KILCOY State High School An Independent Public School

NEWSLETTER Wednesday December 6

Seib Street, KILCOY 4515 Ph.: (07) 5422 4343 │ Fax: (07) 5422 4300

the.principal@kilcoyshs.eq.edu.au │ www.kilcoyshs.eq.edu.au

On Friday 17 November the whole school gathered to celebrate the final day for the Class of 2017.

Senior Dux and Valedictorian Stuart Houstoun gave the final speech on behalf of all students.

Stuart also bestowed on the Class of 2017 a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. “if it falls to your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry…Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and

say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well”.

KSHS wishes the Class of 2017 all the success for the future.

Farewell Class of 2017 Term 4

KEY STAFF

Principal:

Chris Dench

Deputy Principals:

Liza Bingham

Warren Papa/

Lindy Craddy

Guidance Officer:

Joshe Newton

Business

Manager:

Sally Wright

Heads of

Department:

Tony Martin

Chris Tucker

Diane Lacey

Teena Matai

Phuong Rebisz

Year Level

Coordinators:

Yr. 7 & 8 Cami Dench

Yr. 9 & 10 Matt Kirby

Yr. 11 &12 Marilyn Messenger

Please contact any of the above staff members on

5422 4343.

“To catch the reader's attention, place an

interesting sentence or quote from the story here.”

From the Principal

NPDL Global project - Kilcoy State High School kicks

goals on the global

education scene

Two years ago Kilcoy State High School was approached by one of the North Coast Region’s – Assistant Regional Directors to be one of a cluster of six schools to engage in a Global Research Project called ‘New Pedagogies for Deep Learning’. The six schools were selected because they were considered to be the most ready to engage in the project. The ‘Deep Learning’ project involves partnering with 1000 schools in 10 countries, working in clusters and networks of schools to build knowledge and practices that develop deep learning and foster whole system change. The project leaders – Michael Fullan, Joanne Quinn and Joanne McEachen all world renowned educational researchers have been working alongside teachers to change their role into activators of learning who design learning experiences that build on learner strengths and needs.

The ‘Deep Learning’ project focuses on developing in students 6 deep learning competencies which align with the concept of 21

st Century skills and the recently identified

‘Work Skills’ of the future. The project continues to grow across the world and in the North Coast Region it has grown from the original 6 schools in 2016 to approximately 50 schools in 2018.

Highlights from Kilcoy State High School’s involvement in this project to date have included –

Working with a global team and

connecting with schools across 10 nations

Development of a culture of learning

focused on the needs of our students as we move through the 21

st Century

Students learning to design and assess

their own learning while focussing on real world problems and issues

Students developing critical thinking

skills – necessary in our rapidly changing world

Teachers presenting workshops at annual

state conference

Kilcoy State High School invited as one of

the 6 original schools in the North Coast Region to present workshops at the Global Deep Learning conference in Toronto in 2017, and

Kilcoy State High School’s work on

leadership and implementation of this project to be published in ‘Fullan, Quinn & McEachen’s’ latest book to be released in 2018

The New Pedagogies for Deep Learning project has provided Kilcoy State High School with the opportunity to further develop and showcase the great work done at the school every day. The project continues to grow around the world and Kilcoy as a part of the Queensland group is leading this work and kicking goals for our students.

‘Expecting the Best, Achieving Success’

Page 3 P&C News

President:

Tony Martin

Vice President:

Dan Hall

Secretary:

Lisa Anderson

Treasurer:

Cami Dench

Meetings held

every 2nd Wednesday of

the Month

Starting 5pm

Administration

Building

Year 12 Valedictory

As I reflect upon 2017, and the year it has been, I recall fond memories of our current Year 12’s. Friendly, determined and curious are just three of the admirable characteristics I would use to describe our Year 12’s. This year has no doubt been both rewarding, and at times, challenging. However, their determination and strength this year has set the foundations for a bright and successful future for all and it takes a lot of support to achieve this success for our students.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the parents of our Year 12 students. Please know your constant support at a school level has been greatly appreciated over the years. Great schools, like Kilcoy SHS, take pride in the positive relationships which we have developed with our parents over the years.

So as I wish the Year 12’s well, I’d like to end with the following quote.

“If you believe in what you’re saying, if you believe in what you’re doing, you’ll be more effective, more passionate and more authentic in everything you do.”

