16 March 2023

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report.

Dear Friends of Emerald High,

Some super student news to start the newsletter.

Amazing Year 12 students, Madison Powell, Amelia Jarvis & Samantha Dudman participated in the Lions Youth of the Year program this year. The entrants were very worthy participants and performed extremely well.

I am delighted to announce that Madison was the overall winner and she will participate in the District finals at Rockhampton on the 18th March 2023. Emerald High triumphs again!

Our swimming carnival is on again on the last day of the term. To make things easier for students, parents and staff, we have set up the consent form process on 'Q-Parents', the school app that allows parents to interact with the school and quickly and easily give permission for school events without tedious notes that are often found at the bottom of school bags. If you are not a member but would like to be, please contact the school office. Students whose parents are not on Q-Parents, will still need to return a paper note in the old-fashioned way.

I am also delighted to advise that Ashley Sprought, Matt Pese, Abby Keeley, Eli Walsh, Sophia Wright and Matilda Downie have all been selected to represent Capricornia School Sport in 2023. Ashley is representing in Swimming, Mathew in Tennis, Abby in Football, Eli in basketball, Sophie in Rugby Union and Matilda in Rugby League and Rugby Union. Well done to all of these fine young people.

Our P&C Annual General Meeting was held last week and I am proud to announce that we have seen a new executive elected:

• President - Beth Burnett
• Vice-President - Helen Chivers
• Secretary - Lesley-Anne McDowall
• Treasurer - Jill Ryan

I am very confident that this very talented team will very ably continue the great work of our former executive.

I would also like to take the opportunity to thank the outgoing executive for the amazing work that they have done to support our school in recent years and also for the supportive and collaborative way that they have all helped our new team transition in. My very sincere thanks to the following people who have made a real difference in our school:

• Outgoing President - Renee Firth
• Outgoing Vice-President - Sarah Challacombe
• Outgoing Secretary - Karen Bray
• Outgoing Treasurer - Helen Reinke

A reminder that regular attendance is particularly important with the following attendance rates providing a guide to the impact on academic success:

• 95% attendance = 1 day a month (minimal impact)
• <90% attendance = 1 day a fortnight (noticeable impact)
• <85% attendance = 1.5 days a fortnight (very significant impact)
• <80% attendance = 1 day a week (critical impact)

And now for something completely different…

I seek your support in promoting participation in the Next Step Year 12 Completers survey, which is commencing on 20th March. The Department of Education conducts the post-school destination survey for all students who completed Year 12 last year in Queensland.

Further information about Next Step is available at the link below. Should you have any queries about the survey, please contact the department’s Next Step team on (07) 3055 2845 or by email at nextstep@qed.qld.gov.au .

“Kid, you’ll move mountains.”

Dr. Seuss.

Have a fantastic fortnight
Mr. Sean Maher
Principal

From the Head of Year 7.

Can you believe that Term 1 is almost done? It has been an exciting few weeks for our Year 7s, as they have found their place at Emerald SHS. I’m extremely impressed with the behaviour and effort of our Year 7 cohort so far – I have had very positive reports from all their teachers!

Students will be working hard with upcoming assessment. This can be a stressful time, some ways to support them is to encourage sleep, being physically & socially active and letting them develop sills with time management and problem solving.

It has also been fantastic to see so many Year 7 students getting involved in our school events and clubs! This included, Valentine’s Day, HPE week, Cross Country, CH Sports, Breaky Club (Tuesday mornings) Readers Cup, Art Club, Homework Club & more. We have more events coming the next few days including: giant soccer, the handball competition, Army Cadets and the Swimming Carnival. The annual Swimming Carnival will be on the last day off school on Friday of Week 10 (31/3/23). It is a fun day and a fantastic opportunity to show some house pride, and as an added bonus, all students who have zero negative behaviour records will be receiving a slushy from the canteen on the day as well!

