29 October 2019

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

I would like to start by saying welcome back to everyone, but this seems odd, given we are already three weeks into the term and well on our way to the finalities of the year. Soon our Year 11 and 12s will complete assessment. The twelves will prepare themselves for formal and graduation and ultimately leave us. Not long after this our 10s and 11s will begin their semester vacations and for many Year 11s there will be school work to be done over those eight weeks. Finally, the sevens, eights and nines will begin their holidays. A lot in a very short amount of time. These things will be upon us before we know. We are madly preparing special events along with maintaining our rigorous focus on the teaching and learning in classes. We look forward to these celebrations and sharing these milestones with you.

Friday of last week was World Teachers' Day. I think the process of setting aside a day where we can acknowledge a cause, a group or a vocation is a very good idea. When it comes to acknowledging our teachers, I think it is both necessary and essential.

To be a successful educator you need to be aware that your teaching does not lie solely in the subjects you deliver. We teach every minute of every day. Almost everything we do is a teaching experience. There is nowhere to hide if this is not something you are fully committed to. At Wynnum SHS you will see the commitment to the teaching profession which is so important to being successful. They need to be handled delicately and with love. As I watch the interaction between staff and students, I always come away with a sense of great fulfilment. The sense of love which manifests in a genuine affection is inspirational.

As we come to the end of the year, teachers are finding that many students are attending class without the necessary stationery. Please note that this is a list of basic requirements needed in student pencil cases, every day in every subject for every year level. These items will ensure that your child is able to completely participate in classes. Please check your child has adequate pens and pencils along with note books and any subject specific items and replace if needed; they never go astray.

May I gently remind parents and caregivers of the importance of students attending school all day every day until the end of term? We will continue to encourage and challenge the students to strive for excellence in both their studies and involvement in extracurricular activities. Our students are very capable, and we will continue to work in partnership to support their growth and development.

Cath

Senior School News

It’s a very busy time in the Senior School at the moment. We currently have Year 11s sitting exam block for Unit 2, Year 12s preparing for their final exams next week and Year 10s learning new content and working on assessment instruments. It is vitally important that students are here every day in order to maximise their learning. Year 11 students will start their learning in Unit 3 on Monday 4 November.

Please note the important dates for Years 10, 11 and 12 below. Year 12 students, parents and carers have been emailed the specific details for their final week and invitations for the Graduation Ceremony will be sent soon. If a Year 12 student would still like to participate in the RSA Course, please return the permission slip by Friday 1 November.

All Year 12 students must participate in the final week program in order to fulfil the policy of the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) for the awarding of their Senior Statement. QCAA requires students to be in attendance every day until Friday, 15 November 2019.

Important Dates:

* Clearance Day is when all school resources including textbooks, library books, laptop, laptop bag, charger, locker key, and any other materials are to be returned to the school. All financial matters with the school are also to be finalized on this day. When students are not involved with the clearance process they will be in normal classes.

If you have any queries or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me on 3906 7349 or at tlums1@eq.edu.au.

Tenielle Lumsdale
HOD Senior Schooling

Creative Arts News

Middle School Concert Band Primary school tour

On Friday 18 October Instrumental Music students from Years 7 – 9 toured to Wynnum SS, Manly West SS and Wondall SS to present a wonderful program to engage students from P – Year 6. It was terrific for our Year 7 students to visit their old primary schools and be able to demonstrate how much they had improved on their instrument. Thanks to Mrs Anderson and Mr Nutley for their hard work in making the tour happen.

Concert Band and Symphonic Band and Big Band competing at Music Fest

Congratulations to the Concert Band and Symphonic Band for wonderful performances at Music Fest this year. The Concert Band took out a gold award and Symphonic Band took out a silver award. Both ensembles did us PROUD and were wonderful representatives for our school. Big Band is still yet to perform. None of this would have been achieved without the dedication and hard work of the students and Mrs Anderson and Mr Cosic. And thanks to all the parents who are also so supportive of their child’s music education.

Instrumental Music Showcase

Concert Band, Symphonic Band and Big Band will all be performing at the Star Theatre on Wednesday 13 November from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the end of year Instrumental Music Showcase. Family and friends are all welcome to come along. There is a break-up party after the concert for students and parents in the library. Tracey Maltby, Chair of the IMPS Committee, will be emailing further information regarding the concert in the next week or so.

