24 May 2018 Volume 20 Number 5

PRINCIPAL

News from the Principal

From the Principal

The school enjoyed a successful Open Day on Saturday 12 May. Whilst the day was primarily about marketing the school to our local community it also formed a wonderful celebration of our culture and programs here at Centenary SHS. A feature of the afternoon was the 300 students who gave up their time to promote the school. This in itself was a powerful demonstration of student connectedness - a key measure of school success.

Interim Report Data

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

A key target for the school this year is to have 60% of our students achieving at an A or B level in their subject results. At 55.8% we are still short of the target however with further application I am convinced we can “move the middle”.

Additional data sets indicate that the classroom environment is conducive to learning with 86.3% of our students averaging A or B in Behaviour. Our Effort data with 76.2% of students averaging A or B is commendable but also indicates that a significant number of students could commit more to their learning.

Teaching and Learning

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

SATE/QCE Update

The new Senior Assessment and Tertiary Entrance system will be implemented from Year 11 in 2019. Key changes to the existing system include:

• A new senior assessment model that combines school-based assessment developed and marked by classroom teachers, with external assessment set and marked by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA)
• A move from the current Overall Position (OP) tertiary entrance rank to an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) as used by other Australian states and territories.
• ATARs will be based upon a student’s best five subjects which can consist of:
• Five General Subjects [formerly called Authority Subjects]

OR

• Four General Subjects plus one Vocational Education and Training qualification at Certificate Three or above
• Four General Subjects plus an Applied Subject

If a student is eligible for an ATAR in both categories, QTAC will use their highest ATAR.

ATARs will be calculated by comparing student results using a process known as “inter subject scaling” as used in other Australian jurisdictions. The current Queensland Core Skills test will be discontinued.

In Term 3 our Year 10 students will engage with the new system in earnest as they work through the Student Education and Training Plan [SETP]. In this process students will determine what subject offerings will provide them with the best pathway to achieve their school exit objectives.

Parent/Carer Surveys

Earlier in the term we surveyed Year 7 and Year 11 Parents/Carers as both cohorts represent crucial transition years. Survey results are used as part of an ongoing evaluation of our practices.

Student Achievement

Our Performing Arts program continues to provide students with wonderful opportunities. Congratulations to the Centenary SHS Choir who came first in the Queensland Youth Music Awards last week.

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

Keeping Up-to-Date with School Events

Keeping parents/carers up-to-date with information about curriculum & co-curricular activities is an important part of student success at Centenary SHS. Parents/Carers are an essential partner in the learning relationship at the school.

The primary communication tool used by the school is email. Families are encouraged to keep valid email addresses on the school system so that whole-school & year-level specific messages can be sent in a timely fashion. If you need to update your email or other contact details, please see the Administration Office or have your student collect an ‘Update Your Details’ form.

Parents/Carers are also encouraged to register for QParents. QParents is a parent/carer portal that provides access to your student’s learner information including attendance, report cards, timetables and invoices. More information about QParents and how to register is available below.

The school website is a quick stop to check “What’s Happening” and link to the school’s social media accounts. The school website is accessible via the link below.

Uniform Procedures

At Centenary SHS we have a uniform policy which is endorsed by our P & C Association. It is an expectation that all students abide by our uniform code and wear the correct school uniform with pride.

We understand that from time to time there may be some circumstances where students are unable to wear the correct uniform to school. If this is the case, students should bring a note from home explaining the reason why they are out of uniform and they are to present this to the front administration office before the start of school, where they will be issued with a uniform pass for the day.

If students fail to wear the correct uniform or fail to organise a uniform pass for the day, they will be issued with a lunch time detention from their HG teacher. It is very important that students attend these detentions as failure to do so will result in the students receiving an after school detention on a Friday afternoon.

The Uniform Policy is available at:

Your assistance in helping students adhere to our school rules and procedures is greatly appreciated.

Leaving the School Grounds

Students are not permitted to exit the school grounds during the school day without permission from the Principal or relevant year level Deputy Principal. The school has a very clear process for students who may present a need to exit the grounds during the day including the scheduled AM and PM breaks. This process is outlined in the 2018 School Diary on the following pages:

• For Junior School parents and students, this process is outlined on page 145 of the 2018 School Diary
• For Senior School parents and students, this process is outlined on page 149 of the 2018 School Diary

Students who leave the school grounds without following this process are in breach of the school’s ‘Responsible Behaviour Plan for Students’ and can face disciplinary consequences.

Senior School Attendance

It is important that in the Senior Phase of Learning, the focus is on the educational program offered at Centenary SHS. This program is based on a student’s subjects but is also enhanced by the school’s HG program and STEP (Wednesday Lesson 4). Across the two (2) years of the Senior Phase, the HG program and STEP provides enhancements such as attainment of VET certificates, QCS preparation, transition activities and access to external presenters.

It is essential that students are present in all scheduled HG and STEP lessons as part of the school’s educational program. These lessons are valuable and repeated scheduling of appointments or leave passes is not an acceptable approach to these lessons.

