2022 Term 4 Week 4 4 Nov 2022

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As Week 4 draws to a close we celebrate a number of achievements across our school and plan for a busy Week 5 when the Higher School Certificate examinations conclude. 

I remind you of the forthcoming deadline of Wednesday, 9 November for feedback in the strictly private and confidential School Results Survey. As part of our ongoing commitment to continuously improving the School, we believe it is critical to seek each parent and guardian’s opinion on a range of issues. Your feedback is very important to us as we continue to build a successful school and strengthen our reputation as an educator of choice. These surveys have been distributed via email and should take approximately 10 - 15 minutes. If you cannot find your email or link to complete this survey please email community@lindisfarne.nsw.edu.au so we can re-send this information.

This week our Year 7 students travelled to Mt Tamborine for the Year 7 Leadership Camp. The focus of this camp is to prepare students for leadership in Middle School next year. As many step into formal roles as Middle School Leaders, the cohort had the opportunity to consider how they will all lead as Year 8 students in 2023. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Head of Middle School, Mrs Cathy Cox, the Year 7 Coordinator Mr Sam Dick and the staff for their leadership in this important camp for our Year 7 students. 

It was wonderful to have an opportunity to strengthen our relationship with St Joseph’s College on Wednesday night at a School Based Apprenticeship and Traineeship (SBAT) Networking and Information Evening. Partnering with St Joseph’s College and the Regional Industry and Education Partnerships program, students and their families had the opportunity to hear about the many and varied opportunities available to our young people. SBATs provide an opportunity for students to jump-start their careers while studying for the Higher School Certificate. I would like to extend my thanks to Dr Natalie Marriott for her work in ensuring it was such a successful evening. For any students requiring further information about SBATs, they are encouraged to talk further with Dr Marriott in the coming weeks.

It has certainly been a very busy time for our Year 12 students as they have undertaken the Higher School Certificate Examinations. With the final examination due to be completed on Thursday, 10 November, students will have the opportunity to enjoy some downtime before returning to school to enjoy the Eucharist, Formal and their official graduation at Speech Day on Wednesday, 7 December. I would like to extend gratitude to all staff who have helped prepare our seniors for their examinations, with special thanks to Ms Caroline Jeffries, Dean of Studies, for her tireless work in ensuring the examinations ran smoothly.

This evening I will gather with members of our community to celebrate and acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our Year 12 students who completed a Body of Work for their HSC. The exhibition which will be opened tonight will showcase Visual Arts, Textiles, and Industrial Technology including both Multimedia and Timber portfolios. We thank Jane Brennan and Stephen Henderson for their leadership of this Exhibition but also acknowledge the substantial contribution of HSC teachers  Belinda Hope, Greg Dwyer, Prue Smurthwaite and Tony Wright. My particular thanks to the Friends of the Arts Committee who have worked to support this wonderful event. I look forward to seeing many of you at this exhibition which commences at 6.00pm this evening in the Mahers Lane Library. 

Charlotte Lush
Deputy Principal

Dear members of the Lindisfarne Community,

It’s been a pleasure to join the Year 7 students at their Leadership Camp at Thunderbird Park in Mount Tamborine. These opportunities in a beautiful natural environment encourage our students to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses and learn leadership skills of empathy, collaboration, openness to challenges, vision, influence, ethics, and teamwork. We’re encouraged by their resilience and growth. Thank you to all the staff who accompanied and supported them, and the parents that are always there for them.

Remembering Our Departed Loved Ones on Sunday, 6 November 2022

All are invited to the 'Spiritual Gym' on Sunday, November 6 in the Mahers Lane Chapel beginning with a scrumptious afternoon tea at 4.30pm and the Service at 5.00pm. Traditionally, the month of November is a time when we remember our departed loved ones; so our Service will have that focus. This is timely given the loss our community has experienced in the last 18 months. It's often said that the community of the living includes the dead; as we have loved them in life, let's not forget them in death. May all our departed loved ones, staff and students rest in peace and rise in glory, Amen.

