14 June 2019

Newsletter Articles

A message from the Principal

With winter well and truly here, I have been walking around campus speaking with students about how they have been taking care of themselves and staying fit and healthy during the traditional cold and flu season. It is such a delight to talk with students about how they are taking care of their physical and mental health, especially when we have so many wonderful examples of them doing just that! In particular, a Year 7 student impressed me when she shared that she had made a decision to ‘put her phone away’ at 8:30pm each night so that she could ensure she would get better sleep and allow her some time to ‘turn off’ from social media. She highlighted that already she had noticed benefits to her mood and an improved ability to concentrate during the school day. The teacher in me is always pleased when I can see students have really grasped a concept in the subject I’m teaching, but as a school principal, I am so filled with pride when the overall messages we have been broadcasting here at Shailer Park, like how to really achieve our best, are being acted upon with success. What a wonderful example of how feeding our wild and emotional brain for that moment when we enter the school gates allows us to be equipped to step over the ‘line of opportunity’ and switch on our smart brain!

When I was studying to become an educator, there was a lot of emphasis on how to teach ‘subject matter’ and I recall being a little frustrated when I realised that not all students brought the same skills, sense of self belief or even breakfast to the classroom! Education has become a lot more than simply teaching literacy and numeracy (though they are very important!) but has transformed into an opportunity to help ready our young people for a successful and happy adulthood where they feel a sense of wellbeing and achievement rather than anxiety and lack of fulfilment. As such, Shailer Park SHS has become very active in ensuring students are given the skills to become lifelong learners and this includes giving parents the opportunity to gain deeper knowledge of some of these processes. Over the past few weeks, in particular we have been focused on one of our school values, Resilience, and how this might be nurtured within our students.

Dr Justin Coulson spoke with parents in our community about how they can partner with Shailer Park SHS to strengthen our young people’s resilience, sharing tips to help develop our students’ coping strategies. Perhaps the most significant point he highlighted was that life throws adversity and challenge at us constantly and as parents and teachers, we cannot, try as we might, protect our students from this. Rather, helping our young people to develop flexibility, autonomy and self-control which are vital for supporting resilience are really the best way we can assist them during those challenging and difficult times. Thank you to the parents that came along to hear these important messages; as a schooling community we will walk alongside you, developing our young people’s ability to bounce back from adversity and move forward together.

One way we have been teaching students about how to develop Resilience, lies in identifying, acknowledging and using our own individual character strengths. And no, as I heard one student put it, you don’t get your character strengths from reading your horoscope! Rather, it is having a strong sense of who you are and what you stand for. We know that young people who are able to stand strong, make decisions that are safe and healthy and bounce back from adversity have a strong sense of who they are, their values and are able to be courageous when faced with peer pressures. One way we develop this understanding of self is through helping students identify their character strengths: this is much more than just interesting information. When skilfully applied, character strengths can actually have a significant positive impact on our lives.

Research shows that using your character strengths can help you:

• Buffer against, manage and overcome problems
• Improve your relationships
• Enhance health and overall well-being

Ask your young person about their top character strengths and discuss how those strengths can help them in areas they find challenging. Of course, having the character strength of ‘creativity’ may not get them any closer to cleaning up after dinner without whingeing, but it might enable them to use their creativeness in getting it done quicker or importantly, how to solve a more significant challenge with an assessment or friendship. You can access the VIA character strengths survey below. Additionally, the ‘Do you know’ scale is a short survey that encourages students to find out about their family, connections and history: understanding where you are from cultivates a sense of belonging and this strengthens our identity. Children who score high on the Do You Know scale are associated with higher levels of self-esteem, a healthier sense of control over events in their lives, better family functioning, lower levels of anxiety, fewer behavioural problems and better chances for better outcomes if faced with educational, emotional or behavioural difficulties. The ‘Do you know’ scale can be accessed via the link below:

Our House system is another way in which Shailer Park is developing a whole school sense of connection and belonging for our students. On Friday May 31st our house spirit was on display throughout our athletics carnival and it was an absolute joy to watch! The way in which our students demonstrated a sense of belonging to their houses was just magnificent, with house colours, chants and friendly rivalry amongst them evidence of their pride not only in representing their house, but their school. Like a family, our houses are about supporting our young people to connect, belong and support each other to flourish so that those big plans, bold ambitions and bright futures are carved out ahead of them.

We know that motivation gets us started on the path to something great, but it is the commitment to that thing that keeps us going and I could see this plainly amongst our houses during the athletics carnival and with that Year 7 student committed to being the best she could be every day. Resilience is strongly linked to motivation, commitment and ultimately achieving that bright future we want for all our young people.

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

The Importance of Study and Revision

Quite often, I have parents telling me that their kids do not get homework in senior school and this could not be further from the truth. It is just that the look or sound of it changes and students are expected to take more responsibility for their own learning.

In senior school, it is an expectation that students create their own study plan that they can fit around their extra-curricular and work commitments, but one thing is sure- no study/homework means that students will never reach their full potential when it comes to their academic results. For example, there is no way that a student can get a good mark in maths with only 3 x 70mins of maths a week. The practise and revision create the foundations and deeper understanding. Likewise, there is no way that a written assignment can ever be the best quality capable without the extra time spent at home and by closely following the drafting process. Finally a student will never do their best speech or performance without the many hours of practice put in at home.

