The Grace Pineapples, the talented team from Grace Lutheran College’s Caboolture and Rothwell campuses, have made their mark on the international stage at the FIRST LEGO League Long Beach Californian Open.
What makes this achievement even sweeter is the brilliant dedication, passion, and genius in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) displayed by the students through their participation in the globally acclaimed FIRST LEGO League.
The FIRST LEGO League encourages kids to think critically, solve real-world problems, and work as a team, moulding them into future innovators and problem solvers.
The Grace Pineapples exhibited their skills in designing and programming autonomous robots using LEGO MINDSTORMS technology. They’ve also tackled a research project focused on hydropower generation. Their brilliant ideas and commitment to making a positive impact left a lasting impression on the judges in the competition.
The local heroes, led by the team captains from the Grace Lutheran College Caboolture campus, blew away the competition with the stellar performance of their LEGO robot, their strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills.
The group also brought home the Peer Award for Best Overall Team, proving that they’re not just exceptional but also the coolest bunch around! Aside from conquering the FIRST LEGO League in Australia, the team also has its eyes set on an even bigger prize — winning the the FIRST Tech Challenge!
In a shocking incident at the Caboolture Show, 15-year-old bull riding champion Jacob Kellett was trampled, resulting in serious injuries. Despite the harrowing experience, Kellett is determined to get back in the saddle and compete again.
The incident happened seconds into Kellett’s ride. Spectators watched in horror as the bull threw him off and stomped on his chest and abdomen. Medics and ring staff immediately rushed to the teenager’s aid.
Kellett suffered broken ribs and had blood drained from his lungs. After initial treatment, a specialist QAS crew transported him to the Queensland Children’s Hospital.
In the wake of what happened, Jacob’s mother, Karen Kellett, emphasised the importance of safety in bull riding and the stringent measures taken to protect riders. Jacob’s safety equipment, things that undoubtedly helped mitigate the injuries he sustained, included a special imported helmet, mouthguards, and vests.
In addition, Karen took comfort in the fact that her son received exceptional care from the first responders.
Despite an estimated recovery time of eight to twelve weeks, Jacob’s passion for rodeo remains undiminished. He is particularly looking forward to competing in the saddle bronc and bareback events.
Karen said her son started riding a year ago, after having prior interest in motorcycles. He currently holds the 24th rank in the Australian National Rodeo Association U18 division. In the future, he even plans to pursue a career as a diesel mechanic in the mining or agricultural machinery industry.
Simon Robson, President of the Moreton Bay First Aid Volunteers, praised the newly recruited response team. On their first event, they admirably handled the situation, earning praise from both the public and the show society.
As Jacob Kellett continues on his road to recovery, his resilient, unwavering spirit and determination to ride again inspires those who have witnessed his passion.
Published 29 June 2023
Featured Image Photo Credit: Paul J Everett / Wikimedia Commons
After the completion of its construction, works are currently underway to equip and prepare the Caboolture Satellite Hospital for the arrival of patients.
The hospital, which will finally open its doors to patients in August 2023, has been designed to cater to a wide range of healthcare needs. With its state-of-the-art infrastructure and dedicated staff, the hospital aims to provide exceptional care to the growing community of Caboolture.
The Caboolture Satellite Hospital will be capable of accommodating up to 600 outpatient appointments every week in its modern consult and treatment rooms.
Photo credit: Ali King MP/Facebook
Skilled clinicians from Queensland Health, including mental health specialists and Rapid Access Clinic staff, will be available to provide comprehensive care to patients. Moreover, the hospital is prepared to handle up to 490 walk-in patients per week, ensuring timely access to quality healthcare services.
Photo credit: Ali King MP/Facebook
One notable feature of the facility is the inclusion of a Minor Injury and Illness Clinic, offering free walk-ins seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m, with healthcare staff working until 11:30 pm. This clinic will serve as a crucial resource for the community, providing immediate care and treatment for minor injuries and illnesses.
In addition to the comprehensive services already mentioned, the Caboolture Satellite Hospital will provide various specialised healthcare offerings. These include oral health services encompassing prevention, promotion, and early intervention, as well as intra-oral radiology and specialist referral services.
