Emerald State High School
PDF Details

Newsletter QR Code

Old Airport Drive, P.O. Box 419
Emerald QLD 4720
Subscribe: https://emeraldshs.schoolzineplus.com/subscribe

Email: the.principal@emeraldshs.eq.edu.au
Phone: 07 4988 2222
Fax: 07 4988 2200

15 October 2019

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Dear friends of Emerald High,

Term 4 has started and our students and staff are now hard at work as we commence the run towards the end of the year, consolidating the learning of our young people and seeking to achieve the very best results we can.

Last week saw a visit from the Minister of Education, The Hon Grace Grace, who had the opportunity to visit a number of classes, speaking with students and staff, and to partake in a two course lunch that our hospitality students prepared. It must be said, with no exaggeration, that the meal they prepared was AMAZING! My very sincere thanks to the hospitality students and to Miss Aubry for her leadership of the event. The school was spotless during the Minister's visit and she commented a number of times about the wonderful gardens in our grounds and how polite, respectful and engaged in learning our students were. I felt very proud taking her around and letting her see the true quality of our wonderful school.

The past few weeks have seen some absolutely outstanding achievements from our students.

Ella Job gained second place in the UQ/QAMT Problem solving competition, and Jacob Job achieved a commendation in the same competition. Their achievement is exceptional, given that this is a state-wide competition, in which the very best mathematical minds from schools across Queensland compete. Well done Ella and Jacob, and thank you to Mr Bahr for making this opportunity possible.

Josh Russell is the new Junior National Champion in the SSAA Bench Shooting Competition, again an outstanding achievement given the level of competition in which he was competing. Well done Josh!!

Rian Pout, Cora Potter and Griffin Thomson all attended the Capricornia Cricket Trials, where both Cora and Griffin achieved selection in their respective squads. Again, a super achievement from them all.

Dani Challacombe was selected to attend the SHEP (State Honours Ensemble Program) at the Conservatorium of Music during the holidays, playing in concert with the very best young musicians in the state. Dani was selected to be the Principal Clarinet in the Symphony Orchestra, testament to her quality as a musician. Well done Dani, and thank you to Ms Jones and Ms Fehlhaber for your support of Dani and our band.

Our students also excelled at the Australian Weightlifting titles. Logan Weaver achieved a 1st in the U15s and a 1st in the U17s in his category. Nathan in Year 10 achieved a 1st in the U15s and a 2nd in the U17 in his category and Caelen Spiccia achieved a 3rd in the U17s. These are all again outstanding achievements at National level!

It is very clear that Emerald State High School is punching well above our weight in academic, cultural and sporting areas. A huge well done to these students, to their parents for supporting them and to our staff for the work they do. We have so much talent in our school and wider community!

Have a fantastic fortnight
Mr. Sean Maher
Principal

I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence, but it comes from within. It is there all of the time.

Anna Freud

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, for endorsement. I thank our teachers and HODs, who have been working diligently to get this task completed. I have analysed our Semester 1 data, and am 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.

Year 11 – Subject Selection Presentations

Last term I presented information to parents of Years 9 and 10 students who are transitioning into the senior school in 2020. I have also been lucky enough to present information to Year 10 students and their parents in Springsure. I know that many of you were unable to make those presentations, so I have included a copy of them in this week’s Highlights. If you have any questions concerning your student’s subject choices, please do not hesitate to contact me at the school.

2019 Awards Night

It is only three weeks to go, until our annual Awards Night, which will be held on Monday 4th of November. Students will be notified if they are receiving an award by Tuesday 22nd October. I have attached the criteria used for awards to the newsletter, however we have not yet finalised all special awards to date. To ensure our evening flows smoothly and quickly, we ask that all families attending RSVP using the address given on the letters going home with students. If you have any queries regarding this, please contact me.

2019 Formal

The final countdown is on for this year’s formal. The invitations are now ready to be sent home with eligible students. Students who are eligible will receive an invitation for themselves and two parent guests. Parents are allowed to request changes to who is invited, via communicating with myself. If you have any questions regarding this, please contact Adam Heath or myself.

202 Student Leadership Positions

Students wishing to take a leadership position in 2020 will be undergoing interviews this week with myself, Mel Prior (Head of Year) and Renee Firth (P&C President). In Week 3, they will then give their leadership speeches to the school on parade. Successful applicants will be announced at our Awards Night ceremony. I wish all students going for leadership positions the best of luck, and I cannot wait to hear the good things they have planned for our school in 2020.

Regards
Mrs. Tanya Shaw
Deputy Principal – Senior School

From the Head of Year 9

Hello all and welcome back to Term 4! I trust that you had a great school break and enjoyed the time with your loved ones. The Year 9 students at Emerald State High School have really hit the ground running this term some great examples of participation:

  • Jhon Manzano for being the only student in the school with 100% attendance for Term 3 2019.
  • Daley Catip was the youngest, lowest-graded, and only male student in his class at the Royal Academy of Dance North Queensland Bursary this month.

As we are now heading towards the end of the Term 4, the Year 9 students will be starting their subject selection process for 2020. The choices made in Term 3, on the Subject Selection Evening, was to show an indication of student interest for subjects – it was not their final selection. The final subject selection will happen this term with Mrs Saunders. Please keep an eye out for these dates.

As it is starting to get warmer, I would like to remind students to ensure that they have a hat for HPE and at lunchtimes. I would also like to encourage students to bring a water bottle to school and ensure that they fill it up in the break times. If your student would like some time out of the heat this term, they can join many school-based clubs. If they would like to join a club, they will need to listen out for notices, regarding attendance times.

Regards
Mrs. Caitlin Ross
HOY – 9

From the Head of Year 11

As the Year 11s draw closer to completing their Unit 2 courses, the time approaches for ordering their senior jersey and/or polo shirt. This is a privilege, which ESHS extends to those students who are on track for a QCE, have suitable attendance and suitable behaviour.

The first round of orders is underway, with money due to the school office and forms returned to me by Tuesday 22nd October. There is a permission note containing prices, sizes and refund information, which students need to return, signed, to school. If your student did not receive a note, and you believe that they should, please contact the school.

Leadership application packages were due last week and each student who applied should have received their interview appointment time by now. Speeches for leadership positions and voting will occur in Week 3 of this term, and the 2020 ESHS School Leader Positions will be announced at this year’s Awards Night on 4th November.

Regards
Mrs. Melinda Prior
HOY – 11

From the Head of Department - Science

Curriculum News

The table below gives an overview of the teaching and learning happening in the Years 7-10 Science subjects this term. The Year 11 students doing the General Science subjects have started Unit 3 topics, as per the new syllabi while the Year 12s are completing their final unit of work.

Year Level

Topic (s)

Assessment

7 Science

Organising organisms and affecting organisms

exam/ test on classifying creatures and predicting the effects of change on

8 Science

Building blocks of life and survival

exam/ test on building blocks of life: understanding the nature of the cell and understanding reproductive structure and function

9 Science

Chemical patterns and heat and eat

experimental investigation on exploring energy in chemical reactions

10 Biology

Evolution

supervised assessment (exam) based on whole year’s work

10 Chemistry

Chemical reactions — reactants, products and energy change

Supervised assessment (exam) based on Semester 2 work

10 Physics

Electrical Circuits

Examination based on whole year’s work

10 Science in Practice

Global systems

The universe

Examination & Assignment – Research Report (Collection of Work)

QRC/WIMARQ Girls Mentoring Program

Rhiana Morris attended the QRC/WIMARQ Girls Mentoring program in Brisbane this year, as an ambassador for Emerald SHS. This is an Australian-first program, aimed at boosting female numbers in the Queensland resources sector.

Well done Rhiana!

Regards
Mr. Aneel Dewan
HOD – Science

From the Head of Department – HPE

Congratulations to the Emerald State High School touch football team, who travelled to Brisbane to complete in the All Schools Touch Competition over the weekend. They narrowly missed out on the finals, finishing 3rd in their pool. They finished the competition with three wins, two draws and two losses. They played hard in all of their games and represented the school with a very high level of touch.

On Thursday the 17th October, we will be hosting our 2nd Annual Sports Awards Night in the Emerald State High School UCA. We will be recognising approximately 150 students who have represented Emerald State High, Central Highlands and Capricornia in a variety of sports. Congratulations to all the students who will be receiving awards.

In addition, a big shout out to the three students who lifted at the 2019 Australian Weightlifting Federation Under 15 & Youth Championships over the holidays and came away with three podium finishes!

Logan Weaver achieved GOLD!

So proud of his two Gold medals and setting new State and National records. Logie had to fight hard Saturday for his first place. Pure determination & grunt got him through.

Nathan won GOLD!

Nate has had some setbacks, with hard work, dedication & busting out some dance moves, he has managed to overcome them & excel. Gold, records broken & two PBs, well done NateDawg!

Caelan Spiccia got BRONZE!

In a very competitive weight class, Caelan won a bronze medal. Caelan was very impressive coming away with two Platform PBs and overall total PB!

As the temperature is rising, again we remind students that they MUST have a hat and water bottle for their HPE lessons.

Regards
Mrs. Rebekah Pillay
HOD – HPE

From the Hospitality team.

Junior Home Economics

Year 7s are learning how to develop healthy and cost-effective recipes. The Year 8 students are designing a sustainable garden that addresses the needs of and opportunities for, our school community. They will begin planting next week and will maintain their gardens throughout Term 4. The Year 9 students at Emerald State High are beginning their textile unit this week, where they will design and make a utility roll to demonstrate their sewing skills.

Hospitality

Our Hospitality students produced a delicious two-course meal, which they presented with professionalism and enthusiasm, for our school’s visit by the Minister of Education, Ms Grace Grace. Well done for your efforts!

Jamie Geaney, Hon. Minister Grace, Marcella Pita-Robinson, Francois Metelarkamp, Michael Juett and Miss Aubry

Hospitality students presenting the meals they prepared

Early Childhood

Year 10 and 11 Early Childhood students at Emerald State High School will be completing walking excursions to Borilla Kindy from Week 2. The focus of these excursions will be observing how the staff incorporate numeracy into play based learning experiences.

Regards
Mrs. Jessica Lester
Teacher – Hospitality

From the Humanities team.

Coming up to the end of 2019, the humanities students at ESHS have been involved with a number of social studies. Engaging with a number of different cultures and histories of other countries, and gaining an understanding of how our physical and human geographies impact the world around us.

Year 7 History students are wrapping up one of their favourite units for in Semester 2… Ancient Egypt. Full of interesting and gory details about how and why mummies were created, to understanding how the treatment of the Egyptian nobles changed over time. The students can now look forward to completing the Term by beginning the topic of Ancient China.

Year 8 Geography students have recently completed a very in-depth unit on erosion and deposition creating landscapes and landforms. They now are looking forward to learning about and discussing the impacts of urbanisation. Our students really get involved with this unit, so do not be surprised if they come home asking you certain questions about migration patterns in your family for their schoolwork.

Meanwhile, students who are studying Ancient History in Year 10 this year are preparing themselves for their senior years in the same subject. They will be sitting an exam in Week 8 of this term, which will comprehensively test each individual’s ability to comprehend, analyse and evaluate sources of evidence. These skills are focussed on History, however they will be taken by the students and applied to a number of every day uses.

Whilst that is happening in Ancient History, Mr Fandrich is starting a fantastic unit for Year 10 Geography. The topic will focus on African nations that have been afflicted by poverty, genocide and diseases. The students will gather data to create a report that details the demographic challenges of their chosen location. This is a ground breaking and exciting assessment piece as it is the first time this assessment has been completed outside of senior Geography!

Regards
Mr. Jaksen Brose
Teacher – Humanities.

From the ITD team.

Once again, I have the pleasure of writing another newsletter about our ever-changing department in ITD, Engineering and Furnishings. The department is in the process of installing new air conditioning in the P-Block Engineering Shed, which will be an enormous benefit to both students and staff. E-Block has also had a face-lift, and the air condition system has now been upgraded to everyone’s delight.

One of the main projects we have been manufacturing in Year 10 Engineering this semester, is a bar stool. During the manufacturing process, the students have been introduced to new machinery, which they would need to complete the project. These include a cold saw, drop saw, learning the technique of oxy welding, grinders and the way some students have been introduced to arc welding. The stools have been manufactured from 20x20x2 RHS mild steel, with a timber top for the seat.

Jackson Moore’s Bar Stool

Year 10 Furnishing class have been manufacturing a foot stool with no less then four different joins for the main seat. Dove Tail, Saddle, Half Check and Mortice, as well as Tenon joins. As their teacher, I am very proud of the result so far.

Carl Phillips Foot Stool

I would like to let the parents of ITD students know I have been blessed with students of not only high morals, but also high work ethics. I have the pleasure of students leaving my class and saying thanks and shaking my hand. A true credit to the parents.

Regards
Mr. Ed Hansen
Teacher - ITD

From the Positive Behaviour for Learning Team

Behaviour Focus

Our current behaviour focus is “Always comply with school policies and procedures”.

Student of the Week

Week 2

Jada Bartley 7A For her enthusiastic participation in curriculum tasks and courtesy towards teachers and peers.

Amber Collie 8A For your admirable work ethic and attitude in every lesson.

Jhon Manzano 9D For your admirable work ethic and attitude in every lesson.

Arnika Wyper 10A For always following classroom procedures and putting 100% effort into all activities.

Benny Mundt 11F For always applying effort into his learning and extracurricular pursuits. Your dedication is an asset to ESHS.

Mikaela Long 12D For being a polite and conscientious student who always follows the 3P’s.

Community Notices