2 September 2014

Principal’s Report

Dear Parents,

Last week the 2014 National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) results were provisionally released to schools. NAPLAN is the measure through which parents, governments, education authorities and schools can determine whether or not young Australians are meeting important educational outcomes.

There are many elements of a well-rounded education however none are more fundamental than literacy and numeracy. Without competency in these areas students struggle to gain access to their preferred careers and are also at much greater risk of dropping out prior to graduation.

For this reason PBC places great emphasis on literacy and numeracy through having a quality middle school curriculum, core programs that target skill development and highly skilled teachers who map the progress of each of their students and support them individually.

This commitment led to the introduction of our Middle School Campus and the introduction of our new teaching philosophy that sees students study with the same teacher in Maths, Science, English and SOSE.

This focus has paid dividends for PBC students as the following table demonstrates.

PBC NAPLAN Mean Results 2010 - 2014

Dimension	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
Reading Comprehension	566.74	573.25	573.2	574.7	583.3
Writing	553.32	582.09	557.2	568.0	567.1
Spelling	578.42	579.17	586.1	590.9	591.3
G and P	575.59	565.26	584.6	579.9	584.3
Numeracy	594.15	583.17	587.5	583.5	595.4

Colour Key Legend

Green	Above National School Standards
Blue	Similar to National School Standards
Red	Below National School Standards

I would like to congratulate the Year 9 students for the maturity they have demonstrated in committing to their studies and also to my middle school staff on this excellent result. I am particularly pleased that these results further demonstrate our readiness for introducing Year 7 at PBC next year.

Even though our results place us in the highest echelon of high schools, we will as usual, conduct a thorough review of these results and I will work with my staff to improve even further in 2015.

Stephen Loggie
Executive Principal

Newsletter Articles

Senior School Update

Year 12

This is a critical time of year for our current Year 12 students. Not only do they need to stay focussed on their education, they are also under the pressure of having to make choices about their future post school.

It is important that you take time in the next week or so and put together a plan for post school. You will need to start to get this organised.

For example: if your child is going to university they should already have opened a QTAC account and registered their preferred courses.

If they are eligible for a direct entry to Griffith, they should have gone on the Griffith website and submitted an application.

The list goes on and on. If you are not sure what to do or what needs to be done, please contact the senior schooling team ASAP for some advice and guidance.

Year 10

It was pleasing to see so many parents and students attend our Year 11, 2015 information evening. The next stage of this process happens on the 4 September when we sit down and do the SET Plans. Year 10s will finish school at 1.25pm that day and interviews will run all afternoon. If you haven’t already done so, book an interview time through the PBC website.

Nigel Hughes
Director Senior School

Senior Schooling

Year 12 students are completing their Maths exams on Monday September 1 and then the Queensland Core Skills test on Tuesday September 2 and 3. The students have had 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 letter to parents below, 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 2 September and Wednesday 3 September.

Queensland Core Skills Test Information

Dear Parent/Guardian,

As you are aware the Queensland Core Skills test will be completed by your student on Tuesday 2 September 2 and Wednesday 3 September.

The Year 12 QCS groups have had extensive preparation and practice for this test which will be crucial in determining their Overall Position (OP) or Selection Rank.

The school will be providing a breakfast for the QCS students on both days. This is a good opportunity for the students to come together and relax as a group and to ensure that they are in the right state of mind for the test.

The format for the days will be as follows:

• 7:15 to 7:30am: Meet in the Trade Training Centre in full school uniform for breakfast
• 8:30am: Last minute briefing then assemble in the hall
• Tuesday: Writing Task (2hrs) followed by Multiple Choice Test 1 (1hr 30mins)
• Wednesday: Short Response (2hrs) followed by Multiple Choice Test 2 (1hr 30mins)
• Students will have a break of 1 hour and 20 mins between tests and should be finished by 2:30pm on both days.
• Students will be required to remain on school grounds during the break between tests.
• QCS students have purchased a stationery pack which will be waiting on their allocated desk.
• Students will need to provide their own correcting tape if required, for the Writing Task and Short Response and will also need to provide their own approved calculator for both the Multiple Choice test and the Short Response.
• There can be no lending or borrowing of equipment during the QCS test.

