18 October 2018 Volume 20 Number 10

PRINCIPAL

News from the Principal

Welcome back to Term 4 to all members of the Centenary SHS community. I trust that all our students have had a relaxing break and are ready for the challenges of Term 4. The Year 12s in particular have a busy schedule over the next few weeks with final assessment before the signature events around graduation. It is essential that our seniors maintain their focus on their studies and continue to strive to improve in their results as there is still time to make a difference in their academic outcomes.

I look forward to meeting many of you in the number of community events we are hosting over the next few weeks.

Term 4 Staffing (accurate as of the time of writing)

• Emelie Watson replacing Karyn Abraham
• Constantinos Koudounas replacing Eddy Lai (from Week 2)
• Liza Van Soelen continuing in English/Humanities.
• Amanda Beer continuing in SEP.

2018 NAPLAN Summary

The 2018 NAPLAN results were released late last term. Our results were strong and above State Means in all key elements. Writing continues to be our greatest challenge although this is representative of state and national trends. The relative gain data is impressive with the school improving student performance above expected state mean gains. We continue to review the data and it will inform our literacy strategy moving forward.

China Trip

The Confucius Institute at QUT provided me with a terrific opportunity to spend 14 days in China with other school administrators in late September. The trip although busy, allowed me to reacquaint myself with the richness of Chinese Culture and to witness pedagogical and structural approaches to Chinese schooling. The trip certainly reinforced in my mind the absolute importance of China to Australia’s future. With tourism numbers predicted to triple in the next few years, increasing trade links and an expanding Chinese influence in the Asian Pacific our students will be well served with increased cultural understanding and language proficiency.

Data Snapshot

The Next Step Survey is the State’s annual data collection process regarding the destinations of a school’s previous years Year 12 Cohort. It is important as a planning mechanism to ensure that the Senior School subject offerings align with likely destinations. Of our 2017 Cohort 89.1 % are engaged in education, training or employment. The concerning data here is the proportion of former students in part time employment – whilst many would be using this part time status to support study I suspect that quite a few would be looking for full time employment.

Electronic Devices

The student use of mobile phones in the school is a privilege. My belief is that the advantages of mobile phone use in the school setting, outweighs the obvious disadvantages. Mobile phones however need to be used responsibly and must not compromise the learning environment of the school. To that end, mobile phones need to on silent and out of sight during class time. Accessories such as ear phones are not to be worn around the school as it limits an individual’s ability to hear directions.

Sun Safety

With the warmer weather, it is timely to remind our families of our Sun Safety policy. All students on the oval and court area must wear a sun safe hat. In HPE classes, students are expected to wear a hat but in the circumstances where it is not practical due to the nature of the physical activity, sunscreen must be applied.

Student Success

Congratulations to Aria Daniels and Dru Callaghan, Year 10 Chinese Excellence students, who spent the holiday period in Jiangsu, China as part of an EQ fully-funded two weeks study tour to Jiangsu, China.

Additionally congratulations to Year 12 Students, Sam Wallace and Josh Hansberry who have been awarded Certificates of Community Service by the Order of Australia Association for their respective outstanding contributions to the Centenary SHS Community.

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

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Newsletter Articles

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

News from the Deputy Principals

Centenary’s 20th Annual Presentation Evening

An evening of great pride for the school, parents and students, our 20th Presentation Evening will take place on Thursday 1st November 2018. Centenary SHS will recognise the many achievements of our students in the areas of Academic Excellence, Sporting Excellence, Cultural Excellence and Community Service and Citizenship.

We invite you to join with us in recognising your student’s achievements through 2018. Our Presentation Evening will be held in our Sports Centre at the school, with all parents and carers asked to be seated by 6:50pm on this evening, for a 7pm start.

Last term all students were asked to check lists of award winners which are displayed on the windows of the Resource Centre. If you feel your student is yet to check these lists, please ask them to check the lists this week or see Deputy Principal Mrs Griffith, to confirm.

