20 March 2018

Newsletter Articles

Executive Principals Report

Dear Parents and Friends

Our students are well and truly amidst term assessment. I know you are all supporting your students at home and looking out for them – so busy time on home front no doubt. Parents play such an important role behind the scenes with education – please be assured that this hard work and persistence will bring the rewards when you feel that great sense of pride as you watch your student graduate. They are worth every minute you spend with them keeping them on task and focused.

It was great to see parents taking the time to attend the parent Stymie evening. Thank you for your positive feedback. It was a very informative and enlightening presentation that I know provided many take-aways for parents. Our young people are faced with so much complexity around technology and we play an important role in ensuring we filter their exposure and protect their health and wellbeing.

Positive Education

Part of our focus on positive education at Corinda is the development of a ‘growth mindset’. It matters a great deal what students believe about their intelligence and talent – whether it is dynamic or static. If we have a fixed mindset, we will have no reason to try to improve. Instead, if we understand a growth mindset, we will want to build and strengthen neural pathways by focusing our effort. With a growth mindset, we have a reason to apply ourselves – and this shows in the results of students who hold growth mindsets. In numerous studies, those with growth mindsets have outperformed their peers with a fixed mindset (Blackwell, Trzesniewski, & Dweck, 2007; Dweck, 2009). As mindsets can be changed, it is in the best interests of parents to learn and explain the mindsets to their children through simple conversations. A very simple parenting tip I was given was around rephrasing statements. When a child states that they are “no good at maths” – rephrase this with them: “you need to work at improving your maths – how can we work on this together?”. A simple comment such as “I am not smart” is an example of a fixed mindset – a conversation around – “there is no such thing as smart or dumb – there is trying hard and not trying hard”.

Uniform Update

At the recent Uniform Advisory Committee, we endorsed the introduction of college grey shorts and long pants for our female students. We have been able to source a high quality style and fabric which we believe will meet our dress standards. The price is very reasonable and I believe this will be a popular option for our students. The P & C Association has approved this recommendation at their last meeting. Long pants and shorts have now been added to our student dress code policy.

These items are now on order and should be available for purchase early in term 2. A photograph of the items will be shared once they arrive. We look forward to these new additions and seeing them on our students!

Hard to believe term 1 is nearly over! It has been such a busy term. Look forward to meeting parents at our official Badge Presentation Ceremony on 29 March.

Helen Jamieson
Executive Principal

Coming Events

Student Services

Year 7 Badging Ceremony

All families of year 7 students are welcome. Please RSVP if you are attending the Year 7 Badging Ceremony to assist with catering.

Please note that all year 7 students are receiving a badge. Year 7 students are required to wear full formal uniform for the ceremony in the morning, then change into their sports uniform for cross country in the afternoon.

Resource Centre

Corinda’s Library is open Monday – Friday 7:30 am – 4:30 pm

Open Classrooms – After School Tutoring

Students can get expert help for assignments and assessment, every Monday to Thursday

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm in the air-conditioned comfort of the library. Each day offers a different tutor for each subject area.

QParents

Have you joined QParents?

Parents will have received an invitation email or letter by now and it’s great to see that so many parents have registered already. If you have not received an invitation, please advise us immediately by emailing info@corindashs.eq.edu.au. Over time, QParents will become an integral part of how we communicate with parents. Get on board to enjoy the ease and convenience that QParents offers.

Enrolments for Year 7 2019

Applications for enrolment for year 7 2019 will be accepted from the first day of term 2, after the Easter break.

We will be handing out enrolment packs at our Open Day on Saturday 24 March 2018. You will also be able to pick up an enrolment form in our office, or print one from our website.

Uniform Shop

Opening Hours

Monday – Wednesday 7:30 am – 9:30 am
Thursday and Friday – by appointment only

Phone direct: 3379 4801
Main office: 3379 0222

P & C News & Notice of Annual General Meeting

The P & C meet on the last Wednesday of each month in the schools ‘Paradox Room’ (near the administration), beginning at 7:00 pm. We enthusiastically welcome any new parents to come along and meet other parents in the school, be involved in activities to help your child and gain an understanding of what is happening in the school both from a curriculum and community perspective.

