25 May 2017 Volume 19 Number 5

PRINCIPAL

News from the Principal

Student connectedness to school is a strong contributing factor to a child’s success at school. The school prides itself in providing quality opportunities for students and it is always rewarding to see students enjoying themselves on the academic, sporting, cultural and civic fronts. As I state regularly on assembly – what you get out of school is dependent on what you are prepared to put in. Hopefully your child can discover their passion at Centenary SHS.

Connectedness has many forms. Before and after school I see students working hard in the Resource Centre or attending tutorials across various faculties. We have a significant number of students challenging themselves through academic competitions and tests such as ICAS. This diligence is replicated on the sports oval where students commit to their training. Our recent success in the Metropolitan Sports Finals is testament to this effort. We have a numbers of teams entering the Kokoda Challenge for the first time. A test of both physical and mental endurance. In performance students from Years 7 to 12 are immersed in preparation for the Legally Blonde performance whilst many of our Arts students are preparing for the upcoming Ipswich Instrumental, Choral and Music Gala. At lunch time the popular Centenary’s Got Talent is running again providing an opportunity for all students to hop on the stage and “have a go”.

Interim Report Data

The interim data published earlier in the term provides a good opportunity for students to gauge where they are at in respect to their learning and academic achievement goals. Importantly with the bulk of assessment sitting in Term 2 there is time to rectify shortcomings.

A key target for the school this year is to have 60% of our students achieving at an A or B level in their subject results. At 56.5% we are still short of the target however with further application I am convinced we can “move the middle”.

Additional data sets indicate that the classroom environment is conducive to learning with 89.2% of our students averaging A and/or B in Behaviour. Our Effort data with 79.7% of students averaging A and/or B is commendable but also indicates that a significant number of students could commit more to their learning.

Teaching and Learning

As a staff we value the power of quality feedback to improve performance. Over recent years we have operated a Collegial Feedback program in the school to enhance the quality of our teaching and learning outcomes. We continue to refine our practice with a number of staff this year filming their classroom practice for later analysis. We will soon enter a collegial feedback window where staff will be frequently visiting each other’s classrooms providing feedback on identified areas of teacher performance. Your child may report back that there were a number of teachers in a particular class on a given day. This is simply part of our commitment to improving teaching practice and ultimately student outcomes.

Pathways

Within the school environment of multiple excellence opportunities there is a clear focus on individual student needs. Particularly from Year 10, students are exposed to decision making in regard to pathway options. This process is formalised through the Student Education and Training Plan [SETP] whereby students determine what subject offerings will provide them with the best pathway to achieve their school exit objectives. The key decision in this regard is Overall Position (OP) eligibility.

About 60% of Centenary SHS students decide to be OP eligible in their senior course of study through their studying of 20 semester units of Authority subjects. All students with tertiary aspirations and students who do not wish to close the door on this option are not always best served in selecting this pathway. A genuine alternative is the ranking option which also provides an entry point into tertiary education. The completion of a Certificate 3 is invaluable in improving a student’s rank. The ranking path allows greater options in subject selection through access to the non-Authority as well as Authority subjects.

Senior Schooling and SETP talks will provide more information about this option.

A student’s OP at the conclusion of their senior studies determines tertiary entry. To assist in decision making in this regard the school will again use the OP Analyser program. The program, using student progress results and past school data, provides a predictive OP range for each student. It is certainly not absolute as there are numerous variables impacting upon OP allocation however it has been found in other schools and in our data over the last three years to be reasonably accurate. If Year 11 and Year 12 students are willing they will be given the option of receiving a predictive OP range in the first few weeks of Term 3. This information will certainly assist in ensuring good decisions are made in respect to senior subject choices, pathways and tertiary course selection.

Our current Year 10 students will be the last cohort to study under the existing system with the new Senior Assessment and Tertiary Entrance (SATE) being implemented for the Year 11 Cohort of 2019.

Open Day Saturday 3 June

Spread the word – our Open Day is on Saturday 3 June from 2-5pm. Whilst this day is primarily about showcasing the school to prospective parents/carers it also provides an opportunity for our community to share in the life of the school.

Cars

We are getting to that time of the year where an increasing number of our senior students are driving to school. I remind all members of the community about the responsibilities of students driving:

• Students are to register their car with the school’s administration
• Student cars are to be parked in the bottom school car park not in side streets
• All passengers must have written permission from parents/carers lodged with administration
• Drivers are to obey road rules at all times

Student Achievement

Congratulations to our students from both the Junior and Senior Schools who participated at the recent Philosothon at the University of Queensland. This competition challenged our students to think both deeply and laterally. Well done to our Junior team in particular who finished in 2nd place in their division.

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

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Newsletter Articles

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

News from the Deputy Principals

Student Behaviour while Travelling to and from School

A reminder that students travelling to and from school are still representatives of our school and need to be mindful of their behaviour and actions. This relates to student behaviour while travelling on buses and waiting at bus stops. The vast majority of students display exemplary behaviour and are great role models for our school, however, it is disappointing that the actions of a few can go a long way toward tarnishing our reputation in the community. We ask that all students please be aware of their behaviour in public and focus on manners, courtesy and respect at all times. Please find attached a copy of the ‘Code of Conduct for School Students Travelling on Buses’.

Uniform Procedures

At Centenary SHS we have a uniform policy which is endorsed by our P & C Association. It is an expectation that all students abide by our uniform code and wear the correct school uniform with pride. We understand that from time to time there may be some circumstances where students are unable to wear the correct uniform to school. If this is the case, students should bring a note from home explaining the reason why they are out of uniform and they are to present this to the front administration office before the start of school, where they will be issued with a uniform pass for the day. If students fail to wear the correct uniform or fail to organise a uniform pass for the day, they will be issued with a lunch time detention from their HG teacher. It is very important that students attend these detentions as failure to do so will result in the students receiving an after school detention on a Friday afternoon. Your assistance in helping students adhere to our school rules and procedures is greatly appreciated.