A Time of Comfort

We live in a liminal time, an in-between time, the pandemic years have had an enormous impact on all of us, and yet we’re not quite on the other side of this new society that’s emerging. It’s important for us to remember to be self-compassionate, and to comfort and strengthen one another in these challenging times. Consider these words of Jesus, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). And as Blessed Julian reminds us: “God made us, God loves us and God will look after us.”

In our trials and tribulations, and in the twists and turns of life, let’s not forget to seek God and to put our hands in His hands, because God’s hands are good hands.

For Our Prayers or Positive Thoughts

• Thanksgiving for the successful completion of HSC Exams.
• Thanksgiving to the Graduating Class of 2022, their families, and teachers.
• Thanksgiving to God for all we have and all we are.
• Thanksgiving for the blessings and privileges of our lives.
• Thanksgiving to all the members of our community: for who you are and for all you do. Without you, our community is not complete.

As Brother David Stedl-Rast aptly said, it’s not happiness that makes us grateful but gratefulness that makes us happy.

I wish you a relaxing and restful weekend.

Rev Constantine Osuchukwu
Chaplain

Parents often hear the phrase gifted, talented or high potential learner and wonder what it means for their children at home and at school. 

Gifted children are born with above-average natural abilities while talented children have developed their natural abilities to a high level. Children can be gifted and/or talented in many areas, including sports, art, music, and intellectual ability. Most importantly, these individuals need encouragement to make the most of their abilities and support to navigate any difficulties they may face.

Gifted is a common term in education literature and legislation; however, other terms are frequently used such as accelerated learner, quick learner, bright, precocious, high ability, and high potential, to name a few.

There is no single consensus regarding a definition of giftedness; however, it is generally accepted that children with talents and gifts perform – or have the capability to perform – at higher levels compared to others of the same age, experience, and environment.

According to the NSW Department of Education, high potential and gifted students are those whose potential exceeds that of students of the same age in one or more domains: intellectual, creative, social-emotional, and physical.

Giftedness is often conceptualised as “the possession and use of outstanding natural abilities or aptitudes in at least one ability domain to a degree that places the individual among the top 10% of age peers.” - Françoys Gagné

This is largely in line with the ability classification provided by the WISC-V IQ test for children classified as having very high (IQ score > 120) to extremely high (IQ score > 130) cognitive ability and/or high academic merit (scores on standardised tests significantly exceeding peers) who are commonly recommended for accelerated/selective class placement and/or learning enrichment opportunities.

High potential and gifted learning can be identified in all genders, ethnic and language groups, environments, and socioeconomic levels. They tend to demonstrate some of the following traits:

• Curiosity.
• An ease of learning that is fast paced.
• Intense concentration in new learning or areas of interest.
• Perseverance.
• High levels of self-criticism.
• High standards, perfectionism.
• A strong sense of moral reasoning and justice.
• Intrinsic motivation and goal driven behaviour.
• A sophisticated sense of humour.
• Creative and critical thinking skills.
• High expectations for self and others.
• An advanced level of observations.
• High levels of excitement by new ideas.
• Independent thinking.

What does school look like for your child?

Schools can offer a variety of services available that are specific to your child’s strengths, readiness, interests, and abilities.

Acceleration services allow your child to move ahead in the school’s curriculum at a pace faster than his same-age peers. This might be through the early entrance to kindergarten, doing fifth-grade math while in third grade, or skipping a grade. The research is clear: Accelerations can be very good for children’s cognitive, social, and emotional growth.

Enrichment services supplement learning within a grade level. This includes everything from completing more complex assignments to participating in competitions or clubs. Teachers can differentiate learning by pre-assessing what your child already knows, understands, or is able to do, then matching learning experiences to her needs. This might be different homework or assignments for different groups of students.

Flexible grouping allows your child to work with appropriate peers. These may be peers by readiness, ability, ideas, or interests, not just age-mates.

How Do You Support Your Child at Home?

Collect resources on your child's topics of interest, such as books, videos, and websites. Make time to talk to your child every day and encourage active questioning. Find peers or groups who share similar interests. It can be easy to forget your child is just a child because they may be able to have adult conversations about advanced topics. Allow your child the freedoms or responsibilities appropriate for their individual emotional or social development.

