25 July 2019 Volume 21 Number 7

NEWSLETTER ARTICLES

PRINCIPAL

News from the Principal

Welcome Back

Welcome back from the winter vacation and I hope that all members of the Centenary SHS community have enjoyed a relaxing break. The Parent Teacher interviews in Week 2 of this term, present an early opportunity for parents to actively engage with the school. I trust that the dialogue in the interviews will be informative and that they enable your child to realise his or her educational goals.

The school holiday period saw a couple of significant school activities. A strong contingent of students and staff took on the ski slopes of Perisher. The trip was enjoyed by all and fortunately we had no broken bones! We also had a hardy group of students and staff take on the 48km Kokoda Challenge Trek. Congratulations to all involved here… the group have trained diligently over the last 5 months and certainly exhibited the programs values of Mateship, Courage, Endurance and Sacrifice.

The new semester sees a number of staff changes.

• We welcome back Claire Law, Eva Cramb and Sin Woon Thoo from leave.

Reporting and Goal Setting

With Semester 1 reports now available please take the opportunity to discuss with your child their progress. All students should set learning goals for the semester ahead. Importantly if these goals are to be achieved commitment and resolve will be required. Good routines in respect to homework and study need to be established. Parents and carers play an important role in supporting students to achieve.

School Uniform

Please ensure that your child is adhering to the school’s uniform expectations. We have a number of students who are not adhering to our tracksuit policy. The tracksuit pants can only be worn as part of the Sports Uniform during the school day. The tracksuit pants can be worm with the formal uniform only before school.

Our expectation is that all students will adhere to the uniform code as described in the school’s diary and website. During the colder months a white shirt or fleece may be worn under the uniform to provide extra warmth.

Students are to wear plain navy blue crew length socks with no logos. These socks can be purchased from the uniform shop.

Canvas and slip on shoes do not meet the school’s uniform guidelines.

The school’s uniform code is strongly supported by the school community and contributes strongly to a disciplined learning environment.

Predictive OPs

In Week 1 of this term all Year 12 OP eligible students participated in mentoring interviews. These interviews focused on academic progress, predictive OP ranges and post school pathways. The OP range, although predictive should allow students to make better decisions in regards to pathway selection and tertiary applications. Importantly we operate an opt-out policy for those students who do not want access to this data at this point in time.

Unfortunately as our Year 11’s are working in the new SATE System, we have no school or systemic historic data to provide a predictive ATAR. Students achieving at D or E level in Unit 1 however are at risk of not achieving the QCE and should discuss their pathway with Mr Richter, Ms Raven or Ms Oberle.

Student Results

As a school we set a target of 60% of our students achieving an A or B on their Semester Report. Too many of our students are content to achieve a C or in the colloquial language of the school – “make the grade”. Many of these students are capable of achieving more. As a school we achieved 54.2% A, B for Semester 1. This represents a small drop in performance from 2018 but is probably accounted for in the increased expectations placed on Year 10 and Year 11 as we engage with the new Curriculum. The Year Result summaries below although generally good indicate we have further work to complete in this regard to achieve excellence. I certainly see moving the “big middle” upwards the priority academic challenge in the school.

Congratulations to Year 7 and 8 on achieving the school target.

Students and Cars

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

• all student drivers need to register their car at the office
• other students are not to travel with student drivers unless parent/caregiver permission is received in writing at the office
• students are to park in the lower car park and not in the streets adjoining the school
• road rules are to be followed at all times

Please discuss these responsibilities with your children.

Student Success

Congratulations to the following students who represented Metropolitan West School Sport in Semester 1.

Leah Siertsema and Anya Nayar progressed to Queensland representation.

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.

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

News from the Deputy Principals

Parent Teacher Night

Thank you to those parents who attended the Parent Teacher Night this week. The connection and relationship between teachers, students and parents can have a significant impact on student outcomes. Although the Parent Teacher Night is our official opportunity for parents to meet with teachers to discuss your child’s progress, we do encourage you to contact teachers or the relevant support staff directly at any time if you have any concerns or queries.

Year 11 Processes

Towards the end of Term 2, all Year 11 students received their school report, which indicated their achievement of Unit 1. We have been in the process of tracking and monitoring these results to ensure that students are on the right pathway and undertaking the correct subjects. This may necessitate some subject changes for some students and parents will be contacted and involved in the process if this is the case. Year 11 students will not receive another report until the completion of Unit 2 in early Term 4. This next report will be delivered around Week 3 or 4 of Term 4 and will indicate the achievement and result for Unit 2.

