1 February 2018 Volume 20 Number 1

PRINCIPAL

News from the Principal

From the Principal

Welcome to the Centenary SHS 2018 school year. I trust that all members of the Centenary SHS community have enjoyed the opportunity to relax over the Christmas New Year period and are looking forward to the challenges of the new school year. I especially welcome new parents and carers to Centenary SHS and I encourage you to be actively involved in your child’s secondary education. Strong community involvement is a key characteristic of highly successful schools. Please regularly view the school’s correspondence, website and facebook site to be informed on school events.

At Centenary SHS we are committed to fostering a rich school experience for our students. Although outstanding academic outcomes are at the core of our business , this focus sits within a holistic approach to education, where we provide high quality opportunities for students across a range of endeavours in a safe and supportive learning environment. This delivery is underpinned by our school values:

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

I encourage parents/carers to take an interest in your child’s learning. It is important that students adopt strong work routines such as dedicated time in the afternoon/evening for school work. Such routines, if adhered to, will reduce stress and workload later in the term.

Year 7 Cohort

On Monday I met our 270 Year 7 students and delivered three simple messages. Operate from a mindset of respect to others and you are likely to minimise behaviour issues. Get involved in the life of the school and you are likely to enjoy school more. Be curious with a thirst for learning and you are more likely to do well in your studies. These simple messages apply to all students.

New Staff

I take this opportunity to welcome the following staff to Centenary SHS.

I also welcome back the following staff to our school who have resumed duties at Centenary SHS:

Shannon Ashton
Michele Chadwick
Amanda Beer
Liza Van Soelen

Our long serving School Based Health Nurse Dy Moxham has been replaced by Kirsten Anstey.

Deputy Principal Sallyann Griffith will not be working on Thursdays this year. Junior School HOD Angela McKay will be Acting Deputy one day a week.

2017 Year 12 Outcomes

Our Year 12 outcomes were very much a mixed bag in 2017. After five years of 80% or more OP 1-15 we dropped in this KP1 with 72% of students receiving an OP between 1-15. The strong outcome however was that every student in Year 12 achieved the QCE or QCIA upon exit. This performance was almost mirrored in the proportion of students who applied through QTAC receiving an offer, with 99% students achieving this outcome.

CLASS and Timetable Changes

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

Student Drop Off and Pick Up

Parents should not be driving into the school grounds for student drop off and pick ups. The car parks are congested at the best of times and, for the safety of all, we need to reduce traffic in these areas. Please follow the road rules in respect to street parking. In particular, incorrect parking on Curragundi Rd is creating a hazard for pedestrians and cars leaving the school.

Volunteer Support

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

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

Best wishes for the 2018 Centenary School Year.

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

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

Newsletter Articles

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

News from the Deputy Principals

Welcome to 2018

The Deputy Principal’s would like to welcome all new and returning students for 2018. If you have any concerns with any part of your education at Centenary SHS, including subject changes, please see the relevant Deputy Principal for your year level. It has been a very positive start to the year so far and we are looking forward to this continuing for the remainder of the year.

Behaviour Management

At Centenary SHS we have 3 global expectations with regard to behaviour. We expect students to:

Be Respectful
Be Responsible
Be A Learner

Our whole school behaviour management practices are aligned to these three expectations. Students will notice that teachers will constantly refer to these expectations, known as the three B’s, when addressing any behaviour concerns.

Good behaviour basically comes down to common sense, having the fortitude to do what is right and having the ability to follow directions and instructions.

School Photographs

School photographs will take place on Friday 2 February and Tuesday 6 February, 2018. The schedule is as follows:

• Friday 2 February: Years 7 – 9
• Tuesday 6 February: Years 10 – 12

Parents/Carers have the opportunity to purchase a range of photograph packages which can include both portrait and group photographs through Advancedlife School Photography. Group photographs feature small individual portrait photographs of each member of a student’s Home Group (HG) class or year level cohort. The year level cohort photograph is also published in the annual year book. If you do not want your child’s name or image to appear in a group photograph please contact the school office.

Please be aware that the school office does not collect any money in relation to school photographs. All orders must either be placed online via the link below using the following 9 digit access code H34 5RL H6G or students can hand their photograph order envelopes with payment directly to Advancedlife School Photography staff at the time of their class photo session.

