6 May 2016

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Term 2 May

Many of our students filled their Easter holidays with fun and family, and some came to school for a photographic shoot! A selection of these stunning photos can be seen in this newsletter. Thank you to all the students who gave up some of their holidays to participate in this promotional activity.

Cultural Week

During the last week of Term One, Ms Elisha Fox organised a full day of activities for Harmony Day. This year we were lucky to have Lyndon Davis come to school. He spoke in traditional language, performed on the digeridoo, passed down to the younger generations stories of the local history of the Sunshine Coast, and taught traditional dance to our students. What impressed me is not only the pride of our Indigenous students, but the number of non-Indigenous students who joined in the activities to learn more about the traditional owners of our local area.

Ms Su Carberry organised cultural activities for the rest of the week on behalf of the Japanese faculty. Many students learnt to make paper cranes and origami shapes during a lunchtime. Thank you to Ms Elisha Fox, Su Carberry and Ms Ros Presnell for organising the week-long celebration of cultural activities.

Report Cards

Parents should have received their student's report card by now. Currently, Year Level Coordinators (YLCs) and Deputy Principals are reviewing results. YLCs will be acknowledging students for their efforts, as the majority of students are passing their subjects and demonstrating a good work ethic and excellent behaviour choices. Some parents of Senior students will be receiving letters requesting interviews, as their students are at risk of not gaining enough credits to earn their Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE).

Not completing and handing in assignment work, along with high absenteeism, are the main reasons why many students from Year 7 to 12 find themselves not achieving to their full potential. I would like to remind parents and students that the school holds lunch time tutorials, if extra support and assistance is needed. In the junior school the "RRR" is open daily in N Block and many senior teachers offer their own lunch times tutoring their classes.

As a school community we are aiming for a 92% attendance rate, and when students are frequently away they find it very difficult to catch up on missed work. The best strategy for success is to ensure that students are present in classes every day!

The school provides students with an opportunity for an extension on some tasks via their 'Red Slips'. Please go to the school's website to read through our Assessment Policy for further information. If you have any concerns about your student's progress, please contact their teacher to arrange an interview.

Building Bridges

Our first group of Year 10 students arrived back at Maleny High last week after their Building Bridges trek. The weather was cold and the girls told me all about pulling leaches off themselves. This program is designed to push students to their limits, and help them build resilience. When asked, each student admitted that they would do the trek again as they now knew they were stronger individuals for participating in this program. The Building Bridges program would not be possible without the unwavering support of our local APEX community organisation. They fundraise tirelessly so that the school can offer this unique opportunity to our Year 10 students each year.

ANZAC Day Ceremonies

The whole of our Maleny High School community participated in a tribute to the ANZACs on Friday, 22 April. Our school captains, Evie and Kylen, spoke at this ceremony and at the Maleny dawn service. Evie spoke about how their younger generation were grateful to the men and women who lost their lives so that future Australians could enjoy the freedoms they bravely fought for. Kylen spoke proudly of the Indigenous men who fought bravely in the trenches of WW1. He reiterated that race, colour or a person's religion did not matter. The most important thing of all was to stand by the side of your mate. As Principal, I was extremely proud to hear these messages from the Captains, as I know that our country is in good hands when the next generation is thinking of the sacrifices that were made in the past, so that we can enjoy a bright future.

At the town's march, students and staff were a credit to the school. I thank all of those who represented the school in various parades and ceremonies around the district. Thank you for giving up your time. It would be wonderful to see even more participants next year.

Cross Country

Last Tuesday morning was raining and windy and not the most idyllic weather for a cross country, but our HPE staff were positive that the run would be held. By the time we had our parade at midday the clouds had parted and sun was shining through! Students were running, walking or even skipping to get around their course. Bunya continued their winning streak, but Obi came in only five points behind! This was a very closely fought contest, with Mellum coming in third. Maybe next year Mellum.

School Review

Every four years schools undergo an external review of their school curriculum and operations. Our last school review was called a 'Teaching and Learning' audit back in 2012. In Week Eight of this term, three Principals will come to Maleny High to review our 'Explicit Improvement Agenda', our school data, our curriculum, our teaching pedagogy, how we allocate our resources, as well as our community partnerships. In this newsletter I have included instructions for any parent who would like to participate and/or provide feedback to these visiting Principals as part of the review process. Your valuable contribution would be gratefully appreciated. The recommendations and feedback received at the end of the review process will provide the direction for Maleny High over the next four years.

