1. education
2. school

Volume 8
29 May 2015
PRINCIPAL MATTERS
Dear Parents, Caregivers and members of the Clermont Community
Great Results Guarantee
The Great Results Guarantee is a four-year initiative to improve learning outcomes for Queensland
students. It is designed to boost literacy and numeracy in state schools. The guarantee is that every
Queensland state school student will either achieve the National Minimum Standard for literacy or
numeracy or have an evidence-based plan, developed by the school, in place to address their specific
learning needs.
The funding allocation method for 2015 increases the number of students who benefit across primary and
secondary schools. This method specifically invests in students who are not demonstrating strong
foundations in English and mathematics. It also provides additional support for secondary schools to
improve Years 7-9 literacy and numeracy and the number of students who attain a Queensland Certificate
of Education (QCE) or a Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement (QCIA) on completion of Year
12.
The table below indicates the actual funding Clermont State High School received during 2014 and the
estimated funding for 2015.
2014 actual GRG funding
2015 estimated GRG funding
$16,800
$ 45,878
The actual GRG funding for 2015 has now been finalized using information from the 2015 February
Corporate Data Collection which became available in April 2015.
I am very pleased to be able to report that we have recently been advised of an increase in our actual
funding from that which was estimated. Our actual funding for 2015 is now $ 51,030, an increase of
$5152.
This significant increase in the actual funding available to us is very welcome, as it will broaden our
options to ensure that more targeted support can be provided to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes
for our students.
Our Great Results Guarantee has been uploaded to our school website. You will find it at https://
[email protected] in the School Documents section under Quicklinks. The document, endorsed by
the Director-General, provides information about how we are making use of the funding, our strategy and
the steps we are taking to improve student outcomes.
Clermont Show
This year we made some changes to our annual school display at the show.
Rather than focusing exclusively on displaying samples of student work, we broadened the scope of our
exhibit in order to provide a visual presentation of a variety activities in which our students have been
involved throughout the year.
Our display for 2015 showcased student achievements, our classrooms, our extra curricular activities, our
student leaders and our staff.
We hope that you enjoyed viewing this snapshot of life at Clermont State High School and we look forward
to exhibiting an even more comprehensive display in 2016.
PRINCIPAL MATTERS
Focus on personal bests
We are now past the mid-point of Term 2, and students from all year levels will have assessment due.
Please encourage your child(ren) to strive to achieve to the very best of their ability so that their Semester
One report will reflect the very best work of which they are capable in every subject.
At Clermont State High School we work to ensure that our students are improving their results, as well as
achieving. I encourage all of our students to reflect upon the quote below as they approach their
assessment tasks in the coming weeks.
“Good, better, best.
Never let it rest.
‘Til my good is better and my better, best.”
While not every student will earn an ‘A’ for achievement, I firmly believe that every one of our students has
the potential to achieve a rating of excellence for effort and for behaviour.
Student Attendance
As you will note in the table below, student attendance across the school continues to remain high, with
some room for further improvement. Congratulations to our Year 8 cohort for their excellent year-to-date
attendance rate and also to our Year 12 students, who are currently runners-up.
Of particular significance is that the current attendance rates for our Year 8 and 12 students remain
amongst the highest they have ever been for these cohorts at Clermont State High School.
Is your child amongst those students who are attending school within the recommended range of 95%100%?* Is your child amongst the 89.5% of our students whose attendance rate is currently above 85%?*
Is your child absent from school only when there is a legitimate reason such as illness or out-of-town
medical appointments?* If so, thank you for the vital role that you are playing to ensure that your child is
deriving the maximum benefit from his/her education.
*Please note that information concerning the year-to-date attendance rate of every student is available
from the school. Please feel welcome to contact the school office at any time if you would like an update
on your child’s attendance.