Reward system update

Last week, on our full school assembly, we again recognised the great behaviour of the majority of our students. Our reward system allows students who are well behaved during lessons and at break times to be issued with a behaviour merit award. The behaviour merit awards are based around our three School Expectations which challenge students to:

Be Responsible
Be Respectful
Be A Learner

The HG group in each year level with the highest amount of merit awards is rewarded with a Pizza Party. Congratulations to the following winning HG classes for Term 1:

Year 7 – Moolanda 7B
Year 8 – Jarup 8C
Year 9 – Yallambee 9A
Year 10 - Yallambee 10A
Year 11 – Jarup 11C
Year 12 – Moolanda 12A

Matt McDonald, Deputy Principal (Year12)
Email: mmcdo156@eq.edu.au

Adam Richter, Deputy Principal (Years 10, 11, ATSI & International)
Email: arich60@eq.edu.au

Sallyann Griffith, Deputy Principal (Years 7, 8 & International & Exchange)
Email: sgrif88@eq.edu.au

Kelsey Oakes, Deputy Principal (Years 8, 9 & EALD)
Email: koake10@eq.edu.au

BUSINESS SERVICES MANAGER

News from the Business Services Manager

Changes to the way we invoice for 2018

After consultation with our school administration and Centenary SHS P&C, the following changes have been endorsed.

For all students enrolled into 2018, there will be changes to the way we invoice parents/carers for the Student Resource Scheme and Curriculum Charges.

• All new enrolments for 2018 will be invoiced and required to pay $230 on enrolment (this includes an early bird discount of $20). Payment plans can be arranged and will need to be finalised before the start of the school year.
• For all students currently enrolled, the process has previously been to invoice in November for the following year with payments due by October 31. This will change for next year. For 2018 the $250 SRS invoices will be issued in August this year with an early bird discount of $20 being applied if paid by January 28 of the following year. Invoices will have a finalisation date of July 31 for those who don’t wish to pay before the discount date.

For Curriculum Charges, invoices will be raised in February with a due date of July 31 of that same year.

Payment plans will be accepted and may continue, as is the current practice.

There will be no changes to excursion and extra-curricular invoicing. These will continue to be raised and paid as needed.

For any more information, please contact the school on 3373 4555 or email admin@centenaryshs.eq.edu.au.

Lost Property

Students should check the school office for any property they believe they have lost. If property is marked with the student’s name, every effort will be made to return the property to the student as soon as possible. Parents/Carers are most welcome to visit the school and check the lost property section for items that their student may have lost.

Items of school uniform which remain unclaimed after one month will be placed in the “spare uniform collection” kept at the school for emergency situations or will be sent to the school uniform shop for sale as ‘second-hand’ uniforms. Other unclaimed items will be donated to charities.

Parents/Carers Contact Details

Parents/Carers contacts details are very important to us. Up to date and current school records enable us to send you messages, contact you when your student is ill or if there is an issue that needs resolving.

If you are moving house, changing jobs, emails or mobile phone numbers, please inform the school office via

• email to admin@centenaryshs.eq.edu.au or
• a note

Late to School and Early Departures

Parents/Carers should:

• ensure their child follows the school's recommended processes and procedures for late arrival and early departure by signing in/out at the main office
• notify the school if their child will be late to school/departing before 3pm using the school's recommended communication processes. This may take the form of:
  - accompanying the child to the school office
  - phoning the school (3373 4555 during school hours)
  - providing the child with a signed and dated note

Students arriving late:

• should report to the office and collect a “late pass”
• where an explanation has not been provided, students will be referred to the appropriate Deputy Principal
• will be marked present, but the absence will remain unexplained until a parent/carer contacts the office
• failure to sign in will be regarded as truancy and consequences may be issued

Students leaving early:

• must report to the office before their scheduled departure to collect an “intention to leave early pass”
• where necessary, this pass will be used to leave class
• when leaving, students must report to the main office and present their leave pass
• they will then be issued an “Early Departure /Leave Pass“ slip
• students returning to school, must sign back in through the main office before returning to classes

Charmaine Macaulay
Email: cmaca5@eq.edu.au

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT COORDINATOR

News from our International Student & Homestay Coordinator

Homestay

Centenary SHS has short-term and long-term international students who require a secure and welcoming place to live and practise their English language skills in a real home setting. As a homestay host you contribute to the positive memories our international students have of their time in Australia. Hosts receive a fortnightly payment to cover the student’s meals and homestay expenses. If interested, please contact our Homestay Coordinator, Maria Chadburn, on 07 3373 4553 or via email mchad34@eq.edu.au.

Maria Chadburn, International Student and Homestay Coordinator
Email: mchad34@eq.edu.au

DIVERSE LEARNING DEPARTMENT

News from the DLD

Throughout Term 2, staff and students in the DLD have been preparing for the inaugural Pathways to Success at-school camp. This camp serves as an important element in achieving certification in the ASDAN Silver Award, which many students in Years 7, 8 and 9 are completing.

The camp took place on Friday 12 May, starting after school, and saw students partaking in activities throughout the afternoon and night, eventually falling to sleep before kicking off again early on Saturday morning. The students had fun water bombing each other (and the teachers) on the oval and playing glow stick soccer. Tired after an afternoon of sports and a delicious barbeque dinner, they shared stories and marshmallows by the campfire and demonstrated their independence and maturity when camping out in CPAC. All students offered 100% participation and we are so proud of their efforts.

