17 October 2018

Newsletter Articles

From the Principal

Welcome to this fortnight’s newsletter. As I write this, after travelling overseas for the last month, I have reflected on how good our life is here in Australia and in Queensland. We don’t have significant shootings every night, we don’t have the intense poverty of other nations and we do have a modern economy with relatively high standards of living compared to many countries. We have a free health system and a minimum wage, whereas many do not. So what we are aiming for at school is to widen the employment opportunities in the future for our exiting students, specifically our Year 12s this year. We want every Year 12 to graduate with a QCE, as we know it will widen their job opportunities. We want them to go into the workforce or onto tertiary education full of confidence in their abilities. Those are our goals, and we can only achieve them with the assistance of our parents, over time. Good luck to our Year 12s in their final month of secondary education.

Earlier this year, Mr Bahr organised a junior school Maths competition as you may remember. ESHS took first place in this. Mr Bahr had been preparing our teams for a few weeks leading up to the event. The scores for our team were very high compared to schools around the state. Consequently, our team has been invited to take part in the State finals in Brisbane in October. This is exciting news especially as this is the first time ever that this has happened. Congratulations to Mr Bahr and the Maths team: Alex Tucker, Rian Pout, Hayden Strike.

Special Mentions

Aimee Maddox has been awarded an Excellence Award for Creative Generation. This means that she will have her artwork in the Gallery of Modern Art in 2019. She is one of 38 students in the whole of Queensland selected for this. Please congratulate her if you see her.

Andi-Lee Cilliers has been awarded a $173,000.00 scholarship to study an International Relations and Law degree at Bond University. Congratulations to Andi-Lee and her teachers for such an awesome achievement.

A message for parents

We want to make sure everyone is aware that this year everyone will get a My Health Record, unless they advise they don’t want one. What do I have to do? You don’t have to do anything. A secure My Health Record will be created by the end of 2018 if you have a Medicare or Department of Veterans’ Affairs card. However, if you do not want a My Health Record, let the relevant people know by 15 November 2018 by visiting their website MyHealthRecord.gov.au or calling the helpline on 1800 723 471.

Fall seven times, stand up eight – Japanese Proverb
All the best & have a safe weekend,
Ray Clarke
Principal

From the Middle School Deputy Principal

Oral Health

Please find attached copies of the Parent letter and Medical consent form that was sent home with students on Wednesday 10 October. If you would like to use the free Dental Service, please ensure that the 2 forms are completed and returned to our school office. These can be accepted after the due date of 15 October. Note that this service will be provided at Emerald Hospital.

PBL – Focus for weeks 1 and 2 of term 4:

Students will be able to identify what it means to follow staff instructions promptly.

And we will know that students have successfully understood this if Students will display what it means to follow staff instructions promptly.

I have attached a copy of the power point that I talked to on parade in both week 1 and week 2 for you to have a look at. This lesson was then delivered by individual teachers outlining their expectations.

ACADEMIC AWARDS WK 4 – WEDNESDAY 31 OCTOBER

The lists have gone up for students to check with regards to achieving a GOLD, SILVER or BRONZE academic award. There were approximately 360 students who have achieved these high honours.

Students have until Friday to let me know if they believe that they have been omitted from the list.

The criteria for achieving academic excellence is:

NB These awards are based on results as at the end of term 3.

ACADEMIC AWARDS

In all subjects, students must pass to be initially considered as eligible (ie. At least a C in level of achievement)

Awards are calculated using the overall achievement in the best 6 subject/units reported on term 3 report card. A points system is used to calculate gold and silver. A = 3, B = 2, C = 1. For VET subjects students who have successfully completed 100% of competencies to date are awarded 3 point, 75% are awarded 2 points and 50% are awarded 1 point. Where students study less subjects, the table below will be used to determine awards.

Prize: Cup, Pin and Certificate

2019 Timetable

After multiple versions of draft timetables the HODs and I have set the line structures for each year level. Students in year 10 have begun their subject selection for 2019. To date there are approximately 30 students who are still to choose subjects. These can be done at home by accessing oneschool at mis.eq.edu.au. SetPlan interviews will now be later and a letter will go home to parents outlining times and structure. To prepare for this, please let your child in year 10 know of the best time to schedule a meeting (7:30am – 10:30am) or (3:30pm – 6:30pm) for a half an hour time slot. Their PC teacher will be asking for this information so that I can plan a roster for these interviews.

