13 May 2020

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Note

As we move through Week 4 of Term 2 we have been very pleased to welcome back the Year 11 and 12’s to onsite learning. It has been fantastic to have the students back in classrooms working with their teachers and we look forward to the children from Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 joining them, pending government confirmation, as of the 25th of May.

This continues to be a challenging time for all of us and we are paying close attention at this point to ensuring the seniors are fully supported in their return to school. It is important to note that adjustments have been made to assessment requirements, particularly for the current Year 12’s, to ensure that no educational disadvantage occurs. The student support team and all staff will continue to work hard to make sure the students feel confident around their education and the transition to post-school life.

Most of our senior students have stayed focused and connected during the learning at home phase and they certainly deserve a great deal of credit for this, as do all the parents and staff, as they so ably demonstrated our values and beliefs, particularly evident in regards to resilience!

Junior Secondary return to At School learning - May 25

The school will have a similar focus on helping our Junior Secondary students through the process of returning to on site learning once they are approved to return. The support of parents and caregivers has been vital over the past few weeks and your continued efforts are greatly appreciated.

One of the things that will help the students to return successfully is the maintenance of routines and structures while completing learning at home activities. The more settled the students are around learning routines the easier the return to school timetabled classes will be. Another key aspect is to encourage regular contact between the children and their teachers, this promotes a strong learning partnership and will greatly minimise the impact of transitioning back to the school environment.

Year 11 Camp

Given the continued uncertainty and ban on approvals for camps and excursion I have made the decision to cancel the Year 11 camp for 2020. This is very disappointing for all of us and staff are currently investigating options to provide alternative leadership experiences and build group cohesion for the students. We will keep parents informed of progress with this and look forward to additional activities becoming available once restrictions are lifted.

In Closing

Students of essential workers continue to be welcome at school and we have been providing supervision through a combination of relieving teachers and teacher aides to ensure they are able to access the same learning that is available for children learning at home.

If you have any concerns regarding your personal circumstances around the current learning strategies or perhaps require support in terms of devices such as laptops please contact the school and ask to speak with me so we can map out the best way forward for continuity of learning.

Now that we have a clearer picture of the likely return date for all students we can start to plan with increased confidence. The intention is to get things back to normal as soon as we possibly can whilst ensuring students are well supported as they return to the school environment.

Once again I would like to say how much your support has meant to the staff and myself as we have worked together through this period.

All the best,

Barry Wallett

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL SENIOR SCHOOLING

A Big Welcome Back

We are very pleased to welcome our year 11 and 12 students back to classrooms for week 4. There were plenty of smiles and chatter as students gathered in the morning and then we moved back into class. While many students enjoyed aspects of remote learning they were very happy to return to the classroom, as were their teachers.

Parents and students are reminded that there have been adjustments made to assessment with some assessment being altered or removed and the due dates for most subjects moved. If students are concerned they should speak with their classroom teacher first and then the Head of Department so that they know what assessment is due and when.

Year 10 SET Plans

While the SET Planning process was delayed for year 10’s due to COVID-19, once students return to school in week 6, we will begin moving forward with this process. The Senior Education and Training (SET) Plan maps out a plan of action for students as they transition to senior school, an apprenticeship, traineeship, or work and their plans post schooling. This process involves the student reflecting on which path they see themselves on and how they will achieve their goals.

Parents need to be involved in this process and will be invited to attend a meeting with their student to discuss the options after year 10 and to sign off a plan for their student. Part of the process will also involve completing a subject selection survey for year 11 should the student choose to continue their education at Charleville. While this is not the final subject selection, it allows the school to plan for numbers within subjects and classes for 2021.

Cassandra Kohli
Deputy Principal

Junior Schooling

TIMETABLE FOR TERMS TWO AND THREE

When school resumes to face to face learning for all students, there will be very little changes to the timetable. However, in term 3 there will be significant changes to students’ timetables in years 7, 8 and 9. All subjects will now be three classes per week with an extra lesson for the Charleville Literacy and Numeracy program. The other lesson will consist of a combination of Pastoral care, Parade and Positive Behaviour for Learning. Electives for years 7 & 8 will be set and each student will experience a range of electives over the two terms. Students in years 9 and 10 will be allocated two electives based on their previous choices in 2020. Due to a reduction in student numbers over the years not all electives will be offered.