If you have any questions regarding the publication of student images or names as part of the school photograph process, please don’t hesitate to contact the school.

Matt McDonald, Deputy Principal (Year 11)
Email: mmcdo156@eq.edu.au

Adam Richter, Deputy Principal (Years 9, 12, 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 10, ATSI & EALD)
Email: koake10@eq.edu.au

BUSINESS MANAGER

News from the Business Manager

Clearance Forms

At the end of last year all students were required to complete Clearance Forms. This process ensures all books and equipment are returned to the Resource Centre before the end of each year. If your student has not completed and returned this form please ensure these are processed by the end of this week.

Student Resource Scheme

A Student Resource Scheme 2018 Agreement Form was issued to students with Clearance Forms. This form can also be downloaded from our website.

Parents/Carers are asked to complete the agreement by ticking “YES” and signing this form as an indication of their continued participation in the scheme. The fee covers the cost of resources other than textbooks.

Parents/Carers who do not wish to participate in this scheme must complete the agreement form by ticking “NO” on this form. Parents/Carers who do not wish to participate in this scheme should make arrangements with the class teachers to obtain a list of materials and resources which will be necessary to complete the work of that particular class. Notification in writing should also be given to the Business Manager so that accounts can be adjusted. If not participating in the scheme, each student is required to:

• Pay a fee to offset the cost of those resources and services related to your child’s education other than textbooks
• Supply their own copy of required individual novels, dictionaries, atlases, etc.
• Supply their own copy of textbooks used within classes as class sets
• Supply their own resources where practicable
• Obtain a list of all materials and resources from their class teacher

Please see the Parent Handbook on our website for more information.

Parent/Carer Contact Details

Parent/Carer contact details are very important to us. Up to date and current school records enable us to send you messages, contact you if your student becomes unwell or if there is an issue that needs resolving.

Our process for sending home report cards and other correspondence is now by email. By keeping your email address current we can keep you updated and informed.

If you have moved or are moving house, changed jobs, emails or mobile phone numbers, please inform the school office via email to admin@centenaryshs.eq.edu.au.

If you wish to receive the school newsletter, please go to our school website and click the Newsletter tab to subscribe, or go directly to the link below. You will need to complete and submit the ‘subscribe’ form on the website.

Changes to the way we invoice for 2018

As previously advised there are changes in the way we invoice parents/carers for 2018. In line with these changes, invoices for the Student Resource Scheme were issued last year. An early bird discount of $20 is applicable, if paid prior to 28 January 2018. These invoices have a finalisation date of 31 July 2018, for those who do not wish to pay before the discount date.

For more information about the Student Resource Scheme and all other related fees please refer to our website or contact the school by email at admin@centenaryshs.eq.edu.au.

Changes to the Payment of Excursion

This year excursion/camps/activities will no longer be included in payment plans. These are a user pay activity and will need to be paid in full prior to attending the event.

Parent/Carer Experiencing Financial Difficulties

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

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

STUDENT LEADERSHIP COORDINATOR

News from the Student Leadership Coordinator

My name is Claire Tuton and I am Centenary SHS’s Student Leadership Coordinator for 2018. After last year’s success, I am excited to work with the Student Leadership team, in conjunction with Support Staff, Administration and Year Level Coordinators, in coordinating Leadership initiatives this year.

Each term we will lead at least one major project, as well as other smaller projects, that align with our School Priorities. Throughout these projects, I will take on a supportive role and guide the leadership team through the process of carrying out each project. Our first project will be a fundraiser for Valentine’s Day, raising money for the charity Heart Kids.

I am extremely excited to work with this group of remarkable young adults, as well as the Year Level Coordinators, Support Staff and Administration, on what will be a fantastic year for Centenary State High School.

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

GUIDANCE

News from the Guidance Officers

Your Friendly Student Services Team

Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser was right when he said: “Life wasn’t meant to be easy.” At Centenary State High School, we understand that young people can arrive at school with issues which may temporarily impact their learning. Our student services team are here to talk to students and parents/carers, offer other perspectives and provide support to remove educational barriers so they may get on with the business of learning and shaping their futures. Please take a moment to peruse the list of Student Services staff available at Centenary SHS, so you and your child can access appropriate support when and if the need arises. Please call the office on 3373 4555 to make an appointment with any member of the team.

