12 December 2018

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Dear Parents,

With just a few days to go in the school year and staff and students finally beginning to see the holidays in their sights, now is a pertinent time to reflect on what has been a great year for Coolum State High School. Over the past twelve months we have worked hard on our uniform, our attendance and most importantly, our achievements throughout the entire student population. The Coolum community has been magnificently supportive in countless different ways and there is an air of positive expectation around our campus. Our Year 12s all graduated with their QCE and we have recorded the highest QCS Test mean in the history of our school. Things are looking bright!

Looking forward to next year, our Senior School teachers are ready after months of extra planning, for the introduction of the new approach to senior schooling in Queensland. Our sought after Academy programs are being flooded with student numbers and our student leaders have been chosen. We have welcomed our 2019 Year 7s in a very successful orientation day last week aimed at easing our new students into life at high school. For the rest of our students, I would encourage them to enjoy the upcoming break and think about what they want to have achieved by this time next year.

Overall, 2018 has shown that Coolum High kids are a force to be reckoned with and that we are, indeed, one of the best schools on the Sunshine Coast. Having observed the respect our students have displayed for our uniform and each other, I know the very high standards projected for 2019 will be exceeded by them. As a staff and a community, we have shown that we believe in these children and that they are highly talented and very capable. I’d like to congratulate all our Coolum State High School staff and students for a fantastic year and am very much looking forward to the year ahead.

To all our Coolum families, I am sure I am not alone in suggesting that it is time to recharge the batteries! Have a restful and safe break with your families enjoying this magnificent place we live. I look forward to seeing all of our students and their smiling faces next year, ready to strive for excellence!

Troy Ascott
Principal

Deputy Principal - Junior Secondary

Our Vision: That students have the confidence, desire and belief to succeed through strong foundations in literacy and numeracy.

2018 – A great year in Junior Secondary!

This year has been a fantastic year in Junior Secondary at Coolum State High School. Through high expectations and a determination to reach excellence, we have seen many great achievements this year.

Some things to note have been our school achieving its highest ever NAPLAN results in Year 9 Reading, Grammar and Punctuation, and our equal best result in Year 9 Numeracy. This has been the result of some excellent and committed work from both teachers and students.

There has been an undoubted improvement in our standards of uniform and behaviour. The pride and presentation of students in their uniforms is significantly up, and incidents of misbehaviour are significantly down. This is clear evidence of what we have been focussing on this year – when high standards and expectations are coupled with the support of the Coolum-Peregian community, our students can achieve anything.

We have been getting back to the research about what works best for young learners in this critical phase of brain development. Our partnership with Dr Mike Nagel from the University of the Sunshine Coast is going from strength to strength and we already have arranged to run more parent information sessions in Term 1 next year. I look forward to seeing many parents at these sessions next year.

But most of all, we are gaining the trust of our community. Through our relentless focus on improved standards, more and more families are choosing Coolum High to provide an excellent education for their children. It is amazing to think that we will have 700 students just in Junior Secondary in 2019!

Our work is not yet done, but we can be proud of what our students have achieved in 2018, with even better outcomes to come in 2019. We can all enjoy our holidays over the Christmas break, and look to 2019 with great enthusiasm and anticipation.

Terry Proctor
Deputy Principal Junior Secondary

Deputy Principal – Middle Secondary

Excellence in everything we do

What a year it has been at Coolum High! The accomplishments of our students are many and varied across all aspects of school life. As Deputy Principal- Middle Schooling I could not be more proud of our students and everything they have worked for and achieved.

I am looking forward to another successful year at Coolum State High School and continuing to work with our Year 10 cohort as Deputy Principal Senior Schooling and Inclusion.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our families and wish you all a safe and merry holiday season.

Emma Clarke
Deputy Principal Middle Secondary

Deputy Principal - Senior Secondary

As the 2018 school year draws to an end it is an opportunistic time to reflect on the great achievements that have occurred in senior school this year. Most notably, every Year 12 student achieving a Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE), the first time in Coolum SHS history. In addition to this wonderful achievement was the vast improvement in the Queensland Core skills (QCS) test results from our OP students. The improved results ensure our students receive the best possible OP score and opportunities at University. The improvement in academics, attendance, behaviour and uniform standards have been simply exceptional and place the next group of senior students in a great position for 2019.

As this was my first year at Coolum SHS I would like to thank the Coolum school community for a fantastic year filled with many highlights and successes. I wish the staff and students a safe and enjoyable Christmas break and look forward to another productive and successful year in 2019.

Lee Merrett
Deputy Principal Senior Secondary

Business Services News

Thank you for your support this year. We have worked very hard here at Coolum High to create a culture of excellence in everything we do; from how we wear our uniforms to exemplary behaviour right through to a positive paying culture. This means ensuring all your accounts are up to date and there is no debt on your account. To run a successful school, starting the year with current amounts is very important to the school’s financial health. Thank you for your ongoing cooperation as we make this school great.

