12 June 2020

Newsletter Articles

A message from the Principal

As we make our way through the challenges of post COVID-19 isolation and get used to our ‘new normal’, I have been discussing with students the concept of turning ‘lemons into lemonade’ and how this is about shifting our thinking and taking a practical approach to challenges. In light of the COVID-19 circumstances, having the ability to turn lemons into lemonade is a helpful way of making the best of a ‘sour’ situation. This is not only about how we think however, but about what we do. I am so proud of the way our staff and students have adjusted to these challenges of the past few months, of making lemonade out of the difficult lemons presented to us both within our mindset and through the adherence to new routines and procedures.

This concept is at the very heart of everything we do and teach at Shailer Park SHS. Yes, we are lifting the aspirations of our students and encouraging them to look for those sweet lemonade-like opportunities. Yes, we want them to have big plans and realise their bold ambitions of further training, employment or tertiary education. Underpinning these goals, Shailer Park SHS is committed to creating a vibrant, transformative and resilient learning community with wellbeing at the heart of learning. Resilience and wellbeing are essential for both academic and social development, things that are nurtured through safe, supportive and respectful learning environments.

What does this mean? Students who feel safe, confident and have a sense of belonging within their school learn more easily and effectively. They are more able to contribute positively to their community and feel a greater sense of happiness within themselves and their life. Shailer Park SHS’s purpose is to teach our students the skills they need to flourish, to manage and cope with opportunities and challenges in a changing world and to achieve their goals. Life will always hand our children lemons: this is a fact. We are teaching students to see that sour fruit can be turned into something sweet; having the right tools and mindset will help them to do it.

Wellbeing is an essential part of this and is ingrained in Shailer Park’s culture as part of our teaching and learning framework. The skills and mindsets that promote wellbeing are taught explicitly within our LIFT program and implicitly through a network of structured support to meet the needs of each student’s physical, social, mental and emotional health. Focusing on these aspects of student wellbeing will also make the transition through the current COVID-19 times a sweeter experience, especially in regards to the important work of returning to familiar and important routines and procedures.

Routines offer us a solid foundation that support us to be agile and resilient when things get a little wobbly, like returning to the classroom after weeks of online learning in your pyjamas! Helping your child get back into routines at home and school is important for their wellbeing and learning: these routines create a safe and confident place to learn effectively. At school, we need your support through helping your child have their full school uniform prepared, and resources packed in their bag with lunch. These simple routines support students to feed their wild and emotional brain needs so that they can switch on their smart brain.

To support their wellbeing in the classroom, students have received a proficiency scale that provides clarity about where they are at in their learning and how to take the next step. These proficiency scales are communicated as ‘I can’ statements, allowing students to self-reflect, as well as use feedback from their teacher and peers to monitor their learning.

We unveiled our new indoor/outdoor space for students recently, who have been making excellent use of the area: it offers ample seating, shade and a comfortable environment! Thank you to those students and parents who offered suggestions for naming our new space. The votes clearly indicated ‘The Plaza’ as the best one! Our Visual Arts students have already begun designing and creating signage to promote the name of this new student area.

It has been pretty chilly on campus, and I would like to thank our Sapphires Restaurant hospitality students and our food studies students who have been preparing delicious meals for our school community on Tuesdays and Fridays. Those hot meals are a wonderful treat on these cold winter days.

We also had a very successful Red Food Day this term. Thank you to our P&C for hosting this event! All profits support our school and benefit student learning and we are so grateful for your time and efforts.

Lastly, at this stage there is no further advice about school operations in relation to the COVID-19 situation. We continue to practice high standards of hygiene and maintain all previous practices we have communicated with you.

Calendar

Please note many events have been postponed or cancelled. Please contact event organiser with any queries. Event dates will be updated in the calendar when new dates are able to be scheduled.

A message from our Senior Schooling Deputy Principal

Year 12 Date Claimers 2020

Year 12 is a short and very busy year, particularly in light of recent events.