Thanks to all the staff who helped out in the planning stages and on the night, especially Miss Blacklock for organising the camp and Mrs Coull for her yummy meals. We are so grateful to all those who gave up their spare time to volunteer to supervise our students. We can’t wait to see what else these students will do!

Deborah McIntyre
Email: dmcin49@eq.edu.au

GUIDANCE

News from the Guidance Officers

Anxiety

`A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome’

With a definition like this who doesn’t get anxious?

Did you know…

Sometimes it can be helpful to have some level of anxiety. It helps us get ready for exams, and motivates us to perform. It helps us avoid dangerous situations or reminds us to prepare for new situations. It helps us to be prepared and often to do our best.

If you are feeling anxiety you might feel uncomfortable, physically unwell (butterflies in your stomach, heart racing, wanting to vomit or go to the toilet). You might feel overwhelmed, frightened or even a sense of panic (this can be very useful if that assignment is due tomorrow). All these feelings are normal and most of us experience them at some time in our lives. Don’t panic if your child is demonstrating these symptoms especially at the end of term, while having to speak in public or when awaiting his/her report card.

When does anxiety go beyond the norm?

If you are seeing anxiety that is `excessive or unreasonable, marked and persistent’ and interfering significantly with one’s normal routine, then it is time to consider whether the anxiety has reached the level of a disorder.

Anxiety becomes a disorder, and it is time to seek help when:

1. feelings and thoughts become more intense and overwhelming
2. thoughts are unhelpful or irrational and unable to be controlled
3. the person is unable to do what they need to do
4. these thoughts and feelings are interfering with relationships

Anxiety is a part of life but it should not become your life. There are many causes for anxiety, of which a genetic history of anxiety is often a common element. But anxiety can occur for lots of reasons. One in six people experience anxiety so it is a common issue.

There are 5 types of anxiety disorders:

• Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – excessive worrying about many aspects of one’s life
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – thoughts and fears are obsessive and rituals are performed in order to cope e.g. continually checking if the iron is off; excessive hand washing
• Panic Disorder – panic attacks are periods of intense fear or anxiety even when there is no good reason. Symptoms may include sweating, breathing difficulties, loss of control
• PTSD – Post traumatic stress disorder – A disturbing event may trigger this and the person may have flash backs, disturbed dreams and mood changes. Many soldiers or refugees experience this, but a single incident can trigger this for anyone
• Social Phobia – fear of being humiliated, embarrassed or criticized and may affect one’s ability to speak or eat in public, being assertive and sticking up for oneself
• Specific Phobias – e.g. intense fear of spiders, the dark, injections. One or more can occur at the same time

If you believe that the feelings of anxiety are ongoing, affecting day to day living, and are unable to be controlled, then you or your loved one needs to seek help.

Tips to help along the way:

• Talk to someone – e.g. the Guidance Officer, the doctor, a friend or family member
• Stay physically healthy – eat healthy food, drink water, exercise daily
• Work out ways to minimize the stresses in your life without having to avoid them
• Have a massage, yoga, facial or other treats

Who better to look after you than yourself but be open to help if you need it. Often others see our needs before we do!

Contacts:

• beyondblue 1300 22 4636
• Lifeline 13 11 14
• Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800
• Beyondblue.com

Adapted from Beyondblue

CHAPLAIN

News from the Chaplain

Food for Thought

Friends, the people you spend most of your time with, will have quite a marked effect on the way you live and act as you will find yourself adopting a lot of their habits and hobbies.

Peer pressure is often referred to as being a bad thing, but that’s not always the case.

If you choose peers whose ways are good, then they will probably influence you to behave in the right way. On the other hand if you choose friends who are constantly getting themselves in some sort of strife, then it won’t be long before you find yourself being led into doing things you don’t really want to do.

Remember, it’s your choice. Think of the characteristics that you like most in people and then look for friends who display those characteristics.

A message from Chappy Bernie

Making friends is an important skill. For some kids it comes naturally. Others will need help to pave their road to lifelong friendships.

Hearing your child say they had a bad day at school or preschool because they don’t have any friends, tugs at our heartstrings. We hope it’s just a bad day. We hope they do have friends. Just one would do.

“Humans are social animals,” says educational psychologist Dr John Irvine, author of several books including Thriving at School. “We need to belong to a group and be accepted by others. Friends offer life membership and a future that is socially comfortable.

“If your child says they don’t have any friends, he says the best strategy is to calmly ask about the children you know they’ve played with in the past: ‘So, what about Amy; was she your friend today? And what about Jacqueline?’

“You’ll gradually shift their thinking from worrying about one or two who don’t like them, to the many who do want to be their friend,” Dr Irvine adds.

When Children Make Friends

From the age of two, children start searching for social contact and belonging. Between the ages of four and eight, they find it incredibly easy to make friends, basically because they’re not too choosy about them. “You as the parent are still the most importance reference group in their life,” says Dr Irvine.

From the age of seven or eight, your child’s friends become more important. So by helping them learn how to make friends early on, you’ll set them up for life. “Children make friends by having something to offer that attracts other kids,” Dr Irvine says.

“It could be that they smile easily or that they’re friendly and chatty, it could be that they have some physical feature that attracts others (e.g. hair, height, skin, friendly face) or some skill or ability that other kids appreciate (e.g. good at sport, reading, drama, music, building, computers).”

How Kids Keep Friends

While attraction and attractiveness can win friends, it doesn’t keep friends, cautions Dr Irvine. “After the attraction or superficial details are no longer a novelty, what keeps friends is that you offer something deeper than that – an interest in the other person, thoughtfulness, humour, fun, an imaginative mind, similar interests, a similar outlook on life, loyalty, and a reliable and consistent personality (not moody or unreliable).”