Year level
Year to Date Attendance Rate
%
Proportion of Students at Attendance Category (%)
< 85%
85%< 90%
90%-<95%
95%-100%
All students
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
93.6
93.4
95.0
93.1
10.5
9.3
0.0
8.6
8.0
11.6
9.1
17.1
31.5
39.5
27.3
28.6
50.0
39.5
63.6
45.7
Year 10
93.5
15.4
0.0
35.9
48.7
Year 11
Year 12
93.2
93.8
17.2
9.4
3.4
6.3
27.6
25.0
51.7
59.4
Kind regards
________________________
Leanne Hooper
PRINCIPAL
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT NOTES
CLERMONT STATE HIGH SHOW DISPLAY
We were very proud of the student work on display in the pavilion at the Clermont Show this year.
Such high quality pieces were the subject of much discussion. Thank you to those students who
submitted their work for the display. We hope that you were as proud of your efforts as we were!
Congratulations to those students who entered work, produce and cooking in the entry sections.
You were great ambassadors for the school!
EXAM BLOCK
Year 11/12 Exam Block will commence Friday 12 June and finish on Friday 19 June. The
purpose of an exam block is to allow senior students maximum opportunity to achieve their best
in end-of-semester exams. By only attending school for timetabled assessment, students have
increased study time. We expect all students to prioritise study and conferencing during their
free time within the exam block until all their assessment is completed, rather than accessing
extra hours of work.
Students are reminded that if they are sick they need a doctor’s certificate to justify their absence.
Students who would normally undertake a traineeship or apprenticeship on the day of an exam
are required to make alternative arrangements with their employer.
Students have been told that they are required to wear full school uniform when they report to
school for exams. They have also been instructed to sign in and out of school through the senior
student register at the school office. Students are only required to be at school for their allocated
exams.
JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY EXCURSION
This year we are offering again, the opportunity for senior students interested in university postschool, to attend an excursion to JCU Townsville. The excursion will be held on the first 2 days of
Term 3 – 13 and 14 July. The excursion will enable students to experience living on campus to
explore the university facilities and to attend lectures in a field of the student’s choice. Information
has been emailed to students and they will need to read it and discuss it with parents. There is a
cost involved and students will need to print out the lecture nomination sheet and hand to Miss
Bell if they are interested in attending. If necessary, priority will be given to Year 12 students. If
anyone would like more information, please contact Miss Bell at the office.
CQU WEDNESDAYS
Students in Year 11 who attend CQU courses on Wednesdays, please note that Wednesday 3
June is the Emerald Show holiday and the course will not be running on this day. This means
that you will be expected to attend a full day of school at CSHS on Wednesday 3 June.
__________________________
Carly Bell
Head of Department - Senior Secondary
_______________________________
Susan Poulus
Acting Head of Department - Junior Secondary
FROM THE YEAR LEVEL COORDINATOR
SENIOR SECONDARY
First semester assessments are well and truly underway. Students are encouraged to use their
time effectively. Use the draft system to the best of your ability, and make sure all tasks are
submitted on time. If there is a problem with on-time submission, make sure Ms Bell and the
teacher concerned are alerted to the problem well before the assessment is due. To leave it until
it is due is too late to ask for an extension.
Out and around the school the senior shirts and hoodies are making an impact. The word is the
students are very impressed with this year’s design. Something to keep in mind for the next
year’s choices.
More on the field trips. The students in Geography doing the surveys in Emerald have obtained
some good relevant primary data to use in their field reports. The Chemistry students, after
visiting the mine, have availed themselves of the contacts they have made, with some making
contact with the water treatment plant to gain extra knowledge about the tests and requirements
for drinkable water. Some of the students are using the samples they obtained from the mine in
their assessment tasks. Overall it seems that the trips were a great success and very useful for
the students. To all students concerned, well done.
Again most assessments are due in the next couple of weeks and exam block will arrive all too
soon. Use the time wisely and get ahead in your tasks!!
FROM THE YEAR LEVEL COORDINATOR
SENIOR SECONDARY
Student Successes: District Public Speaking Competition
The 2015 Rostrum Voice of Youth Competition took place in Dysart earlier this month and
Clermont SHS was represented in both the junior and senior divisions by Kate Lockyer (junior
division) and Wade Marteene (senior division) who each prepared, rehearsed and presented their
chosen topic before a panel of judges and fellow competitors.
