22 August 2017

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

We are now over the half way mark for Term 3 and the fast pace of the school calendar continues with several important events coming up on the back of some very busy weeks recently.

Last month we celebrated Wynnum State High School’s 75th Anniversary. It was a fantastic day which saw many past, present and future staff and students visit. We welcomed back one of the original 1942 students. Ralph was a former captain of the rugby union team and made his way from Toowoomba to share our day. He was not alone and the visitors’ book reflects this. We heard many an old tale, looked through hordes of memorabilia and acknowledged our long standing Wynnum State High School community. Thank you to all the staff and students who gave up their own time to support the school on this day, it is sincerely valued and shows the depth of appreciation we have for each other and wonderful Wynnum.

This week we celebrated Daffodil Day. Students wore yellow, donated a gold coin, purchased baked goods and participated in activities, all in the name of raising money to support cancer research and families affected. Thank you for your support.

Over the past week, our Year 10 students, their parents and selected staff members have engaged in the SET Plan process (Student Education and Training Plan). These are vital interviews to determine possible future pathways for students and to confirm subject selection for the senior years. This group of Year 10 students will be the last group to go through the current senior accreditation (i.e. OP) process. The new Senior Assessment and Tertiary Entrance (SATE) process begins with our current Year 9s when they enter Year 11 in 2019.

DATE CLAIMER - Year 9 into 10 Evening

On Thursday 12th October the school will be holding a Year 9 into 10 information evening in the Star Theatre. This is an especially important information evening as Year 9 students will be the first to go through the new senior system. This evening will provide important information around the new process and external exams as well as information about the range of subjects that students in Year 9 can select for Year 10. This is also a change from previous years.

Although this week has been somewhat disrupted with Ski trip and Ekka holiday, I want to acknowledge the ongoing commitment of our students; your children’s attendance. We are seeing changes in some student’s attendance which we anticipate will reflect in their outcomes. We encourage our families to continue to communicate with us when/if there are issues that arise that can affect attendance. We have many solutions and suggestions.

Everyday counts!

Senior School students achieving great things!

Students in the Senior School have been working very hard over the last few weeks and a number of them have also achieved outside of the classroom. It gives me great pleasure to share some of these proud achievements with you.

Kim Hutchinson
Senior School Deputy Principal

USA BMX

On 9th July, 2017 I boarded a plane at Brisbane International Airport bound for Los Angeles. I race BMX bikes, and if you want to be successful in the sport the United States is exactly where you need to be. I had been in intense training all year and after a lot of successful results domestically in Australia I felt confident in competing internationally on one of the highest levels; the Las Vegas USA BMX Nationals. This event attracts competitors from all across the world due to its location and its incredible indoor track at the South Point Casino. The event started on July 13th, and was to run for the next three days (July 13th-16th). It was my first time ever racing a three-day event and in the 45 degree dry Nevada heat it would be tough for me to adapt but I was up for the challenge!

The first day of racing I had no expectations and I did all I could, and I managed to find myself in the main event (final) which is the top eight riders, exactly where I wanted to be. After a tough final against the best riders from all over the world I finished 6th. The second day of racing was a lot tougher. After successfully making the finals the day before I was keen to try and repeat, but unfortunately I missed out on the final by a single place/point. I was disappointed with this, but it made me want to end the event on a high note, and I did just that. After winning races and riding fast against tough competition I made my way into the final once again on the last day. My final race at the Las Vegas Nationals was a good one, and I managed to finish in the Top 5 and I was very happy with myself.

It was an experience I will not forget, and I am eager to race in the United States again as soon as I can. After the Nationals were over, I headed to San Diego where I was able to ride at the Official United States Olympic Training Centre in Chula Vista, California. I finished off my trip travelling the coast of California visiting places like San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles visiting a handful of BMX tracks and being a tourist, seeing a lot of interesting places. After three weeks abroad, I flew home on 2nd August.

Lachlan Hethorn
Yr 12 student

Adam Guthrie – 2017 Pierre de Coubertin Award recipient

Congratulations to our School Captain, Adam Guthrie, who has been awarded the Pierre de Coubertin Award for 2017. Adam has achieved this prestigious award through his outstanding sporting achievements and his demonstration of endeavours and ideals which are consistent with the Olympic movement.

