17 March 2016

Newsletter Articles

From the Principal

Student Congratulations

We celebrate in the outstanding achievements of our students, and extend our heartiest congratulations to:

Sasha Kimber of Year 12, who represented the school at the Central Highlands International Women’s Day forum. The event, Celebrate. Achieve. Succeed. CH International Women’s Day Morning Tea, is available for viewing at

Brittany Jane Smith of Year 11, who was selected in the Queensland Youth Parliament program. Brittany will have the opportunity to introduce and then debate a mock Bill or motion. Youth Parliaments also include an Adjournment Debate which allows youth members the opportunity to publicly debate issues of specific interest to them. The Speaker of the Parliament and others Members of Parliament usually preside over each Youth Parliament to ensure that debates are conducted in accordance with parliamentary practice. Selection in this parliament signifies a very high performance standard by Brittany.

The Final Weeks of Term

Currently students are working on assessment and teachers are marking and preparing report cards over the next two weeks. These reports are emailed to you in week 2 after Easter along with request for parent-teacher interviews which are scheduled for 27th April. Please ensure that you have advised us of any changes to your email address.

Once students finish assessment, a number of important things will be happening in class. Students will be getting specific feedback about their most recent assessment performance. In addition, they will be given the opportunity to review their term’s profile of assessment and be provided with feedback about how to make improvements therefore it is essential that students attend school right until the last day of term to avoid missing any crucial feedback.

We Value Politeness

On Friday 18th March is the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence and we have been talking to our students about how we treat each other. The first key message for our students is that we expect them to use respectful language and their manners throughout the school. By simply using please or thank you when purchasing their lunches at the tuck shop greatly influences others, use of manners in our school is constantly reinforced in our school. The second message is that we look out for others by reporting any inappropriate behavior. Research shows that 80% of bullying stops the minute a bystander simply makes a small intervention. There are four ways to be a good bystander: Be a Buddy, Interrupt, Speak out about Bullying and, Tell Someone.

P&C

Last week we held our first P&C meeting for the year. At this meeting, the 2016 School Improvement Plan was presented and we outlined our key areas for improvement and strategies to achieve the improvement targets. Congratulations to the new office bearers that were elected at the AGM, thank you for your participation in our parent-school partnership. I was heartened by the P&C’s enthusiastic support for school improvement.

Get Microsoft Office 2016 free of charge

Did you know your child can get Microsoft Office 2016 free of charge, just for being a student at Emerald State High School? All you need is your child’s school email address to sign in. To help prepare your child for success this academic year, the Department of Education and Training has teamed up with Microsoft to provide free Office 2016 to every Queensland state school student. With Office 2016, your child will have access to the latest version of Word for writing, Excel for spreadsheets, PowerPoint for presentations, OneNote for organisation and notetaking, and much more. You can install a complete version of the latest Microsoft Office on up to five compatible PCs and Macs, five tablets and five smartphones. Your Office subscription lasts for as long as your child is a state school student. Ask your child to follow these simple steps to get Office:

• For PC and Mac, visit portal.office.com, login using your school email address, click through to install and follow the onscreen process.
• For tablets and smartphones, download from your app store and sign in with your school email address.

Visit www.education.qld.gov.au/office2016 for instructions on how to download and install Office 2016 to your personal home computers.

Finally, I would like to wish you all a very Happy Easter vacation, with time to recharge ready for term 2.

Regards
Leigh Dyer
Principal (Acting)

From the Deputy

At the end of term already, it is always amazing how fast the term goes. Earlier in the term at the Parent Meet and Greet evening I presented a session on QCEs. In my presentation I explained the process of how the school tracks each student to ensure they will receive a QCE. I also explained the importance of parents and students tracking their own QCE credits and how this is to be done. I have attached for you a copy of the QCE tracking sheet that the school uses to track each student and their progress. I have also attached a copy of the QCE presentation from QCAA on how students can track their own progress.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Parent Teacher Interviews for Semester 1 are to be held on 27th April. Parent teacher interviews, in conjunction with Report Cards are a great way for parents to gauge if their child is on track to receive a QCE. At the interview parents should ask if their child is passing the subject and what the student needs to do improve. For those parents who are unable to attend please contact the school and identify who you want interviews with so that those teachers can contact you.

