28 October 2020
Newsletter Articles
Principal’s Report
There have been many firsts in 2020 – most have been mentioned previously and throughout this very strange year, became commonplace.
Last Wednesday evening, the ‘first ever’ livestreaming of our Celebration of Excellence was widely viewed by our parents who could not attend the event. The event even went international with family members who have never been able to join us could, at least virtually, watch as their nieces, nephews and grandchildren, were acknowledged for their academic, community and sporting achievements.
We could not be more proud of our students. We keep going on about how different 2020 has been for everyone but it has been particularly challenging for our students as they navigated their way through quarantine, online learning, social distancing, the ‘new’ senior and external exams.
Our students worked so hard throughout the year, they deserved to be publicly recognised, as they are in every other year. All the restrictions in 2020 were never going to stop us from making sure that the Coolum community knew what incredibly talented and resilient students we have at Coolum High.
Last Friday, our Year 12 students had their last timetabled class as external exams got underway on Monday. Our students celebrated the occasion by wearing bright, Hawaiian style shirts and our every supportive P&C provided a lunchtime barbeque.
We know that the students have done as much as they possibly can to ensure that they are now on a clear path to success. We are so proud of their resilience, the mateship, understanding and compassion they have shown each other throughout 2020. Congratulations Year 12, you have surpassed all expectations and we wish you every success in the next couple of weeks of external exams.
I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the work of our simply amazing teachers on World Teachers’ Day. I am so grateful to be supported by such a wonderful team of teaching staff here at Coolum State High School. Our teachers are the backbone of our school who always go above and beyond to ensure our students receive the very best educational outcomes.
Troy Ascott
Principal
Deputy Principal - Junior Secondary Year 8 & 9
Our Vision: That students have the confidence, desire and belief to succeed through strong foundations in literacy and numeracy.
Cyber Safety
On Tuesday last week our Year 7, 8 and 9 students were involved in proactive information and education presentations about the importance of cyber safety. These were presented by representatives from the Department of Education.
Students were informed about the importance of having very tight security settings on their social media accounts, not to allow unknown people to ‘follow’ them on social media, and not to get involved in chat groups with people who they do not know.
Whilst many adults think about social media when it comes to cyber safety, it was also made clear to students that online gaming platforms (Xbox, PlayStation etc.) are just as prolific and dangerous in the area of cyber bullying.
Students were educated about appropriate behaviours and images in the online space, as their ‘digital footprint’ remains forever. Some students were also surprised to hear that approximately 90% of future employers conduct google searches or other online searches of potential employees.
I would like to thank Mr Koch for his work in organising these important sessions for our students.
Terry Proctor
Deputy Principal Junior Secondary
Deputy Principal –Senior Secondary Year 10, 11 & 12
The first few weeks of Term 4 has gone by in a hurry and the senior External Exams are now only a few sleeps away. The students have been prepped and ready to attack anything that comes their way. Students have received the exam schedule and Mr Sean Sweeney has been very thorough in ensuring they have the right equipment for the right exam on the right day! We wish the students the best of luck in their upcoming assessment and know they will put in their best effort.
Students who are completing applied subjects or Vocational Education courses are to still attend their regular timetabled classes until their assessment/course has been successfully and satisfactorily completed. Students are able to work in the Senior Study Hub to access their teachers and get any last minute advice prior to exams. Students have received a ‘Record of Completion’ Form – this will be used to ensure all course work has been completed, resources returned to the library, a suitable post-school pathway planned with our Guidance Officers, and an agreement signed by the student and parent/carer. Once this has been completed, students do not need to attend school until Wednesday 18 November for the formal Graduation Ceremony.
At this stage, the formal Graduation Ceremony will be held at Coolum State Primary School. Unfortunately, due to current COVID-19 restrictions, parents and carers are unable to attend, however, if rules and regulations change in the coming weeks, we will move mountains to ensure the attendance of family members/carers. We will communicate this with you via phone, email and mail.
Student attendance is required for one final event, the Clap Out Ceremony, on Thursday 19 November. Students need to arrive at Coolum SHS by 8:30am and be dressed in full formal school uniform. They go directly to the Performing Arts building and will then be taken to our school hall for the last roll call and subject awards. We will communicate with parents if their attendance is allowed, according to the most up-to-date COVID restrictions. We understand that you would all love to see your child in these ceremonies however we will continue to communicate with you regarding this. We thank you for your patience and understanding.
