24 May 2017
Newsletter Articles
From the Principal
Welcome to this fortnight’s newsletter. The last fortnight has been a typical one for ESHS during term 2. Much of the school planning is being implemented and systemic priorities are being implemented for the year. Hence staff and students are engaging in improving the teaching and learning that occurs at our school. By now, you may be aware that another landmark education shift is occurring in QLD. Just like in 2015 when we took in Year 7s, in 2019 we will commence aligning with the national senior school system by moving from OP ratings to ATAR (national ratings for university entrance). This will require the rewriting of all QCAA senior subjects which has already commenced and are due to be completed by October this year. We will keep you updated regularly about this significant change and how it will affect your child’s education.
During the last two weeks, our intrepid Year 12 Geography class visited Brisbane, our seniors heard from the University of Queensland representatives and our Drama students and other classes saw the magnificent Bell Shakespeare group perform. During this time, our Year 7s and 9s completed their NAPLAN tests. I hope you also saw on Facebook our school band and school leaders meeting the Prime Minister. It was also a great privilege for our band to play for the PM last Friday afternoon.
Special Mentions:
- Thank you to Mrs Van Hees for organising the year 12 Geography Excursion.
- Congratulations to Charlie Lawlor and Dylan Fox for gaining selection in the Capricornia Rugby Union 11-12yrs
- Special thankyou to Mrs and Jones and Miss Felhaber for organising our band to play for the Prime Minster last Friday afternoon
- Thank you to our cleaning ladies who do a great job each day cleaning our school.
Let’s get reading!
The 2017 Premier’s Reading Challenge for Prep to Year 9 students runs from 15 May–25 August. Fuelling imagination and helping develop early language are just two of the benefits of experiencing, sharing and reading books. By registering to take part in this year’s challenge schools can help to foster a lifelong passion for reading and learning for their students. Parents can also take part by encouraging reading at home. Help us reach our target of 2.5 million books to be read across Queensland by August 2017. Students can see Mrs Galea in the library to get involved.
Caution — Netflix TV series 13 Reasons Why
headspace School Support is urging school communities and parents to be aware of the risks associated with children and young people watching the newly aired Netflix TV series, 13 Reasons Why. Due to the sensitive nature of the show’s content and its focus on suicide, there are concerns that the show may trigger high levels of distress including suicidal thoughts or feelings amongst its viewers, particularly children and young people. Parents are encouraged to be aware of the risks associated with their child viewing the series. For information about ways to support your child should they express concerns around their own mental health, refer to the following:
http://www.eheadspace.org.au
http://www.kidshelp.com.au/
http://www.headspace.org.au/assets/School-Support/How-to-talk-about-suicide-with-young-people.pdf
Grief: how young people may respond to suicide:
http://www.headspace.org.au/assets/Uploads/Corporate/Grief-How-young-people-might-respond-to-a-suicide-web.pdf
“The only thing that's the
end of the world is the end of the world.”
– President Barack Obama, farewell press
conference, 2017 January 18th
Have a safe weekend,
Ray Clarke
Principal
From the Deputy Principal – Middle School
I was immensely proud of our students at ANZAC day this year. I had the privilege to accompany over forty students at the dawn service to pay our respects to the men and women that were and still are members of our armed services. The respect that our students demonstrated gave a true representation of the quality of the students at Emerald State High School.
Emerald State High School is a Positive Behaviour School(PBL). This does not mean we experience only good behaviour, rather that we dedicated time each week to teach specific behaviour expectations and make sure that every week we are recognising the good behaviour our students are exhibiting. Our behaviour focus this term is student Non-Compliance specifically following their teacher’s instructions the first time and taking ownership of their behaviour by completing the associated consequence.
Last fortnight our Year 7 and Year 9 students participated in the nationwide NAPLAN test. They worked particularly well on Tuesday completing the Language Conventions and the Writing test. We thank the Heads of Year for their work in providing breakfast for them before they started.
Brendan Shannon
Deputy Principal – Middle School
From the Head of Year – Year 11
The year 11’s are having another great term so far. Preparations are being made for the new senior jerseys, students are very excited about designing the jerseys and are entertaining the possibility of a jacket to accompany the jersey. Preparations for leadership camp are being made this year. Students interested in leadership at ESHS will have an opportunity to go to Yeppoon and participate in a range of leadership and team building exercises. Some examples include; snorkelling at Great Keppel, high ropes and cave exploration at the Capricorn Caves and various teamwork activities. Students interested can sign up using the sign up from outside of the A block staffroom, there are already 25 sign ups and counting!
A reminder that at this stage in their schooling attendance is very important, students who miss out on lessons often will fall behind. Students need to make conscientious efforts to catch up on missed work and Homework Club on Monday and Wednesday are a great opportunity to do so.
Jesse Bowcock
Head of Year 11
Maths News
Year 7
Currently our Year 7 cohort are working hard on Algebra and Probability.
Students playing “N-counters” trying to use probability to better their chances of winning.
Creating algebraic expressions using paddlepop sticks.
Year 8
Year 8 have been working diligently in preparation for their algebra exam and are now moving on to area and perimeter in geometry.
Year 9
Our year 9 cohort has just finished studying probability and are now moving onto linear relationships.
