28 July 2022
Volume 24 Number 5

NEWSLETTER ARTICLES

PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents, Carers and Centenary SHS Community,

Welcome to Term 3! We’re underway with a busy term. As this newsletter goes to print, our Year 10 students are on camp, our Year 12 students are deep in their IA3 and, in some subjects, commencing their EA preparation.

For some students and staff, Term 3 started early with the Choir Trip to Tasmania to participate in the 2022 Festival of Voices. The students had some amazing opportunities to perform in historic locations, enjoy and appreciate the Tasmanian scenery and participate with some of the best choirs in the country. Thanks to Mr Watkins, Ms Stenlake, Mr Clifford and the students for being such strong representatives for our school. Thanks must also go to the very proactive Arts Parent/Carer Support Group for their commitment to supporting this opportunity.

Our Centenary’s Got Talent final was this week and the depth of talent in the Arts is just amazing. Congratulations to all the finalists, with particular congratulations to Davie’s Angels – the winners of the final.

In Week 2 we conducted our rescheduled Year 7 Parent Evening, where Year 7 parents/carers had the opportunity to meet with the core teachers and HG teachers and connect with the staff who work in the Year 7 space. It was lovely to see so many parents/carers in attendance!

This week has provided many co-curricular opportunities with respect to deepening learning. We hosted the local Year 5 students for the Writers Day and a very productive day was spent undertaking a masterclass on writing short stories. Stay tuned for their published work.

A team of Year 9 students participated in the Science and Engineering Challenge Day at QUT – where they placed 4th out of 9 schools after a variety of design challenges. Congratulations to these students, a great achievement! Next week we host our Year 10 Future Options Evening, an important precursor to our SET Planning (Senior Education & Training Planning) processes and our subject selection processes, preparing our students for senior studies, training and pathways. We are mid enrolments for Year 7 for 2023, with Parent Tours recommencing in August.

Parent Teacher Interviews will be held in Week 6 on Thursday August 18th. Information about the format of these interviews was emailed to parents/carers earlier this week.

We continue to move forward with consideration of the current health situation. I would encourage students to stay home when they are unwell. An email to the relevant year level deputy principal will ensure that learning is kept up to date for students who are unwell and absent due to isolation guidelines. Years 11 and 12 students and parents/carers are urged to keep in contact regarding health issues with the Senior Schooling team so that the appropriate ARAA provisions can be supported where necessary.

Stay well. 

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 PRINCIPALS

By Brooke Davis, Deputy Principal (Year 8)

Term 2 reflections

Term 2 was filled with learning, engagement and wellbeing initiatives in Year 8. I would like to publicly acknowledge our students, home group teachers and student leaders on their excellent participation at our assemblies. Each assembly we celebrate students and teachers by awarding ‘Shout Out’ certificates to celebrate positive actions in our school community. We also announced our PERMAH points class champion for Term 2. Curragundi 8B was the winner of a class pizza party for receiving the most points over the course of the term, and our student with the most PERMAH points was Autumn. These initiatives are led by our Year 8 Coordinator Ms Kate Tesch and Year 8 leaders in order to recognise the positive work our students bring to our school everyday. Speaking of positive work, I would like to thank Ms Kate Tesch for organising our Character Builders day. This day is designed to promote teamwork and build leadership skills. During the day, home group classes work together to achieve common goals when participating in activities. I am proud to belong to a year level that engaged with such enthusiasm and participation. Student and teacher costumes and decorated tents exemplified the pride felt for belonging to their home group class.

Be a learner

Parents/carers and students have now received Semester 1 academic, effort, behaviour and homework results. I am often asked about the meaning behind grades, and I would like to take a moment to share some insight into academic and effort outcomes to support understanding and discussion about learning.

Semester 1 academic results

Over the course of a year, students are gradually assessed on the knowledge and skills found in the Australian Curriculum subject-specific achievement standards. Each standard is written to illustrate what a student will need to know and do by the end of Year 8. When a student receives a ‘C’ academic result, this communicates they are currently producing work, against the selected achievement standards for the unit, consistent for their year level (i.e. working at a Year 8 level), and this is considered ‘Satisfactory’. A student who has received a ‘B’ or ‘A’ academic result is considered to be working ‘Above Satisfactory’ for the year level. It is important to note our teachers will provide ‘minus’ and ‘plus’ for results which do not appear on the academic reporting received at home. These conversations can be had during parent-teacher interviews or by contacting your student’s teachers. In my experience some of the most informing information concerning the meaning behind academic results can be found in the student’s effort results.

Semester 1 effort results

Effort results are useful for students to reflect on when considering their academic results for Semester 1, and when beginning to plan for Term 3 learning. A student’s clarity about their learning can be motivating and increase effort. There are some important questions which can be used to form discussions with students to encourage effort when participating in learning:

• What am I learning about?
• Why am I learning this?
• How will I know that I have learned it?

