22 March 2019

Newsletter Articles

A message from the Principal

A parent asked me the other day about “that weird brains thing” we’ve been talking about and went on to suggest that the good-bad old days of twenty years ago where, “you learnt it or you didn’t,” was perhaps a much simpler and effective mode of education. I appreciate her point: yes, it is easier to say some students just ‘get’ school whilst others ‘don’t’. But at Shailer Park State High School, we are not in the business of teaching students that their skills, talents and abilities are unchangeable and that they cannot improve or succeed. The schooling world of twenty years ago is so spectacularly different to the one our children are facing today and any tool which allows our students, teachers and parents to better navigate teaching and learning for life in this digital and information age is surely worth implementing.

As the Principal of the Highest Performing School in the Logan area, I am unashamedly passionate about our students and their education. Nothing gives me greater satisfaction and joy than talking to a student who has overcome a difficulty, achieved a goal or is simply happy to be at school that day or in that lesson. I want to lift the aspirations of our young people, see them succeed and grow into young adults who have a lifelong love of learning, big plans and a constant yearning to achieve them. I want a life of choice, not a life of chance for our school community. As such, we need to develop a common language and partnership approach to wellbeing, which in turn will help us teach and learn more effectively. This was reinforced when parent and student feedback clearly told us that a focus on the connection between learning and wellbeing was a core value of our community.

In response, a Family Check and Connect event was held on March 4th. This was an invaluable and informative session on our key strategies for wellbeing: the Five Faces, the Three Brains and the Learning Quadrants. Shailer Park SHS has taken on these models not just to enhance the wellbeing and learning of students within the classroom but, as research shows, to help them achieve success in life beyond school through persistent learning, or rather, not giving up because something is ‘too hard’. Thank you to all those who attended: it was so pleasing to see so many parents there who are now clear on what “that weird brains thing” is all about.

In short, when our wild (not weird!) and emotional brain needs are met, we can access and improve our smart brains. It is paramount that when your young person steps over the line of opportunity and enters our school, that their emotional and wild needs are met! We know from scientific research that for a teenage wild brain to function well (and therefore learn) they need 10-12 hours of sleep each night, eat good food that nourishes the body and drink plenty of water and exercise. Does your teenager arrive at school tired? Or hungry? We encourage parents to have this conversation with their children about their wild brain needs and whether they are being met at the start and throughout the day. The emotional brain is also very significant as young people navigate through adolescence. A range of emotions is normal, in fact it is not possible to be ‘happy’ all the time. However, if we want to develop thriving, self-regulated people, we must help adolescents identify how they feel, talk about it and seek support. Meaningful conversations with your child about their emotional needs are so important! Once the needs of the wild and emotional brains are met, optimising their smart brain becomes much easier.

Coupled with the Three Brains, is the learning zone:

To enter into the ‘learning zone’ we must be conscious that learning can be difficult and that mistakes are part of the learning process. If we know this we are able to persist, be resilient through the learning journey and with practice and continued effort move to mastery!

Thank you to the students who joined me recently in our Student Voice Forums, where I had the opportunity to hear from students about where Shailer Park SHS shines, what we need to improve and how we might do this work together. What a fantastic group of young people we have here at our school! I was delighted to hear that students are not only enjoying but experiencing many benefits from our multi-age house care groups each morning: they highlighted that the renewed house structure and spirit is a bright spot for them! I also heard students share their desire to air condition our school and create a more refreshing, litter free environment. This is a venture that our P&C are also committed to and I look forward to working with students who are motivated and empowered to take this ‘cool’ action. I’d also like to congratulate these students; they are willing to step up and take ownership of their school, to tackle these issues and make a difference by committing to raise funds toward air-conditioning. Community spirit is alive and well Shailer Park: our young people are amazing!

Finally, I’d like to thank those parents who have joined me for the Parent Café sessions this term. These forums have been invaluable for Shailer Park SHS! The opportunity for myself and other staff to chat in an informal setting with parents means we can collaborate together to strengthen our entire school community and ultimately, the education of Shailer Park’s children. We have a final parent café in Week 10 and I would encourage you to pop in for a chat and cuppa.

Calendar

Please click the link to our School Calendar for up to date information on all our events.

A message from our Senior Schooling Deputy Principal

ENABLE Recognition breakfast

ENABLE is a local cluster of schools lead to celebrate and build on success. The following staff have all been nominated to attend the ENABLE Recognition breakfast for the outstanding work that they are doing in their area of the school. They all go above and beyond to support our young people and it gives us great pleasure to have them representing our school in this way. Well done staff on your fantastic achievements.

Shae Westerveld- Ignite Dance Director and Dance teacher

Shae has been instrumental in setting up and leading our Ignite Dance Academy, which is one of the most successful Dance Programs in the South East Region. Her program has had a direct impact on community perception of the school, enrolments and student engagement levels. Shae's professionalism and commitment to her program and teaching is of the highest level and we are very fortunate to have her as a member of staff here at Shailer Park SHS.

Paul Tannahill- Technology teacher:

Paul has been creating and developing the structure and the resources necessary for future drone/aviation career pathways for students at Shailer Park.

