24 April 2018

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

WELCOME BACK

Welcome back everyone to term 2 2018. I hope everybody had a wonderful Easter and have enjoyed the last two weeks.

STAFF NEWS

We have two new teaching staff members joining us in term 2. Mr Luke Heppleston commenced this term with us, and will be teaching in the areas of Physical Education, Maths and Humanities. Ms Eliesha Blumke, has also joined us and will assist with classes on a Monday and Friday. We warmly welcome both of these new teaching staff members to Charleville State High School, I know you will enjoy your experience here over the coming term and beyond.

We also welcome a new teacher aide to the school, with Mrs Christine Taule’Alo. focusing on assisting students to improve with their spelling. Mrs Taule’Alo will be working with our junior school students using a program known as “Words their Way”. Words Their Way is a program for word study that involves hands-on, group study with words to provide opportunities for students to learn about how words work, to support their understanding of spelling and vocabulary.

Ms Courtney Burns, our Beyond Broncos Ambassador within the school, will also be joining us for the other three days of the week as a Teacher Aide, assisting students in the classroom across the school.

We also have a new Senior Year Level Co-ordinator, with Ms Nancy McKinnon, stepping up to take on this very important role within the school.

PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS

The first Parent/Teacher interviews for the year take place this week on the evening of Thursday 26 April. Information regarding the evening was sent out with report cards along with instructions on how to use the online booking system. I hope that we see most of our parents at this very important evening so that teachers can communicate and work with you to find the best ways for your student to achieve the best they can.

If you are having problems accessing the booking system, please do not hesitate to call the school office on 4656 8888 for assistance.

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS

Over the holidays, the school had several small but significant infrastructure improvements made to improve the learning environment within several areas of the school.

Some old concertina doors were removed from between A block classrooms and replaced with solid walls to improve the learning environment within these classrooms. C Block, where many of our support programs take place, had a facelift, with the classroom space receiving new flooring and a new paint job.

A concrete path was completed between the skills centre and the new Junior area to help finish this area off, and new handball courts for the juniors have now also been painted in the area

BANGARRA CAMP

Last week a group of our students travelled to Mt Tabor, a property past Tambo, where they were taught and shown local aboriginal history. They were also joined by members of the Bangarra dance company, who worked with the students to use the local indigenous stories to create a story board, which will in turn be used to create a dance that the students will perform.

Several staff members from CWAATCICH, who provided the food, sleeping gear and transport for the camp, also joined the students. HOPE foundation staff, who have been instrumental in getting Bangarra out to Charleville, also went along to assist. Thanks to Charleville State High School staff members, Amiee Dolman and Jolene Russell for their attendance and organisation of the camp. Ms Dolman will provide more details of the camp later in this newsletter.

Our special thanks must also go to Keelan Mailman, for her hospitality in having the students on her property and for the time she took to show the students all of the amazing culture and history of this area.

ATTENDANCE

Our target and goal for attendance is a minimum of 92% for every single student in the school. Every day missed by a student is information, skills and knowledge that is missed, making it harder for that student to reach their full potential.

Although there were quite a number of students that achieved 100% attendance, and numerous students above the 92% mark, unfortunately as a school, we were still below 90% for the term. I am asking for the support of every parent in assisting in getting their student to school every day, as every single day and every single lesson counts!

I have reminded all students this week to get off to a great start by getting themselves organised at the start of the term. Last term, all students were given an assessment calendar for the semester, and on year level parades last week, they were reminded to check that they still had these, and to use them to plan their term ahead. They were also offered to go to the Senior and Junior Head of Department to get another if they have misplaced theirs.

If parents could also assist in checking that their child has this very important document, this will assist them greatly in being prepared and organised for the term ahead.

FACEBOOK PAGE

A reminder that the school Facebook page is now up and running and we will be transitioning from Skoolbag to this as our main means of delivering updated information. Please like and follow “Charleville State High School” to receive the latest information about the school and all of the upcoming events.

A new media release form that includes Facebook was also sent out with report cards at the end of last term. If parents could have their students return these as soon as possible please so that the school can start to post shots of students in action at the various events they are involved in.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• ANZAC day – Wednesday 25 April
• Parent Teacher evening – Thursday 26 April
• School Cross Country – Friday 27 April
• Year 7 Camp – Week 3 Mon 30 April – Thur 3 May
• Labour Day Holiday – Monday 7 May
• Bangarra Dance Company – Week 4 Tues 8 May – Fri 11 May

Please remember, we are here to work with you to make your students time here at school as enjoyable, fulfilling and successful as it can possibly be. Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time if there is something you wish to discuss regarding your child.

