28 May 2020 Volume 22 Number 4

NEWSLETTER ARTICLES

PRINCIPAL

News from the Principal

The Return of All Students

I trust that the return of all students from Years 7 to 12 provides us with some much needed normality in our lives. It certainly has been a challenging term to date, juggling both the students at school with the students Learning@Home. This period has witnessed staff working incredibly hard to both learn new digital platforms and prepare curriculum to deliver.

I need to acknowledge the work of parents in supporting their students’ learning at home. I often talk about the importance of the teacher – parent partnership, and it has certainly come to the fore across the last few weeks. Whilst it has not been all smooth sailing, particularly in regards to the initial state wide technology issues, my sense is that students who have been prepared to learn have been able to progress their learning.

A number of teachers are still determined vulnerable in the context of the current pandemic conditions and will work off site for the immediate future. This will cause an unavoidable change in the teachers’ allocation to some classes.

The school is operating under the following parameters

The Good News

Out of all this, there has been some genuine positives. These include:

• Increased teacher proficiency in digital pedagogy
• Some fantastic OneNotes developed
• Many students producing high quality work
• The student Iso videos
• Some great email exchanges with HG teachers and classes

Student Success

Although many student activities have been curtailed, it was fantastic to see our Year 11 team win the regional OzCLO (The Australian Computational and Linguistics Olympiad) competition which involves teams of four solve language-analysis problems in obscure, but real languages & dialects (e.g. Swahili/India/Inuit/Indigenous Australian/Icelandic). Our students received the top score in Queensland and will now compete in the National Round.

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

Year 11 and 12 Assessment and Tracking

With the recent disruption to the learning environment caused by the COVID-19 situation, there have been some adjustments to the assessment schedule for both Year 11 and 12 students. Timelines have been adjusted and assessment items have been removed to best support students in the current environment. The relevant Deputy Principals have communicated this information to students and parents over the past few weeks, and it is important that students are fully aware of their commitments. Students should firstly talk with their subject teachers if they have any concerns about assessment requirements.

Semester 1 Reporting

All students will receive an academic report, which encompasses work covered across Semester 1. Years 7 to 10 Semester 1 Report will include evidence collected across the whole semester and may include evidence from Learning@Home. The Year 11 Semester 1 Report will include the overall result for the completion of Unit 1. The Year 12 Semester 1 Report will include the confirmed result for the first assessment item in Unit 3. You can expect to see the Year 11 and 12 reports by the end of this term and the Year 7 to 10 reports by the end of the first week of Term 3. There will be no Parent Teacher Evening, in alignment with COVID-19 protocols, but students and parents are welcome to contact teachers, or other support staff at school, directly to discuss feedback about results and work covered.

Centenary SHS Extension and Enrichment opportunities for students who are gifted and talented

All Queensland state schools are committed to meeting the learning needs of students who are gifted and talented.

Last year a number of Centenary SHS staff members participated in Gifted Education Mentor training. Identification of gifted and talented students requires investigation by a team of staff, which includes academic performance data analysis and consultation with teachers, parents/guardians and students. The school makes decisions about whether the students can be supported through differentiated curriculum, enrichment or extension.

Students identified as Gifted and Talented

Gifted students are those whose potential is distinctly above average in one or more of the following domains of human ability: intellectual, creative, social and physical. Giftedness designates the possession and the use of outstanding natural abilities, called aptitudes, in at least one ability domain, to a degree that places an individual at least among the top 10% of age peers in the school.

Talented students are those whose skills are above average in one or more areas of performance. Talent designates the outstanding mastery of abilities over a significant period. These are called competencies (knowledge and skills). Outstanding mastery is evident in at least one field of human activity to a degree that places an individual at least among the top 10% of age peers in the school who are or have been active in that field.

For more information regarding this initiative, please email Juanita Oberle (Guidance officer - Senior school) jober13@eq.edu.au

2021 Centenary State High School Enrolments are open

All relevant documentation, including enrolment applications and applications for specialised programs, are available on the Centenary State High School website and available from the front counter in the school’s administration office.

Students also have the opportunity to enrol in Centenary SHS’s optional programs. Enrolment in all optional specialised programs are subject to selection criteria and availability. They include the following programs:

Year 7 2021 Programs

• Year 7 Academic Scholarship
• Year 7 Music Scholarship
• Year 7 eXcel Maths and Science
• Year 7 Chinese Excellence
• Year 7 Music Plus
• Year 7 Performance Plus

All Year Levels

• Instrumental Music Program
• Choral Music Program

All enrolment and optional program applications close on July 31, 2020.