He is developing a Certificate II in Manufacturing that will develop skills and knowledge of our students in the area of drone manufacture. This will lead directly into Certificate III in Aviation. He is currently working with the Industry Liaison Officer to find work placement for students in this new and exciting field. He has also upgraded his Training and Assessment certification to maintain his currency in the Vocational Education Training field.

In his spare time, he trains volleyball students at our school and is part of Australia’s push into the World Beach Handball championships, having recently completed in the National Championships in South Australia.

Amy Carpenter- Teacher Aid in SEU:

Amy is the rock of the SEP. She is always there when you need her and nothing is ever too much for her. Amy is a valuable member of our team who always goes above and beyond. She displays respect and empathy for students with high-level needs and confidentiality, tact, reliability and sensitively to students and their families. Amy provides support to teachers in behaviour management, learning support and to students requiring specific therapy programs, working with students on a regular basis independently without the support of a teacher. She is willing to change timetable at any point to support students and/or staff and take on any role without hesitation.

Isobel Harris- English teacher

Isobel is nominated for her exceptional work with the new senior system in English. She has gone above and beyond with resource creation, supporting colleagues and students to adapt to the new system seamlessly. She has also made a significant impact in her classes using our new Reboot engagement strategies. Isobel is a wealth of knowledge in her subject area and a very passionate educator. She is always willing to support both colleagues and students alike and is an asset to our school.

A message from our Junior Schooling Deputy Principal

Classroom Learning and Organisation

We know that when students are organised and have a sense of purpose, it is much more likely that they will be engaged, working towards achieving their goals. One of the most effective ways of ensuring that students are ready and able to learn is by being organised. For some students, this sounds like an easy thing to do; for others, it can be difficult to work out which strategies can help most. Here is a list of some of the most useful things that students can do so that they can be organised, prepared for school and focus on learning:

• Follow their timetable – pack your bag the night before, ensuring that you have all you need for those particular lessons
• Organise your work effectively: one book/subject; bookwork is neat and organised including dates, headings and logical setting out; worksheets are named, dated and kept in a folder or similar so they can be easily found
• Use a diary to record important information such as homework, due dates, meetings and activities. Backward mapping/forward planning for the completion of assessment is imperative. Use your Course Planner to assist you
• Bring all necessary equipment – pens, pencils, ruler, calculator, USB, highlighter, folder and any other items listed in the stationery list
• Follow up with teachers if you’ve been away to catch up on work missed or checking what will be covered in class if you know you will be away
• Have a clear and dedicated study space at home where you can keep your work, calendar/planner, books and other materials
• Bring a water bottle to avoid leaving class
• Be punctual to every lesson, every day.

From Term 2, we will be implementing a process for students to self-manage their bookwork and general organisation. You can assist us by checking that your children have everything they need for the day in their bags and that they have access to all of the items as required on the stationery list, including calculators.

Lifting Individuals, Flourishing Together (LIFT) Programs

If your child is in Year 7 or 8, you may noticed that they are engaging in LIFT Programs across the week. There are three key components that constitute LIFT in these first two years of Junior School:

1) LIFT (70 minutes/week): This program focuses on students learning about themselves and how to unlock their potential. The program was developed in consultation with external providers including psychologists, health care professionals, leadership and team building program developers, other leading schools, camp providers and our Education Queensland regional mental health coach. Key topics include:

• their character strengths and values,
• how to maintain their wellbeing,
• communication and relationship skills,
• how their brains work,
• self-regulation,
• leadership skills,
• dispositions and behaviours for learning and owning their learning

2) LIFT Literacy (70 minutes/week): A Response to Intervention (RTI) Program whereby students focus on accessing, developing and mastering the key learning from a teaching and learning cycle by participating in one RTI lesson per week. This RTI lesson has been differentiated to support individual learners and focuses on ensuring all students have the opportunity to demonstrate their learning progression.

3) Mathematics – LIFT Numeracy (70 minutes/week): Each week, one of the students’ Mathematics lessons is dedicated to RTI. This model of intervention is the same as that implemented in LIFT Literacy.

Through their participation in these three lessons, all student are given the opportunity to engage in learning which focuses on academic pursuits as well as their social/emotional development and wellbeing.

Enrolments – Year 7 2020

Enrolments for Year 7 in 2020 will open early in Term 2 and we are currently updating all of the enrolment packages and information for families. At this point, all applications will be due by Friday 26 July 2019. Please continue to check the school website for updates, relevant information and forms. We will also post updates via our Facebook page. In preparation for applying for enrolment, please ensure you have access to essential documents including your child’s birth certificate, most recent academic and NAPLAN reports, medical reports (if you child has any learning disability or needs), and any other relevant documents (e.g. custody orders).