Having competed in the 2014 competition, both Kate and
Wade were determined to improve on their previous
speeches and both presented well-constructed, thoughtprovoking and emotionally charged speeches. Kate spoke
on the topic of ‘A Lucky Escape’ and drew parallels to the
ANZAC legend and Wade addressed ‘Friend or Foe’ by
exploring the impact of technology on society.
Against tough competition both competitors performed extremely
well. Kate received a great deal of praise from the judges for her
speech but did not place in the top two for her division. Wade,
however, won his division and will now compete at the district
competition to be held in Rockhampton on Saturday 30 May.
The school is extremely proud of both competitors for their
dedication and performance in this competition. We look forward to
seeing Kate challenge again in 2016 and wish Wade all the best in
the next round of competition.
Robert Hazeleger &
Vicki Hazeleger
Senior
Secondary
Coordinators
FROM THE YEAR LEVEL COORDINATORS
JUNIOR SECONDARY
Weeks 5 and 6 have seen both our students and teachers kept very busy with classwork and
sporting events. The build up to the show has also had everyone feeling excited, and our display
at the show held some wonderful pieces of work from our students. Keep up the great work
students, and don’t forget to get plenty of sleep as you continue your hard work on your
assessment pieces.
SPORT
Last Wednesday six very starry Junior Secondary students represented Clermont State High
School at the CH Cross-Country carnival in Springsure. Congratulations to all our runners, it was
a very hot day and you all put in 110% effort. This weekend, Bailey Richardson, Mackinley Ryder
and Mitch Klupfel will travel to Rockhampton to compete in the CH cross-country team, vying for
a place in the Capricornia team. We wish all of them the best of luck on the day.
We attended our first inter-school sports carnival in Dysart last Thursday, with many of our juniors
participating in netball or rugby league. Well done to all the students who put in a huge effort and
played with great sportsmanship. We look forward to the next round to be held in Moranbah next
Tuesday.
Gotcha Awards
The list of Gotcha award winners was very long again this week, with so many students doing
great things both in and out of classes. Fantastic work!
Our Gotcha recipients for Weeks 4, 5 and 6 were:
•
Mackinley Ryder - For consistent excellent standards of effort and behaviour in PE class.
•
Maddi Mackay - For consistent high standards of effort and behaviour in PE class.
•
Billie Pickering - For consistent excellent standards of effort and behaviour in PE class.
•
Corey Neesom - For consistent high standards of effort and behaviour in PE class.
•
Mitch Klupfel - For being a helpful class super coach in PE prac. Thanks!
•
Hayden Bettridge - For seeking feedback on his English assessment and producing a great
biography in just one lesson! Well done.
•
Ainsley Wroe - For being a great team player and participating like a champion in HPE. This
is a huge improvement. Keep it up!
FROM THE YEAR LEVEL COORDINATORS
JUNIOR SECONDARY
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Lydia Clements - A huge improvement in effort in History and as a result, produced her best
piece of writing yet. Great work!
Nick Langley - For helping out each morning with the NAPLAN barbecue without being
asked. A big thanks from Mrs Hooper and Mrs Hazeleger.
Emma Harvey - For consistent excellent standards of effort and behaviour in PE class AND
For your improved Maths booklet marks, which are a result of making the effort to attend
Maths tutoring. Well done!
Dom Maragna - For consistent excellent standards of effort and behaviour in PE class.
Ruan Bekker - For consistent excellent standards of effort and behaviour in PE class AND
For having excellent bookwork and for making an enthusiastic start to your new Maths
class.
Scarlett Cook - For consistent excellent standards of effort and behaviour in PE class AND
For having impeccable bookwork and for making an enthusiastic start to your new Maths
class.
Kaitlyn Shilvock - For making an excellent start to your new Maths class. You have shown
excellent behaviour and great enthusiasm. Your bookwork is excellent. Well done!
