19 October 2022

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

The 2022 school year is very quickly coming to an end but before it does, there are still events and milestones for our Year 12 students to experience. The Hawaiian Shirt Day and Colour Fun Run on Friday 21 October is always lots of fun before the seriousness sets in for the all-important external exams starting on Monday 24 October. We know the students have done everything possible to position themselves for success during the exam period.

The Graduation Ceremony will be held on Thursday 17 November at the Minyama Rooms, Novotel Twin Waters. This event will see our graduates wearing formal academic attire and mortar board. Details of this prestigious event have been emailed to parents and we are very much looking forward to seeing as many of our parent community at this event, the culmination of a long thirteen years of schooling for our students.

The final event is the Guard of Honour on Friday 10 November when our Year 12 students will be celebrated and farewelled for the last time as they leave Coolum High in what will be a very emotional event for students and their parents.

We are so proud of the students’ resilience, the mateship, understanding and compassion that they have shown each other throughout 2022. Congratulations Year 12, you have surpassed all expectations and we wish you every success in the next couple of weeks of external exams.

We have recently received the outcome of the 2022 Next Step survey which all Queensland secondary schools participate in, providing very helpful information regarding our 2021 graduates’ post-school pathways. While Coolum High has continued its strong academic pathways with 35.9% entering bachelor degrees, we also recorded the lowest ever number of students seeking work, and the highest ever number of students entering apprenticeships. While we are not perfect, the survey results demonstrate the continuing development of our school in providing high quality outcomes for students.

Findings from the report that came out of the recent School and Region Review, will form the basis of the school’s 4-year strategic plan with a Governance Committee assisting in providing planning direction, oversight and guidance. The Review was a very important and valuable experience, and we are excited to begin discussions around our path for the school’s future direction.

2023 planning has also well and truly begun. In particular, current Year 6 students will have an full-day orientation on Tuesday 29 November, Academy Program Expressions of Interest are available, and all students are encouraged to apply for a Program of their choice. Also, current enrolments are already on track for a record number in 2023, opening up further opportunities for our students.

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the work of our simply amazing teachers on World Teachers’ Day on 28 October. 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

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. This program, which has the support of all State and Territory Education Ministers, will assess the literacy and numeracy learning of students in all Australian government and non-government schools.

The results from these tests provide important information to schools about what students can do. The information gathered also works to help support teaching and learning programs in schools. Parents will receive a report indicating their child’s level of achievement. Each student’s level of achievement will be reported against the agreed national benchmarks of student achievement

In 2023, students at Coolum State High School will again undertake the NAPLAN tests online. This will be our second year of running tests through the NAPLAN online environment, and students will be required to use their own devices to do so. The important change for 2023, is that the tests will occur in Term 1, between 15 and 27 March 2023.

More information will be provided to students and families with regards requirements for undertaking Naplan early in Term 1 2023.

For your information regarding NAPLAN Online and Protecting Privacy, please click on the below link:

Rebecca McCann
Deputy Principal (Acting)

Deputy Principal - Years 7 and 8

Junior Secondary News

With the release of interim reports and NAPLAN results, it is timely to reflect on the positive disposition of our learners at Coolum State High School. The strong academic performance of our students is due to the combined efforts of all members of our school community. Students, parents and teachers have worked towards shared goals to ensure that our students have achieved excellence when compared to others in our state with respect to key benchmarks of numeracy and literacy. Parental conversations about all forms of assessment, including NAPLAN, are intrinsic to academic success. To put it simply: our attitudes inform those of our students. We support each other when we focus on maximizing student effort and promoting a growth mindset towards assessment. With respect to NAPLAN, this external assessment gives teachers a snapshot of students’ individual progressions and can be a valuable tool to aid with differentiation. Parental support for student achievement at Coolum SHS is vital for our continued success.

To continue our focus on student success, I am proud to announce that we will select Junior Secondary student leaders for 2023. Eligible students will be shortlisted and leaders will ultimately be determined by student vote. Successful candidates will be announced in Week 6 and parental support and encouragement of potential Junior Leaders is vital. I look forward to presenting you with these future leaders.

World Teachers Day is 28 October and I would like to celebrate the amazing efforts of our teachers. So many inspirational staff go above and beyond expectations, whether preparing individual lessons or contributing to extra-curricular activities. Our dedicated teachers volunteer to facilitate a Homework Centre each Wednesday in the library until 3.45pm, when students can access tutoring and assistance with assessment. Academies are also facilitated by volunteer teachers and are open for 2023 with Expression of Interest forms available on the school website. A simple “Thank you” is never expected but always appreciated by our dedicated teachers.

