28 March 2018

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

SHAVE FOR A CURE

On Monday 19 March, a couple of very brave young ladies Volunteered to have their hair shaved off in the name of the leukaemia foundation. Chelsea Shorten, and her little sister Shiann, had their hair clipped in front of the whole school to help raise awareness and money for this very worthy cause.

To show their support of the girls, many students joined in for a “Crazy Hair Day”, donning all sorts of weird hairstyles and wigs to support the girls and the leukaemia foundation.

Congratulations to the girls for their outstanding effort on the day, and thank you to all of the students that joined in on the day and/or donated to this commendable cause.

P&C NEWS

Wednesday 14 March was the 2018 P&C AGM. At this meeting, the new committee members were voted in for 2018. The following are the new committee members for 2018:

President: Mr John Bursle
Vice-President: Mrs Kelly Shearwin
Secretary: Leslie McDonald
Treasurer: Lana Holley

On behalf of the Charleville State High School community, I would like to thank all of our new committee members for taking on these very important roles. I am looking forward to working with all of them into the future.

I would also like to sincerely thank all of the outgoing members of the committee. Your dedication, support and work for the school over the past number of years is greatly appreciated – you have certainly made a significant contribution to Charleville State High School, its students and staff. Thank you very much to Virginia McDonald, Jo Springall and Michelle Aspinall for everything you have contributed to this community.

JOSH ARNOLD MUSIC VIDEO

This week saw the release of the Josh Arnold video that many of our students were involved in the making of last year. Below is the media statement that accompanied the release last week and the link to the video:

Local Drug Action Team ‘Project JIGSAW’ Music Video Media Release:

“Livin the Country Life” is a catchy tune written by local students, the QPS Charleville Local Drug Action Team (LDAT), in partnership with the talented Josh Arnold from ‘Small Town Culture’. The song cleverly highlights the serious issues surrounding drugs and alcohol by featuring fun and challenging alternatives that kids can enjoy every day. This innovative and creative project involved students from seven schools across the district, writing and performing the song, facilitated by Josh Arnold, showcasing activities that keeps the students happy and engaged without the need for drugs or alcohol.

The music video was made possible thanks to funding through the Alcohol & Drug Foundation for the Charleville district to become a ‘Local Drug Action Team’, supported by The HOPE Project and Murweh Shire Council.

We are very proud to release a fabulous educational music video.

Sergeant Sarah Grayson

If you have not already done so, please take the time to see this fun, uplifting music video, featuring many of our very talented students.

FAREWELL

The end of this term will see the departure of one of our long standing staff members, Mr Leighton Webb. Mr Webb has been an integral part of the staff of Charleville State High School for some 9 years. He has been extremely active within the school and the community throughout his time in Charleville particularly in the areas of athletics and cricket. Mr Webb has also done an amazing job as Senior Year Level Co-ordinator over the last few years, making an impact and difference to the lives of so many students as they completed their schooling at Charleville State High School.

Thank you Mr Webb for your contributions over your time here, we wish you and your family all the best for the future in your new school.

Reminder that Monday the 16 April is a Student Free Day due to the Commonwealth Games. First day back in term 2 for students will be Tuesday 17 April.

I hope everyone has an enjoyable and safe Easter break,

Matt Samson
Principal

Deputy Principal Senior Schooling Report

Ward River Community Planting Day – Sunday 26th April 2018

Help plant 750 wetland plants along the riverbank in just one morning. The revegetation of the bank will help reduce erosion, improve water quality and sustain the biodiversity of this valuable natural asset. The day will include:

• a talk on the environmental values of the waterhole
• the launch of the Plan of Management
• a sausage sizzle provided by the Charleville Fishing and Restocking Club

The community planting day will occur on Sunday 29 April 2018 from 10am. No RSVP required – just turn up with water, sun protection, gardening gloves, old, enclosed shoes (as you may get muddy) and lots of enthusiasm for enhancing the waterhole.

This project is supported by South West NRM through funding from the Queensland Government's Queensland Regional Natural Resource Management Investment Program.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT SOUTH WEST NRM 07 4656 8500.

