This year has been another fantastic year in sport at the College. We have had various interschool championship-winning teams through the local competition, the Independent District through SCISSA and even at the state level. We have had students successfully progress through the representation ranks to state levels in their chosen sport. We have also had some fantastic carnivals where long-standing records tumbled. Those of you who are regular readers of this publication know well the successes I am referring to.

The Sports Awards night celebrated our students as teams and individuals who excelled in their field. The number of students who received a gold, silver or bronze award was testimony to the skill and dedication of our students. I am proud of all our students for their hard work and dedication over the past year.

We were honoured to have Simon Black, one of the most decorated Australian Rules football players of all time as the guest speaker at this year’s Sports Awards. Simon is a Brownlow medalist and three-time premiership player. Simon was a midfielder for the Brisbane Lions with a reputation for hard work and skill and that is the message he passed onto our students. It’s not enough to have the skill, you need to put in the hard work and not give up – no matter how many times you are knocked down or knocked back.

This year the prestigious titles of Primary Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year went to Jaymes Roser and Lainey Grieve. The Secondary Sportsman and Sportswoman of the year were Patrick McKenzie and Cassidy Ferris respectively.

The night was a success because of all the hard work put into it by Michelle Boroughs and the Sports Department team. Well done everyone.

Staff Appreciation day

The morning after the mammoth Sports Awards night we held our annual Staff Appreciation morning tea. Known by others as “World Teachers’ Day”, at GCC it is our tradition to honour all of our staff on this day. The Hospitality Department did a beautiful job spoiling us with delicious sweet and savoury morsels and it was a lovely opportunity for a few minutes relaxation at a very busy time of the year. 

The food didn’t stop there as Sunsuper came out on Friday and treated us all to custom made cupcakes and fruit platters. Thanks to the team at Sunsuper for their generosity. 

Presentation night

Presentation night will be happening at the Caloundra Events Centre on Tuesday night 7 November. Please arrive by 5:45pm ready for a 6:15pm start. We anticipate the evening to finish by 9:00pm. We respectfully ask that you plan to stay for the entire evening. Students will be seated separately from families with their class teachers and some students will be in the adjoining room. They will be available for you to collect at the end of the evening in the foyer. As you know, attendance at the Middle and Senior School Presentation night is compulsory for all Middle and Senior students. The commitment to this night is enshrined in our Enrolment Contract so we do consider it a very high priority.

We have also made some changes to the program this year in order to streamline proceedings as much as possible while at the same time not compromising on the prestige of the event.

The event used to be known as “Awards Night” and, while the presentation and honouring of our award winners is an important part of the evening, there is much more. It is indeed a reflection and a celebration of the whole year that we have spent together as part of the GCC community. This is why the decision to rename the event “Presentation Night” seems to be much more fitting.

Mike Curtis, Principal