I hope you enjoy reading our new-look newsletter. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Michele Webber for all her time and effort in making our previous editions come to life. Compiling the newsletter is a huge task and I know just how much effort goes in to making this a reality.

Until our next edition, take care of yourself and your loved ones.

Regards
Deborah Stewart

Our school review — an opportunity to have your say

The Department of Education and Training introduced new performance reviews for Queensland state schools in 2015. The reviews are conducted by the Department's School Improvement Unit.

The reviews do not rate or compare schools, but provide independent and quality feedback to help schools continue to improve outcomes for students.

All schools have a review at least every four years. Key findings from the review are made available to parents and the community on the school's website.

As part of the review, the review team would like to hear from our school community and I encourage anyone who is interested to have their say. Your feedback is important and will help us continue to deliver a quality education for students.

Feedback can be provided to the review team by phone or in person. All feedback remains confidential. If you are interested in speaking to the reviewers, or would like more information about the review process, please contact the school office on 5499 8111 or email the review team at siumb@dete.qld.gov.au.

Further information about the reviews is available from the Department's website at:

Revitalising Senior Assessment and Tertiary Entrance in Queensland –

A Guide for Parents and Carers

Please refer to link below for FAQ regarding the above changes to Senior Assessment.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Absence Line: Ph: 5499 8101

Please leave a message before 8am if your student will be absent from school on that day.

Collection of Students during school hours:

If you wish to collect your student(s) during school hours, please ensure that all arrangements are made prior to the student attending school, as we do not have phones in classrooms. Please provide a note or a phone call to the school detailing/outling the departure time, reason and who will be collecting the student.

Office Hours

Our office is open from 8am to 4pm daily.

All payments are to be made between 8am and 12.30pm, daily.

School Calendar

Mathematics Tutorials

Mathematics Tutorials will run during 2nd lunch in C03 in 2016

Darren Mills
Head of Department – Junior Mathematics
Year 12 Coordinator

English Tutorials

English Tutorials are held every Monday in H04 during second lunch.

FROM THE GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR

1.QCS Test Special Provision: The Queensland Core Skills Test is conducted annually in the third-last week of Term 3 of the school year. Test results contribute to the calculation of Overall Positions (OPs), which are used to rank students for tertiary entrance.

Year 12 students who are eligible for an OP must sit the Test. Students who are ineligible for an OP may choose to sit the test.

The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) recognises that some students are affected by a medical condition, impairment, or exceptional circumstances that may affect their access to the test or their demonstration of achievement in the test. QCAA makes special provision available to these students.

Two types of special provision are available before the QCS Test: special arrangements and exemption. Special arrangements are practical adjustments to the test conditions, such as rest breaks, A3-size test materials, or the use of a computer.

Two types of special provision are available after the QCS Test: absentee exemption and declaring a test grade null and void.

Special provision does not affect OP-eligibility or alter the method of OP calculation. There will be no record of special provision on the student's Senior Statement, Statement of Results or Statement of Achievement.

Application categories for special arrangements before the Test include the following:

• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Diabetes
• English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EALD)
• Exceptional circumstances
• Hearing impairment
• Illegible handwriting
• Illness - physical or mental fatigue
• Illness - recurrent
• Medication side effects
• Neurological impairment - general
• Neurological impairment - motor coordination disorders
• Neurological impairment - seizure
• Physical impairment - motor skills
• Physical impairment - significant
• Psychological or emotional impairment
• Specific Learning Disorder (SPLD) or Speech Language Disorder (SLD)
• Vision impairment - colour vision deficiency
• Vision impairment - scotopic sensitivity

Most application deadlines are 21 May, 2016.

If you think any of the above Application categories will apply to your student, it is important that you talk with Guidance Counsellor, Connie Robins, as soon as possible.

2. Career Information: Please check that your Year 11 and/or 12 students are checking their school emails for the latest Careers Information Bulletins. Edition 4 has now been emailed. These bulletins include a variety of up-to-date information concerning, for example, tertiary study, apprenticeships and traineeships, employment, Australian Defence Force information, overseas studies, and employment.

3. QTAC Applications: the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) is changing some of the application process this year. Depending of the program, students could be offered a course on the 18 November, 2016, rather than having to wait until mid-January. More information about this will be available in July.