Our Academic Awards include Gold, Silver and Bronze level awards. Gold and Silver Awards are presented at our Presentation Evening, whilst Bronze Awards are presented at year level Assemblies, after the Evening. Students generally need to have achieved combinations of A and B grades on their Semester 1 Report to receive one of these awards. Subject Awards are also awarded to the highest placed student, in each Year 11 and 12 subject that is graded on an A-E basis.

Sporting and Cultural Awards are based on criteria related to achievements throughout the year. Students nominate themselves for Community Service and Citizenship Awards during late Term 3.

We look forward to celebrating with you the achievements of our students on Thursday 1st November.

Any queries – please contact Deputy Principal, Sallyann Griffith on sgrif88@eq.edu.au.

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

Clearance Forms

This week all Year 12s were issued with the “2018 Clearance Form”. Students are required to complete this form and return it to the office by the due dates listed below. This process ensures that resources borrowed from the school are returned and accounted for. These items may include textbooks, library books, musical instruments and other equipment that will be required in 2019.

This checklist also gives parents/carers the opportunity to update personal details, explain any outstanding absences and finalise any outstanding fees that may be on the system.

Please note: Year 10s and Year 11s will receive their forms at the end of October.

The following important deadlines are outlined for Years 10, 11 & 12 students.

*Due dates can be extended if items are required for assessment.

NOTE FORMAL ATTENDANCE: A condition for attendance to the FORMAL and/or MYSTERY TOUR is the return of the completed 2018 Clearance Form.

Years 7, 8 and 9 Clearance Forms will be issued in early November.

Statements

Statements will been generated and emailed (or posted) this week. All fees relating to the 2018 calendar year were due on 31 July, unless you have entered into a payment plan. Please note that these statements will not include the 2019 Student Resource Scheme. The 2019 fees will be generated and emailed shortly.

If your family is experiencing financial difficulties, please contact the school office to make alternative payment arrangements.

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.

Office Closure Times for Counter Payments

The office will be closed for over-the-counter payments from 23 November 2018 and will re-open Tuesday, 22 January 2019. In the closure period, invoices can be paid by any of the BPOINT options.

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

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT AND INNOVATION

School Improvement and Innovation

Philosophy

Engaging in philosophical thinking is an incredibly useful activity. It requires you to question ideas, reflect on the reasons why you hold particular opinions and challenges you to attack problems from different angles; putting aside your bias or pre-dispositions. Philosophy is for anyone with a brain and a pulse. Some students will get an opportunity to develop their philosophical thinking in online BSDE programs, some students may choose to engage in a philosophical discussion at lunchtime, while others may choose it as a STEP activity. Eight keen philosophers participated in an interschool philosothon earlier this year. This is what they had to say about it:

When you were four, your parents were probably faced with the most difficult time in their lives. Aside from the usual issues of biting, crying, falling and eating, the constant question of ‘why’ was a battering ram in their ears and a strain on their nerves.

As life continues this condition often becomes dormant but, given the right environment, it can resurface. Centenary State High School, being a strong supporter of the health and wellbeing of parents, selected some students afflicted with this condition, to take part in the Queensland Philosothon, where they could share their ideas and highly contagious curiosity with like-minded students from schools from across Queensland, many of whom had travelled some distance in order to take part.

Ms Petrie, who suffers from the same love of knowledge, took it upon her herself to instruct the students, preparing them for competition and putting up with their badgering. The two teams, to be frank, could not have made it without her. While not taking home any trophies this year, the students developed valuable philosophical skills and had a wonderful day.

A love for learning is contagious, so if you know somebody similarly affected please inform Ms Petrie immediately so that we may rope them into this amazing opportunity next year.

Isabelle Lightbody, Year 10

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

CATSIES COORDINATOR

News from our CATSIES Coordinator

The Great Centenary Book Swap is coming. We need your help to raise money for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation to close the literacy gap in remote Australia. The Indigenous Student Leadership Council is calling for donations of books that you don’t need any more, which are still in good condition. Send your books in to the school office by week 5. We will be holding a book swap day in Term 4, on which students can choose from the donated books for a gold coin donation. The money raised is used to buy carefully chosen books for children in remote communities who don't have any. We also have a fundraising link where people can make direct donations:

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

DIVERSE LEARNING DEPARTMENT

News from the DLD

Term 3 in DLD has been eventful, educational and fun! Below are just some of the many highlights for the term.

