2 December 2022
Volume 24 Number 8

NEWSLETTER ARTICLES

PRINCIPAL

Dear parents, carers and the Centenary SHS community,

This is our final newsletter of the year. As we wrap up 2022, we reflect on the amazing achievements we have celebrated this year - individual student achievements, class achievements, cohort progression and staff achievements, all the while looking to bigger and better things to come in 2023.

2022 has been another year of individual and whole school growth and we ended the year farewelling our Year 12 students, finding that they have left the school a better place for them having been part of our community. The Year 12 cohort’s gift to the school of house mascots will be in place for 2023 and we hope that some of them will return to be spectators at our events and carnivals next year.

I would like to thank the families who leave us this year for the support and contributions they and their students have made over their journey with us. Our school is richer for your engagement and involvement. We are now keen observers at the sideline of your student's life, and we look forward to knowing and acknowledging your alumni's success as they find their place and future beyond the school gates.

I would like to acknowledge the long-term teachers who leave us this year for their next endeavour – Ms Martina Bennett, Ms Elizabeth Long, Ms Rachelle Hyndman, Ms Kate George and Ms Belinda Cox. We thank them for their tireless work for the benefit of students and for their valuable contribution to our staff. We will miss them and wish them all the best.

Earlier this week, we welcomed 280 incoming 2023 Year 7 students to Centenary SHS for Orientation Day. The day was buzzing with excitement and energy. It will only be a few short weeks until they walk into our school gates to start the beginning of their journey with us.

On behalf of Centenary SHS, I would like to thank you for your support of, and contribution to, our school this year. We have appreciated your input and your work alongside us. I would like to make particular mention of the support of our Parents and Citizen's Association, Hon Milton Dick MP, Jess Pugh MP, Cr Sarah Hutton and our many corporate partners and community supporters for making Centenary SHS the thriving community that it is.

I wish you all a safe, healthy and joyous holiday with your family. I look forward to welcoming you back to our Centenary SHS family on January 23rd, 2023.

With 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.

BUSINESS MANAGER

Parents/carers would have received an invoice for the 2023 Student Resource Scheme. The parent/carer contribution for 2023 has been set at $280.00 for Year 7 students and $300.00 for all other year levels. The scheme enhances and maximises student learning and provides a cost-effective alternative to parents/carers for the use of curriculum textbooks/e-books, resources, consumables and other essential materials for student use. The scheme is endorsed by the P&C Association and is approved by the Queensland Department of Education.

The 2023 Student Resource Scheme offers an early bird discount payment option. A $20.00 discount will be applied if paid by January 28th, 2023. Alternatively, parents/carers have the opportunity to finalise these fees by July 31st, 2023.

Statements

Thank you to the families who have paid 2022 school fees. Your payments are greatly appreciated and go directly to enhancing the learning of your student/s.

For those families who have not yet paid, a “Debtor Statement” was recently processed. This statement is an overview of previous single invoices that have already been forwarded.

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

Payment plans

For your convenience, payment plans are available through the secure BPOINT facility. Please email admin@centenaryshs.eq.edu.au with your request.

Families 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 via email at admin@centenaryshs.eq.edu.au 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.

Over-the-counter payments

Please note that over-the-counter payments for the year ceased at 3:00pm November 30th, 2022. Payments can still be made online via BPOINT or through our automated telephone service. If you require further information, please contact the school on (07) 3373 4555.

Office hours

Please note that the school office will close at 12:00pm December 9th, 2022 and will reopen at 10:00am January 17th, 2023.

School Watch 131 788

The last day of the school year will be December 9th, 2022. Please report any suspicious activity to School Watch on 131 788 during the vacation break.

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

GUIDANCE

Promoting help seeking behaviours during the holidays

During 2022, we have experienced many challenges, which have impacted us all differently. As a school community we have demonstrated resilience, compassion and care in supporting each other.

As we approach the school holidays, we ask that you take the time to check in with each other. Parents/carers – we encourage you to have open conversations with your young person, encourage self-care and let them know that you’re there to support them or to connect them with additional help as needed.

Over the coming weeks, our school will continue to support our students by identifying anyone who may need additional support as the school year comes to an end. If you would like to discuss preparing a plan for support before the school holidays, or if you have any concerns about your young person, or if there is anything for us to be aware of, please speak with our Guidance Officers.

