9 September 2021
Volume 23 Number 6

NEWSLETTER ARTICLES

PRINCIPAL

News from the Principal

Dear Centenary SHS Community,

This is our final newsletter for the term. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our students and parents for the way in which our school community has followed the health directives regarding mask wearing at school. In line with our value of “Community”, our students have been understanding and respectful of the COVID-19 safety requirements, complying without complaint or issue. I congratulate them on their attitude and commitment.

This week is our school review week. All Queensland schools undertake the school review process every four years and at Monday’s assembly we welcomed four reviewers to our school community. During the week, the reviewers will meet with and speak to over 150 members of our community – staff, students, parents and community partners. The purpose of the school review is to provide feedback on what we are doing well as a school, what we can improve as a school and where we should consider focusing our strategic planning over the next four years. The review is a fresh lens across the school to help us continue to improve. Our review coincides with this week’s PERMAH focus of “Receiving Feedback” – a great alignment! Thank you to the parents and community partners who were willing to speak to the reviewers – we greatly appreciate the feedback and the active parent voice to assist us shape our work moving forward. The report from the school review will be published on the Centenary SHS website when it is received – probably after the September holidays.

Activities that occurred during the past month presented us the opportunity to celebrate our values of “Aspiration” and “Commitment”:

• We have congratulated students who have participated and represented the school so well through sporting achievements, public speaking competitions and science competitions.
• We have celebrated the amazing success of our science learners through the Science Ball and celebrated the achievements of our Arts students through a showcase of their work.
• Our hospitality students ran an industry event, catering for take-away orders as part of their curriculum – and their work was outstanding.
• A number of our students have undertaken work experience opportunities at Mt Ommaney Special School, enjoying the opportunity to engage in a school setting.
• All Year 10 students will be participating in work experience across Week 10, partaking in industry relevant experiences across a range of occupations.
• We have enjoyed the opportunity to connect with parents and students for Year 10 SET Planning and with our incoming parents for 2022 Year 7 Enrolment Interviews. The opportunity to engage as partners in learning is valuable for everyone involved.
• Our Year 12 students commence their mock exams this week, a readiness and revision activity to set them up in the best position for their external exams in Term 4.

It has been a very busy month.

Shrek the Musical opens this week. After rescheduling due to lockdown, it will be exciting to see many months of preparation come together on stage. Congratulations to all students, staff and parents who have supported the musical. I am looking forward to attending on Saturday evening.

I wish everyone the best for a restful school holiday. I hope that our students and staff take the opportunity to rest, recharge and spend time with the important people in their lives. Term 4 will be with us before we know it.

Best wishes,

Jo Hughes, 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

Welcome Back to Face-to-Face Learning

We trust that all students have settled back into face-to-face learning over the past two weeks. It’s been wonderful to have all students back in classrooms and following Queensland Health directives.

Vehicle Use

Please remind your young people who drive to school that the safety of self and others should be considered at all times. Students are permitted to park in the Yallambee Road carpark only and must move directly into the school grounds once parked. This is not an area to congregate and block other vehicles or pedestrians from using the area safely.

Subject Selections

Integral to student success is the selection of subjects moving into 2022. At present, these occurring across many year levels. Congratulations to Year 10 students and parents who recently participated in the Senior Education and Training Plan (SETP) process. SET Planning is a culmination of career planning and development delivered through the school’s STEP and HG programs. These decisions are based around:

1. What a student enjoys
2. Where they have demonstrated success
3. What they may need as a pre-requisite for tertiary study

Year 9 JET Plans

New to Centenary SHS this year will be the introduction of the Junior Education and Training Plan (JETP) in Year 9, as students begin to consider the subjects that align to areas of interest. The start of subject selections for 2022 is an initial survey to gauge student subject choices. From this, the school will then develop a timetable structure to accommodate the majority of student choices that match our school resources. Year 9 HG teachers will then meet with each of the students in their HG

Year 10 Work Experience

In Week 10 of Term 3, Year 10 students will broaden their horizons and experience a wide range of workplaces including childcare, health, retail and trades. We thank all our partners for supporting our students to build their confidence and support their pathway choices. Work Experience week is an important component of our career education program and we see the impact it has on students when Year 10 students commence Term 4.

QCAA Portal (Years 11 & 12)

Students in Years 11 & 12 should have registered their account with the QCAA to access their personal learning records. The portal is a space where students can track their progress towards achieving their QCE. It is available from the myQCE page on the QCAA website below and provides an up-to-date record of their banked results from internal assessments.

Any student who has not yet registered their account, or who may have forgotten their password, should see Ms Angela Raven or Ms Amiee Nolan for assistance.

Certificate II FSK

Well done to the many students who are completing the Certificate II in Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways (FSK). This qualification provides four (4) QCE credits and meets the numeracy and literacy requirement necessary to gain the QCE. The cut-off date to complete this qualification is Friday 17th September so that we may meet the national teach-out deadline of November this year. Those Year 11 students with incomplete work will be expected to attend school each day during their Exam Block in Week 2 of Term 4 to finalise the qualification. Year 10 students will also be expected to have the qualification completed by the close of Term 3 if they wish to select another STEP option in Term 4.