Enquires about student enrolments into Centenary State High School should be directed to our school office via email at enrolments@centenaryshs.eq.edu.au or by telephone on (07) 3373 4555.

Learning@home

Last week saw the end of our learning@home program. All staff were looking forward to students returning to school for face-to-face learning. During the first five weeks of this term, teachers and students alike embraced a new mode of learning and developed some very useful skills as we engaged in on-line learning. For some students they relished the opportunity to learn at their own pace and have more choice in what subject they studied and when. For most students, they missed their friends, teachers, and the school environment and were eager to return on Monday 25th May.

A parent of one of our students has kindly shared some photos detailing their learning@home experience.

Matt McDonald, Deputy Principal (Year 11)
Email: mmcdo156@eq.edu.au

Adam Richter, Deputy Principal (Year 12 & International)
Email: arich60@eq.edu.au

Deb McIntyre, Deputy Principal (Years 7 & 8, ATSI & EALD)
Email: dmcin49@eq.edu.au

Anna Petrie, Deputy Principal (Years 9 & 10)
Email: apetr0@eq.edu.au

Kelsey Oakes, Deputy Principal (Strategic Projects)
Email: koake10@eq.edu.au

BUSINESS MANAGER

News from the Business Manager

Statements

Statements have been processed, you should have received a “Debtor Statement” for school fees either by email or post. This statement is an overview of previous single invoices that have already been forwarded.

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

All fees relating to the 2020 calendar year are due by 31 July 2020. An overview of all fees and charges can be located on our website. These documents provide a detailed explanation (by subject) of Curriculum Charges, 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.

Parent/Carer Experiencing Financial Difficulties

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

Parent/Carer Contact Details

Parent/Carer contact details are very important to us. Up to date and current school records enable us to send you messages, contact you if your student becomes ill or if there is an issue that needs resolving.

Our process for sending home report cards and other correspondence is now by email. By keeping your email address current we can keep you updated and informed.

If you have moved or are moving house, changed jobs, emails or mobile phone numbers, please inform the school office via email to admin@centenaryshs.eq.edu.au.

If you wish to receive the school newsletter, please go to our school website’s Newsletter tab to subscribe, or go directly to the link below. You will need to complete and submit the ‘subscribe’ form on the website.

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

STUDENT LEADERSHIP COORDINATOR

News from the Student Leadership Coordinator

#We’re all in this together- Update from the Student Forum

Unlike school, team sports and public playgrounds, the student forum will not stop for COVID-19! Our spirits remain high, and we hope to spread some positivity to CSHS with some online projects. From a virtual ANZAC Day ceremony to #Isopics and #Isovids, our goal is to encourage the school community. We are all in this together!

Many of us were involved in creating a virtual ANZAC Day ceremony. This included the reading of the Ode, reading of the poem ‘In Flanders Fields’, laying of wreaths, the meaning of ANZAC Day, and the playing of The Last Post and Rouse (thank you to Neve Longmire and Cole O’Brien).

Possibly our most fun project has been creating what we call #Isovids. Within our year levels, we are working on videos of different themes. Two of these will be published on Facebook and the Centenary YouTube channel each week. Thank you to those outside the forum who are helping out with these as well! We hope these short, humorous plays will entertain you and give you some helpful tips when it comes to learning at home. Below are the topics for each grade’s #Isovids:

A compilation of pictures of CSHS students Learning@Home will be ready to be shown at the first full school assembly when we all return to school. I encourage everyone to participate in what we are calling #Isopics (a picture of yourself learning at home). Send your photos through to your Year Level Coordinator, the forum representatives for your grade or Mrs Manche, and we will put it into the video. Although we are apart, we are all in the same boat! The picture is Claire Ingham’s #Isopic.

Obviously, our leadership team needs to be communicating effectively, and not being able to meet together in person has helped us develop our communication skills even more. The Junior and Senior Captains have been using Blackboard as a platform to keep on the same page with weekly meetings on Sunday. We have also been meeting online within our year levels as well and have had one whole forum meeting. Mrs Manche, our amazing Forum Coordinator, and the Senior Captains are leading us extremely well throughout this time. A huge thank you to them! While we miss seeing each other in person, we continue to lead our school and have fun!

Elizabeth Pitt (Year 8 Leader)

Carly Manche, Student Leadership Coordinator
Email: ceman4@eq.edu.au

LEARNING ASSISTANCE AND INCLUSIVE PRACTICES COORDINATOR

News from Learning Assistance and Inclusive Practices

What an interesting start to Term 2! With Learning@Home being the main platform for education throughout schools, teachers, support staff and students have had to overcome many challenges. Support staff in Inclusive Practices and Learning Assistance have been working hard to develop new skills to help with online delivery while monitoring student success and support required with their OneNote classes. With regular check-in emails from support staff to students needing extra help with their set work, students are still connected to the school community and are given the opportunity to continue their education from home with the option of assistance. For the students that have been attending school and their online peers, there have been many opportunities for all students to access support with Teachers and Teacher Aides building online communication and assistance virtually.

