17 June 2016, Volume 18 Number 6

News from the Principal

It is hard to believe that Semester 1 is almost over as we face the final weeks of term. The school has been full of activity and there is plenty to celebrate in respect to staff and student achievement. I congratulate all students who have pursued academic excellence through undertaking the little extras outside of class time such as attending tutorials and seeking further teaching support.

I'd also like to acknowledge the work of families over the semester in supporting students in their academic endeavours. The importance of good study routines and parent/carer engagement with student work cannot be understated.

Staff Appointments

Miguel Angeles has been appointed as a Maths teacher to the school replacing Brigitte Botella.

Open Day

The school's Open Day on Saturday 28th May was a huge success both in terms of the number of community members in attendance on the day and the celebration of teaching and learning at the school. I cannot speak highly enough of the students who represented the school on the day. Ultimately the best advertisements for our school are the quality young people who receive a Centenary SHS education. I take this opportunity to thank all members of our school community who made a contribution to the day.

Uniform

With the onset of winter and the cooler weather we are witnessing an increase in non-uniform jumpers around the school. The uniform expectations of the school are that students will be in school uniform at all times. Students may borrow a school jumper for a day from the office but under no circumstances are they to wear a non-uniform jumper in the school grounds. Our uniform standards support the notion of a disciplined environment. It is in disciplined environments that students are more likely to learn.

Senior Student Tracking

As part of our mentoring of senior students, all students in Years 11 and 12 will have interviews with their Home Group teachers in the first weeks of Semester 2 to reflect upon their academic progress over the semester in the context of their preferred pathways post school. Part of this process for OP eligible students will be the provision of a predicted OP range based upon individual student achievement and historic school data.

The purpose of this OP monitoring process is to help students make informed choices on their future options and to be able to seek further information about post school pathways by having an insight into how their current level of achievement in their subjects will contribute to their OP rank. As students have to make choices for post-secondary options when they apply to QTAC (Queensland Tertiary Admission Centre) before the publication of OPs in December, having a sense of how they are tracking before they enter into this selection process has clear benefits.

The school has set a QCE completion target of 98% in 2016. Strong interventions will be implemented to ensure that all students can successfully complete the quantity of recognised learning to achieve this certificate by the completion of Year 12.

Senior Pathways

The new term will see the Year 10s engaging in the Student Education and Training Planning [SETP] process. The school staff have planned a thorough and supportive program. It is important however that parents/carers take full advantage of information sessions as Senior Schooling has become more complex over the last few years. Essential to the success of this program is that staff, students and parents/carers alike have a clear understanding of course options and their impact upon post school pathway decisions.

OP eligibility is not the only pathway into tertiary study. In fact some students may well have more tertiary options available to them through choosing a non-OP course of study in Senior which includes a Certificate III. Importantly students and parents/carers need to avail themselves of the opportunities to learn about the options now available to young people in the Senior Phase of schooling

Staff Success

We are most fortunate to have so many high quality and dedicated teachers across the Centenary SHS staff. Long term member of staff Berenice Furlong has been awarded as a Business Educator Association of Queensland Fellow. The criteria for nomination are that the recipient has devoted more than 15 years of service to the association and has shown distinguished leadership in the field of Business Education. Additionally Berenice has made a strong contribution for many years to the school as a year level co-ordinator.

Student Success

As I stated earlier – plenty of great achievement around the school. A few highlights:

Instrumental Music – we had six ensembles performing at Fanfare and they received the following awards:

Concert Band – Silver Award
Percussion Ensemble – Gold Award
Stage Band – Silver Award
String Ensemble – Silver Award
String Orchestra – Gold Award
Symphonic Band – Silver Award

Cross Country – Curtis Campbell – first in the Met West U15 Cross Country.

Year 10 High Resolves – On Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th, 18 incredible Year 10 High Resolves students enacted their projects to tackle social exclusion. Saturday night was a fun filled, interactive evening with games, guest speakers (Headspace) and a movie night (Inside Out). Sunday morning the team collaborated with Dandalion to bake and decorate cupcakes with local RSL members, students from Mt Ommaney Special School and other kids with a 'diffability'.

Also huge congratulations to the staff and students who participated in the recent highly successful Year 7 Camp to Tallebudgera. By all accounts we have a fantastic cohort of students coming through the school.

Holidays

The school has been incredibly busy in recent weeks and we are all looking forward to a well deserved break. I look forward to meeting many of you at the parent teacher nights early next term. May all members of our Centenary SHS community have a safe and relaxing winter holiday.

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

To read newsletter in full view, please click on the "Newsletter Print Version" button on the top left-hand corner of the screen.

Newsletter Articles

News from the Deputy Principals

Semester 1 Reports

Semester 1 Reports will be emailed out to all families in the coming weeks. Please make sure your contact details are kept up to date to ensure you receive this important information. Don't forget to add the following email address to your list of safe senders to ensure your computer does not filter the email to your junk or spam folder.

OneSchool.application@dete.qld.gov.au

Semester 1 reports will be emailed in two stages. Years 11 and 12 will have their reports emailed on Friday 24/6/16 and the Years 7 to 10 reports will be emailed on Tuesday 12/7/16. As with all reporting periods, you will have the opportunity to discuss your child's result with their classroom teacher. A great way to receive this feedback is via our Parent Teacher Evening which will be held in the Sport Centre on Monday 18/7/16 from 3.30 to 7.30pm.

Parent Teacher Night Booking Process

To book an interview time we will be using the same PTO (Parent Teacher Online) booking system that we have used in the past. You will receive instructions in the coming week on how to access this system. Please refer to the Quicklinks section on the home page of our school website below. If you have any difficulties making a booking, please ring the school office for assistance. The PTO booking system will be open from Monday 11th July.

