Bush Whacked
Cairns School
of Distance Education
Hoare Street, Manunda, Cairns Qld 4870
Ph: 07 4080 9111; Fax: 07 4080 9100
Email: [email protected]
Term 1 2015
Term 2 Dates
Above: Cairns SDE Instrumental Music students stand proud in front of the Australian Flag
showing off their new Music shirts, whilst their mums make sure they are well fed during the camp.
April 2015
20 – Term 2 commences
27 – P&C Meeting 2.30pm
Ph 1800 141 220
Rm 1149 273 350
28-29 – Peninsula Study Days,
Mulgrave
May 2015
07-08 - SDE Principals Meeting, Bne
12-14 - Naplan Tests
19-21 - Naplan Tests for GI/Medical
students sitting tests at home.
19 - Aust Schools Data Technology
Competition
25-29 - Annual School Camp, Sports
Day and Cultural Day
26 - P&C Face to Face Meeting
27 - CSDE Biannual Form, 12.30pm
June 2015
03 – Australian School s Science
Competition
08 – Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday
15 – Australian Schools Writing
Competition
15 - P&C Meeting 2.30pm
Ph 1800 141 220
Rm 1149 273 350
16 - Australian School Spelling
Competition
16-17 - Instrumental Music Camp
22-26 - Year 10-12 Block Exams
Message from the Principal
Welcome to the first jam-packed edition of Bush Whacked for 2015. This issue of the
newsletter highlights our school’s significant achievements and events throughout
Term One.
Our school has undergone significant growth of student enrolments. Currently we
are teaching 1608 students in part and full time capacity. This equates to a full-time
equivalent of 625.4 students. As a result of this we have employed the following teachers in our school:
David Chang
Bruce Cordiner
Annie Dong
Carolyn Gladwin
Robbie Gregory
Kylie Juniper
Graeme Kenny
Mary Lantman
Lucy Neylan
Sam Pentsa
Hugh Quinn
Kirsty Rankine
Margaret Russell
Samantha Saffioti
Aaron Yang
… and a young Mr Jim Buzacott
In addition to this we have recently advertised for an additional Deputy Principal and five Heads of
Department. You will be advised of the successful applicants in the near future.
In this issue:
 There are some excellent articles relating to wellbeing and resilience in the opening sections of this
newsletter.
 The latest updates from the Library are enlightening and I strongly encourage you to check out the
new books and my favourite Pig the Pug.
 You’ll read a beautiful love story from our Family in Focus, the Lamonts.
 Congratulations to Anastasia Wynberg for her achievements in the latest Qld Surf-Life Saving
Championships - you can read all about these achievements in the mid-section of this edition.
 This year’s Study Days have some wonderful images of the learning that took place during these field
activities.
 If anyone wants a fantastic coffee with brilliant service they need look no further than ou r talented
Hospitality students.
 Also highlighted is the amazing talent of our Visual Art students. Their mural is something to behold
and ties in beautifully with our support of the 18th Cairns to Karumba Bike Ride.
 Take the time to read the delightful stories written by two of our Year 6 students, Bridie Cowe and
Angus O’Brien. Great work!
The Cairns to Karumba Bike Ride is gearing up for 2015. You can support our school by either donating
your time and energy in helping with the ride co-ordination or by donating money directly to our team.
Donations can be made by clicking here and supporting Team Cairns SDE. All money raised goes to
support the education and wellbeing of students in Far North Queensland. This is our only fundraiser for
the year and we greatly appreciate any support you can give us. Every little effort counts.
I hope you have a terrific Autumn break and that you continue your learning in all different places and in
all different ways. I also hope that Peter Cottontail visits those of you who believe in him.
Have a safe and happy holiday. I’ll be training for the bike ride with the goal of not falling off this year.
