6 February 2017

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Welcome to the 2017 school year. What an outstanding start to 2017 with the students and staff settling quickly into the new year, with over 200 students starting in Year 7, while there are quite a few new students and families across the other Year levels also. The staff have been very busy in quickly settling students into the learning mode and building the High expectations that we all have for the coming year.

Many of the achievements of the students in 2016 are only now clear. The release of the Year 12 OP ratings came in late December with our Dux Igor Seleznev awarded OP1, and there were a total of 10 students who received OPs between 1 and 4, meaning these students are in very good position for their Tertiary pathways. Over 85% of the students who applied through QTAC for University placements were awarded their first preference. Of the 165 graduating Year 12s last year, 99.4% were awarded a Qld Certificate of Education QCE. I look forward to hearing the progress of these students and the many others placed in training, apprenticeships or work in the coming years.

I am very proud to report that this High performance is reflected across the whole school also. For several years we have set the target of 85% for attainment of Sound rating and better (C or better) across all students and subjects. In the final Reports last year, students achieved this goal of 85%, with the graduating Year 12s gaining 93.4%.

Our Student Leaders Investiture will be convened in our Hall on Wednesday 8th Feb at 9am. Parents of our Prefects, Music, Sports and House Captains will be invited to attend and participate to celebrate the swearing in of most of our leaders for 2017. Our Junior Secondary Leaders are elected later in Term 1, giving our Year 7s particularly, some time to find their feet.

During Week 2, order packs for parents to purchase student photos were distributed. Photographers from MSP will attend our school 9-10th Feb, to photograph every student and staff member over these two days. Parents are reminded that orders are to be delivered to the MSP team at the school on these days, or if arranged during the visit, possibly send direct to MSP soon after. After about another 5 weeks, students will receive orders and also receive Student ID Cards for 2017. The small number of students who need to be absent on these days, may request a student card later from our office staff.

With students into their timetables now, school staff will be sending invoices via email to families in the near future for the School Contribution Scheme, providing text and other materials for subjects during the year. Connections to BYOX network fees of $35 per student laptop, have already been sent out. These amounts can be paid by BPoint with details in the email or alternatively families may arrange a payment plan with office staff, for fortnightly instalments paid off, to receive the discount.

As well as many new students and families, we also welcome some new teachers. Ms Anna Jahnke joins our Agriculture / Science team, Ms Lorraine McLennan in Hospitality, Mr Steven Bryant in Maths and Mr Rowan Graham in Phys Ed Department. In addition we have Mr Chris Pozza, Ms Jacqui Shields and Ms Jana Lynham on short contracts behind staff on leave for a few weeks for health and family reasons. Congratulations to Ms Amanda Dick who gave birth to their second little girl Charli on Friday 27th January. Both are progressing well. Another new birth occurred at our farm with Ruby delivery a bull calf on Sunday to add to our stud herd.

Congratulations to a number of our students who have achieved high standards in their sporting pursuits over the summer break. Ryleigh Wotherspoon and Ella Anderson were part of the Queensland girls cricket team which won the National Championships for 2016, both performing well. Gwen Lee participated in a National Futsal competition in Sydney playing for Queensland and was selected in the Australian team to travel to Spain and England at the end of 2017. Very well done to these students.

Ryliegh Wotherspoon and Ella Anderson with the winning trophy

Mr Steve Paulger
Principal

NEW TEACHERS

Anna Jahnke

I am a new to teaching and to Mackay. I was born and raised in Toowoomba on the Darling Downs. My teaching passions are Biology and Animal Health & Disease. I will be based in the Science department and I am thrilled to begin my teaching career at a school that has such a broad range of opportunities for its students and I am keen to become involved in the Cattle Show Team later in the year. While it may take me some time to adjust to the humidity, the staff and students at MSHS have made me feel so welcome in such a short space of time that I already feel part of community. I look forward to getting to know students and their families as I begin a very busy but rewarding first year of teaching.

Rowan Graham

I Studied at CQU in Bundaberg completing at Bachelor of Learning Management with a major in Physical Education in 2003. I previously worked in Redcliffe while playing Rugby League. I am heavily involved in Rugby League both in and out of school. Born in Mackay and currently live in Marian with my family. Looking forward to contributing to this great school.

