5 February 2016, Volume 18 Number 1

News from the Principal

Welcome to the Centenary SHS 2016 school year. I trust that all members of our community have enjoyed a relaxing summer holiday and are looking forward to a successful school year at Centenary. It is critical that students establish good work routines from Day 1. Such routines if adhered to, will reduce stress and workload later in the term.

Given the new year is a time of forward thinking and goal setting, it is timely to revisit our school’s vision of Quality Learning Quality Futures. Centenary SHS has a clear focus on learning and it is this focus that will provide our students with limitless opportunities in the future. This vision is supported through the daily enactment of our values:

• Respect and Integrity
• Aspiration and Achievement
• Resilience and Commitment
• Innovation and Creativity
• Collaboration and Community

We are committed to fostering a rich school experience for our students. Although outstanding academic outcomes are at the core of our business at Centenary we are focused on providing a holistic education providing quality opportunities for students across a range of spheres and a supportive and safe learning environment in which students learn to interact positively with each other, problem solve and develop skills for life.

I take this opportunity to extend a special welcome to our new parents and caregivers and encourage you to be actively involved in your child’s secondary education. Centenary SHS was opened as a result of a sustained community voice … it is important that this voice remains strong within the school. I believe wholeheartedly that strong community involvement is a key determinant to successful schooling. Please regularly view the school’s website and facebook site as an active member of our community.

New Staff

I take this opportunity to welcome the following staff to our school:

2015 Year 12 Outcomes

Our Year 12 performed strongly in their school exit outcomes. We are thrilled with the wonderful achievements of last year’s Year 12 Cohort. We continue to raise the bar in respect to our Senior Outcomes. Highlights include:

• 81% of students achieving an OP of 1-15
• One OP 1 Student
• 99.5% of students achieving the QCE upon school exit
• Approximately 98% of students who applied for tertiary study receiving an offer.

Our school dux Brendan Chiem was rewarded with the top ranking of an OP 1. It is heartening to hear some of the good news stories from last year’s senior cohort. In particular a number of students have use their successful completion of VET outcomes to gain entry into a course of preference.

CLASS and Timetable Changes

Whilst we attempt to minimise class and timetable changes for students, it is inevitable that they will occur. A number of variables inform these changes including enrolment growth and the need to create equitable class sizes within the current industrial framework as well as staff absence and the availability of specialist replacements. The current school timetable is in draft mode pending the Day 8 Return which will determine school resourcing including teacher allocation. We will endeavour to minimise the changes to timetables at this juncture.

Volunteer Support

Canteen volunteering and P and C involvement are both pragmatic ways in which to support Centenary SHS. I urge parents and caregivers to give of their time where possible.

My thanks to the parents who supported both the uniform sales and canteen over the last few weeks.

Best wishes for the 2016 Centenary School Year

John Brew, Principal
Email: admin@centenaryshs.eq.edu.au

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Newsletter Articles

News from the Deputy Principals

Procedures Reminder:

A quick reminder to all families regarding Uniform and Leave Pass procedures.

Uniform Passes:

Student uniform is looking fantastic for the start of the 2016 school year and it is great to see students meeting the uniform expectations of the school. To maintain this high standard, student and parents/guardians are reminded that any variation to the uniform requires a note from home. This note must be brought to the Year Level Deputy Principal before 8.55am so that the student can be issued with a uniform pass.

Please note that canvas shoes, ‘street style’ footwear or jeans are not acceptable alternatives to the school uniform at any time.

Late Arrival or Early Departure from School:

All late arrivals and early departures must occur through the Office so that an accurate record of all on the school site is maintained.

Students arriving late to school are asked to present a note to the Office to sign in before being permitted to attend their timetabled class.

Students requesting an early departure from school are required to bring a note to the Office before HG class (8.55am). The Office will issue an early departure request slip so that your student can leave their class at the appropriate time. Students are then required to bring this request slip to the Office to sign-out and be issued with their pass.

These procedures are also outlined for students in the 2016 Student Homework Diary.

Subject Changes:

Subject changes for Semester 1 will close for students on Wednesday February 10th 2016. It is essential that students requesting subject changes meet with their Year Level Deputy Principal to discuss options and the availability of classes.

Deputy Principals will be available before and after school as well as break times to discuss subject changes. Please note that requests for subject changes will not occur in lesson times.

Students requesting a subject change will be required to complete a “Request for Subject Change” form which must be signed by a Parent or Guardian before a change can be made.

Year 9 & 10 students are asked to see Mr Richter and Year 11 & 12 students are asked to see Mr McDonald regarding these changes.

School Photographs:

School Photographs are scheduled across two days this year at Centenary SHS. The dates are listed below:

• Years 7 – 9: Friday February 5th 2016
• Years 10 – 12: Tuesday February 9th 2016. Catch-up photographs will also be held on this day.

Students will be required to wear their full formal uniform for photographs as per the school’s Uniform Code.

Clearance Forms

The clearance form process is essential for ensuring that all materials and resources are returned to the school for redistribution. Additionally, this process allows for parents/carers to review school absences and any outstanding school fees and contributions that may have been incurred.

