23 October 2015

Newsletter Articles

REMINDER P & C Meeting - 24 November at 6.00pm in Administration Block All are welcome

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

I am happy to report that after our period of consultation, I have made an application on behalf of the school for Shailer Park SHS to become an Independent Public School (IPS). Each stakeholder group in our school returned a significant majority of opinion in favour of our becoming an IPS. The benefits of becoming an IPS were explained to each group and included greater autonomy for making decisions at a school level and the opportunity to develop a locally tailored workforce. The vote of each stakeholder group was as follows:

Group	For	Against	Informal/Abstained
Community Consultation	15	0	1
Student Leaders	28	1	0
Parents and Citizens’ Association	10	1	0
ALL staff survey	52	12	0
Queensland Teachers’ Union	31	13	0
United Voice Union	10	1	0

There is little doubt that many Queensland state schools, both primary and secondary, will apply for IPS status in this round so I need to make everyone aware that we have a much greater chance of not becoming an IPS than we do of being granted this responsibility. Having said that, the way our community rallied and pulled together to discuss and consult on this proposal was very pleasing and showed that our community are determined in their pursuit of educational improvement and strong in their desire to see every student succeed.

The list of achievements in our school continues to grow, and includes:

• Zoe Quarry winning selection in the Australian Under 18 Girls Futsal team
• Tiarna Woods winning selection in the Under 17 Brisbane South Vixens AFL team
• Jess Page now having received four scholarship offers from professional dance companies
• Jade Lacey being asked to be on a panel to select dancers for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
• Extensive planning for our Science Garden being undertaken by our Science Ambassadors
• Our volleyball students competing at the state titles, held over six venues throughout Brisbane and achieving the following results:
  - Year 9 Girls 4th
  - Year 10 Boys 7th
  - Year 9 Boys Div 2 7th
  - Year 9 Boys Div 1 8th
  - Year 8 Boys 10th
  - Year 10 Girls 12th
  - Year 8 Girls 10th

Added to this, most parents would be aware of the $1.4 million in improvements to our school that has been approved by Education Queensland. A project management team has been into the school to begin planning for the upgrades of our Science, English and Maths blocks. The same project team has also begun planning for the covered walkway to M Block, enclosure of the library foyer and al fresco dining area at Sapphire’s that is part of the SSS grant won by our P&C Association. With so much going on, it is an exciting time to be at Shailer Park High!

Troy Ascott
Principal

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL: YEARS 7, 8 & 9

It has been a smooth start to Term 4 and our Junior Secondary students are working well. Year 7 & 8 students started the term with NAPLAN practise testing conditions. It is important that we build the students resilience to testing conditions and ‘check-in’ with their literacy and numeracy development regularly.

We would like to welcome Skylah Fishpool (English and Humanities), Tricia Shannon (Food Studies, Early Childhood and English) and Mathilde Jungmann (Science and Maths) to our teaching team this term.

I would like to remind parents that if they have concerns or questions about upcoming assessment for a subject please contact either your child’s teacher or alternatively you are welcome to speak with the Head of Department for the subject. Email is a great form of quick communication with our teachers and HoDs , their email addresses can be found on our website.

Sharyn Angel
Deputy Principal
Junior School

HEAD OF YEAR 11

QCS Workshop

During the course of the past week, all our OP eligible students have undergone an intensive three day workshop facilitated by Dr Terri Bourke from QUT. This workshop is the beginning of twelve months of planning and preparation for the QCS test that the students will sit in September 2016 in order to gain entry into university. Over the course of the three days, students have learned many skills and techniques that they require to do their very best in the QCS exams. The morning session was run as a workshop and the afternoon session saw the students completing an exam, applying what they had learned during the morning workshop. These exams will be marked, individualised feedback will be given to students and the data analysed from these will be used to inform the development program from this point on. We are very fortunate to have someone of Dr Bourke’s expertise to be able to work so closely with our students. Over the course of the three days, all students committed themselves to the program and exhibited exemplary behaviour.

