'Schoolies' Information

Whether attending 'Schoolies' or not, we know that all our young people will celebrate in one form or another. We want to equip them all with knowledge that will help them remain safe and provide information on where to obtain help if required. As many of our school leavers will attend Schoolies, we had a special presentation by the Queensland Government's Safer Schools Initiative Unit. This was an invaluable session on many levels. After the presentation students were provided with a fold out wallet card that has information on how and where to get help should the need arise.

To keep up to date or for more information on Schoolies we encourage parents to follow @SchooliesInfoforparents on Facebook or head to the government website.

Red Frogs are a volunteer organisation who are there at Schoolies helping young people in a great many of ways. As part of our workshops in the final week, Red Frogs will also spend a session with our students outlining their services and ways in which they can be of assistance during this time. I have attached their top tips for parents.

Junior Secondary

Advances in Junior Secondary English

This year has seen significant change to the curriculum in Junior Secondary English with a change in focus from testing once a term on the myriad of skills taught throughout the year to a formative approach. The benefits of this are many, in particular it means we are focusing our teaching on the skills students need to achieve success in their next year of schooling. This eliminates the problems inherent to the 'one-test' approach (illness, anxiety and stress), which we have seen severely affect the marks of our students.

However, this is just one part of the puzzle. The next step in our strategy was to address the gaps in our students knowledge and this was achieved through our continued use of Reading to Learn (R2L) and the introduction of an Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI) and Direct Instruction (DI) program.

Dr David Rose's international literacy program (R2L) trains teachers in Australia, Africa, Asia and Western Europe to aid our students to engage with texts and embed reading and writing skills into their lessons. This program aims specifically at increasing our students ability to write and we have seen this materialise as significant growth in our 2016 NAPLAN results.

Both EDI and DI, as their names suggest, focus on making explicit to the students the learning goals for each lesson and the importance of the skills and concepts they are studying. By breaking up the lessons into manageable chunks the programs allows success for all students. Perhaps the most effective element is through our questioning process. Questions are always directed at the whole class, encouraging them to always be 'present' in the lesson and ready to respond. Questions are always followed by a pause which allows all students to process the information, rather than just the students who always know the answer and are quick to respond. The aim of both these programs is to ensure we are 'developing' our students talents, rather than simply 'discovering' talents they already have.

To employ these approaches we have strategically divided our lessons. We start our lessons with unpunctuated passages that allow the students to practice and consolidate the grammar and punctuation skills they learnt in the previous week. Next the students practice their spelling with our program which emphasises morphographic word analysis; essentially the students decode the prefixes, suffixes and roots of words. To consolidate the students reading, our SIRURA process - developed by our very own Cheryll Koop - provides our students with the tools they need to understand any new or difficult texts. Finally each of these skills are consolidated and reinforced by our Reading to Learn and Essentials for Writing (DI) programs, both of which have contributed to improving the students writing significantly this year.

Here at Shailer Park we strongly believe in the ability of all our students to achieve success and develop the skills and talents they need to contribute back to our wonderful community.

If you would like further information, please contact Clinton Shield, Head of English, email: cshie35@eq.edu.au.

Creative Industries

The Visual Arts

Our Year 9 Art Class have been fostering creativity in 3D! When students join our Art Classes they are not just increasing their chances of becoming the next Picasso, they are learning to develop mentally, socially, and emotionally. Creating art may boost your children's ability to analyse and problem-solve in myriad ways. As students manipulate a paintbrush, their fine motor skills improve. By counting pieces and colours, they learn the basics of math. When children experiment with materials, they dabble in science. Most important perhaps, when students feel good while they are creating, art helps boost self-confidence. Students who feel able to experiment and to make mistakes feel free to invent new ways of thinking, which extends well beyond the art room.

Our aspiring year 9 artists have been studying the work of international artist - Anida Yoeu ALI.

In The Buddhist Bug, Into the Night 2015 Ali playfully inhabits a caterpillar-like costume whose colour references the robes of Buddhist monks.

Our students won't be inhabiting their own sculptures, but when finished their large constructions will be placed in a series of social encounters around the school campus. Once the case armature is finished, our students will design and decorate their outer layer using a variety of techniques to embellish their "Bug". Some of our "Bugs" are nocturnal and will be able to light up at night! In the coming weeks when walking around the school campus do not be alarmed if you notice something different, it is just our talented Year 9 Art class, exhibiting their work!

