Students have the wonderful opportunity to join a two-week History tour of Germany and Italy in January of 2021, directly supporting the study of both Modern and Ancient History. 
More details will be provided in Week 1 next term but please have conversations with your sons about attending. Students in Years 9 to 11 are welcome to attend.

Medieval History Incursion

Years 7 and 8 students were recently sent back in time to the Middle Ages, the age of chivalry and heroism, with the visit of Medieval reenactors from Nova Hollandia. 

Students had the opportunity to learn about the different weapons and armour used in battle and how they changed and improved over time in response to developing technologies. We even had some boys dress up in full chainmail and plate armour!

Following this, the boys tried their hand at archery, learning the correct technique to nock and loose the arrows and considering the skill required by English longbowmen to use their incredible longbows in famous battles like Agincourt. 

Lastly, (and most importantly for many of the boys) we had the weaponry workshop. Students were given rubber swords and shields, split into teams and sent into war. Over a series of rounds individuals and teams fought through the chaos and disorder of warfare to see who would claim victory, although, in the end no one could best the incredible presenter with his long axe. 

Well done to all students and teachers involved. It was a wonderful opportunity to conduct some hands-on learning that supported and extended the topics studied in Year 8, while also building a passion and love for History in all involved.

Mark Anderson, Head of History

The intermediate Latin class, which is doing a special study of the Roman Army, turned its attention to Roman forts and fortresses. 
The Romans were great fort-builders. They could build them on the march if they were in enemy territory or they could build them to be permanent. The forts built on the march were built by the legionaries themselves.
As part of this study, the class was divided into Legions and had to construct a Roman fort. Each legion used a copy of the Usborne Books cut-out models series, Make this Roman Fort.

An aspect of Roman fort building which aided their fast construction was their shape and layout. This we experienced ourselves as the cut-out models were all the same. The base is a rectangle with rounded corners, like a playing card.  
The best thing about the construction was familiarising ourselves with the different buildings within the fort: the principia (the headquarters), praetorium (the commander’s house), sacellum (or chapel) and barracks. 

Competing in teams (Legions) to build the best fort in class, the Legion Fulminata won because we had good technical skills, thanks particularly to James Brown, and we worked consistently as a team… or as a Legion. It took us time but not even Rome was built in a day.  

 

 - Noah Wiemer (Year 8)

The evening celebrations of  25 October 2019 for the community of Colegio Monte VI (parents past and present, old boys and their families, teachers and workers of every kind, including a dear old lady in a wheelchair who had been a cleaner at the school for 20 years) began with Holy Mass in the school chapel concelebrated by the Vicar of Opus Dei in Uruguay and four ex-student priests.Two of these, Father Carlos and Ignacio Varela, are cur-rent chaplains of the school and are two of the eight children of the second Headmaster Juan Alberto Varela and his wife Elaisa.

At the end of Holy Mass, a canvas print of The Virgin and Jesus was blessed by the Vicar of Opus Dei Mgr Gonzalo. This was a gift to Monte VI from Red-field College to celebrate their 40th anniversary. This canvas is now in the chapel replacing a small, dark picture of Our Lady which is over 100 years old. The new canvas will be an inspiration to the boys when they turn to sing to Our Lady “Maria De Nazaret” at the end of daily Mass.

After Holy Mass, the festivities began. The Brass Ensemble played three pieces and then accompanied the Violin Ensemble of 70 primary students perform-ing Land of Hope and Glory to begin a wonderful evening. The third and current Principal, Mr Pablo Carriquiry, said it was a dream come true for himself and the Deputy, Mr Juan Rachetti. Since Pablo came to Redfield in 2004, he had dreamed of a band for Monte VI.The dream began to take shape in 2017 when Mr Paul Quinn and Mr Marcelo Machado (accompanied by Angela Quinn as teacher's aide and amateur translator) took eight Uruguayans and eight Aussie boys back to Uruguay, each carrying brass or woodwind instrument through all four customs and immigration checks along the way. The next two exchange groups did likewise to the tune of 38 band instruments donated by Mr Quinn and supported by Dural Music to Monte VI which are impossible to purchase in Uruguay.

In 2018, Mr Quinn auditioned the Year 5 boys at Monte VI and got them started. During that year, two local music teachers worked weekly with the twenty two boys on basic rudiments and the boys were beginning to lose any interest they had when Mr Quinn returned to work a little magic. In four weeks, the boys learned three new band pieces. Music could be heard coming from the courtyard, lunch room and classrooms at any time of the school day. Mr Quinn encouraged every parent to sit with their son while they practised for ten minutes every day and eventually the whole Year 6 class learned to play, in the midst of also sitting for their final Cambridge Primary Exams in Science and Maths (in English) and English as a first (not second) language in grammar and literature.

It was a truly memorable occasion. Now that the Monte VI Band boys and their regular conductor have grown in confidence and proven their abilities to themselves and the school community, they will hopefully continue and grow.

 - Angela Quinn

On Monday, during assembly, three Year 6 boys addressed the Primary school. Their topic was the annual Christmas Hamper Appeal that is run for St Vincent De Paul. Chris, Jordan and Joseph’s message was simple: a little bit of help can go a long way and means a lot to families or individuals who need some support. 

