27 April 2022

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Note

A warm welcome to Week 2 of Term 2. The team at Charleville State High School is very much looking forward to a smoother Term, fingers crossed, to enable our staff and students to focus in on Teaching and Learning without the disruptions we experienced in Term 1. That being said I am very proud of the way in which staff have continued to support students through the late start and significant absences late in the Term, also very pleased with the efforts of many students as they maintained their school work through trying times.

Report card entries were finalised at the end of Week 1 and will be ready for distribution in Week 2. Teachers are contacting a number of parents regarding reports and adjustments that have been made in instances where required absences have impacted on students being able to complete the assessment tasks. Given that Term 1 is an Interim report we have the capacity to provide additional supports and consider extenuating circumstances, if you do have any concerns please contact the class teacher to discuss.

Student Investiture

On Thursday (21st April) we were finally able to conduct our Investiture Ceremony. The student leaders for 2022 were very accomplished in their roles as they led the delivery of this event and our Year 12’s were also fantastic in their conduct and presentation as they were recognised. Congratulations and thanks to Stefanie Andriolo and her team for delivering another high-quality ceremony on behalf of the school.

School Leaders: Josiah & Analyse

Were a couple of interesting moments, perhaps the most memorable was a rainbow lorikeet entering the hall at top speed and promptly knocking itself out as it tried to leave, right in the middle of my speech! Must admit it was probably far more entertaining than my “words of wisdom”….

Credit to Mr Kohli who calmly removed the bird and placed outside. Very happy to report that the bird recovered and flew away, certainly demonstrated one of our core values of resilience!

ANZAC Day – School Ceremony and Community March

To commemorate ANZAC Day our school ceremony was conducted on Friday the 22nd of April at 2.00pm in the School Hall. I would like to thank Narelle Webb for her leadership with this and to recognise the efforts of the student leaders in delivering such a lovely ceremony. The students led the ceremony superbly and the respectful way in which our students conducted themselves as audience members was also very noticeable. Many other staff contributed to making this a success, a profound thanks to all who contributed.

Another aspect to take pride in was our engagement in the community march and subsequent ceremony. It is so heartening to take part in this and to feel the community support. Well done to the school captains, Josiah and Analyse, for the manner in which they delivered the Uniform Resolution and to all the staff and students who attended. We had well over 50 people in attendance to represent our school community and pay respects to our service men and women, a great turn out, particularly given the uncertain weather.

P&C Membership and Meetings

One of the most important and valuable groups 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 tuckshop.

Unfortunately, we were unable to conduct the AGM at the end of last term, would greatly appreciate support for the revised date. The new date for the AGM, followed by a General Meeting, will be Wednesday 27 April, 5.00pm. Please note that we will be trialling a new venue, now meeting at the Murweh Shire Council building, 95 – 101 Alfred Street.

The P&C would love to see any interested parents and community members come along to contribute to our P&C, such an important aspect of our school community.

Staffing updates

We recently received notice from our Community Education Counsellor (CEC) that she was moving on to a new career in Roma. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Natasha for her efforts in this role and wish her all the best moving forward.

Very pleased to be able to confirm that Lavina Martin will be stepping into the CEC position in the next week or so. Initially this will be a temporary position as we complete the process to formally advertise the vacancy. Lavina brings significant experience working in schools from her time working at Charleville State School and I am confident she will be a valued addition to our team

Also, very pleased to advise that Debi Bateman has joined our staff, filling the vacant Beyond Broncos position. This role has a focus on supporting attendance and engagement for female Indigenous students. To compliment this we have allocated additional time to enable Debi to extend her role further as a teacher-aide working with a variety of students and groups. Debi has already begun work at the school and had made an immediate positive impression, another great outcome for our students.

Change of Principal for the remainder of 2022

It is with mixed emotions that I am advising the school community that for at least the remainder of 2022 I will be moving into a new role as acting Principal of Deception Bay SHS. I am very excited to have this opportunity to challenge myself in a new context however will greatly miss Charleville.

This is an acting position so I am unsure what 2023 may bring in terms of location. Given this I will take the opportunity to express my gratitude and respect for the school and wider community of Charleville for the support and care shown for the school and myself.