There are very strict rules regarding the administration of the test and the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) has provided an Instruction to Students guide for all students sitting the test. All students have signed a statutory declaration stating that they have received these instructions and are aware of the calculator requirements. (A copy of these instructions has been included with this letter).

Mobile phones are not permitted in the test and it is strongly advised that students do not bring phones on test days.

Students may bring: water in an unlabelled container, plain folded tissues, unwrapped cough lollies, spare batteries for calculators and a plain hand towel into the test. No food can be taken into the test.

Students who have been granted special consideration for the QCS test will be briefed individually in the days before the test.

We feel confident that the students are well prepared for the QCS test. We would like to reiterate that the test is a group effort and it is important for every student to perform at their best.

On behalf of the QCS team I’d like to wish all students the very best for this most important test.

English Assessments

Year 12 students will have their English assessment on Wednesday 10 September and will complete all assessment by the end of week 9, 12 September. This will be their final assessment before verification.

Shut Down

Year 12s do not have shut down this term. Year 12 classes will commence Term 4 work in the last week of term and students are expected to attend every day, up to and including Friday 19 September.

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

Year 11s have shutdown in Week 10 Monday 15 Sept to Friday 19 Sept. All OP students also need to sit the QCS practice tests on Friday 19 September. These tests are very important, as the data from these tests 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 10s have normal classes on Monday through to Tuesday of Week 10 and then have shut down on Wednesday through to Friday.

Year 10s all have their SETP interviews this Thursday 4 September.

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.

Michael McDougall
HOD Senior School

Senior School Information Night

It was wonderful to see so many enthusiastic parents and Year 10 students at the Senior School Information Night last week. Parents of older students would be aware that this meeting represents the beginning of Senior Schooling in the academic sense. Whether a student is interested in a university or more vocational pathway, choosing subjects appropriately in September of Year 10 will ensure a smoother journey for them.

At this age, it is difficult for young people to be absolutely sure about what they would like to do with the rest of their lives. For some, their future career may not even have been invented!

However, answering the following questions can be useful in the subject selection process:

• Do I definitely want to go to university?
• Do I definitely want to do a trade?
• What subjects do I enjoy?
• What subjects am I good at?
• Have I checked the prerequisites for any courses or trades in which I am interested?
• May I want to study outside of Queensland in the future? (e.g. ADFA is part of the University of New South Wales)

Answers to these questions will assist students to make decisions around their subject choices and their OP, Selection Rank or Vocational pathway.

The Queensland Core Skills Test is being held on Tuesday 2nd and Wednesday 3rd of September. A very large number of our Year 12 students will sit the test. Parents can support their students by seeing that they have a restful weekend and early nights during the test period. Past students have been surprised by how tired they can be after four hours of intense concentration on test days.

A gentle walk, a long bath, laps in the pool: whatever helps your child to relax and unwind in a healthy way can be very beneficial during the week of QCST. Breakfasts will be provided at school on the days of the test, and barbecues will be available for lunch, in addition to the usual tuckshop facilities.

Students not sitting the QCST are not required to attend school on those days, but may like to take the opportunity to attend the Gold Coast TAFE Open Day at Ashmore on 3 September. Details are online.

We wish all of our Year 12 QCS students the very best for the test!

Sharon Hillcoat
Teacher

The Pathways Centre

Year 12s should start bringing their updated resumes to the Pathways Centre before the end of the year. Local employers often contact the PBC Pathway Centre looking for school leavers with job opportunities for 2015. Don’t forget to apply for your tax file number.

School based traineeships available for Year 10/11:

• Cert III Hospitality- Zarraffas Pacific Fair, Beach Café Surfers Paradise, Currumbin RSL and many more
• Indigenous Traineeships- ANZ bank – Helensvale Year 10/11
• Year 12 Traineeships- Business admin at Coomera and Miami, convert to fulltime in 2015
• Plastering apprenticeship MUST have a drivers licence

Work experience opportunities are available at Robina Hospital (placements are filling fast) – in areas of small engine mechanic and business administration, and the Swell festival is seeking volunteers.

Please come to the Pathways Centre before school or first break to apply!

Sonia Shreeve
Industry Liaison officer

Middle School News

2014 PBC Year 9 NAPLAN Results

I am pleased to announce that the PBC 2014 Year 9 cohorts’ performance in the NAPLAN Tests is extremely pleasing with improvement across the majority of test domains since last year. Once again our Middle School students, in this case our Year 9 cohort, have performed brilliantly.