This term Centenary SHS and Mt Ommaney Special School (MOSS) teamed up to provide students with a great opportunity for practical learning. This initiative is part of an ongoing cooperation between the DLD and MOSS. A group of Year 12 Centenary students visited MOSS in weeks 3, 6 and 9 to assist in running the onsite MOSS op-shop. The purpose of this was to provide training and work experience in retail as well as practise in money handling and customer service. The students benefited enormously from this experience, whilst having a lot of fun in the process. A huge thank you to MOSS for hosting our students, we look forward to continuing and growing this partnership into the future.

They Pass, They Shoot, They Score! The much anticipated Gala days between Centenary SHS DLD and Kenmore SHS SEP were again a huge success. In Term 2 Centenary travelled across the river to Kenmore where they played a round robin touch tournament. It was a fierce competition but Centenary continued their hot streak against Kenmore, coming home with the win and another trophy for the shelf. The boys played with enthusiasm, skill, and demonstrated admirable sportsmanship.

As Term 3 rolled around we were met with yet another huge day in the DLD calendar, Gala day 3. The day was filled with friendly basketball, a delicious sausage sizzle, and positive energy. The day could not have been possible without the ongoing support of coaches Mr McKenna, Mr Freeland and Mr Pepper. A special thanks to Mrs Norfolk, Mrs Jarvis and Isobella Surawski for producing a beautiful lunch for all. Well done everyone!

Term 4 brings another exciting event to DLD, the primary school transitions. Students from various local primary school will attend Centenary SHS Wednesday mornings for four weeks in the first half of term 4. Students will experience a general orientation of the school, become acquainted with teachers and support staff and learn to read high school timetables. Students will have an opportunity to participate in high school taster classes, such as manual arts, home economics and physical education. Students will be welcomed and guided by our fantastic transition coordinator, Mr McKenna. The DLD can’t wait to meet them!

On behalf of the DLD team, congratulations students for a fantastic term 3. We cannot wait for a bigger and better term 4, bring it on!

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

GUIDANCE

News from the Guidance Officers

Queensland Mental Health Week (6 to 14 October) is an annual event that aims to raise community awareness and interest in mental health and wellbeing. The themes this year were informed by the Wheel of Wellbeing which involve six actions that have been proven to improve wellbeing in everyday life.

The theme for 2018 is to value mental health – with six steps

1. Be active – do what you can, enjoy what you do, get moving and improve your mood
2. Keep learning – embrace new experiences, recognise opportunities, surprise yourself
3. Connect – talk, listen, be there
4. Give – your time, your words, your presence
5. Take notice – remember the simple things that give you joy
6. Care for our planet – it’s the home we all share

Teaching adolescents to improve their own mental health may enhance other aspects in life such as academic results and relationships with others. The Centenary State High School’s Wellbeing staff (Guidance Officers, the Chaplain, the School Based Health Nurse, and the Youth Services Co-ordinator) with assistance from the Student Wellbeing Ambassadors, organised a week of fun practical lunchtime activities to teach young people about the aforementioned values. Activities included: be active (skipping); keep learning and care for our environment (scavenger hunt); give (perform a good deed for a teacher); connect (get to know you games) and take notice (colouring in, relaxation and mindful eating).

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

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

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

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

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

A message from Chappy Bernie.

How to be happy

The art of making yourself happy is something we can all learn and practice. No one is happy 100% of the time. Life has its ups and downs. Even so there are some sure fire ways to increase your happiness.

