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1 Moolanda Street
Jindalee QLD 4074
Website: http://centenaryshs.eq.edu.au
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 07 3373 4555
Fax: 07 3373 4500
Subscribe to Online Newsletter! http://centenaryshs.schoolzinenewsletters.com/subscribe
2 April 2015, Volume 17 Number 3
News from the Principal
The end of Term always seems to be
incredibly busy with the rush of assessment
and reporting and a crowded calendar of
excursions and activities. It is difficult to
believe that the term is almost at its end. I
trust that our students although hopefully
busy, have enjoyed school to date and have
taken every opportunity to be involved in the extra curricula life
of the school as well as maintaining a clear focus on classroom
learning.
Staffing Appointments for Term 2:
Sarah Barrett will be taking up a position in the Business
Department
School Focus: Quality Teaching
The school prides itself on the quality of instruction across our
classroom. A key focus in recent years has been on ensuring
that we have a consistent and high quality instruction in our
classrooms that promotes both the essential skills and the high
order thinking of our students. Part of this approach has been
a commitment to Marzano’s Art and Science of Teaching as a
framework to improve our practice. This term we have focussed
on the application of our classroom routines to enhance
learning.
A number of teaching teams in the school have focussed on
operating as Professional Learning Teams this term. Integral to
this strategy are teachers of a cohort owning the outcomes of
the whole cohort not just an individual class. Teachers in a PLC
identify the practices that are effective in improving learning and
use this knowledge to inform future practice.
Reporting and Parent Interviews
Term 1 Reports will be sent by email this week. Electronic
communication is the school’s preferred means of
communication. Please ensure that your email address is
current for school records.
In respect to the Term 1 Interim Reports, some subject areas
particularly in the Senior School will be based on limited or
no summative assessment nonetheless it is important that
academic progress can be reported to parents in a timely
fashion. If issues around performance and application can be
addressed early enough students will have an increased
likelihood of enjoying success over the rest of the semester.
Term 1 Data is particularly important in identifying students who
are experiencing difficulty in their course selection in the Senior
School.
Parent Interviews will be held on Wednesday 22 April 3.30-7.30
and Monday 27 April 3.30 to 7.30.
ANZAC Centenary
Centenary State High School highly values its membership of
CLASS [Centenary Learning Alliance of State Schools]. One of
the benefits of our partnership with our feeder primary schools
is our increased capacity to provide quality opportunities for our
students. This year courtesy of a Department of Veteran Affairs
ANZAC Centenary Local Grant Program and strong community
involvement, the ANZAC Centenary is a key learning focus for
our CLASS students. Across the four schools our students
are involved in a range of projects that are aimed to improve
their understanding and appreciation of this significant national
event.
Key projects currently underway in our schools include an arts
project and writing workshops. The arts project will see a
permanent feature commemorating the ANZACs, made for
each school. A writer in residence will support students in each
of our schools formulate and present their ideas in a range of
written forms.
Students will also be involved in the making a documentary
which will be made available online at the project’s completion.
This project has been led by John Westwood of Redgum
Productions which has provided the participants with a valued
interface with professionals working in this area.
The culminating event will be the CLASS production of Voices
of ANZAC which will be performed at City Hall on July 27.
The Centenary schools have a rich tradition in performance and
the night should be both a wonderful showcase of the talent
we enjoy in our schools and a fitting tribute to the ANZAC
Centenary.
We are grateful to the many community organisations who have
contributed support for this project.
NAPLAN
The school is stepping up its preparation for the NAPLAN tests
which is set for the 12-14 May. Students in Years Seven and
Nine students will sit a practice in Week 10. Feedback from this
test will be invaluable in maximising student performance.
At a state level, Numeracy and Reading have again been
identified as areas targeted for improvement. Traditionally our
Numeracy results have been very strong using the proportion
of students above National Minimum Standard as a barometer.
Our challenge in the Numeracy domain is to get more of our
students performing at Band 10. A number of our students
have been working on a regional online numeracy program
designed to improve capacity.
In Reading whilst our results have always been high relative
to state means there has been no clear patterning relative
to the other literacy domains of Writing, Spelling, Grammar
and Punctuation. Whilst there has been a focused approach
taken to Comprehension within the school, students should be
encouraged to read widely outside of school to further develop
their language skills.
Year 7&8 School Survey
Throughout the year we utilise formal survey tools to inform our
service and planning. The recent parent surveys in Year 7 and 8
have provided us with good feedback on our transition program
and the implementation of Junior Secondary at Centenary.
Parents were very favourable in respect to the school’s
performance in the Primary to Secondary transition, student
support and student wellbeing and enjoyment, uniform,
communication and approachability.
As in 2014 parental responses on the amount of homework
given were less clear with a division on both sides of the divide.
The issue requires further exploration.
P and C News
I take this opportunity to thank the parents who work tirelessly
to support and improve our school through the P and C. This
support is invaluable and I encourage all parents to consider
what contribution they can make to the school.
Congratulations to the following individuals who have been
elected as office bearers for the 2015 school year.
President
Mrs Helen Shogren
Vice President
Ms Lucinda Coalter
Ms Louise Dornan
Secretary
Mrs Jenny Watson
Treasurer
Mr David Hunt
Oval Upgrade
The school oval is currently in the best condition it has been for
years courtesy of a Brisbane City Council grant which allowed
significant restoration work to be undertaken at the end of the
2014 school year. The $20000 grant under the School Sport
and Recreation Facility Upgrade program allowed the oval to be
topsoiled. Coupled with excellent growing conditions over the
2
summer the oval’s surface is now even with a great cover of
grass.