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A sleep studies clinic will be available for patients with respiratory-related sleep disorders, offering home sleep testing and CPAP/non-invasive ventilation support.
The Caboolture Satellite Hospital is part of a network of seven satellite hospitals for South-East Queensland as part of the Satellite Hospitals program. These hospitals, situated in Tugun, Redlands, Eight Mile Plains, Bribie Island, Caboolture, Kallangur, and Ripley, will collectively enhance the region’s healthcare system, ensuring that residents have access to quality care when they need it most.
Did you know that Moreton Bay Regional Council is the first Queensland Council to waive development and infrastructure fees as a way to boost housing construction amidst a growing housing crisis in the country?
The move is also aimed at helping at least 1,200 homeless locals in the region and will target areas like Albany Creek, Arana Hills, Burpengary, Caboolture, Deception Bay, Lawnton, Morayfield, Redcliffe and Strathpine.
Under the Attraction of Affordable Social Housing Policy, applicants for the development of affordable social housing in priority areas may apply for a development application fee remittance by 100 per cent. There will be no cap on the remissions and it can be applied for mixed-use or residential projects.
Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery said they want to give incentives to private-sector construction for affordable housing projects.
“We’re coming out of the gates first and sending a strong message to the private sector that we are willing to work with them, we’ve already slashed the usual red tape, and we’re willing to sweeten the deal further by saving them literally hundreds of thousands of dollars on construction,” Mr Flannery said during the press conference.
“There are no tricks, no gimmicks, no hidden costs here for developers. The facility will just need to be managed by a community housing provider, but the building can remain privately owned by the developer.”
UDIA Queensland Moreton Bay president Keith Cairns commended the proactive policy and hoped that other governments will follow. Encircle Community Services CEO Chris Stains said that the initiative will make a difference for community housing providers and non-profit organisations.
Congratulations to Kate Sanderson, a distance education graduate of Australian Christian College in Caboolture, for receiving one of 30 highest ATAR scores in Queensland for 2022.
Ms Sanderson, who decided to complete her studies via distance education at the start of the pandemic, received a score of 99.95 in her Australian Tertiary Admission Rank. Her score has allowed her provisional entry to Griffith University, where she intends to pursue a Bachelor of Medical Science degree and realise her childhood ambition of becoming a doctor.
The future doctor was also inspired to take up medicine after her personal health battle at 11 years old. A hospital stay lasting many months opened her eyes to the valuable work of the medical community that saved her life. So, she aimed to be part of this world, to contribute and save lives as well.
The student used to attend a Gold Coast school but took advantage of the distance learning program at Australian Christian College in Caboolture amidst the uncertainty of COVID. Ms Sanderson said that landing in the Top 30 has been such a surreal moment, but she’s very grateful for her teachers, and the support of her family and friends.
Photo Credit: Australian Christian College – Moreton/Facebook
Across Queensland, 27,245 Year 12 students received their ATAR results. Education Minister Grace Grace congratulated the students for exceeding expectations.
“Congratulations to our amazing and resilient school graduates, 94 per cent of whom have achieved a QCE (Queensland Certificate of Education) or a QCIA (Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement),” Ms Grace said in a statement.
“27,245 of these students also received an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank), with 33 achieving the highest possible result of 99.95 after studying a combination of 13 different subjects including Mathematical Methods, English, Engineering, Physics and Languages.
“We also celebrate the success of our education system as a whole.
“I’d like to congratulate the teachers, principals, school staff, families and carers who have worked so hard to support all of the Year 12s on their learning journey.
“Students who didn’t get the results they hoped for should remember the many education and training pathways open to them, whether they want to head to university, start a vocational course, or go straight into work.
“There’s no need to be disheartened, and there are plenty of resources and people out there to support you.”
QTAC Chief Executive Officer Dr John Griffiths also reminded Year 12 students of their tertiary study options, regardless of their ATAR results.
“First and foremost, graduates should be proud of all they accomplished and remember that the outcome of today doesn’t define them – it’s a milestone that now opens the door to further opportunity,” Mr Griffiths said.
According to reports, the previous owners decided to sell these assets to capitalise on the current market conditions. The new owners, however, will have the opportunity to generate strong revenues from this acquisition.