All the very best Year 12’s.

Liza Bingham, Deputy Principal

From the Deputy Principals

Halogen Foundation National Young Leaders Day

Our 2018 school captains travelled to Brisbane to attend the Halogen Foundation National Young Leaders Day conference

in Brisbane on November 14.

The program consisted of keynote talks, multimedia

presentations and interactive learning aimed at young people who aspire to lead themselves and others well.

One of the special guests was Gorden Tallis, who met with the students for a photo.

Scan to be

taken to the

QParents App

“To catch the reader's attention, place an

interesting sentence or quote from the story here.”

Page 4 Lego Robotics

STUDENT

SUPPORT STAFF

Guidance Officer

Joshe Newton

Monday—Friday

Chaplain

Kate Gold

Wednesday & Friday

Youth Health

Nurse

Alex Miller

Tuesday & every second Wednesday

Indigenous

Coordinators

Phuong Rebisz

James McMahon

www.stymie.com.au

#saysomething

Four students attended the FIRST® LEGO® League Robotics competition regional qualifiers at QUT Caboolture on Saturday 18 November.

Sophie Wilkinson, Jared Marshall, Shannon Tebble and Tammy Sullivan have spent the term working on their programming and building the robot in preparation for this national competition. With the help of teachers Ms Matai, Ms Smith and Mr Kirby, the students were able to showcase their robotic skills in this open forum.

FIRST® LEGO® League is a multi-part competition judged on three important elements:

The robot involves teams designing, building and programming a LEGO® robot to complete a series of challenges.

The robot has to operate on pre-programmed instructions, and complete as many tasks as possible in only 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Teams compete on adjacent tables to score as many points as possible, and a number of awards are given for robot performance, programming innovation and clever design.

Next is the project, where teams link to the theme and develop

solutions to problems they’ve identified in society. Through the project, teams learn more about the competition theme and present their ideas to a panel of judges. Working on the project teaches students to research, think critically, work as a team and speak publicly.

The project shows students they have the power to change the world, as teams can share successful ideas with their community, their school, their families, even all of Australia and the world. Finally the team is judged on Core Values including teamwork, cooperation and professionalism.

Time of Our lives in Drama

Year 11 Drama students have been working all term developing a live drama performance which was presented to students at Kilcoy State School on Friday 17 November.

The play was the culmination of a series of workshops held with Year 6 students at Kilcoy State School and was devised by the Year 11 students as part of their Drama Unit.

The themes within the play were

related to cyberbullying, resilience and fitting in.

Thank you to Drama Teacher Mr Norden, who has been instrumental in organising both this, and the Year 12 Aloaka performance last term.

These community related drama performances have provided valuable learning experiences for our senior drama students throughout the year.

Date Claimers

Monday Dec 4

Year 7 Transition

day

Tuesday Dec 5

Year 7 transition morning for

Delaneys Creek

students

Thursday Dec 7

Year 7-9 Rewards

Beach Trip Day

Friday Dec 8

Final Day of the

year

School Returns

2018

Monday January

22

2018 Dates

The school office will be

open from Mon January

15 2018.

It will be closed for

staff training on Wed Jan

17 until 1pm

Rise and Shine Leadership Program

Year 10 students, Khi Anderson and Emma Natoli, along with 70 other students across the region, recently attended an exclusive luncheon at the University of Sunshine Coast to launch the Rise and Shine Leadership program.

The USC program has been designed to give the year 10 recipients a competitive edge during their senior studies, with university preparation and career progression as well as providing them with a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the USC community.

Both Khi and Emma were nominated and selected to represent Kilcoy State High School based on their outstanding academic, leadership and aspirational achievements.

Congratulations Khi and Emma.

Visual Art Practices The Year 11 Visual Art Practices students have been working on a mural this

term that will be installed above the tuckshop servery in early 2018.

School Invoices

Reminder

Payments can be

made in person,

via Bpoint or

internet banking

or online through

QParents

Eligible parents

can also register

for Centrepay

deductions.

Centrepay

involves having

regular payments

deducted from a

Centrelink

payment and

forwarded

directly to the

school on a

weekly or

fortnightly basis.

We can no longer

take payments

over the phone

For further

information

please contact

the school office.

