2021 Term 3 Week 8 3 Sept 2021

Dear Parents and Guardians,

It has been a busy and rewarding week at Lindisfarne as we have continued with remote learning and launched a Community Outreach program Lindisfarne@SCU to support our Queensland students, families and staff who operate under very different Queensland Health requirements at this time (here).

We are fortunate to be able to offer continuity of learning equal to some of the best online and at-home learning experiences available in Australia for all of our students. That being said we acknowledge that these are challenging times and are very much looking forward to when students can return to school. As is our Lindisfarne Way we are getting on with things positively and proactively.

The student leaders for 2021/2022 were announced this week, Year 11’s undertook final preparations for online exams, and Year 12’s regrouped after news that the final HSC exams have been delayed until 9 November by the New South Wales Government. We continue to wrap around this amazing group of young people who we will continue to both support and prepare for the HSC exams.

Likewise, planning continues for all end-of-year events in anticipation that restrictions will lift.

The long-awaited Early Learning Centre goes to tender on Monday and we still plan to start construction this year. Work is continuing on planning for the Senior Centre at Mahers Lane and we plan to lodge a development application prior to the end of the year.

We would also like to welcome Kasey Lloyd who will be joining our team at Mahers Lane for two days per week for the remainder of this year.  Kasey is a registered Psychologist and accredited coach with Growth Coaching International. She has a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours), a Masters of Science in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology, and a passion for positive education and workplace wellbeing.

For the past 15+ years, she has worked with schools and young people, as a Psychologist, School Counsellor, Wellbeing Coordinator, and Group Facilitator. Kasey will be primarily focused on supporting our students with educational assessments. Kasey also provides psychological support and coaching and runs small group and whole-class workshops and programs for students covering topics such as strengths and self-esteem, healthy relationships, mindfulness, leadership, and managing emotions such as anger, stress, and anxiety. 

“I’m excited to join the Lindisfarne team, and help our students get the most out of their educational experience. Undergoing psych and learning assessments can be a tad daunting and sometimes challenging for students and their families, so I will endeavour to make the process as smooth and useful as possible – not only pinpointing where our students could do with extra assistance but drawing out their strengths and potential as well. I look forward to meeting some of you and your young people soon!

Finally, I take this opportunity to wish all Fathers near and far a very happy Father’s Day 2021.

Kind regards,

Stuart Marquardt
Principal

Dear Parents, Guardians and Staff,

Thank You Immensely For Your Creativity of Love

During these days of lockdown, it’s the creativity of love and so many acts of kindness from all in our School and community that enables us to bare the burdens of the pandemic. Principal Marquardt and I have been joining our students online for chapel services and we have been very impressed with the way our students are embracing the challenges of these trying times. I would like to join my voice in thanking each and everyone of you for all you are doing to support our students and one another. May God continue to sustain you as you sustain others.

Thank you also for the amazing support you gave to members of the Lindisfarne Team who slept out last Friday to support the work of Fred’s Place in caring for our homeless and most vulnerable citizens. Our Lindisfarne Team has raised $3,793.37 for this work and there’s still an opportunity for you to donate here if you’d like to support us. Thank you so much!

Season of Creation

Each year, from the 1 September, the Global Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, to 4 October, St Francis of Assisi Day, Christians around the world celebrate the Season of Creation by praying together with all creation, and by committing to cultural and spiritual transformation needed to address the ecological and climate crises that we face. If you’d like to know more about the Season of Creation and how you can celebrate it, please click here.

R U OK Day

It’s R U OK Day on Thursday, 9 September. This is a timely reminder for us to check-in on our friends, families and neighbours to make sure everyone is OK. Please click here to access excellent R U OK Day resources: https://www.facebook.com/ruokday/

A Very Happy Father’s Day

Celebrating Father’s Day will look different this year for many of us, but it’s still worthwhile to take a moment to appreciate all the fathers and father-figures in our lives. This blessing by John O’Donohue may assist us in doing that:

The longer we live,

The more of your presence

We find, laid down,

Weave upon weave

Within our lives.

...

