Banjo's Games 2025
Happy Birthday Banjo Paterson!
As part of the College's 'Happy Birthday Banjo' celebrations, our annual Banjo Games was held on Friday 21 February.
Students and their families had a blast enjoying all the fun games.
Thank you to our Year 12s who hosted this event. Also a big thank you to our FAB Committee for supplying all the delicious snacks and drinks.
Watch the video below!
Years 4-6 Academic Assembly
Congratulations to Year 4-6 students!
At the Junior School Academic Assembly on Monday 24 February, Year 4-6 students received their Academic Awards for Semester 2 2024. Well done!
News from the Year 5 Classrooms
Welcome to our latest Year 5 news edition for the College Illalong Newsletter! We have had an exciting and eventful term filled with various activities and learning experiences. Here are some highlights from our recent events and classroom activities.
Our annual Years 4-6 Swimming Carnival was a splash-tastic success! Students showcased their swimming skills in various events, including freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and relay races. The enthusiasm and sportsmanship displayed by all participants were truly commendable. Congratulations to all the students who participated and to the winners of each event. A special thank you to the parents and volunteers who helped make this event possible. We look forward to more fun and competitive events in the future!
In honour of Banjo Paterson's birthday, students from Years 1 to 6 participated in a performance by reciting their favourite poems by the renowned Australian poet. The event was a wonderful opportunity for students to appreciate the beauty of poetry and to develop their public speaking skills. Students also had the chance to enjoy homemade damper with jam and fresh cream. It was an enjoyable morning filled with creativity and literary appreciation.
This term, our Year 5 students have been exploring the fascinating world of light in their science unit. Through hands-on experiments and investigations, students have learned about the properties of light, how it travels, and how it interacts with different materials. They have also explored concepts such as reflection, refraction, and the visible spectrum. The highlight of this unit has been the creation of peek boxes, ray diagrams and fair testing, allowing students to see the practical applications of their learning. It has been a bright and enlightening experience for all!
Our Technology unit this term has taken flight with an exciting exploration of drones. Students have been learning about the various uses of drones in different industries, including agriculture, photography, construction and delivery services. They have also had the opportunity to navigate and fly mini drones, which has been an engaging experience. Through this unit, students have developed their problem-solving and critical thinking skills while gaining an understanding of the potential challenges and safety requirements of drone technology. We are proud of their achievements and look forward to seeing how they apply their new skills in the coming weeks.
In Art class, our Year 5 students have been honing their observational and sketching skills through the creation of still life artworks. Using a variety of mediums such as pencil, charcoal, and pastels, students have been learning to capture the details and textures of everyday objects under light and shadows. The results have been impressive, with students producing unique and expressive pieces that showcase their creativity and technique.
As we continue to progress through the term, we would like to extend our gratitude to all parents and guardians for their continued support and involvement in our school community. We look forward to a wonderful end to Term 1.
Hannah Caspen, Kate Hamilton, Kiera Sutcliffe, Stephanie Tingle and Lisa Stephenson | Year 5 Teachers
Breathe Program at A.B.
Do you know about our Breathe Program?
This program is currently open to Years 1-6, with Preps beginning in Term 2. The Breathe Program covers topics related to mindfulness. The benefits of practising mindfulness in the early years are widely accepted and include both physical and mental gains such as; improved tolerance and empathy, increased resilience, better concentration and mental clarity and overall stress reduction.
The program includes sessions on such things as; breathing techniques, Asana Yoga, reconnecting, and regulating emotions. The program is run by a team of teachers from both the Junior School and Learning Enhancement Faculty.
If you have any questions regarding the program, or would like to register for the waiting list, please contact Will von Stieglitz via email wvonstieglitz@abpat.qld.edu.au.
Emma Legg | Breathe Program Coordinator
Extra Extra!!!! Read All About It! 2025 Musical Announcement!
A.B. Paterson College is proud to announce that our 2025 production will be the Tony Award winning Disney musical, ‘Newsies!’
Based on the real-life Newsboys’ Strike of 1899, Newsies tells the story of Jack Kelly, a rebellious newsboy who dreams of a life as an artist away from the big city. After publishing giant Joseph Pulitzer raises newspaper prices at the newsboys’ expense, Kelly and his fellow newsies take action. The show is a thrilling tale of courage, friendship, and standing up for what’s right. With unforgettable songs and show-stopping dance numbers, Newsies will have you cheering for the underdogs and will inspire you to ‘Seize the Day.’
