7 December 2018

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Following the school review and a full day Planning Meeting with our Leadership Team this term, our School Improvement Agenda for 2019 is published for all of our school community today. The complete document also lists strategies and targets that will measure the success of our students and staff.

2019 SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT AGENDA

MAXIMISING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND PROMOTION IN SCHOOL COMMUNITY

• POSITIVE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
  - Re-energise WS Literacy & Numeracy Plan
  - Writing – Focus on Vocabulary Yr 7 – 9
  - 21st Century learners – new initiatives
• QUALITY TEACHING
  - Higher Order Thinking focus in Quality Teaching Pedagogical Model
  - Professional Learning Team options 2019
    • Critical & creative thinking
    • Differentiation
    • Classroom Management
• CURRICULUM
  - Successful implementation of SATE Curriculum
  - Enhanced Yr 10 Preparation for subject pathways & SET Planning
• WELL-BEING
  - Staff - Identify and influence barriers to positive outcomes and acknowledge best practice
  - Students – Improve engagement with Learning Curve program in Form time and Year Parades

On Monday 10th Dec we welcome about 180 Year 6 students to participate in our Orientation Day, giving these students an insight into what Year 7 will be like. Students will meet and work with the students of their 2019 classes, meet the Buddies who will assist and guide them through their first weeks in 2019. Students will be able to access the tuckshop should they choose to, as many of our Year 7 – 9 students will be enjoying their Rewards Day at the Cinema and Blue Lagoons on this day.

While talking about the New Year, school office will re-open for business on Mon 21st January, with staff attending Student Free Days on Thursday and Friday of this week. Monday 28th January is a public holiday for Australia Day and on Tuesday we will commence all Year 7, 8 and 10 students, with all students required on Wednesday.

Mackay SHS underwent a Financial and Procedures Audit in early November. The auditor investigates the school’s processes and accountabilities with finance, staff leave and pays, stock management. Our Business Manager Troy Twomey and the staff were very excited when we were awarded an “Effective” ranking, very difficult to achieve in a large school. Congratulations to the Office team and staff.

Congratulations to Pushti Shah whose application to participate in the STEM Girl Power Camp has been successful.

The camp will be held in Brisbane from 19–23 March 2019. It is part of the year-long STEM Girl Power Initiative which includes a Term 2 regional event, Term 3 activities for National Science Week and a Term 4 alumni event.

The STEM Girl Power Initiative aims to provide students with experiences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and to encourage students to participate in STEM at school and consider it as a future career option.

Teachers from the Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology and from each region will be camp leaders.

During the camp, Pushti will join other Year 10 girls from around Queensland to experience the World Science Festival, meet STEM role models, undertake STEM activities and visit STEM researchers.

Tuckshop staff are winding down their stock levels, so that only small stock if any is held over the holidays. In the final week, the offering will become more limited as the week progresses with the Tuckshop closed effectively on Thursday and Friday. Students will be required to bring along snacks for their lunch on this day. On Thursday all students will receive their School Magazine and other Certificates relating to Term 4 as well as Reports being released via email. Friday, the school will be open, however classes will be collapsed into a couple of groups engaged with some tasks like cleaning, moving furniture and other general tasks.

The end of a school year sees farewells to graduating students, however we also farewell a couple of long-term teachers in 2018. Mr Anthony Baxter “Bax” who commenced at Mackay SHS as a teacher in 1982 and across the years he has mentored many students and teachers. He has taught many Senior Geographers, while always ready to inspire young Year 7 & 8 students with his special approach. In addition, Mrs Christine Adams who commenced at Mackay SHS in 1979 as a teacher, after her first year at Bamaga SHS, going on to be appointed as the Head of Department for Business and Information Technology. Both have taught and influence thousands of students and communicated with their parents, always seeking for the students to achieve their best. On behalf of these students and their parents/carers and the many teachers who have benefitted from their input, thank you and enjoy your leave and retirement.

Christine Adams

Anthony Baxter

On behalf of the staff at our great school I would like to say thank you for another very successful year for our students, and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy, prosperous and safe New Year.

Mr Steve Paulger
Principal

FROM A DP’S DESK

2018 Semester 2 Report Cards

Report Card Distribution:

Students will also receive Stationery Lists for subjects in 2019, during their final week.

If students are absent on these days then reports will be available through the front Office during the remaining two weeks of the school term (for Year 10 and 11 students) or at the start of the new school year (for Years 7 – 9). It is also an option for students / parents to provide a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the Office, should they wish to have the report card posted home.

Report card information will also be available through our school’s QParent app, once they have been made available to students.

Attendance Dates for 2019

Just a reminder that students are required to wear shoes that meet the school uniform descriptions. Students without the correct footwear will not be able to participate in classes with practical elements.