Finalising your 2018 account

We require all accounts are brought up to date and payments are finalised for 2018 so that your account is current for 2019. Please note that if a negative amount appears on your statement this indicates that you are in credit OR we have provided an adjustment to your account. If there is no negative, it means you owe the amount.

Student Resource Scheme 2019

Thank you for returning your signed SRS forms for 2019, we have started invoicing the $300.00 fee. If you have not returned your SRS 2019 fees form please do so as soon as possible. Without your contribution and payment, it makes the purchase of much-needed resources more difficult.

Let’s work together to provide the best teaching and learning resources, equipment and facilities for our students. Paying your fees on time and in full is one of the ways that you can contribute to making their school experience even better.Your contribution is valuable and we thank you for your participation in the SRS. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns regarding your student’s account.

Year 10 Set Planning

Thank you to all the families that have finalised their child’s subject fees. Final payments are now due. If you have not made full payment by this time, your child may have to select non-fee subjects. Final payment must be received for fee subjects by Term 1, Week 4 next year.

QParents information

QParents is an Education Queensland Portal that allows parents to access their student’s financial invoices/payments, reports, absences/attendance and timetable all in one place. You are also able to make payments directly from this portal for outstanding invoices and is Education Queensland’s preferred method of payment. Please refer to the flyer below for more information.

I wish all our families a safe and happy holiday season. I hope you will have the chance to relax and unwind, ready for another exciting year at Coolum High.

Nolly Griffiths
Business Manager

P&C Executive

The P&C would like to thank all volunteers, staff and students for their support of the Association this year. We have been very fortunate to have had the help of dedicated and selfless parents and community members towards our varied fundraising efforts. We have enjoyed funding Coolum High students towards surfing, music camp, debating and many other ventures. Without the hard work of our volunteers and paid staff, we would not have had such a good year.

We have held various events such as the trivia night, fundraising at the Coolum Lawn Bowls Club, chocolate drives, sausage sizzles, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day raffles and the exciting Colour Run. We’ve also been able to support and recognise World Teachers Day and other school events such as providing breakfast for our hardworking Year 12 students before they undertook their exams. This would not have been possible without the school’s support and we thank the Executive Management Team of Coolum High for their commitment to our students and families to ensure that Coolum High is a school of excellence and high standards. I have no doubt that Coolum High is headed in the right direction and that the path will lead us to greatness.

Our focus for 2019 will be continued fundraising efforts towards an undercover bike shelter; supporting students in their academic, sporting and cultural endeavours; and providing healthy and delicious food from our renovated canteen later in Term one next year. We are working towards increasing our volunteer membership in 2019, which will help strengthen our fundraising work so we can continue to work with the school to provide funding for teaching and learning resources.

On behalf of the Coolum High P&C Association we wish all families a safe and relaxing holiday. We hope you will enjoy this summer break with your friends and families and return refreshed and ready for an exciting 2019.

Monica Kutt
Vice President

Sports News

Interschool Sport

We have just completed our third and final term of Interschool Sport for 2018, rounding out with the Year 9’s. The teams worked hard to gain positions in the finals with boys and girls touch, boys and girls volleyball, boys and girls basketball and boys’ soccer all scoring a finals birth. Final placings on completion of the finals day were:

1st - Boys Soccer
2nd – Boys Basketball
2nd – Girls Basketball
2nd – Boys Touch
3rd – Girls Touch
4th – Boys Volleyball
4th – Girls Volleyball
5th – Girls Soccer

Overall the interschool sport competition has provided some great challenges for our students, with Coolum accomplishing a podium finish for each year level in 2018.

Year 8 – 1st Place
Year 7 – 2nd Place
Year 9 – 3rd Place

Congratulations to all students throughout 2018 who trialed and were a part of a team. You all played an integral role in the success of the interschool sport program this year. Thank you also to the coaches throughout 2018: Mr Anderson, Mr Barrow, Ms Henderson, Mr McCabe, Mr Stewart and Mr Smyth.

Sports Coordinator 2019

In 2019, Eric Smyth will be taking over the role of Sports Coordinator at Coolum State High School. Eric can be contacted via email: esmyt15@eq.edu.au or phone: 54715333, please direct any communication regarding school, district, regional, interschool sport, or other sporting success to Eric.

Christina Fiducioso
Sports Coordinator

Touch Academy News

Last Tuesday, our Touch Football academy boys wrapped up their season by winning the local Coolum Touch Football season 6-4. The boys have had a stellar year, adding to the 2 Grand Final wins in the Noosa competition.

This year was a building year for Coolum Touch Football, as it was the first in a number of years that they have held a junior competition. I’d like to thank Sue Walsh and her team at Coolum Touch Association for their hard work and organisation in providing a quality competition for our local juniors.

We look forward to an equally successful 2019. If your child is interested in being involved in Touch Football, please contact the school office.

Eric Smyth
Touch Academy Coach

Staff in Focus

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