/ APRIL / MAYNEWSLETTER 2017
FROM THE COLLEGE PRINCIPAL
The Easter Hat Parade was a wonderful festive way to start the Term on the Junior Campus. It has set the tone for the term as one of friendship, fun and sharing. I encourage all students to approach their studies this term with those sentiments in mind. We do have a number of key events happening this term, first up was ANZAC Day with our College ceremony held on Friday 21st April. Next we have NAPLAN. A letter has been sent home outlining the testing days and providing information to parents. If you have any concerns about the program please contact the office and they will direct you to Ms Barrett or Mr Thatcher.
We have also been working in partnership with Park Ridge State High School and Windaroo Valley State High this year on preparing for the changes to senior assessment. Parents of students in Year 9 will start to hear more about the ATAR – Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank during the subject selection process this year and next. I have been invited along with the partner principals to present our research at the Australian Education Conference in May. We have also partnered locally with Alexandra Hills State School and Rose Rainbow Childcare to study early years’ literacy. These partnerships are important for our professional development and enable us to continue to deliver first class educational opportunities to our students.
This term we welcome Robyn Ferguson (HOSES) and Adam McKaig to the team on the Senior Campus and welcome back Megan Thirkill, Trish Daley and Sabine Priekschat on the Junior Campus. Our teachers are experienced professionals who look to create positive learning experiences for our students. This term preparation is underway for balloon car races, under 8s day and drama performances. I look forward to sharing in the fun of learning.
As the weather starts to cool off, I encourage you to review your student’s winter uniform and if necessary visit the uniform shop to purchase the required items. Our uniform is an important part of our culture and unites us as proud members of the Capalaba State College Community.
“Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.” – Golda Meir
Bronwyn Johnstone
College Principal
DATES TO REMEMBER
17 May Year 9 Science Excursion
22 May - 2 June Under Eight's week
25 MayYear 5&6 Arts Fest
26 MayYear 5&6 Cluster Sport (Day 1)
29-31 May Beginners Music Week
1 June Year 7 Gala Day (Day 2)
2 June Brisbane Careers Expo Year 11
8 June Met East Cross Country
9 June Year5&6Cluster Sport (Day 2)
9 June Year 7 Immunisations
12-16 June Year 11&12 Block Exams
15 JuneJunior Campus Athletics Carnival
16 JuneSenior Campus Athletics Carnival
16 June Year 10 into 11 2018 Subject Information Due
23 June Last day of Term 2
10 July First day of Term 3
12-14 July Year 11 Leadership Camp
JUNIOR SECONDARY NEWS
Welcome back to a cold Term 2
Scholar’s Cup
On the Easter holidays, 18 students from Year 6 to Year 9 participated in a Scholar’s Cup. Students performed exceptionally well. Many students received medallions as they performed at a very high level during each round. Students participated in a Team Debate, a collaborative writing challenge, an individual Scholar’s Challenge and a Scholar’s Bowl. Students have been invited to participate in the World Scholar’s Cup due to performing so well.
Uniform
Winter has definitely arrived and as such it is timely to remind parents that students should be wearing jumpers to school. Please ensure that it is a College jumper. These can be purchased from the uniform shop (8am-2pm Monday, Thursday and Friday) brand new or there is a second hand uniform shop (Friday 9am-2pm open on the Junior campus). Long pants are also available to be purchased from the Uniform shop. Therefore, students are not to wear tracksuit pants to school. Girls are permitted to wear thick navy blue stockings with their formal school uniform.
Positive relationships
In Junior Secondary this term we will focus on developing effective communication skills and building positive relationships with our friends and others in our school community. These are life skills that we are explicitly teaching and modelling to our students. In order to prepare our students for the workforce, they must learn to deal with conflict and resolve problems using their communication skills effectively. The skills needed for effective conflict resolution include thinking skills for problem solving, as well as skills for managing emotions and communicating with others.
The key conflict resolution skills that we encourage are:
• being able to control angry or anxious feelings
• learning to listen even when you disagree
• understanding the other person’s opinions and feelings
• being able to think of different solutions
• exchanging ideas with the other person
• finding ‘win-win’ solutions.
More information about teaching young adolescents about conflict resolution can be found on
Canberra trip update
Now that it is cooler, parents are able to plan what their children will need on the Canberra trip. There will be a parent information evening on Wednesday the 24th of May.
QPARENT INFORMATION
Important: QParents Future Absence notifications
QParents users: When notifying the school of a future absence using QParents,the systemcurrently allows parents to submit reasons of up to 500 characters, with the hint text stating that there is a 500 character limit in the 'Reason' box.
