19 March 2015 - Issue 3
Chinchilla State High School Students Speak Up
Sixteen highly skilled students
impressively represented Chinchilla
State High School at the annual Youth
Speaks Evening. Junior students
creatively interpreted the topics,
‘Community Spirit’, ‘A Light Bulb
Moment’, ‘Rewind’ and ‘The Price of
Progress’, to deliver an entertaining
and thought provoking speech to a
full house of guests.
Senior students spoke on the topics,
‘On History’s Page’, ‘Friend or Foe’,
‘Bridge over Troubled Waters’,
‘Detour’ and ‘Mind Games’, to three
separate panels of judges. Despite all
displaying an impressive confidence,
Kate, Jonathon, Jacinta, Amara, Lana
and Isaac were awarded prizes.
Mrs Amy Ballinger
HOD English/ Humanities
Chinchilla State High School
Students and Staff have pleasure in inviting
Parents, Families and Friends
to our school’s
ANZAC DAY
Commemorative Service
9:00 am Friday 24 April 2015
School Hall, Zeller St
Refreshments to follow at J Block
RSVP by Tuesday 21 April 2015
Phone: 4672 9333
Email: [email protected]
From the Principal
Dear Parents, students, staff and community friends
The school held its Annual “Youth Speaks” public speaking
event last week and I would like to commend the students,
staff and community supporters for what proved to be an
excellent showcase of the many talented students within
our school. The standards of the speakers in both the junior
and senior sections were really impressive and all of the
students deserve high praise for their positive choice to get
involved in this event. I would like to congratulate all of the
staff who assisted the students with their preparation or
contributed to the success of the event. Our thanks again
to each of the judges and community representatives who
donated their time and support.
P & C Annual General Meeting
This important meeting was held on Monday 9 March at
7pm in the school library. Unfortunately, we were only able
to form part of the P & C Executive for 2015. Congratulations
and sincere thanks to Mrs Tanya Errey and Mrs Sally Turnbull,
who were appointed as President and Vice President at the
meeting. In order for the P & C to function effectively we are
hoping to be able to appoint a Secretary and Treasurer as
soon as possible. I would encourage all parents to join the
P & C Association, where they can work with other parents,
staff and community to make a real difference in the future
of our school.
Parent-Teacher Interviews / Students committing to their
studies
It was really pleasing to have large numbers of parents in
attendance at the Parent-Teacher Interviews last Tuesday.
Any parents who were unable to attend are invited to
contact teachers to gather additional feedback on student
progress. The school is in an assessment period at present
and students are expected to be working hard to meet
their assessment and study commitments, with the aim of
being the best that they can be. Thank you to all parents
who continue to encourage their children to achieve their
best - through following their child’s Assessment Planners,
regularly checking on homework and assignment progress.
Chinchilla SHS 2015 Attendance minimum target for each
student – 92%
Every lesson, every day, counts at Chinchilla State High
School. We expect that all students will attend every day
unless they are too sick to attend. Any absences should be
supported with a note from parents or a phone call to the
School Office.
The progressive Whole School Attendance Data for Term 1
is 91.6%, which is just below our minimum target of 92%
attendance for each student. Congratulations to Year 7 and
8 for your attendance in the past fortnight. The challenge is
on for a number of students in Years 10 - 12 to improve their
attendance rates, which will improve their Year level’s data.
Thank you for your support of our students, staff, families
and the TEAM Core Values that we aspire to develop in all
members of our school.
Kind regards
Scott Rowan
Year level
7
8
9
10
11
12
Last Fortnight
93.9%
94.0%
91.6%
91.3%
91.0%
88.6%
Current
94.6%
94.0%
91.6%
90.7%
90.3%
88.4%
A Quick Quote:
“Happiness is not the absence of problems but the
ability to deal with them.”
Charles de Montesquieu
Kokoda Challenge
This Sunday - 22 March 2015
Location - Webb Park Toowoomba - corner of
Campbell & Dydley streets. Students must be
present no later than 6 am for registration. Refer
to student email for a list of what to bring.The
Team Waiver is to be signed by all team members
and parents prior to the day. See your team
leader to collect the team form. Transport and
Accommodation is to be organised individually.
If there are any problems please see your team
leader.
