13 August 2019

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Dear friends of Emerald High

We have had a huge but exciting few weeks at Emerald High and lots of exciting opportunities for our young people.

The highlight event was of course our Musical, which was, in a word, AMAZING! We have so much talent in our student (and staff) ranks in our school, and we saw this talent shine brightly for all to see at the musical. My very sincere thanks to Chloe Prior, Jacinda Fehlhaber, Lucy Ferrara, Tim Deffner, Dana Jones, Caitlin Ross, Vivien Blignaut and the host of staff, students, parents and community members who all worked together to create this outstanding and memorable event. It was sensational!

Last week also saw some more exciting opportunities for our young people - the CH Regional Council supported us with the conduct of an activity whereby our students interacted live with students in Japan, conversing in both English and Japanese. Thank you to Rebecca Pillay and Riley Neill for their work in leading this opportunity and to the Council for their support.

Rajiv Bahr coordinated both the QMEA STEM4Schools extension program for our science students and the QAMT Maths Competition. Thank you Rajiv!

This week saw the conduct of our Careers Expo, a wonderful opportunity for our senior students to experience first-hand some of the career pathways available to them. I thank Alarna Wills, Annette Carter and the many staff who assisted for their work making this event a reality.

This week we also welcome a new teacher to our school, Jess Wybird, who has come to beautiful Emerald from Atherton. Welcome Jess!

Our seniors also had the opportunity to hear from a representative from the Queensland Tertiary Admission Centre (QTAC) to speak with our students about tertiary entrance. Thank you to Valda Fitzgerald for coordinating this activity.

In recent week I have talked with our students on assemblies about the qualities that I hope we would all aspire to, using the lives of Sir Donald Bradman and the survivors of the Burma Railway as examples - qualities of integrity, honesty, care of others, resilience and an ability to see problems in perspective. I see many fine qualities in our young people and as a school we are keen to nurture and grow these qualities as we prepare our young people to be leaders of the future.

Most families will by now have received a login for the School Opinions Survey, an opportunity for our community to provide us with feedback about our school to help us in our improvement journey. I would ask that everyone who can to please complete this survey - we are always keen to become better at what we do and to provide ever improving opportunities for our students. Please feel free to contact Gai at the school office if you have any questions.

We have a sensational school and I continue to be impressed by the dedication and professionalism of our staff, the fine qualities of our students and the support and proactivity of our community. We are very lucky!

Happiness is not about making it to the peak of the mountain nor is it about climbing aimlessly around the mountain; happiness is the experience of climbing toward the peak
- Tal Ben-Shahar, Happier

Have a fantastic fortnight!
Sean Maher
Principal

From the Deputy Principal – Senior School

Term 3 is traditionally very busy in the senior school and this year we have the added pressure of submitting our Year 12 assessment for 2020 to be endorsed. I thank our teachers and HODs who have been working diligently to get this task completed. I have analysed our semester 1 data and I’m pleased that our Year 12s are on track to achieve 100% QCE. Unfortunately, the Year 11s are not where we would expect them to be at this stage. As a school, we are strategising ways in which we can support them in achieving their best results.

QCS test – How best to support your child through this?

On Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th of September, our eligible students will sit the Queensland Core Skills (QCS) test. The QCS test is a common statewide test for year 12 students in Queensland. The test does not test specific subject knowledge. It tests achievement in the 60 Common Curriculum Elements. Students sitting the test will undertake 4 papers over the 2 days. Students aren’t able to study for the exam but they can:

• become familiar with the CCEs and how achievement in them might be assessed
• experiment with various forms or genres of writing to see which are their strongest
• develop skills in writing clearly, simply and economically
• become aware of how much space 600 words of their handwriting takes up
• review concepts such as percentage, ratio, angle, power of ten notation, and elementary algebraic procedures
• practise using an approved calculator
• find out the meanings of the key terms used in the testpapers, to help understand the most effective type of response to provide.

The school will support the students during this time by giving the students breakfast on both days and have activities to keep them active during their lunch break. See below to download brochures that may be useful for parents and students.