4. The Sunshine Coast Private Hospital: The Sunshine Coast Private Hospital (Buderim) offers a program for students in Years 10, 11 and 12 to visit the hospital in order to gain a broader understanding of the acute health care industry. Activities include clinical scenarios, information sessions, touring the hospital and visiting a variety of areas, interacting with other students and registered health professionals. Interested students need to apply online, via: www.ivvy.com./event/T6CTNW/ . Closing date for applications is 24 June, 2016. Please see Connie Robins if any questions.

Connie Robins
Guidance Counsellor
Maleny SHS
PO Box 601
Maleny, Q. 4552
Phone: 5499 8111
Email: crobi89@eq.edu.au
www.malenyshs.eq.edu.au

FLEXI SCHOOL

FLEXI FESTIVITIES UNITE THE COMMUNITY

On Thursday 23 April, students of the Maleny Flexi School (FLX) participated in a dramatic cultural celebration called the 'Connections Youth Festival'. This annual Flexi Youth event showcased local Arts, Indigenous and multicultural learning and play. Maleny Neighbourhood Centre (MNC) collaborated with the Flexi School in organising the event and hosted the festivities on site. The success of this event was a result of an ongoing collaboration between the FLX and MNC as well as the support of our dedicated volunteers, generous local business, supportive local schools, and active community participation.

Students from Maleny Flexi School, Maleny State Primary School and the Ananda Marga River School, as well as the broader community, enjoyed an extensive program of events. In total nearly 200 children participated in the event which included art, drama and music. Flexi student Hannah Young presented her first Fine Art exhibition with a selection of artworks from local young artists, including her own contributions. Teula De Gar from Voices Community Drama co-facilitated a number of drama workshops with our Year 12 student Tjanarra Tito. Tuela's Drama group also performed their play entitled 'Rehearsal for Life'. The colourful mandala chalk drawings which covered the entire car park were designed by Jade and Brisbane artist David Hooper. These were coloured in by excited primary school students shortly before they proceeded to the messy play workshops and play therapy space created by Amity Green.

The entire Neighbourhood Centre was bustling as numberous support services had stalls to educate and entertain. COSY (Circles of Support - Youth) facilitated a massive community hand print painting of the globe. True Relationships Australia provided interactive games and chocolate wheel. Head Space brought their 'Beach Shack'. Coffee United from United Synergies provided coffee and cake. Exotic face painting by Holly Clark was happening next to Uncle Wirruungga's bush tucker talks in the Yarning Circle, while a line-up of local and young musicians arranged by Josie Cluny and Sam Shepard played throughout the event.

Women Up Front, headed by Lisa McDonald, had a stall to raise awareness about the plight of refugees and asylum seekers. Previous Flexi students attended a paper making workshop with the River School. The paper they produced was used to create the postcards which were then used to send messages of hope and connection to the children in detention on Nauru. We estimate that over a hundred postcards will be delivered.

We thank everyone involved for your invaluable contributions, not only during the festivities, but also behind the scenes. Maleny Neighbourhood Centre provided the venue, a community lunch, dedicated volunteers, and a free sausage sizzle with Saintsational Sausages for all to enjoy. Artist, Leeza Stratford, and the Ananda Marga River School art class taught Flexi students how to make paper and made the Postcards for sending to Nauru. Pastor Katherine Solomon and the Maleny Uniting Church volunteers donated cakes and slices, and a team of dedicated organisers pulled it all together.

This list of thanks is a long one and is by no means exhaustive, but to all who contributed or attended, we could not have done this without you. We hope you will join us again next year for this exciting annual event.

SPORT NEWS

Maleny SHS Cross Country Carnival 2016

Although the weather on the morning of the Cross-Country was less than favourable, the skies opened up just enough, at just the right time, to allow near-perfect conditions for the 2016 Carnival. The hill may have been a little more slippery than most would have hoped, but in general, the runners couldn't have asked for a better afternoon. Students began at three different start areas, waiting in position for their specific age group starts.

Shortly before 1.30pm the Open and 16 year boys started their 6 km run on the oval, while the 14 and 15 year girls started off at the top gate, and our 12 years competitors began their 3km run from the dirt road near N Block.

Five minutes later the 16 and Open girls began, followed another five minutes later by the 13 years competitors and our 14/15 years boys.

