around 80,000 each year,so it’s a real indicator of how well ourstudents are doing in this importantsubject,” he added.Kath Berg, the competition’s NationalCoordinator, said “This year’scompetition tested the students’understanding of topics such asNatural Disasters, Sustainable Energy,and Countries in our Region, plusskills such as interpreting informationin statistics, maps and satelliteimages. With the introduction of theNational Curriculum in geography incoming years the competition can bemore closely aligned with the unifiedcurriculum across Australia.”The Competition is a joint initiativeof the Australian GeographyTeachers’ Association and the RoyalGeographical Society of Queensland,and proudly sponsored by NationalGeographic Channel.Semester One Edition 2012 The Oracle 25

Ormiston College CommunityService AbroadThe 2011 Antipodeans Abroad Expeditionto West Bengal and Sikkim, India.Nine Ormiston College students, Danica Smith, Kirsty Neale, Kayla Duckham, David Todd, Nathan Bartley, Elliott Breadmore,Glenn Morton, Frazer Ross, and Matthew Foster, along with three members of staff Mr Malcolm McBride, Mrs Sandra Middletonand Mr Wayne Jarrett, travelled to India at the end of 2011 on the school’s first ever trip of Community Service Abroad. On theirreturn the students wrote this interesting account of their experience of a lifetime.The thought of heading to India onthe College’s first Community ServiceAbroad trip was both exciting anda little daunting at the same time.Preparation for the trip started afew months earlier with a travelsimulation day around the SouthBank precinct and a bushwalk tothe Lower Portals in the Mt BarneyNational Park.We left Brisbane on November 28,2011 at 2.40pm with our AntipodeansLeader, Abbie, and flew to Kolkata,via Bangkok, arriving in Kolkata at4am (Australian time) the next day!We spent the day sightseeing aroundKolkata – in particular the KaligahtTemple, Mother Teresa’s RefugeCentre and the Ghats on the HoogleyRiver. We were struck by smells, thesights and the sounds – there werepeople, vehicles, dogs and rubbisheverywhere.An overnight train ride took us fromKolkata to Silguiri, where we hada breakfast of masala dosa beforehiring jeeps to take us the five hoursto Gangtok to undertake our projectwork. Gangtok is the capital andlargest town of the Indian state ofSikkim. Gangtok is located in theeastern Himalayan range, at analtitude of 1,437m (4,715 ft). The townhas a population of thirty thousandbelonging to different ethnicitiessuch as Indian-Nepalis, Lepchas andBhutia. The traffic and driving stylein India is somewhat different toAustralia – something we grew toaccept as normal.Our project was to help repair thestairs (the only access) leadingdown to the Thumi Sambota TibetanSchool – a boarding school with 130students, six to 16 years old, drawnfrom the all parts of Sikkim andneighbouring Nepal.We were accommodated in theschool’s hall on the top floor of afour storey building. On our arrivalwe immediately noticed the changein altitude and lost our breath easily.The students were preparing fortheir exams and were a bit shy,so our interaction with them wasinitially limited. As the week wenton, the students were keen to testout their English and we helpedthem with their study. Joining us onthe project work were members ofthe Tibetan Youth Club (TYC). TheTYC is responsible for passing onthe Tibetan culture to the youngergenerations. We took turns tomanually carry water, mix concreteby hand and move rocks. During thistime we were able to get to know themembers of the TYC and some paststudents from the boarding school.We also worked on painting the playequipment and installing some newclothes lines. We provided equipmentfor the Nurse’s infirmary, organisedto have suitcase racks built andcreate weather-proof spaces for thestudent’s suitcases and art work. Ourproject was not all work! We hadsome time to go sightseeing. Wevisited some local sights includingthe Ganesh Tok temple, the Instituteof Tibetology and Tsomgo Lake(3,800m), which is on the trade routefrom India to China; as well as thelocal Lal Bazaar, or night markets. Aspart of the project some of the groupwere involved in accompanying thelocals and teachers to shop for thematerials needed for the project.Interacting in the community with anative speaker was a great experience– five shops, four taxis, four cupsof chai (tea) and three hours ofshopping to secure one cabinet forthe infirmary showed us that doingbusiness in Gangtok did not happenin a hurry!A formal ceremony was held on thelast day of the project, where thegifts to the school, including 800school exercise books, were formallypresented and the remainder of themoney raised bymembers of theexpedition to fundthe completion ofthe project workwas handed tothe Tibetan YouthClub and theHeadmaster.Our next adventure was our trekalong the Singalila Ridge which formsthe border between India and Nepal.Following a nine hour bus ride on aseemingly always bumpy road wearrived at Manebhanjang and realisedit was much colder than Gangtok.The trekking took us through someamazing and changing terrain overthe six days. We always seemed tobe walking uphill! The highlight ofthe trek was reaching Sandakphu. At3,636m it was the highest point andgave us stunning views of the Eastern26 The Oracle Semester One Edition 2012

