28 November 2022

Newsletter Articles

A message from our Principal

There is a peculiar feeling to the end of the school year. It’s giddy excitement and celebration at the long break ahead, and a big, relaxed sigh at a job well done all tinged with a little sadness. As 2022 winds up and we begin to look to our goals and plans for learning next year, Shailer Park SHS has been riding that first wave of celebrations, ceremonies and traditions that are such a wonderful way to conclude the year!

These students have mastered our 4Rs, their subject areas and have become Leaders of Learning. What does it mean to be a leader of learning? Truly impactful leaders are distinguished by their actions: they set a direction for themselves and others, they motivate, inspire and model the way. For our award winners, their actions are many: crossing the line of opportunity each day, turning on their smart brain, feeding their wild one and making a conscious effort to be at their best in every lesson. These students are learning leaders because they have worked hard to make extraordinary improvement, have made significant gains in their results, are dedicated to their school community and have displayed the 4Rs consistently. Recognising these students for their outstanding efforts in 2022 was an absolute honour.

The 2023 student leadership team was also sworn in. Putting your hand up for this kind of role is not about popularity, but about contributing to a school community with the intention to improve it for your peers. I congratulate all students who nominated: standing up in front of your peers and asking them to consider you as the best person for this role is no small task. Well done to you all.

With five categories, staff were nominated by another staff member, parent or student, and then underwent an assessment process. These awards aim to showcase not only the incredible teaching and non-teaching staff here at Shailer Park, but to formally recognise the expertise, passion and professionalism exhibited by them across those five categories. I am thrilled to announce the award recipients:

Excellence in Early Careers Teaching

Sarah Thomson

Excellence in Teaching

Janine Bennett

Excellence in Leadership of Teaching and Learning

Luke Simpson

Outstanding Contribution to School Community- Donated by P&C

Bec Taylor

Excellence in Support Staff

Amy Carpenter

For many in our community, the end of the school year is categorised by a big sigh, one of contentment, perhaps a little exhaustion but always, a sigh of great satisfaction that another year’s job is done. And done well!

We have seen them contribute to many significant events including our house carnival, instrumental music and dance showcase, Mothers’ and Fathers’ Day raffles and the list goes on. Thank you specifically to the executive team of Tina and Tash whose energy is much appreciated.

The IPS strong focus on improving ‘Our Place’ is clearly evidence across our campus as we see spaces refreshed and renewed to meet the needs of our students.

We must also acknowledge the wonderful work of our GP services, which have been met with a great response from students. Every Tuesday, our GP has been supporting students and early feedback of this pilot is very positive. The fact that all available appointments are fully booked each Tuesday is very encouraging. We look forward to responding to students’ needs in this area through continued use of the GP service in 2023.

While the end of the year is always met with excitement and optimism for the future, it is also a time of endings and sad farewells. We have numerous staff leaving, many of whom have secured a transfer. We thank these staff for their valuable contribution to Shailer Park and wish them well at their new school.

In 2023 we will welcome 17 new teaching staff to the Shailer Park team, ensuring our increasing enrolments and resources target student needs.

Finally, the most bittersweet part to the end of the year is farewelling our Year 12 Graduates. On November 17, in a haze of celebration, nostalgia and quite a few tears, we celebrated the culmination of 13 years of schooling for these young people. To the Shailer Park Graduates of 2022, we have such pride in the young adults you have transformed into. It is a pride which gives your teachers, your parents, your families and our entire community an overwhelming sense of joy, happiness and fulfilment. My great hope is that you share that sense of pride with us and have pride in your individual and collective achievements. To the class of 2022: your futures are bright! Congratulations to each and every one of you, and good luck!

Calendar

Please access our school calendar for upcoming events and CAST activities.

A message from our Junior Schooling Deputy Principal

Orientation Program for our Year 7 students of 2023

All incoming Year 7 students who have completed the enrolment process have been invited to attend our Orientation Program 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 will be familiar with our school campus, several teachers and members of 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 2023. 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 .

NAPLAN 2022

Earlier this year, our Year 7 and Year 9 students participated in NAPLAN Tests. This is the first time in four years that these students have participated in this test since they were not held in 2020, due to COVID. 2022 marked another important milestone – the first year of NAPLAN Online for all schools in Australia. Our Year 7 and Year 9 students were well prepared, however, and have demonstrated some strong results which we can acknowledge and celebrate.

