Term 1 in Review

As we draw to the end of Term 1, I would like to thank everyone in the Blackwater State High School Family for your warm welcome into the Principal’s role.

It has been a busy term, with lots of school sport occurring, as well as the fantastic Swimming Carnival – an event enjoyed by all who attended. We have inducted our student leaders at the Student Investiture, took a stand against violence in Bullying, No Way Day, and raised lots of money for cancer in Shave for a Cure. We had our school photos taken, students have attended the QMEA Toolkit for Schools in Emerald and we have participated in a variety of fun lunchtime activities! Thank you to all the staff who have given up their own time to run these events and to the students who are getting actively involved in school life. Stay tuned to our website and facebook page for information about what activities are available for your child here at Blackwater State High School.

Leadership Investiture Ceremony

On March 6, 2019 we held our annual Student Investiture Ceremony where we inducted our student leaders into their roles. Along with our two school captains, Mikaela Bannan and Elissa Russell, who were announced at our Awards Evening last year, we announced our 2 junior captains, Henry Sherwell and Cheyenne Hall. We also announced 2 new positions – the senior and junior Participation Leaders, Jaxx Ryan and Dylan Petty. These students will be in charge of encouraging students to be actively involved in school life and will help staff in running lunchtime activities and other events throughout the year. The Year 12 cohort were presented with their Senior Badges and inducted as our senior student cohort for 2019.

I spoke to the students in my Principal’s address about our school motto – Know Thyself. High school is a time where students learn about themselves and create their sense of self. Students were encouraged to consider not only their future career choices at high school, but also the type of person they will be. To be a person that seeks to make the world a better place for themselves and for others. They should make the most of every opportunity given to them at Blackwater State High School – in taking responsibility for their own education, and through the wide variety of extra curricula activities available to them.

Staffing

With the departure of Mr Brunetto, I have been extended to act as Principal until the end of the semester. During Term 2, the department will advertise for a permanent principal to begin in Term 3, 2019. We are currently looking for someone to backfill the Deputy Principal role during this time. Abbey Jeffery has also been extended in her role as acting HOD Student Support until the end of the semester.

School Review, Term 2

During Term 2, Blackwater State High School will have a team from the School Improvement Unit visit to conduct a school review with our school. All Queensland State Schools have a review conducted at least once every four years. It is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the gains we have made in our school improvement agenda around Writing, Attendance and Attainment.

The review team will talk with staff, students, parents and community stakeholders about the teaching and learning opportunities available at Blackwater State High School. Following the report from the School Improvement unit, we will begin to write our Quadrennial School Plan.

Working Together

At Blackwater State High School, we strongly believe that for a child to be successful at high school, it requires a working relationship between the student, the school and their parents. We welcome parent involvement in their child’s education and encourage our staff to communicate with you if they have concerns about your child.

We also have a number of support staff to help your child:

Guidance Officer: Kerri Hancock

The guidance officer supports the emotional wellbeing of our students, gives guidance about educational success, career and mental wellbeing, and is involved in the verification of students with special needs.

Community Education Counsellor: Beth Dyer

The CEC supports the indigenous students in our school to have success at high school, through in class support, organising support programs and fostering celebration of culture.

School Nurse: Jo Oughton

The school nurse supports the health of our students and staff at Blackwater State High School. She is available for appointments to provide individual support, give in class support in delivering health information, and promotes healthy living in the school. 

Youth Support Officer: Julie Chadwick- Lyall

The YSC supports our senior students to have success at school. She supports at-risk and disengaged students. She also helps liaise with our community partners to organise work experience and school based apprenticeships and traineeships.

Chaplain: Anita Linke

The school chaplain supports the wellbeing of students. She is out and about at lunchtimes to connect with students, supports lunchtime activities and runs boys and girls programs with groups of students.

If you would like to meet with these, or any other member of staff to discuss your child’s success here at Blackwater State High School, please contact the school office to make an appointment. As you can appreciate, schools are a very busy place, so booking your appointment in advance and giving us a brief outline of what you wish to discuss will ensure the enquiry is referred to the correct staff member, and that they can devote the appropriate amount of time to speaking with you.

There are a number of opportunities for parents to be more involved in their children’s education too. Being an active member of our Parents and Citizens Association allows you to support the school and have a say in what happens here at the high school. The P&C meet on the second Monday of the month. They always welcome new members. The P&C run the school tuckshop and uniform shop, and need volunteers to help out whenever possible. Even if you cannot volunteer regularly, any help you can give is gratefully appreciated.

