13 May 2021

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Dear Friends of Emerald High,

It has of course been an enormously sad week for the Emerald Community and our thoughts and sincere condolences go out to Nathanual's family and to the young men involved in the awful accident and their families. There are many people suffering and it is vitally important that we pull together as a school community and do all that we can to support everyone concerned. Care and compassion must be our driving forces as all of us do everything we can do to help and to heal.

Another big few weeks at Emerald High, with a very successful musical being the centrepiece! A huge well done to Chloe Prior and everyone involved, including the many parents who contributed behind the scenes to make the event the spectacular success that it was. We have so much talent in our school!

NAPLAN is now over for another year, which will give our teachers some latest and greatest information about students' current abilities with literacy and numeracy. Teachers will use this information to support groups and individuals with their learning.

I spoke with the Year 7s and 9s about NAPLAN before the test and affirmed that whilst important to try hard and give us as good a picture of where they are sitting with literacy and numeracy, NAPLAN is but one small aspect of who they are as individuals. Every single child brings a range of their own talents, skills, abilities and personal qualities that make them all amazing in their own ways. NAPLAN gives us a snapshot of one part of this much wider picture.

I was impressed by the conduct of our Year 7s and 9s in the NAPLAN tests which ran very smoothly indeed. Well done juniors!!

Another super student achievement - Brandt Richards has been selected in the state team for Clay Target shooting after attending the state trials in Roma. He is off to the Australian Championships in Wagga Wagga, NSW, later in the year. This is an amazing achievement and another example of the talents of our young people. Well done Brandt!!

Our new building is opening next Monday and we now have two extra shaded areas and seating available for students with more to come later in the year! Thank you to the P&C, for your leadership and support and to Helen Markey our amazing Business Manager for all her work behind the scenes.

Thanks again to everyone for your support of our super school and remember that we need to care for each other - always!

"Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart."
- Confucius

Have a fantastic fortnight
Mr. Sean Maher
Principal

From the Deputy Principal – Senior School

As we are near the half way mark for Semester 1, our senior students are nearing completion for their Unit 1 and 3 courses. For our Year 11s, this means that they have an opportunity to reassess their studies and make subject changes. If students are wanting to make a subject change they must see our Guidance Officer. For our Year 12s, finishing Unit 3 means that they will have an indication of how they are tracking for QCE attainment and ATAR results. Year 12s are not able to change subjects.

Attendance – Is your child hitting the 90% attendance benchmark?

Each week there is a year level welfare team meeting involving the Head of Year, Guidance Officer, and Youth Support Co-ordinator. This team meets with me to discuss issues impacting on the year level. Our biggest concern to date is attendance. As a cohort, the Year 12 attendance data is sitting at 89.4%, for most of Term 1 they were sitting above 90%. The Year 11s are at 82.9%, this is below our benchmark and is concerning. How can you help?

1. Medical Certificate - If a student is absent due to medical reasons and you have seen a doctor, ask for a medical certificate. An absence explained by a medical certificate incurs no penalty.
2. Appointments – Where possible, schedule appointments outside of school hours – a student who signs in late, or leaves early, is recorded as a half day absence.
3. Wake up calls – On average, 15 students sign in late each day, as stated above, this results in a half day absence.
4. Communication – If there is an issue, whereby your child does not want to come to school, let us know if there are any strategies we can put in place to assist.

Assessment/homework – How much is enough?

Mr Maher and I have spoken to both the 11s and 12s about creating good study habits. Rather than trying to cram everything in at the last minute, students must be using time daily to work their studies outside of school hours. For students on an ATAR (university) pathway, we would be expecting they are committing 2 hours to their studies each day. For students on the workforce pathway this should be 1 hour each day. Whilst students may not be given formal homework each day, it is important that they revise their notes and practice activities taught/learnt during the day. Students should be using their assessment planners to plan for study. Our Guidance Officer has many tools that can assist students in becoming organised.

If you have any concerns or issues relating to the senior school, please contact me.

Regards
Mrs. Tanya Shaw
Deputy Principal – Senior School

From the Head of Year 7

Hasn’t time flown by with the Year 7s now into their second term of high school! Term 1 saw the Year 7s start to find their place. I saw students making new friendships, participating in their subjects to the best of their ability and I saw many get involved in the school swimming carnival. The term was a big one and sure enough, Term 2 is shaping up to be that way too.