2019 Formal

Our Year 12 students are starting to get excited about their upcoming formal on Wednesday 13th November. Students are reminded at each year level parade about the requirements that need to be met before they can be issued with an invitation. To attend formal students must have an attendance rate of 90% in term 3 and must have no outstanding school fees. We will issue students with their attendance rate end of week 5 and 9. Students who are eligible will receive an invitation for themselves and 2 parent guests. Parents are allowed to request changes to who is invited through communicating with myself. If you have any questions regarding this please contact myself or Adam Heath.

2020 and beyond formal

Through consultation with the P&C it has been approved to change the date of the formal in 2020 and beyond. This change has occurred due to time constraints of the external exams that occur in term 4 year 12. The ESHS formal will be held on the last Thursday of Term 3. In 2020 this will be 17th September 2020. If you have any questions regarding this please contact me.

New QCE External Exams

Under the new QCE system, students will sit external exams at the end of year 12, similar to what happens in other states. QCAA, the organisation who oversees the curriculum, has released 2 sample external exam papers for each subject. One of these papers is only accessible to the school and will be used as a practice test in preparation for the external exam. The other paper can be accessed by the public from the QCAA website. The papers ensure students and parents have an opportunity to see a sample test paper and understand how students will be assessed prior to students sitting an external assessment in 2020. Each faculty will be using the public papers with the students. It is important to remember that the papers are on Unit 4 curriculum for most subjects and Unit 3 and 4 for math and science subjects. Students will not be exposed to this curriculum until Year 12 - they are not expected to be able to do these tests now.

If you have any questions regarding this testing, please contact myself or the relevant subject HOD at the school.

Message from QCAA Preparing students for external assessment in 2020

The introduction of external assessment in General subjects is a key feature of the new QCE system. To give school communities a sense of what external assessment will be like, the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) has published sample papers on its website below. They're located in the Assessment tab on each syllabus page.

We will incorporate these sample resources in our teaching and learning program to help our students prepare for next year. In the meantime, students and parents are encouraged to view the sample papers.

Courier Mail News Article on External Exams

Regards
Tanya Shaw
Deputy Principal – Senior School

From the Head of Year 8

Welcome to term 3! It is my aim and hope to see all Year 8 students, not only attend school daily but to strive to do the best they can in school every day- big or small. This will result in improved outcomes for all.

It is great to see that students have shown that they are being prepared for school by making sure in that on the cooler days that they are wearing a school jumper or a plain black jumper (no logos or hoods). If your student is out of uniform please make sure you provide them with a note so they can be recorded as following the uniform policy. If you have any issues or queries around the school uniform policy there is information provided in the school diaries and on our website.

As it is week 5, assessment will start to come thick and fast. If your student is struggling to understand content in a subject area, please encourage them to attend homework club. It is a great opportunity for students to work with their classroom teacher, or another teacher from that faculty, in a smaller group to help clarify subject matter.

Most of our students are gearing up for a busy term with many year 8 students going above and beyond to participate in events and I look forward to seeing the many amazing things they will continue to do over the term.

Have a great term 3!
Kate Deighton
Head of Year 8

From the Head of Department - VET

It is that time of the year when students begin to think about the future whether that be selecting subjects for next year or pursuing pathways outside school. The VET department are very busy providing opportunities for students to explore as many pathways as possible.

Our recent Career Information afternoon was a great success with more employers, apprenticeship centres and further education providers than ever before. This year the event was opened up to our senior students, year 10 and for the first time our year 9 students also attended. A huge thank you to the community for supporting this event and our students.

Early Childhood students have been visiting Emerald Community Kindy and interacting with students. This is such a great learning experience for our students, applying what they are learning in the classroom and observing industry practice. Thank you to our wonderful community kindy who allow us to come in and be part of their team.

Year 12 Business students will be attending the 2019 Central Highlands Business Excellence Awards. Not only will students participate in the black tie gala dinner but hear guest speaker Claire Madden. Claire is an expert in interpreting social trends and author of Hello GenZ: Engaging the generation of Post-Millennials.

