30 November 2020

Newsletter Articles

A message from the Principal

Graduation for our Year 12 cohort is always a time of enormous celebration and teary smiles. For our graduates, it is a milestone they will remember forever, the culmination of thirteen years of education and the beginning of life in the adult world. For our teachers, it is time of great pride tempered with sadness: teaching these senior students and watching them develop into adults is an absolute pleasure. And for our parents, it is joy, pride, nostalgia and poignancy that those little people we cajoled through the Prep door all those years ago are now (quite tall!) adults.

To our Year 12s: I am so very proud of you! It may not seem like it now, however all the things that were so important at this age, will over time become irrelevant or even seem silly – this is the journey of wisdom and I will let you in on a little adult secret: that journey never, ever ends. As you grow your wisdom and with the benefit of hindsight, I encourage you to share and give back to the Shailer Park SHS community. You may be ready to hang up the uniform and finish Year 12 however you are still a member of this community, you play an important role in shaping our future and you will always be welcomed back.

You are ready for the next part of the journey, we are proud of you and the world is yours: Farewell, be safe and good luck!

For the rest of the Shailer Park student population, graduation is a glimpse into the not too distant future. It is the promise of freedoms and rights, and also responsibilities, deep learning and greater maturity. I was proud of the way our younger year levels farewelled our graduates last week, clapping and cheering as the Year 12s completed their final ever walk through campus. This is what makes a great school: supporting each other and sincerely celebrating our achievements together.

This wonderful feeling of belonging could also be seen at our Swimming Carnival, held on November 20, where house spirit was firmly on display. It was great to see so many students and staff dressed up in the ‘summertime’ theme cheering on their house and having a fantastic time together. When we feel a sense of belonging, we feel more comfortable and accepted which in turn leads to greater wellbeing. In short, these events are an integral part of being a student at our school and help us all to feel good about being in the Shailer Park SHS community. And when we feel good, learning is easier! Please see sports section for more information and photos.

Thank you to Miriam Stemp, our local councillor and the P&C who, through a generous grant, have achieved our new mobile coffee cart: ‘The Bean Machine.’ Serving delicious coffees and hot chocolates to our school community, I know of some very grateful teachers and students who have been anxiously awaiting the cart’s arrival.

I would also like to thank our IPS Council and P&C for their ongoing support and the investment of time, energy and passion they share for our school. These organisations work on a volunteer basis to ensure Shailer Park SHS is constantly improving and so this school is the best it can be for our students. Their work is invaluable and I along with the entire schooling community am very appreciative of their significant contributions this year.

In regards to the continued infrastructure works around the school, progress is on schedule for our 10 new classroom building.

The upgrade of our multi-purpose hall is scheduled to be finalised in Term 1.

Air-conditioning installation is also continuing, which is extremely exciting for the hotter months: we are awaiting advice from the department regarding electrical upgrade requirements and continue to prioritise the comfort of both students and staff! We are so excited to be able to swing open the gates in 2021 with our new building ready and operational for our school community. The significant works across our school this year means Shailer Park has had a face lift, something we are excited to share with our families next year at our launch events – stay tuned for further details.

Our final week of school will occur from Monday to Wednesday, 7 - 9 of December. Students will be engaged in an alternate program and details will be sent home via email to parents.

Casting forward to after the break, Year 7 and 12 students will commence the 2021 school year on Wednesday, January 27, with all students returning on Thursday, January 28.

Finally, after what has been a long and uncertain year, I would like to thank all of our families for your support, patience and resilience in facing what have been at times very challenging circumstances.

Calendar

Please note many events have been postponed or cancelled. Please contact event organiser with any queries. We are in the process of entering our 2021 events - excursions, camps, celebrations. Please access our online calendar for the most up-to-date information.

A message from our Junior Schooling Deputy Principal

Orientation Days for our new Year 7 students

All incoming Year 7 students who have completed the enrolment process have been invited to attend our Orientation Days scheduled for Thursday and Friday of Week 9 Term 4.

We are busy preparing the activities for this important 2-day program that allows our incoming Year 7 students to experience life at Shailer Park State High School. These activities include lessons in the core subjects and in the elective subjects as well as team building activities run by our Heads of Houses.

