9 February 2021 Volume 22 Number 12

NEWSLETTER ARTICLES

PRINCIPAL

News from the Principal

Welcome to the Centenary SHS 2021 school year. I trust that all members of the Centenary SHS community have enjoyed the opportunity to relax over the Christmas New Year period and are looking forward to the challenges of the new school year. I especially welcome new parents and caregivers to Centenary SHS and I encourage you to be actively involved in your child’s secondary education. Strong community involvement is a key characteristic of highly successful schools. Please regularly view the school’s correspondence, website and Facebook site to be informed on school events.

I especially urge parents and caregivers to be part of the school’s P&C. Given the canteen is now outsourced and we do not run a school fete, revenue raising is not a significant responsibility of the P&C. The parent voice is valued and essential to sound school decision making.

The spectre of COVID-19 still hangs over us specifically in respect to social distancing amongst adults. With this is mind, in lieu of our normal face to face parent meetings across the first few weeks of the school year, most of these meetings will be delivered on line. The exception will be the Year 7 Parent Night on Thursday 11th February which will allow parents to meet HG teachers, with the general messages delivered via video.

At Centenary we are committed to fostering a rich school experience for our students. Although outstanding academic outcomes are at the core of our business , this focus sits within a holistic approach to education—where we provide high quality opportunities for students across a range of endeavours in a safe and supportive learning environment. This delivery is underpinned by our school values:

Aspiration
Commitment
Community

I encourage parents to take an active interest in your child’s learning. It is important that students adopt strong work routines such as dedicated time in the afternoon/night for school work. Such routines will help to reduce stress and workload later in the term.

Year 7 Cohort

On Wednesday I met our 290 Year 7 students and delivered three simple messages. Operate from a mindset of respect for others and you are likely to minimise behaviour issues. Get involved in the life of the school and you are likely to enjoy school more. Be curious with a thirst for learning and you are more likely to do well in your studies. These simple messages apply to all students.

New Staff

I take this opportunity to welcome the following staff to Centenary SHS.

Admin Responsibilities

Deputy Principal Responsibility for Year Levels for 2021 will be as follows:

2020 Year 12 Outcomes

Congratulations to our Senior Cohort of 2020 on their end of year academic achievements.

CLASS and Timetable Changes

Whilst we attempt to minimise class and timetable changes for students it is inevitable that they will occur. A number of variables inform these changes including enrolment growth and the need to create equitable class sizes within the current industrial framework, as well as staff absence and the availability of specialist replacements. The current school timetable is therefore in draft mode pending the Day 8 Return which will determine school resourcing including teacher allocation. We will endeavour to minimise the changes to timetables at this juncture.

Ear Phones and Accessories

Ear phones, plugs, etc. are not part of the school uniform. Students are not to walk around the school with these accessories. We are experiencing increasing issues with students not hearing teacher instructions whilst “plugged in”. The line in the sand here is that if they are visible they may be confiscated.

Student Drop Off and Pick Up

Parents should not be driving into the school for student drop off and pick-ups. The car parks are congested at the best of times and for the safety of all we need to reduce traffic in these areas. Please follow the road rules in respect to street parking. In particular incorrect parking on Curragundi Rd is creating a hazard for pedestrians and cars leaving the school.

Best wishes for 2021 at Centenary

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 12 Students from 2020

Over the Christmas period, we received results and feedback on our Year 12 graduating class from last year. We were very pleased with the results and would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Year 12 students from 2020. Below are some of the highlights.

Subject Selections

The start of the year is an important time to make sure students have selected the appropriate subjects. As students progress through the different year levels, they will receive greater freedom to choose their preferred subjects. Our advice for students is to always select subjects they enjoy and feel they can achieve success in.

All students should now have settled on their subject selections for this year. This is particularly important for Year 11 students who have started their two year journey through the new Senior Phase of learning. Students should now be focused on the upcoming assessment periods which will form the basis of the Term 1 interim reports. If students are having difficulty with any aspect of their subject they should consult their classroom teacher for further advice.

Behaviour Management

Students are reminded that they are accountable for their behaviour while travelling to and from school. While they are wearing the school uniform they are representatives of our school community and as such, appropriate conduct is expected of all students. This pertains mainly to travelling on public transport and the manners and courtesy displayed to bus drivers and members of the public.