YONDR Pouches continue to secure a safe and productive learning environment for our students. I would like to yet again acknowledge the continued parental support for our commitment to quality learning. Numerous academic studies have suggested that unrestricted access to smart phones and social media can have a detrimental impact on our students’ wellbeing and academic success. Wellbeing and success are our core business and we have been inundated with requests for visits from schools all over the state to see YONDR in action. We are continuing to explore how to best support students, parents and teachers in maintaining our students’ success and parents may receive a phone call this term to confirm your child is complying with our policy. Working together, we can provide our students with the best possible educational environment.

Our learning culture is underpinned by the Coolum Code. This provides students with clear expectations about routines in every classroom. Routines are particularly important during the Junior Secondary phase of learning, when students develop habits that ensure academic success for the entirety of their journey at Coolum SHS. The code is displayed in all classrooms and provides a visual reminder about how students can strive to succeed. The current focus is, “Being prepared for class”. This means students know that they must bring all of the correct books and equipment and are ready to learn every lesson. A big thanks to all of our parents who, like me, take a few minutes each evening to check that their child has ensured that they have: all the things needed for tomorrow; a current timetable; a charged laptop.

Lisa Fowler
Deputy Principal Years 7 and 8

Deputy Principal - Years 9 and 10

Year 10 Exam Block

Year 10 students will have an exam block in Week 8 of this term. This is the first exam block that the students will have participated in and is a very important step in the process of being prepared for success in years 11 and 12.

More specific information about the Week 8 Exam Block will come out later in the term.

Attendance

We continue to chase improvement at Coolum State High School and one unrelenting area of focus is student attendance. Attendance at school keeps students up to date with their learning and assessment requirements, builds relationships with teachers, and gives students regular and supportive contact with their peers.

As the successful transition into a positive career is one of the goals of a secondary education, it is absolutely necessary that students attend school each and every day.

Positive attendance and academic results can set students up for great success in the senior years. As the schoolwork becomes more difficult, coming to school every day is vital to ensure students have the best chances of success.

Safe travel to and from school

With our ever-growing Coolum-Peregian community, there are more people and traffic moving around schools and local streets than ever before.

As a school we sometimes receive concerns from our community about our students unsafely crossing roads or not giving due care and attention when riding bikes on roads or scooters/skateboards on footpaths.

With the popularity of e-scooters, the school has received a number of concerns about both the speed and manner in which students are travelling on their e-scooters. Travelling at such high speeds around crowded streets and footpaths is very dangerous and, in fact, illegal.

The Queensland Government rules/laws for e-scooter use can be found here:

With this in mind, I would like to ask all families to talk with their children about safe travel to and from school. This is an important issue, as with more cars on the roads and students in our community, any accident could potentially be very serious.

Terry Proctor
Deputy Principal Years 9 and 10

Deputy Principal – Years 11 and 12

I cannot believe that as you are reading this, our Year 12 students will be on the countdown to their final days of school in the lead up to their External exams and completion of course work. This year has been one of highs and lows, with student leaders inducted at the Investiture Ceremony in Term 1, a large attendance at the dawn ANZAC Day service, the celebrations and extravagance at the Midwinter Ball, the student of the week awards each week on Year Level Assembly, and coming this Friday, the Hawaiian Colour Run.

We know our students are as prepared as they can be for their External Exams. There has been strong attendance at our Saturday Study Sessions which is a great indication that our students are committed to great results and are focused. You can support your child over these exam weeks by ensuring they have some time away from devices, get a lot of rest, eat well, and take time out for their wellbeing.

Students who are scheduled for morning exams must be at school no later than 8.30am, and students who are scheduled for afternoon exams must be at school no later than 11:30am. Students will be required for all External exams. Any absences must be communicated to school as soon as possible so we can support you and your child in following QCAA processes. A Schoolzine was sent to all parents and carers recently which outlined key dates and included a link to the QCAA Illness and Misadventure form. This form must be completed by a GP or medical specialist and provided to the school within 24 hours. For all questions and concerns, please call the school in the first instance and the Senior Team will be able to help you.

Good luck to all of our Year 12 students as they move into their final stage of learning.

Save the date:

Our Year 11 students are currently in their exam block. We hope students are managing their time well and arriving to all exams on time and well prepared. Thank you to our Year 11 teachers for their ongoing support of these students.