Natalie Kane - For having impeccable bookwork and for making an enthusiastic start to your
new Maths class.
Emma Hocking - For having impeccable bookwork and for making an enthusiastic start to
your new Maths class.
Cooper Hobbs - For making an excellent start to the new Maths class. Your behaviour has
been great and you have shown good enthusiasm when completing your class work.
Takaylah Francis - For having impeccable bookwork and for making an enthusiastic start to
your new Maths class.
Kyle Andrews - For putting in a great effort to catch up on the homework sheets you missed.
They were all completed to a good standard. Well done!
Cass Marks - For an excellent result on your Maths homework booklet. Well done!
Chloe Coghill - For an excellent result on your Maths homework booklet. Well done!
Maddie Mackay - For an excellent result on your Maths homework booklet. Well done!
Lleyton Marks - For an excellent result on your Maths homework booklet. Well done!.
Brainstrain! – It is great to see so many students entering our Junior Secondary Brainstrain
competition! Our Week 3 winner was Cameron Zahl, the Week 4 winner was Harry Benney and
our lucky Week 5 winner was Jason Hansen. Well done to everyone who has placed an entry in
the box. Remember, you gotta be in it to win it!
Keep up the great work, students, and thanks for your continued support, parents and families, in
the school community and beyond.
Have a great weekend!
Dena de Ruysscher and Susan Poulus
Junior School Coordinators
FACULTY NEWS
In 2015, the staff members who teach in the Science Department are Mr Sooraj Fowdar, Mr Bob
Hazeleger, Mr Cameron Orth and Mr Ryan Orth.
The subjects taught within the Science Department this term are Science (Years 7 - 10), Biology
(Years 11 & 12) and Chemistry (Years 11 & 12).
This year we have been very busy in and out of class. The students have completed many
assessment tasks and experiments, to their credit.
What a start to the year for the Year 7s! There has been much laughter and enjoyment in
Science. This term the Year 7s have been learning about Forces. They have discovered how to
draw free body diagrams, the different type of forces and how they act on objects, how gravity
was discovered, and the positives and negatives of friction. The Year 7s have been extremely
busy starting their investigation, trying to build their vehicle, discovering how to fix problems and
writing a full report about it. Certainly the saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun”, is very
evident in Science.
Year 8 have been investigating the properties
of matter and what constitutes a good
experiment. This term they are concentrating
on geology. They have learnt to identify
different types of rocks and have grown many
large crystals as part of the unit. They will finish
up with a trip to Miners Heritage at Rubyvale to
see first hand how gems are mined and try
their luck at fossicking for their own gems.
Year 9 have been looking at some important types of energy and how they are used. This term
they are investigating the geology of the earth concentrating on the movement of the plates and
the impacts on the planet.
Year 10 have been working on genetics and evolution with a focus on the different theories. They
are now working towards a test in chemistry, and then an extended experimental investigation of
their choosing to test the relationships with different chemicals and the speed of a reaction.
FACULTY NEWS
In first term the Biology students were learning the
use of dichotomous keys and identifying plants and
animals. They will use these skills next term when
they go out and do some field work relating to our
local environment. Year 12 Chemistry students
worked on researching the developments in modern
chemistry and the new products that are continually
being designed.
Seniors this term have been
developing their extended
experimental investigations in
both Biology and Chemistry.
The Chemistry students spent
a day with the environmental
staff from the mine and the
water treatment plant, to get
an insight into the real life
aspects of water quality.
From there they will have to
design and carry out an
experiment relating to water
quality
in
and
around
Clermont.
The
Biology
students
are
designing
experiments related to cell
biology, particularly different things that affect the rate of diffusion in cells. Some of these
experiments will be done at home, as this is easier for many of the students. Not all science is
conducted in the laboratory!
Students have been working hard this semester and will continue with their investigation of
science in the world next term.
STUDENT PROFILES
NAME: Tayla Coghill
I have been a student at Clermont State High School since
Year 8, 2011.