Himalayas including Kanchenjunga– the third highest mountain in theworld, Mt Everest and a 180 degreeview including the mountains ofNepal, India and Bhutan. It wasdefinitely worth the 5am start,wearing every piece of clothing weowned in the bitterly cold conditionsin -13 degrees ‘c’. We were extremelyfortunate to have such a clear viewof the mountains as the previousafternoon we were fog bound. Duringthe trek we got to know our guides– Panaki and Sangai, the porters andcooks and enjoyed the food theyprepared, particularly the ‘momos’,chai, potato curry and chapattis, butnot the dahl!Hot water and washing facilitieswere limited on the trek, so we wereglad to reach Darjeeling and spendsome time cleaning up, sight-seeingand celebrating a birthday or twobefore heading to a National Park,in the hope of seeing tigers andelephants. Alas we did not – tigerfootprints and elephant poo was thebest we got! On our way back toKolkata, we spent a few hours withan Indian Drama Group and despitethe language barrier we entertainedeach other with songs and showedthem ‘Space Jump’, with hilarioussuccess. In the back streets of Siliguriwe experienced the Bengali delight– chicken rolls! With fond memoriesand a full ‘tummy’, the excitementof the overnight train ride to Kolkataawaited the group. One last songand games with a Kolkata all-girlsschool delighted all on the platform.From our hectic exit from the Kolkatatrain station, we boarded our busfor the Sunderbans; the delta of theGanges and a refuge for birds andwildlife. We had a 20 hour stop-overin Bangkok on the way home. What agreat day of shopping and exploringthe sight of Bangkok!This trip has provided us with theopportunity to undertake purposefulengagement in service activity withina community abroad. At OC ourteachers often talk about personalknowledge as knowledge gainedfrom first-hand learning and powerfulexperiences that shape and changewho we are. More importantly,this opportunity has broadenedthe horizons of each participant byopening up our eyes to the world,its peoples, its cultures and itsinfinite possibilities. On behalf of theexpedition, we would like to say aspecial thank you to a number of ourCollege families (who wish to remainanonymous) and their businessfor their generosity that enabledthe expedition to spend $4,500 inensuring that the students who attendthe Thumi Sambota Tibetan Schoolin 2012 have a better quality of lifeas a result of the combined effort ofOrmiston College and the TibetanYouth Community. On behalf of thestudents, we would like to thankAbbie Sheridan as our AntipodeansLeader, Mr McBride, Mrs Middletonand Mr Jarrett in ensuring thatexperiences from our trip will shapeour outlook on life post OrmistonCollege. A special thanks to ourparents who had the courage to sendus on trip of a lifetime! We certainly‘packed a great deal’ into four weeks.“Be the change you wish to see in theworld” (Gandhi).2011 Antipodeans Abroad Expedition(Danica, Kirsty, Kayla, David, Nathan,Elliott, Glenn, Frazer and Matthew).Semester One Edition 2012 The Oracle 27

Come rain, comeshine, the showmust go on…One only had to attend this year’sCarnival to witness the unshakeablespirit that is so much a part ofOrmiston College.Rain poured continuously throughoutthe day, overhead drips fell fromawnings whist underfoot the soggyground became worse by the hour,mud was everywhere; children andparents were literally soaked to theskin but … this was one special daythat was not to be marred come whatmay, tempest or storm. The OCcommunity really rose to the occasionand came up shining!All around were shrieks of delight asstudents manoeuvred the quagmireand jumped the puddles. Smilingfaces were everywhere to be seen,bright raincoats and colouredumbrellas added to the atmosphereand the general hustle and bustleof a grand carnival event wentunperturbed.Hoards of people attended the event,not only current and past parents, oldcollegians and prospective parentsbut also many families from thelocal community, who, knowing thereputation of the Ormiston Collegebiennial event, wished to battle theweather in order to join in the fun andfun it was.The Carnival certainly catered forall ages with a junior fun zone forthe very young, painted faces,coloured hair and an abundance ofrides and amusements for the olderstudents, plus the popular dunktank. A vast selection of food wasoffered, including Greek, African,High Teas, the Billabong Bar as wellas the normal outlets one expectsat a fair. The adults were presentedwith beautifully created craft, booksand many other stalls and items ofinterest.The Parents and Friends Associationand various organising committeesworked extremely hard for manymonths leading up to the event andit was wonderful to have the wholeCollege community, current and pastparents and old collegians, manningthe various stalls. The day concludedwith a magnificent firework display.We thank all those who assisted inmaking this a most remarkable dayespecially our many sponsors.28 The Oracle Semester One Edition 2012