There are many things

We could have said,

But words never wanted

To name them;

And perhaps a world

That is quietly sensed

Across the air

In another’s heart

Becomes the inner companion

To one’s own unknown.

I wish you a restful and relaxing weekend and God’s choicest blessings in every way.

Constantine Osuchukwu
Chaplain

As we roll toward the end of week 2 with Year 7 engaged in online learning I continue to be amazed and immensely proud of our Year 7 cohort. Within our Heroic Habits program we began to explore gratitude this week. With the current environment we are all experiencing it has been wonderful to take the time to reflect on the things we are grateful for. I loved hearing the Year 7 thoughts on this and was very pleased with how openly they shared. Reverend Constantine and 7D guided us through a beautiful chapel service which focused on Gratitude. The benefits of being grateful and how we can practice being grateful. 

Some suggestions were

1. A Family Gratitude jar that gets shared once a week reflecting what each family member is grateful for.
2. Practising turning “sorry’ into “thankyou” eg Instead of “sorry Im late, say thankyou for waiting”
3. Starting a gratitude Journal
4. Simply writing three things you are grateful for
5. Finally, remembering to not take anything for granted.

A beautiful quote shared was

“It’s not happiness that makes us grateful it is gratefulness that makes us happy”

Lots of work to be done of gratitude in the coming weeks

To break things up Year 7 are currently competing in a cup stacking challenge. Efforts must be timed, video’d and uploaded to our google classroom page. Some very impressive entries already. We look forward to seeing our fastest entry as well as our most involved class. 

Julie McDowell
Year 7 Coordinator

Chapel - Gratitude 

This week Stage 3 had a beautiful chapel service led by the amazing Reverend Constantine. We had 189 students and teachers attend the online service. It was great to see everyone’s smiling faces and we even had a dance to finish the service. Happy by Pharrell Williams.  

Reverend Constantine's message for this week was on gratitude and why it is important. A quote to remember by David Steindl-Rast: “It is not happiness that makes us grateful but gratefulness that makes us happy.”

On any given day there are always good things that happen and bad things that happen. During this difficult time, find the silver lining. Do not lose sight of the good things. 

Gratitude helps us build a sense of self-worth, helps us build resilience, and the ability to bounce back. We become less aggressive when we have a gratitude attitude. People who show gratitude have less depression, they sleep better and it encourages you to be kinder, compassionate, and more helpful. Being grateful enables you to be more content and be happy with what you have. Look for the positives happening around you. See the glass as being half full, not half empty. Better still ... be grateful that you have a glass in the first place. 

Having a Gratitude Attitude - helps us to turn the negative into a positive, makes things easier, and helps us to cope better. Remember there is a silver lining in every cloud. You always get a rainbow after the storm. When things are tough, that is when we grow.  

These are some things that Stage 3 students are grateful for:

Family and friends, our pets, our beautiful school, God brought us to life, the opportunities we have, low cases of covid in our area, our lovely country, our house and where we live, still being able to learn even though we are at home, good government and thinking of the people in Afghanistan, playing AFL in my backyard, iPads so we can still learn.

Here are three activities that Reverend Constantine would like students to do at home:

1. Family gratitude jar - if you notice something someone has done for you. Write it down and add it to the jar. Once a week open the jar and share.
2. Gratitude journal - before bed- write the three things you are grateful for 
3. Turn your sorry into a thank you. E.g. ‘Sorry I am late’ to ‘Thank you for waiting for me.’

We will continue to learn more about this valuable attitude in our next chapel service. 

Amy Williamson and Kylie Thompson
Year 5 and Year 6 Coordinators 

Sometimes being online can be especially difficult for young people who have a different opinion or don’t know how to respond respectfully online. Building Digital Intelligence in all young people can help them manage relationships and respect differences. Digital Intelligence includes skills such as critical thinking, responsibility, respect, empathy and resilience. This aligns with our Term 3 theme of Respect which has been a focus in Pastoral Care lessons, Chapel and Homeroom conversations.