Support Services

The school is very lucky to have a number of support services available to students and parents to assist them in the areas of academic, emotional and personal issues. Students have access to the School Based Youth Health Nurse, Guidance Officer and Chaplain through Support Worx. Students can also access the Heads of Departments with any queries regarding their curriculum studies.

We keep stressing to all students in Years 10, 11 and 12 that one of the most important elements in ensuring high levels of academic success, and therefore obtaining a QCE, is attendance. The target goal for the Senior School is of course 100% attendance with a minimum acceptable attendance rate being 92%. The Senior Secondary team is focusing on attendance and conducting interviews with students who are not attending with the required degree of regularity as their enrolment can in fact be cancelled. Please help us to help your child to succeed at school by insisting that they attend every day.

I wish everyone a safe and relaxing break and hope to see you all back ready for a busy Term 2.

Tanya Shaw
Deputy Principal – Years 11 & 12 (Acting)

Year 8 News

It’s hard to believe that we are almost at the end of term one. Where has the time gone?

The year 8s appear to be settling into the year quite well into their classes and adapting to the range of changes that they face this year including new teachers, new classrooms, and for some, new class mates.

The Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) focus for our community is to participate. When we participate we get involved, engage and we challenge ourselves. We also do so with a positive and motivated attitude. There are a range of opportunities presented within the school for students to engage with both curricular and extra-curricular. Already this term, there have been a range of events that the year 8 students have participated in and showed great enthusiasm: CH and CAP sports trials, Swimming Carnival, Welcome BBQ, Clean up Australia Day. I thank all for the effort, energy and time that goes into these events by the students, but also the parents and their contributions to allow these opportunities and events to happen. There are a range of events that will require students to participate and get involved in in the next few weeks: Interschool Sport (more information will be released in the near future), Cross Country, Reader’s Cup (for Year 7 & 8 only), and Bullying No Way Day. We also offer a range of activities that occur during lunchtimes and after school for students to be involved in: Homework Club, Science Club, Strength Club, Cooking Club, Eco Club, Interact, Chess Club, Film Club, SRC etc. If you or your child would like any more information on any of these clubs, please do not hesitate to contact me and I can direct you to the convenor of each activity.

At this time of the term, students have already started working on many of their assessment tasks and should be dedicating some time at home to help support their learning. It is important to note that Study Club runs in the Resource Centre every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:00-4:00pm. All students are welcome to attend these sessions to gain help on their homework, assessments and/or study and many of our teachers are happy to meet students there for extra support.

At Emerald State High School we are committed to achieving an average daily attendance of 90%. A quick reminder that if your child is absent from school, parents/guardians are to contact the school via phone or text message, or they are to send a signed note to school with the student explaining their absence on return. All absences from school need to be explained, as every day counts and provides students with opportunities for learning. If your child brings home a blue note, could you sign, write a reason as to why they were away and return to the office as early as possible. Research shows that higher student attendance is generally associated with higher student achievement. Feel free to contact the school if a student is sick or unable to attend school on 4988 2222 and report the absence.

I hope that the end of Term One is kind and as stress-free as possible and that you all have a safe and happy Easter break. Any questions or concerns, my email is cdpri0@eq.edu.au

Miss Claire Prior
Year 8 Manager

Year 11 News

What a great start to the year for our grade 11 students. We have seen both excellent attendance and behaviour from our year 11s which is wonderful to see as they are now role models for the younger students. All Year 11’s are encouraged to become involved in the school and wider community if they are seeking to take up a leadership role within the school next year. It was great to see so many year 11s sign up for Relay for Life and also many turned up for the annual ‘Clean Up Australia’ Day as well.

