1 September 2015

Principal’s Report

Dear Parents,

Up until the end of Term 3 I will be replacing Mr Loggie as the Executive Principal of our school. Mr Loggie will be fulfilling the Assistant Regional Director position in the South East Regional Office during this period of time. It is my pleasure to fulfil the responsibilities of the Executive Principal and I look forward to leading our school over this period of time and further advancing upon the fantastic contributions of our staff and students that have been achieved this year.

Throughout this week I had the opportunity to attend one of the key initiatives lead by our P&C Association, ‘Parent Connect’. The objective of Parent Connect is to provide information, advice and practical tips for parents to support their students through their educational journey.

On Tuesday evening (25 August) a large number of PBC parents and guardians attended the P&C Parent Connect Forum presented by Dr Michael Nagel. This forum was titled ‘Understanding and managing the developing adolescent brain'. Dr Michael Nagel is an Associate Professor, teacher and academic at a leading Queensland university in the areas of cognition and learning, human development and early learning, neurological development in children and adolescent psychology and is regarded as one of Australia’s foremost experts in child development.

This was an engaging and educational presentation and provided the parents in attendance with relevant information and strategies to support their adolescent son/daughter and their development during these important years. A special thank you to a friend of our PBC Alliance, Homestyle Bake, for their contribution to this event.

Thank you to those parents who attended and again strengthened the links between the parent community and our school. I encourage parents to stay connected with their students’ learning throughout their high school years regardless of how well your son/daughter plays down the importance of doing so. Developing a close connection with our school and your son/daughter’s learning is vital to ensuring their success in reaching their goals and their general wellness.

Special Achievements

I would like to congratulate the Year 10 Drama Excellence students on their fantastic results at the Gold Coast Secondary Schools Drama Festival - Intermediate section, for their play ‘Bustown’. Please see results below:

Highly Commended Acting Awards

• Lauren Curtis
• Ella van Seters
• Bethany Smith
• Axel Botha
• Declan Thompson
• Jake Henderson

Outstanding Acting Award from the Festival

• Lauren Curtis

This play also won awards for Set and Staging, and Design of the ‘Punkbirds’.

Netball Victory

Well done to our Girls Open Netball team who were the resounding winners of the South Coast Regional Schools championships. The team won 7 from 7 games and will now go on to represent South Coast at the state finals 9-11 October.

Blair Hanna
Acting Executive Principal

Newsletter Articles

Senior School Update

Nil Sed Optima ‘Nothing but the Best’- a motto important all year round but particularly at this time as our Year 12 students move into their QCS examination and final round of assessment for Term 3. Good luck to all of those students who will be sitting the QCS on 1-2 September. We encourage you to come and have breakfast with the Senior School staff from 7am on the mornings of the tests. Remember to sleep well the night before, eat properly prior to the tests, and breathe through the entire day.

In recognising significant achievement congratulations goes to Year 12 student Brent Woolf who was recently awarded the Peter Doherty Award for Excellence - Outstanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Senior Mathematics and Technology Student. This is a significant achievement and Brent will travel to Brisbane in October to collect the award.

Alyce Cleary
Director of Senior School

Exams

Year 12 students are completing their Maths exams on Monday 31 August followed by the Queensland Core Skills test on Tuesday 1 September and Wednesday 2 September. The students have had an extensive preparation for this test and we wish them well for this most important test in maximising their OP and Selection Rank. Please see the attached ‘letter to parents regarding the QCS test which explains the details and timings of the QCS test. This letter has also been published on the school website. Students not sitting the QCS test do not need to attend school on Tuesday 1 September and Wednesday 2 September, unless they are behind in their VET subjects and have been informed by their teacher that they need to attend. These students have also had a letter sent to their parents.

English Assessments

Year 12 students will then have their English assessment on Wednesday 9 September and will complete all assessment by the end of Week 9, 12 September. This will be their final assessment before verification.

Shutdown

Year 12 students do not have shut down this term. Year 12 classes will all commence Term 4 work in the last week of term and students are expected to attend every day up to and including Friday 18 September.

The shutdown timetable for Year 10 and 11 students will soon published on the school website and the students K drive.

Year 11 students have shutdown in Week 10 Monday 14 September to Friday 18 September. All OP students also need to sit the QCS practice tests on Friday 18 September. These tests are very important as the data from these is used to determine class groupings in Year 12. Students are reminded that they need to bring calculators, compass and protractors to this exam.

Year 10 students have normal classes on Monday through to Tuesday of Week 10 and then have shut down on Wednesday 16 September through to Friday 18 September.

SETPlan Interviews

Year 10 students will have their SETP interviews this Thursday 3 September. Please visit our school website for more information.

Assessment Extension or Change of Date

Students are again reminded that they must apply for an extension or change of date with the relevant Head of Department if they are going to miss assessment. They will not be allowed to sit an exam before the rest of the cohort. Going on holidays before the end of term does not constitute a valid reason for an extension/change of assessment date.