Student Achievement
At Centenary we pride ourselves in providing a broad range
of opportunities for students to excel across a range of valued
learning activities. Achievements in recent weeks include:
Remi Gordon in Year 9 continues to achieve excellent results in
the swimming pool. At the Met West regional carnival he broke
the Met West record for 50m breaststroke and achieved gold
for 100m breast.
School Vice Captain Mikala Crawley has enjoyed success in
the Lions Youth of the Year Competition. Mikala has enjoyed
success at regional level and now proceeds onto the district
finals.
We wish both students well as they participate in the higher
levels of their respective endeavours.
Congratulations to all our students who have achieved a level of
excellence in a school activity over the term.
Best wishes for a safe and relaxing two week Easter break
John Brew, Principal
Email: [email protected]
To read newsletter in full view, please click on
the “Newsletter Print Version” button on the top
left-hand corner of the screen.
News from the Deputy Principals
NAPLAN Preparation
There have been a number of programs put in place to prepare
our year 7 and 9 students for the NAPLAN Tests in week
4 of term 2. Year 9 students are currently involved in a
comprehensive program during their HG lessons on a Monday
and Year 7 students have been involved in a Numeracy and
Literacy Skills program delivered during STEP every
Wednesday during lesson four.
All year 9 students completed a practice test at the end of year
8 and they are currently analysing their results from this practice
test and are engaged in activities, problems and questions
which specifically target the areas identified as weaknesses
from this test.
All year 7 and 9 students will also be involved in various practice
tests in week 10 of term 1. These practice tests will cover most
of the domains of the NAPLAN testing program. All students will
also receive instant feedback from these practice tests which
will hopefully prepare them well.
One of the priorities of our school is also to assist as many
students to achieve a result in the upper two bands of the
NAPLAN tests. As such a number of students have been
identified by our regional office as potentially moving into the
upper two bands. These students are participating in a special
online program which takes place before school each week.
We are hoping that the various programs and targeted
intervention will have benefits for our students when it comes
time to do the NAPLAN test in term 2. If you have any questions
regarding NAPLAN please contact the school to discuss.
Positive Behaviour Rewards System
We are continuing to run our Positive Behaviour Rewards
System which was introduced last year. In week 10 the winning
HG classes with the most number of merit awards will be
announced and these winning HG classes will receive their
Pizza Parties during second break on Tuesday.
There has been a massive increase in the number of students
receiving merit awards this year which has been pleasing to
see. It is great to see so many students behaving and acting in
a positive manner.
Mid Semester 1 Interim Reports and
Parent-Teacher Interviews
All Mid Semester 1 Interim Reports will be emailed to parents
and guardians by the end of this term. These reports provide a
guide to how students are progressing at this stage. It is a good
opportunity for parents and guardians to check the progress of
their children and to organise a time to meet with their children’s
teachers at the Parent-Teacher Interview evening.
We will be using the PTO system which is accessible through
our school website for parents to make an interview time. The
PTO booking system will be open for parents over the school
holidays and information has been sent previously about how
to use this system. We would encourage all parents to take
the opportunity to meet the teachers as research clearly shows
that students learning and outcomes are enhanced when there
is a joint effort between teachers, parents and students. The
Parent-Teacher Interview Nights are on Wednesday 22nd April
and Monday 27th April.
As e-mail communication has become so vital, can you please
ensure your contact details are up to date and if your e-mail
address changes can you please notify the school
administration. Also it is important to ensure that your e-mail
system does not treat e-mails from the school as junk or spam
as this can prevent important information from reaching you.
To ensure that this does not happen, can you please add the
following e-mail address to your list of safe senders:
[email protected]
Our Newest Centenary Students..
Our newest Centenary students have made a great start to their
high school years, over this first term. Both Year 7 and Year 8
students have settled in to the new structures and ways of high
school, now appearing to have always been here. I am sure
that it has taken a lot effort from parents and carers at home
to make this transition appear so seamless. We thank you for
these countless reminders, back packing efforts, form-filling,
emails and phone calls that have supported your student and
built relationships with our teachers and our school.
We are very pleased with the rollout of our plan to deliver our
Junior Curriculum to Year 7s and 8s, through fewer teachers,
one of whom is the Home group teacher for the class. This has
provided great benefits in learning and has given both students
and parents, a key teacher for both student well-being and
curriculum information and concerns. I am sure you are all very
aware of your child’s Home Group teacher, through our original
class meetings and through their emails- perhaps even through
class dojos in the case of some Year 7 classes. As the Deputy
Principal supporting and working with these year levels, I have
been so impressed at our Home group teachers’ knowledge of
their students and their ability to solve almost all issues, before
they escalate.
Term 1 is always a very full term - looking back one wonders
how we have fitted in Orientation programs, school photos
(aren’t the students proud of their new ID cards), a swimming
carnival, a global citizenship day, Year 7 camps away and at
school, well-being message performances, excursions, music
camp, immunisations, preparation for our CLASS ANZAC
commemorations, a Sports Gala Day, homework hubs and of
course lots of learning experiences and assessment of learning.
Matt McDonald, Deputy Principal (Years 11 & 12)
Email: [email protected]
Adam Richter, Deputy Principal (Years 9 & 10)
Email: [email protected]
Sallyann Griffith, Deputy Principal (Year 7, 8 &
International)
Email: [email protected]
News from the Business Services
Manager
Financial Statements
Earlier this week “statements” were generated for outstanding
fees. This statement is an overview of previous single invoices
that have already been forwarded. Please also note that a
credit, which appears as a negative amount on a statement,
this does not require any action. If you have not received a
statement this indicates that there are no outstanding fees.