Parent – Teacher interviews are a great way to find out how your child can improve their results. We run these in Terms 2 and 3, using the School Online Booking System (SOBS) to book appointments. Please take the time to come and talk to your child’s teachers about their results and areas to focus on to improve.

Holiday Wishes

Thank you to all our staff who have worked hard throughout the term. I wish all the staff and students a wonderful holiday. Please travel safely if you are heading out of town, and I look forward to seeing you all refreshed and ready for Term 2.

Mrs Rebecca Godfrey

Principal

Farewell Blackwater State High School

My family and I have often thought about moving back to the tropical far north where I was born and undertook my primary and secondary schooling.  This is why I am writing to share the news of an opportunity to further my career and be closer to my extended family.  As we all know this year I left Blackwater State High School with an opportunity to act as Principal at Woree State High School in Cairns.  This term I was able to apply for the Permanent Principal position of Tropical North Learning Academy-Smithfield State High School an Independent Public School with approximately 1200 students on the North side of Cairns.  I was successful in gaining this permanent appointment and will take up the position at the beginning of Term 2 2019.

I would have liked to be able to tell the students, staff, parents and community members in person, to share with you my gratitude for the hard work that we started, continue and what’s to come in the future.  It has been my great privilege to have worked with you all and see the school grow from good to great. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Blackwater State High School and working with the wonderful community that we have. Over the years I have strived to give students the best teaching and learning opportunities possible and provide them with state of the art facilities like the new multi-purpose courts and the new Manual Arts and STEM building with works due to begin later this year. We have a tremendous staff team who have worked tirelessly with me to provide a high quality education for our students. Our parent community has been most supportive throughout the years and have assisted in making our great school what it is today. I sincerely thank all members of our wider school community including our school P&C for their strong support over the years. Blackwater State High School is very special to me, as are the many happy memories I have of students, staff and families.

I sincerely hope that you continue the extraordinary work that we started and look forward to reading of the schools successes in the future.  I appreciate the many memories I have made together with the students over the years and will always feel a part of the Blackwater State High School family.  Thank you again for your collegiality and support but the time has come for me to say farewell Blackwater State High School.

Mr Frank Brunetto

Principal

Welcome to the second edition of our newsletter for this year. There have been so many activities and events occurring this term and the time certainly has flown by. I will be taking leave in Week 10 and Mr Jackson Mackay will be taking the reigns as Deputy Principal while I am away during this time. Please do not hesitate to contact Mr Mackay if you have any concerns or questions during this time.

Sense of Belonging

It is extremely pleasing to walk around the school at lunch time and witness our students enjoying their free time and participating and communicating in a safe manner. This month our students have been busily throwing a footy, playing touch, participating in handball competitions, hitting the multi-purpose courts or just spending some quiet time in the library.

Our Friday activities have proven to be very popular and it is great to see both staff and students participating in a variety of fun activities. Each week, a number of our staff give up their free time to run engaging activities for our students and they have been doing a fantastic job. We are also very grateful for our Adopt-a-Cops who freely give up their time to participate in activities such as tug-o-war and touch footy.  Our students really enjoy having Matt, Vanessa and Brodie in the school and it is a great way to develop positive relationships with members of the Blackwater Police.

It has also been very pleasing to see the reduction of students who have been removed from the playground. This is one strategy allowing students to have time to reflect on their current behaviour and to rectify this and make positive choices with their peers.

Student Safety

If you are dropping something off to your child can we please ask that you bring it into the office? We have noticed an increase in students walking to the front gate throughout the day to collect forgotten items.

When collecting your child from the front of the school please take note that there is a ‘no parking’ sign before the crossing. Please do not park in this area as you are putting our students in danger. Primary school students also walk home and access the footpath and crossing. This is a busy area after 3pm and if you are finding it difficult to park then please find an alternative parking spot or drive around the block until a parking space is available. We will continue to monitor this during the remainder of the term and we will ask parents to move on if parking in the ‘no parking’ zone.

Shave for a Cure

What a fabulous day! This was my very first ‘Shave for a Cure’ event since I started working at Blackwater State High School and I was extremely impressed by the way in which our students and community supported this event.

The challenge was thrown out to our students on parade that the individual or group of students who raised the most money to support ‘Shave for a Cure’ could have free reign to the Deputy and Principal’s hair. Well…. what an amazing result with Caleise raising over $1000 for the Leukaemia Foundation. As a result, Caleise and a friend of her choice were able to play hairdressers and as promised we happily wore our funky hairstyles for the entire day (meetings and all!). Caleise also shaved her hair during our lunchtime event along with many other students and staff. Congratulations Blackwater State High School, you have supported the Leukaemia Foundation spectacularly.

Reporting

Interim report cards will be handed to students in Week 1, Term 2. Teachers are currently marking their assessment tasks and entering reporting grades for all students. The interim reports will only show grading for their Academic result, Effort and Behaviour. There will not be any comments included on this report. Parent-Teacher interviews will be conducted in our library on Thursday the 9^th May from 3:30pm-6:00pm if you feel that you would like to have the opportunity to discuss your child’s learning and progress.

NAPLAN

NAPLAN testing will occur on the 14^th ,15^th and 16^th May for students in Years 7 and 9. If you believe that your child would benefit from being exempted from the tests due to severe exam anxiety etc. then please email Mr Jackson Mackay (HOD Junior Secondary) jmack294@eq.edu.au or phone the school and discuss with Mr Mackay on 4986 9555.

Attendance

At Blackwater State High School we are committed to achieving a 90% attendance rate for all students in 2019. Our current attendance rate is 87.3% and as a team we will strive to work with our parents and students to ensure that students are attending school every day.

Both staff and admin work together to monitor student attendance daily through roll marking and sending parent notifications via a text message if a student is absent.

The Student Services team monitors and discusses the individual attendance of students on a weekly basis. They identify those students who are finding it difficult to engage in their education and offer support to parents/carers and students when school attendance becomes a barrier.

To achieve our target of 90% attendance, we require the support from parents to ensure that our students are attending school every day. If students are absent due to illness or family emergency then parents need to contact the school before 10:00am each day. If a student is refusing to attend school then we are more than happy to support and assist you with this issue. If refusal to attend school is an issue then parents need to contact the school to discuss so that we are able to put strategies in place to ensure that they are participating in their educational program.

Each week we celebrate student attendance on parade. The table below indicates the attendance rate from Week 7 to Week 8 for each year level. Currently our Year 7 students are achieving the 90% attendance target and have been achieving this on a weekly basis.

Core Values - Safety, Effort, Respect and Responsibility

Truancy

At Blackwater State High School, our expectation is for every student to be in class at all times to have the opportunity to learn and participate in each of their lessons.

When students are demonstrating our core value, effort, they are arriving to class on time and completing activities to the best of their ability. When students are being safe in our school, they are remaining in their classroom for the entire period.  Walking around the school or sitting under buildings is not safe and will not help our students gain an education and set them up for achieving success.

As a school, we are closely monitoring student effort, participation and attendance in all classes. If a student chooses to be truant from class then consequences will be put into place to make up the lost learning time.

After school detentions are now issued for those students who choose to be truant from their lesson or walk out of the classroom without permission. Students who chose to be absent from their classes are expected to make up their missed learning time after school.

After school detention is held each Monday to Thursday in the library from 3:00pm to 4:00pm. The Principal or Deputy Principal will phone home and receive permission for the truant student to attend. While in after school detention, students will have the opportunity to make up the lost learning time for their subject or they will complete numeracy and literacy booklets.

 NRL Rugby League

Sally Galloway and her assistants will run Rugby League skills and activities on Thursday at second break as well as after school from 3:00pm-4:00pm for the remainder of this term. This will be for both new and experienced players, boys and girls.

Wishing you all a very safe journey if you are travelling over the holidays and I am looking forward to a positive and productive Term 2.

Happy Easter!

Mrs Terri Weatherley

Deputy Principal

NAPLAN

NAPLAN is swiftly approaching again with it occurring this year on the 14^th – 16^th May. Unlike any year previously, it will be completed in our library with the Year 7 students entering from the courtyard of the library and the Year 9 students from the front of the library. NAPLAN is a diagnostic tool that shows students their achievement at a single point in time, which teachers can use to help differentiate and plan their classes. It is important that your students are prepared for these tests as it can be used to make decisions around classes for Year 10 and also helps prepare junior students for the academic pressures of senior school.

This year as a school we are looking for students who put their best effort into the test and as such we will be holding a reward afternoon on Friday the 17th for those students who put in 100% effort during the test.

If you have any questions around NAPLAN, or have a question/concern regarding your student’s participation please feel free to contact me on jmack294@eq.edu.au or the school on 4986 9555.

If you want to help your child to improve, research has shown the following tips are successful;

• Read together – Have your child read a text to you. It may be a novel, a newspaper, a website, a magazine – whatever your child is interested in. Explore the text together by discussing what you think might happen next, or why a character made a particular decision.
• Encourage your child to write – In this day and age of technology, writing seems to be becoming less and less frequent. Wherever possible, get your child to write. It might be something as simple as a shopping list, a to do list, or as complex as a narrative. Proof-read your child’s writing with them so they can get used to using strategies that you use as an adult. Some of our students write journals which is a fantastic opportunity for them to practice the skill of writing but also to allow them an opportunity to reflect on their feelings and goals.
• Do everyday maths together – Maths is everywhere in life, but sometimes, adults take it for granted. Children can be involved in simple tasks such as estimating how much your shopping will cost, or calculating how much flour will be needed for a recipe. You could also get your child to help you work out how much mulch to buy next time you’re doing the garden, or have them help you calculate the cost of fencing an area of your yard. Children are much more inclined to get involved with maths if they see it as helping their parents.

Attendance

This term we have seen some impressive attendance figures from our junior students and I would like to acknowledge these students. It is an impressive feat to have 100% and there are 55 students in the junior school who have 100% attendance so well done to them. 

It is also great to see that almost half of all our Year 7 students have attendance above 95% so keep up the great work Year 7.

Remember missing school is missing out!

Academic Action plans –

This term I have been tracking student’s grades and have been meeting with those who are at risk of failing subjects and putting in place a plan to assist them to help their grades. I have seen some significant improvements in students’ academic outcomes since the plans inceptions and most of the common changes include students starting to apply themselves whilst in class and completing homework. Small changes in your students routine can make massive differences, so have the conversation with them and ask them if they think they are doing all they can to do their best.

Please do contact your student’s teacher if you have any questions pertaining to homework or academic grades.

Have a productive end of term, enjoy the holidays and see you all next term!

Warm regards

Mr Jackson Mackay

As we come to the end of another productive term it is important to check in with your student to ensure they are meeting their assessment deadlines and setting themselves up for success for their various tasks. Our Year 10 – 12 teachers are here to help, but in keeping with our core values it is the responsibility of students to ensure they are accessing any extra help they might require. Also don’t forget Every Day Counts, the school attendance goal is 90%, students can check with their form teacher on their current attendance percentage to ensure they are on track to meet their attendance goal.

USI (Unique Student Identifier)

If your student is in Year 10 we need to have a USI on file for them to be enrolled in certificate courses. If they have a USI please make sure we are aware of the number. If they do not have a USI they can apply easily via the link below: https://www.usi.gov.au/students/create-usi

Exciting Opportunities for our Students:

Katherine Agriculture Pre-Employment Program

Central Highlands Regional Council School Based Traineeships

The following School based traineeships are now open for application, please see Mr Dawson or Mrs Chadwick Lyall for more information or assistance

The CH Regional Council in partnership with MRAEL’s Group Training business unit have opened up seven (7) school based traineeship opportunities in our region as per below. Current Years 10 and 11 students are encouraged to apply.

• Blackwater (Position Location)

 1 x Cert II Horticulture (AHC20416)

 1 x Cert II Water Industry Operations (NWP20115)

• Emerald (Position Location)

 1 x Cert II Horticulture (AHC20416)

 1 x Cert III Business (BSB30115)

• Springsure (Position Location)

 1 x Cert II Civil Construction (RII20715)

 1 x Cert III Business (BSB30115)

• Capella (Position Location)

 1 x Cert III Business (BSB30115)

The positions are available on the MRAEL website – and the students will need to apply through this channel by creating a profile, uploading their resume and applying for each of the positions https://www.aasn.com.au/index.php/jobseekers/view-current-apprentice-and-trainee-vacancies?fbclid=IwAR1GE-4ruYrdRjAs4aY4I7Mz-42nAyRBMgmpK_q4FUfi2BKNFWzDbOQncEE

Mr Harley Dawson

HOD Senior Schooling

Central Queensland Health School Based Trainees

Congratulations to Britney Roberts-Zeller who has been successfully employed as a School Based Trainee in Administration with Central Queensland Health at Blackwater Hospital. Britney will complete a Certificate III in Business Administration through AXIAL Training Company.

Thalia Doolan has been successfully employed as a School Based Trainee in Operational Services also with Central Queensland Health at Blackwater Hospital. Thalia will complete a Certificate III in Health Support Services through RTO Bluestone Medical.

Thank you to Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service for providing a career path for these students and enabling them to gain valuable experience in the health industry. If there are any businesses that would like more information about School Based Traineeships/Apprenticeship please don’t hesitate to call or email on my contact details below.

Work Experience Placement -  Mining Industry

Work experience placements are available for trades in the Mining Industry for current Year 11 & 12 students.

Yarrabee (Yancoal):

First week school holidays: Monday 8th to Thursday 11th April to work shadow Electrical, Boilermaker and Diesel Fitter trades.

Second week school holidays: Monday 15th to Thursday 18th April to work shadow Electrical, Boilermaker and the Diesel Fitter trades.

BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance BMA Blackwater Mine:

First week school holidays: Monday 8th to Thursday 11th April to work shadow Electrical and Diesel Fitter Trades.

Second week school holidays: Monday 15th to Thursday 18th April BMA Blackwater to work shadow Electrical and the Diesel Fitter trades.

To apply for Work Experience placement please write a Cover Letter of Application stating the trade that you would like to trial, your preference for first week or second week of school holidays, past Work Experience placement and any extra curricular programs that you have attended, for  example: QMEA Mint Camp.

Application Cover Letters to Ms Chadwick-Lyall in D Block Staffroom as soon as possible as placements are filling fast.

Defence Force Gap Year Program

Applications are now open for the 2019 Gap Year Program intake. Experience 12 months of life in the Army, Navy or Air Force. Apply online via Defence Force website:

https://www.defencejobs.gov.au/students-and-education/gap-year?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_JfNw9me4QIVWw4rCh068AWPEAAYASAAEgIzAPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&page=1&perPage=21&query=

Julie Chadwick-Lyall

School Based Traineeship/Apprenticeship Coordinator

Work Experience Coordinator/Youth Support Coordinator

Phone 4986 9575 /4986 9555

Email: jchad19@eq.edu.au

On Friday the 15^th of March, Blackwater State High School supported the National Day of Action, Bullying. No Way! Day. Students were encouraged to talk about bullying and develop strategies to put an end to bullying in Form Classes leading up to the day. We learnt that we should be active bystanders and speak out when it comes to bullying.

On Bullying. No Way! Day, the students and staff took a pledge to put an end to bullying. We also used our teamwork skills and participated in a range of activities such as Tug-o-War, skipping, and playing touch football. Thanks to all the staff and students who participated on the day.  

Miss Abbey Jeffery

HOD Student Support

Wow! Our annual World’s Greatest Shave was buzzing on Wednesday the 20th of March! What an effort from the Blackwater State High School community in raising close to $2500 to help support the thousands of people dealing with blood cancer in Australia. We had six brave students shave their heads in support of the cause, along with Mr Amerena, who bravely sacrificed his flowing locks. Year 7 student Caleise, who was the only girl who bravely shaved, has to date raised over $1200. What a fantastic effort! Donations are accepted until the end of June, so please feel free to give at our team page.

A special thanks goes out to local barber Brady Kuhl, and hairdressers Sam and Hannah from Fl’hair Creations for giving some of their valuable time to this great cause. It is wonderful when our community members can come into the school and help us do great things with our students.

Mr George Paterson

Fl’hair Creations - https://www.facebook.com/flhaircreations

Brady Kuhl - https://www.facebook.com/kuhlbarber

Student Resources Scheme Fees and Resources

Financial statements for subject fees and other costs were sent home a few weeks ago. Your support of this great school would be appreciated with prompt payment and/or early establishment of part payment plans. Thank you to those of you who have been very prompt with payment. Payment options are found on your invoice, BPoint is the preferred method of payment.  If you feel you need to discuss your financial situation, please contact myself on 4986 9555 as soon as possible.

