14 August 2018

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

As always, but particularly in the last few weeks, I have seen fantastic examples of our PROUD mantra being espoused across the school. I have seen participation in organised activities, such as “Day in the Sun”, sharing the experience irrespective of capability, and demonstrating respect for other individuals within our community. In these activities, such as the inter house netball challenge, I have seen students show house spirit and camaraderie with pride in their houses and an overall sense of fair play and good natured competition. I also saw committed and caring teachers motivating, organising and supporting students.

The senior teaching staff , led by the administration, particularly Kim Hutchinson, have been planning, informing and preparing for the changes to senior education across Queensland. She has a fantastic working party behind her that are ensuring students, staff and our community are aware of the changes and supporting the students in making appropriate choices for their futures. A lot of this work has culminated in our subject displays and information evenings. Well done!

Of course, attendance is a key item directly linked to success in achievement. We have an overall very good attendance rate but every student should be aiming at 95% minimum attendance. Report card analysis clearly shows students with high rates of absenteeism have lower achievement. As I often say to students – “Your report card is your pathway to employment. Would an employer seriously take on someone with poor attendance (or effort/behaviour for that matter)?”

I have attached a simple guide which shows how much school time lost builds up with slack attendance and punctuality – very confronting!

I have been very impressed with the positive learning environment that I am seeing throughout the school. Our teachers are providing quality, engaging lessons and our students are taking their studies seriously. No wonder our achievement is so strong! Well done.

I would like to thank the P & C for their kind donation. This money will be put towards a very large fan in the Imperial Playhouse. This will make this space much more user friendly during the hotter months of the year. We are very appreciative of all the P&C do for the school. We have a constructive and respectful relationship that allows us to work together for our students. Thank you!

QParents is coming

Great news: Wynnum State High School will soon be providing our parent community with the opportunity to register for QParents.

The QParents web and mobile application provides a more convenient, easier way for parents and legal guardians of Queensland state school students to interact with their child’s school. Parents will have secure, online access to their child’s student information, anytime, anywhere, through a smartphone, tablet or computer.

QParents allows parents to connect instantly with their child’s school to access and manage their child’s student information, including:

• Attendance and absence details, as well as the ability to notify the school of an absence
• Academic report cards
• Class timetables
• Downloading exam timetables
• Viewing unpaid invoice details, payment history, and making payments online
• Viewing and updating personal student details, including medical conditions and address
• Enrolment details
• Upcoming events list showing school events, exam and assessment dates, and excursions.

QParents will assist both staff and parents in sharing and responding to information in an efficient and effective way.

We will be sending out invitations for parents to register for QParents on a year level basis commencing 16th August for Year 7s. If you do not want to register, you may advise us not to send you any more invitations, and your child’s student information will not be available to anyone through QParents.

QParents won’t replace the traditional ways you communicate with our school, but it will provide another way to communicate with us.

More information about QParents can be found at:

Book Week

This year Book Week is from August 18 - 24.

On Wednesday 22 August, we are inviting our students, parents and any member of the wider Wynnum community to come and join us for an Evening of Books and a Celebration of Reading.

Rochelle Manners, a publisher at Wombat Books is coming to share with us the process of creating a book from its initial inception of the idea to its publication.

Refreshments and canapes will be served on the new Library deck from 6.00 pm.

To help us with our catering, please RSVP to Ally Perry in the Library at aperr5@eq.edu.au.

There will also be books for sale on the night provided by The Mad Hatters Bookshop and 20% of sales will be donated, in book value, to our school’s library.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Senior School News

Our Year 10 students have now completed the detailed program to prepare them for selecting their subjects for 2019. Over the last eight weeks, all Heads of Department have given presentations about the subjects that will be offered next year. Throughout last week students also had the opportunity to visit the subject displays in the Library and to ask questions of staff during each lunch break. Info Night for Year 11 in 2019 was also very well attended by both parents and students on Thursday evening last week.