For the Year 7s:

• Writing – our school’s average growth was 2.6 times greater than the Nation’s average growth;
• Spelling and Numeracy – our school’s average growth was positive whereas the Nation’s average growth was negative.

For the Year 9s:

• Writing – our school’s average growth was 3.7 times greater than the Nation’s average growth;
• Grammar & Punctuation and Numeracy – our school’s average growth was positive whereas the Nation’s average growth was negative.

Individual NAPLAN Reports have been posted home in recent weeks. Please review these reports with your child. While it is always important to remember that NAPLAN is just one test at one point in time, this information can help determine the most appropriate support each student individual needs. Our teachers will continue to use this information to inform their planning and teaching.

Report Cards

All Year 7, 8 and 9 students will also receive their Semester 2 report cards by the end of Week 10. When you review these report cards, take some time to celebrate your achievements and any progress you have made in 2022. It is through ‘healthy habits’ such as this that students grow their 4Rs as they continue to become Resilient, Reflective, Resourceful and Relational.

Finishing Strong

As we approach the end of Semester 2, we still have plenty of learning to do. In Week 9, the Year 9 students are involved in the Step-Up Program during which they meet their teachers for 2023 and experience the subjects they have chosen through the JET planning process. Year 7 and Year 8 students will also have a few assessment items and exams that they need to complete.

In Week 10, all Year 7, 8 and 9 students will be involved in the annual Alternative Program. During this last week of the school year, we include the popular year-level excursions.

In 2022, the Year 7 and Year 8 students are invited to attend the Southbank trip where they will be challenged to find places of interest and significance in an Orienteering Challenge before watching a movie at the Southbank Cinemas.

I am particularly proud of the Year 9 Student Leaders – Luka, Claire and Loren – who have worked with me to organise the end of year excursion for our Year 9 students. After much conversation and investigation of possible destinations, our Year 9 students will be invited to celebrate the end of their Junior Secondary School years by returning to where it all began – back to Thunderbird Park at Mt Tamborine. This is where the Year 9s had their first high school experience on the Year 7 Camp in 2020. For many, this may feel like a very long time ago since a lot has happened in the past 3 years.

When we return to Thunderbird Park, however, participating Year 9 students will be able to celebrate the end of these important school years and reconnect as a year level by completing a high ropes team challenge before they zipline through the rainforest canopy. The Student Leaders and I think that all will greatly enjoy this experience.

Wishing you all a restful holiday break!

As this is the last newsletter for 2022, I would like to wish all our students and their families a safe and relaxing Christmas holiday. Please stay safe and enjoy the valuable time with your family and friends. I look forward to seeing you at the beginning of 2023, ready and raring to go for another exciting school year!

A message from our Dean of Studies

Academic Awards Ceremony

Week 7 saw the opportunity to recognise major academic and sporting achievements for our students at the annual Academic Awards ceremony. This year was the first time that we have been able to host the ceremony in our refurbished Multi-Purpose Shelter. We were glad to invite and celebrate with hundreds of parents, family members, staff and special guests.

We were also entertained by our Jazz Band, and Jazz Ensemble during the evening. Thank you to the staff and students involved in these performances.

Staff excellence awards were also announced, on top of the student School Captains and House Leaders for 2023.

Our awards are broken into several categories that recognise multiple levels of success for our students Merit Awards (Gold, Silver and Bronze), Subject Awards (top students within each subject) and Special Awards (covering a range of awards gifted from local groups and the school).

Well done to our 199 well deserving students receiving 328 awards.

Special Note – Despite the care taken to calculate the recipients of all of these awards, an error was made in the Year 9 spreadsheet that saw some miscalculations for some awards winners. We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologise to these students and their families for this error. We would like to especially acknowledge the Year 9 students below and have organised for these awards to be presented during our last School Assembly in Week 10.

