31 March 2021
Newsletter Articles
Executive Principal’s Report
Dear Parents and friends
It has been twelve months since we first navigated the unknown with lockdown and the spread of COVID-19. We continue to live in very interesting times as we once again experience another snap lockdown. I thank all our parents for your understanding and support with this unexpected event.
As always, the health and wellbeing of our students and staff is our highest priority and we will continue to be vigilant with hygiene, and health and safety on our school site. Queensland is well positioned to address the current outbreak and we know from previous experience that this is a preferred option to prevent the spread and return to our routines. We have a lot to be grateful for.
Looking back over the term, we have had a very positive start to the year, with students enjoying the new facilities in the Research and Innovation Centre on level 1. Our new multimedia, robotics and digital technology laboratories and maker space have been a welcome addition to our facilities. It is exciting to see the level of engagement in these rooms as I walk through. Our staff are also very excited about the opportunities these rooms present for our classes.
Early next term, level 2 will be opened. This week we are relocating the fiction section, which hopefully will be operational by week 2. We are still awaiting the arrival of furniture for the non-fiction section on level 2 and hopefully this will be arriving around the end of May.
Our Agricultural farm is looking quite the picture with the work that has been going on around the paddocks and technology installations. We are attracting a lot of interest from the University of New England and the University of New South Wales through the smart farming initiatives Tom Bates is leading with the curriculum. We anticipate there will be some very exciting opportunities for our students with STEM in the coming years.
Corinda State High School is always alive and the energy here is infectious. We have a wonderful school and our students continue to make us very proud.
I wish you all a safe and restful break and I look forward with optimism to seeing our staff and students return for the start of term 2 on Monday 19 April.
Stay safe and let’s hope this lockdown is short lived.
Helen Jamieson
Executive Principal
Coming Events
|
Date |
Event |
|
Thursday 1 April |
Last day term 1 |
|
Monday 19 April |
First day term 2 |
|
Monday 26 April |
Anzac Day Public Holiday |
|
Saturday 22 May |
Open Day (new date!) |
Some of our best
Swimming State Trials
Last week, year 7 student Michael Pham was selected to compete in the State Trials for the Metropolitan West Swim Team. Michael qualified to compete for the 50m Freestyle and the Freestyle relay team.
The competition was held at Chandler Swim Centre and though Michael did not progress at these trials he still managed to achieve several PB times and did his parents and his school very proud!
English classes as 21st Century Learners
Whilst we still practice our vital literacy skills, 21st Century Learners know that English is more than just reading and writing. Miss Booth’s Year 7 Platinum Excellence class are discovering, creating and presenting their ideas through a variety of modes in their PBL (Project-Based Learning) unit for English.
Come to Open Day next term and immerse yourself in the year 7 “Identity Installation”. You will experience and interact with a variety of representations of our year 7 cohort and maybe even learn something about yourself!
Visual Art Excellence create commissioned portraits
Year 9 Visual Art Excellence students took on teachers as clients when painting their pet portrait commissions. They were supported by local artist in residence, Kim Wooley, who demonstrated her process and painting techniques. Needless to say, the teachers were very impressed with their pet portraits.
Head to our Facebook page to watch the videos of some of these portraits coming to life. We are so inspired by the talent of these students!
Charitable Fashion
Year 9 Fashion students have recently been involved in assisting a charity called Hair Aid. Founded in 2010, Hair Aid’s mission is to recruit and send volunteer hairdressers, from all around the world, to overseas locations to provide free haircutting training for people living in critical poverty.
During the last 12 months Hair Aid has taken on several other projects, one of which is jackets for the homeless. Virgin Airlines donated numerous winter jackets to the charity. Volunteers have removed all the Virgin branding and sewn new buttons on the jackets to hand out to the homeless. The Year 9 students have been part of the process of sewing on the new buttons to 30 of the nearly 300 jackets for the homeless ready for winter.
Unfortunately, due to the unexpected lockdown in the last week of school, the students did not get to finish more jackets. However, their dedicated teacher Ms Hansford has volunteered to continue this charitable act.