If you have any questions about senior school or would like to meet with any of the team about their student’s progress, please contact the office to arrange a time.

The team include:

Emma Curnow
Deputy Principal Year 11 and Year 12

Sporting Success

North District Athletics carnival

Coolum State High School had our best result in recent years at the North District athletics carnival. We had 85 students competing in events over two days which is huge for a public school. I would like to thank the students for committing themselves as well as their willingness to fill in events where required. There were even a few instances where our reserve placed in the event and qualified into the ND team! If I were to list all our placings, this newsletter would be far too big. Needless to say, our efforts were enormous and resulted in a third-place finish, well within reaching distance (less than 100pts) of Sunshine and overall winners St John’s. Congratulations to our many North District reps who competed at Sun Coast trials listed below.

Sunshine Coast Athletics carnival

Well done to our athletes who recently competed at the Sun Coast athletics trials recently. Full results are listed below:

QSS Athletics Carnival

Congratulations to Lilly-Dee Dixon, Sam Morgan, Jaxon Retchless, Marlon Andrews who competed at State Athletics in Brisbane last weekend. A full write-up of our students' successes will be provided in the next newsletter.

Swimming Carnival

Students competed in our annual swimming carnival on the last day of Term 3. Whilst this date for a swimming carnival is highly unusual, we decided that we are better off having one rather than being cancelled completely after our usual date at the start of term 1 was pushed back due to the late start for schools. About 200 students enjoyed the day of racing, novelties and even Ms Fiducioso/Mr Procter’s macarena!! A sight to behold. Winners still to be announced on parade, stay tuned.

Interschool Sport

Years 7 and 9 enjoyed two fun filled days of interschool sport against the other local high schools. After a two years hiatus from the competition, it was great to see students get back into it and enjoying all the benefits that sport provides with their mates on the field.

Results:

Mountain Biking

Well done to Savannah Mahony, Cody Jacobson and Tate Atkinson who competed at the Rocky trail mountain biking competition at the Sugarbag trails in Caloundra recently. The three students enjoyed a great day out, competing on 4 different segments, with the winner being the rider with the least cumulative time. Savannah also competed at another mountain biking competition at the Mount Cotton trails in Brisbane and overcame an early crash to claim a podium – second overall, congratulations!

Rugby League  - Boys

Well done to our Year 7 and 8 Rugby League boys who travelled to Gympie last week to play an invitational match against Gympie State High School. It’s great to see our many keen Rugby League players getting to showcase their skills on the field.

Hockey

If any students would like to play Hockey, we have a team playing in the Ballinger Cup on Thursday 3 November. See Mr Smyth in the HPE staffroom.

Representative Sport Trials

The following sports are open for nomination. See Mr Smyth in the HPE staffroom if interested:

Golf Clubs Donations Welcome

Do you have any old golf clubs laying around and you know longer need them?

Our HPE students at Coolum SHS would love to reuse them. Any donations would be much appreciated.

Golf Club Donations Welcome

Eric Smyth
HPE Teacher and Sport Co-ordinator

Science

2022 QUT Future in You STEM Summit Program

In the September holidays, Jessnee Ng and Polly Salisbury (Year 11 Students) were fortunate to be offered an opportunity to participate in the 2022 QUT Future in You STEM summit program. Over the four days program, we were treated like a real QUT undergraduate as we explore around the beautiful QUT's Gardens Point campus, with access to excellent facilities and plenty of opportunities to engage with friendly university staff, students and experts across different areas of STEM field.

As a Taster stream attendee, we were given the opportunity to get a feel of what university lectures looks like by selecting five taster sessions ranging from Physics, Chemistry, Clinical Science to Medical Engineering, Astrophysics and many more. As a space and science lover, I was lucky enough to have a chance to learn more about the subjects and get hands on experience in well-equipped university laboratories. This experience allowed me to find passion on a variety of STEM subjects, in particular sparked my interest into studying Astrophysics in university.

The industry site visit to the Suncorp Plaza was one of the most interesting parts of this program, where we explored around this 26 floor-building. The advanced technology in the building was what inspired me into thinking the importance of technology development in the future. Whilst it was difficult to decide on the best program out of the list, the Entrepreneurship Challenge was my personal favourite. Our team came up with an innovation that could possibly be the future of internal medical imaging named "Bird" - Biotelemetric Internal-imaging Robotic Device. We ended up with over two thousand dollars of investments through presenting and convincing a number of investors to put their money down for our product. Apart from the wonderful and well-designed program, we were also offered free accommodation at Somerville's House, where we spend four nights with other like-minded STEM students across the state. Overall, this was a joyful experience and I would recommend this program to anyone that is interested in STEM or is thinking about studying a STEM subject in university.