Submission of Assessment in the Senior School

As we reach the mid-point of Term 2, our learning focus turns to the upcoming assessment period. The timely submission of assessment is essential to student success in the Senior School regardless of learning pathway. The school’s Assessment Policy and Procedure is located on pages 131 - 134 of the 2018 Senior School Diary. This policy and procedure is guided by key policies from the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA).

The failure to adhere to this policy and procedure may have a negative impact on a student’s attainment of the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) as well as Overall Position (OP) and/or VET Certification. This message is repeated and reinforced across the classroom, HG program and whole of year. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of a senior student to know the requirements of this policy and procedure at Centenary SHS and to fulfil their obligations as a learner and young adult.

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 (Year 10, ATSI & EALD)
Email: koake10@eq.edu.au

BUSINESS MANAGER

News from the Business Manager

Statements

“Debtor Statement” for school fees have been processed and parents/carers should receive these either by email or post. This statement is an overview of previous single invoices that have already been forwarded.

Please note that no action is required for a credit adjustment, this will appear as a negative amount on a statement. If you have not received a statement this indicates that there are no outstanding fees.

All fees relating to the 2018 calendar year are due by 31 July 2018. An overview of all fees and charges can be located on our website. These documents provide a detailed explanation (by subject) of Curriculum Charges and Student Resource Scheme fees and what the school provides for each of these charges.

Please note that some subjects are only timetabled each term or semester. For these subjects, invoices will be generated as required with an email advising parents/carers of the fee. For invoices generated after the due date, a 30 day account will operate.

For more detailed information please contact the individual Head of Department or Business Manager by emailing 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), 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 below 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 contact the school office first.

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.

Changes to the Payment of Excursions

This year excursions/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.

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 ill 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’s Newsletter tab to subscribe, or go directly to the link below. You will need to complete and submit the ‘subscribe’ form on the website.

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

STUDENT LEADERSHIP COORDINATOR

News from the Student Leadership Coordinator

The Student Leadership Forum has been working hard since the end of Term 1 to organise our Multicultural Week celebrations. Our goal for this week has been to celebrate and recognise cultural diversity through participation and involvement within the entire school community. In Week 6, there will be different activities and events every lunch time to celebrate the many cultures we have at Centenary – holding a cultural, free dress day on Monday, arts and crafts on Tuesday, cultural dance workshops on Wednesday and a celebration banquet on Thursday. We have collaborated with some amazing staff who have volunteered their time to teach dance routines or contribute to our craft activities and we look forward to seeing everyone embrace the spirit of the week and get involved in as many events as possible! Our goal is to raise much needed funds for refugee families in our community and hopefully, our school community will rise up and achieve our goal for this event.

We also celebrated some recent successes within our forum – with leaders from many year levels coming away with a win at recent Gala day competitions, Years 10 and 12 leaders being cast as lead roles in the school musical and debating wins left, right and centre, this student forum has really showcased the diverse talents that we have in our school and I couldn’t be more proud of their achievements so far.

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

GUIDANCE

News from the Guidance Officers

Sleep and mental health

Life constantly throws up challenges and difficulties. Resilience is the ability to manage and cope with these. It is believed that having enough sleep is an important factor in our ability to deal with adversity and the demands of a busy life. Sleep in many respects is a built in biological source of resilience and the ability to bounce back. Although the relationship between sleep and mental health is not clearly understood, we believe that a good night's sleep helps foster both mental and emotional resilience. Chronic sleep disruptions set the stage for negative thinking, depression, anxiety and emotional vulnerability.

During the day, we are bombarded with new information. Sleep gives the brain some ‘down time’ to process all of this information and store it in our memory banks. This way, it is available and accessible when it is needed. Having enough sleep improves concentration, creativity and assists with learning.

An extreme example of a difficult and stressful situation is being in a Prisoner of War camp. In a study that followed repatriated prisoners of war for 37 years, sleep was the strongest predictor of mental resilience. Whatever is happening during sleep for traumatised people, it appears to assist with the recovery from these stressful experiences. Whilst, thankfully, few people will have had the experiences of a POW, all of us experience the ups and downs of life and would benefit from accessing quality sleep in times of stress.

Poor sleep and depression are very closely linked; treating one condition will often improve the other. Given that research suggests that 60-90% of patients with depression have insomnia (and approximately 20% of people with depression have sleep apnoea), looking after our sleep to promote good mental health seems imperative. The Harvard Mental Health Newsletter states that “Once viewed only as symptoms, sleep problems may actually contribute to psychiatric disorders”. People who sleep poorly are much more likely to develop significant mental illness, including depression and anxiety, than those who sleep well.

There are many simple ways to improve sleep. The first step for many people is:

• Improve their sleep habits. A regular bedtime and waking time are essential, as are avoiding stimulants before going to bed (cigarettes and caffeine)
• Having enough exercise during the day (not too close to bedtime)
• Eating well and healthy
• Ensuring that the bedroom is quiet and dark and the bed is comfortable
• Removing all electronic screens from the bedroom is difficult for some people, but mobile phones, computers and televisions in the bedroom are a major cause of sleep disruption
• Some people may need to seek the assistance of a sleep psychologist or sleep clinic and very occasionally the short term use of medication may be helpful.