If you notice changes in your young person or become worried over the holidays, please reach out to helplines available and/or local services. There are some great online articles for parents/carers on websites such as ReachOut , Raising Children and headspace  for increasing your knowledge around mental health and wellbeing.

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

A message from Chappy Bernie

Hi! I am Bernie McMullen and I am the Chaplain at Centenary SHS and have been for the last thirteen years. It has been a fantastic journey with many wonderful people. It has been an honour to be part of these young people’s lives, walking with them in the highs and lows of their school journey. It has been a privilege to work with the most professional team of people in this education environment.

I have discovered many people go that little bit further to help the students at this school. This is demonstrated by the Senior Leadership team who guide the ship, to the fantastic, caring and supportive teachers, to the support staff who go above and beyond.

At this time of Christmas, I hope everybody gets the opportunity to relax and enjoy the festive season. We are all allowed to relax and share the celebration with the ones we love. I take this opportunity to wish all the Centenary SHS community a very holy Christmas and a safe and happy New Year.

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

SCHOOL NURSE

My name is Sarah and I am delighted to join Centenary SHS as the School-Based Youth Health Nurse (SBYHN).

I am a Registered Nurse and my role is to work alongside the school community to promote health and wellbeing, create a supportive, healthy school environment and connect students with other support services.

I can provide students with information and brief interventions around issues that affect young people which includes but not limited to;

• healthy eating and physical activity
• feeling unhappy, angry, anxious or stressed
• relationships
• healthy skin and body image
• sexual health
• smoking, alcohol and other drugs
• personal and family problems
• growth and development.

The SBYHN service is both voluntary and confidential; this means information is not shared unless permission is given to do so. As a health service provider, I respect this. However, there are some things which I must refer or act upon to keep young people safe.

In most cases it is best for young people to talk to their parents/carers about health and wellbeing issues and I can help support young people to do this.

I am unable to provide treatment such as first aid, medications, physical examinations or ongoing counselling.

Please encourage the young person in your care to come and see me if they have any health-related questions or issues and please feel free to contact me if you feel I can offer health support or guidance.

I am at Centenary SHS every Monday and Tuesday and my room is located in the Wellbeing Hub.

I can be contacted on nurse.centenary@health.qld.gov.au.

Although Triple P is not for everyone – some parents/carers may find this valuable. Teen Triple P is now online and free. Parents/carers can work through at their own pace. Head to the link below to learn more.

Sarah Kelly, School Nurse
Email: nurse.centenary@health.qld.gov.au

SPORTS DIRECTOR

We are now drawing to a close after a very successful sporting year in 2022. We have an extremely busy start to the year in 2023 and I would like to ensure that parents/carers are aware of important sporting dates. The sporting email will be emailed home before the end of the year. If your student specialises in a sport, please make note of the District trial date and ensure that your student follows the procedures below so they do not miss their trial.

If your student would like to trial for any of District sports, then they must abide the following procedures:

1. Listen to the notices and constantly check the HPE noticeboard for trial notices
2. See Mrs Nasalio in Staffroom 4 and attend a trial at school
3. If successful at the school trial, the student will be given a permission form and information letter about the District T
4. Bring the forms back to Mrs Nasalio signed to receive the school stamp and to be nominated
5. You will only be nominated to attend the trial once Mrs Nasalio has nominated you and stamped the paperwork.

EARLY TERM 1 SPORTS – Please note the sports listed below occur in the first 2 weeks of Term 1 so nominations occur immediately. Please see the calendar for all other sports.

• 10 – 19 Years Boys/Girls Golf (please note to nominate you must have a Golf Link Number and there are handicap standards that must be met)
• 16 – 19 Years Boys/Girls Cricket
• 14 – 18 Years Boys/Girls Baseball
• 12 – 14 Years Boys/Girls Baseball
• 13 – 19 Years Boys/Girls Softball
• 13 – 19 Years Boys/Girls Water Polo
• Swimming nominations – please note that nomination times have not yet been released for 2023. I will hold a meeting in the first week with all club swimmers or swimmers of a high standard.