Next step Survey

Next Step is a state wide post-school destination survey of all students who completed Year 12 last year in Queensland.

Insights gained from Next Step assists schools to review and plan their services for students, and school system personnel to evaluate education policies as they affect the transition from school to further study and employment.

This year’s survey of 2017 Year 12 completers will commence in March 2018 and the school seeks your support in once again promoting participation in the survey. If you have a child that completed Year 12 last year, they can follow the following links to find out more about the survey.

Indigenous Education Community Meetings

Charleville State High School holds an Indigenous Education Community Meeting once a month. This Committee provides a link for our indigenous community/family to share knowledge, celebrate and be involved in the education of the children enrolled at Charleville State School. If you have a child/grandchild attending Charleville State High School who identifies as ATSI or you are interested in the education of ATSI children in our community then we welcome and encourage you to attend our meetings.

In 2018, these meetings will be held in the school Professional Library, situated in the school office, and will occur on the second Thursday of each month. If you wish to discuss a particular topic please forward your agenda item to jruss336@eq.edu.au prior to meeting day.

QCE Tracking

Mr Kohli and I are busy closely monitoring our senior students, to ensure they are on a pathway to successfully gain their Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE). We will also be organising parent/student interviews with those students who are ‘at risk’ of not gaining their QCE, so we can form an action plan.

Year 10 Work Experience

Beginning in 2018, all Year 10 students will be completing a week of Work Experience, to align with their Certificate II in Foundation Skills for Work (CERT II FSK), which they complete during their Pastoral Care classes. This course teaches students basic literacy and numeracy skills, as well as the skills required to study certificate courses. The course will also give students points toward their QCE.

Work Experience will occur in the last week of school in Term 2 (Week 11). It would involve sourcing over 50 positions for students for 5 days straight, for 6 hours each day. Working hours/times will be negotiated with the employer. These positions do not have to be in this town. Through negotiations with us, students could go anywhere in QLD. They might have relatives in Brisbane or a family property in Emerald that they could go to for a week of work experience.

Students will be allocated a prospective employer, according to their preferences and then be able to ‘apply’ for this job. They will have to write a letter of introduction and a resume (all done through the Cert II FSK in Pastoral Care), which will be sent to the business. Students will have to present to the business before the work experience for an interview, giving the employer an opportunity to outline their expectations.

If there are any employers who are interested in having a work experience student for a week, from Monday 25th June to Friday 29th June, please contact Ange Vetter at the school on 4656 8888.

VET News

We have a number of traineeships and apprenticeship opportunities coming up.

If your student is looking for the opportunity to be involved, please contact Ange Vetter at the school on 4656 8888.

Thank you to all the businesses that support our students and our school. If you have an opportunity within your business to employ a school based trainee or apprentice, please contact Ange Vetter on 4656 8888.

Cheers
Vanessa Moller

Junior Secondary News

Welcome to Week 10

What a fabulous first term it has been! After all the preparation and worry over the commencement of High School we have already completed one quarter of the year.

Social and Emotional Support for Teens

This article is from the website Raising Children. The focus this newsletter is on social and emotional changes for teens.

Social changes and emotional changes: what to expect in adolescence

During adolescence, you’ll notice changes in the way your child interacts with family, friends and peers. Every child’s social and emotional development is different. Your child’s development is shaped by your child’s unique combination of genes, brain development, environment, experiences with family and friends and community and culture.

Social changes and emotional changes show that your child is forming an independent identity and learning to be an adult.

Social changes

You might notice that your child is:

• searching for identity: young people are busy working out who they are and where they fit in the world. This search can be influenced by gender, peer group, cultural background and family expectations
• seeking more independence: this is likely to influence the decisions your child makes and the relationships your child has with family and friends
• seeking more responsibility, both at home and at school
• looking for new experiences: the nature of teenage brain development means that teenagers are likely to seek out new experiences and engage in more risk-taking behaviour. But they’re still developing control over their impulses
• thinking more about ‘right’ and ‘wrong’: your child will start developing a stronger individual set of values and morals. Teenagers also learn that they’re responsible for their own actions, decisions and consequences. They question more things. Your words and actions shape your child’s sense of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’
• influenced more by friends, especially when it comes to behaviour, sense of self and self-esteem
• starting to develop and explore a sexual identity: your child might start to have romantic relationships or go on ‘dates’. These are not necessarily intimate relationships, though. For some young people, intimate or sexual relationships don’t occur until later on in life
• communicating in different ways: the internet, mobile phones and social media can significantly influence how your child communicates with friends and learns about the world.