Our teachers support students to be able to answer these questions in the classroom. The more frequently students are able to engage in these discussions, the more we are encouraging clarity and supporting effort when participating in learning.

Term 3 – let’s connect

I would like to remind our parents/carers and students of the support available to our students:

Guidance Officer – Year 8: Ms Gayle Rausch
Head of Department – Junior Secondary: Ms Carly Manche
Year Level Coordinator – Year 8: Ms Kate Tesch

I frequently communicate to our Year 8 students that my door is always open. I appreciate the students who drop-by for a chat or need a helping hand. I speak on behalf of our team when I say our students’ wellbeing and learning is our highest priority. Please feel free to contact me via email or phone.

By Angela Raven, Deputy Principal (Years 11 & 12)

Years 10 & 11 TAFE at School programs 2023

Applications for the 2023 TAFE at Schools programs opened on Monday July 18th. Please ensure your student has applied if they are interested in undertaking one of these programs next year.

When your student applies, they will need to provide:

• Personal and contact details for them and their parent/carer
• Course preference
• A mandatory Unique Student Identifier (USI).

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. If students are parking in streets around the school, please be respectful of our neighbours by not parking over driveways and clearing the area safely after school.

Year 12 confirmation of results

Congratulations to all Year 12 students on the successful completion of Internal Assessment 2. These results have been forwarded to the QCAA for confirmation through a sampling process and have recently been returned. 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/carer 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 Science 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 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. Exams begin Monday October 24th, 2022. 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. Students can also access sample papers from the QCAA website. Further information regarding External Exam preparation can be found at:

We encourage all students to be familiar with the information sheet “Directions for Students” – rules that all students should be familiar with for undertaking the External Exams.

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.

Year 11 semi-formal

Details in regards to Year 11 semi-formal will be emailed shortly by Mr Will McKenna. Students should be reminded that attendance at this event will be subject to their meeting core school expectations such as attendance and assessment submission deadlines.

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

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

Brooke Davis, Deputy Principal (Year 8)
Email: bldav0@eq.edu.au

Cameron Webb, Deputy Principal (Year 10)
Email: cwebb2@eq.edu.au

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

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

INTERNATIONAL

As the international borders slowly reopen and restrictions have been lifted for many student travellers, Centenary SHS is beginning to welcome students from abroad. We have three new students starting this term from both Japan and Vietnam in Years 8, 10 and 11 and we are looking forward to increasing numbers of students over the next six months.

On Tuesday July 12th, the International Team (the international office and international students) headed to Movie World for a day of fun (and a little bit of terror – some of those rides!).

In the first two weeks of August, Centenary SHS will welcome delegates from Adachi Gakuen and Mita Gakuen, visiting from Tokyo, in preparation for reopening our Study Tour Program for students coming to attend our school for up to 12 months starting 2023.

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

Diana Huber, International Student Coordinator
Email: dhube1@eq.edu.au

Gemma Parry-Jones, International Homestay Coordinator
Email: gparr28@eq.edu.au

BUSINESS MANAGER

2022 fees due July 31st

A “Debtor Statement” for school fees has been processed and parents/carers should have received these either by email or by post. This statement is an overview of previous single invoices that have already been forwarded.

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 2022 calendar year are due by July 31st. An overview of all fees and charges can be located on our website. These documents provide a detailed explanation (by subject) of Curriculum Charges and Student Resource Scheme fees and what the school provides for each of these charges.

Please note that some subjects are only timetabled each term or semester. For these subjects, invoices will be generated as required with an email advising parents/carers of the fee. For invoices generated after the due date, a 30-day account will operate.

For more detailed information, please contact the individual Head of Department or Business Manager by emailing admin@centenaryshs.eq.edu.au.

How to make a payment

Payments can be made over the counter by cash or EFTPOS (Debit Card, MasterCard or Visa), by BPOINT or QParents. BPOINT and QParents options allow parents/carers the convenience of making payments from home and alleviates the need to pay over the counter transactions in person. For more information about QParents, please refer to the school’s website.

BPOINT Option

BPOINT is an online payment system and is the preferred payment method for the Department.

This option is accessed via the link below, which appears on all invoices and statements. This link can also be located in the Quicklinks section of our school’s website homepage. You will need the Customer Reference Number (CRN) which is printed on the bottom of your invoice/statement before payment can be processed.

When accessing the BPOINT weblink on individual invoices all relevant information will prepopulate. Parents/carers will only be required to enter their credit or debit card details.

INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE (IVR) BPOINT is also available by dialling the 1300 number provided on individual invoices. This option will only accept credit cards.

