23 August 2018 Volume 20 Number 8

PRINCIPAL

News from the Principal

From the Principal

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

Events such as the upcoming school production of The Addams Family and the recent Science Extravaganza provide further opportunities for students.

Community Support

Over 80% of the school’s classrooms are now air conditioned. We are very grateful for the recent donation from the Jindalee Lions Club which enable us to progress our roll out.

P&C Trivia Night

Thank you to the good number of parents/carers who attended the P&C Trivia Night last week. Your support of the school is much appreciated. Funds raised go to the school’s student welfare funds which enables us to support members of our community in need. I also take this opportunity to the small but hard working members of the Centenary SHS’s P&C who provide invaluable support to the school.

School Values

Over the last 6 months we have reviewed and revised our school values on the basis of an audit recommendation from 2018. In recent years we have operated with ten school values and although they identified key aspects of how the school community operates it was a challenge for students and staff to recall all ten. With stakeholder input we have devised a simple three value platform, Aspiration, Commitment and Community which will become the school’s official values from 2019.

Digital Technology

Digital learning is core to contemporary schooling. Increasingly learning activities and resources are more readily accessible to students in the digital form. As such the school currently operates a Bring Your Own Device [BYOD] program to enable students to engage in digital learning. In Year 7 this year we have facilitated a significant focus on regular and relevant devise use to maximise learning. This has been supported through increased spending by the school on infrastructure and support. We now have an uptake in device use in Year 7 of over 90%. We intend expanding this focus across the rest of the school in 2019 although we will be recommending that students use window devices. Whilst non- window devices can be used on the school system they have presented some problems this year.

SATE/New QCE

Staff are working hard at present developing curriculum and assessment for the impending new senior system. With a 240 plus cohort we have been able to offer a good range of subjects across both the General and Applied categories. Students are currently selecting subjects for Year 11 next year which will be checked for suitability in the upcoming SETP interviews.

2018 Next Step - Early School Leavers survey

The Queensland Government is conducting its annual statewide survey of Years 10, 11 and 12 students who left school in 2017 without obtaining Year 12 certification. The Early School Leavers survey is a short, confidential survey that collects information about what young people are doing the year after leaving school.

Between August and September, students who left school early in 2017 can expect to receive an invitation to complete a web-based survey or a telephone call from the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office to complete the survey. Please encourage them to take part.

For more information, visit the link below or telephone toll free on 1800 068 587.

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

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Newsletter Articles

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

News from the Deputy Principals

School Opinion Survey

We would like to thank all of those families who have completed the School Opinion Survey this year. There is just one day remaining to provide your feedback; the survey closes on Friday 24 August.

With your access details, the survey can be completed in the link below. If you haven’t received any survey access details, please contact the school on 3373 4555 or email Anna Petrie on anpet0@eq.edu.au.

Your feedback is appreciated and it will help inform the improvement agenda of our school for 2019 and beyond.

Year 12 QCS Test

All OP eligible students will sit the QCS tests on Tuesday 4/9/18 and Wednesday 5/9/18. Students have been working hard in preparation for these important tests and have received a range of information.

One important point that students need to address before the test is the organisation of the correct calculator. QCS Test items are developed on the basis that the type of calculator used should not provide an advantage or disadvantage for a student.

Calculators with a computer algebra system (CAS), spellchecker, dictionary, thesaurus or translator function could provide an advantage to students using them, or prohibit the proper testing of some common curriculum elements.

Approved calculators

Calculators to be used by students in the QCS Test must be handheld and solar- or battery-powered. They should be able to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, square roots and powers.

Calculators must not allow access, during the QCS Test sessions, to the following functions:

• CAS
• spellchecker
• dictionary
• thesaurus
• translator

A calculator that has any of these functions — whether inbuilt or downloaded — must be in test mode during the QCS Test sessions. The test mode must prohibit access to the functions. If the calculator cannot be put into test mode, a different calculator that meets the requirements must be used instead.

Other electronic devices

All other electronic devices — such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets and wearable devices — are not permitted in the QCS Test unless permission has been granted under special provision arrangements. If such permission has been granted, students cannot rely on using the calculator function in any of these electronic devices (including mobile phones) during the test.