A memory of my first day at CSHS is that the teachers were
very nice to us all.
My favourite subject is English because Miss de Ruysscher is
a great teacher, making the subject great.
My learning goal for this year is to get a good OP.
What I like most about CSHS is that the tuckshop food is
delicious.
The best advice I’ve ever received is to always shut the fridge.
In five years time I’d like to be living in Townsville, living it up.
NAME: Taylor Dobson
I have been a student at Clermont State High School since
Year 10, 2013.
A memory of my first day at CSHS is getting lost three times.
My favourite subject is Engineering because I get to make
practical things.
My learning goal for this year is to pass Year 12.
What I like most about CSHS is the tuckshop.
The best advice I’ve ever received is that if something is
important to you, you will find a way. If not, you will find an
excuse.
In five years time I’d like to be a qualified auto-electrician.
ASSESSMENT CALENDAR
ASSESSMENT CALENDAR
ASSESSMENT CALENDAR
ASSESSMENT CALENDAR
ASSESSMENT CALENDAR
ASSESSMENT CALENDAR
SPORTS REPORT
Interschool Sport
Well done to all students who participated in first round of interschool sport. We had a total of 60
students participating and, from all reports, every student performed admirably. What was most
pleasing to hear was the sportsmanship and behaviour shown throughout the day.
The girls’ netball was very successful, with the Year 7/8 team winning all their games. The under
15s team also put in solid performances, winning two of their three games. The open girls also
came away with two wins from their four games. Well done, girls!
The rugby league was also exciting to watch with all three teams not losing a match. Special
mention must go to Jayden Browning for only starting at Clermont SHS the day before, but then
representing the school in a starring role. Well done to the boys!
The following were the Coaches’ Player and Players’ Player of the day.
Boys Rugby league
Year 7/8 – Mitchell Klupfel
Year 9/10 – Jayden Browning
Open – Tristan Braden
Girls Netball
Year 7/8 – Courtney Eckhardt / Kimberly Crawford
Year 9/10 – Natalie Kane / Olivia Madden
Open – Lakita Hoare / Larissa Fraser
A special thank you to the teachers who gave up their time to attend the carnival. Without their
support, events like these would not be able to go ahead. All teams are looking forward to round
two coming up on Tuesday 2 June, in Moranbah. Good luck, boys and girls.
CH District Cross Country
Last week on Wednesday the district cross country trials were held in Springsure. We took away
a strong team of athletes and came home with some impressive results. A special
congratulations to Bailey Richardson, Augustus Roberts, Emily Jones, Connor Maclennan,
Mitchell Klupfel and Mackinley Ryder who all made the top 6 and were selected to represent
the Central Highlands at the upcoming Capricornia trials. The following are the final results from
the carnival.
Bailey Richardson – 1st place 14yrs
Augustus Roberts – 1st place 16yrs
Emily Jones – 2nd place 16yrs
Connor Maclennan – 2nd place 17yrs
Mitchel Klupfel – 3rd place 14yrs
Upcoming Events:
2 June – Interschool Sport round 2 – Moranbah
23/24 June – Athletics Carnival
Mackinley Ryder – 4th place 13yrs
Xavier Cashman – 7th place 12yrs
McCauley Ryder – 7th place 13yrs
Jayden Lawrence – 8th place 12yrs
SCHOOL NEWS
English / Humanities Tutoring
Why not come to English/Humanities tutoring on
Wednesday afternoons? Come to B5 from 3:05-4:00pm
and have an Excellent English Teacher or a Sensational
Humanities Teacher help you out.
MATHS TUTORING
Every Tuesday afternoon
3:05pm to 4pm
D16
for both Junior & Senior students.
A teacher will be available to solve all your problems.
SCIENCE
TUTORING
Please note that Science tutoring will be
held every Monday afternoon from 3:05pm to 4:00pm.
N1/N2.