Not everything has been smooth sailing, however when things are challenging it is so reassuring to see the people who value what we do are there to support you. The vast majority of students are very committed to being at their best as often as possible and the staff so often goes above and beyond to support them. I am confident that the journey of continuous improvement will continue across the remainder of 2022 and into the future.

My last day for at least this year will be May 12th. A process is currently underway to select the new Principal and the outcome will be advised as soon as possible.

In closing

Perhaps the one aspect that is concerning me regarding our progress here at Charleville State High School is attendance. This vital element is continuing to decline and while much of this is explained due to Covid and other unavoidable interruptions it is still impacting learning for our students.

My plea to parents and caregivers is to continue to encourage attendance every day and to let us know if you need additional support. As I mentioned earlier we now have Debi Bateman in the Beyond Broncos position as well as a new Community Education Counsellor ready to start. I have also allocated additional support time to monitor and encourage attendance.

As I so often mention the relationship between home and the school is incredibly important and very much appreciated. Thanks to you for your ongoing support of your child/children and the school!

All the best,

Barry Wallett

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL SENIOR SCHOOLING

Reporting and Parent-Teacher Interviews

Parents/carers should have received their report card by email (these have been posted for parents/carers who do not have an email).

Parent-Teacher Interviews will be conducted on May 4 from 3:30 until 6pm. These can be booked for individual teachers online:

If you are having trouble booking an interview, please contact the school office and staff will book an interview for you.

Now that term 1 reporting is completed student data will be reviewed. For students in senior school who are struggling or not on track, parents will be contacted in the coming days to organise a meeting to discuss options and supports for the student. It is also time for year 11 students to review their SET Plans and to consider whether they have changed pathways.

Students are reminded that they can seek help at homework club, email teachers, meet with teachers before school or at lunch, or if their teacher is unavailable speak to the HOD for the subject. However, the most important thing is for students to be at school, in classes, and ensuring they are completing all set work, in order to be prepared for assessments.

While term 1 was disrupted due to the late start and then COVID during the final weeks of term, it is important that students stay on track and where illness is interfering with their studies they provide a medical certificate. This will allow the school to provide support for the student including extensions on assessment.

Room to Improve

One area where the senior school needs to improve is student attendance. Charleville State High School has a target of 92% attendance and has a minimum expectation that students attend 85% of the time. At the moment none of the three cohorts (year 12, 11 or 10) are achieving the minimum target and this is having an impact on student results with students who attend less than 85% of the time being more likely to not be passing one or more subjects.

Every day counts and learning is occurring in classrooms every day. Students need to be in their timetabled classes and accessing their learning.

Turning up on time every day, prepared to work, is an important life skill that students will need once they enter the work force. Please work with your students to ensure that they are arriving at school every day and if they cannot for medical or family reasons, that you are contacting the school.

Working Towards a QCE

The QCE is Queensland's senior school qualification, which is awarded to eligible students usually at the end of Year 12. To be eligible, students need to accumulate 20 points during their senior schooling. Points come from passing their General, Essential or Applied subjects or completing certificate courses or similar study.

It is expected that all Senior Students are working toward their QCE. This requires students to:

• Attend school regularly (92% attendance target).
• Complete all assessment and submit it by the due date.
• Achieve a satisfactory result in subjects for them to count toward their QCE.
• Complete enrolled certificate courses for additional QCE points.

Parents are encouraged to talk to their student about their progress in senior and if they are concerned with the term 1 report to contact the school to discuss strategies to support their student.

Students can track their progress throughout senior school. They need to make an account at myQCE and enter the student portal. Students should not use their school email for this as they will need to access it after completing year 12.

Students can see current enrolments, points accumulated, and their predicted points for the end of year 12 if they complete their studies.

Year 10 Work Experience and SET Planning

Year 10’s have a busy term ahead. They should have received their paperwork for work experience so that they can start organising their placement. Year 10 students are expected to participate in 5 days of work experience from June 20 – June 24. This is an exciting opportunity for our students to try something new and may lead to opportunities for school-based traineeships or apprenticeships going forward.

Equally exciting, our year 10’s are having to think about their future and what is next for them at the end of the year. Are they planning to go to full time work or into a traineeship or apprenticeship? Are they wanting to stay at school but begin a school-based traineeship or apprenticeship? Are they interested in further studies with TAFE or University when they finish year 12?