A reminder also that students are not permitted to leave the school grounds unless an authorised leave passed has been arranged through the administration office. Students are not permitted to leave the school grounds during break times to access local shops or private houses. Parents can contact the school or write a permission note to give students permission to leave the school grounds.

Matt McDonald, Deputy Principal (Year 10, Timetable)
Email: mmcdo156@eq.edu.au

Adam Richter, Deputy Principal (Years 9 & 11, International)
Email: arich60@eq.edu.au

Deb McIntyre, Deputy Principal (Inclusion, ATSI/EALD)
Email: dmcin49@eq.edu.au

Anna Petrie, Deputy Principal (Years 7 & 8)
Email: apetr0@eq.edu.au

Kelsey Oakes, Deputy Principal (Year 12 & Strategic Projects)
Email: koake10@eq.edu.au

BUSINESS MANAGER

News from the Business Manager

2020 Clearance Forms

At the end of last year all year students were issued with the “2020 Clearance Form”. Students were required to complete this form and return it to the office by the due dates last year. This process ensures that resources borrowed from the school are returned and accounted for. 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.

2021 Fee - Student Resource Scheme

The parent/carer contribution for 2021 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 resources such as curriculum textbooks/e-books, 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.

Statements

Statements will been generated and emailed (or posted) shortly. All fees relating to the 2021 calendar year were due on 31 July 2021, unless you have entered into a payment plan.

Please note that the statement will not include the 2021 Curriculum Charges. These will be generated and emailed at the end of the month.

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

As the year that was 2020 is now over, the Student Forum are more eager than ever to get straight back into it. What better way to do so, than by organising our first major event of 2021, Valentine’s Day. The 14th of February takes place on a Sunday this year, so the Forum has decided to celebrate the special day on Friday 12th—the Friday before Valentine’s Day. With just under two weeks till the day, the Forum is working tirelessly to organise everything that will go on. We will be selling roses, chocolates, freckle and conversation, with all funds will going to Kiwanis Club of Brisbane—a not-for-profit global organisation (based in Jindalee) that supports and empowers communities by making lasting differences in the lives of children. Kiwanis will then further distribute our donation amongst several children’s charities that they believe need the support, with Miraa House being one of them.

Valentine’s Day is just the first of many events the Student Forum plan on holding this term. In week 8, we will also be supporting ‘Bullying No Way Day’, with activities running through lunchtimes promoting friendship and inclusivity, as well as a free dress day to help support the cause. 2021 is going to be a busy year for the Student Forum, but it sure will be a great one.

Holly Brain, Student Leadership Coordinator
Email: hfbra0@eq.edu.au

INCLUSIVE PRACTICES

News from Inclusive Practices

Certificate I in AgriFood Operations

If you have been up to GS block recently you may have noticed that the gardens are flourishing. This is all because of the hard work of Mrs Coull, Ms Perry and the Cert I in AgriFoods Operations students.

In Certificate I in AgriFood operations, year 10, 11 and 12 students are engaged in learning and assessment mirroring a ‘paddock to plate’ philosophy. The students practice skills associated with plant cultivation and then utilise what they have grown to prepare healthy dishes.

Leah Perry and Jenny Coull provide learning activities for students to engage in tasks that relate to vocational educational and training competencies such as gardening work, irrigation work and using hand tools.

The local community is supporting the students in their endeavours—including Perivale Café at Darra who are saving all their scraps for us to use in their compost bins, while local Jindalee coffee shop, Chase the Rider, also save their coffee grounds to help enrich our soil.

The students are growing spinach, rosellas, rainbow chard, shallots, chives, rosemary, chillies, parsley and basil. Students have also planted an avocado tree, and we have planted seeds and raised our own seedlings.

Students are enjoying being outside, seeing the product of their efforts flourish and working in a team to create something beautiful and also delicious!

Debrorah McIntyre, Head of Inclusive Practices
Email: dmcin49@eq.edu.au

GUIDANCE

News from the Guidance Officers

At Centenary State High School, we understand that young people can arrive at school with issues which may impact upon their learning. Our student services team is here to talk to students and parents; offer other perspectives; and provide support to remove educational barriers so they may get on with the business of learning and shaping their futures. Please take a moment to peruse the list of Student Services staff available at Centenary, so you and your child can access appropriate support when and if the need arises. Please call the office on 3373 4555 to make an appointment with any member of the team.

