30 April 2021

Newsletter Articles

For more info please see the school calendar

From the Principal

Dear Helensvale State High School Community

Towards the end of last term, a number of staff participated in an ‘Acknowledgement of Country’ workshop facilitated by the South East Region Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Services. This workshop provided staff with a clear understanding of the purpose and the difference between a 'Welcome to Country' and an 'Acknowledgement of Country'. We deepened our knowledge around the Traditional Custodians of this area on which our school is situated, the Kombumerri Peoples, and explored the protocols around creating our own meaningful and personalised Acknowledgement of Country for our school. This Acknowledgement of Country will be an integral part of our parades, special school events and meetings, as well as being displayed in our administration foyer and on our website.

Acknowledgement of Country

Jingeri,

Helensvale State High School as one community, acknowledges the Kombumerri Peoples, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which our school is built. We respect their long history, ancestry and culture. We pay our respects to the Elders, past, present and emerging for they carry the memories and traditions of past times.

We would also like to extend our acknowledgment to other First Nations Peoples: those hailing from the Torres Strait Islands and those belonging to other Aboriginal Language Groups.

We acknowledge the strength and resilience of Kombumerri peoples. We respect their enduring connection to the local wetlands and the cultural responsibility they uphold to preserve wildlife.

Together, we go forward, learning in the spirit of these values.

Please see below the screen art designed by our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students that is prominently displayed in our school grounds, along with an explanation of the meaning of each element incorporated into the design.

As ‘One Community’, we will continue to work together in providing the best possible education to our culturally rich and diverse school community.

Yours truly
Karen Lindsay

School Council

School Council Membership

A reminder that the School Council is calling for nominations from a parent to fill a recent vacancy on the School Council. The purpose and functions of a School Council are very different to that of a Parents’ and Citizens’ Association, with the one exception being that both bodies act in ways that achieve the best learning and well-being outcomes for our students.

The School Council has the following functions for guiding the broad strategic direction of the school:

• Monitoring the school’s strategic direction
• Approving plans and policies of the school of a strategic nature and other documents affecting strategic matters, including the annual estimate of revenue and expenditure for the school
• Monitoring the implementation of the plans, policies and other documents mentioned above
• Advising the school’s Principal about strategic matters

School Council Composition

The School Council has a membership of 12, comprising of:

• 2 Official members - the P & C President and Principal
• 3 elected staff members
• 3 elected parent members
• 2 appointed members (members of the public)
• 2 elected student members (one Year 11 and one Year 12 student)

Notice of Election

The election will be held by secret ballot at the first P & C meeting for Term 2, the date of which is Tuesday, 4 May, 2021 commencing 6pm. The P & C meeting is held at Helensvale State High School and is generally 1 to 1 ½ hours in length.

To be eligible for election as an elected parent member, a person must:

• Not be an official member
• Not have been convicted of an indictable offence, unless the Minister gives approval under the Act
• Be the parent of a child attending the school

Nominations can be made:

• In person, by the Nominating Members, at the P & C meeting on 4 May
• If the Candidate cannot be present at the relevant meeting, by giving the Secretary, before the meeting, a nomination in writing signed by the Nominating Members and the Candidate
• If there is only one nomination for a position, the Candidate will be elected to the position if the Candidate receives the votes of a majority of the members at the meeting
• If there is more than one nomination for a position, the Candidate who receives the majority of the votes will be elected to the relevant office.
• By completing the attached nomination form and emailing it to pandc@helensvaleshs.eq.edu.au by Monday 3 April. Alternatively, you may mail the nomination form or deliver it in person to the school, marked Attention: P & C Secretary.

2021 Next Step Survey

The Queensland Government is conducting its annual state-wide survey of all students who completed Year 12 in 2020. The Next Step survey is a brief, confidential survey that gains a comprehensive picture of the employment, study and life choices made by Queensland school completers in the year after they finish Year 12.

Between April and June, all our students who completed Year 12 last year can expect to receive instructions to complete a web-based survey or a telephone call from the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office. Please encourage them to take part. If their contact details have changed, please assist the interviewer with their updated details or forward the survey to their new address so they can participate.

Thank you for your support of the Next Step survey in 2021.

Further information on Next Step, including results from previous years, is available online at the link below or on toll free telephone 1800 068 587.