1. Don’t wait to see if you are having a good time. Instead of going to places and seeing if it is fun decide in advance to have fun regardless of the circumstances. Enjoy the day regardless of the weather. Make the most of the occasion regardless of the company.
2. Go outside and play. You were told to do this as a kid and I’m telling you to do it again, play more. Go for walks, throw a dog a stick, skip, sing loudly or imagine yourself to be a spy passing through enemy territory. Whatever does it for you. Make a promise to play more.
3. Develop deep friendships. Your friends are your true wealth, value them and see them regularly, let them know how important they are to you. Most people only have two close friends so don’t fool yourself into believing you are less popular than most people.
4. Increase the closeness of extended family. Keeping in close contact with your family gives you a support base for difficult times and also strengthens your sense of where you come from. Feeling you belong in a family is a powerful way of being happy.
5. Play to your strengths. Have a good long hard look at yourself. What are you good at? Make a commitment to develop your skills, talents and abilities as much as you can. If you don’t develop your own unique talents the world misses out.
6. Seek out groups that most strongly value what you have to offer. Finding the niche where your abilities are valued is the basis of success.
7. Avoid social groups where your unique attributes are not valued. Not everyone is going to like you or think you could amount to much. Get used to it. Accept that it is so, and then get out of their way.
8. Live in the dreamtime. Find and follow your passions. Dream big dreams and make a promise to yourself to live a wonderful life.
9. Laugh a lot more. Find people, shows, books, films and situations that make you laugh and surround yourself with them.
10. Have something bigger than yourself to believe in. Think about the contribution you can make while you are on this planet and do it.
11. Love as much as you can- and then love some more.

Copyright Andrew Fuller

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

SPORTS DIRECTOR

Sports Director Report

Awards Night

Thursday 1 November is the Centenary SHS Annual Presentation Evening which incorporates the sports awards. Students have been asked to check the sports noticeboard to confirm their sporting involvement throughout Term 3 in 2018. Students that have qualified for a Silver or a Gold Award will be presented with these on Awards Night. The final list of successful students has been posted on the noticeboard this week. If you have any questions please contact Tamara Nasalio in staffroom 4.

AllSchools Touch Football

Students from grades 7 to 12 are currently competing in the QLD AllSchools Touch Football Championship from Wednesday 9 October to Sunday 14 October. This is the first year that Centenary SHS has entered three teams, U/15 boys and girls and an open boys team. This Championship is the largest in the world with over 500 teams competing over 5 days. Centenary SHS have been training extremely hard throughout the year and the hard work, commitment and dedication will show over the duration of the championship. This opportunity allows the students to see the best schools compete and to play against them.

Results and photos will be posted in the next newsletter after the Championship has concluded.

Swimming Carnival

In Week 9 on Thursday 6 December students in Year 7, 8 and 9 will be going to the Jindalee Pool for a mini swimming carnival. The focus of the day is for the students to compete in freestyle, breastroke, backstroke, relays and many novelty events. An information letter and permission form will be sent home in Week 2 and must be returned to HG teachers ASAP.

Spring Junior Gala Day

In Term 3 Week 10 Centenary SHS participated in the first Spring Gala Day against Kenmore SHS, Corinda SHS, Indooroopilly SHS and Yeronga SHS. Congratulations to all students who demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship and sporting ability. There were a number of new Gala day sports trialled (badminton and ultimate disc), which along with AFL saw over 200 students from CSHS compete.

Special mention to the premiership winning teams: Year 7 and Year 8 girls badminton, Year 7 and Year 9 boys badminton, Year 7 boys ultimate disc, Year 7 boys AFL and Year 8 girls AFL. A number of other teams also qualified for finals.

Thanks to all the student officials who assisted on the day and the Centenary SHS staff who have developed the skills of the students over the term.

Upcoming Dates:

November

1 Centenary SHS Annual Presentation Evening

December

6 Junior Swimming Carnival
11 Social Junior Gala Day

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

JUNIOR SECONDARY

Junior Secondary News

As we enter Term 4 of the school year, each of the Junior School cohorts are facing a very busy time ahead!

We welcome Ms Claire Tuton to the JS Year Level Coordinator team from the start of this term. Claire will be the Year 8 Coordinator in 2019, but in the absence of Karyn Abraham for most of this term, she has already begun her work with this group of students as the Acting Year 7 Coordinator. For the current Year 7 parents you will no doubt hear from her very soon!