Year 12 Confirmation of Results

Congratulations to all Year 12 students on the successful completion of Internal Assessment 3. These results have been forwarded to the QCAA for confirmation through a sampling process. Once results are confirmed by the QCAA, they will appear in student learning accounts at the start of Term 4.

Those students with outstanding work or those who may require interventions to gain the QCE will be required at school during the Mock Exam week and over the external exam period. These students and their parent/s or caregivers will be notified directly.

Year 12 Mock Exams (Weeks 9 & 10 Term 3)

Integral to student success in the External Examinations is our school’s exposure through the Mock External Exam process in Weeks 9 and 10 of Term 3. Most General subjects will have one assessment paper, however Mathematics and Sciences subjects will have two assessment papers. Mock exams build familiarity with exam formats and expectations, and include multiple choice questions, short response questions, or an extended response task. Students should also be familiar with The External assessment equipment list (PDF, 175.3 KB) which contains information about the approved equipment for all assessments, including calculators, student devices, subject-specific equipment and prohibited items.

Preparing for the External Assessments (Year 12)

As we move into the final few weeks of face-to-face learning, it is vital that students are managing their preparation for the exams in October and November. An updated version of the timetable is available from the QCAA website and have been adjusted to begin on Friday October 22nd (Week 3) to accommodate the new Ekka Public Holiday on Friday October 29th. All students undertaking General subjects have access to the Atomi learning program which offers online learning and assessment preparation across most subject areas. We strongly urge our Year 12 students to take advantage of this very powerful learning and preparation tool. Further information regarding External Exam preparation can be found at the link below.

Year 11 Exam Block and Tracking Process

Year 11 Students will be undertaking their end of Unit 2 Exam Block in Week 2 of Term 4. Importantly, students should be reminded that Unit 2 assessment will reflect the types of assessment they will be undertaking at the end of Unit 4 in 2022 and utilise the exam preparation tools (i.e. Atomi learning program) provided by their subject teachers. Students who wish to make subject changes at the end of this assessment period must do so before beginning Unit 3 work. As Unit 3 and 4 are paired, no further subject changes can occur after this date.

Year 11 Semi-Formal

Many thanks for your patience while the school negotiated a new date for this year’s semi-formal on the Kookaburra Queen. We can confirm the new date will be Monday October 18th and further details will be forwarded by the Year 11 coordinator, Ms Kate George. Students should be reminded that attendance at this event will be subject to their meeting of core school expectations such as attendance and assessment submission deadlines.

Year 6 into Year 7 Interview Process

We are looking forward to welcoming our 2022 Year 7 students as we plan for their arrival next year! This year, all students enrolling with us will have been interviewed by key Junior School staff on Friday September 3rd.

The purpose of the interview was:

• For key staff to get to know our new students
• For parents/guardians and students to learn about Year 7 at Centenary SHS
• To provide an opportunity for parents/guardians and students to discuss any concerns, as well as have any questions answered

Another key transition activity for our future students is the Orientation Day which will be held on Monday November 29th. On this day, all 2022 Year 7 students enrolled attend Centenary SHS for the day and have the opportunity to learn more about high school with their classmates and their HG teacher. Information on this event will be emailed closer to the date.

Presentation Events 2021

This year Centenary SHS will celebrate outstanding student achievements at three separate presentation events.

Senior School Awards Presentation Event – Wednesday 20th October (9:00am – 11:30am)

Attended by students in Years 10 - 12 and selected staff (parents in attendance – pending COVID-19 restrictions).

Junior School Awards Presentation Event – Wednesday 20th October (12:30pm – 3:00pm)

Attended by students in Years 7 - 9 and selected staff (parents in attendance – pending COVID-19 restrictions).

Major Awards Presentation Evening – Friday 22nd October – 5:00 pm

Venue: Indooroopilly Golf Club
Major award winners, invited parents and staff.

From your Deputy Principals,

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

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

Adam Richter, Deputy Principal (Year 8, International)
Email: arich60@eq.edu.au

Belinda Walker, Deputy Principal (Year 9)
Email: bwalk53@eq.edu.au

Anna Petrie, Deputy Principal (Year 10)
Email: anpet0@eq.edu.au

Angela Raven, Deputy Principal (Years 11 & 12)
Email: arave7@eq.edu.au

BUSINESS MANAGER

News from the Business Manager

2021 fees are now due

Thank you to the families who have paid the 2021 school fees. Your payments are greatly appreciated and go directly to enhancing the learning of your child/children.

For those families who have not yet paid, a “Debtor Statement” for school fees has been processed and parents/carers would have received these either by email or by post recently. This statement is an overview of previous single invoices that have already been forwarded. If you require another copy of your statement, please contact the school office on (07) 3373 4555.