Page 7

Student Support Team News

FREE SAUSAGE SIZZLE and LOCAL SUPPORT AGENCIES

VISIT

On Wednesday 6th December

(Week 10), our Support Services Team (GO, Chappy, Nurse) are holding a free sausage sizzle for students at lunch time (1-1:40pm) outside the tuckshop.

Along with the sizzle, students will have the opportunity to check out the available mental health services and local agencies that we have access to in our community, with particular focus on keeping emotionally and mentally well over the Christmas break.

All students and staff are welcome to attend this event.

EXAM STRESS & YOUR

TEENAGER

Exams can be a very stressful time for teenagers. It can impact a teenager’s mental health but also their physical health and wellbeing.

Having a stressed teenager in the house can also be difficult for the whole family.

Helping your teenager manage their stress in the lead-up to exams can help them to study and also reduce the tension at home during the exam period.

We have included some helpful tips to get your student through the exam period:

Give them time off chores and non-

urgent family stuff.

Encourage them to keep doing the

activities they did before exams

Help them set up a study space

and make sure the rest of the

family understands this. Chat

with them about what they want to

do after exams finish.

Remind them to go to bed at a

regular time each night.

Go on study break walks with them

and try to cook wholesome meals.

Make a time to chat to them.

RESOURCE: ReachOut.com

**The loose change collection at

the tuckshop has raised an

amazing $113. Thank you to

everyone who contributed, we

will be able to provide some

wonderful Secret Santa gifts for

families in need this year. **

Eat Street Markets

2017/18

Uniform Shop

Order online at

www.schoolshoponli

ne.net.au/kilcoyshs

Online orders can be picked

up on

Wed & Fri

12pm to 3.30pm

Cash/Centrepay

Uniform shop

hours are:

Tuesday

8.30-10.30am

Uniform sizing guides and

prices are on the website and our

Facebook page.

Uniforms can only be

purchased new through the

school

2018

Uniforms can be

purchased on

Thursday 18 January 2018 from 8:30 am

until 12noon

(No facilities for trying on

available)

On Monday 27 November we hosted 40 maths teachers from across the region to work on the upcoming changes to the senior syllabus.

In 2019, our Year 11 students will commence a new senior syllabus. Whilst still similar to the old syllabus, there are some significant differences. , with changes in timelines are procedures to follow.

The meeting gathered together 40 well-credentialed maths teachers from schools as far south as the northern suburbs of Brisbane, to schools on the Redcliffe Peninsula, Caboolture area, the Sunshine Coast, and as far west as our school here in Kilcoy.

The meeting was open to both public and private schools to work together on this project. The

primary objective for this first meeting was to look at the new syllabuses and begin to make decisions about how much time is needed to teach and assess each of the four units in each of the four new maths subjects.

In the future similar meetings will be held to start looking at assessment and moderation.

Over the past few weeks, Troy from the Commonwealth Bank Start Smart program has been visiting classes to conduct a series of workshops for the year 7-9 students.

Students have been exploring the

foundations of financial decision

making, through a series of

activities designed to stimulate

thinking and have students reflect

on their current spending habits.

The workshops encourage

discussion around the influences

and factors that shape financial

choices.

Students learnt how to question

their purchases and understand

the wider implications of their

decisions.

Several concepts were covered

including: financial responsibilities,

motional motives affecting financial

decisions, influences on spending

and the difference between needs

and wants.

Mathematics Convention

Commonwealth Bank Start Smart

Page 8

School Dates

2018

School returns

on

Monday

January 22

Friday January 26 is a Public

Holiday

The school office will be

open from Monday

January 15,

2018.

The office will be closed for

staff training on Wed Jan 17

until 1pm

Uniforms can be purchased

at the office on

Thursday 18

8.30-12 noon

Student

Absences

Register with QParents and

advise absences via the QParents

app

School Leadership Application Process—NPDL As part of the selection process for our 2018 School Leader positions, candidates who were shortlisted for the positions participated in a hands on, small-group, design oriented task rather than individual interviews. During the process, students were given a task where they had to design, prepare and present their ideal learning environment, giving consideration to both the student and teacher perspective. The focus of this task was to demonstrate their skills in collaboration, communication and creativity. The outcome of this activity was that students were able to demonstrate their skills set to the interview panel, a move away from the traditional verbal interview style. As part of the process, current Junior and Senior Leaders observed and assessed the applicants against a performance rubric. This new selection process proved rigorous for students and also quite difficult for staff and it was an extremely close race. All candidates are to be congratulated for being willing to assume the responsibilities of leadership. The number and quality of the nominations for junior and senior leadership positions in 2018 was very high and this really does attest to the terrific qualities of our Year 8 and Year 11 students. The Junior Captains for 2018, as announced at our awards ceremony are: Ului Omeri, Blake Anderson, April Fadriquela and Libby Woodrow. The Senior School captains are August Horton, Michael Houstoun, Matthew Martin and Alec Walsh.