A reminder also that Year 11 students will begin the summative phase of the senior years when they begin Unit 3 in Term 4 this year. This is significantly different to the old OP system and will ensure that both we as a school and parents provide plenty of support for students.

Year 10 Events

The Year 10 Camp is on next week from Wednesday to Friday at Maranatha Camp on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. This camp provides students with an opportunity to build a range of skills such as; team building, communication and problem solving. Experience from previous years has shown that this camp is a great launching pad as students return with a heightened confidence to navigate the complexities of finishing Year 10 and choosing their selected pathway for the following two years.

Year 10 students are building towards their important SET Plan interviews this term. This involves students receiving valuable information about the various pathways and subjects available to them in Years 11 and 12. Students will receive information talks from the various Heads of Department and key senior teachers to help them prepare for this process.

All Year 10 students should also be busy organising their work experience placements. Students are required to source a work experience provider and inform the school of these details. The necessary paperwork and information has been provided to all Year 10 students.

QParents is available to all parents

The QParents web and mobile application provides a more convenient, easier way for parents and legal guardians of Queensland state school students to interact with their child’s school. Parents have secure, online access to their child’s student information, anytime, anywhere, through a smartphone, tablet or computer.

QParents allows parents to connect instantly with their child’s school to access and manage their child’s student information, including:

• attendance and absence details, as well as the ability to notify the school of an absence
• academic report cards
• class timetables
• viewing unpaid invoice details, payment history, and making payments online
• viewing and updating personal student details, including medical conditions and address
• enrolment details

QParents assists both staff and parents in sharing and responding to information in an efficient and effective way. It doesn’t replace the traditional ways you communicate with our school, but it does provide another way to communicate with us.

More information about QParents can be found at the link below. This link contains an extensive question and answer section with plenty of detailed information.

Matt McDonald, Deputy Principal (Years 9 & 12)
Email: mmcdo156@eq.edu.au

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

Kristin Lynch, Deputy Principal (Year 8, ATSI & EALD)
Email: klync54@eq.edu.au

Angela McKay, Deputy Principal (Year 7)
Email: amcka18@eq.edu.au

BUSINESS MANAGER

News from the Business Manager

2019 Fees due date 31 July

A “Debtor Statement” for school fees has been processed and parents/carers should 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 by 31 July 2018. An overview of all fees and charges can be located on our website at the link below. 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 Excursion

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

Parent/Carer Experiencing Financial Difficulties

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

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. You will need to complete and submit the ‘subscribe’ form on the website.

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

LITERACY

News from Literacy

Literacy Report

One way for parents to support their students’ literacy is by reading along with them at home. This means, reading the same novel as their child alongside them studying it at school. This is such a powerful thing to do, because it not only models to your child that you value reading, but also lets you engage in some thoughtful, in-depth conversations about the issues in that novel.

This term is a great opportunity for you to read along with your child, as nearly every year level is studying a novel at some point in English. To show you the range: we have War Horse, Mao’s Last Dancer, Whale Rider, Boy Overboard, Black Snake, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Help, Frankenstein, and Secret River for different classes.

Many of these novels also have great audiobooks available – why not listen to it in the car?

Danielle Ringrose, Literacy Coach
Email: dring3@eq.edu.au

STUDENT LEADERSHIP COORDINATOR

News from the Student Leadership Coordinator

The students had a bumper Term 2 with the enormous success of Multicultural Day and the distribution of Positive Postcards. The staff at CSHS had a lovely time receiving postcards with messages of gratitude and support from students.

Term 3 sees the forum bringing back the popular RSPCA Cupcake Day. The forum will ask entire school population for contributions to our baking day, with competitions for the best baked product. All funds raised on this day go to the RSPCA. We look forward to seeing (and eating) all of those sweet treats!

Elizabeth Long, Student Leadership Coordinator
Email: ejlon1@eq.edu.au

GUIDANCE

News from the Guidance Officers

Open day checklist from the Good Universities Guide

(with thanks to Options Career Information Bulletin
access code: cent2019)

University open day season is now in full swing. These days allow students to get a taste for life at a university of interest and find answers to any questions they have.

What to do on the day

In and amongst the freebies, food and entertainment, there are a few key things you should do on the day.

