27 October 2021

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report.

Dear Friends of Emerald High,

Our amazing Year 12 students are now studying hard and completing their External Exams as the final phase of their schooling journey. They are well prepared and I am confident they will do well!

Some super student achievements to report and celebrate. Four of our Year 10 students have been chosen for the 2021 'Future Anything' National Semi-Finals - a nationwide competition in which students present a business idea. Out of 200 submissions across Australia, only 20 were selected. A huge well done to Khalil, Phoebe, Summerlyn & Gwen Wells whose business idea was called 'Community Box' - a social enterprise that focuses on free essential items and community outreach - see our Facebook site for more details. Good luck in the semi-finals students!!

Some great sporting news - The ESHS opens mixed touch football team went away to a state carnival and lost only one match out of the 7 matches in the pool phase and made it into the finals. This makes them one of the top 16 open mixed teams in the state. Unfortunately, they were not able to progress further, as they had to play a very strong team in Miami SHS in the finals. A great turnout for a team that included Year 8 and 9 students playing against 18-year olds. Emerald High yet again punching above our weight!

We have also seen some exciting events at our school. The 'Colour Smash' event was conducted at the school, led by our Student Representative Council (SRC) with the support of our amazing P&C, with students having a wonderful time transforming themselves into every colour of the rainbow. Thank you to Ms Ross and Ms Johnson for their leadership, to all the staff and students involved and to Emerald Fire and Emergency Services for their provision of a huge red truck and lots of water!!

The SRC also conducted a special trivia night at the school last Friday, raising more funds to support the needy in our community and our Interact Club held an amazing 'Haunted House' on the weekend, sponsored by Emerald Rotary.

The school has recently reviewed some key ways that we are providing information to parents. Our website has been updated, Facebook is used regularly and our newsletter has been streamlined. The new curriculum, assessment and reporting framework no longer requires schools to provide written comments on reports and only requires schools to report to parents twice per year.

However, in response to this, our staff have developed an approach that has been endorsed by the school's P&C that we believe will provide more effective and proactive ways to provide quality feedback to our parent community. The school will cease the practice of providing written comments on semester reports from this coming semester, but will do the following to provide more relevant and proactive information to support student learning:

1. We will continue to report on four occasions through the year. This is to ensure that parents receive timely information about student progress.
2. Teachers will provide an introductory email to parents at the beginning of each Term or Rotation outlining the topics taught, the type of assessment and encouraging and inviting open communication by email or preferred means. This aims to keep parents better informed about the work that is to be done during the term and the assessment that will be completed.
3. Teachers will advise parents as early as possible, mid-term or mid-unit, that a student is at risk of failure in subjects or if drafts/assignments are not submitted. This contact is made in a timely manner in order to provide sufficient time for the parent, student and teacher to work together to support the student to "get the student over the line.”
4. We will use the Comparative Reporting Option on all reports for all students, providing a graph that shows where the student is sitting in comparison to the class.
5. Assessment planners will be emailed to all student email addresses as well as being available on Q Parents. Unfortunately, there is currently no simple way to email directly to parents, although we are exploring ways that this may be done.
6. Parent/Teacher interviews be conducted early in Terms 2 and 3. This provides parents with the opportunity to discuss in greater detail student progress and ways that we can work together to support student learning and times to enable subject changes if needed.
7. The school will establish a partnership with the ‘Parenting Ideas’ program and provide regular updates in newsletters, on Facebook and by providing resources such as flyers and free webinars for parents to support them with the challenging, often frustrating, but vitally important, task of raising our young people. Have a look at the website and see what you think!

How can parents help students succeed at school?

Some simple things that parents can do to support student success at school include:

1. Provide their children with a wall planner (or something similar) on which they can record their assessment and plan their study.
2. Encourage their children to use their Student Diaries effectively.
3. Assist children to develop a study routine that has set times for homework as well as times for relaxing and recreation. Achieving a balance is the key!

Experience is the child of thought, and thought is the child of action.

• Benjamin Disraeli

Have a fantastic fortnight
Mr. Sean Maher
Principal

From the Deputy Principal – Middle School.

PBL Focus

Our current focus is “Set realistic Goals”. This is timely, given that parents have received Term 3 report cards and had parent teacher interviews last week. Students are entering their SMART goals for Term 4 on their own account in OneSchool. During this process they are able to see their Report Card grades and have set targets to work towards over the remainder of the term. I have attached a PDF copy of the PowerPoint that was delivered in Week 3 on both Senior and Junior assemblies.

