27 August 2021

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Dear Parents and Caregivers

It has certainly been an interesting time over the last few weeks as we have been dealing with mask wearing in schools. It is pleasing that we have now been able to resume sport, excursions and other extra-curricular activities. Parent teacher meetings have been postponed several times and now with the easing of restrictions we will consider when it is best to offer this opportunity for parents.

One of the most enjoyable parts of being involved in the life of Beerwah SHS is to see our students, who, generally - on most occasions, make decisions that are respectful, responsible and safe. No matter who you talk to - staff, visitors and parents - they always tell me how lovely our students are. Teenagers sometimes make decisions which we may question but, for the most part, Beerwah SHS students show that they are developing into wonderful young adults. There have been numerous examples of this maturity in the community when students have stopped to help community members, when students at school have handed in lost property to the office or when students have gone out of their way to help other students or staff. Keep it up, Beerwah SHS students. We are incredibly proud of who you are.

Vision and Values

I would like everyone in our community to know and understand our vision statement and our three values. The annual survey we conduct each year, shows that on average 90% of our students can recall these statements and values but not all of our parents are familiar with this. Our vision and values should underpin all of our behaviours and actions. If our parents and carers are also familiar with this, it will help us approach situations with our vision and values at the forefront of our minds.

Congratulations and Success

So many of our successes are being celebrated and shared on our Facebook please. If you aren’t already following this, please like our page.

This week we posted a Staff in focus shout out to Mr Woods, who has taught at Beerwah since 1992. We have had some wonderful comments back showing what a difference, teachers can make in the lives of students. Well done and thank you Mr Woods for your many years of service to Beerwah SHS with many more to come.

Year 10s have been participating in their Senior Education Training (SET) plans this week and I’ve been so impressed to hear about the career plans and goals of so many of our students. The opportunities for employment or further training on the Sunshine Coast, the pathways available both at school and with our links with the trade training centre at Caloundra SHS, provide many options for our Yr 10s moving into next year.

Success of Co-teaching model in Yr 7 English, Maths & Science Co-teaching is described as an opportunity for teachers to plan, teach, debrief and reflect together on their practice.

We have four teaches who have been using the co-teaching model with Yr 7J. Mr Searle has been timetabled to attend all classes along with Mrs Mullins (English), Mr Schneider (Science) or Ms Monk (Maths) and the results are clear after one semester. 7J have improved across all three subjects that co-teaching occurred in. Congratulations and thanks to all of the other staff who have been supporting the teachers in this area. The success of this program has also been supported by the weekly case management meetings with the Yr 7 English teachers. We are going to be implementing further co-teaching models and case management meetings with Yr 8 and Yr 9 curriculum areas. Our challenge as a leadership team is creating the TIME for staff to be able to collaborate and plan together and conduct these meetings. We are currently looking at recruiting an additional teacher to add to our staff to support this initiative.

Staffing update

Congratulations to Mrs Marni Bradley who has been permanently appointed to a Head of Department position at Kawana College. Mrs Bradley is very happy about this appointment and this is a wonderful opportunity for her. Mrs Bradley has long been associated with Beerwah SHS and has contributed so much to her various roles as Teacher, Head of Department and acting Deputy Principal. Mrs Bradley has always been very committed to the school and has implemented many improvements to the school, particularly in the area of ICTs and Digital Technologies. We wish her all the very best and thank her for her long-standing service to the Beerwah community.

Teacher aide appreciation week

Wk 8, 30th Aug to 3rd Sept

Thank you to our Teacher aides for all that you do to help everyone in our school. We are planning some activities in school next week to show our appreciation. If you do get an opportunity, it would be wonderful to have some students and parents show their appreciation during this week (or in any week for that matter!). A simple thank you says so much.

30 year celebrations in 2022

2022 will be a very special milestone at Beerwah SHS to celebrate the achievements, traditions and honour the work of past staff and students. We have started a process to collect some ideas. This process will be collaborative and consultative and I expect that a committee will form to oversee this. Any ideas gathered will be presented back to all stakeholders for review and then decisions will be made about what and when may take place. If you have any ideas or want to contribute in any way then you are absolutely encouraged to do so and please let the office know so that we can get in contact with you.