Steve Bryant

Hi my name is Steve Bryant and I am a beginning maths teacher here at Mackay High – although some of you may remember me from last year. Before undertaking my degree in education last year, I worked in I.T for 10 years as a programmer and web developer and like to utilise technology in my classroom. I am a Mackay local and have played rugby league all my life for Wests Tigers, although have taken a step back from sport in recent years to focus on my young family. I look forward to getting to know all of my students and their parents, and working together towards their goals in maths.

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

School Photo Day

Our school photo days have been scheduled for Thursday 9 and Friday 10 February. This week your child should have brought home an envelope if you were wanting to purchase photos.

There is an option for parents/guardians to order and pay for photos online before photo day.

On photo day students are to bring their envelope with correct money and hand it DIRECTLY to the PHOTOGRAPHER. The school does not collect school photo money.

All students must be in full school uniform to have school photos taken

All students (whether purchasing a phot pack or not) WILL be required to have their photo taken on these days for their 2017 Student ID Card. As this ID card is a form of legal identification students must comply with the school rules around presentation, jewellery, facial piercings, hair accessories etc. Student who refuse to comply will not have an ID photograph taken.

The photographer offers the opportunity for sibling photos to be taken. A separate envelope is available from the general office if you would like a sibling photo taken.

Our photographers Master Schools Portraits do an outstanding job every year and are available for parent contact if you have any questions or concerns.

Year 10 USI (Unique Student Identifier)

Each senior student is required to have a USI number (Unique Student Identifier). This is issued to a student ONCE and remains with them for future Certificate Courses of study in later life.

All Year 10 students were issued with a letter outlining the requirements and process to getting a USI. The USI must be applied for and information provided to Mrs Barnard, Ms Drinkwater, Mrs Esau or Mrs Hocking no later than Friday 24 February 2017.

Any student who is experiencing difficulty in completing this can see the above staff for assistance.

Year 11 and 12 Students without USI’s

Despite repeated efforts there are still a number of Year 11 and 12 students who have not completed the requirements for their USI (Unique Student Identifier) Students have been notified if they have not fulfilled this expectation. We would ask for your assistance in checking with your child that they have completed this. Students will need access to medicare information or other identifiers. If you have any issues, questions please contact Mrs Barnard.

FROM THE DESK OF A DEPUTY

Does your child have a mobile phone? “Yes” Do you know what your child is sending out over social media? “No”

We have been back at school for all but a few days and we have already had several incidents which have resulted from students participating in social media conversations, typically outside of school or over the holidays.

Here are some samples:

• Without the tone and body language of a real conversation comments are being misunderstood – “That’s not what I meant!”
• Students feel remote enough on the phone to say very hurtful things and then when they arrive at school they will be challenged by someone, or their friends – “Why did you say those things about one of my friends?”
• Students have sent personal pictures or private information out to someone that they thought was a friend and that person isn’t who they thought or they have chosen to forward it on to others – “I only sent it to two people!”
• “I stayed up until 4am on my phone and I am too tired for school”.

Social media can be fun but it can also be a source of high anxiety and distraction for your child. Students can be on the receiving end of hurtful and negative comments for almost every hour of the day if they are constantly on their phone. This can contribute to severe depression, feelings of isolation and low self-worth.

Please monitor and regulate your child’s communications and time spent on social media. Our Support Staff are available to offer some tips and advice should you or your child need some help.

INFORMATION EVENING

New Parents / Carers to Mackay State High School are invited to attend an Information Evening on Wednesday 15th February at 6.30 – 7.30 pm in the Auditorium (this follows on from the Year 7 Meet and Greet at the Hall)

• Settling In
• Timetables
• Assessment Planners
• Some Subject Specific points
• Accounts
• Uniform
• Support Staff
• Question Time

JUNIOR SECONDARY NEWS

General News

Welcome to 2017 and welcome to all new students and their families. I am happy to see our new Year 7 students settling in so well and so rapidly. School is such a dynamic place. NO student should dislike school.

