17th August 2017 Volume 19 Number 8

News from the Principal

From the Principal

The school has enjoyed a busy first 5 weeks of the Semester with plenty of student activity and achievement across a range of curricular and co-curricular pursuits. It is rewarding to witness so many students pursuing opportunities across the school and in the process connecting to the school community and developing their capabilities.

Upcoming events such as the school’s production of Legally Blonde and the Science Extravaganza will provide further opportunities for students.

An absolute stand out achievement in recent weeks was the school winning the Kokoda Challenge out of a field of 160 schools. The challenge consisted of trekking 52km in challenging conditions in the Gold Coast hinterland. Congratulations to all students and staff who participated and in particular the winning team of:

Julie Callaghan – Year 9
Matthew Osborne – Year 9
Ross Shepherd – Year 9
Felicity Cradick – Year 10
and their leader Dr Deb McIntyre.

Thanks to all parents/carers who attended the Parent Teacher Interviews in Week 2. These nights are powerful forums in facilitating strong parent/carer school partnerships in respect to student wellbeing and academic progress. I trust you found the dialogue useful and you feel confident in working with the school to maximise the achievement of your child. Please follow up with staff, through telephone or email, if you have further questions or concerns.

On a similar note I extend my thanks to all the Year 10 Families who attended the recent Senior Enrolment Parent/Carer Information night. Good subject selection in the Senior Phase is a key factor in maximising student achievement. Senior Phase pathways can be complex and are certainly dynamic. It is essential that all stakeholders have an understanding of pathway opportunities and requirements. The 2018 Year 11 Cohort will be the last group of students to complete their schooling under the current Overall Position system.

There will be a number of information sessions over the rest of the term focussed on Year level transitions.

NAPLAN

The NAPLAN testing program is one measure of school performance. It is particularly useful in gauging the specific areas of strength and weakness in individual students. Highlights include a school record of 44.3% of students in Year 7 achieving in the Upper 2 Bands of Numeracy as well as generally strong performance against National Means in both Years 7 and 9. Writing remains our weakest performance area in both Year Levels.

The school will interrogate this data further to:

• Identify students for further support.
• Identify the high quality teaching practices that are contributing to these outstanding results.
• Review discretionary funding to best support improvement.

District Athletics

Congratulations to our Track and Field team who won the Brisbane West District for the 3rd consecutive year. Centenary SHS won the Boys and Percentage Trophies as well as being crowned Champion School.

Congratulations to all staff and students involved. Your persistence, diligence and enthusiasm has been rewarded.

Air Conditioning of Class Rooms

The school’s facility plan for this year includes installing more air conditioning across the school. We are most appreciative of the support provided by the P&C in this endeavour. Please consider contributing to the P&C’s Air Conditioning funds as a means of providing very pragmatic support of your child’s learning.

Students and Cars

As the year progresses we are witnessing an increasing number of senior students driving to school. Whilst we appreciate the convenience of car travel for many families there is an overwhelming need for drivers to accept the responsibilities and school requirements of student driving.

• All student drivers need to register their car at the office.
• Other students are not to travel with student drivers unless parent/carer permission is received in writing at the office.
• Students are to park in the lower car park and not in the streets adjoining the school.
• Road rules are to be followed at all times.

Please discuss these responsibilities with your children.

In respect to driving behaviour I stress again that the Moolanda St round about is not a drop off zone. The local police have spoken to me regarding community complaints in this respect.

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

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Newsletter Articles

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

News from the Deputy Principals

Year 10 SET Plan Process and Subject Selections

All Year 10 students have now completed their initial subject survey which will determine how the subjects are aligned for next year. We are now in the process of developing these subject lines for Year 11. This process will be finalised by the end of Week 6 and Year 10 students will then be able to access their secure OneSchool site to complete their final subject selections. Subject selections will be open until Friday 25th August to allow final adjustments to be made at the SET Plan meetings scheduled for Thursday 24th August. All Year 10 students and parents/carers will receive information about the SET Planning day and instructions on how to book their interview appointment through the PTO booking system on our school website. Please assist your son or daughter over the next couple of weeks with this process of selecting a pathway and subjects for their senior schooling. If you have any questions, please contact the school to discuss further.

Presentation Evening – Thursday 26th October 2017

An early reminder that our Presentation Evening is scheduled for Thursday 26th October at 7pm in the Sport Centre. This is our major awards night at which we acknowledge the achievements of students across a wide range of areas at Centenary SHS. Invitations to parents/carers of award winners will be sent closer to the event. There are a number of award categories that also allow students to self-nominate. These will be advertised to students at school and we would encourage all students to nominate for any of these applicable awards.

A reminder that QParents is now available to all parents/carers

QParents was launched last year for the Year 9 students and is now available for all parents/carers of every year level to access. Invitations have previously been sent to all parents/carers with information on how to register. Please follow the guidelines and contact the school if you have any difficulties.

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. It 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 at the link below. This link contains an extensive question and answer section with plenty of detailed information.

School Opinion Survey

The annual suite of School Opinion Surveys opened for responses from 31 July and will remain open until 25 August 2017. All families, school staff and a random sample of students have been invited to participate. We encourage you to take this opportunity to have your say about what this school does well, and how this school can improve.

If you haven’t received any survey access details or require assistance, please contact the school on 3373 4555 or email Mrs Kelsey Oakes on koake10@eq.edu.au.

We would like to thank those families who have already taken the time to contribute to the survey. Your feedback is appreciated and will help inform the improvement agenda of our school for 2018 and beyond.

Matt McDonald, Deputy Principal (Year 12)
Email: mmcdo156@eq.edu.au

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

Angela McKay, A/Deputy Principal (Years 7, 8 & International & Exchange)
Email: amcka18@eq.edu.au

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

BUSINESS MANAGER

News from the Business 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 31 October. 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 28 January of the following year. Invoices will have a finalisation date of 31 July 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 31 July 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.

How to make a payment

Payments can be made over the counter by cash or EFTPOS (Debit Card, MasterCard or Visa) or by BPOINT or QParents. BPOINT and QParents options allow parents/carers the convenience of making payments from home and alleviates the need to pay over the counter transactions in person. For more information about QParents, please refer to the school’s website.

BPOINT Option

BPOINT is an online payment system and is the preferred payment method for the Department.

This option is accessed through an internet weblink which appears on all invoices and statements. This link can also be located in the Quicklinks section of our school’s website homepage. You will need the Customer Reference Number (CRN) which is printed on the bottom of your invoice/statement before payment can be processed.

When accessing the BPOINT weblink on individual invoices all relevant information will prepopulate. Parents/Carers will only be required to enter their credit or debit card details.

INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE (IVR) BPOINT is also available by dialling the 1300 number provided on individual invoices. This option will only accept credit cards.

ELECTRONIC DIRECT DEBIT REGISTRATION (eDDR) BPOINT is the approved payment plan option. To set up a payment plan parents/carers will be required to firstly contact the school office.