Gifted children are often highly observant and sensitive to social issues and fairness. Model the behaviour and respect of others you expect of your child. Find opportunities for him to participate in acts of service that can make a difference.

Provide challenges outside of school. Enrichment is incredibly beneficial whether it supplements school content or explores interests or passions. This could be in any area, whether that be through music, sports, or academic camps.

Encourage your child to take risks. Celebrate mistakes as learning opportunities. When you make mistakes, model positive ways to problem-solve and grow.

For a great article on supporting giftedness, visit https://www.oxford-royale.com/...

Challenges for Gifted Students

Research shares the common agreement that these individuals require modifications to their educational experiences to learn and realise their potential due to their asynchronous development, where the child’s mental, emotional, and social age may be out of step with their chronological age. Additionally, high-potential and gifted students may be particularly vulnerable to difficulties making friends, emotional issues, and bullying. Parents, adults, and caregivers need to stay in tune with their specific child's needs and help shape a strong framework for social-emotional health. Keep in mind:

• A child gifted in one area does not mean gifted in all.
• Giftedness can lead to the masking and misunderstanding of problem signs.
• Not all gifted children are alike, including their own unique social-emotional profile.
• There is no single, definitive recipe for maintaining a child's emotional equilibrium.
• Parents need to model balance and set the tone to reduce stress/anxiety.
• We can teach our children strategies and provide tools for dealing with life.

For more in-depth information giftedness and parent resources, please visit:

NSW Dept. of Education – High Potential and Gifted Policy

https://education.nsw.gov.au/p...

Australian Association for the Education of Gifted and Talented (AAEGT)

https://www.aaegt.net.au/about...

https://www.aaegt.net.au/resou...

Raising Children – Supporting Learning

https://raisingchildren.net.au...

National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) – Resources for Parents

https://www.nagc.org/resources...

By Josh Scarpino
Provisional Psychologist

Every year, more and more emphasis is placed on achieving good results in exams causing many students to feel extraordinary pressure and having unrealistic expectations. This month on SchoolTV, parents will find advice on how to help students cope with the pressure and how students can work smarter to achieve the results they desire.

Exams are like a game. Once you know how to play the game, your chances of achieving great results rapidly increase. Parents can learn how to assist their kids to maintain perspective and keep their sanity intact during exam time.

Diet, exercise, and sleep all play an important part in helping a student balance a busy schedule and study smarter. Keeping stress levels to a minimum and reducing anxiety can be easily achieved through careful planning and having a supportive environment.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the Exam Jitters edition of SchoolTV https://lindisfarne.nsw.school...

Warm Regards,

Susi Meyers
School Psychologist

Total Football Academy After School Program

The Total Football Academy program started again in Term 4.  This term the program will run until Monday, 28 November. 

The Term 4 information is attached to the flyer here- Term 4 - AFS Lindisfarne.pdf

Please register via Parent Lounge in Events and Payments. 

The program runs every Monday afternoon from 3.15pm - 4.15pm. 

Students are to meet Mr Croft on the Basketball courts to mark the roll. 

Rugby Union - Casuarina Cup

The Casuarina Rugby Club held its annual Casuarina Cup Rugby Union Competition on Wednesday this week. The Junior School sent two teams of Year 3 and 4 students. The students had four weeks of training at lunchtime to give them some Rugby Skills and an idea of how to play. Both teams had an amazing day filled with learning, and fun with their mates and also played some outstanding Rugby. The teams played three games improving throughout the day with both sides getting a win in their last game. 

A big thank you to Miss Rebecca Hassell and Mrs Emma Wardle the coach and manager for the day and a special thanks to Tom Whitaker who assisted with one of the teams all day. 

FUN Swimming Carnival  (Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2)

All Kindergarten to Year 2 students will be participating in a Fun Swimming Carnival in Week 6 of Term 4. This Carnival is a non-competitive carnival that introduces the students to a variety of races and novelty events at Kingscliff Pool, whilst fully supported by helpers. 