Emotional changes

You might notice that your child:

• shows strong feelings and intense emotions at different times. Moods might seem unpredictable. These emotional ups and downs can lead to increased conflict. Your child’s brain is still learning how to control and express emotions in a grown-up way
• is more sensitive to your emotions: young people get better at reading and processing other people’s emotions, as they get older. While they’re developing these skills, they can sometimes misread facial expressions or body language
• is more self-conscious, especially about physical appearance and changes. Teenage self-esteem is often affected by appearance – or by how teenagers think they look. As they develop, children might compare their bodies with those of friends and peers
• goes through a ‘bulletproof’ stage of thinking and acting as if nothing bad could happen to him. Your child’s decision-making skills are still developing, and your child is still learning about the consequences of actions.

Changes in relationships

You might notice that your child:

• wants to spend less time with family and more time with friends and peers
• has more arguments with you: some conflict between parents and children during the teenage years is normal, as children seek more independence. It actually shows that your child is maturing. Conflict tends to peak in early adolescence. If you feel like you’re arguing with your child all the time, it might help to know that this isn’t likely to affect your relationship with your child in the longer term
• sees things differently from you: this isn’t because your child wants to upset you. It’s because your child is beginning to think more abstractly and to question different points of view. At the same time, some teenagers find it hard to understand the effects of their behaviour and comments on other people. These skills will develop with time.

Supporting social and emotional development

Here are some ideas to help you support your child’s social and emotional development.

• Be a role model for forming and maintaining positive relationships – with your friends, children, partner and colleagues. Your child will learn from observing relationships where there is respect, empathy and positive ways of resolving conflict.
• Get to know your child’s friends, and make them welcome in your home. This will help you keep in touch with your child’s social relationships. It also shows that you recognise how important your child’s friends are to your child’s sense of self. If you’re concerned about your child’s choice of friends, provide gentle and consistent guidance.
• Listen to your child’s feelings. If your child wants to talk, stop and give your child your full attention. If you’re in the middle of something, make a specific time when you can listen. Respect your child’s feelings and try to understand your child’s perspective, even if it’s not the same as yours. For example, ‘It sounds like you’re feeling left out because you’re not going to the party on Thursday night’.
• Be explicit and open about your feelings. In particular, tell your child how you feel when your child behaves in different ways. For example, ‘I felt really happy when you invited me to your school performance’. This helps your child learn to read and respond to emotions. It also models positive and constructive ways of relating to other people.
• Be a role model for positive ways of dealing with difficult emotions and moods. For example, there will be times when you’re feeling cranky, tired and not like interacting with your child. Instead of giving your child the silent treatment, you could say, ‘I’m tired and cross. I feel like I can’t talk now without getting upset. Can we have this conversation after dinner?’
• Talk with your child about relationships, sex and sexuality. Look for ‘teachable moments’ – those everyday times when you can easily bring up these issues. This is often better than having a ‘big talk’. Find out what your child already knows. Correct any misinformation and give the real facts. Use the conversation as a chance to discuss appropriate sexual behaviour and values. And always let your child know you’re available to talk about questions or concerns.
• Focus on the non-physical. Teenagers are often self-conscious and anxious about their bodies and appearance. So reinforce the positive aspects of your child’s social and emotional development. For example, you could praise your child for being a good friend, or for having a wide variety of interests, or for trying hard at school and so on.

Timetabling

Most students will have a very similar timetable for term 2. However, year seven students will be changing their electives as they experience a different elective each term. With a number of staff leaving or going on leave next term there will be a few minor changes. If parents wish to discuss their student’s classes please contact the relevant HOD.

