10 June 2016

Newsletter Articles

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

I am constantly reminded of the excellent progress that we are making in the re-emergence of Shailer Park High as a great school.

Recently, Dr Judy Smeed, a QUT lecturer who was named by The Courier Mail as one of “Queensland’s best thinkers” from across all fields, attended our weekly meeting with Deputy Principals and Heads of Department. Dr Smeed brought to the meeting data from across all of Queensland’s schools that showed the fantastic progress that we are making as a school.

Dr Smeed was able to show how the 87% OP 1-15 that Shailer Park High’s seniors of 2015 achieved placed the school equal to or better than almost all of the private schools easily accessed from this area. The result was a major improvement in the school’s outcomes and demonstrated that the right systems and the right commitment are in place to ensure the success of every student. Dr Smeed’s visit was reassuring in affirming that we are on the right track with our education programs and systems.

Added to this, last week Education Queensland provided the school with its biannual “Headline Indicators” report. The Headline Indicators is a snapshot report that uses a green, amber and red “traffic lights” system to show how well a school is going at a point in time. I am happy to report that Shailer Park High received a ‘green’ light, the highest category, in the following areas:

• % C or better
• % OP 1-15 or International Baccalaureate
• % QCE, QCIA, VET or IBD
• % QCE or QCIA
• % non-OP 1-15 Cert III+
• % in Education, Training or Employment (six months after Yr 12 completion)
• 4-year Enrolment Trend
• Short Suspensions
• Cancellations
• % of students above National Minimum Standard on NAPLAN

As you can see, Shailer Park High is making great progress in many areas as we strive to be the best school we can possibly be. As a school community, I think we can be very proud of these results.

Interestingly, one area where the school was not “green” was in student attendance. The attendance measure is taken as a comparison against all other schools. I believe this is an important area that we can target as a school community as each student’s engagement at school is shown to be a key measure of their success. Our attendance has improved from last year, along with the other measures, but I believe that we as a community can continue this journey of improvement until we become a school of consistently high attendance against any measure to give our students the best possible chance of learning.

Finally, I wanted to let everyone know of the great things that are happening to support student learning. These include the homework club that occurs each morning at 7.30am in M-Block and the tutorials each Wednesday afternoon in the library. Both of these are staffed by committed teachers and provide extra assistance for those students who attend. They provide excellent support for students wishing to achieve their best.

As we work towards our end-of-semester assessment, all students are encouraged to develop the study habits that are an essential part of each student’s success.

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL – JUNIOR SECONDARY (YEARS 7, 8 AND 9)

ATTENDANCE- EVERY DAY COUNTS

Congratulations to our year 7 and 8 students who are leading the way with attendance at Shailer Park State High School. Students who have an attendance percentage of 92% or more and have one or less behaviour incidents recorded on OneSchool will be invited to our end of term Rewards Day. The Rewards Day celebrations will be at lunch one and two on Friday 24 June and will include a BBQ, jumping castle, dunking machine, karaoke machine and face painting. It is guaranteed to be an awesome day.

It is essential that your child attends school every day. As parent/guardian you have a legal obligation to ensure your student (aged between 6-16 years) attends school regularly. Students who are of post compulsory school age (over 16 years) and who have a low attendance rate are at risk of having their enrolment cancelled. We have a goal of 95% Attendance every lesson, every day at Shailer Park State High School. Research proves that there is a direct link between attending school and improved academic success and social adjustment.

At Shailer Park State High School, the first school bell goes at 8.45am. It is important to instil the value of punctuality in your student. Please ensure your student is at school by at least 8.30am to ensure their learning can begin at 8.45am (as per student diary). If your student is late or absent it is ESSENTIAL that you contact the school by phone 3451 2766 (you can call this number and leave a message).

We look forward to working together with families to ensure that every student can get access to the best education. You may think that being just a little bit late or having just a few days off every now and then doesn’t make that much difference – but it really does (see the tables below). If you are having trouble getting your child to school consistently on time, please contact the school for assistance.