The information below outlines the day. We are in need of support and Helpers to assist both in and out of the pool. If you are willing and able to assist please contact Mr Nathan Croft via email - ncroft@lindisfarne.nsw.edu.au 

As per all our fun carnivals, we have a sponsor for the event that will be providing a sausage sizzle on the day for lunch. 

Information about the day has been sent home via email, so please save the date, assist where you can, and come along to another fantastic FUN carnival for our little people. 

Nathan Croft
PE Specialist P-4

This week our Year 7 students headed to Mt Tamborine for the Year 7 Leadership Camp. This was the postponed Orientation Camp from the start of the year which has now changed focus to emphasise leadership as these students move into Year 8 and begin their roles as Middle School Leaders. 

On Tuesday the first group headed to Mt Tamborine.

Students had a great time participating in three activities, as well as an Indigenous culture activity after dinner.

Day 2 was just as exciting, with laser skirmish finishing off the camp experience before they head home in the afternoon.

Our second group of Year 7 Leadership campers went from Thursday to Friday. 

They arrived safely and had a full day of activities, from high ropes to swimming and canoeing.

From all reports, the camp was a great success, with the weather perfect!

Cathy Cox & Sam Dick
Head of Middle School & Year 7 Coordinator

On Wednesday, 9 November, students from Years 5 and 6 will be presenting the Stage 3 Showcase, “It’s Showtime”.

This variety concert will feature a wide range of performances across all aspects of the performing arts from Music, Drama, Dance, and more. Throughout the semester, our rehearsal spaces have been overflowing with keen performers who have been preparing their ‘live performances.’

When: Wednesday, 9 November 2022 at 11.00am Matinee and 6.30pm Evening Performance

Where: Ngahriyah, Mahers Lane

Pre-show drinks and snacks will be available to purchase from 5.15 pm.

Many thanks to Friends of the Arts (FOTA) who will be supporting this event. 

Todd Hardy
Director of Performing Arts 

School-based Apprenticeship and Traineeship Information Evening

On Wednesday evening, the Careers and VET Faculty held its first School-based apprenticeship and Traineeship (SBAT) Information Evening, proudly sponsored by Tracy Bolt from RIEP. The evening was to raise the profile and shed some light on alternative pathways for our senior students. Apprentices and Trainees are currently in demand, so it was a timely event. Together with St Joseph's College we were delighted to host about 175 people. We heard from Jill McCall of the Regional Industry Education Partnerships Program, who outlined what an SBAT is, and how it works with the HSC. Jesse Frier, a Year 11 student who is currently undertaking a school-based apprenticeship in carpentry was able to answer questions about his experience. Together with Chelsea McIness (School Based Trainee of the Year 2021) and Anton Ram-Bawn, manager of the Ivory Tavern, we had answers to questions about SBATS from many perspectives.

Thank you to all those who attended. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Traineeship

Hindmarsh McDonald have an opportunity for a school leaver to take up an opportunity with their local accounting firm Best Business Practice with offices in Murwillumbah and Kingscliff.

They are looking for a candidate about to complete/has recently completed their HSC and looking for a career in Accounting / Business / Admin.

See the link to the job advertisement. https://www.seek.com.au/job/58978275?tracking=TMC-SAU-eDM-SharedJob-13246

Candidates can apply online. We would like to employ local and have someone who can start as a trainee and grow into a long-term team member.

Busy Ability Information Webinar

Are you the parent or carer of a child who needs extra support to become work-ready? Busy Ability, a registered NDIS Provider, are hosting a 15 minute Webinar so you can discover how BUSY Ability can help. School Leaver Employment Supports Information WEBINAR for Parents, Carers and Students 12:00pm OR 6:00pm, Tuesday, 15 November 2022. To register click here. 

In this informative Webinar, they cover:

• NDIS overview in relation to School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES).
• What is School Leaver Employment Supports?
• Eligibility for School Leaver Employment Supports; and
• Benefits of School Leaver Employment Supports.

