27 April 2017

Newsletter Articles

From the Principal

Welcome to our first newsletter of term 2. Our term 1 reports have been emailed out and printed reports distributed to our students. Parents this is an important time of the year as it allows our students time to reflect on their achievements in term 1. Consequently, we will have our Parent Teacher interviews this week on Wednesday 26th of April. Please attend if an interview is requested as we want to make contact to help your child succeed academically. These evenings are always valuable to those who attend. Also now is a great time to reflect and discuss with your child about their academic achievements and their goals for term 2, 2017.

Last week was a week where we tried to fit 5 days’ work into 4, so it was very busy. We finished the week with the cross country and a great afternoon. This week we celebrated ANZAC day on Monday morning at our school and our school marched on Tuesday as well as attending the Dawn Service. I thank all the senior leaders and students participated in our community ANZAC Day ceremonies.

This term our school is continuing a major focus on junior school literacy, reading and writing as well as QCE attainment. If your child is in the junior school, the best thing you can do for them is to encourage them to read 30 minutes a day on topics they are genuinely interested in. Help them to enjoy reading and watch their literacy skills rise before your eyes. If your child is in the senior school, the goal is for them to pass all subjects to receive a Queensland Certificate of Education.

Research constantly reminds us the key factor in student achieving a pass or higher is attendance. We expect seniors to achieve a 92% or higher level of attendance, as this will allow us to help your child pass their subjects. So parents sometimes we have to make hard choices in life, to give your child the best possible education, sometimes their school attendance needs to be a family priority as well as a school priority. I hope you can all see the reasoning behind our prioritisation of attendance.

Special mentions

• Mrs Ross is representing our school in the Premiers ANZAC Tour and is delivering tokens from CH schools to France and ANZAC Cove. We wish her all the best!
• Mrs Hume who is doing a great job organising our Senior leaders and student council.
• Steve and Ross who maintain our school and keel our grounds clean.
• Our P&C who have done a fantastic job redeveloping the seating area between F and D block for our younger students. The area looks wonderful.

“Then join hand in hand, brave Australians all!
By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall.” - ANZAC DAY

Have a safe weekend

Ray Clarke
Principal

From the Deputy Principal – Senior School

Term 1 report cards were issued via email on the last day of term 1. If you have not received your child’s report card or would like a hard copy please contact the main office. In the Senior School these reports give a good indication of whether a student is on track for a QCE and if they are meeting our attendance targets.

QCE

For students at Emerald State High School to receive a QCE students must meet the following four conditions:

1. Literacy – students must pass a semester of English subject (either English or English Communication)
2. Numeracy – students must pass a semester of a Maths subject (Maths A, B or C or Prevocational Maths)
3. 20 credits – students accumulate credits by banking 1 credit per subject each semester where a “C” grade or better is awarded
4. Core Credits – 12 of the 20 credits must come from 3 subjects studied continuously (from year 11 to year 12).

For parents of students in the senior school you can assess your child’s eligibility by looking at the report card and checking:

• have they passed their Maths and English subject (C or better)
• have they passed 5 of their 6 subjects (5 subjects x 4 semesters = 20 credits).

If you have answered no to any of these then your child is at risk of not receiving a QCE and it is important that the situation is reviewed. Please contact the school to make a meeting time with me to discuss this situation. I have attached more information regarding the QCE below.

Attendance targets

The school requires that students attend school at least 92% of the time, this equates to approximately 4 days absent each term (16 days each year on top of the 6 weeks holidays given). At the end of a report card the number of days absent are recorded. It is important to note that late arrival or early departure is recorded a ½ day absence. For those students signing in after the first bell this is ½ day absence each time, so being on time does count. Below is more information regarding attendance and how to get a teenager to school.

Parent teacher interviews

Parent-teacher interviews are an opportunity for you to meet and get to know your child's teacher. They are an opportunity to share information about your child’s progress, interests and needs and discuss your child’s learning with their teacher. Parent teacher interviews provide opportunities for you to help the teacher understand more about your child and in return give you the opportunity to become further involved in your child's learning and give support where needed. Parent teacher interviews are scheduled for Wednesday 26th April. Bookings can be made using the link below. If you are unable to make a booking or need assistance, please contact the school office.

ANZAC service

On Monday 24th April our school held our ANZAC service. I would like to acknowledge the hard work by students and staff at our school to pay their respects for our fallen soldiers at the school ANZAC Day service. A huge thank you must go to our Modern History Teacher, Mrs Leanne Ross, and the Year 11 and 12 Modern History students for their time and dedication to ensure a memorable service. Thank you also to Ms Felhaber, Mrs Hunt and the hospitality classes for their involvement in the ceremony.