The year 11s will have their first taste of exam block in Weeks 8 and 9. Students need to ensure they are on time to their examinations and if they are ill and unable to attend a medical certificate will be required. We wish them all the best of luck on their assessment and hope they are all studying hard!

I would also like to take this opportunity to remind parents that Emerald State High School has a uniform policy and students are expected to be wearing the designated school uniform at all times. Students are not permitted to wear plain black shorts, leggings or denim. Only shorts with the school insignia which are purchased through the tuckshop are acceptable. Shoes must be laced, no slip on shoes are allowed as they constitute a workplace health and safety risk in many classrooms. Any uniform issues for year 11 need to be directed to myself or Mrs Tanya Shaw the Senior Deputy. I can be contacted through the school office or by emailing kvanh4@eq.edu.au

Kaz Van Hees
Year 11 Manager

From the Head of Department: Arts & Indigenous Students

Arts

Term One is off to a flying start with lots of programs, events and creative assessment tasks. The Arts department welcomes two new valuable team members: Caitlin Royal who is one of our Art teachers and Jacinda Fehlhaber who is one of our classroom Music teachers.

High school is a time of opportunity for our students. We are lucky to have many teachers who willingly volunteer to give up both their lunch breaks and after school time for extra rehearsals or tutorials. With assessment approaching quickly, I urge students to take advantage of this extra assistance. Please speak with your teacher about mutual suitable times.

The student notices are another great source of information. All creative opportunities will be advertised as they become known. Please ensure that you listen to them each morning and see the respective teachers for participation forms.

Indigenous Students

I was very fortunate to spend the afternoon with some of our Indigenous families in Emerald as we celebrated the successes of our Indigenous students at our twice-yearly Celebration Evening. Aunty Kerree Parter supported our event by welcoming us to country and presenting our students with their certificates. I wish to thank all of our community members who came and supported this event. It is a great opportunity for us to come together and share positive news.

Our Duke of Edinburgh award will be commencing in Term Two. Students will have the opportunity to engage in physical recreation, skills, community volunteering and an adventurous journey all tailored to suit their interests. When completed, the Award can count towards their QCE. We were fortunate enough to receive funding which will cover the cost of completing the award. Please encourage your child to return their form if they are interested. There are limited spaces left.

In Term Two we are introducing an afterschool program on a Wednesday from 3-5pm in the library which will focus on cultural activities, sport, community connections, and arts based activities. I would encourage all Indigenous students from years 7 to 12 to come along and participate in these activities each week. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Miss Wilcox on (07) 4988 2222 or rwilc19@eq.edu.au

Miss Wilcox
Head of Department: Arts/Indigenous Students

From the Head of Department: Technology

Mid Semester Parent-Teacher Interviews

We have scheduled our Mid-Semester Parent Teacher Interviews to allow you to consult with staff in regards to your child’s progress this semester. This has been arranged for Wednesday the 27th of April from 3.30pm-6:30pm. Interviews will be conducted in F block and are of 10 minutes duration.

To co-ordinate the interviews we use an online booking system to assist parents in securing their preferred interview times. The procedure is as follows:

• If you wish to see any of your child’s teachers, you need to secure an appointment time using this system. If you do not have access to the internet you can call the school office for assistance.
• The booking system will only be accessible from the 14th of March through to 8:00am on the 27th of April. If you cannot make it or a teacher is unavailable, please contact the teacher through the school office to make an alternative time.
• To access the site, click on the link or copy and paste it into your URL address bar: http://www.sobs.com.au/pt/parent.php?schoolid=611

We encourage your child to accompany you to the interview as this often assists the discussion and clarification of outcomes.