Of course, continual improvement such as this never occurs by accident. For this reason I would like to acknowledge the review of our literacy and numeracy practices by our Middle School teaching staff over the past 12 months and their willingness to refine our curriculum and teaching practices to aid student learning. These great results can be attributed to the dedication of our teaching staff over an extended period of time and the hard work and dedication put in by our students.

It is also important to remember the NAPLAN results represent a point-in-time testing over a few days each May. The NAPLAN results are important but are just one of the many pieces of information our school uses to improve learning outcomes for our students.

Middle School News

Subject Selection closing shortly…

If your son/daughter is yet to complete their subject selections for the 2015 school year they are required to do so immediately. Please follow the process outlined in the subject selection package that you received in the mail and either submit online via Oneschool or on the hard copy subject selection form provided and return to school.

Blair Hanna
Director of Middle School

2015 Queensland Premier’s ANZAC Day Prize

On Friday 15 August, eight students from Year 9 attended the World War II commemoration ceremony at the Currumbin RSL. The symbolism of the date is VP (Victory in the Pacific) Day, signifying the end of the Second World War in the Pacific.

Arrangements were made for these students to interview veterans before the ceremony, to address focus questions for the 2015 Queensland Premier’s ANZAC Day Prize. This competition is open to all Queensland high school students, addressing themes of ANZAC tradition and the significance of ANZAC day in a multimodal presentation.

There are 70 positions available throughout the state for students to attend the 100th anniversary of the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli and tour the Western Front in France and Belgium. Shortly, a panel will be held to nominate our five candidates for the prize whose entries will then be submitted to the selection committee in Brisbane.

Students were fortunate enough to interview veterans of many years’ service who had seen active service in World War II, Milne Bay, Kokoda, Korea, Malaya, Borneo, Vietnam and Cyprus. These veterans answered prepared questions from the group of students, as well as giving their own insight into their service and experience in the defence forces.

This was a fantastic opportunity for PBC students to experience commemorative services outside of the school environment and within the broader community. Many thanks must be extended to the staff of the Currumbin RSL and to the veterans who made themselves available for our interviews.

The students who are submitting work for the Premier’s Prize are:

Lauren Curtis 9A
Isaac Jeffs 9A
Jemma Macmillan 9A
Sienna Mijares 9A
Elaine Summersford 9A
Charis Wilkinson 9A
Emily Ireland 9B
Zaneeta Robertson 9E
Alana Fleming 9L

Staff and fellow students wish to extend our best of luck and congratulations to all the students who have committed and dedicated themselves to this extra-curricular activity. Students have learnt and developed a keen sense of historical enquiry and community values throughout this process.

Di Stamp
HOD Middle School

Guidance Officer News

Year 12 – QTAC Applications

Just a reminder that if your child is planning on going to University, TAFE or even deferring University next year then they must do a QTAC application.

QTAC Application - $35 before 30 September and $130 after this date so please be aware. Go to: www.qtac.edu.au to apply.

Year 12 - Griffith University – Guaranteed Admissions Scheme

This is just a reminder regarding Griffith University Guaranteed Admissions Scheme and QTAC applications. Students who complete an application for the Griffith Guaranteed Admissions Scheme must also complete a QTAC application. They do not have to put the Guaranteed Admission program down as first preference if they don't want to.

If they do decide to put it as their first preference, they will be forced to offer through QTAC in the Nov or Dec offer round, if they are successful under the scheme. If the preference is further down their list they will then be given the offer through QTAC in January and only if they are not considered and successful for a higher preference.

Southern Cross University

SCU Scholarships for 2015 are now open.  Please encourage your students to try our new Scholarship Finder – SCU scholarship finder. Students should apply early to be considered for nearly $30,000 worth of scholarships closing on the 20 September, 2014.

BOND UNIVERSITY – RSL YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

The Returned Services League are offering Year 10 and 11 Queensland students with a passion for academics, sport or the community, grants worth over $500,000.

Applications close 11th November. For more information or to apply, go to: RSL youth

2015 Schools Program – TAFE Queensland, Gold Coast

Fast track your career whilst at school by completing a TAFE Queensland Gold Coast Schools Program, whilst gaining credits towards your Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE). Rest assured when studying with TAFE Queensland Gold Coast, that you are getting industry relevant training that will open up doors to endless job outcomes.

