6 September 2018

Newsletter Articles

Executive Principals Report

Dear Parents and Friends

Year 12 Queensland Core Skills (QCS) Test

This week our year 12 students sat for their Queensland Core Skills Test – two full days and four separate tests. I am confident that our students will perform well given the intensive preparation program that they have undertaken in recent months. Our year 12 students have achieved another milestone, and I am sure they are now focusing on final assessment and finalising their QTAC preferences for University. It is an intensive time and I thank all our parents for supporting them.

NAPLAN results

Last week our school’s NAPLAN results were released. While we have not had time to undertake an in-depth analysis, we are pleased with the growth of our students in years 7 and 9. Our Numeracy data is very strong and is very competitive with the Nation. As you may have heard, Queensland did decline in writing and this was mirrored with our year 9 students. However, after careful analysis we have found that we had strong upward movements in the Upper Two Bands and a decline in the lower bands. While our gains were not as good as other states, we were pleased with the growth of our students from years 7 to 9. We certainly outperformed State and Like School means, but we acknowledge there is work to be done. The National Mean was higher this year due to the other states performing better and increasing the mean figure.

Corinda is confident that we will see greater gains in student writing in the coming years, as we have begun our work with Write That Essay with Dr Ian Hunter. We have a detailed plan to work with our current year 7 students on improving writing, and this will hopefully give strong gains when they reach year 9. This program is gaining traction across our school at present, and staff are using these strategies across year levels and noticing positive improvements already. We are excited by this initiative and believe this will have an impact on student writing in the coming years.

Our Reading gains have once again been strong and we are very happy with the sustained growth we have achieved in this area. Overall we have seen increases in students moving into the upper two bands and a decrease in the lower bands. This is worth celebrating.

Year 7 Parent Information Evening

This week we conducted our first parent evening for our 2019 Year 7 Parents. It was great to see so many parents and future students in attendance in preparation for their entry into high school. Our enrolments for 2019 are very strong and it has been a pleasure to read each enrolment application and report card. We are very much looking forward to having some very talented and wonderful young minds joining us next year.

Air Conditioning Project

Last week at our P & C Association, meeting a motion was passed to begin investing in our Air Conditioning project. This will be a staged rollout across the school as we raise funds for this, and for the ongoing maintenance and replacement. This is a huge investment for our P & C and every student will benefit from this in the coming years. The first stage will be Q Block (Year 7 building) as the infrastructure is already built in and makes this a very simple project to complete, and will be carried out over the September break. Exciting for our current year 7s!

The next stage, undertaken over the Christmas break, will possibly be D and C Block. D Block is a high priority area as it faces the western sun and cross ventilation is very poor. The blocks to follow will be the general learning areas for Maths, English and Humanities. This will be beneficial for all students as these are core areas of our school.

I am sure our students will bevery relieved to hear this project is finally underway as the summer months approach. Parents can assist in speeding up this project by donating to the building fund (tax deductible). We will continue to provide progress reports as we achieve our milestones. We are truly grateful to the P & C Association for making this a priority for our students and believe it will have an impact on student learning.

Helen Jamieson, Executive Principal

Coming Events

NAPLAN Review - Student survey

The Queensland Government is undertaking a review of NAPLAN in the Queensland context, to better understand the impacts NAPLAN is having on learning and teaching within the state.

The first stage of the Review, conducted in June 2018, focused on consultation with parents.

The second stage is now underway, with consultation extending to students, teachers, principals and other key education stakeholders across Queensland.

Queensland students in years 3 to 10 are invited to provide feedback on their experiences with NAPLAN, via an online survey. Students wishing to participate will require the consent of a parent or carer, who can assist with completing the survey at home.

This project has received ethical clearance from both the Australian Catholic University and the Department of Education. Further information on the student survey and the Review are provided within the survey link.

Police Liaison Officers to forge positive relationships with our students

Corinda State High School has partnered with local Police Liaison Officers in order to forge positive relationships with our students. They plan to visit our school on a regular basis to interact with our students in the playground, participate in sporting activities and support our students in a positive proactive way. We are looking forward to working with our Liaison Officers and we encourage Parents / Caregivers to embrace this valuable service in our school.

Senior Police Liaison Officer Agustino Lako

Agustino Lako, better known as “Gus” was born in Sudan (now South Sudan) and worked in the Education sector at the University of Juba. After completing his tertiary education in Community Development and Welfare, he became a Police Liaison Officer in 2006 and was stationed at the Boondall Station before transitioning to the Southside (Inala Station) in 2007. Gus is one of the Senior Police Liaison Officers servicing the growing Sudanese community in the South Brisbane District and is considered as one of the mentors to many of the youth that call the southside home. Gus is currently undertaking a Bachelor Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Griffith University.

Police Liaison Officer Yen Nguyen

Yen Nguyen is one of the South Brisbane District’s newest Police Liaison Officers. Yen was born and raised in Vietnam and migrated to Australia in 1992, where she attended Coorparoo State High and went on to complete a Bachelor’s Degree Physical Science from the University of Queensland. In the year 2000, Yen and her husband moved to the United States where she worked for Citi Group as an account specialist for 5 years. Thinking that she was finally able to settle, her husband was offered an unmissable opportunity and she once again migrated back to Australia. Yen found a rewarding career as the Service Manager and Coordinator for the Vietnamese Community Centre in Darra and she developed a strong relationship with the local community. Needing a new challenge, Yen applied for the role of a Police Liaison Officer in and was swiftly appointed in January 2018, much to the delight of the Vietnamese Community.