Week 2 saw myself and 5 teachers – Miss Isabella Padget, Mrs Lauren Jarvis, Mr Jaksen Brose and Mr Rajiv Bhar, take 111 students to Seaforth for Year 7 Camp. I am very glad to say that our students last week certainly made Emerald SHS proud. Each of the students displayed exceptional manners in being polite, they did not hesitate to get involved in the activities and participate and of course came prepared to camp with the correct equipment.

It was wonderful to see so many students challenge themselves in activities that they may not have normally participated in (abseiling or the low ropes) and get involved in team building activities, where they relied on one another’s strengths and were mindful of each other’s weaknesses.

This term, it is important for our students to continue to uphold the school expectations of being polite, prepared and participate.

1. Polite
Be kind. Speak nicely to your peers and teachers. Listen to and comply with adult instructions. Always.

2. Prepared
Make sure that you come to school on time, prepared and ready to learn. This not only means having your school diary, pencil case and correct book for each subject, but also wearing the correct uniform every day. As the winter months are upon us, it is important to be wearing the correct jumper. School jumpers are now available to purchase from the uniform shop, or a plain black jumper with no hood is also an option. I have put a picture below to assist in making the jumper choice the right one. Also, pack a healthy and nutritious lunch. Choose foods that will power the brain and help you to make the best choices when at school.

3. Participation
Finally, make the most of your time at school and participate! Engage in your learning to the best of your ability. Lunch time clubs are also still up and running and are a great way to get involved in different activities and make some new friends as well. A reminder that study club is on both Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 3-4pm in the library and is a great opportunity for you to get extra support with in class work or assessment.

I am looking forward to seeing what the remainder of Term 2 brings for the Year 7 students. As always, if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child, please do not hesitate to email me, Bxrya7@eq.edu.au.

Regards
Miss. Bridget Ryan
HOY – 7

From the Head of Year 8

Well, we got there! Day 1 of Week 1, Term 2 the Year 8 cohort set off on the bus journey to the Capricorn Caves. Staff and students enjoyed a 5-day, 4-night stay, where they experienced adventure caving, initiative challenges and a day trip to Great Keppel Island. It was awesome to see students spend time away from the technological world to bond with students outside of their class groups over a campfire story, game of footy or team challenge. Although many students told me their highlight was the food (I can’t blame them, it was pretty good!), I loved watching students participate and persevere even when they doubted themselves. They were a delight to accompany and I hope they created memories they will cherish for the remainder of their time at ESHS.

A big thank – you to Ross Grierson, Dan Van Hees, James Fitzpatrick and Michelle Watkin for giving up their week to make our Year 8 camp a reality! Enjoy the pictures below of a few of our camp highlights, one in particular being our ‘Garbage Bag Formal’!

Regards
Miss. Maggie Pembroke
HOY – 8

From the Head of Year 9

It has been a fantastic start back to the term for students in Year 9. The Student Council have been involved with a number of events and ceremonies this term, including ANZAC Day. It was great to see our junior leaders and members of the cohort attending the dawn service and the town march. Furthermore, the great talent of our school was on display in the production of “Grease”. A big well done to all the staff and students involved in the production.

In Week 3 we offered parent teacher interviews. A massive thank you to all the parents and carers who attended to discuss student progress with their teachers. I encourage all parents and carers to discuss their child’s progress and use the feedback sessions as opportunities to feed forward to support the development of your child’s learning. Week 4, students in Year 7 and 9 will complete NAPLAN testing, which is a great opportunity for students to apply their knowledge and understanding of numeracy and literacy concepts. Please encourage your child to participate fully in the tests to receive feedback in regard to how they compare with other Year 9 students, nationally.

Our PBL focus for Weeks 3 and 4 has been follow correct processes and procedures. It has been great to see students discussing the focus in classes during the fortnight. One of the key processes at ESHS is our uniform policy. As the weather starts to get a little cooler, please ensure your child is attending in the correct uniform. Please see images below of the correct uniform items to be worn.

Regards
Mr. Peter Sanson
HOY – 9

From the Head of Year 10

Welcome back to Term 2! It has been great to hear about the success of our Year 10 students at work experience. From all reports, students handled themselves professionally and were thriving at their placements, which is fantastic feedback.

