Welcome back for 2022!

Last week we welcomed 439 Year 7 students to our junior secondary school plus an additional 48 new Year 8 and 9 students. I have been very pleased to see the year start off so smoothly.

We always start with a clear focus on our school motto Nil Sed Optima which means 'nothing but the best' - we ask students to set goals to be their best and we will support and assist them every step to achieve those goals.

I wish everyone the most productive and happy year and look forward to working with you as Junior Secondary Principal. I am leading a fabulous team who will support your young people in any endeavours or problems they have.  

The key Junior Secondary team members based in D Block are;

• Tammy Burns - Deputy Principal Year 7
• Wendy Wise - Deputy Principal Years 8 and 9
• Nick Hiron – Head of Year 7
• Stacy Hooper - Head of Year 8
• Andrew Jordan – Head of Year 9
• Anna Willis – Guidance Officer
• Tegan Willmott – Junior Secondary Student Services
• Yvette Whittaker - DP and Whole School IP Support
• Lyn Bortolin – DP and Junior Secondary Office Support

Contacts can be found on the school website https://pbc-shs.eq.edu.au/our-school/contact-us/staff-contact-list

Enquiries and or concerns can be directed through our central email - parentsupport@pbc-shs.eq.edu.au as these are fielded to the most helpful person to support you.

Year 7 Parent Information Evening – format change

Due to current restrictions on schools with having parents on site and large assemblies, the Year 7 Information Evening will take on a different format. We will share a link to a video of our usual presentational and individual teachers will reach out with details of class routines and curriculum.

Assessment Calendar

To help students get organised and stay organised, the Assessment Calendar will be published on the PBC website in Week 4 and emailed to parents. Parents and students can easily access this information so that they can predict the busy times and plan for them. Students should transfer their assesment dates, note homework and other important dates in their outlook calendar .

Attendance Policy

PBC Attendance Target – 92%

Full Day

Parents/Caregivers must notify the school and provide an explanation of a student absence by 9.00am on the day of the absence.  

The priority for notification is: TEXT MESSAGE – (0426305728) – provide student name, year level date and reason for absence e.g. Sick

OR

EMAIL – absences@pbc-shs.eq.edu.au – provide student name, date and reason for absence

Example Text/Email – “John Smith Y8 03/06/19 Sick”

Text messages are sent out to parents by 10:00am to notify you of an unexplained absence.  If you receive a text message, you can reply to the message, providing your student name, year level and reason for absence.

2 – 10 days

If a student is likely to be absent for more than two days, parents/caregivers are to notify PBC in writing by text message or email stating the student’s name, year level, dates of absence and the reason for the absence.  A medical certificate (where applicable) can be emailed to absences@pbc-shs.eq.edu.au or a hard copy taken to the Junior or Senior Secondary School Student Services.

11+ days

If a student is going to be absent for more than 10 days, Parents/Caregivers are required to notify PBC at least 2 weeks prior to the absence taking place (where possible). An Exemption form must be completed and submitted, along with supporting documentation (e.g. medical certificate, doctor’s letter).

An exemption may be appropriate in the following circumstances:

• diagnosis of terminal medical condition
• illness or hospitalisation (including recovery period at home) for a period greater than 10 consecutive school days
• ‘carer’ responsibilities
• diagnosed mental health condition
• temporary interstate or overseas relocation where the family intends to return to Queensland.

Forms are available on the PBC website or upon request at the Administration Office.

Holidays

What should I do if our family is going on a holiday in school time?

Regular school attendance will mean that your child has a better chance in life. Your child will achieve better when they go to school all day, every school day.  You are encouraged not to schedule holidays during school time. If your family circumstances dictate that your student must attend a holiday is during school time, please let the Attendance Officer know the absence dates at least 2 weeks prior to the holiday.  Email the details to absences@pbc-shs.eq.edu.au .

Late Arrivals

Any student that arrives after 9:00am must present to the Junior or Senior Secondary School Student Services with a note, signed by the parent/carer, including the reason for lateness.  This may be approved by a Head of Year. A “late pass” will be issued to the student prior to attending any class.

Non-approved notes or failure to present a note may result in disciplinary action.