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 2021 calendar year are due. An overview of all fees and charges can be located on our website below. These documents provide a detailed explanation (by subject) of Curriculum Charges and Student Resource Scheme fees and what the school provides for each of these charges.

Please note that some subjects are only timetabled each term or semester. For these subjects, invoices will be generated as required. 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.

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.

How to make a payment

Payments can be made over the counter by cash or EFTPOS (Debit Card, MasterCard or Visa) or 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. 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 firstly contact the school office by emailing your request to admin@centenaryshs.eq.edu.au.

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 (07) 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.

Lost Property

Students should check the school office for any property they believe they have lost. If property is marked with the student’s name, every effort will be made to return the property to the student as soon as possible. Parents/carers are most welcome to visit the school and check the lost property section for items that their student may have lost.

Items of school uniform which remain unclaimed after one month will be placed in the “spare uniform” collection kept at the school for emergency situations or will be sent to the school uniform shop for sale as “second-hand” uniforms. Other unclaimed items will be donated to charities.

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

STUDENT LEADERSHIP COORDINATOR

News from the Student Leadership Coordinator

Despite the obvious challenges with COVID-19, the Centenary Student Forum is back in action! With meetings coming back every Tuesday, forum representatives from Years 7 to 12 have been working to develop more plans for the coming weeks. While discussing future projects, the forum has had the opportunity to wind down, and reflect on a fantastic High Resolves Program that we got to participate in earlier in the term. The program helped all of us further develop our valuable leadership, collaboration and communication skills.

Just this term, with the help of our Guidance Staff, we have commenced a ‘Wear It Purple Day’, where all students are free to wear any purple accessories – from headbands and ribbons, to socks and bracelets – in support of the LGBTQIA+ community. Originally scheduled to be held in Week 4 of this term was our school’s RSPCA Fundraiser Cupcake Day. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, this was impossible to proceed with. However, the forum has strived to make this project happen, and as a result, on Tuesday of week 9, the Cupcake Day is going ahead!

Our time with the brilliant Year 12’s is becoming short. We are definitely taking advantage of the few weeks we have left with them! Their guidance and leadership this year has been absolutely incredible, and none of the events we have run throughout the past 3 terms would be possible without them. A huge thank you goes out to our lovely school captains; Ronin, Annika, James and Nam-Chi, for helping our forum representatives connect with each other, and work together to put some really exciting projects into play in 2021. We have so much to look forward to!

Sienna Morena, Year 10 Forum Rep.

Vicki Spicer, Student Leadership Coordinator
Email: vspic1@eq.edu.au

INCLUSIVE PRACTICES

News from Inclusive Practices

During Term 4 the Inclusion Team will be undertaking a Transition Program for students who are attending Centenary State High School in 2022 and may require additional transition sessions. Four sessions will be run on Thursday mornings in October/November from 9:00am-11:00am. Only students whose enrolment has been accepted will be invited to partake in these additional transition programs. Please ask your primary school if you require any additional information on this. Primary schools will be distributing permission forms to students who may benefit from the program and whose enrolment has been accepted and confirmed.

The aim of these additional sessions is to help prepare students for the transition to the secondary environment here at Centenary. ‘Taster’ lessons will be run by teachers in HPE, Drama, OneNote and Manual Arts and will also involve students being ‘walked through’ many of the new routines and requirements of secondary schooling. It is hoped that the COVID-19 protocols at the time will allow parents of these students to share in the experience and join us in a welcome morning tea at the end of the final session. These sessions have been hugely valuable in previous years in providing a smooth and successful transition to high school.

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

CHAPLAIN

News from the Chaplain

Food for Thought

Planning for the future – it’s something we all do. 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 birthday, 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.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) situation has impacted all of our lives and, in many cases, our wellbeing. This is a particularly difficult time for teenagers, due to changes in their usual schooling and social routines. They may be experiencing disappointment about missing important experiences such as school formals, sporting competitions, drama productions, etc. It can also be a tough time for parents, as it’s often hard to look after yourself while also supporting your family.

Here are some strategies that will help you and your teenager to cope with study stress during this unusual time.

You can't pour from an empty cup

It’s easy to forget about your own needs while you’re trying to support your teenager through the current situation. You will be more in control and better able to support those around you if you’re feeling well.

• Self-compassion. Go easy on yourself – you’re doing the best you can during an extremely difficult time.
• The basics. It’s important to pay attention to the foundations of wellbeing during this time: getting enough sleep, eating regular meals, moving your body, and having some time to yourself – even if it’s only a few minutes a day.
• Model healthy coping. Check in with yourself: Are you feeling frustrated? Calm? Angry? Okay? Sad? Happy? All of these feelings are normal, and it’s very common at a time like this to fluctuate among them. Taking notice of your emotions will help you to determine if you’re okay to keep going, or whether you need a time out or more support.

