25 October 2018

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Dear Parents,

I’d like to extend a warm welcome back to all of our students and their families to what is one of the most exciting times for our Seniors. In particular, Term 4 holds a heady finality for our Year 12s with the end of thirteen years of schooling firmly in their sights and a number of important milestones and ceremonies lending to the celebratory feel of graduation and starting adult life. That old saying of, “When one door closes another opens,” is particularly pertinent at this time, but as a die-hard pragmatist, I would ask that every parent and student has a key to that new door or at least an idea of where it might be.

Every student in Year 12 must at this stage of the year have a plan concerning their post-school destination in either university, further training or employment. As parents and educators, we must focus our attention on positioning our students for success after school: the importance of having a pathway in place at this very moment to courses, careers or other opportunities is enormous considering the timeframes facing our Year 12s. I spoke in the general school newsletter about encouraging our students to challenge themselves outside the confines of Coolum itself and in particular the wide range of courses offered by the Sunshine Coast University where applications are still open for 2019. Whether your child has decided to invest their current future in university, TAFE, an apprenticeship, traineeship or employment I would implore you to ensure they have made that decision. If not, now is the time to have an open conversation with them about forging a plan as a matter of urgency. I am passionate about ensuring our talented school leavers have the key to that new door and with only three weeks left in the ‘known’ security of the Coolum SHS campus, those classroom doors will soon close for the final time.

Troy Ascott
Principal

Deputy Principal - Senior Secondary

Welcome back to Term 4, a very important time for our Year 12 students as they transition from high school into the big wide world. Friday November 16, Week 6, is the official last day for Year 12 students. An exciting time to reflect on 12 years of schooling. Over the remaining weeks the senior schooling team will be working with the Year 12 cohort to ensure they all have clear destinations and pathways for 2019. It is so important to engage with further education, training or meaningful employment before the end of Year 12. While historically some students like the idea of a gap year, research has identified that it makes the transition back into an education setting a more difficult proposition.

On Friday we will be taking all Year 12 students who are considering a university pathway as an option in 2019 to the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) to see firsthand what life is like for a first year university student. A representative from Sunshine Coast TAFE will be speaking to our non OP students about viable study and course options at their local campuses. This is an important time for our Year 12 students as they transition from high school student into the wider community and ensuring they have all of the information to make informed decisions about their future destinations.

Block exams will be slightly different for our senior students at the end of this term. Year 12 students will complete assessment by the end of Week 5 and are required to attend each and every day. Year 10 and 11 students will be entering an external block exam period in Week 8 and this requires students to only attend school when they have an exam identified on their timetable. Students will be given an individual exam timetable later in the term.

On Wednesday evening, Week 4, we have the opportunity to celebrate the academic and sporting excellence demonstrated in 2018 by Coolum SHS students at our Annual Awards Evening. Information has been sent home to parents of those students who will be receiving an award. To ensure that the night is a massive success we have made several changes to eligibility requirements to receive an award. One change has been that students must attend the event in order to qualify for an award. Please refer to the information that which has been emailed home to parents.

Lee Merrett
Deputy Principal Senior Secondary

Business Services News

Certificate Fees

Senior School is a very important time in the life of your student and on-time payment of Student Resource Scheme, subject fees and certificate fees is essential. Without full payment of fees, your student’s place in the certificate or subject may be affected, including removal from that subject, if we do not receive payment by the set dates and times. The fees for certificate courses for 2019 are due now. Please ensure you make payment. Payment of all other fees are also due. This will ensure that your student is eligible to participate in the end of year activities, particularly the Year 12 Inaugural Graduation Ceremony to be held on Tuesday 13 November at Calvary Christian Church.

Student Resource Scheme 2019

I want to thank all families that have contributed to SRS this year and previous years. Your contribution is very much valued by the school and without your participation we would not be able to support our students. Please support the scheme and help Coolum State High School be the best it can be.

Fee payment contributes to the ability of the school to purchase much needed resources. When it comes to certificate courses, full payment is of utmost significance because without payment your student will not receive their certificate and it could affect their potential to graduate.

