29 April 2022

Newsletter Articles

From The Principal

Welcome - This is week 2 of Term 2 in our school year. Much is happening in and around the school so please keep abreast of updates in academia / sport / social and other areas of interest.

School Mantras: Be Safe / Be Respectful / Be Prepared / Be Responsible.

PBL: Our PBL focus this week is “Be respectful use polite language.” Language is a very important part of the education of a student. The simple art of being able to articulate what you are thinking is a most important part of society today. Unfortunately, in some cases our emotions dictate how we speak especially in heightened situations. It is most important that we as a school community educate our children not to allow our emotions to dictate the language that we use even if it is what we are thinking. One of my favourite examples was an incident involving a person who was obviously having some dramas with another whom I assumed to be the partner. The response when asked about the tirade of profanities being lashed upon them was “don’t worry about them they are not bright enough to think of anything else to say.” Enough said.

St George Show: This weekend we have the St George Show, we as a school have been preparing a number of exhibits. Hopefully Miss Crowe and I will have the steers Billy and Bob ready for exhibition on Sunday. The ladies who excel at “The Date Loaf” will obviously be entering as well so look out for that one. Julie Davies our P & C President is still looking for a few people to volunteer staffing the gates during the day as well. Any help would be much appreciated.

QCE - What is a QCE ? The QCE is the Queensland Certificate of Education that our students earn as an end point of their educational experience, some 13 years of their lives. The Department of Education (DoE) have a mandate that every student who completes Year 12 should attain a QCE. This is not an unreasonable expectation. St George State High School and its staff work tirelessly ensuring students are on track and will have the necessary points (20) which includes the mandatory Core Subjects English Maths and Science (4 Points Each) to ensure successful completion of the QCE at the end of Year 12. In my day a “long long time ago” it used to be the Year 10 Completion Certificate. It only struck me as being important when I saw on an employment registration of interest application, as a pre-requisite to applying, that I had to have completed the Year 10 Certificate. For those of us who grew up in those years the QCE is now widely regarded as the entry level certificate for employment in Mining, Corporate and other Industry job applications. More importantly however, it is a representation of a student’s completion of 13 years of schooling and all the educational opportunities that entails and have been availed to that student.

Show Holiday: Don’t forget Parents and Carers Monday is the Show Holiday.

Communication with School: The school has many methods of communication which include the Newsletter, a Facebook Site, Letters Home, Text Messages. However, should you wish to communicate with the school on a particular matter please don’t hesitate to contact the ladies in the office. Please don’t forget to ring the school should your child or ward be absent for the day.

Rob Nowlan.

From Deputy Principal

PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS – Tuesday 17 May

Please find the attached the link to book any parent teacher interviews in regards to your student-

NEW TEACHER

Please welcome Mrs Wendy Captain to the St George SHS staff. Wendy comes to us from Cunnamulla and will be working as a district relief teacher based with us.

COVID-19 UPDATE

After having COVID-19

1. Ending isolation

You can leave isolation after 7 full days if you have no more symptoms or only a mild, dry cough.

If you still have symptoms after 7 days, stay home until your symptoms are gone, or seek medical care if you are not sure.

You don’t need a negative test to end isolation .

If others in your household tested positive while you were in isolation, you can still leave isolation after 7 days, but they must continue to isolate.

2. For the next 7 days after ending isolation

You can go to work or school or return to your normal activities.

You don’t need a negative test result to go back to work or study. There is no need to show a negative test to your employer or educational institution.

This is because most people who get COVID-19 will continue to test positive for some time after they have recovered, even though they no longer have COVID-19 and are no longer infectious.

If you leave your house:

• wear a face mask, including whenever you are indoors, or when you’re outdoors but can’t socially distance
• wash your hands regularly.

A child under 12 years old is not required to wear a face mask for 7 days after ending their isolation, however a school may require a student to wear one as part of their policies for health and safety reasons.

Don’t visit these settings unless for a permitted limited purpose and you have advised them you are a diagnosed person in isolation in advance:

• an aged care facility
• a disability care setting
• a correctional facility like a prison
• a healthcare facility like a GP or a hospital.

USI NUMBER

USI is your individual education number for life. It also gives you an online record of your VET training undertaken in Australia.

If you're at university, TAFE or doing other nationally recognised training, you need a USI. Without one, you can't get Commonwealth financial assistance or your qualification or statement of attainment.

Creating a USI should take less than 5 minutes.
You can create a USI at any age.
To obtain a USI go to: https://www.usi.gov.au/students/get-a-usi

Nicole Hyland

Anzac Day

Students and staff of St George State High School participated in the local ANZAC Day ceremony. All students present at the ceremony were very respectful and a credit to their families, school and community.

Mat Rogers

On Thursday, 31 March, former Rugby League and Union great, Mat Rogers, visited our school. Mat played professional Rugby League for clubs such as the Cronulla Sharks and Gold Coast Titans, and Rugby Union for the Waratahs, as well as representing Australia in the Wallabies Union team and Kangaroos Rugby League team.