Mick McDougall
HOD Senior School

Middle School News

It was wonderful to see so many parents supporting our guest speaker this week Dr Nagel on the adolescent mind. We have been working with the students on many of these same concepts so if you did attend the night I hope you found it valuable – early feedback is indicating it was.

This week we have been talking to the students about paradigms. A paradigm is the way you see something, your point of view, it’s a frame of reference, or a belief. We have paradigms that play out like stories in our minds of ourselves, of others and about life. Sometimes our paradigms are off the mark, and, as a result, create limitations. They can make us quick to judge, without having all the facts.

An example we talked about this week was one of one student who believed there was no point entering in a sports day race with so many talented athletes in his grade and that of another student who saw the race as an opportunity to represent his sporting house and to do his own personal best. Two very different paradigms- one that is positive and healthy and another that leads to a ‘no can do attitude’.

At this stage in their life our Middle Schooler students are creating paradigms in their minds of themselves and the way others perceive them. Shifting these paradigms to have a positive slant will certainly support the personal development of your son or daughter so I encourage you to challenge those negative ones that you come across in your interactions with them to see if they are complete and accurate.

Anita Sgalippa
Acting Director of Middle School

Reflecting is Important

A major part of the Teaching and Learning Cycle at PBC is feedback on student work. The purpose of this feedback is to inform the next stage of learning and to ensure that students submit assessments that are nothing but their best.

At this stage in the term, all Middle School students would have received written or verbal feedback on some element of their classwork or assessment. This feedback is only useful, however, if it is acted upon by the student.

The end of the term is rapidly approaching and I would encourage students and parents to reflect on the feedback given and approach the rest of the term with a growth mindset. That is, have the attitude that improvements can be made and goals can be met. It is not too late to set in place some tactics for acting on constructive feedback.

Time is our most precious resource and careful consideration should be given to how students can best spend their time in order to maximise their chances of success. Use of the student planner to organise important events and to prioritise tasks such as homework and assignments is crucial. By setting aside time each evening and on the weekends, students can reflect on the feedback given from teachers, make the necessary changes to their work and/or practice the skills they need in order to develop mastery.

A reminder that after school tutoring is available on Tuesday afternoons in the library from 3-4pm. Students are encouraged to attend and seek teacher help on core subjects. Students may also use computers for assignment work.

Fiona Scannell
Acting Deputy Principal Middle School

Meeting Commitments

The ‘pointy end’ of the term is upon us. It is a good time to check in with your student to see how they are feeling about their achievements so far this term and how they will meet the challenges that remain. While it will include subject assessment, demands might also include sporting finals, musical or drama performances and club activities, not to mention family and social events.

You can support your child by helping them map out their final few weeks – their commitments, deadlines and plans for revision and study. Breaking large tasks, such as preparing to write a History essay under exam conditions, into smaller tasks, maybe half an hour of practising writing out essay plans, can reveal how achievable the job ahead actually is. This in turn can reduce stress for students and their parents.

Finishing Term 3 Well

Each day, students at PBC are challenged to ‘give nothing but the best’. To achieve their best, students need to be fully committed to their attendance and learning. In secondary school, teachers assess student’s right up to and sometimes including the last day of term. When assessment in a subject has been completed, teachers will often use the time to introduce foundation concepts for the coming term. For these reasons, please plan for your child to attend school through to 18 September. The Labor Day Holiday this year falls in on Monday of Week 1, Term 4; school recommences on Tuesday 6 October.

Please note that to maintain the integrity of tests, the PBC assessment policy states that exams are not to be sat early. If a student is forced by their commitments to miss a test, they will sit it as soon as possible afterwards.

Sharon Hillcoat
HOD Middle School

Education Access Centre Report

Learning Support

NAPLAN results

It was a pleasure to present Certificates of Achievement for 30 Year 7 and 9 students achieving National Minimum standards and higher in the recent NAPLAN testing. All parents should have received student results. Congratulations to the students and staff!

Year 7 Mathematics

This term 7O and 7P students have started working together in Maths Rotations. Each Maths lesson consists of two rotations where students work in small groups with the support of a Teacher or Teacher Aide, in order to develop core Maths skills. Rotations include:

• Focused teaching and learning of key curriculum topics
• Numeracy activity (Number focus)
• Problem solving strategies and questions
• Maths Mentals
• Mathletics (Online learning)

The students are enjoying these rotations as they are engaging in their own learning through interesting and meaningful activities while interacting with other students. We look forward to continuing these rotations during Maths time in order to enhance students’ Maths skills and results.

Literacy and Numeracy (LAN)

Literacy

During Term 4 in LAN students have been working hard to improve their spelling knowledge and skills through targeted instruction. The focus areas for the classes is based on spelling data obtained from the PAT-Spelling tests undertaken in Term 2.

Students will be re-tested in Term 4 in order to track their progress. We have also been working hard on our reading skills; Year 7 have been focusing on words that signal sequencing, and Year 8 students have been improving their ability to interpret explicit information in texts. Our vocabulary knowledge is also progressing well with our focus words each week being taken directly from the assessment tasks in SOSE. Overall students are working well and participation is fantastic.