2018 Payment Information

Bridge Constructions

Uniform Shop Update

The last day for purchasing uniforms for 2017 will be Tuesday 5 December 8:30am to 10:30am.

Please note sizing charts were emailed home, as we do not have the facilities available

for students to try on items.

The office will not accept any further payments after Wednesday 6 December for uniforms or any other payments.

2018 uniforms

Uniforms can be purchased online from https://schoolshoponline.net.au/kilcoyshs/index.aspx for collection on Thursday 18 January 2018.

Alternatively uniforms can be purchased from the school office Thursday 18 January 2018 from 8:30 am until 12noon. If you are wishing to pay school fees there is a Payment Options form in this newsletter.

Again the school will not be taking any payments after Wednesday 6 December.

If you wish to pay over the holidays you can deposit money directly into our account using your students name as a reference.

Year 8 Industrial Technology and Design students have spent this term working on bridge construction. The students had to design a wooden bridge that would withstand a heavy load placed on it. Bridges were load tested on Friday Dec 1 to determine which group constructed the strongest bridge design. The winning bridge, constructed by Blake Anderson, Kobi Wolff and Jeromy Wright was a truss design that bore 190kg before breaking.

2017

Valedictory Dux Speech—Stuart Houstoun

Good morning, Class of 2017, teachers, staff, parents, special guests, and the rest of the student body who are stuck here listening to me. Hopefully I shall finish this address without hyperventilating, having an emotional breakdown or just boring you all out.

Before I shine the spotlight on my own cohort (really, you’ve had enough attention this week, already), I’d like to pay my respects to everyone who is responsible for getting us to this stage.

Parents, you have been the backbone helping our success; encouraging, assisting, threatening us to be our greatest and I hope that we in turn will use your advice to live our lives in ways that don’t disappoint you.

Teachers. I must say that Kilcoy has been overserved an abundance of wonderful teachers who have always made sure we reached our goals (or their goals, if ours were lacking). You were a bunch of really nice people and I hope we have nothing but fond memories of you. I’d like to also give a special shout-out to Mr Aitchison who has announced his retirement at the end of this year. He’s a good bloke who shared his deep passion for his subject (considering it was maths) and had to tolerate all the jokes and memes we made. Cheers, sir.

Our thanks must also go to the principals and all the administration staff for organising this school, and whatever else it is they do in the office, but it must be important.

To the Class of 2017, I’d like to bestow a “Suggestion from Stuey”. In 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. once said: “If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets like Beethoven composed music. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’”

A hint for the rest of life: you don’t need to be smart or wise or knowledgeable in any particular area. It’s all about Botheredness. (Yep, I just made that word up) As simple as it sounds, you just need to be bothered about stuff. If you can’t be bothered, then you actually can’t do anything. Luther King’s street sweeper is stuck in a crummy job that pays little wages and little respect, but he is bothered enough to work his hardest in his rubbish situation even if he expects no reward. And if that means for us to be bothered enough to drop social occasions for study, to work your hardest at IGA for that job promotion or to stay up for a whole night to reach your highest score at Tetris, then that is what you should be bothered to do. (Okay, maybe not the Tetris one).

We’re leaving what I've been told are the “Best Years of Our Lives”. Taking our first brave (or terrified) steps into adulthood. But I'm sure greater times are still to come (better than assignments and exams anyway) and as a wise sci-fi TV series once taught me, “What's the point in growing up if you can’t be childish sometimes”.

Wrapping up, I’d like to say that I’m not going to miss assessments or that really long bell

or the crammed bus rides. But I am going to miss all the teachers I made bonds with, all

of my fellow students and close friends and all of the enjoyable experiences I have had

within this school. But as Dr Seuss advised: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it

happened.” Thank you everyone and may God bless your futures.

Chess Club participants and

finalists (above and left)

Premier’s Readers Challenge

participants (below)