In this issue

The Power of being an Upstander

Ms Amy Woodgate | Director of Girls’ Boarding & Head of Middle School

The Wellbeing Program in the Middle School is delivered in dedicated sessions timetabled across the week.  Topics and themes have been identified for each year level to suit their age and stage of development, as well as being responsive to issues that may arise at different points in the year.  In the Middle School years, the aim is to continue to add to the toolkit of strategies and resources each child possesses in order to support their social-emotional development.  The opportunity to connect with one another in an environment outside of their subjects as well as connect with key adults are important elements of the Wellbeing Program in Middle School.

Over the first half of this term, each of the Middle School year levels will be attending a presentation about the impact of bullying and the power of being an upstander.  In these presentations, the students are asked to reflect upon their own experiences and also the impact of words and actions.  What constitutes bullying-like behaviour was explained to the students as well as the impact of these words and actions now and into the future.

Most importantly, the sessions have provided the students with an opportunity to focus on what they can do, how they can be an upstander and how they can truly uphold the values of SCOTS PGC College as members of the Middle School community.  Ways they can support one another by speaking up, setting a good example or seeking guidance from a trusted adult were also discussed.

Middle School is a time of social change, a time where relationships with their peers and with their significant adults are so important, a time where students can struggle to regulate their emotions but also a time where they can gain a deeper understanding of their impact on others, whether that be negatively or positively.

Through wellbeing sessions, tutor teachers will continue to reinforce the importance of respectful relationships and increase the students’ understanding of positive social behaviours and ways to strengthen our community.

The ‘Bullying No Way’ website, developed by the Queensland Government has informative and practical resources for students, families and schools that support a proactive approach to bullying prevention.

https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/

NAPLAN Snapshot

Success is the result of passionate and skilled people with the right resources putting a plan into action! In other words, it is no accident that our students have achieved excellent results in NAPLAN for 2023.

At SCOTS PGC College we have dedicated teachers working in partnership with students and families and the results are in!

In 2020, the Independent Review of NAPLAN recommended that the 10-band NAPLAN measurement scale and the National Minimum Standard (NMS) for NAPLAN be reset. In 2022, ACARA worked with states and territories, sectors, parent bodies, expert teachers, and measurement panels to reset the NAPLAN measurement scale. Education Ministers recently endorsed this work.

This year, NAPLAN bands and the NMS will be replaced by the following four levels of achievement:

• Exceeding
• Strong
• Developing
• Needs additional support.

Here is a sneak peek snapshot of our NAPLAN results for 2023.

• Outstanding achievement in Year 3 with students achieving significantly above the State average in all. We celebrate our Prep to Year 2 teachers for their work in the Early Years, preparing our youngest students completing NAPLAN to be capable and responsive learners.
• Over 80% of students in Year 3 and Year 5 achieved strong or exceeding in the domain of Reading with over 90% of Year 3 students achieving strong or exceeding in
• Over 70% of Year 7 students achieved strong or exceeding in Reading and Spelling
• At least 50% of Year 9 students achieved strong or exceeding in all domains
• Our results from Years 3, 5, 7 and into Year 9 demonstrate the advantage of being a student in a Prep to Year 12 college with teachers who know and understand our learners across Junior, Middle and Senior Schools.

Individual Student Results (ISR) have been posted to families of students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.

We acknowledge that NAPLAN results offer us a snapshot of our students at a particular point in time along their learning journey. These results, together with levels of achievement, standardised testing results and our relationships with our students, assist us as a College to better understand the needs of our learners.

Celebrating 100 days of school in Prep

Miss Maxine Woodbridge | Prep Teacher

We’re thrilled to announce that the little stars of Prep have reached a significant milestone – 100 days of school! It’s been an exciting journey of discovery, growth and making fond memories together. To commemorate this momentous occasion, we had a day filled with fun and educational activities that left the children beaming with pride.

The day began with a treasure hunt where students searched for 100 letters in our playground. Afterwards, they took part in a variety of engaging games and challenges, all centred around the number 100. From building towers with 100 blocks to creating artwork with 100 painted dots, the activities not only reinforced their counting skills but also taught them the importance of perseverance and teamwork. A warm thank you to the parents who joined in with our morning activities and created the most adorable costumes for our mini centenarians.

At playtime, we hobbled over to the Junior School playground for a parade where the students proudly showcased their walking sticks, wrinkles, and silver hair. They transformed into the most endearing elderly characters, impressing everyone with their attention to detail and commitment to the role!

Throughout the day, we encouraged our Prep students to share what they hoped to achieve in the next 100 days, fostering a sense of excitement and goal-setting in our classroom.

Overall, the 100 days of school celebration in Prep was a heartwarming reminder of how far these little learners have come and how much potential lies ahead for each one of them. Here’s to many more days of laughter and learning as they continue to shine brightly in their journey at the College!