If your child has changed subjects recently, please be aware
this change may not be reflected on this statement.
All fees relating to 2015 calendar year are due by 31st October
2015. If your family is experiencing financial difficulties, please
contact the Business Services Manager on 3373 4555 or by
emailing [email protected] .
New Payment Method – Bpay
The school has recently implemented the Bpay function; this
allows parents the convenience of making payments from
home and alleviates the need to pay in person over the counter.
The Bpay system is automatic but can be manual adjustment
if an incorrect invoice has been processed. This may occur
depending on the rules that have been set by the system.
After a parent has processed a payment, the following are
some of the system-generated rules of the Bpay function:
• First rule– excursions oldest to newest
• Second rule – other invoices oldest to newest
• Third rule– if there is no invoice on the system a
credit will be automatically be processed against the
student’s account
3
There are also other factors that the system takes into
consideration like only one Debtor ID per family. The processing
becomes more complicated if a family, due to having only one
Debtor ID, has more than one student all with outstanding
invoices. In these circumstances internet banking or periodical
method of payments are recommended instead of Bpay.
Parents/Carers Contact Details
Parents/Carers contacts details are a very important to us. Up
to date and current school records enable us to send you
messages, contact you when your student is ill or if there is an
issue that needs resolving.
If you are moving house, changed jobs, emails or mobile phone
numbers, please inform the school office via
• email to [email protected] or
• a note
If you wish to receive the school newsletter, please log on to
our school website: http://centenaryshs.eq.edu.au/ and click
to
subscribe
or
go
directly
to
the
link:
http://www.schoolzine.com.au/secure/centenaryshs6481/
index.html You will need to complete and submit the form on
the website.
Charmaine Macaulay
Email: [email protected]
News from our ATSI Coordinator
UHELP Program
In Term One this year we have been very fortunate to have
Headspace Inala facilitate the UHELP Program for our
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The United
Health Education Learning Program (UHELP) has been
delivered over five sessions to an all boys group and an all
girls group. Facilitators Nathan and Natasha have developed a
wonderful rapport and delivered information designed to help
students develop and maintain high levels of social and
emotional wellbeing. With information sessions, physical activity
and of course delicious and healthy food, our Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander students have had the opportunity to work
as a group, support one another and develop leadership skills.
Although the program itself is short, the benefits will be many
and ongoing.
Angela Duncombe, ATSI Coordinator
Email: [email protected]
A Little Guidance – The growing world of
social media
Being a teenager is hard. Being a parent of a teenager is just
as hard. Working out how to navigate those relationships when
things go wrong gets even harder… and then throw in the
complexities of social media!!
Social media is an amazing and wonderful tool that can
enhance the quality of life for those who use it well. As it
becomes even more commonplace, there are increasing ways
that problems can arise. There are many different types of
social media that allow users to interact in different ways.
Facebook is probably the most well-known though there are
4
others that are just as popular and much less known within the
parent world with some more hidden ways of communicating.
Below is a list of the most commonly used social media sites in
Australia… if you don’t know one or two of them I recommend
looking into it.
Number of Australian registered users:
• Facebook – 13,200,000 users... common social
media site that allows people to engage in different
ways.
• YouTube – 12,750,000 UAVs… with now over 1
billion users and 300+ hours of new content
uploaded every minute, YouTube is one of the largest
social media sites.
• Tumblr – 4,900,000... microblogging site for any
topic.
• LinkedIn – 3,700,000… similar to Facebook but for
professional use.
• Twitter - 2,500,000… active Australian users… want
to know what people are thinking as they think it?
Then listen to their tweets.
• Instagram - 1,600,000… active Australian users…
picture sharing site with some personalised
messaging options.
• Snapchat - 1,070,000… active Australian users… a
picture and message sharing service where users set
the time that an image or message can be seen.
Many people think this is then erased but a digital
transmission is never truly gone and images can be
copied.
To help stay safe when using social media, it may be useful
to look into these so discussions can occur between teens
and parents with everyone knowing what each other is talking
about. Read reviews and learn about the pros and cons of
each. The Australian Government has set up some useful sites
such as CyberSmart and StaySmartOnline .
Or if you have any questions or concerns, please talk with your
school Guidance Officer.
Mark Voight, Guidance Counsellor
Email: [email protected]
Julie Hammer, Guidance Counsellor
Email: [email protected]
News from the Chaplain
At this time of the year, students can be stressed with
assessment and exams. Below is a list of coping strategies,
which can help.
A mega list of coping strategies
• Turn to someone you trust. It can be a relief to
share your thoughts with someone else, and it can
be good to work through problems with the help of
another person.
• Write it all down. Keeping a notebook handy for you
to scribble your thoughts in whenever you feel like it
can be a great way of expressing yourself. You may
find it helpful to write about what is worrying you, or
express yourself in a more creative way.
• Set aside regular time for yourself. Even if it’s just
ten minutes of ‘you’ time, taking some space for
yourself where you turn off your phone, spend time
alone, exercise, meditate, or listen to music can really
prepare you for tackling stress or challenges.
• Walk away. Work out which situations you are likely
to get most stressed out by. If you feel like you’re
getting too angry, end the conversation, take some
space, and don’t resume talking until you are calm
and ready.
• Overcome negative patterns of thinking through
self-talk. Self-talk can help you see things from a
more positive perspective and give a huge boost to
your confidence.
• Reduce your load. Sometimes you just have to
accept that you can’t do everything. Keep track of
your schedule and how you feel each day, and
working out your optimal level of activity. You should
be busy, entertained, and challenged, without feeling
overwhelmed.
