31 May 2019
Newsletter Articles
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
2020 Scholarships are open.
Students seeking to enrol for Year 7 at Mackay State High are advised that 2020 Scholarship forms are available either at your school office, or check on our school website under Enrolment. Our P&C Association sponsor these $500 scholarships for 8 deserving students who have shown high level of performance in Academic, Cultural and / or Sports pursuits. As well as completing the application, students are asked to write a 200 word outline of their future aspirations. Applications need to be delivered to their State School Principal on or before Mon 22nd July. Get your application in now, to receive reward for the hard work and commitment you show every day.
CQU Experience is being held on Friday 31st May and Yr 12 students have been encouraged to attend with parents, if they are seeking to follow a University pathway. On the first two days of Term 3, 15/16th July, I will take a bus to allow some of our Yr 12 students to attend JCU Experience. Students are required to nominate 3 faculty areas of interest, which they will investigate during the visit. Students will experience Uni College accommodation and meals on the Monday evening.
Happy Birthday to our wonderful Brekky Club. Students and staff celebrated the 12th birthday of this highly valued service for our students, which provides breakfast options, a chat and support if required for generally over 100 students, 4 days per week. Our Brekky Club has been recognised for high value by being included in a funded support program, that will align some physical activities along with the brekky tasters to build contacts and confidence with identified at risk students. Chappy Phil, GO Chloe and their volunteers, under the careful eye of CEO Kevin, provided fruit, pancakes, ice-cream and smoothees to about 200 students and staff. In the afternoon, champion paper aeroplane “engineers” assembled in our hall for the Mackay Grand Final for the best flyer.
The Year 8 Debate Team consisting of Charlize Altobar, Benica Solicar and Libby Hood performed their first impromptu debating round against Mercy College this week. All speakers spoke with confidence and produced very persuasive arguments in relation to the topic, ‘that country life is better than city life’. Next they debate Whitsunday Anglican School on Tuesday 11th of June.
Applications for the Year 7 Academic Excellence Academy will be distributed to Yr 6 students in Term 3. The test to be considered will be held on Thursday 5th September. New Yr 5 AEA Cadets will be able to complete nominations at the end of this term.
Principals and School Captains were invited to join Mackay’s recognition of Keith Payne, Victoria Cross recipient, for bravery and honourable conduct awarded for action in Vietnam 50 years ago. We joined a large assembly of community dignitaries for the event at the MECC, hearing Keith recount the sad loss of his close friend and the many wounded soldiers they had brought to safety.
Mr Steve Paulger
Principal
STYMIE
SENIOR SCHOOLING
Mission Australia are currently conducting their 2019 Youth Survey. Young people aged 15-19 years are encouraged to participate to have their say on their values, concerns, challenges and ambitions. Please read the Plain Language Statement, Letter to Parents and return the Consent Form. The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and closes on the 31st July, 2019. Please ensure that students enter the unique code of 45523 on the second introductory page when prompted online.
Jenny Hocking
Youth Support Coordinator
JUNIOR SECONDARY NEWS
General News
Some Junior Secondary students will receive a postcard this term recognising their classroom efforts. This is an ongoing part of our school wide positive recognition process. Congratulations to all students who are doing their best in class.
As always, we provide an ongoing message to students about their personal interactions at school There is NEVER a need to be rude or disrespectful to another student. Everyone should say at least 1 positive comment to another student each day, and should not be embarrassed about paying compliments, or jealous about someone else's achievement.
Students are also encouraged to speak up about those doing the wrong thing. This is NOT "snitching", but is showing the school community that poor behaviours and attitudes are NOT tolerated. Positive peer leadership is needed.
Junior Secondary leaders are trialling the use of 2 new recycling bins at school. One bin is Yellow and is for general recyclable materials. The other is a blue bin for students to put any containers qualifying for a 10 cent refund. Any proceeds raised from this will go to the school or a charity.
Year 7 camp positions have now been filled. We will shortly be providing more information to attendees, including medical forms. We ask that parents now pay any outstanding balances on camp payments.