Guidance Officers

Guidance Officers are experienced teachers who have unique expertise to work in schools and help all students in the areas of academic achievement, social, personal and career development.

Juanita Oberle (Years 9, 11, 12)
Janet Ingram (Years 7, 8, 10)

School Based Youth Health Nurse: Kirsten Anstey

The School Based Youth Health Nurse is employed by Queensland Health and works with the school community on issues that may affect the health and wellbeing of students, and the school community as a whole.

E nurse.centenary@health.qld.gov.au

Chaplain: Bernie McMullen

The Chaplain is employed by Scripture Union and may work with students and parents around social and emotional support; spiritual support; mentoring; community development; educational support; and extracurricular activities.

E bmcmu27@eq.edu.au

Youth Support Coordinator: Dina Shaw

The Youth Support Coordinator is employed by Ipswich Community Youth Service, and works with students in Years 10-12 who may be struggling to stay at school. Students are referred to the YSC by the Deputy Principal or Guidance Officer.

Juanita Oberle, Guidance Officer 9,11,12
Email: jober13@eq.edu.au

Janet Ingram, Guidance Officer 7,8,10
Email: jingr34@eq.edu.au

CHAPLAIN

News from the Chaplain

Food for Thought

Planning: 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 is 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.

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

A message from Chappy Bernie

5 Tools for Positive Thinking

Parents of kids who learn and think differently can be hard on themselves. But positive thinking can often keep you motivated—and it might bring you and your child closer. Plus, when you think positively it sets a good example for your child.

Here are strategies you can try.

1. List out the positives.

It’s easy to focus on the negative—e.g. “I should have taken more time to talk with the math teacher”). But you can steer your thinking in a more positive direction—“I set up a meeting with the math teacher. That will be a big help.”

It can really help to keep a list in a notebook. Write down things like “Called to make an appointment with the counsellor” or “Spent extra time on homework.” Start a running list of activities you and your child both enjoy, like watching silly movies or reading comic books together. Remind yourself to keep adding new items to your lists.

2. Reward yourself.

Rewards are a great way to cheer on your successes. For example, what if you’re dreading a meeting with your child’s teacher? Once you’ve tackled the meeting, reward yourself by picking up your favourite takeout instead of cooking. If your child has improved his grades in part due to the work you have done with them at home, celebrate by downloading a new book or game on your e-reader.

3. Take time to think about the good stuff.

Remember that if your child is struggling at school that it is only one aspect of their life. Think about all of  your child’s talents  and interests. Think about the unique qualities that you love about your child. Does your child do well in a certain sport? Is your child thoughtful toward friends and family, offering to help around the house or in the classroom? This shift in your thinking can keep you from focusing too much on “what’s wrong,” so you can spend more time thinking about “what’s going well.”

Whatever you do, take a few minutes each day—maybe before going to sleep or first thing in the morning—and reflect on these positives. You’ll start to appreciate the progress you and your child are making.

4. Remind yourself of the upside of hard work.

It’s true that kids who struggle in school face challenges. But hard work can help make you and your child stronger people. Look for the “silver lining,”—or the positive side—of dealing with obstacles. For example, a child who has to speak up to teachers about difficulties is usually more equipped to self-advocate. In the future, when dealing with a difficult boss or a friend, your child will already have tools to handle things.

5. Remember: You’re not alone.

Parenting a child who learns and thinks differently can feel lonely. However, there are many other parents like you who are feeling the same way. Try sharing what you learn with other families by checking out a local support group, posting on  Facebook , or logging on in our  community . Your child may even want to  become a mentor  to a peer with similar struggles. Your story—and your child’s journey—can be helpful for families who are new to dealing with this. Bonus: Sharing your experience can be rewarding for you, too.

One final thought: During tough moments, it might feel hard to accept and love your child for who they are—especially if you didn’t feel loved or accepted when you were growing up. Patterns are hard to break. But you can tackle this one by thinking of a time in your life when someone loved you no matter what. Maybe it was a grandparent you enjoyed visiting, or a teacher who always made time for you. Think about how that person made you feel. Remember that love and support. This can help you offer the same thing to yourself and to your child.