• take a tour of the campus and facilities
• collect brochures, course guides and other useful information for further reading
• talk to students and staff, and ask plenty of questions
• attend information sessions for courses or faculties of interest

Key questions to ask staff and students about courses

• what are the entry requirements? Are there any prerequisite subjects or additional requirements (such as a portfolio or interview)?
• how much time can you expect to spend in classes each week? How many hours will need to be dedicated to study outside of class?
• what are the most common forms of assessment (exams, group projects or essays, for example)?
• where are graduates of the course working now? What are some typical career paths?
• are there opportunities for practical learning, work experience or internships?
• are there any pathway options to help you gain entry to the course?
• does the course offer a pathway to further study?
• are double degrees available?
• does the university have any industry connections in the field?
• how much choice is there in subject selection? Are there opportunities to study elective subjects?

Key questions to ask staff and students about the university

• what facilities are available on campus?
• what support services are offered to students?
• are there accommodation options on campus or nearby?
• does the university offer any scholarships?
• does the university have any exchange agreements with institutions overseas?
• does the university provide assistance with finding work after graduation?

Key questions to ask staff and students about student life

• what clubs and societies are on offer?
• are there opportunities to socialise on campus?
• is there a student union? What services and activities do the union coordinate?

Other things to consider

• getting there: Is the campus easy to get to? Can you catch public transport? If you plan to drive, what are the parking options around the campus?
• accommodation: For those planning on moving out of home to study, consider having a look around the local area for potential neighbourhoods to live in or take a tour of on-campus accommodation

Facilities: What facilities are available on and around campus? Look at food options, gyms, banks, medical centres, libraries and any other facilities you consider important. It’s also worth investigating the practical facilities available for your course, such as laboratories and studios.

2019 Course and Career Event Information

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

Cyberbullying – teach kids to be resilient

The research is showing that bullying usually starts face-to-face and then it morphs to an online form. So, if you’re talking to a young person, here are my 7 tips for helping them to rise above the poor behaviour of others in real life or online:

1. Tell them to ‘self-talk’ themselves – both sternly and strongly – only people close to you matter. Someone once told me that in life many people will hold views about you and some of those views will be ill-founded. Only worry about what your family and close friends think about you, the others do not know who you really are, and their views are less important.
2. Report the bullies. The more pieces of the jigsaw puzzle an authority has (e.g., a school leader) the more they can see a pattern, which they can use in holding a tough conversation with a bully.
3. Disconnect – and just ‘stop’ using your device for a while – and give yourself time to work out what to do. It’s tempting to go into a tizz when you first feel insulted by someone, but part of becoming more mature is knowing when and ‘how’ to give a proportional response – including when to stop worrying about things that have no easy solution. You can’t control other people, but you can control what you do.
4. Sleep well – and even meditate. Sleep for 8.5 hrs per night (minimum) if you’re a teenager – and learn to meditate.
5. Don’t confuse people’s ‘right’ to complain or disagree with you as abuse or as an affront; they’re not the same thing as bullying. Ask your teenager to tell you what happened and give them feedback. For example, someone looking at you the wrong way is not bullying. It may be unpleasant but it’s not that bad.
6. Encourage your child to build an army of allies: Being a bystander is being complicit to bullying but being part of a bigger network, who refuse to allow bullying to occur and report it as a team, is empowering.
7. Embrace social media, positively: know how to block, mute and report trolls and hate speech. Digital abstinence is unrealistic, managing a ‘friendship’ network so allies are central is key to using social media to be…social

If you wish to talk to me about anything, send me an email to bmcmu27@eq.edu.au.

Thanking You

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

SPORTS DIRECTOR

Sports Director Report

Welcome back to Term 3. I hope that everyone had a relaxing holiday because Term 3 sporting schedule is very busy. We have already participated in the Junior Gala Day in Week 1 with two more Gala Days and Met finals fast approaching.

Student Success

Tom Parker – Year 7

Tom Parker was selected in the 11 – 12 years Met West Rugby League team. He competed in the State Championships in June. After an outstanding carnival, Tom has been selected to represent QLD in the National Championships. This is a huge achievement and Centenary SHS is very proud of Tom. Tom will now go on to represent QLD.

Junior Gala Day

Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 competed in the Junior Sports Gala Day on the 16 July 2019. Centenary SHS was very competitive and we managed to win three premierships. Congratulations to the Year 8 girls Netball team, Year 9 girls Volleyball team and the Year 8 boys Rugby League team. Many teams made the finals and played exceptionally well. Two teams were dealt tough blows by losing in the grand final by a mere 1 point. Sport can be tough! It was fantastic to see Centenary SHS dominating in the sporting arena and to see so many students participating in the sports program and learning new sports.