Tania Cheers
Deputy Principal (Year 8 & 12)

STYMIE

2019 STUDENT SUBJECT SELECTIONS

We will display the subject selections of all students in Year 7, 8 and 9 during the last week of the school year. Students will receive their 2019 booklists on Thursday 13th December

Subject changes are not available for students in these year levels. Students who did not submit a subject selection form after repeated follow up have been allocated their subjects for 2019. Subjects are a year long program so students will not be able to change subjects throughout the year

It is important that families are up to date with their 2018 Student Resource Scheme. Parents/Guardians can contact the Business Manager if they wish to set up a payment plan to assist them with paying their 2019 Student Resource Fees.

BUSINESS MANAGER REPORT

This term our school has undergone an extensive internal audit of our operational processes during Week 4 of this term which was conducted by the department of education Audit branch. The Audit scope is quite deep and encompasses areas such as Student Safety Compliance, Infrastructure Management, Workplace Health and Safety Compliance, Financial Sustainability and Management, Human Resource Management and Information Security Compliance.

As the schools Business Manager, I am extremely proud to announce the school received an EFFECTIVE rating which is the highest possible audit rating as a result of the audit processes. This rating is extremely difficult to obtain which is why this a great school achievement and is testament to the robust nature of our compliance and internal processes.

I would like to thank the following school staff for the additional time and effort allocated this term in achieving this fantastic goal.

• Sue Beveridge, Lis Baldock and Mel Hall and all the teaching staff (Student Safety Compliance)
• Tony Eastwick (Infrastructure Management)
• Jenny Wooding, Tony Eastwick and Lis Baldock (Workplace Health and Safety Compliance)
• Toni Dean, Sue Beveridge and Mel Hall (Financial Sustainability and Management)
• Lis Baldock and the deputy principal team (Human Resource Management)
• Kylie Stanger and the deputy principal team (Information Security Compliance)

Troy Twomey
Acting Business Manager

BYOx 2019

Get your new laptop BYOx connected EARLY!

ICT Services Centre (Evan St side of P Block) at Mackay State High School will be open before school starts, from 21 – 25 January 2019 between 8.30 am – 4.30 pm daily. If you have a new laptop in 2019, visit our school technicians to have your laptop configured correctly for our school’s network, including installing and configuring Microsoft Office 2016, BYOx Connection software, or simply for assistance with technical issues. Parents and students may need to leave their laptop in the morning and pick-up in the afternoon.

SPORTS CORNER

Queensland Schools Track and Field State Championships

The representative program for Athletics offers opportunity for 13-19 years boys and girls to compete at State and National championship levels. Recently we had five exceptional students compete at the Queensland Schools Track and Field State Championships. These were held at Barlow Park Cairns. For many of our students it was their first time running on a Tartan track and in temperatures exceeding 33 degrees. All students exceeded in their specialised events. Congratulations to you all and Good Luck to Dawson who will be travelling to Cairns to compete at the 2018 Australian All Schools Championships from the 7th - 9th of December.

Savahna Byrd

Savahna Commenced her Field season in athletics by winning the High Jump at our school carnival. This allowed her to progress to the Mackay District Trials where she jumped 1.33m. Savahna then represented the Mackay District at the Capricornia Trials in Emerald where she also won this event. This gained her selection to the Capricornia team where she competed in the state championships where she jumped the following heights. In the first round of the competition Savahna cleared a height of 1.37m but didn't clear second round height of 1.42m which is her P.B. There were 24 competitors in her event.

Callum Creeley

Callum’s 2018 Track Season has displayed exceptional improvements between each trial as you can see in the below table of results.

Dawson Harch

At the Mackay Trials Dawson ran the following times; 200m – 23.17 and 100m – 11.3. He then progressed to Emerald for the Capricornia trials where he was selected to compete in the 100 and 200 meters sprints at the state trials. This is where Dawson earned himself a silver medal in both of those events. This was the first time Dawson had medalled in the 100m. He ran a PB in the semi-finals of 10.95secs but hit a strong headwind in the finals to run 11.05. The 200m saw another PB at 22.16s. He has now been selected in the QLD athletics team for the 100m and 200m. He will be travelling to Cairns to compete at the 2018 Australian All Schools Championships from the 7th - 9th of December. This is the second year he has made it to Nationals in the QLD team.

