Open Day

This is the second last newsletter before Open Day with the last one coming out the day before the big event. This year Open Day is on Saturday 17 May from 10am to 2pm.

We are one of the few Colleges which still hold Open Day on a Saturday but the event is such a success in showing off our wonderful students and lovely campus that we don’t want to go the way of other schools and have it on a weekday when everyone is at work.

We appreciate your support in transporting students to school on this day as many of them play a significant part in the day’s effective outcome. Our Hospitality students are flat out on the day but the delicious food served with such friendly smiles has one of the biggest impacts on visitors so we appreciate their sacrifice.

Primary and Secondary students are in great demand as tour guides and greeters. Any time they can spare on this day is greatly valued. Student tour guides and greeters are asked to come in their formal uniform and will be given training before the day.

This year for the first time we are having some of our Middle and Senior students do interactive presentations in English, Humanities and Science. Another first this year is a free animal nursery and jumping castle for the Prep to Year 2 students.

Our P and F will be running a sausage sizzle and there will also be pizza for sale with $1 from every $10 pizza being donated back to GCCC.

A full program will be available soon but here is a list of the scheduled performances:

Timed Events	Item	Venue
10.30-10.40am	Concert Band	Theatre
11.00-11.10am	Vocal Group	Theatre
11.00am, 12.00 and 1.00pm	Demonstrations of cutting plate steel with CNC Plasma	T Block – new engineering building
10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm and 1.30pm	Demonstrations of CNC routing and laser cutting rapid protoyping	H4/5 Industrial Technology
11.15-11.30am	Primary Choir	Theatre
11.30-11.40am	The Little Voices	Theatre
12-12.15pm	Dance Performance and Musical Sneak Peek	Grassy area outside Library

I understand that some students have sporting and work commitments on Saturdays but would really appreciate every effort that could be made to ensure their participation on the day.

ANZAC Day March and Service

For the first time ever we held a whole of College ANZAC Day service in our Senior Undercover Area on the Thursday before ANZAC Day. This was such a great event that I’m sure it will become a regular tradition at GCCC. My thanks go out to Mrs Jacqualina Vreeling for her organisation of the service and to everyone else who participated and helped on the day.

Once again the ANZAC Day March and subsequent service in Beerwah on Friday 25 April was a solemn but significant event. The volunteers from the Beerwah-Peachester RSL did a great job organising such a large crowd and everything went smoothly. It became a little hot in the sun later on in the morning but I was very proud of how our students handled themselves. It was a good day to show our respect for the men and women who sacrificed so much to protect our freedom.

Many students and their families have long traditions of participating in their local ANZAC Day event and I hope their services were as meaningful for them as the Beerwah one was for us.

I would also like to thank our GCCC parents from Aussie World Flowers who provided the beautiful floral tributes for the ANZAC March and for the College ANZAC Service. Aussie World Flowers were very generous with their pricing and created gorgeous floral arrangements for both occasions.

Athlete’s Foot

Athlete’s Foot in Caloundra has been donating $5 for every pair of shoes sold to a GCCC family (when they

mention the College). On the last Thursday of Term 1, Vicki Nosworthy from Athlete’s Foot presented the College with a cheque for $95.00. This promotion is ongoing and applies to any pair of shoes (not just school or child shoes) purchased from the Athlete’s Foot in Bulcock Street, Caloundra.

Entrance

For those of you who drive your children to school, you may have noticed our newly landscaped entrance way and car park. This important work took place over the recent school holidays and has already had a big impact on the College’s street appeal.  Landscaping the entrance and car park is the first step in a process that will transform the College’s entrance.

Solar Panels

Schools are large consumers of energy, especially with the increased use of electricity based technology and the need for air conditioners during the Queensland summers. As people living in Australia, we are fortunate to have access (on average) to the highest levels of solar radiation per square kilometre. In the Sunshine State, we benefit even more from this clean and renewable energy source.

In order to lessen our carbon footprint and reduce our electricity costs, the College has recently installed solar panels on the Prep and Admin buildings.

The College has also begun replacing old lights with LED lights which last longer, are more energy efficient and cost effective. Traditional light bulbs convert 20% of energy to light and 80% to heat whereas LED lights convert 80% of energy to light and only 20% to heat.

I’m sure we will all enjoy the benefits of a greener, cleaner and cheaper energy source.

Clean Up – Legacy Cup

On Monday 28 April the Senior School held its annual Legacy Cup Clean Up with great success. Students entered into the spirit of the competition with war cries and elbow grease. By the end of the challenge the College sparkled.

Cross Country

The Cross Country for ages 9 to open was held on Tuesday 29 April and was a triumph in determination and passion. There were some close races and the Primary students in particular showed how fit they had become during their Run Around Australia challenges. You will find more details and lots of photos in the Sports section of the newsletter.

MIKE CURTIS

PRINCIPAL