16 March 2017

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Comments…..

As we look at the data showing our students’ academic performance at the end of last year, it is noticeable that our work in most areas has supported the growth of our students. There are a few areas where further work is required and, of course, further work in sustaining the academic achievements of our students.

In Term Two, our school will realign the coverage of our Collaborate lessons. These changes will have some impact on which lessons/concepts are covered by teachers and will mean that full C2C lessons will no longer be covered by teachers. Teachers will extend their lesson types to cover some of the Science topics embedded within the Science learning materials. The changes that take place are intended to strengthen the learning of students and ensure all students have appropriate coverage of the essential subject areas. The focus is on the students’ learning and their need to be engaged with the wider requirements of the Australian Curriculum.

So what can a tutor expect?

While it may be slightly different for each class or year level, the following points provide a framework for tutors:

• Tutors will be provided with five week lesson schedules which indicate the general topics that will be covered by the teacher.
• Each week the teacher will provide a more detailed analysis of what is to be taught and what work the student is to do.
• Clear indications of what sections of lessons are to be covered in the home will be provided.

Like any change there will be a period of adjustment as the change is refined and embedded into practice. With this move, we can expect that some of the more challenging concepts and ideas may be better addressed through our Collaborate lessons.

Last week our School Council met and considered a range of agenda items. A summary of the Council’s deliberations follow:

1. 2017 Staffing: The expected growth of the school slowed at the start of the year (though it is picking up now) and we are slightly over-staffed as per the numbers on the last school day in February. The school will not decrease teachers and all classes will remain intact and as single year level drafts. The Council approved a marketing plan to raise the profile of the school to ensure the school is able to retain the types of classes and services it currently has.
2. Dalrymple Trade Training Centre: The Council remains concerned about some of the management issues and the lack of opportunities offered to our students and community by the centre in which we are quarter partners. The Council’s concerns are being expressed at various levels to the broad education system.
3. Adaptation, refinement and development of our school’s curriculum: There were unexpected changes to various departmental bodies that supported the development of learning materials as well as an accountability requirement that all public schools be compliant with a particular version of the Australian Curriculum. It was decided that the school would review the primary and junior secondary learning materials over the next two year period to make any changes necessary to ensure we were ready by 2019. In the senior secondary areas, the project to prepare new learning materials for the new senior secondary curriculum (to be started in 2020) was also endorsed. These are both major projects but ensure our students have the resources aligned to the most current version of the Australian Curriculum and that have been adapted to meet our students’/families’ content and needs.
4. Computer Hire Scheme: The proposal, by the Department, for schools to fund a computer hire scheme using the funds from the Computer Hardware subsidy and additional school funds was declined by the Council. The scheme was considered limited in scope (i.e. only available to geographically isolated) and not cost effective (i.e. per student a family would lose their Hardware subsidy scheme and pay an additional $250.00 per year for a period of three years, then have no equipment at the end of that period).
5. Attendance and Engagement: Discussion was held on what these terms mean and how these may impact on the flexibility of our families when interacting with the school. It was agreed that the idea of engagement (returning work, etc.) was the most important and would be the prime factor of deciding truancy and learning success of a student.

Enjoy the week,

John Clark
Principal

Deputy Principal’s Comments

It is a well-known fact that literacy is the key to a successful future regardless of age, economic or social status.

This does beg the question about what literacy actually is. It is about far more than the ability to read and write which is the definition that at the most basic level, probably springs to mind.

There is no doubt that the ability to read and write is important. More so though are the broader literacy skills of interpreting what you see and hear, analysing what you see and hear and thinking critically about these things.

Literacy is about being able to use judgement and make informed decisions, learn from mistakes and continue to move forward. It is these skills that allow each of us to choose pathways that will lead us each on rich and prosperous lives.

Then one might ask, how do we learn these skills?

• There are many pathways to developing these skills. Of course it starts with the basics of reading and writing. This establishes a strong base on which we can build.
• Once we have a sound understanding of the basics, we then need to encourage students to begin to interpret what they read. The meaning of what they read is an important step toward understanding.
• Next we want to encourage students to question what they read. How does that compare to our own beliefs or what we have seen or heard? This is the beginning of critical thinking.
• Once we have achieved these milestones, we encourage students to think outside of the box and not just think about what they have read but question it. This is the inquiry stage.
• The next stage in the process is to encourage students to actively seek out information. This can occur through independent research and analysis of information from a range of sources. This is synthesis of information.
• From there, it is about considering other sources and making decisions based on an analysis of all relevant information to draw the most credible conclusion. This is informed decision making.