2021 Awards Ceremony

Tuesday 16 November, 2021 at the Emerald Town Hall will be the place for these ceremonies this year. Due to COVID and the number of people the Town Hall is able to hold at any one time, this year’s awards ceremony will be held over 3 separate ceremonies:

• 5:30pm Years 7 & 8
• 6:30pm Years 9 & 10
• 7:30pm Years 11 & 12.

Parents and invited guests will be required to sign in using the COVID app. There are APP signs both in and outside the town hall. Should you not have a smart phone, there will be provision made for this at the front entrance. At the conclusion of each ceremony there will be a short interchange (15mins) to allow the previous recipients and their families to exit and the next lot to enter. Students have been advised on the student noticeboard to check for their names for Gold, Silver and Bronze awards, alongside the criteria.

Awarding Academic Gold, Silver Bronze - These awards are based on results as at the end of term 3 report card.

• In all subjects, students must pass to be initially considered as eligible (i.e. 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 for Years 7 – 10 and 12. For Year 11s awards are calculated using the Semester 1 and Term 3 report cards.
• 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 points, 75% are awarded 2 points and 50% are awarded 1 point.
• Where students study fewer subjects, the table below will be used to determine awards.

Prize: Cup, Pin and Certificate

Ripple Effect Awards

This initiative of the Student Council has been well received and students can nominate their peers for following the 3Ps here at school. These are given out fortnightly by the student leaders on Year level assemblies.

Year 10 Certificate II In Skills For Work And Vocational Pathways

During these classes, students should have completed the first 4 tabs; INTENDED LEARNING, PERSONAL (A reflection on their own OneSchool account as only they are able to edit this)!

VIVO

Part of our positive reward system is our VIVO program. Each time a student gets a VIVO from a staff member, they are in fact receiving 5 points. Once the student has accrued 250 points – this equates to $5. So, 500 points = $10. Students can “save” this for senior rewards, such as putting towards the cost of their senior jersey or formal, or can purchase vouchers that they can redeem from local businesses, as well as ESHS Bites or from the VIVO store.

2022 Subject Selection

All continuing students should have completed their 2022 subject selection using OneSchool. If students wish to change or parents wish them to change, please ask them to come and speak directly with either Mrs Saunders, Ms Lucht or Mrs Shaw.

Year 10

Thank you to the 100 parents who made the time to come in for an interview with either a Deputy Principal or a Head of Department, to discuss your child’s plan beyond 2021. This was an opportunity to give paperwork, particularly for students wishing to study courses offered locally through our CQU. Mrs Wills, our work placement officer, has now been working with these students to ensure that they are enrolled in external campuses.

Regards
Mrs. Gaye Saunders
Deputy Principal – Middle School

From the Deputy Principal – Senior School.

2021 Year 12 Formal

You may have heard that in the final week last term, the school hosted the Year 12 formal! The night was beautiful and it was great to hear all the positive messages at the end of the night. I would like to thank Jaksen Brose, Janene Vale, Alarna Wills and the administration staff who all worked tirelessly to make this happen. I would also like to thank Leanne Ross and Kathy Ross and their teams of Year 11 helpers for the service they provided on the night. I have had a number of people ask about getting copies of photos taken on the night. Students will receive a USB in their graduation packs with all photos on them.

2021 Year 12 Graduation

The final day for Year 12s is fast approaching. This year, we will be holding a service for all students and teachers only to attend, in the under covered basketball courts. This will give the school student body a chance to say farewells to our 12s. At the end of this service the students will be led through an arch to the UCA where parents and guests will be waiting. The parent ceremony will then start. At the conclusion of this ceremony, there will be a morning tea. Invitations, with times, for graduation will be emailed home this week.

2022 School Leaders

During Week 2 of this term, I had the pleasure of being part of the panel to interview of 2022 Senior Leaders. I would like to thank Megan Daniels (CHRC Councillor) and Chloe Prior (Year 11 HOY) for giving their time to be part of the panel. All students represented themselves very well throughout the interviews and it was interesting to hear their ideas for an exciting 2022. From here, students will now present a speech to our Year 9, 10 and 11 students in Week 5. We are still on track to announce our leaders at Awards Night.

2021 External Exams (Year 12s)

Our Year 12 students are currently in the midst of preparing for, and sitting, their external exams. Students should be at home revising and preparing for these exams. My advice to students is to ensure they have eaten well before their exams. Make sure they are getting plenty of sleep and exercise. Don’t study too late. Set an alarm or two and make sure you are at school at least ½ hour before the exam is scheduled to start. I have been really pleased to see that they are coming to the exams with the correct equipment.