UNIFORM

Winter is finally here! A reminder regarding our uniform requirements at Shailer Park State High School. Monday’s are ‘Formal Monday’ meaning that your child must wear their Formal uniform to school. An overview of our formal uniform requirements is:

• Black leather lace up shoes
• White socks
• Blue/white pin striped shirt/blouse purchased from School Locker
• Navy tailored look trousers or shorts (boys or girls)
• Knee length navy skirt (girls) Black stockings can be worn under skirt
• Plain navy blue pullover jumper OR
• Shailer Park State High School jumper purchased from School Locker
• NO TRACKPANTS
• NO HOODIE JUMPERS
• NO FACIAL PIERCINGS

We understand that sometimes there are extenuating circumstances which may mean that your child will be out of uniform. If your child must wear an incorrect item of clothing to school, they are to go to the office immediately and change out of the incorrect item, into an item from our uniform bank. This will ensure that all students at Shailer Park State High School are in full school uniform at all times.

SAY NO TO BULLYING

Bullying can be defined as repeated behaviour intended to create a power imbalance which intends to hurt another individual physically, mentally or emotionally. At Shailer Park State High School we SAY NO TO BULLYING. We have a very transparent anti-bullying process that is regularly discussed with students (see diagram below). In short, it is ESSENTIAL that if your child reports an instance of bullying to you that the process is followed. This means that the student will provide a written statement to their Head of Year. The Heads of Year and their staffrooms are listed below:

Years 7 & 8: Mr Malcolm Kirkwood (N Block staffroom)
Years 9 & 10: Ms Melanie King (G Block staffroom)
Year 11: Ms Cecilia Hall (P Block staffroom)
Year 12: Ms Anne-Marie King (F Block staffroom)

HEAD OF YEAR 12

Year 12 Head of Year Report

Shailer Park State High School has a proud tradition of fundraising for the wider community. One of our major fundraising events for 2016 is to support ‘Youth off the Streets’ by holding a sleep out. Youth Off The Streets offers a continuum of care to young people between the age of 12 - 22 who are chronically homeless, abused, suffering from addiction or in general need of help. Students who participate in this event gain a very small notion of what it is like to be sleeping without the comforts of home while in turn help those in this unfortunate situation.

On Friday, 27th May, approximately 80 students participated in this wonderful event. The evening was run by the senior leaders who kept students thoroughly entertained. We started off with a sausage sizzle to satisfy the hunger and then proceeded to play a wide variety of games that engaged all ages.

Our local adopt-a-cop and his partner for the evening called in for a visit and chat with the students that thoroughly engaged the group. They also called in during their patrol later in the evening which positively added to our sense of security.

After being exhausted by the many games, we then discovered some hidden talents during an entertaining karaoke session. Jerry’s rendition of ‘You Raise me Up’ was quite inspirational!

At around about midnight we settled down to watch movies or quietly play other games such as cards. The majority of students did go to sleep at some point though I was quite surprised at the number of Year twelves who made it through the night without any sleep at all.

At 5:45 the peaceful slumber was broken by the piercing sound of an air horn to begin the day! Before going home, all students were treated to a bacon and egg McMuffin and a drink.

This event would not be possible without the support of staff and our local community. I would like to thank all staff that gave up their Friday evening to support this worthy cause and in turn build relationships with our students.

A very huge thank you must be given to the following businesses and organizations that sponsored our event: Zac’s Continental Butchery, Foodworks Loganholme, McDonalds Loganholme and Inferno Youth. This sponsorship meant that we were able to donate a very healthy $1100 to Youth of the Streets. We are looking forward to making next year’s Sleepout even bigger and better.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY/SENIOR SCHOOLING

SENIOR SCHOOLING

Term Assessment Calendars, Exam Block and Tutorial Timetables

Exam Block for Years 10, 11 and 12 is in Week 10 from June 13th to 16th. All students have now received their exam timetables which are up on the school website.

A reminder to parents that Term Assessment Calendars and Tutorial Timetables are distributed to students each term. All of this information, including Exam Blocks, can also be found on our website:

Students should be working in a focussed manner on assessment and projects, and studying regularly to ensure they achieve the best possible outcome. To maximise their learning, students in senior subjects should be studying approximately 30 minutes for each subject they have at school per day.