Lower your expectations

When assisting your teen with online studies, it would be very difficult for you to cover the same ground as their teacher, and for your teen to perform the same way they do in the classroom. It may be useful, therefore, to lower your expectations around what can be achieved. Both schools and universities are working to provide solutions for the disruption in learning, especially for students in Years 11 and 12.

Side note: It may also be useful to lower your expectations in terms of your own work performance during this time.

Work with your teenager's school

Both schools and universities are working to provide solutions for the disruption in learning, especially for students in Years 11 and 12. Contact your teen’s school with any questions you might have, and support your teen to do the same with their teachers and wellbeing officers.

If your teen needs academic support, encourage them to reach out for it. Ask if they can talk to their peers to get help with study. Your teen's school might also have study support for these periods where things are a bit rough. Utilise your support networks and the resources available.

Encourage your teen to keep going

It’s important to have conversations with your teen about their academic and future goals, and to encourage them to keep working towards them. Putting off tasks now could just mean more pressure later on.

Set goals and break them down

It’s hard to maintain motivation without having goals in sight. Together with your teenager, look at the syllabus or material set by teachers, and work out how much they can realistically complete each week. Break this down into days, and set goals that tie in with the syllabus. You can create a daily priority list with concrete SMART goals that can be ticked off.

Be realistic

Help your teen to create a realistic schedule for getting work done in defined periods. Include breaks and times for meals, socialising, exercising and entertainment. The key to this is to do a block of work first, then have a relaxing reward. You can help your teen create a colour-coded timetable, similar to their school timetable.

Procrastinate the right way

Everyone procrastinates on the internet sometimes, and teens switching to online learning are particularly vulnerable to this. Together with your teen, come up with a plan. You could block common procrastination sites or ask them to put away their phone during school hours, or use the Pomodoro Technique and 'procrastinate' for a set time once a block of work is done.

De-stress

Help your teenager to stay in control with some anti-stress techniques:

• Grounding, using all of the senses – for example, name five things you can see, four that you can hear, three that you can touch, two that you can smell, one that you can taste.
• Create a ‘self-care box’ with soothing or interesting objects such as stress balls, essential oils, herbal tea, fidget toys, etc.
• Introduce family ‘no COVID-19 talk time’ periods.
• Encourage your teen to do activities that they enjoy around the home, such as baking, reading books, watching a movie, exercising, listening to or playing music, colouring in, or taking up a new hobby.

Communicate

Teenagers pick up on the concerns and worries of those around them, and they may have their own worries about the situation. It’s possible that your teen may experience extra stress, and be more moody or irritable, during this time. Keep the lines of communication open so that your teen feels they can reach out to you about any concerns they may have. For more tips on how to talk to your teen about coronavirus, check out our article here.

Maintain a routine

Maintaining a daily schedule is beneficial for physical and mental health, but without school and other external commitments, it’s easy to let schedules slip. We have created a routine planner template to help your teen stick to a routine here.

Increase their sense of control

All of us are feeling some uncertainty, and this is very difficult for teenagers, who are still developing their sense of self and independence. Your teenager will benefit from feeling in control of some areas of their life, especially when certain elements, such as studying, will feel out of their control.

• Give them some space and privacy, even though this may be harder now if everyone is at home together. Help them create their own private study space, either in their room or by dividing up a common area.
• Let them make age-appropriate decisions (or give them support with decisions) regarding their space, and how to structure their time, social activities and household responsibilities.
• Establish clear and fair family rules around home activities, behaviour, communication and socialising, involving your teen in developing the rules.
• Help them to set limits for media/news exposure, and try to be with them at those times to provide reassurance and answer any questions they may have.

Get extra support

As many people will be physically distancing or self-isolating, telephone and online services are great options if you need extra support.

Jump on to the ReachOut Parents Forums to connect safely with other parents and learn from them how they’re managing the stress of parenting teens through this challenging time.

You can also access our ReachOut Parents free One-on-One Support program over the phone and online. You’ll be able to connect with an experienced family professional who will listen, guide you through identifying your specific challenges, suggest practical strategies you can try and provide evidence-based resources.

Lifeline (13 11 14) and Parentline can be accessed for phone and online counselling, with Lifeline phone counsellors on call from 7 pm to midnight, and Kids Helpline available 24/7. If it’s available to you, you could consider seeing your GP or mental health professional for extra help (but make sure to follow the advice of Healthdirect if you’re showing symptoms of the virus or are in self-isolation). You could also ask your mental health professional if they could chat over Skype/FaceTime if you’re in self-isolation.

This article was written by Andreea Heriseanu, Psychologist.

If you need to talk about anything relating to this article or general school issues, you can contact me on email: bmcmu27@eq.edu.au.

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

SCHOOL NURSE

News from the School Nurse

R U OK? Day Thursday September 9th

R U OK? is a national charity dedicated to inspiring all of us to have regular, meaningful conversations to support anyone struggling with life’s ups and downs.