Safe Travel

It is great to see students enjoying the outdoors and making their way to school on bikes and scooters. Recently, I have observed, however, an increase in the number of students taking risks with their safety and the safety of others while travelling to and from school. A few reminders:

• Wear a helmet – it may save your life – and do not “double” others
• Get off your bike and scooter when crossing roads and before entering the school. Enter the school as soon as you arrive and do not leave the school once you have arrived here, even if it is early in the morning
• Do not speak to anyone in vehicles unless you know them. Do not enter anyone’s vehicle without a parent’s/carer’s knowledge
• Do not use your phone when crossing roads and do not have ear buds in/ear phones on when travelling, especially if on a biker or scooter – if you can’t hear anything that is happening, you might be in danger
• Never try to run out across in front of any vehicle

Cool Change Fund

Please drop in your loose change (or notes) in any of our ‘Cool Change’ tins, as money goes straight to our air conditioning fund. Tins are located at the front counter of administration, at our library and our canteen.

A message from our Engagement Deputy Principal

National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence.

This year’s theme is Take Action Every Day.

At Shailer, we teach students a ‘power with’ model rather than a ‘power over’ model.

LIFT teachers have been working with their classes on defining bullying and looking at strategies to help us take action every day. Many classes have also produced posters which will be on display around the school to stimulate discussion. Student leaders visited care classes with positive notes that have been written by other students and teachers in the school.

We encourage everyone to consider the meaning of the day, and how they can enact the key messages by Taking Action Every Day.

Students were invited to the Tuckshop area and MPS courtyard at first break where student leaders and the Care Team engaged with students through activities and giveaways.

Check and Connect

Thank you to our families we welcomed to the Check and Connect evening. It was a great opportunity to share with our community the work we are doing to support our students to achieve Empowered Engagement. Families heard from Sarah at Reboot about our signature practices: 5 Faces; Three Brains; The Learning Quadrants; and The Line of Opportunity.

If you missed out, please find information on our website services and support programs page.

A message from our Dean of Studies

Getting Organised

Prior planning prevents poor performance. Being organised, using a calendar and diary to help plan when assessment is due and organising time every day to do school work – little and often – really are strategies that can help you achieve. Assessment plans have been emailed to all students so that they can organise their learning be resourceful learners, exam timetables are being distributed.

Mentoring

Students, do you know what you want to do once you leave school? The greatest way of achieving your goal is to HAVE a goal!

Teachers and guidance/industry staff will be working with students throughout the year to ensure you have identified your goal and have a clear strategy of achieving it.

Year 11 and 12 students – all year!
Year 10 students – Term 2 in preparation for SET Plan (and subject selection).

Senior Students should be thinking of their goals and pathway options in preparation for these meetings and are encouraged to meet with our Industry Liaison Officer for more information around pathways!

Upcoming Events for the Calendar

The Careers and Employment Expo at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre – May 24th and 25th.

All senior students should keep Sat 20th and Sun 21st July in their diaries to discover more about careers and Tertiary Studies of all kinds – TAFE, Uni etc.

Our year 11 and 12 students who are university bound will be invited to attend a careers day at UQ on June 4th. Forms will be made available early in Term 2 for this excursion.

Assessment

Assessment is a key component of learning because it helps students learn. When students are able to see how they are doing in a class, they are able to determine whether or not they understand course material. Assessment is designed so that students understand their progress towards course goals and modify their behaviour in order to meet those goals. Ongoing assessment allows students to gain a true representation of their understanding.

Our practices align with the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) guidelines available below and families are reminded that students must meet deadlines and attend exams on the due dates or provide a medical certificate if they are unable to submit/attend on the due date.

We support students in preparing for assessment by:

• Ensuring that they enter key dates from their plans in their dairy.
• Notifying students of due dates on assessment tasks (reports, orals, exams etc)
• Setting homework that may align with their assessment task
• Setting draft dates to support time management
• Providing feedback to students on how to improve
• Reminding students of due dates and test dates

At home, you can support your child to prepare for assessment by:

• Having your child access their school log in and printing out a copy of their assessment plan (Senior Students) and exam timetable
• Having a print out of the semester assessment plan on the fridge, notice board or student study area
• Making sure your child has put their assessment dates for each subject in to their diary
• Checking your child’s diary weekly and make sure they are working towards their assessment goals.

Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments to Assessment

If you believe your child has a disability, impairment or medical condition which is a barrier to their performance in their assessment they may be eligible for an access arrangement or reasonable adjustment as outlined by Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA). This may include permanent, intermittent or temporary conditions or situations.

Documented evidence in the form of a medical statement, or similar, is required to apply for consideration of this type.

Please note that the following reasons are examples of what are not acceptable reasons for absence from an exam or a failure to meet assessment deadlines; family holiday during school time, mis-read the exam timetable, slept in.

Exams

We support students preparing for exams by:

• Following curriculum plans and differentiating learning to meet the needs of students
• Notifying students of due dates for exams – including the exam block individualised timetable
• Setting homework that may align with their assessment task and exams
• Providing feedback to students on how to improve through class work and homework tasks
• Reminding students of due dates and test dates

At home, you can support your child in preparing for exam block by:

• Having a print out of their exam timetable on the fridge, notice board or student study area.
• Making sure your child has prepared for their assessment, and is revising for their exams in the lead up to their test date.
• Check your child’s diary weekly and make sure they are working towards their learning goals.
• Ensure students have adequate sleep, and have had breakfast before their exams.
• Ensure they attend all exam sessions in full school uniform.