Students are reminded that Attendance at school is key to success – especially at this time of term when assessment preparation is happening. Being on time and in class every day is the greatest indicator of success. We encourage parents and carers to support their students in being at school every day, and to bring a note to explain absences when attendance is not possible.

Careers and Employment Event – Year 10

Students in Year 10 attended the Brisbane Careers and Employment Expo at Brisbane Convention Centre in week 8 of the term. The excursion was well attended, and students had a chance to speak with employers, TAFEs and universities about study, skills and employment pathways for their futures.

Students from Year 10 visiting the Careers and Employment Expo

Congratulations to all students who attended. They represented Shailer Park State High School extremely well, and found out some valuable information about pursuing their goals. This is important at the moment as Year 10 students are currently exploring their study options for Senior Subjects as part of their SET Planning process which will take place in Term 3.

Upcoming Careers and Employment Events for the Calendar

Careers that Shape the World

Our Year 11 and 12 OP Eligible students have an exciting day at UQ coming up for some inspiring insights, careers and course guidance. Tuesday 12th July 2016.

Students who wish to attend need to log in to the website to choose their courses of study on the day.

There are a range of available sessions covering careers in maths, physics, robotics, law, economics, social enterprise, philosophy, engineering, human rights, biology, marine science and beyond. Visit the site for more information at

TSXPO

July 16th and 17th 2016

The TSXPO is Australia's largest tertiary studies expo and the ideal event for all senior school students, parents and career seekers. With exhibits from every Queensland University, as well as those from interstate and overseas, visitors can gain a comprehensive insight into the institutions and programs that best suit them. TSXPO gives access to over 250 qualified representatives in one location!

TSXPO also features representatives from TAFE, Defence Force, Private Education Colleges, student support services, as well as a significant number of graduate employers and government agencies recruiting for graduate placements.

QCS – Sessions, Practice days and Online Access

We continue to work to support Year 12 students in their learning in QCS preparation. This term our focus is on Short Response and Writing Tasks.

Students in Year 12 who are sitting the QCS Test later in the year will be writing a full practice on Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st June, which is in the last week of Term.

Wednesday afternoon sessions are every week this term. All students doing QCS are reminded to come to F4 at 3.15 – 4.15 on Wednesdays. We have had coaching from Mrs Cheryll Koop – an expert in Reading to Learn – who has been instructing students on structure and nuance in writing which will be of great benefit in the Short Response and Writing Tasks of the exam. If students cannot make Wednesday afternoon classes they should request resources from me to catch up and be accessing online resources from Schology.

Year 12 Senior Humanities – Excursion to Dreamworld

On the 12th May, Year 11 and 12 Tourism classes combined to become familiarized with Dreamworld in an educational light.

It was fabulous to see all students arriving on time and beautifully dressed with Sunsmart clothing and closed in shoes and having fulfilled all the requirements of documentation for the excursion. It was obvious to us then that we were all in for a great experience. We were extremely lucky to have family members and support staff to come along to support the students’ learning experiences, interaction and safety.

The day started with students and teachers attending a very informative presentation led by the Dreamworld Educational Officer. This was extremely helpful for the students as it gave them very specific information about many of their topics including Workplace Health and Safety, Workteam Communication, Marketing, Interpersonal Skills, Environmental and Economic Impacts. The students worked diligently to begin completing their workbook for the day.

Students then broke off in small groups to explore the park noting details for their learning. The students were excellent ambassadors for the school and we were extremely impressed with the way they conducted themselves throughout the day, applying sunscreen, keeping hydrated and taking every opportunity to evaluate Dreamworld’s environment.

The information gathered throughout the day will help the students in the future as it can be applied time and time again to such a wide variety of topics covered in Tourism and Social and Community Studies.

Thanks everyone for contributing to a fabulous day.

Mrs Calder
Mrs Stoneman

Humanities / Junior Secondary

Term 2 has been a big one so far with our Years 7 and 9 students doing our school proud by working so hard during NAPLAN. Their behaviour and work ethic shown on these days was something we can all be very proud of.