The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) requires all students to sign a student declaration before sitting the QCS Test to certify that the calculator they will use in the test meets the requirements of an approved calculator. Calculators are to be checked before the test.

We wish all students the very best for the upcoming QCS Test.

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

2018 Fees are now due

Thank you to the families who have paid the 2018 school fees. Your payments are greatly appreciated and go directly to enhancing the learning of your child/children.

For those families who have not yet paid, a “Debtor Statement” for school fees has been processed and parents/carers will have received these either by email or by 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. 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 Heads of Department or the Business Manager by emailing admin@centenaryshs.eq.edu.au.

Changes to the Payment of Excursions

This year excursions/camps/activities are no longer 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.

How to make a payment

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

BPOINT Option

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

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

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

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

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

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

PHONE OR COUNTER payments Options

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

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

Lost Property

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

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

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

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT AND INNOVATION

School Improvement and Innovation

A STEM education can take you anywhere. We joined over 350 schools across Australia to launch National Science Week 2018 on Friday 10 August.

We welcomed Dr Sevda Dehkhoda from CSIRO who shared her STEM career experience with students, parents/carers and teachers. An expert in rock breakage and mining engineering, she was one of just three females in her first workplace. She acknowledged that the profession is rapidly changing with a more even gender balance in university courses now.

Our parents/carers asked very insightful questions and shared some of their experience, adding to students’ understanding of potential career paths.

“It was really interesting hearing about her job and the barriers she overcame being a woman in the mines. I remember she said that one of her professors told her that education gave you tools to put in your toolbox and you can use those tools to solve any problem you can think of.” Year 7 student.

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

STUDENT LEADERSHIP COORDINATOR

News from the Student Leadership Coordinator

This week, the Student Leadership Forum hosted the most exciting fundraising event of the year – the RSPCA Cupcake Day! We had an overwhelming number of students and staff volunteer to bake some delicious treats, and for the first time in Centenary SHS’s history, they were baking for the chance to win a $20 voucher which has been graciously donated by the P&C committee. The forum planned this from the beginning of the term and they were excited to see how successful we were at raising much-needed funds for the RSPCA.

The Senior Leaders from Years 10-12 are also organising a ‘Stress-Down Week’ for senior students as they head toward QCS and exam block. They have organised a week of activities and a guest speaker from HeadSpace to come and provide strategies to manage stress and anxiety during exams. With the support of student services, this event will be a positive way for our seniors to head into their exams and we wish them the very best.

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

CATSIES COORDINATOR

News from our CATSIES Coordinator

On Thursday 9 August a small group of Aboriginal students was lucky enough to experience a whole day excursion to the Nathan campus of Griffith University. They participated in some exciting hands on activities, including creating a virtual reality reef which they then explored using the virtual reality goggles. They were able to join in an engineering activity in which they created and soldered their own circuit boards, which became a simple light. Expert professors spoke about some of the amazing STEM subjects and careers they could pursue, and we met the lovely staff of the Gumurri support unit for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. It was a fantastic day out, and we’d love to have even more students join us on the next excursion.

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

DIVERSE LEARNING DEPARTMENT

News from the DLD

Evidence-based Working Memory Training for Centenary State High Students

In line with our commitment to developing the whole child, Centenary SHS is proud to offer Cogmed Working Memory Training at our school. Cogmed is a computer based cognitive training program for improving core attention and working memory. It is offered to all families however, as this will be undertaken at home, we are asking for a commitment to 4 or 5 sessions of 35 minutes per week, over eight to ten weeks, supervised by a parent/carer.

Studies on the relationship between working memory and students' school performance show that about 15% of students in any class will have deficits in working memory, limiting their capacity for learning. We want to give all our students the opportunity to work at their full potential for learning and are making Cogmed Working Memory Training available for any student if they are willing to complete the program at home.

Working memory is that ability to keep information active in mind for a short period of time, and then use it to complete a task. The more information or complexity there is to deal with, the harder it is to remember what to do next without being distracted. Problems with attention and learning are often caused by poor working memory.

A strong working memory is essential for learning!

Research in the last decade has shown that working memory can be trained. In addition to increased concentration, there is evidence to show that stronger working memory skills can also improve students' reading comprehension and mathematical ability.