Senior School Exam Block

To support students in being strategic about their learning, each student is emailed an individualised assessment planner to their Education Queensland email address each semester. All students received their assessment plans in February this year. Senior students are also provided with an individualised exam timetable provided to them in Week 8.

Term 1, 2019 - Exam Block is Wednesday 27th March – Monday 1st April (inclusive)

Some things to note about Exam Block

• Students are not required to attend normal classes on these days. However, if they have any outstanding assessment or units of competencies they will attend until they are completed (see HOD of that subject to organise).
• Students must turn up to exams 10 minutes before it is timetabled.
• Students must wear full uniform.
• If you are absent on the day of your exam a parent/ guardian MUST contact the office before 8:30am on 3451 2777.
• If you have a known absence on the day of your exam you must complete a ‘KNOWN ABSENCE’ form in the back of the Assessment Policy available online -

• A medical certificate will be required to be able to sit the exam on the next day you return. If you do not provide a medical certificate marks will be awarded to the work your teacher has seen you complete in class.

New staff 2019

Welcome to the following staff who have joined our team at Shailer for 2019.

A message from the Heads of House

The past few weeks have been a busy time for our students at Shailer Park SHS. The culture that we are building here at Shailer Park SHS this year can be emphasised and summed up best by the quote below.

Opportunities are made by choice, not by chance in today’s society. Heads of House have been focusing the last two weeks on lifting Student Attendance.

Research shows that students who have a good attendance record are more likely to achieve high results. Low attendance rates can lead to poor numeracy and literacy skills as well as students experiencing greater difficulty gaining employment.

As we are striving for excellence in many areas at Shailer Park SHS, we are asking for support from parents and the community to work with us to educate our students in the importance of being at school and in class every day. Every day counts for our students! We want our students to be challenged, learn new things and prepare them for the expectations and responsibility for the real world that awaits them when they graduate. This starts with valuing every minute, hour and day that they can be successful in building on their learning opportunities.

Education Queensland clearly states that unless a child is sick, or there are extenuating circumstances, they do not support students being absent due to being on holidays during term time. We strongly recommend you consider this when making holiday plans.

Heads of House have been tracking their Houses Attendance for a little healthy competition….

Congratulations to BILIN BILIN who have consistently had the highest attendance the past few weeks.

To assist parents with understanding their child’s attendance, the school provides a number of pieces of information throughout the year:

• The number of days your child has been absent during the reporting period is recorded on each student report sent home to parents
• Phone calls and texts home when your child is absent.
• Attendance letters.

We have seen some amazing projects/ events and activities being run by our teachers to create a sense of belonging and pride by both students and staff in their Houses.

Below are some pictures showing the amazing work that has been going on in our classrooms.

A reminder that should you have any concerns regarding your child, your first point of call is with your House Care Group Teacher. Thank you for working with us in creating a great start to the year!

Kind Regards,
Heads of House

Messages from our Student Services Team

Health Nurse

How to talk to kids and teens about world trauma

When the world is struck with a catastrophic event, the instinct to shield our children from the effects of it is completely understandable. We want them to grow up believing that the world is pure and good and geared in their favour. We also want them to feel safe, and avoiding a discussion isn’t necessarily the way to make this happen.

Older kids and teens will know when something big has happened whether you’re the one who tells them or not. Knowing that something has happened, but not having anybody explain things, is a really scary thing to feel for any of us. Our kids are no different. We all need context and assurance and it’s the facts that will provide this.

All kids are different. They need different information to feel safe, they look for a different level of detail and they are impacted by different parts of the story.

Nobody will know your children better than you do, so it’s important to manage the conversation based on who they are, what they already know, and what it means for them.

With all children-

1. The most important question.

Whatever their age, there is likely to be one thought at the front of their minds, ‘What about me?’ This is normal and healthy and part of the way they process what has happened. They need to understand it in terms of what it means to them and for their own safety and wellbeing. Let this guide your response.

2. Let them know that what they are feeling makes sense.

We are all different and will respond to things in different ways. Whether they feel nothing at all or very deeply, let them know that whatever they’re feeling is completely okay. The only way through a feeling is straight through the middle, and this will only happen when there is gentle acceptance of whatever that feeling is. If they see that you can accept what they are feeling, it will be easier for them to do the same.

3. Name what you see or hear from them.

They need to know that you get it otherwise the things you say will fall short of comforting them. Saying things like, ‘Oh don’t worry,’ or ‘don’t be silly – nothing like that will happen here,’ though said with the best of intentions, can actually make them worry more. It might also cause them to feel shame, which will only make them shut down. They will still feel what they are feeling and think what they are think but you just will not find out about it. Whatever they are feeling, let them know that you get it by reflecting it back to them, ‘I can see you are feeling scared. That is completely understandable. It is a frightening thing to happen. ‘

4. And help them to put it in context.

If they are feeling scared, it will be because they are noticing the similarities between themselves and the people who have been directly hurt – ages, families, the area they live in – though it might be happening out of their awareness. Explaining the differences between their circumstances and the circumstances around the event will help to ease their fear.