Heads of Year will monitor late arrivals. Consistent late arrivals that impact engagement with school process may result in a disciplinary action.

Early Departure

Notes are to be written and signed by a parent/carer and presented to the Junior or Senior Secondary School Student Services prior to 8:45am that day.

The sign out note must specify the following:

• The specific reason for signing out (doctors, dentist, etc.).
• The time and date that you need to sign out of school.
• If a medical appointment, the time, location and professional must be included.
• Notes will be approved by a Head of Year and should then be collected prior to signing out of school at the Junior or Secondary School Student Services.
• Non-approved notes and absences may lead to disciplinary action.
• Students must show the signed note to their class teacher at the requested leaving time.
• Report to the Junior or Senior Secondary School Student Service Office with the signed note to obtain and ‘Early Departure’ pass.

It is appropriate for students to sign out no more than three times a term for an appointment or an activity during school hours.

Heads of Year will monitor early departures. Consistent early departures that impact engagement with school process may result in a disciplinary action.

If your student becomes ill at school and is sent home they will be issued with a leaving slip by the Sick Bay Officer. If they return later in the day they will need to report to the Junior or Secondary School Student Services Office and sign in. Administration Officers or Year Coordinators may contact home to query the validity/frequency of appointments during school hours.

Welcome back to our PBC community for 2022 - with particular warmth to our new Year 10 students and parents, joining Senior Secondary, and with it brand new challenges and adventures. Although this has been another disjointed start to the year, it has been a joy to welcome our students back on campus last week and it was pleasing to see our Year 11 and Year 12 students engage as best they could with online learning in Week 1.

This year we are again privileged to have a team of educators with a wealth of experience supporting our Senior students in their every endeavour. Located in Y Block (Senior Seocndary Office) are the following staff whose job it is to assist students with their every need:

• Principal Senior School - Peter Hughes
• Deputy Principal Year 11/12 - Mitch Kennedy
• Deputy Principal Year 10 - Loren Skyring
• HOD Senior Schooling - Mick McDougall
• HOD Student Engagement - Brad Dixon
• Guidance Officer - Steve Jones
• Head of Year 12 - Jarrod Wells
• Head of Year 11 - Ryan Jesser
• Head of Year 10 - Krista I'Anson
• Inclusion Coordinator - Luana Giacomantonio
• Pathways Centre - Sonia Shreeve

Uniform Expectations

With the start of a new school year, students are expected to be compliant with our existing uniform processes and policies. Our Heads of Year have worked hard, in consultation with our P&C to finetune our uniform and communication to our families. 

All students are encouraged to come to Y Block for assistance if they are having any concerns with the existing uniform policy. Any student who is out of uniform should be bringing a note from a parent/caregiver to their Head of Year prior to the commencement of school that day. 

Growing Good Humans

As a school we are once again very proud to be offering our students an opportunity to engage in our Growing Good Humans workshops and explore what it means to be a better Human.

This Tuesday Year 12 students will spend all day engaging in 3 workshops:-  One of which will be Growing Good Women and Men workshops delivered by Tom Herschell, Anna Wyatt and Paul Bullpitt. Many thanks again to Tom from Find Your Feet who regularly gives us his time and expertise for free. 

Students will also have a chance to think about Road Safety when they listen to Melissa McGuiness from You Choose. YOU CHOOSE engages schools around Australia, sharing highly relatable, lived experiences with tens of thousands of students, teachers and parents. The program extends beyond a cautionary tale, by positively uplifting young drivers and passengers to protect their families and their communities from the wholly preventable tragedy of youth road trauma. Messages are focused on love, family, and the empowerment of choice. For more information please visit  http://youchooseyrs.org.au/ 

Finally students will work on being 'Party Safe' in a session delivered by our very own School Based Youth Health Nurses. This session looks to expand on content delivered last year around Communication and Sexual Consent. We also thank the wonderful Nursing team who provide a range of vital education to all our PBC cohorts. 

Our Year 10 students on the next 2 days will have their chance to be a part of the Growing Good Men and Women workshops also. Student feedback from these sessions has been overwhelmingly positive and the general take away messages for students is one of Empathy and compassion.