Trader Dukes Caboolture and Kings Circle Shopping Centre are located on a major arterial road leading up to the Sunshine Coast and cover 8,082 square metres.
The retail site has existing stable tenancies, which include a busy medical centre and SPAR, the local supermarket. Trader Dukes Caboolture is a fully-equipped sports bar with gaming rooms and approved EGMs, as well as a selection of bottleshops.
Savills Australia negotiated the deal off-market but did not disclose the new owners.
Recent years have seen a development boom in the area, located in the Moreton Bay Region about an hour’s drive from Brisbane. In 2016, the region’s population was 67,460 and was estimated to grow by 91,468 in five years.
The fitness facility from Eildon Capital Group is expected to join established businesses that have opened and will also soon open in the new Moreton Bay shopping centre, such as Coles, Bunnings, Chemist Warehouse, PetStock and KFC. The $80-million Sungate Business Park had its grand opening on the 18th of November 2022.
Per DA/2022/4505, the gym will operate 24/7 to offer flexibility for its members and will include facilities like weights, circuit training, cardio functional training, hydrotherapy, massage rooms, total body fitness assessment rooms, as well as change and lockers rooms.
The DA also indicated that the location is part of the SunGATE Masterplan/Caboolture Shire Plan that has received preliminary approval. The gym’s construction will not impact the landscape of the approved precincts.
As a 24/7 facility, an acoustic assessment has been done to ascertain that the gym will have proper noise mitigation measures so as not to disturb surrounding residential areas. The developers also underscored that there is an economic need for a new gym in the area to promote healthy living options for the locals.
“Over the next decade the population of the catchment is expected to grow by nearly 12,000 people, resulting in demand for an additional three gyms in this area,” the DA cited. “As such, with an increasing undersupply there is considered strong demand for a gym on the subject site.”
Moreton Bay Regional Council is still assessing the DA, subject to public notification.
Prepare for another fun and scary night for all! The Caboolture Historical Village lets out all the skeletons in the closet with the return of more “Ghoulies and Ghosties” for Halloween.
The annual event will be back on Monday, 31 October 2022, and will run from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at a gated site. Whilst ghosts, ghoulies, and scary monsters will abound, the children will definitely be safe around the grounds of the Caboolture Historical Village.
As with the previous “Ghosts and Ghoulies” Halloween event, the children may expect to walk through the village with some surprises along the way. The site will be decorated especially for the occasion as an alternative to trick-or-treating on the streets. Dark Labyrinths has prepared the venue for the awesome displays.
The Caboolture Historical Village is set in a sprawling land, serving as a living history museum for artefacts and over 70 preserved pioneer buildings, such as the Queensland Prison’s Museum, the old Caboolture Hospital, the old Caboolture Railway Station, and general stores that depict the lives of the locals decades ago.
Established by the Caboolture Shire Council Chambers in the late 1950s, the site is a popular destination for both locals and tourists who want to learn more about the history of Moreton Bay Region.
Caboolture parents with infants aged 6-12 months are enjoined to take advantage of the free type 1 diabetes screening program recently launched across North Brisbane and other suburbs.
The Type 1 Diabetes National Screening Pilot is a simple test for infants to determine their risk of developing the disease. Registration for the free test kit is online, which will be delivered to their house.
Parents need to get a saliva sample from their child’s mouth and then post the sample back to the laboratory. The test will be analysed to determine if their child is at risk of developing this childhood disease.
Babies with an “increased chance” of type 1 diabetes, based on their screening test will be offered free follow-up testing , even before symptoms appear.
Photo Credit: Supplied
What is Type 1 Diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong autoimmune disease that develops when the immune system mistakenly attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Insulin helps the body convert glucose (sugar) from food into energy. Without insulin, glucose can build up in the bloodstream to dangerous levels.
The disease is one of the most common chronic conditions affecting children and adolescents, with approximately three children diagnosed in Australia each day. While 90 per cent of those diagnosed have no family history of type 1 diabetes, the genetic risk of developing the condition can still be detected through screening. It is therefore important that all children are screened to determine if they are at risk.
