14 November 2019 Volume 21 Number 11

NEWSLETTER ARTICLES

PRINCIPAL

News from the Principal

Awards Night

Last week we celebrated many of the achievements of the school over 2019 with our annual Awards nights. I am sure that our community members who were in attendance, enjoyed the night. Congratulations to all of our award winners. The full list of major award winners is listed below:

Year 12s

Congratulations to our Year 12 cohort on their application to their studies as we near the end of their schooling. Our Queensland Certificate of Education predictions has steadily continued to increase as students complete certificate work. More importantly there have been wonderful individual student stories of success and improvement.

We look forward to the signature events of formal and graduation this week.

Students and Cars

As we enter the final weeks of the school year, we have 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

We all wish for a happy and safe final weeks of the school year. Please discuss these responsibilities with your students.

Uniform Variation Requests

If you are requesting a uniform variation for your child please make it in the school diary. This allows us to keep track of the frequent flyers. I take this opportunity to remind all members of our community that we are a full uniform school that we expect to maintain our high standards through to the end of the school year.

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 Achievement

Congratulations to our newly elected student leaders for 2020:

I am sure that these fine young people will continue in the Centenary tradition of outstanding student leaders.

I am on leave from the 11 November for the rest of the school year. I wish all members of our school community well for final weeks of school and the holiday period. Adam Richter will be Acting Principal in my absence.

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

Presentation Evening 2019

Centenary State High School celebrated its annual Presentation Evening on Thursday 31 October. Throughout the evening students from Years 7-12 were acknowledged for their outstanding accomplishments in academic results, sporting achievements and cultural endeavours in front of special guests, staff and family members.

Gold and Silver academic, cultural and sport awards were presented on the evening with the latter part of the night dedicated to the major awards.

All major award winners were invited to participate in a group photo at the end of the night.

As a school community we were proud to acknowledge the tireless work of Mark Watkins as our Staff Community Award winner for his outstanding work and commitment to cultural activities at school and within the broader community.

2019 was the inaugural year of the Nicole Donaldson Inspiration award. Nicole Donaldson was a teacher at Centenary SHS from the earliest years of its inception, and who contributed greatly to many aspects of the school community, in particular the areas of special education and the arts. Staff were asked to nominate students for the Nicole Donaldson Inspiration award based on the following criteria.

A student who has:

• has overcome adversity or great challenges in their life
• has contributed positively to an inclusive school culture
• always works hard and displays tenacity and a determination to achieve their goals
• supports and advocates for others selflessly

The winner of the Nicole Donaldson Inspiration award was Sean Kendrick in year 8.

Other major awardees are listed in the Principal’s newsletter article.

Many attendees commented that one of the highlights of the evening was the fantastic performances by the String Orchestra, the Choir, Centenary Swingers, the Brass Ensemble and the Stage Band accompanied by solo vocalist Lara McGahan. The professionalism and flair of these performances highlighted the talents of the many Centenary SHS students involved and their teachers.

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

Deborah McIntyre, Acting Deputy Principal (Year 7)
Email: dmcin49@eq.edu.au

BUSINESS MANAGER

News from the Business Manager

2019 Clearance Forms

All year levels have been be issued with the “2019 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 2020.

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.

The following important deadlines are outlined for Years 7, 8 and 9 students.

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

The following attachments to the Clearance Form are to be returned signed –

• Student Resource Scheme (SRS) 2020 Participation Agreement Form. The agreement allows parents/carers to participate in the SRS for the whole of the student’s enrolment at Centenary SHS. Parents only need to complete a new participation agreement if they change their mind about participating.
• Third Party Website Consent Form. This consent form allows parents/carers to give permission for the registration and use of the listed sites used by your students.

2020 Fee - Student Resource Scheme

The parent/carer contribution for 2020 has been set at $280 for Year 7 students and $300 for all other year levels. The scheme enhances and maximises student learning and provides a cost effective alternative to parents/carers for the use of curriculum textbooks/e-books, resources, consumables and other essential materials for students use. The scheme is endorsed by the P&C Association and is approved by the Department of Education, Queensland.