Making the most of Jumpers and Jazz…

Our Junior School students made the most of the Jumpers and Jazz festival last week by taking a final walk of Palmerin Street to check out the trees in their jumpers.  Each class had were ferried to Palmerin Street to inspect and admire the trees including our very own SCOTS PGC tree. It was great to be part of the cultural festivities that Warwick has now become quite well known for.  Thank you to the class teachers for making this happen and to our students for being great ambassadors for SCOTS as they walked around the town.

Ag Inspirations Tour

Some of our aspiring agriculture students were fortunate to be part of this year’s Southern Downs Ag Inspirations Tour last week, which was facilitated by the Agforce School to Industry Partnership Program – SIPP.  The tour comprised representatives from five local schools who toured the region checking out a range of primary production facilities and operations.  The tour was conducted over three days and visited the following locations:

• B Feeders (Feedlot)
• Condamine Apiaries (Honey production)
• Riverina Stockfeeds (Stockfeed)
• Hydoponics (Asian Vegetables)
• Eastern Colour (Apples and Strawberries)
• Queensland College of Wine Tourism (Wine production)
• John Dee (Meat Processing)
• Gilabils Holsteins (Dairy)
• Wickham Farms (Vegetables and Processing)

The tour gave the students a wide and varied ‘taste’ of a range of primary producers providing a snapshot of what goes on in the daily operations.

Mr David Marriott | Director of Boys’ Boarding &

Ms Amy Woodgate | Director of Girls’ Boarding and Head of Middle School

Adopt a Boarder weekend

This is fast approaching on 4-6 August (end of Week 4) and is available to all boarding students. Essentially, girls and boys from all the SCOTS PGC boarding houses are encouraged to spend the weekend with friends from the day school, as approved by their parents/guardians. This may also include staying with a relative/family member or another boarder who offers to host a boarder, or it may even be a trip home for some. Boarders’ parents and the host parents can make plans and relay these to their respective Directors of Boarding to arrange leave. Please talk with your son/daughter about this great opportunity.

Boarders out and about….

Over recent weeks, many of the boarders have had the opportunity to enjoy some great boarder activities. These have focused around the numerous Jumpers & Jazz events as well as the Killarney Bonfire.

In addition, our SCOTS PGC students represented the College wonderfully well at the Town Chapel service on Sunday. Dressed immaculately in full winter uniform, the girl and boy boarders also enjoyed morning tea with the congregation and entertained them with stories of boarding life. This was followed by a walk and talk through the Markets in Leslie Park, where our students mingled with members of the public from local and afar. The boarding house staff were pleased to hear many adults reporting to them about the excellent conduct of our students and commendations and high praise for their friendly, well-mannered behaviour.

Well done indeed to all involved!

Enjoy some photos from these events.

Emma Bradbury | Publications Prefect

STUDENTS AROUND THE RIDGES

The first few weeks of Term 3 have seen our students being busy bees through Jumpers and Jazz preparation with our STEM Club and their wonderful light spectacular displayed in our Middle School, the various Co-Curricular groups heading out as far as Moree with our Pipes and Drums Band and our U19 Girls Futsal Team heading to Brisbane for their final competition of the year, and our Sheep Cattle Clubs heading down the range for the Gatton Agricultural Show.

Adding to our many adventures of sporting excellence across the year, we congratulate our very own 2023 Futsal Captain, Krystal Petersen, on her Australian U19 USA Futsal tour. Here’s a brief summary the highlights for Krystal during her two week tour in the USA;

“On 6 July, the Australian U19 and U17 girl’s Futsal teams arrived in San Francisco which is renowned for its iconic landmarks and diverse culture. We had the incredible opportunity to witness a Major League Baseball game between SF Giants and Colorado. We explored the Golden Gate Bridge, the famed Lombard Street, and Pier 39. A boat trip to Alcatraz Prison was a fascinating encounter with history, as we ventured through the old buildings and peered into the cells that once housed notorious inmates. In preparation for the highly anticipated US National in Las Vegas, we trained and competed against local teams.  

At the US Nationals, the Under 19 Australian team’s resilience and dedication against the highly trained US sides led to the team’s significant improvement throughout the tournament. Upon the competition’s conclusion, we were given the opportunity to explore the Strip.   I saw the world-famous New York New York, the Bellagio Fountain, Paris, Planet Hollywood, and the casinos Vegas is famous for.  Our final stop was Los Angeles where we saw the Hollywood sign, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.”

Pipe Band Tour to Northern NSW…

Our wonderful Pipes and Drums  Band departed school in the early hours of the morning on July 20 heading south to Glen Innes for their first show. Arriving in -10 degree temperatures was certainly a bit chilly in kilts and the chattering of Mrs Bohm’s teeth was a pretty good indicator of the chill.

