Hills Events

Hills College has been involved in many noteworthy events since the last edition of Hills Times. Each of these events are evidence of the College motto ‘A Place To Belong’ being more than a statement.

Canberra Tour

The inaugural Canberra Tour was a resounding success. Mr Noel has written specifically about the tour in his Head of Primary report, and I provide further photos of the wonderful trip with the Year 6 cohort.

Shave For A Cure

Both Primary and Secondary school students, and teachers, were involved in the annual Shave For A Cure and Crazy Hair Day. This event is a lot of fun, but we also raise awareness of the World’s Greatest Shave Cancer Foundation, and raise funds for this worthy cause.

Vinnie’s Sleepout

At the time of writing, I am preparing for the Vinnie’s sleepout, as I would like to be involved in the Vinnie’s CEO Sleepout in 2023. Unfortunately, this falls during the time of my absence during the 9-week Sabbatical Leave period. I will be ‘sleeping rough’ with other members of the College Executive Team, and Year 11 and 12 students who have volunteered and shown their interest in this enterprise.

Japan Study Tour 2023

Planning is progressing for the September school holiday Study Tour of Japan. Places of interest we will visit include Tokyo, Shizuoka, Kobe, Osaka, and Hiroshima.

 
Mr Kevin Lynch
kevin.lynch@hills.qld.edu.au
Principal and CEO, Hills International College Ltd

Welcome to the Primary edition of the Hills Times.

I had the absolute joy of spending a week with four other dedicated staff and 40 students at Hills International College’s inaugural Sydney and Canberra excursion for 2023. The week was a blur of excitement, energy, goal setting, knowledge demonstration, social development, and new learning. Our students are truly exceptional, and as the Head of Primary, to receive such frequent and heartfelt positive messages from venue operators, tour guides, and members of the broader community about our students' conduct and character fills me with pride. 

For many of our students, being away from loved ones for such an extended time was a challenge. The way our students set goals, strategised steps, and immersed themselves in the itinerary was impressive. 

Equally, it took a fabulous support team, consisting of our Year 6 teachers, Deputy Head of Primary, and College Principal to assist our students in having such an enriching and memorable experience. Our staff always go above and beyond and this was demonstrated to support our students' learning and personal development in this experience. We know such growth has occurred when on the fifth and final day, students comment that the week is going too fast! Well done Year 6 students and well done to our staff, Angie Henry, Jenn Espinosa, Kevin Lynch, and Stuart Ablitt.

Mr. Matthew Noel
Head of Primary

matt.noel@hills.qld.edu.au

Prep Mother’s Day Pamper Morning

Our Prep Learning Area was a hive of care and activity as our Preppies celebrated their wonderful mums. The morning consisted of art and craft as well as a manicure station. What a wonderful morning it was and another fabulous opportunity to enable parent engagement at Hills!

In the Spotlight with Prep P

 
Term 2 been jam packed full of events and with this came many firsts for the students of Prep P. Our first ANZAC Day ceremony, first excursion and for some their first bus ride; our first visit to the Mother’s Day stall; our first Foundation Day Race event; first school photos; our first athletics carnival and our first Life Education visit to meet Harold.

If you were to ask any of the students what the highlight of the Term has been I am sure they would all say the excursion to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. As all excursions begin, we started the day with a roll call and headed onto the bus to find our seats. The excitement was high as we chatted away on the bus until we reached our destination. We spent the day exploring the Sanctuary, racing from one animal enclosure to another. We crawled on hands and knees through the tunnel that lead to the underwater view dome to watch the crocodile. We searched high and low through some of the enclosures to find the animals, which was rather tricky for some animals. We patted a koala and walked through the grass field and fed the kangaroos. It was an amazing day filled with rich conversations and memories we made together.

This excursion is linked to our Sharing the Planet Unit of Inquiry where we have been exploring living and non-living things. We recently planted our bean seeds and are waiting for them to sprout in zip lock bags on the front of our classroom.

In Maths, we have been collecting and interpreting data. We have had a question of the day and recorded our data using tally marks. One of our Questions of the Day was – Do you like Mr. Noel’s funny socks? Interpreting this data was an easy task as everyone answered 'Yes' to this question.

As the term continues, so does our list of firsts. Next week we will be participating in our first Pyjama Day to celebrate the first day of winter. This will bring more excitement and opportunities to make more memories through fun learning experiences that will also help to keep us toasty warm. 