Cogmed is a highly structured, time-efficient operation that comprises seven to ten weeks of intensive training. Studies have repeatedly shown that around 80% of students show an improvement in their Working Memory, which has benefits for their academic performance.

How can you help?

Our school is proud to offer the Cogmed program. It is a great opportunity to accelerate learning in combination with other classroom and curriculum programs. We hope you will see a difference at home too – with more attentive behaviour.

Would you like to know more?

…then visit the link below.

Or contact Dr Deborah McIntyre (dmcin49@eq.edu.au) if you have questions about your child’s inclusion in the Cogmed Working Memory Training program.

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

GUIDANCE

News from the Guidance Officers

Empathy is understanding another person’s experience from their perspective. In other words, we proverbially place ourselves in the shoes of others to be able to feel what they feel. Empathy is crucial to a well-functioning society. Empathy is known to increase prosocial (helping) behaviours and as a result this generally enriches people’s lives.

I’d like to share with you an article written by a colleague of mine, Jenny Douge, from MacGregor State School which highlights one blocker to enhancing empathy in young people – video games. Her writing is thought provoking and a reminder of the importance of monitoring what our young people are doing in their spare time.

From time to time we hear on the media that violent video games do not cause violent or anti-social behaviour. Yet our instincts as parents/carers tell us that this cannot be true. Well once again, your instincts are correct.

Dr Warburton is a Senior Lecturer in developmental psychology and Deputy Director of the Children and Families Research Centre at Macquarie University. He asserts that there is abundant evidence that violent video games have a significant impact on children’s level of empathy for others. This lack of regard for other people’s pain and discomfort then causes anti-social behaviour to increase, and decreases protective bystander behaviour, because children are having hours of practice at not caring about others. We see it in real life in the community around us every day.

School communities throughout the state are working hard to increase pro-social behaviour and increase empathy and strong bystander behaviour. We cannot compete with a solid diet of violent video games. Children are gaming up to 5 hours per day; sometimes their parents/carers are too. How we live becomes a part of who we are. Our wiring changes. Children’s brain structure changes. Think carefully about what is shaping your child’s brain. Fortnite is the most popular game of our day. Fortnite is also the game that children have the most difficulty leaving. You have probably noticed that…

Dr Warburton suggests that we monitor our children’s screen time diet, in the same way that we monitor our children’s nutritional diet. Be mindful of the quantity, the quality of content, and the age appropriateness of the content. We are what we eat, but now we are also what we play. Guard your child’s gaming as if his or her wellbeing depends upon it … because it does.

There is no amount of violent gaming that is known to be safe in your child’s screen time diet.

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

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

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

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

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

A message from Chappy Bernie

Good sleep habits include:

1. Regular bedtimes - Kids may fight this, but make sure kids keep regular bedtimes during the week and allow them to stay up a little later on weekends. Children need between 10 and 12 hours of sleep each day, while teens need a minimum of nine hours.
2. A 45-minute wind-down time before bed - This includes removing TV and other stimuli, calming the child down and limiting food intake (and caffeine for teens). The wind-down time informs the body clock that sleeping time is near.
3. A bedtime routine - Have a bedtime routine, such as story reading and teeth cleaning, that signals psychologically that it is time for sleep. A set routine means that kids can predict. It also means that some children will fight bedtime so you need some good strategies in place to get kids to bed and make sure they stay there.
4. Keeping bedrooms for sleep - Bedrooms that resemble caves are recommended. It gets tricky with mobile phones and other information technology, but it’s smart to keep devices and laptops out of bedrooms at sleep-time. This goes for parents/carers too. I’ve noticed most parents/carers sleep in technology-free bedrooms (apart from a clock-radio) yet their kids will have technology-full rooms. Also don’t let kids do schoolwork on their beds. If so, they’ll begin to associate bed with work, rather than sleep.
5. Maximise the three sleep cues - These include darkness (maintaining a cave-like bedroom); lowering body temperature (baths can be good for this); and melatonin (work within their cycle).

If your kids get less sleep than they should, check out the five habits above and work out which of these you can adjust to move things in favour of them getting more sleep.