ELECTRONIC DIRECT DEBIT REGISTRATION (eDDR) BPOINT is the approved payment plan option. To set up a payment plan, parents/carers will be required to contact the school office first.

For more information on BPOINT please refer to the school’s website.

PHONE OR COUNTER payments Options

Payments can be made at the school office, Monday to Friday between 8:00am and 3:30pm. 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.

Qkr! coming soon

We are excited to offer parents/carers the ability to order and pay for your student/s school items using your smartphone, tablet or computer. The new Qkr! (pronounced ‘quicker’) by MasterCard application is a secure and easy way to make school payments at your convenience. We encourage all parents/carers to use Qkr! as it reduces the need to send cash to school or attend in person, and receipts are automatically generated that can be easily retrieved on the app or sent to your email. Apart from making life easier for families, it also significantly streamlines operations with the school.

What can be ordered and paid for via Qkr!?

• School fees, charges, levies
• Camps, excursions, incursions
• Fundraisers
• Event tickets

The Qkr! app can be downloaded for free from Apple’s app store for iPhones (iPads to download iPhone version) or from Google Play for Android phones and tablets.

The Qkr! ‘How-to’ Guide from the school shows you how to download the app, register yourself and your children, and pay for a variety of school items.

Shortly, parents/carers will be able to make payments on Qkr! and there will be more items available for payment over time. We will be providing additional information to families over the coming months as we move to online payments within the school.

Families experiencing financial difficulty

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.

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

GUIDANCE

Supporting student wellbeing @ Centenary SHS

The Wellbeing Hub @ Centenary SHS is a safe, supportive and respectful space that promotes student engagement and wellbeing through –

• providing short term counselling and emotional support to students
• working within a multi-disciplinary team to utilise evidence-based strategies
• supporting referrals to external services
• providing advocacy services for students where appropriate
• promoting social and emotional development and wellbeing of students
• nurturing student responsibility and resilience through skill building programs
• fostering positive relationships and connections within the school community
• responding to issues and trends which are impacting student wellbeing
• providing education to students on a range of topics, including career counselling, mental health and physical health, sexual health, and social skills affecting their friendships, relationships and family.

Referrals

If your young person would like to see a Guidance Officer, they can:

1. Visit the Wellbeing Hub before school or during break time to make an appointment
2. Use the QR code to request an appointment
3. Email the appropriate year level Guidance Officer.

Alternatively, parents/carers may email the Guidance Officer or call the office to request an appointment.

Supporting school engagement

Spark their Future is an extensive resource developed by the Queensland Government to support families and young people with school engagement and wellbeing issues. How to be positive about school at home provides excellent strategies and resources to support families to promote child development and learning, support education and school engagement, and ways to help your child when they are having a difficult time at school.

Exam stress

The Queensland Government has compiled a diverse range of readings and resources to help you and your students understand and cope with exam stress, as well as options for referral if a student displays abnormal levels of stress and anxiety.

Reach Out has developed extensive resources for young people experiencing exam stress, with our favourite being a subscription to a fun and informative email series called Exams: turn that stress into success.

Kids Helpline has created a simple, easy-to-understand page on exam stress with information, tips, and places to go for support here.

Kids Helpline @ School also offers a range of evidence-informed and interactive sessions, facilitated by tertiary qualified Kids Helpline counsellors, available to all primary schools. Topics can be modified to your students' needs.

R U OK? Day will this year be held on Thursday September 8th. It’s a national day of action when we remind Australians that every day is the day to ask, “R U OK?” and start a meaningful conversation whenever they spot the signs that someone they care about might be struggling with life. Centenary SHS looks forward to using this day as an opportunity to host several positive initiatives for both students and staff and to ask the all-important question, “R U OK?”. Asking a friend, colleague, or whoever it may be how they’re going could be the first step in getting them the help they need. The attached flyer may help you navigate the conversations when asking “R U OK?”.

Gayle Rausch, Guidance Officer Years 8, 10 & 12
Email: gsutc2@eq.edu.au

Nicole Trembath, Guidance Officer Years 7, 9 & 11
Email: ntrem1@eq.edu.au

CHAPLAIN

Mistakes – some of these are of no real consequence, such as forgetting to put sugar in someone’s coffee, but other mistakes can have far reaching results. Wrong actions taken can leave some people with feelings of great shame and embarrassment that can last for years.

What about you? Do you have big regrets that are weighing you down? If you do, please consider the following:

Your past errors do not define who you are now. If you determine that you will learn from your mistakes, those lessons learnt will be the things that shape you into a wiser, more mature and reliable individual.

You are not a fool because you made a mistake – everybody makes mistakes. You are only a fool if you don’t learn from your past errors.

