What a night to remember! On Friday 10 November, we hosted our annual Celebration of Sport Evening at SOPO Southport.

More than 350 members of our College community joined in for a night of delicious dinner, brain-teasing trivia, and an inspiring presentation by guest speaker, Lara Dunkley, Queensland Firebirds Vice Captain.

The highlight of the evening was recognising the phenomenal athletes in our College community for their dedication and passion to their respective sports this year.

A huge round of applause goes to each of our representative, minor, major and platinum award winners.

A special shout-out to the outstanding individuals who claimed the prestigious Platinum Awards:

• Team of the Year: Open A Boys Basketball
• Brumby Pride Award: Griffin McKinnon
• Golden Brumby Award: Jake Calver
• Young Brumby: Grace Wolff
• Developing Sports Person of the Year: Lucas Wilkinson
• Emerging Sportsperson of the Year: Max Anderson
• Aspiring Sports Person of the Year: Samantha Smithers
• Hall of Fame: Matt Stopel

Thank you to Activities team for their efforts in making this event possible. 

We are already looking forward to next year's event!

Nathan Burgess | Director of Activities

We are so excited to announce that our Principal, Ms Joanne Sheehy, was a finalist in this year’s prestigious Women in Business Awards. Your leadership and commitment to excellence serve as an inspiration to us all.

A special round of applause also goes to students Chloe Ward, Cherry Ge and Amity Fielding for being named finalists in the Empowering Young Women's Award at the ceremony on Tuesday 14 November. With only four finalists in this category, A.B. Paterson College was incredibly proud to have these three students represent us.

These outstanding achievements are testament to the strength and talent of the women in our A.B. Paterson College Community. 

Congratulations!

Bronze DOE Practice Camp, 10-11 November, Gold Coast

Last weekend, 13 A.B. students took part in a practice Bronze Duke of Edinburgh International Award camp, visiting several of the Gold Coast’s top walking destinations and National Park attractions. Four key areas scattered across the Gold Coast region were visited as part of Exploration Orientated projects. 

Students started their Urban Adventurous Journey by hiking the hilly and challenging tracks up and around the Burleigh Heads National Park. They climbed the scenic heights and from the lookouts at Tumgun and Jebbribillum were able to see far out to sea on a beautifully clear day. Despite the relatively small size of the Burleigh Park, it contains a rich variety of animal and birdlife.

Next on their busy agenda was a walk within the Federation Walk Coastal Reserve. A narrow footpath, known as Federation Walk, runs parallel to the beach, and ends at the small lighthouse at the Spit. Students firstly walked the route through the natural bush environment and returned via the coastal path along the beach where they stopped for a well-deserved rest break.

The third destination was one of Gold Coast's hidden gems, a suburban park environment which is not regularly visited by the locals. The Gold Coast’s very own botanical gardens is a quiet yet extensive park with numerous water and ornamental plant features. It provided students with an interesting contrast to the dramatic coastal environments of Burleigh and The Spit.

After visiting the manicured features of the Botanical Gardens, students headed back to the more rugged surrounds of the Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Area walking along various tracks such as Wallaby Way, Koala Track and the picturesque Metaleuca Broadwalk. Many kangaroos were spotted together with fleeting glimpses of Koala’s high in the tree tops.

The students were accompanied by Head of Outdoor Education Mr Andrew Sole and Mr James King.

Andrew Sole | Head of Outdoor Education

On Tuesday 14 November, all Prep students embarked on an exciting excursion to Seachange in Arundel as part of their Service-Learning project. The visit proved to be an exceptional opportunity for our Prep students to actively engage and interact with the local community. The afternoon unfolded with the Prep students showcasing their talents through a heartwarming concert.

Their performance was met with smiles and applause from the residents of Seachange, creating a joyful atmosphere. Not stopping at just music, the students presented the guests with their handcrafted pictures, adding a personal touch to their interaction with the residents.

To cap off the wonderful afternoon, everyone gathered for afternoon tea, fostering connections and creating memorable moments. It was a truly heartwarming experience, as the students and residents alike relished in each other's company, making it a great afternoon for all involved.

Well done Prep students on your excellent performance at Seachange.

Trent Davis, Jade Lucy, Rebecca Tonkin & Jacinta Lauder | Prep Team

The Banjo and Friends were abuzz with excitement as the energetic hum filled the air. Over the past three weeks, a group of Year 5 and 6 students, alongside myself, have embarked on a journey to educate our Pre Prep students about Drone Safety. The result? A delightful experience for our little friends as they were given the unique opportunity to take flight.