Week 9 and 10 are very important weeks as the majority of students are actively engaging in assessment and teachers are currently working very hard to get all assessments marked, ready to write up student reports in time for the holidays. So please ensure your child is at school every day as attendance is key to ensuring success in their learning journey here at Shailer Park State High School.

As the cooler weather sets in, it’s great to see that most students are coming to school with the correct uniform. A reminder of our uniform policy is that students are required to wear white socks not black, blue jumper not black and no hoodies or beanies are allowed.

To all our Shailer families I wish you all the best for the upcoming school holidays and I am very excited about all the wonderful things we will be learning about in Humanities and all our other subject areas in Term 3.

GUIDANCE

Griffith Open Day

Sunday 24 July, South Bank - Nathan - Gold Coast

Griffith University's Open Day will be held on Sunday 24 July 2016 at their Gold Coast, Nathan and South Bank campuses. With over 200 information sessions, tours and activities across the three campuses let them show you what is possible at Griffith.

QUT Open Day

QUT Open Day on Sunday 31 July 2016 from 9am–3pm at their Gardens Point (city) campus. Open Day is a great way for students to see QUT for themselves and find the answers to all their questions about courses, careers and uni life.

CAREER CALENDAR

June 2016

7th Jun

JMC Academy Information Session:

7th Jun

Year 10 Parent Evening at Griffith University Nathan campus

8th Jun

Year 10 Parent Evening at Griffith University Logan campus

8th Jun

University of Queensland Parent Info Session: Getting ready for university (10.30 am - 12 noon)

8th Jun

University of Queensland Parent Info Session: Getting ready for university (6 - 7.30 pm)

8th Jun

Girls Try’A Trade at TAFE Queensland SkillsTech Acacia Ridge Training Centre

15th Jun

Bachelor of Applied Management and Accelerated Business Courses Information Evening at TAFE Qld Brisbane

16th Jun

University of Southern Queensland Study Options Evening at Springfield campus

16th Jun

Psychology Experience Day at Bond University

22nd Jun

Environments, Planning and Urban Design Experience Day at Bond University

25th Jun

Study for a Day at SAE Qantm

27th Jun - 1st Jul

Tertiary Preparation Workshop for music students at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, South Bank

27th Jun - 8th Jul

TAFE Queensland Brisbane Winter School Program (contact Peta Wlodarczyk telephone 3244 5684 email Peta.Wlodarczyk@tafe.Qld.edu.au)

27th Jun - 30th Jun

2016 Indigenous Youth Leadership Camp at International House, University of Queensland

30th Jun

Lions Australia Youth Exchange Program applications close

Nicky Stone
Guidance Officer

HEALTH, PHYSICAL EDUCATION & SPORTS

Athletics Carnival Information:

Track Events Day

The School Athletics Carnival will take place on Thursday June 23rd. This day includes all track events (100, 200, 400, 800 and Relays). Students are encouraged to come to school in their full sports uniform and change into their house colours. The school tuckshop will be operating all day with lots of different refreshments for the students. All students are encouraged to bring some money along to support the school tuckshop where profits go back to towards the school.

Field Events

Years 7 and 8 students have been participating in all the Field events in their HPE classes.

Years 9 to 12 will be participating in Field Events on Thursday July 14th.

The top two placegetters in each event will be eligible to represent the school at the Pacific District Athletics Carnival on the 18th and 19th of August.

Year 12 Recreation Coaching Visits:

Huge congratulations to Mr Anthony Lee and his Year 12 Recreation class for designing and facilitating a dedicated Primary Coaching Unit at Carbrook State School over 6 weeks throughout Term 2. The students are to be commended for their enthusiasm and professionalism.

Volleyball Academy

Congratulations to our Year 10 Boys and Girls teams who represented Shailer Park SHS with distinction at the Queensland Schools Cup in Toowoomba. Both teams have gained status in the "Honours Division' ranking them both in the Top 10 schools in Queensland. A big thankyou goes to Angela King, Dianne Smith and the other coaches which have put in many hours both preparing the students for the competition as well as accompanying them on their trip to Toowoomba

SCHOOL-BASED YOUTH HEALTH NURSE

Drug Action Week -16th – 22nd June - ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE IN ADOLESCENCE

Adolescence is typically a period of experimentation, irrespective of parenting skills and influence.