Matt Samson
Principal

Deputy Principal Senior Schooling Report

Ward River Community Planting Day – Sunday 29th 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 High 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). If any students need to change subjects to help them toward getting their QCE, they need to see me before the end of Week 2. 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. Student 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 Schooling

I would like to welcome everyone back to Term 2. This is going to be another busy term but there are many great things to look forward to. We have NAPLAN, Anzac Day ceremonies, Cross Country, many curriculum-based excursions, and much more.

Year 7 and 9 Students: NAPLAN (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy)

If you have a student in Year 7 or 9 they may be getting a little anxious regarding the NAPLAN tests coming up on Tuesday 15 May, Wednesday 16 May and Thursday 17 May

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests were first implemented in May 2008 when national tests were held in literacy and numeracy for all students in Australia in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.

What is the purpose of NAPLAN?

While it is acknowledged that the NAPLAN tests can cause anxiety for some students, the purpose of NAPLAN is to assess the skills of all Australian students in literacy and numeracy against national minimum standards.

What is tested?

A series of (4) Four tests will assess areas of literacy and numeracy.

The following areas of literacy are assessed in three papers:

• Language conventions - spelling, grammar and punctuation
• Writing - knowledge and control of written language
• Reading - comprehension.

In numeracy, students are tested in one paper only in 2018 and the content areas assessed are:

• Number
• Measurement, chance and data
• Space
• Algebra, function and pattern (formal algebra for Year 9 only).

Results from the tests will provide important information about children's progress in literacy and numeracy. Following the tests, schools and students will receive a statement of performance in relation to the national minimum standards.

What do students need to do?

Students need to try their hardest, focus on their own work and turn up to each exam on time. We are currently examining the best location for the students to sit their tests. Both year levels have been preparing across Term 1. For further information about NAPLAN and the tests please do not hesitate to contact the school or go to the links below.

YEAR 7 CAMP

Our Year 7 students and three staff, Mr Baeck,, Miss O’Brien and Mrs Kohli will head off to Emu Gully next week for the annual camp. I look forward to hearing many great stories of the wonderful bonds and new friendships that will be formed. The students will work as a team throughout the various activities and I look forward to seeing a group of focused young people on their return. The students who do not go on camp will not miss out with an alternative program here at the school.

Student Welfare

IMMUNISATION

• Immunisation Clinics for Years 7. All participating year seven students received information and forms to be signed for the year seven immunisation program which commenced in March. The second round of immunizations will occur this term.
• Tackle Flu. Senior Indigenous students take part in the Tackle Flu initiative. All eligible students will receive a consent form soon. Please have these forms returned as soon as possible. Any questions please contact me or our CEC, Jolene Russell.
• Q Fever. We are working with the HOPE foundation to investigate whether the Q fever vaccinations will be made available to our students through the school at minimal cost.

SCHOOL GROUNDS

For safety reasons, please be aware that unless supervised, students/children are not allowed on school grounds outside of school hours.

POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR FOR LEARNING (PBL)

Charleville State High School is a PBL school.

Positive Behaviour for Learning is:

• The most effective way to develop a safe and supportive learning environment;
• A school community (students, parents and school staff) work together to establish the expectations for behaviour. The expectations are simple, clear and explicit. BE SAFE, BE RESPECTFUL, BE RESPONSIBLE and BE A LEARNER;
• Developed as research shows that students are more likely to respond positively when they know what is expected of them and when responses to behaviour are fair and consistent.

All students are explicitly taught the expected behaviours. Some students will require additional support to learn the expected behaviour. A few students will require intensive support to assist them to learn appropriate ways of behaving.

As part of the PBL process we encourage Expected Behaviours with

Starbucks – rewarding Expected Behaviour

• free and frequent
• medium term ( Starbucks accumulate)
• Long term (Rewards trip celebration)

OTHER SUPPORT NETWORKS (APART FROM THE CLASSROOM)

There are many avenues to support students at Charleville State High School including:

Guidance Officer: John Anderssen
Heads of Department:
- Sebastian Kohli (Maths/ Science)
- Cassandra Kohli (English/ Humanities/Arts/LOTE)
- Sabrina Goodingham (Junior Secondary/ HPE)
- Barry Wastie (Technology/ VET)
- Katerine Neucom (Diverse Learning including HOSES)
Year level coordinators: Year 7 – 9 Kate Jackson and Daniel Baeck
Year 10-12: Nancy McKinnon and Lauren Butler
Careers/ Transition advice: Ange Vetter
Youth Support coordinator: Jenny Peacock
School based Youth Health Nurse: Jen Sellin
Chaplain: Les Penrose
CEC: Jolene Russell
Beyond Broncos’ Academy: Courtney Burns

Also a study / homework group meets on a Thursday afternoon that all students can attend. Students interested in attending this session need to see the office for the parent approval form.

