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Year 5 Team of All Saints Primary School Wins STEM MAD Award

Photo credit: All Saints Primary School - Albany Creek / Facebook

The Year 5 Team of All Saints Primary School – Albany Creek bagged the “Best Engineered Product” Award at the STEM MAD Showcase.

More than 50 student teams from Catholic schools across Australia have participated in the STEM Making a Difference (MAD) National Showcase which was hosted in Melbourne last 16 November 2021. The initiative aims to encourage students to make a difference using their STEM learning and find innovative solutions to real-world problems.

Year 3 to 12 students presented their projects along with a video pitch of their work explaining how their idea could positively impact the community. The students competed in four categories: Primary, Secondary, Future is STEAM and Executive Director Award.

All Saints Primary School – Albany Creek team, composed of Year 5 students, took home the Primary School Award for their The Multi-Bin project. Their prototype is a motorised trash bin comprising three compartments that allows it to segregate plastics for recycling.

Their mentor and STEM teacher Sarah Campbell said that the students learned about the concerning amount of waste materials like e-waste and soft plastics that are not being recycled and were concerned about their environmental impact. They thought of finding a way to help people recycle this rubbish in an easy and convenient way, right from their homes.

Photo credit: All Saints Primary School – Albany Creek / Facebook

“The girls built the prototype entirely from Lego, with robotic mechanisms inside that allows you to select the type of rubbish for categorisation and correct placement as you insert it,” she said.

Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) Deputy Executive Director Dr Doug Ashleigh said that BCE is extremely proud of the five STEM teams who represented Brisbane at the national showcase and won several recognitions.

“…the empathy shown by the students towards societal and environmental issues and the people affected or potentially affected was heart-warming,” Dr Ashleigh said.

Dr Ashleigh added that initiatives like STEM MAD gives students “perspective and a deeper meaning into what they’re learning, why and how they might apply this in the real-world.”

He said that to truly engage students is to have them look deeply into some of the social issues that the country is facing and use their design thinking process to develop creative solutions to these issues. Then consult with real-world specialists to help investigate the viability of their solutions.

Photo credit: Brisbane Catholic Education / Facebook

Other Brisbane STEM Teams that took home recognitions were:

St Vincent’s Primary School, Clear Island Waters with their Vision Buddy project: Best Assistive Device Award Primary Winner and STEM MAD National Award – The Future is STEM Primary National Winner
St Eugene College, Burpengary with BeachMate: Communications Award Secondary Winner, Best Integration of Technology Secondary Finalist, and STEM MAD National Award – Secondary National Winner
St Teresa’s Catholic College, Noosaville, with Check-in App: Catholic Ethos Finalist and Wellbeing Award Secondary Winner

Truant Turned Teacher: How Unconditional Love Saved This Bald Hills Youth

Corey Gieskens, a self-confessed ‘frustrated naughty kid,’ was kicked out of home when he was just 12 years old. With the help of youth workers from the Carinity Orana shelter for homeless youth in Bald Hills, Corey turned his life around and became a teacher at the very school where he was once a disengaged truant.

Read: Brendale Company Aims To Reboot Local Vehicle Manufacturing Industry

It all started when Corey wagged school for a few weeks straight, thinking he would get his father’s attention by doing so. To his surprise, his father, who was disappointed about what he did, packed his things and took him to the local police station.

“He told a policeman he would drive the car until the petrol tank was half empty and that’s where he was going to leave me, unless the police found somewhere for me to stay,” he said.

That’s when he ended up moving into Carinity Orana, a house at Bald Hills in North Brisbane which is celebrating 40 years of supporting homeless youth and those at risk of homelessness. Corey spent just over a year living there.

Corey recalled that it was a bit scary at first, because a lot of the other kids that were there were a lot more hardened and older. However, it helped that the youth workers there were very encouraging that he attended his school the whole time he’s there.

“I was very happy there as I was getting the attention that I was craving. I felt loved and I felt really supported there. Up until then I hadn’t felt that in my life. That unconditional love was very foreign to me,” Corey said.

Carinity Orana indeed helped Corey have a more positive future and helped him start a relationship with God. He worshipped at the former Lawnton Baptist Church, which helped established Carinity Orana as Pine Rivers Youth Service’s ‘Hassall House’ in 1981, and ended up moving in with people from a local church.