Adapted from Sleep Foundation, Cathryn Curtin, Psychologist, People Diagnostix

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

In the early 1500s in Florence, Italy, there was a huge piece of marble that many sculptors had declared as useless because of a large deep hole that was in it. There was however one man who saw things differently; he believed that is spite of this hole he could still create something beautiful.

This man was Michelangelo. After several years of hard work, he transformed that ‘flawed’ block into the magnificent statue that the world now knows as the statue of David.

Think about this for a moment. All of us have flaws and imperfections – just like that original piece of marble. Some people feel that they are too thin, too plump, too short or too tall or perhaps just not as attractive as others. These thoughts can even lead some people to believe that they are of little worth.

However, the truth of the matter is that your value does not come from what you look like on the outside; it is the beauty of your personality that will have the deepest impact on others.

Decide today to stop focussing on any perceived negatives in your appearance. Instead, work at sculpting your personality and behaviour into the best that it can be by getting rid of bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words and slander. Try being patient with each other and make allowance for each other’s faults.

If you work hard in these areas, you will automatically become a more beautiful and more loved person.

A message from Chappy Bernie.

How to build confidence Andrew Fuller

Confidence is one of the most powerful, and most elusive, qualities that create success in life.

Building confidence means that we develop the courage to try out new things. Unless we are exceptionally talented, most of us approach new activities with a slight apprehension, which is usually followed by bewilderment and confusion. Our first attempts may be feeble but if we persist we often gain a sense of mastery. If, however, someone rescues us when we are bewildered we learn that someone else can do what we cannot. This is why rescuing children when they are struggling with a new activity is toxic to confidence.

There are several steps to creating and building confidence.

Trust your child - Nothing builds confidence more than trust. One of the best ways of communicating your trust is to ask your child for help. Requesting assistance communicates to a child that you regard them as capable and competent. Letting your children cook with you can be a good place to start.

Live a bold and adventurous life - One of the best ways to develop confidence is to live an expansive life in which you do different things, eat new foods, go to strange places, see new shows or movies and try out things you wouldn’t usually have a go at. For parents/carers this means encouraging adventure and teaching safety along the way. Kids are more durable than we give them credit for.

Develop a ‘yes’ bias - This means developing a personal motto that generally says “why not?” For example, if someone says let’s go to France, you try to say, “Sure let’s find out a way we could do that”. If a child says I want frog legs and ice cream for dinner, you say, “You find the frogs; I’ll get the ice cream”.

Trust your own intuition - If you're full of self-doubt, your kids will be too. Practice trusting your intuition and hunches and follow them wisely.

Don’t fall into the avoidance trap - When you avoid something you fear, your fear grows. What is avoided looms larger and appears more daunting, what is attempted lessens in size. While it might seem like a kindness to help people opt out of things they are fearful of doing, mostly it just makes them more fearful.

“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare. It is because we do not dare that things are difficult.” – Seneca

Follow the 80/20 rule – No one is confident at everything all the time. We all have hesitations and setbacks. Aim to be bold and confident about 80% of the time. In many areas of life, it is the predominant pattern that counts long term.

Know that first past the post isn’t always the best - The person who can achieve a skill first is often not best at that skill long-term. In fact there are considerable advantages in being a little bit older when you start new activities.

Set Probability Goals - A probability goal is a challenge that includes an error margin. For example, a parent/carer might say to a child, “Let’s see if you can throw a ball into a hoop on the group 7 times out of 15 throws”. As a child becomes more skilful we might then increase the challenge of the task by moving the hoop further away and say, “Ok it’s harder now. Let’s see if you can throw the ball into the hoop 9 times out of 20”. Probability goals help us learn how to challenge ourselves and also make it less likely that we will give up if we don’t get 100% first time.

Little steps lead to giant leaps - When we focus on our strengths we build the confidence to tackle areas where we are not so capable. Most highly skilled and confident people deliberately practise skills that they are not good at. They go out of their way to put themselves in challenging situations so they can become more skilled. For example, top golfers often put golf balls into the trickiest part of a bunker so they have to develop the skills to make those shots. People only learn to deliberately practise skills that they are not so good at when someone has clearly told them that they believe in them and that mistakes are the only way to get better at something. If we can’t learn to make mistakes, we can’t learn to improve. People who make no mistakes do not usually make anything.

Build a have-a-go culture - People often express their insecurities by claiming that they can’t do something or by comparing themselves negatively with others. For example, “I am the world’s worst dancer” or “I’m no good at Maths”. When someone makes comments like these, acknowledge their feelings and help them to express them verbally. Ask them what makes them feel that way. Accept their fears or insecurities as genuine but don’t agree with their self-assessment. For example, you might say, “I get it that you are struggling at Maths, how can we work on it to make it easier? Confident people make plans to improve in areas they initially find difficult.