Thank you for your continued support of your student, the school and the educational process. If you would like any further information regarding the topics above please don’t hesitate to contact the school. Together we can make a difference in the lives of our future leaders.

Kind Regards,

Narelle Webb
Deputy Principal
Junior School and Student Welfare

Junior Secondary Update

Year 7 Camp

Welcome back everyone to a very busy Term 2! This term is a big Term for our junior students, with our Year 7 students embarking on their Camp to Emu Gully in Week 3. Students are sure to have a ball, and learn all about the way of the life of an ANZAC by participating in activities based on the experiences our ANZACs endured. Students will complete activities like the Tunnels of Vietnam and the Burma Bridge, not to mention the awesome mud pit. Be sure to read future newsletters to view photos of the aftermath! For further information please speak to Mr Daniel Baeck.

NAPLAN

Term 2 continues to be busy for our junior students with NAPLAN occurring in Week 5 – the 15th, 16th and 17th of May. NAPLAN is not a content based exam, but is a diagnostic tool, that assesses the literacy and numeracy skills of our students.

This year’s students in Year 7 and 9 will sit the following four exams - reading (65 mins), writing (40 mins), language conventions (40 mins) and numeracy (60 mins). Students are required to bring the following equipment:

• 2 x 2B pencils (no mechanical pencils)
• 2 x HB pencils (no mechanical pencils)
• Eraser
• Sharpener
• Calculator (approved by the Maths Department)

We are looking forward to seeing the 24 months of growth that each student has made.

Year 9 Camp

Our Year 9 students are all madly fundraising for their camp to the Sunshine Coast in Term 4. So far they have raised $850 through the sales of Zooper Doopers. Many thanks to the parents of Year 9 students who donated bags of the Zooper Doopers to sell. This Term we have a few more fundraising activities to come, including a raffle at the Charleville Show. If you have any item you would like to donate please contact Sabrina Goodingham on 4656 8888. In addition, if you can spare some time to assist in manning the raffle table, please contact Kate Jackson, Dan Baeck or Sabrina Goodingham. Many hands make light work, and all proceeds go to our students to make their camp more affordable. We cannot wait to serve you all at the Show!

Junior Certificate of Education

Congratulations to all our junior students on their awesome academic results. Students in Year 8 and Year 9 are currently working towards achieving their Junior Certificate of Education. Students must complete the following:

Students who did not pass all assessment this Term, still have the opportunity to gain their JCE provided they pass this semester overall. Students at risk of not achieving their JCE will complete an interview with Mrs Goodingham or Mrs Webb in the coming weeks to determine what steps need to occur for them to reach their JCE.

MESH Program

This year Charleville State High introduced our MESH program, where our U2B students in Year 7 & 8, and 9 & 10 complete an intensive program which targets student autonomy and higher order thinking through the core curriculum areas of Maths, English, Science and Humanities. Students have completed their first cycle, and their results have been outstanding, with students critiquing and rationalising in an informed and in-depth manner. It is fantastic to see the student engagement and enjoyment when they overcome a challenge.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Sabrina Goodingham for further information.

Sabrina Goodingham
HOD – Junior Secondary

House Point Update

Congratulations to Tobruk House, the Term 1 House winners, on a whopping 485 points! Your house has worked very hard this term, with points being awarded in all ranges of our criteria: academic, cultural, sporting, community and behaviour.

Tobruk celebrated their win with a Games Session, and a giant Tobruk cake in Week 10 of Term 1. Not only did they celebrate their win, but they also won the Soccer Competition, which led them to play the teachers in the final round in Week 10, with the teacher winning 1-0.