Regards
Mrs. Tanya Shaw
Deputy Principal – Senior School

From the Head of Year 7.

Term 4 has started off with a Bang! We have another full term for the Year 7s, as they finish off their first year of secondary schooling.

Last term we recognised students who were doing the right thing in maintaining positive behaviour and who had attendance over 95% for the month of August. Each student was congratulated on parade with a certificate and the students went into the draw to win either a $50 or $20 Big W voucher. Congratulations to Kianna and Connor for taking home the vouchers for the month of August. We then recognised our September students last week on our year level Parade. 49 students were recognised as having attendance greater than 95% and 137 students were recognised as consistently doing the right thing in regards to their behaviour. Our winners for the September vouchers were Rahnee and Adam. Congratulations to your both. It has been fantastic to see so many of our Year 7 students being recognised for the positive things that they are doing at school. I look forward to seeing how many of our Year 7 students receive a certificate over the coming months to finish off the year.

This fortnight's PBL focus is “setting realistic goals”. The students have been writing goals in their PC classes that are SMART, to assist them in achieving their goals towards their learning. The students can be adding more goals to their OneSchool goal setting, by accessing the weblink found in their diary or on the student portal page.

Last newsletter’s riddle (I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. What am I?) had no winners… The answer I was looking for was a map!

Here’s a riddle to finish on – your student is able to see me in A-Block staffroom if they believe they have the right answer … A box without hinges, key or a lid, yet golden treasure inside is hid.

As always if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s welfare, do not hesitate to get in contact with me.

Regards
Miss. Bridget Ryan
HOY – Year 7

From the Head of Year 8.

The slippery slope to the end of the year is well and truly travelling pretty fast. This term is action – packed for our Year 8 cohort with Junior Leadership at the forefront of our minds. It was awesome to see students putting up their hands and submitting their applications last week. I personally greatly value leadership and the skills it fosters, but I also recognise how much courage it takes for students to put themselves out there.

Below I have attached the leadership timeline that was emailed home to parents/caregivers on Friday the 15th of October. Next week will see leadership interviews take place, ahead of speeches in Week 6. Our 2022 leadership team will be inducted during a presentation and morning tea on Tuesday 30/11/21.

Leadership Timeline 2021

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns regarding the welfare of your student ( mmpem0@eq.edu.au or 4988 2222).

Regards
Miss. Maggie Pembroke
HOY – Year 8

From the Head of Year 9.

It has been a fantastic start to the final term of the year. It feels like the year has just flown by. Firstly, a big thank you to all the parents and carers who attended the recent parent teacher interview evening. These evenings are a great opportunity for parents and carers to discuss their child’s progress. It is also important to note that the PBL focus for Week 3 and 4 is about “setting realistic goals”. Students are encouraged to discuss their recent report card results and feedback from the parent teacher evening, to inform the development of these goals to support their learning as they prepare for Year 10.

I also want to acknowledge the amazing leadership demonstrated by the junior leaders. As their leadership in an official capacity ends and the baton is passed on to the leaders filling these roles in 2022, it is important to understand that all students are leaders and should act as ambassadors for the school through their conduct at school and in the community.

As the summer weather starts to heat up, please encourage your child to bring a water bottle to school and a hat, particularly if they are playing on the oval. There are a number of bubblers students can use to fill their water bottle throughout the day and students should be staying hydrated and sun safe during the warmer months.

Please ensure you complete continued enrolment information and return any relevant outstanding absentee or attendance notes to the school at your earliest convenience.

Regards
Mr. Peter Sanson
HOY – Year 9

From the Maths team.

Congratulations to Mr. Bahr and his team for making it to the QAMT Year 7 and 8 Maths Quiz State Finals. The final round will be held online on Thursday 28th of October. We wish the Maths Quiz team all the best!

The Senior external exams are underway and all Year 12 students are encouraged to revise their work and seek assistance if needed. Good luck to all Senior Maths classes.

Year level summary is as follows:

• Grade 7: Algebra
• Grade 8: Congruency
• Grade 9: Probability
• Grade 10: Pythagoras’ Theorem
• Grade 11 classes: Unit 3

Regards
Mr. Tavonga Sikwila
Teacher

From the HPE & LOTE team.