Admit and acknowledge what you have done wrong and make any adjustments to your behaviour that may be necessary to ensure that those wrongs are not repeated. You will then be free to let go of the past and move forward to a brighter future.

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

SPORTS DIRECTOR REPORT

Sporting success

Centenary SHS has been working closely with the Rowing Queensland affiliation to ensure that students that are interested in rowing are given opportunities. Three Centenary SHS rowers performed at the final South Queensland Schools Conference Trophy Regatta on Saturday June 4th at Wyaralong Dam.

Milan, Emma and Jessica won silver for Centenary SHS in the Schoolgirls Year 9 Coxed Quad Scull (a composite crew with a rower from Calamvale Community College) – this was awesome!

Milan won silver in the Women’s U15 Double Scull and 4th in the Schoolgirls Year 8 Coxed Quad Scull (Milan was coxing for another school’s crew). Unfortunately, Milan was unable to compete in the Year 8 Double Scull (which her and her doubles partner absolutely smashed in the previous regatta – fastest time out of 17 crews!) due to nasty conditions which saw all Year 8 Small Boat events cancelled mid-way through the day. We were well within our rights to expect a gold here so this was really disappointing but totally outside of our control.

Emma won silver in the Women’s U17 Coxed Quad Scull (Emma is eligible to compete in U15 events but stepped up to fill a position in an U17 crew – a longer distance against older and more experienced athletes – big effort). Emma also received bronze in the Schoolgirls Year 9 Single Scull Division 2 (missed the silver by 0.91 seconds!)

Jessica won Gold in the Women’s U15 Double Scull and silver in the Schoolgirls Year 9 Single Scull Division 1.

Whilst it was beautiful conditions for the morning’s races, Emma & Jess’ single sculls races were in incredibly tough conditions, with a crazy strong crosswind and very, very choppy water – waves coming over the top of the splashguards! It was a gutsy effort just getting out there and competing (Year 8 races were cancelled) so to come away with medals was an amazing effort!

On Sunday June 5th, Jessica backed up from Saturday’s regatta and competed in the Queensland Indoor Rowing Championships on the Sunshine Coast. Jess competed in the U16 division (at 14 years old) in the 1 minute, 500m, 1000m 2000m and relay events, and came away with 5 medals! 1 x gold, 3 x silver and 1 x bronze. This was a huge day, with the highlight definitely achieving a PB (albeit only 0.4 seconds!) in the blue ribbon 2000m event. This is the key erg test in rowing and as anyone who has done a serious time trial can attest to, it’s brutal! This qualifies Jessica for a highly sought-after position in the Centenary Rowing Club’s Performance Squad (she’s currently in the Development Squad).

Centenary SHS is very proud of all 3 girls and can’t wait to see how they develop over the coming season.

QLD All Schools Touch Football

Touch football is one of the most successful sports at Centenary SHS. Centenary SHS has entered four teams into the Queensland All Schools Touch Football Championship, which will be held in Week 1 of Term 4. The Queensland All Schools Touch Football Championship is the largest school event, with just under 500 schools competing. Teams are now being finalised and training is every Friday morning (7:30am – 8:30am) on the school oval. Good luck to all teams in their preparation.

Northern District Athletics Trials

Over 100 students have qualified for District Track and Field. Centenary SHS is one of the highest represented schools at the Northern District Trials. The students’ determination and commitment to training multiple times a week with Mr Haines, both before and after school, has paid off. It is fantastic to see so many of our students getting involved and achieving success on the athletics track.

Best of luck to all students involved and to Head Athletics Coach Mr Haines next week.

Northern District and Regional sports

It has been fantastic to see students from Centenary SHS trialling for Northern District Sporting teams and being selected. The students that have been selected to represent the District and then attend the Regional Trial. From this Regional Trial, students have the opportunity to be selected in the Met West team.

Congratulations

Recently, eight Centenary SHS students represented Met West at the 13 – 15 Years Queensland Secondary Schools Touch Football Championships. All students played to an outstanding level and achieved great results. At the 16 – 18 Years State Championship, Centenary SHS had 1 student representing Met West, Jacob. Additionally, two of our Year 7 students were also selected in the 10 – 12 Years Touch Football Championship in Cairns.

Vicki Wilson Competition

Last term, the Centenary SHS Junior and Senior Girls’ Netball teams competed at the Vicki Wilson Competition.

Both teams were very competitive on the day and displayed great work ethic and skill despite the windy conditions. Both teams narrowly missed out on making finals.

Well done to all students competing and thank you to Ms Tesch for giving students the opportunity to develop and play netball competitively.

AFLQ Schools Cup Competition

Last term, a Years 7 – 9 and Years 10 – 12 Girls’ teams competed at the prestigious AFLQ Schools Cup competition.