So what is the best amount of time to spend? My advice for people who do not yet have a good study/revision schedule in place is to spend 30 minutes on each of the subjects that they studied that day. That would be a total of 4 x 30mins = 2 hours a night. That is the minimum a student should be spending to be able to achieve their best.

Let us look at an example…

As you can see, this student has Music, Physics, Chemistry and Engineering. Their Monday night study and revision schedule might look like this:

Students who study practical subjects, which are mainly done at school, may have a slightly more relaxed schedule, however at the very least, they would be doing Maths and English every day.

If your son or daughter is not doing any school work at home you can be sure that sooner or later you will be having a meeting with me about their grades or QCE eligibility and whether or not they should be continuing in their non-compulsory stage of schooling if they do not want to put in the effort required for best success.

We all want the best for our students, so getting them into good study habits now is certainly helping them to develop their resilience and resourcefulness. It will also allow them to experience how great it feels when you work hard at something and get the results!

Remember, we also offer many tutorials at school that can go towards study time. Access the link below for the most recent timetable.

If your son or daughter would like any help and guidance in developing their study schedule there are many people at Shailer who are more than willing to help, me included.

Have a great last couple of weeks of term and a lovely holiday.

A message from our Junior Schooling Deputy Principal

Enrolling at Shailer Park State High School

Shailer Park State High School has opened Enrolments for Year 7, 2020 and Application Packages are now available from the school office. Last newsletter I shared key information about enrolling in 2020, and I am sharing it again to ensure that all members of our community have had access to this information. It is important to know that the school is now operating under an Enrolment Management Plan in response to recent growth in our catchment and school. This letter was recently sent out to our school community:

The last 18 months has been a time of significant growth for our school and community. In response, we submitted an application for a School Enrolment Management Plan (EMP). Our application has been successful, with our EMP now gazetted (as at 12 April 2019).

As a school, our prime responsibility is to provide “access to an appropriate educational service for students whose principal place of residence is within the school’s catchment area”. Due to our recent growth, this may not be possible unless “action is taken to manage enrolments”. The EMP supports the school in restricting out-of-catchment students to ensure in-catchment students can enrol. The EMP also enables the school to accept students who live out-of-catchment if they are enrolled in a Program of Excellence (POE). The number of POE students who may be accepted is included as part of the EMP.

We understand that you might have questions about our EMP and its possible impact on your family, thus the following details might be helpful:

1. The EMP came into effect from 12 April 2019 and is to be applied to all enrolment applications from this date;
2. The school’s catchment map can be viewed here: http://www.qgso.qld.gov.au/maps/edmap/;
3. Parents/legal guardians will need to demonstrate that the student’s home is within the catchment area and may need to provide proof. If a student is living with a relative or other person within the catchment, a properly sworn Statutory Declaration by the enrolling parent or legal guardian may also be required;
4. The following students are included as those entitled to enrol even though they live out-of-catchment:
   a. Children and young people under child protection orders
   b. Siblings of current students (excluding siblings of those enrolled in our Programs of Excellence [POE], or whom have been placed at this school after exclusion, or where there is no overlap of enrolment period)
   c. Students of parents or guardians employed at SPSHS or our local feeder primary schools
   d. Students with disabilities whose needs cannot be met by their closest school
   e. Students who have been excluded from another school, subject to conditions
   f. Students who have successfully applied to enrol in our POE.
5. We are able to accept out-of-catchment enrolments under certain provisions e.g. student will be enrolling in a POE; future growth has been considered;
6. The Principal is responsible for all decisions regarding enrolments. Families can respond to any written notice of unsuccessful application.

Families can access enrolment packs for Year 7 2020 from the school Administration Building. Forms are also available on-line at the website below (please ensure you have downloaded all relevant forms). All applications are due for return by Friday 26 July 2019. Please carefully read the Letter to Families for more detailed information regarding the Application Process. Applications for enrolment in 2019 can be submitted at any time, as per the usual processes. Please note: to ensure equity and transparency, all applications must be fully complete and documented otherwise they will not be accepted for processing by staff.

Information relating to our EMP will be available in the Foyer of the Administration Building for your perusal. If you have any questions or concerns, we welcome you to contact our Enrolment Team via 3451 2777 or enrolment@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au. Please also visit the school’s website for updated information.

Academy Program Trials and Auditions for Year 7 2020

We are conducting another round of trials and auditions for our Academy Programs for students entering Year 7 in 2020. Trial and Auditions will be held on the following days:

Monday 29 July - Academic Excellence Academy (NEXUS/ALTUM) Exams/Trials: 11.30am-3.00pm
Monday 29 July – IGNITE Dance Academy Auditions: 3.15-5.30pm
Tuesday 30 July – STING Volleyball Academy Trials: 3.15-4.30m
Wednesday 31 July – STING Futsal Academy Trials: 3.15-4.30pm

Students who wish to apply for acceptance in these programs must adhere to the process outlined in all Academy information, available via the link below. Please click on the Academy Program in which you are interested to access the relevant documents.

