31 May 2019

Newsletter Articles

Our School Values

Reminder what’s coming up

May

27th to 3rd June Reconciliation Week
27-6 June Nara Gakuen Study tour
20 Bond University Development Day
30 May Griffith University Science and Engineering Challenge
30 Parent Forum
31 SPL Round
31 HSS Reconciliation Walk

June

4 AFL Schools Cup HSHSvs Sangate Snr
4 Small Group Parent/ Carer chat with Principal
6 Year 7 History Primary & Secondary Source
8 Robocup – Regional Robotics
10 Bill Turner Trophy
11 GIPSA round 1
11 Mighty Minds
11 Creative Play at Day One Early Learning Centre
11 AFL Schools Cup vs Victoria Point
12 Concert Band workshop
12 Hospitality Function – Year 12 C
12 P&C Meeting
13 Stem Challenge Day – Year 5
14 Small Group Parent/ Carer – Principal Discussion
14 GIPSA round 2

For more info please see

From the Principal

Dear Helensvale State High Community,

As a community we believe in One Student, One Community, Many Futures and we value Respect, Responsibility and Resilience. So how have we shown our commitment to our learning purpose and values this fortnight?

Every week I meet with a small group of parents and carers, the purpose being to:

• provide an opportunity to give advice to the Principal about the general operations and management of the school;
• learn more about how the school functions and what the school has to offer;
• discuss any other topic of interest that you may not have had the opportunity to raise with the school previously;
• spend some quality time with the Executive Principal, other parents/carers and hear their views, with a cuppa in hand; and
• we even fit in a tour of some of the classrooms if that is a request of the parents and carers.

At these meetings I have shared some of the good news stories about our staff and students that are regularly brought to my attention. One suggestion that has come from the parent meetings is that I share a story in every newsletter. The story I would like to share this week is about a community minded young man who also happens to be our School Captain. The story goes:

“My step father is a bus driver for surfside. He often does the school bus route that Aaron is on in the afternoon. The feedback is that when the bus starts getting rowdy Aaron is always calming everyone down, saying to those at the back of the bus “come on guys keep the noise down”. The students always listen to him and take notice of what he’s asking them to do. When my step father was new to the route Aaron stood up the front of the bus and helped the driver find his way around the route. Always so helpful and respectful, a born leader (in the words of my step father).”

Aaron is one of many exceptional students we have at our school. It is stories such as this that make us all so proud and honoured to be a part of the Helensvale community.

If you wish to attend one of these meetings then please email chahn13@eq.edu.au. The dates and times for the remaining meetings this term are below.

National Reconciliation Week

This week is National Reconciliation Week, which has given us the opportunity as a school community to reflect on how we can strengthen respectful relationships within our own Helensvale community, the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This is really at the heart of our One Community.

This week commemorates two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey - the successful 1967 referendum and the High Court Mabo decision. The school hosted three special assemblies and a staff morning tea where we revisited these milestones and performed a special Reconciliation candle ceremony. Our choir has been learning the National Anthem in the Yugambeh language. Both our Indigenous and Non Indigenous students are participating in other activities to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements. This Friday members of our Executive and Indigenous student representatives will be joining Helensvale State School on their ‘Reconciliation Courage Walk’.

Reconciliation Week

Reconciliation week (27th May to 3rd June) was acknowledged at Helensvale State High School with Futures lessons and all parades designed to build our understanding around what Reconciliation Week represents. Reconciliation is all about understanding; it’s about raising awareness of, and learning about, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. It is also about changing attitudes that are often based on myths and misunderstandings, and encouraging everyone to play their part in building a better relationship between all Australians.

Together the Cultural team and our Indigenous students worked to provide a moving parade. The school choir had us all captivated as they sung the National anthem in the Yugambeh language.