IMMUNISATION

• During the month of May, the Tackle Flu program took place providing influenza vaccinations to senior indigenous students.
• Flu vaccinations were extended to all students 15 years and over. Thank you to South West Hospital for their support.
• On Tuesday 12th May all staff had the opportunity to receive their flu vaccinations.

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 celebration)

Study / Homework Group

Study/homework group meets on a Thursday afternoon for all students. 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.

Talking About School with your Junior Secondary Child

‘How was school today?’ ‘OK.’ Every afternoon, parents across Australia get the same frustrating one-word answer. Here are some ideas to get your child talking about school.

Why talking about school is hard

‘How was school?’ is a big question. To answer, your child has to sum up a whole day, and that’s hard for kids (and even grown-ups!) to do.

A child might really want to say, ‘My day was so jam-packed with ideas and classes and social stuff that I don’t know where to start’. So it’s easier just to say, ‘OK’.

Why talking about school is important

Talking with your child about the school day shows you’re interested in what’s going on in their life. This interest boosts their mental health, happiness and wellbeing. It can also have a very positive effect on your child’s behaviour and achievement. It shows your child that you value school and education, which encourages them to value it too.

Talking together about school also helps you get to know more about what’s expected of your child at school, how they learn and how they handle challenges. It can help you understand when they’re feeling less interested in school or experiencing problems.

When you’re in touch with your child’s feelings about school, you’re more likely to see problems when they’re molehills, not mountains. This way you can work on overcoming challenges together.

And talking about school issues – such as school projects or friendship problems – is also a great chance for you to express your family values about things like teamwork, respect for self and others, friendships, relationships, problem-solving and so on.

Ideas for talking about school with secondary school children

As they develop into the teenage years, your child might want more privacy and time to themselves, which can make it harder to talk about school. But this isn’t the end of your warm, close relationship – it’s just that getting some distance from you is how your child becomes a more independent individual.

Another conversation starter with your child would be to ask them about the four Learning Objectives. Each lesson in the school begins with the students acknowledging the Learning objective. It gives the student a clear understanding of what they will be learning in the following 70 minutes. If you are also aware of the Learning objective you will be able to discuss exactly what the student is learning in class rather than receiving the usual teenage response of “Nothing” or “Not Much”.

Stay connected

Staying connected to your child can help you balance respect for his desire for independence and privacy with your need to keep in touch with their life. It can also help you pick up on the moments when they’re ready to talk.

Ask about links between schoolwork and future plans

At this age your child might be more open to talking about the links between their schoolwork and what they want to do when they’re finished school.

So rather than asking about your child’s day-to-day activities, you could try focusing on future plans. For example, ‘How’s the webpage you were designing in information technology coming along? Are you still thinking you might want to get into web design after school?’

Look out for signs of problems

Even if you usually have a good relationship with your child, they might not always tell you when they’re having a tough time. If they are upset or nervous about discussing school or refuse to answer a question, there might be a bigger problem.

If you’re worried, you could try talking to other adults who know your child. Contacting the school or other appropriate professionals might help too.

Stay calm around tricky topics

Conversations with your teenage child about school might bring up tricky topics. Try to stay calm – this is a great chance for you to be supportive. If your child doesn’t want to talk to you about a tricky topic, they might chat with someone else – another parent (especially of the same gender, if it’s a personal issue), a trusted relative or friend, or a school counsellor.

Programs Available at Charleville State High School

There are wonderful programs available to our students at Charleville State High School. Below is a sample of some programs available. From time to time, these programs may be available to all students or they are targeted for specific groups. Occasionally, some students and families may view the initiatives as unfair or inequitable. Please be assured that we are conscious that all students should have equal and equitable opportunities and if there are programs that are not available due to certain eligibility requirements than there will be other opportunities offered later.

Some Programs currently available:

Kind Regards,

Narelle Webb
Deputy Principal
Junior School & Student Services

How to Manage Sleep and Gaming for a Healthy Headspace

Sleep is important for our physical and mental health. Although it varies from person to person, if you are aged between 12-17 years, it is important to be aiming for 8 to 10 hours sleep per night.