Kind regards
Andrew Oliver
Principal
Parent Liaison Officer
RREAP-ing the Rewards
Thanks to Rural and Remote
Education Access Program funding,
Sports Bags are being rolled out to
Geographically Isolated homes. This
will enhance GI students’ ability to
engage with HPE and extend it
through the Fit Kids program. Thanks
to Helen Sachlikidis for sourcing the
goods and coordinating this valuable
project. RREAP:
http://rreap.qld.edu.au/
Active Education: Growing Evidence on Physical Activity and Academic Performance:
http://activelivingresearch.org/sites/default/files/ALR_Brief_ActiveEducation_Jan2015.pdf
A Few Words from the Guidance Officer
Resilience through Problem Solving
Children with good social and problem-solving skills are more equipped for life. In fact
intelligence alone is not enough and it is these skills that lead people to be successful in
life. Children who have learnt these skills are comfortable in new situations. They are
friendly to others and join in activities. They cooperate and compromise. They trust
others and others develop trust in them. They handle conflicts well and respect
differences of others. They apologize when they are wrong, but will assert themselves
when they believe they are right. They are clear in their thinking and non-threatened nor
threatening. They are liked. For children with poor resilience and/ or at risk of
depression, often these skills are lacking.
When children are young they depend on parents to help them solve problems, but as
they grow they will need to learn skills to handle the problems they face. With a focus on
`remaining calm’, Seligman, in his book `The Optimistic Child’ provides 5 steps, your
child needs to follow, in order to solve problems effectively,
1. Slow Down – STOP before acting impulsively, then start thinking. How we
handle a problem depends on what we are thinking. Replace hot thoughts with
cool thoughts. Hot thoughts often lead to loss of control. Cool thoughts result in
solutions that are non-threatening to self and others.
How we think affects how we feel and what we do.
2. Stand in another’s shoes. Understand what the other person was thinking or
why they acted the way they did. This is easy to do by meeting with the person,
looking at their face, and asking non-threatening questions to get answers (use of
technology won’t achieve true understanding). Set Goals – If you have a problem
how would you like things to end. For example, you have a fight with your friend,
is your goal to restore friendship or have a stand-off. As your child sets a goal,
they should list as many ways as possible to reach it.
3. Choose a Path – which is the best solution. Look at the pros (any good
outcomes that might happen) and the cons (any bad consequences). For
example, speaking nicely to someone versus yelling at them.
4. How did it go? Did it work – if not then don’t give up. Pick another solution
and give that a shot.
Notice that all these steps are about you, the parent, training your child in the art of
problem solving. It is not about you finding their solutions nor is it about you rescuing
them. Our aim as parents is to have well adjusted, social, and happy children who
are equipped to handle life in all its forms.
Jill White,
Guidance Officer
Adapted from Seligman, M – The Optimistic Child
Cairns to Karumba Bike Ride
Dirty, Dirty, Dirty,
Oi, Oi, Oi!
Yes guessed it – we have started gearing up for yet another great ride from Cairns to
Karumba and this one looks set to be a beauty!
2015 will be the 18th ride supporting the Cairns School of Distance Education. For road
riders this will mean 780km from coast to coast where the first two days involve climbing,
climbing and you guessed it…more climbing. In fact riders will travel from sea level to
the highest road in Queensland by lunch time on day two!
For the dirt enthusiasts, 2015 is set to be another great challenge with some brilliant
riding through the Tablelands set down for the early stages of the ride before battli ng the
dust at the stations of many CSDE families and enjoying their hospitality during some
morning tea and lunch stops.
With a new ride shed erected, this year’s pre-ride preparations look like being the most
organised in the event’s history. The opportunity to have all ride gear including trailers
and cooking equipment stored in one location is sure to streamline operations in a
manner that is sure to be enjoyed by all who volunteer their time this year.
If you too would like to volunteer, ride or support a friend who takes on this challenge
simply go to http://www.ridefnq.com/. Alternatively contact Ride Co-ordinator, Steve
Corrie at [email protected] .


2015 Ride Dates –
Depart Cairns on Saturday, 27 June 2015
Arrive in Karumba at 1pm on Friday, 3 July 2015
Website - http://www.ridefnq.com/
Fundraising - http://www.everydayhero.com.au/event/2015CairnsToKarumbaBikeRide
Library News
Amulet : The Stonekeeper (Book 1)
Graphic novel star Kazu Kibuishi creates a world of terrible, man-eating demons, a mechanical rabbit, a
talking fox, a giant robot… and two ordinary children on a mission.
