17 February 2021

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Note

Welcome to week 4 of term 1. We have continued to see many positive aspects to our start for the year with some fantastic work evident in classrooms and through events such as our Student Leadership Investiture and the recent swimming carnival. One of the most pleasing aspects that I have observed during my walkthroughs of classes has been the focus on our agreed strategies such as Learning Objectives and Success Criteria.

Learning objectives are designed to be statements of what the students are learning and why and are an essential part of the lesson, often copied into work books as the class commences. Success criteria help students to understand how they are doing with their learning by giving clear guidelines to what they need to be able to do or show with their learning. These will often use an “I can” statement, for example a success indicator may be that “I can write a PEEL paragraph”.

By having a consistent approach to learning across different classes we support improved outcomes by reducing variability and helping simplify things for our students. Learning Objectives and Success Criteria are one element of the “Charleville Top 5 Practices” which combine to be a foundation for student learning. Our Top 5 are practices to support student learning are:

1. Learning Objectives and Success Criteria
2. Learning Walls
3. Positive Behaviour for Learning
4. Directed Reading and Thinking Activities
5. Essential Skills in Classroom Management

2021 Student Leadership Team Investiture

Congratulations again to our student leadership team for 2021. A big thanks to the organising team, led by Ms. Stefanie Andriolo, who organised a fantastic Investiture ceremony on Monday and also to the parents, family, friends and students who attended to celebrate this and recognise our Year 12 cohort. Our Year 12’s looked amazing and are absolutely on track for another highly successful year, go Charleville!

Ashtyn, Billy, Zoe and Thando

Swimming Carnival

Well, I would like to say congratulations to Kokoda for winning the swimming carnival, however this would not be entirely accurate…... In fact congratulations must go to Alamein who performed mightily on the day to be deserving winners.

The event itself was beautifully organised and the students were a credit to themselves and the school. I received lovely feedback on the day from a number of parents and also from Principals of other schools, this was such a positive outcome and I congratulate all involved.

A full report on age champions and further updates on swimmers who qualified for the Regional carnival will be included in next newsletter.

Parent Voice

One important and valuable group in supporting our school is the P&C. We have a dedicated group who work to provide vital aspects such as parental voice, promoting the school and conducting essential support services like the school canteen. We would love to see a few more faces at these meetings to ensure a shared workload and even more importantly that we hear a variety of viewpoints and feedback about our school.

In the previous newsletter I incorrectly noted that the AGM would be held in February, this should have been noted as taking place on the 10th of March, my apologies for this. To clarify; the P&C Annual General Meeting, followed by a general meeting, will be held on Wednesday the 10th of March at the school Administration block, starting at 5.00p.m.

We also have our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Partnerships group which meets every second Thursday of each month. This is another important and valued opportunity to hear feedback from parents of Indigenous students and support informed decisions moving forward.

Please come along to one of these meetings and lend your voice to the feedback we value so highly.

School Review 12 month visit

In week 8 of Term 1 we will host three reviewers for our 12 month check in to gauge progress since the formal review at the beginning of 2020. Thus far the feedback given has been extremely positive and enabled us to enact our key improvement strategies with confidence and increasing precision.

The reviewers will visit many classrooms and talk to the majority of staff when they are here (Tuesday, March 16). They will also aim to speak to some parents and a number of students to get a clear picture of how the school is progressing on our improvement journey. I look forward to welcoming them and to sharing the valuable feedback we will receive once the report is finalised.

In closing

As we move through the Term your support as parents and caregivers becomes ever more important. This involves many aspects of school life such as helping with organisation for assessment pieces, encouraging high levels of attendance, communicating with teachers and a myriad of other daily supports that make a big difference. By working together we give the children the best possible foundation for positive outcomes and I certainly appreciate the great support evident in our school community.

All the best,

Barry Wallett

Deputy Principal Senior Schooling Report

Week 4 has started off with the year 12’s Investiture Ceremony. Our year 12 students were very impressive sitting together in their formal shirts and as they delivered their senior pledge. I was proud of them and very much looking forward to what they will accomplish this year. It was also incredibly pleasing to see so many parents joining us for the occasion and following the necessary processes by RSVPing, signing in, and maintaining social distance from the students. While it is at times an inconvenience, it is important we continue to follow COVID guidelines to ensure these school events run smoothly.

Charleville State High School Senior Group

MyQCE

Current senior students as well as senior students who graduated in 2020 can keep track of their results and QCE points by logging into the MyQCE website.

Students will need their LUI number in order to set up an account.

Students are advised to not use their school email when setting up an account as they will need to access this after graduating year 12 to access their final results.