Later on, Corey became a teacher at Pine Rivers State High School where he was once a ‘troublesome disengaged truant.’ Some of the staff who taught him were still there and Corey quipped that some of them were surprised he did not end up in prison.

Besides being a school teacher, Corey has been very active helping young people outside of school and I’ve helped many, many homeless kids through youth groups.

“Often someone who’s estranged from their parents and homeless has been rejected, so I think it’s very important for young people to know that God hasn’t rejected them,” he said.

About Carinity Orana

Carinity Orana can cater for up to five residents aged 16 to 21 years at any one time, offering a maximum stay of six months. Orana operates like a family home and youth workers provide emotional and practical support to assist young people to access education, training, employment, counselling services, recreational activities, new social networks and permanent accommodation.

Brendale Company Aims To Reboot Local Vehicle Manufacturing Industry

Photo credit: SCD Remanufactured Vehicles

A Brendale-based company is thriving by converting US cars for locals who prefer bigger rigs. Through their ‘leaner and more adaptive’ approach, they aim to rebuild Australia’s defunct national car manufacturing sector.

Read: Construction Now Underway At Albany Creek Intersections

SCD Remanufactured Vehicles, founded by Steven Davison and Eddie Kocwa, is the first and only company to obtain full-volume manufacturer approval from the Australian Government for the new Ram 1500 DT and Ram 2500/3500 DJ. This means they can convert and sell as many of these vehicles in Australia as they want.

From a small, two-man import operation, the company has grown to a 100+ team of highly qualified experts ranging from engineers to accountants. The duo’s factory in Brendale now boasts its own upholstery department and paint shop.

Mr Davison and Mr Kocwa have also established their own dealership network where they would sell powerful pickups to tradies and grey nomads through luxury caravans.

Car manufacturing in Australia came to an end in 2017. Holden, the country’s last manufacturing plant which operated for more than 100 years, shut its doors and left around 2,500 people without a job.

Beyond reviving the local vehicle manufacturing industry, SCD is looking forward to creating new jobs for Australians. According to the company’s about page, each vehicle generates 200 hours of Aussie labour.

Mr Kocwa believes the government needs to support Australian manufacturing, especially now that people are starting to turn back to local products. At their business, they either make the products themselves or obtain them from local suppliers.

He also revealed the company’s expansion plans, which involve making electric pickups in a partnership with an international company.

With plans to produce 30 cars per week or 1,500 cars per year, it’s not impossible that this Brendale-based company, from its humble beginnings, would soon see its goal turning into reality.

Construction Now Underway At Albany Creek Intersections

Old Northern Road, Albany Creek (Photo credit: Google Street View)

Construction is now underway to improve safety at three Albany Creek intersections located on Albany Forest Drive, Folkstone Avenue, and Janice Street.

Read: Albany Creek Intersection Among Most Dangerous in the Region

Aside from improving safety at these intersections, the improvements could increase capacity, and traffic flow in the area. It can also reduce peak-hour congestion and interchange queuing, the Department of Transport and Main Roads announced.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the upgrades would reduce the risk of crashes, particularly for drivers turning right from Old Northern Road into Albany Forest Drive.

To provide for additional vehicles queuing to turn into Albany Forest Drive, the southbound right-turn lane past Folkstone Avenue will be extended. Existing traffic signals will also be modified, by adding green arrows to regulate right-turns.

Meanwhile, there will be new traffic signals, signalised pedestrian crossing, and extended northbound right-turn lane on Janice St to cater for additional vehicles queuing to turn.

The new traffic signals at the Janice St intersection will provide a safe U-turn to Folkstone Avenue and reduce the risk of accidents by controlling right turns.

“These changes will reduce the risk for motorists trying to judge safe gaps in traffic on Old Northern Road to access these side streets,” Mr Bailey said. He added that traffic lights will be programmed to better manage peak traffic periods in the area.

These local safety upgrades are part of the State Government’s $2.75 billion investment in roads and transport projects helping to support Queensland’s Covid-19 economic recovery.

Works are expected to be completed by early 2022, weather and construction conditions permitting. Transport and Main Roads will provide updates to the community before major works start and assured to minimise disruptions as much as possible.

Albany Creek Property Growth Driven By Investors Looking For Affordability and Space

Young interstate families are finding their dream homes in Albany Creek, charging up another property boom in this south Moreton Bay area. Due to its affordability and space, the former “retirement” suburb has been attracting professionals who were once tied to work in the inner-cities but now see the benefits of acreage properties.