This is an error and should read '100 character limit'. Absence reasons submittedwith over 100 characters are too long and will not reach the school system for staff to action.Thislimit error will be fixed as soon as possible,however in the meantime we encourage parents to ensure reasons for absences are kept brief when submitting through QParents.
ARTS UPDATE
DATES TO REMEMBER
22-26 May:ArtsFest
23 May:James Morrison visit - Sr Campus Music students
25 May Evening: Anywhere Theatre Tour – performances by Senior Drama students
25 May Day:ArtsFest – Sr Campus – workshops & concert for Yr 5s & 6s
30 May Evening: Opera Excursion – Sr Campus Music
Week 7 - TBC:Sr Campus Dance Teams at BPAC Eisteddfod
Week 7: Beginners’ Music Week
On Tuesday 28th of March Year 11 and 12 Senior art Students along with art teachers and parent and local artist Mrs Smythe went to the Gallery of Modern Art to see the exhibition called 'Sugar Spin: you, me, art and everything' as part of GOMA’S tenth anniversary. The wonderful exhibition features more than 200 contemporary works.
The students were spoilt for choice as the gallery was full of different and highly engaging artworks. On entrance to the gallery the students could be immersed in the floor to ceiling synthetic hair installation which was very fluorescent strange, and instantly touchable.
Moving up the escalators students were then able to slide down together on adjacent giant adult sized slippery slides.
The gallery spaces were filled with mostly contemporary art ranging from Ron Mueck’s giant oversized lady in bed, to a double headed life-size creation of a mummified deer coated in crystalized baubles.
Undoubtedly one of the most unique and uplifting art works was the room filled with a variety of beautiful Australian finches. The sensory experience is the work of CélesteBoursier-Mougenot, who first trained as a musician and composer before turning his hand to the visual arts. Within the bright space, a soundscape plays, layered with the live sounds of the finches flying ,chirping and nest making all the while using dangling wire coat hangers as their perches.
All Students were able to look and gather information for inspiration on their own artworks from the wide variety of artists work on display.
The students were also able to participate in artmaking activities with one of the most popular being the long table with beautiful view overlooking the city full of white Lego pieces.
After lunch the students were able to reflect and discuss on all their viewings and ideas and transfer some of these into their own artmaking in the coming term.
Mr Tickner and members of the Sr Campus Concert Band used a full day of rehearsals at The Plantation to prepare for their Term 2 performances. Trumpet players from the Junior Campushave joined the Senior Campus Concert Band to extend their musical literacy and performance skills. Students also enjoyed swimming, which allowed them to stretch out of their playing positions.
JUNIOR CAMPUS NEWS
Melodrama Workshop
Senior Campus Drama students, John I, Michael M, Bryce R, Stacey S & Tyson F have enjoyed supporting all the Yr 6 teachers and Drama Teacher, Ms Wall with introducing the Year 6s to the dramatic style of Melodrama. As part of their unit, the Year 6s have participated in two melodrama workshops in the Cultural Centre and have considerably enjoyed honing their acting skills. The senior students look forward to being critical friends as the Year 6s write, rehearse and perform their own scripts.
ONLINE SAFETY
Last term, Year 4B and C completed a course in Cyber safety. We learnt about the 5 key messages that cover what is and isn’t okay when working online:
- Profiles—use a nickname and profile picture that doesn’t show your face
- Positive—make sure online information about you is as positive as possible
- Permission—make sure you have a grown-up’s permission to use a new site or app
- Privacy—keep your passwords and personal details secure
- Protect—keep evidence and don’t bully back, tell someone
SPORT NEWS
A tremendous term!
Wow! What an amazing start to 2017 Capalaba State College sport has had! Term 1 kicked off with our High Performing Sport students getting into the competition frame of mind with an excursion to the Runaway Bay Sports and Leadership Excellence Centre. The Senior Campus then held its annual Swimming Carnival in which had record attendance and 23 existing school records being broken! We then saw our talented swimmers come 8th in the Bayside District swimming carnival with Bryden A, Amadika A, Matthew H and Bailey S being selected as part of the Metropolitan East Swimming team to compete at the State Championships!Amadika A performed exceptionally, earning herself a place on the Queensland team. She has also recently competed in the Australian Age Championships where she placed in the top 10 swimmers in Australia for many of her age group events.
Later in the term seven of our High Performing Volleyball students were selected as part of the District Volleyball team and Maniah S was then selected to represent the Metropolitan East District at the State trials. Our interschool sports teams also recorded outstanding results for the summer season with the grade 9 and 10 High Performance Volleyball teams making it into the District finals. Furthermore, the grade 8 Volleyball team have won the District Competition and will now progress into the Metropolitan East finals. Both the senior Volleyball team, year 8 High Performance Basketball team and the year 8 girls touch team also competed strongly and placed 3rd in the district.