Does this mean that a shy child won’t make friends? “Often the shy or retiring kids don’t make as many friends,” admits Dr Irvine. “But if it’s your child, the earlier you notice this, and start to do something about it, the better off they will be in friendships later in their childhood.”

What You Can Do to Help

Here are some ways he suggests you can help your children make friends:

• Show, in your own life, how to be friendly and how to nurture friendships.
• Have interests that expose your children to families with similar interests.
• Give children experiences, attitudes, values and behaviours that make them attractive to other children and to other parents/carers (so they are invited over for a play).
• Give your children enough social exposure through interests, sport, clubs, etc., so that kids meet lots of other children and have plenty of kids to choose between ... so they can sort out the wheat from the chaff so to speak.

Dodgy friends

What do you do if your child chooses to make friends with the most dysfunctional kid in the class? Dr John Irvine says that “delinquents have at least two things in common – poor peer models and too much unsupervised time on their hands”. But if your child’s friends aren’t your choice, it’s better not to go on about them and “don’t denigrate them as that tends to drive kids to rebel and keep that friend”.

Instead, invite the dubious friend around to your house: “Being under home rules and values often sorts out the friendships,” Dr Irvine adds. “Alternately, the ‘bad’ friend, who might not have good role models at home, can often smarten up their own act because they like being with you.”

Get in quick and we promise you the time of your life!

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

SCHOOL NURSE

News from the School Nurse

Do you wonder what the School Nurse actually does - here is a great representation of the service, across the CHQ district.

Our school nurse has a Master’s Degree in Mental Health. The school nurses are a very diverse group of highly skilled nurses with one thing in common - the health and well being of young people.

For more information, please contact the school nurse through the main office.

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

SPORTS DIRECTOR

Sports Report

Met Finals

Congratulations to all the teams that competed in the summer gala day. The teams that won the District Premiership are now competing in Met Finals. Centenary SHS had a record breaking 7 teams compete in the Met Finals.

Boys Year 8/9 Basketball played in the second round of Met Finals against Runcorn SHS and won 35 – 23. Both the Year 7 and 8/9 Basketball teams played at Cornubia Sports Centre on Wednesday 17 May in the Semi-Finals/Grand Finals. The Year 7s had an excellent ten point win over Marsden in the Semi-Finals to then earn a spot in the Grand Final. The boys fought hard but just couldn’t quite close the gap against Citipointe CC. Special mention to Jackson and Zac who were very strong at both ends of the floor and kept the team in the game. The Year 8/9 team had a close game in the semis versus Chisholme College and were within six points for the duration of the game. Unfortunately they went down after a tough struggle. All the players stood up tall to a very strong opponent and every player contributed. All Junior Basketballers can be proud of their efforts! Thanks to all parents/carers who assisted with transport, it is much appreciated.

The Year 10 Boys Cricket Team played an outstanding game against St. Augustine’s College. The game was very close! We batted first and were bowled out for 101 after 23 overs. While the team was defeated, we showed outstanding sportsmanship and fought until the last ball was bowled.

Year 10 Boys Volleyball and the Open Boys Touch Football teams played their Met Final games against Runcorn SHS and unfortunately both teams were defeated. The Open Boys Touch Football team never gave up and the battle between the two teams was inspiring. The final score was 7 – 6 and this has given us an excellent preparation going into QLD AllSchools Touch Football Competition later in the year.

The Year 7 Girls Softball team are due to play in the Met Finals Grand Final on Monday 22 May and Year 7 Boys Volleyball are due to play in their Semi Final and if successful followed immediately by the Grand Final on Wednesday 24 May.

Our Year 10 Girls Basketball are also premiers but their met finals are not until Term 3.

STEP Sign On

In Week 5 we changed over to Trimester 2 for STEP. This means that all students should have signed on and trialled for the sport that they wish to play. Teams have now be finalised and training has begun for our Winter Gala Days.

Junior Gala Day 1 is in Week 10 of this term. Open Gala day is in Week 2 of next term.

Sports Awards

Sports awards takes place in Term 4 where students are recognised for their sporting achievements. Students are allocated points accordingly for the teams that they represent throughout the year. I have put an updated list on the sports noticeboard that includes all sporting events that have occurred already in 2017. Students need to ensure that they check this list to make sure that they have received all of the points that they have earned this year. Students are to see Mrs Nasalio if any sports are missing.

District Cross Country

Congratulations to all students who represented the school at the District Cross Country Carnival. All of our competitors put in their greatest efforts and were exceptional representatives of our school. Centenary SHS finished in 3rd place on the day.

Congratulations to the following students who have made the West Brisbane District Team to compete at the Regional Trials.

Ashley Barnett
Samuel Berkeley
Olivia Boyd
Lauren Hooper
Alyssa Kearney
Michael Melvin
Cole Pirrit
Nyajimma Rambang
Mia Fowler
Isabel Nguyen
Matt Westwood

Athletics

Athletics season is here! Two exciting major carnivals will be held this term in Week 8 (Field Day) and Week 10 (Track Day) - on the last day of term!

Please note that sign-ons for all Field events and the 1500m will take place outside the Sports Centre in Week 6 on the following times/days:

Monday AM break - 15, 16, 17+ Boys and Girls
Tuesday AM break - 12, 13, 14 Boys and Girls
Wednesday AM break - 15, 16, 17+ Boys and Girls
Thursday AM break - 12, 13, 14 Boys and Girls

Track and Field

Track and Field has been the most successful sport at Centenary SHS over the last few years. We have dominated the district across all major categories, and in 2016 we took home every trophy on offer (Champion School, Boys, Girls, and Percentage). Our success has been based upon an increased focus in the curriculum, as well as providing a quality training program for students taken by our great staff as well as a range of external coaches. This, combined with the efforts of our students giving their all, led to this success.