In the Years 7 – 9 competition, the students showed great work ethic and resilience throughout the day. In the round games they were beaten against a strong Mansfield SHS outfit and were set to verse them in the grand finale. Centenary SHS overcame them in the grand final 8 – 0 to qualify for the next round.

Selena was named MVP of the tournament.

Thank you to student house captain Jack and helper Dannielle for supporting the team with Ms Tesch and Mrs Johnson.

In the Years 10 – 12 competition, Centenary SHS competed against Macgregor SHS and Somerville House and came away with convincing wins against both schools, beating Macgregor SHS 27 – 0 and Somerville 51 – 0. The ladies were more skilful and definitely very physical when challenged, now qualifying for the second round of the Schools Cup.

Student Leah was also named MVP of the tournament. Thank you to student Bethany, Mr Webber and Mrs Johnson for organising and taking the team.

Gala Days

In Week 10 last term, junior students participated in their Gala Day and the first week of Term 3 saw our senior students participate in their final Gala Day for the year.

Despite a bit of sickness rolling around again, many teams were still able to participate, some with outstanding results. Many teams won or came a close runner-up.

These winning teams will participate in Met Finals starting in Week 6. The best of luck to our competing teams!

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

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

JUNIOR SECONDARY

Under 8’s Week is an initiative of Early Childhood Australia for Prep to Year 3 Students. Centenary SHS was fortunate to be a part of Under 8’s Day for Darra SS and Middle Park SS. Darra SS Under 8’s Day was held on Thursday May 26th. Seven of our junior students returned to Darra SS to assist the teachers and students in organising and managing rotational activities such as macaroni necklace making, dot painting and ball games. It was wonderful to see them guide the younger students and take ownership over their activities.

Middle Park SS Under 8’s took place in Week 1 of this term and eight of our Year 7 Students travelled to the Middle Park SS to run an activity all on their own. They helped the Prep – Year 3 students make paper bag kites – an activity which attracted many students and got the creative juices flowing.

Congratulations to all students involved – they represented our school honourably.

In the last Junior School faculty meeting, staff viewed a presentation put together by our physiotherapist and occupational therapist. The focus of the presentation was on seating positions to enhance learning. We learnt that students can only sit for 45 minutes before needing a movement break to allow them to reinvigorate their focus. Our Junior School Positive Education Champion, Mr Zac Zammit, shared with us one of the movement break activities he uses with his junior classes, which promotes health, engagement and positive emotion. Zac’s movement break activity is a combination of ‘would you rather’ and physical exercise. Students are asked to select a preference out of two options. Whichever option they select then translates into a quick physical exercise which can be performed on the spot.

Carly Manche, Junior Secondary HOD
Email: ceman4@eq.edu.au

SENIOR SCHOOLING

TAFE at Schools 2023 sign on

On Monday July 18th, Centenary SHS held our 2023 TAFE at Schools sign on event. This was targeted at current Years 10 and 11 students who are interested in undertaking a course at TAFE in 2023. Students will undertake these courses one day a week at their chosen TAFE campus. If your student is interested in signing up to a TAFE course for 2023, they can still do so. Please ask them to come and see the Senior Schooling team in SL15.

QTAC talks

During Week 3 and Week 4, our Year 10 and Year 12 students have had the opportunity to participate in a QTAC discussion talk at school during our Monday HG time. This allows students to gain useful information:

• In preparation for SET Planning (Year 10) – am I choosing the correct subjects for entry into my preferred university course?
• Applications to QTAC in preparation for undertaking a university course in 2023 (Year 12) – how do I fill in the QTAC application, what are the key dates etc.

All students in these cohorts have also been provided with a hard copy QTAC book which will provide additional information. If your student has any questions after attending these talks, they should come and see the Senior Schooling team in SL15 during break times.

Future Options Evening

On Thursday August 4th, Centenary SHS will be holding our Future Options Evening. This event will run from 5:30 – 8:00pm in the Sports Hall and CPAC. This is a chance for our Year 10 students and their families to hear from our local universities, TAFE Queensland, our external VET providers as well as training organisations before selecting their subjects during SET Plan Interviews, which will be held in Week 7. The universities and TAFE will provide information about their courses, while our external providers, training organisations and the Police Force will have information stalls set up in the Sports Hall to answer any questions that you or your student may have. Please check your emails for further information, including details of all of our confirmed presenters at this event. We look forward to seeing you there.

Amiee Nolan, Senior Schooling HOD
Email: axnol0@eq.edu.au

POSITIVE EDUCATION

I hope all of our families had a restful break and are ready to dive into Semester 2! This term, students will continue to engage with the Positive Education Enhanced Curriculum (PEEC) during their weekly HG lessons, to provide them with the skills to grow and manage their wellbeing. Please see below for some of the topics that will be covered across the Junior School and Senior School this term.

