31 March 2023

Newsletter Articles

Executive Principal’s Report

Dear Parents and Carers,

As I reflect on the very full Term 1 calendar, it is hard to believe we went for so long without the full school experience during COVID. It has certainly been a very full term of events and extracurricular – so much that we could not fit all of our planned events in. Finding our flow and managing the demands of so many extracurricular activities has been an interesting but welcomed challenge for us here at Corinda. So much has been achieved in just ten short weeks. The jungle is a busy place packed with resources and opportunity – the perfect place for discovery, creativity and learning.

As we peruse Term 1 report cards, I feel very proud of the consistent efforts of our students, who obviously lead very busy schedules. Their ongoing commitment to participating, learning and doing their best, while upholding our school values is commendable.

It was a wonderful end of term event last Friday evening with Sunset Soul – hosted by our Instrumental Program in the quadrangle. Perfect evening to sit back and enjoy the vast array of talented musicians and creativity under the leadership of our Instrumental staff and Head of the Arts – Claire Noble. Special thanks to the P & C Association for their support of the event. I am sure there were many proud parents who enjoyed this showcase. Congratulations to all our dedicated and committed Instrumental students.

Facilities Update

Plans are starting to take shape for our new STEM / Administration building which is planned to start construction later in the year. We have been collaborating with our architects with concept layouts, designing agile spaces that can be future-proofed for this generation of learners. Once the plans have been finalised we will be able to share them with the school community. I am confident our students will be very excited by the opportunities these new spaces will provide.

School Lockers

The school has undertaken research with the local locksmith to address the issue of the poor quality of locks provided with the student lockers. All students will be allocated a new lock during the first week of Term 2. This lock is heavy duty, used by many other schools and we have been assured that they cannot be tampered with. The administration will take the time to personally assist students in learning how to use these new locks. A short video clip will also be made to demonstrate how they work. We will endeavour to have this completed during week 1. Thank you to everyone for your understanding as we transition to the lockers and new processes in our school.

Despite the issues with the locks and the transition to lockers, I am pleased to report that during Term 1 we have had minimal issues with wrong bags being taken, damaged laptops and items being taken. The time and workload that issues like this take up by our staff is extensive and this term has reduced the workload significantly. With all change, there are challenges and we are working through these. No system if perfect, but in a school of 2000 students, there needs to be only one system and one that ensures workplace health and safety needs and school movement is effective. We are always open to feedback and looking for more effective ways of working and will continue to reflect and refine with this new system. I thank you all for your support and understanding with the new processes and for your patience as we address the issues with locks.

Open Day

As always, we look forward to our annual Open Day. We see this as a celebration of the amazing opportunities our school offers and an opportunity to showcase our school. Our students always shine on this day and they are an asset to our event. It is also an opportunity for our parents to enjoy the performances, displays and take in our facilities development to gain a deeper understanding of our amazing school. There is so much to take in and I hope to see you on the day.

Thank you for your continued support during what has been a very busy term and for working with us in promoting our school values. Looking forward to the Term 2 adventures in our Jungle Odyssey. Enjoy a well-deserved and restful Easter break.

Helen Jamieson
Executive Principal

Coming Events

Some of our best

Language competition sees Corinda shine

Join us in congratulating Year 10 student Andy, who received an Elite Award in the 2023 Education Perfect Language Championships. The championships are an annual competition in which students around the world use the Education Perfect platform to learn, practice and test their language skills. Andy earnt 10,007 points, which equates to more than 30 hours of answering questions in the week the competition was held. He is placed 204th in the world. Corinda State High School students answered more than 570,000 questions in the week, and we ranked 20th in the world, 13th in Australia, and 3rd in Queensland!!

Special mention also to Genevieve (Year 9), who at 9,997 points, was only three short of her own Elite Certificate. Overall, Corinda students earnt 62 Credit certificates, 29 Bronze, 8 Silver, and 4 Emerald certificates, as well as Andy’s Elite certificate. Well done!

Students dig through time at archaeology site

Students from Year 7 English/ Humanities Excellence and Platinum Excellence recently visited the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology in Caboolture. Students took part in an excavation of an Egyptian funerary site and had some fun mummifying a classmate following the same procedures prescribed by Greek historian, Herodotus.