To spread this message at Centenary SHS, the Student Wellbeing Hub staff have shared information via: posters; email; notices; videos in HG; and assemblies. This information guides students how to ask R U OK?

Young people cannot be expected to fix someone’s problems, nor know the best way to help and support.

However, they can listen to what their friend is saying, let them know they care and tell a Teacher, Guidance Officer, Youth Health Nurse, Chaplain or trusted adult if they are worried about their friend.

By promoting an environment of positive peer support and accessing support channels via an adult, young people can learn that asking, “Are you OK?” is a key life skill.

If you need immediate crisis or emotional support you can contact Kids Helpline 1800 551 800; Lifeline on 13 11 14;

Kirsten Anstey, School Nurse
Email: nurse.centenary@health.qld.gov.au

SPORTS DIRECTOR

Sports Director Report

Met Finals

Well done to the three teams from Centenary SHS that qualified for the Met Finals for this winter season. This included Years 8, 9 and 10 girls netball and Year 10 girls basketball. The Years 8 and 9 netball teams had very competitive pool games and just missed out on making the semi-finals. The Year 10 team made it into the semi-finals and went down against a netball excellence school. Stellar effort from all participating students!

Thank you to all Ms Tesch, Ms Jarrett and Ms Daniells for coaching and taking the netball teams and good luck to Mr Taylor who will take his team next week to for the basketball Met Finals.

Gala Day – Juniors

The final competitive Gala Day is not too far away – Thursday 16th September (Week 10). Students who have made the team will need to return their permission forms to their coach and pay at the office.

Lastly, thank you to all the coaches who have been so committed and enthusiastic to provide our students with the best opportunity possible to excel at the Gala days!

Athletics – District Track and Field

The District Track and Field Championships wound up recently with Centenary students having a strong presence across the majority of the events. We had one of the largest squads (100 students) of any school there, and the biggest of any state school in the district. This is a reflection of the effort and value placed on sport by the school, which provides opportunities both in the curriculum, and also with a comprehensive training regime available for students taken by both elite level coaches in addition to school staff.

1st placing – 25 students
2nd placing – 22 students
3rd placing – 24 students
4th placing – 19 students

Apart from these highlights, many students attained personal bests. We should be really proud of all students who represented the school!

Some individual highlights:

• Mia Baker – 5 x 1st placings, district record – triple jump
• Olivia Boyd – 3 x 1st placings, district records – 400m, 800m, 1500m
• Kya Horridge – 1st, 2 x 2nd placings, 1 x 3rd placings, district record – 400m
• Billy Turner-Fry – 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th placings
• Keelie Andrew – 3 x 3rd placings
• Maya Allemand – 2 x 3rd placings
• Zac Bloor – 1st, 2nd, 4th placings
• Dylen Blyth – 2 x 1st placings, 4th & 5th placings, district record – long jump & triple jump
• Tyler Booby – 2nd & 3rd placings
• Illka Chang – 2 x 3rd placings
• Matt Dunne – 1st, 2nd, 3rd placings
• Ruby Gibbs – 2nd & 4th placings
• Yusene Govender – 2 x 1st placings, 3rd
• Liam Jones – 2nd & 3rd placings
• Evan Longmire – 2 x 2nd placings
• Neve Longmire – 2nd & 3rd placings
• Keira McCarthy – 1st
• Olivia Neithe – 2nd & 4th placings
• Sienna Pritchard – 2 x 1st placings
• Jade Rebibou – 2 x 2nd placings
• Rahul Sanjiv – 2 x 1st placings
• Ethan Swift – 2 x 2nd placings, 4th
• Liam Whitehead – 1st

Unfortunately, COVID-19 has cancelled Met West and the Qld Secondary Schools Competitions, however Athletics Queensland are running a number of meets for secondary school athletes leading up to the QLD ALL SCHOOLS (October 16th & 17th and 29th and 31st). The lead-up meets are on September 18th (QSAC), September 22nd (Gold Coast), September 25th (UQ) and October 2nd (QSAC). Full details of entry requirements are on the Qld Athletics Website below. Training is also resuming as per the student notices.

As always, training is open to any students keen to improve their performances, whether or not they’re in the school/district team.

Schedule – Throws + Track (Tues and Thurs 7:30am), Pit Jumps + Track (Wed 3:00pm). High Jump is by prior negotiation.

Well done to everyone involved in the program and we look forward to the upcoming representative meets!

Richard Haines
Athletics Co-ordinator

QLD All Schools Touch Football Championship

On October 6th – 10th (Week 1, Term 4), teams will be competing in the All Schools competition for touch football. The four teams competing are U15 Girls, U15 Boys, Open Girls and Open Boys. This Touch Football Championship is the largest school event with just under 500 schools competing. Students have been very committed to attending training sessions before school. We wish all participating students the best of luck for the tournament!