It takes time and practice to identify and develop the range of skills that help us act with respect. We need to appreciate diverse perspectives, communicate with empathy, negotiate with people who are different to us and develop leadership skills. We dedicated our Online Learning Pastoral Care lesson in Year 8 to working on such skills.

As a Homeroom, students had an opportunity to see these skills in action by looking at current sport stars’ social media posts. They then discussed how they can improve their own Digital Intelligence by focusing on their current capacity to show respect online.

Students then wrote a pledge to the following question - ‘How will you show respect online?’. See the photos for some examples of the Year 8 pledges.

Amber Phillips
Year 8 Coordinator

For service-learning on Wednesday afternoon Year 10 students were asked to undertake some "Family Service". We recognised that it is important at this time to care for our families, and we could show this simply by doing a task or two without being asked. 

Our Year 10 students made the most of opportunity and helped out in a variety of ways by:

• working on a massive garden makeover so I was cleaning up and cutting wood up to contribute to a long term project; 
• cleaning the yard, raking the leaves, re-stacking the kayaks under the house;
• helping out in the kitchen and did the dishes;
• making an International phone call to a loved one;
• Putting together some healthy smoothies for members of the family;
• texting my grandma for the first time in a while 
• making carbonara for my family.
• Baking cookies for neighbours
• Washing the dog
• students at SCU, they were tasked with helping out another student by offering to help someone in a younger grade with their work. 

Well done Year 10.

Natalie Marriott
Service Learning Coordinator

At Lindisfarne, we have quickly transitioned from the familiar spaces of classrooms to the frontier of online learning. In doing so, we have tried to maintain a sense of human connection. Students need support to understand content and collaborate with one another. This was true before physical distancing, and it remains true now. These connections are now even more important, as we cope with rapid changes in an uncertain world. We all need to know that there is a community to belong to and a place to grow.

In an attempt to maintain that sense of community, Mr Marquardt and I were very pleased to hold online meetings with the Year 12 and Year 11 students respectively. Following the recent announcements from the NSW Premier and the decision of the NSW Government to further delay the HSC Examinations, we felt it necessary to unpack the decision with the Year 12s, offer support, hear feedback, and provide clarity (where possible) regarding changing dates and circumstances. Mr Marquardt and I were able to reiterate the fact that clarity will come in the fullness of time; and as difficult as it may be, both patience and continuing preparations for the HSC will be of utmost importance.

It was very exciting to meet with the Year 11 cohort on Thursday morning to announce the remaining leadership positions for 2022. Our School Captains, Abby Pirotta and Dan Green, and Vice Captains Evie Parkinson and Ronan Green will be supported by a superb group of House Captains and Prefects. I would like to thank all students who nominated themselves to be a part of this very important leadership team and would like to congratulate the students who were successful in securing a position. The full list of 2022 leaders can be viewed via the link below.

2022 Lindisfarne Leaders

Kate Cornell
Head of Senior School

This week I have a few reminders for our Year 12’s and some opportunities for our Year 11 and 10 students to consider.

• If you have ever thought about studying in the US, there is a webinar happening on the 16th of September that would be worth signing up for. Many US institutions have returned to face to face learning and anticipate welcoming international students.
• Queensland University of Technology are holding an Advice Night on the 8th of September for students and families, which will cover costs of study and the transition to Uni. This could be useful for Year 11 and 12 families who may be interested in attending QUT.
• Bond University Scholarship Applications close on the 5th of September for any Year 12 students still yet to apply.
• Southern Cross University have extended their deadline for their STAR early entry program for our current Year 12’s. The new closing date is the 30th of September. This is a wonderful opportunity for all Year 12 students to apply for consideration based on a school recommendation rather than their ATAR and every course except Midwifery is eligible.
• If you are based in Queensland, many of the Queensland Tertiary Institutions are still running on campus tours and activities so I encourage you to look into some of these, particularly over the upcoming school holidays.
• I encourage all of our students to continue to stay connected during these challenging times. Whilst online learning may not be ideal, it certainly is teaching us agility that will be essential for the future workforce.

Lauren Ward
Director of Careers and VET

Run 4 Fyds

Yet again, not too much to report on this week folks - other than updating cancellations unfortunately.