Adam has trained hard over the last few years to become a successful triathlete. He has represented Met East on a number of occasions at State Championships, as well as competed strongly at a number of high level club competitions.

Adam wrote a poem titled ‘The Journey’ as a part of his application. The poem outlines the importance of hard work and dedication in order to determine our character and achieve our goals. As a successful athlete, and through achieving this award, Adam has certainly demonstrated the values highlighted in his poem.

Adam and his family should be extremely proud of this achievement, as should everyone at Wynnum High. We wish Adam all the best in his future sporting endeavours. He will be further recognised for this achievement at the Awards Night in Term 4.

Year 10 Certificate II in Sampling and Measurement Course

Last week 24 Year 10 students volunteered their school time to complete a Certificate II course in Sampling and Measurement. The course was run by Leichardt Education and Training, an external training organisation. The organisation brought their expertise and experience to guide students through four days of hands-on practical experiences that built their knowledge of quality sampling and testing techniques. Students had much to gain by completing this course. Not only did they build essential skills that will give them an edge in practical experiments and assessment in senior science, but they also banked four credit points towards their Queensland Senior Certificate (QCE).

The days were long and students were worn out by the end of the week, but all said they gained valuable skills and were excited that they would receive their qualification. Congratulations to everyone who completed the course!

Students who gained this qualification are:

Cameron Blake
Georgia Bonamy
Marshall Burgess
Bonnie Clelland
Vivian Coelho
Sarah Cordwell
Meyka Dalzell
Charlie Forster
Sean Gaius
Lauren Hazel
Jonathon Hindle
Jackson James
Teliah Keenan
Finn Lumsdale
Leo McCarthy
Ashley Nuttall
Rebecca Owens
Liam Penman
Charles Rogan
Navod Sendanayake
Liam Teura
Jasmine Turner
Josephine Wills
Alexi Younie-Thurtell

Brother and Sister Karate Champions

Varun Kumar (Yr 12) and Reetika Kumar (Yr 8) recently represented Queensland in the Australian Karate Federation (AKF) championships in Sydney. Varun won a Silver medal in the Junior Male Kumite competition, while Reetika won a Bronze medal in the Children’s Female Kumite competition.

Varun shares his experience below:

The tournament was in Sydney where almost 2000 competitors were involved and I was one of them. This karate tournament is where the top fighters from all states in Australia come to compete to be selected for the Australian team.

In each division that I fought, there were at least 10-15 people who were the same age and weight as me but some were taller or shorter than me. Just like rugby league, two teams go to war but in karate, two competitors fight. One will be victorious and proceed to the next round and the other will be eliminated, hopefully next time he or she will do better. This happens with all competitors, even I have experienced loss sometimes. Losing is not bad, it does not matter if you win a gold, silver or a bronze medal, as long as you tried your hardest to win. It takes time to become a great fighter, it took me two years to become the top fighter I am now. Some people take years to become great at fighting, it does not matter. As long as you put in 100% in the ring for two minutes. The best fighters do not always win but they change their way of fighting so they have an edge over their competition. For example, I do that every time if I’m not victorious over competition, I change the way I fight.

The two main key features of a champion fighter are respect and work ethic. If he or she has lost, one should accept the loss by respectfully shaking the other fighter’s hand after their match. The other key is their work ethic, how hard they train and what their goal is whilst they are in the ring. If I lose to another competitor, I congratulate and show them respect. By showing good sportsmanship, other coaches, referees and competitors will start to like your character and will show you respect. My saying is “Winning can come and go but for those two minutes in the ring show everyone what you have got.”

Varun Kumar – 2nd best fighter for 17 year old boys in Australia

University of Queensland Young Achievers’ Program

Congratulations to Bonnie Clelland, Sarah Cordwell and Alex Croft of Year 10 for being selected into the University of Queensland Young Achievers’ Program. This program is an exciting initiative which aims to support the tertiary study and career aspirations of senior secondary school students who might not otherwise have access to university as a post-school option.

The focus of the UQ Young Achievers’ Program is on nurturing and developing the educational ambitions of participants through mentoring, advice, financial assistance, and opportunities for personal growth.

Off to Canada!