“Early signs are often vague and can be missed or confused with other minor childhood concerns. As a result, at least 1 in 3 Australian children with type 1 diabetes are not diagnosed until they require emergency medical care,” said Dr Gary Deed, a GP who got involved with the project on a personal and professional level.
Photo Credit: Supplied
“Screening in infancy has been shown to support earlier diagnosis before the child becomes seriously unwell. While there is no cure yet for the disease, early detection can prevent serious health problems and support a better prognosis and long-term management of the condition.”
“I live with diabetes so his project is naturally a passion for me,” the doctor added.
“I have seen the impact of the undiagnosed type 1 person with full-blown diabetic ketoacidosis and how devastating this is for the person and their family. If this trial shows some benefits – we are hoping to refine this to have a national screening program to help improve the early diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, contribute to the reduction of mortality and severe morbidity associated with ketoacidosis at diagnosis and provide support for family members in a more structures less reactive way.”
Screening is a Lifesaver
Mom Jackie Goldston said that access to screening has been a benefit for the family.
“My daughter Freya was diagnosed when she was 11 months old. Our lives changed forever that day.”
“We had no experience or history with type 1 diabetes. It was December and so of course, being Queensland it was hot and humid, so her symptom of being very thirsty didn’t seem strange. It was only when she started showing signs of distress and breathing extremely rapidly that our GP sent us to the emergency department. It took three emergency doctors to diagnose her and by this time she was falling in and out of consciousness due to DKA. She was eventually rushed via ambulance to the (then) Royal Children’s Hospital where we didn’t know if she was going to survive the night.
“I will be forever grateful to the team that saved her and for the fact that she is now a healthy, happy 13-year-old. But I only wish that we could have had an inkling of what to look out for.
Photo Credit: Supplied
“I don’t want any other parents to have to go through what my husband and I went through. Early screening will mean that parents know what may happen if and when their child starts to show symptoms and what to do. It will hopefully mean that their child will not be DKA at diagnosis and the family will already have some understanding of what to expect.”
Jackie with a diabetes insulin pump on her leg Photo Credit: Supplied
Screening to Go National
Dr Kirstine Bell says the goal of the pilot program is to make early detection available for every child in Australia – ultimately becoming part of routine childhood screening.
“It’s an ideal time to start offering type 1 diabetes screening to children in Australia. There is a wealth of strong evidence showing the benefits of screening and we now have new technology that makes screening tests simple, safe and effective,” Dr Bell said.
Photo Credit: Supplied
“[This] has always been a passion area for me and I started this pilot to help children and families at risk of type 1 diabetes. It is my hope that screening for type 1 diabetes can be offered nationally for all Australian children in the future.”
The pilot is funded by JDRF, the leading supporter of type 1 diabetes research in the world. JDRF is dedicated to ending type 1 diabetes, and making the lives of people already diagnosed, or at risk of diagnosis, easier, safer, and healthier until that happens.
Raring for more gourmet street food, live entertainment, and a cheeky impulse buy? The Caboolture Town Square Markets returns for its second year to perk up your mid-week!
Relaunching on Wednesday, the 4th of May 2022, the popular market day will be running from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. every first and third Wednesday. The upcoming event returns in time for grabbing a unique Mother’s Day gift!
Banish the desk lunch and break out of the boardroom to experience one-of-a-kind shopping, meet some of the local artisans, and be enthralled by live performers twice a month.
Photo Credit: SuppliedPhoto Credit: Supplied
Locals, workers and visitors alike will be spoiled for choice with some of the region’s best foodie offerings like smoky brats, freshly steamed dumplings, sticky satay chicken, fresh brewed iced tea, and so much more!
Don’t think it stops at lunch. We’ll have artisan provisions, hand-sewn fashions and accessories, fresh-cut flowers, bespoke jewellery, and giftware.
Photo Credit: Supplied
Located in the heart of Caboolture, at the Town Square, the Caboolture Town Square Markets are back to being the hottest lunch spot in town.
Goodwill Projects runs the Caboolture Town Square Markets in collaboration with Moreton Bay Regional Council and Unity Water. The organisers continue to look for vendors or performers for their regular markets.
Follow updates for the Caboolture Town Square Markets on Facebook.