Shelli Dunbabin
Year 9 Art Teacher

Year 12 Visual Art Studies

Students in Visual Art Studies have learned many techniques and processes throughout their two years. To complete their course, they are required to undertake an Independent Project. This requires them to select and work in any topic and medium to showcase their abilities in that field. Congratulations to all students for the level of work they have produced. Please enjoy.

Anne-Maree King
Head of Year 12

Katelyn

Instrumental Music

The groups have just completed an intense couple of weeks of performances in the "Prestige Music Competition" at which all bands placed and the students were a credit to their school and families. The Shailer Park Music Awards were held at the KP Centre on Wednesday November 9, the evening will started at 6.45 pm. All instrumental students from Shailer Park Primary School and Shailer Park High, as well as the Shailer Park Wind Ensemble performed. Entry to the event was free so many took this opportunity to bring the whole family and enjoyed a very entertaining night of instrumental music.

The String Performance Group welcomed newcomers who took the place of Year 12 Students at the Senior Formal. As is our custom the Music Support group will host the Instrumentalists to the annual lunch in Sapphires on Wednesday November 16th. On the 23rd Students are looking forward to their final performance at the Loganholme Twilight Concert.

Head of Department
Creative Industries

Health, Physical Education & Sports

2016 Sports Breakfast

An absolute fantastic event took place on November 3rd at Fitzy's Loganholme where we as a school community had the opportunity to recognise some of our elite sporting performers for 2017. Attendees had the priviledge of listening to two sporting champions: Current Qld Reds member and 2008 Shailer Park SHS graduate 'Sef Fa'agase' as well as Australian Women's Rugby representative and member of our teaching staff Miss Cheyenne Campbell. The emphasis of their message centred around 'Dream, Believe, Achieve'. A huge thank you to Mr Anthony Lee for his organisation of the event, together with our 2016 sport captains Matthew Hartz and Stacie Morgan.

Congratulations to our Major Award Winners:

• Craig Barnes Award – (Futsal/Soccer player of the Year) – Zoe Quarry
• Junior Volleyball Player – Ashton Tauariki
• Senior Volleyball Player – Norman Papalaua-Pati
• Volleyball Player's Player of the Year – Nyah Taurima
• Junior Sportsperson of the Year – Jemikah Chow

Also congratulations to Gladiators who won all 3 inter-house trophies for 2016.

Amazing Volleyball Academy Trivia Night!

On Friday 28th October the Shailer Park State High School Volleyball Academy ran a Fundraiser Trivia Night at Fitzy's Hotel. It was an amazing success, with all 170 guests having a ball not only being competitive and answering the 6 rounds of questions, but also partaking in the team challenges, dance offs, and games. Everyone had so much fun; guests have asked that we make it an annual event!

The night was extremely well organised, professionally run and the amount of opportunities to win prizes was outstanding. The Volleyball Academy, Subcommittee and our students did a great job sourcing big ticket items for our balloon fundraiser, with some prizes valuing over $200. The prizes that were on offer were amazing! Congratulations to the winning team "Lucky 7's", who even donated their winnings back to the academy. You guys Rock! It was such a success that we will be organising this as an annual event and we will have a trophy for the winning team each year!

A huge THANK YOU must go to the lovely ladies who helped organise the event, Wynita, Nic and Kelly, plus the Volleyball Academy Students who assisted on the night. In addition to our main donations, Fitzy's, Rent for Keeps, Bendigo Bank, Struddy's, Logan City Councillor Mark Dwyer, and our Shailer Park P & C. Also a huge shout out and thank you must go to out to all the wonderful and supportive businesses that donated prizes for our event.

The funds raised from this event will assist our 3 Shailer Park Volleyball Teams to compete at the Nationals in Melbourne in early December.

What an amazing and fun night. The photos tell it all!!!

Special Education Services

National Disability Insurance Scheme Information (NDIS) Sessions

The Queensland Government is working closely with the Commonwealth Government, local communities and the disability sector to ensure a smooth and carefully managed transition to the NDIS.

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) information sessions for the general public are being held throughout the state ahead of each region's transition.

There are 11 organisations currently funded by the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services (DCCSDS) as the lead agency for the NDIS to host seminars that cover a wide range of NDIS topics. The NDIS events calendar is regularly updated and has the full details for these sessions.

Parents and Carers of student with a disability are encouraged to attend these events to source accurate and up to date information about the NDIS for Queensland.