No doubt other schools in the district will be aiming to take our crown and thus we need to maintain the focus. Apart from the school success, Centenary SHS is keen to see as many students as possible be selected for representative honours and compete at the Met West Championships against the best athletes in the Region (58 in 2016).

The final team for Districts are not purely based on performance at our carnival, other factors such as training attendance and performance are also taken into consideration to get the best possible team to represent the school.

Training has already started and at this stage, the following sessions are offered:

For the sessions, staff will conduct training across the key areas and work on both conditioning and technique. ALL STUDENTS ARE WELCOME! Amendments to the program may be made where applicable and these will be communicated in notices.

Our current guest coaches include:

Hannah Joye (Jumps)

Hannah was a 2014 Australian High Jump Representative at the Glasgow Commonweath Games (6th), PB - 1.92m. Hannah will be working across all the jumps with students. Currently she is studying Science at Griffith University and attempting to qualify for the World Championships in London later in the year.

Alexandra Roberts (Throws)

Alexandra is the Australian Junior Javelin Champion having recently thrown over 53 metres. She has just been selected in the Australian Commonwealth Games Youth team to compete in the Bahamas in July.

Grayson Jenkins (Middle Distance)

A current UQ student, Grayson has represented at State level in three sports (Cross Country, Athletics, and Triathlon). His personal best for 800m is 1m52s, and 1500m is 4minutes.

No doubt our great staff, as well as the extra input from guest coaches, will assist our students to reach their potential and we look forward to seeing full training sessions with students all striving to do their best!

Richard Haines
Track and Field
Team Manager

Tamara Nasalio, Sports Director
Email: tnasa1@eq.edu.au

STUDENT LEADERSHIP COORDINATOR

News from the Student Leadership Coordinator

Wow, Week 5 already! The Student Leadership Forum is working hard at the moment to make Centenary’s Got Talent the biggest spectacle of the year, and it has been a really rewarding experience so far. The acts are phenomenal, the crowds are getting bigger every week, and the teachers who have given up their precious lunchtimes to judge our performers have been so supportive. As well as this, we are starting to brainstorm projects and activities to increase the overall spirit of the school community and I am so excited about what’s to come this year at Centenary State High School.

Claire Tuton, Student Leadership Coordinator
Email: ctut03@eq.edu.au

CULTURAL DIRECTOR

Cultural News

The start of term has been very hectic for the Arts department, with plenty of big events coming up in the next few weeks.

Junior Instrumental Music Camp

In Week 3 the Concert Band and String Ensemble went to beautiful Mapleton for three days for our annual music camp. The students worked incredible hard making the ensembles sound amazing in the process. We also had some fun with our trivia night and 80’s dance party. Thank you to all of the teachers who put in their own time to make the camp a success: Mrs Harvey, Mr Hoey, Mrs Manche, Mrs Dedini and Mr Lougheed.

Legally Blonde

Rehearsals for the school musical will be starting in earnest next week as we roll over into the new trimester of STEP. Performances for the show will be on 25 and 26 August, so put a reminder in your calendars now!!!

Choir

The school choir have a number of events this month. There was the overnight choir camp to Brookfield on May 18/19 in preparation for Creative Generation Voices. Our performance day for CGV was on Monday 22 May at Springfield Lakes State School. The choir has also been registered for an event on 29 July called “You’re the Voice”. This event is part of the Queensland Music Festival to encourage Australians to unite their voices and turn the tide on domestic violence. The project will bring together thousands of singers from community, school and professional choirs as well as individuals from across the country to join forces in a monumental musical event which will culminate in a moving mass rendition of John Farnham’s powerful anthem. The “You’re The Voice” finale concert will commence at 5pm when more than 2,000 choralists, led by Choral Director Dr Jonathon Welch, will sing for change with QMF Artistic Director Katie Noonan and other star talent in the South Bank Piazza.

Gala Concert

The Gala Concert is almost here!!!

This wonderful event is being held at Ipswich Civic Centre on Sunday 28 May at 2pm. Tickets are on sale now from the school office with adults $15 and primary aged children $10. We look forward to seeing you all at this wonderful event.

Central Queensland University Schools’ Jazz Festival

In late July, the Stage Band will be travelling to Rockhampton to participate in the CQ University Jazz Festival. This wonderful opportunity gives our students the chance to work with professional jazz musicians in a clinic and have their performances critiqued. We will also be doing a lot of fund raising to help fund this event, so be on the lookout for chocolates!

I look forward to seeing many of you at the various events throughout this term.

Date Claimer

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

SENIOR SCHOOLING

Senior Schooling News

Year 10
Date Claimers

On Tuesday 20 June the school is hosting a “Future Options Evening” for all Year 10 students and their parents/carers. Career and subject advice will be provided by speakers from Brisbane TAFE, Skillstech TAFE, UQ and USQ. Ms Juanita Oberle will provide an overview of the QTAC process. This will be an important and key event in the lead-up to SET Planning in August.

Work Experience

Please read carefully the work experience information sheets sent home in Week 3. Students need to return “Form A”, providing details of their placement before Friday 16 June. Please note that if you are wishing to be placed at either a local school, or at the Mt Ommaney Shopping Centre, you will need to select “Option B”. Paperwork has been sent home in hard copy and email. Please return all paperwork to HE01.

Subject Talks and Subject Handbook

Year 10 students have been encouraged to think about their subject selections for Years 11 and 12. Week 5 kicked off the Subject talks delivered by Heads of Department. Senior Schooling HOD Ms Angela Raven and Applied Technology HOD Mr Michael Tobin delivered their subject information. We strongly encourage you to start discussing these options with your child.