Senior Showcase

Senior Showcase is on Tuesday 5 November in the Star Theatre from 6 pm – 7:30 pm. Dance, Drama and Music students will be presenting their work. This is bitter sweet night as it is the last performance our Year 12 students will do at school. So come and cheer them on and congratulate them on the dedication and perseverance they have shown to develop their skills and knowledge in their chosen art form.

Junior Showcase

This semester Junior Showcase will be across two evenings due to the large number of family and friends who come along to support their child, which is a wonderful thing.

• Years 7, 8 and 9 Dance and Drama students - Monday 25 November from 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
• Years 7, 8 and 9 Music students - Tuesday 26 November from 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm

All performances will be in the Star Theatre.

Wynnum High Art and Media Night (WHAM)

WHAM is an end of year exhibition celebrating the achievements of students from the senior school (Yrs 10 - 12) and featuring selected works from the junior school (Yrs 7-9).

On Tuesday 12 November parents, families and friends are invited to attend WHAM from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at Gallery 33 (Under F Block). There will be entertainment and light refreshments provided throughout the evening.

The exhibition will include art works across a variety of medium from clay sculptures, paintings and sketches through to contemporary installations.

Students from Year 10 – 12 Media will also present original works that they have written, directed and/or produced from short advertisements to documentaries and short films.

Band Camp in 2020

Next year is our Band Tour year and we are planning on going out west to the Darling Downs region in Term 2 week 10. Information will be out before the end of the year with approximate costs.

Languages

Hiroshima Municipal Hiroshima Secondary School visit

Hiroshima Municipal Hiroshima Secondary School spent three days at wonderful Wynnum High on their study tour to Brisbane. 28 students and their teacher experienced Language classes, Australian foods, a completely different school environment and lessons in English. They were buddied up with Wynnum students so that they had a real experience of what school is like in Australia.

This trip was a particularly special one, as both school Principals signed a “Friendship Agreement”, which means that our link with Hiroshima will continue for many years. The Wynnum students were able to practise their Japanese and learn about the culture and history of Hiroshima. They were also taught new games by the Hiroshima students and all involved had a very positive experience.

Thank you to the buddy volunteers and the Wynnum staff who have enabled such trips to happen!

Language Perfect World Championships

Students of Languages in Years 7-12 participated in the Language Perfect World Championships, which took place online in September. Students from 25 countries were tested on their Language skills, including reading, writing, listening, dictation, grammar and culture. The French and Japanese students answered more than 56,500 questions and earned 21,727 points. Madame Peters, Monsieur Lees, Kruysmulder Sensei and Sadamoto Sensei were all very proud of the French and Japanese 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)

• Ava Tonkin
• Alarni Scrutton
• Jemima Gordon

Bronze Award (1,000+ points)

• Meg Walker-Ely
• Kate Gillespie

Silver Award (2,000+ points)

• Macy Rennick
• Sophie Webb

A special mention goes to Alexi Younie-Thurtell who worked tirelessly through the 7 days, earning 10,002 points and winning an Elite Award. This is a fantastic achievement, placing her in the top 0.2% of students around the world! Well done Alexi!

Year 9 Camp

As Term 3 drew to a close and some in our school community began to turn their attention to the joys and delights of the September holidays, a group of 76 excited Year 9 students gathered early one morning ready and eager to participate in a three day nature-inspired retreat at Noosa Northshore. Over the course of the three-day camp students took part in a range of outdoor activities – very refreshing after the academic strains of a busy term. The more relaxed amongst us enjoyed canoeing on the Noosa river, where some groups explored sand banks and uncovered stingrays and other marine life hiding in the water. The thrill-seekers amongst us enjoyed conquering the high ropes course and mountain biking over some fairly rough terrain. The participants also had the opportunity to surf a wave at the local beach or else build sandcastles and enjoy the luxury of a relatively private beach experience. It’s safe to say - we had a blast and enjoyed many great moments along the way.