Samantha Elsden
Head of Department: Technology/Year 7

QParents

Emerald State High School is proud to be one of the first schools in Queensland to offer QParents. The QParents web and mobile application provides a more convenient, easier way for parents and legal guardians of Queensland state school students to interact with their child’s school. Parents will have secure, online access to their child’s student information, anytime, anywhere, through a smartphone, tablet or computer. QParents allows parents to connect instantly with their child’s school to access and manage their child’s student information, including:

• Attendance and absence details, as well as the ability to notify the school of an absence
• Behaviour information
• Academic report cards
• Class timetables
• Viewing unpaid invoice details, payment history, and making payments online
• Viewing and updating student details, including medical conditions and address
• Enrolment details

QParents will assist both staff and parents in sharing and responding to information in an efficient and effective way. It won’t replace the traditional ways you communicate with our school, but it will provide another way to communicate with us.

The benefits of QParents

Convenience and time savings for parents

• Parents can view or update their child’s details without having to contact the school
• Secure 24/7 online access.
• Available anytime, anywhere — access QParents on your smart phone, tablet or computer.

Greater transparency of information

• Improves accountability between parents and schools by providing parents with timely access to their child’s information online.
• Allows parents to engage more deeply in their child’s schooling

Improved administration efficiencies for schools

• Allows schools to streamline their administrative processes and cut down on printing

What is a QParents Account Owner (QPAO)?

The school will nominate one parent or legal guardian for each student to be the QParents Account Owner (QPAO). The QPAO will be able to register for QParents to access and manage the student’s information online. A student’s QPAO will be able to view the student’s information and submit requests to update some of the student’s details. The QPAO will also be able to invite other people (such as another parent or family member), to view the student’s information. Once invited, these people can register for QParents as “delegated viewers”. A delegated viewer can see the student’s details, but cannot make updates.

Registering for QParents

You will receive an invitation email or letter from us containing your unique invitation code in Week 1 of Term 2. Simply follow the instructions in that email or letter to complete the QParents account registration process.

If you do not want to register, you can just ignore the invitation and your child’s student information will not be available to anyone through QParents. Or, if you want another parent to be the QPAO, you can advise us and we will send them an invitation email or letter with their own unique invitation code.

Identity verification

When registering as a QPAO, you will need to verify 100 points of identity documents online. The 100 points can be made up of documents in the following list:

If you only have 60-90 points of the above ID documents you can still register for QParents, but you will need to attend the school for an additional check after you have registered online. If you don’t have sufficient documents, you might like to nominate another parent as the QPAO. For more information on the online identity verification process, see https://qparents.qld.edu.au/#/help

Where does the information about my child come from?

All of the information that is presented in QParents comes from the IT system that is used by all Queensland state schools. Schools will continue to manage student information in this system, and the information will be extracted and presented in QParents.

Will my child’s information be secure?

Yes. QParents is a secure portal that meets strict industry standards. Only people with the right to access information about their child will be given an account; no one else. If you don’t want to register for QParents, your account will not be created and your child’s information will not be made available through QParents.

Help and contact information

For more information see https://qparents.qld.edu.au/#/about

For help, visit https://qparents.qld.edu.au/#/help or call 13 QGOV (13 74 68)

Maths News

All students are to have and bring a text book, calculator, ruler, book, pen and pencil. Being prepared means having your equipment and a positive attitude. Mathletics passwords are now available for years 7 – 10. Remember to check out Khan Academy on the world wide web to help with revision and consolidation of learning. It is free and a really good resource. Exams are coming up: Years 7 & 10 in week 8, Year 8 in week 9, and year 11 and 12 are in exam block for the next two weeks. Year 7 are learning measurement, Year 8 linear relationships, Year 9 linear equations, Year 10 are learning probability and year 11 and 12 are learning super-fancy stuff.

Science News

In science over the last few weeks…

The year 9 students have been studying waves and electricity. The students have made their own musical instruments and linked the sounds produced by their instruments to sound waves in terms of frequency and amplitude. The students have also examined their instrument for areas of improvement. The current topic is electricity. Students have explained the difference between static and current electricity, have seen demonstrations related to the Van De Graaff machine and will be building electric circuits in the future. Students will be quizzed on their knowledge of electricity and electric circuits in the upcoming weeks.