Students have also received a summarised ‘student’ version of the Senior Schooling Handbook. Please note that this handbook is an accurate description of the subject details we anticipate will be delivered. Course costs, etc., have not been finalised and will be subject to change.

Year 12
QCS Master Classes

OP-eligible students have the opportunity to participate in QCS Master Classes. These classes start at 3:30pm and conclude by 5:30pm, with afternoon tea provided. The sessions are delivered by educators from Mighty Minds as well as school staff. The Master Classes are based around advanced concepts in Numeracy, Literacy and Visual Literacy. We strongly encourage all students sitting the test to attend. Students must read notices to find out when the next one is scheduled.

Students will be provided shortly with information regarding lunch-time workshops that we will be hosting in HE01.

Please ensure you are checking the Career Calendar on the school website for upcoming events and Open Days.

School based Traineeships/Apprenticeships

Please continue to check for opportunities across a variety of industries such as Business Administration, Trade Retail (Reece Plumbing) and Hospitality. These positions are advertised on school notices and on the windows in HE01.

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

STEP

Philosophy Club and 2017 Philosothon

Philosophy Club

Are facts better than opinions? Is any knowledge certain knowledge? Are all opinions just personal preferences? Can facts alone allow us to decide what we should do? What is a fact? Can there be knowledge apart from factual knowledge?

In Philosophy club, we get to discuss topics like this and many others. There are lots of fun discussions which encourage you to think outside of the box. Some highlights of this STEP group include thought experiments, listening to other ideas and socialising with people who have similar interests to yourself. Philosophy club is amazing!

Emma Dimech, Year 8

A lively discussion at Philosophy Club

2017 Philosothon

On Saturday 6 May, eight young philosophers dared to question the meaning of life, the universe and everything at the inter-school competition, the Philosothon. Hosted by the University of Queensland, students discussed big topics, such as the nature of human rights, whether privacy is as important as security, and who controls changes in identity.

It was Centenary SHS's first representation at the Philosothon and both our junior and senior teams performed remarkably well. In fact, they exceeded all expectations. Our junior team won second place to Hillbrook Anglican School and our senior team of Year 10 students argued with insight against predominantly Year 12 competitors.

Congratulations to our representatives and to our Philosophy Club for helping the teams to prepare for the big day.

(L to R) Calum (Year 10), David (Year 10), Thomas (Year 9), Leighton (Year 10), Joe (Year 10), Isabelle (Year 9), Amy (Year 9), and Bethany (Year 9).

Claire Law , Philosophy Club Teacher
Email: ccxlaw0@eq.edu.au

BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY

Business Excursion Reports

Business students going GLOBAL

On Friday 28 April, Year 11 Business Management students attended an excursion to IKEA Logan to investigate how a global business operates. Students discovered the success story behind this global business through a presentation by a representative of IKEA, who provided students with operational and financial management information.

Student perspective on the excursion

You tell someone that you have an excursion to IKEA and their first response is either “Can you get me this, this and this, please?” or just simply, “Why are you going?” My answer to the first question was no, for the most part. But if I had to explain to someone why we were going, the best I could come up with was “It’s a business?” Well, that was before we went.

However, after going on the excursion, I realise that walking around the store with a booklet to fill out makes you think from an entirely different perspective. Focusing on global corporations (Operations and Financial Management in particular) and taking note of all the little efforts IKEA makes to ensure customers buy something (or even buy more) and support the business is eye-opening. But it is not just recognising things like this but then also thinking about what sort of an effect IKEA’s light ecological footprint has on its customers and low prices. It really was a great day, and the good food didn’t hurt either!

Josh Hansberry
Year 11 Business Management student

The students are continuing their investigations of global corporate management by completing a research assignment on this topic.

Year 12 Business

On Thursday 27 April, Year 12 Business Management students investigated event management by attending an excursion to two of Brisbane’s most iconic locations: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre and Southbank.

Student perspective

Our class were lucky enough to explore the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC) for our topic this semester. This allowed us the opportunity to go on a virtual tour of the enormous 171,000 square metre centre. Our Business class was encouraged to ask many questions when touring the numerous theatres, banquet rooms, ballrooms, and all the exhibition halls the centre has to offer. The day was then wrapped up by exploring all that Southbank has to offer. Thankyou teachers for this awesome opportunity.

Lenny McCulloch and Maddy Bancroft
Year 12 Business Management students

The students are continuing their investigations of event management by completing a research assignment on this topic.

Berenice Furlong
Senior Business Management Teacher

Janelle Kerridge, Business Technology HOD
Email: jkerr172@eq.edu.au

ENGLISH

News from English

I am very excited by the level of interest in debating this year. Our numbers are such that I have been able to register two Year 7 teams in the Queensland Debating Union Junior Competition. The teams will participate in four preliminary rounds during Semester 2. Should they win three out of four of their debates, they will move into the knock-out final round. I am also very excited by the enthusiasm and dedication of Ms George who has volunteered to be the debating coach and will commence training the students on Wednesday afternoons as part of the STEP program.

Our Year 11 English students are busily preparing for the QCAA English External Exam trial, which will occur on Tuesday 30 May during the morning. This is a formal exam and will be marked by external markers, which will give our students wonderful experience in preparation for Year 12 and the QCS test.

On Friday May 19 our Year 10 and 12 English students enjoyed performances by the Shake & Stir theatre company. The Year 10s enjoyed their interpretation of Romeo & Juliet, while the Seniors saw Smile and Be a Villain, a juxtaposition of Macbeth and Hamlet. Smile and Be a Villain included key scenes from these two great plays which will be very valuable for the students in their exam at the end of term. It is a valuable experience for young people to see Shakespeare in performance, as it shows the plays in an entirely different context than simply reading them in class.