YEAR 11 exams will take place in Week 5. Student attendance is only expected for scheduled exams and they need to come dressed in their school uniform. Students who are absent on the day of exams must provide medical documentation to the Administration staff. We wish this group the very best for their end of Year 11 exams.
I would like to proudly congratulate the following students for attaining a leadership position in 2021. It was a very tough decision for the staff and students to make. We know these students will do an excellent job.
School Captains: Charlotte Luck and Ethan Irvine
School Vice Captains: Ziah Harvey and Tom Oxley
Student Council Presidents: Taryn Smith and Kai Weith
Student Council Vice Presidents: Sequoya Miller and Callum White
Emma Curnow
Acting Deputy Principal Senior Secondary Year 10, 11 & 12
Business Services News
Thank you to all the families that made a substantial payment towards their student’s fees. Please ensure you check your Statement of Account for your outstanding amount. A reminder again that a negative amount means you are in credit. We will be finalizing invoicing of fee paying subjects in the coming weeks once we have confirmed student subject choices.
The school accepts Centrelink or BPOINT as payment plan options should you be experiencing financial difficulties. I encourage you to contact the office if you would like to discuss your payment options.
Please be aware we are in the process of installing boom gates for the safety of our students on the entrance to our two staff carparks. Please do not turn in to these carparks as this will cause more congestion and you will not have the access to enter.
I would like to wish the Year 12 students all the best in their final exams.
Nicky Condon
Acting Business Manager
Sport
Our junior AFL teams had the bye last week played Sunshine Beach SHS the week before. The boys were dominant in their game, running out 25 point victors and our girls who are predominantly year 7, went down to the much more experienced Sunshine Beach girls.
Junior Girls – 1-2-8 def. by SBSHS 8-10-58
Junior Boys – 6-4-40 def. SBSHS 2-3-15
Well done to the U14 Rugby Union boys, getting a win over James Nash 2, 44-5 in their first game. Unfortunately, the boys lost in their 2 games against Chancellor and James Nash 1 at Maroochydore last week. Today, they travel to Gympie to take on Victory College.
.jpg)
Our Intermediate Basketball Boys recently travelled to Brisbane to contest the State Championships. Their championships was highlighted by a come from behind win in their last game against a physical Keebra Park side to take the win 35 – 30. Thanks to coaches, Mr Sinclair and Mr Stewart as well as Ms Goodacre and Ms Fiducioso for allowing this opportunity for our team.
The Coolum Netball Development Academy team had a great day at the Nambour Carnival on Sunday. They came runners up in their division. A big thank to the academy coach, Wendy Clements, for all of her efforts in preparing the team for this event.
Well done to our Cricketers who recently played against Grammar in the T20 knockout competition. Whilst we didn’t come away with the win, it proved to be a great experience for all. Special mention to our year 8 boys, Jack and Byron stepping up to play in the opens. Thanks to Mr Bloomfield coaching the team.
Friday Futsal concluded last week with the highly favoured Mateship (yr11 boys) defeating Bananas in Pyjamas (yr9 boys) in the final. They didn’t do it easy however, with BiP scoring first to take an early lead before Mateship showed their dominance to score 4 consecutively. Well done to all teams involved and Ms. Fiducioso for organising the competition.
Good luck to our boys in years 7 – 10 who play today in the Justin Hodges 9s Rugby League competition.
The following representative sports are currently open for nomination:
- 13 – 19 Years Triathlon
See me in the hall staffroom to nominate.
Eric Smyth
Sports Co-ordinator
Languages
Japanese
JAP082E had the pleasure of being able to apply their Kanji knowledge in a cultural activity in Week 2. Miss Walsh bought Calligraphy brushes, Calligraphy ink, paper, cardboard and bowls and we all students got to try their hand at 書道 (shodou – Japanese Calligraphy).
Our current unit is travel and festivals and the students have recently learnt the stroke order and readings of the four seasons:
Autumn 秋
Winter 冬
Summer 夏
Spring 春
Some of our very creative students also used coloured card and images to represent and accompany the seasons. They looked stunning and for their first time, they did an incredible job! Well done Year 8!