The year 11 chemistry students are examining fundamental chemistry concepts including atomic orbital theory, metallic, ionic, covalent and polar covalent bonding, periodicity and the influence of isotopes on relative atomic mass. The next few weeks will be revision of these concepts in preparation for their upcoming exam.

The year 12 chemistry students are working on their assignments in organic chemistry; the analysis of a pharmaceutical drug. Students have gained the ability to conduct IUPAC naming on a variety of branched chain alkanes, some of which include multiple functional groups. This skill will assist the students in the naming of isomers of their chosen drug. Students have researched infra-red spectra of their chosen drug and a competing drug. The I.R. spectra are being analysed and subsequently linked to the structure of the organic molecule.

Industrial Technology & Design News

There are a lot of new changes in the ITD department this year. A new syllabus for the 11 and 12s means new projects and a lot more theory work however we should be looking forward to better overall outcomes and employability prospects. The year 10 VET furnishing students are progressing through their modules and a note for parents, the year 10s only will be getting WTC (working toward competency) in their report cards and not an A/B/C grade.

The junior grades are working on the same project as we align students after transitioning in the yr 7s last year. That means we have all year 8s and 9s making CO2 dragsters. We are getting excited by the quality that is coming from the cars this year and hopes are high that we will be able to send a lot of cars to the Maryborough Tech Challenge this year for the annual national CO2 dragster competition. Students are adhering to strict guidelines and we should start seeing the fruits of their labour very soon!

The Year 10 Engineering students have been working on their toolboxes while they build up the skills required for 11/12 VET engineering and have been having fun using the Engineering Shed for the first time. The 11s and 12s have hit the ground running and are slowly knocking out work that will enable them to complete competencies for the Cert I in Engineering. It is a long 2 year course but also one of our most popular ITD electives.

On a final note we would like to remind parents that all Year 10/11/12 students have had notes sent home seeking written permission to be using power tools and fixed machines in the work shop. If you have not seen/ signed and returned these forms please enquire with your student as to what is happening as this is an important document. It also has the amount for materials in the courses listed and this amount needs to be paid before further materials can be purchased. This is separate from the general fees paid at the beginning of the year. Most Engineering students are bringing in the work wear for their practical lessons but can you please also ensure that students have and are bringing the required attire so that they can be in the workshop.

SOSE News

Students have been investigating and studying the past in SOSE and the end of term is fast approaching as are exams and final assessment tasks. Revision time is imperative at this time of the term as students prepare for exams and finalise assignments.

Source evaluation is a key skill required for history, and accordingly, the school uses the acronym TADPOLE to assist students with this skill. Generally, this refers to: Type (primary or secondary?); Author (who wrote the source?); Date (when was it written?); Purpose (Why was the source written?) Opinion or fact?; Language (Is it emotional or neutral?); Evidence (Is it supported with evidence?).

Year 7 students have been developing their understanding of the role of historians and archaeologists in investigating the ancient past with a focus on comparing aspects of Ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt. They should be revising key terms and concepts for homework as they have an exam in week 8. Students in year 8 are also preparing for an exam on the Black Death. Year 9 students are working on a research assignment on the Industrial Revolution. Students in year 10 have been studying WW2 and should be revising for their final exam on this topic.

In the senior years, legal studies students are working on an independent inquiry into a legal issue of their choice, Ancient History students are learning about daily lives of ancient people during the Roman Republic, Modern History students are preparing for their exam on communist Russia and geography students are studying natural hazards and disasters. Their knowledge of cyclones, volcanoes and earthquakes will be tested across two exams in exam block.

Learning Support News

Extreme Literacy

What is Extreme Literacy? That is a question I have been asked a few times. As such I wanted to take this opportunity to explain the basic concept around the subject.

Extreme Literacy is a subject that is undertaken in replacement of Japanese and there are classes in both year 7 and 8. It exists as a way of helping those students who, at times, struggle with some of the aspects of English. This can include the basics such as spelling or the understanding of nouns and verbs through to the ability to read something and understand it. Our time in class therefore revolves around the idea of practicing these skills.