Music Camp
Music Camp diary written by Annette Joyce, HOD Arts.
Day 1 Music Camp Departure
Our intrepid musicians meet early at school to undertake almost three days of music making. This is the equivalent of a semester’s worth of rehearsal. Performers from Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Chamber Strings, Amadeus Strings, Senior and Junior Percussion Ensembles will have the opportunity to work with our instrumental music staff as well as invited tutors and guest conductors over the next few days. Our tutor later today is Dr Emma Di Marco who will coach performers of the Wind Ensemble.
Day 2 Music Camp
Day 2 of the Corinda State High School Music Camp is underway at Brookfield QCCC. We are lucky to be rehearsing in a beautiful, green location with students working hard with their ensemble directors, a number of guest tutors (some of which are Corinda alumni) and guest conductors, Karen Newham of Corinda State School and Nick Cao Director of Bands at All Hallows’ School. The students are a credit to themselves behaving in a highly professional manner as would be expected of Corinda State High School students but also as musicians, in a disciplined, controlled and attentive manner. We have also enjoyed watching our senior cohort developing their own leadership and directing skills today when supporting their ensembles in sectional rehearsals.
Day 3 Music Camp
Day 3 of Music Camp; the students are busy packing up their cabins and taking part in their final rehearsals this morning, then we will be homeward bound; happy, well-fed and very tired! A super effort from all but in particular Belinda Stewart, Thomas Stewart, Clarke Matthew, Jacob Hicks, Bevan Messenger and Anne Keenan who have given their time and expertise so generously this week. We hope the students have enjoyed the opportunity to build important friendships and develop their team work and leadership skills with their ensemble members, and have learnt from the wealth of experience our staff and professional tutors have provided.
It has been a wonderful experience and we look forward to sharing our music with the community in due course. Wishing all of our musicians and staff a very restful Easter holiday.
School News
Bullying No Way
The National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (NDA) is Australia’s key bullying prevention initiative, connecting schools and communities to find workable solutions to bullying and violence. On Friday the 19th of March Corinda State High School had more than 600 students and teachers sign a pledge agreeing to stand together and take action against bullying. Students rallied on Bullying No Way Day, sharing advice to encourage students to stand up for each other. Students have been found to be the most important agents for change in reducing bullying in schools.
House leaders led important discussions with students about bystander behaviour and identifying strategies to ensure all students within the Corinda Community feel safe. Students were also awarded house points to encourage house spirit when signing their pledges. Congratulations to Moori house for coming first place having a total of 37 Seniors and 86 Juniors sign the pledge.
At Corinda State High School, we offer an online confidential messaging service: Stymie. We encourage students to use this if they witness or experience any harm and would like to remain anonymous. This gives our students the opportunity to do the right thing. It has empowered them to stand up for themselves, their friends and our entire school community.
2021 Next Step survey
The Queensland Government is conducting its annual state-wide survey of all students who completed Year 12 in 2020. 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 April 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 2021.
Further information on Next Step, including results from previous years, is available online at the link below or on toll free telephone 1800 068 587.
http://www.qld.gov.au/nextstep
Health News
School-based Youth Health Nurse News
Our school-based Youth Health Nurse has put together an information pack about the issue of Vaping. The information in the PDF below is derived from Queensland Health documents and includes links for more information.
Community News
Internet Safe Education
Internet Safe Education recently put together the 5 Principles to Stay Safe Online. Internet Safe Education has worked with Corinda State High School students in the past around internet safety. Follow the link and read about their advice, especially during the lockdown period and school holidays.
RSL ANZAC Service Sunday 25 April
The Sherwood-Indooroopilly RSL Sub-Branch will be hosting an Anzac Day service this year. The Graceville Service will be held at 7.30 am at Graceville Memorial Park (march to assemble at 7am at the train station cnr Verney Rd East & Appel St, 7:15am march off to park). All welcome to attend – students to wear their uniform.
Fire FC Mini Football Program