What's On Soon
Year 8 and 9 students are encouraged to register for our inaugural trivia evening being coordinated by Ms Hoffman and Ms Kliese. Letters were sent home advertising the details. The letter includes a team nomination section. Thursday 13th June - 5:00 - 7:30pm in the school hall.
Year 7's will participate in a Leadership and Teamwork Building day on Monday and Tuesday of week 8. This will be held at school and students must wear their uniform and MUST bring a hat. Sunscreen will be provided. The day is based around a series of activities designed to develop their communication, teamwork and general leadership abilities. All students will benefit from the day.
Thought of the Newsletter
"Two wrongs don't make a right."
Mr Matt Skinner
Junior Secondary HOD
TRIVIA NIGHT
Miss Hoffman and Miss Kliese are very excited to announce that they are holding a Year 8 & 9 Trivia Night in Term 2, Week 8 on Thursday 13th June. This event will provide students with an opportunity to meet and greet other students in a fun environment. It will be a couple of hours of games, challenges and of course, some fun trivia. Please note: only Year 8 & 9 students are permitted at this event.
There will be a pre- trivia sausage sizzle organised by our senior buddies and prefects, for students to attend. The sausage sizzle will be $2 with optional additional extras. Cordial will be provided on trivia tables and there will also be drinks and snacks available to purchase.
What: Year 8 & 9 Trivia
Night and Sausage Sizzle
Where: Mackay State High School Hall
When: Thursday 13th June (Week 8)
Time: 5.00pm- arrival
5.30pm- enter hall and find tables
6.00pm- trivia competition starts
7.30pm- evening finishes
Cost: Gold coin donation for entry and change for
Drinks - $1.00; Lollies - $1.00; Snacks - $1.50
Whilst lollies, drinks and snacks will be for sale during the trivia night, please encourage students to bring COINS ONLY as there will be limited change and no EFTPOS facilities available.
The evening’s profits will be donated to Central Queensland Emergency Helicopter Services to support their organisation and commitment to our broader schooling community.
SPORTS REPORT
WHATS GOING ON AROUND THE HPE CLASSROOMS
Year 10 HPE – Extension
Students in Year 10 HPE – Extension have this term been developing their Volleyball skills whilst learning about Skill Acquisition. Students have been looking at their own performance in Volleyball and making judgments as to what stage of learner they are and what type of practice is best suited for their skill level. The students have been playing some excellent Volleyball and producing some great individual results.
Year 12 Physical Education
Year 12 Physical Education students have this term refined their Volleyball skills whilst applying a range of biomechanical principles in order to improve. Students are beginning to reflect on their own performance by looking at their technique and performance outcome to understand where they need improvement and how biomechanics can assist. Looking heavily at the overhead serve this term, students are looking at their height of release, angle of release and speed of release as key identifiers to success. Students have applied these principles and are beginning to see some very high quality games!
Year 11 Certificate III in Fitness
Year 11 Certificate III in Fitness students have covered the Work, Health & Safety components of working in a gym or outdoor setting in Fitness. They have also looked at a variety of case studies in handling different complaints in the workplace. Students have developed their knowledge on developing mini-fitness sessions with their classmates. This has then given them practice for the major assessment of the term which is conducting Community Fitness Programs. These programs will be run with the Year 8 students due to logistics. The students will break into smaller groups and take turns in instructing students to participate in skills, drills and game play for the game of Touch & Rugby League.
Year 12 Certificate III in Fitness
This term the Year 12 Certificate III in Fitness students have been developing their knowledge on working with clients in specific populations including pregnant, diabetic, elderly etc. Our students are working one on one to train Staff who have volunteered. We thank the following staff for putting up their hand to help our students out:
Miss Tracy, Mr Patti, Mr Durie, Mrs Rovelli, Mr Gercken, Miss Burns, Mrs Muirhead, Miss Stork.
The students are conducting five 1 hr sessions with their clients before and after school. This is giving our students real life experience with a client other than their peers.