Onsite Training at TAFE Queensland Gold Coast.

TAFE Queensland Gold Coast will be offering a variety of programs onsite across four campuses delivered in their state of the art purpose built facilities.

Applications close on Friday 24 October. Contact Schools Liaison Team via email: GC TAFE for more information.

Reminder to parents and students

Information regarding QTAC applications, University scholarships and direct entry are on the school website under Support and Resources – Student resources

Information regarding subjects is under Curriculum – Senior school – Subject selection/guide information, on the right hand side of the page.

Steve Jones
Guidance Officer Senior School

SEP News

SEP students have been completing Work Experience at RSL Care Galleon Gardens Retirement Living. These students recently organised and supported the running of an Inter (Aged Care) Carnival. They attend work experience every week at Aged Care and most have progressed to unsupported work experience.

Students deliver meals, host morning teas, co-ordinate the Bingo, assist residents on their weekly bus trips and other special events. We are so proud of the success that this work experience program is having and the very positive feedback each week contributes to the social and emotional growth of our students.

Additionally Currumbin RSL has been hosting a Seniors Month, running a number of programs for Seniors. On Tuesdays, the Year 11 Workplace Practices Certificate II class has been running a Technology Master class. These students have run two classes of 25-30 seniors, showing them how to use iPads, tablets and mobile phones.

We had been requested to run these sessions in 2014 after the success we had last year. This year the numbers quadrupled. We have been asked to run further sessions, with a waiting list of 60 people. Our students’ respectful, helpful behaviour was commented on by everyone who attended. “Nil Sed Optima”

Education Access Centre

The LAN program is continuing with approximately 100 Year 8 students attending two lessons per week in place of LOTE. These lessons are structured to target the knowledge, understanding and skills required in core subject areas to assist students to attain “C” grades in assessment tasks. The enthusiastic participation in lessons and the progress of students in these four classes is commendable.

The Reading Every Day for Success (RED4S) students have been reading ‘Hatchet’ this term. ‘Once’ was enjoyed by all Year 8 Learning Support students in Semester 1 and it has been pleasing to see many students have become confident readers since starting the program this year and has had benefits in their Key Learning Areas also.

The Year 9 Learning Support NAPLAN focus sessions in Semester 1 have led to fantastic improvement in all domains. These targeted lessons assisted students to work under time pressure and focus on the intent of the questions. All students can be extremely proud of their results. Fifteen students achieved a Band 7 or 8 in one or more of the NAPLAN domains. Congratulations to all students and Learning Support staff especially Mrs Gill (Literacy and Numeracy Co-ordinator), Mr Opie and Mr Morley. Certificates have been presented to each student attaining a Band 7 or 8.

The QuickSmart Literacy Intervention Program began in Term 2 with 16 Year 8 students. They are working in pairs meeting three times per week for 30 minutes with QuickSmart Literacy Teacher Aide Support staff - Miss Liz and Miss Carol. Five PBC staff have attended QuickSmart professional development recently in Sydney and also visited South Strathfield High School to observe both Literacy and Numeracy QuickSmart lessons.

PBC is working in partnership with the University of New England to improve both speed and accuracy in literacy. One of the most enjoyable reading focus areas to date was ‘Kitchen Slime’. The Teacher Aides and students worked together to make their own individual non-Newtonian slime.

Murri Jarjum news

Errol McDonald is the Indigenous Teacher Aide Attendance Officer and one of his main roles within the Indigenous Support Team at PBC is reviewing and monitoring Year 8 – 12 attendances. Attendance is one of the main initiatives in ‘Closing the Gap’ to employ specific strategies to reduce the disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and enable Year 12 retention so students can improve their post school pathways. Errol has been conducting interviews with parents of students ‘at risk’. Non-attendance significantly affects student learning and achievement. Our PBC Indigenous target is for 90% attendance. Congratulations to the Year 8, 9, 10 and 12 year levels that are above the 90% target.

Semester 2, Week 1 began with the 2014 NAIDOC assembly and feedback from staff, students and invited guests agreed ‘it was the best so far’. A special thanks to our first PBC dance group ‘Bpootharum Dancers’ for their time and effort attending workshops in Term 2 and their professional performance led by Aaron Henderson.