For more information on BPOINT please refer to the school’s website.

PHONE OR COUNTER payments - Options

Payments can be made at the school office, Monday to Friday between 8.00am and 4.00pm. Payment options include credit and debit cards (EFTPOS), cheque and cash. Money orders are also accepted.

For payments over the phone, call the school on 3373 4555, Monday to Friday between 8.00am and 4.00pm and we will transfer you to the IVR BPOINT 1300 dedicated phone number. Only VISA or MasterCard can be used for this process. From 2018 schools are no longer able to accept credit card payments over the phone.

Enrolment Procedure

Centenary State High School has an approved enrolment management plan. This plan clearly outlines the Centenary suburbs as the catchment area. This includes the suburbs of Jindalee, Mt Ommaney, Middle Park, Westlake, Riverhills, Sumner, Sinnamon Park and sections of Darra and Seventeen Mile Rocks. Students who reside within these suburbs have automatic enrolment eligibility. A map with the precise boundary of the catchment area can be accessed from the enrolment section of the school’s website.

Prospective students who reside outside of the catchment may submit an Application for Enrolment Consideration Out of Catchment (available on the school’s website) to the Principal. Proof of residence will be required upon enrolment for all Applications for Enrolment Consideration Out of Catchment.

Exceptions to the local residency requirement include:

• Enrolment in Centenary State High School’s Diverse Learning Department which caters for students with Vision Impairment or Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Placements are coordinated by Education Queensland.
• Other special circumstances which are outlined in the Centenary State High School Enrolment Management Plan, available on the school’s website.

Requests for enrolment should be directed to the school’s Administration front office. Parents/Carers are requested to bring appropriate documentation to any interview such as recent School Reports, proof of residence and passport and visa details for overseas students.

If your student is ceasing enrolment at Centenary State High School, parents/carers are required to notify the school in writing and to complete a Departure Form. Please ensure all school resources are returned to the school and all finances completed.

YEAR 7

Year 7 students from local primary schools (Jindalee, Jamboree Heights, Middle Park, Darra, Good News Lutheran and Darra-Jindalee Catholic) are guaranteed enrolment into Centenary State High School if they live in the catchment area and they have the correct documentation (enrolment application, birth certificate or passport, proof of residential address and two current school reports/NAPLAN results). Those students attending Good News Lutheran and Darra-Jindalee Catholic who live in the catchment area will also need to attend an interview.

Students who attend one of the above schools, but do not live in the catchment area, will need to complete an Application for Enrolment Consideration Out of Catchment. They will need to provide the correct documentation (enrolment application, birth certificate or passport, proof of residential address and two current school reports/NAPLAN results). Interviews will be required and the Principal has the final decision.

Students who do not attend one of the above schools, and do not live in the catchment area, will need to complete an Application for Enrolment Consideration Out of Catchment. They will need to provide the correct documentation (enrolment application, birth certificate or passport, proof of residential address and two current school reports/NAPLAN results). Interviews will be required and the Principal has the final decision.

YEARs 8-12

Please contact the school by phoning on 3373 4555 or visiting the school office (Monday to Friday) to discuss your application.

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.

Charmaine Macaulay, Business Manager
Email: cmaca5@eq.edu.au

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT AND INNOVATION

News from the School Improvement and Innovation HOD

In the Zone

Have you ever been so engrossed in an activity that you have totally lost track of time; felt challenged but simultaneously assured that, right now, you could meet any challenge thrown at you? Psychologists call this feeling ‘flow’ but its more colloquial name is being ‘in the zone’. It is a feeling that leads to deep satisfaction and enjoyment and, unsurprisingly, it is the optimal state for learning.

Our teaching focus for this semester is engagement and we are reflecting on and sharing strategies that enhance student engagement in learning; strategies that help students to move closer to this perfect state of flow. I asked a number of our Year 7 students if they had ever experienced being ‘in the zone’, what it felt like and what they were doing at the time. These conversations collectively bore out a near textbook description of flow1. Every student had experienced the feeling at some point. This is what they described:

I sometimes get in the zone when auditioning for a performance role. The thought of how I would feel if I got the part helps me get ready for the audition and then I just do my thing. Zoe

I feel in the zone sometimes when I am playing the trumpet and am reaching the high notes. You have to concentrate on your technique to get your lips in the right position and you have to blow hard. Sometimes that happens automatically. Cole

When I am doing realistic drawings, I have to focus on making sure everything is in the right place and I am determined to get all the details. Smiah-Bree

I get in the zone when I am reading as I really like learning new things. I can also get in the zone when playing the trumpet, but only if I am doing it for leisure and not because I have to. Arthur

I can get in the zone when I am doing maths – only hard maths though. Donald

These responses allude to the challenges of achieving flow in the classroom2. Activities must be at exactly the right level of difficulty and be aligned with students’ interests and passions. What is also clear is that students have to work hard to get ‘in the zone’ but the feeling of flow rewards this hard work. All students agreed that it felt pretty good.

1 Kazdin, AE (ed), 2000, ‘Flow’, Encyclopedia of Psychology, Vol 3, American Psychological Association

2 Shernoff, DJ Csikszentmihalyi, M Schneider, B Shernoff, ES 2003, ‘Student engagement in high school classrooms from the perspective of flow theory‘, School Psychology Quarterly, Vol 18:2, pp158-176.

Kokoda Challenge - Student Article

On Saturday the 15th of July, 20 Centenary State High School students and 5 teachers embarked on a journey through the Gold Coast Hinterlands. Our teams began a gruelling 52km trek through mud, rain, hills and other challenges that we couldn’t dream of encountering before this Challenge. This is Kokoda.

We had all put in lots of training, walking up tough hills every week, as well as doing long distance cardio training in our own time. However, it is not until you make it to the challenge that you realise the biggest hurdle is not just physical. You begin walking or running; believing you can do it physically, but then the driving rain sets in and you are climbing a hill that with every step you lose ground as you slip down, wearing shorts and a t-shirt, with little to keep the rain and the cold away. Now the journey has become seriously mental. Fitness is important but is only part of what gets you across the line; you need to be mentally strong to compete in and complete this challenge. All of this adds to the feeling of immense pride when you cross the finish line.

All Centenary SHS teams attempted a very, very difficult challenge. Centenary SHS had 4 teams cross the finish line, with one of our teams winning the event against over 100 other teams.

The Kokoda challenges is incredibly tough, but when we cross the line, the euphoria is heartfelt for your personal efforts but also for your team. The Australian soldiers that carved the Kokoda trail in PNG didn’t have this luxury. They fought with the uncertainty of any positive ending. After completing this challenge, I found it difficult to comprehend how they did what they did to protect our country. Therefore, we walk, to get a taste of what they felt and to continue to look after what they aimed to protect, by raising money for the Kokoda Youth Foundation. Centenary State High School raised $3109.

Well done Centenary SHS! Lest we Forget.