P & C members suggest and implement positive changes at our school – and the funds we raise have a lasting impact through building improvements and providing classroom ‘extras’ to enhance our children’s’ learning. Your skills and hobbies could be put to great use and volunteering, even a small amount of your time will benefit your own children and others in our school. You could also gain work experience and develop new skills. Even if you are not able to attend regular meetings, being a member is a great way to learn what is happening and have your say.

Ways in which you can be involved in the P & C at Corinda State High School include:

• Attend monthly P & C meetings
• Become involved in the air conditioning project
• Assist in the administration of the preloved uniform Facebook page
• Joining the Music Sub-committee or CHAFS (CSHS Agricultural Farm) Sub-committee
• Membership of the executive for 2018

Membership of the P&C Executive

The P&C Executive are office bearers of the Association, elected to the positions of President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, who perform the core functions and business of the P&C. The P & C Association employs a bookkeeper who provides the financial reports to the Treasurer in order to reduce the workload in this role. We are keen to hear from members of our community who may be interested in taking on one of the roles.

The P&C Executive Nomination form is available on the school website and can be lodged at the administration office, or alternatively PDF and email to pandc@corindashs.eq.edu.au. Please give this your consideration, and if you would like to obtain further information please contact us via email.

Our next AGM will be held at the school on Wednesday 28 March at 7:00 pm, followed by the general meeting at 7.30 pm. All executive positions will be vacated, and we look forward to volunteers raising their hands to assist Corinda State High School.

We look forward to seeing you in attendance.

Alan Birchley – President

International Women’s Day 2018

Our International Women’s Day committee, including students from year 7-12, have engaged in a brilliant guest speaker on Tuesday 6 March who inspired them to join the One Woman Project as ambassadors to lead young women.

Our broader school joined us as 392 students attended our celebration event last Thursday 8 March – earning a point for their house for celebrating women! This is an extraordinary turn out from our students.

All of our students have engaged in a ‘warm fuzzy’ project to share some kind words with a woman who inspires them – hopefully these will make it home to some of our mums, grandmothers, aunts, sisters.

Make the time to message or phone one woman and tell her why she inspires you. We need to let women know how amazing they are.

Defence Force Work Experience Program

On Friday our Senior School Guidance Officer, Annette Priest, attended Gallipoli Barracks to learn about the Defence Force Work Experience program. The work experience program for students is three days in duration allowing students to become familiar with opportunities within the Defence Force as well as a sample of expectations, the application process and life at the Barracks.

If your student is interested in pursuing a career in the Defence Force, the work experience program is a great opportunity to explore their options and to speak with serving personnel. If your student is interested they need to peruse the work experience website and see Ms Priest to discuss their application. The application process does need to be done with Ms Priest to ensure it does not conflict with exams and or events.

More information can be found at:

Year 10 Trade Taster Program 2018

Do you have students who are currently in year 10 who enjoy practical work and using their hands? Are they considering a career in the trades?

They can apply now for our year 10 Trade Taster Program!

Cost: This program is fully funded by the Queensland Government and is offered to students at no cost.

This program does not use a student's VETiS funding entitlement

When: The program will run one day per week for 9 weeks, in term 2 2018
Where: Alexandra Hills Training Centre, Windemere Road, Alexandra Hills
Acacia Ridge Training Centre, 247 Bradman Street, Acacia Ridge
Bracken Ridge Training Centre, 157 Norris Road, Bracken Ridge

Who is eligible to undertake this program?

Students must be in year 10 and be undertaking maths and english at year 10 level.

How does it work?

• Students will attend one day per week
• Students who do not yet hold a Construction Safety White Card will undertake this as part of the program. The cost of the White Card is also subsidised by the Queensland Government so is offered at no cost to students
• Students who already hold a Construction Safety White Card will not be required to attend the White Card day. Students will be asked if they hold a White Card when enrolment offers are made
• Students will complete individual competencies from various programs but will not complete a full certificate or obtain any QCE credits
• It is a condition of enrolment into this program that students commit to attending all classes

What trades are available to try?