• Consider the big picture. When you’re going
through a stressful situation, ask yourself these two
questions. ‘How important is this?’ and ‘will it matter
in the long run?’ If you realise it doesn’t, it’s probably
not worth getting too stressed out by.
I hope this is helpful. If you require speaking to me (The
Chaplain),
please
contact
me
by
Email:
[email protected] or on the Phone 33734531
Bernie McMullen, Chaplain
Email: [email protected]
Sports Report
INTERSCHOOL DISTRICT 10 AND OPEN DAYS
After our first senior gala day on 11th March, Centenary came
away from the day with solid wins and district premiers in year
10 girls softball and year 10 boys touch football. Well done
to all of our teams who competed, thank-you to the coaches
who gave up their time and good luck in the next round of
competition!
INTERSCHOOL DISTRICT 8 AND 9 DAYS
On the 20th March, the school competed in day 1 of the
Yr7 and8/ 9 District Sports Day. This year there are two days
allocated for some sports. Reports from students and coaches
were extremely positive and teams played with high levels of
sportsmanship. After day 1, we have the year 7 boys basketball
as district premiers. The yr7 girls basketball sitting top of the
ladder being undefeated as well as the yr 8/9 boys and girls
touch teams starting the competition undefeated. Day 2 is on
the 27th April. Good luck to our remaining sporting teams!
A reminder that training for the girls basketball teams continues
Monday morning 7:30am and Wednesday AM Break.
• Learn to forgive. Move on from hurt, regret and
anger. Whether you are angry at yourself or someone
else, it doesn’t help you to hold on to negative
feelings like resentment.
• Hone your communication skills. If you know how to
communicate a problem well, it will help prevent
conflict from escalating, and could help solve the
cause of the stress in the first place.
• Build your optimism. Optimism involves learning to
think positively about the future - even when things
go wrong. That’s not to say you pretend that
everything is fine when it isn’t. Instead, it’s about
looking objectively at a situation, making a conscious
decision to focus on the good. It can be hard to do,
but if you practice, you’re likely to get better.
• Learn how to set goals
• Relax, man . Relaxation is a great way to refocus
your thoughts, particularly when things are becoming
a bit overwhelming.
• Build your gratitude. Take some of your focus away
from the negative things, and take 5 minutes each
day to identify 3 things which you are thankful about.
If you need something stronger
You don’t have to work this stuff out on your own. Chaplains
Guidance Officers and School Base Youth Nurse, are great at
helping to build and develop coping skills. They also can be
good to talk to if you prefer not to talk to friends or family, or
if your problems are making it hard to carry on with day to day
stuff.
CROSS COUNTRY
The school cross country is being held on 23rd April -Thursday
Week 1 Term 2. All year 7 and 8 students will attend the carnival
and nominated runners from year 9-12.
If runners came in the top 8 places they have automatically
qualified for the School Cross Country Team to go to the District
Cross Country carnival to be held at Limestone Park on Friday
8th May.
Training for students has been occurring every Wednesday
and Friday morning from 7:15am. All students are welcome to
attend.
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS
Queensland Track Classic
5
Earlier this month, eight students created history for Centenary
SHS and competed for the first time at the biggest Track and
Field meet in Queensland, at the Queensland Track Classic, as
part the Secondary School relay event.
Students had the opportunity to compete in front of thousands
of spectators against some of the top Track and Field Schools
in Brisbane, as well as watch and also meet some of the top
athletes in Australia.
It was an awesome experience for the students warming up
alongside many Olympic and Commonwealth Games athletes,
including Sally Pearson, Michelle Jeneke (the dancing hurdler),
as well as others prior to competing. All athletes did their best
on the night and did Centenary proud.
Mr Haines introduced the team to Trae Williams, the
Queensland Open and Australian 20/u Champion, as well as
Linda Leverton, Australian Triple Jump Champion.
Credit to the following students for competing: Isabelle and
Amy Lightbody, Natalie Anderson, Montana Lee Hanson, Sam
Lord, Alex Strong, Thomas Tran, and Fletcher Finlay. Thanks
also Mr Haines for preparing the team.
We really want to do well at District Track and Field this year
so we will be starting to prepare much earlier to ensure more
success.
Reporting Results
To enable me to report on student results and to keep accurate
records for sports awards, I need to know how participants
went in their competitions. I encourage all students and parents
to advise me of their results immediately after they have
competed.
Students can see me in Staffroom 4 or results can be emailed
to: [email protected]
Sports Calendar and Weekly Sports Report
Each week the Centenary SHS Sport Calendar can now be
downloaded from the download section of the school website.
It contains all the latest sporting events and dates.
Jess Porter, Sports Director
Email: [email protected]
Junior Secondary News
With the end of Term 1 approaching, it is nice to reflect on the
many events of the past ten weeks for all of our Junior School
students. The Year 7 and 8 students have settled into high
6
school life well, while our Year 9 students have very capably
taken on the role of leaders of the Junior School!
What has been really pleasing to see is the high level of
involvement of the younger students across a wide range of
school activities. From the instrumental music programme, to
the school choir, to participation in school sports’ teams, to
involvement in academic competitions, students are certainly
connecting to their school on many different levels.
Recently the Student Leaders for both Year 7 and 8 were
selected. What a difficult decision that was – the quality of
leadership skills demonstrated by all of the candidates was
absolutely outstanding! 2015 is shaping up to be a great year,
with such a large number of enthusiastic students who are keen
to lead projects within the school.