The production is open to all students currently in Years 7-11. There are a lot of interchangeable roles that can be either male or female, so there’s lots of opportunities for anyone who wants to be involved. Meetings dates, timetables and audition information will be published shortly. Have a watch of the show, polish your dance moves, practice your acting, playing and singing, and we will see you on the LPAC stage soon!
Sharyn Walker-Joyce | Head of The Arts
Australian Esports League - Week 1 Win
The Australian Esports League competition takes place every Saturday morning, providing a fantastic opportunity for students to engage in healthy competition, build friendships, problem-solving abilities and enhance their communication skills! We have entered two teams into the AEL Minecraft Capture the Flag Competition and on the weekend they emerged victorious winning 3 out of 4 games. A.B. Paterson College dominated the competition with a win over Westbourne Grammar School.
Also, their games were broadcast on international gaming platform Twitch, where they were commentated on by Mattse123 & Racquetz. If you’re interested in following our teams, please go to twitch.tv/auesportsleague2. Please see below for the link to the Twitch broadcast stream HERE.
These young gamers showcased incredible skill, strategy and teamwork to defeat a leading Victorian school in the competition. We are incredibly proud of our team’s first weekend of competition and look forward to seeing them continue to excel in future matches. Please congratulate our Year 7 and 8 students below:
- Bentley Drain
- Kiara Kato
- George Patten
- Thomas Weston
- Jason Xu
- Robert Mooney
- Chris Yang
- Thomas Yang
- Alex Li
Samantha Middleton | Digital Literacy Coordinator & Esports Teacher
Tennis Gold Coast Inter-School Challenge
Congratulations to the following students who competed in the Tennis Gold Coast Inter-School Challenge held at Queens Park on Sunday 23 February.
- Year 12: Sunny Liu, Ethan Vu, Bowen Lin, Agan Pillai, Carolina Bijok, Jena Chai
- Year 9: Peter Zhu, Cameron Hill, Jinyu Yan, Max Pastoors, Tyler Wu, Constance Huang, Cassandra Chatham
- Year 8: Gurnaaz Grewal, Rakhel Feldblyum, Kira Russell
- Year 6: Danielle Low, Audrey Margetts, Eddie Wei, Hongyi Yan
- Year 5: Aadya Siriwardana
- Year 4: Kavya Gunawardena
We were fortunate to have multiple teams representing both the Junior School and Secondary School and many of the students making the semi-finals.
I am pleased to announce that Jinyu Yan and Kira Russell dominated the competition and won their championship. Please congratulate the whole tennis team, and especially Jinyu and Kira on a fantastic result.
Jonathan Albertini | Head of Tennis
Strength & Conditioning Timetable: Term 1 Week 6-10
Please find the Strength & Conditioning Timetable for Term 1, Weeks 6-10 below. We have expanded our program by introducing new training groups to provide more opportunities for students to get involved. This timetable took effect from Monday, 3 March 2025 (Term 1, Week 6).
New Groups Added:
- Cross Country: Our Pegasus Cross Country group now has a Wednesday lunchtime session. This training is designed to enhance running performance and help prevent running-related injuries.
- Rugby Development Group: Strength sessions are now open to all Year 10+ rugby development players, allowing them to train alongside the 1st XV squad. This is highly encouraged for those looking to improve their rugby-specific strength and conditioning.
- Extended Group Tuesday 7-8am Session: This session has now been expanded to include Year 9, 10, 11, and 12 students.
Reminders:
- Year Group Sessions: These sessions provide all students with the opportunity to follow an age-specific program in the gym. Please ensure you attend the correct session based on your designated colour.
- Year 11-12 Afternoon Sessions: These sessions are limited to 10 students per session. Participants must be following a program designed by Miss Mackay and be prepared to train independently.
- Open A Sessions: These sessions are compulsory for all students in Open A teams for Season 1 APS sports. If you are unable to attend, please notify your coach via email and cc me in the correspondence.
I look forward to seeing you all next week!
Nina Mackay | Strength & Conditioning Coordinator
Schools Clean Up Day - Pick It Up
In recognition of Clean Up Australia Day, Year 12 students, Matilda Grant and Tiantian Shen have created Pick It Up, a powerful video showcasing the devastating effects of pollution on our world.
Their project is a compelling reminder that we all have a role to play in protecting the environment for future generations.
Watch the Pick It Up video below.