On the uniform front, as the weather begins to get cooler, students are reminded to ensure they are wearing the correct uniform. Students not following the uniform policy will be asked to go to the uniform room and change into a school jumper. Furthermore, labelling your clothing can assist with finding lost property, as students tend to shed their jumpers as the afternoon warms up.

As we progress through the term, I’d like to remind everyone of the importance of following the 3Ps. Students are expected to be polite in their interactions with staff members and other students and stay kind. Students are expected to be prepared, by coming to class on time with all necessary equipment. Students are required to participate, by completing set work in class and asking questions if they are unsure of something. Homework club also runs from 3-4pm every Monday and Wednesday to support students who want extra assistance with their work.

I look forward to seeing this cohort progress through Term 2 and if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Regards
Miss. Kate Deighton
HOY – 10

From the Maths team

Term 2 is off to a flying start and we’re quickly approaching the middle of the term. NAPLAN is happening this week, where students in Years 7 and 9 put their numeracy skills to the test. Classes were preparing for this by discussing strategies to answer questions and looking at past papers in their warm ups.

Junior Maths

Junior Maths classes will again be completing formative quizzes every fortnight this term, so that students and parents are informed about their progress before assessment time.

Year 7 students have been learning about fractions, decimals and percentages. They are working towards an exam at the end of the term. Year 8 students are studying algebra this term and are also working towards an exam at the end of the term. Year 9 students are learning how to factorise quadratics, which is an exciting new application of algebra. They will then move into trigonometry before completing an exam at the end of the term. Year 10 classes have been separated into 3 levels (Foundation, General and Extension) and students are settling into their new classes. This term all classes will be completing a statistics assignment which is due to be handed out at the end of Week 5.

Senior Maths

Year 11 maths classes are reaching the end of Unit 1 and will be completing summative exams over the next few weeks. They will then be getting into Unit 2 by the end of the term. Year 12 students are continuing through Unit 4 where they will be working towards their final internal exam next term.

The best way to help students succeed in Maths is by ensuring that they are prepared for class with a calculator, pencil case and a subject specific workbook. Homework club also takes place every Wednesday from 3pm to 4pm and is a great place to work on assignments or study.

Regards
Miss. Angela Johnson
Teacher

From the Arts team

Congratulations to all the students and staff involved in Emerald State High School’s Grease musical this year. Performance Week (Week 2/Term 2) was filled with energy, enthusiasm and excitement. It was a huge success! Everyone who attended Grease, thoroughly enjoyed the musical. Thank you to the amazing musical team, staff and parent helpers, P&C support, and the school and wider community audience members for making the Grease musical such a success.

In the Arts curriculum space at ESHS, our Year 7 and 8 students have started their second elective rotation. The students who completed the first elective rotation in the Arts thoroughly enjoyed the respective Arts subjects – Music, Visual Art and Drama. Our Year 9 and 10 students are working on their ‘making or responding’ task this term, for their respective Arts elective. With regard to our Year 11 and 12 students, they are working on the completion of their respective assessment for Unit 1 or 3.

Have a fun-filled week!

Regards
Ms. Lucy Ferrara
HOD

From the LOTE team

Welcome back to Term 2!

We trust you had an amazingly long and eventful holiday! This term, languages classes will be back as per usual, and our focus for Week 3 and 4 is ‘Follow the correct routines, processes and procedures’, so ensure that you are following all classroom routine and be in correct uniform as the weather are getting cooler! The Languages program this term has students studying a variety of topics across years 7 – 11. These include:

Year 7 – “Mascot”

In this unit, students will be introduced to several unique characters (also known as Mascots) in Japan. In addition, they will also get to design a mascot that represents either themselves, their community, or Emerald State High School for their assessment. Throughout the Unit, students will understand the functionality of adjectives, nouns and the application of Japanese grammar when it comes to describing an object.

Year 8 – “Hobbies and free time”

In this unit, students will be given the opportunity to share and compare, based on what they do in their spare time, extra-curricular activities after school with their peers, as well as expressing what they like and dislike. In addition, students will also get to understand the functionality of the three different types of Japanese script and its application in Japanese language.

Years 9 and 10 – “What is youth subculture?”

In this unit, students will discuss different youth subcultures in Australia and Japan. Additionally, they will also analyse and present information about youth subcultures in Japan to generate thorough discussion as to how it differs in comparison to Australia’s youth subculture. Students are also required to reflect further based on their personal identity in relation to the presented youth subcultures and discuss cultural values evident in youth subcultures. Finally, students will explore a range of ideas in terms of family in various culture as the term progresses.