The Junior students are looking great in their school uniforms
and the majority are fulfilling school expectations with regard
to this. Just a reminder with the cooler weather (hopefully) just
around the corner, that the only jumper that the students may
wear is our school jumper which can be purchased from the
Uniform Shop.
I must congratulate the Year 8 cohort on something AMAZING
that I have noted about them as a group. I frequently check the
Student Absence list which is available to teachers every day. I
have noted on several occasions that the Year 8 students have
few, if any absences. This is quite remarkable and wonderful
to see! High attendance rates is certainly linked to high student
performance. I congratulated the cohort at a recent Year 8
Assembly!
I hope that the recent period of assessment hasn’t been too
stressful for your child (and yourselves!). The results of your
student’s assessment will be communicated to you with the
Mid-Semester Reports due to be sent soon. You will also
receive information about Parent Teacher interviews being held
in Weeks 1 and 2 of next Term. I encourage all of you to make
an appointment with the teachers of your child – the partnership
between school and home is so important helping students to
reach their full potential.
I would like to introduce two members of staff who are new to
our Junior School this year, Andrew Burrows and Claire Tuton:
Andrew: I am a new teacher to Centenary
State High School focussing on maths
and science in the junior years. I come
from a background of working in
environmental and land management
policy with Queensland Government. I was fortunate to travel to
many areas in the state developing plans for the restoration of
degraded areas and working with communities on solutions.
My interests outside of work involve a mix of outdoor pursuits
combined with reading. I am an avid hiker and enjoy exploring
the back country of mountainous areas. I also enjoy the sport of
volleyball and hope to continue coaching teams at Centenary.
Since beginning at Centenary it has been a very supportive
start with a range of staff providing me with a strong foundation
to become settled into the school. I am particularly looking
forward to finding out how the students begin to change as they
become settled into high school.
Claire: My name is Claire Tuton and I am so
excited to be teaching at Centenary State
High School in the Junior Secondary and
Learning Support departments this year. In
my previous three years of teaching, I
taught at Browns Plains High School and I
am actually a past student of CSHS! As well
as teaching specific subject areas, I am extremely passionate
about sport and the arts. Having a background in performing
arts, I have always loved being involved in drama, dance and
music, which is why I am so excited to be a part of the junior
production of ‘Frozen’ this trimester with the year 7 and 8
performance plus group. In my spare time I love to read, play
netball, sing, dance and support the mighty Brisbane Lions! I
am really looking forward to what this year will bring.
Voices of ANZAC
I hope that all families enjoy a great break away from the daily
routine of school and the students return happy and well-rested
ready for a great Term 2!
Mark Watkins, Cultural Director
Email: [email protected]
Angela McKay, Junior Secondary HOD
Email: [email protected]
Cultural News
Instrumental Music Camp
Our annual music camp happened in week 9 down in the
beautiful setting of Natural Bridge. The camp was blessed with
great weather this year, a little rain but nothing that hindered
any activities, and warm enough to allow swimming. The camp
was an extremely busy time, particularly for the teachers,
accommodating rehearsals for 230 students across 6
ensembles throughout the week. It was great having all of
our instrumental and choral staff at the camp with Damon
Lougheed, Fiona Harvey, Matthew Hoey, Madison Dedini, Alex
Van den Broek and Carly Manche all attending at various times.
We were also lucky to have our head of department Dale
Partridge up for three of the days, and one of our past students
Rachel Olsen come back as a tutor for the strings. Thank you
Rachel you were a great help! Also a great help were the band
captains who came up during the first three days to assist with
the junior ensembles. Your assistance was greatly appreciated
Aiden Bennett, Briarley Coppens, Caitlin Hirini, Brianna
Dargusch and Elizabeth Hunt. As usual the camp was a lot
of fun, with plenty of hard work performed by students and
teachers alike. The work ethic of the students was outstanding,
and barely a whisper of complaint was heard.
I would like to add a particular note of appreciation and
gratitude to the year 10-12 students on Friday. I mistakenly
booked our return buses for 9am instead of 1pm, and had
to ask everyone at the camp to perform the massive task of
stopping early and packing up and loading everything in a very
short space of time. It was one of the proudest moment of
my teaching career to see every single student jump in and
help without a word of complaint to complete everything in 40
minutes (normally we allow about 90 minutes for this). Then to
top it off, one of the bus drivers commented that the students
were the best that they had ever had on his coach in his many
years of driving thousands of state and private school kids!
These are the moments that make teaching tremendous!
Our major combined CLASS event at Brisbane City Hall is well
under way and is now officially titled Voices of ANZAC. With
music, drama, dance and media, this is shaping up to be a very
special evening in July. More details will come in the months to
follow.
ANZAC
In other ANZAC news, the Symphonic Band will be performing
on the first Monday back after the holidays at our school
ANZAC ceremony. They will then follow this by performing at
the community ANZAC service at Mt Ommaney on Saturday 25
April.
Until next time, keep cultural,
Science News
The ConocoPhillips Science Experience 2015 –
Breakfast presentation to Centenary Rotary
The ConocoPhillips Science Experience 2015 was a four day
hands-on science activities program being conducted in 32
universities and tertiary institutions across Australia in the week
before the start of term 1.
In this four day program participants visited the University of
Queensland (2 days), Queensland University of Technology (1
day) and Griffith University (1 Day). Participants toured scientific
facilities, heard from some of Queensland’s leading scientists,
participated in hands-on workshops; explored science based
careers and used their creativity in an exciting and innovating
challenge. Interactive workshops were led by experts in their
fields and covered an array of exciting areas including forensic
science, physics, biological sciences, mathematics, chemistry,
astronomy, the environmental sciences, and engineering.