In time, the process becomes automated and students are able to achieve several steps at once. When broken down into a sequence of steps like this, literacy seems simple. Of course it is anything but and each individual develops at their own rate and masters some aspects more than others.

When all is said and done, we can all actively encourage the development of literacy skills in our kids whether we are a teacher, parent, governess or the average Joe off the street. If we encourage our kids to read, to question, to think and to analyse, we establish a sound basis for good decision making and a bright future.

Andrew Smith
Deputy Principal

Next Step survey

The Next Step survey is a statewide destination study of all students who completed Year 12 in the previous year.

The survey provides a comprehensive picture of the employment, study and life choices made by Queensland school completers, and allows schools to track local trends with statewide and regional trends. Further information about the Next Step survey, including statewide and regional reports from 2016, is available online at the link below:

For further information or to provide feedback about Next Step, I invite you to contact Mr Andrew Wilson, Principal Statistical Officer, Department of Education and Training, by email at nextstep@det.qld.gov.au or on telephone 3513 6868.

The Brisbane Show Camp

Each year, Year 6 students from across Queensland are invited to nominate for an opportunity to take part in a camp to be held during the Brisbane Ekka.

The Brisbane Show Camp is a partnership program of the RNA and Education Queensland, conducted during the Royal Brisbane Show (the Ekka). A maximum of 20 students (10 boys and 10 girls) in Year Six from Queensland State Schools are selected to live in at the Ekka and participate in a range of educational activities. The Camp commences on the first Friday of the show and concludes the following Friday – a total of seven nights.

The dates for 2017 are Friday 11th August to Friday 18th August. The Camp program provides extension activities in writing - particularly news writing and digital media. Students are not expected to be expert in these areas, but they must show some ability and interest, be willing to actively participate in all of the learning activities and make a commitment to meet the work expectations of the Camp.

Students wanting to be selected to attend the Show Camp will need to have successfully completed an on-line course in News Writing developed by the Brisbane Urban Environmental Education Centre. The course can be accessed through the Learning Place. Details of how to access this will be provided to teachers via email.

The main emphasis of the Camp is literacy and media. It is not an agricultural or ‘showing’ training activity, even though students will see, and may be involved in, these aspects of the Ekka.

Accommodation:

Show Campers live within the Ekka grounds in a dormitory building, in an area which is closed to public access. The building contains two dormitories with attached teachers’ rooms, an office, classroom and common room. Toilets and shower facilities are for the exclusive use of the Show Camp.

Travel:

It is expected that the parents of students living close to Brisbane will arrange their own travel to and from the Camp. The Showgrounds are a short walk from the Fortitude Valley (Brunswick Street) railway station.

Students will be met at one of the entry gates and provided with their entry pass. Parking, other than drop-off, is not available and entry passes for other family members are not provided.

For students living outside the south-east corner: Education Queensland will meet the cost of air transport from the closest regular air service location to Brisbane and return (in accordance with Education Queensland policy). Students traveling by air will be as unaccompanied minors who are supervised on the plane and delivered to the nominated person at the destination.

Unfortunately Coach Companies no longer transport unaccompanied minors. Some do provide a reduced fare for an adult accompanying a child. Special conditions apply and these will need to be obtained from the coach company. Education Queensland will meet the cost of transport for the selected student but cannot provide any financial support for fares for accompanying adults.

Parents are required to meet the costs of any food required on the journey to and from Show Camp. Special travel arrangements may be possible and should be discussed with the Show Camp Manager. Any additional travel costs that result from special arrangements at the parents’ request will incur a co-payment.

Meals:

All meals during the Camp are provided at a restaurant within the Showgrounds close to the Show Camp building. Details of any special dietary requirements for the students selected will be obtained closer to the camp.

Costs:

There is no cost to students for participation in the Show Camp (apart from personal spending money).

Work to be submitted:

1: Students are required to complete the on-line News Writing course to be considered for the Camp. There are four assessment pieces that will need to be completed and submitted according to the timetable to be provided via email. Final piece to be submitted by June 9th.

2: Students are also required to provide a personal statement that outlines:

• their involvement in school activities,
• their interest in journalism, media arts and the use of technology,
• their reasons for wanting to be selected to attend the Camp, and how they believe that their attendance may benefit both themselves and the school.