Gaye Saunders
Deputy Principal – Middle School

From the Head of Year 12

Our year 12s have overcome the QCS test, most of their major assessment, and are now looking down the barrel of their final term of secondary schooling. The challenge for many of them this term will be remaining focused when the end is so close. Our students should remember that these assessments will still affect their final results, and their efforts this term are necessary for them to finish year 12 strongly.

In preparation for the formal on the 14th of November, those year 12 students who intend to attend the formal will be doing some dance practise with Mrs Sam Elsden on Friday of weeks 3 and 5. Students have received a timetable for term four which shows all of the events that are coming up so that they can be prepared for them and aware of what’s ahead. The light at the end of the tunnel for many students is the formal and graduation. The graduation ceremony will be held on the morning of November 16th and there will be a morning tea following the ceremony. We look forward to seeing you there and saying farewell to the class of 2018.

Callum Tyack
Head of Year 12

From the Attendance Officer

CHANGE OF PARENT CONTACT DETAILS

Do you have a new mobile phone and number? Do you have a new job? Is your child/ren’s medical information current? Have you moved house? Are you using a new email address? Have any of your contact numbers changed? Are your Emergency Contacts current? Especially if you are leaving the country and your children are staying with a family member or friend. If any of these apply to you, please fill out the attached Change of Parent Contact Details Form then email or drop it off at the office and we will update our records so your details are current. Please remember to contact the school if any of these details change.

LATE ARRIVAL / EARLY DEPARTURE

Arrival

Emerald State High School’s Warning Bell sounds at 8:45am. All PC Classes or Parade/s commence at 8:50am. If a student arrives after 9:00am, they must present to the office to receive a printed late slip to supply to their Period 1 Teacher. This will activate their electronic roll as per their timetable.

Off Campus Students, if your scheduled training program is cancelled or for whatever reason you present at school please sign in at the office so your timetable can be activated for roll marking.

Departure

When a parent/carer is collecting a student during the day, please call in at the office first. The student/s will be signed out electronically. Please advise if returning to school.

STUDENT MESSAGES

Administration cannot guarantee that a student message will be passed on if phoned in after 2:00pm.

From the Head of English

With the end of the year approaching, it is important for our students to continue their diligent approach to their studies. Year 12 English students have one final reflective assessment for English, involving an analysis of a documentary about children brought up in poverty within the red light district in India. A reflection on our own upbringing, allows us to appreciate the importance of education in breaking the poverty cycle and providing hope for a better future for these children. Year 12 English communication students are reflecting on their own experiences and influences in their life. As this stage of their life is almost at an end, it is an opportunity to reflect on their strengths as they consider the next stages of their life. Year 11 English communication students are also working on the last of their assignments. They must ‘pitch’ their board game to a panel of experts, with a view to receiving funding for their idea. The skill of ‘pitching’ positive qualities, for the purpose of being selected, will be beneficial when they enter the workforce, where they will have to demonstrate their own positive attributes to get a job in a competitive market.

With the exception of Year 8, English students are reading a novel or play for their final assessment. While students read in class, it is important that they are also reading for homework. Reading for 20 minutes a day is invaluable in improving English skills. Year 8 students are exploring digital texts, with an emphasis on language and images that are used to influence the viewer. Year 8 students will also be practicing their writing skills with a view to improving NAPLAN results in this area. For persuasive tasks, students are encouraged to use TEEL structure for body paragraphs. Every student should be able to explain TEEL.

In addition to planning and delivering the current curriculum, teachers are focused on planning engaging lessons for the implementation of the new SATE curriculum for Senior students, commencing next year. We are excited about the new curriculum and welcome the opportunity to deliver interesting and engaging lessons for students. In English, some of the key changes are:

• There are less assessment items allowing students to engage in the content in more depth;
• For Year 12 English students, the final task will be an external exam, with teachers having no knowledge of the exam question;
• For Year 12 Essential English students, there will be a Common Internal Assessment, whereby the Exam will be provided by the QCAA to schools so that students across Queensland will all be doing the same exam;
• Oral assessment may be pre-recorded, rather than delivered live in front of the class; and
• Student work will be randomly selected for verification of results by the QCAA.

It is an exciting time to be teaching English and we welcome the opportunity to improve our curriculum.

Mia Gibsom
Head of Department – English

From the Head of Maths

Welcome to term four!

The end of term is fast approaching for our year 12s. With their final assessments scheduled to start at the end of week 4, our year 1’s are understandably very busy completing all requirements towards their graduation. This is a good time to remember that the last few assessments are equally important to the previous ones. Consistency with regards to effort and time management are key to coming out with good results. We wish our year 12’s the very best for the future.