House Price Growth

Property growth in Albany Creek between July 2020 to June 2021 continued its stable upward trend by 10.35 per cent, putting the house median price at $685,000, per data from Property Market Updates.

Buyer activity was definitely competitive and energetic in the 12-month period with 258 houses sold within an astonishing 24 days on the market. Most of the houses sold were four-bedroom homes but the fastest sales to close in less than 10 to 18 days of negotiations, have been three-bedroom properties.

A six-bedroom private haven on Havenwood Court, which has its own secured oasis surrounded by bushlands, sold at the highest price for the period. With a breezy indoor to outdoor layout, this house has a large family lounge that offers ample space for entertaining and relaxation.

Unit Price Growth

While house price growth has been strong, Apartment property sales in Albany Creek had minimal growth at 2.94 per cent in the period ending June 2021.

Sales remained stable, with 59 units sold during this time period, with inventory staying on market for 45 days. Most four-bedroom units remained listed for 261 days, indicating an oversupply.

About Albany Creek

Established on a hilly section near the South Pine River, Albany Creek is a quiet, family-friendly northern suburb some 17 kilometres off Brisbane CBD. Home to many professionals who work in the city, nearly half of the residents fully own their three to four-bedroom homes to raise a family. Most houses have their own pools and are situated in a cul-de-sac block.

A former rural area, Albany Creek’s development as a suburban town began in the 1960s primarily featuring brick homes, when the metropolis expanded to open more schools in the north, such as the Albany Hills State School, the Albany Creek State High School, and the All Saints Primary School. Though the closes train to the city is a few kilometres drive to the neighbouring suburb of Strathpine, there are plenty of buses servicing commuters regularly that takes residents to shopping centres in Chermside or Aspley.

For leisure and recreation, this town has the Albany Creek Leisure Centre hosting various sports clubs and community activities. Families enjoy plenty of green spaces at the Tom Simpson Park and the Jaracanda Park. Tight-knit community engagements are high in this peaceful suburban locale and there are limited high-rise developments.

“We’ve lived here for 15 years now and absolutely love it, It’s superb for kids of all ages, great state school and 3 excellent primary schools. Virtually no crime at all, we thoroughly enjoy life here.”
Markj13

“Having lived in the Albany Creek area for 16 years and had our children grow up in the area we would find it hard to move to anywhere else. There are all the local type shops that are necessary but not the impersonal hype of the city or other central locales. Being anywhere in 10 minutes is a great bonus, as you can go to larger shopping centers and then leave the hustle and bustle behind. Our street is filled with caring neighbors in a wide range of ages, which is great for family living. We have a total of 5 primary schools within 2 minutes of us, both private and public and the High school is 1 minute away.”
HappyinAC

“Quiet, clean suburb with leafy streets and lovely locals. We hunted around the whole of Brisbane looking for a place to settle and came across Albany Creek on the off chance. The suburb gives you that Quiet, Safe and Clean feel for your family to live happily.”
Taff

Bray Park Local Makes Up For Forgetting Partner’s Birthday With a $100-k Gift

The day wasn’t turning out so well for a Bray Park local who forgot his partner’s birthday. Things changed after a quick visit to the Kensington Village Shopping Centre led to an unexpected windfall that turned out to be her best birthday gift ever.

The woman said that her partner was feeling bad because he thought her birthday was the next day. To make up for it, he gave her a card with money to buy herself whatever she wanted. He also threw in a few scratchies he bought from the Kensington Village Newsagency.

“He said he wanted me to spoil myself, and then hopefully, I would have a win so I could spoil myself even more,” the woman said.

After scratching the tickets, the couple thought that they hit it big with $750 but later realised that it might have been $10,000. They held on to the paper and double-checked the next day.

“That’s when my partner told me it was a $100,000 win. I just kept saying, ‘No, I don’t believe you! No, truly?’ I went into shock after that.”

Having never won anything in her life, the woman had to check and re-check so many times.

“This turned out to be better than expected! He’s no longer in the bad books! I don’t know how I am going to top this gift when it’s his birthday.”

The pair plan to put the money to good use after celebrating with a nice dinner.

Kensington Village Newsagency owner Paul Draw congratulated the Bray Park couple. Their win also comes after another customer bought an Instant Scratch-Its ticket and won $10,000.

“Big congratulations to the winning couple. We wish them all the very best and hope they can really enjoy their prize,” Mr Draw said.