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In February this year we welcomedthe brand new co-curricular Dramaoffering for students in the SeniorSchool, the Ormiston Players TheatreGroup. After an enthusiastic launch,students eagerly snapped up theopportunity to gain further knowledgeand understanding of the DramaticArts.The first activity to be launched wasthe weekly Friday afternoon TheatreSports workshops. These weeklysessions have been overwhelminglysupported by students currentlystudying classroom drama as wellas many who are experiencingdrama for the first time. Both groupsintermingle and work togethercreating great team work, which hasbeen very rewarding for Mr MatthewKopelke, Senior Drama Co-ordinator.Basic improvisational skills suchas making an offer and findingfocus have been the main areasexperimented, with further sessionsexploring such areas as ways inwhich to advance and extend anarrative and developing characters.With a planned inter-house TheatresportsCompetition later in the year,the skills learned will be of greatbenefit.In the coming weeks new activitieswill be introduced under the bannerof the Ormiston Players, these willinclude a short film productionworkshop series, which will leadinto the College entry of the BondUniversity Film and TelevisionAwards later in the year. Studentshave also been involved with theexciting June auditions for theproduction of Headspace, a CinematicTheatre show produced in associationwith Markwell Presents.The Ormiston Players has certainlytaken off with an explosion ofenthusiasm ensuring that 2012 willshape up to be quite a dramatic yearin the Senior School.Mothers’ Day at the EarlyLearning CentreIn May our Pre-Prep children invitedtheir mothers to the Early LearningCentre to participate in a PamperMorning. Parents were given thechoice of a massage, foot soaking,nail polish and relaxation sessionexpertly administered to them bytheir children.The photo booth provided agreat opportunity to record thespecial occasion. At the end of thepampering sessions, mothers wereinvited into the courtyard for morningtea where they were served withseveral special treats. All in all it wasa new and wonderful experienced forthe children and an enjoyable andmemorable one for mothers to share.30 The Oracle Semester One Edition 2012

A great dayfor our golfersOn 18th May, the Bank of Queensland/ Ormiston College Golf Day washeld at the Redland Bay Golf Course.This annual event has become verypopular for College families, OldCollegians, members of the Redlandscommunity and our many sponsors;an enjoyable day for both amateursand experienced golfers.Perfect weather and a very jovialspirit greeted the teams as theyassembled in the Club House forregistration prior to the tee-offshotgun start at 8.45am. There wasa great feeling of rivalry and funamongst the various teams andan opportunity for the CorporateTeams to promote their individualbusinesses. At the end of play theteams came together for lunch andpresentations from the large prizepool.The College would like to expresstheir gratitude to the Bank ofQueensland, the major sponsorfor the 2012 Golf Day, also to themany other sponsors who donatedand assisted in making the event asuccess.Semester One Edition 2012 The Oracle 31

Collegian CommunicatorIsland Hideaway MagicOn 20th May, in the idyllic settingof the Island Hideaway on SouthStradbroke Island, Chris Beath (Classof 2001) married his childhoodsweetheart, Sara. They had beenneighbours as five year olds buttwenty years later had serendipitouslyre-united. Chris is now a CompanyDirector but is better known as oneof Australia’s top Soccer A-Leaguereferees. He was Guest of Honour atlast year’s Ormiston College SportsAwards Evening.Several familiar faces were amongthe 120 guests (including our ownKris Peterman and his partner,Victoria Minchington, both nowteaching at OC). With the exceptionChris’ brother Nat, all Old Collegiansattending the wedding were from theClass of 2001.Sean Richardson is a civil engineerand a fanatical triathlete. FionaScurfield has been teaching at theCaloundra City School for seven yearsand is due for long service leave. Oneof Chris’ four groomsmen was RobbieDickinson, who is an insurancebroker and Chief Operating Officer.Rhys McTiernan is a senior LogisticsSpecialist and it has been reportedthat he was particularly smooth onthe dance floor. Best man was Chris’brother, Nat (Class of 2004), whosespeech was a highlight of the specialevent; when he is not speech writinghe is a successful builder.The Celebrant was our own Directorof Activities, Greg Cudmore. This isnow the third Redback wedding thathe has been invited to perform andhe loved every minute of it.A highlight of the night was a huddleof the Old Collegians singing theschool song, ‘We are the school fromOrmiston’ even if some of the wordswere slurred!Left to Right: Kris Peterman, Robbie Dickinson, Greg Cudmore, Rhys McTiernan,Chris Beath, Sean Richardson, Fiona Scurfield, Nat Beath32 The Oracle Semester One Edition 2012