Guidance Officers

Guidance Officers are experienced teachers who have unique expertise to work in schools and help all students in the areas of academic achievement, social, personal and career development.

Juanita Oberle (Years 10, 11, 12)
E jober13@eq.edu.au

Janet Ingram (Years 7, 8, 9)
E jingr34@eq.edu.au

School Based Youth Health Nurse: Kirsten Anstey

The School Based Youth Health Nurse is employed by Queensland Health and works with the school community on issues that may affect the health and wellbeing of students, and the school community as a whole.

Chaplain: Bernie McMullen

The Chaplain is employed by Scripture Union and may work with students and parents/carers around social and emotional support, spiritual support, mentoring, community development, educational support and extracurricular activities.

E bmcmu27@eq.edu.au

Youth Support Coordinator: Skye Leo

The Youth Support Coordinator is employed by Ipswich Community Youth Service, and works with students in Years 10-12 who may be struggling to stay at school. Students are referred to the YSC by the Deputy Principal or Guidance Officer.

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

Last Week 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

Welcome back to Centenary State High School and if you are new “Welcome”.

Starting the new school year can be a time of great excitement … and anxiety. Help calm your child’s fears (and your own) with these teacher-approved tips:

Meet the new teacher

For kids, one of the biggest back-to-school fears is “Will I like my new teacher?” Breaking the ice early on is one of the best ways to calm everyone’s fears. Take advantage of your school’s open day or back-to-school night. Teachers welcome phone calls or e-mails — another great opportunity to get to know each other before the year begins.

If your child’s teacher sends a welcome letter, be sure to read the letter together.

Tour the school

If your school hosts an open day, be sure to go. Familiarizing your child with his/her environment will help him/her avoid a nervous stomach on the first day. Together you can meet his/her teacher, find his/her desk, or explore the playground.

With an older child, you might ask him/her to give you a tour of the school. This will help refresh his/her memory and yours.

Connect with friends

A familiar friend can make all the difference when heading back to school. You might try calling parents/carers from last year’s class and finding out which children are in your child’s class this year. Refresh these relationships before school starts by scheduling a play date or a school carpool.

Tool up

Obtain the stationery supply list and take a special shopping trip with your child. Having the right tools will help him/her feel prepared. While keeping basic needs in mind, allow for a couple of splurges like a cool notebook or a favourite-coloured pen. These simple pleasures make going back to school a lot more fun.

School supply lists also provide great insight into the schoolwork ahead. Get your child excited about upcoming projects by explaining how new supplies might be used. Let him/her practice using supplies that he/she’s not used before — such as coloured pencils or a protractor — so he/she will be comfortable using them in class.

Avoid last-minute drilling

When it’s almost time to stop playing, give a five-minute warning. Giving clear messages to your child is very important.

Chat about today’s events and tomorrow’s plans

While it is important to support learning throughout the summer, don’t spend the last weeks of summer vacation reviewing last year’s curriculum. All kids need some down time before the rigors of school begin. For some kids, last-minute drills can heighten anxiety, reminding them of what they’ve forgotten instead of what they remember.

Ease into the routine

Switching from a summer holiday to a school schedule can be stressful to everyone in the household. Avoid first-day-of-school mayhem by practicing your routine a few days in advance. Set the alarm clock, go through your morning rituals, and get in the car or to the bus stop on time. Routines help children feel comfortable, and establishing a solid school routine will make the first day of school go much smoother.

I am at Centenary State High School every Monday afternoon, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

If you need to contact me, send a message to my email: bmcmu27@eq.edu.au, or tell reception you need to see me and they will let me know.

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

SPORTS DIRECTOR

Sports Director Report

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

The Met West Secondary School has restructured the districts in our region for the representative pathway only. Instead of 16 Executive Schools it has been reduced to 5 Districts. Please note that Centenary SHS is in the Northern Eagles District.