Year 10
Maths Essentials
Students have just completed their probability assignment and are now moving onto studying mean, median and mode in statistics and graphing different types of data.
General Maths
This term in general maths the students studying probability and will be having their exam in week 8.
Maths Methods
Year 10 Maths Methods are studying advanced trigonometry, including sine and cosine rule for non-right angled triangles and Pythagoras’ theorem for 3D Shapes.
Specialist Maths
Year 10 Specialist maths are looking at matrix operations, surds and vectors in preparation for their exam in week 8.
Year 11
PVM: Students are currently working on an assignment using statistics to analyse their own health and fitness.
Maths A: Year 11 Maths A are currently studying graphs and scale models leading up to their exam in exam block.
Maths B: Maths B are currently looking at logarithms, quadratics and trigonometry in preparation for their exam.
Maths C: Students are studying Combinatrics, permutations, sequences, matrices in preparation for their in exam in week 8/9.
Year 12
PVM: Year 12 PVM are looking at factors and costs associated with running a small business.
Maths A: Maths A have just finished their assignment and are now studying compound interest, superannuation, depreciation and inflation. Exam will be during exam block.
Maths B: Year 12 Maths B have been studying differentiation of logarithms and exponential functions.
Maths C: We are doing approximation using numerical methods, proofs using complex numbers and also working on designing a trophy (rugby world cup) involving ellipsoids.
Science News
In science over the last few weeks…
Year 10 students have been examining fundamental chemistry concepts for their upcoming exam. Topics include periodicity, reaction types and factors that affect reaction rate.
The year 11 chemistry students are completing their extended response task (ERT) on metals and mining. In this unit students examined a specific metal; from its physical and chemical properties through to the chemistry involved in producing the metal from its ore.
The year 12 chemistry students are working through their scientific reports for the extended experimental investigation (EEI) they have been conducting this term. The students were able to experiment with any and all of the resources available in the school. This allows the students to be very creative, however the students had to first design and document a suitable and safe experimental method. The experiment also had to provide suitable quantitative data for the students to be able to analyse at the conclusion of the experiment. One group of students conducted an experiment that examined the effect different types of sugars has on the energy output of a rocket fuel mixture.
The year 12 science in practice classes have been learning about food, including nutrients, digestive enzymes, the digestive system and the amounts of energy in food. At the moment students are planning a meal to bring in to school; analyse for energy, nutrients and a balance between food groups and finally consume.
Special Education Program News
The Emerald show is fast approaching and due to last year’s success, we hope to have a variety of entries again this year. The garden beds we repurposed round the SEP building last year have been planted with a variety of vegetables and herbs. Our students have also had visits to the Ag Plot to assess the quality of citrus we have growing, in hope of entering some samples.
Thanks goes to Mitre 10 for the grant we received. This grant is to the value of $5000 for the SEP. Martine Shelton and Gabby Hunt have also received two of the sixteen available Edna Fury Grant’s from the Learning Support Teacher’s Association of Queensland. These grants are towards professional development for 2017.
New lockable doors have been added between the classroom areas and the kitchen in the SEP building. These have replaced the concertina doors and provide a safer environment for our staff and students.
Our students are enjoying music therapy sessions twice a week thanks to Jacinda Fehlhaber. We have just unpacked new glockenspiels and Boomwacker tuned percussion tubes, which the students are very excited to start using in their lessons. Students also thoroughly enjoyed watching the performance put on by the Bell Shakespeare company from Sydney. The performance was about Shakespeare and his life’s works.
School-based apprenticeships, traineeships & work experience news
Emerald State High School would like to congratulate the following students signing with local businesses to complete a school-based apprenticeship/traineeship.
Week 9 will see year 10 students entering the workplace to complete work experience as a part of the workplace practices class; this gives students the opportunity to see what the industry of their chosen field is like to work in. This will assist with choosing the subject they would like to study over year 11 and 12.
Emerald State High would like to thank the following businesses for their assistance with the work experience program for Term 2.
G’Day USA News
Library News
The Premier’s Reading Challenge has been set for students in Year 7 to 9 to read 15 books (print/electronic/graphic) before August 25th. If they meet the challenge, students will receive a certificate of congratulations and it will be recorded as an extra-curricular activity that they have participated in. If students would like to participate, they should see Mrs Galea in the library for a recording form.
Sports News
Congratulations to Nicholas Kerswell on his selection in to the Combined State Schools U18 Rugby Union team.
After the delay due to Cyclone Debbie, our school Cross Country and Fun Run was completed in week one of this term. Students running competitively did exceptionally well and a number of them were nominated for CH trials that were held on the 5th May. Congratulations to Jett Williams, Ryan Ridgeway, Mercadezs Wilson, Curtis Bennett and Even Reinke who have been selected in the CHSS team to compete at CAP trials on the 30th May in Mackay. Emerald State High School would like to say a huge thank you to the Emerald Fire Station and Snap Fitness for running activities at our Fun Run. It was great to have the support of the community to help run this event.
The school athletics carnival is set to be on the 21st June. With students currently working on their development in field events we look forward to being able to send students to represent the school at the CHSS trials as they will be held in Emerald this year.
“If you run in to a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” Michael Jordan.
Community Events