Sports Awards

The sports awards for 2021 will be announced in Term 4. Students that have achieved at a high level in sport will be recognised and awarded a sports award. A list will be posted on the HPE noticeboard that contains students’ names and then their sporting achievement. This is the responsibility of all students to ensure that all of their achievements are listed and to see Mrs Nasalio if a sporting event is missing.

You get sporting points for the following:

• Gala Day teams and if you won a premiership, you receive more points
• District sporting teams
• School swimming, cross country and athletics teams
• District swimming, cross country and athletics teams
• Age Champion in cross country and athletics
• Met West in any sport
• Represented Centenary in an ALL Schools Event

If any students are missing an achievement they must go to Staffroom 4 to collect a gremlin form. Once they have listed their missing sporting achievements they must complete this form and hand it back and the list will be updated.

The gremlin sheet process is now open and will close on Friday 10th September. Once again it is the student’s responsibility to make sure their achievements are accurate!

Dates

September:

8th – Met Finals Rounds 3 & 4
16th – Years 7, 8 and 9 Spring Sports Gala Day

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

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

FACULTIES

APPLIED TECHNOLOGY

SET Plan

Year 10 students are presently involved in selecting subjects for their two years of senior studies. The SET plan process endeavours to ensure students are making sensible and informed decisions, considering their capabilities and aspirations. Parents and carers are included in the process, and are encouraged to provide input into the subject selected by their student.

It’s important students remain eligible to attain a Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) and succeed in the subjects selected. Good decision making will assist in this pursuit.

Should students experience difficulty selecting subjects, I strongly encourage them to promptly consult with a HOD or DP for clarification and direction.

I wish students success and enjoyment with the senior studies.

Subject Selection

Students in both Years 8 and 9 have received virtual presentations from the various faculty HODs/subject teacher to inform them of the subjects on offer in 2022.

I appreciate that they have been inundated with information and it might prove a little difficult to process.

Students have received a subject handbook which lists the subjects offered for selection. Additionally, important information relating to prerequisites, course content and types of assessment is included.

The handbook is a fantastic reference document and I would strongly encourage students and parents to refer to the content because it does provide responses to many of the concerns initially encountered by the students.

Initial expressions of interest for the various subjects have been collected to determine their respective popularity. The popular subjects will be included in the timetable, whereas students in the less popular subjects may be required to select another option. Ms Walker is presently in the process of formulating the timetable for the Years 9 and 10 cohorts for 2022.

Endorsement

Teachers of both Design and Engineering are currently involved in the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) internal assessment endorsement process. This requires the teachers to write the first two assessment pieces for Year 12, ensuring they comply with strict QCAA guidelines. The assessment pieces are forwarded to the QCAA for scrutiny by an approved endorser. Instruments with identified concerns will be returned to the school for review and subsequent amendment. Essentially, all Year 12 assessment instruments will be approved by the QCAA prior to them being administered. The process has been initiated to ensure that all assessment instruments display the attributes of quality assessment viz. validity, accessibility and reliability.

Confirmation

Year 12 student results are in the process of being confirmed by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA).

Essentially, student samples from each subject are selected by the QCAA and provided to their assessors for review. The assessor checks that teachers have used the instrument-specific marking guide (ISMG) accurately and consistently when marking their students' work to ensure the comparability of results.

Hot Shots Café

On Wednesday August 25th, the Year 11 Hospitality students operated a simulated café producing only takeaway meals to comply with COVID-19 requirements.

Patrons could choose creamy chicken pesto pasta, beef lasagne, vegan Moroccan chickpea stew or butter chicken as a main meal and complement it with either a mini apple pie, mixed berries cheesecake, chocolate mousse pie or the perennial favourite…tiramisu.

The meals were delivered to the respective staffrooms to ensure a contactless experience, which is a customary practice nominated by a COVID-19 safe plan.

The packaging of the meals was impressive with only environmentally friendly containers, napkins, cups and cutlery supplied. The students were able to present the meals in a most professional manner.

The aroma circulating within a kitchen, devoted to producing a bulk supply of butter chicken was alluring. It was however, surpassed by the taste of this superb dish! Warm custard cascading over the top of a “nana-like” apple pie was a delightful way to finish the takeaway experience.

The students performed splendidly, particularly considering the additional complexities associated with honouring the café’s COVID-19 safe plan. Ms Ace orchestrated the event brilliantly and her students’ service and delicious meals, exceeded all expectations.

CO2 Dragsters

This term in Year 9 Graphics and Design, students have been learning about aerodynamics and its implication on race car design. The project required students to design, shape, decorate and race their personally constructed C02 dragster. Two dragsters were attached to a track with a stringline and positioned at the start gate, ready for activation. When the spring-loaded gate was released, pins puncture the CO2 canister inserted into the back of each dragster. The pressure released from the canister propelled the cars down the track at remarkable speed. The Year 9 students enjoyed designing, building and racing their cars.

