06 March 2025

From the Pen of the Principal

Dear Parents and Guardians,

At St Brendan’s College, we take great pride in fostering a strong sense of brotherhood, faith, and commitment to excellence—both on and off the field. The past few weeks have showcased these values in action, highlighting the incredible efforts of our students and the ongoing support from our wider College community.

Old Boys Supporting the 2025 Dolphins Challenge Squad

Our Dolphins Challenge Squad had an intensive week of training and competition at the Brisbane Broncos’ Clive Berghofer Centre last week, competing strongly against top school teams. A highlight was the mentorship from Old Boys, including Ryan Apps (Class of 1995), who shared their experience and guidance with our students. We are grateful to all who contributed to this invaluable opportunity for our young men.

Leadership, Faith & Community

Four of our College leaders recently visited Sacred Heart School to speak with Year 6 students about the significance of the Eucharist in their lives. Matthew Bezuidenhout (College Vice Captain), Jesse McWhinney (Gospel Spirituality Prefect), Lincoln Simpson (Gettons House Captain) and Killian Finall (Justice and Solidarity Prefect) shared personal reflections on faith and community at St Brendan’s. This act of leadership and mentorship highlights our commitment to living our values and guiding the next generation. I thank our students, staff, and community for their dedication and encourage our young men to continue striving for excellence and supporting one another.

EREA National Conference for Principals.

At the time of writing, I am returning from Brisbane after spending two days with the entire EREA family. With 43,000 students across the country engaged in Edmund Rice education in its various forms, this gathering provided a timely opportunity to reflect on our shared purpose and mission.

The conference theme, "Our Call to Faithfulness and Transformation," challenged us to consider how responsive we, as an organisation, are to the evolving expectations of young people and their families. Guest speakers—including Archbishop Mark Coleridge, Professor Lee Anne Perry, Fr Greg Boyle, Olympian Natalie Cook, and other voices from the EREA community—prompted us to ask: Are we truly transformational in the lives of the young? Are we committed to the complexities of being a beacon of faith and hope in an increasingly uncertain world?

One particularly inspiring speaker was Fr Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles. His lifelong mission—to stand alongside former gang members as they rebuild their lives—is a powerful example of the Gospel in action. Though his work may seem far removed from our own context here in Yeppoon, his vision and approach are universal – the gospel in action. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend reading his writings, which offer profound insights into the power of presence, compassion, and transformation.

Upcoming Events

• Discovery Day for 2026 Families: Scheduled for 20 March 2025, this event offers prospective families a glimpse into the vibrant life at St Brendan's College. For inquiries, please contact us at enrolment@sbc.qld.edu.au.​
• Closing date for 2026 enrolments - MARCH 31. Please be aware of the closing date for 2026 enrolments. With high demand and oversubscription for places, I encourage anyone who knows someone interested in applying to share this important deadline with them.

Congratulations to:

• Noah Sleeman (Year 10) for receiving the Australian Scout Award. The Australian Scout Award is the highest award that you can earn in the scout age section (11-15yrs). Noah is only the second recipient of this award in Yeppoon scout group. Less than 500 youth in Queensland have been awarded the top Award in scout section since it started in 2003.
• Owen Pattie (2021) for making his debut for Canberra Raiders last weekend in Las Vegas.
• Bailey Hoare recipient of the 2024 Terry Moore RCRRA Rugby Referee of the Year Award.
• Brady Fielder (2017) currently Number 1 in the World PBR Bull Riding title.
• Matthew Campbell (2024) College Dux.
• Cooper Jukes (2024) VET student of the Year.
• John Mulville – Qld State Championships Cricket.

Enjoy the fortnight ahead, as we keep those in the Southeast corner in our thoughts and prayers.

Family Connect

We had great discussions on Tuesday night at our first SBC Family Connect TEAMS meeting. Thank you to those who attended. Some key discussions from the meeting were:

1. Year 7 parent information night - Feedback from the night was very positive. It was suggested that we introduce the concept of the Family Connect group to these new families.
2. PE uniform and senior jersey - SBC has high uniform standards and to ensure that this is maintained, the College has decided that it is best for students to always attend school in the day uniform and change for HPE. Similarly, the senior jersey is not part of the school uniform and so it is only after school or on special days that the senior jersey be worn.
3. Formal date – It is with much consideration that the Formal date at SBC is set at the end of May. This is to ensure that the academic integrity isn’t compromised in Term 4 in the lead up to External Exams for our Year 12 boys. As a result, the next suitable time is May, due to other events being held in Term 3, namely the rodeo. The Formal is usually planned around a long weekend to accommodate boarding families travelling in. In 2025 the date is May 31.
4. Lockers – There are other lockers in the school aside from the Year 7 area. If students are carrying heavy bags/equipment, it is suggested that they inquire about getting a locker.
5. Future subject offerings – Rob hopes to engage in conversations with both St Ursula’s College (and maybe Yeppoon High School) to be able to share certain resources and create opportunities for senior students. This will take time.
6. Donations by Family Connect – each family pays a levy of $20. As a group, we donate funds each year to the school from which we hope all our boys can benefit. It was suggested that we publish where funds have been spent over the last few years to better assist our decision this year. Suggestions are always welcome from families as to how we can spend this money. In this meeting we committed another $4500 for the DV awareness day to subsidise shirts and provide a snack for the boys.

• Every year
  • $325 for Presentation Night student awards
  • $5000 - $6000 – Parent and Friends Association levy
• 2022
  • Shelters for students - $22440
• 2023
  • Domestic Violence awareness day - $1360
• 2024
  • Shelters/roofing for students - $13000
  • Memorial Garden - $10000
  • DV awareness day (snack and subsidy of purple shirts) - $4500

Save the date: Grandparents’ morning tea is Tuesday morning, April 29.

If you have any questions, queries or suggestions, please put them on the Messenger group (Year 7 and 8 families) or email us parentsandfriends@sbc.qld.edu.au

Our meetings will be 6:30pm from this date forward.

• Term 2 – Tuesday, 20^th March
• Term 3 – Tuesday, 5^th August
• Term 4 – Tuesday, 21^st October

From the executive team
Emily Willis (Coordinator), Mischa Lawford-Vaughan and Toni Herron (Assistant Coordinators)

Teaching, Learning & Innovation

Homework

This year the College has implemented new homework processes that are designed to encourage students to take greater responsibility for their learning and ensure consistency in their academic efforts. Under the new processes, if a student has not met their homework obligations for a specific subject twice in a term, they have been required to attend a homework detention during second break. This measure is intended as a supportive step to help students develop good study habits and reinforce the importance of consistent effort in their academic journey. If your son has been issued with a homework detention, you will have received a notification via Parent Lounge.

Supporting these new processes, recent research conducted by Mr Michael Carron, the College’s Research & Development Manager and PHD researcher, highlights a strong correlation between students’ learner attributes – including homework completion - and their academic performance. Homework clearly plays a crucial role in the consolidation and review of subject matter while minimising learning gaps, leading to improved academic achievement.

The accumulation of small, consistent efforts with homework each day can lead to enhanced long-term learning and increased confidence in the classroom. I strongly commend all students who are putting in the effort and staying organised to complete their homework.

If your son is seeking additional support with his homework, attendance at after school tutorials and the Study Hub is highly recommended. These options provide an excellent opportunity for students to receive individual support in a small group setting. There is no cost associated with these sessions and students can attend for any block of time that suits their schedule. The table below provides details on the available sessions.

Handbooks for Students

All students have today been sent a copy of the Term 1 Student Planning Handbook and the Home Learning Handbook. These resources provide a range of planning templates and strategies that students can utilise to support their organisation and preparation for assessment.  The handbooks are also available through the Resources tab in Parent Lounge.

Sport

It has been another busy fortnight in the sporting life of the college. Our interschool teams have been hard at work in their respective competitions whilst a number of our students have been chasing representative honours in a range of different sports. 

Futsal 

The Futsal boys keep on performing well with all teams tasting success over the last two rounds of their competition. The Junior A team has recorded recent wins against Kingsley College and Lighthouse College, the Junior B team were defeated by Heights, however bounced back emphatically to win against Kingsley and the Junior C team had an impressive win against NRSHS. 

In the senior competition, the Senior A team remains undefeated after wins against Emmaus College and The Rockhampton Grammar School, whilst the Senior B team performed well to beat Heights College. 

The most pleasing thing about our current Futsal results is seeing a core group of committed students regularly attending training to hone their skills. The hard work is definitely paying off. Well done boys! 

Water Polo 

Our Water Polo boys have been holding their own in what looks like a tightly contested competition. The Junior and Senior Green teams have continued their winning ways over the last two weeks, recording some impressive results. Whilst our Gold teams have been undermanned due to sickness, they have played well gaining some much-valued experience which will put them in good stead as the finals approach. 