Please see below all of the important dates that students and families need to be aware of in Semester 2. (*subject to change based on any COVID19 developments)

Term 3 - Week 10

The final week of Term 3 we will be holding a Mock Exam Block for all General Subjects. We facilitate this so:

1. Students will get the chance to practise and refine very important exam taking skills to prepare them for their external exams in Term 4
2. Teachers will be able to gather important data and feedback regarding areas that may need extra attention, revision and support in the coming weeks
3. Students will be able to experience the order of exams, as mirrored in the published QCAA External Exam Schedule.

During this time students will only need to attend school for exams or to work on Certificate courses.

Term 4 - Weeks 1-3

The first three weeks of Term 4 will continue to follow the normal timetabled structure:

• General Subjects - Classes will take on a review and revision focus in preparation for external exams. Tutorials, study sessions and practice questions will be the main focus during these 3 weeks.
• Applied Subjects - Unit 4 will be coming to completion. All assessment will need to be completed and submitted as per SPSHS Assessment Policy and QCE requirements.
• Certificate Subjects - Completion of all competencies and modules are required during this time.

Wednesday 21 October (week 3): Final day of formal classes for Year 12 students:

Thursday 22 and Friday 23 October: Home Based Study Vacation (for all students with external exams)

Term 4 - Week 4-6 - EXTERNAL EXAM BLOCK

All students in General Subjects will be required to attend the scheduled exam as determined by QCAA. Failure to attend will result in an N which in turn means no QCE points allocated in Year 12 for that subject (a loss of 2 points).

There will also be an expectation for students who have not yet completed their certificate courses to continue to attend school under the supervision of their Ready Package Mentor until all modules are complete.

Friday 13 November (Week 6) - Year 12 Formal (Sirromet Winery)

Term 4 - Week 7

• Thursday 19 November- Year 12 Graduation
• Friday 20 November- Last day breakfast, last official day for Year 12.

The Importance of Study and Revision

Quite often I have parents telling me that their children 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, however, one thing is sure- no study or 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. It is the practise and revision that creates 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 students 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, especially if they are on an ATAR pathway.

Let’s 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 student 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!

Assessment dates and policies can be found on our website:

If your student would like any help and guidance in developing their study schedule there are many people at Shailer who are more than willing to help, myself included. Please contact student’s teachers and Heads of Department via email:

A message from our Junior Schooling Deputy Principal

Year 7 Enrolments for 2021 – NOW OPEN!

Enrolment Packs are now available from

• our Administration Building, 3 Leaf Street, Shailer Park
• our school website https://shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au/enrolments or
• by emailing enrolment@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au.

Inside these Enrolment Packs, you will find details regarding our Enrolment Management Plan https://shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au/enrolments/catchment-area and the overall enrolment process, including the application form and trial process for our programs of excellence, The Academies.

Parents/carers play a very important role in the education of students and in supporting their learning and wellbeing as they transition to high school. In coming weeks, I will be visiting our feeder primary schools to discuss how your child’s transition to secondary school can be supported. Keep an eye on your school’s newsletters and/or notices for further details. I look forward to meeting many interested parents during these primary school visits. Further details about our Orientation Days will be available soon.

We are also currently developing a Virtual School Tour that will be available on our school website in the near future. This Virtual School Tour will allow you to visit our classrooms and school facilities in a COVID safe manner and will have embedded videos, resources and a Live Chat section.

There are many things parents/carers can do to support students during their transition to high school.

The importance of re-establishing our routines.

As we return to our school routines, it is important to remind families about how you can best support student learning. Sometimes the simplest actions can have the biggest impact. As we return to school routines, managing the needs of our “Wild Brain” and our “Emotional Brain” are where we need to start.

There are a number of simple actions that we can all do that will manage these needs.

• Set a regular, reasonable sleeping pattern.
• Organise your uniform over the weekend.
• Make sure that you are ready to learn with the right resources – your iPad and/or laptop needs to be charged before school; pens, notebooks, the Resilience Planner and other resources need to be organised in your school bag;
• Bring enough food for the day.