Mrs. Parker
Prep P Teacher

Life Education

It was a pleasure to have Life Education and Healthy Harold work with our Prep-6 students during Week 6. These sessions are a valuable part of our Primary students' Health and Personal Development, and we thank Fabrianne and of course Healthy Harold for facilitating our student learning.

Reconciliation Week- Be a voice for generations

Week 7 marks Reconciliation Week, Be a voice for generations. Hills International College has the intent to commence its Reconciliation Action Plan and will unveil its working group during Week 7. For our students, perspectives and voices will be shared through storytelling, and an understanding of the importance of Reconciliation and the promotion of respectful and positive relationships amongst all Australians will be shared. We are also excited to welcome College parent Deanna Stones to our school and share her knowledge and understanding of Reconciliation through her role as an Indigenous Affairs liaison. We have such a wonderfully rich College community that we love to embrace and thank our families who support us so generously.
 

Dance Curriculum

We are delighted to have Ezra from Dance Curriculum attend our College next Wednesday. Our Prep-Year 6 students will be involved in this highly engaging morning. A reminder for all students in Primary to wear the College sports uniform on this day!

 

Secondary Insights

 
Welcome to Term 2 Week 6 Hills Times Secondary insights.

As we continue into this term, students are focusing on the learning experiences which are both engaging and motivating for the learner. It is our collective goal to create a stimulating and supportive learning environment that fosters academic growth and personal development.

As we near the end of term, the focus with the students is towards the assessments which allow them to embed their current understanding of the teaching and learning over the duration of this term.

In Secondary, our focus has been on celebrating achievements whereby we recognise and acknowledge students' accomplishments, both big and small, through various means such as awards, certificates and public appreciation. Our recent Assembly was an indication of this celebration where students were recognised for their recent Athletic Carnival outcomes and our LAWS acknowledgement, as well as providing students with opportunities to present excursion and media outcomes at this Assembly.

The focus over the past couple of editions of the Hills Times has been to inform you of our teaching and learning outcomes. This week, Science is a focus and the details noting the learning experiences have been highlighted by our Head of Faculty for Science, Mr Chris Schultz.

So, why teach Science?. I have stated a couple of reasons for this, the main reasons being;

• understanding the world around us and embracing knowledge of global challenges
• developing critical thinking skills as well as problem solving skills
• driving technological progress
• making informed decisions, opening up career opportunities
• addressing global challenges
• empowering individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate an increasingly complex and interconnected world.

As we continue to embrace the coming weeks of the term, my grateful thanks and appreciation for your support for the College. A true partnership I believe is continuing to develop as time moves forward. If there is any question you may have or any discussion you may require, please do not hesitate to contact me at the College either by phone or email.

Thank you for ensuring that Hills College is a Place to Belong and wishing you a wonderful week ahead! 

Mrs Julie-Anne Skelton

Head of Secondary

julie-anne.skelton@hills.qld.edu.au

LAWS Awardees

Working with Diligence

Students have been working very studiously on their Year 10 Ancient History assignment and are ahead of schedule. They have been commended for this positive work-ethic.

Hannah Bolton

Brock Daimon Gill

Ella Molander

Samantha Gurney

Ms Alexandria Salmon

Humanities Teacher

Teaching and Learning: Science Focus

Its business as usual in the Science Department at Hills in Term 2.

The Year 7 classes are conducting a home water audit to gain a better understanding of the use of the vital resource that is water. A sample of the data collected is attached. Students will be able to identify areas of high-water use in the home and possible ways to reduce water use. 

The Year 8 classes are studying a Chemistry unit. This involves the study of the particle model for matter and physical change as well as a basic model of the atom and an introduction to chemical change. They will be assessed in an examination.

The Year 9 classes are also studying a Chemistry unit. This involves students investigating the periodic table and the structure of atoms. Students will then investigate different types of substances (due to different types of bonding) and types of chemical reactions, writing balanced equations for examples of these. Students will be assessed through research focussing on the structure of the atom.

In Year 10 students are studying Earth science and Physics. In Earth science students are investigating global cycles, in particular the carbon cycle. Students will link the increase in carbon in the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels, to the enhanced greenhouse effect and hence, global warming. In Physics students investigate concepts involved with motion and energy, in particular, Newton’s Laws. These concepts will be related to real world example, for example, the performance and safety of a car. Both topics will have end of semester examinations in the last weeks of term.

Year 11 Senior Science classes are currently finalising their assessment for Unit 1. In all cases, this involves a unit examination. They will begin Unit 2 before the end of term. Most of the Year 12 Senior science classes have completed IA2 tasks and have begun Unit 4 work.