Along with the change of teaching and learning environments, Learning Assistance and Inclusive Practices have joined forces to become the ultimate support team! The bottom of the GS building is now home to both groups, so we are able to work closely together in order to provide a more cohesive support system for our lovely students and staff. With these changes to our teaching and learning environments, Learning Assistance and Inclusive Practices are still around to help where we can!

Allie Lagos - TA Learning Assistance

Diana Huber, Learning Assistance Coordinator
Email: dhube1@eq.edu.au

GUIDANCE

News from the Guidance Officers

Mindfulness

We are living through an unprecedented and uncertain time, requiring each of us to navigate our way as best we can through a rapidly evolving global health crisis. With things changing so quickly, such uncertainty and unpredictability can take a toll on our mental and physical health. This is why more than ever we need to be doing our best to pause, take a breath and be proactive in looking after ourselves and others. Below we have compiled some online resources so you can take to your family. The wellbeing hub staff are still available to answer your questions and our contact details are at the end of this document.

There are a number of ways that you can practice mindfulness including:

• Exercise
  - There are lots of free online exercise routines, here is one to get you started: The 10 best home workouts from Yoga to Crossfit.
• Breathe
  - Stop what you are doing, take three long, slow deep breaths. Impose a rhythm on your breathing so that your out-breath becomes longer than your in-breath.
  - Try a 4-2-6 rhythm – e.g. breathe for 4 counts, hold your breath for 2 counts, and breathe out for 6 counts.
  - If that does not feel comfortable, try imposing a 3-1-4 rhythm. The main thing is that your out-breath is slightly longer than your in-breath.
  - HealthLine have listed 10 types of breathing technique so you can find one that best suits you.
• Grounding
  - Splash cold water on your face
  - Take a hot (or cold) shower
  - Cuddle your pet
  - Smell and/or diffuse a relaxing essential oil (lavender, geranium, ylang ylang)
  - Take a moment to enjoy a cup of tea
  - Access some short, guided grounding exercises from Smiling Mind, this is a free online and app based support.
• Sleep
  - When we are fearful and anxious it can be hard to sleep. Sleep is important for our mental and physical wellbeing, including immunity. Establishing good sleep routines are particularly important. The Sleep Health Foundation has some resources on good sleep habits.
• Connect
  - Try using video conferencing technology so that you can see each other. We communicate best when we see each other’s body language and facial expressions. Do your best to listen and interact as mindfully as you can with others.
  - eSafety have some tips on how to stay safe online during the pandemic
  - Cybersafety in Queensland State Schools has a lot of resources that is a must for all parents, carers and students.
• The Queensland Government have released a document outlining the positive and responsible technology use that provides information about how to protect yourself online.
• Create Healthy Habits. Mindfulness can help us create healthy habits to keep everyone as safe and healthy as possible.
  - Do some journaling in this inspirational planner from Teen Breathe .
  - A month of mindfulness and calm down strategies for children.
  - Mindfulness colouring provides some adult colouring pages.

Healthy Living - Tips for coping with coronavirus

In these unchartered times anxiety levels may rise in our community.

• The Australian Psychological Society have provided some self-care and tips for talking about the coronavirus.
• There are some tips from the Black Dog Institute on managing your mental health at home.
• This site from emerging minds contains a video, factsheets and tips about what you can expect and how you can help children cope with the current climate.

• Staying connected with our children provides some ways that we can share connection, comfort and care to those around us.
• Just for kids: A comic exploring the new coronavirus.
• Psychology Tools have released a guide to living with worry and anxiety amidst global uncertainty.

Anxiety

Anxiety is something that we all experience from time to time. Sometimes anxiety can help us perform better by helping us feel alert and motivated. The experience of anxiety is our body’s way of preparing us to manage difficult situations.

Anxiety can come and go – but for some of us, it can stick around for a long time and end up having a big impact on daily life. When this happens, it might be time to do something about it.

• This Headspace factsheet has some good information, with lots more available at https://headspace.org.au/.
• The Brave Program (an online program that provides teenagers and parents with information and skills to help cope with worries and anxiety) have some good suggestions for beating stress and worries.

Phone, Online Support Contact List

There are also numerous services available online and telephone support.