Please note that applications are due by Friday 26 July (same date as all enrolment applications) and payments are due prior to the trial/auditions (payments can be made at the Finance Office only on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays between 8.00am and 3.30pm). If you have any questions, please contact our Head of Academies, Shae Westerveld, on 3451 2777.

Junior School Assessment and Commitment to Learning

If you child is absent during assessment, please ensure that appropriate documentation, such as a medical certificate, is provided to support an application for missed assessment or extension of a due date. These documents can be found below, under Application for Extension – Assessment other than Examination and Missed Exam form. If you have any questions, please consult our Assessment Policy, which can be found below.

Next term, we will be focusing on improving students’ organisation and documentation of their learning. Engaging in our Bookwork Protocols will allow students to monitor their effective management of their resources, such as bringing a book to each class, securing worksheets and the logical organisation of their classwork. This process will support students in being reflective and resourceful students both at school and at home, including their successful completion of homework tasks. Watch this space!

A message from our Engagement Deputy Principal

As we approach the midpoint of the year, it is important to reflect on how much we have achieved so far in 2019. The Student Services Team is thrilled to be supporting students to achieve Empowered Engagement – to become Resilient, Resourceful, Relational and Reflective lifelong learners.

Our House System has already created a great sense of belonging, as we embrace our school’s past and continue to explore our big plans and bold ambitions for a bright future. Every day, all Shailer Park SHS students check and connect with their House Care Group teacher and classmates from across each of the year levels. This gives our students an opportunity to belong, to connect and to reflect on their own choices every day. If you have not already, please ask your student to tell you about the 5 Faces, and the connection that is taking place in House Care Groups daily.

House Spirit and a sense of healthy competition is also developing, with a sea of Karle Kookaburras purple, Barnes Bears red, Bilin Bilin Brumbies green and Francis Foxes orange apparent at our School Cross Country and our Carnival day. Congratulations to students who have embraced the spirit of their Houses, and have taken leadership by attending in House colours, participating, cheering for their team and rallying for their war cries throughout this semester. What an exciting time to be part of the Shailer Park SHS community!

In order to engage fully with all that a Shailer Park SHS education can provide, it is so important that students attend every day. Our school’s Attendance Target is 95%. Did you know that even with 90% attendance, a student would miss 4 school weeks every year? This has a huge impact on learning outcomes and future prospects. Please contact your student’s Head of House if you would like to discuss, or need support, with your student’s attendance. In addition, lateness and leaving school early impacts hugely on student achievement. Please ensure that appointments are made outside of school hours to ensure full engagement at school.

Finally, thank you to the Shailer Park SHS community for the warm welcome I have received since taking up my role at the start of the year. With 22 years of experience as an educator, I am very proud to be part of this fabulous school community, and I have been overwhelmed by the daily greetings, and the warmth and openness of Shailer Park students. I look forward to continue working with families to ensure that the Shailer Park SHS community are empowered and engaged. Enjoy a safe and reenergising break.

A message from our Dean of Studies

Thank you to the Shailer Park SHS community for the welcome they have given me since starting here late week 6. I have thoroughly enjoyed the learning environment of Shailer Park and time and effort teachers and students are putting into the teaching and learning at this school. In this role, I have the privilege to help guide and support students through the tough times of assessment so that they have to best opportunities to be successful, both here at school and beyond.

This time of the term is an extremely busy time for our students. Years 7 to 12 are focused on their exams and assignments in preparation for completing Semester 1. Our Year 10s and Year 12s will be going into exam blocks at the end of week 9 and full timetables will be available via email soon. We wish them all the best.

Many of our classes will also be busy drafting assignments. This is an important process where students can get valuable feedback from their teachers about how their assignment is progressing and what are the areas that may need to develop. I encourage all students to get their drafts in to their teachers so that they can receive this feedback.

Handing in assessment on time is an extremely important part of being a good learner. Due dates are set so that everyone, students and teachers, have the time that they need to complete their learning properly and with integrity. All students are expected to hand in their tasks as per the due dates specified by their teacher. There are only a few reasons why a student may be granted an extension and these include sickness, medical, unforeseen circumstances. If a student is sick and unable to hand in a piece of assessment or sit an exam on the prescribed day, students must have a medical certificate that explains the reason of their absence on that day. Students should also bring the school’s extension form to school with the medical certificate on their next day back at school. They can bring those to their Head of House in F Block or directly to the teacher for the affected subject. There are many things that are not considered reasons for assessment extensions, for example, family holidays during term time. These are planned absences and students should be seeking approval from me for an alternate due date well in advance.

Please see our assessment policy on our website for more information and application for extension and known absence forms:

The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) are releasing a range of helpful parent and caregiver information; I will include some of these in future newsletters. The first I will share with you is around Academic Integrity. QCAA states that schools promote academic integrity when they:

• emphasise the importance of ethical academic conduct and scholarship
• develop school processes to support sound academic practice
• ensure teachers, students and parents/carers have a clear shared understanding of expectations for academic integrity
• implement programs to improve students’ academic skills
• explicitly teach the use of appropriate processes and materials in academic work, including an understanding of ownership of information, ideas and images
• communicate the consequences and implications of academic misconduct clearly throughout the school community.