Free Live Music Event Coming To Albany Creek This October

Photo credit: Brennan Gregory Hatton/Google Maps

A free community event for the youth featuring a day of music, skateboarding, and art with musical performances from several Brisbane bands has been scheduled this October 2021.

Read: Albany Creek Shoppers Fund 20,000 Meals Distributed by SecondBite

Everyone is welcome to attend the event, which will be held on Sunday 9 October 2021 from 12:00 p.m. onwards at the Albany Creek Skate Park.

A partnership between Brisbane Local Drug Action Team (LDAT) and the SCHEMA Collective, the event aims to increase engagement from young people, particularly among at-risk youth, through activities in music, sport, art, and philanthropy as a way to minimise alcohol and other drug harms in the community.

Speaking from personal experience, SCHEMA Collective President Stoyan Stoyanov said he knows how powerful participating in structured leisure activities and feeling connected to a community can be at protecting young people from the harms of alcohol and other drug use, saving lives along the way.

“Music and skateboarding got me through a very difficult time in my life and experiencing this first-hand showed me how being exposed to engagement opportunities like creative hobbies, physical activities and giving back to the community can reduce the likelihood or severity of alcohol and other drugs harms,” says Stoyanov.

The free community event will include musical performances by Tailor Made Rejects, 3 Hour Flight, Zuko, and Loose Cannon, skateboarding demos and ‘Design Your Own Deck’ in the dedicated art tent.

As well as live music, past events have included skateboard and scooter competitions and promotion of volunteering opportunities in partnership with not-for-profit organisations like Sea Shepherd and Clean Up Australia.

A representative from Kids Helpline is always present at SCHEMA Collective events, as the LDAT aims to normalise and destigmatise help-seeking and openness about mental health amongst young people.

LDATs work with the Alcohol and Drug Foundation in supporting grassroots organisations to build or extend partnerships in their own communities and develop a Community Action Plan of evidence-informed activities to prevent and minimise the harm caused by alcohol and other drugs at a local level.

SCHEMA Collective partners with Kids Helpline, the Australian Skateboarding Community Initiative, Brisbane City Council, Sea Shepherd, Animal Liberation QLD and the YMCA.

For everyone’s safety, attendees are required to bring a mask, scan the QR code on arrival, and practice social distancing.

Albany Creek Mum Warns Pet Parents After Dog Dies from Sago Palm Poisoning

A devastated Albany Creek mum of five is warning pet parents about the risk of a common houseplant, known as Sago Palm, which killed the family’s beautiful Golden Retriever.

Kim Quirk shared that Cooper, their 7-year-old Golden Retriever, was playing in their Albany Creek backyard with Buddy, their 2-year-old Shih Tzu, when the older dog came inside with a funny look on his face and then started shaking violently. Soon, Buddy also exhibited the same symptoms as Cooper.

Kim and her husband, Dennis, immediately brought Cooper and Buddy to the vet, who asked if the pair had been exposed to a poisonous plant. The elderly couple was told to check for anything unusual in their home as they nervously waited for more updates from the vet.

A cousin sent the Quirks a list of toxic plants which had Sago Palm in it. Earlier that day, Dennis was chopping down the plant on their property, which they now believe poisoned both their dogs.

Sago Palm, which originated from Japan nearly 300 years ago, is a popular landscaping plant in Australia. Also known as cycads, a species of this low-level palm became the centrepiece of the expansion of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens a few years ago.

But Sago Palm is not a dog-friendly household plant, according to the experts at James Cook University. This plant has cycasin, an active toxic agent that may be severely harmful to dogs.

“The leaves are apparently quite attractive-smelling to dogs, making accidental ingestion likely, with initial symptoms of poisoning usually being vomiting, dehydration and lethargy,” Dr Philip Judge, a veterinary emergency lecturer said.

“Using appropriate treatment with intravenous fluid therapy and medications, the symptoms often subside within 24 to 48 hours or so – only to be replaced by the development of severe liver damage that could result in liver failure and death within seven to 14 days.”

Households with Sago Palms in their backyards must be careful not to let the dogs roam free near the plants. Pet parents need to immediately remove loose vegetation, as well as fallen seeds or nuts away from the dog’s access.

The Quirks had two cycads at home for the last 14 years. Whilst Cooper did not make it, Buddy has recovered from the poisoning. The family, however, had to pay $10,000 in vet bills to save their dog.