It is hard to believe that our Year 9 students will be moving on up to the Senior School at the end of this Term! Out with the blue blouses and shirts, and in with the white! This move is quite significant as they begin their senior phase of learning. As such, the focus of the Home Group pastoral care program for this term, led by the YLC Mr Matt Redman, is on this important transition to the Senior School.

During the last week of Term 3, the selection process for our 2019 Junior School Captains began with student speeches and interviews conducted. All eleven students involved with this are to be congratulated on their presentation and efforts in this process. It is pleasing to see what depth of leadership we have within this cohort! Deputy Principal, Sallyann Griffith, the Year 8 Coordinator, Ms Kate George, and myself now have the difficult task of selecting the new Captains and Vice Captains. These will be announced on Presentation Evening on Thursday November 1. Year 8 students have a couple of opportunities during this Term to develop their leadership skills. The first of these is Y-LEAD Day, where more than twenty of our students will be working with the Year 5 students from the local primary schools. The second opportunity is Halogen Day, which will also be open to some Year 7 and 9 students as well.

On Presentation Evening students will be acknowledged for their outstanding Cultural, Academic, Sporting and Community achievements. It is the highlight of the school calendar and it is wonderful to see just how many of our Junior students are involved in their school! If you are unsure if your child is receiving an award, you can call the school office to check. I hope to see many of you there!

Angela McKay, HOD Junior Secondary
Email: amcka18@eq.edu.au

FACULTIES

APPLIED TECHNOLOGY

Junior Subject Arrangements

Year 7 and 8 Applied Technology students will notice a change in their Term 4 timetable.

Students who finished Term 3 studying Home Economics will automatically enrol into Industrial Technology and Design (ITD) and conversely, ITD students will now experience Home Economics.

Both the Year 8 and Year 7 students will change again after five weeks to another technology subject.

Year 7 and Year 8 reports will record a mark for Applied Technology which is a combined result for Home Economics and Industrial Technology and Design.

Certificate II in Engineering Pathways

Tim Newton, the trainer from Blue Dog Training, is currently working closely with the Year 12 Certificate II Engineering Pathways students to improve their prospects of attaining the nationally recognised qualification. Tim is concentrating on scrutinising the evidence that the students have recorded in their respective profiles to ensure that:

1. The evidence exists, both photographic and script.
2. Entries are accurate.
3. Entries are frequent.

Parents and students will be advised of any concerns.

CO2 Dragsters

A Term 3 STEP activity invited students to design and construct a CO2 dragster to compete in Fraser Coast Technology Challenge, convened in Maryborough. It was mandatory that the dragsters satisfied specific design criteria to be eligible to compete in the challenge. The school registered four entries, belonging to Zakera Alimi, Daniel Huynh, Imani Mohammed and Toby Bui and await to receive the results of the competition.

The remaining 16 dragsters participated in a school competition to determine the fastest racer. Dragsters were randomly selected and scheduled to compete in a series of knock out of racers.

This year’s CO2 dragster champion has been declared and for the first time, it’s a draw.

Lyna Nguyen and Khang Phan were the finalists, with Lyna recording several impressive wins in the heat events. Khang was definitely the underdog but exuded an air of quiet confidence. The dragsters launched into action with Khang taking an early lead. Lyna’s dragster suddenly passed Khang’s with a late surge but regrettably, as it approached the finish line, it veered off the main track, struck a cupboard and disintegrated into numerous pieces. A retrial was impossible, hence the shared championship.

Year 10 Hospitality Students

Year 10 hospitality students were set the assessment task of creating a “crazy shake”. The term crazy, referring to the unpredictable ingredient combinations concocted to make the thirst-quencher. Students were required to exercise their creativity to produce a refreshingly, delicious beverage which looked and tasted scrumptious. Chocolate and ice cream were two extremely popular ingredients but were often complemented with cream, nuts, biscuits or seasonal fruits. Those watching their waste line are encouraged to avoid looking at the images.

Presentation Evening

The award recipients for presentation evening have been identified and I congratulate those students for their award winning performances. As Head of Department, it is most pleasing to be able to acknowledge those students who excel in effort and aspire to achieve.

