6 December 2017
Newsletter Articles
Executive Principals Report
Dear Parents and Friends
As the school year draws to a close I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our students on their achievements as individuals, as cohorts and as a student body. We have so much to celebrate with all that has been achieved this year, and I extend my sincere appreciation to our parents and families for your support and loyalty to our school throughout 2017.
We are eagerly waiting for our year 12 results to be released and we are quietly confident that this will be the best OP data in the history of our school. Our Senior Schooling Head of Department has also been very busy organising back up plans for any year 12 students who still need support for pathway direction. A year 13 option has been developed with a Certificate III in Laboratory Technology through LTT Training for any graduating year 12 student who would like to take up this training opportunity. This is fully funded for graduates and there are many employment and further training opportunities following from this qualification. If you have any questions regarding this, please do not hesitate to contact our Senior Schooling Head of Department Leanne Hixon (lhixo1@eq.edu.au).
Year 10 Social Event
What a wonderful evening our year 10 students had on the Kookaburra Queen last week. It was a lovely celebration to end the year for our students. Congratulations to our students on their presentation and the way in which they conducted themselves throughout the evening.
Best wishes for the season
As we approach the end of the academic year, I wish all students well over the forthcoming vacation. After a year’s work, they are ready for time to relax with family and friends. Please accept my sincere thanks for all your support throughout the year, dropping students at rehearsals, taking them to performances, waiting patiently for them following events and for being there for them in those final hours of completing assessment and preparing for exams. You too are probably ready for a break.
I look forward to seeing you all again in the New Year. My best wishes for a very enjoyable festive season and relaxing time with family.
With gratitude
Helen Jamieson
Executive Principal
Coming Events
|
Date |
Event |
|
Friday 8 December |
Final day of school for 2017 |
|
Monday 22 January 2018 |
New student Orientation Day |
|
Monday 22 January 2018 |
School resumes for year 7, 8 and 9 and new students |
|
Tuesday 23 January 2018 |
School resumes for year 10, 11 and 12 students |
|
Tuesday 30 January 2018 |
Junior Swimming Carnival |
INTAD
This year’s year 12 Engineering classes fabricated 19 seats for installation around the school. These include eight bespoke benches replacing the old seats at the front of the library.
The students worked in pairs to fabricate the steel frames, which included the cutting, drilling, welding and grinding.
The students also fabricate and finished the hardwood/modwood slats for each bench. Each duo has their names proudly engraved on the end slat of the seat they fabricated.
The steel frames are hot-dip galvanised locally at NGI Darra.
The students fully assembled their projects and were involved with the installation, where possible. We are hoping these seats are an enduring legacy for the enjoyment and comfort of many future students.
Fantastic work from all students involved!
Student Achievements
We would like to congratulate Anna Guevarra-Adams for participating in the 2017 Lord Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council (LMYAC). The LMYAC came up with a range of high quality ideas around transport, the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Legacy Program, volunteering programs and suggestions on Wellbeing Workshops for high school students.
Student Services
Gifted and Talented
This term we hosted our second welcome event for our incoming Program of Excellence students for Maths/Science and English/Humanities. Students and their parents had a chance to get to know one another and engage in some growth mindset training to reflect on their previous learning and set some goals for their new adventure at Corinda SHS in 2018.
The end of the year also brings with it the completion of our Junior Secondary Program of Excellence for our year 9 students who will receive their graduation certificates in year assembly in week 9.
We also graduated our inaugural Year 10 Honours students recently. John Callaghan, Mark Helmore and Erin Clare celebrated all these remarkable students have achieved in their individual fields with a graduation morning tea. We are exceptionally proud of these students and their commitment to personal growth and dedication to their studies.
Our Year 10 Honours students
BYOD Laptop Program Checklist 2018
Please read the attached PDF for the BYOD Laptop Checklist for 2018.
Positive Parenting
The Power of Gratitude for a Happier Life
More than just a nice feeling, gratitude is integral to happiness. If we can inspire and cultivate gratitude in our children, we’re doing so much more than teaching them to be polite by saying ‘thank-you’. We’re helping them develop a strength that will positively affect their mental health and wellbeing over a lifetime. It’s that powerful.
Remember how many times you had to remind your kids to use their manners all those years ago? I know, probably too many! Still reminding? You’re not alone! In the same way good manners eventually become a part of daily life, sincere gratitude will too. It’s worth persevering.