By the end of this 2-day program, our new Year 7 students should be quite familiar with our school campus, a number of teachers and members of our Student Services Team. Our new Year 7 students will also get to know many of their new classmates – at least for the core subject areas! These outcomes alone will help all new students move into high school as smoothly as possible.

If you live within our catchment area, it is still not too late to enrol your child for Year 7 in 2021. Please do so as soon as you can though because enrolment interview timeslots are almost full. To get the enrolment started, you can download an Enrolment Pack from our school website, or contact our Enrolments Officer enrolment@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au.

Finishing strong

As we approach the end of Semester 2 for our current Year 7, 8 and 9 students, we still have plenty of learning to do. I have been invited to some very exciting lessons that have been planned for Week 9 including a “Living on Mars” project, rocket building and launching from the school oval and lessons from the UQ Physics team. Wow! I am already looking forward to joining these lessons and seeing what else is planned!

Our Year 7, 8 and 9 students will also be receiving their Semester 2 report cards in coming weeks. This is a time to celebrate your achievements and any progress you have made. I also encourage you to take some time to reflect on this feedback and to begin planning for your next goals. Reflection and forward planning are important strategies to all future success.

As this is the last newsletter for 2020, I would like to wish all of our students and their families a safe and relaxing Christmas holiday.

A message from our Deputy Principal of Engagement

We are near the end of a challenging and certainly memorable year. There are so many bright spots – this year has certainly taught many of us the importance of developing resilience and being connected to others in our community. It has undeniably been a difficult year for many of our families as they struggled with uncertainty and a loss of routine. Many of us were worried about friends and family interstate or overseas, and this also takes its toll.

As we approach a long summer holiday, please know that there are many resources in our local and wider community that can provide support. Reaching out to ask for help and connect with others is something to be proud of– it is what resourceful and resilient people do. On our website, you will find a page of both local services that can provide emotional, financial and wellbeing support, as well as state and national organisations that you can reach out to.

At a local level, Logan City Council provide a range of services and after meeting members of their community development team recently in a visit to our Year 11 Health classes, I have been exploring the Krank holiday program and the range of services available. Check it out to see what your family might want to engage in this summer!

Messages from our Student Services Team

This year has certainly been one where we have all had to demonstrate resilience and resourcefulness regarding the running of our House Competition. While we have not been able to host all our normal carnivals, we provided meaningful and fun events for all our students to participate in.

2020 Winning House

The competition has been fierce, with Francis and Bilin Bilin battling it out for the top position. I can announce that the winning house for 2020 is Francis Foxes.

Congratulations! All students from the winning house will be participating in a rewards day. Years 10 and 11 are going to the Aqua Park at the Southport Broadwater on their very last day of school. All other students in Years 7-9 from Francis will be having an entire day of activities on the Tuesday of their last week. They will get the opportunity to navigate a huge inflatable obstacle course here at school, enjoy a sausage sizzle and then relax in air conditioning while watching a movie for the afternoon. We hope that all enjoy the spoils of being the winning house.

Attendance

Students who have reached (or nearly reached, in this very challenging year) our whole school attendance goal are members of the Green Club and will also be invited to use the Inflatables Course and celebrate their Resourcefulness in utilising their time effectively by coming to school. Research shows that high levels of school attendance correlate with success in later life – academic success and work readiness are two outcomes of good school attendance. In 2021 – what will you do to support your child to be at school ALL DAY, EVERY DAY. The Student Services Team can help.

Student Leadership 2021

This term, we finalised and announced our student leaders for 2021.

Our newly elected School Captains and House Leaders with Principal Jensen.

We believe that all students have the capacity to lead within our school and we aim to develop individuals to have big plans and bold ambitions for a bright future. Students are challenged and will be expected to work collaboratively to inspire and motivate others in promoting a school culture of pride and belonging. There were many applicants who nominated and we appreciate the time it took them to put their names forward to be part of the team. We also encourage students to join some of our many Student Leadership Councils next year whether they wear a leadership badge or not. Stay tuned for the events coming up in 2021 involving Academic, Sport, Cultural and Community focus areas.

Student Leadership Team for 2021.