Mrs Sabrina Goodingham – Junior Schooling/ HPE/ART
Mr Barry Wastie – VET/Technology/ITD/HEC
Mr Sebastian Kohli – Senior Schooling/Maths/Science/AG
Mrs Cassandra Kohli – English/HUM/LOTE/Reading

Reading Program

Reading is our focus at Charleville State High School. We are very fortunate to have a number of excellent teachers involved in a range of reading programs. At this stage, we are focusing on students significantly under the Regional reading benchmark. It is essential that if your child is part of this program that they fulfil all the criteria of the program- otherwise their progress will not be reflective of what could be achieved.

The criteria include 100% attendance (except for extenuating circumstances) and the completion of the set homework. If you have any concerns or questions regarding the LLI program, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Ange Stirton and Ms Wendy Porter at the school. Mrs Cassandra Kohli is the curriculum HOD who oversees all reading programs. There is a long waiting list to enter the program and therefore students who fail to meet the criteria will be exited to ensure the best results for all students.

Another level of reading intervention is a commercial program known as MultiLit (Making Up for Lost Time in Literacy). If your child is part of LLI and/or MultiLit, you will have been notified.

Student Services

Anti-bullying Day – Say No to Bullying

On Friday 16 March 2018, Australian schools stood united in their communities to celebrate the eighth National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (NDA). The National Day of Action is Australia’s key anti-bullying event for schools and in 2018, schools are called to imagine a world free from bullying and share their BIG IDEAS. The National Day is a positive day of action, bringing school communities together to help find workable solutions that address bullying and violence. Let's Take a Stand Together.

The day celebrated Australia's cultural diversity and is about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone, themes that link directly to the anti-bullying focus of the National Day.

Bullying is an ongoing misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that causes physical and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power over one or more persons. Bullying can happen in person or online, and it can be obvious (overt) or hidden (covert).

Bullying of any form or for any reason can have long-term effects on those involved, including bystanders. Single incidents and conflict or fights between equals, whether in person or online, are not defined as bullying. However, these conflicts still need to be addressed and resolved. Online bullying (sometimes referred to as cyberbullying) is bullying carried out through the internet or mobile devices. Not all online issues are bullying, you can learn more about cyber safety issues, including online bullying.

As Week eight and nine focused on assessment at Charleville SHS on Tuesday 27 th March we will mark the day by having a “Kindness Day” .

I would like to remind our school community that students are available to make anonymous reports via the stymie website (www.stymie.com.au ) to report any such issues.

Currently Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) staff are planning explicit lessons/activities to address the RESPECT aspect of the Learning Expectations at Charleville State High School in term 2.

MOBILE PHONES

We have had a very positive and supportive response from the community regarding the changes to the Charleville SHS mobile phone policy. Year seven students are not allowed to have a phone at school. Years 8 to 12 students are allowed to have a phone in their possession but not use it in school hours. A Teacher may give permission for a student to use their phone within the teacher’s supervision. Strictly, no social media is allowed during school hours.

The inappropriate use of mobile phones is occasionally reported to the school. As the mobile phone is used outside of school hours, we recommend that you contact the police if you have concerns.

As responsible adults, please carefully consider your young persons’ best interest and the amount of time they use digital media.

I urge all parents to know what your student has stored on their phone/electronic devices, what they receive and what they send.

International Women’s Week Women’s Week

Week Eight saw the celebration of International Women’s Week where we recognised and celebrated the achievements of Queensland women and girls. This allows us to celebrate women’s achievements as well as acknowledging that supporting and enabling women to take advantage of opportunities to succeed is good for everyone in Queensland. To acknowledge this occasion all the females in the school collaboratively painted a picture, which represented the theme. All the female students and staff then signed the painting to be displayed.

Charleville State High School is committed to providing students with a wide range of educational activities, in recognising that education takes place both inside a classroom and further afield. To support this, on Friday 9th March, well respected young ladies from Charleville State High School were invited by the Mayor Annie Liston to attend Charleville Healthy Ageing for a luncheon as part of International Women’s Day celebrations. These girls were excellent ambassadors for our school and we thank them.

