2018 Shaping Up as an Exciting Year for Blackwater State High School

2018 at Blackwater State High shapes up as another exciting year for our School.

Building on the great success of 2017, Blackwater State High School will again look to provide a broad and exciting range of opportunities for all students to be involved in school life.

Our new students – particularly Year 7 – have settled into the important routines of school life with classes focussed on the business of learning in these first weeks. The focus for the entire school has been to reinforce our high expectations of behaviour – Respect, Responsibility, Safety, Effort – and to engage all students in learning across the school.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all of our new students and their families and our new staff to Blackwater State High School. I would also like to welcome back all of our continuing students, staff and parents. We certainly value being part of your family and of course your child’s education. The staff commit to quality learning and teaching as well as a safe, caring and supportive environment.

I congratulate our families for their efforts in ensuring their children are ready for learning with all equipment and uniforms ready for the school year. The high standard of uniform sends a clear message to our community about what is expected at Blackwater State High School. I thank parents and families for your support.

The news of our excellence continues to travel, with our enrolments the highest they have been in over 5 years.  Due to our increased numbers, we have been allocated an extra two teachers, which we will welcome once their tenure begins.

We are passionate about student learning at Blackwater State High School, and our responsibility is to ensure that our students pass through our school achieving their best. We have a responsibility to “set students up for success”. By now we hope parents have assisted us to ensure their student is well and truly into positive routines around school. We ask you to ensure:

• Your child has routines re-established around good school / study practices. For example, - do they constantly refer to their diaries, have they brought home their assessment schedule and placed it safely where they can see and plan for important dates ? Does their study schedule meet their other responsibilities also around sporting commitments, part time work, family expectations?

You assist in fostering independent behaviours from your child – independence is critical as students move into the Senior years. They need to bring correct equipment to school, complete tasks on time, ask for assistance when it is needed, and also ensure they understand their personal responsibilities as learners

Homework is part of their daily routine, assist your child to establish a regular time and place for study.

Together with our staff, I look forward to another productive year of student growth and learning. Our school vision of ‘Creating excellent educational opportunities in an environment of success that inspires and supports all students to achieve their full potential’ will ensure that we can focus on maximising student learning and achievement.

Our priorities for 2018 are as follows:

• Writing

• Attainment

• Attendance

The below 2018 targets have been set by our school and will be regularly communicated to staff, students and the P&C.

Leadership Investiture Ceremony

On Thursday 22^nd February our amazing Year 12 students, Year 9 and 10 mentors and student leaders were formally acknowledged and presented with their Senior and Leadership badges.  I had the privilege of presenting the badges to our leadership team.  It was an important day for our students, their families and our school as they made a commitment to leading our school.

I would like to congratulate the following students for obtaining leadership positions:

Senior School Captains: Keisha Byrne and Tameera Guivarra

Junior School Captains: Jordan Jackson and Lucas Fraser

Sports Captain: Savannah McBeth-Cooper

Bedford House Captains: Tara Wilson and Hayley Wornum

Eden House Captains: Kallen Taylor and Hayden Opie

Tartrus House Captains: Aleethia Row Row and Ty Muller

Staffing

In 2018 we welcome new faces to our school Leadership Team.  Some of these positions will be permanently advertised in the near future. 

Our 2018 Leadership Team consists of the following:

Principal-Frank Brunetto

Deputy Principal-Rebecca Godfrey

Business Manager- Rebecca James

A/HOD Junior Secondary- Jackson Mackay

A/HOD Senior School- Pam Henderson

Head of Special Education- Currently Recruiting

HOD Student Services- Jenelle Wood

A/HOD Teaching and Learning- Sarah Cobb

Master Teacher/STLaN- Skye Barry

We welcome the following new staff to the Blackwater State High School community: Renee Crane, Victoria Flynn, Locklan Hall and Caitlin Ross.  I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Victoria Flynn and Cailtin Ross who were the recipients of the 2018 Rural and Remote STEM Graduate Teacher Scholarship with the Department of Education to the value of $15 000.

I would like to extend a thank you to all of our school community for the support shown to us during our recent technological issues arising from the recent storms.  Our systems have recently been restored therefore I envisage smooth sailing ahead.

I once again look forward to continuing our tradition of success at Blackwater State High School and wish all an exciting and successful 2018.