We are hoping to have clocked the 14 935kms in the Run for Fyds by this Monday - with less than 1000kms to go. If you are wanting to show your support for Matt and his young family, there are a few ways you can help:

1 - Sign up to log your kilometers to help us get Fyds around Australia. (EXTENDED beyond the original 30 August deadline)https://runsignup.com/Race/Reg...

This link is where you OFFICIALLY log your kilometres. Once you register you will be sent an email and that email is where you go to log your KM's. There is a section that states:

• MANAGE REGISTRATION
• Click on that link and then click
• SUBMIT VIRTUAL RESULTS
• At this time - you will be taken to a page to add your distance and leave a comment for Mr Fydler
• IMPORTANT - You MUST manually change the DATE COMPLETED to something before today’s date due to us extending the event to September 10
• Leave the date on August 30 for all extra kilometres logged AFTER August 30 (OR send them to your PE teacher to add to the cumulative total if you are a student)
• Then Submit 

2 -  Get out there, get active, run, ride, walk, jog to clock up your kilometres.

3 - If possible, share your photos on our facebook event page - ‘Run, walk, ride for Fyds.’ and leave a motivational message or comment for Mr Fydler.

As a community, we are going to continue to advocate for Rhabdomyosarcoma sufferers to be supported. We would love you to join us!

NSWPSSA and NSW All Schools Term 4 cancellations 

Due to the impact of COVID-19 across New South Wales, unfortunate decisions have had to be made in cancelling the following revised term four calendar events:

• NSWPSSA Primary Boys Football (Soccer) Championship on Wednesday 6 October to Friday 8 October at Griffith
• NSWPSSA Primary Netball Championship on Monday 11 October to Wednesday 13 October at Menai
• NSWPSSA Primary Rugby Union Championship on Tuesday 12 October to Thursday 14 October at Mudgee
• NSW All Schools Cross Country Championship (Primary and Secondary) on Monday 18 October at Eastern Creek
• NSWPSSA Primary Girls Rugby Union 7s on Thursday 21 October and Friday 22 October at Gateshead
• NSW All Schools Hockey 16 years Tri-Series on Thursday 21 October and Friday 22 October at Broadmeadow
• NSWPSSA Primary Athletics Championship on Thursday 2 December and Friday 3 December at Sydney Olympic Park

N.B. The NSWCIS Primary Boys & Girls Cricket Trials have just been POSTPONED at this stage until further notice and  we are still looking at options for our 15 & Under and Open Netball Challenge and the NSWCIS Football Cup Finals.

REFUNDS & UNIFORM OPTIONS: For those Events that have been cancelled where Students have paid Levies, these will be refunded; for those Students who have purchase uniform there will be options of keeping or returning (non-opened) gear; for those Students who were selected but hadn’t purchased any uniform you will be given the opportunity to do so...this information will be forwarded to you via email after 1.00pm on Thursday 2nd September.

Netball NSW Schools Cup

Netball NSW has made the difficult decision to officially cancel the remaining 2021 Netball NSW Schools Cup Competitions which were previously postponed due to COVID-19, including Regional and State Finals.

The decision has been made following the NSW government announcement of the back-to-school plan on Friday 27th August 2021. After reviewing the plan, Netball NSW has concluded that there are no available options of successfully running the remaining events in 2021 whilst students make a gradual return to school and remain under level 3 restrictions.

Lindisfarne Tennis Championships

Registrations are now open for the annual Lindisfarne Tennis Championships. Please note that Wednesday, September 15 is cancelled - we will shuffle back the date until later in Term 4 and notify the community when that date is finalised. 

Please see the flyer attached which includes the link to register.

Basketball

Summer League

The Gold Coast Junior Basketball League will run their Summer Season throughout Term 4. The Lindisfarne Lions Basketball club is withholding registrations -  which runs contrary tolast week's newsletter notification. A decision will be made very soon as to whether or not we accept nominations for this League given the sustained hard border with QLD and the obvious complications that are likely throughout October and November. 

Student Cafe sign ups available

The Australian Schools Volleyball Cup is now played on the Gold Coast. 