For most schools in the MWSS region, the restructure of districts in the region will not affect the way schools participate in the representative school sports program. For the majority of schools in the region, they will participate with the same schools they have in the past with the inclusion of some new schools from the old district structure. The regional school sport trial process for students will still occur with district teams attending regional trials for selection in MWSS teams to participate at Queensland School Sports State Championships. One of the biggest changes that will occur is in the 13-19 years age group where all schools, regardless of what sector of education they belong to, will attend district trials together. They no longer will be separated as state and non-state school districts. This is the exact same model that has been used successfully in the 10-12 years age group for the representative school sport program for many years. Please note that students that would like to trial for a Northern District Team must trial at school first and be of a certain standard in order to be attend the trial. This is not a participation pathway it is a representative pathway.

Centenary SHS has to trial students that would like to attend a Northern District Trial. Each school is only allowed to send 2 students to the District Trial. Students must be of a high standard in their chosen sport.

Swimming, Cross Country and Athletics are now considered the Big 3. They will now be conducted under the Northern Eagles District. Please note that these events are no longer carnivals, but they will now become trials in order to gain selection into the Regional team. This pathway is not a participation pathway but it is a competitive pathway and therefore students must meet qualifying standards in order to attend the trial. The Northern Eagles District team will be selected from this trial and will go on to compete at the Regional trial. Swimming is early in Term 1 and students will have to meet qualifying swimming times in order to be nominated to attend the trial. Times will need to be verified from club meets or taken from the school carnival in Term 4 in 2017 or from the trial on Tuesday 30 January.

Sports Calendar 2018

The Sports Calendar for 2018 is attached to this newsletter article. Carnival dates are listed as well as District and Regional Trial dates. Please download this calendar if your child is interested in trialling for sporting teams.

Sporting Pathways at Centenary SHS

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

School Carnivals – Centenary SHS runs Swimming, Cross Country and Athletics carnivals annually. During these carnivals, students from all age groups can compete in their houses for points that go toward the Champion House Shield, compete to become Age Champion and compete to gain selection in the school teams to go to district carnivals. To participate in the school carnivals, students will need to act on the information provided to them by the Sports Director and HG teachers prior to each carnival. Centenary SHS has swimming trials, which will be held on Tuesday 30 January in order to allow students to register a qualifying time. Further information is below under “upcoming events”.

District and Regional Trials – Cluster days provide students with the opportunity to gain selection in district, regional, state, and even national teams, in a wide range of sports. The first step in this process is trials for the Northern District Team. Students will be invited to nominate for a trial and will then need to go through a selection process at Centenary SHS as we are only allowed to send 2 students to the Northern District Trial. The trials for Northern District tend to be after school. If successful, they then go to Regional trials where they trial for selection in a Met West Regional team. If selected in the Regional team they can go on to State and National Trials. All common sports are catered for in this pathway, however the age groups are (usually) Open (16 – 19 years), 13 – 15 years and 10 – 12 years. For upcoming trial dates, students must check the sports notice board and contact the Sport Director to trial first at school and, if successful, be given the paperwork in order to attend the Northern District Trial.

Specific Sports Squads – Throughout the year there will be a number of sports that the school enters competitions for. These include sports such as Touch Football, Futsal, Netball, AFL, Rugby Union, Rugby League, Volleyball and Soccer. For students to get into these squads, they need to act on information given by the Sports Director and by coaches. Trials will be required for these teams. If selected in these squads, students usually compete outside of school time and there is usually a cost involved. Some of these cater for a wide range of age groups, which sometimes means we can enter teams from all age groups.

Inter-school sport

Centenary SHS will be continuing to participate in the West Brisbane Sporting Association competition this year.

The structure consists of 6 Gala Days that will occur across Terms 1, 2, 3 and 4. Each school will send teams to compete in whole day carnivals in a range of sports, across all year levels. There will be:

• Four Year 7 , 8 and 9 Gala Days – Terms 1, 2, 3 and 4
• One Year 10 and Open Summer day and (dependent on team entries)
• One Year 10 and Open Winter day (dependent on team entries)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Upcoming Events

Swimming Trials – Centenary SHS Swimming trials will be held on Tuesday 30 January. The trials will be held solely to give students an opportunity to submit a time for an event(s) of their choice. Students that have times through club meets or through the school carnival in Term 4, 2017 (50m events) do not attend the swimming time trials. Students that are interested need to listen to the notices and see Mrs Nasalio in Staffroom 4.