Please see the attached calendar and if you have any queries please contact: Megan Switzer – Head of Special Education Services – 3451 2777

Guidance

PATHWAYS FOR YEAR 12 STUDENTS

The Industry Liaison Officer Annette Lee and I have talked with all of the Year 12 students regarding their post schooling pathways. As students turn their attention onto formals and 'schoolies' and life without having to listen to teachers, it is important that they keep their eye on their future pathways. Sometimes things do not always work out the way we thought they would so it is vital that students have a couple of options regarding their plans for 2017.

There are some important things that student's need to factor into their plans. The Australian Government has proposed a number of changes that will affect the VET FEE-HELP scheme. Changes include measures to better protect students taking out VET FEE-HELP loans and the removal of the loan fee. This will impact on people who are planning to do courses with TAFE and other Private Providers.

There is still some uncertainty around which courses will continue to be subsidised and which will not. TAFE and other providers are advising people to enrol in courses before the end of the Year as this may avoid any increases in fees for the courses. The government will only subsidise those courses which can offer realistic employment options.

I would strongly encourage students to enrol with TAFE and/or other Private Providers regardless of this change as popular courses tend to fill up quickly and there may not be a vacancy in February when some people think about their study options after the break. If a student changes their mind they can withdraw from the course within the first couple of weeks without a financial penalty.

For up-to-date information on these and other proposed changes that affect VET FEE-HELP, visit the link below.

Some students have talked about taking a 'gap' year and getting a job. It may be a better option to study part-time whilst working. Remember that TAFE/University and Private Providers also offer mid-year entry which can be a great option if things have not worked out as well as you thought. There are many uncertainties about the future of work but one thing we know is that young people will need to be continually updating their qualifications and they will always be learning/re-skilling in their working lifetimes.

Many of the universities now offer Tertiary Preparation Programs. UQ College offers a Tertiary Preparation program which is delivered over 28 weeks in two trimester periods. The program is offered full time at St Lucia Campus. They have three intakes a year in January, May and September and there are NO TUITION FEES. Please check out the website at the link below. Applications can be found at this website.

Useful Websites:

Getting Started as an Apprentice or Trainee

The above link provides some information about how to go about finding an apprenticeship/traineeship

Web based solution where apprentices/trainees and employers connect. Busy At Work is an Australian Apprenticeship Centre offering a free service where employers list their apprenticeship and traineeship vacancies. Once you sign up (free) you can access a resume builder and submit

Vocational Education

Hospitality

Our Year 10 hospitality students just completed a massive practical assessment called 'Bon Appétit'. The students had to create two main meals, AND two desserts for an invited guest to experience a Shailer Park Sapphires' fine dining experience. All done in a 70 minute lesson, ready to go first thing at lunch for their esteemed guests!

This experience gave the students a taste of what it would be like in real industry standards and challenged them on their cookery skills, personal organisation and time management within the kitchen.

The students and their invited guests were all thoroughly excited and thrilled to have experienced something like this, particularly in our very own Sapphires' Restaurant. The students exemplified their work by putting all their hard efforts into each meal, which is clearly evident for all to see!

Maryann Liu
Home Economics Teacher

A NEXUS Success in Action – Opening the door to jobs in the Health Industry.

Shailer Park State High extends proud congratulations to Matilda Grey who on Friday 28th October, graduated from her School Based Traineeship in Aged Care with three students from other schools.

Pictured receiving her Certificate III in Aged Care from the Department of Education and Training (Queensland) Director of Training and Skills, Mr Anthony Knobloch and Area Manager Mr Peter Maddock, Matilda has shown great commitment and dedication over the course of her 12 month School Based Traineeship, spending one day per week as well as working on her school holidays at Jeta Gardens, Bethania plus training with Careers Australia.

Matilda's hard work has paid off with an employment offer by Jeta Gardens and she'll continue studying to pursue her career, helping others in Aged Care.

2017 Health Pathways Program for Non OP Year 11 and 12 Students

Certificate II in Health Support Services

Enrolments have opened for the 2017 Health Pathways Programs for non OP Year 11 and 12 students. (Conditions apply around VETis Funding, attendance, behaviour and school fees).

Held in the Health Training Hub at Mabel Park State High School, this program can be an entry way in the Health industry with pathways to School Based Traineeships, further employment as well as Tertiary Education.

EOI forms need to be submitted to Ms Annette Lee (ILO) before Thursday 8th December 2016.

