17 August 2018

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Mackay Orchestras and Bands (MOB) is an annual weekend competition that attracts musical talent from Primary schools, High schools as well as community entries, hosted at Mackay Christian College. This year there was a very large representation of the top quality Musical schools in Mackay as well as bands from outside Mackay. Mackay State High entered our Drum Corp,, Middle School Concert Band, Senior School Concert Band, Advanced Strings and our Strings Ensemble. The judges awarded each of our 5 groups Gold Awards for their excellent performances. To top this excellent weekend, the Platinum Award, for the best performance across High school and Community entries, was awardee to our Strings Ensemble, just pipping our Senior Concert Band. Congratulations to the 80-90 students who performed, their wonderful parents for assisting their passion and our Instrumental teachers including Mr Johnston, Ms Pengally, Mrs Bell and Mrs de Brueys. The MOB adjudicator reflected that the Gold Award recipients are amongst the best bands across the State of Queensland.

This week our Roadshow Team have been visiting our catchment State Schools to speak to the Year 6 students, providing them each with Enrolment and school information. We take year 7 students from the schools to assist in responding to questions from the students, as part of the talks. Students are advised that the Information Evening will be held on Wednesday 22nd August. At this event, staff from the different subject areas will have displays to speak to families about the offerings. The Uniform Shop will also have a display and Uniforms are usually on special prices for sales on the evening.

Whilst on our visit, Scholarship recipients were advised of their success and are awarded certificates and letter recognising their efforts. Our Parents & Citizens Association each year award eight scholarships valued at $500 each. This year there were over 58 applications form 41 students, from 8 different schools and the recipients are listed below.

Recently several students were presented with Public Speaking & Debating Certificates recognising their efforts in the 2018 Interschool Debating competitions. These students are Tia Harlow, Libby Hood, Demi Miller, Jacaranda Rowe-Bailey, Sofia Bulaong, Disha Rabari, Pushti Shah, Martin Armstrong, Julian Beavis, John Ranola and Adrian Yusi. Thank you also to the staff who supported the students including Ms Lauren Sposato, Ms Rachel Kelbie, Mr Aiden Nelson, Ms Gillian Stork, Ms Alex Burns, Mrs Di Watt and Mr Andrea Pozza.

Our school was advised that Lauren Anderson Year 11, had been successful in her application to attend the National Youth Science Forum to be held in Canberra in January 2019. High quality Year 11 science students are invited to participate in a range of lectures and activities and we are so proud of Lauren’s successful application. Local Rotary Clubs across Mackay support a number of students to take advantage of this opportunity. With this being Science Week, the announcement is very timely.

Mr Steve Paulger
Principal

JUNIOR SECONDARY NEWS

General News

Thank you to all Year 6 classrooms who have welcomed us during week 5 to present information about enrolment at Mackay SHS for 2019. Your classrooms look amazing. Keep working hard for the rest of your final year at primary school.

What's On Soon

Don't forget- If you are enrolling your Year 6 student at Mackay High next year, or considering doing so, our information evening is this coming Wednesday, 22nd August, from 6:00pm - 7:15pm. All Year 6 students in catchment have received a letter about this. If you have friends or neighbours whose children are in year 6, please remind them also. The information evening is a chance for you to make an enrolment booking. ALL students intending to enrol in Year 7 at Mackay High in 2019 MUST have an enrolment interview. Our first and main opportunity for this is week 7 between 27th and 30th August. If you miss this opportunity, we will not offer another until mid-term 4.

Also coming up shortly (week 8) is our Year 7 teamwork and leadership camp. This is an opportunity for 90+ of our Year 7 students to gain some real world teamwork and leadership practice. It is a lot of fun, but also a lot of work implementing strategies. A reminder to students that it is a privilege to attend, not a right. Students demonstrating a pattern of unacceptable behaviour have not been allowed to attend.

Good News Stories

Drama

On Friday 10 August, Mr Pozza and Miss Barresi's Year 9 Drama classes attended A Midsummer Night's Dream at Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music. All students demonstrated an excellent level of behaviour and all students had very positive comments about the performance.

Students will now work on modernising their own Shakespeare scene as they explore contemporary versions of his work. Well done 9 Drama!

Literacy

All the Year 7 & 8 Literacy students have completed diagnostic testing in Accelerated Reader. There have been some very good results and students have been congratulated on year parades in front of their peers.

We have:

2 x Millionaires – this is when a student has read over a million words -
Taylor Goodhew
Lacey Lynch

16 x Rockin’ Readers – these are people who have read over 10 books and have passed over 10 quizzes for the Semester.
Montana Saron-Nicol
Katherine Ganalon
Kyal Snell
Johnathan Wyss
Carlton Wotherspoon
Sia Chuenjaidee
Thomas Crewe
Luke Veivers
Janella Caldo
Billy-James Luscombe
Eve Van-Es Maczkowiack
Chloe Hanson
Taratoa Onekawa
Tilijah Zitha
Sophie Blaik
Emily Hearne

Lots of students have improved their Reading age (104 in all!)

2 x have improved by 3 Years and 11 Months – in 5 months. Chavarna Ellul & Jenelli Gorrion - A HUGE effort.

Student News

Junior Secondary Leaders and the Student Council are currently developing some projects to benefit the school. We'll report back on these soon. Stay tuned!

Thought of the Newsletter

Mr Matt Skinner
HOD Junior Secondary

SPORTS REPORT

Mackay District Selections

Mackay District School Sport trials have continued to recognise many of our talented athletes. The following students have trialled for our school and were selected to be a representative, for the sports district at the Capricornia Trials. This is a fantastic result for Mackay State High School and highlights the sporting talent at this wonderful school. I believe that a round of congratulations should be given to the following students for their chosen sports.

