16 October 2020

Newsletter Articles

Our School Values –

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From the Principal

Dear Helensvale State High School Community

I hope your child has had a good break, connecting with friends and family where possible and having some down time to relax and rejuvenate in readiness for an extraordinary term 4.

This is our term of celebration as ‘One Community’. The Awards Night, Graduation, Formal and Clap Out are all scheduled in week 7, which is the last week for our Year 12s. Details include:

As a school and as the state of Queensland, we are required to follow the advice and guidelines of the Department of Education and the Chief Health Officer to ensure we remain COVID safe. Each venue has its own COVID Safe Industry Plan which we must follow. This means, unfortunately, that we are required to limit the number of parents, carers and staff that are able to attend each of our major events.

For our Awards Ceremony, parents/carers of winners in the Year 12 Special Awards category will be invited to attend. Exact numbers permitted per family will be determined once we know how many students will be attending. The Star Casino will allow one parent/carer to attend Graduation. At Movie World, parents/carers will be able to watch the formal arrivals, but are asked to leave once their child has arrived. Other members of the community will not be permitted to view the arrivals. These measures will ensure spectators do not exceed the required number according to the COVID Safe Business Plans of each venue.

We understand that these limitations will cause disappointment and we are doing the very best we can to ensure we make these events as special and unique as possible whilst maintaining a safe environment for students and adults. So that a wider audience can still celebrate, we are investigating live streaming both Awards Night and Graduation.

I would like to thank you for your understanding of the need to adhere to COVID Safe restrictions at our major school events, as well as our excursions and other activities that have been limited this year. Whilst it is not our preferred scenario, our vigilance as a school and as the state of Queensland means that we can at least celebrate with all of our students and some family members and staff.

As two of our Year 12 Captains said so succinctly to their peers at a recent assembly during Futures,

“We’ve all been through a very complicated year and we all knew from the beginning that our traditional celebrations were going to look different. At the end of the day, we should all be grateful for the opportunity to still have a graduation and formal where so many other schools and countries haven’t been as lucky. We had three options for graduation; to have it at school with no one in attendance, to not have a graduation at all, or to have one in a nice venue where we are able to have one parent/carer with us in person and other loved ones watching us virtually. Fortunately for our cohort, our senior schooling team have tirelessly worked to provide us with these celebrations, be it restricted or not."

Once again I thank you for your understanding as we endeavour to make this a positively extraordinary final term for our students, your children.

Kind regards
Karen Lindsay.

AFL

Good luck to the AFL boys who are currently ranked number 1 in both juniors and seniors age groups. They are entering into the finals series starting next Friday. Seniors have a great chance of winning back to back State Titles and our Juniors could also score the State Title.

Horticulture's Plants of the Week for Sale

These plants can be ordered from Mr Paech, spaec2@eq.edu.au. After ordering, they need to be paid for through the Finance Department and they can be collected from Finance too.

Plants of the Week only $5.50 – 200mm pots

Trachelospermum Jasminoides - Star Jasmine, Chinese Jasmine

Evergreen twining ground cover, low clipped hedge, or wall climber on a sturdy trellis. Highly perfumed white star-like flowers in spring and summer. Widely grown in warmer parts. Prune regularly when young to promote bushy growth. Mulch and keep watered until established. Tolerates most positions and conditions but would benefit with mulching and fertilising at the time of planting in a well-drained soil. Ideal in full sun and frost free areas. Ground cover to 0.5m, 2-5m as climber.

Trachelospermum Asiaticum - Asiatic Jasmine, Japanese Star Jasmine

Attractive, evergreen, twining, climber with dark, rounded glossy, green leaves on red/brown woody stems. Valued for its star-shaped, perfumed flowers that grow in late spring. Flowers are a delicate yellow colour, scent of the flowers intensify at sunset. When used as a ground cover, it will form a mat of tangled stems creating a dense cover. Can be used on a trellis or other support. Cool, moist, well-watered soil. Prune back after flowering.

High School Experience Day

Support with School Work

Do you know that Helensvale SHS offers after school tutorials?

We also offer:

Uniform Shop

Back to School 2021

As we head into the final term of the year we would like to advise that social distancing is a major factor during these busy times and we appreciate your patience.

Year 9s are encouraged to come in during break time to try on their uniforms for Year 10 2021. If you are not ready to purchase now, we can provide your student with a slip stating their sizes with which you can then place the order online through our Flexischool service at your convenience, it is generally a 24 hour turn around and uniforms can be collected from the uniform shop during our operating hours.

We do encourage all students that require new uniforms to come in during break times to be fitted and we will provide a slip for them to pass on to parents/carers for when they are ready to purchase.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact Kara at the Uniform Shop via email kneal49@eq.edu.au or phone: 5573 8571.

Helensvale SHS Yearbook 2020

Would your child like a keepsake of their 2020 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 shaped this year both within the curriculum and covering 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 are met). No payment/further action required
• Cost for students in all other year levels is $15.00
• Deadline for Year Book orders and payments MUST be finalised by close of business Friday 23 October
• If you are 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!

(Mrs Carr is more than happy for you to drop in and show you or your child our 2019 Year Book to help your decision making).