Currently, there are a significant number of students with outstanding clearance forms from 2015 and related resources. This may have an impact on resource distribution so we are urging all students who have not completed this process to do so in the coming days.

A list of students yet to return their 2015 clearance form is available in the Administration Office. Copies of the form are also available for those students who may have lost their original. Year Level Coordinators and Deputy Principals will be providing reminders to students with outstanding clearance forms to complete this process.

All Deputy Principals are here to support your student to achieve their best at Centenary SHS. If you have any questions or concerns regarding academic achievement, learning pathway or well-being, please contact the school to arrange an appointment if needed. Additionally, email contacts are listed below.

Matt McDonald, Deputy Principal (Years 11 & 12)
Email: mmcdo156@eq.edu.au
Adam Richter, Deputy Principal (Years 9, 10 & International)
Email: arich60@eq.edu.au
Sallyann Griffith, Deputy Principal (Year 7, 8 & International)
Email: sgrif88@eq.edu.au

Administration of Medication

If your child requires staff to administer medication at school, please contact the school office in the first instance to discuss your child’s requirements. Please note, school staff will only administer medication that has been prescribed by a qualified health practitioner (eg, doctor or dentist), is in its original container and has an attached pharmacy label.

Communication with the School

• notify the school if the student requires medication during school or school-based activities (including camps and excursions) via:
  - a letter (for short term medication) or
  - a request to administer medication at school permission form, completed and signed by the parent and the prescribing health practitioner, if the student has a chronic (long term) medical condition and requires routine or emergency medications

• notify the school in writing of any requests and/or guidelines provided by the students' prescribing health practitioner concerning medication administration
• consult with the school to develop an Emergency Health Plan if emergency medication is required for the student
• notify the school in writing (with an accompanying letter from the prescribing health practitioner) when changes occur to the students' routine or emergency medication
• notify the school in advance (in writing) if medication is being transported with the student for purposes other than administration at school (respite, shared parental arrangements)
• advise school in writing and collect medication when it is no longer required at school.

Communication with Health Practitioners and Pharmacists

• where possible ask the prescribing health practitioner if the required medication is available in a form which minimises or eliminates the need to administer medication at school
• discuss the option with the dispensing pharmacist to supply the medication in a multi-dose pack with clear administration directions (particularly when multiple medications are prescribed)
• obtain written advice from the prescribing health practitioner if the dose is to be varied in response to specific criteria (e.g. blood glucose level, behaviour).

Supplying Medication and Written Advice

• provide the medication in person or via a delegated adult in a safe manner to the school and in the original container (rather than send medication with the student if possible) with the medical authority attached
• provide an Action Plan for Anaphylaxis or Asthma completed by the student’s medical practitioner when medication is prescribed to manage emergency health conditions/situations for these health conditions
• ensure the medication supply has not expired and is adequate for the agreed time period, and replenished as required (school may notify).

Charmaine Macaulay
Email: cmaca5@eq.edu.au

Welcome Back

Welcome back to Centenary for 2016. The Student Services team hopes that everyone has had a restful break and is ready for another fun-filled year of learning. We are sure this year will be a fantastic journey. We have a new member to our team this year with Robyne Kruske joining us as a Guidance Officer. Dyanne Moxham (School Health Nurse), Bernie McMullen (Chaplain) and Mark Voigt (Guidance Officer) are hopefully names you already recognise from last year.

The start of the year can be difficult for many young people and their families as new routines need to be put in place, classes and homework get a little more challenging and friendships renewed. One good way for a strong start to each day is to make sure your student has a healthy breakfast. Good nutrition is the key to a happy and motivated learner.

If there are any concerns, please contact one of the student support team. Our details are on the school website. We look forward to talking with you in the future.

Mark Voigt, Guidance Counsellor
Email: mxvoi0@eq.edu.au

New Guidance Officer

My name is Robyne Kruske and I am the Guidance Officer working with Year 7, 8 and 10 students. It has been a busy start to the year and I have enjoyed meeting with students and staff at Centenary. Centenary has excellent student support systems in place and I look forward to working here. I work with students, staff and families in a variety of ways:

• General counselling
• Career advice
• Programs
• Working collaboratively with teachers to ensure best outcomes for students

Wellbeing is at the core of student achievement so if you have any concerns you can contact me through the main school number. Students are welcome to drop by at break times and make appointments through our wonderful receptionist, Joanne Cunneen.

Robyne Kruske, Guidance Officer}
Email: rkrus2@eq.edu.au

News from the Chaplain

Welcome back to Centenary in2016. The Chappy’s brekkie club will be running every Wednesday for this first Term. The first Brekkie will be Wednesday 10th 2016 and will be at the canteen in front of CPAC. We will begin at 8am and finish at 9.00am. It is free! So encourage you student to attend.

We support a number of families in this community of Centenary SHS, and our thoughts are with each of these families and we will continue to support them.

Finally I come across this article below which was great reading, I wish to share it with you all:

“As parents, we spend so much of our time talking to our kids – and then wonder why they don’t seem to hear us. In heated moments, we find ourselves stuck in power struggles, but can’t figure out what to say to stop the fighting. Sometimes we just don’t know how to answer a tough question. Here are a few pointers to get you started….