The next step is for each Year 10 student to have their Senior Education and Training (SET) Plan interview on Thursday of this week. This interview will ensure that every Year 10 student has a pathway throughout Years 11 and 12 and thereafter, and that the subjects they have chosen will enable them to follow this pathway and achieve success in it. Interviews are 30 minutes in duration, from 3.30 pm – 7.30 pm and will be held in the school Library. Interview times are also available during the day on Thursday and Friday. These interviews will take place in the school office.

The Subject Selection Handbook, Timetable Subject Lines for Year 11 in 2019, and instructions for booking SET Plan interviews online have all been emailed to Year 10 parents and students.

We look forward to sharing this exciting step with our Year 10 students and their parents and carers.

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 4 September and Wednesday 5 September.

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.

Soon, 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

Students must bring the required equipment to the tests as per the table below:

Please note, for students who are not sitting the QCS test, the 4h and 5th of September will be normal school days.

Marina Williams
HOD Senior Schooling

Creative Arts News

Bands in the Park

On Sunday 29 July, students from Wynnum SHS performed to a packed crowd at the Manly Markets, entertaining the crowd with pieces they are playing for the Band Tour to Tasmania. Kennedy Sime, Ebony Hall and Jacob Scott who are senior classroom music students, also performed on the day under their band name Fret. Watch out for these three emerging musicians. They are performing at the Halloween Street Parade in October.

Band Tour

On 14 August, 55 Instrumental Music students and their teachers are off to Tasmania for the biennial Band Tour. We have a jam-packed program planned for the four days from workshops at the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music, Dominic College and the Hobart City Winds community band to performances at Richmond, Springfield Gardens, Howrah and Sorell Primary schools. We are visiting MONA and Port Arthur and taking in a live performance of the hit musical, We Will Rock You. It will be a memorable tour for all involved.

Soundwaves

Keep Friday 31 August free for Soundwaves. Soundwaves is a music concert presented by students from Years 10, 11 and 12. The concert is in the Star Theatre starting at 5:30 pm. Admission is free and everyone is welcome. Please come along and support these young emerging musicians as they present an eclectic concert for family and friends.

Music Performance Calendar

Dance Eisteddfod

On Wednesday 8th August, Mrs Hodgess took Wynnum SHS Junior and Senior Dance Troupes to the Quota Beenleigh Dance Eisteddfod. Both Troupes performed a Lyrical dance piece and competed with several schools in the greater Brisbane region.

Junior Troupe received an encouragement award and a score of 86/100 and the Senior Troupe scored 87/100. These are fantastic scores and the students who performed should all be very proud of themselves.

All students had a fantastic day and were true performers showing respect to the other schools and eisteddfod event organisers thus representing our Proud School Mantra. Well done Wynnum SHS Dancers!

News from the Language Department

Language Perfect

All students of Languages in Years 7-12 were offered the opportunity to participate in the 2018 Language Perfect World Championships, which took place online from 21st to 31st May. Students from 28 countries were tested on their Languages skills, including reading, writing, listening, dictation, grammar and culture. The French and Japanese students answered more than 151,000 questions and earned 58,650 points. Madame Peters, Madame Fitzgerald, Kruysmulder Sensei and Sadamoto Sensei were all very proud of the Japanese and French students who showed great determination in competing against students from all over the world. Well done, students of Languages!

Extra congratulations go to the following students who received awards for their participation in the Championships:

Credit Award (500+ points)

• Lucy Stephens
• Harry Romeril
• Annika Louie
• Amber Morris

Bronze Award (1,000+ points)

• Kalani Birchall
• Jacinta Kranzl
• Tracey Lakeman

Silver Award (2,000+ points)

• Marianthi Panagopoulos
• Isabella Guild

Gold Award (3,000+ points)

• Jemima Gordon
• Annabelle Lane
• Sophie Gould
• Dakota Dillon

Emerald Award (5,000+ points)

• Alex Croft
• Nadia Paranihi
• Shana Smith

A special mention goes to Alexi Younie-Thurtell who worked tirelessly through the 10 days, earning 10,011 points and winning an Elite Award. This is a fantastic achievement, with only approximately 1,100 other students from around the world getting to such a high level! Well done Alexi!