I will communicate regularly about a major focus within Junior Secondary at Mackay High this year. We have a big goal - to develop a very positive ethos and culture around school - our attitudes, our efforts, the language of support and success. This needs to be student driven and we are implementing a number of integrated initiatives to meet this goal. Importantly though, student success here also requires constant support at home. As we work toward our outcomes, please follow us closely and support our efforts with regular conversations with your children at home.

What's On Soon

Year 8 camp is ramping up. Surfs up at Fairbairn dam! Students attending are looking forward to great food, challenging activities, making new friends, and developing self-leadership. Participants will receive medical forms and more camp information after the final cut off date for outstanding camp costs. Final payments for outstanding balances are due by Friday 3rd February. We have 3-4 places available for students still wishing to attend. Students can see Mr Neill for a note, but payment ($200) is due in full immediately.

We will be holding a disco for Year 7 to 9 on Wednesday 15th February, in conjunction with a BBQ for Year 7 parents to meet staff, followed by an information evening in our Auditorium (see more detail regards this in the newsletter. A disco letter will be distributed to students soon.

Good News Stories

Watch this space in future for examples of great things happening in Junior Secondary.

Good news (great news) is the pride our new Year 7's are showing in their school uniform. Combined with the best attendance (so far) in the school, they are setting a fantastic example.

Let's see the Junior School challenge the senior school in showing pride and positive attitudes.

Thought of the Newsletter

"If you have made mistakes, even serious mistakes, you can make a new start whenever you choose. For the thing we call failure is not the falling but the staying down."

Canadian actress Mary Pickford (1892-1979)

General

See a couple of quick snaps of our year 7's in class and Year 7 Parade

Matt Skinner
Junior Secondary Head of School

YEAR CO-ORDINATOR’S FOR 2017

YEAR 7 CO-ORDINATOR

My name is Kate Leon-Mason and I am the Year 7 Co-ordinator in 2017. Like your child, I am excited and look forward to meeting you and learning about our new Year 7 students.

Year 7 Transition

Year 7 transition for some students, will bring new routines and greater academic demands. Our job is to create a distinct identity by encouraging and supporting students to develop their own group identity within MSHS School. This can involve dedicated events such as the discos, sports carnivals and fundraising events. Participation is an important part of school life learning.

Our staff at MSHS School are quality teachers that work with students throughout the Junior Secondary years, giving them the skills they need for life and supporting students through these crucial early high school years.

My role is student wellbeing which will meet the social and emotional needs of Junior Secondary students focusing on a strong connection to pastoral care. Parent and community involvement where you stay connected with your child’s learning whilst they enter high school and beyond is a crucial element to a student’s success. Parent involvement in assemblies, special events, award ceremonies and leadership presentations are all welcomed.

Leadership is encouraged through leadership roles for students in each class and year level, please encourage your child to step into a leadership role.

Form teachers are your first point of call if there is an issue relating to your child. They are supported by the Junior Secondary team, Student Services and Admin. Local decision-making of our school community will influence how Junior Secondary is implemented so if you have time we would love for you to join the P&C.

Students need to be prepared for learning when they come to class and must bring the following materials:

• Pencil Case
• Student Diary
• Note Book
• Laptop

Each week students will improve their learning by completing various homework tasks or assessments set by teachers that revise a variety of skills to help support classroom learning. If your child says there is no homework they could be encouraged to watch the news, review their classwork or read. We also offer free tutoring after school, stay tuned for future dates.

Dates for assessment items will be included on the semester planner your child will receive in week 2.

I would like to send out regular updates for parent/guardians about Year 7 achievements, activities and reminders by email, alternatively I can be contacted on 49579164. If you wish to join this email group please send me an email so I can add you to this list. My email address is kmaso57@eq.edu.au.

ATTENDANCE

Just a reminder that every day counts – please take the time to check out the latest animation on the importance of turning up to school every day. It features the voice of rugby league player Sam Thaiday, along with some other favourite footy players. There are more fun, useful materials on the Every day counts website for your child. If you child is ill please contact the school and notify them of the reason and length of absence. The student will have a school diary where any communication or absent note can be recorded.