Why can talking with kids be so hard? ‘The basic challenge is that parents very often speak without understanding how their children receive the message’, says Michael Thompson, PhD, co-author of Raising Cain. ‘We often make an assumption that our kids understand. But then we wonder, ‘Why didn’t they do what I said?”’

While many parent-child conversations can lead to misunderstandings, becoming an effective communicator is not only possible– it can even be fun!

In this guide, you will find practical ways to communicate effectively with kids of any age, using words they can hear and techniques that make sense. The information is based on successful strategies that parents and experts (many of them parents themselves) have used with kids.

Remember: there is no script to memorise or order you have to follow. Think of these easy-to-employ ideas as tools you can pull out when you need them, to help you and your child understand each other.

And keep in mind that there are important times when not talking at all might be your best option. Specific questions invite kids to open up.

‘Whether you have a pre-schooler or a preteen, a well-meaning but general question often only produces a one-word answer. Instead, try asking a specific question. A specific question lets your child know you are really listening, acknowledges his feelings and encourages him to respond with a specific answer.’

Michael Thompson, PhD
Co-author, Raising Cain

Thanks for your support.

Bernie McMullen, Chaplain
Email: bmcmu27@eq.edu.au

News from the School Nurse

Health News

Hello – My name is Dyanne Moxham and I am the School Based Youth Health Nurse at Centenary State High School. I am coming into my 10th year of working at this fantastic school.

I am employed by Children’s Health Queensland, as a part of Child and Youth Community Health. I am a registered nurse and a credentialed mental health nurse.

I do health promotional activities in the school and curriculum based classroom presentations for all year levels. Young people learn best and are able to manage their life if they are healthy - physically and emotionally. I will be available for individual consultations with students every Monday and Friday from 8.00am – 3.30pm , and Fridays to talk about anything that affects health and wellbeing. This covers a broad range of issues such as

• nutrition and exercise
• sun safety
• mental health
• relationships
• sexual health and
• Drug and alcohol concerns.

I work in collaboration with the broader student services team, in partnership with guidance officers as well as the Year Level Coordinators, Chaplain, Deputy Principals and external service providers.

All consultations are voluntary and confidential. If you have any concerns regarding the confidentiality, give me a call and I will discuss this. I do inform the young person at the start of our consultation about confidentiality, what I can and cannot keep private.

Please call me on 3373455 or the office to make an appointment.

Good Health to all,

Dyanne Moxham, School Based Youth Health Nurse
Email: admin@centenaryshs.eq.edu.au

New from the Diverse Learning Department

Welcome back to another exciting year of learning. We have a number of new students and staff in the DLD this year and warmly welcome each of them. I would particularly like to welcome Melissa Blacklock to our teaching staff. Melissa will be the Case Manager for Year 12 students for 2016.

For all students the start of a new year of school is a time of high anxiety. This is particularly true for Students with Disabilities (SWD) as they face new teachers who may not be aware of their individual needs. I encourage all parents and students to chat with their Case Manager to ensure all information is up-to-date so that staff are aware of student needs, and so Case Managers can assist students in the process of advocating for their personal needs.

The Case Managers for this year are:

Case Managers can be contacted on 3373 4516. (Nicole – 3373 4547)

For students with ASD this can be a very daunting time of the year. Below is an extract from Sue Larkey’s blog regarding anxiety. Whilst it is aimed at students on the spectrum, the strategies are useful for all. For further information visit http://suelarkey.com.au/

“For many students on the Autism Spectrum, their biggest challenge is anxiety. This can be anxiety about making choices, friendship, making mistakes, separation anxiety, any change in routine or staff and the list goes on. Research has shown that more than 75% of all children with an ASD, ODD, ADHD experience INTENSE anxious feelings. Some students show their anxiety; others have a veneer of coping and keep things bottled up. In either case you need to be aware of what is building anxiety in this student. All students with ASD will need a range of calming activities at school. Some students will need to access these activities more often than others. But in our experience you will need to consider some of the ideas below. Otherwise, the anxiety escalates and results in a meltdown.

Often students who bottle up their anxiety will have a huge meltdown when they get home because of things that have happened at school during the day. When home and school are aware of the triggers for anxiety (eg Relief – Teacher) and both are consistent with calming strategies we find that anxiety levels in the student decrease and we see less shutdowns or meltdowns.

Quick Tips for Helping Kids Keep Cool and Calm:

1. Get Organised - Rushing is nearly always stressful, and so is forgetting things. Having clear systems for everyday tasks is vital, and so is scheduling regular ‘chill out’ times in between activities.
2. Get Active - Regular exercise is great for releasing tension and creates a natural ‘happy buzz’. Getting active might be playing a sport, walking the dog, dancing to an MP3 or doing some push-ups.
3. Have a laugh - It is almost impossible to feel stressed while you are having a laugh or sharing a joke, so make sure that the young person has plenty of time to have fun each day!
4. Break the mood - You can also use humour and a playful approach when you want to quickly change a mood and create some ‘breathing space’. This gives the young person an opportunity to regain control and move away from feelings of blame or shame.
5. Check the basics - Getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet and drinking enough water are all vital ingredients in ensuring that the brain and body get the sustenance it needs to function effectively.
6. Timing is everything - Remember that specific strategies to help a young person deal with stress should only be used in the early ‘rumbling’ stages. Once the young person is ‘exploding’ no strategy will be effective and they could actually create additional problems. Prevention is the key!
7. Don’t add demands - Learn to identify the early warning signs of stress that are unique to the young person and make sure you don’t add demands or ‘remind’ them of what they should/need to be doing when they are in this stressed state. Focus on avoiding escalation by instead giving them a short break or by actually reducing demands.
8. Lead by example - Show the young person how to cope with stress in a positive way by doing it yourself, even if you have to practice ‘faking it’ at times! Staying calm yourself when dealing with difficult situations is an invaluable skill for both you and them (and it can take lots of practice!).
9. Get it out in the Open -Talk about stress on a regular basis – make it an important topic for everyone, discuss examples from TV, talk through your own stressors and swap ideas and strategies.” (Sue Larkey, http://suelarkey.com.au/ )

I wish everyone a fantastic term and look forward to sharing your achievements during the year.

Nicole Donaldson, HOSES, Diverse Learning Department
Email: ndona5@eq.edu.au

Senior Schooling News

“Connect, Reflect & Redirect”

A warm welcome to those families entering the Senior School. I’m excited this year to be working once again with a brilliant team of professionals in Dani Ringrose (Year 12 co-ordinator), Di Huber (Year 11 co-ordinator), Lachie Gibbs (Year 10 co-ordinator), Adrian Homer (who will be assuming a closer role with transition students and work experience), Richard Magoffin (RTO Manager), Lyn Zammit (School Data Officer) and Kate Duncan (Senior Schooling Support Officer). We are looking forward to a year of fantastic outcomes for our young people once again.

Students in Year 12 undertaking an OP or Selection Rank pathway will have undertaken an academic review this week. Those students undertaking other pathways will undertake their interview in the next two weeks. Our Year 12 2015 cohort experienced great success applying for an being accepted into university courses based upon these different pathway options. Our brilliant QCE outcomes are also reason for celebration. Both of these are a direct result of careful monitoring of student progress.

Senior students should be well and truly established in the school and study routines, as well as completing at least 15 – 20 hours a week of study/homework/revision. We strongly recommend that part time work be kept to a minimum of no more than 8 - 10 hours per week. The priority for all students, regardless of pathway, is attaining the best result they can in each subject.

Year 11 began in earnest this week with a full day of orientation on Wednesday. The presenters from Elevate Education emphasised the importance of ‘owning your own learning’. Being able to “Connect, Reflect and Redirect” are words that students in our senior school will hear regularly this year. We recommend that students begin establishing good study routines from day 1.

We look forward to working with you and your student this year.

Angela Raven, Senior Schooling
Email: arave7@eq.edu.au

Junior Secondary News

Welcome to the 2016 school year for the families of all of our Junior students in Years 7, 8 and 9!

Last Wednesday saw a fantastic start for the Year 7students. After an initial Welcome Assembly, the classes moved off to their Home Rooms with their House Group teacher. A large part of the day was spent in the Home Rooms, learning about their timetables and how the school day operates. The Year 11 Mentors were invaluable in offering support to our newest school community members. During my visits to every classroom that day, it was easy to see the excitement and enthusiasm bursting from the majority of students! Lunch time in the Year 7 area was quite busy and noisy on this first day with handball games in action, stress-ball making stations set up and friends catching up on their day so far.

For the Year 8s, last Wednesday was also their first day of school for the year. This was an important day for them as they transitioned from the Year 7 area to the wider school – now having up to six different curriculum classes in six different classrooms. Most of their day was spent in their Home Rooms with their HG teacher, undertaking various activities such as team games, a tour of their new classrooms.

It was wonderful to see the Year 9 cohort return to school on Thursday morning. They looked fantastic in their formal uniforms, very much playing their new role as the leaders of the Junior School.

Thursday morning was the first time the 2016 school community came together. This was marked with a special Welcome Assembly for the whole school. Each year level entered at different times, marching in to their Year Level song. The final group to enter the hall that morning was the Year 7 cohort – proudly led in by their Year Level Coordinator, Karyn Abraham, and their HG teachers, cheered on by the rest of the school. It was a very positive start to the school year!

By now you should have received emails from your child’s teachers. I really encourage you to reply to the teachers to open up this important channel of communication. Communication between school and home is so important to ensure the best possible outcomes for your child.

I look forward to a successful 2016 school year for all Junior students.

Angela McKay, HOD Junior Secondary
Email: amcka17@eq.edu.au

Cultural News

Welcome

Welcome back to a new school year, and a big welcome to all of our new students. 2016 is shaping up as another exciting and productive year for the Cultural program at Centenary. At the end of last year we said goodbye to another group of senior students, who we thank for their contribution to the program and wish them all the best with their future endeavours. To all of the new students and parents we say welcome, and look forward to meeting you in the coming months.

Acting Head of Department

I would like to welcome and introduce you all to our Acting Head of Department for 2016, Mr Daniel Philippe. Daniel has vast experience as a music teacher at Education Queensland and will be a tremendous asset to the school and the arts community at Centenary.