Whilst the top ten runners in each category earned the big points, it's the accumulation of the points generated by all of the participants giving it their best effort, that ends up making the overall difference. Most noteworthy this year was the 15 years girls of Obi House who accumulated a massive 116 points – 35 clear of any other group. This made for a very, very tight finish in the

Overall Points at the end of the day.

Once again however, Bunya House ended up the overall winners this year, by the slimmest of margins – just 5 points!!! They have, again, successfully defended the trophy they picked up in 2014 and 2015 after a long period of Obi dominance.

The first six runners from each gender in each age group have now been invited to attend the Central District Cross-Country Carnival to be held on the 18th May, as part of the Maleny SHS Team.

Champion House

1. Bunya - 653 points
2. Obi - 648 points
3. Mellum - 487 points

CROSS COUNTRY AGE CHAMPIONS – 2016

NEWS FROM THE ARTS

In our previous newsletter, we publicly said farewell to music teacher Garry Jones. Whilst there were 'very big shoes to fill', the Arts faculty is thrilled to have Elizabeth Druitt join us in the Music department. Liz is an extremely accomplished musician and teacher with international experience. Her passion and enthusiasm have already been evident in just a few weeks. We now have a 'dynamic duo' in Liz and Karen White, and we are very lucky to have two extremely professional and experienced music teachers who will continue to take Maleny SHS music forward. We welcome Liz to the team, and look forward to lots of artistic adventures this year!

A new phase in the music department's staffing has coincided with a new phase in our instrumental facilities. During the Easter break, 'I ' block underwent a refurbishment, resulting in fresh, inviting and soundproof practice rooms for instrumental and amplified music instruction and rehearsal. This term will also see the replacement of a divider wall between the Drama room and G6 classroom, which help with 'soundproofing' and improve our Drama space.

There has also been lots of activity in the Drama and Dance rooms, with performance preparation, dance extension rehearsals, and assessments. Congratulations to the Year 11 drama students, and teacher Robyn Jones, who presented outstanding commedia dell'arte performances for their recent assessment tasks.

Drama students also recently enjoyed a workshop by Shake and Stir theatre company, who presented Shakespeare's "Macbeth", coinciding with the 400th anniversary of 'the bard's' death. Senior drama students travelled to QPAC to watch an intensely moving performance of The Secret River, as part of their studies, and budding dramatic filmmakers participated in a workshop run by QUT creative industries.

Never a dull moment in the arts faculty!

Cath Gray
Junior Secondary/Arts HOD

JUNIOR SECONDARY NEWS

Year 7 Is (Indeed) Awesome!

It has been a jam-packed start to the year for our newest students. In addition to starting a new school, where some of their fellow students shave and drive, they participated in a three-part introduction to high school; the aptly named "Year 7 is Awesome". This programme aimed to get them acquainted with their cohort, to get to know their school leadership, and to begin to develop successful study and time management strategies. In these aims it definitely succeeded, as our newest cohort has gotten to know their leaders and each other.

"Year 7 is Awesome" was held over two Wednesdays in Term 1 as well as study and time management workshops held at the beginning of Term 2.

Day 1 of "Year 7 is Awesome" was a getting-to-know-you day with students interacting with each other in mixed groups and working with our student leaders. Students participated in games and activities designed to get them out of their shell and into the high school social scene.

Day 2 was a fun day at Aussie World. Students participated in a treasure hunt, a hunt for Wally (who came and went quite mysteriously via helicopter) and ride challenges.

The final part of the programme, completed in Term 2, was the Elevate education workshops. A two part workshop, these externally-delivered workshops taught study skills and time management skills. These skills will (hopefully) serve our students well in the upcoming years.

All in all, it has been a busy start to the year and we're just getting started. If the past 14 weeks have been any indication, we're all in for a great time.

NAPLAN 2016

As I am sure many of you are aware, NAPLAN testing is happening in week 5 for all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 across Australia. Whilst there has been negative publicity surrounding this testing, Maleny SHS encourages students to 'have a go', recognising that this is not 'high stakes' testing. As a school, teachers use NAPLAN, along with lots of other information, to help them better understand the learning needs of your child. We recognise that this is just one bit of information used to form a holistic picture of our students. Additionally, the Queensland system of senior schooling is changing to include external assessment/examinations for all subjects. Our current Year 9 students will be the first to complete their schooling in this system. It is essential that we prepare our students for this changing landscape, and NAPLAN provides experience in formal testing environments. To support our students over the NAPLAN testing days, Interact is kindly providing a breakfast for students each morning.