News from Able SeamanVictoria Dewar - HMASAlbatrossIt was wonderful, at the beginning ofthe year, to receive an email updatefrom 816 Squadron, HMAS Albatross,from Victoria Dewar (Class of 2008).“I enlisted from Defence ForceRecruiting Brisbane at the beginningof February 2009 and was flown toHMAS Cerberus were I conductedmy recruit training, which was a 12week course. We learnt how to be asailor, ships safety and lots of drill. Igraduated from recruit school with anacademic merit.I then moved on to a five week pretrademaths course at the EngineeringFaculty before posting to RAAFWagga Wagga. I started my AviationTechnician Aircraft training at theRAAF School of Technical Trainingthrough the National AviationTraining Centre of Excellence in May09. All of the ADF aviation relatedtraining is conducted at RAAF Wagga.I did 93 pieces of assessment in 18months and graduated on the 6th ofDecember 2010. On the graduatedparade CMDR Gilmore presented mewith the DUX Award with the highestaverage in three years.I was posted to 816 SQN HMASAlbatross where I now work as anAircraft Maintenance Engineer onthe S-70B-2 Seahawk. In 2011 I wasselected for the Royal AustralianNavy women’s rugby union side,we competed all over Australia. Wedefeated the Army women’s team forthe third time in navy rugby history(BEST DAY EVER). I was thenselected for the Australian ServicesRugby Union (ASRU) side thatcompeted in the Australian women’srugby championship where we wonour division. In December 2011 I waspromoted to Able Seaman by theCO of 816 Squadron after serving onHMAS Darwin.”Mirusia on Tour inAustraliaOne of Ormiston’s most travelledgraduates, Mirusai Louwerse (Classof 2002), is known throughout theworld for her magnificent sopranovoice. Many Ormiston Old Collegianswill remember working alongsideMirusia in the College productions of‘The Wizard of Oz – 1999’and ‘Oliver- 2001’.Mirusia, who has had two numberone CDs and a number one platinumDVD, was acknowledged as one ofthe youngest ever singers to receivethe Dame Joan Sutherland OperaAward very early on in her career,since then she has gone on to achievemany more accolades. Mirusia isan Ambassador for the AustralianChildren’s Music Foundation andregularly performs in fund raisingconcerts for the organisation.Having spent the last five yearstouring Europe with Andre Rieu as aleading soprano, Mirusia is now backhome to do a tour of Australia.For more details or to make contactwith Mirusia you may visit herwebsite www.mirusia.netMatt to feature inupcoming Mad Max movieMatt Taylor (Class of 2003) iscurrently in Namibia to star in thenew ‘Mad Max Fury Road’ movie.For some time Matt was knownas the Hollywood Stunt Driver atMovie World, which he said he reallyenjoyed as he loves the racing carindustry especially stunt drivingwhich led to his latest appointment.The movie is a George MillerKennedy production and starsCharlize Theron and Tom Hardy. Mattis quite used to working alongsidewell known stars and celebrities andis really looking forward to this latestchallenge where he is listed as StuntDriver / Performer, which means wewill be seeing something of Mattas well as his high performancestunt driving. He could be filmingin Namibia for a minimum of fourmonths up seven. It is all veryexciting and a film we will all belooking out for when it is released.Matt acting-up with funny man Jim CarreySemester One Edition 2012 The Oracle 33