Clean Up Australia Day Library Project
Years 4-6 Students were busy in the Homestead Library during the week working on a special project for Clean Up Australia Day. The aim of the project was to raise awareness of how waste and rubbish is polluting our environment. The students were challenged to build a turtle from recycled and discarded materials and upcycle it to become a vibrant work of art for the College Library to proudly display. The turtle was chosen to highlight the amount of plastic and other materials that end up in our oceans harming our marine wildlife.
The students worked on building the turtle from start to finish, with various students contributing to the build in their own special way. It was great to see the students design thinking skills in action, from planning to construction, choosing the materials and working together as a team and solving problems. They worked with constraints such as the size of the turtle, the weight, available materials, and the requirement for it to be hung on a wall as a work of art.
The turtle is already earmarked to visit the Lilly Pilly Learning Centre over the coming weeks to showcase the students’ work to our Prep to Year 3 students and to highlight the importance of looking after our environment.
The project was a great example of students coming together and enjoying the process of creating something out of discarded materials for it to be enjoyed for years to come.
Amy Carpenter | Library Services
Winners: Window to the World competition
In Week 3, we celebrated Queensland School Library Week to recognise the services and opportunities that school libraries provide. In conjunction, the Queensland School Library Association invited entries to their Window to the World competition. As we are only able to enter one piece of student work per category, we conducted an in-school competition to select the work we will enter. The library staff were overwhelmed with the beautiful and creative pieces of art they received, demonstrating our students’ love of books and their artistic abilities.
Congratulations to the following students who were successful in their category and will have their work entered into the Queensland-wide competition.
- Prep-Year 2 category: Amaya Sharif
- Year 3-Year 6 category: Charlise Slaski
- Secondary School category: Maria Gribanov
We would also like to congratulate the following students as honourable mentions:
- Daniil Gribanov; Alice Mansfield; Summer Ren; Aishita Mori; and Emily Gao.
Thank you to everyone who entered. Your artwork is on show in our library spaces, and we encourage students to visit and appreciate the entries.
Kelly Whiteway | Head of Library Services
Opera Queensland Presents Are You Lonesome Tonight
Opera Queensland and the A.B. Paterson College Foundation proudly present Are You Lonesome Tonight, a one-night-only performance exclusively for the College community. Don't miss this special opportunity to experience the magic of this acclaimed show!
Are You Lonesome Tonight is Opera Queensland’s most ambitious regional tour in its 40-year history, visiting more than 30 communities and travelling some 8,000 kilometres across Queensland in 2021.
With a cast of young Australian singers including Gabrielle Diaz, Marcus Corowa and Jonathon Hickey, Are You Lonesome Tonight features arias and songs by composers such as Puccini, Verdi, Slim Dusty and Dolly Parton, to name just a few.
Tickets are $50 each, with all proceeds from this event will go towards the A.B. Paterson College Foundation, so this is a fantastic way to support our College community and enjoy an unforgettable show from a nationally renowned cast.
Come in your jeans and boots or your tuxedos and ballgowns – this is opera that is diverse, accessible and exciting.
Date: Friday 30 May
Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Venue: Dawn Lang Performing Arts Centre Tickets: Secure your tickets HERE.
We look forward to seeing you there!
A.B. Paterson College Foundation Gala Ball
A.B. Paterson College 2025 Foundation Gala Ball
Tickets are on sale. Click HERE.
Join us for this year's A.B. Paterson College Foundation Gala Ball and help make a difference! All proceeds will support new seating at the College pool, giving students upgraded facilities for events like the Swimming Carnival and more.
We are excited to welcome our College community to The Star Gold Coast on Saturday August 9, 2025! Guests will indulge in a gourmet three-course meal with a 4-hour drinks package, complemented by live entertainment and exciting live and silent auctions.
For all event enquiries, please contact Community Engagement Officer, Maddi Wilesmith, at mwilesmith@abpat.qld.edu.au
Time: 5:30pm - 10:00pm
Venue: The Star Gold Coast
Are you interested in becoming a Gala Ball Sponsor? For more information about sponsorship, please contact our Director of Communications and Strategic Partnerships, Sean Tobin, on stobin@abpat.qld.edu.au
2025 Menus for Matilda's Cafe & Tuckerbag
New Menus for Matilda's Cafe & Tuckerbag
Matilda's Cafe is open to the greater College community to enjoy barista made coffee and a selection of delicious sweets and savouries, all made on site.
Matilda's Cafe is open 7.30am - 4:00pm, Monday to Friday, during term time.
Matilda's Cafe Full Menu for 2025