Miranda Callum
Year 10

Anna Petrie, School Improvement and Innovation HOD
Email: anpet0@eq.edu.au

STUDENT LEADERSHIP COORDINATOR

News from the Student Leadership Coordinator

Wow, Week 6 already! This term, we have been working toward the Annual RSPCA Cupcake Day, led by our Year 12 Captain, Darly Ngwe. Darly, along with the entire student leadership forum, has been working toward this day since Week 8 of Term Two, and we have had an overwhelming response from students and staff, who volunteered to bake or assist our leaders on Monday.

We have also managed to strengthen our already-strong relationship with the P&C Committee, with two of our Senior Leaders, Nathan and Will, attending their meetings. It has been a very positive experience so far, as we increase the relationships between our school and the wider community.

Looking forward, our next project will celebrate two very worthy items on our calendar – RUOK Day and Multicultural Week. The forum is hard at work to prepare for the occasion, and it is going to be a positive experience for the students at Centenary SHS.

As our senior leaders wind up their high school experience, we will start to see our leaders in Years 7-11 take the reins and continue the high expectation set by our 2017 Senior Leaders, Darly Ngwe, Nathan Merry, Isabel Nguyen and Will Chandler, who have worked tirelessly in their goal to enhance the overall Spirit of Centenary State High School. Our future is very bright.

Claire Tuton, Student Leadership Coordinator
Email: ctuto3@eq.edu.au

CATSIES COORDINATOR

News from our CATSIES Coordinator

This term Centenary SHS is very pleased to be offering the UHELP program once again for our 30 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The United Health Education Learning Program (UHELP) program was developed by the Indigenous Unit of Headspace Inala and Queensland Health and is delivered over five sessions in a culturally appropriate way to an all-boys group and an all-girls group. Facilitators Jonathon, Tess and Tara have developed a wonderful rapport and are delivering information designed to help students develop and maintain high levels of social and emotional wellbeing. With information sessions, physical activity and of course delicious and healthy food, our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students have the opportunity to work as a group, support one another and develop leadership skills.

Angela Duncombe, CATSIES Coordinator
Email: adunc62@eq.edu.au

DIVERSE LEARNING DEPARTMENT

News from the Diverse Learning Department

Woolworths Earn & Learn Program

This year the Centenary State High School DLD are participating in the Woolworths Earn & Learn program which started on 26 July, 2017.

When you shop at Woolworths, please collect your earn and learn stickers and place them in the box in the DLD or in the main office. The DLD will then be able to redeem these stickers for some much needed resources.

Futsal Competition

On Tuesday 1 August we hosted the inaugural DLD futsal tournament against Kenmore State High School.

Mr Brew presented each of the players with their jersey. Both schools had two teams and played 3 games before a grand final and a 3rd place final.

All the players were given ribbons for participation and Antoine Moore won the Centenary SHS Player of the Day. Many congratulations to Kenmore A for winning the cup and thanks to Mr Pepper and Mr Freeland for coaching the team, and the DLD staff for providing a great lunch! We look forward to seeing Kenmore SHS again in October for the Touch gala!

Deborah McIntyre, HOSES
Email: dmcin49@eq.edu.au

GUIDANCE

News from the Guidance Officers

Dealing with Stress

“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” William James

What is Stress?

Stress is an inevitable part of life. It is the body’s natural response to emergency situations, and involves raised breathing, heart rate and blood pressure, increased production of chemicals such as adrenalin, tensed muscles, perspiration, and a ‘fuel injection’ of glucose into your blood stream. This reaction can be positive, keeping us ready and alert to deal with urgent, dangerous situations. Unfortunately stress can also be triggered by thoughts about our environment, so we can become stressed when we deal with difficult and time-pressured - but not outright dangerous – situations. Stress becomes negative when a person faces continuous challenges that are regular and don’t let up.

What Causes Stress?

Stress can be caused by a range of factors, and is experienced differently by each individual. What is stressful for one person may not be for another; the important thing is to work out what is bothering you so that you can start to work on it. School can be a major source of stress, with many students worrying about doing well for themselves; meeting their own, the school’s and family expectations; competition with siblings or friends; or feeling overwhelmed by their workload or the balance they have to strike between competing responsibilities. There may also be issues at home or with friends contributing to the stress a person is feeling. It is important when dealing with someone who is stressed to respect their perspective, rather than judge by your own tolerance for or reaction to life stressors. Each person is managing their own situation and the thoughts and feelings they have as a result, and it is not helpful to hear that you should be able to handle things better.

How Do You Know You Are Stressed?

Common mental health symptoms of stress include:

• Feeling angry or irritable
• Feeling anxious
• Being moody and easily frustrated
• Regularly feeling like crying
• Having low self-esteem or lacking confidence
• Feeling restless, distracted, lacking concentration

Common physical symptoms of stress include:

• Feeling sick in the stomach
• Constipation or diarrhoea
• Stomach aches/headaches
• Problems sleeping/constant fatigue
• Sweating profusely
• Muscle cramps/twitches
• Eating too much or too little

What Can You Do About It?

• Sort out relationship issues – if you are stressed about a relationship in your life, whether it is with a partner, friends, teachers, parents/carers or other important people in your life, it is important to work things out. It may help to talk the situation through with someone outside the situation: a trusted friend/family member, your HG teacher, Year Co, or a member of the Student Services team (Guidance Officer, Chaplain, School-Based Youth Health Nurse, Youth Support Coordinator).
• Take time out – it may seem like a good idea to sit and analyse the things that are stressing you out, but at a certain point, that just becomes stressful in itself. Take some time to do something distracting, preferably something you enjoy: go out with friends, listen to music, watch a movie, get some exercise, read a book.
• Keep things balanced – try to make sure you have a manageable balance of work and things you enjoy in your day. You may have to learn to say ‘no’ more often, so that you don’t take on too many things and stress yourself out.
• Get organised – Manage your time so that homework and assignments are not left until the last minute, and so that the time you do spend studying is efficient and productive. The Guidance Officer can help with strategies to sort this out.
• Get active – try to do some exercise every day, even if it’s just walking to the train station. This will help to reduce the tension in your muscles and your mind.
• Relaxation exercises – exercises that slow your breathing and relax your muscles can do wonders for your stress level. Slow, deep breathing is a handy short term strategy for coping when your stress peaks. Deliberately relaxing your muscles can help with aches and pains, fatigue, headaches, breathing difficulties, and trouble sleeping. See the Guidance Officer or School-Based Youth Health Nurse for help with perfecting these strategies.
• Seek help – there are a range of people and organisations out there to help. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to family, friends, or school staff, please reach out to a community service such as Kids Help Line (1800 55 1800); beyondblue (www.youthbeyondblue.com); headspace (www.headspace.org.au); Reach Out (www.reachout.com).
  Don’t wait until you are in a state of distress to seek help. Talk to a trusted adult if this article rang any alarm bells for you. Stress is a normal part of daily life, but we can all develop good strategies, based on our own contexts, to stop it being counter-productive and harmful.
• Use your devices: there are lots of great websites and apps available to help you gain control of your emotions when you are feeling stressed out and overwhelmed. My favourites are Smiling Mind and Relax Melodies (both free), but there are LOTS more out there, so feel free to explore. If you don’t have the time, Reach Out has reviewed a few on its website:

Acknowledgement: Youth Beyond Blue Dealing with Stress factsheet, available from www.youthbeyondblue.com

Juanita Oberle, Guidance Officer
Email: jober13@eq.edu.au

Janet Ingram, Guidance Officer
Email: jingr34@eq.edu.au

CHAPLAIN

News from the Chaplain

Food for Thought

Earlier in the year I heard a speaker talking about the year ahead. The audience were challenged to consider giving up two things in their lives that may be having a negative effect on them.