Hospitality Assessment

Our hospitality programs focus on preparing students for the industry. As part of this focus students are expected to participate in catering events for their assessment. These events also provide opportunities to work alongside industry professionals and community members. Upcoming functions for assessment include:

Year 12 Cert II Hospitality – Hosting Chef Matt Golinski Fri 23rd August and working with him the following day Sat 24th August at Marist College 8am – 12 midday

Year 11 Cert II Hospitality – QCS breakfast catering Tues 3rd and Wed 4th September.

Year 12 Hospitality Practices – Arts Showcase catering Fri 6th September 3pm onwards.

For the first time Year 10 Intro to Hospitality are participating in a real life catering activity. They are supplying savoury muffins for a function in early October.

If you require any further information regarding what has been discussed, please do not hesitate to contact me through my email: acart163@eq.edu.au or phone: 4988 2222.

Kind regards,
Annette Carter
HOD VET

From the Skills For Work teaching team.

This term in our Certificate II Skills for Work, students have been completing the unit ‘Communication in the Workplace’. Over the past four weeks we have explored the many components of communication and the importance of building effective communication skills in a workplace. With the unit coming to a close our focus now shifts to preparing students for their Year 11 and 12 subject choices. Students are being assessed on their learning through a career investigation report and a learning journal. Both of these pieces of assessment are instrumental in developing their Student Education Tertiary Plan (SETP) ahead of their subject selections for 2020.

Last Tuesday we welcomed 26 business as part of our Career Expo held in our UCA. During our Skills for Work lesson, students were given the opportunity to talk with a wide array of businesses and learn about career opportunities that existed in the community. Our students had an absolute ball learning about career paths they had not previously explored and we would like to offer our sincere thanks to all businesses who took the time to visit ESHS and engage with our students!

Maggie Pembroke
Skills for Work Teacher

From the Guidance Officer

QTAC 2020

Last Tuesday many students and parents had the opportunity to listen to a presentation from the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC). They could also discuss tertiary options at the Central Queensland University display at the school careers’ expo and on Friday evening listen to staff from The University of Queensland science faculty discuss courses of study and facilities available at their university.

Some courses of study in 2020 have both QTAC application requirements and specific tertiary institution application requirements that may include a written application, interview, audition or portfolio. Students need to check on the requirements for their chosen course on the QTAC website or speak with the Guidance Officer.

The following are hints and tips for parents, last updated on the QTAC website on the 29th of August 2019.

Hints for getting started

Your child may or may not have an idea of the path they want to take after school.

The thought of choosing a course and career path can be overwhelming and stressful, especially if your child has multiple interests or simply doesn't know what they want to do.

Here are some hints and tips to start your child on their journey to tertiary study and beyond:

• Talk with your child about their interests and skills. This may prompt them to think about possible career options.
• Sit down together and read through the QTAC Guide to find out what courses are available.
• Go through the QTAC application together – make a note of any important dates.
• Attend career expos and institution open days with your child.
• Explore a range of options and pathways with your child, rather than focusing on a single career path.
• Help your child with their research – visit Choosing the right course and institution and Other resources for links to some useful websites.
• Connect with us on social media for important news and updates.

Tips for adjusting to tertiary study

The transition from Year 12 to tertiary study can be both daunting and exciting, bringing with it new struggles and opportunities.

The Good Universities Guide has some excellent tips on adjusting to study and the differences between high school and tertiary study.

Valda Fitzgerald
Guidance Officer

Attendance and Participation

2019 Annual School Opinion Survey

All ESHS Parents/Caregivers are invited to participate in this year’s School Opinion Survey. You will require on-line access to complete the survey, you are most welcome to utilise the computers at ESHS if you have no online access.

The blue on-line survey form that you receive in your mail has your access code and instructions to enable you to complete the survey. Just a reminder that you have until Friday 23rd August 2019 to complete the on-line survey. Your opinion is valued.

Please contact the Admin Office on 4988 2222 if you have any queries, need assistance or require translation.