After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her
deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister
creature lures the kids' mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose
her, follow her into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animal s.
Eventually, they enlist the help of a small mechanical rabbit named Miskit. Together with Miskit, they
face the most terrifying monster of all, and Em finally has the chance to save someone she loves.
Amulet : The Stonekeeper’s Curse (Book2)
Graphic novel star Kazu Kibuishi returns with his mysterious world full of new allies . . . and old
enemies!
Emily and Navin's mother is still in a coma from the arachnopod's poison, and there's only one place to
find help: Kanalis, the bustling, beautiful city of waterfalls. But when Em, her brother, and Miskit and
the rest of the robotic crew aboard the walking house reach the city, they quickly realize that seeking
help is looking for trouble, dangerous trouble.
Amulet : The Cloud Searchers (Book 3)
Kazu Kibuishi's enchanting series about two ordinary children on a life-or-death mission continues!
In the third instalment of the thrilling Amulet series, Emily, Navin, and their crew of resistance
fighters charter an airship and set off in search of the lost city of Cielis, which is believed to be
located on an island high above the clouds. The mysterious Leon Redbeard i s their guide, and there's a
surprising new addition to the crew: the Elf King's son, Trellis. But is he ally or enemy? And will Emily
ever be able to trust the voice of the Amulet?
Baboon
Fourteen year-old Gerry and his parents are returning to the African savannah
after six months in London when their plane crash lands in the jungle, killing the
pilot. When Gerry wakes, he has a terrifying shock. He is now a baboon. Using
his human intellect and powers of reason, he ensures his survival and growing
acceptance by a baboon troop. Just when things are getting comfortable, a
shock attack by a leopard triggers Gerry's re-entry into his own body. In
hospital, Doctor's tell him he has awoken from a coma - but does Gerry have
the scars to prove otherwise?
Pig the Pug
Pig is the greediest Pug in the world. He is grumpy, rude and
unreasonable. But when Pig the Pug is asked to share his toys, something
unexpected happen. Hopefully Pig has learned a lesson!
King Pig
Because he was the King, he could make the sheep do whatever he wanted,
whenever he pleased. But he just can’t make them like him. A royal romp
about a little pig with a lot to learn.
The Maze Runner
Movie Tie-In Edition (Book One)
Perfect for fans of Divergent and The Hunger Games, this special movie tie-in
edition of the first book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Maze Runner
series,
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name.
He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.
Nice to meet ya, Shank. Welcome to the Glade.
Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, everchanging maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.
Everything is going to change.
Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is
terrifying.
Remember. Survive. Run.
Family in Focus
Meet the new Mrs Lamont and family
Leslie and I along with two of our children Amy (now 14) and Cody
11 moved to Oakland Park Station, a 212,000 acre breeding operation
located 650km North-West of Cairns in 2008, and commenced
distance education with Cairns in July that year. In 2011 we welcomed
another beautiful daughter to our family, and Emma is now 3 (and
already throws her weight around in the school room).
Up until just recently Leslie and I weren’t married, so just mid-March
we decided that after 16 years the time was right and we tied the knot
with a beautiful ceremony in Charters Towers with our family and friends.
We love the country life but it can sometimes throw massive curve balls our way,
we have dealt with the floods of 2009, bushfires in 2010 and now drought for the
past three years (that we are still struggling with). Our schoolroom has become
hectic since the C2C program was introduced but I guess we all find ways to jump
through those hoops and come out the other side smiling.
Amy started high school in 2013 after
completing her junior years with CSDE
and is now attending Clermont State
High School and boards with her
grandparents where she is currently
enrolled in Year 10. Amy received the
Junior Sports Person Australia Day award in 2013 for the Croydon Shire after
receiving numerous awards throughout the year for her participation at a state
level in athletics. She thrives and excels on the sporting fields whereas her younger
brother loves to help his Dad with the day to day doings on the property and loves
going fishing when he has a spare moment.