Year 7 student Andrew said his favourite part of the excursion was digging up the remains of a tomb raider and learning about the mummification process. “It was fascinating to learn about the Gods who looked after each organ once they were removed from the body,” he said. When describing the overall experience, Andrew quipped, “I really dug it!”

Twilight jazz event captivates audiences

Last Friday, the first ever Corinda Sunset Soul was held to a rapturous 200+ audience on a beautiful twilight afternoon in front of our new Arts Building. Our Year 7 - 9 Music Excellence students showcased their unique talent, performing both classic and modern soul jams while our Culinary Excellence students served a mouth-watering array of gourmet canapes that left every single one of our excited audience members with a beaming smile on their face.

Thank you to our students, teachers, marketing team, and administrators for an exceptional evening that is set to become a staple on our school’s calendar for years to come due to its outstanding inaugural success. Well done Corinda!

School News

P & C Annual General Meeting

On Wednesday 29 March, the Corinda State High School P & C Association conducted its Annual General Meeting. At this meeting we thanked and farewelled two of our Executive Members – President for the past two years, Stefano Girola, and Secretary for the past year, Lynne Anderson. We are very grateful for the volunteer time these two people have dedicated to our P & C in support of our school. They are both to be congratulated for their achievements in these roles.

We also congratulate the incoming executive:

As you can see we did not fill the position of secretary and we are calling for nominations for this position. If you would like to nominate or nominate someone who is interested please email the executive at the following email address: pandccorindashs@gmail.com .

Clever make-up trick has everyone doing a double-take

Our Media students recently had the unique opportunity to deceive the eye with some very convincing cuts and bruises. They completed the stage make-up workshop through Velbella, getting to unleash their creative skills and ghoulish imagination in preparation for the upcoming Videos for Change unit. Well done students – you certainly would have given your teachers a scare!

Spanish flavour for class excursion

Our Senior School Spanish students recently visited Graceville restaurant Botellón for a set menu including patatas bravas, paella, and churros. The staff were very friendly and accommodating and encouraged the students to speak in Spanish as much as possible. From all reports, everyone had a wonderful time on this unique excursion!

Lunch & Learn session inspires future engineers

It’s an exciting time to be an engineer in Brisbane according to Urban Utilities' Risk and Sustainability Specialist, Annabel Hofstee. Speaking to Senior students earlier this month at the first Lunch & Learn event for 2023, Annabel shared how the Olympics is presenting exciting challenges with population growth and sustainability key areas of focus.

“We are already looking into how to effectively use the water cycle and create avenues for water reuse and resource recovery to reduce the footprint of the Games,” Annabel said. “We’re also looking at smart ways to grow infrastructure with the least impact and best cost for our existing SE Qld communities.”

These insights piqued students’ interest with Annabel being asked several questions about how she got started in engineering, and what it takes to be an engineer at the end of her inspiring presentation.

Harmony Week celebrates Corinda’s rich culture

During Harmony Week celebrations, students came together from all parts of the world to celebrate a huge part of Indian culture: music and dancing.

The Bollywood dances were held at both breaks, and largely choreographed by Senior student Kavya. They combined a mix of traditional Gujrati (Western Indian) known as Garba, along with a few twists.

“It was a great opportunity to share our diverse cultures in our school, and dancing was one of the many ways we enjoyed this special time together. Teaching a dance called ‘Garba’ from my culture gave me and my peers the incredible experience of happiness that I could’ve never imagined. I thank everyone who participated, got involved and spread this joy!” Kavya said.

Another Harmony Week activity included some Corinda State High School diversity trivia, which was conducted during homegroups based on school statistics.

Enrolments open for our Programs of Excellence

We are currently accepting enrolments for our Academic and Elective Programs of Excellence for Year 7, 2024. Our Excellence and Honours Programs provide extension in their field of study beyond the mainstream classroom, and our goal is to engage each student in learning at a level that provides challenge suitable to their skills.

A reminder our upcoming Term 2 Golden Opportunity Days are as follows, with more information coming online shortly:

• Monday 8 May | Culinary Excellence
• Monday 22 May | Dance Excellence
• Tuesday 1 June | Football Excellence (Girls only)
• Tuesday 6 June | Visual Art and Instrumental Music Excellence

For more information, please visit our website.