The subject itself closely follows what the students are doing in English. For example in Term 1 students were looking at narrative and the writing of a short story. The assessment required them to be descriptive and to write concisely. So in our Extreme Literacy classes we elected to focus on particular aspects of short story writing. This included the using of adjectives and adverbs to enhance our descriptive language, ways to introduce characters and ways to use simple and compound sentences to improve the flow of a story.

In Term 2 we will be focusing on persuasive writing as this is the topic in English. We will look at the language of persuasion and focus on the skills and tips required to be persuasive. We will also be concentrating on preparing for NAPLAN, focusing on spelling and reading comprehension.

If this article has left you with questions unanswered please feel free to ring the school for more information. We are always prepared to answer questions.

Liam Bork-Smith
Extreme Literacy teacher

Special Education News

I would like to take the opportunity to welcome our new staff to the Special Education Unit. Mrs Sharyn Caberera is our new permanent teacher and Mrs Sarah Sommerville, who is joining us for Term 1.

Case managers in Term 1 are;

Year 7 – Sharyn Caberera, scabr2@eq.edu.au
Year 8 and Year 9 – Ann Jay Sibley, axsib0@eq.edu.au
Year 10 – Martine Shelton, mshel13@eq.edu.au
Year 11 and 12 – Sarah Sommerville, ssome17@eq.edu.au

Please contact your student’s case manager for any concerns.

We hope as a team this year that we can help students reach their full potential and achieve their goals.

Martine Shelton – Acting HOSES

School-Based Work News

Grade 10 students of Emerald State High School are attending their first block of work experience this term from 21st March to 24th March, when 95 Students will enter the community to see whether the particular industry they have chosen is the one for them, work experience is a fantastic way of working in an industry to see if this is the career for you. Emerald State High School would like to thank the following businesses for their ongoing support.

It has been a fantastic start to Term 1 for School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships. Congratulations to the following students and businesses for their support of Emerald State High Students.

• Antz Antennas: Connor Matthews - Certificate II in Telecommunications
• Carnarvon Panel Works: Jayden Castles – Certificate III in Automotive Refinishing Technology
• McDonalds Emerald: Chris Juett, Karla Stirrat, Cameron Dunn – Certificate II in Retail Services
• Milne Bros. Emerald: Brock Hamblin – Certificate III in Automotive Diesel Mechanical Technology
• Peak Downs Mechanical: Brandie Hennessy – Certificate III in Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology

News from the Library

This year, students will once again have the opportunity to complete the ICAS Tests, also known as the University of NSW subject tests, for Digital Technologies, Science, Writing, Spelling, Mathematics, and English. The first of these is Digital Technologies. The Digital Technologies ICAS covers general technology skills from a range of curriculum areas and a variety of contexts. It is a multiple choice test which will only take 1 lesson on May 17th. From this, each student will receive a certificate along with an explanation of their results. If your Year 7 – 10 student is interested, they need to collect a permission letter from Mrs Galea in the library and ensure that it is returned to her along with the $8.80 to the office by the end of term (revised date).

There are also a number of writing competitions currently open, most with cash prizes:

• Alan Marshall Short Story Award closes 31st March
• Henry Lawson Festival Competition for poems and short stories closes 31st March
• Nillumbik Ekphrasis Poetry Award (the poem needs to be in response to a particular artwork) closes 31st March
• Write 4 Fun Competition for poems and short stories closes 31st March
• Children & Young Adult Writers & Illustrators Competition for picture books, graphic novels (comic books), illustrated novels or chapter novels closes 30th April
• Whitsunday Voices Short Story Competition closes 27th May
• Future Leaders Writing Prize closes 1st June
• Art & Literary Competition closes 23rd September

Students should see Mrs Galea in the library for more details & to submit entries. Entering into these competitions earns students vivo points.

The BILBY (Book I Love BEST Yearly) Awards are open for nominations. At http://www.cbcaqld.org/bilby-awards.html, until March 18 students can nominate their favourite individual book for their age group. The shortlist of 5 books for each category will be released a few days later on March 21st. It is suggested that students read through the shortlist and then cast their vote for their favourite by June 17th. Happy reading!

Student Representative Council News

The SRC has had a busy start to the year.

We’ve already held one BBQ at Mitre 10 in order to raise funds for the SRC and we have another planned for the 19th of this month at BCF in order to raise funds for the senior SRC Relay for Life team. Thanks to the efforts of John New who repaired our esky and helped us receive a donation from Mitre 10 of a brand new 4 Burner BBQ, the SRC can’t wait to get cooking.

The SRC also participated in the annual Clean Up Australia Day with the help of both future and junior leaders. We didn’t win any of the prizes, but it was great to have the help of our SRC Patron, Kerry Hayes, and see that overall there was less rubbish to clean up in Emerald. It appears that the message of Keeping Australia Beautiful is getting through.

The SRC is also taking a positive lead in the school’s Eco plans, with the running of a full school Emu Parade and recycling programs in staffrooms. Thanks to Mr Chetty and his 10 students who are also coming up with bin games in order to hopefully get students to have better aim when putting their rubbish in the bin. The SRC can’t wait to see them in action hopefully in the new term.

The new term also has students busy, with a full school disco and preparations for our biannual talent show, Shines, which is being held early in Term 3. We also have more BBQs planned at Mitre 10, the Marketplace as well as hopefully Supercheap. Finally in April we have Anzac Day and the annual Red Shield Appeal.

It’s clear to see the leaders involved in the SRC are a dedicated and responsible group of students.

EcoSchools News

Commencing in March 2016, Emerald State High School proudly joined the global initiative based in Copenhagen, Denmark called ECOSCHOOLS. It is a non-profit, non-government organisation, which promotes sustainable development through environmental education worldwide. In 2015 there were 73 countries who were participating, with 15 million students and 1.2 million teachers involved. The program follows a change structure as outlined. The most wonderful benefit to our school is that our students will be the active members, who will become the voice to our future generations in the care of the Earth, developing leadership skills through action based environmental activities. Our students have now joined the largest international network of teachers and students in the world and will select identified themes and projects to progress through firstly the Bronze and Silver awards to eventually achieve a Green Flag Award. The anticipated time line is three years. Already several foundational environmental projects are well established at Emerald State High School dealing with litter, water quailty, biodiversity gardens and school ground improvement. A healthy eating program is about to commence and improvement of waste disposal is next on the list. We have already formed a staff Eco-committee and now invite students across all grades to catch the passion, to bring their contribution to our EcoSchool program.

Credit must be definitely be given to the many visionary staff at Emerald State High School who have already independently established various environmental programs, however, upon the suggestion of Mrs Kristine Holland, who lived in Denmark during 2010-2012, and was involved with Green Flag Schools throughout Europe, we have been inspired to join the global initiative and to unite into a unified team to work diligently in the years to come to make our school a Green Flag Ecoschool. As time progresses and our Eco-committee develops with strong leadership emanating from the student committee members, we shall seek further involvement within the parent body and also the local community. A truly positive outflow educationally, is that students will increasingly link subjects and curriculum areas, and be dealing with real data and financial benefits with flow on to our school and the local community.

If you would like to know further information you may contact Mrs Sandra Kenney, the president of our EcoSchools committee, on 4988 2222.

Emerald & District Athletics Association

Emerald and District Athletics Association Inc

2016 Season Sign-On

Sunday March 20
4.00pm—5.00pm
Club House - Marist College Oval
Athletes 5 years and over welcome
Sign on $100.00 per Athlete
Birth Certificates are required for new registrations only
Season commences Sunday April 10 with a Come and Try Day
1.30pm for a 2pm start
For more information, please contact us at Emerald Athletics Club Facebook page.

Debating

Cricket

Emerald State School Easter Fete

Miss Showgirl

Rural Ambassador

Play 2 Learn Playgroup

Tutors Wanted

Complete Health Improvement Program