Year 9 are actively participating in the Deadly Choices program as part of their SEL program. Kalwun Health Service in conjunction with Deadly Choices will be providing student health assessments if required. Students are learning about Deadly Choices with Smoking, Alcohol, Illicit Drugs, Nutrition and Activity. Students enjoyed a practical lesson where they were provided with ingredients to cook and eat their own omelettes.

Murri Jarjum students attended Bond University in Week 4 for the AIME program. Students have mentors from Bond University and are divided into year levels. Sessions included Year 9 Drama 1 and 2 and Pathways to Success; Year 1 Drugs and Alcohol, Pathways to Success and Year 11 Resilience, Power to Thank You and Story Telling. AIME tutors also attend PBC each Wednesday morning in the Resource Centre at 8am to assist student learning with homework, revision and assessment.

A small group of students are currently participating in the Jallum Jarjum ‘Fish Kids’ Level 1 Surfing Queensland Surf Coaching Program. We are excited to have our PBC Murri Jarjum Middle School participation day in Term 4 Week 1, Wednesday 8 October for students to learn to surf by our own aspiring surf coaches. Information notes will be sent to parents shortly. Some Murri Jarjum students from our local feeder schools will also be attending.

Mid-term reports will be sent to all Year 8-12 parent/guardians in Week 8. Please contact teaching staff for further information either by phone or email.

Wendy Wise
Head of Department Education Access Centre

JB at PBC for AFL.

AFL royalty in the form of three time Lions premiership player Jonathon Brown has become part of the REDS AFL sports excellence program. Browny over the last two weeks, has been conducting specialist coaching sessions for the key defenders and forwards and passing on his knowledge about leading patterns and contested football. Ten players from the sports excellence program were chosen to be involved in the sessions, in an effort to improve their skill base as “key” players.

Senior Coach Neil Mackay and Junior Assistant Coach Ben Opie also had the opportunity to witness the AFL star as a coach. “Browny was a great player and he is a born coach. His delivery of the key teaching points was fantastic. Both the players and coaches gained a valuable insight to the skill set of big men in the game”, said Neil Mackay. The players and coaches are extremely fortunate to have this opportunity to learn from the best.

Neil Mackay
HOD SOSE, LOTE and Business

Sport Truancy

As you are aware, all students participate in sport on a Wednesday afternoon. There are many different activities to participate in and all activity levels are well catered for.

Unfortunately a very small number of middle school students have been using this time to truant by not going to their allocated sport or by leaving the school grounds. All students have a sport and there is no reason for them not to attend.

To help curb this behaviour, the middle school will be issuing Saturday morning detentions to anyone who is truant on Wednesday period 4.

We will also be issuing Saturday morning detention to students who fail to attend Monday afternoon detentions when they are given.

Please support us by asking your student what sport they have and ensuring they attend. Thank you.

Peter O’Brien
Deputy Principal Middle School

2015 Proposed International Tours – Japan and South America

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The SLB (SOSE/LOTE/BUSINESS) faculty is pleased to announce that two international tours to Japan and South America are proposed for 2015! Both tours will be open to students studying Spanish and Japanese and any senior students studying a SOSE/Business subject.

The purpose of both tours is to enable students studying LOTE to use their target language and to give all students a cultural, historical and geographical insight into the countries that they visit.

The tour to Japan will likely include:

• Visiting historical sites, such as temples and shrines
• A visit to the Peace Park in Hiroshima
• Sightseeing in Kyoto
• A visit to world heritage listed shrines in Hiroshima
• The opportunity to experience the “bullet train” and see views of Mt. Fuji
• A day trip to Tokyo Disneyland
• Overnight stays in Takayama, a country town
• Shopping opportunities in a variety of places
• Opportunities to try authentic Japanese food

The tour to South America (Peru and Bolivia) will likely include:

• A city tour of Lima, the capital of Peru
• Sightseeing and jungle tours of the Amazon Rainforest, experiencing native fauna and flora
• A guided tour of the ancient Incan city of Cusco and visit to local ruins
• A scenic train ride to Aguas Calientes and shopping opportunities
• A guided tour of the ruins of Machu Picchu
• A day trip and guided tour of Lake Titicaca (the highest navigable lake in the world) to visit the floating islands of Uros
• A city tour of La Paz (the unofficial capital of Bolivia), visiting museums and markets
• A guided day trip to “The Valley of the Moon” to view crater-like formations made from sand
• The opportunity to try authentic South American food

On Tuesday, 9 September 2014 at 5:30pm, we will be conducting an expression of interest meeting in the Trade Training Centre to gauge the level of student interest. The numbers will assist the school in ascertaining if the proposed tours have enough support to continue planning.