Teachers

Our instrumental and choral teaching team remains the same for 2016 with Fiona Harvey, Damon Lougheed, Madison Dedini, Matthew Hoey and Alex Van den Broek all back for another year.

Major Events

Some of the major events occurring this year include:

• Instrumental Music Camp (Week 1 of term 2)
• Fanfare
• Ferris Bueller The Musical

Students have been given a date claimer to take home to help you to prepare your home calendars.

Contact

Should you have any queries around extra-curricular arts matters, please feel free to contact me. My preferred method of contact is email (address below), or I can also be contacted by calling the main school number.

Mark Watkins, Cultural Director
Email: mwatk16@eq.edu.au

Sports Report

SPORTS DIRECTORS REPORT

Welcome to a new year of sport at Centenary SHS. My name is Jess Porter and I will be the Sport Director at the school this year. The following will provide some general information about the way sport operates at Centenary SHS for the benefit of new families, and also some information about upcoming events.

Sports Calendar 2016

Every week the CTSHS calendar is uploaded on to the school website. The sports calendar is updated weekly as the school is notified of new events. If you have a child who is interested in sport and wishes to be part of Sport at Centenary SHS, I encourage you to download that calendar, highlight events your child would like to participate in and then stick it on the fridge. That way you can always see what is coming up in relation to sport at the school.

Sporting Pathways at Centenary SHS

There are many opportunities for students to become involved in sport here at Centenary SHS. They are:

• School Carnivals – Centenary SHS runs Cross Country and Athletics carnivals annually. During these carnivals, students from all age groups can compete in their houses for points that go toward the Champion House Shield, can compete to become Age Champion and also to gain selection in the school teams to go to district carnivals. To participate in the school carnivals, students will need to act on the information provided to them by the Sports Director and HG teachers prior to each carnival. In 2016 there will be no swimming carnival. There will be try outs only for selection into the district swimming team. Further information is below under “upcoming events”.
• District and Regional Trials –Cluster days provide students with the opportunity to gain selection in district, regional, state, and even national teams, in a wide range of sports. The first step in this process is trials for the West Brisbane District Team. Students will be invited to attend trials after school to try and gain selection in the district team. If successful, they then go to regional trials where they trial for selection in a Met West Regional team. If selected in the Regional team they can go onto State and National Trials. All common sports are catered for in this pathway, however the age groups are (usually) Open and Year 10 (and under), effectively meaning that younger students face very tough competition to get selected into these teams. For upcoming trial dates, students must check the sports notice board and contact the Sport Director.
• Specific Sports Squads – Throughout the year there will be a number of sports that the school enters competitions for. These include sports such as Futsal, Netball, AFL, Rugby Union, Rugby League, Volleyball and Soccer. For students to get into these squads, they need to act on information given by the Sports Director and by coaches. Trials will be required for these teams. If selected in these squads, students usually compete outside of school time and there is usually a cost involved. Some of these cater for a wide range of age groups, which sometimes means we can enter teams from all age groups.
• Inter-school sport
  Centenary SHS will be continuing to participate in the West Brisbane District Interschool sport competition this year.
  The structure consists of 6 District Sports Finals Days that will occur across terms 1, 2 and 3. Each school will send teams to compete in whole day carnivals in a range of sports, across all year levels. There will be;
  - Two Yr7 and 8/9 Summer day
  - Two Yr7 and 8/9 Winter day
  - One Yr10 and Open Summer days, and (dependent on team entries)
  - One Yr10 and Open Winter days. (dependent on team entries)

The sports we will participate in are: Touch, Volleyball, Softball, Cricket, Basketball, Netball, Soccer, Rugby League, Tennis and AFL. Most of these sports will have both boys and girls teams at each year level of competition. Students from all year levels will have the opportunity to be part of one of these sporting teams.

The purpose of this competition is to provide quality sporting games between schools in the district. As a result all schools are making a commitment to fill as many of the sports as they can with well prepared and well-presented teams. To enhance the quality of the competition the conveners of each sport will be sourcing qualified referees and suitable first aid personnel. Some of the sports will be played at school venues whilst others will use quality community facilities (such as Tennis at the Tennis Centre).

Teams will compete for the title of District Premiers in each sport and then the premier teams will progress onto the Metropolitan Finals series against other winning schools from across Brisbane.

At Centenary we are committed to developing strong teams to compete in this new competition. Sign-ons and trials for the teams will be conducted early in term 1 and then training will commence on a weekly basis thereafter. Students who are selected into a Centenary team are expected to commit to the team and attend all training sessions. Students will be advised of the sign-ons and trials at the start of the term. If selected into a team, they will be advised of training times.

As a result of this, students at Centenary SHS will have the opportunity to become part of a sporting team that competes in a quality competition against our local schools, on a regular basis. I encourage students to embrace this exciting opportunity and to try out for a team this year.

These pathways exist in an attempt to provide a wide range of sporting options for those students interested in sport. If you would like further information about any of these, please contact me at school.