Northern District Swimming Trials 2023

The Northern District Swimming Trials will be held on Monday February 6th, 2023, at St Peters Lutheran College. Students that would like to attend the District Trials must achieve a qualifying time that is set by the District. The qualifying times will be emailed home as soon as possible. Times must be verified through a club meet.

Sporting spotlight

Congratulations to Year 9 student Mia for being selected in the 13 – 15 Girls Met West Cricket team. The Met West team performed very well, making it through to the finals and coming runners-up in the state. Mia was awarded leading wicket taker for the Met West team with 7 wickets for the carnival.

Congratulations to Sienna (Year 10) and Sienna (Year 9) who competed in the Australian Figure Skating Championships from the 25th to the 29th of November at Boondall Ice World. What an incredible achievement!

We hope that everyone has a fantastic break and the HPE team look forward to supporting the students of Centenary SHS in 2023 in their sporting endeavours.

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

James Garrard, West Brisbane Sports Director
Email: jgarr57@eq.edu.au

eLEARNING

QParents

Parents and carers with a QParents account can already pay invoices, explain absences, check report cards, and more. Starting from next year, they will be also able to manage permissions straight from the QParents app. This means no more missing permission forms hiding in the bottom of bags! If you don't have a QParents account yet, keep an eye out for an invitation in your email inbox this week, or email technology@eq.edu.au to get started.

Advice for purchasing a school laptop

Are you considering a new school laptop? We know the huge range of options can be overwhelming. To help you make the right decision, the BYOD Buying Guide Buying Guide has tips and guidance to help you choose an appropriate laptop. For example, did you know Chromebooks are not compatible at any Education Queensland school? And laptops require “Dual-Band” Wi-Fi? See the buying guide for more handy advice like this.

For further assistance, a 3rd party provider, Learning With Technology, has prepared a purchasing portal with compatible BYOD devices. There are also a number of local businesses offering refurbished laptops. While we encourage you to weigh up the pros and cons of this option, they provide suitable BYOD laptops for an affordable price.

If you have any questions about ‘Bring Your Own Device’, please call the Head of eLearning, James Whittle, on (07) 3373 4542 or email jwhit732@eq.edu.au.

James Whittle, eLearning HOD
Email: jwhit732@eq.edu.au

JUNIOR SECONDARY

The CLASS Day of Technology

The CLASS Day of Technology brought together Years 4 and 5 students from Middle Park SS and Jindalee SS with an interest in ICT for a full day of learning, collaborating and problem-solving. Engaging with a range of different technologies, students experienced new ways to use their coding, design and communication skills.

The winners of our Minecraft challenge, where students built a Brisbane Olympics Venue, were announced, with generous prizes and feedback provided by Bennett & Bennett Surveying, Town Planning and Spatial Services. Highlights of the day included sharing Minecraft creations, using code to negotiate a drone through an obstacle course, and an introduction to Python coding and physical computing.

Thank you to James Whittle for organising such an amazing event.

PERMAH purpose

The idea behind the PERMAH purpose is to embed PEEC in curriculum classes so that wellbeing is incorporated into everyday lessons, not just as an intensive during the HG program or Lesson 3 on Mondays. By having a PERMAH purpose for each lesson, a positive touch of student wellbeing can be added to each class.

To make it easier to embed a PERMAH purpose into curriculum class, a bank of sentence frames have been added to the Junior Secondary Faculty OneNote for teachers to use. Teachers simply select an element of PERMAH for the lesson and adapt one of the sentence frames to suit the content of the lesson.

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

FACULTIES

APPLIED TECHNOLOGY

Mr Collier and Mr Reichert’s Year 10 Introduction to Construction class have been working furiously in the workshop to complete some mantle clocks. Every student put in the effort to come up with their own personalised design for the clock faces and, as you can see, they have turned out quite spectacularly! Once they had their designs, the laser cutter was used to provide the accuracy to their detail. One talented student only used the laser for the outlines and painted in the detail herself. This can be seen on the top right clock the “Alice” design. Students used a colouring technique called “back painting”, where the paint applied to the reverse side and layered with different colours to complete the detail.

The graduated Year 12 Furnishing Skills students constructed a dart board cabinet during Term 3 this year. The frame was constructed using dovetail joints while the doors held acrylic sheets in a rebate frame. The doors are attached with swinging rebated hinges. All cabinets were finished with a water-based varnish.

