7 February 2020

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Dear Parents / Guardians / Caregivers,

Welcome! I would like to extend my best wishes to all new and returning families to the Mackay State High School community.

My name is Felicity Roberts and I am privileged to be your new Principal. I have worked as a teacher, Head of Department of Science, Deputy Principal and Principal with the Department of Education for over 20 years and I am confident that I can serve this great community and continue to enhance the education opportunities for our students. I am been impressed with the friendliness and openness of the students and the high standard of service offered by the entire staff at Mackay State High School. This is a school to be proud of!

I would like to acknowledge the legacy that the past Principal, Stephen Paulger leaves and wish him all the very best in his retirement. I would also like to wish departing Deputy Principal Donna Drinkwater well wishes as she commences in her new school, Wellington Point SHS. I am joined in my Executive team with returning Deputy Principals, Lisa Veney and Tania Cheers, along with Roxanne Aprile, who will be the Acting Deputy Principal behind Mrs Drinkwater in term 1, while a recruitment process is undertaken.

We also have several new staff joining our school this year. I would like to introduce;

• Mrs Cicley Baira – our new Guidance Officer

Teachers:

• Rebecca Barbi
• Priya Barnes
• Axel Carpenter
• Dallas Chyba
• Shaun Dooley
• Adele Gouws
• Yoo Young Kim
• Jennifer Manison
• Richard Newsum
• Stephanie O’Dolan
• Chris Pozza
• Elaine Rose
• Claire Verapen

I have made it very clear to staff and the students that I am going to work hard every day to ensure Mackay State High School is a high performing and welcoming school that offers diverse pathways and opportunities for students. My work in schools has always been underpinned by the mantra of positive relationships – with students, with staff, with parents and the wider community. Regular communication with our parents and community is a key priority of our school this year. Every day, we will use our Facebook page to post information about upcoming events and notes being sent home and this fortnightly whole school newsletter will be produced to celebrate student success.

I look forward to meeting you throughout this first term.

Mrs Felicity Roberts
Principal

SCHOOL PHOTOS

MSP will be attending our school on Thursday and Friday 13/14th February to take our student photos for 2020. All students will have their photo taken over the two days and this week students have been provided with envelopes with order details if you wish to purchase one of the quality packs. Photos can be paid online or correct cash on the day to the photographers. Envelopes are required to be brought in to MSP staff on the days of their visits. In a few weeks after the photos are taken, students will all be issued with personal School ID Cards.

SENIOR LEADER INVESTITURE

Our Leaders Investiture ceremony was held this week with our special guest being former student and Prefect Callum Dick. Many of the 2020 Leaders’ parents and family members were present to see the students give the Oath of Office and receive their badges for 2020. Our Leaders for 2020 are

STYMIE

GENERAL HOUSEKEEPING

Medication at School

If your student requires medication while at school, there a couple of steps that need to be followed.

Step 1

Complete paperwork:

• Administration of Medication Forms are available from the general office. They must be completed by a doctor and parent/guardian and returned with the medication to the First Aid Officer at the school office.

Step 2

• Medication needs to be obtained from a chemist. Medication must have a Chemist label, with the students name on it and listing the medication and instructions and be dated the current year affixed to the packet/container.

Unwell Students

Please instruct your student that if they are sick they MUST come to the school office and the office staff will phone and make arrangements with you for your child to be collected. Students are NOT to use their own mobile phone to contact parents or they will be issued with an eDevice infringement. This process saves valuable time for office staff as they don’t have the resources to go looking for students who are not in sick bay.

STUDENT MESSAGES

Please arrange with your child PRIOR TO SCHOOL any changes or appointments to their day. Only UNFORSEEN CRITICAL EMERGENT messages will be delivered to students.

Late for School/Leave Pass

The student is required to bring a note if they are late for school or need to leave for an appointment. The note is taken to the Attendance Office and the student is then given either a late pass or a leave request. If the student is leaving school early the request is then taken to the office at the time of departure where a parent/guardian can collect the student from the office.

Second 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.

Facebook

Mackay State High has a Facebook page where lots of information is posted daily. This is where you will find information on any upcoming camps, excursions, sporting trials/carnivals as well as showcasing the amazing students and staff we have at our wonderful school. Remember to like our page and set as a favourite so as not to miss out on all the important things.

EQUITY LAPTOP PROGRAM

The Equity Laptop Program will be operating in 2020 with a limited number of devices. Families who are experiencing hardship can apply for a device by having their student pick up the Equity Information Pack and Application Form from the General Office.

Families and students please be aware that as available devices are limited, applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. The devices available are now of some age and as the year goes on replacements may not be available.

SENIOR SCHOOLING

Year 10 USI (Unique Student Identifier) and Student Enrolment Agreement Form for VSW

All year 10 students are required to have a USI (Unique Student Identifier) and a signed student enrolment form for their VSW subject.