Study Tours – Fukuoka Kaisei High School

In Week 2 of Term 3 we welcomed eight students and their teacher from Fukuoka Kaisei High School in Japan to spend a week at our school. The students were matched with Year 12 buddies from French and Japanese and spent lessons learning about Australian culture, food, slang, dance and sport. The buddy students showed PROUD behaviours through their leadership and acceptance of people from a different cultural background.

In return, the students from Fukuoka Kaisei made a presentation about their town in Japan, Fukuoka, which included information about music, food, landmarks and sports. Two of the Japanese students even showcased their talents in Karate and Sumo.

The students and their teacher were sad to leave Australia as they had had such a wonderful time here. They have already written to say they hope to be back next year.

Thank you to all families who have been hosting Japanese students and to all students who have offered to be buddies – we have two more Japanese groups coming to our school this year and your volunteering is greatly appreciated.

Special Education News

Students participating in Light Painting at Griffith University, Southbank Campus

When we talk about Inclusion we talk about students being, Welcomed, Engaged, Learning and Achieving. Looking back on the last couple of weeks the Special Education Program has certainly made steps forward in the right direction.

A voice from the SEP was heard on Tuesday 7 August where senior leaders presented a session for Year 7s about Diversity. The message was simple, Wynnum High welcomes all and wants all to feel included.

As a means to engage students with their current studies, the SEP has begun transitioning students through the implementation of PATH. This is a process through the student, their family and support network come together to develop an action plan for a positive, desirable and possible future for the student.

On July 31, four students from Wynnum High participated in a Tertiary Education Experience (TEE) for Creative Industries at Griffith University, Southbank campus. They enjoyed pizza for lunch and learning experiences that included a tour of the Film School and its innovative facilities, information regarding opportunities to study Games Design as well as gaining valuable insight into Film and Screen Media. Everyone had a great time!

Another piece of news is that one of our Year 12 students has landed themselves a job after completing their traineeship (Certificate 11 Retail). A great achievement.

From the school nurse

Too many Australians are being diagnosed with diabetes too late. This is true for both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. The delay in diagnosis is putting many people at risk of major life-threatening health problems.

Early diagnosis, treatment, ongoing support and management can reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications.

Diabetes:

• is the leading cause of blindness in adults
• is a leading cause of kidney failure
• is the leading cause of preventable limb amputations
• increases the risk of heart attacks and stroke by up to four times

Type 2 Diabetes

Up to 500,000 Australians may already have silent, undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.

It may be 7 years before they are diagnosed.

During this time, type 2 diabetes can do serious harm and lead to:

• Blindness
• Kidney damage
• Amputation
• Heart attack and stroke

FIND OUT YOUR RISK OF DEVELOPING TYPE 2 DIABETES

Type 1 Diabetes

Every year hundreds of people end up in hospital because the early signs of type 1 diabetes are missed.

If not diagnosed in time, type 1 diabetes can be fatal.

It’s about time we learnt the 4Ts – the early signs of type 1 diabetes:

DIABETES AUSTRALIA APP

The Diabetes Australia app is a great resource for meal planning, latest news and health articles. It’s freely available for Android and Apple phones.

You can search for events in your state or territory using the location or map feature. When you find an event you want to attend, you can add it to your calendar, invite friends and set a reminder. You can also use the app to keep track of your appointments. Click the Health and Wellbeing section for information on when you need to see specialists and set a reminder.

You can also check out the great recipes, try the 30 minute yoga class by Diabetes Australia ambassador Sammy Veall and take the Fast Facts Quiz!

MORE INFORMATION

READ MORE ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE AND DIABETES

NDSS Helpline 1300 136 588

Gabrielle Nolan
Youth Health Nurse