Parent Information Evening and SET Planning

Next Monday, the 22nd of February, Charleville State High School will hold a parent/carer information evening for our year 10 and 11 parents. The evening will seek to provide information to year 10’s and 11’s around:

• QCE/QCIA – points and processes
• ATAR eligibility
• Pathways in senior school (including VET and school-based traineeships and apprenticeships)
• Subject options (more for year 10 students beginning to plan their senior path).

Hopefully we will see many parents and carers there as our year 11 parents and carers did not get the opportunity for a parent evening last year and it is a chance to hear the information and afterwards ask questions and clarify what happens in year 11 and 12. For our year 10’s, this is essential information as they will start making decisions around their senior pathway and they need to be informed choices.

Information will be distributed to parents and carers soon inviting you to RSVP your intention to attend (we do need to know numbers to ensure the room used is large enough). The evening will begin at 5:30pm with an aim to finish the presentation around 6:15pm and then allowing time for guardians to speak with staff should they have additional questions.

After the information evening, students and guardians will be contacted by members of staff to organise either a SET Plan Review meeting (year 11’s) or a SET Planning meeting (year 10’s). These meetings will take place at the school and will require the student and their parent/carer and a member of staff. These should all be completed before the end of the term.

For year 11’s, this is a chance to review the decisions made in year 10 and to start having a more focused goal. Many students expressed an interest in going to university or TAFE but hadn’t made decisions around what sort of course they would like to study. Other students said they wanted to transition from school to work but weren’t clear about preferred occupations or industries. It is also a chance for year 11’s to reflect on their first few weeks as a senior and to identify any key challenges that they need to overcome.

For year 10’s, this is a chance for the student to really discuss what they want for their pathway to be, whether this is on to further study, the military, training or employment and to start thinking about how they could achieve this. Year 10’s will also complete their initial subject survey to give the school an idea of class numbers and interests so that these can be considered when planning for next year.

We look forward to the information evening and the meetings that will follow.

Assessment Calendars

Assessment Calendars have been distributed to students and were emailed to parents last week. If students need a new copy or if emails did not come through the calendars can be accessed on the school website:

This is an important planning tool for students as they are already able to see when they will be busy with assessment and can put some plans in place to manage their time. While thought has been put into when assessment will be due to minimise multiple exams occurring on the same day, assessment generally occurs toward the end of term which means students will usually have a number of assessments that are ongoing and due around a similar time.

Some strategies students should be using to prepare:

1. Plan your work ahead. You know when assessment is coming so be sure you are up-to-date and prepared.
2. Set clear priorities. When a student sits down to work on assessment they may have more than one to work on. If they have planned ahead, they should know which one is the most urgent, or which is likely to take the longest to complete, which will help them prioritise which task needs to be done first.
3. Focus on one task at a time. Very few people are genuinely good at multi-tasking as doing several things at once is ineffective and inefficient.
4. Minimise interruptions. Students should aim to work for 20-25 minutes in a block on an assessment to ensure maximum efficiency. During this time they need to ensure they aren’t using their phone or being distracted by emails and social media. When they take a break at the end of the 20 minutes, they might spend 5 minutes catching up on these things, before re-focusing.
5. Stay up-to-date. Assignments and exams review the work students do every day in class. If they keep organised notes, ensure they catch up on work missed, and review their notes each week, they should be well placed to complete the assignment or exam with minimal additional study time.

If students use these strategies, they should be able to minimise feeling overwhelmed at the end of term as multiple due dates start getting closer. However, should students need additional assistance they can:

1. Speak with their class teacher and possibly organise to attend homework club during assessment weeks or do a catch up session before school or during a lunch break if they feel they need to review work.
2. Speak with their Year Level Coordinator if they are needing some guidance on how to manage their time.
3. Speak with the appropriate Head of Department if they know they are going to be away when an assessment is due. Depending on the reason for the absence they may need to organise to complete the assessment before the due date (if they are absent due to sport or family holiday) or they may need to apply for an extension to complete the assessment on return (if they are away for medical reasons).

School Photos

A reminder that school photos will occur on Thursday the 25th of February. Senior students are required to wear their formal shirts, with black long pants or black skirts. Photo order packs will be sent home shortly.

Cassandra Kohli

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL JUNIOR SCHOOLINGAND STUDENT SERVICES NEWS

WELCOME TO WEEK 4

The first few weeks seem to have passed at a rapid rate. I am so pleased to see most students working extremely hard in their classes and encouraged by the learning that is occurring every lesson.

JUNIOR SCHOOL NEWS

An integral part of our school pedagogical framework is that every student is informed of his or her Learning Intentions and Success Criteria. It is the expectation that each student writes the Lesson Objective in his or her books. As a parent, it is recommended that you ask your student to show you their four Lesson Objectives for each day. It would be a great conversation starter for parents to ensure that their students know what the learning objective is and prevents the often-short response to the question: What did you learn today? Response: Nothing. By discussing the Lesson Objectives each day, it helps the student remember the valuable learning that occurred in their classes.