Senior Subjects

It’s crunch time for Year 11 and 12 students! Effectively Year 12 students have four weeks of class time remaining before the exam block commences and Year 11 students are faced with a little more than six weeks of lessons prior to their exams. Students need to refer to the assessment calendar to establish when items are due, organise a work schedule to manage their time effectively and commit to honouring due dates. It’s too tempting to procrastinate which ultimately creates unnecessary pressure on students to complete work. Please encourage your son/daughter to attend to their respective assessment pieces in a diligent manner.

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

SCIENCE

It’s already Week 2 of Term 4 with the end of the year looming fast on us. This is a very important term for senior students across Years 11 and 12. For Year 12 students it isn’t over until the last assessment. For students progressing with an upward trend this could mean a movement of one or more rungs in a band or moving across a band. This will require a concerted effort to ensure they continue to improve across their chosen Science discipline – Biology, Chemistry or Physics. Year 11 students need to continue to work diligently and with a strong work ethic to secure grades in the upper two bands as they stand on the threshold of Year 12. Success generally follows from confidence in your ability to achieve well. Finishing strong in Year 11 will certainly contribute to developing strong confidence.

We continue to encourage students to stretch themselves to achieve success beyond the school curriculum. We are proud of Ishaann Cheema’s success in placing in the top 200 NYSF candidates. His report below provides more detail.

At the end of Term 3 the Year 10 EXCEL group were afforded the opportunity broaden their understanding of Astronomy unit they had studied a few weeks earlier. We would like express our appreciation to Science and Mathematics teachers, Patrick Griffin and Karen Rogers, and the parents who accompanied this very eager group of students. Isabelle Lightbody’s report below provides detail about their experiences.

National Youth Science Forum

Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths. Are you a smart individual who excels in one of these areas? Have you ever thought that school isn’t enough to quench your thirst for knowledge? If you answered yes, the NYSF Year 12 Program is right up your alley. This program, open for grade 11 students, is a two-week stay at Canberra in the Years 11-12 summer holidays designed to give you invaluable experiences in the STEM field. Organised by the non-profit National Youth Science Forum, this program lets you hang out with people all over Australia who are interested in the same things you are, whilst you partake in workshops, tours, laboratories, activities, and sessions together. This program is no joke, it’s been running for 35 years and has STEM professionals come in every year to talk to the students attending. Further, only 200 people across all of Australia can make it into one session, with many more applying each year. Even if you are not interested in this program, NYSF also covers various opportunities in the STEM field that are worth considering. After a very interesting application process, I was selected to attend the program myself in January 2019. This involved filling an application online, interviewing with a Rotary Club for endorsement, and then partaking in district selections – a 5-hour session including interviews, impromptu speeches, and group activities. Based off my interactions with past attendees and fellow applications, I can vouch that this opportunity is one not to be missed if you’re passionate about STEM, or just like problem solving in general. If you want to find out more, you can visit their site:

Report on Kingaroy

As a component of the Year 10 accelerated science program of 2018, the science department organised a trip to the Kingaroy Observatory. On the 21 of September, students had the opportunity to look to the skies, and fuel their passion for leaning with James Barcly. With many years of experience in the science field, James shared with us his knowledge on stars, planets, galaxies and moons.

But before this, there was the unforgettable, 3-hour road trip to get there. Many choruses were sung. Many correct notes were misplaced. The expressive male sopranos at the back of the bus left a worrying ringing in our ears. However, when the bus came to a stop, we were all in high spirits.

After a tasty meal of pizza, we waited for the dark like mature students. Or, at least, as mature as students can be in playground for five-year-olds. Then it was back in the bus for the drive to the observatory.

The roof of the observatory rolled back to reveal a clear sky full of planets and stars. Using the three telescopes provided, we got many close-up views such as those of Jupiter and the Moon. We were also introduced to many constellations. We learnt how to find South using the stars, and (perhaps most importantly) admired the wizard robes of the instructors.

At the end of the night, we took a class photo (it was quite a task finding all the students, but our teachers did an admirable job). We got back early on Saturday morning, and I’m fairly sure some of the students were half carried off the bus. Despite this, we all agreed that the experience was well worth it, and highly recommend the experience to future students.