Every year 10 student will be involved in writing their Senior Education and Training Plan (SET Plan) during term 2. This will involve lessons around subject options and the Queensland Certificate of Education as well as opportunities to speak with staff about careers and pathways. It will also involve a formal meeting between the student, their parent/carer and a staff member where the plan will be discussed and agreed to.

It is important that students remember that the plan is a guide and that many students will change their mind and the plan can be reviewed and changed if necessary. However, it does allow the school to plan for subject offerings for students who are planning to remain at school as well as to provide support to students who are looking to transition into work.

There will be a brief information session at 6pm on May 4 (immediately after parent-teacher interviews) for year 10 parents who would like more information about senior school and the QCE.

Cassandra Kohli
Deputy Principal

NAPLAN

Thank you to all our wonderful Year 7 and Year 9 students who have assisted the school and their peers by sitting our NAPLAN Practice tests. These practices are designed to make sure the technology available at the school is up and running prior to the testing window in May. The students have had the opportunity to see the range of questions and investigate how to use the technical tools aligned to each of the questions.

The students have shown excellent patience and resilience throughout this process and have genuinely given themselves, and their peers, the best opportunity to succeed in May. There are a range of opportunities available to the Year 9 students in relation to participation in NAPLAN and their Junior Certificate of Education.

This year our testing window for The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 2022 for Years 7 and 9 students will be held across Tuesday 10th May up until Friday 20th May 2022. At the end of Term 1 Parents and Carers of our Year 7 and 9 students will have received a letter home outlining the NAPLAN details for 2022. If you have any questions or concerns regarding NAPLAN or your student’s involvement, please contact myself (Amy Roughan – Head of Department Junior Schooling) for further information or support. There are a range of supports available for students that regularly use similar support for classroom assessment tasks.

I am confident that the information you receive as a result of your child’s participation in the NAPLAN tests will be valuable in helping you to assess your child’s progress in literacy and numeracy.

Kind Regards,

Amy Roughan
Head of Department Junior Schooling
arrou0@eq.edu.au

TAFE Short Courses

Girls’ Group & Tradies’ Club are back!!

Girls’ Group and Tradies’ Club will be recommencing from week 3 of Term 2 – these activities are provided as part of our Student Support program, under the Youth Support Coordinator initiative. The aim of these groups is to provide a safe, positive and healthy environment for students in which they can access a variety of community support agencies, as well as school support staff to assist with school engagement, social and emotional wellbeing and skill development. If you think your student may be interested in coming along, please encourage them to grab a consent form from the School Office this week or speak with Katie McLeod, Youth Support Coordinator, to find out more.

In the meantime, please enjoy these photos of what last year’s Girls’ Group and Tradies’ Club got up to!

Girls Group

Tradies Club

Bullying. No Way! Day: Kindness Walls

Bullying. No Way! Day, or the National Day of Action (NDA) against Bullying and Violence took place last term on Friday 18th March. To celebrate this year’s theme, Kindness Culture, and help promote this culture amongst our school community, all students were encouraged to write messages of kindness and create a kindness wall in their classrooms. Congratulations to Miss Rose’s Form Class for creating the largest display! Every day, we should say - Bullying. No Way! – we can all work together to make this happen, and spread a culture of kindness.

Harmony Week Photo Competition Results:

In Term One, one of the ways our school community recognised and celebrated Harmony Week was through a student photography competition. Students were invited to capture an image which they feel represents the idea of diversity and the message of Harmony Week: “everyone belongs”.

Entries were judged by the wonderful Jolene and Gregory from CWAATSICH, and a winner has been chosen!! Congratulations to Alex White, in year 8!!! The judges’ feedback is as follows: “A very basic piece of art work, but creative. Says so much with so little. With the theme being ‘diversity and everyone belongs’, this image tells us to ‘see things through others eyes’. Everyone wants to feel a sense of belonging. Would have like to see it in black and white too. Good job!”

Thank you very much and well done to Alex, and thank you Jolene and Gregory for your time and expertise as judges!

Winning Entry – Alex White

CLEANER – CASUAL

If you are interested in casual cleaning at Charleville SHS please contact Jillian Bussell on 4656 8888. You must have a current Suitability Card from Working with Children (Queensland’s Blue Card system).

We have casual hours that will be available in 2022 with possibility of permanent hours in 2023.

KEY DUTIES: Contribute to the efficient and effective operation and environment of the school by providing a high level of cleaning support.