Students, as you move through your studies this year, please remember that you should be identifying your learning goals and always be thinking of ways to help yourselves to improve. There are some good websites which can help you to work on your problem areas in English. BBC Skillswise is fun and interactive, and pitches literacy activities at a range of age levels. Take a look!

Do you know this grammar rule?

Amount and Number: how to use them correctly

The term amount of is used for things you cannot measure, i.e., non-countable nouns. Amount of usually precedes a singular word.

• She has a large amount of confidence.
• I did a great amount of homework last night.
• Did you see the amount of people at the football match? X

The term number of precedes a plural, countable noun. It can be applied to both animate and inanimate objects.

• The disease affected a large number of dogs in the town.
• I have a small number of coins in my wallet.

(Dogs and coins are plural and they can be counted.)

So: if you can count it, use Number

If it is a quantity, use Amount

I used a large amount of flour and made an enormous number of cakes.

Angela Maguire, English HOD
Email: amagu7@eq.edu.au

HUMANITIES/LOTE

Humanities Report

New ways to teach the Industrial Revolution, Frontier Conflict and WWI

The Humanities department is determined to make our history courses full of debate and discussion and we are constantly on the lookout for opportunities to enliven our units. This year we decided to rewrite our Year 9 units on Industrialisation and World War I. Education Queensland provides very useful suggestions in their C2C (curriculum to classroom) units but we take pride in developing our own material by drawing on best history teaching practice in Australia and overseas.

Changing the Industrial Revolution assessment from a research essay to a piece of historical fiction, we believed, was an effective way to encourage students to inhabit that historical setting, to “walk in the shoes” of 18th century British factory owners, weavers, child labourers, factory workers and doctors. The memoirs students produced were fantastic. They wrote vividly and created situations that accurately reflected their research.

We separated the industrialisation in Australia unit from the British unit and focused on conflict on the Australian frontier. Over the last 30 years Australian historians have debated passionately the extent of the violence between Indigenous people and European settlers. We presented students with the debates, evidence from the frontier – diaries, newspaper articles, sketches – and encouraged them to work out which account is the most reliable. The great majority of students wrote logically structured, historical essays under exam conditions.

Rewriting these units has been a significant task but we think the results have justified the effort.

Currently, the Year 9s are studying our new World War I unit. The previous unit spent considerable time exploring how the meaning of the ANZAC legend has changed over time and which social forces have been served by different interpretations of the legend. This has certainly placed students in the middle of interesting and often politically charged debates about how we remember military history.

However, on reflection, we thought that our students didn't know enough about Australia’s involvement in the war and, in particular, why Australia was committed to sending troops to battlegrounds on the other side of the earth. The popular explanation refers to Australian loyalty to Britain. The evidence suggests the story is more complicated than that. Complicated doesn't have to mean baffling. Students will systematically evaluate the evidence and arrive at their own understanding of how young men from Brisbane, Bundaberg and Toowoomba ended up on the cliffs of Gallipoli.

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

THE ARTS

Report from The Arts

Term 2 is certainly a busy time in The Arts faculty! We are looking forward to showcasing the work of our students and staff at the upcoming Open Day. If you’d like to come and see the facilities and examples of student work, you’re most welcome to join us from 2pm on Saturday 3 June. We will have staff and students in CPAC, in the Art block and in the Film & Television block. On the same day, the Arts P&C sub-committee are turning the sausages at Bunnings, Oxley. If you need to go to Bunnings (let’s face it, who doesn’t need to go!), save your trip for this day, as all the funds raised on this day will go toward The Arts students here at Centenary SHS. If you are available to volunteer some time to help on the day, it would certainly be appreciated. There is a roster and information available:

We would like to acknowledge our school partnerships with RAW Dance Company and the Queensland Theatre Company, as our students have had a number of opportunities to work with professional mentors throughout the start of this term. To have an artist in residence come in and work with the classes provides the students with an outstanding platform from which they will be able to complete their assessment. We are looking forward to the final performances!

A few date claimers:

The instrumental music gala will be held on Sunday 28 May at the Ipswich Civic Centre – tickets are on sale now at the main office.

In just a few weeks’ time (17 June), the showcase of our two signature programs, Music Plus and Performance Plus for Year 7 students will be on here at CPAC. Tickets go on sale at the main office soon!

The Arts students are now using some of the most current technology available to them with the purchase of some Macbook Pros and recording equipment. Students in Music classes have been learning how to use the new equipment and are enjoying the opportunity to create and record live music.

Angela Sleeman, The Arts HOD
Email: aslee4@eq.edu.au

YEAR LEVEL COORDINATORS

Year 12 Report

This term is moving so quickly for all of us; I feel as though we have just come back from holidays, although they also feel like an eon ago, and half the term has already gone. Due to the fast pace of Year 12, I urge you to encourage your child to keep getting regular feedback from their teachers about their performance in their subjects, especially with the Year 12 exam block coming up later this term.

In HG this term, the major South East Queensland Universities, TAFE, Apprenticeship QLD, QPS (Queensland Police Services and ADF (Australian Defence Forces) gave presentations to our Year 12s about applying for university and TAFE, the courses they offer and a little bit about campus life. Hopefully something has ignited some interest for them and they are starting to bring home information packages. There are many campus open days coming up soon and we encourage you and your child to visit a range of campuses to get a feel for them and what they provide. Our Year 12s have been and are fully immersed in a comprehensive QCS program on Wednesday afternoons, or in Transition groups, preparing resumes, writing application letters and having a variety of guest speakers. There will be a QTAC information evening on the last Thursday, 22 June, of this term that all students are expected to attend – you’ll be provided with more specific information about that when it comes to hand.