Allen Moodley, Science HOD
Email: amood23@eq.edu.au

THE ARTS

Welcome back to the final Term of 2018. A Term in which we bid farewell to our Year 12 students, and start making preparations for 2019. We have certainly had a very busy year so far, and Term 4 is not without its challenges. Coming up in the next couple of weeks, we have some big events so please take note of the date claimer below for details.

Vocal Ensemble

Last newsletter I reported on the fantastic job our Vocal Ensemble did at the National A Cappella Championships in Melbourne. Below is a link to a video of their performance if you would like to see how our girls performed.

State Honours Ensemble Program

Congratulations to Year 9 student Kimmi Holmes who performed at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in their State Honours Ensemble Program. Kimmi joined with students from across the state to present a wonderful concert after three days of workshops. Well done Kimmi.

Cultural Celebration

Tickets for the annual Cultural Dinner and Celebration will go on sale later this week. The event will take on a different format to previous years incorporating Year 12 performances along with the certificates, awards and announcements of the previous years. The night will take place in CPAC with a greatly reduced cost to allow more people to be able to come. Looking forward to everyone dressing up nicely as usual and a fantastic night of celebration and dancing!!

Soirees

Our end of year Soirees are happening on Thursday 18 October (Strings and Choirs) and Thursday 25 October (Bands and Percussion). Please come along and see your children performing at these wonderful performances.

Other Performances

Please check the date claimer below for any performances that you or your children may be involved with.

Date Claimer Term 4, 2018

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

YEAR LEVEL COORDINATORS

Year 11 Report

School Captain for 2019

On Monday 8 October, the Year 11 cohort heard speeches from our nine candidates for the 2019 School Captains positions. Congratulations to our final candidates: Ishaann, David D, Bank, Miranda, Chloe, Francesca, Samantha M, Daniella and Mollie for delivering such inspirational speeches. I am very proud of all of you. The 2019 School Captains are announced at the School Presentation evening on Thursday 1 November.

QCS Preparation and Transition programs

This Term sees the start of the 2019 QCS test preparation and the Transition program. Every Wednesday afternoon students sitting the QCS test in 2019 will participate in a preparatory program that focusses on literacy, numeracy, higher-order thinking and QCS test skills. Students not sitting the QCS test will be part of a Transition program. This involves preparing students for employment, work placements, traineeships and other opportunities.

Jersey update

Reminder jersey payment ($73) is due by 19 October. This will ensure that Canterbury can deliver our Senior Jerseys for 2019.

Upcoming events for Year 11s

This is a shorter term and I would encourage Year 11s to stay focused and manage their time well. It is a ‘fast and furious’ term for Year 11s. Here is an overview:

Please keep in touch and let me know if I can be of any assistance.

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

Year 9 Report

As the Year 9 cohort enters their final term of Junior School, a big emphasis is being placed on futures, leadership and the transition to Senior School.

At the end of Term 3, all Year 9 students participated in a SkillsTech Careers workshop run by TAFE Queensland to gain an insight into future careers that may interest them. This workshop was intentionally delivered at this time as a lead-in to subject selections for Year 10 that opened over the school holidays. In the coming weeks, students will spend some time in Home Group lessons creating resumes and discussing the process of applying for jobs. I am very proud to say that a significant number of students in the grade are already working part-time. If your child would like further assistance in preparing for part-time work, they are more than welcome to approach me in staffroom 4, or contact me via e-mail.

The application process for students interested in being mentors for the Year 7s in 2019 has opened this week. After announcing the positions today, we have already had a tremendous number of students express their interest. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to develop their leadership skills and establish their position within the Senior School. If you think your child would perform well in a role like this, please encourage them to apply.

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

P&C

News from our Uniform Shop

2018 Special ‘Try & Buy’ Days

For orders for 2019 year 7 students and their parents/carers

• Thursday 18 October 3-5pm
• Friday 19 October 3-5pm
• Saturday 20 October 9am-12noon

At the uniform shop next to the canteen.

Email: pandc@centenaryshs.eq.edu.au

COMMUNITY NOTICES