UNIFORM

Shoes for school – either black or white.

If parents or students are at all confused about the required footwear please contact me by phone to limit any confusion. If a student is out of school uniform from day 1 they will be required to bring a note to C7 where they will be shown a picture of the required uniform, be given a uniform pass and their name recorded for a follow up with parents. Please refer to the student’s school diary and reiterate with your child the importance of punctuality, attendance, participation and uniform.

Looking forward to working with you all in 2017.

Kate Leon-Mason
Year 7 Co-Ordinator

MAKE THIS YEAR YOUR CHILD'S BEST EVER AT SCHOOL

By Michael Grose

Dear Parents

I thought this useful article from Michael Grose could assist us in developing this hope and enthusiasm into positive learning experience which will assist our children in reaching their potential.

Part 1

A new school year means a clean slate for students. Here are 7 ideas to help you make the most of the fresh start and make this year your child’s best year ever at school

A new school year means a fresh start for students. Regardless of your child’s performance last year, they start school with a clean slate. A break offers students the chance to begin new habits and adopt new behaviours.

Here are seven ideas to help you make the most of the fresh start and make this year your child’s best year ever year at school:

1. Commit to your child going to school every day on time. One of the most important things you can do to ensure your child has a bright future is to make sure he or she goes to school every day – and gets there on time. Kids spend more time asleep than at school, so we need to maximise every day to get full value.
2. Help kids start each day well. A good night’s sleep, a healthy breakfast and some words of encouragement from you will help set a positive tone for a day of learning. This may mean that you adjust your morning routine so that kids have plenty of time get up, eat and get ready for the day.
3. Establish work & study habits. The most successful students are those that develop regular study habits that suit their lifestyle, their study style and their school’s expectations. Find out the work expectations from your child’s or young person’s school and help them establish a work routine that matches.
4. Make sure your child gets enough sleep. Many children and young people are sleep-deprived, which impacts on their wellbeing and their learning. A good night’s sleep consolidates learning, as well as assisting future learning. Children need between 10-12 hours of sleep each day, while teens need a minimum of nine hours. Help kids get sufficient sleep by having a regular bedtime and get-up time each day. Have a 45-minute wind-down time each night, and remove screens and mobile phones from bedrooms.

Part 2 will follow in the next newsletter………………………..

SPORTS WRAP!

Sports & House Captains 2017

The year 12 students have been through the process of writing nominations to be selected for the prestigious roles of House and Sports captains of Mackay State High School. The panel of teachers from the Physical Education department spent time analysing these nominations to select the best representatives for 2017. After a lot of discussion the following decisions were made, congratulations to the following students

FUTSAL

Gwen Lee was selected to represent the Australian Futsal Association National U21 Team to play in Spain and the UK in November this year.

The selection occurred at the National Futsal Tournament in Sydney this past January. Gwen represented the Queensland Whitsunday Regional Team at the Nationals. This team came third in the Nation and first amongst the other Queensland teams.

A few days after returning home from the Competition, Gwen received the news via email that she had been selected as a result of her performance at the Nationals. As you can imagine she was shocked and it took at least 3 days for her to realise the prestige of the selection.

This is a tremendous achievement, which has only been achieved through Gwen’s skills and capability. Congratulations and Good Luck.

Hockey

Tahlear Templeton was recently selected to umpire at the U13 National Hockey Titles held in Wollongong in January. Being at the titles gave Tahlear a great opportunity to showcase her skills while continuing to refine and improve. Tahlear was then selected to umpire the grand final and received her level 1 accreditation. Congratulations, this is a fantastic achievement.

CRICKET

The Queensland U12 girls' cricket team won the National Championships in Canberra in the holidays. Ryleigh Wotherspoon and Ella Anderson, were both in the team. Ryleigh held the prestigious role as the captain again this year. It was particularly exciting for the girls and their team mates as the Mackay region had not won the championships for about a decade. The pair provided to be a good partnership at the State Championships last year after obtaining the score of 80 together in the Grand Final. This partnership provided the girls with a great lead into the Nationals. This is an outstanding achievement and both of the girls should be commended on their efforts.