Jenifer Walsh
Japanese Teacher
Dates for your Diary
|
TERM 4 2020 |
|
|
18 November |
Year 12 Graduation |
|
19 November |
Last Day for Year 12 students – clap out |
|
24 November |
Principal Tour 9.00am |
|
27 November |
Last Day for Year 10 & 11 |
|
1 December |
Orientation Day for Year 7’s 2021 |
|
9 December |
Last Day of School for 2020 |
|
27 January 2022 |
First day of school for 2021 |
|
Tutorials – Homework Club Reminder to all that we have Tutorials in the Library every Wednesday from 3:00pm – 4:15pm. Teachers from across all areas will be available for support with homework, assignments and extra assistance with class work. It has been great to see more and more students coming and we are looking forward to its ongoing success in this conducive environment with a group of fantastic teachers from all curriculum areas. Proudly supported by White’s IGA - Fresh and Local – Supporting our communities at Peregian Beach & Mount Coolum
|
Tutorials – Term 4
|
Getting the best out of Tutorials Term 4 Why attend Tutorials? Tutorials are designed to complement classroom lessons. In classes, content, skills and activities are presented by a teacher to a large number of students (i.e. up to 28 students). discuss the content and teach skills. Tutorials are less formal than classes and are conducted in smaller groups, and also one on one. Best still our teachers do this based on good will, i.e. for the students. Tutorials give you the opportunity to actively engage with the course content and get to know other students and teachers, in a relaxed and conducive environment. Questions about the information presented in the classes can be clarified, for example, how best to approach an assessment task. As a result, tutorials can improve:
You can learn from a variety of other teachers (i.e. different perspectives) and you can utilise other students’ knowledge, also known as peer tutoring. This means that tutorials can save you study time and help you to prepare for assignments and exams. Your role in Tutorials Tutorials can be stimulating and also a lot of fun. However, their success depends on the participation of the students. You will get more out of a tutorial if you:
Preparing effectively for Tutorials You need to be prepared to participate actively in your tutorials. The more preparation you do, the more valuable the tutorial will be for you. Consider:
Frequently asked questions Q. Where are tutorials held? Q. When are tutorials on? Q. Are students supervised? Q. Are students given snacks at tutorials? Q. Are tutorials for Maths and Science only? Consider forming a study group with other students to tackle studies, homework, understanding classwork and assessment tasks. Proudly supported by White’s IGA - Fresh and Local – Supporting our communities at Peregian Beach & Mount Coolum
|
Bus Pass Information 2020
Q: What is a Buslink Bus Pass?
A: The Queensland Government’s School Transport Assistance Scheme (STAS) provides assistance to enable eligible school students to attend education facilities. The Buslink Bus pass is distributed if you are eligible for such assistance
Q: Will I need to apply for a new bus pass for 2020?
A: If the below circumstances have changed for you and/or your student then you will need to apply for a new Buslink Bus Pass:
- your child is moving from primary school to secondary school
- you have changed address
- you have changed travel days
- you have enrolled them at a different school
Q: What happens if I currently have a Buslink Bus Pass and my circumstances haven’t changed?
A: Buslink will automatically print off a 2020 Buslink Bus pass for you and you will need to collect it from either your AM Buslink Bus Driver or at published pick up points at your school.
Q: How do I apply for a Buslink school travel pass?
A: Your child may be eligible for free bus travel. To download an application form head to your bus service Sunshine Coast. You can email your completed application to info.sunshinecoast@buslink.com.au or post to 11 Page St, Kunda Park Qld 4556.
If you don’t have access to a printer you’re welcome to ask one of our friendly Buslink drivers or come in to our office for an application.
Q: If my student is ineligible for a full Buslink Bus Pass travel, and only eligible for a Part Buslink Bus Pass, how do I pay the top up fare?
Students with a Buslink part pass (part payment) can purchase single, daily or weekly tickets from the bus driver using cash. If your student is travelling Monday to Friday in both morning and afternoons, it is cheaper to purchase a weekly ticket as you’ll receive a day free travel. Please do not pay your top up with a Go Card or you will be paying the full fare.
Q: If I’m not eligible for a Buslink Bus Pass, can I still travel on a Buslink Bus and how do I pay a fare?
If a student doesn’t qualify for a Buslink pass they will be required to pay the full cash fare or purchase a Go Card to save up to 30% off the full fare.
Q: If I or my child need a reminder of the Code of Conduct where do we find this information?
Buslink Buses are governed by the Code of Conduct. Similar to schools we have an expectation of behaviour that is acceptable on each bus and if that behaviour is breached then students will receive consequences for their behaviour. To view the code please go to: Code of conduct