Be on a continual treasure hunt - devote your life toward looking for the best in yourself and in others. Focus on successes, skills and abilities. Be resolutely positive and follow the role model of Thomas Edison who after trying 10,000 times to develop an electric light bulb said, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

I hope this helps to build your confidence. If you need to talk to me send me an email on bmcmu27@eq.edu.au.

Thank you.

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

SCHOOL NURSE

News from the School Nurse

Next School Immunisation session

Thursday 31 May 2018 – Year 10 Meningococcal ACWY

Queensland Health’s School Immunisation Program is offering every Year 10 student in Queensland free immunisation against meningococcal ACWY and it is given as one injection. A completed consent card signed by a parent/carer MUST be returned to school prior to 31 May for a child to be vaccinated. Centenary SHS has already received a large number of signed consent cards for Year 10 students (during Term 1).

If you have not completed, signed and returned a consent card to Centenary SHS administration and you would like your Year 10 child to be immunised - you can print one off:

Meningococcal disease is a rare but severe infection that occurs when meningococcal bacteria invade the body from the throat or nose. Meningococcal bacteria are carried in the nose and throat of a small proportion of healthy people (in about 10%) and are spread through close prolonged contact. The bacteria are more commonly found in teenagers and young adults. There are a number of different strains of meningococcal bacteria. Worldwide, the main strains that cause meningococcal disease are A, B, C, W and Y.

Flu Jab

Influenza (or the flu) is a highly infectious viral disease that affects mainly the nose, throat, bronchi and occasionally the lungs. It is characterised by inflammation of the respiratory tract, fever, chills, muscular pain and headaches.

Most cases in Australia occur during the winter months between June and September. However, in tropical and subtropical areas, seasonal influenza can occur all year round.

Flu is not the same as a common cold, and can be a serious illness. For some people, such as young children, the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions, the flu can cause serious complications requiring hospitalisation and can sometimes lead to death.

In 2018, the Brisbane City Council will offer both a free and a paid influenza program. The vaccine is available from mid-April.

The following groups are eligible to receive a free influenza vaccine through Council's clinics: all children aged 6 months to less than 5 years; pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years or older; all individuals aged 6 months or older with medical conditions predisposing them to severe influenza; all individuals aged 65 years and older.

To find your closest immunisation clinic see:

You can also receive your flu jab by making an appointment to see your local doctor/General Practitioner (GP) and asking to have the flu vax.

Source: http://conditions.health.qld.gov.au/HealthCondition/condition/14/217/82/Influenza-The-Flu

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

SPORTS DIRECTOR

Sports Director Report

Summer Gala Day

The Summer Season Sports Gala Days concluded last Friday with Centenary SHS having great results across the sports. Well done to all students who gave their best efforts in proudly representing the school!

The Open Gala Teams that won premierships and now move into the South East Queensland Metro Finals are:

Open Girls Touch Football
Open Boys Basketball (first ever Open Basketball Championship in a nail biting final against perennial winners, Yeronga SHS).

A number of teams also narrowly missed out, playing in tightly contested finals. Thanks to all staff who trained teams. Apart from the staff, many students also assisted in officiating duties across the days and did a great job. It is very much appreciated.

Met Finals

Congratulations to all the teams that competed in the summer gala day. The teams that won the District Premiership are now competing in Met Finals. Centenary SHS had a record breaking 9 teams go through to the Met Finals.

Boys Year 8 Volleyball played Glenala SHS at Centenary SHS on Wednesday 16 May. The Year 9 Boys Volleyball team are playing in the semi-finals and hopefully the grand final on Wednesday 23 May at Boondall Entertainment Centre. Year 8 Boys Touch Football defeated Laidley SHS in a nail biting drop off and went through to the next round against Bellbird Park SHS played on Wednesday 16 May.

The Year 9 Boys Touch Football played on Monday 21 May against Cleveland SHS for a place in the semi-finals. Unfortunately, the Open Girls Touch Football team lost against Laidley SHS in the first round but they played hard with great sportsmanship.

The Year 8 Girls Softball team also played in the Met Finals Semi-Final on Monday 21 May. This team is defending their 2017 Met Final Premiership win.

Our Year 10 Boys Basketball, Open Boys Basketball, Years 8 and 9 Girls Volleyball are also premiers but their Met Finals are not until Term 3.

Winter Gala Day

Students are currently undergoing trials for the Winter Gala Day. Junior Gala Day is on Friday 22 June and the Senior Gala Day is in Term 3 on Tuesday 7 August.

Girls AFL

Congratulations to the Open Girls AFL Team who won the Brisbane South Regional playoff in the AFL Queensland Schools Cup. Across the day the team dominated most sides to earn a place in the final, where they versed Park Ridge SHS.

The girls played great football in warm conditions and didn’t give up a single point in a one sided display, defeating PRSHS by over six goals.