Taken from Web site https://www.understood.org/en/friends-feelings/empowering-your-child/celebrating-successes/7-strategies-to-promote-positive-thinking?_ul=1*mmsmq0*domain_userid*YW1wLVc4VTl3 on the 28/01/2021

If I can help you or you need to talk about anything, contact me through email: bmcmu27@eq.edu.au or Phone: 07 33734531.

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

SPORTS DIRECTOR

Sports Director Report

Northern District Sports Director Report

Welcome to a new year of sport at Centenary SHS. My name is Tamara Nasalio and I will be the Northern District Sports Director at the school this year. Matalena Daniells is the West Brisbane Sports Director. The following will provide some general information about the way sport operates at Centenary SHS for the benefit of new families, and also some information about upcoming events.

Centenary SHS is part of the Northern District for sport. Please be aware that his pathway is a representative pathway and is not a participation pathway.

Sports Calendar 2021

The Sports Calendar for 2021 is attached to this newsletter article. Carnival dates are listed as well as District and Regional Trial dates. Please download this calendar if your child is interested in trialling for sporting teams.

Sporting Pathways at Centenary SHS

There are many opportunities for students to become involved in sport here at Centenary SHS. They are:

1. School Carnivals – Centenary SHS runs Swimming, Cross Country and Athletics carnivals annually. During these carnivals students from all age groups can: compete in their houses for points that go toward the Champion House Shield; become Age Champion; and also to gain selection in the school teams to go to district carnivals. The Sports Director and HG teachers will provide information for students prior to the carnivals so that they may participate.
2. District and Regional Trials –Cluster days provide students with the opportunity to gain selection in district, regional, state, and even national teams, in a wide range of sports. The first step in this process is trials for the Northern District Team. Students will be invited to nominate for a trial and will now need to go through a selection process at Centenary SHS as we are only allowed to send 2 students to the Northern District Trial. The trials for Northern District tend to be after school. If successful, they then go to regional trials where they trial for selection in a Met West Regional team. If selected in the Regional team they can go onto State and National Trials. All common sports are catered for in this pathway, however the age groups are (usually) Open (16 – 19 years), 13 – 15 years and the 10 – 12 years. For upcoming trial dates, students must check the sports notice board and contact the Sport Director to trial first at school and if successful will be given the paperwork in order to attend the Northern District Trial.
3. Specific Sports Squads – Throughout the year there will be a number of sports that the school enters competitions for. These include sports such as Touch Football, Futsal, Netball, AFL, Rugby Union, Rugby League, Volleyball and Soccer. For students to get into these squads, they need to act on information given by the Sports Director and by coaches. Trials will be required for these teams. If selected in these squads, students usually compete outside of school time and there is usually a cost involved. Some of these cater for a wide range of age groups, which sometimes means we can enter teams from all age groups.

Inter-school sport (Sports Director – Ms Daniells)

Centenary SHS will be continuing to participate in the West Brisbane Sporting Association competition this year.

The structure consists of 6 Gala Days that will occur across terms 1, 2, 3 and 4. Each school will send teams to compete in whole day carnivals in a range of sports, across all year levels. There will be;

• Four Yr7, 8 and 9 Gala Days – term 1, 2, 3 and 4
• One Yr10 and Open Summer days, and (dependent on team entries)
• One Yr10 and Open Winter days. (dependent on team entries)

The sports we will participate in are: Touch Football, Volleyball, Ultimate Disc, Cricket, Basketball, Netball, Soccer, Rugby League, Tennis, European Handball, Badminton and AFL. Most of these sports will have both boys and girl’s teams at each year level of competition. Students from all year levels will have the opportunity to be part of one of these sporting teams.

The purpose of this competition is to provide quality sporting games between schools. As a result all schools are making a commitment to fill as many of the sports as they can with well prepared and well-presented teams. To enhance the quality of the competition the conveners of each sport will be sourcing qualified referees and suitable first aid personnel. Some of the sports will be played at school venues whilst others will use quality community facilities.

Teams will compete for the title of District Premiers in each sport and then the premier teams will progress onto the Metropolitan Finals series against other winning schools from across Brisbane.

At Centenary we are committed to developing strong teams to compete in this new competition. Sign-on and trials for the teams will be conducted early in term 1 and then training will commence on a weekly basis thereafter. Students who are selected into a Centenary team are expected to commit to the team and attend all training sessions. Students will be advised of the sign-ons and trials at the start of the term. If selected into a team, they will be advised of training times.