At the end of 2014 six students from a large pool of interested
students were selected to attend the program. Each student
was sponsored up to 50% of the cost by Centenary Rotary.
Early in March this year the successful candidates were invited
to present their experience to the Committee members of
Centenary rotary at one of their weekly breakfast meetings at
the Oxley Golf Club. The students must be congratulated for
their commitment to and passion for science. They were at the
venue early enough for a 6:30 am start. They did not fail to
impress the committee members with a very interesting and
entertaining presentation.
The presentation was conducted by Phuong Ly, Stojan
Radakovic, Andrew Haigh and Sabrina Finsterle, while the
PowerPoint was managed Celeste Wood and Dakota Kelly.
Griffith- Phuong
We were all so excited for the Conoco Phillips Science
Experience , the four days were absolutely astounding. We
learnt so much and did so many activities. So we would love to
give an over view of what we did and the incredible workshops
and lectures we experienced.
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During our time at Griffith University, were able to experience
a welcoming lecture from a doctor who had studied in
microorganisms. This lecture gave an overview of microbiology
and impacts of microorganisms in our everyday life. We
participated in four fascinating workshops which included
making a bike light, investigating the DNA of bananas,
experiment with poisoned sport drinks and looking at
microscopic life.
QUT-Stojan
At the Queensland University of Technology we spent the day
looking at the wonders of nanotechnology. We looked into the
visual spectrum next in an activity called ‘See the light’. We
then had a lecture from a professor about reduced gravity
experiments and his experience in zero gravity. We did a really
fun challenge were we had to build a bridge that could hold
at least 5 kg. The catch was all we had was a block for
the foundation, super glue and paddle pop sticks. Our final
workshop for day 2 included a tour around a brand new
ecofriendly and energy saving building. We worked with circuits
to make lights, buzzers and speakers.
our executive board to advertising. (CLICK) We had to come
up with an innovative device to help society. My groups’ idea
was to make a ‘Pocket Pack’ ‘A universe in your pocket’ and
another group’s idea was a chip that measure your health. We
then had to make a prototype of our products and then a final
version and sell it. This challenge really tested our collaborative,
creative and organisational skills.
To end the day we had the closing ceremony which included
live demonstrations using dry ice and multiple speeches from
people in the workplace of science. We got to touch real fossils
from various dinosaurs.
Overall the experience was amazing and will definitely have a
huge impact on our future choices in the science workplace. It
let us look into the wonders of a science career. We explored
the different opportunities we can have in the future and we will
never forget those four days of fun, fascination and scholastic
learning. Thank you to Rotary Australia for encouraging us to go
for our dreams and let nothing stop us from achieving them.
University Queensland - Andrew
At the University of Queensland we spent two days doing fun
activities and participating in interactive innovation challenges.
On the first day of UQ we did multiple workshops and sat
through two interesting lectures. First we had a lecture from
Professor Neal Menzies about agriculture and food sciences.
We then moved onto a workshop known as ‘Learning to live
with a Brain. We got to touch a real human brain that had been
dipped in plastic to preserve it. ‘Swear word Equations’ was
the next workshop which included us looking at algorithms. We
also looked at what would be the best letters to use on locks so
that we can maximise the amount of word that can be created
but minimise the amount of swear word possibilities. After a
short break we had another lecture, this time from Professor
Tamara Davis about the “Dark Universe”. She talked about the
world of Astrophysics and how the universe is expanding. She
also talked about the wonders of supernovas in galaxy’s billions
of light-years away from us. After the ‘out of this world’ lecture
we had another workshop about Marine Biology and the affects
that flood, storms and cyclones can have on the marine life.
I got to dissect an oyster which was really exciting and a bit
gross at the same time. In the afternoon we left UQ to come to
centenary for a night of fun and games.
Supernova- Andrew
There was a disco nicknamed the Supernova.(CLICK) It was
split between SRC and CPAC (CLICK). It was a good way to
wind down after a full on day at UQ. We were able to dance and
sing or play sports and board games. This night really let us get
to interact with everyone and share common interests besides
the obvious science aspect. We had so much fun with our new
friends (CLICK) and brilliant leaders. (CLICK) This night was a
real highlight of the entire experience. (CLICK)
UQ- Sabrina
The next day we went to UQ again and had a full day of
Innovation challenges. We went from Brisbane to the magical
land of YSAland also known as ICE-A-LAND were we got an
insight into the process of starting a business, from selecting
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Allen Moodley, Science HOD
Email: [email protected]
Year 8 Report
Year 8 Student Leaders
We have some very talented Year 8s in this cohort. I was very
impressed by the number of students who applied to be a Year
8 Student Leader. It was a very difficult decision. I am proud to
announce the YEAR 8 LEADERS for 2015:
• Miranda Callum
• Samantha McKay
• Sebastian Curtis
• Ishaann Cheema
Congratulations! In this position they will be the voice of Year 8
students and will be our representatives on the student forum
committee. I am looking forward to working with these students
throughout the year.
Term 1
I am pleased to report that the Year 8s are in fact GREAT! They
have settled into the routine of high school and are working
well. Term 1 has been a busy term for the Year 8s. It is now
an opportune time to reflect on the completed term and their
achievements and to plan for next term. The Home Group
teachers will be working through a reflection activity with the
students during Home Group. This is recorded in your child’s
diary. I encourage all students to consider the following:
• Did I achieve my goals for the semester?
• Did I put effort into each of my subjects?