School Captains

House Leaders

Ambassadors

Year Level Representatives

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

Year 11

Sienna Pear

Year 12

Amelia Mills

Morning Tea Celebration

We held a special morning tea to celebrate the 2020 and 2021 Student Leader Teams. Both this years and next year’s leaders, along with their staff mentors were invited to share a meal in our Sapphires restaurant. We thanked this year’s leaders for all their hard work and contributions to our school, as well as welcomed in the new leaders. Staff and students had the opportunity to get to know each other and discuss their roles within the team.

Principal Jensen with 2020 and 2021 School Captains.

It was a great way to affirm the great work we have accomplished during this year and an opportunity to look to the future. Congratulations to this year’s successful applicants and we look forward to engaging with you next year in leading initiatives within our school, growing our people and developing leadership skills.

Thanks to Ms Aoife Timms for all her support this year with the Student Leaders, she has been a very proactive and friendly mentor to our team.

Unleashing Personal Potential Year 11 Leadership Day

The UPP Day provided many opportunities for our Year 11s to get together as a team, build positive relationships, learn that you don’t have to wear a badge to be a leader and develop some real life skills to pave the way for their Year 12 journey and beyond.

Thank you to UPP and our staff involved in coordinating this valuable experience for our students.

Griffith University Future Leaders Retreat

Dakotah Hall and Aisha Barry, two of our recently elected School Captains were nominated by our school to participate in the Griffith University Future Leaders Retreat.

They were successful in the nomination process and will now participate in this retreat on the 18th January, 2021. The Future Leaders Retreat delivers three days of leadership, professional and personal development, inspirational stories, and fun! Students will meet like-minded students from across Queensland and northern New South Wales and start preparing for their transition into Year 12 – and beyond!

A message from our Dean of Studies

It is at this stage of the year that we start see our year levels finish their 2020 school year. This year has been a tricky one for all of our students, teachers and parents.

Assessment

Our assessment program continues for our students in Years 7-9 as they practice and demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the important 21st century skills. A reminder to all that our policy when it comes to assessment is “On or before the due date”, this means that if there are any planned absences, for family reasons, that assessment must be completed before the student leaves. All absences must be authorised by the Principal. Please go to the Testing and Assessment page for information and forms.

Reporting

Reporting for Years 7- 10 will be emailed to parents and carers before the end of the term. These reports will reflect the learning, effort and behaviour of students across Semester 2. Please contact the school if you have any questions regarding reporting.

Step-up

Week 9 will see our Year 9s participate in the “Step-up to Senior” program. This program will see students participate in the classes they will have in 2021 over 2 days. This will give students an opportunity to meet their teachers, experience an introduction to their new senior subjects and develop an understanding of the role of a senior student at Shailer before they officially start in 2021.

Week 10 alternate program

The last week of term this year three days (Monday 7 December to Wednesday 9 December). Our Years 7, 8 and 9s will be participating in an alternate program development by our school’s departmental faculties. The Monday afternoon AMAYDA program will still continue for the Year 7s, UPLIFT will continue for those Year 8 and 9 students who currently engage in this. Further details regarding the final 3 days of term will be sent home soon via email.

The Academies –
Programs of Excellence

As we near the end of the school year, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been involved in The Academies, CAST and Sport throughout 2020. Whilst we faced many speedbumps and roadblocks along the way, we soldiered on, demonstrating immense resilience, determination and pride. When the pandemic emerged and we started to feel the impact of COVID-19, I honestly didn’t believe that we would be able to provide the opportunities and experiences that we have this year. I am extremely grateful to our staff, students, parents and the wider school community for your support in organising, and engaging in, the opportunities that were available throughout this year.

Ignite Dance Academy

QUT Workshop

Last week the Ignite Dance Academy students wrapped up the year with a workshop and facilities tour at Queensland University of Technology.

Lead by one of QUT’s student dance ambassadors, our dancers engaged in a contemporary dance and improvisation workshop which saw them push beyond their comfort zones to explore new ways of creating and developing movement. This was followed by a tour of the new Creative Industries precinct at QUT’s Kelvin Grove campus, a well-earned lunch break at Southbank, then a viewing of Gordon Bennett’s ‘Unfinished Business’ exhibition at GOMA. Our dance academy students finished the day feeling energised and inspired by all the possibilities that await them should they choose to pursue tertiary studies in the creative industries. We look forward to teaming up with QUT for more experiences like this in 2021.