QParents is coming

QParents will be launched with the Year 9 students in Term 3. We are fortunate to be one the first schools in Queensland to offer QParents.

The QParents web and mobile application provides a more convenient, easier way for parents/carers of Queensland state school students to interact with their child's school. Parents/Carers will have secure, online access to their child's student information, anytime, anywhere, through a smartphone, tablet or computer.

QParents allows parents/carers to connect instantly with their child's school to access and manage their child's student information, including:

• Attendance and absence details, as well as the ability to notify the school of an absence
• Academic report cards
• Class timetables
• Viewing unpaid invoice details, payment history, and making payments online
• Viewing and updating personal student details, including medical conditions and address
• Enrolment details

QParents will assist both staff and parents/carers in sharing and responding to information in an efficient and effective way.

Invitations and information will soon be sent to Year 9 parents/carers to register for QParents. Then, as we develop the processes and systems to support this initiative, we will roll out implementation to all other year levels. QParents won't replace the traditional ways you communicate with our school, but it will provide another way to communicate with us.

More information about QParents can be found below. This link contains an extensive question and answer section with plenty of detailed information.

Adam Richter, Deputy Principal (Years 9, 10 & International)
Email: arich60@eq.edu.au

News from the Business Services Manager

Statements

Next week "Debtor Statements" will be generated for outstanding fees. This statement is an overview of previous single invoices that have already been forwarded. Please note that no action is required for a credit adjustment, this will appear as a negative amount on a statement. If you have not received a statement this indicates that there are no outstanding fees.

If your child has changed subjects recently, please be aware this change may not be reflected on this statement.

All fees relating to the 2016 calendar year are due by 31st October 2016. If your family is experiencing financial difficulties, please contact the Business Services Manager on 3373 4555 or by emailing bsm@centenaryshs.eq.edu.au.

QParents

QParents is an online portal that provides parents/carers with secure access to your child's student details.

QParents will enable parents/carers to -

• Check your child's timetable on your phone, tablet or computer
• Access you child's report cards online
• Pay school invoices online with a credit card
• Notify the school of your child's absences and monitor attendance
• Engage more closely with your child's school

We will initially invite Year 9 parents/carers to register next term, with all remaining year levels to following in 2017.

For more information visit the link below or the school website below.

Changes to Payment Options

Payment of the participation fee may be made over the counter by cheque or cash or EFTPOS (Debit Card, MasterCard or Visa) or by direct deposit (internet banking), BPOINT. The direct deposit and BPOINT options allow parents/carers the convenience of making payments from home and alleviates the need to pay over the counter transactions in person.

BPOINT

BPOINT is an additional payment method which is available to all parents/carers to pay school invoices. The internet web link enables you to authorise to have your credit or debit card in a secure environment. BPOINT offers several payment options including:

• Internet payment via web link
• Single direct debit
• Recurring direct debit

All future invoices and statements will display this payment option. You will need the Customer Reference Number (CRN) which is printed on the bottom of your invoice or statement before payment can be processed.

For more information and the link to BPOINT please see our website

INTERNET BANKING

For payments made by direct deposit (internet banking) use the details that are indicated on the front of the invoice or statement. The reference space provided for these payments is only 15 characters long. Please ensure that either the Debtor ID or Invoice number is recorded in this space.

BPAY

BPay is no longer a payment option.

PARENTS/CARERS EXPERIENCEING FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES

Any parent/carer experiencing financial hardship is encouraged to contact the Business Services Manager to discuss how their financial obligations can be met throughout the school year, or to negotiate alternative arrangements that may be available to accommodate their individual circumstances. All discussions will be held in the strictest confidence.

Charmaine Macaulay
Email: cmaca5@eq.edu.au

News from Education Adjustment Centre

As we draw to the end of Term 2, I would like to express my sincere thanks to Jindalee Rotary Club, on behalf of the students of the DLD, for their generous contribution of $5000. This funding will go toward the purchase of computer tablets to support student learning and is much appreciated by staff and students.

The past few weeks have seen a number of students, teachers and parents/carers participating in a project with QUT on school connectedness. It is wonderful to see the positive impact this project is having on students' well-being. Next term we will be establishing a committee to look at ways to improve connectedness in the school. If you are interested in being a part of this, please contact me.

Our Senior students have been given the opportunity to do some work experience with Endeavour Foundation next term. This will involve working one day a week at Endeavour's food packaging warehouse and will provide students with vital skills which employers are looking for in graduates. Next term Year 10 students will begin planning for Senior with their SET plans and we are hoping to facilitate many students in gaining an apprenticeship with Australian School Based Traineeships for 2017. More information will be provided to Year 10 students in the coming weeks.

Finally, at the end of this Semester we are farewelling two staff members who are taking leave for the remainder of the year. Ms Carolyn Brodie is heading to New Zealand for a "Sea Change" and Ms Estee Lee is stepping into a new role for 6 months at another school. We wish both Ms Brodie and Ms Lee all the best for the next 6 months and look forward to them returning to us next year. Ms Michele Watt will be Case Manager for Year 8 to start Semester 2, and Ms Claire Hazenburg will be Case Manager for Year 11 students.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all students well in any upcoming assessment, followed by a safe and restful Winter Break.

Nicole Donaldson
Email: ndona5@eq.edu.au

News from the Chaplain

Food for Thought

Whether we like it or not, the fact remains that the adults who are in charge of us as we grow up have a significant influence on our lives and on our behaviour, regardless of whether they are birth parents, step-parents or foster parents.