‘This has happened in a different place to where we live. Nothing like this has ever happened here.’ Or if you’re living where the trauma has happened, ‘When something like this happens, people work really hard to make sure that something like this never happens again. The people who do this are great at what they do. They learn a lot about how it happened and the type of people who did it and they use that information to keep everyone safe.’

5, Ask directly what it is they’re worried about.

Trauma triggers all sorts of things in all of us. Sometimes these will directly relate to the event: How will they look after the people who have been hurt? Have they caught the bad people? How did it happen? Could it happen here? Sometimes, it might be more indirect and unexpected. They might become scared of you dying or getting sick. They might worry about not being able to reach you when they need to, or of something happening while they are asleep or separated from you. Let them know that when something big happens, we can feel all kinds of things that do not make sense but there are no silly feelings or silly things to think. Ask them what they are thinking and give them permission to say anything they want to.

6. Be available.

Let them know that they can come to you with questions, feelings, ideas and thoughts and that nothing is off-limits. Give them extra cuddles or an extra story. For older ones, spend extra time sitting on the edge of their bed at bedtime. They might raise things with you or they might not, but at least you are there if they need to.

7. Let them see your compassion, empathy, and resilience.

It is okay to let them know that you are sad for the people who have been hurt – this will nurture their empathy and compassion – but they also need to see your strength and capacity to cope with the news.

8. It is okay not to have the answers they’re asking for.

Frightening world events do not make sense to any of us. Your children might ask questions that you do not know the answers to, such as ‘How did it happen?’ or ‘Why do some people do awful things?’ In these cases, ‘I don’t know,’ is a perfectly reasonable answer. Sometimes it is the only one.

9. Remind them of the goodness in the world.

They need to have faith in the world and the people in it. Whenever there is trauma in the world, there are also remarkable demonstrations of solidarity and kindness, love and support for strangers. Let them hear these stories. We belong to a humanity that is good and kind. People who orchestrate traumatic events are acting against humanity, they are not a part of it and when they strike, humanity always proves to be kinder, more generous, and stronger. Remind them.

10. Let them feel the arms of the world around them, too.

Let them know that when something like this happens, the world comes together to look after each other and that people from all over the world are working to make the world safer for them.

Being proactive in having the conversation with kids can ensure that you are the one who sets the emotional tone for what has happened – not their friends, not social media and not the 6pm news. Show them that you have faith in their world and their ability to thrive in it.

– Karen Young, Hey Sigmund

Year 12 senior students

Our year 12 senior students received their leadership badges and took the leadership pledge on assembly in front of all staff and students. They pledged their commitment to the school community and to being the student leaders for 2019. Well done Year 12s in accepting the challenges of being a leader, committing to fulfilling this role, setting the standard for the student body and leading the way in lifting aspirations for all of our futures.

Elected school leaders

We celebrated our elected school leaders with all staff and students by presenting them with their school badges and a certificate on assembly. We welcomed Vanessa Diskett , who attended as the representative from the office of Bert Van Manen, the local federal parliamentarian in the seat of Forde.

As we congratulate them on their positions in the school, we emphasise that as school leaders, they are the student voice within the school. We encourage all students to make themselves known to our student leaders and share those great ideas that you may have regarding the school community.

Australian Business and Community Network

A group of students were nominated by staff to be part of a mentoring program with ABCN - Australian Business and Community Network

These students recently travelled to Southbank to attend the ABCN Focus group session. Over lunch meetings with the students, mentors shared strategies for developing leadership qualities and expertise in engaging and leading a team.

Students will be attending six sessions over the year and the feedback was fantastic. What stood out was discussions around how much students value the change in school culture, house groups and the relationships built in the process.

The ABCN’s Focus program, which gives female student leaders the opportunity to be mentored by senior women in business, has been an outstanding success. The program has had significant take up from member companies and schools, and subsequently provided over 180 young women with the opportunity to gain insight to the skills needed to be successful leaders.

International Women’s Day

To celebrate International Women’s Day, this morning, Ms Dunleavy and some of our female captains were lucky enough to attend an IWD Breakfast hosted by Soroptimist International of Beenleigh.

The theme of the breakfast was #morepowertogether, with guest speakers Rachel Abuk Maker, a Sudanese refugee who currently runs a community organisation for disadvantaged Australians in the Logan community and Taylor Birtchnell, a finalist for young Australian of the Year.

Happy International Women’s Day Everyone! #balanceforbetter

Sport and Academy News

Welcome to what has been a very busy and rewarding time for our sporting and academy programs. Below is a small representation of our student success.

Rivers Championship:

Thursday 14th March

All members of the Volleyball Academy participated in the Rivers Championships yesterday and were extremely well coached and supported by Tayem Renton, Anthony Lee and Paul Tannahill. We are very pleased to announce that the following teams have been awarded premiers of the Rivers Championship and will progress on to the Gold Coast Finals in August

• Year 8 Girls
• Year 9 Girls
• Open Girls

Qld Beach Volleyball Championships:

Monday 11th March

Shailer Park had ten students represent us at the Qld Beach Volleyball Championships. The competition was very intense and some of the students have been sporting some serious sun-tan with particular reference to Mr Tayem Renton who found out how many layers of skins he has on his feet!! Two of our students; Allengonda Zeydel and Aisha Barry placed second in Queensland for their age-group and were awarded a silver medal for their efforts.