The QUT excursion on Tuesday was an excellent opportunity for the entire dance academy, and an exciting way to end the dance year. The workshop extended our knowledge of contemporary dance, which we all found beneficial. After the contemporary workshop, the QUT engagement and advancement staff gave a tour of the creative industries facility. We also received a booklet of all the opportunities QUT has to offer in the creative industries sector. At the end of the day we also visited the Gallery Of Modern Art, which was a very valuable opportunity. During this excursion, the dance academy all bonded throughout the entirety of the day which overall brought us together as a team.
- Courtney Duffy, 2021 Dance Academy Ambassador

Last Tuesday the dance academy went to the QUT Kelvin Grove campus for a dance excursion. We learnt an interesting way of creating movement that was different than what we are used to. This was a weird, but exciting experience for everyone, and something l guarantee everyone would love to do again. Thank you for the amazing work that everyone was involved in to bring the dance academy to where it is now. Although Covid-19 has massively impacted us this year, l hope with the support from our wonderful staff members and students we can make next year the year it deserves to be for our dance team.
- Emily Bak, 2021 Dance Academy Ambassador

As 2020 draws to a close, I would like to thank some key people who contributed to our program this year. Thank you to our guest teaching artists Kathryn Geale, Demi Jenkins, and Jessica Page for providing our students with industry-level technical training, choreography, and mentoring. Our students continue to flourish due to the passion and expertise of these ladies. Thank you to Dat for his professional videography of our dancers’ competition routines, and for enabling us to compete in this year’s competitions virtually. Thank you to our Head of Academies, Shae Sawdy, for her unwavering support of our program and for constantly seeking opportunities to challenge and extend all academy students. Thank you to all of our dance academy families for their ongoing support and for accepting this year’s curveballs with patience and understanding.

Sting Futsal Academy

After such a difficult year, it was nice to have consistency return to our training sessions this semester. We have seen dramatic improvement across all teams this year thanks to the appointment of our new Head Coach, Connor George. We look forward to working with Connor again next year.

Additionally, I’m pleased to announce that our girls’ futsal team is expanding in 2021. It was excellent to see such strength among our girls in the trials this year. I look forward to seeing girls futsal thrive next year and in many years to come.

Finally, I would like to congratulate Alissa Geary and Dane Winter on their appointment as Futsal Ambassadors for 2021.

Sting Volleyball Academy

This week Sting Volleyball Academy students attended their final training sessions of 2020. It was fantastic to still see the enthusiasm and effort put in by all of our students as they eagerly prepare for next year. This will see a strong start to our 2021 competitions!

This term we farewelled our Year 12 Volleyball Academy students.

I would also like to thank our amazing coaches on all their efforts in what was a very disrupted year. Angela King, Paul Tannahill, Anthony Lee and Amy Zanon. The Academy could not run the way it does without you, thank you for all you have done this year. Thank you to our Head of Academies Shae Sawdy for all you do behind the scenes and for supporting our teams at all their competitions this year. Last of all thanks to the parents of our Academy students who take the time to transport our students to and from training and competitions and cheer on our teams.

As we lead into 2021, a big congratulations are in order for our newest Volleyball Academy Ambassadors Emily Burke and Benjamin Lee. We know you will lead the Academy well in 2021.

I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas holidays and I will see you 2021.

Sport

2021 Inter-House Swimming Carnival

Friday the 20th of November saw the staff and students of Shailer Park SHS travel to the Brisbane Aquatic Centre (Sleeman Sports Complex) to participate in the 2021 Inter-House Swimming Carnival.

This carnival saw immense amounts of House spirit as students swam and cheered their hearts out to secure the first house points up for grabs for 2021.

The team in red took out a convincing first place for the day, claiming top spot in several races and novelty events.

We look forward to announcing Age Champions shortly, and notifying students who are eligible for further representation when school commences in 2021.

News from our Library

The Hive

Borrowing has ceased for all students. Please encourage your students to return all items as soon as possible.

The library will be closed as of next week, except for timetabled classes in L01, L02 and L03. If there is any issues, please pop in and see us.

Many thanks for your assistance with all of this.