Pictures of Ryleigh and Ella from the recent School Sport Australia National Cricket Championships; The trophy is the Grahame Barrett Shield, the other is Ella bowling and Ryleigh wicket keeping vs the ACT.

Swimming Carnival

The Swimming Carnival will be held on Tuesday 14th February, where all students will meet at the pool. There will be a range of swimming and novelty events for all students to enjoy on the day. This is a mandatory school day and a great way to foster school spirit by participating and representing the house students are allocated.

School Sports Trials

If your son or daughter is unsure of how to trial for certain sports, please inform them to come and speak to Miss Russell (the Sports Coordinator) and ensure that they listen to the daily notices for additional information each day. It is important to meet deadlines and submit consent forms by the appropriate dates to ensure the chain of communication between the schools, coaches and convenors is a seamless process.

MACKAY DISTRICT SCHOOL SPORT TRIALS CALENDAR

ACCESS CENTRE (SEU)

PLC

The Positive Learning Centre presented Ben Hoey with his Bronze Certificate - A great achievement of dedication and hard work he completed last year at the PLC. This is a part of the ASDAN Awards Program. A fantastic achievement Ben! Thank you to all that attended, it was a lovely little morning tea. Great communication and relationships were formed with the Access Centre and the Positive Learning Centre. We look forward to working as a team with them this year.

Access Centre

We also welcome Donna Sumpter to our Centre who is replacing Stephanie Bedford for 4 weeks. Thank you Donna!

We are the Access Centre Staff and we would like you to contact us if you have any concerns regarding your child's learning difficulties/disabilities or overall wellbeing at school. We aim to create a positive and safe environment for all our students to achieve their very best at school. Contacts are below.

MESSAGE FROM THE OFFICE

Welcome back – it is great to see all the new shiny faces around the school and the sparky clean new uniforms.

STUDENT PARTICIPATION FORM

Your student will receive a coloured “participation form” for you to sign and return for Student Resource Scheme. Your agreeing to participate allows us to provide your student with textbooks and workbooks prepared and purchased by the school. NON-participation means YOU are required to purchase all the textbooks your student currently “borrows”.

INVOICES

We have invoiced students for Student Resource Scheme, Magazine (NOT compulsory) and subjects that incur charges. The discount period for the Student Resource Scheme is for payment received during Term 1. There will be an additional $20 balance applied in Term 2. There are a few elective subjects that may still come through. Thank you to all that have processed your payments – isn’t the BPoint option fantastic?

BPOINT

If you view the bottom left hand side of your invoice or statement it explains the process – go to the link below - you will require information from your invoice or statement eg your Customer Reference Number, students’ name and invoice number.

Enter YOUR email address for the receipt/confirmation of payment. I receive a report from the bank showing me all payments and/or if there were errors during entry.

STATEMENTS

To receive invoices/statements via email please contact us at admin@mackayshs.eq.edu.au – we would prefer to provide you with up to date information. We endeavour to email statements each mid-month.

PAYMENTS

If you are experiencing financial hardship please contact us. We may be able to provide options to assist you with clearing your fees. Students with unpaid fees may find themselves unable to participate in elective excursions, purchase Mackay SHS Jerseys and/or Mocktail and Formal tickets.

Are you aware you can have your Centrelink payments paid directly to the school to pay for your student’s fees?

REFUNDS/CREDITS

If/when you request the reversal (credit adjustment) of an invoice please be aware that we require a written request (we do have a standard form) and then the approval of the appropriate Head of Department or Excursion Coordinator. Quite often there is a non-refundable deposit because the school often pays excursion costs long before departure.

KEEPING IN TOUCH

If any of your details change: address, contact numbers etc please let us now ASAP.

Should you wish to query anything please drop in (8am – 3.45pm) phone 4957 9179 or email admin@mackayshs.eq.edu.au.

Thanks everyone.
Looking forward to a fabulous 2017.
Marg Brown
Business Service Manager

SAFETY AROUND OUR SCHOOL

All people dropping off and collecting students from around schools are reminded to be very cautious and ensure that speed limits and parking regulations are closely adhered to. Local Police are monitoring school areas very closely to support the safety of all near our schools.