• Gabrielle Hill (GOLD) and Junior DUX
• Joan James (GOLD)
• Amelia Jackson (GOLD)
• Lorelei Ryan (GOLD)
• Maia Hickman (SILVER)
• Bella Purcill (SILVER)
• Chelsea Hishikawa (SILVER)
• April Beauclerc (SILVER)
• Indiana Hackshall (BRONZE)
• Bridgett Woolley (BRONZE)
• Lorna Rimington (BRONZE)
• Santino Varias (BRONZE)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

Jade Guest

ADF Future Innovators Award, Junior

Zoe Whitman

ADF Future Innovators Award, Senior

Harrison Floyd

ADF Long Tan Leadership Award

Morgan Armstrong

Ampol All Rounder

Felicity McNichol

Instrumental Musician of the Year

Mikaela Gonzalez

Lifting Aspirations Award - BARNES

Israel Sturzaker

Lifting Aspirations Award – BILIN BILIN

Owen Gunnis

Lifting Aspirations Award – FRANCIS

Kalilah Schweizer

Lifting Aspirations Award – KARLE

Angus Miller

Mick de Brenni Award

Morgan Armstrong

Phil Meadows Community Service Award

Dane Winter

Quota International of Beenleigh Quiet Achiever

Mahina Te Whiti-Stallion

Ready student of the year - TRADE Ready

Noah Collins

Ready student of the year – TECH Ready

Harrison Floyd

Ready student of the year – HEALTH Ready

Grace Greig

Ready student of the year – EVENT Ready

Mahina Te Whiti-Stallion

Trainee of the Year

Chloe Robshaw-Vincent

Junior Sports Person of the Year

Zoe Seymour and Lochie Winter

Senior Sports Person of the Year

Felicity McNichol

Principals Award

Owen Gunnis

Dux- Junior

Gabrielle Hill and Ronin Evans

Dux- Senior

Felicity McNichol

Messages from our Student Leader Team

2023 Student Leadership Team

Thank you to all students who applied for the 2023 Student Leadership Team. We are very proud of all the students and their efforts. It has been inspiring to learn more about your child and hear their creative ideas for our Shailer Park State High School Community.

The process of choosing our Leadership Team for next year has been considered carefully. Recently the students were informed of their roles for either School Captain, House Leader, Year Level Representative or Extra-curricular Ambassador. We have complete confidence that every child no matter what position can make a difference. A common theme we heard through process of interviews, nominations and in some cases, speeches is ‘to support each other as a cohort no matter what role we are given’. Also, to plan, listen and carry out current and new initiatives together for our Shailer Park State High School community. We applaud their maturity in this and believe next year will be one of learning, growth and fun for all.

School Captains

House Leaders

Congratulations to our Student Leader Team for 2023. We wish you every success for your endeavours next year and trust you will create your own fantastic legacy for your school.

Messages from Sports and CAST

Swimming Carnival

On Friday of Week 7, Shailer Park SHS students travelled to the Brisbane Aquatic Centre for the 2023 Inter-house Swimming Carnival. This saw our greatest year of participation and engagement for our first inter-house competition for the year 2023.

Fantastic competition and fun was had by all. Thank you to the enormous effort by staff who coordinated this event.

Lots of fun was had at our novelty events.

Congratulations to Karle for being the leading House.

Futsal Academy

Sting Futsal Academy teams competed in the Calvary Secondary Schools Cup. It was a highly successful day for our students, with 4 out of 5 teams making it through to Medal matches. A special congratulations to our 14A Boys who took home the silver trophy and our 16 Boys who won the competition taking home Gold.

CAST

Thanks to some passionate teachers who took a positive approach to recent windy conditions by facilitating a kite flying session.

Several of these students had never flown a kite before and were taking a team approach to making sure they didn’t lose their kite or take off.

These students have now suggested Kite Flying as a 2023 breaktime activity…watch this space!

Messages from our Creative Industries

IGNITE Dance

Academy Showcase and Choreography Challenge.

It was a pleasure to watch our Ignite Dance Academy students perform their 2022 eisteddfod routines and self-choreographed entries for the annual Choreography Challenge.

Junior Allrounder - Tara McVeigh

Senior Allrounder - Jamie Paine

Junior Dancer of the Year - Meghan Porter

Senior Dancer of the Year - Olivia Thompson

Young Choreographer of the Year - Lacey Ngarotata & Zoe Taylor

Thank you to all our staff behind the scenes as well as special guest adjudicator, Jacob Watton, courtesy of Phluxus2 Dance Collective.

Visual Art

Year 11 Visual Art students enjoyed a sunny day hunting out hidden street art in Fish Lane and taking inspiration from a range of artworks at GOMA.