Shortly you will receive an invoice for the 2020 Student Resource Scheme. An early bird discount payment option is available. A $20 discount will apply if fees are paid in full by 19 January, 2020. Alternatively, parents/carers have the opportunity to finalise these fees by 31 July 2020

FAQ - Student Resource Scheme

What is a Student Resource Scheme (SRS)?

A SRS is a service provided by the school to assist parents with a cost effective alternative to purchasing textbooks, resources, consumables and/or materials from elsewhere, through reduced prices gained from the school’s bulk purchasing processes. These resources enhance the student’s engagement with the curriculum.

A SRS provides a convenient option that offers good value to participants and ensures participating students have access to the same standard of resources. Parents will need to provide these resources themselves if they choose not to participate in the SRS.

What does the Queensland Government fund in schools?

Under the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 (Qld) (Section 50(2)), ‘instruction’ (e.g. teaching), ‘facilities’ (e.g. buildings) and ‘administration’ (school operation costs) are met by the State at no cost to students. State funding for schools does not extend to individual student resources such as textbooks, equipment for personal use and items used/consumed by the student in the classroom.

What is included in the SRS?

Each school designs a SRS based on the resources needed for each student to engage in the curriculum. Items included in the SRS are published on the school’s website. There are three scheme categories:

• curriculum resources, e.g. textbooks, student diaries, in-class consumables
• personal computing devices e.g. laptops or iPads
• other educational programs e.g. instrumental music, choir, excellence programs, Vocational Education and Training (VET) programs (where a school is a Registered Training Organisation).

What is excluded from the SRS?

There are guidelines for schools on what is not allowed to be included, for example: excursions, competitions, first aid supplies, safety equipment, internet costs or any resource needed for assessment. In addition, all resources included in a SRS must be able to be purchased by a parent choosing not to participate in the scheme.

How much do I need to pay to participate in the SRS?

Each school, in consultation with their P&C Association, determines the resources that will be included in the SRS, and the fees that will be charged for those resources. The fees are based upon the value of the items in the scheme, this includes items that are:

• owned (generally equal to the cost for the school to purchase)
• used in class (as an average cost of resourcing the class) and
• hired to the students (based upon the expected life of the item).

Fees may vary between schools, year levels, or for individual students. The Government provides an allowance to assist parents of secondary school age children with the cost of providing resources to support their child’s education. This allowance, called the Textbook and Resource Allowance (TRA), is paid directly to the school and will be deducted from the SRS fee for participating parents.

Why does my child’s school have multiple SRS?

Schools can provide a SRS to help parents to provide educational resources for the general curriculum, personal computing devices and/or other educational programs such as excellence programs. Schools will provide parents with a different participation agreement form and information on fees and included resources for each type of SRS.

What do I need to do if I want to participate in the SRS?

A form called the Participation Agreement Form (or PAF) will be provided to parents/carers to complete at enrolment for each SRS relevant to the child’s enrolment.

Do I need to sign the SRS participation agreement form each year?

No, the participation agreement form allows parents to participate in the SRS for the whole of their child’s enrolment at the school. Parents only need to complete a new participation agreement form if they change their mind about participating in the SRS in any year.

I have signed up to participate but how do I know what it will cost each year?

Each year the school will give parents a list of resources included in the SRS and invoice parents for the fee.

What do I need to do if I choose not to participate in the SRS?

Parents should complete the participation agreement form and select that they do not wish to participate. Parents will then need to provide the resources for their child based on the list provided by the school. The school will include a list of costs for any school produced workbooks or resources that a parent is unable to buy elsewhere.

Can I change my mind about participating in the SRS?

Yes, by completing a new participation agreement form, and returning it to the school.

If a parent joined the SRS at the time of enrolment and now wishes to change their mind and not participate, then a completed PAF will need to be returned to the school before the annual invoice is due.

Can I choose what items I want to buy and only pay for those items in the SRS?

No, the SRS works because of the school’s bulk buying power and the hiring of resources across multiple years. Because of this, the SRS does not work as a part participation model. Parents who are not participating in the SRS are still able to separately purchase the resources that are produced by the school as parents are unable to buy these elsewhere.