Touch Football

Centenary SHS has entered four teams into the QLD AllSchools Touch Football Championship to be held early in Term 4. Students have been training hard throughout Term 2 and the training will continue in Term 3 on Thursday’s at AM break and Friday mornings from 7.30 to 8.30am. Four students from Centenary SHS went to Hervey Bay in the school holidays and participated in the Junior State Cup for Brisbane Mustangs. Congratulations to Daniel Taylor, Alyssa Taylor, Jacob Richter and Josh Oates. They all performed at an outstanding level throughout the Junior State Cup. It is great to see students at Centenary SHS achieving at a high level in their chosen sport.

Upcoming Events

Year 10 and Open Gala Day

Year 10 and Open Gala Day will be held in Week 4 on Tuesday 6 August. Teams that win the Premiership will go onto compete in the Met Finals. Good luck to all of our teams and coaches!

Met Finals

Met Finals will commence round 1 in Week 6 on Wednesday 21 August. Good luck to the teams that have qualified already:

Year 9 girls volleyball
Year 8 girls netball
Year 10 girls Basketball
Year 8 boys Rugby League

Reporting Results

• The annual sports awards will be held in Term 4. In order to ensure that students are receiving the correct awards and are not missing out it is important that I am informed of any sporting team that a student makes. This way our records will be up to date and the awards night will run smoothly.
• Students can see me in Staffroom 4 or results can be emailed to tnasa1@eq.edu.au

Dates:

August

6 - Winter Senior Gala Day (10, 11 and 12)
21 - Met Finals Round 1
28 - Met Finals Round 2

September

11 - Met Finals Round 3
18 - Met Finals Round 4
16 - Years 7, 8 and 9 Spring Sports Gala Day

Athletics

Centenary has had outstanding results over the representative season with many students earning District and Regional selection (see previous newsletter for full list). All photos below have been published on the school Facebook page.

Noah Gilroy (Year 12) has also been invited to compete for Met West in the Triple and Long Jump events at States, which will make it his third State Secondary Schools competition for the year. He has previously been selected for Cricket and Football.

Athletics training continues with a modified schedule up until States. In addition, the school will be entering the Queensland Athletics All Schools Nitro competition which will be held at the end of August.

Yours in sport,

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

SENIOR SCHOOLING

Senior Schooling News

Year 10

Date Claimers

On Tuesday 6 August the school is hosting a “Future Options & Transitions Evening” for all Year 10 students and their parents. Career and subject advice will be provided by speakers from Brisbane TAFE, Skillstech TAFE, UQ and USQ. Industry groups have also been invited to attend. Ms Juanita Oberle will also provide an overview of the QTAC process for those students interested in applying for tertiary at the end of Year 12. This will be an important and key event in the lead-up to SET Planning in August. To assist your child with these very important career conversations, please utilise the resources on the Career Options website at the link below. The Careers Options Bulletin is available for download, and contains details about upcoming events and Open Days as well as career information and advice. School access code to this website is: cent2019

Work Experience

Unfortunately, a number of students have not yet returned their Form A indicating where they are attending work experience. Students need to return “Form A”, providing details of their placement as soon as possible. If your student requires new paper work, or needs to speak with a member of staff, please ask them to visit the senior schooling office in HE01.

Career Development

All Year 10 students have been undertaking a career development lessons through their HG program. These will continue throughout Term 3, including subject area talks by Heads of Departments which will lead into SET Planning and subject selection decisions in August.

Year 12

Date Claimers

Year 12 Mentoring

All Year 12 students engaged in academic mentoring interviews with a member of staff on Thursday 18 July. Students reviewed their results and QCS eligible students will have received an OP prediction. We strongly encourage you to speak with your child regarding the goals they have set for Term 3 and the possible strategies to achieve these.

Our scheduled QTAC Talk hosted by a speaker from QTAC has been moved to Thursday 25 July in CPAC. The talk with start at 6pm. All students looking at tertiary entrance are expected to attend. QTAC books will be provided on the evening.

Please ensure you are checking the Careers Options Bulletin at the link below for upcoming events and Open Days. School access code is: cent2019

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 you 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 3.15pm and conclude by 4.30pm, every Thursday in the RC. We strongly encourage all students sitting the QCS test to attend.