Benefits of a grateful mindset
The science tells us that compared with those who don’t, people who practice gratitude are more enthusiastic, more determined, perform better at school, are more likely to avoid risky behaviours, experience less depression and envy, are more kind and helpful, sleep better and are 25 per cent happier.
Adolescents with a grateful mindset are more optimistic and experience greater social support, which is essential to their health and happiness. They experience more fulfilling friendships and family relationships, are more content in themselves and with their school, have higher grades and are less focused on material possessions.
There’s simply no down side!
Practicing gratitude is a sure-fire way to boost happiness, something we absolutely want for ourselves and for our children. In addition, teaching our children genuine appreciation helps them develop strong relationships over the course of their lives, and we know that strong relationships are critical to our overall happiness.
Gratitude isn’t just good for the giver either. It’s wonderful for the recipient too. Do you remember how you felt the last time sincere gratitude was expressed to you? It lifts our spirits, boosts our mood and inevitably strengthens our relationship with the person expressing their thanks.
Where do I start?
The best way to teach gratitude is for us as parents to role model it. When you’re feeling grateful, tell your kids and explain why. If you do something kind for someone to thank them for helping you, share your story over the evening meal. Like all values we want for our kids to embrace, it’s ‘monkey see, monkey do’.
Different families teach gratitude in different ways. The trick is to introduce a gratitude practice that doesn’t feel like a chore. Even if there’s a little resistance at first, don’t give up. It feels good to be grateful, so it should eventually become something that doesn’t need too much of a nudge.
Supporting your child to become more grateful begins with teaching three fundamental ideas:
- Awareness that someone has purposefully done something to benefit them.
- Awareness that taking action to provide you a benefit cost that person in some way.
- Understanding that the benefit of that person’s actions is valuable to them.
There are loads of fun ways to practice gratitude. Here are a few to get you started:
- Regularly express sincere gratitude to your partner and to your children, explaining why.
- Prompt your kids to note things they’re grateful for in colourful textas on poster paper on the fridge.
- Paint a wall in chalk paint for your family to artistically (or not!) express their gratitude using chalk.
- Ask family members what they’re thankful for each evening at dinner.
- Stop to savour and appreciate the little things like a beautiful flower or a colourful sunset.
- Find the silver lining in difficult circumstances.
- Relive happy moments together.
- Hold hands at the dinner table and thank the person who prepared the food.
- Ask the kids to take photos of the things they are grateful for.
- Keep thank-you notes at the ready and let the kids know when you write one and why. Encourage them to do the same.
- Encourage a contribution from your kids’ pocket money towards something they want.
- Start a gratitude journal and invite the kids to make contributions.
- Encourage your kids to help others.
- Help your kids reflect on what they’re grateful for, last thing at night.
- Start a gratitude jar and each weekend spend time reading over the notes within.
It’s really about finding the right fit for your family. You may need to try a few different ideas. You don’t even have to do it everyday, even just a few times a week works well, though it is good to get into a routine with it.
Lastly, Associate Professor Jeffrey Froh, a leading authority on gratitude in young people, tells us that “the deepest sense of gratitude in life comes from connecting to a bigger picture, to an issue that matters to others, and doing things that contribute to society down the road.”
Knowing this we can also be on the lookout for opportunities to fan the flames of our childrens’ passions and yearnings to make a difference in the lives of others. Step-by-step, day-by-day, we can raise grateful young people who are happier because of their perspective, and who lead rich and fulfilling lives because of what they do for others.
Dr Jodi Richardson
Community News
Free Dental Care
Is it time your children to have a dental check-up? Would you like free dental care for your children?
Dental appointments are available now and for the school holidays. Come and visit us at our one of our family dental clinics. Simply call 1300 300 850 to book an appointment for a free dental check-up.
Our Clinics include:
- QEII Hospital Dental Clinic, which is located on the corner of Kessels Road and Troughton Road, Coopers Plains;
- Inala Oral Health Centre, which is located 64 Wirraway Parade Inala;
- Inala School Dental Clinic, which is located in the grounds of Inala State School Glenala Road Inala.
These clinics have excellent public transport options available as well as plenty of on-site parking. Free children’s dental care is available from Metro South Oral Health for:
- all children aged 4 to grade 10 who are eligible for Medicare;
- children aged 2 -17 years who are eligible for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule, and;
- children whose parents have a current Centrelink Card, Healthcare or Pension Card.
http://www.health.qld.gov.au/metrosouth/oralhealth