Other requirements:

Students are also required to provide a recent portrait (similar to a passport photo) in a digital format. The portrait should show head and shoulders facing directly towards the camera - no hats or dark glasses. The photo File name must contain the name of the student. The photo is required for photo ID tags produced by the RNA.

How to nominate

If your child is in Year 6 and you wish to nominate, please contact Lesley Griffin for further information.

Student Council News

2017 Student Council

Easter Raffle Donations Required

Just a reminder that the donations for the Student Council Easter Raffle can be dropped off at the school outside of Lesley Griffin’s Office. The Raffle will be drawn on 31 March at the Inter-house Swimming Carnival.

ANZAC Day 2017 - Lest We Forget

The invitation has been extended for our students to participate in the Charters Towers Regional Council’s ANZAC Day Commemorations Parade on Tuesday, 25th April. The parade will start at the intersection of Mosman and Mary Streets at 9:35am. Students and teachers are asked to assemble in front of the Rix Hotel by 9:15am. The march will proceed down Gill Street to the Cenotaph (in front of the hospital), where the Memorial Service will commence. Students can be picked up after the ceremony from the hospital. It is estimated that the ceremony will finish at around 10:45am. Students will need to be neatly presented in their full school uniform and hat. Participants in the march are encouraged to wear medals of family relatives. These medals should be worn on the high right side of the chest.

If students would like to participate in the parade, please RSVP by email to Mrs Kaye Warren (kwarr81@eq.edu.au) by 3pm on Wednesday, 19th April.

Kaye Warren
Student Council Coordinator

Senior School Art

Year 5 @ Home Tutor School

Joe & Mickey appreciating the chance to play board games in the air-conditioning.

Year 2 went walking in the Jungle at Home Tutor School…

LOOK OUT FOR THAT ANACONDA!!!!

At Home Tutor School last month, the Year 2 students who were able to attend saw our classroom transform into a jungle complete with trees, brightly coloured word birds, swinging monkeys on vines, giant hanging elephants and so much more!

Unit 1 was poetry and the children co-operated well together producing noun groups and verbs that related to their specially chosen and beautifully decorated jungle creatures. We looked at the rhythm and rhyme of a poem I wrote all about warning a funny monkey on a vine not to fall off and hurt his spine!

We gathered jungle words from around the classroom adding them to word bird tail feathers and displayed them around our classroom. They looked so cool next to the monkeys we constructed hanging from vines made from stockings filled with scrunched newspaper.

We practised our jungle spelling words with colours and chalk on the concrete. We did ELEPHANT STAMPEDE writing and some of the children’s writing of all they knew about jungles filled an entire A4 page! We were so excited to see all the students have a go and do their very best!

We read in the tent camped out deep in the jungle and followed the ‘walking in the jungle’ song on the smartboard doing the actions as we went.

Maths was full of measurement and place value! We know our partitioning sooooo weeeell! Number lines and Part-Part-Whole work was a breeze for us. The class were COOL JUNGLE DUDES as we rapped the tunes counting in 2’s, 5’s and 10’s!

We went to visit a pirate ship with Captain Currin at the wheel! Pirate Talbot was there too as we searched for treasure in the boat named ‘The Library’!

BJ ran us through our NRL paces and Mrs Leigh had such fun planting more plants as if the jungle didn’t have enough! Mr Price had us washing our hands with would you believe… orange juice! The Museum ladies brought so many awesome living creatures to our rooms and we were able to sort them into groups by seeing what they had in common. They said we were so clever so they taught us a tricky group called the invertebrates!

When we thought all the fun had just about ended we became tooth defenders looking after our teeth and eating smoko’s healthy fruit just like some found in the real jungles.

All was quiet and a story began… A teacher is leading her students on a jungle excursion. One by one they are disappearing. An anaconda following gets bigger and bigger! All our class was swallowed BUT the teacher biffed him in the nose and tied him in a knot. All the class returned safe and sound appearing right there in front of me again. I was so relieved!

Miss Micallef and I would like to thank the students, families and Home Tutors who were able to join us that week.

A fabulous time was had by all!!!!!

Reporter: Ms. Lyn Simatis
Year 2 Teacher

Tempy and Madison loved the Bunnings activity!

