17 February 2023

Newsletter Articles

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From the Principal

Dear Helensvale State High School community

Dear Helensvale State High School community

It has been a very positive start to the school year, where our routines are finally back to normal post the COVID-19 restrictions of the past three years. We very much appreciate your support in getting your child ready for the new school. By ensuring your child arrives at school every day ready for learning demonstrates that you value your child’s education. As a school community, we partner together to realise the potential of every child, every student. I thank you for your ongoing support of our school.

Each year we have a theme, devised by the students. In the past, our themes have been ‘Be Courageous’, ‘Be Extraordinary’ and ‘Go Beyond’. This year our theme is ‘Aspire to Inspire’. In the words of our students:

Aspire to Inspire challenges students to push themselves to inspire not only other students but also themselves. The ability to inspire people commonly includes establishing and communicating a positive mental attitude. Expressing your excitement, passion, and enthusiasm with people around you is a sign that you are excited about your work, life, and your leadership at Helensvale State High School.

Aspire to Inspire, in order to make an impression and impact positively on everyone's lives.

Parents and Citizens Association Annual General Meeting

On Tuesday 14 March, there will be a general P & C meeting followed by the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The general meeting will be from 5.30pm to 6pm (approx.). The AGM will then run from 6pm to 7pm, where the office bearers for 2023 will be voted on.

The location for these meetings will be in SWeLL. If you are not sure where SWeLL is please come to Administration and we will direct you.

I would like to thank the current P & C Executive for their tireless work and support of the school. In particular, I would like to thank Mrs Leanne Watt, our current Treasurer, who has been an Executive member for 12 years and Mr Karl Wall, our current President, who has been an Executive member for the past 10 years. Both Leanne and Karl will not be standing for election at the AGM, so we will be looking for new volunteers to fill these positions. All Executive Member positions become vacant annually.

Below is a brief outline of the objectives of the Association as well as the roles and responsibilities of the Executive Committee.

Objectives

The objectives of the Association are to work in productive partnership with the principal and school community to promote the interests of the school, facilitate its development and further improvement, and to achieve the best possible outcomes for students.

Roles and Responsibilities of the Executive members

The President provides leadership and is the accountable officer of the Association. Their role is to act as a representative of the Association, encourage communication between the Association, School administration and the community and encourage participation in the Association. The President will be the Chair of meetings and conduct them in an efficient and timely fashion, being familiar with the rules, constitution and other documents governing Association operations. The President is an official member of the school council for the School, if one exists.

The Vice-President provides essential support for the President and possibly other members of the Executive Committee. They will Chair those meetings from which the President is absent and carry out any duties that have been delegated by the President. They should also be familiar with the rules, constitution and other documents governing Association operations.

The Secretary collates the agenda papers for each meeting, (including subcommittee reports) and assists the President in preparing an agenda for each meeting. They prepare and present minutes of the Association’s meetings, record and deal with correspondence in/out as directed and generally organise, record and maintain information pertaining to the activities of the Association.

The Treasurer has the overall responsibility for the financial management of the Association, including all subcommittee accounts. In their role they must comply with the Accounting Manual in all respects. They prepare an annual budget and annual operational plan for the Association in consultation with other members of the Association’s Executive Committee. It is the Treasurer's responsibility to keep accurate accounts of receipts and expenditure.

For further information please contact the P & C Executive on pandc@helensvaleshs.eq.edu.au.

Kind Regards
Karen Lindsay
Principal, Helensvale State High School

Who’s Who at The VALE

Deans

Contacts

Do you need to contact a staff member? Check out the Helensvale SHS website contact list:

Communication Channels Explained

As we continue to better utilise our communication channels we have included a short explanation of our methodology behind the different communication channels here at Helensvale SHS, and hope that it will be helpful in locating information and assistance.

• Helensvale SHS Website – Is to be the main source of information. It is for whole school information, we ask that you search here as your first point of call.
  All our enrolment information, various policies, contacts, permission forms are here.
  There is a calendar which we endeavor to keep current, and news.
• Emails – parents and students may receive important information through this channel, from administration and teaching staff. Parents are advised to regularly check their junk email if they are not receiving school emails. It is important that the school is advised when email addresses are changed, so vital information is received.
• Facebook is for small celebratory information, and announcements, at short notice. This information is available to parents, students and community. If you have any queries please be sure to check the website in the first instance as this is where we communicate much of our information.
• Instagram is student specific, celebrating successes, or highlighting work/ ability. This is not an information source.

International Shout Out

Helensvale State High School would like to welcome our first 2023 Study Tour “Kawasaki High School” from Japan.

Our guests will be with us from February 11th to February 23rd.

Many cultural activities have been planned with our Helensvale State High School Buddies and our new International Study Abroad Students. We know our visitors will enjoy meeting new friends and experiences with our great culture.