Year 11

Thanks to all Year 11 students for their dedication and diligence in completing the Certificate II in FSK (Foundation Skills for Learning and Vocational Pathways).

All materials are via the class One Note “Success in Senior” page. Those students wishing to change to Math or Chemistry tutorials should see Ms Raven for an Expression of Interest form. This will not be considered until all 3 clusters are complete.

School based Traineeships/Apprenticeships

Please continue to check for opportunities that are advertised through the student notices. Students should email Mr Adrian Homer in the first instance for more information, or visit the link below:

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

ENGLISH

News from English

The start of a new semester means that marking has been completed, reports sent home, and it is now an opportunity for all students to create clear, specific and manageable goals for improving their English skills. Students in every year level should think about their areas of strength and weakness, and make a decision to work on improving in those areas. If the mountain seems too big to climb, take small steps. Ask yourself: “Am I using ordinary language? Would my writing be better if I tried to use more sophisticated or technical words?” Or perhaps: “I am not so good at reading comprehension. I need to try to think more about what I am reading.” Work on at least one specific skill, and you will soon find that you will become more confident in English and will see improved results.

Students have all received a hard copy of their semester overview, so there is no confusion about what will be studied and when tasks are due. Parents and carers have been emailed these documents.

Year 10 English classes have been reorganised to align with the four new senior subject offerings for 2019 under the new ATAR system: English, Literature, English as an Additional Language, and Essential English. Parents have already been notified about this change. Staff are very excited about the modifications we are making to our curriculum to support students as they move towards the senior phase of their education.

Year 11 Literature students started their term off in spectacular fashion, with a valuable workshop run by USQ literature professor, Dr Sharon Bickle, who specialises in Gothic Literature. They read and dissected two short stories, and wrote their own stories in groups – including a gruesome retelling of a frog dissection. Some of our students are pictured below with Dr Bickle.

Coming up:

Our Year 9 debaters have made it through to the finals!! Their first round debate is next week, and we wish them and their coach Ms Brain the best of luck. Our two Year 7 teams have already commenced their debating competition. With the support of Ms Gummow, I am coaching these teams into the new semester.

By the time you read this, Year 12 students Mollie Taylor and David Dau will have represented Centenary SHS in the Evatt United Nations Youth Forum. This forum aims to educate young people about Australia’s place in the world and empower them as active citizens by developing public speaking, negotiation, teamwork, research, and diplomatic skills. We wish them the best.

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

MATHEMATICS

Excursion to QUT and Qld Museum – Elisa Harmon Yr. 10

Why maths? Before last Friday I never would have considered a career in maths, thinking that I could only be a mathematician or teacher. When would simultaneous equations or binomial expansion ever be useful in the real word? I couldn’t have been more wrong. The day began early with a bus leaving from the school at 8.00 am as 20 sleepy-eyed maths excel students, and of course their amazing teachers set out for QUT. The campus was, in the simplest of terms, awesome. After wandering round in search for P block (which looked exactly the same as H block, Q block, C block and G block) we were escorted to a seminar room that looked like something from the Men In Black headquarters. There, with another 67 students from other schools, we listened to presenters that showed us that maths isn’t just a career, it’s THE career. The presentation included a speaker who processed water waves and signals just from the sound and movement of a duck. Next was a statistician with algorithms to determine who the best cricket player is. A speaker who is truly making a difference in the world is Dr Susan Cramb who, after years of finding her passion, accomplished amazing work identifying cancer patterns across Australia. There is even maths in the coffee roasting industry and the patterns of animal fur! And if that wasn’t enough to convince us of the endless opportunities in a STEM career, you can even be employed to be the translator between mathematicians and businesses! To take off the pressure, we listened to a STEM student at QUT who showed that you don’t need to choose who you want to be now, you only need to find your passion and follow it. Because really? Is there anything better than being paid for something you love? From thinking about the future, we then spent some time thinking about the past. The NASA – A Human Adventure exhibit at the Queensland museum was undeniably breathtaking. Looking at the genius mathematicians of the past who made history and shaped the future, seeing objects that have actually been in space. Mind blowing! Sadly, there came a time where we students had to go back on the bus however, I’m confident we all left with our minds open to the endless opportunities ahead of us.