PEEC focus – junior school

Students will delve into ‘Core Values’, which sits within the Meaning element of the PERMAH wellbeing framework. Core values underpin who you are and what you believe is important in the way you live – the way you speak, the way you act, the way you treat others. These values give you direction and guide the choices you make. Some common core values, considered by most societies as being important, include: being honest; being fair; gaining wisdom; being grateful; caring for others; resolving disputes peacefully…just to name a few.

Knowing our core values makes it easier to set goals and priorities, and make tough decisions. When we are confident that our actions align with who we are and what we value most, we feel a sense of motivation, fulfilment and purpose. When we act in a way that goes against our core values, we often feel a strong sense of guilt. Our core values act as a moral compass for our behaviour.

Try this at home: With your students, discuss the behaviours and qualities you strongly value as a family. Come up with a list of 3 to 5 family values. Brainstorm some things you could all do to live out these family values every day. For example, if one of your family members values is ‘being present’, you might all agree that putting your phones out of sight during dinnertime will help you be more present together. Regularly discuss these family values, reflecting on how each family member’s behaviour is or is not aligning with the values you all identified as being important.

PEEC focus – senior school

‘Grit and Persistence’, which sits within the Accomplishment element of PERMAH, will be one key focus for our senior students this term. Grit and Persistence is about working hard and sticking with something you’ve started. It is also about pursuing long-term goals you are passionate about. The qualities we are born with (like talent) or circumstances we are born into (like our family’s income or education level) do have some impact on how successful we become. However, research shows that grit is even more important for success!

Grit involves finding a real interest in, and deeper meaning to, the things we want to achieve and finding ways to overcome obstacles that get in our way. It helps us keep showing up every day no matter what.

Grit and persistence can be developed in our students. Professor Angela Duckworth, the leading researcher on grit, suggests we support our students to try new things, show warmth and care when they fail, and encourage them to try again. She also recommends letting them discover their passions and make choices about what they like and don’t like. We can also share stories about family members or famous people who experienced many ‘failures’ but refused to give up because of their deep passion and long-term goals (eg: J.K. Rowling, Walt Disney, Steve Jobs).

Try this at home: Remember that practice makes perfect. Encourage your students to reflect on the last step they took toward an important goal and to compete with who they were yesterday. For example, practicing a slightly harder music piece, swimming a little further or sticking with a mundane task a bit longer even if they do not want to.

Melissa Chamberlain, Positive Education HOD
Email: mcham55@eq.edu.au

FACULTIES

ARTS

It’s hard to believe we’ve already passed the middle of the school year! Lots of quality learning happening across our classes, particularly as we approach the final internal assessment due date for our Year 12 students. There are many more students to celebrate and events to check out so don’t forget to check out the school Facebook page for up-to-date stories and news!

For students who are absent from class due to illness, please remind them to check out their OneNote page for work missed and talk to their teachers – we’re here to help you! If you have assessment due: Years 7 - 10, please contact the teacher or myself; in Years 11 – 12, please contact Ms Raven for extensions (AARA).

Classroom news

At the end of Term 2, we acknowledged our Year 12 students who achieved 100% on task one. This is an amazing achievement and something to be very proud of. Congratulations to all of the students and staff on your results.

The Year 12 Visual Arts in Practice students have completed their mural unit, with the two murals now proudly hung in CPAC. Ms Teh’s class explored an arts theme in response to the chosen display site being the arts hub of the school. Ms Milford’s class chose to focus more on the PERMAH model, celebrating positive education within the school context.

In this unit, the students studied colour theory, symbolism, composition, and painting techniques in order to create highly effective artworks that convey complex meaning and important messages. The students were required to collaborate with each other throughout the making process, from the initial idea development stage right through to the resolved paintings. Reflection was also critical throughout this task as a means to build on the student’s creative abilities and critical thinking skills. The students are very proud of their efforts and excited to leave a lasting legacy to be revered by the entire school community.

The Year 8 Music Plus class performed for their family and friends at the end of Term 2 to culminate their semester of learning. They spent the term exploring a range of music from cultures around the world, as well as working with guest composers from Topology. They also sat their Grade 1 Theory of Music exams with the Australian Music Examinations Board, and we look forward to sharing their results when they become available. Well done on all your hard work this semester! Semester 2 sees Year 7 and Year 9 Music Plus on the timetable and we look forward to celebrating their achievements later in the year.

Students in Year 9 Performance Plus have started work on their end of year production of Disney’s “Newsies Jr”. “Newsies Jr” is a shortened musical based on the 1992 musical film “Newsies”, which was inspired by the real-life Newsboys Strike of 1899 in New York City. The show has music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Jack Feldman. The Year 9 PEP class are currently working on the “Seize the Day” item through a series of choreographic workshops with RAW Dance Company’s Rachel Dowse.