Southcoast Representative Selection:

We had a number of students who trialled for South-coast representation for Volleyball in 2019. The Southcoast region extends from Shailer Park all the way to Coolangatta and as far west as Beaudesert and includes some of the most prestigious sporting schools in Australia including Palm Beach SHS, Keebra Park SHS, TSS, Benowa SHS and Helensvale SHS. Historical trends indicate that successful inclusion in the Southcoast team has a strong correlation with potential representation in the Queenland team such is the competitiveness of the region. Shailer Park SHS had four students successful in gaining entry into the Southcoast Volleyball teams who are: Allengonda Zeydel, Charmaine Zeydel, Aisha Barry and Anthony Isaacs. Tayem Renton was also appointed manager for the Under 15 Boys team travelling to Caloundra in May.

Futsal Academy News:

South East Queensland Futsal Competition.

All of our Futsal Academy students (approximately 75) participated in the SEQ Futsal Titles held at Oxley and Mt Gravatt. Students departed before 7am and did not arrive back untill 5pm making a very long and rewarding day for coaches; Nathan Croucher, Brendan Hackles, Cengiz Aslim, Matt de Brenni and myself. We can confirm that our 13, 14 and 15 Boys were successful in winning their competition rounds and will be progressing to the SEQ Finals next Friday 22nd March.

Ignite Dance:

Over the first two weekends of March, a number of Shailer Park SHS students auditioned to be part of this year’s Creative Generation production. Creative Generation is an annual production that involves hundreds of talented dance, music, drama and media students from state schools across Queensland. Students who take part engage in upwards of 100 hours of rehearsals and workshops, culminating in a spectacular arena show performed at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre in July.

It is with great pleasure we announce that the following Ignite Dance Academy students successfully obtained positions in the 2019 Creative Generation dance cast:

Massed Dance - Senior: Liana Crouch (10), Amber Doherty (10), Maddison McLeish (10), Kaitlyn Smith(10), and Shantelle Woodford (7)
Featured Dance - Middle Ensemble: Ashley Dyer (8)
Featured Dance - Senior Ensemble: Emma McDonald (9)
Featured Dance - Dance Company: Emily Spinks (12)

To see our exceptional students in action, you can now purchase Creative Generation tickets from the Ticketek website. Matinee and evening performances will be held on Friday 19 July and Saturday 20 July, with a television broadcast to follow on Network Ten later in the year. Any further queries are to be directed to Ignite Dance Academy Director: Shae Westerveld

Academy Fees:

A reminder that Academy Fees are due by Friday 29th March. All members of the academy programs (Futsal, Volleyball, NEXUS and Ignite Dance) must have paid their fees in full to ensure their child continues to access these programs.

Sport:

The annual Inter-house Cross Country Carnival will be taking place on Friday 5th April along with our Harmony Day Celebrations. Students are to wear House Colours and bring a gold coin donation for the air conditioning fund. Students will have the opportunity to engage with their house groups to perfect war cries and build team culture prior to marching down as a group to prepare for the event. For students wishing to trial for age-champion or want to test themselves in competition there will be separate Junior and Senior races that will be 3km and 4km respectively. Students will then be selected from these races to represent Shailer Park SHS at the Pacific District Cross Country Championships in Term 2. Students wishing to represent their house and complete the course at a more leisurely pace, there is a fun-run style event which will take place after the competitive races have commenced.

Creative Industries

Instrumental Music

Recently, creative industries presented ‘Music Under the Stars’ in our amphitheatre.

The evening could be described as enchanting with the ensembles playing to an amazing standard so early in the year. The weather was kind to us as the predicted storm rumbled, circled Shailer and stayed away. Raindrops started to fall just as we were completing the bump out.

We had a great audience with so many exceptional parents who also contributed to a successful sausage sizzle and helped pack down at the end of the concert.

Thank you to all who came to support our wonderful instrumental music students.

Health and Physical Education

Rivers Zone Championship Days are full day tournaments that replace weekly interschool sport.

Rivers Championship – Term 2 - Day 3 – Thursday 2 May 2019

Sport - Boys Football (Soccer)
Teams: Year 7 & Year 8 (Combined), Year 9, Year 10, and Year 11-12 (Combined)

Sport – Girls Basketball
Teams: Year 7 & 8 Combined, Year 9 & Year 10 Combined, and Year 11 & 12 Combined

Rivers Championship – Term 2 - Day 4 – Friday 17 May 2019

Sport - Boys Basketball
Teams: Year 7, Year 8, Year 9, Year 10, and Year 11-12 (Combined)

Sport – Girls Football (Soccer)
Teams: Year 7, 8 & 9 Combined & Year 10, 11 & 12 Combined