Mat spoke with our Year 7 and 8 students about his life and career as well as his success on reality television series, Survivor. One of Mat's biggest messages to the students was about setting goals in their lives and making sacrifices to achieve those goals. He said the sacrifices now may seem big, but when they look back on their lives, after they've reached their goals, those sacrifices will be insignificant.

The students thoroughly enjoyed Mat's visit and were keen to ask him questions about his life and career.

We thank Balonne Shire Council for arranging Mat's visit to our region.

Chemistry

Chemistry Colours

This week, the Year 11 and 12 chemistry students investigated different types of acids. Using indicators, a pH probe and testing the conductivity, they were able to work out which ones were strong acids and which were weak acids. The colours of different indicators created an aesthetically pleasing array that gave a general idea of the pH (see photos). The students found that with all solutions being the same concentration, the strong acids (hydrochloric, nitric & sulfuric) had a lower pH (i.e., were more acidic) and allowed a larger electric current to flow through them than the weak acids (acetic acid, citric acid & ascorbic acid).

Karen McKechnie

Hospitality

We ended the term with our first foray into coffee making. The class took a select few orders from staff who were prewarned - they got what they were given. Not yet at the point of distinguishing between a latte or cappuccino, we instead focussed our efforts on the functions of the coffee machine, utilising the group handle and frothing wand. Feedback on our coffee was mixed! We have plenty of time to improve before our Coffee Shop at the end of Term 2. Other highlights of the past fortnight include pancakes, scones, and slices. All Hospitality students have ended the term well fed!

Jodi Hyland

Home Economics

All classes have settled in well to Term 2. Year 7 & 9 students have quite a few disruptions this term with Monday long weekends, NAPLAN & Year 7 camp.

Year 7 group are currently designing and producing a mini folder to store zingers – the reward they earn for demonstrating the four school expectations. Signed “permission to participate” forms need to be returned to teacher or the office, by all students, before practical kitchen work can start in Week 4.

Year 9 students will be investigating the value of convenience foods in the diet and cookery lessons will encourage them to try out some of the many varieties available to make meal preparation simpler, quicker and often cheaper.

Year 10 students began their Multicultural Australia unit by cooking some traditional Aussie favourites – ANZAC biscuits, scones, damper and lamingtons. This week they will experiment with meatballs showing how different sauces, herbs & spices and accompaniments produce a variety of different flavours. Sweet & sour with fried rice, kofta with couscous & flatbread, Mexican meatballs with beans & rice and creamy Swedish meatballs with potato mash will all be sampled. Ask these students to cook some of these dishes for you at home.

School Based Apprentice

Congratulations to Sharon Pearce who has started her school based hairdressing apprentice at The Hair and Beauty Hutt. Thank you to Riechelle Twiner for this opportunity and support to St George State High.

Rural Youth Summit

Five Year 11 students travelled to Roma last term for the Rural Youth Summit. Students enjoyed getting some hands on leadership experience and making new connections.

Lead & Inspire Youth Summit

Year 10 students attended the Lead & Inspire Youth Summit last term where they heard from a number of speakers about different career pathways and take part in different workshops. They enjoyed spending time in the new town Library as well.

Homework Club

Last term the Homework Club was in full swing with plenty of students taking the opportunity to get some help or work on their assessments. Great to staff willing to give up their time to assist students. Homework Club is on a Monday and Thursday 3pm to 4.30pm.

Year 12

The Year 12 students were excited to finally wear their Year 12 shirts and receive their jerseys as well.

Year 12 COVID Class Photo 2022

Junior School

Year 7 2022

Year 8 2022

Year 9 2022

Cross Country

Cross Country was held on the last day of Term 1, with students doing their best and getting points for their sports house.

Past House Winners:-

2015 Leichhardt
2016 Mitchell
2017 Mitchell
2018 Leichhardt
2019 Mitchell
2020 COVID
2021 Mitchell

2022 Winner : Mitchell 85 points, 2nd Leichhardt 76 points, 3rd Nixon 65 points

Age Champions were:-

Balonne Netball 10-12 Years

Congratulations to Claire Stenhouse, Haylee Robertson and Layla Weatherall who were selected in the Balonne Netball team. The Balonne team travelled to Roma 20 April to trial for the South West team. Haylee Robertson was selected in the SW team with Claire Stenhouse named as shadow. Well done girls! Haylee will now travel to Townsville in June to play at the State Titles.

SW Netball Update

Well done to Grace Waters who will now join Michelle Hams as part of the Senior South West Netball Team and head to Toowoomba for the State Titles in May.

SW Basketball

Good luck to Cohen Davis who will compete in the Darling Downs trials in Toowoomba next week.

Calendar

P&C Uniform & Tuckshop

Tuckshop is available every Tuesday and Thursday. Try and get your orders in before school or the next break. Uniforms will also be sold only on a Tuesday and Thursday with cash or direct deposit. Any questions please email pandc@stgeorgeshs.eq.edu.au .

P&C Proposed Meeting Dates In the School Library 6pm:-

16 May
20 June
18 July
15 August
19 September
17 October
21 November

All welcome to attend!

Community Notices

Joyeuses Pâques !

Learn basics of French, call Salvador 0428304318
St George.

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