As parents/carers, it is our job to guide our children to become responsible and respectful members of society. We need to teach them to be considerate of others, to talk through problems, instead of getting into arguments, and to obey the law.

Please be aware though, that our children learn much more from what we do than from what we say. You are your child's role model. If you are not considerate of others, if you yell and scream when things aren't going your way and you are in the habit of breaking road rules and other laws, then that is the pattern of behaviour that your child will most likely adopt.

Work hard at being the best role model you can be for your child. Be a loving, thoughtful and responsible parent/carer and you are more likely to have the pleasure of watching your child grow into an adult son or daughter that you are truly proud of.

A message from Chappy Bernie

Below are details of an SU camp

Footy Camp 2016

Love your footy? Then Footy Camp 2016 is for you! Come away for 5 days of food, fun and footy on the Gold Coast at Tallebudgera Sports & Recreation Centre. Learn new skills from great coaches, catch up with some rugby league legends from the NRL, take on mega training sessions, get into some fun activities such as dragon boating, The Footy Camp Show, and our Mate Vs Mate rugby league game (parents/carers are invited to come to this game). Among the training sessions and tackle pads, we'll be exploring some of the bigger questions of life and faith that will help us live life to the fullest on and off the field.

June 25 – June 29
Years: 5-8

Boys only

Price

$250

This camp is for

Years: 5-8 Boys

Dates

25 June 2016 to 29 June 2016

Location

Tallebudgera Sports and Recreation Centre

Contact Details

Troy Wilson – 0427060278 & Tala Aufai – 0410 702 407
footycamp@sucamps.org.au

Directors

Troy Wilson & Tala Aufai

© Copyright SU QLD 2016. All rights reserved.

If you want more details contact one of the above persons or speak to Chaplain Bernie.

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

News from the School Nurse

ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE IN ADOLESCENCE

Adolescence is typically a period of experimentation, irrespective of parenting skills and influence.

Cannabis is the most common illegal drug used by teenagers, with around one in five having tried it at least once.

Parents/Carers typically worry about their child becoming dependent on drugs, such as methamphetamines (speed and ice), ecstasy, heroin and cocaine. However, the more likely threat to any teenager's health is the use of legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco.

There is no way to guarantee your child will never take drugs, but you can reduce the possibility of your teenager experiencing drug problems in a number of ways.

Reasons teenagers take drugs:

Young people use drugs for similar reasons that adults do – to change how they feel because they want to feel better or different. Other reasons may include: socialising with friends, peer pressure or the need to feel part of a group, relaxation or fun, boredom, curiosity, experimentation or wanting to take risks, to escape from psychological or physiological pain.

Alcohol, cannabis and tobacco are the three most commonly used drugs among young people. According to the National Drug Strategy Household Survey of Australians aged 12-17 years, in 2013:

• 72.3 per cent are choosing not to drink, but 8.7 per cent had more than four standard drinks at least once a month.
• Around one in six (14.8%) had tried cannabis.
• 94.7 per cent have never smoked tobacco and just under 3.7 per cent smoked on a daily basis.

Many parents are concerned that if their child tries cannabis, it will only be a matter of time before they progress to other drugs, such as amphetamines and heroin. However, there is no evidence to support the theory that cannabis is a 'gateway' drug, which automatically leads to the use of other drugs.

There are no parenting skills or behaviours that guarantee a young person will never touch drugs. However, parents and carers can reduce the possibility of a young person experiencing drug problems in a number of ways:

• Foster a close and trusting relationship with your child from an early age, and support and encourage positive behaviour.
• Model appropriate behaviour, such as drinking moderately, not smoking and not using illicit drugs.
• Establish agreements and guidelines about what is acceptable behaviour around alcohol and drugs.
• Encourage a healthy approach to life, including good foods, regular exercise and sports.
• Encourage your child to have more than one group of friends.
• Allow your child to practise responsibility and develop good decision-making skills from an early age.
• Keep yourself informed about drugs and educate your child on the dangers of drug use. Do not exaggerate or make information up.
• Have open and honest discussions about drugs.

There are no specific signs or behaviours that can tell you a young person is definitely using drugs. Uncharacteristic behaviours such as mood swings, a drop in schooling performance, different friends and a changed appearance may indicate drug use – but they could also indicate other issues that are not drug related.

If you suspect your child is using drugs:

• If possible, don't react on your first impulse – give yourself time to think.
• Resist the urge to snoop, or search your child's room or belongings for evidence.
• Research drugs so that you have the facts.
• Raise your concerns calmly with your child when you both feel relaxed.
• If your child is taking drugs, don't issue ultimatums.
• Try to educate your child on the health and lifestyle risks.
• You may have to accept that an older teenager will not stop taking their drug, no matter what you say.
• If your child gets into trouble with the police or has to go to court, support them, but let them cope with the consequences such as paying their own fines.

Reference and further information:

Where to get help

• Your doctor
• Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) 1800 177 833
• Parentline - Telephone 1300 30 1300
• If an overdose is suspected, call 000 for an ambulance immediately

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

Sports Director's Report

It has been a very busy Term 2 with teams training hard every week for upcoming district Junior and Senior Gala Days. We are aiming to win the highest number of premierships in the district so best of luck to all of our competing teams. The goal we are trying to reach is 2016 District School Champion and we are well on our way to trying to achieve this.

Athletics has been booming with expert coaches and HPE staff training students every week before, during and after school. The training schedule is available for students to access on the sports noticeboard or via their HPE teacher. We are hoping that as a school in 2016 we can be back to back champions at District Athletics.