Cannabis is the most common illegal drug used by teenagers, with around one in five having tried it at least once.

Parents typically worry about their child becoming dependent on drugs, such as methamphetamines (speed and ice), ecstasy, heroin and cocaine. However, the more likely threat to any teenager’s health is the use of legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco. There is no way to guarantee your child will never take drugs, but you can reduce the possibility of your teenager experiencing drug problems in a number of ways.

Reasons teenagers take drugs

Young people use drugs for similar reasons that adults do – to change how they feel because they want to feel better or different. Other reasons may include: socialising with friends, peer pressure or the need to feel part of a group, relaxation or fun, boredom, curiosity, experimentation or wanting to take risks, to escape from psychological or physiological pain.

Alcohol, cannabis and tobacco are the three most commonly used drugs among young people. According to the National Drug Strategy Household Survey of Australians aged 12-17 years, in 2013:

• 72.3 per cent are choosing not to drink, but 8.7 per cent had more than four standard drinks at least once a month.
• Around one in six (14.8%) had tried cannabis.
• 94.7 per cent have never smoked tobacco and fewer than 3.7 per cent smoked on a daily basis.

Many parents are concerned that if their child tries cannabis, it will only be a matter of time before they progress to other drugs, such as amphetamines and heroin. However, there is no evidence to support the theory that cannabis is a ‘gateway’ drug, which automatically leads to the use of other drugs.

There are no parenting skills or behaviours that guarantee a young person will never touch drugs. However, parents and guardians can reduce the possibility of a young person experiencing drug problems in a number of ways.

• Foster a close and trusting relationship with your child from an early age, and support and encourage positive behaviour.
• Model appropriate behaviour, such as drinking moderately, not smoking and not using illicit drugs.
• Establish agreements and guidelines about what is acceptable behaviour around alcohol and drugs.
• Encourage a healthy approach to life, including good foods, regular exercise and sports.
• Encourage your child to have more than one group of friends.
• Allow your child to practise responsibility and develop good decision-making skills from an early age.
• Keep yourself informed about drugs and educate your child on the dangers of drug use. Do not exaggerate or make information up.
• Have open and honest discussions about drugs.

There are no specific signs or behaviours that can tell you a young person is definitely using drugs. Uncharacteristic behaviours such as mood swings, a drop in schooling performance, different friends and a changed appearance may indicate drug use – but they could also indicate other issues that are not drug related such as depression or normal adolescent behaviours when stressed.

If you suspect your child is using drugs:

• If possible, don’t react on your first impulse – give yourself time to think.
• Resist the urge to snoop, or search your child’s room or belongings for evidence.
• Research drugs so that you have the facts.
• Raise your concerns calmly with your child when you both feel relaxed.
• If your child is taking drugs, don’t issue ultimatums.
• Try to educate your child on the health and lifestyle risks.
• You may have to accept that an older teenager will not stop taking their drug, no matter what you say.
• If your child gets into trouble with the police or has to go to court, support them, but let them cope with the consequences such as paying their own fines.

Reference / further information

Where to get help

• Your doctor
• Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) 1800 177 833
• ADAWS for serious drug use. 3840 8400
• The Quit Line 131 848
• CHILY – Drug Counselling for young people 075509 5906
• Parentline Tel. 1300 30 1300

If an overdose is suspected, call 000 for an ambulance immediately

A SHAILER “HIGH”

Congratulations to Yevin Samararatne (Year 7) who made the South Coast Golf Team for 2016 recently. He shot an 82 (which is an 11 over for the par 71 Parkwood Golf Course) and will head off to Yeppoon for the State Championships. What a great effort! We wish him good luck at the State Championships.

P&C NEWS

I am very excited to be in the position of President this year and working together with such a great team to gain some fantastic outcomes for our school.