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

YOUTH SUPPORT COORDINATOR

News from the Youth Support Coordinator

ICYS YSC Reward Holiday Program

During the recent winter break, some of our students had the awesome opportunity to participate in a Holiday Reward Program delivered by the Youth Support Coordinators (YSCs) at ICYS Ipswich Community Youth Service. This was a wonderful opportunity for our students to relax and be rewarded for their significant progress throughout Term 2. The fun program unknowingly sneaked in a few life skills activities and helped develop new connections with other students in the Ipswich area.

The ICYS reward program was free for YSC clients and included “choose your own adventure” activities, outings such as the movies, ice-skating and Skyzone. Certain days were chosen and planned by the young people.

We had a great time and would like to thank our students who participated for their great behaviour, attitude toward trying new things and for the great humour they brought to the program.

ICYS is a multi-service organisation that has been providing assistance and support to children, young people, their families and their communities in the Ipswich and surrounding regions since 1983. Our school partners with ICYS to deliver the YSC program in the school, which creates a valuable link between the school and the other programs and opportunities available to young people outside of the school. The YSC Program provides school-based case management support to assist students address barriers to school engagement (school based barriers or external social emotional barriers). ICYS YSC's are based in seven schools across the region.

If you’d like to receive updates about future ICYS holiday rewards programs please contact the ICYS YSC in Centenary State High School, Skye Leo on 0431 632 760 or ysc2@icys.org.au.

Skye Leo, Youth Support Coordinator
Email: ysc2@icys.org.au

SPORTS DIRECTOR

Sports Director Report

Centenary SHS has achieved outstanding success in sport in 2018. History and New District Athletics Records have been made and district premierships have been won. The hard work and dedication of our students at Centenary SHS has paid off. Centenary SHS staff’s commitment and dedication to the sporting program and the students is outstanding and is very much appreciated.

Interhouse Lunchtime Sporting Competition

House Captains are working together to help promote physical activity and to engage students during Monday and Thursday AM breaks. Over the past three weeks students from Years 7 to 12 have competed in the Interhouse Basketball competition. The competition has already proven to be a huge success due to the large number of students that came along to compete or to cheer on their house. Curragundi has shown a dominance so far and won the Year 7, 8, 10, 11 and 12 competitions with Yallambee winning the Year 9 Basketball Interhouse challenge. Different sports will be offered over the remainder of Terms 3 and 4. The house captains have now commenced the Futsal competition and once again Curragundi have taken out the first day of competition. The winning house will be earning points toward the 2018 House of the Year that will be presented at Presentation Night in Term 4.

Year 10 and Open Gala Day

The Senior Winter GALA day was held on Tuesday 7 August where Centenary SHS was well represented in all sporting competitions. The seniors had the opportunity to compete in soccer, tennis, boys AFL and girls netball. Centenary SHS entered the most teams from any school in the association. Over 90 students excitedly boarded the buses ready for the action to begin at various venues across southwest Brisbane. Competition was fierce, with the winning teams gaining entry into the metropolitan finals. Congratulations to the Open boys AFL team who beat Yeronga SHS in the final to be crowned champions. There were also strong second place performances from the Open girls netball and a nail biter penalty shootout in the open boys soccer. Unfortunately the shootout did not go our way but what an amazing effort from all of our teams.

Congratulations to all the coaches who have been training their squads for many weeks: Mr Redman, Mr Webber, Mr Haines, Mrs Chamberlain and Mr Foster. Met Finals will commence on 22 August and Centenary SHS has had six successful teams qualify to compete at this next level. More news to come as the Met Finals unfold.

Northern District Athletics

Recently the Centenary SHS Track and Field team competed at the first Northern Eagles District Carnival. This is a new district with a mix of state high schools and independent schools. Our students competed against schools such as BBC, St Peters, Stuartholme, Kenmore SHS, and others. As a team we attained outstanding results with Centenary SHS earning 72 places across the events and 32 students were selected to compete at the Metropolitan West Championships in a few weeks. There was a great spirit across the team with students showing great camaraderie and supporting each other on the days. Being a brand new district, all first placegetters are now the record holders and our students now have 16 records! All top 2 place getters and those who meet the qualifying standards are to continue training. Training is Mondays and Tuesdays, before and after school. Our guest coaches, Des Davis (National Throws Coach), Alex Roberts (Australian Junior Javelin Champion) and Hannah Joye (Australian Representative) have been of great assistance to our students to do their best.