This will be followed by a number of break-out rooms where you can book in for a 10 minutes one-on-one discussion with one of our qualified team members.

Community Bank Tugun Scholarship for University

The commitment of Community Bank Tugun, part of Bendigo Bank, to build stronger communities is demonstrated by what they do – from sponsoring local sporting clubs to providing grants to local community groups.  

Much of this commitment is focused on our youth and from 2018 they took this one step further when they launched the Community Bank Tugun Scholarship, which was aimed at assisting local students who were academically capable and community-minded but experiencing difficulty in funding the high cost of tertiary study.  Subsequently, they have supported 8 students since the program began in various university degrees.

The Community Bank Branch is proud to support local youth to further their education, and maybe one day our community will benefit directly from the skills and knowledge they bring. 

They are excited to announce that the 2023 Scholarship program for students who are endeavouring to pursue further studies at university or TAFE in 2023 will open on 1 November 2022.  The program will provide 2 students from across southeast Queensland and Northern NSW with a scholarship of $2,500 each.  The scholarship program closes on 31 January 2023.

An information sheet detailing the Scholarship’s criteria is attached. In addressing the scholarship’s criteria, a demonstration of academic achievement, community involvement, leadership roles, and the financial and/or social challenges being experienced is required.

 Any Year 12 students, whose circumstances may be a match to the criteria may apply.

 The Scholarship Application Guide and a link for the scholarship application are below:

 University - Community Bank Tugun Scholarship Program - University

TAFE - Community Bank Tugun Scholarship Program - TAFE

Queensland Mathematics Summer School

QMSS introduces Year 10 students to the beauty of advanced mathematical ideas and new ways of thinking at the QLD Mathematics Summer School. The Summer School is open to talented students who are going into Year 11 and have chosen to study Mathematical Methods and Specialist Maths. 

Apply now.

When: one day - choose from 10 - 13 January 2023 

Details are here

Queeensland Biology Summer School

Students commencing Year 12 in 2023 are invited to apply for QBSS 2023. Attendees will live and breathe biology, gain scientific skills relevant to QCE IA2, study with other biologists who are passionate about the subject and consolidate their learning with daily assessment tasks.

Applications close: 27 November 2022

When: one day from 17 - 19 January 2023

Details are here

Dr Marriott
Acting Director of Careers

Flintridge Sacred Heart School invites up to six students in Years 11 and 12 for an Round Square Zoom Postcard on 17th November with the theme “Fear (less): Embracing the Complexities of Change". 

Flintridge Sacred Heart invites you to join us for some storytelling, through which we will consider how fear prohibits us from being our authentic selves.

Together we will reflect on how to bring about positive change in ourselves and the world around us by challenging those fears.

The 90-minute call will take place at Lindisfarne on Thursday 17th, at 11 am  

Please register your interest with Mr Lush before 10th November.

Mike Lush
Round Square Coordinator

From March 3 to 24, 2023 (please note the slight change of date), Lindisfarne will again be hosting students from the Aoyama Gakuin University (AGU) in Tokyo. The students are aged between 19 and 24 years and are studying various university subjects. 

The AGU student visit aims to provide cross-cultural experiences for both the Lindisfarne and AGU students.  Homestay families are required to provide a room, meals, transport to and from the school (they can catch the Lindisfarne bus), Sunday visits to church, and plenty of fun and conversations. Homestay families are reimbursed $300 PW ($900 in total) to cover the cost of food and transport. Due to the change of dates, there will be an additional $40. On Friday, the students arrive, and they will engage in activities at the school. It is hoped families can collect them (and their bags) at the conclusion of the school day. 

If you would like to express interest in being a homestay family, please email drsuzannehudson@gmail.com or phone 0432 147 776 for further information. I hope you can support this excellent program. 

