23 June 2017

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

At the end of the term, our school farewells Mr Michael Hurley and Ms Michelle Regan. Mr Hurley has made a significant positive impact as our Deputy Principal with a variety of responsibilities especially with our Year 8 cohort. I thank him and wish him well as her returns to Walkerston SS. Ms Regan has filled the vital role as Guidance Officer and influenced the development and support for several students while here. She moves to a similar role in another High School next term, where I’m sure she will be similarly appreciated. Thank you.

Our students excel when they have the opportunity to display their skills. Ariane Molina 7F1 like many students from ours and other schools entered a writing competition for the Whitsunday Voices event to be held in week 1 of next term. Ariane will certainly be attending Whitsunday Voices as her entries “Beneath the grey” and “The Storm that roared” were placed 1st & 2nd in her division against all schools in our area. Congratulations to Ariane and look forward to her developing her writing even further with these opportunities.

After gaining selection in the Queensland Schools U 19 Rugby League team, Garrett Smith has been rewarded for his play in Club competition and with U 18 Cutters this year, being named in the Qld U 18 Team to play the curtain-raiser for the second State of Origin game. This is an excellent effort, considering Garrett has only just recently turned 17.

At the end of term several families received letters advising of outstanding amounts from the School Resource Scheme for 2017 (and previous years for a few). In these letters were options to arrange and complete payment of this balance, either by credit/debit card, cheque or payment plan. Students with outstanding SRS amounts from Term 2, are ineligible to participate in non-core curriculum activities, (eg Sports trips, Rewards days, Gala Days, Uni visits) until these amounts are paid or plan is in place.

With the end of Semester 1 assessments now completed, teachers are completing marking and reporting for all of our students Year 7 – Yr 12. Detailed reports giving written comments on achievement, effort and behaviour will be distributed in Week 1 of Term 3. Families of our Year 7 students will receive their child’s reports by email as well in July, as a trial of future methods of digital delivery. We do not have planned interviews this term, but will revisit interviews after Term 3. If parents believe that they need an interview, contact your child’s teacher in July to arrange.

With the Show season upon our local communities, our Cattle Show Team, under the guidance of the Agriculture staff, have been very busy showing the cattle. The practice sessions have been an after school activity for several weeks now but when the cattle get to the Show, they need to be handled confidently. At the Pioneer Valley Show the students and our stock performed very creditably bringing home several awards and looking forward to the Mackay Show. Thanks to the staff who allow these events to be great learning experiences for our students. I also take this time to thank Mr Tony Brown from Pioneer Park Brahman Stud, who assist our program by supplementing our school herd with some of his own stock each year to be showed. Greatly appreciated.

There has been some recent data released for all State Schools around student suspension data, taken up by local media and commentary being made, some of which is very questionable. As a school our suspensions in the past 12 month period have declined, however, this is one of the strategies that we do employ, particularly for those students who present serious misbehaviours, and we will continue to use these as a last resort for those students who do not reach the high standard of behaviour that we expect of our students. As stated by some of the parent comments, several of the suspensions are repeated suspensions for a small number of students. The data in our State Schools is released annually and is open and transparent.

Interschool Netball held their Grand finals recently and Mackay had 4 of our 9 teams in the finals with one of these teams our Yr 9/10 Div 1 MSHS Galahs winning their division. I am always very impressed with the interschool netball competitions. When they commence in April, many of the students (and sometimes even our coaches), are just beginning. After 10 weeks these students are more confident and have developed their skills to very positive levels, to further develop the following year. Remember girls to return all uniform dresses to R Block staffroom. Sincere thanks to Ms Proctor and her team of coaches for another great year.

International Cleaners Day was celebrated on Thursday 15th June. Our Cleaner team of very committed people who every day start at 4:30am and finish the afternoon after securing our facility, however their great work does not go unnoticed. Our staff provided our team with a BBQ breakfast cooked and enjoyed together before school.