As a result of this, students at Centenary SHS will have the opportunity to become part of a sporting team that competes in a quality competition against our local schools, on a regular basis. I encourage students to embrace this exciting opportunity and to try out for a team this year.

These pathways exist in an attempt to provide a wide range of sporting options for those students interested in sport. If you would like further information about any of these, please contact me at school.

UPCOMING EVENTS

District and Regional Swimming – The top 5 students that meet qualifying times will have the opportunity to attend the District Swimming Carnival on Monday 8 February 2021. Students will need to meet certain qualifying times. Nominations will need to include verifiable times from school or district carnivals, or club level. Please note, that a placing in a race at the District carnival no longer automatically qualifies students for the Regional carnival – the only way students can attend that carnival is by following the nomination process.

Dates to know: upcoming
8 February: Northern District Swim Carnival
24 February: Regional Swim Carnival
Please check the calendar for all trial dates.

House Captains 2021

Each house has two house captains that will encourage participation, organise lunch time sporting activities, be a positive role model around the school and will run war cries at our school carnival.

The house captains can be identified by their house shirts and can be approached at any time.

Yallambee – Grace Franklin and Ky Knight
Curragundi – Connor Fitzgerald and Drew Clay
Jarup – Caleb Scharvi and Georgia Smith
Moolanda – Peter Cradick and Trent Stewart

Met West Certificate

Even though 2020 sporting calendar was disrupted by COVID19 there were still 14 Centenary SHS students that were fortunate enough to be selected in a Met West team.

Congratulations to the following students

Jacob Richter – Met West Touch Football
Kealan Chadburn – Met West Touch Football
Alyssa Taylor – Met West Touch Football
Neve Longmire – Met West Swimming
Peter Cradick – Met West Swimming
Alexandria Byrne – Met West Swimming
Jackson Owen – Met West Swimming
Sean Kendrick – Met West Swimming
Ruby Humpage – Met West Softball
Grace Franklin – Met West Netball
Cooper Stone – Met West AFL
William Turner-Fry – Met West AFL
Sophie Dunne – Met West AFL
Jessica Ebzery – Met West Football

Please contact Tamara Nasalio via email tnasa1@eq.edu.au if you would like to discuss any issues in relation to Northern District or Representative sport. If you have questions regarding school sport please contact Matalena Daniells via email mxdan5@eq.edu.au.

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

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

STEP

News from STEP

Term 1, 2021 is looking to be a very exciting time in STEP. Students have been emailed the choice of activities, such as: learning the ropes in Backstage class, creating radio podcasts, exploring the local community trails in the Walking group, participating in the school musical Shrek and conducting Forensic experiments!

Sign on is during week 2, on Wednesday 3rd February, with classes starting in week 3, Wed lesson 4.

This is a timely reminder that the student behaviour expectations for STEP classes is in line with school policy: promptness, preparedness and politeness for all classes.

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

FACULTIES

ENGLISH

Welcome to a new year at Centenary state High School, especially to our new students in Year 7 and others who have come to us from other schools. This is a great place to be.

I want to congratulate our recently graduated Year 12 students and express my pride in their outstanding achievements and success in their chosen pathways.

The English staff has been putting a great deal of effort into planning and preparing for your students as we continue to refine and improve our delivery of the Australian Curriculum in Years 7 – 10. Also, we will work alongside our seniors as they move towards their external assessment tasks. We aim to support all students in their learning and will work with your children to develop and extend their confidence and ability in both written and spoken English skills.

The English Department Assessment Calendar will soon become available on One School and I encourage all parents and carers to become familiar with the due dates for assessment. In addition, English semester overviews for Years 7-10 will be published on each student’s class OneNote, providing an outline of the English work which will be studied this semester, along with details about assessment dates. This overview document will help your student to develop time management skills and good study habits.

One great study habit that we require of all students in the need to draft assessment responses so that teachers can provide meaningful feedback. Please refer to the relevant pages of the student diary for information about assessment policy, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

It is important to all of us in the English Department that our students are enjoying their learning. If you have questions, concerns or your child is experiencing difficulty, please feel free to contact me or the classroom teacher, the Year Level Coordinator or a Guidance Officer. We are happy to support students and to address problems early.