A message from your school Chaplain
Jono Buchanan
Cinema Under the Stars - How to Train Your Dragon 2
Clover Hill Ranch, Braithwaite Street, Chinchilla
Friday 27 March
Gates open 5:30pm. Movie to Commence at 6:00 pm
Refreshments available - hotdogs, drinks, popcorn.
BYO Chair/picnic rug
Individual Entry: $5 Family Entry: $15
Food for Thought - A woman who returned from India
gave a speech about her work with some extremely poor
families there. One man thanked her for coming, "from
Heaven to Hell", to bring him comfort. Why did he say that?
It was because he knew that almost everyone in Australia:
lived in a home that contained more than one small room,
had beds to sleep in, several changes of clothes, food to
eat everyday, medical help when needed, as well as the
opportunity to learn so that they could earn a wage. This
man had almost none of these things, so to him, living in
Australia would seem like living in Heaven.
We do have so very much to be thankful for in this country,
and yet so many of us take it all for granted. Are you like
that? Take time to have a good think about the blessings
in your life. Think about how much you have to enjoy,
compared with many millions of people around the world.
Try to put aside grumbling and complaining and instead
adopt an attitude of gratitude.
i
w
th
For the past seven weeks, a number of students and staff have been working hard
to bring you the classic musical, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. After working
extensively with the Chorus and Leads, focusing on the music of the performance,
I am very excited that we will soon be bringing together our orchestra, who will be
learning their parts ready for our May 8 and 9 performances.
Kate, one of our 2015 School Captains and leads of our musical reflects on her
experience within our rehearsals.
“Much as a football game shows off the talent of our up and coming athletes, our
Chinchilla State High School Musical gives our talented and passionate students
a chance to have their moment in the spotlight. As a passionate student myself,
the musical is always the highlight of my schooling year. Our performance of
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast will be one to remember for many years to come,
filled with amazing vocals, breathtaking sets and music that will be nothing
less than sensational. Please acknowledge the hard work of the students and
teachers by bringing the whole family along to support the arts. Be our guest and
see our wonderful students in action.” – Kate
We look forward to seeing you at the Chinchilla Cultural Centre.
Mrs Helen Hubbard
Music Director
Tickets are available for purchase from the office
May 8 and 9 at 7:00 pm
Adults $15 Students/Children $10
Year 7 News
Excellence: As the end of term approaches, the Year 7 students are working hard
across all their subjects to complete assessments. Students are encouraged to
make use of the English, Maths and Science tutoring and The Homework Centre
on offer after school, to assist in successfully completing their work. Motivation:
Congratulations to the winners of the TEAM Player Point draw over the last
two weeks: This special announcement takes place every Monday morning on
Year Parade to recognise all the positive behaviour that occurs in and out of
the classroom. Acceptance: Lastly, each form class is preparing a small creative
campaign of their choice to be a part of the important national day of action,
Bullying-No Way, held on 20 March. A competition will be held between the
classes in Week 10.
Team Player Points Winners
Year Level
Week 6
Week 7
Year 7
Joshua, Hunter and Sheila
Casey, Lachlan and Stephanie
Year 8
Emma, Issabella and Lachlan
Brooklyn, John Henry and Bridget
Year 9
Rachael, Raff and Aden
Thomas, She-arna and Iesha
Year 10
Xain, Heidi and Samuel
Tahlia, Heidi and Lana
Year 11
Nerrissa and Aaron
Casey and Samantha
Year 12
Leann, Brad and Claire
Sally, Sarah and Sarrah
w
Chinchilla State High School Presents…
rl e
... M
i s s Ki
Title: Animal Farm
Author: George Orwell
Genre: Political Satire
Difficulty: Medium
Availability: School and town libraries, in
stores and online (free & legal download).
Rating: 4 out of 5 apples (tasty snack)
What is the book about? Once upon a
time on a farm, animals revolted against
the unfair treatment they suffered at the
hands of humans. They shouted in the
fields, "Man serves the interests of no
creature except himself. And among us
animals let there be perfect unity, perfect
comradeship in the struggle. All men
are enemies. All animals are comrades."
And so, a new order forms. As time
progresses, the balance of equal power
becomes blurred and corrupted…
Did you enjoy the book? Yes, as it shows
that while we may wish for a better
leader or government system and believe
that ‘one of our own would do a better
job’, it is not always the case. Animal
Farm also portrays how dictators can
arise and flourish in societies, which
helped me make greater sense of the
world we live in and the corrupting
nature of power.