Encouraging high achieving students to the teaching profession

We need to attract more high achieving students to be teachers. See article here from Grattan institute.

We have some amazing teachers on staff who have many academic qualifications and who have developed outstanding skills. We have radiographers, pathologists, those who have studied neuroscience, mathematicians, accomplished artists, vocalists, musicians and athletes who represent our state and compete at national events. Our teaching team is to be applauded for their expertise and we are lucky to have them.

The Barefoot Dutchman

Chappy Mike has organised for some of our students to meet Anton Nootenboom, also known as the Barefoot Dutchman when he will be walking through Beerwah this week. Anton is currently walking from Cairns to Sydney in an attempt to set a world record and raise funds and awareness for men’s mental health. This link has more information, you may also want to consider sponsoring Anton to continue his amazing journey.

Facilities upgrades

Things certainly ramped up quickly recently with some facilities changes and this will impact on us all. Students have been fantastic working around the changes and also following directions to stay out of bounds in the designated areas.

• New roofing is being installed in the Design Technology building and we expecting facilities upgrades in 3 toilet blocks, one end of the resource centre which will house our flexispace initiative and a new roof for the Student Centre. Lots happening and a few disruptions, but these improvements will benefit our students.
• Air conditioners are going to start to be installed very shortly. We are expecting all of the air conditioners to be installed by the end of Term 4. However, they will not be operational until start of 2022 due to electrical infrastructure upgrades that are still yet to be scheduled. It is likely that we will be shutting down rooms for at least a week to allow this installation to occur.

Student Wellbeing package

Recently the State Govt pledged additional wellbeing professionals to be allocated across the state. Recruitment is currently underway for Psychologists, Guidance officers and Social workers with a focus being on managing mild to moderate mental health concerns. Schools have been placed into clusters to share this service. More information will continue to be released over this term.

We believe that our students aren’t just a number but unique individuals with stories, journeys, celebrations, hardships, challenges and aspirations. We aim to ensure that our state education is the best environment for every child.

Stay safe, take care

Lyn McDonald
B. Bus, M. of Ed. Research

Whole School News

Mathematics Department

Maths Tutoring

Maths tutoring is in the library every Tuesday from 3:00-4:00 pm. Students from any year level can attend. Students are asked to bring work that they would like to review.

Kayla Monk
Acting Head of Department Mathematics

Science Department

Last week we celebrated National Science Week at Beerwah SHS with the theme ‘Food different by design’. We had displays and activities that showed insects as a possible food source for our growing population. Students enjoyed sampling crickets, ants and mealworms in various ways such as corn chips, brownies, pasta and marshmallows. One popular dish was hot chips with ant salt seasoning.

Rooms in the science block were set up as an escape rooms and students enjoyed solving the puzzles in time to save the lab!

Thank you Lyn Thomas and Amber Wilson for organising such an unusual and enjoyable event.

Simple machines and forces in action!

This term all year 7 Science classes are demonstrating their understanding of forces and simple machines by building non-electric cars. Students are working in groups using everyday items brought from home. They are designing, constructing and testing their cars to see which one will go the furthest.

7H students (shown here) are building cars that are powered by wind (using balloons) or by elastic energy. Some classes are using technology to design and 3D print their cars. Students will then be completing individual investigation reports which are the assessment item Science for term 3. Students will complete these reports in class and can type them up on their BYOD devices or complete the report by hand.

Ms Peta Clark
Maths/Science Teacher

Education Services

Focus on Art in Education Services

Under the guidance of staff member Helen DeVries, some of our junior secondary students have been very creative in their alternate art program this term. We love that these activities enable students to interact with their peers, focus on a task and use their fine motor skills. Check out the art work - it certainly brightens up our art wall!

Sports Department

Queensland Oztag All Schools Tournament

After co-vid affecting the tournament last year, the students at Beerwah High were very excited to be attending the Oztag All Schools Tournament this year. They had been training their hearts out over Term 2 and the start of Term 3 in the lead up to the weekend. Beerwah entered 4 teams this year, the most that we have had so far; Year 7/8 Boys, Year 10 Girls (which had girls from year 8-10), Year 10 Boys and Year 11/12 Mixed.