• Apps
  - E-Mental Health have published a digital mental health resource for young people
  - E-Mental Health have published digital mental health resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
• Online chats
  - Beyond Blue has an online chat function 3PM to midnight 7 days a week https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/get-immediate-support
  - eheadspace provides free online support and counselling to young people 12 - 25 and their families and friends. https://headspace.org.au/eheadspace/

Get "out" without leaving your house

• Take a virtual tour of 12 of the best museums around the world
• Trawl through Australia's Natural History collections
• Explore the world
• Take part in live streaming ballet classes available to all
• Listen to podcasts – they are free and there are thousands out there to choose from. Here are some lists to scroll through and inspire you:
  - The 40 Best Educational Podcasts in 2020
  - Top 10 Career Podcasts To Listen to This Year (2019)
• Watch some Ted Talks – there are over 3000 to choose from
• Get an opportunity to see the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra live on YouTube, or watch the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra on livestream
• Find other livestreams and virtual concerts from some of your favourite artists and performers
• Take free online art lessons
• Learn new skills and eat delicious meals by signing up to online cooking courses – some are free, some you will have to pay for, find one that suits your budget
• Sign up for virtual Open days at universities you are interested in attending
• Attend a Twitter Conference
• Find out what online services your local library offers, you might be surprised at their range of online offers.
• Alternatively sign into other libraries and borrow ebooks for free, then read until your hearts content:
  - Open Library
  - National Library of Australia
  - Project Gutenburg
  - Google Books – search the name of the book you are after & if it is on the library start reading without downloading or signing up

Respectful Relationships

Families face many challenges and sometimes it is hard to get along, particularly when there are so many external factors out of our control. You can find some tips on how to get through these challenges and make your relationships stronger at Kids Help Line website. Respect is an important foundation for healthy relationships. Learn more about safe and respectful relationships and where to get more support online.

Restorative practice is a strategy that seeks to repair relationships that have been damaged, including those damaged through bullying. There are 6 methods of intervention outlined in this bully stoppers article.

The Brisbane Domestic Violence Centre is a free phone service for anyone affected by Domestic Violence (victims as well as their support people) - (07) 3217 2544. For Ipswich residents there is the Domestic Violence Action Centre known as DVAC - (07) 3816 3000.

Establishing routines and online study

A set schedule or routine for chores, work tasks, meetings, exercise and all the usual thing you do can help alleviate anxiety and stress. It won’t surprise you that there is a secret benefit to having routines. Headspace provide some information around establishing routines and why you need them right now.

Online study offers both benefits and challenges, and for many it will be a steep learning curve. If your course has moved to an online mode, read these tips.

Be kind and ask a simple question – R U OK?

Let’s not forget the 600,000 hardworking Australians who lost their jobs or were stood down. Remember the local family businesses we once supported will still need your support. Be mindful that there will be a range of experiences with a wide impact on families (some immediate and yet to come). We don’t know what people are experiencing unless we ask. Don’t be afraid to ask the question are you ok and follow these easy steps.

1. Ask R U OK?
2. Listen
3. Encourage action
4. Check in

Centenary SHS Student Wellbeing Support Personnel

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

Over the years’ I have spoken with several students, staff members and parents who have had to face the very frightening situation of being diagnosed as having a life threatening illness.

How do you think you would cope if you had to face a similar crisis?

At first you might feel bitter and even angry, but once the initial feelings of shock have passed, there is a good chance that you would discover an inner strength that you never knew existed, as well as a greatly increased awareness of what really matters in life.

You might have heard of people who have gone through this type of situation and who have actually come to a point where they have admitted that a part of them is almost glad that they went through this trial because it taught them to, not take life for granted, the way they used to do.

Isn’t it a sad fact that some of us have to face the possibility of losing our lives before we actually start to appreciate the many good aspects that our lives are filled with?

Please don’t take your life for granted. Take the time to consider the blessings that your days are filled with. If there are people in your life that mean a lot to you, then let them know that and treat them well. If there are problems in your life that need fixing, make an effort to sort out those difficulties, instead of just allowing them to continue. Look after your health and treat your body wisely. Take control of the quality of your life and enjoy it to the fullest.

Three key factors predict long-term success and results, and they are inter-linked: emotional regulation, motivation and academic self-efficacy.

These are all factors that parents can make powerful impacts on this year.

Emotional regulation is the ability to calm yourself down when you are upset and rev yourself up when you feel dejected. This helps you succeed in careers, in relationships and keeps you on track in the senior years of school. This is keeping kids emotional ‘ship’ steady. Calm, kind parenting.

Motivation is a slippery commodity that is largely driven by passions and experiencing success. Unsurprisingly, we are more motivated in areas where we taste the sweet fruits of success, and less so in areas we find dull and difficult.

