6 December 2017

Newsletter Articles

From the Principal

Welcome to our last newsletter of the year. I guess it is timely to reflect on the highlights of the year. For me they are many and varied. I can quote quite a few lines of great data that demonstrate our students are progressing at a good rate. I can show some great pictures as well, but for me the school year encompasses so many areas that it is not about one single issue, it’s about one single student. Specifically, I refer to the student(s) you, as parents, send to school.

My hope is that your son or daughter experienced success in some form at ESHS, because at ESHS, Every Student Has Success. I hope they enjoyed success in their classroom, in CH Sport or our school musical, or the myriad of other school events that occur each week and throughout the school year. They may have experienced a sense of pride or success in a school fundraiser, an academic debate, a games competition, in organising a great project or were recognised as student of the week. It’s not about how significant the success is; it is the fact that they had the chance to experience it.

This year I really felt we are coming closer to achieving the goal, - “Every Student Has Success”. The more opportunities we provide the closer we will come to achieving it. If I have to tell you now that we are a great school, I have lost the battle. Our credibility comes from our students’ successes.

Thank you to all the parents who have supported us and made our school a better place. Thank you to those parents who have provided transport and helped out our P&C, we can’t offer sporting or school events without you!

Special Mentions

• To the whole staff at ESHS, they are a great mob to work with and deserve their recognition from the community.
• To our P&C who are relentlessly pursuing awesome options for our students.

A good vacation is over when you begin to yearn for your work. – Morris Fishbein

I wish you all a safe and happy Christmas break

Ray

Ray Clarke
Principal

From the Deputy Principal – Junior School

It has been another busy year for the Junior School in 2018. From Western 7s to ICAS testing, Musical to QMEA challenges our students have represented the school with pride to the highest level. After a number of successes from our students it has been fantastic to welcome our incoming Year 7s into our positive school culture over the past fortnight with our transition days. We currently have over 140 Year 7s enrolled for 2018, which will be our biggest cohort in the past five years. Ben Van Hees will be replacing me as the Junior School (Year 7 and 8) Deputy Principal next year. Ben and I have worked together over the past four years on transition from primary school to high school and the Honours Program. I know that I am leaving your children in very safe and experienced hands next year in this part of the school.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the students, parents and community members that have assisted me in the past five year at Emerald High. Your support has been generous and exceptionally helpful. I would particularly like to thank Sargent Julia Henderson from the PCYC for the thankless hours she has given the school to support our students through sport, the gymnasium and running a re-engagement program for students on suspension. It is people like Julia in the community that make Emerald the friendly, supportive town that it is. I wish you all a safe and relaxed festive period and trust you will have another successful year with the school in 2018.

Hayden Ryan
Deputy Principal – Junior School

From the Head of Department – LOTE & Health and Physical Education

Sport and LOTE what a year they have had…

2017 is quickly coming to an end. It has been an amazing year for both the Japanese and HPE departments. There have been lots of different events that the school has participated in this year and we hope to be able to increase this next year.

Health and Physical Education and sport have been massive again in 2017 at Emerald State High School. Students have represented the school at local, CH, CAP and state level in many different sports both individually and as teams. We also had the largest number of students participate in Western 7s this year and came away with a few wins. A massive congrats to all the students who have participated and to all the staff that have been coaches, managers, and helpers this year.

The Japanese department started the year with having students and teachers from Japan visit in February. This was then followed in the middle of the year with some year 7 and 8 students having conversations over Skype at the council office with an English Camp in Ichinoseki Japan. The students really enjoyed being able to use their Japanese and also learning about Japan from students their age. In September holidays 8 students and 2 teachers went to Japan for 2 weeks to reciprocate the visit from earlier in the year. They participated in a week of homestay and then toured around Japan. We hope to be able to continue some of these events in the years to come.

The HPE and LOTE Departments wish everyone a safe and happy holiday.

Bek Comollatti
Head of Department – LOTE & Health and Physical Education

From the Head of Department –Science

As always, this term was a busy one and in this newsletter, I want to share with you the accomplishments of this year and our goals for next year. Some of the highlights of the Science faculty this term was that most of the teachers received performance feedback via classroom profiling, PBL and SoPs walkthroughs and class observations. The teachers worked tirelessly to identify and manage senior science OP students at risk of failing, which resulted in 100% of the year 12 students attaining a QCE. Our key focus next year will be to promote science learning even further to increase the percentage uptake of science subjects in secondary schooling.

Sadly, we have four Science/Maths staff transferring out of the school this year, all of them leaving us with big holes to fill. After 4 years of teaching senior Biology and junior Sciences at Emerald SHS, Jesse Bowcock is leaving for Sunshine Coast. In addition to this, Katelyn Carter and Andrew Gardiner, both senior Biology and junior Science/Maths teachers are leaving and joining schools in Brisbane. Sharyn Cabrera, a junior Maths and Science teacher, is also heading to Brisbane. We wish them all the best in all of their future activities.

I would like to express my sincerest thanks to all Science teachers for organising and delivering exciting and engaging lessons, and everyone in the team for their professionalism. I know that the true value of our commitment to the education of our kids will be enormous and will be evident in the years to come. To the students, I must say that nothing can compete with the joyous moments you spend in the school. No matter how much you think you hate school, you will miss it when you leave.

I wish everyone a restful and replenishing summer break with friends and families.

Aneel Dewan
Head of Department – Science

From the Head of Year – Year 11

It has been a very busy term for the year 11s, they have had leadership elections, leadership camp and have taken their final pieces of assessment for their subjects.