Senior Leadership Nominations

The process for the selection and election of leaders for 2016 has now begun. All students have been given information and documents outlining the processes that take place from this point on. Students will nominate themselves, have this supported by staff recommendations, give speeches to both their peers and staff as well as be interviewed by the principal and other administrative representatives. As you can see, this is a very rigorous process in order to make the best decisions for the representation of Shailer Park State High School. I am pleased to say that we have many students that will do this admirably.

Senior Jackets/Jerseys

All students have now received a final letter detailing arrangements for ordering their senior jacket/jersey for 2016. Please be reminded that the deadline of November 13th is final as time is needed to check the order before Year 11 finish school for the year. They are now in the process of being sized and making the tough decisions of what they want as their nickname on the back!

I look forward to what will be a very busy last term in preparation for 2016.

Anne-Maree King
Head of Year 11

HEAD OF YEARS 9 & 10

It has been a very busy start to Term 4 and as I go around classes it is clear quality learning is taking place. It is pertinent at this time to remind our parents and students that the success of the school depends on the success of the individual. We are a team at Shailer Park, and as such, we are always working together to achieve the best for all.

However, for everyone to achieve his or her best, attendance really is key. The more that students are present in class and engaging with teaching and learning, the better chance they have of achieving the best outcomes possible. Combine high attendance with the completion of homework every day student outcomes will rise dramatically.

As a school Shailer Park State High School is aiming for 92% overall attendance. The week 1 attendance data is as follows:

Term 4 – Week 1 Attendance Data
Year 9	Year 10
88.72%	91.7%

To maximise their learning experience here at Shailer Park, it is imperative that students arrive to school on time every day and are in class learning every day.

As the year starts to come to wide down, students do start to become anxious about the change coming next year. If you have any concerns or want to know how your child is progressing, do not hesitate to contact me on mspil0@eq.edu.au or phone the school office on 3451 2777.

HEAD OF YEARS 7 & 8

Junior Secondary Leadership Camp Information

Congratulations to the Junior Secondary students who have been selected and invited to attend the overnight Leadership Camp in Week 5 (5th and 6th of November). We are looking forward to it with anticipation, however, there are only 60 spots available in total so you will need to get the payments in early. The program offered at the Leadership camp will aim to:

• improve student contribution and participation in the development of a happy, safe and dynamic Junior Secondary School environment within the school;
• demonstrate the importance of building strong social networks and interpersonal skills in a team environment;
• empower students in school decision making through involvement in school life;
• enabling a greater sense of belonging and connectedness through a cooperative approach to learning;
• develop student leadership skills and to promote improved learning outcomes;
• encourage and promote whole school ownership and involvement in student welfare, leadership and participation.

Activity details:

• Overnight camp
• Arrival - from 8.00am Thursday (05/11/15) & Departure - 4.30pm Friday (06/11/15) Inherent risk level of the activity - Medium
• Students will be - involved in numerous indoor and outdoor activities
• Students will be - at the Kindilan Outdoor Education Centre
• Address - Corner of Days and German Church Roads, Redland Bay
• The activities will be facilitated and led by – qualified Outdoor Education Instructors and supervised by teachers
• Travel - students will be required to be dropped off and picked up from the venue
• Dress code - suitable for the two days of indoor and outdoor activities (list will be provided in week 3 of term 4)
• Please inform us as soon as possible if your child has a special dietary requirement

Activity Costs:

• Permission forms are to be handed in with the payment to the Finance Officer
• Payment of $195 needs to be finalised by 23/10/15

Ra’fa Ali
Head of Years 7 & 8

CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

Success for Jessica Page – It gets better!!

Senior Dance Captain and year 12 student Jessica Page has had a wealth of success over the past few weeks at the various auditions and competitions she has been involved in.

As you know, Jess auditioned for Dance Force and Dynamite. Both companies accepted her into their full time course for 2016 and offered her a scholarship for her studies.

Since our last newsletter, Jess auditioned for Brent Street and the Australian Dance Performance Institute. Once again, Jess was accepted into both companies! Jess now has the difficult task of selecting the company she would like to work for.