District and Regional Swimming – The top 5 students that meet qualifying times will have the opportunity to attend the District Swimming Carnival. To attend the Regional Carnival (Wednesday 21 February) students will need to meet certain qualifying times. Nominations will need to include verifiable times from school or district carnivals, or club level. Nomination packs will be available to students closer to the date of the carnival. Please note therefore, that a placing in a race at the District carnival no longer automatically qualifies students for the Regional carnival – the only way students can attend that carnival is by following the nomination process.

Dates to know: upcoming

9 February: Northern District Swimming Carnival
21 February: Regional Swimming Carnival
Please check the calendar for all trial dates.

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

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

STEP

News from STEP

Welcome to 2018 STEP – Student Enrichment Program. We offer a variety of targeted curricular and extra-curricular activities to our students over 4 terms every Wednesday in Lesson 4, for all students in all year levels. The purpose of STEP is to:

Provide opportunities for all students to participate in meaningful activities that provide personal enrichment through targeted curricular and extra-curricular activities to achieve identified outcomes.

Years 7, 9, 11 and 12 are required to participate in specific programs during Term 1, therefore only Years 8 and 10 have the opportunity to select the activities that they want to do. They did this through a ‘Sign on’ process at an assembly in the Sports Centre on Wednesday afternoon, 24 January.

We emailed the student information letter to Years 8 and 10 students and their parents/carers on Monday afternoon, 22 January. This letter is about the STEP activities offered for the Term 1. The printed information letter is also available from the school front desk for anyone who is not able to access such information from their email.

Once students have chosen an activity they will remain in that activity until the term ends. The expectations on student behaviour during STEP class are the same as their academic classes. This includes good behaviour, active participation and promptness in their activities. We trust our students will enjoy the opportunity to engage with an activity.

Happy STEP,

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

CULTURAL DIRECTOR

Cultural Director Report

Welcome

Welcome back to a new school year, and a big welcome to all of our new students. 2018 is shaping up to be another exciting and productive year for the Cultural program at Centenary SHS. At the end of last year we said goodbye to another group of senior students, whom we thank for their contribution to the program and wish them all the best with their future endeavours. To all of the new students and parents/carers we say welcome, and look forward to meeting you in the coming months.

Alumni Concert

One of our past students, Zoya Sarapa, is organising an alumni concert to raise money for the Arts department. It should be a fantastic night with past musical students showing their skills. The concert is on Saturday 3 March in CPAC and tickets are available from the address below.

Teachers

Our instrumental and choral teaching team remains the same for 2018 with Fiona Harvey, Damon Lougheed, Madison Dedini, Matthew Hoey and Alex Van den Broek all back for another year.

Major Events

Some of the major events occurring this year include:

• Junior Instrumental Music Camp (Week 8 of Term 1)
• Senior Instrumental Music Camp (Week 1 of Term 2)
• Fanfare
• The Addams Family Musical

Contact

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

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

FACULTIES

English Report

Welcome to a new year at Centenary State High School, especially to our new students in Year 7 and others who have come to us from other schools. This is a great place to be.

I want to congratulate our recently graduated Year 12 students and express my pride in their outstanding achievements and success in their chosen pathways.

The English staff has been putting a great deal of effort into planning and preparing for your students as we continue to refine and improve our delivery of the Australian Curriculum in Years 7 – 10. We aim to support all students in their learning and will work with your children to develop and extend their confidence and ability in both written and spoken English skills.

The English Department Assessment Calendar will soon become available on One School and I encourage all parents and carers to become familiar with the due dates for assessment. In addition, I will soon email all families a copy of your child’s English semester overview which gives an outline of the English work your child will study this semester, along with details about assessment dates. Your child will also have a hard copy of this document. This overview document will help your student to develop time management skills and good study habits.

One great study habit that we require of all students is the need to draft assessment responses so that teachers can provide meaningful feedback. Please refer to pages 131-134 of the student diary for information about the assessment policy. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

It is important to all of us in the English Department that our students are enjoying their learning. If you have questions, concerns or your child is experiencing difficulty, please feel free to contact me or the classroom teacher, the Year Level Coordinator or a Guidance Officer. We are happy to support students and to address problems early.