Alumni encouraged to reminisce at Open Day event

There are only a few weeks left until we will be swinging open the doors for our annual Open Day event. We warmly welcome Corinda alumni from all years to join us and take a trip down memory lane at the Station Masters House, located near the farm. From 10:00 AM – 02:00 PM you will be able to wander through and enjoy morning tea while looking through old school photos and memorabilia. We will also have a trivia competition to see who can remember the most about their Corinda days! The winners will come home with a Corinda-themed pack filled with goodies.

Please note, if you plan to attend and require wheelchair access, please email marketing@corindashs.eq.edu.au and we will ensure there is someone to meet you at the Gate 3 access point and escort you to the Station Masters House.

Lost property

Do you recognise one of the below items? We’d love to reunite it with you! Please get in touch with the Lost Property office located in Sick Bay, or email lostproperty@corindashs.eq.edu.au

Parent Resources

Dr Justin Coulson: “Will I ruin my kids’ lives by working too much?”

While motherhood may be the most rewarding job on earth, the sad reality is that it’s also the lowest paying job on earth. Many women are faced with increasing mother’s guilt – either guilt for not contributing financially, or guilt for working and not being there for the kids.

This week’s insight is from Dr Justin Coulson, addressing the question “Will I ruin my kids' lives by working too much?

You can read the article below for five quick tips to improve your work/life balance and ditch the guilt.

SchoolTV: Respectful language

In today’s world, it is becoming apparent some young people are being influenced by the language around them. It is becoming more common for them to hear derogatory terms or offensive language on the streets, on social media channels, streaming services and in some forms of modern music. Proliferating the use of such language can sometimes normalise, glamorise and sanitise their impact, taking their meaning out of context. Words can be misconstrued to be hurtful, racist, homophobic, misogynistic or even discriminatory. Using disrespectful language is considered socially unacceptable, and if not addressed early, can become a serious problem.

The use of derogatory language or the act of swearing at someone, or about someone, is actually a form of verbal violence. It transgresses the usual rules of social interaction by impinging on an individual’s self-image and sense of dignity. Therefore, many schools enforce a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to such language. Parents and carers also need to play an important role in enforcing this approach by proactively monitoring what their children are viewing or being exposed to and discussing the use of words or their origin. This can help prevent inappropriate or disrespectful language being used in the classroom, school yard or other situations.

Whilst some students may use swearing or derogatory terms for attention seeking purposes, others may use it simply because they are still learning how to moderate their language. As young people develop their language skills, it is important for them to have a clear understanding of the impact of their choice of words on others and how their words can impact other people’s perspective of them - an important and essential skill to learn as they progress in their personal and professional development.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Below is the link to your special report.

Message from our School Sponsor

Community News

Volleyball camp over Easter break

Act quickly - registrations for the April Sharks Camp are filling up fast! The Sharks Camp is four-days of volleyball and fun from 11 – 14 April. The camp is tailored to meet the needs of all players, providing them with opportunities to enhance their skills in every area and pave the way to success in club, state, and school-level volleyball.

The Sharks are thrilled to announce this year's camp will feature a special coach who is currently a top-level Australian player, bringing their invaluable knowledge and experience to the players. Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity.

Visit their website for more information.

Drama program caters for teen dreamers

Dreamers Drama is a senior drama program attached to Sherwood’s Speak Up Studio. They are hosting an Open Day on 22 April, for interested students in Years 7 – 12. For more information, visit their website below.

Theatre group seeks Junior School student

Looking for a local school holiday activity? The Act Now Children's Theatre will be premiering their latest production from 3 - 5 April, with three of our very own students performing. Genevieve, Andrew and Jack have been working hard all term alongside their peers to create something magical for audiences, and we have no doubt they will put on a spellbinding show. Good luck to all, or as they say, break a leg! Ticket details are included on the below flyer.

It’s also worth noting the theatre group is looking for a Year 7 or Year 8 boy to join their little troupe! Details are below.

Future vision explored at Sherwood parent and student session

The Corinda State High School community is invited to an upcoming event with guest speaker Dr Jordan Nguyen, a biomedical engineer, author, and technology futurist. This session is suitable for parents and carers, industry professionals, and also high school students. Sherwood State School is hosting the event on 31 May, and bookings can be made via the link below.

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