Last weekend, Jess and her mother drove to Canberra to participate in the Kids Artistic Revue. There Jess was awarded a Platinum Gold for her contemporary solo. After that, all of the Platinum Gold level soloists were awarded overall places (1-8) and Jess was awarded 2nd place!

After the competition, Jess attended workshops and was chosen as a top kid in every genre. In Contemporary she placed top four, in Hip Hop top three, musical theatre top twelve, Jazz top five and in her Hollywood Experience (which is like a mock audition) she placed in the top six. This is an amazing achievement for Jess!

But it gets better…

Last Sunday night, Jess was awarded with an invitation to dance with The Pulse Dance Company (an American Dance Company) at their Summer Gala, in New York City, in July next year! This means that as of July next year, Jess will have the title Professional International Dancer listed on her CV.

Jess and her family are obviously over the moon, as are we, with all of the success she has had over the past few weeks (and year for that matter).

Most recently, Jess attended the Hairspray audition at Harvest Rain Theatre Company. She was called back for a second audition and is now waiting for the results.

Jess has a bright future as a professional dancer and choreographer and we wish her the best of luck in her impending successful career.

Showcase 2015 is just around the corner!

The Creative Industries stage Spectacular SHOWCASE will be held at the KP Centre on the 6th of November, 2015.

Keep your eyes peeled for our promotional video that will be posted on the Shailer Park State High School Facebook page in the coming days and for posters that will be popping up around the school!

Showcase 2015 is the must see event of the year and one that you don’t want to miss!

Shae Westerveld
Dance Teacher

Art

Year 11 Visual Art students have completed a unit looking at the concept of ‘Belief’. After researching a number of different beliefs, they were to make an individual response to a belief of their choice using the painted medium. As you can see, we have some very varied and very interesting artworks. Well done Year 11.

Georgia

Kitarna

Jessica

Sierra

Abigail

Emma

Neha

When delivering our students’ artwork to the Logan Art Gallery I was delighted to become reacquainted with the fabulous image created by Nic, a Year 10 student from 2014. His painting has been transformed into a huge billboard which hangs prominently on the façade of the Gallery and advertises the annual “Artwaves” exhibition. The event was held in September at the Logan Art Gallery. This exciting exhibition is the most visited show at the gallery and displays the diverse and excellent standard of artwork being created in local high schools. Pictured below are the works that will represent Shailer High in this year’s show. Work selected is from year levels 7 – 12.

Simone Filippow
Head of Department

ENGLISH & LOTE

Term four has started well and students are settling into their classes nicely. Our focus as a whole school is on building our skills in reading and writing, as well as increasing attendance data with a view to improving our overall senior school outcomes. To this end, classes have been working hard to prepare for final assessment tasks, providing students with meaningful feedback and opportunities to celebrate success. Across the department, students are engaging in interesting and challenging activities that bring real-world meaning to their learning.

Year seven students have just begun a poetry unit where students will work in both the performance and analysis domains. Firstly, students will choose a poem to recite to the class, employing presentation techniques to enhance delivery. Students will then complete a written analysis of this poem as a culminating task.

In year eight, classes are exploring the narrative genre. Students will be exploring a number of short stories which feature a moral dilemma. Students are looking at how language features and text structures work together to position the reader to respond in particular ways.

Year nine students are currently studying the play, Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose. This famous play delves into issues such as prejudice, racism and personal morals, all set against a backdrop of the criminal justice system in 1950s USA. Students are enjoying taking on roles and exploring how personal perceptions can shape our view of the world. Assessment for this unit will be a literary essay where students analyse how the playwright uses language features and text structures to shape each individual character in the play.

In year ten, students are learning how authors may use visual sources to spark their ideas. In order to do this, classes will examine a variety of text types, in order to decide which genre best suits the stimulus provided. Students will be able to respond to the stimulus by choosing text types such as narrative, dramatic script or journal entries. This assessment task is similar in nature to the QCS test that students will sit when they are in year twelve.