Students in Years 7 and 9 will be undertaking NAPLAN testing on –

Tuesday 10th May (Language Conventions and Writing)
Wednesday 11th May (Reading)
Thursday 12th May (Numeracy)

If you are considering withdrawing your child from NAPLAN, you must contact our Junior Secondary Deputy Principal, Ian Fitton, to discuss this process. The deadline for contacting the school is Friday 6th May.

In the event that your child is ill on testing days, you will need to call the school to inform us as soon as possible, and there will be catch up sessions on Friday 13th May.

Cath Gray
Junior Secondary/Arts HOD

FROM THE P & C

UNIFORM SHOP OPENING HOURS

TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY

8AM – 9AM FOR STUDENTS
8AM – 10AM THEN 11.30AM – 12.30 PM FOR PARENTS

Uniforms will not be sold during break times.

Why not register for 'Flexischools' to purchase your school uniforms online, 24 hours, 7 days a week! Pick up available 5 days a week.

Visit www.flexischools.com.au to register.

Once registered, you can purchase uniforms OR pre-order your tuckshop!

flexischools

Online ordering is a convenient way to place orders, providing a 24/7 payment and ordering system that can be accessed from home, work or a mobile device.

Online ordering is faster and more accurate giving parents peace of mind that their order and payment is received accurately at the school

Available for canteen and uniform orders for Maleny State High School.

Registration Instructions

Free, easy, online registration.

Go to www.flexischools.com.au

Step 1: Click the REGISTER button below.
Step 2: Enter your email.
Step 3: You will be emailed a link to an online form - follow the link.
Step 4: Choose a username and password and complete the form.
Step 5: Add each student and their class.
Step 6: Top-up the account - VISA, Mastercard or Direct Deposit.

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Is failure really all that bad?

I've been thinking about the way children today are raised and have been wondering whether we are doing them any favours. In our world today, we often protect our children from their mistakes. We ensure that they aren't let down, that they achieve and get the things that they want. We put things in place so that they are completely prepared and won't need to worry or feel the discomfort that comes with not achieving what it is they desire. But again, are we doing them any favours???

Maybe our definition of failure is all wrong. Maybe we have to begin to see failure as a way to inspire, to motivate our inner self, to understand that with hard work and effort we learn so much more about who we are. We build resilience and tolerance from making mistakes or failures so that we are prepared, once again, with the inner strength of getting back up and trying again.

In history, there have been so many famous people who were told that they would never achieve their dreams or goals, however they didn't give up or listen to this idle chatter the way some of our children today would. Instead, they had the strength and motivation to keep on fighting for what they wanted no matter how many set-backs they encountered. Abraham Lincoln tried running for the President of the United States eight times. During the first seven he was continually told that he didn't have what it takes to be the President of the United States. However, during the eighth election he became the 16th President of the United States.

Henry Ford was not an instant success. In fact, his early businesses failed and left him broke five times before he founded the successful Ford Motor Company. Bill Gates didn't seem like a shoe-in for success as he dropped out of Harvard and started a failed business with co-founder Paul Allen. However, he later created a global empire known as Microsoft.

Albert Einstein was told by his teachers and his parents that he was mentally handicapped, slow and anti-social as he did not speak until the age of four and did not read until he was seven. However, later in his life he won a Nobel Prize and changed the face of modern physics.

If we don't allow our children to have failures in their life, we aren't giving them true understanding of self, perseverance, determination, resilience; the true understanding of what it is to succeed and to deeply understand humility and empathy for those who also strive.

It is important that we remind our children that it is okay to fail, as long as we learn from our failures and not give up. Instead, teach them to either change direction or to keep on fighting for what they want.

Deb Price
Support Teacher for Hinterland Schools.

Do you have a child under 18 who is interested in public speaking?

Maleny Toastmasters have said that even though young people can't join until the age of 18, they have offered to run an 8 week course for anyone interested. The minimum number required for the Toastmasters to run this course is 10.

Once they have enough interest they will arrange times for the course.

Please contact the following person to register your interest in doing the public speaking course.

Melanie Weaver
5435 0410
Email: coondoofarm@gmail.com

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