Like most country properties there are no shortage of pets, Cody has a flock of near
20 Muscovy ducks and has just welcomed 13 ducklings to his brood, 20 chooks, 1
little Miss Piggy, 1 Siamese cat, 1 mini poodle, 4 working dogs, 20 horses, 40
bucking bulls, 50 bucking cows along with running 5000 head of commercial
bred red and grey Brahman cattle.
There is certainly no time to be bored while growing up on
a cattle property from the feeding of the poddy calveswhile still wiping the sleep from your eyes- while Miss
Piggy is crying for her feed and gnawing your leg, to
cutting and packing your lunch ready to jump on
motorbikes to help out in the paddock to bring in the cows
for drafting, or throwing on a few tonne of lick and
cruising doing a water run. Cody loves the mustering
season as this means Dad calls on him to help out in the
paddock with the mustering, especially in winter time
when he gets to fly high in the skies in the helicopter
spotting the cattle, then drafting the next day, and he
can’t wait to brand those calves (he is our chief little
ringer), but never fear we slide a bit of C2C in there.
Our days are long on the station and our lives may be somewhat different to some
of those enrolled with CSDE, but living in the country is a dream and a passion
that we would not swap for anything. “DISTANCE IS NO BARRIER”.
Rebecca Lamont, nee Corbett
‘round the ridges
Year 6 student, Anastasia Wynberg attends the State Championships!
Anastasia Wynberg of 6A recently attended the State Surf Championships at Maroochydore.
Anastasia and her team have been training hard for this event but mainly went down for the experience of
participating at such a high level.
However, the team, including Anastasia made the board relay finals, sprint relay finals and the surf team
won a bronze medal! Anastasia and her teammate Sophie also made it through to the finals of board
rescue. Furthermore, Anastasia made the quarter-finals of the beach sprint, semi finals of the board race
and the finals of the individual surf race. Congratulations Anastasia!
Field Support – Study Days
Students from Prep to Year 3 had a
great time at the Cairns, Tablelands
and Savannah Study Days. Fun games
and activities allowed students to get
to know their peers and teachers.
They learnt all about insects through
exploring stories, photographs and the
outside environment. Students used
this understanding to design, create
and evaluate their own insect using
recycled materials. Students also
really enjoyed having the opportunity
to join in with older students during
Science, AFL and Technology
sessions. Students captured their
Study Days experience through
creating their own movie using Adobe
Voice on iPads. What a great time!
4-6 Study Days!
Cairns
Study Days in Cairns, Savannah and the
Tablelands saw groups of eager
students undertake the design, make,
appraise process to construct a bag
that will support a water bottle and
protect an egg! The students took this
technology task quite seriously as they
stapled, plaited and taped recyclable
materials together to complete their
mission. Keeping within the theme,
students worked with Ms Howser to
learn about how to avoid ‘Death by
Powerpoint’ when creating a multimodal presentation. The Study Days
gave teachers an opportunity to
complete spelling, writing, and reading
tasks with each student, to observe
their independent work habits and
have some fun while skipping, playing
AFL and a nerve wracking game of
BANG! Thank you to all the families
who participated in these days – study
days make school fun!!
Tablelands
Savannah
2015 Art Camp written by Shirley Bond and Peah Woosup
A group of Art students from Cairns School of Distance Education and Northern Peninsula Area
State College attended an Art Camp that was held on the 16th-20th March 2015 at the Cairns
School of Distance Education.
On their first day at the camp the Year 12 students Peah, Anndalassa,
Assiyih, and Cedella along with CSDE students Harriet, Natalie and
Namara had a workshop with a sculpture artist named Tijn Meulendijks.
“What I loved about the workshop was that it was so exciting and I’ve
learnt interesting facts about nature”, said Peah. The students had to
create a sculpture by using materials found in the natural environment
such as vines, leaves etc.