Little kids have an enormous motivation for learning and then often it lessens. Parents who have watched their interests and passions over years can use this time to rekindle motivation.

Academic self-efficacy is the belief that students have that they can do well. Kids who feel they can be successful are more likely to succeed. Go figure!

How to do this – find their learning strengths

Go to www.mylearningstrengths.com and complete the analysis. Begin by completing the analysis for yourself. You will be emailed a free letter outlining your top learning strengths and suggestions about how to use these to increase learning in other areas.

Knowing your own learning strength profile will help you to see how to help your child towards success.

Once you have an understanding of your own learning strengths, ask your child to complete the analysis and discuss the letter with them. For children younger than Year 4 you may need to do it with them. For very young children, you could complete it on their behalf and treat the results as a rough guide as they develop and mature.

You can repeat the analysis as many times as you like but generally once every six months will be most useful.

A full learning strengths report outlining a detailed pattern of learning strengths is available. This report provides detailed strategies to assist you and your child towards success.

It includes a detailed analysis of:

• Spatial reasoning
• Perceptual and motor skills Concentration and memory Planning and sequencing Thinking and logic
• People smarts
• Language and word smarts
• Number smarts

How does knowing learning strengths help me to help my child to learn? There are a number of ways this knowledge benefits your child:

Andrew’s book, “Unlocking Your Child’s Genius” (Bad Apple Press) provides an extensive approach to developing learning strengths in 2-18 year old’s.

Downloadable PDF: Parents and Home-based Learning

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

SCHOOL BASED HEALTH NURSE

Each May, Queensland marks Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month (DFVP Month) to raise community awareness of domestic and family violence and to send a clear message that violence of this sort will not be tolerated.

What is domestic and family violence?

Domestic and family violence (sometimes called 'DFV', ‘domestic violence’ or ‘DV’) is when one person uses violence or abuse to control the other person.

This can happen within your family, or if you are in a relationship, regardless of whether you're a young person or older person.

While some families may have arguments, and sometimes family members don’t get along, if someone in your family is hurting, humiliating, threatening or frightening other people in your family then this could be domestic and family violence.

During this COVID-19 Pandemic, some households have found the pressures of self-isolation difficult. For some, these pressures have resulted in increased incidents of domestic and family violence being reported.

You can find out more about the signs of domestic and family violence and how domestic and family violence can make you feel via the link below.

Where to get help

If you are in immediate danger, phone the police on Triple Zero (000).

For help and advice, call:

• DVConnect Womensline
  1800 811 811 (24 hours, 7 days a week)
• DVConnect Mensline
  1800 600 636 (9am to 12 midnight, 7 days a week)
• Sexual Assault Helpline
  1800 010 120 (7.30am to 11.30pm, 7 days a week)
• Elder Abuse Helpline
  1300 651 192 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday)
• 1800RESPECT
  1800 737 732 (24hours 7 days a week)

Kirsten (Clinical Nurse), School Based Youth Health Nurse
Email: nurse.centenary@health.qld.gov.au

SPORTS DIRECTOR

Sports Director Report

ISOFit

Throughout isolation Centenary SHS has provided the students with weekly house challenges as well as three training programs each week. It has been fantastic to see the high level of engagement and the houses battling it out to win the 2020 ISOFit House Championship. All of the challenges and weekly programs can be accessed through OneNote.

Week 1 House Challenge involved the students watching ‘Big Bang Theory’ and completing physical challenges throughout the episode. All entries received house points for Week 1.

Week 2 ISOFit Physical Challenge

The Week 2 House Challenge saw the teachers getting involved and taking on the students in a challenge that had everyone calculating how long it takes to do 50x burpees, 50x push ups, 50x squats, 50x sit ups, 50 lunges and a 50 second plank. Unfortunately, the students did beat the staff! Moolanda definitely came back fighting during this challenge.

Congratulations to our overall winners:

Advanced – Julie Callaghan (Moolanda) with 5.47 just only beating Drew Clay (Curragundi) by 4 seconds! Both students defeated all the teachers (including myself, Ms Rimmington and Mr Gibbs)
Intermediate – Congratulations to Jordan Lucas from Moolanda with a time of 5.15 (also defeated Ms Ringrose and Mr Garrard)
Beginner – Congratulations to Andrea Matthews from Curragundi with a time of 4.43!

Week 3 ISOFit Plank Challenge

This was a great house challenge. Students had to build a tower while planking and move that tower from one side to another, and time how long it takes to complete the rebuilding of their tower. Students received bonus points for creativity in what they used to build their towers. My favourites were toilet paper, glitter paint, lip balm and Crayola paint.