Vocational Education

Site Tour

A huge THANK YOU to you and Badge Construction for allowing our students to tour the new building site.

Feedback from students was that the tour was awesome! The way BADGE construction unpacked the build and explained in depth what’s happened, really opened their eyes to just how much work it takes to get it to a completed building.

Students were fascinated about the timelines for different stages (e.g. formwork, scaffolding etc.).

The process the students had to follow with regards to Safety, signing in and out etc. really emphasised the importance of ‘Safety’ and just how serious it is taken on the jobsite.

Thanks again to BADGE construction for the valuable experience.

Trade Ready

Our Construction students have been working on various projects around the school throughout the year. Their great work has seen an improvement in numerous areas utilised by both staff and students.

A 9 cubic metre concrete pour has finalised the area outside of our workshops.

Assistance is available. Please contact our Industry Liaison Officer, Annette Demosthenous in A02, The Pathways Centre, main administration building, on 3451 2782 ilo@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au

A message from the Business Manager

2021 STUDENT RESOURCE SCHEME (SRS) FEES AND EXTRA-CURRICULAR LEVIES

The 2021 School Resource Scheme (SRS) fees include a:

• Junior SRS fee (Years 7-9) of $320 per year;
• Senior SRS fee (Years 10-12) of $360 per year.

The School is pleased to announce the Senior SRS fee will now encompass both the ATAR and VET Career Ready Programs. The fees provide value to students as the School is able to source economic pricing for textbooks and consumable resourcing.

An Early Bird discount of $20 is offered for the SRS fee. To be eligible, fees must be paid in full by Friday 12 February 2021 . If paying in full by this date, please only pay $300 for the Junior SRS fee or $340 for the Senior SRS fee. Invoices for 2021 fees have been issued. Payment plans for the 2021 fees are available by emailing finance@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au.

A new SRS Participation Agreement Form for each student has been forwarded to parents. This form must be completed and returned to the Office this year. Please note that from 2021, only one form per student will be required for the duration of a student’s enrolment. Parents who are participating in the SRS can choose to opt out of the SRS in future years by completing a new Participation Agreement Form.

Payment for all SRS fees and extra-curricular levies must be made in full or a payment plan in place by Friday 26 February 2021.

CANTEEN

The Canteen is open each day from Monday to Friday at first break only. Payments can be made with EFTPOS or orders can be placed using the Canteen menu on Qkr. Please note the Canteen will close for the year on Tuesday 8 December. A reduced menu will now be provided.

Volunteers are invited to assist in the Canteen. Please contact the Office if you are able to offer your time.

Messages from our Parents and Citizens

Our executive team can be contacted via email pandc@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au.

Our P&C Association have an awesome prize pool up for grabs, so don't miss your chance to win!

Prizes thanks to:

• Champion Health
• Kyannes Scentsy - Independant Scentsy Consultant
• Nadine Nobile - The Mark Coleman Team
• Mosaic Pizza
• George's Grill, Seafood & Burgers
• Rebel Sport - Community Givebacks

Closes Wednesday, December 2
Drawn Friday, December 4
Tickets are $2 each or 3 for $5 available via QKP app now.

We welcome all new members. Please go to the P&C section of our School website for more information.

Thanks for your support

Announcements

Movember

Many of our staff can be seen growing support for Movember this month.

We are raising funds and awareness this Movember for all the dads, brothers, sons and mates in our lives. We need your help. Please donate to support men's health.

Movember is saving and improving men’s lives through projects focused on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.

Facebook

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

Hygiene

Partnering with us

Shailer Park State High School values partnering with our community to ‘Lift Aspirations through Big Plans and Bold Ambitions for a Bright Future’. Working with parents and families of students is essential in strengthening educational outcomes. We respect that parents and families have different needs and therefore engagement with families is based on individual circumstances.

Please access our Partnership document on our website for detailed information

If your enquiry relates to the classroom, your first point of call should always be the classroom teacher. You can contact them via email

If your enquiry relates to the playground or is in relation to a pattern perhaps across several classes or it is an inquiry relating to behaviour, attendance, uniform or your child’s well-being, your first point of call should always be the Head of House or Case Manager.

If the staff member is unavailable, they will contact you within a reasonable and appropriate time frame (2 business days).

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.