Full details of the proposed programs available at each location, can be found by clicking on the hyperlinks below. Please note that these may change but are indicative of the trades available. To learn a bit more about these trades, click here

Places are limited so it is recommended that students have multiple preferences to avoid disappointment. When enrolment offers are made, if the student's first preference is unavailable, they will be contacted to request their other preferences. There is no need for them to submit multiple applications with multiple preferences.

Each group contains a maximum number of 14 students and minimum student numbers are required for groups to run.

• Acacia Ridge Training Centre
• Alexandra Hills Training Centre
• Bracken Ridge Training Centre

How do students apply?

Students need to apply online at tafeapply.com

Students will require an application code

Application code: TQST18TT

To apply, students will need to enter their USI (Unique Student Identifier) number. To create a USI, head to www.usi.gov.au

Students will need to select an industry area.

All students need to select the industry area of:

Building and Construction

* please note - this is a system setting only and will not limit group selection to building and construction trades

Applications open 9am on Monday 19 March

Applications will be processed on a first come, first served basis.

What happens after students apply?

After students apply, an email will be sent to their parents and the school, seeking approval for the application. If everyone approves, TAFE Queensland SkillsTech will contact the student further regarding an offer of place. Students will need to keep an eye out for this email as they will be given a limited amount of time to respond to their offer.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact our TAFE at School Team on 07 3244 0341 or email schools.skillstech@tafe.qld.edu.au

House Masters

Clean Up Australia Day is complete with over 140 student participants and over 45 kg of rubbish collected, including 12.5 kg recyclable material. This was a chance for students to clear rubbish along boundary fences and behind shrubs and garden beds. They worked together in house teams with buckets and gloves and sorted and weighed the collected rubbish at the end of each break. It is generally agreed that, depending on the type of material, recycling an item can save up to 90% of the energy needed to produce a new one. A great effort, and an opportunity for us to see how this can continue to improve at CSHS.

Results Table:

NB – Break 1 and Break 2 are total number of students that signed in and participated
Weight R – Recyclable Waste
Weight G – General Rubbish
Weight Points - 1 point for every 100g of rubbish collected, e.g. 15 points for 1.5 kg

Humanities

Legal Studies

Courting the Law

As a part of their study of the Queensland legal system, students in year 11 Legal Studies had the opportunity to visit the Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law to observe the legal system in action. The day started off with a briefing by the Supreme Court Library, before they were allowed to visit some of the court rooms in session. They explored a range of cases, including various stages of trials and sentencing hearings. This was an excellent opportunity to connect classroom learning with the real world and the students really enjoyed the opportunity.

International

Homestay Families Required

Homestay families are required for upcoming study abroad tours.

Students will be here for 3 – 12 months.

Please contact Janelle Peacock for an information pack if interested. jpeac99@eq.edu.au

Japanese Visitors

Twenty-four Japanese students visited us from Niigata Prefecture for one week. During the week the students were paired with a Corinda buddy who is currently studying Japanese. The visiting students were involved in English lessons, they went on excursion to Lone Pine, Moggill Koala Hospital, Southbank and the Queensland Museum. We introduced the students to an Australian BBQ and they enjoyed tasting some typical Australian food including Lamingtons, Tim Tams and Anzac biscuits. All students involved had a fantastic time and were able to share information about their home countries and in particular their school life. The school from Niigata is now looking at having long term ties with Corinda State High School and may be back next year. Our Japanese visitors were staying with wonderful Corinda families who introduced them to a variety of Australian culture. In the future we know many of our students will keep in contact with these students.

Science

Our Science department has the longest standing partnership with the CSIRO – Scientists in Schools program in Queensland which we’ve been growing over the past five years. Our Scientist in School is Mr Randeep Agarwal from the Origin (Energy) Foundation. Mr Agarwal is passionate about pushing the boundaries of STEM education and finding ways to apply what we know to solving real-world problems in developing countries.

The year 7 and 8 excellence teacher Mr David Athanassiou is guiding his year 7 class through a chemistry unit on separating mixtures and filtration, and his year 8 class in constructing solar ovens and finding ways to improve their heating capacity.