Congratulations to our Girls Football team who successfully defeated Mercy College last week 3-1 to put them into the Area semifinal for the Bill Turner Trophy. The students with Ms Radunz travelled to Proserpine and played the team from St Margaret Marys, Townsville, going down 4-2 in a close fought encounter. Well done girls.

With the Mackay Show, also comes Arts on Show Awards for local and national artists. Congratulations to Ruby Cramer who was placed third in the Aspiring Artists division and also to Mrs Hobdell who was placed 2nd in the Works on Paper Open division. Congratulations to all of the students and staff who entered their creations.

Term 3 starts with a full first week, with NAIDOC Day and Careers Expo on Wednesday 12th July and our Interhouse Athletics Carnival on Tuesday and Thursday. After a very busy first half of the year, I wish all students and our staff a restful, relaxing and safe break, ready to launch into Semester 2 on Monday 10th July.

Mr Steve Paulger
Principal

SOUTH SEA ISLANDER HISTORY PROJECT REVEALS THE TRUTH

All year 9 students have been on a journey of discovery through their history studies since the beginning of term 1. We have focused on the topic Movement of People, specifically relating to the history of the international slave trade. From here students have come to understand that the concept of slavery is not one that existed only on foreign shores. Our students have been guided by their passionate teachers revealing the Australian Aboriginal stories from Pre Contact to modern times. We have explored the implications of the Myall Creek Massacre, the Wave Hill Strike and Mabo’s contribution to changing attitudes regarding our traditional owners. From here we focussed on the Yuibera people and how the story of their population’s decline is heavily meshed with the blackbirding of South Sea Islander people.

Time for a history lesson for you…

150 years ago the first boat load of blackbirded South Sea Islanders came to Mackay. They were the first of 67, 000 souls to come to Mackay and be ‘indentured’ or used as slaves to clear land and form the beginnings of the sugar industry we know today. Yes, we had slavery in our own backyards and this was intertwined with the removal of Mackay’s Yuibera people from their lands, many of whom were moved to the very first aboriginal reserve in Queensland, at Bakers Creek.

The Social Science Department has been immensely proud of our long association with Mackay’s South Sea Islander Community. This year we have teamed with the women’s group Mesh & Knots (M&K) who are part of the Mackay and District South Sea Islander Association (MADASSIA). M&K gained a Regional Arts Development Fund Grant to research the 114 unmarked South Sea Islander graves at the old Mackay Cemetery. This group has worked tirelessly to give those 114 South Sea Islanders back their voice and their identity. Led by Marion Healy and her daughter and MSHS past student Imogen, the group has managed to trace the grave numbers to the council records and to the ships and back to the islands the young workers were taken from. At this stage they have found the names and stories of 90 of them.

Where do our Year 9’s fit in? Well they know the truth and they are the first in the State to study it. They know about the Pacific Islanders Labourers’ Act and about the conditions and the hardships these people worked and lived under. They know about the discrimination that occurred when these people could not go to school, or to the same hospital as Europeans and they know that they were buried without their identities in the Heathen section of the old Mackay Cemetery.

Thankyou to Mesh & Knots, MADASSIA, to Marion and Imogen and to our passionate Year 9 History teachers (Ms Rodgers, Mr Nelson, Ms Kliese, Mr Pozza, Mr Lee, Ms Wood & Mr Milne) for revealing the truth to our students. These most recent historical stories will become an extended part of our history curriculum in year 9. We must continue to show our students the truth.

Next time you fly in or out of Mackay, as you look out of the plane window, think about the fact that the sugarcane fields below you were cleared by the bare hands of blackbirded South Sea Islanders as the Yiuibera people were being moved away from their own country.

It will certainly make you think about the view from a very different perspective.