Will I get the SRS participation fee back if my child leaves the school during the year?

When a student leaves during the year, the school will work out:

• what SRS fees have been paid in advance, and
• any Textbook and Resource Allowance (see definition below) the parent may be eligible for.

However, the school may also take away any fees associated with damaged or non-returned SRS resources. The school will then either, pay the parent a refund or send an invoice for the amount due.

If I join the school part-way through the year do I have to pay the full SRS fee?

As a SRS fee is based on participation for a full school year, the school will work out a fee that is calculated based on the amount of time left in the school year.

If I can’t afford the SRS fees, what options are available?

If parents are experiencing financial hardship they should contact the school’s Business Manager to arrange a meeting to talk about possible options.

Where can I gain more information?

For Procedural information on the Textbook and Resource Allowance (TRA) visit:

For payment rates and schedules for the Textbook and Resource Allowance (TRA), visit:

For the Student Resource Scheme (SRS) Procedure visit:

Statements

Statements will been generated and emailed (or posted) this week. All fees relating to the 2019 calendar year were due on 31 July, unless you have entered into a payment plan. Please note that these statements will not include the 2020 Student Resource Scheme. The 2020 fees will be generated and emailed shortly.

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

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

STUDENT LEADERSHIP COORDINATOR

News from the Student Leadership Coordinator

The forum has just celebrated our last meeting with our grade 12s, it was a great opportunity to reflect on what we have achieved this year. Our grade 12s have done a wonderful job of inspiring and leading the students to achieve great things for our community. We are sure that these excellent human beings have bright futures ahead of them.

The rest of the forum will be finishing up some projects this November. The students have been working on some changes that could be implemented to make our school a better place, looking at ideas such as reducing waste and inspiring responsible use of facilities. Look for bright things to come!

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

CATSIES COORDINATOR

News from our CATSIES Coordinator

On the 9 of October, a small number of Aboriginal students and I headed off on excursion to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Studies Centre in Inala, Ngutana Lui. We spent the day with other Indigenous students and staff learning about elements of culture. We learned about the traditional uses of different types of plants, learned some Dreaming stories that we hadn’t heard before, and got competitive in throwing the boomerangs and using tennis ball throwers instead of spears and woomeras. The staff were really welcoming and knowledgeable and we had a great day. Hopefully more students will join us next time around.

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

CHAPLAIN

News from the Chaplain

Food for Thought

Planning for the future – it’s something we all do. We plan for the Formal, for holidays, for retirement etc. There’s certainly nothing wrong with looking ahead but sometimes we forget to take time to appreciate the present.

Each new day brings 1440 minutes for us to make the most of. We can waste that time complaining about life’s problems and disappointments or we can be determined not to let anything steal our joy.

If you really think about it – there’s not one of us who can guarantee that we will be around for the next Formal, the next holidays or our retirement. All we can be certain of is right here and now. Appreciate the opportunities today can bring, use your time wisely and look for ways of bringing joy to the lives of others.

If you can be ‘joyful’, it won’t affect whether you have a long life or a short one, but it will certainly give you far more peace of mind.

How to Build Confidence – Andrew Fuller

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

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

There are several steps to creating and building confidence.

Trust your child - Nothing builds confidence more than trust. One of the best ways of communicating your trust is to ask your child for help.

Requesting assistance communicates to a child that you regard them as capable and competent. Letting your children cook with you can be a good place to start.

Live a bold and adventurous life - One of the best ways to develop confidence is to live an expansive life in which you do different things, eat new foods, go to strange places, see new shows or movies and try out things you wouldn’t usually have a go at.

For parents this means encouraging adventure and teaching safety along with way. Kids are more durable than we give them credit for.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Set Probability Goals - A probability goal is a challenge that includes an error margin. For example, a parent might say to a child, “Let’s see if you can throw a ball into a hoop on the ground 7 times out of 15 throws”. As a child becomes more skilful we might then increase the challenge of the task by moving the hoop further away and say, “Ok it’s harder now.