Firstly I would love to make mention of how far we have come as a P&C and how wonderful it is to see so many members, new and old feeling excited about making difference within the school for all students. I believe strongly in having a vision that aligns with where Shailer Park State High School is headed. As a P&C it is a valuable contribution to be able to support and help the school grow to be one of the best in Queensland.

As President I look forward to meetings that are positive and relaxed yet clearly deal with important matters as required.

I am very excited about 2016 and some exciting projects we have in store to make our school an even better place to be every day. I look forward to lifting our profile and welcoming new members to what is already becoming a fast growing P&C. Please come along and join us and see what exciting things we have in store for 2016.

Sonja Kalbaugh
President
Shailer Park State High P&C

Next P&C Meeting Tuesday, 14 June 2016 6pm

P&C Active Sub- committees

We now have subcommittees formed by interested parents to support specific areas of school extracurricular activities

Music Support Group (Chair Andrew Huggins) Dance Academy Support Group (Chair Craig Crouch) Volleyball Academy (Chair Kelly Taurima).

We also have a Uniform subcommittee.

Federal Election BBQ, Sausage sizzle. on 2 July 2016

SPSHS P&C will run a sausage sizzle at Shailer Park State High School in conjunction with the Federal Government Election coming up on Saturday 2 July 2016. Offers of Help on the day to pandc@shaiparkshs.eq.edu.au. We will also be running a Raffle with Prizes from our Foodworks Prize account

Loyalty Programs SOME WAYS YOU CAN HELP OUR SCHOOL

Foodworks Loganholme: Shop & Save club

Register in store by completing the Shop & save membership application form and nominate Shailer Park High School as your local school. As a shopper you receive one point for every dollar you spend at Foodworks Loganholme and the school receives half a point also. Once these points have accumulated you can redeem prizes from the in-store showcase and so can the school. If you are not a member ask for a form next time you are shopping! If your child previously attended anther school in the area please remember to advise Foodworks to update your information. .

Amart sports Loganholme: Community Kickbacks program

By joining the Team Amart loyalty program, members will receive awesome benefits throughout the year, like member only sales, exclusive competitions and special events. For every member purchase, Amart will assist our school by allocating 5% of that transaction in the form of an in-store credit to be used by the school and the P&C. This year already the school has spent ~$520 on sport equipment. Simply register in store and nominate Shailer Park High School as your registered organisation.

Ritchie’s IGA Daisy Hill: Community Benefits Fund (#99436)

Ask for a Ritchie’s CB card at the School office. These are preset with the Shailer Park High CB number. For every $ you spend, IGA will donate 0.5% to our school. There are also hundreds of weekly specials that have extra discounts for Ritchie’s Community Benefits card holders.

Kevin Thomas
Vice President
Shailer Park High School P&C

Music Support Group Trivia Night

Our Music Support Group is running a music trivia night at the school in the MPS on Saturday July 23.

We’d love to see lots of people for what will be a fun night of music trivia!

Click here for details:

Andrew Huggins
Chairperson – Music Support Group

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

TAFE Winter School Program

Running 27th – 8th July

The following courses are full

1. Hospitality 27th and 28th South Bank
2. Film and TV South Bank
3. Cooking and Baking South Bank
4. Hair, Make-up and Glamour Photography
5. Robotics
6. Photography
7. Justice South Bank and Bracken Ridge
8. Acting

Programs that still have space

1. Hospitality Mt Gravatt
2. Hospitality Bracken Ridge
3. Fashion South Bank
4. Fashion Mt Gravatt
5. Cooking and Baking Bracken Ridge
6. Mobile Aps
7. Networking
8. Horticulture and Animal
9. Tourism and Events
10. Business and Marketing South Bank
11. Business and Marketing Bracken Ridge

More info can be accessed here:

Contact: Peta Wlodarczyk, Operations Manager Business Relationships, TAFE QUEENSLAND BRISBANE

p: +617 3244 5684,
m: 0400 349 484
e: Peta.Wlodarczyk@tafe.qld.edu.au
a: Mt Gravatt, Qld
p: Locked Mail Bag 14, South Brisbane, Q 4101
w: tafebrisbane.edu.au