Rivers Championship – Term 2 - Day 5 – Friday 24 May 2019

Sport – Girls Rugby League
Teams: Year 7 & 8 Combined, Year 9 & 10 Combined, Year 11-12 Combined

Sport - Boys Rugby League
Teams: Year 7 & 8 Combined, Year 9, Year 10

Sport – Girls Netball
Teams: Year 7, Year 8, Year 9, Year 10, Year 11-12 Combined

Complete trainings

Students nominations – handwrite onto nomination sheets provided in MPS

Collect Permission from MPS

$10 payment (per sport) – finance counter before Tuesday 23rd April Days 3 & 4 & Tuesday 30th April Day 5

Note: School fees must be paid

South Coast Region - Swimming

Congratulations to John Uon who represented the South Coast Region on the 4th March and came first in the following events at Regionals:

• 50 metres Butterfly
• 100 metres Butterfly
• 50 metres Breaststroke
• 100 metres Breaststroke
• 200 metres Breaststroke
• 50 metres Freestyle
• 100 metres Freestyle
• 200 metres Freestyle
• 200 metres Individual Medley

John has qualified for a staggering 9 events at the upcoming Queensland School Sport 13 – 19 Years Swimming Championships in Brisbane on Thursday 28th March. We wish John well on his endeavours!!

Library

The buzz in the library continues this term and highlights the important role of this facility throughout the school community. Year 7 orientations earlier in the term welcomed the new cohort of students to the various resources and functions of this space, and there was an expediential spike in book borrowings as a result. Fittingly, a Year 7 student won the book borrowers’ draw recently. Reading remains the top priority of the curriculum, across all faculties, and there has, and will be a number of new initiatives to inspire and entice students of all grades, to pick up a book and experience the joy of reading. As is commonly remarked, Readers Are Leaders!

Over the Easter holidays, the interior of the library will undergo a ‘paint’ face-lift. This is very exciting as it will refresh the bricks and mortar walls and give a new feel to the centre, ensuring that it will tempt more and more students through the front door. So watch this space for the new ‘look’.

As parents and carers, I urge you to encourage your child/ren to read, and drop in to borrow over the holidays. After all, the Easter period is typically renowned for lots of rain, and what better than reading to while away the hours!

Happy Reading

CAST

At Shailer Park State High School we offer a range of extracurricular activities to support students to develop 21st Century skills of connectedness, collaboration and creativity. Students participate in our CAST program - clubs, academies, societies and tutorials, before school, at lunch times and after school.

We encourage all students to get involved in our CAST program. The latest versions of the timetables can be accessed via our website.

Business Lunch

We are fortunate to have guest speakers come to talk with students every week for our Business Lunches.

Business professionals come to Shailer to talk with students about their professional journeys and life choices. We have had a range of guests, including a Software Developer, Mechanical Enginer, Labour Hire Provider, start-up companies Digital Delivery and Team Coach, and a Principal Consultant in the IT industry

Business Lunches happen on Wednesdays at first break in G01.

Any local business people interested in being a guest presenter, please contact Anita Winkeler awwin0@eq.edu.au

Science Ambassadors

Testing was done on our STEM rafts. The build was to include the ability to hold a

500g mass (approximate blue-tongue lizards' weight) and stay afloat enough to sail the length of a 1.8m trough.

Well done Mikaela and Felicity for your raft was super swifty and well done Morgan and Erin for an excellent design.

Homework Club

Assessment coming up? Homework Club and Tutorials are happening in the library from 3pm until 4pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Love to see you there!

Vocational Education

Student Success

Jake has been signed into a Civil Construction School-Based Traineeship with well-known company, Paynters Construction. Over the next 12 months, Jake will be part of an actual building project, picking up key skills along the way while undertaking a Certificate II in Civil Construction.

Well done Jake, we look forward to seeing how your journey goes!

Auto Camp

Auto Camp will be offered every school holiday with the next course being held on the 9th to the 11th of April.

Students will get hands-on experience in a range of different automotive skills including:

• AUTOMOTIVE PRINCIPLES AND MAINTENANCE
• ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC FUNDAMENTALS
• HYBRID BATTERY ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY
• DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING
• COLLISION REPAIR TECHNOLOGY

Limited to class sizes of 20, this is a great experience for those that have an interest in electronics, engineering, design or manufacturing.

Health Inspiration Day

Brisbane Defence Force

Recruiting information sessions

Or email cptqld@dfr.com.au

Opportunities and Vacancies

Access to School Based Traineeships / Apprenticeships, TAFE courses and work experience for Vocational Students in Year 10, 11 and 12 is subject to the Traffic Light System.

The school reserves the right to refuse participation in an activity if any of the criteria falls within the Red Zone. The Student will be given a period of time (evaluated on a case-by-case basis) to adjust the criteria into the Amber or Green Zone.

Please access the Shailer High website for current opportunities and vacancies, including apprenticeships, traineeships, TAFE trades and courses. Visit our Vocational Education page for further information and vacancies.

Assistance is available. Please contact our Industry Liaison Officer, Ms Annette Lee in F5, on 3451 2782 or alee296@eq.edu.au

A message from the Business Manager

Here at SPSHS we operate a Student Resource Scheme that enables parents to enter into an agreement with the school. For an annual participation fee, we provide the temporary use of prescribed textbooks and/or other resources, and/or the purchase of consumables and materials for students to use in class.