On 21 July, Alexi Younie-Thurtell was invited backed to her old primary school, Wynnum State School, to share some exciting news! She has been selected to travel to Canada for six weeks in the Christmas holidays where she will be able to further develop her French language skills. During this period, Canada will be celebrating their 150th anniversary of Confederation and Quebec is pulling out all the stops to make it a memorable experience. Alexi’s Canadian host sister will come to Queensland in March/April where she will attend school here at Wynnum SHS. Both Alexi and her host sister will travel to the Gold Coast in April to experience some Commonwealth Games events as part of the exchange.

Alexi told the students and staff at Wynnum SS how she started learning French there in Year 4 and had continued to study it, and how this had allowed her this wonderful opportunity. Mrs Hadfield, Alexi’s primary school principal, was very excited for Alexi and presented her with a woollen scarf and beret to wear while in cold Canada.

News from the Senior School

QCS Test – Year 12

The QCS test for Year 12 students is fast approaching. We are currently finalising our preparations ready for two very large days of testing on Tuesday 29 August and Wednesday 30 August.

On the testing week, it is really important that students get a good night’s sleep, eat a filling and healthy breakfast and relax in the knowledge that they are well prepared for the QCS test. The P & C Association has kindly sponsored to provide lunches for the QCS students on both days of the test, meaning we can ensure they maintain their energy levels throughout.

Next week, information regarding times and equipment will be distributed to students (and emailed to parents) but the equipment list is also provided below. While we do have some equipment to loan in case students forget something or there is a breakage on the test days, we don’t have enough for everyone so it is important that students bring their own equipment.

Equipment

Please note, for students who are not sitting the QCS test, the 29th and 30th August will be normal school days.

Year 11 – Senior Jersey and Year 11 Camp Information

Next week I will be giving out information to the Year 11 students regarding Year 11 Camp (held in the last week of school this year – 22 November to 24 November) and the Senior Jersey.

To attend camp and/or order a senior jersey, students must be “financial” with the school. This means that school fees must be either up-to-date or a there is a payment plan in place with the school. Therefore, by giving all of this information out quite early, we are hoping this helps families to consider their financial status with the school in time for students to participate in these two wonderful opportunities for Year 11 students. Also, in a change from previous years, we will be ordering the senior jerseys before school breaks up this year so that there is minimal wait time for students to receive their jersey once they are in Year 12 and may start wearing their jerseys at the first hint of a chill!

Year 10 - Set Plan Interviews and Subject Selection for Years 11 and 12

It was wonderful to see so many parents and students attending the Year 10 into Year 11 Information Evening on August 3rd. At the evening parents and students received a lot of information about QCEs, OPs, pathways to employment, coping with the new workloads of Year 11 and of course how to select subjects for Years 11 and 12.

Following on from the evening, most students (and many parents) have participated in a SET Plan interview and have selected subjects which will allow them success in the senior years as well as a pathway to life beyond Wynnum High.

Greg McMahon, Kim Hutchinson and myself have been continuing these interviews this week for students who were not able to attend the interview days with their parents. To ensure parents are still involved in this process, we are sending the completed SET Plans home for signing so you will be able to see the final subject selection and courses/careers which were discussed etc. However, parents would like to discuss these further, please do not hesitate to contact one of us.

Marina Williams
HOD Senior Schooling

Year 12 Formal

Preformal

Students arrive at school by 4.30 pm. As per our tradition, students will assemble on the front A Block stairs at 4.55 pm for a group photo.

Formal

Students are to make their own way to The Greek Club by 6.30 pm. Photo opportunities will be provided by the professional photographers along with a Photobooth for those more informal shots.

At the end of the formal ALL students will return to school on the buses organised and provided by the school. The buses will depart The Greek Club at 11.00 pm and return students to school at 11.30 pm. Parents/Carers are asked to make arrangements for students to be collected at this time.

Please note invitations will be issued to those students who meet the requirements found in the link below.

Reminder to students that they need to return any outstanding chocolate money as soon as possible. For more information please see below.

VIETNAM VETERANS’ DAY

On Friday, 18 August, seven of our student leaders proudly represented our school at the Vietnam Veterans’ Day ceremony organised by the Brisbane East Branch of the National Servicemen’s Association of Australia. The commemorative service had held at Hemmant Cemetery and marked 51 years since the Battle of Long Tan, the most costly battle in terms of casualties in the Vietnam War.

