Teaching and Learning Report – August 11, 2016

2016 Semester One Chris Nolan and VCE Headmaster’s Excellence Awards assembly

The Chris Nolan and VCE Headmaster’s Excellence Awards assembly has become one of the College’s most important academic celebrations. This is the ninth year that boys attaining academic excellence have been recognised with a Chris Nolan Award.- We were fortunate to again be able to welcome Chris, his mother, Mary, Chris’ career, Chris’ carers, and Mr Craig Sharp, Chris’ school-mate and friend since Year 7 at St Patrick’s College.

The assembly provided us the opportunity to recognise and celebrate the academic achievements of over 200Years 7-12 boys whose level of achievement in all 2016 Semester One assessment tasks has resulted in them being in the top 15% of their Year Level, making them eligible to receive a Chris Nolan Award. We also recognised the highest rank 2016 VCE Unit 3 students with a VCE Unit 3 Headmaster’s Excellence Award for each VCE Units 3/4 subject offered at St Patrick’s.- –

It is important to consider what each boy who received a Chris Nolan Award did to achieve this recognition. Take one of our Year 8 recipients as an example. The typical Year 8 student received a percentage result for some 45 assessment tasks completed in 11 different subjects in Semester One. The highest average result for a Year 8 boy was 92%. Remember, the boy who attained this result did so by completing over 45 assessment tasks to a very high standard in all areas of the curriculum -“ English, RE, Maths Science, Humanities, Language, PE and so on.

This is typical of what each boy who was acknowledged has achieved -“ a consistently very high level of academic achievement across a broad range of subjects. If you are wondering what average percentage result it took to get a Semester One Chris Nolan Award, the following lists the minimum result for each year level:

• • 84% in Year 7
  •  

    84% in Year 8

  •  

    83% in Year 9

  • 81% in Year 10
  •  

    79 % in Year 11and;

  • 83 % in Year 12

     

    –

     

    The highest average result for each year was:

     

 

• • 92% in Year 7

     

 

• • 92% in Year 8

     

 

• • 97% in Year 9

     

 

• • 93% in Year 10

     

 

• • 92% in Year 11and;

     

 

• • 96% in Year 12

     

    Each year, we have a significant number of new students, parents and staff and so it is important to explain exactly what the Chris Nolan Awards are and what they represent.

     

    Chris graduated from St Patrick’s College in 1985 as College Captain. As a student at the College, Chris regularly achieved strong academic results and in his final year he was awarded:

     

    – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – the Headmaster’s Award for Leadership

     

    – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – the History Prize

     

    – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – the Sir Hugh Devine Prize for Impromptu Speech

     

    – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – a W.T. Doyle Prize for Debating and;

     

    – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – the 1st XI Cricket Bowling Award

     

    Chris demonstrated his intelligence and ingenuity shortly after leaving St Patrick’s in his role as one of the co-founders of the now highly acclaimed Meredith Music Festival. He completed his Law Degree at Monash University and went on to practice law in Vietnam. In 1996, after several years in Vietnam, Chris acquired severe brain injuries from a viral infection leading to total organ failure.

     

    Chris is profoundly disabled physically and is very limited in his communication. With the ongoing support of his family, carers and friends, Chris has continued to fight against these disabilities.

     

    Chris and his family, and in particular, Chris’ mother, Mary, are actively involved in developing awareness and support for young people with acquired brain injuries. Mary’s long-term work in this area was duly recognised in 2011 with membership in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM). Chris continues to be highly respected by his classmates and teachers for his commitment and enthusiasm to all aspects of College life. During his time at St Patrick’s, Chris clearly exemplified the pursuit of excellence across a range of our important educational programs and activities.

     

    – Following is the list of the 2016 Semester One Years 7 to 12 Chris Nolan Award winners.

     

    Year 7:

     

 

 

 

Joshua	Ballinger
Luke	Batchelor
Taylor	Bell
Kyall	Busscher
Patrick	Clarke-Thomas
Ben	Collier
Thomas	Collins
Connor	Gaffney
Lewis	Grigg
Alex	Guevara
James	Harrington
Jacob	Huber
Vidath	Jayasooriya
Tobey	Jeffrey
Declan	Kelly
Riley	Kenny
Daniel	Lalor
Jack	Lawler
Jackson	Leech
Connor	Madigan
Jy	McGrath
Tom	McKinnis
Billy	Menhennet
Ben	Nash
Hugh	Ollerenshaw
Jake	Pennisi
Alexander	Pituch
Harry	Sharp
Jack	Sheehan
Jeremy	Spedding
Harry	Taylor
Sam	Tilley
Kade	Towk
Paddy	Tuddenham
Darcy	Williams

 

–

 

Year 8:

 

 

Jack	Atkinson
Tom	Barry
Anakin	Bawden
Chad	Cartledge
Jack	Clinton
Darcy	Cosgriff
Elijah	Cross
Nathan	Delvescovo
Will	Frawley
Joe	Freeman
Marshall	Gladman
Joel	Harbour
Patrick	Heagney
Hamish	Irvin
Nigel	Koot
Finn	Lappin
Jordan	Lauton
Anthony	Lloyd
Darcy	Macklin
Jack	Martin
James	McCahon
Oliver	McCrabb
Kynan	McPherson
Charlie	Molan
Max	Olver
Owen	Pearse
Jamie	Quick
Siddharth	Rajesh
Aidan	Rieniets
Henry	Ross
Will	Rothe
Mitchell	Scobie
Kyle	Smith
Ben	Stevens
Connor	Trainor
Josiah	Tudball
Liam	Tuohey
Liam	Van der Voort
Max	Waller
Matt	Wilken
Harry	Wills

 

Year 9:

 

 

Sidd	Anand Gayathiri
Jack	Anderson
Sean	Antrobus
Lachlan	Atkinson
Joel	Azzopardi
Harry	Biggs
Kyle	Borg
Hamish	Britt
Jack	Cameron
Michael	Cappello
Matthew	Catterson
Jeremy	Chivers
Jett	Currie
Matthew	Duffy
Hugo	Ferguson
Cooper	Gillett
Broden	Haintz
Aidan	Hanrahan
Hayden	Irvin
Luke	Matthews
Mitchell	McKee
Michael	Mennen
Tom	Miller-Schmetzer
Seamus	Murphy-McKay
Jacob	Pawlowicz
Jobe	Quick
Caleb	Reilly
Mark	Ritchie
Brayden	Sands
Callum	Shaw
Aiden	Stuchbery
Marcus	Tilley
Hugh	Valpied
Damian	VanGaans
Bill	Walker
Enrico	Yu

 

Year 10:

 

 

Jayden	Ashmore
Kyle	Brown
Jakob	Busscher
Matt	Butler
Duncan	Cadman
Jon	Carter
Tom	Clark
Lachlan	DeVries
Josh	Findlay
Mitch	Findlay
Joel	Fitzgerald
Mitchell	Furlong
Declan	Gannon
Nick	Gaylor
Oscar	Grigg