7 December 2022

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report.

Dear Friends of Emerald High,

Well, the year has rolled to an end. Despite a shaky start in the first two weeks with students working from home, we have seen the highest academic results we have on record across the school. About 100 more students received academic awards this year as compared to last year and effort and behaviour results were also the highest we have seen. It has been a super year!

We are very well positioned for next year, with very little staff movement and the school fully staffed (and in fact over-staffed) next year. Construction will commence on our new Trade Training Centre, gymnasium and Admin Building extensions early in the year and we expect the bus zone to be operational from Day 1.

2023 will also be an even more super year!

A wonderful piece of student news to round off the year. Samantha Dudman has been successful in being selected for the 2023 QMEA/WIMARQ Girls Mentoring program. This is a wonderful achievement against strong competition. Well done Sam and thank you again to Mr Bhar for his support!

Subject allocations have been emailed out to families of all Year 9, 10 and 11 students so that students are fully aware of their program of study for next year. In the majority of cases, students have been successful in being allocated their subjects of choice.

Our new laptop program also starts next year, with the Year 9s being the first lucky group to be able to take advantage of the laptops and the exciting new online learning options that are being made available. They will receive their laptops in Week 1.

The end of year is tinged with sadness, however, as we are farewelling some staff who are off on new adventures. I sincerely thank the following teachers and support staff for their service in our school - you will all be missed!

• Katelyn Bygrave is off on transfer to Mackay North SHS.
• Angela Johnson returns to Nambour State College after her three-year tour of duty in Emerald.
• Ed Hansen is on transfer to Charleville.
• Stephanie Begg is leaving us after completing her stint in our 'Cooee Corner'.
• Jordan Grenfell is also returning to Nambour and will be working at Burnside SHS.

Two more of our teachers, Glenn Moran and Heather Te Amo, will be staying in town and associate with our school, but will transferring to a District Relieving Roles. Thank you Glenn and Heather.

The quality of our teachers is widely recognised in our region, with the following people being appointed to promotional positions:

• Lucy Ferrara has been appointed as Acting Deputy Principal at Longreach State High School in Term 1.
• Jaksen Brose has been appointed as a permanent Head of Department at Calliope SHS
• Helen Chivers has been appointed as a permanent Head of Department at Capella SHS

As the year closes, I would like the opportunity to sincerely thank our whole community for your support of our students and school. It truly does take a village to educate a child, and our village is working closely together to do exactly that.

I would also like to sincerely thank the staff of Emerald High, who are some of the most dedicated and amazing people I have worked with anywhere. When I walk into many of our classrooms and see the exciting learning that is happening and the quality of our staff, I feel very humbled. We are lucky to have the team that we do!

My thanks also to our hard-working P&C and our 'Bites' Team, under the leadership of P&C President Renee Firth, who do mountains of work behind the scene to support our ability to provide quality learning and to feed our youngsters the very best meals available anywhere. I would continue to encourage parents to be involved in our P&C - the commitment is not huge, meetings are sharp and focussed and don't go for long. The work they do is critical for our school, however.

Finally, a thank you to our amazing young people, who have done so well this year. I very much enjoy talking with you every day and sharing your joys, energy, excitement and (sometimes) your challenges and bad days as well. Life is wonderful, however, and you have it all ahead of you! You’re a great group of young people and there is nothing you can’t achieve with the right effort and attitude!

“Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.”
- Albert Einstein

Have a fantastic wonderful Christmas break and a safe and relaxing new year everyone!

Mr. Sean Maher
Principal

From the Deputy Principal – Middle School.

PBL Focus

Our current focus is “Be Safe on the Holidays.” We want all of our students to return to school in 2023 in good condition. Please remind them to make good decisions and look out for each other.

End of Term Rewards

At the end of each term, students are rewarded for excellent behaviour both on their report cards, but also as part of our PBL initiatives.

Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 who have no misbehaviour in the last 10 weeks, will be invited to a celebratory event to be held on Wednesday 7 December, 2022. They will have the choice of either attending the movies from 12pm to 2:30pm or receiving a Domino’s Pizza Voucher. Permission notes must be returned by the Tuesday 6 December in order to secure their spot. These notes have been sent home with eligible students.

Report Cards

Year 10 and 11 report cards have been sent by email. If you did not receive it, please check your junk folder. If you still can’t find it, please call the school and we will email it again.

Year 7, 8 and 9 Report cards will be emailed to parents this week, by Friday. If you have changed emails, please ensure that the office has this information.

Continuing Enrolment Packages

By now, all students who are currently enrolled should have returned their continuing enrolment package to the office. If you are leaving our school, please ensure that you have completed a “student leaving clearance form” and submit this to the office.

Merry Christmas to you and your families. We look forward to seeing you again in 2023.

Regards
Mrs. Deanne Lucht
Deputy Principal – Middle School

From the Deputy Principal – Senior School.

So, we have come to the end of another unusual year. It is hard to remember that the year didn’t start as normal. Thinking back, there were so many highlights and achievements to be proud of. I am particularly enjoying hearing what the graduating Year 12s are up to.