Upcoming Events

Junior District Days

The Junior Gala Days for Years 7-9 are being held over two days throughout Terms 2 and 3. We have fielded teams in every sport and have entered 2 teams in multiple events. We look forward to results after Day 2 and are hoping for more premiership flags. Good luck to all of our teams and coaches!

Winter Season: Junior Days

Date:

Time: 8.00am – 3.00pm. Be at the bus stop at 7:45am.

Venue:

Athletics Carnival

• The Centenary SHS Athletics Carnivals are fast approaching and are on in Term 2 (10th June) and in Term 3 Week 1 (15th July).

The carnival events are run for students wishing to:

1. Be selected in the School Athletics Team to represent the school at the district carnival
2. Go for age champion and
3. Participate for their house and gain points

The Athletics Carnival will occur over 2 days:

Day 1 – Field Carnival Day – Friday June 10 (Week 9)

• Participation in all of these events will be by nomination only. Nominations occurred:
    - on Monday - Friday of Weeks 6-8, AM break in the Sports Centre
• Nominated students will be excused from classes for the lessons in which their nominated events occur. All other students will attend normal classes.
• Students are to see the sports noticeboard for the event schedule.

After Day 1 of Field Day, Yallambee is sitting on top of the leader board on 506 points! Keep up the great work and get in and have a go on the whole school track day!

Day 2 – Athletics Track Carnival Day – Friday July 15 (Week 1)

• All other events not run on Field Carnival day will occur on this day. There will be no classes on this day. All students are expected to participate.
• Participation in track events on this day is simply by turning up on the day to the marshalling area.
• Participation in Field events on this day will be by nomination only. Nominations for field events will occur at the same time as the Field Carnival day nominations.

The programs for the days will be sent home with your student.

Training for athletics is occurring all throughout the week before, during and after school.

It has been great to see so many students already attending training sessions in preparation for the school and district Athletics carnivals.

Every session counts to improving performance so students should make sure they get to as many sessions as they are able to. This year there are more training sessions than ever, and the school has also a number of top level coaches and guest elite athletes to supplement our excellent teaching staff.

Our goal this year for Districts is to fill all events as well as create history and take out the overall championship for the second year running. For this to happen we need everyone training regularly and putting in a big effort!

Regional Cross Country

On Thursday 2nd June, Centenary SHS sent a record 22 students to compete at the Regional Cross Country Championships at Limestone Park. It was a great event where all the best runners in the Met West region came to fight for a spot at the State Championships in Maryborough. In the last decade we have never seen a Centenary SHS runner make it through into the top 6. This year was different! A HUGE congratulations must go to Curtis Campbell in Year 10 who WON the U15boys 4km event and Michael Melvin in Year 10 who came 6th in the U16 Boys 6km event. Both boys have been training extremely hard and have been rewarded for their tremendous effort. Well done and good luck at the State Championships.

Student Success:

Student Profile- Tori Smith

At the end of May, Tori Smith, one of our Year 11 students, competed at the National Gymnastics Championships. Tori has done extremely well and after a tough day of competition on Day 1 has attacked Day 2 of competition with the following outstanding results. The Queensland Girls Team came 1st overall.

Tori's individual placing in Australia:

Vault – 4th Place
Bars – 1st Place
Beam – 5th Place
Floor – 14th Place
Over All – 2nd Place

Well done Tori, you have achieved such success in your chosen sport and we wish you all the best of luck in your next competition.

Reporting Results

• To enable me to report on student results and to keep accurate records for sports awards, I need to know how participants went in their competitions. I encourage all students and parents/carers to advise me of their results immediately after they have competed.
• Students can see me in Staffroom 4 or results can be emailed to jport106@eq.edu.au.

Sports Calendar

Centenary SHS Sports Calendar can now be viewed on the school website. It contains all the latest sporting events and dates. Please take some time to have a look at this to keep up to date with all the latest happenings in sport.

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

Cultural News

Term 2 wrap up

Term 2 has certainly been busy with many performances. It is always a special thrill to take our arts to the community, and that has happened greatly over the last four weeks.

Firstly our ever busy Swingers and Mrs Harvey played at the Brisbane City Council Homeless Connect event at Eagle Farm Racing Club. This annual event sees business and community groups come together to give free services to people experiencing homelessness or those at risk. It is a privilege for our students to participate in such an important and worthwhile community service.

Next up a whole range of instrumental, vocal and dance performers took part in the school's Open Day, entertaining parents/carers and prospective students with music inside and outside of CPAC. Thank you to the following groups for their excellent contributions: Concert Band, Percussion Ensemble, Chamber Strings, Swingers, Liquorice All Sorts, Flutily Tutilies and students from our Music Plus, Performance Plus and Music Extension classes.

Our Liquorice All Sorts clarinet ensemble took a trip out to the Young Care Facility at Sinnamon Park in Week 8 to entertain the residents. Our visits up there usually include a performance at the Sinnamon Village Nursing home, but unfortunately they were in lock down. Still the folks at Young Care loved the range of music from our kids with Mrs Harvey and Mrs Manche playing along.

Then finally on Friday and Saturday evening of Week 9 we were able to share with family and friends the music that all of our ensembles have been working on for Term 1 with our two Soiree nights. Friday night featured our wonderful string and choral groups under the direction of Mr Hoey and Ms Van den Broek respectively, and Saturday our Concert, Stage and Symphonic bands and percussion ensemble led by Mrs Harvey, Mr Lougheed and Mrs Dedini. Thank you all for your wonderful playing, and for everybody who came along to support our program.