Leadership camp was a real journey. Students were required to work together to achieve some difficult tasks (some involving construction with Lego). They had to overcome their fears of darkness, heights and claustrophobia at the Capricorn Caves. Students were squeezed through very narrow tunnels; one of which required Mr Bowcock to lose his shoes to fit through. They had a chance to see the Great Barrier Reef in all its splendour when they snorkelled at Great Keppel Island. They also got to let down their hair on the boom net ride on the way back. The camp was big adventure that revealed the challenges, responsibilities and requirements of leadership.

Leadership applicants had to provide a profile, attend an interview and present their speech for the student and teacher vote. The leadership speeches were incredible this year, it’s such an honour to be working with such a talented cohort of students. The selection process was very tough and I am proud to announce our leadership team.

School Captains: Kyle Jordan & Andi-Lee Cilliers
Vice Captains: Brooklyn Shulz & Jamie Whittington
SRC President: Taylah Chant
SRC Vice President: Chloe Ecker
Indigenous Leader: Malyce McKeon

The year 11s have taken their final exams, which will be carried over to their year 12 OP calculations. They have worked very hard this term and I wish them good luck next year

Jesse Bowcock
Head of Year 11

From the Head of Year – Year 8

As our students are going through their final week for 2017 we find ourselves looking back and reflecting on what was a busy but a very successful year for our year 8s. The juniors are now participating in alternate activities for the week with students starting off doing Maths and Science activities. It has been excellent to see the year 8s getting involved in the activities such as egg drop challenges, coin toss and robotics activities. I must remind students that although it is the final week of the year that does not mean we can stop exercising our 3 Ps in everything we do. We must continue to be polite to our teachers and other students as this is something that we need in order to be successful and work in harmony in a very diverse world.

A big congratulations must go to our newly elected junior secondary leadership team for 2018. Darci Ryan and Paxton Hayes have been elected by our student body and their teachers as the junior school captains for 2018. I am sure they and the rest of the leadership team will do a great job. As I have often told the year 8s on year parade, just because they are not all elected leaders does not mean that they cannot all be leaders. It is important that as a cohort we continue to act as role models for our younger students and continue to encourage participation from all students.

In case you haven’t heard already, I will be heading back home to Brisbane to teach from next year. It will be sad to leave the students I have had the pleasure of teaching and of course the wonderful staff I have worked with over the past 2 years. I’m sure that in my absence our grade 8s will grow into successful young adults that will do Emerald State High School proud. From next year Cheryl Bland will be taking over as year manager and I’m sure she will do a fantastic job as she has taught many of the year 8s and knows them very well. Good luck Cheryl!

I hope all our students and their families have a wonderful summer break and enjoy the time off. You have earnt it! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Andrew Gardner
Head of Year 8

From the Head of Year – Year 7

It is hard to believe that our year 7s have almost completed their first year of high school. It is pleasing to note the growth of many students who demonstrate both resilience and leadership in their participation in school life. We aim to further nurture this growth as they continue to engage in high school activities.

Early next year, we have our planned year 8 camp to Kinchant Dam Outdoor Educational Centre in week 6 of Term 1, 2018. At this stage we estimate costs to be between $250 and $300, with support from the P&C. Costs covers a range of activities, all meals and transport to and from Kinchant Dam Outdoor Education Centre. We will be able to provide more accurate costing after we know how many students will be attending. Students will receive further information about this camp early in the new year.

In the last week of the school year, departments have planned engaging activities for students to participate in, with many of our year 7 students being invited to attend a movie on Thursday in recognition of their good behaviour and attendance.

I hope the year 7s enjoy spending some quality time with their families over the Christmas break and return refreshed and energetic to begin year 8 in 2018. I look forward to working with our cohort as they progress into year 8 and the challenges ahead.

Mia Gibson
Head of Year 7

Industrial Technology & Design News

With the end of the year looming the ITD department has been finalising the students projects and cleaning out the workshops. You will find that all the students that have paid their fees will be coming home with the projects they have built over the term.

In engineering, the Year 12s finished work on their major assessment item for the year with the final welding and assembly stages being the final steps. It was a pleasure to see them striving to make a product of a high quality that they will keep for many years after they graduate. The Year 11s are working their way through the Blue Dog training course that we have started delivering this year. It is a predominately digitally delivered course, except for the practical aspects which are all photographed and uploaded online, giving students a nice digital folio of work on completion of Year 12.

The Year 12 furnishing students completed their dartboard cabinets and while the Year 11s completed chessboards, which included learning to laminate timber together to make patterned tops.

The Year 7s and 8s have again had a busy term completing their LED light boards and desk tidies. The Year 9 ITD students have been working hard as well, completing a range of projects over the term.

Library News

Textbooks

As students come to the end of the school year, they are reminded that they need to return all school resources to the library before they go on holidays. This includes graphics calculators as well as textbooks, novels, graphic novels, magazines and other research texts.

Community Events

Scripture Union Wet n Wild water ski camp

What a way to kick off the new year in style! Water skiing, tubing, knee boarding and wakeboarding to your heat’s content! Meet new people and learn about Jesus in the process.

When: January 8-12, 2018
Where: Fairbairn Dam, with accommodation at Emerald Christian College
What: a week to learn about Jesus, and to improve or learn how to ski, wakeboard, tube, or kneeboard!
Who: high school students who’ve finished grade 7-12 in 2017.

More info can be found via the link below: