10 December 2019

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report.

Dear Friends of Emerald High,

How quickly the year has passed as we now head into a well-earned Christmas break.

We have had another very successful year academically with the over 90% of all results being C or higher and around 50% of all results being As and Bs. This is testament to the hard work of so many of our students and the dedication and professionalism of our school staff and the support received at home from our families. It does truly take a village to raise a child and the Emerald High village is working well.

Our aim in 2020 will be, of course, to do even better.

100% of our Year 12 students have again received their QCE - an outstanding achievement for them and further evidence of the quality learning at Emerald High.

I have been very impressed with our students this year - their work ethic, maturity, courtesy and support of one-another is very much a feature of who they are as a group. I have very much enjoyed the numerous chats and discussions on a multitude of topics I have had during the year. They are a sensational group of young people with endless talents that they display in so many ways - academically, culturally and on the sporting fields. I am very proud of them all.

I wish to thank our parents, carers and families for your support this year. Quality schooling is a complex and often emotive business and I have been impressed from my first day here with the high level of support and cooperation we receive from our families, when things have gone well and when the speed-bumps have occurred. We truly do get the best results when we all work together to support our young people on their journey. Thank you parents, carers and families.

Of course, I would also like to thank our sensational staff. I have rarely come across a group as professional, caring and dedicated as the staff of Emerald High. There is a great sense of teamwork and a willingness to support one-another to achieve the common aim of guiding our young people towards achieving their dreams and being the very best they can be. It is a joy to work with them.

Our P&C, very ably lead by Renee Firth, has also been outstanding this year. They are very active, collaborative and supportive and are making a real difference in our school every day. As you walk around the school, the products of their hard work and commitment are evident everywhere - from our world-class, award-winning tuckshop to our amazing gardens along with their support of many other projects around the school. They are an amazing team and I very much look forward to working with them in the future. Our P&C have asked me to pass on a few dates to be aware of:

Uniform Shop Times – start of year

• Monday 20 January        10:00am – 2:00pm
• Tuesday 21 January        8:30am – 2:00pm (plus locker sign on)
• Wednesday 22 January 8:30am – 12:00 noon
• Thursday 23 January      Closed for staff training
• Friday 24 January            8:30am – 12:00 noon

 P&C Meetings – start of year

• 1^st Meeting – 11 February
• AGM – 10 March

We do indeed have a fantastic school, but the task of getting better never finishes.

Our school will now embark next year on the next four years plan of improvement - to improve all aspects of our school to make Emerald High an even better place to learn, to grow and to work. Getting better is something that never stops in schools, from students seeking to work more effectively to improve their results, teachers working to improve curriculum and teaching practices, admin staff working to improve and fine-tune systems and even principals seeking endlessly to move the school forwards, the journey never stops. The next stage of the journey will be exciting!

I have one more exciting item of staff news to announce. Ann-Jay Sibley has just been appointed as Acting Head of Special Education Services at Bowen SHS for 2020. I wish her all the very best in this exciting role.

In conclusion, I would like to wish all members of the Emerald High family a safe, relaxing and enjoyable Christmas Break.

See you all in 2020!

Have a fantastic holiday
Mr. Sean Maher
Principal

From the Deputy Principal – Junior School.

Hi all, with the end of the year rapidly approaching, there are a few key jobs that the Head of Years and myself will be undertaking. Most importantly is a review of the class compositions. Throughout the year, I have spoken to many parents about the possibility of a class swap for their children. If I have not confirmed this with you in the last week, please contact me on bvanh2@eq.edu and outline the class change you would like to see occur. The Heads of Year will be contacting parents by email before the last day of school, if we believe you child would benefit from a class change.

We also recently hosted our Year 6 students coming to ESHS next year. It was a great couple of days, which was well supported by students, staff and parents. I would like to acknowledge the work put in by our Senior Leaders who gave up their time to be here and support our transition days. It was also great to introduce our Junior Leadership team and acknowledge the winners of our Scholarships for 2020. If any parents have feedback to provide about the transition days please email me.

Have a great break, and I look forward to seeing you all next year.

Regards
Mr. Ben Van Hees
Deputy Principal – Junior School

From the Deputy Principal – Middle School.