Let’s see if you can throw the ball into the hoop 9 times out of 20”. Probability goals help us learn how to challenge ourselves and also make it less likely that we will give up if we don’t get 100% first time.

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

Build a have-a-go culture - People often express their insecurities by claiming that they can’t do some- thing or by comparing themselves negatively with others. For example, “I am the world’s worst dancer” or “I’m no good at Maths”. When someone makes comments like these, acknowledge their feelings and help them to express them verbally. Ask them what makes them feel that way. Accept their fears or insecurities as genuine but don’t agree with their self-assessment.

For example, you might say, “I get it that you are struggling at Maths, how can we work on it to make it easier?” Confident people make plans to improve in areas they initially find difficult.

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

Copyright Andrew Fuller www.andrewfuller.com.au

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

SPORTS DIRECTOR

Sports Director Report

Awards Night

Centenary SHS Annual Awards Ceremony saw students being recognised for their sporting achievements. Congratulations to all award recipients. Centenary SHS was extremelly privelaged to have Jordan Zanchetta present the sports awards reciepients with their certificates. Jordan attended Centenary SHS from 2008-2012. She was introduced to AFL through the school system and captained our U15 girls team to win prestigious Johnathon Brown Cup. Jordan was voted best on ground in the final. Jordan Zanchetta is currently contracted to Lions AFLW until 2021.

Junior and Senior Sportsperson of the year

The Junior Sportsperson for 2019 was awarded to Kya Horridge. Throughout 2019 she participated in the following sports:

• Centenary SHS Gala Day Representative – Netball
• Centenary SHS Gala Day Premier – AFL
• Age Champion- Athletics
• Age Champion – Cross Country
• All Schools Athletics
• All Schools Touch Football
• Centenary SHS Representative – Cross Country
• Northern District Eagles Representative – Netball
• Northern District Eagles Representative – Swimming
• Metropolitan West Representative – Athletics
• Metropolitan West Representative – Cricket

Kya is a very gifted athlete that demonstrates outstanding sportsmanship both on and off the field. She has trained extremely hard in her chosen sports and the hard work and dedication definitely paid off.

The Senior Sportsperson for 2019 was awarded to Felicity Cradick. Throughout 2019 Felicity participated in the following sports:

• Centenary SHS Gala Day Representative – Volleyball
• Centenary SHS Gala Day Representative – Touch Football
• Centenary SHS Representative – Kokoda (PNG)
• Age Champion – Cross Country
• All Schools Touch Football
• All Schools Triathlon
• Centenary SHS Representative – Cross Country
• Metropolitan West Representative – Triathlon

House of the year

During the lunch breaks the house captains have been running a very successful Interhouse Competition. The students have been thoroughly enjoying participating in sport during the breaks and the house captains have been doing a wonderful job co-ordinating the events. Students have competed in basketball, touch football, volleyball and futsal.

The house of the year is awarded to the house with the most points accumulated from the Interhouse Carnivals and from the lunchtime competitions. Congratulations to Yallambee for winning 2019 Champion House of the Year.

Swimming Carnival

Centenary SHS will be holding an Interhouse Swimming Carnival on Thursday 5 December 2019 in Week 9. Permission forms have been sent home with students. Please ensure that your student returns this form ASAP to their HG teacher. The day will be filled with a lot of novelty events as well as competitive races. It is a fantastic way to finish the year and we hope to see all Year 7, 8 and 9 students there! At school lessons will be running for students that do not want to attend the swimming carnival.

QLD AllSchools Touch Football

This was the first year that Centenary SHS had four teams competing at the QLD AllSchools Touch Football Championship. All teams trained hard throughout the year and did a fantastic job representing Centenary SHS. There were many students that were playing the sport for the first time and did a great job learning new skills. It was great to see so many students competing over 5 days at the largest Touch Football Competition in the world.

In 2020 it will be the World AllSchools and Centenary SHS will be entering teams. More information will be released early in Term 1 in order to hold trials and commence preparation.

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

FACULTIES

ENGLISH

I am pleased to report that we had a number of students who achieved Outstanding and Exemplary in the ICAS English Competition this year. The following students will be presented with their certificates on the next Assembly:

Congratulations to all students. Whatever your result, you should all be very proud of your efforts and achievement.