We are taking registrations now for Lindisfarne's inaugural entry in the Australian Schools Volleyball Cup (a 5 day competition that runs in the last week of school in December on the Gold Coast). The tournament operators of this event are determined to proceed - even if it is just for QLD schools. We will be running hour-long morning or afternoon training sessions for our squads that will be encouraged as compulsory for the selected students. Please register your interest via Student Cafe in the following age divisions and we will be back in touch with further details via email:

• Year 7 and 8 Girls
• Year 7 and 8 Boys 
• Year 9 and 10 Girls
• Year 9 and 10 Boys 

Australian Schools Basketball Championships

The 2021 Australian School Championships will be held from Saturday 27 November- Thursday 2 December at Carrara Indoor Sports Stadium on the Gold Coast. This is the first year of a three year tenure at the Gold Coast, and a magnificent opportunity on our doorstep for our Basketball enthusiasts - of which there are many here at Lindisfarne!

We will be taking player registrations very soon through Student Cafe and running trials. Training will be an hour long block either before or after school to prepare rigorously for this tournament.

• U15 Boys
• U15 Girls
• U17 Boys
• U17 Girls
• U20 Boys
• U20 Girls
• U15 Division: for players aged 14 years and younger as at 31 December, 2021 – born in 2007 or later 
• U17 Division: for players aged 16 years and younger as at 31 December, 2021 – born in 2005 or later
• U20 Division: for players aged 19 years and younger as at 31 December, 2021 – born in 2002 or later

Term 4 Sport selections UPDATED

The Sports Department will continue to postpone the selection of Term 4 Sports for Years 5 to 10 due to the current uncertainty regarding directives regarding the QLD hard border and the current lockdown situation for Tweed Shire and Byron Shire. 

Damien Clucas
Head of Sports and Activities

Saturday Netball

At the time of writing, TNA have yet to make a decision re: the rest of the season.

What a match on Saturday! The NSW Swifts and Giants Netball played such an enjoyable game in the 2021 Suncorp Super Netball Grand Final. Congratulations to the Swifts - and all of the teams for keeping us entertained with our game. 

Monday Night Netball

Any 11 years to Open players who wish to play Monday Night Netball, starting on September 13, please contact me ASAP so teams and entries can be organised. If you have already played this year, the registration through NetballConnect will cost $10 and the Team fees of approx. $50 - $60, will be charged through the Parent Lounge. It would be great to have teams in all of the divisions for Season 2.

Netball Centre of Excellence 

The Netball Centre of Excellence players have continued to keep themselves fit ready for the resumption of the Netball season

Aurora Vatcher-Anin, Charlize Hedger and Rithika Sivabalan skipping, building strength and balancing last week ...

and Isabella Arghyros and Matilda Daniel completed the Strength Workout - Session 2

This week, the Lions did a workout with me! Inspired by the Team Girls Play of the Season shooter, Rahni Samason and Swifts training partner Teigan O'Shannassy, we focused on fast footwork and fitness.

NSW Cup

Unfortunately, the decision has been made to cancel the NSW Cup. We won all 5 Divisions of Round 1 - so we can still say we had a successful start to our State campaign! We can also say that our Year 12 Boys are Regional Champions!!! They won back in 2019 and finished 3rd in NSW!

so … next year! - Which I said last year!

Stay Strong Lions!

If you have any questions re: netball, please do not hesitate to email me.

“I’m here if you need!”

Gay Maynard 
Teacher in Charge of Netball

On Friday, 3 September a number of our Year 7 classes (7B, 7H, 7E and 7F) had the opportunity to attend a virtual incursion run by popular children’s book author Tristan Bancks. This was especially exciting for students as they had thoroughly enjoyed reading his novel Two Wolves as part of their Term 1 novel study in English. The incursion was a fantastic way for students to engage with the literary world in a meaningful and relevant way. 

