1 April 2020
Newsletter Articles
Newsletter – Principal’s Note
First and foremost I would like to thank the school community for your support and understanding as we work through this very challenging time and to express my, and all the staff’s, best wishes for your family and personal wellbeing as we negotiate this period. As you are aware schools are undertaking five Student Free Days (SFD) for the final week of Term, meaning that unless absolutely essential to attend school students should be remaining home.
This will allow staff time to prepare for the possibility of remote learning to start Term 2, although I must emphasise that currently schools are scheduled to re-open on Monday April 20th for normal class instruction to commence. I will be closely monitoring the situation across the holidays and will inform the school community as quickly as possible as soon as any updates occur regarding school operating conditions.
I would also like to express my sincere thanks to all school staff for their absolute professionalism and willingness to support school operations over the last few weeks (all Term really!). Teachers, administration, support staff, teacher-aides, cleaners, groundsmen, everyone involved has worked together and kept us on track to deliver quality learning opportunities for our students.
We will be working hard to ensure that this quality continues whatever the mode of delivery is, remote or face-to-face, after the holidays. I have every confidence in my staff in meeting and overcoming this challenge as I do in the students and parents to continue the learning process.
Adjusted Bell Times and Timetable
Recently we conducted an internal review of our timetable and identified an error in meeting the Award conditions for Queensland Teachers, which has necessitated an immediate adjustment to bell times to ensure we meet the Award. The following proposal was presented to the last P&C Meeting to ensure an understanding of the need to change and seek approval for the suggested adjustments. The timetable and bell times will now be:
8.50am to 10.00am |
Period 1 |
10.00am to 10.10am |
Assembly (Monday) and Form classes (Tuesday to Friday) |
10.10am to 10.40am |
Break 1 |
10.40am to 11.50am |
Period 2 |
11.50am to 12.20pm |
Break 2 |
12.20pm to 1.30pm |
Period 3 |
1.30pm to 1.45pm |
Break 3 |
1.45pm to 2.55pm |
Period 4 |
Basically this means we start 5 minutes later each day and finish 5 minutes earlier while still maintaining four 70 minute lessons each day along with form classes.
School Review
Recently our school review was completed and I have just received the reports that arise from this from the Education Improvement Branch. There are two version of the report, one is the overall School Review and the other is the Executive Summary. The Executive Summary will be placed on the website prior to the end of Term 1 to ensure the school community has access to the key findings and recommendations. There are 5 Key Improvement Strategies noted to assist in developing our strategic plan for the next four years, they are:
- Collaboratively refine school approaches to student behaviour and engagement, with an emphasis on gaining understanding and commitment from staff and consistency of implementation
- Develop and implement Quality Assurance practices to guide lines of sight for effective implementation of all school initiatives
- Collaboratively develop and implement whole school processes for observation and coaching to support all teachers to improve their teaching practices
- Audit curriculum documents across Year 7 – 10 to ensure coverage of all aspects of the Australian Curriculum
- Review the scope of current literacy and numeracy intervention strategies to cater for current and emerging learning needs
There are also a number of key findings regarding school and staff culture and beliefs, including:
- The principal and all staff members are dedicated to improving learning outcomes for all students
- The Principal and staff demonstrate an understanding of the importance of positive and caring relationships to successful learning and work actively to build partnerships with students, parents and the community
- Teachers articulate commitment to engaging every student in learning opportunities appropriate to their levels of readiness, needs and interests
- School community members appreciate the opportunity to spread the great news of the school
I look forward to building on the positives to ensure we meet the learning needs of all our students by working closely with the school and wider community and will be actively seeking feedback to assist in this journey.
Assemblies
Whole of school assemblies have been discontinued during the current situation and we have conducted sub-school versions instead to ensure continuity of information and focus on core school priorities. Positive Behaviour for Learning has maintained a strong presence in these conversations and we extended our focus on “Be a Learner – Behave in ways that enable others to learn” until the end of Term to consolidate this with all students and give concrete examples of that this looks like in class and during breaks. There have been many positive examples observed over the past weeks and I applaud the students and staff for working hard to deliver positive learning environments.
All the best,
Barry Wallett
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL SENIOR SCHOOLING
WELCOME TO WEEK 10
SENIOR SCHOOL NEWS
It has been a very busy end of term 1 with some unexpected challenges for our students. It is important to note that learning has continued at school until the end of week 9 and students who have been absent should contact their teachers to access missed material as this will ensure they are up to date when school resumes.
Due to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, the QCAA has made the decision to alter the assessment requirements for senior students in 2020. This will impact all of our year 12 students and means that the current published assessment calendar will need to be revised over the coming weeks. Teachers will be working to ensure students and parents are informed about changes as final decisions are made.
The key changes are:
- General Subjects will now complete two internal assessments and one external assessment (one internal assessment to be removed).