The QDU Year 7 Debating competition has now finished for the year. We entered eight teams across the school this year, each enjoying their share of wins throughout the competition. Our Year 9 team and one of the Year 7 teams made it through to the first round of the finals. Most importantly, our students learned a great deal and grew in confidence and skill. Coaches Ms Gummow, Mr Levey, Ms Lynch, Ms Wright and Mr McKenna all worked hard with their teams throughout the year and I want to thank them for their efforts. I hope our students will continue to build on their debating skills next year and that we will have even more student interest in this fun and challenging activity.

This year, interest and participation in the English Speaking Union’s Public Speaking competition was the best it has ever been, thanks largely to the support and coaching of Ms Long who has worked tirelessly with the students. We had multiple entrants, many of whom made the finals in their respective competitions. David Dau (Year 12) won the Senior competition, Ryan Nguyen (Year 10) came second in the Intermediate competition, and Eli Gearing (Year 7) came second in the Junior competition. This is a fantastic achievement against some very tough and experienced opponent schools.

We are almost at the end of the year. Students in all year levels are busily working on their final pieces of assessment and soon teachers will be swallowed up in marking and moderating. Every student in every year level should be putting in their very best effort in order to achieve the best results possible. One final push, and then we can all go on holidays.

Finally, congratulations and farewell to our departing Year 12 students. It has been my pleasure and privilege to work with you this year and to watch you develop into such amazing young adults. I wish you the very best for the future. Learn how to balance work and play as you move into your adult lives. Be active citizens. You have a voice. Use it for good.

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

THE ARTS

Arts Report

Vital and vibrant Term 4 days sees us hit the half way mark in true unique ‘Arts’ style. Our 12s leave us shortly and have admirably completed a few ‘lasts’, while our 11s have embraced the challenge of a few ‘firsts’.

Year 12 Arts Captains Events

Year 12 Arts Captain, Duncan Towner, organised a very successful ‘Film Showcase’ held in CPAC over two lunch breaks. Students and staff across the school were shown marvellous short films, music videos and media work from the Year 9-12 classes. Congratulations and thank you for organising Duncan!

Centenary has most definitely Got Talent! The fun-filled successful event organised by our outgoing Senior Arts Captains – Lara McGahan, Mollie Taylor, Ella Loney and Sam Muharem – attracted huge audiences, incredible talents and wonderment for all. There were four rounds of heats, where we saw all sorts of amazing talents – from musicians, to singers and dancers, to comedians, to actors and magicians – a real smorgasbord of skills! Performances of such a high calibre in the rounds stage ensured a fantastic grand final – this did not disappoint. The grand final attracted an audience of a few hundred staff and students and featured Year 9 hip-hop dancers Seth and Nam, pianist Mary, Year 12 magician Ishaann, guitarists Zac and Mr Linneman and Year 9 vocalist Elenna. Our thoughtful and supportive student body helped raise almost $400 – an outstanding result, thereby enabling well deserved cash prizes for all of our amazing contestants. As expected, the final was a nail-biter and ever so close. Sincere thanks must be given to all finalists and the organising captains. Final placings were as follows:

Instrumental Music

The 2019 Soiree held over two nights, provided the opportunity for all ensembles and their teachers to share and show the fruits of their early mornings and hard work. Both evenings were delightfully filled with sweet sounds and focused content musicians. Thank you to all the enthusiastic guests and as always, special thanks to our incredibly dedicated and hardworking teachers. Their commitment is second to none and they never hesitate to give up their time - all in the name of offering wonderful opportunities to Centenary music students.

Mr Hoey – string orchestra, string ensemble and chamber strings
Mrs Harvey – concert band and symphonic band
Mr Lougheed – stage band
Mr Johnstone – percussion ensemble
Ms Van den Broek – choir, jazz choir and vocal ensemble

Cultural Dinner

The annual Cultural Dinner will be held on Saturday 09 November at the Centenary Tavern at Middle Park. We are looking forward to celebrating with all of the Arts students on this night, with awards presented to our students, a farewell to the Year 12 students and the announcement of the 2020 Arts Captains.