Year 11’s are now gearing for their biggest year ahead. A suggestion is to keep up study routines, as a guideline 20-30mins, x 3 a week study sessions should be a minimum.

The year 10s also have a huge task ahead of them. As we are aware they are the first cohort to go into our NEW QCE system. Subject selections and future pathways are some priorities for the year 10s at this stage. Currently, we are busy identifying appropriate subjects for next year. Aligning subjects to possible future pathways will ensure best outcomes for the year 10s.

Our junior school (year 7, 8 and 9) classes are preparing for final assessments this term. The year 9s will also be indicating potential subjects that they may want to sample next year. Again, this will be finalised in due course.

I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Alexander Tucker (7F), Rian Pout (8F) and Hayden Strike (8F) for reaching the State Final of the QAMT Year 7/8 Maths Quiz. Last term, these students won the local round held at ESHS where they competed against other schools from the Central Highlands.

Rian Pout (8F), Hayden Strike (8F) and Alex Tucker (7F) after winning the local round of the QAMT Yr 7/8 Maths Quiz

The State Final takes place at the University of Queensland in Brisbane on the 25th of October. Alex, Rian and Hayden will fly to Brisbane with Mr Bhar to compete against schools from across the state. This is a big step-up and a great opportunity for the boys to represent the school and the region. In preparation, they are giving up their lunch times to practice with Mr Bhar and we wish them the very best of luck.

As a Maths department, we have had a successful year. The majority of our students have shown relative gain with regards to their results. We have noticed increased engagement with Mathematics and hope that going forward we will achieve greater results. I thank the parents/guardians for their continued support and encouragement towards the school.

Nahroon Nazim
Head of Department – Maths

Computing News

Improving technologies help us to keep up to date with our ever-changing lives. Here at Emerald State High School we have been endeavouring to supply the students with the software, hardware and knowledge to help propel them with confidence into the workforce. We have recently been lucky enough to receive an entire classroom of new computers recently. These updated, fast and quality machines help the students to improve their own skills as fast as the computers themselves are improving.

There has been a focus on younger (who are sometimes the most adept) students in the world of Robotics and Engineering. Students in years 8 and 9 have taken on the challenge of investigating drones. This investigation takes the students into the fields of exactly how a drone is constructed and how to pilot the drone in terms of operational skill and the theory of evolving airspace laws.

This term they will cover the theory of Drone software coding and operations along with modern airspace laws that are on the forefront of a multitude of disciplines. In order to assess the practical skills the students accrue throughout the term, each class will be creating an obstacle course to navigate through. Students will be asked to evaluate how best to construct their obstacle course and how to navigate said courses. Finally, after a thorough introduction to drones and done theory, students investigate the different uses and application of drones in a multitude of evolving disciplines.

They say that we teach students the skills for careers that have not been invented yet. That is the goal that we in the Robotics department strive to deliver.

Science News

In Term 4 you will see a variety of topics being covered in Junior and Senior Science.

It is a good time to remind all students in both Junior and Senior that all assessments are equally important and working to timelines and deadlines are important.

Junior grades are covering areas such as Biology and Chemistry and senior grades continuing through their subject specific topics.

In Year 7 students will be looking at classification and dichotomous keys during the first half of the term and then continuing on with food webs/chains in the last half of the term. In Year 8 students are exploring animal and plant cells and systems throughout the whole term. In Year 9 students are looking at chemistry and looking at chemical reactions and chemical equations. Assessment will begin in Week 4 for this unit of work.

The end of the school year is fast approaching for the Year 12s with their assessment all being due on or around Week 4.

Thank you for all your support throughout the year.

Special Education Program News

Welcome back to term 4. This term we will be having a number of transition days for our new year 7 students. Please make them feel welcome if you see them around the school.

We are excited to be introducing a new anger management course to some of our students. RAGE is a strengths-based solution focused program that is hands on, practical and also fun for kids.

We are also running a cyber-safety and cyber-bullying program. If your child is being bullied on line, some tips that might help are:

1. Stay calm: Your child needs to be able to talk to you and know that you’ll be calm, thoughtful and helpful in your response.
2. Evaluate the situation: It’s important to know exactly what’s going on before you can work out what to do next. Is it a few off hand remarks, or is it something more serious?
3. Understand how your child is being affected: If your child is upset about a situation, let them know that you understand and it’s OK to be upset.
4. Don’t take away the technology: Taking away your child’s laptop or mobile phone can alienate them from their most important support network – their peers.
5. Work through a plan together: you can get cyberbullying material removed either by contacting the social media service it happened on or by reporting it to the Office of the eSafety Commissioner

P & C News

Emerald State High School prepares for its 50th year! (From CQ News)

It was a blast from the past when Lynne Spackman (Dahlenburg), Donna Lewis (Mattingley), Gayette Shaw (Sager) and Andrew Hawkins recently walked through the gates of Emerald State High School. Part of the original year 8 cohort that started at the school in 1969, they were invited to the school for a tour run by current year 7 students in preparation for the 50th jubilee celebrations next year.