QCS Test

The QCS test will soon be upon us (29th and 30th August). In preparation for the test any student applying for special consideration must do so urgently, applications close on May 21st. In applying for special consideration students must complete a form and accompany this with a medicate certificate (there is a preferred format). Students wishing to apply for special consideration must see Mrs Fitzgerald (Guidance Officer) within the next two weeks and then keep in contact with her throughout the process. Below is more information regarding applying for special consideration.

Regards

Tanya Shaw
Deputy Principal – Senior School (Acting)

From the Head of Department – English

Welcome to Term Two. I am envisaging that this term will be another very busy yet productive one, especially considering that we have three consecutive short school weeks at the beginning of the term. All students should have received their interim reports. Please contact the school if you have not received an interim report. Parent-teacher interviews will be held on Wednesday 26th April. Interviews can be booked through the SOBS system. Students in years 7 and 9 will be participating in NAPLAN testing in week 4. English Communication students will be having their work moderated in May.

Junior Secondary

Assessment

In term one, students in Years 7-9 created entertaining narrative short stories based on the themes of fantasy, horror and science fiction. Our focus this term has been around expositions or persuasive texts. Students have been busily examining and creating persuasive essays using powerful persuasive devices such as high modality, ethos, logos and pathos. Students in Year 10 English Essentials are currently reading the novel Holes and completing a writing folio. Students in Year 10 English are currently writing a personal reflection based on their experiences of viewing Redfern Now: Stand Up. In their assessment they had to include experiences, ideas, and observations they have had in response to the film studied while referring to the film techniques and discussing what they found confusing, inspiring, difficult, interesting, and why.

Students in junior secondary will have two assessment tasks to complete this term.

Year 7

• Assessment 1 – Students will write a persuasive essay in response to a stimulus.
• Assessment 2 – Students will choose a topic from a selected list and write and present a persuasive oral to their peers.

Year 8

• Assessment 1 – Students will write a persuasive essay in response to a stimulus.
• Assessment 2 – Students will be composing a persuasive letter to the editor to express their opinion and point of view and then present it to the class.

Year 9

• Assessment 1 – Students will write a persuasive essay in response to a stimulus.
• Assessment 2 – Students will write a critical review of the effectiveness of Australian print advertisements and then present their analysis to the class in a well-structured oral.

Reading

Have you signed a homework reading log this week? Students across years 7-9 are now expected to read for 3-4 times per week as part of their homework. Parents/caregivers are asked to sign the homework reading log each week to help support this initiative.

This term we are focussing on how to infer or make inferences. Teachers will be using the ‘think aloud’ strategy and explicit instruction to model how to answer questions that require students to use information from the text and their own knowledge. We will continue to focus on this strategy for the remainder of the term.

Students in years 7-9 will continue to use the ‘Literacy Box’ kits to reinforce their reading comprehension skills, vocabulary and grammar. Some students have been using the SRA kits to challenge their reading and comprehension skills.

Senior Secondary

Drafting and Feedback

As you are all aware, all students have now received an interim report card which indicates their level of achievement, effort and behaviour throughout Term 1. A number of students in Senior English, whether it be English Communication or Board English, did not receive satisfactory results for their English subject. After several discussions with teachers and students, two clear factors were identified.

1. Minimal evidence in the drafting stage and not acting on the feedback given from teachers. Drafting is a vital part of the assessment and feedback process. All assignments have a draft date. Drafting is a process to provide students with feedback on their assessment piece and provide you (parents/carers) with feedback. Teachers also use drafting to ensure that they have a tentative result for students, well before the due date. One of the most critical parts of the learning process is feedback. Feedback is systematic, specific and aimed at showing students how to improve. It is important that feedback is acted upon as it gives the student specific recommendations as to what needs to be improved or if more evidence or analysis is required to enhance their assessment task. Feedback is often written after the draft has been submitted and then handed back to the student. Feedback can also be a discussion as to what the student needs to add to their assessment task.
2. Preparation- being prepared and organised is major contributor towards being a successful learner. It is vital that all students use their diary or have a study plan to organise their time effectively. Class time is also valuable and to have success, students need to participate and use this time efficiently. Teachers plan lessons that demonstrate the content and skills required for each assessment task. If students are unclear about their task then it is essential that they seek help and ask for clarification. Student absence is also huge contributor in students not being prepared to complete their draft or assessment piece. Please ensure that child/children speaks to their teacher to find out if they have missed a vital piece of teaching in regard to their assessment task.