We have also started our new High Five positive behaviour system. This is already seen students walk away with a $50 Big W voucher and Domino’s Pizza Vouchers. Cinema and more Big W vouchers are available to be won in the next two weeks. Students can receive these awards from teachers, cleaners and from school leaders for following the 3Ps and the Positive Behaviour for Learning focuses. Starting this week, the focus is “Respect the space and property of others”.

As a reminder, if your student is away for any reason, they can still access all of their classwork on the student portal. This can be found on the Emerald State High School website. If you have concerns please touch base with your child’s subject specific teacher to assist you.

Regards
Miss Leah Cordwell
HOY – Year 7

From the Head of Year 8.

Year 8 Camp

We are currently investigating the possibilities around a Year 7 and Year 8 Camp for 2023. A survey will be sent out to all parents within the next week, asking for feedback on the options we have looked into – your responses to this would be greatly appreciated.

Class Representatives

Voting has now been completed for all Year 8 PCs! A big congratulations to all who were successful in gaining a position. I was very impressed with all the students who nominated for positions, and encourage all of you to nominate for Junior Leadership in Term 4.

PBL Reward Day

Our annual Swimming Carnival will close out the Term on Friday of Week 10. I’d love to encourage all students to attend the Swimming Carnival on the last day of school – it’s a fun day, a fantastic opportunity to show some house pride, (Let’s go Sapphire!) and, as added bonus, all students who have zero negative behaviour records and have hit our attendance targets will be receiving a slushy from the canteen on the day as well!

Regards
Miss. Michelle Watkin
HOY – Year 8

From the Head of Year 9.

As the term nears its end, there are a number of assessments that students have due, also it is nearing the end of the laptop loan program for the Year 9 rotation. Please check in with your student about the state of the laptop and make sure that anything that they have saved has been saved into their school folder on the school’s drive.

As we reach the cooler months, please ensure that your student has access to a plain black jumper that does not have any logos or the school jacket.

The research tells us that for students to have success in their learning, every day and every lesson counts. If students are missing a day a week, or a day a fortnight, it can have significant impact on academic results. Unless your child is unwell, they should be attending school. If your child misses school or needs additional help with their subjects, they can attend homework club in the library every Monday and Wednesday from 3-4pm. Students can ask their teachers to attend to help them with certain subjects.

Regards
Mr. Leon Coromandel
HOY – Year 9

From the Head of Year 10.

Hello! My name is Rickilee Venardos and I am the Year 10 Head of Year. My role is to track student attendance and also to support student wellbeing. This is a big term for Year 10s with work experience occurring in Week 9. This year, the Year 10s have been able to choose some electives to give them a taste of what subjects they may want to select as they head on to senior schooling next year. It is great to see most students have sorted their work experience and are looking forward to heading out into the workforce for a week.

Our PBL focus for the fortnight is around, “Respect the space and property of others”. This is a timely reminder for students to ensure that they are respecting the areas around them and making sure they are doing everything that they can to ensure that the school grounds is a safe place to be. It can be as simple as putting rubbish in the bin, or it could be removing themselves from unsafe situations. As the Year 10s are part of the senior school now, they are expected to step up and lead by example so that the younger students have role models around the school. As I have worked with this group for many years now, I know that they are more than capable of displaying model behaviour.

The Year 10 Welfare team meet weekly to discuss attendance and wellbeing for Year 10 students and how we can offer support where it is needed. It is crucial that if a student is sick or unable to attend school for a period of time, that contact is made with the school.

I look forward to working with the Year 10 students this year, and should you have any questions, myself (rvena7@eq.edu.au) or Deanne Lucht (dluch4@eq.edu.au) can be contacted via email or by phoning the school on 4988 2222.

Please continue to encourage your students to get the most out of their schooling every single day. Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Regards
Mrs. Rickilee Venardos
HOY – Year 10

From the HPE team.

2023 has been busy for HPE. There have been a number of CH and Capricornia trials for many sports and we have had many ESHS students representing the school at both levels. There has also been our sports program starting up, with touch football teams playing in the local competition and after school training for the rugby and volleyball students. Remember to listen out in the student notices and on Facebook for upcoming trials and sign up at J Block staff room.