2023 Timetable

The 2023 timetable is now all but done. Parents/guardians of students in Years 9 to 11 should have received an email from us letting you know what elective subjects your child is in for 2023. Please be aware that some subjects are now full and students wishing to change into them will have to be placed on a waiting list.

2023 Senior School

Next year my focus in the senior school is ensuring that students are hitting our 90% attendance targets. We know that when students are attending over 90% they are attaining grades that are at or above their ability. Students whose attendance is below this are at risk of having their enrolment reviewed.

In Years 11 and 12 students are in the compulsory participation phase of learning. This means a young person must be either in approved education or training, paid employment or a combination of both. As a student of Emerald State High School, we expect all senior students to follow our 3Ps:

Polite – Be honest and courteous in their interactions with others. Value diversity and treat all members of the school community respectfully. Use positive and appropriate language. Seek to resolve problems in a proactive manner, in a non-abusive and non-violent manner. Promote a positive school image and act as a positive role model for all.

Prepared – Take pride in their personal appearance and wear the school uniform correctly. Ensure they have all necessary equipment for each lesson and plan to be ready for every lesson. Follow directions/routines of the school.

Participate – Regular attendance at school significantly enhances a student’s ability to achieve his or her academic potential. Have at least 92% attendance in all classes – with the exception of valid and approved absences (medical certificate). Not leave the school grounds during the day without approval. Be punctual to all scheduled lessons and events. Adhere to the assessment policy. Actively and positively participate in their learning by completing all classwork, homework and assessment items.

Students who fail to meet attendance and assessment requirements, and refuse to follow school policies and procedures may jeopardise their opportunity to be eligible for a Senior Shirt/Jersey and or their invitation to formal. They are also at risk of having their enrolment cancelled.

Flexi Timetables

It is an expectation that all students study six subjects in Years 11 and 12 unless they have circumstances that impact on their ability to study six. These impacts may include – school-based apprenticeships and traineeships, external study with another organisation, parenting responsibilities and health issues. Only students who have passed all subjects each term will be given a permission form to be allowed to study in their flex times at home. In Year 11, this means students will not be given this opportunity until the start of Term 2. For our students in Year 12, this means a review of their Term 4 report cards. Eligible Year 12s will receive their flexi letters in Week 1 of next term.

I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a safe break. I look forward to working with everyone again in 2023 to ensure great outcomes for all.

Regards
Mrs. Tanya Shaw
Deputy Principal – Senior School

From the Head of Year 7

We’ve made it to the end of another school year! I am so impressed with the Year 7 Cohort – they have worked so hard this year and have consistently showed that they can be Polite, Prepared and Participating members of Emerald SHS.

In Week 7 we welcomed the families of those high achieving students to attend Awards Night at Town Hall. I am so pleased to say that the Year 7 cohort received more awards than any other group! It is clear that their outstanding behaviour and effort has led to this group being able to achieve their best.

In Week 10 we will be taking those students who have consistently met the 3Ps to the Movies for our PBL rewards days. I was again very impressed with the number of Year 7s who were included on this list.

2023 will bring some changes to our group – 7A will be collapsing into the other class groups and our number will decrease to 7 classes in total. Ben Van Hees has made any class changes with consultation with the parents of students moving, and taking class size and student needs into consideration. If you find there are any issues moving forward, please let us know so we can ensure that school is a happy and safe place for all students to attend.

Thanks so much for a fantastic 2022 – I look forward to working with you all again in 2023 as Head of Year 8!

Regards
Miss. Michelle Watkin
HOY – Year 7

From the Head of Year 8

Week 7 bought our 2023 Junior Leadership Selection to a close and we were able to announce the group of students who will lead our Junior School in 2023. Congratulations to the following students who all delivered excellent speeches to the Year 7 and 8 cohorts. The future is looking bright!

Please remember, all students who are currently enrolled should have returned their continuing enrolment package to the office. If you are leaving our school, please ensure that you have completed a “student leaving clearance form” and submit this to the office.

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday.

Regards
Mr. Leon Coromandel
HOY – Year 8

From the Head of Year 9

What a fantastic term it has been. As we near the end of the year, it is great to reflect on the amazing success the students in Year 9 have had this year. It was inspiring to see the Year 9 leaders present the senior awards at awards night. It has been great to see the growth of the Junior Leaders throughout the year and I look forward to working with students when they move into the senior school.

A massive congratulations to all the students in Year 9 who received an award at awards night. It is extremely important to recognise and celebrate the achievements of our students and it was encouraging to see many happy parents and carers celebrating their child’s success. Well done!

As we move in to the final few days of the term, it is important to remember that every day counts and that learning will be occurring in all classrooms, as students continue to consolidate their knowledge and understanding. Please encourage your child to continue to demonstrate our key values of polite, prepared and participate as we move towards the end of term.

If you are going away over the break, please stay safe and we look forward to another fun and exciting year in 2023.

Regards
Mrs. Rickilee Venardos
HOY – Year 9

From the Cooee Corner.