Students also asked questions about the writing process, and were given lots of great advice. One piece of advice that stood out was:

“Letting yourself write bad stuff is part of the challenge of being a writer”

Tristan encouraged students to write often, and not to worry if not all of their writing is perfect! Sometimes the first step to writing something great is to write something bad. Here are Tristan Bancks’ top 5 writing tips:

7H and 7E also had the opportunity to take part in an interactive workshop with Tristan Bancks, where they were given a series of writing prompts and were encouraged to write and share their ideas. Students were really engaged in the workshops and many said that the session has inspired them to write more often!

Emily Brewer
Teacher

This week reveals Lindisfarne’s Stage 4 Creative Writing Competition winner. Emily Daniel, from Barnabas House, wins with her piece below entitled Back to the Truth:

My eyes struggled open. The tough, sturdy weights that were pulling them shut, lightening up enough so that my eyes could once again see my surroundings. My surroundings. The clean white beds, stiff with starch, some might say impeccably clean. I would say otherwise. After staring at those beds for the whole time I had been in this sickening hospital with an eye watering smell of antiseptic, I would know.  

The slightest turn of my head resulted in excruciating pain but I wouldn’t dare to call out. You never know what doctors are capable of. Also, my dry cracked lips, equivalent to a barren desert that had been through a drought for forever, stung like a wasp had bitten them more than just a few times. 

Isolated in the cool hospital, I hear the rattling trolley before I see it. The lifeless, grey, metal reflecting doom and destruction followed by Nurse Veronica. Her face was pointed, her dark eyes menacing and malicious, warning everybody to run, far away from her. I couldn’t run if I tried. My head was my anchor. 

If I dared, the chain pulling me back might release for a few seconds but then the pain would force me back, blinding me, blurring my vision into a watery substance. A smudge. 

I tried to ignore Nurse Veronica, willing her to keep walking. As she approached my bed, I heard her shallow rasping breaths. They got closer and closer and then they started to fade. Thank goodness, I do not trust that lady.

I tried to tell myself that the crash was just an accident. That Ralphie hadn’t meant to hit me on purpose, that one day he would come into the hospital, crying. Apologising, overwhelmed with the guilt that the piece of brick that came flying from the roof wasn’t trying to land me in hospital, wasn’t trying to grant me horrific migraines. Wasn’t trying to break our friendship, our bond, like two ropes knotted together, never severing under the pressure of anything. If this was true, what was the venomous look he shot me when the brick landed, and why hasn’t he come to the hospital, why hasn’t anybody?

Something scratched at the back of my mind. A memory. No matter how hard I tried to see it, it was like the memory had its own anchor. Pulling itself deep into the blank depths of my brain. I willed myself to loosen its chains so that it could float to the surface. After a while, I felt my eyes sink, floating my body into sleep.

Sweating, I abruptly woke up. The room was pitch black, the only contrast in colour the stark white that filled every corner of every room during the day time. I could feel it. The memory’s anchor loosening. Floating up to the surface, the chains breaking as it pulls free of their strong grasp.

I remember it now. 

The match. Getting stroked along cracked bricks. The flame. Rising up, it’s growing larger, the heat overpowering the cool night air. Ralphie. His face twisted in determination trying to outrun the fire. Running over the roof desperately trying to escape its warm grasp. 

And then he 

                       f

                         e

                            l

                              l

Bricks tumbling down with him, one the one that hit me. This seems lucky. I survived. Poor Ralphie, he never got to go to university, or fulfill his dreams. I wish I knew who did it. At least now I know the truth. 

Congratulations to Emily, a Year 7 student, for capably incorporating elements of the stimulus into her winning imaginative response.

Suellen Walker
English Coordinator

Year 11 Textiles and Design have been studying the Properties and Performance of Fibres and Yarns. They were tasked with extending this knowledge to produce a textile item that is ‘Non Apparel’. Due to the NSW lockdown the class had to complete these projects at home, and this week they submitted some impressive photographs to Mrs Drayson. 

Asher Weddell's Felted Moth

Cate Roberts' Avocado dyed, two headed, linen Teddy Bear with knitted jumper.

Charlize Webster's Ombre Macrame' wall hanging

Olivia Sweetnam's Crochet Market Bag

Olivia Sweetnam's Crochet, insulated cool bag. 