Fanfare

One of the major events run by Education Queensland is the biennial Fanfare competition for State School bands, orchestra and instrumental ensembles. We had a record six ensembles perform in the regional heat held at The Gap State High School on Monday 30th May, with more than 180 performers across those groups. Each group is awarded either Gold, Silver, Bronze or Participation according to the adjudicator's opinion. All of our groups performed brilliantly gaining the following results:

Concert Band – Silver Award
Percussion Ensemble – Gold Award
Stage Band – Silver Award
String Ensemble – Silver Award
String Orchestra – Gold Award
Symphonic Band – Silver Award

A wonderful achievement from all of our groups, with particular kudos to the String Orchestra and Percussion Ensemble for their Gold Awards. Thank you as always to our wonderful instrumental team Madison Dedini, Fiona Harvey, Matthew Hoey and Damon Lougheed.

Thank you everyone for a wonderful first semester!

Until next time, keep cultural!!

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

Junior Secondary News

It is hard to believe that we are half way through the 2016 school year. Our Year 7s have settled in well to life at high school and, like many of the Years 8 and 9 students, are getting involved in various extra-curricular activities. By the time the newsletter is published, all three year levels in the Junior School will have participated in Music Soirees and the District Sports Gala Day.

Our recent Open Day was a huge success. For me, one of the highlights was seeing the large number of Junior students actively participating on the day – leading tour groups of parents/carers, assisting with different faculties to showcase their learnings, and generally helping out. To me, this shows that the vast majority of our students are proud of their school and feel a strong sense of connection to Centenary SHS. Well done to all of the Junior students who assisted or performed on the day!

Another very successful evented hosted in the past few weeks was 'Centenary's got Talent!'. It was wonderful to see this student led competition in action. Congratulations to the four finalists in the Junior section – Bethany Nairn, Tam Nguyen, Aniella Baquiran and duo Oscar Langton and Ricardo Kelly. Bethany Nairn was judged runner up, with Oscar and Ricardo winning first place. Congratulations to all students who competed! We certainly have a lot of very talented students in our Junior School.

Earlier this term we conducted a Year 7 Parent Help Night to assist parents/carers with organisational skills for their students and helping with homework. The evening was well attended and we received positive feedback. One of the main questions that arose throughout the evening was, 'How much homework should my child be doing?' This is outlined in the Student Diary on page 108, where it states that students in Years 7, 8 and 9 should be doing up to, but not more than five hours per week. If your child is being inundated with homework, please email their teachers to advise them.

With Semester 1 Reports due out just after the holidays, please remember that your child's teachers are here to support you and your child with their learning. I strongly encourage you to make an appointment for the Parent Teacher Interview evening. If you are unable to attend the scheduled evening you can request for teachers to meet with you at a mutually convenient time, or have a phone interview.

Angela McKay, Junior Secondary
Email: amcka18@eq.edu.au

News from Applied Technology

Junior Class Swap

As Semester 1 draws to a close, parents/carers are reminded that a number of Applied Technology students will be changing subjects. Years 7 and 8 students will select an alternative subject because their course concludes after a semester and term, respectively.

Year 9 students are another cohort which will change subject because their course also terminates after one semester.

Open Day

The Applied Technology staff thank those parents/carers and children who recently attended the Open Day. We were very pleased with the attendance and were delighted to be offered the opportunity to meet prospective students and their family members. It was our intention to provide interested parties with an insight into what our subjects offer and showcase some of the students' work.

For those who popped into the ITD workshop, a nail challenge was on offer. Boys and girls were issued with a claw hammer and then required to drive a 60mm nail into a piece of timber with the least number of strikes. With a score of six, Wyatt Dalida was the winner of the nail bag. Congratulations Wyatt!

Certificate II in Engineering Pathways

Both Year 11 Engineering Pathways classes were recently visited by Mr Tim Newton, a Blue Dog Training Vocational Education and Training in Schools (VETiS) Trainer. The purpose of the scheduled visit was to review the progress of each student relating to the theoretical units associated with Semester 1. I have written previously about the need to complete approximately six theoretical units each week, if students are to satisfy this aspect of the course by the required date, Friday, 10th June. Students who fail to meet this deadline, will be required to return to school during the forthcoming examination period and attend to the units.

Students are reminded that they can assess the theoretical units from any computer.

Mr Newton also mentioned the need for students to consider investing some time in work experience. Though not a mandatory component of the course, industry representatives are quick to proclaim the virtues of establishing links and rapport with employers, particularly at a time when apprenticeships are limited and very competitive.

Year 10 SET Plan

I will present information to a collective gathering of Year 10 students in the first week of Term 3, which I trust will assist them to decide subjects for Year 11. The goal of the session is to provide students with information pertaining to the subjects offered by the Applied Technology faculty. Mr Gibbs, the year level coordinator, has approached HODs and requested that they highlight for students those pragmatic things they must consider prior to electing their subjects for 2017.

Early Childhood Education and Care

A reminder that students enrolled in Early Childhood Education and Care, are required to complete 120 hours of work placement over the duration of the two year course. I recently reviewed a number of work placement log books and am concerned that a good number of students have recorded very few hours. Experience suggests that work placement is best to be finalised by the end of Semester 3 due to the frenetic pace associated with Semester 4. Therefore, students should aim to complete at least 40 hours per semester.

Michael Tobin, Applied Technology HOD
Email: mtobi6@eq.edu.au

News from Home Economics

Centenary SHS Open day has been an exciting showcase of our Junior and Senior Home Economics students at their best. Our kitchen saw senior hospitality students demonstrate their barista skills in serving expresso coffee including coffee latte, chai latte, flat white and hot chocolate to those eager parents/carers and their children.