Since May last term, there have been over 40 training sessions available to students to attend and those who have been training consistently have seen marked improvement.

The success of Centenary SHS students is due to the hard work and dedication of Mr Haines. He drives the program and is very passionate about ensuring that every student has an opportunity to achieve. You can always find Mr Haines before school, during break time and after school out on the oval working tirelessly with our students to ensure that they are ready for competition. The students and the Centenary SHS sport department are very lucky to have such a dedicated teacher. All the best to the students that are competing at the Regional Athletics Trials on 28 and 29 August.

QLD Interschool Tenpin Bowling Challenge

Congratulations to the Centenary SHS students that competed on Sunday 12 August in the QLD Interschool Tenpin Bowling Challenge. This is the first time Centenary SHS has entered the competition and the teams have been training every Thursday afternoon in preparation for the event. Centenary SHS ended up finishing 7th which is an outstanding result. A special thank you to Jaime Robinson (Captain) and Sheena Robinson for coaching and supporting our students.

Well done to everyone involved.

Sports Awards

Presentation Night, which includes the sports awards, for 2018 will be held in Term 4. Students that have achieved a gold or silver medal in sport will be recognised on this night for their sporting achievements. In Weeks 9 and 10 of this term students will need to check the HPE noticeboard to confirm if they achieved a silver or gold and that all their achievements are listed. It is the responsibility of all students to ensure that all of their achievements are listed and the point allocation is correct.

Dates

August

22 Met Finals Round 1
29 Met Finals Round 2

September

6 Met Finals Round 3
18 Years 7, 8 and 9 Spring Sports Gala Day

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

STEP

News from STEP

Term 3 of STEP is now up and going. This term we have a number of different activities running. One of them is Year 7 Debating. Throughout this term, several Year 7 students are participating in the Queensland Debating Union’s junior secondary interschool competition. All students have thrown themselves enthusiastically into this brand new challenge, and are participating almost weekly in the competition on Thursday evenings. Centenary SHS’s Year 7s have been holding their own (and then some!) against the other competing schools in the region. Other students are participating at a school-based level by taking part in Debating and Public Speaking as their Wednesday afternoon STEP activity. They practise brainstorming both sides of complex issues, structuring an argument, researching skills, and public speaking. Interestingly, the team’s next debate topic is That Books are Better than Movies – and as you can imagine, there are impassioned cases being made for both sides! Later in the term, these students will have the opportunity to present a self-devised speech on a topic of their choosing to an audience at the school. Good work to Ms Gummow and the team of Year 7 debaters.

Kate George, STEP Coordinator
Email: kgeor38@eq.edu.au

FACULTIES

APPLIED TECHNOLOGY

Year 6 Technology Day

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

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

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

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

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

Chihata Akasaka

The school recently welcomed a small group of Japanese students from Chihata Akasaka. The Applied Technology faculty had the pleasure of hosting the students and engaged them and their “Buddies” in a Home Economics and Industrial Technology and Design lesson. Ms Reddy reverted to a classic favourite, baking and decorating a generous supply of lamingtons. It appears that chocolate is a widely accepted ingredient, regardless of cultural heritage. The mouths, rimmed with desiccated coconut, indicated that the cooking experience was both successful and delicious.

Students were initially a little hesitant about entering the workshop. I’m not sure if it was due to the sight of me or the machinery. Understanding the Australian vernacular was compounded when using technical language to convey instructions, so I was most grateful for the assistance provided by the buddies. With a mix of some electronic wizardry and basic wood working skills, our touring friends were able to produce a wind powered vehicle.

I sincerely trust the Chihata Akasaka students enjoyed their visit to Centenary State High School and returned home with a number of interesting stories to share.