Finally, on Wednesday 7 June, up to 32 students in Year 10 will participate the Griffith University's Science and Engineering challenge. The Science and Engineering Challenge is a day-long competition designed to provide Year 10 (or Year 9) students with a positive experience of science and engineering. A maximum of 8 schools per day compete against each other at one venue.
Each school ‘team’ is divided into eight groups of between 2 to 4 students per group. Each group will then do either one full-day activity, or two half-day activities (i.e. one activity in the morning session, and a different one in the afternoon session).

Students are awarded points for each activity and the school with the most cumulative points at the end of the day is declared the winner. The highest scoring winning schools from each region/zone will subsequently compete against each other for a place in the state and perhaps the national final.

Mr Chris Schultz

Head Of Faculty Science

Teaching and Learning: STEM Report

This week the STEM Ambassadors are running a chess tournament. Congratulations to Ryan, Levi, Lukyn, Balian, Max, Sharnpreet, Steven, and Lachlan for winning their matches so far, and good luck to all the other competitors. Prizes will be awarded to the champion of each year level and the overall school champion who will be announced in week nine. 

I would also like to congratulate Eco Club on winning first prize in their scarecrow competition last weekend at the Jimboomba Community Garden 10th Anniversary celebrations. 

Caitlin Rideout

STEM Ambassador

Teaching and Learning: Mathematics Zone

Maths Zone continues to gain momentum this term and I would like to remind everyone that this is available.

Below are some questions levelled at the appropriate grades. Can your child answer the question aligned to their year level?  Answers will be in the next newsletter.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns about Mathematics, please do not hesitate to contact either myself or your child’s teacher.

Mrs Sharon Rummins

Head of Faculty- Mathematics

Teaching and Learning: The Arts Report

The Independent Education Union (IEU) Art Competition is currently running. It is open to all age groups of students and staff too. The theme is ‘Colours of Life’ and entries are due on 21 July. Details are on the College app or please ask Ms Barnard.

The Star Weaving Project is coming along well. Our star count is up to 1243. The next step is reaching out to local community groups in the area to involve them in making stars and reaching our goal of 10,000.

The College Production is coming along very well with weekly cast rehearsals and weekly Production band rehearsals. The costumes, props and sets are being created.  Being involved in the Production is a wonderful experience for everyone and we are excited to share our work with you in October this year.

A reminder that the Music rooms at the top of the Resource Centre are open every lunchtime except Wednesdays. Come and practice guitar, keyboard or drumkit. Everyone is welcome.

Kynan Clark

Arts Captain

Student Achievements

Loki Nardello recently competed in the Australian Gymnastics Championship.

His achievements were:

• Silver in the International Men’s Team Final for Double Mini Tramp
• Bronze in the Junior International Synchronized Trampoline
• 4th in Junior International U17 Double Mini Trampoline

Unfortunately he fell off the trampoline (uninjured) in his Individual Trampoline Final and came 7th.
 
The Queensland team performed well throughout the entire event and came 2nd overall as a team in Australia.

Congratulations Loki!

Wildlife Warning - Traffic

As the nights close in, wildlife - particularly our large kangaroo mob - is again present on the College roads and grounds.  Just this morning, a kangaroo jumped across the road behind a car and struck my vehicle, causing significant damage to panels.  The kangaroo, on this occasion, jumped away again.

Please take care on our College roads.  Children and wildlife are not predictable, and a moment's inattention could have tragic consequences.  

Abide by the posted limits (40kph on the roads and a 10kph on the shared area carparks), and we can protect our families and our environment.

Child Protection at Hills

As part of our regular reminders, please note that our Child Protection Policy at Hills is available on our website.

There are statements available for students in our Student Planners.  If you are wanting to speak to your students about child protection, please feel free to use the following information:

For the Student:

Who should I tell if I am not feeling safe at school or home? 

You can tell anyone on staff.  Bring a friend with you if that would make you feel more comfortable.  If you do not want to talk, you may like to write them a letter, which must include your name.  

What will happen if I report what is happening to a member of staff?  

If the concern is worrying you but not causing you immediate harm, the member of staff will discuss with you ways to solve your problem.  If the staff member believes that you are being harmed or are in danger of being harmed, they will report it to the Deputy, Primary Head, or Principal.

What if I don’t want the staff member to tell the Principal? 

 Staff will try to keep your concerns confidential as far as possible.  However, if the staff are aware, or reasonably suspect, that harm has been caused to a student, staff must legally report the matter to the Principal and it may have to be reported to the police.  Where the staff member has no choice about reporting what you have told them they will explain to you exactly what will happen next.