Young children as well as adults were very amused with the cake decorating activity which offered numerous bowls of coloured icing and an assortment of lollies. It was an amazing moment as we witnessed the enthusiasm and talents displayed by some of these young children. Choc chip biscuits, jam drops, freshly made scones served with jam and cream were amongst some of the highlights on the day.

Various activities in the textiles room such as colouring fabrics, creating book marks and sewing aprons captured the attention of those young children who have displayed a natural flare for fashion and design.

Our ScanNCut machine was put to good use with students scanning and cutting various designs suitable for applique work which could be used in textiles products at a later stage.

We take this opportunity to thank all those students who had kindly volunteered and assisted us with the running of the activities on the day. These students have been a great asset to our department.

Shanti Reddy, Home Economics
Email: sredd12@eq.edu.au

News from Humanities

Great news! In Semester 2 a language assistant from Argentina will be travelling to our school to support students in their study of Spanish. Ercilia will be with us for the semester and she will work closely with our Spanish teachers to promote the Spanish language and the culture of Latin America across our school.

The Year 7s have been studying Geography this semester. They are completing a very challenging and rewarding task on urban liveability. They are exploring ways to make Brisbane a far more integrated city, one which promotes a healthy lifestyle and a community spirit. Their proposals aim to overcome the isolation that some people feel in a big city and how to ensure that all residents have access to the services they need.

For Years 8, 9 and 10 these are the last two weeks of their History course in 2016. The Year 8s are working on their drafts about the Spanish conquest of the Americas. They've been asked to consider whether or not the Indigenous people of the Americas ever had the opportunity to defeat the Spanish and determine their own futures. Students have encountered the extraordinary city of Tenochtitlan, the city in the middle of the lake. The Aztecs created dry land where there was once nothing but water. Before sacking the city the Spanish were awestruck by its grandeur and compared it to the largest cities of Europe.

The Year 9s are preparing for their exam on the way different generations have remembered Australia's experience during World War I. At one point during the 1960s many were concerned that the ANZAC Day commemoration could disappear. By the 1990s it became one of the most significant commemorative events on the calendar. Students reflect on how the importance people attach to ANZAC day varies from generation to generation.

The Year 10s are putting together their drafts on the struggle for human rights in 20th century Australian history. This ACARA course has been broken up into two themes - Indigenous rights and the contribution of migrants to Australian society. A number of students have been able to draw on their own family histories during the research phase.

We began the course by looking at the creation of the reserve system that detained Indigenous people from 1900, following the end of the frontier wars. In particular we look at some of the features of the Barambah reserve later to be renamed Cherbourg. Eddie Gilbert, a resident of Cherbourg and a Queensland cricketer, was one of the fastest bowlers that Don Bradman ever faced. During one Shield game Gilbert bowled Bradman for a duck. When Eddie Gilbert participated in interstate matches he was accompanied by government officers and who then escorted him back to the reserve. His tragic life symbolised the way in which indigenous people were controlled for a large part of the 20th century. Students have researched the ways that Indigenous people sought to achieve equality in their own land.

Students also had the option of looking at the contribution that migration has made to Australian society. Migrants from Southern Europe were central, in the 1950s and 1960s, to the creation of massive nation building infrastructure projects such as the Snowy River hydroelectric scheme. Far from being a recent trend, students have discovered that migration from Asia and the Middle East has been a feature of Australian history since the 1850s. Many parts of Australia had vibrant multicultural communities well before the term was created in the 1970s.

I would like to acknowledge the exceptional historical skills of Year 10 student Michael Melvin who embarked upon his own independent research project about the factors that led to the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This was in addition to his regular assessment tasks. Michael asked the very interesting and confronting question – did the dropping of the bomb bring an end to the war in the Pacific? In a carefully argued piece, Michael draws on some highly relevant documents from 1945.

Adrian Skerritt, Humanities /LOTE HOD
Email: asker6@eq.edu.au

Science News

The year appears to be speeding along as semester 1 comes to end. Despite demanding curricular and extra-curricular schedules a large number of our students continue to make us proud with pleasing co-curricular achievements across a number of science competitions

R.A.C.I. Chemical Analysis Competition

On 21 May twelve of our senior chemistry students participated in a Titration competition organised by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute of Queensland. The competition was held at the QUT's School of Chemistry.

The aim of the competition is to encourage students who enjoy Chemistry - especially practical Chemistry - and to recognise those who are becoming proficient. The Competition in Brisbane has been held annually since 1980, and since 1984 has been part of the Australian National Chemical Analysis Competition (as a Regional Competition). Each member of each team performs a simple acid-base titration exercise. This year we entered four teams of three members. The interest and enthusiasm of the students is very encouraging.

The students involved need to be congratulated for giving up a number of their lunch breaks and long afternoon sessions to practice titration skills. Their dedication, perseverance and hard work was justly rewarded with one of our teams being place joint third at QUT and ninth out of twenty teams across the state. The successful team comprised of Jessica Thek, Ana Martins and Ryan Lumsden. They will now proceed to the State championships on 22 October at the University of Queensland

The Titration Group

L – R standing: Salma Sadek, Ryan Lumsden, Mr Moodley, Sara Sefat, Ana Martins, Jessica Thek, Jemima Moore, Sarah Olsen

L – R kneeling: Natalie Ngo, Darly Ngwe, Elina Cheema, Isabel Nguyen, Majurran Vimalan

The Winning Team

Ryan Lumsden, Jessica Thek, Ana Martins

Big science competition

The Big Science competition was completed on 31st May. Students have not received their finals results and certificates as yet. However, the preliminary results are noted below.