These simple actions allow you to re-establish your routines and to prepare yourself for the day.

Access the below link for information on our Reboot Language and Tools

Please let a member of the Student Services Team know if you need any help with these matters. We are here to help you cross that ‘line of opportunity.’

A message from our Deputy Principal of Engagement

Here we are again - almost at the end of Term 2! The Student Services Team have never experienced a term quite like this one – so many new challenges and having to look at familiar ways of working in a completely different way.

We hope that your family is well, and that you are able to finish the term strong, whilst looking forward to resting and recharging over the forthcoming holidays.

Some students have reported that learning remotely had some benefits, however many have expressed that social connection and routine became much more important when it was not available to them.

It is a great time to reflect on the importance of feeding our wild brain – are we getting enough sleep; eating healthy and nourishing food; fitting in some exercise and fresh air into our day?

Many of our students have reported that they are finding it hard to get back into a sleep routine.

Several students have told me recently that they are on devices in their rooms (sometimes all night) when their family think they are sleeping. If you are yet to implement routines in your household around using devices, this is the perfect time to do so. Some helpful strategies include:

• Have an ‘all devices off’ time each day for the whole family, such as no devices after dinner or 8:30pm.
• Discuss and negotiate this time first with your child to allow them to consider the reasons why this is important and the benefits to them.
• Give reminders to your child when they are approaching the negotiated switch-off time. Explain your expectations that when the time is up, you expect devices turned off as agreed.
• After the ‘device off time’, store laptops/phones and other devices somewhere other than bedrooms. Assure your child the device is not being confiscated and you’ll return it in the morning for school, if that is your family’s arrangement.
• Speaking with your child about their online use and explain you wish to help them regulate their use and ensure their safety and wellbeing. There is a lot of useful information at https://www.esafety.gov.au/
• Game time only after homework or family expectations such as chores are completed.
• Use laptops in a communal area of your home.

It has been great to see students involved in earning House Points through House challenges online on Showbie, and participating in virtual Zoom assemblies.

These are new things that the pandemic has taught us that we may carry forward into the future – we are seeking lots of feedback from students about what is worth doing after we return to our ‘new normal’. Emotional brain feeding is also done in more traditional ways – connecting with friends and family; reading books; pursuing passions and hobbies; learning new skills; listening to music and enjoying movies and art that fill your cup. What can you plan for the coming weeks to help feed your and your child’s emotional brain?

Please seek support from your child’s Head of House and the Student Services Team https://shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au/our-school/our-staff if your child is struggling to reengage with school after a period of online learning, or if your family needs extra support. One of the most important things is supporting your child to attend school every day, on time and for the whole day. This is one huge step towards a successful and meaningful education at Shailer Park SHS. Please partner with us to support your child to Cross the line of Opportunity every day.

The Academies – Programs of Excellence

The Academies Assessment Process is opening soon

To be considered for a position in The Academies for 2021, students will be required to:

1. Submit The Academies Application Form and The Academies Code of Conduct Agreement in your Enrolment Pack in person or via email by 28 August, 2020.
2. Pay The Academies Assessment Fee ($30 per student - pay via QKR)
3. Participate in The Academies Assessment Process: Sporting & Cultural or Academic Excellence

Please note: Academic Excellence (Nexus and Altum) testing dates are still to be announced.

The Academies Assessment Process will commence Monday 15 June, 2020 (Week 9, Term 2) and close Friday 28 August, 2020 (Week 7, Term 3).

Applicants will be informed of the outcome from The Academies Assessment Process from Friday 4 September.

For more information please visit our website.

Vocational Education

Certification I Construction

Our Cert 1 Construction Crew working hard!

Year 11 students in our Trade Ready course complete a Certificate 1 in Construction (White Card) as part of their studies. This term they are improving a section of concrete in the upper campus and then building a covered seating area for students to enjoy.

