14 November 2020

Newsletter Articles

Our School Values –

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From the Principal

Dear Helensvale State High School Community

I would like to congratulate Mr Ogier on his successful appointment as Deputy Principal to Helensvale State High School, officially commencing in January 2021. Mr Ogier has extensive experience as both Deputy Principal and Acting Principal in a range of schools, and he will be an asset to our school. Mr Ogier will spend some time with us between now and the end of the year whilst balancing other commitments. I extend a warm welcome to Mr Ogier to our school community.

I would like to sincerely thank Ms Paterson who has been acting Deputy Principal for this year. Ms Paterson has been an exceptional leader who has a real passion for student wellbeing and positive learning. Ms Paterson’s knowledge of our students epitomizes our ‘One Student’ philosophy as Ms Paterson takes the time to gain a deep understanding of each and every student.

I wish Ms Paterson all the best on her forthcoming addition to the family and I thank her for her relentless focus on ensuring each and every student succeeds.

I would like to thank Ms Paterson for her relentless focus on ensuring each and every student succeeds and wish her all the very best as she prepares to welcome a new addition to her family.

I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Ms Scott on her successful appointment as the permanent Head of Department English – Junior Secondary. Ms Scott has an exemplary knowledge of systemic curriculum priorities and factors influencing student learning from across transitions from Primary school to Year 12. Ms Scott is admired for her exceptional leadership of curriculum and pedagogical reform in Junior English.

Raising a Concern

As ‘One Community’ Helensvale State High School values the partnership between the school and families in providing the best possible educational outcomes for our students. We value the input of our school community and ensure that we have the best interests of our students at heart.

It is recognized that during your children’s school years, you may have cause to raise a concern or make a complaint about an issue with their education. The Department of Education and Helensvale State High School are committed to ensuring that all concerns raised are dealt with in a fair and equitable manner for all parties involved. There are processes and support structures in place to enable families to work through any issues they may have.

Raising your concern in a timely manner with the school provides an opportunity to identify issues and take action to improve service delivery and customer experience, while also driving a culture of continuous improvement across the school.

At our most recent School Council meeting, the school’s policy on raising a concern was presented, discussed and supported.

The policy can be located on our website, with user-friendly flowcharts to direct you to the person most able to address your concerns in a timely manner.

Related Document and Resources · Parent/Carer channels of communication flowchart – for non-curriculum based concerns · Parent/Carer channels of communication flowchart– for curriculum based concerns

Farewell Year 12

To our graduating Year 12 class of 2020, you are all extraordinary students and we are so proud of you and your achievements. Although this may be the final chapter of your time at Helensvale State High School, it is the start of a new journey, filled with promises, opportunities and adventures. You are our future. Take care and stay in touch.

Yours truly

Karen Lindsay
Executive Principal

Senior Schooling

Release of Year 12 results

The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) will release student QCEs, Senior Statements and Statements of Results through the Student Portal on the myQCE website https://myqce.qcaa.qld.edu.au/index.html from 9:00am on Saturday 19 December 2020.

Students must know their Learner Unique Identifier (LUI) and password to log in and check their results. Students have been reminded on many occasions to log into this portal to check their account details. If you are unsure how to access this please contact Senior Schooling for instructions.

Students will be able to download hard copies of their qualifications directly from the Student Portal on the myQCE website.

Please be aware they will not be sent hard copies from the QCAA though they will be able to request hard copies in the Student Portal.

Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)

ATARs are calculated by the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC). All ATAR eligible students should have registered with QTAC to ensure that they receive their ATAR on 19 December.

Sports Academy News

Vicki Wilson Cup

Our Helensvale netball girls have performed beyond our wildest expectations. Our Juniors made the Grand Final for the first time ever, after some closely fought quarter and semi-finals. Our seniors battled some high quality opposition to proudly walk away 3rd in the state. Helensvale Netball Academy have now finished in the top 2 or 3 in the state 4 years in a row. The hard work the girls have put in over this year with adversities, not knowing if they would get to play in the state finals, is beyond exceptional. Well done Vale we are proud of you.

Football Academy

Our 19 Girls Futsal Team were once again crowned State Champions. The girls went undefeated all day and showed a dominant display against Murrumba State Secondary College winning the grand final 6-0! A great way to send off the four year 12 players!

AFL Academy

Extremely proud to be coaching the AFL boys in 2020. The boys showed humility in defeat and represented themselves and the school community very well on the Sunshine Coast this weekend. It was a thrilling grand final which ended up going to PBC by 5 points but it was the off field respect and humbleness that our young men showed after defeat that made Crackers and Noodles extremely proud. These boys are champions and show maturity well beyond their years.

Football Academy

Helensvale State High School is privileged to establish a relationship with Logan Lightning Football Club. Signing a sponsorship offer is Nick Croyden from Logan Lightning FC and Principal Karen Lindsay.