Gaming and internet use can be a positive and enjoyable pastime. It can connect us with others, help us feel more socially included and improve our self-esteem. Healthy gaming can bring structure and routine into our lives as well as provide some beneficial downtime, relaxation and fun, which is all good for our mental health.

However for some people, gaming and screen time can get in the way of having a good night’s sleep, which can lead to other problems.

What happens if we do not get enough sleep?

Trouble sleeping sets the stage for many problems. When we are not getting enough sleep it is harder to manage the stress in our lives, to keep anxiety in check and it can impact our mood. We will have less energy, be more irritable and even have poorer physical health. Sleep gives us time for our brain to process all that we have done and learned during the day, so it is important for our development and concentration too.

If you are online when you would normally be sleeping, it may be time to start reducing your screen use. Not only does too much screen time take away precious sleep, but using technology before bedtime makes it harder to fall asleep and can also reduce the quality of sleep, which can make us feel sleepier the next day.

Looking at screens before bedtime has a stimulating effect on our minds, because of the light reflecting from the device. It can encourage our minds to stay alert, which can interrupt our natural body clocks and make it harder to fall asleep.

Establishing Good Sleep Habits

Good sleep habits take consistent practice. It can be tough when your sleep isn’t great to get back on track, but there are things you can do to enjoy gaming and continue to get a good night’s sleep.

• Turn off video games, screens and social media at least one hour before you go to bed. Set a bedtime for your device! Maybe have a bath, watch a movie or read a book instead. Try a mindfulness exercise if you are having trouble winding down.
• Don’t charge your devices in your room overnight. It can be tempting to keep playing when we should be asleep. Use an old fashioned alarm clock instead of your smart phone.
• Try to have a regular amount of sleep each night. An extra hour, every now and then, is fine – but any more can confuse your body clock.
• Try to stay away from caffeine, cola, energy drinks, tea and even chocolate for a few hours before you go to sleep.
• Get some daylight and exercise through the day, but don’t exercise right before bed, it can keep you awake.
• You can also contact eheadspace or Kids Help Line if you would like to talk to somebody about your screen time or sleep.

Sharon Grosskopf
Guidance Officer

Happy Guidance Officer Appreciation Week!!

QLD schools have been nominating a crazy hat day to recognise and celebrate the invaluable work that GO’s do - please take a moment this week to thank Sharon for all her hard work, expertise and compassion as our fabulous GO! If you have a crazy hat laying about, please wear it with pride today!

We certainly do appreciate you Sharon, and all that you do in supporting our students

Ode to email

We use verbal phrases like

“drop you an email” and
“flick you an email”
but really,
emails are hard work,
right?

Length and content reciprocity are important, because who’d appreciate

“k thx”
to a ten paragraph
essay essay essay
essay essay essay
essay essay essay
essay essay essay?

Should you use an exclamation mark here!!!
How about a smiley face :) :) :)
Emojis are a no-go right?!

How can I title my email subject so that it looks
important and urgent
but not

DEMANDING AND ANNOYING?

Oh don’t start on the politics of c c – i n g and b c c – i n g .

Should I delete the bit that says “sent from my iPhone” etc?
Am I a hard mobile worker

or

couldn’t I be bothered to get to my laptop?

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Please respond at your soonest convenience.
Let me know ASAP.
PLS REVERT.

Oops. File now attached.

Best,
Kind…
Cool…
Warm…
Warmer…
Warmest…regards?

Emails are heavy affective objects.
Idk about you but I’m no Olympian.

End.

PS: inbox zero gloating.

Sebastian Kohli

Industry Liaison Officer - Charleville State High School

Darling Downs South West Region, State Schools Division

An exciting opportunity exists for a dedicated and dynamic individual to join our team! In this role, you will assist in the ongoing delivery of the School Based Apprenticeship program and assist in managing business and industry partnerships to maximise opportunities for secondary students. You will also establish and maintain effective networks and work collaboratively with business and industry groups to build strong and vibrant links that promote positive partnerships between the school and surrounding communities.

Job details:

Please apply on-line through the Smart Jobs website at the link below:

From Your Friendly YSC – Katie McLeod