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, Annette Demosthenous (Lee) in A02, main administration building, on 3451 2782 ilo@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au

A message from the Business Manager

STUDENT FEES - STUDENT RESOURCE SCHEME (SRS) and ACADEMIES, INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC and VET CERTIFICATE COURSES

Thank you to those families who have either paid in full or established a payment plan for the Resource Scheme fees. This will enable the school to source student resources in a timely manner. Payment plans must now be in place for Academy, Instrumental Music and VET Certificate course fees. Please note that Resource Scheme fees must also be paid or a payment plan in place.

Statements providing the balance of fees owing have been issued. Please contact the Office to establish a regular deduction to finalise your account balance.

PAYMENTS USING BPOINT

BPOINT - SINGLE PAYMENTS USING A COMPUTER OR PHONE APP:

• Emailed invoice - click on link on bottom left hand side to auto populate fields on BPOINT screen.
• Full or instalment amounts accepted. Please do not pay more than the invoiced amount.
• Visa or MasterCard (debit or credit card) accepted.

BPOINT – SINGLE PAYMENTS USING PHONE OPTION:

• Call the Queensland State School Bill Payment Service 24/7 on 1300 631 073.
• Enter CRN, invoice number and amount paying, using the details on the invoice.
• Full or instalment amounts accepted. Please do not pay more than the invoiced amount.
• VISA and MasterCard (debit or credit card) accepted.

BPOINT - REGULAR DEDUCTIONS:

• Contact the Office on 3451 2777 to set up regular weekly or fortnightly deductions.
• BPOINT - transfer from bank account or pay by Visa or MasterCard (debit or credit card).
• Centrepay will remain available – deducted from benefit.

RECEIPTING DAY

The school no longer processes cash payments. The Finance Office will be open for EFTPOS payments on Fridays from 8am – 3.30pm.

QKR APP

The school now utilises the QKR app for payment of non-invoiced optional items such as replacement student ID cards and breakfast and lunch specials through our restaurant, Sapphires. Payments for P&C fundraising activities and events such as pie drives, raffles, and sausage sizzles will also be processed using Qkr. This easy-to-use mobile app for iPhones and Android smartphones makes school payments a breeze. Instructions to set up QKR are provided below. Thank you for supporting the school as it adopts cashless payment systems.

Messages from our Parents and Citizens

Meetings go online

Please come to our next Meeting:

Our executive team can be contacted via email pandc@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au. We welcome all new members. Please go to the P&C section of our School website for more information.

Announcements

Facebook

Please follow us on Facebook to keep up with student successes and reminders.

Hygiene

Contact details

There are times when we may need to contact parents and carers. Do we have your most up to date contact details? If not, please contact the school on office@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au so we can update our records. These details include parent/carer’s name, address, phone numbers, email address and emergency contact details. Please remember to contact the school if any of these details change.

Student Absences

Keeping our students safe is our priority. One important way families can partner to keep our children safe is to notify the school prior to 8:50am if your child will be absent via studentabsences@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au or (07) 3451 2766.

If your child is away from school and you have not let us know, parents will receive a text message requesting that you respond with a reason for the absence. It is extremely important that you respond to this text message promptly to enable us to follow up any possible issues.

The safety of students is of paramount importance to us and we take this responsibility very seriously. If you do not respond to this text message a second text message, email or phone call will be made to you. Thank you for partnering with us so that we know our students are safe.

Student Photo Packs

Student Photo packs have been distributed via House Care Groups. If families ordered a pack and students were absent, photo packs can be collected at the main administration building. Any enquires can be addressed to admin.seq@msp.com.au or 07 3848 3946

Zumba Fitness

With Hayley & Robert at Shailer Park

Zumba Fitness with Hayley and Robert would love to thank our class members and supporters during these crazy times and look forward to dancing with you all soon!

Our classes are still running virtually from the comfort of your lounge room on Tuesday nights from 7-8pm. It’s just like our normal class but at home! Book now at:

For more information about us or our classes check out our Facebook page 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

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