This made me think of a couple of things that almost all of us are guilty of doing – complaining and arguing. If you think that this doesn’t apply to you, try to get through just one whole day without saying something negative either to someone or about someone. You’ll be amazed at how hard that is.

If someone or something is upsetting you, make the decision to not keep talking about the issue – without fuel the fires of anger will subside.

Why not give it a try and give up – complaining and arguing.

A message from Chappy Bernie

Positive Self Talk

Self-talk can have a really great impact on your self-esteem and confidence. There is positive and negative self-talk and they both have an impact on how you feel. There are a few ways you can develop better self-talk including just listening to what you’re saying to yourself each day. It’s worth practicing self-talk, as feeling good about yourself is worth the effort.

This can help with…

• feeling better about yourself
• boosting your confidence
• building your self-esteem
• making friends
• feeling in control

Self-talk is basically your inner voice, the voice in your mind which says things that you don’t necessarily say out loud. Often self-talk happens without you even realising it and can be a subtle running commentary going on in the background of your mind. But what you say in your mind can determine a lot of how you feel about who you are.

So what is positive and negative self-talk?

Positive self-talk is the stuff that makes you feel good about yourself and the things that are going on in your life. It is like having an optimistic voice in your head that always looks on the bright side.

Example – “These clothes look pretty awesome on me”, “I can totally make it through this exam”, “I don’t feel great right now but things could be worse!”

Negative self-talk is the stuff that makes you feel pretty bad about yourself and things that are going on. It can put a downer on anything, whether it is good or bad.

Example - “I look stupid in these clothes”, “Everyone thinks I’m an idiot”, “Everything is rubbish and nothing is going to get better.”

Negative self-talk is particularly bad as it brings you down all the time. It can impact on recovery from mental health difficulties and tends to make people pretty miserable. But being positive all the time isn’t achievable either, and isn’t helpful all the time. So how can you make your self-talk work for you?

Better self-talk

There are three things you can do that can help with changing the direction of your self-talk.

1. Listen to what you’re saying to yourself - we don’t always consciously take note of that we’re saying in our minds. The first step in improving your self-talk is to actually notice what your inner voice is saying. Take some time each day to listen, and even write down, what you’re thinking.

2. Monitor your self-talk - Is your self-talk more positive or negative? Start questioning your self-talk asking things like:

• Is there actual evidence for what I’m thinking?
• What would I say if a friend were in a similar situation?
• Is there a more positive way of looking at this?
• Am I keeping everything in perspective?
• Can I do anything to change what I’m feeling bad about?

3. Change your self-talk - Easier said than done, but definitely worth working on. Try by countering your negative thoughts with positive ones. For example, if you think “I’ll never be able to do this”, ask yourself “Is there anything I can do that will help me be able to do this?” Avoid speaking in finite language and try and look for things that might add a better spin to a tough situation.

Why should I practice?

The more you work on improving your self-talk the better you will get. It’s kind of like practicing an instrument or going to sports training, it won’t be easy to start with but will get better with time.

It might not seem like much, but self-talk is a really important part of our self-esteem and confidence. By working on getting more positive self-talk, you’re more likely to get things done and feel more in control of stuff that’s going on in your life.

What can I do now?

Work on ways of building your self-confidence

Find out more about body image and how it affects your self-talk

Start questioning your self-talk by noticing what you’re saying about yourself

If you want more information, please feel free to contact me by email or on Phone: 07 33734531.

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

SCHOOL NURSE

News from the School Nurse

Spread the facts, not the flu

Queensland Health is urging Queenslanders to get serious about protecting themselves, their loved ones and anyone else they come into contact with, against the flu.

Influenza is not the same as a common cold and can sometimes lead to serious complications. Symptoms often include high fever, chills, sweating, extreme tiredness, muscle aches and pains and an unproductive cough.

The ‘Spread the facts, not the flu’ campaign reminds Queenslanders to:

• Get vaccinated – vaccination each year is the best protection against flu.
• Stay home when you are sick and avoid spreading the flu.
• Wash your hands thoroughly – it takes at least 15 seconds to wash your hands properly.
• Limit the spread of germs by using a tissue or coughing/sneezing into your elbow.
• Dispose of used tissues as the flu virus can live outside the human body for a number of hours.

The flu is highly contagious and primarily spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

The droplets containing the virus are expelled rapidly and can travel one to two meters.

The droplets then settle onto surfaces, such as telephones and door knobs, and can be passed from hands to the nose, mouth or eyes.

People with influenza can be infectious to others from 24 hours before they display symptoms, until a week after the start of symptoms.

The good news is you can help protect yourself and others by getting vaccinated and practicing good hygiene.

The Flu vaccine

• There is no live virus in the injectable flu vaccine, so it cannot cause influenza. Each year’s flu vaccine contains killed versions of influenza strains chosen as the most current.
• The vaccine takes about two weeks to start working fully and won’t protect you against every cough, cold or other virus.
• It cannot prevent cases of the common cold or other “flu-like” viruses, or new virulent flu strains.

Stopping the flu starts with you!

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

SPORTS DIRECTOR

Sports Report

Centenary SHS has achieved outstanding success in sport in 2017. Records have been broken, history has been made and district premierships have been won. The hard work and dedication of our students at Centenary SHS has paid off. Centenary SHS staff’s commitment and dedication to the sporting program and the students is outstanding and is very much appreciated.

Interhouse Lunchtime Sporting Competition

House Captains are working together to help promote physical activity and to engage students during breaks. Last Friday we held our first interhouse sporting competition with the Years 7 and 8 cohorts in basketball. The first day was a huge success due to the large number of students that came along to compete or to cheer on their house. Yallambee defeated Jarup in the Grand Final but it was a very close game. Every Tuesday and Friday during AM breaks different sports and year levels will be offered an opportunity to compete or to just come along and support their peers and house groups. The winning house will be earning points towards the 2017 House of the Year that will be presented at Sports Awards in Term 4.