In the afternoons, I recommend that parents arrange to pick up their children from a set place in Penn St, English St or Kenilworth St as the school frontage is congested with other cars and buses until 3:30pm.

MATHS TUTORING

ENGLISH TUTORING

Tutoring

Every Monday 3- 4pm in A08

Students can get help with assignments, exam preparation, oral presentations etc.

EALD

ARE YOU AN EALD – Is English and additional language or dialect for you??

Student Who Needs Some Extra Help With Assignments? You are eligible for:

What: Extra FREE tutoring for EALD students
WHEN: Every Wednesday 3pm to 4pm
WHERE: D05 classroom
WHO with: Mrs McGuire and Mrs Baxter

Bring along your assignments or homework for help with grammar and vocabulary; or to understand the task requirements.

CHAPPY PHIL

Salvation Army Presentation

Sarah Jane from the Salvation Army presented MSHS with a Thank You Certificate on parade this week in appreciation of the schools generosity during the 2016 Christmas Hamper Appeal.

The school was congratulated for helping children and families in need in Mackay with donated food items. The huge amount of collected food also has brought a message of hope and lets people know that someone cares about them. Sarah Jane also encouraged the students to participate in the 2017 Appeal.

Well done Staff and Students!

School Captains Haard Shah and Thrisha Bajamundi with Sarah Jane of Salvation Army

Strength Work Program

As part of the Strength Work Program, students completed a makeover the garden beds in front of the Administration building during the last week of school 2016 .

This was a culmination and follow up activity for the Term 3 group. It was a hot and steamy day and the group showed great resilience and stamina to finish the work on time.

Well done to our young men.

Strength boys with Ms Tania Cheers -Deputy Principal, Chappy Phil and Groundsmen Brett.

Chappy Phil

ASTHMA

What are the symptoms of asthma?

A person’s asthma symptoms can vary over time - sometimes they will have no symptoms, especially when their asthma is well-controlled. Symptoms often vary from person to person, but they are most commonly:

• breathlessness
• wheezing
• tight feeling in the chest
• continuing cough

Symptoms often occur at night, early in the morning or during/just after activity. They are caused by the narrowing of the airways.

If your asthma is well controlled, you should only have occasional asthma symptoms.

Managing your asthma means taking control of your health so that you can live a full and active life. While asthma can’t be cured, for most people it can be well controlled, which means hardly any symptoms or flare-ups, or limits to your lifestyle. With the correct knowledge, skills and medication you can do just about anything - asthma shouldn't stop you!

Your asthma medicine - The key way asthma is managed is with inhaled medicines – make sure you know what your medicine does and why you are taking it.

How to use your puffer - The way you take your medicine is the most important thing, otherwise you won’t be getting the right dose in the right place.

Controlling asthma - What is normal? Find out if your asthma is under control or if you can take steps to improve it.

Common concerns - Including side effects, worries about steroids, asthma in pregnancy and anaphylaxis.

Spacers - Using a spacer with a puffer makes it easier to take the medicine, and also gets more of the medicine into the lungs so it works better

If you have symptoms regularly, you should see your doctor.
If you’re not sure if you have asthma you should see your doctor.

P & C NEWS

The P & C has the following surplus items for sale following the recent refurbishment of the tuckshop. Details are in attached photos. All items are in good working order.

• 2 large tuckerbox freezers
• 4 pie warmers
• 1 microwave

If you are interested in purchasing any of the above items please email pandc@mackayshs.eq.edu.au with your offer by Wednesday 8th February. If your offer is accepted you will be advised by Friday 10th February. You will need to make full payment and collect the items by Wednesday 15th February 2017.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

RSPCA

Volunteers needed to work either Saturdays and Sundays helping out at the RSPCA. They are in desperate need of people to help walk the dogs and care for the cats. Students must be over the age of 16 or 16 years of age. You will need to contact the RSPCA Mackay for further details.

COMMUNITY NOTICES

City Brothers Football Club

Or sign on, 5th February 2017
Nita Flemming Fields
Juliet Street, Mackay
Contact - Craig, watty2910@outlook.com
Or 0418308362