19 September 2018

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Thoughts

Dear Helensvale State High community,

Dear Helensvale State High School Community,

As we celebrate what has been another term full of success and opportunity at the ‘Vale, I would like to share with you some of the important messages delivered on our recent assemblies and during our Futures classes.

Resilience

Whilst we revisit our values of Respect, Responsibility and Resilience each week, there has been a particular emphasis on resilience as we support our students through their most recent assessments. Being resilient and having a growth mindset will ensure our students have a never, ever give up attitude. So what does a student with a growth mindset look like? They persevere, even when things get tough. They are optimistic, set goals and believe in themselves. They show grit and determination. They believe in themselves and have an “I can” approach to their schoolwork and their studies, as opposed to “I can’t and I am giving up”.

The benefits of teaching resilience and growth mindset is evidence-based. If you would like to explore these concepts further, I would suggest you look at the work of Carol Dweck, who is a Professor of Psychology and leading expert in her field.

Safety

Unfortunately there are times in our lives when we are not so resilient. Whilst we have an excellent support network at school for our students to access, these services are not available during holiday periods or outside of school hours. At times we may need to seek additional support beyond our family and friends.

Whilst I have listed the below support services in newsletters previously, it is a timely reminder of some of the services available to all of us; services that may be helpful in providing support and advice about a range of issues that impact on our well-being:

• Lifeline – phone 131114
• Kids Helpline – phone 1800551800 for young people aged 5-25
• Parentline – phone 1300301300 for support, counselling and parent education
• eSafety Commissioner

 - complaints about cyberbullying:

 - complaints about image-based abuse:

Parents and Citizens Association

Would you like to contribute to the school but are unsure how? Would you like to learn more about what is happening in the school? Are you interested in learning more about the educational matters that may impact on your child?

If you answered yes to any of the above, then come along to our next Parents and Citizens’ Association meeting on Tuesday 23 October, from 7pm to 8pm at the school. One of the agenda items at this meeting will be 2019 subject levies. We value parent and community input and would love to meet you.

Have a safe and happy holiday and I look forward to returning in term 4, a term renowned for celebrations of student successes.

Yours truly

Karen Lindsay
Executive Principal

Year 8 Geography

Our Grade 8 students are investigating solutions to keep threatened landscapes alive ahead of the “Ideas for Action” Expo on Tuesday 18 September 2018. Climate change is one of the big threats they are contending with, much like the world’s leaders!

Some of our classes have been using the Scrum technique, borrowed from “agile” companies like Facebook and Google. This includes having a daily stand up meeting, and managing the project through the roles of Scrum Master, Iteration Manager and Product Owner (teacher liaison). They have been practising this collaborative way of working since the start of term.

Eventually teams will be designing their visual draw card for the expo. All families are invited to come! See the creativity and ingenuity of our students and hear from local Environmental Scientist Beth Kramer about the importance of their investigations to our local area.

Ms Markwell

BEST WISHES RONAN BACON AND JENNA SUNDSTROM FOR THE ISSCC 2018

It is with excitement that at the end of Term 3, we look forward to the International Secondary School Culinary Competition which will be held on the Gold Coast during the first week of the September School holidays.

We wish Ronan Bacon and Jenna Sundstrom every success as they represent Queensland, Australia in this International Competition and compete against other Hospitality students from Japan, Taiwan, New Zealand, Tahiti, New Caledonia and Fiji. Ronan and Jenna are extremely dedicated and have been diligently practising before and after school for this competition with their mentor chef Glenn Bacon (Executive Chef – RACV Royal Pines Resort)

A sincere thank you is also extended to the many businesses that have sponsored this International Secondary School Culinary Competition – Gold Coast 2018. Their support and contribution is greatly appreciated for this event.

We wish to thank the following business for their support:

Study Gold Coast
Club Helensvale
McDonalds Helensvale
Gold Coast Holiday Park
Blue Print Career Development
Tasklake Pty. Ltd.
Southern Stainless
Sharp Plywood Pty. Ltd.
QCC Hospitality Supplies
Commercial Kitchen Company

Good Luck Ronan and Jenna! Helensvale State High is very proud of you as you represent Australia in this International Culinary Competition.

Stephanie Wright,
Acting Head of Department - Home Economics/Senior Business

“Helensvale SHS High School Experience Day”

Lots of fun was had on High School Experience Day for the Year 6 students who are coming to Helensvale SHS next year! Thank you all for your participation in the dynamic and engaging lessons.

Thank you to our wonderful student leaders for the day for making the new students feel welcome and safe at Helensvale SHS for the day. Our teachers challenged and educated. Our support staff and Deans were helpful and excited to see all the new faces….. and it goes without saying Theodore was a big HIT!

We are really looking forward to 2019 after such a great day!

Wendy Chambers
Head of Department - Transitions Junior Secondary

Clean up Australia Day

There has been another Clean up Helensvale High Event organised for Friday October 12th. This is open to all students from years 7-12. If students would like to participate, they need to collect a permission note from Mrs Graham in the science staffroom, or from Student Services. You also print from the link below.

Congratulations Year 10 Dance Academy Eisteddfod Team!