Senior Assessment

It certainly has been an interesting start to 2022. This year will no doubt present a variety of challenges for the school community and as in previous years the PBC community will again arise to these challenges.

It is important to note that despite the delayed start to the year that the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) intends to maintain it’s timelines for 2022. This means that assessment timelines will remain the same, however in Year 10 and 11 the assessment task will have been adjusted to reflect the teaching timelines.

Assessment Calendars for Years 10, 11 and 12 will soon be uploaded to the school website. Click on the Curriculum tab and then under Testing and Assessment. Students can also download this information from the K drive on the school’s network. This information will be useful for parents and students when planning their study timetable. 

Subject changes for Year 10 and 11 have now been finalised. Students will have the opportunity to change classes at the end of the semester or Unit.

Useful websites

The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority has website specifically for students and parents. (https://myqce.qcaa.qld.edu.au/index.html). This is a great source of information on the new Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE), Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), Senior Education Training (SET) Plan, future pathways, subjects and assessment.

Year 11 and 12 students have been emailed details on how to register for the Student Portal on the myQCE website. This is the portal where they can access their results and QCE.

All Year 11 and 12 students should be in the process of completing an online QCAA Academic Integrity course via this student portal (htttps://myqce.qcaa.qld.edu.au/). 

Year 10 students

Year 10 students are reminded that their results in Semester 1 will determine their pathway and subject availability in Years 11 and 12. To study an ATAR pathway students need to be achieving at least a B level in English and Maths. If students wish to study Senior Science subjects they also need to be achieving at least a B level in Year 10 Science. 

Year 10s are also reminded that they can commence School based apprenticeships and traineeships (SATS) in Year 10. These courses provide students with paid employment and work skills and a Certificate 3 qualification which may provide tertiary options. 

Year 11

Year 11 students will need to have very good time management in 2022 as the units for each subject are only 7 weeks in length including assessment.

In the QCE unit credits are banked into each student’s learning account at the end of each unit The implication for this is that students who are not engaged in learning and perform poorly in a number of subjects could find themselves ineligible for the QCE as early as Week 5 Term 2 (20 May). Students have been reminded of this and will need to ensure that they are actively engaged in all classes at all times. 

Year 12

Year 12 students have completed their first summative assessment item from Unit 3 at the end of last term (excluding Maths, which is due in the coming weeks).

This is a very important term for Year 12s; by the end of this term they will have completed 50% of their Unit 3 and 4 assessment in all subjects except Maths and Sciences so it is important that they are prioritising their time appropriately.

All students need to be eligible to for a Queensland Certificate of Education to remain enrolled in Senior Schooling. For students in Year 11 and 12 this means they must be passing at least 5 of their 6 subjects (regardless of whether or not they are completing a traineeship). All students who are doing VET subjects must be up to date at the end of each term. Time will be allocated during shutdown to ensure that these students are up to date. Students who do not complete their competencies will have their enrolment reviewed. 

Senior Study Skills

This year as part of the Study Skills program to support senior students, Griffith University are presenting online sessions on a Monday afternoon from 2:15- 3:00pm.

The sessions will be for Year 11 and 12 students and will have different content on various weeks to help support students to achieve their best in their final years of schooling. Students are highly encouraged to attend by accessing the sessions via a link that will be emailed to them.

Session 1: Thrive and Survive Senior school

When: Monday 14 February

Who: All Year 11 and 12 students

Session 2: Study Skills and Time management

When: Monday 21 February

Who: All Year 11 and 12 students

Session 3: Resilience

When: Monday 28 February

Who: All Year 11 students only

School based traineeships available

New exciting traineeship opportunities are available in the Pathways Centre Y Block for year 10’s. Job boards will be updated regularly with new positions. Students can collect a registration form and apply now.

Get paid while gaining a qualification when doing a school-based traineeship and earn up to 8 QCE points!!