Community Partner Announcement:

Allsports Physiotherapy to support the Helensvale State High School Sport Academy in 2023!

The Helensvale Sport Academy is very pleased to announce Allsports Physiotherapy as our most recent community partner for 2023.

Allsports Physiotherapy will support player development and welfare through access to athlete screening and triage services, providing prehab and rehabilitation guidance for our student-athletes.

The ability to provide access to these services on-site at the school, will undoubtedly complement the Strength & Conditioning program currently being implemented across Helensvale State High School’s Sport Academy programs. This holistic approach will ensure our athletes are more adequately prepared to perform to their athletic potential - an exciting step forward for this sporting school.

Welcome Allsports Physiotherapy!

GP in School

Industry Liaison News

Hi Students and Parents/Carers

Welcome to a busy Term 1 of 2023. I’m looking forward to working closely with those students that are interested in pursuing a vocational career pathway.

Students and Parents/Carers, if you ever have any questions please don’t hesitate to email me on lbell138@eq.edu.au or call me on 5573 8545.

Below is a snapshot of what our range of services include:

• Help to identify potential apprenticeships, traineeships and work placement opportunities
• Job vacancy emails
• Resumes, Job Applications and Selection Criteria advice
• Interview techniques and tips if required
• Access to our job search facilities
• Provide Work Experience opportunities
• Coordinate courses and accredited training
• Personalised ongoing support

School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SATs) allow high school students to work for an employer, train towards a recognised qualification, and complete their secondary school studies. They are available across a wide range of industries including business, hospitality, tourism, sport and recreation and the trades. SATs provide students with:

• Qualifications or skills that are recognised Australia-wide, and that can count towards the Queensland Certificate of Education
• Hands-on experience in a workplace
• Paid work
• The chance to also work towards an ATAR score
• Confidence and contacts to move from school to work or further study.

Here at Helensvale SHS we allow students to sign into SATs and enrol into external courses during Semester 2 of Year 10.

External Courses:

• All TAFE courses have now commenced, please don’t forget to email TAFE and myself if you are away sick - SchoolAbsentees.GoldCoast@tafeqld.edu.au. Students please keep in mind if you have too many absences from TAFE you will find it very difficult to pass your course, TAFE do not spend a lot of time in catching you up on missed work. Your QCE relies on you successfully completing your TAFE course.
• If you are wanting to enrol into an external course it’s not necessarily too late, other training providers run courses all through the semester so please come and see me for further information.
• Don’t forget to see me to drop a subject if you are doing an external course or have gained a SAT.

SAT’s:

The current vacancies are:

• City Beach Helensvale and Harbourtown (Certificate III Business) – year 11 only
• Helensvale Aquatic Centre (Certificate III Business) – year 11 only
• Riviera – Cabinetmaking/Boat Building/Furniture Policing/Polymer Processing – year 12 only
• McDonalds Westfield Helensvale (Cert III Retail) – Year 11 only

Work Experience:

We are offering Year 10, 11 & 12 vocational students the opportunity to undertake work experience during the 5 x GIPSA sport days. The dates are:

08/03/23
03/05/23
17/05/23
24/05/23
07/06/23

An email with instructions will be sent in the near future.

Taster Courses – TAFE (Year 10):

Year 10 students have the opportunity to enrol into a 9 week Trade Taster course at TAFE in Term 3. This course will run 1 day per week for 9 weeks and will give the students a great opportunity to get a ‘taste’ for a particular trade and working closely with the very experienced TAFE teachers. Some Tasters available are Engineering, Construction, Automotive, Marine, Electrotechnology, Plumbing and Health. More information will be emailed out in early Term 2.

Congratulations to the following students who have secured a SAT recently:

Max, Year 12 – Electrical Apprenticeship with Unique Electrical
Lucas, Year 12 – Carpentry Apprenticeship with Main Style Homes
Phoenix, Year 11 – Hospitality Traineeship with Subway, Beach Road, Surfers Paradise
Alex, Year 11 – Information Technology Traineeship with HSHS I.T Department
Koby, Year 11 – Carpentry Apprenticeship with Pocock Constructions

Lisa Bellamy
Industry Liaison Officer
lbell138@eq.edu.au

STUDENT INFORMATION

LATE ARRIVALS

Parents/carers should advise the school if their child 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 the Student Hub upon arrival at school or they will be marked absent. If accompanied by a parent/carer they must sign in at Administration.

Please note: If the student does not have a note, or we have not received notification of their late arrival, they will automatically receive a lunch time detention.

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 Assemblies or Block Exams are taking place.

STUDENTS UNWELL AT SCHOOL

• 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 in Student Hub.
• The student will be assessed and if necessary, the parent/carer will be contacted to collect their child or nominate another adult to collect them
• 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.