Mr Frank Brunetto

Principal

Student Investiture

On Thursday afternoon, 22nd February, we attended the Student Investiture where we inducted the student leaders of 2018. It was my pleasure to conduct this ceremony, and it was great to see the number of students stepping up to a leadership role this year. We have a variety of leadership roles available at Blackwater SHS including School Captains, Junior School Captains, Sports Captain, House Captains and Student Mentors. We also inducted our Year 12 class as the seniors of 2018.

I know that throughout the year, our school leaders will fulfil the roles we have elected them in, and in doing so, I hope they inspire students to raise their own bar and have high expectations for themselves.

Congratulations to our Student Leaders for 2018.

Weekly Behaviour Focus

Every week, we focus on a behaviour rule that is explicitly taught to our students. This week, our behaviour focus is being respectful. At Blackwater State High School, students should speak respectfully to each other and to staff. They should also act respectfully towards each other by keeping their hands to themselves, not touch other’s property and respecting the school facilities.

The last few weeks, we have focussed on our non-negotiables for learning at Blackwater State High School – being prompt and prepared, following staff instructions, putting in best effort and acting safely. We have also focussed on following the school’s mobile phone policy. All mobile phones are to be switched off and out of sight at all times on school grounds.

Contact with students during school hours

Parents please be reminded that all students are not permitted to use mobile phones at all while on school grounds. We would appreciate it if parents could reinforce this message at home and help your child to follow the policy by not communicating with your child through their mobile phone during school hours. If you have a message for your child, please call the office and the school will organise for this message to be passed on to them.

In addition, for student safety, no students are permitted to pick up items from cars at the front of the school during school hours. The school has no way of verifying who is dropping off the items or what they are when students are collecting them from cars.  If you have items you need to get to your children such as forgotten lunches or assessment, please bring that item in to the office and we will deliver to the child at the next break.

Mrs Rebecca Godfrey

Deputy Principal

Attendance

School Captains

Senior Captains

Keisha Byrne

Tameera Guivarra

 Junior Captains

Lucas Fraser

Jordan Jackson

House Captains

Bedford

Tara Wilson

Hayley Wornum

Eden

Hayden Opie

Kallen Taylor

Tartrus

Ty Muller

Aleethia Row Row

Sport Coordinator

Savannah McBeth-Cooper

Student Mentors

Bree Atkinson, Hannah Bamblett, Chloe Batten, Kayla Briggs, Holly Green,

Scott Harvey, William Hepworth, Caitlin Hunt, Marcus Jackson, Sara Jackson, Keearna Lane,

Kyle Lloyd-Jones, Kaydon Matthews, Blake McSherry, Allannah Moore, Cody Olson,

Jack Pidgeon, Jacob Pulleine, Jayden Sims, Piper Triggs, Sierra Willmott.

EXAM BLOCK

It is Week 7 already and exam block is almost upon us. All students in Years 10 – 12 will receive the exam block timetable next week. I encourage all students to work on a study timetable and to strive to do their best.

USI NUMBER

All students in Years 10 – 12 are required to have a USI (Unique Student Identifier) number as they are all enrolled in Certificate subjects. One form of identification such as a Medicare card/birth certificate/licence is required to complete the process.  The website to go to is:

https://www.usi.gov.au/students/create-your-usi

Year 10 students received a letter with all relevant information early this term. If your student requires assistance to obtain the number, please ask them to see Ms Henderson in D Block staff room or Mrs Beak in the library.

2018 Career Planning for Year 12 Students

• Resumes – Term 1 and continuously updated
• Cover letters for apprenticeships/jobs applications – Term 1-4
• University Open Days – Terms 2 & 3
• Residential College Applications – Term 2 and 3
• QTAC  applications – completed Term 3
• Scholarship applications – Term 3

University Open Days 2018

The following link has details that are currently available for Open Days for Qld Universities:

https://www.cqu.edu.au/calendar/event-items/open-day/emerald-open-

UMAT 2018

Year 12 students who wish to enter the Medicine and other Health Science degrees at certain universities are required to sit UMAT on July 26^th.