Torston Reichert, Applied Technology HOD
Email: tcrei0@eq.edu.au

ARTS

Student success

Congratulations to one of our talented (and just graduated) Year 12 students, Abbey, who has just released her first single “I Don’t Want to Leave”.

You can hear it on Spotify via this link, or purchase it through iTunes. Great work Abbey!

Performance Plus

The Year 7 Showcase was on Monday November 14th, with a fabulous night of singing, dancing and drama! The theatre was absolutely overflowing with audience members to see these wonderful young performers present items from Harry Potter, Aladdin, High School Musical and Beetlejuice, just to name a few. Congratulations to Mr Holmes and the entire class.

The Year 9 Performance Plus class performed Disney’s “Newsies” on Friday November 25th and Saturday November 26th. Year 8 Performance Plus performed their version of “Charlie and The Chocolate Factory” on Monday November 28th.

In addition to this, the Years 7 and 9 Music Plus classes presented a showcase of their work on Wednesday November 30th for their end of year assessment.

Centenary State High School GOMA Excursion by Hayley Vassie

Year 11 General Art students and Year 10 Visual Art students had the privilege of taking a trip to the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art recently. Courage and Beauty was a major GOMA exhibit the students explored, with major works by contemporary Australian artists such as Vernon Ah Kee, Gordon Bennet, Richard Bell, Vivienne Binns and many more. Artworks inspired our Year 11 art students for their first upcoming Year 12 assessment. Students had fun in the kids trail section, creating miniature superheros of themselves and colouring in animal masks

After lunch at the museum café, we moved on to the Queensland Gallery of Art. We visited the Embodied Knowledge exhibit, filled with elongated mannequin displays and a towering 40 fish tank structure.

The excursion provided opportunities for inspiration for our art students’ upcoming assessments, but it was also a visit that allowed us to appreciate the world of visual art.

Year 9 Pop Art!

Year 9 Visual Arts students are currently painting their pop art masterpieces. Drawing inspiration from popular culture, they are using acrylics on canvas to paint bold, vibrant compositions that reflect their interests and personalities.

Backstage Crew

The year started slowly and gradually gained momentum for a freight train level end to 2022.

Students stabilised into an effective and respected technical team, with compliments reaching from as far as the Townsville Civic Theatre’s senior technician to local and community praise for our work.

Each member of the 2022 Backstage Crew can be proud of their achievements, both within the school and their contribution to the wider community. 2023 looks to be a much more engaged year for both stage and technical crews - professional-level will continue to emerge from the students.

Looking forward, students will tackle community and street festivals, discos and musicals. Opportunities are continuing to emerge in professional theatre, making 2023 one to watch.

Instrumental music

While the year is slowing down for many, there are still many events happening from our instrumental and choral programs.

Our Chamber Strings and Concert Band helped to make the Year 12 end of school events very special occasions. The Chamber Strings added their usual touch of class to the formal, playing for the parents/carers and friends as the students arrived in all of their finery. Then on graduation day, our Concert Band provided the gravitas to the occasion as the students entered and exited the building, and entertained the audience as they waited for the proceedings to begin.

On Thursday November 17th, the Centenary SHS Choir gathered in the evening at the Mt Ommaney Library. Wearing a variety of fun and sparkly Christmas accessories, the singers prepared with an excited energy to present a range of festive songs and carols they’d been working on throughout the term. From traditional pieces such as Silent Night and Joy To The World, to more contemporary tunes like Jingle Bell Rock and Happy Xmas (War Is Over), the audience was entertained and appreciated the joyous music! Thanks to our wonderful accompanist Ms Susan Stenlake and conductor Mr Joshua Clifford – we can’t wait to sing these carols for the residents of Wesley Care in Week 10!

The Centenary Swingers and Four Leaf Clovers will be performing at the Centenary Community Carols at Peter Lightfoot Oval on Sunday December 4th.

Date Claimer

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

YEAR LEVEL COORDINATORS

Year 12 Report

Farewell Year 12 students!

A couple of weeks ago, we said goodbye to the graduating class of 2022.