Year 11 – “Lifestyle and Education”

In this unit, students will discuss, explore and analysed various lifestyles of Australian and Japanese people and families. In addition, they will also be given opportunities to understand the cultural traditions of Japan and Australia. Furthermore, students will also compare the qualities of education and its importance in the perspective of Australian students versus Japanese students through data and reports.

At this stage, assessments for LOTE are given within the start of Week 7 and is due in Week 9 of this term.

The best way to improve achievement is short but regular review of vocabulary. Particularly, it is highly recommended that you also use your spare time to learn Japanese writing symbols and new vocabulary, by regularly using Quizlet/Quizziz. Additionally, book work is important as always! Neat handwriting and well organised notes are the greatest way to achieve desirable outcomes.

Have a great term – we look forward to seeing everyone back in class!

Regards
Mr. Huu Nguyen
Teacher

From the Humanities team

With the middle of the term fast approaching, students are well into their content and skills for their second of unit of study this year.

Year 7 History students are studying Ancient China, whilst Geography students are about to commence a study of liveability in our local area, focusing on our school and its neighbours. As they collect data and information, they will develop strategies to act on in the future.

Year 8 History are presently covering Viking Culture and will move on to Japan under the Shoguns for their assessment.

Year 9 Geography have started Term 2 with an introductory unit to Tourism, whilst History students are broadening their understanding of World War 1.

Letters have just gone out to our Senior Humanities students who do Legal Studies, Geography, Ancient and Modern History regarding the tour in Term 3. At present, Year 11 Tourism students are studying tourism in our local area, whilst Year 12 are delving into the international cruising industry and the employment opportunities it offers. Year 12 Ancient History are examining the Late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms Period of China. The interesting topic of Juries is being explored by Year 11 Legal Studies, with Year 12 students assessing Law Reform.

What a wealth of possibilities for deep understandings and life skills our students are offered in the Humanities subjects at Emerald State High School!

Regards
Mrs. Vicki Hawkins
Teacher

From the SBA, SBT & Work Experience team

We’ve had a busy couple of weeks with the School Based Traineeship/Apprenticeship team. Our Year 10 Skills for Work students are now streamed into their desired work pathway groups and will be working on developing skills for their industry. The Year 10s will all be going to the career expo on Friday hosted by CQ University. They will be joined by select Year 11 and 12 students, who have expressed interest in learning more about local opportunities.

Last week, several students had the opportunity to “Try-a-Trade”. It was a great success and we hope to continue the program next year and open it up to more students.

We’ve had a busy week with traineeship sign ups. Students are currently placed at the pharmacy, mechanics, McDonalds, kindergartens across the community, and more. We’ve been keeping very busy with sign-ups every week. Emerald State High School would like to thank those community members and businesses that have been involved and supported our students.

Regards
Miss. Kaitlyn Aubry
Teacher

From the Positive Behaviour for Learning Team

At Emerald State High School we are:

• Polite,
• Prepared, and we
• Participate.

Please see the attached power point of the lesson taught on parade and throughout Weeks 3 and 4 of this term.

Behaviour Focus

Our current behaviour focus is “Follow correct routines, processes and procedures”.

Student of the Week

Week 3

Will Massey For showing a strong display of leadership whilst on camp and participating in every activity with enthusiasm.

Darcy Ward 8G For consistently puts in his best effort and participates in every lesson.

Holli Williams 9B For setting an example through excellent behaviour and academic effort.

Morgan Harrison For his outstanding effort and dedication to his learning. He always arrives at class prepared and with a positive attitude.

Sampson Day For always doing his best work, being a willing helper and always showing the best attitude.

Keely Thiemann For actively engaged in all lessons in order to do her best.

Week 4

Millie Burnett For always being a polite member of the class, who gives her best in everything that she does.

Lilyarna Boon For always having a positive attitude towards her classwork, and completing all tasks.

Jada Bartley 9A For attempting every task and effectively uses teacher feedback.

Riandi Van Wijk For always being polite and being a role model in class.

Matini Tai For always applying herself every lesson in all aspects of learning.

Tyler Lenske For completing work to the best of their ability and assisting other students to succeed.

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