Ruby Meehan's Raffia Bowl

Tahlia Evan's Pandanus Bag

Caelia Drayson
Teacher of TAS 

A Maths Minute Corner

This week we have two problems for you to consider. 

Problem 1

Madeleine types her three-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) into this keypad.

All three digits are different, but the buttons for the first and second digits share an edge, and the buttons for the second and third digits share an edge.

For instance,  563 is a possible PIN, but  536 is not, since 5 and 3 do not share an edge.

How many possibilities are there for Madeleine’s PIN?

Problem 2

My dog eats ½ kg of dog food each day. How much dog food does he eat each week?

Tune in next week for the solutions. 

Caitriona McCann
Teacher of Mathematics

From this week, many of our core music ensembles have started online ensemble rehearsals to continue the  week our ensembles will start online rehearsals via google classroom and Google meets.

The online rehearsals are 15-minute check-in-style sessions hosted by your ensemble director. Please arrive promptly to your rehearsal and have your instrument with you (where applicable)

There will be plenty of resources including sheet music and backing tracks on your ensemble Google Classroom to assist with these sessions. 

If you play and instrument or sing and are not currently part of a school ensemble, this could be a great time jump online and start making music.

We're looking forward to seeing you in the rehearsal sessions each week.

Todd Hardy
Director of Performing Arts 

Our Paralympians continue to perform on the world stage. For up-to-date news on our Australian team, visit www.paralympic.org.au

Dylan Alcott has made it through to the final in both the singles and doubles tennis. He is so inspirational! Talking about diversity with Year 10, we never tire of watching his Tedx Talk from 2015 on Mainstreaming Disability.As we continue with “off-campus” learning, we are reminded of the benefits of Physical Activity:

These resources may be useful: 

As well as these short YouTube clips, advocating and supporting physical activity at home:

YouTube tips for emerging athletes to keep active at home https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oDMjwj1cwE

YouTube Walking tips to keep active https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tq9QEhH1dR4

YouTube Tips for parents/carers to keep students active at home https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGUH4ZxArf4

It was National Health and Physical Education Day on Wednesday

We asked our students to get outside and be active … and that’s exactly what they did!

Many of the senior students (and staff!) clocked up some more kilometres for Mr Fydler. 

We are very close to completing our quest of running, skating, swimming, walking, cycling  around Australia with only 1,200 kms to go. It may mean that we have already reached our target as some of this week’s tally has not been added as yet!

Don’t forget that it is Fruit & Veg Month 2021 until the end of term. 

And the competition to draw a fruit and veg party.

Just in time for Father’s Day,here are some “Dad Jokes” on the topic of Fruit and Veg:

Q: What do you call a group of strawberries playing the guitar? A: A jam session. 

Q: What do you call an angry pea? A: Grump-pea. 

Q: What's a vegetable's favourite martial art? A: Carrot-eee! 

Q: What kind of shoes are made from banana peels? A: Slippers. 

Q: What is green and goes camping? A: A brussel scout! 

Q: What’s worse than biting into an apple and finding a worm? A: Biting into an apple and finding half a worm. 

Q: What’s the strongest vegetable? A: A muscle sprout! 

Q: Why did the tomato go out with the prune? A: Because he couldn’t find a date. 

Q: What sort of exercise does the fruit do? A: Avo-cardio.

Q: What do you call a fast fungus? A: A mush-vroom! 

Q: How do you fix a broken tomato? A: With tomato paste. 

Q: If you had 10 potatoes in one hand and 16 leeks in the other hand, what would you  have? A: Massive hands! 

Q: Why are bananas never lonely? A: Because they hang out in bunches.  

Q: Why did everyone like to dance to the vegetable band? A: Because they have a good beet! 

Q: What did the baby corn say to the mother corn? A: Where’s pop-corn? 

Q: What’s green and comes down a mountain in the snow? A: A skiwi. 

Q: Why was the green pea laughing? A: Because she was hap-pea. 

Q: Why didn’t the piece of corn get the joke? A: He was corn-fused. 

Q: Why did the lemon cross the road? A: To make lemon squash. 