I would like to welcome these new members of staff to the English Faculty: Zac Zammit, Rachel Habermann, Jody Jarrett and Levienne Jones. Welcome back also to Shannon Ashton.

We are looking forward to a happy, exciting and successful 2021.

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

THE ARTS

Welcome back to the 2021 school year! We would like to extend a warm welcome to new families and returning families and we look forward to a much more (hopefully) normal year in the Arts!

2020 student success and celebration

In the first year of the new senior ATAR program, we are very proud to celebrate the successes of our arts students. Across the whole school, the top subject-based result was 99/100 and there were six students who achieved this amazing result. They all received 100% on their internal assessments, and an amazing score of 24/25 on the external exam. Guess what? They were ALL arts students! A huge congratulations goes to:

Aria Daniels – Drama
Isabelle Lightbody – Drama
Ben Morrissey – Film, TV and New Media
Ethan Worth – Film, TV and New Media
Raymond Mai – Film, TV and New Media
Jayden Hobbs – Music Extension (Composition)

Year 12 visual art graduate, Alisha Vo, had her thoughts about finishing school in 2020 captured by the ABC in this article. It references her gift to the school on behalf of the year 12 cohort – this artwork, depicting life in 2020 at Centenary SHS. Alisha’s award winning artwork (not this one!) can be viewed at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) in the Central Exhibition from April 24. You can find more information about the exhibition here.

2021 School Production

This year is a whole school musical year (they are performed biennially). In 2021, we will bring ‘Shrek’ to the stage of CPAC. Students in all year levels are able to audition for lead roles and/or participate in the chorus or cast. Auditions for lead roles will be held in term 1, with rehearsals commencing in term 2. Rehearsals this year will be slightly different to previous years, due to year 12 classes. The junior students will rehearse during STEP time (Wednesday lesson 4) from term 2; with the lead roles rehearsing on Thursday afternoons from 3-5pm. We will bring the whole cast together in term 3, on a Thursday afternoon to put the finishing touches on the show.

Save the dates in August (see the date claimer below) to see the show!

Instrumental Music Update

Students in years 7-12 attended the sign-ups for Instrumental Music and Choir and have received information already about when lessons and ensembles will commence for the year. Students have also been emailed this information from their Instrumental Music Teacher. Mr Mark Watkins coordinates the Instrumental Music Program and can be contacted regarding events and program information. For specific information regarding lessons and ensembles, please contact the Instrumental Music teachers:

Myth Busting

If you’ve ever heard ‘music makes you smarter’, you’ve probably wondered if a musician actually wrote the article, or if it was really true. Well, an American researcher set out to bust the myth, but was stunned by his own findings – that learning music does appear to make students better mathematicians and readers. Read the evidence for yourself here.

Date Claimer

Please find below the dates for events in 2021, as they stand currently.

Centenary State High School Cultural Date Claimer 2021

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

YEAR LEVEL COORDINATORS

Year 12 Report

It is with great pleasure that we welcome our year 12 cohort back for their final year of schooling. This year will be both stressful and exciting for our year 12s, and finding balance will be integral to students’ success. Our year 12 support team – Kelsey Oakes (Deputy Principal), Angela Raven (HOD Senior Schooling), Juanita Oberle (Guidance Officer), year 12 Home Group teachers and myself – will be working diligently to assist students in finding this balance.

There are a range of leadership roles allocated to year 12 students, with our School Captains – Annika Melkersson and Ronin Starmer – and Vice Captains – Nam-Chi Dang and James Callum – as the core leaders of our student body. In addition to our School Captains, we have an exceptional team of other leaders working as House Captains, Arts Captains, International Student Leaders, Student Forum Leaders and Student Council members. I am looking forward to seeing all of our student leaders working collaboratively to make 2021 a memorable year for our graduates.

Some of the key events for the year include:

• 100 Days to Go celebration (Term 2 Week 5)
• Mission Australia Sleepout (date TBC)
• Tertiary and other post-schooling talks (Terms 2 and 3)
• Final Week of Classes celebrations (Term 4 Week 3)
• Formal and Mystery Tour (Term 4 Week 7 – Wednesday 17th November)
• Graduation (Term 4 Week 7 – Friday 19th November)

Many of these events will be organised and facilitated by our various student leaders.