A new tradition was started this week with the lighting of the Helensvale State High School’s Reconciliation candle. This candle represents our Indigenous and our non-Indigenous cultures coming together to show that we as a community walk together as one, one race and one identity. We are walking hand in hand towards a future that shows recognition of all Australians. This candle will remain lit in the main office foyer for the duration of Reconciliation Week.

Later in the week we will have Ms Lindsay, Miss Trenae, Mrs Bailey and a group of students attend a Reconciliation Courage walk at Helensvale Primary. This year’s Reconciliation theme is ‘Grounded in Truth: Walk together with Courage.’ The walk that the students will be involved in symbolises and fosters positive race relationships that are grounded in a foundation of truth.

IT Requirements

Please be aware an email was sent to you on 29 April regarding the Day Hire laptop program, applicable to ALL students, as even BYOD and school laptop hire students occasionally need to borrow a day hire laptop. From Monday 3 June, only students whose parent/carer has responded to this email will be allowed to borrow the school day hire laptops. If you have not yet done so, please now respond in either of these ways:

1. Find the original email sent 29 April and follow the instructions.
   OR
2. Click on this link, read the information and follow the instructions.
   OR
3. Email scarr25@eq.edu.au and include your child’s name and year level, along with the following text:
   I have read and understood the Day Hire Laptop Participation Agreement and have accepted the terms and conditions of that document.

Thank you for your support.

Careers Expo

Recently Helensvale SHS had 79 students attend the 2019 Careers Expo, what an enlightening experience.

Student Services – Arrivals, Departures and Absences

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 or picture messages. Please send an SMS to 0457 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.

Please be advised that there are no phones in class rooms to contact teachers and/or students during class time, so the only way a student will be allowed to leave class early is by prior arrangement with student services.

If you know your student will be required to sign out during a school day, please provide them with a note explaining the time and reason or by contacting the school giving enough time for us to get a leave request pass to the student.

Students must visit student services before school or during break times (either with the note from their parent/carer, or after the parent/carer has called student services with advice) to collect a leave request pass for that day. Students will not be allowed to leave class without a leave request.

Please be advised that parents/carers are also unable to sign out students during class time unless previously arranged with student services.

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, the school is able 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/carer or someone listed as an emergency contact, from the student services office only.

Students unwell during school time:

• If a student feels unwell during lesson time, they MUST NOT contact their parent/guardian directly. They must report it to their teacher who will then send them to sick bay. If they do not tell their teacher, we are unable to contact the class room to release them from class.
• The parent/guardian will be contacted to collect their child as a matter of urgency. If we are unable to make contact with the parent/guardian 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 where ever possible.

General Information:

• Please ask students to 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.

Earn And Learn

Dear Parents/Caregivers – The school is collecting Woolworths Earn and Learn stickers again this year. Thank you for your support last year which enabled us to choose sporting equipment that all students have access to. The SEP Unit was also given equipment which is vital to enhancing student movement. Please take stickers to the front office or to Sharon Skennar in the HPE Office near the SAC.

Tutorials and Assistance at School

Coming into assessment time students may find they need some extra assistance. We have a number of avenues open to them –

Chat and Chill – Monday 2.15 - 4pm and Wednesday 3-4pm - a drop in session where there is staff and fellow students on hand to help with school work.
Science Tutorials – Monday both lunch breaks in CB05.
English Tutorials – Wednesday 3.00 - 4pm in SWELL.
Maths Tutorials - Thursday from 3.00 - 4pm in S306/S307.

If students are unable to attend these, and need help, please be aware they are able to ask their teachers, who are more than happy to assist.

Parent Tools for Cyberbullying

Please see the Australia Government eSafety Commissioner website for tips and tools to assist your child.

From the Guidance Officers

Support Staff

As part of our Learning and Well-being framework, we have created a Well-being Hub for students and parents, which can accessed through the Helensvale State High School webpage. The hub includes links to other websites and apps which can help to support student well-being, as well as provide information on career pathways. To access these ‘well-being hubs’, click on the icons below, or, go to the HSHS website, scroll down the page and click on the relevant icon.