Senior Subjects – 2019

The Applied Technology faculty is in the process of finalising senior subject offerings for 2019. Parents/Carers who attended the recent subject information evening will be aware that subjects are now classified as General (for those essentially interested in a tertiary pathway) and Applied (for those essentially interested in a vocational education and training pathway). Year 11 students will be required to express an interest in a selection of Applied Technology subjects. The viability of the subject will be determined by the level of interest expressed. There is no guarantee that all subjects offered in the expression of interest process will be timetabled, therefore it is critical that students engage in a wise subject choice. Contact a member of the Applied Technology faculty, should you require clarification.

Senior Furnishing Skills

A requirement of the Senior Furnishing Skills syllabus is for students to engage in a community project.

This year, we’re working in consultation with Jamboree Heights State School to manufacture furniture for their preschool students. Furnishing Skills students will work in teams to construct a table with bench seats. Our major concern was to ensure that the ergonomic considerations were correct to accommodate the clients’ small proportions. A prototype has been produced and a number of preschool students have visited the ITD department to test the concept. Thumbs up were offered, to the relief of the ITD staff. Production will commence next week.

Staffing Arrangements

Shanti Reddy’s long service leave commenced on Monday 13 August, returning Monday 3 September. Her teaching duties will be assigned to replacement teacher, Rachel McMillen. Carla Clarke will assume Shanti’s subject area coordinator responsibilities.

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

HUMANITIES/LOTE

Year 8 Geography: Mt Tamborine Field Trip August 2018 – Reports from Chiara Romano & Jack Pascoe

During Week 4 of Term 3, as part of the geography unit on rainforests, Year 8 students had the opportunity to experience a real rainforest at Mt Tamborine.

As there are a large number of Year 8 students, the excursion was spread over three days.

Mt Tamborine was a fun filled day with three separate investigative activities.

The 1st activity was a quadratic survey of a section of the Joalah section of the Mt Tamborine National Park. In this activity, we had to measure out a 4x4 metre square in the rainforest and then conduct a number of experiments. Using different pieces of technological equipment, we measured the wind speed, humidity, air and soil temperature, and soil pH. The number and variety of plants and animals was also recorded.

Our 2nd activity was to determine why Mt Tamborine was such a popular tourist destination. To do this we asked a number of tourists why they came to Mt Tamborine Rainforest. There was also a discussion about some of the man-made characteristics of the area that supported sustainable tourism.

The final activity was a bush walk to Curtis Falls. On this amazing walk, we saw and discovered different species of animals and plants. We were lucky enough to see, at very close quarters, a pair of bright red rosella, which the guide said, was unusual to see. At the end of the track, we saw a beautiful waterfall. Then, sadly, it was all up-hill, back to the bus!

(Listed below are photos of the waterfall and two unique trees)

The trip was both a fun and educational experience for everyone to encounter.

Chiara Romano

Last week, the Year 8 Geography students visited the Joalah section of the Mount Tamborine Rainforest as part of a field trip in which we conducted primary research to gather data for an upcoming assessment task. We looked at the impact that humans have on the ecosystem of a rainforest, for example, deforestation causes erosion which washes away topsoil which would, in turn, effect the soil and stop trees from growing entirely. In our Geography lessons, we are exploring ways to reduce the effects of human activity on the rainforest while still allowing people to enjoy the beauty of the natural forest environment. We learned a lot and collected some important information. Everyone who went on the excursion loved the day, which was made even better with the help of the amazing and knowledgeable Tamborine Mountain staff members.

Jack Pascoe

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

THE ARTS

We are half way through the term and there is certainly a lot happening in the Arts department!

Vocal Ensemble Melbourne Trip

The Vocal Ensemble continues to make preparations for their trip to Melbourne for the AUSACA National A Cappella championships. They leave on Friday 7 September for their competition on Saturday 8 September. We wish them well in all of their rehearsals leading up to the trip.

Choral Performances

The choral program at Centenary SHS has been very busy over the couple of week. On Tuesday 31 July our three choirs along with a number of soloists presented a wonderful night of music to a sold out audience. Then on Friday 3 August the full choir performed at the Metropolitan Region Beginning Teachers Conference to open their event. Thank you to all of the wonderful performers, our accompanist Mrs Manche, and our exceptional choral director Ms Van den Broek.