The students who sat the test need to be congratulated on their tremendous effort and are noted in the list below.

Australian Brain Bee Challenge

Over the last couple of years we have entered our Extended Science Investigation group of students into the Australia – New Zealand Brain Bee Challenge. Our students were amongst 5000 students who competed this year. Our top four students have now been invited to participate in round 2. The students are, respectively:

1. Sam Wallace
2. Caity McMahon
3. Callum Preston
4. Holly Wilson

Round 2, 2016 ABBC Queensland state finals will be held at the Queensland Brain Institute at the University of Queensland, on Tuesday 19th July 2016. The day will include an Individual and Team challenge to determine the 2016 ABBC Queensland Champions, as well as tours of the research laboratories and presentations by special guests working in science.

The students listed above have qualified to participate in the Individual Challenge of the Round 2 Queensland State Final. Individual Challenge competitors compete for some great prizes including the chance to progress to the 2016 Australia – New Zealand Brain Bee National Final held in late

2016 or early 2017. The Queensland Individual Challenge Champion will receive return airfares and accommodation for themselves and a guardian to attend the National Final.

Extended Science Investigations (ESI) – Testing Quality of Water at Port of Brisbane

The purpose of the elective ESI is to expose students to and develop skills that are important to Research in Science. Students selected into the course are typically those that have a strong interest in Science and are likely to progress onto Science related studies at University on completion of Year 12 that lead into career pathways in one or more of the disciplines of Science. As a result the coursework is designed with a bias to investigative skills. This includes field studies where possible.

Students recently undertook a field study that involved testing the quality of the water in and around the Port of Brisbane. The following is a report prepared by one of the ESI students, Callum Preston.

The ESI class went on excursion to the Port of Brisbane Wednesday last week. The day was busy, interesting and really fun. The excursion had three main parts to it. First, the class went on a boat 'Inspiration' and tested the water in different areas of the river for several factors that contribute to the overall water quality. Some factors tested were turbidity, salinity and the pH level. The turbidity was extremely high as the desired level of turbidity is 2-4m but we could only see 0.5 to 1.5 metres down. These results disturbed the class as we realised how polluted the river was. The turbidity was found by using a Secchi disk which is basically a white paddle on the end of a fishing rod. The pH level was 8 which is just inside the desired range of 6.5-8.0. The salinity level was 35ppt which was the exact desired amount.

Later, we went to see the area reserved for the migratory birds. We learnt that the port balances industry with caring for the environment and provides an area for residential and migratory birds. The time of year we went to see the area meant that most of the migratory birds had left and we saw only the residential birds. The main types of birds we saw were egrets, pelicans and ducks. There were about 450 birds there at the time and our guide said that was quiet!

Finally, the class went on a small trek through the mangroves that the Port had to protect because the mangroves are very important to the eco-system. They are important to the eco-system because they provide a nursery for fish, prawns and crabs, and help stabilise coastlines by reducing erosion caused by water flow and currents. On the trek we looked at the health of the trees and the soil along the edge of the water. It was incredibly muddy and a few students had to have pages replaced in their booklets because they were ruined.

In conclusion, I had a really good time with excursion and I know the other students agree that it was a worthwhile study trip.

Allen Moodley, Science HOD
Email: amood23@eq.edu.au

As Term 2 Ends….

As we have been approaching or have completed exam timetables, lots of information via emails and assemblies has been about student responsibilities, with their education and pathways concerning assessments and any outstanding work they may have. This is so that we may enjoy our holidays and begin our last semester of Year 11 in tune and unstressed. The students have worked hard to complete tasks set out for them and will deserve a well-earned break.

This term saw our signature social event, our Semi-formal, which had students wearing costumes of their choice. We held a fashion parade inviting the community to view and cheer on our enthusiastic students. The students were well received and did a wonderful job in creating and presenting themselves costumed. Everyone was astounded by the effort of our students. Trophies and gifts were awarded to: Best Male, Best Female, Best Couple, Best Group and a Teachers Pick. There were many cheers and lots of laughing. We were a very excited, happy and fun group of people! We eventually caught our buses and off we went. We boarded the Kookaburra Queen and journeyed along the Brisbane River eating a feast of canapés and copious amounts of soft drinks. Students were able to request their choice of songs with on-board entertainment, a DJ. The night finished all too soon, it was an incredibly enjoyable night. I would like to congratulate all who attended, as well as their guardians who helped organise and finance this experience. The night was brilliant.

Term 3 will be another busy term and I'm hoping to be organising 2017 Senior School Jerseys and Leadership Roles. On that note students need to begin forming an idea on designs of jerseys, as I will consult a group of Year 11s. Anyone wishing to apply for a Senior Leadership role should begin working towards it and form ideas on how they may show leadership in 2017.

I ask that you find some time to sit down with your student and help to organise an updated study timetable at home this term and review Term 3, using the school's assessment calendar to remind them of draft and due dates. As always, if you have any concerns about your child's progress and how they're going, don't hesitate to contact me via email at dhube1@eq.edu.au.

Di Huber, Year 11 Coordinator
Email: dhube1@eq.edu.au

2017 Student Expedition

Centenary SHS is excited to announce the launch of a student expedition to Vietnam at the end of 2017 through Antipodeans. The expedition will be available to current Years 9 and 10 students with an information evening for parents/carers on Tuesday 21st June in CPAC at 5:30pm.