A variety of new traineeships are on offer with a focus on business, hospitality, retail, sport and tourism

Rebound Indoor Sport Centre Café : school based traineeships Cert 3 business with hospitality focus, working at least two shifts a week in the café at the stadium. Email James to apply james@reboundstadium.com.au

Airport Retail Enterprises: Traineeships at Gold Coast Airport working across a variety of hospitality venues in the airport arrival and departure lounges. Taking expression of interest now. Recruitment session will be held at school on a date TBA. Don’t miss this great traineeship opportunity, only students attending the information session will be considered.

Hospitality and Business Traineeships:

• Portside Coffee Currumbin
• The Shelf Café and Deli the Pines
• Ground Coffee - Coolangatta
• Goodness Gracias – Palm Beach
• Pancake Diner Coolangatta
• Zarraffas – various locations
• Bellakai Coolangatta     
• Brumbys Bakery – Christine Corner & The Pines
• Rebound Indoor Stadium Café
• Sandwich Chefs The Pines
• Sean Scott Gallery Burleigh
• The Pines News and Gifts
• BSKT Mermaid Beach
• Double Barrel Kitchen Mermaid Waters
• Boost Juice Elanora
• Fuel Bakehouse Currumbin
• Palm Beach Bakery – 8^th Ave
• The Pantry Burleigh
• Maries Pizza Tugun and Palm Beach stores
• Coffee Club Burleigh Stocklands
• The Original Bakery Tugun
• Wendys the Pines
• Lakeview Espresso Burleigh Heads
• Guzmen Y Gomez Burleigh & Robina
• Pattysmiths Burgers Palm Beach & Miami
• Crema Espresso the Pines & Coolangatta
• KFC – Palm Beach, Mermaid Beach & Robina
• Coming Home Co Robina Kitchens
• Seadog Café Burleigh

Backbone Barbershop:  Currumbin barbershop is looking for a school based apprentice to start before March. Pop into the shop and ask for Sam Shop 7/27-31 Currumbin Creek Rd, Currumbin Waters, or email resume to backbonebarbershop@gmail.com.

City Venue Management: Miami Pool & Helensvale are looking for new school based trainees, Lifeguarding, customer service, swim teaching… If you would like to be part of their team please apply via the link https://www.cvmacademy.com.au/traineeships.

Cert 3 Early Childhood – A Head start Learning & Little Scholars Burleigh and other local centres.

Seeds of Life Robina: Customer service and back of house positions available. Organic grain, gluten free & plant based wholefoods supplier. School based traineeships available now! Robina and new store Q Super Centre.

School based vacancies links:

 Ignite Education: https://www.ignite.edu.au/job-vacancies/

Aurora Training Institute please visit their vacancy page: http://www.aurora.edu.au/schools-program/

Prestige Staffing Solution vacancies, Please visit this link for more opportunities: https://prestigestaffingsolutions.org.au/job-board/

School Leavers should check the following links for fulltime employment opportunities

https://www.goldcoaststudentjobs.com.au/

http://srajobs.sarinarusso.com/Vacancies/

https://www.busyatwork.com.au/support-jobseekers/jobs/

https://www.megt.com.au/job-board

https://www.mrael.com.au/index.php/your-career/vacancies

https://novaskill.com.au/jobs-available

Swimart Palm Beach Fulltime position in the retail store, please go into the store with a resume 1/22 Philippine Parade, Palm Beach or email PalmBeach@swimart.com.au

Looking for a Trade??  Casey from Gold Coast Trades college has many opportunities available for school leavers looking for a trade eg: metal roofer, painting/decorating, carpentry, tiling, Automotive & plastering  Please email your resume and industry of interest to casey@peopleperformance.com.au  Or Tracey Egan tracy@peopleperformance.com.au 

McDonald’s casuals: apply via these links

• Tugun https://smrtr.io/4LXdX
• Palm Beach https://smrtr.io/4RX8W
• Elanora https://smrtr.io/4LXbg

Congratulations to PBC’s Kobi who has signed up as a school based trainee at Niche & Co Tugun. Thanks to Aurora Training Institute and MAS Experience for assisting with this traineeship.

There are more opportunities on the job boards. Please come into Y Block to register

Love your current job? Would you like to turn it into a traineeship? Come to the Pathway centre and let’s see if we can create a traineeship for you in your current role.