The Year 11 Northern Peninsula Area State College students - Shirley, Trevina, Salome,
Crystal, Lillah-May and Darai along with CSDE students Jaxon, Lotus, Djameela and Brynn
started a Graffiti Workshop with painter Mr Wally and Art Teacher Miss Renee. Everyone was
very nice and helpful to us on the first day. That day our teachers talked about what we will be
doing on the mural wall and that we were going to spray paint the C2K (Cairns to Karumba) with
pictures of bikes. The ride is to fundraise for the Cairns School of Distance Education.
We started on our rough drawing on paper about the rainforest in Cairns and the outback at
Karumba, then two of our students started on the wall drawing the letters ‘C2K’. After that all the
students went on with the rainforest and the outback. Starting off wasn’t really hard we got the
hang of it very quickly and went on by ourselves adding more details to the wall and had most of
the spray painting done on the first day. We did a mural graffiti which was based on Cairns to
Karumba’s rainforests and outback”, said Trevina. We had fun using the idea of Cairns and
Karumba’s rainforest and outback in our artwork, it was interesting and inspiring”, said Shirley.
The second day the Year 11s continued with the mural on the
camp whereas the Year 12’s started on their major sculpture
with their Art Teacher, Miss Sandi Steffensen
“We had to draw our designs on a scrap paper, cut out to create
a template and then draw on to a PVC wood”, said Assiyih.
“We had and manual arts teacher from Trinity Bay come over
to the camp to help cut out our design”, said Anndalassa.
Everyone had a great time at the camp and we all learned a lot from all of the artists.
Vocation Education and Training (VET)
An eventful first term for Geographically Isolated Hospitality students, both newly enrolled in Cert II
in Hospitality and continuing students of Cert III in Hospitality, has seen them successfully
complete Barista and Bar Block Training at TAFE Queensland North. Baristas-in-Training
mastered eight coffee styles and iced drinks, and senior-student Bartenders tried their hand at
savvy cool bar-style cocktails and beverages, all the while gaining many technical and customer
service skills.
The TAFE Queensland North teachers set a high
standard for CSDE students to meet during this week
of intensive training. Skills learnt will be practiced in
TAFE facilities and part-time industry positions. Their
commitment to the course and the Hospitality
Industry is commendable. Not to mention their ability
to dodge Cyclone Nathan!
Sam Simmonds is quoted in Post Ed,
“I’ve had a blast here at TAFE and it was worth the
two-hour dingy trip, three-hour flight and half-hour
car drive to school [CSDE accommodation]. I now
know how to make a fantastic Espresso!”
Cert II and III in Business Students are ‘learning the ropes’ of an Administration Officer assistant
position in a Virtual Office (Temperate Wholesalers) scenario. This course immerses students in
practical application of their skills and knowledge of the Microsoft Office and business formatted
templates. Students are currently gaining knowledge of their Roles and Responsibilities,
Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) and the above mentioned applications. As with any new
position in the ‘real-world’ students will navigate the Virtual Office and report to one of four
Company Directors to receive information regarding the Tasks [1-10] Activities.
Work Experience is vital to this certificate, as a Third Party, for students to engage with and use their
skills mentored in a real office administration situation. I trust students, many of whom have
organised this with me and a Work Experience Provider (WEP) for this school holiday period, will
enjoy this experience and gain further understanding and knowledge useful to their future career. I
look forward to hearing their stories.
Cert II in Retail has begun and students are engaging with the weekly Collaborate lessons well.
Already, students are working on multiple competencies as we discuss aspects of WH&S,
Communication and most importantly Customer Service in Retail. Retail Students are encouraged
to approach a WEP to gain first-hand insight to this great industry.
Great opportunities arise from knowledge and practical skills gained from Certificate Courses.
Ros Scott
VET Teacher
Our Budding Writers
The Most Messed Up Day
by Angus O’Brien
Kurt sat quietly in a busy classroom. His brown hair neatly
combed back of his forehead. The classroom was full of lots
of kids, but you could hear a pin drop. When the school bell
rattled for lunch, the classroom erupted with noise and running
children.
Kurt in his cool motion slid down the stair rail, with a glimmer
in his blue eyes. His short shiny body skipped down the
concrete pathway to the big yellow dining room.