The winner of the plank challenge was Isaac Shilling (Yallambee) with the fastest time at 9.92 seconds!

Week 4 ISOFit Toilet Paper Challenge

Well done to everyone that took the time to enter the ISOFit Challenge for week 4 and juggled toilet paper with their feet.

Mr Gibbs entered the challenge this week and took out first place by juggling the toilet paper 23 times! Ross Shepherd – Moolanda House Captain came in second place with a total of 18 times.

House Points Update with only 1 challenge remaining (bottle flipping). Which house will be the 2020 ISOFit House Champions?

Interschool Sport

Who would have thought 2020 would be a year that has not only put interschool sport on hold but international sport? Similar to athletes around the world, we are certain students at Centenary State High School are eagerly waiting for competitive sport to resume. As you can imagine, we are still unsure when interschool sporting competitions (Gala day carnivals) will return. The Gala day carnivals that were unable to occur earlier this year due to COVID-19 will be cancelled. Sporting activities that usually occur during STEP have been placed on hold for the remainder of the term and potentially Term 3. When more information is released regarding sport within schools, we will be able to pass this information onto you.

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

Matalena Daniels, Sports Director
Email: mxdan5@eq.edu.au

ATHLETICS COORDINATOR

Athletics Coordintor Report

Track and Field

Centenary SHS is looking forward to commencing formal training as soon as possible to best prepare our students for the upcoming representative season.

One of the key aspects of our successful program is the comprehensive training opportunities available to students.

This year we have the following coaches ready to commence.

• Des Davis – Australian Throws Coach
• Theresa Stolberg aka ‘Coach Marty’ – Jumps specialist, but all events
• Alexandra Roberts (Australian Junior Javelin Champion)
• Ben and Laura Roberts (Australian reps – throws)

A number of other guest coaches will also be in attendance through the season.

Hopefully, all students have kept up their base fitness whilst away and will ‘hit the ground running’ on their return.

A schedule will be released in the coming days.

Richard Haines, Athletics Co-ordinator
Email: rhain0@eq.edu.au

STEP

News from STEP

Due to COVID-19, there will be no STEP classes for the remainder of Term 2. Commencement of STEP in Term 3 will be under advisement.

Stephanie Corless, STEP Coordinator
Email: scorl10@eq.edu.au

FACULTIES

ENGLISH

Term 2 2020 has thrown up some interesting challenges for the school, students and parents as we all do our best to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. In the English faculty, we have been impressed with the way our young people have embraced their learning through OneNote and Blackboard, while some concerns remain that a few students are not keeping up with the work assigned. Students, this is an important time to stay in touch with your teachers and let them know if you feel you are not managing the work, or if you have questions.

As teachers, we thrive on interaction with our students, and therefore teachers of senior classes are delighted to welcome back our senior students this week. We look forward to the rest of our students returning to the school soon.

Unfortunately, the pandemic has had an impact on the extracurricular activities and events, which we usually enjoy. The Queensland Debating Union withdrew the competition after Round 1, which was an enormous disappointment to those debating students and their coaches who had made such a strong start. Rostrum Voice of Youth has also been cancelled. Year 10 English students will not have an opportunity to see the Shakespeare performance from Shake & Stir this year.

We hope, as relaxation measures come into place, that some of our annual events might resume, such as EVATT Youth Forum and the English Speaking Union competition. I will provide more information as details are published.

In the meantime, though, there are opportunities for students to enter writing competitions. I currently have one, the IEU Literary Competition, advertised on the door of my office. Interested students can take the details from the poster if they wish to enter.

One of the best lockdown pastimes is reading, and there are so many great books out there for you to enjoy. I strongly encourage you all to read at least one book of your own choosing before you return to school. Do it just for fun.

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

THE ARTS

This week we have welcomed back our Year 11 and 12 students, and it was very exciting to see them waiting and ready to go into classes again! It has been very quiet and very lonely in CPAC, FT and AR over the last few weeks! I have emailed all students in Years 11 and 12 to advise them which of their assessment tasks have been removed for the year, as well as the adjustment of timelines as necessary for each subject. Individual class teachers have then communicated the specific details to students in their subjects.

During the transition period of the next few weeks, classes will return to normal for students enrolled in Arts subjects in Years 11 and 12, but they will continue their instrumental music lessons online for this 2 week period. If all students return to school, as anticipated, on May 25, instrumental music will return according to the current timetables. Large ensembles (concert band, symphonic band, string ensemble, string orchestra and choir) will not be rehearsing until advised.