• Did I behaviour appropriately in class
• Your goals for Term 2
Mid Semester Reports
I will be reviewing the Year 8 Mid-Semester reports over the
next few weeks. On the 22nd and 27th April, parents will
have the opportunity to make an interview with specific subject
teachers. I encourage parents to discuss your child’s result
and progress with their child’s teachers. I also look forward to
meeting parents on the evenings.
HG Program
During Home Group students will be participating in an
innovative and interactive program called “Friends for Life”. The
program is designed to assist children in developing life skills
and to learn important skills and techniques to cope with and
manage situations they may encounter. The program is called
FRIENDS for Life for the following reasons:
• Our body is our FRIEND – it tells us when we are
feeling worried or upset
• It is important to learn to be our own FRIEND and to
reward ourselves when we try hard
• It is important to make FRIENDS, so that we can
build our social support networks and feel happier
• Our FRIENDS can help us to cope with difficult
situations more effectively
Warm regards
Berenice Furlong, Year 8 Coordinator
Email: [email protected]
Year 7 News
At Centenary, the Student Leaders Forum is made up of two
male and two female representatives from each Year Level. We
are thrilled to announce the successful Year 7 candidates for
the position of Year 7 Student Forum Leader for 2015.
All applicants went through a number of processes as part of
their application. They initially submitted a written application
and presented a prepared speech to the entire Year 7 cohort,
the Deputy Principal Sallyann Griffith and Year 7 Home Group
Teachers. On the basis of these two processes, they were
shortlisted for inclusion on the ballot papers. Formal votes were
cast by peers and teachers.
Subsequently, Angela McKay and I spoke to all candidates
personally in a formal interview. The group of students we had
to choose from was of a very high calibre, making this a very
difficult task. This bodes well for future initiatives, as a group
of students has now been identified who are keen (and more
than capable) of stepping up and taking on any number of roles
over the course of the year. A number of initiatives are already
planned that will support and enhance the work of the Student
Forum. The Year 7 Student Leaders Forum Representatives for
2015 are:
Josh Ahmad
Aaron Berkeley
Isabelle Lightbody
Arabella Vujic
• The work FRIENDS helps teenagers to remember
each of the skills taught throughout the program
(each letter stands for a new skill learnt)
• FRIENDS for Life helps teenagers remember that
skills they learn throughout the program are lifelong
skills, and they can practise them across different life
situations involving family, friends, school and their
neighbourhood.
The program will be taught and discussed during HG
throughout the year. Students have been issued with a
workbook (which will remain primarily at school) and will have
completed the foundation units of this program in Term 2.
If you would like any further information about this program,
please contact me.
My role
In my role, I am concerned with the welfare of ALL Year 8
students. This includes all aspects of school life – academic,
social and emotional. If your child has any concerns, please
ask them to come and see me – my office is in Staffroom 3.
Alternatively, please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have
any concerns:
Email [email protected]
Phone: 3373 4593
Wishing you and your family a safe and relaxing holiday
An Investiture Ceremony for Year 7 and 8 student leaders
will be held during lesson 3 on Monday March 30th.
Congratulations to the successful candidates.
The second ‘big ticket item’ this term was the inaugural Year 7
Camp. This was a great success Thanks firstly, to the teachers
who looked after the ‘at-school’ campers and who also planned
fun and worthwhile activities for students unable to attend.
Despite the heat at Lake Moogerah, we ‘off campus’ campers
had a great time and students had many experiences not
possible in the course of day-to-day school routine. My thanks
to Angela McKay and the fantastic Year 7 teachers who willingly
gave up three days (and two nights of air con!) to attend.
Without them, the camp would not have been possible. I am
sure that you have heard about the “Mud Commando Mission”
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and “Star Warts”. Students indicated in their reflections that
these were their two favourite activities. But they also learnt
how to organise themselves in a group to overcome the many
challenges they faced…….. Putting up a 9-person tent in the
heat was probably one of the most challenging of all. For some,
it would have been cooking up a storm for the rest of the
cohort, or even just managing to hang onto their hat, drink
bottle and shoes! I’m sure that in the years to come, the Year
7s will look back ever so fondly in the three days, and recall the
fun, the new friends they made and skills they learnt.
Berenice Furlong, Year 8 Coordinator
Email: [email protected]
News from our P&C
Date claimer: Parent -teacher Interviews provide an
opportunity to put faces to name and to discuss the learning
outcomes of your child with the relevant staff member. Please
look out for the details of how to make an appointment on our
school webpage. There are two evenings on April 22nd & 27th.
(Wednesday Week 1 & Monday Week 2)
Lastly, a very heart felt thank you to you all for your support
and patience. Please enjoy a peaceful few days off and I look
forward to seeing you in the new term.
Deb Mansini, Year 7 Coordinator
Email: [email protected]
National Day of Action against Bullying
On Friday 20th March, the Student Leaders Forum (consisting
of the School Captains and year level leaders) organised a
“Say NO to Bullying” campaign as part of the National Day of
Action against Bullying. The Student Leaders highlighted the
importance of the day by wearing fluorescent orange shirts and
reminding everybody about the significance of the day. Home
Group teachers reinforced the day through discussions and
placed posters in classrooms. Staff also showed their support
by wearing orange.
The aim of the day was to take a proactive stand against
all forms of bullying within our school and to maintain an
anti-bullying culture at Centenary. We are dedicated to creating
supportive school environments, free from bullying, harassment
and violence. By working together at Centenary, we are
sending clear messages to young people that bullying and
violence, in or outside of school, is not okay - at any time.
Thank you to staff and students for their support on the day.
Let’s take a stand together and “Say NO to Bullying”.