“This unit really opened our eyes to Mackay’s hidden history. I think it’s very important for everyone to recognise the sacrifice South Sea Islanders have made to this community” - Jade Totorica

“I learnt a lot of things I didn’t know before. I think the South Sea Islander unit should be taught to every year nine cohort because there are not many people who know how the sugar cane industry started and the history behind these amazing people” - Taylah Wills

“150 years ago, South Sea Islanders had their people stolen, changing their lives, forever. Over the space of five weeks, we have learnt everything about the past of South Sea Islanders. We had a guest speaker, Marion Healy, who came to tell us what her family had been through. I personally feel very honoured to listen and learn about the once forgotten history. On behalf of the grade nine cohort, I say thank you. It has been a very special privilege” - Caitlyn Milner

STOP PRESS

Congratulations to South Sea Islander Group Mesh and Knots who have been nominated for a Qld Multicultural Award. They are the only group to be nominated outside the SE corner. Good Luck for the August 6 announcement.

“Creating Welcome, Building Opportunity and celebrating Diversity”

Follow these links to find out more

Roxanne Aprile
Head of Department Social Science

Marion Healy talks to Year 9 students and reveals the story of blackbirded South Sea islanders and slavery in Mackay

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

YEAR 10 SET PLANNING

Term 3 is a busy time for our Year 10 students as we start the process for selecting their subjects for Year 11 in 2018.

On Tuesday 11 July (Week 1) we will be conducting a Senior Schooling Forum in the Auditorium commencing at 6pm. This will explain to parents/guardians what to expect in Senior Schooling.

In Week 3, 24th July – 26th July, ALL Year 10 students will be required to have a Set Plan Interview. Interviews are conducted with both the student and parents.

Parents/guardians will be able to go online and book an interview that is convenient for them. The booking environment will be opened on Tuesday 11 July and will be closed on Tuesday 19th July. Students who have not made an interview time will be allocated a timeslot.

The 2018 Senior Curriculum Guide will be emailed to all Year 10 students by the end of this Term. A hard copy will be provided to students in Week 1 Term 3. This will enable students to look at the subject specific information for proposed courses for 2018.

A detailed letter will be sent home on Monday 10th July providing more information.

Fidget Spinners

Fidget Spinners have become the latest craze and distraction at school.

After reviewing the benefits of fidget spinners as a school we will be banning them from the school from the commencement of Semester 2. If your child has a fidget spinner please ensure that they leave them at home. Students who bring fidget spinners to school and seen in the classroom or playground will be required to hand them over to the teacher.

We ask for your support to ensure students do not bring these items to school after the holidays.

Ms Donna Drinkwater
Deputy Principal (Years 9 & 10)

FROM THE DESK OF A DEPUTY

Semester 1 Report Cards

Due to a change for our Athletics Carnival Report Cards for all year levels will be distributed to students on Wednesday the 12th July – which is our third day back at school.

Parents and Carers for Year 7 students will also be sent their student’s Report Card via email. For our Term 3 Report cards we will move to emails alone – with the exception of those parents without an address.

Our Semester reports cards include achievement, effort, behaviour and homework ratings, along with comments relevant to the student.

We have placed our second 2017 Parent Teacher Evening in to Term 4 and so if you have any questions in relation to your student’s Semester Report Card then please do not hesitate to contact the school or specific teachers directly.

Semester 2 Timetables & Assessment Planners

All students will be issued a Semester 2 timetable when they return on the 10th July.

Changes:

• Students in Years 7 -10 will all change from studying History (HIS) over to Geography (GEG) – generally with the same teacher.
• Year 7 students will drop Information Technology for You (ITF) and commence either a term long study in Cool Millionaires (CMI) or Symbolic Journey – The Arts (SJA).
• Year 8 students will swap between their semester of Information Technology & Design and Home Economics.

Cooler Weather Uniform Points

Jackets / Jumpers: A reminder that students are not to wear hooded items to school. If parents are not purchasing the school winter jacket, or Capricornia representative jacket, then the options are a plain navy or maroon jacket or jumper.