I would like to welcome our new members of staff to the English Faculty: Stephanie Corless, Peter Claire, Will McKenna, Lucy Gummow, Nicole Roe, Amanda Beer and Liza van Soelen. We also welcome back Michele Chadwick who returns to us from leave.

We are looking forward to a happy, exciting and successful 2018.

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

YEAR LEVEL COORDINATORS

Year 12 Report

For many students, the Year 12 journey will represent both the best and worst of times.

“Best” because it’s time for our students to start reaping the rewards of their hard work. If all goes to plan, students should be settled in study pathways that are leading them to where they want to go in their post-schooling lives, which are now so tantalisingly close. Ideally, they are tackling their studies with a new level of maturity and engagement, supported by friends and teachers with whom they have bonded over the past four years. It’s an exciting time.

So what about the “worst”? Let’s face it: in most cases, Year 12 is a stressful period for our young people, and we would be negligent to pretend otherwise. Concepts that may have seemed like vague abstracts before suddenly become urgent imperatives. Or, to put it another way, stuff gets real. Career pathways, academic results, tertiary study choices and other post-schooling issues are imbued with a new level of importance as graduation looms.

Our Home Group program will reflect this. The cohort will be visited by guests from universities, TAFEs and other tertiary providers. Our Guidance Officers, Police Liaison, School Nurse and other support staff will be involved, as always. QTAC will be a major focus, and obviously the QCS test looms large. However, my intention is that the Home Group program will be less packed than in previous years, with several stress-busting sessions devoted to games and exercise, and study sessions around exam periods. We need to focus on what matters.

Our 2018 school leaders have a particularly big year ahead. Best of luck to School Captains Nina Sarapa and Josh Hansberry, and Vice-Captains Khalela Romano and Liam Sands!

We are currently in the midst of selecting our Year 12 Student Leaders, who will represent the cohort in the whole-school Student Forum. Additionally, we are forming the Year 12 Council. The Council’s role is to organise events specifically for the Year 12 cohort, like the Formal and other end-of-year celebrations.

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

Terry Oberg, Year 12 Coordinator
Email: tober11@eq.edu.au

Year 11 Report

Welcome back and a warm welcome to our new students and their families. I am pleased and proud to be continuing as the Year Level Coordinator for this awesome group of young people.

HG teachers

I would like to welcome Richard Magoffin and Liza Van Soelen to our fabulous team of HG teachers.

CU11A - Mr Magoffin
CU11B - Ms Ringrose
JA11A - Ms Kilgour
JA11B - Ms Donaldson
MO11A - Ms Caruso
YA11A - Ms Van Soelen
YA11B - Ms Nicolson

The HG teachers will be providing an incredible support to your child as they travel through their final two senior years.

Student Leaders

Congratulations to Miranda Callum, Bank Chotrueng, David Dau and Mollie Taylor who were appointed as Year 11 Student Leaders and will be our representatives at the Student Leaders Forum. In this position they will represent the voice of the Year 11 students and raise and discuss issues that affect our year level. In this role their job will be to create leadership teams who will work on organising various activities for our year.

QUT Future Leaders 2018-9

I’m extremely proud to announce that Miranda Callum and Mollie Taylor have been successful in their application to be part of the QUT Future Leaders program for 2018-19. Miranda and Mollie will be involved in a broad range of activities provided by QUT including academic opportunities, networking, social justice and community engagement and exclusive invitations to QUT events. Congratulations Mollie and Miranda. It was my absolute pleasure to support their application.

Miranda Callum and Mollie Taylor

All the best for a fantastic year. I look forward to working with you to support the educational and personal endeavours of your child. If you would like to discuss any aspect of your son or daughter’s developments at school please don’t hesitate to contact me on 3373 4593 or email on bfurl1@eq.edu.au.