Automotive Industry Program – AccelR8 – Extended deadline

Current Year 10 and 11 students (non OP) can still enrol in the ACCELR8 Certificate II in Automotive Preparation Program with Oceania College of Technology at Archerfield. (Conditions apply around VETis Funding attendance, behaviour and school fees). This is an 18 month program with training 1 day per week for the first 12 months followed by work placement, 1 day per week for the following 6 months.

EOI forms need to be submitted to Ms Annette Lee the ILO with a current resume before Friday 2nd December 2016.

TAFE AT SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Applications for TAFE are open.

TAFE have released their latest 2017 TAFE at Schools Course Guide. Students interested in undertaking a Certificate course next year can access the course information from the Guide and then make an appointment with Ms Annette Lee (ILO). (Conditions apply around VETis Funding, attendance, behaviour and school fees).

Hard copies of the 2017 TAFE at Schools Course Guide can be obtained from Ms Annette Lee (ILO).

(Conditions apply to enter into any school based Certificate Courses, Work Experience or Apprenticeships / Traineeships).

Further information on any of the above programs can be obtained from Ms Annette Lee (ILO) on 3451 2777 or alee296@eq.edu.au.

P& C News

On Friday 28 October. the P&C provided a staff Morning tea and some small gifts of sweets to Celebrate World Teachers day . The event was attended by several members of the P&C.

At Morning Tea, our P&C Vice-President, Kevin Thomas, spoke about the importance of teachers in people's lives. Below is the full text of Kevin's speech:

World Teachers' Day

Every day, Queensland teachers are making a difference educating and inspiring young people across our state. World Teachers' Day is an opportunity to acknowledge our teachers and say thanks for the significant contributions they make in our classrooms and communities. Today we celebrate, World Teachers' Day.

On behalf of the Shailer Park High P&C, its members, families and their children, your students, I would like to dedicate this morning tea as a small token of our appreciation for you as teachers and the positive impact you make at our school and in the Shailer Park Community.

Having a positive influence in the form of a teacher can make a lasting impression years after we have left school. We remember the teachers that changed our lives. In most cases these may have been the first person from outside our immediate family, that believed in us. That experience of having an authority figure believe that we can succeed is important and gives the student an internal strength that will sustain them and can leave an impression that will last forever.

I found a small poem that I think sums up our thoughts and why you should be acknowledged and appreciated for your hard work and dedication.

Teacher

It takes a special person to teach a student in class
To just keep their attention in a word that moves so fast
To show a student they are unique, with talents deep inside
To help build their confidence, so they can beam with pride
To show a little patience for a student who has lost their way
To talk to a student who is abandoned and who has seen better days
To inspire and to motivate, so a student can learn and grow
To go into the big wide world that has its highs and lows
You all are special people, we give thanks for all you have done
From every student in your class, they think you are number one.

Invitation to All to come to our Next General P&C meeting @ 0600 on Tuesday 15 Nov

Invitation to all to attend a P&C Fundraising, Loyalty Programs and planning meeting for 2017 on Monday 21st November at 6:00pm. We hope that all subcommittees will have met and prepared a rough plan of events and budget, and will also provide representatives to attend this meeting.

Congratulations from the P&C to the Graduating students of 2016. All the very best for your futures.

We are proud to announce that at the October meeting the P&C voted to allocate a $2,000 contribution towards subsiding cost of Volleyball National title trip to Melbourne. Three teams are going and we are sure that you will do your best and ensure that Shailer Shines at this National Competition.

Thanks from the P&C go to the hardworking Subcommittees of Volleyball, Dance, Music Support and the Uniform Committee. We appreciate the efforts put in to run successful programs for Shailer Park students.

We are pleased to announce that at the October meeting the P&C voted to support the School's application for Independent Public School status. Our application is submitted and we wait in anticipation of a positive result by the end of this year..

Our P& C Secretary position is vacant and we would appreciate anybody who is interested in this position to send an email to pandc@shaiparkshs.eq.edu.au.

In closing, on behalf of the P&C Committee, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all the P&C members for their assistance and meeting attendance this year and hope that you have a restful and safe Festive season.

Here's to a bigger and brighter year in 2017

Kind Regards
Kevin Thomas
Vice President
Shailer Park High P&C

Notices

Finance Window

The Finance Window will be closed from Wednesday 30 November 2016 and will reopen Monday 16 January 2017.

From Monday 16 January 2017, Finance will be open everyday from 8.00a.m. to 2.15p.m. for payments.

Payments can be made by cash, cheque or eftpos.