Darren Teale, Mathematics HOD
Email: dteal4@eq.edu.au

THE ARTS

Welcome back to Term 3! There are many events in Term 3 across the Arts faculty, including the premiere of our school musical, Beyond the Big Top. Please see the date claimer below for details of upcoming events.

Student Success

Congratulations to Cooper Le Brocq in Year 11 who has successfully auditioned for a position in the Australian Honours Ensemble Program. This program is open to musicians nation-wide and is highly competitive. Cooper now gets to attend the masterclasses and workshops with a team of eminent internationally recognised conductors from the Conservatorium of Music and work in an intensive environment of musical excellence. Many students over the years have successfully participated in the State Honours Ensemble Program, but this is a step up, for more advance musicians, and also attracts national music students, as opposed to Queensland music students. Well done Cooper, we are so proud of you!

Congratulations to Cooper Le Brocq (again!) and Joshua Rosen (Year 12) who over Week 10 of Term 2 and the holidays participated in MOST – the Education Queensland program for Musically Outstanding students. Both students represented our school with pride! Josh then flew to Scotland to perform with the National Youth Wind Ensemble. We look forward to hearing all about it upon his return.

Year 11 students Jordan Scott and Jacob Burbidge have been absent during the first week of term, as they have been working in the backstage and technical crew for Creative Generation – State Schools on Stage. CGEN gives students, teachers and school communities the opportunity to be involved in a professionally produced, award-winning arena spectacular. It is nationally renowned for its outstanding and vibrant display of state school talent. We look forward to Jordan and Jacob returning to school and sharing this learning experience with the members of our school technical crew.

Year 10 student Grace Franklin has entered the Unearthed High competition, representing Centenary SHS. Unearthed High is the Triple J competition looking for the best high school music acts across the country. The winner gets to record, produce or remaster a track in the Triple J studios, learn from an Australian artist and their management for some professional advice to get their career started and they also receive ongoing mentorship from the Association of Artist Managers. Grace would sincerely appreciate you checking out her original music and you adding a review – the more reviews, the better chance of the Triple J staff and scouts finding her music. To add a review, register for a log in, sign in and go to Grace’s link. Play the track you wish to review and this will launch a ‘jukebox’. In the jukebox pop-up you will see a love heart icon, an arrow pointing down (download) and then a speech bubble. Click on the speech bubble, give a star rating and you can type a little review. Submit and you’re done. Her debut EP is released on July 29.

Classroom News

The end of semester one saw the completion of Year 7 Performance Plus for 2019. This semester-long course sees the students undertake learning across the dance and drama curriculum, in addition to an extensive introduction to musical theatre. The culminating activity for this class is the Year 7 PEP Showcase, which saw students perform to a full house, with a variety of song and dance routines from a number of different musical theatre shows.

Year 12 Visual Art students have completed their major body of work for Semester 1, entitled ‘Reflecting Identity’. I hope you enjoy viewing their work in the following photos, and if you happen to be in CPAC, check out their exhibition in the foyer.

As part of the School’s STEAM extracurricular program, a group of 14 students from Years 9 to 11 have been busy working with our Artist in Residence, Lucas Stibbard from Backbone Theatre to create a dramatic performance of David Burton’s Orbit. Over the holidays, the students came in to school for extra rehearsals leading to full run throughs of the performance and are aiming to have all their lines learnt in the next week! There will be a showcase performance of the play 7pm Friday 13 September in CPAC. Please come along and support our budding actors in their theatrical debut!

This semester sees the music plus classes commence for students in Year 7-9. Stay tuned to hear information about their upcoming performances!

Instrumental Music News

Our instrumental music students were busy right until the very end of term! Students in the Chamber Strings, accompanied by strings teacher Mr Hoey, performed at our quarterly Sinnamon Village performance, which are always warmly received by the residents and visitors. We also had a number of junior students attend the first ever Jindajam, a beginners workshop of our local primary students. The Centenary SHS students attended as mentors, inspiring, assisting, modelling and tutoring the beginner primary students as they embark on their musical journey. Thank you to all of the students for giving up their time to mentor and perform.

Arts Education

This edition I’d like to look at visual art and the current research that suggests the powerful effects of drawing on learning. Studies show that you don’t have to be an artist, but that drawing to remember concepts is better than reading and writing. Drawing engages multiple areas of the brain – visual, kinaesthetic and linguistic – which allow information to be processed in those three different ways therefore establishing more connections in the brains neural network and embedding the learning more deeply. Please enjoy this short video:

Angela Sleeman
Head of Department The Arts

Centenary State High School Cultural Date Claimer 2019

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

YEAR LEVEL COORDINATORS

Year 12 Report

This term is probably the most intense period of our Year 12 students’ schooling life. Recently all Year 12s were involved in academic monitoring interviews regarding their progress and future options. Students reviewed their Term 1 and 2 results and received an OP prediction (for OP eligible students). I would encourage all Year 12s to establish goals for this term.