The teams managed to get through Friday’s games, each team playing 3 games. Some teams had some wins and some close losses, all teams scored awesome tries, and all students had plenty of fun! However, Saturday was cut short due to the co-vid snap lockdown. Qld Oztag changed the draw on the go so that all teams could still play their games, but in a shorter form, and finals day on Sunday was cancelled. However, many schools still decided to leave early and forfeit their last games. So, our Year 10 Boys team only got to play 1 game on Saturday, but the other teams were able to play their 3 games, either in full or in half. The boys were disappointed but all students still enjoyed the weekend.

After the weekend, a Queensland Merit side is named for all divisions. We wish to congratulate the following students on their selection into the merit sides:

Year 10 Boys – Heath, noah Jackson and Jack Howland.
Year 10 Girls – Mazen Munday (shadow).

A thank you must also be passed on to Darren Rogers and Nick Stead for helping to coach teams over the weekend, as well as past students James Poole and Luke Roy. We look forward to next year already!

Emma Liesegang
HPE and Science Teacher

IT Department

Earlier this term it was pleasing to see how quickly students, parents and carers were able to adapt to our period of learning from home using technology and the internet to facilitate this in most cases. At Beerwah, students are expected to bring their own devices, fully charged ready for learning each day. Having students connected to our BYOD network with access to a device to support their learning in all classroom settings means that they can access digital content including textbooks and virtual classrooms, information and collaborate easily to support their learning.

There is no fee charged for students who bring their own device to connect via our BYOD network.

Students are encouraged to on-board their own devices at home by following the instructions available on our website. Alternatively, our IT Technician is available to assist at the following times:

If your child does not yet have their own device, we have several laptops which can be hired for take-home or as a Collect n Go day loan device. As we are now approaching Term 4, these are available for a pro-rata reduced fee to students.

Please visit our website below to learn more about options currently available to support you in getting your student Connected @ Beerwah.

If you wish to discuss your BYOD needs further, please contact our IT Department via itsupport@beerwahshs.eq.edu.au or encourage your student to pop in and see us at the Resource Centre. We will work with you to ensure that your child can be connected @ Beerwah.

Should you have any other queries about our programs, please do not hesitate to contact me directly via pwald9@eq.edu.au or 5436 5326. I look forward to connecting with you.

Patrick Walden
Head of Department – Digital Technologies & Humanities

Environmental Group

To support National Tree Day which occurs on 31st July each year, a group of Special Education and Environmental Group students planted 30 native trees, kindly donated by Sunshine Coast Council, in the Land for Wildlife area at the front of the school. The students enjoyed the whole process of selecting their tree, digging, planting and fertilising with our own school made worm liquid. Some trees were even given names! These wonderful students are continuing to maintain the health of these trees, which are already showing signs of new growth.

Donna Grant
ST:LaN (Learning Support)
Teacher 7 Spanish / 7 & 8 LEC

Beerwah Goes to Kokoda

Hills, hills and more hills! The Kokoda Challenge is a tough trek through the mountainous Gold Coast hinterland that honours the ultimate sacrifice that hundreds of young Australians made all those years ago, while trudging through dense and deadly bush. With great emotion, excitement, and apprehension, 5 teams (led by Mr Lancaster, Mr Siddell, Miss Liesegang, Mr Dodd and Mrs Grace) set out on a journey that would last up to eighteen long and, at times, painful hours. As day became night, the thought of reaching dinner was all our darting minds could think of, rest we thought.

However, we quickly realised the battle was far from over. We organised a lovely meal by the wonderful support crew (which included Mrs McDonald, Ms Young, and Mr Lightbody). Still 18 gruelling, and by far the hardest kilometres, lay ahead. With our legs beginning to feel like jelly, we met each hill with a sigh. It was at this time that Kokoda’s values really shone through. Courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice. Our teams pulled together, supporting one another; our fight kept us going; our laughs kept us entertained, all while raising money for a tremendous cause. This combination meant Kokoda left a memorable, but universal impact on all of us.

This incredible opportunity will be offered again to Beerwah students next July, so if you think that you have got the guts to give it a go then do it, as behind the blood, sweat, blisters and tears, Kokoda induces a great feeling of joy, accomplishment, and satisfaction. And the memories made will certainly last a lifetime. Don’t miss out, you won’t regret it.