Year eleven English students are exploring the concept of global icons and how they are represented in the media. Classes have enjoyed discussing just what constitutes an icon as well as studying the various ways the media manipulates the representation of icons for particular purposes. Towards the end of term, students will be presenting an analysis of how the media portrays one specific icon of their choice. Presentation mode will be determined by student individual profiles to date.

Year twelve English students are studying the role the media plays in shaping our understanding of significant issues and events. For assessment, students choose an event or issue and then compile an investigative report, which analyses how the media positions the reader/viewer. This is the last assessment item for our senior students and I wish them well as they make their final preparations.

Students in year eleven English Communication are studying a timely unit on the role of the police and how the media contributes to how the general public view their actions. Students will engage in activities such as role-plays, viewing of fictional and real-life police stories and reading a range of newspaper articles which portray police in different ways. Assessment this term will be an in-role police interview and a written in-class essay exam where students analyse media representations of police in contemporary society.

Year twelve English Communication students are enjoying the opportunity to explore a range of real-world processes and documents surrounding world travel. Students will complete a number of written activities that will form their summative assessment, along with a speaking task in the form of a farewell speech. The speech asks students to consider what they would say to friends and family, before setting off for the trip of a lifetime. This task will be the final assessment item in year twelve. We wish our senior students every success.

We look forward to a productive and successful term four in English in 2015.

Cay McClelland
Head of Department

GUIDANCE

SCHOLARSHIPS

Year 12 students wanting to apply for scholarships at any University or TAFE must make an appointment to see Dean next week. Major closing dates are the 31st of October for QUT and UQ.

Year 12 students were sent out a link last term to their school email address with a range of applications. An information session will be held on Tuesday at Frist break in the Library for all year 12 students wanting to apply.

Email Dean directly at dthom293@eq.edu.au for further information.

PATHWAY OPTIONS

Students who are considering their study options for 2016 may need advice about what upgrading options to include in their QTAC application if they don't think they will get the OP required for their preferred course.

Pathways include

1. Degree STUDY: 1 year of full time study in an associated degree with a passing grade can increase your OP equivalent RANK to over 90. This will allow you to apply for the dream course while meeting certain elective requirements.
2. TAFE – UNI dual qualifications; In your QTAC application, universities offers a number of combined qualification programs that lead to the award of a diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree from TAFE followed by a bachelor degree
3. TAFE / Private Provider training: TAFE, private providers and some universities offer Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) certificate, diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree awards. Students can use these qualifications to upgrade to their chosen course. The minimum ranks for completed AQF Certificate III and Certificate IV are 68 and 74 respectively. The minimum rank for a completed diploma is 87, and 93 for an advanced diploma.

*These ranking are current however are subject to change.

YEAR 11S INTERESTED IN THE AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE ACADEMY

The optimum time to apply for entry into the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) is Semester two of Year 11. Year 11 students who are interested in an attractive salary while studying an Australian Defence Force funded degree in Business, Engineering, Arts, Science, Technology or Information Technology are encouraged to commence their application this year. You can start your application on the website at http://www.defencejobs.gov.au/ or ring 131901. Explore life an study at ADFA at http://www.defencejobs.gov.au/education/adfa/.

MENTAL HEALTH DAY

A big congratulations to all the senior students involved in organising our very own MENTAL HEALTH DAY on Friday 16th October. The year 12’s organised all the activities and were a key part in advertising the day. Over 100 students wore ODD and CRAZY socks to represent the day and to recognise everyone is different but also break down the stigma around mental health issues. A major part of the day was being involved in the ‘RACE AROUND SHAILER” in which students had to complete 8 activities that ranged from positive photos to statistics to snakes and ladders which related to mental health and how to stay mentally healthy. Announcement of prizes and overall fundraising will be held at the full school assembly next week. A big thank you to all the students and staff who participated.

Dean Thomas
Guidance Officer

HUMANITIES/JUNIOR SCHOOLING

Tourism

A big welcome back to all our senior school families in term 4. I hope you enjoyed a restful break with your family and are ready for another busy term in the lead up to the end of the year break.