In week 8 year 7 students competed in the summer Gala Day which also saw fantastic results. The boys volleyball team were narrowly defeated in the final and finished second, with the boys and girls basketball team as well as the girls touch teams were equally brave and narrowly missed out on a top four finish with both teams finishing fifth.
Rugby League at Capalaba
In term one we established an exciting partnership with the Capalaba Warriors Junior Rugby League Club. This is to increase the love of Rugby League among the community and the sport at our College. In term 2 our year 7, combined 8 and 9 and open teams will be competing in the upcoming interschool sport competition. All three teams are looking to compete strongly. A Rugby League kit with a training shirt, shorts and socks is available to purchase before the end of week 3. See Mr Harper for more details.
So, what’s in store for term 2?
Term two marks the beginning of winter sporting seasons and many more competitions. Four strong junior and senior campus teams have been training hard to be ready for the Queensland All Schools Oz Tag tournament in July and four High Performing Volleyball teams are ready to compete in the Queensland Intermediate Volleyball Schools cup tournament in Toowoomba in May. Furthermore, 24 senior campus students will compete in the Bayside District Cross Country carnival after amazing performances in our school cross country race.
The end of term two will also see our annual Athletics Carnival – stay tuned for more outstanding results from our talented athletes!
CHANGES TO PAYMENT DAYS AND UNIFORM SHOP TIMES
The Uniform Shop at the Senior Campus will be open on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays between 8am and 2pm.
Hats, Library Bags and Swimming caps can be purchased from the Junior Campus during the above times.
Payments can be made at both campuses on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays between 8am and 2pm.
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Help your kids (and yourself!) reduce the chance of catching a cold or flu this winter season
The flu season is fast approaching! Try these 6 tips for avoiding the dreaded virus.
Consider getting a flu shot. Flu shots are generally suitable for children over the age of 2 years old (check with your doctor to be sure). They are also inexpensive to buy and can be easily administered.
- Encourage your children to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water before eating, the flu virus is easily spread on contact and children are often in contact with surfaces that others have touched (or possibly sneezed on!).
- Encourage your children to cover their mouths when sneezing.
- Encourage your child to put all tissues in the bin immediately after use.
- Avoid large crowds. The virus is easily spread through touching a surface and then putting your hands to your face, nose or mouth.
- Use hand sanitiser when soap and water are not available.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has advised that four batches of EpiPen 300 microgram adrenaline injection syringe auto-injectors are being recalled.
If your child’s EpiPen is from batch 5FA665, 5FA6651, 5FA6652 or 5FA6653 (all of which expire in April 2017), return it to your pharmacy for a free replacement or refund.
It has been identified that EpiPens from the four affected batches may contain a defective part that could result in the auto-injector failing to activate or a need to apply more force than normal to activate.
It is important to keep the current auto-injector until you get the replacement, and use it if required (being mindful that you may need to apply more force than normal to activate it).
For further information see the TGA Recall Alert at If you have further questions or concerns, talk to your health professional.
PCYC NEWS
P&C NEWS
Welcome back to Term 2!
Our Silver Coin Challenge last Term was a success and we raised a total of $893.40. Our winning classes of the Pizza Party were 1A from Junior who raised $142.00 and 8S from Senior who raised $41.45. Junior Campus raised the most money which means that Mr Thatcher will be making a splash when he takes a dip in our Dunk Tank at the College Fete this September!!! A big thank you to all the families who donated and a special thank you to the Teachers and Admin staff for their assistance in collecting the coins.
We have some great fundraisers coming up this term; Mother’s Day stall, Colour Fun Run & Disco. Information about these events will be sent home as they approach.
The Winter menu for Junior Tuckshop will be sent home in week3 with students. This menu will be effective from Week 4.
A reminder that our P&C Meetings each month will be held at the Senior Campus Library at 6:30pm.
Upcoming Meeting date & time:
- P&C General Meeting – May 22nd at 6:30pm
To keep up to date on all P&C news please follow us on Facebook - P&C Capalaba State College
FETE
Planning is in full swing for our College Fete to be held on Senior Campus, September 9th 2017 from 11:30am-6:00pm.
We would like to welcome on board our newest Sponsors, RAMS Home Loan Centre Redlands (Silver Sponsor) and Capalaba Central Shopping Centre (Platinum Sponsor).
Bring weeks will begin this term and the information on which items are being collected each week can be found in the Fete Newsletter which was sent home during Week 1.
If you would like to join our Fete Committee our team would love to hear from you. You can offer as little or as much time as you choose. Please contact the committee on: .
Upcoming meeting dates and times:
- April 27th at 1:30pm
- May 4th at 1:30pm
- May 11th at 1:30pm
- May 18th at 7pm
- May 25th at 1:30pm.