• Track pants: Students are not to wear tights (of any colour) but may wear plain navy or maroon track pants, if not wearing the school track pants.
• Stockings: Girls are permitted to wear flesh coloured stockings under their shorts.
• Items worn under school shirts must not be visible.
• Items not included in the Uniform Policy are not to be worn.

Tania Cheers
Deputy Principal (Years 7 & 11)

DRAMA

Students in Mr Pozza’s Year 9 Drama class recently performed a whole class scripted performance of ‘The Trojan War Play’, a play loosely based on Homer’s epic saga from ancient Greece, The Iliad.  Rehearsals were both done in class and outside on stage in the Kakadu stage area. The students did really well, learning their lines and performing a two act 40 minute comedic play that included several song and dance performances including ‘We are Trojan’s’ (in the style of Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You)’, ‘The Story of Three Lovely Ladies’ (in the style of the Brady Bunch theme) and ‘The War that never ends’ (in the style of Lamb Chop’s ‘This is the Song that never ends’). Throughout the term the students developed their on stage confidence, timing and in character voice projection abilities and are to be commended for working together as a team to put together an entertaining performance.

CATTLE SHOW TEAM NEWS

Pioneer Valley Show

It was a beautiful day this year in Finch Hatton. Along with the weather, Mackay State High had a fantastic day showing our cattle and judging.

The students represented the school with dedication & pride and their personal achievements included placings in cattle judging and handling.

Highlights of the day

Led steer Mackay High Cobalt – second

Our stud cow ‘Ruby’ – second in her class (36 months and over)

Our students also proudly presented for Vaucraft Braford stud achieving third place (bulls) and first prize and junior champion bull for WE & VJ Preston Brahmans.

On behalf of our team I’d like to extend a huge thankyou to the Thomsett family including A J Thomsett in Year 8, and to Trevor Post for very kindly donating their time and transporting our cattle.

Well done to our team!

QUESTACON

On the ninth of June, the Shell Questacon Science Circus visited the junior students of Mackay State High School. During this display the students explored two equally interesting and engaging areas of science. These were the states of matter and pressure. It was great to see these areas as they have been previously covered in our units of study in science. This prior knowledge allowed the students to more fully engage in the circus and understand the more advanced concepts to have one of the best days of school for the term. One the experiments the students saw was the power of steam as it imploded a can of coke. The students also had a great opportunity to see liquid nitrogen, which was just incredible “It was awesome to see the nitrogen and the effects it had on the flowers and the meat,” (Hyrum Oliver, 8C2). Those were just a few of the amazing things that the Questacon Science Show included in their show.

GET GWEN TO SPAIN

Since the beginning of February, I have been busy raising funds for a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel overseas to Spain and the UK to represent Australia in Futsal. As you would expect, such an honoured position comes at quite a cost. As a part of the fundraising I have successfully completed a Mother’s Day Raffle, St Patrick’s Day Raffle and a GoFundMe page. The biggest event however, will be a Spanish and UK themed Trivia Night. This event will be held in the Mackay State High School Hall on the 15th of July 2017. There will be prizes, a grand prize trophy, Spanish and UK delights, bar and of course, trivia! All tickets must be pre purchased, and are an affordable price of $15 each or a table of 10 for $100.

If you are interested in this event please email getgwentospain@gmail.com !

ENGLISH

WRITERS FESTIVAL WRITING COMPETITION

Recently, Whitsunday Voices undertook their annual writers festival writing competition and it is with great pleasure that Ariane Molina in Grade 7 not only took out first in the short story genre with her piece 'Beneath the Grey,' but she also came second with her story 'The Storm That Roared.' Congratulations Ariane, we are so proud of you.