Our Red Cross Ambassadors attended a training session and now have all documents ready to go to carry on one of the Year 12s’ legacy projects – students donating blood in a blood drive with the Red Cross. We are hoping that students who can and are willing to donate in Years 10, 11 and 12, along with teachers, support this worthy project as it continues in future years. Billy the Red Cross Mascot will be attending the Year 11 Semi-Formal, an Assembly and Athletics Day to help promote and make students aware of our needs to give blood regularly, if possible and able to.

As we all head toward the end of the second term, and of course exam time, it’s a great time for students, parents/carers and teachers alike to reflect on achievements and continue striving to be successful. While it’s easy to judge successes at school, based on results on report cards, don’t forget to recognise small changes and successes in study habits, in managing time better, and completing industry hours in Certificate courses or working in part-time jobs.

Diana Huber, Year 12 Coordinator
Email: dhube1@eq.edu.au

Year 10 Report – “Gen10 of Centen”

I would like to extend a warm welcome to our new students and families in Year 10 who have started this term.

Senior Schooling

Currently the Year 10s are focusing on career development in the Home Group program. Students have received the 2018 Senior Schooling handbook which outlines key information to assist students in their senior phase of learning (Years 11 and 12). This handbook provides essential senior schooling information including the educational pathways offered at our school. The students will need to bring this handbook each Monday this term. They will receive weekly subject information talks from Heads of Department on each curriculum area.

USI number

I am very pleased that the majority of Year 10s have successfully applied for a Unique Student Identification (USI) number. Could you please assist your child to obtain their USI, refer to page 140 of the school diary or visit the link below. Students need to provide their USI to the school (notify HG teacher or email me).

Work placement

The work placement week in Term 3, 11-15 September, provides students with many positive experiences that are aimed to assist with their future pathway. They have the opportunity to ‘sample’ a particular career pathway for a week. Students have received information regarding work placement and are required to return FORM A to Ms Raven or myself by Friday 15 June.

Camp

The Year 10 camp will be three exciting days from July 26–28 at Maranatha Outdoor Education Centre in the Sunshine Coast hinterlands. The purpose of the camp will be to engage students in their purpose at school so that they can both achieve well and prepare to map their future pathways. The camp is an excellent opportunity to foster confidence, resilience and excitement about your child’s future. It is an important event on the school calendar, and I hope that all Year 10 students can attend. Further information will be sent to families soon.

Year 10 Student Ambassadors

Miranda Callum has been representing our school at the Lord Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council (LMYAC). It is a forum where students from different schools all over Brisbane, meet with the Lord Mayor, to discuss issues and initiatives that are of concern for the younger generation.

Update from Miranda Callum

I have had the honour of being on this council, with over 100 other students from schools all over Brisbane. As a part of this program we partake in many community based programs, to strengthen the ties between youth and the community. Brisbane Youth Week was one of these events, where young people from all over Brisbane came together to connect for a spectacular week of workshops and performances throughout Brisbane city and surrounding areas. There will be other events throughout the year for the community to get involved in, all in the name of building a better Brisbane for our future.

Miranda Callum

RYPEN

Mollie Taylor and Samantha McKay represented our school at the Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment (RYPEN) recently. RYPEN provides teenagers with an opportunity to develop "life skills" and motivation to help them cope with the challenges of a very competitive future through a weekend camp for young people.

Feedback from Mollie

On April 21-23, Samantha and I went on the RYPEN camp. We were very appreciative to be sponsored by our local Rotary Clubs. Samantha was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Jindalee and I was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Centenary Brisbane. We had a fantastic weekend, where our leadership skills, including communication and trust, got tested through a variety of fun activities. I would like to thank the Rotary clubs and RYPEN for offering this camp and hope other students will take this opportunity in the future.

Mollie Taylor

If you would like to discuss any aspect of your son or daughter’s developments at school please don’t hesitate to contact me on 3373 4593 or email bfurl1@eq.edu.au.

Berenice Furlong, Year 10 Coordinator
Email: bfurl1@eq.edu.au

Year 8 Report

Halfway through Term 2 already! As the term slips away, our Year 8 students have been planning and preparing with great enthusiasm for our annual Team Building Day that took place on Monday 22 May (Week 6) at Jindalee Jags AFL oval.

This year, students have been given the task to create their own team themes within their HG classes. During their extended HG lesson on Monday this week, they worked on creating team names, posters, decorations and war cries that they used to represent their HG class on the day. We were all very excited to see what they came up with.

Team Building experts, Character Builders, were employed to facilitate a Team Building Olympics on the day which had our Year 8 students using their best teamwork skills to overcome a series of physical and intellectual challenges. At the end of the day, one HG class was crowned the Year 8 Team Building Champions.

Excitement for the event built amongst both students and teachers. We were so excited to see the cohort in action!

Matt Redman, Year 8 Coordinator
Email: Mredm23@eq.edu.au

NEWS FROM THE P&C

News from our P&C

On 24 April, I was privileged to attend the school ANZAC Assembly. It was great to see the respectful commemoration of those who lost their lives in the many conflicts in which Australia has participated and to hear some of the personal stories from the families of students and teachers. The assembly was supported by the school band who, as always, did an excellent job.

Air-conditioning of classrooms has been a hot-topic (pun intended) among parents/carers this year and I am pleased to advise that your P&C has taken this on as the major project for this year. We are aware of the research which has shown that academic outcomes are significantly improved when children in hot climates are able to work in air-conditioned rooms.

The P&C cannot make this project a success without the financial support of all parents/carers. Remember, the State Government does not provide funding for air-conditioning other than for Northern Queensland.

We’ll soon be communicating our funding strategy to the school community – watch this space.

As always, we would welcome your attendance at our monthly meetings held in the Resource Centre on the third Wednesday of each month at 7pm. You can view our meeting dates on the school’s website calendar and on the P&C page of the school website.

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