In accordance with the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006, the cost of providing instruction, administration and facilities for the education of students enrolled at State schools is met by the state. Parents/Caregivers are directly responsible for providing textbooks and other personal resources for their children

I would like to thank those families who have already paid for 2019 and those families who have managed to pay any outstanding debt from previous years. Prompt payment of fees will allow us to continue to supply further resources for students.

Please note that unpaid fees from previous years need to be promptly paid.

Finance office opening hours are Monday, Tuesday and Friday 8am - 3.30pm. Preferred payment options are Bpoint and Bank Deposit which families can use at any time.

Excursion Fees

NO late payments will be accepted for excursions after the due date (generally 1 week prior to excursion). All school fees and other payments must be up to date, paid in full, or payment plan in place, otherwise students risk losing excursion and/or academy privileges.

Finance window

Please be advised that the Finance window operating hours have now changed. Payments can be made at the window or by phone on Monday, Tuesday and Friday 8am – 3.30pm.

Bpoint and Bank Transfer payments can still be made at any time. When using Bank Transfer, please reference with your student’s EQ ID number and the event in which the payment is for. Please note that there will be no late payments accepted for excursions.

Student resource scheme payment plans for Term 1 are now overdue. If you haven’t contacted the finance office to arrange your payment plan, please do so during opening hours.

Business Manager

Messages from our Parents and Citizens

Meetings

Thank you to all those who attended our March Meeting. Our executive team can be contacted via email pandc@shaiparkshs.eq.edu.au.

Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month. The next meeting is our AGM on Tuesday 2nd April, in the library. We welcome all new members. Please go to the P&C section of our School website for more information.

Below is our membership form and 2019 meeting dates for your calendar.

2 April AGM
21 May
18 June
16 July
20 August
17 September
15 October
19 November

Kevin Thomas
P&C President

Building Fund

Our air conditioning project has the capability of transforming learning spaces within our school, particularly during the hotter months of the year, leading to better learning outcomes for all children.

Air conditioning the school is a large and expensive project, one that requires the help of our entire school community in order to complete. Please donate whatever you can, every bit helps:

If you are interested in making a Tax Deductable donation or have some other building type works contribution please contact pandc@shaiparkshs.eq.edu.au or attend a meeting, held on the 3rd Tuesday each month at 6pm. We would love to hear from you.

Andrew Huggins
P&C Treasurer

Uniform Donations

Community Support Program

Collaboration with local business to provide more resources for our students...thank you to all those who mentioned Shailer Park State High School when making purchases from Stellarossa. Our P&C will be receiving the kickback donations at the end of each month to assist our students.

We envision this raising more funds to be directed to benefit all students.

When paying for meals or drinks at Stellarossa, please mention that you are from Shailer Park High. Your invoice details will be recorded and Shailer Park High P&C will then receive a donation. The donated amounts will be totalled and sent monthly for P&C to use the funds to assist our school community.

Stellarossa is located near Bakers Delight at the Aldi/Coles end of the Hyperdome shopping centre and is open from

7-5pm Monday to Friday,
7- 4.30pm Saturday &
7.30-4pm Sunday.

Come on down and try their tasty breakfasts, salads, pizza, burgers, sandwiches, coffee and drinks.

Support a Local Retailer who is supporting your Local School

Announcements

Principal Tours

Experience what Shailer Park Independent State High School has to offer: Lifting aspirations through Big Plans and Bold Ambitions for a Bright Future.

The best way to get a feel for our school is to experience it for yourself. We warmly invite you and your family to our school to participate in a Principal’s Tour, followed by morning tea and an opportunity to meet personnel.

Tours are available

• Tuesday 21 May 10am.
• Thursday 18 July 9am.
• Thursday 17 October 9am.

Parent cafe

Parent cafe is held in our new Sapphires building, Friday morning week 2, 6 & 10 of each term. Open to parents and guardians of Shailer High students.

Please come along for a cuppa, light refreshments and a chat with our community. Staff members from our senior leadership team will be present.

School Captains

Track pants available

The new microfiber track pants, approved for wear with both formal and sports uniforms, are now available for purchase at The School Locker.

We encourage families to make their purchases early so that another batch can be ordered before the winter chill.

Local business people needed

Any local business people interested in being a guest presenter at our new SPSHS Business lunch, please contact Anita Winkeler awwin0@eq.edu.au

School Holiday Program

Kokoda Challenge

Can you imagine walking in the footsteps of our Aussie soldiers in Papua New Guinea to honour the legacy of the Kokoda Campaign fully funded by the community?

Then you’ve got to watch this:

If you’re aged 15-17 apply for the Kokoda Challenge Youth Program to go on a life changing adventure, build confidence, self-belief, learn valuable life skills, improve fitness and belong in a team!!

Kokoda Challenge Youth Program applications now open:

Don’t miss out, positions filling up fast!

APPLY TODAY or contact dann@kyf.org.au for more information.