Kim said that locals should be aware of this plant’s hidden danger to prevent heartaches and unexpected medical expenses for their pets.

Albany Creek Shoppers Fund 20,000 Meals Distributed by SecondBite

Hooray for help! Albany Creek shoppers have pulled off an admirable feat by supporting a fundraising initiative that has enabled SecondBite to distribute 20,000 meals for hungry families this winter.

Coles Albany Creek ranked among the top five fundraising Coles stores in Queensland — alongside The Pines, Caloundra, North Shore, and Logan Central — in its annual Winter Appeal to raise funds for the food rescue organisation founded by Ian and Simone Carson. Through the shoppers’ generosity, the store was able to raise $4,000, adding to the more than $1.6 million raised nationally by the initiative.

“We can’t thank our customers in Albany Creek enough for their efforts in supporting the Secondbite Winter Appeal. The funds raised will make a real difference to SecondBite so they can continue to support local charity partners like Reach Out Community & Family Care,” Coles State General Manager Jerry Farrell said.

“It has been incredible to see local shoppers really dig deep and help provide meals to people who might otherwise go without.”

SecondBite collects unsold, edible food from Coles that goes to 1,300 charity partners across Australia, including the Reach Out Community & Family Care in Everton Park. The Winter Appeal comes as three out of four food charities have had a surge in demand for their services in the last 18 months.

“So many people are under pressure at the moment and yet Coles’ customers and team members still dug deep for others and did their bit to ensure Australians aren’t going hungry,” said SecondBite Ambassador and Board Director Matt Preston.

“2021 has been a tremendously challenging year for so many Australians and SecondBite could not have met the resultant increase in demand for food support without the backing of the entire Coles team.”

Coles and SecondBites have been in a partnership for the last 10 years and this long-term collaboration has carried over to Coles’ Together to Zero Hunger Sustainability Strategy.

“We are so grateful for the generosity Coles’ customers and team members have demonstrated for this very worthy appeal especially at a time when so many communities were under tough COVID- 19 restrictions,” Coles CEO Steven Cain said.

“SecondBite’s important work of collecting and redistributing food for vulnerable people aligns powerfully with our purpose to sustainably feed all Australians to help them lead healthier, happier lives.”

Eatons Hill Residents Are Queensland’s Biggest Online Shoppers: Report

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Common / DealDrop via Flickr

Did you know that Eatons Hill residents are some of the biggest online shoppers in the country? According to a new report from the Australian Post, Eatons Hill ranks third among the postcodes with the most shopping activity at major stores or discount outlets, online marketplaces, and home ware outlets.

In 2020, about 82 percent of households shopped for goods online during the pandemic, with some postcodes shopping twice as they did in 2019. Whilst Victorians spent more money on goods online, the whole country’s online shopping activities increased to 57 percent.

“As social distancing, border closures and lockdowns became commonplace, Australians turned online for the things they needed. And they did so in record numbers with over four in five Australian households – almost 9 million – making an online purchase at some point during the year,” said Rodney Boys, CEO of the Australian Post.

Highlights

Eatons Hill residents shopped online the most among Queenslanders in 2020.
The whole country’s online shopping activity increased to 82 percent during the pandemic lockdowns.
Online shoppers mostly bought home and garden items or furniture.

The report also revealed that new and distinct groups of online shoppers have emerged during the lockdown. The first are the young families who are conscious of where their money goes and the second are older households in retired or rural communities. From these groups, purchases of home and garden items have been significant. Homeware items were also popular with seasoned online shoppers, alongside appliances.

“Many retailers have done incredibly well through COVID-19, including those in household goods. With so many of us confined to our homes during the pandemic, and now choosing to work flexibly, people have invested in household items like new furniture or office and tech equipment, said Paul Zahra the CEO of the Australian Retailers Association.

“Having said that, brick and mortar stores still have an important role to play – it’s where the bulk of retail sales still occur – so store managers, sales assistants, and the like are still in-demand roles. Hence, we expect to see retailers continue to reduce their physical footprint and invest heavily in digital.”

Top 10 Suburbs in Australia with Highest Online Shopping Activity

Narre Warren North, VIC

Secret Harbour, WA

Eatons Hill, QLD

Frenchs Forest, NSW

Wakerly, QLD

Jerrabomberra, NSW

Wattle Grove, NSW

Narangba, QLD

Mount Annan, NSW

Warrandyte, VIC