Communication at home

As parents/carers, it is important that we have discussions with our child/children so that we are aware of what they are doing at school. Some of the questions that you may like to ask this term may include:

BEFORE DRAFT DATE:

• What is your assessment task this term in English?
• What are you learning in English? What is your topic?
• When is your draft due?
• Can I see your draft?
• Does your draft meet the required word limit that is on your task sheet?

AFTER DRAFT SUBMISSION:

• Can I read your feedback?
• What advice has your teacher given you to improve your assessment task?
• How have you changed or improved your assessment task before you submit your final piece?
• What feedback did you receive on your final assessment piece?

As my role of HOD, I will continue to monitor students and have conversations regarding drafting and using feedback effectively with all senior students throughout the term. I too will be asking students some of the questions provided above. I would encourage all parents/carers to ask your children about their assessment tasks and when their drafts are due. I would also like to ask you to read the feedback that our teachers spend many hours providing your child/children so that they can enhance their assessment tasks and enable students to have a greater chance of success.

Until next time,

Regards,
Terri Weatherley
Head of Department- English

From the Head of Department – Mathematics

Welcome back to Term 2! It was a busy Term 1 and we are expecting similar workloads this term. Over the last term a huge focus has been on numeracy skills. Especially in years 7-9, our students have been explicitly exposed to numeracy skills every lesson. This has helped with the consolidation of foundations of Mathematics. NAPLAN is around the corner as well. Mid-term our years 7-9 students will sit for the NAPLAN tests. All our classes are preparing for NAPLAN through in class activities and through the Mental Maths books.

At this stage I would encourage students to be consistently prepared for classes (calculators, writing material, text-books). I would also like to stress the need to take time out at home to review work done at school. A “ballpark” figure would be 3x 20min sessions of Maths study per week as a minimum.

In the senior school it is a good time to reflect on the results achieved in Term 1. The students are now getting an idea of whether their subjects are a good fit for them. This term it is important for students to have conversations with their teachers regarding areas of improvement or concern. Organisation and time management are key for the senior school students with multiple exams and assignments coming up.

To everyone, all the best for the term ahead. I would also like to thank all parents/guardians for your continued support with helping us to meet our school’s expectations.

Nahroon Nazim
Head of Department – Mathematics

From the Head of Year – Year 7

Despite the disappointment of last term’s rained out year 7 camp, students enjoyed the variation of school routine and achieved camp goals of developing resilience, team work and leadership skills. It was impressive to observe so many students challenging themselves in activities, particularly the rock climbing. Team work skills were evident as students supported and encouraged their peers to achieve set goals and solve problems.

As expected, sleep on the first night of camp was not something that came easily with students excited to be spending time together. Thus, the disappointment of having to leave camp at the end of the second day had some advantages; an air-conditioned room and a good night’s sleep. On a wet and windy Wednesday, we participated in some fun alternative team activities with all of the year 7s. Students engaged positively in activities that allowed students to lead and contribute to their team.

It is anticipated that the skills developed on camp will continue in the school environment. In addition to developing resilience in team challenges, students were able to consider which of their peers would make good student representatives. Some students took the lead in helping their group find solutions to team challenges, others remained supportive when challenges became difficult or frustrating, and many offered words of encouragement in support of their peers. These are the qualities of a good leader. This term year 7s will be voting on a student from each class to represent them on the student council. When voting, students should consider who demonstrates these qualities, which form part of our 3 Ps in being polite, participating and being prepared.

By now, students will have received an interim report of student achievement. Parents have an opportunity to attend interviews with teachers this Wednesday to discuss student progress. Another assessment of student achievement is the NAPLAN testing which will be in week 4. This is a national assessment of educational achievement in literacy and numeracy. It is an opportunity to identify student strengths and weaknesses. This helps teachers focus on areas that need improvement.

Lastly, it is timely to be reminded of our school values as we reflected on our Australian values on ANZAC Day. Values shape who we are and what we stand for. At Emerald State High School, we are POLITE, we are PREPARED and we PARTICIPATE. The focus for this term is on those who are non-compliant with these values. Students who follow the 3Ps ensure our school is a positive and safe environment to learn and grow.

Mia Gibson
Head of Year 7

From the Head of Year – Year 12

Our second jersey order has been submitted and these will hopefully arrive around week 5 just in time for the cool change in the weather. A reminder that the jerseys are considered part of our school uniform and students may wear them every day.

Our big push at the moment for year 12s is that they are attending every day and submitting drafts and assessment on time. Regardless of whether or not the students are doing university or workplace pathways all students are expected to meet their assessment deadlines. It is giving students a real life understanding of meeting deadlines both in the workplace and at university. It is also an issue of equity if some students get more time than others this can be perceived as an unfair advantage. If students are absent during check dates or assessment dates, then they are expected to follow the school’s extension policy.