We are extremely lucky to have Mr Joseph Wilson from QUT, conducting classes in Year 12 Tourism as well as Social and Community Studies. Mr Wilson has brought real life experiences into the classes and has been a great motivator for our students who are transitioning into the ‘real world’. All students are working hard under his guidance and care. Mr Wilson has created lessons in which emphasis is placed on preparing our students to become leaders for now and the future. Our students’ development has been nurtured through a variety of structured and unstructured opportunities. In Tourism, students have been preparing their career portfolio and several students have submitted applications for cabin crew with Virgin Australia. We wish all our applicants every success within this process. Whereas in Social and Community Studies, every student has been given the opportunity to develop their interviewing skills and confidence in a supportive environment.

Here at Shailer Park State High we aim to see as many young people as possible move into the community with character and commitment. I look forward to seeing their final accomplishments come into fruition.

Shelli Dunbabin, Tourism and Social and Community Studies Teacher.

Humanities

Welcome back to a very busy term 4 as final teaching units are being delivered to students. Students within the Humanities Department are encouraged to check their understanding throughout various stages of their learning with the use of proficiency scales and reflection writing. At the end of term 3, students in year 7 wrote reflection pieces detailing what they had learnt in their first Geography unit.

Reflection by Hope 7A

This term while studying the subject Geography we learnt all about water. During this term, I have learnt how valuable water is and how it impacts us in many ways. I have also learnt about the desalination process, water cycle, how water connects people, the states of water and how to construct a climate graph. While learning all of these things, I learnt how to examine pictures and graphs and extract information from them.

Reflection by Breanna 7A

The thinks I’ve learnt about water this semester is that it occurs nearly everywhere in the world; creeks, rivers, pools, oceans, houses and even underground. Water can by turned into three different things. A solid (ice), liquid (water) and gas (water vapour). I’ve also learnt that rain mostly occurs in the warmest parts of the year.

Trudie Devenish-Meares

Sonja Kalbaugh
Head of Department

P & C NEWS

P&C Next Meeting now 24 November at 6pm in the Administration block (moved due to a clash of dates). ALL are welcome to attend.

Recently the P&C received a letter of resignation from Mr Percy Angilley, who has been a member of the P&C for many years during the time his three children attended the school. He held P&C Executive positions and holds a wealth of knowledge that will be sorely missed. I would like to publicly thank Percy for his dedication to making our school a better place, and the tireless work that he has done behind the scenes. There are countless facilities in both the high school and the primary school that his children attended that are the result of much hard work and many volunteer hours and successful grant applications written and acquitted by Percy. Knowing that Percy is involved in many other organisations, I am sure that our greater community will continue to benefit from his support, and on behalf of the P&C I wish him all the best in both future community and personal endeavours.

Two P&C members represented us at the P&C’s Qld State Conference in September. Thank you to Annette & Kevin for giving up their time to attend this on our behalf. They have reported back to the P&C on a number of interesting topics from workshops they were able to attend.

Currently the last of the displays arranged by the P&C is at the Logan Hyperdome Library. The school has done a great job in setting up the display and showcasing Shailer Park State High School to the greater community. If you are passing by the library, call in and see the display for yourself.

October is the month in which World Teachers Day is celebrated. Shailer Park State High School P&C would like to acknowledge the dedication of the staff at our school and encourage all students and parents to take the time to thank the teachers on this special day.

The P&C would also like to extend our thoughts and support to the Year 12 students for their final weeks of schooling. We wish you all well in your final studies, and in the many future paths you are choosing. May you carry happy memories of your time at Shailer Park State High School with you.

There have been a number of issues discussed at P&C meetings recently:- Student Resource Scheme, formation of sub-committees, grants and fundraising, promotion of the school and the application by the school to become an IPS (Independent Public School). If you are interested in these, or any other topics, come along and join the conversation.

Thank you to all those who collected & sent in their Woolworths Earn & Learn stickers, the 10,200 stickers Shailer High collected will be reimbursed by Woolworths & used for Student White boards & science resources.