The QCAA has developed an Academic Integrity course available to all students. The school will be taking all students through this course. This course may also be a helpful resource for parents and caregivers can also undertake so that they can productively assist their student at home. Please go to:

New staff

A message from the Heads of House

House Spirit

Athletics Carnival was such an inspiring day for students and staff to highlight the importance of working with others and outside of their comfort zones. Shailer Park SHS were privileged enough to work with Character Builders this year. Not only were the students engaged in healthy competition amongst houses, they also developed strategies on how to connect and build positive peer culture.

The Carnival was a fun way to contribute points towards houses and have fun with friends. Activities included:

• Target Games (Free Throw)
• Footy Pass Competition
• Footy Kick Competition
• Chocolate Flip
• Team Blindfold Challenge Activities
• Roller Pong (Construction Fun)
• House ‘Selfie’ Competition
• Ring Toss
• Guess the contents – (Jar of lollies)
• Create a pyramid with cups (little bit like Jenga)
• Tunnel Ball

This empowered students with skills and strategies to work effectively in teams. Teachers were involved in these experiences with tug of war, water bombing and slow motion race!

Thanks to all the staff and students involved in the day’s success. Again another prime opportunity to engage in positive house spirit. Congratulations Barnes House for earning the most points for athletics!

ABCN Year 10 Student Mentoring Program

Shailer Park SHS has had the honour of working with the ABCN network for a number of years now providing students with wonderful real world opportunities. To be selected for any of their programs is a privilege.

A selection of Year 10 students were lucky enough to participate in the ABCN Aspirations mentoring program. This program is designed to familiarise high school students with a modern workplace and equip them with the skills to get there. Research shows there is a growing gap between what young people learn at school and the skills that they need to be successful in the workplace. For students from high-needs schools this is compounded by a lack of access to social networks, work opportunities and professional role models. In many cases, their choices beyond school are influenced by a lack of understanding about their own strengths and skills, limited knowledge about different pathways and no sense of entitlement to further education or career options outside the local community.

Aspirations focuses on Year 10 as this is a critical stage for students in determining what type of further education they will pursue, or whether they will continue with school at all. It enables students to engage in the workplace and build an understanding of the types of skills that are required in a modern work environment. Working in teams, the sessions include interview techniques, understanding strengths and developing essential employability skills such as communication and problem solving.

Here is some feedback from our students after attending the program:

Most useful thing I learnt in the program -

“First impressions matters, and that the working world isn't different to the real world”

“How to handle an interview, what to do and what not to do. What is expected and what they are looking for”

“My strengths and personal brand”

“Understanding the process of jobs and careers, especially the interview structure”

I will use these skills “As preparation towards university and future job interviews/resume applications”

“My mentor taught me the Why, How, What method of thinking. What to ask during an interview. He showed me many great ways of thinking”

Why I would recommend this program -

“It teaches you valuable skills and knowledge”

“It provides very useful information for students going into the work force”

“It's great to know what the workplace is like and have a sense before I go for a job”

“I think that it’s a valuable experience for people who don’t have an idea on what they want to do after school”

“Would be so good if this program went for a longer period of time”

“I really valued this experience so thank you”

Message from our Student Leadership Team

The Shailer Park SHS annual Sleep Out was held on Friday 7 June to raise funds for Youth Off The Streets. The event was attended by approximately 100 enthusiastic ‘Sleep Outers’ and a fantastic night was had by all those who participated. Student leaders organised games including dodgeball, musical chairs and smaller games for groups of students. Students were also treated to movies over the course of the night – just what weary eyes needed late on Friday night into Saturday morning.

Thank you to Mr Chang for the job he did in preparing the barbeque food for the students and staff that were present. The effort that Mrs Dunleavy and Mrs King have done in planning the event was appreciated by everyone in attendance. Our gratitude to the parents who made the effort on Saturday morning to pick up students at 6am in the morning! We look forward to another great Sleep Out in 2020.

The Sleep Out organisers would like to acknowledge the donations made by Foodworks and McDonalds Loganholme.

Messages from our Student Services Team

Guidance Officer

Understanding the role technology and social media play in the daily life of young people can help facilitate safe and healthy online behaviour.

Please access https://schools.au.reachout.com/online-behaviour-and-social-media for guides which introduce the role of technology in young people’s lives, and provide tips on supporting safe and healthy use of technology.

A whole-school approach recognises that all members of the school community play a role in preventing bullying behaviour. Encouraging respectful relationships among students, positive family relationships and support from friends and others can reduce the negative consequences of being bullied.

Please access the below website for information and resources.

Families are always welcome to contact student's House Care Group teachers and staff from our Student Services Team for extra support.

Health Nurse

With flu season upon us and cases in school of other infectious conditions, this is a timely reminder if families notice anything out of the ordinary to please take students to the doctor to get diagnoses and treatment if necessary.

This poster provides information on the recommended minimum exclusion periods for infectious conditions.

If students are absent, please notify the school on 07 3451 2766 or
studentabsences@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au

Excellence Academies

Nexus

Throughout Term 2, the NEXUS and English/Humaities Extension class have engaged in some exciting and rigorous learning opportunities!