In the packed dining room Kurt got a plate, sharp knife and stably fork and lined up with
the other starving noisy children. He loaded his plate high as a mountain, with his most
favourite food, spaghetti bolognaise. Then he picked up a sauce, like he always does,
however he had not noticed the label that said “Fire setting chilli.”
He poured the whole jar onto his spaghetti and promptly sat in his usual spot, and
started devouring his meal, shovelling it into his mouth. The spaghetti was flicking all
over his face and running down his chin and neck. Kurt stopped. His eyebrows frowned
over his face, something was wrong. His tongue started to swell it was tingling and then
exploded into a fireball. Kurt raised up his arms, opened his mouth and with sweat
dripping down this face he screamed, “AHHHHHHHH!”
He leaped off his chair and skidded around the corner of the dining room to the old water
tank outside the building. His mouth was boiling hot, it felt like a volcano erupting.
Kurt was so preoccupied by this burning tongue that he failed to see the danger ahead
of him and bumped into the school bully “Buster”. Buster was a huge, fat bodied boy with
big fists and a terrible nasty face and mean attitude. His shaved head made him look
even meaner.
He charged after Kurt like an angry Rhino. Kurt dashed like a cheetah towards the tank.
As he reached out toward a cup, Buster gave him a huge shove knocking Kurt over onto
his back. Kurt rolled and quickly jumped to his feet, grabbing a cup full of water on his
way. Buster charged at him again. The water splashed out of Kurt’s cup landing on the
concrete making it slippery. Buster went to punch Kurt with a big swinging hard fist but
he lost his footing and toppled to the ground. He flipped over, knocked his head hard on
the concrete and lay on the ground moaning.
Kurt’s burning tongue was like a forest fire. He desperately needed a swig of water
before the sting of his tongue got even worse. He splashed in the wet concrete and took
a gallon of water and sighed with relief. He had learnt a big lesson that day.
THE END
Surviving the Drought
by Bridie Cowe
Down in the undergrowth of the tall white gum trees
stood a familiar face to our swamps. With his large,
hairy, black body he watched us with strong trustworthy
eyes; we can see his sharp, long, tusks and strong,
sensitive, snout. He is an adventurous but cautious,
young pig, we always see him down by the cool, misty
swamps digging for bugs and lily roots or eating duck
eggs in the reeds. We call him “Big Fella.”
The seasons have changed so quickly; this is the driest year we have had for so long.
Our cattle and animals struggle to survive this long drought. It is a long time before we
realise we have not seen any sign of Big Fella. We sped off in the ute to look for signs of
him. We started at the swamps. No signs there. We went to the dam. It was dry. No sign
there. The creek bed was also dry. No sign there. We searched everywhere. Sadly we
did not find anything. Hopefully he had just moved on and will return one day. Though
feeling in my heart I knew that he would not have survived this drought. We will
remember him, our wild friend, even though we could not touch him.
Then, after 3 months, we received 4 ½ inches of rain in a thunder storm. Dad said “This
will bring enough green pick to freshen the cattle up”. After a couple of days Dad comes
in from a drive down the back and say’s smiling “I saw pig tracks.”
On the weekend we went down the back to check the flood gates. We were just about to
get back in the truck when I stumbled in a hole. Something had been churning up the
ground, like a plough.
My hair prickled on the back of my neck. I felt like something was watching me. Dad
grabbed his gun, ready to shoot, thinking it might be the two dingoes we had seen at the
gates earlier. As we all held our breath in anticipation ‘Big fella’ trotted out of the
overgrowth. ‘Big Fella!’ I yelled with excitement. Just as a sow and 8 cute, little piglets
followed him down into the water. We sat and watched them for a long time.
A few weeks after seeing them often, we decided to give the sow a name. We called
her Missy. We hope that the new family, stay around for a long time.
THE END
Attention Year 11 & 12 Art Students
Camille Serisier is running an
Artist-in-Residence
Drawing / Digital Media Workshop
When: 10.30am to 3pm on Saturday, 11th April 2015
Where: Kickarts, 96 Abbott Street, Cairns
Contact Jane Younghusband at [email protected]