2021 Laptop Program

Dear parents and carers of current Years 7 to 11 students,

The purpose of this email is to provide you with laptop program information in preparation for the 2021 school year.

• Due to COVID-19 safety requirements, we will not be holding our usual laptop information evening for parents/carers of current students.
• Therefore advice, notifications and reminders will be limited to email, posts on Facebook and school newsletter articles – starting with this email.

2021 LAPTOP PROGRAM OPTIONS

BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE (BYOD):

• This option is preferred by the school and taken up by approximately 75% of our students
• There is no longer any cost to connect a student’s privately owned device to the school network
• If you are intending to purchase a laptop, we highly recommend you purchase one from our BYOD Vendor Portal (see attached BYOD Vendor Portals.pdf), rather than purchasing from other retailers for these reasons:
  - Laptop prices all include 3 years manufacturer’s warranty + 3 years accidental damage protection insurance (ADP) – e.g. broken screens, liquid damage, etc – parts replaced free of charge
  - Every device on the portal meets school minimum specifications requirements
  - Takes all the hassles out of purchasing
  - Warranty and ADP repairs are facilitated with vendors (HP & Dell) by school technicians – logging, repair and return to student all handled by us
  - Quick turnaround for repairs – no need to take to shop or post away
  - Use the links and the information inside this attached document to help you with site entry and purchasing
• If I can’t convince you to buy from the portal, then you will need to ensure that the laptop you intend to buy meets our minimum requirements for components, especially the operating system so it is compatible with the BYOx network. (see attached Minimum Laptop Specifications.pdf)
• DO NOT purchase Microsoft Office when you buy a laptop. Education Qld provide a free download of Office for both Windows and Mac devices – no need to pay for it!

OR

ANNUAL SCHOOL HIRE LAPTOPS:

• We have a limited quantity of school owned laptops (all within warranty period – some brand new 2021) that can be hired for $200 per annum
• Priority will be given to senior students (years 10 to 12)
• Pro-rata refunds (if student leaves/opts out of program) will only be on a term basis – not weekly basis.
• If your child is already in our hire program, and this is chosen also for 2021, they will continue with the laptop that has been issued to them and you will be invoiced for the 2021 $200 hire fee – no need to hand it in.

OR

DAY HIRE LAPTOPS:

• We have a fleet of school laptops that students can access on campus only – no take home capacity, which means a lack of continuity from school to home to school and it is highly unlikely they would get the same laptop the next day.
• There is no cost for day hire, but strict borrowing rules do apply with penalties for non-return by the end of the school day.

DOCUMENTATION FOR 2021

• One parent/carer from each family and the student are required to be conversant with the information in the attached 2021 Laptop Program Charter.pdf
• For 2021 the IT Services Office is moving away from paper-based forms. Therefore, early next week, you will receive an email with a link to a very short survey to indicate:
  - Your acceptance of the use of Internet/computing resources at Helensvale SHS
  - Your intentions for your child with respect to the chosen laptop program option for 2021
• In completing this survey, you will be stating that you have read and understood the 2021 Laptop Program Charter (attached) as well as selecting your child’s 2021 option.
• You will receive a separate email for every child you have enrolled for 2021, as we need to have a separate record for each student in our system.
• Please note: No student will be allowed onto the school network or computers in 2021 unless this permission survey has been completed, as it forms the Acceptable Use Policy for Internet/computer access – a mandatory requirement.

TRANSITIONING FROM ONE PROGRAM TO ANOTHER – WHAT TO DO?

BYOD 2020 ANNUAL SCHOOL HIRE 2021: Just complete the emailed survey – that’s it.

ANNUAL SCHOOL HIRE 2020 BYOD or DAY HIRE 2021: Return school laptop, charger and case to the Finance office counter prior to the last day of attendance for your child this year. (No need to hand in if your child is continuing to hire in 2021)

All the attached documents can also be found on the school website: by:

• Clicking the 2021 Laptop Program quick link in the green section at bottom of the home page; or
• Navigating through the Support and resources tab to our documents

Any questions – just email me!
Sheryl Carr
IT Services Manager

School Leavers

From the Guidance Officers

Tips for when things go wrong

DECLARE

Anytime things don’t turn out say “That’s a breakdown, not what I wanted.” This allows you to take a moment, catch your breath and adjust, it gives you distance and allows you to stay calm.

NAME

Identify what is not working. EG, I will be late because… Technical – car broke down, Congestion – traffic delays, Lateness – left too late/didn’t allow enough time, Planning – I got lost.

RESOLVE

Ask yourself: What’s the best next move? What do I do now? EG, you might call to let them know you are running late, then discuss your next course of action.

PRACTICE

The better you handle breakdowns the more likely you are to take on responsibility, career and leadership. Typically, when we fail we replay the failure in our heads over and over. Stop that! Write it down and let it go. This will help you separate the event and your interpretation.

PLAY THE LONG GAME

When we fail it can feel like the end of the world. Instead look at the big picture, this is just a hiccup. Pick up the pieces quickly and get back into action.

Parent Resources

The Reachout website has some amazing resources to help parents and their children work through any adversity that they may face.

Support Staff

As part of our Learning and Well-being framework, we have created a Well-being Hub for students and parents, which can be 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.