Reports (Years 7 -11)

All end of Semester report cards will be emailed to all parents on Friday 13 December (last day of term). These will also be available in Q Parents.

2020 Timetable

All existing students will be emailed their 2020 timetable on Friday 24 January. Students who are new to the school (Year 7 and new enrolments), along with all other existing students, will receive their printed timetables on Tuesday 28 January.

All students who selected subjects that are not running in 2020 have been contacted and alternatives chosen. If you were not contacted, then the electives students chose will be the subjects that they will study in 2020.

First Day Procedures For 2020

All students are to assemble in the UCA for a full school parade on Tuesday 28 January. There will be lists posted up at the UCA of PC classes for all students to check as some changes have been made to PC class structures in some year levels for 2020. Students will then sit in PC allocated areas for Parade. Following parade, students will move off to an extended PC class where student diaries will be given out.

All classes (Years 8 – 12) will then start curriculum classes in Period 2. Year 7 students will be involved in a program delivered by curriculum teachers, in order to assist them with transition into secondary schooling.

If Your Child Is Not Returning To ESHS In 2020

If your child is not returning in 2020, please ensure that you have completed a Student Leaving Clearance form and return this to the school office.

Regards
Mrs. Gaye Saunders
Deputy Principal – Middle School

From the Head of Department – Art.

I cannot believe that 2019 is nearly over. I must say that it has been a busy, fun-filled and enjoyable year for all the Arts staff and students at ESHS.

I would like to take this opportunity to farewell Caitlin Ross (taking a 12-month contract at another school) and Vivien Blignaut (transferring to another school) and thank them both for all of their hard work and dedication to the school community. We hope you enjoy your next adventure, and know that both staff and students will miss you.

The students studying the Arts across Years 7-12 have received pleasing results this semester. Congratulations to all students, and we look forward to working with you again next year!

The Year 11 and 10 Visual Art students have worked hard over the past two weeks to improve the Visual Art courtyard. They worked as a team to ensure the project was completed to a high standard, with many laughs along the way. The students even got some good photos of Mrs Ross who is typically behind rather than in front of the camera (for obvious reasons). The new mural has added a much needed colour boost and improvement of the area and the students look forward to using it next year as a study space.

The AIME Mentoring Program this term, held over 3 days, was enjoyed by all the Indigenous students who attended. The activities in this program involved building confidence, resilience, leadership and teamwork capabilities in the participants. A number of other schools were also in attendance.

Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday – see you all in 2020.

Regards
Miss. Lucy Ferrara
HOD – Art

From the Head of Department – Science.

Curriculum News

Our Year 11s going into Year 12 are reminded to keep all the notes they have in Unit 3 for first day back next year. This will ensure a smoother transition for the students into Year 12. The Unit 3 and 4 topics that will be taught in 2020 are outlined in the table below:

More information including subject overviews, sample internal and external assessment instruments and annotated sample responses can be found by clicking on the link below.

I would strongly recommend both students and parents of next year’s Year 12 cohort to visit this site and, in particular, click on the assessment tab for each subject.

STEM Girl Power 2020

Chelsea Carroll (Year 9F) was recently selected into The STEM Girl Power Camp that to be held in Brisbane from 24–28 March 2020. This camp is designed to engage high achieving students in STEM, who demonstrate the qualities to become STEM Ambassadors. The camp will include a range of STEM activities including World Science Festival Brisbane events, university visits, STEM workshops and opportunities to meet female STEM professionals.

Science did you know?

• One cubic kilometer of seawater contains roughly 50 kilograms of gold.
• It takes 8 minutes and 17 seconds for light to travel from the Sun’s surface to the Earth.
• 10% of all human beings ever born are alive at this very moment.

Regards
Mr. Aneel Dewan
HOD – Science

From the Head of Year 8.

Christmas break is just around the corner!

Term 4 is always a busy time of year for our students, as they finish completing assessment and select electives for next year. I am sure that the cohort is gearing up for their holidays!

I would like to encourage students to take an opportunity to reflect on their attendance and achievements throughout 2019, and encourage you all to continue the great work in 2020.

Just as a reminder before the year ends, enrolment booklets for 2020 are due before the end of the year. If you have not received a booklet, please pick one up from the office and return before Friday 12th December. If your child is not returning in 2020, please ensure you have completed a clearance form.