Year 12 Arts

Students studying Arts subjects have completed their final assessment, and have handed in their last ever assignments! Congratulations to the following students, who have won the subject prize at Presentation Night, for their distinguished results in their respective subjects.

A special congratulations to these two students, for achieving a VH10 – the highest possible result in a Year 12 subject:

Year 12 Music and Year 12 Music Extension – Lara McGahan.

Year 12 Music Extension – Zac Kelly

The Year 12s had their final assembly during Week 4, and as part of the celebrations, the Year 12 music class performed a beautiful rendition of the Elton John classic, ‘I’m Still Standing’.

A mini yet ‘grand’ concert on Friday 1 of November (final day of timetabled classes for Year 12’s) held during AM break had teachers dancing and students of all ages clapping along as the stage band gave their all in a final resounding performance. A fitting gig – seeing that many Year 12’s have loved the Centenary music program for years and have made significant contributions to the music life of the school. A sentimental ‘cheers’ must be shouted out in thanks to the Stage Band, Mr Lougheed and soloist Emmanuel Iona.

On such a momentous day for our seniors it was fantastic that the USQ Back to School radio program was arranged and able to broadcast live from outside CPAC. The broadcast was made all the better by the talented Year 12’s live performances, from music extension students – Natesha Lovell, Lara McGahan and Zac Kelly.

Presentation Night

The Centenary SHS Presentation Night is a celebration of student success and a showcase of the arts programs. Congratulations to the award winners, including the Senior and Junior Excellence in Arts Awards Winners, Lara McGahan (Year 12) and Elenna Baquiran (Year 9).

Congratulations also to the Gold, Silver and Bronze Cultural Award Winners – these awards are recognition of all that you have participated in, achieved and demonstrated success in over the 2019 school year.

A very special congratulations goes to Mr Mark Watkins, the Cultural Coordinator of Centenary SHS, for recognition richly deserved of the work he does for the school, by winning the Community Service Award for Staff. Well done Mark!

Year 11 Arts

Congratulations to all of the subject award winners in Year 11:

The new Year 11 programme has now been completed for the first time - quite a landmark. Our Year 11 Arts students all sat a mock external exam with the intention of foreshadowing the 2020 external exam which gave good insight and was a key learning tool in order to ensure that we are well positioned for the ‘real deal’ next year. Students respond to an unseen question using stimulus material across all six arts subjects. Considerable effort has been put into this year by students and staff alike, with teachers imparting tried and tested skills and knowledge about best practice for approaching this type of assessment. This includes employing higher order cognitions such as: analysing, evaluating, synthesising, interpreting, justifying. This new QCE has been challenging and rigorous, and we are hoping for great success and satisfaction in 2020. We are excited for the new QCE studies continuing into Year 12, and feel the preparation students have received in Year 11 will hold them in good stead for their assessment in Year 12.

Extension Programs News

Parents of prospective students in 2020 should now have confirmation of their results of the auditions recently held for both Music Plus and Performance Plus. We were very pleased both with the quantity and quality of the students auditioning for the specialist programs. The classes are now filled, and unfortunately, we were not able to offer all students a place. We are currently in the process of auditioning current Year 7 students for positions in the Year 8 classes and students will be notified of the results of auditions in the next few weeks.

The Performance Plus classes of Year 8 and 9 are in the final rehearsals of their productions, Mulan and A Christmas Carol, to be performed on the weekend of 29/30 November. Tickets will be available soon, keep an eye out on the school website and Facebook page.

The Music Plus classes of Year 8 and will be showcasing their final performance assessment items at a concert to be held on Tuesday 03 December. More information about this event will be available soon.

Visual Art

The Year 12 visual arts in practice class have completed their 2019 mural project, this year installing their artwork in Business Technology. The painted canvas design is their class interpretation of the positives and negatives of technology.

Education

This edition we look at why dance is important at maths in school, and why studying dance is good for cooperation, collaboration and social relationships.