In class, Year 6 students discussed what they would like to receive in a Christmas hamper and what it would be like to be on the receiving end of this type of assistance. Ideally, the items donated would be Christmas dinner-type foods or other personal items. It is also important that they are non-perishable. 

Please give generously. 

- Joseph Assaf, Christopher Gebrayel and Jordan Hatcher (6M)

Thank you to everyone who made Carols on the Green 2019 a wonderful success!

On Wednesday, 28 August, Year 9 set out by bus to Somersby on an adventure; the Year 9 Camp. At a truck stop, our guides from the Outdoor Education Group (OEG) gave us all hiking backpacks which we packed carefully for what we knew would be a hard three days. From Wednesday to Friday, we walked approximately 40 kilometres in the Brisbane Water National Park. The camp was a hard walk for everybody but we all felt accomplished when we saw Patonga Beach at the end of our trek, even though the beach was cloudy and windswept.

On the first day, we enjoyed good, even warm, weather as we started to walk to our first campsite. We negotiated a track down and then out of a steep valley, regarded in the bushwalking world as a Grade 5 track. A Grade 5 track has some parts with a 1:10 gradient. After a long day of walking, we finally found our campsite which was a sight for sore eyes. 

On Thursday, after a walk of approximately 12 kilometres including another two Grade 5 descents and ascents in and out of valleys, just as we reached our campsites for the night, the rain started to pour down. It did not stop all that night and the next day, even when we were huddled in a “beach” shelter at Patonga at the end of the trek. The rain made a difficult camp harder. At one stage, we crossed a swollen creek in which water came up to our knees. It gave a new meaning to the “Brisbane Water National Park”. When we finally unloaded the packs at Patonga, however, everyone felt a great sense of accomplishment and relief. 

The ride back to Redfield was filled with good vibes and laughter. Year 9 had completed a difficult 40-kilometre bushwalk carrying our tents, sleeping gear and food supplies in some of the worst weather for hiking. Mr Foxe said we had all handled it “remarkably well”.

I would like to thank OEG for supplying hiking gear and our guides, along with Mr Fitzgerald and Mr Foxe, for coming along with us. The camp was very hard but very rewarding for everyone who went. 

- Damien Doowage, Year 9 

“Reading is my Secret Power” is the theme for Book Week 2019 and, if you think about it, reading does indeed give us secret powers: the power to walk in the shoes of others through their stories, the power to escape into other worlds, the power to improve vocabulary and imagination… the list goes on. 

Book Week is also the time of year when the College’s students transform into authors, illustrators and poets. Dante Musico invited us to travel back in time to the very retro 80’s, while Jordan Hatcher took us on a very interesting adventure, trying to help Mr Trump find his wig and Mark D’Mello beautifully explained why reading is so powerful. The creative flair of Redfield’s Primary poets, authors and illustrators was clearly seen again in 2019 and the entire staff was blown away by the high quality of the student works. For those parents who could not make it, there is a small selection of the works available to view in our online gallery.

All the Primary students had the opportunity to meet Anna Fienberg, the author of Tashi and a very energetic Tim Harris, the author of Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables. The boys were all very excited and it has shown with the number of books that have been borrowed.

The week ended in typical fashion with our Character Costume Parade, where our Years 2 and 3 boys were transformed into their favourite book characters. Even the horrible weather could not stop the fantastic fun all had. 

Final congratulations go to all the students for a fantastic week and thanks go to all the parents who helped and supported their sons. 

- Carlos Del Rosario, College Library Assistant

“Dad! Dad! We need to get to school before there is a massive line!” This was almost every Primary Redfield boy’s first words to their dads on Thursday morning. Redfield had organised a Father’s Day Barbecue for before school and dads could have a nice, quick breakfast with their sons and head off to work. 

The line for the barbecue started short early in the morning but managed to go from Reddie’s Cafe all the way to the road! A lot of the teachers were there so early to help out. Mr Hatcher, Mr Mejia, Mr Romeo, Mr Roberts and Mr Sarks all worked on the barbecue. Mrs Whitehurst was taking the money and giving people their pastries.

All the dads were astonished as they ate the glorious bacon and egg rolls, brioche buns, juicy, runny eggs, warm cappuccinos and hot chocolates. The Father’s Day Barbecue was the best! And really cheap too! All the dads were chatting together with their sons. Once the fathers left for work, the sons headed off to their first period and talked about how great the food was.

After a big bacon and egg burger, one or two danishes, tea, no matter what, all the kids and their fathers were really full. They couldn’t help but feel so warm and fuzzy on a cold winter’s morning. Nobody could beat this feeling. It definitely wasn’t like every other Thursday of the year.

- Aarian, Enea, Lachlan and Yuvidhu, Year 3 Students

Many of the boys were unsure of how they felt about their work. How-ever, the beauty of collaborative work lies in the fact that the final piece is always better when everyone contributes. The artwork looks fantastic and I cannot wait to display it in the Primary hallway!