Junior District Days

On Tuesday 8 August the second gala day was held for the junior students. I am extremely proud of our student’s behaviour, uniform and sportsmanship both on and off the field. Centenary SHS won three District Premierships. Congratulations to U/15 Boys Rugby Union (coached by Mr Locke), U/15 Boys Rugby League (coached by Mr Locke) and the Year 7 Girls Volleyball (coached by Mr Gibbs) teams that will now go through to compete in the Metropolitan Finals. Many teams played in the Grand Final and finished runners up. A special thank you must go to the coaching staff as they have given up their own personal time to train the students. Thank you to all of the parents/carers who supported the sports program by having our students in 100% uniform, fees paid and permission forms returned on time.

West Akuna Athletics Carnival

Students that are U/12 are given an opportunity to compete at the West Akuna Athletics Carnival at ANZ Stadium. Congratulations to the following students who competed at this Carnival:

Abbey Brown
Matthew Cradick
Jessica Ebzery
Grethe Gloy
Bayden Goodwin
Freya-Grace Ginn-Hellmuth
Stephen Hooper
VJ Iona
Evan Longmire
Jesse Mataroria
Kiya Willoughby

Congratulations to Abbey Brown who will be representing West Akuna at the Regional Trials on August 14 and 15.

District Athletics Carnival

Centenary SHS continued its dominance of the West Brisbane District Track and Field competition by being crowned Champion School, Boys Champions, and Percentage Shield winners!

This is a "threepeat" of Championships for the school (2015, 2016 and 2017) and is testament to the hard work and dedication of a large number of squad members, HPE staff, and guest coaches.

Whilst the final margin was a narrow 85 points (2700 to 2615), it shows the importance of quality training, and focus on achieving set goals. The mantras of ‘every session counts’, and ‘every point counts' was proven by the results of the team. There was fantastic team spirit and enthusiasm which helped spur competitors to do their best. Even with injuries ruling out three Age Champions, others stepped up and gave their all.

Across over 40 training sessions since the middle of Term 2, over 1000 hours of individual student training were completed.

Centenary SHS has had a very successful year with 42 students qualifying for the Regional Athletics Trials to be held in Week 6. These students are competing for a position on the Met West team.

Apart from Regionals, Centenary SHS will be entering a number of teams in the Queensland Athletics 'All Schools' Competition.

Special mention also to our high performance guest coaches who have given their time to assist our athletes: Hannah Joye (Australian Representative 2014 Commonwealth Games), Trae Williams (Australian Men’s 100m Champion and World Championships Representative 2017), Alexandra Roberts (Australian Junior Javelin Champion and 3rd place, Youth Commonwealth Games), and Grayson Jenkins (Queensland Representative, Cross Country and Athletics).

Representative News

Congratulations to Uma Nayar (Year 12) who recently represented Malaysia in the Ladies Federation Cup Tennis. Federation Cup is the highest level of National team representation available. Uma travelled to Tajikistan to compete against other Asian Group nations in a number of rounds. Uma has also been selected in the Malaysian Senior Ladies team for the upcoming South East Asian Games. Well done Uma!

Sports Awards

The sports awards for 2017 will be held in Term 4. Students who have achieved a gold or silver medal in sport will be recognised on this night for their sporting achievements. In Weeks 9 and 10 of this term students will need to check the HPE noticeboard to confirm if they achieved a silver or gold and that all their achievements are listed.

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

STEP

News from STEP

Fashion and Fabric is a new STEP activity we offered in Trimester 2. Ms Ace has led a group of students in recycling old jeans or scraps of fabrics they found from home. At the beginning of the sewing project, our young students had to learn how to use the embroidery machine and hone their needle work skills. They were certainly nervous at first but slowly gained confidence in using the equipment. Students have really embraced the sustainability aspect of the activity and have demonstrated their creativity by designing their own personalised pencil case or toiletry bag. These students are patiently putting their fabric together with needles and thread each Wednesday afternoon.

Once again, our Trimester 2 STEP program has flown by quickly this term and will soon conclude on 30 August. Students will receive an information letter detailing our activities for the new trimester via email.

Sin Woon Thoo, STEP Coordinator
Email: sthoo2@eq.edu.au

CULTURAL DIRECTOR

Cultural News

Legally Blonde

Legally Blonde is almost here!!!

Tickets are available at the school office for Friday 25 August at 7pm, Saturday 26 August at 3pm and 7pm.

Come and see what 150 of our talented students have been working so hard to put together for the past three months.

You’re the Voice

On Saturday 29 July members of the choir went to the South Bank Piazza along with 2000 other singers to perform in the You’re the Voice event as part of the Queensland Music Festival. It was a fantastic day with rehearsals in the morning with Dr Jonathan Welch, and a magnificent concert in the evening featuring Katie Noonan, Kate Ceberano and Isaiah Firebrand. The finale of the concert featured our choir in the mass chorus performing the Australian classic You’re the Voice with none other than Whispering Jack himself, John Farnham. The event was to raise awareness for domestic violence, and I am sure the students will remember this for the rest of their lives.

Christmas in July

Congratulations to the Swingers who did a rousing performance at the Salvation Army Aged Care Facility for their Christmas in July Ball. The residents had a wonderful time listening and dancing to some classic music. Thank you to Mrs Harvey for organising, Mr Hoey for playing, and our parent/carer helpers for transport.

Instrumental Music Lessons and Ensemble Rehearsals

Given that we are moving into a very busy time for assessment, it is timely to remind students about instrumental and choral lesson and ensemble commitments.

It is a requirement of the Education Department for all students who enrol in the Instrumental Music Program to engage in a minimum of two sessions per week: one ensemble and one group lesson. Of course, there are legitimate times when students do not attend rehearsals or lessons, the most common being illness, but the expectation is that at all other times the best efforts to attend are made. Out of respect and courtesy toward the teachers, we ask that you contact them or myself to advise of any absences. Below is a list of some acceptable and unacceptable practices when it comes to missing lessons and rehearsals.

You Should:

• Come to all instrumental lessons unless you have an actual assessment task happening in class (e.g. an exam)
• Come to your allocated time as per the timetable
• Arrive at all rehearsals on time ready to practice

You Should Not:

• Miss lessons for classes other than those doing assessment
• Change the time that you go to your lesson. The timetable is arranged on a rotational basis to minimise disruption to your classes and you only ever miss half a lesson. Generally you will miss no more than three half lessons per term out of 30 full lessons
• Skip morning rehearsals to catch up on homework and assignments. It is your responsibility to organise your workload to fit in with your rehearsals

Upcoming Performances

Please check the date claimer below for upcoming performances

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

LEARNING ASSISTANCE

News from Learning Assistance

Welcome to Term 3 from Learning Assistance. We welcomed Lawrie Midgley to our staff this term, replacing Jacqui Croker who is currently enjoying leave in Europe. It is difficult to imagine that we are already in Week 6 and nearing our midterm assessments and exams. Ask your student if they know Miss Jade, Miss Chelsea or Miss Sophie. Miss Emma has left to do her Preservice teaching practical over the next 3 weeks, so we also welcome Miss Grace. As you may know already, the Learning Assistance Department is here to assist students in many ways such as: in class support; with assessments and homework or revision. Centenary State High School DIAL program is the perfect time for your student to access free tutoring and support in the junior subjects, which is available before school, after school and during lunch breaks.