Mr Agarwal has been working with our year 7 and 8 Science excellence classes to dig deeper into issues facing the globe and finding practical solutions to these problems. On Friday 9 March volunteers from Engineers Without Borders will be working with our year 7 excellence class to develop a water filtration device for use in third world countries. A truly immersive and unique experience for our youngest scientists.

Thank you to Mr Agarwal and Mr Athanassiou for developing such an engaging program for our students.

EWB Water Filtration Incursion

On Friday the 9 March, six members from Engineers Without Borders (EWB), and Randeep Agarwal, our liaison from Origin Energy, came to visit our year 7 excellence class (7F). The students were prepared for the workshop ahead of time by Mr Agarwal and myself, as we discussed what engineers are, where we obtain water, and what some important factors are for countries around the world: cost, maintenance, materials, sustainability, and required knowledge.

In the workshop, students were divided into six teams, each representing one of the following countries: Australia, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Vietnam. Every country had an information sheet with various data about their country, and on the reverse side information on how to build a water filter and the prices of the component parts.

But there was a catch…

Not every country had the same amount of money, not every country’s materials cost the same, and not every country had a complete set of instructions! This represented the fact the countries around the world have different economies, different labour forces, and different levels of literacy.

The students had only moments to organise who was going to be the ambassador, to negotiate trade deals with other countries, the trader, who would buy materials from the “world bank”, and the chief engineer, who would oversee the actual building of the filter. And then… they were off! Students rushing this way and that to try to lock down the best deals. Indonesia was forced to pay Australia, who already had a very big budget for the missing instructions about building the water filter.

Ambassadors negotiating a trade deal

New Zealand tried to buy up all of the cotton balls early on to prevent other countries’ access – then tried to sell them for an exorbitant mark up of $20 for one cotton ball!

The New Zealand cotton ball cartel

This backfired though as some countries already had their cotton ball, and others decided to skip the cotton ball step altogether, leaving New Zealand with a pile of expensive and mostly useless cotton balls.

Australia used their large budget and detailed instructions to build a very good filter. They went above and beyond the instructions, in fact, resulting in a filter so effective that only a few drops of water could make it through.

In the end, it turned out the “best” filter is harder to determine than merely by the clarity of the water. The different countries were judged not just on the turbidity of their water and how cloudy it is, but how much money they spent or saved. Congratulations go to Indonesia who not only had the second clearest water after Australia, but also produced enough to make their filter viable, and did so with about one seventh of the budget.

The results are in, but is there a clear winner?

Despite the competitions and complications, the students had a wonderful time building and learning. It is my hope that some of the importance of cooperation, both locally and globally, filters through the fun of the activity to instil in them a sense of clarity in their future careers potentially as engineers!

Mr David Athanassiou Science Teacher

The Arts

Instrumental Music

The 2018 Corinda SHS Instrumental Music Rehearsal schedule is as follows:

Music Lessons

The 2018 Corinda SHS Instrumental Music Lesson schedule is as follows:

The 2018 Corinda SHS Private Music Lesson schedule is below. Contact Mardi Mansfield (HOD – The Arts) or Belinda Stewart (Music Excellence Teacher) for further information.

Senior Schooling

Our year 12 students in the Mater Education Program are well into their course now and enjoying the practical nature of the training they receive each week at the Mater Hospital. Last week the students participated in Manual Handling Training as part of their Certificate III in Health Services Assistance. At the end of this semester the students will participate in their practical placement in the wards of the Mater Hospital and these skills will no doubt be put into practice during that time.

Community News

2018 QCS Test: Community Representative Nominations

This year the QCS Test will be held on the 4 and 5 September.

Corinda State High School is once again calling for applications from community members for the positions of Chief Community Representative and Community Representative in order to maintain the integrity, security and conduct of the 2018 QCS Test.

For more information and a copy of the application process please contact Leanne Hixon, Head of Senior Schooling at Corinda State High School 3379 0222 or lhixo1@eq.edu.au

Positive Parenting

Let Kids Off the Leash for Greater Confidence and Resilience

Resilience by Michael Grose

“Did you as a child or teenager enjoy more freedom to move around your neighbourhood than you give to your kids?”