Cappi Osborne
School Captain 2021

Supporting Our Students

Arts Department

Are you joining us in 2022? Beerwah Dance Company (BDC) is a fantastic extra-curricular program that strives to challenge and extend its students. If you know of any current year 6 students enrolling at Beerwah SHS in 2022 who have a passion for Dance, then head to our website to complete a BDC Online Application for 2022, NOW! Applications close Friday 27th August. All information can be accessed through the link below.

Get in quick. You don’t want to miss out!

** Photos taken at Sunshine Coast Dance Eisteddfod and Brisbane Performing Arts Challenge **

Future Pathways

Year 10 students and parents have been invited to book a Senior Education & Training Plan phone interview. During a SET Plan students are able to discuss future study and career pathway goals and choose their Year 11 school subjects. Interviews will be conducted via phone, from 16 August to 27 August 2021.

Students are able to indicate their interest in a “6th subject” option which include qualifications and programs delivered through:

• SC Trade Training Centre
• Kawana Water Health Education Unit
• Unity College, CIV Crime & Justice
• TAFE at School programs
• Coastal Cookery Trade School, Maroochydore SHS – Cert II Kitchen Operations
• Tactile Learning Centre
• Look Now Training, Cert II Horticulture
• Distance Education
• Certificate III in Dance, Beerwah State High School
• Certificate II in Engineering Pathways, Formula Student

Course guide information is readily available and a member of the SET Plan interview team can provide details. Students are also invited to approach Mrs Forrest for information and expressions of interest. Considerations for these options include intended pathway, balancing study load and in some cases transport to training location.

CERTIFICATE COURSES AND ETERNAL STUDY

Dual Salon Assistant & Retail Cosmetics

The recent lockdown and restrictions have impacted our dual trainees with salon placement postponed and no on campus face to face training until week 7 at least. We will continue to work closely with 2 Study to ensure that all trainees successfully complete the dual qualification as soon as possible.

The term commenced with enrolment and theory study of retail cosmetics. Our trainees worked on a unit to produce visual merchandise displays where they were required to create a poster and display of makeup products.

As previously advised due to the training organisation not continuing to deliver the dual course in 2022, we will no longer be offering this program. Though this is disappointing, 2022 year 11 and 12 students interested in a salon industry pathway will have the opportunity to apply for a place at the SC Trade Training Centre. The exciting program includes dual qualification in salon assistant and retail cosmetics, 40 hours of structured workplace learning and completion of 17 units of study. The course provides 5 QCE credits and students attend one day a week during the year. Expressions of Interest and a full course guide are available now.

Sunshine Coast Technical Trade Training Centre

Due to Queensland Health/Education Queensland directives with regard to limiting visitors within school for the next fortnight, upcoming SCTTTC Information Evening dates have changed with the new dates listed below and on the attached flyer.

Automotive, Construction, Electrotechnology and Plumbing Courses

Wednesday 1 September, 2021 – Commence at 5.30pm to 6.15pm
Tuesday 7 September, 2021 – Commence at 5.30pm to 6.15pm
Wednesday 6 October, 2021 – Commence at 5.30pm to 6.15pm

Certificate III Aviation (Remote Pilot) AVI30419

Wednesday 25th August, 2021 - Commence at 4.00pm to 4.45pm

Certificate II Salon Assistant / Retail Cosmetics and Certificate III Beauty Services

Information Session date to be advised

RSVP essential. To register please contact: Phone - 07 5499 5222 or Email - tttcadmin@caloundrashs.eq.edu.au

Programs on offer to 2022 Year 11 students and VETiS eligible Year 12 students include:

Cert II Automotive - Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
Cert I Construction - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
Cert II Electrotechnology - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
Cert II Plumbing - Thursday, Friday
Dual Cert II Salon Asst /Retail Cosmetics - Wednesday, Thursday (to be confirmed)
Cert III Aviation - Tuesday, Wednesday (to be confirmed)

Students attend the Centre in Caloundra one day a week engaging in training based on real industry skills. The courses are VETiS funded and SCTTTC fees, which cover uniform shirt and PPE, apply. Mandatory structured workplace learning is included in the programs which provide students with an insight into the industry and helps to make informed decision about chosen career pathways. These placements are a primary source in securing apprenticeships and ongoing employment.