Firslty, our Year 9 English/ Humanities extension class have been participating in the Future Anything Program, whereby they have used problem-based learning to come up with an innovative solution for a marginalised group in Australia. The class have been working tirelessly and demonstrating the resilience needed to be a young, social Entrepreneur. To assist them with their learning, all students attend FUTUREFEST, where students heard from a range of entrepreneurs who are making a difference in the world today. We are very much looking forward to hearing their final submissions (week 8), and will announce the finalist from our school who will go forward to participate in a Shark Tank Competition in Term 3.

All of our NEXUS students engaged in a STEM Immersion day at the University of Queensland. Students were given the opportunity to be relational and resourceful by working in multi-age group to solve a range of tasks. Students are challenged to think about how to apply their learning from the day, in the classroom.

Our NEXUS students have begun their planning for the ENABLE STEAM completion, with finalist being announced in Week 7 of Term 3. Students are engaging in this competition using inquiry based learning and collaborating with their peers. The competition topics link to their curriculum for the term, enhancing not only their collaborative and thinking skills, but also their content knowledge.

In other exciting news, in 2020, our Academic Excellence Academies are growing! We not only will be offerings students the opportunity to participate in our NEXUS Academy (STEM Academic Excellence) but will be introducing the ALTUM Academy. The ALTUM Academy will cater for students who have a passion and aptitude for English, Humanities and Philosophy. As a way to engage our local primary schools, a number of interested Year 6 students engaged in the Big Thinkers Project. Whilst this is the first time we have facilitated a project like this, feedback was very positive and many of our students got the opportunity to learn a range of new thinking skills, but also meet many peers, ready for next year. With our Academic Excellence Trial on Monday 10th June, we are excited to welcome the next generation of Academic Excellence students!

Thank you to all of our amazing Academic Excellence staff who have made all of the above possible. Term 3 is already looking to be another big term of opportunities for our students!

Please access the below website for more information.

Should you have any questions related to Academic Excellence, please do not hesitate to contact Emily Dunleavy eddun0@eq.edu.au

Many Thanks,
Ms Dunleavy and the NEXUS teaching team.

Sting Volleyball

Queensland Volleyball Intermediate Schools Cup- Toowoomba

From the 31st of May to the 2nd of August, three of Shailer Park State High School Volleyball Academy teams represented the school in Toowoomba for the Queensland Volleyball Intermediate Schools Cup. This enormous tournament sees students spend three days away competing against some of the highest performing schools in the state!

The three teams selected for this tournament were:

• Year 9 Girls (Captained by Felicity McNichol & Sienna Pear, Coached by Mr Lee)
• Year 9/10 Boys (Captained by Jordan Crouch & Benjamin Lee, Coached by Mr Renton)
• Year 10 Girls (Captained by Aisha Barry & Emily Burke, Coached by Ms King & Ms Fiu)

Every student performed exceptionally well throughout the competition, playing some extremely high level volleyball over the three days! A special mention to the Year 10 Girls team, who finished just outside a medal position in the honours division; this is an outstanding result! Congratulations are also in order for our Year 9/10 Boys team, which finished 8th in Division 1, and our Year 9 Girls team, who finished 13th in Division 2.

A special thank you to our coaching staff and parents; without you, none of this would be possible!

Overall, our students had a wonderful time and were able to truly bond as a team (both on and off the court). Well done to all, and best of luck for the rest of the year!

Ignite Dance Academy

Brisbane Performing Arts Challenge

On Friday 31st May and Friday 7th June, our Ignite Dance Academy students competed at the Brisbane Performing Arts Challenge (BPAC). This wonderful event saw students from schools across Queensland, come together to celebrate their passion and love for dance.

Ensemble 1 – 31st May

The day started early; we departed the school gates at 7:00am with a calm yet positive energy filling the bus. When we arrived at the venue, and after checking-in with old friends from other schools, students prepared for their first performance – Musical Theatre ‘I Hope I Get It’. The dressing room became a bustling hub of activity and the energy began to soar. Photographs (mostly selfies) were taken and rehearsal began. Students were whisked off ‘side stage’ to await their performance.

Throughout the performance, our students commanded the stage! They performed the group sections with strength and they maintained strong characterisation right throughout. The dance was highly entertaining and enjoyable to watch. Students left the stage invigorated and proud of their work.

Students quickly changed into their Academy uniform and hurried into the auditorium to hear the adjudication. It is with great pride that I can announce that they were awarded 87 marks (3 marks shy of 1st place) – a Very Highly Commended for their performance.

This narrative continued for the remainder of the day, with the exception of the sneaky Macca’s run for dinner, until we piled on to the bus at 10:00pm to make our way home.

Reading through the adjudication papers, it is clear that all of our routines wowed the adjudicator. Among many other things, she commented specifically on our fabulous costumes, detailed and intricate choreography, the build of energy and musical interpretation, characterisation and expression of the body, partner work, teamwork and moments of pure joy experienced by both the dancers and the audience simultaneously.

Below are some of the group photographs that were taken on the day.