Instrumental Music News, from Cultural Coordinator, Mrs Manche

Isolation has not stopped the music at CSHS. It has been a very busy period with lessons continuing online as well as a number of students participating in key events.

Our instrumental music teachers have dedicated themselves towards providing high-quality weekly online lessons to students, with some teachers recording up to 26 individual videos every week. These lessons are not only vital for continuous development of musical skill, but for the many benefits of music - promoting mental health, happiness and balance, whilst in isolation at home.

ANZAC Day was respectfully acknowledged within our school and the South-West Brisbane community, with a number of students performing the Last Post at 6am on their driveways; their performances featuring on the 4074 Facebook page, the Centenary State High School Facebook page and in the Virtual ANZAC Ceremony, released on Centenary SHS’s YouTube Channel.

Year 8 trumpet student, Neve Longmire also featured in the Courier Mail article, “Teen’s Anzac Day Call; Make Anzac Day Special” outlining her thoughts and feelings about playing the ‘Last Post’ and ‘Rouse on the driveway. She was pictured alongside her grandfather who was a former Army Bandsman. Congratulations to Neve.

Centenary’s Virtual ANZAC Day ceremony featured a fantastic performance of the ‘Last Post’ and ‘Rouse’ by Year 10 trumpet player, Cole O’Brien, who spent hours practising these iconic pieces of music so as to present them to a high standard. Cole’s performance was both moving and respectful and we are very proud of his efforts. Other Centenary SHS students who performed on their driveways included Matthew Welch (trumpet) and Liam Jones (saxophone).

The success of these events are due to the dedication of our musicians, but most importantly a result of the ongoing teaching and guidance of our Instrumental Music teachers.

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

HUMANITIES/LANGUAGES

The Humanities and Languages Faculty welcome back students in all year levels next week! Hats off to students, parents and teachers for working together on the Learning@Home Program over the last five weeks. I know from what teachers have shared, that most students participated extremely well and managing their studies at home was a success for most students. It was certainly very busy here at school!

Over the next five weeks, and after a brief period of consolidation, we aim to have students working at their usual pace. Of course, teachers are planning to review the work done at home, but it will not be necessary, or indeed possible, to revise each OneNote task. The focus will be the critical mass of new knowledge from the last five weeks. On that note, I would like to remind you of the wonderful resource called ‘Dial’ that we have here at school. Dial is an open door, tutorial-style ‘catch up room’ that runs every am break and is run by the very dedicated and brilliant staff in Learning Support! Dial is located in Lower GS Block with ALL students from ALL year levels welcome. Teachers are asked to refer students here, who for whatever reason were not able to stay on track for the whole term thus far. It provides a fantastic opportunity your child to clarify the key concepts, so that they feel confident moving towards then of this term, when assessment and reporting take place.

On a completely different note, I am thrilled to announce in this forum, that one of the teams participating in the Term 1 OZCLO Linguistics Olympiad, WON their section out of 72 teams competing in QLD, from 14 different schools! They had THE TOP score and we are so proud of them. Sebastian Neale, Amelia Handley, Ryan Nguyen & Garvin Nguyen competed in the 2nd round last week, against the three teams who came 2nd, 3rd & 4th , to represent QLD at the National Titles. (On-line this year unfortunately!)

Our two junior teams also did extremely well, with one team gaining a GOLD Achievement Award, to be presented, once we can hold assemblies...

If you are keen, try your hand at the linguistic problems, all our teams had to solve this year.

(The Solutions)

At the time of going to print, the results of Round 2 were unknown, but I will mention this in the next newsletter.

Many thanks again to everyone for working together. If you need clarification on any aspect of Humanities or Language learning here at school, please do not hesitate to contact me, or relevant member of the team.

Debra Mansini, A/HOD Humanities/Languages
Email: dmans17@eq.edu.au

YEAR LEVEL COORDINATORS

Year 12 Report

The return of the Year 12 cohort in Week 4 was met with relief and delight, by both staff and students! It was wonderful to see these young people catching up with their friends and teachers. Teachers have reported that students seem genuinely happy to be back, and there has been a notable strengthening of energy levels and application. Great to see!

The Year 12 Council and other student leaders have met to plan a series of social and stress-busting activities for the remainder of the year, although obviously the uncertainty around COVID-related restrictions is an issue. At present we are unable to hold whole-cohort assemblies and activities, so we are trying to be creative.

Recently we had a hoot playing two instalments of the PROUD PARENTS quiz. Red faces and embarrassed grimaces were plentiful. Thanks to the dozens of parents who submitted photos and trivia. Student winners were Emily Richardson and Isaac Girvan. Staff winners were Mr Dylan Levey and Mrs Leanne West.