Our scheduled SCTTTC presentation to the year 10 cohort was postponed due to lockdown and we hope to reschedule soon. See Mrs Forrest for course guides and EOIs.

Health Pathways

Are you a student considering a career in health? There are a number of options available to VETiS year 11 students and eligible year 12 students to begin some training while at school.

Cert II Health Support Services is a TAFE at School one year course delivered at the SC Health Institute in Birtinya. It is a VETiS funded course and 2022 year 11 and 12 VETiS eligible students are able to enrol.

Kawana Waters State College in conjunction with Connect n Grow, deliver a health program where students attend the KWSC senior campus one day a week for three semesters. In year 11 students complete CII Health Support Services and CII Community Services, VETiS funded. In the first semester of year 12 students return to complete the CIII Health Services Assistant. This is also a very hands on program and involves some industry placement. In 2021 we have around 20 students (year 11 and 12) who are engaged in this worthwhile program.

See Mrs Forrest for course guides, expressions of interest and enrolment information.

Buderim Private Hospital Experience Day

With attendance numbers limitations two students were fortunate to secure a place in the experience day however, again this was postponed due to lockdown and continuing restrictions. Further updates will be communicated to students as they become available.

Coastal Cookery Trade School

TAFE Qld are the training provider at the Coastal Cookery Trade Training Centre located at Maroochydore SHS. This is a VETiS funded program where students study a Certificate II in Kitchen Operations SIT20416, in a working commercial kitchen. The program is designed to train students in a broad range of areas within the hospitality industry focussing on commercial cookery and helps to develop a student’s natural talent in the industry. Students attend one day a week (Wednesdays) and are required to wear a chef uniform. If you are interested in this program and would like to know more contact Mrs Forrest. There is an opportunity to attend CCTTC for an information session following a luncheon on Thursday 14 October. A course brochure is attached.

Helen Forrest
Industry and VET Training Officer

From the Guidance Office

Adolescent Development

Adolescence is the time when young people explore, experiment and establish themselves. Supporting them can help to promote healthy development. Adolescence is a time of rapid biological; psychological, cognitive, emotional and social change. Young people’s relationships with educators and families may also change during this time. However, these relationships are still fundamental to healthy adolescent development. By providing a safe and supportive environment, schools can help young people to develop resilience and to grow up well.

Key developmental stages during adolescence:

Physical development

The most obvious changes in adolescence are the physical developments in puberty driven by hormonal changes. Puberty occurs at different times for different young people, and variations in the timing of puberty can cause stress for some.

Brain development

Adolescent brains are a work in progress. In adolescence, the amygdala – the part of the brain associated with emotions, impulses, aggression and instinctive behaviour – is well developed. However, the pre-frontal cortex – responsible for one’s ability to plan and think about the consequences of actions, solve problems and control impulses – doesn’t fully develop until a person is in their mid-20s. As a result, young people often rely on the amygdala to make decisions and solve problems, particularly in emotionally charged situations. For this reason, adolescents are more likely to:

• act on impulse
• try new adventurous activities
• explore new relationships
• misread or misinterpret social cues and emotions
• engage in dangerous or risky behaviour.

Social and emotional development

Adolescence is a time of exploration, experimentation and decision-making as young people establish a sense of identity and increased independence. A big part of how identity develops is through experimentation, including trying out some things so that they can be either incorporated or rejected in future. Adolescents might explore new relationships, trial different ways of behaving and experiment with different educational, recreational and vocational interests. Identity development typically sees the adolescent experimenting with behaviours, activities and beliefs that are different from those of their family and other significant adults.

How can families support adolescence during this development?

While relationships with peers assume greater importance during adolescence, young people’s relationships with their families are still critical. It’s not necessarily true that adolescents want to ‘break free’ of their families. This belief can lead to families withdrawing from school life. Evidence shows that strong relationships with family allow young people to explore their identity safely and develop skills for adulthood. Similarly, high levels of family involvement in adolescent education and extracurricular activity is predictive of good outcomes.