At the November meeting the P&C have approved a $2000 contribution assisting towards costs for the volleyball students attending the National titles in Melbourne later this year. Also the P& C approved a $500 contribution towards final construction of the Science ambassadors’ Zen garden.

The P&C with be running a CHRISTMAS FESTIVE FUNDRAISER in 4th term, with orders for Billy G’s Cookie Dough. You and your families can stock up on your favourite cookie dough flavours for the holidays. - Bake your own GINGER BREAD MAN and SHORTBREAD Christmas trees. Billie G is including free cookie cutters in each tub. The cookie cutters are 5cm in length which will enable you to bake a large quantity from each tub

Orders & moneys will need to be in by late November. Order forms & Pricelists will be distributed shortly.

If you are unable to come along to a meeting, but wish to contact the P&C executive team, our email address is now up and working. Emails can be sent to pandc@shaiparkshs.eq.edu.au.

Music Support Group

Great work by the Concert Band last week, winning Gold at the Prestige Music Fest at Iona College. Last year was a breakthrough year for the band and after a year of excellence they have proven themselves again on the big stage. Friday (23rd October, performance time 7pm) we’ll be at Iona again to cheer on the String Ensemble, then the following Saturday (31st October, performance time 12.05pm) it will be the Stage Band at Calamvale Community College. As always the students will give a fantastic performance and do the school proud.

Next month is quite busy, with performances most weeks including at Showcase, the Year 12 formal and concerts at surrounding primary schools to show how good instrumental music is at Shailer Park. On November 11th we have our Music Awards night at the KP Centre. The night will run for one and a half hours and like previous years will include performances from Shailer Park State School ensembles, as well as our students. The focus will be on the music and it promises to be a great night of entertainment.

The next Music Support meeting is on Monday 9th November in the evening (6.30pm) at the school. Our main business will be finalising the break up lunch for the instrumental music students, our reward to them for all the hard work they have put in all year. We are still looking for people to help out next year so come along if you want to find out how we support these amazing students.

It was great to have such a big turnout of SPSHS parents and supporters at Iona last week – fantastic to see Principal Ascott there as well. I look forward to meeting more of you at performances in the future.

Andrew Huggins
Chairperson, Music Support Group
andrew.huggins@bigpond.com

Jo Quelch
P & C Assn President

PRACTICAL TECHNOLOGY & BUSINESS

Air Hockey Table

Having a class of 8 student’s means you tend to finish projects fairly quickly in the workshop. As an extra project, throughout term 2 and 3, the Yr. 12 Engineering Studies class designed and constructed a functional Air Hockey Table.

As a class, we researched and brainstormed different ideas, designs and features. We had to discuss materials, joinery, the mechanics of airflow, and how to utilise the airflow process efficiently in order to have a successful outcome.

The table was built using pine for the frame and legs, medium density fibreboard (MDF) for the table surface and base, and a leaf blower/vac was used to pump the air into the table.

The table surface required over 900 tiny holes to be drilled so there was sufficient airflow. The table markings were painted on, and the legs of the table were turned and shaped using a wood lathe.

The paddles and the puck were designed on Inventor (a 3D modelling program), and printed using a 3D printer.

The project was a huge success and many competitions have taken place throughout the year. I was very impressed with the maturity, teamwork, responsibility and enthusiasm of all students involved.

YR 12 EGS Class - Scott Barton, Jamie Cooper, Chase Curtis, Hayden Jungle, Vuthy Mao, Nicholas Price, Charlotte Sayers and Rhyleigh White.

John Ahrens
Head of Department

SCIENCE

It’s spooky science time again and this year’s theme is “The Nightmare Before Christmas”. Skellington’s “Science Ambassador” elves are enthusiastically making props for the big event as we speak. They have been tirelessly working in their lunchtimes, having lots of fun using their artistic talents and producing some frightening creations to build that intriguing atmosphere for the day.

Prepare to be scared. Come to Spooky Science if you dare!!! He he he he....

When: Friday the 30th October
Where: N8 Science Block
Who: Students and Staff
What to Bring: Your sense of fun

Annette Hendrikx

Andrew Pirie
Head of Department