Jeremy Godden
Head of Junior School

Touch Football

In Week 2 our tage 3 Lindisfarne Touch Football teams competed in the Blues Cup event in Southport. The students have been training extremely hard throughout the year with very little competition due to the effects of the weather earlier in the year. It was fabulous to finally see the students out in the sunshine putting their practice to the test! The day was jam-packed with the students playing five back to back games throughout the day. The primary girl’s team finished 3rd in their pool and 12th overall. Similarly, the primary boys narrowly finished 4th in their pool and 12th overall. A strong result for both teams which will give them a great amount of confidence heading into the Queensland Primary All Schools (QPAS) competition this weekend (Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th of November). Well done to all students who participated in the Blues cup and good luck to those participating in the QPAS event.

Congratulations to our Lindisfarne Lions Touch Team that played in the recent Monday night Palm Beach competition. The girls made it to the semi finals in the competition, however, were defeated by an experienced Scramblers team 5-3. Thank you to Mr Mick Denny for coaching the girls from the sideline each Monday night and to Mrs Renae Denny for keeping the team organised and informed of times and dates. 

Team: Giselle Smith, Amalie Gordon, Tilly McLaughlan, Charlie Kirkwood, Ruby Lynch, Kiara Denny, Bridie Bedford, Nicola Gee, Anika Smith, and Riley Cranston.

Hockey

Congratulations to Jack Furness, Rupert Fahy, Bridie Bedford, Amy Cronk, Eliza Fahy, and Finlay Bartell. These students have been selected in the 2022/23 Queensland Hockey squad for their respective age groups. The players are part of a new initiative of Hockey Queensland for targeted players. This program’s purpose is to provide development at a higher level with a long-term outcome focused on representation at the National and Olympic Level. Players will attend camps where they will receive coaching from state and national-level coaches, and be provided with education on nutrition and recovery. We look forward to watching our players achieve at this level.

Tennis

Last Thursday we had a small group of students make an early start to travel to Grafton for the NCIS Secondary Tennis Championships. It was a warm day with a few refreshing intervals of light rain and the spirits were high. The players all had a great day and I am very proud of how well they represented Lindisfarne. Congratulations to the following placegetters.

• Jake McKiernan -  Winner Open Boys 
• Jamere Arnesen - Third place open Boys
• Matilda Daniel - Runner-up Open Girls 
• Nash Mulholland - Runner up 15 & under Boys
• Eira Grace McGilligan -  Winner Primary Girls
• Ava Immisch - Runner-up Primary Girls
• Harlem Selvey - Primary Boys

Basketball

NCIS Secondary Basketball

12 girls represented Lindisfarne in a U15s team and an Open’s team at the NCIS Secondary Basketball tournament held at Bishop Druitt College in Coffs Harbour on Tuesday.

It was a huge day for the girls, who competed in a total of 8 games throughout the day. All of the girls put in a great effort and carried their fun yet determined attitude onto the court during every game. The U15s team ended the day victoriously with a whopping 60-4 win in their final game. Well done to all of the girls who competed.

12 boys also made the trip down to Coffs Harbour for NCIS Secondary Basketball. The Open boys had a tough draw with five tough games, they displayed perseverance and grit for all their games. The U15 Boys finished the tournament in 2nd place after their games, they displayed their teamwork and enthusiasm for the game fantastically. Congratulations to all Lindisfarne students that represented the school at NCIS Basketball.

The NCIS Primary competition is next Tuesday in Coffs Harbour. Good luck to our teams. 

Other Basketball news - Winter League 2023.

Please remember that Lindisfarne will be scooping names in earnest at the end of the term to get prepared for the Winter League, which begins in February. Give some thought as to whether you will want to play with the Lions throughout Terms 1 to 3 and put your name forward when the registration scoop begins.

Anglican Schools Country Week

The inaugural Anglican Schools Country week is a new concept for our region. There were intentions to run this the last two years, but that was shelved due to COVID-19. Principals from schools across our region are getting this concept up and running from scratch - which has proven successful across many communities throughout the country for bringing students together for multiple days of competition -  under the umbrella of the Anglican faith. 

We will be sending multiple squads and teams across various sports in what will be one of the final sports hit outs of the year. The concept this year will focus on one day, with the hope for Anglican schools across the region to join in a two or three-day event. Here is a copy of the booklet - Anglican Schools Country Week.