Below is an excerpt from Ariane’s winning story

WHITSUNDAY VOICES LITERARY FESTIVAL

SPORTS REPORT

Just a reminder to all parents and guardians, all PE subjects are marked equally on both the Practical aspect (consistent demonstration of physical skills) and the Theoretical (the health / well-being unit of study) and for this reason it is vital that all students apply themselves equally in each element. Quite often students find one aspect of this learning area much easier than the other and therefore not employ the same work habits in the area which they find more difficult. It is vital that this isn’t the case if success in the subject as a whole is to be achieved. The moral to the story for students in PE is to NEVER GIVE UP and seek assistance from their teachers, throughout the term, to ask questions and learn what is required of them to strive to achieve to the next level. Quite often they will be surprised by the outcome if they show persistence and seek clarification in both aspects.

Athletics Carnival

All Year 7 classes have been preparing for the Inter-House Athletics carnival which will be held in the first week of Term 3, Tuesday 11th and Thursday 13th July. Students have had the opportunity to go through all of the athletic events and be provided with specific coaching in these disciplines to assist with the technical aspects of each event. Being the student’s first Athletics carnival we hope to see all students willing to have a go at the event, remembering that this is primarily how points are allocated to each house.

Soccer

Ryleigh Wotherspoon, didn’t really think that she would make the Queensland Soccer team but was fortunate enough to make it. From there she had 2 weeks off school so training could be conducted on the Gold Coast and then one week playing in Perth at the Nationals. A challenge that Ryleigh had to overcome was playing with girls that she had only met but the experience was enjoyable. Throughout this process all the girls built strong friendships with each other which will be kept forever. Their team was solid, only losing one game which was to Victoria and they were successful against all other teams. At the end of the tournament they announced the Queensland team the winners of the carnival, this is a commendable achievement and something Ryleigh should be proud of. Congratulations.

Cross Country

Congratulations to all the students who attended the MDSS Cross Country carnival earlier this term. All students represented the school well by conducting themselves in a professional manner on the day. Some outstanding achievements were made where three of our students placed in the top three across all schools. Siblings William and Lauren Morgan placed 1st in their respective age groups and Emma Keeler placed 3rd. All students have been selected to represent the Capricornia region.

Capricornia selections

Further to the above outstanding achievements, the following students had been selected in the following sports, to represent our school at the Capricornia level. Congratulations to you all. Further information will follow in relation to some of these tournaments due to significant achievements made.

Rugby League

Our Year 12 student Garrett Smith has been selected in the QLD Under 18 State of Origin side! He will be in Sydney as the curtain-raiser for Origin 2.  Massive achievement for a kid who only just turned 17!  He has also been selected for the QLD Schoolboys team that play in the School holidays. Congratulations Garrett, we will be sure to be watching out for you in the number 16 jersey. Good Luck.

BLUE CARD WINNER WEEK 9.

JUNIOR SCHOOL

Cory SAMSON was nominated by …. “he cannot remember the teachers name that he got from”. But funnily enough – he knows he got it for doing his Maths homework. Congratulations COREY! - $10 Tuckshop voucher.

SENIOR SCHOOL

Haad SHAH wass the Senior school winner this week. He was nominated by Mrs Johnson for his honesty. Good on you Haad - $10 Tuckshop voucher!! Enjoy!!

DYSLEXIA

UNIFORM SHOP

P & C COMMITTEE

WE NEED YOU!

The Mackay State High School P & C is a collective group of parents, staff and community members interested in working to support student activities and curriculum initiatives at the school.

We currently have vacancies within the P & C Executive and there is always space for more members on our team. Were you involved with your child’s P & C at Primary School? Are you interested in being involved but not sure what is required or how to join?

P & C Meetings are held on the 4th Monday of each month in the staff common room in the Administration Block commencing at 6pm.

If you would like some additional information please contact us via email pandc@mackayshs.eq.edu.au

TUCKSHOP

Greetings from the MSHS Tuckshop!

New menu is available starting next term. There will be two hot dishes available every day and burgers are sold only during first break.

Thank you for supporting the MSHS Tuckshop.

Mella Partmaa
Retail Manager- Food Supervisor
Mackay State High School P&C Association

MATHS TUTORING

ENGLISH TUTORING

COMMUNITY NOTICES