2022 is almost complete and each student has something to be proud of. It is important to take a moment to recognise persistence and the gains that each student has made in building their knowledge and skills across all school environments, particularly as these will help set them up for success in 2023.

I would like to acknowledge the support and hard work by the parents and carers of all our students - it takes a team!

December 3rd marks the International Day of Disabled Persons. First launched in 1992, the event is in its 29th year of celebration, marking nearly three decades of meaningful change for the disabled community.

International Day of Disabled Persons recognises visible and invisible disabilities, to promote the importance of inclusion in life and the workplace. An annual event, World Disability Day is hosted by the United Nations and encourages business leaders and communities across the globe to value the unique contributions of disabled people.

• Changing perceptions to give people the lives they deserve — Dylan Alcott OAM

Wishing everyone and safe and happy holiday season. See you in 2023!

Regards
Mrs. Sarah Somerville
HOSES

From the Science team.

It has been a wonderful term in Science, with students learning about a broad range of areas. As the end of year grows closer, it has been wonderful to carry out some learning activities where the students are integrating concepts they have learnt throughout the year.

Year 7 – The students have learnt about Earth’s place in the Solar System and how the tilt of the Earth impacts seasons. Students have also been closely following NASA’s Artemis mission with much interest, and carrying out some activities that are related to this exciting new era of space exploration.

Year 8 – This term, the classes have been studying plant and animal cells, comparing cells, components and reproduction processes. Students are investigating reproduction in plants during Weeks 9 and 10, and will be carrying out a flower dissection.

Year 9 – The 9s have been learning about natural disasters this term, and will be applying their knowledge in a STEM activity to build earthquake resistant buildings.

It has been a wonderful term in Science and we are looking forward to rounding out the year completing some fun and engaging STEM activities.

Regards
Miss. Annabel Paul
Teacher

From the English team.

We’ve had a very busy year and with the end of Term 4 approaching, the students deserve a big congratulations for all of their hard work this year.

All students have finished assessment and are now completing mini-units for Weeks 9 and 10. Our Year 7s finalised their animations and Ned Kelly editorials and are now writing a short story. The Year 8s completed their social issue editorials and are now developing a pitch for a Wall E sequel. The Year 9s have finalised their feature articles and are now looking at a range of poetry forms such as Haiku and collage. It has been great to see the hands-on learning occurring in the classroom until the very end of the year! Our Year 10s, 11s and 12s have finalised their assessment for the year and are now enjoying a well-deserved holiday. A big congratulations to our Year 12s who have graduated and are moving on to bigger and better things.

Our future Year 7s had their transition lessons last week and it was great to see out future students enjoying their learning and seeing what ESHS has to offer.

Our English honours students have completed their ‘Author in Residence’ program where each student published a short story. It was great to see all of the students’ ideas and creativity on full display.

Finally, we would like to congratulate the students once again on their hard work in 2022. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and we look forward to another great school year in 2023.

Regards
Mr. Jack Rynsberger
Teacher

From the Hospitality & VET team.

The Junior school have been investigating the food trends in Australia. Students have developed ‘freak shakes’ as an example, using elements to create this monstrous shake. They later used this to write an innovative magazine article of their chosen magazine cover page. A few examples can be seen below:

Senior school (Year 11 Hospitality class) finished their year busily catering for the Year 12 Graduation. They had planned, and made mocktails for this event catering for almost 300 people. The students were very proud of their achievement.

Regards
Ms. Anush Sharma
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 9 and 10 of this term.

Behaviour Focus

Our current behaviour focus is “Being Safe on the Holidays.”

Student of the Week

Week 9

Year 7: Cooper Ridgway For always being polite, prepared for class and actively participating in all class activities.

Year 8: Cooper Quinlan For consistently following the key values of ESHS and has shown exemplary effort in class.

Year 9: Jodi Lawn For demonstrating resilience and working hard to complete set tasks in class.

Community Notices

From the Australian Federal Police.

Information for families

The Australian Federal Police through the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation is seeing a concerning global trend of teenage males being targeted to send explicit images of themselves and then blackmailed. This is called sexual extortion, or sextortion.

The AFP is urging families to have important safety conversations ahead of the school holidays to prevent young people from becoming victims. This crime can have serious wellbeing and psychological impacts.

How does sextortion start?

• Unsolicited friend and follow requests on social media
• Direct messages on one app and then being asked to keep chatting on a secondary app
• Conversations suddenly and quickly becoming sexualised
• Requests for sexualised images or content.

What can families do?

• Have open and regular conversations about your child’s online activities and interactions
• Know what platforms, apps and games they are using and who they are interacting with
• Remain open and approachable, victims will be reluctant to come forward if they feel they will be punished or blamed
• Ensure your child knows that it is okay to leave conversations if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe
• Support your child and know how to respond. The Online Blackmail and Sexual Extortion Response Kit has been created to recognise sextortion and get help.

The Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation is here to keep young people safe from online sexual exploitation and abuse.

You can make a report via the link below.

For further information, resources and advice visit the website below