Above: Ensemble 1 Musical Theatre – I Hope I Get It - Very Highly Commended (87 marks)

Above: Ensemble 1 Contemporary – Minnesota (85.5 marks)

Above: Ensemble 1 Contemporary – Until We Go Down (85 marks)

Above: Ensemble 1 Jazz – Into You (85 marks)

Above: Ensemble 1 Jazz – Feeling Good (85 marks)

Above: Ensemble 1 Hip Hop – Best Me (85 marks)

Congratulations to all of our Ensemble 1 dancers!

Ensemble 2

For many of our Ensemble 2 students who are new to dance, BPAC was their first opportunity to represent Shailer Park SHS and the Ignite Dance Academy at a dance competition.

Similarly to the Ensemble 1 competition day, our Ensemble 2 students departed the school gates with a calm yet positive energy filling the bus. When we arrived at the venue, students prepared for their first performance – 10 Years Later – Hip Hop. The dressing room became a bustling hub of activity and excitement and anticipation overflowed. Students worked with their choreographers Jess Page and Miss Millar before being hustled ‘side stage’ to await their first performance.

Throughout their performances, our students commanded the stage! We were commended on our polished performances, excellent teamwork and impactful choreography, which had the audience singing along and dancing in their seats. We were acknowledged for our ability to dance in unison, demonstrate varying dynamics and choreograph and perform dances which built in energy as the dance progressed.

Ensemble 2 dancers placed in both sections on the day. We were awarded Highly Commended (83 marks) for Hip Hop and 3rd place (86 marks – only 2 marks shy of first place) for Musical Theatre.

Below are some of the group photographs that were taken on the day.

Above: Ensemble 2 Hip Hop – 10 Years Later – Highly Commended (83 marks)

Above: Ensemble 2 Musical Theatre – Hard Knock Life – 3rd place (86 marks)

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Ignite Dance Academy Army for attending the competition to cheer on and support our dancers. Your presence was felt and it certainly contributed to our results on both competition days.

Our next eisteddfod is the Beenleigh Quota Dance Eisteddfod at the Logan Entertainment Centre in August.

Choreography Challenge

This week, students began working on their pieces for the Ignite Dance Academy Choreography Challenge.

Choreography Challenge provides a platform for students to work individually or collaboratively, to devise and perform their own choreography, in an internal competition.

Our external adjudicators, who are all industry professionals, provide feedback to each of the groups or soloists and select two performances to be awarded the Adjudicator’s Choice Award. The winners of the Adjudicator’s Choice Award go on to compete in the student choreography section at Beenleigh Quota Dance Eisteddfod.

Students aim to be awarded Young Choreographer of the Year, which is presented at our Dance Awards Gala Dinner at the end of the year.

Students will perform their dances early next term. Keep an eye out on Facebook for further information regarding this event.

Creative Generation

To see some of our brilliant Ignite Dance Academy students take the stage in this year’s Creative Generation: State Schools Onstage production, head to the Ticketek website to purchase your tickets. Get in quick so you do not miss what is sure to be a fantastic evening of entertainment.

SCIENCE

Year 7

Our Year 7 science students are investigating Ecological Sciences this term and are just about to begin an extended experimental investigation into factors effecting plant growth. They will be growing mung beans in different soil types or with varying volumes of water to investigate what abiotic factors result in better plant growth.

Year 8

Our Year 8 science students are investigating the world of Chemistry. They are being introduced to fundamental concepts including the particle model, states of matter, chemical and physical change and chemical reactions. Students will be choosing to further explore different types of reactions in their assessment task. The goal of this assessment task is to create resilient learners who design and refine in class experiments to generate new understanding.

Year 9

Our year 9 students are also investigating Ecological Sciences this term. Their assessment task will be introducing students to writing a research task. Students will be given three claims to choose from. They will then research and form arguments to either support or refute the claim. These analysis skills will be critical for their senior years. To investigate the abiotic factor that fire has on seed germination, some classes have put seed pods in flames to watch the instant germination!

Seniors

Our senior science students are currently completing various experimental or research assessment tasks this term. Our Year 11 Biology students are about to begin their student experiment on enzymes while the Year 12s are investigating hormones and plant growth. The Year 11 Chemistry students are about to begin their first research task developing a claim and argument based on either fuels, pure substances or nanomaterials. The Year 12 Chemistry students are busy investigating corrosion concepts in their extended experimental investigation. The Year 11 Physics students are beginning their research task on thermal, nuclear and electrical physics while the Year 12s finish up their extended experimental investigation on electrical circuits.

Health and Physical Education

Juniors

Our Junior HPE students are currently exploring and developing skills in the context of athletics this term. This is in preparation for the Athletics carnival to be held in Week 6 this term. The Year 7s are being introduced to motor learning and sub-routines with a written focus on improving performance in the disciplines of Long Jump and Shot Put. The Year 8s are being introduced to biomechanics and will be evaluating how the laws of projectile motion and acceleration effect performance in throwing and jumping events. The Year 9 students are extending on their motor learning skills and working with the Stages of Learning Model and applying this to Long Jump and Discus. All classes will be rotating through the different Athletic disciplines in order to develop skills in all running, jumping and throwing events.

