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!