We have not increased the SRS for the past three years and once again the school and the P&C has endorsed it to remain at $300 for 2019 for all year levels. The 2019 SRS fee will be invoiced this term and is due by the end of Term 2, 2019. All students have received their SRS form. Please complete and sign the 2019 SRS form and return it to the Administration Office as soon as possible.

Nolly Griffiths
Business Manager

Tutorials – Term 4

Getting the best out of Tutorials

Vocational Education and Training (VET)

Course Completion – Year 12 students

With only weeks remaining until our Year 12s reach the end of their time at Coolum State High School, it is important that students are making sure that they have met all the requirements to be awarded their VET qualifications upon graduation. Please ensure that the school is aware of your child’s USI number as this is a legislative requirement to enable a qualification to be issued.

Well done to our students who have recently completed all requirements for their school-based traineeships. The feedback from employers around commitment and dedication to your workplace responsibilities has been outstanding.

“Hello World” – Southbank TAFE

In Week 10, our Year 11 vocational pathways students participated in their final “Hello World” experience for 2018. We visited Southbank TAFE to explore potential course offerings available as plans are made around transitioning into further education, training or employment.

Students enjoying seeing the first class training facilities available and were impressed by the practical nature of the courses and industry partnerships they are able to take advantage of when undertaking a course with TAFE.

School-Based Apprenticeships and Traineeship Opportunities (SATs)

Under a SAT arrangement, a senior school student is released from school time to undertake an apprenticeship or traineeship in their chosen field. Current opportunities are shown below:

Current Vacancies

Full Time Apprenticeships

These opportunities are not school based. They would suit those looking to leave school as a priority and transition into the workforce.

Current Vacancies

Certificate II Kitchen Operations

Held in the Coastal Cookery Trade Training Centre located at Maroochydore SHS and delivered in partnership with TAFE Queensland. Students attend one day a week and have the opportunity to participate in a range on and off-site functions. This certificate focuses on back-of-house skills in food preparation and cookery. For further information, please speak to a staff member at the VET office.

New Trade Courses 2019

In 2019 TAFE Queensland is running a new Certificate II in Plumbing program in Nambour and will be continuing the Certificate I in Construction program. These programs are both specifically designed to kick start careers in plumbing and construction

Contact: Mark Robertson, Team Leader, Construction and Resources
p: 5457 1407 e: Mark.Robertson@tafe.qld.edu.au
w: https://tafeqld.edu.au/courses/ways-you-can-study/tafe-at-school.html

Free TAFE for Year 12 Graduates

To support Year 12 graduates into work, the Queensland Government offers free TAFE in high priority areas. If you are getting ready to graduate Year 12 in 2018 or finished school in 2017, you can kick-start your career by getting the skills employers want without the fees.

Please contact me on pwald9@eq.edu.au or 5471 5321 to discuss matters relating to Vocational Education and Training within the school.

Patrick Walden
Head of Department - Vocational Education and Training (VET)

Head of Year 12 News

In the Senior Secondary phase of education, Queensland students have all of their study “banked” with the QCAA – the official authority for senior education in Queensland. This provides a location for schools and students to check on QCE and OP status and monitor their progress towards achieving the goals of their senior pathway. The collection of all a student’s study in the senior phase is often referred to as their learning account.

Students can access their learning account through a website called Student Connect below, and can see their school study, VET study and other forms of study all in one place. They can also do estimates of their QCE credits based on the information that is available. Students can log into Student Connect using a Learner Unique Identifer (LUI) and a password. If your child does not have their LUI available, they can check with the school and we can provide it to them. On the first occasion they log into Student Connect, they will have a default password which is based on their date of birth in the form of four digits (ddmm). For example, a student born on December 25th would have a password of 2512.

Once the student logs in for the first time, they will be prompted to change their password and provide a non-school email address. This email address needs to be available after the student completes Year 12, so a school email address is not appropriate.

Once your child logs in for the first time they can see their learning that is so far recorded in their account. Progressively as a student goes through the senior phase of learning, their account will be updated as more learning is added and results are included.