Students in Year 8 Performance Plus in Term 3 are examining a script called “Box”, which looks at different aspects of the metaphorical “boxes” that represent how we present our identity to the world and how the world decides who we are. We have undertaken a range of pre-reading activities to explore the themes of reputation, rumours and gossip, and what impacts on our identity. When we start reading the play, students will perform a number of different roles to explore the themes of identity, individuality, relationships, self-image etc. Students will have the opportunity to perform scenes and monologues from the script before launching into the assessment of devising and performing their own scene.

In Term 4, they will be rehearsing a play, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, to present at the end of the term after a year’s focus on drama. Students will have the opportunity to showcase their understanding of dramatic elements, physical theatre viewpoints and combining these effectively to entertain an audience.

Student success

Congratulations to Year 12 student Mary, Year 11 student Brendan and Year 9 student Elsie (reserve), who were nominated and accepted for the State Honours Ensemble Program at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. These outstanding musicians have been selected from hundreds of nominations from across the state to participate in this elite music program, which provides an opportunity for them to work with eminent international and national conductors in pursuit of musical excellence.

Extra-curricular news

The Centenary SHS dance troupes have had a busy month and half, with their debut 2022 performance at the Brisbane Performing Arts Challenge, and two more competitions coming up (as this newsletter is published). The troupes performed brilliantly at their first competition, with two of the groups receiving awards. The competition was super fierce but despite this, our hip-hop troupe was successful with a Very Highly Commended Award and our jazz troupe with a Highly Commended Award. Congratulations to all of our wonderful dancers! For up to date results of the next two competitions (before the next edition of the newsletter), please like and follow the school Facebook page.

The Arts Captains have run a very successful round of heats for Centenary’s (SHS) Got Talent, with many students performing over 6 days of heats. We saw dazzling dancers, marvellous musicians, masterful magicians, amazing acting, superb singing, tricky twirling and interesting Irish musicians! In a huge surprise, we even saw a couple of talented teacher acts! The grand final will take place as this newsletter is published, so you’ll have to check out the school Facebook to see who wins! A huge thank you to the Arts Subcommittee of the P&C for their kind monetary donation for prizes for our place getters.

Instrumental music news

Last edition, I was able to update you on our fantastic Fanfare results, minus the Stage Band who hadn’t performed. I am thrilled to announce that the Stage Band won a Platinum award for their brilliant performance, and we finished Fanfare 2022, with one Platinum, three Gold, one Silver and one Bronze awards. The awards are on display in the CPAC foyer, be sure to check them out next time you’re in.

The Centenary SHS Choir spent a magnificent week in Tasmania over the recent school holidays, performing at the Festival of Voices in Hobart. Cultural Coordinator, Mark Watkins, Piano Accompanist Susan Stenlake and Choir Director Josh Clifford gave up their holidays to accompany the students, and we thank them sincerely for their attendance. Check out the school Facebook for our ‘Tour Diary’ posts, with photos and videos of their time in Tasmania. Many students and parents/carers have commented to us that it was the trip of a lifetime, and something the students will never forget!

Please enjoy this final wrap-up from Year 12 Arts Captain and Tourist, Keith:

In the last week of school holidays, the Centenary SHS Choir travelled to Tasmania to attend the Festival of Voices in Hobart. We had five days in Hobart performing at the University of Tasmania, a pop-up performance in the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, a flash mob at the famous Salamanca Markets, a pop-up in the solitary confinement block in Port Arthur, and of course, our formal performances at the Festival of Voices where we won our crowd over and definitely made our mark in Hobart. Hopefully we will be invited back. All the students will agree that the highlight of the trip was beating our choir teacher Mr Clifford in a snowball fight at Mount Wellington. Thank you to all our art teachers and a special thanks to Mr Watkins, Mrs Stenlake and Mr Clifford for giving this amazing opportunity to us. We sung our way through Hobart creating multiple memorable moments!

Some of our Year 9 Instrumental Music students returned to their primary schools recently to work as tutors for beginner students in the Jindajam workshops. Our local primary schools’ Year 4 beginner musicians were supported by the high school students for a day packed with lots of musical learning. Thank you to the Year 9 students for sharing their love of music and we hope they inspired the primary students.

P&C Subcommittee news

Congratulations to the friends and families of our IM program who purchased tickets in our recent fundraising raffle – there were some amazing prizes collected before the holidays. Our next meeting for the Arts Subcommittee will be held in CPAC at 7:00pm on Tuesday 02 August. All Arts parents/family members are welcome to join us.

Date claimer

Please note the change of date for our annual Cultural Dinner in the date claimer below due to a clash of events.