For more information follow this link:

 http://www.nie.edu.au/home-blogs-news/106-important-umat-2016-dates

2018 Tertiary Expo

This year the Tertiary Expo will be on the 21/22 of July which is the weekend after our June/July holidays.  The event is held at the RNA Showgrounds.  More information is available from the site:

www.tsxpo.org

2018 Gap Year Programmes

Students who are interested in doing a gap year when they finish school need to begin applying as soon as possible as positions fill quickly.  The following sites may be of interest:

www.lattitude.org.au – close mid-June

www.tutorsworldwide.org – close early April

www.letzlive.org – close early April

www.antipodeans.com.au

www.campamerica.com.au

www.interexchange.org

www.owh.com.au

www.volunteeringaustralia.org

www.conservationvolunteers.com.au

http://www.defencejobs.gov.au/education/GapYear/  - applications open March 2018

If any assistance is required to apply, please see Ms Henderson or Mrs Beak.

Ms Pamela Henderson

HOD Senior Schooling

The Queensland Government is conducting its annual statewide survey of all students who completed Year 12 in 2017. The Next Step survey is a brief, confidential survey that gains a comprehensive picture of the employment, study and life choices made by Queensland school completers in the year after they finish Year 12.

Between March and June, all our students who completed Year 12 last year can expect to receive instructions to complete a web-based survey or a telephone call from the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office. Please encourage them to take part. If their contact details have changed, please assist the interviewer with their updated details or forward the survey to their new address so they can participate.

Thank you for your support of the Next Step survey in 2018.

Further information on Next Step is available online at www.education.qld.gov.au/nextstep/ or on toll free telephone 1800 068 587.

Welcome to all our new and returning students, staff and families to our school and our community. I have been extremely impressed with the way all the junior school students have settled into their routines and I wish to congratulate the students in setting and maintaining high standards in uniforms, behaviours and manners at the beginning of the year.

The year has started off well with the Year 7 students beginning their high school life with an assembly and then an extended form class, before heading into their timetabled lessons. The process of having an assembly allows the school to ensure all subject and class placements are right and it also allows us to introduce the staff and role changes for 2018.

This year the Year 7 & 8 Year Level Coordinator is Mr Paterson (gxpat1@eq.edu.au), and the Year 9 Coordinator is Ms Sheather, (sdrap24@eq.edu.au). I would like to congratulate these two passionate and committed teachers on achieving this position.  

The role of the Year Level Coordinator (YLC) at Blackwater State High School falls within the Responsible Behaviour Plan for Students.  They primarily focus on the wellbeing of the students in their year level and will provide support to your child if they require it.  Year Level Coordinators effectively utilise their expertise to enable students to feel safe and supported in their year level, promote effective behaviour management practices and ensure that the school behaviour management policy is followed.  They also act in a proactive role dealing with peer development to enhance learning engagement, through individual interactions and extra-curricular activities.

To ensure that students are achieving success and learning as much as they can in a day, students are expected to:

The start of a new school year and a new school entirely for some, provides a fantastic opportunity to ensure there is a strong partnership between families, students and our staff to maximise and support their learning. Classroom teachers will form the foundation of these partnerships, however, an ongoing communication is a necessary ingredient to build permanent and productive partnerships. Junior Schooling Subject Teacher contact details by year level are available on the Blackwater State High School website, please see below.

Alternatively if you have any questions at all please contact with me at: jmack294@eq.edu.au

Many thanks,

Mr Jackson Mackay

HOD Junior Schooling

Lunchtime Activities

There has been an impressive response to our lunchtime activities so far this term. We are looking forward to working with our Senior students with the competitions they are hosting and their tutoring/homework help groups. A big thanks to the teachers, senior students and participants for making lunchtime activities such a big part of what we do at Blackwater State High School.

Vivos explained for new students

Blackwater State High School uses a reward system called Vivos. These rewards are for doing the right things at school and going above and beyond expectations. Students are awarded Vivos by the staff and can bank them and purchase prizes from the online Vivo store. Parents and families can check their child’s account and what they are being rewarded for by logging into the account and checking the balance and comments left by teachers. Should families have any queries about our Vivo system please contact the Student Support Team at the school. Students who earn 750 Vivos or more are invited to our rewards day at the end of the year.

PBL

Over the past 4 weeks our PBL focus has been on

• respectful language and conversations,
• appropriate use of mobile devices at school,
• how we behave on parade and at special whole school events and
• litter and chewing gum.

The school’s expectations are explicitly taught every Monday in our PBL lesson and then we are reminded throughout the week by our classroom teachers.