Numeracy

In numeracy, LAN classes have extended their use of teacher aids to facilitate effective group work during lessons. These lessons are fast paced and reinforce the basic numeracy skills required to assist students to achieve success in their core Maths assessments.

Year 8 students have been interpreting statistical information, reviewing 24 hour time and ratio and preparing for their final assessment for the term. The Year 7 students have participated in many experiences to expand their knowledge of common and decimal fractions and their use within the four operations, especially multiplying and dividing fractions. As the term draws to an end, we are all very excited about the inclusion of iPads into our regular lessons.

QuickSmart

Term 3 has been very busy with 48 Year 7 and 8 students now enrolled in the QuickSmart Literacy Intervention Program. We welcome Herb Turvey as the third QuickSmart Instructor.

In Week 3 the team welcomed parents and grandparents to observe students in action for their lesson. All students have successfully completed their Mid-Year testing with pleasing results.

Parent comments:

“What a wonderful opportunity PBC has provided for my child to participate in this program.”

“It was a great experience to witness my child’s improvement in Reading.”

“We are very happy to see the OZCAAS testing and the speed and accuracy of their extended vocabulary which helps in other subjects.”

Murri Jarjum Education

It has been an extremely busy term for the Murri Jarjum students. We began in Week 1 with the inspirational PBC NAIDOC assembly. Our PBC Bpootharum dance team were invited to perform at the Regional NAIDOC awards and we are very proud of their commitment to their cultural identity and showcasing their traditional skills.

This Term 3 the Murri Jarjum Breakfast Award assembly was celebrated by students, parents and wider community partners. We congratulate:

Year	Top Achiever	Most Improved
7	Ezra Hayes	Korby O’Connor
8	Charli Hart	Carter Brodhurst
9	Braith Gausden	Paige Beard
10	Summa Mount	Natasha Najjar
11	Giselle Kilner-Parmenter	Ritchie George
12	Brent Woolf	Madison Lucas

2015 is the first time the Murri Jarjum team have nominated students in the Peter Doherty awards. PBC is thrilled to announce Year 12 student, Brent Woolf received the prestigious 2015 Peter Doherty Outstanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Senior Mathematics and Technology student award worth $5000. Congratulations Brent and best wishes for your future combining both academia and sport.

AIME Program

The Year 9-12 AIME program has been very successful in 2015. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from PBC were joined by other indigenous students from a range of schools on the Gold Coast. Over several days, workshops are run by Indigenous mentors from different parts of Australia.

This term students from Year 9 and 10 attended. Year 9 students found the workshops, which have focused on Aboriginality, leadership, conflict and discrimination, very engaging and significant in developing their understanding of Aboriginal history and culture.

The program also allows the students to connect with other indigenous people from the community, as well as, other parts of Australia. Overall, the AIME workshops have been a positive experience for the all students and teachers involved. Students in Year 7 and 8 will be able to participate in Term 4.

Wendy Wise
HOD Education Access Centre

The Arts Department News

Outstanding achievements:

The Arts has recently experienced their busiest time with a range of students and teams competing at the Gold Coast Eisteddfod and Gold Coast Secondary Schools Drama Festival. Before they even get to compete they commit to hours of afterschool rehearsals honing their craft.

Results this year have been significant with a number of 1st and 2nd placings across a range of competition sections.

A complete list of achievements is below:

(VHC = Very highly commended, HC = highly commended)

Teams
1st	Secondary school concert band or orchestra (B grade)
1st	Secondary school concert band or orchestra (C grade)
2nd	Secondary school stage band (B grade)
2nd	Secondary school stage band (C grade)
2nd	Senior dance team (any style)
2nd	PBC Dance team (any style)
2nd	Senior dance team (lyrical contemporary)
2nd	PBC Dance team (lyrical contemporary)
3rd	Year 9 Dance team (middle school lyrical contemporary)
VHC	Year 7 and 8 Dance team (middle school lyrical contemporary)
VHC	Secondary school instrument ensemble (saxophones)
HC	Secondary school instrument duet or quartet (clarinets)

Duets
1st	Vocal duet (Sheldon Hernandez and Chloe Finlay)
3rd	Woodwind/strings and brass duet (Tamara Gillard and Zane Blayney-Gray)
VHC	Vocal duet (Chloe Finlay and Rochelle De Snoo)
HC	Woodwind/strings and brass duet (Shelby Craik and Shayla Cridland)
HC	Vocal duet (Phoebe Horn)

Individuals
Paul Sharrat memorial award for most outstanding musical theatre or popular song (15 years and under)	Chloe Finlay
Paul Sharrat memorial award for most outstanding musical theatre or popular song (16 - 20 years)	Sheldon Hernandez