Congratulations to all students who were elected into the Junior Leadership Team for 2020. I am very excited to work with you all and see how you blossom in these roles. I am confident that this whole cohort can be exemplary role models for the rest of the junior school.

Thank you to everyone for a great year. As a cohort, the Year 8 students can be very proud of the way in which they have conducted themselves this year. To end the term, I would just like to finish the year with a parting quote:

“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”- Mahatma Gandhi.

Please continue to be kind to one another during this holiday season. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and stay safe. Merry Christmas!

Regards
Miss. Kate Deighton
HOY – 8

From the English team.

2019 is coming to an end and we have already farewelled our 12s, 11s and 10s. Our junior school have all recently completed a novel study- Year 7s and 8s completed a monologue based on the novels Percy Jackson and Wonder, respectively, while our Year 9 cohort completed an analytical essay on The Hunger Games. In Week 10, students have been engaged in a variety of alternative activities. We as a faculty enjoy engaging students in a series of literacy development activities.

Happy holidays, and we look forward to seeing everyone fresh in 2020!

Regards
Miss. Michelle Watkins
Teacher – English

From the HPE team.

The end of 2019 is quickly approaching, so it is only fitting that we reflect on the year of sport that was. Term 1 kick started with many students trialling to represent Capricornia, Central Highlands and ESHS in a large variety of sports. We also saw the students pull on their house colours for the first time of the year as they swam, ran, laughed and sweated their way through the obstacle course, cross-country and swimming carnival. The athletics carnival was the star of Term 2, where students attempted to jump, sprint and throw their way to victory. Topaz continued to make their mark, taking out their second house win of the year.

The large presence of ESHS at various interschool competitions was prominent throughout Term 3. ESHS’s most dedicated Netballers produced stellar results at the Vicki Wilson Competition in Rockhampton, whilst our committed Rugby players took on the Gladstone 7s competition. Western 7s rounded out our year of interschool sport, with approximately 90 students taking the field in ESHS colours. As we take some time out to prepare ourselves for the 2020 sporting calendar, all members of the HPE department would like to thank everybody who has helped, as a coach, manager or mentor, for what they have contributed this year. We are very excited to see the sporting achievements 2020 offers and encourage all students to keep an eye on student notices as trialling dates for CH and Capricornia will be released in Term 1.

We would also like to add a congratulations to Olivia Cave, who has gained a place in the Queensland Rugby League performance program for Under 18 Girls. Squads will have coaching, strength and conditioning staff assigned to help with skills development and physical performance. Players taking part in the under 18 squads will also be vying for selection in the Queensland team, that will play in the curtain-raiser to the Holden State of Origin match, featuring the Harvey Norman Queensland Maroons, that will be played at the Sunshine Coast in June.

Regards
Miss. Maggie Pembroke
Teacher – HPE

From the Sports Master.

I would like to thank all students who have represented our school in Representative Sport throughout in 2019. I would like to wish the incoming Sports Coordinator, Miss Maggie Pembroke all the best in the job for 2020. Please see the trial dates below for 2020 Representative Sport.

Regards
Mr. Tim Deffner
Emerald SHS’s Sports Master

From SBA/SBT/Work.

Emerald State High School would like to congratulate the following students on their achievements:

Jhy Gilliland - Triple Torque

Narella Ross - DCO Emerald

Charli Ryan - Crossfit Vivid

Trey Mitchell - CQ Tyre & Mechanical

Drayden Hutchins - Emerald Cars Plus

Lachie Cosgrove - David Lowery Diesel Repairs

Follow the Emerald State High School Facebook page for all school based apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities.

With school holidays approaching it is a great time for students who are wanting to pursue a school based apprenticeship/traineeship to complete work experience.

Congratulations to all our Year 12 school based apprentices and trainees who have now entered the workforce full time, it has been a pleasure working with you and your families over the last three years.

Have a wonderful break everyone, and I will be available Monday to Thursday in 2020.

Regards
Mrs. Alarna Wills
Traineeship Coordinator

From the Positive Behaviour for Learning Team

Behaviour Focus

Our current behaviour focus is “Represent the school with pride and uphold school expectations.”

Community Notices