Our school Cross Country has also just run last Wednesday at the Botanical Gardens. Students showed some great house and team spirit during the event. Thank you to all those who made this event possible, especially Mr Beatty!

It is that time in the school term when assessments are beginning. These assessments in all Junior year levels will run in Weeks 7, 8 and 9, and if your students are away, please contact the class teacher so alternative arrangements can be made. In the practical space, Year 7 have been covering Bat and Ball Games, Year 8 have been enjoying Street Hockey, Sof-Crosse and Softball, Year 9 Badminton, Year 10 Gridiron, and the Sport and Rec Year 12s have been at the pool.

A big thank you to all students who have been bringing their hats and water bottles to class. Sun safety is very important and it is promoted in all our lessons. Please continue to support the school with sun safety and remind students to have a hat and water bottle with them.

Our school swimming carnival will be running before the end of term, so please keep an eye and ear out for notices about arrangements for this day.

Well done and congratulations to all students who are giving 100% effort in HPE.

Regards
Mr. James Fitzpatrick
Teacher

From the Arts team.

Visual Art

Young Archie Competition

Five of our talented art students in Years 8, 9 and 10, have been selected to feature in the Art Gallery of New South Wales Young Archie Competition. Similar to the Archibald Prize, students were asked to submit a portrait of a person who is special to them, or plays a significant role in their life. Finalists will be exhibited at the New South Wales Gallery and on the Gallery website. Stay tuned for the results!

Year 7 & 8 Art

Students have just finished Part A, their experimental folio, which included a contour drawing and a watercolour portrait inspired by Pablo Picasso, and a wire portrait inspired by Alexander Calder. Students have also just completed Part B of their assessment, an artwork critique on Vincent Namatjira’s work, ‘Stand strong for who you are’.

Year 9 Art

Students are currently finalising Part A of their assessment, an experimental folio. So far, they have produced a self-portrait inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat, a Vanita, and a self-portrait inspired by Friedensreich Hundertwasser. These techniques will be used in their resolved artwork next term.

Year 10 Art

Students are currently finalising Part A of assessment, their experimental folio. So far, they have produced a range of street art fonts, one colour, and multi-coloured stencils and paste-ups. These techniques will be used in their resolved artwork next term.

Year 11 and 12 Visual Art in Practice

Students are currently finalising their investigation task for their first module, based on the local environment. Students have been experimenting with mixed-media on 2D, post-card sized surfaces inspired by areas within Emerald and the surrounds.

Year 11 and 12 Visual Art

Students are currently finalising their first assessment task for the year, an investigation. Following this they will commence a making task that that is guided by the stipulation decided upon in the investigation.

Music

Year 7 & 8 Music

Students are currently finishing up their rock song assessment. There are some future rock stars in these classes!

Year 9 Music

Students will be undergoing their practical performances next week. There are some awesome drummers and ukulele players in this class!

Drama

Year 7 & 8 Drama

Students have just finished their short response exams in response to Australian Theatre for Young People's recorded production of 'The Trolley's'. Our next assessment in this rotation focuses on developing students' improvisation skills, through practising conventions during theatre sports.

Year 9 Drama

Students are underway rehearsing and polishing their Collage Drama performances! They have been working in groups to construct informative and empowering performances about a selected social issue. We have investigated social issues of a wide variety, from poverty, body image and women's rights, to men's mental health.

Year 10 Drama

Students have finalised their unique Children's Theatre playscripts and have started adapting their devised scripts to stage! This week has seen students began investigating one another's scripts and working together to craft them into performances.

Year 12 Drama

Students will be performing there IA1 this week, excerpts from the play Hoods.

2023 Musical

Our schools' production of Rock of Ages: Teen Edition is well and truly moving ahead! Our cast has completed a full run through and trial of our 80's rock-inspired hairstyles and makeup with the help of our own ESHS Certificate II Hairdressing students! Our ESHS Visual Arts staff and Art Club has been busy making props and set pieces with our backstage crew. We have a full team of staff and community members dedicating their time to assisting our students every Wednesday afternoon and during weekends. A mammoth effort from all involved!