Queensland Child Protection Week

Child Protection is Everyone's Business

Some more of our best …

The Regional Opti-minds Challenge was held recently at John Paul College. Opt-minds is a challenge that empowers participants to Think, Create and Communicate. Corinda SHS entered a Year 7 Language and Literature Team. Sienna, Amy, Olivia S, Eloise, Olivia H and Sienna have spent the past 6 weeks preparing a performance in response to a challenge in which they had to create a version of Roald Dahl’s Matilda including a persuasive argument and a surprising unexpected outcome. The students also had 10 minutes to respond to a unseen challenge during the spontaneous round. The team also had to answer questions from the judges! Their planning and preparation paid off with the team being awarded Honours for their division. This is a huge achievement due to the large number of teams and tough competition. Thankyou also to Ms Jackson and Mr Griffin who supervised the students on Saturday. Well done students!

Gifted and Talented

This week we hosted 35 Grade 4 and 5 students for our Arts Golden Opportunity Experiential Learning Day. The students chose to attend either the Dance or Visual Art/ Digital Design Program. The Dance students enjoyed learning Hip Hop choreography, Contemporary choreography, and also composed their own pieces. Using laser printers and Illustrator, the Visual Arts and Digital Design Students created a striking lamp and also spent the day using a variety of paint mediums to create textured artworks. Thank you very much to our talented Arts Teachers who made the day amazing!

2018 Fashion Show – 90’s Revival

The fashion industry often sees the revival of trends from previous decades and last Friday, Corinda State High School celebrated all that was totally radical about the 90s. Each year the Year 11 Diploma of Business students plan and implement their very own fashion show. The event forms part of their assessment for the course and provides them with real-world, hands-on experiences that are invaluable.

Students are required to plan the entire event, from procurement plans to customer experience charters and client contracts with local fashion houses. With stores such as Connor, Ravish Bridal, Midnight Formal, St Vincent de Pauls, Salvation Army, Lowes, Jealous Boutique, Jash Living, When Freddie Met Lilly and Target, the Year 11 Diploma of Business class promised a night of slamin’ music, hella tight entertainment and totally in-vogue fashion and they delivered! We also had the opportunity to showcase some of our very own designs from Corinda State High School students, including pyjama sets, skirts and bridal gowns.

The event could not have happened without the kind support of our sponsors. Local businesses from all over Queensland contributed to the success of this event. A big thank you to Queensland Polystyrene Specialists for donating the foam 90s cut-outs. They looked amazing and really added to the theme of the night. We would also like to thank Kmart, Cool Meat Direct, Corinda Tavern, Caffe Primavera, The Oxley Hotel, Terry White Cammart, Lilly Anne Jewellery, Mr Poon, The Gem Gallery, Vapianos, and Ann Redman for the raffle prizes that were drawn on the night.

Next year’s Diploma of Business class has a lot to live up to after this truly entertaining and inspiring success.

International News

On the weekend, our International students were immersed in Australian culture. The students attended a Broncos game, where of course, the home team won. The students really enjoyed the atmosphere and many of them came home in Bronco’s t-shirts or they were waving the Broncos flag. It was an excellent game for them to attend as it was a big scoring match and they were able to walk out on the field at Suncorp stadium at the end of the game. We are sure all students who attended will now be watching the grand final series with interest as they all have a new team to barrack for. “Let’s Go Broncos”.

Language News

Last week we held an information night for the French trip to Noumea, held in the June / July holidays of 2019. The trip will focus on improving language skills. Each day students will attend 3 hours of French tuition, will billet with French speaking families and will have an opportunity to explore the beautiful island of Noumea. If you are studying or have studied French and are keen to know more about this trip, please contact Ms Muil in G03 or you can email her on jmuil2@eq.edu.au. . The duration of the trip will be one week and the cost will be approximately $2550.

HPE

Family Fun day 8 September

Parenting Ideas

Kids need good men in their lives.

Is your child’s brain ready for the online playground?

Community News

New competitive jump rope club: community meeting 18 September 2018

Most people in the local community know and love the Sherwood Arrows, Australia’s longest serving Jump Rope for Heart Demonstration Skipping Team.

While the Arrows will continue in this capacity, a new competitive jump rope club will commence from Term 4, 2018. The new club will provide beginner and experienced skippers alike the opportunity to develop freestyle and speed jump rope skills and to compete at State, National and (pending qualification) International levels.

Former Sherwood Arrows, Leilani and Jai Jackson have just returned from representing Australia at the World Jump Rope Championships in China. They will be joining this competitive club as skippers and to coach the junior team.

Interested parents and skippers (male and female, all ages) are encouraged to attend a community meeting at the Sherwood State School (old school hall), cnr Oxley and Sherwood Roads, Sherwood from 6.30 – 7.30pm on Tuesday, 18 September 2018. Come along to hear how and your family can be part of a great new local initiative.

For further information contact Kim Kellaway on mob: 0423 532 868.

Kindilan Day camps

Kindilan will be running day camps for children aged 5-14 years in both weeks of the school holidays in September/October.

National Photographic Competition – Healthy Life Healthy You

Centenary Dolphins Swimming Club

Rivercity Water Polo

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