Blue on-line survey forms were posted on 30th July, 2019. If you do not receive a blue on-line access form, please contact the school.

School Contact Information

SOBS

The SOBS link for parents access has changed.

The URL to access SOBS as a parent is now:

From the Positive Behaviour for Learning Team

Behaviour Focus

Our current behaviour focus is “Respect SCHOOL property (report vandalised/broken equipment)”

Parade respect school property and report vandalised broken equipmentWk5 6.pptx

Student of the Week

Week 3

Cameron 7E for always coming to class prepared and ready to learn. He is a positive and polite member of 7E.

Tegan Sprought 8A for consistently following the 3 Ps and coming to class on time.

Declan Neville 9D for 100% attendance in Semester 1

Zara Schulz 10D for displaying a positive attitude towards her learning and participating in all activities.

Brady 11F for being polite and participating in discussions during class activities.

Shayvon Saunders 12B for actively participating in and being an advocate for NAIDOC week.

Week 4

Kaden Quinn-Fitzgerald 7B for his participation and courteous manner towards teachers and peers.

Gurkan Erkan 8C for willingly participating in every lesson. His positive attitude brightens up the room.

Makena Horvath 9A for actively participating in class and assisting others.

Connor Mathies 10B for continually working at a high level and trying his best.

Nikitah Castles 11C for being very polite and always putting 100% effort into all class tasks.

Harrison Bray 12D for being a positive ambassador for the school.

Week 5

Riley Thompson 7C for continually displaying a positive attitude towards learning and being inclusive of others.

Lleyton Fangatua 8D for being inclusive in the classroom and staying focused and polite.

Gabby Dockerty 9F for being a polite member of class who is always willing to learn.

Arna Hock 10F for diligence and polite manners in all subject areas.

Alex McLeod 11C for working hard in class and contributing to lesson discussions.

Jericho Enciso 12A for being a dedicated student and always being ready to learn.

P&C NEWS

CHRC COMMUNITY GRANTS

Earlier this year, the P&C were so grateful to receive a CHRC Community Improvement Grant for ESHS Bites. Our goal was to upgrade the tuckshop facilities to become an efficient commercial grade kitchen for school and community use. We have so many plans for our tuckshop and how it can best serve our community. The purchase of a commercial dishwasher has meant we can save time, reduce volunteer fatigue and produce more beautiful food for our staff, students and community catering. Our tuckshop staff and volunteers are in love. We also used the funds to purchase a slushi machine - providing another perfect beverage option for Emerald’s hot weather. The slushi mix is 99% fruit juice and a QLD Tuckshop approved product. Flavours that will be on offer include Orange and Mango, Strawberry, Lemon Lime, Blueberry and Blood Orange. It will be available everyday for $2.50 a cup.

If you are looking for a kitchen facility, catering or slushies for your next event, please contact the school tuckshop.

JARS WANTED

ESHS Bites are currently making delicious chutneys for an upcoming fundraiser but we need your help! If you have any suitable glass jars with lids that you can donate, please drop them to the school tuckshop.

REMINDER: BUS INTERCHANGE AND SCHOOL TRAFFIC PLANS

We are now at the application stage for funding to support the next stage in our Traffic Plan which is the construction of a bus interchange area in the front left area of the school which aims to provide a much safer and organised system for buses to drop off and collect students form the school. We are working with Department of Transport and Main Roads, CH Regional Council and State Government to develop the application.

A copy of the proposed plan can be seen below and we continue to ask for your support by signing and sharing the petition. Petition closes 8th of August.

Most children who travel by school bus in the Emerald district, visits the Emerald State High School campus twice a day to change buses.

The traffic arrangements at this campus WERE cutting edge – fifty years ago. As an interchange campus it needs drastic upgrading to ensure everyone from Prep to Year 12 can travel safely.

SAVE THE DATE:

Our annual Colour Run will be happening again at the Emerald Botanical Gardens at the end of term. Tickets will be on sale on Friday the 9th of August! Link to tickets will be advertised next newsletter and on the school's facebook page.

Community Notices