Donna Lewis remembers that the class all walked from Emerald State School (where the secondary department had been) and were counted off into three separate classes. Back then, only A and B blocks were constructed and C and D were built during the first year. Some students enjoyed cream buns and pies for lunch at the tuckshop and some walked across the road to the corner store for lunch.

Andrew Hawkins remembers boarding at the CWA Hostel (building near the hospital) during school time. He also spoke about how they were all billeted out to homes that were lucky enough to have televisions so they could all watch the moon landing.

The year 7 students who all have a long family history of attending the school, Madison Powell, Indie Logovik and Declan O'Sullivan, made the perfect tour guides, showing off the different rooms and what had changed over the years. Of particular interest was the computer labs (which used to be the only classrooms), the gym, the newly renovated hall as well as the hospitality and industrial skills rooms. The group also had a private performance from the school symphonic band, something that was not yet available in 1969.

The guests reminisced about the subjects that were on offer when they were at school which included an academic stream of mostly science subjects, a commercial stream that included short-hand, typing and home-economics or a manual arts stream that included woodwork, metal work and tech drawing. They were impressed that the range now includes more technology, physical education and creative arts options.

Finally, the group viewed the area set aside for the jubilee paving area. This will provide a unique opportunity for individuals or families to have their name engraved onto a paver to be placed in the school. Individuals and families also have an opportunity to contribute stories and pictures to the history book that is being created. Please email emeraldshsjubilee@gmail.com with anything you may have.

The jubilee committee have been putting plans in place for a weekend of catching up and remembering the times at Emerald State High School. An evening reunion event will be held on the 28th of June. Tickets will be on sale early in the new year. An open day at the school for past and present students, staff and the whole community will be held on Saturday the 29th of June. Sponsorship opportunities are available for businesses and more information can be found on the Facebook page.

ESHS Bites

If you have noticed a slight buzz around school last week it may have been due to the changes installed in the Tuckshop over the holiday break. Recently the P&C committee upgraded the point of sale equipment in the tuckshop and have introduced EFTPOS facilities for both students and staff. The tuckshop subcommittee also spent some considerable time on the holidays revamping the tuckshop menu to better align with the Queensland Association of School Tuckshops (QAST) guidelines. This was completed with the assistance from the survey results received from students and staff last term – so hopefully you will find many of your suggestions on the new menu!

Those who completed a survey were entered into a draw to receive a $20 tuckshop voucher and the winners for each year level were;

Year 7 – Peter Whalan
Year 8 – Charlotte Paxton
Year 9 – Beau Ingram
Year 10 – Hailee Hertsch
Year 11 – Piper Rodda
Year 12 – T iesaki Lohia
Staff – Jane Hooper

If you would like more details on the Casual Tuckshop Assistant position recently advertised by the P&C Committee, please do not hesitate to contact the Secretary at secretarypandceshs@gmail.com. A copy of the position description can be forwarded to you on request.

SHADY DEALS

The holidays also saw the installation of new shade sails between B and C block. The P&C committee along with the school provided the funds to have the new sails put in place and they will be a welcome relief as we head towards the warmer weather.

Help Needed

Don’t forget our next big fundraiser which is our Oktoberfest. This event will be held on the 26th of October at the Irish Tavern and is sure to be a wonderful night. The committee are keen to hear from any interested people who would like to help with the function in the lead up or on the night. Please contact the Bede Horsfall via the school office if you are interested in assisting or contact the committee via email at secretarypandceshs@gmail.com.

Community Events

This film follows the story of Kevin Hones who, at 19, attempted to take his life by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge. 17 years later, he still struggles with many of the same symptoms that led him to attempt to take his life, but is on a mission to use his story to help others stay alive. In this film, Kevin takes a journey to better understand the ripple effects that his actions had on his family, friends, and the first responders who helped saved him. Staff from Stand By, who provide support to anyone impacted by suicide, will be present at this screening. Tickets need to be pre-purchased from the link below with a minimum needed to be purchased by 10am on October 19th for the screening to go ahead. If not enough tickets are sold, money will be refunded so there’s no risk in buying a ticket. Get yours today!