31 March 2023

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

It is hard to believe that only a few short weeks ago, that in amongst almost 1500 students, we welcomed 270 slightly nervous new Year 7 students through the gates of Coolum High as they began their secondary education journey. With the support of our Junior Secondary team, the students have all settled well in to their new environment. A huge thank you to Deputy Principal Lisa Fowler and Head of Year 7 Billy Toll for supporting the students during what can sometimes be a little complex.

Our students have excelled in many areas of school during the term and so much has been happening; below is just a small snapshot:

• 2022 graduate Jemima Bainbridge won the QCE Award as the Highest Performed Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander student in Queensland and was presented with the award by Minister for Education Grace Grace at a glittering ceremony in Brisbane.
• Our students were hugely successful and are the North District Swimming Carnival.
• Student have given scintillating musical performances at assembly (check the school’s Facebook page for these incredibly talented students).
• Students have again participated in the House Cup with huge amounts of enthusiasm and great competitive spirit.
• We have welcomed 29 International students who are loving our beautiful area and everything that it offers.
• Students participated in Shave for a Cure, with a number of students having their hair shaved to raise money for the Leukemia Foundation.
• The Meet the Teacher evening was a great opportunity for parents to hear important year level information and put faces to teacher’s names.
• Year 7 and 9 students completed NAPLAN which will provide us with important information to further improve.
• The building program is continuing and well on track for completion later this year, including our 20-classroom megastructure under construction at the back of the school.

On Monday evening, our Music Department presented a “Movie Theme” concert, complete with red carpet, an array of movie stars (students dressed in costume), and popcorn.

With 60 students in the Concert Band, 30 students in the String Orchestra and another 20 in the vocal group, it was an extravaganza which brough the community together and was supported as always by our wonderful P&C Association.

Long-term teacher, and current Head of Year 10, Mrs Linda Pilkington will be taking a well-deserved lengthy break at the end of this week following a long and distinguished career. Linda, we will miss you. You have been an exceptional teacher who has worked relentlessly in the pursuit of excellence for our students. We wish you a fond farewell!

With the holidays just around the corner, we wish our students and their families a fun, safe and enjoyable break after a very productive term. We look forward to seeing everyone back at Coolum High on Monday 17 April!

Troy Ascott
Principal

Deputy Principal - Year 7

Junior Secondary News

As Term 1 ends I would like to congratulate all Year 7s who worked diligently on NAPLAN. The students showed fortitude, reliance and aptitude in approaching these tests with positive mindsets. We commend parents for proactively supporting their learners in this education journey. It will be interesting to reflect on individual academic growth when results are back next term. Devices and laptops have been key to the success of this online exam. Students are demonstrating a commitment to being organised with devices and treating them as valued tools for learning.

Students have been engaging in House Cup activities with much gusto. Our Head of Year, Mr Toll, and key staff have led the Year 7s in games like Ida, quiz challenges and basketball play offs during break time. Points scored are tallied with those earned in cross country, athletics and swimming carnivals. A special thank you to the senior leaders who have been organising Harmony Day activities for Year 7s at lunch. Leaders have also organised Shave for a Cure in Week 10 with a sausage sizzle to raise money for children with blood cancer. We encourage families to donate just a few dollars to this worthy fund on behalf of Coolum State Hight School at the link below:

I would like to acknowledge our Year 7 Home Group Leaders. These students have volunteered to help out when needed, leading by example and demonstrating our school moto of care, respect and excellence. These outstanding leaders were presented badges last week on Year 7 assembly.

Respectful Relationships have underpinned much of our work in Year 7. Educating adolescent about how to interact with each other in respectful ways is key to building confident teens. All of our parents are encouraged to explore some great online resources available at Education Queensland Respectful Relationships site for tips of how to tackle a wide range of issues:

Lisa Fowler
Deputy Principal - Year 7

Deputy Principal - Years 8 and 9

NAPLAN – Congratulations Year 7 and Year 9 it’s a wrap!

As we now close off the NAPLAN period for another year, there is much to celebrate with our Year 7 and Year 9 Students. Not only did we have record online participation in our tests every day, each student who participated did so with a cool and calm approach, with the aim to give it their best.

I would like to extend a huge thank you to all the support staff, and families at home who worked behind the scenes to make sure our students had the greatest chance to achieve their best.

Student Wellbeing

According to the World Health Organisation (2014), ‘wellbeing is a state in which every individual realises his or her potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her community’. At Coolum State High School, we are committed to working with our students, staff and families to bring to the fore the importance of Student Wellbeing. In alignment with our school improvement agenda, we have commenced the early stages of a whole school approach to student wellbeing aimed at addressing the growing needs of our students in a range of diverse settings.

In Week 5 this term we conducted the first of our student forums. The aim of our student forum was to give our students an opportunity to have a voice in what is important to them with respect to Student Wellbeing. For the forum, we took a random sample of students from Year 7 to Year 12 to gain a greater understanding of what ‘Wellbeing’ meant to them. The student responses obtained have formed a critical component in our planning for our work in this space. The research around student wellbeing tells us that every little bit we do for our students counts, and we are aiming to do great work here.

We know our young people are growing up in a world driven by new technologies and economic globalisation. Their future means they need a new set of cognitive, social and emotional skills for success. At Coolum high we are highly dedicated to this very important work.

Rebecca McCann
Acting Deputy Principal - Years 8 and 9

Deputy Principal - Years 10 and 11

Year 10 Work Experience

It has been great to hear many of the stories that students have shared following their week of work experience. Coolum State High School is fortunate that so many local and community businesses provide such wonderful opportunities for our students – thank you!

I would also like to thank Mr Winning and Mrs Hickey for the enormous amount of work they have put into organising this opportunity for our students. As you can imagine, it is a very large logistical process to enable more than 250 students to engage in work experience all at once.

The next event that will be happening for Year 10 students is to begin writing their Senior Education and Training (SET) Plan in Term 2.

The SET Plan clearly outlines what pathways students are wanting to follow once they finish Year 10. These pathways could include university study after Year 12, TAFE courses, apprenticeships, traineeships or entering the workforce.

Individual SET Plan meetings happen with parents, students and staff at the start of Term 3.

Year 11 Exam Block

It was pleasing to see our Year 11 students undertake their exam block in a calm, serious and mature manner. This is another important step that puts them in good stead in their preparation for their next exam block in Term 4, with more to come in Year 12!

Year 10 and 11 Attendance

As the Deputy Principal who works with Year 10 and 11 students, I am very interested in their attendance at school. Having excellent attendance means students are in a regular routine and never have the added stress and anxiety of catching up on missed work due to absences.

Our Year 11s are currently over 91% and our Year 10s are at 89%.

Our goal as a school is to have attendance at 92% or higher. It is up to parents and schools to work together to get young people to school every single day.

Greater attendance every day at school gives students more opportunities to be successful in their learning, and their future destinations.

Terry Proctor
Deputy Principal - Years 10 and 11

Deputy Principal – Year 12

Our Year 12 students have successfully completed their first Internal Exam Block. All assessment this year is vital in ensuring students graduate with a Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) – in order to attain this, students must pass their enrolled subjects and attain a minimum of 20 QCE credits. If your student is absent for an exam, they must provide a medical certificate within a reasonable time frame. This is a requirement of the QCAA. Assessment will now be ongoing with the next block exams taking place in Term 3. Please ask your student to show you their exam calendar for 2023 and please continue to support them to maintain a study plan and limit hours of part-time work. The year will fly past and we will be at Graduation before you know it!

Midwinter Ball

Winter is coming! And so is the Coolum SHS Midwinter Ball. This is an opportunity for students and staff to celebrate in a formal setting, and recognise the hard work that has taken place up to this point in the year. Students who meet all of the following criteria will be invited to attend the Midwinter Ball. The criteria has been discussed regularly with Year 12 students:

• Fees –all fees paid or payment plan in place, and
• On track for a Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE), and
• Appropriate behaviour (in school and on excursions, suspensions)
• Attendance – 92% or higher.

Students who do not currently meet the criteria will be informed by week 1 of Term 2. Students may follow an Appeal Process which will involve meeting with a Head of Year and Year 12 Deputy Principal early in Term 2 with the Principal determining the outcome of the appeal.

Tickets are $135 per student and will need to be paid at the Administration Office no later than Thursday 1 June. Payment will not be accepted after this date as numbers must be confirmed with the venue.

Mentor teachers or a Head of Year may also be involved in assisting, supporting or advising the student during the appeal process. As the Midwinter Ball is an extracurricular, invitation-only event, the school’s decision will be final.

The Senior School team is looking forward to supporting your child to attend the Midwinter Ball.

Please email admin@coolumshs.eq.edu.au if you would like to discuss your child’s attendance percentages, finances, or to check their QCE status.

Emma Curnow
Deputy Principal - Year 12

Sporting Success

District Swimming Carnival

On Friday the 17th of February 22 Swimmers boarded the bus from Coolum State High School to head to the District Swimming Carnival at the Nambour Aquatic Centre. The carnival was off to an outstanding start with both 12-19 years' relay teams taking out FIRST place! The accolades didn't stop there, with many swimmers making the podium in their chosen events. Unfortunately, the program didn't quite run to plan and swimmers had to endure the nervous wait to find out if they had taken out Age Champion, made the regional team, or if their combined efforts were enough to take away 2023 District Champions for the first time in at least 10 years! It was an absolutely outstanding effort from all involved - a deserved congratulations to this fabulous team.

Christina Fiducioso
Health & Physical Education Teacher / Sports Coordinator

AFL Academy

On Monday night of week 7, the Junior Boys AFL Academy teams took part in the Paul Tresise AFLX finals at Maroochydore.

Both teams played exceptionally well over the competition. The yellow team showed great resilience against Saint John’s in the semi-final game winning by a wide margin and progressing for the grand final after a 6-game season. After a seesawing game and a magnificent effort from the team the boys came up just short. The experience will put them in good stead for the Qschool Cup that is coming up next term.

Throughout the season the Blue team built their skills, showed great resilience, and improved with every game. This experience should carry them through to next seasons competition with great confidence.

Nanine Stewart
English / Geography Teacher
AFL Academy Coordinator

Music

My name is Erica Simpson and I am proud to be Music Captain for 2023. Part of my role is to report to our school community on all the wonderful things that are happening in our Instrumental Music Program.

Our Wind Symphony rehearses every Monday afternoon, from 3 to 5pm. We are working hard preparing for our first concert of the year, with music from the movies by John Williams.

The String Orchestra is growing every year, this year gaining nine new members including two-year twelves who have started on their instruments in the past 6 months.

The Coolum Voices are blossoming with eleven new members this year who have helped to create an amazing sound. This year the Coolum voices have started their repertoire with an acapella piece written by Sinéad O’Connor and will present this at the ANZAC Day Dawn service at the Coolum/Peregian RSL.

Our newest large ensemble, the Concert Band, involves everyone in the instrumental music program who plays a Brass, Percussion or Woodwind instrument. There are 62 students who attend rehearsals from 7am and are producing an awesome sound.

Everyone involved in these programs are working extremely hard for our “Movie Night” concert to be held on the 27th of March in the School Hall. There will be a costume competition which involves both students and parents with two movie vouchers up for grabs for the winners. We look forward to seeing our broader school community there.

Ensemble Rehearsal Schedule

Monday (3:00 - 5:00pm) - Wind Symphony (PA Theatre)
Tuesday (7:30 - 8:30am) - Coolum Voices (PA6)
Wednesday (7:00 - 8:30am) - String Orchestra (PA Theatre)
Wednesday (7:45 - 8:30am) – Big Band (Jazz Ensemble) (PA5)
Thursday (7:00 - 8:30am) - Concert Band (all students in woodwind, brass and percussion) (PA Theatre)

Erica Simpson
2023 Music Captain and grade 12 student

International Students

Recently, the international students attended a school excursion to Lady Musgrave Island. They really enjoyed the experience of visiting the Southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. All were excited to swim with turtles during their snorkelling activities.

The International Student Program continues to grow, with 29 international students this term – from 8 different countries. 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

Terri Shine
ISP Homestay Coordinator

Coolum High Superstars!

Students are sending a powerful message of support to Australian families, by shaving, cutting or colouring their hair for the Leukaemia Foundation’s World’s Greatest Shave on Thursday March 30 (Week 10) at Morning Tea.

We have many students with luscious locks that are proudly shaving it all off to raise as much money as they can to provide some precious relief to those who need it most!

The Student Council are passionate about this cause and would love your support! Please use the following link to show your support for our Coolum High Team:

There will also be a fundraising sausage sizzle on the day, with sausage and drink combination available for $5.00.

Dates for your diary – Term 2/2023

Bus Pass Information 2023

Coolum State High School - Bus Routes

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

Our transport partner, CDC Queensland, has advised that there are significant service changes within the school bus network which will affect Coolum State High School in 2023.

Please view the new network map for your information, and below are the summarised details of the 2023 changes:

• First wave of PM bus departures is at 2:41PM
  Includes routes 5811, 5813, 5825, 5841 and 5849.
• Second wave of PM bus departures is at 2:44PM
  Includes routes 5847, 5851 and 5852.
• After that:
  3:12PM – 5811.
  3:22PM – 5812.
  3:25PM – 5818.

For network maps, route information and links to detailed timetables, please visit the following web page: Coolum State High School

If you have any queries regarding the above timetable changes, please contact Emily Meek, School Liaison and Customer Service Coordinator, CDC Queensland, Kunda Park on 07 5476 6622 or email info.sunshinecoast@cdcbus.com.au

Do you need to apply for a school bus pass?

How do I apply for a student 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

For more information:

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).

For more information visit the School Transport Assistance Scheme page from 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.