Individuals
1st	Intermediate Vocal Championship	Chloe Finlay
1st	Song from Walt Disney	Chloe Finlay
1st	Musical Theatre Solo	Sheldon Hernandez
1st	Popular Song Solo	Sheldon Hernandez
1st	Popular Song Solo	Rochelle De Snoo
1st	Blues/Jazz Solo	Sheldon Hernandez
1st	Woodwind/Brass Solo	Tamara Gillard
1st	Senior Woodwind Championship	Tamara Gillard
1st	Non Classical Woodwind/Brass Solo	Elise Watkins
2nd	Musical Theatre Solo	Amia Hernandez
3rd	Popular Song Solo	Chloe Finlay
3rd	Country Music	Chloe Finlay
3rd	Musical Theatre Solo	Chloe Finlay
3rd	Popular Song Solo	Laura Suttle
3rd	Blues/Jazz Solo	Phoebe Horn
3rd	Blues/Jazz Solo	Bayley Jacobsen
Outstanding Actor (intermediates)		Lauren Curtis
Outstanding Actor (juniors)		Shenaya French
VHC	Popular Song Solo	Tegan Mills
VHC	Song from Walt Disney	Bayley Jacobsen
VHC	Popular Song Solo	Bayley Jacobsen
HC	Musical Theatre Solo	Rochelle De Snoo
HC	Popular song solo	Phoebe Horn
HC	Non classical woodwind/brass solo	Jakeb Knowles

Highly commended for acting:

• Kelsey Gardner
• Talisha Herden
• Andy Cheney
• Connor Putland
• Axel Botha
• Lauren Curtis
• Ella Van Seters
• Bethany Smith
• Declan Thompson
• Jake Henderson
• Shenaya French
• Summer Goodwin
• Scarlet Kidd
• Lola Davis-Mason
• Hendrix Bryce
• Molly Mason
• Lori White

Our appreciation goes out to these students and their parents for the hours of rehearsals in preparation for these events. We would also like to thank Year 10 students Corey Parker and Jordan Johnson for their endless of hours of technical support.

I would also like to recognise the teachers involved:

• Vocal coaching: Mrs Kristina Tassone
• Instrumental music: Mrs Kayla Latter, Mr Justin Hart, Mr David Kemp and Ms Tess McLennan
• Dance: Ms Madonna Hall, Ms Abby Swanborough, Ms Megan Lanser
• Choreographers: Mr Michael Hughes, Ms Kyla Towell and Ms Kira Stray
• Drama: Ms Lynette Joubert and Ms Dani McGlynn (student helpers Corey Parker and Jordan Johnson)

New Subjects in 2016

In 2016 The Arts faculty will invest in the future of Information Processing and Technology with the introduction of a number of subjects. The IT teachers (Courtney Underwood, Tom Pasley and Matt Larter) presented a compelling proposal to the PBC administration advocating for the new subjects plus specific resources to advance learning in this area. This proposal saw a combined investment from The Arts and PBC to purchase over $7000 worth of Lego robotics, Arduino programming supplies and a 3D printer (to come in 2016).

The new subjects for 2016 are:

• IT elective streams within Year 7 and 8 The Arts (what is currently known as DDA and MMI)
• Year 10 IPT (which will appear on timetables as computer education with a subject code of CED
• Digital Innovation - a Year 7 specialism that will explore both information processing and engineering. This subject will be by invite only for 2016.

The implementation of these subjects will lay the groundwork for further expansion in 2017 where we plan to extend Digital Innovation into Year 8 and launch Information Processing and Technology in Year 11.

If you have any queries about this, please feel free to contact Shane Roberts (Head of Department).

Instrumental Music

Planning for the 2016 Instrumental Music Program has begun. If your child is interested in being involved for 2016 could you please register your interest by contacting Shane Roberts (Head of Department) and advising student name and requested instrument lessons.

All students in the Instrumental Music Program complete lessons during the normal school timetable. They are also encouraged to be involved in the band and ensemble program which has scheduled rehearsals outside of school hours.

Gold Coast Eisteddfod – Photo and DVD Ordering

Please see details below about ordering photos and DVDs from the Gold Coast Eisteddfod:

DVDs:

LIMELIGHT MULTIMEDIA: professionally recorded all school Bands and Choirs.

You may still place an order for a DVD by contacting them with your details.

Visit: www.limelightmultimedia.com.au
Email: admin@limelightmultimedia.com.au
Phone: Matthew Smith on 0409 615463

Photography:

MOVE PHOTOGRAPHY: photographed the School Choirs & Bands at this year’s Eisteddfod.

The images are available to view and order online at

Access Code: 646 732.

If you have any queries regarding photos email: admin@movephotography.net

Shane Roberts
HOD The Arts

Oceanic District Track and Field

Victory again, for the 33rd time in the past 34 years! Quite an achievement. Congratulations to all students who participated and especially to those who competed in events they were not originally chosen for.

There are 74 athletes who qualified for South Coast Regional Titles on 8-9 September, a remarkable number. Outstanding performances were aplenty and many were rewarded:

• Open B – Jack Adams, 3000m, State and National Qualifier
• Open G – Shelby Watson, 1500m, Series Qualifier
• 15G – Cassidy Ormiston, Triple Jump, new record and Series Qualifier
• 15B – Tom Campbell – 3000m and Cory Beaman – Long and Triple Jump
• 14G – Amy Nelson – 400m

And finally, what a star this young lady is, watch for Olympics in 2024 and 2028, Mackenzie Ormiston (13 G) shattered long standing records on the 800m and 1500m, also held by an Olympian (and ex PBC athlete, Melissa Rollison). This girl is world class!