Q: Why shouldn’t you tell secrets on a farm? A: Because potatoes have eyes, beans-talk and corn have ears! 

Q: Why did the fungi have to pay double the bus fare? A: Because he took up too mushroom. 

Q: When do you go at red but stop at green? A: When you’re eating a watermelon. 

Q: What is the fastest vegetable? A: A runner bean. 

Q: What did the father tomato say to the baby tomato while on a family walk? A: Ketchup. Q: What vegetables are a sailor’s enemy? A: Leeks. 

Q: Why did the grape stop in the middle of the road? A: Because he ran out of juice. 

Q: What is King-Kong’s favourite fruit? A: Ape-ricots 

Q: What do bananas do when they meet each other? A: A banana shake. 

Spoil Dad on Sunday!
Stay safe!

The PDHPE Faculty

We are fortunate to have not only wonderful teachers in the Science faculty but outstanding support staff as well. No practical work would be possible without our laboratory technicians, Sonia Cavaignac and Georgia King, who work tirelessly behind the scenes helping staff and students alike.

During our current lockdown, with Sonia stranded in Queensland, Georgia has gone above and beyond her normal duties helping out our Year 10 students by performing laboratory work for their Student Research Projects. The students order the necessary equipment, provide a procedure and then, via a Google Meet, instruct Georgia who acts as their hands in the lab to carry out the investigation and collect data.

We would like to acknowledge Georgia’s willingness to go the extra mile for our students as well as the enthusiasm and good humor she brings into our faculty every day. 

Science Matters caught up with her this week for a chat about Science and life outside of the laboratory.

Science Matters: You are known to have a keen interest in animals Georgia, can you tell us how this led to you becoming the animal welfare officer for the school?

Georgia King:   I’ve always loved animals, from a very young age I was constantly rescuing injured wildlife and would spend all my free time learning about how to look after different species. Name an animal and I probably know how to look after it. As a child, instead of reading books about adventures I would read about animal care, both exotic and domestic. After a visit to the school gardens I realised that while many people were feeding the chickens, they didn’t have a designated carer to ensure all their needs were met. I volunteered to be that person which soon led to being assigned to overseeing animal welfare for the school and I love every second of it! Growing up I wanted to be a zookeeper but I think this is as close as I will get.  

Science Matters: I believe you have a special interest in freshwater crayfish.  How did you get involved in such a specialised field?

Georgia King: It was a total fluke! After graduating with my bachelor's degree I was on the lookout for potential research topics for my Honours. At the time I was convinced I would become a botanist and was really passionate about invasive plants in arid wetlands. During discussions with my supervisor, he joked that I should forget about plants because he had a research project in crayfish that had a lot of industry interest. Of course I looked into the topic right away and discovered that the project was to research how an invasive crayfish species in the Lake Eyre Basin was impacting native species.  I was hooked by the idea of researching something that no one knew anything about and quickly became obsessed with crayfish. Since finishing my honours research in 2019 I continue to be amazed with crayfish and the important role they play in ecosystems.

Science Matters: In addition to your background in scientific research, there is a rumour that you are a pretty deadly roller skater! How did you get into this sport?

Georgia King:  Roller skating is by far my biggest passion and in times like these it is something I am so grateful to be able to do. I became interested in roller skating years ago when I first watched the movie “Whip it” but I didn’t find the courage to buy a pair of skates until 2019. I’m not a very sporty person but I took to it right away and loved the feeling of advancing at a skill. Through skating, I truly found the most welcoming community and have established lifelong friendships. I love to skate at any skate park with a smooth halfpipe or big bowl!

Science Matters: If you could do anything or go anywhere, what would your dream job or destination be?

Georgia King:  My absolute dream job would be as a full-time researcher, studying whatever topic inspired me regardless of funding. I think it would be amazing to have the opportunity to conduct field trips to remote areas around the globe, publishing papers as I went, like a modern-day Charles Darwin, only with roller skates packed in my suitcase. 

Enjoy your week of online Science and be appreciative of the amazing people you have here at Lindisfarne to support you. 

Hamish Inksetter
Science Teacher