Students will draw on the experience for their assessments next year and we’re so excited to see what they produce – a lot of thought-provoking and original ideas from this creative crew!

A message from the Business Manager

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

2022

Thank you to the families who have finalised their 2022 accounts. All fees for the SRS are now overdue. Please email finance@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au to commence a payment plan.

2023

The 2023 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 Senior fee includes either the ATAR pathway or VET Career Ready Programs.
• For students to remain in VET programs, fees must be fully paid, or a payment plan established and maintained.
• The fees provide value to students as the school can source economic pricing for textbooks and consumable resourcing.
• Further information on the SRS inclusions and exclusions can be found on the school website using the link above.

Invoices for the Student Resource Scheme fee and Academy levies for the 2023 Years 8-12 students have been issued and credits applied. The updated amount owing can be found on the statement issued recently. The link on the invoice will be required to process a BPOINT payment pre-populated with payment information. Payment plans for 2023 can now commence. To establish a payment plan, please email finance@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au to organise a BPOINT plan activation link. Please note that one invoice only for the full amount per student per activity will be raised.

BPOINT PAYMENTS

Please note – payments can be made in full or by instalment. Please do not pay more than the invoiced amount. If you are making instalments and wish to check your remaining balance, please email finance@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au or phone the Office on 3451 2777.

For manually processed BPOINT payments, please ensure:

• The 5-digit invoice number is inserted when making BPOINT payments via the statement to avoid processing delays so that funds are correctly applied to your student’s invoice.
• The exact outstanding amount is paid. To avoid overpaying your account, please check the updated balances on statements for the correct amount owing. For a statement re-print, please email finance@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au .

For regular payment plans, please ensure:

• New card details are provided to the office if credit/debit cards are replaced.
• Contact is made with the office following a rejected payment due to funds not being available.

Canteen

Students can check our Daily Specials on the Television screens around the school. We encourage QKR pre orders.

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.

The Canteen will be closed from Wednesday 7 December for the remainder of the term.

A vending machine with drinks and healthy snacks is also available for contactless EFTPOS and pre-paid debit card purchases only. Debit cards can be purchased from supermarkets and department stores.

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

A message from the Industry Liaison Coordinator

Link and Launch

On behalf of the Link and Launch team, we’d like to congratulate our current Year 12 graduates. Call or text Leah on 0467 825 735 or email lhunt210@eq.edu.au when you’re ready to take the next step into YOUR future. #Linkandlaunch

Summer jobs

Believe it or not, Christmas is just around the corner and with this, the busiest season for the Retail and Hospitality industry. This is the reason why they are now already hiring for the Christmas period. This could be your opportunity to find your first job, gain work experience and most importantly for you, earn money.

Have your eyes open for jobs advertised when you walk around the shopping centre and have your resume ready to go.

For most jobs, you can also apply online, so turn your computer on and get your job searching skills up. Some of the biggest employers for the Christmas period are:

Woolworths:

Coles:

Kmart:

If you need help with your application, resume, cover letter or job searching skills, please come and see me in the Pathways Centre in the main administration building and I am more than happy to help you.

Messages from our Parents and Citizens

Anyone interested in joining our association is invited to request a membership application by emailing pandc@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au or attending a meeting.

Congratulations to all our Christmas Raffle winners.

Announcements

Facebook

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

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.’ Collaborating with parents and families of students is essential in strengthening educational outcomes. We respect that parents and families have diverse 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 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.

Nominations now open for the myQCE Student Reference Group

The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) is recruiting new members for the myQCE Student Reference Group in 2023. The group gives students in Years 10, 11 and 12 the chance to have their say about the QCE system processes and senior schooling. Queensland students who will be in Year 10 (in 2023) are eligible to apply. The group meets four times per year and membership is ongoing until students graduate from Year 12. Nominations close on Friday 4 November 2022 — For more information about the myQCE Student Reference Group, please visit the myQCE website or email myqcestudentreferencegroup@qcaa.qld.edu.au.

Closed Circuit Television

Our premises are monitored by closed circuit television (CCTV) for the safety of students, educational resources and facilities. Images are recorded by the Department of Education and may be provided to the Queensland Police Service.

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 Text– 0426 305 978.

These details can also be used if your student will arrive late or needs to depart early, please

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 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.

2023 Year 12 Next Step Survey

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