18 October 2019

Newsletter Articles

Students with attendance of 95% or greater were recognised on assembly this week, receiving a JT Pack. Well done to Jacob and Lachlan who have 100% attendance

From the Business Manager – Mr Ben Lawson

Student Resource Scheme – Accounts Overdue

All outstanding items on the monthly statement posted 1 September are now overdue unless a payment plan has been arranged with the school.

Payment options include cash, cheque or EFTPOS via the school administration office, Credit Card online or phone through bPoint (see statement or invoice for details), CentrePay (contact office to arrange) or Bank Transfer.

If you’d like to enter a payment plan for outstanding fees, please contact Ben Lawson, Business Manager on 0746 208 222.

Mr Ben Lawson

From the HoD Senior Secondary – Mrs Deborah Addison

Term 3 is drawing to a close and the senior school students are working hard to maintain their attendance and stay on top of their assessment.

Year 10

This Term the students in year 10 are finalising their senior subject choices and are looking forward to a slightly longer holiday as they finish at the end of Week 8. The new QCE has some changes if you have had past students gain an OP these are now replaced by the ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank). If you would like any further information about this please visit this website:

Year 11

A reminder that any unscheduled days off will require your student to catch up with the teacher in their own time. All time off can have major influences on students ability to stay on top of their studies so please try and organise holidays and appointments for outside school hours.

This Term’s exams for Year 11 are below. During this exam block all students are expected to be in class to revise and be ready for their exams. If your student has 2 exams on in one day they will have access to the tutorial room.

Year 12

The Formal was such a lovely night and everyone had a great time. It was wonderful to have the Formal without the heat of summer and I look forward to this change being permanent.

The year 12s will gladly tell you how many weeks and days they have left and every day counts for these students. Their final grades for this semester can mean the difference between gaining a QCE or not. If students are struggling please advise them to talk to their teachers and/or myself.

This Term’s exams for Year 12 are below. During this exam block all students are expected to be in class to revise and be ready for their exams. If your student has 2 exams on in one day they will have access to the tutorial room.

For any questions or concerns you may have regarding your Senior Secondary students please email me at daddi4@eq.edu.au or call 4620 8222.

Mrs Deborah Addison

From the Acting HoD Junior Secondary – Miss Amy McKenna

Welcome back to the ever busy Term 4! I am excited to be taking on the role of Junior School Head of Department this term as Mr Chris Smith and his family pursue their next chapter. In my previous role as Head of Department Teaching and Learning, I was privileged to work across the school and get to know students across 7-12. I am enthusiastic about getting to know students and parents in the junior school even better.

As we begin a new term, it is a great time for students and staff to start afresh and treat Term 4 as a fresh slate. It is important that students are aware of school procedures and processes and are following them accordingly. This term teachers will focus on entry into the classroom after the breaks, with an emphasis on orderly behaviour as they do this. A smooth transition into the classroom sets the lesson up on a positive note and improves the learning outcomes for the students during that lesson, so it is important that we all work together on achieving this.

It is also essential that we hold high expectations for our students around attendance. The more days a child misses from school, the more likely they are to miss key concepts that do not only affect their current units of work and assessment but are building blocks to future learning. Please contact the office if your child is sick or has another explained absence.

Miss Amy McKenna

From the Acting HoD Teaching and Learning – Miss Bronwyn Knee

From the Guidance Officer – Miss Kelly Lawton

Last week we celebrated Mental Health Awareness Week within our school. The aim of the week is to raise awareness to different aspects of mental health, including prevention, general wellbeing and positive mental health. This year the theme of the week was #TakeTime; how do we take time for our mental health? Investing in our mental health and wellbeing is just as important as our physical health. Going for a walk, being with people we love, getting outside in nature, reading a book, listening to music and meditating are all examples of small things we can incorporate into our day to take time for our wellbeing.

An important part of mental health is knowing who is within our community, schools and at home to support us both during the good and the bad. To provide an opportunity for students and staff to become familiar with and build connections with our local support agencies the high school hosted an Agency vs Student basketball match. Agencies such as the Police, Goondir Health, Big Buddy and Lifeline joined forces to make up our agency team. Whilst it was a close, (very) competitive match, our students were victorious and took out the win.

The match was followed by a BBQ lunch at second break thanks to Goondir. This was an invaluable opportunity for students and staff to interact with these agencies in a fun, informal setting.

Thank you to all those involved, we look forward to the rematch!

From the School Based Youth Health Nurse – Ms Jodie-Lee Lawless

Jodie-Lee Lawless.jpg

I hope that everyone had a great break, and is ready to go for Term 4. The first week of Term 4 was Mental Health Week. Mental Health Week is an annual, National event that aims to improve community awareness and interest in mental health and wellbeing. The theme for 2019 is Take Time for Mental Health. In the business of life these days and with so many other competing priorities, it can sometime be challenging to find the time to “Take Time”.

Research shows there are six simple actions we can take to improve our moods, build resilience and boost wellbeing.

These simple actions are internationally recognised as the Wheel of Wellbeing*. Regularly practising these actions is beneficial for everyone.

Here are some tips on how you can incorporate the six simple actions.

• Take time to be active — it’s good for your mind as well as your body
• Take time to learn — learning new things can make you more confident as well as being fun
• Take time to give — practising small acts of kindness, volunteering time, or simply helping a friend in need can help you feel more satisfied with life
• Take time to connect — spending time with other people is important to everyone’s mental wellbeing
• Take time to enjoy the moment — paying more attention to the present and the world around you helps relieve stress and makes you feel better
• Take time to care for our planet — keeping our planet in shape is the best recipe for world wellbeing.

Ms Jodie-Lee Lawless

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Swim Club starts 30th October 5.30pm at St George Pool

St Patrick’s Fete Saturday 2nd November 4pm

FRENCH LESSONS FOR BEGINNERS? BONJOUR. C’est la fête Saturday 2nd November 4 pm onwards. Languages activates the mind. Good for higher learning. To learn the basics of French, call 46253021/0428304318 or email: salvador.f@rediffmail.com. Bon week-end!

Choose how to add this event to your calendar:

Apple Calendar iPhone, iPad, Mac - Download .ics file

Outlook Desktop Outlook - Download .ics file

Android Calendar Android devices - Download .ics file

Other Calendar Google Calendar, Yahoo, etc. - Download .ics file

Download Event