The story of Iraia became a camp legend after, we’re told, he was wonderstruck by the sight of horses on the beach. It is said that his anticipation and excitement grew to the point that he could no longer focus on the task at hand. His new goal was to befriend the graceful creatures and he would stop at nothing until he was granted permission to have a pat. Elsewhere in the camp, Georgia, Tamzyn and Rochelle took it upon themselves to run a workshop on self-care beauty rituals. Those who took part enjoyed a pampering facial treatment while the girls shared beauty tips and tricks from the best applications for wax, to the benefits of charcoal for the complexion. It was a success for all involved. Thanks girls!

The natural wildlife came out for us in abundance. By the first evening, most of the camp had spotted the local Kangaroo population who were grazing right outside our tent city. The luckiest amongst us may have even encountered a rainbow lorikeet or sighted an eagle gliding through the sky. After dinner on the first evening, the entire camp made our way to the beach on a night hike. We were led safely through the bush and marshland where some of the hikers spotted a tawny frogmouth owl. Others spotted snakes and quickly learnt the best method for avoiding a strike. At the beach, we assembled on the sand to stargaze. During our time there, participants learnt to identify the constellations of Scorpio and Libra. We then sat back as our guide shared an awe-inspiring story about the origins of the Milky Way comparing it to a fried egg with our sun as a speck of sand in its yolk. Sadly, the sky was hazy that night, with smoke from a local bushfires hovering in the atmosphere above us. A harrowing reminder of the fragility of our natural environment.

On our last night together, students and teachers alike took part in a laser skirmish battle to end all battles. The teachers’ team were early champions, taking out the first round, but were defeated in the end by a group of compatriots from the blue team who rallied together in the final moments and took control of the field.

Overall, the three-day camp was deemed a success by all involved. The students are to be commended for their exemplary behaviour and eagerness to participate in all of the activities – even those that challenged them.

Student Success

Congratulations to Holly in Year 11, who on Sunday 13 October competed in the Queensland Tri-Series Long Distance Triathlon 16-19yrs Female (900m swim, 25km cycle, 6km run), at Raby Bay.

Holly competed at an exceptional standard, finishing in first place!

Well done Holly!

Public Speaking

On Monday 14th October, Emilia Peneherrera of Year 10 represented Wynnum State High School in the Secondary Schools’ Public Speaking Competition which is held yearly by the English Speaking Union of Queensland. Emilia was required to speak on the night for four minutes on the topic Knowledge of languages is the doorway to wisdom (Roger Bacon). Emilia spoke extremely confidently, using wonderful expression and body language that impressed the judges. She made some very insightful points about our country’s indigenous languages being reduced from over 200 to only 13 because of our history in relation to the Stolen Generation. We look forward to hearing more from Emilia in the coming years as she is an inspiring speaker who really connects with her audience on an emotional level. Well done Emilia! We are so proud of your efforts in representing our school.

Annette Kennedy
Public Speaking Coordinator

AIME Excursion

Recently, 12 of Wynnum High’s most aspiring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students attended the AIME excursion to Griffith University. The AIME mentoring program aims to bridge the gap between high school and university for Indigenous students in Australia and around the world.

Students were welcomed to country by Elder John Graham, from the Gumurrii Student Support Unit at Griffith. Our students had an opportunity to connect with many other students from around South-East Queensland and to see a number of performances by their mentors and peers. Some of the many highlights of the day included seeing presentations of work by Wynnum students Byron Watego and Lacey Lord on the big screen, and Jack Keegan receiving the performance award for the year.

Year 9 student Lacy shared that her biggest take-away was that “imagination is about being determined and inspired by your dreams, it’s about believing in them and following through with them”.

Minjerribah Excursion

On Thursday 24th October, 33 of our Indigenous students travelled over to Minjerribah (Stradbroke Island) for the day. Students were guided throughout the day by Uncle Matt Burn, a traditional man of the island. The students’ first stop was a midden at Polka Point where they learnt the rich culture of the traditional land owners and the history of the island. Uncle Matt then led students around the midden showing the traditional uses of fishing rock traps, rock bowls and trees located around the area for medicinal and hunting purposes. Afterwards students enjoyed their lunch from Point Lookout where they were able to witness a breaching whale within the bay. Uncle Matt continued on guiding the students around the gorge where they learnt traditional tales of how the cliffs formed, location and tasting of bush tucker and viewing of wildlife within the waters below, turtles and stingrays. Overall students were enriched with culture and stories of the island on a beautiful day.