The Addams Family Musical

After 3 months of preparation the performances for The Addams are almost here! The production of a school musical is a massive task and requires a massive effort from a dedicated team of teachers, parents/carers and students. A huge thank you and congratulations to everyone involved for a fantastic show! Saturday evening’s performance is sold out, but tickets are available for Friday night and Saturday afternoon at the following links.

Bremer SHS Combined Workshop

On Tuesday 14 August we were thrilled to welcome members of the Bremer SHS String and Band program down for an afternoon combined workshop with our musicians. Being a past Bremer SHS student, it was a real thrill to have the students join us for a great afternoon of shared music making. Thank you to Mrs Harvey and Ms De Jong who led the workshops from our end.

Black and White Ball

The Centenary All Star Band were the special guest performers at the Chapel Hill Salvation Army Black and White Ball this afternoon. All of the residents were rapt with the performance, tapping toes and dancing along. Thanks to Mrs Harvey for organizing the event and the students and teachers who played.

We look forward to seeing you at one of our events over the next couple of months.

Centenary State High School Arts Date Claimer Semester 2 2018

Mark Watkins, The Arts A/HOD
Email: mwatk16@eq.edu.au

YEAR LEVEL COORDINATORS

Year 11 Report

“Pause before you Post”

This is the message the Year 11s were given recently on our Year 11 assembly on Monday 13 August. Guest speakers from the Department of Education’s Cybersafety and Reputation Management team (CSRM) provided a one-hour information and awareness program focusing on cybersafety. The CSRM team provided information about online behaviours and digital reputation issues including police investigations.

The aim of the presentation was to make students aware of their responsibilities and expectations if they use any social media or website. It was about making sure that everyone who connects online is safe and understands the implications of posting online. It is important for students to remember that an individual’s actions online might be public, and have a much larger effect than one would expect or intend.

There are a number of great resources to help your child stay safe online. A resource provided by the Department of Education “Online awareness” provides information for parents and carers about positive online use and includes cybersafety and cyberbullying. The link is: Online awareness: Information for parents and caregivers.

As a regular online user, I need to think about my actions too. We all need to remember that social media isn’t truly private, no matter what settings are made. Using any social platform, there is a risk the information could become public. This is why I am asking students to pause before they post.

Jersey update

We have some very creative Year 11s who have shared their designs for the 2019 Senior Jersey. The students are now voting for their preferred design. The next step is to finalise their “Name” for the back of their jersey. Orders and deposits will be taken shortly and given to the supplier.

Certificate II in Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways

This year the Year 11s are completing their Certificate II in Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways. They have already undertaken the first two clusters in class on Wednesday afternoons and are currently completing Cluster 3 Communication in the Workplace in their own time. It has been recommended that the Year 11s completed this during their Wednesday flex-off time. Cluster 3 is due on 27 August either at the Resource Centre exam dropbox or electronically on the common drive Exam dropbox. Please refer to emails sent by the Senior Schooling HOD Angela Raven.

Upcoming

This term the process for selection 2019 School leaders will begin. In 2019, some of the leadership roles are on offer include:

• School Captains
• School Vice Captains
• School House Captains
• Year 12 Student Leaders
• Year 12 Student Council

Please ask your child to consider their involvement in, dare I say, their final year of school.

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

Year 9 Report

The first half of term three has been busy and productive for the Year 9 cohort at Centenary SHS, with the key focus being on strengthening team cohesion within our Home Group (HG) classes.

On Monday of week four, the entire Year 9 cohort participated in a Team Building Day at Jindalee Jags oval. The aim of this day was to boost team spirit within HG classes. In the preceding weeks, students worked busily on preparing posters, costumes, decorations and war cries for their team. On the day, the Year 9s competed in a variety of physical and intellectual team challenges including solving puzzles, leading blindfolded teammates, and team bootcamps. The effort and enthusiasm on the day was amazing and I could not have been prouder. Congratulations to Moolanda 9B who took out the title of Team Building Champions for 2018.

The remaining five weeks of HG this term are focused on Careers. Each HG class will spend one lesson with representatives from TAFE Queensland who will guide them through a career program called #discovermyfuture. This is a great opportunity for students to prepare themselves for their first jobs, and consider future subject selections.

Should you have any questions regarding your child’s schooling, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Matt Redman, Year 9 Coordinator
Email: mredm23@eq.edu.au