Remember the most important thing is that you feel safe and free from harm.  You must tell someone if you are being harmed or are afraid that you will be harmed.

Hills College Do It for Dolly Day

On Friday 19 May, the College took part in Do It for Dolly Day. Dolly’s Dream has a goal to change the culture of bullying through education about the impact of bullying, anxiety, depression, and youth suicide so the young people of today’s generations don’t have to suffer like their daughter did. They act as a voice for those cannot speak for themselves #speakevenifyourvoiceshakes.

Hills College participated in raising awareness for this special cause by holding a free dress day where students could wear blue to show their support as well as blue snow cones at lunchtime. A chalk butterfly was drawn outside the front office where students had the opportunity to write their names in chalk to show their support. This drew a lot of attention to many parents and families who were encouraging of the day. Inside the front office, paper Dolly Dream butterflies are hanging with kind words and messages to promote awareness not just on the day but every day.
 
Beaudesert restaurant Ned’s got on board and donated $5 from every steak sold on Friday night to contribute a further $80 to the $750 raised.  A local community member heard of the wonderful initiative by students Chloe Lanoux (12) and Annie Parer (10) and contributed a further $100.
 
It is a day dedicated to raising awareness and addressing the impact anxiety, suicide, bullying, and depression can have on young people. Money donated goes towards helping support struggling young people and their families during tough times. 
 
We thank everyone who participated and helped on the day to make it a success.
 
Many thanks to Chloe Lanoux and Annie Parer for organising the day.

Matilda McBain

Hills Reporting Team

Athletics Carnival 

On 12 May, Hills Secondary students travelled to Jimboomba Little Athletics to compete in the annual athletics carnival. Throughout the day there were multiple events like javelin, discus, running events, long jump, and many others. The students were split into age groups to compete for house points. 

The day was a great success with every student participating with maximum effort and cheering on their fellow students during breaks from competing. It was so great to see all the students doing well with the support of their peers and everyone had smiles on the day.

Leah Henley was the winner for the 12-year girls age group. The 13-year girl and boy winners were Rakin Phan and Cienna Grammatico. The winners for the 14 years age group were Brock Withey and Stephanie Reeves. Winners for the 15 years age group were Lachlan McNee and Tanya Waalder. The 16 years age group winners were Loki Nardello and Ivy Carter. The winners for the 17+ years age group were Simon Smith and Penelope Glover. 

The overall placings for the Houses were Uluru in fourth with 484 points, Halla placing third with 507 points, Jade getting 519 points, placing them in second, and lastly Fuji taking first for the day with 680 points for the 10yrs+ carnival. 

We would like to thank Mr Robinson for organising the day and making it run so smoothly. Many thanks also go out to every teacher for running the separate events. The carnival could not have been run without such great support and organisation. We look forward to next year’s athletics carnival.

 
Joshua Feeney
Hills Reporting Team Captain

HIA Primary Round 2 

On 24 May, the second HIA primary carnival took place at Tamborine Mountain College. There were three schools that competed on the day, Tamborine Mountain College, The Kooralbyn International School, and Hills International College. The two teachers supervising for the day were Ms Argent and Mr Robinson. The sport offered for the day was soccer and students from all three schools were looking forward to getting out on the field and playing. 

The day was a great success for the College with the Hills students placing first, Tamborine placing second and Kooralbyn placing third. Many thanks to Tamborine Mountain College for their hospitality and to Ms Argent and Mr Robinson for taking care of the students throughout the day.
 
Joshua Feeney
Hills reporting team captain

Boston Musgrave, Southern QLD Senior Youth Champion, 2022

Last year, one of our Year 10 students participated in a prestigious bull riding competition and won first place. Boston Musgrave has won his biggest achievement in terms of bull riding. His constant hard work and training shows dedication, commitment, and skill in the sport of bull riding. On behalf of the Hills Reporting Team and the whole school, we are proud to announce Boston’s achievement in bull riding and we are excited to watch him continue to pursue his dreams with this challenging sport.
 
Lukyn Hytongue
Hills Reporting Team

National Boarding Week

Last week we celebrated our boarding community with daily events, to mark National Boarding Week. Students enjoyed many special meals together, dinner out at Yummy Yummy Chinese Restaurant, a trip to the movies, and acknowledgement at a Wellbeing Team morning tea. Boarding Captains India and Riley attended a formal dinner with Mrs Newbery at St Joseph's Nudgee, where we liaised with other boarding leaders and staff. 