Excite Excursion

Last Thursday the Year 9 Excite classes went to Brisbane Museum. They participated in Spark Lab, and the Wild State Exhibition that is currently on there. Spark Lab ignited their curiosity as they questioned the world around them and participated in experiments at the Science Bar and Maker Space. Students also investigated Queensland’s unique animals and their habitats as they wandered through the Wild State Exhibition. They travelled from the pristine coastline and oceans beyond, to the arid outback, and everywhere in between!

Community Partnerships Update

Vale Community Alliance and Sponsors continue to grow each year. We are proud to announce that David Robertson, Director of Klearnet Solutions, an information technology support company, has formed a partnership as a Silver Sponsor for 2021. Klearnet Solutions has supported our school for over 25 years in many different aspects of our curriculum. At every Academic Awards night, they sponsor the prize for the student achieving the IT Excellence award.

Currently, four Alumni students are employed at our school by Klearnet Solutions as our IT Services team. They are Adam Gardiner, Mason Fearn, Cody Harris and Mason Russell. The skills and experience which they have brought back to Helensvale High are invaluable.

This employment follows a continuing pattern over the last two decades, with Klearnet supporting the school by employing Helensvale tech savvy IT graduates across many Gold Coast schools, in key IT support roles.

Adam Gardiner, Mason Fearn, David Robertson (Director of Klearnet Solutions) Cody Harris.

Uniform Shop

WINTER TROUSERS NOW IN STOCK

As we enter Term 2 the cooler months approach. At the Uniform shop we have winter options available now.

Students from Year 7 to 9 are able to purchase Trackpants to wear on the days they have sport and Formal Trousers to wear on non-sport days.

Students from Year 10 to 12 are able to wear Formal Trousers every day. Trackpants are only to be worn during their sport class if this is on their timetable.

Trackpants $55.00
Formal Trousers $50.00

Please contact the Uniform Shop if you have any questions.

News from Industry Pathways

Work Experience

As part of the Senior Schooling Program, students are given the opportunity to engage in Career Development through a five-day work experience program.

The school allows five days for this to take place:

Work Experience will give students the opportunity to experience and learn about an industry they may wish to work in once they have finished school. It also gives them a chance to gain extra skills that will be valuable in the work force as well as a great addition to their resumes.

Work experience paperwork is available for collection now in KS10.

If you have any questions about work experience please see Ms Bellamy in KS10 or email lbell138@eq.edu.au

Traineeship Opportunities

A variety of new traineeships are on offer with a focus on business and hospitality. To see if your child is eligible to apply please have them email their resume to lbell138@eq.edu.au stating which position they are interested in. Only students on a Vocational Pathway and in Year 11 can apply.

Below are some positions that are available, the full list can be viewed on the Opportunities Board outside the Industry Liaison Office:

Coffee Major Café – Parkwood (inside Griffith Uni)
Degani Bakery Café – Hope Island
Quay Street Café – Sanctuary Cove
RACV The Royal Pines Resort
Subway (various locations – Runaway Bay, Southport, Helensvale, Oxenford
Three Kings Pizza – Parkwood & Upper Coomera
The Beach Café – Surfers Paradise
Tree Top Challenge – Mount Tamborine
Zarrafas – Helensvale, Oxenford, Runaway Bay

If your child needs help to create a resume please advise them to see Ms Bellamy in KS10 or email lbell138@eq.edu.au

External Courses - Year 11 Vocational Pathway Students

Semester 2 courses are taking enrolments now for external providers such as TAFE etc. If your child is interested in applying please have them come and see me in KS10 or you can email me on lbell138@eq.edu.au

If your child isn’t sure about the career path they would like to follow this is a useful website:

Ms Bellamy
Industry Liaison Officer
Karangbah Building – Office KS10

Humanities Tutorials and Homework Help Club

• Do you have an assignment or exam coming up and need a little extra help to understand the content?
• Have you been away and would like to catch up on what you missed?
• Would you would like to improve your skills in analysing sources or constructing a clear paragraph?

Open to all students who are studying Humanities in year 7 & 8 or History and Geography in year 9 to 12. Our amazing Humanities staff will be available to help and give you extra support.

Humanities tutorials will start in week 3 on Thursday 11th of February. Come find us in DG33.

Maths Tutorials

Science Tutorials

Chat n Chill

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