Staff Profile
- Name: Amanda Dick
- Your position / role(s) at MSHS: HPE Teacher
- Nickname – How you obtained this if appropriate: Dicky – unsure how this came about
- How Long you have been employed at MSHS: I started in 2015 and have been here since (with a few terms off for maternity leave)
- Hobbies & Interests: I enjoy martial arts and weight lifting when I have the time as well as running group fitness classes. I love to travel, hit the beach and explore various nature walks and play at the park with the kids. I also enjoy reading and board games when I get the chance.
- Favourite travel destination OR where you would like to travel: I have been to and loved Rarotonga, Malaysia, New Zealand and Thailand. Look forward to many more adventures in the years to come.
- Highlight at MSHS: 2016 was a great year with some wonderful students. It is good being back from maternity leave to build up some rapport again with the students.
- Passion in relation to MSHS / why you do what you do: Without our health what have we got? HPE allows students to participate in health and fitness activities and learn about how to maintain their mental health. I hope to ensure all students leave with a love of some kind of activity and the knowledge to keep themselves mentally well.
- An animal that best represents you and why: A tiger – was an old boxing nickname. Probably as I was short so had to pounce around to score the points.
- Favourite Quote:“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” ― Nelson Mandela
Rugby League
Congratulations to Jack Hoffmann of Year 12 for his selection in the 2019 Queensland 18 Years School Boys team, Jack will travel to Canberra in July to compete at the National Championships.
ACCESS CENTRE
AG DEPARTMENT
The new members of our team are doing really well with the cattle. The cattle are becoming very well behaved and should do well at the shows. We welcome Ms Cody-Davis to the team – great to have you on board.
Miss Cody-Davis and Damon Bust
Our senior member of the team Kaileigh with three new members; Katie; Caitlyn and Holly
Our year nines are creating some beautiful gardens!
The year eights have done a great job at getting their market garden planted up. We should be all eating some lovely vegetables soon!
THE ARTS
HOME ECONOMICS
2019 YOUNG CHEFS COMPETITON
On Saturday 18th May Chonteal Stone and Anna Rogers of year 9 represented Mackay State High School in the 17th annual Young Chefs Competition hosted by the Port of Mackay Rotary Club and held at CQU TAFE in the 5th Floor Training Restaurant. Chonteal and Anna teamed up and received second place in the junior division of the competition against teams of competitors from most local high schools.
Chonteal and Anna made a two course meal consisting of a main meal of Spicy Lamb Curry served with Rice and Pappadams and a dessert of Baked Apples with Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Sauce, served with cream.
The girls won the MSHS Young Chefs Heat last week held at school, competing against 4 teams of students. They then went on to compete against other winners of local school heats on Saturday. They received high praise from judges chef Glenn Davis of CQU TAFE and Karalyn Huxhagen of the Port of Mackay Rotary Club who gave them positive feedback and encouraged the girls to participate in the competition again next year.
The Young Chefs Competition is open to all MSHS students and run by the Home Economics Department each year. Both junior (Yrs 7-9) and senior (Yrs 10-12) students are welcome to enter. The school heats will be held at the end of Term 1 in 2020.
EARN AND LEARN
The Access Centre is once again collecting stickers to gain some wonderful resources. Dates for sticker collection are between 1 May and 25 June 2019. Shoppers receive 1 sticker for every $10 spent. Last year (2018) we managed to collect 4740 stickers but have given ourselves a goal of 5000 stickers for 2019. A collection box will be placed in the student area of the office and another at Canelands.
SCIENCE
MATHS DEPARTMENT
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
Whitsunday Voices
Academic Academy students in Year 7, 8 and 9 will be invited to attend at Whitsunday Anglican School 19 July for the day. Letters of invitation will come out over the ensuing weeks. We are very excited that we have secured tickets to see Li Cunxin the author of Mao’s Last Dancer as one of the sessions. Keep an eye out in the bottom of your student’s bag for more information.
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STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
Breakfast Club
School Based Youth Health Nurse
P & C
We are currently seeking a secretary and would also like to obtain the services of an assistant Treasurer, as our current Treasurer Sandy is in her last year with the school. You would work alongside of Sandy learning the role of Treasurer. All other positions are filled with the P & C. Our next meeting is Monday 24th June 6pm. If anyone is interested they can contact us through the P and C email. pandc@mackayshs.eq.edu.au
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