The band played at the St Joseph’s Catholic School, Glen Innes at the start of their school day and the students were most appreciative of our visit and the talents of our pipers and drummers. The group jumped back on the bus following the performance for the hour-long journey to their next engagement.

Travelling onto Inverell the weather certainly improved but the crispness in the air certainly gave the group the sense of a Scottish winter as they toured. The group played at the Inverell Public School for their second show and they too were most welcoming and supportive of the band. Again the band boarded the bus in a logistical operation of military precision designed by Mrs Whittaker for an efficient and timely set of concerts.

An hour and a half later the bus ultimately arrived at Moree for lunch before making their way to the Moree Public School, which ended up being the biggest audience of the day with the entire student body turning out to watch. The band completed two more concerts in Moree with a visit to the local Aged Care home and then a final show for the Moree Community in the school hall.

This gave our band a wonderful experience performing on a small-scale tour exposing them to the wonders of our great country. After an overnight stay in the school hall, the group savoured breakfast from our hosts and then boarded the bus for the long journey home to SCOTS.

Sheep Club’s trip down the range

Abbey Brown sharing some words on the team’s performance below …

The Sheep Team of 2023 has commenced the final half of the show circuit this year, starting strong with Gatton, the first of the overnight events. Each team member faced new and exciting challenges, as well as old hands mastering new skills. The two days were hectic but rewarding. Friday evening was spent competing in Junior Judging, with a notable mention to Genevieve Hunter, who added yet another 1st position to the collection for this year. Congratulations to some of our new students, who competed in the junior judging competition for the very first time.

Although not all our students were able to take home prizes, it is safe to say that all have learnt at least one thing from the experience. Saturday started with bacon and egg burgers prepared by the team and a full day of showing sheep ensued. We were also introduced to a new and exciting breed of sheep, the Corriedales, which is a new addition to the College family. Throughout Saturday, whilst winning many of our sections, we were also enlightened with a different view of how to judge sheep, with comments from the overjudge for the day. All in all, it has been a strong start to this final show season and we are looking forward to our next big leap, the EKKA. We can’t wait to fill you in on our next sheepy journey.

Thank you for reading the adventures from around the College, till next time have a wonderful Term 3!

Mr Tom Bradbury | Director of Co-Curricular Activities

Queensland Cross Country Championships

On Sunday 16 July, three of our young SCOTS PGC athletes contested the Queensland Cross Country Championships at Hervey Bay. The Course was open, flat and fast which was not ideal for all our Darling Downs Runners who are more used to a few hills and dales.

Bethany More Kirkland completed the 3000m course for the 13-year-old girls in a solid time of 12.58min and finished 45th in Queensland. This was a great effort for Bethany at her first State Championships of this magnitude and we are sure she will return next year with experience gained from this event.

Lachlan Groves was the second 14-year-old boy home from Darling Downs which was a great improvement on his regional performance and also bodes well for his future efforts in the sport should he wish to pursue it. He finished 81st overall in the combined 14-15 years boys’ event over 4000m that saw 113 finishers cross the line.

Finally, Elliza Moore-Kirkland, contested the 14-15 years girls’ 4000m event and finished 103rd overall. Not a natural distance runner like her sister, she certainly held her own and used the event as another step on the road towards her goals on the track later this year.

Congratulations to Lachlan, Elliza and Bethany on a great championship and for all the hard work they have done to achieve their success.

Champion of Champions U19 Girls Futsal

On Tuesday 18 July, the Senior Girls U19 Futsal Team headed to Nissan Arena for the State Finals of the Champion of Champions Futsal Tournament. Sixteen of the best teams in Queensland gathered for this event in our U19 division with four pools set to do battle.

The team comprised Krystal Petersen (absent on rep duties), Emma Bradbury, Alivia Sharples, Makybe Edwards, Zara Kruger, Gabby Sellick (injured), Molly-Rose Sinclair, Eleanor McFarland, Phoebe Sellick, Briana Groves and Ellyse Kruger were fired up and ready to take on the best in the state.

Game 1 dropped on us with a bit of a thud after a break in match play over Term 2. Pimpama State College were too good and we seemed very disorganised leading to a 3-0 loss but a rally in the second half saw a far more cohesive effort from the group. Stand-in goalkeeper Eleanor McFarland took one for the team and did a magnificent job for someone who hasn’t been in goal a lot this year.

Game 2 was our redemption round where we came out firing and demonstrated some of the fine team play that we have developed over the year handing Clairvaux Mackillop a 3-2 defeat and restoring some confidence to the squad. Emma Bradbury linked very well with Zara Kruger, whilst Phoebe Sellick chimed in with some great work upfront. Ellyse Kruger was impressive alongside Zara also, giving the team an extra special edge.