Centenary SHS were too strong across the park winning most of the ruck contests and our midfielders linking up well with the forwards in a seamless display. When Park Ridge did get the ball, they were shut down with awesome defence.

Well done girls! Thank you to Mr Webber, Miss Gleeson, Jake Knight and Jesse Quint for coaching the team!

District Cross Country

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

Congratulations to the following students that have made the Northern District Cross Country Team to compete at the Regional Trials.

Michael Melvin
Sean Kendrick
Olivia Boyd
Ethan Rae Cook

Athletics

Track and Field

Centenary SHS Athletics Carnival is being held early in Term 2 this year. Tuesday 22 May was the field events (Javelin, Discus, Triple Jump, High Jump for some age groups) and the 1500m. Please note that this was a nomination only process and normal classes still ran. Students had the opportunity to nominate themselves during AM breaks over the last few weeks in order to compete.

Track and Field has been the most successful sport at Centenary SHS over the last few years. We have dominated the District across all major categories, and in 2017 we earned three of the four major trophies on offer (Champion School, Boys, and Percentage). Our success has been based upon an increased focus in the curriculum, as well as providing a quality training program for students taken by our great staff as well as a range of external coaches/elite athletes. This, combined with the efforts of our students giving their all, led to this success.

2018 has seen the District boundaries redrawn, and as a consequence there are new schools to compete against. The format for the competition has also changed where it will now be more of a ‘District Trials’ focus for individuals, rather than schools also competing for team honours. This will not take away from the time and effort that Centenary SHS puts into its students to ensure every opportunity to reach their potential, both with PBs and potential representative honours.

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

Centenary SHS will also have various age group teams compete at the Queensland Athletics All Schools Championships.

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

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

Our current guest coaches include:

Hannah Joye (Speed and Jumps) – Tuesday PM

Hannah was a 2014 Australian High Jump Representative at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games (6th), PB -1.92m. Hannah will be working across all the jumps with students.

Alexandra Roberts (Throws) – Tuesday PM

Alexandra is the Australian Junior Javelin Champion having recently thrown over 53 metres. She has just been selected in the Australian Team to compete at the World Juniors in Finland in July. Alexandra also is ranked 6th in Australia in the Open Women’s event.

Trae Williams (100m Australian Men’s Champion, Commonwealth Games Representative). Trae will make guest appearances at times through the season.

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

In addition, Des Davis, Level 4 Throws and Australian Coach will also be in attendance on Tuesday Mornings.

Apart from the training, our new jumps facility has now been completed and will benefit students by having state of the art runways. Credit to the P&C for their work in securing the grant!

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

SKI TRIP - Perisher

Last call for Years 8-12 students keen to be part of the Centenary SHS Ski Trip! We have had a great response from students and the trip will definitely be going ahead. There are limited seats remaining for what promises to be a fantastic trip. With some early season snow falls, it augers wells for a bumper season. The trip is from the 7-14 July, in the second week of the winter school holidays.

Inclusions:

• Return private Coach to Jindabyne/Perisher
• 5 nights accommodation in a multi-share room accommodation in Jindabyne (Acacia or similar)
• Cooked breakfasts and dinners at the motel
• 5½ day skis, boots and poles hire or snowboard hire
• Helmet and ski clothing hire
• 5½ day all mountain lift tickets
• 5 x 2hour group lessons
• Travel insurance
• Group photo
• Memories to last a lifetime!

Contact Mr Haines, rhain0@eq.edu.au for information.

Date Claimers

May

25 - Centenary SHS Full School Athletics Carnival

June

1 - Regional Cross Country
22 - Years 7, 8 and 9 Sports Gala Day
9 and 10 - Brisbane All Schools Touch Football Championship

Reporting Results

To enable me to report on student results and to keep accurate records for sports awards, I need to know how participants went in their competitions. I encourage all students and parents/carers to advise me of their results immediately after they have competed.

Students can see me in Staffroom 4 or results can be emailed to: tnasa1@eq.edu.au

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

SENIOR SCHOOLING

Senior Schooling News

Year 10

Date Claimers

Our next parent/carer forum will be held on Tuesday 22 May at 6pm in CPAC. Please refer to the letter sent home by Mrs Oakes outlining the processes. A key feature of this forum will be the rules and conditions for the new QCS.

On Tuesday 26 June the school is hosting a “Future Options Evening” for all Year 10 students and their parents/carers. Career and subject advice will be provided by speakers from Brisbane TAFE, Skillstech TAFE, UQ and USQ. Ms Juanita Oberle will provide an overview of the QTAC process. This will be an important and key event in the lead-up to SET Planning in August.

Work Experience

Please read carefully the work experience information sheets sent home early last term. Students need to return “Form A”, providing details of their placement as soon as possible. If you require new paper work, or need to speak with a member of staff, please ask your student to visit the senior schooling office in HE01.