The term count has restarted this term, with Alamein currently leading strongly. Remember House points can be earned in a variety of ways, you just need to let your house mentor or Mrs Goodingham know:

• School based apprenticeship or traineeship
• An award for exhibited work in a local or regional event
• Received Most Valuable Player in regional sports competition
• Selected for South West or equivalent regional team
• Involvement in charity work
• Placed in rodeo or barrel racing
• Completed a Certificate II, III or IV
• Completion of DARE program (mentor & participant)
• An entire semester of B’s or higher
• Plus many more

This term our House Competitions include:

Week 2 – Friday Cross Country and the Colour Run
Week 6 – Photography competition, “Charleville Through a Camera Lens”
Week 10 – Oz Tag competition

Remember to remind your students to get their names down to participate, and help their House Team earn points.

For any questions concerning the house point system please feel free to contact Mrs Sabrina Goodingham

Sabrina Goodingham
HOD – Junior Secondary

Industrial Technology and Design

With another busy start to the year, the senior construction class have begun digging holes for the new construction area outside of the workshop. Luckily, we had some rain to help soften the ground. They have managed so far to avoid hitting any pipes. The area will be fenced permanently so that students have a work area to assist them in completing their Certificate I in Construction through Blue Dog Training. Students needed to quote on the project, draw up a set of plans and then present it to Mr Samson. Students also researched the different types of fencing that could be used explaining the pros and cons of the products they are using. This gave it a real life situation and allowed feedback on presenting and quoting.

Senior Certificate II in Engineering have been completing a variety of jobs with the year 11 students machining a hose, fitting on the lathes and will begin learning the processes used for oxy welding. They will construct a dice. Year 12 have been completing their dice with some students working on a BBQ plate using Mig welding.

The year 10 Industrial Technology and Design class have completed a can crusher in Term 1 with overall pleasing finished products. They are now beginning to design a set of legs for their games table, which they will be beginning in the next few weeks.

Barry WASTIE,
Acting HOD Technology and VET

Bangarra Camp

Congratulations to those students who participated in the Bangarra camp last week. The camp itself was part of the Bangarra Rekindling Program with the students learning about the Bidjarra people and using this knowledge to create a storyboard that will aid them to create their performance. The Bangarra dancers will be performing at the end of week 6. Thank you to the Bangarra Dance Theatre for providing our students with the opportunity to participate in this program. The entire trip was fantastic and I cannot thank the students involved enough for their behaviour and their respectfulness towards everyone involved. The camp had students learning about the Bidjarra people and the traditions held thousands of years ago.

With Keelan taking us to the Lost City where we learnt about the traditions held thousands of years ago.

Showing us the damage that vandals have done to this area resonated deep within us all. We also travelled to the women’s place where we were only the second group to see and experience this. Keelan had everyone captivated wanting to know more. From the waterfall views, to the rock paintings the entire experience was amazing. Even the 6am wake up to leave camp (or risk being stranded out at Mount Tabor) did not seem to faze the kids. So thank you again to all the individuals who came along. You made for a great 3 days. Thank you to Jolene, CWAATSICH, the Hope Foundation, and especially to the 12 students who came along. I look forward to watching the students progress and develop their storyboards and dance in the coming visits.

11/12 BCT

This term students are learning about international business and are exploring how to expand a business into the international sector. This past week we have been learning about cross-cultural communication and the issues that arise with this. Students have been learning about the significance of high verbal and non-verbal skills and the importance of expanding these skills if wanting to venture into the business industry as a career pathway. As the term progresses students will continue to grow their knowledge and understanding of expanding businesses internationally by looking at business in a global economy, international business dealings and other general considerations that need to be deliberated in international business.

Year 12 English

To begin their last year of high school, Year 12 English students embarked on a journey to deconstruct the influence of culture within literature and texts. Starting over 200 years ago in Regency England, the class studied the classic western novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Through analysis of the timeless and often spirited characters, events and themes they examined social and cultural influences on literature. It has been very rewarding to witness their engagement, astonishment and in the end understanding of different cultures. From here, students have been busy exploring social and cultural influences on a range of contemporary non-western narratives, with the aim of writing and presenting a unique narrative that demonstrates their understanding of a chosen culture. Without hesitation the students have enthusiastically and often animatedly used their creative ideas to write narratives inspired by cultures from all around the world. In the coming weeks students will share their hard work and delve into article writing to enhance their writing skills and their understanding of the significance of literature and storytelling.

Thank you.

Crystal Dingle.
English and Science Teacher.

Town Netball

Town netball starting Thursday 26th April

Prep-Year 2: 3.30pm-4.15pm
Year 3-Year 6: 3.30pm-4.30pm
Year 7 – Year 10: 4.30pm-5.30pm

If you haven’t signed on please remember forms and payment must be completed before taking the court and this can be done on the first day.