What is the Student Resource scheme? The Student Resource Scheme fee for each student in Years 7–10: $200.00 and Years 11 & 12: $163.00. These fees were reviewed in October last year and were approved by the P & C Committee. The SRS covers all core Australian Curriculum subjects plus other charges (student diary, ID cards,  $40 Papercut , administration of clickview and SRS). In Years 9 -12 students have the opportunity to participate in elective subjects that are practical based which incur additional fees depending on the subject and will be charged separately to the SRS. School Resources Scheme agreements were sent out to all 2018 students and in new enrolment packs. It is an Education Department policy that these forms be returned signed to the school at the start of the year. Not returning the form may restrict your student from accessing computers, textbooks and not being able to participate in extra curricular activities.

Contact Details Update

If for some reason you have moved or are moving over the holiday period or if you have changed contact numbers please call the office. Also, please remember to let us know if there are ever any changes to:  medical details for your student or your email address.

School Improvement

In this year’s budget the school has committed over $80,000.00 towards the replacement of a number of our technology assets. We have received 52 Acer desktops to replace 2 computer labs in F01 and F07. F01 is already up and running and F07 will be completed in the following weeks. 4 Epson Short throw projectors have been delivered as well to be fitted into classrooms.  Next term we will see new class laptops in circulation as well.

In the playground, a new $4000.00 water cooler for the D Block bubblers has arrived and will be fitted soon. $4500.00 worth of park table settings will be erected over the coming weeks throughout the playgrounds to replace old settings. Another few sets will be purchased in Term 2.

Our Home Economics/Hospitality, Science and Physical Education departments have also been approved to replace some large items within their departments as well. Home Economics will purchase 8 sewing machines at a cost of $3500.00 along with kitchen appliances. Physical Education are expecting a $8000.00 High Jump mat to be here ready for the Sports Carnival on April 26^th. This department has also received $4000.00 worth of gym equipment which is required for the new Senior syllabus. Science have purchased $5000.00 worth of items to also cater for the new curriculum requirements. I am sure all these purchases will be greatly received by our students and staff.

Mrs Rebecca James

Business Manager

QATSIF 2019 Scholarship Winners

Sheridan Clifford

Maurice Conway

Shakirah Dobinson

Thalia Doolan

The Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation (QATSIF) recognises the vital role that successful completion of schooling and the availability of opportunities through higher education have in building a foundation for employment and better quality of life. However, it is equally aware that the costs of senior education continue to increase significantly.

It is vital that the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people achieving the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) equates with their non-Indigenous counterparts. COAG strategies to increase Year 12 retention are being supported by the QATSIF QCE Scholarship Scheme.

Under the QCE Scholarship Program,  QATSIF  provides two-year scholarship funding to support students commencing in Year 11. QATSIF funds successful schools which then provide scholarships to individual students. The intention of the funding is to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander student retention in Years 11 and 12 rather than simply sustain existing retention rates, and funding has to be used to complement and build on existing school and community programmes and support for individual students. We wish to congratulate  Sheridan, Maurice, Shakira and Thalia on their success.

Keisha Byrne wins $50,000.00 Wangan and Jagalingou Clermont Aboriginal Community Development Fund (ACDF) Scholarship

The Wangan and Jagalingou Clermont Aboriginal Community Development Fund (ACDF) Scholarship supports one student of Wangan and Jagalingou or Aboriginal descent entering their first or second year of study in any Bachelor degree course (including Honours) at CQUniversity. The value of the scholarship is up to $50,000.00 and will cover the duration of the course.

A School Captain in 2018, former student Keisha graduated from Blackwater State High School last year and is studying towards a Bachelor of Social Work (Honours). We wish you every success in the future Keisha!

Ms Beth Dyer

Community Education Councillor

School Captains

Mikaela Bannan

Elissa Russell

Junior Captains

Cheyenne Hall

Henry Sherwell

Student Participation Leaders

Jaxx Ryan

Dylan Petty

House Captains

Bedford

Lara Benecke

Emily Ward

Eden

Brianna Clifford

Cameron Jackson

Tartrus

Hope Knapman

Frank Tau

Cross Country and Spirit Day

Friday 5th April

The Student Council will be selling white Colour Run Tshirts for $10.00 from next week to raise funds for cold drink taps under C Block.

School uniforms to be worn to school, bring a change of clothes on the day.