On Monday, June 1, we will hold a celebration to mark the fact that Year 12 students have a mere 100 schooldays remaining. (Don’t break out your calendars… that calculation is “approximately” correct!) Cake will be eaten, photos will be taken and jolliness will abound.

Students will soon be seeing presentations by representatives from Universities, TAFEs and other post-schooling options. The QTAC application process will also be outlined. We expect that these presentations will be online conferences due to the current circumstances.

We are still waiting for the second order of Senior Jerseys from Canterbury. As we knew when the order was placed, COVID-19 has caused factory closures, which have impacted on delivery times. We are still hoping for delivery in late May or early June.

There have been no changes in plans regarding Year 12 events in the latter half of the year. The Formal and Mystery Tour (November 18) and Graduation Ceremony (November 20) remain in place.

I will continue to be the Acting Year 12 Coordinator throughout Term 2, as Debra Mansini’s tenure as Head of Department (Humanities) has been extended. Thanks as always for your support, and please contact me if you have any issues or would just like to have a chat.

Terry Oberg, Year 12 Coordinator
Email: tober11@eq.edu.au

Year 9 Report

This term will go down in the history books as one that will (hopefully) define the future of education. Throughout the last month, we have seen students become autonomous learners – backing their own abilities to complete set tasks rather than ask for help before they even attempt the work. From a Year Level Coordinator and teacher of Year 9 students, I can vouch for the work ethic that our students are displaying.

Upon speaking with my Home Group teachers of their experience with online roll marking, I have heard time and time again that their relationships with their home groups have become even stronger in this time of isolation. We have discovered their interests, hobbies, quirky sense of humour and overall personalities through the power of online communication, and it will be interesting to see how the classroom dynamic adapts when our students return in Week 5. One HG teacher reflected on their experience, and how they engaged their Home Group from home:

“My students participated in quick wellbeing activities, focused on gratitude, mindfulness and meditation. They were received well by the class, who voiced their gratitude to me for including strategies to cope at home. We also challenged ourselves to complete riddles and optical illusions, as well as selecting ‘songs of the day’. Guess Who was probably our favourite activity, where students sent in toddler photos for us to ‘guess’ who they were!”

A few changes to our term outline:

• Character Builders Teambuilding day – postponed to Term 3
• High Resolves – postponed to Term 3

In the last week of online learning, I encourage you to continue supporting your young people from home. Have a go at the ‘Friday Funday’ activities being emailed by me each week and see how you go! If you would like to continue these activities after your young people are back at school please let me know and I’ll continue sending them out.

Claire Masters, Year 9 Coordinator
Email: ctuto3@eq.edu.au

Year 8 Report

Term 1 came to an abrupt end as the world paused to tackle COVID-19. With the Year 8s home, and contemplating the issues associated with instant gratification, they set themselves to creating the most thoroughly complicated Rube Goldberg machine possible. As usual, we had a great amount of high quality work! You can see a small sample of the Year 8s’ work on Facebook.

This term we have faced a new challenge, Learning@Home. Navigating these waters has been tricky and the Year 8s have accomplished it with aplomb. Throughout this time, we have maintained our focus on our Positive Education program, with a number of email and photo challenges issued and taken.

We are busily preparing for the return of our Year 8s! Our HG program has had to adapt to new circumstances, and some of our normal activities may have to be altered or postponed. However, we will be team-building and developing our relationships within our HG. There will be challenges faced, and we will have to outwit, outlast and outplay (to borrow a phrase). The Year 8s are getting ready to cheer, war-cry and defeat!

Elizabeth Long, Year 8 Coordinator
Email: ejlon1@eq.edu.au

P&C

News from our P&C

Due to the COVID-19 lockdown there have been no P&C meetings or activities for the last two months. However, we have scheduled a regular monthly meeting for Wednesday 20 May via video conferencing. We are also commencing planning for our delayed AGM, which may also be held via video conference. We’ll provide updates on this in due course but would like to remind members and parents that a number of executive positions are becoming vacant due to the retirement of president, vice-president and secretary.

These positions are necessary for the continuation of the P&C, which provides valuable support to the school in terms of funding for many activities that benefit the students as well as providing input on many school decisions. Please consider joining the P&C if you are not already a member, and also consider taking up one of the executive positions.

I’d like to take this opportunity to send a thank you to John Brew and all staff for the incredible work they have carried out during the current crisis. Continuing to provide education to our students during the lock-down at short notice has been no mean feat and our students are all the better for their efforts. Congratulations to them.

David Harris, P&C President Centenary SHS
Email: pandc@centenaryshs.eq.edu.au