UPCOMING EVENTS

1. Swimming Try Outs

In 2016, the Centenary SHS Swimming Carnival will be replaced by swimming team tryouts. There will be no ‘full day swimming carnival’ as in previous years, and instead we will be running ‘try outs’ for selection into the school swimming teams to compete at the West Akuna and West Brisbane District Swimming Carnivals.

Our aim with school swimming this year is to create a very strong school swimming team that will be competitive at the District Carnivals. To do this we intend to fill every event at the district carnivals with the required 2 Centenary swimmers. In order to determine who the 2 Centenary representatives will be in each event in each age group, we will be holding swimming ‘try outs’. We therefore encourage all serious swimmers to try out for the school swimming team.

Information re ‘Try outs’

• The try outs will be held on Wednesday 3rd February, 2016
• They will be held at the Jindalee pool, during lesson 1 and 2. Students will walk down with teachers.
• Students who are interested in attending the try outs and gaining a place in the school swimming team will be required to complete and return the nomination form attached.
• The nomination form must be completed and returned to Mr Mills or Miss Porter (Sports Director) by 3pm Monday 1st February, 2016, at staffroom 4.
• Only students who nominate to attend the try outs will be permitted to go.
• Normal classes will operate at school for all other students.
• The events that we are trialling for are;
  - 50m Freestyle, Breastroke, Backstroke and Butterfly – 2 swimmers per event / gender / age group
  - Freestyle relays – 4 swimmers per age group / gender
  - Individual medley – try outs only if required, otherwise team positions will be filled by nomination.

2. District and Regional Swimming – nominated students will have the opportunity to attend the District Swimming Carnival. This year the students turning 12 will attend the West Akuna Swimming Carnival (Thursday, 11th February) and 13years up will attend the West Brisbane Carnival (Friday 19th February). Swimmers who are nominated for the school team to compete at the District Carnival will attempt to become the district champion school. To attend the Regional Carnival (Wednesday 24th February) students will need to nominate and meet certain qualifying times. Nominations will need to include verifiable times from school or district carnivals, or club level. Nomination packs will be available to students closer to the date of the carnival. Please note therefore, that a placing in a race at the district carnival no longer automatically qualifies students for the Regional carnival – the only way students can attend that carnival is by following the nomination process.

Upcoming dates to know:

3rd February: Centenary SHS Swimming Try Outs
11th February: West Akuna Swim Carnival
19th February: West Brisbane District Swim Carnival
24th February: Regional Swim Carnival

Please check the calendar for all trial dates.

Sun Responsibility

With the hot weather upon us, I would like to ask all parents to encourage students to take a responsible approach to their sun safety. Each week, in addition to the sporting opportunities outlined above, students study HPE for 2 x 70 minute practical lessons that often require them to be in the sun. All Sport and HPE teachers model a responsible approach by wearing hats and applying sunscreen. Each teacher also has a supply of sunscreen that they take to every outdoors class and make available to students. I ask all parents to encourage their child to take advantage of the measures we provide and to play a greater role in their own responsible approach to sun safety. Students must be wearing a hat to participate outside in sporting activities.

Please contact me if you would like to discuss any issues in relation to sport.

Jess Porter, Sports Director
Email: jport106@eq.edu.au

Centenary Hungry for Success, by Brent O’Neill - An Article in the South West News / Springfield News – Wednesday 13th January, 2016

Centenary State High School will enter the sporting year riding an unprecedented wave of success following 12 months of dominance in 2015.

The Jindalee school enjoyed the most productive campaign in its 17-year history last term, winning 10 Metropolitan West district premierships, including a maiden triumph at the district athletics carnival.

Its achievements also included an appearance at the national open boys’ volleyball championships, and regional grand final berths for the Year 9 basketball and Year 10 soccer teams.

“I have been at the school since Year 8 and (last year was) no doubt the best ever year for sport. It was special to lead the athletics team, as well as play in a number of other sports, “Athletics Captain Fletcher Findlay said.

Senior Health and Physical Education teacher and athletics co-ordinator Richard Haines said a record number of students had also earned selection in Metropolitan West teams.

“It has been a fantastic year for the school, with so many successes. There is a really good vibe around the school for sport, and with the increased success, it will no doubt carry through and get more students wanting to take part, thus creating more competition for positions and thus raising the levels all around,” he said.

“There has been an increased emphasis in the curriculum, additional training sessions and the benefit of a number of elite level coaches. We have had (Brisbane Roar veteran) Shane Stefanutto play a role in the football program, as well as elite track and field coaches like Des Davis.“

“These additional coaches not only give great technical and strategic advice, but give an in-depth insight into what it takes to reach the highest level. Having a great teaching staff, HPE program, sports facilities and the benefit of outside coaches has given the students the best chance of success.”

Centenary High 2015 Athletics Captain Fletcher Findlay

News from the Arts Department

For 2016, I will be acting in the position as Head of Department – The Arts. I have previously been HOD at Coorparoo Secondary College and have worked at two of the Queensland Academies: Creative Industries at Kelvin Grove and Science, Mathematics and Technology at Toowong.

So far this year I have been impressed with the dedication of the Arts staff and the enthusiasm of the staff in general. I know Centenary SHS has an excellent reputation for the Arts and I will work closely with the Arts staff to uphold this tradition and to build upon it. I look forward to meeting more of the students and parents and I am looking forward to a successful year in 2016.