Regards
Miss. Kate Myers
Teacher

From the Humanities team.

With such a wide range of subjects and topics covered in the Humanities faculty, this will just be an update.

With the first seven-week rotation of Civics and Citizenship just completed, some junior classes have recently moved on to their Geography study with their new teachers. Year 7 students are exploring the roles within Ancient Egypt. In Year 8, Changing Nations will be the first unit, which looks at where many families have come from to settle here in Australia and more specifically, Emerald. Year 8 History students are finishing their study of the Vikings by making artefacts. They will soon move on to explore The Black Death and its effect on the equal re-distribution of power in medieval times.

Both Year 11 Legal Studies and Geography are ready to submit their IA1s this Friday. Year 12 have submitted the drafts for their IA2. Lastly, our Year 12 Tourism students have submitted drafts for their Internal Assessment 1.

Humanities subjects continue to give students real-life skills while they relate to issues, problems, challenges and the wonder of our amazing and ever-changing world.

Regards
Mrs. Vicki Hawkins
Teacher

From the Cooee Corner team.

Welcome to all our new and returning families,

The ESHS Inclusion Team supports students with disability and student who require learning support. Our team can be found at the Cooee Corner, N Block, and is comprised of the Head of Special Education, SWD Support Teachers/Teaching staff and Teacher Aides.

One of our roles is to support the identification and implementation of adjustments that help students to access the curriculum and school environment on the same basis as their peers. These adjustments are monitored and reviewed through a case management process, in collaboration with students and their parents/care givers.

It has been a busy start to 2023, but it is great to see our new students settling in, making progress in their classrooms and being active participants in the school environment. Time management can be a difficulty that many student face, not just students with support needs. Here are some tips from Sue Larkey.

Regards
Mrs. Sarah Somerville
HOSES

From the Sports Coordinator.

It’s been a crazy start to the year of sport already. There has been some tight deadlines and I want to say thank you to everyone for their patience, nominations and punctuality with notes and payments. Please make sure students are listening in PC for notices, as this is when sporting nominations are announced. We are already seeing many students progress onto the CAP level which is awesome – such talented sporting students we have!

This week we had our annual inter-house Cross Country at the botanical gardens. Great work to all the students who got involved and ran their races well. Congratulations to our winners, who will be progressing to the CH trials next term.

Friday 31st March is the inter-house Swimming Carnival. This is a fun day and an excellent way to finish off the term. The day will consist of a range of competitive and novelty events, so that everyone has an opportunity to get in a swim on the day, regardless of swimming ability. There is no need to nominate ahead of time, as students will be able to choose the events they wish to participate in on the day. For students to participate, parents/caregivers will have to sign a permission form that students will receive in PC, or complete the online consent on QParents.

Regards
Mr. Louie Beatty
Sports Coordinator

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 7 and 8 of this term.

Behaviour Focus

Our current behaviour focus is “Respect the space and property of others.”

Student of the Week

Week 7

Year 7: Brock McDonell For always having a positive attitude in class, putting his best effort towards his work at all times and being a role model for his peers.
Year 8: Mitchell Turner For being an engaged student who is always giving everything a go. He consistently meets the 3Ps and is a positive member of the school community.
Year 9: Savannah Abbott For being polite to staff and students and making sure that everyone is safe.
Year 10: Bree McDowall For showing leadership and guidance when representing the school at interschool sport.
Year 11: Macey Horstman For being a positive ambassador for the school. Macey demonstrates exceptional leadership in all that she does.
Year 12: Eve Agius For her fantastic work ethic and for going above and beyond with everything she does.

Week 8

Year 7: Rayne Miller For displaying role model behaviour in class by being polite and prepared, and actively participating in class discussions.
Year 11: Jacob Edwards For being a role model for his peers. Jacob demonstrates maturity beyond his years and always shows a polite attitude.

Community Notices