Support staff run DIAL, Drop In And Learn, from the Learning Assistance Department. If any student, junior or senior, requires a quiet space with laptop accessibility, assistance with homework or assessment tasks, they are welcome to drop into our staffroom in GS04 requesting support or just ‘drop in’ to the DIAL room in GS13.

In Learning Assistance, we believe that Accommodation and Assistance will lead to Achievement. Once the school becomes aware of the particular needs of students concerning learning accommodations, we may be able to provide support in the classroom and with assessments. Learning Assistance staff investigate student data; medical records supplied by parents/carers, historically low academic records, standardised testing, previous OneSchool documentation, and most importantly parent/carer contact - requesting support. However, when such assistance or accommodations to exam conditions, for example a scribe or reader, extra time or assistive technology, some form of documentation is required. This may be in the form of Guidance Officer’s cognitive tests, a doctor’s or specialist’s report, etc., to allow provisions to be prearranged equitably. In the same way, if your student is not achieving a C or above, and you would like or need your student to be part of the Learning Assistance Program, any documentation you may have would be of benefit to understanding more about your child’s educational needs, so please do contact us. We look forward to working with your student in consultation with you as their parent/carer.

If you require any more information or clarification about how we may provide support please do not hesitate in calling or emailing to discuss this. We hope you and your student have a fantastic Term 3.

Diana Huber, Learning Assistance Coordinator
Email: dhube1@eq.edu.au

APPLIED TECHNOLOGY

News from Applied Technology

Home Economics: Open Day 2017

The Home Economics department, with assistance from QUT student teacher Nicole Hiskins, curated a wonderful display of student work comprising of cooking, felting, and coffee making. Students in Years 10, 11, and 12 made lovely lemon myrtle cupcakes for our guests using ground up lemon myrtle leaves, harvested from trees in the school grounds. The yummy shortbread cookies also proved popular. The Home Economics staff thank all the parents/carers and families who popped in and chatted to the students and extend an invitation to contact the school should further questions require answers. A special expression of gratitude is offered to our fantastic student volunteers.

Home Economics Year 8

The Year 8 Home Economics class has been creating some amazing work using colours and various creative sewing techniques to produce beautiful pillow cases. It has been most encouraging to observe the students’ confidence evolve throughout the duration of the textiles unit. Interestingly, the past five weeks seem to have disappeared too quickly, indicating just how committed the students have been. Their teacher, Shanti Reddy, has commented: “I can’t wait to see what lovely dishes these students will produce during the food unit of the course.”

Year 6 Transition Day

Year 6 students from Jindalee, Jamboree Heights and Middle Park State Schools recently spent a day at Centenary SHS to experience a lesson in Home Economics and Industrial Technology and Design (ITD). The purpose of the day was to introduce students to a typical practical lesson in each faculty, to allay any immediate misconceptions or apprehensions about Applied Technology.

During the Home Economics lesson, students were required to work in pairs to bake delicious lemon myrtle cupcakes. The task required them to organise their resources, measure ingredients, use equipment correctly and comply with occupational health and safety requirements.

The satisfaction of eating the end product was obvious and the students thoroughly enjoyed their time in the kitchen.

The ITD experience introduced students to the wood workshop and a variety of hand tools, power tools and equipment. Students produced a spinning skill toy after controlling rotating chucks, spinning abrasive discs, cordless drills and Tenon saws. The students worked particular well to complete the task in the allocated 75 minute period.

It was particularly pleasing to see students so engaged and enthusiastic in each of the Applied Technology activities.

Boomerang Bags

The school was recently approached by Ms Kim Thomas, representing Boomerang Bags, seeking some assistance.

Boomerang Bags aims to reduce the consumers’ reliance on plastic shopping bags. Essentially, the organisation relies on volunteers to source recycled fabric and then produce reusable/sustainable shopping bags. The bags are displayed at a conspicuous stand near participating businesses and shoppers are encouraged to use the free bags and return them to the stand at some time in the future.

Mr Homer’s Furnishing Skills class is currently construction a number of the display/collection stands for Boomerang Bags because “Community and Community Involvement” is a unit within the curriculum.

The first Centenary SHS constructed stand was launched on Wednesday 9 August outside the Go Vita store, located at the Mt Ommaney shopping centre.

The first photograph identifies from left to right, Fiona Provan, Go Vita proprietor; Kim Thomas, Boomerang Bags coordinator; Councillor Matthew Bourke and Adrian Homer, Centenary SHS ITD Teacher.

The second photograph depicts the Boomerang Bag stand constructed by Mr Homer’s Furnishings Skills class.

Carbatec

The ITD faculty was recently gifted a number of pneumatic nail guns and palm sanders from Mr David Beales, Assistant Manager, Carbatec, The Home for Woodworking, based at Wakeley. The equipment will be used by senior students, providing them with an opportunity to experience the idiosyncrasies and capabilities associated with compressed air tools.

The donation was most unexpected and the ITD staff at Centenary SHS extend our gratitude to Carbatec for its generosity.

Rule the Roost

After a protracted process, the Diverse Learning Department can fervently announce the laying of its first batch of eggs. With the assistance of John Pitt, Terry O’Brien, Adrian Homer, Nicole Donaldson, Jenny Coull, Jim Felstead and David Freeland, the chicken pen has been built, located and secured within a wire compound. Though a little hesitant at first, the chooks have become accustomed to their new surroundings and have expressed their approval with the regular laying of eggs.

Staffing Arrangements

Peter Winn has received approval for one week’s long service leave for the week beginning Monday 21 August. He will be replaced by Ashley Beruldsen.

Shanti Reddy’s long service leave commences Monday 28 August, returning Monday 16 October. Her teaching duties will be shared between Carla Clarke and Louise Duncan.

Mark Bartholomew is currently recovering from major open heart surgery. His contracted replacement, Ashli Roberts will continue until at least the end of the school year.

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

HUMANITIES/LOTE

Humanities Report

Geography Excursion – People and Places – Student Article

On Thursday 27 July, our Geography class went on an excursion to the Cultural Centre and West End to investigate a possible inclusion of a light rail network in Brisbane. In order to determine which proposed area (near the Cultural Centre or Boundary Street, West End) was the most suitable place to implement the light rail, we had to collect the right data. This included: labelling and understanding a map of the land uses in both the areas; a streetscape survey to assess the condition of the proposed areas; a traffic survey to see which site is used more often by certain methods of transport. We also had to work out a way of evaluating the most effective way to travel around the area.

It was easy to understand the tasks which we were required to do, as we were guided by two very helpful people from the Brisbane Urban Environmental Education Centre. It was a great day to be out and about and we also had the chance to buy food! This excursion was very informative as we had the opportunity to learn about how important it is to really plan and evaluate a proposal before making a decision.