Coming Up

• Thursday March 8 Peer Mentoring for Year 7s focus this month is Anti Bullying
• Friday March 9 The Junior Epic Handball Challenge in the Shelter Shed at 2^nd lunch
• Friday March 16 Shave for a Cure and Bullying No Way National Day of Action.

 Mrs Jenelle Wood and the Student Support Team

Blackwater State High School P&C Association

AGM

 Monday 12th March, 2018

Blackwater State High School Library

Tuckshop News

We welcome Rhonda Turner to the position of Tuckshop convenyor. Rhonda will be assisted by Lyn Harris. The 2018 tuckshop menu is now available, please see below to download a copy.

Uniform Shop Hours

Monday - Friday 11.15am - 12.30pm

Outside of these times, order forms are available from the school office. Please complete the form and you will be contacted when your order is ready for collection and payment.

All uniforms now available.

About Us

The P & C Association meets at 4.00pm in the Library on the second Monday of each month. All members of the school community are welcome to attend.

Contact Us

Phone:  07 4986 9555

Email: PandC@blackwatershs.eq.edu.au

On Friday the 23^rd of February, a number of Year 9 students from Blackwater State High School, along with students from Emerald State High School, participated in the Beakers, Bots and Build challenge run by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy. The event was aimed at promoting careers in the minerals and energy sector, with representatives from both BHP Billiton and Jellinbah mines coming along to share their expertise during the challenges, and to provide valuable career advice for our students.  Through activities such as manufacturing a catapult coin launcher, chemically processing a mixture, and programming robots to navigate a simulated mine site, students were not only able to get an insight into the types of roles carried out by professionals in the minerals and energy sector, but were also able to develop their skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).  Thank you to the QMEA and the representatives from BHP Billiton and Jellinbah mines for providing our students with this opportunity. Also, thanks go out to Mr Jackson Mackay (Head of Junior Schooling), Ms Lacee Rawle (Science Subject Coordinator), Ms Ashleigh Trace (Mathematics Subject Coordinator) and Mrs Karen Beckton (Science Officer) for organising and running the event.

Year 11 and 12 students recently had the opportunity to venture outside the classroom to experience the often fondly remembered staple of High School Geography – the field trip!

The current unit of work has students consider proposals to ensure a thriving Blackwater community.  Their task sits within the context of sustainable community studies and has students question what reasons exist for a community’s population to decline, and how a well-conceived plan to ensure that a community is sustainable can effectively strengthen that community.  The field report requires students to rely mostly on primary data gathered from the field trip including: a short traffic survey of the Capricorn Highway, land-use survey, housing occupancy sample and identifying potential areas to earmark for beautification.  The practical application of geographical problems can lead students to a greater awareness of the dynamics within their community and help promote responsible citizenship.  A big thanks to the students who participated as they were all excellent representatives of the school and were diligent in their efforts.

Photograph 1. Fictitious proposed site for a caravan stayover - facing west along the Capricorn Highway.

Photograph 2. Traffic survey – facing east on the Capricorn Highway watching cars, but hoping for caravans to pass!

Mr Stephenson

HASS Coordinator

Stem Club has started this year, with a wide range of activities both before and after school. Our robots club has been busy programing robots, making games and learning about the implications of technology on our lives. Our plan this semester is to have a robot race with the Lego NXT and with game making enter a competition in Term 2. Any students who are interested in STEM enrichment activities, please see B Block for more information.

 If your child requires medication while at school, please visit the school’s office to obtain relevant authorisation forms.You will also need to provide prescription-labelled medication in the original packaging with clear directions for its use.Find out more at the Department of Education website

Joining a sport or active recreation club can be great for your child, but sometimes the costs can get in the way. For families genuinely needing some help with club fees, Get Started Vouchers are available each year in Term 1 and Term 3. You can apply for a voucher if you have a Centrelink Health Care Card or Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card or if you receive a link to a voucher from a registered referral agent. The voucher covers the first $150 of membership or participation fees.  Applications open Wednesday 24 January 2018.

The importance of a team effort in achieving school attendance is the main theme in The adventures of Jimmy and Sam the Dog animation and comic book series, developed by the Department of Education.NRL star Sam Thaiday plays Sam the Dog, with a cameo appearance by Johnathan Thurston, plus former Queensland Firebirds netballer Beryl Friday.Research shows that school attendance leads to positive student outcomes, and can help children to build social and emotional skills.

Head to the Every day counts website