Whodunnit?

Whodunnit?

by | Jun 7, 2024 | Media, NEWS, Senior School, Year 11

Did Sister Margaret Woodruff murder Jack Cummings?

By Tonia Gloudemans, Deputy Principal – Operations and Strategy

Year 11 Legal Studies students from The Cathedral School, with the assistance of students from St. Margaret Mary’s College, will convene a Moot Court trial in The Cathedral School’s Lecture Theatre to determine if the accused, Sister Margaret Woodruff, is innocent or guilty of the murder of Jack Cummings.

A Moot Court provides a valuable opportunity for students to develop their legal analytical skills and allows students to practise law in a ‘real’ environment. Students and staff across the school will be invited to watch the proceedings, just as the general public can do in a real courtroom, and learn more about the practice of law and the criminal justice system.

The case involves the accused, Sister Margaret Woodruff, being tried for the unlawful killing of Jack Cummings, a member of the Comancheros bikie gang, outside the Sealink Terminal car park in November 2023.

Mr Greg Cudmore, retired teacher, author, and former Director of Activities at Ormiston College, will preside over the court proceedings. Students from St. Margaret Mary’s College will comprise the jury and will decide the verdict based on the evidence presented to them in the Moot Court. Year 11 Legal Studies students from The Cathedral School will comprise the Prosecution and the Defence teams, as well as the witnesses, who will be called upon to give evidence as to the facts of the case.

As a result of this combination of variables, a Moot Court is more than a display of verbal skills. It is an intellectual exercise that requires research, advocacy, and teamwork. The contest is governed by the rules of evidence and procedure, where witnesses are the ammunition. The role of each legal team is to convince and persuade an unbiased jury that a combination of legal principles and facts gives rise to a conclusion that favours their client or the Crown.

Will the jury decide that the death of Cummings was a tragic accident that would never have happened if the Comancheros had not misbehaved, or that Sister Margaret took it upon herself to get revenge and make a stand against lawlessness on the streets?

All will be revealed on Wednesday 19 June when the court is in session. Stay tuned…

ANZAC Day 2024

ANZAC Day 2024

by | Apr 29, 2024 | Boarding, Junior School, Middle School, NEWS, Senior School, Service

Cathedral Boarding students and staff at the ANZAC Day Dawn Service, ANZAC Park, The Strand.

There Was a Year Once

By Anneliese Stillwell – Year 8

There was a year once,  
And is a year still, 
When the sun’s light ceased to shine, 
And left a place that nothing could a-fill.  

There was a year once, 
And is a year still, 
When the hearts of mothers and daughters a-wept, 
For places a-lost that could never be filled.  

Many a hero fell unpraised, 
Many a father would never be raised.  
Many a champion would go enclaved, 
Silenced once and forever by a poppy-red grave.  

The world bled that year, 
It bled and bleads still.  
Weather it was open wounds on battle fields, 
Or hearts that didn’t cease to spill.  

Many a brave soul was called home, 
Many a soldier left their body of bones.  
For fathers, sons, husbands and friends, 
The world would cry out, and cry it does still.  

There was a year once, 
And is a year still, 
When the hearts of mothers and daughters a-wept, 
For places a-lost that could never be filled. 

Many a hero fell unpraised, 
Many a father would never be raised.  
Many a champion would go enclaved, 
Silenced once and forever by a poppy-red grave. 

In the morning, they rose a-ready, 
Many a sleepless night they marched on a-weary. 
With endurance they fought on, 
And in courage they faced the fields they would fall upon.  

From the playing of the bugle,  
To the fall of restless heads upon pillows, 
Our brave men fought on and on, 
Even in the midst of the gathering billows.  

The hearts of their loved ones raged another battle.  
 One of doubt, and pain, and – oh- endless heartbreak.  
Theirs was a battle that made many a steady breath a-rattle, 
Caught on emotions of which suppression was the not the only sprattle.  

There was a year once, 
And is a year still, 
When the hearts of mothers and daughters a-wept, 
For places a-lost that could never be filled. 

Many a hero fell unpraised, 
Many a father would never be raised.  
Many a champion would go enclaved, 
Silenced once and forever by a poppy-red grave. 

And so now, on this day, almost a century a-since, 
We will pause, we will recall, we will honour many-a prince 
For they didn’t need a title, nor royal descent, 
To be the greatest men and soldiers that this world will ever a-let.

