24 August 2018
Newsletter Articles
Principal’s News
This week we have started our formal subject counselling process for all Year 10 and 11 students. By Tuesday next week Miss Thamm and I will have met with all Year 10 and 11 students and many of their parents to discuss their preferred subjects for 2019. This year we have been excited to share the opportunities that the Uni Hub Spencer Gulf is providing as well as the Start Uni Now (SUN) program through the Central Queensland University. This information collected from the students will then help us to decide what subjects we are able offer in order to assist students in preparing for their future pathways.
At the most recent Governing Council I shared data about our attendance rates as a school during Term 1 and 2. We have a target of 95% attendance which corresponds to workplace attendance expectations in terms of sick days. Whilst we acknowledge that sometimes it is inevitable to have appointments during school time and that invariably illness occurs we would like to remind families of the importance of regular attendance at school. A child missing one day a fortnight will miss four weeks in a year, and more than a year of school by Year 10.
Please seek help from us if you are concerned about your child’s attendance and wellbeing. We want to work in partnership with you to support student attendance and wellbeing.
Congratulations to all of our students who competed in a range of events at the recent Crystal Brook Show. Thank you to Kim Zohs and Molly O’Dea for their work in getting our cattle to the show and for helping our students to have this opportunity.
I would also like to congratulate and thank all of our Year 9 students in the last week for their outstanding behaviour both on the Ski Trip and at the school based activities. Thank you to the staff who gave up their own time to attend the ski trip or the extra excursions. It is a huge commitment and I am sure all of the students appreciate their efforts.
Tyler Hogan
Principal
Ski Trip 2018
Around 8pm on Saturday 11th August a group of very excited Year 9 students arrived at school ready for their trip to Falls Creek for the ski trip. We headed to Jamestown and teamed up with them and the Booleroo students for the overnight journey to Mount Beauty.
After arriving and getting ourselves fitted with helmets, jackets, pants, skis and boots, we relaxed Sunday afternoon. The next four days involved getting up at 5.30am followed by the bus trip up the mountain at 6.30am.
The weather was fantastic, experiencing white out conditions and low visibility the first two days, 20 cm of snow falling on Wednesday and then sunshine on Thursday. Very few lifts were closed due to high winds, unlike last year. On Thursday we packed up and headed home with a group of very tired staff and students.
Thank you to our dedicated and enthusiastic staff team of Helen Gaunt, Julia Murrie, Molly O’Dea and Emma Paparella. Thanks also to Julia and Deb Davis for their work undertaken in order to get the trip organised for the students across all 3 schools.
Finally, a huge thank you to all students who attended for displaying good resilience in trying conditions and excellent behaviour and manners during the trip. You represented our school very well and on two separate occasion’s members of the public complimented you on your behaviour, making me proud to be a teacher at Gladstone High School.
Dean Humphries
Ski Trip Team Leader
Student Comments
On Saturday the 11th of August we went to Falls Creek on the ski trip. We drove 16 hours overnight on a bus with 2 other schools, Jamestown and Booleroo Centre. We had rest stops at Renmark, Echuca, Glenrowan then continued driving straight through to Mount Beauty. Once at Mount Beauty we emptied the bus of all our luggage and got lunch at the main street. After lunch we went to Ski Plus and were fitted for all our ski equipment. After the fitting we just hung around the caravan park until tea at FlourplusWater.
Every morning we woke up really early, between 4.45-5.30am to go up the mountain to Falls Creek. The first thing we did while up the mountain was get into groups for our lesson and then we went off with an instructor. After our lesson we had Morning Tea then the teachers placed us into groups according to our skill level to go down the ski slopes. We had lunch down the bottom of the mountain. After lunch we went back up the ski lift and went off with teachers again and skied until 4:00pm. At the end of the day we got on the bus and drove back to Mount Beauty. The same thing happened everyday
Phoebe Glenn & Emily Samuel
I enjoyed learning with our ski instructors. They helped us improve our skills so we could go down more difficult slopes. The skills included; snow plough, turn, traverse and grip.
Callum Brennan
During ski trip, instructors taught us how to ski. I liked how they weren’t rushing us and how they adjusted things based on our skills and capability. They laughed along when we fell and they were patient. My favourite part of ski trip was how everyone was supporting and helping each other. It was a positive trip.
Chelsea Hombsch
I enjoyed seeing snow for the first time, the instructors helped us perfect our skills and it was a great experience.
Tyrell Crosby Woods
A note from the Counsellor
5 PRINCIPLES TO STAY SAFE ONLINE
The following 5 principles will assist and empower parents in creating a safe, fun and educational online environment for our youth whilst reducing risk and issues:
- Set Rules and Boundaries
Rules don’t stop them having fun; they protect them from themselves and others. Rules and boundaries provide security, letting young people know where they stand.
General Rules might include:
- Time limits and curfews
- An understanding of what language is acceptable
- Guidelines on where in the home technology can and can’t be used
- What websites, games and apps can be used
- What to do if something of concern happens or a mistake is made - Stay Current
Staying current does not require parents becoming technology experts. It involves being across what children generally do on the internet, staying current by learning:
- What devices can connect to the internet
- When those devices are connected
- Where kids are going online and what programs and games they are using
- Who they are connected to - Parents, Take Charge
The main decisions parents need to make surround:
- When technology is used
- Where technology is used
- What programs, apps and sites are allowable
- With whom a child can connect
Don’t allow technology to take charge. Do not believe that a program or website’s popularity, user numbers or profitability gives it credibility or suitability. - Use Management Controls
Parents have a right to know where their children go and whom they communicate with. Parental controls work on a device or account to monitor or control information or activity. A variety of programs are available, and some can be downloaded for free. More common functions include:
- Blocking concerning websites
- Setting time limits and ensuring curfews
- Recording websites visited
- Recording conversations in certain programs
- Limiting the downloading of particular apps
- Notifying a parent of concerning activity - Communicate
Create an environment of openness about technology and talk about it with your kids.