Please encourage your child to log into Student Connect so that they are able to monitor their own progress towards successful completion of their schooling. If they have any problems, there are staff in the school who can assist.

Sean Sweeney
Head of Senior Schooling

University Sunshine Coast News

All about scholarships and bursaries

If your child is considering study at USC next year, now’s the time to apply for a scholarship or bursary, which can provide significant financial help to families. And your child doesn’t need to be a ‘straight A’ student to be eligible!

What are scholarships and bursaries?

Scholarships and bursaries help students fund their education by covering some of the costs associated with university study. This can include tuition fees, textbooks, or costs associated with work placements, internships or study-related travel. The costs covered depend on the individual scholarship or bursary.

New students can apply for many of USC’s scholarships and bursaries before they even start their degree.

Who is eligible?

Students can be eligible for a scholarship based on academic performance, sporting achievements or community service, or a combination of all these things.

Scholarships at USC range in value from $500 for a one-semester bursary to $32,000 over the course of a full degree.

USC also offers some bursaries based on financial need, like the USC Equity Bursary and Study Support Bursary. These are designed to help low-income students reduce hours of paid work and focus on achieving their study goals.

Eligibility and selection criteria for each individual scholarship or bursary are available on the USC website. Some scholarships require students to be enrolled in a particular program or course – this information is displayed under the selection criteria.

How can my child apply?

Scholarship applications for Semester 1, 2019 are open now and close on 30 November.

For most undergraduate scholarships and bursaries, students only need to fill out one online application form, even if they are applying for more than one scholarship. Students can event apply before they have received on offer.

For more information visit How to apply for a USC Scholarship.

Student Services Year 12

Welcome back to our very last term in Year 12! The previous couple of weeks have whizzed by and we will be at Week 6 before we know it.

The next four weeks are packed full of events for our Year 12 students with multiple events happening every week.

It’s full steam ahead with preparations on our Graduation Ceremony which takes place on Tuesday 13 November. This will be a first in Coolum High’s history and we are all getting very excited. Your students will come home in the next few days with an invitation. You will find all the relevant details on the invitation and we would love to see as many of you as possible at this prestigious and elegant event.

Your students will be the first graduates from our school to wear a cap and gown (provided by the school) at this evening Ceremony. This is a reflection of just how proud the whole school community is of their efforts. Dress code will be semi-formal for guests and for the students. The school will be gifting the cap to the students afterwards as a keepsake.

In an effort to make their transition into the real world as seamless as possible, following is some key information:

At every Friday’s CCC lesson (period 3), there will be a dedicated presentation on life after school. Various presenters who each have a wide range of knowledge to impart from Surviving Schoolies Week, to police matters, to being safe in general, have been booked. These presentations will run for the first five weeks of Term 4. So far, we have had a very informative talk from Diesel and Dave, both Road Policing Unit Officers. These experienced local police were able to give the students some invaluable words of wisdom around driving, drugs and the horrors that can be associated if they make the wrong choices. Judging by the questions, the kids were incredibly interested and took away some excellent lessons.

Friday October 26 (Week 3). - Trip to USC. For those students who have logged a QTAC application or have completed a Certificate 111 or IV, a free trip to USC has been organised. This is a very rare opportunity for our students to actually see first-hand what happens at University. This is compulsory for the invited students. A permission form has been handed to your students – please complete the form so they can take part in this great opportunity.

Wednesday October 31 (Week 4). Awards Ceremony (Coolum Primary Hall). Details to come.

Friday 2 November (Week 4). P&C Colour Run (our school oval).

Week 6 (FINAL WEEK OF SCHOOL)

• Final Full School Assembly. Rehearsal for Graduation Ceremony all day Monday 12 November (at the venue – students will be bussed there and back).
• Tuesday 13 November – Students are expected to attend for periods 1 and 2 and can then go home. Graduation Ceremony in evening.
• Wednesday 14 November – last class day with teachers (normal school day)
• Thursday 15 November – last class day with teachers (normal school day)

Friday 16 November – Clap Out Ceremony at our School Hall 9.00am – 9.55am. Students in full school formal uniform. This is the last time our Year 12s will grace the stage at Coolum High and it is lovely opportunity for the rest of the students to farewell the Year 12s as they exit the school for the last time. We would love to see you and your families at this event.