Immunisation

Immunization Clinics for Years 7. Most year seven students received their first immunizations on Thursday 8th March. I would like to congratulate all of the year seven students on their excellent behaviour whilst the immunizations took place. The Queensland Health workers said they were the best group they had ever immunized.

Immunization for Meningococcal (Year Ten students)

On Thursday 8th and Friday 9th March the majority of year ten students received their immunizations for meningococcal.

STUDENTS WITH MEDICAL NEEDS

A reminder to parents/carers to notify the school about your child’s health. Students with ongoing medical needs should have an ACTION PLAN (eg asthma and anaphylaxis) supplied to the school.

STUDENT COUNCIL

Thanks to Jenny Peacock who has commenced the Student Council in a very positive manner. The following students have accepted leadership positions within the Council:

Student Council President- Brea Frousheger
Treasurer- Latesha Leleca
Secretary- Georgia Knight

ZUMBA AND THE HOPE FOUNDATION

Thanks to the HOPE foundation we are offering to all students a ZUMBA class every Tuesday afternoon from 3:15 to 4:00pm.

STUDENT SUPPORT HUB

Every Tuesday and Thursday in Break 1 & 2 the students are able to sign in to participate in games such as table tennis and board games in C Block. On Wednesdays, the students are able to participate in craft sessions.

PEER SKILLS

In week ten we are conducting a Peer Skills workshop for a number of our year ten students. We are very fortunate to have trained personnel available that will assist us in delivering this worthwhile initiative.

Happy Holidays

I would like to wish all of our families a happy, safe and relaxing Easter holiday and I look forward to working with you in Term 2.

Until next time,

Narelle Webb
Deputy Principal
Junior Schooling/Student Servicesg

Agriculture Term 1

It has been a very busy Term 1 with Year 7 students learning the physiology of their chosen plant and completing a poster describing it.

Year 7 Posters, Kipp Singleton,

Meghan Fox Posters

Hugh Gilliland

At the same time, our own chicken eggs were incubated and hatched. Our new chicks now love life in the Ag Plot. When Year 7 return they will continue breeding chickens and learn the physiology of reproduction in poultry. We would like to say a big Thank You to Ms Womersley for taking classes while I was away and the fantastic job completed in the AG Plot.

Year 12 are well into the serious side of Senior Study with Animal Reproduction ready for Term 2.

Year 10 Cert 1 AgriFood have smashed the first Term of the Cert 1 Ag with completing activities such as Tractor Driving, Landscape Gardening, Health and Safety, Use Hand Tools and many more helpful and productive jobs completed in the School Grounds under the Supervision of our Grounds Staff. Cert 1 AG classes run as a workplace format and we all treat one another as colleagues communicating as expected in the workplace. You can be proud of all your children in this course. Every single one has given the highest standard to all jobs and assessments consistently.

Year 8 & 9 have been busy learning new things in and around agriculture. Both classes have been given an insight into crop farming and the machines and technology used around this area of farming. Their assessment pieces centred on either plants or animals, the grade 8 class had to choose an agriculture product and create a presentation on how they are sustained and farmed in Australia. The grade 9 class had to write a feature article on bio-security and how to minimise the spread of diseases and pests. Both classes worked hard this term and put a lot of effort in their theory and practical work in the ag plot.

New Arrivals

Very soon, we will have another baby arriving in the Goat Family. A billy will be joining us for 2-3 months to spread his joy around. Ag Students will continue breeding chicks in the cooler months so give the School a call if you would like to purchase young chicks or wait until they grow to pullets.

Request for Volunteers to help feed and water our Ag Plot.

As you know, we have four School Holiday periods throughout the year and would love to have some volunteers to call on so our staff can have a break. If you would like to become an Ag Plot Volunteer, please give the School a call on 46568888 so we can make some arrangements and show you around. It can be as little as once a day in holidays or your own helping hand at other times.

School Sport

With the end of Term 1 brings to an end to a busy period for school sport. In ten weeks we have managed to have trials for so many sports that I am amazed that we are still able to stand. Well done to all of those who competed in one, or more of the following events.

