29 April 2022

Newsletter Articles

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From the Principal

Dear Helensvale State High School Community

Collegial Engagement is part of the school’s culture and is a key improvement strategy in the promotion of the professional, collaborative approach to school improvement to achieve our learning vision for each and every student to succeed. So what does Collegial Engagement at the ‘Vale look like?

At Helensvale State High School there are a number of different forms of Collegial Engagement including:

Collaborative Teams
Learning Walks
Instructional Coaching (including modelling lessons)
Observation and Feedback

In the previous newsletter I discussed the concept of collaborative teams. This newsletter is devoted to unpacking Learning Walks. Every leader in the school conducts Learning Walks every day. So what are Learning Walks?

The Purpose of Learning Walks

• Having a professional, collaborative approach to school improvement to achieve the best possible outcomes for our students and reach our vision for each and every student to succeed.
• School leaders visiting classrooms every day as part of their shared responsibility for optimising school performance.
• Collecting and analysing student voice data to inform practice and assist with how to best direct professional development and resourcing.
• Providing collegial feedback to teachers assists reflection on, and improvement in, their professional practice.

The Process

• Learning walks are unobtrusive, designed to observe and interact with students during a limited 3 -8 minute time frame, replicated in different classrooms throughout the week to get a complete data picture.
• During a Learning Walk, leaders select one or two students in each class, when they are not involved in direct instruction, to answer the following five questions (or versions of) as reflected in the research of educational expert, Lynn Sharratt (2019).
• What are you learning? Why?
• How are you doing?
• How do you know?
• How can you improve?
• Where do you go for help?

• Reflection on student answers by teachers and leaders helps to develop a culture that is about growth promotion and strengthening practice together.

Parents and Citizens Association

The next Parents and Citizens Association meeting is Tuesday, 3rd May from 6pm to approximately 7pm. The venue for the meeting is SWeLL. I look forward to seeing you there.

Yours truly
Karen Lindsay
Executive Principal
Helensvale State High School

ANZAC Celebrations

Helensvale State High School’s ANZAC ceremony was held on Friday 22 April. It was attended by a number of guests including Division Two Gold Coast City Councillor Mr William Owen Jones, Member for Theodore, Mr Mark Boothman, Mr Matt Ardley, from the Northern Gold Coast Returned Services League Sub Branch, and our current P and C President, Mr Karl Wall. Years 12 and 7 students represented the school cohort.

Our School Captains and Executive Principal supported the local dawn service on ANZAC Day.

Media Arts

Year 12 Media Art designs

P&C Meeting

Our next P & C meeting will be held on Tuesday, 3 May at 6pm.
TIME: 6.00pm – 7pm General Meeting
LOCATION: SWeLL

If you wish to attend this meeting please RSVP to
pandc@helensvaleshs.eq.edu.au

Junior Football

Year 7 Football Academy students took to the field, taking on other Schools Premier League teams from the Sunshine Coast and North Brisbane.

Today was the first of many invaluable learning opportunities that will be provided to these students throughout their involvement in our Football Academy.

Male AFL

A solid return to the winner’s circle for junior AFL boys They played against Nerangba State High School. Final score 65-3. Great score considering game called off early due to a serious injury in the opposition team!

Best players of the match were Z Bradshaw, R Stevens, J Donnelly, L Chapman & M Bradley!

Female AFL

A massive win for the junior girls AFL side today with a 76-0 win over Narangba Valley SHS.

Best Players for the match were Grace Cooper, Tara Nieass, Libby Warwick, Brooke Whitehead and Zoe Bennett.

Super Star Performances over the Holidays

Koby Pocock

Well done to Koby Pocock who competed at The Australian National Track and Field Championships last weekend. He finished 2nd in the under 17 men's hammer, with a new PB of 51.10 metres, throwing a new weight of 5kg.

Sam Gould

Congratulations to Sam Gould who swam at National Swim Championships finals, televised on Prime. He finished in top 10. Samuel also so placed 8th in Australia in the open Multi-class Championships again current Australian and Paralympians.

His medal haul included:

Gold - 15-16 Years 100m freestyle, 100m breaststroke, 100m backstroke, 50m backstroke, 50m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, 16-18 years 200m Individual Medley.
Silver - 15-16 Years 100m and 50m butterfly.
Bronze - 16-18 years 400m freestyle

Well done Sam.

Max Masters and Josh Zanker-Close

Well done to Helensvale State High School students Max Masters and Josh Zanker-Close who flew to Melbourne to play against the Geelong Falcons, in the Suns Academy 18’s side. Both boys are trekking well on their path to playing AFL level footy. Congratulations gentlemen.

Visual Arts

The Year 11 Certificate III Visual Arts students attended a Tintype workshop yesterday, conducted by professional photographer Craig Tuffin.

Helensvale SHS Farmers Markets

Don’t forget to support our local farmers.

Every Day Counts!

Cyberbullying Help

For some wonderful, helpful advice about online safety see the eSafety Commissioner website.

You can find an abundance of advice for parents and carers to help children have safe experiences online

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.

Acknowledgment of Country

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.