The new student car park has been finished and a huge thank you must go to the council for providing this much needed space. All students who are driving to school are expected to park in the designated student car park on Racecourse road from now on. This is to keep parking around the school less congested in the mornings and afternoons when parents are doing the pick-up and drop off. A gate will be installed shortly, until then students will need to use the oval gate on the corner of Loch and Racecourse Rd.

Finally, a reminder that as a part of our year 12 calendar students will have their senior formal on the 15th of November. Please note this is a celebration for students and their parents. Emerald State High School has a closed formal meaning no outside students are invited to our formal proceedings. Students are also expected to meet attendance requirements of 92% to be eligible to attend the formal. Formal and senior jerseys are a reward and recognition for the hard work that students have put in throughout the year, so please ensure your child is attending each and every day as this assist them to get the best possible outcome academically. The students recently voted for this year’s formal theme and have decided upon “Casino Royale”, they are most excited at the prospect of designing their invitations which we hope to have out to parents and students early in term 3.

Regards
Kaz Van Hees
Head of Year 12

Guidance News

Teens and Sleep Problems

Quality sleep is a basic human need important for physical and emotional well-being and general health. For teenagers, sleep has another important role for learning, memory and brain development. Researchers have shown links between sleep, sunlight and mood. They have also investigated how unusual sleep schedules interrupt the body’s circadian rhythm causing difficulties going to sleep and awakening at times commonly required for school and work. Teens appear more vulnerable to blue light emitted from electronic screens and this light is implicated in suppressing the release of the hormone melatonin that promotes the onset of sleepiness. Many teenagers are short on sleep due to busy schedules and time spent chatting and checking social media during prime sleep time. Continual lack of sleep will cause teens to have difficulties concentrating, studying and working and may lead to emotional problems.

How to Help

Seek advice from a doctor if your teenager is tired but appears to have good sleep habits as the tiredness may be caused by a health problem. Lifestyle changes that support good sleeping habits include turning off mobile phones, tablets and computers 30-60 minutes prior to bed time. Reducing daily caffeine, nicotine and alcohol intake and avoiding violent screen based games and movies at night also promotes better sleep.

The Reachout website has a lot of information about sleep including:

Information adapted from:
http://www.cyh.com
http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/sleep-problems.html
http://www.generationnext.com.au
http://www.reachout.com.au

PBL News

At Emerald State High School, we are Polite, we are Prepared and we Participate.

What a great start to term 2 it has been, with many students demonstrating the 3Ps. With parent-teacher interviews coming up, it’s a good time to review the positive behaviours our students are demonstrating and where we can improve.

PBL Focus for the term – POLITE

This term, the focus for our students is on being POLITE. At Emerald State High School, we value politeness from our students as it creates a safe environment where all students are able to learn and grow. A key aspect of being polite that we will be focusing on is compliance. Some examples of compliance are following classroom expectations and completing set tasks. You can support your students in complying with school expectations by asking them to recall these expectations and explain how they can be demonstrated.

VIVO Rewards

On Friday, the PBL team organised a cool reward for our students who have reached Gold, Silver and Bronze status on their VIVO accounts. In order to receive this status, students need to earn a certain number of points. Congratulations to those students who demonstrate our 3Ps, we hope you enjoyed your reward.

VIVO Leaders

Our leaders on the VIVO ladder by house is Topaz with 18,890 points! What a great effort, Topaz. Thanks for demonstrating the 3Ps both inside and outside of the classroom. Keep it up!

Product of the week – Pool Voucher

There are a variety of great prizes in the VIVO shop. This week’s product of the week is the pool vouchers for our local pool. Enjoy the last few weeks of warm weather by cashing in your VIVO points for a pool pass.

If you have any ideas or suggestions for prizes to add to our VIVO shop, we would love to hear them.

From the Library

ICAS

This year, students once again have the opportunity to complete the ICAS, also known as the University of NSW subject competition. The next upcoming one is for Science. The Science ICAS assesses students’ skills in the areas of observing and measuring, interpreting data, applying data, investigating, reasoning and problem solving. It is a multiple choice test which will only take 1 lesson on May 30th. From this, each student will receive a certificate along with an explanation of their results. It is also considered an extra-curricular activity. If your student in any grade 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 $9.90 to the office by May 1st.

BILBY Awards

The BILBY (Book I Love BEST Yearly) Awards shortlist has been announced at the link below. It is suggested that students read through the shortlist and then cast their vote for their favourite later in the year. Happy reading!

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