William Morgan

Williams running season started with his representation at the State Cross Country trails in Maroochydore after placing 1st in Capricornia in July. William started off his track season breaking the Mackay State High Schools 1500m with a time of 4.46. He then represented the school at the Mackay trials were he ran and jumped the following times and distances; 1500m in 4:48.14, 800m in 2:16.53 and in the High Jump 1.7m, this qualified William to represent the Mackay region at the Capricornia trials in Emerald in all of these events. Williams’s times and distances at the Capricornia level saw his selection to attend the state trials where he achieved the following times and distances;

High Jump – placed 18th with a jump of 1.69m
800m – 6th in heat – time 2.05.11 (pb)
1500m – 8th in final – (ran a pb of 4.19.60 to finish 2nd in the heat and qualify for the final)

Alec Scott

Alec’s running season started very strong with his representation at the State Cross Country trails in Maroochydore after getting 6th place in Capricornia in July. The level of competition at this State trial was exceptional and even though he did not place, Alec gained a lot of experience from this event.

Alec’s Track season saw great times recorded at our school carnival which qualified him for the 1500m and 800m at the Mackay District Trials. At this level Alec recorded the following times; 1500m - 4:48.83 and the 800m - 2:19.15. Both of these times qualified Alec to be selected for the Mackay team to trial in Emerald for the Capricornia team. When trialling in Emerald for cap athletes Alec won his heat in the 1500m race and then came in a very close second to his mate Callum Creeley in the final. Alec was selected in the Capricornia team to represent the team in both of his specialised events. He did not place in either of the heats but is looking forward to what next year brings in terms of sporting opportunities.

Congratulations to to all of the above students, these achievements are outstanding and we are very proud of your achievements. We look forward to seeing what 2019 brings to each of you in your sporting endeavors.

Sports & House Captains

The Health and Physical Education team are excited to announce the 2019 Sports and House Captains. All students are worthy recipients and we are looking forward to working alongside these students next year. Congratulations to the 2019 cohort selected, we hope you represent the school and your respective houses with pride and commitment.

2019 Sports Development Squads = Exciting Times

In 2019 the Health and Physical Education Department are looking to expand and provide more opportunities for students to develop their skills in a range of sports. We are excited to introduce a selection of sporting squads. These will not be aligned as academy classes, rather development opportunities in rising sports. Here is an outline as to why our department would like to introduce these squads.

Mackay State High Schools Sporting Development Programs.

We all participate in sport for many different reasons:

• Some are interested in maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle;
• Others love the thrill of competing with their friends; and
• A rare few set their sights on representing at a higher level.

Whatever the motivation, we are on a pathway, although sometimes the pathway chooses us.

The Mackay State High School Development Programs will develop the Foundations and Talent in a framework to capture these different pathways.

Outcomes of sport participation

MSHS Development program will integrate three key outcomes of sport participation:

• Active lifestyle;
• Sport excellence.

By categorising the key features of a sportsperson or athlete within each of these pathways, we can encapsulate the relevant research and expectations of athletes throughout their sporting journey.

The development programs will provide practical methods to assist and enhance the understanding of sporting pathways to help us improve the experiences of more students, at more levels.

Underpinning all of this love for sport and physical activity is physical literacy - a key element to any child's development with sport.

Touch Football Development Squad 2019:

Touch Football is the first Squad that will be developed at Mackay State High School. If your son / daughter is interest to trial for a place in the Mackay State High Schools inaugural Touch Football Squad, they will need to collect a letter from the HPE staff room. Selected students will train with specialised coaches to enhance their skills in Touch Football. Teams will then have the opportunity to participate in higher level organised competitions against local and regional schools, these may include;

Term 1 - MDSS Trials
Term 2 – Inter School Competition
Term 3 – North Queensland All Schools
Term 3 / 4 – Mackay Junior Competition
Term 4 – Queensland All Schools
Term 4 – Rockhampton Red Rooster Cup

Selections for this squad will take place in Febuaray 2019. This will allow adequate time for students to gain specific training and coaching before the MDSS Touch Football Trials to be held in Term 1.

If selected, the cost of the emerging squad will be: $50 which will need to be paid with in the first five weeks of Term 1 at the school office. This will ensure all playing apparel can be ordered and distributed before the competitions commences. Additional fees may arise during the course of the year in relation to administration and registration fees for specific events / carnivals.

School SRS fees will need to be paid in full or have a payment plan set in place by the conclusion of Term 1. If this requirement is not meet your son / daughters position in this squad could be placed in jeopardy.

Please note:

• Students must represent MSHS in one or more of the above competitions
• Students must up hold to the school values
• We reserve the right to reject the applications of any student who is not displaying an appropriate record of achievement and behaviour at school.

Please feel free to contact Kelly Russell on 4957 9139 if you would like any more information.

ACCESS CENTRE

I would like to acknowledge and take the time to tell you about our wonderful Teacher Aides in our Access Centre. Not only do they work very hard, they support, talk too, listen to and go above and beyond for ALL students. Our teacher aides work in the Access Centre, but most of the time they work out in mainstream classrooms supporting ANY students that needs that little bit of help. We have a HUGE diversity in our school and they are our little angels that give support, guidance and a friendly smile to our whole school community. One example of going Above and Beyond is Maria Mason – she has made custom pencil cases for over 15 students in the Access Centre, they all have a personalised message and their own name sewn onto it. So Amazing!!