Thank you to Year 12 student Bailey Hoare who regularly goes above and beyond in mentoring the younger students each week. He provides a great example of what the culture at St Brendan’s College is all about.  

Rugby Union 

The Rugby Union season is now in full swing with all three teams having started their campaigns. The U14 team recorded an impressive win over RGS2, however were defeated by an impressive RGS1 team in their most recent game. This will be a valuable learning experience for them as they progress through the season.  

Our U16’s finally got their chance in an official game this season after having a bye and a forfeit in their previous scheduled matches. Although the boys were slow to start, they opened up the game in the second half with some attacking rugby to defeat RGS 29 – 5. The 1st XV has continued their march towards finals with impressive wins over bother the RGS 1st XV and the RGS 2nd XV to stamp their authority on the open division. 

The U16 and 1st XV squads now turn their attention to this weekend’s Regional Rugby Championships to be held at Rugby Park, Rockhampton. For those who are interested please refer to the draw below for our scheduled games.  

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

Congratulations to the following students for selection in their various representative teams.

As a College, we want to recognise the achievements of our students in the sporting world. When we are notified and made aware of student achievements in official SBC sporting endeavours, we will celebrate these in this section, but for representative, external and club sport achievements of a significant nature, we would like to recognise these as well. However, we do not know what we do not know, so if your son achieves a selection or success at state or national level, please let me know via email mcluskied@sbc.qld.edu.au with as much information as you can provide and a photo if possible.

Information Technology

Sumo-bot Showdown

Our school's sumo robotics competition has kicked off, and students are already well into the challenge! This exciting event sees teams designing, programming, and modifying their robots to outmaneuver and push opponents out of the ring.

With the competition underway, some students have successfully programmed basic sumo strategies and are now experimenting with custom 3D-modeled attachments to give their bots an edge. From improved armor to specialised wedges, creativity is at the forefront as they refine their designs.

All of this leads up to our big end-of-term competition, where students will put their robots to the test in an intense sumo showdown. We can't wait to see which designs come out on top!

Chess Club

On Thursday, 27 February, the Chess Club competed in the district tournament, held at Heights College, Rockhampton.

St Brendan’s was represented by two teams of four and one individual competitor. While victories were hard to come by, the experience gained was invaluable.

For three of our players, this was their first time competing in a tournament of this level. The opportunity to participate helped ease their nerves and provided valuable insights into areas of their game they can now refine, having experienced the tournament structure firsthand.

A special congratulations to Luke Roberts, who earned an individual merit award for his impressive number of wins. Well done, Luke!

Beyond the competition, these tournaments offer a great opportunity for our boys to reconnect with fellow players from other schools, friends they’ve made over years of competing and sharing a passion for chess.

Art

Recently Year 12 art students Camron Bromley, Declan Dunne, Andrew Gill, Quintin Green, Balun Martin and Taj Stoyel submitted their first assessment task for Visual Art. This required them to respond to stimulus from an authentic art experience which occurred last year as a Yeppoon Placemaking Art Trail that took in the curious, brass soldier crab sculptures of artist Brendon Tohill installed at Lammermoor Beach. On site, the boys began creating their own soldier crab sculptures by manipulating kraft paper and aluminium modelling wire using coiling and twining techniques. These were further developed in class and utilised in their investigative report. Learning of our activity Tohill commented, “It made my day” when the photographs of the artworks were shared. He further remarked, “The artworks look great and I’m over the moon that the students have responded to them with their artworks.” The boy’s crabs were returned to the location and photographed in situ. The beads of sand produced by the real crabs enhanced the natural animal aspect of the works, but the shiny metal created an impressive contrast that drew a comment from a passerby that said, “They may have arrived from outer space.” Some young children found the ‘critters’ intriguing and were keen to point out their favourite. Which one do you like the most?

The Trail began at the College with some plein air wax crayon drawing followed by a visit to the Fig Tree Gallery to view an exhibition of remarkable, photographic work of local Lesley Bom. The students engaged in conversation with the artist and learnt about the significant location of Kathmandu and fascinating personal stories of the people captured by her lens. Murals, sculptures and installations were explored in the town centre. We look forward to viewing innovative artworks from the senior students in Term 2.

