Week 4, Term 2, 2025 | Friday 16 May

Term 2 Update

As we reach the midpoint of the term, once again, there is lots going on! Canterbury teams have been excelling in the TAS and JTAS competitions, despite the weather providing many challenges. It is at these times when we are particularly grateful not only to our coaching staff for their persistence and adaptability, but also for our grounds and maintenance team who are working so hard to ensure that our ovals continue to be in the best condition they can, so that sport can take place. We had some wonderful Performing Arts involvement at the Mothers’ Day Celebration last week, and in addition to this, of course, preparations for the Junior Musical “Frozen” are well underway. Our senior female choir, Cantabile, are also excitedly preparing for their upcoming tour of Tasmania where they will be participating in the Festival of Voices in Hobart over the next holidays.

It was wonderful to see our Senior Students, led by Goldsworthy House, mentoring and supporting Junior Students with their reading as part of the Goldsworthy Service Initiative. The younger students loved the opportunity to spend time with the seniors, and the role modelling of reading helped to develop some really positive habits.

Canterbury is a vibrant and enriching environment, filled with opportunity. Our students are encouraged to challenge themselves academically, to contribute through sport, performing arts or service, and to pursue personal interests that bring meaning and joy. Yet with opportunity comes the responsibility to manage time and energy wisely. Academic success remains a priority, and it requires consistent effort, organisation, and resilience. But we also know that learning is most effective when it’s supported by a well-rounded routine. Participation in co-curricular programs is not a distraction from academic achievement — it can enhance it. These activities build confidence, teamwork, and a sense of belonging that are crucial to adolescent development.

Equally important is rest and wellbeing. A healthy lifestyle — including sleep, good nutrition, regular exercise, and time to simply unwind — is not optional. It is the foundation upon which academic and personal success is built. When any one of these areas is neglected, it affects the others. Being busy is good – often the busiest people are those who are most successful, however, we need to know our limits and be ready to adjust commitments when needed. I encourage students to seek help if they need support – your teachers, Head of House or Care Central staff are always there if you need them.

Grandparents and their important role in education

Next week, we look forward to welcoming our grandparents to the Junior School for our annual Grandparents Day, a special opportunity to honour and celebrate the unique and irreplaceable role they play in the lives and education of their grandchildren. Grandparents bring a perspective to education that is distinct from that of parents and teachers. While they may not be involved in the day-to-day routines of homework and school drop-offs (though many certainly are), their influence is no less powerful. Grandparents often serve as storytellers, encouragers, and wise guides, sharing life lessons, modelling resilience, and offering the kind of patient listening and thoughtful conversation that helps shape a child’s values, confidence, and curiosity. A grandparent’s support is often emotional and relational, built on a foundation of time, presence, and unconditional love. Many children treasure the stories, traditions, and encouragement passed down from their grandparents. Whether it’s a love of reading sparked by a shared book, a curiosity about the past through family stories, or a sense of identity grounded in shared experiences, the impact of grandparents extends well beyond the classroom.

Our Grandparents Day is a day filled with joy, connection, and gratitude, an opportunity for students to show their love and appreciation for their grandparents, and for grandparents to see firsthand the learning and growth happening in our school community.

We warmly invite all grandparents to join us for our 2025 Grandparents Day – Thursday 22 May, 12:45pm – 3:15pm

Here’s what to expect on the day:

12:45pm – Picnic Lunch (meet grandchildren at classrooms)
Grandparents are invited to enjoy a picnic lunch with their grandchildren. Please bring your own lunch and picnic blanket. You’re also welcome to bring lunch for your grandchild, though they may also eat their regular packed lunch from home. After lunch, we invite you to visit our Junior School Art Show on display in Nabei — a celebration of our students’ creativity.

1:30pm – Assembly led by Year 1 (CEC)
Join us in the CEC for a heartwarming assembly led by our Year 1 students, honouring the role of grandparents with special performances of song and dance.

2:20pm – Afternoon Tea for Grandparents (CEC)
While students return to class for the final session of the day, grandparents are invited to stay and enjoy a relaxed afternoon tea, provided by the Junior School.

3:15pm – Home Time or Book Fair Visit
Following afternoon tea, grandparents may collect their grandchildren at 3:15pm or take the opportunity to explore the Book Fair, held in the STEAM Room in the Bareibun Building, open until 4:00pm.

We are deeply grateful for the presence and influence of grandparents in our community. Their involvement enriches the lives of our students in countless ways, and we look forward to sharing this special afternoon with them.

Canterbury Performing Arts – Performance Season Highlights

Our Performing Arts students are well into performance season, with all ensembles diligently preparing for a lineup of events across Terms 2 and 3. From eisteddfods and concerts to drama productions, the school musical, and our upcoming performance tour, there’s great energy in the rehearsal rooms.

Last Thursday evening, our Senior School string ensembles, Ritornello and Sinfonia, performed in Queensland Youth Music Awards at St Peter’s Lutheran College, Indooroopilly. Competing in the Advanced String Ensemble Section against an exceptionally high standard of talent from across the region, both groups delivered outstanding performances. We are thrilled to share that both ensembles received Gold Awards, with Ritornello securing an impressive Third Place. Congratulations to both ensembles!