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

YEAR LEVEL COORDINATORS

Year 12 Report

It’s almost time to say goodbye after 5 years together. The Year 12s are so special to me and I am truly going to miss each and every one. Over the past five years I’ve admired their extraordinary array of talent, their kindness and the level of genuine warmth they have shared with each other. They are an incredible group of young people.

The last week has seen a series of events paying tribute to the “Class of 2019”:

• Monday 28 October was the final school assembly for the Year 12s. The atmosphere on the day was one of emotion, humour and appreciation. The assembly began with the Year 12s School Captains and Leaders (and me) dancing to Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”. It was followed by speeches from HG teacher Kirsten Caruso and Maths teacher Ryan Linneman. We heard about Year 12 achievements in Sports and The Arts and Rachel Zanchetta presented an incredible Valedictorian speech to the assembly. It was such a positive way for the school to farewell the Year 12s.
• Thursday 31 October we recognised and celebrated their achievements at presentation night. I had the great honour of announcing the Gold and Silver Academic Awards to the Year 12s. The highlight of the night was the announcement of the major award winners. Congratulations to the Year 12 Award recipients – I’m so proud of you all.
• On Friday 1 November the Year 12s celebrated the end of formal classes. The day began with a BBQ breakfast with students arriving in their own version of the school uniform. We finished the day with activities that featured a giant 15m inflatable waterslide, 1000 water bombs and water games. It was great fun! We also had a LIVE radio broadcast that featured our Year 12s being interviewed, performing and a Teacher V Student quiz. I’m happy to report that the Year 12s won the quiz – Go Melanie!

I am looking forward to our final Year 12 celebrations at these upcoming events:

• Wednesday 13 November - Senior Formal
• Thursday 14 November – Mystery Tour
• Friday 15 November – Graduation Ceremony

The end is near for our Year 12s as they begin their final chapter in their high school journey. I would like to genuinely thank all the staff that made a positive contribution and assisted the Year 12s throughout their high school years.

To the “Class of 2019”, I am immensely proud of each and every one of you. It has been my absolute pleasure to be your Year Coordinator, thank you for the memories. I hope in the coming years ahead you will each continue to ignite your potential and I wish you much happiness, success and the inspiration to make your dreams a reality.

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

Year 10 Report

It has been a massive 12 months for our Year 10 cohort, with subject selection and senior pathways as a key focus underpinning the last two terms in particular. With SET Plans and work experience completed, the cohort will be spending the remainder of their Home Group time for the year connecting with their peers, finalising assessment and preparing for Year 11.

Student Leader applications for 2020 are now open and there is a vast number of suitable candidates in the cohort. If your child is considering a leadership position in Year 12, whether that be school, sports, arts captain or other, experience as a year 11 leader will be of great benefit.

In Weeks 6 and 7, the Year 10 Student Council will be running a food drive to help Foodbank gather essential items that can help Australians in need. You can support this initiative by providing your child with suitable items that they can bring to their HG teacher at school. This is the first time we have facilitated this initiative at Centenary and we hope to gather a sizable donation. Keep your eye out for further information via e-mail and on the school Facebook page.

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

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

Year 8 Report

Y-Lead Day – an annual event held at Centenary every year – is an opportunity to bring together Year 5s from our local primary schools with a group of Year 8 CSHS students. This year, 25 Year 8 students were invited to participate in this event after demonstrating their leadership potential over the year. The students undertook a series of team-based activities, designed to build strong relationships and a positive group dynamic. These activities encouraged students to reflect on their personal strengths, gain confidence in their ability to lead and recognise that every leader has their own unique passions, strengths and abilities. I had the pleasure of attending this event and I was blown away by the level of engagement and maturity that my year 8s displayed, and they definitely gained some fans!

But enough from me, let’s hear from a few of my leaders with their reflections on the day:

We also celebrated the academic, sporting and cultural achievements of Centenary students at the annual Presentation evening this week. I am so proud of the accomplishments of this cohort – I almost lost my voice after reading out the names of the many, many, MANY students who received an award. Congratulations, Year 8. Keep it up!

Claire Tuton, Year 8 Coordinator
Email: ctuto3@eq.edu.au