Lastly, please feel free to contact me regarding any issues you or your child may have leading into this final straight. From planned absences, to medical appointments, issues with other students, anxiety around leaving – a problem shared is a problem halved. I am here to ensure that your student is happy, studying hard and as ready as they can be for their life beyond the school gates. Together we can all make that happen.

Alison Venning
Head of Year 12

Science News

During the September school holidays (Sunday 23 September – Friday 28 September) two of our outstanding Year 11 STEM students (Olivia Williams & Ben Dundon) along with 160 other Year 11 students attended the fully funded Vice-Chancellor's science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) camp which provides high-achieving Year 11 students with an exciting opportunity to attend an interactive camp, while engaging in solving some of the major challenges facing our society and planet today.

Students take advantage of the QUT learning environment and have an opportunity to experience ground-breaking research as it happens, inside the QUT world-class research facilities.

Below are articles Olivia and Ben wrote about their experience.

Olivia Williiams:

How did I spend the holidays? I spent an engaging five days at the Queensland University of Technology with 159 other science enthusiasts. Considering I am undecided on a degree or campus to study at I was thrilled by the opportunities this STEM Camp offered. The days consisted of presentations by academics from different STEM fields, project time, and activities such as a mini career expo and an entrepreneur challenge. Out of the ten projects offered I was in ‘Water Solutions for a Safer Bhutan’ which focused on civil and water engineering. The challenge was to determine a solution to reduce the risk of glacial lake outburst floods or inland tsunamis for glacial lakes located around 4000m above sea level in Bhutan. From our project leader’s knowledge of siphons, we modified the original idea to drain a lake to a safe level.

Aside from the project I enjoyed meeting new people and speaking with student ambassadors about their studies and university experience. The theme of the camp was ‘STEM stories’ so many presentations we listened to revolved around their journeys to where they are today. Eventually I hope to have an inspiring story to share with other students. From this camp I believe I found clarity regarding future studies. Currently I’m leaning towards a double degree in mathematics and either engineering or science at QUT. I would strongly recommend this camp to Year 10 students excelling in STEM.

Ben Dundon:

"The QUT Vice-Chanellor's STEM camp was far and above one of the best experiences of my life. Having the opportunity to meet with people of similar interests and knowledge bases to me, as well as getting an insight into university life from both experience and stories from our "STEM Ambassadors", was both inspiring and enlightening as it gave me an idea of what to expect from my future. Overall, the QUT Vice-Chancellor's STEM camp has significantly re-inforced my views on how I want to spend my future with regards to university, and has me looking forward to what is to come."

Paul Olsen
Head of Science

Debating News

On Wednesday 17 October our Senior Debating Team (Tyler, Sarina and Mika) versed Sunshine Beach State High in the semi-final round of the Sunshine Coast School’s Debating Competition and WON!

The topic was “That employers should be required to enact gender employment quotas” and we were negative.

Our team is through to the Grand Final, which was held on Wednesday 24 October at the Innovation Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast.

We versed Sunshine Coast Grammar for the trophy. While we did not win, the team showed immense skill, determination and a sense of humour. Congratulations on an amazing effort.

Colette Webber
Teacher/Debating Coordinator

Year 11 Ryda Excursion

Last Friday 19 October the Year 11 cohort attended the Ryda Program.

The combined Rotary Clubs of Noosa, Noosa Heads, Noosa Daybreak and Cooroy joined forces again, assisting in taking 94 of our students through the RYDA (Rotary Youth Driver Awareness) Program at The House with No Steps at Doonan.

The program sees students taking one day out of school, to receive practical road safety information targeting attitude and awareness of young drivers and their passengers. RYDA targets 16-18-year-old students and includes six interactive sessions delivered to small student groups covering topics such as hazards and distractions, speed and stopping distance, vehicle safety, fatigue and experiences of a crash survivor. RYDA Committee Chairman, Geoff Bone said ‘if even one life can be saved from this training then it’s all worthwhile’.

Dates for your Diary