Age Champions

Under 12

Girls - Shanae White

Boys - Colby Cocks

Under 13

Girls - Indi Watts

Boys - Trey Halsey

Under 14

Girls - Mia Clarke

Boys - Ashley Leeson

Under 15

Girls - Telea Kelly

Boys - Dylan Trevethan

Under 16

Girls - Leah Lilley

Boys - Kaydon Matthews

Open

Girls - Kiralea Wilson

Boys - Aiden Leishman

House Points

3^rd- Eden - 443

2^nd- Tartus - 448

1^st- Bedford - 664

Students from Blackwater State High School recently attended the QMEA Toolkit for schoolkids day and Engineering day at Central Queensland University. The students listened and learnt from industry trades people who work on mine worksites and for local contractors in the region. They gained a valuable insight into what a typical day looks like for these professionals. The students then participated in a wide variety of tasks which ranged from checking the compression in an engine, building a basic electromagnetic circuit, using a plasma cutter to cut steel and also complete a radiator pressure test. The day focused on the importance of safety and working safely with others.

It was great to see the students enjoying the day and learning from the apprentices that BMA provided who were previous Blackwater State High School students.

Overall the day was fantastic and all students were well behaved and showed a keen interest in the subjects.

Mr Jackson Mackay

We are in the early planning stages of the 2020 tour and are inviting students who wish to participate to complete an Expression of Interest form. These are available at the school office, B block staff room or downloaded below. Students who will be in Years 9 - 12 in 2020 will be eligible.

The tour which focuses on the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) will be departing on Wednesday 16th September 2020 for a two week educational travel experience. Students will be visiting Orlando, Florida to engage in a range of STEM activities before attending Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. On the way home, they will have a 3 day stop over in San Francisco which includes a tour of the infamous Alcatraz prison. A more detailed itineray will be presented by Lucy Fenwick of EDU School Tours later in the year in the school library. Spaces are limited, so get in early! Fundraising activities will commence next term.

The Blackwater State High School P&C committee is busy organising the 43rd Annual Art Competition & Exhibition, or as we know it, 'the Art Show'. This year it will be held over the weekend of the 24th - 26th May with the official opening and award presentation to be held on Friday 25th May from 7.00pm at the Blackwater Civic Centre.  The exhibition will continue at 10.00am on Saturday and Sunday, closing each day at 2.00pm.

Proceeds from the Art Show constitute an important part of P&C funds each year, so it is vital that the function be as successful as possible.  Help is needed from parents in several areas:

• Help with hanging paintings on Thursday 24th May.
• Collecting admission charges at the front door on Friday Evening, Saturday and Sunday.
• Bar staff Friday evening.
• Packing up the event on Sunday afternoon.

A detailed volunteer roster sheet will be sent home with students next term, please fill out your preferences and return to the school office.

If you would like to have more involvement in the organisation of this much anticipated community event, please contact the school or come along to the next P&C meeting, we look forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts.

Art Show Entry Forms

If you are a budding or accomplished artist please find below links to our website where you can download copies of the Art Show entry forms for both the Open and Student competitions.

Open Entry Form:  http://www.blackwatershs.eq.edu.au/Art%20Show%20Entry%20Form.pdf

Student Entry Form:  http://www.blackwatershs.eq.edu.au/Student%20Entry%20Form.pdf

Category information is detailed in these forms. Paper copies are also available at the school office.

Sponsorship of this event

We wish to thank the local community organisations and businesses who have already committed to sponsoring the exhibition. Many of these companies have given generously over many years and without their valuable support, we would be unable to continue. If your business would like to sponsor the Art Show in 2019, please contact the school for more details.

It is an offence to be on state school premises without a lawful authority or a reasonable excuse for being there. A current maximum fine of $2523 applies, section 334 Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 (Qld) (Education Act).

This means that school grounds (such as the playing fields) are not available for general use out of school hours without permission, even just walking through school grounds as a shortcut.

Police keep schools under surveillance out of hours and are keen to apprehend trespassers in an attempt to reduce vandalism and wilful damage of school property.

Parents are asked to emphasise the above with students so that they do not enter school grounds after school, at weekends or during school holidays.

Our school is a part of the School Watch program.  If you see anything suspicious occurring in the school during the school holidays, please phone School Watch on 13 17 88.

Free tutoring is held in the school library

English

Tuesday afternoons 3.00pm - 4.00pm

Maths

Thursday afternoons 3.00pm - 4.00pm

Science

Thursday afternoons 3.00pm - 4.00pm