I was very pleased to hear from Dr McMahon this week, that the School has eighteen students registering for their Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme (DEAS) certification in either the bridging certificate, or Bronze, Silver and Gold certification. Year 12 Graduate 2018, Molly Rava, was the School’s first Gold DEAS award recipient, presented by the Governor of Queensland, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey, Brisbane City Hall in November, a thrilling moment for her and her parents. With eighteen students registering for this outstanding program of community service, specialist skill activities, and Adventurous Journey, this internationally acclaimed Award brings important and life changing benefits for individual students. Some of those benefits, are the high quality of people that you meet in the programme, including people who lead society and whom you will come to know. Additionally, I was really thrilled with the way the School took on the fund raising appeal for the north Queensland flood relief appeal, conducted by the St Vincent de Paul Society. It is so good for the younger and older children to be thinking of other people, rather than being mired in their own issues, that are insignificant when compared to coping with the devastation from the flooding. I thank particularly Mrs Sneesby in Junior School, and Mrs Tralau, and Yr 12 students Emily Lawler and Marissa Rudd, for their leadership of this community appeal. It is also particularly pleasing to note that the School has senior Volleyball teams training and playing. On Mondays the school has two teams in the Night Netball competition Junior Team (Years 7 and 8 – twelve players) and Intermediate Team (Years 9 and 10 – nine players).  Thank you to Mrs Hiley for helping out and coaching the Intermediate Team. There are many students signed on for individual piano tuition, with either Ms Fung, or Ms Jahnke. There is really great news with the following students having been selected to represent the School at Regional Trials (they have been selected in SCISSA teams) Under 16 Football – Jessie Smith and Hugh WilliamsYr 10 (Trial day at Maroochydore); 15 Years Swimming – Briana Keegan Yr 10 Trial Day at Redcliffe Aquatic Centre; and 16 Years Swimming – Cade Stowers Yr 10 Trial Day at Redcliffe Aquatic Centre. I congratulate Georgia Nicholson (Yr 6) for her wonderful performance at Junior School Assembly last week. Georgia sang Abba’s “Mama Mia” whilst accompanying herself on piano, and she thrilled the audience with her musical skill In singing we also congratulate sisters, Annabelle and Emma Phillips, in Yrs 5 and 7. They respectively achieved Honours in Preliminary; and First Class Honours in Grade One singing. Dr Dirk Wellham – Principal