Healthy communication about technology occurs by seizing the opportunities:
- If you notice an unusual facial reaction after looking at a screen, ask what was that all about and is everything okay?
- Have a chat around the dinner table about what’s happening online
For more information on achieving a safe and productive online environment, visit the link below:
https://www.internetsafeeducation.com/
Kate Cameron
School Counsellor
FINANCE NEWS
No longer will you as parents and guardians have to scrounge around in your wallets, purses or cars for money to purchase food due to the launch of the new phone app “Qkr!” Gladstone High School is proud to announce that we have launched this app for your convenience.
Check it out in your App Store now!!!
The most advanced mobile payments solution
Qkr!™ by MasterCard® is the mobile phone payment app designed for Australian schools, delivering an advanced and competitive online payment solution. Qkr delivers convenience to parents and efficiency to canteen staff/volunteers.
Better for parents
- Make faster, more convenient payments from a secure mobile app anywhere and at any time
- Website payment alternative for parents and carers without a smartphone or tablet
- Copy lunch orders from one week to the next to save time (all lunch orders must be ordered prior to 9.00am)
- Pay direct from a credit or debit card without pre-loading funds to a third party account
- Track transactions easily with online receipts
Sue Foulis
Finance Officer
Wool Judging
On Tuesday the Year 10 Agriculture class were visited by Adrian Dewell from Landmark, Jamestown. He spoke with the students about the characteristics of wool, common fleece defects, how to prepare fleeces for marketing and then the processes used to compare and judge fleeces. The students were keen to learn from Adrian as he has a long history of working in the wool industry and has judged at a number of competitions. The class will be putting their skills into practice at the Royal Adelaide Show when they compete in the Junior Judging competition, at which Adrian will be Over Judge. He will also be the Over Judge at the National Fleece Judging competition, to be held at the Royal Adelaide Show this year.
Dean Humphries
Agriculture Teacher
Crystal Brook Show
On Friday, August 10, students from Gladstone High School attended the Charolais Cattle Education Day at the Crystal Brook Showground. Students learned about live cattle assessment, show ring cattle fitting and handling, as well as beef cattle nutrition.
Saturday the 11th of August was the Crystal Brook Show and the school exhibited three steers in the Led steer competition. Jemma Leighton, Tarsh Wakefield and Rhiannon Leslie led the steers on behalf of the school. All animals did well and the school received:
- 2nd in the steer under 450kg class, with the Goolagong Angus Steer
- 3rd in the steer over 450kg class, with the Yaccamoo Charolais Steer
- Jemma Leighton was Champion School Handler
- Best Presented Steer with the Yaccamoo Charolais steer led by Rhiannon
- The Bundaleer Shorthorn steer received a competitive 3rd place
In the British Breed Sheep section the school exhibited 2 Border Leicester Rams and 2 Border Leicester Ewes receiving Champion Ewe and Ram.
For the first time the school entered the new “Grains” section with students researching weeds and snails and presenting posters for each category. The Year 9 Agriculture class created interactive posters for this section. The winner for the snail section was Hugh Rackham and the Weeds Section winner was Tanisha Wakefield and Chelsea Hombsch.
Kim Zohs
Agriculture Teacher
Country Health SA Undergraduate Scholarships for 2019 intake
Country Health SA Local Health Network (CHSALHN) is now inviting applications for the Country Health SA Undergraduate Scholarship 2019 academic year for students who are from country and rural South Australia.
Country Health SA is committed to providing a range of high quality health services in rural and remote South Australia to meet the needs of South Australians living in country areas. The Country Health SA Undergraduate Scholarship is one strategy that aims to increase the number of appropriately trained health professionals in rural and remote South Australia.
CHSA Undergraduate Scholarship.
Who Can Apply
- Full time students currently studying or about to commence an undergraduate degree at University.
- Applicants residing in country and rural South Australia
- People of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent are encouraged to apply.
Eligible Courses
- Scholarships may be awarded to the people studying in the following identified areas of shortage: Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Podiatry and Registered Nursing.
- If you have any questions about what is an eligible Country Health SA Local Health Network (CHSALHN) health discipline please visit the Country Health website or email healthcountryscholarships@sa.gov.au
Scholarship Funding
The Scholarship provides students with $5,000 per year in two half payments of $2,500 for up to four years study.
Additional information
Students are required to work for Country Health SA upon successful completion of their study for a period equivalent to the scholarship funding.
Closing date for applications is Wednesday 19 September 2018.
Further Information the scholarships, application process and eligibility criteria, and how to apply can be found on the Country Health SA website at:
http://sahealth.sa.gov.au/countryscholarships
St Ann’s College Inc.
St Ann’s College provides an inspiring environment where opportunities for education, broadly understood, are promoted. Students from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to contribute to a happy social environment where they can realise their full potential. The development of judgement, personal responsibility and consideration for others are high priorities.
For more information about St Ann’s College and 2019 Applications available through the electronic version of the newsletter.
Community News
Gladstone Swimming Pool
Annual General Meeting
Tuesday 4th September, 7.30pm
Gilbert White Centre, Fifth Street, Gladstone
New committee members for swimming club and management committee members needed.
Kelly Engineering
Apprenticeship in Metal Fabrication. To apply or for more information go to:
http://www.kellyengineering.com.au/careers/