Berenice Furlong, Year 11 Coordinator
Email: bfurl1@eq.edu.au

Year 10 Report

Welcome to Senior School! Another BIG year ahead for students with Leadership Camp, Work Placement (Experience) and SET Planning. There will be a number of Parent/Carer information sessions over the course of the year, which I encourage you to attend if possible. At the time of writing, we have yet to see all our new Year 10s in their white shirts. The Year 10 mentors were on board however, on Monday 22 January and they looked very swish in their senior uniforms. I’m sure some of them have also grown even taller over the last six weeks! These young ladies and gentlemen did a fantastic job of assisting our newest members of the school community (the Year 7s), find their feet on their first day of high school. They are to be congratulated on the commitment they display in this role. Thanks to Josh, Sarah, Casey, Samuel, Tia, Yvette, Sarah, Isaac, Dru, Imogen, Aria, Jack, Laura, Frankie, Ismahan, Emily, Emma, Will, Laura, Alexandria, Chelsea, Charlotte, Patricia , Amy, Isabelle, Ellie, Kahli, Anna , Lily, Alex, Jade, Nyajimma, Lily, Shaina, Nathan, Katie Lee, Tom, Clara, Diana, Saer, Jenn, Kim, Darren, Alisha and Sean.

Year 10 Mentors 2018

We welcome three new Home Group teachers this year. Lucy Gummow (MO10A), Patrick Bruck (CU10B) and Ryan Linneman (MO10B). Many thanks to Peter Winn who has been a great member of the HG teaching team. We also welcome Amada Beer to the team, whilst Alison Williams (JA10A) is on leave for Semester 1. Over the course of a number of Home Group Teacher preparation meetings before school resumed, teachers studied the results and other data from last year relating to their individual groups to establish how best to assist them again this year. We also went through the results of the ACER Student Wellbeing survey that was conducted late last year, as well as the school-based survey we conducted. The gathering of this type of data assists in planning and provides a focus for targeted support for all students.

The focus for Term 1 is Leadership. There are many exceptional students within this cohort and we wish to continue to foster their leadership skills and aspirations through a number of initiatives again this year. Unlike in the Junior School, we will no longer have Home Group ‘Reps’, but we will establish a Year 10 Council. This group will steer the various year level activities on behalf of the cohort and will represent their interests and ideas. Four additional positions will also be available on the whole school Student Forum. Along with the mentoring program, there are again a number of valuable opportunities for all students to become involved in leadership. The various faculties also have a number of similar initiatives. The skills acquired through being part of a working group, such as attending formalised meetings, conducting peer surveys and interacting with members of the wider community will serve these young people well later, as they navigate their futures.

Please contact me or Kelsey Oakes, if you have concerns regarding the welfare of your student.

Debra Mansini, Year 10 Coordinator
Email: dmans17@eq.edu.au

Year 8 Report

Welcome back to 2018. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Kate George and I have the great pleasure of being the Year 8 Coordinator for 2018. I am looking forward to getting to know the Year 8s and assisting them with the next step in their educational journey.

We have started the year on a high note. We had our orientation day on the first day back. The purpose of this day was for the students to become familiar with their new HG classes and their new HG teacher. The Year 8s spent the day engaging in getting-to-know-each-other activities, receiving their timetables and diaries and setting their goals for the upcoming year. We ended the day with a set of HG challenges with MO08A being crowned the winner. It was positive to see the students support and encourage each other. A great start to the year.

This term is busy for the Year 8s. There are a number of different events and activities the students will be engaging in along with their daily routine of classes and curriculum. We will be finalising our Forum Leaders in the next couple of days. We had some great applicants this year and choosing the final four has been a tough decision. The focus for our HG program this term is on Digital Citizenship. To build on the learning experiences in this unit, the theatre company ‘Shake & Stir’ will be visiting in Week 6 to perform their show ‘Unfiltered’, which focuses on cyber awareness. Students will be receiving more details on this presentation closer to the date. We will also be participating in the annual ‘Clean up Australia Day’ later in the term. Looking forward to an exciting Term 1 for the Year 8s.

Kate George, Year 8 Coordinator
Email: Kgeor38@eq.edu.au

Year 7 Report

What a wonderful week it has been in Year 7. As I watched the first group of Year 7s move up to our senior school as Year 10s and join the Year 11s as mentors for the newest Year 7 group, I was struck by how quickly students grow and develop during their time here at secondary school. The young people sitting in our classes this week with their too big shirts quickly become young adults. As Year 7 teachers, we have the great pleasure of watching all this unfurl.