The following morning, our Mother’s Day celebration featured a range of music and dance performances, with contributions from The Brekkie Buskers, Taipan Tenors, Little Groovers – Prep, Junior Singers, Junior School Choir, Shine Dance Company, and Canterbury Dance Company. It was a fitting tribute to our mums and a strong display of the breadth of talent across our programs.

Looking ahead, our annual Winter Music Festival will commence this term with three concerts. Our Junior School Instrumental Immersion Programs will be showcased alongside the Junior School music ensembles in the Kaleidoscope and Panorama concerts. And, the term will conclude with the always-popular Friday Night Rocks, a fantastic showcase of our Rock School program – not to be missed!

More info: MyCC News | Website News

Year 7 Museum Excursion

Last week our Year 7 History classes visited Queensland Museum Kurilpa at Southbank for their first high school excursion, experiencing exhibitions that perfectly complemented their studies for both Terms 1 and 2.

Students viewed rare ancient Egyptian artifacts on loan from the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities. This special exhibition, ending in August, provided an excellent introduction to their upcoming Ancient Egyptian society unit. The authentic artifacts included papyrus scripts, jewellery, sarcophagus (decorated coffins) and even mummified remains. The excursion also included the museum’s megafauna exhibit, supporting our Deep Time Indigenous unit by expanding students’ understanding of ancient Sahul. Students were particularly engaged by digital recreations of prehistoric giants in combat, eagerly debating which massive creatures would win these hypothetical encounters!

Our Year 7s returned with new knowledge and enthusiasm that will enrich their studies. They represented Canterbury College admirably, demonstrating mature behaviour and genuine curiosity throughout the day. We look forward to building on this valuable experience in future History classes.

It’s been a busy and exciting term for our Year 1 students, filled with hands-on activities and engaging learning experiences!

In Science and HASS, students have been exploring the differences between natural, managed, and constructed features in our environment. A highlight has been our exploration of K’gari (Fraser Island), where students discovered its unique landscapes and wildlife. Tying in with this, students created impressive dingo artworks, using their understanding of environments to reflect where and how dingoes live.

In Design Technologies, students have been learning various paper folding and sticking techniques to prepare for an exciting upcoming project—creating their very own animal habitat dioramas! These skills have been practised through model making and imaginative planning as students begin designing their habitats.

We have been reading books about Australian animals and exploring their unique features and habitats. Alongside our reading, we’ve been practicing our writing skills by responding to images, using them as inspiration to describe, imagine, and tell stories about the animals we’ve learned about.

Finally, through their Mathematics unit, Year 1 has been exploring number partitioning and building confidence with addition and subtraction. Through games, hands-on materials, and collaborative problem-solving, students have been developing a strong understanding of number relationships.

Written by the Year 1 Team

Hannah Fergus

Sarah Slade

Sarah Crown

Amy Pettit

Year 11 & 12 Sport and Recreation Camp

The Canterbury College Year 12 Sport and Recreation class has been busy at the Taipans Pool and Broadbeach Surf Lifesaving Club recently completing their Surf Lifesaving Certificates, Bronze Medallions and supporting the community with lifeguarding shifts. This has culminated in the recent Sport and Recreation Camp at the Broadbeach Surf lifesaving club where students spent three days and two nights studying, completing rescues, simulating various scenarios for dangerous or life-threatening beach emergencies and also working towards competencies in both their SLSQ qualifications or the Sport and Recreation Assessment.

Students use the camp to sign off on key competency for the Bronze Medallion or Surf Lifesaving Certificate in addition to receiving their first aid and advanced resuscitation certificates.  The camp also forms part of the Senior Applied syllabus assessment requirements where students filmed and evaluated various rescue scenarios which will be submitted in the coming weeks.

The camp also provided opportunities for students to meal plan, cook and fuel themselves for the camp, plan social activities and even ditch devices for a sit down meal! To the students credit, their conduct, commitment and enthusiasm never wavered in the face of fatigue and they held themselves with the highest of esteem across the three days.

Our upmost thanks goes to those volunteers at the Broadbeach Surf Lifesaving Club who gave up their time to mentor our young people across lifeguarding shifts in the leadup and also on the camp itself. To Josh and Nathan from Surf Lifesaving Queensland our thanks for the commitment and support shown by the organisation and for investing in our students. Lastly a massive thank you to Mr Andrew Porter and Mrs Teagan Sutton who led our students on the camp, your time and energy is much appreciated!

For the remainder of the year our Sport and Recreation students will continue to explore key concepts through their final unit of study – Community Recreation. If the Sport and Recreation subject looks or sounds like something you may wish to explore please feel free to seek out Mr Bowden or Mr Porter to consider your subject selections for 2026 and beyond!

Written by the Head of Faculty – Health Science

Michael Bowden

More info: MyCC News | Website News

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