Meghna Prasad (Year 11)

The Chinese Day of Excellence – Student Articles

Here are 2 student accounts of the recent Chinese Day of Excellence at Centenary State High School. Chinese language students from surrounding primary schools travelled to our school to be a part of our annual Chinese Day of Excellence. The quality of the activities is clear evidence that Centenary SHS delivers one of the best Chinese language programs in Brisbane.

This year’s Chinese Day of Excellence is certainly one to remember. “It’s a fantastic day and a lot of fun” said one participant, Mia. To begin the day we were enlightened with performances of traditional Chinese culture - the Lion Dance. One of the most exciting parts of the day was learning and trying traditional tea. During the day we experienced many activities including paper cutting, using chopsticks and grappling with Chinese tongue twisters. Each activity had its own challenges and we all learnt something new. The Chinese Day of Excellence is so much fun and a great opportunity to learn more. “I recommend this for students wanting to learn more about Chinese and have awesome experiences,” said Elenna. “I would love to do this again as it was really enjoyable,” declared Amber. We would also like to thank everyone who planned and helped make this day possible.

By Elenna, Amber, Mia (Year 7)

On 31 July, we took part in “the Chinese Day of Excellence” which is where kids from local Primary Schools come together to hold Chinese activities with Year 7 students. I was fortunate enough to attend the Chinese Day of Excellence and had an awesome time doing Chinese activities like the Chopstick Challenge, paper cutting, Tai Chi and watching a Lion Dance. The Chinese Day of Excellence was a fun day and I recommend people to study Chinese because you get to do fun things like the Chinese Day of Excellence, going to Yum Cha and many more fun things.

Mandeep Gautam (Year 7)

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

THE ARTS

News from The Arts

It’s a busy time of the term in the Arts faculty – there is assessment in almost all classes, rehearsals for performances and musicals, and lots of excursions and events. Parents/Carers can help their child/children by asking them what they have on each day, guiding them with their time management and planning to avoid stressing about assignments at the last minute and by ensuring they have enough food to eat during the day, particularly when they have afterschool commitments.

Our major production this year – the school musical Legally Blonde is on stage in less than 2 weeks! Tickets are on sale now at the office and are selling like hotcakes – there are only three shows so be quick: Friday August 25 at 7pm, Saturday August 26 at 3pm and 7pm.

Have you liked the official school Facebook page? Keep up to date with what’s happening in the school as well as seeing news about events and activities – search ‘Centenary State High School’. Recent posts from the Arts faculty include pictures from our instrumental music performances, the creative work of our Visual Arts students, and information about the school musical.

Congratulations!

There are two outstanding news stories this fortnight. Firstly, Year 12 Drama student, Nuufou Sakaria has been awarded a full scholarship to attend the Queensland Theatre Company’s Theatre Residency Week, held over the September school holidays. She is one of only 8 recipients of a scholarship and Nuufou’s is prestigious because it is all inclusive. This is a life changing opportunity for Nuufou, as many students who have participated in this event in the past have gone on to work in the industry after graduating from school. Nuufou received extra praise from the panel for her application as she went to the trouble to include a reference from an industry expert who had worked with the class earlier in the year as part of our school partnership with the Queensland Theatre Company. Theatre Residency Week is the longest running theatre program of its kind in Australia, and is a week-long intensive theatre camp where students develop their acting skills with leading artists. Previous attendees of the event include Geoffrey Rush and Deborah Mailman. Congratulations Nuufou – have a great week!

Congratulations also go to the Centenary State High School Stage Band, who travelled to Rockhampton with the support of the P&C to participate in the CQUniversity Schools Jazz Festival. The stage band was awarded a gold award for their performances as well as receiving the award for the most outstanding trumpet section. The festival is unique in that it offers students opportunities to workshop their jazz skills with professional jazz educators and musicians from all over Australia as well as perform in a competition which is judged against criteria rather than against other bands. There were only two bands awarded gold awards over the weekend festival, which is a real testament to the excellence of the Centenary SHS musicians! In addition to those two awards, we had two superstar performers acknowledged in the ensemble for mastery of their instrument and brilliant performances – the outstanding trumpet soloist award went to Year 12 student Andrew Haigh and the outstanding rhythm section player (for bass guitar) went to Year 9 student Cooper Le Brocq. The stage band also performed at the school assembly on August 15. Congratulations to Andrew, Cooper and the Centenary SHS Stage Band!

Year 10 GOMA Art Excursion featuring the MARVEL Exhibition

A group of Year 10 Art students attended this exhibition with great anticipation. They familiarised themselves with their favourite Marvel characters like Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Scarlet Witch and were mesmerised with shot sequences and behind the scenes work that showcases the talent of designers and production teams. There were many interactive experiences and Year 10 students immersed themselves in the complex world of story-telling, popular culture and cinematic history. It was an awesome art experience for students and teachers alike.

This is what some students wrote about the exhibition:

“In the Marvel exhibition, the artists and designers have amazingly transferred passion and imagination to the costumes of superheros and villains. I am especially impressed by the collection of Thor and Asgard. Overall, I was really surprised and delighted to see the massive throne and the incredibly beautiful costumes of the Marvel characters in the movies.” My Tran

“While we were at the Marvel Exhibition I enjoyed reading the information about the artworks. My favourite part of the excursion was walking through the exhibition and watching little movies and trying all the hands-on activities. I also liked looking at the little sketches of each superhero.” Keenan Kramer

“The displays and exhibits in the Marvel Exhibition really captured my imagination. I saw the initial sketches of Ant Man and how the filmmakers superimposed the sketch scene into the movie and therefore improving the quality of the scene. This really made me appreciate the attention to detail that artists and costume designers work hard to achieve in order to capture the audience’s attention.” Jamie Ngo

Awards and Certificates

There are many students who complete assessments in the Arts that are outside of the school curriculum, however, did you know that many of these can contribute toward points for the QCE? The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) has a list of the areas within music, dance and drama of the awards and certificates that are recognised. For more information, please check out this website:

In addition to this, there are other opportunities for students to receive recognition for their external assessments. An example of this in music is a student who completes Grade 7 or above practical with the Australian Music Examinations Board and Grade 3 or above theory can receive an alternative Queensland Tertiary Admission Centre (QTAC) selection rank. More information can be found at this website (look under ‘other professional qualifications’ or ask to talk to a school guidance officer).

Finally, this interesting article was shared with music teachers at a recent professional development meeting. As teachers, we know the benefits of studying music (and more broadly, in the Arts) but sometimes our students need more encouragement from us to keep going! Music is hard: there’s a new language and new literacies to learn, there are notes and rhythms and symbols; before school practice, practice at home, lessons and ensembles, and for busy students, sometimes it all just seems too much! Here’s an article that supports parents/carers who want their children to continue learning, even when it seems like it might be too hard:

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

YEAR LEVEL COORDINATORS

Year 11 Report

Semester 2 kicked off with Mentoring interviews for all of our OP Pathway students. Home Group teachers spent several days having individual discussions with their students, reflecting on Semester 1 results and looking to the future. As inevitably happens after the first semester of Year 11, a number of subject and pathway changes have ensued. This will hopefully ensure that students are now firmly on a pathway that best suits their skills and ambitions. Mentoring interviews with students on other pathways should be undertaken over the next few weeks.