Thank you to Nick Croyden from Logan Lightning FC for conducting training sessions today with our Yr 7/8 and Yr 9 Football Academy classes.

Football Academy

Schools Premier League Select Teams produce top drawer performances.

Hats off to the Schools Premier League students selected to take on the QLD Academy of Sport and Brisbane Roar Academy sides. Both sides looked classy against these organisations, with the SPL girls finishing with a well deserved 2-2 result (QAS) and the boys securing a victory with a 2-0 win over the Roar. The provided link to the Courier Mail’s article (subscriber article), provides an extensive overview and replays of the matches).

Helensvale SHS products, Hayden Mackenzie (GK), Ariss Laghai & Jasmine Hewitson featured prominently in their respective fixtures, with Hayden commanding the penalty area, Jasmine being described as ‘dangerous’ by the Courier Mail and Ariss Laghai scoring the 2nd goal to ensure victory for his side.

The students described the training camp and match day experience as special, feeling that it was great to be able to test themselves against some of the best up and coming footballers in QLD, whilst the concept of working together as one organisation also appealed to our players. Congratulations on your involvement and excellent performances - the school is very proud of home you represented our program.

Football Academy

SPL Bill Turner Football

The Helensvale SHS Football Academy was in action today on the Sunshine Coast playing both Chancellor SC and Kawana SC - a few tired athletes on the bus trip home!

Student Hub Information

Early departures

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

• Please be advised that there are no phones in classrooms to contact teachers and/or students so the only way a student will be permitted to leave class early is by prior arrangement with the Student Hub.
• If you know your child has an appointment, please send him/her to school with a note. This should be brought to the Student Hub 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 attempt to contact students during break times to issue a pass, enabling them to be released from class.
• The student must be collected from the Administration office by a parent/carer or someone listed as an emergency contact.
• Please note we are unable to do “call outs” for students when Block Exams are taking place.

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 in Student Hub
• If a student feels unwell during break time they must go to Sick Bay.
• The student will be assessed and if necessary, the parent/carer will be contacted to collect their child. If we are unable to make contact with the parent/carer, 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.
• If a parent/carer is asked to collect their student that is unwell they must be collected from the Administration office.

High School Experience Day

Opportunities from the Industry Liaison Officer

New exciting traineeship opportunities are available for Vocational Pathway students currently in Year 10 and Year 11. Positions are emailed to students and parents regularly. Get paid while gaining a qualification when doing a school based traineeship and earn up to 8 QCE points!! A variety of traineeships are on offer with a focus on business, hospitality and retail. If you need help putting a resume together please email me on lbell138@eq.edu.au

Hospitality Traineeships:

Club Helensvale (Helensvale)
Subway (various locations)
Degani Bakery Café (Hope Island)
Guzman Y Gomez (Harbourtown)
Quay Street Café & Bar (Sanctuary Cove)
Zarraffas (various locations)
Plus many more…

Business/Retail Traineeships:

NewsExpress (Runaway Bay)
Chempro (various locations)
IGA (Coomera)
Pacific Pines Newsagency (Pacific Pines)
Style on Q (Event Planning - Biggera Waters)
Spar Express (Oxenford)
Jet Boat Extreme

External Courses

Some external courses still have vacancies so if you would like to do a course one day per week please see me to complete the enrolment paperwork.

Year 12 school leavers should check the following links for full time job opportunities:

If you are having trouble deciding on what type of a career path to take have a look at this website under Career Quiz!

Lisa Bellamy
Industry Liaison Officer

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.

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

From the Guidance Officers

The Power of a Positive Attitude

Two men looked out from prison bars one saw mud the other saw stars’. (Source unknown)

Your attitude (either positive or negative) can cause emotional reactions which strongly affect your immune and circulatory systems, your relationships, and even your risk of accidents. Keeping a positive mindset means that you focus on the good things and avoid dwelling on the negative. Generally attitude is a choice.

• Being positive is a choice. Choose it now.
• Learn to control ‘the voices’ that limit potential. If you think you can achieve most likely you will. If you think you can’t most likely you won’t.
• Avoid saying ‘I can’t’ – it makes a person feel inadequate. Better to say ‘When I ………I could………
• Enjoy the present. It’s all you have or are able to control. The past is gone, the future is unknown.
• Focus on solutions – don’t dwell on mistakes.
• Choose to smile and laugh – it has a contagious effect.
• Look For The Valuable Lesson – what have I learnt, how can I improve next time
• Language is a valuable tool – Use it wisely eg. Rather than ‘I’m bored’, you could rephrase (and reframe) to ‘I have more time to do other things I want/ need to do’.

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 at the link below, scroll down the page and click on the relevant icon.