Guidance Officers

Catching Buses

Dove Self Esteem Project

Confidence Kit: A tool to help build self-esteem

Age group

8 to 16 years

As a parent, it’s natural to want the best for your child – for them to be happy, healthy and confident individuals.

But that’s sometimes easier said than done, especially during the teen and pre-teen years when their bodies are changing, their self-confidence is fragile and they are trying to make that tricky transition out of childhood.

How do you help your daughter or son maintain a positive body image and find their sense of self when their world is filled with unrealistic images of physical ideals; one dimensional, ‘flawless’ beauty, and narrow messages about the ‘perfect’ lifestyle? How do you help her deal with the pitfalls of teenage life such as appearance related bullying or keep them eating healthily and enjoying exercise (without getting hang-ups about food and body shape)?

In creating Confidence Kit and the expert articles available on our parent’s online hub, we have gathered advice on some of the key topics we know have an impact on young peoples’ self-esteem and body confidence, from media, peer and cultural pressures to teasing and bullying about appearance. We’ve worked with the Dove Self-Esteem Project global experts from the fields of psychology, body image, self-esteem, eating disorders and media representation – to create a resource for you that is focused on advice and action.

Use the articles and activities in the guide to help you identify any self-esteem issues you think may be affecting your child and begin to tackle them head on. Each section includes an action checklist – pointers to help you make positive changes or initiate conversations with your child about things that may be troubling them or unhelpful messages that they might be receiving. Our research tells us that by reading and acting on the issues in this booklet, you will have a significant positive impact on your child’s self-esteem as well as your own.

We start with the most important influence in all of this: you. What is great to know is that you can use the resources here to be a role model and learn to love yourself, too.

GIPSA 2023

Please note students will need to select GIPSA Sport 1st and 2nd preference, via the school survey which was emailed to them on Wednesday 1st February. If your student chooses not to participate in GIPSA Sport they must nominate two school-based options to participate in during the allocated GIPSA Sport days.

Nominations close Wednesday 8th February 2023

If your child would like to participate in GIPSA Sport they will need to choose from a sport from the list below. Please be aware participating in GIPSA Sport is a commitment for five (5) rounds and costs $85. This covers venue hire, buses, refereeing fees and equipment.

GIPSA schools - Helensvale SHS, Miami SHS, Varsity College, Southport SHS.

GIPSA Interschool Sport Rounds - Term 1 & 2

• Round 1: Term 1, Week 7, Wednesday 8th March 2023
• Round 2: Term 2, Week 3, Wednesday 3rd May 2023
• Round 3: Term 2, Week 5, Wednesday 17th May 2023
• Round 4: Term 2, Week 6, Wednesday 24th May 2023
• Round 5: Term 2, Week 8, Wednesday 7th June 2023

Below indicates the sports available for GIPSA Sport in 2023.

Junior AFL (Male)
Junior AFL (Female)
Basketball(Male)
Basketball (Female)
Chess (Mixed) Cricket (Indoor)
Netball (Female)
Soccer (Male) Soccer (Female)
Table Tennis (Mixed)
Tennis (Mixed) Touch (Male)
Touch (Female)
Surfing (Mixed) Bodyboarding(Mixed)
Volleyball (Male)
Volleyball (Female) Hockey (Mixed)
Squash (Mixed)
Ten-pin bowling
E-Sports(YR8&9)

For further information about GIPSA, please contact Sport Coordinator Mr Sherlock srshe1@eq.edu.au or Mrs. Williams mwill477@eq.edu.au in the Sports office.

Swimming Carnival 2023

Saverplus

Saver Plus is a 10-month matched savings program. While on the program you make regular savings deposits and attend free online sessions to learn tips, tricks, and information to grow your budgeting and savings skills. On completion, your savings is matched dollar-for-dollar up to $500. The money from Saver Plus can be used towards education costs such as uniforms, textbooks, laptops, and extra-curricular activities such as sport or music.

You could be eligible to join Saver Plus if you:

• have a Centrelink Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card
• are at least 18 years old
• have some regular income from work (you or your partner) including casual, part-time, full time or seasonal (we also accept child support and carer’s payment as income)
• have a child at school or attend vocational education yourself.

If you’re eligible, start now and we’ll help take the stress out of next year’s back to school.

To find out more, or to apply, go to the link below or call: 1300 610 355

Helensvale SHS Farmers Markets

Don’t forget to support our local farmers.

Every Day Counts!

Cyberbullying Help

What would you do if your child was being cyberbullied?

According to research by the eSafety Commissioner , 1 in 5 young people experience cyberbullying and online abuse and 55% seek help from their parents/carers.

Our free training is available online and has been designed to be completed on a range of internet ready devices, including smart phones.

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 from the link below 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.