Also to all Teachers in the Access Centre, the work you do changes lives! I am grateful every day for your support, compassion and guidance to all our diverse students. Thank you for making my job easy!

Merry Xmas and have a Happy New Year xx

Majella Hoffmann
HOSES

ASDAN

A huge thank you to P&C for funding our very successful Strength/ASDAN/Real Me Camp at Camp Eagle. We really appreciate the support from our wonderful P&C, our Principal and admin team at Mackay High. All campers were presented with a certificate, their journals they completed, photos of camp and the map they helped in creating the layout of Camp Eagle. The site map was presented to Chappy Phil to use as the camps resource for future camps. The colour map will become a part of all navigation activities they do on camp. Such a huge success!

SENIOR SCHOOL

Women in Manufacturing

The Ai Group held a breakfast for Women in Manufacturing at the MECC last week. Julianne Gilbert (Member for Mackay) was a guest speaker and a panel of three women from local businesses spoke about their roles and women in the workforce. There was audience participation where the students could have their questions answered by the panellists. Students were also able to network with business owners and managers during the breakfast.

MECC AMBASSADOR 2019

The Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre is looking for MECC Ambassadors for their 2019 season of shows. Mackay State High School encourages students to apply for this amazing experience. Students need to fulfil the criteria below and respond to the questions in their application before the 8th of February 2019. If you are interested, please see Arts Staff in L05 to collect an application form.

Some incentives of the program are:

• Free ticket for YA for each performance included in the MECC Schools Entertainment Program
• First access to MECC performing arts workshops
• Work experience opportunities
• Behind the scenes access to performances
• Written reference letter from the MEC

Criteria

• Enrolled in grade 10-12, with preference to grade 11-12 students
• Must have parental permission
• Must be able to attend regular workshops, meetings or training sessions (approximately once a month)
• Be willing to positively advocate the MECC and its programs and performances, including but not limited to public speaking opportunities
• Have the support of one teacher at your school who will liaise with the MECC Engagement team
• Complete application form in full sentences by the due date
• This is a voluntary position

Eddie Tiller – Our 2018 MECC Ambassador:

What does it mean to be a MECC Youth Ambassador? At the start, I didn’t really know and after Googling the word ‘ambassador’ I had a slightly better understanding. I wanted to be a MECC Youth Ambassador because in Mackay there are a few groups that are passionate about performing arts, one of which being the MECC. As an aspiring performer being a MECC Youth Ambassador was a way for me to get the general community and individuals my age excited about performing arts. Many volunteer opportunities were had throughout the year, which enabled me to converse with the general public about the importance of performing arts, both viewing and participating in. One thing that amazed me was the number of people that were surprised that a young person like myself showed so much enthusiasm towards the promotion of performing arts. Being a Youth Ambassador for the MECC really helped me come out of my shell a bit more. By participating in the ambassador program, I was able to meet people who shared the same passion as me, but for different areas of performing arts. I was able to volunteer, participate in workshops and attend meetings with people I now call friends. My absolute favourite thing was volunteering, I had some amazing experiences while volunteering, I mean it’s not every day you get to take a five-minute crash course on puppeteering then try to make a baby dinosaur puppet seem real.

Just recently I was asked if I had the chance to be a MECC Youth Ambassador again, would I? To which the answer was YES. Being a part of the Youth Ambassador program not only helped me improve my acting ability (my preferred section of the performing arts category) but also gave me the opportunity to inspire others.

ADULT MIGRANT ENGLISH PROGRAM

FREE English Classes for Adults at CQU Mackay City Campus;

Three levels, 2 days a week, free child care

Are you eligible?

Send Visa Grant Number to e.stevenson@cqu.edu.au or call 4940 3414 or 4940 3306

AG NEWS

ITD Students make a New Tray for the Mule

Thankyou Hunter McVeigh, Kaleb Dutton and Ian Williams did a great job making a new tray for the Ag Mule in ITD.

SALVATION ARMY CHRISTMAS HAMPER APPEAL

This year’s Christmas Hamper Appeal was very well supported by students and staff. The stage on Wednesday’s Parade was lined with Christmas goodies including: Puddings, Toys, Decorations, Food Items and much much more.

The Form Class who contributed the most number of items this year was 7D1, who will receive a class prize presented by the Salvation Army representative Sarah Jane.

The Appeal this year will also be used to support families affected by the recent devastating bush fires.

Again I wish to thank Staff Students and Families who donated.

Chappy Phil

MATHS DEPARTMENT

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

TUCKSHOP

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

COMMUNITY NOTICES