Students are being encouraged to complete GOAL SETTING exercises in their Student Diaries. They should be setting five specific and practical goals at the start of every week. If you are interested, please have a look at page 64 of your student’s diary. This is an especially important exercise for Senior students as their workloads and associated pressures inexorably increase.

Our Monday Home Group sessions are taking a break from “Skills for Work and Training” material to shift the focus back onto our students’ physical and emotional wellbeing. Our School Nurse, Dy Moxham, and Guidance Officer, Juanita Oberle, have been presenting a variety of sessions that will culminate with a “Curly Questions” panel in Week 7. A group of experts will answer a series of questions posed anonymously by the cohort. It’s always an eye-opening and worthwhile session.

Finally, students have been invited to contribute design ideas for our 2018 Senior Jerseys! The winner will be rewarded with the honour and glory of having his/her design used on around 250 Jerseys.

Thanks as always for your support, and please contact me if you have any issues or would just like to have a chat

Terry Oberg, Year 11 Coordinator
Email: tober11@eq.edu.au

Year 10 Report – “Gen10 of Centen”

Camp

Awesome camp teachers + Awesome Year 10s = an Awesome Year 10 camp

We had an absolutely fabulous time at Maranatha Outdoor Education Centre in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. The Year 10s participated in a range of challenging activities including a high ropes course, “Leap of Faith”, “Tower of Tremble”, archery, bushwalking and the challenge trail. The activities were designed to encouraged team work, participation and cooperation, decision-making and problem-solving skills and leadership. It was great to get out of the classroom and experience a different learning environment in a beautiful setting.

Thank you especially to my support team, my fellow camp teachers:

• Camp teachers - Adam Richter, Jo Lynch, Danielle Ringrose, Kirsten Caruso, Rachelle Hyndman, Dave Foster, Martin Homan, Jo Moon and David Freeland.
• Thank you also to the School Support Staff who attended camp – Juanita Oberle (Guidance Officer), Dy Moxham (School Nurse) and Bernie McMullen (Chaplain). Also thank you to Juanita and Dy for presenting a session on Personal Development to the Year 10s on camp.

Their dedication, sense of humour, willingness and their rapport with the Year 10s contributed to such a successful camp.

Also, thank you to the Year 10 Leaders and Student Council who planned and organised the night programs. The first night the students participated in an activity entitled “The Hunger Games”. The students were divided into “districts” and had to compete as a team to win valuable materials. The night concluded with a fashion parade as the “tributes” entered the “arena”. Our Year 10 models owned the catwalk and were the stars of the night – Mark, Henry, Lilian, Imogen, Luke, Noah, Angela, Katie, Noah, Miranda, Ben and Amir. Congratulations to the Year 10 Leaders and Council on such a successful night.

But special thanks to the Year 10s who attended camp. They were all AWESOME. I have heard nothing but positive feedback about our Year 10 students.

“Our Year 10 cohort visited Maranatha Recreation Camp in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. We had fun for 3 days climbing, jumping, eating and enjoying ourselves with our friends. It was awesome. Thanks to the teachers and special thanks to our awesome YLC Ms Furlong who made the camp so enjoyable. Thank you. Duncan Towner (Year 10 Student Council)

SETplan

SET Plan is on Thursday 24 August, all day. The students have been preparing for the day by completing their career planning documents. Please continue the conversations at home with your child about their pathway through the senior school. I look forward to chatting to parents/carers on the SET plan day. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions prior to the day.

Also, students will require their Unique Student Identification (USI) number for the SET plan day. Most students have already obtained their USI number. Could you please assist your child to obtain their USI, refer to page 140 of the school diary or visit the USI website.Students then need to provide their USI to the school (email me).

Work placement

We have started the process of organising work placements for the week 11-15 September 2017. Thank you to Angela Raven (HOD Senior Schooling) for providing such a valuable program for our students and to Jo Cuneen for assisting with the organisation of placements.

Student achievement

We certainly have some very talented Year 10s. Congratulations to the following students:

• Aleece Macaulay has been awarded the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology (MEXT) Scholarship. Aleece was one of only four students in Australia to receive this scholarship. She will be travelling to Japan later this year funded by the AFS Intercultural program. Congratulations Aleece, we are so proud of your achievement.
• Lara McGahan danced in the Ballet Theatre of Queensland’s 80th Anniversary Gala at QPAC recently. She was involved in four items including one with guest artists from the Australian Ballet. Congratulations Lara on your achievement.
• Grace Price has won a silver medal in her age division at the National Karate Championships in Sydney recently. Congratulations Grace on your achievement. On the Year 10 camp, Grace led a group of students in a warm up session and demonstrated her kicking abilities. She is certainly a very talented young person.

UPDATE from BCC Lord Mayor’s Student Environment Student Ambassadors

On Monday 7 August, we launched a project at our school. The aim of the project was to reduce the amount of litter within our school, so we decided to have a “Centenary Clean Up” session. We're happy to say that it was a huge success! One of our teachers even commented, saying that the school looked ‘absolutely sparkling’. We are hoping to continue this project in the future to help make Centenary SHS a cleaner school.

Aleece Macaulay and Daniella Swart
SELN Student Ambassadors

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

NEWS FROM THE P&C

News from our P&C

Centenary SHS 2017 Trivia Night

P&C Approves Major Contributions to School Projects

I am pleased to announce that at the last P&C meeting held on 9 August 2017 two motions were passed to support our school.

Air-Conditioning: The P&C has committed to a contribution of $60,000 toward the school’s air-conditioning project. The funds will be paid over three years, commencing 2017, at the rate of $20,000 per year.

Funds for this commitment will come from a combination of your voluntary contributions and the unceasing hard work of the P&C volunteers.

The total of voluntary contributions received to date is $4,663 so, if you have not already contributed, please consider doing so. Contributions are fully tax deductible and you can find the contribution form at the link below.

New Piano: The P&C approved the immediate purchase of a new piano for the Performing Arts faculty at a cost of $5,000. We have also committed to a contribution of $2,500 toward the purchase of a second piano during 2018.

What else is your P&C doing?

Other projects currently in progress include a new Long-Jump pit and we have started the process of obtaining designs and quotes for the much-needed renovation of our canteen.

Help us to help our students

To continue the work that the P&C does to support our school and our students we need the support of parents/carers. Our membership is quite low and each year we face the retirement of valuable and long-standing members as their children move on to the workforce and tertiary studies. Please consider joining the P&C to ensure its ongoing sustainability. Membership forms can be downloaded from our web page at the link below.

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

COMMUNITY NOTICES

WPC Cricket Sign On