Mrs Skye Power
Guidance Officer

From the Office

Final Day of Term 3

Friday 17th September, 2021

School resumes

Tuesday 5th October, 2021

Office opening hours

Monday – Friday from 8:00am - 3.30pm

Payment Office opening hours

Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8:00am – 12:00pm

Uniform Shop Opening hours

Tuesday and Friday from 8:00am - 9:00am
No direct line now- please call the office on (07) 5436 5333 to be put through.

Important Information to remember for 2021

Year 11 and 12 Flexi-Day for 2021 is Friday so no attendance is required for students in these year levels.

QParents

What is QParents

QParents is an online portal that provides parents with secure access to their child's student details and can be accessed on your smartphone, tablet, laptop or PC.

From the comfort of home, parents can:

• update student's details such as change of address or phone number
• notify the school of their child’s absence
• view their child's attendance details and provide reasons for unexplained absences.
• view daily or weekly timetables
• view assessment details
• view major school event dates
• print out recent and archived report cards
• view and pay school invoices online

How to Register

You will receive an email from the school providing an invitation code to register for QParents. To register for the first time, you should use a computer or a laptop, not a phone or tablet.

If you don't have enough points to finalise your registration, then we can help you out. A QLD driver’s licence is enough to get you started in QParents and we will contact you from our end to verify the next steps.

Later you will receive an email instructing you to register your student using their EQ ID number, which can be found on their timetable.

Then all you have to do is explore the app to see how easy it is!

Get Started

Click here QParents Login to get started and follow the step by step instruction on the QParents quick reference guide.

Any Questions

If you haven’t received an invitation code or would like it resent please email your request to the school via qparents@beerwahshs.eq.edu.au

Attendance

All parents and carers are responsible for providing explanations for their students’ absences.

To report student absences parents/carers can notify the school via:

• QParents App
• SMS: 0476 850 614 [text messages only - no voicemail, symbols, emojis or attachments]
• Telephone Attendance Line: (07) 5436 5360 [leave a voicemail message]
• Email: studentabsences@beerwahshs.eq.edu.au
• Letter or Medical Certificate provided to the school office
  Please ensure the following details are provided:
• Student name
• Date of absence
• Reason for absence

Finance Information

PAYMENT METHODS

The preferred payment method is BPOINT and additional payment methods include QPARENTS, EFTPOS, CHEQUE and CASH.

Direct debit options for bank account/credit and debit cards are available via BPOINT which can be set up through the Payment Office and telephone payments for credit and debit cards can be made using BPOINT by phoning 1300 631 073.

You can also use Centrepay to arrange regular deductions from your Centrelink payments. Centrepay is a voluntary payment option available to Centrelink customers.

If you are not currently receiving invoices and statements via email, please make your request by email to admin@beerwahshs.eq.edu.au

Questions relating to student accounts can be made by contacting the Payment Office each Monday, Wednesday and Friday between the hours of 8:00am and 12:00pm or by emailing accounts@beerwahshs.eq.edu.au

Facebook

Beerwah State High School is highly active on Facebook. Please “like” us to stay informed regarding date claimers and other important information and events. Please invite your friends to like us as well to assist building a strong community of parents.

Health and Safety Advice for our students

As we are moving into the colds and flu season, we want to share some reminders with you to help keep our staff and students safe and well, along with you, their families.

Our school will continue to ensure physical distancing and high standards of health and hygiene are practised on site in accordance with Queensland Health advice .

Please take note of the information shared below and keep your students at home if they are experiencing any of the symptoms listed:

We thank you for your co-operation in helping to keep us all well.

It is important that you make time to visit the Uniform Shop soon to organise purchase or order of correct school jumpers before the weather turns cooler. Students will not be permitted to wear other jumpers or jackets, although a navy or maroon long-sleeved undershirt will be permitted provided there is no visible writing. Uniform shop operates during school terms Tuesday and Friday mornings: 8 - 9am.

Parents and Citizens Association

P and C meetings are held in the Conference Room on the second Tuesday of every month during term time at 6pm. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Our next P&C meeting has been postponed to Tuesday 7th September due to current COVID restrictions.

We look forward to connecting with the school community at our next meeting in September.

Executive Committe for 2021

President - Justine Baker
Vice President - Tracy Clow
Secretary - Jaye Claes
Treasurer - Kim Cross