The final week featured a number of festivities, from the rescheduled waterslides, graduation practice, the guard of honour, and of course the big-ticket events – Formal, Mystery Tour and Graduation.

Throughout all these events, the students were brilliant in getting involved and having a great time. Myself and the other teachers who attended formal were blown away by how grown up they all looked in their formal wear. Big shout out to the boys for their amazing suits. The girls had their first encounter with how painful high heels can be. They all looked amazing. It was great to see them all on the dance floor, laughing and smiling throughout the night.

Mystery Tour was the best one I have had the pleasure to attend, but I might be a bit biased. We received compliments from all the venues on how great our students were, even at 4:00am on the Thursday. Another shout out to the students who beat the teachers in laser gag – but to be fair, there were 20 of you and only 9 teachers. Overall, the mystery tour was a huge success, again, mostly due to the encouraging and supportive nature of the cohort.

It was great to see so many parents/carers and families attend graduation. You should be so proud of what they have achieved during their time at Centenary SHS. They have demonstrated courage, resilience, bravery and determination throughout their high school journey. They have supported and encouraged each other through the highs and the lows and even though they have had their moments, they have always come together when the moment calls. I know this will continue in their next phase of life. Good luck for the future, graduates! It has been an honour being your YLC.

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

Year 11 Report

Another year has come and gone, and what a year it has been for our Year 11 cohort. From semi-formals and senior jerseys, to our first year of ATAR, it has certainly been a year of "firsts". We know that the “firsts” and indeed “lasts” will continue next year as we enter the final year of schooling. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge all of the hard work and dedication that this cohort has shown in 2022. Despite the challenges faced this year, the Year 11 cohort have shown a strong level of dedication and resilience, valuable skills for next year. So many things to be proud of and so many things to look forward to. Congratulations to the students who completed their IA1 assessments recently. We hit the ground running in 2023 and before we know it, big ticket items like Formal, Mystery Tour and Graduation will be around the corner. Thank you to all the Year 11 families for their support this year. We wish all of you a safe and happy holiday.

Will McKenna, Year 11 Coordinator
Email: wjmck0@eq.edu.au

Year 7 Report

The end of 2022 is drawing closer. It is crazy to think how quickly this year has flown by. It still feels like yesterday that we were welcoming a nervous yet excited new cohort of Year 7 students into Centenary SHS. Our Year 7 students are now in preparation for their transition into Year 8. As the senior students begin to depart Centenary SHS, the Year 7 students have slowly been encouraged to leave the Junior School area during their lunchtimes, which we have named ‘Wander off Wednesday’ and ‘Fly Away Fridays’. This provides the Year 7 students an opportunity to explore the school ready for 2023.

During Week 2 of this term, we celebrated Mental Health Week. During lunchtimes, Year 7 students took some time out and participated in activities such as mindful colouring, bracelet making and dancing. Studies show that by taking a few moments each day to engage in wellbeing activities will see improvements in our mental health.

Student leadership is an important focus at Centenary SHS. At the start of this term, students were presented with the opportunity to apply for leadership positions for 2023. After the applications were received, short-listed students participated in presenting a speech to the Year 7 cohort. Interviews were held in Week 8 and we will be able to announce the new 2023 Year 8 Student Leaders shortly.

As we draw to the end of the year, I would like to express my gratitude in being the Year 7 Coordinator for 2022. It has been my privilege to have witnessed the Year 7 students grow and transition into high school.

I wish your family a safe, relaxing and a happy holiday.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Rachel Habermann, Year 7 Coordinator
Email: rhabe7@eq.edu.au

P&C

News from our P&C

It's difficult to believe we're almost at the end of another year.

Congratulations to our recent graduates It was with great pride we watched you receive your graduating certificates. We wish you all the very best for this next chapter of your life. Our school community will most certainly miss you.

The Uniform Review Committee has been established, and has representation from the P&C, parents, school staff and students. Consultation with students and P&C members will be conducted this term, with consultation with parents and school staff to commence in Term 1, 2023. This is your opportunity to have your say – we encourage you to do so.

Our last P&C meeting for the year was held on Wednesday November 23rd. We welcome you to the next meeting, which will be held at 7:00pm on Wednesday February 15th, 2023, in the school’s 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.

Merry Christmas to you all!

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

COMMUNITY NOTICES