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

YEAR LEVEL COORDINATORS

Year 12 Report

Welcome to Term 3! The finish line is getting closer!

The main event this term for our Year 12 cohort is our ‘Sleepout’. This is an annual event held by the Year 12 Student Council to raise awareness and much needed funds for homelessness through Mission Australia’s Sleepout initiative. Students received an information letter and a consent form last week. Parents/carers were emailed forms by me too. This event serves as both a de-stressing social activity for what has been an exhausting year so far and a fundraising initiative benefiting the worthy cause of homelessness.

The sleepout will occur on Tuesday August 9th from 7:00pm – 7:00am Wednesday August 10th. Students will spend the night in the Sports Centre and the Performing Arts Centre here at school. They will spend the night taking part in activities being organised by the Student Council, as well as enjoying the company of their friends, listening to music, watching movies, etc. With so little time remaining in their school lives, this is a great opportunity for students to strengthen relationships with their peers and relieve some of the study-related stress.

As well, over the next couple of weeks, the permission forms for Formal and Mystery Tour will be handed out. I’m in the final stages of organising these two key events. The Formal will take place on Wednesday November 17th at Hillstone St Lucia, with arrivals starting at 5:30pm. The event will conclude at 10:30pm. Mystery Tour will be held after formal from 11:45pm to 10:00am the next day. Mystery Tour is an organised way for students to extend their evening’s celebration with a truly memorable drug and alcohol-free event. Students will visit a number of different locations to engage in different activities. More information will be sent out as the term progresses. I would like to give you a heads up that the price for both events have increased from previous years. This is due to the price increases established by the venue and the bus company.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Kate George, Year 12 Coordinator
Email: kgeor38@eq.edu.au

Year 8 Report

The Year 8 cohort have been all round busy! In Week 8 of last term, they started their Monday with their Character Builders’ day. Students rotated through a range of activities, which included putting the ball into a hoop, kicking the footy into a designated area and racing on blown-up dragons. Overall the engagement and participation of the student body was excellent and I am proud to lead such a great group of students. Character Builder’s day was a great day for students to build interpersonal skills and bond with fellow members of their HG group. HG groups got involved in the theme of the day by dressing up in their HG themes. These ranged from Sonic, ‘Shreksters’, Care Bears, ‘Wazowkzkis’ etc. Standouts – Mitch who dressed up as Shrek for his team mascot, Nick who dressed up as Sonic for his team’s mascot and Will who dressed up as Scott Morrison on his beach holiday. To finish the day, students reflected, which gave them the opportunity to shout out a member of the cohort. ‘Big ups’ helps students to take a moment to reflect on the positivity and engagement of others around the day and promote others within the group. The final war cry competition was awesome – seeing students jump out of their comfort zone and stand up in front of their peers and belt out their war cry with pride was great!

Throughout Term 2, we have been not only awarding points for our top PERMAH point winner of the week but also for our PERMAH point HG winners. At the end of each week, points are calculated and the top 3 HGs are given points towards the term tally. At the end of last term we calculated our winning HG – congratulations Curragundi 8B who will receive a pizza party reward this term.

Fortunately, we were able to have Shake & Stir come in on Day 1 of this term. The students got to watch an incredible performance called “The Right Clique”. The play was about two teenagers from incompatible social cliques who struggle to be together in a world where image is everything. Can an online relationship stack up to the real thing? Students seemed extremely engaged and super surprised when the play didn’t have a classic happy ending. Shake & Stir is a great way for students to watch possible real-life teenage problems and learn ways to deal with these.

Kate Tesch, Year 8 Coordinator
Email: ktesc0@eq.edu.au

P&C

Great news from the Uniform Shop – our winter order has arrived. Be quick though – our trackpants are running out the door.

At our June meeting, the P&C passed a motion to adjust the way we determine our uniform pricing. Moving forward we will apply a transparent 32% profit margin across all our uniform items. This will see some of our prices rise and some fall. This is good news if you're in the market for long pants, which will be adjusted from the current price of $50 to a more attractive $43 (when the price change takes effect).

In other good news, Centenary SHS has agreed to conduct a review into the current uniform and associated policies. The School will engage an external consultant to conduct the review and the P&C look forward to supporting the process in any way we can. It is anticipated the review will take place during Terms 3 & 4, with any changes to take effect in Term 1 of 2023.

The position of P&C President remains vacant. If this is something you’re interested in, we’d love to hear from you. Please direct any inquiries to pandc@centenaryshs.eq.edu.au and one of the team will be happy to answer any questions you have.

Our next P&C meeting is scheduled for 7:00pm Wednesday August 17th in the Resource Centre. If you’re interested in attending the meeting virtually, from the comfort of your own lounge room, please let us know and we’ll send you the relevant link.

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

COMMUNITY NOTICES