The Pathway Centre is open before school and first break to apply for any of the above positions

Sonia Shreeve - Industry Liaison Officer

Uniform Shop

2022 SRS Fees

1^st Instalment – Overdue - 24 January 2022

2^nd Instalment – 19 April 2022

3^rd Instalment – 11 July 2022

Make payments the quick and easy way using BPOINT. Visit www.bpoint.com.au/payments/dete, follow the prompts or phone BPOINT on 1300 631 073.

Parents/caregivers experiencing financial difficulty can email Finance on  Finance@pbc-shs.eq.edu.au.

Payment plan options are available including Centrepay -a service to families whereby periodic payments can be made to the school or Direct Debit via credit card (monthly). Paperwork is available from the Finance Office to activate either of these plans.

For Internet banking please use the details below:

School’s Bank Account: PALM BEACH CURRUMBIN SHS General A/C

BSB Number: 064-404 CBA Branch Burleigh Heads

Account Number: 00090303

Reference/Details: Record both Student ID AND the reference Code to ensure your payment can be recorded correctly. (Reference Code = ITEM BEING PAID FOR e.g.: 2022 SRS8 or 2022 ACEX10)

Finance Office Window Operating Hours

Over the counter payments can only be accepted between 8:00am and 1:00pm on Tuesday to Thursday. Alternatively, you can make payments via BPOINT from your invoice or statement or Direct Deposit. CLOSED Mondays & Fridays

Alternative payment options include BPOINT and Bank Transfer, details found here

QParents

Parents – have you registered for QParents yet?

Are you using QParents to stay in contact with our school and to access information about your child’s schooling?

If you haven’t yet registered for QParents, register now.

You can provide your 100 points of identity documents for registration online through QParents, or in person at your school.

If you have limited identity documents, or experience difficulties registering, please contact your school for help.

QParents is a great way to stay informed about what’s happening in your child’s school life

Spark their Future – How to help your child succeed

Success looks different for every child. If your child is struggling at school or refusing to go to school, knowing you are on their side is what matters most. There is no one-size-fits-all simple solution to achieving success, but there are things you can do to help. Recognising your child’s ‘little wins’ will allow them to experience the thrill and endorphin hit of achievement. This builds their confidence and motivates them to want more. When you put the ‘little wins’ together, they can make a big difference. The Spark their Future website has tips on how to help your child succeed at school including a short video.

Gold Coast Oral Health Service

Due to the current South-East QLD COVID-19 pandemic, Gold Coast Health has made the decision to temporarily suspend operations in all mobile dental facilities in schools. It is anticipated that mobile dental clinics’ operations will re-commence in Term 2.

Enquiries about oral health services and appointments, including urgent care, can be made by contacting 1300 300 850.

Gold Coast City Council Parksafe

Advice for parents, carers, guardians and drivers

The City of Gold Coast (City) wants to ensure that motorists comply with school zone road rules at and around schools to achieve a safer environment for children and the broader school community. These rules also help to optimise traffic movement and safety.

Please take extra care and obey the signed parking rules when parking on the roads and streets around the school.

Park Safe Vehicles - Licence Plate Recognition (LPR)

As part of the City Parking Plan 2015 to improve parking behaviour on the Gold Coast, City Parking Officers will soon patrol the city (including key school zones) using vehicles, clearly badged as “Park Safe” vehicles.  These vehicles use Licence Plate Recognition (LPR) which is camera technology fitted to Park Safe vehicles to ensure motorists are parking safely.

Park Safe will operate on school days at student drop-off and pick-up times focusing on pedestrian areas around schools. If a vehicle is found to be parked illegally the City will issue an infringement notice to the registered vehicle owner by post.

Offences to be aware of:

• stopping 20 metres before or 10 metres after a sign posted crossing
• stopping 20 metres before or 10 metres after a bus stop
• stopping within 10 metres of an intersection or corner
• stopping within a bus zone (bayed area)
• stopping on a footpath or nature strip within a built-up area
• stopping in a way that restricts access to a driveway
• stopping on a yellow painted line
• stopping in a loading zone
• double parking for any period of time.

Park safely and legally to avoid a fine.

For more information visit www.cityofgoldcoast.com.au/parksafe