- Essential Subjects will complete two internal assessments and the common internal assessment (one internal assessment to be removed). Also, the common internal assessment will now take place at the end of the year and not in term 2.
- Applied Subjects to complete three internal assessments (one internal assessment to be removed).
Students will still be assessed on the full range of criteria for their subject areas.
It is important to note that this is an evolving situation and as the situation changes we will work to keep students and parents informed.
SET Plans – Year 10
Our year 10 students were supposed to begin their planning process for their senior schooling (or transition to work) in term 1 however due to the disrupted nature of the term (floods and then COVID-19) these have been delayed. Once school resumes, year 10 parents will be invited to make an appointment to begin these very important conversations.
In the meantime, have a conversation with your student around their goals for the future. Are they wanting to complete year 12? Are they aiming for university? Do they want to get into the workforce and are interested in finding a traineeship or apprenticeship?
Hoping everyone has a safe break.
Cassandra Kohli
Deputy Principal
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL JUNIOR SCHOOLING AND STUDENT SERVICES NEWS
WELCOME TO WEEK 10
Timetable for Term 2, 2019
There will be limited changes to the timetable for term 2. Students will be given a new timetable on the first day, Monday 20th April, 2020. If remote learning is in place then the students will be emailed their timetables.
Reading Program
If your child is part of the LLI program you will have received a letter from the school. 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 program please don’t hesitate to contact Ms Sue McDermott at the school. There is a waiting list to enter the program and therefore students who fail to meet the criteria will be exited so as 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.
Positive Behaviour for Learning
Currently Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) staff are planning explicit lessons/activities to address the Learning Expectations at Charleville State High School in term 2.
MOBILE PHONES AND INTERNET USE
I urge all parents and carers to know what is on the phones of young people and what is being shared by social media. It is up to the adults to ensure that young people are protected from viewing inappropriate images. It is also important that empathy is taught at home and for young people not be desensitized to such graphic images.
We have had a very positive and supportive response from the community regarding the Charleville SHS mobile phone policy. Year seven, eight and nine students are not allowed to have a phone at school. Years 10 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 teachers’ 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.
IMMUNISATION
Tackle Flu program will be conducted in term 2. We are hoping to give every student over the age of 15 the opportunity for influenza immunisations. We will update you when we have more news.
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.
PEER SKILLS
In term 2 we hope to be conducting a Peer Skills workshop for a number of our year nine and ten students. We are very fortunate to have trained personnel available that will assist us in delivering this worthwhile initiative.
Until next time,
Narelle Webb
Deputy Principal
Junior Schooling/Student Services
Literacy Enhancement Lessons
Throughout term 1, the vast majority of students from years 7 to 12 have been undertaking three lessons per week in order to improve their literacy skills. The main focus has been on reading and reading comprehension, vocabulary and using new information to write effectively. These skills are essential for success across all subject areas and, as such, each week there has been a different topic studied from each of the Key Learning Areas. Student progress has been measured via diagnostic testing, and improvement has occurred for many students. This progress will be reported to parents via the term 1 report cards. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s progress, please feel free to contact Sue McDermott at the school.
Reading Intervention
Following extensive testing during term 1, student reading levels have been identified. If your student requires reading intervention in order to improve his/her reading skills, you should have received a letter from the school/had a phone call from Kate Wilson, inviting your student to participate in our Levelled Literacy Intervention (LLI) lessons. These will commence in term 2. The aim of these lessons is for your student to reach age appropriate reading benchmark levels. There are many students on the waiting list for this program so, if you do not wish your child to be involved, please advise the school urgently so that these positions can be filled by others in need.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the reading program, or believe that your child should be included, but you have not received any communication from the school, please contact Sue McDermott.
Reading over the Easter Break
In the current situation, where socialisation is limited, remember to encourage your child to escape the boredom of their own room through reading. It is one activity that will improve their knowledge, allow them to experience new settings, get to know new characters and imagine new worlds and activities. It is free and easily done alone. As Dr. Seuss said,
“The more that you read,
the more things you will know.
The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
Coping Calendar: Keep Calm. Stay Wise. Be Kind.
Kids Helpline
Phone and real time web-based crisis support for youth (5-25yrs).
1800 55 1800 (24 hrs)
https://kidshelpline.com.au/
Lifeline
Online crisis support chat with a trained crisis supporter available every night.
13 11 14 (24 hours)
https://www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/get-help-home
eHeadspace
Internet chat, email or phone support for young people (12-25yrs) with a range of issues.
https://headspace.org.au/
1800 650 890
headspace Yarn Safe
Provides online mental health education information for ATSI young people (12-25yrs). Also features video stories, factsheets and campaign resources.
https://headspace.org.au/yarn-safe/
ReachOut
Practical tools and support to help your (under 25) get through everything from everyday issues to tough times. Includes toolbos of apps.
https://au.reachout.com/