Seniors

Our Year 11 students are currently studying Unit 1 of the new syllabus and investigating Biomechanics in the Badminton context. Students are specifically investigating force and motion, inertia and projectile motion. They will be creating a project folio to demonstrate their new understandings. The year 12 students are also developing their badminton skills but with a sociology theoretical focus. Specifically students will be investigating how badminton plays a role in our culture.

Creative Industries

Diatonics choir group

The Shailer Park SHS Diatonics attended the 2019 Queensland Youth Music Awards. This was their first competition for the year, which saw them compete against four private schools in the Brisbane Region. Putting on a stunning performance, our students proudly walked away with a Silver Award, only 3 points away from the coveted Gold Award. Congratulations to all students involved! This was an excellent display of your musical talent.

Library

There has been a lot to celebrate to date in Term 2. Not only did the interior walls receive a refreshing makeover, but also paintings and art works by students have helped to make for a stimulating and welcoming environment for all on the campus to utilise and enjoy. During breaks, students have the opportunity to engage in quiet study, reading, playing a variety of games and of course, social interaction. The homework club on Wednesday afternoons provide an additional opportunity for students to receive individualised tuition by teachers, particularly assisting them with any challenges within a subject or to offer extension activities to enhance learning outcomes.

An exciting event in the library calendar is the upcoming visit by renowned Australia author, Tristan Bancks on Friday 16th August. As a writer of teen fiction, and with a background in filmmaking and acting, he has published many works such as the “My Life” series, “Two Wolves”, “On the Run”, “Galactic Adventures”, “Mac Slatter” series and more. To have someone of Tristan’s calibre is indeed a real bonus for his Year 7 and 8 audience, as his presentation will explain how he became a writer, the ideas behind his books, his style of authorship, and more, with the aim of inspiring others to follow in his footsteps.

Novel ways to entice readers and enhance reading (and all the benefits that ensure with this activity) have been introduced. To demonstrate that teachers are readers, and hence, leaders, students were asked to identify the face behind the book, in fact, 21 photographs in all. This presented quite a challenge as teachers sought ways to cleverly disguise themselves, which certainly ignited much curiosity and debate. Senior student, Lachlan Wigan, won a voucher for his effort in naming 19 of the faces.

This term, a very large readers’ tree will grace a wall in the library. On this diorama, students will be invited to write a brief review of the books they have read. Whilst being a fun way to “share the love”, it also encourages students to critique print material and be reflective of their choices. A reader’s reward card will track their efforts, and after five reviews, they will go in the draw for a voucher. These are some of the ways we have made reading a worthwhile and rewarding experience.

The Premier’s Reading Challenge is another opportunity to raise the bar when it comes to promoting reading, whilst engaging in friendly competition with other schools in Queensland. The Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC) is an annual initiative for state and non-state schools and home-educated students up to Year 9. Literacy skills are vital to ensuring children have the best chance to succeed in their schooling and life. The PRC is an opportunity for students to be enthusiastic about reading, writing, authors and illustrators. Reading a variety of books builds vocabulary and knowledge, improves spelling and comprehension, can improve confidence and is a great way to relax. Over the past 14 years, more than 12 million books have been read, and in 2018 alone, 181,000 school, early childhood and individual readers participated in the challenge with more than 2.46 million books read throughout the PRC reading period. For a student to successfully complete the challenge, they must read or experience the allocated number of books for their year level during the reading period, and if so, their efforts are recognised through the receipt of a Certificate of Achievement signed by the Premier of Queensland. If you are interested, please contact Mrs Williams in the library to register.

It is also important to note that the library has invested a considerable amount of its budget to accommodate students’ reading choices as well maintaining the currency of the collection. Making suitable suggestions of titles is encouraged.

There is a lot going on in the library and more planned for the future. Keep your eye on this space!

Queensland Ready Reading

Reading is an enduring power that shapes and develops minds in and outside the classroom. At Shailer Park, our focus is “Learning through Reading” and our staff are committed to ensuring that your child is engaged in wide reading routinely across all subjects.

Queensland Ready Reading is a statewide volunteer program to support reading improvement for Queensland students. If you believe in the power of reading, and have time to assist us in empowering our students at Shailer Park, you might like to register your interest in becoming a Ready Reading Volunteer.

The Ready Reading program invites parents and community members to make a difference in their local community by volunteering in schools to support children’s reading.

Reading is a powerful tool to help children grow their vocabulary, language skills and imagination. It helps them to develop life-long skills that will support their future growth and learning.

The Department of Education’s Reading Centre and Volunteering Queensland are working together to help improve literacy for children in Queensland by training up to 3000 volunteers to share their knowledge and time to foster a love of reading.

Register your interest to become a Ready Reading volunteer.

Premier’s Reading Challenge 2019

Reading plays an important part in students’ lives during their school years and beyond.

It allows children to actively engage their imagination and opens up a world of educational opportunities.

Last year, an outstanding 181,000 students from 1012 schools took part in the challenge reading a total of 2.46 million books.

The reading period for the 2019 Premier's Reading Challenge commences on Monday 13 May and closes Friday 23 August.

For more information about the Premier’s Reading Challenge, please visit:

Sports

Athletics

Our annual athletics carnival is always one of the major highlights of the school year; with the introduction of Sideshow Alley, this years’ Carnivale was no exception!