All students upheld the standards required by PBC on and off the track and were a pleasure to be associated with.

Tony McDonald and Ron Martinenko
Track and Field Excellence Coaches

Business Department Excellence

PBC's business department is seeing record outcomes in 2015.

UQ Economics Exam

Our 11 and 12 Economics students recently sat the UQ Economics exam. Our year 12 group had 12 of the 15 participants receive a credit or higher with AJ Dawson and Matt Hundric top scoring with distinctions. The year 11 class had eight students receive a credit or higher with Owen Barter and Bailey Ford both receiving distinctions.

Griffith Business

Twelve senior students participated in the GriffBusiness School Outreach Program. This program allows students to attend three full-day seminars and tutorials at Griffith University. All students who successfully complete the Year 12 program are eligible to apply for 'Guaranteed Offer of Entry' into a Griffith Business degree or double degree of their choice.

Congratulations to all twelve of our students who have successfully passed the program: Sophie Canning, Stephanie Cormack, Braxton Dickson, Kirra Grainger, Marley Hansen, Brendan Hewitt, Sam Howarth, Jazmin Kopec, Haydn Martin, Brandon Passmore, Brielle Philp, Georgia Swinbourne.

A special mention to Brendan Hewitt (top of the PBC class) and Kirra Grainger for achieving High Distinctions.

Ecoman Program

16 students from Year 10 Business Studies participated in the two day Ecoman Program run by the Queensland Private Enterprise Centre. The students were introduced to the world of business and economics, acting as co-directors of competing companies and operating the businesses over four years in a variety of computer simulated exercises. The students enjoyed making decisions on behalf of their company and analysing company growth over the “four” year period. The two days concluded with each company presenting their successes to a panel of shareholders and the winning team being announced.

$20 Boss

Year 10 Business Studies students are also participating in the ‘$20 Boss’ challenge. Students have been “loaned” $20 and must create and operate their own businesses with their start-up capital of $20. The businesses must have a social or environmental perspective attached to them. Students sold their products to the PBC community during a market day being held over lunch time on 25 August. Some products for sale were popcorn, chocolate dipped strawberries, body scrubs, bracelets and cakes.

Bethany McQueen
Business Studies Teacher

The Art and Science of Teaching (ASoT)

Heard your child talk about their Learning Objective?

Teachers use learning objectives to help students understand what is expected of them in the classroom. Below is an explanation about what a learning objective is and how learning objectives are used.

What is a Learning Objective?

Every lesson taught in school should have a learning objective. A learning objective is, quite simply, what the teacher wants the student to have learnt or achieved by the end of the lesson.

How are learning objectives used in the classroom?

A teacher will usually have the learning objective written on the board at the beginning of the lesson. The learning objective needs to be shared with the students, so that they know what is expected of them during the lesson. Teachers usually write learning objectives on their lesson plans, making clear what they are trying to achieve with the students in each lesson. When students do their independent learning, they are often asked to write the learning objective at the top of their page. Alternatively, they may be given a sheet with the learning objective written on it or listed on the PowerPoint.

What can parents do?

Check your young person’s notebook and have a conversation about the lessons had, they should be able to: explain the learning objective for the lesson and explain how their activities in the lesson relate to the learning objective.

Kate Whitehouse
ASoT Coordinator

Science Trivia Event

On 18 August Amelia Cody-Byfield, Elise Watkins and I attended the Griffith University Trivia Competition, which was held at the Queensland Academy for Health Sciences as part of National Science Week.

We attended as part of the STEM program, which aims to promote science, technology, engineering and maths within schools. There were about 70 teams of students in grades 10 to 12 from various schools around the Gold Coast. The competition consisted of 6 rounds of 8 questions, each focusing on a different area of science such as chemistry, biology, physics and myth busters. Between each round we were asked general knowledge questions and various prizes were handed out for correct answers.

Our team won a book on science hack for knowing that the Eiffel Tower grows six inches in summer. Although we did not place overall we enjoyed ourselves and learned a lot.

Shelby Craik
Year 10 student and STEM Ambassador

Synergy – A Night with James Morrison

PBC is pleased to announce that internationally renowned Australian composer and jazz musician James Morrison AM will be performing a one night only concert at Palm Beach Currumbin High School!

Here are the details:

Date: Monday 14 September
Time: 7pm
Where: Palm Beach Currumbin State High School
Cost: $39.00 per person
Tickets: Tickets are available through Student Services.
Please phone 07 5525 9333 or visit Student Services between 8am and 4pm

Don’t miss out! This is an event not to be missed and tickets are selling fast!

Please email enquiries to events@pbc-shs.eq.edu.au

Please visit our Facebook page or website for more information.

The Collage – ANZAC poster

The Collage 100 Year Anniversary Commemorative ANZAC poster was designed by students in the Visual Arts Creative Excellence program over a two year period here at PBC.