It’s vital for Year 12s to take care of themselves over this period too. It’s all-too-common to see students neglecting to eat and sleep properly as deadlines loom. My advice to the Year 12s is:

• look after yourself – eat smart, exercise, relax and sleep
• managing yourself – understand your stress and anxiety
• managing your studies – set goals, study smarter, get organised and stay on track
• connect with others – talk and ask for support

It’s also important that Year 12s allow themselves a bit of stress relief from time to time, whether that’s in the form of playing sports, bushwalking, watching a movie, playing a game or simply “chilling” with friends and family.

Upcoming events

• Our Year 12 Council is currently organising several stress-busting activities. You will soon receive information about the Year 12 “Sleepout” which involves students “camping” at school on a Friday night, playing games and watching movies. As well as being a fun activity, the event will raise money for Mission Australia, a charity dedicated to helping the homeless.
• The QCS test is set for September 3-4. Non-OP students will complete a transition program over these days.
• This term students will be offered guidance around making their QTAC selections, both in Home Group sessions and in one-on-one conversations with our Guidance Officer, Mrs Juanita Oberle.
• A reminder that the Year 12 Formal is set for Wednesday, November 13, followed by the Mystery Tour. The Graduation Ceremony is set for the morning of Friday, November 15.

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

Warm regards

Berenice Furlong, Year 12 Coordinator
Email: bfurl1@eq.edu.au

Year 10 Report

This term, without doubt, will be the busiest term our year 10s have experienced in their schooling lives.

In Week 3, the cohort departs to Camp Maranatha for three days of adventure sports, team building and personal development. Students have been nominating cabin groups and the Year 10 Student Council members have been working together on some exciting activities that they will be facilitating. Permission forms and payment for this event were due on Friday 19 July. If your child’s paperwork is outstanding, please address this as soon as possible.

On Thursday 22 August, students begin their SET Plan interviews. During these interviews, students will be selecting their subjects for Years 11 and 12. This is a significant process for our Year 10s, and one they should be discussing in depth with their peers, teachers and families. In the weeks leading up to SET Plan interviews, Heads of Department from all of our faculties will be discussing their subject offerings with students, and equipping them with the knowledge required to make informed decisions about their senior pathway. It is vital that students approach this process with maturity and focus to maximise their chances for success in Years 11 and 12.

In the final week of this term, all Years 10s will complete a week of Work Experience. Our Senior School team have been working hard to get students organised for this week and the majority of students have secured an appropriate placement. There are still, however, a number of students who have not yet organised a workplace and have paperwork outstanding. Please have a conversation with your children and ensure that they are being proactive in this process. If you require further assistance, contact Angela Raven on arave7@eq.edu.au.

Should you have any questions regarding your child’s schooling, please get in touch.

Matt Redman, Year 10 Coordinator
Email: mredm23@eq.edu.au

SKI TRIP

This year’s Ski Trip was extremely successful, with all the students enjoying the time away with their mates, making new friends, and developing their ski/boarding skills. Some of the highlights were:

• seeing the positive interactions between students of all year levels
• the look on the student’s faces when waking up to fresh snow at our accommodation
• seeing the fun they had on the slopes and hearing the stories at the end of each day, whether it was how they mastered a new skill… or had a big stack
• how the students displayed independence in terms of their organisation for each day
• observing the sociability of our students with those from other schools at the venue, with new friendships formed over a game of cards, Origin, pool, or listening to music
• the skill development of the students and their willingness to push themselves, even when the going got tough, whether in a lesson, or the environment
• seeing the students ski on fresh powder and having fun at night skiing
• the group singing and dancing (whilst seated) in the bus
• the way they bounced out of bed at the sound of the 6am wake up knocks (ok, maybe this one is not true..)

Much time and effort goes into the organisation and supervision of the trip and I thank Mr Foster and Miss Tuton for their efforts in making it a success.

2020 Ski Trip organisation is already underway with both international and domestic options under consideration.

Richard Haines
Ski Trip Co-ordinator