Students were given the forms to create their USI at the end of Year 9. Thank you to those students who have created a USI and returned the form. Students who did not return their USI were given the form again this week along with a Quick Guide on How to Create a USI. These need to be returned by Friday 14 February.

The student will need ID such as a birth certificate, passport or Medicare Card to be able to create their USI. Anyone having trouble creating their USI can bring their ID to Mrs Esau in E6 and help will be given.

All Year 10 students were also given an Enrolment Agreement Form for their VSW subject to be completed and signed by a parent/guardian and returned to Mrs Annamaria Esau in E6 by 14 February.

YEAR CO-ORDINATORS for 2020

SPORTS CORNER

Welcome back to 2020,

I trust that everyone had safe and active holidays and are ready to get back into what is going to be a positive 2020. With the departure of Mr Gercken I have taken over the position as Head of Department of HPE and I am excited about the challenge ahead to provide the best opportunities for our students. We welcome back our HPE staff from 2019 Mr Graham, Mr Blakey, Mr Brock, Ms Dick, Mrs Biddle, Ms Koko, Miss Cody-Davis, Miss Nixon, Mr Radunz and Mrs Kelly. We would like to extend a warm welcome to our new staff Miss Chyba, Miss Barbi and Mrs Doueal who will all be teaching across the HPE faculty this year. We have started strong as HPE department setting our high goals for the year where the students and the curriculum are at the forefront of our planning for Term 1. As always, the year of MDSS kicks of straight away so please check that you have looked at the sports and the trial information to ensure you get the paperwork back before the due date to save the disappointment of missing out. We welcome Miss Koko into the position of Sports Coordinator so any questions that you may have about MDSS will be directed to her. Following on from last year, we are trying to open up opportunities to play other sports so please check the Sports Notice Board for upcoming trials. A reminder that all students must have bucket hats for sport to be able to participate. If students forget they will be sat out and will complete theory work on their second time it will be a call home to the parents to discuss the repercussion of no hat, no play. Our Sporting Academies meeting was held on Wednesday night, which gave us a great chance to meet new and current students and parents. On the night, we answered questions about fees, uniforms, expectations, judiciary and the direction for 2020. Thank-you to all of those who attended the night we hope we were able to give you some answers around the workings of the academies. Our first carnival for the year is the Swimming Carnival, which will be on Friday 21st February at the Memorial Pool and parents are more than welcome to come along and support their children. As we look forward to Term 1, we are reminded that we need to make sure that we work to the best of our abilities in both theory and practical lessons. We expect that you come to class and give your best effort along with behaving well and we know that you will have a great Term 1. As the students were reminded by, Mrs Roberts at their first parade ‘Be better than you were yesterday’.

If you have any questions about your son or daughter than please do not hesitate to contact me at the school

Emma Forster
Head of Department
Health & Physical Education

Mackay High Swimming Carnival 2020

The Mackay High swimming Carnival is being held on Friday the 21st of February at the Memorial Pool. Entry to the pool is a gold coin donation. Students can be dropped off at the pool from 8.15am and picked up from the pool at the conclusion of the day at approximately 2.45pm. Students that arrive by bus are to walk down to the pool and will be released with enough time to walk back to school for pick up. For our younger students we will have staff that will escort them to the pool from school. A letter will go home next week for our year 7 students with more details. The swimming carnival is a fantastic day to be involved in as staff and students get to interact with each other outside the classroom and get involved in all the activities our staff and House Captains have planned. Our Houses are Forgan which are red, Dennis is green, Chataway is yellow and Mackay is Blue. We encourage our students to wear sun safe clothes in their house colours and ensure they bring a hat. Canteen facilities will be available on the day and our senior students will be having a sausage sizzle, but students should ensure they also have their own food and water for the day. We encourage all students to be involved in participating in our events on the day even if they are not confident swimmers. We will have board races and noodle races as well as our regular swimming events and also out of the pool wet activities such as run the gauntlet and fill the bucket relays which are always great fun. Looking forward to a great carnival.

Staff Profile: Rebecca Barbi

Teacher of Health and Physical Education and Science/ Biology.

My full name is Rebecca but people call me Bec for short.

I only just started working at MSHS this year.

My hobbies include playing football in a local women’s premier football team.

My interest are travelling and camping around Australia in our four wheel drive.

My favourite travel destinations would be America and New Zealand but I would like to travel to Fiji and the Maldives.

I love teaching students new things and helping them succeed and to be the very best that they can be.

The animal that would best describe me is a lioness, I like to be a part of a pack and help contribute to the group.

Favourite quote: “Never let a stumble in the road be the end of your journey”.

MDSS Trial Paperwork- School Process

Here at Mackay High, we encourage students to participate in trials for Mackay District School sport however, students and parents must be aware of the process in order to submit paperwork.

1. Students will be notified through daily notices when paperwork is available for a particular trial.
2. Students need to come to the HPE staffroom to collect their paperwork.
3. Paperwork needs to be filled out in its entirety and handed into the front office with payment by 3pm on or before the due date.
4. It is the parents responsibility to inform the school/attendance office of your students absence.