I often ask parents this question at my presentations and the answer is usually overwhelmingly affirmative. I then ask:

“Put your hand up if you benefitted from this freedom in any way including developing self-confidence, gaining independence and learning how to solve your own problems.”

Almost every parent present raises a hand.

Deep down we know that giving kids more freedom is good for their overall development, yet we so often struggle to give kids the same liberties to roam that many of us enjoyed as children ourselves.

Recently Tim Berryman, principal of Fitzroy Community School, gave a speech urging parents to be brave and give their children more freedom.

The speech obviously struck a chord, as more parents in his school now allow their children to travel to school independently, as well as walk to the shops, the park or friends’ homes without an adult.

Bravo to the principal for taking a stand and three cheers to the parents who changed their ways and gave their kids the opportunity to roam away from home without adult supervision.

In my book Spoonfed Generation, I wrote how it was the edgier escapades – such as climbing walls, exploring drains and building cubbies from scraps scrounged from a nearby wood yard – and not the safe experiences that shaped me and made me less fearful as a child. These types of experiences in unpredictable environments taught me about being resourceful, assessing risk and confronting my fears.

I would strongly argue that although I benefited greatly from a very good formal education at school it was these unorganised activities that helped me reach my full potential. Unfortunately, these are not the type of experiences many of today’s children and young people enjoy.

Not all risks are the same

There are a number of reasons why today’s generation experience less freedom than previous generations. These include busy after-school schedules leaving less time for wandering and the centralisation of shops and parks reducing opportunities for walking. However, it’s the perception that the world is a more dangerous place that seems to be most pertinent. This is despite there being little evidence to suggest that stranger danger is on the rise.

The wish to keep kids safe is now paramount for many adults, but it comes at the expense of children’s and young people’s natural developmental need for unpredictable experiences away from constant adult supervision.

We need to be careful we don’t throw all risk into the same basket. We need to separate risk-taking in terms of unsafe/unhealthy risks (e.g. playing chicken with cars on busy roads) and safe/developmental risks (e.g. using traffic lights to cross busy roads). It’s evident that children who are exposed to safe risk-taking usually are less fearful, less anxious and more able to take on new challenges and experiences.

Parents need to be brave

Perhaps one of the hardest parts of parenting is letting go of our primal need to keep kids safe from pain and harm. The wish to protect is in the DNA of most parents, yet we can’t let that innate desire restrict children’s basic developmental need to explore, to be curious and to pull away from parental protectiveness.

As Tim Berryman said so eloquently in his speech, “We don’t need to reflect for long to consider all the disasters that could befall our children in the park, travelling to school or going to the shops. …(But) if we are aware of the cost of this fear, and instead keep it in check, we will help to nurture a more empowered child, laying out the ground for a more empowered adult.”

Just as we want our children to be brave and face their fears, we too need to face down some of the unwarranted fears that we have for our children’s safety. Navigating fear is a part of parenting just as it is part of growing up. It makes us feel uncomfortable. But when we face those fears, confidence and competence grows and anxiety dissipates. This principle is just as pertinent for parents as it is for our kids.

Sherwood Junior AFL Club

Citipointe West Creative

2018 Next Step Survey

The Queensland Government is conducting its annual state-wide survey of all students who completed year 12 in 2017. 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 March 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 2018.

Further information on Next Step is available online at the link below or on toll free telephone 1800 068 587

The Smith Family

With increasing financial pressure on families, the Saver Plus Program has proven to be a great way to help by providing $500 towards back to school costs.

The aim of the program is for participants to achieve a savings goal of $500, which is then matched by a further $500 per family, which must be spent on educational expenses, with parents and carers taking part in free financial literacy workshops. The program has now been running for over 13 years.

Many of our successful families have received $500 in matched savings to assist with costs such as:

• School uniforms and shoes
• Text books and stationary needs
• School camps and excursions
• Sporting, art, dance or music fees
• Laptops or IPad

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