P&C NEWS
At our recent AGM the following office bearers were elected to
our P&C executive committee for 2015:
President - Helen Shogren
Vice President – Louise Dornan and Lucinda Coalter
Treasurer - David Hunt
Secretary - Jenny Watson
Why not come along to our P&C meetings? By attending
meeting you can have more of a say in the education and
wellbeing of our children. We meet on the third Wednesday of
every month at 7pm in the Resource Centre. Next meeting will
be Wednesday 29th April (change of date due to holidays).
President’s report for AGM - 2015
2014 has been a very busy year, I would like to thank the
following for supporting the P+C this year. John, Charmaine
and the staff, Cheryl and Kylie and all our uniform and canteen
staff and volunteers, Bernie our chaplain, Glenda our
bookkeeper, our subcommittees and my executive committee
and to all our P&C members that have supported us this year.
We really appreciate your feedback and input as we couldn’t do
this job without you.
Here are some of our achievements from the last 12 months:
• Chaplaincy program support was increased by
$5000
• 2 subcommittees (Arts and Facilities Upgrade)
• Engaging a Project Manager to oversee our Canteen
upgrade
• Music Scholarships for nine Y7 and Y8 students
through the Arts Subcommittee
• Info stall at Parent Teacher Night and Y7 and Y8
Parent Welcome nights
• New appliances for the canteen
• QCS Lunch for Grade 12
• Grade 12 Mystery Tour Breakfast
• Brisbane Bands Festival
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• Continuation of the student support fund
• Supported the science department with fundraising
for the Science Extravaganza
• Help with Y12 State of Origin fundraiser
• World Teacher’s Day
2015 is shaping up to be a big year also with our main focus on
upgrading and increasing the size of our Canteen and Uniform
Shop to accommodate the extra students and increased
demand. We also supply a large number of outside catering
jobs through the canteen. We have employed 4 new casual
staff, however space is now at a premium. Hopefully this time
next year we will have our new facility up and running.
Thank you to those parents that paid the P&C Annual Levy –
it makes a big difference and we appreciate the contributions
from 78 of our school families totaling $4300. This year again,
all contributions will go to our Building Fund to boost our
Canteen upgrade efforts. We also hope to gain some local
community support for this project. P+C levy letters will be sent
out after Easter.
I would like to thank our bookkeeper Glenda James as she
continues to do a wonderful job each year sorting out our
finances and preparing all our documents for the audit. The
Auditor praised us for having one of the cleanest set of books
of all the schools they audit each year.
Finally, I would like to thank the various community
organisations that have provided financial and personnel
assistance to Bernie and his Chaplaincy breakfasts, QCS lunch
and other events throughout the year. These are the Rotary
Club of Rocks Riverside, Rotary Club of Jindalee, Centenary
Salvo’s and Foodworks Oxley. We really appreciate your
support and look forward to a successful year in 2015.
Helen Shogren
President
CSHS P&C Association
News from our Uniform Shop
Uniform Shop – Jumpers
Are you sick of losing your student’s jumper?
We have the solution for you.
The P+C can now offer a service where we embroider your
child’s jumper for just $5.
Your child’s surname will then be embroidered on the outside of
their school jumper as a way to easily identify it. The student’s
name will appear embroidered in red capitals on the bottom
right of the jumper above the waistline ribbing.
offers parents an opportunity to sell and buy pre-loved
uniforms. This is a voluntary P & C service.
1. Email your details and that of the clothing you wish to
sell. We will then place this information on the
uniform list.
2. Interested parents will contact you directly.
3. Please email us once the item is sold, so that it can
be removed from the list.
4. A donation to the P&C would be gratefully accepted
but is not compulsory.
The list will be updated twice a term.
School Immunisation Program 2015
This year, Brisbane City Council will be offering free Human
Papilloma Virus (HPV) and Chickenpox vaccinations to all
students in year 8. Diphtheria Tetanus and Pertussis (Whooping
Cough) vaccinations will be offered to all students in both Year
8 and Year 10.
If your child has missed a school vaccination from this year
or last year you can have these vaccination’s caught up at
one of Council’s free immunisation clinics. To locate Council’s
free
immunisation
clinics
please
go
to
http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/community/communitysafety/council-immunisation-clinics/childrens-immunisationclinics or call 3403 8888.
To download a School Immunisation Program consent form
please visit https://publications.qld.gov.au/dataset/schoolbased-vaccination-program or call 13 Health on 13 43 25 84.
If you would like to request your child’s immunisation history
with Council, please send your request with your child’s full
name and date of birth to [email protected]
Tennis opportunity at Centenary SHS
Centenary SHS is pleased to welcome Scorpion Tennis
Academy to our community.
Scorpion tennis academy will now be operating from the school
courts commencing April 20, and offering tennis coaching to
juniors of all levels. The Academy is highly credentialed and
will offer excellent opportunities to students in our school
community. They are running holiday coaching clinics during
the Easter holidays, and then will be offering regular coaching
from term 2. This is a great opportunity for any students
interested in getting involved in, or improving their tennis.
Please see the attached fliers for information on both of these
opportunities. You can also access further information at
www.scorpiontennis.net
The charge is $5 and cash is preferred unless payment is made
at the same time as the jumper is purchased. Jumpers can be
dropped off at the uniform shop.
Secondhand Uniforms
Secondhand uniforms can be donated to the uniform shop or
you can access our secondhand uniform site on the school’s
website.
http://centenaryshs.eq.edu.au/wcms/index.php/
2012-11-28-04-22-14/2012-12-06-01-21-00/uniform . This
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