Year 12

To improve academically, it is important to have a plan. This includes:

• Current LOA for each subject
• Goal LOA for each subject
• At least 3 practical strategies (discussed with your teacher) to reach the goal
• Know the criteria you are weakest in for each subject (find out in your class who is strong in this area and ask to work with them)
• Be willing to help each other to improve

Techniques that assist academic progress:

• Form an after school class – share better techniques to learn or address problems together
• Ask teachers for appropriate and relevant websites, books, etc., to help your learning and address weaknesses
• Ask teachers for the format, criteria, test structure and topics for your next assessment in every subject
• Construct your own assessment piece which you can then swap and complete with the other students. Aim to do this twice for every assessment and make it as difficult as possible!
• If your subject is problem based (like Maths), aim to complete at least 200 difficult questions prior to the actual test. Ask your teacher for old questions, books, etc., that can help you. This creates automaticity and fluency

QCS Extra Support Classes

OP-eligible students have the opportunity to participate in extra support classes. These classes start at 3:30pm and conclude by 4:30pm, every Thursday in the RC. We strongly encourage all students sitting the QCS test to attend.

Please ensure you are checking the Careers Options Bulletin for upcoming events and Open Days. The School’s access code is: cent2018

School based Traineeships/Apprenticeships

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

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

FACULTIES

BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY

Year 12 Business Management

This term the Year 12 Business Management students are studying operations and marketing in the context of event management. To build their understanding of how businesses operate, we visited Brisbane’s highly acclaimed Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC). The centre has been awarded the title of “World’s Best Convention Centre”. Students were able to see first-hand how this leading business venue operates. They also visited the G20 Conference room were the G20 Heads of Government met in 2014 to make decisions on key economic and financial policy issues. The Year 12 Business students will use the information gathered from the excursion to complete a research report on government decisions regarding the use of venues in Brisbane.

Berenice Furlong
Senior Business Management Teacher

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

ENGLISH

Shake & Stir:

On Friday 4 May, our Year 12 English students enjoyed a performance of Bad Lads by the Shake & Stir theatre company. The production posed this question: are Macbeth and Hamlet villains or tragic heroes? Bad Lads included key scenes from these two great plays which will be very valuable for the students in their exam at the end of term. It is a valuable experience for young people to see Shakespeare in performance, as it adds another layer of meaning to the text as studied in the classroom. The Year 10 English classes will have their turn, in a presentation of Romeo & Juliet, on Friday 1 June.

Debating update:

Three of our four debating teams have now competed in the third round of the competition. The Year 12 team has won two from three, the Year 11s have won one of three, while the Year 10s have not yet recorded a win. Our Year 8 team has its third round this week. I am always so impressed to witness the growth in our young people when they become involved in debating: win or lose doesn’t matter – it is the experience, the higher-order thinking, the development in confidence which is where the value lies. Our Centenary SHS debaters consistently do us proud with their intelligence, good humour and impeccable conduct and sportsmanship.

Curriculum update:

The English faculty is busy planning and preparing for the rollout of the new senior curriculum in 2019, when our first cohort of Year 11s will engage with the new SATE English subjects. Ms Elliot and I will be visiting all Year 10 English classes over the next week to explain the English offerings for next year: English, Essential English, English as an Additional Language, and Literature. Details about these subjects can be found on the QCAA website. English teachers are very excited about the new subjects and we are busy planning learning experiences which we hope will be challenging, rewarding and also fun.

Learning goals:

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

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

THE ARTS

It has been another busy few weeks in the Arts faculty, with many events taking place on top of the teaching and learning occurring in classes. It is an important time in class, with students needing to be active participants in their classrooms to ensure they are on track with their learning before the busy end of term assessment period. Students in Year 12 should be working toward achieving their goals set earlier in the year; this is an important semester, as results now contribute to their summative end of year or exit result. This result goes onto the QCE and is used in OP calculations. Students in Year 11 will be soon completing their first semester of senior subjects; and now is a good time to review their outcomes. Students who are not achieving a pass mark in the course will have to meet with the Head of Department to initiate a support plan. This might mean a change of subject or a focus on a particular mode of assessment to ensure they are able to achieve. Students in Years 9 and 10 will be completing their course of study for the semester and can take this time to review their results and make informed decisions about subject choices for 2019. Students in Years 7 and 8 will continue their rotation of Arts subjects next term. If you have questions about the curriculum being studied in class, the assessment dates or would like information about subjects in 2019, please make contact with the classroom teacher or myself.

Visual Art

The senior Visual Art students have had opportunities to participate in two activities this term that link their classroom learning to real life. First was an excursion to GOMA and the Gallery of Art, where students were able to draw inspiration from the exhibits on display. The enthusiastic Years 10, 11 and 12 Visual Art students got up close and personal with the weird and wonderful works of Patricia Piccini at the Gallery of Modern Art. Students were able to build on their awareness of how and why artists realise their ideas through different visual representations, practices, processes and viewpoints. During the trip, students evaluated artworks and displays from different cultures, times and places. They analysed connections between visual conventions, practices and viewpoints that represented their own and others’ ideas. It was an amazing exhibition that created a great deal of debate and interest across the three year levels.