Year 12 Hospitality

Tuesday August 24th was assigned to the commissioning of a new piece of catering equipment…a commercial mixer. During the lesson, the students participated in a gnocchi workshop. The mixer was used to produce the pasta which was subsequently used to create authentic gnocchi, complemented by tomato Neapolitan sauce. The Year 12 students taste tested their soft and tender gnocchi with a rich tomato sauce and without hesitation awarded it with overwhelming approval.

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

ENGLISH

Our Year 10 students are at an important phase in their education, making decisions about their senior subjects through the SET planning process which occurred in Week 7. The decision in English is whether to enrol in one of the three General English subjects (English, Literature or English as an Additional Language) or the applied subject (Essential English) for Years 11 and 12. Students need to ensure that they select the strand of English in which they believe they will experience success. Students also need to be aware that, in each of these subjects, they will be required to complete at least one speaking task per year. Tasks of this kind are also completed in Years 7 – 10 so, by senior, all students should be comfortable in giving speaking presentations. Spoken communication is a twenty-first century skill that our young people need to master, so they can go out into the world with confidence and successfully interact in many different contexts; such as job interviews and dealing with customers or clients.

There is an opportunity for our current Year 11 English and Literature students to study English and Literature Extension as an additional English subject. Students study Extension offline in Units 3 & 4 only. While there might be some adjustment made to their timetable to accommodate Extension, they must continue to study their current English subject. English and Literature Extension is incompatible with English as an Additional Language and Essential English. If students are interested, they need to see me before the end of this term.

Our second COVID-19 year has seen some disruption to public speaking competitions, but fortunately many of them have been able to proceed, albeit with some changes to dates and conditions. Our four debating teams have all competed this year, and our Year 8 and Year 10 teams were successful in making the finals rounds. The Year 10’s made it through to the third round of the finals where they were unfortunately knocked out. This is a brilliant achievement.

I want to extend a huge thank you to Ms Long who has been working with students on two public speaking competitions: English Speaking Union (ESU) public speaking competition and the Australian Independent Debating and Public Speaking Championships (AIDPSC). The senior ESU final is to be held soon. AIDSPC was to be held in Canberra over the coming holidays, but because of lockdowns interstate, it will now be conducted through virtual platforms. It has been very challenging for Ms Long and the students to be flexible in their preparation for these competitions, and we wish them all the best. I know they will be wonderful ambassadors for our school.

We are only a few weeks away from the External Assessment period. Our Year 12 students have been working hard to prepare for these exams and I am confident they will do themselves and our school proud. I have every confidence in our wonderful young people as they move towards this final phase of assessment.

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

THE ARTS

Term 3 has been super busy and this was despite a number of Arts events rescheduled due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Here’s some of what our fabulous students and staff have been up to!

School Production – Shrek!

The news dates for Shrek are Friday September 10th and Saturday September 11th. For the first time in the school’s history, we have added a 4th show, as the first three shows sold out so fast! There are only a few tickets left, so if you’re planning to come and haven’t yet booked, you should do this ASAP! Tickets are available via this link below. Adults are $20, children under 12 are $10 and toddlers are free.

Annual Cultural Dinner

The Arts Faculty invite all Arts students from Years 7 to 12 to attend our Annual Cultural Dinner. It’s a night of celebration with staff and students, for the students’ participation in any of the Arts offerings at the school – both classroom subjects and extracurricular activities. An email invitation has been sent to all students and is attached here. For more information, please contact Mark Watkins, Cultural Coordinator: mwatk16@eq.edu.au. Please note the strict due date for catering requirements.

Student Success

Congratulations to our Year 12 students who have now completed their internal assessments for the year! We have the results confirmed from most Arts subjects after the second task was completed and an impressive number of students continue to achieve at 100%. ‘Confirmed’ work means that the student work has been assessed by a panel of teachers against the criteria and that the marks awarded by the school are ‘agreed to, or locked in’. This is an outstanding achievement by the students, and also to the teachers of those students – well done!

Classroom News

Year 12 Visual Art in Practice students completed their mural painting unit earlier in the year, with this year’s theme and location inside the school gym. Using Mr Brew’s famous Centenary mantra ‘Get Involved’, the mural features the key sporting activities of the school, underpinned by the four house colours. It looks amazing when standing or sitting in the hall. Be sure to check it out next time you’re in the sports centre. Thank you to Mrs Teh and her Year 12 students for this wonderful addition to the school.

Year 12 Drama students attended La Boite Theatre recently to see Caesar. The timing was perfect, just prior to the students moving into their own contemporary performances for the IA3 Practice-led Project. This dynamic, unapologetic play was exactly the right show to see how contemporary performance practices can tell impactful and engaging stories. Everyone walked away from the theatre inspired and ready to crack into their own versions of Medea and Lysistrata.

Year 12 Film, Television and New Media student, Leticia, in 2020, made a wonderful documentary aiming to educate audiences about GoalBall, a sport for the vision impaired. Her documentary celebrates some of the achievements of our local Paralympians, and our very own national representative, Sean. Her film has been entered into a competition in the student documentary division and whilst the voting has now closed, you can view the film here.