The ceremony was attended by a number of dignitaries, including the National President of the NSAA, Earle Jennings AM RFD ED (Major Retd), and was compered by Allen Callaghan, NSAA National Media Officer.

The students who represented us proudly were: Oscar Duncombe, Zoe Maltby, Te Puaawai Witehara-Hemara, Nina Calvet, Dianne Suarez, Olivia Turner and Poppy Harcourt-Cooze.

Towards the end of the service Poppy was presented with a plague by Allen Callaghan in appreciation of her contribution to this ceremony since beginning school. Throughout her primary school years, Poppy was an active member, later becoming Band Captain, of the Manly State School Fife and Drums Band which performs at the ceremony annually.

Pool Maintenance Required

Currently the school pool has been closed due to some significant repairs that need to be undertaken. These repairs are organised by region and central office and as such we take direction from them as to the timing of this. Due to the nature of the repairs required, regional office has advised us that the pool is unsafe until rectified and therefore must be closed to students and staff. As we head towards the summer months many of our subjects still require students to demonstrate aquatic skills. We have therefore been liaising with the local schools and pools to ensure these activities can continue albeit with minimal disruptions. We appreciate your understanding as we work through these issues.

School Opinion Survey

If you haven’t yet completed your school opinion survey, there is still time as it remains open until 25th August. The required codes were sent home with students. The blue form provided two weeks ago directs you to the survey and has codes that allow you to complete the survey anonymously. We value any and all feedback received through this process. Thank you in anticipation.

Language Department News

French Festival

Senior French students spent the last Saturday of the June/July holidays volunteering at the Brisbane French Festival, held in South Bank on the 7th, 8th and 9th July. Madame Peters was proud to see Oliver, Izzy, Maddie (who is not even currently studying French!), Jenny and Madi in their red “volontaire” shirts, helping with ticket sales, surveys and raffle prizes. The French Festival is held in Brisbane every year around Bastille Day and is a great way to explore French culture, eat typical French foods and meet people who speak French or who just love everything French! The organisers of the festival were extremely impressed to see such a large number of high school French students volunteering over their holidays and remarked on the professionalism and enthusiastic nature of the Wynnum volunteers. Merci à Madi, Jenny, Maddie, Izzy and Oliver!

Year 9 Immersion Afternoon

On Wednesday 9th August, Madame Peters, Madame Fitzgerald and nine Year 9 students travelled to All Hallows’ School in Fortitude Valley to participate in the Year 9 French Immersion Afternoon. Aydin, Igor, Eli, Harry, Emily, Marianthi, Kaitlyn, Anna and Sophie participated in different workshops run by French teachers and met other Year 9 French students from all over Brisbane. They were required to speak French the whole time and everyone enjoyed playing Jeopardy, completing a running dictation, rapping in French and trying to communicate through a solid wall in the different workshops. The students enjoyed some French snacks and won prizes for their efforts. Félicitations à tous !

Creative Arts News

Bands in the Park

It was a busy weekend on 29th and 30th July for our wonderful ensembles. The Big Band, Concert Band and Symphonic Band all performed at the 75th Anniversary celebrations to an appreciative crowd of past and present students, teachers and their families. The next day the Symphonic Band performed at Bands in Park at Little Bayside Park. We were also lucky to be able to introduce Keanu Heremaia to the audience in a solo bracket before the band played. Thanks to Mr Cosic for preparing the band for this performance. You will be able to see Keanu at the Halloween Street parade in a 20-minute solo bracket on the main stage.

Queensland Youth Orchestra partnership

The Queensland Youth Orchestra has invited us back to join them in a combined performance as part of their Twilight Concert Series on Sunday 10 September. The Wynnum SHS Symphonic Band will join with the QYO Wind Symphony to present a wonderful concert on the Sunday afternoon at the Old Museum, Bowen Hills. More details will be sent home in the next couple of weeks.

Young Conservatorium - State Honours Ensemble Program (SHEP)

The following students were accepted into SHEP this year.