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

News from Year 9

My role

In my role, I am concerned with the welfare of ALL Year 9 students. This includes all aspects of school life – academic, social and emotional. If your child has any concerns, please ask them to come and see me – my office is in Staffroom 3. Alternatively, please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any concerns:

Uniform and appearance

I have been pleased with students wearing their uniform with pride. With the cooler weather now approaching, students are reminded that school jumpers can be purchased at the uniform shop. Students may borrow a school jumper from the office for the day.

Term 3 upcoming events

• Leadership program
  In Term 3, students can apply to be part of a leaders program conducted at school by High Resolves. The program begins with a workshop in which students explore the skills required to become an effective leader. The skills learnt are then put into practice and enhanced through a hands-on social action project to create a positive impact in the school or wider community. If you would like further information about this program, please contact me.
• Year 9 "buddies"
  Students from Yiwu Qunxing Fls Study Tour from China will be visiting our school between 15th July and 18th August. Year 9s have the opportunity to be "buddies" for our Chinese students visiting during this time by completing an application form. Please contact me for further details.
• HG program
  During Term 3 students will be starting a careers program. The students will also find out about subject choices for Year 10, what careers they may be interested in, and begin to plan for their future pathways.

TIME FOR REFLECTION

As we approach the end of Semester 1, it is the perfect opportunity for students to reflect on their progress. I encourage all students to consider the following:

• Did I achieve my goals for the semester?
• Did I put effort into each of my subjects?
• Did I behaviour appropriately in class?
• Your goals for Semester 2

Wishing you and your family a safe and relaxing holiday

Warm regards

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

News from Year 7

The three-day and two-night Year 7 Camp 2016 was held in Week 8 at the Tallebudgera Outdoor Recreation Centre, bordered by the Pacific Ocean and Tallebudgera Creek. The students rotated through a number of exciting and challenging activities in small groups. Groups went body boarding, climbed ropes, went canoeing and participated in archery to name just a few. Students also loved the opportunity to use their creativity to design a paper costume to wear to the disco, and to cheer for their favourite team and watch State of Origin. We can't forget the students who participated in the Talent Show who dazzled their peers and teachers and showed off their inimitable and unique talents!

The Year 7 Camp was a huge success with all the students and staff enjoying the experience. I would like to take the opportunity to thank the teachers who attended camp, who gave up a considerable amount of personal time for the benefit of our students. I am so appreciative of your efforts and feel so in awe of the patience and humour I witnessed on camp. All staff in attendance did an amazing job of looking after our students and giving that extra special care and attention.

Students who remained at school also had an incredible experience pitching tents, making damper and participating in an amazing range of fun and sensational experiences. Again, I would like to express my thanks to the teachers who created these exciting events for the students!

Karen Abraham, Year 7 Coordinator
Email: kabra21@eq.edu.au

News from our P&C

We had a stall at the very successful school Open day on Saturday 28th May where we ran a raffle with a lovely prize donated by the Jindalee Golf Club. Bernie's sausage sizzle and popcorn stand was a big success and the Arts Subcommittee sold afternoon teas. There was a great turnout and we were very encouraged by how many teachers and students volunteered their time on the day.

Our main focus this year, as it was last year, is on upgrading and increasing the size of our Canteen and Uniform Shop to accommodate the extra students and increased demand. We also supply a large number of outside catering jobs through the canteen. This year again, all contributions to the P&C Annual Levy will go to our Building Fund to boost our Canteen upgrade efforts.

The State Government provides funding for the education basics - classrooms, staffing and resources for educational programs. All other needs of the school to further enhance your child's education and school environment are funded by the P&C Association. Therefore, we have to raise the extra funds and one of the ways of doing this is to have a levy scheme.

The P&C Levy letter has gone home via email and hard copy to all students with details of how to pay. Last year we had donations from only 74 of over 1000 school families. This year we hope to increase the number of families making a contribution. We look forward to your support with this. Donations to the Building Fund are tax deductible so get your payments in before 30th June to take advantage of this benefit.

Our Uniform Shop build is about to get under way with tenders out and construction due to begin in the next couple of weeks. We hope to have stage one of our Canteen/Uniform Shop upgrade finished in August.

FACEBOOK page – The P&C have a Facebook page called Centenary SHS Parent Group. You can do a search in Facebook and it will come up. Please send a request to join and Lucinda or Jenny (our administrators) will check that you have a current or future student at the school. It's a forum where parents/carers of children attending Centenary SHS can seek and share information regarding local school events, daily general information, reminders about events coming up within the school, uniform sales, lost property at school, etc. No negative posts at all will be tolerated.

Uniform Shop – Jumpers

We now have stocks of jumpers at the uniform shop, so come and get yours in time for winter.

Jumper embroidery service – never lose your jumper again!!!

The P&C offer a service where we embroider your child's jumper for just $5.

Your child's surname will be embroidered on the outside of their school jumper as a way to easily identify it. The student's name will appear embroidered in red capitals on the bottom right of the jumper above the waistline ribbing. Enquiries can be made at the uniform shop.

SECONDHAND UNIFORMS - Secondhand uniforms can be donated to the uniform shop or you can advertise what you have to sell or would like to buy on our Facebook page (see details above). We are no longer operating the secondhand uniform site on the school website.

The next P&C meeting will be Wednesday 20th July at 7pm.

Everyone is welcome to attend.

Helen Shogren, P&C President Centenary SHS
Email: pandc@centenaryshs.eq.edu.au

News from our Uniform Shop

We have a supply of poly/cotton jumpers available in all sizes for $70.00.

Please note that Wool/nylon jumpers are supplied by order only. Orders are placed in October and January. Cost at present is $80.00.

Jenelle Green, Uniform Shop Convenor