On the 17th August the Year 10 Dance Academy class competed in the Gold Coast Eisteddfod at Home of the Arts (HOTA). They were entered in the Jazz/Musical Theatre section and the Lyrical/Contemporary section in which they were awarded Highly Recommended and placed 4th. The students were fortunate to perform their “I’m a Woman” piece, choreographed by Heidi Jennings and “Fine” choreographed by the lovely Chelsea Reedman.

Without the leadership and support of their amazing teacher, Miss Kelly, the class couldn’t have gained such teamwork or strong results. The students performed exceptionally well, demonstrating great professionalism and confidence.

You can catch all the dance action at Encore, on Friday October 19th. Tickets are now on sale!

Sports Awards Nominations

The annual Helensvale SHS Sport Awards Evening will be held on Thursday 8 November. If you think your son or daughter should be recognised on the night for their sporting achievements, please see the nomination forms on the school website and on email sent to all parents for both school-based competition and club-based competition sports. Instructions are detailed on each form. Please be aware of strict timelines for submission and level of representation to qualify for nomination. Closing date for nominations is Friday 12 October.

All students who have achieved at a high level in their chosen sport will be recognised on the night. However, eligibility for Sportspersons of the Year is based on success in QLD Secondary School Sports only. Prestigious awards for Club Sport are only awarded to the level equal to QLD or Nationals.

If you have any queries please contact Sport Coordinator, Matt Dwyer (mdwye63@eq.edu.au) or Sport/HPE Teacher Aide, Mona Williams (mwill477@eq.edu.au).

Nomination forms can also be collected from Mona Williams in the sport office by the Student Activity Centre.

Holiday Programs

It’s nearly Holiday time.

Are you after something for your students to do?

Check out all the programs available!!

Would your child like a keepsake of their 2018 year at Helensvale High?

We are taking orders for our annual Year Book “Discovery”, which is a full colour pictorial and text record of the events that shape this year both within the curriculum and covering all extra-curricular events. It also includes year level photos of our students. Here are the details:

Year 12 graduating students receive a complimentary copy of the year book (providing all outstanding fees are paid and exit requirements met). No payment/further action required!

The cost for students in all other year levels is $15.00 each.

The deadline for Year Book orders and payments MUST be finalised by close of business Wednesday 31 October!

If paying electronically you must put the following in the reference field – your child’s student ID (found on their ID card and school timetable) as well as the letters YB so we know what you are paying for.

BANKING DETAILS:

BSB: 064430
Account Number: 00091174
Account Name: Helensvale State High School

THERE IS ONLY 1 PRINT RUN – so please make the deadline!

(More than happy for you to drop in and I can show you or your child our 2017 Year Book to help your decision making).

Mrs Carr – IT Manager

Student Services Information

Notification of Student absences

Helensvale State High School has a dedicated line to receive messages regarding student absences and late arrivals.

Please note this line is for SMS only, not voice messages.

Please send an SMS to 0450 478 277 in the following format:

• Students full name.
• Date & duration of absence, or expected time of arrival.
• Reason for absence/lateness.

Please use this as your preferred method of notification and add this number to your contacts. The School will continue to request advice from parents/carers for unexplained absences if you have not notified us. Notifying the School will minimise the need for these investigations.

Alternatively you can advise us by email: 2184_studentabsences@eq.edu.au

Late arrivals:

Parents/guardians should advise the school if their student is going to be late, prior to their arrival, by sending an SMS to 0457 478 277 or by giving them a note. The students MUST sign in at Student Services upon arrival at school or they will be marked absent.

Please note: If the student does not have a note, or we have not received a phone call, they will automatically receive a lunch time detention.

Early departures:

Students should not leave school grounds without first signing out through the Student Services Counter. In the case of an emergency, we need to know the whereabouts of ALL students.

• If you know your child has an appointment, please send him/her to school with a note. This should be brought to Student Services before school or during break times to receive a leave request. Students will not be allowed to leave class, without a leave request.
• Students are unable to leave class, unless previously organised, due to the impact these interruptions have on individual and class learning time. If unforeseen circumstances occur, we are happy to contact students during break times to issue a pass, enabling them to be released from class.
• The student must be collected from Student Services by a parent/caregiver or someone listed as an emergency contact, from the Student Services office only

For your information, we can attempt to contact students during the following break times:

Monday

• 10.05am – 10.20am

Tuesday – Friday

• 11.20am – 12.05pm
• 1.15pm – 1.45pm

Students unwell during school time:

• If a student feels unwell during lesson time, they MUST NOT contact their parent/caregiver directly. They must report it to their teacher who will then send them to sick bay.
• The parent/caregiver will be contacted to collect their child as a matter of urgency. If we are unable to make contact with the parent/caregiver the student will be allowed to rest for 15 MINUTES before returning to class.
• It is vitally important that your contact details are up to date and you check your phone for messages. Please be aware our number appears as a private number if you miss our call, but we will leave a voice message wherever possible.

General Information

• Please collect lost items and report any missing items at Student Services.
• If your child has forgotten something and you are required to bring it to school, please take it to Student Services and advise your student to collect it from there.
• Medication can be held by Student Services, only if it is prescribed by a G.P. Student Services have paperwork that also must be completed, signed by the parent, and returned to Student Services before the medication can be administered.

Advertising

The newsletter also has a sponsorship section which provides a great opportunity for local businesses to engage with our parent community. If you would like to be a part of this, please contact Schoolzine.

Phone Jude 07 5414 2363
jude.dawson@schoolzine.com.au