Year 12 Visual Art student, Imani, has had her art work submitted to the Creative Generation Excellence Awards in Visual Art for 2021. Imani’s work displays a very high degree of technical skill and originality in concept and design. Imani says this of her work ‘My work explores the recurring issue of racism throughout society for decades upon decades through a contemporary lens. Attacking the racist imagery and attitudes in contemporary society, my resolved art-piece highlights the issue of offensive stereotypes.’ We wish Imani good luck in making the shortlist of finalists!

Instrumental Music News

Following a period of lockdown and no rehearsals, it was awesome to see the school Stage Band back on stage, performing on assembly. We have now returned to our normal rehearsal schedule for all ensembles each week and instrumental music lessons. A reminder to students to advise their Instrumental Music teacher if they will be absent from their music lesson/ensemble.

Extra-Curricular Activities

Recently, Year 7 students engaged in a Social Action project, and one class took advantage of our school's partnership with Switch Brisbane (a local community radio station). In recognition of the International Day of Friendship, the students recorded themselves dedicating songs to their friends and pondering the importance of friendship. The session was broadcast on Switch Brisbane on Friday July 30th from 11:30am-12:00pm and was a huge success!

Finally, an updated version of the 2021 Date Claimer is below. We look forward to seeing you at our next event.

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

YEAR LEVEL COORDINATORS

Year 10 Report

This term has seen many key events for our Year 10 cohort. Our Year 10 camp is always a highlight and students participated in this event in the nick of time before the lockdown arrived. The camp was a fantastic experience for all Year 10 students, with the opportunity to build and develop friendships, overcome personal challenges and grow as a cohort. Comments from staff and students have all centred around how valuable the experience was and how impressive this group of students were.

From here, we have shifted our focus to SET Planning and the upcoming work experience week. The SET Plan week was a great opportunity to have meaningful discussions with students about their pathways and subject selections. These conversations form an important part of the journey into Years 11 and 12 and the feedback from all participants and mentors was extremely positive. It appears that our students have made some considered decisions about their subject selections. In Week 10, we wish all of our Year 10 students the very best for partaking in their work experience programs. We know they will do themselves proud and gain some fantastic insight and skills that can be useful for the future.

Will McKenna, Year 10 Coordinator
Email: wjmck0@eq.edu.au

P&C

News from our P&C

The end of the year is fast approaching! There are only four general meetings left until the AGM in March 2022! All Executive Positions become available and will require nominations at the AGM. The current President and Treasurer will not be standing again at the AGM. The P&C will require these positions to be filled to be able to continue. The P&C requires two executives as a minimum to operate. All roles will be fully supported before and after the AGM to allow a stress-free transition.

If you are sitting there thinking “I can’t do that role” or “I don’t have the time”, that was me four years ago! I put my hand up not having a clue what to do and have held an executive role for the past four years. I spent two years holding the Secretary role (primary school) and the past two years as President. It has been an amazing journey and you really do get to see what goes on behind the scene and how a school operates.

President Role

The President role includes, but not limited to, represent the P&C at school functions e.g. awards nights, grand openings, chair meetings, be familiar with and ensure the P&C adhere to the P&C Constitution, develop plans and goals in collaboration with the Executive Committee and Principal.

Vice President

The Vice President role is to be an understudy to the President, provide support to Executive and run meetings if the President is unavailable.

Treasurer Role

We are lucky to have a wonderful bookkeeper who prepares the accounts. The Treasurer role includes, but not limited to, working closely with our bookkeeper, preparing a financial report for each meeting, including an annual Financial Statement and budget for the AGM. The Treasurer also ensures the P&C adheres to the Accounting Manual.

Secretary Role

The Secretary Role includes, but not limited to, all administrative task required to operate the P&C, particularly taking minutes of meeting, sending out agenda, maintaining a register of members etc.

If an executive role interests you, please do not hesitate to send us an email at pandc@centenaryshs.eq.edu.au and will we be in touch to discuss further.

The P&C recently agreed to purchase 10 new laptops to assist students who are unable to provide their own at a cost of $10,000. Our major fund raising to go towards this will be the canteen sales at the upcoming Shrek musical. If you are attending the show, we would love your support by purchasing drinks and food before, during and after the shows.

At the time of submitting for the newsletter we are still working on the menu list, however, can confirm there will be some hot food, snacks i.e., popcorn, chocolates, potato crisps, mixed lolly bags, and drinks (beer, wine, soft drink, juice poppers, water). Further details will be sent out school wide and published on the school Facebook page.

Please help us continue with the Entertainment Book Fundraiser with 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 the link below.

The next P&C meeting will be held on Wednesday September 15th 2021 commencing at 7:00pm in the Resource Centre. This will be dependent on the Education Department COVID-19 rules and can change at short notice.

Look forward to seeing you soon.

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