Damien Clucas
Head of Sports and Activities  

Just when we thought the weekly Rugby reports were finished…. We have some more exciting achievements to share!

Casuarina Cup

On Wednesday 2nd November - our youngest Lions took part in the Casuarina Cup. This is a gala day competition for Primary School children with a focus on participation and getting involved in the great game of Rugby.

We entered two teams from the Junior School in the Junior Division - these were mixed teams with a focus on having fun. The smiles from our teams were contagious as all players enjoyed their first taste of Lindisfarne Rugby.

In the Senior Boys competition, we entered Year 5 and 6 teams who had been training the house down in the lead-up to the competition. The team performed well above all expectations and finished the day in 3rd position overall. The squad finished with 2 wins and 2 draws - meaning they went through the competition undefeated. A remarkable achievement for a team that only had a handful of training sessions together.

We are excited to offer more opportunities for our Younger Lions to play rugby in 2023. Information about plans for the 2023 season will be communicated shortly.

Pacific Youth Rugby Festival

Over the weekend we had a number of players participating in The Pacific Youth Rugby Festival on the Sunshine Coast. This is a rugby union event developed for players aged 10-18 years to represent their culture and heritage. Teams represented cultures from NZ, Samoa, Tonga and Fiji as well as Rugby Australia. 

We had a number of Lindisfarne Lions representing a number of cultural teams at this festival across a range of age groups. 

Special congratulations go to Will Sullivan who was part of the QLD Barbarians Team that won the U16 competition. Will is a foundation member of our 1st XV team who trialed over a number of months to make the QLD Barbarians team. The team played 8 games over three days and defeated the AU Superstars in a thrilling final to be crowned champions. 

We are very proud of all our players who have achieved representative honours in 2022. We hope to see more in 2023.

North Coast Anglican Schools Week

Plans are being finalised for our final 7’s event for the year for our U14 and U16 teams. We are awaiting confirmation of our participation in this event in Week 6 - we will confirm with those families involved soon.

Season 2023 

Plans for Season 2023 are being finalised and will be communicated to all players and prospective players in the near future. We will be expanding our program to include U12 teams as well as our existing U13, U15, 1st XV, and Open Girls 7’s squads.

New players are always welcome - if you are interested in playing rugby next year please reach out to Dr Coyne at j.coyne@lindisfarne.nsw.edu.au

Scott Lewis
Manager - Lions Rugby

 “Cop & Robber” by Tristan Bancks

If your mum was a cop and your dad was a crim who needed your help to commit a crime, would you do it to save him? At what cost? 

Nash Hall’s dad is a criminal who just can’t seem to go straight. He wants Nash to help him commit a robbery. A big one. The trouble is, Nash’s mum is a cop, and the robbery is at Nash’s school. But Dad owes a lot of money to some very dangerous people and if Nash doesn’t help him do the job, it could cost both their lives. 

From the bestselling author of Two Wolves, The Fall and Detention comes a riveting and suspenseful novel about a young boy forced to make some difficult choices. 

From the heart-racing opening scene at the petrol station to the explosive conclusion, Cop and Robber is a gripping middle-grade novel that delivers powerful action scenes and complex questions about family and loyalty. 

Tristan Bancks is known for his high-octane, middle-grade thrillers, and Cop and Robber is no different. I first read Bancks’ novel, Two Wolves, in 2014 and was instantly hooked. With a backlist consisting of both YA and kids’ novels, there are plenty of books to dive into once you’re finished with Cop and Robber. 

When your dad is a criminal and your mum is a cop, life sure gets complicated. Nash struggles to come to terms with his parents’ differences, but his development and growth in the novel really stood out. I was surprised at how well Bancks handles the topic of crime for a middle-grade audience. This is a great book to bring to the classroom as it’s sure to create some brilliant discussions amongst students. 

If you loved the Alex Rider or Conspiracy 365 series, this is right up your alley. With electrifying action and brilliant characters, Cop and Robber is a stellar middle-grade novel for ages 10+.

Gail Dessmann
Librarian Mahers Lane