• Laura Hall – Clarinet
• Meeka Ireland – Clarinet
• Bernard Morgan – Double Bass

Congratulations to them all. The students will spend three days at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in the Spring holidays rehearsing and performing with other young musicians from throughout Brisbane. It is a great opportunity for them to learn from international conductors who specialise in working with young ensembles.

Musician of the Month

Musician of the Month goes to Bernie Morgan who successfully auditioned and received a place in a jazz holiday workshop at the Gold Coast Arts Centre with James Morrison. This is coveted place and we are very Proud of Bernie for working towards and achieving his goals. Well done Bernie!

The Marvel Exhibition

Years 11 and 12 Film, Television and New Media students attended the Marvel Exhibition at GOMA. The exhibition was spectacular with numerous costumes and props on display. They also had sections that were devoted to film pre-production and story development that the students found every interesting and useful for their own studies.

Instrumental Music Program activities for Term 3

Cybersafety Information Session for Parents

Reminder to parents and caregivers that you are invited to RSVP for the upcoming PARENT Cybersafety Session (details below). Those who have not registered are still welcome to attend, however, as minimum numbers are required for the event to proceed, RSVP is preferable.

From the Chaplain

Looking for a something fun to do during the first week of the September Holidays?

Because I've FOUND IT!!

Some local chaplains are running an SU QLD Holiday Camp held at Mt Tamborine this coming school holidays. It's a residential camp, and all campers will stay up at Mt Tamborine from the Monday to Friday.... (for students in Years 5-8).

It will be loads of fun! So check out the website, come and see me or email me (gdeig1@eq.edu.au) if you have any questions or would like a flyer!

Maths Department News

Mathematics Challenge Results Years 7 and 8

Congratulations to the following students who have achieved very good results on a series of six extended questions that involved considerable problem solving. Students solved these in Semester 1 and the results have just arrived.

This is a very good set of results as students worked on a set of challenge questions over an extended period of time.

Mathletics

Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 are currently enrolled in Mathletics and are encouraged to complete work online either at school or at home.

Mathspace – digital program sponsored by Westpac

Students can log into a new education initiative which is now free to use which will help students to improve their numeracy skills inside and outside the classroom. Mathspace Essentials is a new kind of digital textbook which is dynamic and truly interactive. It’s available online, including on mobile and tablet devices, and students can use it in the classroom as well as at home.

The features include:

• Thousands of interactive questions
• The ability for students to complete their working out online
• Step-by-step hints and feedback
• Video lessons created by maths teachers
• Aligned to the Australian curriculum

For more information on any of the above articles please see me in the Maths Staffroom.

Peter Wilson
HOD Mathematics

Science Department News

The ConocoPhillips Science Experience

The ConocoPhillips Science Experience is a three to four-day hands-on science and engineering program for students currently in Years 9 and 10. It is being held at two Brisbane universities:

3-day program - University of Queensland St Lucia (17th-19th January 2018)
4-day program - University of Queensland, QUT and Griffith University (16th-19th January 2018)

You will have a tour of the university facilities, hear from some of Queensland’s leading scientists, participate in hands-on workshops, and explore science-based careers. The cost for the program is $150 (inc. GST) for the 3-day program and $200 (inc. GST) for the 4-day program. Interested students can apply online via the link below or can see Mr Nicol (HOD Science) for more details about how to enrol.

Metro STEM Girl Champion Summit

Georgia Bonamy (Year 10) and Erin Genrich (Year 11) were invited to attend the inaugural Metropolitan STEM-Girl Summit held at the Queensland Museum on Wednesday 26th July. The girls were given the opportunity to work with other STEM-Girl Champions from schools across the region and were inspired by female leaders in their fields of science, technology, engineering and maths. The aim of the day was to build leadership skills in students and enable them to become a leader of STEM in their school. During the day Georgia and Erin were able to share their experiences in science with other like-minded students and discussed the start of an action plan that could see events happen at Wynnum SHS and in our local primary school that highlights the importance of STEM to students. Overall, the day was a huge success and our girls gained more appreciation and knowledge of STEM. We look forward to seeing what Georgia and Erin create for STEM at Wynnum!

