7 December 2017

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

This time of the year we begin a series of ‘firsts’ and ‘lasts’ with our students, your children.

For many these are moments of significant joy and for others they are moments of significant pressure. No matter which end of the school journey you are on, it is always a time fraught with emotion!

We have been immersed in transition across the school in the last two weeks with our Graduating Class of 2018 beginning their journey into Year 12, the final year of high school and at the other end of school the Graduating Class of 2022 beginning their first year of high school as Year 8’s.

Beginning high school is always a major milestone in any child’s life. It is the beginning of greater independence and often greater responsibility. Many students will not want their parents to enter the high school gates with them and this can often be difficult for parents to deal with. For students saying goodbye to primary school teachers and friends can be very sad and for many it is their first experience of grief at the changing of significant relationships.

Hot tips

Be open……

Talk about all the emotions that you and your child may be experiencing; grief, sadness, fear, anxiety, excitement, curiosity.

Get organised ……

Create a schedule for your child as early as possible; a good morning routine is vital to a great school day.

Communicate with school ……

Come to open nights and interviews and always, always contact the school with any concerns as soon as they arise. Letting things fester, or talking to other parents doesn’t always solve the problem.

Pay attention to the detail …….

Being prepared with appropriate uniform, signing consent forms, reading the newsletter and just staying up to date with the school calendar will help avoid those unexpected surprises and last-minute stresses.

Year 12, the final year of school for most, will probably be one of the busiest years of your life, for parents and students. For most students, this is the last year they’ll have to spend with the classmates and teachers that have deeply impacted their lives. Just remember to make as many memories as possible during your final year—those memories and moments are the greatest high school souvenirs you can take with you beyond school!

5 keys to surviving your final year….

1. Get planning. Make deadlines. Stick to them!
   The earlier you get planning and preparing appropriately, the easier the process is going to go for you! Don’t take the easy road at the beginning as it will just be harder at the end.
2. Don't neglect your actual schoolwork!
   SO. MUCH. TO. DO. It can be really tempting to let some things fall by the wayside, particularly if you don't feel they're important. After all, that essay on "Global warming" can't possibly be as important as planning what you will wear at formal or the 18th birthday party on the weekend. Letting your study habits slide into chaos now won't set you up very well for the big deadline crush at the end of the year!
3. Seek help!
   From anywhere you can get it! It's just a plain good idea to talk about your plans and the problems in your way with your parents, your teachers and anybody else who might be able or willing to provide you with good and useful advice. You don't have to climb this mountain all on your own, and that help can make all the difference in the struggle.
4. Explore your options!
   You may feel like now your choices are set in stone, and you can't deviate. Well, that's not true. It is not too late to discuss alternatives in the first few weeks of school. Keep in mind that you don’t have to have made any decisions about post school yet and that you should keep exploring options all throughout your final year. There are so many options throughout this whole process that you should never feel trapped. If you do, there's an option somewhere that you're not seeing -- go find it!
5. Don’t forget to live!
   Who wants their final year to be entirely taken up with work and study? If you plan right (see key 1), you should be able to make enough time to actually just live. Hang out with your friends! Relax! Continue doing the fun things that you enjoy!

STAFF

This year we have a number of staff leaving us and I would like to formally thank them for the amazing contributions they have made to the Gladstone High School community in their time here.

We thank you for your commitment, dedication and hard work and wish you every success in your future.

Be proud of the work you do, the person you are the difference you make!

We would also like to welcome our new staff for 2018
Diedra Klemm – Administration Front Office
Tamisha Roberts – Teacher, Food and Hospitality
Molly O’Dea – Farm support

Enjoy your holidays!!!
Kathleen Hoare - Principal

YEAR 8 TRANSITION

This week saw our future Year 8’s beginning their High School journey. We had a great two days with a range of activities including making heaps of really fun stuff!

One of the activities we were involved in was looking at our character strengths and choosing the top 5 from a list of 24. Teaching and incorporating character strengths into curriculum has long been supported by researchers as a means of creating greater student voice in learning. Check out the VIA Website for more information at the link below:

Overwhelmingly the Graduating Class of 2022 thought that the following strengths were their most powerful - Curiosity, Humour, Honesty, Kindness and Creativity.

PRESENTATION NIGHT INVITATION

Parents, Friends & Community Members
You are invited to attend our 2017

Presentation Night

At Gladstone Town Hall
on Monday 11th of December at 7:30pm

Please join us for a celebration
of learning throughout 2017,
including Academic and Citizenship Awards

GHS RAFFLE

GLADSTONE HIGH SCHOOL GOVERNING COUNCIL & CANTEEN COMMITTEE

The Gladstone High School Governing Council & Canteen Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank Lyn Russell who has worked tirelessly to ensure students & staff have the opportunity to purchase fresh healthy food every school day. Lyn has adopted and implemented many changes over the last year to ensure the Canteen remains viable. We congratulate her for this hard work and dedication. We are happy to announce that Lyn Russell has accepted this role for 2018.

Also, thank you to the many people who have volunteered their time to help in the Canteen this year. Your help is invaluable & very much appreciated. We are always looking for more people to volunteer, so if you can help in 2018, please give your name to Front Office.

Gladstone High School Governing Council & Canteen Committee

FIRE DANGER SEASON 2017-18

Even though Gladstone High School is located in a low-risk bushfire area we have an emergency and bushfire response plan for our site. This means on days with a forecast catastrophic fire danger rating our site will remain open; however school buses will not operate within the fire ban district. This may mean some bus routes will run but others will be cancelled on particular days. If you are unsure if a bus is operating, you can contact us on 8862 2171 or, if this number is engaged during an emergency, you can contact the DECD Emergency Information Hotline on 1800 000 279.

Please find below links to two important documents for parents to familiarise themselves with regarding bushfires:

• Bushfire and Your Child’s School or Preschool brochure
• GHS Fire Danger Season brochure

Please contact the school if you have any questions or if you’d like any further information regarding our bushfire plan.

JOHNSONS HOME IMPROVEMENT EXCURSION

In Week 8 the Year 10 Design and Technology class visited the JHI workshop. The tour ran through the planning to production of modern kitchen units. Students observed the new state of the art CNC router, which cut, shaped and drilled the cupboard units in 1 step ready for assembly.

It was noted how much computers have changed the industry, even in the last 5 years.

Jordan Smith – Tech Teacher

SALVATION ARMY CHRISTMAS APPEAL

This year Gladstone High School is collecting items of food and toys for the Salvation Army Christmas Appeal. We have attached two flyers that may assist with what would be suitable and needed the most.

You can drop off your items unwrapped under the Christmas Tree at Gladstone High School Front Office the goods will be collected prior to Christmas for those in need.

We would love to see our school community support us in helping those most in need.