Secondly, the Year 12 Art students were participants in a workshop that expanded their ideas and showed new techniques for their upcoming assessment with professional artist Simone Eisler. She is a mixed media artist and sculptor who came along and shared her artistic practise with the class, and demonstrated new and interesting ways to work with materials such as hot wax, fabric, barramundi scales and animal bones. It will be exciting to see how the Visual Art and Visual Art in Practice students utilize these new ways of working into their new units of work. You can see some of Simone’s work in the local community, at Rocks Riverside Park.

The Year 12 Visual Art in Practice class has also been busy this term, finalising the design and creation of a new school mural which will be hung in the GS block. Taking inspiration from the idea of the tree of knowledge, students have been painting images onto large canvases that represent the school, the curriculum and the diverse range of learners at Centenary SHS.

Instrumental Music

The senior music students have returned from their camp at Mapleton, having spent much of three days rehearsing and preparing repertoire for the year ahead. One of the first performances for the symphonic band was for ANZAC Day, with a ceremony held at school and in the local community. I was very proud to receive many compliments from members of the community about the band’s contribution to ANZAC Day, the impeccable behaviour of the students and the quality of their performance. Well done to the members of the symphonic band!

The next performance for all of the ensembles was at Fanfare, on Monday 21 May. Fanfare is a biennial competition that all state schools across Queensland can participate in; giving each ensemble an opportunity to compete at their own level that is judged against a set of criteria. Each ensemble is then awarded a gold, silver or bronze and outstanding ensembles are chosen to represent Metro region at the next level. All of the Centenary community were invited to come and support the ensembles from here and other local schools as they competed on Monday 21 May, in CPAC, starting at 8.30am and finishing by 5.00pm. The Arts Sub-committee of the P&C ran a canteen, selling drinks and snacks on the day.

This term, the vocal ensemble performed in the State Final of Creative Generation Voices. Whilst the vocal ensemble didn’t place in the final, it was an extraordinary achievement to be selected and perform at the State Final, and something we are very proud of. The feedback from the adjudicators indicated that the ensemble had performed to an outstanding standard. Congratulations to Ms Van den Broek for her direction of the group. We now await advice of entry into the next competition, the Australian A Capella Championships, to be held in Melbourne later in the year.

The school choir, which this year comprises approximately 80 students from Years 7-12, competed for the first time in the Queensland Youth Music Awards. Performing against private and state schools from across Brisbane, the choir in their debut performance impressively finished in first place! Congratulations to the students, choir director Ms Alex Van den Broek and accompanist Mrs Carly Manche.

Film, Television and New Media

On May 9, Years 11 and 12 FTVNM students visited SAE/QANTM College to tour its state-of-the-art facilities in West End and to learn about study options in the realms of Film, Animation, Games and Multimedia. They then jetted across the river to visit The Cube in QUT’s Gardens Point campus, a cutting edge multimedia learning centre. Finally, students shot a short film in the Botanical Gardens, preparing them for an upcoming assessment task.

Student Success

Congratulations to the following students who have been nominated and successfully selected to participate in Creative Generation State Schools On Stage, the spectacular stage show in July.

Tommy Vo – Film Crew
Jordan Scott – Backstage Crew
Jacob Burbidge – Backstage Crew
Karla Camilo – Drama Performance

Musical News

Rehearsals for The Addams Family Musical are underway. Students have been given a rehearsal schedule (please contact us for a copy if you have not seen it). The musical is a part of STEP and has a levy of $50. Students will be invoiced for their participation in the show as soon as the roll is finalised and prompt payment of the levy would be appreciated. The audition process for the lead roles has been finalised, and we thank all students who took the time to learn the songs to present to the panel of teachers during the auditions. There were some absolutely stand out, outstanding auditions and we are very excited about the cast of the 2018 musical. Unfortunately, not every student who auditioned can be allocated a role and we hope that these students will still participate as active members of the cast, crew or band. Congratulations to the following students!

Open Day

The Centenary SHS Open Day was held recently, and this afforded us the opportunity to showcase to potential students what we have to offer. The fabulous Arts captains and students of our programs were excellent ambassadors for the school and were able to communicate with members of the community about what they do in class, and what the school offers them on top of their classroom education. Thank you to all of the students who participated on Open Day.

Coming up

What is Dance? Best-selling author and University Professor Sir Ken Robinson believes that Dance (and physical activity) should have the same status in schools as Maths, Science and Languages. In this excerpt from his new book, he discusses how dance improves students’ relationships, memory, concentration and classroom behaviour, as well as how dance contributes to raising outcomes in other subjects. Please take the time to read the article if you’re interested in how creativity is the key to improving student outcomes and how studying in the arts can benefit your child.

Finally, this will be my final newsletter article before I head off on maternity leave and in my absence, Mr Mark Watkins will be the acting Head of Department The Arts for the remainder of 2018.