Game 3 saw us take on eventual silver medallists for the entire competition in Stretton College. This powerhouse of a school with some 4000 pupils was very tough and they soon gained a 3-0 lead over the girls from SCOTS PGC. The second half brought better luck with a few consolation goals and a final scoreline of 5-2. Newbies to Futsal, Alivia Sharples and Makybe Edwards, continued to amaze as they never gave up and pulled off some very nice passes and tackles at crucial times to keep us in the contest.

Game 4 saw us play Clairvaux Mackillop once more after a few late withdrawals after the pool rounds. After the close 3-2 encounter earlier in the day, we were primed for another close contest but this was not to be. Our girls demonstrated how far they had advanced throughout the day with a convincing 7-2 demolition of their opposition with Makybe, Phoebe, and Alivia all getting on the scoreboard courtesy of some great service from Zara and Emma. Zara had a field day herself with 4 of her own and demonstrated some of the silky skills that have led to her success as a young Matilda of late.

Although we did not progress to the knockout stage, we surely improved on previous visits to this event with better defence and attacking options. To finish in what was likely the top 12 teams in the state was an accomplishment in itself and the way the girls did it with positivity and encouragement was very pleasing indeed.

Congratulations to the girls on this fine finish to the Futsal year for our school teams. We wish all those attending Nationals in September holidays all the best for a successful campaign.

Border District Athletics Championships

On Thursday 27 July, our 60 strong 13-19 years Athletics Team descended upon Hamilton Oval at Warwick SHS through the foggy morning to take on the schools of the Border District including Goondiwindi, Stanthorpe, Warwick and all points in between.

With our U16 Boys team a bit light on due to the Year 11 Camp, we feared that defending our Boys Aggregate win from 2022 might be a challenge but this was not the case with the boys team once again taking out the Aggregate honours. Our Girls Team improved on last year’s effort courtesy of some outstanding individual performances and some gutsy work from our competitors making sure we had every event covered. The girls improved on last year’s result to finish second to a talented Assumption team.

These two results were enough for the College to secure the Overall Aggregate trophy. This is a big deal as we have only arrested this trophy from Warwick SHS three times since 1986 (those being 2000, 2021 and 2023). Further success came in the form of the College winning the Average trophy. This is the points gained across the day divided by your student population and we cleaned up in this category also.

Age Champions:

• 13 years – Oliver Miller 1st and Bethany Moore-Kirkland 1st
• 15 years – Elliza Moore-Kirkland 1st and Murphy Benson 2nd
• 17 years – Makybe Edwards 2nd

Congratulations to our Age Champions on their individual efforts. The small number of these individual champions highlights the efforts of the team overall in gaining the maximum points where they could.

Congratulations to all students on their efforts on the day.

Girls 7s

Our three Girls’ Rugby 7s teams have been training hard since early Term 2 and have been eagerly awaiting some games. Term 3 is packed full of Rugby 7s action with our girls competing in the QCIS Girls Rugby 7s Carnival, the Darling Downs Independent Schoolgirls Rugby 7s series and finally the highly anticipated Queensland Rugby SCOTS PGC 7s in September.

Our girls enthusiastically play against tough opponents Downlands College, Toowoomba Anglican School, OLSSC Dalby and Fairholme College on Friday afternoons. With only 7 players on each team and 14 minutes to play, Rugby 7s is thrilling to watch and our girls have had their fair share of action over the past few weeks.

On Friday 21 July, Downlands College hosted the QCIS Girls 7s between SCOTS, TAS, Downlands, Concordia and Our Lady of the Southern Cross College. Competition was fierce and our U13 Girls were most successful finishing 3rd overall with the U15 and Open Girls finishing 4th.

Special mentions for outstanding performances in the first two weeks go to…

• Under 13s:  Sienna Sparksman for an exceptional intercept leading to a try, and to Bridie Hutchison for a textbook try-saving tackle.
• Under 15s: Hanna Eising for very dominant tackles and rucking and Mia McMurtrie for an incredible first ever game of rugby
• Opens: Makybe Edwards for very elusive line breaks and Ellie Maidment for strong ball running

We still have three more weeks of games in the Darling Downs Independent Schoolgirls Rugby 7s series before finishing the year with the Queensland Rugby SCOTS PGC 7s. Hundreds of players, coaches and officials will flock to Briggs and Dunning Ovals on Friday, 1 September for a huge day of 7s fun. If you are around we highly recommend making the trip to watch our girls and boys in action.

PGC turns 105

An invitation to our community…

This August 19 we are inviting both past students alongside our current community to return to our majestic gardens to celebrate 105 years of Girls’ Education at PGC.

We have planned a mid-morning brunch in the gardens and have organised some of the College bands and choir to help create the atmosphere.  While all girls in residence have the opportunity to take part, tickets are also available for families to join us for this very special occasion.

Please purchase your tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/pgc-s-105th-birthday-garden-party