GUIDANCE OFFICER NEWS
As a continuation from last newsletter’s topic on Stress, I offer two ways to attempt to reduce and
understand its effect.
Controlled breathing exercise
Have you noticed that you’re breathing too fast? Stress and anxiety can affect your heart rate and
breathing patterns. A relaxed breathing rate is usually 10 to 12 breaths per minute. Practise this
exercise three to four times a day when you’re feeling stressed or anxious so that you can use
this as a short-term coping strategy.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Time the number of breaths you take in one minute. Breathing in, then out is counted as
one breath.
Breathe in, hold your breath and count to five. Then breathe out and say the word ‘relax’ to
yourself in a calm, soothing manner.
Start breathing in through your nose and out slowly through your mouth, in a six-second
cycle. Breathe in for three seconds and out for three seconds. This will produce a breathing
rate of 10 breaths per minute. In the beginning, it can be helpful to time your breathing,
using the second hand of a watch or clock.
Count to yourself.
Continue breathing in a six-second cycle for at least five minutes or until the symptoms of
over breathing have settled. After practising this exercise, time the number of breaths you
take in one minute. Practise the controlled breathing exercise each day before breakfast,
lunch, dinner and bedtime. Use the technique whenever you feel anxious. Gradually, you’ll
be familiar enough with the exercise to stop timing yourself.
Practise this exercise three to four times each day, so that it becomes easy to use as a
short-term coping strategy when you feel anxious.
Muscle tension exercise
When you are feeling stressed and anxious, your muscles become tense. When your muscles
remain tense for long periods, you can start to develop aches and pains, fatigue, headaches and
have difficulty breathing.
Take a few minutes to do this exercise. It will help you understand how muscle tension can cause
pain and fatigue.
1. Hold a piece of paper in your hand and stretch your arm out in front of you.
2. Keep holding the paper for a few minutes without moving your arm.
You will probably notice that your arm feels tired after only a few minutes and may even start to
ache in some places. Imagine how your arm would feel if you continued to hold that piece of
paper for a number of hours. Although the paper is not heavy, keeping your muscles tense for
any length of time can cause pain.
Adapted from Beyond Blue. www.beyondblue.org.au
Matt Martin – Guidance Officer
VET NEWS
Well done to Dewi Sondergeld in Year
12 in starting his Cert 3 in Automotive
Refinishing Technology at Eazy’s Panel
and Paint located at 232 Alpha Bypass
Rd Clermont.
Erin Cole, the owner, is pleased to offer
a Year 12 student the opportunity to start
an apprenticeship while at school, and is
looking forward to Dewi becoming a
fulltime employee upon completing
school at the end of this year.
Date Claimers
2 June
8 June
12 -19
23 June
25 June
29 July
31 July
Interschool - Moranbah
Queen’s Birthday Holiday
Yr 11/12 Exam Block
Athletics - Field Carnival
Athletics - Track Carnival
Mid Year Academic Awards
Interschool - Clermont (Finals)
EXTERNAL NEWS
EXTERNAL NEWS
EXTERNAL NEWS
EXTERNAL NEWS
Show you Care, Donate a Pair
DON’T GET YOUR UNDIES IN A TWIST.! BUT IF YOU DO AND HAVE TO BUY A
NEW PAIR, HOW ABOUT GRABBING AN EXTRA SET FOR A REALLY GOOD
CAUSE…….
We are running an “Underwear” drive for a fantas.c charity
TOWNSVILLE RONALD McDONALD HOUSE
When there is an accident or trauma.c event some families just leave with the
clothes on their backs in a rush with their sick or hurt child and end up at
Ronald McDonald house in Townsville… Ronald McDonald House o7en receives
lots of clothing dona.ons for people in these situa.ons, but there is nothing
like a fresh pair of new knickers or jocks to put on to face another day…
We are asking people to donate a “new” pair of underwear…men’s, women’s,
girls or boys… any size shape or colour. Please drop all dona.ons at Clermont
State School or Clermont St. Joseph’s School or feel free to contact Georgina
Looker on 0412751108.