If your child is interested in attending either tour, please attend with them to register your interest. There is no obligation to commit to either tour at this stage.

We hope to see you there!

Mr. Yasu Urasaki (Japanese Teacher)
Ms. Michelle O’Neill (Spanish Teacher)

Kindness

Being kind is an enjoyable experience. It makes you feel good, useful, alive, and it validates you as a human being. When you are kind it triggers a number of beneficial physical and psychological responses. The most obvious response is the 'feel good' sensation.

When you do something good, your body rewards you by releasing endorphins. These morphine-like substances create the feel good experience, and also have the capacity to reduce or even block pain signals to the brain. People suffering from physical or psychological pain experience relief when they carry out an act of kindness.

When you practice kindness you are placing your attention onto someone else, it allows you 'to forget one's self.' When you do this you put lots of other negative feelings 'on hold', and your acts of kindness may allow you to see your own situation from a different perspective.

The person who receives a kind act experiences the 'feel good' response too. It's a nice experience when someone smiles at you, or thanks you, or compliments you, or helps you in some way. It creates a bonding, and in that moment there is a greater sense of worth about yourself and people in general.

It has been scientifically proven that regular, small acts of kindness have a positive effect on your physical and mental well-being, but also on your longevity. Kindness is not only a feel good experience; it is also beneficial for your health.

Judy Nunn
School Based Youth Nurse

Year 8 Academic Excellence News

Last Thursday evening, three Year 8 Academic Excellence students represented PBC at the Queensland Academy of Mathematics Teachers annual mathematics competition held at Varsity College. Annika Danielson, Amy Cooper and Myah Passmore faced several rounds of questioning including rapid-fire questions, group problem solving and individual problem solving.

The final round of general knowledge questions included some that weren’t actually part of most students’ general knowledge like, “What is a googol?” Answer 10^100!

The girls enjoyed the challenge and although they weren’t victorious, they did lead the competition at one stage and certainly did PBC proud.

Sally Farrell
HOD Academic Excellence

Year 8 Report

In reflection of the year that has been, such a long time ago it seems that there was a large group of students nervously pre-empting entry to high school, unsure of feelings that came with suddenly becoming the little fish in a big bowl, as opposed to their previous and assumedly comfortable small bowl; being the big fish. Upon this reflection, a sense of utmost pride and accomplishment overcomes me, as I know firsthand of the multifaceted successes these ‘little fish’ have achieved, high expectations they have met and challenges they have overcome.

In accordance with the philosophy grounding the Middle School at PBC, whereby success is derived from engagement in learning opportunities and in the building of positive and productive relationships, the Year 8 students of 2014 have succeeded.

To be in a position whereby I have been fortunate enough to observe and participate actively in the social, academic and personal development of these students in their first year of high school, has been a pleasure. Such exemplary behaviour and effort has been observed in classrooms on a daily basis and the sheer number of Year 8 students walking across the Optima Awards Ceremony stage to receive awards is one of many indicators of this.

Year 8 students have demonstrated an ongoing capability to utilise the multiple and dynamic learning opportunities provided to them, to further their academic success across learning areas. The dedicated and passionate Year 8 teachers have worked extremely hard with this cohort in order to set them up for meeting the academic, behavioural and work ethic standards expected. In the process, positive and productive relationships have been established and the Year 8 students have had their feet firmly planted into high school.

A personal highlight was the Track and Field carnival, a great day of fun, competition, colourful dress-ups and overall excitement. This day was an opportunity for me to interact with the Year 8 students in a different setting and as such, further foster my relationship with them. I was thoroughly impressed by all the students’ attitudes toward participating and their support for each other.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind of the capabilities amongst this cohort of students and of their upcoming transition into Year 9 being a smooth and seamless one.