Profits made from the sale of The Collage goes to supporting Veterans, including Soldier On Australia and White Crosses New Zealand.

Prints of The Collage can be purchased at Student Services for $19.95.

Pathways Centre News

School based traineeships available for Year 10 and 11 students in 2015

Brumbys the Pines – Cert III Business traineeships working Monday, Tuesday or Friday.

Butcher Apprenticeship – Suit School leaver. Must have transport as no public transport available in Burleigh location.

Landscaping Apprenticeship – Position available for school leaver at Boyds Bay.

Cert III Tourism – Busy travel agency in Robina.

Cert III Business – First National The Pines, Burleigh and Palm Beach; Office Admin roll.

Cert III Business – Reflections Resort, Coolangatta.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary – School based traineeships Hospitality, Tourism and Business Retail.

Cert III Children Services – Kool Kids Childcare Centres 2016 applications open now for Year 10 students.

Resort Surfers Paradise - Business Retail Traineeship at family resort in Surfers Paradise.

Cert III Hospitality – Currumbin RSL, Le Petite Pantry, 52 Espresso Nobbys Beach, Elephant Rock Café, Burleigh, Olives Pizza and Pasta, Koffee Shack, Crust Pizza Broadbeach, The Lake Café and Bar, Crema Espresso Robina and Pacific Fair, and Sumptuous Fine Foods

Lincraft Robina – Cert III Business

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

Please see Ms Shreeve to apply.

Sonia Shreeve
Industry Liaison Officer

Guidance Officer News

University Applications

If you are planning on going to University next year you MUST do a QTAC application.

QTAC Applications open on the 5th August and close on 30th September 2015.

Before you apply

Connect with QTAC on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest news and updates.

Year 12 QTAC presentation

The QTAC Year 12 PowerPoint presentation (PPTX 237KB) has information on applying, choosing and ordering preferences, key dates, QTAC fees, offers and more. Use it to get the most out of your QTAC application.

Application steps are given on page 44 of the QTAC GUIDE.

For more information go to: QTAC website:

University – Direct Entry Programs

The Griffith Connect Guaranteed Admission Scheme grants appropriately qualified students, based on Year 11 and semester 1 Year 12 results, guaranteed admission into a range of Griffith programs. Offers to students will be through the QTAC offer rounds in late November or December.

You must have finalised QTAC application with your possible Connect program listed as one of your preferences. To receive an early offer in late November or December you would need your Connect program listed as your highest eligible preference, otherwise you will be considered in the main offer round in January.

Applications into the Griffith Connect Guaranteed Admission Scheme include:

• Applicants are studying at a Griffith Connect Partner School.
• Applicants are current OP# or IB Diploma~ eligible.
• Assessments are based on semester 1 and 2 Year 11 and semester 1 Year 12 results.
• Applicants must meet all Connect admission requirements listed under each program and have at least a satisfactory achievement in remaining subjects.
• Domestic and domestically studying international students are eligible.
• All Queensland Conservatorium and Education programs are excluded.

# OP – Overall Position ~ IB Diploma – The Diploma of the International Baccalaureate

Before you start your application, it is important to note that you will be required to provide a copy of your official high school reports for 3 semesters: Semesters 1 and 2 from Year 11 and semester 1 from your Year 12 results. Please ensure you have a copy of these available for uploading.

Applications close on 30 September 2015, 9:00 pm Australia/Brisbane +10:00

If you would like to know more please visit

Southern Cross University – STAR Program

Southern Cross University is excited to launch the 2015 STAR Early Entry Scheme.

SCU is proud to support schools from across our regions to transition students with the appropriate academic ability and talent into our range of undergraduate degrees. The STAR Scheme focuses on working with schools to match individual students to a particular course based on their likelihood of success in their chosen discipline. Students can gain an early offer to study in 2015 at SCU on the basis of their school Principal's recommendation. The STAR scheme this year remains unchanged from last year using the fully online STAR Scheme Portal.

SCU Online Registrations

Online registrations open from 15 July 2015 and close 9 September 2015 via the STAR Entry Scheme website. The online student registration should take students no more than five to ten minutes to complete. Students need to nominate a first and second preference course. Please note once a STAR registration has been submitted students will not be able to change their STAR preferences.

UAC & QTAC

Students will need to match their first preference via the University Admissions Centres (UAC or QTAC) with their STAR Scheme offer to receive it in one of the following rounds only: QTAC Early Offer Round on 27 November 2015 or UAC Early Offer Round on 4 December 2015

Education Degrees - SCU

Southern Cross University has an exciting announcement for students interested in studying teacher education at university in 2016. Entry into our teaching degrees will be based on an indicative ATAR 70 or OP 13 with no additional prerequisite entry requirements. Our education degrees are combined with a Bachelor of Arts to ensure a comprehensive foundation for our Education students in relevant discipline areas like Mathematics, English and Science.

We have also created pathway courses for students who may not yet have reached the academic level required to gain entry directly into a teaching degree. For students who are academically capable but don't quite reach the ATAR, we are offering the Bachelor of Educational Studies which has an indicative ATAR 60 or OP 15. Students who successfully complete the first 8 units of this degree, equivalent to one year of full-time study, can transfer into an SCU Education degree with full credit.