Our boarding students are to be commended for their efforts this year; these young people leave their homes, families, friends, pets, clubs and communities to study at Hills. As teenagers, it is incredibly difficult to leave your familiar and comfortable life to start afresh somewhere new. These young people have come to Hills with positive attitudes and open hearts, and work hard to make new connections. 

Finally, I would like to acknowledge our hard working and incredibly caring boarding staff, Yellow Team Mrs and Mr Perrett, and Blue Team Shelley and David, for their professional care of our boarders. They also worked hard to ensure National Boarding Week was a success, and we thank them for their efforts.

Term 3 arrivals

In Term 3, we will be welcoming four new international students to Hills College. Some of these students will join Hills Language College to improve their English, while others will enter mainstream directly as their language is ready for the rigors of high school. All of these students will reside in the College dormitories, and three of these students will also join the Hills Golf Academy.

It is certainly heartwarming to see the return of international students, who bring so many benefits to our College community.

Culture Club

To celebrate our cultural diversity, the Hills Culture Club meets fortnightly to look at planning an event once a term. Run by students and staff, this club looks at ways we can be more culturally inclusive at our school. We are so unique, let's have fun celebrating this! 

If you would like to join the Culture Club, our meetings are held fortnightly at morning tea in C4. The next meeting will be Friday 9 June. The Club is open to all students across the College. For more information about our international programs or the Culture Club, please email me.

Mrs Vanessa Newbery

Head of International Programs

vanessa.newbery@hills.qld.edu.au

The Golf Academy Championships were held over the last couple of weeks. The students competed at Beaudesert Golf Course in a 72 hole tournament. There were some twists and turns in the Boys' Championship which made it enthralling to watch. First of all, our defending champion Saxxon Ford had to withdraw after round one with a leg injury he sustained from the Foundation Day race. At that point, Saxxon (77) was well in the hunt just 3 shots back from leader, Tiger Xie (74). The other favourite for the title, Hayato Abe, had a poor start and was well back with an 84.

Tiger had another 74 in round 2 (148) with Daniel Gould sitting on 151 just 3 shots back. Stanley Lin had consecutive 76s to be 4th on 152 and was tied with Ashton Gurung. Hayato Abe had 71 to claw 3 shots back on the Saturday.

The 3rd round on Sunday saw Tiger open up a 5 shot lead with a fine round of 71. In second place were Stanley Lin (73) and Hayato Abe (70), with Ashton Gurung (73) in 4th. The final round saw a phenomenal fightback by Hayato Abe to clinch the Championship. Hayato fired a 2 under par 70 to Tiger's uncharacteristic 78 to win by 3. Daniel Gould fired a 73 to take out 3rd with Ashton Gurung finishing 4th after a disappointing 79.

In the Girls' Championship, Fiona Feng, played well enough to keep Jennifer Cho at bay although both girls would admit that their form was below what they were hoping for. 

Stanley Lin hung on to win the Net Championship by 4 strokes after finishing with a gross score of 84 (net 80) on the final day.

Whilst our students were battling out for the Championship, former student Jason Day was in the news again. Jason has been showing some good signs of a playing revival and last week he won the Byron Nelson Classic in New Orleans to end a 5 year drought of being in the winners' circle. Battling a series of injuries plus having the horrible burden of looking after his terminally ill mum, Jason's form has been understandably below his best. It was nice to see him playing well again and once again hold aloft a trophy.

Jason was World #1 back in 2015/2016. It was fitting that he won the Byron Nelson as this was the very first tournament he won on the PGA Tour back in 2010. Jason has now won 15 tournaments on the PGA Tour and has fought his way back to the top 20 in the world. His bank balance also was boosted with around AUD$2million further deposited into his account. Congratulations Jason!

After the Academy Championship, the top four boys in the stroke play qualified for the Match Play Championship. Hayato took on Ashton, and as predicted his good form was too strong and he ran out the winner by 6&5. Tiger was up against Daniel and he was too solid winning 3&2. This means Tiger has the opportunity to take revenge on Hayato after letting the Stroke Championship slip from his grasp. Fiona Feng will take on Jennifer Cho in the Girls' final. 

These finals will be played in a couple of weeks as some of our top players are travelling to Jakarta to compete in the World Junior Championship. We wish them all the best in the tournament which will be our first international event since 2019.

Until next time, good golfing.

Tom Berndt

Director of Golf

tom.berndt@hills.qld.edu.au