The first sport that was for South West selection was softball. These trials were held in St George, with Mrs Creedon and Miss Andreatta taking the students away after much after school practice that started in Term 4 last year. This practise must have paid off, with 4 students being selected to attend the Darling Downs trials. These students were, Matilda Vaggs, Mackenzie Ross, Ashtyn Shearwin and Mary Williams.

As previously reported, it was Tobruk with their participation and efforts that once again was able to hold the trophy aloft. This continued a run of four years that Tobruk has won the swimming carnival. This carnival had many great efforts with eleven students being selected for the South West trials. The students efforts at these trials were once again of a high standard. Heidi Mair was also crowned girls Under 16 age champion, but this was not enough for any of our students to make the South West team.

However, prior to the South West swimming trials, the staff and students had to travel to Roma for the soccer and basketball trials for Under 15 and 16-18 years South West teams. At these trials, Jake Collins was selected for the Under 15 boys’ soccer, while Jeramehl Mazo and Isaiah Shillingsworth were successful for basketball. Jeramehl is a part of the Under 15 team, while Isaiah was successful in being selected for the 16 – 18 boys team. All of these boys had to compete as part of the South West teams at the Darling Downs trials. Jeramehl is still to attend these trials; they will be convened on 1 May next term.

The next sport for South West selection was for girls Under 15 and 16 – 18 years’ netball. This year these trials were convened earlier than previous years to accommodate the Vicky Wilson Cup trials that are now separate from the trials. With teams now also consisting of girls from Charleville, Tambo, Quilpie and Cunnamulla, competition for spots was stronger than ever just to make the Charleville team. After the South West trials Zoe Radnedge was selected as part of the train-on team.

The final South West trials that our students have participated in so far were the boys rugby league trials for the Under 15 and 16 – 18 years. This was convened in Chinchilla on Monday, 26 March, with a bus load of boys leaving early Monday morning. After some wonderful efforts in steamy conditions, the 16 – 18 boys were successful in beating St John’s school. Due to these efforts, Isaiah Shillingsworth and Watjerra Briggs were selected for the South West team.

With the low numbers of students in the Under 15 age group, the nominated students were placed into four teams to complete in a round robin competition. Being grouped together at the last minute is not an ideal situation, but Joel Saffy was still successful in gaining selection in the South West team.

And so ends term one, but this does not slow the sport down……

Next term starts with a flurry of activity with the first trials being the Under 15 and 16 – 18 boys and girls touch trials to be convened at Chinchilla. These trials will be held on Friday, 20 April. This will be followed the week after by the first of the Under 12 trials. Girls netball and boys rugby league will be convened in Roma for selection in the South West teams. There will also be district and regional trials for soccer, touch, softball, cross country and girls rugby league. The school also has to fit in our cross country and a footy tour. Thankfully next term is eleven weeks!

Careers

“The Australian Youth Aerospace Forum is being held in Brisbane this year from the 9th to the 13th of July. This 5-day residential camp aims to provide Year 11 -12 students with an interest in aerospace with an insight into the career and training options available after high school. This year’s forum will include opportunities in Aerospace Engineering, Aerospace trades and traineeships, and, Pilot and Military Aerospace entry options. Students will experience professional aerospace first hand through exclusive industry site visits and discussions with key industry and academic leaders.

It is the goal for AYAF to offer a diverse and welcoming environment for all students interested in aerospace. To increase this diversity and further encourage the participation of indigenous and female high school students, AYAF is offering one scholarship for each group. This will cover the full cost of accommodation and food, and depending on departure location of the student, most or all of the travel costs. If you qualify for both scholarships, we encourage you to apply for both.

If interested please contact Ange Vetter for more information.

Angelique Vetter
Phone : 07 46 568 888

Uniform Shop

Old style Jackets reduced to $15.00 each Limited sizes

Girls Formal Shirts $40.00 price to increase by the end of the year, some sizes will increase before the end of the year.

Easter Raffle

The year 12 Students have been selling raffle tickets in an Easter Egg basket to raise money for their Senior Formal.

The winners are:

1st prize – Chris Jones
2nd prize – Cath Boyes
3rd prize – Jill Nelder

Thankyou to everyone for your support and congratulations to the winners

Flyers