Humanities

As part of their first History unit, Deep Time History of Australia, Year 7 students stepped outside the classroom for an immersive learning experience with Warama Culture. Through hands-on workshops, students explored traditional fire-making techniques and examined Indigenous artefacts and tools, enriching their understanding of Aboriginal history and culture. This unique opportunity allowed them to connect with the past in a meaningful and engaging way, complementing their academic studies.

2025 Musical

Careers

SBC CAREERS NEWSFEED

SBC Careers Newsfeed

For the latest local and regional career opportunities (apprenticeships, traineeships, casual and holiday work included), work experience opportunities, school-based career information sessions, updates from Queensland Universities, QTAC, school-based university programs, industry trends information, events, and the world of work, subscribe to the SBC newsfeed.

St Brendan's College (sbccareers.com.au)

CAREER RESOURCES

If you are looking for resources and information, make sure you visit our SBC careers website.

CAREER MEETINGS

If you, or your son would like further information or would like to meet with me to discuss career pathways, please send an email to Rebecca Lang with your available times and we will arrange a meeting langr@sbc.qld.edu.au or use the "Book an Appointment" link on the SBC Careers Website. 

SBC Rodeo

Support Our Rodeo – In-Kind Contributions Needed!

We are reaching out to local businesses who may be interested in supporting our Annual Rodeo through in-kind contributions. While sponsorship packages are available, we also welcome services or goods that can assist in making the event a success.

In-kind contributions can include, but are not limited to:

• Meals for working bees
• Gravel for road repairs
• Crew to assist with bump-in
• Temporary fencing setup (500 meters)
• Any other resources that can support the event

Every bit helps, and we would love to hear how your business can contribute. Once our sponsorship packages are finalised, we will circulate further details. For now, please reach out to our Marketing and Events team if you can provide a valuable in-kind contribution.

We will also need 100 volunteers to help run the event, but we will circulate a volunteer registration process closer to the event. This is a great way to integrate into our College community and support the event firsthand.

Contact us at rodeo@sbc.qld.edu.au 

Tuckshop

College App

Android download is available by CLICKING HERE.

Apple user download is available by CLICKING HERE.

Uniform Shop

College Timetable

Study Groups & Clubs

Regional Visits

COUNTRY DINNER BOOKING LINKS

Moranbah, Clermont and Capella
RSVP HERE by 8:00pm 21 March 2025

Theodore, Moura and Biloela
RSVP HERE by 8:00pm 30 April 2025

Miles
RSVP HERE by 8:00pm 25 May 2025

Darwin and Katherine
RSVP HERE by 8:00pm 10 July 2025

Roma, Quilpie and Charleville
RSVP HERE by 8:00pm 6 September 2025

Term 1 Date Claimers

The 2025 College calendar is now available to support your planning.

Access it through Parent Lounge or via the website using the following link:

School TV

Join us for an exclusive webinar featuring two of Australia’s leading experts in youth wellbeing and cybersafety as they provide invaluable insights into how to support young people navigate the online world safely and responsibly.
This webinar is Part I of a two-part series. In this session, topics include:
• New Social Media Regulations
• Cyberbullying
• Exposure to Hate Speech
• Online Safety and Fraud
Suitable for: Parents, grandparents, 
carers, educators, school leaders.

Valued Sponsors

Community Notices

CAPRICORN COAST CATHOLIC PARISH

Vatican International Photography Contest Sport in Motion 

In the context of the Jubilee of Sport for the Year 2025, the Dicastery for Culture and Education (Vatican) is promoting an international photography contest, under the title: ‘Sport in Motion’. The contest is aimed at young photographers, professional or amateur, under the age of 25. 

The contest includes 5 categories of photography: sport and hope (sport as a message of hope to society), sport and family (sport as a moment of family life), sport and disability (sport as a platform for inclusion), sport and politics (sport as a resource accessible to all), sport and ecology (the relationship of sport with the elements of nature). 

The deadline for participation ends on 30 April 2025 and the winners will be announced at the Jubilee of Sport (14-15 June 2025). The winners will be awarded a meeting with the Holy Father, a visit to the Vatican Museums, a workshop in the Osservatore Romano newspaper and the international dissemination of the photos in the Holy See's media. 

Entries can be made by e-mail (sportinmotion@dce.va) and further information (entry form / rules / jury) can be found on the Dicastery's link (www.dce.va): https://www.dce.va/it/news/2024/concorso-di-fotografia.html