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

YEAR LEVEL COORDINATORS

Year 12 Report

Year 12 students have had the opportunity to hear from a host of guest presenters over the past few months. Representatives from Griffith University, QUT, the University of Queensland, TAFE, Skillstech, the Australian Defence Force and the Queensland Police Service have given students valuable insights into their post-schooling options.

We are about to begin the process of assisting students through the QTAC (Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre) process. By September, students who wish to move toward tertiary studies (University, TAFE or other) next year will have created a QTAC account and decided upon their preferred study options. Please discuss this process with your student. Life-changing decisions lie ahead!

Our Year 12 Council has been very busy of late. Their major focus has been the organisation of a celebration set for 28 May, signifying the fact that students will have only 100 school days left before graduation! We will be taking over the Sports Centre for a student-directed session of quizzes, games, music and dancing.

Our new School-Based Youth Health Nurse, Kirsten Anstey, has introduced herself to each of the Year 12 Home Groups and made herself available to students in need of assistance. Kirsten and Juanita Oberle, our Senior Guidance Officer, have been busily helping students to cope with the significant pressures of their final year of study. Our School Chaplain, Bernie McMullen, has also been very active with students in need of a sympathetic ear. Their roles are often underappreciated and I would like to recognise their extraordinary contributions to the cohort.

A reminder that the Year 12 Formal is set for Wednesday 14 November, followed by the Mystery Tour. The Graduation Ceremony is set for the morning of Friday, November 16.

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 12 Coordinator
Email: tober11@eq.edu.au

Year 10 Report

As this is the first newsletter since Term 1, a warm welcome back to Term 2. Preparations are well underway for Work Placement (WP) in Week 10 of Term 3. It seems strange to be planning so far ahead, but there is a great deal of paperwork involved. Now that most of the forms have been returned, Ms Jo Cunneen will take on the mammoth task of putting the necessary structures in place for a smooth week. Thank you for your support with this procedure! As part of this process, relevant staff will, in most cases, be out on the road during that week, visiting students in the workplace. I always enjoy seeing our young people in their chosen workplace and I know my colleagues do as well. Seems a far cry from Year 7…

You may be unaware, but many of our Year 10s helped out on the recent Open Day here at school on Saturday 12 May. It is a testament of their commitment to the school that they were willing to give their time on a Saturday and we thank them all for their enthusiasm and exceptional conduct! Many of these young people are also Year 10 Mentors.

Leadership Camp is in Week 3 of Term 3. Some of last year’s Year 10s spoke to the cohort about their fantastic experience of attending Maranatha last year and no doubt inspired the group about attending on 1-3 August. You will receive (much) more detailed information soon, including costings, etc. It is a great facility, run by full time professionals who facilitate all the day-time activities. This camp is a signature event for Year 10, similar to the Semi-Formal and Formal in Years 11 and 12 respectively. Unlike Year 7 camp, this time it will be up to students to arrange what they would like to do to while away the evenings (under my guidance naturally!). All students will have opportunity to put their suggestions to the Year 10 Council in the lead up to the camp. Last year’s camp was a great success and all students who attended still speak of the fantastic time they had. In the meantime please check out the facilities yourself on their website:

We had our final ‘High Resolves’ sessions in Week 5 and I would like to express our thanks to the team from High Resolves and in particular Carrie Silver, for providing such wonderful opportunities for students to participate in global citizenship over the last 3 years. We are confident that sometime in the future, the skills and memories from this program will afford our young people some meaningful purpose.

Please contact me, Kelsey Oakes or your student’s HG teacher, if you have concerns regarding the welfare of your son or daughter.

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

Year 8 Report

It was great to see so many Year 8s helping out on the Open Day on Saturday 12 May. I have received glowing comments about the dedication and professionalism the students displayed. Thank you to those students who gave up their Saturday afternoon to promote our great school.

Our team building day is fast approaching. Last week, the students would have received their permission/consent forms. The purpose of this day is to build a strong sense of team cohesion within the Home Group (HG) classes, develop the students’ problem solving skills and further the relationship between students and their HG teachers. This team building day is an important component of the Year 8 Home Group Program which is designed to assist young adolescents in their social and emotional development. The company ‘Character Builders’ who have worked with Centenary SHS in the past to great success is leading the day.

The team building activities will run for the whole day on Monday 28 May (Week 7) at the Jindalee Jags Oval. The students are to come to school as normal and meet in the sports centre (SRC) by 8:55am to mark rolls and receive key instructions for the day. They will be walking to the oval supervised by their HG teachers. The same process will occur for the return trip to school. Students are currently settling on a theme and organising decorations and accessories for the day in their HG classes, along with creating an HG war cry. Students are to wear their sports uniform and can accessorise with the theme chosen by their HG class. Students must bring water bottles, sun-screen and hat. A sausage sizzle will be provided, but students will need to supplement this with other lunch items.

There is no additional cost for this day as it is covered in the yearly curriculum charges. Completed permission forms needed to be returned to your child’s HG teacher by Wednesday 23 May.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at kgeor38@eq.edu.au for any further clarification.

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