Thank you to every Year 8 student for making my 2014 an enjoyable, rewarding and overall humbling experience.

Sandi Mlinar
Year 8 Coordinator

Ordered your 2014 Yearbook?

Don’t miss out on having a wonderful reminder of this year at PBC. The OPTIMA yearbook is filled with photos of school happenings, sports and of course your friends from the year as well as articles. They are $30. What a great keepsake.

Order yours today! (No payment required for Year 12 students.)

Payment Options

Pay in person:

• Payment can be made at the Student Services office 8:00 am to 1:00 pm
• Credit Card and Debit Cards (EFTPOS), Cash, Cheques and Money Orders are accepted.

Pay by phone (by credit card only):

• Call the school on 5525 9333 Monday to Friday between 8:00 am to 3:00 pm
• Please have the account and your credit card details with you when you call.
• VISA and MasterCard accepted.

Pay by Direct Credit:

• You have the option to make the payment direct to the school bank account. Please quote the reference below to ensure payment is credited to your account.
• Account Name: Palm Beach Currumbin SHS General Account
• BSB: 064-404 CBA Branch Burleigh Heads
• Account No: 00090303
• Reference: Please record both your Student’s Id and the reference code 2014MAG

Lynne Riley
Student Services

Oral Health Services - Dental Van

Students in Year (8 A-K, 9 and 10) have been provided with an offer of oral health care examination card to take home.

If your child is enrolled in one of the year levels listed or are new to the school and did not receive an examination card and would like to arrange for your child to receive oral health care please contact the Oral Health Call Centre 1300 300 850. Monday to Friday 8.00 am – 4.30 pm Excluding Public Holidays.

If your child requires disability access please identify this requirement with the Call Centre Operator.

Uniform Shop Update

Senior Jersey 2015

Orders close 12 September, 2014. Please ensure that your payment and order form are submitted to Student Services. No late orders will be accepted.

CAX Shirts

If you ordered a CAX Shirt they are now available to be collected from the Uniform Shop.

Extra Sport Excellence Uniforms

The Uniform Shop currently has some extra sport ex stock available for parents to purchase. Please feel free to pop in and see our friendly staff that can assist you with sizing. Also please note not all sizes are available but we will do our best to assist you and your child in that regards.

Please contact Mandy between the hours of 8am - 2 pm Monday - Friday if you have any questions or would like to see if your student’s size is available. Also, remember you can make your payments with Mandy over the phone.

Bucket Hats/PBC Caps

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

Jumpers

Jumpers are now available and are selling FAST, You can purchase your warm knitted jumper from the uniform shop which has samples available to try on for sizing, all sizes available, and cost is $48.

Trading Times:

Monday to Friday – 8:15am to 9:30am

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 give Mandy a call on 07 55259331 and pay for any uniform item over the phone.

Mandy Webb
Uniform Shop Co Ordinator

Administration

Cashier Window Operating Hours

Please be advised that the operating hours for the cashier/payment window at the school are strictly 8am to 1pm, Monday to Friday.

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.: 2014 SRS8 or 2014 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
Year 12 Formal	Year 12 students	$120	Overdue
Excellence Program Fees	Excellence program 2014 students	Various	Overdue
Course Fees
QCS	2014 Year 12 students	$50	Overdue
Certificate I – Furnishing	2014 Enrolled Year 11 and 12 students	Year 11 - $200 Year 12 - $100	Overdue
Certificate I - Engineering	2014 Enrolled Year 11 and 12 students	Year 11 - $200 Year 12 - $100	Overdue
Certificate I - Construction	2014 Enrolled Year 11 and 12 students	Year 11 - $200 Year 12 - $100	Overdue
Student Resource Scheme	2015 Fees Year 7 to Year 12	$330	12 September 2014
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.

Community Events

List Your Community Event with the PBC Newsletter

If you are holding a community event, sign-on day or fundraiser and want to get the word out to the community, you can list your event at the end or our Newsletter.

Go to our website at https://pbc-shs.eq.edu.au/Calendarandnews/Newsletters and view our current newsletter.

Look on the left side click on the View Local Events link to see what’s happening around the area.

If you would like to promote your event please email the details and any accompanying material (e.g. photos, fliers) to info@pbc-shs.eq.edu.au. Upon approval of the Executive Principal we will list your event.