Wynnum Special Education Program

MY FUTURE MY LIFE funding

It’s important for all teenagers to have a plan for their life after they leave high school. It’s especially important for teenagers who have a disability because they often need more support to transition to the life they want and more time to get there. Part of this journey is being given the opportunity to access the assistance needed to think about, prepare for and plan the life they want after school. The MFML funding is part of that process of facilitating a smooth transition into life after school. This term, the SEP has assisted students to write funding applications totalling $10,000. To date, there has been one approved (MFML assessors are currently overwhelmed with applications) and the student has been able to buy a Mac laptop, mouse and Microsoft office subscription totalling $2000. She is very excited as the resources will help her finish off the online modules for her traineeship (Certificate 3 Early Childhood) as well as make it easier for her to further her studies at TAFE next year where she intends to enrol in a Diploma of Early Childhood. She also intends to complete a Degree in Education at university further down the track. Well done – and we look forward to hearing that the other students who have applied have received the ‘Approved’ stamp!

From the School Nurse

Adolescence is a time of trying new things – and for some young people, this includes trying alcohol. When it comes to teenagers and alcohol, it’s important to get informed and have some strategies ready to help your child avoid the risks of alcohol use.

For many young people, trying alcohol is a normal part of growing up.

Teenagers will often look to their friends and family or even the media for cues about how to behave when it comes to drinking alcohol.

For example, having friends and fitting in are very important to teenagers. This can influence whether your child tries alcohol. Your child might drink to feel part of a peer group or because he feels it gives him some status in his peer group.

Some teenagers might enjoy the way alcohol makes them feel. Or some might like alcohol because it gives them a thrill or makes them feel that they’re ‘grown up’.

For most young people who try alcohol, there won’t be any long-term effects. But for a few, drinking in adolescence can lead to immediate harm and more chronic problems or even addiction. For some teenagers, alcohol use can be a sign of social or mental health problems.

Alcohol is the most commonly used and most damaging drug among young people. It’s also the drug of choice for Australians of all ages.

Drinking alcohol: what’s safe

The short answer is nothing. There’s just no safe level of alcohol use for young people under 18 years.

When young people drink, there’s a risk that their brains won’t develop properly. Adolescence is an important time for brain development, with lots of new nerve connections and pathways being made. Alcohol can interrupt this process and even cause mild impairment.

Also, the earlier in life young people start drinking, the greater their risk of alcohol-related problems in early adulthood and beyond. Young people who start drinking before they’re 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than young people who don’t start drinking until they’re 21.

Decision-making

One of the most important tasks of adolescence is learning how to make independent, responsible decisions. Some of these decisions will be good and some not so good – making mistakes and learning from them is all part of the process.

But when people are drinking alcohol, mistakes can have very serious consequences. This is because alcohol affects people’s ability to think quickly, make judgments and avoid dangerous situations or risky behaviour.

For example, a young person under the influence of alcohol could:

• be the victim of physical or verbal violence, or be violent
• have unprotected sex, or not be able to deal with unwanted sexual advances and be sexually assaulted
• experience hallucinations or delusions that could lead to accidents or injury
• get alcohol poisoning and lose consciousness or die
• be injured while swimming, playing sport, climbing or even trying to cross a road
• break the law or get into trouble with the police
• lose control, behave inappropriately and harm important relationships or damage her reputation.

You and other significant adults are a major influence on your child’s use of alcohol.

Role-modelling

You’re unlikely to be able to stop your child from trying alcohol, but you can be a role model for safe habits. For example, you can send your child powerful messages about alcohol by drinking occasionally, in moderation and in company.

Even the way you talk about alcohol and other drugs sends a message. For example, you might think about what your child hears when an adult says something like, ‘I need a drink – I had a shocking day at work’.

Safety messages

You can help your child avoid the risks of alcohol use by talking about safe alcohol use, including:

• drinking in a safe environment and avoiding unsafe environments – for example, with strangers, or at large events and parties where there are no adults
• not binge-drinking
• not drinking and driving
• not drinking on an empty stomach, and alternating alcoholic drinks with water
• not getting involved in drinking games
• setting up a non-drinking buddy system.

Adapted from longer article:
http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/preventing_alcohol_use.html

Difficult conversations with teenagers
http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/tricky_conversations.html/context/1100

Gabrielle Nolan, Youth Health Nurse