–

 

Science & Engineering Challenge 2024

Science & Engineering Challenge 2024

by | Apr 24, 2024 | Middle School, NEWS, Senior School, STEM

By Maddi McLean & Miles Lyster (Year 10).

Photos: JCU Townsville

32 students from both Year 9 and 10 participated in the Science & Engineering Challenge on Wednesday in the first week of school, term two.

The students were split into groups of four to take on a series of challenges throughout the day.  These included building earthquake-resistant towers, building planes, powering a city and more.  However, the climax of the day is undoubtedly the results of the bridge-building competition. While most groups take on two different challenges, one group from each school spends their day building a bridge to carry a weighted cart across it.

After watching with bated breath, our bridge group which consisted of Year 10 students Maddi, Sam, Alyssa, and Chelsea tied for first, securing our landslide win at the competition, and beating the next school by 200 points. Due to the nationals being held in Townsville, our school has been able to skip the states and advance straight to the national finals in October.  Hopefully we manage to place highly there, too.

Photos: JCU Townsville

To find out more about the Science & Engineering Challenge visit JCU Townsville or via Facebook

UN Youth Forum

UN Youth Forum

by | Mar 11, 2024 | NEWS, Senior School, Year 12

By Maddi McLean – Year 10.

On 2-3 March, 14 Cathedral students from Years 10-12 (Jack Roseby, Alex Pastega, Kayden Crome, William West, Maddi McLean, Grace Burrows, Summer Mason, Lily Johnston, Bjorn Hyseni, Do Young Park, Annabel Goddard, Abbygail Vets, Spycer Morse, Tami Mana) participated in the UN Youth Forum Townsville Conference entitled Navigating Diplomacy: Power and Influence.

On Saturday we took part in two workshops, the first around the concept of diplomacy and whether it is advantageous. The second workshop then focused on power and the military.
We then took part in an IPS (interactive problem-solving) task, with the background being the Cuban missiles. We were divided into three groups representing, Cuba, the USA and Russia, and we had to maintain our objective and choose actions to achieve success against the other countries. After this, we did our first model UN debate on military exercises.

Sunday was filled with heated model resolutions such as near-space technology and democracy versus artificial intelligence. Two of our students, Alec Pastega and Jack Roseby, won the Evatt Competition, successfully representing their allocated country in a mock UN Security Council diplomacy exercise. They have been selected to participate in the State Final in August. Congratulations, Alec and Jack.
We finished the day with an opportunity to voice our opinions on what we believe is good about Australia and what could be improved. These ideas will be taken to the UN General Assembly. Overall, the weekend was filled with challenges and lots of problem solving.

Alec Pastega and Jack Roseby, winners of the Evatt Competition, will participate in the State Final in August.

Sunday was filled with heated model resolutions such as near-space technology and democracy versus artificial intelligence. Two of our students, Alec Pastega and Jack Roseby, won the Evatt Competition, successfully representing their allocated country in a mock UN Security Council diplomacy exercise. They have been selected to participate in the State Final in August. Congratulations, Alec and Jack.
We finished the day with an opportunity to voice our opinions on what we believe is good about Australia and what could be improved. These ideas will be taken to the UN General Assembly. Overall, the weekend was filled with challenges and lots of problem solving.

To find out more about the UN Youth State Conference (QLD) visit unyouth.org.au

Year 12 Biology Camp 2024 – Orpheus Island

Year 12 Biology Camp 2024 – Orpheus Island

by | Feb 27, 2024 | NEWS, School Camp, Senior School, Year 12

The annual Year 12 Biology Camp is one of the highlights of the senior school curriculum. The students spend four days based at the JCU Orpheus Island Research Station – a World-Class Research and Teaching facility on the Great Barrier Reef.

‘On Thursday the 15th of February, the Year 12 Biology students travelled to Orpheus Island where they spent their days snorkelling and using transects and quadrats to collect data in a Fringing Coral Reef Flat Ecosystem. We connected with Professor Morgan Pratchett, a conservation ecologist based at James Cook University, Australia. The knowledge and skills that students acquired while working with Professor Morgan was fantastic.’
Rebecca Smith – Head of Science Department.

Video by Iona Anderson.

Senior School Presentation Night 2023

Senior School Presentation Night 2023

by | Dec 7, 2023 | NEWS, Senior School

The Year 10, 11, and 12 students and families gathered at the Rock Centre on November 16 for the Senior School Presentation evening, including special guests, Bishop Keith Joseph, and Mr. Daniel Christie, Chairman of The Cathedral School Board.
Photography by Jo Duncan, Matt Scully.