HPE

As the school year draws to a close we have almost ended the year on a high! Over the past month we have been thankful for the NRL Development Coordinator for coordinating and organising a Rugby League 9’s competition, which was well-attended by schools in the Central Highlands region. It was a fantastic opportunity for the boys and girls of Emerald State High School to compete in this game, thank you to Mr James Fitzpatrick and Ms Kate Deighton for coordinating our school’s teams.

All Schools Touch Football and All Schools Volleyball competitions are hosted this term, both on the Gold Coast. Emerald SHS was lucky enough to take one Mixed Opens team to A.S Touch Football coached by Mr Jaksen Brose and team management by Mrs Debbie Cognet. The team performed fantastically and made round one finals for placing second in their pool games.

Two teams are travelling to the A.S Volleyball competition coached by Ms Angela Johnson, Ms Rickilee Venardos and Teacher Aide Mr Jordan Grenfell, this is an Open Boys and Open Girls team. The participation in the Volleyball competition is a first for Emerald State High School and we wish these participants and coaches all the best!

Sports Awards Night was hosted by Emerald SHS Sport Coordinator Ms Maggie Pembroke, with the involvement of our school’s senior and junior House Captains. It was a fantastic night celebrating the school sporting achievements of students throughout 2021. This night recognised student participation at our inter-house sport carnivals, Emerald District and Central Highlands representatives and, QLD and Australian level school-sport representatives. The awards night also recognised Sports Programs’ coach of the year and team of the year. It was a fantastic night with two special guest speakers, staff, students, parents and care-givers celebrating the achievements of our talented students.

LOTE

Students studying Japanese this term will be engaging with concepts that will help prepare them for their participation in assessment tasks later this school term. It is exciting to see our student enrolment numbers for elective Japanese in Years 9, 10 and Senior Japanese (Years 11-12) in 2022 to be reflective of the strongest enrolments we have ever seen! This is credit to the work of Mr Huu Nguyen, Mr Riley Neill and Mrs Dee Lucht. It is an exciting opportunity to allow our students at Emerald SHS to continue on with their language studies, beyond compulsory language learning in Years 7 and 8.

Studying a language is greatly beneficial. Students can learn to communicate with and understand a different culture, promoting harmony and tolerance in a multi-cultural community. In our rapidly evolving global community, knowing another language will provide a distinct advantage in the competitive global market. It also enhances students’ understanding on how their own language works whilst improving their skills in English and general literacy.

Regards
Mrs. Debbie Cognet
HOD

From the Humanities team.

In Term 4 for Humanities, we are building student capabilities in knowledge, analysis, research and communication. The Year 7s are studying Ancient China in History and in Geography we are investigating liveability. Year 8s will study feudal Japan and the samurai in History this term, while the Geography students look at landscapes and landforms. In Year 9, students will examine global connections in Geography and World War One in History. The Year 10 students will finish off their study of History by investigating the world of piracy: the history and the Hollywood representation. Each of these units will help students to develop their skills and knowledge of the world.

Last term we had a number of students in Year 11 participate in a Geospatial Technology workshop whilst they were in Brisbane. This opportunity was made available through the BMA Bright Minds funding the school received. Some of the feedback from the students included:

• “One thing I liked/enjoyed from the session we did with Mick Laws was exploring online tools to determine crime statistics in Brisbane to look for spatial patterns and trends. This will be really helpful to integrate into our assessment.”
• “I really liked learning how to create layers on maps to show a spatial distribution in YourMaps on google maps.”
• “I found Datawrapper a really interesting program to use to create cool maps, charts and graphs.”

Students will be able to use their new skills in Maths, Science, Technology and Geography. Thank you BMA Bright Minds, for this opportunity.

Regards
Mr. Callum Tyack
Teacher

From the Positive Behaviour for Learning Team

At Emerald State High School we are:

• Polite,
• Prepared, and we
• Participate.

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

Behaviour Focus

Our current behaviour focus is “Set realistic Goals”.

Student of the Week

Week 3

Imogen Grey For consistent efforts in being polite, prepared in participating in every lesson. Their hard work is definitely noticed by their teachers.

Thomas King For consistently participating to his greatest ability and being polite to teachers and peers.

Lachlan Smith For giving everything a go and displaying exemplary effort towards tasks. It is great to see his maturity this term.

Georgia Barnes For completing her work to the best of her ability and keeping a positive attitude.

Tori Kavanagh Who always arrives to class on time and completes work to the best of her ability. Tori is a role model for her peers.