Can you relate to the protagonist
and their plight? I couldn’t personally
relate to the protagonist: a pig called
Napoléon. Orwell does, however, provide
a secondary protagonist who is relatable
for many.
Comment on some of the book’s themes.
Published in 1945, Orwell’s work sought
to debunk Stalin’s socialist image and
replace it with a more accurate depiction
of his totalitarian dictatorship.
Who would you recommend this book
to? While political texts are often avoided
due to their dry and boring nature,
Animal Farm presents its messages
through an entertaining storyline easily
accessible to ALL readers on some level.
Booked for Lunch runs fortnightly
(Thursday, first break) and is open to staff
and students alike. It’s a great way to
meet new people and read new books, all
while indulging over culinary delights.
Are you
booked for lunch?
See Mrs Schmidt in GSF1
for more information.
Rugby League Trials
The open and under 15 rugby league teams competed in
Roma for the chance to gain selection in the South West
Rugby League teams on Friday 13 March. The Open Rugby
league team played in the GIO Round Robin competition to
gain a spot in the finals for this region. The open side won
their first game 12-4 and drew their second 8-8, however
a tough draw caught up with them and the team lost their
semi-finals match 12-0. Although they didn’t progress into
the final, the open team should be very proud of their efforts
on the day. Congratulations to Hayden who was selected to
the Southwest Open Rugby league side.
The U15 team had a similar tough draw but five U15
players were able to gain selection in the Southwest side.
Congratulations to Jye, Kade, Isaac, Benji and Thomas.
My thanks to parents who helped make the day successful
and to Mr McKensey, Mr McEvoy and Mr Hill for their help
both prior to and on the day.
Mr Josh Wolski
Chinchilla State High School Rugby League Coordinator
AFL Trials
Congratulations to Naylor, Carmelo and Daniel for representing
our school at the Darling Downs Australian Football trials last
week. The boys competed very well throughout the day and
Naylor was successful in gaining selection into the Darling
Downs team. Naylor will represent Darling Downs at the
State Championships in Mackay later in the year. Thank you
to all of the students for their keen attitude towards their
sport and for their exceptional representation of the school
on the day.
Mr James Kratzmann
Chinchilla State High School AFL Coordinator
Netball Trials
Last Friday 21 female students competed at the South West
Netball Trials and Vicki Wilson Competition in Roma. Wearing
our new BLK Dresses, all of the students played excellently and
demonstrated exemplary Chinchilla State High School spirit
throughout the day. The Open Team placed third overall, with
Leann and Grace being selected for the South West Team, and
Alyse being selected as a shadow. Casey received the Most
Valuable Player, as nominated by other coaches throughout
the day. The Under 15’s team placed third, as well. Olivia was
selected for South West and also received the Most Valuable
Player award. Georgie was selected as a shadow.
Thank you to the parents that attended for either scoring,
refereeing and supporting the girls throughout the day. Well
done to all students for a fantastic carnival!
Mrs Meghan Clarke and Miss Ali Kirlew
Chinchilla State High School Netball Coordinators
what's happening...
Term 1
Event
20 March
Year 9 Civics Excursion - Courthouse
10 - 12 years Chinchilla District
Rugby League Trials
Bulldog Park 3:30 - 5:00pm
10-12 years Chinchilla District
Netball Trials - Chinchilla State School
Hall 3:30 - 5:00pm
21 March
Harmony Day
22 March
Kokoda Team Challenge
23 March
DDSS 15 Soccer, 15/18 Basketball, 11/19
Golf - Toowoomba
23-25 March
QSS 12 Swimming - Chandler
24 March
Australian Geography Competition
24-26 March
Secondary Music Camp - Toowoomba
27 March
10-12 Years Chinchilla District Soccer Trials
CSS Oval 3:30 - 5:00pm
29 March
Musical Rehearsal
School Hall 12:30 - 6:00pm
30 March
DDSS 12 Year Basketball - Toowoomba
SW 15/18 Boys and Girls Touch Football
Roma
2 April
Last day of Term One
20 April
Term 2 Resumes
24 April
School ANZAC Ceremony
25 April
ANZAC Day