Paperwork will NOT be accepted after 3pm on the due date. This due date is clearly stated at the top of all paperwork. At no point should paperwork be sent directly to the manager or convenor of that sport as it must follow the official nomination process.

Capricornia Trial Paperwork Process

If your student is successful in getting into the Mackay District team for their chosen sport, they will receive the Capricornia paperwork on the day. Please follow all instructions on this paperwork as payment does NOT come to the school. Paperwork needs to be filled out and bought back to the general office, signed by the school and then sent off to the team manager.

Senior Leaders for 2020

Congratulations to the following students, who will lead our student body by example for the HPE Department.

Sports Captains: Tilayna Nissen and Kodie Stebbeings

Sports House Captains:

ACCESS CENTRE

As part of our Partnering with parents commitment under the Every student with disability succeeding plan, the Department of Education has engaged the Community Resource Unit (CRU) to provide support to parents and families of students with disability in Queensland state schools to build self-advocacy skills and work as respected and valued partners in their child’s education. You can find a link to this initiative on the department’s new OnePortal Parent engagement page. Just click on the tab – “Supporting parents to engage”.

Families can access the Families for Inclusive Education Project page directly from the CRU website for accessible information about:

• Date claimers and links to register for upcoming parent workshops,
• Inclusive education factsheets,
• Newsletters and resources, and
• Recording of CRU’s Planning successful transitions: Top tips for parents webinar.

2020 workshops, individual consultations and peer support networks

Building on the successful workshops delivered around the State in 2019, the attached flyer provides details of the workshops scheduled for Terms 1 and 2, 2020. These workshops aim to help families learn about how quality inclusive education can provide a foundation for an inclusive life, while developing connections with other families, which will be valuable for their child’s education and for the long-term. As part of this initiative, financial support is available for rural or remote families or for families with specific access requirements to assist with attendance at workshops if required.

In addition families can contact CRU for information, individual consultations or to connect with peer support networks.

Please spread the word about this important project to parents and families of students with disability. Please also consider passing on to your school’s P&C representatives to share with families.

Families can request more information, receive updates on the project or speak with consultants at CRU by contacting them by telephone on (07) 3844 2211 or email EducationProject@cru.org.au.

If school and regional teams require more information about the project, please don’t hesitate to contact the State School Disability and Inclusion team by email at Support.diversity@qed.qld.gov.au.

MATHS DEPARTMENT

FREE maths tutoring will begin on Wednesday’s with our first session beginning in week 3 between 3:00 and 4:00pm. All students are welcome!

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

YOUR HEALTH MATTERS

Hi Everyone!

I’m Ann-Maree Brightman, the Mackay State High School Based Youth Health Nurse (SBYHN). I can be found in the Student Services area on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday one week and Thursday, Friday the following week. Please feel free to call me on 49579179 if you have any queries.

An outline of what I do

The SBYHN works with students and school community on issues that may affect the health and wellbeing of young people and the school community as a whole. This includes helping with curriculum, teaching and learning activities, providing health information and referral, supporting the development of the environment and school culture that supports health and wellbeing, and working with the community and other services.

The SBYHN can provide health and wellbeing information about:

• healthy eating and physical activity
• feeling unhappy or stressed
• relationships
• healthy skin
• personal and family problems
• growth and development
• sexual health
• smoking, alcohol and other drugs.

Confidentiality

Young people have a right to confidentiality when accessing health services. As a health service provider the SBYHN respects this but there are some things the nurse must refer or act upon.

In most cases, it is best for young people to talk to their parents about health and wellbeing issues. I can support young people to do this.

Getting the best help for health

At times other services can provide more appropriate or further help or support for young people. The SBYHN will discuss the options for working with other services or linking young people with the right services.

The SBYHN does not provide

• treatment such as medications, injections, first aid
• physical examinations
• ongoing counselling for psychological problems.

Student appointments can be made to see me before or after school, or during breaks.

School Immunisation Program 2020

Ann-Maree Brightman
School Based Youth Health Nurse

MACKAY STATE HIGH SCHOOL P AND C

Welcome back to all our new and existing parents. For those who don’t know, the P and C play a major role within our school community. We run the school tuckshop and uniform shop, profits from these shops provide well needed funds for different areas around the school. Recently, we provided our new electronic sign out the front of the school. We also helped with funding for a new PA system in the hall, annual blazers for our prefects and excursion assistance to just name a few.

This year we are seeking new members to help us so we can continue our contributions to the school community, without members our P and C can’t run successfully. All we are asking for is a couple of hours of your time each month to attend a P and C meeting or volunteer in our wonderful tuckshop.

This year we are losing valuable committee members as their children have completed their schooling. If you can help in any way, our first meeting for the year is Monday 24th February 2020 at 6pm in the school library, all welcome.

Many Thanks
Toni-Maree Dodd
P and C President

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