Collegian CommunicatorYet another secondgeneration OrmistonCollege studentSharon Sihota (Class of 1997) hastwo beautiful children, the eldestis already following in mother’sfootsteps by attending Year 1 atOrmiston College and becoming yetanother second generation student.Sharon has The Flower Farm inBirkdale and exquisite examples ofher beautiful floral arrangementsare seen at many Ormiston Collegefunctions.A note from ReneeRenee St John(Class of 2002)is now workingfor Clough,the companythat deliversintegratedengineering,procurementand constructionservice to oil,gas and mineralresources,primarily inAustralia and South East Asia.Renee is employed in their HealthSafety and Environment team on anOil and Gas Project based at Fairviewin Queensland. Renee has alreadyheard about the upcoming 10 YearReunion of the Class of 2002 and isreally looking forward to catching upwith many OC classmates.OrmistonCollegeRace DaySaturday 8 September,Doomben Race CourseInternational tour for SarahCurrently studying at the QueenslandConservatorium of Music in Brisbane,Sarah Henderson (pictured right)is completing a Bachelor of Musicmajoring in classical saxophoneperformance. In July of this year shewill be travelling to London, Greeceand Scotland with the QueenslandConservatorium Saxophone Orchestra.The thirteen piece saxophone ensemblewas the only large ensemble to beinvited to perform at the 16th WorldSaxophone Congress in St Andrews,Scotland, and was the only Australianensemble invited to perform atthe International Society of MusicEducation Conference in Thessaloniki,Greece. During their international tourthey have also been invited to premierea composition written for the Orchestraat the Guildhall School of Music inLondon.The annual College Race Day hasbecome a great event for meeting upwith friends. Come along to Doombenand join us for a fun afternoon atthe races. The invitation is open toall Ormiston College Parents, OldCollegians, Staff and Friends.For booking details contact AdeleLowe on 3488 6748 or emaila.lowe@ormistoncollege.com.au34 The Oracle Semester One Edition 2012

Would you consider being aclass representitive for yourgraduating year?The College is seeking two or three volunteers from each of the graduating years, 1995 to 2011, who would act asRepresentatives for their particular Class Year. It is not necessary for those Representatives to live in the Redlands oreven in Queensland as most contact would be made via email. Next year will be the 25th Anniversary of our Foundingand we feel that we have now reached the stage in our history when we need to look at building a stronger presence andrecognition for our Old Collegians. It is now 17 years since the Class of ’95 became our first Year 12 Graduates.We would like to think that the Class Representatives could become responsible for recommendations on matters relatingto the Ormiston Old Collegians Association. The position would not be time consuming. The main role would be to assistwith ideas and decision making in regards to planning reunions for the particular year group when they became due,suggestions on venue, type of catering, entertainment and assisting in tracking down contacts details etc. This would bewith full help and support from the College. The name of each Class Representative would be listed and made known toall Old Collegians but the position could be relinquished and the name removed at any time upon request.Below is a list of Old Collegians that have offered to be the liaison between College and Old Collegians. We would like tohave at least three per year group. If this is something you would be happy to take on, please contact me at v.warwick@ormistoncollege.com.au I look forward to hearing from you. Valerie WarwickCurrent class reprsentitives:1999 LUKE McCANN lukemccann19@hotmail.com2001 BEN KERSWILL ben@kersive.com2002 CHANTAL LE FEUVRE ormiston.reunion@gmail.com2002 AARON WHITE ormiston.reunion@gmail.com2002 CAMERON HO ormiston.reunion@gmail.com2005 PETER DE WET peter.dewet@uqconnect.edu.au2008 ANNA RUSHWORTH anna@rushworth.net,au2009 ALEXANDER LONG Via v.warwick@ormistoncollege.com.au2010 BRITTANY GARDINER brittgardiner@hotmail.comCalling all Class of2002 Students!CLASS OF 2002: TEN YEAR REUNIONSAVE THE DATE! October 6, 2012 at the Hall of Fame, Somerset CentreMore details to follow by post and email.Contacts:Facebook:Aaron White, Cameron Ho and Chantal Le Feuvreormiston.reunion02@gmail.com)www.facebook.com/OC2002ReunionSemester One Edition 2012 The Oracle 35

Ormiston College is offeringscholarships for Year 8 2012Ormiston is one of Queensland’s topperforming schools for outstandingachievement academically, as wellas in sporting and cultural pursuits.We are an independent, coeducational,non-denominational Christian schoolfor students from Prep to Year 12and Early Learning Centre forchildren from the age of 15 months.Ormiston CollegeLIFELONG ACHIEVERSormistoncollege.com.au