Students who need additional assistance to build their academic skills can apply for our fee-free Preparing for Success Program. After successfully completing this course in the first teaching session of 2016 they can apply to enter an education degree of their choice in second session.

Students can choose from our innovative range of teaching degrees:

• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education (Primary/Early Childhood)
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education (Primary)
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education (Primary/Secondary)
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education (Secondary)
• Bachelor of Technology/Bachelor of Education (Secondary)

Or our pathway courses:

• Preparing for Success

TAFE Queensland Gold Coast - 2016 Schools Programs now OPEN for applications

KEY DATES:

• NOW – Applications open online at www.studentrego.com (all applicants will need to enter code TAFE3 to apply)
• 23 October 2015 – Applications close
• Week commencing 26 October 2015 – Endorsements due for Schools Program applicants via the Pathways system
• 9 November 2015 – Enrolments open via Customer Service
• 27 November 2015 – Enrolments close strictly at 5:00pm
• January/February 2016 – Courses commence

Do University Differently

TAFE Queensland Gold Coast is currently running a QTAC and Higher Education Campaign – “Do Uni Differently”.

The main message is to consider TAFE Queensland Gold Coast a post school option, with our Diploma and future Bachelor programs. Below is a link to the website with further information. Students and parents are encouraged to enter their details to obtain a free guide. The guides cover the following:

• Ace your final year – Survive and Thrive in Year 12
• University Survival – Parents guide to Year 12

To obtain the guides please forward the following link on to your students

Steve Jones
Guidance Officer Senior School

Supporting a Friend, Supporting Yourself

Grief comes in many shapes and sizes – but we all experience it throughout our lives. Change, bullying, anxiety, abuse of any kind, loss and trauma can all have their associated grief.

Grief can lead young people to:

• A loss of self-confidence (I must be a bad person for this to happen to me).
• Feelings of isolation (no one will want to know me now).
• A loss of trust (no one can help me).
• Feelings of anger (I don’t deserve this).
• Lack of sleep (my mind goes over and over it).
• Risk-taking behaviour (what’s the point?)

Young people can also experience grief through their perceived inability to support a grieving friend. Here are some tips that can help them in this situation:

1. Keep in touch – with your grieving friend and with a trusted adult you can talk to for your own support.
2. Listen, rather than offering ‘advice’.
3. Remember our response to grief is a personal one, so try to stay open to how your friend is responding.
4. Be alert to any behaviour that worries you and tell an adult you trust if you have concerns.
5. Ensure you have people to talk to, keep healthy and take care of yourself too.

It is also important to look after yourself:

• Think about activities you enjoy and places you like to go to and make time for them.
• Whenever you have a negative thought, catch it and change it to a positive one. Ask for help to do this the first few times until it becomes a habit.
• Find a balance for yourself to know how much you can ‘give’ to your friend. This helps you establish boundaries for yourself and is about being honest with your grieving friend.
• Build your own support network –friends, family and other adults.
• Article by Aileen Davidson: More information about supporting a friend, a child or a young person going through tough times can be found at

Anna Willis
Guidance Officer Middle School

School Based Youth Nurse Notes

Please see attached PDF from the Queensland Government about head lice. This article includes information about head lice, signs and symptoms, treatment options and prevention.

Judy Nunn
School Based Youth Nurse

Uniform Shop Update

Uniform Shop Trading Times – Term 3 2015
Monday to Friday	8:15am to 10.30am
Closed 1st lunch break

Jumpers

The PBC Knitted Jumper is available to be purchased from the Uniform Shop. Cost is $48. Please contact uniform shop for sizes available.

Tracksuit pants

Tracksuit Pants are available to be purchased from the Uniform Shop. Cost is $55.

Please be aware that we have limited stock. We have sold out of size small, medium and large. We have plenty of stock in J8, J10, J12, J14 and Size XS.

Bucket hats/ PBC caps

Bucket hats and PBC caps are now available to purchase from Uniform Shop. These hats are a compulsory part of the uniform and are recommended for all outdoor activities. Cost is $15 each.

PBC school bags

PBC School Bags are now available from the uniform shop and selling fast.

Features include:

• Lifetime guarantee
• Padded laptop pocket
• Water resistant
• Ergonomic design
• Mesh drink bottle holder
• $70 each

Volunteers needed

If there are any volunteers who would love to spend a couple of hours each week in our very busy Uniform Shop and or Canteen we would love to hear from you!

Please contact Mandy on 07 5525 9331 for further details.

Lost property

Please visit the uniform shop to collect lost property; including school items and non-school items.

Flexischools Orders

If you have made an order for your child via Flexischools can you please ask that they come and pick it up from the Uniform Shop.

Payment methods available:

• Flexischools Online www.flexischools.com.au
• Credit Card
• Cash
• Cheques not accepted

If you are unable to come into the Uniform Shop you are more than welcome to call on 07 5525 9331 and pay for any uniform item over the phone.