In the Arts classes, there are some events coming up for you to be aware of. The Senior Drama students will be attending a performance at La Boite Theatre in April, and there will be workshops with the Queensland Theatre Company for Year 7 and 8 Performance Plus and Year 10-12 Drama.

In Dance, there are workshops with Raw Dance Company being planned, and the Visual Arts students will be attending the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art at GoMA. As the year progresses, there will be more excursions and workshops to give the Arts students a wide range of opportunities to develop their potential.

I look forward to meeting parents and students of Centenary SHS over the coming weeks and months. If you need to contact me directly for any reason, my email address is dphil31@eq.edu.au .

Daniel Philippe, The Arts Acting HOD
Email: dphil31@eq.edu.au

News from the English Department

Welcome to a new school year! Firstly allow me to congratulate our Year 12 students from 2015 and say how proud we are of their outstanding achievements in the Queensland Certificate of Education, OP scores and VET Certificate qualifications. Our students are certainly pursuing pathways that are leading them to success!

The English staff has been putting a great deal of effort into planning and preparation for your students as we refine and improve our delivery of the Australian Curriculum in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10. We aim to support those students who need some extra learning opportunities and extend others to achieve the very best they can.

The English Department Assessment Calendar will soon become available on One School and I encourage all parents and carers to become familiar with the due dates for assessment. Together we can guide the students along the path of good study habits.

One great study habit that we require of all students is the need to draft assessment responses so that teachers can provide meaning feedback. The research tells us that quality feedback is one of the factors that greatly improves learning. Please refer below for the English Department Drafting Policy and please contact me if you have any questions at all.

Most importantly, if your child experiences any difficulty with English, no matter how insignificant you think it may be, please feel welcome to speak to his/her English teacher, me (Head of Department), the Year Level Coordinator or the Guidance Officer. We never want small problems to become big problems!

May I also welcome our new members of staff to the English Department: Shannon Ashton, Melissa Blackmore, Stephen Clark, Bree Hudson, Amy Kitter, Liza Van Soelen and Courtney Wright.

We are looking forward to a happy and successful 2016!

Please note: As you move through Year 11 and 12, you are required to produce assessment pieces more independently. Therefore, there will be times when your teacher will limit the feedback given.

Jenny Ivett-Hawes, English HOD
Email: jivet1@eq.edu.au

Year 12 Report

A warm welcome back to Centenary and welcome to Year 12! I hope that you will find your final Senior year rewarding.

Of course, before reward comes lots of hard work – for us teachers, for students and for parents. The next couple of weeks will be a good point to capitalize on reflections of successes and opportunities from last year, to make changes to what didn’t work, and re-establish routines and happens that did lead to success.

Our first Home Group session this year focused on skills that successful students use. We asked students to commit to acquiring and developing some of these skills, and ask that you discuss what your child will plan to do:

• Ask questions – of their teachers, peers, and research
• Keep the “big picture” in mind – the overall reason for studying something, and the “big goal” at the end of Year 12
• Learn from mistakes – asking, “What was my mistake and why did I make it?”
• Revise using a variety of methods – summarizing, graphic organisers, watching videos, listening to podcasts
• Establish home routines, and change them towards busier times of term
• Create suitable rewards for achieving goals – eg. holding off on going to the movies/Netflix marathon until the assignment is finished.
• Self-care – good food, exercise, down time, sleep.

I hope that your child’s OP Analyser and Transition interviews with their HG teacher have sparked successful, positive thoughts and conversations about goal-setting for this year. Speaking of HG teachers, I’d like to welcome Ms Rachelle Hyndman to our team. Our network of staff is wide and diverse to support your child through Year 12, which includes your child’s Home Group teacher; Mr McDonald, Deputy for Year 12; Ms Raven, Senior Schooling HOD; Mr Homer, Transition Manager; Mr Voigt, Guidance Officer for Year 12; Dyanne Moxham, SBYHN; Bernie McMullen, Chaplain; and myself.

While there will be a lot of emphasis on success and how all our students can achieve their personal successes, there will also be a focus on the importance of self-care, especially during some of the high-stress moments that Year 12 is notorious for providing. Students will shortly be provided with an opportunity to join the Year 12 Council, to be involved in lunch time and after school projects, charity events, the formal. Please encourage your students to get involved, either in the Council or as a supporter of Year 12 and whole school events.

I am definitely looking forward to working with you all in this very exciting year!

Danielle Ringrose, Year 12 Coordinator
Email: dring3@eq.edu.au

Year 10 Report

I hope you all had an extremely relaxing and restful holiday where you were able to recharge the batteries and spend some quality time with your family. It is going to be a very busy year for our Year 10 students in 2016 with many signature events on a packed calendar including Work Experience, SET Plans and Camp. Furthermore there is added responsibility placed on our Year 10’s as they enter the senior school and put on their white shirts for the first time. Students will be studying courses for a full year and starting to plan out their senior ‘Pathway’ through the SET Plan process. As always, dedication, persistence and exemplary behaviour in the classroom are going to be critical for achieving personal bests.