FLIQ (Flexible Learning Initiatives Queensland)

Previously known as ALC (Alternate Learning Centre), FLIQ is an educational program designed primarily for Year 7 – 12 students who are disengaged from mainstream schooling and seek an educational pathway that will lead to further education or employment. FLIQ works in partnership with community based organisations to provide students with educational opportunities to achieve these goals.

The new name ‘FLIQ’ (Flexible Learning Initiatives Queensland) is a reflection of the services provided to the students and acknowledges the diversity of the program in its ability to reach and educate students who are located state wide. In 2017, FLIQ students commenced Collaborate Sessions. Sessions are conducted by teachers for all subjects and already the signs indicate a positive start. Some FLIQ student comments about the FLIQ program include...

• A lot more help and support than I’m used to
• They have taught me things that I didn’t know about
• Teachers listen and make us feel like we are like any other student
• The teachers are here if you need someone to talk to
• This program makes me want to come to school
• I learn better and I enjoy it because it’s fun
• I feel more heard in class than what I am used to
• Can talk about anything to staff
• Feel more respected here
• More of a say
• Better Numeracy and Literacy skills
• The teachers are hearing us
• The program is helping my anxiety
• Self-paced
• My behaviour has changed a bit
• It helps me learn more
• Easy to fit in
• Helps my sleep routine
• Better chance of achieving goals
• The work is easier to understand
• The staff listen to us more
• It’s a good place to find new friends
• Self-paced, fun, cool teachers

Tracy Burke
FLIQ Teacher

Education Support Program

Healthy Habitat

Year 1 Student Mitchell created a fine example of a Healthy Habitat to consolidate what he has learnt in Science this term. A great effort using some very interesting mixed media.

Mitchell Year 1 Healthy Habitat Art work

Ché D’Amant
Education Support Program Teacher

Vet News

Our Senior School students will have the opportunity to participate in various training workshops during 8 – 12 May (Term two, week four) for the following VET courses: Certificate II in Agriculture; Certificate I and II in Information, Digital Media and Technology; and Certificate I, II and III in Business. Students attending these workshops will gain hands on experience in their particular field while working with their teachers and industry representatives, ultimately putting the theory they have learned in their courses into practice and gaining some valuable insight from local business owners.

The purpose of the training workshops is to allow students the opportunity to complete intensive training alongside their teachers, and to demonstrate competency in practical skills in Agriculture, Business, and in Information, Digital Media and Technology. The training workshops will also provide an opportunity for students to have Third Party Reports completed and signed off.

Students will network with various individuals working in the agricultural, business and IT industries. These sessions will allow students to gain some excellent hands-on experience and to learn from those already in the industry, as well as, work towards their Certificates.

Further details will be emailed to students currently enrolled in the above courses in the coming weeks. Students who are interested in attending the training workshops should contact their relevant teacher/s to express their interest.

Chris Harrington
VET Teacher

Junior Secondary - Great Time Had by All at the Home Tutor School.

A number of our Junior Secondary students attended the recent Home Tutor School. This year we joined with students from Senior Secondary and worked at the Cricket Centre in York Street for the week.

Normal lessons began at 8.30am until 12.45pm when lunch was taken. Between 1.30pm until 3pm, group classes were run in which secondary students of all levels were mixed together and special programs were run. For example on Monday a group Science experiment was held in which everyone present participated. Tuesday was Art day and there are some pictures below. Although bullying is not a problem at the school, the students made up anti-bullying posters and a discussion was held about this topic. Thursday was a design challenge in which the students were given sheets of A4 photocopy paper and cello tape. They had to construct a bridge to span a distance between 2 tables and be able to support some weights which were increased until the bridge collapsed.

After afternoon tea, the students and teachers were involved in activities which included cooking - the finished products were devoured for supper. On two days, we went to a local pool where the water after some very warm days was very welcomed indeed. The fourth afternoon involved team work activities.

After an evening meal, various activities were provided and shared with staff and students. These included movies, ‘How to be a Millionaire’ and other games.

It was a very busy week for both the students and staff alike. It enabled the students to meet with their teachers and put a face to the voice that they hear twice a week. It also enabled the students to meet class mates who they may not have met before, due to the nature of our school. From the staff point of view, every time we meet over the computer system, we can now put a face to the name of the student. The result is the student is understood better by the teacher and the work from the student is improved.

Overall it was a very successful Home Tutor School.

The Junior Secondary team

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