Our staff are a wonderful group of dedicated professionals. In the past weeks at their faculty meetings, they discussed the data already collected on every student. This included their most recent PAT R and PAT M data as well as Academic data. This data is useful to plan units, lessons and support for each student. It is a method of Putting Faces to the Data and valuing each student as an individual.

Immunisation Clinics for Years 7 and 10

Almost all year seven and year ten students received their immunisations this week. The year ten students in particular took the process with a great deal of maturity. I would like to thank the team from Queensland Health who carry out this important service to ensure all of our students are well protected.

The next immunization will take place in May. It is called Tackle Flu. Tackle Flu gives every indigenous student over the age of 15 the opportunity to be immunised against influenza. As in the past few years this service has also been extended to all year students over the age of 15. I urge all families to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

STUDENTS WITH MEDICAL NEEDS

A reminder to parents/carers to notify the school about your child’s health

If you receive a referral form from the school with regard to your child’s medical needs please return them as soon as possible. If your child requires an ACTION PLAN for a medical diagnosis please supply the school with an up to date plan as discussed with your doctor.

MOBILE PHONES

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. This includes listening to music both in the classroom and during breaks. Almost all students have been very responsible and have not used their phones in school hours. Those students who use their phone irresponsibly are required to hand the phone into the office. A parent will be contacted and must make arrangements to collect the phone. There have been the occasional situation where a student needs to use their phone (contact employer etc). THEY ASK PERMISSION FROM A TEACHER AND WITHIN SIGHT OF THE TEACHER USES THE PHONE. The same situation applies on school events off campus. A Teacher may give permission for a student to use their phone within the teacher’s supervision (eg music on the bus during a school trip). Strictly no social media is allowed.

In past years and already this year, the inappropriate use of a mobile phones has been reported to the school, however the majority of times the mobile phone is used outside of school hours. 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, what they receive and what they send. As the students are not allowed to sign contracts until they are 18 years of age it is the parents’ responsibility to monitor all digital use.

There are methods to monitor your child’s mobile phone use. There are apps in which a parent can responsibly control the times in which the phones can be used. Our Pact is one example of the numerous apps available. If you are aware of other such apps that will help support the students to safely use social media and mobile phones, I would be more than happy to share the information with others.

Until next time,

Narelle Webb
Deputy Principal

Investiture

On Monday 15 February, officiated by our senior school captains Thando and Zoe, the year 12 students celebrated with our whole school community the annual Investiture ceremony for 2021.

At this ceremony, we recognised our year 12 students who have taken on the responsibility as our school leaders, to pledge their commitment to lead by example with maturity and integrity. We also recognised Peta Russell, Riley Wilson and Laura Russell who successfully applied for QATSIF scholarships for 2021-2022.

We would like to thank our parents and guests for attending and celebrating with us. We are extremely proud of our year 12 students and look forward to working together on our journey towards graduation!

Stefanie Andriolo
HOD Senior Schooling

Our Senior Leaders for 2021

PBL Week 4&5 Focus:

Be a Learner through active participation- Using your student diary in every lesson to self-monitor timelines & Actively participate in classroom activities. Remember to bring your diary to every class. Your students have a copy of their assessment calendars within these, it has information of different policies relating to your student and contact details of staff members.

Here are our Year 7's, 8's and 9's showing us how it’s done…

Science Engagement

It has been a fantastic start to 2021 in our Science Department, with our students engaging in a range of hands on learning activities. Both senior and junior students are cementing their understanding of their science knowledge through hands on practical activities. Our Year 8 students are studying their Biology unit and investigating cells as the basic unit of life. The students used microscopes to investigate a range of plant and animal cells and compared their similarities and differences. In our senior school, our Biology students have hit the ground running with the mandatory practicals, breaking into smaller groups to complete a number of mini experiments in a lesson. I would like to thank all our science students for practicing science safely and engaging in the wonderful activities their teachers have prepared for them.

Swimming Carnival

Congratulations to Alamein.

Bad luck Tobruk.

And keep trying Kokoda (we will sneak up on them again)…

It was a great carnival, with a few people from the other schools coming up and thanking me for a great carnival, that was run with fantastic atmosphere. These accolades go to staff and the students that attended on the day.

Once again, thank you all for assisting in making the day a success,

Brad Lines

2021 Swimming Carnival

Inclusive Education Workshop

NDIS Information Session – Afternoon Tea

Charleville Performing Arts Committee AGM

The Charleville Performing Arts Committee will be holding their AGM, Monday 8th March, 5:30pm at the Charleville RSL