Mandy Webb
Uniform Shop Coordinator

Administration

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.: 2015 SRS8 or 2015 ACEX10)

Resources and Activities Schedule

To assist parents with budgeting, detailed below are current fees and activities with due dates for payment (due to short timeframes some excursions may not be listed).

Student Fee Excursion/ Activity	Activity Details	Amount Due	Date Due
Course Fees
Student Resource Scheme	2015 Fees Year 7 to Year 12	$330	Overdue
Excellence Program Fees	Excellence program 2015 students	Various	Overdue
2015 Instrumental Music Program	Years 9-12	$75	Overdue
QCS 2015	Year 12 students	$50	Overdue
Year 11 Cert II Public Safety	Year 11 students	$60	Overdue
USA trip – final instalment	Year 7-11 students	$1,275	Overdue
Year 12 Formal and Graduation	Year 12 students	Deposit: $50	Overdue
		Balance: $85	18 Sept 2015
Please note that all students are requested to present their Student ID card when making any payments to Student Services.

Most excursions do not appear on student statements. If you have any queries please call Lynne Riley in Student Services on 07 5525 9308.

Lost Property

Please check with Student Services for items like pencil cases, lunch boxes, etc. If you have lost an article of clothing (jumpers, shoes, hat) please check with the Uniform Shop.

Student lockers available

Student lockers are available for hire at PBC.

• $6.00 for locker hire
• $24.00 for PBC approved combination lock (this will be the property of the student)
• Lockers available are located at G Block
• Payments can be made at Student Services

Please visit the facilities tab of the school website to read the locker hire agreement.

Second Hand Uniforms

If you are holding on to old or unwanted school uniforms, please donate them to student welfare.

If your uniforms are good condition, please drop them off to the Student Services.

2016 Enrolments Open

PBC is now taking enrolments for 2016. Applications can be downloaded from our website or collected from Administration.

If you are wishing to enrol for 2016 please submit your application and all required documents as soon as possible. Enrolments will close 11 September 2015.

PBC Alliance

Alliance Breakfast

Thank you to everyone who came along to our PBC Alliance breakfast on Friday 21 August! A special thank you to our guest speakers Bill Neumann from Neumann Contractors, Real Estate Consultant, Jacqui G, and Director of Swell Sculpture Festival, Natasha Edwards.

We thank you for your support and look forward to seeing you at our next breakfast in November!

If you would like to add your name to our mailing list to receive invitations to future Alliance events, please email your details to alliance@pbc-shs.eq.edu.au

Business Directory

Help us to create a local network for businesses within the PBC community by following the link below and supporting the businesses listed in the Alliance Business Directory:

Get involved

Being part of the PBC Alliance Business directory aims to connect your business with a network of friends, parents, and members of the PBC Alliance business community.

This listing is included as a link in the fortnightly PBC parent newsletter (as shown above), PBC Alliance Facebook page and the school website.

To list your business in the PBC Alliance Business Directory please complete a  PBC Alliance membership form  and  Business Directory form  and return these to the email address listed below.

If you would like more information please contact Caitlin Lea on 07 5525 9333 or email alliance@pbc-shs.eq.edu.au

Like us on Facebook!

QParents

The QParents web and mobile application provides a more convenient, easier way for parents and legal guardians to interact with the school. Parents will have secure, online access to their child’s student information, anytime, anywhere, through a smartphone, tablet or computer.

QParents enables parents to access and manage student:

• Attendance and absence details, as well as the ability to notify the school of an absence
• Behaviour details
• Academic report cards
• Class timetables
• Viewing unpaid invoice details, payment history, and making payments online
• Viewing and updating student details, including medical conditions and address
• Enrolment details

If you haven’t yet registered, visit https://qparents.qld.edu.au/ to register today!

Completion of Oral Health (Dental) Services

Gold Coast Oral Health Services will commence offering free oral health (dental) services to eligible students enrolled at Palm Beach Currumbin High School until 18 September. This service will be provided Onsite by Mobile Dental Van 185.

To arrange an appointment for your child telephone:

The Oral Health Client Service Centre
1300 300 850
Monday – Friday 8.00 am – 4.30 pm
Excluding Public Holidays

Child Dental Benefit Schedule Vouchers are accepted. When your child’s $1000 cap is reached, there will be no out-of-pocket expenses provided your child meets *eligibility criteria.

* Eligibility – All Queensland resident children aged four years or older who have not completed year 10 of secondary school.

Further information on public funded oral health services can be accessed via URL:

School Vaccine Program – Survey for Year 8 Parents and Guardians

Follow the link to the PDF below to read more about the Gold Coast Health survey for parents and guardians of Year 8 students regarding the School Vaccination Program.

To complete the survey, please follow this link:

Invitation to Participate in RMIT University and UQ Research Project

Parents of children with and without disabilities aged between 6 and 18 years are invited to complete a questionnaire about their parenting experiences. Please see PDF below for more information.

Tallebudgera SLSC Nippers Sign-On

Kurrawa SLSC Nippers Sign-On