At the conclusion of 2015 a rigorous process was implemented to determine who would lead the Year 10 cohort in 2016. A big congratulations must go to Josh Hansberry, Liam Sands, Caity McMahon and Monserrat Shimizu who were elected as student leaders. They will be formally recognised during our Leader Investiture Ceremony later in term 1. There will be further opportunity throughout the year for students to develop their leadership skills through our High Resolves program.

It’s extremely important at the beginning of the year for students to be well organised and feel safe and supported in the classroom and playground. Our fantastic Home Group (HG) teachers will once again do an amazing job delivering the HG program throughout the year where students will cover topics such as Respectful Relationships, Mental Health and Career. Please don’t hesitate to email or call them or myself if you have any concerns regarding your child’s welfare. Let’s have a fantastic year! Regards

Lachlan Gibbs, Year 10 Coordinator
Email: lgibb23@eq.edu.au

Year 9 Report

I would like to extend a warm welcome to all. I am excited to be continuing as the Year Coordinator for this wonderful group of young people. Also, a very big welcome to all of our new students in Year 9 this year.

Be your BEST self

The focus of this year will be on every student embarking on self-improvement - “Be your BEST self”. With this in mind, students will review their 2015 report cards and develop an action plan in the next few weeks to prepare for the academic year.

Another way that students can achieve their best is to utilise the school homework diary. Please encourage your student to consistently record and review their homework on a daily basis. On the rare occasion that a student doesn’t have homework, they are encouraged to be proactive. They can revise, review and work ahead of time on assessment tasks. Additionally, there is a space for parents to communicate with teachers so please take advantage of this.

Term 1 HG program

This term in Home Group students will be focusing on organisation skills, goal setting and using study plans. The aim is to help students develop skills that should help them throughout the year and their schooling. Another focus this term will be NAPLAN preparation.

Leadership

I will be looking to form a group of 30 students who are keen to work in the “High Resolves” leadership team. Student leaders will participate in a number of sessions on leadership delivered by an external organisation (High Resolves). The program then takes the students through a series of hands-on School and Community Action Project experiences that will span over two terms. Students will be required to apply for this program this term.

Communication

I look forward to working with you to support the educational and personal endeavours of your child. If you would like to discuss any aspect of your son or daughter’s developments at school please don’t hesitate to contact me, my email address is bfurl1@eq.edu.au .

I look forward to an exciting and rewarding year with the Year 9s

Warm Regards

Berenice Furlong, Year 9 Coordinator
Email: bfurl1@eq.edu.au

Year 8 Report

Welcome back to 2016. Orientation Day Wednesday of Week 1 provided a great opportunity for the Year8s to get to know their new HG teachers. As I went round to each class, it was obvious that they were enjoying the day. An email list of teachers for Year 8 is available in the back of your student’s diary, should you wish to contact them. During lesson 4 on the first day of school, we met this year’s new Year 7 students and shared some of last year’s enjoyable moments with them.

Week 2 started off with the Year 8 Leadership Process. In keeping with the school theme for “innovation”, candidates were asked to submit their applications via email this year for the first time, along with a video “speech”. The speeches were played to the HG classes as a PowerPoint, after which they voted for their preferred candidate. The new Student Forum Leaders will have been announced by the time this newsletter reaches you. I look forward to a productive year again and many thanks in advance for your support again this year.

Deb Mansini, Year 8 Coordinator
Email: dmans17@eq.edu.au

News from our P&C

Welcome back to a new school year for 2016. A special welcome to all our new families. We would love to see many of you at our first P&C meeting for the year. This will take place on Wednesday 17th February at 7pm in the Resource Centre. All are most welcome. Our AGM will take place on 16th March. By attending meetings you can have more of a say in the education and wellbeing of our children. We generally meet on the third Wednesday of every month at 7pm in the Resource Centre. A notice appears on the school’s electronic sign as well in every issue of the school newsletter.

Thank you to those who completed membership forms as part of the enrolment package. These will be tabled at our AGM in March to make your membership official. This is the only meeting in the year where you can become a member without attending the meeting. Outside of this time memberships are taken at the end of each meeting and you need to be present.

Volunteers are always welcome to help in the canteen and during the busy uniform sale times. If you have an hour or two to spare once a week/fortnight/month then we would love to hear from you. It is not scary and your role will be clearly defined once we know what you are able to do to help. Come along and be part of our friendly team in the canteen. Please think about how you can help and be more involved in the life of our school.

Attached is:

Please take time to consider how you can contribute to our school community.

Thank you to those who helped with our uniform sales in the week before school went back in January. We were kept extremely busy for 2 days and, as promised, the queues were long. Fortunately students were able to try on and wait in the air-conditioned comfort of the Resource Centre. Generally speaking, people were very patient whilst waiting for their turn and I thank them for their courtesy.

Looking forward to meeting you.

Kind Regards

Helen Shogren
President
Centenary State High School P&C
pandc@centenaryshs.eq.edu.au

Bellbowrie “Strikers” Hockey Club

St Catherine’s United Football Club

Community Services Expo

Rhee Taw Kwon-Do Fig Tree Pocket