The week began with excitement as nominated students competed for their House in the field events: long jump, shotput, javelin and discus. It was wonderful to see so many students stepping over the line of opportunity and participating in the events on offer. All competing students demonstrated exceptional sportsmanship, camaraderie and enthusiasm whilst earning points for their house. A bright spot for staff was seeing our senior students mentoring and encouraging our junior students, inspiring them to demonstrate resilience when they tired or when the activity proved to be more difficult than they originally expected. At the conclusion of the field events, Karle House sat proudly at the top of the leader board with Barnes House trailing closely behind.

The fun erupted as we came together as a full school community on Friday. Along with the remaining track events, students engaged with our Science Club and Character Builders. Students participated in a range of individual and team challenges, which created a healthy competition amongst houses and aided in the development of positive peer culture at the school. Every student who accessed Side Show Alley received a point for their house. These participation points were added to the points accrued in the sporting events, with the house earning the most points taking out the carnival overall.

It is my pleasure to announce that this year’s winning house is Barnes House! Congratulations Barnes!

A special congratulations goes to the age champions and runners up who are listed below; we can’t wait to hear about your successes at the District Athletics Carnival next term.

Thank you to the teaching and support staff, parents, P&C members and external vendors who worked tirelessly in preparation for, and on the day of the carnival, to ensure that our students had a wonderful experience forming memories that they will cherish forever.

2019 SPSHS ATHLETICS BOYS AGE CHAMPIONS

2019 SPSHS ATHLETICS GIRLS AGE CHAMPIONS

This year the district athletics carnival is being convened by Ormeau Woods State High School at Queensland Sport & Athletic Centre - QEII Stadium (Main Stadium) Kessels Rd, Nathan. Students who come first or second at interhouse will make the team.

CAST

Please access our website for the latest version of our Clubs, Academies, Societies and Tutorials timetable. With various sports, games, languages, tutorials and more on offer, there is sure to be a CAST activity for all students to get involved.

Vocational Education

Vocational Success

Traineeship with Logan Hospital

Huge congratulations to Paris who has been successful in securing one of the highly sort after School Based Traineeships with Logan Hospital. Paris will be undertaking a Certificate III in Individual Support over the next 12 months, resulting in her becoming an Assistant in Nursing. Awesome job Paris!

Traineeship with Brisbane Success Group

Jarred successfully secured a school based traineeship with Brisbane Success Group working at Brisbane Holiday Village. Jarred will be undertaking a Certificate II in Horticulture performing many different tasks across the Village. Well done Jarred!

School Holiday Activities

For the July school holidays, Fiftysix Creations and Logan Libraries have partnered to deliver three lots of workshops focussed on building entrepreneurial skills/mindset & future proofing your skills for both students, parents and teachers.

More information below, all workshops are at no cost. Please go to the below website to register.

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

Prompt payment of fees will allow us to continue to supply further resources for students.

There are numerous ways to make payments including

• Direct Deposit BSB 064 170 Acc# 00090123
• In person at our finance window with cash or card between 8.00am – 3.30pm, Monday, Tuesday and Friday
• Credit card payment can be accepted via BPOINT on 1300 631 073 by quoting your CRN and invoice number as this is listed as an option on the invoices.

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.

Thank you again to all those families who are up to date with their payments.

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.

Business Manager

Messages from our Parents and Citizens

Meetings

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

Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month. The next meeting is Tuesday 18 June 2019, at 6pm 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.

18 June
16 July
20 August
17 September
15 October
19 November

Sumaya Lane
P&C President

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

2019 ABCN Scholarships

ABCN are delighted to announce that applications for the 2019 ABCN Scholarships are now open!

The ABCN Scholarship Foundation provides mentoring and financial scholarships to exceptional students facing economic, family or social challenges which impact on their study or capacity to pursue their desired tertiary pathways. ABCN is seeking students who demonstrate significant promise to succeed in their aspirations and to become a leader in their respective field.

For more information, please visit:

or contact Rachel Walker, Foundation Manager on Rachel.walker@abcn.com.au

To apply, download the Application Guidelines and click on the application link to make your submission.

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.

Zumbathon

This Saturday 15 June, 14 male Zumba instructors from across Australia will come together in the Shailer Park SHS Multi Purpose Centre to run a Zumbathon charity event raising money for The Black Dog Institute.

In its 5th year, the Men in Black Zumba event brings all ages and abilities together for a dance fitness party for a good cause!

Strong by Zumba, high intensity interval class, from 5:30-6:00pm
Doors reopen 6:00
Zumbathon Charity Event 7:00-8:30pm

Tickets available at the door for $25. Contact Hayley on 0488 638 057 for more information or check out the event link at:

Pilates Fusion

Pilates and Boxing Group Classes at affordable prices, no upfront payments no locked in contracts. Transform your body, mind and spirit with Pilates Fusion.

• burn calories
• build long lean muscle
• tone your entire body
• increase your flexibility
• improve your overall health.
• Suitable for all fitness levels.
• Classes $10-$15
• Held at Shailer Park High School

For more information visit the below website or contact Ellyse 0404 404 102