If you have not yet received an email from me, please contact the office and update your email address, as this is the predominant way that I will send home communications. This week, my article will repeat some of the key messages that I have sent home via email. Your first port of call should always be your child’s home group teacher and you can find their email in the school diary. The role of the Year 7 Home Group Teachers and Year Level Coordinator is that of skilled transition teachers, and I believe that your students have access to the very best our school has to offer, with teachers that are committed to providing a safe, respectful and disciplined learning environment for students and staff, and where your students have opportunities to engage in quality learning experiences and acquire values supportive of their lifelong wellbeing.

We are looking forward to working in partnership with you to ensure our youngest and newest high schoolers achieve their maximum potential. We recognise that in order to be successful in school, our young people require clear and open communication between home and school. Strong partnerships between home and school make a significant difference in your child’s education. As partners, we share the responsibility for our young people’s successes and want you to know that we will do our very best to carry out our responsibilities. Your students’ teachers will be in contact over the next few weeks and we strongly encourage you to contact them regarding any significant information that you feel might assist us in their learning journey. Communication with your teachers, the people your child sees every day, is a vital key to their success.

We ask that you guide and support your student’s learning by ensuring that they:

1. Attend school daily in full school uniform and arrive on time, ready for the day’s learning experiences
2. Complete all home tasks given by teachers
3. Share school experiences with you so that you are aware of their school life
4. Inform you and us if they need additional support either academically or with regard to their social and emotional wellbeing
5. Know that you expect them to succeed at Centenary SHS!

It is my great pleasure to start students on their educational journey as their Year Level Coordinator, and I look forward to getting to know you all this year.

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

NEWS FROM THE P&C

News from our P&C

Welcome to the 2018 school year – especially to the new Year 7 students and their parents/carers. We trust your child is settling in well to high school life.

The P&C had a very successful 2017 with funds raised for the benefit of the students of Centenary State High School. The year saw an initial contribution of $20,000 toward air conditioning (with another 2 annual contributions of the same amount to follow), the purchase of a new piano for the Arts Department, the successful application for a grant to upgrade the long-jump pit and completion of the design stage of an upgrade to the canteen.

We are keen to repeat this success in 2018 and to provide much needed funds to provide facilities and equipment for the benefit of all students. However, to do this we need your help – we need more members to ensure the ongoing success of the P&C.

We understand how busy people’s lives are – all our members also work, have small children or other commitments (or a combination of all of these) – but just a little help goes a long way to benefit the facilities for your children.

How can you help?

Become a member. You can choose to stand for election to the committee or just come along to some of our monthly meetings and have your say – it’s up to you how much time you commit – we appreciate anything you can give. Download our Membership Form.

Become a volunteer. We run several fund raisers throughout the year and any assistance with these is greatly appreciated. This could be as simple as giving 2 hours to a Bunnings Sausage sizzle once or twice a year, helping out on the evening of our annual Trivia night or helping with the planning, or volunteering in the canteen for a few hours a week, month or term. Download Parent Involvement Form.

Have a special skill? Skills such as art, graphic design, printing, project management, grant writing and many more, help us with many of our fundraising and project activities. If you have a special skill and would like to help for just a few hours a year, your time would be very much appreciated. Download Parent Involvement Form.

Our next meeting is Wednesday 21 February at 7:00 pm in the school’s Resource Centre. Please come along and learn more about the P&C.

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

COMMUNITY NOTICES

St Cats Sign on for 2018 season

Celebrating 40 years as a local, community club!

Registrations now open for the 2018 soccer season. Teams for all ages from minicats (3 to 5 year olds), U6 through to senior men and women.

Littlies stay local and play at Peter Lightfoot oval until U9.

Sign on days:

Saturday 3 February, 8.00am to 3.30pm, Park Village Shopping Centre, Horizon Drive, Middle Park

Saturday 10 February, 8.00am to 3.30pm, Mt Ommaney Shopping Centre, Dandenong Rd, Mt Ommaney

Pre-register via the link belowand pay at one of the sign on days to receive the EARLY BIRD discount. Fee and other season information is available on our website below.

The UQ Hockey Club Sign up Day