With steady hands and focused faces, our young learners demonstrated perfect qualities during these highly successful lessons. Their ability to control the drones with precision, navigating from one location to another, left everyone impressed. What stood out even more was their infectious enthusiasm and remarkable focus.

A heartfelt congratulations to our mini pilots, and a special thank you to Indiana, Arabella, Aanya, Javier, Ariene from Year 6H and Nicholas, Ewan, Moka, Magdalena, Alyssa, and Ivy from Year 5W for your invaluable help in making this experience possible. Well done, team!

Sophie Wager | Head of Digital Literacy & STEAM

At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, we pause to honour and remember those who gave their lives in service of their country in wars, conflicts and peace keeping operations.

They shall grow not old,
as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them,
nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun
and in the morning
We will remember them.

Lest We Forget.

Thank you to Ashton Proverbs for his performance of The Last Post.

Congratulations to Shree Gowda of Year 1

Shree attended and completed the Kokoda Legacy 5km Remembrance Walk with her family members on 11 November 2023.

The 5km Remembrance Walk is an all ages, gentle walk through Kokoda Barracks that lead you to a memorial to honour the fallen servicemen and women. From the proceeds, 50% will go to the Kokoda Youth Foundation and the other 50% will go to Legacy Gold Coast.

Well done Shree!

Our Uniform Shop is now online via the Flexischools App for any top up orders required. 

If your child is in Junior School, the order will be delivered to Student Services ready for collection the following day. 

If your child is in Senior School, the order will be ready to be collected from the Uniform Shop the following day.

Please note that if you have a new student, or a child entering Prep, Year 4 or Year 7 in 2024, you will be unable to order online, and you will still need to make an appointment for a fitting of new uniforms.

To book online please click here

Susan Kelly | Uniform Shop Convenor

Applications for 2025 scholarships are now open!

Register now for the A.B. Paterson College Scholarship Program for academic, music, sport and Foundation scholarships.

Students from all schools entering Year 7, 10 or 11 in 2025 are eligible to apply and sit the ACER Scholarship test on Saturday, 3 February 2024.

Please visit the college website for more information at: https://www.abpat.qld.edu.au/how-to-enrol/scholarships

Registrations close on Wednesday, 24 January 2024 at 4pm. Registrations cannot be accepted after this date and time.

Karen Milburn | Head of Admissions

We're excited to welcome our College community to Carols on the Green on Wednesday 29 November!

There will be carol performances, food trucks, glowsticks, popcorn and more! 

Bring your chairs and blankets to set up on the Village Green and enjoy a festive evening with friends and family.

Register your attendance HERE by Monday 27 November.

In case you missed it, our 2023 Inspire Business Directory is live and filled with great local businesses, special discounts and the opportunity to support our community!

Whether you're looking for a trusted real estate agent, a reliable mechanic, or a new restaurant to try on Saturday, our directory has got you covered!

By choosing service providers from our directory, you're not only finding skilled experts, but also supporting parents, caregivers and members of our broader school community.

Read our 2023 Inspire Business Directory HERE

Translink Bus Pass in Term 1 2024

Who should apply / reapply?

• All students transitioning from Primary School to High School / Year 6 to Year 7
• Students with a 2023 bus pass who need to update or change any of their details
• Students without a bus pass wishing to travel on a bus.

Who doesn’t need to apply / reapply?

Students who currently have a bus pass for 2023 which do not fall into the above categories

Students without a bus pass not wishing to travel on the bus

Please visit the below links for more information on applying for a School Bus Pass through the School Transport Assistance Scheme (STAS).

https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/public/school/school-transport-assistance/apply-for-school-transport-assistance

https://stas.forms.tmr.qld.gov.au/content/forms/af/TranslinkForms/STASApplication/STASApplication.html

If you have concerns regarding your schools’ services or a student on the network, Kinetic can be contacted directly on 07 5552 2700 and select option 5, where you will be directed to the Customer Experience Team.

Useful links to follow and keep up to date on travel and road conditions:

• To view the latest updates from Transport and Main roads please visit https://qldtraffic.qld.gov.au/
• To view Translink service updates, please visit https://translink.com.au/service-updates
• For all travel options, to and from school refer to the TransLink Journey Planner by visiting https://jp.translink.com.au/plan-your-journey/journey-planner or phone Translink on 13 12 30.

We appreciate your assistance in this process.

Sheridan Customer Experience Team

P: 07 5552 2700 E: info@wearekinetic.com