It has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience being Year Level Coordinator for this cohort since they began year 8, and I am excited to assist them in this final stage of their schooling lives. Should you have any questions regarding our child’s schooling, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Matt Redman, Year 12 Coordinator
Email: mredm23@eq.edu.au

Year 10 Report

Welcome back, year 10 parents and carers! It was a great moment for my HG teaching team to see our students returning to school in their white shirts to celebrate the start of their senior schooling last Thursday. We have hit the ground running already, with students attending year level talks by our Head of Senior Schooling Angela Raven and their new Deputy Principal Matt McDonald in order to understand the complexities of their final three years at CSHS.

Students will be exposed to so many opportunities this year, including Year 10 Camp, SET Planning and Work Experience. As a result, our Year 10 HG program has been designed to support our students with their academic careers and future pathways through our Positive Education (PERMAH) program. Want to know more about how you can embed PERMAH at home? Look out for weekly Facebook posts from Melissa Chamberlain—our Positive Education Coordinator—who will update you on our PERMAH focus each week.

We are also offering many parent information evenings across the year to allow you to get vital information regarding their learning. Our first parent night will be on the 8th of February, running from 6-8pm in the Senior Learning Centre. You will have the opportunity to talk with both Angela Raven (HOD – Senior School) and me.

STUDENT SHOUT OUTS:

Northern Eagles Swimming success:

• Alex B
• Sean K
• Jackson O

Year 10 Mentors, who have absolutely thrived in creating a safe and supportive environment for our 2021 Year 7 students – you have made your YLC very proud!

Claire Masters, Year 10 Coordinator
Email: ctuto3@eq.edu.au

P&C

News from our P&C

On behalf of the P&C, welcome back to a new School year for all new and existing families. I hope you all had a refreshing and relaxing break over the holidays.

I would like to say a huge “Thank You” to the following parents: Shweta, Dallas, Suzanne, Kirsty, Mitz, Nam-Chi, Serene, Tamara, Susan, Wendy, Casey, Kym, Scott and students: Jackson, Lan, Ryan, Abi, Amber, Alyssa, Ella and Grace for volunteering for the back to school rush the week before school commenced and Susanne and Shweta for the first week back. Without you all, we could not have helped all the families with their uniform needs.

Mel (Uniform Shop Conveyor) has processed all flexi schools orders, therefore, if you have placed an order, please send your student to collect. Uniform shop hours from Week 3 are back to normal and open Monday and Tuesday, 8am to 12 noon.

Due to the overwhelming sales in January, we unfortunately sold out of some stock. This includes the following:

Boys formal junior (Blue) shirts – size 14, Small, Medium & Large
Sports polos – size 18 and 20 - running low on size 14
Sports shorts – size 16 and 18 – running low on size 14
Winter Jackets – sizes Small, Medium and Large.

Sports polo’s size 16 and Boys Senior (white) shirts size 14 are now back in stock.

We have placed orders for the above items and have been advised by the supplier they will be available first week in March. Please be aware, delivery is out of our control, however, we will endeavour to re-stock as quickly as we can.

Please help us continue with the Entertainment Book Fundraiser with the proceeds going to the Student Welfare fund. There is still plenty of savings to gain from the Entertainment Book. All books are now digital. Should you wish to purchase a book, please visit at the link below.

P&C meetings are held every third Wednesday of the month. Our first meeting for the year will be held on Wednesday, 17th February 2021. Meetings are held in the Resource Centre with doors opening at 6:45pm for a 7pm start. Water, Tea and Coffee will be available.

For any new families unfamiliar with the school, please see below map for our meetings. We are located in the RC building, just up from the Administration block (AD).

We encourage as many families to get involved. It is a great way to see what is going on behind the scenes and hear from our Principal. There are no Fete’s, no OSHC to run, only the Uniform shop therefore, very little volunteering is required on the P&C, so please come along and have a chat!

We would like to gauge interest on re-commencing the Arts Department Sub Committee. If there are any parents, who children participate in Drama, Choral or Music Programs, who would like to get together several times a year to fundraise for our amazing Arts Department, then please let get in touch with us via email: pandc@centenaryshs.eq.edu.au

We look forward to a fun and successful 2021. Look forward to seeing you soon.

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