A special thanks to Mr Olsen for providing us this opportunity and I look forward into further pursuing my STEM career.

Jessnee Ng
Year 11 Student

From the 26 to the 30 September, I attended the STEM Taster program held annually at QUT. It was an experience I’ll never forget, as I got to interact with like-minded students in my fields of interest. There was a variety of options to choose from in terms of careers in the STEM field and the perfect opportunity to immerse myself in the pathways open to me.

My areas of interest were; electrical engineering, designing smart devices, process engineering, and physics. These sessions consisted of experiments involving pendulums, water filtration, discussing the future of renewable energy, and my most favourite, getting to explore the on-campus art gallery “To Be Human”, where I got to see different chandeliers made of uranium beads, each chandelier representing a different country and their impact in the nuclear industry.

At QUT there were numerous speakers that had experienced different aspects of STEM, even from the more entrepreneurial side of STEM. My favourite speaker of them all though had to be Catherine Ball, what she essentially encouraged from us was more representation of Australian women in STEM, which I found truly inspirational.

Polly Salsbury
Year 11 Student

2022 QUT Future in You STEM summit program

International Students

Australia Zoo Excursion

Recently, our international students were introduced to a truly Australian experience.

A school excursion to Australia Zoo in Week 10 of Term 3, provided them with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cuddle a koala, feed a kangaroo and see the Wildlife Warriors show.

Crikey! They were amazed about how big the crocodiles are in real life. A special thanks to Miss Kawamata and Gio (Teacher Aide) for coming along, and Mr Stewart for organizing the excursion.

Our International Student Program offers our students, families and community an opportunity for cultural exchange with students from other countries and developing global connections and friendships. Of course, we also have the privilege of showing off our wonderful part of the world.

Our Homestay families are really excited to host the international students and walk them through their journey of living the Australian way of life. The students have had an introduction to BBQs, our beach lifestyle, local sporting and recreational activities.

For more information regarding the homestay experience, please contact Ms Terri Shine on 5471 5303 or 0418 185 809, or email tshin0@eq.edu.au

International students experience to Australia Zoo

Terri Shine
ISP Homestay Coordinator

Dates for your diary – Term 4/2022

Bus Pass Information 2022

Do you need to apply for a school bus pass?

The Queensland Government’s School Transport Assistance Scheme (STAS) provides assistance to enable eligible school students to attend education facilities.

There are two types of assistance available to students travelling on bus services to school:

• Distance based assistance
• Safety-net assistance

Apply for STAS online

Did you know that you can now apply online for STAS?

• One form
• Up to five children
• Any device

Need help with your application?

Email STASdigital.Helpdesk@tmr.qld.gov.au or call 1300 119 289 for technical assistance with your online application.

FAQs & handy tips to get you started

Once you are familiar with the application process and steps to get you started, you will find the ‘apply now’ button located towards the bottom of the STAS Apply for school transport assistance page.

After you’ve successfully lodged your application online, information will be generated by the Department of Transport and Main Roads to your local CDC office in Kunda Park, Sunshine Coast or Gladstone for processing.

Please note: it is Department of Transport and Main Roads policy that STAS applications for students placed under a Child Protection Order by the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services must be made using the  paper application form relevant to the transport assistance. This form can be found once you commence your application online.

What are my school bus options?

To view school services including network maps and detailed route information, please visit cdcqueensland.com.au. We strongly recommend that you check the website for any service changes prior to the beginning of term.

What are my fare options?

You will need a valid student bus pass, issued annually, or TransLink go card to travel on all services.

Due to COVID restrictions we cannot take cash fares. All bus fares are determined by the Queensland

Government and fares collected belong to TransLink (Department of Transport and Main Roads).

How do I apply for a student bus pass?

The Queensland Government’s School Transport Assistance Scheme (STAS) helps enable eligible school students to attend education facilities. There are two types of assistance available to students travelling on bus services to school:

• Distance based assistance
• Safety-net assistance

For more information visit the School Transport Assistance Scheme page via the link below.

I’m not eligible for a bus pass so how do I get a go card for my student?

For more information on how to buy and top up a go card or find your local retailer visit the link below.

Bus Routes

A list of bus routes servicing Coolum State High School can be viewed on this page:

Parents can also contact us by phone 07 5476 6622 or email info.sunshinecoast@cdcbus.com.au