Explained Sporting Absences

Just a friendly reminder that it is parents & guardian’s responsibility to ensure a phone call is made to the school to ensure an explained absence in recorded in relation to students attending any sporting trials beyond Mackay District level.

Mackay District Athletics Carnival

Last week we had 65 students represent our school at the Mackay District Athletics Carnival. This was held over two days where all students were able to highlight their talents across track and field events. Congratulations to all students, as our school WON the carnival, which is a fantastic achievement. Special congratulations to the following students who were named as the age champions across the district, this is an outstanding achievement, you all should be very proud of.

14yr Boys Ngakua Ufton
15yr Girls Jaelee Tillack
17yr Boys Jacob Scott
18yr Girls Tyler Hixon

Good Luck to the 12 students who will be traveling to Emerald later this month to attend the Capricornia Athletics Trail – Go get them!

Girls Rugby League

School Girls Rugby League cluster competition commenced last Friday at MJRL at 4pm. We have three teams entered into this competition. This roster will run for 5 weeks. Please show your support for these girls by attending their games. Thank you to the following coaches and trainers who have volunteered their time to assist these teams.

A special Thank you to Jacqui Kelly for organising the teams and coaches for these girls to play in this competition. Good luck to all girls playing.

Trial Information

Senior Sports Person on the Month

Mass Nutrition Mackay have a partnership with Mackay State High School. They proved a male and female senior student with a gift voucher for $50 each month. This is in recognition for excelling in their Senior Rugby League or Certificate 3 Classes. Congratulations to the following students;

James Bassett & Emma Watts – Excellent programing in their mobility programs in Certificate 3 in Fitness

Matt McGowan & Nica Elpa – Matt has displayed exceptional levels of sportsmanship on the Rugby League field. Nica has provided exceptional written responses to her recent modules completed in her Certificate 3 assessments.

Brayden Laffin and Summa Death Franettovich – Both of these students provided an excellent five week gym program for a teacher at the school. These students displayed great knowledge of various activities and knowledge throughout this program. Well done to all six students, enjoy spending your vouchers.

Sports Awards

In preparation for our annual sports awards night, could you please ensure your child checks the HPE sports notice board to ‘double check’ the teams they have been selected for this year. With the U12 selection process being slightly different to the 13- 19 age group, it has proved to at times been challenging to keep a record of when students have made either Mackay, Capricornia or QLD teams. If there are any issues, students are to see Miss Russell in the HPE staff room. This is ONLY in relation to schools sports. Invitations will be send home with students latter in the term, with the awards night to be set early in Term 4.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

Mackay Orchestras and Bands

On the 11th and 12th of August 84 students and 4 staff spent their weekend at Mackay Christian College for the annual Mackay Orchestras and Bands Competition (MOB). All 5 ensembles looked and sounded amazing. Below are the results:

Percussion Ensemble, conducted by Mrs Nicole de Brueys- Gold Award
Middle School Concert Band, conducted by Mrs Yvonne Bell – Gold Award
Senior Concert Band, conducted by Mr Matthew Johnston- Gold Award
Advanced Strings- Gold Award
String Ensemble, conducted by Ms Kristen Pengelly- Gold Award.

At the end of the competition a Platinum Award is presented to the most outstanding Primary group and Secondary/Community group. Our String Ensemble, conducted by Kristen Pengelly received the Platinum Award for the most outstanding secondary/ community group.

Huge thank you to all the parents for your continuous support.

Term 3 upcoming dates

• State Honours Ensemble Program Middle Schools: 24th-26th August (Selected Students)
• Chaplaincy Fundraiser: Saturday 1st September (Selected students)
• Nicole de Brueys
  Instrumental Music Coordinator

2ND HAND UNIFORMS

We are always in need of any 2nd hand uniforms, for students that have the incorrect uniform, we can do a quick fix with a loan uniform through the Year Coordinators room. The loan uniform is then returned to the school in a clean condition. If you have any Senior or Junior shirts and shorts we would be most grateful, just bring into the General office.

MATHS DEPARTMENT

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

Write 4 Fun Writing Competition

Students are to write a poem of 16 lines or less or a short story of 500 words or less on any topic.

Prizes include $1000 cash and iPads, Rebel Sports gift vouchers etc.

Competition closes 31st August.

See English Noticeboard for entry details.

THANKYOU

“Say thanks to your teaching community”

We’re lucky to have the support of dedicated Queensland teachers throughout our community. From their help in the classroom, playground, after school activities or sports arena - we’re giving you the chance to say thanks.

The Staffroom for Improvement competition is all about turning the tables and giving teachers their A+. That’s why we’re asking Queensland students and families to get involved and write thank you notes to those in the school community that have inspired them. Each note written will be one entry into the competition, giving your school the chance to win a $20,000 staffroom makeover.

A little thank you goes a long way. Get involved and reward your teachers for all that they do.

Click on the following link to “Send a Thank you” note to your favourite teacher and get them in the draw, it’s that easy!

P & C NEWS

How can I get involved?

Volunteering is time willingly given for the common good and without financial gain.

The parents and citizens’ association at Mackay State High School appreciate any volunteer contribution that you can make. Can you help at tuckshop? Do you like planning or assisting at functions and special events? There are so many ways in which you can help our P&C email pandc@mackayshs.eq.edu.au for more information

TUCKSHOP

COMMUNITY NOTICES